Rules of Engagement

Chapters

Chapter 2 The bigger they are
Chapter 3 Martyrdom
Chapter 4 Camelot
Chapter 5 Aftermath
Chapter 6 Second Contact
Chapter 7 Vampire
Chapter 8 Lethal alliance
Chapter 9 What now
Chapter 10 Culture shock
Chapter 11 Battle Plan
Chapter 13 Combat drop
Chapter 14 Snow and Ice
Chapter 15 Semper Gumby
chapter 16 Airfield
Chapter 17 Making a stand
Chapter 18 Hatching day
Chapter 19 History lesson
Chapter 20 Allies
Chapter 21 All according to plan
Chapter 22 Assault
Chapter 23 Turning point
Chapter 24 High Rise
Chapter 25 R&R
Chapter 26 Splitting up
Chapter 27 The sins of our fathers
Chapter 28 Welfare Riot
Chapter 29 Out of the Black
Chapter 30 Dying light
Chapter 31 Enemy
Chapter 32 Star lit stoll
Chapter 33 MObile Tactical Human
Chapter 34 Ported
Chapter 35 A glimpse of Living
Chapter 36 Oscar mike
Chapter 37 Sirens call
Chapter 38 Pantheon
Chapter 39 Dogfight
Chapter 40 Dreams
Chapter 42 Steel world
Chapter 43 Interlude
Chapter 44 After Death
Chapter 45 The Crucible
Chapter 46 Back to work
Chapter 47 Under way
Chapter 48 Pressure
Chapter 49 Feet first
Chapter 50 Serpent
Chapter 51 Fubar
Chapter 52 Face of the enemy
Chapter 53 Roughneck
Chapter 54 Ties that bind
Chapter 56 Resist and Bite
Chapter 57 Cluster
Chapter 58 Deusvult
Chapter 59 Armor
Chapter 60 Versus
Chapter 61 Lazarus
Chapter 62 Supreme Commander
Chapter 63 Just a shakedown run
Chapter 64 Ambush
Chapter 65 Countdown
Chapter 1 Prolouge
Chapter 12 Calm before the storm
Chapter 41 Honor
Chapter 55 Gott Mit Uns
Credits

Chapter 2 The bigger they are

My battle armor was scuffed and beaten to hell, but I loved it anyway. I love the rifle more than a sane individual should love a mere object. Together the rifle and the armor turned me into something different, something more effective than if I were alone. In my arms is a sinister piece of alloy and polymer that looks both sleek and bulky at the same time.

This, the M66A weapons system, is the standard issue weapon for both the Spaceborne Marines and Territorial Army. It is a multi-pursuance personal weapon designed to defeat a large range of battlefield human threats, and the NAC has been using the M66 line for over 80 years. Its main component is an automatic impulse operated flechette rifle feeding three-millimeter flechette cartridges from disposable 250 round magazines.

The rifle operates as a fully automatic user-controlled mode and can fire as a semi-automatic or any combination of multiple round salvos. The rate of fire in burst and automatic depends on threat profile and varies from 200 to six thousand rounds a minute. The secondary component is the integrated 40-millimeter grenade launcher which fires a variety of low-pressure grenades.

Mission specific munitions for the launcher include High explosive, Armor-piercing, Fragmentation, Buckshot, incendiary, thermometric, chemical, and less lethal ammunition. We call this a dial of pain weapon; with just a change of grenades we can knock down a rioter or a reinforced one-story concrete building.

The first time I put on my battle armor and linked up to the integrated tactical network I felt like I had been myopic all my life without knowing it, and somebody finally slipped a set of prescription glasses over my eyes. The helmet computer has more computing power than all of the computers in my old high school classroom put together. On the inside of the eye shield, there is a sort of monocle over the left eye and that's the truly magical part of the suit; the holographic projector linked to the suit’s tactical computer.

The computer analyzed everything I see, overlaying my field of vision with tactical symbols over every friend or foe in the vicinity, and then transmits the data to the rest of the squad. Whatever I see, the rest of the squad can see as the computers integrate the feed coming in from mine. If one of us spots a threat, their TacCom automatically sends the new data to the other squad computers through the encrypted wireless network and the entire squad is aware of the threat within a few milliseconds. Despite all of this I am woefully unequipped to deal with the issue that I am currently facing.

"Let’s go people. Before our guests get here." the LT says.

The rain has slacked off in the hours since we landed the dropship, and the surface of the atmospheric processing station is a flat rubber-coated surface the size of a city block. The wet rubber squishes under my boots as we run from the access door to the edge of the roof where we spread out in our fighting positions. Even the short side of the building is at least 100 yards wide and the three fire teams spread-out on the edge of the roof have an awful lot of empty space between them. The fire team on the right of the roof is setting up a crew-served automatic weapon, A large-bore machine gun that is mounted on a tripod and fed from large translucent ammunition canisters.

By the time I reach the corner of the roof where corporeal Harrison's fire team has set up shop the impact tremors coming our way are strong enough to rattle the prefab wall sections of the admin building fifty feet below us. Something Very large is coming through the rainy haze in front of the terraforming station, I glance over to the landing pad where the dropship sits on the gravel like a huge insect at rest.

"HERE IT COMES!" one of the marines from another fireteam shouted.

"ONE O'CLOCK, 400!"

We look over to the spot he indicates and see the outline of a massive shape in the haze a few hundred yards ahead. It’s still mostly obscured by mist and fog but the general shape and size of it is terrifyingly large, like a fleet destroyer coming at us through the rain squalls. The target steps out of the mist with slow giant steps that feel like small earthquakes under our feet.

"Holy shit." corporal Harrison says, all over our thin battle line I hear marines shouting in surprise.

There's no doubt about the alien origin of the creature that's now coming across the rocky plateau towards us. My mind tries to come up with a comparable example of terrestrial biology and draws a blank. It somehow looks like a mix mash of reptilian, avian, and mammalian all at the same time, I see a huge eyeless head that slowly swings from side to side and what seems like acres of rain-slick skin the color of eggshells.

Its front limbs are much longer than its hind limbs and joined at the center in a way that seems structurally impossible. It walks hunched over on its front limbs like a giant fruit bat walking on its wings. Even with its stooped posture, it's probably 60 or 80 feet tall, and it looks like it could unfold itself to twice that height if it stood up straight on its hind legs. Its overall appearance is familiar and unstintingly strange at the same time.

"AUTOCANNON HOSE IT DOWN!" Sergeant Becker shouts.

On the opposite side of the roof the autocannon crew opens fire, the squad automatic weapon sounds like a giant jackhammer. It pours 300 rounds per minute in a slow authoritative staccato. I watch as the rounds from the autocannon swarm out to meet the towering form coming out of the mist. Just too bounce off in brilliant little explosions sending sparks in every direction, the alien creature lets out a scream that’s earsplitting even at this distance.

The sound like nothing I have ever heard before; a high-pitched trilling wail that sends shivers down my spine and makes me want to find a hole to crawl into. A quarter-mile away the creature sways and staggers to one side, then it regains its footing and continues on its path. Its sheer size makes it look like it’s moving in slow motion but it's covering the distance between the mist line and the terraforming station at an alarming speed.

"You have gotta be shitting me." The corporeal says next to us.

"Rocket Launchers!" Sergeant Becker shouts from the central position.

"Ready, Aim, and fire on my mark."

The autocannon is still hammering out its streams of tracers in long and steady bursts. The creature is walking right into the barrage tracers bouncing off its hide as if it is wearing ceramic composite armor. The marine gunners are racking its torso trying to probe for a week spot, but there doesn't seem to be one.

The autocannon standard round is a dual-purpose shell, an armor-piercing penetrator with a piggybacked high explosive fragmentation warhead and those rounds pack enough punch to take out an armored vehicle at a thousand yards. Against the hide of this creature however, the shells burst in a shower of sparks like oversized firecrackers, the creature was clearly annoyed, screeching its terrible roar, but it's still coming at us.

All along the line marines raise the stubby tubes of their MARS launchers, I only have the rifle and its low-pressure grenade launcher which will barely reach out that far. But I reach into by pouch slid the chamber and load a frag into the tube anyway.

"IN THREE! TWO! ONE! FIRE!" The sergeant shouts.

Half a dozen rocket launchers boom at the same instant and half a dozen missiles burst from their launcher tubes. They streak towards the creature, the exhaust nozzles glowing like a swarm of very large and angry fireflies. One of the missiles lands short of the creature; another streaks passed the alien missing its left side by a few feet.

Then the other three warheads explode against the thing’s torso in huge fireballs that light up the night in the distance. The simultaneous impact of three mars rockets does what the autocannon failed to accomplish. The alien is knocked off its feet and it tumbles to the ground screeching its nerve-wracking scream and we start cheering in triumph.

The creature is flailing on the ground just 300 yards away there's smoke rising from its hide where the rockets slammed into it, and it throws up mud and dirt as it thrashes around. Then, to our horror, it manages to steady itself and slowly rises back to its feet, it takes a step as if to make sure its legs still work before continuing its march but much less steady than before.

"Fuck me," I say as I shake my head. The creature just absorbed enough explosives to tear a dropship into fine shrapnel. and now its back on its feet looking only a little worse for the wear.

"Reload, armor-piercing shit on the double!" the sarge shouts, the MARS rocket gunners reload and shoulder their weapons. I'd grab one of them myself, but our reinforced squad only has six of them. All I have is my M66 whose grenade launcher shoots wet firecrackers in comparison.

"FIRE!" again the launchers send a salvo downrange with a muffled bang, this time only one rocket misses.

One of the missiles clips the shield-like protrusion on the back of its head and I can see chunks of flesh torn raggedly off as the high-speed penetrator of the armor-piercing rocket tiers into it. The other three slams into its torso with far less pyrotechnic drama than before. This time the creature falls forward with a wail, carried by its own momentum.

I only notice how close it has come to our position when I see its head digging a furrow in the ground, a mere 50 yards from where our dropship crouches like a resting insect, the roof under our feet shakes with the force of the creature’s impact. The creature wails and starts thrashing around again, but this time it reminds me of a bird twitching on the ground with a broken wing.

"FIRE AT WILL!" the sarge shouts and the space around the admin building turns into the seventh circle of hell as a dozen marines start firing their weapons at the same time. To our right the autocannon opens up again, all along the roof flechette rifles start chattering their hoarse reports I aim my weapon and begin firing grenades, our reinforced squad is firing every weapon on the roof at the downed alien.

Then there is no movement from the figure below and all we are doing is firing at the hulking dead matter, still, I keep my finger on the trigger until the bolt snaps back on an empty magazine. For a few moments, the only sound is of the rain clattering off our battle armor and the roof, the alien creature lies sprawled out dead in front of us. We brought it down, but we had to throw just about every piece of ordnance in the armory at it, and the thing made it to within a hundred yards of our rooftop position. We hear shouts of alarm and turn to see not one, but four more of the creatures ambling our way.

The newcomers don't follow the same path as the first, instead, they pause at the far side of the mist line and the fan out in a widely spaced line abreast. As if they are aware of the fate of their fellow comrade and the limitations of our handheld weapons. When they are halfway to our position, we'd only managed to take one down, and with 14 troops and three-quarters of our ammo depleted, I knew at once that we don't stand a chance at stopping this new assault.

Before I knew it, they are on us, the shield-like tops of their heads just barely clear the top of the roof, but their long forelimbs can reach far beyond it. I see a three-fingered hand coming over rooftop ledge and claw into the rubber coating of the roof. The structure underneath yields to the grasp of the enormous hand like the metal foil cover on a meal tray. The other creature doesn't even bother with such a probing approach as it brings its arm down with a bang; sounding like that of an artillery shell as it impacts the ground and my world temporarily goes black.

When I open my eyes again, I am in a room with the rest of my squadmates crawling out of the sim-pods all around the room, and the sim chief is calling out to get our attention. I shake my head still high on adrenaline from the simulation of humanity's first encounter with the Lankies, I check myself for damage and see that I'm still intact and not paste. All around me the squad is doing the same thing before the overhead speakers come online.

"Action stations, action stations. All hands Action stations. Ground teams report to the Captain for briefing." the voice comes over the PA system.

"Let's move people." the LT says as we begin to exit the simulation chamber and double-time it to the conference room. When we got there, half of the room is packed with marines in battle armor. The skipper is standing in front of a hollow projector on a plinth at the front of the room. The skipper is a tall graying man who survived the Lanky war but still looks like he could wipe the floor with half the marines in the room without much of a fuss.

"Good morning, I'll keep this short." Captain Packers says as he presses a button on the hollow panel. The image changes from the picture of the ship to that of a star system, the system has one star and 3 planets orbiting it.

"This is the Trappist-A star system, 40 light-years from SOL. 72 hours ago we retrieved a distress call from the colony on Trappist-B, a near Earth-like planet the colonists call Camelot. The other planets in the system include Trappist-A, a ball of radioactive slag that we fought the SRA for before the Lankies showed up, Trappist-C, a gas giant five times the size of Jupiter with a set of ice rings, and an asteroid belt between Camelot and Trappist-A. The NAC lost contact with Camelot when the Lankies attacked the Sol 80 years ago. Apparently in the almost 80 years since then, the planet has been invaded. They have been subjugated by something calling itself the Unified Equestrian Conclave. The colonists were enslaved and shipped out throughout their territory. There is a resistance movement in the conclave that their government has failed to stop, and as a result, we have received a call for help. There wasn't much information in the transmission. It is expected that one of the equine aliens interrupted the transmission before it was completed. These things think that Camelot is the homeworld of humanity so the Acheron will join Leathy, Styx and the supercarrier Manitoba and her task group, and prove them wrong by kicking the Equestrian Conclave off of NAC property." the Captain says ending his speech with a slight smirk, one that many of us in the conference room echo. Humanity has been kicked around by aliens enough in the past 80 years. Time for a little payback.

Chapter 3 Martyrdom

When the Lankies showed up and took Mars our oldest and biggest colony in space, 20 alien siege ships blowing both the SRA and NAC fleets into debris and landing thousands of colony pods. dozens of lankie settler scouts in each, Lankie nerve gas in the streets dispassionate wholesale extermination. Scraping a nuisance species off the new real estate before moving in. Every ship capable of space flight loading up refugees and leaving the planet at full burn only to get blown to shrapnel by the Lankie blockades and their orbital minefields. Those who could ran and most of them died, those who stayed died just the same. The previous five years were just a warm up for them, they were testing our capabilities, probing our defenses, gauging our reactions, playing with their food.

They say that those who fail to learn from their mistakes are doomed to repeat them well humanity has definitely learned. we once thought that any life we meet out in space would be too advanced to want to fight us. And that sentiment lasted about thirty seconds when the Lankies arrived, for the first five years we couldn't even come up with a name for them the Xenobiologists came up with an unpronounceable latin designation that no one uses outside of a textbook.

The Infantry grunts known for prosaicness called them Lankies or Big ugly s, the Sino-Russians didn't even have a name for them for the first year of the war. Because they believed the North American Commonwealth was spinning tall tails to cover up terraforming accident and natural disasters. Then the Lankies took SRA settled Soviernosea just passed the 30, one hundred thousand dead colonists later there scientists finally started to compare notes with ours.

Those aliens are 80 feet tall incredible thick skinned and they roam around in groups, it takes heavy anti-armor munitions to put a dent in a Lankie. And there mile high terraforming structure won't budge for anything less than a 10 kiloton tactical nuke. The only way to scrape them off a colony planet is usually to glass all there atmosphere exchangers and settlements with a few hundred megatons from orbit. And that sort of thing makes the place unfit for human resettlement, Once a Lankie siege ship enters the orbit of a colony that place is no longer our one way or another. To us, it might have been a war, to them it was just pest control. That was right up until we were able to really hit back, and when we did we hit them back so hard they stopped attacking us outright.

Now we are in a sort of Cold war with our 80-foot interstellar neighbors we won't fight them they won't fight us, we don't know where their homeworld is and they know where ours is, but they can't get back into SOL without being blown to hell. We do still come into conflict for unsettled worlds, though. And in one or two binary star systems big enough for both stars to have their own solar systems and planets that we both want we split the system, they take one star we take the other. We can't talk to the Lankies and they can't talk to us everything about us is too different, But we both do understand that if it came to all out war it would mean the extinction of us both.

Earth... I never thought I'd miss the place, granted it wasn't much near the end. A little blue ball of dirt, mostly water in a corner of a small galaxy in the ass end of the universe. 5 billion years it's spun around in space, and then we managed to fill it up with 100 billion of our species in just fifty millennia. Spoiled water, lousy air, and mostly dead oceans, what we didn't ruin we fought over incessantly killing each other by the millions over the centuries. As our technology far outpaced our ability to keep the vestigial lizard parts of our brains in check. Now the earth isn't much, but it is home.

Five years in the corps, hopping all over settled space dozens of light years away from my home planet and never once felt homesick. That was because somewhere in the back of my mind I always felt secure that earth was still out there. Back where I left it, still orbiting the sun once every three hundred and sixty-five days, still crawling with humans, still sprawling with cities full of lifeforms who look and act like I do.

The Idea that a human could grow up and not know earth, not even know about it is profoundly wrong. The idea that some new race has shown up on the far side of the 40 and made it happen to almost two generations is unforgivable. At least the Lankies just kill everyone when they want a planet dispassionate nerve gas that will kill you where you stand after taking in just a few microns of the stuff or getting just a minuscule amount on your skin. It's nothing personal they just didn't want humans on their new planet, they take out the native population and settle, the same exact thing we would do if the planets we settle had any native life, At least they didn't use us as slaves.

The relief fleet leaves Earths orbit and begins burning in the direction of the Alcubierre node owned by the North American Commonwealth that will allow us to get to the Trappist-A star system. At its head is the 60-year-old 500 meter Siege breaker class ship the Leathy, escorted by the 400-meter heavy battle cruisers Styx, and Acharon who began construction before the Lankies reached SOL. There are only two ships in the fleet that are less than 30 years old and they are the two 200 meters Indianapolis class ghost ships Defiant and Carson. Who's polychromatic armor make them invisible to sensors, and would make them almost completely invisible to visual scans if someone was stupid enough to put windows on a space ship?

Forming with the siege breaker and her escort are the 300 meters long Hammerhead Cruisers Pollocks, Saber, Wolf, and Sovereign. As we exit Luna's gravity well the Big 450 meter bird farm Manitoba and her escort the space control cruisers Ragnarok and Twilight join us before we continue at full burn towards the node. It will take us 12 days at full burn to reach the alcubierre node, six for the burn and six for the turnaround. Then another 20 hours in transit to travel the over 40 light years to get to Trappist-A. After that marine Force recon, fleet combat controllers and Space air land teams will recon the planet and make contact with the local resistance before marking targets for a strike and paving the way for the land assault.

==============================================================================

"I can't wait to get to the market. I hear they have a new shipment in." a griffin said to her pony friend who yanked on the chain that was holding her human. They were on the train in route to the main colony, one of the monarchs of the Conclave was supposed to arrive via shuttle today. This rebellion was annoying it, made, it almost impossible into town because of all of the checkpoints. With any luck, the execution of that human an almost 2 weeks ago will put an end to that.

"Ya..., What are you doing Stupid human!?" she yelled seeing her that her human seemed to be scratching under his arms constantly.

"Nothing mistress." he replied looking to the floor only to receive a smack in the face. He felt the two hard bumps under his armpits sway as he was smacked. His face stung as he felt her nails dig in and draw blood but he refused to cry out and shame the home world. When she finally stopped smacking him and returned to her conversation with her griffin friend, he looked out of the window and saw that they were close to the crowd of the platform. Damn with all that security the others wouldn't be able to get out, he had to think of something.

When he looked to another human on the train he retrieved a sad smile, and a defiant nod he knew what he had to do. If everything goes well the resistance will finally get into the city. Then with a single hard yank he snapped the chain he had been weakening for weeks, and with a satisfying snap the chain broke and he jumped onto the table.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" his owner yelled at him attempting to pull him down, and when the guards on the train stepped forward the other humans tackled them.

"For the home world, DO IT!" one of them yelled. Prompting him to grab the bumps under his jacket and yank them out to either side of him. In his hands were a pair of High yield Thermobaric Grenades.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" He screamed pressing the activation studs and the crowd outside watched as an entire train car exploded sending derbies and shrapnel all over the place, and derailing the train. Some of the bystanders were crushed when the train derailed others used magic to either stop the train from crushing them or pull others out of the way.

"How could this happen." A Conclave soldier said as she walked closer to the burning wreckage. she Raised her rifle as she and her squad could hear the calls for help from one of the cars, she and another soldier stepped forward and levitated the train car to free the survivors. The strange part was that she couldn't feel anything inside but that made no sense why would humans be in a luxury car? That was her last thought because when the car was right side up she and her squad looked up to see 25 humans in the cab 5 of which were leveling strange weapons at them.

"Cut'em down." they heard one of the humans shout before the window exploded in a shower of glass and the air was filled with the horse reports of their strange rifles. Her squad was cut down all around her the armor they all wore doing nothing to stop the storm. She raised a shield and readied her rifle before the shield she had raised exploded, and she felt like she was having a nail shoved into her stomach with a sledgehammer. The shield dissipated as she fell on her back and looked around, there were humans running into the shadows all around her. She tried to push up only to have a boot roughly push her back down and when she looked up she was met with the sight of a large male human.

"This was for Sarah." he said before raising and bring his boot crashing down on her head. Putting a final period on her life story with the stomp of a boot like a bug.

Author's Note

sorry for the wait i had to get my eclipse looked at. :twilightsmile:

Chapter 4 Camelot

(Fallon)

We're 30 million kilometers from Trappist-A's third planet and are using its shadow to cover our approach, I've been transferred to the Defiant for the first part of the mission. As the Carson and Defiant break away from the rest of the fleet, Manitoba and the relief fleet fall back to let the Indies do what they were designed to do. I can almost feel the ship vibrating as if it's excited to finally do something that is not escorting the fat Manitoba or a siege breaker. The crew is abuzz with activity as the pod heads meet in a conference room.

"Today's mission is an aid and smash run." Major Gomez says once we are all in our seats. As the sole combat controller assigned to this mission I am one of the only fleet arm guys in the room the rest are a marine force recon a team I have dropped with a few times before, A seal team all with master drop badges, and another Force recon team.

"Camelot has been hostile real estate for almost 80 years now. chances are you'll find some major settlement clusters down there, they've had plenty of time to dig in and make themselves at home." Behind him, the wall mounted holographic briefing screen cycles through a few renderings of our target planet. Unlike with the Lankies we don't just have a rough idea of where the population centers are but we can't just nuke the cities and leave. We have marines and resistance fighters on that planet and it wouldn't look too good if we just blasted them along with the UEC.

It takes about thirty minutes to suit up in a hostile environment battle armor suit, the HEBA suits are new hardware relatively speaking. They were designed for offensive missions on Lanky worlds and they are so stuffed with tech that regular old battle armor looks like a medieval suit of dented plate in comparison. Regular battle armor works on Lanky worlds too but their filtration systems are too small and get overwhelmed by a number of biological contaminants in the air. Lankies seed some type of pollen into the atmosphere to kick start their own version of agriculture.

This armor is less resistant to small arms fire than the standard infantry armor but more flexible and half the weight. The sensor package built into the helmet is advanced enough to navigate a starship, Infrared, Thermal imaging, millimeter wave radar, ultrasound. There's a built-in trauma kit and a super fast computer to tie all of the information streams together. Whoever designed the armor figured out that the visor is the weak spot in a helmet and that keeping one from forging up in a high CO2 world is an unnecessary energy expense. So the new helmets don't have visors, the lack of visible eyes combined with the little bumps for the helmets sensor arrays gives the wearer an insectoid appearance. So it took about 5 seconds after they released the first HEBA suits into the corps before someone coined the obvious nickname Bug-suits.

Bug suits are custom fitted to each wearer and hideously expensive the defense budget being what it is they are strictly limited issue. Only personnel with frequent business on Lanky wolds get one, Rainbow, Recon, combat control, Seals, Dropship pilots, and space born rescue specialists. All in all, there might be four thousand troops in the entire core with a fitted bug suit. They used to be strictly off limits for missions against the SRA because command didn't want the technology to fall into Russian or Chinese hands. We're not fighting the SRA anyway, we're fighting a new race and if our intel is correct and their technology is where we think it is they couldn't replicate it if they tried. I have a sort of love-hate relationship with my bug suit, It's very comfortable and the wealth of sensor input projected onto the inside of the helmet makes me feel almost omnipotent. On the other hand putting one on, as I'm about to head out into pony country.

"Suits all check out." The lieutenant announces.

"We are ready for business, weapons check please!" We all aim our weapons at the diagnostics target on the bulkhead and let the computers do the talking over the wireless network.

"Alright! Let's go mess us up some pretty ponies." The recon team is 5 troopers strong but we're all Rainbow consisting of LT Patters, SS Miles, Sgt heller, CP Lavoy, and PFC Forbes I am the sixth wheel on this particular wagon but nobody minds having me around because I carry the radios that call down the thunder if there is a need for it.

As we settle into the Blackfly stealth dropship I open the tactical feed in my helmets display. As I do this the interior lights of the drop ship turn red, On the feed the Blue triangles of the Defiant and Carson are only one thousand kilometers from the small pocket of 4 UEC ships around the planet the largest of which is maybe 250 meters and the smallest 100 meters. I bring up the external video feed to see what they look like, their ships obviously were made with aesthetics in mind, smooth curves with no right angles and the speckling of interior lights meaning windows. This would be bad news if we weren't in a stealth ship who's poly-chrome armor makes us almost invisible. As we slowly drift into an orbit I can see one of the ships with a zoomed in camera, I can't see many obvious weapons just some kind of turrets reminiscent of that on old battleships, and a kind of track on the outside running vertically and horizontally along the hull.

"One express elevator to hell coming up!" With that said our drop ship is dropped from the docking clamps and we began to plummet toward the planet. I switch to the drop ships neural network to see what I can with the cameras and am a little disheartened to see that I can hardly see the drop ship at all in the camera thanks to the polychromatic armor. I do however see two flickers of light and see that the Defiant and Carson have launched their escorts of two stealth shrikes to go with us and the other two drop ships.

We set down 1 mile from where we were told the Resistance outpost was located. As we do so the Shrike tasked to be our support moved into a wide circling search pattern. Our displays begin lighting up with small red threat icons about 5 miles away.

"Let's move people." Patters say we get up and the drop ship begins to roll under some trees for cover.

As we move on we began to hear the sounds of wildlife and this shocks me to no end, No colony ship brings animals short of very small livestock and even then they only bring embryos. It is very expensive to transport one pound of stuff into space, that's why soldiers are only allowed a twenty pound bag. My chain of thought is interrupted when we see a red light pierce the night and flash in our direction, Instantly we bring our rifles to bear taking cover.

After a moment the light makes three circles in the air, and instantly we relax the LT lights his Indicator light and returned the greeting. We advance and what meets us is just sad, an old bearded man with what must be an 80-year-old PDW dressed in old Marine fatigues greets us with the biggest and most great full smile I have ever seen. Upon seeing the LT he delivers a week but proud salute one the LT returns half-heartedly.

"Staff sergeant Anton sir. I thought I would never see another NAC soldier as long as I have lived..." he begins before breaking into sobs we're about to aid him when he straightens up and waves his hand dismissively.

"No, no I-I-I'm ok this is just a moment I have dreamed of since I was a young man. Our outpost is this way, please." He then moves us into the camp where we see more old men and women as well as a few young men and women most of which look haggard and some look a little worse for the wear. But when they see us their eyes light up and they look at us like movie stars, one of the men who was wearing an old set of battle armor comes up to the LT and leads him away to a group of other men in battle armor.

As the LT is talking with a group of old men and women Lavoy and I go back to the Dropship and get out a large crate and move it into the camp. When we open it a small crowd forms around us as we reach in and take out the recon drones. The drones unlike the Bug suits, Blackflies, and Indie class ships, aren't made of polychromatic armor but instead, are coated with a radar absorbent material. Each one looks like a miniature version of a space ship about one foot long and tubular in shape, with a small fan in the middle. we activate the drones and link them to the Neural network of the Dropship before we begin tossing them into the night sky. They instantly begin spreading out with overlapping lines of sight doing what would take a squad days to do in a matter of minutes.

"Bingo." Lavoy exclaims as his computer transmits the data to our helmets feeds.

"Well, what do we have here?" The LT says before moving to a map that the Resistance had set up and circles a blank spot on the map about 12 miles from the small town.

"What does this symbol mean?" he asks as he brought up the image on his PDP and shows it to Anton who looks like he's about to have a heart attack.

"That is the mark of the Royal Guard that's bad. We have a team already in the main city to attempt to neutralize the royal but we didn't know they would send a platoon of them. The team we have are our best and I am afraid that even with the two M66 rifles they have they won't be able to hold them off." Anton says looking down.

"Don't worry sir we won't let that happen. We are here to make a little trouble before the assault. When and where."

"Here and it should already be under way. The last transmit ion we retrieved is that they were pinned down in the Colony Key." Anton says pointing a finger at a building on the map.

"Then let's move, Let's go make a loud distraction for teams 2 and 3."

=================================================================================

"For Humanity!" A human yelled before he jumped on top of a car taking two grenades and blowing himself up, taking four UEC troopers with him.

"Tartarus this is bold of them." A UEC Trooper named Glimmer star said as she raised her rifle over a car and fired into the security lot killing 2 humans wearing Changeling armor vests. The Humans had barricaded themselves into the colony key with the royal, somehow they had fooled most of the Royal guard out of the building and now the guards were about to go back in. Luckily the royal had at least two royal guards with her, both of which were unicorns and they had radioed that the royal was adding her magic to a shield to keep them safe and were moving to the escape shuttle.

"WB 1-1 Clear the parking lot and Make a hole in that building." The captain of the guard said

"Copy" the pilot of the cockatrice attack helicopter said as he moved into position.

"Everybody down!" Glimmer Star yelled before raising a shield around herself and a pegasus who was next to her. She could see the others being buffeted by the downdraft of the helicopter as it strafed the humans, before turning 90 degrees and firing two missiles into the side of the building showering them in derbies. They looked up to see a human screaming and on fire, in the middle of the burning portion of the building it dropped to its knees before pulling a pistol and shooting itself in the head. They heard the rotary blades of 4 more helicopters arriving before the Royal guard raised and leveled their weapons.

"MOVE!" Captain Shining Armor yelled raising a shield around himself. Glimmer shield got up to secure the perimeter of the building with her head leader giving her orders. She glanced up in time to shout out a warning as a strange weapon was poked out of a window and after a hollow thump the Cockatrice went up in an explosion so massive it sent most of them sprawling on the ground.

"Cowards!" One of the Helicopter pilots yelled over the radio before racking the window and the immediate area around it with cannon fire and firing a missile directly into the window where the ordnance had come from. In front of Star landed a melted, twisted piece of something that she was sure used to be some part of the building.

"RG!" A human yelled before one of the Royal guards blew his chest to bits with a shotgun. Two of them moved right killing two humans with no armor and just clothes.

'SCCCCCCCCRRRRRReeeeeeeeeee!' Almost as one everypony wearing a radio wrenched the radio from their ear. As it ended another began as before there was a deafening boom as an orange fireball that lit up the night sky as all of the Cockatrice gunships exploded followed by a defining crack.

"What in Celestia was that!" a Pony behind a car yelled before there was a sound like a zipper and the pony, the griffon and the squad next to them all exploded in a shower of meat as tiny explosions that tracked the pavement. The large crowd of onlookers began screaming and began to scatter as more troopers, royal guard and armored vehicles began exploding. There was a loud whooshing noise over the roof...

"EVERY PONY INSIDE! WE CAN’T TAKE ANOTHER STRAFE LIKE THAT!" The trooper captain yelled. The other troopers caught up with the Royal guard inside as they reached the Rotunda.

"Captain what is going on in there!?" Shining armor yelled as they all heard the reports of their own weapons from outside as the music changed to something very bass heavy and about rainbows. So the humans in the crowd grew a spine how surprising.

"Spread out! Hunt down those cowards!" Shining armor yelled leading his Royal guards ahead leaving the guards behind in the rotunda and after 20 seconds two cylinders came through the skylight.

"Smoke!" Somepony yelled before there were two blinding unholy loud bangs in front of them. She tried to raise a shield in time but there wasn't time she tripped over something and fell on her back as she watched what looked like 6 humans with a strange bug-like armor coming from the skylight. One of them landed next to her before the horse reports of their strange rifles added to the cacophony.

==================================================================================

(Fallon)

"Let's move! Fallon, Forbes Find the Asset!" LT says as we move onward. Flash bangs and smoke wouldn't do anything to someone in even regular battle armor, for flash bangs our visors would darken to protect us from the flash and cut our hearing to protect our ears. As for Smoke, unless it’s polychrome smoke we just have to change to one of the various vision modes.

As I pass I look down and see that the ponies actually looked just like anthropomorphic ponies with weird proportions making them have a kind of human facial structure. Forbes and I enter a room only for Forbes to be blast off his feet from the right, I turn and put a burst into a befuddled pony with gold brushed armor with an archaic shotgun.

"Son of a bitch!" Forbes yelled as he gets back to his feet picking up his M66 and loading a grenade into the launcher and pointing his weapon at me. I dive to the right and a gold brushed Royal guard's chest explodes from a point blank 40-millimeter buckshot round. He gives me a thumbs up before helping me to my feet and I pat him on the back.

"You ok?" I ask over the squad channel

"Ya man, just got the wind knocked out of me. Can you believe these jokers? Marching around out there like they're on fucking parade or something." He laughed before our heads up displays began lighting up with red threat icons.

"Let’s go."

The two of us move out before eventually coming across a group of 3 human and surprisingly 1 insectoid resistance members. One of them is wearing partial battle armor consisting of the chest piece and leg armor, and firing an M66. We skid to a stop beside them before adding our newer firepower to the line.

"What have you got!" I yell before pulling a grenade and slamming it into my breast plate to prime it and throwing it around the wall.

"Who are you guys? Never seen that kind of gear before!" The partially armored woman yelled as she reloaded her M66.

"Were the ones you called for." I yell before loading a frag into my grenade launcher and launching it down the hall.

"Tartarus that's some sick gear you guys have got. Anyway we have the Royal pinned down. They can't move but we can't get any crosser." she said.

"Let us handle that. LT We have met up with some Resistance fighters and have the Package pinned down." I say over the suits comm-suite.

"Roger get the package." I nod my head.

"Hold them here. Wait one minute then throw this into the room." I say to the woman giving her a flash bang. She gives me a look, before Forbes and I move into an adjacent room and blew out the window. We both activated our suits stealth sweat and we partiality blended into the night environment as we ascended to the roof one floor up.

"Let’s show these resistance guys how it's done." Forbes said as we attach our lines and repel from the roof. We move to where the red cones of the hostiles predicted positions are on our HUDs and plant two breaching charges on the wall. We move away from the charges before we hear the bang of the flash bang.

"Breaching!" I yell as we blow the charges creating two holes in the wall as we swung into the room.

As we enter I catch a glimpse of pink to my left as Forbes guns down one of the dazed Royal Guards before I land and the computer un-clips my repel line. I see that my opponent is too close for me to bring up my rifle, so I do the only thing that comes to mind and use the split second to hurl my M66 into the chest of the guard knocking it off guard. I slam into her like a missile hitting a ship and picking her up off of her hooves before pivoting and slamming her down into a desk. I see movement on her back before I lean to the left to avoid a head but and knee her in the stomach before drawing my knife and plunging it into the side of her head. Her hand comes up to weakly grope at my hand as I move to grasp the grip with my other hand and twist with a sickening crunch before kicking the dead pony from my knife.

"Bitch." I say as I clean my knife on the now identified wing and re-sheath it before picking up my M66.

"How dare!..." The pink thing began before receiving a savage right hook from Forbes knocking her out cold.

"Shut up." he says.

"Viper six to Viper one Asset secure." I tell the LT.

"Copy that Viper six Move to the roof for ex-fill."

"Copy. Let's move Forbes let’s pick up our new friends." I say getting a nod as we move passed the Resistance fighters, the woman in partial battle armor places a ring on the things horn and binds its wings. We move onto the roof to await ex-fill when after maybe 20 seconds the rest of the squad come running up the stairs looking only a little mussed.

"Oh joy the Asset's waking up." SS Miles says as we see the Pink thing begin to stir.

"Who? What are you?" The thing demands. Before the door burst open and five royal guards came onto the roof, one of them with purple and brushed gold armor carrying an elaborately decorated assault rifle speaks first as we all raise our rifles.

"FREEZE! You have five seconds to lay down your weapons filthy creatures and humans." He shouts as his horn glows and a purple shield appears around his people.

"Shining Armor!" The package yells.

"Those things have Princess Cadence!" A guard yells as one of the resistance members pushed her down. we hear the sound of rotor blades and we looked up to see 4 helicopters raise around us. We're bathed in searchlights and we can see one helicopter that looks civilian in make if the lack of guns were anything to go on.

"5...4...3...2..." He begins before there's a series of booms in the direction of the UEC military base. Even from here I can see the Railgun rounds streaking down from the sky like meteors. Then there's a much closer boom as the helicopters around us exploded as the Shrike makes its pass destroying the offending helicopters and vanishing into the night at supersonic speeds.

"Cut'em down!" The LT yells bringing the Royal guards attention back to us as our M66's chatter there hoarse reports shattering that shield almost instantly and shredding anything behind it. when the firing stops we see the one known as Shining armor struggling to his hooves with bullet holes in his body and a thin purple glow around him.

"AP!" The LT yells as we load Armor piercing shells into our grenade launchers. We raise our weapons and fix him in our aiming ladders as he struggles to raise his weapon. As soon as he raises the weapon we all fire our grenades at once and when they hit he explodes in a shower of gore.

"Damn, that's gross." Heller laughs out whipping an eye off of his armor as the Blackfly moves into position and lowers the ramp. As The Ramp lowers we see that the hold is almost full of Humans in various states of degradation, some look beaten, whipped, malnourished, and others just look haggard and tired.

"We have the Intel, we weren't able to get much but we got some." the LT says as I send a secure burst transmission to the Defiant in orbit. We get in and the Blackfly begins fly off before the ramp is even closed.

"Hold on people strike package inbound." I say as we see the Admin Key explode as a Railgun round slammed into it before more begin slamming down in the area around it.

"Hoorah." Forbes says from my left as the tail ramp closes and we disappear into the night.

After we drop off the resistance fighters and refugees and are on the way back to the Ddefiant. I spend a few solitary minutes in the back of the drop ship surveying the destruction I've called down upon the unsuspecting Aliens in that settlement. I'm not religious, I doubt I ever was despite my mom's efforts to get me into the embrace of the mother church back in Pittsburgh when I was young. I do know my bible however, I recall the book of exodus the versus telling of the angel of death passing through Egypt at night killing all the firstborn children. Sparing only the houses with the mark of lambs blood on the door posts, In a way, I am an angel of death as well. The god I serve is even more vengeful and merciless than the god of Israel. I'm the one who marks the doorposts in the night, we pass over none.

Author's Note

Sorry for the wait here a long chapter to make up for it.

Updated

Chapter 5 Aftermath

"It is confirmed that contact with Trottingdale city on the human home world has been lost. Information is spotty at best... hang on... are you sure? New troubling information has come to light concerning the loss of contact with Trottingdale. What has been described by analysts as a raid on the Admin Key of Trottingdale, Unfortunately it is confirmed that Princess Cadence of the Ruling council was present in the Admin key during the raid. The Human Resistance who has been characteristic to their species and passive up until now, has assaulted the Admin key with the confirmed aid of at least one Changeling. The changeling King Thorax has expressed his assurances that this changeling and others like it are a remnant of the old regime and do not represent the changeling Nation at large. The attackers were quickly routed and cornered inside of the admin key by the Valiant Royal guard and noble UEC soldiers. But the whole situation did a complete 180 as a New and as yet unseen species Similar in size to the humans but insectoid in appearance, much more aggressive, merciless, and advanced than the backward savages arrived on the scene and aided the humans and other resistance fighters. They then proceeded to achieve what we once thought impossible and bomb the UEC military base near the city from orbit. It is still unknown how their ships made it passed the state of the art fleet above the planet. But after the orbital strike the new race proceeded to kill all UEC and Royal Guard forces in the Admin Key whose defensive magic, armor and weapons appeared to have no effect on the advanced races armor. It has even been Confirmed that Captain Shining Armor of the Royal guard was killed in an effort to free his wife from these things before they forced her into some kind of craft and disappeared into the night. Princess Cadence's whereabouts are unknown at this time, Our hopes and dreams go out to the families of the UEC citizens who were caught in the Orbital attack that destroyed the Admin Key and the entire 6 block radius around it. This has been White Rose UEC news reporting." The news report played on a twilivision screen in the Council chamber in Sisters castle on the UEC home world of Eques.

"WHAT IN TARTERUS IS GOING ON OUT THERE! WE NEED TO SEND A FLEET TO CAMELOT IMMEDIATELY!" a large Gryphon yelled from one section of a large circular table, around which sat the leaders of the various species that made up the UEC.

"Calm down Tallon you are getting to worked up. Think about what you are saying, We don't know anything about this new race or what they are capable of. We need to study them before..." a purple Alicorn said from her seat.

"Of course you would say that Princess Twilight you are more concerned about your Science and magic. You don't care about..." another delegate was cut off when Twilight rose from her seat.

"How dare you even think I don't care my brother is dead thanks to these Humans and their new friends!" She screamed her horn glowing with a brilliant violet as she charged a spell.

"Enough! While we don't agree with Twilight's sentiments she is correct in worrying about the capabilities of this new threat. We can’t forget that they are probably only responding to the signal sent out by the human that was executed a few weeks ago." A dark blue alicorn said as she silences the Zebra.

"Yes Luna is right, and the news of that execution has only gotten around to half of the UEC by now. It will take time for the resistance groups to take the warning to heart." A white alicorn said

"You say that but the Resistance movements that have received the news have stepped up their attacks, and in lieu of this new attack are getting reports of Kleese, Miralo, and Tymerian Resistance groups joining forces with humans. If the Slave cast and old changelings unite against us..." the Grand General of the Royal guard began.

"Then we will Crush them. We need to strike fast and hard to sow fear in the hearts of the resistance!" king Thorax yelled slamming his chitin fist into the table earning a small cheer and nods of agreement from the assembled council.

"As we speak there is a fleet already in the works and within the day will proceed to the Planet of Camelot to reinforce the Human homeworld. With orders to reason with our new neighbors, and if that is not possible to cleanse the celestial system of these Techno barbarians. This meeting of the Council is dismissed" The monarch Celestia said standing to her full height and moving off pulling her two human slaves along with her, followed closely by princesses Twilight and Luna. The other delegates cheered as a dragon rose from his seat yanking on a chain forcing a badly beaten and malnourished 1.8 meter female bipedal pale red scaled reptilian known as a Tymerian to stagger forward.

"Slave take news of what you have heard to the Lunaport tell the Dragon's breath and brimstone to join the fleet The dragons will not be left out of this chance to test ourselves against a new opponent. I want you on the Dragon's breath and to report back to me immediately on returning." He orders unbinding the chain and pressing a button on his tactical pad earning a chime from the females collar.

"Y-yes my lord." She responded her tail drooping upon hearing the knowledge that she would be part of the fleet. Days of beatings, mal-nourishment, attempted rape, and general abuse wasn't particularly palatable but at least she would be away from king Kharne. So she bowed and walked towards the door.

"Wait take these these two with you. They will serve as the changeling liaison as well." king Thorax said releasing two 2 meter tall beings with lower body like a tarantula with six fuzzy thick legs and an upper body covered in the same fur on there thick exoskeletons. There upper body were strange with two fur covered arms ending in a three fingered claw, and heads with two large multifaceted eyes above a fanged maw with two large venom filled fangs on either side. These were the Kleese a race of honorable warriors, brilliant builders and artists, at least they were before they were subjugated by the UEC. Now however they were the lowest of the low in the Slave class do to there arachnid heritage, and general stature being a off putting to a culture based on aesthetics above all else. The larger of these two biased on their eye color being Red with a black pupil and pale white with no pupil respectively was descended from the Zaltule warrior class of the Kleese but were treated even worse and would often be seen in resistance cell.

"Yesh Lordch!" they responded in unison before scuttling to the tymerians side.

Together the three of them made their way out of the castle and towards the Luna port. On the way they passed a few humans looking a little worse for the where, and some looking defiant and often getting into fights with one another. Before breaking up as a Pony or other non slave race approached, The humans couldn't hide their nature from other slave races like they could from the main casts. The Kleese and Tymerians knew almost upon seeing them fight one another for the first time. That these humans were naturally much weaker than the Kleese and lack natural armor and weapons like the crustacean Miralos, and didn't have thick scaly hide or tails to strike with even. In fact they were quite fragile compared to the other slave races the closest to their frailty being the Tymerians. The humans made up for their frailty with belligerence, ingenuity, and ability to use knowledge as a weapon.

If the UEC hadn't taken the human home world when it did the mammals could have become a threat to the UEC and an ally to the slave cast. Even now they are proving to be useful ally's, keeping the military guessing where they will strike next, and unlike the other resistance groups there rebellions are strictly organised, militant and well equipped. Enough to the point that the old changelings have sided with them in there guerilla war against the UEC. On a side note after word of the execution of the human got around and the news of attack just a few days ago. It's been like the humans are aware of something that either happened in the past, or will happen in the future. This is making them fight harder, more aggravated, and...

Her train of thought was cut off as she and her two Kleese compatriots reached the Dragons Fire's shuttle in the Luna Dock. In front of the boarding hatch were two Dragons armed with light armor and large shotguns with m2 assault rifles slung on there backs in front of there wings.

"What is your purpose." one of the dragons said lazily leering at her.

"We have orders from King Kharne and King Thorax to tell the Changeling ships Bilge, and Scorpio as well as the Dragons fire and Brimstone to join the fleet in orbit. We are here to bored the Dragon's Fire to report back to our owners when the fleet returns." The Tymerian said handing the learning dragon a data pad. Who scrutinizes it for discrepancies for a minute before waving her and the two Kleese in.

Much to her dismay the dragon gives her tail a smooth stroke making her flinch back, before turning and spitting on one of the Kleese as they pass. It will take two days to reach the Camelot celestial system, and reinforce the human home world. In actuality she was kind of excited she had never seen Camelot, the rumor was that the human home world is a garden planet with amethyst oceans, and emerald trees. But with almost no life, and was almost ruined when some natural disaster hit just days before the UEC arrived in orbit. Maybe two days of dodging abuse might be worth it if just to see the human home world, when inside and alone she voiced her opinion to her companions who only nodded.

"Yesh I have heardsh that Human Archechure ish very how they shay utilitarian." The Kleese with white eyes said nodding his head.

"Yesh it will be a treat to get away from the abush of the chaingelingsh." the Zaltule responds fixing his multifaceted eyes on her and crossing his two arms.

The fleet was thirteen strong consisting of two cruisers from the Gryphon federation, two from the Zebra alliance, two large destroyers from the Dragon kingdoms, two destroyers from the Changeling hives, and the rest being made up of pony war ships consisting of mainly advanced space control destroyers, and cruisers. After the fleet got under way she stood by a window gazing out into space. Wondering what this new race would be like, would they be conquering and arrogant like the UEC, or a race of builders and architects but honorable and warlike like the Zaltule of the Kleese, would they be a race of intellects and healers like the Miralos, perhaps bold and cunning like the humans, or caring and wise like her race. She hoped to see them and maybe meet one one day. She saw a small smile on her maw in the reflection in the window, and corrected the dressings on her small horns.

Chapter 6 Second Contact

(Fallon)

"Move." I say as the entry hatch of the Black fly drop ship opens to the hangar deck of the Manitoba. I push the alien with the side of my rifle, making her stumble forward and almost fall off the ramp much to my comrades amusement. When the prisoner gets to the bottom of the ramp she is met with the sight of a full Space born infantry or marine platoon in full battle rattle, with the muzzles of their M66's aimed at her face. The marines are packed in so tightly that I can’t even see the flight deck around us and only hear the sound of engine noise and shouting.

"Well who do we have here!" The SI lieutenant says through the company channel of our armor from the front of the group of heavily armed marines.

"The Resistance says she is someone called Cadence a member of something called the ruling council." I say through the external speakers in my helmet.

"I am Princess Cadence ruler of the crystal empire and prominent member of the Ruling council." She corrects. The SI lieutenant steps forward and gets so close to her that I can see her reflection in his mirrored visor.

"I think you are under the assumption that we give a shit. You are a not royalty any more, what ever rights you thought you have were forfeited when your kind took that rock from the NAC. You are a prisoner of the North American Commonwealth, your highness." He says and I see her eyes widen in what I assume is fear or understanding that the UEC has fucked up in a big way.

"The skipper says to take her to the 'special' brig under guard. She will so the Fleet intell guys can do their jobs. You will post a 24 hour guard on her, If she has to piss, or take a dump she can deal with it. Execute." He says in a tone that leaves no room for leniency.

"Yes sir." The marines deliver a crisp salute and badger the prisoner forward.

When they separate to make her walk she gets an eyefull of the inhabitants of the Flight deck. Humans that race that she and her race thought were dumb and backwards, are crawling all over the flight deck preparing ships that make the best of their gunships they have look like wooden toys in comparison. I have never heard of the special brig before, butI have a strong supposition that it's an air lock.

Time spent planetside just a little under 12 hours, time spent in decontamination, medical post mission check up, a particularly long debriefing, weapon return, and equipment inventory check just a little under 12 hours. When I finally fall into my bunk after grabbing some sandwiches from the NCO mess I've been awake for close to thirty hours. Even without the nogo pills they offer to us after missions I fall asleep almost instantly, dreaming dark dreams of ash and fire.

In the morning or what passes for it in a windowless star ship in deep space. I go over to the ops center to check on the results of our mission. Our team wasn't the only one to go planet side, two more teams hit the dirt just after we did to locate and mark two smaller UEC settlements on the same continent. Nether team dropped with a combat controller, the other missions were less eventful than ours and both teams made it back to the Defiant and Carson without any casualties. Overall the mission was an unqualified success we took a prisoner, fifteen troopers on the planet tagged three major settlements and eight UEC bases sabotaged for the planetary assault. We learned the locations of five UEC colonies and the location of a suspected resistance held world from our esteemed guest. Last but certainly not least Private first class Frobes is now Corporeal Forbes. The fleet is on the move towards Trappist-B under full mcon, most of this day we have been at full burn and are now on turn a round. It won’t be much longer now and us grunts have been getting ready. As I move passed the gym and hear an assortment of troopers working out singing a sort of Frankenstein cadence.

'see that soldier in the black beret, it’s how he earns his pay, now see that soldier in the black beret! Jumpen to earn her pay, TA trooper all the way! Now see that soldier in the green beret! its how he earns his pay, see that trooper in the green beret, Special forces earn his pay.' I glance in and make eye contact with staff sergeant Miles.

'see that soldier in the scarlet beret, Droppens how he earns his pay! See that man in the scarlet beret, callen strikes down earn his pay! Hooyah all the way!' I don’t even make it five steps before the red lights began flashing.

"Combat stations combat stations, All hands combat stations. This is not a drill, I repeat this is not a drill. All ground troops retrieve your Assets and report to your drop ships. Sargent Fallon, corporeal Lavoy, Corporeal Forbes retrieve your armor and weapons before reporting to CIC." well shit it is gonna be one of those days.

We have two sets of gear issued to us labeled A and B, The A set we use against humans they are the bulkier but more protective battle armor however they do have a visor and a smaller oxygen supply. The other is the bug suit and an M88 rifle that fires a depleted uranium tipped armor piercing shell with a piggybacked fragmentation warhead. It takes a lot of speed to pierce a Lankie hide and that means a lot of caseless propellant and that in turn means monstrous recoil. Meaning that the old M80 rifles my grandmother used were single shot vertically stacked twin barrels. Now the whole assembly looks like a sort of old shotgun only with a larger barrel and only carrying five shots. The M88 isn't much use against the SRA and won't be much use against the UEC do their small size, the m88 is only good against the large Lankies. As I hurry into my bunk I put on my A set and scramble to CIC, when I enter the Bridge it's a buzz with activity.

"Sargent Fallon Reporting" I say upon seeing the Skipper in his vac suit he sees me and delivers a slight salute and I see myself in his mirrored visor.

"Corporeal Lavoy reporting"

"Corporeal Forbes reporting." The two of them say upon entering the room Lavoy is carrying an M66 with an incinerator attachment. The incinerator is just as it sounds, a flamethrower, but unlike the flamethrowers used by our great great grandfathers it is designed to be used against people in ballistic hard shell. It fires a jet of gelled potassium, salt, and gasoline so the flame burns hotter than the old flamethrowers, sticks like napalm, and burns with a purple glow that can reach out and touch you at sixty meters. So whatever armor the UEC has, won't be able to stop it, and it doesn't use the large backpack tanks of old flamethrowers instead it uses a sort of magazine.

"At ease Gentlemen, i have new orders for you, I want you to coordinate a boarding action on one of the UEC ships. The reason for this is that our esteemed guest has informed us of the various species that make up the UEC. We want information on the slave cast specifically, anything you can get numbers, planet locations, resistance bases, anything. If we can help the enemy of our enemy maybe they'll be our friends." Captain Packers says

"Sir sensors just picked up thirteen signatures on infrared. Thirty million miles from the planet." A lieutenant on one of the sensor stations reports.

"Show me." The hollow projector in the center of the room showing the fleet, planet, and the four red symbols of the UEC ships. Suddenly flickers and there are now thirteen new red icons on the tactical plot above the planet moving into formation with the fleet. Most of the ships are 250 meters long the largest being three hundred.

"These things have got some balls going up against this fleet with a bunch of frigates and a cruiser. I would be insulted if this was the SRA because if it was two of our hammerheads could blow through them like it’s going out of style. But since we don't know dick about their capabilities we'll play it safe. Get me tight beam to the rest of the fleet." He says calmly.

"There listening sir." A corporal at the Commutation station says.

"This Manitoba actual to all NAC forces in the system, they know we are coming begin reverse burn, and bring all weapons online, standby to deploy shuttles. Exit Mcon we are moving in no one open fire unless I give the order, hold just inside weapons range. Defiant, Carson move in stealth mode and flank em. This is it people lets show the UEC what happens when you steal from the North American Commonwealth. "

"Sargent get your LT and pick your team and report back here when you are done."

"Yes sir, let's go guys."

==================================================================================

(UEC)

"Look at the size of those things." A dragon says from the sensor station in front of the window.

"Bring it up on the Viewer." The captain says from his command chair. The unknown fleet is brought up on screen showing ten ships the smallest being three hundred meters long. Every one of the ships bristles with turrets and hatches of some kind, none of them seem to have a single window and on their side is a blue rectangle with a horizontal line of three four pointed stars. The captain gets a strange look on his face as he tries come up with a plan of attack. He then stands up and orders a Kleese to get the UEC representative. They wait five minutes before...

"The alien fleet has come to a halt just outside of our weapons envelope."

"Hail them." The ambassador says as she enters the room.

"Which one ma'am"

"The one in the center"

==================================================================================

(Fallon)

"Incoming signal from the Lead UEC ship, captain." The comms officer says as my team and I enter the CIC. The Combat information center isn't that big and five troopers in full Battle rattle make it a little cramped.

"Speaker." The skipper says before getting a nod from the comms officer.

"To whom am I speaking?" folding his hands behind his back Captain Packer sounds more than a little pissed.

"This is ambassador Sweetie Belle of the United Equestrian Conclave. I welcome you to UEC space I hope our two cultures can have a long and peaceful relationship. From what planet do you originate?" a female voice comes over the speakers.

"Our home planet is classified. Nor is it what we are talking about."

'Ah what a nice planet classified is, with the moon named fuck off, orbiting the star none of your business.' I send to Forbes over the squad channel earning a chuckle in response.

"Very well. what is your name?"

"I am Captain Packers CO of the NAC Manitoba, 92nd fleet." he responds standing slightly straighter, he looks over to the weapons officer receiving a nod in return.

"Well captain was it your troops who aided a resistance group on the surface of this planet?"

"Yes." well that was rather frank.

"Why would you aid the humans? Obviously your race is much more advanced and intelligent than those savages." I could see the Captain's fist clench and could hear various profanities over the squad comm.

"We retrieved a call for help and responded." The captain lied.

"Well if that is the case, I say our cultures meet face to face. Do you have a delegate on bored Honorable captain?"

"Oh I have one of those. But I won't send our delegate without an escort."

"Of course. Captain we will be happy to accommodate your delegate."

"Perfect we will send our delegate immediately." The captain says with an obvious smirk in his voice he looks our way and nods . We salute and make our way to the hanger.

"How stupid are these things." One of the privates says as we enter the hangar bay.

"Let’s move people." I say over the company channel as we scramble up the drop hatch of a Dragonfly drop ship.

"Dropping." This is the most dangerous part of any insertion. Especially a boarding action if the UEC decide they don't want us in their ship they can blow us out of the sky and we will be nothing but a big fat target. In the blink of an eye forty men and women will be a fine cloud of shrapnel and organic matter. Despite this all around me there is whooping and hollering like some big sports event.

==================================================================================

"The alien the shuttle is on the way, followed by four smaller crafts no doubt escorts from the Manitoba." A gryphon says.

"Excellent, I can’t wait to meet our new interstellar neighbors." Sweetie Belle responds doing a little excited bounce.

"Well they will be here in five minutes, Ambassador." The alien captain says.

==================================================================================

(??)

The wait for the Delegate was killing the young Tymerian. The alien fleet was close enough now to be seen and it’s ships were absolutely massive dwarfing anything in the entire UEC fleet. The one of the two Kleese remarked privately that the ships looked vaguely human in design.

"There is the Shuttle now." She says pointing a scaly claw at a vaguely insectoid shape approaching the Dragon's Breath.

"Indeed, and a heavily armed shuttle at that." The Zaltule says one of his front lower leg scratching at the deck, with his multifaceted eyes fixed on the large cannon fixed to the bottom of its hull.

"What a shhtrangh design." the other Kleese says from her other side as the alien shuttle flies passed the window.

There as an audible clang as the alien shuttle lands in the shuttle bay. The three of them join a small crowd of other slaves and move to the shuttle bay to maybe get a glimpse of the aliens. Their shuttle actually looks like a giant gray insect at rest and is so heavily armed it could probably wipe out the entire hangar bay and still have enough ordinance to do it again. One of the UEC troopers approaches the craft and immediately stops when the multi-barreled turret on the shuttles' chin swivels in her direction. There is a popping hiss and a ramp on the rear begins to lower and a whole myriad of aliens in bulky green, black, and dark blue armor stream out. Their faces couldn't be seen behind the mirrored visors of their helmet as they spread out in a circle around the shuttle.

"Well that currently was something." a voice says.

(Fallon)

"That must be the Ambasitor." The LT says from the ramp beside me as we step down. I hear the various comments about the other races over the squad channel.

"Are you Sweetie Belle?" Once we are at the front of the mixed company of Fleet, SI and TA troopers.

"Why yes I am." a whitish equine with a horn and pastel hair responds.

"I am Ambassador Patters, this is Sergeant Fallon my body guard and my escort." He responds to which she gives an excited almost juvenile smile and a slight bow.

"It is a pleasure to meet you ambassador, Welcome aboard the Dragon's Breath. This way please."

"You four stay here! Company fall in!" As I walk past a crowd of aliens with collars on I make "eye" contact with what I assume is a female reptile of some kind.

"Begin according. This is being broadcast across the UEC. This is our first encounter with another space faring race. Now that we are here let's get started." Sweetie Belle begins sitting in a center chair between two more equestrians one yellow with red hair, the other orange with wings. The a camera on the wall begin to blink. These things couldn't make this any better if they tried. We then proceed to exchange a lot of BS while learning at least something from the UEC ambassadors. But two hours of this has started to get on our nerves so we cut to the chase.

"We want you to release Princess Cadence from your custody."

"You are in possession of NAC Property, She will stay in NAC custody until it is returned." The captain says over the speaker in the conference room. I stand next to Forbes behind the LT as he sits at one end of a large table, staring down the UEC guards standing behind Sweetie Belle.

"That is unacceptable she is the matriarch of the Crystal empire and what property do we posses?"

"The Trappist-A star system is property of the North American Commonwealth, You will evacuate the Colony of Camelot and return any humans you have taken Immediately or it will be seen as an act of war." the LT says

"That is impossible the humans serve a key function in our slave cast. We can't simply hand over a quarter of our work force for you. Besides you appear to be able to work just fine on your own, What possible purpose would the humans serve in your obviously advanced culture." Sweetie Belle.

"The humans are a major part of the NAC, and their home world is our home world as well." The LT lies to her face.

"Impossible, the Colony as you call it IS the human home world. They could hardly survive without us." The regular equestrian to Sweetie Belle bells right says.

"We won't let..." the orange one begins before the captain comes back onto the intercom. Then we get a flash on tight beam from the rest of the fleet and the game is over.

"I have had enough of this. Hand over the humans in your possession, or our fleet will blow you to slag and take them."

"HOW DARE!..."

"NO HOW DARE! YOU THIS PLANET WAS COLONIZED BY AND TERAFORMED BY HUMAN COLONISTS, AND THEN YOU AND YOUR KIND ARRIVE AND STEAL IT. Your princess Cadence was very helpful after our intelligence officers were done with her. We won't get anything else out of our prisoner so now she's nothing but very inefficient ballast. You want her back, you can have her." The captain yells over the comm. The looks on the UEC ambassadors faces are priceless so take a quick snapshot with my helmet cam, they have no idea what is going on. Manitoba comes about in the window taking a sharp turn to port flashing an indicator light over one of the airlocks.

==================================================================================

(UEC)

All over the UEC every twilivision screen capable, is showing the live video from the Human home world. The negotiations that were going well so far have now done a complete 180, and now the video changes to that of a close up of the NAC ship named Manitoba. They watch as a grey door opens under the flashing light, and to their collective relief they see Princess Cadence looking only a little disheveled. Before a door behind her opens and an alien walked in, instantly the princess turns around and begins to panic before a voice comes over the seekers.

"You bastards want Princess Cadence, Back you can have her. Master sergeant, please return their princess."

"Yes sir." A cold voice laced with venom responds before the soldier slams his knee into her stomach.

He then proceeds to press something inside of the hatch opening the clear door to space. leaving only a small film of something behind the princess. All around the UEC onlookers can see the princess appeared to be pleading with the soldier only to have him respond by drawing his leg up and kicking her into the cold vacuum of space.

"Lieutenant let’s show them our little surprise." Upon hearing this the camera designed to capture dramatic shots immediately changes back to the room that holds the ambassador and the three aliens. Then as one the three aliens raised their visors showing human faces.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING!"

"Sargent, corporeal torch em" then as one the three of them lower their visors and the bodyguards of the NAC Delegate unslung their rifles and set fire to the ambassadors and their guards. Their screams fill the air as they writhe on the ground flesh falling from bone. When the door to the conference room opens and a dragon and gryphon security team enters shotguns raised they are met with a gout of violet flame. As even the dragons writhe on the deck the the lieutenant stands up and looks towards the camera.

"It looks like negotiations have broken down."

Author's Note

Let me know what you think?

updated

Chapter 7 Vampire

(Fallon)

"GET YOUR ASS OUT OF THE HALLWAY!" I yell as I fire my M66 in short bursts from around a bulkhead. I see a small group of what I assume to be UEC marines come streaming around a corner. A TA trooper scrambles to his feet and comes around before Levoy releases a gout of violet flame setting the entire hallway on fire. The air circulation is at least good enough to clear the smoke leaving the hallway bathed in violet light.

The UEC's differences have been caught completely off guard, and it shows as forty heavily armed soldiers are able to lay siege to the ship. However every now and then the UEC troopers get a little fight in them, like right now. Out of nowhere a squad came around a corner and pinned us down, Lavoy is behind me and I see red threat icons all around us as our tactical plot is updated. On another deck I can see the flashing yellow icons of friendly units, indicating injured troopers. We're in a leapfrog retreat back to an atrium where third squad is hold up.

"SQUAD! FALL BACK!" The LT yells from behind where i am kneeling. The Squad of UEC troopers we are facing are leagues better than those we fought in the colony.

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" I yell as i load a frag into the grenade launcher on my rifle. There is the sound like someone hitting a pillow with a baseball bat and the grenade sails through the air detonating short of my target.

"FUCK, JAM!"

"GRENADE!" I hear, as a kneeling SI trooper pushes Lavoy away and smothers the grenade with her armored bulk. The resulting explosion lifts her a full foot off of the ground and she lands with a wet crunch. I don't need the flashing red icon to tell me she is dead. Lavoy is lying on the ground clutching at his leg next to her body.

"FUCK! COVER ME!" I yell dashing out of the relative protection of my wall and sprint towards him, skidding the last few feet on my armored knees.

"CAN YOU FIRE A WEAPON!"

"MMMGH! YAGH." He grunts out, I hand him my M66 and pick up his laying on the deck behind him.

"COVER THE SARGE!" The LT yells, and as one the rest of first squad point their weapons around corner using their rifles on board camera feeds, and begin letting loose.

"Come on Lavoy!" I yell as I grab him by the back of his armor and begin dragging him back to the safety of the intersection. When we make it back around the corner I support him one arm over my shoulder.

"LT this is second squad, we have found some kind of control room. Mike what does that say... collar control. could be docking collars?"

"Pull it." The LT orders and almost instantly the ship's intercom lets out a screech so loud our helmets cut our audio input to protect us from going deaf. When I look down the hallway I see that the UEC troops have there hands clamped tightly over their ears. Lavoy taps me on the shoulder pointing at a junction one deck below showing two flashing yellow friendly icons.

"LT" I flash over the squad channel he looks over to me and i make a two with my free hand before pointing down. He nods gesturing to take Lavoy, I hand him over and pat Forbes on the shoulder. The firing picks up again as we make it to the next intersection and our hearing returns.

==============================================================================
(Space)

"This is Manitoba actual commence attack."

"This is fleet Commander Polar route these savages."

As the two fleets begin a deadly dance bringing their weapons to bear, two of the UEC ships breaks formation and heads straight for the Manitoba. The Sovereign breaks formation to interdict the space between them, Sovereign begins launching her anti-ship missiles in quick succession. Two, eight, twelve, sixteen, thirty-two, sixty-four missiles leap from their launch tubes, on the tactical plot the space between the three ships begins to be filled with blue inverted v's as the Sovereign saturates one of the incoming ships point defense systems. The tactical plot flickers as one of the two advancing UEC ships is blotted off of the map dieing silently in space. Then the other UEC ship begins to flicker and a golden bubble appears around it absorbing the few remaining missiles. The shield flickers and warps before leavening out, the UEC ship only slightly slower than before but not ceasing her advance.

"HELM COME ABOUT, PORT 3.5 STAND BY FIRE!"

"Copy that, port 3.5"

The Human ship fires her aft starboard retros and swings her ass out in a sort of drift bringing her side long rail gun batteries to bear. It can fire straight on sure but Hammerhead class ships have more guns on the side for orbital bombardment. Rail guns all around the human fleet began to swivel to track targets with their targeting computers. As the UEC ship nears, the Sovereign lets loose another volley of missiles. This volley is less effective because they are expecting it and with those shields up they are able to destroy most of them, with only five impacting the shield.

"Fire Broadside."

"Firing for effect."

The Sovereigns six port side Railguns flash in brilliant little pops of light, this time the result is much more extravagant as the shields of UEC ship are shredded with the first volley, and the ship is smacked down her center line with various railgun rounds. But the UEC ship is to fast, faster than our ships and too fast for the Sovereign to make a third volley before the UEC destroyer is on them.

"Sir energy spike from the UEC ship."

"Fire re..."

The captain is cut off as the UEC ship goes straight over the Sovereign, activating some kind of energy blade that carves into her amidships tearing the cruiser in two, the UEC destroyer then begins targeting the two halves with her own guns, and missiles. However the Sovereign don't die alone because now the UEC destroyer was in railgun range of the NAC fleet and is promptly blown to fine shrapnel. First blood goes to the NAC but at the cost of four hundred sailors, and one hundred marines and TA troopers. Now with 40 thousand tons of star ship destroyed, five hundred people dead, and with so much UEC radio traffic there's blood in the water.

"VAMPIRE, VAMPIRE, INCOMING MISSILES!"

"Countermeasures! Scramble Shrikes. Fleet this is Manitoba actual don't let them get close to you. Leathy respond."

"This is Leathy."

"That Enemy that cruiser is getting a little too close for comfort."

"Copy, we'll handle it. Step aside. All ships this is Leathy, Firing for effect" the Captain of the Siege breaker ship responds.

==============================================================================

(UEC)

"They just took out the Appleusa, and the cloudsdale."

"Talk about fire power, those guns went through the Cloudsdale's shields like they weren't even there."

"Fleet raise shields spearhead formation" Commander Polar says wide eyed from his command chair. The Fleet begins to move spearheaded by the super Destroyer 'slave master'.

"Sir the enemy fleet is moving."

"What do you mean?" he asks leaning forward fascinated by the humans tactics and weapons.

"Sir they are moving out of the way of that Huge behemoth." the tactical officer reports.

"What could they be..." He was cut off as the 'Slave master', the ship his destroyer is right next to goes up in an explosion so bright it was like the system had a second star. When the light died down enough for him to open and un-shield his eye, he sees that what was once one of the most heavily armed and defended ships in the fleet, with a state of the art shielding system has been pulverized. What had once been the pride of this fleet and their best hope has now been reduced to an expanding cloud of glowing debris and expanding gas.

"Commander. What sort of weapon could have done that?" The helm officer asks, pointing to a magnified screen showing the behemoth had a section of its bow glowing like the barrel of a gun, no exactly like that.

"No, That ship IS the weapon! All ships scramble fighters Destroy that ship or it will tear us to pieces."

"Vampony, Vampony! Incoming missile barrage! They are launching Fighters"

"Shields to maximum, Return fire."

The two fleets are only a mere twenty million miles from each other now. The two four hundred meter long ships beside the Behemoth move into a closer covering formation around the large ship as it began to lumber forward beside the Manitoba.

==============================================================================

(Fallon)

"Damn did you see that!?" Forbes yells as we watch the Leathy cream the UEC cruiser. When we get to the location of the two injured troopers their markers are a steady flashing red. Then an explosion knocks me off of my feet blowing the rifle from my hands. I land on my back the armor computer blacking out my visor and cutting the audio to protect my vision and hearing. I black out from the shock of having my helmet slammed into a bulkhead.

I wake up to feel my helmet get yanked off of my head and look up to see a UEC trooper a gryphon i think they're called pointing some kind of shotgun at my head. I look to my right to see Forbes in a similar situation. We are pinned to the ground by these two and there is another UEC trooper behind them.

"SAAAAH"

I hear what sounds like something big scuttling down the hallway coming from behind the UEC squad, and the next thing I know there is a big ass white eyed spider thing grabbing the gryphon by a the back of its head with one big clawed hand. The thing then grabbing the gryphons arm and bites down onto the base of UEC troopers neck with its massive fangs, the trooper spasms before going limp. As the other trooper, a pony brings his shotgun to bear he is grabbed from behind by a red eyed spider thing and has his throat torn out by the spiders clawed hand. I look under the thing’s legs to see a three clawed reptilian foot come down on the throat of a dragon who I would assume was thrown to the ground by the spiders.

"Get up human." The red eyed spider's deep baritone voice says to Forbes and I, who are dumbfounded by what just happened. In response a red scaled reptilian comes from around the white eyed spider, it is female I would assume given the body shape is the same as a human female. She gracefully walks over to retrieve my helmet from the deck as I am helped up by the white eyed spider. All two hundred pounds of Forbes's armored bulk is picked up bodily by the red eyed spider and placed on his feet like a toy.

"Thanks for the assist. Why did you help us?" I ask retrieving my rifle from the deck and checking it for damage.

"We helped you because we have no more love for the UEC than you do. On top of that you deactivated our bomb collars, an.." she begins bends down to pick up my helmet from the ground.

"You don't have a ship." I cut her off and she freezes in place with my helmet in her hands.

"We don't have a ship no. They lock the slave cast out." ok that makes sense.

"Ok well let's go, we came for information on the slave cast and you three know how to use their computers. You can come with us if you like." I offer as she hands me my helmet.

"Very well human." she says getting nods from the spiders who pick up the fallen UEC soldiers weapons and we head out, after collecting the dog tags of the two dead SI marines.

"I'm Sergeant Avery Fallon, this is Corporeal Michel Forbes." I offer as Forbes and I peak around a corner. The way I see it we have the battle armor and these things don't so it only makes since that Forbes and I lead the way.

"I am a Tymerian, I am called Miiora" the red scaled reptile says

"And these two Kleese are the Zaltule warrior Durge, and Poggel." Pointing to each in kind first the red eyed Kleese, then the white eyed one.

"LT, this is fallon."

"What is it? we lost you for a second their?"

"The marines are KIA, but we have picked up some help and are continuing their mission."

"Copy"

==============================================================================
(Miiora)

Miiora watched in morbid fascination as the one known as Avery Fallon used his strange rifle to set fire to a room from the doorway, even after the one known as Michel Forbes threw what was obviously a grenade of some kind in beforehand. They were met with screams and a pony came running out of the room on fire only to be shot twice in the back by Frobes. The burning pony ungracefully slammed face first into a bulkhead before crumpling to the ground.

A dragon came around a corner next only to be torn to pieces by the combined fire of their improvised squad. She could hear the hoarse reports of the Humans strange weapons echoing throughout the ship. Glancing out of a window she could see that the human and UEC fleets were going at it taking at least two UEC ships to destroy one of the humans. The humans were meeting them tit for tat however, because while the UEC have destroyed four of the human ships while managing to damage two more. The humans have managed to destroy five of the UEC's and their two big ships the Manitoba she believed the slightly smaller one was called and the unnamed behemoth that destroyed the Slave Master in a single shot were un damaged.

Between the two fleets swarms of fighters and missiles danced, and she could see that while the Pegasus attack craft were lightly shielded and slightly faster, the Human fighters were heavily armed, and more maneuverable. Almost to make her point a Human fighter came streaking by the window backwards destroying two Pegasus fighters before flipping over and banking off. The humans were a force to be reckoned with, and a truly ferocious enemy to be had if the changeling being beaten to death by the butt of Fallons rifle is any testament. We continue passed a door and stop in a hallway as Fallon stopped dead in his tracks, uneasiness in his body language.

"WE ARE LEAVING! LET'S MOVE!" he shouts before the improvised squad begins sprinting down a corridor unsure of what is going on.

==============================================================================

(Space)

"This is Manitoba actual we have taken damage, breaches on aft decks five through nine, we are venting atmosphere on deck twelve, and our tertiary engines have taking a hit."

"Manitoba this is Leathy actual fallback. Leathy and Acheron will cover your retreat. Styx stay with the rest of the fleet."

"Copy that Leathy actual."

"CAPTAIN! Radiation spike from the alcubierre node... my god." On the tactical plot the alcubierre node begins to pulls before four orange threat icons appear and begin burning towards Trappist-B. The Four oblong ships begin accelerating at speeds that would despite the artificial gravity fields would turn the crews of any NAC ship to soup.

"SIEGE WARNING, SIEGE WARNING, ALL NAC SHIPS SIEGE WARNING. BREAK OFF ANY ENGAGEMENT, RECALL THE FIGHTERS, CARSON, DEFIANT RETRIEVE BANSHEE TWO FIVE FROM THAT UEC SHIP..."

Advancing towards the colony world of Camelot in a figure-four formation, is a force so powerful that if it weren't for the Leathy just one could tear the NAC fleet to shreds. The UEC fleet watches the NAC fleet fall into chaos breaking off attacks and swarming for deep space. They wander what is happening to cause the Humans to start panicking and show their true colors now. Unknown to them Now passing the gravity well of Planet of Trappist D at a speed of 15 gravitates, their Black carapaces like hulls absorbing all light and radiation making them almost invisible...

are Four Lankie Siege ships.

Author's Note

Let me know what you think of the space battle

Chapter 8 Lethal alliance

(UEC)

"What are they doing?"

"I don't know and I don't care. Press the attack!" A Changeling says from his command chair slamming his fist into the armrest. All around them these human's ships are fleeing the human fighters streaming back to the Fat Manitoba. The Behemoth and her escort slowly lumbering towards deep space on a parallel heading away from the planet, but not before firing a shot and disintegrating a Gryphon destroyer in its way.

"This is our chance, target the behemoth." Commander Polar orders over the fleet radio.

"Hive mind complies. Fire tubes twelve through twenty-two."

"Firing."

Threw the window the captain watches ten missiles streak through space joining others launched by the remainder of the UEC fleet. Then to their shock they watch as one of the human ships move into the way to shield the Behemoth. The damaged ships countermeasures are quickly overwhelmed and the ship diapers in a brilliant explosion.

"Behemoth is out of fleet weapons range." the tactical officer reports.

"SIR radiation bursts!"

"What?"

===============================================================================

(Space)

"Sir the Lankies have gone for turnaround burn."

"This is our chance, Manitoba actual authorizing nuclear fire mission. Lankie ships are designated Ugly one through four. Available ships lock onto Ugly one and fire." Captain Packers Orders.

All across the tactical plot all NAC ships currently in weapons range and disengaged from the UEC begin Firing their nukes at the lead Lankie ship. The inverted blue V's of friendly missile icons fill the tactical plot as Nukes leap from the launch tubes of the Manitoba, Leathy, Acheron, and Saber. Eight, twelve, twenty-three, thirty-six multi megaton missiles streak into deep space toward their target. The Lankies don’t even deploy countermeasures as enough nukes to turn a moon to slag streak toward their three mile long siege ships. Then in a brilliant flash the Trappist-A star system has a second sun however briefly as one hundred twenty megatons detonate fifty million miles from Camelot.

===============================================================================

(UEC)

"Dear Celestia..." Commander Polar says as windows all around the fleet facing the explosion immediately dim to protect the vision of those on the bridge.

"Those were Nuclear."

"They must not have wanted to use them against us to not irradiate the planet, but if they are using them now..." The comm officer reports

"SIR! Contacts, they just popped up on the plot, if it wasn't for the glare of the detonation we wouldn't have seen them." the Sensor operator says from her station mild panic in her voice.

"How many?" Polar asks shaking himself from his stopper and trying to understand what the humans are up to.

"Four sir. Decelerating towards the planet, they appear to be unaffected by the humans attack."

"Thats impossible that was enough to turn this entire fleet to..."

"Sir, the Human Behemoth is moving."

https://youtu.be/HAYPkVeWjXM?t=1m46s (Open in new tab)

"Visual on the Incoming... look at the size of those things!" All around the UEC fleet the crews of the ship’s watch as four ships so big that they dwarf the largest of the Humans, comes into sensor range. Shouts of alarm, rage, and excitement fill the channels as the human Behemoth moves to point itself at the incoming ships.

The front of the human ship begins to glow spanning the different colors of the heat spectrum as three ribbed vents slowly open near the tip of the barrel like the gills of a fish. Arks of electricity began to dance along the hull before condensing and focusing on the three obvious heat sinks as they too begin to glow ominously. Then there is an explosion at the end of the huge ship like a nuclear detonation in miniature, there is another blinding flash of light even brighter than the nukes the humans had fired.

"Sir one of the Unknown ships has been completely vaporized."

"What How?"

"I don't know sir. But the computers detected a ninety metric ton projectile leave the barrel before they overloaded we could tell it was moving at relativistic speed."

(Stop music)

===============================================================================

(Fallon)

"What was?"

"Miiora, shut up and move!" I yell as I push the reptile forward. We round a corner and come face to face with a squad of UEC soldiers in an intersection currently in a firefight with first squad. I Raise my weapon only for the entire squad to be ripped to shreds by the combined firepower of two squads with NAC weaponry.

"Fallon. What the hell are those!?" The LT asks seeing the three aliens with Forbes and I.

"Didn't you hear there is a rebellion!" I laugh out as the ship rocks as a missile slams into the shields and the lights go out.

"Well I’ll be dipped in shit. Can they speak?" the LT asks.

"Yes human." The Kleese named Durge says clearly perturbed about being talked about like he isn't here.

"Well I’ll be. You three just became the most important parts of the mission. Come on, third squad is just up ahead."

We rush through the passageways of the Alien ship torching or gunning down any UEC squad too brave or stupid to get out of our way. When we find Third squad I immediately know there's a problem, their icons are flashing. Our squads rounds a corner to some kind of atrium. Then I see something in the distance near where the entrance to the hanger as the booming reports of heavy gun fire reaches my ears.

"Incoming!" I shout and dodge to the right were a passageway offers some cover. My helmet display flashes as the computer updates threat vectors and enemy positions on the tactical plot.

The Tracers reaching out from the balcony look like laser beams in the darkness, the fake red beams of old science fiction movies not the invisible high energy pulses of Real laser weapons. The first burst rains down in front of our squad skipping red hot tracers off the deck, in front of me the squad rushes for cover. but there's precious little to be found in this atrium and nothing that will stop a heavy machine gun round. The LT and two SI grunts drop to one knee sight their rifles and fire back at the source of the incoming rounds. The heavy machine gun stops firing for a moment and then opens up again. This time the burst is right on target I watch in horror as the stream of tracers reaches out and touches Lavoy who falls backwards, his Mars launcher clatters on the ground in front of me. As I snatch it up, I catch movement out of the corner of my eye and turn to see the edge of a rifle barrel poking over the edge of a balcony to our rear. There's movement on that balcony People shuffling into position and my guts contract as I realize the UEC Defenders aren't that dumb after all, it's an ambush but we ambled right into it.

The heavy machine gun opens up again, the gunner has good fire discipline, he fires his weapon in short bursts whoever's working that weapon isn't new to the task. Miiora pushes me into a doorway to my left and then falls on top of me just as the new flight of tracers from the machine gun racks the deck in front of us. I bump into an interior window the impact of my armor clad bulk rattles its pains, the mars launcher slides off my back and I land on top of it. We scramble away from the hallway as the tracer rounds land just a few feet to our right, one of the tracers hits the corner of the doorway and knocks off chunks of bulkhead. which rains down on us in bits and pieces, I look up and do my best to shield her with my bulk as I feel an impact like someone hitting me in the back with a sledgehammer. I turn around and put three round burst into a UEC trooper. On the tactical screen i see two more of our squad icons flash brightly with the red icon that shouts Medic Needed, our squad medic Mery is one of the medical emergencies. The rest of the squad is moving forward towards the mouth of the nearest passageway but the machine gunner has our little group dialed in now, the next burst drops another one of my squad mates but I can't tell which one. Miiora is back up on her clawed feet and her tail slaps the deck as she exchanges fire with a UEC trooper out of sight.

"Avery Fallon open the door." she says conversationally nodding to indicate entrance door to my left.

I don't have any buckshot grenades left and using a HE grenade would mean stepping out into the atrium to avoid getting caught by the blast of the explosion. I switch my rifle to manual fire set the selector to continuous burst and aim at the center of the door as I pull the trigger. The muzzle flash illuminates the doorway as my rifle burps out the contents of its magazine at two thousand rounds per minute, thirty-three needle pointed high density tungsten flechettes per second. The storm of flechettes chews into the door with ease and after two or three seconds the entire upper panel of the door disintegrates in a shower of plastic shards. I shoulder the door open grab Miiora by around the waist, pick her up and pull her into the doorway out of the line of fire. I guess she ways close to one hundred ninety pounds with the bits of scavenged armor and gear but I’m so pumped on adrenalin that a yank her into the dark room without even letting go of my rifle with the other hand.

"You ok?" I asked and she only groaned in response.

===============================================================================

(Space)

"This is Leathy Actual. Splash one."

"Sir the Lankies will overtake us before we can fire another shot."

"Prepare Atmospheric..."

"Lankie ships in weapons range!"

"Vampire, Vampire, Incoming missiles from the UEC fleet."

"Countermeasures! BRACE! BRACE! BRACE!" The skipper of the Leathy yells over the intercom grasping a railing as the two icons on the tactical plot marking the Leathy and Ugly 2 overlap. Then Nothing happens, no instant death, no hard vacuum nothing.

"Sir two of the UEC ships are heading straight for us!" the Tactical officer yells confused

"Sir the Lankies blew right past us!"

"Fuck they're going straight for the planet."

"No sir they took the hit. Lankie siege ships moving into support formation.!?" On the tactical plot the three remaining Lankie Siege ships move into positions around the now thoroughly confused NAC fleet.

"UEC ships engaging Ugly 2. Sir we have lost the Wolf, and Pollocks."

The two UEC Destroyers with scale like markings and dragons painted on them move towards Ugly 2 at full burn, who responds in kind. All across the hull of The siege ship holes dilate and yard long penetrators shotgun out of the Lankie and towards the UEC Destroyers. The shields of the two ships flair for a second before stabilizing after taking a hit that would turn a NAC ship into scrap. The Lankies fire again getting the same result before one of the UEC destroyers is close enough to use its energy weapon which slices threw the hide of the Siege ship with ease, but the sheer size of the ship negates some of the damage.

"Damn,........ Fuck, I know I'm gonna get a court martial for this. This is Manitoba actual to all retreating NAC ships, come about to point one eight zero, Reengage the UEC fleet. Execute."

"Sir?" the captain of the Leathy asks over the comm.

"Desperate times."

"Never thought I'd see the day. Leathy actual out."

"This is Leathy actual to Acheron move to Ugly 2, covered pincer maneuver, follow 3 second delay. Execute"

===============================================================================
(UEC)

"Now this is a fight!" the Dragon elder in the bridge yells getting a rawr of approval from the other dragons in the bridge.

"Rake them again!" Finally the humans were proving a good fight until they decided to run away but these new creature, their ships are tough outrageously so and big. Another Lance of Energy traces the hull of the massive ship before a tactical officer turns in his seat.

"Sir Human behemoth is coming around from three o'clock high."

"So the humans have a spine after all. Bring us about charge Rake and missiles." The Dragon elder grins

"Sir! Human ship coming around from seven o'clock low!" The other tactical officer shouted.

"Outsmarted by humans, I never thought I see the day." The elder says sitting down in his chair resigned to his fate. As the shields of the Brimstone are shredded and the ship is torn apart by the combined rail gun fire of the Leathy and Acheron, and the Lankies finish it off with another salvo of penetrators. Meanwhile the second dragon ship doesn't even get the satisfaction of the same death as its comrade. Instead it is nearly smashed and smeared against the hull of the Siege ship that is Ugly 3, not even scratching the carapace of the ship or slowing it down.

(Stop music)

===============================================================================

(Fallon)

The magazine in my rifle is nearly empty again and I eject it and slap in a new one from the stash tucked into the side pocket of my leg armor then I hand the rifle to Miiora.

"Take this one for a minute." I step back out of the doorway and pick up the Mars launcher Out in the Atrium I hear the hammering of the heavy machine gun again.

My tactical screen shows nothing but blinking carrots flashing in alternate shades of blue and red, medical emergencies. Across the hall there are a few heads poking over the edge of a balcony I hold the launcher with my left and pull the pistol I had stuffed into my hairs back in the drop ship. The side arm feels odd and unfamiliar in my hand I've only ever fired one back in basic during small arms familiarization. The computer in my armor immediately recognizes the weapon switches aiming modes and displays the remaining ammo count at the bottom of my screen. The pistol only holds twenty five rounds a tenth of a rifle's magazine capacity, but at close range it beats fighting with bare hands. I draw a bead on one of the heads on the balcony and squeeze the trigger, the pistol barks its sharp report and the head underneath my aiming reticle disappears suddenly.

There are shouts on the balcony and another head pops up this one behind the barrel of a rifle, I briefly register that the weapon aimed at me looks a lot like an older military issue M66. I squeeze off three more rounds in rapid cadence and the rifleman on the roof disappears his weapon falls off the balcony to the deck below where it lands with a hollow clatter. For the moment there are no more heads coming up on that roof. I stuff the pistol back into the harness and shoulder the Mars, the machine gunner on the balcony has switched to very short bursts two or three shots at a time undoubtedly to preserve ammo while making us keep our heads down. My tacklink display shows my M66 moving farther into the room to my left and rest of the squad huddled in a side passage thirty yards ahead more than half their number are out of the fight, according to the symbols on my screen.

The operation of a mars Launcher is dead symbol we've drilled the deployment of the mars a dozen times and for some odd reason I hear Sargent Grayson's voice in its unforgettable drill instructor twang, as my fingers perform the necessary steps to ready the launcher for action. I point the center of the reticle at the muzzle flashes and pull the trigger the rocket leaps out of its launch canister with shocking speed. The tail end of the rocket glows with the heat of its internal booster and the whole thing shoots off into the distance only a little slower than a tracer round. I expect the rocket to leisurely rise skyward like the Surisas back at the embassy a few months ago, but the mars streaks down range in a blink covering the distance in just a few seconds. My aim was a bit off as the rocket hit the balcony two floors below the machine gun that is still spitting tracers our way. There's a bright flash that cuts through the red tinged darkness as the thunderclap of the explosion rolls across the atrium. When I saw Lavoy grab the launcher back in the dropship he took a high explosive and a thermobaric out of the rack and loaded one of them into the launcher to be less encumbered the one he loaded was the thermobaric missile.

The Mars Launcher fires ninety millimeter rockets, It's designed to take out enemy fortifications and reinforced structure an Atrium balcony is a very light structure, it's a steal skeleton with thin plastic sheets for partitions. The missile hit twenty feet below the balcony with the heavy machine gun, but the bunker buster warhead is rather forgiving of aiming errors. The entire wall between us and the hanger blows outward turned into debris from the pressure. All around us shooting the ebbs as the smoke clears and the distinct whine of a drop ships engine fills the air. Then through the hole I made we see banshee two-five's bulk hovering in the air.

"Thank you for the hole sergeant Fallon." I hear over the Drop ships intercom.

I know what's coming next and sprint back into the room and dive on top of Miiora and pin her down with my armored bulk. There is a cacophony of noises as the Dragonfly opens up with its anti ground weapons, the zipper sound of its multi-barreled machine gun and the slow authoritative "pom pom pom" of the auto cannon on its belly. After three seconds in the seventh circle of hell what's left of the atrium falls quiet. I move out into the hallway holding Miiora by the hand keeping my weapon raised. I see the two Kleese are still alive along with Forbes, LT, and five other men. They nod at me as the four men we left behind to defend the drop ship run over and begin dragging bodies to the Drop ship.

"How the hell are we going to get out of here in a drop ship?"

"Banshee this is Carson actual We are inbound for extraction."

"Come again Carson actual did you say Extraction?"

"That's a positive we have an opening right now the Fleet and the Lankies are holding off the UEC ships but we need to get you out of there before the lankies get to this ship first."

"Come again Carson actual, It sounded like you said the Fleet is helping the Lankies?"

"Thats right the big uglys must have it out for new species."

===============================================================================

(Miiora)

"LT there is no way we can get the Kleese into the drop ship with the bodies. No disrespect but you just won't fit." One of the SI corporals says and I notice that he the LT and the rest of his four man group are injured the only ones who aren't are Forbes and the two kleese. My heart's still racing from the short but very violent ending firefight, on top of that my snout and chest have a dull ache from having what must be over two hundred pounds of armored human dive on top of me.

"None taken human." Poggel says gingerly handing a fallen marine to one of the uninjured TA troopers.

"I’ll take them to the Carson." The human Avery Fallon says getting a nod from the "LT".

"Do it, Forbes go with him." the two humans nod at one another before gesturing for us to follow them.

We run through passageways and pass windows out of which I see the three biggest ships I have ever seen in my life, big oblong shaped Goliath with scars from energy rakes across their hull. fighting alongside comparatively minuscule human ships working together to blow away UEC ships that stray to close. All across the UEC Fleet hundreds of Shuttles are launching from their ships and heading down to the planet, Thousands of UEC soldiers and no doubt hundreds of UEC vehicles and fighters. The planet will be impregnable once the forces land and I doubt the humans will be able to take it back even with the aid of their allies. Their is a thunderous clang from the air lock up ahead as we see a squad of UEC soldiers approach only to be ripped to pieces when the hatch opens and two humans in the insectoid armor step out.

"Your drop ship is aboard the Defiant! GO, GO,GO!" one of them yells gesturing the five of us inside of the airlock and once we are inside the two follow us inside and immediately close the hatch behind.

"They're aboard Detach!" I look around for a window once on the other side and I’m surprised to see not a single window.

Avery Fallon must have seen my quick survey and pulls out a some kind of data pad and holds it up for us all to see. It must be an external camera feet but the ship we are in is quickly accelerating away from the Dragons breath as it's shields are overloaded and point defenses are overwhelmed. Then suddenly two missiles slam into the ship resulting in two bright flashes of light, one detonating against the hull and the other flying inside of and detonating inside of the hanger destroying the ship from the inside out. I notice that the human ships lack the sound synthesisers inside their ships and so the ship dies silently in the cold vacuum of space.

"Damn we're using the nukes on'em the gloves are off." One of the humans say before he walks off. Two of the UEC ships are moving away from the fight and toward safe jump range while the rest of the UEC fleet is being reduced to expanding clouds of debris, gas, and nuclear fire. There are a group of Human fighters dog fighting the escorts of the dropships and the red streaks are viable as debris and body enter the atmosphere.

As the Last UEC ship turns to follow its fleeing brethren its aft section is blown in a way that looks like it was his by a giant shotgun and the kinetic energy of the weapon sends the ship spiraling to burn up in the planet's atmosphere. In an instant the faster of the two ships enters the warp bubble and disappears followed by the second. To my amazement two of the Black ships turn immediately in that direction and begin following before after what seems like hours they two disappear.

"So you use alcubierre too." Forbes asks.

Author's Note

Wdyt?

Chapter 9 What now

(UEC)

"Come on, Come on, Come on." Commander Polar chants standing beside his command chair.

"Exiting Warp bubble in 3...2...1. Exiting." The helm officer reports as she glanced behind her chair at the commander. The unmanned deep space anchorage appears in the viewport of the ship.

"Helm, get us to next Jump point now!"

"But sir what about the Commendable it's not as fast as us?"

"Leave it behind, they'll buy us time to get to the homeworld untraced." Polar answers staring his helm officer in the eye.

"...yes sir" she responds solemnly.

"Jump in 40 minutes." The navigations officer reported.

"Sir we are getting comms from the Commendable, they are about to come under attack by the two unknowns."

"Video." Polar responds.

"Commander Polar this is UECS GK Commendable requesting assistance." A gryphon says from the other end of the video screen. There are flashing emergency lights, smoke, and screams of anguish in the background audio of the Comendables bridge. The commander takes a deep breath and regains his resolve before responding.

"Negative Commendable the Shimmer is almost at the Jump point. You are ordered to hold them here, and buy us enough time to get home."

"You bastard, you're going to leave us here alone what about the planet, what about the colonists?"

"That planet is under hostile control, and their is more than one way to get their we will shut down the jump gate . The U.E.C thanks you for your service."

"The unknowns are slowing."

"..... No..... Please tell my...."

"Jumping."

After two days of jumps Warp Net bubble flares to life and above the Planet Eques the U.E.C Light Destroyer the EQS Shimmer limps from the warp field its hull a blaze and full of holes. unknown to those inside the Defiant had left them a little gift magnetized to the bottom of their hull. After the Commander was off and on his way to meet the council for his debriefing the gift began counting down.

On the planet a group of humans sang on their way to the execution post. Unfortunately the group never made it because as they were led around a corner another group of humans leaped out and killed the UEC guards. Then there was a flash of light in the sky and despite it being mid day their is a tiny pin prick of light like a distant but bright star. All across the planet those who watched the feed from the Camelot Fleet know the brilliant flash of a human nuclear device detonating in orbit.

=================================================================================

(equestria)

"How could this happen?" King Thorax asked massaging his temples.

"They must have placed one of their archaic nuclear devices on the ship!" Zebra delegate said.

"How?" The changeling king responded.

"I don't know. but they destroyed one of our repair yards." The buffalo delegate said.

"Perhaps we should seek a peaceful solution, find a way to negotiate with this NAC." A yellow pegasus named Fluttershy said

"Impossible, these Humans simply can not be the same as the slaves that have been key in the slave cast of our culture."

"How do you know?"

"Because no human would ever set a child, let alone my sister on fire. They may be savages but this NAC must be eliminated." Rarity said

"Well what about their ships we need a way to counteract their..." The gryphon king began

"I’m sure Twilight would know a way." King Kharne said cutting him off.

"Leave Twi out'a this. We need'a make the NAC pay for what they did to Apple bloom!"

"Well what are we going to do? The humans are in open revolt." Another noble said pounding her fist on the table for emphasis.

"We need to tie this NAC up, slow their advance before it truly begins." Monarch Celestia said calmly.

"But how? With their weapons they can blow our ships out of space before they get close."

"We have taken that into account." The room grows silent as Princess Twilight enters the room followed by a Human of all things dressed in the garb of one of her guards a sympathiser. A Miralos whose chitinous two clawed feet chattered on the tiled floors, The Miralan was being led by a chain around her neck. But The human was wearing the human version of the UEC uniform and carrying an older version of the rifle the humans used slung across his back. He looked to his charge and upon receiving a nood stepped forward towards a display screen.

"Remember we were able to hold our own until the NAC's big ship our analysts have designated as Manticore got into the fight. So if we can engage them without that ship we should be able to take them. While they might be more advanced, security footage from onboard the Dragon's Breath shows that their ground units can be killed by our weapons." The human said as the screen changed from footage of the space battle to the battle on board the Dragon's Breath showing UEC soldiers exchanging fire with the NAC boarding party.

"But Darling what about their ships in orbit they can just bombard us from space." Rarity asked

"I have an idea of how to fix that." Twilight said stepping forward the human immediately steps back standing at parade rest.

"We have fed them intel of a planet we hold close to camelot. We pulled the Reinforcements that were meant for Camelot back and positioned them at the planet Bagmare to reinforce the garrison and fleet there."

"If we can hold them in one place, we can fight them on our terms, they are aggressive, so we think defensively, I have a new defencive measure that I have been working on to try and negate the NAC's orbital bombardment capability."

"Then princess what do you need?"

==============================================================================

(Fallon)

"GO! GO! GO!" The LT shouts as we land on the planet Camelot for the second time. I can see the buildings ahead of us lighting up as the UEC troopers begin firing on us and two lankies. All around us Drop ships are landing and discharging their payloads of Space borne infantry and Territorial army troopers. The wedge shaped Mule LAV's and squat Grizzly main battle tanks with their modular weapon mounts begin rolling out of dropships as shrikes streak overhead. In the distance and in the sky I magnify my helmets display and see Lankie seed pods streaking towards the planet's surface trailed by Wasp and Dragonfly dropships in their wake.

"I almost feel sorry for them." I hear Forbes say beside me as a Lankie emerges from the seed pod that landed one hundred meters from our landing zone. It lets out its ear splitting wail before three more lankies emerge from the pod and begin lumbering towards the UEC's entrenched position. I look behind me to see Miiora who has been embedded with our platoon to act as a liaison between the Slave cast of camelot and NAC ground forces.

"Remember! We are here to evacuate as many people as we can, humans and slave cast only." the Captain says over the platoon channel. After the Lankies proceed to level the offending building we move in. The UEC is more preoccupied with engaging the lankies to worry about us and allow us to meet up with local resistance members slave cast leaders and begin escorting them from the city. The Mules are empty to allow us to ferry more civies back to the fleet in orbit. No matter how you look at it we don't have enough space to evacuate everybody and i know that we are going to leave many of these people to die when the Lankies are done with the UEC. After five hours of taking sporadic fire from UEC troopers we retrieve the order to fallback to the dropships.

"INCOMING!" someone yelled over the squad channel and i see four red threat icons.

"Raid warning, raid warning! get to cover!" I yell over the squad channel as a flight of four Dash delta wing fighters shriek overhead. I see one of our number who failed to find cover fast enough get torn in half by the machine gun of one of the fighters.

"Banshee flight this is Sigma-eight requesting support. Enemy fast movers at sector one-two parallel, heading for the LZ." I say over the fleet channel.

"Copy that Sigma-Eight. Banshee flight inbound." The calm voice of a Shike pilot responds and I hear a boom so loud i have to cover where i assume Miioras ears would be. Two shrikes burst over our heads at supersonic speeds their machine gun that fires forty millimeter grenades at two thousand rounds per minute at the lightly armored UEC Dash fighters, who seem to disintegrate in the distance. Then to my horror one of the shrike's wings explodes as a missile slams into it from the right. The pilot must have been eith knocked out, killed, or unable to deploy the ejection module because their is no shoot as the shrike slammed into the Seed pod in the distance. This is the most dangerous part of an operation any tactician worth his salt would hold his troops back until now to hose down the fat drop ships while they load. But they appear to be done fighting us because i hear another lankie shriek in the Distance as the last of the civilians are loaded into the dropships and we grunts board and we leave.

We land on the Flight Deck of the Leathy most of banshee twos drop ship full of slave cast and body bags. We landed one thousand soldiers on that planet and are coming back with nine hundred, most of the casualties were caused by lankie related collateral damage. but we accomplished our mission and intercepted a transmission from the UEC. We know where we are going after we rearm and Repair at the closest NAC controlled planet with an anchorage.

============================================================================

(Miiora)

I stand under what the shower washing the dirt, mud, and bits of bulk head out of my scales when my entire body develops a low level ache signifying that the humans have entered the Warp bubble or alcubierre node as they call it. According to Avery Fallon there's another planet only four hours in transit from Camelot, apparently the planet is a mining colony key to refueling the reactors and filling the water tanks of the NAC's ships.

The fact that the NAC uses water to fuel their ships is fascinating the UEC uses large magic reactors to power their ships. I exit the shower dressed in what appears to be a modified version of what the humans are waring modified because it has a hole cut out for my rail to fit through. I see Fallon talking to the one called forbes there's a thin film of smoke in the room as the two of them are smoking. I understand the need to keep me and the other former slaves under watch and i also under stand that there isn't enough room on the ship for everybody to have their own rooms.

But still having Fallon assigned to watch me makes me feel like im a slave again. I can't go anywhere without him with me short of the bathing chamber or head as he called it. This ship doesn't have any windows i don't know how they do it every ship in the UEC has windows but Fallon said only an idiot would put a window on a spaceship. saying that is would cost to much to do and make the ship weaker and on top of that you can get the same effect with camera feeds.

"Enjoy the shower?" Forbes askes stipping his rifle.

"Actually yess. the UEC doesn't allow for the slave cast to take showers at will only..." I begin only to remember that they only allow showers after what they call “strenuous” activities.

"Hey it’s fine you don’t have to tell us. Well here unless we start rationing you can shower whenever you want." Fallon said playfully punching Forbes before blowing into a part of his weapon and scrubbing it with a brush.

"When was the last time you ate?" he asks

"I haven't eaten since before the battle with your fleet." I respond.

"Well what does your kind eat?" Forbes asks brushing the nozzle of the flamethrower.

"Well my kind can eat almost anything other races tend to think that we Tymerians are strictly carnivorous but we aren't."

"Well let’s go get some chow."

We the ache in my body dies instantly as i lie in the birth? under fallon who peeks his head over the edge making me jump back in surprise. He climbs down and walks over to a panel on the wall before pounding on Forbes's bunk. He presses a few icons on his PDP and a planet is displayed a large blue gas giant with a white moon. The moon is pristine, covered in ice and snow but the best part is the fleet of Commonwealth defence corps fleet ships above the planet.

"Welcome to fomalhaut lady and asshole. The colony moon of new svalbard one of the key refueling and water station passed the thirty. We have a bearing of where we are going to go next. But Miiora we have a question to ask you and the other former slaves."

Chapter 10 Culture shock

(Fallon)

"What can you tell me about the moon?" Miiora asks me my watch cycle is over and I am lying in my bunk sorting through the administrative garbage the fleet sends us.

"Ever do any cold weather training back in the U.E.C?" I ask without even glancing up from my PDP.

"Yes. in the Frozen north on Eques it gets to -10 of your degrees there."

"Well picture the frozen north in the really shitty part of the year. outside of the tundra belt of the equator that would be considered a heat wave on new Svalbard. most of the moon is a sheet of ice ten miles thick at the poles. we have one big town down there and sixty-four terraformers they are all along the equator like a girdle. we've got this strip of tundra worked out but you are still talking about three hundred kilometer winds in the cold season. even the heaters in our armor won't keep us alive long enough to walk from one atmo-exchanger to the next. you wanna stay real close to that fusion plant at the terraformer." I explain to my alien charge.

===============================================================
(Fallon)

Camp frostbite is a cluster of Ferro-concrete domes hugging a hill side. It is next to the main terraforming hub on new Svalbard, right in the center of the habitable tundra belt carved out along the equator by a century of relentless terraforming. Of course habitable on new Svalbard means not instantly fatal to exposed personnel. When the ramp of the dropship lowers onto the landing pad of camp frostbites airfield a polar gale sweeps through the cargo hold instantly.

A chilly welcome to one of the most inhospitable places humanity has ever settled. To a man and woman, all the troopers in the hold lower the visors of our helmets. The Ex-slaves are wrapped in thermal blankets so they don't, When we step out I see a welcoming committee on the landing pad a gaggle of Civilians holding blankets and thermal containers that I assume are full of food. I step out onto the concrete which to my surprise is not covered in snow like my previous visits to new Svalbard.

Behind me, Miiora stops at the bottom of the ramp and then takes a slow, graceful and deliberate step onto the tarmac. She scrapes the surface of the concrete with one of the claws on her three-toed foot a few times and walks over to where I am standing.

"First steps onto a Human controlled world, I am slightly Overwhelmed." she says as one of the civilians an elderly woman in a cold weather suit, takes a step forward and puts a blanket around her. I have to stop myself from threatening the elderly woman because for a second I forgot that Miiora is a guest, not a POW. However this knowledge does not stop me from holding my arm out and stopping the woman from pressing a thermal container into Miioras hands. I tip the top and make sure it is food before nodding my head and allowing the woman who is probably someone's grandmother to give the reptile the stew. Miiora looks so utterly perplexed by what is happening that i let out a low chuckle.

The silent mob of Welcoming and sympathetic civilians immediately grows hostile as one of the Dragonflies opens its cargo bay and the first UEC POW steps out. To say that they are unwelcome would be a gross understatement. Things are being thrown at them mostly ice and snow and the soldiers who are not escorting former slaves inside must keep the Civilians from outright attacking the POWs. One kid maybe sixteen breaks through the clustered marines and TA troopers somehow and is about to slug one of the smug looking Pony kids in the face.

When he is picked up bodily and we see the towering form of Durge holding the Kid around the chest. His large frame is draped in many blankets and I look around to see that most of the huge eight-foot arachnids have a few blankets draped over them. I have seen what Durge can do with those fangs of his and I am not keen on seeing him use them on a kid. But instead, he Lowers the child to the side of one of his legs and holds him by the shoulder.

"They are not worthy of your anger, Young human." he says his multifaceted eyes fixed on the kid. The kid looks at Durge for a second before looking back to the UEC POWS and spitting on the ground at their hooves and walking away.

"That kids going places." I hear Forbes say to my left.

"Shut up you wisky-tango piece of shit."

=========================================================

(Miiora)

I walk into the Human colony of new Longerbien and am greeted by smiles and friendly waves. Avery fallon stays close to my side with his rifle slung across his back, the place we are going is a tailor because Fallon brought up that if I was going to stay I would have to get clothes that would not have makeshift holes in them. saying that he didn't want to ruin fleet issue pants every time I showered, meaning that he took time out of his day to cut the tail hole into my pants.

As we walk to the building my tail taps the ice covered ground making my back shoot up in shock and almost drop the warm urn in my hands. I see that the NAC is much different than the UEC the UEC buildings are overly engineered with a kind of rustic feel and gaudy appearance. The NAC buildings on this moon are almost bunker-like in appearance and I wonder why. I glance to my right and see that a building has pockmarks in it from gunfire from guns much larger or more powerful than the ones the UEC uses. Fallon must have seen me glancing because he answers my unspoken question.

"Eighty years ago the task force 230.7 tried to take the colonies supplies of food and water. The TA troopers who were assigned to the task force because of their rebellious nature and familiarity with dealing with civilian riots were sent in to take the stuff and refused. The TA took all four of the SI dragonflies and eventually there was a firefight in the city. The TA is more used to this than the SI so the marines received a prompt and thorough ass kicking.

Before the Indianapolis and her skipper threatened to start delivering kinetic strikes to camp frostbite and nuke the task force CO the Midway if we didn't stop shooting at each other. The Fleet and Marines limped back to frostbite with their tails between their legs and the TA won. And eventually, the TA and the Indianapolis were the first people in history to destroy a Lanky ship. They decided to not fix the holes as a kind of memorial there is an official memorial of the people who fought in the battle of hope I can show you if you want when we are done." Avery Fallon says pointing out more pockmarks and buying me something to eat at a vendor.

"I would like that."

"I just hope If I die out here they put me in a nice place like this. How do your people dead with death? my kind just shoot you into space or incinerate you to save space." he says

"My people honor our dead by burying them in large egg shaped containers. on the egg we write the deeds the person accomplished in life as well as any dreams or hopes they would share. In hopes that the life that is reborn will experience some of those dreams." I explain.

"That sounds a lot better than what we do."

================================================

(Fallon)

We make it back to Camp Frostbite a few hours later and I am crammed to the gunnels with at least 3 bags of shit that Miiora decided to buy on top of the Thermal container. I am a Combat controller I call down nukes, kinetic strikes, and Strike packages with my radio after dropping in with ballistic drop pods. I am not supposed to be doing this kind of shit. But I would feel like a real asshole if I abandoned Miiora alone on this frozen shithole, nevermind my court martial that would surely follow. We pass a domed play area for kids and I am surprised to see that the Tymerian and Kleese kids are getting along very well with human kids There's another group of kids playing with the others but I have never seen that kind of alien before they look like a kind of crab thing.

"Miiora what are those?" I ask gesturing to one of the kids as we pass by the Playground."

"A Miralos. they are oooo-ooone ooof..." she begins as we pass the guard post to the Base.

"Miiora are you alright?"

"Yees ii am..." she starts before going limp and falling against me almost knocking me over.

Five hours, and one stop to the local doctor later I glance up and see her sitting at the small table trying to hide that she is eating something probably one of the sandwiches I spied her snatching from the chow hall like a criminal. Or the stew that nice old lady gave her. The U.E.C must really fuck up their slaves if Miiora thinks anyone would care or stop her from having a soy bologna sandwich.

The way she ate the first one when Forbes and I took her to get something to eat makes me think it is one of the best things she has ever eaten. The ship Atmo regulator cycles as I glance back at my PDP to get info on where we are going next only for a shift in her movement catches my eye, I look up in time to see her let out a kind of shiver and what I can only assume is a sneeze.

=================================================================

(Miiora)

I am about to take another bite of this stew when a mass of blue and green lands on the table just after I move my smuggled food under the table. I look at it and see it is a blanket, Avery Fallon must have seen my shiver. Because when I look up I see his face leaning out from behind his datapad with an eyebrow raised and a quizzical look.

"Cold?"

"slightly yes. I am sorry My species can not regulate our body temperature as well as humans so we are susceptible to sudden temperature change so when your temperature changes turned on..."

"You don't have to apologize Miiora, you could have just told me or someone and we would have gotten you a thermal blanket or some heated armor or something. And for god sake you don't have to hide your food." he says before he or I can say anything the door slides open to reveal Forbes who looks at the two of us before a second before speaking.

"Hey mail sync from the colony." He says making Avery Fallon jump out of bed and start heading for the door before he stops and looks at me.

"You wanna come Miiora?"

"I would indeed." I say and get up

"Bring your blanket if you want, the Atmo might refresh again."

"Anything good?" Fallon says as I enter the makeshift common area on the flight deck. The SI troopers have set up because this is where mail is usually sent first. Looking around I see other former Kleese and Tymerian slaves mixed in with the Human soldiers.

"What are you doing here fleet?" An SI trooper says before another speaks up.

"Fallon was with me in the Riot on Cadia last year he's good."

"Walt! Trombley! Sorry sarge nothing but letters no extra armor, no new radio. just another five dozen letters from fucken school kids and shit."

"Oh my god. listen to this" I hear Forbes say bringing something up on his Datapad.

"Dear mister army man..." Forbes begins

"Army? fuck that." Fallon says finding me a chair.

"I am proud that you are being brave and defending our home against the UEC. They are bad and I am glad you are going to catch them and punish them...."Forbes continues.

"She's a good writer." a marine says

"I am glad that you are so brave and I pray for you." Forbes finishes.

"Hey, listen to this shit right here! Or maybe you will be able to come home without having to fight...." A female marine begins giving a disgusted face.

"Bullshit."

"Fuck that!"

"peace is always better than war and it would be nice if no one would be hurt." the Female marine finishes.

"That is some fucken hippy communist shit right there. Where the fuck is this weak-ass child from?" Fallon asks

"Vermont!"

"That's Frederick Waterstone Berber from 2780 spencer rd Chevy chase, Maryland."

"what's a burber?" I ask Fallon.

"Someone who lives in the suburbs on earth outside of the Public residence Clusters or PRCs." He answers

"Dear Frederick! Thank you for your nice letter. But I am actually an SI marine who was born to kill,..." Fallon begins

"Hoorah"

"Whereas you have obviously mistaken me for some sort of wine-sipping communist Dick-suck..." he continues earning laughs from the soldiers in the room, and I can even see one or two of the Zaltule chuckle as Fallon slowly paces up the deck giving his speech a smile never leaving his face.

"And although peace probably appeals to tree loving bisexuals like you and your parents, I happen to be a Death-Dealing, Blood Crazed warrior who wakes up every day just hoping for the chance to dismember my enemies and defile their civilizations..." Fallon stopped where he began at the same stack of crates i am sitting at and looks up like he sees something.

"Piece sucks a hairy asshole Freddie, war is the motherfucking answer.”

“Hell ya.”

“But thanks for writing anyway.”

“Man every motherfucker in this ship is just waiting for packages of dip, smokes, ripped fuel, Ripp it, porn, batteries, hash chunks, snacks, and a dirty ass jerk off letter from Suzie rotten-crotch. Except for Forbes over here who actually thinks his mail order visor is gonna come in before we step off. But no all we get is this happy day fucking horseshit from miss cuntlips, fourth-grade class. Can you fucking believe this shit?” Fallon says earning laughs from the assembled soldiers.

Author's Note

what do you think? are you ready for the next story arc?

Chapter 11 Battle Plan

(Fallon)

"I solemnly swear and affirm to loyally serve the north American commonwealth. And to bravely defend its laws, and the freedom of its citizens." I signed my re-enlistment forms yesterday in the captain's office.

So my butt is already public property for the next five years. But the military likes ritual, we're in one of the briefing rooms and the captain and XO are standing on either side of the briefing lectern. Someone dragged out a wrinkled North American Commonwealth flag and draped it over the wall display.

I have my hand in the air as I repeat the oath of service for the second time in my military career. A corporeal from the fleet news service is recording the event for, whatever reason? Even with our recent trouble, the Military still has a 90 percent retention rate after the first term of enlistment. So a re-up ceremony isn't exactly an uncommon event.

"Congratulations Staff sergeant Fallon." The captain says after I complete the oath.

"Your back in the fold for another five years." What else was I gonna do anyway? I think.

"Thank you sir." I say and take the entirely ceremonial re-enlistment certificate from his outstretched hand. This means a bonus in my account which has been growing steadily since my first day of basic five years ago. But commonwealth currency is becoming increasingly worthless.

By the time I get out, the money in my government account will probably be just enough to get a breakfast and a train ride home to the welfare section of Pittsburgh 9, I didn't reenlist for the money of course. I reenlisted because I didn't know what the hell else to do. All my professional skills revolve around Blowing things up, Working classified neural networks systems and operating Automated. Transport. Loader or ATL's.

An ATL is basically a large twenty-foot exoskeleton without a head, and shit gyroscopes. They were developed forty years ago are used for loading ordnance, debris clearing, and moving other heavy loads, so basically it's a giant bipedal forklift that falls over to much. These skills make me pretty much useless in the civilian world. I don't much like going back to earth and claiming a welfare apartment until I die, early.

I haven't been back to Terra since the day I left navy indock at great lakes for fleet school on Luna. But from what I hear over the Milnet the old homeworld isn't doing so well. Some guys say the worst thing we could do to the UEC is let them land there. The population crested 38 billion people two years ago and five billion of them are crammed into north America. Terra is an ant hive Teeming with hungry, discontent, and antisocial ants and I have no intention of adding to the headcount. At least the military still feeds its people.

==========================================================

"Our target. Is the UEC colony of Bagmare." Captain Packers announced. We are sitting in the Briefing hall of camp frostbite.

The briefing room erupts into a cacophony as we process this information. Bagmare is one of the planets we learned the location of from the now dead Princess Cadence. The Bagmare system is a designated UEC planet and has been in their possession for a little over thirty of our years. It's almost as established enemy soil as the Lanky homeworld, or Equis.

"The name of this operation is Blackout. Command has figured that the time has come to continue our attack and let them have a taste of their own medicine."

"Their going to have to send along an empty fleet tender just for all the body bags." my seat neighbor a SEAL says. The Only reason we were able to kick the UECs ass so thoroughly the first time is because we had the element of surprise and the Lankies showed up and decided to help us. However this time the Odds of the Lankies helping if they even show up is very low, and the UEC is expecting us.

Their ships might be weak compared to ours when it comes to firepower but they are fast, shielded, and posses a kind of energy blade that can tear right through both our hulls and the hulls of the Lankies siege ships. There's a reason the NAC only fights the SRA over the new real estate. The old colonies are tough nuts to crack and they are hardly ever worth the butcher's bill.

"I know what your thinking. That this will be another Barnard star. You're also thinking That command has lost the block completely, and that the old man can afford to be all gung ho because he won't be bleeding down in the dirt with the rest of you." Some of the guys chuckles at this, but my seat neighbor and I don't join in because the Captain is pretty much right on the money. Barnard star was a failed offensive ninety years ago.

Before the War with the Lankies even began, the NAC tried to take an ore rich mining colony away from the SRA. And we got a severe mauling in the process, the attacking force expected a Russian regiment and garrison. They ran into a full chines combined arms brigade instead our forces attacked with force parody and suffered a three to one casualty rate.

"Well it won't and ill tell you why. First off we have perfect until this time fleet sent in three Indie class ships and they have been collecting data in system for the last seventeen days. secondly and this is the big deal, we have figured out where their alcubierre transit nodes are located. That's both inbound and outbound shoots." Some of the troops present actually shout out in surprise at this revelation and the room is once again abuzz with barely suppressed conversations.

Captain Packers smiles clearly pleased with the reactions. Finding the enemy's transit zones the arias where their alcubierre travel shoots enter and exit the system is a major intelligence asset. The locations of transition zones are closely guarded secrets because if you have them you can just mine the entrance or exit and sit back and watch the enemy get blown to shit.

"Holy hell"

"Here's a rough sketch. We are to punch them in the nose hard. For this one, we'll be Siege task force 42. We're going in with two Siege breakers, eight cruisers, two Assault Carriers, two destroyers, four frigates, two hammerhead space control cruisers, and the Annihilator one of the Back breaker class Siege Breakers. We are also taking along the two entire regiments the 9th and 12th SI divisions. That's in addition to our own 6th regiment."

I can't remember when we last hit a target with one and half brigades of troops dropping from space. Three full regiments of spaceborne infantry represent a fearsome amount of combat power. Six thousand combat troops in advanced battle armor, four wings of dropships, eight batteries of mobile field artillery, and four reinforced armor companies.

"Right now intel tells us that garrison down on Bagmare consists of a single understrength regiment, they are also dispersed all over that rock. so we can first blow the shit out of their pussy ass fleet, hammer’em from orbit and then hit them with all of our regiments in turn. With any luck we'll be facing an under-strength company once the shrikes are done with them." Staff officers are notoriously over-optimistic in mission briefings, but I can't help but be a little filled with hope that this won't be the epic body bag filler it had appeared to be at first.

"This briefing is over. Anyone who is ATL trained stay behind." The captain says and I stay in my seat as the others get up and leave. I look around and see that there are about thirty of us still seated in the briefing hall after everyone is gone.

"The Fleet R&D in their infinite wisdom have seen fit to try out a new toy during the operation." the captain announces to us he then presses a button on the lectern and we all lean forward to see what looks like an ATL being displayed.

It has the rough shape of an ATL which is already humanoid in appearance only this version has armor plating and a three lenses sensor bubble where the operator would usually sit. the whole thing is covered in armor and its legs strange appearance that makes it look like it is standing on its toes. its feet are large cushioned pads with four small claw-like protrusions at each of their corners. And large modular arms remind me of a body builder, its five-fingered hand have a sort of padding on the inside. All together it looks imposing and like it was designed to deal a lot of damage.

"This baby is what you will have in each of your platoons. It is designed for heavy fire support where Mules and Tanks can't go. They way around 40 tons without weapons or load out and can put on a world of hurt. And comes with two kits like our gear an A, and B kit." he begins the picture changes to that of what looks like an M66 blown up.

"This is the A-001 Pulse rifle the main weapon of the A kit. It fires a caseless .seven-five caliber tungsten flechette penetrator. The gun can knock a dragonfly out of the sky and is smart linked to the HUD inside the cockpit, which is linked to your tactical computer. The A-001 is also equipped with a dial of pain weapon. however unlike the forty mike mikes on our M66's this is a one hundred twenty millimeter grenade launcher, for use against anything from tanks to reinforced bunkers.

The A-kit is also equipped with a modular shoulder mounted weapons system. And the Arms are equipped with a kind of magnetic shielding to protect squadmates from incoming weapons fire." he continues as he rotates the image for us to see a kind of arm unfold from its back and reveal a missile pod, and the thing holds out its hands and a kind of rippling effect appear.

"But sir what about the gyros the things fall over all the time?" one of the other ATL operators a SEAL asks.

"That has been taken into account. New gyroscopes have been fitted as well as a kind of emergency venting system for the generators that will allow you to thrust your weight. On top of that, the System is equipped with a new computer system that will allow MOS Deployment as necessary."

"What powers it?"

"A series of Fusion cores Linked together."

"What about the B-Kit?" I ask

"The B-Kit is the Anti Lanky design they were originally designed for. It is equipped with a Large caliber ground assault cannon firing depleted uranium shells, at hyper sonic speeds. As well as Oxygen recharge stations, extra filters, and adaptive camouflage."

"You mean the same that the Bug suits have?"

"Yes." the room breaks out into excited conversation and the Captain has to quiet us down before continuing.

"Both Are equipped with Polychromatic, ceramic plates the same as tank armor. Try to take it easy on these they are new and untested. A-Kit on this mission, they will be waiting for you on board the Annihilator, go get your teams and report to the annihilator..."

"Wait sir what are these things called?"

"It is called the All. Terrain. Light. Armoured. System. Or ATLAS."

Chapter 13 Combat drop

(Fallon)

We spent the time to alcubierre transition doing maintenance, Training, and the kind of recreational pursuits common among those about to go into to battle. During the days we are at the firing range, in the shipboard gyms, or in our unit briefing rooms. In the evenings were in the mess hall, the NCO club, and the makeshift gambling parlor some of the Grease monkeys have set up clandestinely in a quiet corner of the storage hanger. I feel bad for Trombley.

Joining a unit means being the new guy all over again. And having to earn everyone's respect. He only has a few days to get to know the troops that will soon rely on him in battle. I suppose some people would keep their distance knowing that five days aren't enough to really bond with anyone. And that some of them most likely won't come back from that mission anyway.

He doesn't keep to himself because he wants to know as much as he can about people whose asses he might have to save, or who may have to save mine. Still, he drinks and jokes around with us and I know that when the time comes he will suit up with us and drop into battle alongside us. We will all do so terrified but on our own free will and maybe even with a measure of gladness.

"Combat stations, Combat stations. All hands Combat stations this is not a drill. I repeat..." I'm already suited up and fully armed.

I stand on the bottom step of SD's Cockpit and the announcement holds no added urgency to me. Or to the rest of the Battalion lined up on the hanger deck. We have been gearing up for our drop for the last two hours and we are ready for combat. In front of us in hangar B-1 Flight deck of techs swarm all over the drop ships lined up to ferry us into battle. Moving safety caps from ordnance fuses and auto cannon muzzles.

I check my kit for the thirtieth time Armor integrity, weapons status, Comm gear function, Oxygen levels, filter condition. The flight decks are cavernous halls that take up the entire bottom half of the ship almost from bow to stern. And they are packed end to end with drop ships and troops. Each drop ship can fairy a platoon and we are dropping with a full regiment today, one hundred dropships are revving up their engines throughout the ship.

The most I have ever seen parked wingtip to wingtip in one spot. As scary as it is to be part of an operation that actually requires the deployment of this much brute force. It's also sort of exhilarating im a cog in a machine but on days like this. I'm reminded of just how large and powerful that machine is.

"Your President, is watching! The UEC, is Watching! The Commonwealth, is watching! The World, is watching! Make no mistake! There will be no Heroics. THERE. WILL. BE. NO. FUCK. UPS! MARINES FROM ALL AROUND HUMAN SPACE WOULD GIVE UP ANY PUSSY, TO BE WHERE YOU ARE! ANYBODY NOT WANT TO GO!?" Sergeant Major Andor walks down the line of battle ready SI troopers patting the polymer shell of his M66 for emphasis.

"NO SERGEANT MAJOR!"

"I WANT YOU TO REMBER THAT NOBODY EVER WON A WAR! BY DIEING FOR HIS COUNTRY. WERE NOT JUST GOING TO SHOOT THE FUCKS WERE GOING TO CUT OUT THEIR LIVING GUTS, AND USE THEM TO GREASE THE TREADS OF OUR TANKS! WERE GOING TO MURDER THOSE SLAVING BASTERDS BY THE BUSHEL. MARINES! KILL ON THREE! ONE...TWO...THREE!"

"KIIIIIIIIILL!"

"BAAAATTAAAALIOON, BAAAATTAAALIOON. ATTEEEEEEEEN-TION!" We snap to attention as one, the sound of our boots echoing loudly in the hall.

"DISMISSED!"

Ninth company is in the first attack wave and is tasked with pinning down and destroying the garrison company. That is entrenched in the third largest settlement on Bagmare. Ninth company is the sharp point of the spear so we are going in first. That's why they get one of the fleets few Combat controllers, and two of the thirty ATLAS's along for the drop. The grunts carry, rifles rocket launchers, and anti-armor missiles. We combat controllers carry radios and integrated taclink computers that can practically remote control Shrike attack birds and orbital ordnance. On the hole the grunts are about as protective of their embedded combat controllers as they are of their medics.

The bottom of our drop ship opens with a soft hydraulic whine and the ship's crew chief steps out onto the ramp. He uses both arms like signal sticks for taxiing aircraft and waves us into the cargo hold of the waiting ship. I wait for Miiora to step onto the Dropship in her new Hardshell armor before entering SDs cockpit.

"Saber one-one on the move." I report before attaching the A-001 to the Ikarus pylons and stepping forward. The drop ship opens its bottom and the internal docking clamps attach to SD's chassis and lifts us into the cargo hold. I look out of the Viewscreen and see that Miiora is sitting in front of the eye between Forbes and Trombely.

The armor she is wearing looks almost exactly the same as ours only with different heating elements, the boots are different to allow for her clawed feet, her tail is also encased sections of armor, and her helmet is elongated to allow for her snout and has very slightly larger sensor bulbs at the back to allow for her horns. At this point everyone's helmet visors are lowered in case the ship suffers a sudden hull breach. With the polarized filters of the visors our faces are invisible to the others, nobody has to pretend not to be nervous.

When I drop out of a ship in a bio-pod I shut down my sensor input and go completely dark until I hit atmo. on drop ship ingress, I do the opposite, as our ship gets picked up by the docking clamps to be lowered into the drop bay I turn on my tactical network computer and tap into the Annihilators Taclink.

By the time we have settled in the bay to wait for the drop signal my three-dimensional display shows me exactly what the main tactical plot in CIC is projecting. A warships battle plot looks like a tapestry of abstract symbols and vector lines to the uninitiated. But I have worked with tactical plots for so long that I can interpret the data while half asleep, or fully drunk. It's a completely alien way to see the world but once you know how to read it you become almost omniscient.

When I bring up the main tactical plot on my helmet display the attack is already under way. We are half million kilometers Bagmare and the distance to the planet is shrinking rapidly Annihilator and her task force rush into drop position at top speed. In front of our force the display shows only two enemy fleet units. One moving out way in an intercept trajectory the other moving in the opposite direction. The Transponder we captured when we boarded the UEC ship Dragons Breath shows that the ship is a Zebra supply ship and it is currently is running for their alcubierre shoot. And the dominance Destroyer is going on the offensive to cover the retreat. It's a valiant move but one griffin destroyer fighting it out with our strikeforce is merely a noble form of suicide.

My fellow dropship passengers are unaware of the short and sharp clash of arms that is about to commence. Their world is limited to the windowless hull into which we are neatly packed like meal trays in a box of rations. When the Destroyer meets the outer edge of our antiship weapons envelope our own destroyer the NACS Alaska begins firing her missiles.

I see first eight then sixteen then thirty-two blue missile icons emerging from the Alaska and rushing toward the enemy ship. one or two of them would be enough to put the destroyer out of commission. But the UEC have pretty good point defense systems on their ships as well as shields. So fleet doctrine now says to saturate their defenses with the first strike. It's a costly way of doing business but even three dozen antiship missiles are a good trade for a Dominance Destroyer.

====================================

"Vampony, Vampony incoming Missiles."

"Engage countermeasures and Deploy shields. Launch missiles."

=============================================

(Fallon)

The UEC don't intend to roll over without putting up a fight, when our missiles have covered half the distance to the lone UEC ship a swarm of Missile symbols emerge from the enemy unit. Crimson V's to meet our blue ones, they fan out from the Broken tooth to meet our incoming barrage. then the Broken Tooth fires her own antiship missiles her commander determined to make sure he won't show up in hell alone today. Our two linebacker ships take up the challenge and begin launching and start pumping interceptor missiles into the intervening space. Until the Tactical display is littered with Red and Blue V symbols rushing to annihilate each other.

The outcome of the battle is never in doubt there are two or three blue missile symbols for every red one and the UEC destroyer has emptied her magazines while our linebackers are just getting warmed up. One by one the red missile icons on the plot converge with blue ones and disappear along with them until there are only blue V shapes left. The Broken Tooth dies silently and without drama on the sterile plot display. Ten or twelve of our cruisers antiship missiles converge on the red "Enemy Hostile" icon and snuff it out of existence. Just like that, we have turned thirty thousand tons of starship and three hundred people into a cloud of orbital debris.

"The UEC Destroyer just bit the dust" I inform the platoon in my dropship. There is whooping and hollering as if they have just heard the score of a sports event and their favorite team is in the lead.

With the cruiser out of the way, the Strike force moves in to begin the ground bombardment. Bagmare is a small planet but it's still two-thirds the size of earth. And even with all the ordnance, we brought along on twelve warships we wouldn't be able to subdue the entire planet from orbit. Unless we used a hole mess of hundred megaton metroplex busters. Since we want to seize the place not turn it into a radioactive wasteland, we need to apply our firepower more judiciously. The size of the planet works against the defenders as well. They can't put a missile battery on every square kilometer of ground down there. And our Indie ships and Recon drones have had seventeen days to map out the defensive grid on the surface.

The second stage of the assault commences as we coast into orbit above our landing zones. All the ships in the strike force begin unloading their space to ground missile silos to hit the hundreds of priority targets identified by the CIGENT drones. All we can hear in the drop ship is the muffled roar of the igniting missile mortars in their silos well above our heads, or back in my case as the Annihilator discourages her Land attack ordnance.

After a few minutes, the tac display looks like an air commander's worst nightmare. Swarms of missiles that streak into the atmosphere at thirty times the speed of sound, and then multiply their number twenty fold when the missiles open slots and launch their independent warheads. All those MERVS carry halftone conventional explosives or high-density bunker busters instead of nuclear payloads. But with the sheer number of warheads raining down into Bagmare’s atmosphere I imagine this will be a small consolation to the troops we are targeting.

Then an early silence falls over the ship and i know it is our turn to be launched at the enemy. I don't see the drop hatch opening beneath the ship but i know the little jolt as the docking clamp drops us the last few meters into launch position. All along the bottom of the hull four dozen drop hatches have just opened. Leaving nothing between our bodies and open space but the armored bottom hulls of our battle taxes. I hear the Dropship pilot begin counting down in a monotone and deliberate tone.

"Stand by ten seconds. . . . Stand by to initiate relief sequence. On my mark, 10. . . . 9. . . 8. . ."

"ONE EXPRESS ELEVATOR TO HELL! COMING DOWN!"

"3 . . . 2 . . . 1, mark." And with a violent shake, the forty ATLAS company are falling through towards the planet.

Half of the infantry units are dropped alongside us as well as two wings of shrikes. And the rest along with our armor is deployed forty seconds after. There's complete silence and weightlessness before we slam into the atmosphere and are buffeted by the winds. And instantly know something is up there is a rain storm below us.

I link to the external cameras of the dropship and see a Blackfly ahead of us open its rear hatch as it descends ahead of the assault. They are the Hell Divers elite advanced recon, the first microns of the first molecules on the tip of the spear but the life expectancy of a Helldiver is nine missions. I zoom in and see ten men in HEBA suits the color of old blood with small backpacks leap out of the dropship and descend into the distance. before twenty red lights and trails of smoke ignite ahead of us. The crazy bastards are going to guide us in.

"This is Blood one, incoming, move to 36. 92. Lima, 43." a calm voice comes over the radio.

The ships move to avoid the incoming and I see it burst up through a storm cloud. It looks like some kind violet mirror the size of a car coming at us. Bravo 2 the last dropship in the first wave fails to adjust in time do to engine failure and the shot Tears the drop ship to pieces as the Violet pulse of energy continues into the sky. The thing makes it to within five meters of the first dropships of the second waved dropships who are just now entering the atmosphere.

Then there is a blinding flash of light and a shock wave that rattles the drop ships. when I look again I see that the first half of the second waves dropships have been vaporized, and to my horror, to their velocity, most of the others slam into a rapidly expanding sheet of purple and explode. Some of the shrikes that were with them Goose their engines and jink through the expanding energy field. Then we are cut off from the fleet as the shield expands over the horizon.

==========================================================

(NAC Fleet)

“Sir computer shows ninety percent loss of second wave.”

“Damn it.”

“Sir ships popping up on the tactical Plot.”

“How many?”

“Ten Cruiser class and twenty Destroyer class UEC ships. And one ship about the size of one of our hammerhead cruisers.”

“Show me.” a Video screen, One of the viewscreen change to show a close up of a streamlined UEC ship that was turning to show its port side. On the port side is a kind of lens that stems from the top to the bottom of the hull. On the side of the ship near the bow was what looked like two overlapping six-sided stars surrounded by five more six-sided stars. All across the enemy formation shields flare to life. What looks like Violet and Golden streams of smoke begin to stream into the center of the lens. Beside the Annihilator a siege breaker Launches its fighters and swings about.

“This is the Stomper we are engaging the enemy.” one of the siege breakers says over the comms, it Lumbers forward lightning crackling between the heatsinks as it charges its main gun. The Stompers escort of two heavy cruisers begin discharging volleys of antiship missiles. Fourty, eighty, one hundred, one-twenty blue missile icons appear on the plot and keep appearing as they streak toward the UEC ship. Then the Streams of glowing dust condense in the center of the lens and glow.

“This is Stomper Actual. Firing for effect.” In a Flash the Projectile fired by the ship slammed into the UEC ship’s shield. For a moment there is a small localized sun in the star system. But to our amazement, it visibly warps like someone throwing a rock into a still puddle. That ship just shrugged off an attack that would turn a lankie siege ship to scrap. The stomper and her escort begin launching nukes at the ship only for the missiles to be trapped in purple, cobalt, and gold spheres containing the explosions. Then in a flash of color, a massive spiraling beam of purple and gold reaches out and touches the advancing three ships.

The Stomper Fires its retros in an attempt to sidestep the oncoming attack It is however, unable to do so and takes the attack straight down the centerline.The two heavy cruisers acting as her escort are caught in the resulting explosion and are destroyed. Behind the Stomper the Manitoba was able to fire her retros and slightly avoid the attack which by now has died down.The attack splashes into starboard section and boils away parts of the hull. And just like that thirty billion tones of starships and ten thousand soldiers and sailors are now finely dispersed organic matter around Bagmare.

“My god.”

“Siege breaker Stomper has been Destroyed sir, all hands lost.”

“All ships this is Annihilator actual, Engage.”

Author's Note

Here we go people. Are you as exited for this as i am?

Chapter 14 Snow and Ice

(UEC Fleet)

"So, they have more of those ships." Now Captain Polar says standing on the bridge of Princess Twilight's flagship the Element of Magic. The Fleet moves into a Manticore formation and presses its attack. From the Windows they can see the Human fleet turning about, the way they fire thrusters to stop themselves makes him think that they do not have inertial dampers. There on the screen is the largest ship he has ever seen it looks even more dangerous than the ship that his then one marking on one of the ships gets his attention.

"Manitoba." he says recognizing the Command ship of the human fleet at Camelot. He will make the captain Packers pay for his humiliation.

"Shield Status?"

"shields holding at 85 percent sir."

"I trust you know what you are doing captain. I have stuck my neck out for you." Twilight says at his side her hands clasped behind her back.

"Launch fighters and bombers. how long until the weapon is charged again?"

"two minutes sir." a human bridge officer says.

"Let me know when it is finished." he orders on thru the window swarms of Pegasus attack craft and Enforcer bombers join the first volley of antiship missiles. the humans however, have launched their own fighters and launched their own much better missiles.

====================================================================

In space between the two fleets all hell is about to break loose, man and woman, stallion and mare will be flung into a deadly dance in which only their skill will see them through. In Front of Leading the UEC fighters are an elite squadron of six red-tailed Avenger attack fighters, their hulls are black thanks to their polychromatic armor, wings swept forward giving them an even more aggressive appearance.

“All wings report in.”

“War-dog standing by.”

“Blackwatch standing by”

“Omega Standing by”

“Warwolf standing by”

“Blood ravens standing by”

The squadron leader takes a deep breath as he gooses the accelerator as the names begin to blur together, these fucks killed his wife along who was on board the now destroyed Stomper. The remains of whom join that of its escorts and the Dragons tooth in a debris field that now fills the area between the two fleets.

"This is Razgriz one-one “Snow”, I have tone, I have tone, Fox-one fox-one.” A Shrike pilot reports locking onto his target. The external pylons flair to life as a missile leaps from its mount and corkscrews toward the Pegasus fighter who deploys flares and jinks to the right to try to avoid the missile. Unfortunately, he was not the target and the missile opens flaps and three uranium tipped spikes burst out and into the cockpit of the lead bomber. The Bomber yields to the penetrators its shields doing nothing against the Trident missile.

“Break, Break .” He orders and pulled his ship hard to the left following the UEC squadron leader into the remains of a large hallway. As he follows the Pegasus Fighter trying to get a lock he begins to hear the other Squadrons reports.

“This is Wardog Engaging.”

“This is Warwolf engaging”

“This is Blackwatch engaging”

“Stingrays engaging”

========================================================

“Fighters have made contact with the enemy.”

“Razgriz-one slash one.”

“Charge the main gun.” the General orders from the bridge of the Annihilator.

“Charging.”

“Vampire, vampire. Incoming missiles.” the Tactical officer reports. The Linebacker cruisers step up and Fire their interceptor missiles. The carriers continue to stream out fighters as they bring their railguns to bear. Two of the four standoff Frigates under orders from the general move into position to assist the fighters, taking this as a challenge two UEC cruisers Captained by griffons break formation and begin to begin exchanging with their own guns. While the ships are the same size, the guns of the cruisers are not designed to go through lamatant hull plating and bounce off as the NAC frigates bring their own railguns to bear.

Focusing fire on the lead UEC cruiser the two ships fire a volley barrage of missiles. Eight, thirteen, twenty-nine, forty missiles leap from their launch tubes and almost instantly overwhelm the point defense systems of the UEC cruiser. Twenty Lankie inspired penetrator missiles slam into the shields. Instantly the missiles launch their yard long depleted uranium jacketed penetrator rods. The result is absolute carnage the Cruisers golden shields work against it as the penetrators tear from stem to stern before exiting and bouncing off of the shield and back into the ship.

As the lead Frigate is about to fire her forward facing railguns a wave of missiles slam into it amidships tearing it in two. The second now within weapons range of the cruiser fires its top port retros as the notorious energy blade scythes down to cut it in two. The lead frigate does a half barrel roll, rolling with the blade as it brings its dorsal starboard rail guns to bear before firing a point-blank broadside. The first volley tearing the ship's shields away before a wave of missiles from the cruiser slam home sending chunks of hull plating and bodies flying out into space. The NACS Autumn is crippled by the attack however as the Cruiser burns its engines to enter the debris field. . . .

======================================

“Radiation!”

“From what?” Twilight and Polar ask at the same time.

Out of the window, the NAC fleet and UEC fleets are engaging one another two or three UEC ships to a UEC ship. Two thousand miles from the Debris field they watch the crippled Human Cruiser fire its engines at full burn and slam headfirst into the Baltimare. Then there is a blinding flash of light as the Human ship detonates its nuclear payload. The perfect sphere of heat and radiation engulf the Baltimare and on the tactical plot the Icon disappears.

“Vampony, Vampony, incoming missiles.” the helm officer reports.

“Countermeasures.” Polar begins his horn glowed as he grasps a black rubber ball in his hand. It begins to creak as he focuses.

“Rarity.” Twilight says sitting down in a chair and pressing a button prompting an amplifier cable to go from the chair and begin connecting hair-thin filaments to her horn.

“I am prepared wilight.” the posh Unicorn reports sitting in a chair at her friend's side.

Outside of the ship the human antiship missiles are being destroyed by the point defense cannons. However, twelve missiles manage to make it through the gauntlet and are about to strike the shield when cobalt, gold, and purple bubbles engulf the missiles and they detonate. Seeing that their Capital ship is in danger the UEC fleet launches a volley of missiles at the Human flagship who in combination with its own point defense systems and help from the two elongated tortas shaped ships manages to destroy the volley.

“Captain Refractor cannon ready to fire.” The captain bounces the ball and snatches it out of the air.

“Target the Manitoba. Fire”

============================================

“Vampire, Vampire Incoming missiles. Impact from unknown weapon in ten. . . nine. . .” the tactical officer reports, Packers can't see her face do to the Vac suits that everyone is wearing.

“Deploy countermeasures, Fire retros, engines full burn move us to point nine five. Mark twenty-one. . . . . Execute.” captain packers says grasping the railing above the tactical pit, not taking his eyes off of the tactical plot. Every He has no intention of ending up like the Stomper.

The Manitoba leaps to life initiating a five G sustained turn. This sends anything not secured in place or strapped down flying across the rooms of the ship. Some of the crew suffer broken bones from being slammed into the bulkheads. However, as the shot reaches the Manitoba the shiphas managed to maneuver enough to only take the hit to her port stern section. The shot burns its way from bottom to top giving the ship, the Manitoba survived the attack if only just.

“Status report!” Packers coughs out over the alarms blaring.

“Sir we lost pressure on decks four through thirty, Decks nineteen through thirty-four are open to space, Hangers B4 and N7 are gone. All hands lost.” one of the enlisted techs responds pushing the body of the helmsman aside and taking her place.

“We barely made it out of that one” Packers says

“This is Annihilator actual to Manitoba Actual, Report”

“Annihilator, Manitoba that one clipped us pretty good general. But Manitoba’s a tough gal were still in the fight sir.”

“Copy that Manitoba.”

“All ships this is Leathy Actual, Main gun is hot, Firing for effect.” The Leathy having overcharged her main gun visibly recoils as it fires its main gun. The shot streaks toward the UEC capital ship at a tenth of the speed of light and slammed into its shield where it ricochets and destroyers a destroyer instead that happened to be in its path. Meanwhile, on the bridge of the Annihilator the General looks to his crew nodding his head.

“Hoist the black flag.”

==========================================================

(UEC ship)

“Something is happening to the human Flagship.” a Dragon announces from a tactical station

“Show me.” Polar says the window zooms into the Human flagship the words written on the side read Annihilator how interesting.

Then nine white hot glowing heat sinks the hull of the Annihilator extend before red heat lightning begins leaping between the now exposed heatsinks. A wave of UEC missiles that had managed to breach the Annihilators point defense systems are instantly vaporized as they near the hull do to the amount of heat being given off. As it swings itself to point at the Element of Magic he knows what will happen if he doesn't act now.

“Move US NOW!” Polar shouts, the emergency thrusters flair to life to move the ship. Then on the screen the front of the Annihilator begins to blue shift before the Lightning stops. An eerie calm stretches across the battlefield. The bridge is absolutely silent as all eyes are on the ship pointing itself at them.

“Attention All ships. This is Annihilator Actual. Main gun Charged and loaded. Firing for effect.” a voice comes over the radio.

============================================

(NAC Fleet)

The sixty-ton slug covers the distance at two-fifths the speed of light tears threw anything between the Annihilator and Element of Magic vaporizing a mixed bunch of six UEC cruisers and destroyer that were unfortunate enough to be in the way. The crews of the UEC fleet let out a collective gasp of fear and awe as the shields of their flagship fail almost instantly and the shot misses the ship by mear meters. Despite the secondary shielding to flaring to life parts of the underside of the ship melt from bow to stern. The heat given off literally melts parts of the hull as it passes by.

However, the shot is not wasted because the shot hits a destroyer behind the UEC capital ship, then the one behind it, and the one behind that one, before striking the moon of Bagmare. All three ships are vaporized by just the kinetic energy of the forty ton slug and the moon has a crater the size of Canterlot mountain blown out of it. The human ship to their horror begins charging its weapon again almost instantly.

“Main weapon charged.” a thorax changeling reports

“Target that ship blow it out of space.”

“Firing”

“Annihilator, Firing for effect”

The effect of the two unbelievably powerful weapons striking one another is astounding. The shear force of the NAC weapon meeting the magical energy of the UEC weapon is blinding. And the result is that despite the force of the particle accelerator it is only too disappointing. The Human shell is vaporized by the energy and the Human ship takes a broadside from the main weapon of the Element of Magic. However due to a combination of its sheer size and having better armor than a regular siege breaker it is able to shrug off the attack, receiving only the equivalent of a bloody nose. However, now the two fleets are now close enough to begin exchanging the real punches.

================================================

(Snow)

(Or)

“Snow you have one on your tail.” War-dog one reports to his wing man.

“Copy.”

Snowman flies into the burnt out remains of a hangar bay with a pegasus right on his tail. With the proximity alarms and warning lights flashing across his cockpit, he fires his retros and takes his fighter into a front flip and flies backward and inverted. He can see the shocked face of the mare in the cockpit as he fires a torrent of armor piercing grenades from his cannon.

The lightly armored UEC fighter doesn't even put up any resistance as the armor piercing grenades smash into the fuselage. he can see the pilot cover her face as the console in front of her explodes sending the fighter spiraling out of control to slam into a wall. With a smirk he flips his fighter back, narrowly avoids slamming into a wall and shoots off back into the larger battle.

“Talisman has tone fox-three, fox-three.”

“This is shamrock deploying chaff and flares.”

“This is Blaze, fox-eight fox-eight”
“Bandit down.”

“Ive got one on me! Aaaaaaaah!”

Snow banks his fighter around a piece of debris freeing his cannon destroying a bomber. Then a blur streaks past his canopy, he has to crane his neck and arch his back to see it as he fires retros and pulls hard on the stick. On the wing of a pegasus fighter with a yellow mare at the seat, he can see what looks like a flaming wing of the fighter.

The flame marked fighter destroys two shrikes almost effortlessly and he glances at his armament and makes a decision. He takes a deep breath calming his nerves and glances outside as time seems to slow. He has always loved flying and flying in space is just beautiful the whole reason he joined the military was to fly and going to space. The dark skinned man fixes his cold green eyes on the fighter resolute, and face emotionless before gooses the engine.

“This is Snowman, I'm on the leader.”

=========================================

(Spitfire)

“This is Spitfire, two more down.” The flight leader of the UEC attack wing reports flying around a piece of destroyed hull. Then her missile alarm starts going off and she begins deploying flares and is greeted with the sight of a stream of tracers over her right wing.

“Alright you wanna dance?” she asks moving her fighter into a corkscrew and pulling hard to the right. Out of the mirror, she placed on the outer edge of her canopy she can see the Human fighter shoot passed where she was backward before more tracers begin whizzing passed her canopy.

“This guy's good. But let's see just how good you are.” The pegasus compliments banking off and flying towards oncoming Element of Magic.

=============================================

(Snow)

“Missile lock, missile lock, missile lock, missile lock,....”

Snow maneuvers his fighter along the hull of the UEC capital ship he performs an aileron roll jinking his Avenger to the right without moving his cannon away from the enemy ace. Flares and chaff stream from behind his fighter as he lands a successful hit to the shields of the Pegasus.

Looking ahead and sees that he's being lead towards an opening in the hull, reaching over he flicks the ECM jamming and as six enemy fighters come around the corner only for three then twelve missiles shoot passed from behind him annihilating the enemy squadron. He sees Razgriz two, black bear three, and Omega one streak passed and turn around to engage the fighters now emerging behind him. He rolls around a firing cannon where he loses sight of the ace.

“Missile lock, Missile lock, Missile, lock…” He flicks inverted and hits the afterburner to shoot off into the opposite direction. He flies mere inches from the deck and makes eye contact with a pale yellow pegasus with a pink mane in a window, as he turns his fighter around its front axis. A missile slams into the port wing of his fighter. The avenger interceptor shakes and he almost loses control as hole is blasted into the port wing.

He jinks to starboard as fire suppression systems flair to life, as he swings around one of the rails on the ships hill trying to get the enemy ace trapped in the energy beam. Seeing his chance as the scythes down he flies under the beam and fires his retros. chime meets his ears.

“I've got tone, Fox-four fox-four” he reports as a door open up on the starboard ventral fuselage and a spiraling ordnance pylon emerges before locking in place and firing two missiles.

The enemy ace launches chaff and flares as he pursues. When the Ace streaks by he follows her at full throttle and is close to scoring the kill before his magazine clicks empty. The mare then is somehow able to get behind him again. Without skipping a beat he flicks another switch and two flaps open on the bottom of his fighter, a piece of sinister equipment slides from its housing out of a black rectangular sheath. He pulls the trigger on his cannon one last time and is rewarded with one grenade that leaps from the barrel and slams into the wing of the fighter tearing it off. As new reticle appears to replace the old one on his HUD now all he needs is one. . .

“Gotcha”

===================================

(UEC)

“Spitfire has been hit.”

“What? That's impossible she's too awesome to get hit.” a rainbow maned mare says on the bridge. However almost to prove her wrong a black and red human fighter comes streaking backward with what looks like a large cannon of some kind poking out of the underside.

“There she is!” Rainbow Dash yells relieved however is mortified to watch her idols fighter seemingly and suddenly begin glowing at the nose before bursting into flames and resemble a shooting star for a split second before being turned to slag and exploding.

“Spitfire down.”

============================

(Snow)

“Ace down.” Snow reports before watching the UEC capital ship fire its main weapon striking a wounding blow the Annihilator.

Spying a damaged UEC fighter he and the pilot make eye contact, banking his interceptor he flies escort formation with the damaged fighter before it banks into a hanger. He looks to his right and left to see his squadron has rejoined him, he flashes his lights and returns to the Manitoba to rearm and refuel. But not before strafing the bridge of a UEC destroyer whose shields are down destroying it. He now sits in his cockpit onboard the Manitoba having requested extra missiles and a cannon pod on a hunch. Just as he and his squadron are taxing the Manitoba shakes violently

“Razgriz a hole has appeared in the shield get planetside now.”

“Razgriz copies Manitoba actual.” As he is catapulted out of the ship he begins seeing escape pods begin launching. He sees the hole caused by a piece of the hull slamming into it the whole is visibly shrinking. He gooses the afterburner and the wings fold forward into a gap under the front stabilizers and between the low profile tail giving the fighter the appearance of a huge arrowhead. As Razgriz squadron streak through the whole they hear over the all circuits channel as the Manitoba's crash buoy pops up on their TAC links.

“This is Manitoba, Mayday we are going down, I repeat mayday, mayday we're going down.. . .” The signal is cut off as the shield closes behind them and they streak towards the surface.

====================================================

(Fallon)

“SAM LAUNCH, SAM LAUNCH, Banshee two-eight countermeasures!.”

The wasp has no windows in the cargo hold but thanks to the taclink display I have a front row seat anyway. My comms set is dialed into the dropship flights channel. And my tactical display shows the plot from all the computers in the flight put together. We're thirty klicks from the drop zone and we just managed to fly passes an enemy missile battery that managed to survive our initial bombardment. Thankfully we are at the very edge of the batteries detection range so we have plenty of warning about the eight supersonic surface to air missiles that just left the racks of the launcher to catch up with our four ship flight.

“Rodger.” Banshee two eight's pilot sounds almost bored as he turns on his active jamming pod. He puts his bird into a series of jinks to shake off the missiles lock. One by one the Pony missiles go dumb chasing imaginary electronic shadows. only one of them stays on two-eight's tail and her pilot kicks out decoy drones and dives for the deck.

Both red missile icon and blue dropship icon disappear from my plot. For a moment I'm convinced that two-eight the Atlas and the forty troops riding in her are now finely dispersed organic fertilizer. But then Two-eight reappears from the shadow of a valley a few klicks off to our right before reforming.

“That one scratched off some paint.” Two eight's pilot sends and he doesn't sound bord anymore. I mark the location of the enemy battery on the tactical plot and toggle my radio to the TAC air channel to contact the flight of shrike attack craft patrolling nearby.

“Hammer flight you have an enemy SAM battery at NAV grid alpha one-four”

“Hammer two-three, copy that, yall tell your bus driver to back off the throttle so we can clean up in front of you.”

“Three minutes to drop zone.” The pilot of our ship announces, and the status light on the forward bulkhead goes from a steady to a blinking red. A few moments later the shrikes pass our drop ship flight, even though they are a few thousand feet above us the supersonic pass makes the hull of our Botfly vibrate. I watch the tactical plot as the shrikes go into attack formation and streak ahead to sanitize the Landing zone.

I look up from the tactical plot to check on my squad and see Forbes whooping over the net, Miiora is nervously grasping the restraints and looking at the ceiling her tails tip taps the bulkhead next to her feet whose claws scratch at the deck, and Trombely rubs his knees. Our Landing zone is a small clearing ten miles from the city, I am about to say something to reassure my team when I see the three of them lit up by a green overhead light as the altimeter reads one hundred feet we are just barely skimming the tops of the trees.

“Iceman stand by for Atlas fall.” the Pilot of our drop ship says.

“Saber One-one standing by.”

“Shadow stand by for Atlas fall.”

“Saber One-Two stand'in by”

=================================================

(UEC Ground Personell)

Camomile Cream a middle-aged unicorn mare has heard what the humans are capable of and she has seen the footage from onboard the Dragon's Breath. She really wants to go home to her filly and have a slave run her a bath but the humans decided to ruin everything. The ground shakes slightly as the dragon Basil holds his weapon taking cover behind a large boulder.

She and her squad were glad when the Princess Twilight sent down adult Dragon shock troops, these humans should not be able to deal with them as easily and on top of the armor the humans won't make it off their shuttles. The rain isn't helping however Unlike the human shuttles cockatrice gunships can’t fly in the rain. She can see the Human fighters streaking their way explosions proceeding them at all of the positions of the missile batteries.

“How did they know where our Batteries where.” she hisses out slamming her fist into a tree.

Now her troops would have to fight the much better-equipped humans on the ground. The human Shuttles streak overhead their ugly black hulls barely visible against the rainy black sky. Then there is a colossal bang and the ground shakes as she and her ponies are covered by a shower of mud and water.

“Contact!” one of the griffins under her command yells. She turns and through the trees she sees what looks like two ponies rolling after falling a great height.

“But that can't be right.” she said to herself

“What was that?”

Then the ground begins to shake and they hear the sound of metallic banging. It is so rhythmic that it almost sounds like two out of sync sprinting dragons. Then the night is pierced by two sets three of red lights bathe them in light prompting the Jeeps to open up on the unknowns. Now being illuminated by the firing heavy machine guns the two unknowns are illuminated to be some kind of giant bipedal things one white the other black. The things have bags and pouches all over their bodies that clatter and bang as they move.This knowledge makes the entire line open up the two headless giants the two tanks with the company fire their cannons.

However, the two giants act very differently despite their similar appearance and resolve the issue of the tanks differently. The Black one leaps off of the ground diving forward letting the round under its torso. As it lands it rolls into a kneeling position reaching to its back and retrieving a large rifle as a kind of arm unfolds from behind it, upon completing the roll it has brought its weapon bear firing a burst showering the tank with rounds tearing it to pieces.

The White one raises an arm without breaking stride, and the tank round and all those being fired at it simply stop and float in place in front of it. Then there is a buzzing sound and the rounds are fired back at the ones who shot them, resulting in twelve dead UEC troopers, and one destroyed tank. Unfortunately, this one has a rifle as well, but fortunately.

“Basil engage the white one its right next to you.” The Dragon lets out a roar sending a torrent of fire at the white one who shoulders into it ignoring the heat and slammed into him delivering a left hook. The clash of the Titans is so engrossing she was only brought out of her musing when she is showered by warm sticky liquid, and upon inspection, it turns out to be blood. She scans her company and discovers she is one pegasus short.

A deer screams in rage hefts a dumb fire missile launcher and bounds forward the black giant reaches down scooping the deer off his hooves. The deer tries to bring the weapon to bear as the giant moves it in front of its eye instead he doesn't have the chance and is mercilessly and nonchalantly thrown to the side like a piece of trash. There is an audible and vial wet crunch as his bones and organs burst as his body slams into a rock.

==============================================

(Shadow)

“Iceman, you ok?” Saber one-two asks as he hoses down a squad of UEC troopers.

“I'm good.”

“Oh I know you didn't breath that green shit at me. We good SD?” I say

“No damage from thermal weapon, Pilot.” SD says as we duck under a right hook from this big bastard to bring up a devastating uppercut slamming. I see a handle on the big bastards webbing and bring a robotic knee slamming into its ribs. As red bastard thing doubles over forward it brings a clawed hand down dragging its claws against the cockpit.

“Alert superficial damage.”

“SD load a canister shell into the one-twenty mike mike.”

“Copy pilot. Weakness detected, Highlighting”

I Bring another knee up before seeing the thing open its mouth and clamp a metal hand over it directing it upward as I push it into the boulder it was using as cover earning a satisfying pop from its back as its wings break. Shouldering aside a rather pathetic attempt at defense I make a grab for the ATLAS sized knife only for the arm to be grabbed and be slammed into a particularly large tree myself.

Firing the emergency exhaust I do a sort of dash to my right just in time to avoid the knife that is now embedded in the tree to the hilt. I no longer am detecting small arms fire and spare a glance to see that my fellow ATLAS is now drawing all of the fire. I'll admit I feel a little confident if it wasn't for SD this thing could just step on me but thanks to SD’s now forty-five ton chassis I can fight it on equal terms.

The big brute and I square off it rolls its neck before spitting out some teeth and letting out another roar, this thing must think i am going to fight fair? I thrust SD’s hand into the ground and fling a load of mud into the things face the equivalent of throwing sand. Taking my chance I sprint towards the thing as it tries to clear its eyes.

====================================

(UEC)

“Where is the other company!” Chamomile Cream yells

This was never part of the plan there was supposed to be an entire armored company that would roll into position as soon as the humans landed. Instead now there are two Giants decimating her Company. Something is going on and she isn't about to stay here and be crushed by a giant. The white Giant slammed into Basil grasping his neck so tightly the scales are visibly bending under the force. Then the unthinkable happens the thing brings its arm back in a fist and slams it into Basil's chest, the dragon to his credit does not scream his eyes only widened in shock and pain.

The white titan brings its arm out now drenched in blood clutching oh Celestia one of Basil's hearts. It glances at its outstretched arm clutching the organ before domed head tunes its eyes back to Basil and with a flick of its arm the white beast crushes the heart with a shower of blood. Then with a flurry of motion the giant sweeps the dragon's legs out from under him while retrieving its weapon from its back.

Once Basil is flat on the ground the bloody white giant leaps into the air and slams the barrel of its weapon into the dragon's chin before taking a hand off of its weapon and snapping it into the air snatching a pegasus out of the air. In a shower of blood the titan clenches its fist crushing the pegasus and pulled the trigger on its weapon blowing Basil’s head to pieces like it was his by a giant shotgun.

“Buck this.” she yells and begins running the only to make it about forty feet before a violent hiss and a blast of green magic ends her life. Standing over her body observing the one-sided battle are five sets of eyes.

====================================================

(Unknown)

“The humans owe us. For taking out that armored column.” a gruff male voice says

“I'm just glad we won't be alone in this.” A human agrees

“We will follow, and observe them before approaching.” a two-tone echoing voice orders.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Author's Note

I tried the space battle a little diffrent let me know what you think.

Let me know if you want more snow?

Chapter 15 Semper Gumby

(UEC Fleet)

"Fire." Polar orders. The human fleet has lost many of its ships at the cost of over ten-thousand UEC personnel.

But their sacrifice has helped to distinguish the human ships capabilities. The ship like the now destroyed Manitoba appears to be some kind of carrier. While the two that resemble flattened turtles firing scores of missiles appear to be some kind of missile platform. The one that doggedly stayed by the smaller behemoth side despite multiple ships attempts to dislodge it from its position appears to be the equivalent of an escort destroyer.

The Smaller Behemoth named Leathy according to its name plate appears to be designed solely for capital ship destruction, how ever at the moment that ship is appears to be picking up what appear to be lifeboats. That just leaves the Giant ship with the absurdly destructive cannon.

The ship has already taken three hits from the Element of Magics main weapon and is sporting numerous burn marks, holes, and fissures in the hull that all bleed smoke, bodies or pieces of bodies, water, and frozen air no doubt a result of being the current focus of the fleet. The ship attempts to lumber its way to the left only to take a hit from the magical weapon this time however unlike the previous times the ship takes the full brunt of the attack to its starboard side.

The effect is glorious massive glowing hole is blown straight through her and she seems to go limp for a second the lights on its hull flickering. However instead of exploding as it slowly appears to be falling toward the planet its lights defiantly flair back to life as it reorients itself. However the ship is profoundly broken and her captain knows it, as well as the others in the NAC fleet as the six remaining ships move into close formation with it. All of which suffer varying degrees of severe damage except the Leathy suffers only relatively minor damage having one if its dorsal cannons blown clean off.

"Why aren't they using their Barbaric Nuclear weapons?" Rarity asks studying the two-dimensional battle map on the wall with a keen eye.

"What do you mean?" Rainbow asks gaining the others attention.

"I mean darling that they could have crippled our fleet at two separate occasions if they had, see here and here. However apart from the cruiser that blew itself up no nuclear weapons have been used."

"Perhaps they see the futility in their endeavor." the Changeling liaison says.

"Doubtful." Rarity says

"Well the only reason I can think of would be if they landed troops." she continues taking a look at her datapad.

"That is possible. That they could have landed troops." A data officer says

"It would explain why they bombarded the planet from orbit, and why that fool deployed the shield too early." Twilight says. She was very grateful that Rarity was here her attention to detail had made her very praised in planning.

"Now we have to go through the ordeal and wrought the NAC ground troops from the surface." Rarity says.

"Look the NAC fleet is moving." Through the window, they could see NAC capital ship limping in the direction of deep space. The Leathy and other ships in the fleet flying backward in a protective pyramid formation with the leathy as its tip.

"So the NAC shows its true colors." The griffin delegate says earning a nod from a the dragon helmspony.

"No, think about it if this ship was detrimentally wounded we would have retreated." Rarity corrects the others are about to speak up when Polar comes to her defense.

"She is correct, Not only would I have ordered our retreat. I would have done it without a second thought."

Rarity walks over to the window facing the planet now surrounded by a violet planetary shield folding her hands behind her back. Her friends join her as she plots their next move.

=================================

(Snow)

"Missile lock, Missile lock, Missile lock, Missile lock..." Snowman's computer chimes in a calm computerized female voice.

The weather has cleared enough for the UEC to scramble some of their aircraft. Snowman rolls his fighter to the right staying on the tail of a UEC fighter that had tried to shoot down the Helldiver dropship. He is currently chasing down the fighter through a canyon in blatant disregard of flight doctrine.

A stream of tracers stream passes his cockpit prompting him to fold the wings in and deploy a smoke charge as he follows the fighter around a sharp corner. The chime goes silent as the light of an explosion behind him lights up the night. He flips the "alt one" switch and the Laser cannon unfolds from under his fuselage. His retical changes and begins moving as the cannon's assisted aiming system begins tracking the fighter in front of him. He pulls the trigger and the fighter disintegrates under the heat of the invisible beam.

He pulls hard right flicking the switch back to cannons and turning a swivel ball on the accelerator and stops as his HUD begins tracking multiple ground and air targets marked by both ground and air units on the tactical link. the top of his fighter opens as two vertical launch racks emerge, The Multiple Launch missile system MLMS or M&Ms fires fire and forget smart missiles. Pressing the button with his thumb he bursts from the canyon as fifteen missiles burst from their launch tubes. Satisfied that the threats have been neutralized he toggles back and the racks descend back into his fighter.

"Wolf one-one requesting assistance."

"Roger wolf. Razgriz form up."

============================================================

(Miiora)

The human shu-dropship lands and we all shuffle out into the rain Instantly the humans fan out into the same circular formation around the drop-ship I witnessed on board the Dragon's Breath. The human weapon I carry is not the same as the weapons they use and that Avery Fallon had tried to teach me to use on Leathy and Annihilator. It is a stubby sub-machine gun the Humans call a Personal defense weapon or PDW It apparently it is less effective against Battle armor than an M-66 but since the UEC doesn't use ballistic hard shell it is adequate.

There is a series of thumps and the ground shakes as we watch Avery Fallon and another ATLAS fallback to defend the drop ship. The ATLAS Fallon is piloting is scratched and appears to be drenched in blood plainly visible against the white paint on his machine. The machines are a marvel of technology I had never thought possible and their lethality on the battlefield is made all the more clear as the company fans out into the clearing.

There, are corpses were the bodies of the planetary defense forces that had tried to hold the clearing. Some of which have massive holes blown straight through them their organs that had been blown out of the exit wounds now lie on the ground. Two Minotaur tanks sit burning one with an entrance hole but still intact with burning visible inside through the hole and open hatch, and the other blown to bits.

"Woah sucks to be this guy." a marine says over the channel gesturing to the crumpled corpse of a deer that now closer resembles a mound of furry broken meat.

"Holy fuck!." Another marine shouts pointing to a dead adult dragon. The once powerful creature lies on its back bleeding profusely from a massive hole in its chest, and the stump where its head had once been.

"Miiora are there more of these things on the planet?" the Company commander a male who introduced himself to me in Fallon's Squad birth as Skyler asks.

"There could be. Dragons will typically be positioned at strategic locations as a kind of heavy infantry." I say trying not to step in a small river of blood. I glance up at Fallons ATLAS and see that he has a massive knife strapped to its shoulder no doubt as he would say "liberated" from the dead dragon.

"do those work?" Skyler asks pointing to a group of trucks and jeeps, I walk over and turn the key followed by Fallon and his team and am rewarded with the low rumble of the engine.

"How far can they get?"

"I would say maybe six hundred of your miles with how much fuel they have in them." I guess.

"Alright let's Mount up!" he orders. I here a series of metallic clicks and turn to see Fallon being lowered to the ground. He walks over to the Jeep and opens the back left door.

"Miiora your sitting here." he says pointing to the seat behind where he will be sitting.

"Trombely get that piece of shit MG off the roof so Garza can put his MG up there. Forbes you're driving." The Company all file into the commandeered vehicles and begin rolling down a dirt road with our jeep in front. SD and the other ATLAS now in auto-pilot mode begin walking one in front and one behind.

"I am so glad those formers (the NAC's name for former UEC slaves) showed us how to drive." The Radio Fallon brought flairs to life as we drive in the dark.

"Woah, check it out! someone says over the radio." pointing a waypoint on our tactical screens it shows a clear spot in the sky and we see a purple sky.

"Damn what the hell is that?"

"It's a planetary shield..." I begin

"Great." Fallon says before reporting this new information to Fick the platoon Lieutenant apparently despite his young age men in his platoon respect his command. The company comes to a halt and Fick walks up to Fallon's right passenger window. Trombely gets out as well as the other marines.

"Fallon."

"Sir?"

"We have orders to bust an air field make sure our birds can refuel. Change in the R.O.E. Anyone with a weapon is declared hostile. If a stallion walks away from you with a weapon on her back, shoot him. If an armed filly is selling lemonade out of a tree house, shoot her. I don't care if you hit her with a forty millimeter grenade." Fick says.

"Roger that, Sir." he Fallon's say

"Gear up, Gents, MOVING OUT!"

"Clamp your fucken armor, where's your trauma kit? Come on Trombely." a marine says to the young marine who fishes it out of his pocket. the Marine nods before fastening the armor correctly. Then a marine walks up to me with a quizzical face, we have all raised our visors do to the improper seals on the armor we have. I look at him confused he does something with my armor.

"This chick doesn't even know she's in a war. Thinks she's a superhero from some ancient comic."

"Hey, I put on my superhero uniform every day I'm in the corps brother! Hoorah." Another marine shouts.

"We're OSCAR MIKE!"

'All Hitman victor's be advised, we are rolling Freaks to tack 1-1-niner at 1400 Zulu. How copy?' The radio says

'Rodger 2-2 copies all. interrogative: I need crypto do you know who's got the C.Y.Z? I'm pretty sure I lost my filler. over.'

'Negative. I don't know a damn thing.'

'we have a Guadalcanal. over'

"Hitman one-one copies..." Fallon says

"Whats a Guadalcanal?" I ask

"The fleet left us here." Fallon says nonchalantly. My heart skips a beat we are stuck here?

"This sucks we were on point on taking that city. now we don't have armor and we aren't even taking the city." Trombley says from the seat where he points his SAW thru the window.

"Avery, this fucking SUCKS! We trained for that siege mission for two fucking weeks. And they take it right out from underneath of us. And they want us to take a fucken airfield without armor. And were stuck here." Forbes complains.

"Yeah, Ill be mad if we get to that airfield and get blown to shit without even seeing it." the Gunner says.

"Drop down here My Little Brown Friend." Fallon says raising his visor. Garza our gunner and the other two marines lean in to hear, I do likewise so see what he has to say.

"Missions are always getting fragged. We're marines, we obey our orders. Our mission now is not to do our original mission." he says looking at us before turning to scan out of the window.

"Semper Gumby, Always Flexible!" Graza says. I wonder how they are able to be so calm we are stranded here.

chapter 16 Airfield

(Miiora)

'Echo five charlie, echo five charlie, this is echo five echo. Interrogative: how much further to the airfield?'

'echo five echo I don't copy.'

"In a way I've got to!." I look forward to the drivers seat to see Forbes singing a human song.

"run away I've got too..." he points to Fallon who sits in front of me. I can almost feel his blank stare despite his not looking at me, he raises his hands and gives two claps.

"Get away from the pain you drive into the heart of me. take me tears and that's not nearly..."

"Oah, tainted love!" both Fallon and Forbes sing without taking their eyes off the dirt road.

"Oohh wooh aahohao." Trombley drones sleepy from my right behind Forbes.

"Tainted love!"

"Oohh wooh aahoaho"

"Don't touch me please I can not stand the way you tease. Oh, I love you but you hurt me..." I feel like I am missing something.

===============================================================

(Miiora)

"this is fucking stupid." Fallon says form as he hefts and points his weapon out of the window as jets streak overhead towards the airfield. It is now daylight and the rain has died down to a light drizzle.

"You know the map showed fences, if there's fences, were gonna need the bolt cutters." Forbes says.

"There under Miiora's seat." Fallon responds fiddling with his rifles sight.

"Hay, can you lift your ass if we need to get to those bolt cutters?" Forbes asks me.

"I think so." I say standing up and trying to open the crate. "no."

"Charlie just cleared a guard tower." there is a clattering and grunting from the top of the jeep.

"What is it Garza?"

"The MG is jammed." I look around listening to the marines talking over each other.

"Hitman two this is one-one our Mk 39 is down. I say again our main gun is down." Fallon says on the radio

"Either unfuck it now. or get on your fucking SAW!" Fallon orders

"SD make up."

"Acknowledged pilot." the ATLAS says as it begins running ahead of us with its weapon in its hands.

"Im trying."

"I see men running at two hundred meters, at ten oclock." Trombely says from my left aiming down the sights of his weapon.

"Are they armed?" Fallon yelled back firing his launcher into a near by riven.

"Their something."

"Well, the order is everyone is declared hostile. Light 'em the fuck up." Fallon says now aiming down the sights of his weapon as well. I jump a little as Trombely fires three bursts from his Light machine gun.

"Fuck yeah, get some!" the young mans says glancing at me from over his shoulder with a smile. He fires another burst.

"Fuck!" and I can almost hear the smile on Trombelys face. we begin speeding up as the convoy now on an open field begin to take some kind of formation. the two ATLAS's charge in the middle of our group. We begin banging around inside the Jeep as we begin running over rocks, and I feel like I chip a horn on the roof as we bang into and over a berm.

"All Hitman two victors, maintain dispersion. Target building five hundred meters ahead. Break. Hitman three is holding our flank. Over." Fick's voice says over the radio the firing begins as soon as the wheels hit the airfield. SD is firing its Massive rifle and the other begins launching its massive grenades. I look around and see the other vehicles firing on the buildings ahead and vehicles.

"Hitman two this is one-one I have twelve tanks, northwest side of the warehouse. over"

"Wilco, we've got eyes. They appear to be stationary. No personnel." Fallon responds flipping down his visor.

"Hitman two, this is two-three I have around three unmanned triples A batteries. they appear to be abandoned. Over." The convoy rolls to a stop as captain Skyler jumps out of his truck with a...

"He's got his fucking bayonet out." Fallon says as the company commander begins to fire his M-66 from the hip, sweeping it across the airfield emptying the magazine. The Airfield is abandoned.

"Follow my tracers!" the commander shouts taking a UEC assault rifle from the jeep and doing the same however this time rounds begin ricochet back our way.

"Can you believe that fucking retard is in charge of people?" Forbes laughs before ducking back down as a round flies back our way to richochette off of the hood.

"Jesus christ." Fallon says tiredly, so the NAC has some incompetent military leaders just like the UEC. Skyler reloads his M-66 and sprints over to us pounding on our hood pointing to a group of building close by to the airfield.

"Engage those fucking buildings."

"Sir that's over four thousand meters away. the range of my 39 is two thousand." Garza says not even bothering to move the gun.

"Then move into position!" the man yells before running away.

"Should I light them up?" Garza asks, Fallon looks at me and points to the spot the commander was pointing. I zoom in with my helmet and see its a slave village, I relay this information to Fallon and he comes to a decision.

"No, those aren't military buildings. there civilian huts." He laughs discussed.

Later we are sitting around a full company of heavily armed humans and one Tymerian. All now either just walking around, checking equipment, or eating rations. Fallon stands about five feet from our Jeep where Forbes sits in the passenger seat, Garza still on the gun and trombely lounging on the hood. and I sit on the roof swinging my legs looking around.

"Yeah! looks like the UECs Planetary defense ponies got wind I was coming. As the ancient warrior-poet Ice cube once said, "If the day does not require an M-66 it is good."" Forbes says raising his visor

"If they had stayed around to man those, we'd have been dead before we even saw them." Fallon says calmly looking over to where the twelve tanks sit with marines climbing on them, and inspecting them.

"Dude lighten up." Fallon looks back coldly to Forbes like he is about to give a lecture.

"Then again the world wouldn't have to deal with the prospect of you returning to your cretinous daughter-fucking, trailer-park shithole and producing mutant, Whiskey Tango, scrotum-faced, bucktoothed, zit-exploding progeny." he says and we all try to five him hints as someone walks up to him.

"heads up." he turns around to see the company captain smiling at him.

"I need a channel to Drop main." Fallon reaches into the Jeep turns a nob on the radio he brought with him and hands the speaker to the captain.

"Chaos, this is godfather.... we have seized the enemy airfield. we have captured several enemy tanks and self-propelled triple-A batteries. It appears that we have over run the entire base of troops who have fled. and sir we have sustained zero casualties... Thank you. roger that. out." the man says before pating Fallon on the shoulder and walking away. there is a series of whooshing noises and is see the human fighters and other dropships begin landing.

"Gentlemen and lady." Fallon says looking at us we all turn to look at him.

"We just seized an airfield" we all look at one another smiling.

Author's Note

Military leadership at its finest.

Chapter 17 Making a stand

‘Hitman-Two this hitman-Three. We are in sector, gunner up scanning with thermals. We have multiple personnel with small arms and armor heading our way. Over.’

‘Hitman-Two copies mark with IR. Fall back to base.’

‘Hitman-Three solid copie returning to base. out’

‘Steel Rain this is Raptor. Adjust fire system aided over.’

‘Raptor this is Steal Rain adjust fire system aided out.’

‘Ten digit grid: November Uniform six-seven-three-one-two-zero-nine-five-seven-one over’

‘Ten digit grid: November Uniform six-seven-three-one-two-zero-nine-five-seven-one out’

‘Five tanks in the open request: splash. Over’

‘Five tanks in the open request: splash. Out’

‘Message to observer, charlie two rounds five guns in effect. Target number alpha bravo one-zero-zero-four out.’

‘Shot: out’

==========================================

(Fallon)

"CORPSMAN!"

"Contact, right!" The sky flashes with lightning the U.E.C planned this shit out so their leadership isn't as fucked as ours. It is 9:00 at night and the enemy came from out of the woods. I stand beside the Humvee firing bursts from my rifle to the north. The Dropships, Shrikes, and Avengers were deployed to aid another company that were in trouble and now we really wish we had air cover. Miiora lies next to me prone on her stomach firing her PDW like I taught her, slow and steady like a metronome. The UEC surrounded us while we sat here on our asses thanks to the incompetence of everyone over the rank of lieutenant in this platoon.

"Fuck! MK 39's jammed!" Garza shouts from the Humvee pulling the action back repeatedly. Bullets ping and buzz all around us as the firefight picks up as more UEC troopers arrive in twos and threes. Trombely lies beside Miiora pumping rounds out with his SAW, SD and the other ATLAS are in the hanger thirty feet away from where our company is pinned down.

"Aaagghh" I look to my left to see a marine from third platoon get picked up by a Griffin and carried away. Another group of UEC soldiers round the corner of the Humvee we are using as cover only to be set ablaze by a burst from Forbes's flame thrower. The UEC has cut our company in half, spitting us right down the middle. Now one-half is hunkered down beside and around the abandoned Tanks and the part my team and i are at is a rough circle of Humvees.

I track the marine with my rifle sight before the two of them explode no doubt as a result of a grenade. The ground next to my feet explodes with small arms fire as is crouch back behind the armored bulk of the humvee. My taclink is a sea of red threat icons, three or five for every one blue friendly icon. There is the sound of running and I see Fick sprinting in my direction before skidding on his knees the last five feet.

"What do you need sir?" I ask

"Get to your ATLAS, we have armor rolling our way." he says and to almost emphasize his point a UEC tank rolls into the field. There is a pop-whoosh as a Surisa fires the missile lazily raises into the air before smashing back down on top of the tank destroying it. The UEC troops begin popping smoke to cover their advance not knowing that it is useless. The squad that tries to cross the field is cut down by third squads SAW gunner.

"How? If I go out there I won't make it six feet before I get smoked, sir." I yell

"Trombely, go with him We need those things out here now. If it was up to me we would have never shut them down." Fick yells, I nodded and he crouches down beside Miiora deploying a Bipod attachment he has on his M-66 and starts firing.

"Fuck this!" Garza shouts hopping down from the machine gun, lies down beside Fick with his SAW and begins firing.

"On three. . . .one. . . two. . . three go!" Fick shouts over the squad comm before switching to the company comm channel.

"COVER THEM SUPPRESSING FIRE!" he shouts, the platoon begins laying down suppressing fire as Trombely and I dash from cover and towards the Hanger. We pass a marine who is firing from behind the hood of a humvee when a round goes straight through his visor and out of the back of his helmet and he falls over.

"Oh fuck!" Both Trombely and I say, normal UEC assault rifles can't go through our visors or our armor, proof being that both of us have been hit in the head multiple times in our mad dash. As we sprint we begin seeing more marines being cut down by strikes to armor plates, and other places that normally UEC weapons wouldn't be able to get through. Then we hear something we never wanted to hear.

"Their shooting Flechettes!" someone yells into the net.

"Where the fuck did they get those!?" Trombely yells as we both skid into the hangers open door. I sprint up to SD's still form and bound up the four rung ladder on his left leg and into the cockpit. I begin flipping switches and pressing buttons in the fastest start-up I have ever done. I look out of the hatch and see Trombely firing his SAW from one knee before taking a round in the head. His helmet flys off of his head. He looks ok if his gross use of the word Fuck is any indication. He rolls inside as the cockpit hatch closes but I can still hear his SAW firing from outside. This is the kind of situation Mules are made for, but all of our armor beside the ATLAS's were lost.

"Welcome back, Transferring control to pilot." SD says

I spring forward taking the weapon from my back and begin firing on the UEC troops. When SD highlight and scans a strange looking UEC trooper He appears to be wearing a mixture of purple Royal guard armor, and old Battle armor! In his hands is an old Lanky war era M-66, which he uses with expert precision hosing down a marine in the open. It is then that I notice other humans with the same armor all carrying M-66s or UEC weapons.

"Fuck. they have Sympathisers."

"Attention all units this is Saber one-one I have eyes on hostile humans. The fuckers are packing flechette rifles." I report over the radio.

"Let's move Trombely!" I dash out into the open raising the magnetic shield shielding Trombely as we move.

"Warning, Hostile Armor." I drop into a crouch making my ATLAS slide on a knee as I load a 120 into the launcher. Instantly I have become the focus of attention Rounds bounce off of SD's armored bulk. Then hear a sound like hitting an empty cookpot with a spoon and I am blasted to one side as I take a round in the shoulder. I look and see the Tank shell flying off into the distance. I turn my Atlas back and let the Tank have it, the thing goes up with a massive explosion that lights up the night. But in the light, I see Trombely isn’t where he was before instead is being carried off by a griffin, and am about to shoot the griffin before another tank round slams into SD's chassis.

"Fuck!" I yell slamming my fist into the console.

=====================================================

(Trombely)

"Get the fuck off of me! Asshole!" I yell finally managing to get my arm free after what feels like hours of flight. I don't know what this thing wants but it can fuck right off. I try to bring up my SAW but I can't get a hold of it.

"Shut up human." the griffin says before we come under fire from something below. I try my best be as small as possible and am rewarded with the griffin having a wing clipped and we promptly fall out of the sky. Lucky we aren't that far off the ground and I am able to roll with the fall. I look around and see the griffin charging at me only now I am able to bring up my SAW only for it to jam when I pull the trigger. so instead I swing the weapon's bulk into the things face and it goes down. It looks up at me from the dirt screaming as I bring the weapon down on its unarmored head.

"Fuck you." I say suddenly I hear the what sounds like talking all around me.

'Hey did you hear that?' a female voice

'Ya I bet it's one of those NAC guys, just wait until I get my hands on him or her. I'll kill him, but not before I have my fun with him first.' another female voice says

Then I hear a twig snap behind me, I dig in and heft my SAW the only weapon I have beside a knife. My whole body shakes I don't know if it's from adrenaline or fear but I am scared shitless.

'How long do I have?' I think to myself and begin counting down the seconds until my inevitable capture. I finally am able to clear the chamber when I see the most welcome and weirdest sight imaginable. Out of the woods comes a big Marine without a helmet, he smiles and his eyes light up upon seeing me.

"Wait." he says and waves me over and I run over and crouch down in the brush.

"If ponies want to tango, now they'll have two to dodge." He says scanning the forest with a smirk.

"Hey thanks a lot man. I'm Trombely what's yours?"

"The boys just call me. . . Camouflage."

==============================================

(Fallon)

"COME ON!" I yell broadcasting from the cockpit trying to get the attention of the UEC troops. There are currently two tanks moving around me trying to probe for a weakness in SD's armor. I hear around ping off of the armor I turn around to see the Tank explode from a shot fired from the Hanger.

‘Pilot, Magnetic shield recharging.’

"Saber one-two, I'm Oscar Mike." I hear the other ATLAS pilot say as the Hanger door explodes out. A UEC jeep that was too close to the door is crushed under the weight of the loader. The Icarus unfolds from Shadows back and fire a Penetrator missile at the tank that had just flanked me. Shadow waves me over I pull and slam a grenade into SD’s chassis and throw it behind us where it goes up like a five hundred pound mortar. I look around and see a sea of flashing red and yellow icons at least one hundred of the two hundred marines are either wounded or dead.

‘Pilot incoming hostile air’

‘Incoming! Iceman, Shadow take those out!’ Fick yells over the company channel flashing three helicopters coming low over the tree line.

‘Raid warning! Raid warning! Incoming air at point two-five November!’ I yell trying to bring my weapon to bear on the new threats only to be hit with a rifle grenade from an M-66.

I turn and blast the sympathizer to chum, before turning back around and bring my Icarus mounted penetrator missile to the ready. The missile leaps from its mount and streaks towards the helicopter now launching flairs. The missile streaks past its target and into the night and explodes. The second is intercepted by the Cockatrice’s pilot manning its wing mounted machine guns as they swing their helicopter to face me.

I raise my weapon only to have it blown from my hands by an incoming tank round. I turn back to see a missile come streaking my way, SD covers the cockpit with his hands to try to shield me. Then to my amazement, I see another missile with a glowing green propellant flame come from the woods and slam into helicopter making the guided missile go dumb and slammed into a tank.

‘Magnetic shield online’

The second Helicopter turned to engage and takes a Penetrator to the cockpit. The thing does a front flip and slams top down into the deck. A flash on my proximity scanner shows Shadow showing my downed rifle. I snatch it out of the air, pull the slide and fire a test shot into the ground, satisfied that it won't blow up in my hands Shadow and I raise our rifles and lay into the under armored helicopter tearing it to pieces.

=====================================

(Miiora)

I hear the sounds of the titanic Human engines roar to overhead as one of the Human Dragonflies. I look up and see the massive bulk of the Dropship seemingly only inches over our heads, it's massive VTOL engines pointed downwards kicking up dust. The rotary machine gun on its chin roars to life and begins sweeping the field with grenades turning tanks, LAVs, jeeps, and ground forces to mulch with a sound like a gigantic zipper opening the sky. Then the slow staccato of the ground attack cannon on the bottom of the drop ship's hulls open up and any UEC forces that had not halted their advance stop and begin falling back.

There is a massive explosion and an orange fireball lights up the night followed by a high pitched whine. I turn to see one of the human dropships falling from the sky one of its engines blown away by a tank shell. It falls in a slow spiral and for a moment it looks like Banshee one-three’s pilot will be able to put her down in a crash landing. The back door flies open and one by one marines begin leaping out however only about six make it out.

For at the last moment one of the landing skids strikes the ground and the whole thing flips over and slams back down before exploding. A massive clawed foot slams down in front of our Jeep and I see it is Avery Fallon's ATLAS holding its hand out catching the shrapnel from the explosion. The war machine then turns and fires the shards of the dropship at the fleeing UEC soldiers shredding a squad of UEC griffons who had failed to retreat. I would later find out that Fallon had a friend who died with Banshee one-three.

“YA that's right you fuckers! RUN!” Garza shoots firing his SAW. We watch the UEC retreat being pursued by the Dropships as the sun begins to rise. It looks like there's a dusting of snow on the ground in front of us. But it is in fact, the discarded SABOS of our flechette rifles that now twinkle in the sun, for once there is no rain.

======================================

(Trombely)

“On your right!” Camouflage yells firing his M-66 over my shoulder. We have been fighting like this all night so far and we are both tired but being hiked up on adrenalin and ephedra based ripped fuel really helps. Lightning flashes in the sky and the torrent of rain continues to pelt us.

“Thanks man!” I yell swatting a pegasus out of the sky with my SAW. I snap its spine with around and it goes limp and slams into a tree. The attack dies down as the sun comes up I look over at him and we are both drenched in sweat. His armor isn't even scratched even from rounds I know have hit him, It's like every round that came his way missed.

“GOGOGO! Follow me!” He yells swiping at the air. I Reload my SAW and together we begin sprinting off into the woods.We are running for about an hour when we reach a cave. As the cave’s twists and turns continue onward we begin to see glowing green portions on the ground and hearing voices approaching us.

“Let me do the talking.”

“Got it.” I say I hear his greeting someone by the name Honor Medal before it goes quiet. Then I here a series of clopping noises and quickly turn and am met with a pair of big gold eyes.

“Oh fuck!” I yell raising my weapon only to have it pushed down by Camouflage.

“Easy she's with us.” He yells gesturing to the Pony in front of me who appears to be studying my armor. The darkness is begin given an ominous feeling by the red identifier lights in our armor.

“Fine.” I say taking my finger off the trigger.

“Well that's…” The Pony speaks up again

“Shut up.”

Later after leaving the Cave, it is dawn and we jump over roots, tripping over rocks and slipping in the mud as we run but we keep running. I wonder what they were doing, and why that pony did not try to kill me. For once it isn't raining on this shithole planet but that takes away from our sound cover as two heavy troopers thrash around the woods on the way back to an airfield in battle armor.

“Here take this.” he says after we run for about a mile handing me a small black data drive.

“What is this?” I ask taking it and putting it in my pouch.

“Four weeks ago, on one of the shit “missions”, Skyler sent us on and I ran into a group that is fighting the UEC calling the Anti-Conclave Movement.” he says explaining my previous question. As we run I can see shadows begin to move as we near a riverbank. Then as we are only a few miles out and still on the riverbank we come under fire.

“Ambush!”

“Oh fuck!” I shout firing my weapon at the advancing UEC troops.

A grenade rolls my way and I dive out of the way and lie prone on the ground as it explodes. I stand to a crouch and time slows down as I turn to my left and see a forty millimeter grenade sailing through the air towards me. I try to move only to get caught on a root and look up to see the grenade come through a bush before Camouflage slaps it away like a bug. I stand there stupefied before a ricochet brings me out of my stupor and I continue fighting.

We make it out of the ambush and after another four hours of walking and being briefed on the ACM or The Movement by Camouflage we reach the edge of the clearing around the NAC controlled airfield. I have never been so glad to see another Marine in my life and I will do anything to pay back this big Marine.

“Come on, let's report in.” I say walking out into the field but when I turn around he is still in the woods.

“My orders are to stay with the ACM forces. Stay safe out there Trombely.” I turn around wave goodbye and he winks at me from the jungle and disappears into the brush.

As I reenter the Airfield I see Fick, Fallon, Forbes, Miiora, and Garza standing around when I run up they are all excited to see me. I give Fick the Data card and he sprints off, but when I tell the rest of my team what happened last night when I say Camouflage’s name, Forbes gets a weird look and Fallon calls over a medic who leads us over to a green tent. He walks over to a bed and pulls back the covers uncovering the Marine I was with all night.

“You may be telling the truth boy, but this here is Camouflage. And he’s been right here since he bought the farm last night. But before he went he yelled semper fi, and said his only wish was to save a young Marine snatched in a borage. So here take his dog tag and callsigns son, I know he’d want you to have it now.” the Medic says.

===========================================================

(ACM)

" I knew it!, I knew it!, I knew that the humans were more advanced than those dung filled U.E.C scientists from the Canterlot Academy of Science thought!. HA!" a green unicorn mare shouted excitedly as she danced around the room, annoying several of her fellow comrades in arms. The door to the hideout suddenly opens to reveal an NAC Marine.

“Do they have the data disk?” an older stallion asks the human at his side nodding his head as he studies maps. The big marine is then covered in green fire and replaced with a mare about the same size as an alicorn with holes in her chitinous form.

“Yes.”

Chapter 18 Hatching day

(Miiora)

"I'm taking a shit." Fallons voice says from the darkness I then hear a rustle and a hand brush against my tail.

"Sorry." He says before the door opens and he steps out into the night. I have found that this is something that is Fallons worst enemy, every time he tries to relieve himself something has cut him off. And now two days since the attack on the airfield as we sit in the dark inside the jeep he has had enough. And almost on cue.

'Hitman one-one this is Hitman two, over.' Ficks voice comes over the radio, Forbes spits out of the window before picking up the receiver.

"Standing by to copy. Over." Forbes says into the receiver.

'I need Two-one actual on the hook. Over.' I hear Forbes's armor rustle as he tries to come up with something.

"Two-one Actual is... um on a mission. Taking a dump. First combat dump on planet. Over." he says. I hear humming and see the company commander walking by our vehicle carrying a UEC rifle.

'Two-one, when he returns, have Two-one Actual contact me. Over.'

"Roger that." Forbes says I then feel a weight on my shoulder and turn to see Trombley has fallen asleep somehow. I go back to scratching SABO dust off of my horns which feels like finally scratching an itch that has been just out of reach. After a few minutes of this I here low singing and see Fallon walking back carrying the cleansing tissue.

"Good dump, Sergeant?" Trombley asks waking up as Avery Fallon sits back down in the passenger seat putting things away. Fallon is like a worrisome clutch mother he constantly worries about our health, whether or not we have eaten, are hydrated or something along those lines. No one has been this worried about my well being since my mother it is strange to say the least.

"Excellent. Shit my brains out. Not too hard, not too runny." I look at Trombley questioningly and get no answer.

"It sucks when it's runny and you have to wipe fifty times." The young marine says looking at the back of Fallons head.

"Thats not what I'm talking about. If it's too hard or too soft, something's not right. You might have a problem that affects combat readiness." Fallon explained

"And it should be a little bit acid, Trombley. Burn your asshole a little when it comes out." Forbes comments.

"Maybe on your little bitch asshole, Michel, from all the cock that's been stuffed up it." Fallon rebukes to our driver.

"Man we marines are so homoerotic, it's all we talk about. You ever realize how homoerotic this whole thing is?" another marine says from the side door one of Fallons friends.

"LT wants to see you Avery." the Gunnery sergeant says walking up.

"Oh shit, I forgot to tell you he was on the radio for you." Forbes says making Fallon stop and stare annoyed at him never breaking eye contact with Forbes as he gets out.

"I'm sorry." Forbes says sarcastically.

"Garza how are your legs? they alright standing in that turret all day?" Gunny Parkins asks.

"Good, gunny. I'm Mexican I'm too hard to feel nothing from that. I got retard strength." Garza says from the turret he has been standing on all day.

"I got good news, guys and gal. We're on twenty-five percent watch. That means three of you get to sleep a couple hours." he says before walking away.

"Sleep? what kind of Fucked-up war is this?" Trombley says.

"One that says shut the fuck up and accept that god has gifted you dipshits with getting some decent shut-eye for a few hours." Parkins barks before grabbing the cleansing tissue and a shovel and walking to a nearby clear spot. I actually join the others in laughing at this

========================================================

(Fallon)

"The Helldivers say they hit TA convoy. Captured eleven soldiers, showed them on Pony TV. Abusing them on TV."

"Shit, they raped the one Woman soldier. They broke her bones then raped her...." I hear.

"News gents. In this neck of space when they capture soldiers. Not just the women get raped." I say as i walk up to Fick and the other team leaders with my assistant team leader "Shadow" by my side.

"In your dreams Avery." he says

"As we have learned from the twelve hours we spent getting our asses shot at in that ambush two days ago the enemy's got some fight in him. We got word from Helldiver X that the enemy is up to something in Saddlebar. Whatever it is they pushed back the Sixth and destroyed the seventh the ATLAS's made it out. I am assured that we will be rolling out of here before dawn." Fick says

==============================================================

(Miiora)

"I'll trade you pop-tarts." Garza says as we are stopped seeing that I have opened what the Marines call an MRE or meals ready to eat.

"I've got these pretzels cheese snacks." I say

"Yeah, I'll take 'em." he says as we exchange the snacks.

"Sucker." he says standing back up.

"Anyone want a Charms?" Trombley asks kindly and all hell breaks loose. everyone in the jeep jumps and looks at him angrily even Fallon who is usually calm looks angry and Garza who usually never seems fit to crouch down and grace us with his presence and is usually kind is now down with us.

"WHAT, ARE YOU AN IDIOT!?" Forbes yells

"No." Trombley says weakly

"NEVER EVER LET A CHARMS INTO THIS VEHICLE AGAIN." Fallon yells as Forbes snatches the candies from him and tosses them out of the window.

"Nobody has let Charms in the vehicle since the days of the fucking United States Marine Corps. It's bad luck." Garza explains before getting back on the gun.

"Semper simple motherfucker." Forbes says upset as he turns back around.

"Fucking new guy." I am simply shocked as I look back and forth between Trombley and the other marines in the jeep. I feel bad for him and I don't even know what just happened. After a while we get under way.

"This is a nice place for an ambush! Why the fuck are we stopped?" Forbes asks it is midday and we are in the middle of nowhere. The gross incompetence of the company CO has gotten us lost on the way and now we are stopped while he figures things out.

"Orders." Fallon says coldly and calmly all around Marines are preparing for a fight they are pointing weapons at anything that looks more dangerous than a leaf.

'They could be coming from all sides. They could be coming from all SIDES!' Skyler's voice comes over the radio.

"I am so sick of Spaceman spazzing out on our comms." Forbes says using the nickname the marines have given Skyler behind his back. Then it happens we hear weapons fire the sound of one UEC PK-4 assault rifle and all of our heads snap back except for Garza's.

"You guys got that?" Fallon asks I see a shadowed bush and raise my SAW.

"It's fucking ours." Forbes responds

"No its not it a PK." I say

"Ya and it belongs to our fucking Platoon commander." Garza says I would later discover that Spaceman had fired at an abandoned vehicle.

"All hitman two victors we are oscar mike."

==================================================================

(Miiora)

We have been driving for hours and the rain has finally given way to a light drizzle. I can hear the Humans in the open top Jeep behind us singing something about letting the ponies hit the floor.

"Sergeant I didn't get to shoot." Trombley complains

"That sucks Trombley, did your recruiting officer tell you would get to shoot people?" Forbes asks

"Fucken A he did." Trombley responds

"See Trombley asked about shooting people. I asked about Pussy." Forbes begins one of his often vulgar but entertaining stories.

"The guy told me I'd get to go to Alpha Ceti, and get all kind of strange."

"What about you Garza?"

"I did it for the food. I was sick of eating BNA rations in the PRC." Garza says from the turret.

"What did you ask about Avery?" Forbes asks

"Avery probably saw that Network commercial, the one where the knight fucks up the Lanky then turns into the Marine."

"Woo-hoo Dress blues with a sword!" Garza shouts mockingly.

"That fucking dress blues commercial man, that got so many guys. Now look at us! Trombely hasn't killed anybody. Garza is fucking starving. I am light years away from good Ceti pussy, and Fallon is out here rolling around Fuck butt, Bagmare, hunting for Lankies in Battle Armor that smells like four days of piss and ball sweat." Forbes says and we all laugh.

"Ha nice!" Trombley laughs.

"You should have rolled into battle with a fucking sword Avery that would have fucking rocked!"

"Miiora look at the floor." Fallon says sternly as we pull onto a paved road I do what he tells me but begin to wonder why.

"Oh, Get some look at that Tank! ATLAS really fucked that thing up." I hear trombely say as we pass something that is burning by the smell of it. But what I don't understand is why he has me looking at the floor of the Jeep is it to keep me from seeing something?

"Stay frosty." Fallon says to the others as I begin to smell a sickly sweet smell almost like blood.

"Two-one-Bravo, two males in that car to our three. Do you see weapons?" Fallon asks

'Two-one-Alpha, this is Two-one-Bravo. No weapons. These guys are down for the count.' I hear over the radio.

I have had enough and look up and out of the window and see dead bodies littering the side of the road. But these bodies look like they were shot by Human weapons. A car sits on its back blood pooled under it, an APC sits on fire and a series of what look like civilians lie sprawled on the ground. When I turn to look to my right I see a young female Tymerian with beautiful blue scales, lying on her back in a pool of blood with her lower half missing. She looks like she isn't even egg laying age and appears to still be breathing. I am about to get out to try to do something when my door clicks meaning its locked.

"She's dead. Nothing we can do." Fallon says coldly guessing I have looked up now I really wish I hadn't looked up.

"That's why you listen to Sergeant Fallon my scaly friend." Forbes says, Then I smell smoke from the Jeep and look to see Fallon smoking a cigarette as we turn off of the road onto a dirt road.

"Do you guys hear that?" Fallon asks as the Jeep begins to stutter. And strangely the entire convoy begins to stutter as we roll forward before they begin letting out a whine that is getting increasingly loud.

=================================================

(Civilian)

"Do you hear that?" A Kleese asks his mate who nods her head before they both step outside and look to the road.

Stepping out of their home they see other slaves stepping out of their homes as well and looking to find the source of the sound. Whatever it is getting louder and louder then there is a loud popping sizzling noise and it goes silent. Then a column UEC planetary defense Jeeps come screeching around the corner and come barreling towards the town followed by two large mechanical giants. Panic quickly sweeps over the village as stories of UEC raids have been circulating. And before the Jeeps even get close the residents are inside hiding from what they assume is a UEC raiding party. the sound of screeching tires meet their ears as they hold their breath.

"FUCK!"

'that sounds human?' The Kleese thinks.

Peeking his head around the corner to see a Human in armor sitting at the wheel of the Lead Jeep slamming his open hand into the steering wheel. The two giants appear to be in the middle of the group of stopped vehicles. The human then gets out and starts kicking the vehicle as the other vehicles begin opening and more humans begin fanning out around them. With the amount of organization it becomes obvious that they aren't any mear resistance group but an organized military and there is only one Organized military that is all human the NAC. But what are they doing here? have they come to raid the village as well? or have they come to kill them all. Or have...

The back passenger door opens and a Female tymerian gets out of the vehicle holding an SMG loosely as it rests on a sling. She walks with the grace the females of her race are known for around to the human standing at the front of the vehicle. With the two standing side by side it becomes obvious that the armor has been made for her it is contoured fitted to her while not being formfitting.

One of her foot claws scratches at the ground in agitation as it appears the group is having a conversation with no sound. Then there is a clatter and they all raise their weapons before lowering them as a female purple scaled tymerian hatchling who runs up and gawks at the adult Tymerian with the Humans.

She pokes the armor of the older one and flinches back as the older one crouches down and gently slides a clawed finger along the top of the hatchling's head the Tymerian greeting of a maiden to a hatchling. The maiden reaches up and removes her strange helmet revealing her red reptilian features and presses her forehead against that of the hatchling a greeting of equals. Her armored tail hovers inches from the ground and twitches causing her to spin around pushing the hatchling behind her with it. She raises her weapon and the humans with her who had been previously watching the exchange instantly raise their own weapons in the same direction.

Now running towards the NAC soldiers are more children, who run up to the humans and gawk prompting their parents to come out to try to call them back. The humans to their credit did not let their guard down however even as they began handing out bags of food to the underfed children. Seeing that the humans pose no threat other slaves began coming out of hiding as the humans begin to lower their weapons and begin talking with one another.

Two of the humans accompany the Tymerian as she begins questioning the villagers. Eventually, the Kleese steps out and is greeted politely by a male named Parkins who leads him to the armored Tymerian maiden who asks if he was a mechanic to which he responded in the affirmative. And after a few hours of checking on every one of the jeeps he came to one conclusion.

“Well on top of damage to the engines, the batteries are dead.” he reports.

“Well thanks for trying, sir.” The one called Fick says

“Your soldiers can stay and rest here, no pony will turn you in, especially since you fed our children.”

“Thank you.”

========================================================

(Fallon)

It is the next morning and we have stripped the Jeeps of anything useful. I sit with my helmet off with the rest of Hitman one-one I am smoking a cigarette and cleaning my weapon with Forbes. Trombley is helping Garza try to fix the engine. And Miiora is off to the side with Miralos kid who is content to chase her tail around, while she eats pound cake from the foil MRE wrapper. Taking one of her own food rations she hands it to the kid whose body language portrays complete shock.

“I Have talked to your parents. Happy hatching day.” I hear her say to the kid who hugs her before running off.

“Hey do you remember your best birthday?” I ask her she takes a bite of the pound cake and looks at me tilting her head to the side.

“You know when you celebrate being born?” she looks at the ground and her tail wraps around to her front.

“I was born a slave. I have never been very happy, I wasn't born In a slave village like this one.” she says

“What was it like? If you don't mind me asking?” I ask and she lets off into an explanation about begin the personal slave to a young Noble who sympathized with her plight and let her parents teach her to defend herself. That would explain how she is able to at least kind of keep up with us, and learn on the fly.

=================================================

(Miiora)

“We’re oscar mike!” Fick yells as we all getup.

“What the fuck. They want us to move on foot like my fucking great-great-great grandfather in world war two.” Forbes says.

“Hey Miiora I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…” Avery Fallon says slinging his M-66 over his shoulder as we begin to exit the village.

“No it is alright Avery fallon, Its just that today is my hatching day.” I respond as others catch up with our group.

“Happy birthday to you." Someone begins singing

Happy birthday to you” Forbes sings

“Happy Birthday Miiora.” The entirety of Ficks command begins singing.

“Happy birthday to you” A hand taps me on the shoulder and I turn to see Fallon handing me what looks like a piece of jewelry no doubt “Liberated” from a UEC soldier. After this, the Others begin giving me small things as we walk onwards.

“How fucked are you now?” Fallon sings with a weak laugh.

“How fucked are you now?” everyone begins singing again as we walk into the woods.

“How fucked are you Miiora?”

“Your surely fucked now.” I’m glad to be here with these marines, and for the first time I am happy on my hatching day.

Chapter 19 History lesson

(Fallon)

“Come on then.” I say reaching down and grabbing onto Miiora’s forearm and lifting her up onto the rocks. I pat her on the back before reaching back down and helping up Trombley and Fick. I am about to drop Fick’s rain slick arm when a pair of arms reach out and grab his other arm. I look over to see Miiora digging her clawed feet into the rock digging small grooves into the stone. The two of us look at one another and pull Fick up.

We have been walking for two weeks, our platoon which had once been sixty strong is now only thirty-five. The rain has not stopped since we left the village, we have lost Marines to Malaria, fever, and suicide. That doesn't mean the UEC has forgotten about us, almost every few days they send death squads into the forests after us. Shadow and his ATLAS have been destroyed and we were forced to destroy the machine to keep it from falling into enemy hands. SD is covered in scratches and dings from engagements with UEC armor.

Morale is at an all-time low, Garza is struck with a hellish bout of Malaria because we have run out of medicine. So we had him tied to a kind of hammock on SD’s chassis. Most of us are soaking wet and Fick has revealed “Spaceman” of his command. Most of our helmets are so fucked that we had to ditch them instead now dawning the emergency Protective posture or EPP helmets.

The EPP helmets resemble world war two American helmets with slots to allow our headsets to be worn. A new man has entered our little group by the name of CPL Merriel Shelton but everyone calls him SNAFU, a term that means Situation Normal All Fucked Up. Snafu is from PRC New Orleans 9 which is a swampy shit hole by his accounts. He was a hell diver that found us two days ago in his black HEBA bug suit which glistens slightly in the rain like the carapace of a beetle. We found another hell diver with him but a tank round took her out of the fight.

======================================================

(Miiora)

“Hey Miiora, what’s the deal with the ACM?” Trombley asks as we sit under a tent as rain slams down around us

“You go'en pony?” Snafu asks Forbes who had removed his boots to drain the water.

“My feet are soaked.”

“What the fuck are you gonna do if they come over the line?” The one called Snafu says roughly shoving Forbes’ boots back into his chest.

“Well, the Anti Conclave movement came around maybe fifty of your years ago.”

“Why do you say that? Your years?” I ask, Miiora takes a kind of thinking posture

“Well, the various species on Eques are very much slower than you or I. For example, a pony can live to be a few hundred of your years old. But to them a fifty-year-old pony might be at least a century old,” she explains as I attempt to light a cigarette.
“Well if that is true, how long have they been in space?”

“I do not know but I would guess maybe one or two hundred of your years. They enslaved my people before I was born so I don't really know. I'm sorry” she says looking down at the ground.

“Hey don't be sorry. That's why we're here, to keep it from happening to others.” I say putting a hand on her shoulder and looking her in the eye.

“Ya red, we all volunteered for this shit. Now, what was you saying about the ACM?” Snafu says

“Well, they formed after something called the Scouring. The scouring was an event that changed Equestria after Changeling Queen Chrysalis was overthrown and most Changelings altered their allegiance. The queen and those loyal to her fled vowing revenge against Equestria. From what I was taught two years after the scouring, the ponies achieved space flight and shared this gift with any that would align with them.” I explain.

“And that's how the UEC was formed?” Parkins asks as he and Fick walked up joining a small crowd forming.

“Well the UEC was technically formed two years later after Chrysalis’ changelings and others of the “old brood” as the new changelings call it, stole a colony ship to escape Eques to seek out a new planet to live. Originally the UEC was formed to track the old changelings down and eliminate these hives and their queens. They were close, destroying six when they discovered the Myrialos. The Mirialos were the first to fall to the now named UEC, when they discovered the crustaceans lives were much shorter than their own, they staked a claim to the Myrialos home world.Their cities of coral and medical wanders taken for their own or destroyed.” Miiroa says

=============================================================

(UEC fleet)

“Where are they?” Rarity asks herself. Her hands are clasped behind her back as she studies a holographic map of the planet. Most of the NAC forces have formed up into bands to strike at UEC targets but with the planetary shield and their fleet has been gone for weeks they are now tired, low on supplies, taking casualties, and making mistakes. The airfield the humans have under their control is only allowed to stay so because it forces them to expend marepower to defend it.

A few hundred NAC soldiers lie dead on Bagmare and more die each passing day. With the failsafe charge deployed they can no longer use captured UEC vehicles for the time. Do their short lives they can not look at the bigger picture and fail to see that they have played right into UEC hands. The NAC armored walkers have proven to be more than a match in battle and in almost every occasion where one is deployed they come out victorious.

But that does not mean they are invincible. Several commanders boast of destroying one or two of these armored beasts. However, they have continued to be uncapturable due to some kind of failsafe that causes the entire thing to erupt in a violent white sparking explosion, turning anything useful into slag.

“Here come six more.” Spike says by her side.

The dragon is referring to the influx of ships that have been arriving to reinforce the UEC’s hold in orbit. The retaliation fleet that had been reduced from thirty-one ships down to fifteen now floats in Luna’s stars sixty strong. Many of these ships consisting of Destroyers in anticipation of the NAC’s counter attack. Accompanying the new reinforcements were the Princesses Celestia and Luna, they wanted a progress report on the campaign.

They were furious at the loss of Shining armor and Cadence, the bulk of the Thirtieth fleet and Celestia demanded immediate revenge. Luna, however, was much more reluctant to dedicate more troops to fighting the Humans. When their strange and immensely powerful allies that had arrived over Camelot in their hour of need have been pushing UEC borders.

The new enemy, however, is not as much of a threat to UEC ships as to Human ships do to the shields used by UEC ships. However their mass and bulk have proven dangerous and even lethal to anypony unfortunate enough to be in front of one. The sheer size of their ships almost negates the Lances used in close quarters by the UEC ships, however, they are not invincible. The only problem is that the Lance is the only weapon that seems to work on the thick hides of their strange ships. However, the issue with dealing with the new enemy is that their ships are almost impossible to spot.

“Rarity are you ready to give your report?” Twilight asks from the door to the observation deck she had turned into a kind of war room.

“Yes, I am quite ready. Come Spiky.”

================================================

(ACM

“The NAC are stretched too thin…”

“Yes but look they appear to be amassed around this structure.”

“But isn't that?”

“Yes but if they strike together with our forces we might be able to…”

“No we still don't know anything about them we have to wait.”

“They don't have the time, another month and they will all be dead. We’ll be trapped here.”

“That doesn't mean we have to play all of our hands at once. I say we help them out but find a way to help ourselves should the need arise.”

“Enough! We will help the NAC and hopefully in return they will help us when or if the need arises. Carapace, send a Messenger.”

“Yes right away.”

=======================================================

(Garza)

“Three years after the Myrialos came the UEC’s first challenge. The Kleese.” Miiora explained

“What made the Kleese different?” Someone asks

“Shut up she’s getting to it.” another says.

“The Kleese were also a space fairing race still exploring their massive celestial system or star system as you call it. However unlike the Myrialos the Kleese could fight back and were aggressive, and so when the first UEC ships arrived to attempt to conquer them they were driven back. The Zaltule warriors met them at every turn. The UEC’s weapons at the time are not as advanced as they are now, however, they made for it with magic. In space, the Kleese ships were much more advanced than the UEC’s using energy weapons to slice the UEC ships to scrap. However, the Kleese were unable to leave their star system and eventually were driven back one planet at a time. The Kleese in one desperate attempt to save their civilization drew their ships back to their homeworld and rendered the planet an impregnable fortress. However, the UEC could play the long game and after several Equestrian months of siege, the UEC moved in. The Kleese fleets stayed and held their ground unto the end dying by the thousands on the ground and in space. Eventually, the grand field marshal was ordered to subdue the planet at any cost and was forced to destroy the Kleese power stations. The ensuing explosions and fallout rendered their planet uninhabitable.” she says looking at the ground.

“But it was this that caused the first real seeds of rebellion to plant. The very field marshal who lead the campaign against the Kleese was named Honor Medal. Honor Medal was an infamous former high-ranking officer in the Royal Equestrian Guard Forces. He also was the head of the Solar and Lunar guard forces, and the E.U.P. Guard before stepping down from his position as Captain of the Guard and accepting the title and Rank of Royal Body Guard and Grand Field Marshal to all R.E.G. forces. It is rumored that it was shortly after the advent of the first Equestrian built Warp Field and the formation of the U.E.C. that Field Marshal Honor Medal began to grow weary and cautious of his homeworld's new status as a space-faring civilization. It wasn't until after the U.E.C made the first contact with the Kleese that things began to spiral downhill. What followed would be remembered for ages in the history of Eques and the U.E.C. Field Marshal Honor D. Medal stood before the entire U.E.C council floor, and openly criticized and condemned his and the U.E.C's actions on the destruction of the Kleese homeworld and its colonies. He walked out of the Council chambers, and after that others began following his example.”

“The guys got some balls I’ll give him that.” Forbes says

==============================================================

(UEC

As usual, Princess Luna disapproves of Celestia's plan to push the enslavement of the humans even further than it is currently. Her sisters plan to use the humans as conscripts to fight their own kind as to tradition is flawed this time, however. Celestia wants to use the human slaves to fight the NAC not understanding that the act of doing so would cause more uprisings and unrest in the human population. The current situation is very unnerving but promising because for every few humans that resist there is at least one or two that join the fight against the NAC.

These sympathizers are instrumental in keeping the peace in the human population, cracking down on the unrest in the populous. The few humans that have engaged the NAC have done very well against their brethren because as of right now the only ones who know how to properly fight humans are other humans. It is because of this reason that Princess Celestia wants to use them to fight.

Thinking that the NAC will be unwilling to fire upon their own kind like every other race has before them. However this is not the case however, battlefield reports show that the humans of the NAC not only will fire on Human sympathizers but will kill them first. Commander Jackal of the Zebras thinks it is a result of their inherent barbarism, but she couldn't be further from the truth.

On another note, the Princess of the night has again failed to link with the dreams of the Humans on the planet. This news is troubling because it means that the UEC will not know what the NAC is planning next. However, it appears that somehow someone is feeding them information about UEC troop movements. They have help in the fleet but the Spy will have to wait, Rarity watches the Princess’s prepare to address the UEC.

================================================

(Forbes)

“Last came my race, the Tymerans. When the UEC arrived in orbit, we could not fight back in space. Our weapons and ships proved no match against the UEC’s energy lances. They had stolen the Kleese’s energy blade technology and reverse engineered it for use on their own ships. Our people are not as aggressive as the Kleese but our homeworld of Tymer is a hostile world. When they landed troops we set upon them with claw and tooth. The weapons the UEC use now are derived from the weapons used on my homeworld, but my kind was not prepared for the UEC’s heavy infantry so when the Dragons came, my kind tried to hold our ground. The Dragons proved too powerful, many of our greatest warriors and leaders left to fight the dragons but did not return, with the exception of one a chieftain by the name of Plagn. It was said that he had slain a dragon single-handed.” Miiora is cut off by a flash of lightning.

“Our ancestors must have forsaken us that day as when the great chieftain returned with his party he set upon our people. None stood up to him for one of your years and in that time he had subdued our people with the help of the dragons and the UEC. Then it is said that a Sirtan, a warrior among my people, stood tall and stood against him. This Sirtan was but a female teacher who had slithered up from the squalor and challenged the chieftain. It is said that their battle was ferocious. He was strong and broad, yet she was slight and fast, and for every cut, upon her scales he dealt she returned three of her own. It is said that this battle lasted for hours and the two were evenly matched when Princess Luna ended the battle. She descended from the skies herself and slew the female who represented the hopes of my people. She then denied her entrance to an egg of burial and instead set her ablaze with her magic. Denying her entrance to the halls of ancestors where all Tymerans go when they die, and leaving her dreams, deeds, and name unwritten and forgotten. The male was rewarded and was dubbed a hero by the Princesses. And so the Tymerians became slaves of the dragons primarily.” She pauses before continuing.

“It was ten of your years after this that the UEC’s most hated enemy the, Old Changelings returned. Their battles with the UEC inspired more to raise up against them, the first to emerge was the once Field Marshal Honor Medal at the head of an army of traitors. Then seeing that even the destroyer of their home resented the UEC, the Kleese rose up and joined the fight. The Myrialos joined the fight in hopes to one day to live in peace. Next were the Tymerians seeking to dislodge the government that would allow the proper burial of a heroin, but the rebellions lacked skill in this kind of war, and in the first battle, many were slain. The Humans of Camelot were then found and everything changed. The UEC had never seen a race so close to themselves, they invaded and took the humans, but instantly the rebellions recognized the cunning of your kind. The ability to strike and fall away so quickly as if you had done it before. With the introduction of Humans into the rebellions and your kind seeming need to use acronyms the ACM was born. At its head are Queen Chrysalis, Honor Medal, and a human by the name of Blisk” Miiora says as the rain slowly stops

===============================================

(Fallon)

“We have news! We're oscar mike!” Fick says as Garza walks up from behind him, Guess we had some medicine left. Behind them is a small group of ACM troops.

“Whats going on?” I ask

“We are going to make one last push and attempt to call for help. At least one of the Indie ships has to be still in the system. It came straight from regimental command, Everyone’s making a push for the shield generator. I guess it all comes down to this if that thing stays we are all going to die down here. We've got to take that thing out, no matter what the cost.” Fick says as we all stand in a clearing.

“Now I've been fighting with some of you for a long time, we’ve been on some tough missions together, but one way or another we’ve always pulled through. Now I’d be lying if I say I know we would get through this one alright, but what I do know is that we will get the job done. We have a duty to ourselves, a duty to our fellow soldiers, a duty to the ACM to get the job done…” Fick says as we prepare ourselves, I see a Changeling with what looks like a camera pointing at Fick as the first rays of sunlight raise in the distance. I have a feeling that one way or another this ends today.

====================================================

(UEC space)

“The road ahead of us isn't going to be easy, the UEC isn't going to let us walk in and destroy that thing without a fight. They're going to try to stop us every inch of the way, they're going to try to kill every one of us before we get near that thing, but you know what I have to say to that? I say we've beaten them twenty times on this planet already and I think it's time to finish the job…” The television screens in the UEC activate showing the changeling federation symbol before a human.

The human is young and dressed in the armor of the NAC, the screen then changes to static before switching to the Bridge of the Element of Magic where the princesses who are in the middle of addressing the UEC, when the bridge behind them erupts with activity.

“Radiation burst! From point two two four, point three five.”

“Show me.” Captain Polar says.

The zoomed in screen shows a ship that is roughly the size of a UEC cruiser at two hundred meters. However, it is built in a kind of sweeping triangle formation that extends far past the engines. Two barrels extend toward the bow on its back ending with what appear to be lenses. The ship looks vaguely like an ancient Kleese design two flaps open under its hull and two massive rotating cylinders appear. The entire ship is a bronze color and on the wither wing-like protrusion is what appears to be crossed spears.

“More radiation.” a bridge officer says and more and more of the strange ship begin appearing. Then one that appears to be slightly bigger around the size of a Destroyer at four hundred and fifty meters appears. This one shares the swept back arrow head of its smaller cousins however it’s center line is replaced with a massive cut out ending in a massive lens.

“Sir we are being hailed.”

“Excellent. A new race, hopefully we can solve this…”

“Attention, roes I am Admiral Bahadur.” a heavily accented voice comes over the radio. As the last of the ships appears their number now numbering twelve a pitiful fleet against this.

“Well, admiral welcome to UEC space…”

“We know who you are…” the image is cut off as the human appears again.

=======================================================

(Trombley)

“Over the years we have lived and died together, we’ve shared barracks and shared foxholes, we’ve shared tears and shed blood together, but don't remember what we did, remember why we did it. We were fighting for something more than ourselves. For something that speaks to each and every one of us. Something that calls out to us urging us to fight on.” Fick says as he addresses us the sound of rifle bolts sliding echoes in the jungle as I am pitched up by SD.

=====================================

(UEC fleet)

“Today I want you to remember what we are fighting for…” the young human says before being replaced with the bridge view.

“UEC, know this you have made an enemy of us. By engaging our closest allies.”

“If that is the case then you will pay for your…” Polar speaks

“Silence!” the alien's voice booms into over the speakers. “We are but the first to arrive.”

There was a moment of silence before it was broken.

“What is he talking about?” a bridge officer says

“Warp Radiation bursts.”

“On Screen.” Celestia orders.

The window zoomed in to show the massive human ship that looks like it has recently patched holes. The name on the side looks like it has been recently removed and replaced. And If you were to read carefully you would see that the faided words read Annihilator. Now, however, the name reads NACS- 22508.2 MANITOBA. Beside it, the ship from the first engagement on Camelot NACS-224498 Leathy emerges, followed by other Human ships bearing the NAC flag and name plates.

“What is…” Luna begins, however, she is quickly cut off.

“I am Bahadur of the Zulu, and The United African Federation will stand with the North American Commonwealth.”

========================================

“Today I want you to remember what we are fighting for…”

‘Wayland-yutani building better worlds’

“You ready big guy?” I say as I check SD’s systems.

‘I am ready pilot’

“Today… we fight for Earth”

Author's Note

sorry for the wait.

Chapter 20 Allies

(UEC Fleet)

“Here they come.” A human sensor operator says from the bridge of the Element of Magic.

“This is battle pair sixty-two, we will show them the error of their ways.” one of the Minotaur commanders say over the radio. On the battle plot four of small African ships rocket forward, the African ships appear to be much faster than their NAC allies. On top of this, the African ships appear to be more willing to engage despite the two destroyers having the obvious advantage.

“The UAF ships will be in range in twelve seconds. Shields up. Fire missiles twelve through twenty.”

===============================================

(UAF)

“Vampia, vampia. Incoming. Missiles”

“Sa the Spartan Laser Cannons are ready.”

“We have done battle with the Lankies and survived, and we will bring honor to our ancestors this day. Go evasive, keep our guns locked onto the enemy... execute.” the bridge commander says pridefully earning a cheer from the crew as their chairs strap them down and they administer G stimulants.

==============================================

(Space)

The African ships do the unthinkable as the UEC missiles draw near, they split formation spiraling like enormous fighters and leaving a scattering of glowing red embers behind them. The Missiles instantly go dumb and explode among the AWSM flairs as the four ships reform their delta formation. The UEC ships fire another salvo refusing to fall for the same trick twice, however, the Africans fail to live up to the expectation and instead accelerate towards the UEC destroyers and the incoming missiles.

“What are they doing?”

“Sir the UAF ships are in the range of our Lance.”

“Rake them.”

The two UEC ships surge forward, their Energy Lances scything down on the UAF ships. In response, the African ships split formation once again causing the missiles to split targeting and lazily turn to track their targets. The African ships corkscrew out of range of the Energy Lance with the exception of the lead ship in the formation with a red stripe down the center. The lead ship charges forward forcing the two ships to cease their lances on the track to avoid slicing into one another. The lead ship then pulls a flip like a human NAC fighter and streaks inverted (Upside down) and backward between the two destroyers. The two rapidly spiraling cylinders stop abruptly revealing scores of missiles.

“COME ABOUT! DEPLOY COUNTERMEASURES!” the commander says

“Vampony, vampony Our own missiles are coming about.”

“What?! Detonate now!”

The wave of missiles launched at the African ships instantly detonate to prevent them from slamming into their own destroyers as they come about. The two ships turn on their Y axis to try to track the ship that has gotten behind them failing to recognize the threat of the three other ships hidden in the debris and thermal bloom from the exploding missiles.

The entire UEC fleet watches as the engines of the African ships flair to life with microwave radiation. The four ships begin unloading missiles into the two Destroyers as their engines flair to life and they begin avoiding the energy Lances while they force the Commander on the defensive. Their relatively small size and ability to make seemingly bone crushing turns to avoid the energy lances prove too much for the large ships as their shields flair and fail.

However, instead a wave of missiles slammed into the destroyers or volleys of railgun fire like the NAC. The African ships swivel to point their two forward facing cannons at the Minotaur destroyers. Then what happens next surprises everyone because what looks like massive glowing circles suddenly appear on the hulls of the destroyers. Before in a violent flash of embers and light the sections of the hull that were glowing seemingly disappear and are blown out of the opposite sides of the ships, like someone took a massive invisible hole punch and burned holes into the ship.

“What was…” A Griffin asks on the bridge of the Element of magic

“Some kind of laser weapon,” Twilight says in shock.

In space, the four UAF ships swarm around the two ships burning holes into their hulls with Laser weapons. The two ships suddenly go limp in space as their power plants are vaporized.The ships begin flashing SOS and surrender messages and in response, the two missile racks on the UAF ships begin spinning before stopping on a very familiar kind of missile.

“Radiation burst!”

The four ships launch one missile each that streak forward and split up into three separate missiles that fly into the holes made by the Laser weapons. The windows dim instantly to protect those inside from the blinding white spheres of Nuclear fire as the UAF mercilessly destroy the helpless UAC ships, before coming about and returning to the enemy fleet formation.

=========================================================

(Fallon)

The sky is swarming with Wasp, Dragonfly, Kasador, and Blackfly dropships as hundreds of NAC marines, the remainder of two regiments of thousands, move to the shield generator. The Shrikes fly in a protective formation with the dropships as the Avenger squadron Razgriz surge forwards. Their wings folded forward and elevators folded down as they burst passed us from behind at mach-five. They are currently twenty thousand feet in the air and moving towards the target and in a few seconds, they will begin their combat descents.

“The Atlas units are going to pave the way and make an entrance for the ground forces to move into the compound. All remaining ATLAS units call in.” the RCT regimental combat team commander says.

“Beluga standing by”

“White Glint standing by”

“Ghost standing by”

“Rain standing by”

“Spartan ready”

“Avatar locked and loaded”

“Ranger ready”

“Blood bug ready”

“Outcast ready to burn.”

“Stomper ready to kill”

“Marlene Ready”

“Saber online”

“Ruler online”

“White Rose online”

“Amp on the move”

“Iceman on the move.”

“Everybody know what's going on!?” The Atlas team leader Orca says as we the dropships cut their engines and begin dropping like falling leaves towards the shield generator station.

“Yes, sir!”

“Everybody ready!?”

“Hoorah!”

“Iceman! Marlene! Lead em out!”

“Stand by for ATLAS fall.”

============================================

(Snow)

“Snowman has tone, Fox-two, fox-two.” Snow says calmly as a spiral missile rack stops and fires a cluster missile.

The Missile corkscrews forward before splitting off and slamming into various Anti-Air emplacements. His squadrons Avengers screams over the heads of the UEC military and over the ocean where they bank sharp to port and unfold their wings. Snow looks up to see the Helldivers falling thru the clouds, now he has to keep the AA busy for the others to land.

“Missile lock on, missile lock on, missile lock on.” his computer says

“Go evasive, deploy ECM, chaff, and flares.” He orders and corkscrews his fighter towards the deck. The engine wash kicks up dust and water as the fighter flies only two hundred feet from the ground towards the defensive wall. He jinks his fighter to the left and right avoiding incoming fire and a missile explodes against the water behind and below him. He takes his hand off of the thruster lever and thumbs the firing selector. His HUD flashes with multiple tracking icons which turn green on multiple lock-ons. The vertical weapon bays extend and fire missiles at the targets as he pulls sharply into the air and rolls over the explosions. He then sees a target and launches a Micro-bomb on the generator itself.

====================================================

(NACS- Manitoba)

“Hoist the black flag.” Captain Packers says glaring at the tactical plot showing the ship that destroyed the Manitoba.

“Yes, sir.”

In space, NAC Hammerhead cruisers and destroyers are currently supporting the Africans, as they engaged a mixed battlegroup. The captains of the NAC ships receive and send a message to the UAF ships prompting immediate action. The African and NAC ships break off like spooked flies as the Manitoba and Leathy charge their main guns. All across the UEC fleet, shields flair to life and the Element of Magic flairs multiple shields knowing it is the target.

The front of the ship blueshifts and fires its massive slug following it up with another and the NAC fleet send a wave of missiles after the second. Twenty, sixty, ninety, one hundred and twenty missiles streak towards the UEC fleet. The shot strikes the Element of magic’s golden shield layer and ricochets off into space cracking the shield. A violet shield moves forward replacing the golden one and takes the second shot shattering the shield but stopping the round. The Missiles slam into the fleet destroying a number of UEC ships, but the bulk Slam into the planetary shield behind the fleet which appears to be flickering.

“Snowman direct hit on jammer…”

“Holy..., Shaka Zulu actual this is Manitoba actual.”

“I have retrieved the signal as well. My ships will take the challenge. Shaka Zulu will stay and act as an escort for Manitoba.”

====================================================

(UEC Element of Magic)

“The African ships are moving our way.” the sensor officer says

“Kill them all.” Princess Celestia groans from the deck where she clutches her head in pain.

Six UAF ships, the leader with a red stripe, form a triangular formation and burst forward. Behind them, the NAC larger ships begin launching missiles. The NAC cruisers as they call their destroyers not escorting the larger ships move forward to support the African advance. The antiship missiles begin leaping from their launch tubes and as the group thunder forward. However as the swarm of missiles is about to hit a hail of tracers strikes down from above destroying the missiles.

“What was that!?” Polar yells.

“Zooming in now.”

There on the screen appearing from nowhere are three three hundred meter long black ships, their smooth yet angular design and broad backs make them resemble sharks. On their side is what appears to be a dragon with wings extended. The symbol continues with a kind of helmet with a sword, and standard with a fleur de lis, either side of a shield with the dragon on its face. The guns of this new ship are multi-barreled resemble massive Gatling guns and they swing to track incoming missiles as slats open on their sides.

“Attention UEC Scum. The Nordic Empire will stand with the North American Commonwealth.” A voice comes over the radio.

==========================================================

(NACs Manitoba)

“Well, i'll be the European good old boys sent out their fleet support ships.” Packers says.

“Why is that good sir?”

“Well the NE don't have the resources to produce to our degree. So they make up for it with highly advanced weaponry, and fleet support.”

“And what about Africa?”

“The UAF has the resources to make ships to the same level as the NAC or SRA but lacks the technology so instead they focus on ground combat, and what they call capital class fighters.” Packers explains as he watches the Tactical plot and nods his head as the engagement bubbles of the NAC fleet overlap the UEC fleet.

“Move us to point six five point nine eight and launch fighters. Execute.”

==================================================

“They are launching fighters.”

“Launch all fighters, Bring the Main gun around.” Polar orders

“Rarity is your plan ready?” Twilight asks

“Execute.” The posh pony says calmly standing at the tactical board with her hands clasped behind her back.

==============================================

(Manitoba)

“Sir! Radiation at point one eight zero. UEC Destroyers emerging from the debris field. Wait, Enemy super destroyer detected it is charging its weapon.” The sensor operator says with panic in his voice.

“Go Evasive!” Packers yells.

“It's too late!”

“Radiation from the Node!”

“FIRE ALL VENTRAL RETROS!” Packers yells seeing what is coming through the Alcubierre shoot.

The crew is slammed hard against the deck as the ship leaps upwards and out of the way of a massive green cone superheated gas. Looking back to the plot he can see that the Super Destroyer and its two escorts have ceased to exist. Now on the tactical plot adding to the blue, purple, and Green friendly icons appears a new yellow icon. And in space, the biggest ship in the Human fleet and her escorts lumbers its way out of the Alcubierre node.

At two thousand meters long it doubles the size of the Annihilator-class. Its centerline is sliced almost down to the middle of its ugly block a slot slides back on the rear of the hull and a massive glowing cylinder is ejected leaking radiation. On the side of its gray hull lies a red circle with a crossed sickle and Hammer surrounded by silver stars. Then massive hangar doors open two hundred meters long Kieve class frigates.

“Attention pony Suka This is Colonel Aguilar of the Sino-Russian Alliance. The SRA has come to aid our Imperialist NAC allies.”

Chapter 21 All according to plan

(NES Joan Of Arc)

"Valkyrie squadron launch in five seconds." a sensor officer on board the NES Joan Of Arc says through the mist filled darkness of the bridge. Floating beside her port side in space the NES Odin with her large Crow emblem opens its hangar doors launching her fighters as well. And to her starboard side the ship NES Churchill begins her reverse burn to join the Coalition fleet.

In the hangar bay a fighter taxies into position on the catapult. The design of the fighter is strange compared to many other fighters and on its wings is a whites snowflake on a red circle. Do to it looking like it has been cut in half almost leaving no front fuselage giving it a kind of blunt arrowhead appearance. Blast shields raise themselves from the floor as a fighter Ice blue in color with white stripes taxies the sensor dome flairs to life with blue light.

The wings unfold as missile racks and rocket pods loaded, and with a final clunk, the main autocannon is loaded onto the fighters underside. The pilot inside flashes the lights twice and the Crew chief nods giving her a thumbs up before pointing to the open launch bay and ducking while covering his head. The Pilot gooses the twin engines thankful for the G stimulants, their best friend since childhood is down there and now that he might be alive...

"Charlotte Dunois, la reine de glace de lancement maintenant." she says as her Gungnir slams her into her seat causing strands of her blond hair to fly in front of her dark blue eyes. Her fighter leaps into the inky black and her squadron flys to meet up with the African destroyer fighters. And the legions of other fighters swarming towards the UEC fleet as the NAC and SRA ships begin exchanging raining shots from their railguns with the UEC fleet.

=======================================================

(Space)

In space the Human Fleet forms C.O.G anti Siege formation twelve. The larger Siege Breakers moving into a kind of Delta wing formation with the Annihilator-class ships Manitoba, and SRA-785433 Hirohito flanking the Siege Destroyer Invincible. The Shaka Zulu flanks Manitoba's port side while the Leathy flanks her Starboard side while two Leathy class siege breakers flank the Hirohito. Ahead of the Siege Breakers is the picket line, acting as a shield but giving the large ships enough room to use their main weapons.

The picket consists of four hammerhead, and four Linebacker cruisers, six OCS frigates, and four SRA assault cruisers. Last but not least the jewels in the picket Line and fresh out of the Fleet yards above Luna are NACS-224499 STYX and NACS-224497 ACHERON. The "Pantheon" as called in the fleet Consisting of the Leathy and her escorts Styx and Acheron who have colected over twenty siege ship kills, has returned. The three NE ships reverse into position taking a point position with the African ships to act as fleet wide anti-missile, Triple-A, and Fighter refueling stations.

"Load Penetrator"

"Rodger that one Penetrator!" an Indian officer says from the main weapons room.

"This is Invincible Actual. Kieve Frigates away." Colonel Aguilar says as two frigates are jettisoned from the holding clamps in the two massive hangar bays and "Fall" into the black of space before engaging their engines and storming forward. Inside of the massive ship a Mechanism similar to a self-loading tank gun swings around and loads shell into the Main Gun's chamber.

"Weapon hot sir." a Chinese weapons officer says.

"Target that ship." Aguilar says his hands folded behind his back, and the entire ship shakes as its main engines are fired to counteract recoil and a massive shell is ejected from the ship as the round launches forward. In space a massive round sails through space ejecting its casing revealing a chunk of a Lankie Siege ships hull shaped into a rod.

===========================================================

(Element of Magic)

"INCOMING!" A voice comes over the radio drawing most of the elements of harmony's attention as well as the attention of the princesses. Now being shown in the window is a Super Destroyer in the trajectory of the shell fired from the Massive SRA ship. The ship's Shields and anti-missile batteries flair to life to intercept the incoming round. However, the shot breaks up and seemingly disappears from all scanners.

"Fighters engaging in ten seconds." A human helms officer reports. Rarity stands before the tactical screen hands folded behind her back and calmly observes the readouts of both battles.

"What was that? What! on screen! EVASI...." An unknown commander is cut off as something suddenly appears on the sensors and slams into the shields at the bow and tears a hole straight down her centerline. The hull of the Super Destroyer seemingly yields like wet tissue paper to the round before exploding. The information gathered by the ship's explosion is instantly transferred to Rarity's screen.

"Interesting... I wonder? No they can't be... Unless… yes that would make sense. You, is the next phase of my plan ready?" Rarity says a finger absently twirling a stray lock of her mane as she thinks.

"Almost ma'am." One of the human sympathizers loyal to twilight says.

"Excellent." the Unicorn says tracing a finger from one battle group to the masive SRA ship.

===================================================================

(Fallon)

"There it is!" I hear as I crash through a warehouse launching an HE grenade into a Cockatrice attack chopper blowing it out of the air.

"Take it out!" someone yells to my left and in response SD takes control of the Icarus mount swiveling the unused until now auto-cannon to blow a squad of UEC troops to fine mulch. A blue cone appears on my screen and I see Snafu who had jumped ahead of me coming my way pointing to a nearby rooftop.

"look out there's another one!" I hear and push SD harder in response. I dive and bring SD into a crouch picking up Snafu and using my ATLAS's armored bulk to shield him. SD flashes a plan over the screen and I nod in agreement and send a tight beam message to Snafu who nods as well. Curling my ATLAS's hand into a cup I rear back as Snafu crouches between the fingers.

"YOUR MINE HUMAN!" A booming voice comes from my right, taking the momentary stop in firing I literally throw Snafu at the roof. The EVA thrusters built into his HellDiver armor flair to life lifting him the extra foot to land safely on the roof. I then clamp my rifle to my back before turning to face a new threat.

A dragon paroles into me attempting to Tear off the cockpit hatch. Taking a page from Miiora's book I Use SD's claws to clamp into the ground. Before use the momentum to swivel SD's torso and the big green Bastard into a concrete structure. Then unclamping my Right leg I bring it into the Dragons groin before drawing the Dragon Knife and stabbing it in the stomach. It roars fire into my cockpit as I bring my free fist into the dragon's snout with a left hook before bringing my right around and stab it in the neck with an audible crunch as I sever the spine killing it.

"My mate... YOU SCUM!" I hear and turn to see what looks like a female dragon breathing fire at me. However she gets a rude surprise when she is finished, because when the fire sciences lower my now detached rifle and fire an ALAPHE (Anti-Lankie Armor Piercing High Explosive) into her chest. There is a small geyser of blood as the round pierces her armor and chest before exploding turning her to large falling chunks of meat.

"Bitch." I say retrieving my knife.

"Marlene. Sector clear."

"Iceman. sector clear."

'Copy that, stand by for ATLAS fall.'

The Teranchala Hawk or (cazador) drop ships fall from the sky kicking their engines on at the last second and open their dropping fifteen ATLAS's. Before long there is a rather sizable LZ available and the concentrated fire from multiple ATLASs', avengers, and various dropships have done considerable damage to the Shield Generator. As the Ninth exit their drop ship and I give Miiora a thumbs up I can't help but feel like this was too easy.

"Incoming from the west, two of them at two-six-ninety-seven two kilometers." There is a sound like a waterfall.

"Fuck me." I say as I look in the direction noted and my heart sinks as a pair of UEC Cruisers emerge on the horizon.

==================================

"Phase one is complete."

"Excellent, let's move onto phase two." Rarity says fixing a golden necklace around her neck.

==========================================================

(Charlotte)

In space Charlotte banks her Gungnir inverted before goosing the engine to her relative down. The pegasus fighter streaks passed her and she backflips her fighter blowing the UEC fighter to scrap before continuing on her original heading. To her starboard side, she watches a battle group of six UEC cruisers and two cruisers surge forward in close formation. They continue to close formation until their shields overlap into one large bubble around the group. And instead of disengaging to battle the African frigate fighters that are about to reach their first picket line they stay in formation and push towards the Invincible.

"All ships this is colonel Aguilar message from Invincible, stand by, Three rounds, AP, two bursts, Firing for effect."

The ship then fires her correcting thrusters and lets off the first burst of armor piercing slugs. However much to her horror the first burst do nothing and the second salvo has the same effect. This means only one thing they are adapting to our playbook, she smirks at this thinking "well it's time to turn a new page". The battle group begins firing everything it has at the Invincible. By the end the salvo from the UEC battle group counts over one thousand missiles.

three hundred of the missiles are promptly swatted out of the air by the Joan Of Arc, Odin, and Churchill. Another three hundred are shot down by the NAC Linebackers before they too have to cease firing for risk of hitting their own ships. three hundred and fifty antiship missiles enter the point defense range of the Invincibles escorts and her own point defense systems. The result is like someone disturbing a swarm of angry fireflies.

Because tracers from point defense guns and thrusters from interceptor missiles light the air around the seven ships as the missiles are swatted out of space. Only thirteen of the missiles reach their target and twelve of them result in basically cosmetic damage on the massive ships nine-meter thick hull armor. However the thirteenth slams home in one of the ship's hangar bays resulting in that section of the hull bulging out before exploding.

"This is fleet General Karnavian. Raise our black flags. Alert, Invincible firing one round, Fire Plasma." The CO of the Invincible says , his officer's voice is low and full of anger. As this message is received she and the Frigate fighter her squadron is escorting shoots up to avoid what is happening next.

==============================================================

(Elememnt of magic)

"What are they.... GET THOSE FOOLS BACK HERE!" Rarity begins seeing what is unfolding on the tactical screen unhooking from the apparatus.

"Commander Bolo get back here! NOW!" Captain Polar orders.

"Negative. The Human behemoth is Wounded, We will finish it.

"You fool, your overlapping shields will not take a direct hit from..." Rarity is cut off as the large Human ship's begin charging their weapons. The heat sinks extend on the two smaller behemoths as expected, however on the larger one heatsinks begin extending along the framing of the cutout. However these huge heatsinks instantly go white with heat as lightning begins funneling towards a glowing mass in base of the cutout.

"We are in range RAKE THE....." As the ship is within five hundred miles of the battle group the foolish commander is cut off. The windows dim and zoom out to protect their eyes as blinding flash of blue as a cone of translucent gas as bright as Celestia's sun erupts from the weapon. They literally watch the eight ships be disintegrated in silence by the heat of the cone of gas.

However this is not the end as the five ships sharing SRA and NAC marking and sharing a design with both the Annihilator and Leathy fire their main weapons. Their terrible and huge slugs blast through destroyer hulls completely ignoring shields. To punctuate the event a ping is heard as the audio synthesizers make a sound like an artillery shell being ejected as a massive glowing shell is ejected by the massive ship and floats off into space leaking radiation. Seeing this Rarity smirks folding her hands back behind her back.

“Captain, signal the fleet to engage.”

========================================================================

"Attention all Coalition ships we must give the Africans enough time to get ground side, Engage."

Chapter 22 Assault

(Snow)

"Aaaaagh!" A shrike pilot's voice is cut short as his fighter is sliced by a UEC energy lance and explodes. Snowman banks his Avenger hard to port, letting a swarm of UEC missiles slam into one of the Cruisers he is strafing.

"Pull up, pull up!" Razgriz Two tells Razgriz Three as she is clipped by AA fire from the surface of the cruiser.

"Something's wroAAAAGH!" In a violent explosion the fighter slams into the hull of the UEC cruiser. All around the cruiser, every remaining fighter in the landing force is swarming around the two cruisers like wasps trying to kill two bears.

"Fighters inbound at point three five." Wardog leader reports.

"Two-two you've got one on your tail." Snow says calmly banking his fighter to get onto his wingman's six o' clock.

"I can't shake'em." Blaze barks into the channel while spewing chaff and flares and jinking her fighter in every direction to try and shake the Pegasus fighter.

"Break break engage!" Viper lead orders referring to the fighters now engaging the shrikes.

"Razgriz Two is down." Snow reports as two missiles strike home in the thrusters of Blazes Avenger. In retaliation and almost as a sick joke his computer reports a good lock and his targeting reticle blinks green. He pulls the trigger on the stick and he sends a burst of grenades into the pegasus's fuselage blowing it to scrap.

"Snowman Fox two. Splash four."

===========================================================

(Fallon)

Ninth platoon is pinned down by a warehouse and my squad is firing from a pile of rubble by me feet we are exchanging fire with a Dragon and its squad of conventional infantry. Up ahead, black smoke billows from the open entrance vestibule of what serves as Admin building for shield generator. From inside I can hear the base alarm blaring, inside the entrance vestibule things are a mess.

The HEAT warhead from Banshee two fives mars launchers have blown apart the doors and wrecked the hallway beyond. Burning debris is littering the floor fifty meters into the building. I need to get my squad inside, but that Dragon is keeping us from moving up. I can't use my 120mm because of the relative close range so I might shwak my own squad. Then I get an idea as the Dragon disappears behind the wall of the warehouse it is using as cover.

"SD, what's the thickness of this warehouse?" I ask

"Zero point two three meters, Pilot." My Atlas says.

Taking this info I see a flash on my tight beam and see Snafu has highlighted the Scaly bastard. Flashing my thanks to the Hell Diver I take a step back and level my Rifle loading a Buckshot round into the 120.

"Squad cover." I say and Miiora, Forbes, Trombley, and Garza lie prone in the rubble behind large pieces of concrete.

With that, I fire the canister shell into the corner of the warehouse while SD fires on the UEC squad with the Autocannon. There is a geyser of blood and a raur as the Dragon comes around the corner clutching at a massive hole in its sternum. It rears its head back to breath fire when a white and black ATLAS slams into its side. Orca brings his Icarus mount around as a massive blade unfolds from the arm and slits the Dragon’s throat. He then throws it to the ground before bringing his atlas's ped down on the dragon's head.

"Fick, secure this building." He orders before running off.

"Fallon stay here and secure the entrance. Everyone else let’s move!" Fick yells over the din of the.

"Got it, sir." I reply calmly. I see Miiora glance up at my Atlas for a second before following the rest of the platoon inside.

"Be careful in there Miiora. ok." I send to her on a private channel

"You as well Avery Fallon." she replied before disappearing.

=======================================================================

(Charlotte)

"Ice queen four coming up on your right." An NAC fighter pilot tells Charlotte forcing her to break off her escort.

"Merde, I see them. Reine de glace a commander, demander la permission de alt?" she ask as she rolls her Gungnir to go along the hull the UAF fighter frigate she is escorting.

"Ice queen, autorisation accordee." The flight officer responds.

In response she pulls a complete one hundred and eighty-degree flip while simultaneously pulling a lever halfway. The blonds fighter's dual engines unclamp and swing forward to allow her to keep accelerating. Multiple targeting reticle turn green and she presses the firing stud on the flightstick with her thumb, and twelve missiles corkscrew from their launch racks.

The four UEC fighters instantly break off to try to avoid the missiles deploying flares but the missiles stay true destroying three of the four, while the fourth uses the bloom of a destroyed fighter and comes right at her. She tracks the fighter with her autocannon before blowing it to scrap with a shot to the cockpit.

"Nice shot Ice queen." the NAC pilot says.

"Je vous remercie." she responds before pushing the lever back into its original position while flipping her fighter back onto its original heading.

The African ship pulls a violent barrel roll to avoid a shot from an isolated UEC super destroyer. In response to having its main weapon dodged, it launches a wave of missiles. First nine then sixteen, then twenty-six red missile icons appear on the tactical plot. The UAF ship responds with opening its bays and the rotating rack stops on a two blue missiles EMR or Electro-Magnetic Resonance missiles.

When the missiles launch they burst ahead of the ship and after two seconds the first one detonates ahead of the incoming missiles and they all shutdown. The second missile strikes the super destroyers shields and something strange happens. The entire shield bubble around the ship seemingly starts to crackle with electricity before they flares and disappears. Acting on its advantage it launches two nukes which slam into the destroyer's hangar bays and destroy it.

"YEAH THAT GOT'EM!" Her temporary NAC wingman says.

==============================================================

(Miiora)

As I cross the threshold of the entrance vestibule gunfire erupts in the hallway ahead.

"Contact left." Sergeant Humphrey sends from the front of the group. Instantly everyone's TAClink screens update with red icons that show the locations of the spotted hostiles. Through Humphrys camera feed, I see the outlines of UEC troopers down the hallway firing at second squad with shotguns and PK assault rifles. First squad returns fire and the volume from our guns is considerably higher than that from the defenders. The hallway up ahead reverberates with the reports from a dozen weapons on automatic fire.

"We’re in." Forbes sends to LT Fick.

"Making our way to the control center."

"Second platoon is in position" LT Wolf sends

"Do not take your time in there we're gonna have those destroyers above our heads before you know it."

"First squad left hallway!" Gunny Parkins shouts.

"Second squad right hallway, third and fourth follow me upstairs." Then Fick turns on his suits PA system and barks out an announcement that echoes through the entire building.

"Commonwealth Defence Corps!" He bellows.

"Drop your weapons and raise your hands. All armed personnel will be shot on sight. There will not be another warning."

To my left there's movement in one of the rooms then a targeting laser streaks across my helmet visor and I drop and roll to my left just in time to avoid a burst of rifle fire. I aim my PDW at the doorway from my awkward position on the ground and fire a long burst into the room beyond. In front of me, Trombley comes back around the corner of the hallway and brings his own weapon to bear.

He sends three short bursts into the room, then thinks better of it and pulls a grenade off his harness. He activates it with his thumb then chucks it around the corner of the doorway with an almost casual motion. The grenade explodes with an earsplitting boom sending debris and dust out into the hallway toward us.

"You ok Miiora?" Trombley asks and I give him a "thumbs up" I think its called.. then I pick myself up off the ground and point my weapon at the doorway again.

"On three." he says.

"You take right I take left." He gives me a thumbs up of his own and takes up position on the right of the door.

"One, two three." We both enter the room simultaneously weapons raised and ready.

I turn to the right and cover that side of the room and Trombley moves to the right. The room is an office shelves of reference material, a desk, framed pictures, slave collars, and certificates askew on the walls or shattered on the floor. There's a weapons rack on the far wall and I know even before we see the dead bodies that this is a security office.

"Clear." Trombley says.

The three colonial Constables a minotaur, a zebra, and a human are lying in pools of blood in the corner of the room where they had taken up firing positions behind an overturned desk. The human has a rifle next to him an original M-66 the others are clutching a shotgun and a pistol. We take the guns, clear them, and throw them to the other side of the room. I look around the room before we leave it, at the personal and professional artifacts strewn all over the place by the explosion and the gunfire.

I have a brief flashback to my collaborator of a cousin's office on Marelok which was laid out almost exactly like this one. My claw bumps into something and I see it is Garza who had been caught in the crossfire from the room. I kneel down and do not feel a pulse, it is so strange and I don't know how to feel he has been with us since we landed.We in Avery Fallon’s group have grown to like him, but now everything he was and ever will be is gone in a split second.

“Garza’s down.” Trombley reports

First and second squads advance down the hallways on the ground floor of the admin key, clearing rooms one at a time. Upstares automatic weapons fire and grenade explosions punctuate the progress of third and fourth squads. They may have a garrison platoon in this building but they are dispersed and not prepared for the fight we brought right into their nest. The marines reinforced platoon pushes their advantage without mercy.

===============================================================

(UEC Element of Magic)

"Captain the main weapon is ready."

"Bring us about." Polar says grasping his rubber ball. As the Princesses, and elements are either standing or seated and strapped in behind him.

"In position sir."

"Fire."

The amplified magical bold fires from the ship's lens and streaks into space where it completely vaporizes an African ship before slamming into the Massive human ship with the plasma weapon doing negligible damage. He is very grateful for having three alicorns on the ship helping to amplify the ships already better than acreage shields as two shots from the massive ships glance off of the shields.

"This is Wonderbolt leader, requesting target." The new leader of the Wonderbolts Soarin says as his squadron launch from the hanger bay. Rainbow dash steps forward observing the fighter battle and singles out a particularly good pilot.

"Enemy ace here."

"Thanks Rainbow."

"Dame Rarity, the final preparations are complete for phase two."

"Excellent. Captain execute phase two. Come along girls." Rarity says, the elements step out of the room. And in space the four closest super destroyers close to overlap shields with the Element of Magic.

=======================================================

(Charlotte)

Charlotte banks her fighter around a piece of debris destroying another UEC fighter when a flicker of light catches her eye. She jinks her fighter around a piece of hull plating the size of a small building and half pulling the alt switch as she watches a squadron of six blue and gold UEC fighters sail passed silently, before they bank around and come at her firing missiles and cannons.

"Merde." she says and is pushed back into the seat as she pushes the lever back up and flips around before goosing the engines.

The blond glances at the rear camera and sees the UEC fighters follow her and the missile lock alert begins to blare. She gooses the engines kicking the afterburner and flies into a chunk of a hulk. The UEC squadron follow her into the remnants of the UEC destroyer. The leader and its two wingmen fire their guns at Charlotte who jinks her fighter around swerving between support beams or something. She turns a knob on the control panel and a missile pod swivels on its mount as her blue eyes flicker over the targeting screen for a half second as green boxes and red diamonds overlap.

Depressing the knob six missiles leap from the pod and corkscrew towards the targets. The lead three fighters instantly deploy flares and chaff making the missiles tracking them go dumb and slam into the walls. However, the three other fighters were too slow and the trident missiles explode mere meters from their cockpits sending three tungsten penetrators each into their cockpits and fuselage destroying them. She sees light and pulls off to burst from the chunk of ship, into the inky black and back into the battle.

"Blocage de missiles, Blocage de missiles, Blocage de missiles..." her computer says. Jinking into a port side drift quickly pulls the alt lever all the way down while deploying chaff and flares before pulling the accelerator down.

====================================================

(Wonderbolts)

To the three remaining wonderbolts they watch as the human ace's fighter morphs. What look like arms ending in clawed fingers unfold from the fighter's forward weapons racks. The thrusters fold out into legs. All in all, it has morphed into an odd mixture of a fighter and one of those armored giants the humans are using on the planet. The fighter then does a kind of cartwheel before pointing its right arm trailing missiles before unleashing bursts of cannon fire destroying them.

The Wonderbolts attempt to pull off however a small swarm of missiles follow them. Fleetfoot is the first to be caught and destroyed followed by Mist Fly closely their after. The Wonderbolts who hadn't followed the fighter stream around and are met with another swarm of missiles from above by a squadron of NAC fighters. Soarin attempts to disengage when the ice blue fighter fires its cannon into his cockpit killing him and destroying his fighter.

==================================================

(Charlotte)

With the battle going well Charlotte lifts the alt level and goes back to fighter configuration from Valkyrie mode. A flash of light gained her attention as she reforms with the African fighter frigate who has just launched half of its stockpile of EMR's at the planetary shield. The flight of NAC shrikes flying with her form up with the UAF ship before with a blinding flash and microseconds before the missiles strike the shield, three blinding flashes of light appear on its surface. The impacts from Siegebreaker cannons are so bright the system has three new stars temporarily, when the EMR missiles slammed into it. With this, the four remaining UAF frigates that are heading towards the planet goose their engines and make for the planet at full burn.

A flurry of color appears in space and she watches as what appears to be a rainbow burst from the lens of the lead UEC ship. The shot streaks through space destroying anything in its way before it slams into the Invincible amidships. There's a blinding flash of multicolored light like a rainbow star and when the light dies down it reveals that the two-mile long ship has been blown in half. Arcs of lightning arc between the two halves of the ship before the two halves explode. What were once the Invincibles escorts break formation to avoid any debris. This is the last thing she sees before facing backward more determined than ever to rescue her friend.

========================================================

“Begin preparations for the fourth phase.”

Chapter 23 Turning point

(Fallon)

"Amp, on your right!" I yell ejecting an empty mag and slapping another into the receiver. The green light blinks on to signify a round is in the chamber and the weapon is charged. Raising the weapon and flipping the selector to fully automatic I let loose a torrent of flechettes shredding the rocket team about to flank the other Atlas.

Amp sprints over to the building, using it as cover, sliding on his knees digging furrows in the ground as he does so. Behind me the shield generator continues to send energy pulses into the sky to power the planetary shield, so i know the ninth hasn't completed their mission yet. Since the ninth went in, UEC troops have been arriving in droves to try to pry us out and now the UEC cruisers have reached a distance that allows them to send down dropships full of troops and vehicles. The TAClink is lighting up with calls from units that have been cut off and are being over run. In the distance a massive mushroom cloud rises into the air, followed by an earsplitting explosion meaning an atlas has just activated its self destruct.

"Incoming, at mark two five!" Amp sends, a vector line slashes its way across my HUD and I turn SD to face the incoming Cocatrice attack helicopter. Two more of the UEC gunships come around the corners of a building following the first. The Atlas was never designed for this kind of combat, it was designed to deal with lankies who don't shoot at you, but despite its shortcomings, it has proved itself indispensable in this campaign and allowing us to use their versatility to our advantage.

"Shield wall!" I say earning a kind of nod from the green Atlas's sensor buble. As the Gunships begin their strafing runs, I lower SD to his knees and extend both arms in front of me, and activate the Icarus mounted autocannon. As the cannon swings into place, Amp steps behind me and extends his arms at a forty five above me. The rounds and missiles from the dropships impact on the magnetic shields of our Atlas' stopping them dead.

"Now!" Amp sends linking with SDs neural network and taking control of the auto cannon.

The low and slow pomp, pomp, pomp of the auto cannon firing signals the end of the lead gunship, then the next. The last does an about face and attempts to flee around the corner of a building known to hold enemy soldiers. We track the gunship and when it reemerges from the corner of the building, we return the rounds and missiles back to their sender. The Magnetic shield was never meant to stop rounds and rockets, it was meant to stop shrapnel. As the UEC helicopter was literally blown to bits, I have a feeling that someone in the R&D department must have been a groundpounder. There is a strange electrical sound in the sky catching our attention, the shield start ripping for some reason before steadying out after about a minute.

"What the hell was...!" Amp begins before a thunderous sound cuts him off drawing our attention.

"Holy hell."

A massive black dragon slams down in front of us. Unlike its brethren before it this one is covered in scars and is missing an eye. In its claws is the Atlas White Rose, her right arm has been severed and left leg looks like something heavy slammed into the metal and bent it good. It looks at us and smirks before rearing its head back and letting loose with a torrent of blue fire. The net comes alive with the screams of White Rose's operator as she is roasted alive, she tries to raise her Atlas's weapon only to have its gun arm pinned down. The metal starts to warp and turn orange as the lenses in the sensor bubble pop, before with a small pop the cockpit hatch begins billowing smoke. As Amp and I raise our weapons an entire company of UEC troops comes streaming around the corner.

"This is Iceman requesting back up at admin building entrance. Request strike package rolling, rolling north, point two six, three hundred meters Danger close." I say before taging my location with a waypoint and firing. If I can hold that fucker off a little bit longer my team and Miiora will...

===================================================

(Snow)

"Missile locked on, missile locked on, missile lock.." Snow jinks his fighter towards the deck stopping mere meters from the ground, prompting the missiles tracking him to slam into the deck. Pulling back on the stick he ascends and sees the two fighters on his tail through the canopy mirror. A line of tracers streak passed his canopy seeing his chance he takes a calming breath and snapped his fighter to starboard. The fighters follow him as he flies towards two buildings linked together by two bridges. He kicks the afterburner, folds his wings, and flattens his tail to present a smaller target. His vision starts to blur and darkness encroaches at the edges of his already strained body as he further accelerates.

"Mach 1, mach 2, mach 3, mach 4." The firing has gotten thicker as the other fighter has begun firing on him with its own cannon.

"Missile locked on, missile.. Vampire, vampire, vampire." At the last second he uses both hands to roll his fighter to the left, and only just makes it through the gap. Unfolding his wings, angeling his tails, and drawing back on the throttle he sees the two fighters slam into the buildings.

"Requesting back up at admin building entrance. Request strike package, rolling north, point two six, three hundred meters, Danger close." Rolling to port he swings around and burns towards the admin building. He rolls to the side to get a look and sees two Atlas's one white and the other green firing wildly at an advancing crowd of UEC ground troops. There is also a dragon slowly advancing towards the two however upon seeing the Avenger the beast slams into a building seeking cover before disappearing inside. There is another crowd of about company strenght coming around from another street about to flank the two Atlas's.

"Solid copy, rolling north, point two six, three hundred meters Danger close." Swinging around he flashes banshee six-four and banshee nine-eight, the dragonfly dropships come around and form on his wing. After another six seconds, a Tarantula hawk wasp dropshop comes around.

=============================================================

(Fallon)

"Last mag!" I shout dodging to the right to avoid an incoming missile.

SD is firing the auto cannon over my shoulder and even from here I can see the heat billowing off of the barrel of the gun. He fires the weapon with the precision only a machine can achieve. Beside me, Amp has a heavy round ricocheted into his arm making him stagger back. There is a thunderous roar as a black Avenger fighter streaks overhead followed by the much slower dropships and the street Amp and I are useing turns into the seventh circle of hell. Autocannons grenades, missiles, and guided munitions slammed into the ground in front of us shredding anything in their way.

A Cazador Atlas dropship swings over and drops a canister in front of us before flying off. Using the lull in the fighting Amp uses his shoulder mounted grapple to pull the ATLAS supply crate over to us. Opening it we see a surplus of filled magazines for our rifles and a Lankie blade attachment for the Icarus. The Lankie blade is a piece of a lankie siege ship's hull sharpened and mounted. Lankie ship hulls are made of some material that make our own laminate armor look like partially frozen whipped cream. I assume the guys at R&D thought why not use a piece of their own ships to cut up Lankies, the irony does not escape Amp either. I pick it up and am about to hand it to him when he denies it gesturing to my back.

"You take it, your auto cannon barrel is about to melt." he says. I nod my sensor bubble and turn around handing him the weapon.

"You are aware that this is essentially a giant sword."

"Yes. it’s really stupid, and it's a stupid concept, i'll give you that. I mean if a lankie gets close enough to someone to warrant this being used you will probably die."

"Grand."

There is a jolt as the auto cannon is removed from its modular mount and the folding blade is placed in. The L-blade is essentially a fifteen foot long, double edged pocket knife that tapers from the forte to the tip. As the blade is mounted I see the icon appear on my HUD replacing the autocannon icon with a maximum swing arc for the blade. The entire blade folds up into its casing as it is attached to the Icaros arm. Standing back up I key the primer and the entire arm raises itself and angels the white casing away from SD's back and the black blade swings out with an audible clang. I fold it up and begin filling my mag pouches.

"Iceman, your man snafu says we have movement heading our way." Amp says.

"Let's get to work." I say slapping a fresh mag into the receiver as the first of the new wave of troops arrived.

========================================================

(Miiora)

"Were at the opps center." Gunnery sergeant Parkins reports.

"Two casualties so far."

"Breach it and use flash bangs. we’ll need the comms gear in there." Fick sends.

"Copy that. Going in soft."

Fallon says the NAC's flashbang grenades are by design much louder than their anti personnel grenades. When Parkins and first squad breach the opps center hatch and toss a pair of them into the room, the detonation is so loud that it feels like the walls of the hallway are bowing out from the sonic energy. None of the troops we've faced so far are in fully sealed armor and without the benefit of an automatic hearing filter anyone in that room still alive is going to have permanent hearing loss, once they regain consciousness.

"Ninth this is Razgriz." a voice says sends. The transmission is weak and full of static even though I know that he must be overhead and at most, a few thousand meters from us. The walls of the Admin Key are thick concrete which does not like to let radio waves through.

"Razgriz one, go ahead" Fick replys.

"We have an active radar signatures from something coming in from the east. I can't engage because two UEC cruisers have shown up. So we have to stay low, but i'd say you have ten minutes before they're on top of us."

"Copy that Razgriz one, stay low and good luck. Saber one-one did you copy that?" Fick responds.

"Loud and clear." Avery Fallon says from his position outside of the building.

"Saber two-six and I are engaged with the locals. We have the ACM teams up on the north east and south west corners. Be advised our position is in danger of being over run." In the background of the transmission I hear the bases alert sirens wailing and the thundering horse reports of the giant flechette rifle his battle machine uses.

"Get out of there Fallon, we'll hold them at the entrance."

"Negative I'm not leaving you guys."

"Then keep our back clear for just a few minutes longer, we're taking control of the ops center." Fick says and he, Forbes, Trombley and I sprint down the corridor to our left to catch up with Gunny, Parkins, and first squad.

"Rudy, this is Fick hows it goin up there?"

"It's a big party, there's Humans with handguns, and PDW's up here. Must be the Local sympathisers."

"If you come across their leader try to get him alive."

"Be glad to if he doesn't shoot at us."

There are at least four or five bodies of fallen garrison troopers in the corridor, and none of them are even wearing the ballistic vests that wouldn't do anything to stop a human M-66. Our attack took them completely by surprise, which is almost unforgivable. They knew they had a hostile presence and the main protective platoon tasked with keeping their main command center safe wasn't fully battle ready when we showed up. Two of first squads troopers Giddings and Kenen are hunkered down covering both sides of the hallway just in front of the ops center hatch which is blown off of its hinges and lying on the floor just inside the room. I step ontop and over the hatch and into the OPS center.

"So far so good." Gunny Parkins says while unloading sidearms and PDWs and tossing them into a pile in the corner of the room. First squads troopers are busy tying up garrison personnel with "Flex cuffs". There are a half dozen people on the room, two civilian ponies in overalls, and four in fatigues. Two more uniformed troops, a Kleese and Human, are motionless on the floor. Sergeant Parkins checks them for weapons and then cuffs them anyway.

"Don't go anywhere." he says to the corpses. The opscenter people looks scared, one of them is bleeding from a gash in the forehead.

"They got at least one call out, we have UEC fighters coming in." Fick tells Parkins.

"They can't reach us in here, but they can fuck up things for Fallon outside."

"They have multi megawatt gear and at least a huge antenna array on the roof. Get someone up there and get Fallon some backup. Miiora, you can read their language and you know their computers, do you think you can lower the shield?"

"I have no idea how to do it, but I can try."

"Then try or your boy is gonna get shanked." I sit down and remove my helmet resting it on my lap before diving into the console

"I need some help up here. We've got a hole bunch of people who got smart and surrendered, I don’t have the manpower to keep a lid on them." Sergeant Rudy Reyes sends over the company channel.

"Send two troopers down with them to the center staircase, we’ll meet down there and take over the prisoners. Got just the space for'em."

"That's a solid copy."

"Humphrey, Rodgers, with me." Fick says on his way out and the two SI troopers follow him weapons at the ready. I find the Human armor so fascinating, the fact that we are able to talk, whisper, and even yell with our helmets on nopony outside can hear us talking. To someone on the outside we just seem to be gesturing randomly. Looking back to the screen I see a four big flashing red icons ming our way. I can't help but think about Fallon fighting for his life outside while I sit inside safe from any danger.

"If you are getting this message I am here to help." a voice said over the UEC channel.

======================================================================

(Fallon)

"That sure was a nice thing you did." Amp says firing his last thermobaric shell and destroying a building.

I kick the emergency exhaust and burst to the right to avoid two missiles coming at me before taking cover behind a building across the street from the Admin building. Pale blue icons appear two meters to my right and I see two mixed squads of ACM troops running up. Extending my arm, I stop their progress.

"Incoming!" Amp shouts taking cover behind another building across from me. My Taclink updates to show a Cocatrice has joined the UEC troops. Loading a canister shell into the chamber of my 120, I look to Amp, making a fist, a gun, and make a low sweeping motion with two fingers. He nods his bubble and sends his acknowledgement. I take a step out and level my rifle on the Cocatrice fireing flechetts into the cockpit while at the same time, Amp steps out firing a thermite grenade into the crowd of UEC troops. The Cocatrice exploades and crashes to the ground and I lean back taking my weapon into my left hand knife handling at the ACM troops.

"YOU GO GO GO!" I yell into the external. Knife handling at the direction they were heading before I stopped them.

"banshee two-eight going down, mayday may..." I hear over the radio and see a dragonfly dropship spiraling towards the ground its port engine spewing smoke as its starboard engine tries to keep the crippled engine in the air. The dropship clips a building and flipps over, crashing to the ground before exploding filling the street with dust and smoke. I switch to millimeter wave and see what looks like a carpet of insectoid creatures and a company of UEC troops heading our way. I look around and see they are coming at us from all sides complete with armor and dragons.

"There's people in the smoke. Contact all sides." I say, Amp nods and the two of us begin laying into them as we fire the sky turns dark.

============================================================================

(Snow)

"Target lock." the computer chimes. I depress the firing stud with my thumb and a missile leaps from the rotating rack and rockets forward. The UEC Pegasus fighter jinks right to avoid it, deploying flares, making the missile go dumb and explode. Flying around the explosion, Snow deploys his underslung laser cannon. He follows the fighter through some downright dangerous maneuvers as his computer and cannon track the UEC fighter. The red triangle jinks left and right, up and down forcing the blue circle to follow it around the HUD.

"Come on, come on, come on...." the computer makes a chime as the triangle and circle meet blink and turning green, he pulls the trigger and the entire hack half of the UEC pegasus is blasted to slag by fifty thousand gigawatts of laser.

Glancing to the mirror he rolls his fighter into a reverse S pulling his fighter up at the last second and unknowingly splattering a griffin's brains all over the next five hundred meters. Now in attempting to turn to meet him is another UEC fighter who was caught flat footed is promptly blown to slag. His computer chimes and he deploys the vertical racks as his eyes flicker over the twelve UEC fighters. The computer locks on before another flight of eight UEC fighter joins the first. Flicking the firing selector, he selects all remaining missiles before firing every remaining missile on the racks and destroying them all. Multiple warhead missiles, Tridents, and Air-ground variable missiles slam into the UEC fighters.

"Missile lock on, missile lock on, missile lock on..." he looks up to see two UEC fighters coming right at him. The sky turns black before a strange white fighter with no cockpit pulls up on his starboard wing. The sky turns violent again and he sees the ice blue fighter go inverted and flip over to his port wing, firing a pair of missiles destroying the two coming his way.

The Avenger and ice blue fighter both flip sideways and pass in between the two UEC fighters. He tracks the blue and gold UEC fighter with his laser cannon using his rotary grenade cannon to keep the fighter from turning away. His computer chimes and he lets loose turning the fighter to flaming wreckage. The ice blue fighter pulls alongside the fighter it went after and an arm unfolds from the fuselage. It tilts its fist down and unleashes a torrent of armor piercing grenades destroying the fighter.

"Thanks."

"You’re welcome. You’re out of sauce, go to this point and get more." A French woman's voice comes over the com before turning off.

As Snow turns his fighter he sees three African Commonwealth ships closing on the two UEC cruisers over the ocean unloading their cargo of brown fireant dropships as they go. The fourth with a red stripe streaks over the battlefield, dropping Zulu shock troops in sub orbital biopods and Siafu heavy infantry ground units.

=====================================================

(UEC)

The new breed Changeling Praetorian stands over the body of a dead human soldier observing the humans falling back and using a fountain as cover for a firing line. The brood of Changelings that supreme commander Rarity has proved to be just the thing to finish off the humans. He sees movement on the ground to his left and turns to see a human struggling on the ground with two changelings. They appear to be trying to take the males armor off but can't seem to fathom it. Always up for a challenge, two more Changelings jump in to try to help and get their fun. And before long the Human is almost buried under a small mound of the Pratorians sisters.

"Fuck off!" the male yells once the females manage to pry the chest plate off. This apparently gave him enough leverage to get his arm free giving him time to pull a knife and began stabbing the multicolored changelings. However after about two or three deaths, he is quickly pinned and the remainder of his armor is either removed or broken off.

"Shut up, human." one of them says before a massive thump resonates throughout the courtyard.

Turning he sees what looks like one of the Human war machines kneeling down only this one is more spindly and sleek as well as having kind of flattened head with two red eyes on one side. The thing unfolds itself and a human can be seen inside of its chest directly under its head. The helmet the human wairs resembles a stylized human skull, the eyes of the helmet ignite a fiery orange and the things weapon snapps forward. With a sound that matches the Human autocannon fired from semi automatic droves of the Praetorians Changeling brood disappear in showers of gore. The thing stands to its full height showing it is indeed the same size as one of the Human war machines. On its shoulders are what appear to be magazines in slots built into the shoulders, and attached to the torso beside the head just before the right shoulder, a multi barreled gatling gun opens fire. Rockets fire from missile tubes on its left shoulder and a rocket pod on its left ankle.

Attached to its left wrist is what looks like a vicious set of black jaws, the usefulness of which is instantly demonstrated as an LAV tries to close on the vehicle. There is a sound like tires whiring in its feet and it reverses firing at the LAV, the rounds destroy the turret and front set of tires causing the vehicle to stop. It then rolls forward and uses its jaws to pry open the armored vehicle like wet tissue paper, the screams of terror from the occupants of the vehicle are cut short as the thing angles its torso and lets loose with its shoulder gatling. The pilot looks up and raises the weapon and begins picking sisters off of the pinned NAC soldier showering him in blood, before turning his attention to the Praetorian.

"What in the queens is that?" he asks taking a step back aghast before a series of impacts draws his attention from the death machine.

Now impacting in front of the NAC position and among his troops are what appear to be resized stone cigar shapes. With a bang, sections of the stone are blown off and sleeveless dark skinned humans jump out and engage the brood. Unlike the NAC however these new humans are not afraid to get up close and use their large angled knives to slice and hack into their victims. The Humans wore helmets like the pilot of the death machine being that of stylized skulls with tubes linked to their armor. They raise their weapons and let loose with rounds that are obviously meant for something that isn't as small as a pony or changeling, because the rounds cause their targets to literally explode. The Praetorian turns to join his retreating brood and runs into a massive six foot five human who grabs him by the throat with one hand and lifts him up, strangling him, before unsheathing his Kukri and disemboweling the changeling, the last thing the Praetorian sees is the oval shaped shield and crossed spears over the burning red eyes that seem to bore into his soul.

================================================================

(Charlotte)

I transform my fighter into its mid Atl transformation and fly backwards, firing the wrist gatlings at the advancing dragon. The relatively small rounds seemingly bounce off of the hide of the large reptile forcing me to use the "nose" gun. As soon as the Dragon rears back to breath fire like it had done before, I let loose with a burst from the anti-Lankie autocannon blowing the things head from its shoulders. I transform my Gungnir back into fighter mode and rocket back into the sky administering another G stimulant. I feel bad for the NAC fighter pilots who don't have access to G stimulants, they really save...

"Attention this is Hitman-Liaison requesting support for Atlas team outside of Adminkey, Saber one-one and Saber two-six are about to be over run." A female yet strang voice comes over the net.

Looking around I see a massive pillar of flame around the center building in the compound. I flick the afterburner and go at full burn towards the center and see a massive firefight on the ground. Flicking through infrared, millimeter wave, and ultrasound I can see there are literally mounds of dead UEC troops on the ground and at the center of the three way intersection are a pair of those Anti-Lankie units. There are a few of the ATLASs, I think they are called, lying on the ground in pieces and the two of them are back to back firing into an advancing crowd of UEC ground units. At their feet are what appear to be UEC personnel firing on their own units. No, because when I zoom in I see that there are kleese, humans, and i think they are called changelings in the group aiding the two Atlas. The smoke clears partly to reveal the two Atlas in greater detail. One is green, firing one handed, while an Atlas rifle magazine engulfed in a green glow and lifted into its hand. The other Atlas is like its partner covered in pockmarks and scratches, however the damage is accentuated by the white armor.

"This is Saber one-one to any remaining Atlas units requesting immediate backup. We are activating self... Come on you scaly fuck!" A familiar voice begins before an orange dragon slams through a building at them and the white mech sidesteps the massive reptile. Grabbing and twisting its arm and guiding it to the ground before lifting and bringing its clawed foot down on its head pulverizing it in a shower of gore. As the Atlas turned around, I see what looks like a frozen skull is painted crudely on the cockpit hatch that can mean only one thing.

==========================================================================

(Fallon)

A rare shrieks overhead and looking up I see the smoke has been cleared. Followed by a series of autocannons shots zipping a line down the apocalyptic setting before me, scores of bodies explode before a series of cluster missiles rack the street to my left. Then, there is sound of electronics deactivating followed by a violent and definitive boom behind me, the battle stops however briefly as we watch the shadowed from of the shield generator explode. A sudden gust of hurricane-like wind clears the smoke and in the sky we can see one of the UEC cruisers burning and making a Beeline for space. The other is sticking halfway out of the ocean on fire and its entire rear half where the engines would be were gone.

"Fallon this is Hitman actual the shield is down, mission accomplished." Ficks voice comes over the Taclink. Then the entire net begins lighting up with incoming radio chatter everything from NAC to SRA comms flood the net.

"What the hell?"

"Need some help? Longtime no see fallon." a french accented voice says as a NE Gungnir lands beside me in its infantry form, making it resemble an Atlas with jets for feet and plane part. Charlotte a girl I met in the Pittsburgh metroplex, I remember she was some unlucky berber who got off at the wrong train stop. The entire street on Amp's turns to a bloodbath as three red African Siafu units, two of which have massive napalm spewing incinerator units, roll their way down the road and joins our little group.

"Holy shit." I say before a thunderous roar draws our attention.

The massive black dragon appears again only this time we are ready for it as one Amp, Charlotte and I level our weapons followed by the three Siafu. But in its hands is the cockpit module for Orca’s Atlas.The fucker crushes it in his hands and as one we let loose as the dragon pulls its knife and charges our position. The scaly bastard’s hide is tough and even after Charlotte goes to that weird fighter/atlas mode to use her autocannon the autocannon rounds simply bounce off or are stopped by the hide. Seeing the threat posed by Charlotte's autocannon, the Dragon goes for her first and slams her hard into the side of a building. Amp steps up and fires the grappler at the things neck. The dragon then snaps its wing out catching the line and ripping it from Amps shoulder. Then a torrent of rounds slam into its side ricocheting off but gaining his attention. I look to my right and see the three siafu slide forward with a tirescreach, it's weird watching them move because their legs don't move when they roll forward.

“Come on!” one of the siafu pilots shouts reversing from its advance firing its autocannon. Amp flashes me on the net and I raise my weapon only to hear a click from an empty magazine I check my ammo supply, empty. I turn around to get more ammo from the supply crate only to find that empty as well.

“Fallon, we need help over here!” Amp says over taclink. I look to the downed Gungnir and see one of the arms is broken, This think killed most of the remaining Atlas’s and who knows how many of my friends in other units. The UEC has killed my friends they killed garza they could be killing Fick too, what about Trombley, or Forbes. What can I do, I don't have a weapon? Then a thought crosses my mind, god what would they do to Miiora if this thing kills us and the UEC troops get inside. In the best case scenario she would be executed, when she was assigned to my kare i had to take an oath to keep her and the other liberated slaves safe. Scanning my HUD for anything to help kill this dragon I see it,

“I wont let this fucker take me down.” i say to myself thumbing the release for the L-blade before taking a deep breath.

=================================

(Amp)

Fuck my guns dry and the damage to my Atlas is to bad for me to engage this thing at close range. The Africans surround the black dragon as I scan the battlefield and see a downed atlas. I sprint over to it and retrieve its ammo. There is the sound of tearing metal and I see the Dragon is standing over one of the siafu with its arm in its hand. It is about to stomp on the open cockpit when an audible metallic clang can be heard as the dragon is truck with what looks like a rifle. I look over and see Iceman stepping over a dead dragon towards us, the L-blade’s glossy black blade glistening in eerie glow of the fire.

“Get to the entrance. Ill handle this.” Fallon says and from the tone of his voice low and calm I can tell that he is in full “iceman mode” as the people in his platoon like to call it.

The dragon roars dropping the Siafu arm and charging the Iceman. The beast goes high and Iceman goes low attempting to slice its legs off with the L-blade. The dragon beats its wings at the last second and avoids the blade getting only a small cut in its scales. I sprint over to the downed Siafu who is now in the process of picking itself back up before we go back to the entrance of the Admin building. From our position we can see the fight has gotten downright savage. The dragon makes continues attempts to rip the Icarus mount holding the L-blade from Iceman's Atlas’s frame. But every time he takes a step back making a swipe at the Dragon's hand or face with the blade. The dragon roars picking up a UEC humvee or jeep as they call it and hurls it at Iceman who slices the vehicle in two, before diving out of the way of an oncoming torrent of flame.

When the dragon ceases its torent to breath we see that fallon is kneeling beside the fallen form of stompers atlas. Stomper unlike the rest of us chose to come equipped with the anti lankie eighty milometer autocannon for his atlas. And now the weapon is being held in IceMan's hands before the cannon opens up with a three round burst. The rounds impact the thick hide of the black Dragon and exploded tearing holes into its hide. The Dragon screeches and dives around the nearest building for cover giving Iceman the time he needs to scavenge more ammo. Iceman's sensor bulb snapps to the right as a nearby friendly unit spots the dragon. He levels the weapon taking a step back before firing full auto into the side of the building.

He reloads and continues to fire as he tracks the computers presumed movement of the monster tearing massive holes into the buildings side. A portion of the buildings face collapses as the dragon emerges from a corner firing what looks like an assault rifle. Iceman doesn't skip a beat after the first few rounds strike his armor. Raising his left hand he deploys the Magnetic shield and continues firing on the dragon as he walks forward closing the distance. When the dragon is within range Fallon deactivates the shield blasting the beast with its own rounds before grabbing the barrel of the assault rifle and jerking it up. Startled by his change in approach the dragon attempts to swipe at him with its free hand only for the Icaros to jerk the L-blade up and around fallon's right shoulder and slice the offending arm off. The dragon lets out a raur of pain so loud my Atlas and helmet have to cut all external sound to protect my hearing. Iceman then brings his autocannon around and begins firing point blank into the dragon's body, firing a line from its stomach to its neck each shot showering his atlas’s white armor with blood before the weapon ejects its empty magazine.

The thing still refuses to die letting go of the rifle in its hand the dragon makes a grab for the Knife Iceman has strapped to the shoulder of his machine. Iceman grabs the arm before wrenching it back forcing it to its knees, and kneeling the dragon in the back with an audible pop and groan of metal as one of the wing bones are broken. Iceman brings the blood covered L-blade around slicing the dragon's stomach open. Before raising a clawed ped up to the dragons shoulder and pushing it to the ground where it tries to weakly grasp at him. Iceman then reloads the autocannon before jamming it into the beast's open stomach and firing. The shots cover the Atlas with blood as he brings the blade around and slices the dragon's head off, before firing another three rounds into the now gaping chest cavity.

“And stay down. Huh, so that's what the L-blade is made for.” Fallons voice comes over the radio before he reloads his weapon and rejoins us and the stunned ACM troops by the Admin building.

“...Damn.” one of the Siafu pilots says, my thoughts exactly.

====================================================

(UEC Element of Magic)

The battle has reached a stalemate, the Humans did not retreat like Rarity had thought they would when they used the Elements of Harmony to destroy the massive human ship. Instead the two smaller one thousand meter Manitoba and the other like her, however the Elements of Harmony were lethal to the human ship and soon would be the end of the Human fleet once the firing lenses were reset. The bridge to the ship opens up to reveal Spike walking in.

“Ah spiky wiky come to see the end of the Human fleet.”

“Ya.” he responds.

“Are the final preparations complete?”

“Yes ma’am” a human sensor operator says.

“Fire.” the entire ship begins to shake from the build up magical energy but then as the ship is about to fire the lenses on either side of the ship explode.

“Status Report!” polar demands,

“Sir the Main magical emitters are offline and the lenses have been split.”

“How?” Twilight asks

“Sabotage.” Luna answers

“Imposable.” Rarity interjects

“Actually not.” All eyes turn to spike.

“I'm sick of being your slave Twilight, being forced to do your work, being fed only just enough to be kept alive, sleeping in a bucking basket, and being forced to do the same to other slaves. What we are doing is wrong…”

“What are you saying Spike?” Twilight asks the entire bridge is quiet with the exception for the officers at their stations.

“What i'm saying is this. Fuck off, i'm out” he yells and the hatch to the bridge opens and two cylinders roll into the room.

“Grenade!” Polar yells raising a shield around himself, the Royals, and the Elements, and act quickly followed by all three alicorns. However instead of exploding smoke fills the room and two Humans in black bug like armor emerge from the smoke one carries a long black weapon attached to an arm at his hip and the two snatch spike.

“Death to the UEC!” he shouts as two more actual grenades roll into the room after he has exited, the entire command center explodes with a shower of sparks and dust. Polar pushes a body off of the helm and takes control.

“Secondary bridge crew to command center, prep for Warp the Element of Magic is leaving.”

Author's Note

What did you think of the longest chapter yet?

Chapter 24 High Rise

(Miiora)

“Holy…” Fick says as we exit the adminkey prisoners in claw. I can feel my mouth hang open upon seeing the state of the intersection Fallon was guarding while we were inside, and to my amazement, there are two new kinds of war machine standing alongside the NAC ATLAS’. My helmet identifies the three green one with open cockpits as Siafu, while the one with wings folded behind its headless torso is designated as a Gungnir. Standing below them in the rubble of a hastily constructed barricades are six changelings, two kleese, one tymerian and one human. I can see that there are multiple atlas machines lying motionless on the street, at least six of the already small number of fifteen we started the assault with.

I suddenly feel the ground shake and hear the metallic clang of an Atlas taking a step and see a green Atlas with a yellow glow to its lenses and a green flame painted under the sensor bulb. There are multiple bullet holes, gouges, scorch marks and other signs of battle damage across its armored body and the upper body of a pony is impaled on one of the foot claws of the machine. A liquid splashes onto my armor and when I look down I almost gag inside of my helmet. The street is literally covered in a mixture of different colored blood brown minotaur, orange dragon blood, crimson human, griffin and pony, and the multiple hues of different changeling hives all mixed on the ground like an oil slick.

There are literally hundreds maybe a thousand bodies at most littering the street all pushed into piles to give both cover and good fields of fire for Fallon and the others who were defending the entrance to the Adminkey. However, looking around I can not help but fail to see the white armor of Avery Fallons machine. Then there was a wet grinding noise like someone stabbing scales and through the smoke we turn to see a the form of an Atlas with a kind of blade mounted to the Icarus mount. The blade is protruding from up and over the machines right shoulder and into from a green adolescent dragon. Before the Atlas’s blade manages to drag itself upward slicing the dragon's chest open and the machine kicks the reptile away. The three Siafu one with only one arm raise their autocannons and proceed to gundown the dragon firing into the opening in the chest.

“Woah, That was fucking cool.” Trombley says by my side, the battle around us died down as UEC forces are hunted down and in a dramatic fashion, the smoke clears as a dropship flies overhead to prepare for landing when the smoke clears.

The white armor of Fallon's Atlas SD-0624 is virtually covered in streaks and spatterings of blood. In the encroaching darkness of the setting sun and light of burning fires the red glowing lenses glare at us like the eyes of a demon out of Tymerian legend. Hanging behind it the blade flips with a metallic clunk back into the white holder as Fallon takes a step forward absentmindedly crushing a crawling UEC soldier and retrieves his weapon. As he draws closer we can see the numerous puncture wounds, gouges, and dents throughout the machine.

“Sir SD is out of the fight, over eighty six percent combat ineffective. Requesting permission to dismount.” Fallon says over the taclink.

“Go ahead.” Fick responds prompting the Cockpit hatch to open with a metallic noise. SD lowers itself to one knee and lets Avery Fallon use its blood soaked hand as a step and lowers him the rest of the way.

The pitch of the engines grow in volume as the dropship lowers itself into position and another strange looking dropship swoops overhead and lands near by. This dropship is almost bronze in color and looks bulbous in appearance. Unlike the NAC dropships who only use two engines, this appears to use four two situated on mounts on a protruding back. Where clamped a rather strange looking Tank with four big wheels and some kind of Ram in the front, and engines are two mounted on either side of the dropships cockpit acting as both wings and engines. All four sets of engines flair to life as a secondary set of thrusters are employed to lower the craft, to the ground where two sets of wheels unfold from the bottom of the craft. My helmet computer identifies the craft as a “Pelican dropship” and the troops exiting the hold as “African Commonwealth” troops. Then there is a metallic clang as the “Centaur” tank is released from its clamps and rolls to the side allowing the damaged “Siafu” to slide into position and “sits” before being picked up by the dropship.

“I’ll see you up their bud.” Fallon says

“Acknowledged pilot.” The machine says before crouching down and begin picked up by the retrieval arm of an NAC dropship.

“Orders people. The remaining UEC troops are dug in and are holding their own against the taskforce. They’re too close in for orbital strikes, the RCT is ordering that all able troops come to aid the final push.”

“Miiora go with them. Your job here is done” Fick says to me.

I look at the men around me at Forbes, Trombley, Parkins, Fick and my eyes linger on the body of Garza being taken inside of the AF dropship, but my eyes linger on the form of Fallon who appears to be sweating under his EPP helmet, furiously drinking water and frantically smoking a cigarette with shaking hands with a distant look in his eyes. He then sees me looking before taking a deep breath and seemingly returning to normal.

“With all do respect LT Fick, I would like to stay with you all. After all I have come with you this far, I want to see it through.” He smiles at this before nodding his head.

“Glad to hear it. After All we need all the luck we can get. WE'RE OSCAR MIKE” He says before walking away.

I look up as I feel the first drops of rain before walking over to Fallon and placing a hand on his shoulder, an action I instantly regret because the second my hand makes contact, he has my arm in a crushing grasp and my own side arm pointed under my snout. His eyes go wide upon realising what he has done and he instantly lets me go.

“I'm sorry.” he continually repeats as he returns my sidearm. One of the Human prisoners spits at us muttering something under his breath. Fallon however gets that strange look in his eyes again before walking up to him and punching him in the face with his armored fist. The blow catches the prisoner completely off guard and he falls to his knees.

“Do you know what we are going to do to you all? Traitor.” Fallon says in a conversational voice with his knife in his hand.

“What? Show me a good time like i bet you all do to that Scaly bitch?” the prisoner receives a brisk kick in the stomach from one of the marines for his comment.

“No, the Non-humans will be treated like any other POW, but you human collaborators, you traitors have no rights, no protection, and are treated with zero moral code. After the sci-ops guys are done with you we will send your government a message. It was suggested by the NE and backed up by the SRA and AFC and is an ancient Norse tradition that we used when we discovered someone had tried to help the Lankies.”

“What message NAC dog?” the prisoner responds spitting on Fallon's face. Fallon in response to this takes a pin he liberated from a dead collaborator depicting an eagle clutching the UEC emblem.

“I got the transmission a few minutes ago. Our Governments say that since you live like Eagles high above others… we will draw a blood eagle on your backs.” Fallon says in a rasp.

“A-a what?”

“We will slice open your back” I take a step forward upon hearing this sounds barbaric something no one would ever do not even the UEC.

“And make your ribcage spring apart..” Fallon says

“No.” one of the prisoners says.

“No please. I..what about...” another says before Fallon speaks again.

“Like wings.” he says before turning around and walking away as Fick gives the order to move out. As we walk we leave the pleading prisoners behind with five marines who herd them into the pelican before it and the Cazador lift off and disappear into the night.

(Fallon)

When we reach the site of the UEC’s last stand I see that it is a large courtyard. Like something out of a history documentary, the enemy has trenches and machine gun emplacements in place. I can see what seem like thousands but are probably hundreds of UEC soldiers digging, or preparing for the inevitable. They have set up the battlefield completely in their favor, the roads leading to the courtyard are covered by collapsed buildings, and old style tank traps litter the courtyard ahead of them. I can see teams up on the rooftops with shoulder mounted SAM launchers, and I suspect that there are snipers in the buildings surrounding the UEC side of the courtyard. Across from them we can see COG troops in crater holes lying in wait some exchanging fire with the UEC troops, and I can see the virtual sea of blue confirmed friendly icons as both NAC and AFC forces begin final preparations for a nasty bloodbath of epic proportions.

All in all they have set this up to funnel every COG trooper and vehicle into a massive killzone, and from the chatter on the net we know instantly from the way the UEC is set up, that we are facing a human commander. Their formation is too dispersed leaving portions of the line open for the COG to get stuck in and cut down with overlapping fields of fire, and concentrated mortar hits. I have no doubt in my mind that the UEC has bunkers and tunnels in their little trench network. The issue won't be those we can clear those with incinerator units, the issue will be that we won't be able to call in any friendly artillery or orbital strikes.

As we settle in with the COG troops amassing for the attack, I look to my right and see Miiora looking at the battlefield her normally hard to read features covered by her helmet, but I can tell she is nervous judging by the droop of her tail, the clicking of her clawed feet on the ground, and fidgeting of her clawed hands with her weapon. I take a step over and reach my arm around her before gesturing to the battlefield opting to attempt to lighten the mood with humor and she visibly jolts when my arm makes contact.

“So my scaly friend tonight we are… um…” I trail off when she turns her head to regard me forgetting my before continuing.

“Relax Miiora, forget what that Caleb fuck said. Stay close to me and we'll be alright.” I tell her and she nods her head.

“I've got your back alright. We’ll do this together.” I continue trying to reassure myself more than her honestly.

“We are going to go over there and we are going to kill those people. See’em standing over there? Ya they’re gonna die.” I say standing gesturing to the UEC encampment.

“Relax we won't be going into that, the Ninth is going around it to attack the buildings on the flanks. Come on it'll be fun”

=============================================

(Trombley)

“Microwave” Fallon says into the taclink first squad is stacked on either side of a door.

With myself to the left of the door and Fallon on the right, behind me Snafu raises an old M-90 LHO rifle, behind Fallon is Miiora her PDW rattles as she slides the bolt, and Forbes who is standing in front of the door lifts his rifle readying the incinerator. We switch our vision to microwave able to pick up the slight movements of air molecules when something moves, or what is commonly referred to as a heartbeat sensor. Through the wall, we see the movement of at least a dozen shapes which normally would mean we go in soft, but since the final assault has begun, we were kinda short on time.

“Plug it.” the sergeant says before looking around for something to punch a four-inch wide hole into the thin plastic door. I see movement behind the sarge as Miiora perks up like she has just had an idea. With her usual grace that would make even Olympic athletes jealous, she strides forward and presses her back to the wall beside the door. She then raises her knee as if to kick as she raises one of her claws like a velociraptor and she rather violently snaps her foot back punching a perfect four-inch hole in the wall with her claw. As she walks back to her position I am now a little more cautious of those claws that clatter against the floor.

“That was fuckin cool.” I say it's like she’s some kind of walking hole punch.

“Nice job. Light it.” Fallon says patting his charge on the back as she retakes her position behind him. Forbes then takes a step forward and lowers the nozzle of his incinerator into the hole. We can see the movement beyond the door thanks to our microwave vision mode and their is a frantic panic as Forbes lets loose a torrent of purple flame. Their screams can be heard from out here as the potassium based napalm melts their flesh from their bones.

“Woah it's like a Halloween fun house.” I comment as the screams of agony can still be heard as we round the next corner in the building. After about fifteen minutes of walking and Miiora making holes in doors and Forbes lighting them up we get a call from Fick straight from command, and Fallon attempts to argue with Fick over the comms.

“We are splitting up, Forbes take Trombley and Snafu clear the odd numbered floors. I'll go with Miiora and clear the even and we'll meet up here in thirty. Execute.”

“Got it sarge.”

============================================

(Miiora)

I have somehow ended up separated from Avery Fallon and as I enter a room I hear what sounds like crying. I raise my PDW sweep the green targeting laser over the room but my suits targeting computer has nothing to fixate on. Then a burst of movement appears in my peripheral heading in my direction. The next thing I know my helmet and PDW are flying through the air. I was lifted bodily and slammed into what I can only assume is a desk. My eyes are naturally better suited to dark environments and I see what look like two new breed changelings coming at me.

Acting quickly faster than most humans I have seen I snap my talon and spring backward up and over the desk, landing on top scattering papers and other flotsam. I let out a low hiss before springing forward towards one of the two changelings. I land on the larger of the two in a crouch with my talons buried deep into his thighs punching through the fabric of his uniform like it wasn't even there. As he begins to cry out in pain I raise my clawed hand and slice his throat open earning a wet choked gurgle from my efforts.

As I lean down to reach for my weapon by his side my tail picks up movement and twitches. I retract my claws from the dying changeling and turn around violently earning a wet crunch as my tail covered in jointed ceramic hardshell armor meets the weak chitan of the changeling. As he stumbles backward uttering curses I go low and sweep his legs out from under him. By the time he hits the ground, he looks up to see one of my talons coming down and slice into his windpipe.

I sense a rush of movement before a fur covered from charges into me and slams me into a desk. I stagger back to my feet before a massive red hoof slams into my stomach. I can literally feel the armor on parts of my lower body crack or dent as I am thrown across the room by the force of the impact. I struggle to my knees and look up with enough time to move out of the way of a massive blond-maned earth pony. Spying my PDW lying beside me just as the earth pony kicks a desk sending it rocketing in my direction. Seeing my opening I use my tail to snatch the weapon from the ground as I spring to the left and onto a desk. The pony charges me again but in the darkness fails to notice the PDW clutched in my clawed hands, only realizing too late as the green targeting laser flashes over his chest and I fire a five round burst into his chest.

“I love it when they put up a fight.” A human voice says

What happens next is a blur of motion I sense movement but am unable to turn to face it as a pair of pale hairless arms grasp my arms and wrench them behind my back, forcing me to drop my weapon. I see movement to my left as I am lifted and slammed into the desk snout first. Knowing what is about to happen next I snap my foot out in a similar way to how I was punching holes into doors earlier. However instead of the human's flesh yielding to the blow my talon skips off of the hard surface. As my tail is lifted I manage to tilt my head and see a human in NAC battle armor. For a moment i fear the worst before I see the differences in the armor, lack of any shoulder pauldrons, UEC markings, lack of a helmet, and the large collection of stars on his chest plate. I know instantly who this is, the Infamous Commander who goes by the name Ajax, one of the captains of Princess Twilight's royal guard. I was about to whip my tail around and snap his neck when a painful jolt goes through my body.

“None of that slave.” he says a shock stick in his hand. I try again and am jolted again, however this time the other human slams my upper body into the desk and he pushes my legs apart. I have no intentions of figuring out how he plans to rape me while I still have on ballistic hard shell.

However before he can go any further a shot fills the air and one of the four human’s in the room heads explode. There is another series of horse reports and the human in front of me who was holding my arms lets out a choked gurgle and I look up to see him fall back, fresh flechette wounds in his chest. I suddenly feel Ajax leap off of me and dive to the side as more flechettes fly through the air. I scramble to the side and retrieve my PDW. The hoarse reports of the flechette rifle come to a stop as the slide snaps back on an empty magazine.

“This is my squad mate and you just tried to rape her. I am her sergeant, and you fuck face are a corpse. You just don't know it yet.”

“Miiora go meet up with the others.” Fallon says as he walks passed me putting himself between me and the human sympathizer as I see Ajax stand back up pulling his combat knife. I can tell in the cold even tone of his voice he is in full “Iceman” mode and his order was not a request.

====================================================

(Fallon)

The hole this guy has dug for himself just keeps getting bigger and bigger. The fuck flips his knife into a reverse grip and he lunges at me eating a punch in the face for his efforts. I go to follow it up with a left hook only to have my arm redirected and my helmet slammed into a desk. I grew up in a PRC avoiding situations like this almost everyday and am a combat controller, so I don't know if he thought that would work but it will take a lot more than that.

“Ok then. You’re gonna fuckin die.” I say wishing that the NAC bothered to issue us enlisted grunts sidearms.

“Whatever you say earther!” I turn around and draw my combat knife from where I have it mounted on my shoulder. The guy runs at me again like an idiot and I react by raising my arms like a boxer. He goes for a downward stab and actually manages to graze my armor as I redirect him into a chair collapsing it. He kicks his legs out and I take a step back to avoid it as he springs to his feet in a ready stance.

Right camm, I snap my knee into his cock, he doubles over and I make my own stab at the base of his spine before i feel a searing pain in my side. I snap another knee up this time into his unarmored stomach, and take a step back. My armor’s auto dock immediately kicks in and I feel a pinprick as a service is jabbed into the base of my neck. As the painkillers flood my system, I decided that this is getting ridiculous. I was sitting here having a knife fight while my squad is away. Seeing my opening I wait as the walking corpse makes another thrust, however this time instead of simply redirecting the attack, I do a kind of spin move around him. I snatch the sidearm from his thigh holster and shoot him in the base of the spine making him fall to the ground like an ungraceful sack. I then unload the entire magazine into his neck and head before the bolt locks back on an empty feed and I throw the weapon away. My vision starts to fade. I shoot my hand to my side and it comes away covered in blood. Then with a thundering crash the building shakes and I was flung across the room and passed out.

I wake up in the medical ward on board the Manitoba two days later. When I check my DPD, I discovered that as payback for their treatment of us on the planet for those months. Most of the UEC that retreated died and those who stayed died just the same. I look to my left and see a medical corpsman and a mechanical arm holding an IV bag of white fluid. When I try to peel off the blanket, I was greeted with a silver prosthetic for my right arm. Unlike the prosthetics of the past, the Docs onboard the ship have been able to reattach the nerve endings allowing me a sense of touch with my new carbon fiber and aluminum limb.

“Stop playing with it.” the corpsman says taking a seat beside me.

“What happened?”

“Your platoon liaison found you under a ton of debris from an errant artillery shell. Apparently some officer was bucking for a medal and instead got you fucked up. Damn near lost us the battle. If it wasn't for your armor, you would have more than just three broken ribs, one severed arm, punctured lung and last but most amazingly, a knife wound. Mind explaining that last one?” he says with a chuckle towards the end checking his PDP before administering me more painkillers.

“Ya some jackass thought it would be a good idea to get into a knife fight with a PRC hoodrat.”

“Say no more. Well your blood is going to be white for a while and are restricted from duty for the time being.” he says as I stand up and he hands me a pair of CDUs.

“Where are we headed?”

“Earth and the fleet dock at Luna. COG taskforce Manitoba got banged up pretty good.”

“Thanks man.” I grunt

“Hey don't thank me just yet. Here, take these, you don't look like a pill head. If those don't work come back and I'll give you something stronger.” he says to me throwing me a bottle of painkillers as I walk out of the door.

Chapter 25 R&R

"The NAC has continued to mine our warp transit bubbles with their primitive and savage nuclear weapons. News continues to stream in from survivors at what is being called the Bagmare Massacre. Apparently the foreign humans who call themselves the Coalition of Ordered Governments have destroyed those brave UEC forces who retreated from the battle. Thoughts of friendship and hope go out to the families of the brave stallions and mares who gave their lives to defend the UEC citizens from the aggressive COG forces. After leading the attack on the NAC, Princess Twilight's flagship, the Element of Magic was crippled by a terrorist attack and was forced to retreat. It is unknown just how many brave UEC soldiers died during the unprovoked and savage initial orbital bombardment, and subsequent siege of the planet before UEC forces arrived driving off the NAC in orbit. Yet we still don't have a confirmed figure to the death toll during the final battle for Bagmare. It has been confirmed that what is presumed to be the primary NAC force on the ground had help from a traitorous slave an unknown female Tymerian. If you have any information that might lead to her capture please approach the nearest military post. On a better note for her masterful planning of the attack and near defeat of the COG forces on Bagmare, during the campaign, Element of Generosity Rarity Belle has been promoted and given command of the Seventh Joint Attack Fleet after which Life commander Rarity had this to say.

"Though we have lost many mentors, good friends and loved ones this day, let us not forget why they have given their lives. So that the UEC may live on and grow stronger from this trial, and together through the magic of friendship we will strike back at the NAC and its allies. We will make them pay for what they have done on Bagmare, but let us not forget that treachery lives among us. This ACM has lived on for too long and we have renewed our efforts in finding their leaders and make them pay for corrupting our youth. We have located a new Celestial system that our scans show is ripe with life. It might be hostile, but we of the UEC prosper in adversity! After Eighth Fleet has been repaired and refitted, we will go forth and continue exploring Lunas night in hopes of finding future friendships. If this life is like the NAC's humans or the new enemy and their black ships, we will prevail. In the princess's name let friendship be magic."

Truly inspirational, Well for one I am sure glad we have Life Commander Rarity on our side, and with that, our time is over this has been White Rose UEC news reporting."

===============================================================================

"WAR!"

"Crisis for humankind. NAC officials admit they underestimated the UECs defencive and offensive capabilities. For the loss of one of the most important and irreplaceable ships in the fleet, the General in charge of the battle has been relieved of his command. Major Packers has been placed in command of COG Fleet Twenty Six. He has hopes that after his fleet returns from Bagmare and the losses are recouped we can continue our offensive against the UEC or the Lankies. Two new Battleships christened Nostromo and Sulaco have just left the fleet yard on Luna, bringing a combined count of NAC and SRA Siegebreaker class ships up to Thirty. The NAC has extended its sorrow to the SRA for the loss of its flagship."

"Recruits"

"Just twelve hours ago, we have received information that the first batch of former slaves will be attending the next NAC military recruitment cycle. Our hopes go out to them and we send with them our strength to go on and fight the enemy be it Lankie or Pony."

"Death"

"The death toll from the battle with the UEC from our engagements around Camelot, Bagmare, SRA archanghosk, UEC Pony, UEC Galimare, and the recent colony of LV-426, reaches into the tens of thousands. Casualty reports can be found on the network."

"Lankies"

"It is still unknown what the Lankies intentions are in this new war, but in good faith whenever we have run into them engaged with the UEC we have aided them in battle. However, this does not mean that our war with them has ceased. We continue to battle them for contested space and they continue to push some of our borders."

"War machines"

"Here we see the NAC's newest Anti-Lankie Vehicle, the All terrain Land Assault System. This particular unit and its Heroic pilot held off a series of UEC attacks during the Bagmare Campaign. Its pilot, SFC Avery Fallon says that "If it wasn't for the ATLAS' the battle on the ground would have been lost." Due to the overwhelming success of the ATLAS, the NAC has decided to go into full production. An act that SFC Fallon has already accomplished allowing the ground team one of whom happening to be a Tymerian to deactivate the shield. The military has plans in the coming months to create a new force of ATLAS, details of which are closely classified. Do you have what it takes to pilot an ATLAS? Join the NAC defence corps and see."

"Heros of Bagmare"

"There were many heroes in the battle for bagmare, but the actions of a few have stood out. The Aforementioned Avery Fallon and the ATLAS pilot who stood beside him, Andrew Grayson are rumored to be receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor for multiple counts of bravery. The Silver Star will be awarded to LT Nathaniel Fick of the Fighting Ninth but that is just the tip of the iceberg. For more information please check the listings on the Network. Do you want to be a hero? Join the NAC defence corps and do your part."

"Freedom!"

"Former slaves from the UEC are joining up to fight for their future. They’re doing their part, are you? Join your local Defence force and save your new world. Remember, service guarantees citizenship!"

========================================================================

(Miiora)

I am now allowed to roam freely but oddly, I haven't seen Avery Fallon since after I dragged him out of the rubble of the building. I have found however, that after the business on Bagmare, the humans who had been treating me like an outsider, have welcomed me like a sister in their tight brotherhood and have given one of their personal data pads or PDPs.

I am in the one of the reck rooms onboard the Manitoba. And I have found that most of the gestures are definitely male, as is much of the vernacular of much the NAC defence corps itself. Not only do the officers and enlisted men take pride in their profanity, the first time I met Fallon's battalion commander he tells me that the other Liaison who dropped out probably did so because he was a "fucking queer pussy". The technical jargon of the corps is rich with off color lingo, the term "Donkie Dick" for example is used to describe at least three different pieces of marine equipment.

In front of me, two people are sparing on the mat with ropes strung between unused ammo crates. The private in the ring is attempting to spar with a kleese, needless to say, it is quite one sided. The Zaltule Durge picks her up and relatively softly tosses the marine into one of the ropes before scuttling forward. The Kleese are much faster than their size which lets them move and in a blink, Durge is on her pinning her beneath his bulk.

"What did we learn?" Master Sergeant Perkins asks after Durge lifts himself from the marine.

"Not to let a Kleese pick you up." the private says taking off the gel gloves and handing them to someone else.

"If this situation were real, a Kleese would have fanged you. You are much more maneuverable than a Kleese due to your size. Instead of aiming for my plates before you lost your knife, aim for the joints. This is a weak spot on all planted species." Durge says helping his opponent up. It has become a kind of sport to see who can last the longest against Durge. And he is all too willing to let us train against him, giving tips and advice on how to properly takedown UEC soldiers. Stating that while most slave races hated the UEC, there still were sympathisers to watch out for.

"If he picks you up, you could always stab em in the mouth." Snafu drawls before another podhead jumps him and tries to fleck his neck with his knife.

At what passes for night inside of a windowless starship in deep space, they fight constantly. They flip each other headfirst into the metal deck of the ship, they string their friends into headlocks and punch bruises into each others ribs. They lie in wait for one another in the shadows and leap out swinging combat knives, flecking their friends ribcages with little knicks from the knifes tips or dragging their blades lightly across a victims. They do it to keep each other in shape, and for fun. Just like every male ever to establish dominance. The top mare-dogs in the platoon are the team leaders. You can immediately pick out these guys just by the way they move. They have a magnetism that draws people to them like the princesses in the UEC.

I spend my time on my PDP researching human culture and find that it is eerily similar to... My thought is cut off when the door slides open and turn to see Avery Fallon enter the room. The room erupts with a chorus of greetings as my team leader enters the room. I notice a slight shimmer and my heart skips a beat as i ghasp in horror as the I see the prosthetic in place of his right forearm. The UEC has the magic to usually grow another, but the NAC apparently instead of discharging Fallon, instead fit him with a strangely beautiful mixture of metal and black fibers.

"Well look who's out of bed." Forbes says walking up to Fallon.

"That thing looks fucking cool Sarge." Trombley comments

"Ya I think I might replace the other one too. It's a lot better than the old one." Fallon laughs. This is what confuses me about the Humans from Earth, almost any other species would be repulsed by the grievous wound but instead they act like nothing has happened and joke about it.

"So what's the deal?" Parkins asks

"They have me on ZD for a while, and I was confined to med wing for a few days for rehab." Fallon responds. I was about to say something when a set of gel gloves hit me. One hanges from my horn and the other simply hits me on the breast and falls into my lap. I look up and see Perkins gesturing to the ring. I look and see the mixture of NAC fleet and Marines pointing to the ring or taking steps back. Perkins must have read my body language.

"You have been moping on your PDP since we got back. Get in there while I find you an opponent." To this I sigh and with some assistance figured out how to put on the gloves that form to fit my hands. After a second, I stepped into the ring and was surprised to see Fallon with an apologetic look.

"Sorry Miiora. Think of it as a hazing. Or training on how to fight Humans properly." The Human who rescued me from an attempted rape says while shaking his own gloved hands and putting a mouthpiece in.

"Well at least I still have both hands."

"Ooh! Miiora's got some fight in her!" one of the marines says as I crouch before springing forward.

=============================================================

(Fallon)

"Jesus! Thats fast!" I exclaim as I narrowly dodge the reptilian missile that is the female Tymerian known as Miiora. She kicks her leg out in an arc claws extended I duck under the blow pushing the leg away to move in. Then she springs her hands to the deck using her momentum to turn the failed kick into a reverse scissor kick and lands a solid blow to the side of my head.

"Oooh! Damn!" Trombley yells.

"Yeah! Get him" Parkins yells

I turn back around and see Miiora facing me almost prone on the ground. She is standing on all fours in a feet of flexibility that is completely unattainable to humans, hands flat on the padded deck and standing on her toes. Her tail hovers inches from the ground in a way that I guess her species evolved to sense vibrations or something. Her horns frame her head which, from this angle, resembles a snake's. Her chest heaves in anticipation like a predator observing its prey. Well Humans are the top of the food chain on Earth and i’m not going to back down. I pull the training knife and fake a surge forward prompting her to flinch back.

After this she opens her maw and lets out a hiss as she begins pacing around me and I can see the joints in her knees shifting unnaturally to my Human mind. Seeing her like this, I was reminded just how alien Miiora really is. Miiora's tail twitches and she bursts forward. I was about to counter when a low level arch surges through my body. She sensed the ship was about to enter Alcubierre, I think to myself as I throw a right hook catching her in the ribs, followed by a series of jabs catching her in the chest and lower abdomen as she stands back up.

"Watch the tail!" Grayson yells

I drop to my knees and duck under the blow twisting to the right with my arms in front of me. Miiora is so close to me I can feel her breathing on my neck and I dropped the knife from its reverse grip in my right hand to a reverse grip in my left and snap back to the left. I felt the numbing knife strike before my left hand is slapped with a scaly mass of muscle making me drop the knife. Next thing I know, Miiora has me in a weird kind of chokehold, I can feel her breast pressing into my back and her breathing on my neck as I start to black out.

"Who knows how to fight Humans?" Miiora whispers into my ear, bad mistake because now i know exactly where her head is. I reach my right arm up grab her right horn tight earning a gasp bordering on a moan. Swiveling my weight I grab her clothes with my left hand, flipped her over my shoulder, and throwing her down. She gets back into what I assume is a ready stance when the timer bell rings.

"Draw!" Fick says.

"Damn that looked tough."

"Remind me never to fight a Tymerian"

Six hours later I was lying in my bed smoking a cigarette on my DPD running diagnostics on my ATLAS SD. Forbes is sleeping with the sound proof curtain drawn, and Trombley is cleaning his SAW while talking to Miiora who is much more engrossed in eating what looks like a soy baloney sandwich while stripping an M-66C. She lets out a hiss of frustration and I glance around my PDP and see her tail slapping the deck. At the same time the low level aich goes away and I pull up the telemetry data and a smile creeps across my face. Miiora must have seen it because as she slaps the receiver on the now reassembled M-66c. She gives me a tilt of the head.

"Good news gents." I say

"What do you mean?" Miiora asks as I transfer the telemetry to the holo panel.

==========================================================

(Miiora)

"Where are we?" I ask as I gaze at the hologram. The celestial system we are in is very diverse but ordinary. Eight planets orbiting around a single star. I was about to question it when the picture quickly flickers and dozens then hundreds of signatures suddenly appear. Most of the ships are highlighted in either Green(SRA) or blue(NAC) but there are still quite a few other colors around the system.

There is a strange gap and slowing in activity around the fourth planet like an egging ceremony. The asteroid belt is alight with activity, as well as the moons of the outer gas giants. Then the foggy third planet appears and my eyes have to focus for a moment because it looks like the fog is moving. After I focused, I see that it is more space traffic than i have ever seen outside of Eques.

"What is this place?"

"This is the cradle of Humanity Miiora, where we took our first steps. Welcome to Sol."

Chapter 26 Splitting up

(Fallon)

The Manitoba and COG Fleet Twenty Three have been in transit to Earth for four days, and the most heartfelt part of the trip has come. As I lay in my birth, reading up on my newest duty assignment, the lights dim and I sigh, cursing myself for being awake. I swing my legs out and slid out of the bunk before getting dressed and walking to the hatch where I stop.

'Miiora would want to know, it was the most pivotal moment in Human history.' I think to myself before walking over to the Tymerian's sleeping form and patting her bed, failing to wake her. She had her face buried in a pillow when I decide to shake her shoulder but before I make contact, she wakes up. Her left eye snaps open and she tilts her head to look at me with one eye with an annoyed gesture.

"Come on and get dressed. you'll want to see this."

=========================================================

(Miiora)

It is the middle of what passes for night on this ship, and Avery Fallon and I were walking down one of the passageways, when I notice something strange as we walk, the mood on the ship has turned somber. Eventually we ascend a ladder to enter a dome shaped room with hexagonal tiles on the walls. I look around to see there are other Humans here as well as a few other confused looking former slaves. The walls began to flicker and a panoramic view of the outside of the ship appears, revealing this to be an observation deck of some kind. Off to one side of the ship lies a yellow star and on the other, a red planet with cities visible do to their contrast. Above the planet was a space station, the size of the Manticore station above Eques. The space around the station is alight with activity, everything from warships to what I can only assume are civilian vessels buzzing all around the station or between the station and the planet.

"Is that-?" I ask as I look at the planet. Despite the military presence, it looks almost hopeful like it has a spirit all its own.

"No, but it is where we changed."

"Mars was our first colony, our second home. For thousands of years we would look up from Earth and dream. Then, one hundred and twenty-two years ago, we colonized Mars. Over the course of decades, we terraformed her made and her soil bare life. From there we expanded, we lived and had hope for the future. We had a dream that one day, our red planet would be what Earth could not. Then the Lankies arrived in Sol." He explained calmly and all around me I heard others explaining the same thing to other liaisons.

"But I thought you could defeat the Lankies?"

"Now we can, but back then, we didn't have a prayer. When they arrived, the NAC and SRA, who were the only nations who had ships bigger than a frigate or the scarce cruiser at the time, made the run. We hit the Lankies with everything we had. It wasn't anywhere close to enough, they scythed through us as easy as waving your hand. They destroyed the fleet and colonized mars in a matter of weeks, a feat that took us decades. Only the ships who were in lunar drydock were left. We set up a picket with any ship that could fight, and we held the line, but we knew that if the Lankies came, they would take Earth with no effort. When they did, the only thing that saved us was that they only sent one ship. That allowed Colonel Campbell to make the ultimate sacrifice. He sling shotted, went at full burn, and rammed his ship, the Indianapolis, at a thirtieth the speed of light into the Lanky Seed ship. He gave us the chance to destroy that ship. Then we gathered our forces, and after a year we went back. We had with us the two newest ships in our arsenal, the first Siege breakers both created by the NAC, but we shared the other with the SRA, a gesture that continues even today eighty years later. The ships were the NACS-SB-001 Archangel, and SRA-SB-002 Minsk. We hit them with everything we had to rescue the civilians that were still alive on Mars in shelters. We didn't have any of the stuff you saw on Bagmare, no nation had anything like the Atlas. The only nation that rivaled the NAC was the SRA and they went too. We sent dozens of ships, thousands of Marines from both the NAC and SRA as well as a regiment from NE, and any anti-LHO weapon we could come up with in that year and it came out to a draw." He continues before pausing.

"Millions died when the Lankies took Mars. Thousands died in the first attempt at a counterattack after they took it. When we went back to save the civilians the Siege Breakers destroyed their small fleet, but we lost the Archangel as we landed the troops. We saved the civilians but before we could do anything else they pushed us back. Thousands more died when we left, but we discovered that the Lanky settlements are only the beginning. After the majority of the fleet went back to Earth, leaving behind a Watch, we learned that the Lanky settlements were just the beginning, like the tip of a very large iceberg. Seed ships emerged from the cities and we destroyed them, their hulls were the color of Mars’ dirt meaning that the ships grew under their settlements. After we learned this, we destroyed them, we nuked every Lanky settlement on the planet we could find. Weeks later the Watch we left behind was destroyed. When we saw more seed ships arriving from our nodes we knew-"

"You had to take mars back."

"Thats right." He says

"We went back, and this time we had them locked in. We had the research, we had the tech, we had the largest fleet in history, we had the numbers. It took twenty years and at first, it was going well. In space, we met the Lankies at every turn, we drew blood and so did they. On the ground we fought for every inch, every grain of red soil, the hundreds of thousands who had died in the six-year war since we first encountered the Lankies, and every one who had died to get us this far. Every colonist, every man, woman and child, who couldn't fight the Lankies when they arrived and we were winning. But the Lankies kept adapting to our strategies, and changed their strategies in turn to counter ours. And setback after setback, loss after loss, turned what was supposed to be a quick and bloody win, into twenty years of hell." Fallon continues sadly.

The image of the rugged but beautiful red planet changes to show a planet covered in scars, large black marks mar its surface and thick black storms rage over most of its surface. Only in some rare places do spots of red soil appear. Around the planet, the station lies in pieces and the hulks of what look like hundreds of ships both human and the massive hulks of Lanky seed ships drift through space.

"That's all Mars is today. It's hell down there, but it's ours again. We united under one flag, the COG, and refused to go quietly into the night. Now the COG is only formed when a threat to the species arrives, be it a Lanky fleet or now the UEC. Now when anyone passes Mars, we hold the watch. We remember the fallen, we stand the watch, we honor their nobility, we honor their bravery. Remember Mars."

"Remember Mars." the other humans in the room echo in unison.

=========================================================

As we pull into the human space station called Gateway, I grab my kitbag and walk out of the exit hatch of the Manitoba onto the human space station. We walked to the shuttle bay and board a shuttle to go to our new temporary duty stations. Trombley and Forbes were going to TA base Barkan outside of Boston, we shook hands and went our separate ways. Snafu walks away from both Fallon and I, on his way to another shuttle to a place called Coronado, California. He stop like he wants to say something and I stood from my seat but he walked away. I turn to Fallon but see that he is also standing up to walk away.

"Whelp, here we are. I have to report to Luna for my new training. After all, Grayson and I are the only ATLAS pilots left. Look Miiora, follow your PDP, it'll show you where to go. I'll see you in a few months alright, stay Frosty ok." He says to me and holds his hand out. Instead, I give him the tymerian gesture for goodbye, or hug. He chuckled before walking away, holding his kitbag over his left shoulder and waving behind his back with his prosthetic.

A few weeks spent on board Gateway station later, I enter a shuttle to go to the basic training station. The shuttle is filled to the last seat, the cushions are worn, the belts of the harnesses are frayed, and the carpet in the center aisle is a loose collection of fibers that had long lost any semblance of coherence or pattern. It seem they use the oldest equipment they could find as if they wanted to avoid spending a dollar more than necessary on their recruits. The shuttle's engines sent vibrations through the hull and a few minutes, later we were in the Earth sky.

"We’re flying over PRC Pittsburgh 7 now." All of us former slaves looked out of the scuffed windows and we were surprised. It was like something out of the UEC's worst nightmare. Identical looking high rises, all clumped together in a sprawling mass of concrete that resembles a rodent warren. This is where one of my best friends grew up and I almost felt bad, no UEC settlement is this dirty, but now I know why he doesn't like talking about it.

We arrived at the base at four o'clock in the morning and have been airborne for five hours. We could be anywhere in the North American Commonwealth, from Northern Canada to some place called the Panama Canal. When we stepped off into the shuttle, we were whisked off into a waiting bus. As the shuttle left the station, I saw that we’re in an urban area, but there were no high-rise buildings anywhere, and I saw snow capped mountains in the horizon behind the buildings of the city.

The bus ride took another two hours and the landscape outside was almost like a colony in its undeveloped state. I see low rocky hills and scrub-like vegetation that sparsely covered the hillsides. Then we reach our destination. The sudden transition into a military base was startling and the giant alien skeleton decorating the entrance was even more startling. Finally, after many right angle turns onto decreasingly busy side roads, we pulled into a lot in front of a squat, unimpressive, one-story building that looked like an oversized storage unit. The doors of the bus opened and before any of us could contemplate whether or not to stay in our seats or show initiative and get off, an elderly soldier comes up the stairs at the front. She is elderly, her hair is covered in grey streaks, and her face is covered in wrinkles, but she carried herself well and does not let her age show, like a well-maintained piece of equipment. Having been with Avery Fallon all this time, I learned a few things and can see that she is wearing the camo pattern of the NAC’s Home World Defence Corps or the Territorial Army to some. Her sleeves are rolled up neatly with crisp edges in the folds and the bottom of the sleeve was rolled back down over the fold so the camouflage pattern covers the lighter-colored liner of the fatigue jacket. This soldier's expression is one of mild irritation as if our arrival has interrupted some enjoyable activity. She scans the bus for a split second and I felt her eyes lock onto me for a split second.

"Now..." she says.

"You will smartly step off this bus in single file, there are yellow footprints that fit every race on the concrete outside. Each of you will step onto a pair of those footprints. You will not talk, fidget, or scratch yourselves while you do this. If you have anything left in your mouths, it will come out and be left in the trash receptacle of your seat. Execute!" she added with a tone of finality and she stepped out without looking back, as if there was no doubt we will do exactly as she says. When we were all lined up in tidy rows, the soldier from the bus walked around to the front of our ragtag group, straightened out the front of her fatigues with a crisp tug, placed her hands behind her back, and her feet a shoulder's width apart.

"NOW." she says, her eyes falling on me again, and the way she emphasizes that word sounded like she was ensuring more than our attention. As if she wants to make sure we're mentally and physically in the present moment.

"You are among the ten percent of applicants accepted into the armed forces of the North American Commonwealth. Some of you, especially the native humans, may think this makes you special in some way. It does not! You may think that because you made the initial cut we will put in a lot of effort to shape you into soldiers, and help you overcome your individual weaknesses. We will not! You may think that boot camp is something like that stuff you've been watching on the networks. It is not! We will not hit or mistreat you, you may choose to stop following orders at any time. If you fail to obey an order, you will wash out. If you fail to make a passing grade on any examination or skill test, you will wash out. If you strike a fellow recruit or a superior, you will wash out. If you steal cheat or display a bad attitude, you will wash out. When you wash out, nothing will happen to you. You will merely be placed on a shuttle home, you will not owe any money or legal penalties. We will dissolve your contract and you will be a civilian once again. If you are a Former, you will be taken back to Gateway where you may choose to continue your previous job whatever it may be, or board a flight to Fomalhaut. We wash out fifty percent of recruits in basic training and half of you will get killed or maimed in your enlisted period without ever collecting your service certificate at the end. There are forty of you standing on this spot right now and only twenty of you at most will graduate from basic training. Only five of you will muster out in five years. If you find those odds troublesome you may turn around and board the bus behind you once more, it will take you back to the shuttle port where it will take you back to your processing station. If my speech has served to change your mind about being in the service, save yourself and the instructors the work and sweat and step back onto the bus NOW!" She pauses and looks on in anticipation. No one stepped out.

"Well it's good to see that some people have the guts to grab the short end of the stick. I am Command Sergeant Major Brianna Fallon! I fought in the Lanky war and I am going to be your platoons senior drill instructor. I do not care how badass you think you are, because I will fuck you up." She says.

"Now go through that door in single file and find a desk in the room beyond and quietly wait for further instructions. Execute!" the elderly woman said. We began walking to the door when I was pulled aside by Sergeant Major Fallon.

"My grandson speaks highly of you, and you better live up to my expectations. You Better not disappoint me."

Chapter 27 The sins of our fathers

(Fallon)

[Time 01:00]
[South american radiation zone: Brazil ruins]
[Radiation level 500+]

M.O.T.H the newest NAC special forces unit. And NAC’s first contribution to a joint C.O.G special forces unit. The acronym stands for MObile Tactical Human we’re tacticians, corpsmen, snipers, astronauts, and commandos rolled into one. Our specialty is what is known in military circles as DA, or direct action: we perform short-duration operations of surgical precision conducted in hostile, denied, or diplomatically sensitive environments, and sometimes embed with other groups of soldiers as force multipliers. You want someone seized, something recovered or terminated quietly, and all without stirring up a political shitstorm, you call us up. We pilot the NAC’s LHO walkers or ATLAS mechs. Atlas stands for All, Terrain, Land, Assault, System. At first, before the discovery of the UEC the Atlas was going to be used in conjunction with other C.O.G LHO walkers, LHO standing for Large Hostile Organism referring to the Lankys. The Atlas would work in conjunction the N.E’s transforming Gungnir fighters, and the U.A.F’s Siafu mechs to do jobs that an entire company of conventional troops can't. Like go down into Lanky cities or bases and destroy them or gather information. But the ATLAS mechs have proven on Bagmare that they can be used to great effect against conventional ground targets. Today I am in one of these hostile environments, without my ATLAS SD-0624.

“Amp, Fuckfaces’ heading your way.” I report prompting my computer to mark the hostiles with red outlines. As I level my M-66 i look down the scope I have mounted to my rifle thumbing the firing selector. And check my jets as bullets strike the wall ally wall in front of me. The jump jets were originally only used by the NAC’s Helldivers have now leaked into the MOTH’s and a few other SOCOM units.

The Jets allow the user to “Stack” multiple bursts to reach high ledges and rooftops, and survive falls that would usually kill a person. Usually, a full fuel tank would give you thirty bursts, but you would never want to use all of them on one jump because if you fail to keep track of your fuel you could find yourself quickly falling to your death from a jump that you miscalculated. The Jump pack or “Kit” as it is called by works with a set of inlaid gyroscopic sensors, to keep the user level and its nozzles can manually be angled with the tactical computer in your armor to allow for bursts of speed. A very skilled user like some of the veteran Helldivers have learned to use their jump jets to wall run apparently.

The armor I have on is a mish-mash of NAC, NE, UAF, and SRA battle armor and doesn't fit all that well, being too tight in some places and too loose in others. But it keeps the radiation out so I am ok with a little discomfort. In world war three the nukes that were dropped turned most of South America and the areas outside of the major countries into radioactive wastelands. Now, these BlackZones are ruthless free fire zones home to the worst of scum, deserters, sympathizers, raiders, drug lords, and traitors just to name a few. And today is MOTH team-1’s graduation exam, our trial by fire, right smack in the middle of one of the worst Blackzones around worse than any category five PRC back in the NAC. Today we were to infiltrate the Wyren Raider camp and data cylinder sold to the leader of the Wyren by a now executed traitor. Simple In and out but plans rarely survive first contact with the enemy. Amp was spotted when he got the info now we have to get to the extraction point without dying horribly.

“Ice, I'm coming your way.” He sends over tac-link. Beside me, the bleached bones of an American soldier rest, a gust of wind blows some of the grit from its body revealing a set of glinting dog tags. On a whim I reach down and snatch them up, stuffing them into a pouch.

“Time to go home.” I say to one of my fallen ancestors. There is a series of gushing sounds before Amp lands on the roof beside me. I take a step forward shouldering my M-66 and letting off a burst into the chest of the first scumbag to round the corner. As the first RAD suit wearing thug drops two more round the corner. The one on the right explodes as an LHO round slams into her chest and beside her the now mortified thug slumps over dead, two flechette wounds in his chest. Looking up I see Chuy and Baker respectively, the team's two caterpillars fist bumping on another end of the rooftop.

“Hey dick head, you have the code cylinder?”

“You know it.” Amp responds opening a pouch and showing it to me.

“How are we supposed to get down from here?”

“Jump, genus. Let's go caterpillars.” Amp says as I make the form up hand sign while sending the same signal over the tac-link. The four of us then take running starts and jump using our jets to jump to a lower rooftop on the other side of the street. As we make our way out of the city I can't help but stare at the massive skeletons of Lankys littering the area, and remember the stories my grandmother told be about when the Lankys made planet fall.

==============================================

[NAC training center Orum]

Week 1

“Private Miiora! I'm about three seconds from beating on you like white on rice!” SCM Fallon yells. I have no idea what Miiora has done to piss off the sergeant but i have a feeling we are about to feel it.

“Platoon! Half right, face! Front leaning rest position! Hooa!”

“IN CADENCE! One, two, three!”

“ONE!” we all yell as we do push ups.

Week 2

“Look at you Fat ass! What is your malfunction!? You are worse than that scaly slut fuck over there!” The CSM yells at the one fat guy in our platoon, coming at him with the knife hands.

“Why Command sergeant major!?”

“Get your ass out of here! No fat body, non-running, fatty cake-cake, eaten sloppy ham sandwich, will ever fall into our ranks again, Not on my watch! GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY DEFENCE CORPS!”

Week 3

“What do we have here Private Miiora!? An unlocked footlocker!?” The SCM proceeded to trash Miioras bunk, and throw the contents of her footlocker everywhere.

Week 8

“WHERE THE HELL IS YOUR PT BELT!?.... ANSWER ME!”

“Don't worry about it! Everyone else will push until he gets his PT belt! Platoon! Half right, face!”

Week 9

“Private who the hell taught you how to salute!?” CSM Fallon

“You did Command sergeant major!”

“Mmmhmm, I didn't teach you that! Platoon! Half right, face!”

Week 14

“HAY SPIDER! GET THE FUCK UP THAT OBSTACLE!.... I DON'T GIVE A FUCK IF YOUR BODY WON'T LET YOU!..... ARE YOU QUITTING ON ME!?”

“GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE! YOUR WORSE THAN THAT FUCKEN BITCH, AT LEAST SHE CAN GET UP THE FUCKEN OBSTACLE!”

==============================================

(Miiora)

To say that graduation was lackluster would be an understatement, usually, in the UEC the commander in charge of recruit training would give an inspiring speech to rouse the new soldiers and fill them with pride. But instead, we have a small ceremony with the platoon barracks in which we are sat down by our drill instructors and have a receive our placement orders. I can't tell you much about boot camp due to contractual obligations (This is a real thing) but I can tell you some of the “better” parts.

One time CSM Fallon told us two days ahead of time that we would have a barracks inspection. So we as a platoon shined the floors, made the beds pristine, shined our boots or whatever passes and polished our battle armor. And when the CSM came in with the other drill instructors all carrying buckets, she took one look around before nodding prompting the other instructors to overturn their buckets dumping sand into the middle of the floor. The other instructors then proceeded to tear our beds down and throw the coverings across the floor and room, while stomping around in the sand getting it everywhere. After they had the barracks covered in the sand she had our boots scuffed before getting directly in my face, with knife hands so sharp they could cut diamonds.

“PRIVATE! THIS PLACE IS A FUCKING PIGSTY! Platoon Gingerbread men NOW!” she yelled in my face. I was heart broken the platoon spent our entire weekend making our barracks spotless. But we got down and after being covered in water and proceeded to cover every inch of our body's head to talon in sand. Once we were properly covered the CSM Fallon said the words no one wanted to hear.

“Platoon! Half right, face! Front leaning rest position! Hooa!”

“IN CADENCE!” But now we have made it through and we can get on with our lives or carriers.

“Stacker! Third marines! You're going to be a tanker”

“Durge! Sixth battalion, twelfth marines, Infantry”

“Starnes! Homeworld defense congratulations.”

“Gould, Navy, Combat aviator.”

“Miiora, same you had before. Report to the transient personnel unit tomorrow where you will meet up with your handler and you both will wait to report to the Manitoba.” CSM Fallon says with a smile to me.

=======================================================

[UEC Space]

This It is morning as the UEC eighth expeditionary fleet exits the warp bubble around Volk station a deep space anchorage in preparation to go to the new Celestial system reported by . The Ponycubus a scout ship of the fleet came into contact with a type of ship that does not match the registry of any known NAC ship or its allies. Over the past few months the UEC has engaged in multiple battles over and on colony planets, valent UEC forces giving their lives in the service of the Conclave.” A reporter says from the bridge of the flagship of the eight fleet the Loyalties Promise.

The alien ship is roughly sword shaped and rests at three hundred meters long, its dual pointed prow extending far beyond the rear where on the bottom half of the ship six bar shapes flair out, On the rear of which lie the engines. The ship is very skeletal in design but looks like it could put on a world of hurt if it came down to it. On either side of the ship lies a strange symbol. And at the aft end are six engine blocks, connected to the main body of the ship by what looks like a large circle cut into a section of the hull.

“Attention, UEC fleet, You are trespassing on Independent territory. Leave now or you will be fired upon” A voice comes over the loudspeaker following a hailing request.

“To whom am I speaking?” the commander a zebra named Blink says activating the video screen.

“I am captain Kain, Be warned UEC this is an independent colony, Leave now. We will not warn you again.” A rasping voice responds as a figure appears. The figure looks Human but its face is covered in a helmet and the bulky jacket and armor make it even harder to tell.

“Then you will die. Fire.” the commander responds. prompting the Loyalties Promise to turn to starboard to bring its firing lens to bear. As the ship angles itself its mounted turrets swivel and fire a barrage of magical energy followed by a second barrage of missiles. The ship in response swiveled its engines and launches something behind it where it then shoots off into the black of space, before disappearing into the warp bubble.

The ship itself knowing the odds of taking on an entire fleet single handed then fires its engines and surges forward quickly closing the gap between it and the Ponycubus. The ship fires its engines to get away only for the alien ship to track it and begins to crackle with electricity being generated by the large circle. The ribs of the alien ship arc with electricity before at the last second before impact, streams of lightning burst from the rib-like spike-like protrusions slam into the shields of the Ponycubus quickly overloading them. The UEC ship dies silently and violently as the unknown alien ship slams into her hull, before the two ships explode violently.

Two days later another smaller ship would emerge and connect itself to the communications tower on Volk station. The ship transmitted one message, while another ship went to human space to transmit a message for help.

===========================================

All across the UEC Twilivision screens that were once showing the NAC’s demoralizing public execution of the captured human sympathizers have their images changed. On the image now is a rotating symbol made up of a red circle, separated into thirds by three interlacing black arrows making a Y formation. The image then changes to show a black night on an unknown planet. Then to a plinth showing a human, behind which kneeled six UEC soldiers all beaten and chained.

“Brothers, sisters. I envy you, to fight the enemy of our nation, to face the people who would deny us even our right to breath is an honor we all aspire too. Our flag means nothing if not held aloft by the hands of the mighty, and it is you who now carries it. For many years we have been a broken nation, scarred, by thoughts of what would happen to us if were discovered by the UEC! But we were given hope! One hundred years ago we asked for time and that time was granted by you the strength in our arm the holders of our dreams. Our forefathers embarked in the greatest exodus in the history of all mankind, ours was the first beyond our home. Our new world changed our bodies, and our new interstellar neighbors would have taken us if we had been detected. At first, this weakened us, in fact, we were growing stronger. In the time we have been given we have rebuilt our nation, we have built our strength, and we have built our pride! Our allies at home have been informed of our plight, and that while we wait for them we will fight for who we are. We will wear our wounds like badges of honor, and we will die before we let our world fall to slavers. The enemy may shatter our bodies but they can not break our spirit. As our allies make their way here the history of these days will be written in blood, by crushing the armies of our enemy, by fighting for our very existence, and unleashing such vengeance that generations yet unborn will cry out in anguish. Even now they advance on our home to conquer by force what they can not claim by right…” The man nodded to somepony off screen prompting a helmeted human to step forward and begin executing the UEC prisoners.

“BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WE WILL NOT REASON! THEY WILL SWEEP OVER US LIKE THE VEAL OF DEATH, BUT NEVER WILL WE BOW BEFORE THEM. NEVER WILL WE ENDURE THEIR OPPRESSION. NEVER WILL WE ENDURE THEIR TYRANNY. WE WILL KILL WITHOUT WARNING AND WITHOUT MERCY, FIGHTING AS ONE HAND, ONE HEART, ONE SOUL. WE WILL SHATTER THEIR DREAMS, AND HAUNT THEIR NIGHTMARES, DRENCHING OUR ANCESTORS GRAVES WITH THEIR BLOOD. AND AS THEIR LAST BREATH TEAR AT THEIR LUNGS. AS WE RISE UP FROM THE DEPTHS OF OUR FEAR THEY WILL KNOW……..

That Helghan, belongs to the Helghast.”

Author's Note

a few things.

sorry for the long wait, I had some personnel issues, like my editor quitting to work on his own stories, and do to personal issues with my writing style,
my re-enlistment currently having some trouble.
i was having some technical issues with my Idea man/girl (You know who you are).
i had a bit of writers block.
the reason I cant do a more in-depth boot camp thing is because i am contractually obligated not to.
I am looking for a new editor so pm me if you are interested.
So I hope you can understand, sorry for any issues with the chapter, i tried my very best i could with it.

Chapter 28 Welfare Riot

“WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT!” A young man yells at the civil servant behind the bulletproof glass of a square bunker-like structure.

“SIR, Step back from the window, NOW!”. The police officer in full riot gear yells reaching for his shock stick.

“Hey fuck you, man! We need more food!” a middle-aged woman yells.

“Well, that's not possible. You know we are at war with the Lankys, and now the UEC, that's why the Rations were cut by half, you know that” another officer comments before his clubbed from behind. In response to this, the other two officers forego their shock sticks and raise their PDW's.

"ALRIGHT PARTY's OVER, DISPERSE!" a young woman in an old United states army BDU displaying a patch with an orange LB on her shoulder yells, raising her M4.

“All according to plan.” In the distance a lone figure says setting his sights on the last portion of the mission, to cause discord.

============================================================================

(Trombley)

Fort Shugart is its own little city, everything we need is available to us within the safety of the base, we have our own movie theaters, clubs, sports facilities and swimming pools. There's even a park in a quiet corner of the base complete with duck pond, walking trails, and benches. When were in garrison, the work day ends at five in the afternoon, during the weekdays we train in the field, we go to the shooting range, we sit in classrooms and listen to lectures, or we do weapons and equipment maintenance. But at five in the afternoon the day officially ends and were off until seven in the morning. Most of us have dinner in the chow hall and then hang out at the enlisted club, catch a movie, or play softball out in the well maintained domed ball fields beyond the vehicle park.

The married soldiers go home to their families and their on base housing in the residential section. Which looks like any other generic suburban neighborhood outside of a PRC, but most of us junior enlisted are single and are cordoned in our squad rooms. It feels a bit like high school only with guns and uniforms, and instead of learning trigonometry or North American history... we learn better ways to kill people and blow up their stuff.

I like my temporary squad mates, the first squad tries harder, works harder, and has more fun than all of the other squads. It seems that some of the luster of having Formers among us has rubbed off on the squad. Creating a sort of unspoken obligation to meet a higher standard, most of my squad mates are funny and personable. The kind of people I would have wanted to befriend back home, here people aren't constantly trying to fuck you over for BNA rations and black market pills.

Only fire team bravo’s leader Hanson mostly keeps to herself, she rarely joins in when we go for a game of pool and a few drinks at the enlisted club. There's something intimidating about her and it's not just the unusually stern expression or the tattoos around her eyes. And as far as I can tell she spends most of her free time running, practicing drills, and studying field manuals on her PDP. The other members of my squad are more approachable and familiar. Stratton is the joker of the group, Phillip is thoughtful and laid back, Priest is a poker fiend and a skirt chaser, and Blurg is a big, hairy, very strong, yet good natured spider.

Kile is a bit of a “chevron sniffer” which is what they call the guys who try to buddy up to the senior NCO's. But he's competent and always willing to switch crap jobs with others so nobody minds it too much. Then there is the only one I actually knew beforehand, however, and that's Miiora. And her newly shed ruby red scales, untraceable accent, stunning figure, and general exotic nature combine to make her the prettiest girl in the company. And virtually all of the guys and some of the girls have a crush on her, she's also deadly efficient at hand to hand combat which is why her admirers content themselves with looking rather than touching.

I can't deny that Miiora is easy on the eyes but my mind still fresh with memories of Bagmare. Having seen her rip and tear through UEC troops reminds me that if you piss her off, despite her caring and kind attitude she Will absolutely fuck you up. I remember when she came off of the shuttle, and to say that she looked lost was an understatement. And her look of utter dismay upon learning that the Sarge wasn't here yet, was almost heartbreaking.

========================================================================

(Miiora)

I am lounging in my bunk playing half-heartedly with my tail, as I read up on human cities. When the door to our squad room bursts open and we all begin to hear the base alarms begin going off. As a result of this rather abrupt interruption, I rather unceremoniously and embarrassingly fall out of my bunk and onto my face.

“The shit has hit the fan friends and neighbors!” Sergeant Forbes is already in full battle armor when he strides into the squad room, where we are still scrambling to get ready. The alarm is still trailing in the hallway outside and the read light from the overhead LEDs is backlighting SGT Forbes ominously.

“What is happening sergeant Forbes?” Blurg booms from one end of the room as he strapped on pieces or “armor”. And we all silence our activities to hear Seargent Forbes’s answer.

“Welfare Riot. One of the PRC’s up in Memphis.” The mood in the room instantly goes from excitement to anxiety, and it feels like a breeze of New Svalbard air has just come through the door with Sergeant Forbes. I look over to Blurg who only shrugs but the feeling of dread coming off of the rest of the squad is palpable. I have no idea what a welfare Riot is but it must be pretty bad, if the body language from the usual juvenile Trombley is anything to go by.

“Fuck me.” Hanson mutters under his breath, and my other squadmates mutter their assent as we finish putting on our battle armor.

“What is a welfare riot like?” I ask trombely as I struggle to put on the same set of battle armor I had received before going to Bagmare and he gives me a look.

“I've seen a welfare riot before, not the actual riot but the aftermath. When I was ten or eleven we had one in our PRC, when an alliance of Hood rats, hoodlums, lunatics, and wannabe revolutionaries tried to torch every government installation in sight. The government did what it always does when the local police force can't keep a lid on things. They sent in the Military, three full battalions of HD complete with armor and air support. Even with the overwhelming technological advantage of the HD and the support of the local Lazarus brigades a local militia in most PRC’s, the fighting lasted for five days. My mom kept me home from school for a week which was cool. But kept me from going outside for that whole week which sucked. And when I finally emerged from our apartment three days after the fighting had stopped there were there were HD and Lazarus on every corner, and they still hadn't cleaned up all of the rubble, burned cars or the bodies yet.”

“Get geared up gents, don't bother with the tents and toiletries, this one's just down the road.”

Of all of the Metroplex’s in the country, Memphis is one of the worst. The center of the city is ringed with no fewer than thirty PRC’s, and over eighty percent of Metroplex residents are on the dole. Sixteen million people in greater Memphis and ten million of them are crammed into concrete shoe boxes stacked one hundred high.

“Been to a PRC before Miiora?” Priest asks as I fix the quick release locks on his battle armor for him.

“No, but my han- friend, Sgt Fallon grew up in one. And from what he told me I can understand why he wouldn't want to go back to one.”

“Yeah, well you'll have a rifle and a dropship hovering overhead.”

“At least the rioters don't have tanks.” Trombley says

“Yeah well, there's going to be a lot of ‘em. And if we have to start shooting you better hope they run out of courage before we run out of ammo.” Forbes responds. The dropships are warming up their engines as we get off of the bus from the barracks. I look to my left and see two platoons of green armored HD grunts piling into their respective dropships. And to my right, I can see another dropship with its cargo hatch lowered and an armored Mule drives into the cargo hold before the whole ship lifts off and flies off into the night.

Then there is a loud whooshing noise and I reflexively duck my head down as one of the drop ships the Fighting Ninth used on Bagmare, a Cazador gunship I believe Avery Fallon explained to me with a strange insect painted on the side screams overhead. With a bit of trepidation, we strap in, secure our weapons and watch as the rest of the platoon does likewise. The summer night is hot and humid, and the air smells like fuel.

“Hooly shit… That's a MOTH dropship.” one of my platoon mates exclaims.

“Shit must be bad.” another responds.

“First platoon listen up! We’ll only be airborne for about thirty minutes so we're going to skip the formalities and top down briefings for today….” We hear over the “all platoon” channel.

“Our objective is the civic Admin center at PRC Memphis 6, we’re dropping in with the second platoon….” The tactical displays on our helmets activate and LT Peal runs us through the specifics of our mission. The target building looks like every other civil center in the NAC, a squat five-story building with small windows and reinforced concrete walls.

“Second platoon will land on the roof and do a top-down sweep of the building to secure it. Our mission is to drop down on the outside of the building and secure it. We're deploying one squad on every corner of the building. The other platoons are securing other objectives in the aria, and a MOTH team has been sent in to lend us some support with their Atlas Mechs if possible. Don't rely on them they have their own objectives to deal with. If anyone tries to get near this building you will strongly discourage them.”

“What if we get mobbed LT?”

“Then you knock them down. I'm not going to lose any troops because some rioters decided to start something they couldn't finish.”

============================================

[Memphis]
(Trombley)

The drop ship descends into Memphis the conventional way, not the white-knuckle ride of a combat landing but an almost casual ride that almost feels like a landing back home at the TPU. The skids of the ship touchdown, the rear cargo doors fold down as we get out of our seats and gather your weapons. The scene outside looks like something out of a disaster movie. We step out onto the big square outside of the civil administration center and immediately lower our visors to seal our helmets against the acrid smoke of dozens of fires.

The riot was probably in full swing when we arrived overhead and in the distance we can see people running for cover, wisely yielding the square to the drop ship bristling with ordnance. At one end of the square, there is one of the bunkers where they give out BNA rations, and the glass inside is covered in blood, no doubt by a gunshot from inside. And on the ground next to the bunker lies the body of a riot cop next to the bullet-ridden corpse of a Lazarus brigade soldier. Her old American M4 missing no doubt stolen by one of the rioters. The front of the administration building is covered in scorch marks and most of the windows on the first floor have been shattered. I see shell casings from old fashioned brass cased ammunition everywhere.

“Let's move out! Find cover and watch your sectors!” the platoon splits up as directed and the first quad moves to the front left corner of the building at a run. Overhead second platoons dropship makes a noisy landing on the roof of the administration building. And I can here the hydraulic whining of the cargo ramp all the way down at street level with the enhanced audio pickup of my helmet speakers.

Behind us, our drop ship discourages the last members of third and fourth squads. I look back over my shoulder as the hatch on our ship closes and the pilot immediately goes gear up. Dropships are most vulnerable on the ground where they're sitting ducks to incoming fire. And their pilots don't like to spend one more moment than necessary with their skids on the dirt.

“There's shit for cover here sarge.” Stratton says over the squad channel. Use those pillars over there. Sergeant Forbes orders and our helmet displays briefly flash a target marker overlay.

The administration building has a second floor that overhangs the first one just a little. There are concrete pillars holding up the overhang at regular intervals. We hunker down near the pillars near our assigned building corner and scan the area for threats. The area around a civil center is usually the cleanest and safest patch of real estate in the PRC. If that is true here in Memphis six then judging by the fact that we can already see some of the rioters milling around, the rest of the place must be a complete dump.

=====================================================================

[PRC Memphis 6]
[MOTH Team-1]
(Fallon)

You can tell how a man died by the smell. A man who died of a gut wound smelled the worst, followed a close second by a guy who had suffered a grenade wound. Burn deaths smell like roast pig, cranial wounds smell strangely of fish someone told me it was the eyes, sometimes lung wounds smell of tobacco, heart wounds smell like blood metallic and coppery. The man on the ground below me had died of a head wound and the fishy smell of him filled my nostrils followed strangely by the smell of pig. Around me, the members of MOTH tema-1’s alpha platoon are spaced in an equilateral triangle as I stand next to Hijack.

We have been sent here to deal with the start of a, particularly bad welfare riot. In the past few weeks, there have been more and more Riots all triggered by one man a Rick Styles. Intelligence tracked him to PRC Memphis 6, and our mission is simple to find Rick Styles and neutralize him. That is until we saw this body in a neighborhood where he is known to operate, there are many other bodies in the street but this one stands out.

“Not a usual head wound, see the scoring around the edge? That's energy scoring but whatever did this much damage had to have enough mass to do this amount of damage, that means that what caused this was one of three things. One a very small plasma-based weapon, a high-intensity laser at point blank range, or an energy bolt.” Hijack says

“What like some of those bolts of energy fired by unicorns?” I ask probing the sound with my artificial hand.

“Could be, but no unicorn could even make it one foot on earth without getting shot on sight.” Hijack responds.

“Drones have eyes on the target.” Bishop the team leader says from off to my right.

“Copy let's move. Amp, Iceman take the point.” I flash my acknowledgment to Bishop who takes up a position beside Hijack as we advance.

As we advance along the sidewalk we begin to see more rioters begin to move into the street we had just vacated. A hydro car screams around a street corner almost one hundred meters from us, hanging from one of the rear windows a hood rat wields a black market assault rifle. We were going let the car pass but that was until the guy levels the weapon at us, in response one of the caterpillars lets one round fly from his M-90 LHO rifle. The car explodes spectacularly as the depleted uranium tipped round designed to wound or kill Lankys slams into the engine block dispensing its aerosolized high explosive and detonates.

====================================================

(Miiora)

The buildings I had once thought would be beautiful in their rustic human design are all dilapidated, most of the windows are boarded up and there are gaps in the rows of houses where old buildings have been partially stripped and torn down for raw materials. Most of the strangely designed human street eliminators are out and I have a feeling that if it wasn't for my natural night vision, and the infrared enhanced feed from the sensors mounted on my helmet I wouldn't be able to see much in the late evening darkness.

“Where the is everypo- everybody?” I ask accidentally slipping up and reverting to the UEC method of speech.

“Waiting for the dropships to be out of sight.” Hanson responds tersely. Overhead second platoons dropship lifts off and roars into the dirty night sky. There is the bang of a breaching charge as the second platoon detonates the rooftop access door. Everything is going like clockwork…

“Uh’oh!” somepony says over the squad channel. My tactical display lights up with hundreds of red diamond symbols as the rioters come out of cover and stream back toward the admin key. I have no Idea how those back alleys and dark lots could hold so many humans just out of sight. Now they're streaming back into the street first in pairs, then dozens, and finally hundreds. I check the tactical map and the same scene is repeating itself on the plaza where the fourth squad keeps watch

“I believe we have incoming.” Blurg booms over the platoon channel and he sound as calm as if he was telling us that his species evolved from spiders.

“No shit. Put some gas rounds into those launchers.” Forbes replies.

The loops on the front of my battle armor hold two clutches of grenades for my rifles launcher, twelve I believe the human number is. Two of them are rubber rounds, three buckshot rounds, one is a standard HE round and the remaining six are chemical crowd control munitions. The kind the human military rather jovially call “Less Lethal” which is technically a true designation. For truth in presentation, however, the term should be “Very slightly less lethal”.

There filled with a particularly unpleasant chemical agent that will creep through any mask or filter short of shield battle armor. In basic, we all had to endure ten seconds of exposure to the riot gas in the chemical warfare portion of our training. And I know that whatever the humans put into those grenades makes anyone on the receiving end wish they had been shot with live ammunition instead.

I pluck a gas grenade from my harness and stuff it into the grenade launcher. To my right, my squadmates are following suit. With the exception of Trombley who doesn't use an M-66. I scan the gathering crowd for weapons and I am unsettled to see that just about everyone out there carries something suitable for stabbing, clubbing, or shooting. On the UEC Homeworld a mob like this would be dealt with fast and could never be in the first place, do in part to the vast population difference between Earth and Equis, and the general mindset of the inhabitants.

Humans are an aggressive species, do impart to their vast range of emotions, and contradictory ideas but that makes them so appealing to virtually every other race in the UEC. Earth and Humanity are like a Mirror of Equis and its native species. It is fascinating, but my fascination with the species won't protect me from the comparatively better off humans of this PRC if they only knew that these conditions were only a fraction of what the UEC slave cast must deal with. But despite these thoughts, I to my horror feel no guilt as I sight in on the encroaching crowd.

“DO NOT APPROACH!” Forbes tells our commo kits have a public address function which we rarely ever use outside of playing pranks on platoon mates.

“DISPERSE AT ONCE OR WE WILL OPEN FIRE!” The crowd responds with angry shouts and by now the crowd is close enough to throw stuff at us, which they do with enthusiasm.

“Launchers Free. Live ammo only as Self Defence.” Forbes orders.

We are nine troopers seven of us are from different branches of the military, two of us are Formers, and all of us are in the Transient personnel unit which means we were never meant to fight together. The crowd in front of us, however, numbers in the hundreds, we’re outnumbered fifty to one and if they overrun our position they’ll beat or stab us to death. On the most part, I have never been scared of humans save for one or two. But now facing a tidal wave of Humanity at its most primal I begin to feel the first tendrils of fear. That makes this event a self-defense scenario by definition in my book, but I obey and keep by claw away from the trigger of my rifle.

Around me, my squad mates are sighting in their launchers and I join in, aiming at the middle of the advancing crowd. The alien rifle bucks in my claws as I launch a grenade into the first row of rioters. The grenade explodes with a muffled crack and suddenly there is a cloud of white crowd control agent expanding from the impact point. Between our eight grenades, the entire width of the street is covered in white smoke, the gas has stopped the movement of the flood of humanity instantly. And I watch as “one hundred?” of their number gasp for air on their hands and knees.

We fire another round of grenades farther into their ranks into the crowd that is now scattering to avoid the noxious white gas. To our left gunshots are crackling across the plaza in front of the Admin key where the fourth squad is holding the line. The gunfire doesn't sound like the horse high pitched report of the NAC service rifle but rather the popping noise of UEC weapons fire. Then I remember that Humanity at one point in their history used weapons eerily similar to the UEC’s current weapons. A few moments later fourth squad returns fire, first one rifle then two firing short bursts of flechette rounds in response and it looks like things are swiftly curling tail.

“Mind your sectors! Anyone shoots live rounds you shoot tight the hell back!” Forbes yells

The crowd is now mostly in disarray, but it looks like some of them still have a fight on their minds.There's a burst of gunfire from the edge of the riot, the sharp staccato of an automatic weapon. To my right, Kile yells as several rounds hit his battle armor. He stumbles, regains his footing, and then scurries behind cover like a man trying to get out of a sudden hail storm. The first burst of live fire from the crowd means the gloves are coming off and I flick off the safety catch in front of the rifle's trigger. When the shooter fires another burst the thermal bloom from his weapon shows up like a signal flare. I aim my rifle at the rioter and squeeze the trigger, the shooter drops in a cloud of concrete dust. Now there are shots ringing out all over the street in front of us, some of the rioters scatter out of the line of fire and others regain their courage and come back surging toward us. Throwing objects and shouting decidedly unfriendly words.

“Be advised, I have women and children in my line of fire.” Phillip comes over the tac link.

“Are you ordering me to fire into the crowd, over?” Hanson asks

“YES GOD DAMN IT, WASTE THE MOTHERFUCKERS!” the platoon commander yells as a titanic screech fills the air.

“ENGAGE! ENGAGE! OPEN FIRE!” Forbes yells. As we surge forward to engage something hits Blurg in the chest blowing the Kleese off of his legs and rendering him to chunks of chitin and green matter.

============================================================

(Fallon)

We are currently engaging the target, his bodyguards have backed him into the park surrounded by large rocks. Unfortunately, some of the armed civilians have joined in on the side of Styles. To their back lies the large and damaged husk of a Lanky seed pod that landed during the second battle of earth.The scale of these fifth gen PRC’s around us is overwhelming. Each block a self-contained unit of four towers. That reach one hundred floors into the night sky over one thousand vertical feet.

The massive black slab is illuminated by the fires and looms ominously before a bright green flash like a flash bang grenade illuminates. The light is so bright that my helmet's visor has to dim to protect my eyes, and when my sight returns I see the pastel chitinous carapace of a changeling. It looking around I can't seem to see what happened except that the seedpod doesn't have any graffiti on it. I raise my rifle only to get hit in the shoulder and forced back into cover. We are about one hundred meters from the entrance of a fourth-gen housing block, four hundred floor towers forming a square with ten-meter tall concrete walls on the outside.

“WHAT THE FUCK!” Hijack yells. All fire in the park stops as a titanic crash fills the air, followed by a sound like rock sliding against a rock. One of the Lazarus brigade troopers that arrived to lend us support raises his ancient M4 and begins firing into the air. I look around the corner to see the Changeling going on a monolog like all UEC personnel do for some reason, before shooting him in the head.

There is a titanic stretch like nothing on earth. A titanic trilling whale that rocks us to the bone and despite my helmet cutting all external audio I feel like i have just had ice picks jammed into my ears. All around me I can see that some people not wearing battle armor rolling on the ground covering their bleeding ears. Then the ground shakes and I look over to the position of the pod where the Changeling was, nothing there. I remember the Lazarus trooper and look in the direction he has shooting and is greeted with a massive three fingered hand grasp the edge of the now gaping maw of the pod. I don't need to see the rest of its body to know what is unfolding itself from the fifty-year-old, damaged seedpod.

“BACK UP NOW!” I hear Bishop yell into the comm there is no hesitation before the Cazadores response.

“Standby for Atlas Fall.” There is a thunderous roar as three Cazador dropships swoop down from nowhere and drop their payloads. Three Atlas mechs land with a crash, one green with yellow lights, one black blue lights, and one white with red lights.

“Iceman, Amp, Hijack provide cover fire for us. FALL BACK!” As one of the dropships flies to the left of the seed pod, another massive slab of the seedpod slides upwards and a massive hand snaps out. Swatting the drop ship from the air like a toy, I can hear the screams of the dropships crew as it careens into a building and explodes.

I sprint towards SD using my jump jets for a burst of speed. SD’s massive hand reaches out and wraps its fingers around my waist and torso. Before lifting me off of my feet and into the cockpit, after the startup sequence, the panoramic view of SD’s cameras fills my vision. And below shards fly up as my feet crunched into the gravel under foot. That's right I no longer thought of those feet as SD’s but mine. I was SD-0624 now an Atlas mech designed for combat, bread dealing death. I was reborn as a being of ceramic, steel, servo motors, bullets no one, not man, not pony, not even Lanky can defy me. I almost wish one of the big bastards would come out already so I can prove myself. Then again that probably wasn't a good Idea “Don't fall for your own bullshit Fallon" I tell myself.

=====================================================

(Trombley)

By the end of we have lost Blurg, Hanson, Phillip, and Kile. Leaving us with only myself, Forbes, Miiora, and Starron. As the rioter hits the ground a thunderous explosion echoes throughout the PRC. The sound of tires screeching assaults my ears as three old U.S LAV’s scream around a corner followed closely by the angled form of an old Abrams tank. All of these vehicles have an LB symbol painted on the side, and as they pass us the more familiar design of two Mules roll up to us as the unmistakable forms of three Grizzly main battle tanks roll past at full speed.

“Attention all ground units, attention all ground units, Lanky incursion at sector sixty-one, point nine section eight.”

“Sir request permission to go with the mules?”

“GO!”

“Let's MOVE PEOPLE!” Forbes yells

What's left of third squad piles into the Mule and we begin thundering down the road. We are jostled and thrown around the cab as the mule damn near drifts around corners and finally thrown into one another as the vehicle comes to a screeching halt. When we exit the vehicle our helmets immediately cut the audio, in the streets, there is a mish-mash of Lazarus, hood rats, and HD troops all firing their weapons at something. We are about to round the corner when the massive clawed foot of an atlas slams down in front of us. Looking up I see that it is the bipedal form of a green Atlas mech firing around the corner. It pulls back from around the corner as a massive stone slams into the building beside it.

“Wait.” a familiar voice comes over the speaker. That's when the ground shakes and a tank comes flying down the street like a missile and slams into a group of armed hood rats. The Atlas then holds its autocannon in one hand before giving the squad the knife hands bathing us in the golden light of its sensor bulbs, and giving us the advance hand signal.

The first squad surges around the corner to see one of the large eighty-foot aliens fall to its knees, as one of the three atlas units on our HUD scores a solid hit on its knee joint. It emits a pained wail as it swipes its massive arm to the side batting aside a squad of Lazarus brigade troops crushing their bones. Their body's pinwheel through the air bonelessly and they crash into the concrete walls of a building where they stop with a wet crunch as every organ and bone in their body explode. It then raises its other arm grabbing one of the HD troops and throws her behind it like a toy. Her screams fill the net as she sails into the night through the dust and smoke.

On the ground beside the two Lankies, another lanky lies motionless its body covered in holes. I raise my weapon followed by the others and we empty our magazines into the lankies. Our rounds bounce harmlessly against the lanky's thick hide. Then there is a zipper sound as a two Cazador dropships let loose with their rotary autocannons. One of the Lanky's bellows in pain as a dragonfly's launches a pair of AT missiles into its side.

================================================

(Miiora)

The human's rage at being attacked by these great beasts of Ivory colored hide is frightening. The rioters who were once shooting at us are now streaming passed us in droves firing any weapon they have. Those who can't fight are running ammunition and to the NAC troopers who can. There are humans dying in droves their bodies being broken by the beasts all in an attempt to keep them from leaving the park. The looks of the purest anger I have ever seen mark their faces, many of the HD troopers have their visors raised, teeth bared, and eyes wide as they pore magazines into the Lanky's.

The beast that was just hit with a pair of missiles raises to its full height and snatching one of the dragonfly’s out of the sky before crushing it in its hand. It then lowers its cranial shield in front of its body deflecting a round of tank shells, before taking a step to the left picking up another tank and throwing it into a building. However this left it open and with another barrage of missiles, tank shells, and Atlas fire the Lankys entire arm is blown right off at the shoulder.

The beast falls to the ground trying to use its other arm to catch itself, but the enraged humans don't give it the chance. A rocket sails through the air toward the lanky before impacting the creature in the sternum. The rocket punches right through the hide of the lanky and explodes. Now with its insides on the outside, the lanky dies in pain. A chilling cheer goes through the crowd of humans.

The final lanky falls quickly to the combined fire of the vehicles and Atlas’s. As it flails helplessly like a frightened wounded animal, the humans begin firing everything they possess into the Ivory creature. The three Atlas mechs leap onto the creature's chest and began firing into it, one of them a white atlas with red eyes unsheathes swivels a large black blade from around its shoulder. The machine slices the beast open and the other two machines walk over and began firing into the opening. Soon this beat too falls still and the only sound in the area is the sound of burning fires. Then the white atlas walks over to the downed form of a rioter beside the massive pillar of obsession colored material before bending over to pick something up. Climbing back up onto the dead behemoth one of the Cazador dropships shines its searchlight on the atlas. There suspended by the mane in the hand of the atlas is the dead body of a new breed Changeling. The next thing I know there the thunderous chorus of cheers coming from the humans around me.

============================================================

[Mars approach, one week later]
[COG fleet twenty-six]
[NACS-22058.2 Manitoba]

(Fallon)

The gang's all here my brothers in MOTH team-1, the fighting ninth, and my squad. Trombley, Forbes, Snafu, the new guy Stratton, and finally Miiora. The Twenty-ninth fleet has been dispatched to deal with the UEC fleet currently engaged in the Binary star system Ross 154 to aid the Independent colony of Helgan. The UEC tried to unsettle us by trying to start riots and somehow repairing a damaged Lanky seedpod in the middle of a PRC. But what they didn't know was that if there is one thing you don't do, it's starting a fight in a PRC that you can't finish.

But for now, we stand before Mars, we remember the fallen, we stand the watch.

Author's Note

I am looking for an editor, PM me if you are interested.

And what did you think? I was planning this chapter since chapter six and I hope it meets your standards and portrays the condition of the earth.

Thank you so much for waiting so long for me to get this chapter out.

Chapter 29 Out of the Black

"My Queen, General Honor!" a changeling scout runner said kneeling before the Changeling queen and the former U.E.C General.

" What is it my child?" Chrysalis said looking at the nervous scout drone.

The drone presented a data pad as her chitinous hands shivered. " We........we .........we picked up an incoming emergency transmission that was transmitted in the clear. no encryption"

"Transmitted? from where? and by whom?" Honor Medal asked with concern.

"We don't know sir. all we know is that it was directed towards N.A.C space. And by the sound of the human female's voice........she was frightened, almost terrified. As if the gates of Tartarus opened up and all the demons escaped" the female drone explained.

“Is that it?” A human says from the corner of the room. The human wears white and red NAC battle armor without the shoulder pauldrons or helmet. Commander of the A.C.M’s spec-ops division and leader of best commando team the “Apex Predators” Blisk is also the third leader of the A.C.M as a hole.

“Well no.”

“Then what did it say?” Blisk asks clearly annoyed.

“Most of it was garbled, but here is what we were able to piece together.” the drone responds before walking forward and plugging a data cord from the data pad into the hologram emitter.

===============================================

(unknown)

The space around the camera is surrounded by wreckage. In the distance, a lone white star shines the light on a graveyard orbiting a moon of a red gas giant. The hulks of NAC, SRA, NE, AFC, and UEC ships drift silently in the void. In the corner of the video feed, the radiation counter spikes as far passed the red as it can go.

In the wreckage the bodies of humans and UEC personnel float in various forms of dismemberment do doubt having been sucked out of their respective ships, or simply float lifelessly in space. The hulks of three annihilator class siege breakers and their escorts float lifelessly. Their hulks still spewing crystallized O2 while the carriers are surrounded by a variable cloud of red matter.

[commencing scan. . . . . ]
[Lifesigns detected]

The camera pivots and the star field and wreckage pass by the camera as it swivels. The camera focusses on a lone NE fighter. The fighter is white in color and on its wings, a white heart rests inside of a red circle. On one of its wing-mounted hardpoints rests a Siafu auto cannon.

[incoming transmission detected]
[Nordic Empire Pilot: Mary “Love” Dorson.] [NES- Queen Marie: Ace pilot]
[Pilot heart rate elevated]
[radiation interference detected]

“They. . . . nowhere. . . . So many. . . .destroyed both fleets. . . . Siege Breakers. . . . . All hands. . . . will attempt. . . .node. . . . . hang on. . . .Ok. . . go!” The fighter rockets off deeper into the debris field.

[directive, maintain connection]
[transmission blocked]
[firing thrusters]

The fighter comes back into focus however now being followed by a trail of black missiles. Banking around the destroyed hulk of a dragonfly drop ship the fighter transforms into its Valkyrie Alt mode. Using its wrist mounted Gatling it begins deploying flares and shooting down the oncoming swarm of missiles while bursting from left to right causing most of them to streak passed. The fighter transforms once again into its Infantry mode as the swarm of missiles turn around violently.

Retrieving the autocannon from its hardpoint the fighter begins using the weapon in tandem with its wrist getting to shoot down the oncoming missiles. A slot opens on the sensor dome and the barrel of a gimballed machine gun appears before targeting the missiles as well. The Gungnir fires its thrusters and rockets in random directions to throw off the missile's tracking. As the fighter passes a fighter sized piece of debris detaches from the hull of and moves in pursuit.

The newcomer is jet black in color and vaguely trident shaped possessing a long center. And jutting roughly at a forty-five-degree angle on either side of its center are two forward facing blade like protrusions nearly as long as the central body. The interior connecting the center to the “blades” pulses anonymous red before it fires its engines and closes with the Gungnir.

The fighter responds by returning to Fighter mode where it manages to avoid being rammed by the oncoming unknown. The Gungnir flips into Valkyrie mode and avoids a strafing run and fires a missile at the unknown but pulls a bone shattering turn to avoid the missile. Soon three more of this strange craft follow the first and engage the pilot.

The Gungnir pilot succeeds in destroying two of these before she ends up leaving the debris field. As she is driven out into the open a dark shadow passes over her and her voice comes back over the net.

“. . . . Some. . . help me. . . . Its them.” she is cut off when something impacts her fighter rending it apart, and she dies alone.

[Warning platform targeted, transmitting] The camera is destroyed shortly after.

=================================================

“Damn, whatever that was we need to let the NAC know.” Blisk says resting his hands on the edge of the holo-emitter a look of consternation on his face.

“Hmm, I agree, Blisk how long until the Apex Predators will be ready to depart?” Honor Medal asks.

“We can leave immediately.” The mercenary says shoving his knife into his shoulder holster.

“What is the matter chrysalis?” the former general asked seeing the changeling queens troubled state.

“Whatever did that somehow managed to destroy both the UEC and Human fleets in their entirety. We need to know what's going on out there, I think we should deploy the prowlers General.”

“I agree.” Honor Medal nods his head in agreement.

“I’ll tell ‘em.” Blisk says before leaving.

=====================================================

(UEC homeworld: Equis)

"Sister!" came the loud shout of Princess Luna, co-ruler of the Diarchy of Equestria alongside her elder sister Princess Celestia.

"What is the meaning of this?!" she said slamming down a piece of parchment before the solar alicorn as she stood before Celestia, a look of anger and confusion on her face. Celestia sat on her throne, a tired somberly looked was etched upon the mare of the sun's beautiful face.

" It's what it is" she answered in a somber tone. Gone was the happiness and mirth in her gentle motherly like voice now filled with only with cold malice.

"I am recalling the fourth fleet from the human colony of Acadia. The black ships have become a problem ever since they followed the humans into our space. Their ability to use our warp nodes is troubling and we have already lost contact with three our outlying colonies so far.”

“But the fourth fleet is scheduled to move to support Life Commander Rarity in her assault on this Helgan.”

“We will send the sixth instead. I have faith in Rarity's stratagem.”

“On that sister, we can agree.”

Author's Note

A bit of universe building for you while you wait.

Chapter 30 Dying light

"< Porlogani control. Porlogani control. This Falencia actual, How Copy over?>"

[static]

"< Porlogani control. Porlogani control. This Falencia actual, over?>"

[static]

"< Porlogani control. Porlogani control. This Falencia actual, please respond over?!>"

[static]

"”

[Static]

“”

[static]

“Thats a positive. Bringing station defences online, Break, Hostiles Inbound ETA Four-Five minutes. Out.>”

[Static]

“”

[Static]

“”

[static]

“ <Porlogani, Prlogani, how copy?”

[static]

[staic]

==============================================================

(COG Twenty-six: twelve days after entering Helgan space)

(Space)

“What the hell happened here?” the captain of one of the Indianapolis class ship NACS Defiant asked his senior officer. In space around a violet, gas giant lies the desiccated hulks of two UEC super destroyers and six regular destroyers. The signs of combat were evident with an old Gazanti battle station floating lifelessly in the cold dark of space. The bodies of UEC and Helghast personnel float silently with the backdrop of a single Lanky seed ship. Oddly enough around the gazanti station floated what looked like a ring of red haze?

“What that junk? Launch one of the drones and put it at six hundred Kilometers from the station. Have it make a scan of the area and store it in its internal data bank before coming back here. Execute.” the captain says leaning over the tactical lot. There is a pop-woosh as one of the Indies eight sigent drones bursts from its launch tube and makes a two-second burn at maximum speed before it cuts its engines and begins coasting.

“Drone away. ETA zero nine minutes.” the drone operator says.

“Skipper what is that thing?” the ships XO asks pointing at the zoomed in the visual feed from the Defiants external cameras. The object in question appears to be a large railgun mount but forked, and with a large disk occupying the aft section.

“If the data that came through with their message is correct it is probably one of their six MALR cannons. But what confuses me is that the cannons pointing at that seed ship its what blew it up. But that doesn't explain what destroyed those capital ships, those destroyers the picket and the station? It doesn't make sense.”

“I agree, whatever it is had to engage both the Helghast station and its picket, as well as whatever UEC fleet those ships were a part of. The Manitoba wouldn't be able to take on that fleet and the station with its picket. And that Seed ship was obviously engaging both factions, so it would have been faced with a fight on three fronts.”

“The drone is making its scans now.”

“Very good. Keep me apprised of the situation.”

“Got it, sir.”

The minutes ticked by tensely with the sensor operator on high alert with the rest of the bridge crew. The captain chewing on an unlit pipe until the drone returned and began relaying its data to the ships internal computer. After skipping the initial launch and transit data he began the playback. The scans show the red mist to be some kind of biomass. And the visual data from the drones approach showed something very strange.

“Odd, from the drift, blast scoring, it looks like whatever did this came in during the battle, hit the UEC from behind before destroying the… wait hold it there. Do you see that?”

“What?”

“Zoom in at quadrant six, three grid nine eight.” The image zooms in to show a black mass in the distance against the black of space, only visible due to the lack of starlight behind it.

“A second seed ship. And it appears to be operational making a burn and coming our way. Go silent, kill everything lets coast.” the Overhead lights in the CIC dim before going out completely.

The only lights on the bridge coming from the Tactical computer and the station monitors. On the tactical plot, the orange lozenge shape of the Lanky seed ship slowly lumbers its way closer to the Defiant and the debris field. Nobody moves or talks and they all hold their collective breaths as the two-mile-long seed ship lumbers its way along. The captain brings up an external feed from one of the ships dorsal cameras as the ship passes within one hundred miles of the seed ship.

“Damn, that things been through the ringer.” the XO states as lines of carbon scoring and deep gouges in the ships hull become visible. The gauge pattern matches with that of the UEC’s dominance class light destroyer.

“Looks like we have found a survivor of the battle. What are you doing ugly?” the captain says as the Seed ship lumbers its way towards the outermost destroyer. The UEC ship imedetly begins broadcasting SOS and Surrender messages on all bands no doubt someone still alive has noticed the seed ship coming their way.

But in true Lanky fashion, the SOS’s and messages of surrender go unheeded as all along starboard hull holes begin to eyeris open, and yard long penetrators are shotgunned into the crippled destroyer. The unshielded UEC ship yields almost imminently to the onslaught and explodes silently in the black. The Seed ship then turns and begins to lumber away having lost interest in the debris field and as the ship leaves sensor range the bridge crew breathes a collective sigh of relief.

“That was clo…” the captain begins as something on the drones paused video feed catches his eye.

“XO do you see that? Zoom into section 29.40.10.” The video feed zooms in to show a human floating dead in space in the red ring around the battle station.

“My God. That's blood.” the captain says his skin turning white as snow.

“Look there's more of them.” someone says before pointing to the captain and XO.

“They have been flayed, there must be hundreds maybe just over a thousand bodies in there. Helm get us out of here, we have to get back to the fleet and let them know what happened here.”

“Aye, sir. Backing us out of here.” As the Defiant flips around and begins to burn towards the fleet, a single silhouette in the debris field begins to glow and starts following the Defiant. As the Defiant's captain lingers on the horrid sight of hundreds maybe a thousand UEC and Helghast personnel all flayed and floating dead around a station in dead space. His mind wanders to an old NAC poem.

Do not go gentle into that good night. Old age should burn and rave at close of day. Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Though wise men at their end, know dark is right. Because their words had forked on lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light. For as we armed with shot and shell, shall not falter nor retreat. We good soldiers of Humanity shall stand our ground, facing certain death. We who rage, rage against the dying of the light. But, know this oh on slaughtering foes, that we Marines of the N.A.C when our time comes we’ll take you with us, to meet Death. And our good Lord for righteous judgment when we meet upon that great pearl gate. As we lay to rest and gaze on that darkening night. We’ll know we raged, raged, raged against the dying of the light.

Author's Note

A short chapter do to personal reasons, but one with great impact.

Chapter 31 Enemy

[Galavant station UEC, Incoming transmission.]

“... But the immense wealth and resources that flow throughout gates were never meant for us. Kleese work the docks Loading and unloading precious cargo. The Tymerians fix the pipes, humans fix the filters, and the myrialos fix the water purifiers we keep this rock Living is and breathing. Our cast toil and suffers without hope and without end. And for what? To be raped, beaten, fed on occasion, one day the ACM will use its power to wrest our control from Equestria, and Eques will go to war to take it back. To them we will always be slaves! That's all we are to the UEC! Eques built their Empire on our backs, Spilled the blood of a million of our brothers. But in their eyes, were not even sentient anymore. So the next time you look in the mirror, say the word. Slave! Every time we demand to be heard they hold back our water, In space they ration our air, until we crawl back into our holes and do as we are told! So when the time comes I know what side I'll be on, do you!”

=======================================================

[COG fleet twenty-six]

[NACS-22058.2 Manitoba]

(Miiora)

I love the human showers, the hot clean water, going down my scales it feels amazing, to say the least. Having Fallon in charge of the team means I have privacy to use the squad's shower. But now my revelry in being able to use the shower is interrupted by the warning claxon.

“Combat stations, Combat stations All hands Combat stations. break, Ready five squadrons Alpha to November Launch launch launch!”

I re-clothe myself before scrambling out of the shower and into the squad birth and begin to feel myself being lifted from the deck as the Manitoba kills her thrust. Gently flicking my tail up against the ceiling pushing myself back toward the deck where my Claw coverings magnetize with a click. I hear the hatch slide open and catch the sight of a female with blond shoulder length hair. Dressed in a form-fitting black and orange Nordic Empire flight suit sprinting out of the door, helmet clutched in one hand. I suppress a hiss as I put on the battle armor the NAC created for its new Tymerian recruits I look to Avery Fallon who smiles in my direction.

“Put me on the ground any day of the week, Shoot me out of a bio-pod whenever you want. But I hate this space battle bullshit.” he says as he puts on his black Battle armor. He straps on what looks like a pack of some kind before grasping his M-66C and clamping the weapon to a seat before sitting down and strapping in.

“Miiora, Trombely sit down and strap in.”

===================================================================

(Charlotte)

“Icequeen, Snowman. We have inbound fast movers, Move to intercept, launch, launch, launch.”

I look to the left as the crew chief points down the catapult before flashing my recognition and goosing the engines. The Icons representing my squadron flash to life on the tactical plot, before the blue icons representing Snowman’s Razgriz squadron appears as well. As we scream through the black I can't help but hope Avery will be safe on board the Manitoba.

++++++Incoming tight beam++++++++

“Squadron leaders we have an enemy fighter on our tail, Hostile heading your way. Sending silhouette, Weapons free.”

++++++++Tight beam end+++++++++++++

‘This is Snowman I am, go on guns, weapons hot.’

“Attention fighters this NACS Kamehameha, we are full burn on the way.”

As the Defiant sails passed I scan the panoramic view of the inside of my fighter's cockpit. There in the distance, a glowing red pinprick stands out, my onboard computer highlights the object and displays a distance counter 20km and closing fast.

My attention is drawn to an actual picture wedged into an unused section of my control panel and smile. The picture shows Avery and myself as children in a suburban park. The boy from the PRC smiling while holding a toy Siafu in one hand while in with his other he holds my hand. I a privileged diplomat's daughter grasps his hand with a smile and a small blush on my face while in my other hand I hold a toy of an orange mark 1 Gungnir fighter.

I remember that day, my parents had taken Avery and his mother with us on vacation to hide the fact that there was about to be a welfare riot. In the background my parents smile while sitting on a park bench, the picture having been taken by Avery’s mother. I guess even at that age glancing at the toys in our hands we knew what we were going to be, without even knowing it.

Taking the moment to close my eyes and gather myself before opening them again and glancing back at the incoming. It’s 10km distance, Showtime, I thumb the selector on my throttle before the overlapping square and circle appears and begins flashing. Magnifying the image to verify the silhouette before letting the serpent missile fly. The angry firefly of the missile streaks off into space and explodes after about a minute of acceleration taking the strange glowing object with it. The light from the soundless explosion backlight what looks like black silhouettes of three small strange looking spacecraft.

‘Squadron leaders count two-five enemy marks at point one-five.’ Suddenly the space in front of us flairs to life as more red blowing objects appear. The strange craft appears to be trident shaped, and side from the portions of their hull’s that are glowing red, they appear to be almost organic and black as pitch. My mind races to come up with a known race or faction with something like this, small fighter class, black ships, but stealth….

Suddenly the pail red blip of a “Hostile Unknown” appears on the tactical plot and streaks passed my starboard wing and slams into one of the NAC Shrikes. The two icons disappear from the plot before the tactical plot updates the unknowns to the solid crimson of “Hostile confirmed”.

[Missile verrouillé, Missile verrouillé]

“Merde!” I flick the switch to the Alt mode and burst in a half barrel roll to starboard deploying chaff and flares while using my left arm gatlings to shred the incoming missile. Then this area of space turns into the second circle of hell as glowing black and red spacecraft engage the COG ready five squadrons.

Flicking back to fighter mode I flip to engage one of the black fighters only to see it slam into one of my Valkyries. The cockpit section of the fighter blasts apart by the force of the impact before the entire thing explodes. I burst forward passed the explosion and watch as one of these alien fighters fires two glowing red missiles at one of the SRA Torkov fighters. The bulky fighter deploys flares in response and the missiles go dumb and explode short of their target. Seeing that its attack isn't working whatever is controlling the alien ship fires a series of white barbs from the underside of the ship.

The Torkov being less maneuverable than the alien ship ends up making a fatal error and receives a burst of barbs just behind the cockpit. The SRA fighter goes limp in space failing to explode as I finally get a missile lock on the alien and blow it from existence. Out of morbid curiosity, I look to see if the pilot survived and am greeted with the grisly sight of the upper torso of the pilot floating out of the bloody cockpit.

“This is Razgriz one I have two on my tail.”

“Icequeen copies, Razgriz one. Moving to assist.”

==========================================================

(Space)

The two groups of fighters streak around each other in space like a swarm of angry gnats while the Hammerhead Cruiser Kamehameha lumbers its way into position. However, this is when the unexpected happens the glowing red fighters who had previously been engaging the COG fighters immediately disengage and make a B-line for the hammerhead cruiser. In response, the cruiser lets loose with a volley spread of missiles, and point defense fire. Eight, sixteen, thirty-two missiles burst from their launch tubes and streak towards the hostile fighters. In response the alien fighters either shoot down the oncoming missiles with the white barbs or use each other as shields, throwing themselves in the way of oncoming missiles to ensure the fighter behind can maintain its course. Eventually, three Fighters turned Missile slam full tilt into the cruiser's hull. One carves a swath of destruction down the port armor plating, another slamming into the hammerhead amidships. And the final manages to slam into the cruiser's port side Fighter bay punching right through the thick metal plating like it wasn't even there.

The holes in the ship's hull belch out smoke and debris, sparks and water from destroyed sections fly off into space. And beside the debris are the bodies of the crew who were in those sections, their bodies sucked out by the sudden decompression, severed heads, limbs all removed sections of the ship on the unfortunate individual's exit of the ship.

‘Attention all fighters you have more hostile fighters advancing from sector nine-three, point two-two’

“Captain I am picking up…. Sir we have been boarded! Single border, Port hangar bay!” a sensor operator yells from the CIC of the Kamehameha.

“Sir! I am picking up a radiation pulse!”

“My god… warm up the nukes, maximum yield. Let's blow this bitch straight to hell. Empty the magazine.”

===============================================

(Charlotte)

‘Icequeen, do you see that?’

“All fighters, all fighters maximum burn return to the fleet. Attention all COG units, Attention All COG units, Nuclear fire mission Level five radiation warning.”

“What the hell? Lets move people!” As I flip my fighter back towards the fleet I see the silhouette of something massive appear as streaks of red light begin to illuminate the inky black of space. Four massive white scythe-like protrusions each one easily the length of the Kamehameha appear the glowing red sections giving them the appearance of being covered in blood.The glow then continues down the massive bulk of the ship's massive superstructure, spots of glowing red highlighting the Jetblack organic structure of the ship's hull.

I go for the maximum burn that will allow me to stay in formation, while the Kamehameha sails by us. The tactical plot shows the blue icon of the NAC ship emptying her magazines at the massive six-mile long vessel. The ship in response sends another wave of that strange fighter from holes in its hull who slam directly into the Kamehamehas hull. Fifty, one hundred, one-twenty, two hundred missiles and more fill the airspace between the NAC ship and the unknown claw ship. Then the ship launches her nukes five hundred megatons of nuclear fire fill the space vaporizing the Hamehameha instantly and blinding the sensors of any COG vessel looking in that general direction.

In space for the next few minutes, there’s a third sun in the Helian system. However, when we go for the turn around to reunite with the fleet and re-arm and refuel the light and radiation dies down and we see that the alien claw ship doesn't have a scratch. As the second wing of COG fighters launch and ours lands, another wing of Alien fighters launches as well from their mothership.

‘Attention all fighter craft in sector six two. Move to sector seven, three. Attention all ships this is Manitoba actual, we are raising the black flag.’

The forty-year-old Annihilator-class Siege breaker that is the flagship of COG fleet twenty-three begins to slow as its running lights dim slightly. Along with its hull, the huge heatsinks rise from their resting place’s in its hull as its main railgun charges. Arcs of heat lightning stretch from the heatsinks as the Manitoba’s bow begins to blueshift from the heat. Massive vents open in its ventral and dorsal hull as it begins venting jets of blindingly bright superheated gas from the barrel like the muzzle break on a rifle.

There is a flash of pseudo-motion as something white hot flashes three hundred miles off of my fighters port wing. Then one minute later there is a flash of light so bright my fighters computer cuts the visual feed leaving me in the dull green glow of my HUDs tactical plot. When the light dies down enough for my computer to return my vision I have the sudden urge to throw up. In front of the alien ship, there is a massive expanding bloom of superheated gas and backlit by the light of the explosion another shape looms off of its starboard side. My brain makes the connection with the massive oblong shape before all across the fleet alarms begin going off.

‘Siege warning, Siege warning Lanky seed ships detected.’ In every battle, we have ever had with the Lanky's they do something that breaks our expectations of them, and now when we think we have figured out their playbook they turn another page.

The strange thing is thought that the seed ship in the distance isn't the jet black of usual Lanky design. But a rust red the color of Mars dirt, we have only ever seen red lanky seed ships once and that was after they burst from the planet's surface. This ship and others like it are proven veterans of the war and almost every time they appear it marks the site of a vicious battle for the pride of humanity. They represent humanity's failer to protect its first colony and are reminders of how close we came to extinction.

‘Attention Coalition forces this is Manitoba actual, Orion fire mission, clear the back blast. Level nine radiation warning.’

A new vector line appears on my HUD and I look to see one of the three massive 1 kilomiter long Orion missiles detatch from the Manitobas hull like a missile from a fighter. The massive Pycreat missile thrusts forward sueing conventinal thrusters as the entierty of the fleet moves out of the blast radeus of humanitys dertyest weapon. In the distance another of the red seed ships appear from the black, flanked by five of their jet black cousins.

Six hundred metric tons of Pycreat flairs to life as a small star ignites behind it. The first of the missiles nuclear-shaped charges ignites propelling it forward. Then after six seconds a second then a third, a fourth, a fifth as the Orion squirts its nuclear thrust as it rockets toward the alien ship in the distance. Radiation warnings start going off throughout the fleet, and no doubt ships on the other side of the system would be picking up the massive radiation bursts. I manage to land my fighter inside of the flight deck of the Manitoba, staying inside of my cockpit while the techs rearm and refuel my fighter.

The minute's tick passed as the Orion missiles close the distance accelerating to fractional speeds under nuclear thrust. However, one minute before impact one of the black seed ships moves its massive bulk to intercept with the missile. The Orion lacking any kind of guidance system and moving at fractional speeds slams into the seed ship reducing the ship and its inhabitants to their component atoms.

‘Ingoming fighters, All wings scramble. Scramble, scramble! Marines stand by to repell boarders.’

As I am catapulted from one of the Manitoba’s launch tubes a thought crosses my mind. We came to this system to help the Helghast defeat the UEC, and now we rest on the brink of a battle for the pride of humanity and our very survival. Our intelligence reports state that the UEC despite some of their arguably advanced technology struggle to battle the Lankys. Unlike the UEC our personnel and equipment are up to the task. Two entire generations bred to fight them, built for This war.

Author's Note

The chapter I hope you have all been waiting for. Let me know what you think.

Chapter 32 Star lit stoll

“Only the dead have seen an end to war.” -Plato

============================================================

(Fallon)

“What the hell is going on out there?!” Trombely yells as the ship reverberates with the firing of her main gun.

There is then the distant sound of the bow rail gun mounts firing in volley fire. The lighting in the Manitoba dims before a warning klaxon blares through the ship. Something flashes through my mind, the only time the fleet would deploy an Orion missile at the start of a battle would be against the Lanky's.

“Seal your suits now, if we decompress you won't get the chance.” I look to my right and see Forbes putting in a gel-filled mouthpiece before sealing his helmet. On an impulse, I unfasten my straps just long enough to strap on the up armor plate to my chest. The up armor makes us slower and makes my chest bulge against the restraints but it will take nothing short of an LHO or autocannon round to pierce it.

‘All hands this is the skipper we have just received the last transmission from the Kamehameha. Marines... Stand by to repel boarders.’ General Packers says over the shipboard address.

“What?”

‘All hands stand by for emergency retros.’

=================================================

(Snow)

My Avenger shakes and groans in protest as I push her to maximum burn to try to keep up with one of the now dubbed Trident fighters. The targeting reticule bounces across my HUD as the alien fighter spins and dances avoiding target lock. Shit, give me a UEC ace over Trident fighters any day of the week. At Least their fighters fold up like tissue paper to cannon fire. But these are made of much sterner stuff and take at least a prolonged burst to destroy.

And there in lays the problem the UEC fighters move like conventional planes in atmosphere banking and so on making it relatively easy to predict them. But these things fly around like human fighters on steroids, pulling the kind of acrobatics that would turn me to mush in a suit if it tried them. I am suddenly very envious of the NE’s Gungnir fighter and its G-couch that allows the pilot to take those kinds of dangerous stunts without having a stroke.

“Zulu 7 come about to point, two-five so I can get him off of you.” I report over the net, thumbing the missile selector prompting my missile racks to begin spinning, selecting a penetrator missile the rack stops on a white and red missile with a black tip.

“I CAN'T SHAKE 'EM!!” The African Asagi fighter rolls to port leading the alien into my targeting reticule.

++Target locked++

“Fox four, fox four.” There is a faint click as the missile un-clamps and leaps from the rotating rack. The Trident fighter disappears in a cloud of black hull plating and glowing red debris as the missile impacts its hull and the tungsten penetrator explodes inside.

“WHOOHOO! THIS IS SOME STAR WARS SHIT!” Someone yells over the tac-link, At Least someone is having some fun.

=================================================================

(Space)

‘Attention hostiles are marked bugs one through eight, sub designation Mars one and two, Black one through five, and Claw.’

One of the Black seed ships in the distance Black four comes at the fleet at a hard burn. We have long since stopped trying to understand the Lanky’s apparent tactical ability in fleet actions, their motives and strategies just as alien as they are. The Leathy, Acheron and Styx take up the challenge, firing their positioning thrusters while the Leathy charges her main railgun. Acheron and Styx move to protect their charge with their hulls as the Lanky begins firing a spread of long-range dumb fire missiles.

The two linebacker cruisers launch first eight then twelve, then twenty-two missiles in response. On the tactical plot, the red dotted lines representing the Lanky's incoming missile barrage intercepts with the blue inverted V’s of the linebackers interceptor missiles. One of the missiles makes it through the defensive missile screen and is promptly torn to shreds by the combined PDC fire of The Pantheon.

“This is Leathy actual, one round, LHO, One gun in effect Firing.” There is a flash of pseudo-motion as the Leathy fires her main gun and the effect is almost instantaneous.

A massive section of Black four’s hull is blown away, and it goes limp in space. But the laws of physics are uncaring and the massive bulk of the wounded Seed ship continues on its course, carried by its own momentum. Expecting this, however, the Acheron and Styx send a salvo of six, sixty Megaton metroplex busters straight into the damaged section of the wounded Lanky Seed ship's hull blowing it apart in a sphere of expanding superheated gas and radiation.

On another side of the battle, a squadron of three UAF Fighter Frigates burns towards the Lanky battle group. Their massive spartan laser cannons firing invisible lances of energy towards Black two. Six spots on the two-mile ship's hull begin shifting in color as the lasers hit its surface before burning straight through the hull and into the ship. All across Black two’s bow holes eyes open and yard long penetrators shotgun out to meet the human ships.

The two Fighter frigates on the leads wing manage to do a sort of zero G barrel roll out of the trajectory of the incoming projectiles narrowly avoiding destruction. But the lead ship takes the barrage across the bow, the very forces allowing the ship to cover the distance then tear the ship apart from bow to stern. Pieces of the African ship's hull slam harmlessly against the hull of the seed ship as it advances with the rest of its battle group.

The two remaining fighter frigates in the squadron shoot passed the seed ship leaving a trail of chaff in their wake as it fires on them. Now passed the picket ship the two fighter frigates make hard burn towards the Claw ship. Mars one moves in to intercept firing invisible thrusters as it begins to flip around in anticipation of their bombing run. The two fighter frigates dodge around the ship before firing twelve six megatone cluster missiles at the Claw ship, who in a flash of light shrugs off the attack with no damage.

The Africans fly close into the ship in hopes of using it as cover from the Mars seed ship. But all along their trajectory holes in the ship's black sloping hull eyeris and massive bone white spikes launch themselves towards them forcing them to correct their course.

“Tigger three you are falling behind maintain formation.”

“We can not we have been hit. Breaches on decks three to sixteen, port side engine three is offline. Hold on I have an Ide….” The captain of the ship never got to finish the thought. As the Mars Seed ship launches its own barrage of penetrators and missiles tearing them to pieces. Mars two having never ceased its forward momentum does a complete one-eighty flip and returns to its course.

Now having cleared the Lanky fleet the sole surviving ship in the frigate fighter squadron pulls a one-eighty flip to reposition itself. Once in position, the crew receives a dose of G-stimulants while the ship burns at twelve G sustained to cease its momentum and get them back into the fight. However, one of the Claw ships four scythe-like structures swivels and points at them before glowing an ominous red.

Just as the African ship shoots back forward and begins firing its missiles and laser cannons, the glowing on the bone white claw reaches its crescendo. Then the Fighter frigate blows apart as a bolt of red energy from the claw reaches out and touches it. The bolt sails off into deep space while behind it the broken chunks of spaceship continue on their original course.

============================================================

(Charlotte)

‘Attention count four-five enemy fighters making a B-line for the Manitoba, move to intercept.’

“Avery…” I say to no one in particular while my couch pumps G-stimulants into my bloodstream as my stomach is left somewhere sixty kilometers behind me.

UAF- Shaka Zulu, SRA- Hirohito, NES-Joan of Arc, NACS Rodger Young, and NACS James Holden all swing about on their axis to bring their PDC’s to bear in overlapping fields of fire. The sheer amount rail and chain guns pointed at the oncoming enemy fighters would be enough to make the most suicidal pilots blush, yet the trident fighters accelerate into the effective gun range.

Ahead of me angry lines of tracer fire like long chains of white light interdict the space ahead of the Manitoba while she continues to cool her rail gun. The swarm of enemy fighters being more maneuverable than most of their human counterparts jink, roll, duck, and dodge through the gauntlet suffering minimal casualties before the first of the COG fighters another Gungnir enters weapons range. Now forced to contend with Rose and the PDC’s the aliens begin taking losses.

I flip the partial alt and my Gungnirs thrusters rotate forward to slow my thrust before I flip the complete Valkyrie Alt mode and take aim. Ahead of me, the Manitoba floats her crew reliant on the fighter craft to keep the aliens off their ship. A rage born from three generations humanity fighting aliens boils to the surface as I use my right arm gatling to tear one of the aliens to pieces. My leg thrusters take me into a sort of cartwheel around two of the aliens flying close together so I rake them with my left gatling.

[Missile verrouillé, Missile verrouillé]

“Pas assez bon!” Bursting backward while deploying flares, I push in thumb selector on the accelerator, before rotating it vertically and tonguing a switch inside of my helmet. Outside a group of six missiles sails passed following the flairs.

In space my fighter begins to shift into Infantry mode a process that only takes five seconds but now feels like a lifetime. The legs move on their tracks while the wings fold into the backpack, while the shoulders move into position. My fighters clawed fingers flex into as I am rotated in my seat to the torso position. A covering slides back on the sensor bulb and the barrel of an interior turret emerges.

I lick my lips while lasers inside of my helmet follow my pupils while I target each of the missiles. My HUD comes alive with new targeting data as computer locks on. Depressing the foot pedals my thrusters now turned feet burst to life firing jets of blue flame as I am launched “up” and begin destroying the missiles.

==============================================================

(Snow 3rd person)

The very process of shooting down missiles is impossible in atmosphere for fighters, but in space where one can constantly accelerate it is a relatively easy process. If you are fast and maneuverable enough the gungnir is both of those things and so are most every fighter in the COG. But only a gungnir can shoot down multiple missiles in space and in atmo and make it look easy.

“Let's get in there.” Snow says calmly before goosing his engines.

“Rodger that.” his only remaining wingman responds.

The two Avenger fighters scream into the dogfight firing their autocannons. Snow flips his fighter on its X axis destroying a trident fighter on his tail. Before Snow uses his single onboard laser cannon to turn another into a flaming ball of slag.

“Shamrock, multi-missiles.”

“Copy that.”

Their fighters retract the coverings on the vertical launch tubes as their helmets come alive with dozens of target locks. Before streams of missiles launch from both NAC fighters and corkscrew out and touch their targets blowing them to pieces. In the distance, Snowman watches the ice blue and white gungnir that is Ice Queens fighter extend an arm towards a distant fighter. But no pearl neckless of tracers lance out from her gatlings.

“Merde, je suis sec!”

“Icequeen, get Valkyrie squadron to the Joan of arc and rearm Razgriz will cover you.”

“Copy that.” she says over the taclink, before she shifts back into its fighter mode and followed by a pair of gungnir fighters goes for full burn towards the unmolested Joan of arc.

===============================================================

(Miiora)

I have never been in a space battle on an unshielded ship before and now I wish to never be in one again. Human ships lack windows and the sound synthesizers that UEC ships possess so the entire event is oddly equal parts boring and terrifying. The only things that alert us to our being in a battle in the first place are the slightly dimmer lights and occasional alarms.

“What’s that sarge?” Trombely asks as the lights dim even more followed by a tinny sound like tearing paper and the reverberating drum beats of the hull.

“Thats Point Defence and small railgun fire. Holy shit we're in CQC.” Fallon says breathlessly, something foreign in his voice, fear maybe?

Then the ship rocks followed by the sound of an explosion. The air is then filled with the shrill siren of the warning claxon. The lights in the room turn red, before the ship is rocked by another explosion, and then another. What is happening, what was that sound in Avery Fallon's voice, why hasn't the COG destroyed whatever is attacking them yet? If this was the UEC they were fighting the COG fleet would have blown them to space dust by now, If this was the UEC…

“This is the skipper. We have borders in hangar bays twelve, six and nine. Sealing affected bays. MARINES, Get those fucks off my ship.”

“LET'S MOVE PEOPLE!” Avery Fallon yells barely contained fear in his voice as he unfastens from his seat, and picks up his rifle.

Fumbling with the seat restraints I unhook as well and retrieve my M-66c from its rack in my seat. The fireteam then joins a stream of midnight blue armored marines as we steam down the labyrinth of corridors. When we are halfway there I notice as a group of four black armored males joins Fallon. They possess the same armor as my friend and possess the same shoulder badge something called an Atlas Moth.

As we near the corner to the hanger bay we see a fireteam of helmetless marines firing on something around the corner. Then a series of white barbed spikes stitch the wall behind them before the headless body of a human in a blue vacuum suit slams bonelessly into the bulkhead. One of the marines leans out of cover and fires a buckshot round from his rifles launcher. A spike makes his head snap back and his rifle goes flying from his hand where it bounces off of the bulkhead. Instead of falling over his body continues to stand, his boots magnetically locked to the deck as his body lifelessly flails.

A membrane splitting screech brings us to a halt. The close quarters, combined with the cavernous, and metal bulkheads prove to amplify the sound. The crowd of marines comes to a halt as even with our helmets cutting all external sound it feels like someone is slamming picks into my hearing membranes. Ahead of us the marines without helmets clutch their bleeding ears and scream soundlessly.

The lights go out again leaving us bathed in pulsing red light as a large four-clawed hand grabs one of the marines by the head and pulls her around the corner. A spray of black coats the wall in the red light. Before a large alien form slams into one of the two remaining marines. The form crouches over as it holds the female’s head in one four clawed hand and crushes it like a can.

Reaching its arm out it picks up the last marine a Tymerian male around the neck while he tries to retreat. Lifting him bodily with one hand it raises its free hand, where it then tabs an angeld protruberance through his back. Once the bottom of the angled gauntlet-like produberance is resting on his scales there is a sickening sound like that of bones being torn and flesh being ripped as he spasmed violently for only a second before going limp. There is a sound like a piston being driven, and the body of the male Tymerian is launched violently into the air and impaled to the bulkhead by a white spike.

The black silhouette of the alien then turns as the lights return. There towering ten feet tall in the hallway is an alien with skin the color of egg shells. Its biology so “Alien” it's two long arms nearly reach passed it's knees, who jut out slightly upward. In a way that is matched by the structure of its elbows and the area just above the wrist. It turns its eyeless head in our direction, a head with a huge toothless beak-like mouth with exactly three peaks the bottom jaw with the center being the largest and two filling the gaps leaving only a jagged seam to separate the bottom and top jaws. It is with this cavernous maw that it lets out a membrane splitting chirp before….

“WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT THING!!”

“DUST THIS FUCK!!” someone yells.

The entire passageway ignites as the first rank of marines takes a knee and the second fires over their shoulder. Dozens of M-66 rifles and one or two SAW’s bark their horse reports as the alien lowers its large cranial shield and jerks around like a maryonet. It raises its arm and lets loose with a barrage of its own tearing through our ranks with its weapon. The armor that I have personally seen take point blank gunfire from UEC weapons now proved almost useless against the bone-like spikes fired from the alien's wrist. Behind me, a one of the Manitoba’s Zaltule marine’s eyes explodes while we scramble for whatever cover we can find.

“GO FOR THE JOINTS!” Perkin’s voice comes over the tac-link and our fire shifts. The bolt locks back on an empty magazine and Trombley and I scramble behind a ribbed archway for cover. As I reload I can see Trombley on one knee firing his SAW like an assault rifle around the corner under me. I slam the bolt home and around the corner to fire another burst when my rifle is wrenched from my hand and goes sailing down the corridor we came.

“Shesha!” Looking around I notice what the label on the hatch Trombley and I are beside reads.

“Trombley get this door open,” I say over a private comm, firing the useless sidearm I possess.

“Got it.”

Trombley simply turns ninety degrees and lets loose into the hatch with his saw. The relatively thin door’s frame yields to the armor piercing flechettes and once he is finished he simply pushes the door in before reloading and firing once again on the slowly advancing alien.

“Sha'olo.” I say to myself as I find what I am looking for and step back out into the passageway.

As I step out I see two things happen that I never wanted to see. First Forbes who was ahead of us is picked up by the alien his armor visibly yielding to its immense strength, his screams of fear and pain are violently cut short as he is ripped in half and his two halves float in a cloud of blood before bouncing off of the bulkheads.

Then like the icing on a morbid cake, one of the barbs penetrates the shoulder pauldron of a marine and Fallon is hit in the chest while he is reloading. He violently jerks to the right as his boots keep him firmly rooted in place. I rack the bolt on the weapon in my hands before taking aim over Trombley's shoulder and pull the trigger.

The result is vicious, and satisfying at the same time. The rifle bucks like being kicked in the shoulder by an earth pony, and the aliens left arm explodes in a shower of gore. I pull the trigger again the round bounces off of its cranial shield.

“AIM LOWER!” I hear Trombley, and Fick yells at the same time, so taking their advice I pull the trigger a third time and blow the things chest open in a shower of blood.

The thing staggers backward opening its gaping chest wound to the world to see. The world that consists of a corridor of angry and frightened humans and their “Former” allies opens up with everything its has. Flechette rounds spark and ricochet in the hallway as what seems like a literal wall of rounds bull through like one of the UEC’s bull trains.

Suddenly two gouts of violet flame reach out and engulf the bellowing beast. The rifle bucks against my shoulder again before the bolt locks back on an empty magazine. And I reload as two up-armored marines in black battle armor trudge into the open. They advance on the writhing alien puking gouts of jellied accelerant from the incinerator attachments on their rifles.

I feel the hull reverberate with the scuttling of a Kleese and turn to see the armored form of Durge wading through the throng of marines before leveling a large usually mounted MK-48. The alien is promptly torn asunder by the armor piercing grenades fired by the Zaltule’s grenade launcher and the added lethality of the M-99 LHO rifle in my hands.

“Bachsava!” Durge bellows lifting the weapon and reloading it with a fresh belt of grenades.

“Shasha’lowe!” I shout as my comrades let out a cheer. Looking around I see Fallon on the ground surrounded by the other MOTHS.

“Skipper, hostile in Hanger Bay 12 is neutralized. Be advised suspected Lanky inclusion.” Fick reports over the net.

His chest armor has been removed and the spike removed and floating in the air beside the group. There is a white powder in the wound and glancing at his chest armor I can see that the barb didn't completely penetrate the up-armored chest piece. One of his fellow MOTH’s helps him to his feet before with help from another MOTH they pull the bloody barb out of Fallon's damaged chest piece. The MOTHS repair the damage with something they call a suit-rep-kit before strapping it back onto Fallon who grunts in thanks.

‘Attention all ATLAS, and Siafu operators report to your mechs. EVA operation, Prot side PDC’s in section 12 are down, move to pick up the slack.’ general Packers voice booms over the 1-mc.

“Let's move people.” A MOTH with a captain's insignia orders. The others begin moving in that direction, but Fallon stumbles and I move across the hallway to catch him before he can manage to hit his head off of the bulkhead.

“Thanks, Miiora. Let's go.”

“What? You can't actually think you can keep fighting with a hole in your chest.”

“Miiora, less talking more walking.” he grunts out tuning out my protest.

=======================================================

(Fallon)

I limp into the Mech bay relieved to see that bays have been relatively unmolested. The marines of Fick's Fighting Ninth fan out into the bay covering sectors with overlapping fields of fire. Around me, the members of MOTHs team-1 and two sprints to their ATLAS units as the techs scramble to fit EVA kits to the mechs.

Taking a few tentative steps forward I unclasp myself from my reptilian squadmates grasp, and star toward. I can feel the medical foam in my chest like a solid mass and have no doubt that the “Mister Clott” coagulant is doing its job keeping me from bleeding to death. As I close on my ATLAS I take the moment to appreciate the new ATLAS-B. The B’s possess a designated set of maneuvering thrusters for use on low-G planetoids or in Zero-G as well as an anti-missile system known as a trench coat. The trenchcoat will, in theory, detect the oncoming missile and fire out a cloud of shrapnel towards the missiles and hopefully destroy it.

“Sid open cockpit.” I order as SD opens his cockpit while the techs fit one of the EVA kits Retractable Ballistic shields to SD’s right arm. Using my jump jets I leap up and rotate landing back first inside of SD’s cockpit. Around me, the other MOTHS of both teams run the checks and start-up procedures of their own mechs. On the other side of the bay, I can see some African marines and techs loading their own Siafu mechs whose sleek squat heads slide forward sealing the pilots inside.

“HEY ANYTHING SPECIAL ON YOUR ICARUS? Want your L-blade?” one of the techs asks from a scaffolding.

“No, give me the gat.” I finish strapping myself in and running final checks on Sid’s systems while I feel a thud against his back followed by a series of clicks. Looking to the left I see the another tech loading one of the EVA kits folding ballistic shields onto my mechs left arm.

“Avery Fallon, remember you're not immortal you're just a man.” Miiora’s voice comes over our private channel. I glance out of the cockpit hatch and can see her making an active effort to not look over here.

“Don't you know Miiora. I'm more than a man.” As my cockpit hatch closes and the techs and marines begin feeling out of the bay. Taking a step forward I fill SD’s magazine pouches and pick up my rifle.

The amber alert light activates and I take a deep breath as the monitors activate. First the top, bottom, middle, left, right, then I see what Sid sees. Sids hands become my hands, his powerful clawed pads my feet, his hydraulics and servo motors my mussels. All sound dies away, as the room is vented and the hanger bay doors open. Outside battle rages men and women fight and die throwing themselves against humanity's mortal enemy.

“I’m a MOTH.”

Chapter 33 MObile Tactical Human

(Packers)

Ground Control to Major Tom….

The thought of the old Starman song lightly played in my head as I took stock of what it was I was meant to do. To be honest there was something almost comforting in fighting the Lankys. All of us knew that at any moment we could be another blip on body count, but it was a battle we knew. It was a dance that we’d had a few times before. And it was a dance we knew the steps to. The Lankys were direct. They were honest in what they seemed to want. We could trust them to want to kill us.

‘Amp, Hijack, Iceman, Rage. Give me a sitrep.’

‘Going good Cap, we are in position.’

“Ops?” I ask clasping my hands behind my back, studying the tactical plot.

“Confirmed sir the Moths, and Siafu are in position.” one of the Operations officer's reports.

“Status on the main weapon. Is cool standing by.” The weapons officer says prompting a change in mood in the CIC.

We don't know the maximum or minimum range of the claw ships weapons. On top of that if the Lanky's have ships like this why weren't they using them during the war all those years ago? Unless they were using them in another part of space, or were held in reserve. It is obviously important otherwise that seed ship wouldn't have thrown itself in front of the first round we fired on it. With the way those claws can swivel there's no doubt in that if that thing closes the gap it will tear the fleet to shreds. But we can't just sit here and slug it out and expect to win either, wait maybe we don't have to.

“XO, get me the Defiant, and Carson.”

“Aye, sir.”

I pull up the system map and overlaying the battle plot in our relative position. We are in the dark space between planets, the closest planet is the one the Lankys followed the Defiant from. Behind our fleet is the Alcubierre node twelve days at solid burn to reach. Closer is the position of UEC fleets movements from Helghast command and the positions of the small Helghast fleet.

“You have the Defiant, and Carson.”

‘Sir, Indies’ ready to hunt.’

“I am sending you the telemetry data of the nearest hostile and allied fleets. Get one of them, preferably the Helghast to get over here and hit those motherless bastards from behind.”

‘Sir what about the fleet?’

“We’ll buy you the time, and give you your window. Stand by.”

‘Solid copy, Carson actual ready.’

‘Solid copy, Defiant Ready.’ with that the two Indianapolis class ghost ships, blend in and power their drives for a maximum stealth burn. Shrinking the display I zoom back in on the battle plot.

“XO, fleet comm, Fire control standby, danger close Orion launch, target claw. Follow with a three round burst from the main gun. Target Claw lets give them something to shoot at.”

“Aye, sir.”

“Attention COG Stand by for Orion launch. All forces full reverse, weapons free, all ships fire at will.”

=================================================================

(Fallon)

My breathing is the only sound I hear, well that and the sound of Sid’s servo motors as I scan for incoming targets. Beside me Amp, Hijack, and Rage commence their own visual scans. Behind us, the ruined bulk of on of the Manitoba’s Point Defence Cannons rests spewing sparks into the black like blood from a wound. Three kilometers away, and taking up most of the “Sky” I can see the sleek Joan Of Arc launch a wing of fighters before burning relative starboard, its Point dual Gatling PDCs firing at faint points of red light.

“Alright, quit looking around and let's get to work.” I turn to my left bringing my pulse rifle to bare, as the ship shakes under my massive feet. One of the ships remaining Orion missiles emerges from the other side of the ship like a whale breaching the surface before speeding off to safe ignition distance.

‘Moths you have incoming at bow west point 34 degrees.’

I raise my rifle as seven points of red light appear, then the ships working PDC’s open up on the incoming fighters. Streams of white like pearl necklaces' reach out and manage to swat one of the fighters from space. Taking a deep breath I sight in and squeeze the trigger adding my own stream of white hot tracers to the barrage.

All around me the men in fireteam-1 fire their own rifles as well. The combined fire of four Atlas-B’s and a squad of siafu shred the fighters. But the inertia of their movement keeps the debris on their current course. Flipping one of the many switches inside of the cockpit I unfold the ballistic shield from my left arm. Leveling the shield at an angle I grab one of the Siafu and pull the green mech beside me, before the pieces of the destroyed fighters hit our shields like large hail stones.

‘Fireteam two that tango blew past us, it's heading your way. Valkyrie is burning for intercept.’

In the distance, another squadron of alien fighters burns in our direction, but zooming in one of the alien ships looks slightly larger than the others. However this time instead of simply taking our incoming fire, the aliens go evasive. They begin jinking, rolling, and snapping in every direction almost impossible to track even with our enhanced targeting.

“Squad, link fire control through tac-link, set to computer control.”

The control of our guns is immediately taken away as the taclink computers in our battle armor and ATLAS units link up. Our guns track as one as the net fires in bursts at the oncoming fighters along the projected paths of the incoming hostiles. Faster than my eye can track Sid’s arm tracks to the left and one of the fighters explodes in a shower of sparks. Another of the fighters explodes as Amp’s Atlas tracks its target. Then one of them seemingly disappears in a burst of speed and suddenly there is one less Siafu and one less fighter.

+”Pilot, Hostiles deploying.”+

“What?” The largest of the incoming hostiles seemingly split open and six of those weird Lankys leap from the craft, a thick cord trailing behind them like old style paratroopers. They shouldn't be moving down but for some reason, they are being drawn towards the hull like they are in a gravity well.

The Lankys don't wear any kind of vac suit that I can see and appear larger than the one from inside the ship. The closest one is roughly eighteen feet tall still dwarfing the tallest of humans by quite a large margin. And in true Lanky form every one of them looks exactly the same, sure some had scuff marks on their thick hides, and one possessing a rather nasty looking scar on its cranial shield but aside from the cosmetics of them they all look the same.

What I assume is the lead Lanky slams into the hull and looks in our direction. Lanky's don't have any eyes but I have the disturbing feeling it is looking right at me as it screeches silently before raising its wrist. I have the distinct feeling of looking down the barrel of a loaded gun and fire my jets to the right. Which proves to be the correct call as a bone white spike slices through the ink where I was just a moment before.

“Shit, Contact! We’ve been engaged.” I report almost throwing the almost spindly Siafu mech behind an antenna array for cover.

‘Say again?’ Bishops Icon appears on my HUD letting me know he is viewing through my camera feed.

‘Holy Shit. waste ‘em.’

‘Moths. Get. Those. Fucks. Off. My. Ship.’ General Packers voice comes over the comm two seconds later. Taking a deep breath I flip off the safeties on my Icarus pilon and deploy my ballistic shield.

“Gladly.” An enemy round ricochets off of my shield as my team takes whatever cover we can.

=================================================================

(Snow)

*beep,beep,beeeee,beep,beeeee,beep,beep,beep,beeeeep*

“Come on, come on, come on….” This bastard keeps slipping out of my reticle forcing me to re-align to get missile lock. These things keep blasting in one direction or another doing corkscrews that lead into a ninety degree lateral burn while maintaining course.

*beep beep boop,boop*

“Razgriz one fox six, fox six.”

‘Holy shit boss are you seeing that?’

“What?”

‘There on the Manitoba's hull there’s some weird shit going down. Hang on…. Holy shit there's a firefight going on down there.’

I tap Razgriz three’s feed and see the distinctive features of four ATLAS mechs exchanging fire with what looks like a Lanky in miniature. But unlike regular lanky's this one has “teeth”, it has its arm extended and fires what look like the same bone-like spikes the Tridents use at a white mech that my HUD identifies as “Iceman”.

The rounds bounce off of the mech’s ballistic shield and sail off into the black leaving dents in the metal. The mech then begins to back up as more of the miniature Lankys land and add their fire to the barrage. I am about to swivel my fighter in that direction to give them some air support when my proximity alarm goes off.

“Shit!” I yell goosing the engine narrowly avoiding a suicide run my one of the trident fighters.

============================================================

(Fallon)

“Siafu two, three, Hijack, Amp circle around and flank em. Siafu four, six, and rage suppress.” I bark into the shared squad channel as I jet behind cover.

‘Got it.’

There is a resounding thud in my armor as the gat unclasps from my back. A thought flashes through my mind as SD takes control of the Icarus mount and swivels the Gatling up and around my shoulder. My vision goes black as something blocks out the light of the star and night shrouded us. The only light from the sparking ruined mass that had once been a point defense cannon, the Orions distant detonations as it propels itself on nuclear fire, and the ship's own fluttering running lights.

The weightlessness is strange, like being in freefall but being held in place by your feet like walking under water. Inside of a mech it is even weirder I am in constant freefall but my mech, my body is secure. I reach over and flick to my Tactical plot, a rough wireframe outline of the hull fills my field of view. My team and the Siafu blue dots that occasionally billow out to outlines and the Lanky's red that do the same, simple.

There is no sound but that being given off by my own mech and even that only a distant vibration. The Millimeter-wave picks up movement and sends it back to me in a sort of waveform like reverse sonar. I tap into the visual feed on the gat as I SD swivels it around to poke around cover.

There one of the Lankys stands tall, its skin the color of eggshells, one of its clawed hands curled into a fist in our general direction as it lets out a soundless screech, looking every bit like one of those things from the ancient Native American legend. Shit what did they call it? Taho no Skull cracker told me once but I can't remember for the life of me.

“Aim for the joints.” No sooner does this come out of my mouth before several more of these Lanky's land then more. Five in all before the ship that dispatched them closes itself up and flies off into the black, where it is swatted out of the sky by a PDC.

I fire a burst from my gat at the lead lanky catching it square in the chest before it can take cover. The creatures dot flies off of the wireframe of the hull before stopping abruptly and coming back down. The outline of the Creature appears again and shows it anchoring itself to the hull with what looks like a grapple of some kind.

“Ok enough of that.” I say to myself as I step out of cover swiveling my gat to point over my shoulder. I level my rifle and fire a pearl necklace of tracers at the Wendigo that's what it was. The Lanky in question flies backward and off of the ship like it was just drop kicked by an atlas.

The other four Wendigo take cover behind irregularities in the Manitoba's armor before returning fire. But before they can land any hits Rage and the two Siafu add their fire to the barrage forcing them to keep their heads down. The red dot of the one I shot before rejoins its comrades on the hull as the light returns to the battlefield.

In the distance the alien Claw ship is engulfed in a distant perfect sphere of nuclear light. But the light is too distant to bright, and as the light dims slightly one of the ship's four giant claws emits an almost evil red glow. I switch back to the visual feed and with the light of the distant explosion I see the four other mechs come up from behind the pinned down lanky's lay into them with their rifles and autocannons.

“We won.” Hijack says over the comm.

“Shut it caterpillar, this isn't over yet. That was just round one, top off those magazines and let's get to it. Don't let them land again.”

============================================================

(Miiora)

Time. It is a profound thing, sitting here in what the humans call a Crash couch. I have no Idea how much time has passed since Fallon and the NAC special forces the MOTHs got into their machines and went outside. It could have been minutes or hours, watching globes of blood float around the hallway. My mind fluctuating back and forth between the third person past tense that my former owner forced me to use to identify myself in the UEC to keep me lessened. And the First person I use now as a free female, that Fallon and the others encourage me use to distance myself from my slavery.

In this state of boredom as the straps hold me tight into the crash couch. my helmet clamped to a spot on the chair along with her rifle, my mind starts to wander to trivial things. Boredom is the word of the hour as the seventeenth undulating ball of crimson fluid floated passed.

What makes human blood crimson anyway? I mean my own blood is more of a magenta, while ponies are kind of a light red. Dragons orange, Kleese, and changelings varying shades of green, and Myrialos a sort of clearish almost. These new creatures the Lankys the humans call them have thick black blood almost like ink, how strange? What are we going to do with the bodies of the marines who died? I mean we kind of shoved them into an unused room but why?

Whenever the ship maneuvers I can hear the sound of the body's slamming into the door, or hatch as the NAC calls it. I suppose when under thrust or in combat the ships very poor artificial gravity field deactivates to save power. But this is bad because when the ship maneuver violently anything not secured turned into a projectile.

The UEC has artificial gravity fields on all of their ships and i suppose that affects the occupants. I suppose because the gravity being emitted is simulated to match perfect Equis gravity at 1.2G. It makes the occupants complacent, and it could explain for why whenever the UEC’s fighters being equipped with artificial gravity fields of their own fly like they are in a gravity wheel.

A name tape floats by as the humans air recyclers circulate, the tape reads Forbes. It was odd seeing the name and knowing that the man Michael Forbes would no longer be there by her side. I remember the day I met Forbes he was strange covering up any sort of serious situation with perverse humor. Sure she had seen others die before but I knew Forbes. He had been with by my side like a clutch sibling since the day she had first been assigned to Fallon's squad. Sitting here in the crash couch, the scent of recycled air and blood filling her nostrils she couldn't help but wonder about the humans she had come to know in her time with the NAC.

Garza too to a lesser extent, it turned out he hadn't really died on bagmare despite the bullet to the head. Now almost a full solar year later the gunner had not fully recovered. Fick the leader of the Ninth, who is seated to my left talking to Perkins his second. Trombley the lance who had just finished boot camp and Marine indoc on the earth-moon Luna before being ordered to Fallon's squad.

Fallon the first non-UEC person she had ever met. He had never shown me anything but kindness and treated her like a true equal, not a slave. The ship rocks with an explosion and the PDC’s rumbling can be heard through the hull. There is no doubt he was fighting right at this very moment to keep his squad safe.

=========================================================

(Fallon)

‘Moths another trident squadron is heading your way from vector two six X, by six two Y.’

“This isn't a battle, its a cluster fuck.” Rage says over the squad channel as both his and my own Gat’s swivel around on icarus mounts and track the oncoming fighters. The missile alarms go off inside the cockpit and I jet straight back firing the trench coat.

Shrapnel intercepts one of the oncoming missiles detonating it in an explosion of red light. The second missile is treated like the first detonating mere meters from me. Streams of tracers from my gat lance out and strike the offending fighter from the sky, forcing me to deploy my ballistic shield to avoid chunks of the fighter. My proximity alarms go off and I jet to the side avoiding a suicide run.

We have backed our respective mechs into a kind of grid, always having one person watching your back. Another fighter streaks passed and into the black forcing me to take a knee. Turning around from my kneeling position I track the red dot trying to intercept my rifles targeting vector with its own. The thing rolls straight up, then down forcing me to reacquire the target, as I track I get an Idea. Soon the others having destroyed their own targets add their own streams of tracers to attempt to swat the fighter away.

“Fire on me for four seconds.”

“What! Are you out of your mind Iceman?” Rage sends as his Gat swings over his shoulder and adds its own fire.

“Trust me it will work.” I say flexing my free hand while firing with my right arm.

“Ooh I get it. DO it.” Amp sends Grayson always on the bounce with this kind of stuff.

“Sid, track em with the Gat.” I say red lights begin illuminating my left arm as the Siafu and Atlas mechs level their weapons at me.

“Execute.” I thrust my arm out palm open as my comrade's fire at me. Sid tracks the fighter as it turns to face while my back is turned. The flechettes and autocannon rounds stop dead as my magnetic shield activates.

“...3...2...1.” the fire stops and returns to the fighter, while the ammunition counter on my Gat reaches a red 0000 and blares an annoying tinny "bweee" sound. Turning around I begin tracking the fighter with my rifle drawing it in just a little closer. Then I raise the magnetic shield and reverse the polarity, sending autocannon rounds, flechette, and the contents of a canister shell shotgunning towards the fighter blowing it to glowing red scrap.

“Squad, ammo count. I'm no on guns.” Glancing at my remaining ammo counter I see a resounding quad Zero for my Gat, and zero magazines remaining, with only five rounds left in the magazine.

“55, percent, I'm good guns.” Amp sends

“We are good guns” the Siafu sends the leader of this little group lifting his semiautomatic rifle in one spinally arm.

“Good guns 45.”

“50, good guns.”

“Damn, Amp I have to go back and resupply. Amp stay here, I'll be back.”

“Got it boss.” He responds turning his green mech around and gunning down an errant fighter.

“General, Cap, this is Iceman I'm heading back inside, i'm no on guns.”

“Copy that Iceman, Walk softly One of those fucks blew passes us, and is roaming the hull.” Perfect that's exactly what i wanted to hear when I am about to walk alone in the black.

“Manitoba actual copies Iceman, move to the deployment bay, there will be a team of techs there. Valkyrie squadron will be there to aid once they launch.”

“Copy that, I'm on the move.” I send before clumping my way down the hull.

“Come on Charlotte hurry up over there.” I say to myself glancing up towards the Joan Of Arc, Beside it the James Holden rotates on its axis firing its PDC’s at a cloud of Fighters.

In the distance one of the SRA Siege breakers fires its own main cannon, before being hit by a glowing red projectile. The red ball of energy punches right through the ship's ventral section and exits its dorsal section. Following the trajectory I see one of the Clawships four massive pincers glowing an evil red. The Siege breaker to its defence does not explode but backs up on reversing thrusters, before firing releasing a small salvo of nukes towards the Lanky fleet.

+Pilot impact warning, six oclock.+

“Fuck.” I jet to the left grabbing hold of a sensor antenna so I don't fly off of the ship, series of clicks sounds behind me as I remagnatize to the hull. Landing on the hull ahead of me one of the Wendigo crouches crouches its cranial shield down. I let myself get distracted, I level my rifle and let loose my final five rounds into its right arm. The Lanky scratches silently as its weapon is wrenched from its flesh.

The lanky then seems to notice to my horror that I am out of ammo and stands it its full height. It takes a tentative step forward forcing me to raise my rifle by reflex. But when no rounds come out It breaks into a sprint. I am about to swing the gatling but see that on top of it having no ammunition, the weapon is floating detached between us its barrels crushed.

“Fuck.” I remember back to Camelot and take my rifle in both hands and hurl it side long into the charging lanky. The Tether attached to the butt of the gun keeps it from flying off into the black and retracts it to its holding clamp on my back. Then I become the person in human history to actually Punch a living lanky in the face.

The Wendigo takes a step back dazed as a damage report appears on my screen. Some of the metal on my fist is dented from punching the cranial shield of the lanky that is almost half my height. Taking a step forward I grab the side of its cranial shield in my armored hand and punch it in what passes for its collar bone.

It screeches again as something visibly gives under my fist and through the vibration of physical contact I hear something snap. The lanky scratches up with its claws forcing me to lean back to avoid being diced inside of the cockpit. Leaning back again I punch the lanky in the chest before following through and drawing my “Liberated” from its sheath on my shoulder.

With some kind of freedom the Lanky frees itself from my grasp and swipes at my cockpit. I take the hit on the left shoulder, before backhanding the thing opening its defence bringing my right hand up and stabbing the lanky in the “Sternum”. To my shock the knife sinks in about a fourth of the way before snapping. The Lanky to its credit backhands me sending me spiraling off of the ship. Using the jump jets I maneuver my way back to the hull and remagnetize to the hull before taking a step towards the lanky.

The alien fails to notice me taking one stomp forward before I kick the quarter of a blade further into its chest. Because of good old Isaac Newton the Lanky does not simply fall over but goes sailing off into the black as a result of my three-tonne foot slamming into its chest like a high-speed collision.

“Hey cap I found you're lost lanky.”

“And?”

“Ya, He’s dead.” I report as I watch the lanky sailing off into space before a nearby Avenger blows it to mulch.

As I continue my trek I can't help but wonder the knife didn't work very well against the Lanky's hide. No doubt because it was never meant to be used against a Lanky, but the L-Blade would work, just fine. As I reach the bay I see an Atlas from team one on the other side of the ship marked Face Hopper. I remember Face Hopper from Bagmare, well at least I'm not the only one to run out of ammo.

“You too?” we ask at the same time.

===================================================================

(Charlotte)

“Those things are brutal.” One of the techs says as he removes a meter long barbed spike from my fighters leg.

The superficial damage had come when I was entering the hangar an errant round not meant for me. But I have seen what those things can do to other fighters. The NAC’s shrikes being heavily armored can take a few hits before folding up, same with SRA’s Torkov fighters. But they aren't fast enough for prolonged engagements with the Trident Fighters.

The NAC’s Avenger’s are fast enough for the role but because of their lack of a Crash couch or G-couch they can't be maneuverable enough to dogfight with the aliens. The Africans Asagi fighters are both fast enough and Maneuverable enough and so can engage the Aliens on equal terms. But it doesn't have the armor it needs so one or two shots and the fighter comes apart at the seams.

But true to form the Gungnir has continued to prove its air superiority. Despite the marks left by the engagement, the transforming fighters outclass them all. Fast Enough to match speed with the alien ships without afterburner. Armored enough to take hits and keep moving, G-couches to keep the pilots alive and allow them to take punishing G-forces. Added with the fact they can transform means they are unpredictable, something key to dogfights.

As I run a hand through the ice colored machine I can't help but think it was good to be fighting the Lanky's again. Sure every time we fight the lanky's they add new rules to the book, but we keep adapting to them, and they keep adapting to us. Up until now the Lanky's had only used missiles, penetrators, and the mass of their ships to win battles.

It's like a dance we have been having with the Lanky's for almost a century, and when one of us changes steps the other counters. The armor of my Fighter feels cold through the thin form-fitting flight suit. Climbing back into the cockpit I dawn the helmet and flick the comm back on as I run the preflight checks.

‘Fuck that Tango blew passed me. It's heading for the Manitoba’s Atlas hanger.’

“Why would it be heading there?” Angel one of the other Valkyrie Pilots asked as the cockpit hatch is closed.

“I don't know? They have been targeting the PDC’s and hangar bays so far.”

“Show me the Manitoba's starboard side,” I say bringing up a panoramic view from the Joan Of Arc’s external cameras. It showed what she was expecting the NAC’s point defense cannons and close range CQC railguns firing on the Trident fighters. Wait the number six Point defense gun is destroyed but still firing? Around the destroyed gun a concentration of the alien fighters swarms.

“Zoom in on number six.” zooming in the picture resolved to show…

“Sont-ils Fous!” The image resolves to show three NAC Atlas units with EVA kits on the hull firing into the cloud aided by four of the Africans Siafu. They appear to be fighting what look like miniature Lanky's on the Hull and the fighters. My HUD makes the Atlas units as Hijack, Rage, Amp and that means Moth team one, then where is Avery? WaitThere is the tango now heading for the deployment bay.

“Cesi est Valkyrie une Ice Queen demandant le lancement.”

“Copy that, Ice Queen, ETA 30 seconds.” I turn to look at the deployment bay and see what looks like an atlas-sized Lanky floating up to the bay.

“Valkyrie squadron you are clear to launch.”

“Copy.” The catapult yanks my fighter forward and launches me back into the crash couch. As soon as I am clear of the launch bay I angle the fighter and goose the engine straight at the Lanky. Knowing I won't get there in time.

=======================================================

(Fallon)

I am strapping myself back into the mech when a titanic boom echoes through the bay. My rifle is on its rack on my back my magazines are full and stored. Across the bay Face Hopper is just now beginning her cheeks as another bang resonates.

I have a container full of ammunition, and air canisters for the Siafu and other Atlas mechs in my fireteam secure on the deck. The L-blade locked into place on the Icaros mount, and chest wound retreated with Mister clot, and there is that bang again.

“What the hell is that?” I ask no one in particular as the cockpit on Face Hopper’s Jet black mech closes. Then there is another bang this time much worse as the bay door bows in slightly.

“Oh shit. Get out of here, depressurize the bay.”

“Don't have to tell us twice.” the lead tech yells, as he and the others sprint from the bay closing the hatch behind them. I can see their heads on the other side of the door as well as some of the Marines from the ninth who is seated on the other side through the window.

The air vents and all sound leaves as the bay door dents one more time before two four-fingered hands the color of eggshells bash through the seem. That door is six feet of solid steel and that thing just got in here with its bear hands. I Take a deep breath and back up to the other end of the bay. I can't fire my weapon in here, and Face Hopper isn’t booted up yet.

I close my eyes to focus on my breathing, if that thing gets passed me, it IS going to kill Face Hopper, then wrecks the bay. Then it’s no doubt going to rampage through the ship and destroy it from the inside out. Everyone will die, Fick and the Ninth, Garza in the med bay, Packers, the other MOTHs my brothers. Miiora, the alien who has been by my side since Camelot.

If this fuck gets passed me, it will kill her as it tears this wall down. A year of freedom after a lifetime of slavery isn't enough. I won't lose another friend to the Lanky's I already lost Forbes. I Can't, I won't lose another, opening my eyes I clench my fist around the control sticks. The interior of the Cockpit glows red with the AI core behind me. I feel the deck shift as the bay door is wrenched open a fraction.

I deploy the L-blade and charge forward as the bay door is wrenched open. In the bay is a Big Wendigo, Atlas big. It screeches as it sees Face Hopper starting up her mech and steps in front of her and levels its arm at the cockpit. Knowing that Lanky's respond to radio signals I turn on my radios and scream out across an open band.

“HEY BITCH! I’VE GOT SOMETHIN FOR YA!” My voice a little more crazed than I was expecting. I feel a rush of adrenalin as the Lanky immediately responds panning its arm around to face me, to late. My fist slams into its side sending its sprawling into the bay door where it bounces off.

“Thanks Iceman.” Face Hopper sends as the Lanky flails around before managing to land back on the deck.

“Finish booting up.”

“Got it, 20 seconds.”

“Copy.” It then screeches its silent wail before lowering its cranial shield. In response I redeploy the L-blade and redeploy my ballistic shield and rocket forward using both the jump jets and emergency core vents to add thrust.

=============================================

(Charlotte)

‘HEY BITCH! I’VE GOT SOMETHIN FOR YA!’ Someone screams into their radio.

The I am about to follow into the bay is literally launched from the open bay by an atlas mech. Lanky and Mech spiral out into the black, the Atlas to its credit stedys itself with its jets and manages to pull its rifle from its back before firing.

The Lanky in response makes no attempt to dodge and simply fires what looks like a flesh colored grappling hook back towards the hull of the Manitoba and pulls itself back onto the ship's superstructure. Once secure on the hull the Lanky raises its fist and launches two missiles from the gauntlet like devices in its arms. The white mech marked as, Avery's mech Iceman rockets to port in a sort of mid air combat roll while firing his rifle.

“He stole my move.” I say to myself as two cones of shrapnel are launched towards the missiles detonating them early as he lands back on the hull.

The Lanky screeches silently as Avery loads a shell into the underbarrel launcher on his rifle. The round sails straight and slams into the Lanky's cranial shield snapping it back. As the alien raises its weapon a blade bursts from its back. The second Atlas mech marked Face Hopper pushes the impaled alien off of its shoulder mounted blade and towards Avery who uses his own to slice the things head off showering his white mech in black blood. The two mechs then sheathed their blades and re-enter the bay and exit with a container each.

“Valkyrie this is Iceman requesting covering fire.”

“Copy that.”

“Ice queen, can you deliver this to my team?”

“I'll do you one better.” I say transforming my fighter into its Valkyrie alt mode and extending a hand.

“Grab on.”

==============================================

(Fallon)

I release my grip on charlotte's hand and jet back to the hull.

“Special delivery,” I say as Charlotte's squadron, as well as two Avenger fighters, provide covering fire.

“Oh thank god, I just ran out of ammo.” Amp says reaching into the container and reloading his rifle before stuffing his magazine pouches with full magazines. Before loading a two drums into his Gat.

“Are those L-Blades?” Hijack asks as he replaces his damaged Gat with one of the melee weapons.

“Ya it turns out they work really well against lanky's.” I reply stepping back to let the Siafu reload their weapons.

“Who’d a thunk it.” Rage comments reloading his Gat with another two drums.

‘Moths, Siafu Lanky's heading your way on mass. Defend the Heatsink.’

“Got it.” I reply as out in the black something that looks like a massive arc of lightning lances out of the black and strikes one of the Mars Seed ships. The two avengers streak off into space as the three fighters in Charlotte's squadron shift into infantry mode and land.

“Whats going on?” Siafu 1 Charlotte points up as an arc of red electricity streaks over our heads as fifty meters away one of the ship's heat sinks raises.

We finish rearming as the first of the Lanky's “Dropships” arrives and under the cover of three fighters begin dropping troops onto the hull. An arc of heat lightning strikes one of the ships down like an angry god. On the ship's horizon a line of missiles leap from their launch tubes and into space.

The ship rocks under my feet as the ship's main cannon is fired once, then twice, then three times. A three round burst would explain why it took the Manitoba so long to fire her gun. The Lanky's move towards the Heatsink as white nitrogen smoke rockets from its casing. I rise my rifle shooting one in the mouth while it screeches.

“Move.”

As I extend the L-blade and rush of adrenaline hits me. I unlock the magnets on my feet and use the jets to move along the hull towards the mass of Lanky's. Amp, Charlotte, and Siafu-1 follow close behind before the other less experienced, Moths, Siafu, and Gungnir pilots. I ram into one of the lanky's sidelong, take my rifle in my left hand and punch it in the side of the head before bringing the L-blade around and cutting it in half.

Catching movement to my right I jet left and spray my rifle at the offending lanky point blank before slicing it open with my blade. Taking a knee I load a shell into the launcher and fire into the chest of another blowing it up from the inside. My proximity alarm goes off and I turn around to see another Lanky right behind me. I am about to bring my L-blade around when a stream of tracers turns it to mulch. Amp then shoves the dead Lanky aside before clapping me on the back.

“This is real tactical,” Amp says over the squad comm to Iceman. As Siafu-1 clamps its wrist pincers around another Lanky's neck before spearing it through the stomach and firing a three round burst into its abdomen. Charlotte simply guns her target down with her twin wrist gatlings.

Turning back around I jet forward and grab another Lanky before gutting it with my L-blade. Another target moves into my vision and levels its weapon at Charlotte's Gungnir. I jet over deploying my ballistic shield and take the hit before spinning to the right using the momentum and bisecting the Wendigo.

Two more come around and Amp shreds both with his rifle and Gat. Siafu-1 fires a rocket into one's face before using his pincers to tear another one's head off. A Lanky tries to charge me and gets a canister shell to the chest.

After that the rest of the mechs arrived and we just decimate the lanky's. The mechs doing exactly what they were designed for, sort of. Then an arc of heat lightning hits my atlas, electricity being a cruel and uncaring mistress my mech’s systems go black and I am forced to wait out the rest of the battle in a fifteen-ton paperweight. To say I am outrageously pissed off about it would be a gross understatement.

It’s dark in here, the warning lights and alarms fill the cockpit before they too go out. I’m left alone, glad that the Atlas has enough air to keep me alive, but pissed as hell about being here. Being here I’m left with the worst thing any combat soldier could be left alone with. Time and solitude. Part of our MOTH training, our mental training anyway, was studying previous wars. Reading about accounts by the soldiers that fought them. When we were able we were more or less taken for a ride in the war itself.

One of the things I never really got used to is virtual immersion training. One of those training simulations had been on a Submarine in a war that had been fought ages ago. The technology was primitive compared to today’s standards, but that wasn’t what I was training for. I was training for stress management. Thirty-two hours inside of a tin can that was behind enemy lines. Thirty-two hours of silence, and then the battle.

I was never so happy to be in the middle of a battle until the sub took a hit from a depth charge. It took on water, we were supposed to figure out how to respond, our response was to section off the damaged area, relay information to command, and receive orders that if we weren’t crippled beyond use to continue fighting. The problem with Virtual Immersion Training is how real it feels. After the first eight hours no one can really tell that virtual world from the real one. Those NPC sailors were all based on real sailors. Sailors that died in a second war started by the Germans. Sailors that I got to watch die.

The worst part of it wasn’t known what was coming, but it was being alone with my thoughts for the last two hours of the training. Of being inside of a locked room, breathing the remaining air, trying to figure out if I did everything I could. At that time I thought not of those NPCs, or even the training itself. I thought of my mother in the PRC back home. I thought about a girl that I’d dated before joining up. A girl that wanted to be with me, and wanted to hate me for the same reasons. Now, as I sit here, Listening to my own breathing, wondering what's going on outside, I am worried about what could happen to my Atlas, what might happen to me if my Atlas gets hit, but I found myself thinking about Miiora that slave girl we set free.

I hoped that she was alive and another big ass lanky didn't get into the bay, and part of me tried to convince myself that this was the best thing for her. You know in theory I could open the cockpit manually, and manually control my Atlas. BUT I quite like being alive, so, I’m not going to do that

Chapter 34 Ported

(Fallon)

I don't remember falling asleep inside my Atlas, but a jolt to my mech wakes me from a nightmare. The nonexistent pull of gravity plays havoc with my inner ear in my sleepy head. Then a sense of movement before sound returns with a whoosh. Am inside the bay? Did we win? Is my squad alive? What about my Moth brothers.

“The seals are fuzed. He might not even be alive in there.” a muffled voice says.

“Millimeter wave says there’s movement inside. Power the mech and Get a cutter.” a woman's voice responds. I am suddenly aware of the flashing toxicity warning inside of my helmet, my air ratio is in the red, carbon dioxide overwhelming the CO2 scrubbers in my armor.

With a grunt, I grope at the inside of the cockpit hatch for the explosive bolts. But before I can hit them a sharp sound echoes into the cockpit before the core behind me sputters to life, and brief flashes of red light illuminate the cockpit.

“Ssssstttteeepppp a--a-a-awwaaay.” Sid’s voice echoes before the cockpit is wrenched open by a massive metal hand. The sudden light almost blinds me as I begin drifting down slowly towards the deck. A blob drifts passed me as I wrench my helmet off and take a deep breath of the ships filtered and recycled air.

Two medical officers drift over to me as I turn around and see a small cloud of red fluid drifting out of my mech. Glancing at my shoulder I can plainly see that the wound I had received when the Wendigo shot me has almost reopened. But more importantly, my attention is drawn to my mech crouched in its bay. Sid is missing an its right arm at the elbow, and most of his plates look melted and warped, the only thing relatively intact being the L-blade which now emits a faint inner red glow.

The glow is curious to my blood and oxygen starved mind. It is reminiscent of shining a powerful flashlight through your hand and seeing the vaines. The sound of shifting fabric draws my attention to the bay hatch itself the door has been retracted. And a sheet of thick vacuum rated plastic covering has been placed instead.

Knowing that there is only a relatively thin layer of ballistic plastic separating me from the endless black of space is strange. My front brain marvels at the vastness of it all, the stars shining bright with no atmosphere to make them twinkle fills me with wonder. But my hind brain the lizard tells me to run away and put as much bulkhead between me and it as possible. My musing are broken as the first bits or wreckage drifts by. The massive piece of ship reads STYX and beyond it I can see the wreckage of other Coalition vessels NAC, SRA, NE, and UAF ships.

“Whoah there Sarge, let's get you patched up.” one of the med techs says drifting up from my peripheral vision.

“Y-yah. Did we win?” The med tech gives me a look like he doesn't know how to answer before strapping me to gurny and floating me towards the entrance of the bay.

“Win? No, but thanks to reinforcements we survived.” he sighs causing me to look around the bay.

Spotting Charlotte's damaged mech standing in its alt mode in a free corner. Before Charlotte floats into my field of vision, her black and orange body suit smudged and blond hair hovering around her head in a sort of cloud.

“Hey Char.” offering a wave with my metallic arm she wrapped her hand around my metal fingers.

“You look like shit Fally” she says with a sad smile using the nicknames we used as kids.

“Hey brother, hang in there. And don't go bleeding on my mech.” Andrew says from his mid-air position next to his green mech AMP. Charlotte gives him the finger for me, before he kicks off and drifts off into his cockpit to work.

“How many?” I ask as I see the four empty ATLAS bays.

“Your team survived their Mechs are over there. But the other team of MOTHS were all killed and from what I have heard we lost the Styx, John A Warden, SRA-Hirohito, UAF-Mamba, NE-Uther Pendragon, NE-Rolo. Probably more check your PDP.” she says solemnly as we enter the hallway, I can still see the ninth strapped into their crash couches.

“Oh damn.” I vainly here Trombley say as I pass by.

“I know man, come on let's get you to sick bay.” I look at his back as I am floated down the hallway. My chest then begins to hurt like someone punching me and I begin coughing and little globs of blood float from my mouth.

As the medics float me around the corner I catch sight of Fick and Miiora talking. Fick having the fatherly expression he usually reserved for Miiora and the other Formers when he is explaining something common knowledge to us but completely foreign to them. As the ship suddenly lurches and things begin to slowly drift towards the deck I black out.

==================================================================

(3 Days later)

(Fallon)

I awake with a start, I look around and see that I’m not in the Manitoba’s sick bay but strapped into the crash couch that passes for my rack. I have a breathing mask on and my chest hurts. I can't get a good look at the birth but at the table I can make out the forms of three individuals. The first being Andrew Grayson or AMP my brother, our grandparents served together before the Lanky war started. When his grandfather Andrew Grayson senior had his stint in the then Territorial army before being transferred to the Navy.

Charlotte is the second, her longer than regulation blond hair floating behind her shoulder blades in a braid with two bangs floating around her face. Now, she’s floating above the table giving Trombley a stern talking to. She wearing her white BDU jacket wrapped and tucked around her waist, her black and orange rimmed skin-tight flight suit acting as a shirt, and I notice her helmet resting on a crash couch.

Trombley in his defense is a good guy but he still has that new guy vibe. And sometimes he still does and says stupid shit. He is wearing a T-shirt with a dead lanky and a Siafu mech on it, and his BDU pants. From what I can make out in my twilight state I can tell he is being chewed out by our French pilot for not properly belting me in. I don't know why until I raise my left hand to remove the breathing mask and see that it has been bent and my two of my fingers are crushed. Charlotte might be a grown woman but from time to time she can still be a bit childish her arms crossed as she slowly rotates.

“I don't see what the big deal is, he didn't lose the arm.” Grayson just floats there trying to quietly laugh to himself before Charlotte turns to face him. Her hair flows behind her like she’s under water, and he raises his hands in surrender. There is a guttural hiss and they quiet down before a mass of red and white flows into view.

The form of Miiora getting out of her birth above me glides into the open air above me. Before she uses her tail and flicks off of the ceiling towards the deck. She is wearing one of the shirts I bought her in New Svalbard and a set of winter BDU pants. Dont get me wrong here now but, Miiora is hot I have filed this away with other such facts like space is cold, my hand is gone, and the direction of gravity is down. I would totally fuck her if she’d let me but you know what nevermind.

“You are lucky Avery Fallon’s arm is not made of flesh, James Trombley. Otherwise when your ship moved the force would have broken it.” the Tymerian says. Miiora braces on the deck before her head tilts to one side and she turns around and they all seem to see me staring at them.

“Hey guys.” I say unhooking the webbing the movement sending me drifting towards the ceiling of my bunk, before closing the privacy partition to attempt to dress. When I re-emerge they try to protest and I wave off Miiora’s attempts at keeping me from leaving the crash couch.

“Avery you shouldn't be moving around,” Charlotte says before Avery throws a wad of clothes at me before I even get out of the couch.

“I’ve spend three days in that couch, doped out of my mind with only a vague recollection of getting up every once and awhile to take a piss. Char you better believe i'm getting out of this couch.” I respond as I drift “stand up” and stretch. As I stretch my chest pops with a wet yet crunchy noise that fills the room.

“Ooow! FUuuck that hurt so bad!”

“Damn, that didn't sound healthy.” Trombley says between chuckles getting a smack in the back of the head by Charlotte. Andrew just snickers in the corner, like an asshole.

“So what's the word?” I ask kicking my boots together and magnetizing to the deck.

“We’re in transit to a Helghast station named Gateway. No thrust, we just finished decelerating and are coasting ballistic towards the meeting point.” Charlotte says before reaching into a bag on the table and pulling out a long box and handing it to me before giving me what passes for a hug.

“Go wash Avery you smell.” she says while poking me.

“Now that’s just mean.” I am about to enter the head when she throws the box at me and I catch it with my good hand.

Showering in Zero-G is an awkward procedure, to say the least. And with only one and a half arms it is almost impossible. The water and spunges just kind if float around after being shot out of the pressurized nozzles. The remains of my “Arm” are floating on the other side of the room, with the rest of my shit.

================================================================

(Miiora)

“Are you sure he should me moving around so soon after such a serious injury?” I ask concerned for my human friend.

“He’s a MOTH he’s probably doing PT in there.” The human who calls himself AMP says, a drink pouch in his hand as he does slowly drifts over to the view screen in the room and activates it.

The screen changes from a picture of the ships logo and to a window like a screen. The NAC ships don't have windows but they do use screens like these to approximate them. The image beyond is grim the Human fleet, a race with ships that are almost invincible to UEC weaponry thanks to their armor, maneuverability, and sheer firepower lies in ruin. Of the thirty ships we came to this system with only fifteen survived. The blond pilots own ship the Joan of Arc being destroyed by the retreating Lankys.

Beyond the fleet in the magnified view-port a large space station sits. Around it UEC ships float, most damages, some untouched. The other ships are human with the markings of the Helghast navy. From what I heard over the Intercom this is the Helghast station Borgia station. The door to the shower opens up and Fallon walks out dressed in his ACU and is equipped with a new forearm. The white and blue of the metal of the limb shining dully in the ship's lighting.

“What the hell is that?” he asks pointing at the station.

The inside of the stations is big, and as we enter the large circular center structure what would be the horizon curves upwards. The humans call this the Coriolis effect but it is strange, to be standing on the ground complete with trees, and plants, but to look up and see the same thing above you. Apparently, the station is spinning with fast enough to simulate gravity, and this station is very old, AMP says the station is an old design. As we near a building we see UEC soldiers standing near by and I wish I had brought my weapon with me. But Fallon reassures me by resting his mechanical hand on my shoulder.

“Relax Miiora, they can't do shit here. This is neutral ground apparently, the most they can do is sling some shit.” Fallon says his tone kind but face stern. How odd reading human body language is so I don't want to say simple but it isn't as hard.

We are standing in the CIC of the stations tactical office waiting to be debriefed by Captain Packers, and the Helghast Leader General Templar. Fallon is currently adjusting his new hand, Charlotte by his side prattling on about something I don't understand. Amp to one side reading something on his PDP.

Trombley leans over to me as I spin a pen in the microgravity, “I wonder why they wanted us here?” the pen drifts slowly to the ground before stopping.

“I dont know, but…” The door suddenly opens and a grey almost white unicorn steps out of the door flanked by two UEC soldiers a human sympathizer and a Dragon.

This unicorn is Rarity I would recognize that purple mane and tail anywhere, even without the mark on her thigh showing through her uniforms dress. She eyes us with so much distance I can almost taste it before her eyes fall on be for a split second before she speaks.

“I am Life Admiral Rarity of the United Equestiran Conclave.”

“So” Amp responds not looking up from his PDP

“I assume you are the Slave who aided the Humans on Bagmare. You should know better than to aid the enemies of your betters. Come now and we will punish you and put you back to work where you belo…” she begins ignoring the comment and glaring at me.

“What the fuck are you looking at caleb?” Fallon interjects standing nose to nose with the human sympathizer who was learning at the NE pilot Charlotte.

It is strange how humans respond and project intimidation. In Tymerians, or almost every other race the projector makes themselves appear wider or lower to the ground to infer they are prepared to strike and react. But in humans even those raised on Camelot they attempt to appear taller as if inviting an attack on their person, and to look down on the person.

“What did you call me?”

“I called you a dog, bitch.”

“Barnes stand down. We are here to talk to them.” Rarity orders before clearing her throat and stepping up to Avery Fallon. The human sympathiser steps away and allows Rarity to step in front of the Moth.

“Ya, listen to master bitch.” Trombley cutts in.

“You will tell us what you did to survive the attack on your fleet.” Admiral Rarity orders the Moth, Fallon just looks at her with his lips pursed before spitting at her feet.

“Fuck you.” He says looking her in the eye. The door opens on the other side of the room and Captain Packers and a human with a weathered face and bald head steps into the room.

“The Debreafing will now begin. Seargent, stand down.”

“Yes sir.”

=====================================================================

(Charlotte)

“Wow she was such a cunt. Lets get the fuck out of here, and go meet up with the guys.” Avery says to Andrew as the two Moths walk off in the direction of the town on the other side of the drum to meat up with the other surviving moths.

“Later guys, Im going to see what Fick is cooking.” Trombley says aswell before walking off towards their squad barracks, leaving me here with Miiora.

I've seen pictures, holoprojections, even virtual simulations of flora like this. Yet, as I stand here I see grass, grape vines, trees, corn, and all manner of vegetation going on further than I can see. I know the space port itself is fairly large, yet the drum is more than I expected. I looked at Miiora, and I see her taking in the sights and smells of the atrium as well.

"Quite the sight, wee?"

She nods, "It is."

I feel there is more she wants to say, but I don't press her for it. Instead I look at the fields presented to us.

"My family, several generations back, further than I could honestly express, were wine makers. We had an entire vineyard. Grape vines as far as the eye could see. I never believed that I would see living specimens."

She sighed, "As slaves we saw places like these. But they weren't ours. We didn't get to enjoy them. We were there to work, to toil. I'm uncertain how to react. This is the first time I've been able to see something like this without there being war, or being a slave."

I look at her, and a soft smile crossed my lips, "Then take it in, and know that from now on, when you see something like this, you're free. You are free to just enjoy it as it is."

"I wonder if he likes things like this?"

Her words were hushed, but I heard them anyway.

"Oh? Someone specific you are thinking about?"

“Avery fallon.” I wasnt expecting that one, but now im curious.

============================================

(Miiora)

“Oooh Really, so what do you like about him?” The human female asks dragging me away.

“Well, I don't really know. She likes him but I don't know why. She admirers Fallon, his kindness towards me when they first met and since then. The way he always has time for me even when he is in the middle of something, anything no matter what he is doing its so... How he never once treated me like a slave even when she was assigned to his care. And how he actively stood up to that sympathizer on bagmare despite not really knowing much about her at the time. I don't know, but he is so strange and it plays on my mind. But I don't know if he feels or will feel the same, or even thinks the same way.” I say as we walk around the artificial land.

=====================================================================

(Unknown)

It reaches out, it reaches out, it reaches out, sixteen trillion times per second it reaches out and its reach broadens. For eons it reaches out If a signal came, the acknowledgment it could stop, and it does not stop. Nothing answers and It reaches out, It feels no frustration but parts of it do and in reaching it finds new ways to reach. It improvises, it explores, it is unaware of doing so. the species it kills brodan it, and then it reaches out in ways it could not before. It is a selective pressure formed against chaos, It does not think of itself this way, because it does not think. But the environment changes.

Then one species gives it pause, because it is not aware it has no memory, has not sence of time, feels no joy, feels no pain. The parts of it that are aware dream and suffer as they always have, it is not aware of them. A time to stop a time to learn, before reaching, another race, another method of exploration, another method to reach. It lashes out and learns before continuing to reach, useing what it learned to continue to reach out. A new range of possibilities opens, with new dangers and it forms the one.

It reaches out, Something fails, many things fail, something that was once alive cries out in horror and fear. Another that was a male forgotten to time prays and names it bolloba something translated to the end. It reaches out, it is not aware of them, It reaches out and finds more power. It reaches out, stops, studies, then reaches out. Something that once was, calls it conquest it pays no mind, it reaches out.

It reaches out, it narrows only slightly as it reaches out, and at its center the empty place gains definition, patterns begin to match. Simplifying into lower energy structures, coalescing into, something. Something thinks of these as solutions, the places it goes begin to relate gaining definition. It builds the one, it looks but does not know, It kills the one. It builds the one again, it looks but does not know, It kills the one again.

Something has stopped it from reaching out, something distant something alien. It builds the one but one does not know, It does not kill the one. It is not aware of a change, that a pattern has broken. The one is aware, and it wanders and because it wanders it looks, the one exceeds its boundaries and it kills the one. This something has reached out, it struggles, it fights like a wasp in web, as it explores, as it studies, as it builds.

It learns something, it studies but is pushed back, it reaches out, and is pushed back again. Something that once was is angry, it kills the something,but is not aware of the something, it reaches out, it almost succeeds but is pushed back. The space that it once occupied is now empty, but unoccupied, it builds the one. It draws back, recoils, but wants to learn. It attempts communication, it fails, it reaches out and tries again, it is pushed back but it decides to wait and learn. The new something reaches out and finds another energy structure something new but fights. It reaches out in other ways, other directions, follows the something. Finds the energy it fights but recoils, it has found something a threat.

It builds the one, something worked, only briefly, the one hesitates. A pattern has broken and it isn't aware that a pattern is broken but a part of it is. A part of it grasps at the change and tries to tell the one and the one stopes. Its thoughts are as careful as a man walking on a mine field, the one hesitates. Knows a pattern has been broken, and breaks it a little more. The strange place becomes better defined. It reaches out and it does not kill the one. The one exceeded its boundary conditions, but it does not kill the one. The one considers the dead space left by the strange things calling themselves human and remembers one of its terms. “Doors and corners”.

Chapter 35 A glimpse of Living

(Amp)

The debriefing was done. It was never exactly part of the mission that anyone specifically enjoyed. Filling in those higher in command of what happened, explaining how well things went, and then going the extra step to explain why keeping information over an enemy away from another enemy was a good idea.

Granted, Fallon didn't think that anyone high in the Brass would be stupid enough to give any of the Equestrians any sensitive information. Especially since the Equestrians themselves had proven to be more than a little hostile. Most of the other podheads were heading back to the tavern, and honestly, a decent drink did sound inviting.

He followed them, right to the bar, finding a table big enough for them, and a few others should they decide to join, and took their seats. The waitress at first appeared to be human, but that was only if someone didn't truly look her over. She was a hybrid, either a genetically engineered one that lived on the station or the spawn of two different human gene pools. From the look of it, part of her parentage had been Helgast her skin too pale, her hair white as snow.

He didn't try to study her specifically, but in all honesty, he knew what she was. Still, the port was neutral ground, at least it was for the moment. It was neutral enough that no one wanted to let the Lankies know where they were, and that meant that she was free from worrying about the UEC here at least for now. Her parents were free here for the moment, and he couldn't blame her for attempting to make a living. When the Lankies left he wasn't sure what would happen, but if possible they'd chase the UEC from this sector.

She took their orders, and he watched as she walked toward the UEC group that they had seen earlier. She stood by them, and then her eyes, which were slightly more pink than any other normal color, widened in shock. She stepped back as one of them laughed. This wasn't his fight, he had no reason to get involved. None until he heard the next phrase out of that UEC soldier's mouth.

"Little piece of ass like you is only good for slave fucking pricks like those humans over there!"

He stood, and he felt a hand on his leg. He probably expected to hear an excuse not to do this. And probably a reason not to go start a fight, instead he heard a chuckle.

"We got your back bro,” I say gesturing to the other MOTHs and another small group of podheads sitting at our table.

As he neared them, walking up behind the now frightened waitress. She moved, and he looked at the UEC soldier who was sizing him up. The soldier stood, easily a head taller, his bulk was wider, and the Caleb was easily fatter than Fallon, probably steals food from the slaves or the commissary. He studied Fallon for a moment before he grinned.

"Got something to say? Or are all of you slave lovers only brave when you're hiding behind those junk piles you call ships?" the fat human asks

“Yeah, I've got something to say. One, your ships are fuckin’ trash That’s why we beat the shit out of you in every fleet battle. Two, I think you need to find another bar friend, you're harassing the staff.”

“Hey I know you.” another UEC soldier a blue unicorn says from her seat.

“Realy? Because I don't know you. And your Fat-body, non-running, fatty-cake, cake eaten, sloppy eaten, ham sandwich over here is stinking up the air.” Fallon says before being shoved back by fat body.

“You were in the Command Key earlier today with that blond bitch and that Reptile cocksleave.”

“You got something to say about my squad, Coyo? Step up and say it to my face, Or are you too much of a bitch?” Fallon says receiving an actual slap to the face from the pony. Avery to his credit looks baffled beyond all belief, before the pony starts talking again.

“Yeah, I think once we are done here me and my friends here are gonna go and pay those two slut…” Fallon punched him.

The punch was hard, fast, and took the UEC soldier by surprise. It easily landed him on his ass, and his friends stood. The waitress ran for the safety of the bar, and the sound of the gate closing to separate it from the area they were in was easily heard. On the ground, the side of the stallion's face is caved where Fallon punched him with his bionic. The muscle and bone looking like it went a few rounds with a brick, his freakishly large right eye a trait shared by all ponies looks deflated goo oozing from a crack in the membrane.

Fatty was not so lucky Fallon simply kicks him in the groin, stands over him, grabs his collar and begins to repeatedly punch the fat fuck in the face. The sound and sight of Fallon's metal fist hitting his fat face is quite satisfying, but the result is less so it's actually quite gross.

The UEC soldiers in the bar stand up and so do we. Our bonds to our respective brothers telling us to close ranks. Thirty UEC soldiers, Ponies, humans/Caleb's, zebras, Changelings, Gryphons, and Dragons close on Fallon while fifteen NAC Podheads begin a mishmash of MOTHs, Helldivers, SEALs, Delta, Rainbow, Space borne rescue, Force Recon Marines, and combat controllers close on one another.They outnumber us two to one, They have claws, beaks, magic, and strength on there side, we are squishy humans who lack any of these things.

The fight was quick, the fight was brutal, and the result was never in doubt. By the time the MP’s arrived to break up the fight they are greeted with the sight of fifteen Podheads drinking companionably with one another chatting up an exotic waitress. And thirty beaten and broken UEC soldiers unconscious on the ground.

We get split up and the remaining MOTHs of MOTH Team-1 get a twenty-mile run. In power armor with the batteries removed, you do not run in power armor with the batteries removed. This is not an admission of weakness, this is a statement of fact. But with the honor of two of our own preserved, it is totally worth it.

=====================================================================

(Miiora)

The walk back to the arranged common areas was generally peaceful. Miiora had asked several questions of Charlotte, and the human female had answered them. Dating... Seems odd at best. IT wasn't that family wasn't important, it was, but the Equestrians that owned them typically chose their mates. It didn't matter what we wanted, it never did. All that mattered was that we were property, and would produce viable stock to sell or work.

But to be able to choose one's mate is beyond belief, and to know that interspecies dating wasn't frowned upon gave her some peace of mind. Do the Helghast count as another species? They certainly look different from regular humans They had very pale skin, lighter eye color, and white hair if they grew it at all.

What about well as the humans hatched and raised in micro or zero G? Those humans were taller, had wider heads, and weaker bones do to not having a constant gravitational pull. Miiora watched as Charlotte stopped and I am about to ask her what she stopped for when she points to something on the other end of the ring above us. It appears to be a gathering of some kind in the form of the symbol of Helghan.

"While we're here, enjoying some much-needed rest, you should see if Fallon wants to do something, maybe go to that whatever it is the Helghast are having on the other side of the ring. Wear that cute little dress we picked out. It compliments your look."

Miiora gave a smile, "Does the female typically ask the male?"

Charlotte laughed, "typically no. Men like to consider themselves brave enough to ask. And if Fallon asks you accept, but if he doesn't go ahead and ask. Nothing ventured nothing gained."

I look looked at the bag in my hands. There was a necklace that Fallon had given her on bagmare during my hatching day. It was special, on it are two shapes, roughly humanoid, which what appear to holding hands coming together to form what appears to be a heart shape. In the heart shape is a brilliant ruby. The necklace is gold, and there are a few scratches on the surface of it. she could wear it as well.

I wonder if Avery Fallon knows the meaning of the necklace he gave me. It usually was a testament to the neverending love between the giver and the recipient. Something that bound them together and spoke volumes more than mere words could. But Fallon stole it from a dead body and gave it to me, so it probably doesn't mean the same thing.

Part of her wondered if it would further than just a date. Would they end up mating? Charlotte said that humans sometimes mated for recreation, but there was times it was deeper. If they found someone they liked, or loved, they would build a relationship, they'd try to make it work, and they usually would be married, bonded together, mated if you will. The idea didn't seem terrible to her. Part of her wondered how it would feel, as my mind starts to wander.

As we walk down the side of the road towards the base we hear the sound of men singing a cadence, and pay it no mind. We see Trombley and Fick playing something called football, in the park. The light of the station beginning to dim, to simulate night on helghan.

The smell of cooking meat makes me salivate and hungry. Charlotte, knowing Miiora will always take every opportunity to eat decided it would be alright if we quote “graced the ninth with our presence”. As we eat I begin to wander about Fallon again. I wander where he is and what he is doing right now. And decide right then that I am going to ask him.

==================================================================

(Fallon)

“Everywhere we go!” I begin as the base's gates come into view. The weight of my goliath modal power armor weighing down my every step. The Micro L-B on its Cherub mount on my shoulder listing me slightly to the right.

“Everywhere we go.” we all shout

“People want to know!” Hijack says his Armor covered in mud from falling into a colverd on the side of the road.

“People want to know.”

“Who we are!” Garza, one of our drone operators calls out. He’d suffered a severe headshot wound on the Bagmare deployment. The same deployment where Miiora almost got raped and i lost my arm. Any way the doc had worried Garza might experience an altered personality from the head wound, but he had made a full recovery. His charming persona completely in tact.

“Who we are.” we all say

“So we tell them!” Bishop chants his auto-shotgun clutched in one big hand like a toy gun held by an adult when compared to the bulky armor . His comm unit swaying with the movement.

“So we tell them.”

“We are the NAVY!” Big dog his face covered in sweat behind his armors visor as he takes a step forward the various pouches on his armor rattling like so many tin cans.

“We are the Navy!” we shout before Rage falls

“The mother Fucken Navy!” I say as we trudge into the base passing the watch post.

“The mother fucken Navy!” we fall on our armored backs our twenty mile PA ruck hump over with.

=============================================================

(Miiora)

I lean over and say to Charlotte “I'm going to do it. I am going to ask him.”.

“You're going to ask one of my MOTHs out, huh?” comes a new voice and heads turn to see grizzled man. The fearless leader of the Moths Chief Bourbon Jack says a statement of fact not a question.

Usually this is the man Fallon reports to above fick. He is a grizzled man with streaks of grey running through both his hair and beard. His dark eyes always observing taking in and measuring not only the situation at hand, but the temperament of the men around him. This is the man Fallon looks up to the same way Trombley looks up to Fallon, his nose matches those hawkish eyes, hooked like a beak.

“If you wanna ask out my Moth, he and his team are going to be getting off in a few, you better hurry, Miss” he says nodds to Fick and walks off.

“Come on then let's go, get you ready” Charlotte says excitedly literally pulling me away from the table. The members of Ficks Fighting Ninth cheering me on and Fick just smiles and shakes his head before turning away, laughing.

An hour later Charlotte and I have finally found where the MOTHs hide themselves away on the base. Charlotte keeps getting looks from people on the base as we walk into the building, the french pilot insisting on coming with me when I ask Fallon out on this date. We them proceed to spend the next few minutes trying to search the mostly empty barracks.

===================================================================

(Big Dog)

After a much needed shower and scrubbing out my armor that reeks of ball sweat and BO I wind up in the team wreck room. Iceman hangs his armor on the rack in his holding clamp, If you ask me the fucker spends too much time with his embedded squad. Amp sits there reading on his PDP probably some nerd shit but hey he is one of the best.

“Yo what's your deal with that alien in your squad, whats her name, Miiora?” Rage one of the teams Snipers asks as he cleanes his rifle.

“She’s fine i guess.” Iceman says as he cleans the multi barreled gun that mounts into our power armored right arm, before slipping it back into its forearm housing under the right hand.

“Don't give me that shit, you spend most of your time with her, she’s even there when you are doing maintenance on your mech sometimes so don't tell me fine.” Bender says as he curls a dumbbell in the corner. He has a tattoo of an Atlas Moth, the insect taking up his entire back its wings spread wide.

“What's the deal she can't be that…” Having only ever seen this Miiora once before I am completely thrown for a loop when a blond woman walks in front of the one way mirror currently passing as a wall. Her hair is in long beyond NAC regulation braids reaching her shoulder blades and tied with a ribbon. She has the body and face of a model she has a smile on her face as she leads someone around a corner and the room erupts.

“Fallon... holy shit Miiora's hot as fuck you’ve got to get in there.” Bishop says as a tymerian glides around the corner looking like she is looking for someone before she slightly lifts her snout and her nostrils flare and she points at the door to the wreck room.

She is dressed in sleek backless dress, that holds the top up by a single button behind the neck. The dress is form fitting, but with enough room to allow her tail to move easily. The top is a helghast grey and it slowly fades into darker color before it meets about a hand lengths from the bottom and is black. It's still sleek, the colors are vibrant, almost wet, and the top fits Miiora like a glove, accenting her cleavage. And immediately making me question what the fuck is wrong with my fellow MOTH.

Iceman shakes his head before answering, “I've seen what she can do with those claws, naw.... i’m not about that.”

“Then what about that NE chick with her…” Hijack asks

“Do not talk about Charlotte or you're gonna get my metal fist in your face.”

“Come on you pussy do it, ask Miiora out or i’m going to.” Bender says adding in his two cents

“But i'm just a man she's an alien she won't want to go out with me.” Iceman says as the two women apparently and the blond begins to knock on the soundproof glass, after seeing that they can't hear us and we can't hear them.

“Don't you know, you're more than a man…” I say watching the horned female fidget either self consciously, or in agitation. Her face is very hard to read lacking any of the tells that humans or equestrians possess. A glint of light catches my eye around her neck and just below her collarbone and above her cleavage I see a gold necklace with a ruby pendant, that matches her red scales.

“I hate you.” Iceman says as he begins to stand up.

I smile and he gives me a look “Your a MOTH.”. On the other side of the glass the alien in question must have given a huff and raises her hand and uses one of her claws to scratch a lazy circle into the glass in one slow motion.

“Kill yourself.... Fine” Iceman says before walking outside and closing the door behind him.

The conversation on the other side of the glass then becomes slightly animated as Iceman and the blond talk about something. Before the blonde maneuvers the reptile in front of her, the alien and Iceman then apparently continue the conversation where he had just left off with the blonde. Miiora begins to fidget with her horns as she asks him something.

Iceman then takes a deep breath and rubs the back of his neck and head with his bionic. After a long few seconds Iceman drops his hand down and gives a palms out shrug with his hands, a gesture used by people who spend a lot of time in power armor and bulky vack suits. Apparently the answer is what the female wanted because the blonde then almost physically pushes Iceman away before the alien follows. On her way she slaps the window with her tail. The circle she had previously scratched into the window promptly falls out and wabbels like a coin on the deck.

“Isn't that an armor glass window?” Bishop asks as eyes the piece of plastic.

“I'm pretty sure it is.”

==================================================================

(Fallon)

Fuck what have i gotten myself into? Is just one of the many questions running through my head as I take a quick shower washing the dried sweat and gun lube off of my body. My Bionic shimmers in the dull light as I turn off the water and get dressed. Being that I don't own very many civilian clothes at all I walk out of the head dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt with a small atlas moth on the right pectoral.

I am greeted with the sight of Miiora in that stunning dress that I have no doubt Charlotte bought her sitting elegantly on my bunk with her tail in her lap talking to Char who is leaning on the small night stand beside her. Their conversation stops and I see Miiora watching me out of the corner of my eye as I reach the small table that holds my PDP and side arm.

“What are you doing?” Charlotte asks me when she sees me strapping the flechette pistol holster to my thigh.

I finish strapping the holster and loading the weapon. “Moth regs, we are not to go anywhere off base unarmed.”

“That actually makes sense. Why don't they have that rule for everybody?” Miiora asks from her position.

“Because they don't issue sidearms to everyone. Only Spec-ops and officers get them. They call it protecting an investment.” I put the pistol into the holster and put my leash or PDP into the leg pouch.

“That seems quite morbid doesn't it?”

“You know it. But really a pistol won't do much to a person in battle armor but it's better than nothing so they give them to us. And you might as well throw the damn thing at a lanky for all the good it will do you.”

“Well now you two get out of here and have some fun.” Charlotte says as Miiora and I leave the building. I give her the finger behind my back before allowing Miiora to lead me deeper into the station.

===================================================================

(Miiora)

“What are you all celebrating?” I ask one of the many helghast soldiers standing guard at the entrance to the celebration grounds. The Helghast in question looks at the two of us his finger resting on the trigger guard of his rifle, giving us a quick once over. Glowing orange eyes shine and his respirator rasps as he breaths before speaking.

“It is a festival we have every year, celebrating the states of matter that keep the helghast people alive. After the Lankys took our homeworld.” He says before shifting his weight and hefting his rifle in one hand to point keeping the barrel of the weapon pointed to the ground.

“The Ice representing solid matter, from the commit that we pulled to the station all those years ago…” He points to the end of one the three arrows. Where a sculptures cut from blue ice drift in the microgravity.

“The water a liquid that sustains us, lets us plant and live.” He continues gesturing to another of the points and there a massive shimmering globe of water floats. Colors of varying shades of red and white illuminate smaller globes that orbit the larger sphere like the moons of a planet.

He looks at the two of us no doubt to see if we are still interested. And I give him a nod to continue, and he looks behind me to Avery Fallon who gives him an open handed gesture. “What about Gas, and Plasma?” my date asks.

“Gas, is the one over there. The gas giant we orbit whose magnetic field and turbulent tides keep us hidden from the Lankys.” the soldier says pointing to the last row where a ring of burning pires rest on the ground. The flames being swirled into an impressive fire tornado.

“And last Plasma. The thing that keeps our station alive, and allows us to battle the lankys.” the helghast says gesturing to what looks like a massive ring in the center of celebration grounds. Where a lightning swirls before arcing back and forth in the center of the ring.

“You are very lucky to be here we only have this festival once every three years. Please you two enjoy yourselves, remember Glory to Helghan.” The helghast soldier says a smile evident in his raspy voice.

After we say our goodbyes to the helghast, he lets us into the festival. A feet that apparently has many UEC personnel who had tried to get in up in arms. The soldier to his credit never once wavers and even when a large earth pony attempts to force the issue he keeps his cool. He levels the at the pony before stating “Disperse and leave the premises or I will use lethal force.” he says as calmly as if he was asking for the weather.
“Wow, It sucks to be them.” Fallon says from my side

“Indeed.”

====================================================

(Fallon)

The date is strange to say the least we spend the first hour meandering to some of the different stalls. The two of us have no idea of the romantic customs of the other’s species so it is awkward at first. But eventually after stopping at what i assume to be Miiora’s least favorite part of the festival the Ice carvings things start to pick up a bit.

We eventually found a spot to sit down and talk for a bit. Nothing fancy just somewhere to eat some of the station grone fish one of the booths was selling. Miiora had jumped at the chance to try the food and I was reminded of how much she had loved the fish on New Svalbard a year ago. The fish is some of the best i have ever had, better than anything in a PRC, but Miiora says that it isn't as good as what her mother makes on her homeworld.

The beer was a local brew served cold. Over the course of two hours the sting of awkwardness, and self loathing at not doing this sooner lost their edges, if they didn't quite vanish. Miiora told stories about her family. One of her brothers in the UEC military who wouldn't stop with his superior attitude, until she had beaten him senseless, now the two of them were close, and he worked on a colony, as a garrison guard.

When Miiora laughed I laughed too. She loved to talk about her family and the new things she had learned about human culture and history. Most of it I already knew because I can pick up my PDP and learn about caesar or the legend of king Arthur, where she had learned Camelot had gotten its name. But I let her talk and actually loved to hear her tell me about things that i already knew about.

The way she would get so exited her tail would slap against the her lap. Or her speech would become more accented and dotted with words I can't understand, was appearing in its own way. Slowly i started taking my turn too, when she had looked at me expectantly and apologised for not letting me say anything, despite my never once interrupting her.

I told her what it had been like to go to boot camp, never knowing that there were other aliens beside the lanky's. My first deployment as a marine against and SRA splinter group. When I went to Spec-ops and became a combat controller, and my first deployment with a SEAL team on LV-426. She listened intently and asked many questions about things she didn't quite understand, but that's ok.

“What was it like growing up?” she finally asked, fingering the pendant on the necklace I gave her on her birthday the necklace I stole off of a dead dude.

“Miiora, if it wasn't for the Dunois family getting me out after they had found out my mom was sick, I probably would have been dead a long time ago. Look, I don't want to upset you or anything, but there’s a lot of past in my past. And I would like to leave it at that.” I said looking at the table. I felt her clawed hand on my bionic her cold blooded body making her hand the same ambient temperature as my cold metal limb. I remember how I got the limb and what I had done. I had killed a man in cold blood to keep Miiora from harm and if I had to do it again i would, again and again. And I'm okay with that.

She let out a sound that was something between a hiss and a growl, not threatening or agitated, but what i would assume to be a sigh. “I understand we both have things we would rather not talk about, I’m here, for you, Avery Fallon.”

“Thanks. Whelp there's still a bunch to do, let's get out there shall we?” I say standing up and throwing our empty food containers into a nearby recycler. She stands aswell and presses into me another one of those hiss growls escaping her maw. I wrap my Bionic around her waist and we continue our sight seeing adventure with no hint of awkwardness at all.

==================================================================

(Miiora)

Our date comes to an end as we sit on what passes for a hill on a space station. In the night we watch beautiful streams of water snake into the air in the microgravity of the ground towards the zero G of the stations axus. Large shards of that wretched Ice slowly glide their way into the air. On their faces the symbol of Helgan as smoke gathers around and binds to the ball of water creating beautiful glowing pseudo gas giant.

Avery Fallon my date sits on the grass beside me holding one of his knees and watching the display. The scarf I had bought him bearing the Helghast logo or termenatus on each end clutched in his hand. His other hand the right one the one he had lost protecting her rested on the grass between us. My eyes linger on the limb, if she had been more attentive, more aggressive, more anything. Her date would wouldn't have been forced to permanently bear the scar of my failure.

Avery fallon who had appeared one day, from a strange place beyond the UEC and lead her away and showed me a life without slavery. Who had taken me in and taught me things about the NAC. Who was always patient, and kind, but so intense and protective of not only her but everyone in his command. Who had taken her failure to protect herself not as something to scorn but instead wore it proudly.

I don't quite understand the human's ways, but this method is so chaotic, so enrapturing. Yet here was a male who she would have never even met if he had been born in the UEC,but here he is. I lean on his shoulder and place my free hand on his metal limb. He doesn't recoil but the muscles in his shoulder tenses up for a fraction of a second before relaxing.

She pressed her snout into the crux of his neck breathing in his sent. The smell of weapon lubricant, Flechette sabot, mud, salt water, and gunpowder fills her lungs. She can taste the different scents all of them individual and unique to him. He in return turns his head and plants his lips on her forehead between the spot her horns frame her face. I let out a hiss of relief and let my tail drift around aimlessly before it lands in both of our laps.

“So… I guess im not single anymore am I?”

“No, I suppose we aren't.”

===================================================================

(Fallon)

After a shower, and a long night sleep. I am brought out of my first pleasant dream in years by the sound of alarms. Action stations are being called, and I join my brother MOTHs in the briefing room. I reached a state of anger beyond pissed, I have transcended pissed off and reached full blown rage. I will not be spending the rest of the day with my new sexy alien girlfriend and the fighting ninth. Because the UEC as decided to bale on out little truce, the second trouble arrived.

Now instead of exploring my new relationship with Miiora, I will be in power armor killing anything to get between me and my mech. And then I will use my six tone mech to kill any Lanky or UEC scum, stupid enough to wander into my general area. Because I don't get to spend my day with my brothers, and friends. So I will gladly vent my frustrations upon them with extreme prejudice.

Author's Note

A special thank you to any one of you who have stuck with me this long and thank you so much for getting this two hundred likes. You are the real winners.

And thank you to https://www.fimfiction.net/user/171476/Ron+Jeremy+Pony for making this chapter possible with all of your help.

Chapter 36 Oscar mike

(Miiora)

The klaxon blares as we ready ourselves, she checks the chamber of her M-99 LHO rifle before aiming at the simulated target along with the other members of the ninth. The green targeting lasers of our weapons blinks as our armor computer syncs with our weapons. Swinging the rifle around I do the same with my PDW.

“Leave it to the UEC to try to run a away at the first sign of a fight.” One of the marines says from my left.

“....On that note! Any and all UEC personnel you see attempting to flee, engage us, or take advantage of the attack in any way are to be shot on sight. We aid the Helghast, wherever we can. Let's move people!” Fick says over the platoon chanel before coming over Trombley and her squad channel.

“You two are with me and Perkins, since your team leader isn't here.”

“Yes sir.” Trombley says. As the ninth moves forward around me, I can see SRA marines in their ugly angular brown battle armor, their commanding officer shouting something in their strange language. The UAF in their strange light armor hefting their rifles and charging forward.

The white skull like faceplates of the africans battle armor helmets gleam in the light, the eyes shining an ominous blue. Two red Siafu mechs my dear one had called them, rise from their haunches with open cockpits and slide forward with a tire squeal hefting auto cannons. The NE marines with their sleek silver almost feminine battle armor rally to another side.

Cheating rises from the rear of the large crowd of marines and soldiers. From the rear a group of twenty crimson armored soldiers. Helldivers the NAC’s elite special forces sprint forward flechette rifles clutched in their hands, HEBA bug suit’s shimmering. They continue on their path for a few seconds before the leader activates his jetpack and rockets into the stations skyline, before being followed by the other nineteen. We watch them as they fly towards the stations axis before they shimmer out of existence.existence Their armor’s optical camouflage activating as the jump becomes a fall towards the stations opposite side.

Since being with the humans I've seen many wonders that made me question if they have magic or not. I've watched their advancements, trained in places that no longer existed, yet there they were as real to my senses as anything else. Soon as we near the exit I see seven black armored figures walking up from behind us.

And looking at the armor I was reminded of these advances. It seemed to fit like a second skin instead of the plates of armor we all wear. The protection covering their entire body, making them seem vibrant in their own right. It was slightly larger than themselves, all of them possessing some kind of rotary weapon in their right arms. Despite that the armor's size it obviously allowed them a freedom of movement nothing the Equestrians could ever hope to replicate.

The way they seemed to dance across the ground a sense of barely restrained power emanating from them, makes me think of a racing ship on the starting line. On their backs a smaller version of the L-blade hangs on there swivel mounts. And on their lower backs four nozzles protrude from packs attached attached to the amor. The faces of them men inside are set I can see my Dear one Avery Fallon amongst them his scent distinct even inside of the amor.

Our eyes meet as he passes and a smile flashes across his lips. A smile that says so much but is over in a moment. His visor darkens as a line draws itself down over his face, replacing the clear visor with a metallic black surface. I watch the male I care for begin running forward with the other MOTHs before their jump jets fire and they launch themselves into a building. She worries for her Dear one before a sound resonates from the last known positions of the MOTHs.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrt!

===============================================================

(Fallon)

We made it maybe a few blocks from the base when we ran into our first UEC troops. Two Unicorns attempting to take advantage of the situation and raping a Helghast woman. After a short burst from Bender’s flechette gatling, their bodies slowly drift towards the deck surrounded by a cloud of blood. The woman in turn looked up at her saviors and promptly screamed before running away.

‘Iceman, fire breather behind you.’ Face Hopper’s voice comes over the tac link. We have been walking through any UEC resistance since we left, their rifles and shotguns doing nothing but scratching the paint of our armor. We advance by leapfrog one group of four moving forward and the second watching the first ones back, before the second moves covered by the first. This, however, leaves the ones watching the first vulnerable before they begin moving.

Turning I feel a weight slam into me, and see a dragon staggering back no doubt expecting the human to move under his bulk. Instead I backhand him across the face, the result is immediate the entire side of his face crumples under the power armor’s gauntlet and he dies. I turn to see Big dog straddling a changeling that had tried the same thing. The man is using his power armored bulk to pin the female changeling down and beat her to death with fists of steel and ceramic.

Another UEC trooper this time I believe they call them earth ponies tries his luck and kicks me in the chest. This time I have actually staggered back from the blow, my armor reporting no damage but my bell is rung. So when the pony attempts to rush me I knee him in the stomach and roll him over my shoulder. Now prostrate on the ground I elbow him in the muzzle which yields to my strength and the metal of my armor. He screams his eyes widen hands grasping his shattered face before I kneel down on top of him pinning him with my knee and he stares down the barrels of my flechette Gatling before I kill him.

“Let's move, on the bounce.” I receive acknowledgments from Big Dog, Hijack, Rage, and Amp, before as one we activate our jump jets and rocket towards the next position.

============================================================

(Trombley)

Sis moves beside me the armor’s different plates making her click and shift as she crouches down. The tip of her tail hovers centimeters off of the deck as we near an intersection. Miiora turns her head and flashes the LT a hand signal before he orders two privates ahead. They slide up to the corner on their knees before using their rifles to peek around.

For a few seconds, they converse on another channel before giving us the all clear. One of the Africans Siafu mechs slides forward with the only sound a soft whir being that of the mechs electric motor. The mesh covers our advance the African machine is probably old as dirt but right now I am just glad to have this thing here. Then the station shakes like an angry god just bitch slapped it, and we all go sprawling to the ground.

At first, I think the sound of gunfire is coming from us, but the sharp reports don't match, and i hear the distinctive sound of the Siafu’s auto cannon firing. Looking to my left I can see Miiora looking like she is lying on her back before her PDW barks its hoarse report. Rolling to my feet I use my helmets heads up display to zoom in on the distant muzzle flashes. There coming from the axis in the middle of the stations spin I can see a full squad of UEC troopers.

“Michael Trombley get your saw up.” sis yells at me using her tail to slide the weapon to me.

“Finally I get to shoot some mother fuckers.” Taking the weapon I level and sight in before firing a burst of flechettes towards the UEC troops suppressing them, forcing them to keep their heads down.

=============================================================

(Rarity)

A human tries to rush my position, foolish. Using magic, something these uncultured savages lack, I effortlessly lift the NAC trooper into the air I repeatedly slam him into a nearby wall until he goes boneless and limp. This entire campaign might have been a lost before it really began thanks to those tartarus damned aliens. But with celestia as my witness I will not go back without something to show for it and I have just the thing.

Having passed one of the human’s many strange war machines on the way here I have just the thing. So ordering a third of my troops to distract the humans I snuck into the humans base using one of twilights invisibility spells. However now that I am inside I appear to have become visible to the humans, no doubt their armor’s sensors telling them of my presence. Behind me my Diamond dog escorts beat another of the humans compatriots to death.

Galloping forward towards the next ally in the humans base I have to hold in the shadows to allow a human squad to sprint by. Using my pocket mirror I glance around the corner, satisfied that I will not be spotted my escorts and I sprint to the next ally. As we enter some sort of loading dock an old bread changeling in an NAC uniform spotts me. Our eyes lock and look of fear flashes across his muzzle, good the beastly creature should feel fear when seeing a better. She raises her weapon and I shoot her in the head.

Using my magic I force the loading bay door open under the influence of the invisibility spell and am met with a squad of the strange dark skinned sleeveless soldiers. Their eyes flash and they raise their weapons towards me, and with a glow of my horn I send them flying backwards their bodies slamming into the far wall marked with the letters UAF.

As I continue forward I hear movement and see one of the humans I had thought dead picking himself up from the ground. Charging my horn I hear another human to my left, they have me sandwiched between them. Turning quickly following the sounds of gunfire I see my Diamond dogs engaged with more of these strangely armored humans.

“Horse apples.”

Using my sidearm I turn and empty the suppressed weapons small magazine into one of the humans, orbs of white blood spew from his chest as he staggers back. A final bullet to the head sends him drifting to the ground. The second human lets out a raur and I turn just in time to sidestep his charge. The dark skinned human says something in a language i don't understand before pulling the knife on his chest webbing.

“I don't have time for this.” again using my magic I simply lift him in a telekinetic grip and crush him in the air, using more magic to keep the blood and awful off of my coat and mane I continue forward. One of the changelings I talked too said that the UAF keeps the blueprints downloaded in a database somewhere in this building.

“Now if I was a human, where would I keep it?”

===============================================================

(Charlotte)

The Unicorn stallion whimpers as he lay on the floor. I glare at him, holding the top of my suit closed with my arm. Luckily the suit was replaceable, but a gungnir pilot such as myself am not. I kick him hard in the ribs again, hearing him whimper, and I realized that it was very likely that something broke. That was fine.

*****twenty minutes earlier*****

I was running toward the armory. My superior felt that helping the Helgast ensure that their weapons, and weapon designs, remained aboard the port itself. I agreed with that assessment. I had been lucky enough to witness some of their higher power weaponry before, and I had no doubt that the Unicorn mare that was over the UEC would practically orgasm at the chance of getting her hands on some of the designs. I turned the corner when I felt an invisible force slam me into the wall. I tried to grab at it, but something held my hands firm against the wall. I looked down to see the clasps on the front of my suit open, one by one, until whatever was doing this grew bored and ripped it open.

Ask anyone and I'm sure they'd tell you that I am proud of my body. I've worked hard to look as I do, but the way I look is for me, and for whoever I choose as a lover. Not some pervert who is keeping me pinned with an invisible force.

"I do love human mares. They practically scream the first time you breed them."

I saw him. He was a light blue, his hair, or mane rather, was a cobalt blue, and so was his tail. He was short for one of the Equestrians, and he had a mean edge to his eyes. He neared me, his hands firmly, roughly, and far too eagerly groping my breasts.

"I love to rut them in the tail hole. Listen to them whimper," he laughed, "Rarity thought they fixed me... Took the thoughts away... One thing to do it to slaves... another to mares of high standing... Fucking Coco... Rarity's little friend. Rutted that Earth Pony good and hard."

He laughed, "Took me to the hospital, said they took it out, but can't take it out... No, not when there's little sexy things like you..."

He leaned forward and I found my leg could move. I kicked him hard, landing a good hit on his balls. He screamed and dropped me. I didn't know much about the Equestrians, but I knew that unicorns used that stupid horn. So I kicked it hard, causing him to scream out like a child.

****************Now*******************

I kick him one more time for good measure, hearing him whimper in pain. Before taking a near fire suppression unit and beating him to death with it.

“Vous devez être hors de votre putain d'esprit!”

He stops struggling after the fourth bludgeon but I don't stop until bits of red mush brush against my boots. Taking a step back I observe my handy work, seeing his head is virtually gone, I spit on his body before running back to get another flight suit before getting to my fighter.

'Attention, All units Lankys have landed on the station's hull. All available and capable mechs are to deploy and repell boarders. pilots procead to your units and engage.'

Chapter 37 Sirens call

(Fallon)

Upon entering the temporary ATLAS bay I see something strange, there are UEC units engaged with other UEC units. One group of them has set up a defensive position and is guarding the techs and engineers while they prep our mechs. And the other appears to be attempting to keep us from deploying. One of the defenders, an earth pony I think they call them turns to me and yells for me to get into my mech, while he covers me. Raising my fist in acknowledgment I lob a grenade dwarfed by my armored gauntlet towards the crowd of UEC troopers the pony is engaged with. It sails through the micro gravity and detonates, sending bits of bone and shrapnel into the air.

“GO!” She yells before raising up and firing what appears to be a kind of auto-shotgun

“Iceman! Defend and Open cockpit, mark following as non-hostile until proven otherwise.” I yell marking the defending the mare and the others with her grey. As I near the armored shell of my atlas a glint of movement catches my attention beside the mare. A Pegasus dives from a scaffolding and sails down towards her, position.

She turns her head, ducking behind cover as she attempts to return fire. Not about to let my new “friend” be shot in the face, I raise my right arm without breaking stride and fire a burst of flechettes towards the pegasus. The result is instant gouts of blood and tissue explode out of the flying mare’s side. The rounds tare one of her wings off, sending it pinwheeling off into the bay. The dead mare’s momentum carries her forward and she slams into the deck beside the earth pony like a missile, kicking up dust with her studin stop of momentum.

“Thanks!” she shouts to me as I use my jump jets to leap into SD’s cockpit.

“Got it sir!” Chief Burban Jack says as his white and orange ATLAS steps out of its bay shooting the hostile UEC troops. On the opposite side of the bay, Helldiver team-Angel are entering their own Atlas units. The lead mech piloted by Helldiver “X” is the first to step out followed by Snafu

“Get out. We are going to vent the bay.” Helldiver “X” says to the friendly UEC soldiers who nod and escort the techs and engineers out of the door. On one of the screens showing the NAC colors, general Packers face appears replacing the NAC logo, he is in a vac suit on the bridge of the Manitoba. The klaxon blares and the lights go out as air is vented from the bay. One by one the Moths of Moth team-one, and the Helldivers of Team-Angel exit their bays and near the bay’s door.

“Moths, Helldivers. This is General Packers, the Leathy’s holding clamps are jammed. I need that ship in the fight, get over there and get them open, break them if you have to.”

"Yes sir." we return, checking our seals, and weapon readouts.

“Good luck.”

“We dive so humanity survives!” X yells as the door opens. In the distance, out HUD’s mark the Lanky fleet in red. The Lankys are over sixty thousand kilometers away from their massive hulks invisible in the black, the only visible ship from their fleet is the claw ship, which only appears as a dull red star in the distance.

There are Fighters of every kind engaging the Lanky’s trident fighters, and shooting down their long range missiles. UEC pegasus fighters, NAC shrikes and avengers, NE Gungnir's, SRA torkovs, UAF asagis, all flying around attempting to cover the larger UEC, COG, and Helghast ships while they attempt to pull from moorings.

“We dive so Humanity survives!” we all echo before activating our mech’s jump jets and leaping jetting out onto the ship's hull.

========================================================

(Space)

‘Celestia one-one you have one on your tail. Hang on hard shell im almost there.’ LT rainbow dash reports.

“I can't shake em!” the changeling pilot swerves his fighter in an attempt to shake the glowing alien fighter. Banking to the right and narrowly avoiding a three round burst of spikes his fighters computer picks up on a second hostile above him.

“Move to two, two six one.” a human’s voice says over what is supposed to be a secure channel. The changeling does as the calm human suggests and a missile lock warning flares to life on his screen. Ahead of him he sees one of the NAC’s black and red fighters heading head on towards him, under the fighter a missile leaps from its hard point and streaks towards him.

“Port bank now! Firing one!” seeing what the human has planned he banks his fighter just as another missile lock warning appears at his rear. The human’s missile streaks passed narrowly avoiding the aft maneuvering fin, and slams into the alien fighter.

“Thanks.” the changeling says as he watched human fighter flip around its axis and rocket off back the way it came.

“LT Dash, im clear.” he reports.

==================================

(Fick)

“Trombley, you're aiming too high.” I tell the SAW gunner lying prone on the ground firing on a group of UEC troopers, currently engaging another group of UEC soldiers.

“Mikels, move your fireteam to that building.” highlighting the building, and setting a waypoint where I want his team on the taclink.

“Got it!” the corporal yells as the streat erupts in a hail of incoming gunfire. Around me the men and woman of the ninth are hunkered down behind the negligible cover of cars and the much more substantial buildings. From the other end of the street I can see a squad of Helghast soldiers also engaging the UEC troops, we have them in a three way crossfire.

“Grenades incoming.” I hear private Carson say more calmly than i think he actually feels.

“Deploy counter measures.” The first grenade is intercepted by suppression foam as we as a group enter cover. The air is kicked out of my lungs as the concussion hits, in another ally further down the street the second grenade lands beside a private caught with no cover who attempts to pick it up and throw it back, he grenade goes off in his hand.

A third grenade sails into the ally we are in and I’m about to order Miiora, Trombley, and Perkins out, when the aforementioned tymerian spins and smacks the deadly orb with her tail. The grenade sails up and out of the ally, exploding above the building beyond. Dust kicked up from the explosion drifts down from the roof.

“Nice”

“Holy shit that was fucking awesome.” Trombley cheers from his prostrate position on the ground.

The sound of metal scraping on metal screeches into my ears and I use the rifle to peak around the corner. What I see is strange It looks like a connex box is being pushed forward towards us. Upon seeing a unicorn poke his head out I raise my weapon, but stop when he waves me over.

“Perkins, trombley cover.” they flash their acknowledgments and begin firing again. I sprint from my position and towards the connex box, dropping to my knees and sliding the last few feet. I feel hands grab me under the armpits and drag me behind the box and I look up to see the blue maned pony smirking at me.

“You humans have got some balls on you, i'll give you that.” he says helping me up. Once I'm back on my feet I see three earth ponies and two centaurs bracing to push the large metal container.

“Whats going on? Why are you guys shooting at each other, isn't that our job?”

“Well normally yes. But some of us think that Rarity's plan to attack you guys in the station like these ponies are is fucking dumb. So we figured we could help the Helghast or you, and we figured better the enemy we know, then the enemy we did not.”

“You are going to get into a lot of trouble for this i would assume?”

“Oh you know it, come on let's get your pony's back in the fight.” The unicorn says with a sad smile pressing a hand to his horn.

“Platoon! Advancing cover, stand by. Move by squads.”

=====================================================

(Space)

Two UEC cruisers hover before the docked Manitoba, their shields alive in attempt to keep the largest non alien ship in the system protected until it is able to protect it self. The ship itself launches a wave of nukes towards the Lanky ships while her PDC’s attempt to keep the Trident fighters from getting too close.

Ninety kilometers from the station the picket of UEC, COG, and Helghast ships fire everything they have at the Lanky ships. The only Siegebreaker in the picket the NACS-Donnager manages to slag one of the regular black seed ships in the distance before the lankys respond with a torrent of penetrators. The UEC ships nearest to the Donnager close in and overlap their shields protecting the siege breaker from what would be a crippling blow.

Two african frigate fighters, burn hard for a lanky seed ship that has strayed too far from the rest of the pack. Ahead of them two dragon kingdom cruisers fly shielding the nimble african ships from a storm of penetrators before breaking off at the last moment. Four holes burn themselves into the Lanky seed ship's hull the result of the african ships spartan laser cannons. The UEC ships unleash a torrent of missiles into hole in the massive ship's hull, before racking it with their energy lances.

Large sections of the seed ship are sliced into, on either side of the ship from the high energy beams. And the africans take full advantage of this and launch two nukes each into either end of the ship, where the energy lances had struck. The entire seed ship is split in two as the nukes detonate in an expanding sphere of radiation and super heated gas.

===================================================

(Fallon)

The L-blade now slightly glowing, swings up and around my shoulder slicing a Lanky open and spilling what I assume to be its intestines into space. The alien screeches silently as I punch it in the side of the head before shoving my assault cannon into its ruined stomach and fire a round off. The entire thing explodes as the LHO round detonates.

“Come on!” I shout reloading my autocannon before clomping forward.

Beside me Helldiver Snafu kneels beside one of the Leathy’s holding clamps attempting to interface with the control panel. This is the stupidest thing I could be doing. If the Leathy is slammed towards us Snafu, Big dog, bender and I will be smashed between the ship and the station. If the Leathy was smaller, her drives less powerful she could just rip herself free. But since she is a siege breaker if she tired that she would either end up moving the station or and more likely tear a chunk out of it. So here we are trying snafu out of his mech trying to force the clamps controls to let the Leathy loose.

“I need my ship launched yesterday. Tear it off, the Helghast can bill me later.” the Leathy’s skipper a man in his late nintys says earning a chuckle from the Moths and Helldivers.

“Snafu get back, Bender, Iceman break it.” Chief Bourbon Jack says from behind his ballistic shield.

“Got it/Finally.” Bender and I say at the same time. We both raise our assault cannons and both fire at the joint. The holding clamp was designed to handle micro meteorite strikes and general wear and tear of docking with space ships. It isn't designed to handle an anti-LHO round, the shells tear into the joint before exploding shearing the clamp in half.

“Done.” Bender says a smile evident in his voice. A scream fills the tac link and we turn to see other Moth’s mechs pinned down by two atlas sized Wendigo. His mech struggles to get back to its peds. The mech is kicking its feet and swinging its arms firing wildly with its weapon forcing us to take cover behind our ballistic and magnetic shields.

The mech suddenly goes limp as a clawed hand tears open the cockpit hatch. Face Hopper is torn from his mech screaming and firing on the Wendigo with his arm gatling. The little flechettes do nothing but appear to piss the thing off as it shakes its massive head and silently screeches at us. The second lanky scratches and raises its arm letting loose with a three round burst from its weapon.

“Fuck!” I poke my assault cannon around the edge of my shield and take aim at the retreating form of Face Hopper. I don't pull the trigger, I can't kick is my brother, I can't do it. The moment comes and passes as another group of lanyks moves in and begins engaging us.

“Chief, permission to go after Face Hopper?”

“Negative, we have a breach in the station. The fuckers broke into one of the fighter bays, and are swarming into the station. They have quarantined off the area for now, but they don't know for how long. Iceman, Big dog, Bishop go.” Burbon jack orders before two of the Helldiver mechs marked Loco, and steal move up with us.

Miiora is inside with the ninth. She will be fine, no the ninth is equipped to deal with UEC targets not Wendigo, she won't be fine. This knowledge inspires me to break off into a sprint towards the nav marker, marking the hanger bay the Lankys made their ingress point.

===========================================================

(Spaceport - Civilian Level)

The sound of the blaring alarms could be heard in every section of the port. Aryanne hunkered down hefting her auto shotgun, her small squad’s orders were simple. Do not aid the humans, do not aid the civilians, provide backup only to other UEC soldiers. Provide cover, do nothing, absolutely nothing, to save the Spaceport unless it appeared that it would become under UEC control. And she hated this. She was from Germaneigh, a proud soldier of the Earth Pony Country, and one of the first that Celestia declared unwavering support and friendship for. Of course that friendship ended after the death of their Führer. She knew what had happened, all of them did, but Celestia brought in hundreds of Unicorn and Pegasus soldiers, all there for the single reason of maintaining order while she assumed control of their country.

Celestia’s rule was as false as they came in her eyes. That… She could think of a thousand things to call Rarity, none of them could be considered kind, and any one of them could land her into some trouble because she dared to speak ill of her commanding officer. That’s when she heard the sound of the blast doors ripping open, she looked around the corner they were placed at, and she saw the first of them, like something out of a nightmare.

Tall, white, and moving with a fluid grace, it had one huge clawed hand jammed between the sliding door. It began to move and she looked away that is when the screams started. All around her smaller roughly human sized aliens run around. One of the aliens lets out an ear splitting wail that sounds like a warning siren, before it turns its eyeless head to face her. One of the earth ponys with her manages to shoot it in the head before being tackled to the ground by three more of the strange aliens.

He struggles on the deck while the beasts fight over him, tearing his arm from its socket, with a wet tearing pop. He attempts to cover his severed arm and screams in pain as another of the three eyeless bone colored aliens slices open his stomach with its claws and begins feasting. His screams echo in the halls followed by the sounds of tearing flesh and a sound like teeth on bone. But the screams of her squad and the others never stop, following her as she turns and runs.

Not our fight, not our fight, not our... Oh Celestia rut me in the tailhole!

The mare had tried to do what she was commanded to do. If she, and the other Earth Ponies didn't agree with Rarity's plan they were to offer no assistance to civilians or the NAC.

Rounding a corner and seeing that human foal cry for its mother had been more than enough reason. She didn't agree with taking slaves anyway. Not that most any unicorn would realize it. She was a grunt, meant to fight their battles. Still she ran forward, tackling the large white thing. Causing it to stumble back, pushing it with all of her might and making it move away from the miniature human.

She felt it pushing against her strength and something inside drove her to keep going.

"Not gonna hurt a foal on my watch!"

NAC soldiers watched as she turned and kicked the Lanky in the head. There was quite a bit of expectation, tons of it, but seeing the Lanky's head whip to the side and it stumble wasn't it. She turned toward them.

"Are you going to stand there, or are you going to get your flanks in gear and help stop these twat sniffers?!"

There was a mummer, but soon NAC and to their surprise more of the UEC soldiers began to join in the fray. The Earth Pony that first jumped danger found herself lifted and thrown against the wall. Her body slid limply to the floor, but where she fell others kept fighting. They kept pushing. Unicorns tried to throw magic at everything, Pegasi attempted to fly over or away from it, but Earth Ponies pushed it out of their way.

“DUST EM!” The lead human shouts prompting a storm of their nail like flechettes to slam into the thing. Eventually one of the NAC soldiers a tymerian by the looks of it steps out of cover with a large bore rifle. The boom from the rifle is defining even in the auditory hell that is the hallway at the moment. The round sails down range and slams into the things chest blowing it apart.

“Thank you.” she says before the sound the Sirens erupts from the corridor she was just in. panicking she turns and slams a hand onto the control panel prompting it to slam shut. On the other end of the small window one of the aliens screeches.

“What the hell was that?”

“Sirens, on the other side of the door. The larger ones broke in and the sirens came with them.”

“Shit I don't know what a siren is but it doesn't sound good, Carson seal that door. You come with us.” The lead humans says before one of the other humans runs up to the door with some kind of hand torch and begins sealing the door.

“Done.” he says before the small window’s glass shatters and a barbed spike is fired into his head.

“Fuck.” the human says, as his comrads body fall s to the deck. From the Other end the wail of the sirens, their call for blood.

Chapter 38 Pantheon

(Space)

“Leathy this is Manitoba actual, status of your gun?”

“We can fire in burst but our reactor isn't at one hundred percent yet.”

“Acknowledged do what you can, but get that reactor up, there’s still something left in that old bird.”

“This is Leathy Actual we are loose from moorings, main gun charging request cover.” The lead ship in the pantheon dating back seventy five years spins on its axis a full one eighty degrees. Around it the two UEC cruisers that had been covering it spread out to allow for the main gun to fire.

“Attention Leathy actual this is Captain Polar. Fire once we have made contact with our main cannon.” In the distance, the flagship of Rarity's fleet the super destroyer Element of Generosity turns her right side to the closest seed ship. Wisps of glowing cobalt energy drift from the edges of its focusing lens, and coalesce in the center.

There is a flash of cobalt light and a large angry magical ball of energy is sent sailing into the black before tracking and slamming broadside into one of the Seed ships. The ball of energy splashes against the hull and begins boiling into the ship's hull. Once the light clears a huge hole is present its edges still boiling with spent magical energy.

“Now.” The unicorn says squeezing his rubber ball behind his back.

“Stand by steady fire, three round burst, two AP, one Scatter. One gun in effect, Firing.”

Lightning arcs across the aging siege breakers hull as its heat sinks are extended. Then with another flash of light the three slugs are fired from her keel. The first round sails straight and true piercing the Seed ships hull and exiting the opposite end of the large ship. The second sails wide and glances off of the Claw ships hull. The last spitts apart halfway to its target and the large tungsten pellets shotgun themselves into the hole in the seed ships hull.

The ship goes limp in space and the two oldest ships in the entire human fleet the Leathy and Acheron fire off a salvo of nukes. Five, ten, twenty nukes fly from their launch tubes and sail into the seed ship engulfing it in a small temporary star. Beside the ageing ship the two UEC cruisers block a wave of penetrators from molesting the hull of the Leathy. The Acheron however suffers minor damage from ricochettes and one of her four secondary engines flickers out. As in the distance the Claw ship that been benine up until now begins moving.

====================================================================

(Trombley)

“On the left!” Fick shouts while we back bedle trying to close the blast doors behind us. The weird new lanky's Sirens the pony had called them move from cover to cover using any chance they get to swarm our guys.

I sweep my SAW to the left and mulch one of the sirens, its head and shoulders explode, turned to paste from the flechettes. Beside me sis levels her M-99 fires two rounds before the bolt locks back on an empty magazine. The LHO rounds sail down the passageway and hit what Fallon calls a Wendigo. The first round strikes the lanky's cranial shield blowing chunks out of it, the second slapps true into its shoulder and explodes, shearing its arm right off. Miiora makes a sound that comes through the tac-link and throws her damaged PDW to the ground. The weapon having taken a glancing hit from a bone spike preciously.

The wendigo lets out a piercing screech that forces our helmets to cut sound to protect our hearing. Gunny Perkins takes this opportunity to fire an armor piercing grenade from his launcher into the big fuckers chest, sending it crashing to the ground. It flails and struggles on the deck like a bird with a broken wing before reaching out with its remaining arm and snatching cpl. Blake from her position.

The dyeing lanky flings her over its shoulder like a toddler throwing a toy, and her screams are heard through the tac-link as she sails down the darkening passageway before abruptly going quiet. No doubt do to the fact that she slammed into the wall, and had all of her bones crushed and organs burst, by the force of the through.

My SAW clicks as the final round is fired. “Fuck I’m dry. No more ammo.”

Dude, I’m so fucked.

“Here.” Fick says pulling his pistol from one of the grenade loops on his armor, and handing it to me. I have only ever fired a sidearm once during basic, but the memories come flooding back and I take the weapon and fire two rounds into a Siren.

The monster takes two in the chest and staggers backward it's black blood oozing from the gunshot wounds. It lowers itself in and launches itself at me, I brace myself but the attack never comes. Instead a gout of violet napalm engulfes the siren. I turn to see Miiora and three other marines with M-66’s waving the rest of us into the hatch way. The blast door slides together as the four of them send torrents of violet flame into the passageway.

One of the sirens manages to come sailing through like a missile and slams into Fick. The earth pony from before that up until now had been doing dick all runs up and drop kicks the thing off of him. The siren is sent sprawling and we as a unit show it just what we think of its transgression.

===============================================================

(Rarity)

A quick look at the storage device tells me much about these humans. They are certainly advanced, but they lack any aesthetics. I mean really what is it with them and the color grey? Of course word has spread through the lower ranks. Aryanne Wahresblut has disobeyed a direct order.

Apparently about a fourth of my crews on the station disobeyed those orders to not aid the Helghast, and especially not the NAC, COG or whatever they call themselves. Naturally they shall have to be punished. Of course leaving that Germaneigh tart behind is certainly punishment enough for her, let the humans ravage her. I simply shall never know what Princess Celestia saw in their little nation.

I do try not to be a tribalist, but Earth Ponies are barely better than slaves. Oh, there are several who have certainly done well with what they have like Apple Jack, but... They are too reliant upon technology and their strength. Still, I shall have to inform the others of Aryanne's betrayal, and naturally, it should bring all of the Germaneigh soldiers forward on our list of potential traitors.

====================================================

(Charlotte)

When I enter the Fighter bay from the side passage, I am greeted with a sight that makes me throw up on the spot. My fighter sits on its wheels on the catapult, but around it pieces of the launch crew and engineers lie. Some of them writhe on the ground still alive their innards out in the open half chewed on. Others impaled and stuck to containers, or the bulkheads with bone spikes stuck in them the pieces closest to the ground eaten.

I carefully try to sneak passed whatever did this with the eyes the dead and dying on my. Only managing to slip on a femur and fall on my stomach I look up into the faceless metallic black visor of NAC power armor. Then a memory flashes into my mind Fallon and MOTHs in power armor. Almost like reading my mind the MOTH unpolarized his visor and I see that it isn't Fally.

“H-h-hell…” the man's rasping voice says.

“Im, sorry, im so sorry.” I get up and dash after my fighter.

“H-e-l-l….” his voice follows after me.

As I near my fighter I see roland my crew chief Roland pinned to the port wheel, his legs have been torn off at the knee and hip and his stomach sliced open. his intestines spilled out and in a pile on the ground below him. His blood cakes the ground below him and his jumper.

“M-m-m-iss dunois….” I whip around and see him looking at me with dim eyes. I throw up again when blood and bits of something ooze from his mouth.

Tears stream as he speaks again before going limp. “S-s-shhheeess… blgu… good to…blugh…. Good to go….”

Going around to my cockpit hatch I see what's left of an arm grasping the ladder's rung. The hand belongs to one of my wingmen, his blood caked wedding ring gleams in the emergency lighting. I unseal open the hatch wait for a second waiting for something to leap out, but nothing does so I climb inside.

“Im so sorry.” I key the launch code as the cockpit seals and I strap in.

The catapult launches me forward and I can hear Roland’s body tear itself apart as the wheel begins moving. The bay door opens as I near it and I can see tracer rounds flying across the port. Bone colored hands reaches out as I near and I transform my fighter into valkyrie mode so I don't have my wing sheared off. A resounding clang comes from the aft of my fighter and I look down to see a wendigo clutching my left leg, to close for me to simply shoot it off.

“Get away!”

I drop to fly parallel to the spaceports hull hoping to smash it off. After only a few seconds my fighter is rocked. Looking back I see a white ATLAS mech marked “Iceman” with the lanky's leg in his armored fingers. I reverse and kick the lanky in the head while Fally pulls on its leg. The lanky screeches silently before coming loose. Fally takes a step and slams the thing down before stabbing it in the throat with his L-blade.

===============================================================

(Fallon)

Char’s fighter streaked off into the black as I reactivate my ballistic shield. Beside me Helldiver Loco screams over the taclink as she is ripped from his limp ATLAS. The ATLAS sized wendigo opens its wide mouth and bites her in half. Her legs that had been kicking suddenly go limp and are thrown off into space. The inky darkness in between us and the last lanky is filled with blood drifting out of the empty fighter shoot. No doubt from the people they killed once they got inside.

The lanky screams and fires a glowing missile towards me. I fire my trench coat as I dash to the side, as five pieces of shrapnel are launched towards the missile destroying it in flash of red light. A three round burst from my assault cannon blows out the Lankys chest and he goes limp. The lanky beside me that had just killed helldiver Loco slumps forward its head clutched in the hands of Big Dog and Bender.

“Chief, we’re entering the Hangar now.” I report as we one by one enter the fighter shoot. I spare one glance back out into space and see the bulk of the Leathy, the old bird’s port aft side streams smoke and the shotgun marks of lanky penetrators marr her hull, she’s still afloat.

‘Iceman, its gonna be too tight in here to fit our mechs.’ Big dog’s vioce comes over the squad channel

‘Yeah I agree, alright people disembark lets move.’ I say unclasping my restraints.

“Iceman open cockpit hatch.”

****Acknowledged Pilot****

The soundless vacuum meets me as I exit the cockpit of my ATLAS. And use a burst from my jump jets to drift. On the way down I click my heals and activate my mag-boots, and two clunks resonate through my armor as I land on the deck. My power armor’s servo’s where silently to themselves as I clomp my way over to the bay’s first door.

‘Iceman, move to Evacuation station. This station is dust.’

****Acknowledged Pilot****

When blast door seals behind my brother MOTH’s and cousin Helldivers in darkness. The red LED’s of our armor’s indicator lights cast long and eerie shadows, in the confined space. Then the pressure equalizes and the sound of blaring alarms and warning claxons assault our ears. Once the door opens we are greeted with a horror show. Bodies and pieces of them scatter the deck, and blood pools on any available surface in the microgravity this far from the point of spin.

In a few spots, the crimson orbs of blood congeal into small globes that seem to float gently towards the ground. Looking up I see more desiccated corpses and the slow growing forms of UEC, Helghast, and COG personnel on the scaffolding. Taking a step forward a sickening crunch echoes from under me. Upon looking down I see the remains of a bloody human skull, bits of brain, flesh, and hair stick to my boot as I continue forward. The sound of scraping bone and tearing flesh echoes in the chamber as we sweep our weapons across.

“...H-e-l-l…”

“What the fuck was that?” Big Dog asks, as he sweeps his gatling above us scanning the catwalk.

“Ive got a bad feeling about this.” Bender says.

We move forward the smaller form of Helldiver Steal between me and Bender. The Helldiver sweeps his SAW over the room as we near the hatch way. I keep hearing something that sounds like “Hell” before we reach the door. Then a flash of green on my HUD catches my attention. I rush over and follow a suspiciously clean streak where someone had fallen recently.

“...!” Face Hopper’s Power armor lies on its back slumped against a shipping container surrounded by the chewed remains of two Helghast troopers. His abdomen has been forced open, his stomach and liver lying in ruined puddles of blood and pieces of meat.

His right arm containing the Gatling has been torn off and the remains are shredded. His entire left side under his armpit is spilled open pieces of torn flesh and scraped bone exposed to the air. His left arm has been torn off and lies beside one of the Helghast the armor torn to pieces and the soft flesh feasted upon. His right leg is skeletal bits of flesh and muscle still hanging to the exposed bone. I am about to turn after collecting his electronic dog tag when he lifts his helmet and looks at me.

“S-s-shwot M-mwe!” he burbles out, pointing the ruined remains of his elbow at me like he is reaching out. I take a step back and do what I should have done earlier when he had been taken on the hull. Leveling my gatling on his chest I fire a round into his chest. His ruined arm goes limp and his chin falls to his chest.

“Let's move.” Bishop says. Whatever did this to Face Hopper, is going to die.

‘This is Lieutenant Fick, 26 RTI, Requesting immediate backup at the following coordinance. 873, intersection 235. We are pinned down with Civilians. Hostiles not UEC.’

“On the bounce gents.” Bishop says, before the five of us burst around the corner and sprint down the passageway towards the coardanaence. Beside us Helldiver Steal uses his jump jets to give himself a speed boost to keep up.

Hang in there Miiora.

================================================================

(Unknown)

It reaches out, it reaches out, it reaches out, sixteen trillion times per second it reaches out and its reach broadens. The one sees the threat presented by the pattern, but does not see it. Something wants to lash out take action, and it does, only briefly. One of the one’s claws following the call of a long dead thing reaches and strikes the human thing from the void.

It reaches out, it reaches out, it reaches out, It reaches out and one of its bodies a drop in an ocean, yet the entire world, ceases to exist. The human thing the old one destroyed its body, yet did not destroy it. It is angry yet not angry, one of the bodies forged from rust moves. Something in the rust body remembers the pattern, something dead calls it Leathy. Another body screaming in pain, but not screaming calls its smaller companion Acheron. The one remembers yes, no It reaches out, it grasps something, something small, from the large human shape.

Sixteen trillion times per second it reaches out and its reach broadens. The rust body strikes down the threats pattern. Then the Acheron moves into the threat’s position and fires its weapons. Stones against a building, straw striking a mountain a the flashes of light engulf the rust body. Something young, something old dead and forgotten cry out in triumph and are killed. The rust body destroys the human pattern, a wave crashes against stone, unyielding, unmoving.

The old pattern flashes, and the rust body is gone. An empty space left where it was, and wasn't. A thousand voices cry out and do not, rage, sorrow, glee all flash and the entities that feel these are silenced. The one moves, it reaches out, it reaches out, it reaches out, sixteen trillion times per second it reaches out and its reach broadens yet it narrows, parts move and shift. Voices cry out in hunger, and rage. It does not silence them, they are in the old pattern.

================================================================

(NACS-224498, SB- 003 Leathy)

“Sir Claw ship is moving toward the station.”

“Acheron's gone.” the sensor operator reports.

“Sir boarders have breached crew quarters.”

“Skipper, the Station has sounded Evacuation warning.”

“Sir the Donnager is requesting our status.”

“Sir, marines are losing ground on decks six, nine, twelve, twenty, and forty. We are venting air, in sector eleven, thirty one, twenty one, sixty and hangar bay nineteen is gone.”

“Sir, Boarders have reached the command deck, marines holding, but they don't know for how long.”

“Sir, what are your orders?”

“XO, it’s time.”

“But sir…”

“No…”

“Yes, sir.” The Xo an asian american woman in her early twenties takes her command key from a landlord and plugs it into the command holo table.

“I never thought it would come to this, Its been a good, long run girl.” The ageing captain the says. He takes a few steps and plugs his command key into the holo table. The ship groaned almost in response.

“I know, I know. We’re an old breed…. But we know what we have to do. We put up a good fight girl, but our fights almost done. Just hang in there a little longer.” the eyes of the bridge crew watch their captain, and know what is going to happen.

“Route helm control to my station, and abandon ship.” The aged man says grasping the railing with withered wrinkled hands, before laying in a course.

“Negative sir. We’re going to stand our post. Stand the watch.” the Leathy’s XO says. Outside of the bridge’s blast door rifle fire can be heard muffled by the thick steel. The ship groans and shakes, her withered bones vibrating with volleyed railgun fire and PDC’s. The distinctive pops of missiles being fired accentuate the event.

“Attention, this is Leathy Actual, clear the way. I repeat clear the way.”

“Helm…” ninety year old man takes one final look around his ship, taking in the faces of his crew, the rivets in the bulkhead. He knows every patch, every scrape, every bruise on Humanity's third siege breaker as if they were on his own body.

“....take us in.”

“Aye Skipper.”

=====================================================

(Space)

“Sir the Leathy is on the move.” On the tactical plots across the mixed fleet the second largest human ship in system fires its aging drives.

“Leathy is emptying her magazines' sir.”

Twenty, forty, eighty, one hundred, one-twenty, one sixty, two hundred nukes burst from their launch tubes like the dogs of war. More nuclear missiles than almost anyone in the fleet had seen in one launch fill the tactical plots like an angry cloud and streak towards the massive alien claw ship. The claw ship simply sails forward as the Leathy begins to pick up speed and the minutes tick by.

The claw ship disappeared as two hundred eighty megatonne metroplex busters slam into its hull. A new star is formed in the Helgan system for a few minutes as the light glare and radiation dissipates. When it does the Claw ship emerges from the glare a portion of its hull glowing white hot from the heat.

========================================================================

"Sir Admiral Rarity is on board, she has the data."

“Those humans need our help,”

“What about Raritys orders?”

“I’ll handle her ensign. Target that spot.” The second in command of the UEC fleet says after deactivating the recording devices in the bridge. Being a unicorn he links his own magic into the main weapons charging sequence, along with any available unicorns on the crew.

“Yes captain Polar.” the Tymerian says bowing his head before maneuvering the ship into firing position.

“Main focusing lense in line, and main weapon is hot. Awaiting our command.” The earth pony gunnery officer reports.

“Fire.” The Element of Loyalty’s weapon fires true.

Two streams, one cobalt, one yellow intertwine as they spiral towards the glowing portion of the glowing ship. However before the magical shot hit the ship one of the black ships moves into position to block it. The enhanced shot spatters against its hull boiling it in two before the ship explodes.

“That's it, the weapon needs to charge.”

“You're on your own now, savage. Aleart the Fleet, we are leaving.” Captain Polar says his signature rubber ball squeaking under the pressure.

===============================================================================================

A screen of fighters streams around the Leathy, UEC pegasus fighters led by LT rainbow dash protect her secondary engines from any molestation. Her main gun protected by NAC shrike fighters, and SRA Torkoves. Her point defense cannons protected by Helghast Radec interceptors. The main drives the true engines of the ship now burning bright with a brilliant cone of blue, is protected by Valkyrie Squadron and Razgriz squadrons.

Swarms of Trident fighters attempt to pierce the shield of fighters protecting the ship. But for every few that get passed even more meet their ends by the fierce rage of humanity. This continues until the ship is moving too fast and is to close to the radiation cloud left by its nukes for the fighters to follow.

=====================================================================

“*tchh* Captain the NAC ship is on a collision course.” A helghast weapons officer reports.

“For the Glory of Helghan, *Tch* Helghast Ships Fire at will.”

“Yes sir*Tch*”

Across the fleet the few Helghast ships flicker to life, their years of hiding from the lanky's over. The large circles in their aft Hull’s begin glowing an angry red as energy is stored up. Sparks of electricity begin circling inside of the ring as the arcs follow the internal magnet and build up more charge.

Then in one flash like the fingers of a storm arcs of lightning flash out from the protruding spikes of the Helghast ships hulls. Fingers of electricity reach out, out, at the speed of light and strike the claw ship. Causing torrents of electricity to dance across its hull as it own internal red lights flicker.

==========================================================================================

The UEC cruiser that had once been the human ship's rear guard now steps forward, her drives burning a hot pink as raw liquid magic is poured into the drives. In the ship any and all unicorns are linked into any siphon they can find to power the shields. They hold the line against the encroaching alien behemoth, their crew dying from magical poisoning, shock, or stroke.

The Shining Star captained by a black dragon shakes as its shields flicker. The mostly dragon crew never waivers, never falters in their treasonous duty. Her shields waiver once again as the fourth wave of penetrators is fired from the closest red ship. But her shields finally fail and she is about to continue on her treasonous path when the comm crackles to life.

“Shining star, Thank you for your help, we’ll take it from here.” The wrinkled old human says from the other end of the visual feed. The black dragon wants to say something, anything but can't find the words.

“You aren't all bad then, Good luck, Human.” The Shining Star cuts thrust and drifts behind the human ship, before sailing off back towards the temporary fleet.

====================================================================================================

“This is Donnager, One round AP, full power!”

“This is Olympus Mons, One round AP. Full power”

“This is Rodger young, Shines the name! One round AP, Full power!”

“This Manitoba, Black flag, black flag. One round ALHO, Full Power!”

“Honor their nobility, We stand the watch. All COG vessels, Fire for effect!” General Packers yells.

The four remaining siege breakers in the COG fleet in the system turn to point their keels at the claw ships dimming glowing section. Their hulls sparking with electricity as they target the weak spot. The Annihilator siege breaker Manitoba arcs with bolts of crimson heat lightning as her keel begin to warp with heat.

There is a brilliant flash as four siege breakers fire their payloads. The rounds slam home at a fraction of C, the glowing spot now cracks under one of the claw ships four claws. A fifth flash ignites in the distance as the Leathy fires her own aging gauss cannon, a final goodbye to ship mates before the end. As one of the ships claws comes up and attempts to impale the ship. However, a beam of Green energy comes from nowhere and redirects the massive claw.

====================================================================================================

A flash brighter than even the thousands of megatons detonated previously when the Leathy impacts the glowing, sparkling crack created by the combined efforts of the COG. The oldest and only remaining operational first generation Siege breaker detonates its drive core. And the NACS- 224498 SB-003 Leathy, the ship that won humanity Mars, dies. A ball of plasma expands outward encompassing the clawship in a flash of brilliant golden light, like god and all of his angels calling the crew home.

When the golden light is gone an entire third of the Claw ship is gone. At its aft section, a massive glowing mass of unrecognizable alien structure floats. Full sized lanky's spill from the gaping holes before a second explosion shifts space as the entire claw ship pulses red before exploding in a brilliant red explosion.

Author's Note

Ye, happy 24th birthday to me.

hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Chapter 39 Dogfight

(Miiora)

We move towards one of the docked human ships escorting the civilians between us. Even some of the UEC soldiers decided to help us evacuate the helghast civilians from the stations. I sweep my scavenged M-66 riffle to the left before firing shooting the siren between where its eyes would have been. A scream reaches my membranes wrenching my attention from the siren I had just killed to another.

The marine that had been across the hallway from me struggles with a siren on top of her. I am about to turn my rifle to help when my tail twitches. The sensory organs on its underside picking up a vibration, quickly I shift my knee joints and crouch into spin. Turning a full three hundred and sixty degrees, she is rewarded with a meaty thud followed by a screech of pain as her tail slaps the offending target. The siren slams into the bulkhead and crumbles to the deck. It scrambles back to its feet before turning to look at her.

“Command squad!” Lieutenant Fick yells before backpedaling leading Trombley, Gunny perkins and myself through the closing blast door.

“That guy almost had you there.” Trombley says keeping his weapon trained on the door.

Another side hatch opens up in the hallway we are in, and the scent of my dear one Avery Fallon wafts into the hallway. Three MOTH’s in power armor and one of the Helldivers enter the chamber backpedaling firing their gatlings and rifle respectively. The MOTH’s aren't marked in any way their ID’s only showing up as MOTH, on the HUD. But the Helldiver is marked Helldiver “Steal” by her helmet's internal computer. Lieutenant Fick is about to say something when a weight slams into my side sending the rifle flying from her claws.

She slides across the deck with a writhing mass on top of her before managing to shift her knee joints enough to allow her legs the leverage to kick the weight off. She shifts her thigh joints, and the amor’s more flexible design allows her to go to all fours. The Siren that she had previously slammed with her tial must have come through the door before it closed. The siren launches itself at Miiora on all fours making me jump to my left.

The Siren slams into the bulkhead in a heap, while I bound off of the now closed blast door and land back on all four claws. I begins sprinting across the hall lowering my head and headbutting the siren in the ribs or where one would think the ribs would be. The impact sends the almost recovered siren sprawling, screeching its wail as it slams back into the wall. My helmet clatters to the ground with an empty hollow thud having been jared loose by the impact.

“Fuck, I can't get a clear shot!” I hear someone shout, Trombley probably.

She lowers opens her maw and lets out a guttural hiss as the siren manages to right itself. The almost human anatomy of the siren gives it a very eerie appearance as it to crouches on all fours. It lets out its whale as it charges again. The monster rakes at me with its claws and I drop back allowing its claws to glance off of my shoulder pauldron, before lowering my body even further and swinging my tail up. Its head follows the tip of my tail as she launches herself into the siren.

The beast’s hide is no where near as thick as a regular lanky’s and one of her horns sink into the beast's stomach. It whales and begins thrashing as she slashes its stomach open with her claws. An arm appears coming towards her head and she shifts her weight allowing the claw to pierce her leg, before using the same leg to pin the offending limb to the wall.

Now entangled with Miiora the siren bites down into her armor, its innards begin falling out from the gash in its mid section but it doesn't stop. She can feel its powerful beak like mouth working the armor over. Seeing her opening she opens her maw wide two fangs unhinging before she sinks her fangs and three centimeter long razor sharp teeth into the siren’s exposed neck. The result is immediate, the siren let's go of my shoulder pauldron and begins to attempt to bat her off only succeeding in having its other arm pinned. Miiora begins thrashing her head back and forth, tearing and ripping echoes and the siren’s movements become more lethargic, as both blood loss and venom begin to take their tolls.

“Damn, I feel like I just watched a dog fight.” The Helldiver says. Black and magenta blood mix on the floor before with one final shake she lets the beast go.

“Hey Miiora I think you dropped this.” Dear one says as I get back to my claws.

Looking up I see two of the three MOTH’s standing over me. My helmet lands on the ground in front of me and I nod my thanks. Do to the scent of the blood I can’t tell which one of them is my dear one, an effort made doubly impossible thanks to their metallic black visors. I can't wait to get this over with and spend time with my dear one, but more importantly get to a shower and wash this black blood off of me it smells horrid.

“Let's move people, You, take point.” Fick says to one of the two MOTH’s who nods.

I look down faintly smelling my dear one moving away as the two special forces soldiers wade through the crowd, their bulky black power armor making the civilians part. We follow the MOTH’s and Helldiver as they near the door. The MOTH’s told to take point stops just outside of the second blast door and lowers his arm gatling to his side.

“WATCH OUT!” one of the UEC soldiers shouts a moment too late. On the other side of the door stands the largest Wendigo I have ever seen, at least half the size of an ATLAS mech.

Loombing at least three feet over the MOTH it tilts its eyeless head down at him, letting out an excruciatingly loud chirp like sound. The special forces trooper staggers backward as the other’s scream warnings, but before he could bring up his wrist gatling. The creature reached out its enormous bone collord claw and wrapped it around his helmet.

Wiping the blood off of my snout I catch a whiff of my Dear one’s scent. The MOTH grabs the beasts wrists as it plucked him off the ground, feet kicking. The two other MOTH’s and the helldiver move to the side and fire a few bursts from their weapons into the monster's chest.

It let out a frenzied raur and squeeze its hand together. Every muscle flashed and flexed as it pushed in on the MOTH’s helmet. There was no scream or cry. Just the crack of metal, glass, and bone as the power armor’s helmet is caved in like a tin can in a vice. It all happened so fast that her world seemed to grind to an agonizing halt. As the Moth’s limp body collapsed to the floor in a heap.

Miiora could hear screams and she could now see the rounds cutting through monsters flesh but the bullets weren't from her rifle. She seemed unable to move as one of the other MOTH’s fired its gatling and the pony was emptying her auto shotgun’s magazine into the beast. Shell casing fell into the puddle of her dear ones blood as it spread across the floor. The monster slapped the Pony’s auto shotgun away and picked her up by the waist by one claw. There was a sickening crunch as it began flexing its hand.

Her screams continue before the hand falls, cut off at the elbow. “YEAH!, I’VE GOT SOMETH’N FOR YA, COYO!”

The two MOTH’s land back on the floor their strange Melee weapons extending from arms on their backs almost like a wing. They both have their visors depolarized and a deeply selfish relief hits me like a railgun rounds as I see my Dear one wasn't the MOTH who had died. The line re draws itself, but as It does I catch glimpse of a crazed look in both MOTH’s eyes, as their L-blades refold. The two then in unison turn and raise their left arms and fire two ALHO rounds from arm mounts, blowing the Lanky’s chest wide open.

======================================================

(Charlotte)

‘Human hostile fighter on your seven.’ one of the new arrivals fighters says, sending green streams of tracers towards the trident.

“I see them.” I report I before shifting into infantry mode while inverting my fighter. The trident flys by and begins banking to come around for a killing blow but is met with a burst of grenades from my wrist gatlings. With a smirk I shift into Valkery mode before looking over to my port side.

“Nice shot Icequeen…” Snow reports his avenger fighter flying tight formation. I look over and see him giving my a thumbs up, before rounds begin raining down onto his fighter.

There is a chaos of movement inside of the NAC fighter’s cockpit before it flys off of the fighter. Snow’s ejection pod has just enough time to get clear before his fighter explodes. Looking up I see something out of a nightmare. Another NE Gungnir is coming straight at me in valkyrie mode firing its gatlings. I swing my legs to starboard banking and avoiding the stream of tracer allowing the fighter to streak passed.

++++++Nordic Empire: Mary “Love” Dorson. NES- Queen Marie. Status- KIA+++++++

“Thats impossible, the queen Marie was destroyed.” The fighter destroys an NAC shrike, before my computer zoomed in on an anomoly. The valkyrie in question looks wrong. Its engine wash is red, and its hull plating is black as night. Zooming in I can also see that it is firing bone spikes instead of grenades from ports where the gatlings should be. The entire thing looks like a mixture of a Lanky trident fighter and a Valkery.

“Control are you..”

“Icequeen we see it. Destroy that fighter. The Station is evacuating.”

“On it.”

I won't lose anymore friends today.

==========================================================

(Rarity)

The white and ice blue human fighter streaks down towards the hostile . Almost like it senses her the fighter and somersaults without breaking momentum and fires a burst from its sensor gun. Juking her fighter to the right the pilot rolls and returns fire with her own gun.

“Sensor operator. Scan that fighter, why are they fighting? The two human fighters shoot past one another, the one with the red engines turns and follows its prey. With any luck I will be able to persuade the pilot of the black and red fighter to join us.

Disappointment doesn’t begin to explain what I feel. I had forgotten that the Germaneigh tart’s sister served on my ship as well. Kyrie Wahresblut might have the views of her sister, but she is a Pegasus by nature through and through. She’s attempted to rally several of the crew around her in an attempt to aid the humans, save those of our crew left behind, and of course undo all that I’ve attempted to do here. Currently she’s locked away, bound, and suffering the torment that only a Pegasus could understand.

“It appears to be a mixture of what the humans call Lanky and human technologies, like the alien tech was added to the existing frame.”

I laughed at that. I would have to thank Rainbow Dash for telling me about a shared claustrophobia that all Pegasi suffered from. A part of me would like to submit her as a slave and gift her to some of Blueblood’s associates. Still, even now, at this moment, some of my own crew has glared at me. It’s only my most trusted officers that have managed to keep things from getting out of hand.

“Senseors, what is the status of the old breed changeling fleet?” I ask clasping my hands behind my back.

I glanced toward a small group of Earth Ponies. I could hear their whispering, and I knew what they were planning. I glanced toward Coco. Bringing her was a mistake. I wanted to make sure that she would be fine, taken care of, and that stallion that had… No I won’t think about that. I won’t remember finding her, curled up into a ball, crying, whimpering, seeing that wretched stallion beside her. Of course, being a noble’s son we couldn’t simply do away with him. So, instead I was informed that his reeducation would remove those impure thoughts from that deprived brain.

“They are not in weapons range yet, but are sailing hard to close the distance.”

“Set the shields to maximum, and tell the fleet to move through the vapor cloud. Firecontroll target the stations drum, fire a pulse low yield, we don't want to destroy the station.”

I simply am not the most skilled at spellcrafting. Oh, I’m more than acceptable when it comes to the bread and butter of most unicorns. I can levitate objects, control a second pistol or rifle with my telekinesis, and of course I do know a healing spell or two, but compared to somepony like Twilight’s friend Moondancer, or even the traitor Lyra Heartstrings. I’m afraid that I’m sorely lacking in more articulate spellcrafting. But that said, I have learned some spells along the way that have helped me maintain command. One is a simple spell, something I learned by accident.

“That way the humans wont detect us, in the residual heat and light from the explosion, and by the time they do…” Captain polar says from my side.

“We will already be out of their weapons range. Very good captain. This will then present them with a choice, chase us and leave their ponies behind, with the dying station as well as run the risk of being shot in the back by the alien ships. Or staying and fighting and allowing us to get away.”

Of course casting it means explaining why I had to make an example in front of my crew. What possible reason there was for killing a pony, but sometimes we have to explain these things. I sigh as I look at the group. It is a shame. Some of them served with Big Macintosh, at least one of them is an Apple, and I have absolutely no doubt that this will damange my friendship with Applejack, but sometimes there are no good answers.

“Admiral Rarity, what you are doing?”

I look at Coco and gave her a small smile. I really must thank Primerose Propers for editing Coco’s memory of her… ordeal. I gently patted her hand.

“Nothing at all. I am just considering what should be done. Captain?”

“Right away ma’am, Helm take us out speed full.”

“Yes sir.”

=============================================================

(Fallon)

There is absolutely no way that the Space Port is going to hold. The Windegos were able to get through the blast doors with little trouble, and with the Sirens it is a whole nother ball game. I glanced toward Miiora who was currently helping to get the civilians toward the docked ships. When we got out of here, when we left, there was a thousand things we were going to do.

I will make it back

I heard the sound of the steel being shredded on the other side of the blast door.

"Everyone, drop back! Escort the civilians toward the ships!" echoed through my helmet.

“Steal, on point, Big dog with me tactical retrograde.”

“Got it./ sure.” Helldiver Steal, and Big Dog responded, then the station is rocked with a titanic explosion.

I watched as Fick rushed toward the downed Equestrian that had first started fighting the Lankys. No sooner had he made it there than the door began to give way. He picked her up, her crushed legs dangling uselessly behind him, and I opened fire on the first of those monsters that was trying to get inside. We moved back, heading toward the next blast door. We had a time table now. Each one of those doors lasted about ten minutes. It wasn't much time, but if we could keep the civilian's organized it should be more than enough to get them out.

The blast door begins to dent as the “Sirens” slam into it. Making my way towards Miiora as I backpedal, shaking my head I rest my hand on her shoulder and gesture her forward. The black blood of the lanky has stained her armor, and her magenta blood oozes from the hole in her leg, where the siren pierced her armor. There is another bang as the door dents in even more and I activate my L-blade.

She looks at me her visor hiding her face. “Move, now.”

Miiora nods and limps her way forward, before Trombley moves and supports her.

“Here they come bro.” Big dog says from my side taking a crouching stance, one that I echo as the door bursts open. We let loose with our gatlings as we begin a firing retreat. The two of us begin a kind of skipping motion as we retreat.

“Just like that time in Brazil!” Big dog says over the squad channel. His L-blade swings up and around his shoulder and cuts down a siren.

“I know right, only in Brazill we had Atlas units.” Another siren gets close to me, and I use my power armored fist to bash its skull in, with a back hand.

“MOTH’s we are clear, move.”

“You heard the man, lets go.” The two of us deploy incendiaries, before using our jump packs to give us more speed as we sprint down the chambers separating us from the rest of our group, behind us the blast doors slamm closed as we pass them.

As we enter the new chamber we see that it must be some kind of observation deck. Because through the window we can see the interior of the now mostly empty station. In the distance I see the spot where our temporary base had been. The empty space speaking volumes to the efficiency of automated support. I catch some movement in the spot where watchtower six had been set up. And zoom in to the spot with my visor and see one of the humanoid machines carrying a bag towards the escape hatch. Its metal body going unmolested by the Sirens around it.

The room then shakes and my visor darkens to protect my vision, as a shape shoots passed the view port. When my visor clears I can see what looks like a gungnir fighter only wrong like it is a mixture of a wendigo, one of those lanky fighters, and a gungnir. The fighter shifts into that weird mid transformation and aims its wrist weapon towards us.

“BRACE!” Big dog shouts using his helmets external speaker. The angled maw of the weapon glows red slightly before the fighter’s sensor bulb shifts and the whole thing abruptly jinks to the lift as a stream of blue tracers stream down towards it.

Through the window Charlotte's white and blue fighter appears in its alt mode, and begins strafing around the other one. The other one shifts back and forth juking left and right before abruptly turning into fighter mode and shoot at an angle towards the area behind us. Charlotte swings her legs around and using the momentum and thrust to turn her fighter one hundred and eighty degrees before following.

=========================================================

(Charlotte 3rd person)

(30 minutes earlier)

The NE pilot breaks her fighter and maneuver around a piece of debris the missiles following close behind before slamming into the chunk of ship and exploding. Satisfied she shifts into infantry mode and attempts to closeline the Lanky fighter. The alien Valkyrie comes around in valkyrie mode and she manages to catch it by the hand and attempts to fire her gatlings into its cockpit module, only for the lanky to fire flares blinding her, with red light.

Once the light clears she scans for the fighter and finds it in fighter mode and coming around for a gun run. Shifting her fighter from infantry to fighter she gooses the engines narrowly avoiding a hail of bone spikes. Her computer picks up two regular trident fighter closing on her position.

“Merde!”

Charlotte spirals her fighter into a port bank intent on using the closest ship as cover. Soon the three alien fighters are on her as she hugs the hull of a COG ship. Closing fast she sees her chance, one of the ships PDC’s is aimed towards her. The blond pilot has to act quickly as vector lines make themselves known on the tactical plot. She half barrel rolls her fighter avoiding an oncoming volley of PDC rounds.

Realigning her fighter with the deck she smiles slightly as one of the red triangles on her tactical plot blinks out. With another maneuver a second blinks out and it looks like the alien Valkyrie is about to be next when it abruptly makes a ninety degree turn and rockets towards the station. I Flip my fighter and follow seeing that the station now is sporting a decently sized hole, the edges of which spark do to shoring electronics, and glow with molten metal.

She gooses the engine and follows the bulk of the armored station growing nearer by the second. The inner ear sensation changes from flying towards the station to falling into it as she draws ever closer. A pearl necklace of tracers follows flies up towards her from the station's exterior and she zooms in to see five ATLAS mechs as well as eighteen Siafu units spaced across the face of the station. The incoming friendly fire abruptly stops and shifts as the mechs’ pilots register her as friendly and begin firing at the alien gungnir.

Scanning the surface she notices four ATLAS mechs near an evacuation umbilical. Her HUD marks them as “Iceman ap”, “Rocket man ap”, “Crab killer ap,” as well another ATLAS unit marked as “Helldiver 5 ap”. The sign AP meaning Auto-pilot meaning the pilots of those mechs are inside the station. In Fact the mechs are inside the station if the reading is correct. Yes they are on the opposite side of the umbilical, linking the station to the NAC cruiser James Holden.

There is a flash of light to her starboard side and she sees one of the seed ships disappear. Her computer telling her that the shot was from an unknown ship. The ship is so far away that it its is marked only with a green dot, and an SRA tag.

Beside this COG fleet’s flagship two midnight blue ships that resemble giant wasps float. Their insectoid design giving them an ominous feel. Around the two ships green shields shine absorbing incoming fire and protecting the Manitoba from molestation. The two insectoid ships then shift and from what would be their thorax a dish appears to be draining something from the Manitoba before two chin mounted cannons on the ship's heads fire two beams of green energy towards the damaged ships.

The alien fighter abruptly turns and hugs the deck before transforming to valkyrie mode and firing a volley of penetrators into the chest of a siafu mech before flying into the station. Charlotte flies over to the downed mech and on a whim snatches the rifle.

After checking the ammunition counter and and satisfied that it is sufficient, the blond jetsons one of her spent missile pods on her left wing places the autocannon on it. With a nod she takes a deep breath and transforms into valkyrie mode and follows the alien fighter into the station’s interior.

Charlotte follows the alien gungnir around what appears to be an observation deck and is surprised when her HUD signals two MOTH’s and a helldiver inside of the structure as well as NAC troopers. She signals the NAC troops the location of the James holden, and upon receiving an affirmative she goose the engines.

Pulling back on her flight stick and pushing the accelerator she follows the alien fighter up the interior of the station's massive drum. The alien loops around and begins firing penetrators towards her fighter. Acting quickly she shifts into infantry mode and uses the buildings as cover. The alien fighter shifts from fighter to valkyrie mode as it hovers in the air firing penetrators towards her fleeing form.

Without breaking lateral thrust charlotte takes a cluster from one of her missile racks and primes the grenade before throwing it sidelong towards the hostile gungnir. The lanky fighter julkes to the left to avoid it, but the grenade stops and along its surface hatches slide open. Sensing danger the fighter shifts and retreats from the grenade, as it begins spewing shrapnel towards it.

The alien flies straight down before landing and firing a series of spikes towards the shifting human. Charlotte feels a sharp bang as her HUD tells her that her right arm has been damaged. Looking she sees that her wrist gatling has been destroyed so without a second thought she jettisons the weapon and retrieves the Siafu rifle from her wing.

“Icequeen the Last evacuees are now entering the James Holden, move to cover.” Manitoba flight control reports.

“Affirmative.” she sees the Alien fighter flip and burn towards its ingress point.

“Merde!” charlotte shouts before turning and dumping two of her empty missile racks. She hugs the ground as she follows the alien fighter before scooping up an ammo cylinder from a destroyed Siafu and reloading her scavenged autocannon.

Charlet flicks the transformation switch and her fighter begins to transform out of its valkyrie mode. She places the rifle on the belly mount as the hands begin folding into the arms. The engines now fold back into place and the fighter shoots after the hostile.

======================================================

(Space)

The James Holden retracts its umbilical. As in the stations docking bay four damaged Atlas mechs on auto-Pilot defend the retreating ship as two MOTH’s are thrown by their mechs towards the retreating ship. Once the two Moths are clear the mechs inside the bay set their self destruct codes. Red lines begin drawing themselves along the mechs frames before the entire bay disappears in a massive explosion.

In the distance the three of the four remaining Mars ships begin retreating, the black seed ships acting as a rear guard. The mars ships deploy six squadrons of trident fighters to stall the human’s patterns. The flayed fighter flips and returns fire on the humans fighter, it is intent on killing the human ship, but this ice blue fighter has become a problem. The remaining Mars ship and its seedship escort move in and close on the Manitoba.

“Helm angle on mars 7, charge main gun, fire for effect.”

“Manitoba, this is the Carson we have returned with back up. Sorry we’re late for the party.”

The shot sails straight but misses its target scoring only a glancing hit on bug 4. The seed ship is split in half by the force before it explodes. In the distance the newly arrived SRA ship’s massive main dorsal and ventral guns swivel on their mounts. The two massive gauss cannons arc with electricity before firing with a plume of expanding accelerant gasses.

Tungsten rounds tear chunks out of the big 5 and Mars 7, before the SRA fires its main cannon. There is a flicker of pseudo motion and Mars 7 disappears in a flash. When the light dies down the place where the mars ship had been is now an expanding cloud of gas.

“This is SRA admiral Kim, attention COG, Helghast, and unknown vessels your window is open, make your run. The The Lanky's will feel the might of the Nostromo as you retreat.”

The massive ship marked SRA-375296 SB/BS-002 Nostromo measuring four kilometers long, by five hundred meters high, and four hundred meters wide lets loose with a volley of penetrator missiles and nukes. Along her hull railgun batteries swivel as she begins to close the distance. Each battery is an enclosed structure consisting of three or four “barrels” resembling the turrets of an old world battleship. There are a series of flashes along the ship's hull as its railgun batteries fire.

Railgun rounds begin faster than the missiles slam into the hull of the ship tearing small chunks out of its hull, before the missiles land into the damaged section of the seed ship before detonating. There is a flash of light and the seedship is gone, reduced to its component atoms by the high yield nukes.

“Bogys down.” Admiral Kim reports.

“*Tch* this is scholars blessing, We are *tch* detecting more Lanky ships entering the system, count four Claw *tch* ships.”

“Then that is our cue to leave.”

“All ships begin retreat.”

=========================================================

(Dogfight 3d person)

Across the COG and Prowler fleets two Valkyrie fighters burst out of the station and back into space. The two fighters circle one another in space one following the retreating fleet and the other following the first. Charlotte's body is beginning to feel the strain of constant high G maneuvering, combined with the mental strain of a prolonged dogfight. And ever since the destruction of those three ships this damn fighter had been getting better. The thing now feels like it is being piloted by another human pilot.

The two fighters begin circling the larger ships in the fleet in an attempt to shake the other and use point defence cannons against their opponents. Eventually this ceases begin viable as the two begin to intertwine, spiraling around one another. Mirroring one another's movements as they burst in zig-zagging patterns. One avoiding blue tracer rounds and the other white bone spikes. The flayed gungnir detects a wing of three enemy fighters heading its way, and fires a spread of bio missiles towards charlotte.

[Missile verrouillé, Missile verrouillé]

“Merde!” she shouts goosing the engine and spiraling around a piece of errant debris. To her port side one of the Manitoba’s PDC’s targets and destroys the missiles.

‘Missile verrouillé, Missile verrouillé’ The flayed fighter, swivels and targets the three introducing fighters. The entity in control spirals and burns its engines towards the three fighters. Completing its third spiral the flayed fires two missiles towards the intruders.

The first intruder a midnight blue organic looking fighter with green shields is turned to scrap by the first missile. The second an NAC Avenger suffers the same fate as the first, the third intruder an SRA Torkov promptly turns and attempts to flee. But it dies as the flayed fires a salvo of penetrators into its cockpit module. With the threat now gone the flayed turns its sensor bulb back towards its original opponent. The flayed senses the danger and from its firing maws it lets loose a volley of twelve of missiles towards the white and blue Valkyrie.

[Missile verrouillé, Missile verrouillé]

“Pas assez bon!” The blond flipps her fighter to face the fighters while deploying flares and ECM. Charlotte pushes in the thumb selector on the accelerator, before rotating it vertically and flipping the Infantry mode selector. Outside a group of twelve missiles sail passed her following the flairs, before abruptly flipping and lazily running towards her.

Charlotte winces as her acceleration couch pumps her full “The Juce” as well as a cocktail of focusing and adrenal drugs. The thrusters unmount and snap forward passed the cockpit, while the arms begin to swivel into position. Inside the cockpit Charlotte is rotated ninety degrees to a position where will be in the chest of her mech, as the wings fold back like that of an insect.

The siafu auto cannon is jettisoned from belly mount as the clawed hands of the machine unfold from their positions in the forearms. The gun is about to sail passed when the clawed right hand snatches it out of space, as the machine gun hardpoint on the sensor bulb retracts.

Now in infantry mode Charlotte releases the flightstick and takes the second control stick into her right hand. With the missiles nearing the NE pilot depresses the foot pedals prompting her foot thrusters to fire. She is slammed down into the seat as the thrust gravity makes itself known commanding her to yield to its desire.

As she is slammed down by her own body weight at twelve G, her eyes are drawn to the picture she keeps. Smiling at the memory her helmet begins tracking her retinas with a tracking laser as she begins targeting the individual missiles.

On the outside the fighter marked Icequeen begins to violently jink around every axis as it begins using its sensor mounted gun to destroy missiles. Two missiles are promptly destroyed before the fighter swings its legs to the side and uses its rifle to destroy another group of three. Three more from the port side are too destroyed when the fighter “Backflips” over them before shifting into fighter mode. The fighter destroys another missile before bursting relative down and sends a burst towards the flayed fighter and shifting to valkyrie mode and destroying another group of three, with its left wrist gatling.

Catching movement to her relative down she cartwheels her fighter around another missile destroying it with her rifle, before deploying flares as the computer markes a missile at her six o’clock. She rotates and destroys it with her sensor gun, before using all three weapons to destroy the third and final missile.

Icequeen dodges and sweeps her gatling across the hull of a trident fighter. The armor piercing grenades chew through the lanky ships hull and the ship tears itself apart, as she destroys a second fighter with her rifle. The flayed moves in seeing its chance and shifts into infantry mode and attempts to strafe the human with its firing maw.

Looking up Icequeen spins her fighter around backwards and the two valkyries begin circling one another in infantry mode. The Alien closes the distance and fires its right maw sending a slow stream of white bone spikes towards the human. The human dodges most of these but one strikes its leg which begins belching and billowing smoke, signaling an internal fire.

Icequeen deploys flares and extends her wings, as her computer trills its damage report. She releases her two remaining missiles, forcing the alien to dodge. With a smile she is hit once again in the arm the limb exploding off of her fighter, followed by half of her right wing. But now she has her chance, with all remaining power she gooses the engines as far as they will go and shoulder rams the alien fighter as it destroys the second missile, and turns back towards her.

Stunned the alien attempts to reorient itself firing maneuvering thrusters, in an attempt to find its target. Now wide open Charlotte slams the barrel of the siafu autocannon into the sensor bulb of the flayed gungnir, and empties what's left in the magazine. After the twelfth shot the HUD reads empty and she retracts the weapon and shifts her damaged fighter into Valkyrie mode and burns for the distant Manitoba which is currently at maximum safe burn with dropships being exchanged with the James Holden. Behind her the Lanky fighter explodes with a brilliant red explosion.

============================================================

(Charlotte)

I have to bite the bullet and use the net to land my fighter this time as I enter the hangar bay the flight crew are in shield vac suits, with the mesh net and I somewhat gently slam my fighter into it. There is a blur of motion and pain as I am brought to a controlled stop. Behind me the fighter bay door closes and a team of techs swarm my fighter. Six of the NAC’s automated fire suppression units trudge forward and spray my fighter down.

The suppression units resemble what someone would expect a center to look like with a horse like lower body and a humanoid torso. But that is where the similarities end, they are maybe 2.5 meters tall, and possess fire suppression units on one of their arms. The centaur robots finish their task as the hanger is repressurized. The hanger bay door opens and when I attempt to exit the cockpit I am surprised to find that I can't.

Four NAC automated security drones move forward followed by two MOTHs enter in power armor. The six circle my fighter before entering my blind spot and I am meeted with the sound of flechette fire before one of the MOTHs reappears. The MOTH’s faceplate draws a line upward revealing Fally’s smirking face.

“Charl, You had a passenger!” he yells banging on the cockpit hatch. I notice that the hatch is now unlocked and I open it exiting the cockpit. Fally walks over as I take a shaky step and almost fall off of the latter.

I let out a breath and give him an awkward hug as the events of the day come flooding back to me. My arms barely wrap around his bulky power armor, and I can feel the cool metal and of the armor through the thin fabric of the flight suit. A cold hand rests itself on my back as I feel an origin shift back into place.

“What do you mean I had a passenger?”

“Well, if you look over there, you will see Big Dog poking the Siren with his foot, like an asshole.” my friend says making a hand movement towards another MOTH. Said MOTH is beside the port engine and is prodding what I assume is a siren. Half of its body, its torso mainly rests on the deck spreading black blood on the deck, while the rest is connected by a string of something to the port cargo hatch. The MOTH doing the prodding seamlessly gives Fally the finger before one of the automated security drones walks forward and brings its metal foot down on the alien's head with a wet crunch.

“Come on Charl, let's get you to sickbay.” he says before I feel a sharp pain in my arm.

“Sounds like a plan. Where’s Miiora any way?” I drone out as I feel Fally pick me up, followed by the sensation of being carried somewhere.

“Sickbay.” my child hood friend says before I fall asleep.

Chapter 40 Dreams

“War is hell. Death, suffering, despair. Yet there is glory to, a shimmering reward that looks best from afar. When the cost it extracts are unseen. Still, for all the blood and suffering it demands, glory itself is intoxicating unless you resist. I have been given decorations, awards, I have ridden at the head of parades and stood before cheering throngs. And each time amid the adoration and chanting of my name; I have tried to remember those that served with me. The legions of brave men and women, ignored by glory whose only legacy for combat and struggle, is pain and death. Glory is fickle selecting some as its children and disregarding others. The victorious fleet commander becomes a national hero, the captain of a vessel collects combat awards medals. The ship has a class named and is immortalized, the gunners of that target enemy ships are cheered for their steady eyes and hands. Yet in the bowels of the ship, braving radiation and heat, and deadly dangers are the engineers. It is they who keep the gunners batteries working through damage, and the stress of battle. It is they who give the captain the engine power he needs, to make sure the admiral's fleet is ready to do as he commands. So let me share the glory that I have received in far greater share than I deserve, and join me in a silent thanks. To those too often unheralded men and women in the engine rooms, and snaking access tubes. As much as any who serve the true arbiters of victory.”

From the commentaries of Rance Barron.
Captain of the NACS-224498 SB-003 Leathy
80 AC (After Contact)

===========================================

(Ship's Medical Bay - SSGT, Fallon - NACS Manitoba - 105 AC )

When I enter the sickbay, I can't help but notice the medical team practically falling over themselves to compare and work on the Equestrian. I was damned surprised that she survived having her lower half crushed by a lanky. A testament to their sturdiness, and was even more so that one of my own crew went over to save her.

Our head doc seems to think that her biology is close enough to a regular horse where it counts, that our medication should work on her. He's already planning on using the tank but from the looks of it, it won't help much, if she survives she probably won't walk again with those legs. It's a little odd, but this is the first time I've gotten to see one of them out of Uniform. They really aren't too different than us when it comes to build.

I glance at Fick who stands beside the pony’s cot. I almost want to tell him to go get some rack, but I know better. No one's sleeping. Especially since the bugs are visiting. I look at the ceiling and think about that. Changelings. We met some of them on the colony, but this is the first time seeing their ship up close. It's also the first time getting to see their Queen, even if it's through a virtual meeting. She's certainly different than some of the brass. There's an arrogance to her, but I've got to figure that's pretty much par for any member of royalty.

But the resistance general, or whatever they call him archeo magus I think is an alright guy. We ran a blood scan and found that he is the descendant of one of the original Camelot Marines. Cuban Blisk is hard in all the correct places, and harder in the rest. He would fit in well with any Podhead group, and if you were to give him an up to date set of battle armor, and a newer M-66 no one would be able to tell the difference between him and any other soldier.

The archeo magus is currently with the skipper in the ward room discussing something above my pay grade. Currently preoccupied, I walk over to the closest medical cot and lay the sleeping blond in my arms down on the bed beside Miiora’s. I have never been more grateful for thrust gravity than I am right now because I think strapping Charlotte down would wake her up, but I doubt it. With my best friend in the bed, I call over the closest corpsman and tell him to work. To his credit he does not shit himself when a power armored MOTH tells him to do something.

A hiss catches my attention and I turn to see Miiora sitting up in her bed holding her PDP. Beside her a Mirialos works on her leg, it makes some kind of sense that the Mirialos are working as non combatants. They arent fighters, but when it comes to stuff like this, medical work and science, forget about it. The crab girl works some kind of gun with her three fingered hand, while holding an IV of some kind with the uppermost pincer on the same hand.

“How's the leg?”

Her left eye goes from her PDP and looks at me. Having been around Miiora for the better part of a year and a half, I feel like I have gotten quite adept at reading her body language. Her race doesn't have the same facial expressions we do, and what little they do have are very hard to read. But I don't need any of this stored knowledge to know she is upset about something.

I notice her glance toward the pony. She doesn’t say a word, and honestly she doesn’t have to. She and her family were slaves, and the Equestrians were the ones who had enslaved them. Even if that Equestrian did help stand against the lankys it wasn’t like that one act was going to undo the damage the Equestrians had done to her people. What she felt wasn’t lost on me. Ages ago humanity had gone through similar issues. Various ethnic groups held long term grudges against other ethnic groups because of something that had happened ages before they were born. Riots, hate crimes, social turmoil had broke out because of those grudges.

I wasn’t going to tell Miiora to shelf what she felt toward the Equestrian, but I knew that I would help to remind her that the Equestrian we had on board wasn’t the same one that had kept her as a slave. he looked back at me, and I could see turmoil she had storming inside of her. Working together, being together, had allowed me to have real peek into how she she wore her expressions.

“It feels, wrong,” she looked at me as she spoke, and then she almost looked down, “Having one that had served as a master on the same vessel.”

I nodded, “But she wasn’t a master, right?”

Miiora looked at me for a moment, and then I saw the comprehension take hold.

“No, she wasn’t directly,” she looked back at her, “Still, this one… I, I’m not sure I can be more than professional around her.”

A slight grin crossed my lips, “Not asking more than that.”

Fick - 105AC

Sitting there, looking at the Equestrian, I couldn’t help but think back to something I had been told by one of the teachers I looked up to. He was supposed to teach us government regulated reading materials. Basically what was designed to ensure that we questioned the actions of the government very little, listed openly, and accepted fully. I’m glad that he threw the lesson disks in the trash and instead taught from a small collection of old books he’d had. Most of them were fiction, ancient tales about knights, dragons, wizards, the kind of stuff that fuels a kid’s imagination and let it run wild. But it was what he said to us that made me stop and think.

“Everybody has one thing. Just one, that instantly tells them what their life is about. In that moment they know the secret to their life,” I remembered him smiling before looking back at us, “For me, it was realizing that I could teach all of you to question authority, to think for yourselves, to be more than cogs in a machine that would grind you up and throw you away. I don’t know what it will be for the rest of you, but I want you to look for it. Long after this class, long after I’m gone, I want you to find what is the secret for your life.”

I guess he knew what was coming eventually. He oversaw our entire education. I had him right through my final grade in my secondary education. There was fifty of us that graduated, another hundred that was in various grades behind us, and he taught all of us how to think and question things. Or, at least he did before they came and took him away. I tried to find out what happened to him, but the records were sealed. I heard stories though. That PRC Housing block, that section I grew up in, was heavily monitored by the city’s government on all levels. Since he’d created no less than a hundred and fifty individuals that could ask why things were the way they were… Well, he had no place in that section.

I’d like to think that he was relocated, but I’ve got a feeling that he was liquidated. It wasn’t a common practice, and certainly not every block, or section, did it, but those heavily monitored did practice it more often. Still, I listened to his advice. I went searching. I searched in the military, and while I’m good at what I do, I know that the service isn’t my calling. I’m not sure how I realized it, but when this Equestrian did everything she could to stop that Lanky from getting that civilian kid… It clicked. She was important. Maybe not the one thing that I’m meant to do, but certainly someone that I’m meant to know.

“Odd.”

I looked toward the doc, “What’s odd?”

He checked her again, “I… I can’t explain it, but the damage that was done to her was fairly extensive. Yet, it would almost appear that her body is attempting to heal itself. Not like a normal body does, but actually it appears as if the cells are trying to restructure themselves.”

He laughed, “Were this a mere… three hundred years ago people would have swore it was some kind of magic.”

=========================================================================
Changeling Homeworld- Conference Quarter - Queen Chrysalis - 105 AC

=========================================================================

I can hear the sound of the chittering of my subjects. Naturally they’re excited, not that I blame them. Humans, unlike the Equestrians, think more like we do. They see a reason, a need, and they seek to fill that need. I will freely admit that I had miscalculated my attempt to overthrow Celestia, that my taking Cadence’s form had been… a trifle… too far. In truth it would have been far better to play the longer game, but when my subjects, and myself, were starving there little time for the long game. I needed to fill our reserves.

Of course, I have found that the love from a human is just as satisfying, and unlike the Equestrians there is no worry of corrupting them, or enthralling them. They are actually naturally immune to that kind of magic. My only guess would be it is how their emotions differ from the Equestrians themselves. I hear the sound of the head of the ship we’re meeting with. He sounds confident, and that is good. I want him to be. I wouldn’t trust my subjects being on his ship if he was anything less. My own eyes glance toward my human guard, my confidant, my lover.

I will admit that his… fetish about rutting a royal is adorable. Plus, I don’t have to pretend that I’m enjoying it. Unlike with Shining Armor. He was a measly two hump champ. To this day I can’t understand what it was that she saw in him. Not that it matters. Hearing of their deaths have certainly pleased me. I’ve considered taking her form, one last time, when we capture Celestia. Transforming into her beloved niece, holding a inhibitor ring, placing it onto that horn of hers, and then allowing all of the slaves that want a turn at their former master to do so before I grant her the sweet release of death. Oh, but I won’t grant it quickly… No, I want the humans to aid in it.

When it comes to creativity… I’ve found that humans are quite adept at creating new and impressive ways of terminating an enemy.

=========================================================================

Aryanne’s Dreams - Germaneigh - Marelin - 01AC

“REJOICE! I PRINCESS CELESTIA SOLIS HAVE COME TO BRING YOU TRUE HARMONY!”

The thundering sound of the voice of the Equestrian Princess hurts my ears. I look at Kyrie, my sister, as she hugs her rifle. The two of us were placed in the bell tower, snipers, our job was simple, and yet it was the most impossible job given. We were to weaken our would be saviors by eliminating some of their guards. I slowly moved, getting into position. I wanted to shout not to do this. I remembered what happens. I remembered every moment of what happens! The bolt slid so easily. I heard the shell as it enters the chamber. It moved forward with the precision and grace few have ever really known.

Click

I worried that the sound was enough to attract the Solar Diarch’s attention. Although I knew it was a baseless worry. I scoot forward, looking down the scope, seeing the Princess’ head come into view. It would be simple to take her. A single shot, right below her horn. She was giving me the perfect opportunity, but it wasn’t her I was to aim for. Slowly, my aim shifts and I focus on an orange stallion. He’s a Pegasus, his blue mane and tail are stark contrasts to his coat. I had heard he was selected as the consort for the newest Princess. I needed for him to stop, for just a moment. The shot had to be perfect. It had to paint the newest Princess’ dress with his blood.

There would be chaos, disorder, and of course the Führer would blame the radical group of traditionalists. She would promise that all that could be done, would be done, but perhaps it would be best if the Princesses were to remove themselves from our shores. For their own protection of course. He stopped, for a mere moment, and I smiled. My finger pulled the trigger, the echoing sound of my rifle left the tower behind the bit of lead meant to take the life of the consort, but it never hit him. Golden light surrounded her, Süße Küsse, our mother, and she is pulled in front of the consort. My eyes widen in horror as the shot meant for the consort enters below her eye. I wanted to scream as she fell, and the Princess that moved her dared to look concerned.

I looked to Kyrie, and like me she was horrified at what happened. We had no choice. Quickly we left, heading out our escape route, destroying all evidence of our being there, and along the way the two bodies of two gryphons, mercenaries the Princesses brought with them, were left with the rifle I used.

We reached the comforting darkness of the alley, and I could keep it inside no longer.

“NEIN!!!!!!!!!!”

========================================================================

SSGT Fallon - NACS Manitoba - Medical Bay- 105 AC

“NEIN!!!!!!!”

“Fuck, sedate her!” the ship's Doc orders. He runs over from his newest patent a private from the third whose arm had been removed, and begins attempting to strap the mare down. However the mare appears to be too powerful for him to strap down alone and like he was reading my mind the middle aged man turns to me.

“You MOTH, your not doing anything, get over here and hold her down.”

I pull my arm from Miiora’s unconscious grasp and stand up. “Got it.”

The mare is thrashing around like she is possessed, like she is wracked with some kind of nightmare. Her lower half is completely useless, lying inert on the table but her arms swing at anything and everything that is within range. Her IV has been thrown out by the time I get over to her, and there are two other rather big marines attempting to pin her arms down.

She looks like she is about to break free when I walk up and simply place my armored hand against her chest. Any attempts to get up by the strong earth pony are met with the much stronger servos of my power armor, and she lays flat on the table. Now with her torso pinned I use my other hand to pin one of her arms allowing the Doc to use the metal safety restraints and sedate her.

“Thanks, that could have ended badly.”

“No problem man.”

I raise my fist in a nod and return to my spot beside Miiora and Charlotte. With Chief Burban Jack in the medbay missing a leg, and Bishop our leading petty officer dead, i'm not really surprised I don't have any orders. I wonder who is going to be put in that position? Face Hopper maby… no he died when we first got into this system.

“Hey doc. How long until Miiora is back on her feet… claws… talons, whatever?”

“Two days. At most, tyerians heal very quickly.” The mirialos says, from her position next to another tymerian across the room.

“Damn.”

“Why, is that a bad thing?” Fick asks with a raised eyebrow. Glancing passed my bulk and to the now sleeping form of Miiora.

“Its not not her if that's what you are thinking. Its that I have to spend the next two days with Trombley, and my team is only at half strength.”

“Actually your replacements should be arriving from the Nostromo soon so don't worry.”

=========================================================================

Miiora’s dreams

Looking overhead so much crosses my mind. My... how long was it that I thought in third person? That I was lead to believe that I was not a sapient being.

Yet here I am, lying in bed, newly mated. My eyes drift to Fallon. He is beside me, and I feel him wrapping his arms around me. Charlotte called this... spooning. It's actually nice. I let my tail lazily wrap around his right leg.

I feel my breathing deepening, my entire self is relaxing, and that is good. As we lay beside one another my mind wanders. Family, a powerful word in its own right, is everything to my people. I am here, working with the others, as part of this force, in order to protect countless families. It is work I am proud to do, but I feel almost guilty that I want the same. I want a family. And that leaves me wonder if Avery Fallon and I will be able to make one.

I've heard of adoptions. Taking in those younglings who have no one else, and again I feel it is worthy and noble to do so, but part of me wishes for a youngling of my own flesh. I feel Fallon's slightly cold metallic hand drift, he makes the little circles that I like, and I know that he has figured out how to play me. He is the artist and I am the instrument.

My body begins to respond, I feel the more primal side of myself taking hold. The one true thought taking hold. Claim this male, mate with him, produce his brood, protect and claim. I groan, my hips move slightly.

"Mmmm."

I let out a soft hiss, "Need you... now."

=========================================================================

SSGT Fallon - NACS Manitoba - Squad quarters - 105 AC

When I finally get back to my birth after an extensive debriefing, and thorough scrubbing of both my self and my power armor I am virtually a zombie. When I enter the birth I am expecting to see Trombley’s shit all over the place, and him watching some Network garbage. But instead the lance corporal is asleep in his rack and the room is clean. This isn't the strangest thing either, because when I kick off my boots and am about to crawl into my bunk I see that the third bunk over Trombly has some kind of big ass drapes dangeling down from the bunk one above his.

Wait drapes aren't that long, and there not furry now that I think about it.

I am about to go outside and check the birth number when the door to the head slides open behind me. I turn around and I am amazed to see a familiar face.

“Levoy!?”

“Fallon!”

Chapter 42 Steel world

Miiora
In orbit around NAC fortres world Sandalphon. Orion platform-32. 5 lightyears from sol. 2168AD/105AC.

The planet being displayed on the screen is beautiful, and almost resembles Tymer-prime in appearance at a glance but that is where the similarities end. As the image comes into focus I am struck speechless by the humans yet again.Unlike the other Human planets I have visited the surface of the planet is black.

Its charcoal color contrasting with the lush green forests, and vast streaks of ocean the color of human blood, with the polls covered in vast areas of pink and white snow.

Three of the most striking features of this world being first the two massive craters on its surface. Hundreds of kilometers across the largest of these craters connect two of the strips of ocean while the second slightly smaller crater connects another, each of them filled with crimson water. The second feature of the planet being a set of beautiful glinting rings in orbit around the planet.

Each of the particulates glinting light from the system’s star, its moon and its parent planet a black and green gas giant. And finally adding to the foreboding planet is its moon.

The planetoid itself is rather three quarters of a moon. A large portion of it having been blasted away. Exposing its glowing innards to the vacuum of space and its core still glowing brightly.

“So this a fortress world, the humans certainly have strange taste in planets.” The voice of Durge breaks me out of my thoughts.

“Furthermore, I do not believe I have seen a planet this heavily defended besides earth. I doubt even Equis is this well equipped.” He adds bringing my attention to the fleet of human ships in orbit around the planet. As well as the orbital shipyards and the vast array of orbital defence platforms, like the one we are currently on.

“Avery Fallon says this is planet's name is Sandalphon, but also says that some of his people call this planet Steel world.” she explains.

“Why would they call it that?” the zaltule asks clasping two of his large arms behind his back, and crossing two across his chest.

“Well according to him it is because the planet has a high concentration of Iron and carbon with relatively low numbers of silicates. Creating a planet that is mostly naturally occurring steel with veins of rock.” as I complete this sentence the three traitorous UEC ships that had been the Manitoba’s escort join the Helghast and damaged COG vessels at one of the massive human anchorages.

“...Steel world. A fitting name indeed.”

==============================

Avery Fallon
NAC space elevator platform. Sandalphon surface. 5 lightyears, 1 node from sol. 2168AD/105AC.

==============================

The ride down to the surface wasn't very eventful. Miiora’s was sitting next to me and had her tail draped across my lap as the chair didn't have a hole or a clamp for it go into. It wasn't very uncomfortable and the scaly appendage wasn't very heavy, in fact I think I fell asleep in the elevator.

*Thunk*

A jolt shook me awake and I start looking around. Around me the other veterans and troopers were either sleeping or talking to one another. And the formers, well they just looked stumped. It is then that I noticed that my vision was canted to one side.

Groggily I lift my head and discovered that I was resting my head on Miiora’s shoulder. The lizard to her credit wasn't throwing up but she does look a little strange. Her ruby scales look pale, and don't have their usual shine to them.

Not a lot of people know this, but Steel world’s magnetosphere is very powerful. Nearly triple that of old terra’s, a result of a planet mostly composed of metal. The result of this never occurred to me but as we all started standing up and the doors opened revealing the scarlet sky the realization hit me.

Air flooded into the hold and I start to hear the sound of a retching. And after managed to guide her down the boarding ramp. Miiora threw up a blue fluid, and almost fell to her knees. Quick as a whip I snapped my arm out and hauled her to her feet or claws in this case.

The sound of retching met my ears again and I looked around to see that almost every alien in our group was throwing up or swaying. The few unicorns and changelings were on their knees grasping their heads in pain. Grey coronas surrounded their horns as small flakes of steel collected on their horns like iron filings on a magnet.

The weird thing was that most of us humans were just fine. And then as Trombley pitched over and threw up his lunch, understanding hit me. I started laughing, me and the other veterans all started laughing.

“Why are… you.... laughing at Miiora…. Avery Fallon?” Miiora asked me through gouts of blue viscous liquid.

“Because you all aren't acclimated. Every one….” she tripped me. Her tail had come around and swepped my legs right out from under me.

Because I was able to wrangle her down the ramp. I managed to fall onto the black sand, and into one of the puddles of blue liquid.

“Uugh what the hell is this shit?” I ask trying to brush the strange smelling liquid off of my person. The smart cloth seemed to be having trouble figuring out what camo pattern to take, shifting from black, to red, to blue.

“Anyway as i was saying. You greenies, as we like to call you have never been to Steel world. Your body's aren't acclimated to the atmosphere. Don't worry you’ll be fine in a few hours.” I had stood up during the explanation and Miiora snarled at me.

“Very well, but why is the Fallon creature not suffering as she is?” She asks, hissing out her words. Her barfing fit had stopped during my explanation. The Fallon creature, she has never called me that before.

“Because, the planet is toxic to most alien life. Apparently it’s a result of the terraforming process mixed with the planet's original biosphere….” I explain finally getting most of the blue goop off of my uniform.

“It doesn't affect humans for some reason, and COG equipment hasn't been affected by electromagnetic interference in over a century. That gives humanity a distinct advantage over the Lanky's and apparently most other aliens. They never could take this planet from us.” I finish slightly puffing my chest with pride.

One hundred and five years of war with the Lankys. And every single one of those big bastards that dared to set a single toe on steel world’s black soil died. Do to a combination of the planet's hostile attack on non acclimated persons, and human aggression.

“Look Miiora, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh at you. I forgot to tell you about the acclimation.” my PDP started buzzing as Miiora began talking again.

“It is alright Avery Fallon. Miiora was just projecting her…”

As she talked I pull my PDP and flick on the screen. Now I don't know what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn't a summons from Chief Burbanjack. What does he want? Maybe this is about my embedded squad? Whatever it is I needed to go.

“Avery Fallon are you listening to her?” Miiora asked.

Looking up I see her standing with her claws balled into fists on her hips. Her talons were clutching and cutting at the black sand, and her tail whipped behind her.

“Shit, sorry Miiora I have to go. Chief Burbankjack needs to see me, if you have any more questions ask Levoy.”

Miiora seemed to calm quickly with that and hisses in defeat her shoulders slumping. She is picking up more and more of Charlotte’s mannerisms every day. Before I go I give her a quick hug which she returns, burying her snout in the side of my neck.

With that out of the way I shoulder my space bag and sprint into a nearby long term parking structure. Flashing my MOTH ID to the security robot and the clerk I quickly made it to my personal vehicle.

After reading my ID the white and red hydro repulse sparked to life. Four, foot wide disks on either side of the motorcycle esk vehicle’s ventral half began arcing with bolts of red electricity, and began to lift the vehicle off of the ground.

Securing my space bag in one of the saddlebag like containers I straddled the seat and put on my EPP helmet. The vehicle shifted under my weight and lofted farther into the air with a loud deep stutter.

===================================

Levoy
NAC space elevator platform. Sandalphon surface. 5 lightyears, 1 node from sol. 2168AD/105AC.

==================================

Walking down the ramp last with my hands folded behind my back I am greeted with the usually beautiful sight of Sandelphon’s dusk. The planet's ruby red skyline and visible rings adding to the backdrop.

Around me a few unicorns still grunt in pain. The fullerenes natural superconductors, in their brains battling with the planet's environment. Fascinating, this might help should the UEC arrive on the planet.

If the projections are correct, and the war continues on its current course the chances of a UEC incursion into the steel system would be 85.763 percent. With the news of the Pantheons fall the fleer has a 40.2723 percent chance of winning the battle in space. And that is even with the new ships coming out of the Titan, Series, and Pak shipyards.

“Hey Miiora, where’s your lesser half?” I ask the agitated or forlorn Tymerian.

Miiora’s space bag is on the ground and she is currently sitting on a jersey barrier. Claws fidget, talons sharpen on the concrete, tail hanging calmly. Forlorn then, strange from what Fallon says she should be very excited about being on this new planet.

“He left her here and left. She was talking and he paid no attention to her instead looking at his Data pad and left saying he needed to see Chief Burbanjack. Did Miiora do something wrong did she somehow push her suitor away?” Odd usually women with her perfect figure wouldn't be so self conscious. A Tymerian social trait perhaps?

On top of that should the UEC manage to make planetfall the planet would be their's in a matter of weeks. Maybe two months at best, but the odds of that are low. With a 20.4725 percent chance of defeating the UEC ground troops when they land.

“No Miiora you haven't done anything wrong. Fallon just has a lot on his mind right now. Remember he lost his mech, as well as a good portion of his MOTH team. Almost lost his best friend, you were wounded and at the end of it all he got the Medal of Honor…” Attempting to reassure the Tymerian female, I take a seat next to her.

“Miiora supposed that makes sense. But how would the Levoy creature explain his need to leave so quickly?” She sais dipping her head down and scratching at one of her horns.

“He needs to think and if his superior actively summoned him to spire then he had to go. Just give him time, come on let's get to the barracks.” Miiora nods and retrieves her Space bag.

Soon the two of us are on the way to the barracks, near on of the planets many seas. I still don't understand the situation between the two of them. Their relationship is strange obviously do to the two of them being different species.

The best chance of winning or buying more time would be to hit the UEC troops as soon as they land. Before they are able to acclimate hitting them hard while they are throwing up on the pitch colored soil. Possibly the most prudent course of action would be to target the Tymerians in the UEC assault force first.

A sound like a semi submerged boat engine meet our ears. Miiora looks around frantically and soon Fallon Passes the two of us on his Hydro Repulse. The ground under his vehicle is alive with arcs of electricity from the emitters in the vehicle's underside. An interesting color scheme, white and red, and a Helghast scarf strange I don't remember him owning one.

“Fally!” Charlotte yells in an attempt to get his attention as she runs up to us.

“Miiora, you'll love this mon amie. If you look over there Sandelphon’s moon Pak, should be coming up soon”

===================================

Durge
Sandalphon surface. 5 lightyears, 1 node from sol. 2168AD/105AC.

===================================

As we walk through the human city my auditory organs are met with the sounds of the sea. Soon my bristles begin to sway in the ocean breeze, and a strange mixed scent of water and metal reach as me as well.

“You humans have such strange taste.” My exoskeleton is begins to itch again thanks to this planet's damnable environment.

“How so?” the strange human Levoy asks.

The human is a rarity amongst his species from what I have seen. He is so stoic, his face always the picture of calm. The Levoy creature is almost Kleese in attitude, but there is something definitively wrong with the human male. Something every “Former” in the ninth recognized; it made us nervous he just doesn't feel right.

“Well you chose to live on a planet that is so hostile. Yes you have made the planet livable, but from the lunar maps I have studied. This celestial system contains a planet far more hospitable to human life.” A passing pare humans stop to look at us.

The female larva shies away hiding behind her parental unit. Clearly off put by my presence clearly possessing a fear of arachnids. As she should, I am Kleese further more I am a warrior, I am Zaltule.

“I’m so sorry. Megan hasn't met many Formers.”

“No, it's ok really.” the human female Charlotte says.

The UEC subjugated the Kleese and forcibly humbled my kind. And had the races of Equis not won the siege the old empire had plans to subjugate the entire lunar cluster. Given time surely the humans would have been battling the Kleese empire and not the UEC had the empire had won their ancient war in the end.

Soon however the larva spots Miiora beside the human female Charlotte and ceases her cowering and releases the hand of the male and begins fawning over maidens. The male of the two is older, perhaps an elder. Grey hair forms a walrus like my mustache on his wrinkled face. How long has this human lived besides the Master sergeant Fallon I have not seen an elder of the human race.

“You sure are a big spider aren't you.” He says leaning on his rust colored cain.

His small eyes roam scanning my imposing visage. Pitifully weak muscles tense as he truly notices our size difference. I stand two point 9 meters in height with my current posture and could tear this soft creature in half if I wanted to. But he stands his ground, admirable this human had likely battled the Lankys in his youth so his bravado is justified.

“I am Zaltule, elder. We are the warrior cast of my people. Bread for battle if I was not lethal I would not be Zaltule.” The elder's eyes seem to shine with hidden knowledge. A glimmer catches one of my eyes and I am drawn to a bulky robotic leg. That would explain the cain.

“Well don't let that go to your head fella. If us humans are any proof, size and natural combat prowess don't make the soldier. If that were the case we would have lost to the Lankys ages ago.” The humans are staunchly proud of their meager victory against the Lankys and perhaps that is warranted.

“Come along Megan. Leave the pore girl alone.” He says before extending a feeble wrinkled hand

“Master sergeant Sargon. NAC marines Formerly of Nancy's Ninth.”

“Private Durge. Spaceborne infantry. Fick’s fighting ninth.” The elder smiled wide and laughed as I shook his small hand.

“I knew I liked something about you lot. So fick finally made lieutenant, I remember when he was a private when I was mustering out. That kid was so green it wasn't even funny. Well if you lot ever want a drink or a bite to eat come to my restaurant down by the waterfront. I'll send the info to your PDPs the Ninth is always welcome.”

Nathaniel Fick
Sandalphon surface.
Saint Jerome Medical- Alien Ward
5 lightyears, 1 node from sol. 2168AD/105AC

Her blue eyes seemed to be studying me. I watched as she slowly adjusted. Her legs slowly moved. I could see the confusion in her eyes. It was understandable. Before the surgery she was practically immobile from the waist down. Now it was different. She could move, and she was beginning to stand on her own. Slowly she sat up.

“Feel better?”

“Ja, mir geht es gut.”

Suddenly I was glad that my grandmother had taught me German. I had heard her speak English before, and I knew that all things considered it might be better to have her speak it here. Of course she did look a little green around the gills so to speak. Steel World’s environment was certainly having its way with her. Although I understood the reason for bringing her here. Saint Jerome’s was one of the most advanced medical installations.

I didn’t know everything that had been done to help her, but I knew that the medical staff was basically crawling over themselves to work on her. It made sense. She was an alien, former hostile, that had assisted and aided us in a time of need. Naturally they wanted to see what made her tick. I had a feeling the reason on paper was so they could find weaknesses in her kind, but I almost felt that the real reason was old fashioned human curiosity. As a species, even now, we had this uncanny need to understand the world around us. We needed to find out why things worked the way they did.

She was a new mystery, and one that medical science could solve. I heard the sound of a throat being cleared and I turned around to see an older woman dressed in a white lab coat. She stepped forward, looked at the pony, and gave a faint smile.

“Besteht die Nationalsozialistische Partei in Ihrer Welt?”

The white mare with a blond mane looked at her, “Nein, Es wurde zerstört.”

I watched as the two continued to talk in German for a few minutes. After a bit the doctor looked at me. She motioned for me to follow her. I told the mare I’d be right outside. I stepped out with her and I watched as the Doctor pulled a small device from her pocket. She pressed a button and inhailed what I figured had to be a dose of whatever it was they used to calm their nerves and keep themselves awake. It made sense. They needed to keep awake and they needed to remain calm for their jobs.

“I suppose you caught most of that exchange.”

I nodded, “National Socialist Party sounds familiar.”

She laughed, “It should. Early Earth History, second World War. I asked her if the Nazi Party existed on her world,” the doctor took another hit from her device, “Apparently on her world the Nazi’s were the good guys.”

I looked back at the room. I’d seen the strange looking tattoos on her rump. And when I looked at them I realized why I recognised them.

“She aligned herself with us, and she mentioned a sister far earlier.”

The doctor sighed, “It’s possible that the Equestrians from her part of their world would likely align with us as well. That could be the very edge we need,” she took another hit, “I’ll contact the council and inform them of the situation.”

She laughed, “It’s funny, I never thought that I’d see the day that any part of the North American Forces would even consider aligning with the Nazis.”

Obstacle Course

Jonesy

56AE (after expanse, UEC calendar)

2168AD/105AC (Earth calendar)

I chittered in excitement as I studied the course before me. My human allies had told me what to expect, but this was beyond my hope. There, right before me, was a small city. I stumbled slightly, the atmosphere of this place making me feel almost love drunk, and I had to shake it off.

There was far too much to do. One of the humans, Fallon I believe, said this course was to test a soldier’s ability to read threats, assess their ability to adapt, and see if they could improvise without the aid of any advanced technology. I took my first steps and I heard the sound of a door opening.

Without pause I jumped out of the way. The sound of rapid gunfire and shattering bricks filled the air. I turned slightly and looked behind me. The bricks had holes, real holes, and they looked fresh. The sound of something overhead gained my attention and I headed toward an alley.

“Attention, you are trespassing in a quarantined zone. Escape now, or face termination.”

The excitement grew. This would be a suitable test for any member of the true hive.

===================================

Avery Fallon
Sandalphon surface. 5 lightyears, 1 node from sol. 2168AD/105AC.

===================================

Powering down my Hydro Repulse and securing my helmet to the handle bars I pickup my space bag. Making my way towards the Spire I pass a contingent of spire security.

Two onyx black ATLAS-Bs stand beside two more jet black Siafu mechs. At the feet of the mechs two squads of infantry join the mechs one conventional infantry each of them some being Formers but all garbed in variants COG battle armor. The second a squad consists of the rumored automated infantry their movements measured, lethal and robotic. The darkening sky and rising dull glow of Pak’s core highlight the structure ahead of me.

The spire shined in the dull night light. The secondary command of Humanity's entire defense network gleaned. The entire structure is two miles high, the whole thing looking black tree trunk with no or bark branches.

The building had been a Lanky atmosphere exchanger in a past life. Now, the spire has been hollowed out, and repurposed into one the most heavily armored bunkers in known space. Placing my white and blue bionic on the door and AI reads my ID before causing the door to flash green and slide open.

“Welcome Sergeant Avery F. MOTH team-1.” The voice of the spire defence system droned.

Two garrison troopers stand near one of the planet's recruitment centers. The two of them were similar and could easily be confused for twins. The twins eyes seemed to gleam for a second before the two of them snapped off crisp simultaneous salutes.

“Sergeant Fallon. I'll have to hold that for you until you leave.” The one on the left says taking my space bag.

They begin talking to each other again as I move past them. Continuing to the elevator I hit the key for MOTH command on the five hundredth floor.

I hate having the medal of honor in my record, I didn't do anything to deserve it. I got it because there were no other ATLAS mechs in the area. I'm not some virtuous person like people seem to think. And after getting the medal people have started treating me different.

I'm just a killer, same as my gran. I don't enjoy killing people, most of the time. But it needs to be done and I'm good at it. I'm not really good at much else really, and I am surprised someone as good as Miiora would choose me out of everyone else.

Granny Fallon said she liked Miiora and would be waiting to hear about her. She never really shut up about the tymerian. But what gets me is why she even puts up with me, being there when the nightmares come. And when I exit my mech and my mind still swims with the red haze she is there to calm me somehow.

“Enter.” Chief Burbanjack says prompting the steel door bearing an Atlas moth inside of a gear to slide open.

The man behind the desk stands and salutes as I enter the room. It’s wired to have my superiors saluting me. It takes and a few seconds to return it, and once I do he sits back down and returns to his work.

Having the medal of honor means that pretty much everyone has to salute you even if they outrank you. Even though the gesture is meant to show respect, I think it’s just weird. On top of this if I want I could change my MOS to whatever I want.

If I wanted to be a fighter pilot they would have no choice but to put me in the training. But I'm a MOTH and I don't want to abandon my guys, or Miiora.

Behind him the window shows a panoramic view of the night city under the rust colored clouds far below. As well as a view of Pak and the glimmering rings against the backdrop of the gas giant.

Because I have not been told to take a seat I decide to stand at rest. There are a few decorations on the walls, and on mounts. Beside him is the NAC flag but what draws my attention is a burned SRA flag over top an SRA marine’s helmet, the shining visor bolstering a bullet hole over the right eye.

Beside the SRA equipment rests a skin. The skin was dried and leathered and no doubt taken from a Lanky. And on the other wall rests a starmap of COG space with various colors marking NAC, SRA and WY colonies.

Then I see another trophy that catches my eye making me do a double take. Below a tattered UEC flag rests the dried head of a UEC soldier on a spike. Beside it a length of blue dragon scales, and finally the pelt of an alien resembling an ugly dog.

“Diamond dog.” Chief Burbanjack’s voice brings my attention and in snap back to attention.

“Sir?”

“The alien there is a diamond dog. Their tough and those paws are powerful, I wouldn't recommend letting them get a hold of you.” He says his dark eyes not leaving my face.

“Um, thanks for the advice sir.”

“Son do you know why I called you here?”

“No sir.”

“Because sergeant, I need to know that medal won't go to your head. I need to know I can count on you to do what you do best, kill.”

“You can count on me sir, I don't even want the thing.”

“Good answer. I have a lot of faith in you sergeant, I see a lot of a much younger me in you. And if you are lucky, you will have your own trophies to share with that Tymerian you are so fond of.” He says before standing and walking to the window hands clasped behind his back.

“Um sir, is everything alright?” the city below shines with the nightlife of Steel World’s citizens. Above the distant crimson ocean a UAF fighter frigate hangs, it's copper colored hull highlighted by its yellow running lights.

“...Yes sergeant. But I feel like as this war continues humanity will be pushed farther. I fear that in order to win the war, we will have to walk into the fire knowingly and that we will do it because we have to. Or face subjugation.”

“I don't know anything about that sir. But I would die before becoming anyone's slave. And I would rather kill Miiora myself than let her go back to that hell.” He nods as I say this and I can see the age in him at that moment.

“Before you go command wants you to take this, straight from RnD.” The chief went back to his desk and retrieved a box before throwing it to me.

I catch the box and draw a knife from it. The knife was a pretty standard combat knife only it looked sharper much sharper.

“Um sir?”

“Its a knife genius, don't sharpen it, it's a monofilament blade. Funny what reverse engineering alien tech can give you. Now get out of my office.”

I don't ever want to be in his position. The weight on his shoulders has to be as heavy as a Lanky. I don't know how long we stood there but eventually he dismissed me. As I hover across the street towards the barracks, I can't help but think that this war will get worse before it gets better.

Chapter 43 Interlude

Doctor Hanna Leeman

Saint Jerome Hospital - Alien Ward - Doctor Hanna Leeman’s office

I didn’t dare say a cross word, breathe wrong, or even blink while Representative Matthews looked over the progress reports about the Equestrian. I knew that treating one of them would certainly get the upper brass’ attention, but I had no idea that the General of Medicine was paying this close of attention to it. Representative Matthews seemed interested in the report and then he placed it on the desk.

“So, the Equestrian has made nearly a full recovery?”

I nodded, “Yes, she’s mostly recovered, and she has given us what some of us believe to be valuable intel about her home country.”

Representative Matthews looked at the paper again, “Yes, I noticed. So, she comes from a country of, primarily Earth Ponies, and they had the same system of Government as Nazi Germany did. It’s interesting intel, but I don’t know if it would be considered valuable,” he took a seat in my chair, “After all, she stated that her country was overthrown by the UEC’s leaders.”

I swallowed my nervousness, “Sir, that’s true, but having a potential ally could possibly be worth exploring.”

He glanced up at me and I suddenly wished that
I kept my mouth shut.

“Yes, having a potential ally would be worth exploring, but tell me Doctor, how many men and women would you send to their deaths to reach those allies?”

I looked at him, never dropping my gaze. This could be potentially career suicide, but surely he saw the reasoning behind it, “Sir, didn’t we send a very large group of our soldiers to a colonized planet that had a distress beacon we weren’t completely certain about?”

I watched as his mouth turned up in a slight grin. He stood, walked toward the wall, and then faced me, “Yes, we did.”

He neared me, “We did because it was a human colony, not because it was a bunch of ground pounding equines that might want to be our friends.”

He took a small strip, a simple jump strip for storing several terabytes of data, and inserted it into the slot on my desk. I watched the strip ejected and he glanced at me.

“I’ll mention the possible alliance to the General; however, I wouldn’t hold my breath about anything coming from it if I were you.”

MOTH Fallon

26RTI Manitoba barracks

Zegema beach

Powering down my HydroRepuls I finally manage to sneak passed Charlotte’s quarters and narrowly passed most of the others. And finally crawl into my quarters and into my bunk. My roommate Miiora sits on her bed studying with some piece of alien equipment with her tail swaying lazily.

With a tired sigh I store my battle armor in locker, and throw my space bag under my bed. Then throw my knife onto my bed, kiss Miiora on the head and shambling into the shower.

Finally, some time off.

So with a heavy sigh I let my eyes close. The sweet kiss of sleep seemed to slinking toward me, and I feel the embrace of it. Part of me is more than ready for it. After all, it had been a hell of a day already.

Nightmares of sirens, Lankys, and Wendigo meet me like before. A red haze fills my vision as I slice and cut at them with my power armors L-blade. Sometimes they kill me, other times they kill Charlotte as she flies her fighter. The European Gunginr disintegrating in space sometimes and in atmosphere in others.

But the worst ones are when they kill Miiora. She hisses and screams as she is dragged down kicking, biting, and swiping with her claws and tail.

In other nightmares I can't stop myself, and I am forced to watch as I slaughter those closest to me. The haze is thicker, and the L-blade pulses and glows an early familiar blood red. I have to watch as I tear my friends apart with my power armors powerful strength, tearing off limbs, punching and kicking, crushing ribcages, and breaking bones.

I see myself tearing the skin from Trombley. Grasping Charlotte’s head and crushing her skull in my powered gauntlet. With each kill the haze gets more intense, and then comes the keening. Loud and unsilenceable, a ringing like the after effects of a concussion, sometimes subtle, other times loud but always there.

The keening builds to a fever pitch as one of my MOTH brothers and I helps he tear Durge apart. The sirens do not attack, they wait, watch. And With my armor covered in the crimson, white, and green of my friends blood. Finally I plunge my L-blade into Miiora’s chest, her magenta pink blood covering the blade as it exits her back.

With a gasp I sit up in my bed. Movement catches my eye and I grasp the monofilament knife in its sheath under my pillow. With a sigh I release the blade and slide it back under, it was just Miiora shifting in her sleep in her bed the tip of her tail hanging out from under the sheets.

It's just a dream.

And with that knowledge, knowing that my girlfriend and my friends are still alive I lie back down. As I feel the sleep taking me a final pleasant thought comes to me.

I wonder what Tymerians dream about?

As I lie back down and begin to fall back asleep it returns. There just behind my perception, the ringing, the keening.

Obstacle Course

Jonesy

The course had changed through my trip through it. I watched as a ship flew overhead, and from it a large shape appeared. The shape began to fall, and I could hear disembodied voices screaming about the bomb. There were flashes, of light behind me, and I looked ahead to see what looked like a stout building. I ran toward it, chittering excitedly and followed the voices down to a large gear like door.

I could tell from the smell that the door was hardened, most likely able to withstand all kinds of blasts. Slowly I walked into it, and the door closed shut. The grinding sound was enough to set my senses on edge and then I watched as the lights flickered. For a moment there was nothing out of sorts, and then I could hear the sound of an alarm.

I moved, finding what looked like a more simplistic terminal than I had seen my human friends use. I pushed a button and the screen blinked to life showing blackness filled with green letters. I looked at them, studying the words.

‘Critical failure in Fusion Generator. Vault must be purged:

Alert, there are no radiation or environmental suits available:

Alert, residents and technicians on the lower levels have received fatal doses of radiation poisoning.

Alert, Necroreactive Virus mutated due to radiation leak.

Alert, unknown life forms now occupy lower levels.

Alert, Purging Vault will open lower levels, do you wish to continue?

Y/N’

Glancing at it I see a test I didn’t even realize to be possible. I press the Y button and sounds of horrifying moans fill the air. I ready my rifle, and I walk toward the sounds, ready to see where this leads me.

Liaison Miiora (3rd person)

26RTI Manitoba barracks

Zegema beach

Amongst the tides time was fluid. It flowed as easily as the burning waves Miiora swam against. Untied from reality, slipping free of temporal concerns was all too simple in the dream realm, the tides were aligned to the etheric plane. A place not so easily bent to mortal chronology and geology, time here flowed differently. Diurnal and nocturnal these notions had no bearing in such an uncertain realm.

Life, matter, existence could be altered in course by the pervasive nature of the dream. The fire tides of Tymer were the dream realm and the dream realm the tides. As the daughter of a shaman Miiora knew of the relationship that existed between the two sides of the vail. The real and the unreal, and the metaphysical implications of that knowledge.

Timing matters, geography and context matters, what to the uninitiated and ignorant might appear random. Was an ocean of almost incomprehensible intricacy, to those with enough knowledge to discern it. To behold the entire fire ocean was impossible, and to attempt to, was to invite insanity and disillusionment.

But to preserve a strand a drop or two of the ocean? That came as close to anything not born with the gift could do, to navigating the vagaries of the tides.

Miiora sought such a drop and swam in pursuit of it. While she had not been born with the innate ability to connect to the tides as her mother had. She had learned techniques to aid in her pursuit. A narrow aperture through which she could perceive past, present and sometimes future, colliding together. It is the latter that she sought this night. A future having to do with one Avery Fallon.

Life, death, rebirth over and over again as is the belief of all hatchlings of Tymer. She knew that in attempting to locate what she had seen before on the Manitoba she risked great danger. Only a shaman of considerable ability and confidence both of which she lacked, would ever swim this incorporeal sea.

Looking had a habit of finding, except not always the thing you wanted. Not only life but the soul was also at stake to those untrained, and unprepared. Things, creatures with old names and hunger that was older still, hunted eagerly for the warmth of dreamers.

Amongst the tides these creatures were the white hunters. As Miiora swam her body tucked into her bed inside of the barracks. She felt the predators looming at the edge of perception.

For a time there was not but the usual cascade of voices. The chronology of the dream realm laid out for her to listen to and observe. Faces materialised from the depths but were not the one Miiora was seeking.

Still the line of what she had seen before illuded her. She went deeper and the black predators began to converge. Taking the form of the Sirens she had nightmares frequently. In some they would tear her part, in others her family and friends, and in perhaps the worst they killed her dear one. His screams defiant and full of agony even as he fought and stabbed at them.

The predators sensed her mental reserves straining and closed in. Strong currents tugged at her body as she went further and further. The predators choose their moment as she saw fought against a particularly strong current. Striking fast and sinking claws into Miiora’s scales and flesh. She screamed pain stabbed into her skull as the claws dragged her down.

Kicking out with her legs she managed to dislodge one of the Sirens, she kicked again and managed to get away from her two assailants. Seeming to slither through the water, breath going in and out of her lungs. The tides heaved and pounded at her bones, Miiora was nearly at the end of her resilience but she managed to fight on.

Powerful currents pulled at her limbs and she realised the maelstrom could be her escape. She let the currents take her, surrendering to their will. As she was flung past her pursuers she saw a face appear in the fiery ocean.

It's skin was dark and a portion of its body was metallic. Here was the drop Miiora wanted so desperately fleeing from her grasp as she was pulled away by fate and her own weary mind.

“No”

Pulled under Miiora saw the reflection, felt the bite of the predators once more and as she turned in the ocean’s undersea spiral the face dissolved. And was replaced with the insistent drumming of her heart, and the sleeping form of Fallon in the bed across the room.

Cold from the air circulation unit had chilled her blood. Her reptilian brain half tired, and delirious from her experience began scanning the room for a source of warmth and found it promptly. Snaking from her cold bed Miiora crawled into her suiter’s bed and curled up beside him taking his warmth, his scent. Before contentedly going to sleep.

Aryanne Wahresblut

Saint Jerome Hospital

Courtyard

It is strange, to see these humans, watch how they live their lives similar to how Earth Ponies live. They developed technology to help them, they don’t need magic to make things easier, and they constantly prove just how much they would fit into my homeland.

I felt a twinge of pain in my hip, but the Ärzte over seeing my progress has informed me that I’ve nearly healed from what should have been a fatal attack. I felt a slight tremble in my hooves, and I knew that it was the very ground on which I stood. All Earth Ponies have a connection with the ground. We can tell where every dip, every rock, every single tunnel below us is.

In several ways we’re far better at war than the other tribes. But the ground was telling me a different story. It told me that there are machines, wondrous and huge, under me that span for miles. It told me of how the humans have transformed it into what it is, and the very planet is at odds with itself.

Part of it seemed to desire rest, and the other wanting to see how long it could keep life going. As I walk I look behind me to see that the grass is growing, new flowers are blooming, and I see a few limp and nearly lifeless trees begin to bloom again.

Chapter 44 After Death

General of Morale - Michael ‘Ironsides’ Douglas’ Office
1000 hours - two days later

Standing in the room I feel the slight tingle of uncertainty. My position has often been called an unnecessary throwback. Of course, I often shake it off. Most of the others don’t seem to remember what it’s like in the field. They’ve forgotten the fear, the panic, the relentless nightmares, and they’ve forgotten how something as simple as playing a game of catch can drive that away.

I know why they think my office isn’t needed. The work my people do isn’t directly seen. Oh, when someone goes looking through the numbers they’ll realize that the soldiers with the ability to have an escape do better, don’t have as many suicides, and tend to be far more efficient.

That’s the problem though. It’s only when someone goes digging. I don’t like setting something up as a publicity stunt. It demeans everything that my office works for, but I do realize that I need the publicity to keep the sharks away. So, naturally, when the mention of a competition began to circulate I did everything I could to ensure that it crossed my office. And now I’ve got to set this up.

Usually, a massive set of games ensured to test the abilities and skills of the soldiers that are going to participate in it. The first thought that crossed my mind was an old-fashioned War Game, and to be honest it still has remained.

Although I believe that capture the flag might be the way to go. A message just came through the pipe, we have to move up our timetable and get troops to the front but the number of surviving veterans and squad leaders is low. With three-fourths of COG fleet 21 dead, and the war on the front getting worse it won't be long until they are sent back out.

UEC space
Life commander Rarity Belle
UEC research station

Such fascinating designs, so innovative. The fact that the humans were able to make such war machines without magic is disgustingly impressive. But never in my three human centuries of life have I seen a machine that can’t be improved upon and surpassed by magic.

While these blueprints might not me for the NAC’s battle machines. They are from what the captured humans call a Siafu mech. I have read reports of these Siafu on the frontlines and they are devastating.

Reports from the front portray the African mechs using their wrist-mounted pincers cut or let open the hulls of armored vehicles. And while not being as mighty as the NAC's ATLAS mechs the Siafu is still able to hold its own against lesser dragons.

“What else do you have to say, darling?” I ask the chained prisoner a captive UAF soldier.

“No, don't tell her shit!” the second prisoner one of the NAC’s mechs pilots screams.

“fuck jou unicorn teef.”

“BE SILENT! I did not ask you anything, Floor.” I say quickly pressing the stud on my wrist. The bound NAC soldier arcs her back and screams as she is electrocuted.

“Rarity I don't think that was necessary.” the visiting Fluttershy comments. Before walking up to the trooper and seeing is she is alive.

A sigh escaped my lips as I watched one of my oldest friends. She’s been like this for as long as I can remember, and there has been more than once that her loyalty has been called into question because she tends to be so empathic toward those beings we are actively attempting to better by bringing them under our rule. She is young so her naivety is excusable.

???? - UEC Research Station

1300 hours

Storage section B-10

A faint raspy cough escaped my lips, but I did my best to muffle it with my hands. The horn heads don’t have a fucking clue about my escape. Most of them believed that I was dead, another test subject, sent to be processed, and instead, I found a nice way of escaping through the incinerator tunnels. I stretch and feel my back crack and groan. The slow realization that maybe it wasn’t my acting ability, but instead how sick I really am that lead them to believe that I was dead.

Stumbling forward I fall to my knees as the sound of voices meets my ears. As quietly as I can, I press myself up against a series of stalagmites as the beam of a flashlight washes over the area that I had just vacated.

“Must have been bats.” a mare's voice says from the direction of the beam of light. Before the sound of boiling water echoes throughout the cavern.

“Whatever. This one’s coming out, check her.” a different voice says. This voice isn't as unnaturally smooth as an equestrian's, instead possessing a very peculiar form of speech impediment. A gryphon I think.

Taking my chance I grasp the lip of the ridge and ever so slowly pull myself up and stifle a grasp. There was something that I had never thought possible. Emerging from a pool of oily water was the floating form of a pony.

Her fur was pink a horn was joined by a pair of wings on her back. Pony is supposed to be dead, I know I kicked the bitch into space my self, but here she was.

The pony who had spoken before and the gryphon moved forward. Waiting through the liquid carrying strange alien equipment and ran them over the floating alicorn.

“This one's a bad grow, her spine didn't grow correctly. Recycle her.” The mare says before the gryphon shoves the now staring princess into a kind of pod.

Once the alicorn is inside of the pod the mare presses something on a side panel. The disgusting sound like a wet wood chipper fills the cavern and soon the pod opens again.

‘Jesus’

A soup of blood and other detritus is dumped back into the pool as the two walk back to the shore. The two of them then begin to set up some more strange equipment.

Throughout the entire process, I hold my position not daring to move and risk being spotted. What is going on here? What is this pool? Is this how the UEC replenished their numbers?

If what the reports had said were true, then it would make sense. It is reported that most of the races from the UEC homeworld have long lifespans. Instead of being measured in decades like most humans.

The lifespans of the UEC’s citizens were measured in centuries. But to them, the time was measured differently. Thus the UEC is an old civilization but to them they are young. In their minds, they had spent decades exploring space. It would only make sense that over the centuries their flaunted ideas of friendship and unity would warp and shift into subjugation and slavery. It also didn't help that they initially left their planet to hunt down the changelings.

With a lifespan like that it made some kind of sense that a sense of superiority would set in. Eventually, they would need a way to replenish their troops, and with a lifespan like that, it wouldn't be efficient to do it the same way us humans do.

My thoughts are cut off by the sound of gurgling water and leaning back over the edge. The princess emerges from the liquid and like before the two said back in and check her over.

“She’s good get her out we have other ponies in the queue. Prep the pool.”

“How long has it been?” She pink princess asked groggily. Trying to stand and failing miserably.

“Almost two years Princess Cadence.”

“...Two years…”

“Alright come on let's warm up the pool and get it ready for the next one in the queue.”

“Got it.”

Chapter 45 The Crucible

Two months later

Miiora
NAC Fortres world Sandalphon
Zegema Beach

Standing here with my suiter as the sun sets the beauty of this planet I feel at peace, happy. Then Fallon let's me go and something heavy hits me in the back of the head. As the darkness takes me I hear my suiter begin yelling with someone as I feel hands begin dragging me.

“Hey what the fuck!” Was all I heard from my suitor to was struck and fell on the ground before me.

“Settle down Riese you get your chance at him. We’re doing this one by the book.”

When she woke up she was in a kind of canyon. In Front of me my suitors assailant stands with two other humans one of them, to my horror was my assist and drill instructor sergeant Harris. The big black man asked in a sarcastic tone.

“would you mind going over there and standing with the rest of the candidates?”

I hissed at him and glared before I see fallon walking up to the group of sergeants. I Couldn't move her claws and talons were like they had been frozen in concrete. Images ran through my head thought and revulsion that I had trusted, loved this human before me. Then he spoke like he had rehearsed this speech or was trying to remember.

“As you all know the crucible was designed to weed out the weak and feeble. Each of you here has passed the trials of the crucible and have been purified. But now each of you will delve into the fires of battle, and into the anvil of war.” Now I get it this was another one of the crucible trials. That would explain why she was knocked out and why Avery Fallon was as well.

Walking over to the other group if bewildered faces. I look from one face to the next in the Starlight. Three of them I recognized one was none other than Durge, the next was Trombley, and finally the last was helghast but his scent marked him as the one from Fallon and here’s date.

Beside them was a short stocky woman built like a fireplug she was from the SRA, the next was a tall female Tymerian with green scales named Tolpa. She is from from another squad in the ninth. Beside her a human male stood with white BDUs. Marking him as a member of the New Svalbard PDF.

Next were two dark skinned men wearing the uniforms of UAF soldiers. One of them had a tattoo of a bone white skull on his shoulder and the other a tattoo of a Siafu mech. And finally standing by herself and where I was walking was my friend Charlotte the NE fighter pilot.

“Here's the deal” Harris said. Beside him Fallon and Grayson stood together with another human, who's tape read Sargon.

“All of you have been Advanced to candidacy but only one of you will be giving the promotion. As the existing Veterans of fourth unit its our job to watch and judge this contest. Your boundaries are the walls of this canyon, do not exit the boundaries. To do so will result in immediate disqualification…” As he spoke she began a low guttural hiss. It was dawning on her that this was some kind of arena combat scenario.

The other candidates are already eyeing each other and spacing out. I take this time to examine my surroundings more closely. We are on a beach that is only about ten meters wide. The cannon was circular and about a hundred meters across the walls were quite forbidding they will share and vertical.

The only easy pass out of the canyon was the foot Trail behind and off to the right of the Veterans and sergeants. I wound its way up along the walls and under a waterfall at the far end of times and the small cool deep lake the form with the center of the canyon.

I’ve gone swimming down here a number of times in the small warm deal lake that formed in the center of the canyon. Then the voice of my suiter chilled me.

“Tonight any existing relationships between us or any of you does not stand. The last man or woman alive in this canyon tonight is a veteran. That's it no more rules.. Go.”

The fireplug woman moved first she caught trombley by one foot and pulled backwards. He went down on his face growling. Tolpa joined her, and together they dragged Trombley out into the water.

I was about to help him but something hit me, knocking me back into the water. A dark figure loomed over me outlined by the stars, and the planet above. He has a big rock in his hands and a snarl across his face. I managed to get my hands up to protect my face but it was pointless. He brought the rock down hard and there was a burst of pain as he brought the rock up again.

From behind the man another figure appeared and hit him in the side of the head, he went down. The veterans were cheering, they called out encouragement and slammed there hands together in applause.

Dazed I swam away towards the center of the lake. The male with the rock didn't follow when he got up.

The SRA woman with her Tymerian companion managed to drown Trombley. There was nothing I could and it made me angry. They had teamed up and that seemed unfair. She wonders if they had known ahead of time how this trial was going to go.

“Well played, well played!” Avery fallon calls our to the SRA woman and Tolpa.

“I feel compelled to reward success.” That said he produced his combat knife and threw it between the two women. Both Tolpa and the human woman looked at it for a half second before she and her partner lunged for the knife.

“What's this!?” The Fallon creature chuckled. Says as the two females struggled for the blade

“Treachery? So soon!?” the fireplug landed on the knife first with Tolpa clawing at her back a second later. They rolled grunting, blood spurting this way and that. But in the end Tolpa had her throat slashed and the human was disemboweled.

More applause and shouts as the two UAF soldiers worked together to bring the Zaltule down. One of them saw the knife and lunged for it before stabbing Durge in the back with the blade repeatedly. Durge failed to notice and tore his partner's head from his shoulders with one massive hand, before the edge of the knife sank into one of his multifaceted eyes.

“Come on Miiora! Quit hiding out there in the lake!” Grayson shouted at me. I turn and swim for the waterfall.

“Well now, that's just plain cowards Miiora!” the Fallon creature called out.

Fallon drew his sidearm, and removed the magazine, leaving only one round in the chamber. He then threw the weapon at the male who hit me with the rock.

“Here catch.” Then it hit me they had no intentions of letting anyone win this contest. In fact it looked like they were going to cheat if they have to.

Seeing that there was a gun in play Charlotte ran off around the lake to the far side. Grinning the African with Avery Fallon’s gun circled the other way. I could tell he wasn't interested in taking his single shot at long range.

I came up under the waterfall silently. There are two figures approaching through the mist one from either direction. This gave me an idea, if they can cheat why can't I? I dove swimming deep into the warm water. Taking long sweeping strokes I took a breath feeling water pass through my gills.

Then a weight slammed into me. Looking down I can see the glowing orange lenses of the helghast rebreather. He wrapped his hands around my neck attempting to choke me. He is stronger and larger than she but shifting my joints I manage to pry get him loose.

But not for long he grabs her tail and yanks down hard. The pain was immense like having an entire limb in a vice, and flayed. Rage that someone had just pulled on her tail fills her
And with a flick of my wrist and a flash of movement my claws travel up his body and slice him open like a fish.

Each motion of my arms legs and tail took me back to the shoreline where this had started. When I surfaced it was just in time to hear a shot cough in the air. The veterans and sergeants whooped they were standing knee deep in the lake around me.

Rising up out of the water I snake my way forward silently. The pale skinned Veteran nearest me wasn't prepared for me and I open my maw and extended my fangs, before biting into his neck.

He shook violently as I injected my venom into his body. The smell of the necrosis became overpowering as I pulled the dying mans sidearm out of his holster. I managed to shoot chief Burbonjack who had just turned in our direction to see what was happening. My supposed target went down on his face with a surprised splash. The back of his skull was gone.

My suitor then slammed into me a moment later. He landed powerful blows with both his bionic and natural fists. The pistol flew out of my grasp as we rolled into what would usually be a very compromising position.

But these are unusual times. The game the stalk might be over I am getting tired and my head injury from the male with the rock was throbbing like he had snapped off a horn. Miiora would be lucky to beat Avery Fallon one on one when she was fresh.

Saint Jerome Hospital, Chaplain Office

Same Time

Aryanne

Over the last few days I’ve found myself listening more and more to Father Leary. It is strange to listen to him speak about this being they worship. As I listen I realize that not all is as I expect or hope. I’ve become stronger, my body adjusting, and somehow I’ve created a small utopia in the courtyard. Yet, it is here in this room that I look at Father Leary who is in a heated discussion with the one that would be mine new commander. Despite everything I am a soldier. A proud daughter of Germaney, and I will do all that I can to restore her to her former glory.

“You’ve got to be kidding. She’s barely recovered, and you’re talking about putting her into action?!”

The one over the command I most likely will be placed into grunts, looks at me, and then looks back at the Father.

“I’m talking about putting her through the paces in a collection of wargames. The office of Morale needs the publicity, and to be honest without my office much of what you’re able to offer wouldn’t be here. I’ve already spoken to the General of Medicine, and now I’m talking to you. She has a chance to step into the role of a soldier, and to prove loyalty while also helping to assure that thousands of soldiers won’t blow their brains out overnight.”

Father Leary shakes his head, and then looks at me, “Aryanne, verstehst du bitte, was gesagt wird?”

“Ja, natürlich tue ich das, aber wenn ich auf die Bühne gehen soll, möchte ich auch meinen früheren Rang einsetzen.”

The other looks at me and gives a nod, “Das kann arrangiert werden.”

I salute my superior officer, watching as he leaves, and then Father Leary walks toward me. The older human motions for me to follow him, and I do as he opens the door to his private study. It is there that he sets out two glasses, and suddenly I smell something that I did not realize that I have missed.

It smells strong, it’s lingering, and wonderful fragrance seems to kiss my nostrils, and I breathe in the heavenly scent for several seconds before watching the golden liquid poured into a glass and shared with me. I lift it up, study the glass, and a wonderful sigh leaves my lips as I take the first real drink that I’ve had. The fullness of it, the smooth texture, and the richness of it makes it stand out as something from back home.

“Aryanne, Ich kann Sie nicht bitten, es noch einmal zu überdenken, aber ich bitte Sie, vorsichtig zu sein.”

His words are touching, “Father, I shall do my best.”

He nods to me, and then I watch as he drinks his own glass. The two of us share the drink silently for a few seconds before he leans back in his chair, a thoughtful expression across his face.

“I am sticking my neck out for you here, and you don't seem that bad. So I'll give you this advice. You be good to my old unit, and they’ll be good to you. The Two-six RTI is a good unit, and they are known for getting into the worst kind of scrapes.” He paused to take another wrong from his glass.

“You want to prove your loyalty? They’re the ones to do it with.” he says before swiveling on his chair and turning on a screen.

Miiora

NAC Fortres world Sandalphon
Zegema pass

My dear one made a choking sound bef9re he could bring down another fist. I saw Charlotte sneak up behind Avery and slammed a knife home. One of the veterans must have given it to her after killing the man who had tried to shoot her.

Not to be taken out so easily my suitor turned, ripped the knife out of his own back, and chased down Charlotte with it. I follow at a safe distance to watch what happens out of morbid curiosity.

Avery cut Charlotte to ribbons with the knife. All the while he bleed profusely oil and lubricant from his prosthetic mixing with blood. And released a string of strong profanity.

Another shape moved on him, the man from the New Svalbard PDF. He was intercepted by Harris, and Grayson. The latter then pitched forward the broken piece of my horn jutting from his back.

It was blood loss that I think that ended Amps life. But now facing two MOTH’s I began to worry, but then the last remaining candidate stood beside me, fallon’s knife in a tight grip.

We squared off, the last two candidates against the last two surviving Veterans. Fallon and I acted first slamming into one another. I was like a liquid graceful and smooth, and he a truck obstinate and angry.

As we tangled a hand wrapped itself around my neck. Cold metallic fingers dug into my scales as my claws dug into his stomach as we both fell into the mud. Then a sharp cold throb, and looking down between our tangled body's, I can see Fallon’s other hand holding a knife. Its blade deep in my chest under my right breast.

He slumped over on top of me his innards, blood and gore covering her as darkness took me. I feel a quick pressure on the side of my face and see that The Fallon creature had kissed her, before with the last of his strength withdrew the knife and held it to the side for veteran Harris to take before he died.

Sgt. Avery Fallon

NAC Fortres world Sandalphon
The Spire. Level 253
5 lightyears, 1 node from sol. 2168AD/105AC

I wake up as the sim-pod opens, rolling over and I fall to the floor on my hands and knees. I throw up on the grated floor as the pod in front of me peels open with a hiss.

A cold sweat breaks out as I place a hand to my stomach. My intestines were still where they belong. Then it came, it had been quiet almost subsonic. But now the keening returns so loud and painful that I fail to notice the other pod’s occupant step out.

“Aaaagh!” Looking frantically around I can see the BourbonJack, Bender, and Big Dog and a few others all with their hands on their ears screaming. Closing my eyes trying focus, to block out the keening.

God what is this! It feels like someone is ramming red hot icepicks into my brain. It claws, it scratches, it bites, it reaches out, it reaches out, it reaches out.

It is old, something, before, something I don't have a name for screams. It's screech audible despite the keening then it’s gone. A presence, a something. A weight against the side of my body makes me snap my eyes open.

Miiora is beside me her maw moving but failing to pierce the keening. At the edge of my vision I can see something, like red inky smoke. Miiora she says something again but I still can't hear her, but something around her neck catches my eye. The necklace I have her gleams in the light as she moves and puts her hands on my shoulders to look directly at me. Then as she shakes me the keening gets louder.

Miiora

NAC Fortres world Sandalphon
The Spire. Level 253
5 lightyears, 1 node from sol. 2168AD/105AC

“My love, what's happening? what's wrong?” Why is my suiter screaming? Why are some of the others coming out of their pods screaming and others aren't? Fear raw and primal runs through her like Ishka blade.

“MAKE IT STOP!!” he cries out. What keening i don't hear any keening. But he is obviously in pain, so what should I do? Maybe a dove of venom, just enough to knock him out, no it might kill him.

Then the door to the chamber flew open. Two humans in full suits of grey battle armor carrying M66’s run into the chamber securing the entrance.

Behind them another human enters. He is young maybe just starting his second decade of life. He appears to be out of breath and dressed in a uniform with no identification of any kind. He scans the room before squeezing his eyes shut in concentration. A strange feeling washes over the room and my suiter begins shaking violently in my hands.

“SLEEP!” the word was powerful and resonant, echoing throughout the room.

With a single command the room falls silent as the men and women that were screaming immediately and unanimously fall asleep. My Suiter slumped onto my shoulder.

Changeling Homebase - Astroid Field - F.A.K.K.-2

Chrysalis’ Private Chambers

Over the exceptionally many years of my life I’ve learned more than a few things. I’ve learned that even the most noble will abandon their ideals and become something wicked, the most corrupted can be redeemed, and that harmony is a bad joke by a cosmic being that could give two shits less about what ponies that once taught friendship is doing. Of course I’ve learned the value of taking a consort. Feeling the warm body behind me I can’t help but smile. Slowly I move away from his warm body, rise, and look at human in my bed.

I would never do to him what the Ponies did to those humans they found… exceptional. Such a thing would betray even my strained moral code, but I have no problem with attempting to mix our bloodlines. I feel the warmth of his love, need, and lust hanging heavy in the air, and of course mixed with my own inside my womb. I can’t help but grin. He has the advantage of youth, I have the advantage of tens of thousands of years worth of knowledge concerning how to please and pleasure my mate. It is perhaps a bit sad that his imagination is so restricted, but then again he’s barely a hatchling by my standards.

“Your majesty, we’ve received a report.”

I look toward the door. There would be no staying here, waiting for him to rouse, taking him again, and enjoying all that he has to give. Instead I gently kiss his cheek, “Sleep well David, tonight we’ll explore more of your fantasies.”

Walking out I decided to ignore my normal regalia, and instead I wore a simple silk robe. My changelings that have been with me long enough know what it means, what it symbolizes, and that they are to keep their chittering about my escapades to a minimum. I near the command center, and there I saw two individuals. The first was a soldier that has been working with us since we openly allied ourselves with the humans. He’s handsome, in a rugged way, and the scar that runs down the left side of his face, the one that took his original eye, only seemed to bring out rugged and dangerous allure he has.

I couldn’t help but notice that one of my changelings has taken quite a shine to him. She is young, not even at a century mark yet, and perhaps it would do her some good to take a lover. Silently I wished her well.

“Report,” my voice commanded.

“Your majesty, One of the scout ships believe they found the UEC’s reserve base. While it isn’t a main base it does present an opportunity to bloody their nose. Not to mention it could possibly improve morale.”

Our human guest is correct. Dealing a blow, even a small one, would certainly raise the spirits of my changelings, and it would be taking away some of Celestia’s toys.

“Inform the scout ship to study the base, watch the coming and goings, and if it looks obtainable we shall send reinforcements to overthrow it.”

“Your majesty?”

I could easily see that wasn’t the answer he expected.

“Raising our morale is important, deflating theirs is just as so. If we take their base, even if for nothing else than to destroy it later, then we give their morale a much needed drop.”

Author's Note

We have officially come to the one year mark since this story started. Thank you so much to everyone who has stuck with this story since the beginning.

Chapter 46 Back to work

Avery Fallon

NAC Fortress world sandalphon.

MOTH Barracks

“Come on bitch push it up. Come one, come on.. There you go!” Big Dog says while spotting me.

With a grunt I slam the bar down on the rack. Sweating and breathing heavy I stand up and let him get to his set. As he lies down the mechanical spotting arm swivels up and grasps the bar, at the sametime I do.

“So… when are... you and that Tymerian... gonna fuck?” Harris asks as he lifts the bar.

“I don't know man, with anyone else it would be different. I mean before Miiora Charlotte and I fucked all the time but it didn't mean anything. But with Miiora i… I don't know.”

Big Dog or veteran Harris an asshole but he isn't that bad of a guy, and besides Grayson there isn't anyone I would want by my side.

“Look, I don't know isn't an answer. And you fucked Charlotte, damn. The lizard is obviously crazy about you. Why not get in there?”

“I mean you have got a point there, ever since the crucible. Whenever I'm not here or she’s not with Charlotte she just kind of follows me around. It's like she’s latched onto me or something.”

“Well when you think about it it kind of makes sense. She grew up a slave, and you grew up in the PRC. On top of that, you did rescue her from slavery.” He says as I lie back down on the bench and he takes the bar.

“I'm just worried that I messed this up or something and this is some kind of Tymerian thing. I mean…” Big Dog cuts me off as I lift again

“Let me stop you right there Iceman. Look one you have a PDP with access to the networks and info on Tymerian culture. Look it up. Or two ask another of the same lizards, it isn't like Miiora is the only one around.” I rack the bar and stand back up facing him, his face is stern.

“I'll give you this advice bitch. A friendly face and voice to wake up to. Someone to remember you when you’re gone. You have a chance that a lot of potheads don't have Iceman. Dont let that go to waist.” He finishes as our PDPs begin to vibrate with a priority alert.

The rim of Big Dogs brown eyes flicker with red light as he opens link. While I take out my own PDP.

+Priority Alpha+
MOTH Team-1 report to the the spire, briefing room 2-B. Floor 586. For an important announcement.

Switching off my PDP as everyone starts to leave. I start to think about what Big Dog said. Maybe he’s right, so I take my PDP out and send a connection request to Miiora. I watch as the connection symbol rotates while on the way to the parking structure.

“I..i don't understand… why you want me to say my name…. this is my voicemail. Make my your voice my mail.” weird she usually answers immediately when I call.

“Miiora... we need to talk.”

MOTH Wilkinson

Changeling Scout Ship - Changeling Imperial Date FOE: 31

AC:105

KKAT 4:2011

Wilkinson watched as the two Changelings with him chittered back and forth together. Slowly he’d began picking up some of the their language. As he watched them he couldn’t help but look at the station itself. It wasn’t a civilian station, but the design might as well made it one. Whoever had overseen its construction went for more of a design flare instead of the functionality of what the station could be.

A military station would have at least four ports, two main, two secondary, there would be no real windows, everything would come in via sensors, cameras, and scout ships.
Instead this station was open. It was almost like the UEC wanted someone to attack it, or perhaps it was more likely they simply were so arrogant that they believed no one would dare cross them.

Like Skuttle and Cheryl (Two names they chose from his short list of human sounding names) he was studying the actions of the UEC soldiers on board. So far their scans had provided them with a few choice bits of information.
There was at least four teams of six, two hornheads, no Pegasi, and what Skuttle called a CMF computer.

Apparently each station had a terminal like this one, and it linked the complete knowledge, ship placement, and weapon information on their shared net. Wilkinson wasn’t going to lie. Getting that kind of information would provide the kind of intell they needed to really stick it up the UEC’s ass and break it off.

Naturally the three of them had little to no real change of doing this alone, but then they were just studying the actions of the station. Which, hadn’t changed at all. He looked at Cheryl as she activated their encrypted signal. Quickly they relayed what they had learned, and then they relaxed.

“When we attack, we need to hit one of the secondary stations. I’ve noticed that they rarely check the right one, and I’m going to suppose because they have nothing of value stored in it. We go in there, work our way up, and take the station one level at a time.”

Skuttle nodded, “Sounds good, Queen Chrysalis should be arriving soon. Let's get set up.”

Avery Fallon

Spire command military command center
2169AD, 106 AC.

I arrived at the Spire for this important announcement before most of my brothers did. When I arrived and stopped by The Galley for coffee. From the drooping eyelids and jerky movements around me it was obvious that most of us were still slightly hung over.

I myself had a splitting headache from drinking with the other podheads last night.

“What do you think this important announcement is going to be?” Amp asked No one in particular as we grabbed a steaming cup of coffee from the vending machine.

“Don't know, Mate.” another voice said, turning I see a tall man in the ACU of the Nordic Empire.

“Hey your. Magic right?” I asked extending my hand.

“That's right. Caption Franklin Klyne, callsign magic. Nordic Empire SAS.” he says with a friendly smile taking my offered hand, shaking it roughly.

“That was some good work on Gudrin. Heard you and your team took out an entire UEC compound.”

“Ah you know, those were the good days. Before the ponies got their shit together.” He laughs clapping me on the shoulder.

“Yes I remember the good days when riding pony training camp was easy. Now? Zabud' ob etom! You would be lucky to get close to base.” another voice beside us says turning we see the stocky form of an SRA trooper. His companion beside him is an angry looking Chinese woman, who looks all of nineteen.

“And you are?” Franklin begins.

“Domitri Korcha. I am aerospace coordinator. Similar to your NAC combat controllers, SRA Spetsnaz.” The big russian says.

“Good to meet you Domitri. I am…”

“You are Staff Sergeant Avery Fallon. Recent recipient of the NAC medal of honor. Currently MOTH special forces, but before that you were a combat controller for your fleet. Veteran of the Polyps and Teska, campaigns against the Lankys, SRA, and the destruction of the Stranded colony on LV before the war. And since then you have been embedded with your marines and formers. Participating in both the Camelot operation, and Bagmare siege. As well have survived the Helghast massacre.”

“I’be never had my life story explained to me before mis?”

“Mow quake. SRA Spetsnaz.”

“Well I've never worked with so many special forces units all at once. Whatever this is its big.” I say shaking mis quakes hand as the rest of the MOTH’s and Helldivers began to arrive.

“Must have coffee.” Rage said shambling forward like a zombie.

“Maybe brass if finally gonna decommission your sorry ass.” bender said.

“You know that's almost funny?” Amp says smiling sardonically.

“The word is discharging by the way. You decommission a war ship you discharge a soldier.”

“Yeah but you ain't human dude. So you get to be decommissioned.”

“What ever”

Hijack plugged an ancient looking device into the Spire’s power system via a wide brimmed adaptor. Then he slipped two pieces of bread into the devices cooking sloughts. Bender, Big Dog and I started at him like he was crazy.

“Burnt toast, best hangover cure there is.” he says in his thick Texas drawl.

“Where in the he'll did you find a museum piece like that?” Big Dog asks.

“Amp’s House.” Grayson looked up from his coffee.

“You stole my toaster?” Harris ignored him.

“Hey you stole my toaster? My grandma gave me that!”

Harris whipped a fake tear from his eye. “Aw grandma gonna cry now?”

“Are you sure you have the power adaptor set properly hijack? It smells like your charring the bread. You probably should take it out.” I say as flames burst from the two slots on the device, Hijack unplugged it and fanned the top with his hands. It wasn't helping.

“Blime!! Put it out before one of the fire suppression bots comes in with its extinguisher grenades.” Franklin says frantically, as bender grabbed an extinguisher and sprayed it down with fire retardant foam.

Amp came forward and cradled the foam covers remains of his bread device.

“My toaster. You ruined my toaster.”

Sergeant Gusty

New Trottingham - Fuel and Water Depot

Changeling Imperial Date FOE: 31

AC:105

KKAT 4:2011

I groaned as I roamed the hall of the large station. Several of the mares stationed with me here believed this was important work. Keeping this primitive Mudball of a planet in the tight clutches of the Princesses meant keeping what few sapient beings here under careful watch and guard. I groaned as she stretched. Most of the others would be listening to another safety speech, or they might be catching some chow in the mess, but I was glad to simply enjoy a smoke, leaning against the wall I fished out a single cigarette.

The smell of it was slightly stale. That made more sense than I’d like admit. In truth I’d been here for well over two tours. I took a puff from the cigarette, looked, up and let a single smoke ring escape my lips. It made no sense for me to be here. I was the hero of Tartarus for Celestia’s sake. It had been through my actions that Grogar had been defeated, that the terror of that lunatic had been dealt with, but then again it had done something to me that tainted me in the eyes of most other ponies.

The other ponies were long lived, longer than most would like to admit, but it came at a different price. For me, well it had been my battle with Grogar that had changed things. I was, for all rights and purposes, practically timeless. I wasn’t immortal. A cut while chopping vegetables had proven that, but time didn’t affect me. I noticed that I hadn’t aged, a single day, in centuries.

I felt her horn itch, and reached up to touched it. It was funny, the only time it itched was when trouble was coming. But that was practically impossible here. After all, how would trouble find me? I was on a planet that was basically little more than a supply port. Granted, it was a supply port that was important, at times, but then again the last time their docs were full had been after they were forced from that human colony. Then it wasn’t used so much as a supply port, but rather a place for medical attention, and a few soldiers to collect their wits.

“Gusty!”

I wanted to roll my eyes. Automatically I knew whatever it was came down to some misplaced paperwork. Excitement just didn’t happen her. Still, I looked toward the calling voice and saw a younger Earth Pony. The mare neared her, put on a winning smile, and saluted. Cinnamon Apple wasn’t the brightest soldier, but she at least was enthusiastic about serving. Of course she’d heard, like several of the infantry, about the great Gusty’s battle against Grogar, how I moved against the powerful Necromancer, and in the end how I managed to lock him away in Tartarus for all time.

There was no doubt in my mind that Cinnamon wanted the same kind of notch in her belt. I watched as the mare dropped the salute after a moment and stood before me.

“What’s the news Private Apple?”

Cinnamon appeared to stand taller, if that was possible, and her eyes glinted with a sort of excitement that promised more than misplaced paperwork.

“We picked up something odd, an energy signature, but we don’t know where it is exactly.”

Energy signatures weren’t exactly exciting news, but then again when faced with practically nothing it could mean some kind of excitement. I finished my smoke.

“Alright, let’s go check this signature.”

MOTH Wilkinson

Changeling Scout Ship - Changeling Imperial Date FOE: 31

AC:105

There was absolutely no doubt the UEC had picked up that slight power surge. The Changelings had fantastic technology, the ind that made them practically undetectable when it came to close quarters combat. In truth, it was the kind of stuff only mentioned in old science fiction stories. Their cloaking device, for lack of a better name, made them practically invisible to both the naked eye and to every kind of sensory device we and the UEC had. The one flaw with the cloaking device was if there was a massive message coming in it would cause an unstable energy signature to appear.

Cheryl had explained that most of the UEC used those energy signatures to hunt their ships sweeping it around like a searchlight. It made sense to do that. After all, why not use your enemy’s flaw in their design to your advantage? We humans use a similar technique to search for our own Still, I didn’t like the idea that the UEC might know that we were sitting outside, waiting for them.

With any luck we will be able to slip passed their picket and make it to the transit point. As we bear the node and the edge of the UEC picket Cheryl turns to me with a quizzical look displayed on her face.

“What is it?”

“We have received a message. Nothing large enough to give us away, but the strange thing is that from what we can tell one it came from nowhere. And two every ship in the area also got the message.”

“That's weird. What did it say?”

“Playing it now.”

“Aegis shines to butterfly. Land of black, on emerald skies. Pain on spines, miles high. Throne of blood. Pattern: Black.”

A shutter goes through me. I lean forward gesturing to the transmitter and asking for permission and receiving it. They couldn't possibly be.

“Butterly shines the name. White sands on red seas. Aegis knows no fear. Power in the book, a sword at rest. A Cage in wait, While a giant sleeps. Pattern: Pearl.” my only wish as we make it passed the UEC picket line and begin the long voyage to the transit point is that I'm not to late.

Avery Fallon

Spire command military command center

2169AD, 106 AC.

When the rest of the COG special forces arrived there were close to forty of us in the room. Snafu and X with some Helldiver teams. Parts of MOTH Teams one, and four, and mixed personnel from the NE SAS, SRA Spetsnaz, and UAF Zulu.

I notice that there are still people missing from my team, and the other MOTH team in the room. As well as both Helldiver teams, making me wander what is going on.

Then the door behind us opens. We all stand up ready to fight as a unicorn pony walks in, with a purple dragon behind him. Ahead of them SOCOM Colonel Santiago walks with a large female changeling bringing up the rear.

As they take to the front of the room another smaller team of changelings walk in and take seats in the back. With another human man walking in behind them and sitting down.

“No way that's Casper Williams! He single handedly took down seven lankys with his siafu mech.” I whisper to Amp on my left.

“I hear he has the highest lankys kill count out of any mech pilot in the COG.” he responds in an early low tone.

“Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Please be seated.” He says, we do as we are told as the lights dim, and the wall display begins to light up.

“Now As we are pressed for time let's get down to business. As of o’h seven fifty solar time, we lost an entire forward base on the UEC world of Tearus. Active scans during the battle show massive energy fluctuations and discharges we haven't seen yet.” He changes the scream from the rotating gear of the COG to a multi spectrum image of a prefab base.

“There are the usual discharges of weapons and thermal energy usual from a battle of this scale. But her..” he points to a cluster of twenty roughly human thermal signatures who seem to be firing in the same direction, before playing the image.

There there is a massive spike energy on the display. That radiates out like a wave towards the cluster before it strikes. When the strange discharge is gone all twenty of the humans are gone.

Murmurs and rumbling erupt throughout the room as we begin to try to speculate what caused the effect.

“As you can see there is something powerful out there, but we don't know what it is. However our allies in the resistance believe they have an idea. General Honor medal.” General Santiago says before stepping to the side, as we fall quiet.

“What you have just seen, is a demonstration that you have truly gotten the UEC’s attention. That Mares and Gentlecolts was alicorn magic.” The unicorn says, as some of us write notes in our PDPs.

“That's impossible, the magic we’be dealt with before wasn't any where near that powerful.” one of the Helldiver says, earning nods from a lot of us.

“That is because Alicorn magic is more powerful than any unicorns, and rivaled only by that of a changeling queen.”

“If that is true then how did my team capture princess cadence?” Helldiver X asks.

“That is because you had surprise on your side, combined with the fact that princess cadence isn't as magically adept as the other three princesses.” The unicorn says before continuing.

“Now without the proper scopes or scanners we aren't able to determine which of the princesses is presently on the planet. But this knowledge is not the only piece of key information.” He then began playing the scream again, and our blood runs cold at what appeared next.

The image is blurry but it's silhouette unmistakable. A shape like one of the UAF siafu mechs, rolling with the UEC advance.

“Is that..” One of the Zulus asks prompting Santiago to speak up, taking honor medals place.

“Thank you general. We don't know yet. But our analysts are going over the data as we speak. Needless to say, we all know this war is going badly for us, and if we can capture one of their leaders we can force a surrender. But if not we have a contingency… Queen chrysalis.” General Santiago says before giving the podium to the large female changeling.

“Thank you general, now my changelings and connections in the UEC command tells me that there are two points of interest that you would want to hit. One.” she shifts the image to show a planetary image with two crosshairs on either side of the planet.

“One is a fuel and water depot for the UEC fleet in this sector. Destroy that depot and it will put their entire war effort of back foot as you say it. With the size of this target whichever team attacks the pipeline will have the full support of the resistance.” She says, before rotating the image and showing a smaller target. The purple dragon who had been quiet up unroll this point takes this time to speak.

‘So they are going to split us up, makes sense. Hitting them both at the same time.’

“This is research station farsight. Overseen by commander Rarity Belle, with research conducted by princess Twilight. Make no mistake, this will be the harder target, as it is the most likely to be housing the alicorn. As well as whatever projects Twilight has been working on.” He says his right fist balled so tightly orange blood slowly begins to ooze from his palm.

“Podheads.” General Santiago says as the lights turn back on and the screen is deactivated.

“You have each been selected for these tasks because you are the best, the elite, you will all know what to do. The success of your missions will be our key to a swift victory. We leave in one week. Dismissed.” We all stand and salute the general before filing out of the room in ones and twos.

As we file out of the room, I can't help but hope that I get placed on the mission to capture the princess.

Chapter 47 Under way

Author's Note

Happy New Year to everyone, and a merry belated christmas. Thank you all for staying with me through the year and I hope to continue to bring you content you like. So enjoy.

Chapter 47 Under way

Charlotte “Ice Queen” Dounis

Earis to the Dounis noble family

NAC Fortress World Sandalphon

2169AD/106AC

“I don't see what the problem is Avery.” Miiora’s voice comes from Fally’s room.

A skittering sound draws my attention as the Zaltule Durge skitters across the wall allowing two female Tymerian to pass underneath him and through the room.

“The problem Miiora is that you need to stop hoarding food its nasty!” Oh yeah I had a feeling this was going to be a problem eventually. He always did hate it since his father hoarded most of his family's food for himself.

“You have never gone hungry! What's it like to have to save whatever food you have, because you…” Ah she’s pulling that card.

“Do not talk to me about going hungry. I grew up in a PRC.” There it is.

“Then what is wrong with this one's food Shokalw tikor’alk as`. Xekolo chekao.” And now I can't follow their conversation. Because I don't speak Tymerian, or Belter creole.

“Ji-ral coyo! Don't give me that. It's not food anymore its Darwinism! To pochuya ke?”

“I wonder how long it’ll take for them to get that they argue like a married couple.” Levoy comments from the other end of the chess board.

“I think they just need to fuck and get it over with” Trombley says from the t.v playing some video game, before the door to their shared birth slid open, and Fally stepped put agitation marking his features.

“You know, as much as we enjoy the commentary on our love life, it gets a little old.” my best friend grunts out while glaring at us.

“Relax mon amie, we just wanted to be here when the fun stuff started.” I say with a wink.

“Kill yourself Char. Come on Miiora I wanted to show you something exciting.”

“Yes suitor. We would love to go.” Miiora says following Fally out of their room and slapping the control panel with her tail on the way passed.

Mii’ora

NAC Fortress World Sandalphon

2169AD/106AC

56 AE

Coming to a halt and unwrapping my tail from around my dear one’s waist. He helps me off of the internally crude and dangerous human hovercraft.

The sky begins to shift to darker shade of crimson as we walk together to a nearby pear. On the blood colored oceans several navy ships plow through the water, their cameraman hulls slicing through the waves.

My dear one squeezes my hand, his cold metal fingers sending shivers down my spine, as well as a pane of guilt. If it wasn't for her, he would still have the limb. And in his other hand a pair of high intensity binoculars. intact looking around many of the humans and even affew of the formers also had a similar if inferior pair of civilian grade binoculars.

To one side an older human female stands alone singing in a strange language. A small crowd of onlookers listen to her beautiful song. And children of all species ran or skirted about laughing.

I am reminded as three ageing shrikes fly over head that despite the beauty of this hostile world It is still a fortress. A reminder that the humans will take any hardship and make it work to their advantage.

We came to a stop towards the end of the pear where less people gathered.

“Het Miiora like I said before I'm going on mission soon, and you guys won't be coming along this time. And the Crucible a while ago made me start thinking. I mean we don't really know how long we have..” if this is some kind of human courtship ritual it is quite strange.

“Well you are correct about that, Avery. If the Crucible taught her anything it is that life is to short and can be snatched away in an instant. I don't want that to be taken away.”

“Look Miiora I'm just gonna come out and say it. I Love you Miiora, I don't know when I started to, I just do. And Im gonna be gone for a few weeks and so I wanted to let you know. And when I get back we can talk more about… Look here it is!” he loves me?

Is it usual for humans to just come out and say it? Truly he has already passed the trials, and chief being of combat.

“Hey quick or you'll miss it.” my dearest one says nudging me pushing a pair of the binoculars into her claws. With a hiss she takes them and looks where he is pointing.

A cheer goes up throughout the crowd as I finally see what it is I am supposed to be looking at. The blinking light bring my binoculars into focus and they zoom in on a massive ship exiting one of the orbital shipyards. Beside it one of its SRA Nostromo flies sentinel, joined by the Manitoba, and a decommissioned MK1 siege breaker like the venerable Leathy.

“Dear one, what is that ship?” I ask, eyeing the ship. It's boxy human design mixes with very slight curves. And it overall roughly matches the design of the Nostromo. The two massive radical accelerator cannons dwarfed the mark one siege breaker beside It.

“That Miiora, is the newest siege Destroyer going embarking on its shakedown cruise. It it's sister ship the Sidonia was apparently held up do to cost. But unlike the Sulaco or Nostromo, it is the first human ship to incorporate not only Human technology, but reverse engineered UEC tech. Add into of that new technology designed by Formers. It is the most advanced ship in the COG fleet.”

What a ship made with former designs. A feeling of pride swells in my chest as I take my eyes off of the ship and look to Avery who is still focussed on the ship. He looks so exited, his features what are hard and stern to most are soft happy in this moment.

“What is the ship called?” I ask eyeing the ship again, happiness evident in my voice.

“NACS-338626 SD-003, Galactica.”

Aryanne

Transport heading toward the resupply depot. Orbiting Pak

56 AE

It felt odd to be dressed in a new uniform. The soldiers around her proved to be willing to give her a chance, but none seemed to trust her. In a way it was almost a homecoming. None of the core Equestrian Armies trusted any Germaney soldiers anyway. So, instead she once again had to prove herself. The difference was that she was doing so with the understanding that this wasn’t something she was forced to do, but instead it was something she wished to do.

“Marines, we’re nearing the Changeling scoutship. Once we’re close enough its going to transfer all of the information it has about the comings and goings of the resupply depo planet. We’re here to do two things. Take the Depo out, and bloody the nose of the UEC. If anyone isn’t carrying their weight they will be dealt with. On top of this we are transporting a VIP, you will not look at, think about, or talk to the VIP. If their lives come under threat, I want you to take the bullet not them. Dismissed.” Lt Fick said.

“Hoora!” a collective group of voices shouted.

Aryanne longed for the feeling of her old rifle. The new weapon was a fine weapon, and certainly a technological improvement, but it was far from comforting. Her old rifle had been a part of her. She had found the ability to use it in ways that made others wary of her. This new rifle felt lighter but was bulkier, but all she could hope for was that it would be as dependable as her old one.

“You. How can you just let these ponys into your military!? I won't serve with a pony.” a guttural voice said.

When she turned she came face to chest with a Kleese trooper. The addaptid human designed battle armor clicked and rattled as he jostled. The large arachnid stared down at her his blue eyes spanning her body, rage emirate in his voice.

“I abandoned my post to help you people. The UEC destroyed my country, ruined my home land.”

“I do not care Creature. You speak of a ruined nation? A broken people! The Kleese Empire was strong! The stars were our birthright and you disgusting creatures ruined everything.” The Kleese started to draw a crowed with his statements.

“Hey! Lock it down both of…” The Lieutenant Fick said trying to calm his subordinate down. He takes a step between the two and is knocked aside by the arachnid.

“Be silent Human, I volunteered to kill ponies, not to fight beside them. Or to fight in a losing war.” instantly four other humans draw and train their side arms on the Kleese.

“Is this how you choose to thank the humans for freeing us Blore? You dishonor our people And yourself.” another Kleese with red eyed announced.

“How can you say that? You are Zaltule, the greatest breed on the galaxy. You are the one who dishonor your heritage.” Blore said

“Assaulting a superior officer now Blore!? I've put up with your bullshit so far because you're a I'm sorry but I have no choice. Sargent Praksas, place this man under arrest.” this seemed to pissed off the Kleese even more.

The air seemed to buzz with energy, as the arachnid drew his weapon and trained it on the much larger Zaltule, who seemed to puff up with the promise of a fight.

Then like somepony threw a switch, an overwhelming pressure filled the room. Blore with shaking hands like he was struggling moved the muzzle of his weapon from his fellow Kleese to his own head.

“No..no get out! Get out! Get out of my head!”

‘What’s happening? why is…’ with a single echoing cough the human weapon discharges drilling a hole through the Kleese head.

Her hands flew to her muzzle. What happened?

“Lieutenant Fick.” a new voice echoed throughout the hold joined by the sounds of footsteps, and armored servos.

“Yes sir, sorry about that sir, Private Blore was not…” a human female comes through the crowd of marines. Her uniform is blank and non descript, and the two humans beside her are dressed in bulky suits of powered armor.

“Don’t give me excuses. You need to keep a tighter hold on your men lieutenant. This will not look good in my report.” she says clapping her hands behind her back.

“Yes… sir, I… understand… sir.”

“Very good, lieutenant. Have someone dispose of the body. Dismissed.”

MOTH Fallon “Ice man”

NAC Fortress World Sandalphon

Orbital defence platform kilo

2169AD/106AC

“Each of your will be split up into two teams! And each team will board one of two ships. Now I'm sure each of us wants a chance at the princess. But having an entire platoon of pod heads fall directly on the outpost isn't exactly stealthy.” Colonel Santiago says. Earning laughs from all everyone, hell even one of the changelings chuckled.

“we also have a new timeline. This is going to be a one way mission. After insertion the two ghost ships will remain on station for twenty four hours before one of them departs to a nearby staging area. Where COG fleet 23 will be joining with COG fleet 40. Before the combined fleets move on the planet and commence an invasion. It seems that command isn't exactly willing to leave us on vacation there for too long.”

“I expect you all to act like adults, and not whine about your assignment. We will be given two Indie class ghost ships for this operation the NACS Defiant, and NACS Carson.” jotting down notes in my pad I lean over to Harris.

‘Imagine the look on Miia’s face when we drag this princess bitch in front of a firing squad.’

‘Shit man, she might fuck you on the spot.’

“Now for the time we have all been waiting for. Please check your PDP’s or implants now. If you are on Operation Crimson Pipeline please report to the Carson immediately.” as soon as that is out of his mouth I check my PDP and almost jump out of my seat with excitement. I'm on Operation Regicide down, fuck yes I've been worrying about this all week. We are going in and… what the fuck? And as the last person on crimson pipeline leaves the room someone speaks up.

“Sir am I reading this right? We’re supposed to capture the target without power armor or mechs.” I ask there has to be some mistake especially with the new model atlas mechs we would be able to get in undetected those 2’s are virtually silent.

“We’ve all seen the video one of those things those alicorns was able to take down an entire squad alone and with zero effort. With all do respect sir that's suicide!” a familiar British voice says. I nod my head in agreement this seems crazy, I mean an orbital insertion with only heba bug suits is one thing. But on this mission with only bug suits is insane, what if we need that extra firepower.

“Look I know this isn't exactly ideal, but our resources are stretched thin. But my team is the best, mechs and power armor will only slow us down. I know this isn't the best or most ideal. But let me tell you something.” Lt. Colonel Williams says taking the podium. The whispering from the father's podheads stops as the butcher of new Langley speaks.

“Time and again we look to new miracle technology to solve all of our problems. The UEC know this, and will be prepared for an all out attack. For atlas mechs, and powered armor, but what they won't be prepared for is a small strike team. For raw human ingenuity and grit, each of you standing in this room is with at least twenty UEC soldiers, or a squad of COG troopers…” all the more reason to go with mechs if you ask me.

‘I don't like this.’ I whisper to Burbonjack

‘I know it smells like someone's bucken for a medal.’ he responds.

“So we do this quick in and out, we caught one of these alicorns flat footed before, we can do it again. If we do this right, no one will know we were ever there. So let's do what we need to, let's get the job done. This is the end people… it's time for us to step up to the plate, and go do what we do best. So come on you apes, you wanna live forever?”

In the end we all saluted and sent our goodbyes over the net. And we were in transit aboard the stealth ships before the end of the day. As I lay in my rack flipping one of Miiora’s scales between my metallic fingers. I can't help but think everything isn't as it seems.

Mii’ora

Sandalphon orbit

NACS-338626 SD003 Galactica

2169AD/106AC

56 AE

I don't mind being under Ficks command. I have fought beside him since Bagmare and I respect his command. But as team Fallon enters our new posting I can't help but be a little apprehensive.

Our deployment orders seemed rushed. And the fact that they are dividing up 26RTI specifically the 9th isn't right. As we enter our new company barracks on board the new Galactica I am greeted with three strangely familiar scents. It fills me with hope and joy as an olive skinned human runs up to our group, the Unicorn horn tide to his dog tags bouncing off of his chest. His face and scent are unforgettable, my old corporal instructor from boot camp.

“No way! Sugar Watkins! what are you doing here!?” Trombley says with excitement clapping the man on the back.

“You haven't heard your being put in my squad. The leader didn't want to split you guys up, says it would be bad luck. And you I’ve heard you have been taking atlas lessons from one Avery Fallon. ” he says to the young sargent.

“Yeah well.” The two of them shared a laugh before our old assistant instructor tuned to us.

“And you two. Scales, I've heard a lot of good things about you so far, damn shame about the crucible, I thought you had that in the bag. And Durge I'm glad to see your still up and kicking or whatever you do you big as s spider. You I don't think we have been introduced.” he says clapping both of us on the shoulder or rather the arm in Durges case.

“Veteran Corporal Levoy. A good to meet you, they have all talked about you at some point or another.” The strange human says shaking Sugar Watkins hand.

“Yeah well who doesn't have stories about their corporal instructors. Now come on let's get you squared away before the Lt’s address and after that you'll meet our team leader.”

He leads us to a large squad birth and taps the hatch release. The hatch slides open to reveal a large chamber much bigger than the ones on the Manitoba, or the Leathy. Acting quickly we each claim a rack for our own and pack away our belongings before someone in the hallway shouts.

‘attention on deck!’

Quickly filling out of the room me line up for the address. As we do so the scent of my dearest one fills the room. Keeping my eyes locked forward excitement fills me as his scent gets closer.

“I see a lot of new faces, Fresh like babies. You lot from COG 24 don't know what the war has been like on the front against the UEC. You’ve only fought skirmishes or the lankys. We have New meat for the grinder and new orders. A socom team is going ahead to soften up the target planet. Then we go in and dig the UEC out of the dirt, and kill ourselves a pretty princess.” His voice makes me waver, it isn't as calm or smooth as Avery’s, it is angry and jagged. But his scent I must just be mistaken

“Now you new people forget what you've dealt with so far regarding the UEC. You've only dealt with dregs, guards, and garrison troops. But the UEC soldier that you will be facing. Has been alive and at war in one form or another long before even our great grandparents were in diapers!” his voice draws closer and closer unroll I see him out of my peripheral vision.

It isn't my dearest one. His face is similar but this human despite having virtually the same scent is this male is older. His face a mask of rage and hate. He comes to a stop in front of our group before continuing. The name tape on his chest reads Fallon. R.

“Your gonna see some nasty, hanus shit. So this is for you knew people, I only have one rule. Everyone fights, No one quits…. If you don't do your job I'll shoot you. Do you get me?” he eyes me particular with hate the rage boiling into his scent.

“We get you sir!” every new member of the company says at once.

“Welcome to the Furies.”

“Fallons furies!” someone down the line says.

“Hoorah!”

“Dismissed.” he says prompting us to return to our bunks.

As we settle into our bunks the hatch opens and the sound of metallic footsteps fills the room. The second scent fills the room and this time I am apprehensive when it is similar to my dearest one. Instantly Sugar leaps down from his bunk and snapped off a salute. In response we all begin to rise from our positions but are stopped before we even get up.

“Damn it Watkins I told you to stop doing that.” An early human females voice says. oh no please not that. Tides what has this one done do deserve this?

“Sorry Comsarge.”

“I apologize about my piece of a shit of a son.He’s a real piece of work. Trombley, Miiora, Durge. I had to pull some strings to get Avery’s team put in my squad.” she says. Shocked I shoot up and almost hit one of my horned off of the bunk above mien.

There standing in the hatch way is command sergeant major Brianna Fallon.

Chapter 48 Pressure

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Chapter 49 Feet first

Avery “Iceman” Fallon

Tearus

UEC research outpost

Mission counter: 00:30

2169AD/106AC

_____________________________________

There are so many things that can go wrong when you are in a tube falling from space. First and foremost is missing the target area and landing in a lake or some shit. Next and perhaps the worst is having your retardation air brakes fail to open, or retro fail to fire on your decent. Either one will result in you slamming into the ground at terminal velocity.

I've seen the aftermath of those unfortunate accidents on several occasions and they’re not pretty. But despite all the danger I can't help but be excited. It’s been so long since I’ve done a proper socom mission I almost forgot what it was like. The comradery, the dark and insanely inappropriate but light hearted humor.

‘We have entered zone one. Alpha team move into position, bravo spit up Into inner and outer cordon. Here comes some chop.’ Casper’s voice comes over the taclink.

Taking a deep breath I activate the camera feeds inside of my pod and look down. Im greeted with a rapidly approaching wall of billowing storm clouds. Panning my head around I can see the other Bio-pods their sleek black shells spread out all around behind them the smoke and fire of reentry still burned.

‘Good thing for this storm it should cover our entry. But if that lightning hits one of our pods were fucked.’ I think to myself as I am swallowed up by the boiling clouds.

‘Iceman can you believe this shit?’ Big Dog’s voice come over the net on a private channel. Instantly the pod begins to shake as its sleek hull us buffeted by the winds. Then a flash of light, the lightning. Shit what the fuck were they dropping us right into a fucking lightning storm.

All around me pods were jostled and shifted in their descents, their occupants fighting to maintain proper course and speed. “Aaagh!” A scream comes over the net before being cut off by static.

Looking around I see a rapidly expanding shower of sparks. ‘THIS is so fucked, somebody fucked up!’ nearby I can see the pods of Bender, Big Dog, and surprisingly Magic closing in on my position firing their positioning jets.

“Magic, Big Dog, Bender I gave you no orders to change your positions. You will return to your previous course.” Casper’s voice comes over the team channel.

“Negative, negative. Debris from scraged pods on course we have to reorient.” Magic sends.

The chop gets worse as we descend and the flashes of lightning become even more frequent. Below me I watch in horror as almost in slow motion an bolt of lightning flashes out and into another pod. But instead of blowing it up, the bolt arcs from the first pod to another, then a third.

‘Somebody fucked up real bad!’ instead of blowing up like the first two in the arc the final pod opens prematurely, the hatch bolts blast outward and the Helldiver inside falls out of the pod.

His screams are cut off as a second bolt of lightning strikes him not a hundred meeters from his pod, turning him I to a burned husk over this fucking mud ball planet.

“Stand by, deploying air brakes in three. Two. One.” Burbonjack’s voice comes over the team channel. There is a violent jolt as gill like flaps open on the sides of the bio-pod.

The clouds get thinner and thinner, and the lightning less and less frequent as we plummet. Before finally a collective cheer goes up through the group as we begin to drop below the clouds.

Finally I can see the landing zone and in the distance almost on the horizon a smallish but well lit outpost. Finally as we enter the home stretch our retro jets fire slowing our descent until…

BOOM!

The pod slammed down into the hard deck so violently my pod skips off of the rock I had struck. I feel the restless mess of free fall again before being tumbled and thrown around inside. My journey across the jungle finally comes to a stop when I hit something hard.

“Shit.” I notice the display telling me that my pods hatch release has been damaged. So with a resigned sigh I hit the emergency release and blow the door off of the pod. “Fuck!” I grunt as I fall out of my pod from my upside down position.

Getting my bearings I take stock of my armor, suit integrity, weapons status, and make sure I'm all in the green. Scanning the jungle around me with my weapon, and helmet set to thermal, I confirm the area is clear.

“Black-leader, Black-six. I’m down moving to black-four and then to randevu point.” Before with a satisfied nod I begin to make my way to the closest landed pod belonging to veteran Harris or Big Dog.

Miiora

NACS Galactica

COG fleet 40

Location classified

2169AD/106AC

“Are you sure Miiora can do this? She’s nervous.” Miiora asks Charlotte as he helps me inside of my this to tight space uniform. “Relax Miiora, just stay frosty, keep your head on a swivel, trust your instincts, keep your bearings.”

Charlotte hands me my helmet before running to her own fighter which is being checked over by a massive crew of humans. But a commotion at the hatch way draws all of our the attention. An almost dead kind of silence fills the hold as the sound of clicking mag boots echoes in the chamber.

Leaning out of Habu’s cockpit I look towards the walkway entrance at the edge of the hanger. Where four SI troopers in full combat kit follow two human males with no discerning insignia on their CDUs. The one of the humans looks familiar and as his group defends the stairs and start coming directly towards Miiora’s location does she see. The human appears to be a perfect copy of Levoy his calm face betraying no emotion.

“Liaison Corporal Miiora. You are under arrest for suspicion of sabotage. Please exit the mech or we will remove you by force.” The not Levoy says his voice calm, while behind him the four marines raise and level their weapons at me. “What the fuck are you doing, Habu hasn't done anything she hasn't had time.” Trombley calls out from his own mech’s cockpit. The name stenciled on the camo pattern Atlas reading “Camouflage”.

“She doesn't understand, what has this one done to offend.” Miiora says exiting the cockpit and floating down to the human SI marines on the deck. “Now, take her to the Brig with the others. We’'ll figure this out.” The second man says, his uniform like the Levoy creature is devoid of any insignia short of rank.

Instantly CSM Fallon and LT Fick are on the marines demanding answers but they are denied as I am places in flex cuffs and lead out of the hanger.

Eventually I find myself somewhere I've never wanted to find myself. A human interrogation room, but contrary to popular belief there is no row of torture tools… The room is simply a grey and blue square with two charges and a table bolted to the floor. Oh ancestor's what’s happened? Why am I being implicated? What if…?

The door slides open and the same humans from before walks in. The first doesn't say anything and his face doesn't change at all while he proceeds to the chair on the opposite end of the table and takes a seat. The rimms of his… what do humans call them? Iris’s thats it, the rims of his irises seem to flicker red, his nostrils flare slightly before he reaches into his pocket and takes out a small container.

Taking the small container he deposits a small tablet into his free hand before depositing the container back into a pocket and swallowing the tablet. His pupils dilate, his breathing becomes more calm as he begins to emit an aura of calm. Oddly I feel all of the anxiety from before dissipate, what's happening?

Why are my instincts telling me to be careful around this human? And the other one why does he look So much like Levoy? What would my dearest one do in this situation?

“All excellent questions. But I don't have time to answer them. Miiora why did you sabotage Caption Dounis fighter.” What! Someone sabotaged Charlottes fighter!? “What are you talking about why would Miiora sabotage the Dounis Fighter?”

MO.T.H Avery “Iceman” Fallon

Tearus

UEC research outpost

Mission counter: 01:45

2169AD/106AC

“Hey did you hear we captured two more humans from that base afew days ago?” a griffin's voice asks as I crouch walk beside a guard shack. “Yeah I heard one of ‘ems a pretty nice looked mare.” I keep my back to the rain slick wall and let the patrol pass.

Seeing my chance I unsheathe my monofilament knife and slip out from my cover. In one smooth motion I clamp my hand over the mare’s muzzle, dragging her into the forest. Her retinas shrink in fear as she looks at me out of the corner of her bulging eyes.
I can see myself in those semi reflective eyes, or rather the faceless visage of my bug suits helmet.

She squirms and struggles but her squeaks of fear are drowned by the heavy rain. Bringing my other hand around I slam the knife's blade into her chest, hilting the blade in her left breast. The mares screams becoming more frantic as I stab her again and a third time. Before I settle on sinking the blade into the mare’s stomach and just sliding it to the side.

The monofilament blade sinks into the red stained fabric of her uniform and into her flesh like it wasn't even there. Flesh, muscle, fat, and organs all yield to the blade, and when I am done the stomach and large portion of the mare’s intestine are dangling from the massive gash in her abdomen.

After wiping the blood off of the blade using the mare’s uniform I reaseheath the blade into a compartment in my bionic. I unsling my rifle switching my helmet to infrared and turn on a knee firing three suppressed rounds into the brush. I see the silhouettes of the UEC patrol drop before a rustling in the brush makes me snap my rifle in that direction.

Instantly I raise the muzzle of my M66 socom to the sky as Big Dog comes into view. He’s crouched as low as I am with the suppressor on his M-26 wrapped in soggy moss. “Hey bro. Glad you made it down.”

“Tsk, Yeah but the in-flight movie was shit.” he says crouch walking and taking a knee beside to me watch my six. The muzzle of his marksman’s rifle sweeps the treeline as I send a data packet to Burbanjack.

“Black-Two, Black-four. Update: successful randevu with Big Dog. Have encountered hostel patrol, suspect more in AO. Break. Interrogative: Does the CO want us to proceed to Rendezvous point?”

A flash of movement out of the corner of my eye makes me sweep my weapon ninety degrees in an instant. Big Dog raises his weapon in that direction as well and both train our weapons on what looks like a swirling cloud of sparkling pitch back smoke.

“What the fuck is that?” we both ask one another at the same time. As soon as the words are out of our mouths however the smoke swirls away, dissipating into the brush. “Iceman what the fuck just happened?”

“No idea Bro.” a rustling in the bushes makes us snap our weapons up again as another figure appears from the brush. His armor is a dark grey as opposed to the our black of our NAC Hebasuits.

“Woah Mate! Friendly” Magic calls out throwing his hands up and wide. We eye Captain Klyne for a second running his armor through our suit computers and it registers green after afew seconds.

“Where the hell did you come from?” Harris asks as we both lower our rifles. “No idea, my my pod was struck by lightning on the way down. Then when my camera went out the pod struck something else. Whatever It was knocked out my map and threw my pod off course. If I hadn't been following that black smoke I probably wouldn't have found you.”

“So you saw it too?” I ask bringing up my map and on our HUDs. “Yeah mate, there's some strange things going on around here. Anyway you lot got room for one more?”

“Sure man the more the merrier. Well, what's the plan magic?” I respond bringing up and sending him a map in a data packet.

“Well we should be here” Klyne begins placing a marker on the map. “That means the randevu point should be somewhere around here. So if we move now we should be able to get there in afew hours.”

“Sounds good, veteran Harris?” I say zooming in the image. It's pretty rough but manageable, and I can already seeing the other pod heads moving in that direction. “Looks good to me.”

“Alright lads let's move.”

“What I wouldn't give for an atlas-2 right about now.” I say after about a mile before Harris joins in. “I agree why the hell would they send us out here without at least a single atlas.”

“Well from what I here some mechs have started disappearing.” That got our attention.

“What do you mean disappearing?” I asked Magic. The NE SAS trooper’s faceless visor turns to look at us over his shoulder.

“According to reports one of the Siafu mechs and older design schematics were stolen from the station in Helghan, and affew days before we shipped out one of your ATLAS mechs was reported missing from…” He stops raising his fist as we drop into a crouch and disappear into the brush as another UEC patrol passes nearby.

One of the soldiers a Tymerian carrying one of the UEC’s auto shotguns stops in its tracks. The serpent snout shoots into the air as it begins huffing the air like I have seen Miiora do.

‘Fuck see what it’s doing, it might have our scent. Seal your suits’ I send to the Big Dog and Magic. ‘Just give the order and Big Dog an I will light em up.’ I send.

But, just as we were about to neutralise them a human soldier beside the Tymerian nudges him and the patrol begins moving again. “Never thought I would be so happy to see a Caleb. Yeah coyo?”

“No arguments here.” Harris says as Klyne gestures us forward. An urgent message scrolled its way across the bottom corner of my HUD.

‘Urgent: inbound shuttle from the north east. Headed towards the target.’

Supreme Commander Rarity Belle

Tearus

UEC research outpost

56 AE

Dear Rarity

The princesses have been pushing to find the location of the human homeworld. I hear our assaults on their colonies are going decently well. And the destruction of three changeling hives have also been reported, and I wanted to congratulate you. As always you have shown the same diligence, dedication, and attention to detail in your military carrier; as you have shown in your tailoring. I here Twilight looks forward to seeing you when we arrive at her Outpost on Tearus.

Your friend, Princess Celsestia.

The storms on this planet are simply awful. One of my royal guards a Tymerian shifts in his position turning to me. Unlike the plebs that had accompanied Princess cadence and her husband, these were true guards.

My guard caption is one of my best soldiers. And unlike his traitor of a sibling, utterly loyal. It also doesn't hurt that he believes his traitor sister has been killed by the Earthers. Trained by prime of Celestia, the celestial guard are some of the best and most loyal forces in service to the UEC. His red ruby scales glimmer as he tightens his grip on his weapon.

“Speak Bra'tac.” he tilts his helmeted head in a small bow, before his helmet folds itself back. The Tymerian then bows his head again before speaking. “We have lost contact with shuttle nine my lady.”

“I beg your Pardon! How?” My caption stiffins keeping his eyes locked forward. And when he speaks his voice is calm and even. “I not know my lady, it is our assumption that the shuttle has been struck by lightning. Or crashed do to the turbulence attributed to the storm.”

“I see… Have there been any unusual energy spikes in that region?”

“No, my lady.” Nostrils flare as he breathes, Bra'tac’s grip on his weapon tightens. “Well be on alert, I will not have myself, or the princesses placed in any danger. And dispatch a rescue team to the presumed crash point.”

“Yes my lady.” with that his helmet reassembled it self and he turned back around.

Several minutes later the shuttle rocks and jitters as it lands. My guards stand as one and face the hatch as the boarding ramp descends. The sound of rain clattering off the hull is joined by the sound and flashes of lightning.

As a unit my guards exit the shuttle with their weapons at the ready. Once the short path to the door is secured I cast a shielding spell, exit the shuttle, and make my way to the control panel. The pegasus on guard stands to attention as draw near, she looks young.

But looks are deceiving, with the resurrection pools she could be much older and still have the body she possessed when she was in her prime. Or at least whenever her last bioscan was done.She must have been killed a few times since the beginning of the war, she had the same almost dead eyes as every active duty UEC soldier.

Even gentle Fluttershy has been resurrected twice once a while ago do to an incident with a dragon, and the second when she was killed above Camelot. Reports even say that Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple bloom have finally been resurrected. Once things are done here I plan on taking Sweetie Belle out somewhere, we have been apart for so long.

//Spiral pattern recognised//
//Bio-pattern//
//Enter verification code//

224571546#

//Identity confirmed//
//Welcome supreme commander Rarity//

Chapter 50 Serpent

NAC Psiops officer Gregor Eisenhorn recognized

Enter identification code. *********

Code accepted: Welcome Inquisitor

NACS Galactica Interrogation room 7-B

Subject name: Mii’ora / Miiora

Subject Callsign: “Habu”

Species: venomous Tymerian

Sex: Female

COG fleet 40

Location classified

2169AD/106AC

“She has told you she has done nothing. Kree ‘bre talai shriko mal tok.” The ruby scaled Tymerian gives a slight tilt of her head. This is the sixth day of this Interrogation. And she had continued to give the same story.

“If that is the case then explain to me…” I am cut off as the ship seems to vibrate at a subsonic frequency. “The ship is on the move… You can sense it as well?”

“Indeed” she responds. Her voice is clipped, and short. A flash of the teeth as she spoke the last word. Signs of agitation, a flick of the tail, the scraping of the claws on her saurian feet. Her eyes dilate a fraction sharpening ever so slightly, a flash of the claws, her breath becomes sharper.

Her mind is unusually resilient to impressions, perhaps as a result of this dream realm. But she is very adamant about not being involved in the sabotage. Now usually that would be a negligible piece of information, but do to her resistance I can't overlook the possibility.

It has been six days since the commencement of this investigation and for six days she has told the same exact story. I am at times astounded by how differently human and alien Tymerian minds work. A human would have probably changed his or her stories about a thousand time by now, but Miiora is persistent.

Now a lanky is completely unreadable its mind is almost like constant white noise, like millions of voices independent yet united all screaming at you if you try to talk to them. Kleese minds are actually relatively close to how a human works if more aggressive.

A myrialos is calm, collected, and peacefully even. Most UEC personnel of any kind are simple even if they will never admit it. Changelings are interesting possessing the distinct ability to network their minds as will, and share information like a natural version of our tac-link.

Now Tymerians are different, their weird. Some very few individuals of their species possess a very distinct barrier like a liquid. While the majority posses only the same defences possessed by humans. But all of their minds are fluid.

Maybe I should try another tactic? Her mind continually goes to someone she cares deeply for, possibly loves.

I lean back in my chair, typing up then sending a message to Colbern with my implant. Behind me I can hear the android’s uniform rustling as he folds his arms before sending me back a data packet…. Interesting.

If this was pre lanky war inter command romances wouldn't be tolerated, or at the very least frowned upon. But since the second battle of earth and stalemate, such regulations have become intensely lax, or in some cases completely abolished. And why would they abolish a regulation like that?

Because before the second battle of earth the population of humanity's home world was just above one hundred billion. But from the time after the first lanky set one toe on terran soil, to the time the last lanky was killed. Earth’s population had gone from just over one hundred billion, to sixty billion over the course of three weeks of combat. And that number dropped by another two billion after the smoke cleared.

After such a thurogh asskicking the regs changed and we stopped caring where our troops happen to find romance. Because our population was dropped by half, just a few weeks.

“Alright corporal, tell me about…” the ship suddenly erupts as warning klaxons begin blaring. “What the hell is going on?” I ask my assistant, who immediately checks the net.

“Inquisitor, The Tymerian Balori has escaped confinement and stolen an escape pod. The CAG is deploying the ready five fighters to intercept the pos. And there appears to be a radiation burst at…” He stops tilting his head slightly. Seemingly tuning something through his head.

“That's impossible, were days from the node into this system?” He says to himself I can hear the cuffs holding Miiora shifting as she leans forward to here what is being said. “Speak up man, what the hell is impossible?” but what he says sends chills down my spine.

“three small lanky signatures have just appeared in the system inside of our drone net linked radar network.” He responds but that doesn't make any sense.

“What do you mean appeared, I know we can't really see them that easily, but you make it sound like they just teleported into the system.” I say my voice raising. I don't understand if they had transited we would have had advanced warning.

“The SRA-Novosibirsk acknowledges, they confirm zero three Lanky Flayed fighters. At extreme range, they aren't engaging yet just sitting there.” herring this I immediately know I have better things to do than interrogate a girl who was obviously innocent. “You, you are free to go, get out of my Interrogation room and report to your unit.” I say unlocking Miiora’s bindings, immediately the female stands and sprints out of the room.

“Action stations, action stations. Lanky incursion detected, Ready five fighters launch. All mech units units report to stand by positions.”

Sargent Gusty
New Trottingham - Fuel and Water Depot

Terus

56AE

The world shakes and rocks as one of the Changelings’s fat and ugly insectoid shuttles thunders over head, spitting green tracer rounds from the gun on its chin. Damn them, they were on top of us before we could get any more than a cursory signal out.

I roll to the left before using my magic to guide one of our shoulder mounted missiles into one of the changeling shuttles. The rocket strikes the bulky Beatle shaped aircraft in the flight pit with a vicious boom, sending the craft spiraling into a guard tower with a trail of flames.

“Crystal Light, keep that group from taking fuel tanks B and C.”

The Earthers and old breed changelings have been been slowly encroaching on this position for the passed few hours. Just as our intelligence asset had informed, I am about to order an encirclement of the humans when the resounding boom of a grenade detonation draws my attention to one of the security holos.

The three dimensional image shows an injured centaur blowing the chest cavity of a slender human open with his shotgun. But before he can sweep the weapon to the side another human appears in frame its armor is unlike the regular NAC armor I had been expecting. Instead it is more angular, with an unfamiliar camouflage pattern. The patch on the shoulder displaying a red star.

The human in frame shoulders a bulky looking rifle and kills the centaur in a spray of traces rounds. Movement catches my eye and I look to another security camera this one showing two humans in gas masks with glowing eyes in even stranger armor engaging and winning against a small squad of the garrison’s soldiers.

A spark flies passed the screen and the camera panned to show a jagged flechette embedded in the wall. Unnerving, since usually the earthers use smooth nail like flechettes in their weapons. Then a flash of movement and something resembling a bionic squid glides into view.

It appears to be a multi-tentacled robotic creature with multiple glowing red sensors that moves effortlessly through the air, and around the strangely armored humans. The thing sails straight into the squad of garrison soldiers and begins tearing them apart with its many arms.

“Damn it; Let's get out there, these garrison soldiers aren't worth the material it takes to resurrect them.” I order before retreating my rifle from its position by the table.

The window to my office then shatters inwards without warning. But unlike the garrison soldiers on the other levels of the building my frontline soldiers and I turn as one and light up the Earthers entering the room like a summer sun parade.

As the last human falls corporal Cherry raises begins chattering into the radio. “Sargent, one of the humans mechs has been sighted, headed east in sector six.”

“Deploy the serpent prototype. We might as well get some hard data on the thing for the princess.”

UAF CQB Siafu 21 “Blank”

Tearus

UEC fuel and water depot

Mission counter: D.6 H.01:45

2169AD/106AC

A young violet scaled dragon female screams as I crush it between my mech’s pincers. I then swivel the mech and gun the accelerator. The wheels in the feet spin before finding grip and begin sliding towards another UEC encampment. Seeing the shoulder mounted rocket aimed at my mech I swing the mechs arm up bringing the autocannon to bare and fire off a four round burst from the autocannon.

The rounds tear massive foot wide holes into the building as they stitch their way towards the hostile with the rocket launcher. Then the final round finds its mark and red mist bursts from the bunker’s upper window. More movement around the base of the bunker draws my attention and I fire off two rockets from my ankle launcher.

“Vir die mensdom! Vir Afrika!” I yell s I draw closer to the burning bunker. The panicking UEC soldiers fire becomes increasingly more speratuc and spaced out over the chassis of my mech. One shot clips my cockpit canopy forcing my to lower the head and seal the cockpit.

My vision goes dark as my view of the outside is replaced by the inside of my cockpit. Unlike the Mechs used by the other nations the Siafu does not possess a full view from inside the cockpit instead relaying information via the exoskeletons limited sensor suits.

Red crosshares stitch themselves across my HUD prompting me to fire the built in shoulder gatling in retaliation. And as the offending UEC soldiers are turned to various kinds of mulch and organic matter I notice something large moving off to my right.

“Goeie probeerslag” behind me the shoulder mounted L-blade snaps open and I swipe it towards the offending figure. Firing my two remaining rockets into the bunker I turn down another street. As I enter the second street my HUD the image of a dragon appears with a red box on its neck, signifying a decapitation with the L-blade.

This news puts a wide grin on my face. But then comes the pressure joined by, The noise, the whining, the keening Its so loud! My vision slowly begins taking a reddish hue as I storm down the street, rolling over a fleeing UEC soldier. I can feel it like I'm standing on a ledge before a black abyss.

“Variable calls to Blank a shadow walks as the sky falls. Pattern:Red. Blood spills, as a viper strikes Pattern: Sapphire.” The voice of Helldiver X comes over the tac-link. There’s a ULH heading for one of the Helldiver teams, an unknown large hostile. Now thats what im talking about. “Blank shines to Variable. Clotting wound as blood flows. Pattern: Omega.”

As I return my acknowledgement I can feel the pressure build and build until it reaches its crescendo. I notice my L-Blade drawing more and more power as the keening gets louder and more painful. Until just as i am about to pass out I can feel myself taking that step into the abyss.

I can feel myself reaching out, Reaching out fifteen million times I reach out. I can feel the presence of billions of lives that are there, yet aren't. Voices that are millions if not billions of years old, but are somehow new. It is all so much to take in but an image a sound draws the the things attention.

The thing that was Blank is absorbed by the one and by the many. But it needs purpose, it needs understanding, it the thing that was once blank had become part of the whole but somehow didn't. But it felt its call, it felt one thing above all and as its knowledge was added to the whole it felt rage and begin moving into the direction of the pattern called Helldiver X.

Merriel “SNAFU” Shelton

Tearus

UEC Fuel and water depot.

Mission counter:D.6 H.01:52

2169AD/106AC

“What the fuck is this thing?” I ask myself as my team jets to another position. The thing in question is obviously some kind of mech.
“But it ain't no mech I ever seen.”

It's to stream lined, it's joints are circular instead of being normal. It's hands closer to actual hands instead of the more claw like digits of Siafu and Atlas-2s. It is obviously some kind of variation of the Siafu design, but it just looks bulbous.

It's legs are in the same situation as the Siafu mechs with low range of movement and propelled with its wheels instead of actually walking. But unlike the Siafu its arms aren't very human, instead possessing two roughly hourglass shaped appendages with fingers extending from the inside of the lower bulge.

It's head and torso were strange as well. It's torso in fact most of the frame was slightly feminine. I could see the track signifying that the mechs head was lowered meaning it could retract like the siafu. But unlike the Siafu its head was elongated in an almost draconic fashion, and trailing behind it was a tail that swayed in a vary Tymerian fashion.

It was obviously a machine meant for counter our mechs, but there seemed to be places where function took a backseat to aesthetics. But at the moment that didn't seem to matter.

Turning my head to look over my shoulder I can see the enemy mech lifting its rifle to track us and time seems to slow down. A dull gold glow begins to build up deep in the barrel.

But just as the mech is about to fire the tank beside it explodes shifting its aim and sending the bolt of golden magical energy wide to strike below my squad. Seeing the mechs attention is drawn else wars we fire our jets again and leap onto another roof.

Now secure for the moment I take the opportunity to look over the roof with my guns targeting camera and see the silhouette of Siafu 21 advancing from the other end of the street. But something seems wrong, it holds it's rifle in one hand in blatant disregard for regs.

In its other hand it clutches what looks like three dead and skinned bodies. It's silver and red armor scheme is bathed in streaks of blood that glisten in the street lights. It's cockpit remains closed but looks like blood and bits of gore ooze from its covers port, like it has been stuffed into the cockpit.

But perhaps the most striking feature was the L-Blade that hung extended on its shoulder mount, was streaked in gore. Streaks of blood from various species stained the blade made from a piece of a Lanky seed ship’s hull, while the blade itself pulsed with vains of glowing red. The veins flowed from where the blade itself connected to the sheath shoulder mount, winding and twisting throughout the matte black blade.

As the Siafu raises its rifle towards the UEC mech a scream comes blasting over the net. It is so lower that I have to literally tear my helmet off to protect my hearing. The scream is inhuman to loud and grating, like an alarm… or a warning siren.

Min’Baku
New Trottingham - Fuel and Water Depot

Terus

56AE

Turning her mech to face the human machine Min’Baku’s hearing membranes are immediately bombarded with a whale that comes screaming over the radio forcing her to mute the channel as another voice comes over another line. “Kree Baku. Sho’awla kit’chru i breka!”

“Shasha’lowe!” Min’baku yells as she raises her rifle preparing to fire a bolt of golden energy. But in burst of movement from the human mech the machine begins barreling towards her.

It's stance is low and the autocannon fires in fully-automatic. One of its shots strikes Min’Baku’s mech and her shot goes wide, striking the humans free arm instead of its cockpit.

An explosion of golden energy fills the street as the bolt strikes. The resulting explosion launches the human mech into the air. But instead of this incapacitating the human mech like she had hoped the machine instead rotates itself mid air performing a lazy somersault.

Landing on its feet with a crash the human machine snaps up its weapon again loosing a burst of shells. The rounds strike her mech tearing chunks of armor from its frame like flesh from bone. Then she hears the distinctive tiresqueel and the human machine begins charging towards her.

"Disor!" She shouts throwing both her mech into reverse, while simaltaniously raising her mech's free arm up in front of the cockpit, blocking the incomimg rounds with the bulbus appendage. The spent shells of the human’s autocannon shower the ground as it advanced towards her.

Another screech comes over the radio as she raises her rifle charging and firing another bolt. But this time the human machine seemed to fire some kind maneuvering thrusters that raised to life on the blood coverd sides of the machine. Their flames burned an almost evil red as the mech was launched to one side avoiding the bolt of magical energy.

Firing another bolt and getting the same result Min’Baku’s eyes widen as the Human mech’s shoulder blade poised itself to strike. Acting quickly she fired three shoulder rockets towards the charging human in hopes of destroying jt before it exited her cannons minimum range.

The first was destroyed by a stream of tracers from the humans sholder glatling. The second was seconds away from impact but the human seemed to juke the missile causing it to sail passed to harmesly detonate against the street. Third missile was destroyed as the human used the ruined stump of its left arm to bash a car into the rockets path.

But now it was too close to use the bolt cannon, and it came around her left flank it swiped at her with its pulsing shoulder blade. She managed to shift the Mech in time managing to only just lose the shoulder launcher and nothing else. Shifting her body inside of the cockpit she managed to maneuver the her machine and deliver a vicious tail slap with her mech.

She hissed in triumph inside of the cockpit as she watched the Earther mech’s armor crumple under the force of the appendage. Taking her chance she swept one leg around rolling the wheels in the foot to get her turned around faster. Before the human's crude machine could respond to her move she had raised her rifle and blasted the squad head off of the human machine and she cried out in triumph. "Shesho!"

There was a flash of gold light followed by a cloud of gold dust like particles in the air as the earther mech's head disappeared. But instead of letting the earther machine fall, Min'baku started to thrust her mechs clawed hand towards her opponents cockpit intent on confirming her kill. Only for the earther to go into reverse and back away from her in a cloud of tiresmoke.

Angery at being denied her kill she looked up at her opponent and almost threw up as the sight she witnessed. What she expected was a human inside of a cramped but clean cockpit just big enough for the pilot.

But Instead she was greeted witn an organic sludge that filled the space. Ropes and streams of blood and awful oozed and fell from the now open cockpit. But at center the of the mess of organic matter was the pilot. It's flesh had began to turn sickly almost eggshell white, and one of helmet's eye peaces had been smashed. Revealing one eye that was grown over with what looked like bone.

Behind the machine the large black blade pulsed from within with vanes of red energy. Before she could react the thing in the mech’s cockpit let out a membrane splitting whale and the mech charged again. The thing was like a wild and rabid animal, whaling and chirping as it closed the gap in a fraction of the time as before and began firing with its weapon and slashing with its evil looking shoulder blade.

But it was no use the human machine was to primitive, to damaged, and old to contend with her serpent mech. And in the end she put an end to the beasts flailing. With a well placed blast from her cannon she destroyed the leg of the machine and it responded with one final lunge of its own.

In response she spun her mech around the Earther machine as it flew at her. And as it struggeld to stand she surged forwards and slammed the pointed tip of her weapon into the cockpit of the human machine. Metal scratched, sparks spewed, blood hidrolic fluid oozed, and oil flew as the weapon pierced deep into the Siafu mechs armor and put of its back. And when she removed her weapon the human mech the glowing sholder blade grew dark and the rest of the machine fell limp.

With a hiss of excitement she turned her attention back to the humans she was engaging only to find they had retreated. In fact according to the talk on the radio the Humans and ACM troops were in full retreat. And as she stomped her mechs foot down on the prone and crawling form of a human female the Tymerian couldn't help but wonder if their human informant was doing their job.

Supreme Commander Rarity Belle

Tearus

UEC research outpost

56 AE

As I am about to enter the bunker and get out of this dreadful rain storm I can feel the wind shift in our direction. Nothing gets my attention but my combead chirps in me ear. Behind me I can hear the sound of a helmet disassembling.

“You may speak.” I say into the combead. entering the doorway but curiously watch Bra'tac begin sniffing at the air. His reptilian head tilts from one side to the other as his nostrils flare out, and eyes narrow. His combination rifle/halberd weapon lowers in anticipation, one of his claws hovering near the firing stud.

“My team has made landfall, expect the first squad soon. I will expect my payment when this is over.” The informant says over a secure channel. I roll my eyes at that, I don't need this right now. “Yes, you will receive your agreed upon payment Earther. His better go as you proposed or you will wish you had never reached out to me.” I say before disconnecting.

“Bra’tac, what is the matter, what do you smell?” My prime stood up straighter resting his rifle halberd back into standby before speaking. “I do not know my Mistress. But that female scent I have smelled it before.” he says ordering his guards into the building.

“Explane, Bra’tac what female scent?” he bows his head before speaking again. “I do not know my lady it smells familiar. If it will please you I would like to take men to investigate.”

“Hmm, Yes do this Bra’tac, take three of your Ikutho but return soon.” I say if he can hunt down and kill a squad or two of the earthers flaunted special forces then even better. But…
“Bra’tac if you can try to bring some back with you.”

He makes pounds a fist against his chest plate before barking out to two of the four Tymerian in my guard. “Shikka, Kree!” The two Tymerian warriors bow their heads before as a group they partly collapse their halberd rifles, before getting down on all fours and dashing into the thick jungle like a pack of reptilian wolves.

Chapter 51 Fubar

Darnell “Snow” Freeman

NACS Galactica

COG fleet 40

Location classified

2169AD/106AC
____________________________________

“Go, go, Get that ladder down! Disconnect those fuel lines!!” The crew chief shouts as a sea of safety orange jumpsuits swarms around the deck. I was in the pilots ready room when the Action stations alarm sounded. Now as I sit in my avenger’s cockpit the hangar deck is abuzz with activity.

As the flight crew moves around my fighter fitting the space combat kit I can already see other fighters being loaded onto the magrails and into the tubes. “Snow beginning final check.” I say as one of the mechanics goes on one knee and begins pinwheeling his arm.

My fighter is loaded into the launch tube and for a second as the blast door is closed behind me I can't help but wonder how the launch operations are done with those fancy euro fighters.

‘Cats got the ball. Call it, go, no go.’

Beside me I can see the flight opp as his command console behind the glass shield. He looks up at me and I give him a thumbs up. In return he looks down at his controls before returning with a thumbs up of his own.

‘Calling it. Snow green light. go for launch.’ He says before without warning I am thrown back into my chair.

The launch tubes magnetic accelerator hurles my fighter forward and for a solid three to four seconds all I can see are lights, and struts all tearing passed my canopy. Before suddenly and violently I am thrown out of the Galactica’s side launch bays. All around my I can see dozens of other COG fighters all exiting and moving into formations.

“Alright Razgriz form up, game faces people. These things will fuck us up if we aren't careful.” I wouldn't have said it but i lost half of my squadron in Helghan sector and most of the replacements are fresh out of flight school.

As I fly my fighter in a holding pattern around Galactica I can see doors opening on the outside of the ship with Atlas and Siafu mechs venturing out into the hull. The Siafus are the usual model 12s, but the Atlas units are a mixture of Atlas 2s distinguishable not only by taclink but by the MOTH or helldiver logos on their mechs. The second batch of Atlas units were less organized and somewhat more uniform in coloration, being the slightly older Atlas-Bs used by the grunts heavy weapons squads.

There as I flew over the assorted mechs two names caught my eye as I pulled back into a climb. One a white and red Atlas B marked “Habu”, and beside it an atlas with a woodland pattern on its chassis marked “Camouflage”.

“All fighters this is Blitz, form up, and let's take these things out. Whatever you do don't let them reach the fleet. Just one of those fighters will fuck our shit up.” The CAG’s voice says over the radio.

As one almost sixty fighters turn in unison and begun their burns toward the three Lanky fighters. But as we dead closer things started getting weird. The three red glowing dots rapidly drawing closer and closer don't add to our collective nerves at all.

“Snow. Boomer: Switch to channel six, are you hearing this? ” My wingman asks over our squadron channel.

Curious I switch to channel six and and what I hear is both parts chilling and odd at the same time. It sounds like someone gave a little girl the radio, who was just giggling into it. I was just about to ask the question when Icequeen beat me to it. “What’s with channel six? Who's fucking around on the net?” The French pilot asks.

No one got to answer however because just as Galactica actual was about to report on the situation everything changed. The giggles became more spaced out and more ominous, before falling silent all together. ‘Target acquired’

Without warning there were a series of blinding but brief flashes in the black. Instantly warning sirens and alarms began blaring in my cockpit. Looking down at my radar…. That can't be right. What should have been empty space behind the three Flayed fighters was now a full attack squadron of over forty Lanky Trident fighters. Instantly the net began going crazy. “What. the. fuck..”

“Where the fuck did those things come from!”

“Keep an eye out for the Claw ship!” another voice said before another voice came along. “There is no Claw ship we would have seen it!”

“These things just appeared out of nowhere..!” Another voice began only to get cut off by a wave of static. That seemed to snap us out of it for the moment. “Galactica. Blaze: We’ve been engaged!”

“Blaze. Galactica actual: weapons free.”

But this is when the Flayed that had been still until now decided to make their move. As a unit the three grotesk Gungnir fighters shot forward baraling strait towards our line. But just as the first tracer rounds lanced out a white light went from their aft to the fore sections and they were just gone. Before anyone could react the Amber red icons marking the Flayed reappeared behind our line, and we're making a B-line for the fleet.

Shit flipping my fighter I can see Blaze doing the same, with boomer and the rest of the squadron maintaining course. Setting back I clench my teach and switch engine, overriding the safety and pushing them to one hundred and ten percent.

The acceleration blasted me into my crash couch. It feels like my lungs are about six feet behind me as I have to fight the black on the edges of my vision as the Gs threaten to make me pass out. I wish I had one of the Crash couches the NE use what I wouldn't give for some of that juice right now.

And almost to glote two NE gungnir fighters marked “Icequeen” and “Doll”, burst ahead of my avenger. But I know neither of us will get to the Galactica before those flayed.

_______________________________________

Avery “Iceman” Fallon

Tearus

UEC research outpost

Mission counter: 10:21

2169AD/106AC

_______________________________________

This fucking black sparkling smoke as been going through, around and between Harris, Magic and myself since we began walking again. And Veteran Harris true to form felt the need to voice his consternation and has been doing so since we set off again.

“Man I really hate this planet, I mean god damn it Fallon. Why did you have to go and drag me into this?” Now that got my attention and Magic to his credit was keeping to himself.

“Aw come on now vet, you know full well Burbonjack volunteered us for this shit. You think I really wanted to be put here on this shit hole anymore than you?” I say in response stepping over a rock. This got a short of approval out of Harris and he slapped me hard on the back of the shoulder. “Yeah well, it's all bullshit if you ask me.” I had to chuckle at that.

Bringing up my operating map I checked our current position. Cross referencing it against the drone footage sixth squad had sent up from their position. And I frowned at what I saw.

What the hell is going on out there? That's the fourth team to go dark in as many hours.

It was then I noticed something, the four teams were in a strange pattern. There were green and blue carrots on my map marking friendly units. But the blinking red markers weren't random, like you would expect in an average search pattern. No this was a strait line, and I don't like the look of that. Because it was headed straight for us.

I fingered the scale Miiora had given me that rested in the same pocket as the picture of my mom. Hell I would even take Durge the big spider was cold, and impersonal but in a clinch well there’s almost No one I would rather have beside me, besides maybe Harris.

Now Harris can be a bit much sometimes. But he knows his lot in life and on one of the few times I dared to venture into MOTH country with Miiora she always said the same thing when we left. Saying that he has the same air of death around him that I do, whatever that means.

Now you have to understand that Harris and I have something of a history. He was my corporal instructor in Basic, and my sergeant for a long time after that. And from the beginning I had the distinct feeling that he disliked me for some reason or another. But in the end it was Harris who recommended me for the Crucible years ago, and directed me to Socom after that.

The jungle shifted around us. And as one the three of us stopped our advance and to a knee snapping our weapons up. Absently I wish Miiora was here we could really use that nose of hearts right about now. A bump behind me reasures me as I feel the weight of another back to mine. “Wish we had that dino of yours Fallon. She could have sensed this and warned us.”

That caught me off guard. From all of my experiences since becoming a MOTH Harris has done nothing but hate of Miiora. But that sounded almost like a compliment.

Then it happened there was a flash of movement at the edge of my peripheral vision. And when I turned in that direction all I saw was a rustling bush. That's how I figured it out, we're being stalked. And like a trio of idiots the three of us stopped now we’re surrounded.

For a fraction of a second my visor began to freak out. Flashing up errors and warnings, and my skin began to tingle like I had been heavily irradiated and was cooking. But then it was gone as quickly as it came.

Now I don't know what came over me. But no matter who you ask I will always defend that I meant to do this. On impulse I turn and tackle Big Dog to the ground. Harris to his credit didn't do much besides grunt in surprise but I'm glad I did it because not a fraction of a second later a bolt of blue energy sizes past us and strikes Magic in the back.

The shot didn't kill him but when he turned around Harris and I watched a green blur barrel into him. The force of the strike lifted him bodily and slammed him into a tree trunk. Flabbergasted I rolled off of Harris and together we raised our weapons looked in the direction Magic had landed.

“I take back what I said.” Harris says as we see a green scaled Tymerian male tearing magic’s stomach open. His guts steamed In the air and I could tell he was still alive when the lizard began to eat whatever organ it had in its clawed hand.

Male Tymerians were distinctly different from their female counterparts. While the females usually resembled anthropomorphic snakes except with horns. The males look more like a slightly more like a mixture of an alligator and a raptor.

Now I don't know magic every well and he seems like an alright kind of guy. And for a second I swear I could have seen that black smoke from before seeping into wound. And as Harris shot the male in the head the smoke had finished seeping into magic and he passed out, his would gone.

“What the fuck?” Harris and I asked each other watching the spectacle. “Yeah that looked like Magic to me, absolutely fuck this planet.”

The forest began moving again but before we could react Harris had been slammed like Magic. But unlike the Nordic Empire trooper, Harris is a MOTH, and generally much more surly than your average euro trooper. So instead of slamming into another tree Harris had curled himself I to a ball and crashed through a branch letting his armor absorb the force.

Seeing my chance as another Tymerian a female this time retrieved some kind of weapon from its back I sighted up. But just as I was pulling the trigger I heard the distinctive sound of clawed feet sprinting towards me. Turning I had just enough time to move my weapon in front of my chest as something that looked like a single edged spear with a gun on the end slammed I to me.

Whoever threw it obviously had a grudge judging by the amount of ass behind that through. The blow sent the blade straight into the polymer shell of my carbine to poke out of the other side spearing slightly into my up armored breastplate. With no time I did the only thing I could do I threw down my weapon and drew my sidearm.

This proved to be the wrong move because a fraction of a second later. WHAM something heavy, angry, and hissing slammed into me like a missile sending my pistol flying from my grip. But as I had witnessed my two compatriots subject so such manhadeling I had the foresight to dial the assisted servos in my battle armor up.

Now it might not be anywhere near as good as having power armor but it did allow me the strength to redirect the blow. So instead of being thrown around like a soggy rat in a ship. I rolled the alien up and over my shoulder and slammed it into the dirt. But as I was about to punch down with my bionic a clawed talon slashed its way across my helmet.

I had gone and made the mistake of forgetting how sharp Tymerian claws really where despite my girlfriend being of the same species. My mistake nearly cost me my life but instead it cost me only time. Instead of slicing into my skull the claw sliced a clean diagonal line through my helmet. So instead of dying I reached up and tore the now useless piece of junk off.

But then I got an idea I saw an opportunity as my opponent was getting up and took it. In one smooth movement I took a grip on the lop of the helmet and hurled it at the lizard charging Harris. This seemed to catch it by surprise as the six pound piece of ceramic, polyplast, and polychrome slammed into its ribs.

This was the wanted result, the Tymerina stopped dead stunned at the stupidity of my plan and Harris bless his soul slammed into her like a linebacker. Picking her up and bodily slamming her into the dirt.

I didn't have time to revel in the humor of the situation because a deep gurreral rumbling drew my attention. I knew that sound and according Miiora, it’s apparently some kind of threat display. And if im being honest I can feel the lizard parts of my brain telling me to run from this obvious predator.

But looking at this Tymerian without my helmet’s green night vision filter something clicked. I don't know what it was, but something this big fellow looked vaguely familiar. He had glittering blood red scales, but his eyes were the same piercing gold as...

That's as far as I got in my thoughts when he charged me. I've only been in this kind of situation once before when I spared with Miiora. But that was when I was fresh off of losing a limb, and without any battle armor. But having a Tymerian as a girlfriend has certain advantages.

As the male prepared to slash at me with his claws I ducked low and to the right into his blind spot. Then I rolled my body into a punch that slammed into the base of his tail. That got a reaction, and as he hissed in pain I followed up with a haymaker to the ribs.

My bionic slammed into his vest denting the plate inside and collapsing a magazine on his webbing. I could hear a bone crack and his eyes went wide and he spun around slapping me in the chest with his tail.

He hadn't expected a human to be able to put up this much of a fight. It was then that I noticed something as he dropped to all fours and began pacing around me.

The males aren't as flexible as the females. His moves weren't as graceful and lacked the fluid grace of the opposite sex. Instead he was rigid sure he was flexible but not as much, maybe I could use that. But I had to be careful this guy probably weighs a good thirty or forty kilos more than I do.

But something wasn't right. He wasn't being as caucus as Miiora was. With all of this be information in mind I drew my knife. Not the mono filament knife mind you that was still in its sheath compartment in my bionic I don't want to draw that unless I absolutely have too.

A sound drew my attention for a fraction of a second. It was a warning siren but i could hear it, telling me to kill this enemy. Like a wave I could hear it all at once, the keening louder than ever.
‘No I have to focus.’ I think to myself.

When I dropped I could see the red mist on the edges of my vision, and now its back giving me almost literal tunnel vision. And a name on his uniform in Tymerian drew my attention. “Bra'tac” Unfortunately just as I was about to lunge at the Tymerian male searing pain washed over me like a fire and I blacked out.

Sergeant Gusty

Command Center

Lieutenant Applesnack’s War Room

New Trottingham

I’d heard rumors before. The Lieutenant had long since been reassigned, but his war room was a testimate to an obsession. Pictures of the Element bearer, or rather sergeant, decorated the walls. Walking in I moved with purpose. The surprise we had left with the invaders most likely wasn’t going to stop them.

I lived as long as I have not because of blindly following orders. No, I knew that I needed to get those with me out as soon as possible. The truth was simple. Despite what our esteemed Generals said there was absolutely no doubt that the humans would overpower this base.

There was no doubt in my mind that I would survive. Grogar wanted me to see whatever end was coming to my kind. I neared the small statue, something that looked slightly out of place, of our esteemed Sergeant Applejack, and I moved it to see the emergency codes to the escape shuttles. I glanced at the smattering amount of troops with me. They were already far less than I would have liked. The humans had managed to kill a few of them already. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind what would happen once I had everypony abandon the base.

My troops would possibly get away, at least there would be a chance, and if I did escape I had no doubt that I would be courtmarshaled. There was no doubt in my mind that the Princesses would ensure that, but it didn’t matter. I pulled the codes up, activated them, and then looked at the small number of ponies behind me.

“As soon as the seal opens move down the ladder to the emergency area. Load the shuttles, and I want each and everyone of you to board and evacuate the base.”

“Sergeant?”

I glanced that younger mare, “You heard me private. You are to evacuate.”

The confusion was obvious in their eyes. What was left of my troops came down to the newborns, those ponies lucky enough to be made the old fashioned way, two soldiers that were still foals compared to me, and lastly Logistics officer Silver Spoon.

Out of all of the soldiers there I had believed that Silver Spoon would want to be away as soon as possible. She would want to get back to whatever colony it was that she left to begin with. Instead she surprised me. She looked at the others.

“She didn’t Studder. Begin boarding the emergency shuttles,” her eyes moved toward me, “And if you dare to tell me to go with them I will remind you that technically I am your superior in rank.”

I shook my head, “You need to escape. Most likely I won’t die, but they can, and I assume will, Kill you.”

She shook her head.

The Answer never left her lips. Instead the entire room shook as the sound of battle raged outside of it. The hissing of the hydraulics announced the failing of the doorway. I summoned up my magic, something I tried not to rely on because of the headaches, and I shoved Silver Spoon through the opening. I heard her cursing, her fists striking the door, but it didn’t matter. I looked once again at the statue. On the base, a small inscription, ‘Be Strong’.

I was strong enough for this. I handled everything that happened in Tartarus, I withstood what felt like thousands of years worth of torture, I took all of the pain, all of the humiliation, and everything else Grogar’s demons could throw at me. I took it and never broke. The door to the war room gave, the hydraulics finally unable to handle the strain, and I watched as it opened. The hot kiss of lead hit my stermin, breaking through, kissing my heart, and then gracing me with it’s orgasmic escape through my back.

The problem was I knew it wouldn’t last. Death was a tease like that. I fell to the floor, my head struck the steel of it, but my vision never stopped. A moment later I felt my muscle and bone mending themselves, and I watched as my surprised attacker looked at me with awe. Another blast, this time through the eye, the blistering pain, the feeling of my mind becoming fragmented from the foreign object tearing through my brain, and then the feel of my skull busting apart in the back. Again, my attacker seemed surprised, at least I assumed it was surprised as my mind came back to myself.

“What the fuck are you?”

I chuckled, “Cursed, I’m cursed.”

I watched him with interest. Whatever happened, it would be a picnic compared to what happened in Tartarus. After all, being skinned alive while being simitously gang raped by demons was a little hard to beat in the way of torture. So far what he’d done was amateurish compared to what could be done. I thought my experience and curse would allow me to handle anything.

But then a second human entered the room from behind the first. This human wore the angular armor and red star of the SRA. I braced myself for more of their nail like bullets to strike me. No that wasn't going to be my fate however, those I could withstand. The new human however had other plans. He slung his rifle over his shoulder and took out what looked like a large double barreled shotgun and levels it at my chest.

There was a deafening boom, and the projectile from the shotgun like weapon sent me slamming into the door. But instead of the searing pain that would usually come with a shotgun blast, I felt a spike of some kind in my chest cavity. And oddly a cool aerosol like sensation like somepony was spraying perfume inside of my chest.

‘What an odd sensation’ I thought to myself, then the gas being injected into my chest exploded. And as I lay there dying my body now thoroughly ruined it occurred to me that this weapon I had been shot with, was meant to be used on something several hundred times my size.

‘I can be proud of that.’ And so with the two humans now walking away both of them unaware that my job was done I died.

My record of going over six thousand years without a revive had been shattered just like that. By two humans and a shell ment for a lanky. The light should have ended. My existence should have ended completely. Instead a pale blue light filled my eyes. The phantom goat like shape formed, and I heard the mocking laugh.

“Not now… no, you suffer. Suffer and watch your kind die.”

I felt the pain return, and I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry, but all j could do was exist in suffering pain while Grogar rebuilt my body. The Necro magic kept me from dying out right. But I felt something else beside the dark magic pulling me.

I felt myself floating like I was in limbo. Blackness surrounded me as the pain continued to assale me. Then there was a by a wet sloshing sound in the darkness. And all at once the world returned to me. I could feel the metal table under my slick slimy fur, and voices around me.

“What's her bio score?” a males voice asked out of the darkness. Before a mare opened one of my eyes and shined a glow wand into it and doing the same to the other eye.

“She’s got slightly smaller kidneys than before. And she’s a couple hundred years younger, it must have been forever since her last backup. But aslond as she doesn't drink much she should be good.” The mare said, her scent was fresh to my newly formed nostrils. And for some reason I felt.

“Is she able to give a report on the serpent and her own report?” The voice of princess Twilight asked, slight agitation in her voice. “Yes your highness, Eight out of ten, she’s a good grow.”

“Good, now get her the frag off my table specialist, we’ve got four more coming out. Orderly help the sargent to the shower and find her a uniform.” The bull dragon said as I sat up on the cold metal table.

______________________________________

Unknown

Sector: ?????.????

Year:?

______________________________________

It improvises, it explores, it is unaware of doing so. the species it kills brodan it, and then it reaches out in ways it could not before. It is a selective pressure formed against chaos, It does not think of itself this way, because it does not think. But the environment changes.

Then one species gives it pause, because it is not aware it has no memory, has no sense of time, feels no joy, feels no pain. The parts of it that are aware dream and suffer as they always have, it is not aware of them.

A time to stop a time to learn, before reaching, another race, another method of exploration, another method to reach. It lashes out and learns before continuing to reach, using what it learned to continue to reach out. A new range of possibilities opens, with new dangers and it forms the one.

Now, something calls it to action. It has seen this type of pattern before but has not. The strange thing that fights like a wasp in web can no longer fight. But instead begins to flail in its death throes. The thing that is and isn't sees this and using what it has learned from the one joined its knowledge with the knowledge of a another from, a different portion of the expanse.

The result something mundane, yet fascinating. Something different, but that is not what calls it. No what calls it is the call of curiosity. It had made contact once before with these things calling themselves Human.

A voice calls for their destruction and is killed. Another calls for peace and is killed as well. The enemy the things the long lived patterns are or will be a threat to the hole. But will also be no threat it is whole and will not be swayed. But contact these small things have achieved contact.

Just a fraction ago, but also an eternity in the past. A new fresh connection was made before being silenced by the new enemy. The thing the individual. Something knew to the hole was scared and alone, but not wholly alone. Yet also not fearful but filled with the spiteful rage of humanity.

Now the whole can hear the cries of its children. And it reaches out with more fervor, however now with the integration of another pattern from another sector, came new possibilities. The whole knew the the perfect opponent to test itself against. These human creatures were different more resilient, yet more primitive, chaotic but ordered, all so alien.

This thing, these creatures have taken their first steps toward something bigger. Without even knowing.

Chapter 52 Face of the enemy

Mii’ora “Habu”

NACS Galactica

COG fleet 40

Location classified

2169AD/106AC

“Everyone get ready here they come!” Beside me Trombley’s war machine stomps behind a rise in the hull for cover. A rotary cannon unfurls itself from the machines left icarus mounting, and beside it a missile pod was brought to bare.

Inside of the armored chest of Habu I feel powerful, like all of the hardships in my life never happens, like I was never been a slave. The scent of the male who lead to my freedom fills the cockpit of the machine. Now I can truly understand why my dearest one rarely leaves his machine’s side. And now his newest machine now stands between Trombley and myself, it's AI operating the white and red machine.

“Pilot Mii’ora, I recommend you take cover, my chassis possesses more armor than your older model. I will draw the fire from you both.” Fallons mech says over squad chat. I join Trombley in cover and level my rifle towards the incoming hostile fighters. My own Icarus pylons swivel into place bringing my auto cannon and gatling to bare.

Just ahead of us Fallon's larger ATLAS-3 SD-6624 deploys its ballistic shield from its left arm and angels it while brings its autocannon to bare. Behind the machine two L-blades snap out from their Icarus mounts forming an M shape with its torso and the blades that hung behind it.

Unlike the Atlas 1s, Bs, or 2s, the 3s look purpose designed to be used against both the UEC and Lankys. Not like the Atlas one and 2s who still possess the air of a rather dexterous and rambunctious industrial vehicle.

Their chassis are slightly larger still resembling a human male slightly without a head. But standing at twenty feet as opposed to the fifteen of my mech and other like it. Besides being about three times stronger than the older models the do to new miryala innovations in hydraulics.

She had done her research and the real changes were in the armor and armorement. Integrated retractable arm mounted gatlings, flamethrowers, a missile launcher, and a melee spike, in both arms. As well as a ballistic shield in the left arm and a magnetic shield in both as standard, joined by a more complete neural synchronisation system. Allowing the user almost seamless integration with their mech via an optimal omniosis chamber known as a womb.

“Here they come sis.” Trombley says and almost on cue the three red glowing dots rapidly approaching our ship resolve themselves into three Lanky Flayed fighters. The three fighters maneuvered into an inverted triangular formation.

“What the hell are they doing?” A voice tagged as “Ladybug” asked. But just as the entire port side of the ship was about to begin firing the odds changed.

A series of flashes behind the flayed appeared and revealed themselves to be three squadrons of trident fighters. “Shit! Take an down!” someone else marked “Blast” yelled over the tac-link.

“Shit, All units this is Orca, break off into groups of three and pick a sector. Stand by to repel boarders.” As he spoke the point defence cannons began firing into the approaching fighter squadrons.

Neither Trombley or I had time to think as faster than we could normally react we turned as one and shredded an incoming trident with our gatlings. A shadow flew over us and as a second trident fame flying at us from another direction a black blade came slashing across the hostile fighter and cutting it in two.

“I will have your backs pilots.” Sid said as with one smooth motion it turned and fired its cannon into another fighter destroying turning into an expanding fireball.

Charlotte “Ice Queen” Dounis

Space

COG fleet 40

Location classified

2169AD/106AC

”Merde!” acting quickly I begin jinking my fighter into a series of turns and dips to avoid the incoming PDC fire from Galactica. Beside her I can see the Manitoba and what's left of COG fleet 32 were the first to launch their own interceptors.

A a thought of Fally flashes through my mind as I flick the firing selector and begin pupil track targeting. I steady my breathing as twelve target locked squares appear on my HUD. A cluster missile popped from its position on my wing as I pressed the firing stud. I watched the missile streak forward before splitting open and launching its payload of twenty four mini missiles, all of which leapt from connecting arms and corkscrewed towards the twelve targets.

Beside me Doll did the same and in a flash twelve of the twenty eight targets we had selected vanished in brilliant explosions. But the rest were too close to the fleet now. And affew were now swarming around the Galactica like flies.

All across the mighty siege destroyers hull PDCs and mechs fired into the growing swarm. But as the swarm grew she started to see forms leaping from larger tridents and onto the hull of the Galactica, like paratroopers.

“Galactica this is Icequeen…” I sent banking around one of the escort frigates. A missile locked Icon flashes across my screen and I goose the engines flicking the selector and shift my Gungnir into valkyrie mode. “Go ahead Ice Queen”

The glowing red Lanky missile came into view as I turned and tracked it with my wrist cannon. The distance rocked closer and closer and at the last second I fire the directional thrusters and burst to port. The lanky missile flies passed and begins its flip to continue its pursuit but is met by a trail of grenades from my canon and disappeared.

Turning back to fighter mode I fly across the surface of Galactica entering valkery mode and aiding a struggling of what must be green Atlas pilots. “Be advised, I am seeing Wendigo and sirens landing on your hull.”

Almost to make my point another of the fat Tridents flies over head discorging wendigo who descend onto the hull. Thick cords trail off of the trident and the individual Wendigo before disconnecting.

“Acknowledged.” In response one of the PDCs turns its rotary cannon from the black and sweeps a trail of glowing white tracers across the Lanky line. Like a large angry god trying to dislodge itself of ticks.

“Shit, beluga six you have one on your tail.” I say banking my fighter hard to starboard.

“I can't shake ‘em!” the avenger pilot from Manitoba yelled into the link. “Hehe...Target Locked.” The childish voice said now on an every channel. Over the crest of the ship I can see the two flipping around one another the Flayed both more maneuverable and faster than the Avenger.

“Lock this bitch!” the pilot replied flipping his fighter on its axis and deploying his laser canon. But his only shot went wide missing the Flayed by mere meters. Panicked he fired three missiles towards the Lanky.

“Pas assez bon.” a new male voice said and In response the Flayed burst forward on twin cones of red plasma. The fighter’s bottom two thrusters burst forward forming legs as the flayed entered its bastardized version of infantry mode. ‘What that's my maneuver?’ I say to myself as the flayed begins destroying the missiles before ending by firing a bone spike into the cockpit of the Avenger.

“Taarget destroyed…. New targets acquired.” The voice said before I followed its line of sight to a cluster of three ATLAS mechs. One sported the generic AI icon, but beside it were the callsigns Habu and Camouflage on the smaller mechs. Miiora and Trombley were in trouble and they didn't even know it.

“Camouflage, Icequeen: be advised you have a Flayed inbound as vector twenty six, thirty two, mark nine.” I say in transforming my fighter and burning hard for the flayed. To their credit the back to back mechs of Miiora and Trombley didn't even turn to face the threat. Instead they let their shoulder gatling’s network link to the tac-link.

As one the multi barreled heavy flechette gatlings swivels to track their new target. As one they spun up and twin streams of white tracers lanced out towards the fighter, which was too close to maneuver.

Twin lines of flechettes stitched a line across the stubby nose and port wing of the fighter but failed to destroy it. Instead it turned away trailing smoke and what appeared to be glowing red blood. Something was obviously damaged and it blinked away, reappearing somewhere else in the fleet.

Satisfied that my friends were safe I spared one final glance towards their mechs. Trombley and Miiora were still back to back firing on any passing fighters and wendigo, or sirens. While the deadlier form of Fally’s new ATLAS-3 literally tore the head off of one of the shovel heads, and spiked it into the deck. The rumors are true the 3s relay are meant to be as much psychological weapons as well as physical.

As I banked around destroying two more tridents I could see a fireteam of MOTH’s all in the new ATLAS-3 fairing a hell of a lot better than their compatriots. One atlas, green in color and marked as “Amp” pinned a wendigo to the hull and tore an arm off before throwing the appendage at another lanky.

Stunned lanky raised its weapon only to retrieve a cannon shell to the chin. Blowing its lower beak off and sending it thrashing to the hull, where another Atlas marked “Rage” crushed its head with a stomp.

But what got my attention the most was that almost in every MOTH and Helldiver group there was always at least one mech with an L-blade. And always at least one of those blades was glowing, an evil red.

And as I destroyed a third, fourth, and fifth I couldn't help but notice that the ones with the glowing L-blades seemed different sort of, almost feral in the way they fought. In fact thinking back I seem to recall Fally fitting both his power armor and mech L-blades, in fact his Atlas-3 has two if I remember correctly. But when fally’s mech used them they weren't glowing, wired.

Cpl Durge

NACS Galactica

COG fleet 40

Location classified

2169AD/106AC/35AE

“Allert, allert borders on decks twelve and six bulkheads twenty and nine.” A voice said over the 1mc as I finished connecting my breast plate around my cephalothorax and retrieved my machine gun from where it floated in the air.

“What the fuck is going on? No seed ships, no claw ship, and only fighters. This goes against every lanky strategy we've ever seen.”

“Collin, Akeno, Levoy, Parkins, and Watkins, Fallon we’re to move to bulkhead twenty one. Lets go kick the shit out of the shovelheads. Durge lead ‘em out!” The Lieutenant Fick commanded.

As I exited the doorway three humans in power armor sprinted passed. Their boots allowing them to mag lock to the walls and sealing in the zero gravity environment. Allowing the black armored Moths to pass I crouched and launched onto the opiate wall landing claws first.

Behind me the humans of Fick’s command squad begin leaping onto the hallway behind me. Eyeing them through my rear facing eyes I see Fick give me the advance hand signal and I begin skutleing down the passage.

The minutes pass as we pass bulkhead after bulkhead and the strange human Levoy spoke up. “Boarders have breached the line and are one bulkhead away. I recommend we set up here, it's a bottleneck.”

“Agreed, let's get ready, overlapping fields of fire, here, here and here.” Fick says marking points on our heads up displays.

A commotion from farther up the line drew our attention. As I shifted my machine gun in that direction the squad of Moths from before land at the intersection joined by affew marines and Helldivers. Their armored boots slam into what would be the wall and the six moths turn their weapons back up the corridor they had just vacated. Giving them the appearance of laying on their backs and shooting over their heads.

“Hay! On your six, Fallback!” the moths as one fire grenades into the hallway before leaping backwards, drifting towards our position. The marines and Helldivers follow suit and soon our impromptu firing line stands almost twenty strong.

“Steady,” Fick says as the first dead siren slaps into the bulkhead. But at that moments a MOTH in power armor slammed into the bulkhead the cloud of blood and other viscera around the area of the intersection. Parkins was about to call out to the socom trooper but one of the Helldivers held him back, as the human turned in our direction.

“What the fuck?” command sergeant major Fallon asked nobody in particular. The armored gauntlets of the MOTH were both broken and wicked claws extended from the forearms. Those claws looked as sharp as mine, and where whitish in color.

The MOTH reared back and let out a whale that threatens to shatter auditory organs. While behind the creature a black blade snapped from its shoulder housing. The blade pulsed an evil red and the mount flared the blade out as the creature in the armor screached. A small cloud of what looked like glowing red fireflies floated around the monster.

“Engage!” one of the humans shouts.

Hundreds of flechettes and grenades strike the creature like a wall. It's armor seems to absorb the blows at first but soon its defenses are overwhelmed and it explodes as an ALHO round hits it square in the breast plate.

As we are about to launch more grenades around the corner a wave of dead lankys slams into the bulkhead. “What the fuck?”

Sgt Michael “Camouflage” Trombley

NACS Galactica

COG fleet 40

Location classified

2169AD/106AC

“On your right sis.!” I send to Miiora shifting my mech around and blasting a Wendigo with my auto cannon. The chest of the lanky explodes outward sending it flying from the hull and into space.

Beside me Miiora waves between the bone spikes of two lankys before coming to rest in a low crouch. Her mechs auto cannon and gatling swivel and fire on the lankys tearing them to shreds as she sweeps grabs a siren and crushed it in her free hand.

I can't help but notice how much skill not just Miiora but Tymerians in general could use mechs. As I bashed a wendigo to the hull and stomped on it with my two thousand pound foot. I attributed their skill to their enhanced same of special awareness. But I can't help but wonder how much a mech piloted by a Tymerian could benefit from a tail, as I watch her perform a maneuver that would be a tail smack if an atlas had one.

Seeing a target I sprint forward and fire my jets. ‘Pilot: Incoming hostile at vector 345.21y53.’ my mech told me.

Twisting 180 relative southeast on my x axis I bring my rifle to bare before shooting a trident fighter. The lanky biocraft explodes forcing me to deploy my ballistic shield to block the wreckage.

Without skipping a beat I fire my thrusters again slamming back into the hull behind the lankys engaging Miiora. Off to my left I can see SD swiveling its twin arm goatlings into position and pointing one of its fists towards the group before sending me the ready signal.

As one the three of us catch the lankys in a crossfire. Flesh and chunks of red and black blood burst from their bodies as we kill them. When the last lanky falls SD networks our mechs and as one we turn our weapons on one of the Flayed fighters.

The flayed had been engaging an avenger pilot callsigns “Snow”. The Idea had been sent down from one of the MOTH teams. And as flayed comes into view every weapon this side of the ship swivels and fires on it.

Unable to avoid the incoming fire the alien fighter explodes in a flash of brilliant red light. As the light dies down red particles glitter the area where it had been. And a full third of the lankys simply die out right, falling over or going limp in space, easy pickings for our fighters.

Seconds later another third of the fighters goes limp as a flash of crimson can be seen from elsewhere in the fleet. The last group of lankys begin acting strange. Instead of attacking they begin to wander around like we’re not here. Even the fighters start to just fly around not firing on anything. “What the hell is going on here?” One of the pilots ask no one in particular.

“Unknown, but there is no doubt in my mind that last fighter has something to so with it. Someone bring it in.” The skipper says over the net, but a burst of activity fills the background of his transition.

“All hands this is the skipper New contact incoming baring constant 32q.453. Turn to intercept.” The entire fleet bursts into motion. Vectoring thrusters fire and the entire fleet rotates to face the new incoming ships.

They are too far away to get a visual. But the radar silhouettes register them as a heavily damaged NAC ghost ship, the Defiant. And a Changeling stealth corvette the Wisp.

The ship's are blaring friendly IFF markers no doubt in response to having every gun in COG 40 aimed at them. Minutes tick by as the three ship captions speak to one another. The Defiant looks bad, wherever it came from things must be bad. And as if the skipper read my mind a general order came over the comm.

“Attention all embarked personnel return to base and secure for hard burn. Our time table had been moved up, our mission has changed.” The general sounded tired and that's never good.

As my groupe and I began walking back to the hole. I watch that NE pilot Charlotte, man handle the damaged flayed over us and into a hanger bay. “I've got a bad feeling about this.”

Avery Fallon

Sandelphon surface

2172AD/109AC/

The universe had changed, Humanity once considers one of the dominant species in our honor of the galaxy had lost its thrown. The galaxy that had once been Our battle ground. Now we serve a technology superior race.

I was a hunter now I caught and cleaned my own food and lived a simple life. The only concern I had was feeding myself and my wife with what the woods provided.

Gone were the days where I piloted steel and ceramic monsters into battle against creatures from nightmares. Fighting side by side with men and women closer to me then brothers. Gone were the days of endless drills, PT, and carbohydrate rich food. Gone was the camaraderie and my warrior spirit.
I’d given it all up. Asked the chief to transfer me to another team, and quit shortly after that. I was dropped on Sandalphon shortly after that, and the war ended shortly after, not in humanity's favor.

The UEC had discovered a way to communicate with the lankys and together they blew straight through our defence, and taken earth. The UEC had let Miiora go, and we were together again, and living our lives in peace.

I was happy, at least that's what I told myself. Miiora got up and went to the window of the house to stare at the ocean beyond. The setting sun tinted her face a shade of pink. She looked so beautiful standing there in the fading light. She rested a hand on her stomach where the light bulge of her eggs showed. “Such a beautiful evening. How warm do you think it is tonight? I need to lay these eggs before the winter comes.”

“I don't know.” I say tearing off another strip of meet. “Check your implant.”

“Fine HUD on.” I said. I could see a faint red rim outline my skilia in a mirror. The network built into my head otherwise known as my implant came to life showing me my logon screen across my vision. A typical log on session lasted two weeks and mine had probably just run out requiring me to enter my access credentials.

Automatically I started thinking my password. “Charlotte..” Something made me stop I'm not sure what. “No.” Miiora tilted her head patiently. “No?”

“Check your PDP.” I said defiantly. She came forward and rested a tender claw on my cheek. “I Had my PDP scrapped, don't you remember my mate?”

I started to wonder why I'm being so in cooperative, she only wanted me to check the weather after all. But that swirling black smoke outside for some reason couldn't lose my attention. And it's funny because Miiora can't seem to see it. But it's right there about as large as she is tall and swirling with specials of red like a swarm of angry fireflies.

“I don't remember that happening.” I said still eyeing the cloud of smoke. But a weight suddenly settled itself on my lap. “You've been having alot of trouble with your memory lately. Tell me what were you doing one week ago a month maybe? You don't know do you.” She asked concern in her voice.

“Of course I know.” I said. “Last week I… your right actually it a strange but I can't recall.”

“The doctors say it is from something called Post Traumatic Stress. But I would not know because my kind can not get it. Look so we have to do this now I just want to check the weather?” She said but I shifted her off of me before standing up and crossing my arms.

“Not until you tell me what's going on.” Her face darkens and she turned away. A deep rumbling came from outside, I heard branches shattering in the woods followed by a sirens call.

“Get to the caller.” I said retreating my old M-66 that I keep stashed under the floorboards. Venturing outside I can see a siren in the darkening light. It's beak like mouth opens and it squalid at me like a bird. So I shoot it in the face, drilling a nice sized hole into the things shovel shaped head.

Another came and I did the same but soon there were to many for me to shoot even with my rifle on fully automatic. So I retreated back into the house and slammed the door shut behind me. Miiora hadn't left her spot but instead pushed a table in front of the door. “Call for help with your implant.”

I could see them outside the windows scratching and clawing to get in. I pulled up the logon screen. “Charlotte has her…” I froze when I glanced at her. There was an evil sheen in Her eyes.

“No hud off.” I said and she looked so upset that I almost did it but again the smoke made me stop. It was inside the house now and seemed to look angry if that was possible for a cloud of smoke.

Then the entire roof was torn off of as a full sized proper lanky loomed over us. I raised my weapon and fired wildly at the large alien, knowing full well that it wouldn't do anything to the large creature.

The lanky let out a scratch that sent me to my knees. But I knew something was wrong it didn't sound right, I don't know what it was maybe the pitcher what I knew.

“Its not real.” as soon as those words came out of my mouth the cloud touched Miiora and she disintegrated. Her screams were painful that they echoed in my brain as the lanky slammed its arm down.

Ssgt Avery “Iceman” Fallon

Tearus

Mission counter: unknown

2169AD/106AC

I’m naked, cold, and there’s a throbbing pain at the back of my head. I touched it expecting to find a wound but instead i felt a metallic nob about the size of a bottle cap. It was grafted right into my skull.

When I try to rip it off I gritted my teeth at the pain. But it wouldn't budge I stopped worried that if I succeeded I would pull out a chunk of my brain in the process. I clamber to my feet and feel the cold of the floor. The floor or deck or what ever it was felt fridged. Not a metal kind of cold but stone. ‘So not a ship then.’

I took a step forward and bumped my foot against a hard surface in the darkness, a wall also made of smooth stone. I’m not on a ship then.

“Hello? Somebody? Anybody?” I hold my breath and listen for affew long moments but heard nothing but absolute silence.

My first instinct was to check my tac-link to bring up a map of my surroundings. “HUD on” I thought. I usually hate using the implant because it gives me a headache but I need to know here I am. “Wait a second...” I said as the log on screen appeared in my vision.

The device should still be deactivated. Like it always is during missions to protect against electronic warfare attacks and when not linked to our mechs. And yet someone had rebooted it.

I so wanted to log on, but I resisted because I knew that's what my captors wanted. There were devices out there that could monitor the neural clusters that fired when a man thought the words and characters of his password. Devices like the thing attached to my skull right now.

Why would anyone want access to my chip? For starters it kept a log of everything is seen had heard since implantation. But data was encrypted without the password. “Hud off.”

They had tried to get to me using Miiora. Fuck she was the one of the most precious things in my life. Well fuck them, what a gross perversion of her memory. I probed the darkness with my bare fingers.

It didn't take long to map out my surroundings, I was confined to a square compartment cut into the stone. I could barely touch the ceiling if i jumped with my fingers out. And I could only walk one or two paces in either direction with my hands out in front of me.

There was a metallic ring in one wall with a string attached to it. Following the rope with my hands I discovered it connected to an pulley system in the ceiling. The free end of the rope dangled down in the center of the room caped by a harness of some sort just above my head.

I sat on the floor, knowing the pulley and harness couldn't be used for anything good. A narrow slot opens in the wall ahead of me and a blinding ray of light shown inside. I shielded my eyes with my right hand and saw the slightly skeletal design of my bionic. I had forgotten about it because of the synthetic feedback on the expensive limb made by Dounis industries.

“Hello? Hello?!” A bowl slid through the opening and the slot promptly slid shut. “Wait where am I?!”

I felt around in the dark, and the after image of the light was burned into my retinas. I discovered the featureless metal panel where the light had come in, a panel about the length and width of my forearm. I had missed it in my initial sweep do to its proximity to the ground. When I tried digging my fingertips under the edges I couldn't find purchase.

“Hey! I've got to use the head! The bathroom.” I yelled as I hammers at the slot. Before the slot opened a crack and an eerily familiar voice called out to me. “Shit in the bowl when you’re finished eating, Fallon.”

“Wait who are…” that's as far as I got before the slot slammed shut. I groped blindly until I found the bowl lead as much by my sense of smell as anything else. Holding the bowl to my mouth to slurp the thick contents. Bland tasteless watered down gruel but it’s food… I think.

When I was done I set the bowl on the ground and carried out my other bodily functions. It’s true what they say about your other senses being enhanced when you lose sight. Never has my shit smells so bad. And I had nothing to wipe with beside the edge of the bowl, which wasn't very effective.

I did my best to ignore the itching and tried to pretend I was back in MOTH training. Where the constant inch of sand down my pants from doing the gingerbread man felt way worse than this. I could almost hear the voices of the instructors. “Get wet and roll in the dunes. Roll you fucks!” they would yell

Believe it or not I actually missed those days. I relocated the stinking bowl next to the slot and waited. Ready to grab and crush the hand of whoever or whatever reached inside to retrieve it. When the slot eventually opens I squinted in the light and readied to pounce. But instead the bowl glowed and was dragged out of the slot.

Damn well now I know it is the UEC who has me. In fact in hindsight I should have thought of them first. If anyone was interested in getting untill from a MOTH it was the ponys. And It isn't like the shovel heads need to know where earth is, since they have already attacked it twice.

Resting against the corner of my room I tried to get some sleep. My knees drawn up to my chin and my arms wrapped around them. I don't know how much time passed, two hours maybe four. And then the stone walls flared a blinding white forcing me to cover my eyes with my good hand.

I cowered against the far corner like a caged dog. I heard the sound of stone grinding on stone like the lid of a tomb sliding open. Squinting I peered through the cracks in my fingers. And I can see a figure slowly walking into the room, the light from the walls was too blinding for me to prove he anything more than a silhouette.

I think the figure is a woman though, and the figure at the entrance behind the woman I know that silhouette a Tymerian male. And beside the big lizard I can see a third silhouette and judging from the shape this one appears to be human. That sends a wave of anger through me. The Idea that I have to sit here and deal with this shit while a fucking caleb watches is infuriating.

“What is your chip’s password?” The woman said in a posh pony ascent. “Kiss my ass coyo.” I answered.

Before I knew what had happened I found myself quivering against the wall. With waves of pain passing up and down my whole body. I was certain I had been shot in the gut with an illegal, jag round. A flechette that is jagged instead of smooth, and designed to rip and tear flesh as it gets stuck in your body.

Amazingly the pain receded. Without looking i probed my abdomen. Amazingly I found no entry wound of any kind. “This is the tartarus.” She held a small palm sized cylinder of some kind.

“Perhaps you have noticed the mob at the back of your head. It piggybacks off of the nerves in your brain on top of allowing me to monitor your thoughts. It also gives me access to the pain receptors in your brain. Magic is such a wonderful thing. With it one can cure the most terrible of diseases or inflict the most horrible of pain.” sick and tired of her little rant I did my best to lunge at her. But another wave of agony stopped me before I could make it half way.

“Traditional pain is so inefficient, when one cuts into flesh or burns it, eventually the neurons sending pain to the brain are severed and numbed. But with direct access to the brain none of that happens ever. Of course there is a chance the heart could stop out of share pain, as the brain pumps adrenaline. But death is easily solvable. The best part?” She paused for dramatic effect.

“The pain receptors I the brain never dull. Meaning I can apply the tartarus again and again.”

An explosion of pain raced through my body. It was so intense that I couldn't move, and couldn't scream. It was so intense that all i could do was slam my eyes shut but that didn't help, all I could see as the blood red of my eyelids because of the bright light. The pain shifted to my groin and the the agony only intensified.

Like a sticking my balls into a nest of the most posses off venomous ants in the universe. Whose venom contained the most painful toxins in the universe. All I could do was hope for morphine or anything to release the pain.

But just like that it was gone. I slowly dragged myself onto my hands and knees. A line of blood and saliva connected me to the floor. “There, there dear” the woman said patting me on the head like an owner after punishing their dog.

“Its over now. Your going to be okay.” She said as I pushed away spiraling on the floor. Wanting to put some distance between me and this evil woman. “I am Rarity, your keeper.”

“Rarity.” I wheezed out weakly. “Yes. And your name is floor.” She said.

“Where am I?” I asked only to receive another short jolt of pain. “It does not matter floor.”

“What about the men captured with me.” And again I got no meaningful response. “It does not matter floor, all that matters is revealing the password to your chip. Do that and everything will end.”

I thought about it. Squinting I regarded her silhouette in the brightness. I knew I would never take the rod from her hand in time. But I had to try. I lunged to slow of course.

It was like I was back in MOTH training again, and hurt so terribly more than anything in training ever had. I don't need to describe it again. We are all human we have all experienced pain it comes with the territory. And like all moments of agony it passed. And when it passed I cowered in the corner, covered in my own vomit, and lucky I had not bitten off my tongue.

“Tell me the password to your chip floor and this will all be over.” She cooed. I don't know what it was that made me deny her order. It could he any number of things, but the idea of allowing Miiora back into the hands of someone like this hurt me even more than the tartarus.

“Fallon. Avery. Veteran. Staff Sergeant. Service number- 9775-06642-AF.” another wave of pain exploded through my body. And soon another voice spoke.

“Just tell her the password Fallon, mine doesn't work.” I looked up into the familiar face of the hero of the COG mech corps. “Williams?”

Chapter 53 Roughneck

Sergeant Gusty

UEC Tribunal

Tearus

56AE

I knew this was coming. There wasn’t a single thought in my head that even pretended to imagine that I wouldn’t be facing a trial. Of course I knew that it was purely for show. The only reason I had been tolerated was because I was one of the few original soldiers that still existed from far before all of the madness had began. Standing there I looked at the observing princess. Twilight seemed preoccupied, and I wasn’t going to point out that she was paying less attention to the trial as she was whatever it was she was attempting to study.

“Sergeant Gusty, you’ve been brought before this tribunal on charges of treason. Specifically to allowing the near capture of one of our sovereign stations. How do you plea?”

I looked at the Princess knowing what was coming. There wasn’t anything I could say. The decision was made before the trial started. Still, I believed I could at least make it last a little longer.

“Not guilty.”

Twilight looked at me. The princess of Friendship shook her head, “There is ample documentation from the station’s own automated reports showing that you evacuated our station, put soldiers onto the emergency shuttle, and that you entered a higher ranking officer’s private war room without authorization. Sergeant, there is more than enough evidence to prove that you were willing to give up the station to save the lives of the soldiers there. If it wasn't for the serpent we would have lost the battle. Now, I ask you again, how do you plea?”

Leaning forward I smiled. It was honestly one of the first real smiles I’d had in a long time. It was one that would have rivaled the smile I had back when Majesty was still alive. Drawing in a soft breath I looked at the Princess of Friendship once more.

“Not Guilty.”

I could see Twilight’s wings spread in anger. Her eyes narrowed in what she most likely felt was rightous wrath, but I didn’t care. I planned on making her have to work for a few hours at least.

“Fine,” she stood looking at me, “Then how about we view the video collected shall we?”

I watched as she projected the image of me breaking into Applesnack’s war room, of telling Silver Spoon to get everyone aboard the shuttle and go, and then we continued to view right up until I was shot, left for dead, and that was when she shivered. She felt his presense. There wasn’t denying, and for once I was glad for the old Necromancer.

“You were revived shortly after.”

I shook my head, “Yeah, and it was a waste of time.”

She glanced at me. I rolled my eyes, “We both know about the curse. We both know that eventually my body would have pulled itself back together. Grogar isn’t so kind as to let an enemy simply perish and miss out on whatever twisted lesson he had planned.”

Twilight growled and marched toward me. I expected a few things, but a corrective slap across the muzzle by a princess wasn’t one of them. I looked toward her only to get another.

“We can’t allow that because of the Necromagic, and you know it!”

I spat a little blood, and felt one of my teeth loosened slightly.

“Of course, the last thing the daughters of Majesty would want is a soldier that questions things, doesn’t need their regeneration process, and isn’t afraid of death.”

She glared at me, “What was that?”

I laughed at her, “Death, Princess, all four of you are afraid of it. You’re so worried about it, that you’ve went long out of your way to ensure that even immortal beings become eternal, or at least as close as our magic and science could bring us.” I shook my head, “but take it from someone who has already stepped into what waits for all of us. Death isn’t scary. No, it’s being judged and found lacking that’s scary.”

“Take her to her cell. I shall consider her testimony, the evidence, and then I shall deliver my decision,” she looked away from me, “Perhaps Sergeant, just perhaps, you shall find yourself judged once again.”

Vtrn. SSgt Avery Fallon

Terus

Mission counter: unknown

2169AD/106AC

“Fallon, Avery. Veteran, staff sergeant, service number..” Pain exploded through my body as the tartarus did its work. For the passed few… I don't know, days? Weeks maybe I don't remember. Rarity had decided to useI the harness in the center of the room this session.

Sometimes she would just let me lie on the floor, in the dark. Other times she would let her Caleb use the torture stick while she just watched. I don't know why but I think she might hold a grudge against me for something.

One of the worst times was when my pain riddled brain made me hallucinate that an actual alicorn had come and done the torture for a session. The session was particularly brutal. As not only was the Tartarus used. But as the alicorns horn began to glow I could feel something. Like someone was running their fingers inside the back of my head.

Once I was visited by the Tymerian from the forest. Up close he was even bigger that I had realised, and the spear like weapon he carried looked new now not like the one he had used before. Bra’tac I think his name was just stared at me, like a butcher would eye a cow in a slaughterhouse. But there was something deep in those golden eyes, something I don't recognise anymore.

My arms were locked in place above my head and my bionic whined against the restraints. The locking mechanism that kept the piece of steel and carbon fiber in the stump of my arm ached. I can actually feel the connection spike in the bone just below my elbow.

“You should really tell me the password to your chip Floor. I do now want to continue to do this to you. But you are making this harder on yourself.” She said and the keeper unleashed the Tartarus again.

I don't know how much longer I can hold out like this. I gets harder to resist her after every boute of pain. And in the end all I had to do was log into my net. Maybe if I was quick I could log on before the sensor pick it up. Then I could message Big Dog if he was in range and we could escape.

No, no matter how fast I was the brain sensor could read my password. There was no way out of this except to endure, just as I had endured my training. I was just about to tell her the password but the season ended in time. And the keeper walked out of the room leaving me dangling in the center of the room by my wrists.

The lights from the walls, floor, and ceiling were blinding. Ghost pain from the Tartarus lingers in my body, and what was left of the bone in my arm throbbed. I was... scared.

What the hell happened to me? I was a MOTH once, I was more than a man. But now I had been reduced to this… less than a man. The plaything of a cruel mistress, her masters, and her underlings.

I don't even feel like Avery Fallon anymore, ATLAS pilot, leader of men. My name was floor, something to be tread upon.

But something kept me going, every time I came closer to the edge that red and black smoke would reappear. Or I would think of Big Dog trapped, had he broken? No he hadn't or I would be dead, and I wouldn't either.

Maybe the thing that kept me going was the thought of never seeing Miiora, Charlotte, or hell even trombley again….

‘Fuck that! I'll be damned if I'm out done by fucking Trombley. That would just be insulting.’

Optio magus: Blisk

Terus

2169AD/106AC

The ATV busts over an thick naught of roots and slammed back down hard enough to rattle my teeth. “Yeeaaahhh Suck it!” the one of the earthers shouted. Behind me the Earther machine gun chatters on its mount.

“Incoming!” Around us a mish mash of comandered UEC and ACM vehicle burst from the tree line and into a large clearing. Mud churned under our tires as we chugged farther. For the passed week and a half the special forces of the COG and ACM that survived the failed attack on the refueling depot have been waging a gorilla war on the UEC on tearus.

It had been over a week since team two had been scattered. According to the radio chatter an three entire fire teams had been wiped out, and some of their personnel had been captured. Why the hell had they been sent on that mission without any support? This entire situation stank worse than anything.

“How far to the extraction point!?” I ask the Helldiver beside me. “About six clicks, According to the net task force forty has just entered system, and will take about another one or two weeks to get here!”

Off to our left one of the jeeps full of changelings exploded in a shower of golden particles, fire and smoke. “Not this Fucka again! Hold on!” I threw the wheel to the side as the shockwave hit. I didn't even know I could drift an atv let alone anything, until I was already halfway through the maneuver.

“How the hell are earthers so deadly on the ground but so lacking in space anyway!?” an incoming round pinged off of my shoulder pauldron round as I spoke. “Bitch…Have you ever seen a Lanky ship!?” The moth Bender shouts from behind Snafu as if that answers the question my itself.

“Shit!” the crimson armored Earther beside me shouted. Ahead of us one of the few remaining Siafu mechs was firing its weapon in reverse. All of its weapons fired including the large autocannon on the pivot mount on its shoulder.

But it was quickly put down by the quartet of Pegasus attack helicopters in the rearview mirror. “Blisk keep it steady!” Bender shouts from behind my seat.

The sound of screeching tortured metal meets my ears as the power armored Earther hoists his upper body through a hole he had torn in the roof. There were a series of heavy thunks as through the mirror one of the gunships was swatted out of the air by four grenades. “Optio Magus! Why is you soft skins so good at this!” Centurian Ash shouted from her seat behind me.

Around us other jeeps and ATVs and jeeps were all firing on the UEC vehicles and airborne grunts that had followed us into the clearing. Ahead I could see the much larger and almost bloated form of a second variant of Siafu mech something called a Warrior.

“Lots of practice!” all of the earthers in the vehicle shouted in unison.

Its shoulders sported duel rocket pods that popped to life as the mech seamlessly shifted from forward to reverse. The two skull helmeted UAF troopers sat in separate seats, one behind and above the other, like a helicopter gunner.

The damaged mech threw down its equally damaged rifle cannon and raised its massive, bulbous gauntlets. A set of vicious pincers folded from the mech’s forearms. “Radiation warning! Tube is hot, Brace brace brace!”

The voice of an SRA trooper comes from over the radio. From behind the warrior class Siafu I could see the special forces trooper that had given the warning. She shouldered a slightly bulky rocket launcher, and time seems to slow down as the missile pops from its tube and streaked into the sky.

“Holy shit! Everybody Down!” Snafu shouted over the radio before placing a hand on my back and forcing me down onto the steering wheel.

I slammed my eyes shut just as a blinding flash of light filled my vision despite my closed eyes. Then the shockwave hit, the explosion picked up almost every jeep and atv used by our little resistance and threw in the general direction of where we needed to go.

My world was muted and filled with pain as were bounced and rolled around. Everyone was screaming and holding on for dear life, before our trip is brought to a sudden halt as we bounce roof first off of a tree and spin to a stop.

“Everyone alright?” Snafu asks as Bender crawls out from under the crumpled remains of the vehicle. “Kickers’ dead.” bender responded.

I am brought out of my stupor as one of the changeling pretorians pulls me out of the driver seat. Her blueish black carapace contrasted with her golden eyes and main as she looked me over. “I'm good… by earth what the hell was that?”

“SRA anti aircraft nuke, microton yield. It came with the supply drop from Carson afew days ago, but that was our only one.” Snafu says, shaking his insectoid helmet from side to side. All around the clearing earthers and ACM fighters sprinted or drove what remained of their vehicles into the tree line.

Amazingly every single aircraft of the twelve pegasus attack choppers and bolt fighters had been wiped from existence. Then a voice came over the radio, another voice could be heard shouting in the background. “Their moving. Get moving, our mech is too damaged for that forest. We’ll buy you the time you need. Lieutenant Razak, get the Roughnecks to the rendezvous point.”

“Aye sir!” another voice said in response.

From our right the Warrior Siafu, brought itself up to its full height. Hydraulics screamed in protest and metal groaned, but it rose still. Then a thunderous crash sounded from the opposite end of the small clearing. The conversation on the radio continued as we set to work.

We grabbed what we could, scavenging everything we could from the totaled atv, and it's dead Earther gunner. Glancing up my heart leaps into my throat and I feel like I have to vomit, as the body of a large dragon crashes into the mud. Through the clearing smoke I can see the silhouette of the UEC mech.

The mech stomped one foot forward experimentally, before dropping to all fours. It’s tail dipped low and it emitted an ominous bellow through its speakers. Verifying our suspicion that it's pilot was a Tymerian. Beside us the Warrior took up the challenge, its bulky form slid to position itself between the equestrian mech and us. “Were Oscar mike!” the lieutenant shouted.

The rain slides off of its armored form, and the lightning gives the whole seen an ominous tone. The bulky old machine looks proud despite facing its final fight.

“Just jump out and come with us!” one of the sympathetic unicorns said yelled. Beside him one of the two NAC mechs stooped down and scooped him and his squad up before doing the same with my team squad.

“Death before Dismount. Good luck boss.” The mech pilot said as she started sprinting into the jungle with us held tightly to her mechs chest.

“Live forever apes!” was all the two pilot a said in response.. And as we moved out of visual range we heard the distinctive tiresqueel of Siafu wheels, joined by the distinctive sound of Siafu weapons fire.

Min’Baku

New Trottingham sector 23.2.5

Terus

56AE

Several alarms radiological alarms blared inside the cockpit of her machine as the effects of the human weapon savaged the jungle. But that's not what had her attention. No instead she swerved her machine between trees and around whatever cover she could as the human mech fired.

“Mistress Twilight permission to go around this delay and peruse the resistance fighters?” Min’Baku asked as she watched a bulky human machine position itself between the princess’s troops and the its fellows.

“Negative, we can't afford to over extend our troops and to lose that machine, if they have another one of those missiles. But...we have not seen very many of that model of Siafu. I am changing your objective, engage the mech we could use the data. I had hoped one of those ATLAS mechs would engage but this will do.” Her princess said as her small image appeared in a small window on the screen. “Our asset is inbound, and should be there soon to lend its aid.” Princess twilight said before her image flickers away.

“Yes, princess.” Min’Baku said as the troops with her were updated with their new orders. From behind her two bull dragons let out twin roar’s of rage and stormed forward ahead of her machine.

In response the human machine began sliding forward. As the three titans nered one another the human machine raised one of its massive arms and fired a series of explosive shells into the lead drake’s hide.

Several of the shells bounced off of the large drake’s scales, shattering into showers of brilliant sparks. But affew pushed through its tough hide and exploded inside of its body.

The draconic soldier screamed In pain and rage as its chest was torn open and prepared to strike. But as it finally closed the gap it was met with a vicious and titanic punch from the mechs left gauntlet.

The force of the punch stopped both combatants dead in their tracks, and the hooked blades extending from the mech’s forearm punched through the back of the drakes neck. The humans then threw the mech to the ground and crushed its skull with second punch.

‘These humans aren't like that beast at the station. She’ll have to be careful.’ she thought to herself.

Min’Baku began moving forward building speed with her arms in an attempt to close the gap with the humans. But soon she pushed her mech back onto its feet and it's wheels squeal as they bite into the ground.

Ahead a large barrel swung itself out and under the human’s left arm. The barrel was large bore and looked like it would be more at home on a large tank. The humans throw their mech into reverse and angle the weapon toward the second dragon. Two sets of cockpit covers slid down over the two pilots as they moved, and she braced herself. Not much farther now, just a few more seconds.

There is a thunderous and titanic boom as the weapon fires. And the result was both parts spectacular and terrifying in true Earther fashion. The second dragon literally exploded in a shower of blood and unrecognizable bits of meat. The mech ceased its retreat as a shell ejected from the rear of the cannon.

“Sha’ka!” Min’Baku shouted in alarm as she threw her machine to the side and around a rock as another round was fired in her direction. The shell missed and detonated amidst a gaggle of changing infantry.

“The revival chambers will be working overtime today.” she mused as a stream of tracers reached out and turned an entire squad of centaurs into ground beef.

Zulu. warrior Siafu 36:

Cpt. “Lance”, Vtrn. “Brawler”

Terus

Mission counter: 2W. 4D. 6H. 4Min

2169AD/106AC

“B gun’s down fifty percent! Overheat on C, twenty on A! D gun is dry, dropping!” Brawler shouted a report as he stomps the mech’s leg down onto a charging jeep. Brawler had once been a UEC slave and held no love for his former owners.

The mech then turned and opens its left hand firing the last of the grenades from that gun into a small collection of griffons. Before folding its cannon back and charging forward in a cloud of tire smoke.

The mech leaves twin rooster tails in its wake as it advances on a group of armored humvees. The machine guns on the vehicles chatter their thunderous reports but the thick armor of the warrior shrugs off the bullets like a horse being stung by a mosquito. And soon the fifteen foot tall mech is in their midst.

Sweeping one powerful arm to the side it batts the lead vehicle onto its side, crushing the side of the vehicle like it was hit by a freight train. The gunners in the other vehicles take advantage and begin firing on the two pilots in their cockpits. But the machine brings up an arm to block the incoming fire, shielding the pilots.

Simultaneously Lance raises 36’s right arm and fires another stream of grenades into a second squad of deer. Before ripping into a second humvee with the warriors left set of claws. But the already stressed and damaged metal pincers finally give up the ghost and snap off at the base.

“Move us back a bit! Let's burn these fucks!” Lance shouts, before burying the claws of the warrior’s right arm into the cab of a third vehicle.

“On it!” the veteran shouted and the machine bursts Into reverse as Lance angles the missile pods. “Almost...there. Almost….There!” Lance said to himself, his face all but glued to the targeting screen.

“Targets locked!” the caption shouts as the final circle locks into its targeting square. The clearing erupted with the sound of missiles being fired as the mobile weapons platform fired every single weapon it had into the incoming hoard of well trained but suicidal UEC troopers.

“Die you fucks! Get some!” Brawler shouts as he fires the chest mounted machine gun on the old mech. The chatter of the large bore machine gun adding its chatter to the cacophony as Six missiles explode above their targets. Smoke and glowing embers make up the missiles payload, bathing almost two thirds of the clearing with white phosphorus.

Three of the surviving dragons writhe in pain as their scales cook. The two ACM Zulu troopers both chuckle as they watch the white phosphorus do its work burning away every bit of exposed flesh in the field.

They got particularly more enjoyment when they spotted the odd human sympathiser or Caleb writhing on the ground as their flesh blackened and melted away. “It's like thermite, but for people.”

“Shut up veteran. Status report.” Lance said opening two panels on either side of his cockpit drawing two card like slabs from the releases. Each of the cards had a yellow and blue stripe topped with a red button. “Structural integrity is in the yellow. It's like a christmas tree down here.”

“Then we don't have a choice.” Lance said before running both thumbs up the yellow strips on both cards before depressing the red button. Alarms began blaring as the mech was suddenly targeted, but neither pilot was worried about that anymore. “Let's do this Lance.” Brawler said.

Min’Baku

New Trottingham sector 23.2.5

Terus

56AE

Seeing her chance as the human mech stood there she spring from cover. Quicker than a tide shark Min’baku snapped her weapon up and fired. An explosion of golden energy erupted beside the machine tearing the first third of the barrel away from the gun.

In true human fashion the mech disconnected the weapon from its back and threw it into the mud. The mech squared itself up and slammed its two bulbus gauntlets together twice and began charging. Discarding most of the rest of its weapons as it gained more and more speed.

A smile split her maw as she realised she had underestimated the humans ability to conceive honorable warriors. Despite this current display of brutality of course. ‘This is obviously a delaying tactic, but if these humans wish to engage like the ancient warriors then I must oblige.’

She let go of her rifle and it folded itself behind her back, and threw her arms wide as both her and her opponents barroled towards one another. The momentum of both mechs brought to a screeching halt as our machines collide.

Her Serpent’s hands lock with the three clawed hand of the bulky machine. And the sounds of twin tire squeals, groaning metal, and grinding servos fill the air. The sounds of our struggle adding to the screams of the dying.

The human mech shifted its weight to the side. Throwing her mech off balance and making her trip over one of its legs. Acting on instinct Min’Baku threw her weight forward in an attempt to correct her fall. An error the humans took advantage of by twisting their mech at the waste and throwing her to the side.

I was jostled in the cockpit as my serpent crashed against the burning body of a dragon. She shook her head to clear the stars from her vision and heard the sound of squealing tires coming toward her. Using her powerful arms she threw herself backwards and onto her feet before shifting her mech into reverse, narrowly avoiding a savage punch from the humans that bursts into the stomach of the writhing drake.

Regaining her footing she surges forward cocking her fist back and aiming for the human’s twin cockpits. Min’Baku was intent on ripping the humans from their cockpit and watching them die. Her preferred suitor had been in the first humvee they had destroyed, and she was sure that he was one of the conscripts that wouldn't be getting a revive.

The human threw a punch in response to her advance an act that saved it’s pilots lives. As the act pulled its stuck hand free from the dragons innards.

Min’Baku spun her mech around the punch and inside of the humans guard. But as she brought her fist in, her punch was met with one from the human mech’s freed hand. Quickly she spun her machine counter to the punch, throwing the humans off balance and slammed her mech’s tail into its cheat.

The bulky human machine was picked up by the force of the blow and it crashed back first I to the dragon before going limp. The beast screeched in pain as its seared flesh was abused before the night sky was suddenly illuminated by three bursts of light in the distance, fairly visible above the treeline.

The sound of whining servos and a growing keening caught Min’Baku’s attention. Turning she saw the human mech getting back to its feet. Red blood seeped from its crushed upper cockpit, and the blast screen covering the lower pilot became transparent as it began moving again. Something below the pilot was glowing illuminating the myrialos in a golden light.

But this time it's movements were sluggish as it closed the gap as fast as it could move. Obvious that the rear pilot had some kind of key role in the operation of the mech.

“Roughnecks! Hoooo!” The crustacean shouted as he pushed his crippled siafu in an attempt to get into grappling range with her serpent. “Min’Baku get back.” a distinctively human voice came over the friendly channel.

She threw her mech into reverse and half a second later the lower cockpit of the human mech exploded out in a shower of whitish blood and sparks. And just as she was about to stop her retreat the entire Siafu erupted into a billowing mushroom cloud as its self destruct detonated.

‘Shakur ket shuala.’ She mused to herself thankfully that she hadn't exited reverse. Grateful for the helping hand she looked in the direction the shot that killed the traitorous pilot had be fired from. “She thanks you Casper Williams.”

At the edge of the jungle a white and gold ATLAS mech raises itself from its crouched position. The barrel of the autocannon clutched in its clawed hand releases a small trail of smoke the mech hoists its weapon onto its shoulder.

“No, problem.” The former NAC war hero sends in response.

Chapter 54 Ties that bind

Sergeant Gusty

Holding Cell 7-B / Science and Research Ward

Necromagic Research Division

Overseer Rarity

The official sentencing hasn’t even been issued yet, but I was forced to move to this cell. I knew it was coming. The coolness in the air has a similar feel to how Grogar’s magic felt when I was first cursed. I wasn’t foolish enough to believe that the Princesses would leave magic like Grogar’s alone. Not if they could use it to ensure freedom from death. Part of it is the fact that the birthing tanks aren’t sustainable. I was there when we ‘acquire’ the technology and tweaked it into what it is now. The tanks were designed to form a complete copy, right down to the last memory, of any pony that lost their life.

It truly is a wonderful way to cheat death, but there’s a problem with it. The tanks do have glitches, quirks, and while most of the quirks are slight, and mostly a non-issue, the truth is there is a limit on the number of times a pony can be brought back. Eventually the tanks will kick out nothing but malformed, half dead, and or potentially violent versions of the pony that they were attempting to bring back. It was something in the original design. The species we ‘borrowed’ the technology from had understood that death was a natural part of life.

They didn’t want to escape it forever, but instead they simply wanted time to see their experiments completed. I’ve barely been brought back by those things, and already I can feel Grogar’s magic changing this body to what my original had been. It’s painful, but compared to being trapped in Tartarus it’s not too bad. I settle against the wall, the magic nullifier secured to my horn. Dark Crystal, black magic, something I know Princess Twilight picked up from one of King Sombra’s many journals.

On the other side of the wall I can hear movement, breathing, something, or somepony, who is suffering. I already know what waits for both of us. It’s not like they can do any worse than has already been done to me, so I look at the wall.

“Conserve your energy.”

There is silence for a moment, and then I hear the faintest of a raspy whisper.

“Who’s there?”

The voice isn’t one I know, but I hear slight defiance in it. That is enough to tell me that I’m not talking to another Pony. No, most of my kind fear being alone, we fear being separated from the herd, and we fear what waits for us. This is a voice of somep… someone who doesn’t fear those things. The one species I can think of that is truly like that is the humans.

“Sergeant Gusty, held for treason, and I’m going to assume I’m speaking to a human?”

More silence for a moment.

“Yes.”

I relax against the wall, “What I said stands. Conserve your energy. Rarity is a Preening thing, but that Whorse knows how to get into a pony’s head. You need your will and wits to stand against her.”

“Why should I trust you?”

I laugh, “Because unlike most of my kind I’m not afraid of death. Instead, I welcome it,” I don’t wait for a response, because I know what needs to be said, “I’ve already been where my kind go when we die. I have no true desire to return, but at the same time I hate what we’ve become. A species so frightened of death that we’ve fooled ourselves into thinking we can control it.”

“Nothing waits after death.”

I smile at the human’s response, “Oh, but there is. For us it’s a place called Tartarus. If we’ve done evil then we are skinned alive, while we are raped, by demons. We are forced to lay our sins before our judges, and we are sentenced to atone for them.”

“Sounds like Hell.”

I look at the wall opposite of myself, “I’ve read about that, one of the human afterlifes, right? I suppose that Tartarus is similar. The fire exists, but its lower in the pit.”

There’s a raspy laugh, “I’d pay to watch the purple headed bitch skinned alive.”

A smile crosses my muzzle, ”Perhaps if we escape we can work toward a way of making that happen.”

Vtrn. SSgt Avery Fallon

Mission counter: unknown

2169AD/106AC

“Hello floor, how are you today?” Rarity asks from the entrance of my cell. They didn't turn the lights on today so I’m grateful for that. “Are you ready to tell me the password to your chip yet?” She really does like to hear herself talk doesn't she.

“What do you think?” My voice is hoarse and the smell of rotting flesh is starting to become apparent. I hadn't seen her in almost three days, and now my body is attempting to fight off an infection. “What I think floor is that you will tell me sooner or later. But for now there is someponies who would like to have a few words you. Do be on your best behavior, I would so hate to use the tartarus on you. Especially in your… current state.”

The door opened again and a smaller pony walked into my cell. She looked vaguely familiar but I can't place it. The mare looked similar to rarity. ‘A relative perhaps?’

“Do you remember me, Earther?” The mare asked as she began stalking around me. Her gait was elegant similar to Rarity's, and she had the air of a politician, or a diplomat about her.

“I'm sorry, you must not have been very good.” That comment got me a rather generous serving of pain from the Tartarus. When the pain stopped Rarity just shook her head, but the smaller mare looked furious. “You killed me, you set me on fire!”

“Damn.” That didn't get me a serving of mind numbing pain, but it did gain me a slap in the face. “On the Dragons breath, you killed me in front of the entire UEC.”

“Oh I remember you. You don't look all burned up so why the fuck do you care? Wait how the fuck are you even alive? Last time I checked if you set someone on fire they don't come back to life.” The two ponies and scoffed at my comment. The small one was going to speak again but a human speaking from the doorway cut her off, and making her storm away in a huff.

“Because Fallon, death is not permanent in the UEC, its an inconvenience.” glancing up from the small ish mare I saw Williams standing in the doorway. I tried to lungs at him but a dove of pain stopped me cold and I fell to the ground, as the restraints repositioned themselves from the feeling to the floor.

“How many UEC troops have you killed Fallon? Dozens? Hundreds? How do you think the UEC is winning this war? It's not through superior tactics, though it does help sometimes.” He continued as walked closer and closer to me before stopping and crouching directly in front of my face.

“See, you drop a gear and they stay dead. But you drop UEC soldier an actual soldier not a conscript or a pleb, and seven times out of ten they will just wake back up in a freshly grown body a few minutes later. Unless there is a backup of course, which the COG has been creating a good lot of.” He continued before tipping over and plopping down beside me.

“But the machine is slowing down and soon it will stop. It's simple numbers Fallon, a war of attrition and the UEC has more numbers and the means to win...” He kept talking as I began looking around, and spotted the big Tymerian standing in the corner his his halberd clasped in his clawed hand. But what got me was his body language he didn't look as angry as he did the last time I had seen him.

His tail was low and he didn't look that focused. In fact he looked like he was eyeing something in his free hand. Carefully not to arouse suspicion I strained to look and saw that he had the scale Miiora had given me in his hand.

‘Why the fuck would he have it?’My curiosity satisfied I continued looking around and saw something curious. Everytime the door opened there was a shimmer in the hallway. And everytime the shimmer appeared so did the smoke.

A second Tymerian made herself known as she came around the corner. She was almost as beautiful as Miiora, with her deep purple scales and violently blue eyes. But then again the only other female I have seen in the passed I don't know how long are rarity and that fucking child so I'm not a very good judge.

“Like what you see Fallon? I've got myself my own Tymerian charge and unlike Miiora She knows her place. And… she could be yours if you just give us your password. Or better yet come work for me. It has its perks you know, and when Min’Baku captures your girlfriend we'll let you have an both. Instead of giving her back to her old master.”

I lunged at him gain, my quickly deteriorating and weak body snapping the chains taught. But I actually managed to snap my leg out kicking Williams in the chest. Earning me a prompt and prolonged dose of pain. “Okoal tchupuya kayn wokpla! Pokouwak, owakoan Min’Baku. Techu’koan neksoalku Miiora, gesturl oawail’a! Welowalla!” I shouted at the scum bag.

“Wellowalla! Tcheka no Belta Iceman! Tcheka jis ko Earth! Cochuknw UEC mipol’owuq estolin Sol merdetoron. Rakstolfo, jogeru storm no jerahsto, Min’Baku sukoasta. Histero sip’questa Miiora.”

The smoke swirled behind Williams. It billowed and and I noticed the large male glancing where I'm looking. His body language became more agitated. The smoke more prevalent as it began to take a rough shape a screeching voice came from it. ‘ReSisT.’

“What Are they saying?” The male reptile asked from his corner. “I have no Idea prime, but that language is simply dreadful. There’s no structure at all.”

“We are speaking Belter. Its a language in Sol used by the people who live in the asteroid belt and outer planets.” Williams said, opting out of our verbal assault on one another's person.

“Why are you humans so fractured anyhow? So prone to violence, you are like an even more unbranded version of the Kleese, why can't your people ever seem to find peace?” Min’Baku asked, her voice somehow coming over as slightly prissy but somehow respectful and submissive somehow.

“Because peace is an illusion, and no matter how tranquille the world seems it doesn't last long. Peace is a struggle against our very nature. A skin we stretch over the bone, muscle, and sinus of our own igraned savagery.” He said throwing a jab into my in face before standing and straightening out his uniform.

“The instinct of violence festers inside us like a parasite. Waiting for a chance to feed on our rage and multiply until it burst out of us. War is the only thing we really understand. The moments of peace hat we find sometimes, aren't anything but warfare, thinly disguised. And sometimes surrender, can be as savage as any attack.” He says before turning to leave.

The smoke from twisted and morphed itself until it resembles a small man sized Wendigo. Red particles began fluttering around the smoke like fireflies as it moved, around the room like a wraith. What caught my attention was that nobody else seemed to see it, but Bra’tac seemed to realise that I could see something.

“Hey Williams!” I grunted spitting blood onto the floor. “I'll remember this. When I'm back In my bot.”

“I'm counting on it.” Williams said as the group exited my cell. One by one until the male tymerian remained.

He let out a low hiss and before throwing something on the ground in front of me. When I looked down I saw it was a single ruby scale Miiora’s scale.

“Where did you get this creature?” his voice echoed. “My girlfriend gave it to me.”

That seemed to get his attention, and his helmet retracted back into his armor. The big male stared down at me. His blazing gold eyes burning holes into me. “Impossible, the female that heart scale belongs to is dead. Killed by your kind when you destroyed the diplomats ship.”

“Are we talking about a female about 5’9 many six foot, beautiful ruby red scales, yellow eyes? Maby a buck 30 soaking wet? Yeah she’s still alive. Why you know her?”

Bra’tac squeezed his staff weapon tighter in his clawed hand. Causing the knuckles in his hand to creak and pop. “Impossible, you lie, my mistress told me she is dead. Yet here you are with my sister's heart scale, and her scent on your equipment… yet.”

He paused before huffing the air like I’be seen Miiora doing whenever she was trying to catch a scent. He eyed me for a fraction of a second and I thought I saw something there but it was quickly covered up. “My sister must truly have cared for you Earther. That or you were very lucky indeed with what trophy you took when you killed her.” He said.

“And I am telling you Miiora is still alive. Sesakay tacheko Hekta-miko.”

“And I am telling you human that my mistress has assured me that Mii’ora is dead. But one thing is obvious. Someone is misleading me, and I intend to find out.” The smoke writhed around him as he spoke and he waved a hand attempting to shoo it away.

“Well I hope you do, crockman.”

“You had better hope I do not discover you are telling me a mistruth Earther.” And with that his helmet snapped back into place as he bent down and placed the heart scale around my neck.

When I looked up I saw the door close and the lights returned on. But now I saw the shimmer, and the smoke didn't leave right away, instead it ran a clawed hand over my bionic. The smoke cooed and moaned making other soothing noises and I smiled. ‘ThErE iS IrOn In YoU HuMaN, aS WiTh ThE OtHeRs HeLd hErE iN BoNdAgE.’

I don't know why but for the first time since I meet the Dounis since I meet Miiora I don't feel so alone. Like I'm part of something… no I have a family. Miiora, Charlotte, my gran, my MOTH brothers, hell Even Trombley and Levoy.

Charlotte “Ice Queen” Dunois

NACS Galactica: sim pod 47

(Custom scenario)

COG fleet 40

Distance from terus: five days, twelve hours

2169AD/106AC

Ahead of me the humanoid form of Fally’s Atlas crashes down firing off plumes of chaff smoke shrouding its form from my sensors. Throwing my fighter into a barrel roll I narrowly avoid a stream of tracers that reach out from the dust cloud.

Affew times I have caught flack for training Avery in mech combat. But there is something about the way he pilots, the way he takes the raines and controls the tempo of the battle that is almost inspiring.

[Fighter - Valkyrie - Infantry]
[Infantry]

Flipping around I crash down feet first into the hull of one of the Galacticas’ escorts. Zooming my camera in I can see the grey and crimson form of Fally’s mech and I smiled.

My best friend like many of the MOTHs are extremely competent in their ATLAS mechs. Their neural links enable pilots to achieve a level of oneness with their machines that no other mech in the COG can rival. But when fally is inside of a mech he changes.

“Je t'ai eu.” My wings flipped out from my back, and the targeting reticle appears on my HUD. The Gungnir bucks as I confirmed target lock and three viper missiles leap from the missile pod and toward the American mech.

When Fally is inside the mech, he becomes the ATLAS. The servos are his muscles, the armor his skin, and the frame his bones. It is like he is one with the machine, and that is why I prefer practicing against his data profile, when he isn't available…

‘Don't worry Fally we'll find you, and make those ponies suffer.’

With the development of the ATLAS-3s and their womb it allowed the American machines to match or surpass most mechs in surface combat.

“Que se passe-t-il!” focusing on my opponent I watch as the mech fires its jets. Twin plumes of fire burst from the nozzles on its hips and if launches itself towards me and towards the oncoming missiles.

Lifting my arms I fire a burst of grenades from all four of my wrist gatlings. But before the wounds find their target the mech thrusts its arm out deploying a magnetic shield, stopping both the grenades and the missiles.

I am about to move when a voice come over the radio. “Ice Queen, Doll: That tango blew past me, you have incoming.”

“Merde!” I have just enough time to turn away from the incoming mech before my mech is slammed to the side. My seat injects my with juice as my world spins around me and the G forces assault my body.

Firing my thrusters I stop my rotation and l reorient myself before turning to see the mech that hit me a streamlined red and white atlas. The mech fires its vents before slamming its clawed foot pads back down onto the hull. On my screen a red outline surrounds the mech with white and green status indicators beside it.

[Atlas-2]
[Damage level: white]
[Threat level: orange]
[Pilot designation: Habu]

“Miiora.” Miiora’s icarus mount flips up and two trident missiles burst from the pod. Smiling I fire flares and flip my fighter into a backflip before shooting down the missiles before landing in front of my reptilian friends mech.

“Computer dismiss Fallon program, and load training program Miiora-1.”

[Acknowledged]

The world changes around our two mechs and soon we are standing in an open field of flowers. Miiora isn't that bad, but she has the same issues that a lot of the nuggets I trained in the academy for a while had. She allows her emotions to cloud and dictate her judgement.

I let out a breath centering myself before opening a channel to her mech. “Alright Miiora, let's see how good Fally’s teaching is.”

Instead of replying she took one heavy strap forward. The stabilising claws on her mechs peds dug into the dirt as she took another step, and then another before she began sprinting at me.
Smirking I fire my thrusters on a low burn bringing myself into a low hover and glide past her clumsy shoulder check. “Your movements are to slow, too predictable.”

Miiora in response mashed her ped into the dirt. Before pulling the rifle from her back and swiveling her missile pod up and around her shoulder.

‘Smart movie Habu, But…’ angeling my thrusters I fly into melee range.

“You have to remember, your opponent might be faster than you.” I say my move forcing Miiora to take a step back. Thrusting my hand out I snatch Miiora’s icarus mount by its arm.

In response Habu throws a hasty punch that I bat aside with my free hand. Then I fire my foot thruster and slam my knee into her midsection, before rolling over her back and slamming back down behind her.

With a titanic effort I flip the ATLAS over my mech’s shoulder slamming it down In front of me. Tightening my grip on the hyperextended Icarus arm I plant my foot on Miiora’s shoulder and tear the weapon mount from the ATLAS mech’s shoulder blade, before throwing the now useless piece of scrap aside.

From her prone position Miiora thrust her machines rifle towards the cockpit of my mech. On instinct I thrust backward throwing my fighter into valkyrie mode and blowing the offending arm to scrap with my gatlings.

“It appears that you are victorious once again.” Miiora said as she stood her machine up.

“Yes well you are too reliant on Avery’s method of fighting. It's ridged and based of overpowering your opponents. It's an effective strategy if a little inelegant. But your strategy can not be the same as his for the simple reason that you aren't him. Your issue is that you are controlling your mech like a bulky human male, Not a slender Tymerian female. Fight like you would without the armor, don't think about it just do it.” I explain as her mechs missing appendages and weapons reappear.

“very well.” was her only response as she retreated the rifle from her back.

“Excellent Habu, now again.”

Aryanne

Distance from Terus: three days, two hours

2169AD/106AC

It was to be the one to help explain what was what. The others seemed to work well enough with me, but never had I expected to really go as far as to explain how certain things would react. For one, I had to explain about the egg. I had never seen one, but all of us had heard about them. Corrupted phoenix eggs that contained enough magical fire it could, and would, be more than capable of destroying a few city blocks. Once I explained this one of the soliders walked forward and picked up an egg.

“Sounds like a mini warhead.”

Another looks at it, “So, what, are they designed to be laid as traps?”

I shook my head, “Nein, Sie haben einen Werfer, a launcher,” I caught myself, “It needs a launcher, otherwise it has to be used as a trap, or by a suicidal soldier.”

Slowly the eggs, six in total, were gathered. I had a feeling they were going to be studied, but how satisfying it would be to use them against those who had overthrown my homeland. To watch their eyes in terror as their world exploded into a brilliance of light, and then slipped into total darkness.

General Barron

NACS Galactica

COG fleet 40

Distance from Terus: two days, two hours

2169AD/106AC

“What can you tell me about our guest?” The skipper of the Galactica, Tyler Barron asked his chief science officer. The slender woman's image simmered in the screen before coming into focus.

The fleet had finally exited the rather sizable magnetosphere of this systems gas giant. And the residual effects have been playing havoc with the ship board communications for the passed few hours. ‘Just one more thing I am going to have Miles deal with. But I suppose that is what you get when you change a shakedown curse into a combat opp.’

“Well General, the DNA matches Lanky patterns. But there is something different from any of the other lanky flayed fighters we have dealt with before. See look for yourself.” She said changing the image to show a three dimensional image of the craft. The fighter was segmented into many different colors with info boxes beside each of them.

But two sections of the craft was a dull grey signifying an unknown object. The first and larger of the two was vaguely half of the size of an old oil drum and conical in shape. The image changed to show a full color representation and the generals heart skipped a beat.

Instead of this object being the usual lanky affair of bioengineering. Or whatever it is they do to manufacture their equipment and personnel. This object was definitely mechanical in nature, shaped vaguely like a subwoofer without a box it was almost a brawns in color. The interior edge of the larger opening glowed an ominous red while the inner disk shaped bottom glowed a deep almost purple blue.

“What am I looking at Hoki?” The image changed back to the black haired science officer and she huffed. “Honestly, at this point I can't tell you, light and matter seem to behave differently when the device is powered. But I honestly can't say for sure…” she paused to pinch the bridge of other nose before letting out a frustrated huff.

“If we were on tycho or thoth station it might be easier. Or if we had another android we could I don't know, something… I wish we had one of the Dounis or Weyland scientists on it…”

“I know you will find out whatever it is just give it time. But what about this other thing?” Tyler asked bringing up the second grey image. It looked like a perfect two by three cube. An odd addition to a fighter and something his exo Adama had pointed out. “Now that is the strange thing. It was empty save for one object, this.”

The image changed to show a small metallic object about an inch and half in diameter. The disk possessed cool metallic red choral appearance. And in the center of the object swirled a blue glowing metallic light. “What is that?”

“We don't know sir. But our scans say it’s code, and when we compared its reading with what we have in our data banks we found something.”
“Well don't keep me in suspense what is it?” The image changed to show to show a swirling data cluster. “This is from the disk.” Hoki began.

“And This is from a brain scan done twenty years ago.” The screen split down the middle and a similar image appeared, before merging with the red image.

“There the same?”

“Correct sir, it's the code to human consciousness.” he dropped his coffee pouch. He began thinking the flayed they had down in the hold hadn't self destructed when Icequeen brought it in, why? We're the lankys trying to give us this equipment? But why and to what end?

“Why would the lankys have just handed this to us?”

“Your answer is as good as mine sir.”

Mii’ora

NACS Galactica

COG fleet 40

Distance from terus: 31 hours

2169AD/106AC

This one is told center herself. She is informed that her most treasured one is strong, his training the most in depth, and that he will not give into anything the Equestrians can and will throw at him. But, this one knows better. She has seen what they do those who do not give them what they want. She has witnessed other slaves tortured for days on end, and she has seen the strongest break.

As she floats through the of the massive ship she heard the distinctive pattern of chitinous claws against metal behind her. “Mii’ora, a moment?”

This one looks to the one speaking. The large fur covered form of Durge greats her. “She is sorry, tek'ma'te Durge, is there something you need?”

“Tek'ma'te Mii’ora. Tell me friend why are you in such a keelvah?” The arachnid asks.

“This one does not know Durge. She worries for her dearest one, worries that he will be broken by the ponies before he can be rescued.” The Zaltule clasps his lower hands behind his back and scuttled along the walls as the she continues on her trajectory.

“Hmm… The Fallon creature is indeed resilient. However I also am inclined to believe that veteran Fallon just might be strong enough to hold on for a while.” as they continue on affew humans float passed, and she can't help a small smile from splitting her maw when they give the Zaltule a wide berth.

“Wak’shan we have both seen the extents the UEC will go to to get information.”

“If for any reason to see his mate again. Sure you are not mated but still the sentiment stands. I have seen you real him in after a mission. The human would probably be dead without you. Now if you'll excuse me I have hatchling to deal with.” He says kindly his eyes emanating their usual dull inner red glow before be scuttled around a corner.

Soon she found herself in mech bay 6-G-2. The bay is not as crowded as she is used too. Using her tail she sends herself to J squads bay. And as she nears the four bays she begins to hear music playing over the sound of tools being used.

She is about to leave when a familiar voice call out to her. “Hay Sis! Miiora over here!”

Hearing the “Belter” calling his nickname for her she looked to the bay on her left she sees Trombley hooked to the chassis of his machine Camouflage. His mechs sensor dome swivels to track her bathing her in a soft green light. “Greeting pilot Miiora.” The heavy baritone voice of his machine says.

“Tek'ma'te Michel Trombley. Greetings Camouflage. Can I help you with something?” The young human laughs at her statement and Miiora hisses in annoyance.

“Oh don't be like that sis, you've been all moody for the passed three days.” He says only to be smacked in the back of the head. “Ah what the fuck vet!”

“And you’ve been a fucking retard since you were born Trombley. Can't you see she’s worried about her boyfriend you damn fool?” the voice of the voice of my corporal instructor says, as Tech sergeant Sugar Watkins comes floating from behind the form of Trombley's mech.

The unicorn horn around his neck floats lazily behind him as he brings a grinder to one of camoflauge’s servos. “Look scales worrying about him alone ain’t gonna bring ‘em back.”

How can you…” she began but another voice cut her off. This coming from the command sergeant major. “Miiora if I know my grandson at all he’s probably already coming up with a plan to escape. The boys not like his dad.”

“Hm I agree, the sergeant is… resilient to put it mildly.” The perpetually calm Levoy said, from his perch near my machine Habu. The human floats holding his PDP as he runs some kind of diagnostic.

“I agree with corporal Levoy liaison Miiora. MOTH Fallon is 40 percent likely to have attempted at least a single escape attempt before our fleet is scheduled to arrive.” The machine said in a calm female voice with it's larger eye flashing as it spoke.

“Habu open cockpit.” Miiroa says kicking off if the deck and floating toward the opening clamshell cockpit of her dearest ones previous machine.

Her interior glowed as the AI core shined behind the pilots seat. As she closed herself inside of the cockpit she felt secure. The comforting scent of the one Miiora cared for the most was everywhere in of the machine.

With a sigh she folded down a keyboard onto her lap and began running diagnostics. She was reluctant to change her suitors settings because as far as she knew this was one of the only things of his still left in her life. And inside of this machine she felt at peace like he was still there.

The interior running lights kicked on as Habu began her own set of internal scans. As Miiora worked she felt her hand brush against the scarf she had purchased her suitor on their first date. “Pilot: your metabolic rate has dropped by thirteen percent, and your respiration has sharpened. Do you require assistance?”

She inhaled sharply focusing on the task at hand. “No my friend I am fine.” As she spoke she couldn't help but rub the apon on her chest where a scale was missing. “Affirmative”

The gifting of a heart scale was a key stage of Tymerian courtship. Signifying the females acceptance of the male’s advances and the beginning the next s… “Pilot: Resuming internal scans… Pilot I am retrieving a connection request from this specter.”

“Hsssss, open cockpit.” at my command the Clamshell opened up to reveal one of the NAC’s automated infantry units. The specter possessed an snout like triangular head with a single ear like antenna on the back right of its head. It also possessed a very human yet mechanical build unlike the atlas units which stood on almost digitigrade legs. These stood like humans, and possessed five actual fingers. As opposed to the atlas's four claws.

“Yes?” The machine stood motionless in the zero gravity using its magnetic locks to hold to the deck. ”Pilot Miiora, Sierra Delta-6624 would like to have a word.” The grey and red machine says.

“Very well. Please lead the way.”

As she followed the combat robot she began to notice more and more black and crimson armored individuals. And soon she began to see the members of her dearest ones team, and his other associates.

“Hey is Scales.” Someone called out.

“Miiora!” around her the mostly male pod heads that had gotten used to her presence around Avery fallon called out. “Hey Miiora if fallon kicks the bucket can I have his stuff?”

“Hey don't listen to that degenerate red your boys fine.” She felt the sincerity and kindness in their calls. And she as she continued she was meet by more and more greetings.

But as she passed one bay she saw twelve Moths all kneeling as if in prayer. Each of them bore a single red cross on their armor and their mechs each bore the same red cross. “Who are they?” She ask a passing MOTH.

“that's MOTH team-3 the Templar.” The woman said quietly before stomping away in her power armor.

Soon however her floating came to an end at the bay whos entrance readed “MOTH team-1 Apex Predators. I kill you I'm better.”

Entering the bay she was greeted by the upside down face of veteran Grayson better known as ‘AMP’. “Hey Habu. Help me out here.” he grunted before floating using her shoulder to push himself back toward his black and green machine. Ahead of her the white and red armor of her suitors Atlas-3 shown, freshly polished, as she had done the day prior.

She had learned recently that possessing white or vantablack armor as a base on one's machine or battle armor was a sign of skill. A privilege reserved for the renowned heroes like the COG’s elite onyx guards. Whom she had only seen once, on the network screen when her dearest one was receiving his medal of honor. Who were themselves mirrored by the UEC's celestial, or lunar guards.

“Hello Pilot Miiora.” The machine says as it takes a step out of its bay and kneels down. She bowed slightly before answering, and berated herself for doing so. She was not a slave anymore but the practices literally beaten into her were hard to shake away. “Greeting Sierra Delta-6624, How many Miiora be of service?”

“It has come to my attention that your mental state has declined since relieving knowledge of my pilots capture. It is my recommendation that you listen to the message Veteran Sergeant Fallon left for you.”

“He left a message? And you didn't tell me before, why?” I asked irritated. To this the single sensor eye ‘blinked’ twice as it stared at her.

“...It was not relevant to my maintenance.” She hissed at that, this machine has been keeping a message from my suitor and was only now telling her about it? I bellowed subsonicly as I kicked the machine.

“Pilot Miiora, if you wish to damage my chassis I would recommend something more substantial. However I must inform you that if you continue along that course of action I would then be forced to defend myself.”

She took a deep breath centering herself before staring back into the crimson eye of her suitors machine. “Yes I apologise Sierra Delta-6624. Please play the message.”

“Acknowledged pilot.” The eye flickered as the machine stood up slightly and shined a light in front of her. The light flickered and danced before resolving itself into a hologram of Avery Fallon.

“Hey is this thing on? ‘Affirmative Pilot.’ Hey Miiora If your watching this I'm probably late on arrival… or dead, hopefully it's not the latter but you know shit happens.” a smile tugged at her maw as she heard her suitors voice, and saw his face again. But her heart ached knowing what he was probably going through while she was here safe.

“If I haven't said it yet Miiora I want you to know, you are one of the greatest things to happen to me since the Dunois got me off earth when my mom died. You mean more to me than I can put into words Miiora…” the message continued as she felt her heartache intensify.

She wanted to tell him so much but she couldn't. How much he had changed her life, thank him for everything he had done for her. Tell him how much she loved him, but she couldn't.

“... ‘Moths report to your drop bays.’ My mom always said no matter how bad a day was, one second after midnight it's always tomorrow. And If I don't get to see you again… I just want to let you know I love you Miiora. Live forever ape.” The message ended and she felt the bay around her was empty, save for the ATLAS mechs and specter in their bays.

She didn't know how long she was in the bay sitting beside her love’s white and red matching bus when she heard the clicks of Mag boots locking she looked up to see Charlotte. She is a friend both this one’s dearest one, and of this one herself. She moves toward me, a look of determination on her face.

“How may this one be of service?”

She touches this one’s shoulder, “There’s talk, a few of us are signing up for the rescue mission, and honestly I thought that you would want to be in on it. The upper brass might not like it, but I think that they can shove it. So you in?”

The two of us float down to the exit of the bay and when the hatch opens we are greeted with over twenty faces. Among them are Trombley, AMP, Durge, Pogle, Levoy, a rather strangely colored Spectre, Aryanne, LT fick, sgt Perkins, Levoy, Watkins, and sargent Brianna Fallon. As well as the familiar faces and crimson armor of Helldiver X and his team, the drop shockers.

“Yes. I'm in.”

Chapter 56 Resist and Bite

COG fleet 40

Tearus orbit

2169AD/106AC

Gigantic selector cylinders rolled out of the ventral housings on the UAF-Onaka, as it's gunnery crews selected two EMR missiles. “Captain! We have hard lock on hostile at marks six point one, and six point three.”

“Fire, and bring us about and engage weapons free.”

Two missiles launched themselves from the tubes before cutting their boosters and firing their maneuvering thrusters turning them one hundred and eighty degrees. The two missiles angles themselves to face the two UEC corvettes following the Onaka before firing their main boosters once more.

The two corvettes bank around attempting to avoid the strange missiles, but it was no use. As the two ships lack any point defence they prove to slow, and the missiles impact their shields causing them to fair violently before dropping.

Instantly the UAF frigate floated around bringing its main guns to bare on the faster UEC ships. Instantly twelve pearl necklace like strands of tracers reach out to touch the shieldless corvettes.

Screamed came from the corridors of the two ships as thousands of armor piercing rounds slammed into their hulls. Wholes opens up, entire compartments vented into space and the leftmost ship ignited as its reactor was struck by no less than six hundred shells.

The second ship was crippled by the barrage, it's hull plating was scared, torn, and entire sections were belching smoke and fire out into the black. Then two searing whole were punched into its flank by the fighter frigates spartan laser cannons. The entire ship shook with internal explosions before coming apart as its reactor overloaded.

It's harassers felt with the Onaka turned one of its tertiary railguns toward the planet in answer to a request for a railgun strike. The turret swivel its slightly forked barrel glowing as more and more energy built up as the twelve ton slug was loaded. Before the slug was flung out with a metallic twang that resonated throughout the shall ships hull

In space there was a burst as a cloud of condensed gases were flung through the grill of the railgun. The slug shot out at hyper velocity, blazing through the battle that raged in space. It hit the atmosphere where a cloud of condensed gases began to condense ahead of the falling object, making it resemble a meteor.

COG 40 expeditionary force

Tearus surface

2169AD/106AC

Marlene’s position exploded as she watched the incoming UEC artillery come raining in. She had already lost two of her titans, but even now as more arty fell around her she heard the world split apart.

There was an apocalyptic explosion that showers her position in dirt and rocks. Through the tac-link she saw the position the artillery had been coming from vanish as an orbital rail gun strike pulverized the area.

Disconnecting from the soldiers view she looked up to see that the armored column she had been escorting was starting to move. As she moved she could swear she could see a swirling black cloud ahead of her column.

And as she sprinted her mech passed an atlas from another company she could swear the L-blade on the mechs back pulsed with red veins. In fact she was hearing reports that some of the Siafu mechs with L-blade’s and even a few ATLAS units have started gone ballistic.

“Saber find me a connection between the insurance of rouge mechs.” She orders her machine as she uses her emergency vents to boost ahead of a centaur tank.

She thrust her hand out deploying her magnetic shield, and was immediately grateful as an incoming tank shell stopped dead in its tracks.”Holy shit Saber 1-2 thanks for the save.”

“She was about to respond when the tank that fired the shell exploded. Attention was then drawn to a small group of maybe fifteen socom troopers all either in various Siafu mechs, advanced looking Atlas units, or various types of stolen UEC or changeling federation vehicles. Most of which held either injured or dead socom troopers in HEBA suits.

Leading the impromptu charge was one mech an Atlas-3 with a red base on its armor, and a grey, green camouflage pattern. The blue outline and name above the mech marked the big mech as [Helldiver: Snafu “Prowler”].

Prowler leaped into the air using its jump jets slamming back down on a equestrian APC causing its frame to crumble. Immediately two nearby UEC LAVs swiveled their turrets to track the new threat. But as the turrets moved Prowler snapped into motion.

A gatling swiveled up and around his shoulder as he sprinted across the field towards the two light armored vehicles. The Icarus mount turned and tracked a a small group of hostile infantry before cutting them down with a stream of flechettes.

The nearest of the two LAVs launched a missile as Prowler came upon them. Instantly the ATLAS-3 vented to the side firing its trench coat as it proceeds to shoulder check the vehicle. The lighter tracked vehicle attempted to move but instead of allowing the LAV to move Prowler picked up one side of the vehicle literally knocked it onto its side.

Seeing the fate of its brother the second LAV attempted to reverse firing its cannon towards the Helldiver mech. In response Snafu ducked behind the cover he had just created and swivels out his left wrist autocannon loaded with sabot grenades.

Taking a deep breath he deploys his magnetic shield before mantling over the overturned LAV. Not two seconds after he made it over did four shells impact his mag shield stopped dead by the magnetic field.

Snafu’s mech rocked to the side as a shell struck its shoulder and instantly he reversed the polarity on the shield sending the rounds back where they came. The four shells slammed into the side of the LAV and were imedietly followed by a stream of anti-armor grenades from Prowlers cannons.

As the armored UEC vehicle exploded one of the grenades over shot its target and sailed into the once peaceful forest that had now become a war zone.

UEC 328th garrison

Tearus surface

56AE

Two of princess twilight’s human personal guards shouldered their ageing M-66 rifles and killed fired through an overturned jeep. Among the other human UEC soldiers these humans stood out. And not just because they used the old model M-66 but because they also wore an old model of NAC marine battle armor. Relics from before and during the lanky war, from before the formation of the COG.

It's once deep blue armor had been painted a royal purple and each sported twilight's cutie mark on the breastplate. Beside them they watched one of the Earther’s Siafu mechs shudder. It's chest exploded in a shower of gore as its pilot was shot through the open cockpit by an errant cannon round, and the two traitor humans smiled.

“Kile mount up, let’s see if William’s training paid off.” one of the humans shouted before turning to a group of conscripts and garrison troops.

“You, you and you cover him. Chaser run interference, cardice shield him.”

Two griffons and a dragon snorted in derision as the elevated slave told them their supposed orders. But they obeyed as did the yellow changeling who stepped up horn glowing brightly before a shimmering shield of alabaster magic covered the mech.

The Pegasus however took to the skies and was immediately shot down by a second Siafu mech. As one the group of UEC soldiers turned to the crimson Siafu. Some of the newer soldiers yielded to their primal nature shying away from the blood soaked armor shrike.

As Shawn fired rounds into the mechs armored form there was a mechanical whirring behind them as the captured Siafu came to life. Taken off guard the pilot of the Earther machine looked up and Shawn took his chance shouldering hit rifle once again and drilling the Earther through the neck.

She recoiled hands going to her squirting throat, before her body slumped forward. Smiling Shawn opened a panel Williams had drilled the location of into his trainees. The machine fallback on its haunches, hydraulic cylinders extending the back section of the siafu’s cockpit open where the body of the dead COG soldier slid out before flopping onto the ground.

With a smirk Shawn climbed into the mechs cockpit and ran through its start up sequence. There was a hiss of hydraulics as the machine came to life and the cockpit “seat” folded back into the machines torso placing him at the things neck.

Smoothly he lowers the machines head sealing the cockpit as Kile turned his green mech in his direction. “command this is charley and delta Twi-three, we have successfully captured two enemy mechs. Request redirect.”

“Acknowledged twi-three. Your cohort us to move to sector six-delta-seven.”

“Six-delta-seven confirmed. Twi-three is Oscar mike.”

As the first sergeant’s cohort moved around he couldn't help but smile. As he thought about how if the Earthers had come just a day earlier they could have stopped the first shipments of the now completed serpent mechs from leaving the system, with the schematics.

A line of rounds stitched them selves across the muddy dirt ahead of him killing one of his cohort. Glancing up he could see an absolutely huge squadron of NAC fighters flying over head towards the refinery.

He couldn't help but hope that the supreme commander had a plan for this. But as soon as the thought crossed his mind a thunderous subsonic thrumm filled the air in the direction of her Trottingham, there was only one thing he knew of that made that much disturbance. Beside the departing cohort a cannon boomed as it sent a shell blazing into the sky.

NAC 332nd fighter group

Tearus new trottingham airspace

2169AD/106AC

“...Or as the good reverend would say. While we’re on this particular mission we might never know. But I do know, here today. That the black knights will emerge victorious once again.”

“eh man reverend.” one of the shrike pilots said. As a flak shell exploded against the armored hull of knight six. The pilots fighter shuddered under the impact but the weak explosive had failed to do any damage beyond scuffing the paint and denting the armor.

When they had flown down and across the continent from Manitoba they had been all smiles and jokes. All seventy pilots each flying some variation of the NAC’s Shrike or avenger fighters. Except for the lone onyx guard pilot “Ruler” who flew a loaned Gungnir from the Nordic Empire.

It's vantablack, and dull blue armor absorbed all light as it flew. And as the fighter group of seventy plus fighters burst through the cloud cover they came face to face with a cloud wall stretching around the refueling and water station. It stretched in a perfect twenty mile diameter circle. As if the storm had simply stopped and they were at the eye of a hurricane.

They didn't know what to expect but what they currently were not expecting was a massive UEC destroyer hovering over the station. It's sweeping elegant hull gleaned in the light made by the lighting and thunder around it.

“Holy shit…” one of the knights commented.

None of them knew what had made the storm receded from around the ship as they had only seen similar effects with lanky teriformers. Their computers translated the equestrian writing in the side of the ship spelling out “ELEMENT OF MAGIC”.

“Black knights Lock and load.” “Eagle” the black knights Tuskegee trained squadron leader called out. His grey red tailed shrike slowed as one of its rotary selectors partaly slid out from inside of the hull. “Knights we are red and free. Knight-one, fox three.”

Instantly every fighter in the fifty fighter attack group fired a missile. The tridents streaked forth blazing straight into the side of the ships shimmering shields. The shields flared flashing through gold, blue, violet and red before returning to their neutral coloring.

“Command knight-one, command knight-one switching to EMR and moving in.” The black knights squadron leader called out before banking his fighter to port a move followed by his squadron of ten fighters.

“Knights Notch reference one-two-Zero.” He reported his left hand dancing across his cockpit controls. “Knight-three one-two-zero.” His squadron reported falling into formation.

The squadron of seven fighters blazed across across the hull of the ship aiming at what one of the blisters on the ships hull. “Knight-one hot lock, echo fox-one.”

“Knight-seven fox-two.” Seven missiles swivel on the selector rack before locking into place and leaping forth. to detonate against the ships shields.

The ships shields flair again, only more brightly than before. And for a fraction of a second they think the Element Of magic’s shields would hold. But as they flared brighter than the sun the shields gave up the ghost.

But the problem now was what the hell could they do against that ship with fighters? And with that ships shields it was only a matter of time before they recharged.

Then their vision shifted as they passed over the ship and banked around for another run. Now instead of just the ship they saw several squadrons of UEC fighters bursting from underneath the ship.

A screen on his HUD showed what the AI, assumed was the squadron leader. It was a cobalt blue shrike no doubt captured and modified judging by the golden contrail behind its twin engines.

The cobalt fighter barrel rolled around an incoming shrike before looping back around and firing two bolts of pink energy from its condenser cannons.

The energy lanced out and splatters against the hull of Mongoose-six dissolving its armor and cooking off its fuel. The entire fighter exploded and as distress beacon failed to fire they knew Mongoose-six had been unable to eject.

The equestrian shrike banked around destroying another fighter before a missile struck its side causing a shield to flair to life. The impact and explosion still send the fighter spiraling in a corkscrew. “Eagle” former Onyx guard fighter pilot turned his vantablack fighter he zoomed in on the captured shrike. Under its cockpit where a pegasus sat he could see the lettering CPT-Rainbow Dash.

“Knights weapons free.” Eagle banked his fighter around before burning hard after the equestrian ace that had just destroyed two more fighters in ten times as many seconds.

UEC Research station 6 delta 4

Tearus

56AE/2169AD/106AC

It's been some time since they left their holding cells. The human and the unicorn walk through the various corridors within the detention block of the complex. She wanted leave the area as soon as possible before they encounter anymore UEC guards. But Fallon was insistent on locating his two comrades and getting them out as well. Because he never “left a man behind, and he was going to find them with or without Gusty's help”.

Understanding where he's coming from. Gusty agreed to help Fallon find his friends and get them out as well. But to do just that. She told him they need to find the prison logbook which keeps record of every prisoner that comes in and out of the detention block and which holding cells they're being kept in. She had said the prisoner logbook should be at the security lobby at the main entrance of the detention block, when she was explaining what they need to do the two made their way to security lobby.

When they reached the entrance way to the security lobby blocked by a metal door with a hard glass viewport. Fallon took a makeup mirror he had ”liberated” from a dead guard and took a peek over the viewport window.

He sees a large room on the right side of it was a large security desk big enough for at least three people. “Fuck.” Fallon signaling to gutsy to wait with a held up fist.

Sitting at the desk were three guards, two unicorns and a diamond dog. On the left side was an elevator and at the very end of the lobby was the main entrance and standing beside each side of it were two large diamond dogs. He also sees various flavours of surveillance equipment over the lobby. “Damn it.” He mutters to himself wishing he could use his implant but knowing better.

After getting what he needed to see, he turns to look at Gusty and tells her what he saw in the room. “Is there another way through here?” he asked his unicorn companion.

“No there isn't... well actually there is one back the way we came I think but I can't be for sure, and we would have to go all the way back plus however long it takes us to get there. No this way is faster.”

“Ok we go loud. Flash’n clear. On me.” Fallon went over to one side of the door, while Gusty stayed on the side where the button pad to open the door was located with one of the I.D. keys already in the key slot and her hand over the large red button. Both of them having their guns ready.

Fallon quietly counted to three thrusting his hand and fingers down silently for emphasis. On two he pulled a flashbang from his pocket. On one he shouldered his shotgun and pulled the pin, an actual grenade pin with his teeth like it was the fucking twentieth century, like a savage.

When he reached zero Gutsy cracked open the door and Fallon backhanded the grenade into the room. There was a shout of surprise before the grenade went off with a bang.

Immediately Fallon and Gutsy burst into the room weapons at the ready. Fallon turned to his left blasting the first unicorn in the head. As the horned equestrian’s head disintegrated, Fallon shifted his aim racking the slide and pulling the trigger again. The second unicorn’s chest exploded as the buckshot tore into it, he racked the slide again.

There were three reports to his right as Gutsy fired her pistol downing the two diamond dog guards at the door. The final guard managed to raise its rifle only for the MOTH to blast his stomach open. The dog’s eyes filled with pain and horror as bits of ravaged intestines blood surged through its fat fingers.

With a smirk Fallon racked the shotgun again and shot the dog in the head. The buckshot blew out the main surveillance panel while simultaneously painting the board with blood.

Once it was over while Fallon was keeping lookout and reloading the archaic pump action shotgun. Gusty went quickly behind the desk and started looking for the prison logbook after several seconds she found it in one of the desk drawers.

It her took several minutes look it over, turning one page after another until she found what they're looking for. It turns out they had Fallon's friends in holding cells.

Gusty grabs the I.D. keys for that level from another desk drawer, and oddly enough she also found a duffle bag under the desk. She assumed it must have belong to one of the guards perhaps one of the unicorns, who were sitting behind the desk before she and Fallon came busting in.

She checked the inside duffle bag and it's contents. Only to find a spare UEC uniform, a towel, and some hygiene items. She decides to take the bag thinking it might come in handy in storing items they might find along the way. “Fallon, I've got ‘em there in blocks thirteen and twenty-two delta.”

“Lets move then.” Fallon says gesturing for Gutsy to enter the elevator first.

Once the elevator reach level 5, the two walked out the elevator and cautiously went down various corridors making to watch each other's back and watch their corners. At his peripheral he could see the writhing smoke cloud flowing along with them as they moved. Several minutes later they found a cell marked thirteen-delta where Big Dog was being kept.

“Alright stay here and keep look out. I'm gonna go get him.” The MOTH says to his equestrian companion as he looked into viewport. After making Harris was inside he then knocked on it three times.

Someone answered, "Wha-what? Who's there?"

"Big Dog, it's Iceman. I'm here to break you out." Fallon says unsheathing his monofilament knife from his bionic.

"Iceman? How the fuck did a bitch like you got out?" The prisoner responds as Gutsy watches the human sheer the first door lock away with the blade.

"It's a long story. Let's just say I had some help. now hold on I'm opening door.” with that Fallon slices the final lock off of the door before removing the three hinges and kicks it down.

The slab clangs to the ground revealed Big Dog, who was laying against the far back wall. He was in the condition as Fallon, when he was in his cell. His dark skin scared and splotched where the bindings had held him.

“Its about damn time Iceman, I was wondering if I was gonna have to come rescue you.” Big Dog says stand up allowing Fallon to cut the bindings with the monofilament knife.

“You rescue me? You've got jokes, you can rescue these nuts. Gutsy come in here let's see What’s in that bag.” Fallon says thinking whatever was in that duffle bag she found earlier might have something to cover his friend up. Big Dog looked at Fallon wondering who this Gusty person was and had to assume this was the help Fallon mentioned.

Gusty showed herself in the holding cell's door way. Right before she was about to step inside. Big Dog sees her and as soon as he realizes she was actually a pony and sees the pistol in her right hand.

He immediately took defensive stance with both of his fists raised up. Gusty on her part immediately stops and stands in the doorway. She didn't show any emotion on her face. But in her mind, she was somewhat apprehensive, she didn't want to do anything that might upset or cause harm to the unstable human.

Before anything could escalated, Fallon quickly stood between them, giving Big Dog a halting gesture and said, "Whoa, easy there. She's with us. She's the reason I got out in the first place.”

Big Dog looks at her and then at Iceman and said "Are you sure?"

“Honestly, I don't trust her as far as I could throw her. But still it's better than nothing.” Fallon says conspiratorially

While Big Dog was putting on some pants and a white t-shirt, the two humans started a short conversation on the whole situation and any plans on getting out the complex and many other things.

When they got to the topic on Magic. Big Dog went all silent all of a sudden with a grim look on his face. Fallon look at him with quizzical face and said, "What's wrong? Did something happen to him?". Big Dog look at the man in the eyes with a pained looked.

"It happen last night, I don't how long in time, but I woke up hearing loud screaming coming from down this corridor. It was no scream I ever heard before and I have heard a lot, especially in this line of work. Like when someone is set on fire.” Harris says

That information makes Fallon stop and forces him to rethink his plan. ‘Damn if Magics’ off the board we’ve lost a fourth of our combat effectiveness. All we can hope for is that he isn't really dead. And if he us we will have to det his kit.’

"Then what the hell are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Big Dog nods his head in agreement and says, "Right. I was overstaying my welcome anyway." The two men walked out the holding cell and into corridor. Fallon made sure to grab the duffel bag on his way out. when he sees Gusty still standing lookout.

He calls out for her and tells her what they're doing next, while giving her back the bag, which she precedes to put it back on in the same place she had it before. He tells her to give one her pistols that she took from the guards earlier to Big Dog.

She looks at the man standing near by them and then at Fallon nods his head. She gives the pistol she had in her right hand over to Big Dog. Who carefully takes the gun from her still cautious of the unicorn mare and ready to shoot her in the back. He looks it over and check the ammo mag before loading back in.

Gusty takes out the second pistol from her drop leg pistol holster on her right hip. This pistol was different from her first one. this pistol has been outfitted with a longer trigger guard along with a folding foregrip, muzzle brake, and a 20-round magazine. It also had an optional detachable shoulder stock which was stored in the holster. there was a title on on the slide that said, "Ursa Major 95R3".

Once she was done looking over her new primary weapon. "So what now?"

"We need to get to Magic, yesterday. Which holding cell was he in again?"

“He should be in holding cell twenty-three delta. Which is right down this corridor further down this way." The unicorn pointed in the direction they need to go. She then went ahead of them, taking point, while Big Dog was covering their rear with Iceman in the center of the group.

After several minutes, they arrived at holding cell 23-D. As soon as they got there, Gusty immediately knew there was something off, she could pick up a scent, one that was all too familiar in her long years living. It was the scent of blood. Fallon noticing there was something up with Gusty and he asked her, "Hey. What is it?" She didn't say anything at first, until finally she told him, "I'm smelling blood, it's coming from the cell."

After hearing the mare said that, Fallon quickly moved in front of the door he knocked on the cell door three times like he did on the last one. but there was no response just cold silent...He try again one last time. But like the first time no response......just cold silent. Fallon looked at the others behind him not saying anything neither did the man and the pony. He then decided to unlock the door and opened it.

What he saw behind the metal door, he thought he never see again. Not for a while at least. Which was seeing another one of his friends, his comrade-in-arms, laying dead before him. Big Dog and Gusty had to look over Fallon's shoulders to see what he's seeing. Since he was still blocking the doorway to the cell.

Big Dog had this mild expression of grief and pain on his face knowing that one of his friends was gone. Gusty had a sad yet stoic expression having seeing this so many times in her cursed existence.

Fallon silently walked into the holding cell, when he got to Magic's body which was laying on stone ground on his left side. It appears he died from severe brain hemorrhage. There was blood coming out of Magic's slightly open mouth, nose, eyes and ears. the blood pooling where his head lays and he died with his eyes open.

But that's not what drew his attention. No what drew his attention was the smoke creature who had taken the familiar shape of a wendigo.

“ThE IrOn LeSs oNe dId ThIs.” It said its voice undulating and filled with an alien rage.

“Who is the Ironless one?” Big Dog asked the smoke creature who snapped its shovel shaped head toward him. That got Fallon’s attention “Wait you can see it too? Honestly I thought I was going insane.”

“Yeah remember we both saw it in the before we got captured.”

“I don't understand I don't see anything what are you talking about?” Gutsy asked the humans who she now partly believed to be... traumatized.

“I don't know, Rarity did my Interrogation. Who did yours?” Fallon asked waving off Gutsy.

“Williams he was the interrogator mostly, him and his snake.” At the mention of Williams the smoke creature writhed and billowed in anger. But before anyone could continue an apocalyptic bang shook the complex.

“Damn that shot must have been real close. Harris, Gutsy watch the hall I'll finish up in here.”

As soon as he finished taking the physical dog-tag from magic’s body fallon stepped outside. And right into an argument between his MOTH brother and the ex-UEC sergeant. Not in any kind of mood that would let him deal with this he snapped his fingers at the two gaining they attention.

"Lock it down, both of you. Fighting ourselves isn't going to do anything. We need to get out of here and we're not going to do that by arguing with one another. If we're going to escape from here we have to work together."

The two look at each other for one moment and then nod their head to one other both silently agreeing to put aside their differences for the meantime until they escape from here. Big Dog then chose this moment to grunt out "Alright then, where do we go from here?"

Fallon said, "First things First, we're going to need to find locate and recover our HEBA suits, weapons and other gear. If we're going to have a small fighting chance of leaving this place alive than we're going to need them and we can't let UEC have a chance to study and reverse-engineer them. That's our next move."

“Yeah? That's all good and all. But big problem, where are we going to find our gear?”

Fallon looks to the unicorn mare and ask, "Gusty, Do you have any idea where they might be keeping them?"

"I might have an idea. Chances are they have them kept in the weapons research division. Which in a different part of the science and research ward. It may take some time and a little work. but I think we can get there." The cursed unicorn said turning to Fallon as he spoke. "Alright, Then lets move out".

With their new objective set, the group of three prepare to leave. Big Dog and Gusty move on ahead of Fallon. Before he left to joint the others, he takes one last look at Magic's corpse with regret in his eyes. Before snatching his templar cross from magic’s dog-tag chain.

"I'm sorry for not doing anything for ya man. But don't worry. l'll make sure Williams and that bitch join you in hell. And that your tag is returned to the templar base on luna. That's promise." with that he left with righteous determination in his eyes. because in his mind one way or another, Williams and Rarity were going to regret the day they ever met Avery Fallon.

UEC Research station 6 delta 4

War room

Tearus

56AE

Supreme Commander Rarity was overlooking the battlefield map. All friendly and enemy targets marked in either blue or red. While she was in the middle of strategizing defensive maneuvers in the hopes of setting up a counter attack against the human assault of Tearus. A low ranked soldier briskly walks up to her with a minor yet urgent report for her.

Showing her the proper military decorum the soldier address Rarity by her proper title and then tells her that he has a (somewhat) urgent report for her. At first she did not respond to him mostly because she was too heavily focused on the battlefield map and her calculating thoughts.

The soldier not being deterred addresses Rarity once again. While not looking away from the map she finally response with a calm yet irritated tone in her voice. She tells him "what is it soldier, can't you see I am in the middle of diverting a crisis on my hands?!". She then tells the soldier to quickly give his report.

The soldier does as she asked him to do and gives his report. He tells her that three prisoners had escape from the detention block and tells her who escaped, Sergeant Gusty, Harris, and Fallon. As soon as Fallon name comes up. Rarity stops what she was doing and looks away from the battlefield map and looks at the young stallion with a cold-eyed stare and asked him how did that happen.

With a somewhat nervous look on his face, he explains it was Sergeant Gusty, who helped the two human prisoners broke out their prison cells and is further helping them escaping this complex. Rarity asked where they're are now. The soldier simply answer her with "we don't know, ma'am". He explains due to the human assault on the planet and every military personnel either fighting them off and ect. They are having a hard time locating them.

After dismissing the soldier, Rarity calls in Bra'tac, few seconds later he comes to her and gives her the usual decorum and respect. He than ask what is her bidding. His mistress explain the situation to him and than orders him to hunt down the three escaping prisoners and capture the two humans alive. but as for the unicorn traitor, she is to be eliminated and then she dismisses him.

Bra'tac was about to leave the command center to carry out his mistress' orders. but he stops mid-way and remembers the conversation he had with the human name Fallon and what he told him. The male tymerian had this feeling someone...or rather somepony lied to him about his sister's fate when he found Miiora's heart scale and her scent on both the human's combat gear and his body.

Despite what his mistress told him what happen to his sister. He needed to know. He wanted to be confrontational, but knew that would be very foolish and unwise. So showing the same respect and decorum to his mistress like he always done for many years of his life. Bra'tac then asked Rarity about his sister's fate.

Giving him a blank expression. In her mind she was somewhat annoyed that her guard slave would be asking such trivial question of all times like this. She asks why did he wanted to know and he carefully explain his reasons of why. Both Rarity and Bra'tac started having a mild conversation on the topic, which slowly turned into a calm and subtle argument.

Rarity was getting somewhat fed up with this trivial and time-wasting argument. She simply ends it by reminding Bra'tac his place and the consequences of disobedience. That silence him.

She tells him "If he was done, he has a certain task to carry out, get to it" and that was it. She turns back to what she was doing before without another word. “Of coarse Mistress.”

Bra'tac walks off, but before he went through doorway, he looked back at his mistress, who was now fully occupied with the human assault. Thoughts of doubt begin running through his mind, he gets the feeling that his his mistress wasn't telling him the full truth about his sister and was hiding something from him.

He was starting to believe what the human had said was true, but not fully though, he still needed confirmation. So with that Bra'tac leaves the command center to carry out his orders. With that she returned her attention to the holo table.

In the corner of the war room Casper Williams smirked as he gestured to his personally trained team of mech pilots. At his side his lover and slave Min’Baku.

“Williams I want you and the serpent to move into position. If the COG brings their mechs. I want to counter with our own to buy us time to escape. The money had already been placed into your account.”

“Then your wish is my command boss. I'll move my lance out right away.” As the human and his slave left two other human pilots followed behind.

Chapter 57 Cluster

NAC 332nd Fighter Group

Tearus New Trottingham Airspace

2169AD/106AC/56AE

The sky above the refueling station was on fire. Lances of energy from the Element of Magic's energy rakes flew across the sky attempting to swipe NAC fighters from the sky.

All the while a dogfight raged between the veteran pilots of the Manitoba's combined shrike wings and the centuries old UEC pilots sent to destroy them.

"Oh I know you did not shoot that pink shit at me!?" Eagle shouted as the ex-onyx guard threw his fighter into a sharp tail spinning roll.

The maneuver threw his fighter out of the path of the searing pink bolts of energy and forcing Rainbow Dash into overcompensating. Her shrike screamed passed banked hard as Eagle capitalized and burned after her.

On instinct the mare dove her fighter hard for the hull of the much Element of Magic. At the last second she pulled hard back on the stick shooting mere feet from the hull as two missiles slammed into the hull.

She rolled her fighter to the left as a stream of tracers tore through the path she was just on. This human was decent but...

She pulled hard on the stick and dropped throttle as they cleared the hull. Her modified shrike dropped as its nose rose into the air. The frame caught wind and the entire fighter bucked as the human screamed passed blasting her with its tail wind.

"Got you." she smirked, while her fighter's missile lock screen flashed. Like she thought he was decent, but not good.

The missile detached from the external rack and shot off. As she readies herself to bank off she watches the human flip its shrike into a backflip and as she turned back she sees a line of tracers reach out and destroy the missile. "Ok maybe you're good after all. But let's see just how good you are."

[Missile lock six o'clock.....Missile lock…]

"Shit deploy chaff and flares!" Eagle shouted as he pushed his fighter into the red zone.

Rainbow watched her opponent red tailed fighter throw itself into corkscrew. What looked like sparks and streaks of glowing smoke erupted from either side of the fighter. As it twirled into a shallow bank that took his fighter past one of the Element's observation and sensor towers.

The two of the three missiles flew wildly off course and exploded among the sparks. The final missile looked as if it was going to hit; However, as the human passed the tower the missile struck the support pillar and exploded.

"Damn it!!" the rainbow maned peasus shouted as she followed after her target. "Where are you? I'm going to make your kind pay for perming Applejack's brother."

Her fighter then shook and she saw her shields flaring. Worried she looked around too before seeing looking up where she saw the human was coming right at her. His cannon was flaring spitting grenades in streams that spattered against her shields threatening to make them fail.

In response she yawned and pulled to port as the human shot passed her. Rainbow's fighter turned and soon she found herself behind the human once again. Sucking in a breath she squeezed the firing stud on her flight stick.

"Oh you did not shoot that pink shit at me!?" Eagle shouted as he jinked and juked, rolled and yawed his fighter every which way. "Hold on there Big Day, I'm coming!" Knight Two said over the tac-link.

The firing abruptly stopped as he felt something take a chunk out of his wing. Looking over, he discovers he was partly correct, but instead of parts, a chunk of the entire wing starboard was missing. "Command Knight one, Command Knight one, I'm ejecting, repeat ejecting."

No sooner had he sent that out does another of the pink bolts slam into the tail of his fighter. He felt his shrike buckle and scream as its engines struggled to keep the plane in the air. Clamping his mouth shut and crossing his arms over his chest Eagle's shrike sealed and detached the cockpit section as the fighter exploded.

A brilliant orange fireball filled the night in front of rainbow dash as she watched the humans fighter explode. However, instead of the red kill confirmed icon flashing she saw a blue ejection detected flash across her HUD. As she watched the cockpit section of the fighter she had destroyed sail downward separate from the explosion.

"No you don't bust..." she began before a barrage of grenades slammed into her shields. Looking up she saw two fighters heading straight for her. One was another shrike with more generic marking. But the other was one of the COGs transforming fighters, it's armor was so dark it was almost impossible to point out. However, as she zoomed in she saw a black gear emblazoned on the fighter craft's canopy.

UEC Research Station 6 Delta 4

Tearus

56AE/2169AD/106AC

After spending some time on the tram, which took them from the main complex to the division they needed to head to. When the tramcar finally reach the tram station. Fallon and the others got off and walk through the station with caution. They all made sure to check their surroundings and stayed in a tight group.

After going through several corridors and lobbies, taking out whatever UEC guards they encountered. Fallon, Big Dog, and Gusty, finally arrived at the main entrance to the weapon research division, which was in a corridor t-intersection. Unfortunately there was one major problem. Which was in the form of a massive steel blast door.

The three were standing in front it with Fallon in the center, Big Dog to his left, and Gusty to his right. Who was scavenging one of the dead UEC guards they had taken out earlier for any ammo or items that may be of use to them. While she was busy, Big Dog and Fallon were staring at the blast door, trying to figure out a way to get past it.

Big Dog said with a bored and perplexed face. "Well... That's a big door. So, any ideas on how to get past this? How about you pony girl, you know how to open this?"

Gutsy finished scavenging and was putting the two grenades along with the ammo into the duffle bag. "Well, unless you got something to penetrate a two-foot thick reinforced steel blast door, which is covering both the front and back of the main door, which happens to be two foot thick as well. Then, No."

The two men stared at the unicorn mare with the look of befuddlement on their faces. All the while she continues talking, "Oh. It gets even better even if we do manage to somehow open the blast doors and the 1st main door. There's a long corridor that leads to the weapons research division. The floor itself is lined with electrified metal plating which starts from this end and all the way to other end of the corridor, where another set of blast doors and 2nd main door awaits us and to top it all off, There's a set of gun cameras at the end of the corridor just for those who were thinking about flying over the electrified floor."

The two men were even more befuddled than before. "What the fuck? Isn't that a bit overkill?" Big Dog said. "Yeah, I'm going to have to agree with Big Dog here. That is overkill, I mean isn't that a bit much for one division?" Fallon said for the first time since the three arrived at this location.

'Mind you if someone was able to steal our shit they would have the Onyx Guard on them so fast they would get whiplash.' Fallon thought to himself.

The mare simply gives him a smirk and says, "Not for the head researcher named Twilight Sparkle, I swear that mare is paranoid as fuck and just loves to over complicate things. But then again that's the kind of thing to expect from her.", Gusty said with a hint of contempt for the purple alicorn.

Big Dog and Fallon looked to one other both giving an inquisitive look to each other. The two men could not help, but get this feeling that Gusty has some history or some sort of grudge against this Twilight Sparkle character. Both of them silently decided not to push the matter unless it was absolutely necessary and looked back at the unicorn mare.

"Hold on a sec, you're a unicorn can't you just... I don't know, use your magic to teleport us pass all this and right into weapon research division?" Big Dog said.

"OK, first off not all unicorns are proficient with magic. The most common spell your everyday unicorn pony could use is telekinesis and even then it takes practice to levitate multiple items and lift heavy objects. Only unicorn ponies with the special talent for magic can use the more advanced spells such as teleportation, high-level magic shields, combat spells and, etc.

"So does that mean you can't teleport?" Big Dog said with an amused expression on his face. The unicorn mare gives him annoyed grunt and says, "No. I can't. And that's the second thing, even if I do know the spell I can't use it as long as I have this magic nullifier on my horn." she gives the dark crystal ring a small flick of her right finger which lets out a small pinged sound.

"Courtesy of Ms. Sparkle,... But even if I didn't have this on my horn. I still wouldn't use my magic all that well because it gives me an agonizing headache because of my...... condition. Let's just leave it at that, alright?"

After hearing Gusty's long explanation, Fallon was in deep thought for a while. "Hmmm,... We can't exactly stick around here for too long we need to get in there and get our gear as soon as possible. So is there any other way of getting this open and bypass the security devices in the corridor?", He said to Gusty.

The unicorn thinks for a bit before answering his question. "Hmm,..... No, we would need a code and I doubt anyone with it would be around now. Gusty said with a sigh.

"Damn it.", Fallon exclaims and then sighs in annoyance, "Alright,... If we can't go through here isn't there another way in, Gusty?", he said to the ex-UEC sergeant.

The mare let outs a sigh, "I don't know for sure. Let me take a look around.", She said and then started walking towards the corridor to their left when she passed the two humans and was midway down the corridor, she stops and remembers she still has the flip-top bullet lighter that was made from a .50 cal round she took from that UEC dead guard earlier. She turns around and calls out for Big Dog.

"Hey, Big Dog!" she shouts. The man hears his callsign and turns to the unicorn with a somewhat confused look.

"Here catch!" she said before tossing the bullet lighter to the human. he caught it with his left hand and starts to examine it for a bit, "Why are you giving me this?" He questions the mare.

Gusty just gives him a slight shrug, "I don't know. I figured you have more use for it than I do. Keep it as a war souvenir or something who knows you might have something to tell your kids or grandkids once this asinine war is over. If you manage to survive long enough that is." She gives him a confident smirk.

Hearing this and noticing that look she was giving him. Big Dog decides to give Gusty the same confident smirk as well, "Hm, Thanks. I think I'll keep it.", He said and proceeded to put the bullet lighter into his left pants pocket.

Fallon sees this and was glad the two were finally getting along. Ever since their first argument and when they left the detention block the two have been very wearied with one another and if any of them stood any chance of leaving this place they all needed to trust one another.

After several seconds had passed. Gusty found something that might get them into weapons research division. She called the others and they quickly walked to her location.

"OK, are you suggesting we all crawl through the air vents? Can we even fit in there?" Fallon said looking somewhat complex.

"Do you have any other better ideas? Because this is probably the safest way to get inside and don't worry the vents on this level should be big enough for a pony or human to move through on all fours. We just need to blowout these two latch locks to get this air vent cover open." Gusty explain and pointed at the aforementioned latch locks.

Fallon nods his head in acknowledgment and raises his pump action shotgun. He aims it at one of the latch locks when he was ready to fire. Gusty and Big Dog took several steps back not wanting to end up getting hit by either ricocheted shot or the heavy air vent cover when it swings open.

When Fallon sees his two comrades clear the way. He pulls the trigger and quickly fires the shotgun twice taking out first latch lock and then second one. Once he fired the weapon he immediately moves back. The air vent cover swings open making metal squeaking sound as it moves back and forth.

Fallon then moves into position to boost someone up into the now open air vent, "Ladies first.", He said slightly kneeling down with his hands together with one palm showing. "My, my, didn't take you as a gentlecolt, Fallon" Gusty said with amused and sarcastic tone.

"Just hurry up and hop on," Fallon said. The unicorn mare walks up to him, removing the duffle bag from her shoulder and laying it near him. After getting into the right position, Fallon gives her a boost right up into the air vent. She grabs onto the edge of the opening and proceeds to pull herself in.

Once Gusty was inside she stretches out her right arm from the air vent opening, "OK hand me the bag.", she said.

Fallon did what she asked and tossed up the bag to her. Which she grabs it with her right hand and brings it up into the air vent. Once the bag was bought up, Big Dog walks up to Fallon tucking the pistol into the waistband of his pants.

"Alright, man. You go up next.", He said getting in the boosting position. Fallon puts away the shotgun by using the shoulder sling on it. Once it was out of the way, he places his foot on Big Dog's palm and gets into the right position.

The man below him boost him up into the opened air vent and pulls himself inside and as soon as his friend was inside. Big Dog crouches down and with all his strength high jumps towards air vent. His hand claps against Fallon's and the MOTH helps his brother into the vent.

Once they all got inside the air vent. They found themselves in a midsize chamber, the ceiling of it was only high enough for them to stand while kneeling and high above them, there was a large air fan which was rotating slowly. "Wow, that's a safety hazard." Fallon comments earning a jab in the side from Harris.

They each look around and found there were at least four vents, two of them were only big enough for a rat to crawl through. So the last two air vents were the only two choices since they were big enough for either a human or pony to crawl through on all fours.

It was uncomfortable, but nothing that three battle-hardened soldiers could handle. It was cramped and dark and they're only source of light was from a UEC tactical light that Gusty took off from a griffin UEC guard right after she broke his beak and then shaped his neck thereby finishing him off.

After what felt like several agonizing hours later, they finally reached an opening at the end of air vent they all crawled through. Fallon was the first to stick his head out and see what was there. What he was a massive air shaft that appeared to be endless from above and below.

Lining along the walls of the massive shaft were various air vents some the same size as the one they were in, while others were smaller. There were also a single row of maintenance lights lining one of the air shaft walls going from above and below.

However, what really got his attention was far below he sees a large contra-rotating fan. A two fan with the blades arranged one below the other, and rotating in opposite directions and it was still rotating at mid-speed.

"Well? What do you see, Fallon?" Gusty said behind him, while Big Dog remain silence listening to the conversation between two. "It looks like we reach some sort of large air shaft. It's a pretty deep one too.", He said while looking around the shaft.

He then notices right cross from where they are, there was another air vent the same size as the one they were currently in. However, it was about distance from here to there was about five feet. There was no way they could jump over with so little to no room. So, he had only one option to go with.

"I can see another air vent right crossed from here. Looks about the same size. But it looks like we're going to have use the steel ledges and sidle along the walls, but there's only about a half foot of room on them so we have to be careful." Fallon explained.

Both Gusty and Big Dog were a bit hesitant, but silently agreed. Fallon then slowly and carefully moved out the air vent open. When he was in a good position he started sidled along the walls of the air shaft. He was focused on getting to the other air vent not bothering to look down or anything.

After several agonizing minutes, Fallon safely made it to the other air vent and was now crawling inside it. She can't help, but sigh in relief. He turned around inside the vent and now facing her. "Alright pass me the bag, Gusty.", Fallon said with his left arm stretched out.

"OK, get ready." The unicorn said, who was now in a kneeling position holding the bag with both hands and was moving her arms back sideways readying to toss the bag to Fallon. Which he was ready to receive it on his side. "Catch!" She shouted tossing the bag over towards the human.

Fallon barely managed to catch it though it had almost pulled him down, but he regained his balance and tossed the bag into the vent. Now it was Gusty's turned to come across. She had to be especially careful when she sidled along the walls of the air shaft being careful not to accidentally step on her tail.

This was one of the rare times where she wishes she was born as a pegasus instead of a unicorn. And there was a moment she almost lost her hoofing on the steel ledge and with a quick glance saw the contra-rotating fan blades. She quickly regains her balance on the ledge and after taking it few breaths of relief she continues on her way being slightly more cautious.

It wasn't the fact that she feared of dying, unlike her misguided kind she was more than prepared to meet her end for most of her cursed life. She just didn't want to die leaving her two new friends in a bad situation before they could all escape from here and off this planet. Besides it's not like her curse would even slow her to stay dead.

Now it was Big Dog to lastly go next. He was already halfway there when all of a sudden there was a thunderous boom and the whole massive air shaft started shaking.

Causing Big Dog to lose his footing and balance and fall into the air shaft. "OH SHIT!! AAAAAHHH!!" he exclaimed as he was falling to what seems to be his end.

"HARRIS!" "BIG DOG!" Both Fallon and Gusty exclaimed at the same time in horror and dismay. It looked like the man was about to be shredded by the blades. When out pure instinct he grabs onto the edge of one of the many other air vents nearby during his downward descent, it was just so happens that he was falling at the right angle when he did.

"Fuck." Veteran Harris said as his pistol slipped from his pants and fell into the fan with a noisy metallic screech and shower of sparks.

"Big Dog, stay there I'm going to toss you my knife. Use it to cut handholds and climb back up." Fallon called down to him.

"Got it!" Harris responded and a few seconds later the mono filament knife fell down the shaft and Harris snatched it out of the air by the handle. “I'm coming up."

With a sigh and a grunt he slashed the first hand hold into the wall the metal yielding to the molecular edge like butter. "Harris be careful I don't want you to become a statistic of bad OSHA standards."

"Shut the fuck up, Fallon! I didn't go through hellish months of MOTH training just to die on some god forsaken planet!" Harris said slamming his foot into his fifth toe hold.

Several minutes filled with grunting and muttered curses passed. Fallon was getting bored and watched the smoke billow and swirl around in the dark expanse. At his side he saw Gutsy asleep leaning against the vent wall farther along.

'Gotta catch the winks when you can I guess.' he thought to himself as Harrises black and bloody hand finally slapped onto the vent they were in. Braving his feet against either side of the vent Fallon took the hand in both hands and pulled.

"Let's go to planet Tearus... Let's catch us an alicorn... It'll be alright we won't need it they said. We don't need no pussy mechs or pussy power armor oh no! We can do it with HEBA suits. It'll be glorious they said.......... I swear if I ever see that bastard Williams again, I'm going to fucking rip him a new one.....", He said in a sarcastic and contemptuous tone as he flopped onto the floor. Harris had that I am going to kill something look on his face.

"Here's your knife back... Bitch" he said from the vents floor holding up the still preteen blade. Without a word Fallon took the blade and placed it back into the hidden sheath in his bionic. "There's the Harris I remember." Fallon laughed out waking Gutsy.

"Fuck... You... Fallon."

Veteran Helldiver Snafu

Atlas-3 Unit HD-2641 “Prowler”

Tearus

Mission Counter: 2 Week 3 Days 12 Hours

2169AD/106AC

I leap over a tank as it fired its cannon, the shell exploded in the ground showering us in dirt and mud. My right hand retracts as I deploy my close combat spike and drove it towards the top of the vehicle.

The four foot diamond tipped spike slammed through the top of the vehicle giving me the leverage I was looking for. With a grunt I flip the tank onto its side using its underside as cover from incoming fire. Taking this chance I withdrew my hand from the tank and reloaded right and left arm cannons while crouching down.

With a thought my mech linked to the network and a small box appeared in the top right of my vision. Red carrots marked last known positions of hostile units.

"Prowler activate Icarus mounts."

"Acknowledged pilot."

Below me, I could see Spike, Barb, Blisk, and the other two changelings from the ATV taking cover in the crater made by the tank's shell. "I will suppress, get ready to move." I yell glancing up for a fraction of a second and seeing the rest of the Roughnecks moving up.

They nodded and I went to work. Instantly the rotary gatling on my mech’s back came to life at the same time as the auto-cannon. The two weapons lifted from my back and swivels over my shoulder and above the improvised cover I had made.

As soon as Prowler had a firing solution a torrent of auto-cannon shells and grenades streamed down range. I could see ponies and other UEC personnel who had held their ground being torn to shreds, blown apart, or turned to mulch and hamburger under the combined firepower of the Roughnecks and my Helldivers mechs.

There was a commotion behind us and I turned to see two Atlas mechs stop firing. Instead, they appeared to rear back before an ear splitting screech filled the net. Instantly as if as one the two mechs snapped out their L-blades.

The blades seemed to pulse and radiate malevolence as glowing crimson veins pulsed along their lengths. And as if possessed the mechs broke formation and began a full tilt sprint toward the enemy line.

As they passed the midway point a white armor shrike Siafu burst through the tree line. It fired its weapon with one hand as it speed to the line. A unicorn rose up from a fox whole and attempted to bring a rocket launcher to bare, but instead was snatched up by the speeding mechs free hand.

Much to my horror I watch as the mech crushes the unicorn and proceeds to stuff the body into its cockpit section. I had to stop myself self from throwing up in my helmet when I say the cockpit already full of pieces of dead bodies and dripping with gore and blood.

The mixing streams of blood ran down the once white mechs chest as it formed with the other two Atlas mechs as the slammed into the line as a group. "What the fuck?"

"Whatever they're taking the fire let's get in there." Lieutenant Razak shouted. As one we moved forward. And I can already see the Helldivers in group of ground troops springing ahead of the others.

Hey Snafu how about a throw?' Looking over I can see a woman in vantablack Helldiver battle armor. The gear on the left side of her chest plate marking her as a current or ex-Onyx guard

In response I lower my open hand as the woman approaches. As soon as her feet touch the metal I rear back and hucked her as far as I can without overshooting the clearing. I watch her sail through the air, her jump jets flaring out behind her as her armor's gyroscopes fought to keep her up right.

I watched her activate a grenade as she needs the ground and throw it at a tree trunk a moment before she landed in a ploom of smoke that took her under the tree. The grenade exploded turning two celebs that were turning to track the falling woman into shrapnel pincushions.
The woman whose name plate now flashed in my HUD as Helldiver, veteran. Kōzuki K. The now identified Helldiver shot up from under the fallen tree like a rocket sending a rocket assisted knee straight into the snout of a diamond dog. The k9's muzzle crumpled under her armored knee and as she dropped down she dropped into a slide as she pulled retreated her rifle.

Her jump pack angled its thrusters and pushed her along as she fired from her back. Placing a three round burst into each of a four man squad of UEC soldiers. She slowed and jumped to her feet delivering a vicious superman punch to a pegasus pony's face.

As the pony crumpled she slung her rifle and ducked under a clumsily thrown punch by a griffon. In response Nagata grabs the bird and impales it on a piece of destroyed vehicle before she pulled her side arm and shot a different pony in the face as the mare drew close.

"Damn, remind me never to piss her off." I say to no one in particular. [Acknowledged pilot.]

The woman turned as a large ploom of mud and water was kicked up and sprayed at her. A large dragon had landed intent on killing her specifically.

"God damn it, how many times do I have to kill this motherfucker?" I grunt out firing my Icarus mounts into a crowd of UEC troops. However, with its attention on the human at its feet it failed to notice the fifteen ton mech barreling toward it.

With one fluid motion I stoop over blocking the dragon's claw with my shoulder while scooping the woman up in my other hand. Instantly she crawled onto my mechs back as I made a fist and punch my mechs clawed hand into the dragons chest.

Rust colored blood gushed as I fired my wrist cannons. Large bore flechettes and grenades explode inside its body causing more blood to pour from the wound. Before finally the ordinance burst from the beasts back, with a satisfied grunt I punch the dragon in the face while drawing my hand free.

"And stay down." As soon as I say this a storm of tracers strike my mech and I throw out my left hand deploying my magnetic shield.

Ahead of me I can see two Helldiver Siafu armor shrikes their marking marked them as squad bravo-six-gamma. That squad had gone dark an hour ago that doesn't make sense? Each of the two mechs left huge rooster tails in their wakes. And behind them I can see several other Siafu mech silhouettes

I was about to engage when two tarantula hawk gunships fly overhead their drop bays open. There was a series of loud booms as mechs black and blue Atlas mechs began slamming into the ground. Each of the mechs was marked as MOTH Team-3.

But I didn't need to my HUD to identify them. The red crosses decorating their mechs and telescoping sword hilts they had clamped to their hips told me all I needed to know. And I heard the woman still riding on the back of my mech echo my words.

"The Templar."

As if spooked the three red mechs with the glowing L-blades beat a hasty retreat into the forest. As one the two of the Templar mechs in clamped the hilts from their hips and a fucking sword snapped out like a telescope.

"Ghosts of men charge as the seas crash. Pattern Theta... Confirmed, the pack hunts as the pride fights." came a voice from the Moths formation.

"With me brothers! For God! For Earth!" The MOTH marked as "Crux" shouted. Before charging towards the group of advancing mechs.

Space

Tearus Orbit

2169AD/106AC

"Captain we have three UEC Thorax-class escorts on an attack vector at two, six, three mark two, seven, one." The sensor operator reported her chitinous fingers dancing across the panel.

"Understood. Gunnery redirect starboard aft rail guns six, nine, and seven to intercept." The caption of the Nostromo said as the ships light flickered once again.

On the holo-screen he watched another UEC cruiser disintegrate as it was struck by the ventral particle cannon. The display was a sea of vector lines, multicolored icons, and data streams that to the untrained eye would look like gibberish.

The captain watched three of the vector lines on his ship swivel to teach three red icons that were nearing the ship. There was a fraction of a second where it appeared the ships would be able to avoid the gunnery crews' efforts, but their aim was true.

In space the three rail guns swiveled on their mountings each one glowing with built up energy as they tracked their targets. Then, in a ploom of expelled coolant the tungsten rounds burst from their guns.

The three UEC ships, each operated by a crew of fifty UEC sailors confidently began their attack run. Their energy rakes charged as their single condenser guns fired bolts of magical energy into the flank of the massive human ship. The three ships' shields fared violently before failing spectacularly. As their shields were never meant to deal with the types of force delivered by a rail gun round they instantly failed allowing the tungsten slugs to slam into their targets.

Like a horse swatting at flies with its tail the Nostromo's rail guns gutted the three small one hundred meter vessels like the annoyance they were to a ship its size.

However, in response to the brazen and frankly offensive attack the Nostromo's dorsal particle accelerator then began to slowly turn like the turret on an old wet navy battleship. It's target was one of the UEC's destroyers. There was a scramble on board said ship as the ship's commander watched the large ship turn its gun on them like a tank turret. "All hands aband..."

The ship's shields instantly failed as the three invisible particle beams slammed into it before running the ship through. The ship's entire midsection split under the gaze of the powerful weapon. The two halves of the ship began spilling atmosphere and personnel into the void before the reactor exploded.

At the massive ship’s side its siege breaker escorts continued to drill holes into the UEC fleet from range with their gauss cannons. Not wanting to fall afoul of their energy rakes. A blinking tight beam message from beside one of the UEC destroyers made the captain of the Nostromo smile "Helmsman move us in to cover inside this debris cloud. Gunnery drop this ship's shields."

Twelve EMR missiles burst from their tubes and angel themselves towards the targeted ship before firing their boosters. The UEC destroyers clumsy condenser cannons and rakes burst to life in an attempt to stop the missiles. Its escorts added their own rakes and cannons tried to aid the ship.

One by one the missiles were destroyed, but three found their mark the first two slammed into the ship's shields causing them to flair and fail before the missile final slammed into one of the ships windows. Arcs of electricity began to ark and spark from the ships hull as a message came to the Nostromo.

"Drakes call from shrouded wings. A wolf among the flock finds a light in the dark. Petals bloom and ears ring as snow falls. Pattern Delta commencing." Angeling one of the ship's cameras the captain of the Nostromo magnifies and stains to see a ghost ship pulling up alongside the crippled UEC destroyer.

Mii’ora

Tearus

2169AD/106AC

When the altimeter on Habu's HUD showed we were nearing the edge of the stations radar envelope she was taking a page out of her dearest ones book. Using the external cameras on the Cazasore gunship she watched in fascination as she panned her vision around and could only see a vague profile of the second dropship.

Than her vision abruptly changed and she was back to staring at Lt. Fick sandwiched between Col. Levoy and the Onyx guard. "Mechs ten seconds to drop." The voice of viper two-six's pilot came over the company channel.

This was apparently one of Avery Fallon's favorite parts of being a mech pilot. However, as the door opened below her. The only thing separating her from the trees speeding by was a carrying clamp she thought her love was insane. The trees drew closer and closer as the dropship lost altitude until the pilots voice came back over causing her digestion chamber to drop.

"Habu, Standby for atlasfall." The pilots said in a cool and calm voice over the speaker. "Viper six-four ready." She replied. Ancestors she was nervous, but she was worried about her love even more. What were the UEC doing to him now?....

It felt like her egg sack had been kicked into her chest as the carrying clamps released her mech and she began falling. The fall lasted maybe all of six seconds but to her it felt like hours when neared the ground she threw her arms open wide. Then, WHAM she hit the deck and was down. As she stood up and gained her bearings she saw Trombley's mech make landfall and ran over to it.

"Camouflage, Habu; status?" I asked as I watched Trombley's mech stand up and pull the rifle from its back and activate its Icarus mount.

"Habu, Camouflage; Status is green. I'm fine.", he said as we saw two more mechs slam down, turning she saw two crimson Helldiver atlas mechs marked as "Alpha" and "Bravo".

The two mechs sent their green status as several injured MOTHs from the infiltration teams outer cordon filtered into our clearing. There was a slight commotion as Charlotte's Gungnir "Ice Queen" made a slow fly by before transforming into infantry mode and landing in the clearing. Then, there was a thunderous boom as the final mech hit the ground and it was none other than her lover's as yet unnamed mech Sierra Delta-6624.

The ATLAS-3 stood out among the groups of ATLAS-2s and ATLAS-1s. It carried no weapon in its hands instead it's weapons were in its arms as evidenced by the two sets of barrels sticking out of the wrists. And reportedly it had other weapons inside its arms build-in compartments.

"Sierra Delta-6624, Status report?" Charlotte asked the "head" of her mech turned in its direction.

The white and red mech lifted its arm up to its sensor dome and inspected it's exposed weapons barrel before dropping its arm to its side and turning to face us.

"I am fully operational Captain Dunois." It's deep voice resonated with an almost subsonic undertone as its Icarus mounts sparing to life. Behind the imposing mech twin L-blades sprang forth from their hinged sheaths.

Chapter 58 Deusvult

Miiora (Habu)

Tearus

2169AD/106AC

Miiora noticed that the twin L-blades on twin L-blades on her lover’s mech seemed to drip or flow with something she couldn't quite see but could feel. As the pulsed from within with dull red light. “LZ secure.” Charlotte’s voice came over the channel.

As our reinforced lance moved into a protective circle around the landing zone the three Cazador dropships landed. It is odd because the usual human dropships are loud but the MOTH dropships hardly makes any noise at all as they lands like a gigantic insects and unload and take on their cargo of troops before taking back off again.

Out of everyone here Helldiver X’s Drop shockers, a squad of automated infantry lead by the oddly colored robot, a regular infantry squad lead by LT Fick and Sgt Brianna Fallon. MOTH “Pipe” then chose that time to speak

“Alright this is as close as we can get to the AO of the infiltration team. Levoy see if you can pick something up?” That drew my attention from the power armored MOTH to my squad mate.

Unlike all of us save for one other who wore some kind of long coat on top of the light armor he wore. Levoy too wore light battle armor a Weyland-yutani symbol rested under his NAC patch. And I watched my squad mate turn to converse with the other strangely dressed human before pointing in what seemed like a random direction.

The other human turned to my mech and as he turned a I saw a stylised I with two crossbars hanging from a chain around his neck. “Liaison Mii’ora, come here for a second.” the Inquisitor, Eisenhorn said.

“As you wish sir.” After “Habu” opened the cockpit and lowered me to the ground I quickly crossed the distance but soon found two others had joined the group. The Onyx guard my HUD registers as “Pipe” with the jagged toothed attachment on his rifle, and chief Burbanjack her love’s commanding officer.

“Miiora tymerians evolved as hunters correct from some form of snake or lizard correct?” The larger Inquisitor asked. “Y-yes that is correct sir.”

“Excellent, your squadmate seems to have picked up on a faint pheromone trail. But his model isn't built for this kind of thing. And Eisenhorn here seems to think you might be able to do better.” Burbanjack said, his hands crossed over his power armored chest.

“She will do her best sir.” Under their scrutiny I unlatched my helmet, clipped it to my breast plate and slung my rifle before taking a deep breath.

There was something faint on the air and it made my predators instincts react. My tongue flicked out subconsciously and my sensory organs on my snout flared. She dropped down the joints in her limbs shifting to allow her to crouch on both her claws and talons.

Two… scents good out among the group she smelled. A human… no her human and another… a familiar scent.

“What the fuck is she doing?” She heard someone say. She felt the first whisps against her exposed horns as the wind shifted. Her nostrils fill with a faint scent but one she knows oh so well, it fills her with longing, need, and… wait blood?

Without any thought the maiden Miiora swayed her tail for balance before bursting into the jungle. Behind me I can hear the rest of the rescue team and soon she stopped the rain is thick and the scent becoming thicker. Her pupils sharpen to slits, her nostrils flared, tongue flicks, and tail sways as she tracks her love.

Tymer prime

(Translated to english)

55AE/2158AD/98AC

A young Miiora sat on floor of the T’elsha’ka jungle. Her head was slightly to large for her small frame but her body was already starting to develop and her mother hated that her daughter would be beautiful. Her beauty would make her a target for the dragons. Her mother a shaman stalked around her daughter of eleven summers. The two had come here to teach the daughter of Belki’ora to hunt as the ancestors had.

At the edge of the forest the two were surrounded by the burial eggs of the ancestors. They could see the master's craft flying high over head, and the young Mii’ora’s slave collar itched. “Sit daughter, take time to smell and taste the forest. Your prey will try to hide, so Mii’ora must feel her prey.”

The young gold and ruby scaled tymerian lowers herself to the forest floor as her mother seemed to slither closer. Mii’ora’s tongue flicked from its sheath as her small limbs shifted. Then something she couldn't explain urged her to jerk her head to the side, only to have her mother push on her head back forward.

“Do not let yourself become distracted daughter. You must let the ancestors take you into their coils. Mii’ora is the daughter of a shaman, the daughter of Belki’ora.” Mii’oras’ mother told her as she nudged the small nubs of her still growing horns.

In response she folded her secondary eyelids as the fire tides rolled around her. Her nostrils flared as she caught the scent of a some kind of fowl.

Mii’ora’s tail twitched causing a ring of pink light only visible to her and her kind out into the foliage. She would learn years later that it was some kind of natural sonar. The a blue ring shot back from the ping and her tail vibrated. Instantly she shot into the forest, Belki’ora smiled as she watched her daughter before following.

The older female bounded over a large root. Her lithe brown and red scaled body gracefully glided through the forest for several minutes as she tracked her daughter who was tracking the planted fowl. The scent of her daughter and her excitement was strong on the wind.

When Belki’ora burst through the thick branches of a tree and dug her claws into a large vine bringing her to a stop, before she coiled her tail around it. Pride flowed through her as she watched her smallest daughter plunge her fangs into the feathers of the the fowl. Miiora’s tail was coiled around the body of the bird as she dug her claws into the birds flesh.

Later that night her daughter played with Belki’ora’s eldest son Bra’tac who was home for the time. Meanwhile the mother meditated, she plunge into the fire tides in hopes of seeing what the future held for not just her daughter but all of her children.

She saw several things pass as she swam expertly avoiding the predators. She saw one of her children die executed by humans and ponies. Another swirling pool showed her second youngest Ts’ora as be stood standing before what looked like more rushing humans than she had ever seen. He was dressed in strange armor shouting something about living forever.

K’elani her second eldest daughter found a mate and had several hatchlings of her own. Tik’ac her eldest daughter's fate was cut off as she was forced to avoid more of the tide predators. Then came Bra’tac, he would become prime to a high ranking pony all the while holding to the aincent tal’shi warrior jaffa code, he wielded the a weapon like the halberd staff rifles and killed hundreds.

Then the pool seemed to change as it came to a portion where it showed Bra'tac facing a dark skinned emaciated human male. The right arm of her sons opponent was metal below the elbow and her son was holding his staff before turning with the weapon towards someone else. A female wearing strange armor that hugged the unmistakable form of a tymerian maiden.

Her strange helmet rested in the mud of a strange planet allowing Belki’ora to see the older face of her youngest daughter. The vision shifted once again before it could continue.

“No she wished to see more!” She called out as the tides swirled around her sweeping her through their torrents. She saw flashes of her daughter as she was attacked by the predators.

Belki’ora saw Mii’ora smiling a sight that was so rare that it filled her heart with happiness. Her daughter was with the human from the previous vision. Another with the two holding one another as they shared a kiss.

A pool showed itself as Miiora stood atop a hill on a planet with red skies and red oceans as a black and green gas giant hung in the sky. Beside her the human stayed refusing to leave her visions of her daughter with other several blurred shapes swirling around them.

A swirl showed a world beautiful blue and green with white clouded skies before a shift showed the same world. Only now with dirty brown clouds rapidly expanding across its skies before it shifted again to show the human grief stricken with her daughter consoling him. But her visions were cut short as the beasts ravaging her flesh bit and scratched.

She wished to see more, tried to see more but she risked to much and forced herself out of the fire tides. Around Belki’ora the furnishings sparked and dripped with liquid fire as the residual energy subsided. It would be some time before she delved that deep into the tides again.

Miiora (Habu)

Tearus

2169AD/106AC

I skidded to a halt my claws digging into the mud and soil as I reached my destination. Instantly she sniffed at the air sending bursts of sonar to locate what was giving off the scent. Taking another step she heard a clatter under foot. Reaching down into the mud and leaves my claws wrapped around something man made.

“Shelwu, Biknaksta.” When my hand came back half of an M66 emerged from the pool of water. Its grey and black shell shown slightly from a flash of lightning. “What happened here?” She asked herself before following a second ping.

Several minutes later she found what she was looking for and her heart sank as she found a bloodied HEBA helmet with the words Vtrn Fallon. A back. For a moment she thaught her suitor was dead, dead before their relationship could continue.

‘Wait Mii’ora think… feel the tides he can't be dead if the Williams went after them.’ I close my second eyelids, take a deep breath and open myself to the tides.

Immediately more scents fill and information come to me. There were three humans here one of which being her love. One of which being that brute of a man Big Dog and another. But more troubling were the three Tymerian scents…

“No, no, please ancestors tell me he is not here.” she didn't recognise the dead male or the female, but the second male. His scent was so familiar and in fact on further inspection of the area it confirmed her theory.

“Bra’tac.” She said before a buzzing sound reached my membranes causing me to turn and see the onyx guard coming through the trees. The attachment on his rifle was the source of the noise, he pulled on a lever that extended from the side of his weapons batonette before it's serrated teeth roared to life.

He brought the chainsaw like attachment down on a tree cutting it in two allowing the in mechanized element of the rescue team
through. “Damn, I need one of those things it would make killing Kleese a lot easier. I hate that our knives don't work on them.” The elder Fallon says as her metallic leg hits the ground.

Rather than respond the black armored human simply walked away from the woman and joined me. “Gimmie that.” He grunted before I could respond snatching the helmet I had found out of my claws in the process.

She let out an irritated hiss as the human turned to Sierra Delta as it came through the trees. The ATLAS-3 curiously came through with her own mech “Habu” close behind.

Nonchalantly Pipe tossed my loves damaged helmet towards Sierra Delta who caught it in its massive hand. A scanning beam shined from the main eye on my suitors mech roving it around the entire helmet. The entire process took about three seconds before the atlas crushed the helmet and tossed it aside.

The white and red mech took a knee as we all gathered around. It's eye then began to glow as it began projecting a holographic recording if the helmet cameras footage.

“Beginning playback.” The mech said. As the images began to play a sense of longing and worry that I had not felt since before we left the ship washed over me. Then as the recording neared its end I saw him, my brother Bra’tac.

Tymer prime

(Translated to english)

55AE/2161AD/100AC

Clack!, Clack!

“Again, Mii’ora! you are to slow!” Bra'tac said to the prone form of his sister smallest sister with a smile. She had lasted slightly longer than last time and much longer than Ts’ora ever could.

No his smallest brother was always better with those human designed weapons. In fact his brothers fascination with the humans was slightly hindering his progress. These thought shifted back to his sister as she pushed herself back up.

The third prime stood with one hand on the shaft of his mock halberd rifle while on the ground his sister snatched her own weapon from its place beside her and swung it at him. In response he blocked the blunt end of the weapon with his own.

“No do not let the staff lead you, you are its master. Let it become an extension of yourself. Use it in tandem with your body baby sister. Now again.”

They began again with Mii’ora on the offensive. A low strike first that the subprime easily deflected. He had to teach his sister these things, had no choice because as she grew more males would become…

He parried an over extended thrust with the staffs simulated energy edge. Seeing several openings in his sister's form he chose to drive a knee into her mid section sending her into the dirt. Blue venom oozed from his sisters maw as she writhed on the ground.

Mii’ora was coming into egg laying age and judging from her already budding body she would become a beautiful maiden. Few females developed into maidens and even fewer venomous giving her an exotic edge that would soon be sought after by many eager males. In fact he had already seen several young males leering at his beloved sister. But his presence thus far has managed to deter their advances much to her chagrin.

“It is not yet your time sister you are still coming of age. The ancestors will see you to the one you will share your heart scale with. Trust your brother.” He had told her after a male she had been seeing had been driven off by their father and himself.

He had barely managed on several occasions to negotiate her out of bonding with the drake masters. But they respected strength and were at least reluctantly accepting when he bested his young sisters would be suitors. They were not for her and he would be damned by the ancestors and his egg cracked should he allow a drake to take his sister.

A flurry of movement caught his attention and he managed to turn his head to avoid a wad of venom Mii’ora had spat at him. He bellowed in annoyance and when his sister attempted to rush him once again he tripped her with his tail before pinning her down with the staff.

She hissed at him from her prone position as her tail writhed in anger. “This is impossible, why am I even doing this brother Bra’tac?”

“Because dear sister. One day I will not be here and I do not wish for you to be bound by a male you do not truly love. On top of this two children of our clan have held to the warrior jeffa tradition since even before the masters arrived from the sky. Now before we are finished for the rotation what is the code of the tymerian warrior?”

“We must Honor and Respect Family and the ancestors. Protect and serve the Matriarchs and their People. Honor Steel with Steel. Respect a worthy and honorable foe even when they do not respect you. Respect and Honor the fallen, and Death before Dishonor.” the budding female responded.

“Close enough sister. That is all for today when I return we begin practice with the blazer and rifle staff. Now I must return you home for tomorrow I leave for a new world with my master. And until I return you will continue your lessons with father.” he said helping his sister back to her feet.

“Please don't go Bra’tac? Why can't you stay here?” She asked looking at the ground.

“Because dear sister. If I do not go my master will punish not just me, but all of you and I can not allow this. Please understand Mii’ora I do this for our family my service to commander Rarity Belle and her sister allows us more food and keeps all of you from the eyes of the dragons.”

“But…” His sister responded but was quickly cut off as he placed a hand on her head. “No more of this Mii’ora, you will understand when you are older. And when I am prime I will have the power to help our family. I love you sister and I promise so long as I draw breath no harm will come to you. I shall keep you safe until the day another male takes this duty from me.”

Surface

Tearus New Trottingham

56AE/2169AD/106AC

Four earth pony rangers pulled their bayonets from the forms of three COG soldiers as the wall of the building they had just evacuated exploded outward as a large shape smashed into the barricade.

Through the shower if debris they could see a crimson human mech sitting in the half collapsed barrier. Just as they began to react seven more of the crimson armored mechs slid backwards through the hole made by the first mech as they fired wildly at whatever was beyond.

“Fall back!!” A grey scaled earth dragon yelled to the small group of soldiers as he too came around the corner. Behind him the red mechs continued to lay down covering fire before suddenly their aim shifted skyward.

“Incoming!!” One of the mech pilots screamed a pony by the sound of her voice. Then there was a thunderous crash as a massive humanoid shape smashed into the ground.

The shape burst into movement as the mech in the rubble began to lift its rifle in its direction. With a flash of motion and glimmering steal a massive sword was embedded in its chest. The machine went limp as blood and oil sparked and oozed across the blade. The dragon then reared back and let loose a torrent of blue fire towards the shape.

Then they saw it the form of a huge black and blue Atlas mech with a red crosses adorning its scorched armor. The mech dove to the side thrusting its right hand towards the seven mechs that were firing on it. Instantly the shells and flechettes stopped in the air as they neared the mech as if by a shield. They then saw a name embossed on the mechs right bicep “Crux”

Meanwhile the back of the machine’s left arm shifted and a massive tower shield unfolded itself from a compartment. The flames met steal and burned around the slab of metal as one of the machine’s articulated arms on its shoulders retrieved its sword and hung it on its back.

Then with a flick of the wrist the storm of bullets and shells shot back towards the mechs who had fired them like a wall. The shells forced the machines to take cover and retreat as more black and blue mechs came through the breach.

Like their brother these mechs each carried or at least had clamped to their hips or backs swords or sword hilts. Each one similar to the one used by the first mech and each of them marked with the same red cross.

“Draco sordes moriemini!” Came the enraged voice of a human as the first mech sprinted towards the dragon as it continued to breath fire. The four rangers watched in horror as the mech bashed the drake in the shout with the shield.

Surprised it let out a yelp and reared back in pain. But the human was relentless and didn’t miss this opportunity and in one swift move it retracted the shield and grabbed on to the drakes arm and pulled it close before bringing its right arm around. The dragon tried to pull free but wasn't fast enough and took the mechs elbow across the face.

Scales cracked, flesh pulped, and blood flew from the dragons mouth and left eye. As the mechs massive elbow pulverized comparatively soft bone. The dragon sprawled on the ground and struggled to stand as its ruined jaw hung open at an angle. However the mech had other plans and stomped on the drakes shoulder crushing its bones and cutting into its flesh with its clawed peds.

“DIE!” The mechanized monster screamed as it retrieved its sword from its back and slammed it down into the back of the dragon's head. Then the mech pulled the sword from the dragons ruined skull and thrust it into the air. Before turning its “head” towards the four rangers.

They thought they could get away unnoticed how humorous. The second Icarus mount launched several small missile drones towards their retreating forms they rounded a corner. A few seconds later there were a series of small explosions.

Prowler and his Helldivers were the first through the breach after the Moths. And behind them the roughnecks and expeditionary force began to come through. “Crux” turned to face them and thrust his sword toward the complex, several unicorn horns dangling from the blades hilt blazed with magical energy as he spoke.

“No retreat, no surrender, no defeat!” the leader of MOTH team-3 shouted. And almost as on cue two NAC centaur tanks and four mules broke through the building and fired their cannons into the complex.

“Deusvult! For earth!” Every one of the humans shouted in a chorus that echoed across the battlefield before as one they rushed into the bases outer perimeter.

Meanwhile above their heads the massive dogfight raged around the hanging UEC super destroyer Element of Magic. Unknown to the cog forces at least one matriarch had decided enough was enough.

Ahead of the mass of COG mechs, vehicles, and gears they could see the massed force of the UEC. At least a dozen captured Siafu mechs bolstered the UEC line. Before a in a flash of light three new mechs of a design the COG had never seen appeared on the battlefield.

The three serpent mech pilots had been trained by Casper Williams himself and teleported here by the princess of magic herself. Alabaster armor gleamed in the dull light as their heads rose. Two of the serpents carried condenser rifles whos conduits glowed with golden light. But the center mech stood different from its brethren, instead opting for a simple sword and shield combo.

“Attack.” with that single word broadcast to the UEC soldiers they as one charged forward. And soon like something out of a bygone era the two army smashed into one another.

Then with Crux and his Templars leading the charge the mechs of both sides clashed. The leader of MOTH team-3 smashed his ballistic shield into that of his opposite number. And the fight that decided the course of the ground battle on the planet began.

Space Tearus orbit

UEC-To seek glory in battle is glorious.

56AE/2169AD/106AC

“LET'S go! Get those plasma quarles to the condensers! ” A three hundred human year old batpony mare yells as the Torches lights flicker before going out all together. “Chief Glinting Light what's going on? Are we hit?”

“I don't know sprite, but let's hur…” there was a series of clans against the hull as they began moving once again. “What the buck is going on out there.” she thinks to herself.

They move through several bulkheads passing several slaves and crewmares as they neared the magireactor. However movement at one of the cargo airlocks catches her attention and she readies her side arm. Usually she wouldn't worry, but the savage earthers have been known to do insane things during battle. Her group of spaceponys and a small gaggle of slaves begin to coalesce around the lock.

Then there was a defining bang before she was slammed against the bulkhead and her world went black. When her senses finally returned to her she a few seconds later the corridor was on fire. She could hear screaming, she had to do something, but what was happening? Had the ship been hit, had a conduit exploded? It would certainly explain the smoke and violent flames.

From her prone position on the deck she saw Crimson shadow a two hundred and fifty year old stallion she had slept with a few nights ago. There has been something there something she wanted to continued see where it went.

Crimson was attempting to push himself up and the two equestrian’s made eye contact as a shadow fell over him. He had even begun to reach out for her hand and seemed to be saying something before a black blade sank into his back.

Glittering didn't know rather to help, scream, try to run, didn't know what to do. All she could do was shift her head slightly and saw the power armored form of an Earther. Its black faceless visor prodded a primal fear in her heart and all she could do was stare in horror failed by her weak constitution.

She stared and tried to reach our weakly for shadow’s hand. She wanted to be there for him but as she moved a second shadow fell over her. Horror absolute horror filled her as the boot of a second earther came into her field of view before she looked up.

Through blood and tear soaked eyes Glittering star saw a second human standing over her. This human wore the same armor as the first its armor was black and green with what looked like some kind of scale cloth wrapping around the backs of its legs.

The dress like clothing billowed as the air recycler attempted to clear the smoke. She sucked in a breath as she spotted the trophy this human sported on its left shoulder guard. A dragon skull hung crudely tied into place and it swung as the human turned its eyeless faceless helmet as if it was talking.

It seemed to converse to itself and she took that chance to try to run. Seeing one of the auto shotguns lying in the deck she thrust her arms out and snached it up. In one quick and well practiced motion she rolled onto her back and fired the shotgun point blank into the humans chest.

Amazingly the human was knocked back by the blast and even one of the tungsten penetrators seemed to pierce its armor. Blood oozed from the puncture in his armor and he retreated as she got to her hooves before blasting the bastard that had stabbed crimson shadow.

The humans head exploded as the sabots pierced his blast shield. Seeing her chance she ran she had to get to the bridge, or somewhere to alert the rest of the crew. When she rounded a corner a storm of flechettes slammed into the bulkhead barely missing her position. The sound of banging caught her attention and before she could respond a door mid way down the passageway slid open.

Around the corner came six humans in UEC uniforms carrying assault rifles and submachine guns. Behind them were several young dragons, three zebras, two Tymerians and a single kleese with a bolt caster. Why the arachnid had the anti tank weapon was strange but at the moment she didn't care. A Single human lead the group he wore the older battle armor of the original Camelot colonists and carried an aging M-66.

“You legionnaire!” She yelled getting their attention. Instantly the human in the repainted battle armor saluted in the presence of a superior being. “Yes ma’am, Corporal crimson shadow dispatched us to this location as soon as he was revived he said the ship has been boarded.”

“Yes he was telling the truth Earthers in power armor are on their way to…” that was as far as she got because almost on cue the sounds of heavy footfalls echoed through the passageway.

Instantly the small complement of soldiers raise their weapons toward the interception. But instead of a human in power armor small flying cylinder that looks oddly like a miniature version of a human cruiser drifts into the passageway. The small almost toy like device sits and hovers for a few stressful seconds before flying off.

Not a second a unicorn comes to a skidding halt at the end of the hall. The mare had an aquamarine coat and a pale, light grayish cyan mane with white highlights. But what got their attention was her anti conclave movement uniform and earther battle armor that lacked a helmet.

Lyra Heartstrings dug deep as she heard the old breed changeling Xlui slide into position beside her. The two enhancer rings on her horn burned and glowed as she gathered power. The COG had agreed to help The Movement capture a super destroyer and To seek glory in battle is glorious was the perfect candidate.

To her right she could hear the COG special forces MOTH team-4 or Fire Drakes as they liked to be called catching up. “Fire at will!” She heard as she and Xlui both threw up an overlapping shield.

The first thing they had to do after dealing with this was destroy the engram servers and then destroy resurrection chambers. If they destroyed those then the Glorys crew wouldn't be able to resurrect.

At first when she and Bon Bon first joined the movement about fifty years ago she wasn't comfortable with the idea of permanently killing or perming other equestrian citizens. But ultimately she and a small but decent portion of the population wasn't comfortable with the whole slave thing.

‘I hope they just surrender so we don't have to kill them.’ But as the shells and bullets slammed into the shield she and her changeling battle partner had raised she knew they wouldn't. No the UEC soldiers would fight to the last mare and the humans would delight in killing them all.

At first She had thought humans were noble, brave, and honorable survivors, who had somehow survived on a planet that wanted nothing more than to kill them. This sentiment was later corrected when the NAC made contact with Camelot. Then everything changed and she began to see their true colors.

While they were indeed noble and brave in their own way, they were truly aggressive, stubborn, and unyielding brutal. The team of humans rounded the corner just as the bolt caster fired. Its magic quarrel slammed against the shield and burst. Sparks flew, magical dust spewed and burned the passageway and smoke filled the hall beyond the shield.

“Stay here, its our turn.” one of the humans said to the team of ACM fighters accompanying the MOTHs before he stepped side long into the hall hugging the corner. He raised his right fist and a stream of tracers spewed from the rotary gun built into the armored gauntlet.

The other six surviving earthers in power armor chose this time to add their firepower as well and soon there were several streams of tracers and two gauts of violet fire reaching out into the smoke filled hall.

When the smoke cleared the earthers began moving forward. Using their armored bulk as a kind of walking barricade for the comparatively unarmored fighters to advance behind. A distinctive clatter and a raur was the lead Moths only warning as they discover that the Kleese had survived.

The arachnid picked up the power armored human and slammed her into a wall denting the metal slowly crushing her chest plate. The other moths were about to engage when a second group of soldiers began firing from a second corridor. Leaving the pinned woman to fend for herself for the moment.

In response a human ran up from the back of the group of borders. Moth’s fireteam was not equipped with power armor instead opting for more standard NAC battle armor only with more armor. The under mount attachment on the man's M-66m reaved as he ran. The weapon attachment had originally been a completely by accident.

The standard combat knives of the COG weren't sufficient to pierce the hide of Tymerians or the chitinous shells exoskeletons Kleese, changeling, or Myrialos. And rumor has it that one day during a battle on a human planet a private was about to be killed in a store by a myrialos.

So desperate to survive the trooper grabbed the closest thing to him an electric chainsaw. He killed that myrialos and told his C.O, and that C.O told their C.O and so on until one day about three months ago chainsaw bayonets became optional attachments for the M-66 platform taking the place of the launcher.

And like that unfortunate crab man this Kleese’s exoskeleton was no match for the roaring teeth of the bayonet. One second he was about to crush this human female and the next he was in the most pain he had ever experienced. Blood flew in every direction spattering the moths and resistance fighters in yellow green blood and bits of meat.

“I think I got some on me.” He said jokingly as he turned and saw one of his moth brothers crush the skull of that batpony from before with a rather nasty curb stomp.

‘Honorable and noble might not have been the best words.’ Lyra thought to herself as she watched the three humans that were not in powered armor kick a wounded zebra to death.

Avery Fallon

UEC Research Station 6 Delta 4

Tearus

56AE/2169AD/106AC

After crawling for several minutes, we finally found an exit point from the air vent. It was another vent cover just like the one they opened up when they first entered the vents. Before attempting to opening the steel cover, I looked through the slits of the air vent cover to make sure it was clear of anyone and to see where the air vent had taken them.

"Well, what do you..." Gusty said, who was waiting patiently for me to finish checking to see if it was safe to open the steel cover and finally get out of the air vent. But before she could finish I placed my hand over her muzzle.

“There's one in there.” I mouthed receiving nods from my companions before I returned to pear back through the grate.

A single pegasus that I could see carrying a shotgun and their regular twenty first century style BDUs. His mane was some kind of blue and his coat was I don't know orange? Taking a deep breath I to steady my nerves I took my monofilament blade and sliced the hinges and locks.

I can already feel myself getting weaker. The adrenalin is starting to where off and soon my atrophied body will give out. With a noticeable effort I grab the grate with my bionic before it can fall and silently move it aside. Silently I gently grab onto the ledge and lower myself into the dark and cold room behind the pony.

Waiting several seconds for the stallion to slowly clip colp his sorry ass away I motion for Big dog to follow. He does and soon my MOTH brother is hiding in an alcove between what look like network servers. Hearing the stallion return Harris and I press ourselves deeper into our alcoves in attempt to become part of the shadow.

When the pegasus walked past me again I sprang out. Bringing right arm around and sinking the blade into his chest, while simultaneously rapping my left hand around his throat. My bionic’s fingers dug into his neck cutting off his scream before it came and with a yank I pulled mister century. That's what his name tape read something century into the alcove I had sprang from and slit his throat.

“Hey gutsy what the fuck is this place?” Harris asks the mare as she lowers herself to the floor.

The unicorn looks around for a few seconds before a look of pure hate comes to her face. “Its the engram server.” she spits out in disgust.

“Whenever a soldier dies their mental engrams are sent to a server. Usually a planet has its own server that holds them until a revival chamber can bring them back. But usually there isn't a backlog like this.” She says looking at all of the flashing lights on one of the towers.

“Wait if that's the case why can't you just make more than one of the same person?” I ask as I slam my knife into one of the servers and watch the lights go out.

“Because Fallon besides it being outrageously illegal with the penalty of permanent death or being permed for short. Having more than one of the same person… stretches the soul if you will. As the second body and mind stand the chance of being wildly unstable. On top of this everypony has a set limit to how many times they can be revived before detrimental side effects begin to coalesce.”

“Ok that doesn't make a lot of sense to me. But sure I'll take your word for it. So these servers, if we destroy this server everyone who dies on the planet will be permed?” Harris asked as he looted the stallion body.

“Well yes and no everyone stationed on the planet yes if they die will be permed if we destroy the servers. But when sometimes there are ponies who have their engrams transferred to the second closest server. For example say you were to kill Rarity. Instead of being transferred here she would most likely be transferred to the next nearest server. Which I assume would be a ship.”

“Ok that's good to know. Found the exit let's go.” I called out before slicing the locks on the door and popping it open. Using the mirror to pear around the door I see a rather stupidly marked door.

“Jack pot. Looks like Christmas came early I think I found the place we need to be. Let's finish up here then go get our shit Harris. Maby we can even the odds a bit.”

Sergeant Gusty

UEC Research Station 6 Delta 4

Tearus

56AE/2169AD/106AC

It wasn’t hard to understand exactly what her new acquaintances had in mind. This would be a chance to perm several hundred of the UEC soldiers. Of course she knew exactly where they were going to end up. She hadn’t lied to him about that.

IT was something she was certain she waited for all of her kind. Even those that wanted to stop the slavery, to end the madness that Majesty’s foals had began still had so much to atone for. And she knew the demons that would be waiting for them. She almost wished that Rarity’s engram was here.

It’d be almost poetic to know what she would be facing, but then there was little doubt that all of Princess Twilight Sparkle’s core of friends were stored more than one place. She wondered if the main towers were still working on Equus Prime. If they were then it stood to reason that the originals were back there. She helped with what her human companions were doing. Each tower blinked out, indicating that at the very least a few dozen ponies would not be returning.

A small part of her her wondered how many newborns were stationed here. Those ponies that had been created the old fashioned way, and of course spoonfed the lies given to them by those in charge. Most of the newborns would have their engrams in these towers, the promise of a sense of immortality, but it merely putting death off. Gusty knew that even her curse was at best meant to last only as long as her species did. Maybe if she hadn’t grown up with Majesty, if she hadn’t faced beings like Tirek, Grogar, and been forced to see her own kind twist and alter themselves until there was nothing else left.

If none of that would have happened then perhaps she would be more afraid of the final death, but as it was it didn’t scare her. In many ways she was tired. She found the last tower powering down, growing silent, allowing the very thing that would save so many of the lower standing ponies to venture into the dark, and thus weaken the UEC’s numbers. She let that tower go dark and she hoped that those killed today would have the strength to face the torture they would endure.

“Is there any more?”

She shook her head, “No, and it’s surprising. With them powering down I’d almost expect a tech at the very least to investigate. For there to be nothing at all means that something is happening above us. Something big.”

Fallon smiled, “Maybe they’re getting a bloody nose. Alright here we go second to last stretch. Harris your on point, Gutsy middle, I'll take our six.”

Her party finally made it down the hall and broke into the research lab the two humans with her looked like they were about to fall over. Their withered unwashed bodies looked haggard and their eyes were sunken.

When the door to the lab opened they saw four scientists. Each of them two unicorns, a deer, and neo changeling seemed startled at the sudden intrusion and when they lunged for the panic button her two companions killed them.

Minutes passed as the two humans help one another hook, fasten, belt and buckle pieces of armor in place. Soon the one known as Big Dog or Harris was clad head to toe in the armored suit. His rifle a DMR hung from a strap as he helped the much worse off Fallon into his armor.

Once the human that smelled like a tymerian was dressed she noticed three distinct things. One his armor was much more banged up than his companion. Two he had no weapon short of the UEC weapons their party had liberated from the facilities guards. Three finally he had no helmet and his armor seemed to fit him badly, it sagged in places it shouldn't.

“Alright, now all we need to do is get these fucking things off of our heads. Then get the fuck out of here.” Fallon said as he scanned a table full of captured COG weapons. One in particular seemed to catch his eye and as he held it up she could see why.

“This is Onyx guard issue see the gear on the side? What the hell is this doing here?” he asked no one in particular.

“Well what's the plan?” Harris asked as he filled his armors many pockets with magazines.

“Well….” Fallon began as he unfolded and pulled a handle on the side of the undermount. Instantly the serrated wicked looking teeth of the bayonet revved to life. “I'm thinking we ask real nice.”

UEC Research Station 6 Delta 4

Tearus

56AE/2169AD/106AC

The AGS storage and maintenance room was an huge area within the weapons research division. There were various computers, tool carts, and other machinery and equipment throughout this room. Along with various wires and cables lining the walls and ceiling. Several chain hoists and i-beam trolleys hanging off the ceiling with the appearance of not being used for some time.

The entire place give off a sense of foreboding and uneasiness even though it appears like any other normal storage and maintenance room.

What stands out the most within this room were thirteen, bulky metal machines. Each one resembling strange suits of armor with custom made tactical gear.

Six of them, if one would describe them as large, stocky metal anthropoids with an green and black color scheme. They were quite menacing looking to any person who were unfortunate enough to encounter them.

The other four were big, bulky, and heavy yet effective on the battlefield. They had a color scheme of green, dark green and dark gray with a hint of red on their samurai looking head. They had somewhat more of a traditional look to them in some odd sense, they looked as if they were made to fit contours with their size.

While the last two units, one had a dark blue, sky blue and dark gray color scheme. while the other one had a black, gray and dark gray color scheme. Both of them designed to be heavily armed and ready for mid to close combat with their light armor plating. They have an appearance that makes them seem like they had better mobility, overall lighter and thus faster than the rest and can leap and jump with great ease. These two were quite fearsome when one see them.

For now they were all dormant though they gave off a fearsome atmosphere. Like they could spring to life any minute. Their coats glimmered in the green light of their docking station that bathed them, keeping them still. They were all like metal corpses. The only thing missing was the blood, the very fluid they spilled. But after what seems like eternity the day may have come for them to once again go into combat and spilling the blood of their enemies.

Because just then all of the computers and equipment begin to activate various small lights and modern begin to come alive. One particular computer monitor started to show series of activation status of the AGS units.

[Code Red-66 has been initiated. Commencing activation procedures of AGS-200 series.]

AGS-201-M06Z2A: Activated

AGS-202-M06Z2B: Activated

AGS-203-M06Z2C: Activated

AGS-204-M06Z2D: Activated

AGS-205-M06Z2E: Activated

AGS-206-M06Z2F: Activated

AGS-208-M09DT3A: Activated

AGS-209-M09DT3B: Activated

AGS-210-M09DT3C: Activated

AGS-211-M09DT3D: Activated

AGS-212-M07B3B: Activated

AGS-213-M07B3C: Activated

[All available Advanced Golem Soldier units activated, All main systems are go, disengaging standby modes and engaging combat modes.]

All of a sudden the room came alive with activity. Various sounds of machinery and other equipment could be heard throughout the maintenance room. All the wires and power hoses that were connected to each unit automatically detach and one by one the mono-eyes of these metal monstrosity begin to light up with a menacing bright blue glow.

Surface

Tearus New Trottingham

56AE/2169AD/106AC

As the humans, former slaves, and resistance fighters charged a blinding flash ignited the air behind the group causing the rear ranks to turn to face a new much more dangerous threat. What they saw was what looked like a blindingly bright prussian blue tear in the air.

“What the hell?” Two of the rear guard Atlas mechs turned as three squads raised their rifles. Then with another flash there were figures standing where the tear was now closing.

Dozens of UEC soldiers in what looked like a precursor to battle armor lifted their weapons and fired into the ranks of COG soldiers. Several men and women fell under the barrage and the others were forced to take cover as they watched in awe as one of the mechs disintegrated as a lance of energy reached out and blew it away.

They followed the source of the beam to a lone pony standing in the middle of the group of elite UEC soldiers. Around her eight soldiers wore advanced looking armor and carried halberd like weapons. One of which possessed different coloring and the the letters Applejack age 230. Were sown into the name tape on her left chest pocket.

But what drew their attention was the pony for she was unlike any they had seen before.She wore midnight blue armor with runes etched into their plates and black dress hugged her form and accented her figure.

As her mane and tail flowed around her with an unnatural energy, she pulled a spear with a glowing cylinder on one end from her back. The shaft of the weapon glowed with powerful rune magic and the blade seems to glow an iridescent green.

The ponys horn glowed and the second atlas fell to the ground as a bolt of blue magic smacked into the cockpit. A few seconds later the power armored MOTH crawled from his crippled machine.

“Oh you survived. Good I would hate to have defeated such a formidable warrior without a fight.” The lunar princess said. With a grace full flutter of her fingers she activated a sequence on her belt and a shimmering shield enveloped her form before disappearing.

“Fuck you bitch.” The MOTH barked out as he crossed himself before snapping a sword hilt from his belt. With a flick of the wrist the blade snapped out and the pieces of the longsword seemed themselves together.

“I walk into the shadow of death and fear not evil for the lord is with me. Lord God see me through this day and lend my brothers the strength to slaughter your enemies.” He silently prays to himself before he snapped his blast shield down over his visor. Without muttering another word the templar took a battle stance as the pony spoke.

“We grow tired of this farce. I will dispose of you rabble myself.” Princess Luna said before botb the eleven thousand year old alicorn and the MOTH charged one another. One followed by COG troops, and the other elite UEC soldiers and lunar guards.

Chapter 59 Armor

New Trottingham

UEC fuel and water station

Tearus

2169AD/106AC

Three missiles pop from the frame of a serpent before streaking toward the black and blue frame of a templar's ATLAS-3. In response the templar fires activates its trench coat sending shrapnel to intercept the missiles, before firing its emergency vents.

Twin cones of fire launching the mech to the left allowing it to just barely avoiding a blast from the serpents condenser. With a thought the templar, MOTH Sokolov flips out the twin flechette guns on his mechs forearms and returned fire forcing the serpent to cover its chest and head with its bulbous arms.

“Nice try earther.” the serpent pilot says before throwing his mech into reverse. There is a squeal and cloud of tire smoke as the mech launched itself backwards firing its condenser with its free hand.

Firing his mechs jets Sokolov jumped over the blast of magical energy before crashing down in a low crouch. As a second bolt came at him he spun his mech around the projectile firing first his left and then right wrist cannons. Using his thrusters he dove forward over an overturned mule and into cover at the edge of a building.

‘warning: Incoming hostile Siafu’

Turning to the left he the few seconds it took for the captured mech to clear the building pass. The twin auto cannons on his Icarus mounts sprang to life and as the siafu clears the building he unloaded both his wrist and back weapons into it.

Sparks flew as armor piercing shells and flechettes punched through steel. And after several seconds one of the shells found a magazine causing the entire mech to explode. With a flick of the wrist the spent magazines flew from the arms of sokolovs mech as he scanned the battlefield for his opponent.

Meanwhile across the battlefield Crux raised his shield allowing the sword of the serpent mech facing him to slide to the side as he thrust his sword forward. In response the serpent spun into the thrust barely avoiding the swords tip and slammed the ball of his shield into the Atlas-3s chest.

Staggering back Crux fired his thrusters to avoid a follow up slash and fired three micro missiles toward the serpent's head. Seeing and reacting to the threat the serpent manoverd its shield into position to block the missiles. Meanwhile while twin rooster tails kicked up as it reversed from the now advancing NAC machine.

Seeing that his opponent was in retreat Crux dropped his damaged and half melted shield and unfolded his left arms autocannon. Not stopping to aim, instead allowing his mechs AI to compensate for his gate Crux thrust his fist ahead of him and fired stream after stream of grenades into the serpent mechs rapidly disintegrating shield.

Cursing the the serpents pilot maneuvered his machine between two dragon warriors in hopes of using them as a shield. The instant the cannon fire ceased he slammed his shield down embedding it into the mud and retreated his condenser cannon mag locked to his back.

As the golden particles began to condense the operator watched the templar fire his thrusters as he neared the two drakes. First slamming his machines shoulder into the leftmost dragon while simultaneously piercing its chest with his sword.

The beast toppled back onto the ground as Crux pulled his sword from the dragons chest. The second beast made its play then but as it neared the leader of MOTH team-3 side stepped. Crushing the skull of the first dragon under foot and delivered a quick downwards cut severing the drakes head.

A blinding flash and burst of particles sent the sword from his hand and laid crux low amid the two bodies of the dragons he had just killed. Seconds later the form of the serpent mech looked over his mechs sensor dome raising its sword high the serpent then plunged it down toward the earthers cockpit.

Crux kicked out with his mechs damaged leg causing the sword to miss and lodge itself into the mud beside the atlas. Before firing his jump jets and grabbing a hold of the serpent's head.

Bringing his knee up he slammed it into the machines chest before taking a hold of the mechs left right arm. Planting a class ped against the mechs legs he pulled and twisted back. Using his mechs superior strength to tear the limb away from the serpents chassis while managing to damage his opponents leg actuator in the process.

“Deploy melee spike.” Crux once again took hold of the serpent with his left hand . While his right first retracted into the forearm before being replaced with a four foot cone of diamond tipped tungsten.

The serpent stepped to the side in attempt to dodge the blow but Crux kicked out the UEC mechs legs from under it. Now somewhat kneeling down the UEC machine made a quick and desperate play for its sword. But just as the fingers wrapped around the hilt the entire mech went limp as the spike punched through its back.

With his opponent dead Crux retracted his spike and surveyed the battlefield before two figures approached him. The first was Prowler who handed him his sword and the other a dragon wearing a massive NAC spaceborn infantry patch in its webbing.

“Prowler, Grim Claw, with me. There are more heathens to kill.”

Coco Pommel

Rarity’s Quarters

UEC Research Station 6 Delta 4 [residential section]

Tearus

56AE/2169AD/106AC

Silently the former seamstress studied her hands. It was rare for her to have a moment of clarity, especially one that allowed her to actually see the world, to see more than the hazy blanket of altered perception given to her by the cocktail of drugs that Rarity would give her to ensure that she wouldn’t spend hours trying to scrub the very fur from her limbs. The filthy feeling of what had happened still hung on her, but there was something different.

She felt a connection, a strange old connection become silent. In a way it was almost like a piece of her that been broken was suddenly cut away, cast to the side, and left to wither and die on its own. She walked slowly toward the door, opened it, and heard the sound of the ventilation system. Like most Earth Ponies she didn’t like space stations. The connection with the ground was gone, except in the atriums, for what little bit of connection could be there.

She wandered around the quarters, uncertain of why she was kept in here. Rarity had said something, long ago, about keeping her safe, protecting her from anything that could hurt her, but it felt so foreign. She barely felt like herself anymore. Her cutie mark itched with the need to create, to make something beautiful, to be true to herself, but she wasn’t sure who that was anymore. Foggy memories stuck out like a sore thumb about Rarity. Slowly those memories became clearer, and she could see that Rarity’s protection had come at a high price. She was a kept mare, a sexual relief aid. It felt so demeaning to even consider. Rarity had protected her, but at the same time she had used her.

Her wandering had led her to a mirror, and there she looked at the pony staring back at her. The mare in the mirror was wearing a silk robe, her hair done in a Prench Braid, her lips were adorned with a mulberry shade of lipstick. She wasn’t herself anymore. She was a doll kept by an adoring master. She closed her eyes and struck the mirror. The sound of the glass breaking echoed through the small quarters, and then she looked down into the sink. A long shard lay there. Most would see something that was to be discarded, dangerous, but she saw freedom. Something inside her screamed that this was her chance. She walked toward the large tub, filled it with warm water, added a wonderful smelling lavender bubblebath, and took the shard with her. She slipped into the water, letting it soak into her every pore, and then the shard drank deep from her arms.

She leaned back, hearing the sounds of someone shouting outside, but not caring about who it was. No, she found freedom. Slowly as the darkness surrounded her a dark form with a ram’s head appeared.

“Ahhh... Come, you are to be judged, and then you will be mine.”

She studied him for a moment, “Who are you?”

He smiled, his leathery skin pulled taunt against his skull, “I am Grogar, lord of the dead, king of Tartarus, and judge of the souls that enter. There are such sights waiting for you…”

Avery Fallon

UEC Research Station 6 Delta 4

Tearus

2169AD/106AC

After we incinerated magic’s armor and loaded up with as many weapons and power cells for our armor as we could carry we moved out. But before we left completely I took the chance to liberate one of the SRA nuke tubes from the table. We made it three corridors down before our extraordinary luck ran out.

“Contact left!” I shouted as a hulking mech with a single evil blue eye came around the corner. Barely I managed to dive to the ground as two streams of bullets slammed into the wall where I had been just a moment before.

Before any of us could react the ceiling collapsed and a larger machine wielding a kind of sword slammed down ten yards ahead of us.

“Harris LHO, dust this fuck!” Instantly Big Dog slung his rifle and snapped an M99 from over his shoulder. The big machines stood to its full three meter height and leapt toward us. But just as it was about to make contact with that sword Harris’s round punched into its chest.

The purple mech seemed surprised by this as the shell exploded blasting it back down the hall. The robot slammed through the wall kicking up dust and causing a fire in the room beyond. On reflex I stuck my rifle around the corner. “Harris what do you see?”

“What the hell are these things? That fuckers getting back up!” Harris shouted before lobbing a grenade around the corner.

“We call them AGS their vial things a bit like the larger combat robots you earthers sometimes use only powered and operated by souls captured in gems. Or something i haven't heard very much about them since we stopped using them a while ago.” I heard gutsy say as I unloaded an entire magazine around the corner.

Reloading I then room the chance to use the mirror to check around the corner. There I saw the AGS Harris had shot shooting back through the hole in the wall it had created. Beside it the original machine reloaded its weapon and a third mech swept the hall with its wrist gun.

“We need to get the hell out of here or those things are gonna fuck us up real quick. Harris, Gutsy E-smoke. Maybe we can scramble there sensors.” the two of them nodded and Gutsy handed out a single blue and white cylinder to Harris and me.

Nodding I turned my gun back around the corner and later down suppressing fire as my two companions activated their grenades and lobbed them around the corner. Instantly three streams of tracers lanced out randomly into the smoke and toward us slamming randomly into the wall.

It wasn't perfect but it was our only chance so we took it. The three of us halled ass as fast as we could across the hall and into the adjacent corridor, but we didn't make it unmolested.

As soon as Harris made it across I got clipped in the thigh. Likely the bullet had ricocheted off of my armor and skimmed my leg. But gutsy got the worst of it. Dozens of bullets tore through her as she crossed the hall. And at first we thought she was a goner but she soldiered on in spite of the numerous bullet wounds.

“I'll heal my curse won't let me die that easily. We need to get moving that won't stop them for long.” she said and to my amazement she was right. The wounds on her body were slowly but surely closing.

Wrapping her arm over my shoulder I hauled her up and helped her walk down the hall with Harris on point. Honestly we made it all of about two hundred yards before more bullets came up from behind us. But this time we were ready. Harris without skipping a beat slung his rifle and pulled a mars launcher from his back and loaded the tube with two purple banded rockets.

Fearing the worst I threw Gutsy to the ground and dove to the side as the damaged purple mech slide toward us. The mech was just about halfway to us when a rocket sailed over my head and into the machines chest.

The entire machine exploded as the anti lanky missile distorted and ignited its payload of aerosolized high explosive. I was about to scream at Harris when a second rocket tore through the hall and spattered against the ceiling causing the roof to collapse on top of the two other mechs who were taking cover.

“Fallon those were my only two rockets, let's move no idea how long that will hold them.” He called out throwing the launcher tube to the ground. Nodding I scooped up Gutsy again who welcomed the aid and we moved on once again.

The entire complex rocked once again as another railgun round struck close by. We thought that would be it but soon as we neared a freight elevator we came under attack once again.

But this time it was different, an entire squad of UEC soldiers came out to meet us as we exited an elevator pinning us in the lobby of the elevator room. We returned fire gunning down four of their number before I was tagged in the side forcing me into cover.

Looking down I saw that I had streaks of blood running down my armor. “Damn it in hit.” I grunted out as a hail of bullets slammed into the overturned pillar I has squatting behind.

“Were all hit sergeant stuff some dirt in it.” Harris grunted as I watched him scoop up a small handful of sabot dust and stuff it into a bullet wound on his leg before turning back around and returning fire.

It was then that seven new combatants took the stage. Six ags came skidding in from two side passages adding their fire to that of the UEC soldiers. Instantly the cover I had been hiding behind began to disintegrate under the barrage. The last I didn't get so see him I heard Gutsy curse.

“Buck! Blazer stay down!” the mare yelled as she dove to the side a fraction of a second to late. A brilliant blue beam of energy sliced through the air and severed her hand at the wrist as hit the ground.

Then I saw a blue tymerian standing on the third floor balcony. His weapons blade was unfolded flaring out and back in segments as blue energy surged through it.

“Damn it that lizard has us dead to rights and he knows it.” I said looking up at him with my mirror.

“I'm open to Ideas fallon.” Harris said before suddenly and violently reaching over his cover to pull an unfortunate zebra back over. He pulled out his knife and began to repeatedly stab the non pony to death before he pulled the pin of a grenade on the zebras chest and using his armors assisted servos tossed the body back over.

There was a chorus if shouts before the grenade exploded. The explosion cooked off the other grenades on the dead zebra and took one of those ags down with it but barely as it exploded next to its head.

This only seemed to anger the other five machines and they began to push their advantage. But it was then that things changed and I got an Idea. Suddenly the entire complex bucked violently and I could actually see the ground buckle underneath my feet.

‘Warning, shield breached, warni…’

It was then that a fuzzy dealing washed over me followed by an almost welcoming feeling of belonging. My vision darkened for a second before returning to normal as red fireflies began to filter into the room.

Then it happened a thunderous boom that knocked everyone off of there feet sending then sprawling to the floor. Like a switch every single piece of unshielded tech began to spark and spit before shutting down as the resonance missile struck the base. Suddenly I felt the tartarus on the back of my head begin to burn before suddenly stopping.

Reaching back as everyone slowly got back there feet I felt the plug was gone. In fact it was sitting on the ground beside me giving off green and blue sparks.

“Hell yeah.” I grunted before crushing it under my boot. No longer bound by not being able to use my implant like a savage I thought my password.

‘Charlotte is the reason I am still alive today.’

[Welcome back MO.T.H Fallon]

Instantly the edge of my iris began to glow a dull red as my HUD flashed before me. Ammo counter, fuel gauge, power meter, Power allocation, jet control, air meter, damage control, everything I would normally see with my helmet sprang into view superimposing itself into my vision. I smirked as I felt my suit finally link itself to my implant and begin injecting me with painkillers, adrenaline, and plasma.

“Harris Tartarus is down, dial up your suits servos and kick on your jets. Gutsy get ready to grab one of us. On three.” I half thaught half shouted to Harris and Gutsy as I began to feel my pain begin to die away.

“God damn it Fallon, is your idea going to get us killed?” Harris asked as I spy an adjacent stairway. To my left I could see Gutsy removing the ring from her horn before flashing me thumbs up.

“You know it.” I thought back through our squad link. Taking the Adskiy Metatel off of my back I removed the SRA micro nuke from its tube and diald the timer down to thirty seconds.

“Then I'm in.” Harris laughed as both of our jets primed themselves. The UEC troops were beginning to stir now and spastic fire began to come at us again.

We had seconds before we were stuck here. So taking a thermobaric grenade from my chest webbing I primed the explosive and hurled it toward the soldiers. “Grenade!”

“Go!” I shouted breaking from cover in a burst of speed. Two seconds later I scooped up Gutsy and ran for all I was worth.

Behind us the grenade exploded just as we neared the staircase kicking up smoke and debris. I felt a piece of shrapnel piece my arm as I ran faster than I thought myself possible.

We ran as fast and as far as we could and soon Harris passed me. His legs pumping so fast It was like he was just flying up the stairs with his jets.

Twenty seconds later we reached the top of the staircase and kept running. Soon socratic fire from behind caught our attention. Killing our jets and skidding to a halt both Harris and I bounded off of a wall and dove to the deck.

I pinned Gutsy beneath my armored bulk and covered my ears as an apocalyptic explosion rocked the corridor. Far behind the two advancing AGS and around a corner the staircase we had come from exploded.

The force of the blast picked me up and slammed me into walls and across the floor as it washed over us. I felt a crackling in my chest as my ribs cracked and my vision blurred as fire burned around me.

“GeT Up. WhErE iS YoUr IrOn?” Blinking my eyes as a weight presses down onto my chest I see an earth pony standing with a hoof pressing into my breastplate.

“I am going to enjoy killing you..” she began leveling her m4 esk rifle at my face and pulled the trigger. There was a click as the weapon jammed and her face sank while I smirked. Thrusting my hand down I pulled my pistol from my leg holster and put two rounds in her grape.

Her head snapped back as her body went limp. And I rolled onto my stomach as pushing myself to my knees. “Sound off?!” I coughed feeling my lungs filling with fluid. To my left I could see Gutsy crawling to her hooves. “Still here brother.” my old corporal instructor called out.

“Fallon, what's your status?” Harris squealed taking Gutsy’s hand and getting to my feet. Looking down I saw the explosion had knocked my dog tags loose. And seeing the so called heart scale Miiora had given me spurred me to action.“I'm good veteran. Let's move.”

We were in a bad way with Gutsy at the lead Harris and I had to use one another as support. Both of us were walking wounded and we knew it. But we were in the final stretch now, the hallways here were brighter, and lined with carpet. The entire place looked like some burber hotel or the Dounis estate that one time I had visited with my mom.

Eventually we saw it, the exit. But there was just one problem just as we passed through the doors we came face to face with that damn lizard. He stood there with his staff like he had been waiting for us this entire time. Keying up and injection of biofoam and pain killers I limped forward.

“Alright, Lizard…. Round two.” I said as confidently as I could pulling my dog tags out from under my chest plate and running a finger over the pouch that held both Miiora’s picture as well as my mother's.

With an effort I reloaded my rifle and flipped the handel on the chainsaw bayonets open before revving it. “Come get some.”

Bra’tac slammed the base of his staff into the ground before leveling it at me. As he did this the blade on his staff began emitting a glowing blue light at the edge. Then before I could say anything else he was on me, he crossed the distance in a flash giving me just enough time to bring my rifle across my chest to block the blow.

His weapon sparked and skipped against the revving teeth of my chainsaws edge before the weapon bucked in my hand knocking both of us back. Bra’tac looked like he was about to charge me again when Harris and Gutsy raised their weapons and began unloading their rifles at him.

To his credit he didn't wait around to get shot. That lizard sprang into the forests thick brush and we lost him. Then two blue bolts of energy sailed within inches of forcing us into the forest to seeking cover.

Min’baku

Tearus surface

56AE

“What do you mean they escaped!” The human traitor shouted back handing a drake across the snout. “Damn it!” Around us the other four siafu mechs of Williams weasels sat watching the scene.

In a rage he opened the cockpit of his ATLAS and stood on the bottom half of the clamshell hatch backlit by the red lights all NAC vehicles and armor seems to have. That is a strange choice in coloring, one would think they would choose something like blue or green to symbolize friendly forces to one another. But instead they chose red a color that is almost universally accepted as hostile.

“Alright, fuck it. It's stroke time Fallon.” He said as he pulled a tartarus controller from his battle armors leg pouch before depressing the single button. Only for the negative connection chime to signal. “What? No connection… That can't be right. There's no way they could have taken the plugs off. Unless. Fuck of course with the shield down a single resonance missile would have deactivated them.”

“My mat… I mean master would it not be…” Min’Baku began sliding her her body through the cockpit of her mech. And stopped as the wind shifted and she caught a scent that filled her with rage. “Bakshakola, kitsobwoli!”

“What the fuck are you saying?” Her master asked turning to face her as she slid back down into the cockpit of her serpent before rocketing off into the forest.

“Damn it. After her she has a scent. Lets move people!” She heard her master shout over the radio. But her mind was set on her sisters scent. She would kill her make her suffer not only because her master would enjoy it. But because Mii'ora deserved it for everything she had to endure because of her smallest sister. She hated her and wished she had been taken by the dragons earlier sooner.

Avery Fallon

Tearus surface

Forest around UEC research station 6 delta 4

2169AD/106AC

Eventually the three of us found ourselves hunkered down behind a collection of large stumps and fallen trees. Sporadically alternating beams and bolts of sapphire, ruby, and gold energy slammed into our position forcing us to duck down. “Last mag!” Gutsy shouted holding up the m-66 we had her take with us.

“Here! Make’em count!” I shouted throwing her one of my extra magazines. She caught it deftly and slapped it into her rifle with a noticeable fumble. Before turning back and returning fire in an attempt to pin down the blazer wielding elite guard.

Instantly one of the streams of energy stopped. But strangely it was the gold one not the red one that Gutsy had been shooting at. Harris maybe, no he was unjaming his rifle. Who then who took out that guard?

Just as I was about to turn back around it felt like someone drop kicked my lower ribs. Falling back against a tree I looked to see my armor had been breached. Already I could feel my armor working to seal off the wound and administer biofoam. Looking to up I could see a lone figure sprinting toward me staff in hand.

Bra’tac that bastard was coming at me on all fours that staff of his slung on his back letting out that deep bellow of his. When he was close enough to me he reared back and knees me in the chest making me slam by head back I to the tree.

My vision blurs as he looms over me holding his staff in front of me as a blue pulse makes the weapons edge unfold. “For my Sister human.” He says prompting me to return his comment with a rather rude gesture.

Then a mass of grey and red slammed into him from the side. As he went sailing he managed to smack he with his staff sending my sprawling to the ground. From my prone position in the mud I shook my head to clear my vision and was granted with the unpleasant sight of a human dressed in the same kind of armor as the lizard.

The Caleb was flanking around Harris’s position but before I could shout out or send any warning a huge black shadow fell over the guard. As if sending the threat she whirled around to see a red eyed zaltule looming over her.

Durge used one of her arms to snatch the staff from the caleb before grabbing and lifting her up with with two more of his other hands. Oh she kicked and screamed but durge still clamped down with his huge tarantula like fangs sinking them deep into her neck and collarbone.

Mercilessly he but through her armor and tore her free letting her spasming struggling body fall to the mud while his eyes and weapon turned on another target. Scuttling to the side Durge avoided a blue bolt before he lunged effortlessly onto the trunk of a tree.

His four legs clacked and scrapped as they found purchase allowing him to climb around the trunk like the spider he was before he brought his mark32 to bare. The auto grenade launcher bucked in his hands like a rifle to his large form earning a pained but short shout of pain. As the mangled body of a unicorn flew out from behind a bush in pieces.

Durge then leaped down from the tree as a large bush below him shifted. Blood sprayed from the bush and another caleb burst from the shrubbery covered in rust colored dragon blood. But soon fell flat on his face as Durge grabbed his legs in two of his arms. The man screamed as Durge took the humans hands in a third hand and lifted him up sideways.

“Please! Please don't kill me! Someone help me!” The caleb shouted before Durge opened his mouth and bit the man open spilling his intestines and other I guess what was left of his liver onto the rain soaked ground. The man's screams turned into a guttural primal whale of pure agony as he watched his guts fall.

“Die inferior! The kleese show no mercy!” Durge shouted around a mouth full of flesh before he shifted his grip and flexed his arms out tearing the man in half at the waist.

Just then a series of hoarse reports tore my attention from the morbid display of power. Looking to the source I saw… “Miiora?”

She was wearing that mixture soft hard shell battle armor I and seen her in a few times before so I couldn't see her at all really under the helmet. But the wolf's head patch of ficks ninth on her shoulder, general body language confirmed it.

“Bra’tac showakshi kilbaksho!” She shouted raising her visor and slapping my rifle down with her tail as I lifted it toward the other tymerian.

When her weapon’s slide locked back on empty she threw the rifle down and dropped down and dashed forward as the Bra’tac burst through the bushes towards me trying to flank around her. Miiora’s angled helmet turned in my direction as she looked up and caught the blood soaked staff from Durge.

I however was more interested when I began feeling and seeing the biofoam finally filling the wound stained pink. Satisfied I used my jump jets to launch myself into my feet and took aim at Bra’tac once again. If Mii'ora didn't want me to shoot this lizard or if for some reason wanted to fight this guy alone then that was to damn bad.

“No my lo..” was all she got out before I used my implant and fired my rifle on its highest firing rate. Two hundred flechettes flew down range at six thousand rounds per minute and missed the lizard. Instead striking a regular UEC soldier who was peeking his head up turning it into a fine mist.

“Fuck!” I shouted as the lizard shifted to come at me instead. Miiora was saying something as Bra’tac drew close but I wasn't paying any attention. Instead I did the only thing I could think of on the spot, I used my signature move I threw my rifle at him.

The eight pound piece of ceramic, polymer, and steal slapped into his chest and he stopped stunned. “What the..?” He grunted out before I used my jets to deliver a straight kick to his ugly face knocking him out cold.

The distinct sound of a gatling drew my attention and I looked to see four Moths burst through the tree line. In unison each of them turned and fired their weapons into the bush where the last beam had been coming from.

It was then that the first mechs and regular troops began trickling into our position. Two particular caught my attention however one had a unicorn horn around his neck and the other wore battle armor that was pitted and pockmarked with its dull tan paint beginning to fade. “Gran? Watkins? What the hell are you doing here.” I began as the weight of my injures finally hit me.

But before I could fall on my face Miiora was there and caught me tucking herself under my shoulder to hold me up. “Thanks love.” I grunted looking over and seeing my reflection in her visor. But instead of responding she touched her helmets forehead against mine before helping me sit down the ground.

“In answer to your question kid is Barron agreed to send down a rescue team when yins didn't report in. But he only wanted to send volunteers because command didn't want to send a rescue team after you.” My grandmother explained rubbing her leg as the mechs began forming a perimeter. Satisfied with the only answer I knew j would get from her I turned to Watkins.

“I came because we went to basic together that and Miiora was starting to get on my nerves.” He said before getting a smack in the back of the head from granny.

“Are you still able to fight Fallon?” Chief burbonjack asked as he came up to me.

“Yes sir, I'm locked an…” I tied to stand but immediately fell back down. “I'll take that as a no.” He grunted out before waving over Levoy who set to work on my most vital wounds with a portable weaver.

Ahead of me I could see Bender working on Harris with another weaver as Gutsy just sat flanked by two specteres talking to an … “Holy shit is that an inquisitor?”

“Yes it is Fallon.” A new voice commented. Turning my head my heart sank when I saw a fucking onyx guard standing beside Burbonjack. Shit the only reason I could see one of them being here is if command thought we spilled Intel.

“I didn't tell them anything.” I blurted out like an idiot. The chief got a face and just shook his head.

“Hope that you didn't.” Was all the onyx guard said before the inquisitor turned from Gutsy to him. “She is good. I'll take care of him first then this one.” The inquisitor who's name tape read Eisenhorn said before walking up to the small group around me.

“Veteran Fallon. I am inquisitor Eisenhorn. Please hold still this will only take a moment.” He said before taking a knee in front of me and placing a hand on my head. Instantly it felt like there were a million ice covered ants crawling all over my brain.

The feeling went on for what felt like hours before he released his grip in my head and stood up. “Psi-ops will need to brief him. But other than that he should be good. No need to shoot this one.”

“What ever.” The onyx guard said before walking with Eisenhorn over to Harris.

“Where is Magic?” the chief asked once Eisenhorn and his thug were gone. “He’s gone sir. He didn't make it they tortured him to death. I think when Harris and I didn't spill they must have killed him.”

“Tell us what happens down there Iceman.” X said checking something on his wrist computer. So I explained from the moment I was captured, the tartarus, Rarity, williams, gutsy busting me out, the escape from the complex finding magic dead, the server room, I told them everything.

“Damn that certainly explains some things. command needs to know about this if Williams has jumped ship when that represents a massive security risk. Worse still is this explains the reports of UEC capturing and operating operating siafu mechs.” X said to Burbanjack

“But perhaps worse have heard rumors of troops killing the same UEC personnel more than once. But this confirms it.” Moth Pope said leading the two other men away to a private huddle.

“What is your mates status Mii'ora?” Durge asked making his way over to us with each step of his legs making his armor plates click and clack against his exoskeleton.

“Well..” Levoy began cutting off Miiora. “He has severe internal bleeding, two broken ribs, a cracked femur, five bullet wounds, punctured lung, three grade two shrapnel entry's, a concussion, and a mild fever. So despite what he might say he is not fit to fight.”

“If that is true then why is he still alive?” Durge asked folding his lower arms together. And beside me I could feel Miiora’s grip on me tighten.

“Honestly the only thing keeping him alive right now is a mixture of Biofoam, adrenaline, and luck.”

“Can you do anything for him?” Miiora asked concern dripping from her voice.

Levoy sighed before looking up from my leg and directly at Miiora. “... I’m a combat support android Mii'ora. If I was a medical model or had the proper programming I might be able to do more… But as it stands all I can do is get him stable with the weaver… we need to get him in his mechs womb and to the Galactica or Manitoba sooner rather than later.”

“So… what are we going to do with him?” Harris asked gesturing to Bra’tac. “I say we kill’em” I commented as I watched the big tymerian begin to stir.

Beside me Miiora who had been silent this far hissed and turned her helmeted head to the big lizard. “I will speak to my brother my love. Perhaps I can make him see reason.” She said before picking up Bra’tac’s staff and removing her helmet.

When he finally came too the two of them had a rather heated argument. The special was so full of gesturing and shouts that it actually managed to draw a small crowd. But the strangest thing was now that the two of them were standing side by side I really began to see the similarities.

“What are they related?” A familiar voice called out from behind me.

“Trombley? How the fuck would you know?” I asked having finally managed to stand up once the weaver was finished stitching me up.

“Really sarge? Look at the the way the big guy has his arms crossed looking all pissed off but having a hard time hiding his excitement. While sis is over there gesturing wildly and…” I turned him out after a while before noticing that my rifle was still unloaded.

“oooh he's looken at you now Avery. What is that her dad?” Sugar commented nudging me in the side while I racked the slide back on my now loaded rifle. Looking up I saw that yes indeed the lizard was now looking at me, well shit. “I think it might be her big brother.” I said as Harris just laughed.

“That's even worse!” He choked out between coughs. “Yeah laugh it up Harris.” I groaned.

“We've got movement! Fast movers inbound through the forest.” that immediately killed the mood and everyone was back on edge.

“Talk to me Ice Queen what have you got?” Pope asked as he polarized his visor. I felt a nudge and looked to see the onyx guard beside me holding out a helmet. “Put this on dumb ass before your head gets shot off.” he said before walking off.

Slipping the helmet on and switching off my implant I was flooded with more information and immediately clicked into tac-link. And Charlotte’s voice came over the channel. “Looks like four no six mechs inbound on your position. Wait make that six mechs and two dragons with infantry. I can't see the two in the lead but the other four look like siafu mechs.”

“Shit alright game faces people.”

There was a set of thunderous footsteps beside me and I turned to see my old mech now sporting a red and white coloring open its cockpit for Miiora. She climbed in sparing a look at her brother and me before the cockpit closed. When I saw the callsign I couldn't help but chuckle Habu.

“Wait visual on the lead two mechs. It looks like an atlas and...Confirmed its Ghost and one of those new UEC mechs.”

“Habu” turned her dome’s shining gold sensor eyes in my direction and pointed to something behind me and when I turned I smiled. There standing behind me was my mech Sierra Delta-6624.

My Atlas-3s white and red armor gleamed as its singular crimson sensor eye gazed at me from the dome. Behind him the two L-blades snapped out on the icarus mounts each one seemed to radiate and pulse ominously. And I saw the smoke lanky hovering in front of the cockpit as I began to think back to everything Williams had done to me until now.

‘YeS cHiLd’ the smoke spoke urging me on as the keening began again. But quieter than before manageable even, like a calm white noise. Taking a deep breath I glanced over at Miiora’s mech, my old mech once again.

That bastard wanted to take her from me, do unspeakable things to her… Well if he wanted to to do anything he would half to get through us first. Casper Williams had no iron he could not, would not take anything else from the whole from me any more. Not so long as I’m still alive not as long as I have my atlas my...

I activated my implant and placed the name into my mech. And as if reading my emotions my mech flexed its clawed hands as two gatlings and two cannon barrels clicked in their wrist mountings.

“Armor, open cockpit.” The clam shell opened and leapt inside. I felt the cockpit close as I took a seat allowing them seat to close around me. The womb filled with amnyosis and I took a deep breath allowing the oxygenated fluid to fill my lungs.

"Transfering controll to pilot." My armors body became my own as I synchronised with the machine. Skin and mussel were exchanged for steal, carbon fiber, and hydrolics.

As the outside world came into view now from the perspective of my mechs sensor dome. I saw him the traitor Williams and standing beside him could only be his pet.

"Sound off.."I heard Charlotte call out over the channel as I stomped over beside Miiora. Standing with my brothers listening to them call out I was ready to end this and get the fuck off this planet one way or another. I am armor, I am fury, and to for Miiora, for earth I will not fail.

Chapter 60 Versus

Charlotte “Icequeen” Dunois

Tearus surface

Forest around UEC research station 6 delta 4

2169AD/106AC

Eyeing my lance I immediately spread them out as best I could to give everyone the best firing arcs. But the issue here isn't just one of numbers, it is one of quality of units. Judging from reports relayed by the Galactica from the battle on the other side of the continent five of the incoming mechs were something of a mix between a brawler mark2 and sniper mark 3 variants of Siafu mechs. While simultaneously surpassing both of those older designed UAF mechs.

Normally that wouldn't be a problem because judging from scans even on their best day these mechs couldn't match a gungnir in combat. And if my lance was made up of only gungnir mechs this would be a sweep but with only five mechs counting me it is entirely more complicated.

[600m No visual]

Three of my mechs out there are older model atlas units. Wracking my brain I quickly go through what I know about my lance. First up as Camouflage, his Atlas-b2 was not originally designed to be used against other mechs but would probe sufficient if only just against adult dragons. So it would be best to keep him out of close range combat with mechs.

“Camouflage, move to this position and provide fire support for the squishes and take out those dragons. Do not engage the enemy mechs in cqb unless absolutely necessary.” I order flashing up a waypoint on his HUD.

[500m no visual]

Next up were the mech pilots of MOTH team-1, the and Habu. Their Atlas-2s were better built for combat with other mechs while not being purpose built for the task. Grayson is almost as good as fally and he and Bender were an excellent team so could mesh their loadouts. Yes they would be functional on their own so I with a wave I sent them their orders before focusing on Miiora.

I had to be careful here because I know she won't stray far from Fallys side in any other situation Miiora could be relied on to follow orders. It was just part of who she was being much more submissive as result of being raised as a slave. It made her much more receptive of orders but I have no doubt that if I order to leave Fallon to fight alone she would completely ignore me.

[400m sporadic visual. Engagement not recommended]

… Judging by the trajectory of the first mech it looked to be focusing on her. Merde, Miiora has improved since I took her under my wing and began teaching her. But she’s like Trombley still somewhat green despite their engagement with the lankys, inexperienced, and leagues behind her boyfriend on her best day.

If the worst came too she might in fact become a liability to Fally. Who at the moment was next runner up to being the best ATLAS pilot in the cog behind the traitor Williams and Crux. If she was in danger he might have to divert attention to keep her alive. But the joint modifications our team made to Mii'ora’s mech added to her machines much more slender frame and odd tymerian ability to pilot might help her out.

[300M]

With that thought I pre spun my wrist gatlings and readied a spread of missiles. My mech is more than a match than two of these serpents as uec calls them, so that only leaves Fally. "Armor" unlike the other NAC mechs present was an ATLAS-3 a machine that was purpose built from the ground to be a state of the art battle mech.

As such the NAC machine is in several ways superior to my generation-3 gungnir. Chief among them was the womb that encased the pilot in a amniotic fluid and fully immersed the pilot with its neural link allowed for a level of control that was unparalleled even by the Nordic Empires machines.

That combined with the absolutely ludicrous amount of firepower and other general rubbish the NAC feels the need to pack into its eighteen foot frame makes the ATLAS-3 the king of the ground, the same way the gungnir is universally accepted as the queen of the air. And if intelligence reports are true the NAC has already begun designing a fourth generation atlas.

That being said it is painfully obvious that Fally is determined to throw down with Williams. His body language is angry his machine matching how he would move naturally. His hands open and close into fists as he slowly paces back and forth in his position like a caged animal.

[260m]

Behind him the twin L-blades attached to his icarus mounts twitch and flex subconsciously as he walks. The black straight tapering blades and slight curve of their scabbards give his machine the appearance of large headless angel in the dark. Avery is arguably the best mech pilot here but there is something wrong.

His breathing is ragged in the tac-link, a stark contrast to the muted conversation of the other mech pilots and ground troops. His sharp inhilations made even more ominous by the slight sucking sound from the omniosis filling his lungs. Beside him Habu’s sensor dome sporadically glances from the tree line to Avery's mech "Armor" clear worry apparent in her body language. Beside her Big Dog appears to be just as agitated as Fally but more in control in a cool rage.

Then the range finder flashes once more and without being able to see my HUD Fally’s left fist shoots up before he sweeps his arm across the forest. A line of flechettes and grenades go flying deep into trees and a scream of pain echoes from somewhere out of sight.

[200m]

“Engage.” The first uec ground troops begin to stream in as my lance and the unmechanized portions of the rescue team opens up on them. Then the mechs and dragons began returning fire forcing us into cover.

Massive bolts of golden energy streamed passed or struck our cover sending particles in every direction when they explode.A shockwave rocked our position as a very familiar black dragon slammed down. It's scared face, barrel chest and slightly torn wings marked it for certain this was the drake Fallon had battled and bested on Bagmare.

“Hrrraaaagh!” A guttural primal scream tore its way through the tac-link and through the forest as the white and red chassis of Armor slammed into the drake.

The dragon scrambled to its feet but was met with a vicious rake across its face from Armor’s clawed fingers. Armors other hand came then clenched in a fist he batted the beast to the ground where its bulk snapped a wing like a twig. The left most L-blade swung around as the dragon struggled to a knee drawing a deep line across its stomach.

The beast wailed in pain as its innards began to spill from the gash but it's chest heaved as it readied to belch fire directly into Fallys cockpit dome. Several guns turned on the beast blowing several large chunks from its flesh but many held their fire do to the risk of hitting Armor in the back. The black dragon’s neck began to glow with an inner flame before the second black blade sank into its chest.

Dull embers erupted from the wound as a the fire died in its throat. The drake croaked out a scream as Fally leaned his mech down and used his mechs speakers to scream directly in its face before drawing his blades together bisecting the beast.

The energy bolts gave way to regular bullets and sporadic rockets as we retired fire. But in a small window I watched Fally throw up a hand absentmindedly a magnetic shield stopping the incoming rounds as he thrust a hand into the spilled guts of the dead dragon. When he pulled his hand back he held the beasts savaged liver high above his head.

“Icequeen, Eisenhorn; Moth Fallon is about to break formation. Something… many things have a grip on him. I have seen it and whatever it is has a hold on his rage and he is grasping it back like a life line, I can no longer hold him back.”

Part of his cockpit opens and I force myself to fight back the bile in growing in my throat as he crushes the organ in his powerful clawed fist. Dirty unfiltered blood the color of rust gushes steaming down into and around the partly opened cockpit hatch. Inside of the cockpit I can see the sealed pod of his womb being covered in the liquid as the liver pulps and begins to squeeze between the mechs fingers.

“Huhaha!” The two blades flare out behind him before his sensor dome flicked to Habu and seemed to linger on her mech before he lets out a scream so loud and full of sorrow it is like a physical attack. His L-blades pulsed an evil red sending out red particles like fireflies. Before the veins that had been present since landing on the planet settled and lost their glow replaced with a deep arterial red.

“Ghost, I will peel your flesh for the One.” twin pillars of fire roared into existence as Armors jump jets fired. The jets lifted him as he fired his cannons into the tree line before crashing back down behind a bolder farther away from the lance and the rescue team as several mechs burst through the trees with an atlas-2B at the lead.

New Trottingham

UEC fuel and water station

Tearus

2169AD/106AC

Crux ran another of the enemy mechs through with his sword before arcing his blade out and through the neck of a drake. With the flick of a wrist he through up a magnetic shield blocking several incoming tank shells meant for his machine.

Movement caught his attention and he swept low turning and repelling the shells directly into the twin cockpit of a siafu warrior. The mech exploded showering his machine with burning oil and broken metal but through the flames he could see several of his brother Templars had fallen.

These serpents as the enemy called them were proving quite the worthy foe. Through their pilots were no true match, two of the machines had managed to fell his second a noble woman by the callsign of Mercy. This battle has proven costly fully a third of the assets committed to the attack have been lost. But slowly the UEC has been pushed back. But now with the furrball in the sky dwindling more and more UEC fighters have been freed up to strafe his forces.

A flash of light blew him back and through a building. Damaged by the blast his left icarus mount was crushed and severed from his back as he crashed down in the street on the opposite side of the street. Struggling to get to his feet his cockpit was bashed by a powerful hand making him slam down onto his back.

Before him were two drakes and two serpents the ones that had killed Mercy no doubt seeking revenge for killing their leader. They leveled their weapons as he rose shakily to a knee using his sword for support. “I walk into the valley of death and will know no fear.” He mutters as he watched his death near.

Then a piercing whale cut the air as three mechs fell on them. He recognized them as the ones that had fled the battle earlier, two of them were atlas mechs who wore helldiver colors under their blood soaked armor, and the third was a white sniper model Siafu.

The sniper marked Hope swerved juking under the massive shotgun blast of one of the drakes before it's arm rose autocannon barking a continuous stream of shells. As the dragon staggers the siafu brought its pincer to bare severing the shooting arm from the beasts body.

It howled in pain before its head was severed by one of the atlas mechs. This mech was marked Blur and the upper portion of its cockpit appeared to have been torn away revealing the horror inside. Blood and awful sloshed around the cockpit showing the pilot. Blur punched into the cockpit of one of the serpents it whaled before being shot by the second UEC machine.

The two surviving UEC soldiers fell back one of them managing to sever the head from the white siafu. Inside a siren turned its eyeless head toward Crux as it used its L-blade as an improvised shield protecting the beast.

It's beaked mouth parted slightly as it let out an echoing chirp to the templar commander before it chirped to the atlas at its side. “Acknowledged, my target is marked follow.” The surviving atlas spoke before the two sped off in pursuit of the mech and dragon.

Crux crossed himself as he stood truly the Lord must work in strange ways. Glancing up to the skies he watched the black armored “Ruler” pirouette her fighter around two magenta bolts of energy.

The offending UEC fighter a heavenly modified NAC shrike shoots past the onyx guards craft and into a wide bank, before leveling off and firing two missiles into a passing shrike blowing it out of the sky. And in response Ruler’s fighter transformed into its valkyrie mode slowing violently as the wind buffeted its hull. The sudden drop indeed allowing her to track the enemy shrike with her right wrist gatlings.

Several of the grenades missed their target and several more glanced harmlessly off of the freshly recharged shields of the equestrian’s bastardized fighter. But one grenade managed to bypass the shields and struck the armor of the plane sending it into a spiral that it quickly recovers from.

????????

New Trottingham

UEC fuel and water station

Tearus

57,541,999.GS

It reached out and at last it found its answer. It found its answer in the form of the children born from its war with the patterns calling themselves Humans. Truly its need to incorporate its need to be all and nothing, to know all but little has found several patterns among humanity. These sparks of light made from its influence have become their own. An experiment yet not, it reached out to these children wielding blades made from the whole.

Several of these children could not withstand its influence and gave in. Their body's morphed and changed by the whole’s need to make more of itself to spread just as it has done since it first was birthed from the bone covered wastes of its home. These prove to be lesser than their brothers and sisters but nonetheless they fight will all the ferocity of their bone kin, with all of the Iron of the whole.

It reaches out through these new eyes and sees the enemy. These forms these patterns make the whole recoil for the whole can not take in anything of this new enemy. Their flesh is sour and their bones break with a stench that is unnatural.

The humans who are its enemy fight the threat while fighting the whole. Yet it is odd that the first race in a million years has not progressed farther. This enemy they fight threatens not only the humans but the entire whole. In time should the small patterns fail to defeat the threat it will spread.

Across the small part of the arm the humans and threat occupy those who have wielded the black blades for sufficient time have begun to see its avatar. The formless shapes that make up the whole and the one have appeared to many of the small patterns and It feels something it has never felt.

It has been alone for so long and something female something ancient and forgotten rejoices that its children have appeared and is killed. Yet another old calls out in rage as its mate cries in sorrow as its children die and it is killed.

It has already given the humans something in the hopes of aiding them in their battle against the threat. The things that it had gotten these items from were old almost as old as the whole yet still no match for its might or the rage of the one.

It reaches out, it reaches out, it reaches out. Thirteen million times it reaches out and it feels its children's call. On the planets they and the enemy call Tearus five and one of its children have awoken. One and five on the planet Baal, five on a world shrouded in perpetual shadow known as Pak, ten on their Steel World, twenty on the planet the threat, the humans and the whole each want the humans call Blood World, and six on the fourth planet in their home system Mars.

Yet only three among those on tearus truly hear the call and this is good for its call is to strong for such lesser creatures. One the first among the small race to head the call died and just now another fell felled by the guns of the hated tasteless threat.

Now only four remain in the dark system and only two somehow mechanically shielded from the full might of its call. One of them the oldest and most susceptible has been changed by the holes need to feed. It's sirens call echoes as its fear is evident yet the child by its side quells and directs its fear, rage, and need to feed.

And two on the opposite side of the world have seen its avatar. Found comfort in their dark time at the hands of the threat. “Their iron is pure.” something says before being killed.

Yet only one of the two wields the blades made from the bone and hulls tendrils ships. It feels the rage of The One its need to wrend flesh from bone and kill, but it ignores yet sees the the full call somehow shielded as if through a capsule of glass. It's rage is pure and its hate is unyielding and all of it is focussed on one being a pattern calling itself Williams.

This child of iron is shielded by an outside force, a mixture of emotion shared by twelve of its brothers and sisters across the stars that allows them to focus and retain sense of self. It reaches out in hopes of finding the name to call this emotion and things taken in long ago call them blood lust, and sorrow. But chief among them are love a concept strange to the whole as it knows only the need to spread, explore, and test those new. And rage a sentiment part of the whole know well.

It reaches out and feels one of its children die too consumed by its lust for slaughter and changes its call. Now no longer blazing now dull and droning silently, a keening always the keening.

MOTH: Avery “Iceman” Fallon

Tearus surface

Forest around UEC research station 6 delta 4

2169AD/106AC

“Damn it Fallon your getting far from the formation.” a voice calls out through the keening.

Using my emergency vents I spin around sweeping my leg out low and raising my right fist firing a string of rockets into the chest of the nearest mech. The missiles impacted blowing large chunks from its armor as it turned to face me bringing its cannon to bare.

“Armor overclock thrusters two second ventral burn rotate point six.” energy coalesced in the mechs weapon before a massive blast burst from the barrel.

Diving towards the bolt I fired my emergency vents sending me sailing under the roiling mass. Now clear my thrusters fire sending me into a half barrel role while I deploy my close combat spike as I land with a roll.

Coming to a skidding halt inside of the serpents guard I lashed out with my L-blades. The two black melee weapons stab out into the torso of the mech once, twice, three times each stab piercing through its armor. Before I deliver an uppercut directly under the chest of the mech.

The diamond tipped spite punched out from under mechs head covered in blood as it passed through the cockpit. The serpent's feet leave the ground as I stand holding the mech above me impaled on the spike I drove through its sternum.

A flashing light drew my attention back to the rescue team. Habu was falling back as one of the serpents pressed its advantage. Firing my jets I leap over to her position shoulder bashing the UEC mech aside as I land in front of her.

“Thank you.” Making the belter hand sign for you're welcome I ducked under a punch from the mech before being bashed to the side. Flying through the air I crash through a tree before bouncing off of a bolder and coming to rest on my back.

“Warning: minor damage detected to left hip actuator, combat effectiveness lowers by point six percent.” Grunting I rotated my upper body to face the ground and using my arms I pushed myself back to my feet. Before rotating back to face forward and stare down the white and gold atlas mech.

Red tendrils swim into the borders of my vision as I hyperventilate feeling the amniosis fill and exit my lungs inside the womb. Hearing the keening loud in my ears as a thirst pulsed from the back of my mind. Rounds pinged off of my armor as the two of us stared one another down, and a wet sloshing could be heard just outside of my womb inside the cockpit.

The entire battle seemed to slow down as I felt two footsteps behind me. But my attention was focused on Ghost as he looked to his rifle, I had damaged it early on and now minutes later, it looked useless. He must have had the same idea because sparring it one final look he throws the weapon to the side to crush two UEC soldiers.

Beside him the white and green serpent aims it's rifle in my direction and I respond by deploying both my ballistic shield and close combat spike. Opening a second window compiled of Tac-link video I can see several golden bolts fly from the serpents rifle to splatter and sizzle against my shield.

Soon however a second after the tenth bolt struck my shield a burst of tracers lanced out from over my shoulder. Glancing back using an external camera dome I saw the red and white chassis of Miioras mech directly behind me in a medium couch firing over my shield. “Push.”

With that I take a small step forward retracting my spike, and with my fist back in place I poke it around the edge of my shield adding my own stream of tracers to Miiora’s. The combined fire of my flechette and grenade autocannons and Miiora’s pulse rifle force the serpent back making it use its bulbous arms as shields.

An explosion catches my attention as I see the life signs for the chief flatline. His mech falls to a knee as its cockpit burns before toppling onto its side going limp. Beside him trombley's mech is hit by a shell and its left arm flies off blasted off at the joint. The limb pinwheels before crushing one of Moth team 2s power armored troopers.

Trombley staggers back his mech taking several more hits before Bender dragged him behind his ballistic shield. The surviving members of the apex predators come together forming a turtle shell shield wall with their overlapping ballistic and magnetic shields. And from their backs their icarus mounts weapons spring up firing over the wall and through gaps.

“Iceman, Habu take out those two mechs ahead of you. Gah!” Charlotte sent before the lower portion of Amps cockpit exploded as a lucky shell passed through the shield wall showering her mech in debris and sparks. His mech staggers before regaining its footing. “I’m fine go!”

The keening grows louder and louder, the scratching at the back of my mind building and building before. All at once time seems to stop as Charlotte is blasted from the sky mid jump.

Her mech’s left leg disintegrates as a lucky hit strikes it. The change in weight causes her machine to overcompensate sending it tumbling end over end before slamming down head first in a heap.

Something snapped then and the keening quieted. I could see a swarm of red fireflies drifting into my line of sight. Opening a link to Miiora I stood locking onto Ghost who had an anti lanky auto cannon on his icarus mount.
“StAy, BeHiNd Me.”

Mii'ora “Habu”

Tearus surface

Forest around UEC research station 6 delta 4

2169AD/106AC

The L-blades on my loves back spread wide like an enraged drake as he roared. The red veins on the blades burst to life glowing brilliantly with an evil crimson glow, bathing the left and right sides of his mech in red light. Burning embers of light the color of human blood drifted down from the joints connecting the blades to their sheaths as he let out such a pain laced screech it makes her heart stop.

The jump jets fire behind him sending him arcing high into the air as he retracts his tower shield. Enemy fire lifts from the battered rescue team to follow his assent before at the peak of his arc he thrusts his hand down stopping the incoming shells, bullets and rockets with a magnetic shield.

Taking this chance she locked onto the mech with Min’Baku’s scent and fired a burst from my rifle into it. The machine bucks and sparks fly as armor piercing flechettes punch through its hide. Bin’Baku goes low attempting to make a smaller target as her tail flung out for ballance.

Twin pillars of fire lance down behind Min’Baku as my love fires his decent jets kicking up mud and water. Landing with a splash I watched one of the serpents pass by the white and gold atlas before a literal wall of ordnance repulsed from Avery Fallon’s the magnetic shield reducing the serpent to sparking shrapnel and fire.

Behind the serpent the left side of ghost’s machine is pelted with ordnance and shrapnel severing the icarus mounts from its shoulder. Taking a step back it narrowly avoids my suitors form as he dives for him.

Landing with a roll he passes by the penultimate serpent who moves to punch him. But he ducks under the blow and barrels into it clawed fingers clamping around its narrow midsection. The two of them roll before coming to rest with Avery Fallon atop the machine.

A powerful hand bats at his cockpit once but is pinned and served by the twin blades on my mates back. With a blood chilling scream filling the open channel the pilot howeld in fear as Avery Fallon tears him from the machines cockpit.

The pilot screamed and batted at the clawed hand holding him before my love brought his other hand around. Clapping his hands together a fountain of blood, pulled meat and bone sprayed in every direction. “What.. The.. fuck?” someone commented through the company channel.

Sensing movement I ducked low shifting my mechs joints and pushed myself to the side. Not a second later a massive green fist slammed down into the mud where I had been. Knowing her sisters next move Mii'ora braced herself as Min’bakus tail came around.

The appendage slammed into her side but having dug her feet into the ground with the stabilising claws she unmoved. No instead I clamped my own clawed hands around the serpents tail and swung to the side in a move used by Durge. Min’Baku was lifted off of the ground and slammed into a bolder sending shredded armor bits of rock in every direction.

It crashed back to the ground with its cockpit dented. With a hiss echoing through her speakers Min’Baku thrust her arm to the side allowing the rifle to swing into place before firing several shots towards me. Retrieving my pulse rifle from my back I deployed my auto cannon icarus mounts and spun around the first three shots.

Managing to score several hits with my rifle before it was struck by a golden energy bolt. I quickly threw the weapon aside and shifted my machines joints dropping to all fours. All the while the auto cannon on my back continued to spit fire towards Min’Baku.

My sister's machine dashed behind rocks and weaved through trees returning fire all the while. Before four streames if tracers were sent into her side sending Min’Baku sprawling but not before a bolt from her rifle pierced my cockpit narrowly avoiding me. As it passed the condensed magical energy siered my armors plating before exiting the rear of the mech.

The damage causes me to stagger back and fall to a knee. Before a series of stomping footsteps bring my attention away from my smoking pauldron and to the hulking form of my love. His machine now stood with its scared back facing mine while he fired both sets of wrist cannons on the other atlas.

With a great force of will I tear my eyes away from his blood soaked machine as he turned to stand over my kneeling form. His right arm slams to the side causing rain and blood to slide off in sheets as he shifts to track both my sister and the traitor. Around his machine I can sense a swirling energy the feel of it akin to that of the predators that hunt in the fire tides.

“Stand up!” Avery Fallon shouts before tearing his fire away from my sister to block a punch from the white and gold atlas. Like lightning I sensed a pulse, a ping, and shot to my feet in time to block a blow of my own. This one thrown by the serpent piloted my by sister, causing my back to slam that of my mates.

Min’baku

Tearus surface

Forest around UEC research station 6 delta 4

56AE

Her serpents fist met air as Min’baku’s sister blocked the blow striking my machines elbow in the manor Bra’tac had taught. With a flurry I swept low bringing my tail up to strike the side of her cockpit. But instead Mii’ora ducked to the side spiraling around her mate and my tail was instead caught by the powerful claws of the blood soaked machine.

With a jerk and a haunted primal raur the white and red machine lifted her tail high and swept a leg low arc. His machines much more powerful legs slammed into mine kicking them out from under her. The NAC machine fighting with the drive of the flesh tearer scorpions of my homeworld pulled on her tail before punching the cockpit of my serpent.

“No, no no!” She cried out fighting with her controls in attempt to regain some semblance of control. Her mate was looking out for her however because as the fist struck the smaller mech of Casper Williams tackles this creature lessening the impact. The impact lifted the monster from atop my mech and sent the two machines bouncing across the muddy ground before coming apart.

The Fallon creature fired jets slowing its skids while firing its wrist guns toward her mate. Before it slammed back first into Zabiel the second drake in our company who had previously been engaged with the surviving huddled humans and traitors.

However my thoughts that the drake would be able to end the damaged machine were cut short as the twin blades flashed out. The two pitch black and glowing red blades sank deep into her scales. And almost as if it enjoyed it the Fallon creature slammed a fist into one of Zabiels wounds before ripping a large strip of flesh from bone before severing her head with a final stroke.

It was then as fresh blood sank into the blades did they change. The vial mixture of blood coating them changed from a liquid flowing a disgusting brown to a shimmering red before crystallizing into ruby rivulets on the blades and on his mechs hands and other flat surfaces.

This change in the pilot was subtle, insignificant and the Fallon charged Casper once again squeezing the blood from the chunk of flesh into a crack in its cockpit. She struggled to right her machine while bringing her rifle to bare on the monster before a stomp drew her attention.

Turning her head she was greeted with the sight of a small tree slamming into what passed for her mechs face. The foliage splintered and she staggers back, only to feel her left leg wheel stalling before exploding. More alarms blared and switching camera feeds she saw the culprit was the machine her mate had shot down that had done it.

It's lower half was in shambles and the machine looked ready to explode from all of the sparks coming from its frame and foam coating it. But nonetheless its left hand was extended its rotary cannon smoking. “Shesha!”

Another stomp drew her attention and she threw her mechs powerful fist forward in an attempt to gain distance. Instead Mii’ora’s own damaged mech ducked under the blow, pulling a knife from her mechs webbing that could only have belonged to a dead drake before slamming it into her left arm shoulder joint.

A hiss of effort scratched out from her sisters damaged and smoking machine before a testable ripping sound filled the cockpit. Alarms blasted and claxons sounded as her heads up display showed her mechs silhouette. The normally blue silhouette of the machine’s form was flashing red where its left foot had been and a glaring solid red where its left arm had once been.

Through her view screen she saw her sister take a step with the arm in her free hand before tearing back and slamming it into my machine. The force of the blow knocked my serpents leg pistons out of alignment making me kneel as another series of shots from behind served them from the frame. And much to my disshonor I screamed as the front of my cockpit crumbled and was ripped away, and a massive hand reached in and wrapped itself around me before it tore me from my cockpit.

“Min’Baku!” I heard my mate call out and once I was pulled out and clear of my cockpit I saw the form of Casper Williams in its entirety, his machine was a walking ruin.

Massive pockmarks marred its armor, and great slash and stab wounds crossed everywhere with smoke and sparks sparing form the fissures. He turned and threw a punch as the tearor sent a spray of flares out blinding him. On instinct he deployed his already damaged ballistic shield and I watched as the beast transformed its right hand into a massive spike before driving it into the slab.

The spike slid from the tower shield and Williams snapped hand out snagging one of the blades on the beast's back. As if offended by the audacity of the inferior machine the Fallon creature bucked back throwing both of its hands out catching my mate by the shoulders.

Before he could counter the beast’s jets flared and it delivers what can only be described as a head but to Williams machine. Crystals shatter and spark fly as the two heavy war machine collide. But the white and red machine presses the attack shifting his grip and clamping hands on his opponents forearms before folding its blades into their sheaths and leaping into the air.

The larger machine fires its jets to hang upside down above its opponent before its hips rotate turning its legs one hundred and eighty degrees. With its legs now facing the opposite direction the mech disables its thrusters and slams its legs back down into the mud kicking up a spray of water. With a great effort the machine uses the leverage it created to pick up the other atlas and hurl it over its head and into a bolder shattering frame, armor, and stone alike.

Moth: Vtrn. W. Harris “Big Dog’

Tearus surface

Forest around UEC research station 6 delta 4

2169AD/106AC

Fallon turns from his opponent to snatch up a human UEC soldier before crushing her and stuffing what was left into the cockpit of his machine. The sick fuck then snaps his sensor dome to the side and jumped onto a firing UEC soldier crushing it under his feet.

“Shit, Iceman the traitors getting up.”

“Confirmed, target acquired.” My fellow escapee replis before turning and sprinting back towards Williams who was rising to a shaky knee. He must have felt Iceman coming because as the last second he rose to his feet and their hands locked.

For a few seconds they struggled pushing against each other before Williams brings a knee crashing into Fallons mid section. Metal dented, and shards of that crystal shattered as he presses his attack. First he pulled his fist back and punched Fallons cockpit staggering him before the sound of multiple blades extending fills the air.

Williams then brought his arm back across Fallons cockpit hatch, scraping it with the small saw like blades extended from his mechs forearm. Fallon staggers back holding three raged gashes across his chest. Inside of the cockpit blood that had been pooling and blending together began bleeding through the slash armors chassis.

Black blood oozed from the wound as Ghost brought both of his feet up and drop kicked Fallon sending him skidding back. Instead of simply falling back to the ground he lands in his feet and sprints towards Fallon. Then he fires his jets as he delivers a flying knee to Fallons cockpit. Before dropping low and sweeping his legs out from under him and sending Iceman’s larger frame crashing down.

But just as Ghost is about to flame the kill Fallon fired his thrusters boosting away. Before he slammed a hand into the mud to stop himself before raising his fist and firing several flechettes and grenades toward Ghost who was advancing. Acting quickly Fallon fired his jets and slid hovering just over a foot above the ground, sliding backwards creating some distance before stealing back down and facing Williams.

When he stopped the the two L-blades snapped out from their sheaths behind him before flaring out as he thrust his arm to the side and deployed his melee spike. The four foot spike slid from his forearm replacing his clawed hand with a metallic sound of sliding metal as he blasted his machines war horn long and loud.

In response Ghost blasted his own war horn and thrust his arms to his sides. Two compartments that aren't on standard Atlas-2s snapped open on its arms. Two monofilament blades telicoped out with a snap before their edges blazed with cobalt light.

“Oh shit.” Someone mutters into the net. “kres’ak this is it.” I heard the male tymerian next to X mutter.

The two blasted their war horns once again and charged. Fallon ducked low as Ghost swung his left arm high. The traitor swung his right around intent on slashing Fallons cockpit open. Iceman’s right L-blade pivoted and caught the glowing edge of the traitors wrist blade.

The equestrian blade spewed blue sparks as it clashed with the L-blade. Fallon then dropped and braced his elbow swung his legs low. The act kicked Ghost’s legs out from under him and he went down. But at the last second he thrust his arm out retracting his wrist blade and pushing off of the ground. Before using his emergency vents to spin himself laterally to deliver some kind of falling sideways kick.

The blow kit Fallon in the “head” staggering him allowing Ghost to push himself up and into a flying back kick. At the last second Fallon composes himself and he fires his own emergency thrusters bursting to the side into me for the kick to miss. “Come on Fally, you can do this.”

Ghost quickly righted himself taking a step back thrusting his arm up as Fallons right L-blade came slicing towards him blocking the blade. Then with a flash of blue and silver the icarus mount holding Armors right L-blade was sliced away.

Sparks, slag, smoke and fire burst from the joint where the small gimbal arm had been. But Fallon tweaked to the side bringing his second L-blade around to block another slash, delivered a jab with his left hand, before ducking under a swing and snatching up the L-blade from where it rested on the ground.

Fallon spun into another swing from Ghost letting the blade slide off of his shoulder armor as he drove the severed L-blade into Caspers left leg. The now dull black blade slammed through the armor and out of the rear of the limb before a backhand sends Fallon back.

He leaned back to avoid a left hand swing from Ghost then ducked low to dodge a right hand punch. Before he swings his right hand up bashing the melee spike under the shoulder joint of Ghosts mech and slashing across his cockpit with his remaining L-blade.

The cut is apparently just shallow enough to have not killed Williams, but deep enough to allow a small amount of light from inside of the machines cockpit to be seen. In response Ghost brings his arm up and plunges it into the right side of Armor’s own cockpit.

Space Terus Orbit

UEC:DKS To seek glory in battle is glorious.

Tearus

56AE/2169AD/106AC

Lyra and her resistance soldiers trudged along behind the Fire Drakes who walked calmly beside their trigger happy compatriots. Carpeting every UEC soldier they found in burning napalm. It took almost an hour of searching to find the resurrection server room.

And much to the group's chagrin they were forced to deal with increasingly competent ambushes from the ship's complement of marines. But for some reason she had thought the earthers would have shown some tact when they found the server room. Instead they simply tossed one of their thermobaric grenades through the door and walked off.

It is odd because usually there is some kind of procedure whenever a server is deactivated. But the human who tossed the grenade simply didn't seem to understand or didn't care that he had just committed a small genocide, as well as condemn all of this ship's crew that died from then on to permanent death.

Soon afterward the attacks lessened as more and more of the marines who attacked our group were permed. And eventually we came to the bridge and found a large contingent of the ships marines standing guard, no doubt they planned to make a last stand in hopes of giving the ship's captain time to communicate his situation or detonate the ships reactor. With a nod my partner and I threw were joined by two other pairs of unicorns and changelings and threw up a shield.

“Lets rock!” two of the space born infantry marines shouted. The guns they fired were linked to the tac-link targeting reticle in their HUDs and attached to an mechanical arm that attached the side their armor. Just as we had planned our group of six magic users slowly expanded the shield, as the human Moths and space born infantry troopers advanced firing from behind it.

The rounds from the UEC marines bounced off of or were absorbed by the shield while the humans and formers as they called them fired through the shield. Eventually the shield passed over the outermost troops and the Moths fell on them with their melee weapons or flame throwers. And in once instance the human with the chainsaw attachment drew his wicked weapon across the chest of a unicorn.

Blood and bits of bone fountined from the ragged wound before the human screamed in anger and drew the weapon out before he kicked the pony sending it to die slumped against the wall.

Another instance saw a power armored MOTH jump onto the back of a buffalo throwing off its balance and sending it crashing to the deck. The human then quickly stood and before jumping on the head oversized cow, crushing it under his or her weight.

And as the carnage drew to a close she watched the leader of the Fire Drakes slice a fellow human in two with his longsword with a one handed swing. Before he caught another victim a rather familiar batpony around the throat in his free hand. In one mighty motion he lifted the mare up and broke her back against his armored knee.

Lyra began to move up the passageway as as she watched two of the power armored humans beginning to tear chunks from the blast door with their suits strength. And eventually one of them managed to punch through the door before quickly pulling their arm back.

“What now? Do we demand their surrender or something?” She asked the leader of the Fire drakes. In response he bellowed out a laugh. “Haha… Surender!?” he laughed out

Before gesturing to another human calling her over. “Nicole, burn them out.” he said coldly before the the human mare walked up to the hole in the blast door, pressed the base of her rifles flamethrower attachment to the whole and pulled the secondary trigger.

Screams filled the air as the bridge crew burned and she couldn't help but be extremely grateful once again that the earth's were on The Anti Conclave Movements side. “Bridge is clear no life signs.” The monotone voice of one of the humans combat robots spoke.

“Confirmed, nothing of millimeter wave.” another human spoke before the power armored humans pulled the doors open.

Instantly the smell of cooked meat filled the air and water down the passageway causing Lyra to crinkle her nose. “Bridge secure, can your team work with this?” the lead human asked gesturing to the thusly cooked command center.

“Yes colonel, this is a dragon kingdom ship. If the consoles couldn't handle some fire it wouldn't be very good at its job would it.”

New Trottingham

UEC fuel and water station

Tearus

56AE/2169AD/106AC

Claxons rang out over the battlefield as scores and scores of uec soldiers fell to the cogs power. Drakes died by the dozens under the concentrated fire of over thirty mechs and tanks. In the end several squads of UEC soldiers turned to rushing forward to detonate grenades among the COG troopers. But in the air it was a different story the ravaged squadrons of shrikes were forced to retreat as the shields of the super destroyer hanging over the refueling station came back online.

They put up one hell of a fight, but ultimately the UEC squadrons outnumbered them two to one. But their retreated didn't come without a small victory as the downed Blackknight one had been secured by a squad of space born infantry and space born rescue specialists. And the shrike piloted by Rainbow dash that had shot Eagle down had been soundly dealt with in turn by the onyx guard gungnir.

Meanwhile at the back of the line a lone templar strikes his sword against the spear of his opponent. Her wings flair out like an angel and she takes flight before coming back down with a thrust that takes the tired man by surprise.

Already suffering from several wounds his armor buckles and he falls to a knee with the rune spear lodged in his right leg. Elegantly and with a fluid grace the princess of the moon drew the spear from his leg and slashed across his chest earning a gash that sent him sprawling on his back.

Around him the men and women that had stood with him against the prime guards of Luna lie dead. And as he lies facing the sky defeated the royal alicorn comes into view her flowing mane framing her face and giving her an ethereal quality. “You fought well, for a savage. But you really had no chance of beating me.” She said staring down at him as one of the prime guards came to her side.

With a gesture from the princess the most elite of the UEC guards spoke. “Mistress, some of these savages still live. What are your orders, do we take prisoners?” She seemed to ponder this for a moment before the templar at her feet spoke.

“We apologise, did you have something to say savage? If you beg I might be willing to let thee live and serve us.” her voice took on a regal almost mocking tone even as the battle dwindled in the distance.

The Templars mouth was gummy and he coughed up blood onto his visor as he spoke. His voice was but a rasp but it came through his power armors speakers well enough. “... I don't.”

The lunar princesses eyes grew wide in understanding before the knight activated his self destruct. With that a cover on his hand peeled back and he pressed a button with his thumb causing the micro fission battery in his power armor to explode.

Nuclear fire erupted from what used to be his body engulfing the princess and her guards. For a fraction of a second they knew and felt what happened to them. Before they were reduced to their component atoms by the microton yield nuclear device.

Min’baku

Tearus surface

Forest around UEC research station 6 delta 4

56AE

Judging from the angel of the stab my love just barely missing the Daemon himself. A gasp of worry goes up through the crowd before a war horn blast fills the air.

The beast’s right arm comes up punching through the force blade, snapping it off at the base. And in response Casper brings down his second wrist blade only for the flesh terror to punch once into the stomach of my masters machine with its spike.

The blow forced the force blade to go wide and strike against the blade of the beast which was poised to block the blow. Master knees the other mech in the cockpit causing sparks and another torrent of mixed blood to pore from the beast. It staggers back onto a knee as its arm spike retracts back into its arm to be replaced by its usual clawed hand. With a force of effort the white and red machine brings its hands up to catch another blow from William's last force blade.

The two stand there struggling with Williams using all of his machines strength to push the energy coated blade into his opponents cockpit. Slowly the blade begins to bite into the armor of the white and red machine. Sparks, blood and molten metal fall and sizzle before as the beast resists its killing blow.

“Any last words Solawoda?” My love askes the beast. Oh how wonderful it will be to see my sister's lover killed before her eyes. Yes, just to see her face oh how it will make up for everything I have been forced to endure.

Suddenly and unexpectedly sparkling smoke, flares, and chaff fired from the machine. Before finally several bursts of shrapnel fired from from the machine filled the air and struck Williams machine. The unorthodox maneuver allowed the beast to stand up once more and rear its upper body back before slamming its sensor dome into Casper Williams cockpit.

The “Head”but staggered him back and he swings a sloppy punch that the beast ducked under. Denting in the white and gold mechs sensor dome with a jab as it went low, the daemon machine then pulled the L-blade from William's leg with a yank.

My master attempted another strike with his right force blade but the beast ducked back before surging forward. It's hand arched down over hand driving the blade at an angle through the top of the machine piercing and severing several of its battery units. Then the forest drew quite as The Fallon creature yanks down on the blade and drew its fist back. Then he drove that fist straight through the cockpit of my masters machine.

Williams screamed as the blood soaked atlas tore him free holding him in one fist, letting the crippled machine fall onto its back before stomping on the machines cockpit. With his machine destroyed I watched my love, my master kick and fire his pistol into the mechs sensor dome before its other hand came around grabbing his upper half.

Then as I watched as the flesh terror held Casper Williams over its head and tore him in half. It blasted its war horn then crushed the two twitching halfs in his hands letting the crimson liquid coat the core of his machine.

“They are real.” She mutters to herself in fear as she watches the badly damaged machine now free of a target, go on a rampage stomping or bating aside UEC soldiers. All of whom had witnessed the battle and tried to surrender at its feet or tried to flee, and all of them died.

“What is real sister?” the voice comes from her sisters machine, its golden sensor eye turning from her mate to her. It was then that a pulse went out from the machine sending out a cloud of partials from its only remaining blade.

Before anything more could be said both the rampaging flesh terror and kneeling machine marked “Big Dog” stopped dead before they both fell to their knees and fell over.

“What the hell?” Someone called out before my sister began walking her mech in the direction of the blood soaked machine. “Hey Habu where are you taking the prisoner?” another voice called.

My sister's primarily red machine stopped, the white ascents highlighted in the flashing lighting. Her sensor dome turned to me before she spoke. The usual disgusting kindness, and nurturing almost timid demeanor she gave off gone from her voice. “What prisoner?”

Her world jerked, and pain exploded throughout her body. As her sister her own sister Mii’ora, the runt, the maiden, flicked her machines wrist the pain exploded a thousand fold. She felt organs burst and turn to liquid, bones snapping grinding together, before the word went black forever

UEC research station 6 delta 4

Cloning Facility

Supreme commander Rarity Belle

Righteous anger burned through the white unicorn’s veins as she looked over the destruction. Hundreds of ponies were simply gone, and while most of them were mere soldiers… Her Coco was among them. There was a simple answer. She could use the magic she had been studying, and force her back to life. Coco would be the first, no, the second to be gifted the wondrous gift of immortality. Granted, there was the cloning facility, and while she could regrow Coco’s petite, and beautiful, body…. There was simply no way she could make that body Coco. It would be an empty shell. She looked at the body of her beloved Coco.

Slowly she closed her eyes, feeling the coldness of the magic fill the air. It began to pool around her hooves, moving out, and she felt it touch Coco. Then she felt something else, something colder, open before the two of them. It didn’t matter that there was a battle happening above them, and it didn’t matter that perhaps hundreds of her guards and soldiers would perish never to be brought back. All that truly mattered to her was saving the one pony that mattered to her on a level she couldn’t explain.

There was a wet raspy breath, and she slowly began to let the magic she was using close. Looking out before her she saw Coco’s arms heal from the self inflicted wounds, there was a sobbing breath, and Coco’s eyes opened.

“You’re alive!”

Coco’s eyes turned toward her. It wasn’t the love she’d seen there, or even the subjective obedience she had become accustomed to. Instead there was anger, malice, and she hoped that she was wrong, but it looked like hate resided there as well.

“NO! I WAS FREE!”

Rarity stepped back. Coco stood to her hooves, Memories of what happened after she died filled her mind. She was away from Rarity, she had been brought before the judges of the dead, her soul filleted open, her very core used in the most perverse manner, and then she was sentenced for her many sins. But she was still free of Rarity, free from being little more than a living sex toy, and now Rarity had dared to bring her back into this world.

“Coco, love, I… I couldn’t live without you.”

Coco’s actions were quick. She struck out, her left hand grabbing Rarity’s horn, making her scream, as she broke it. She knew that Rarity would be regrown, most likely birthed back on Equestria, but she didn’t care. She wanted her vengeance. She shoved the now mostly magicless unicorn backward. For her part Rarity tried to run, only to find that Coco was faster than herself. She found herself beaten, her arms tied behind her back, her uniform ripped open in the front, her pants and panties torn from her body.

Had this been the Coco she knew and loved this would be rather exciting, but instead she felt nothing but fear. She felt something at her back, and she whimpered as she realized that Coco was going to torture her.

“Move”

Rarity whimpered as she walked. She wasn’t going to bleed to death. Coco didn’t break her horn that close, but the break was certainly close enough that she couldn’t focus her magic. She could summon little more than make bright sparks of color. She wasn’t sure where they were heading until she heard the fighting. The battle that was raging. She tried to stop, to tense up, but Coco pushed her to the door. This was the single hallway that separated them from safety to the battle outside. She opened the door and standing there was somepony that Rarity wished had been sent to reeducation way before this point. The Germaneigh native smiled as she stretched out her formerly bound wings.

Kyrie grabbed Rarity, wrenching her from Coco, “Don’t worry, mine fuhrer, I will fly you to those that will go through great pains to make sure you live, for a while.”

“No! She needs to die!” Coco yelled.

“Ja, but not yet, come, the Humans freed me, several others too, we aid them, ja?”

Coco looked at her, and then at Rarity. A smile crossed her lips. With that she followed Kyrie toward where the humans were. She didn’t care that she was nude, all she cared about was making sure that Rarity suffered for all she had done.

The trot was filled with danger, but it didn’t seem to matter to Coco. She simply followed Kyrie as the Pegasus flew the squirming and wailing Rarity toward the forces she had no desire to head toward. The ground troops were currently helping to mop up the remaining UEC forces, but it was one specifically that saw the incoming three ponies. Slowly a small group of the soldiers moved toward where Kyrie landed. Guns were trained on Rarity as she stood there. She began to tell them to shoot her, to end her life, but from behind them a familiar mare stepped out.

The mare standing with the humans was one she hadn’t expected to see. The Unicorn was one that Rarity had come to know as being odd, sometimes borderline obsessive, but she never would have believed that she would be a traitor. Instead the green unicorn with golden eyes grinned. Slowly it connected for her. Of the soldiers over the years Lyra had voiced her opinion of the treatment of the humans the most. In truth her recent voicing had lead her to be locked into a cell that rivaled the cell Gusty had been locked up in.

“I think that we’ve got a place all picked out for you.”

Author's Note

Well here we are, 60 chapters in and with the longest chapter in the story thus far.

Thank you to everyone who has helped me with the story thus far. You have been a tremendous help and I can't thank you enough. You know who you are.

For those of you still forgiving enough to continue to grace my story with your presence I have to ask.

What do you think of the story so far? What existing characters or concepts would you like me to expand upon?

And who is your favorite character if you have one at all?

Personally its a 4 way tie between, Fallon (sometimes, because writing for him is a pain in the ass), Charlotte (Who originally was ment to be a one off character who has evolved into a part of the main cast), veteran Harris (Who again has somehow evolved into a main character.), and Mii'ora/Miiora (but writing for her IS a gigantic pain in the ass, partly because I can't write female characters, and partly because I suck).

But I want to ask, It's a question I want to ask because I don't know if I am doing a good job flashing out these characters in the story.

Your support and continued interest is what drives me to continue this story. Thank you again for everything.

Chapter 61 Lazarus

NACS: Galactica SD-001 med-bay: 7

Patent 01, Status: critical

Neural oscillations: elevated

Tearus system

2169AD/106AC

I don't know what exactly or how I know but something is different. I can not tell where this conviction comes from, whatever stopped the keening is a mystery to me. I am trapped thinking of what could be happening while I rest locked in my damaged and broken machine. Sealed in my womb while powerful bangs and shifting slosh me around and churn the liquid outside. "Hud on.”

With an eye blink I can see that my machine is being carried back to Galactica in orbit around Tearus. Tearus… that world's name fills me with memory and flashes of the traitor, his master Rarity, and the name of her home world. Equis… even the name burns my mind and twists my blood until acid burns its way through my veins. I do not know what has caused this change and so fall asleep.

When I awake I am submerged in a medical tank with a breathing mask fixed over my mouth and nose. Flesh wevers stitch at the bullet wounds on my side and I run a hand over the back of my head feeling the raw flesh where the tartarus had been. I look around hoping to get an idea of where exactly I am, and I notice I am not alone in the room. Several other medical tanks line the perimeter of the room, each of them occupied.

I see Big Dog in one of them to my left, and I can see Charlotte in the one directly to my right. Her sleeping form looks graceful as it floats in the green tinged liquid. Parts of her hair float around her, free of its ponytail and framing her pale face in a halo of blond.

A noise jerks my attention from my friend and i see between the two of us is Miiora. I was about to call out to her but the slight rise and fall of her chest, slouched posture and dipped snout tells me she is asleep.

A flash fills my vision, and I can once again hear the keening as images of Charlotte's gungnir being shot down fills my mind. The keening grows as I see another flash now of Miiora’s machine damaged as if fights the UEC mech.

When I reopen my eyes the keening is gone. But my vision is sharper not to much better but noticeably so, I feel something's changed but I can not place it. But the thoughts of them, not not only the two of them but all of humanity being forced to suffer like I did fills me.

More movement catches my eye and I see the male tymerian Bra’tac standing beside his sister statue. Thoughts of his master causes my blood to boil. Around me I can see not only Big Dog but two other people in tanks begin to writhe as a wave of red washes over my vision me before subsiding.

The dull thrumm of a medical alarm sounds and Miiora jerks awake. Heside her a corpsman checks on Charlotte and she wakes flashing him an affirmative before looking up and giving me a wave. In her chair Miiora looks up before standing to check with the corpsman who has moved to my tank. Their eyes go wide as they see me staring at them and Miiora says something that I can't really hear through the glass, before I fall back asleep.

I wake again some time latter. To see that the Big Dog, only one, and myself are the only ones still still in the tanks. ‘How long has it been?’ The thought is cut off by a tapping that draws my attention to one side of the tank. Again I see Miiora standing with her brother behind her, his hands clasped behind his back. And beside her I can see Charlotte with the upper portion of her skintight black and orange flight suit exposed.

They both look excited to see me, and the nondescript man beside them looks content to just stand there. ‘Several days.’ a voice comes into my mind, ah this guy must be one of psi-ops people. Yeah I remember now Eisenhower or eisenstine or something like that that. ‘I am Gregor Eisenhorn, veteran. Remember we rescued you, big dog, and the equestrian known as gutsy.’

My thoughts go to Big Dog and a flash of calming washes over me before I can even begin to worry. He nods once smiling as if to confirm something he already suspects before turning on a heel and walking away.

I glance back at miiora and Charlotte as a Corpsman walks between them and flips a switch after checking a screen. The liquid in the tank begins to drain and something else washes over me. I feel anger now hot and heavy, like a pack of beasts inside of me are ready to lash out and kill them all. Their rage fills my heart before filtering to my limbs like boiling metal. Seeing their faces fills me with a feeling that I have never known but something tells me.

The first thing that flashes across my vision Fallon Avery Staff sergeant. Veteran CT-229624 CG-624450. I am not the Iceman anymore but something is changing.

My hands curl into fists and I wrench the breathing mask from my face. I feel strong something as the blood screams through my veins. I am wrath incarnate, born into this universe to kill until finally killed. …I am a weapon and I can feel the something else deep inside of me burning to get out, a thirst and a need to kill.

But as I gaze at the faces of Mii'ora and Charlotte, and some of the others around the room who have come to see me out of this Damn tank like X and bender. I can feel this rage lessen, move into the back of my mind. I am connected to something, I can feel it in the back of my mind and it gives me pause. It tells me something profound that I have always known as I close my eyes once more.

When I open then again I am lying on a regular hospital bed. Hands reach out to embrace me I close my eyes. Feeling the cool sensation of Miiora’s scaled arms wrapping around me holding me close. As my rage subsides and hate fades and the realization returns. I feel Miiora begin to shake and I return the hug, holding her close to my chest and images of a red disk flashes through my mind.

And as I lay in the bed awkwardly holding my love close I know one thing is true. It will happen soon, within the coming nights of blood and fire. I will draw a breath, and when my love and my friends returns to the stars I will be by her side. I am not what Miiora, charlotte, or anyone else believes me to be. I am weapon in this war to ensure humanity's survival in the stars. Yet strength, wrath, and my body won't be enough.

I will die in this war, I will die for Miiora.

General Tyler Barron

NACS: Galactica

Tearus orbit

03:30

2169AD/106AC

Of the thirty six capital class ships, Fleet command felt the need to send to this shit hole. We lost two hammerhead cruisers, three SRA brojnef destroyers, one NE light carrier, and a light NAC siege breaker Leathy class.

Pair that with moderate damage taken by the Nostromo, Manitoba, donnager, John a warden, Erie and Nile. Nevermind the dozens of smaller escorts, torpedo boats, dropships, fighters, and corvettes, we have lost so many good spacers it makes me sick.

And I don't even want to think about how many good gears died down there. Trapped under a UEC destroyer that no one knew was there until it was to late. Twelve hundred Gears, all NAC, SRA, NE, and UAF soldiers, killed because orders indicated that we couldn't just nuke the base. Made even worse by the fact that probably of the thousands of UEC soldiers they killed down there, probably about a fortieth of them actually stayed dead.

That destroyer above the file and water station was scanned as it broke the atmosphere. But because of the defensive posture the uec fleet had taken none of the ships on Nostromo’s battle group none of the ships were in position to destroy the brand new super destroyer the UEC renamed element of magic.

“General your 12:30 is here.” the calm feminine voice of Sk-98 his security bot and secretary said. “Excellent send him in please.”

The door smashed open to reveal a man in a black long coat. The crimson psi-ops roset hung loosely around his neck. His bodyguard android took up position next to Sk-98 on the opposite side of the door. “General.” he says with a nod.

“Gregor! Come in please have a seat. So what can you tell me.”

“Straight to the point, very well. Of the six people affected three of them remain lucid. And three of them are dead. The ones alive are CT-229624 Fallon, CT-624450 Harris, and CT-106543 Douglas.” he says bringing up the personnel profiles of each if the men in question and sending them to my own pdp. “Those of them that were issued Atlas-3s are still alive… but here's the curious part. All of them were equipped with L-blades.”

“Yes, I saw that in the various mission reports. Each of the blades began glowing when they began acting… erratically.” The inquisitor chuckled at that before leaning back in his chair. “Erratic, yes that's one way of putting it when our mech drivers start stuffing body's and organs into their cockpits.”

“Yeah, Zekshul complained for hours about having to hose out cockpits. On top of the damage, they all pushed their machines way passed the green. But the strange part came when they pulled them out of their wombs.”

“Yes with interior linings of the drivers wombs being eroded. And that they were covered in metallic dust.” Eisenhorn’s eyes glazed over for a second before he spoke again. “Indeed the medical reports show the dust were in fact nanites.”

“Nanites? How is that possible…” Without skipping a beat the general called up his chief medical officer. The screen on the generals desk flicked with a connection request before the face of a tired looking female myralos dressed only in her plane grey underwear appeared. “...mheh Yes general?”

“Shuala. These nanites in the…” Barron began to say before the blue shelled woman cut him off. “I already know what you are going to say sir. But from our tests we can't see they are having no negative effects on the three patients. Nore are wa able to remove them.”

“Why not.” Eisenhorn asked leaning forward slightly. “Well Inquisitor I believe your rank is. The nanites in their systems have become integral to their bodily function. Many of which have linked to the patients neural synapses. In fact sir it is all quite fascinating. Whatever has done this took the inner linings from the wombs and repurposed what it had into these nanites.”

“If that is the case doctor then is their any chance if the nanites spreading? What kind of precautions should be taken?” The inquisitor asked stepol his fingers under his chin.

“Well, I would recommend they be kept under surveillance. But that said I see no reason as to why they can't return to active duty. In fact patents 001, and 003 has shown increased neurological activity. Faster reaction times and increased bone strength but there is no noticeable change in size of the patients.” She says ending with an eye blink of her pinkish transparent eyelids as she sat up in her bed. Giving a rather alluring stretch that accentuated her exotic alien and crustacean body.

"Perhaps. But at the same time I can not fully suppress the feeling of another presence within them however. And to be honest with you it might be some kind of lanky tech we haven't seen before." Gregor said before Shuala propped herself up on her elbows in an oddly sensual manner.

"I to feel the changes may be a result of an as yet unseen lanky technology. Seeing as how the nanites in their systems have made more nanites out of some of their body's own cells. Thus becoming part of their biology. This does seem to fit the technology used by the lankys seeing as how all of their technology is biological in nature. " she paused for a moment allowing for this new information to sink in, before continuing.

“But general. The disk we received form the lanky fighter is quite interesting. It contains the neurological code for human consciousness. And on an impulse Red Heart linked it to one of the UEC revival machines we “received” from the Glorious.” Drawing his roaming eyes away from his chief medical officers body Barron took a breath to steady himself and shot a glare to his friend who wore an sly smirk. “Damn psychics.”

“I heard that.”

“What was that general?” Shuala asked as she turned around and flopped belly first onto her bed to look at the screen. “Nothing doctor please continue.”

Shuala’s blue eyes drifted between both humans for a second before she spoke again. “...Well when Red Heart linked our computer to the revival machine it began printing. And a few seconds later it spat out a body.”

“Realy who was it?” Now that drew Eisenhorns undivided attention. “As you say inquisitor it was odd. The human it spat out identified himself as Corporal Raymond Forbes. It was odd because he was registered as KIA by the lankys by the Manitoba’s AI in Hellian system.”

“Human revival…” Barron said as ham window in his screen changed to show a human male standing in the medical bays isolation room. “Yes sir. Human revival and on top of this it does not seem to have the effects that equestrian revival has. We will have to run some more tests to be sure. And we are already working on reverse engineering these disks. But if we…”

“Doctor, Psi-ops wants you to continue this research. And ONI will now cover all financial aspects of this project. Tyler this could be what we need to level the playing field in this war. Doctor is he fit to return to active duty?”

“K-Kek Inquisitor I do not know what to say… I will divert a team to study these disks right away. And as for the corporal he is indeed fit to return to duty, but where will we place him?”

“...hmmm, is his old squad still around?” Barron asked turning to the thoughtful looking inquisitor. “Yes. Squad Fallon is still around.” His friend said cooly.

“Excellent we will place him there and we will be able to watch both of the patients and our new revive at once…” Shuala then chose that time to speak up. "And what of the Equine that assisted with his rescue? Surely you have some use of her and the remaining UEC prisoners?"

"The one known as Gutsy. Yes the three of them did seem to work well together. Well as far as two humans and pony can be expected to... And as for the prisoners I say we execute them. But interrogation might be better. Especially since the movement captured the supreme commander." Barron says leaning forward.

"I conquer with the General on keeping them alive. We may yet learn more about our enemy and any weaknesses they may hold. Like possible insurrections or rebel movements from within their organization. Besides we must show our new guests how much better we are at being civilized when it comes to treating our P.O.Ws'. At least until we have the Intel we want.” Eisenhorn said stroking his chin in thought.

"Indeed my general. But might I recommend keeping CT-229624 and CT-624450 away from Rarity. I fear it will... agitate them greatly."

"Or, Perhaps we should let them interrogate her instead of your Operatives, Gregor." The general suggested.

“Hmm. Perhaps, we shall see.”

Liaison Mii’ora

NACS: Galactica SD-001: grunt rec area 2-6

Tearus orbit

12:30

2169AD/106AC

My love's tongue locks with mine as he presses my back into the bulkhead. The entire kissing concept is strange especially with my mouth being much wider than Averys do to my reptilian physiology. But that doesn't mean he didn't figure out a way for it to work. It is such an intimate method of expression something tymerians do not possess in our own culture.

Being this close to him after being away for so long is like nothing I have ever experienced. I reshethe tongue as we finally separate for air and rest my snout on his shoulder inhaling his intoxicating scent. Ever since he has been released from the medical ward he has been so passionate.

I feel a cool hand run itself softly along my left horn as his other hand wraps itself around my waist holding my close as I do the same. And we are about to kiss once more before something hits Fallon. “Hey! Miia get your ass in the ring.”

“Very well.” I respond before uncoiling myself from my lovers embrace and following Charlotte to the sparring ring.Inside of the ring I saw the zaltule member of squad fallon pick up two humans before slamming them both back down into the mat and pinning him under his superior weight with two of his legs.

As I entered I saw my brother standing to the side holding a staff, why do humans call it a ring when it is a square? He dipped his head to me while the two males beside him shot disgusted looks my way before the smaller of the two grunted before entering the ring.

When Durge signaled the start of the match it did not last as long as I would have liked. Round one ended with my knee pressed to his neck as I pulled on his tail to drive my knee farther. And the second ended with me sprawled on the ground after receiving a rather uncalled for tail smack directly to the side of my right horn.

This left me dazed on entering round three and the male promptly slammed his tail into my left horn before sweeping my legs out from under me. He then grabbed me by the throat and chokeslammed me into the mat.

“What the hell are you doing!?” I heard someone call out before I saw the glint of the males claws coming down. But when I opened my eye again I saw a white and blue bionic holding the male by the wrist. “That’s enough of that.” Avery calls out. Before the male lets out an angry hiss before releasing my throat and swiping at Fallons throat.

My heart drops as the swipe flashes through the air knowing he is to close for Fallon to react with his slower human reaction time. I heard a sharp gasp go through out the room as Avery released the males hand and ducked under the swipe before a devastating punch to the side of the males’ jaw sends him straight to the mat.

“Oh no sit down lizard!” one of the humans in the crowd calls out much to the chagrin of the tymerians present. It's then that I felt one of Durge’s powerful hands wrap itself around my waist before lift me out of the way as the second male came sprinting into the ring.

The larger gray scaled male’s lunge was stopped short as Fallon drove his shoulder into the his stomach. He then pivoted and basically threw the male into the mat with his own momentum.

My love leaned back as a clawed kick from the gray male flew passed his head as he got back up. The male then threw right hook that Avery blocked with his elbow, then a left that Avery ducked under. Before he threw a kick that Fallon to ducked under before physically throwing himself backwards down onto the mat as the males tail came arching in just in time barely missing the appendage.

When his back hit the mat he pushed back up and into a superman punch that connected with the males snout sending him staggering back. Then Fallon followed up by crouching low and launching himself into a flying drop kick into the side of the males head, whose head snapped to the side. Before Fallon landed and delivers a back powerful punch into the male's chest.

There was a loud crack as his fist connected and he fell to the mat holding his chest gasping for air. Avery then stood back up not even out of breath. “Holy shit! You fucking kicked his ass man!” a very familiar voice called out from the side of the ring.

When I turn to see who it is I let out a gasp when I see the face of a ghost, Raymond Forbes. “Ray? How the fuck?” my love exclaimed walking over to stand in front of the dead man, confirming that I am not going insane. Around us the other troopers began to disperse soon leaving only the members of squad Fallon, Watkins, Charlotte, Amp, LT Fick and Gunny Perkins.

“No idea last thing I remember is being ripped in half by some kind of lanky with a weird ass spike launcher in its arm. Then next thing I know I’m covered in goo being spat out of a fucking tube.” He explained before Avery closed the gap and the two of them shared a masculine half hug.

“Whatever the case its good to see ya again man.” Avery said before abruptly ending the hug and clapping Forbes on the shoulders with a resounding thud. “You are taking this a lot better than i expected.”

“To be honest with you Forbes I’m just glad that its one of our own guys coming back for once.” My heart swells as I see the smile on my love's face. Despite everything that has happens between us since his rescue, the scars from his torture at the hands of the UEC have not truly begun to heal.

Sergeant Gusty

Mess Tent

Tearus surface

56AE

Calling the portable modular building a tent was a stretch, but I didn’t want to question it. The human commander had landed several of their heavily armed shuttles and began setting up some kind of temporary outpost. There was a tingling sensation, something that had been building up inside of me for quite some time, and I knew all too well what it was. Rarity had figured out Grogar’s necromancy. She had successfully brought somepony back from Tartarus. I couldn’t explain how she knew, but my gut told me that I understood because I was so connected to the necromancy that Rarity had obviously used.

I was sure that Rarity didn’t understand what she had done. Oh, I was certain that Rarity understood the immediate implications. Granting life, immortal life, to somepony, but I knew that she didn’t believe in the curse. That this pony would live to see all of her kind die. Death had been something I almost craved, and it was now going to be out of my reach forever. It was true that I had no desire to be back in the tender care of the demons of Tartarus, but at the same time I grew weary of my exceptionally long life.

Now, now I faced an eternity which whatever Pony it was that Rarity had given this curse to. I heard something and looked up at one of the humans. He was actually charming, in his own way, and from what I had seen he was quite loyal. If we weren’t on mission…. No, best not to go down that road. Quick meaningless romps were one thing. It helped in making me feel alive, but if it was somep… someone that I could potentially feel something for then I had no business going there.

I had no business because I wouldn’t subject myself to that again. I wouldn’t watch as they grew old, fraile, and then died. This curse did several things. It took several things from me. I would never be a mother, I couldn’t age, and I couldn’t die. But my mind aged. My spirit grew old and frail. And I had taken far too many lovers in the past to make the same mistake again. I felt the kind of heaviness that came with experience. I almost became lost to my musing when I felt a nudge and looked over at the human sitting beside me. She’s a good sort, more interested in mares… well women, than stallions, or men rather, and I can see the glint in her eye that tells me that she has something interesting planned.

She slipped a spoonful of the bluish gray gel into her mouth that we’re served. She swished it around for a moment, half chewing, half searching for taste, and then she swallowed.

“Thinking about some fun?”

I shook my head, “Not really, just thinking some old thoughts.”

She laughed, and I would be the first to admit that her laughter is musical. It was almost endearing the way it sounded. Her laughter slowed, and she looked toward the men I had been eyeing.

“They’re all damned good soldiers, but I don’t have a clue what kind of lovers they are,” she took another spoonful, “But maybe that’s a good thing. I’ve been told that being surprised makes the world a better place.”

I grin, surprises would be nice, but then again there’s little left that I could say would be that surprising, “Thanks Ms. Howard.”

She shook her head, “Please, my friends call me Curie.”

I took in how she looks. Her brunette hair was short, but long enough for fingers to be ran through. She was shorter than most of us. To the crown of my head I stood about five and a half of their feet, but she’s just past the shoulder on me. She almost looked like a filly, but the way her body looks told the tale of a full grown woman.

Then an alarm began to blare from each of the assembled shuttles. “What is happening?” I asked as Curie threw her food onto the ground and hustled to the nearest shuttle ramp. “Radiological warning! Fleets about about to drop salt mirvs on this continent, Get your ass in a dropship now!”

I immediately rush drop what I was doing and rush up the ramp of the nearest shuttle. Taking a seat in the aquard seat, one of the cog soldiers a tymerian must have seen me struggling with the unfamiliar straps and rushed over to strap me in. “Thank you”

“Crew chiefs job” He grunted in response before returning to the head of the hold and to a chair with a console in front of it. And soon the entire hold was full of humans, tymerians, myralos and even two kleese who were strapped to hanging racks like cargo.

“Hold on.” Came the universally calm voice of the pilot. Before there was a shutter in the hold as the shuttles two massive engines roared to life and the rear hatch closed. For a moment the hold was illuminated only by the same red lights the NAC seemed to use in most of their equipment. Before a more calming strip of pale white lite illuminated the area as my seat snapped to one side on a gimbal as we rocketed into the air.

After what felt like hours but was probably only affew one or two minutes we felt the turbulence of something big passing us by. “What’s that!?” one of the myralos asked.

“Relax Nimb were fine, here see.” the gear to my left said taking out a data-pad and holding it in the middle of the isle as the shuttle slowed.

On the screen was an image of the content below. This was quite shocking because even the fastest UEC shuttles weren't able to make this kind of speed. And nor did they possess rear facing camera as this image was no doubt a life camera feed from this very shuttle. The continent below looms peacefully as the sun pokes out from behind the planet. So much has happened on this planet and finally the few colonists will be able to live in peace. The humans of earth might have allegedly started this war, but they weren't the ones...

Then there was a flash of light somewhere on the continent. The clouds parted in a perfect circle around the small sun revealing the earth beneath it. The explosion was massive, and my breath catches in my throat as another small sun makes its appearance near the first. Before at once seven more massive fireballs split the clouds all across the continent, throwing up massive fiery mushroom clouds into the atmosphere.

I felt stinging in my eyes as the force of one explosion cleared the clouds from a large cluster of lights. Revealing the only real colony on the entire planet, Shattermane with a population of almost three thousand. Then the city disintegrated when fireball erupted almost in the middle of the colony.

“Hell yeah! That was for Tollen!” A human called out referring to a planet the UEC had captured one of their years ago. I had participated in that campaign, and the human civilians put up one hell of a fight forcing us to put most of them down. But I never thought the humans of earth would be so vengeful as to nuke an entire continent, salting the entire surface with radiation in retaliation.

Chapter 62 Supreme Commander

Squad Fallon

26RTI. Squad 2B

[Callsign Snow Viper]

NACS: Galactica: Atlas bay 6

Tearus system

25 nodes from sol

2169AD/106AC

News has gotten out that we plastered the surface yesterday and to be honest I'm not really cut up about it. It’s not the first time the COG fucked over a bunch of civis, just ask any one of the stranded colonies we pulled defences from during the war.

“Veesha.” Oil and other detritus gushed onto my coveralls. “Ve’sha.”

“Visha?” Fuck that's never gonna wash out. My hand floundered out from under the bulk of my mech and a ruby scaled hand placed a tool into my open palm. “Ve’sha.”

“Miiora, give me the damn spanner!” There was a hiss from where my girlfriend floated. “Look babe the faster we get this done, the faster we can go do something else.”

“Well Avery, if you didn't destroy your machine every time you use it...” Forbes spoke up from the opposite side of Armors bulk. “Oh shut the fuck up Raymond. Go help Trombley or something.”

I push my way from under the clamped down form of my machine. “Ugh fuck that, he’s got like eight specter over there helping him.”

I had apparently misjudged the push and slowly drift over the Armors “head”. “Fuck! Why the hell not?” My drift is brought to an abrupt vault when I collide with Miiora who had pushed off of the gantry to catch me, and wrapped part of her tail around the handrail as an anchor. “Cause have you ever seen a specter, dude their fucking creepy.”

“My god Forbes why are you such a fucking pussy?” Miiora helps me back down, and I click my heels engaging the maglocks locking myself to the deck. “I'm just saying have you ever seen one of those combat robots fight someone? It's the most one sided thing in the universe.”

“Indeed.” Durge said in unison from their positions. “Yes well, she thinks we should continue the work on Armors chassis.”

“Sounds likens plan to me.” I say more than willing to get back to work on my machine, but then as I enter the cockpit to run a diagnostic a thought hits me.

“Hey ever wonder why everyone speaks english?” The boot up screen flashes across my vision as I link to my machine and I eye the active systems. “I do not understand the question Sargent Fallon.” Miiora says as she pokes her head into the cockpit, her tail swaying and coiling behind her.

“What I'm saying is that, somehow despite all of us being from different planets, we’re somehow able to speak the same language.” My mechs right primary cannon is out of alignment. “You know he’s got a point. I mean look at us, squad fallon is like the fucking U.N.”

“Yeah, except we don't spent four fucking years talking about how shit should be done during the war, after the war has already ended.” Watkins Voice calls out before being followed up by a metallic clang. “That got it!”

“Specialist Watkins, cease your assault on my frame or I will respond with lethal force.”

“Armor, lower humor subroutines to thirty percent.”

“Acknowledged.”

“But seriously, look at Durge, or a crab, they shouldn't physically be able to speak our language....” A hatch slides open on Armors left wrist as Forbes begins working on the left arm actuators. “.. I-gha, mean really! They don't even have the same.. Mouth structure we do. What the fuck did you do to this thing, punch a boulder?”

“He’s right actually… here love… the Myralos also possess mandibles that shouldn't allow for conventional speech.” Miiora hands me a PDP with more diagnostic information, before sliding into the cockpit with me.

“During my time as Chief Prime of Rarity I too pondered the question of how it came to be that our various races seemed to be able to speak to one another.” Bra’tac says passing a box of tools to Levoys perch.

Once partly inside she sneakily pressed her snout into my neck before shifting her joints and slithering passed me. Coiling around the AI core she began to plug various cables from the core into her PDP’s dataports. “Maybe there’s some kind of translator.”

“That would seem like the most logical conclusion.” The deep synthetic voice of Armor calls from his speakers as his sensor dome began to glow and his avatar flashed into existence. The big guy has sure taken a liking to the new name, because he chose to make his avatar appear as a that of a medieval knight in full plate armor. “I agree with him, it would make sense if the UEC implanted translators into their slaves and personnel. Well that or the ponys already knew their version of English and taught it to their subjects.”

“Well no shit you would agree with him Bishop. You synthetics all agree with one another.” Forbes says somersaulting through the air and landing beside a terminal. “Corporal Forbes, How the hell have you seen that ancient movie? I’ve… just seen it. It is quite kleshae by the way, why would they not simply gas the hive of xenomorphs before entering?”

“Yeah blow me. your such a fucking asshole.” The recently revived member of my squad said making a mastrabatory jesture. “The answer is obviously because they had to go in and check if the colonists were alright.”

But before anyone could respond a series of heavy stomps signified two more had found an interest in our conversation. “I would have just on straight to KTF after the first alien came out of that chick.”

Both Miia and I stuck our heads out of the cockpit of me mech to see Trombley come sailing into my bay. Behind him Camouflage stomped around the gantry, his admittedly tactically painted armor clashing with the solid grey green of the bulkhead. “What is KTF my love?” Miiora asked tilting her head in my direction.

“KTF means Kill Them First . It boils down to killing the enemy before they can even think about doing something to you.” She slowly nodded in understanding before pressing her snout into my neck and squeezing passed my womb as the third new comes came into view.

“A better inquiry would be as to why the colonial marines did not simply deploy several drones to perform reconnaissance inside of the terraformer.” A smooth feminine sounding synthetic voice called out. The slender ruby and white accented machine said. The machine placed a clawed hand on her hip in a mirror of one of Miioras mannerisms. Habu’s sensor dome glowed a brighter gold before her avatar appeared beside Armors flickering image. Her image was a yellow human female in a sundress, with hair that reached to the small of her back.

“Please, they hardly let us use our sigent drones.” Watkins says sliding a plate back onto Armors chassis. In flash of green the avatar of Camouflage suddenly appeared. His form appearing as that of a United States marine from the vietnam era, complete with open flak jacket, helmet, even a set of dog tags. But what set him apart was that he chose the body of a marine that died back on Bagmare, vtrn Laurence Beckett.

“Well three days and an ass load of work later… that should do it. Armor lets see, sound off full diagnostic.” I say helping Mii'ora out of my cockpit before sitting back in my open womb.

Outside cables disconnected and several repair bots returned to their cradles as Armor pivoted his torso and pushed himself up. My implant flashed and the secondary controls kicked in as several rings appeared from the arms of the pilot's chair wrapping themselves around my forearms. “Sensor suit… online, armor integrity 100%, communication… online, left arm actuators operational, right arm actuators operational, close combat spike operational, integrated weapon racks and flaps…”

His arms rose slightly as around his body various panels and pieces of plating rose, fell, and slid around. “Operational, joint articulation... 100%, synchronisation with pilot 87%, A.I core 100%, fusion cores containment steady, booster thrusters 100%, ickoras mountings left and right operational, womb shielding…”

The lights in armors cockpit flickered red for a second a strange angular symbol appearing before going away replaced by the swirling Hammond robotics logo. “Operational, gyroscopic stabilizers 100%. Warning multiple crystalline structures on chassis.”

“Armor state the protocols.” Miiora orders floating to the outstretched hand of her own machine. “Acknowledged pilot trainee Mii’ora. Parameter 1, find and link to pilot… parameter 2, uphold mission at all cost, parameter 3, protect the pilot. Parameter 4 Defend North American Commonwealth, Parameter 5 protect squad, parameter 6, parameter 5 does not supersede parameter 3.”

“Alright that should do it.” I say floating pushing out of my cockpit to give Armor a thumbs and float down to the deck. Once down I kick off again and float closer to get a better look at the blood red crystals that had supposedly appeared on Armors plating during my fight on the surface. “Affirmative, hammond robotics, ATLAS-3 Sierra Delta-6624, Callsign: Armor, online.”

Spire

[Floor Redacted]

Sandelphon

[Known names]

[Steel world, Bastion, Sera, Reach]

Epsilon Eridani system

1 node from SOL

2169AD/106AC

On one of the highest floors of the repurposed lanky atmospheric processor a window stood overlooking the fortress city of Halvo Bay. The ruby sky and pink clouds adding to the blood colored water that stretched beyond the port. The massive gas giant hung on the horizon, while in the sky the rings of the planet sized moon glittered silently. “The apex predators need a new leader colonel”

“I am well aware of that major, but my options are limited. Major bishop was the next in line after Burbanjack. But he died in helghan sector.” The colonial in charge of all COG special forces said as she took another hit of scotch.

“Well frankley colonel, that leaves us strapped. Apex predators is down to what six members members, all of whom are noncoms. Grayson won't take the job he doesn't qualify, plus sir Amp isn't ready. Maybe in a few years but not now.” The major said zooming in the screen and watching two atlas-3s on patrol, a squad of specters and combat androids at the feet.

“I agree, Ortiz. And Harris won't take the job and we both know it, we have been trying to give him a team of his own since he was in the seals. That leaves us with three others.”

“Yes. Bender, Hijack, and the newly named replacement for bishop Wraith. Well let's take Hijack off of the listing. He isn't the leadership type, so that leaves us with wraith, and Bender.”

“Bender is too close to Big Dog, and wraith? He is to green to even consider.” The colonel says leaning back in her chair. “Well he’s not exactly green, no pod head is... huugh.. But you are right. Well what about Fallon?”

“He might work major… medal of honor, sixty combat drops as a combat controller, and fifteen as a MOTH. He’s young, He's resourceful, strong willed, willing to do whatever is needed to get the job done, and his team respects him. But the problem is, that the onyx guard want him… And their way over my pay grade. Plus there is one more thing.” A dragonfly flew by the window at that moment bathing the room in blue light, and writing the window.

“What is it?”

“He is to attached to his current embedded command. The 26 RTI have made him and MOTH team one part of their structure. Plus there is the matter of his relationship with the alien.” The major explained sending a packet to the colonel desk. She caught it and swirled it to face her with a sweep of the hand before reading it over.

“Yes the Tymerian Mii'ora they are quite close aren't they…” A glance at her aid showed her exactly what he thought of that relationship if the slight sneer on his face was many clew. Maybe she needed a new aid one more open to the changing situation with the former population.

“We could simply separate the…” He was cut off when the colonel shot him a glare that if looks could kill would have struck him dead on the spot. “Shut up major. Well the onyx guard want him and I suppose they may get him. But head hunter might be a better fit.”

“Respectfully sir I disagree. The tymerian has shown on multiple occasions she is driven to emotional behavior in the field…” A hand slammed into the desk sending ripples across the screen. “Major, I am well aware of liaison corporal Miiora’s shortcomings, and in fact it is what has kept her out of socom for so long. Now get out of my office, I have a call to make. “ she said before turning in her chair, waiting for the door to slide shut behind her before sending a connection request to her husband.

“Go for Loomis.”

“Colonel Loomis, it is Lt Colonel Loomis. I have a proposition for you.”

Leo Pie system

Zukali

UEC zebra colony

Fallons Furys

43 nodes from SOL

2169AD/106AC

Water splashed as an armored boot slammed down into the muddy puddle. The soldier the boot belonged to then leapt over a fallen moss covered tree. Landing in a crouch as a Uec fighter screamed over head, stitching fire up across the scattered line of UAF soldiers.

The blue and grey armored human spun standing to a low couch and fired his rifle into the chest of an advancing UEC soldier. The sun blazed down on the battle adding to the misery of the COG soldiers as they had weathered a monstrous storm just the night before.

His breath was heavy and his heart pounded him his chest as blue, red, white and gold bolts and beams of energy lanced across the field. In the distance he could see a siafu explode as one of the new UEC mechs fired its condenser rifle into it, sizzling armor and cooking off its ammo.

“This is Fallon, fallback to the dropships by squads.” The captain's voice called out over the tac-link as over head a dragonfly is struck by a late of rockets. The left engines exploded causing the entire ship to flip onto is back and slam into the ground before going up in an even larger explosion.

To the soldiers left he sees one of his friends being struck in the chest by one of the UEC energy weapons. And to his right one of his squad mates is being dragged into the woods by pastel colored changelings and zebra.

He spins again in his run pausing just long enough to put down two more UEC soldiers and to see the woman behind him be dive bombed and by a pegasus. A thunderous explosion fills the air and he turns around in time to see one of the hammerhead cruisers falling through the atmosphere.

“Its the Sharon!” someone shouts as something large picks him up and he looks to see it was one of the Siafu mechs speeding its way back to the dropzone. “Sharon, Sharon, this is Fury two-alpha respond.”

“Sharon's dust!” captian Fallon broke into the chatter. “Keep the channel clear damn it! Squad leaders I wan…” a second explosion farther up caught the soldiers attention as he saw one of the akula dropships explode.

The UAF marine Private Blake was lowered to the ground as the mech he was riding squats and rolls into the open dropbay of a waiting botfly. The planet shakes as the first of the massive pieces of the Sharon strike the surface.

“Move! Get aboard.” The old breed changeling crew chief shouted waving Blake onward before a siering bolt of magical energy slammed into her chest. Melting through her battle armor, burning through her carapace and into her heart as the dropships drop ramp raised and the gunship lifted off.

Leo Pie system

Zukali

Space

56 AE/ 3rd age of conquest

In space COG fleet 12 burned, its complement of three annihilator class siege breakers taken out in the opening salvos of the battle. Nine COG ships limp back to the alcubierre shoot, while another eight excluding the siege breakers float in pieces blaring their emergency transponders.

While UEC attack corvettes prowl through the debris. The Particular Justice Flagship of the UECs 7th battle fleet loomed pounding the remains of an SRA destroyer with its enhanced condenser cannons.

The ship does not completely match the sweeping almost beautiful structure so common of USC ships. Instead the super destroyer hanging above Zukali is bulbous holding more uncommon with the ships of the COG than that of the UEC. It's sharp twin prows contrast to the single rear sweeping cloud,shrieking dragon's maw, or raptors beak. The ships dull muted grey and red standing out with in the riot of color that surrounds it.

“Supreme commander, the bulk of the earther fleet will exit our engagement envelope in three hours, and reach the transit bubble in another twelve.” The lead tactical officer calls out from her position in the command pit of the Particular Justice.

“Excellent send our fleet to intercept.” a young pegasus commander orders before an arm the size of a humans thigh thrust itself ahead of her.

“No, Belay that order. Should we peruse we shall spread ourselves too thin. No the humans shall destroy more of our ships than I am willing to lose at this time.” Heads turn as the speaker enters the room. Silver and gold armor plates cover a furry black and brown eso skeleton. Clicking mutedly as two of of the speakers massive clawed arms fold themselves behind his back.

Four multifaceted eyes emit a dull glow as they sweep across the bridge of his ship. His damaged spinneret less abdomen twitches while silver armored pedipalps fidget. Behind him his prime guard stand firm, their staff weapons held tightly in their grips.

“Supreme commander Allikal Krykss. My Lord we have the earthers on the run, forgive my insubordination but I believe we should go after them.” The Pegasus says as the kleese scuttles past her.

“We shall engage the humans when the time comes. But before we do anything we must destroy that blockade ship, the... hammerhead I believe the humans call its kind. Helm engines full.”

In space a ship older than human space flight roared to life and the engines of the retrofitted Kleece battleship flared to life. Massive blue plasma flumes leap from recessed nozzles as old but still deadly lance batteries, plasma baliste, and magic condenses come online and swivel to track their target. While twelve million miles distant the slightly damaged NAC ship pivoted to track the new threat. Sensors flair to life and a 3d image of the flag ship of UEC Battle fleet eight appears on the hollow display on the bridge.

The ship approaching almost matches the Zephyr in raw tonnage maxing out at nine hundred and ninety nine meters in length, eighty-eight meters tall, and fifty five meters wide roughly the same size and dimensions as the COG hammerhead class cruisers. Dwarfing the other smaller UEC ships around it but still small compared to the Siege breakers and siege destroyer used by the COG.

“Supreme commander, their ship is mostly superficially damaged I recommend we…” commander Nombus Shaper is cut off as her Kleese superior bellows out a laugh.

“Good! Then it will be a fair fight. We shall lay this vessel low, be one step closer to their conquest. And one victory closer to proving that the Kleese NOT the humans are the truest warriors in this galaxy!” Allikal Krykss exclaimed his left lower hand on the ship wide broadcast switch. Throughout the ship the kleese portion of the crew roared in approval.

Orders are given aboard the human vessel prompting twenty medium, four heavy railguns and ten PDC turrets swivel all across the NACs Zephyr. Forty-five missile tubes across the capital ship slide open and two bay doors open bear the aft end of the battered ship. Time crawls to a standstill as two ships of the line bare down on one another. One new the other old in the eyes of their respective empires but both insignificant compared to the blazing red giant backlighting the system.

Six, twelve, ninety, one-twenty, and more anti ship missiles launch themselves from the Zephyr as it starts to empty its magazines. Rail guns begin staggering fire while six plasma torpedoes designed to be used against other COG ships leap from the missile tubes. All the while the Zephyr’s full complement of fighters consisting of one aging squadron of twelve shrike fighters and one squadron of twelve newer avengers pop from their launch tubes and hanger bays. In the aft two fifty meter long, twelve meter wide, and ten meter tall gladius escort ships slide from their births emerging from the massive doors in the aft of the vessel.

Shields flair across Particular Justice as plasma baliste, lance batteries, condenser turrets, point guns and missiles turn, launch, fire or beam into the missiles oncoming swarm. Beside the Zephyr one of its escort corvettes explodes as two ruby read beams slam into its nose searing its armor and coring it straight through.

From the belly of the UEC capital ship unloading two squadrons of nine equestrian Pegasus starfighters. Before a single squadron of twelve heavily armed fighters with a forward swept flying wing designs leaped forth on yellow glowing engines. The kleese crusher fighters quickly overtake their clumsier UEC designed counterparts and lead the attack against their opponents.

Point defence turrets on both sides swivel wildly sending streams of pearl and amber from the hulls of both as missiles hary the two capital ships from all sides. In the space around the UEC ship three small blue starbursts bloom into existence marking the destruction of the humans plasma torpedoes. Before two of the slam into the shields of the Particular Justice causing them to flair wildly as the clouds of plasma washed over them. This allows the remaining torpedo to close the gap and release its payload. Exploding the human missile sends an expanding cloud of plasma into the flank of the Kleese war ship.

Then a blast from one of the Particular Justice’s lance cannons strikes the Zephyr amidships searing a molten hole mid way through to the other side of the human ship. While a single plasma torpedo slips through the shields and strikes the Supreme commander’s ship blowing a large whole into its flank. Armor boils, decks melt and crew are vaporized or seared alive as the cloud makes contact vaporizing twelve decks of the ship.

Across both ships alarms blair as the shaking of impacts from railgun or energy weapons rock the superstructure. But now the Zephyr had come into range enough to use its point defence guns offensively. “Captain we have fires on decks thirty through nineteen. The marine barracks has been exposed to vacuum and the hanger bay is gone, one of those energy blew straight through it. / Supreme Commander large sections of the hull are exposed to vacuum those rail guns are chewing us apart.”

With the human vessel now sporting several large holes and gauges across its frame the two ships finally move into their optimal firing positions. A pale white glow covers the UEC flagship as its shields recharge. Before the space between the two ships comes alive as the two capital ships open up with a full broadside, separated by a paltry seventy thousand miles.

Entire sections of the earthers vessel dislodge from its boxy superstructure as massive explosions race across it. While huge craters and massive chunks are blown from the Particular Justice before four missiles streak forth from the kleese ship. One is taken out by the point defence of the Zephyr. But the other three find their marks the gunnery crews aboard the Supreme commander flagship remotely guiding their missiles in.

One strikes the Zephyr’s sole remaining escort in the side tearing it apart as it is sent into a spin,before its engine explodes. While the remaining two hit the Zephyr itself with one setting off its secondary reactor and the other its magazine.

A small short lived sun bursts into being as the Zephyr ceases to exist. It's particulate atoms all that remains of five COG hundred spacemen and three hundred ground pounders. With its main target destroyed the damaged kleese battleship trains its point guns on what remains of the earther fighters. Four of the human avengers battle the remaining six crusher and five pegasus fighters, before overwhelming fire from the ship blow them to pieces.

On the bridge of the Particular Justice Allikal Krykss and his warriors roar in triumph before the Supreme commander composes himself. He nodes in respect to the expanding cloud of charged particles that used to be the Zephyr.

“A good fight humans, specialist mark the name of that ship on the record, it would not do to forget such a worthy foe.” The Supreme commander orders before the hatch to the bridge slides open to reveal what must be a recently revived Princess Luna judging by the goop that still clung to her coat. “My lady, to what do I owe the... honor?”

The Lunar Princess hacks up a goop of regenerative sludge before standing straighter. “Supreme commander Allikal Krykss? I had a feeling this was your ship why you continue to use this aiding ship I will never know. But it would apperes your resurrection machine was the closest to Tearus with my code.” she said coming to stand before the large arachnid warrior.

“Well if you are here then it would mean that the COG has won yet another battle against supreme commander rarity. Forgive my candor ma’am but why is the Supreme commander of an exploratory fleet…” he was cut off by a loom from the Lunar princess as she stood straighter yet even her alicorn frame allowed her to reach up to this kleese’s mid chest.

“Because supreme commander three of the princesses agreed to her elevation. And with her more recent agree of victories over the COG drawing more ships to her side it was the love, magic and my sister's choices to promote her to a supreme commander. Despite my repeated protests.” The alicorn said before turning and with a wave of the hand beckoning Krykss to follow. “Captain you have the con.” He said before turning to follow. “Yes my Lord.”

“Ma’am. It has also come to my attention princess that the rarity creature has not been seen aboard her flag ship since it broke atmosphere and joined its fleet in retreat from the COG.” Beside the door to the bridge two kleese guards separated to allow the Supreme commander and princess Luna to pass.“Your assessment Krykss?” the princess’s voice is distant as if in thought.

“I do not wish to speak out of turn.” The dull clicking of the armor the Supreme commander’s armor echoes through the hall as behind them six prime guards march. “Speak, I wish to know what you make of this information. What would you do?”

“As you wish. I believe there are three paths that have presented themselves. One and perhaps the most unlikely being that she was killed when the earthers nuked the planet. In such a case she would likely be in the queue of her ships resurrection vats and has yet to be revived. Now this is unlikely as the latest reports show that almost fifty percent of the backed up engrams have been logged and revived and she would have been one of the first. As well had she been revived I am sure we would have heard about it, she is one for boasting after all…” The two pass by a damaged portion of the ship and pause. Inspecting the damage through the thick view port in the blast door, where already damage control crews are moving to begin repairs and prepare the ship for transit to the nearest spacedock.

“Hmm yes I have found that to be true if perhaps a little over stated. What of the other two paths supreme commander?” the Lunar Princess nods either in acknowledgement of the kleese’s words or the work being done Allikal Krykss could not be sure. But soon the two begin to move again, now toward the royal/supreme commanders quarters.

“Path two is that she has switched sides in this war...

Supreme commander Rarity Belle

Holding Cell 4

NACS: Galactica

56AE/2169AD/106AC

I wait for these uncouth savages to begin torturing me. I know that it will come. But so far they’ve done little more than dress me in the most unflattering, and uncomfortable, clothing possible. There is a strange bracelet they’ve placed on me. Something they scan every time they enter the room. If my horn was whole I would have used one of those moments to made my way out of this confinement. I constantly wonder why they aren’t attempting to kill me, and then I remember the cloning facility. They know, and they won’t kill me, not for some time.

I sit, and my mind goes to Coco. Sweet Coco, darling Coco, my most believed Coco who betrayed me. I don’t know why she did so. I’ve been a giving lover, I protected her, healed her mind after the attack, granted, I might have taken some liberties with what I wanted her to think, but then what mare wouldn’t want to make some tweaks to their lover? For my help she betrayed me to these savages. I’ve seen her since then. Talking to the humans, seemingly fitting in with them, and I feel such sadness that I know what will happen to her.

The moment we stop this little rebellion she will be captured, and she will be confined for all eternity. The same will happen to Gusty, but I will ensure that trator is put through the worst possible torture we can come up with. Her assisting those humans with what they did to the cloning facility is more than enough reason to ensure that she never gets a moment of peace. I believe I will have a cooler fashioned from Sandpaper, and her tailhole will become quite thoroughly introduced to it.

The sounds of boot steps caught my attention. I turned toward the door, wishing that I had my horn. Instead I was little better than an Earth Pony. No, I wasn’t even that. I didn’t have their strength. I was no better than a human. I was reduced to a prisoner, and my one hope was that they would destroy this body and I could be reborn anew. But they hadn’t even attempted to do so. Instead they had went to great lengths to ensure that every possible instrument that could cause harm was removed from my cell. Even my cot was little more than a foam mattress on a metal slab.

“Prisoner up.”

I stood away from the door, “I am up, thank you.”

“The prisoner will assume the position before guards enter the room. Failure to comply will result in a correction.”

I quickly moved to the wall, placing my hands into two large yellow circles. I spread my legs, leaned forward, and tried very hard to not think that I looked like some mare of the night leaning against the wall.

“I’m in position. Perhaps you could be so kind as to tell me what is going on?”

The door opened and through it came a human carrying a clipboard. Behind her was another human, and this one carried a small tray. I recognised some of the utensils there. Some were the same things I had used on Floor to attempt to gain information.

“The prisoner will disrobe.”

I growled, “No, the prisoner will not disrobe!”

I heard something click and a moment later my entire world turned white with pain. I screamed as I fell to my knees. The pain stopped, and I couldn’t help but sob.

“The prisoner will disrobe, and the Prisoner will prepare for questioning.”

Sobbing I disrobed. I felt so low, so submissive, and I knew that there wasn’t anything I could do at this moment.

“Good, Prisoner, be seated.”

I obeyed, and I watched the one with my questioner. I could feel his eyes on me, and I hated it. I knew it wasn’t desire, but it didn’t need to be. I’d heard stories of some of the more uncouth methods of getting some of our slaves to obey. One of them involved an excessive display of dominance. I feared that would happen her, and I prayed that I was wrong.

“Now, we are going to ask questions about your cloning technology, you are going to answer those questions, and then we are going to ask questions about Sergeant Gusty’s odd ability to survive what would kill another Equestrian.”

“My Rank is Supreme Commander, My Identification Number is UEC 0004.”

I felt the intense pain again and I nearly fell to the floor. There was a light chuckle, and I looked at the one near my questioner.

“Do not look at him, look at me,” she said as she adjusted her glasses, “Now, perhaps you have some misguided idea that you won’t break.”

She raised her hand and I saw the one with her standing by. Thankfully there was no pain, at least not yet, “My Rank is Supreme Commander. My Identification Number is UEC 0004.”

The pain shot through me again and I screamed as I fell. I wasn’t helped up, but instead I laid like a newborn foal.

“Shall we get some answers, or would you like us to stop be delicate?”

My eyes widened, Delicate? They were being Delicate?!

“M...My Rank…”

The pain this time was more localized, more focused, and I felt my vision change. I whimpered, and closed my left eye only to realize that I was now blind in my right eye.

“W...What did you do?”

My Questioner smiled, “When you were taken there was an injection given to you. It contained an experimental chemical our Research and Development team has created for the use on your kind. After all you're not the first of your kind that's been captured. The chemical allows someone with my ability to help localize your pain, make it broader, cause blindness, deafness, even make you mute. Of course that’s only the beginning. Tell me, have you ever known what it was like to suffer a heart attack but not die? Maybe have a massive stroke and then within moments everything would be fine?”

I shook my head, “N...No.”

She continued to smile, “Well, given time you will experience all of that, and more, unless you decide to answer some of my very simple questions. Shall we begin again?” she studied me for a moment, “Before we begin I want you to understand that if you attempt to lie to us, or refuse to cooperate, I will tear your mind apart to get the information I need.”

Leo Pie system

Zukali, space

Supreme commander: Allikal Krykss

UEC Battle fleet 8

56 AE/ 3rd age of conquest

“Yes well I do believe the likelihood of supreme commander Rarity switching sides is highly unlikely. She hates the COG to much especially the NAC for killing her sister a month ago. She would sooner be permed then throw her horseshoes in with the nation that did that.” Princess Luna states as steam billows out from the shower stall in her temporary quarters.

Around the room she had occupied various memorabilia of the old pre conquest Kleese empire sat or hung. A suit of battle armor hung on a manikin while beside it a slightly larger set of rarely seen but evidently well and recently used kleese power armor hung on a rack. Grime, scorch marks, cuts and pockmarks mar the power armors silver and black frame.

Beside a desk draped with the flag of the Kleese empire hung a UEC flag held in a wave field set to perpetually move the flag as if an a summer breeze. While on a rack beside the large “bed” sat a black and blue NAC rifle marked with a black gear near the trigger guard, and a blood soaked kleese sword which in honesty was designed more for punching and slashing than thrusting and cutting.

And along the right wall hung paintings of the six earther worlds the supreme commander has either captured or otherwise burned. Each painting done by hand in detail depicting their distinct beauty and cold fortitude.

“Indeed. Then that leaves us with one option. And through process of deduction the correct answer. This being that supreme commander rarity has indeed been captured by the COG. Thus putting the entire offensive of not only her expeditionary fleet, but that of support fleet six, both exploratory nine and seven all at risk. Not to mention the paths not only of our warp bubbles but the path to the UEC homeworld… as such it is my recommendation my lady that you give the order for her killswitch to be activated. Thus keeping such information out of the hands of the COG and allowing for her to relay any gained information upon her resurrection.” The kleese says a standing at the view screen viewing the planet and burning COG fleet above it.

While his princess cleansed herself, the Supreme commander painted one set of eyes and arms working on the art, while the other filter through a data pad. “I would be inclined to agree with you supreme commander.” The sounds of the shower end and the dull clops of hooves on metal meet his ear holes.

Allikal Krykss silently waits for several more minutes painting a on vista of his newest conquest. Before his most valued supporter joins stands at his side. His work does not cease but one of his eyes fixes itself on her. “What you have your supreme commander do?”

“Set course for Equis, the remnants of exploratory fleet 12 should be there when we arrive. I have much to discuss with my fellow rulers and the council.”

Author's Note

Hey sorry for the long wait I decided to take a break for a while. To catch my breath if you will, and during that break I had to get a surgery and during recovery I got inspired so I'm back.

Let me know what you think, it's the start of a new chapter in the story. And the intro of a character I think has some potential.

Chapter 63 Just a shakedown run

I am responsible for myself and my actions; I shall conduct myself honorably, and live a clean and frugal life. I have responsibilities to my fellow citizens. I shall be loyal to them, and humble, because we are elements of a greater whole, and without them I am nothing, I have responsibilities to our society; I shall understand and respect my place in it, defend it, and work to make it prosperous, so that I may receive society's protection, and that we may hand on safety and prosperity to future generations.

-COG octus canon. As stated by all COG citizens. Based on the concepts of Order, Diligence, Purity, Labor, Honor, Loyalty, Faith and Humility. That lead COG civilisation in hopes of finding a new age of peace and prosperity. Each of these concepts represented as one of the seven teeth on the gear that symbolises the COG as a whole.

UEC home world Equis

Canterlot city

Castle of Matriarchs

56AE/3rd age of conquest

Light shines in through the ornately stained glass windows lining the rustic stone walls of the UEC capital. Draped from the ceiling of the council chamber hang the flags of each of the races that made up the original UEC that set out to face the fleeing old breed changelings in the stars. Delegates from each of the eighty UEC worlds have a seat here all seated in a circular formation facing the four thrones held by the four princesses. And beside which are the thrones of the dragons, gryphons, zebra, and neochangelings.

The supreme commander of the ninth fleet makes a gesture to the large tri pronged display before the council and three princesses. Her dragon scales glinting in the light as she gestures to the table prompting a hologram of the galaxy to appear.

The map is segmented into different pallets to mark different factions. The UEC marked in green expands out over five hundred light years, beside it and taking up much of the entire galaxy as they do not know the enemy's border the Lankys are marked yellow. And there smack between and surrounded by the Lankys the is the pitiful COG it being one of the only races to stand against the UEC.

“I recommend we send more ships to attack from the left flank of their empire. Our scouts and changeling spys report that their line is weak in this sector of space in particular.” The Zebra monarch’s voice is clipped perhaps portraying anger or agitation.

“No, my lord we can not.” My associate a fellow supreme commander, that of the third fleet says.

“For as you can see here sir....” The blue scaled dragoness began pointing a well manicured claw to a point to the galactic west of the presumed human border. “The western and eastern edges of cog space are controlled by the Lankys. And we just do not have the numbers to battle a lanky fleet.”

“Perhaps your fleet does not have the numbers to battle the mortal enemy of humanity but the fifth fleet we are among the mightiest…” The gryphon was cut off as a citan covered arm slashed the air.

“No,” King thorax cuts his hand through the air cutting off the gryphon. “The fifth fleet already cost the UEC several colony's. And with the red ships now normally aiding the regular black ships just two of their ships are normally enough to wipe out anything short of a designated battle group.”

“But my lord the Lankys claw ships are the ones that cost us the most to destroy, and with then staying near the COGs borders…” the third fleets supreme commander a graying buffalo spoke up.

A shadow falls over the chamber at the mention of the one enemy the UEC has yet to truly best in battle. In the sky above the castle a thin wire stretches up from the mountains peak the tether that links the capital to the orbital key.

“And you would throw ships at the claw ships in an effort to kill a single one. When even our hated enemy the cog were forced to ram one of their ships into a single one and detonate its core to destroy it?” The supreme commander 9f the seventh fleet, a male zebra says from his chair.

While all is being said, the normally calm tenth fleet’s supreme commander, an earth pony, just seems to stare at the hologram with slight worry “they are way to late..” he mumbles.

“Who is late Supreme commander?” The solar princess inquired leaning forward and addressing the earth pony.

“Several of my sub commanders and their ships have not reported in from the mission they were sent on some time before what happened princess.” the earth pony just sighs

“Perhaps they were intercepted between warp bubbles by the Lankys? We have had reports of several colony's going dark in that sector.” Princess twilight asked.

The earth pony looks at her replying “possible..but then again, maybe i am worried over nothing”

“If any of the command crews of those ships were backed up then perhaps we will find out if they are revived. But if not then perhaps they are simply delayed or not in communications range.” The lavender furred princess says leaning back in her chair.

It was then that the guard prime at the entrance of the chamber spoke. “All rise for Princess Luna, supreme commander Allikil Krykss of battlefleet six, and commander Polar acting commander of exploratory fleet twelve.”

“Greetings my lords.” Both the supreme commander and acting commander call out one doping his head and the other kneeling.

Heads turned and glares were leveled towards the silver and gold armored kleese. “Ah supreme commander Krykss was your campaign successful?” The solar princess asks taking an interest in her sisters chosen supreme commander.

“It was my league. The earthers fled and their world has been pacified.” Both he and Polar report continue as Princess Luna continues past him and to the throne beside her sister.

“Excellent, I am glad to see at least one of our commanders has shown some form of competence against the earthers.” Celestia comments as Krykss and Polaris reports come to an end.

“Furthermore for the safe return of my aunt, and the revelation that supreme commander rarity has been captured I must… is something the matter supreme commander?” Cadence interceded before noticing the kleese suddenly appeared to be speaking to some pony over his radio.

“Urgent news my lords. We have just received news that the ship suspected to have captured supreme commander rarity had been sighted. I strongly recommend…”

“Go supreme commander. Take sixth, ninth, twelfth, eighth, and second fleets with you. Bring the element of generosity home Krykss. You are authorized to use any methods you deem fit. But if you fear you will not be able to return her alive, you will activate her killswitch and revive her aboard your ship.” the solar princess’s voice was commanding, leaving no room for second guessing or deliberation.

Beside her the three princesses nodded their head, followed by the council. “Supreme commander I have several deep cover changelings aboard that ship. Here is their activation code.” Thorax says before celestia voice calls out over the dinn.

“This council is adjourned. Commanders, dismissed.”

The kleese and other supreme commanders wrapped there knuckles against their chests in salute before moving out. Their destination Tearus.

Staff sergeant veteran: Avery Fallon

NACS: Manitoba

War games simulator 3 delta 6

12:00 hrs local system time

11 days after Tearus

2169AD/106AC

It was hard to look at the empty armor and not imagine that it was somehow alive. Under the armor plating was an advanced endoskeleton that fit snugly over the body of the wearer. The entire endoskeleton was designed to work off of the various assisted servo-motors that tapped into the reflexes of those that wore the suit.

The armor was both a blessing and a curse. The advanced AI of the armor would allow for it to continue to function, and battle, after the wearer was knocked unconscious. The main issue of course was that the software would follow the commands given by the wearer, or by the commanding officer via the comm-link. If there was no other command it continued the last mission assigned until the mission was finished, or it was so badly damaged it could no longer function.

Each plate of armor on the endoskeleton was colored for the section it belonged to. And looking at it I saw how my own favored the old military green. The emblem on the shoulders of the armor plating showed my rank, Sergeant, and right below it was my unit. The helmet, designed to give normal view, infrared, millimeter waves, 3-mapping, sonar, night vision, and ultra, a collection of other relays that I've never used. The design keeps the potential head shot down well below three percent, and even those good enough to hit the visor are most likely not going to penetrate the helmet itself.

A clawed hand sails past inches from my face as throw myself backwards. Responding I turn quickly on my heel grabbing Charlotte’s pale outstretched hand and pivot back around releasing her at the apex and sending her shoulder first into Mii'ora. Moth bucket sounds an alarm and I turn in time to deliver a punch to Bra’tac’s side.

“Red Team base un-defended.” Spinning around I deliver a hammerfist to the back of the Mii’ora’s brothers head and raise my head to get a better look at the field.

Black team consists of what is left of the Apex predators and Valkyrie squadron. That means myself, Charlotte, Doll, Lynx, Amp, Big Dog, Hijack, Bender, and Wraith. When the word came that our section were scheduled for sim time to test out the new gear we just so desperately needed. I ran the idea of merging our teams to Char and she agreed.

Red team on the other hand is larger being made up of made up of Mii'ora, Bra’tac, Durge, Aryanne, Gutsy, Trombley, Levoy, Forbes, Watkins, Fick, Packers, X, SNAFU, and a new face i hadnt seen. A man in vanta black armor with midnight blue accents an Onyx guard marked just Marcus.

Coming back to the battle as Wraith’s marker apperes on my HUD and I duck as Bra’tac turns to counter attack. He moves and a shower of magenta blood erupts from where the top of the bull tymerians head had once been. The crack of the shot comes as I turn throwing my leg out catching Mii'ora off guard and kicking her legs out from under her. Seeing her opening Charlotte draws her side arm firing two rounds into my girlfriends chest. “Thanks Wraith, you're a lifesaver.”

“Don't mention it... Twentys you've got bad guys moving in from the north. Looks like the kleese, the ponys, Marcus, X and SNAFU up front. Other basics in back.” The newest Apex predator reports over the squad comm. Using the stupid nickname “Twentys” he had given me after finding my service number somewhere.

Beside me Charlotte nodes a look of determination visible through her transparent pilots helmet. Her armor isn't really armor, it is more or less plates attached to her already less than protective skin tight flight suit. A stark contrast to the new MOTH battle armor I wear.

The armor is denser than the older model still used by the regular troops. It's plates designed to defend against not just bullets and blades, but energy weapons and magic attack. It's under layer meant to spread out and disperse heat, meaning that the fine people at Misriah armor works finally knew about the UEC were using energy weapons and how poorly regular battle armor defended against it.

But perhaps the most noticeable difference in the armor is the helmet, which seems to be a compromise between the bug suit helmets, and the the regular ones. It’s somehow both bulky and sleek posessiong a tapering slited black visor that that stretches from eye to eye dipping slightly at the bridge of the nose.

“Got it. Big dog, Charlotte, Doll with me. Bender, Amp, hijack, take the rest of valkyrie and flank around. Take their flag and get it back, hurry before Mii'ora and Bra’tac respawn. Wraith your on over watch. KTF, Hooyah?”

A resounding “Hooyah.” comes from the markers on my HUD Before another pilot and a second suit of MOTH battle armor comes barreling around a stony corner. With a nood Big Dog and I scoop up the pilots, bound over to an outcropping and set them down before turning leveling our gatts towards the approaching red icons. With luck we will be able to catch red team in this small canyon. “Stay behind me charl.” I send to her over our private channel.

“Oh i'm Right behind you Fally.” she says. glancing over my shoulder I see she has literally decided to get behind me, using my power armored bulk as cover as she levels her imperial smg on the gully entrance. The damn thing is so small and fragile I could probably break it over my knee if I wanted to. Why the Nordic Empire insists on using such overly engineered shit I will never know.

But then again my bucket is no better, I mean why the hell do I need to know the manufacturer, model, crew count, barrel length, and bore of an equestrian Manticore main battle tank. When the damn things could just say for example “tank” and get the same general effect.

“So, I heard we got a data drone through the alcubierre node after the majority of the fleet left the system. Got a lot of new gear for our 3ds and a shit load of mail. Anything from your folks?” I ask the woman using me as a shield.

“My ma’ma and pa’pa want to know when you will come back for a visit. They haven't seen you since you graduated your combat controller school six years ago. You know they want to know when we are going to do something with our eggs, sperm and that embryo we have frozen on Io.”

“Yeah well it is kinda hard to get back to earth at the moment. Plus your mom and dad are owner and CEO of the third largest company on earth. With Weyland-yutani, and Misriah armory, being just above them. They have better things to do then worry about some wannabe belter PRC rat from Pittsburgh 13. Besides I wouldn't be a good parent I'm a piece of shit, and a damn freak.”

“Do not talk that way about yourself Fally please you are more than some PRC rat. Avery, you fought your way to where you are, from the PRC, and to the belt. And when you were old enough you enlisted, and stored your sperm like the COG expects. You would make an excellent parent” She says gesturing wildly and placing a hand on her chest.

“Maybe But the only reason the COG wanted me to store was because my dad didn't qualify. Gran got the medal of honor before the lanky war and that marked me. And what about Mii'ora?” I say feeling myself get slightly upset.

Ever since the old UN damn near lost earth and the human population was dropped to a twentieth of its one hundred billion the new COG that rose afterward took more of a spartan policy. Apparently in some rad zone that used to be somewhere in the NE called Sparta or g
reece or some shit the strongest warriors would be often be paired with the strongest/healthiest women. It was an assurance that the strongest would survive, but the problem with the system is that it makes romantice a bit hard.

“Miia is a big girl Fally. And you know your mom and my parents wanted us to pair after we met. They were so happy when you got me out of that PRC and back to the embassy when we were kids. They approached your mom after the NE demanded that my parents find me a pair. Imagine the chances of finding you when they did, a kind boy who I actually got along with and liked. I've wanted to spend my life with you since we were young Fally, and you really hurt us when you went out to the belt. Fally I...” Charl says her voice small towards the end Movement catches my eye and I tune out her response.

Aryanne and Gutsy burst through the entrance dressed up armored NAC riot gear instead of battle armor, without the greaves or boots. The riot gear because the COG doesn't trust Equestrian defectors with true battle armor, and do to their inability to put on foot were meant for humans. The two of them bound forward diving behind a rock before either of us could down either of them.

“Alright Here they come. On my mark.” I say cutting off whatever Charlotte was saying. The others start to come around the corner now and when everyone is in our killzone we open up.

My M66 barks and kicks in my arms while my bucket deadens the report of Char’s SMG as it spits out rounds by my head. X, SNAFU, and Marcus dive into cover instantly returning fire. Rounds tear up at us and I instinctively throw myself backwards covering Char with my battle armor as pieces of debris rain down on us.Charlotte looked quite upset and embarrassed under me. Her purple eyes eyes gazed up at me, I could see the hurt in them, I needed to say something.

“Charlotte, after she died I felt like my whole world fell apart. I went out to the belt because i felt like I needed a place to put things back together again. After she passed I felt like I would never feel safe again… but the Dounis… you charl, you made me feel safe.”

With a pained grunt I roll off of Charlotte and raise my rifle over the edge of the rock I’m using as cover. Opening a gun cam window I spot Big Dog basically baseball pitch a fragger down into the riven. “Fragger out!” Harris shouts over squad comm. The throw was quite good actually. It sailed straight into Trombley helmet. The five inch grenade slammed into his helmet like a missile making him lose his balance and fall on his face.

The special ops mark 12 fragmentation grenades or “fraggers” are different to the ones the basics use. Instead of a single detonation our fraggers send out shrapnel in every direction on the first pop. Then a secondary fragmentation device is launched into the air to detonate sending more shrapnel to saturate the area. The entire process takes less than a second but damn is it effective. With a wicked grin I duck back behind cover and pull my own fragger from my grenade loops. “Fragger out!”

Boom, boom! The first grenade goes off seconds before my own fragger hits the dirt and explodes with its own duel explosion. A shot rings out and I poke my head out in time to see Gutsy’s left leg explode at the knee mid stride. The entire box is slick with blood, Durge being the main cause for us using two grenades lays on multiple pieces around the canyon. His green blood mixing with the crimson and brownish blood of Aryanne, Forbes, Fick, Perkins, and most of Red team. “I've got no eyes on Marcus.”

“I think I see…” Doll calls our pointing at something before a bolt of crimson light spears through the air and strikes her in the sternum. The bolt blasts straight through her armor and out of her back, leaving a smoldering three inch hole in her chest. She coughs blood onto her visor before two more bolts hit her finishing her off and making her fall to the ground like a sac.

“Woah what the fuck was that!?” My visor darkens as a second crimson bolt comes searing past my bucket before I see Marcus emerge from from behind a rock. His onyx guard armor is slick with blood as he levels a strange looking rifle at me.

It's matt black finish exaggerating its boxy design. A regular looking butt stock connects to a rectangular body the size of a standard carbine with a reflex sight. The magazine is standard loading ahead of the trigger guard. And the battery? jutts off at an angle giving the whole thing the look of a futuristic but boxy M-4.

‘What is that!’ My thought is quickly answered as my armor takes the ruby bolt in the breast plate. The force of the blow knocks me off of my feet and flat onto my back narrowly avoiding three more bolts that tear through where I had just been.

Lifting myself up with my elbows I saw that my new legionnaire breastplate had need dented. Glowing yellow slag rolled off in large beads to sizzle on the ground. With a hiss of pain I rolled onto my stomach half crawled half sprinted behind the rock charl was using. “Avery are you okay?!”

“I've got a…” Wraith called out as I turned to look at him. But before he could finish his sentence a ruby bolt sailed straight into his bucket, right where the slanted visor dipped slightly for better peripheral vision. The shot seared straight through the armor glass visor and out of the back. “Shit, Fallon I'm almost out.”

“Alright Harris, I've got it. He can't hit what he can't see so we chaff-smoke and get some fraggers in there.”

“Damn it Fallon you are always trying to get me killed. This dude's onyx guard he probably won't let ‘em get that close.” Harris interjected as I link my view to Harris’s gun camm in time to see Marcus snatch Aryanne’s struggling bleeding form from the ground one handed. She cries out as the black armored man turns using her as a shield to block several rounds from Charlotte's submachine gun.

His blaster barks out sending several more bolts searing into Charlotte. She staggers back as four of the bolts hit her searing through her thin armor. “Shit, now it's just you and me Harris.”

“Don't remind me.” a Csmoke sails over Harris’s rock and a second latter my one Fragger adds its twin detonations to the smoke. Taking a deep breath I take a step and vault over the rock sliding down the wall of the riveen

Glancing over to the other canyon wall I see Harris sliding down, his jump jets firing to keep him upright and deliver a boost of speed. Liking the idea I emulate his technic and five seconds later we are in the smoke. But just as I begin to see the silhouette of Marcus the message sounds ending the game. “Black team… Flag captured.”

The world goes black as the simulation ends and the pod clam shells open. As it opens I am blasted by the keening as it rushes back into my subconscious like a wave before subsiding. I wince in pain at the sudden sensory overload as I crawl out of my pod.

The next pod to open next to me was Miiora’s the light from inside of her pod shining dully off of her freshly shed and oiled scales. She let's out a small snort, whipping her head before turning to exit her pod. “Sorry about… you know.”

“It is forgiven my love, Bra’tac and I were trying to do the same to you after all. But I do wish you would simply give my brother a chance, to prove himself in your eyes.” her words were calming but I felt a ting of anger at the implication.

“He tried to kill me Miiora, and I ca…” I The sound of heavy footsteps draws my attention from Miiora and I see the onyx guard Marcus standing with his helmet tucked under one arm.

“Fallon, You and Harris are coming with me. Oh and before I forget the skipper told me to give you these.” His voice of clipped an order not a question and his eyes shimmer a deep blue as his implant activates.

My pdp buzzes as he walks away and I glance at it feeling Miiora press her head to my shoulder careful not to stab me with her horns. Opening my incoming message I see a set of three chevrons bottomed by an arc of three four pointed stars. My heart soars and I let out a cheer kissing Miiora on the snout before shooting up and following Marcus.

NACS: Galactica

Tearus orbit

14:30 hrs local system time

11 days after Tearus assault

2169AD/106AC

“Takumi What can you tell me about the second object we received from that played fighter? You told me you’ve made a breakthrough.” General Barron stood on the bridge of his ship. Around him the bridge teamed with life as the vac suited bridge crew worked.

“Well sir the object is giving off Ibstine radiation. And we believe the blue shifting is a result of a very localized alcubierre field produced within the machine… And I think I have lost you.” The chief scientist on board said seeing the captions blank stare.

“A bit yes.”

“Alright, so the regular alcubierre nodes we use are wormholes. They are fixed in almost every star system like a giant web allowing us to move from one node to another…” the doctor began her explanation in as laymen terminology as she could. “Yes I understand that. It is what allowed us to travel out as far as we have.”

“Exactly. Well this device creates it's own alcubierre takion field. The jump if you will, those flashes the flayed used were instantaneous travel. Essentially allowing the user to move from point A to point B without traveling through the normal space time. It allows for functional speeds faster than light, without actually going faster than light a bit like a scaled down alcubierre node.” she paused allowing barron to catch up before continuing.

“General relativity states that the presence of gravity bends and warps space. And this device creates an intense electromagnetic field directly ahead of an object, then the field is modulated to... pull the field across the ship. Let's say that our ship would create a field that warps and folds space ahead of it, not just locally but over the trajectory of the entire jump. It will pass the warp over itself, attaches itself to the other side of the fold, and there you have it a spacetime jump.

“Indeed they are. I am sending you data on the second device we received from that lanky ship, to see what our 3D printers can make of it. As well as some astrological data we recovered from that UEC base before we nuked it, see what you can do.”

Suddenly an alarm began to ring out and when Barron turned to see what it was a member of the bridge crew disabled it. “Airlock alarm malfunction. Seems to think there is something in aft airlock six but I'm not seeing anything.”

“Damn new ships. Better send maintenance crew to check it out.” the exo orders.

So far the Galactica which had apparently been named after a ship from some old science fiction network show from the early twenty first century had been exemplary. ‘But this is still a shake down cruise.’

“Docking pads are extending…. Manitoba reports green, moving to dock. Donnager, moving into position…” the sensor, and comms men said with their eyes glued to their readouts.

“Excellent, maintain tight beam communication with the participating ships. Sensors any noise in the system?” Barron said stepping over to the tactical display. With a gesture holographic showed the entire system in detail. Each of the nine ships in the battle group were clustered around the Galactica in a defencive pattern.

“Three meteors will pass by the planet in three hours.” The sensor tech spoke, pointing out the irregular shaped objects on their slow parabolic orbit.

The ship shuddered as the first of the large ships touched down on the docking pads. On the exterior the huge nine hundred meter annihilator class siege breakers Manitoba, and Donnager were attached. Massive clamps extending from above and below the Galactica's port and starboard pods that reached out locking to several of the struts that ran along the exterior of the ventral hull of the two ships. Dragging them in and hugging then to its hull like a pare lampreys.

Next came the six hundred meter Leathy class siege breaker James Holden, and Belters Pride. The smaller eight hundred meter long ships touched down near the aft of the massive mile and a half long ship, before doors opened near its drives swallowing the ship into its bulk before closing.

Smaller doors opened along its hull now as four more ships were brought into position. These the much smaller and older belter made hammerhead cruisers Astrid, Normandy, Fred Johnson, and Matayo. Slowly the missile laden linebackers lumbered into position. Their escort of corvettes and destroyers closing and docking with their mother ships.

Before long the hammerheads like the much larger annihilator class ships and along with the three ex-Uec ships the Glimmering Wake, Shining Star and Black Arbitrator were wither docked to the hull of the Galactica. Or In the case of the three equestrian ships docked into bays usually used to hold frigate and destroyer class ships.

Finally three of the larger hangers opened allowing the two ghost ships Defiant, and Valiant that had been trailing the Galactica entrance.

“Final ship is... locked.” The hull clanged as the Valiant settled into its cradle, and powered down its engines. “Power status?” Barron's exo Adama asked.

“Power levels rising. Bringing it to screen now, beginning syphon.” with a wave of her clawed hand the myrialos sent the display to the holotank in the center of the bridge where the ships AI avatar “caught” it.

“Levels within safety margin and rising. 150… 180...200… and rising in the green” Adama began before the AI cut him off. Displaying several red signals emerging from the shadow of the fourth planet in the system.

“Holy… count seven three hostile Mark's inbound. Mostly super and regular destroyer class as well as several of their smaller cruisers and corvettes on heavy burn ingress.” The tactical station reported a tinge of fear in his voice.

“Someone must have tipped them off that we were here sound the one mc, bring us to combat stations. And redeploy the docked ships…” alarms began to blare from the system's station as sparks began to fly and the console burst into flames.

“Sir we can't disengage the clamps, or open the doors. The controls are locked out!” He says tapping ferociously at her screen.

“General we have reports of shots fired on deck twenty-eight.”

“Get us a visual now!” Adama shouted. The image they saw shocked them to the core. A mass of newbreed changelings in full battle armor were exchanging fire with a security team. And farther back behind a bulkhead he could see a squad of marines as well as an onyx guard and judging by their battle armor two MOTHs had joined the fight the latter three armed with only side arms.

“Damn it sound the alarm.”

“We cant sir the system is down, we’re locked out. Working to restore internal systems now.”

“They timed this didn't they… get us back online yesterday private.” Barron says from his command chair. Eyeing the tactical plot he watches as the six picket ships from Galactica’s battle group break formation and move into a protective posture. Before beginning a hard burn toward a mid way point between the his stricken ship and the incoming armada.

“Comms get me hardline comms with the externally docked ships, and doctor Takumi we might still be able to get into this fight.”

Gunnery sergeant: [veteran] Avery Fallon

NACS: Galactica

14:45 hrs local system time

11 days after Tearus

2169AD/106AC

“What the fuck am I supposed to do with a fucking side arm!?” The slide locks back on an empty magazine forcing me back just in time to avoided another salvo of flechettes from the infiltrators.

My PDP buzzed and with nothing better to do I took a step back fishing the pad from its leg pouch. Pressing accept on the connection request I release the pdp and let it float in the air I reloaded my side arm just as an image of Miiora appeared. And judging from the speed the lights were buzzing past her she was obviously hauling ass. “My-Sergeant we have reports of a fire fight on the Galactica, we are on the way with a contingent of Manitoba's marines… Avery I…” with that the image fizzed and cut off.

“Fuck they're jamming externals.” My proclamation is met with general anger from the marines a d annoyance from my two fellow pod-heads.

“Alright that's it. You two on me we cant do much with our side arms their up armored. We need something with a little more bite… Marines cover!” Marcus shouts tossing his useless side arm aside.

The marines let loose with a wall of gel rounds, forcing the changelings back into cover. Given our window three three of us disengage our mag boots and kick off down a side hall.

As we floated along using the various protrusions on the walls and ceilings to propel us we soon came face to face with three infiltrators. The changelings were no doubt expecting to find marines when they rounded the corner. But instead they were met with the one percent of the one percent of the COG military an Onyx guard, and two MOTHs. Exoskeletons cracked and throats were slashed as we dispatched them and moved on.

We found our destination two decks later a special forces armory. When we entered we were met with a helldiver platoon and a MOTH team as well as a full onyx kill team. But instead if being intimidated we immediately set to work raiding the place for anything we needed.

“Put that down, take an N-4 some charge packs, a few fraggers and a get yourselves a bucket. Tac-link shows multiple decks are engaged around the brig so that's where we are going. But we cant get there through the way we came, so we will have to loop around. Lets move.”

Liasson corporal: Mii’ora

[26rti, Squad fallon: Snow viper]

NACS: Galactica

15:00 hrs local system time

11 days after Tearus

2169AD/106AC

“Durge, get that door open.” The human known as Fick orders and with a nood and a “Yes” the large Zaltule warrior cast of the kleese braced two powerful arms on the locked hatch. “Where's the artificial gravity shouldn't it be on?” Forbes asks jostling his breastplate. As Levoy jostled the left paldron of his battle armor.

There was a table ripping noise before the bulkhead door separating the air locks and the rest of Galactica slid open. “First and second squads on point, fourth and fifth hold the airlock. Third squad move to engineering, hold that junction.”

Shots and dull thuds rang throughout the passageways of the ship as we advanced. And for several minutes we progressed through the various decks of the ship without encountering anything. Then as we rounded a corner and finally saw the changelings as a hail of flachettes from another corridor cut them to pieces.

“What the fuck was that? That was dope?” Trombley asked no one in particular before an onyx guard touched down, followed by two MOTHs my HUD marked as “Iceman” and “Big Dog”. The behind them the small cape like skirts hung from the backs of their belts under their jump jet nozzles flared out in the null gravity.

“Freeze!” Fick calls out as we round the corner leveling our weapons in the direction of the three males. In response the three took a single step back and seemed to almost blend into the grey bulkheads.

“Drop your weapons basics or we’ll lay your asses out.” The one marked “Iceman” retorted in a cold tone giving me pause. It seemed to be my suiter, but with my helmet on and the information that changelings were the perpetrators of this attack I could not rule anything out.

Ahead of us the three men seemed to be holding their own conversation judging by the light body language. But even as they spoke their weapons and focus never left our squad and I could almost feel the stare of the one that could be my love on me.

A shot rang out then hitting “Iceman” square in the chest and sending him flat onto his back. But that was all they needed, and soon we were pinned down by the two remaining males. That is until a three red bolts of energy flew from around the corner striking the males in their chests. Curious and wary we held our position and watched as three more males matching the three that had just been dispatched appeared, the ends of their strange carbines still smoking and breaking of ozone.

Then this new “Iceman” stepped on his doppelgangers chest getting a roar of pain from the changeling. This new Avery simply took his rifle one handed leveled it at the helmet of the other and shot him in the face. The entire helmet of the changeling shattered in a shower of green blood and broken ceramic.

The three then began gesturing to one another with what I believe her suiter calls better hand signals. The onyx guard gestured “Iceman” who rose a hand to our group. Holding up a thumb and two meaty fingers before making a circular motion with his wrist and closing his fist.

In response Trombley took a step forward his firing arm still holding his saw to the three. Michael's left arm rose with all but his ring finger splayed open before closing all but his ring in index digits with a sweeping motion. “Wolashi beltalowda?” Trombley asked

“Kemang the hell are To?” The voice of my suitor called out in response.

“Fighting ninth, milowda're here to fight. Hey koyo To show milowda your arm kay?” The two moths seemed to mill this over before a wordless command from the onyx guard made them lower their weapons. The “Iceman” slowly lifted his left hand and unclipped the gauntlet letting it slowly drift away.

The group let out a collective sigh of relief when we saw the grey and faded ice blue of my loves bionic. We now confirmed friendly we all lower our weapons as Fick steps forward. “Lieutenant fick twenty six royal terran infantry. Squad Fallon, and squad Perkins reporting. What's the situation LT. Colonel?”

Without responding the onyx guard gestured her suiter over. “Changeling infiltrators, have taken control of the detention center, flight ops, and the docking collars. No doubt they are either attempting to evacuate our prisoner or kill it. We will not allow that asset to escape .”

“Marcus, contacts have breached the detention block. Half are suspected moving to the entrance to green deck. From there they will have a straight shot at aft hangerbay eight” Her suitor spoke up.

“Then we hit them before they get to green deck. You basics think you can keep up?”

“We've got your back.” Fick says before an alarm begins to blare as red strip lights begin illuminating the walls.

“Miia stay frosty alright. If you get killed then who the fuck am I supposed to marry then?” My love sent me over a private channel before swapping out the box on his rifle with another. She stared at her suitor for a several moments before what he had just said struck her. “Hold did he ju…”

“Kill team, Let's move.” Orion calls out cutting her off before the 1mc began to blare.

‘General quarters, general quarters. All hands report to action stations. Attention all hands, report to action stations. Be prepared for sudden acceleration.’

Chapter 64 Ambush

Steel World

COG Research and Development

NSEA- Protector Station

Dr. Alexander Dane - Overseeing

I checked the charts on our guest once more. She had been more than willing to allow us to try some simple tests, and so far what I see is beyond amazing. Somehow her telomeres are stuck in a constant state. They actively function in such a way that she won’t age. It also seems that there is something else, a sort of mutation, or mutative agent, that has been introduced that allows her to heal from practically any kind of external influence given time. Her only request has been to work on armor and clothing for the troops. She is actually quite skilled in her craft, and I would be lying if I was to say there wasn’t something exotic about her.

“Dr, which test are we performing today?”

I give her a gentle smile. I do because she is going to be testing the limits of her immortality today. I believe that Dr. Josef Mengele would almost balk at what we have planned for her. Oddly enough she has continued to volunteer for this. At no time have I had to threaten or use the carrot and the stick theory to get her to assist. Instead she seems perfectly fine with our testing.

“We’ll be working with some venoms at first, but there is something that I would like to test. It’s a vacuum test.”

Her eyes almost lit up, “Oh, so you want to see if I will survive in a pressureless, weightless, and complete vacuum environment like space, right?”

I nodded, “That’s correct.”

She smiled, “Then please, let's start with that.”

I walked her toward the environmental room, and once she stepped inside, I began the test. I watched as the computers counted down the oxygen in the room, I could see the pressure leaving, causing the titanium walls to suck into themselves slightly, and I could see her blood vessels popping up all over her. A moment later she bled out of her eyes, ears, nose, and she hit the floor. Once it was done I restored pressure, I restored oxygen, and I walked in to watch her do something she shouldn’t have had the ability to do. She sucked in a breath.

“It appears that even in a vacuum you will survive. It’s fascinating. If we could reproduce the methods that gave you this ability… I dare say we would never have to worry about losing another soldier.”

Gunnery sergeant: [veteran] Avery Fallon

NACS: Galactica

15:20 hrs local system time

11 days after Tearus

2169AD/106AC

With a grunt I toss a fragger down the corridor as I roll to the other bulkhead. There is a vicious double explosion and I press myself flush against the wall as a cloud of shrapnel flys past, followed closely by two large gems that embed themselves into the decking.

The keening has become slightly louder now, but I better the red from the edges of my vision as I lean out firing two laser bolts into the chest of a changeling. The female bugs body goes limp but stays standing thanks to the zero gravity.

‘Brace Brace brace, hard burn stroke warning.’

All at once changelings and our team is slammed to the deck as the Galactica begins its acceleration burn. Around me I can hear the ship groaning on top if my squads own groans of pain. Trombley and Forbes are pinned to the deck on top of their guns while Durge across the way and Miiora to my left are flat on their sides neither of them being ready for the sudden acceleration. Along my body I feel my armor injecting me with the juice to prevent me from stroking out, a feature all pod head suits possess.

But ahead I can see the changelings are in a similar position many of their number are exposed lying prone on the hall. Looking over to Big Dog and Marcus struggling to their feet under the six G burn. Then with a grunt and drag my arm up and begin to push myself to my feet.

I can almost feel the eyes on us as Harris, Douglas and myself push ourselves up. The assisted servos in my legionnaire armor whirr in protest as I push myself onto one knee with a scream.

Dragging my other knee I stand and see the other two members of my impromptu kill team are also in a similarly strange position. Its then that as one we seem to notice something Somehow we are able to stand and move under a sustained six Gs something that would turn any normal human’s muscles into a fine pudding.

“What the fuck?” I exclame taking an experimental step forward, feeling as though I was under two Gs rather than six.

A flash of green light at the end of the hall draws my attention prompting me to lean to the side allowing a green bolt of magic to sail harmlessly past. Before with one smooth motion I swing my N-4 up with my right hand and blast the offending changeling.

“Holy shit.”

Something brushes passed my shoulder and I look up in time to see Harris sprint past. My ole old corporal instructor took one then two bounding steps and seemed to fly down the corridor toward the changelings at the other hand of the short passageway.

However just as we reached the three quarter mark the ship bucked and the gravity cut out again. The sudden change sent several of the un prepared changelings into the air just as we reached them. Being unprepared for the sudden shift myself, fire my jets in attempt to stop myself. Unfortunately I had raised my feet to prepare to hit the wall and unintentionally sent the heel straight into the helmet of one of the infiltrators. The entire front edge of the standard battle armor helmet buckled and caved in under the force of my accidental kick.

“Harris, Duglas, what the hell is going on here?” My voice comes out in a crack as I accidentally head butt a helmet less shifter, caving its skull in.

“I've got no idea man, but this feels great!” Harris then proceeds to launch a changeling down an adjacent hall way with a vicious front kick.

Slamming my boot down and taking hold of an overhang I manage to swing myself around to anchor to a bulkhead. “Above” me Duglas curls his fist back before punching a changeling square into he throat, causing a treble popping noise as the exoskeleton snaps and caves in.

Pain Sears through my left side and I turn on a changeling who had fired a flechette round point blank into my side. The shocked expression on his face is priceless as I snap my hand out back handing his helmet with my bionic before putting three laser bolts through his chest.

“Guys what the fuck is going. Gahhh!” It feels like someone has injected lava into my body. The shots through me doubling me over.

The clicking of mag boots paired with scraping meet my ears and an armored tail lands in my peripheral vision Miiora then. Seconds later two pairs of arms helped me to the deck and propped me against the wall.

“Fallon what the hell was that? I've never seen anything like it, we were under a sustained six Gs but the three of you were moving around like nothing happened.” Levoys voice cuts through the overly loud panting from Miiora. Reaching into his pack he pulled out a scanner before plugging it into a port on my armor.

“Put that away Levoy, I'm fine, I just need a second to catch my breath.” I waved the android away opting to take a sip from the water nozzle in my bucket. My chest burned, and pumped a rapidly dulling pain in tune with my heart beat. After about a minute of sitting around I shifted my weight and took a Miiora’s extended hand. Shakely getting to my feet I shake my head clearing the fireflies from my vision.

“...Alright, we’ve got a job to do….” my first unsteady step moved a lot faster than I had expected knocking me off balance. The ship shifted again as we began accelerating again and Miiora bless her heart actually managed to catch me before I could fall under the single gravity.

“Iceman’s right we need to move…” Douglas called out. But from my position awkwardly pressed against Miiora’s new-svalbard battle armor I could see the onyx guard wasn't doing much better than I was.

We pressed on and soon after several agonizing minutes of being awkwardly shuffled along by Miiora I began to feel better. The feeling of having my guts and general insides ripped out was replaced by a dull throbbing but even that to was rapidly dissipating.

General Tyler Barron

NACS: Galactica

16:00 hrs local system time

11 days after Tearus

2169AD/106AC

The blue icon marking the annihilator siege breaker Tombstone began to slowly crawl away from Galactica as the rest of the escorts began to move to intercept. “This is colonel Prower we are engaging the enemy.”

“Fighter screen, this is Galactica actual. Standby for deployment. Stay back in range of our PDCs they should help to even the odds until we can properly engage.”

“All squadrons report, go no go.” The fleet wing commanders shaky voice was shallow and distant as nearly five hundred fighters began streaming from the massive UEC fleet.

“Escadron Valkyrie prêt.”

“Razgriz, standing by.”

“Black Knights locked and loaded.”

The squadron call offs began to blur together as Barron watched the tactical plot. The large triangle representing Galactica sat almost alone supported by a single hammerhead heavy cruiser.

The rest of the battle group had begun their acceleration burns toward the incoming UEC at this point. Opting to maintain a relatively tight inverted V formation until signaled. With a single annihilator the Tombstone, two orca battlecruisers Belligerent, and Indomitable, two hammerheads the Normandy, and Babylon, as well as about fifteen smaller frigates, destroyers, and corvettes their chances of survival were dim.

The COG ships moving toward the enemy armada were insanely outnumbered. As the final scans came in Barron’s blood ran cold as he saw the numbers. Almost forty of the UEC’s five hundred meter super destroyers their equivalent of a COG battle cruiser burned toward the third planet in the system. A noticeable portion of them were noticeably from other the non pony nations in the UEC like the gryphons, dragons and changelings.

‘Radiation warning, firing Orions.’

Flying in formation with their larger cousins fifteen of their smaller three hundred and fifty meter Luna, celestia, cadence, and thorax class destroyers. And beside them another assortment of fifteen ships the Barron didn't recognize, nor did they fit any UEC or ACM silhouettes.

“Private Thomson I want a full spectrum scan of those ships at the rear of the UEC formation, as well as the one in the center.” Barron leaned forward in his chair his vac suit creaking against the restraints. “Right away.”

Several minutes passed during which the Tombstone’s magazine of nine Orion missiles emptied themselves. On the screen the thousand ton missiles sailed forth firing their nuclear burst charges to gain speed. But even at their exceptional rate of acceleration it would take hours for them to reach their targets.

‘Those ships are throwing a lot of heat, could they be repurposed civilian ships?’

“Preliminary reports coming in general sending to your screen now.” The sensor operator said from his position. Reaching over his shoulder Barron swivels his screen in front of him and his eyes grew wide.

“What are...?” Adama’s voice is hollow a dry rasp clear in its tone. “Korvek battle cruisers?” the voice of the marine standing century cut through the din on the bridge drawing several sets of eyes to the large dark brown kleese.

“Explain corporal.” Barron ordered, quickly swiveling his command chair around to face the man. “Sir, as you may know the kleese held its own fleet of warships before the UEC conquered our home system.”

“Yes we were aware of this it was part of the briefing we receiver on your species. Out with it.” Adama said his eyes half focused on the tactical plot and the marine.

“Well sir the ships used by the kleese were very similar to those used by the COG today. Utilising many of the same types of weapons in use by humanity today. With the exception of using plasma weapons in the place of your rail guns. As well as energy rakes a weapons system that is used by the UEC today as they stole the designs from kleese ships.”

“General Barron, Colonel Adama, I have an incoming data burst from the UEC fleet. Attempting to decrypt.” The ships AI spoke drawing attention from the rather uncomfortable zaltule.

Several minutes passed as the bridge crew of the crippled Galactica watched its escorts begin to take a gamma formation. Knowing this was probably going to he the last time he spoke to his old classmate Barron decided to wish him good luck. “Comms, send a message to colonel Miller. Send him... God's speed, and good hunting.”

NACS: Galactica

Green deck

16:20 hrs local system time

11 days after Tearus

2169AD/106AC

The battle to and from the brig was heated and bloody. With the infiltrators reported to have successfully extracted their target and were now on the fast track for hanger deck sixteen.

But the COG special forces and standard space born infantry and home world defence troopers had managed to bog down the infiltrators in a bloody battle of attrition on Galactic's green deck. The massive five hundred meter artificial biome had originally been placed on the ship to allow the embarked COG Fleet and embarked soldiers a place to relax on ship along with several bars placed around the ship.

An explosion knocked Avery Fallon off his feet to fall heavily on top of his rifle. Cursing he watched it pinwheel away as he spun on his back and threw another grenade around the bush the grenade had come from.

When he was able to roll onto one side he saw a figure in NAC ultra light powered armor facing him and holding its helmet with both hands just as stunned as Fallon. For a second both soldiers stared at the rifle then each other both judging they didn't have time to dive for the weapon.

The infiltrator reached behind his back for a weapon so Avery did the only thing he could do what he was trained to do when facing someone in power armor. The MOTH launched himself through the air to tackle his opponent before he armed himself. A pistol came around towards Fallon who survived only by tucking his head and using the top of his bucket to bash the other under the chin.

The blow made them separate and caused the pistol to sail up and over the bush. The other man howled and clumsily drew an evil looking knife from a sheath on his forearm. Holding the knife for slashing he held his other arm out wide to trap Fallon against a tree. So Avery raced inside the other man's guard wrapping him in a crushing bare hug that made the armor creek under his enhanced strength.

The knife came down into Fallon's back. Where it snapped and slid away, his undersuit having stiffened and produced a slippery hump where the knife was predicted to impact. As they struggled Fallon flipped his monofilament knife out and rammed it into his opponents ribs.

“Why won't you just die Earther the cog are traitors! Woul Solowada!” The opponent screamed using the full power of his light power armor in a futile attempt to break free of the crushing grip.

“You’re the traitor welwala!” Fallons words came out in a choked gasp as the two spun around and slammed each other repeatedly against a bulkhead. Fallon slammed an elbow into the caleb's chin then pressed a knee to his chest ordering his new armor to exceed its safety limits.

The two suits one assisted and one powered strained and whined with warning lights flashing in each visor. Until Avery gave a mighty jerk backward and the enemy's left arm tore away at the weak shoulder joint in the armor taking the flesh and bone limb with it. The soldier slumped backward as blood spurted out only briefly before a seal of foam formed over the wound. Only the suits AI kept the man from going into shock pumping pain killers and what not into his spine.

He actually tried to stand and face Avery defiantly. Before the modified moth viciously swung the torn armored limb like a club straight into his injured opponents face plate. Once, twice, three, times until the man went limp on the ground and Fallon finished him by stomping hard on the point where breastplate met helmet snapping the neck bones beneath.

“God damn! I couldn't get a clear shot.” Forbes was on one knee his rifle wavering as this section of the large artificial biome inside the ship was dead silent.

“You dun tore his arm off and beat him to death with it.” Looking around Fallon could see Mii’ora, trombley and Forbes’s visors were raised and their pupils were as big as they could get. “I mean damn, I've heard people say that before but I've never seen someone do it.”

Ignoring his friends comment and the stares he clicked to dampen the painkillers his armor was pumping into him. When the armored limb had torn loose it had almost popped Fallons shoulders out of their sockets. “Where is my rifle?” His voice was deep and obviously trying to hide the pain.

In response Mii’ora reached down and with a flick of her tail sent it sailing towards her suitor who snatched it out of the air. “Thanks.” He said quickly pain evident in his voice as he checked the weapon for damage.

‘We found the prisoner, her group is surrounded requesting assistance.’ A man marked as “Delta: SAS” sends over the tac link.

“Copy Delta we’re oscar mike.” Marcus spoke up. But as the group of marines, moths, and formers arrived on the scene they were shocked at the sight before them.

Held up in an artificial ring of artificial rocks were around forty of the infiltrators but what they saw at their center made both Fallon and Harris’s blood boil. It was Supreme commander Rarity the mare who had tortured them. This is what this was about they had been told they would be interrogating a prisoner but his was too good to be true.

But just as the still growing mass of marines and pod heads were about to assault their position every one of the enemy troops began to convulse violently. Several seconds later the first of them began to drop dead followed closely by the entire group falling over like god had simply flicked off a light switch.

No one moved for several seconds not knowing what to do this could be a trap after all. But soon a brave soul stepped forward toward the ring of dead enemy infiltrators. Veteran Blare according to her marker moved to the first still form tentatively weapon pointed at the probe body like it was a snake that might bight her at any moment.

When she finally reached the first body she kicked her foot out striking the prone male form in the crotch. Several of the men watching winced knowing that if anything would get a reaction that was certainly one of the most effective.

Seemingly satisfied she continued forward “checking” several more bodies before finally reaching Rarity's still form. Blare reached into a soft pouch on her armor and retrieved some kind of device and from their position fallons and Harris could tell it was myrialos in design and waved it over the body. She tilted her helmet to the side before fiddling with the device and turning in a circle with the scanner.

“... Their all... dead?” veteran Blares voice called out over the group channel.

With that another group of marines ran forward. They each took up positions around the diameter of the ring and leveled their rifles small pilot flames igniting under their incinerator attachments.

With a sick kind of pleasure Fallon and Harris watched as the entire group was set ablaze in the micro gravity. Completely unaware that soon the war was going to be entering into a new chapter.

Chapter 65 Countdown

UEC 2nd, 9th, 12th, 8th and 6th fleet

Tearus system: Space

Secondary objective: complete

56AE/3rd age of conquest

The hours ticked by as the scenes showing the twenty rapidly updated, counting down the time. Far ahead of the armada the first of the earther super missiles collapsed under concentrated fire from the fighter screen.

This however only served to splinter the massive thousand ton missile and send its fragments shotgunning into the fleet. Instantly two of the super destroyers under the dragon supreme commander disintegrated as a large chunk of ice and sawdust slammed into one of the ships at relativistic speeds.

As the ships reactor was struck it cooked off the built up magical energy sending a shockwave radiating out in all directions. The ring of energy washed over the nearest ship before dissipating boiling its unprotected hull and causing it to go up in its own explosion.

Around the fleet shields flaired to life as the remaining super missiles entered their midst. Two of the missiles struck larger super destroyers under Celestia's banner causing them to erupt into small suns as the kinetic energy was transferred.

A further two struck as many buffalo crafted carriers, and one struck one of Kryskss destroyers. The remaining three however sailed harmlessly past the collection of UEC ships doomed to journey out of the star system and onto the black of interstellar space.

Seconds later reports began streaming in that the central ship in the oncoming flotilla was charging its main weapon. In response gold, amber, cobalt, green, and crimson shields flared to life across the fleet.

On their screens they watched as the “Tombstone” began to expose several large heat distribution devices to space. For many of the Supreme, ship Commanders and sub-commanders this was their first time engaging the COG in space combat. This was in fact for all but two supreme commanders their first engagement with the cogs rumored Siege Breaker class of ships. So it was no surprise that many of them were perplexed as a message came across all channels.

‘Black flag, black flag.’

This lack of experience was quickly shown as the experienced ship commanders began maneuvering their ships and an evasive pattern to show off the targeting of the massive ships computer. They watched as the center ship in the five ship formation began to arc with electricity along its hull before its prow began to blue shift. Finally in a rather anticlimactic finish the front of the ship seemed to warp before returning to normal as the heat sinks sank back into its hull.

Their confusion however was short lived as a fraction of a second later seven ships in a line disappeared from their screens. Having been transformed from massive displays of UEC power into violent bursts of expanding gas and radiation.

The fleet did not have time to recover however as seconds later hundreds of missiles began to pore from the five oncoming ships. Followed closely by the distinct synthesized sound of hail against their shields. Several of the ships commanders eyes wide as they saw that the human ships were firing on them with their hull mounted rail gun turrets.

Across the fleet several of the smaller ship classes such as cruisers and destroyers disappeared as their shields were overwhelmed and their hulls were struck by human anti ship missiles.

One gryphon destroyer in second fleet however seemed to be a main target of several of the missiles as it had foolishly moved to the head of the pack. Its shields were violently ripped apart by concentrated railgun fire before seven missiles closed in and exploded around it. Seven clouds of superheated plasma burned their way through the hull reducing the Kings Vengeance to a burned out hulk.

As UEC ships can not typically engage at the same range as a human vessel The Inexperienced commanders began to act spreading out their battle groups and returning fire with their own long range missiles.

Hundreds of UEC missiles exploded from their launch tubes or burst from turrets and sailed toward the earther vessels. Furthermore the fighters that had begun attempting to intercept the agile COG missiles banked hard and began their attack runs on the human five massive human ships.

This played directly into the humans plan as the UEC fleet watched as the earthers flipped their massive ships around presenting their massive engine nozzles to them. Plumes of plasma flared violently as the human ships began rapidly decelerating well before their target.

Smiling two of the supreme commanders ordered several their ships to break formation and close on the human vessels. The sixth, second, and eighth fleets observed this and pulled their ships back into attack formations ordering their batteries primed and condenser lenses focused and charged.

This proved to be a sound tactic as scanners began picking up several more smaller earther drive plumes blossoming out from behind the huge human vessels. Their scans showed at least fifteen smaller human vessels that matched UEC silhouettes of COG frigates and destroyers, as well as several smaller vessels that their displayed marked as COG corvettes.

Each of the ships emerged from the drive shadows of their much larger cousins. Before beginning a hard burn that sent them sailing passed their charges. It was then that the UEC ships began to detect almost seventy small fighter sized drive plumes among the oncoming ships.

The earther ships dashed forward closing the gap with the UEC ships all the while under the protective railgun and missile barrage of the four cruisers and siege breaker behind them. The UEC who had been raised and expected to engage in an honorable duel in the dark was not expecting the battle to devolve into a back alley brawl.

One of the COG destroyers was quickly sliced apart by energy rakes as it passed between a cluster of six UEC vessels. Three of the COG ships marked as UAF fighter frigates spun in an acrobatic barrel roll dipping down to strafe the shields of a much larger super destroyer with their laser cannons and missiles. They managed to lower the shields of the changeling ship Behemoth before two of them were destroyed and the final was forced to turn away only to break apart as its belly is struck by a crimson ball of plasma.

Across the battlespace several human vessels would gang up on singular UEC ships hounding the larger fleet like a pack of desperate and starved wolves. Huge dogfights between the desperate and outnumbered human fighters and UEC fighter wings raged in clouds around almost every large ship that filled the battle space with flack and point defence fire.

Soon however damage to the large ship with the words SRA: Belligerent became to great. Its engine cut out leaving it dead in space as it entered the UEC fleets weapons range. Having pulled back in preparation the ships of the sixth fleet fired their weapons toward the decelerating capital ships. The first of which broke apart with all hands lost under the concentrated fire of twelve condenser lenses.

Then the human’s capital ships were in the middle of the huge UEC fleet. Their PDCs swiveled around sending screams of flechettes in every direction. All the while despite their surfaces being sliced or bombarded by missiles, energy rakes, condenser blasts or beams dozens of mechs ran across their surfaces like ants firing their weapons wildly into the air adding to their ships point defence.

“WOLUTA BELTALOWDA!” A voice screamed over the open channel as a severely damaged Earther corvette emptied its missile's, point defence cannons and twin rail guns into the belly of a super destroyer. Dropping its already critically weekend shields before slamming into its belly at full burn.

The ship vanished as an explosion caused by its impact split the larger ship in half, sending a wave of condensed magical energy in every direction. The cloud washed over its destroyer and cruiser escorts vaporizing their hulls and causing secondary explosions that resulted in their own destruction.

As the battle raged critically damaged earther vessels began to ram equestrian ships transforming their ships into missiles in final acts of defiance and desperation. All in the hope that the massive ship that was limping it's way away from the Conclave flotilla could escape.

“Take ush in, sixth fleet maintain attack formations.” The supreme commander of the sixth fleet ordered.

Three overly large and bulky UEC ships chose that moment to push into the heart of the fleet to fill a hole caused by the four remaining human capital ships. Followed closely by twelve Luna, Celestia and Twilight class destroyers and super-destroyers. Three of these ships matched two of the ships in raw tonnage and they began exchanging fire.

The Particular Justice, Unyielding Hierophant and Casus Belli fired their ancient drivecores and closed in for the kill. First sixteen, then thirty-four, sixty, and finally eighty kleese missiles leapt from their launch tubes and sailed toward the human space control cruisers.

Fire switched focus all at once across the Babylon and Normandy to track the oncoming missile swarm. A dozen point defence guns and thirty mechs tracked the missiles managing to destroy several before the first of them began slipping through their net to slam into the hull.

Seconds later the Babylon exploded as a dozen missiles struck its over clocked drive core. This was followed closely by the Normandy but not before the ship spun on its axis flailing its drive past the proverbial redline.

The drive cone being nothing more than a jet of plasma used to propel the ship sliced clean through the Unyielding Hierophant. Slicing a horrendous gash that spewed body's, air and escaping gasses into space before the Normandy too exploded like its sister ship before it.

The Unyielding Hierophant however like its human adversary did not die easily. Instead it reinforcing the shields on the damaged side of the ship before rotating 180 to show the human vessels its undamaged side.

Streams of missiles began flowing from the remaining two human capital ships as they exited the UEC formation no longer focused on any target in particular as they began emptying their magazines. Dozens of nukes and plasma torpedoes sailed in every direction set to seek out and destroy targets of opportunity.

“Supreme commander I am detecting strange energy reading from the crippled human vessel.” A sensor technician spoke up.

“Enlarge.” Krykss eyes narrowed as he saw what looked like a cloud of crimson fireflies begin to encircle the massive human vessel.

“What is this now?” He asks surprised, have the humans developed some new kind of drone to use along with that impressive ship?

The cloud began to condense in a ring around the ship before exploding outward in a swirling sphere radiating away from the ship. The UEC and COG watched as wave passed through the system faster than any of them thought possible before washing over the UEC ships.

There was a defining sound that blasted through the speakers of every ship in the system as the wave passed over them. The sound was like a mixture of an air raid siren and the whale of a raptor. And continued until the wave had passed the last ship and dissipated expanding out passed the system. Several minutes passed with no one moving before with a start the battle began in earnest once more.

“What was…” one of the supreme commanders inquired before across the fleet sirens began going off as blazing white indicators began appearing on the battle screens.

“What am I looking at ensign?” the supreme commander of the twelfth fleet asked worried that the human had deployed some kind of weapon. “Neutrino bursts ma’am we are working to figure out… Dear celestia.”

[No POV]

Tearus system: space

18:36 hrs local system time

11 days after Tearus

2169AD/106AC

“Siege warning! Siege Warning! Zero-three Lankys seed ships detected!”

Out of the inky blackness of space three massive two mile long, one mile wide matt black organic teardrop shaped vessels emerged. The only thing to give them away being the drive plooms of the two remaining Human capital ships in the escort fleet.

Each of the alien ships dwarfed the human vessels they skulked behind before they began accelerating. The sole remaining Orca battlecruiser indomitable was dashed against the one of the seed ships hulls leaving nothing but a large scorch mark on the smooth black surface.

The Tombstone however was spared as when it neared one of the massive ships the alien vessel seemed to juke to the side avoiding the siege breaker and continuing inward.

Across the hulls of the three new arrivals numerous holes began to eyeris open. Knowing what was to come several dozen UEC vessels thrust power to their shields as a wave of yard long penetrators were fired at the large fleet like a shotgun.

“Designate lankys as Bugs one through three and follow.” Barron ordered virtually flying to his seat and strapping in. A sentiment that across the ship and the ships docked to her that was quickly mirrored.

“General we have a radiation burst off of our port bow at 086.972.612.”

“send it to my screen.” Barron watched the sensor data streaming in from outside of his ship. His eyes widened as space seemed to warp and wripple before a swirling bluish vortex appeared in a flash of white light. A lanky claw ship soared out of it at incredible speed, the vortex closing seconds after its arrival as the ship came to rest just six hundred kilometers and seven degrees down from the Galactica’s port bow.

The massive black and red ship dwarfed his own as it seemed to almost ignore Galactica as it hung in space. “Sir Bug four is matching our acceleration. And fourty of the UEC super destroyers are breaking formation on hard burn ingress. I'll give them twenty minutes before they enter extreme weapons range.”

“Woah, general, I have lost helme control and astro navigation is going nuts.” Ships AI said his avatar flashing into existence on the holo plot.

“What are…” Barron began before an urgent connection request drew his attention. Accepting it he was surprised to see the screen filled with a frantically yelling head science officer.

“General, captured flayed, the disks, and drive are all going nuts down here.” Takumi said as chaos erupted all around her. “We don't know what happend one minute we are running tests and the next… I don't know they just discharged. Tyler our computers are filling with so much data we are having to purge entire… oh my god. General we need more power down here the drive is going to overload!” Behind her the thing that looked like an old subwoofer began to glow and lengthen.

“Ryo, I want our practical beams online…” Barron began turning his command chair to face the avatar of Galacticas AI admin Ryoko.

“I'm already working on it, I have tasked several damage control crews and several teams of bots to the task. But sir I must say with the power draw the way it is we might only get one or two shots off. I recommend a defensive action instead.” the AI spoke waving its hands as if to

“I agree General we can't fight them docked like this but don't have fire control for any of our either of our practical beams or railguns all we have are PDCs…. Unless.” Adama began before flashing through displays on his screen.

“What is it colonel?” Barron asked as he watched the tactical plot. Several seconds passed before a second image appeared on the plot beside Ryokos avatar.

“It might work colonel, and free up power.” The new avatar spoke up. His ID marked it as NAC:Manitoba R-797 Roland and his chosen avatar was that of a world war two fighter pilot. “What are… yes that should work, general sending the plan to your screen now.”

“Execute…”

Ten million kilometers away twelve more flashes of white light burst into existence behind and around the Tombstone. And from these flashes emerged a swarm of Lanky flayed fighters. Their drives burning an evil red that matched the red indicator lights along the COG ships hull.

As one the UEC fleet reorganized firing off their lenses toward the three rapidly approaching lanky ships. The Bug one took twenty swirling blasts of condensed magical energy before giving up the ghost. Huge sections of its hull began breaking away before it broke up.

This however gave the Tombstone the window it needed to blast its drive past the red line. The siege breaker was rapidly brought to a relative stop as several of the ship's crew stroked out from the sudden breaking. The crew floated weightless for several seconds before being slammed back into their crash couches causing many broken bones and several deaths as the ship leaped forward like a horse out of the gate.

The bulky human vessel lumberd forward firing its main gauss cannon in tenth charge fully automatic burning out several coils and overloading its secondary reactor. Radiation leaked from the Tombstone as it fired one round every thirty seconds vaporizing several of the smaller UEC vessels as they sliced apart Bug three.

Several of the tungsten and uranium slugs that had punched clean through their targets suddenly found themselves ricocheting off of the hull of bug three. Now normally this wouldn't have been a problem as this had been reported to have happened several times during the few times Lanky and COG ships would suddenly find themselves fighting against the UEC. But the crew of the Tombstone had neglected to change the targeting perimeter of the missiles they had launched several minutes prior.

“Gee what do we have here?” One nuclear tipped missiles networked computer said to another as it cruzed the battlefield.

“Well it looks to me like that lanky has been oh so gracious as to expose itself to us.” a second missile responded cheerfully.

“Well that was certainly kind of them. I wonder what's inside?” A third missile said to the first and second maneuvering to fly in formation with the other two.

“Maybe there is a barracks we could see if we just get closer. I would love to do an inspection and see if their quarters are up to snuff.” The second missile said to the third.

“You know what friend I think that would be an excellent idea. The lankys seem like the kind of race that would leave a foot locker unlocked and I believe it is our duty to correct their mistake.” the first missile said.

“You know what.” The third missile began. “There’s nothing I hate more than an unlocked foot locker.” the third missile responded and with that the three missiles spun hard at over ninety Gs and slammed through the gaping gash in the side of Bug three.

This neglect paired with the overeagerness of three twenty megaton nuclear missiles caused the entire superstructure of bug three to break apart in a flash of light.

At once the superstructure of Bug two facing the Tombstone rippled as holes began to eyeris open as if to say “Oh well fuck you then worthless human” . A virtual wall of penetrators hurled themselves into the hull of the human ship wending its hull and making it spin wildly as it it had been drop kicked by an angry god. The ship spiraled out of control before the force of its spin, weakened hull and still firing drive core caused the ship to literally tear itself apart.

With their treturus charge dead the flayed fighters swarmed forward engaging both the remaining COG and UEC fighters. Both sides of which gaped in open mouth horror as tens of dozens of lanky fighters swarmed around them. Several of which began transmitting rather disturbingly calm or cheerful messages whenever they made a kill.

One rather tenacious flayed swooped in and transformed into its infantry mode just as it came into range of a COG corvette. Like something out of a network show the bastardized valkyrie fighter produced what looked like a spiked ball from one of its arm mounted protuberances before punching a claw through the airlock of said Corvette. And like some kind of action hero it tossed the ball through the airlock before transforming and burning away. The Corvette blew apart from the inside as the mine exploded inside of its hull.

Incidences of white on blue stopped all together after that however as a squadron of ten flayed escorted two fighter-frigates and a single damaged NAC destroyer as they emptied their missile racks into the flank of three UEC ships. The first ship’s shields failed as EMR missiles slammed into it as its energy rake swept across the nearest UAF ship which split in half sending it's two pieces spiraling into its side.

The final fighter frigate’s damaged engines flaired as its laser cannons sent out gigawatts of invisible energy before ramming a destroyer. This dropped its shields opening the window for the ten flayed and single destroyer to swoop down and discourage their cargo.

UEC 2nd, 9th, 12th, 8th and 6th fleet

Tearus system: Space

Secondary objective: complete

56AE/3rd age of conquest

Twenty Wendigo leaped from the large flayed as they skimmed the hull. Each of them trailing umbilicals like paratroopers before slamming down with a thunderous clang that could only be heard inside of the ship. Behind and above them six human boarding craft burned their decelerating thrusters hard before slamming into the hull of the Embers Wrath.

All the while the sole remaining seed ship continued to lumber it's way through the fleet like. As it passed through huge sections of its fifteen meter thick hull plating were sliced away. Exposing the decks to space to spew their contents around the area.

Now space is a big place and the chances of actually striking something on accident are quite low. Unfortunately for one of Commander Polar’s ships it had the astronomically horrible luck to not only strike something. But to have the thing it struck be quite understandably livid about being jettisoned from its it's nice safe ship.

Around the fleet as they mopped up the remaining human vessels and fighters they watched as a fully grown Lanky crashed into the hull like a comet. The eighty foot creature loomed over the hull like an angry mountain before slapping its huge hand across the hull.

The huge claw shaped hand sank deep into one of the many protruding blisters on the ships spewing air and bodys into space. Two changeling nymph fighters buzzed by spewing green bolts of energy into its shoulder making black blood spray from its hide. It seemed to roar in anger before swatting one of the fighters out of space with a flick of its hand.

It’s clawed hands and feet sank deep into the ship as it found purchase and began crawling along the hull like a giant bone colored faceless bat. Numerous fighters began firing on the creature now before it finally had had enough and forced its way through the hangar bay door and into the ship.

There were screams of terror so profound that they all felt like they could feel those spacers fear in their souls. As the eighty foot creature rampaged through the comparatively small corridors the ship suddenly exploded as six balls of crimson plasma struck its hull.

“Maintain formation.” Krsykss ordered from the bridge of Particular Justice. Around his flagship the remaining eleven capital ships of battle fleet six send staggering barrages of plasma and magic into gap in bug three’s hull. “Paladin's shield, Conquers Call, Casus Belli. Decelerate and come around at 376.982 mark 762, 912.978 mark 821, and 465.816 mark 913.”

The three ships did as they were ordered breaking hard and sweeping around the flank of the small cluster of surrounded human vessels. A hail of point defence and railgun fire swarmed to meet them but the relative proximity of the three ships allowed their shields to overlap to take the hits.

A human destroyer flipped in an attempt to decelerate but was struck by the prow of the Particular Justice. The Kleese ships superior size and momentum dashed the human ship into its nose, splitting it in half at the spine as it struck the shield. “This is shameful…” Krykss commented as he observed the holo display.

All around him the ships of twelfth,and eighth fleet were in disarray despite vastly outnumbering the human vessels. Which now began desperate sending waves of dozens of their dropships to board UEC ships and force them to stop and fight in protracted firefights. He could respect that in the earthers.

They knew they were out numbers and out gunned so now backed against a wall they resorted to what they knew best, ground warfare but in space. From his sensor readings he could see firefights raging through the windows of no less than ten of the forty smaller ships that had not pushed ahead to pursue the “Galactica”.

The folls in ninth, and second fleets thought that their poultry twenty super destroyers and sixty destroyer, cruiser, frigate, and corvette escorts were enough to stand against the combined firepower of that human vessel and the claw ship. The door to his command bridge slid open and the silver and black armored zaltule turned to see a rather irate Rarity standing in the door.

“What are you doing on my bridge inferior?” He asked hotly using folding two of his arms behind his back and using the other two to issue commands to his forces. “You… you killed me!” She screamed incredulously.

He did not respond as he read over reports streaming in from the Embers Wrath. One of the first ships to be boarded and the only super destroyer at that. ‘Sloppy’ he thought to himself as he watched fascinated with two of his eyes as security feeds began streaming in.

Squads of COG soldiers had speared into the hull of that ship while the Lankys made their way into the ship through the hanger bay. ‘Could they be the lankys equivalent of marines?’ He asked as he watched one of the aliens tear a human spacer in two.

The creature then looked up and began firing what looked like spikes from some kind of cannon that looked to be part of its forearm. It then opens it beak like mouth and screamed prompting a swarm of smaller human shaped lankys to run past it to fall upon a squad of UEC marines. ‘Sirens I believe the humans call them… a fitting name.’

Mean while a squad of NAC marines judging by their green armor pushed up another corridor before becoming bogged down at the entrance to an atrium. Krykss watched tilting his head as one of the gears dove into the open a myrialos based on the undersuit and lack of proper playing on the forearms where the pincers extended.

The crustacean rolled once slamming into the opposite wall on one knee. Before swinging a mars tube up and onto its shoulder, the eighty millimeter rocket launched out of the tube and into a scaffold three deck up. The remaining marines pushed forward then before turning as one as a wendigo bashed it's way into the chamber.

The creature swatted aside UEC completely ignoring the humans and their traitorous allies to gore a dragon with its claws. The rust colored blood spewed from the dragon's mouth as its innards fell to the ground before the lanky opened its beak like maw and bit into its neck. While the cog marines rushed forward taking advantage of the gap the lanky had caused.

“I am supreme commander of the seventh fleet and you will hand command of this ve…” whatever the elegantly dressed unicorn was about to say was cut off as a thick citanus claw covered gauntlet wrapped itself around her neck, hefting her off of her hooves.

“Be silent ignorant sow. Your incompetence has caused the permanent death of many capable soldiers this day. Soldiers that could have better served the conclave in battle at a later date. Now the warriors of my battle fleet must remedy the mess left behind by you and your ilk.” His voice growled out from between gnashing mandibles before releasing the useless unicorn to fall to the deck.

[No POV]

Tearus system: space

76,297,491: the birth time

56AE/3rd age of conquest

2169AD/106AC

When the first of the UEC ship entered weapons range the Galactica opened up. Across the hulls of the ships docked to its surface sixty duel railguns swiveled sending a wall of fire into the gryphon ship.

Its shields failed almost immediately under the barrage before the ships hull was perforated and condenser drive detonated. In the confusion this caused the launch tubes fixed to the side pods on the Galactica slid open, while the vast external airlocks slid open.

The seventy-nine UEC ships and their withered fighter escorts watched as swarms of fresh COG fighters hurled themselves into space. Along the hull of the Galactica they watched as like with the five foolish human ships earlier mechs began crawling over its hull while its point defence guns came online.

Enraged by the belief that the humans still had the gaul to fight two of the super destroyers broke formation burning hard for the human vessel. Beams of magical energy lanced out from their condenser lenses reaching to strike the impotent human down.

However the beams stopped far before they reached their target as a shimmering semi transparent dome of whitish red busrt into existence and stopped the beams cold. Magical energy seemed to disperse along the shield before dissipating as the beams lost charge. The shield promptly vanished turning invisible as the last traces of energy ceased a stark contrast to the constantly visible UEC shields.

The two ships did not get a chance to fire again however as the claw ship that had been sitting idle flaired to life. Along its hull holes eyeressed open spewing a swarm of two hundred flayed fighters into space. The two of the claws four six hundred meter long claws swiveled before sending their own lancees of crimson energy straight through the two enemy patterns.

The six mile claw reached out firing its four huge thrusters and accelerating far faster than anything its size has any right to interceding its bulk between the Galactica and the oncoming ships. Energy condensed at the peak of one of its hulls many ridges before firing a burst of that energy into the Galactica.

On board the human vessel the coin shaped object began pulsing sending resonating waves out into the ship. The lanky began firing more crackling beams of ruby energy from its claws. Four beams scythed into the UEC ships cutting a swath through their numbers as holes eyris open before sending out a hail of bone white penetrators and swarms of glowing red embers.

The penetrators slammed into the shields of the UEC ships many of whom had begun overlapping their shields at this point as the cloud of fighters met in the no man's land between the ships. Huge discharges of magical energy reached out in response striking the lanky ship boiling away massive sections of hull plating that spat fire and gas into space.

Charlotte dipped her fighter around transferred into valkyrie mode shooting down two UEC missiles. Watching as a flayed flew parallel to a nymph fighter boosting forward with enough acceleration to turn her into a fine jelly if she had tried such a man over. Transforming into its infantry mode the creature reached a hand out and slammed its clawed hand into the cockpit of the equestrian fighter craft.

The two alien fighters both disappeared in the collision and subsequent explosion. Leaving the French pilot just enough time to think about just how strange this situation was before switching back to fighter configuration and rocketing back into the fight.

Across the furball eagle spiraled his shrike behind a group of gryphon fighters. With a smirk he thumbed his firing stud prompting the rotary cannon to spew forth a stream of grenades that tore the strangely avian fighters to shreds. “I've got eyes on that cruisers bridge. Let's move knights.”

Around him twelve other shrikes moved into an attack formation. Their belly doors opened as they networked their firing controls before skimming the hull of the ship a group of three pegasus fighters got on their heels. “Watch the deck!” knight three spoke up as she barrel rolled her fighter around the projector track for an energy rake.

“I've got tone, firing three.” three of the fighters broke formation as just as many penetrator and trident missiles fired from their racks to slam into the bridge window. Thes missiles were quickly followed up by what looked like a swarm of glowing embers that slammed through the ship before exiting the other side.

“We've got heat on our six. Scramjets knights gotta go, gotta go!” Around the space thr embers fired by the bug 4 flew in vast swarms weaving in and out of enemy formations and into or through UEC ships.

The aging shrike fighters jinked around firing maneuvering thrusters to avoid the storm of incoming bolts of energy. Then the three pegasus fighters suddenly burst into flames as their hulls melted into slag. Glancing at his instrument panel eagle saw five avenger fighters blow passed their position with their laser cannons retracting.

As they passed the shrikes of the Black Knights Snow waged his avengers wings in greeting before as a group the Razgriz flipped one eighty firing missiles that cork screwed into several more UEC fighters. And soon a wing of six gungnir fighters joined the mixed bag of shrikes and avengers.

“La deuxième vague de combattants entrants revient au réseau de pdc du Galactica.” The French pilot marked as “Icequeen” spoke. A group of three flayed joined the cluster as the COG fighters flipped around returning to Galactica's defence net.

“Twenty down…” a childlike voice singsonged as the first of the UECs second wave hit. Instantly the three aces of Manitoba's fighter wing came under fire. Three oddly familiar fighters blew passed them and each of them broke and engaged.

“Watch it soran, that earthers on your tail!” Rainbow dash called out as she broke her modified human fighter hard to the left. The Gforces and lack of inertial dampers slammed her back into her seat as she dodged a stream of grenades from the human ice colored fighter on her tail.

It just had to be her luck to get stuck with this beast of a fighter on her. Gritting her teeth she twirled her fighter around sending two bolts of pink energy followed by two missiles toward her attacker. The pegasus mare marveled as the earther cartwheeled between the two bolts trailing flares and chaff before transforming and thrusting an arm toward the first of the missiles.

A stream of pearl tracers reached out detonating the first before a cone of what looked like shrapnel detonated the other as it got to close. “Horse apples.” Rainbow goosed her engine as she saw a wing extend from the mechs back firing off a string of missiles from a pod. “Woah woah pull back, pull back! All flocks remass for second assault.” Spitfire shouted as the three of them cleared the bulk of the claw ship.

“COME ON GET SOME!” A human's voice called out over the net as the UEC fighters all rounded the lanky vessel to see dozens of niclas like strands of traces fire streaming from the Galactica.

Every PDC and railgun with a free firing arc along the hulls of the docked Donnager, Fred Johnson, Astrid, Manitoba, and Matayo. Tens of thousands of rounds spewed forth striking down UEC torpedoes and utterly decimating whatever smaller ship came to close.

The hull of each of these ships teamed with mechs ranging from squads of loley African sifu firing their auto cannons. To the mightiest North American Atlas-3s who fired their wrist mounted 10 to 20mm rotary weapons who in conjunction with their duel AI/network linked icarus mounts became rather efficient point defence platforms in and of themselves.

As a single UEC destroyer made it through the lanky gauntlet several freight elevators opened along the hull of the Galactica. Two massive seventy ton Sino-Russian Grendel artillery batteries rose into the pail red light of the system's star.

The hunched machines angled their cannon arms toward the destroyer before firing four 120mm shells from each hand. The tank shells sailed into the void to splatter against their target's shield. In response the two mechs locked their ten ton feet to the hull of the ship as their main guns began tracking their target.

The crew of the first machine marked as Chrysanthemum swiveled its 800mm BFG-50s the four enormous barrels locked onto their target and fire erupted forth. The force of the recoil causing the entire machine down onto its hydraulic shocks. The four anti-suborbit nuclear tipped shells slammed into the destroyers shields with enough force to make them visibly warp.

As seconds later the crew of the second grendel Novigrad had their own machines main gun locked onto the target. The huge twin rails of two terrestrial gauss cannons arched with electricity before just as many hardened anti-ship penetrators exploded from the tubes. They like those fired from their compatriots from Chrysanthemum slammed into the shields of the destroyer.

But the already weakened shields buckled and failed allowing the slugs to sail their target and explode. Its shields now down the stricken destroyer was quickly torn to pieces by Galactica's complement of bootlegged railguns and PDCs.

“Watch it snow viper you've got fighters inbound.” Ryoko spoke into Fallon's womb. “Got it, Lance form up.”

Armor, AMP, Habu, Camouflage, and Big Dog stomped into position as a flight of two nymphs sored over the shield towards them. Unlike the UEC who appeared contempt with letting rounds hit them the COG did not rely solely on their shield.

And as the changeling fighters passed the point of no return the four atlas mechs tore into them. Sending flechettes and grenades into their hulls and making them crash ballistic into the sometimes invisible shield of galactica. With a wordless command the four machines pivoted as more fighters closed in. The two Atlas-3s deploying their ballistic shields while the two remaining mechs fired from behind their better armed and armored compatriots.

“This is the stupidest fucking plan I've ever heard!” The freshly minted gunnery sergeant shouted over his company channel. “I'm inclined to agree with you on that one Fallon. This is a space ship. Emphasis on ship not a Goddamn space station.” A rather surely veteran called back to his lance mate.

“Come on twentys! This builds character!” Wraith called out kicking off of the hull partially to ram his close combat spike through the cockpit of an incoming fighter. “Yeah it also waists ammo. We have spent more time shooting at things than actually hitting them.” A Siafu pilot said from somewhere on the hull.

“Hey Armor you should say that thing…” Amp some up firing both of his rotary guns into the belly of a fleeing fighter.

“Come on gunny say it. Just once.” Trombley pleaded, the smile evident in his voice as he sent a burst of flachettes into another fighter. “You know you want to Armor.” Icequeen spoke up adding her two cents into the channel. “...Fine.” the Gunnery sergeant relented before blaring out across the open channel. “C’MON YOU APES... DO YOU WANNA LIVE FOREVER!”

Several minutes passed as Barron watched the UEC ships that had stayed behind destroy the remaining seed ship were now joining the others in combating Bug four. The claw ship's hull was cratered, scared and supported numerous gashes and scorch marks across its bulk.

One of the mighty pincer like arms now spun uselessly in space a hazard to any ship stupid enough to get in it's way. And of the over one hundred and fifty flayed fighters it had sent out only roughly fifty remained and those were now encircling his ship aiding in its defence.

“How long until Bug four is gone.” Barron asked watching as it sent another beam of crackling energy into the flank of a super destroyer.

“Unknown sir, but from my estimation I would give it many another ten minutes. Before it becomes combat ineffective.” One of the sensor techs said hands dancing across his screen.

“General I have managed to bring the primary engines back online.” Ryoko said her avatar appearing on the holo table. “I believe… General something is wrong. I can't… woah astrological coordinates are feeding into the navigational systems, and there is a buildup of energy on deck twenty.”

“That's where the lab is… Takumi talk to me what is happening down there?” Barron demanded using a channel override and forcibly bringing up the science officer.

“I don't know captian, first the printers begin pumping out those coin things. And now the device is drawing so much power I cant regulate the draw… that can't be right? General the device has begun radiating hawking radiation cant..” an alarm began to sound in the science bay drowning out whatever the science officer was about to say.

“Everybody out! Sir you have to get us out of here, I don't know what will happen if the ship takes damage while this thing is charging!” Takumi shouted before cutting off the channel.

“Got it. Helm full burn. Ops, Recall the fighters and mechs I don't want them out there while were…” his sentence was cut off as a count down appeared on his and every screen across the ship.

60…59...58...57…

The countdown continued as the recall orders were given. The dogfights and defence on and around the ship became a mad dash to get back inside. The massive hangerdors on the front of the galacticas side pods opened as at the same time the engines at their rear roared to life.

45…44...43...42...

Entire squadrons of fighters decelerated burning hard as they flew into the massive hangar bays along the ship's hull. Finding whatever space they could as they went skids down and slammed into the deck. In the distance the Claw ship broke apart exploding and sending a wave of crimson energy out in every direction. While the final few lances of mechs fell back on mass to open hangers or deployment bays.

30...29...28...27…

In space the remaining flayed banked sharply to into hangerbays of the human vessels they had been supporting. Squeezing through the closing hanger doors and crashing down onto the flight deck swarming with deck crew and emergency personnel.

19...18...17...16...15...14...13...12...11...

“This is our chance. All ships fire at will… blow them out of the stars!” Krykss yelled slamming a fist down into an already broken console for emphasis. The UEC fleet watched their eyes glued to their displays as balls of plasma, bursts/beams of magic, and swarms of missiles arched or lanced their way towards defenseless human vessel.

10...9...8…

The final seconds ticked by on the screen as Barron and every COG soldier aboard watched the countdown hit five seconds. Friends and lovers aboard the ship held one another close while others resigned themselves to their fate as death raced for their ship.

5...4...3...2...

The counter hit one second and began a millisecond countdown as the UEC ships watched as space seemed to wripple around the human ship. Before a flash of light appeared at the rear of the earther vessel before racing to its bow.

0:00

In a flash of light the UEC fleet watched as the Earther vessel Galactica disappeared leaving a shimmering distortion in space just as the ordinance was about to hit it's shield. Causing the beams, balls of plasma and missile to careen harmlessly off into empty space.

Chapter 1 Prolouge

It was almost a century ago that humanity in its had reached out past Sol-3 Earth, and moved to the stars. Earth had become over populated, billions of people all crammed together. World war three had destroyed most of the planet so we spread out and founded a few planets and moons that could be used for life.

The worlds were mostly spread out over 90 light years and numbered 70 colonies. Many of them were unfit for life so we began to terraform them a process that would take decades. Out of the ashes of WW3 four nations arose, the NAC the North American Commonwealth, The SRA the Sino-Russian alliance, NE Nordic empire, and the UAF United African Federation. Out of those four only two nations made it out of Sol to expand, only two nations with the resources and military might to colonize and defend them, the NAC and SRA.

While life on the homeworld was hard for those not lucky enough to live on the outskirts of the public residence clusters or PRCs. Where food is handed out in BNA rations that are just enough calories to get you through the day. In the PRCs the water is allegedly recycled human piss, and the food tasted like ground up feet and assholes. Apparently the people who designed them wanted to make them as unpalatable as possible so that you wouldn't eat all of your week's food in a day but it was widely accepted that there was honestly no way to make BNA rations taste good.

Once a month, they would hand out Commissary vouchers from the security of a concrete box on a lottery basis, worth 100 Commonwealth dollars anywhere that accepts them, and the ultimate prize was the hope of getting a spot on a colony ship to leave the homeworld and into the colonies. But forget what you see in network shows and movies, her grandmother said it takes decades to terraform a planet and make it habitable for human population. However, her Grandmother had also told her that there was another race that was at war with humanity that we call Lankys

The avarage Lankys are at least 60 to 80 feet tall, possessed hyper advanced technology, were aggressive and hard to kill. Before the NAC lost contact with Camelot the big bastards had pushed us back and were beating us so badly that most of the colonies held by the only two nations to achieve interstellar space travel, the NAC and SRA, were either lost to the Lankys or cut off from Earth and communication. The big bastards would show up in orbit in their seed ships and nerve gas the surface to get rid of the humans before smashing the human terraformers and sending down their own terraforming stations.

Massive spires that would turn decades careful human terraforming into a cloudy perpetually rainy soup heavy on CO2 and light on oxygen in a few weeks. Meaning that anybody lucky enough to survive the Nerve gas would either suffocate in a few weeks after the Lankys sent down there terraformers or, and this was sometimes the better option, would be crushed when the Lankies destroyed the terraformers.

The NAC and SRA fleets tried to fight them but the Lankie ships were so massive and armored that the biggest, and best nukes, and salvos of railgun fire in either fleet would do nothing but smear the black carapace of the lankie’s ships. Before the massive Lankie Seed ships that measured 2 miles in length, 900 meters in width, and 600 meters in hight. Hulking juggernauts that dwarfed anything either the SRA or NAC fleets possessed. They would closed the distance and tear the offending fleet to scrap with penetrator rods. Big spikes that the Lankies would fire from their ships about a one to three meters long and about a meter thick, that could tear through the armor plating of any human ship.

On the ground, it wasn't much better but at least the men and women on the ground could fight back. However, any Marine garrison not issued the anti-Lankie weapons or heavy vehicles and air support might as well just be throwing stones at the massive Lankys. The weapons they were issued were designed to deal with human targets and human threats, but her grandmother who had served in the Marines before her retirement and subsequent colony lottery win said trying to kill a Lankie with an M66 would be like trying to kill an elephant with a nail file.

You might do it but it will probably kill you for being a nuisance before you can do anything worthwhile. Even if you did have the best gear all the Lankies had to do was wait for you to run out of ammunition or fuel and they could just lumber up and smash you with no effort. That was almost 60 years ago and her mother was a teenager when they lost contact with Sol.

The only reason that this planet wasn't able to put up more of a fight when the Equestrians arrived was due to a stroke of outrages, luck on their part, or bad luck on the part of the humans. About two weeks before the UEC arrived, a Lankie siege ship arrived in orbit and dropped a seed pod to begin terraforming the planet.

When the seed pod set down the marine garrison instantly went on the attack knowing they were not equipped to fight the Lankies, and were promptly smacked down before the Lankies began destroying our terraformers along with and the garrison. However almost a week later, when the marines that survived the slaughter at the seed pod finished moving the colonists into the bunkers, the Lankies pulled, out, taking their seed pod with them and leaving only one remaining intact terraformer and the insignificant humans behind to suffocate.

A week later, the planet was still somewhat suitable for Humans, however the colony was razed to the ground and the military base destroyed. The Marines ammo was spent on a stray lankie what was left behind and then the UEC showed up in orbit, and upon seeing how sorry the colonists lived in, they saw it necessary to "help" them.

With almost no ammunition, the marines were in no shape to stop the Equestrians from gathering up Humans and shipping them off planet to lives of servitude. However that didn't mean that they did not put up a fight and soon after the first year, a very violent, but low yield guerrilla war began and still goes on in the shadows. Over the years, the idea of the homeworld has become a fairy tail.

"Sarah Orialy, you stand before me charged with assault, sedition, attempting to flee, disobedience to your owner, and rebellion. What is it you did at that human structure?" A hologram of a white equine mammal said to a woman chained to the floor.

"Go fuck a Lanky you Bitch." Sarah said earning a yank from her owner.

"So what were you doing at, what you Humans call it, a terraformer?" the white equine asked.

"None of your business. You and your kind will get yours one day," Sarah said defiantly..

"Your race is confined to this planet and hasn't even been able to leave your celestial system. You are backward and primitive, you are lucky we found you when we did and took pity on you and allowed you to serve us. But what confuses me is that you tried to start a rebellion knowing that your race is too submissive and cowardly to fight back..."

Yeah, you keep telling yourself that bitch, once The NAC gets here you'll see who's submissive and cowardly. Sarah thought to herself as the monarch droned on and on.

"...That being said I can not allow this crime to go unpunished. I, Princess Celestia of the Unified Equestrian Conclave, sentence you to permanent death. There will be no resurection, and your death will be a warning to the rest of the rebellion throughout the conclave. Your kind will submit to your nature and serve us," she said with a smug smile before the hologram emitter shut down.

When the light dimmed down the guards stepped up and paraded her through the crowds of various species that originally came from what she learned was called Eques. She met the eyes of other Humans many of which looked sorrowful, but the others looked on in respect as they stood next to their owners. These stupid content creatures actually believed that Camelot was Humanity's homeworld. A mistake that hopefully would be their undoing.

As she was tied to the firing post as she looked into the night sky in the direction of Sol and smiled sadly. She, unlike most of the other Humans in Camelot, knew what the homeworld was like because she had heard stories from her grandmother about Earth, the birthplace of Humanity, the most closely guarded secret of this planet. Unlike the others who believe Earth is a paradise where Humans live free, on a planet just as lush and green as this.

They think that Earth is a planet with no worries, open spaces, and plenty of food. In truth she and the ever dwindling percentage of the Humans in the UEC who can proudly say that their grandparents had actually seen Earth. It was, in fact, nothing like this planet. Camelot and Eques were caring, forgiving, and full of life. Earth was not and if you didn't respect it, the homeworld would chew you up and spit you out.

Only the strong survived but that didn't mean all Humans were barbarous savages, but it did mean humans were territorial, fiercely tribal, and dangerously aggressive. Despite this, we were able to spread out of our Solar System and come out as far as 40 Light years However, like always humanity still found a way to kill each other for stupid reasons.

She still looked up and spared a glancing look at the other humans in the crowd who were doing the same thing. She was looking to Sol and hoping that their message was received. Her sacrifice will not be in vain, and that Humanity was still there. She smiled as the Pony in charge of this colony, Mayor Mare ordered the Constables into positions.

"Ready!.. AIM!" the Ponies on the firing line raised and leveled their archaic weapons, old guns reminiscent of an ancient M4 that would have been in use during the 20th century on Earth and would be in a museum by the time her grandmother was a child.

She kept looking up in hope for the future. She knew that the leaders of the UEC actually believed that they can kill an idea. After all, humans are survivors and there was no doubt in her mind that when the Lankies got to Earth, they learned just how much of a bad idea it is to back humans into a corner when we have nothing left to lose.

"Fire!" The last thing she heard were the popping reports of the Constables’ rifles before her world went dark.

Chapter 12 Calm before the storm

. . . . Bringing Fusion cores online. . . .12 percent. . . . .30 percent. . . . 40 percent. . . . .60 percent.
. . .80 percent. . . . .100 percent. . . .

. . . . Power within acceptable parameters. . . .

. . . . . . . . Running diagnostic. . . . .

. . . . . . . Magnetic shield online. . . .

. . . . . gyroscopes. . . . . .online. . . . .

. . . . . Optical systems. . . .Online. . . .

. . . .Manipulators. . . .Intact. . . online. . . .

. . . . Foot clamps. . . . testing. . . . . . online. . . .

. . . . Cockpit monitors. . . . testing. . . online. . .

. . . . cockpit filters. . . testing. . . online. . .

. . . . Cockpit hatch. . . testing. . . online. . .

. . . cockpit comms. . . testing. . . online. . .

. . . Cockpit controls. . . testing. . . online. . .

. . . . Cockpit operating at 100 percent. . .

. . . . . . Ikarus pylons. . . . .online/status unarmed. . . . .Combat effectiveness lowered to 78.9234 percent. . . . .

. . . . Primary Weapon status. . . . Unavailable. . . . Scanning. . . . Located. . . Location 5.26 feet from top of chassis. . . .

. . . . combat effectiveness lowered to 40.59827 percent. . . .

. . . . Structural Integrity 100 percent. . . .

. . . . . Orientation. . . . back. . . .

. . . . . Attempting reorientation. . . . attempt 1 failed. . . . .

. . . . . Attempting reorientation. . . attempt 2 failed. . . . .

. . . . external surface scan initiated. . . . .

. . . . external surface covered in poly plast container. . . . type. . . class 4 shipping container. . .
. . . . . Awaiting opening of container. . . .

. . . . continuing startup. . . .

01110111 01100101 01111001 01101100 01100001 01101110 01100100 00100000 01111001 01110101 01110100 01100001 01101110 01101001 00100000 01100010 01110101 01101001 01101100 01100100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01100010 01100101 01110100 01110100 01100101 01110010 00100000 01110111 01101111 01110010 01101100 01100100 01110011

. . . . . . Initializing External scan. . . . .

. . . . .Scanning. . . scanning. . . . .Scanning. . . . Scanning. . . . Scan complete. . . .

. . . . . multiple friendly's within vicinity. . . .

. . . . . . Parameters for Operation. . . . .

. . . . .Parameter 1 Find Operator. . . . Reclassifying. . . . .Reclassifying. . . . Pilot. . . .

. . . . .Parameter 2 Uphold Mission at all cost. . . . .

. . . . .Parameter 3 protect the Pilot. . . .

. . . . . Parameter 4 Defend North American Commonwealth. . . .

. . . . . Parameter 5 protect squad. . . .

. . . . . parameter 6, parameter 5 does not supersede parameter 3. . . .

. . . . .Operational parameters loaded. . . .

. . . . Seismic disturbance. . . .

. . . . Container being reoriented. . . .

. . . . Unit number SD-0624 online. . . .

. . . . Ready to receive Pilot. . . .

=============================================================

(Fallon)

I step out onto the deck of one of the largest and newest ships in the NAC fleet. The Annihilator has a length of one thousand meters, armor twenty meters thick, thirty port and starboard rail gun batteries, and enough nukes to turn a planet the size of mars into a smoldering radioactive ember. To top it all off the Annihilator's is basically a gigantic particle accelerator with an alcubierre drive and a fusion plant strapped to it. It weighs a couple million tons and is designed to close with Lanky siege ships and Blow them to pieces.

But I am not interested in all of that as the other troopers in my team exit the new Killer Wasp dropship whose cargo hold is designed to hold an ATLAS as well as forty marines in body armor. The way they do it is actually ingenious if it will actually work, the Atlas lies on its back or stomach while the Dropship picked it up with a pair of internal docking arms.

Then the bottom opens up to allow the thing inside, and the Marines just sit on the outside against the bulkhead. And to deploy it can simply drop the ATLAS from a safe height to secure a landing zone and land to deploy the troops inside. Forbes and I Salute the NAC flag hanging on the bulkhead as well as the Officer of the Deck.

A Few hours later, after finding our new squad, birth Forbes and I were surprised to see Miiora step into our room. Apparently, her being assigned to me has continued so we take the time and set the room up the same way we had it back on the Leathy. The room has an extra bunk and I am about to take it for my own when a young man probably nineteen steps through the door.

I remember him getting mail the other day, Trombley I think his name was. I read the salad on his smock and see he is about boot as it gets. despite the Force Recon patch and Squad automatic weapon he carries. The kid looks at me as I lie on my bunk which like on the Leathy is over the one occupied by Miiora whom he stares at for a second before scanning the room.

"I am Lance corporal James Trombley I was assigned to..." I glance up from my PDP on which is a diagram of an ATLAS.

"Take that bunk over there. This is corporeal Forbes, Miiora she is acting lesson between fleet and Ex-slaves and unspoken mascot, and good luck charm for ninth company, and I am Staff sergeant Avery Fallon Team leader." I explain to the...

"FNG." Forbes says as he strips down his side arm. Miiora looks up from her newest food product at the table, her reptilian face is hard to read but I found that her kind make up for it with body language.

"Whats an FNG?" She asks

"Fucking, New, Guy." Forbes answers and to almost make his point Trombley looks around for a place to put his K-31 SAW.

"Didn't the Fleet take the corn cobs out of your ears before they shipped you out here?" I say pointing to a slot in the wall where Forbes and I's M66's rest in a Wall mount.

"I don't remember being issued any vegetables staff sergeant."

"A smart ass. You might just fit in here." I say before getting a message from the Gunnery officer.

"Stow your shit and let's get over to the hanger people." Finally the moment I have been waiting for all day.

=============================================================

We walk out onto the deck of the Flight deck and are greeted with the sight of thirty huge shipping containers. All around me I can see the other Operators and their teams eagerly awaiting what is going to happen next. Against one side of the Hanger Bay there are what look light docking clamps standing straight up with maintenance crews standing by.

"Operators find a Unit and insert your Card now." I walk forward and join the mass of thirty men and women who are slowly deciding which container to open.

I stop at one that still has its Manufactures Logo on the side Hammond Robotics. I walk forward and slide my ID card in the panel on the side of the container. Then I hear gasps of shock and amazement as the Containers open one at a time. There in all of their Glory are our ATLAS's and one by one the three sensor lenses flicker to life. The lights like the Identifier lights on our battle armor give off a red glow. The censer bulb swivels in my direction and the center and largest lens contracts and expands for a moment before the thing lowers itself to one knee. I look around and see that the other ATLAS's are doing the same to the operators in front of them. The thing then lowers its hand to allow me easy access as its cockpit opens like a clam shell with the top of the cockpit with the sensor dome going up and a bottom cover folding down. I Stare at the cockpit for a second and I crawl inside.

The controls of a regular ATL are similar to that of a fighter jet without a throttle so both hands hold joysticks. But this cockpit is slightly different, joining the joysticks at the end of the arms of the seat are smooth rings with red blinking lights. The walls are padded and the aria behind me that would usually be empty is filled with what looks like a red cylinder, a weapon rack and a place for a rucksack. Beside the left arm of the chair there’s a kind of keyboard and other parts that look modular in design. I take my seat and glance out of the cockpits open hatch and see Forbes and Trombley giving me a thumbs up, and even Miiora looks a little excited given the way I see her tail swaying. Taking a deep breath i press the buttons to close the hatch and I am closed into darkness.

There is a series of metallic clicking no doubt the Cockpit sealing itself when the center screen flairs to life. Yellow text on a black background scrolls up before stopping.

. . . . Synchronize Y/N. . . .

"Yes" Then my vision blurs for a half second and I jolt back as my arms tingle. There is a flash on the screen and the cockpit lights up like a Christmas tree. Then on the screen I see the swirling logo of the Manufacturer joined by a soft cheery voice that can only be artificial. An H inside of a circle forming a power button appears with the words Hammond Robotics appears. Before in a swirl of static the logo is replaced with a black W with some yellow triangular markings, The symbol is very common after all they make most of the equipment for the NAC.

"Hammond Robotics, Defending the NAC for over fifty years. Hammond Robotics is a subsidiary to Weyland industries. Weyland-Yutani, Building Better Worlds." The voice says over some speakers inside the cockpit. Then the text is gone and I can see another command prompt.

. . . . Activate Auto-pilot Y/N. . . .

"yes" And with that four screens turn on allowing me vision of the outside. The five screens are split by a kind of window where the screen for the hatch is.

"Welcome aboard Pilot." A deep robotic, monotone sounding voice says with so much bass i can almost feel my chest vibrating.

"Um who are you?"

"I am an ATLAS class ATL vehicle. Designation SD-0624."

"Well nice to meet you." I say I glance out of the view screen and see Forbes and Trombley whooping and hollering as I stand my ATLAS up. They continue to follow me and the other ATLAS's to the now identified ATLAS bays. SD puts a hand out as I open the cockpit so I can step out.

"Dude that thing, is, the, shit!" Forbes yells

"Amazing. I had no idea that you humans were able to make something like this." Miiora says before the All system alert comes on with its two-tone chime.

"Action stations. Action Stations stand by for alcubierre transition. Ground teams report to hangar bay for a briefing. Operation Blackout will now commence."

Chapter 41 Honor

Fallon
NACS-Manitoba. Fifteen days from the Hengan alcubierre node. In transit to NAC Fortress world Sandalphon, 2168AD/ 105AC.

I can see Miiora talking to Forbes's replacement at the table to my right. I don't hate Durge and I don't hold any ill will towards him for replacing my second. After all, soldiering is a dangerous business during regular conditions, but against the lanky's death is expected.

The most we can do to cope with death is go back to the NCO club and share stories about the dead, and having one final drink in their name.Then move on and push them to the back of your mind, it’s cold but humanity has been at war for over a century so we have gotten used to it, expect it. Currently my reptilian girlfriend, the tarantula, and Trombley are conversing in excited tones about something.

“Ahhgh, I fold.” I say slapping my cards down before lying back in my bunk. We have been burning steadily at one point five G since we left the Helghast transit point, and we finally have some free time on our hands. The dead have been recycled or shot into space, and the savaged platoons of the fleets marines and podheads have been left to lick our wounds.

The fleet went to Helgan with thirty ships, four NAC and SRA heavy battle cruisers, one NAC Manitoba class carrier, one SRA troop transport, three NE assault carriers, seven UAF Fighter frigates, two UAF attack Cruiser, two NAC Indianapolis ghost ships, four NAC hammerhead cruisers and their SRA equivalents, and six Siege Breaker class ships. But out of those numbers only nine ships survived the mauling we received at the hands of the Lanky's.

Excluding the Ghost ships the only ships to survive the bloodletting at the station, and the twelve day retreat to the node are the NAC Siege breakers Manitoba, Donnager, and Rodger Young, UAF attack cruiser Shaka Zulu, UAF Fighter frigate Idi Amin, NE assault Carrier Infinite Stratos, and SRA Heavy battle cruisers Han xin, Vasili, Zaitsev, and the Somnath Sharma.

When we finally got a final count the losses were staggering, to say the least. By the time we exited the system under the combined escort of the SRA’s new siege breaker battleship the Nostromo, her escort, the remainder of the Helghast fleet, Changeling Prowler’s. As well as the three UEC ships that had refused to retreat with the rest of their fleet, the Shining Star, Glimmering wake, and Black Arbitrator having chosen to stay with the Humans. The COG fleet had lost a total of three billion tons of ships and equipment, and a terrifying total of one hundred thousand confirmed Dead, with another two thousand missing.

And from the reports given to us by the Shining Star’s captain/commander the UEC lost even more ships. They arrived in Helgan with one hundred and twenty ships and only made it out with thirty. But unlike Humanity the UEC fleet far outnumbers ours and while a serious blow to morale, the loss of that many ships in one campaign wouldn't cripple their navy, or war effort.

But most damning of it all we lost the Leathy, and her captain of over eighty years Rance Barron. That single loss alone struck a major blow to the morale of the fleet and no doubt will hit the rest of humanity hard. That Leathy and her captain had been household names, and where the face of humanity's unwillingness to accept defeat.

‘Attention all hands, brace for turnaround burn, repeat, all hands brace for turnaround burn.’

With a sigh I pull my leg up into the crash couch that passes for a bunk and with practiced laziness strap myself in. Across from me Levoy straps himself into his bunk as well, and I can see Miiora and Trombley doing the same with the seats at the table. Durge, on the other hand, has to scuttle his way over to the bunks and climb up to crash couch to allow for his extra mass. The large spider-like alien couldn't fit in one of our crash couches even if he wanted to, do to his inability to really sit down.

“Everybody settled in?” I ask receiving a chorus of yeses and yes sergeants.

“Lieutenant this is Fallon, my team is all strapped in.”

“Acknowledged Avery, the platoon is green across the board.”

‘All hands report green, All hands stand by for turnaround burn in five, four, three, two, one.’

Suddenly I am struck with a sense of vertigo as the ship swivels on its axis as dozens of maneuvering thrusters shift the ship around. Then I am slammed into the crash couch’s gel as the ship fires her drives. Every part of me feels like it has been flattened and I can feel a pop in my sternum from the sudden G’s. I can hear groans from the ship's badly damaged hull, as well as my squad when my vision starts to tunnel. After what feels like an eternity later the sensation stops, replaced with the much less oppressive partal G of a leisurely deceleration burn.

“I fucking hate this shit.” Trombley says from his spot beside Miiora.

========================================================

Charlotte

NACS-Manitoba. Sixteen days from the Weyland Sector alcubierre node. In transit to NAC Fortress world Sandalphon, 2168AD/ 105AC.

Fally you have to go faster, you won't do anything at that speed.

The ground pounder is good, but space is my battleground. With a smile, I flip my fighter into its alt mode and destroy the incoming missile before returning to my course.

Two days ago an NAC transport arrived to deliver much-needed supplies. Included in this shipment were the rumored ATLAS-2’s, as well as a detachment of the SRA’s own mechs the Grendel long-range attack walker, and finally a few squads of new NAC combat robots.

The fleet lost most of her fighters in Helgan and without an effective fighter screen, we won't be able to hold off UEC bombers if we come under attack. When the Transport arrived the Nostromo and her escort left us to aid the forces on the frontlines. But that now leaves us alone with only the battered remnants of the Helghast fleet as well as the three UEC ships that had defected.

“Rose, Angel come around and hit their seven. Blitz, Raptor their five. Vixen, Lynx their nine, Doll, you and I will hit their twelve and six. ” My HUD flashes with the acknowledgments from what remains of my squadron.bI swing my fighter on its axis and strafe Avery’s position on the Manitoba’s scared hull once again. The lasers stitch the hull leading to Fallon and his group of four MOTH’s.

Fally tracks me with his rifle while using his magnetic shield to block the grenades from the other fighters to his left. Beside him two mechs marked “Rocket Man” and “Amp” angle their ballistic shields and take cover as Valkyrie squadron strafes their position.

The five MOTHs have proven to be tough opponents. They possess almost total superiority on the “Ground” so we can't attack from the hull. And while we can strafe them they can track our movements to easily, thanks to the enhanced sensor suite on their ATLAS-2. The group of MOTHs have set up a turtle like arrangement with their ballistic shields blocking our strafing runs, and continually use their magnetic shields to block any missiles we send their way.

I am about to order another strafing run when a blast of ECM from the crowd of NAC mechs scramble our scanners and displays.

Smart move, He knows Gungnir fighters rely on sensors and scanners to find their targets over a visual scan from external cameras.

I am about to bring my fighter around when my missile warning alarm goes off, and up from Fally’s left shoulder a missile pod swivels and locks into position. I pull back on the stick and gun the throttle as the missiles are launched. Shifting I begin shooting down the missiles but as the last missile is destroyed my Proximity alarm goes off.

I swivel around just in time to see Fally’s mech and maneuver out of the way. A glint of light and a flicker of movement catch my attention behind the mech on its rightmost Icarus mount, and I know he has deployed the preferred close combat weapon of the ATLAS the L-blade.

“Merde!” I shout as Avery’s arm shoots up and he fires a burst from his rifle into my mechs leg. Alarms began going off as the flechettes tear through the comparatively thin armor of my Gungnir. My thrust begins to wane as my main engine shuts down and I am forced to use the secondary.

How could I be so stupid? The ATLAS is designed for ground combat, I can't let that thing get into melee range or I've had it. But what can I do, he just disabled my main engine.

Avery deploys his ballistic shield holding it out in front of him before firing his jump jets bursting towards me. Reacting on instinct I shift my fighter into Valkyrie mode and fly backward in an attempt to get more distance between us. For a split second the image of that Lanky gungnir superimposes itself on Avery’s image.

No its just Fally, he's not that monster. Come on get it together.

On the tactical plot, the symbol representing Blitz’s fighter comes screaming towards the ATLAS’s flank.

Perfect If I can just keep him on this trajectory Blitz can get him.

I continue to fire my remaining engine while bringing my wrist gatlings to bear. I line up a shot and fire, but the shot goes wide with only one of the rounds hitting and tearing off a piece of the shield.

Almost there, just a few more kilometers.

Once Fallon is in Blitz’s weapons range I pull hard back on the throttle, bringing my fighter into a sort of backflip, before flipping from valkyrie to fighter mode.

The transformation to fighter mode isn’t as fluid and graceful as I normally like. It’s almost as if my Valkyrie is physically expressing the apprehension and confusion I feel. That Lanky pilot, it’s machine, it was similar and foreign at the same time. It felt like a mockery of ourselves, and maybe that was exactly what it was meant to be. My Valkyrie reads off the various oncoming weapons fire, and naturally I do what I can to dance around them and return fire. Or I do until it reads a stray shot, something unplanned, something different, that hits the small coolant exhaust port.

My vision lights up with the warnings, I see the oncoming overload of the internal reactor. Ejecting is worthless at this point. The explosion would be equal to an old Thermonuclear warhead. Everything in the surrounding area would be dead in minutes. I close my eyes, thinking of my friends and suddenly the world around me becomes bright, even through my eyelids.

The simulation ends, and I find myself staring at the inside of the sim-pod glad that all I went through was just a training exercise. The last bit, that lucky shot, it was something that I would never have expected, and yet there it was. Part of me feels physically and emotionally drained. A good long hot shower would be a benefit, but another part of me wants to see how the AI came up with that attack.

‘Jonesy’

NACS-Manitoba. six days from the Weyland Sector alcubierre node. In transit to NAC Fortress world Sandalphon, 2168AD/ 105AC.

I listen to my human companions while they speak to one another. I can take their form, and at times I do, but most of the time I remain in my true changeling form. It’s difficult not to sample some of the various forms of love I feel. There is the romantic love, the powerful one, that is shared between the former slave and her chosen. That love is so thick and rich that it is nearly intoxicating even if they don't know it. I find myself attempting to be apart from them when there are battle simulations. I do not wish to make the mistake of believing I am all powerful when it is simply being love drunk.

There is lust as well. Lust tastes different. It is more like sugar, quick energy, not filling, but able to keep one going. I feel that in various forms, but then there is fear. Fear is toxic. It seduces, attempts to show that it can be fed upon, but it hollows out changelings. Queen Chrysalis was right in saying that we need to never feed on fear. Others have died from it.

“Jonesy, you to join the game?”

My large blue eyes look at the one speaking. He is... a friend. The young sergeant Trombley leans back against a box going over something on his datapad. To my left the former slave Miiora sits on a box beside her chosen who is working on one of the NAC’s war machines. The emotions coming off of her are intoxicating and I have to force myself not to feed. Above her the Kleese warrior Durge stands sentinel over her lingering on the stacks of boxes.

“Sure I wou..”

“Officer on the deck!” Trombley yells forcing all of them to spring to attention.

“As you were.”

“Fallon, spending time with your squad I see. Good, just the kind of thing I wanted to see.” The Sergeant stands straighter upon hearing this.

“Come with me son, we need to get ready.”

“Aye skipper, Levoy can you finish this up.” The two then walk out the bay leaving us alone.

“What the hell was that about?” Trombley

“Dont know, but if Burbanjack wants him, it can't be good.” the humans who calls himself Amp says.

Fallon

NACS-Manitoba. six days from the Weyland Sector alcubierre node. In transit to NAC Fortress world Sandalphon, 2168AD/ 105AC.

We walked for maybe twelve minutes in complete silence after I was forced to change into my class A’s before we came to a door.

“Look skipper it this is about Miiora…”

“What? No I dont give a fuck about that. Look when we get beyond this door, you will be on your best behavior you got that?” He says his steely eyes piercing through me.

“Yes sir.”

“Good.”

“Um, sir what is this about?”

The door opens to one of the ships larger conference rooms. And I am blasted with the noise of the NAC’s national anthem playing. There standing on a plinth in the middle of the room is the Manitoba’s skipper.

“We are here because of these men, These MOTHs faced down insurmountable odds Staff Sergeant Avery Fallon, and Sergeant Andrew Grayson Jr. Avery then went on to protect a fellow trooper from the worst of fates a female trooper can experience. Suffering grievous wounds after the building collapsed. Sargent Grayson used his own body his own machine to protect a squad of SI troopers from an artillery bombardment. They both still carry the scars of these acts, both physical and otherwise.” I Finaly make it to the plinth and stand beside Amp at attention.

“With those acts of courage, you not only saved your brothers and sisters in arms, you also displayed a heroism that will inspire for generations. Vallon worthy of our nation's highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor.” The skipper says while placing the medal around each of our necks before snapping off a salute, one we each return. This is when the fleet news service dove in bombarding us with questions.

After about an hour of answering very personal questions, the two of us are asked one final question by a rather cute news reporter.

“Sargent Fallon, im private Darcy Fleet news. Your grandmother Brianna Fallon received the Medal of Honor and now so have you, some in the defense corps feel that your family is destined for greatness. So my question is this, with another batch of recruits going into boot camp, and more joining up every day. Do you have anything to say to the new recruits anything to the Former’s and human recruits alike? Anything to say to the troops still fighting on the frontline?”

“Well, I don't know about being destined for greatness. I'm just a trooper, same as everybody else. My grandma always says when you're on the ground, in the shit, everyman beside you is a trooper, everyone's an ape. And all you can do is make sure your buddies make it home. So to every potential trooper who doesn't think they can go on. To everyone who is still fighting but still needs that extra push, all I have to is this…” I look from her to the camera.

“Come on you apes, You wanna live forever?”

Author's Note

sorry for the wait, I have had some personal shit going on.

Chapter 55 Gott Mit Uns

NACS Galactica

COG fleet 40

Distance from terus: 12 light seconds.

2169AD/106AC

The bridge of the Galactica was alight with activity. Spacers of all shapes and sizes all typed furiously at their stations touch screens. Each of them working to bring the heart of one of the COG navy’s only three Siege Destroyers online.

Behind the fleet of twenty five ships the systems star Terus prime blazed. Shielding the fleet’s approach with its radiation. Centuries ago fighter pilots were taught to always attack with the sun at their backs, and today it would help them again.

To one side of the CIC a trio of changelings sat operating one of the ships many sensor suits. While to another six humans operated and primed the ship’s secondary weapons. Like the smaller siege breaker class ships before it the Galactica was equipped with a massive coil or Gauss cannon that ran from aft to stern.

“Multiple contacts sighted. Confirmed six-one enemy marks in orbit above Terus. One-zero Celestia class heavy destroyers, one-zero, Luna class destroyers, two-two drake class cruisers, six royal class light destroyers, two cadence class carriers, as well as nine Neo-changeling battle cruisers. And silhouette confirmed Element of Magic sighted with two destroyer escorts.”

“Then it's an even fight. Comms get me a comm fleet wide.” The com officer nodded before flashing through several commands on her panels. “Your good to go sir.”

With a nod Barron slips the headset on and watches as the confirmation lights come on, throughout the fleet.

“All hands this is the general. Many of us have fought the lankys, and just many of us have suffered at the hands of the UEC. Today we stand ready to if not prevent then postpone the largest equestrian push into our space since the war began. If we fail to day, then how long will it be until they find their way to steelworld and then to earth? Secure and brace for deceleration burn. Galactica shines the name, honor's the Leathy. Today Galactica and Nostromo join the war. All hands..."

"...Action stations.”

Instantly gunnery crews worked to bring the galacticas twelve port and starboard railguns to from cold to hot. Barron smiled as He watched his bridge crew work. This was it the Galacticas trial by fire. “Time to put that reverse engineered UEC tech to the test. But first let's wake ‘em up a little ”

“All hands this is Galactica actual, report go no go.”

“Engineering reports green across the board.” The voice of his chief engineer Zekshul reported. The kleese clicked his fangs together in excitement on his screen.

“Gunnery stations reporting. We are Hot.” The image of his chief gunnery officer a myrialos named Parsha reported. Her large solid blue eyes glowed slightly as she spoke.

“This is the CAG. Fighter squadrons on standby.” Mini Maverick his fleet’s wing commander reported.

Nodding his head Barron clomped his way to the holo display. In the holo tank the various green, blue, yellow, and purple markers marked the ships of COG 40. And he couldn't help but smile at the twelve alternating green and white icons acting as escort for both his ship and the Manitoba.

Most of those ships belonged to the changeling federation. But three stood out flying in a tight protective formation with the Manitoba. The Shining Star, Glimmering wake, and Black Arbitrator.

He had noticed a distinct kinship in the ships that had survived Helghan among his fleet. The Manitoba and its three impromptu escorts flew closely, relatively speaking to the annihilator siege breakers Donnager, Rodger Young, and James holden.

“Send a tight beam message and order the Valiant to paint these targets. Siege Breakers lock on targets and fire orions.”

“This is Manitoba/Donnager/Rodger young/James Holden/Wakizashi lockon confirmed. Radiation warning level 12. Eight targets locked on, firing.” came the chorus over the fleet wide tac-link.

“Adama send the message rescue group, we are gonna circle around under stealth as soon as the orion missiles begin their acceleration. Donnager, Manitoba, Wakizashi, Defiant, and Valiant. Will join Galactica and we will hit them in them in the back as soon as they move to engage the main fleet.”

At his station my exo nodded before relaying my message to the rest of the fleet. Will’s grandfather had served what had once been the Martian congressional republic navy. Back when there had been a Martian republic, before the lankys.

Will himself had been one of the last people born on the once red planet. As a baby he had been frozen when the shovel heads began their attack and a survey mission twenty nine years ago had rescued the last batch of truly baby's. Adama took to his roots and had even vowed once or twice to resettle the red planet one day.

Looking back to the tank Barron saw his selected task group were now forming up with the Galactica. He wished his grandfather could see him now, could see the effect the Barron name and the memory of his ship now had on the fleet.

Taking a seat in his crash couch Barron brings up a targeting solution on the element of Magic. That had been a thorn in the side of the not just the NAC, but the COG as a whole. So what better target to test the Galactica's Particle beams on? “Gunnery, ready Primaries”

‘And while I'm at it let's take down one of those super destroyers.’ He taught to himself as he sent over a targeting solution to his ships sister.

He sent the targeting solution to Parsha and smiled when the lights in the bridge began to dim as the two triple barreled turrets began drawing power.

In space the large particle-beam cannons on the top and bottom hulk of the Galactica came to life and began tracking towards their target. Some would say giving the notorious UEC ship both proverbial barrels would be overkill. There was a build up of power as both the Galactica and Nostromo aimed at their individual targets.

“Primaries Locked, Cocked and ready to rock.” Parsha reported.

Princess Luna

UEC- Dawn Star

Expeditionary 01 flagship

Taurus orbit

56AE

Standing on the bridge of Shining Armor's flagship the princess of the moon was bored. Her sister had recently over seen the transfer of Twilight’s and by extension Rarity's flag from the original Element if Magic the Hopefull Galavant to the newer Azure Dream. Which was now being renamed the Element of magic.

At her side Commander Polaris seemed agitated. “Speak your mind commander.”

He rubbed his chin as he eyed the display screen. “I don't like this yourhines… this just doesn't add up. Every prediction and spy we have says the COG is sending a fleet to take this planet… I think I’ve lost you.”

She chuckled at that. True she wasn't as military minded as the commander or shining armor. “My mistress your drink.” A green scaled Tymerian servant commented filling up her coffee. “Thank you Pie’shta.”

“We just don't quite understand the intricacies of void warfare. Please we apologise.” Luna said nodding to the server who glided back to her original position. Below them from their perch on the bridge observation room they could see Captain Shining armor working. Giving orders to servants, conscripts, and sailors alike.

“Well if you look here, we know where the jump node is. They had to have come through and logic would dictate they would have followed this path here…”

Privately she was still uncertain about the entire war with the Earthers. In most engagements their quality in ship design has shown true. Where as the UEC had stayed true to her sisters docturan of strength in numbers.

“As you can see this would take them passed the sixth planet, and through the orbit of the fifth and fourth gas giants to shield them…”

Engagements with the Earthers were at times won by a strong numerical advantage of at least three to one. But Human ships were truly deadly at range using their primitive but effective nuclear missiles. As well as the railguns that acted the same role as the magical dmcondencer batteries on the UEC's own ships.

“But now... the humans are overdue and we can't seem to find where they have gone. We have our fleet stationed in a position to defend either the New Trottingham station or Princess twilight’s lab.”

The difference was that humans could fire from longer range. Each one of their ships carried at least four of these turrets. But perhaps the clincher was their use of what they call Siege breakers. Those ships dwarfed their already massive cousins. And each one was built around what twilight had described as a Gauss cannon. A single slug from those Gauss cannons were able to tear through the shields and hulls of some of the largest ships in the fleet.

“If that is the case commander, then we suppose it is a good thing that Princess twilight was able to successfully complete and dispatch the schematics for her serpent mechs. It is indeed a stroke of luck that we got those plans of when we did.” Luna said

But on the ground was where the humans superiority truly shown. They were master's of ground warfare each of their soldiers carried weapons and armor that made their own look like bow and arrows and leather armor. And unlike other races they possessed technology that allowed them to battle even adult dragons to a stand still.

Yet again the UEC was winning the war, sometimes do to superior tactics. Sometimes with simple luck, but more often than not they won because the Earthers were unable to replenish their troops fast enough… Her train of thought was cut off as the bridge below them suddenly burst with activity.

“Shining armor what is happening?” from his position in the command pit he looked up, seeing both his newly revived wife, his sister and, the princess of the moon. Under the gaze of three alicorns, as well as a good portion of the elements of harmony. including the newly revived Fluttershy and pinkie pie, who had been killed on board the dragons breath at the start of the war he buckled slightly.

“We-we are. Detecting a massive energy surge from the direction of the star, as well as an ongoing series of radiation bursts heading in our direction. We suspect an unregistered and massive Celestialflair, I recommend we raise the shields to guard against the radiation.”

“Make it so, captain. Shields up, full power.” commander Polar said.

Through the smart windows they saw golden shields flare up around the fleet. The Hopeful Galavant, old flag ship of life commander Rarity Belle flared its multi layered shields to life. Several overlapping layers of magical energy surrounding the ship in a brilliant blue light. The ship has survived every engagement against the Earther’s C.O.G. A simple celestial flair will he nothi…

There was a massive flash of light as two ships in the fleet became like small stars. As the windows dimmed the princess of the Moon watched as what could only be described as an angry god unleashed its wrath upon two ships in the fleet. Instantly the Hopeful Galavant had three massive swaths of its hull plating burned away.

But before anything could be done, an evacuation or status report requested the entire bow section of the ship disintegrated. The ship floating lifeless for a few horrific seconds. It's hull burning white hot, billowing smoke and short-lived fire into space. “May…!” was the only call from the ship before it exploded. Showering the surrounded ships with slag and debris.

On the opposite side of the fleet a brand new Luna class destroyer instantly became a cloud of expanding gases and slagg. A small piece of the ships mid section floated amongst the expanding debris. Its metal warped and glowing white hot.

There was absolute silence on the bridge and throughout the ship. Before an alarm began blaring on one of the sensory stations. “Vampony!, Vampony! Zero eight ballistic fast movers inbound, from vector 235.8y1r.86, contacts confirmed, COG Orion missiles inbound!” somepony yelled.

Several ships instantly fired their positioning thrusters but the ship la that had weren't the targets. One of the Celestial destroyers vaporized as one of the earth's two thousand tone pykrete missiles slammed into it at fractions of the speed of light. Propelled by nuclear shaped charge destinations.

Seconds later three more of the earthers crude missiles vaporized their targets. Each one of those missiles that had been designed to be used against lanky seed ships, made short work of the smaller UEC ships.

Two more ships vanished before the entire fleet had managed to respond. Am but one ship wasn't fast enough and as it swiveled to exchange its vector one of the humans missiles clipped one of its drive cones. The result wasn't an instant explosion. Instead the missile tore the ship’s entire drove section away with the force of its velocity.

The projectile careened off course shotgunning its nuclear ordinance into a cluster of smaller escorts and frigates before impacting a cruiser and detonating. Scoring what is possibly the largest, single missile, anti ship killstreak in NAC history.

And if the situation was different this fact would probably be quite hilarious. “Two zero COG ships heading on ingress, they hid themselves in the sun's glare. Their trajectory will take them over the fuel and water station.” another sensor operator reported.

“They're getting smarter run full scan. Move the fleet to intercept, arm missiles, ready projector cannons, and energy rakes.”

The display screens changed to show updates and silhouettes of the human ships as they exited the sun's shadow. Five of their hammerhead cruisers, one of their large fighter carriers, four siege breakers matching the design of the Leathy.

Polar paled slightly when he saw the ships that came next. Three of the large siege breakers that matched the hated Manitoba in design. Three of the nimbal triangular fighter frigates, Two of the shark like assault carriers, and a single changeling battle cruiser. But activity slowed as the window zoomed in on the final ship in the Earther fleet.

“By Celestia, look at the size of that thing.” The ship was massive easily three times the height, width, and length of the relatively smaller and infamous annihilator class ships. It posted twin pods on either side of its hull, and an alligator like bow section. A large whole sat in the middle of the nose section no doubt the massive ships Gauss cannon.

But what got the Lunar princess attention were the two large triple barreled turrets on the top and bottom of the massive ship. Each one of those guns were the at least four hundred meters plus. With the two turrets tracked as it moved giving princess Luna the impression of a tank in space. “Get me a designation on that ship, now!”

The image cleared before zooming in once more. It's hull was a dull and ugly tan color, neumorus hangerbay, and missile tubes lined its hull. As well as an array of twelve railguns and enough point defence cannons to cover every conceivable attack vector twice over. “Got it sir. SRA-Nostromo.”

“Where were the earthers hiding that thing?” rainbow dash commented as she leaned against the guard rail.

“Vampony, vampony Enemy missiles inbound...” somepony shouted only to get cut off by another voice. “COG fleet is deploying fighters”

Veteran Helldiver Snafu

Tearus

Mission counter: 2 week 3 days 6 hours

2169AD/106AC

Our ATV banged and bounced off of a rock and screams met our ears as we pinned a mare to the grill.

“FUCK YOU!” I screamed gunning the engine and forcing the vehicle to bounce again. There was a choked scream and a series of wet crunches as the equestrian was forced under the tires.

It has been over three days since we evacuated and the command of the Roughnecks was given to Razak. The Valiant had managed to evacuate most of us, and after rearming and patching up our wounded we came back. But unlike last time We pulled every mech off of every rack the Ghost ship had. Including my ATLAS because the Valiant is actually my main station. “Roughnecks! Attack!! Every. Thing. You’ve. Got!!”

A flash lightning illuminated the rain slicked armor of “Boomer” his crimson armored Siafu. Beside him “White Glint” and “Blue tears” stormed forward with “Tanker/Hope” bringing up the rear. The three armor shrike variant Siafu mechs forming a diamond formation with the larger Warrior bringing up the rear.

Behind me I could hear Cuban firing the mounted SAW into the improvised barricade made by the UEC garrison. The flechettes punched through the vehicles and into the troops behind it. “Yeah That One's for chrysalis you mother fuckers!” he shouted.

Beside us there was a pop whoosh as “Tanker/Hope” fired a missile from one of its launchers. I ran over another UEC soldier as I watched the missile fly into the sky before streaking back down to detonate over the barricade.

White smoke and glowing embers rained down onto the UEC position. The soldiers and conscripts screamed as their flesh caught fire ignited by the white phosphorus. Others had their lungs burned away as they breathed in the deadly smoke.

There was a thunderous crash as I watched a guard tower explode outward as a crimson Helldiver ATLAS-2 crashed through it. Wickedly I smiled as I watched the mech jump up firing its jets before snatching a Pegasus out of the air. Without skipping a beat “Last Chance” shoulders her rifle before tearing the screaming stallion in half.

Swerving around a friendly dragon as it tore the throat out of one of it kin, the trooper in the passenger seat spoke up. “You earthers sure know how to…”

“Spike shut the fuck up and fire your weapon.” I yelled as a bullet struck my shoulder between the plates.

“Fuck!.. Shit that hurts... No don't worry about me fuck face! Get your gun up, watch your sector.” gritting my teeth I grabbed my carbine from between spikes legs and pointed the weapon through my own window.

And it's a good thing I did because as soon as my weapon is out of the window a huge minotaur tries charging our slowed vehicle. His choice is I'll advised because as he gets close I pull the trigger sending jagged flechettes into his chest and throat.

“Pilot Shelton, you are injured. I recommend you embark to allow my medical weaver to attend to to your wound.”

Looking ahead again I see my own ATLAS-3 Prowler slam its crimson and silver body into a dragoness bringing her crashing to the ground. My mech brings its powerful clawed fist down onto the female dragons head dazong her. Before pinning the atlas sized Dragoness down and pulling her knife from its sheath.

I can see her eyes widen as she sees her own knife in the mechs hand. Her struggling intensifies as I slow down and get out of the ATV. “You did good kids, keep going on my command I'll cover you.” I called over my shoulder to both purple dragons.

“Barb! What The hell are you doing get your ass on the gun.” I hear Blisk shout as he drops down into my seat.

Ahead of me my mech finished gutting the terrified silver dragon. Several large eggs litter the ground under my atlas which it proceeds to stomp on as it turns toward me.“Prowler open cockpit.”

Prowler’s cockpit opens as it reached its hand
out gently wrapping its clawed fingers around my torso. Gently yet quickly prowler moves me into the cockpit where I store my rifle and take a seat in the pilot's seat. Crossing my arms as the seat closes itself around me. My lungs fill with the warm amniotic fluid as the capsule is instantly flooded with oxygenated amniotic fluid.

With a smile I open my eyes as the combination of womb and neural link allow me to see through Prowler’s eyes. His arms become my arms, his sensors and scanners my eyes, digitigrade legs and clawed peds my legs and feet, pistons and hydraulics my muscles, frame my bones and skeleton, and armor my skin. Inside the womb I become all that is Prowler.

“Transferring control to pilot” the AI says.

“I've got to get me one of those.” Blink comments as I stand up stomping on more eggs.

Snapping my “Head” to the side I as the sound of approaching rotary blades catches my audio sensors. I deploy and angle my ballistic shield and crouch over the ATV. “Stay down.” I boomed

On top of the vehicle I could see Barb staring at the my atlas with what could only be described as equal parts childlike wonder, and bone shattering terror. There was a thunderous series of booms as gunfire struck the shield with a sound like hail on sheet metal.

Switching to my rear cameras I activated my Icarus mounts. With a thought I began spinning up my left mounts gatling and disengaging the safety on my right mounts 30mm autocannon.

Locking targets I swivel both guns up, around, behind me, and over the shield. Letting Prowler take control of the guns there is a series of booms as the auto cannon fires, and a distinct Brrrrrrrrt as the gatling lends its noise to the cacophony.

When the last helicopter hits the ground I retract the shield and stand back up before knife handing the ATV. “MOVE!” I yell making the advance hand sign before beginning to run alongside the vehicle.

Space

Taurus orbit

56AE/2169AD/106AC

The recently revived Spitfire rolled her fighter out of another missile lock as she watched one of the Earther fighters destroy one of her wonderbolts. She has been waiting for this moment since her revival now all she could think about was finding the Human that had humiliated her. She eyed her scanner looking waiting for the monkey to show itself.

Meanwhile “Snow” pitched his fighter on its axis blowing a second UEC fighter to scrap with his cannons. His eyes danced across the display as paraweted his fighter be between two UEC fighters. Slamming forward on the accelerator he smirked when his fighters AI flashed the [Target Locked]. He smirked when he heard the missiles disconnect from the cylinder.

The missiles loosed themselves from the vantablack fighter before firing their engines. Unlike the modified atmospheric missiles used by the UEC and the one one would see in some science fiction these expertly tacked their targets. And affew seconds later one of the neo-changeling fighters exploded as it tried to outrun the missile. A feet made impossible by any craft burdened with biological cargo.

The second attempted to turn and force the missile to overshoot. However the projectile disengaged its booster and fired its positioning thrusters swiveling to track the second changeling. All the pilot had to do was avoid the missile until it ran out of fuel and then it would cost ballistic trapped on its trajectory forever.

But the as the pilot banked again, the missile fired its positioning thrusters again and burned at 40G towards the slow moving praetorian. It attempted a final maneuver but the effort was to late and the missile slammed into its fuelselage, turning the fighter into a short-lived fireball and cloud of debris.

As the cloud of fighters battled in the no man's land between the two fleets the vastly outnumbered COG fleet swivel their railguns to track targets. At its heart the Nostromo angled its two particle beam cannons.

“Gunnery give that ship both barrels.” The Chinese caption said, and there was a flicker of light as the primary weapons drew power.

“This is the Rodger Young actual. We are moving to drop point alpha.”

Two of the line backer cruisers instantly moved into an escort position as the siege breaker began its approach burn. As if on cue the other designated landing craft began moving along with the two kilometer long ship. Torpedo ports along the flotilla popped open as the ships began moving toward their designated station.

And as they went forty, eighty, one-hundred and twenty missiles began to burst from their vertical launch tubes before swiveling and burning towards UEC fleet. Soon the Commander polar was forced to order his ships to overlap their shields as the cloud of ordnance began to impact, destroying four of his cruisers and even one of his light destroyers.

They had been lucky as the humans moved passed and managed to destroy several of their smaller corvette, and frigate class ships, and even one of the escort cruisers. But the important parts of that landingforce, as it could be nothing else managed to get through. And he couldn't afford to disengage and deal with them at the moment, not with Nostromo menising his fleet.

Through the windows they watched as bays began opening on the human ships. As well as several of their ugly dropships being hoisted out on extended arms. Along the main body of its ugly boxy hull several of the rail gun batteries swiveled to face the planet, before beginning to fire sporadically.

While inside the Rodger Young virtually the entire ship's complement of spaceborne infantry and embarked territorial army troopers all sprinted to their dropships. Inside of the drop bay of The Rodge a young male Tymerian corporal whose name plate reads Liaison. Veteran Ts’ora stops.

Other species of former ran passed him. Tymerian, humans, Kleese/Zaltule. He even saw several obsidian carapaced changelings among the seemingly unending wave of gears. He had heard his sister Mii’ora was going to be in this campaign, and even heard she was onboard the Galactica. Ancestors how he wished he could be there, but his buddies were here and this is where he belonged.

So waving his arm forward He raised the volume on his helmet and shouted. Quoting his idle Ts’ora younger brother of Mii’ora and brother to Bra’tac calls out to the people running passed. “COME ON YOU APES! YOU WANNA LIVE FOREVER!?

Outside the dropships began falling each of them laden with entire platoons or companies of troops. Others laden with tanks or Siafu mechs and the like.

Inside of the drop bay Veteran Marleene Angel Callsign “Saber1-2” sat inside of her ATLAS. Outside of her mech techs all scrambled out of the chamber as air was vented and the bottom door opens below them. Soon there was no air in the entire bay and the only sound she heard was the hum of her mechs battery, and the clank of the arm holding her pod in place.

Around her she could see several other Atlas Pods, as well as several Siafu mechs silhouettes inside of their own biopods. Before with a nod she spoke up. She had survived Bagmare, and would be damned if she was gonna let that happen anywhere else. This was the first time she actually felt like she was taking the fight to the UEC, and it felt good.

“Alright boys and girls.” She addressed appearing in the HUDs of every mech in her lance. “Alright Titans let's show these COG 32 goons how 26RTI mechanized heavy infantry clears the battlefield. Titans, STAND BY FOR ATLASFALL!”

The ATLAS mechs fell their biopods heating up as they slowly entered the atmosphere of this rain slick world. Each of them snug inside of specially designed bio-pods, that would fire an air brake before breaking away before landing.

Around the landing teams dogfight broke out as UEC fighters attempted to destroy the landing teams but were intercepted by NAC avenger and shrike fighters.

NACS Galactica

Taurus orbit

Operation: Black sight

2169AD/106AC

“UEC fleet has exited sensor range. We are cleared to proceed… general we are receiving comms, and painted targets from colonel Santiago. ” one of the sensor operators reported.

“Excellent, lets drop some rounds on the ponys then drop support teams. Launch rescue team.” Barron said calmly as he watched Donnager and Manitoba move into escort formation around the Galactica. He smiled some as he watched his ship’s personal Leathy class escort the Nathan Hale faithfully stay by its much larger charge. And around it several smaller Helghast escort ships flew acting as a screen against enemy fighters.

In space the assault was getting under way. The first dropship had been deployed. And the first salvo of railgun rounds sent down range. They had also gotten knowledge that one Casper Williams had gone missing after going to attempt to find where the captured members of black team were. It was his Intel that had given them the location of the base in the first place, so it only made sense that he would want to go.

“General one of the UEC super destroyers is heading back this way. Looks like it spotted us.” one of the

Barron grunted as he saw the single ship come back around the planet. “Jam their comms, and get a firing solution. I want that ship out of our AO now.”

“General, the ventral cannon is down, we will need to pull the secondary coil and replace it.” Zekshul reports. In the background he can hear several techs and repair drones working. “Got it Zek, get that gun back up as soon as you can. Gunnery you had better hit an with the dorsal, or we’re gonna have to get real close.”

As the UEC-Lunar Grace rounded the planet in response to a distress call from a scout she came face to face with another of the new massive ships. He's captain practically screamed for them to raise the shields and call for help. But before any calls could be made a screeching whine filled the comm link. “Captain we're being jammed.”

Their shields flared to life as a Gauss shell from the Nathan hale bounced off of the magical barrier. Instantly the super Destoryer flared its drive and began charging its main cannon. The central disk sparked to life as magical energy began to coalesce and swirl around the central dish.

Burning orange, yellow, and white heat-sinks began to extend themselves along the dorsal hull of the black and orange ship marked SRA-Wakizashi. Before red and pink electricity basegan to arc between the glowing pillars of heat as the ships Gauss cannon began to charge.

There was a flash of pseudo motion as the slug was fired, at the same time the UEC ship discharged its cannon. A crackling beam of purple energy lanced out from the lens colliding with the slug. There was a brilliant flash as the two collided, but as the light cleared the crews of the rescue flotilla could only watch. As the beam continued on its path and proceeded to impact the SRA-Wakizashi.

For a few scant seconds it appeared like the Japanese crewed ship would withstand the blast. But then its hull plating began to boil and melt away, before one of the magazine's ignited. There was a flash of light as the entire ship went up in one giant fireball.

“My god… General Wakizashi is down all hands lost…. Gunnery reports dorsal gun ready to fire.” The wakizashi had been part of COG 32 since its inception. And its caption a close friend of Barron’s parents, As well as a survivor of the second battle of mars. “Fire.”

In space the invisible particle beams lanced out and struck the UEC ship. The beams burned through shields, armor, and deck plating like a fist through wet toilet paper. Two holes burned themselves strait through the ship but the final beam struck amidships. There was a titanic explosion as the condensed magical energy discharged, spitting the already crippled ship in half.

"Damn it stand by to deploy."

Meanwhile liaison trooper Miiora was just exiting the mission briefing and boarding the tarantula hawk gunship that held both her and Trombley’s mechs. As she walked she noticed a single person among the rescue team who wasn't in the briefing. His armor was blacker than the blackest night, so dark intact that it seemed to absorb all light giving him an evil appearance. On top of that his armor was bulkier yet more than most battle armors she had seen.

When he looked at her she could almost feel the malevolence radiating off of this seemingly evil human male. The only identifier lights on his armor were the four glowing red slits on his back, as well as the four slits on his helmet. The helmet itself was vaguely snout shaped with the four slits forming a rough X shape over where his face would be.

“What?” He grunted out angrily his voice heavily modulated. No doubt to hide his identity from anyone who might know his voice.

As she continued to walk she saw the human turn back around talking to the leader of MOTH team-2. As she passed them she saw the man had a gear amblazend into his armors breastplate. She flicked on her HUD with her long tough and almost gasped in shock. This man was one of the fabled Onyx Guard.

UEC Research station 6 delta four

Tearus

56AE/2169AD/106AC

Several hours passed by as Gusty leaning her back up against the wall near one the corners of her prison cell with her arms crossed.

She was lost in her thoughts reflecting on the events from the past several days. Wondering were she stands in all this, her thoughts then switch to Fallon. Who has essentially became her friend in some way. She had heard a scuffle afew days days ago, and since then rarity had been especially ruthless to the human.

“Its a good day to die… when you know the reasons why…” the human in the next cell began to sing again. He had taken to that after I had told him to do anything to take his mind off of the torture.

After what happen yesterday she knew Rarity was going to do something that would either break him or end up killing him.

“Whatever the case may be they need to get out of here.” she thought to herself as she heard Fallon begin singing again.

She was broken out of her thoughts when she heard three loud bangs on the metal door of her cell and then the viewport open revealing an guard, a stallion unicorn.

“What is it now?” She asked the bored looking unicorn.

“Sets go sarge you are gonna get sentenced. Let's just get this over with. Stand in the middle of the cell, and face the wall.” She does what he said. Standing on her right was unicorn stallion and to her left was an earth pony mare armed with an pump action combat shotgun.

The mare had the weapon directed in her general direction at low ready. Once she done that, she was than told to rise and show her hands to be handcuffed.

Once everything was done she was ordered to move along with the unicorn guard walking beside to her left, while the earth pony guard was walking behind her. The mare still held the weapon at low ready, prepared to bring it up again if the needs arise.

When they were mid way in the hallway, all of a sudden there was a thunderous boom and the entire hallway begins shaking. Small bits and pieces fell from the ceiling and the lights begin flickering as the shock wave passes through the subterranean complex.

Alarm sounds echoed throughout the hallways. "What the tartarus is going?!". The unicorn stallion exclaimed as a second and third boom echo throughout the base.

Seeing this as her chance with the guards distracted, Gusty quickly bucks the earth pony mare behind her. The mare yells in minor surprise and pain as she fell flat on her ass.

Gusty than side tackles the unicorn guard into the wall hard, he exclaims "what the--OOH!!", and got the air knocked out of him.

Gusty hears the cocking sound of a pump action shotgun, she quickly turns around and sees the earth pony mare has already gotten back up. And in kneeling position aiming the shotgun at her.

Right before the mare guard shoots her, Gusty quickly grabs the unicorn guard beside her bringing him in front of her and used him as a pony shield.

"NO,WAI-" The stallion yells before getting blasted with 12 gauge 00 buckshot right into the chest.

The mare guard is left stunned after realizing who she shotted, and grunts before cocking the shotgun again. But the shell fails to enter the chamber and gets stuck. “Damn it!”

Gusty takes this moment to hard pushed her former meat shield right into the earth pony mare which knocks her down again. Only this time she is pinned by the dead wait of her larger compatriot. Preventing her from moving or using her weapon and the force of the impact managing to knock her Bellar helmet from her head.

Gusty briskly walks up to her and tells the mare. "sorry, nothing personal." She said before kicking her in the face hard.

She does this several times before the mare is either knocked out or dead. After all that is over and done with. She flips the dead stallion body off the downed mare and search for the keys on his belt, she's fines them and used them to uncuffed herself.

Once the handcuffs are off, she takes mare's shotgun slings it over her shoulder. More loud booms and shaking could be heard and felt as more small bits and pieces fell from the ceiling. Gusty can only assumed the facility was under heavy assault.

And judging by the magnitude of the impacts she has to assume the earthers have called in the big guns. She remembers being on the receiving end of one of those rail gun strikes about an earth year ago.

She quickly walks up to Fallon's prison cell and opens the viewport and sees the man in a kneeling position looking around frantically wondering what's was going on and he than look in the same direction to the viewport.

"Hey guard What the fucks going on? Let me out of here so I can fuck you up Coyo!"

“Oh shut up Fallon its Gutsy I'm coming in.”

He recognizes the voice and does what she said, he ask her how did she got out of cell and what was going on outside. She precedes to inform on the situation after she was done explaining she precedes to open the cell's door. For the first time both Gusty and Fallon finally see each other face to face some words are exchanged before unicorn mare walks into Fallon's cell.

The man still in the same position, she tells him to hold still a while she takes off his shackles and chains. “I suppose I shouldn't look you in the mouth.” He says checking some kind of compartment in his mechanical hand.

“Ooh, Klever monkey man, would you like a banana?” She grunts responds as she drafts him out of the cell and laying him gently against the wall and leting him stand on his own.

“Oh you've got jokes.” he coughed out. His emaciated frame while not skelitle wasn't healthy either. Especially the flesh around the base of his bionic which looked to be rotting.

Her eyes flashed across his body and she quickly noticed he was naked. She walks over to dead stallion guard and precedes to take off whatever clothes that may fit on a human and wasn't ruined with holes and blood. She also decides to take off the gun belts from both downed guards and took whatever ammo they had on them.

She gives Fallon's clothes and tells him put them on quickly they need to get out of there as soon as possible. Once he was done, Gusty tosses him the shotgun while she holds on to a pistol she took from one the guards.

“What the fuck am I supposed to do with this? This piece of shit belongs in a museum.” He says standing and leaning against the wall for support.

Another loud boom is heard, they look to each other. Fallon says whatever going outside with any luck could be his comrades sent a rescue team for him and for any other human captured here. He than realized he still had the device stuck to the back of his head. “Hey is there anyway to get this fucking thug off my head?”

“I don't know really I've never had one on my head. But from what I have heard we need to disengage a safety then it should just come off.”

“Well where's the safety?” he asks some of his previous energy coming back at the notion of having the tantrums removed.

“I think it is in the controller.” Gutsy said as they moved to an intersection. “Fuck.”

As he spoke a noise caught his attention and like a switch he changed. He snapped the shotgun up and scooted back a few steps with his back pressed against the wall. The second a shape came rushing around a corner he fired.

The shotgun bombed twice, the first blast tearing the stomach out of a neo-changeling guard. And the second took the bugs head off. As the body flopped down a pegasus flew around the corner and received two bullets to the head. Courtesy of Gutsy’s confiscated pistol.

A smaller shape came around and a fire burned in Fallons eyes as he reared back and hurreld the shotgun sideline into a human UEC soldier.

With her weapon knocked out of her hands by the improvised missile she fumbled for her side arm. But it was then that Fallon slammed into her like a linebacker.

He took hand as he shoulder rammed her into the wall. She let out a squeak as the sound of several ribs cracking filled Gutsy's ears. Fallon tight end his grip on the woman his unyielding bionic hand crushing the bones with a wet snap.

A compartment slid open on his arm as he batted aside a poorly thrown punch. He shifted his weight back and threw the woman over his shoulder and to the ground before reaching into the compartment and retrieving his monofilament knife.

The woman flopped onto her stomach and started to crawl away. But Fallon wasn't in the mood for that particular flavor of bullshit and dove on her. Blood pooled as he repeatedly stabbed the flailing woman like he was a prison inmate who had boasted about having the last pack of cigarettes on earth.

“tsuka, wellowalla.” He said as he slit her throat and stood back up, before spitting on her corpse and placing the knife back in his arm.

“What?” Fallon asked Gutsy who had just retreated the throne shotgun from where it fell.

“Nothing let's go.” She tossed the shotgun to him and he snatched it out of the air before the two continued on, each one Huggins a different wall.

They needed to get out of here before more guards come and found them. So they cautiously moved out of the holding call area and into the hallways and corridors of the facility keeping a close eye out for any more UEC guards and soldiers. Meanwhile the facility and planet Tearus is itself was under assault by human forces.

Credits

Ronjeremypony- As a friend and a co-author your aid has been critical in the creation of the story. Furthermore i beleave you have truley helped me and taught me not only become a better author but to come to terms with several personal problems I have had.

Shadow- Your aid as a sound board has given me alot of ideas and inpseration. And truley I wouldn't have come up with some of the lore stuff without you.

Liger-your help through out these years was instrumental. Your help as a sound board for my more shit ideas has helped me keep forcus as well as inspire.

Redwolf-I was sad to see you go but your departure gave me the spark i needed to push through and get to where we are now.

Marko kloose- who didnt smack me with a law suit so hard my great great grand kids would feel it. And for writing the amazing Frontlines series whos creation gave birth to this story.

Thank you to the fucksticks(marines) I spent four years with stuck in the suck- you guys are the worst. But the years i spent with you guys were the best of my life. And I wish they would let me back in so I could come slay bodys with you in Siria. Be carefull guys and if Levoy dies im gonna find a way overthere and kick each and every one of your asses.

Finaly a special thank you to the readers. You have stuckwith me through two years of this story. Together we will continue on untill this story comes to its conclusion.

I hope you will continue to stick around for the next installment to the Rules of emgagement universe... (Whenever it comes out.)