Titanfall-Skies Ablaze

Chapters

Prologue-Burning Skies
Chapter 1-First Strike
Chapter 2-First Impressions, Part One
Chapter 3-First Impressions, Part Two
Chapter 4-Interlude

Prologue-Burning Skies

Equestria, Canterlot, Great Hall

Twilight Sparkle and her friends burst out of the Wedding Hall in a panic. Barely ten minutes earlier, she and the real Cadance had exposed the Changeling Queen, only for Celestia to be defeated, the real Cadance captured, and a full-scale assault on Canterlot to begin.

"We've got to get to the Elements!" Twilight cried as the Changelings penetrated the shield.

"Don't need to tell us twice!" Applejack replied as she bucked an encroaching Changeling in the throat.

"There's so many of them!" Pinkie cried. "Those meanies!"

"I think that's the least of our concerns!" Twilight cried as they came to a sudden stop. The Hall of the Elements had a full battalion of Changelings surrounding it, and by the looks of it, ready to fight. Twilight and her friends dashed into an abandoned cafe' to hide. Applejack barred the door shut with a few tables as the others caught their breath.

"What do we do now?" Fluttershy asked.

"I... I don't know." Twilight said. "There's just so many of them."

"Well, we better think of somethin'." Applejack said from her post at the window. "More Changelings are coming."

"And there's no way we'll be able to fight them off on our own." Twilight said. "My magic reserve is nearly depleted."

"There's no way we'll be able to physically beat them, either." Rainbow said. "We need help."

"We need a miracle, more like." Rarity added. Twilight nodded and tried to think, while the others sat in a circle.

"Alright girls, it's a longshot, but I have an idea." Twilight said. "If some of us can keep the Changelings occupied, the others can find a way to the Elements undetected. Problem is, said pony will have to keep them sufficiently occupied as to not notice the others sneaking in."

"I'll do it. Causing a big scene is my specialty!" Pinkie said. "I need my...oh, here we go!"

Pinkie pulled a shoebox out of her hair, which was marked in black text, "EMERGENCY DISTRACTION KIT-USE IF A RATHER LARGE COMMOTION IS REQUIRED". Pinkie pulled a string on the box and hurled it out the window, right in front of the changelings, who snarled and lunged at it. The box then began to spit out fireworks and confetti, giving the ponies the opportunity they needed. As they dove past the Changelings and into the hall, Twilight mustered enough magic to reinforce the door.

"What's with the Elements?" Rarity asked, pointing to them. True to Rarity's observation, the Elements were all glowing a vibrant blue, before six beams of light came out from each Element and formed a sphere. The sphere then began to pulse quickly and slowly in turn, then it pulsed one last time before going out.

"What was that?" Rainbow asked.

"I don't know." Twilight said.

"Maybe it has to do with the GIANT SPACESHIP!" Pinkie cried, pointing to the window. Twilight was about to dismiss it as Pinkie's imagination when the room went dark. The six ponies rushed to the window to see a rectangular, rounded spaceship come out from behind a cloud bank. It had two large engines on the stern, and it was colored white and orange. There was writing in black on the sides, along with a skull logo.

MCS BARON

Twilight's jaw, along with the jaws of nearly everypony else in Canterlot, dropped in a flash, but it was only a few moments before the chaos outside resumed.

"What is that?" Twilight asked, her voice quivering.

"I don't know…" Rainbow said. Then, the doors blasted open, revealing a squad of very annoyed and angry Changelings.

"I don't know what you did, pony…" the leader said. "But once we're done here, that ship is next! ATTACK!"

As the Changelings charged, Twilight and her friends prepared themselves for battle. Then, there was a deep booming sound, and something large smashed through the roof of the hall The last thing Twilight and her friends saw before being knocked unconscious by a blast of dust and debris was a blue dome appear and a robotic voice speak.

"Smart Core...Online."

One hour earlier

The MCS Baron dropped out of warp into the view of a pristine, blue-green world. On the bridge, Captain James Ellis watched from the viewport as the ship began to descend into the planet's atmosphere.

"Sir, all decks are reporting green!" a Grunt yelled.

"Combat teams are calling in ready!" a second said.

"Good work. Prep an expeditionary force to deploy when we land, with Titan support on station at moment's notice. Get to it!" Ellis said. The Grunts relayed his orders, and Ellis smiled.

"We going to see some action, Captain?"

Ellis turned to see Pilot Daniel McKenna walk up and cross his arms.

"Possibly, Pilot McKenna." Ellis replied. "How's your squad?"

"Ready to go whenever they're needed." Daniel replied. "They're already standing by with their Titans in the Deployment Bay."

Ellis nodded and smiled.

"Good. Head there as soon as you can, McKenna. Dismissed."

"Yessir."

Daniel walked out, and Ellis walked over to the Captain's Console.

"This is Captain Ellis." Ellis spoke over the intercom. "In one hour's time, we will commence ground deployment for initial contact. I want all Grunt teams at their assigned dropship and every Pilot on standby. Be advised, this is a possible first contact situation, so check your aim and be careful who you shoot at. I understand this is, for many of you, your first time in the field with the Militia. Let's keep our honor clean, soldiers. And we are engaged by hostile forces...let's show them what we're capable of. T-minus one hour to deployment. Ellis out."

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

"Sir, we're receiving a unknown signal!" a Grunt cried. Ellis walked over and frowned at the display.

"What is it?" Ellis asked.

"I'm not sure, sir." the Grunt replied. Then, a blue ring appeared at the front of the bridge. The Grunts raised their rifles, but Ellis held up his hand as pictures began to display, showing the Changeling Invasion and the chaos in the city. After a few moments, it vanished. Ellis and the bridge crew were silent.

"Sir?" A Grunt asked. "What was that?"

"I do not know." Ellis said. "But what I do know...is that those beings are in trouble and we're not going to stand to the side when we're needed most. We're going in. Fast and hard."

"Yessir!"

Ellis activated the intercom.

"This is Captain Ellis. Our time's up. We're going in. All Grunt teams, deploy in. Pilots...standby for Titanfall."

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

As Daniel McKenna walked into the deployment bay, he saw his fellow pilots already preparing their Titans.

"Hey, Danny!" Chase Dawes, pilot of Legion RC-1039, cried from the cockpit. "Ready to go?"

"You know it, Chase!" Daniel replied as he mounted his Vanguard, IN-2632 and settled into the Pilot Seat.

"Who's buying the first round?" Sasha Voryunov, pilot of Northstar PL-3431 asked sarcastically.

"You ask, you buy." Kelly Anderson, pilot of Ronin KT-4375, replied. "That's the rule."

"I can already taste it." Sean Walker, pilot of Scorch Titan GT-5929 replied.

"Wish I could say that." Romero, a Pilot Spectre, joked from the cockpit of Tone KV-0617. As Daniel nodded and shut the cockpit door, the MRVN attending his Titan swung into salute. Daniel nodded and initialized the Pilot Link.

"You ready, IN?" he asked.

"Always ready, Pilot." IN replied.

"Standby for Titanfall!" Daniel cried as the air went out from under him, and the drop began.

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

As the Element bearers recovered, their eyes immediately widened. A massive, bipedal beast plated in thick armor and colored a dull gray was slaughtering the Changelings with some kind of multi-barreled cannon with lethal efficiency. Twilight stood aghast as a Changeling squad fired repeated blasts of magic at it, only for the beams to bounce off harmlessly and do no damage whatsoever to the beast.

"What is that?" Rainbow gasped.

"I don't know...but I think it's on our side." Twilight said, numb from the carnage around her. Then, as the last of the Changelings was killed, Twilight saw some kind of door open on the beast, and a small figure stood up. It was clad in gray armor unlike anything Twilight had seen, and a helmet with a glowing blue visor covered its face. Then, he called out in a loud voice.

"I don't know what to call you beings…" he yelled. "But find some cover and keep your heads down! If you can't do that, you're dead!"

The being then dived back into the beast, and the hatch closed. Then, the beast spoke.

"Pilot controls, online."

The beast then smashed effortlessly through the door, breaking into a sprint. Twilight watched wordlessly at the scene.

"Twilight?" Rarity asked.

"Let's go." Twilight said. "I'm going after it."

"That thing killed the Changelings!" Rainbow protested. "What makes you so sure it won't kill you too?"

"Enemy of my enemy, Rainbow." Twilight said. "Grab the Elements and let's go."

The others did so and followed Twilight's lead back into the city. To their shock, strange metal birds were flying all around, and every so often, they would descend and fire cables at the ground, and smaller beings like the one inside the beast would zipline down to the ground and ready what Twilight assumed were weapons. The bearers ducked behind some rubble to watch them.

"Stay in formation, eyes forward!" one cried, making him out as their leader.

"Roger that, oscar mike!" a second added. As they began to hustle away, Rainbow tried to move towards them, but Twilight blocked her path.

"I don't think they're here to hurt us." Twilight said. "If anything, they're attacking the Changelings, which means they're friendly to us."

Rainbow nodded reluctantly but she was still unsure about it. As the six of them continued to push through the city, bodies of dead changelings and rubble were scattered all around them. Then, they heard the sound of engines, and they turned to see a second beast, this one slimmer and less armored, hovering towards them, kept aloft by multiple engines on its back. On it's nose was a drawing of a white polar bear. It lowered itself to the ground and a hatch opened. A third being clad in an armor with a fur coat of some sort let itself fall out of the hatch. Twilight was about to catch it when blue flames came out from it's lower body and slowed it down enough for it to touch the ground unharmed. It started to walk forward, and it reached for its head. Twilight and the others gasped as it pulled its helmet off, revealing a female face with black hair and deep green eyes. It smiled, and then kneeled and tapped Twilight on the head twice, snapping her back into reality.

"You six okay?" it called out in fluent Equish.

"Yeah…" Twilight said. "Who are you? What are you?"

"Name's Sasha Voryunov, Pilot of Northstar Titan PL-3431, Frontier Militia Fleet, human race." the being said. "If you're wondering why we're here, well, we saw the battle, thought we'd stop in and lend a helping hand. I figure you know what's going on better than us, so...what's going on?"

Twilight gave a hurried explanation as to what happened.

"Really, attacking during a wedding? Geez." Sasha said. "Thanks for the intel. I'll relay it back to Captain Ellis. In the meantime, you six stick with me. Polar and I can keep you safe until we reach higher ground. Polar, if you will?"

"Understood, Pilot." PL said as it grabbed Sasha and deposited her in the cockpit. "C'mon, let's go!"

As the ponies followed the human, Chrysalis watched the battle from the throne room in horror and growing rage. Her link to all of her drones was filled with the screams of the dying and frantic calls for help, but she could do nothing.

"You've lost."

Chrysalis turned to see Cadance glaring at her.

"I don't think so." Chrysalis said. "Those things may have changed plans, but that doesn't mean the battle is lost. I still have you and the solar Princess, and dear Shining Armor. That alone gives me three bargaining chips should I need to retreat. And if I do...you'll be coming with me."

Cadance scowled angrily at Chrysalis, who laughed and turned back to the window to watch the carnage.

Chapter 1-First Strike

As Twilight and her friends followed the Northstar and its pilot, Twilight herself felt a little apprehensive about the whole situation, especially since she had seen what she could only presume was another type of Titan massacre the Changelings at the Element Hall. She shuddered at the thought that it might eventually be turned on her and her friends, possibly Equestria.

"Hey, you okay?"

Twilight heard Sasha's voice coming from the Titan and she hastily cried "yes".

"Okay. Just keep your head on straight." Sasha advised. "By the way, Captain Ellis was glad to receive your intel. He's deploying additional units to secure the city. Anyway, there's a Militia command post not too far from here. I'll drop you off there, then I can link up with the rest of my fellow pilots. For now, stay with me."

Twilight nodded and the Northstar continued to run forward. Eventually, they arrived at the main plaza of Canterlot, and it had been transformed. More of the flying metal machines that had been dropping off humans via the ziplines were landing and deploying troops the conventional way. Four other Titans and their pilots were conversing over a glowing map of the area.

"Sasha, glad you could join us." one, who seemed to be the leader, said. "You almost missed the fun."

"Glad I didn't, then." Sasha said, slapping the other Pilot on the shoulder.

"So, what's with the...uh...multicolored horses?" another said. This one was not human, instead it was some kind of machine wearing combat gear.

"We're ponies." Twilight said.

"Forgive me." the machine said. "Ponies. But...it's kinda going to take some getting used to the color scheme."

"Romero?" a third one said, this one a female. "What exactly did I say about being tact?"

"Eh, I remember." Romero said. "But I don't care."

The female shrugged and walked off.

"You've have to forgive Romero." Sasha said. "He's a Pilot-model Spectre, and he's...rather known for being sarcastic and a bit of a wisecracker."

"I heard that!" Romero said.

Sasha extended a finger to the Spectre, who wave-taunted her in response.

"That's enough, you two." the lead pilot said. "Well, seeing as you've met Sasha and Romero, I'm Daniel McKenna, the pilot over there is Kelly Anderson. Chase and Sean should be be here soon, they were part of the initial attack."

"Did one of them have a giant multi-barreled weapon?" Twilight asked.

"That would be Chase." Daniel said. "And for the record, that was his Legion Titan's Predator Cannon. Anyway, seeing as you're more familiar with the area, care to give us some pointers as to who's leading this attack and where they are?"

Twilight nodded and walked up to the map.

"She's at the wedding hall here, on the citadel." Twilight said, pointing it out. "She's got three hostages with her, and she's heavily guarded. They've blocked off the main route with barriers made from debris."

"That'll make this difficult, but not impossible." Daniel said. "We punch through those barriers, we'll have a straight shot to the citadel…"

"Sir!" A Grunt soldier ran up. "We've got a problem!"

"What kind?" Daniel asked.

"Hostiles at the citadel are firing energy at our Crows. We can't launch the assault until they're cleared out."

"Roger that. Tell all units to hold their position." Daniel said. "Sasha?"

"Roger that." Sasha replied. "Polar, let's go!"

"Confirmed." Polar replied, taking hold of her Pilot and depositing her in the cockpit. She then took to the skies and flew off.

"Seems you're stuck with me." Daniel said. "Ellis, is IN ready?"

"Pilot McKenna, your Titan is standing by." A male voice spoke.

"Standby for Titanfall." Daniel said as he marked the drop point. Then, Twilight and her friends saw a large object fall from the sky. She then realized it was Daniel's Titan. Unlike the slim Northstar or the bulky Legion, this one seemed to be moderately armored and more mobile, and it had a more all-around build.

"Let's go, IN!" Daniel cried as he leaped into the air.

"Confirmed. Let's move, Pilot." IN replied as he grabbed Daniel and deposited him into the Vanguard Titan's cockpit.

"You six, stay with me!" Daniel cried. "Grunts, form two squads and follow me!"

"Yessir!" A Grunt chorused. "Let's move, we're oscar mike!"

As the Element bearers followed the sixteen or so Grunts and Daniel, the Changelings at the Citadel continued to fire at the flying machines. Then, Chrysalis turned at an unfamiliar sound. Then, she was thrown back by a series of explosions that all but destroyed the balcony where she had stationed her warriors. Then, a large object soared up to the window, marked with a white bear.

"Control, this is PL-3431. Anti-air is down. Crows are clear. Have a nice day." The being spoke, before looking at Chrysalis.

"And you are one ugly bug." It added, before it soared off into the skies. Chrysalis roared and stomped the ground angrily. Cadance shook her head and looked back at Shining, still in a trance.

"Get here soon, Twilight." She murmured.

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

As Daniel, the Elements, and the two Grunt Squads approached the main gate, Twilight attempted to push it open, only for the doors to remain shut.

"She's sealed them." Twilight said.

"Not a problem." Daniel said as he punched the door open, revealing a very angry Chrysalis.

"You beasts!" She roared. "You foolish beasts! I will make you pay!"

"Try us." Daniel said as IN readied his XO16. "Sasha, can I borrow one of your Tether Traps?"

Polar jettisoned a Trap, and IN grabbed it and fastened it to his arm.

"Let's dance!" Daniel said as Chrysalis charged. The Changeling queen fired repeated blasts of Changeling magic at the Titan, only for the Vanguard's shields to deflect the attacks. Daniel toyed with her for a few minutes, then Daniel smiled and grabbed the Changeling queen mid-flight. As he threw her into the air, he fired the Tether trap, which wrapped around the Changeling Queen. As she pulled, attempting to get free, he smiled.

"IN, time to curb-check this bug." He smiled.

"Roger that." IN said as he turned around and grabbed the cable. Then, with a mighty pull, the last thing Chrysalis ever saw was the ground coming to embrace her. As IN stomped on her still form, Daniel laughed.

"Let's check for a pulse, shall we?" He asked Twilight, and then he emptied an entire magazine of XO16 20mm AP rounds directly into Chrysalis's corpse.

"No pulse." He said as he disembarked. "Control, this is McKenna. Hostile commander KIA."

"Roger that." Captain Ellis replied. "Be advised, hostile forces are leaving the AO. We've won. All Militia forces, assist with cleanup of the combat area. Ellis out."

"Yessir." Daniel said as he walked up to a now-free Shining and Cadance.

"You two okay?" He asked. Shining looked unsure, then he saw Twilight standing with Sasha.

"Twiley, you okay?" He cried.

"I'm fine, Shining. They're with us!" She replied. "They repelled the Changelings by themselves."

"What?" Shining said. "Wait, what did I miss? What happened here?"

"We decided to stop in, and seeing ass you were being invaded...lend a hand." Daniel said. "Sorry about the mess."

"It's quite alright." Celestia said as she struggled to her hooves. Twilight helped her steady herself, and she walked over to Daniel.

"I presume you are in command here?" She asked.

"Actually, no." Daniel replied. "Captain Ellis is in charge. I can get him on the comms, if you would like. Grunt!"

"Already on it, Pilot!" The Grunt Radioman replied. "And...we're connected, loud and clear!"

Then, a Militia Crow flew in through the ruined balcony and its bay doors opened. And a man who the ponies could only assume was Captain Ellis walked out. Ellis was a man of about forty-two, with brown hair and a beard that was flecked with gray. He wore a Militia Captain's uniform, and apart from a ballistic vest, his only other piece of protection was a B3 Wingman revolver in a hip holster.

"And I can presume you are the Captain?" Celestia asked.

"I am Indeed. James Cameron Ellis, Captain of the MCS Baron, Frontier Militia Fleet." Ellis spoke while offering his hand, which Celestia shook.

"I am Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria. I owe you a great many thanks for halting the Changelings." Celestia said.

"We're soldiers, Princess. It's what we do." Ellis said. "My forces are sweeping the city for any Changelings that stayed behind, but for the most part, the survivors left the area, and most likely brought their dead with them."

"A reasonable guess, Captain." Celestia said. "I believe more...formal introductions are in order."

"I believe so." Ellis said. "Seeing as this is a First Contact situation, I've have a lot of paperwork once we get back home. Anyway, I received intel during the battle. Seems we crashed a wedding, didn't we?"

"You did, but it's okay." Cadance said. "What about Chrysalis's body?"

"I believe she deserves a proper burial." Celestia said, but before Twilight could protest, Celestia spoke again. "Even if she was our enemy, she was still a ruling monarch, and we must show proper respect for the dead, even if she was our enemy."

Twilight nodded and walked over to Shining, before hugging him tightly.

"You okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine." He replied. "I'm just glad I have Cadance, the real Cadance, by my side again."

Cadance blushed.

"Well, let's not keep ourselves waiting." Ellis said. "Shall we get to the formalities?"

"Indeed." Celestia replied. "I'll have my Guards clean up the damage."

"We'll help with that." Ellis said. "We have Combat Engineers aboard the Baron, and they can do anything from patching a bridge to digging a trench."

"Thank you, Captain." Celestia said. "I'll show you to my study."

"Lead the way." Ellis said. "Pilot McKenna, with me. Grunts, Pilot Voryunov, head out and help with the cleanup. Take Pilot McKenna's Titan with you."

"Roger that." Sasha said as she, the Titans, and the Grunts departed. Ellis, Celestia, Daniel, The Element Bearers, and the Royal Couple walked to a spacious study with a large bay window. As everyone sat down, Ellis cleared his throat.

"I suppose we'll start from the beginning. Pilot McKenna?"

Daniel took off his helmet, revealing dusty brown hair, gray eyes, and a sharp but kind face. The helmet was placed on the table, and its visor glowed blue.

"Anything you need?" Celestia asked.

"Darkness." Ellis said. The shades were closed, and Ellis began.

"Well, where to begin?" I suppose we'll start with the colony age. About seventy years ago, the area of space we know as the Frontier was unexplored. In order to secure additional planets for human habitation, large colonial ships were launched, and these ships, their resources, and mission were financed by the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation, or IMC."

"What's the IMC?" Celestia asked.

"A conglomerate of businesses and their interests united under one flag." Ellis said. "They're led by Hammond Industries, one of the largest production corps in history. They make everything from robots to advanced weapons, from household goods to spaceships and aircraft." Ellis said. "Anyway, we found nearly sixty different habitable worlds, and soon, the Frontier began to take shape, with its own values, culture, and identity. Pretty soon, we found countless amounts of vital resources in Frontier worlds. And the IMC took notice."

"What do you mean?" Rarity asked.

"The IMC needed those resources, and in their eyes, the Frontier was a goldmine for everything they needed. Metals, oil for fuel, timber, the list goes on and on of what the Frontier's resources in aplenty." Ellis replied. "And the IMC wanted them, no matter the cost. Using the reasoning that since they financed the expeditions to the Frontier, under eminent domain, the planets and the resources of the Frontier was theirs to take as they pleased. Soon, they militarized, forming an army. They started taking over worlds, one by one, forcing people off their own land and often...killing those who resisted."

"Those brutes!" Cadance cried.

Ellis nodded gravely.

"Back then, that was the way things were." Ellis said. "We couldn't do a thing about it. The IMC had every advantage, and for the moment, there was nothing we could do. That was the case...until the Harmony incident."

"What's that?" Celestia asked.

"This...won't be pleasant." Ellis said. "Harmony was one of the few worlds that residents would vocally resist the IMC. The people there organized a march to the Governor's office with a petition to remove the IMC from Harmony. The marchers were unarmed, and peaceful. The Governor, however, saw it differently. He asked the IMC troops to police the marchers, make sure they didn't get out of hand. The IMC...had other plans. When they arrived at the Governor's office, a full battalion of IMC heavy troops, armed to the teeth, were waiting for them. As the marchers approached, the IMC infantry grew more and more nervous. Then...it happened."

"What?" Celestia asked, her breath bated.

"The IMC troops...opened fire on the marchers, cutting them down like wheat in a field." Ellis said.

Everypony present gasped, dropped their jaws, or cried in disbelief. Fluttershy passed out at this. Celestia reared back in fury and anger.

"Why?" She growled.

"We don't know." Ellis said. "The marchers were unarmed, and thus, helpless. The IMC troops called in Spectres, robot soldiers made by Hammond, to further the carnage in the streets. Then, the worst came. When the marchers attempted to fight back, they called in Hammond's newest weapon to stop them."

"What was it?" Shining asked.

"The first Titans, which were Hammond Atlas models." Ellis said. "What they didn't shoot, they crushed beneath their feet. The few marchers who made it out alive were lucky. For many others, they weren't so fortunate. It was said that day 1500 went to the governors, 15 came out unscathed. The others...were all severely wounded or killed."

Celestia's' face darkened.

"That's not the worst of it." Ellis said. "In the immediate aftermath, the official IMC report states that the marchers were to blame, and that they had attacked the IMC infantry, who used lethal force to "restore peace to the city". They said they did their jobs. But doing their job include not one mention of the fact the IMC attacked first, or that they killed innocent people? People with families and friends? They found the bodies of children among the carnage, and the IMC didn't give the families of the slain a single penny for their lost ones. And their bodies weren't even allowed proper burial. They were dumped in mass grave."

If the fact the massacre happened angered Celestia, this sent her into a blind rage.

"Those...monsters…" She murmured with rage in her voice. "They killed...innocent children?"

"They did." Ellis said. "And the IMC didn't care. As long as they were in control, they didn't give a single thought to what they did to accomplish this."

Shining had to hug Cadance at this point to calm her down, as she was shaking in sheer anger and rage. The Element bearers weren't much better.

"How...how...DARE THEY!" Rarity cried. "They're murderers!"

"They didn't even care?" Rainbow sputtered. "Those flankholes!"

Fluttershy was still unconscious, and Pinkie's mane deflated. Applejack bowed her head in sorrow, and Twilight was shedding tears.

"That day…" Ellis said. "That day was when we decided that enough was enough. The people of Harmony staged an uprising and formed the Frontier Militia, in order to restore peace to the Frontier and fight the IMC. That day...we decided to make our own fate. It wasn't easy. The IMC declared us terrorists, and they got the authorization to wipe us out, by whatever means necessary. It was slow going at first, but we learned, we survived, and we fought."

"How so?" Celestia asked.

Ellis told the ponies of the first two years of the Frontier War, from the Refueling Raid to the Battle of Demeter, and the heroes, from Barker to James MacAllan, from Bish to Sarah Briggs. He told them about the Battle of Typhon, and the current state of the war.

"Now, two years after Demeter and a month after Typhon, we've made headway. The IMC Remnant Fleet is near beaten, but not broken. The IMC used to chase us, now we chase them and we defeat them. We became a force to be reckoned with. More and more worlds sided with us, and more and more people join the Militia to fight the IMC. The war's far from over, but we know, hopefully, the end is in sight." Ellis said.

Celestia nodded and sighed.

"Quite a tale, Captain." She said. "If there's anything Equestria can do to help…"

"We appreciate the offer, Celestia, but no thanks." Ellis said. "This is our war, and it's our war to win."

"I understand, Captain." Celestia replied. "The least we can do is replenish your supplies as best we can."

"Thank you, but there is something else." Ellis said. "The Baron's current mission is to scout for worlds capable of hosting Militia bases without the threat of IMC attack. If we may, I'd like to establish a Militia outpost here."

"I have no objections. There is a suitable plains to the southwest of here." Celestia said. "You may set your outpost up there."

"Thank you, Princess." Ellis said. "Now, what's this about a wedding?"

As Cadance and Shining spoke to Ellis, Daniel laid back and relaxed. Soon, Cadance, Twilight, and Shining left, along with the other ponies.

"Let's head back to the Baron, McKenna." Ellis said. "I think we deserve some rest for the wedding tomorrow."

"Roger that." Daniel said as they walked to their waiting Crow, ready to take off for the Baron.

Author's Note

Update!

The wedding comes next chapter.

Chapter 2-First Impressions, Part One

Later that night, aboard the Baron

Daniel watched the now-tranquil city of Canterlot glisten in the night. The Militia's combat engineers had helped with repairing the damage to the city, and their Crows had only recently returned to the Baron. Daniel himself was tired. Initial wedding preparations had thankfully gone off without a hitch, and Captain Ellis had accepted Celestia's offer to be present for the ceremony the next day. Daniel felt rather lukewarm about the whole situation. Grabbing his helmet, he walked out to the Pilot's Rec room, where he, not surprisingly, heard loud voices and raucous laughter. Sighing, he passed the room and entered the Titan bay, where IN was waiting for him.

"Miss me, buddy?" Daniel asked as he sat down, leaning on IN's arm.

"That can have multiple meanings, Pilot. Either I longed to see you, or I was shooting at you inaccurately. Which one do you mean to be correct?" IN replied.

"First one." Daniel said.

"Understood. In that Case, I missed you as well, pilot." IN replied.

"Good to hear." Daniel said. "We've been invited to the wedding tomorrow."

"The concept of human nuptials is unfamiliar to me." IN said. "Or in this case, Equine."

"Yeah, same here." Daniel said. "I've never been to a wedding, especially not one between ponies. Eh, doesn't matter."

"I see." IN said. "How are you, Pilot?"

"I'm fine." Daniel replied, stifling a yawn.

"You seem to be in need of rest, Pilot." IN said. "I recommend you get adequate sleep, at least 8.53 hours, an amount adjusted for your age and build."

"Thanks, buddy." Daniel said. "See you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Pilot."

Daniel left the Titan bay and headed to his bunk in the barracks. Setting his helmet on a hook, he sighed, locked his hands behind his head, and fell asleep.

=========

Daniel awoke to a hard smack to the ear.

"Wake up, buttercup." Chase said. "We've got two hours before we head down."

"Why is it so early, you jackass?" Daniel groaned, looking at his clock. "It's only 0520 hours."

"Ellis's orders." Chase replied. Daniel rolled his eyes, changed into a clean shirt and his combat gear, put on his helmet, and followed Chase to the deployment bay. Sasha, Sean, Kelly, and Romero were waiting for them near a Crow. Daniel ignored their usual jokes and sat down, checking his R201 Carbine and Mastiff Shotgun. Soon, the others sat down, and the Crow took off.

"You overslept." Kelly said.

"I figured I woke up early." Daniel shot back. "What shit were you doing in the rec room last night?"

"What do you think?" Romero said. "The usual debauchery and shenanigans that us pilots get into."

Daniel sighed and placed his head in his hands.

"You guys really are dicks, you know that?" he sighed. Sean laughed at this.

"We do. And we don't care." Sasha said. Daniel made a mental note to lock the door to the rec room when they returned to the Baron when they landed on the balcony. Daniel led the pilots into the castle and over to Ellis, who was talking with Celestia.

"Pilots reporting, sir." Daniel said. "What did you need us for?"

"Well, I do need some capable pilots to help me out with something." Ellis said.

"What?" the pilots asked

"Seems the Equestrians are rather understaffed with the prep for the wedding. You'll be helping out some of the ponies with their duties. List is here." Ellis said, handing Daniel a scroll.

"Um, sir?" Romero asked. "What the fuck is this?"

"Language, Pilot." Ellis said. "The Equestrians are in need of help, and you're the help they'll be getting. Besides, it's decent enough to make a good impression."

"Good impressions are alright, but we're not party planners." Daniel said. "How the hell are we supposed to do this?"

"Improvise." Ellis said. "I'll be with Celestia in the library. Your assignments are on the list."

Before anyone could protest further, Ellis and the Crow were gone. Daniel opened the scroll, and looked it over.

McKenna-Twilight Sparkle-Setup-Atrium
Romero-Pinkie Pie-Decorations-Main Hall
Dawes-Fluttershy-Music-Balcony
Voryunov-Rarity-Clothing-Bride's Chambers
Anderson-Applejack-Cooking-Kitchen
Walker-Rainbow Dash-Upkeep-Gardens

"Well, no sense delaying the inevitable." Daniel groaned. "Let's go."

As the pilots said goodbye and set off to their assigned areas, Daniel sighed.

"Here goes nothing…" he murmured.

Daniel walked into the Atrium to see a lavender pony surrounded by several pieces of paper and a few quill pens.

"Um, Twilight Sparkle, RIght?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's me." she said. "You're Daniel, the Pilot that I'm working with?"

"Yeah." Daniel said. "Trust me, I wasn't exactly told about this."

"Neither was I." Twilight looked at him. "Celestia just sprung the idea on us. I mean, my friends and I were okay with it. Rainbow wasn't."

"Why's that?" Daniel asked, looking down at a very complicated looking flowchart.

"Because she doesn't want to be, quote-end-quote, "slowed down"." Twilight replied.

"Likes going fast?" Daniel asked, confused.

"Big time." Twilight said. "She can break the sound barrier, and perform a flight move that can shatter the visible light spectrum."

"Bullshit." Daniel said. "I mean, our Crows can do that, but that's insane! Breaking the light spectrum?"

"It's possible." Twilight said. "She's doing one at the wedding reception."

"Jeez." Daniel said. "Partnered with a Scorch pilot? Kind of a bad move."

"I take it Scorches aren't very fast?" Twilight asked.

"Ogre titans like Scorch and Legion are based on a chassis that has extra armor and durability at the expense of speed." Daniel said. "They are equipped with a engine that can boost them, but unlike the 5-second cooldown on other Titans, Ogres have a 10-second cooldown. They're slow but tough."

"Fascinating." Twilight said. "I noticed that Sasha's Northstar is slim and fast, does that mean it's a different model?"

"Yep." Daniel said. "That's a Stryder model. Fast and agile, at the expense of armor. They tend to be used as scouts for hit-and-run operations."

"Interesting." Twilight said. "What about yours?"

"That's a Vanguard." Daniel said. "The first Titan model we developed independently from the IMC, Vanguards are based off the Atlas models, which are all-around combatants. However, Vanguards are designed to be able to use any weapon set they find on the battlefield. Their standard loadout is the one I use."

Twilight nodded eagerly.

"Yeah…" Daniel said, sitting down. "How do you think the others are doing?"

"I'm not sure." Twilight said.

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

Romero walked into the main hall to see a pink pony who he assumed was none other than Pinkie Pie, firing a medieval style cannon. Only, instead of explosives, streamers, confetti, and other various decorations were flying out.

"Um, Pinkie Pie?" Romero asked.

"Yep?" Pinkie said, now standing next to him. "You're Romero, right?"

"Yeah…" Romero said. "What's with the cannon?"

"That's my Party cannon!" She said gleefully.

"Wait, what?" Romero replied, still shocked. "A party cannon?"

"Yessire!" She replied. "Made from 100 percent steel alloy and loaded with enough supplies for any occasion, this cannon can get a party started in no time!"

Romero, by this time wasn't sure to be amused or astonished. He simply shrugged and followed Pinkie over to a table full of food.

"You hungry?" She asked. "Feel free to taste test!"

"Well, I wish I could." Romero said. "I'm a Spectre. Simply put, I'm a machine, so...I can't eat. Really the only thing I consume is battery power."

"So you can't eat cupcakes?" Pinkie said, slightly disappointed.

"I think so, yes." Romero said. "I don't think I've ever felt hungry, either. You know, machine?"

"Makes sense." Pinkie said. "Mind helping me with something?"

"What?" Romero asked.

"I'll tell you if you can catch me!" She yipped, and she started speeding around the room. Romero sighed and activated his Stim, chasing after the pony, who was somehow outrunning him.

Chase Dawes walked over to a balcony where a buttercream pegasus was waiting for him, along with ten songbirds. Fluttershy tapped a conductor's wand on the perch and a few moments later, the birds were singing "Here comes the bride." Chase merely watched as the birds finished.

"How did you train them to do that?" Chase said.

"I didn't train them." Fluttershy said. "I'm really good with animals. I can talk to them, sort of."

"Geez." Chase replied. "Next you'll tell me you can tell them to do Beethoven's fifth."

Fluttershy repeated Chase's request, the birds nodded to each other, and they recited the opening bars of the symphony. After a few moments, Chase watched them give each other fist-bumps with their wings.

"Are those birds fist...wing...bumping each other?" Chase asked, rather surprised.

"Oh, yes." Fluttershy said. "They're quite the jokesters."

"I wouldn't use jokester as the proper term, though." Chase said. "Can you do that with other animals?"

"Um, deer, skunks, rabbits, bears…" Fluttershy said, counting off.

"Bears?" Chase said, even more shocked. "You can talk to bears?"

"Yes." She said. "Mr. Harry Grizzler is quite nice. He even knows how to drink tea."

Chases facepalmed in sheer disbelief.

"Jesus." he said. "How'd you learn to do that?"

"I've been good with animals my whole life." she said. "And...who's Jesus?"

"Well, it's the name of a man who was important a long, long time ago, in a religious way." Chase said. "My dad was a Minister on the Colony world of Vera II. We weren't doing the best, but we were well off. My dad was basically the unofficial leader of the colony. Then, the IMC come around, and they want my dad to tell his congregation this "sermon" that was basically IMC propaganda."

"What happened?" Fluttershy asked.

"He refused." Chase said. "He told the IMC they weren't welcome there anymore, and they should go. They did that, but the next time they showed up they arrested my dad during the middle of Mass. Wasn't a thing we could do. We were unarmed, and they had Spectres armed with light machine guns. They could've killed us all then and there. They took my dad away, and I never saw him again."

"I'm sorry." Fluttershy whimpered.

"Thanks." Chase said. "To be honest, I don't know if I've ever been told that. Well, my mom took over as minister, but she never mentioned the IMC or the fledgling Militia since in her sermons. When I turned 18, the IMC took over Vera II, and they needed the hospitals for use in treating their wounded. They forced out patients at gunpoint. Including my sister, who couldn't even walk. I had to carry her out of her room as IMC Grunts aimed rifles at us. That's when I stowed away with her on a ship to Harmony, and I joined the Militia."

"What about your sister?" Fluttershy asked.

"She's on Harmony, getting the medical treatment she needs." Chase said. "She writes me every day."

Fluttershy smiled at that.

"We should get back to work." Chase sighed. "You...do your thing with the birds. I need a little time."

"Sure." Fluttershy said as the birds began to rehearse.

======

Sasha walked into a drawing room that had been repurposed as a fashion studio, and the Pilot noticed an ivory unicorn with purple hair putting the finishing touches on a wedding dress.

"Ah, Sasha!" Rarity said. "How are you?"

"Not half-bad, thanks." Sasha said. "After the battle, most of the Pilots decided to celebrate in the Rec Room."

"How so?" Rarity asked.

"We watched helmet feeds, drank a little bit, and cards." Sasha said. "The usual stuff Pilots do after a battle."

"Well, was it civil?" Rarity asked.

"You wish." she sighed. "We're loud, raucous, and we swear like dogs. That's usually when we're off duty."

Rarity nodded, then she looked like a light-bulb had gone off above her head.

"Sasha, is that your coat?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's seen better days." she said, looking at it. It was singed in a few places, there were bullet holes in the chest, and a decent amount of the original coating was gone.

"How long have you had it?" Rarity asked.

"Quite a long time." Sasha replied. "To be honest, I don't think I've ever had this repaired."
"Then I'll lend a hoof." Rarity said, taking it with her magic. "I'll fix it right up."

"Thanks." Sasha said. "There's one thing, though. See that patch, here on the arm?"

"Yes, I do."

"Don't touch that." Sasha said. "Leave it alone. It's...important to me."

Rarity raised an eyebrow, but she nodded. Sasha sat down and stretched, sort of liking the feeling of not wearing the coat. After around ten minutes, Princess Cadance came in. She sat next to Sasha, and sighed.

"So much to do…" the alicorn said.

"Well, at least we're helping." Sasha replied.

"You're Sasha Voryunov, right?" she asked, doing her best to pronounce the name.

"Yeah." Sasha replied. "I would be wearing my coat right now, but Rarity's fixing it up. Speaking of…that dress looks nice."

"It does." Cadance replied. "Thanks for being there to save the wedding."

"Not a problem." Sasha said. "Not a problem at all."

Soon after, Rarity whisked Cadance into the fitting room, and Sasha looked at her newly repaired coat. True to her word, the patch remained the same, but it looked and felt like new. The coating had been repaired, and it felt great.

"Did I do it right?" Rarity asked. "The material was rather tough to repair."

"You did it better than I could've." Sasha replied. "Thanks."

"Now for the Princess." Rarity said, sweeping Cadance into the dressing room. Sasha leaned back in her chair and brushed her fingers over the sky-blue patch, with contrasted with the grays, browns, and oranges of her coat. She sighed and looked outside, smiling.

=====

Kelly Anderson walked into the kitchen, to find a tan earth pony with a fedora chopping up nuts.

"You're Kelly Anderson, right?" she asked.

"Yep." she replied. "And you're Applejack?"

"Yep again." Applejack replied. "Hope you can cook."

"I'm not too bad." Kelly said. "The most experience I've had is reheating field rations, though."

Applejack laughed.

"Well, shoot. Let's get to work, anyway."

"Fine with me." Kelly shrugged. Applejack soon had the Pilot running around, grabbing ingredients from apples to honey. Applejack, much to Kelly's relief, did most of the actual cooking. Soon after, the buffet for the wedding reception was finished.

"Nice job." Applejack said, giving Kelly a quick bump on the shoulder.

"You too." Kelly replied. "Well, that leaves one thing."

"What?"

"Who's cleaning all this up?" the Pilot added, seeing the mess in front of them. Then, a pink glow covered the dirty dishes, unused ingredients, and dirty utensils, and put them back where they belonged. Princess Cadance walked in, and she smiled.

"Figures." Kelly said. "No offense."

"None taken." Cadance replied. "These look good."

"Aw, shucks." Applejack said. "Thanks. Well, feel free to try one, if you want."

Cadance took an apple tart, took a bite, and quickly ate that one and another.

"Reminds me how hungry I am." she admitted. "I haven't had lunch yet. You have to eat in the middle of battle sometimes, right?"

"To be honest, a few times, yes." Kelly said. "Most of the time, shooting the IMC takes priority over filling your stomach. A rookie Grunt's mistake is trying to eat in the middle of a firefight. Most of the time, the food gets shot out of your hands."

Cadance and Applejack laughed. Kelly just shrugged and walked towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Cadance asked.

"I'll go check on the others." Kelly said. "Probably Sean and GT-5929. They're taking care of the gardens, and I think none of us want a fire going, due to GT's thermite igniting something on accident."

"How bad could it be?" Cadance asked.

========

"I TOLD YOU THAT WAS A BAD IDEA!"

"NOT MY FAULT!!!!"

"EVERYTHING'S ON FIRE!"

"GET WATER!"

"Understood, Pilot."

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? WHY IS EVERYTHING ON FIRE!?"

Princess Celestia and Captain Ellis stood in front of a mortified Rainbow Dash and a rather annoyed Sean Walker. Rainbow had insisted Sean's Scorch Titan, GT-5929, use his Thermal Shield to trim some hedges.

Suffice to say, only a huge magical basin of water conjured by Princess Celestia stopped a potential disaster.

"Pilot, what in the name of sanity happened here?" Ellis asked.

"Miss Dash asked if GT could help her trim the hedges. I didn't know how she meant it." Sean sighed. Rainbow nodded and acknowledged the truth.

"Well, miss Dash…" Celestia said. "That's not how I wanted to wrap up my meeting with Captain Ellis."

"Yes, Princess." Rainbow said. "I'll clean it up."

"You too, Pilot." Ellis said. "It was your Titan that ignited the area."

"Yes, sir." Sean said. "I'll get the hedge clippers."

"I'll get the leaf basins." Rainbow said despondently as they set to work trimming away the burnt bushes and greenery, GT watching to make sure Rainbow didn't do anything stupid again.

"That was unexpected." Ellis said.

"Indeed." Celestia replied.

=====
After a lengthy session of trimming and cleaning, the Gardens looked as good as new. The last few preparations were underway, and the Pilots were entering the wedding hall, to stand by the side of Captain Ellis.

"Well Sean, did you learn your lesson?" Daniel asked.

"Yes." Sean said. "Never use Thermite to trim hedges."

The pilots laughed as they stood at attention for the imminent ceremony. Soon, the music began, and the pilots snapped to salute alongside their captain.

Author's Note

Good, this took so long. But it was WORTH IT!

Next chapter-The actual wedding, and the arrival of Sarah Briggs aboard the MCS James MacAllan II., Meanwhile...the Changelings bicker over who will rule them.

Chapter 3-First Impressions, Part Two

As Princess Cadance walked down the aisle, Ellis and the Pilots snapped to salute and held it until the bride reached her position next to Shining Armor. At that, they stood at attention. Celestia spoke the vows, and Spike brought forth the rings.

"Haven't seen a wedding in a while, much less a pony wedding." Chase whispered to Sasha.

"That's true." she whispered back.

"Quiet, both of you." Daniel hushed. As the bride and groom kissed, and headed to the balcony, the Pilots and Captain Ellis followed the Elements and Celestia, who were walking after them.

"Rainbow, that's your cue!" Celestia whispered. Rainbow took off and looped into the sky.

"What's she doing?" Daniel asked Twilight.

"You'll see." was the reply. At that, Rainbow performed the Sonic Rainboom, causing nearly every Pilot to flinch or gasp.

"JESUS CHRIST!" Chase cried out. "What the hell was that?"

"That was the Rainboom I told you about, Daniel." Twilight said.

"The one that breaks the light spectrum?" he deadpanned.

"Yep." Twilight said. "Only done it twice."

"With good reason, probably." Romero said. "If I had ears, they'd be bleeding."

As the Pilots laughed and headed downstairs to the gardens for the reception, Daniel sighed as he ended the recording function on his camera.

"What's that for?" Kelly asked.

"Just wanted to remember this, have some good motivation." Daniel sighed. "Also, IN asked me to."

Kelly laughed and they headed into the gardens.

=====
The reception went into full swing rather quickly, and though Princess Luna (Who had overslept) had a slight freak-out upon seeing the Militia, Celestia managed to calm her down, with minimal magical damage to the surrounding environment. Ellis and the Pilots took their seats above the dance floor, and the Pilots removed their helmets.

"Helluva night, huh?" Daniel asked Ellis.

"Indeed, Pilot." Ellis replied. "We've also been given an area to use for our outpost here."

"Where?" Romero asked.

"It's south of here, near Ponyville, where Miss Twilight and the Elements reside." Ellis said. "Apparently Celestia suggested it out of the ability to get the populace used to our presence."

"Alright then." Sean said. "Have we contacted Commander Briggs yet?"

"Already did." Ellis replied. "Wasn't too happy with the fact that we engaged so quickly, but relieved we made peaceful First Contact. She'll be here in a few days aboard the MCS MacAllan II."

"Hard to believe they'd name a ship after a ship." Sasha said. "I understand MacAllan was a hero to the Militia, but isn't one MCS James MacAllan enough?"

"MacAllan was more than a hero." Ellis said. "I had the honor of fighting alongside him in several battles during the early stages of the war. He was a natural-born leader, and everyone respected him."

"What did you do back then, at Demeter?" Daniel asked.

"I was a First Officer aboard the MCS Harvey Stone, formerly a Pilot." Ellis said. "During the battle, the Stone's bridge was hit, which killed Captain Adams. I took command and we held off two IMC destroyers until reinforcements arrived, and after that point MacAllan detonated the reactor while our forces evacuated. It hit us hard that MacAllan sacrificed himself, but after the battle, Commander Briggs heard about me, and promoted me from First Officer of the Harvey Stone...to Captain of the Baron."

"That must've been a proud moment." Sean said.

"You know it, Walker." Ellis said. "Speaking of...I'm heading over to the bar. I think we all deserve something strong tonight. However, I don't want any drunk pilots. Are we clear?"

"Sir, yes sir." the pilots chorused. Ellis nodded to them and headed out, while the Pilots headed to the bar. Not too much later, the Bride and Groom headed for their honeymoon, while Twilight and the Elements decided to head home.

"Twilight!" Celestia said, walking over.

"What is it, Princess?" she replied.

"I forgot to tell you that the Militia outpost will be outside Ponyville. Can you do me a favor, and make sure everything goes smoothly?" Celestia asked.

"You can count on it." Twilight replied. "Come on, girls. Let's head home."

"'Bout time!" Applejack yawned. "I am bushed."

"Make that two." Rainbow sighed. "I'm having trouble just staying awake."

Twilight rolled her eyes as the six of them and Spike headed to the train station.

=====

Daniel, Sean, Chase, and Romero, back aboard the Baron, headed to the dorm that the four of them shared in the Pilot's quarters. It was a small cabin, with two bunk beds, a small kitchen and computer terminal, and a bathroom with a shower. It was decorated with posters, a few pieces of furniture made in the Baron's machine shop, and a weapons rack.

"Time to hit the hay." Romero said, stretching.

"You're a Spectre, Romero." Daniel said, taking off his Helmet and placing it on a hook next to his bunk. "You can't go to sleep, you power down."

"Still counts." Romero replied as he headed to his own bed. "You know, I kinda like it here. Guess why."

"No IMC?" Daniel said.

"No war?" Chase asked.

"No chance you'll be blown up, shot, crushed, or killed?" Sean ventured.

"Nope, nada, not a chance." Romero said. "Here, I get to wisecrack both in and out of combat."

The three Pilots rolled their eyes as Romero laughed. As they dozed off, Twilight and the Elements watched the Baron, which was gently coursing across the sky towards Ponyville.

====
The next morning, Daniel and the other Pilots slept in for a bit. Daniel himself was exhausted from the reception the night before, and slowly, he groaned and stood up. Noticing Chase and Sean were still sleeping, and Romero was still recharging, he slipped out of bed for the Titan Bay. As he walked through the halls, he nodded to the Grunts in the Titan Bay as he sat down next to IN.

"Good morning, IN." he said.

"Good morning, Pilot." IN replied. "It is 0732 Hours, well past the standard Militia timeframe. Why is that?"

"We slept in." he said.

"You slept in what, Pilot?" IN asked.

"Expression, means I slept later than usual." Daniel chuckled.

"Understood."

"By the way, Indy…" Daniel said, stretching. "I recorded the wedding for you. I'm uploading it now."

"Thank you, Pilot." the Vanguard Titan said. "Though the concept of human and equine nuptial processes are unfamiliar to me, it is a new experience to see them."

"You got that right." Daniel said, sending the footage to IN's datacore. "You did get the recording,though?"

"I did, Pilot. Video duration is twenty minutes, thirty-two seconds. I will review the footage now."

Daniel relaxed as In made a bench with his right arm, and occasionally Daniel told IN what a certain word or action meant in terms to the situation. As the Pilot and Titan finished, Daniel gave a contented sigh.

"That was a fascinating display, Pilot." IN said.

"You don't say." Daniel replied. Soon after, Daniel's stomach growled, so he decided to head for the mess. Not surprisingly, Kelly and the other pilots were up and eating.

"Morning, Pilots." Daniel said, waving a hand.

"Morning!" the other Pilots replied. Daniel took a seat next to Sean, and after dropping off his Helmet, he loaded a tray and began to eat.

"So, what do we know about Ponyville?" Kelly asked.

"Small town, west of here." Romero said. "It's where Twilight and her friends live, and apparently where we'll be pitching camp."

"Sounds fun." Sasha said. As the pilots conversed, Ellis, currently in the command room, was speaking with Commander Sarah Briggs over the radio.

"You're sure we can trust them?" Briggs asked.

"I am sure, Commander." Ellis replied. "They owe us, if that's anything."

"I'm relieved to hear it." Briggs said. "What about the IMC?"

"Not sure." Ellis sighed. "The IMC does have the capability to find us, but seeing as we've got them tied up in the Frontier...we'll be fine for the time being."

"I hope so, Captain." Briggs said. "Good luck. Briggs out."

Ellis ended the connection and smiled, as he could see the Everfree Forest and Ponyville in the distance.

====

As the Crow dropships began to fly in and out of the landing zone, dropping off materials and supplies, Daniel and Kelly were standing nearby with their Titans.

"How'd you sleep, Kelly?" Daniel asked.

"Slept great. You?"

"Had to deal with Romero, but same here." Daniel replied. "So, what's on the agenda?"

"The engineers have everything handled, so feel free to look around." Kelly said. "I think Twilight's in the treehouse near here."

Daniel nodded, thanked Kelly, and IN followed him to the Golden Oaks Library, where Twilight was waiting for them.

"Twilight." Daniel said.

"Hello, you two." Twilight said. "Wanna take a look around town?"

"Sure." Daniel said. "IN?"
"A survey of the town seems like a favorable option to adjust local opinion of our presence here for the better." IN said. "I will follow your lead."

"Right." Twilight said. "This way."

====

"Nice town." Daniel said as they headed to the plaza. "How long's it been here?"

"Well, quite a while." Twilight said. "Granny Smith told me a few things when I asked. She's Applejack's Grandmother. Her family's run the orchard to the north of here for as long as the town's existed."

"Interesting." Daniel said. "If the IMC heard that, they'd want it in a heartbeat."

Twilight found herself agreeing to that. Then, Daniel heard a buzzing sound that seemed to be growing louder by the second. He then saw a small filly on a scooter, going at breakneck speed. The filly didn't see a stone right in the middle of her path, however. As the filly went flying, Daniel caught the scooter with one arm, and the filly with the other.

"Ease up, speed demon." Daniel said.

"Nice catch." the filly said. "You're one of the aliens, aren't you?"

"Yep. I'm Daniel. And what's with riding that scooter through town like a maniac?" Daniel asked.

"Well, I'm trying to get my Cutie Mark." she said.

"That little tattoo that tells your special talent?" Daniel said, having been briefed on them by Twilight. "You don't have one?"

Scootaloo nodded sadly. Daniel brought her over to a bench, IN and Twilight following.

"And I'm being teased because of it." Scootaloo said. Daniel sighed and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry to hear it." he said. "Hey, you know what's important?"

"What?"

"It's not how many times you walk without falling, but rising each time you fall." Daniel said. "My dad taught me that. It means that you persevere each time you fail, no matter what others think. That is what's important."

Scootaloo smiled.

"Thanks, Mr. Daniel." she said. "I'm Scootaloo, by the way."

"Nice to meet you." Daniel said. "Hey, next time you need advice, find me. See you around."

Daniel, IN and Twilight walked off to a waving Scootaloo, and Twilight smiled at the Pilot.

"So, what's up next?" Daniel asked.

"Next is...well, I actually don't know." Twilight said. "Wanna head back to the Militia Camp?'

"Why not?"

The three of them set out, and when they arrived, Twilight saw the other Pilots waiting for them. And they did not look happy.

"We've got a problem." Sasha said with an air of frustration.

"What kind of problem?" Daniel asked. The shouting coming from within the camp answered Daniel's question. Twilight and the Pilot found Captain Ellis arguing with a white stallion in a smart suit, accompanied by three armed Solar guards.

"Prince Blueblood." Twilight said, noticing Daniel's angered and confused look. "Princess Celestia's nephew, and a total waste of space."

Daniel approached slowly into earshot.

"Prince Blueblood, I have said it many times, so I will say it again. My ship is not a marketplace." Ellis said. "No matter how much you whine and protest, I am not authorized to sell supplies nor ordinance to a species that hasn't even developed the internal combustion engine, let alone the gun itself. The supplies aboard my ship are not for sale."

"You are making a very large mistake!" Blueblood yelled. "You could make a considerable profit…"

"PROFIT?" Ellis growled angrily. "Who the hell do you think I am, a black market weapons dealer? A mercenary? I don't care about profit, as much as you don't want to believe it. I DO care about the orders I received, which is to keep all ordinance and supplies aboard the Baron for distribution to my personnel ONLY. Straight from Sarah Briggs, Commander of the Marauder Corps and the SRS."

"Now, I am giving you one minute to leave, or I will personally escort you out with force if necessary."

"This is an OUTRAGE!" Blueblood yelled. "I am the heir to the Solar Throne! I DEMAND…"

"Thirty seconds." Ellis said.

"...THAT YOU GIVE ME THOSE DEVICES IMMEDIATELY!" Blueblood continued.

"Ten seconds." Ellis said again, checking his watch.

"YOU COMPLETE…"

"Zero." Ellis said, drawing his P2016 and aiming it. "Get out."

"You cannot be…" Blueblood stammered.

"Prince Blueblood, I cannot guarantee your safety if you do not leave immediately." Ellis said, cocking his pistol. "Leave."

"Are you threatening me?" Blueblood growled.

"Yes, I am." Ellis said. "Leave now, or I WILL consider you a threat."

"I'm so scared!" Blueblood mocked, getting in Ellis's face. "You mangy little…"

Ellis punched Blueblood in the cheek, sending him to the ground. Blueblood felt the blood running from his broken muzzle.

"You hit me." he whimpered. Ellis pointed his sidearm at the downed pony.

"I did. And It won't be long before I shoot you. Leave, or I'll make you leave." Ellis said, his authority clear. Blueblood got to his feet, spat, and teleported away with a flash. Ellis holstered his sidearm and turned to the Guards.

"I'm sorry you good folks had to see that." Ellis said. "My apologies."

The lead guard burst out laughing.

"Sir?" Ellis asked, confused. The guard composed himself before continuing.

"I can't thank you enough!" the guard said. "We all know Prince Blueblood is a total jerk, and believe me, every Guard wants to tell him off every time he gets one of his harebrained schemes. But sir, that was probably the coolest thing I've ever seen in my life!"

"Well, thank you." Ellis said. "Can you make sure Princess Celestia knows about this incident, and what truly happened?"

"You got it." the Guard said. "You've earned my respect, and I'm pretty damn sure once the word gets out, the respect of the Whole Solar Guard. We'll head back to Canterlot immediately, and we'll make sure Blueblood experiences as many delays as possible while getting to Celestia."

"Thank you." Ellis said. The Guards saluted before one of them, a unicorn, teleported them away. Ellis sighed and looked at Daniel.

"Sir, remind me NEVER to piss you off." Daniel said.

"I was a Pilot once, McKenna." Ellis said. "I've still got some of my old skills."

"I didn't know you were a Pilot." Twilight said, walking up.

"I was wounded pretty badly during one mission." Ellis said. "I misjudged a jump and broke a few bones. I was relieved from Combat duty and assigned to the Harvey Stone. Anyway, let's get some rest, Pilot. I have a feeling we'll need it."

====
Deep Space, IMC Remnant Fleet Rally point.
IMS Olympus

General Marder walked into his office and sat down. The Battle of Typhon, not only another disastrous IMC defeat, had also nearly halved his remaining forces. And further IMC reinforcements were delayed due to space-lane raids by Militia ships. Marder sighed and opened a recent file, sent by the ARES division's Scientific Research/Development team.

General Marder,

Our scans of the energy pulse from the Pegasi-4 Cluster have paid off. We have located a world in the cluster which, apart from being most likely inhabited, seems sto emitting the energy pulses we have been tracking.

However, warp signatures from Harmony indicate the Militia have already made it there. As always, I leave this information to you.

Dr. Hayden Coleman.

Marder smiled and prepared to send his reply.

We shall proceed to this world immediately, doctor.

Keep up your good work.

Gen. Marder.

Author's Note

Update!

Chapter 4-Interlude

The Changeling Badlands

The Great Hive

Deep below the Badlands lay the Changeling's great Hive. Formed by their First Changeling King, it was only returned to in times of great crisis.

The death of Queen Chrysalis was such a crisis. The death of a brood queen had never occurred in recent history, and the the remaining Brood Queens had come.

Arachia, Morpha, and Pupitra, queens of the three remaining hives, had assembled their brood, and were waiting.

"How much longer?" Arachia asked, her pink chitin buzzing..

"It shouldn't be much." Morpha added. "Father is never late."

As if on cue, every Changeling sensed a great presence. They all bowed as King Ancestor entered the room, his white chitin formed into armor. He sat down at the head of his throne, and sighed.

"So we come together, my descendants." he murmured. "As you know, Queen Chrysalis is dead, slain by the Equestrians and another, unknown species called...The Militia."

There was nervous buzzing all around the chamber.

"I weep at my daughter's death…" he said. "But I do not decry the circumstances. She brought her death upon herself."

"But what of the Equestrians?" Pupitra asked.

"They will receive their judgement." Ancestor replied. "For now, I shall reign over Chrysalis's brood, and we are to make no moves upon Equestria unless I decree it."

The Changelings gave a buzz of approval. Ancestor waved his hoof, and the Changelings departed.

"Arachia, stay a moment." Ancestor decreed. His youngest daughter buzzed over, and bowed.

"What may I do for you, father?" she asked.

"I need a favor." he said. "I have heard the Equestrians have buried Chrysalis's body. Ask for it to be returned, for our own burial rites."

"Yes, father." Arachia said. "I shall leave immediately."

The pink-colored changeling departed, and Ancestor merely sighed.

"You always were my favorite, Arachia." he smiled.

Ponyville
Militia Outpost

Daniel was in the middle of adjusting his Jumpkit when Captain Ellis walked in.

"Captain, sir." Daniel said, reattaching his Jumpkit to his lower waist and saluting.

"At ease." Ellis said. "I need a favor, pilot."

"Sure." Daniel said.

"Twilight has informed me that the local school teacher, Miss Cheerilee, would like a Pilot to speak to her students. I felt you would be up to the task."

"Yes sir." Daniel said. "When should I leave?"

"Now." Ellis said. Daniel flinched, grabbed his RE-45, and was out the door in a flash. Ellis sighed and crossed his arms with a smile.

====

Daniel arrived at the schoolhouse just as the fillies and colts were sitting down.

"You're the…Pilot that Twilight said Captain Ellis would send?" said the purple-colored schoolmaster.

"Yep. Daniel McKenna." Daniel said, shaking her hood. "Miss Cheerilee, I presume?"

"Yes." Cheerilee said. "You may start when ready."

"Alright then." Daniel said. He sat down on a vacant desk, and took off his helmet.

"So…" he said, eyeing the twenty fillies and colts that looked back at him. "I'm Daniel McKenna. I'm a human, and a Pilot in the Frontier Militia's Marauder Corps. Questions?"

"How old are you?" a steel-gray colt asked.

"I'm twenty-two." Daniel said. "My birthday is August 11th."

A pink filly wearing a rather expensive-looking tiara raised her hoof.

"Yes?" Daniel asked.

"Do you have a Cutie Mark?" she asked, secretly hoping to stick a new one at the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

"No, I do not." Daniel said. "As a matter of fact, humans don't have Cutie Marks."

The filly spluttered for a few seconds in disbelief.

"How do you know your special talent, then?" a silver filly asked in shock.

"We learn them and remember what we're good at." Daniel said. "We have tattoos, which is like a painting on the skin, but those are mainly for show or to impress others, though."

"Can you use magic?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"No, we cannot." Daniel said. "For a long time, magic was just the term we use for something unexplainable, or cheap visual or practical illusions used by showmen. That's the thing, though. When we need something done, often we make something to do it for us."

Daniel smiled before continuing.

"For example, hundreds of years ago, cotton, a plant used to make clothing, was really hard to harvest and process, due to its tangled fibers. A human named Eli Whitney made a machine that did both steps just by turning a crank. Case in point is that necessity is the mother of invention. We need something done, we make a device to do it. That's how we advance. We don't use magic, but technology. That's how we've developed all the things we have today."

Several students voiced amazement, until there was a giant shadow that covered the room. A blue light flickered, and a voice spoke.

"Pilot, I have been looking for you."

The students heard Daniel groan and roll his eyes.

"I'm fine, Indy." Daniel said. "Let's head outside, so you can meet my partner who decided to join us."

Daniel led them outside, and IN-2632 looked at the fillies and colts with interest.

"That's my Vanguard-class Titan." he said. "India-Niner, or IN, dash 2632."

"Greetings." the Titan said.

"Don't worry, he's harmless." Daniel said to several students who were backing up from fright. "He won't harm any of you. How'd you find me?"

"I traced your helmet signal, Pilot." IN said. "I was concerned you were in trouble."

"I'm alright.." Daniel said. "Why don't you stay around in Guard mode?"

"Understood, Pilot." IN said as he crouched down and over. Daniel leaned on his arm and set his helmet at his feet

"Any more questions?" he said.

====

Daniel and IN headed back to the camp after forty-five minutes of talking.

"Those kids were nice." Daniel said.

"Quite so, Pilot." IN said. "They seem to be particularly eager towards learning about you."

"I don't blame them." Daniel said as they entered camp. "Miss Cheerilee was really happy I stopped by."

"That was evident by her thanking you, Pilot." IN said. "Her feelings of gratitude were greatly expressed."

"Right." Daniel said. "Let's get some rest, buddy."

"Understood."

====

Author's Note

Update!

Next chapter-The IMC arrives on Equis, and things go from good, to bad, to worse for the Militia and the Equestrians...