Resistance Base Home One

Three hours after First Contact

Rook walked down the main concourse towards Twilight's command center, where Leo and Casiana were in a meeting with the Resistance Command. So far, there wasn't outright hostility towards them, but Rook could hear what they said as the Guardians passed. And it wasn't pleasant. Rook did his best to ignore them. Ever since his outburst at the meeting, a few ponies even hid themselves as they approached. The Exo sighed and continued to walk towards the barracks.

"So, Rook?" Fen asked. "What's the plan?"

"What plan?" Rook replied.

"The plan to liberate the Cabal Prison." Fen replied.

"We'll get to it later." Rook said as he entered the command room. Casiana, Leo, Twilight, and Flash looked back at him.

"So, what's the plan?" Twilight asked the Titan. Fen gave him an "I told you so" look, and Rook sighed.

"We enter the camp here." Rook said, pointing to a large gorge near the main yard. "Once the Resistance fighters have the Red Legion occupied, we use explosives to cause a landslide that will bury the defenders."

"And we'll have to deal with the Flak turret perimeter they've set up." Flash said, pointing to five large turrets on the map. "They have a large view radius, and I've seen them in action. They can take out tanks in a few shots. If they're not down when we attack, we'll need a helluva lot of sponges to mop us up."

"We'll deal with the guns." Casiana said. "You focus on getting into that camp."

"Right." Flash said. "When are we heading out?"

"Tonight." Twilight said. "We'll strike under cover of night. Most Cabal take day watch, when there's more escape options for the prisoners."

"Then give the word when you're ready." Rook said as the Guardians departed. Flash looked at Twilight, who sighed.

"What's wrong?" Flash asked.

"I've heard rumors." she said. "Of somepony living in the Frozen North."

"The Crystal Empire is dead, Twilight." Flash said. "Cadance is gone, and Shining...he's not coming back."

"I know." she replied. "But...some part of me refuses to believe that."

"I know. he was my commander, too." Flash said. "And I know for a fact that Flurry misses him dearly."

Twilight nodded and brushed a tear away.

"Thanks, Flash. Let's get ready."

====

The Guardians headed towards the Archives, where the Resistance kept their records, and whatever historical artifacts they could retrieve from the Cabal. as they entered, one mare, a mint-green unicorn, scooted over.

"You're the humans, right?" she asked.

"Yes. Well, I'm human, but Rook's an Exo, and Casiana's Awoken." Leo said. "Who's asking?"

"I'm Lyra Heartstrings." she said. "I'm was a researcher on humanity before the Cabal and Fallen came. I had tons of theories about them, and since you're here, care to help me verify a few?"

"Why not?" Leo said, shrugging. "We've got time."

Leo sat down with Lyra, who produced a notepad and pencil.

"I thought your magic was taken from you." Leo said.

"Mostly." Lyra sighed. "When Ghaul unleashed that device, he cut most, but not all, of our magical connection. Some unicorns have residual magic that can muster a few basic spells, but for the most part, unicorns are just...unicorns. They have no magic, and thus they're not special."

"I get it." Leo said. Pegasi can fly, but Earth ponies are…"

"Strong." she said. "Really strong. They were our go-to option for heavy troops when the Fallen came. They didn't stand a chance against the Cabal. Speaking of, are there Cabal in your star system?"

"Oh, yes." Leo said. "But no Red Legion, thank god. In the Sol System, we've killed all their high-ranked commanders and countless numbers of their troops, and the other races kill more. The Vex on Mars have nearly pushed the Cabal off world."

"Wow." Lyra said. "Those Cabal seem weak."

"They're not." Leo said. "They're good fighters, and even though they've taken massive casualties, they have no way of going home. From what Ikora Rey and Casiana have told me, they can only go home if they achieve victory. They're cast out when they go to war."

"Seems fitting." Lyra said. "I wish they didn't come here."

"I've seen what the Cabal are capable of, and I have to say I agree. What was Equestria like before the Cabal and Fallen came?"

"It was paradise." Lyra said sadly. "No war in a thousand years since, and we lived happily. Now, I miss those days."

Leo nodded.

"Lyra, I get it."

"How could you?" She snapped. "We lost everything. Our world, our homes, the lives of countless beings, and our rulers were taken from us. What did you lose?"

"We lost planets." Leo said. "We lost Mars, Venus, the Moon, and our homeworld. We have one Last City. Every day, I go out with my fireteam to reclaim it. I do understand your pain, Lyra, and we'll do everything in our power to help you reclaim your world."

"Thanks." Lyra smiled. "I guess I forgot that there's ponies here to help."

"True." Leo said. "Thanks for the chat, Lyra. I'd better regroup with my fireteam."

"You're welcome."

Leo waved goodbye and headed to the Plaza, where Twilight was briefing the Airship crews on their mission, while Rook and Casiana watched.

"...Once you've made it into the prison airspace, you'll be targeted by their turrets without mercy. Your mission is to stay alive and keep your airships afloat. We'll need them to extract the prisoners." Twilight said.

"How are we supposed to keep the Cabal from shooting at us?" One pilot asked.

"The Guardians will trigger a landslide that will bury the guns." She replied. "One they're down, move in and deploy. Now, get your ships prepared to move out."

"Yes, commander!" The pilots chorused and they headed out. Twilight walked over and sighed.

"I'm still getting used to being called that." She sighed. "Are you ready to go?"

"Locked and loaded." Rook said. "We'll kick the door out and cut them down."

"Glad to hear it." Twilight replied. "Pick an airship and let's move out."

The Guardians boarded the lead ship, and as the hangar doors opened, the Resistance headed towards the occupied dragon lands.

=====
Cabal Detention Camp XV15
Dragon Lands, Crater Mountain

As the various Cabal soldiers supervised their own company of prisoners, Valus Cur'an, better known to the Resistance as "The Warden" walked into the main control room for the Flak turrets.

"Report." He barked.

"Yes, Valus." a Psion replied. "The new canister shells have been loaded into the guns, which are ready to fire on your word."

"See to it that nothing breaches this prison." He grunted before he retreated to his private quarters. He walked to a seemingly bare wall and pressed it back, revealing a small shrine. Above a golden medallion inlaid with dried Cabal Royal Nectar was a suit of Cabal Centurion's armor. Unlike the Red Legion's black and red plate, this armor was purple and gold, bearing the colors of the Loyalists, who sided with the deposed Emperor Calus, who now floated through space, exiled by Ghaul and his Red Legion. Cur'an took a small object, a Cabal audio log, and tapped a button.

"Journal of Valus Cu'ran, Four years and three days since exile." Cur'an spoke. "Dominus Ghaul has ordered that all Red Legion troops are to capture or kill the Guardians who have arrived here. I laugh at this, as every soldier knows that the Guardians ended Tau'uarc, the Shield Brothers, and countless more of our kind. I digress, however. Emperor Calus has issued me orders, befitting of our old friendship. I am to disrupt the Red Legion operations here as much as I can, for the Emperor tells me that his Loyalists will arrive soon to assault the Red Legion."

Cur'an took a deep breath before continuing.

"Yet, the Resistance forces here grow bolder and more dangerous by the moment. A Bracus managed to capture the Flash Sentry, but they were killed by Guardians who came to their rescue. If the Guardians, with their power over the Light, are coming here, however…I know what I must do."

Cur'an sighed.

"End log."

Cur'an brushed his hand over the gleaming violet and gold of his Loyalist armor, and growled. He slowly took each piece off it's mount, and entered his armory, knowing what came next would mean certain death if caught. He stepped out, now in his Loyalist armor, bearing a Headhunter Rifle, and opened up the interface for the Flak network through a console.

"I am through with hiding." He growled, changing the firing sequences on the turrets to target the main barracks, where the guards rested, along with setting the generators to overload, which would kill the prison's power supply. "Now, I come out the shadows. Let's see Ghaul depose...this."

He tapped the button for the Turrets to open fire.

As the Flak turrets opened fire on the main barracks, the Resistance forces watched in shock as the Cabal guns fired on their own troops.

"What's going on?" A pilot asked. "Those guns…"

"Are giving us a chance." Rook cried. "Let's go, we have no time to lose!"

As the Airships entered the camp, the surviving guards were either attacked by their own prisoners, or well-placed shots from the Resistance aerial troops. The Guardians leaped off their airship, and Rook crushed a Psion beneath him upon landing.

"Move out!" Rook cried as the Resistance began to storm the prison.

Author's Note

Yep, there are Cabal Loyalist double agents in the Red Legion. From what I've learned, Emperor Calus was usurped by Ghaul during the Midnight Coup, and exiled aboard the Leviathan. That's how Ghaul became a Dominus. In my mind, some Loyalists may have inflitrated the Red Legion, and that's how I came up with Valus Cur'an.

Nice twist, eh?