Our Finest Hourby FoxMcCloud7921ChaptersNewbie No MoreOperation SpearheadLong Way to the Crystal EmpireNewbie No MoreThree years. Three miserable years was how long this war lasted and at the end of it all, it would take even longer to rebuild everything that was lost. At the beginning, we weren’t sure what exactly was going on and why it was happening, but many of us enlisted, because who wasn’t willing to die for their country? As we found out, the Crystal Empire had returned under mysterious circumstances and ultimately declared war on Equestria, though it turned out King Sombra was the one pulling the strings behind this entire war and it was all about taking over the world, that kind of stuff. It should’ve been a short conflict, but the Empire was more prepared than we thought and after victory after victory, they were almost on Canterlot’s doorstep. That was where we came in: Omega Squad. We were the ones that took on the major challenges, helping here and there with the Equestrian Defense Force (EDF) and in some cases working on black ops missions. The best of the best as some said. However, even we were pushed to our limits and this war proved to be unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. To be honest…to this day I’m not sure how I’m still alive… - Excerpt from the diary of Sergeant Rainbow Dash, Omega Squad It had been almost a full year since the war began and morale was slowly starting to dip for the EDF. The Imperial war machine seemed to be going nonstop with their troops and artillery, almost overwhelming them at every turn. There had been some victories in between the string of defeats, but it was only delaying the inevitable. It took everything Equestria had to keep the enemy away from striking the capital. It had been a busy few months for Omega Squad. Missions had them going around the continent in all parts of the war front and they hardly got any rest, but they were used to that by now. For the moment, they were able to catch a fews z’s at least. The small town of Hoofington had managed to stay out of the war for at least a little awhile, until recently when intel reported that the Imperial Army was trying to make its way through the town in a recent push to hit the capital of Canterlot. Fortunately, there was enough time for the residents to evacuate and the town was currently deserted, save for the members of Omega Squad. Captain Spitfire was sitting on the roof of an abandoned shed that was next to a farmhouse, surrounded by a field of long grass. There had been no contact from HQ via radio about Imperial sightings so the least she could do was allow herself to get a little bit of relaxation. The weather was clear and the breeze was gentle, currently coming from the west. She got up and stretched slightly before looking down and seeing one of her fellow soldiers sleeping on the hood of a pickup truck. “Hey, no time for napping Dash,” she said in a slightly teasing tone. The girl with rainbow-colored hair opened one of her eyes. “I wasn’t napping, I was just resting my eyes.” “Sure you were,” Spitfire smiled slightly. “Don’t forget the enemy’s coming this way.” “I’m well aware of that,” Dash said. She frowned slightly. “It’s too bad really…it’s nice and peaceful here…except that’s not gonna last much longer is it?” “Probably not…” Spitfire sighed. “Still no word from HQ either, it’s almost as if-” She suddenly stopped. At that moment she realized the breeze had stopped as well and while that by itself was not unusual it often was a bad omen, at least for her. “What’s up Spits?” Dash was up, fully alert. “The wind has stopped…and you know what that means…” “Shit…” Dash suddenly grabbed her rifle and got on top of the truck’s hood. “Alright everyone, it’s go time! Get to your positions!” And in an instant, the field was suddenly full of bodies, all members of the same squad as they quickly made their way into the town, taking up defensive positions. “You think it’s them?” Dash asked as Spitfire jumped down. “If I’m right…” Spitfire started. About five seconds after that, an explosion erupted about fifty meters behind them, the result of an artillery blast. “Yep, it’s definitely them.” Suddenly her radio crackled to life. “Omega Squad, do you copy!?” Spitfire grabbed the small radio off her belt. “This is Omega, I copy.” “Imperial forces are headed in your direction. You must hold them back at all costs!” “Understand HQ, over and out.” Spitfire sighed as she clipped the radio back onto her waist. “In other words, don’t expect any reinforcements.” “What else is new…?” Dash grumbled. “Let’s hurry, if they’re shelling the place that gives us some time before they start moving in. Stick with me Dash and we’ll meet up with Soarin and Fleetfoot.” Dash grinned slightly. “This is where the fun begins.” One hour later… Dash was starting to regret her words as she practically sprinted down one of the empty streets and quickly found cover behind one of the buildings as gunfire erupted where she just was. Things had gone to shit almost immediately as the enemy’s attack proved to be much more aggressive than they planned, as they rained down mortar and artillery fire, leaving most of the buildings now in ruins. Omega had no choice but to retreat and unfortunately most of them had been separated due to the chaos. As of now, the Imperials were currently stationed on the other end of town and Dash was hoping Spitfire was planning on a counterattack. As she was determining her next move, her radio suddenly went off. “Dash, you copy!?” Speak of the devil… “Spitfire, please tell me you got a plan to send these assholes packing…” “I do, but some of the squad is still missing. You see a bell tower from where you are? Should be north-northeast.” Dash looked out from cover and saw the building to her two o’clock. “Yeah I see it. That’s our rendezvous point?” “Right. I got Misty on top of there so keep on her frequency in case you get into any trouble. Getting here is priority number one but if you see anyone else in trouble, do what you gotta do.” “Yes ma’am.” She then changed the frequency on her radio. “Misty, you copy?” “Good to see you’re still in one piece Dash,” Misty’s calm voice came through. “Good to see you’re my guardian angel at the moment,” Dash said, smiling slightly. “How’s it looking up there?” “The Imps are advancing slowly, being cautious since I ended up taking down three of their men so far. The good news is so far its only infantry but if we take too long to finish up and they call in backup this is going to get even uglier.” “Copy that, I’m on my way to your position.” The street was now clear for the moment, allowing Dash the opportunity to make her way across into one of the narrow alleyways. It was quieter for the most part due to the artillery barrage finally ceasing, but the sound of gunfire echoed across the town. At the end of all of this, these people would no longer have a home to come back to. It only strengthened Dash’s resolve and increased her eagerness to put a bullet in one of those Imp’s heads. As she came across a connecting alleyway, a hand suddenly shot out and grabbed her, pulling her in. Reacting quickly, Dash pulled out her sidearm with her free hand and quickly pointed it towards her target! “Whoa take it easy Dash! It’s just me!” Dash suddenly froze as she recognized the person in front of her. The short blonde hair on her shoulders quickly gave the culprit away. “Lightning Dust!? Son of a bitch, you scared me! I almost put a bullet into you.” “Well that’s a nice way of saying you’re welcome,” Dust said slightly teasingly. The small machine gun in her hands identified her as a shock trooper, the ones who were usually first into the battle. Shock troopers and scouts - which Dash was and her class was responsible for recon and being able to take out enemies from a longer distance - worked hand in hand as they essentially provided backup for one another. It was only appropriate that Dash and Dust, who were close friends, often worked together. “There’s a patrol coming down the street up ahead,” Dust explained. “Not saying you wouldn’t have seen them but you’d kinda be screwed on your own.” “Fine, thank you Dust,” Dash grumbled slightly. “See, wasn’t too hard was it? Anyway, now that you’re here, we can really wreck some havoc.” “You do realize we’re supposed to meet at the bell tower?” “Course I do, but Spits never said we had to be quiet about it.” Dash groaned. It was amazing how she got along with this girl. “Fine whatever, let’s just get a move on.” “Follow me.” Dust took the two of them down the connecting alley which led to another wide open street. Upon reaching the next block, Dust motioned for them to stop. “Down there.” Dash looked down the street and saw the backs of about six Imperial troopers walking down the road. If they were here, that only meant getting to the bell tower was going to be much harder. “What do you think?” Dust asked. “Should we just take them out?” “They’re way too far out of range.” “Yeah well it’s a good thing I have one of these and a very good throwing arm,” Dust said as she pulled out a grenade before pulling the pin. She then threw it as hard as she could and the arc she had was almost unbelievable. It landed just behind the troopers’ feet and before they could react it went off, sending the six of them flying straight into the concrete. “Damn that felt good!” Dust cheered. “You better hope that didn’t alert the rest of them to our presence.” “You worry too much Dash. You’re starting to sound like our dear Captain…” “Gee, wonder why…” The two of them made their way across the next street…only to run into a barricade. “Oh come on!” Dash groaned. Unfortunately, they were outnumbered so going in guns blazing wouldn’t work. Unless… “Misty, do you copy? I could use a little distraction on your end…” “Where would you be without me?” Misty said with a scolding tone, though Dash could imagine she had a grin on her face. “Where’s your location?” Dash took a look around her surroundings. “About fifty kilometers southeast of your position. Bunch of Imps near a theater.” Misty was quiet for a few moments. “Okay got ‘em. Yep, that’s probably more than you can handle on your own.” “Hey don’t forget about me,” Dust said with an annoyed tone. “Is that Dust? …Well even then you’re probably still screwed.” “Love you too hun.” “Just need a distraction and we’ll take care of the rest,” Dash said. “Alright, just give me the cue when you’re ready,” Misty replied. Dash looked over to Dust who then nodded. “Go for it.” It only took a few moments before a shot rang out and a small explosion went off - Misty had set off a large container of what had to have been fuel and the entire platoon stationed there was caught off guard, not paying attention to the two women behind them. Dash fired off the first shot, which went through the soldier’s head, killing him instantly while Dust unloaded a full clip into the remaining troops, dropping them all instantly. “Thanks for the assist Misty. We’re moving out.” Dust looked over as she heard a grunt of pain. One of the soldiers managed to survive the barrage of bullets. She then pulled out her pistol and without a word shot him in the head, killing him instantly. “That’s one less Imp we need to worry about,” Dust said. “We could’ve interrogated him you know,” Dash snapped. “Wouldn’t matter, I doubt he’d talk anyway,” Dust said calmly, the humor again gone from her face. “Besides, they’d rather die than betray their country. Honorable, I guess…anyway, let’s get a move on yeah?” She moved past Dash, who could only sit there and stare at the large amount of bodies before joining her. After another five minutes, they were able to finally make it to the bell tower, where the rest of the squad was stationed. “Took you two long enough,” Spitfire said. “Almost missed the big show.” “Show?” Dash asked. Moments after she finished her question, explosions rang out north of them. “I sent Vapor Trails and Blaze to lay down some mines before the infantry showed up,” Spitfire said. “And we’re talking about the ones that go off in a chain reaction.” “You sent the rookie out there?” Dust stared at her. “Private Trails is quite skilled when it comes to explosives so I put her to the test,” Spitfire said matter-of-factly. “Don’t worry, why do you think I sent Blaze with her?” Suddenly, a figure slid down the railing along the bell tower and quickly made her way over to the group. “Captain, it’s the enemy,” Misty said. “They’ve turned tail and run!” “…Maybe I didn’t give her enough credit,” Spitfire said with a grin. “Good work Omega! The enemy was willing to shell this town completely but we stood strong nevertheless! Tonight, drinks are on me!” The rest of the squad started cheering, though it wasn’t clear if it was due to victory or getting free drinks. However, Dash looked slightly concerned. “That’s great and all, but they didn’t put up as much of a fight as they usually did.” “Dash, come on, for once can you not be a downer?” Dust said. “They obviously thought this place was lightly defended and got caught off guard. Sure, they may come back but we’ll be ready for them…as long as they don’t send in a huge tank brigade.” Dash sighed and then smiled slightly. “Yeah you’re right…guess we all deserve to get a little wasted tonight.” It was still early in the war and was only the third battle I participated in and by that point I thought I had figured out the enemy’s strategy. But little did I know what the Empire was willing to do - and how far they would go - to achieve victory and what victory for us was going to cost. Author's Note Before I started writing this, I wasn't happy with And Ever We Fight On, and while I wanted to stay true to pony, I felt like I was being limited in what the characters could do. Therefore, I again scrapped the story and I'm now starting new, although most of the ideas I had for the previous fic will be put into this one. Also, if anyone can guess why I chose omega you'll...uh...I dunno get a cookie? Or recognition for how awesome you are? I dunno... Operation SpearheadA few hours later, most of the squad was sitting in the bar located inside the FOB just outside of Hoofington. After the Imperial forces had finally retreated, it wasn’t long before reinforcements had shown up and despite the squad’s annoyance, Spitfire managed to keep her cool as she gave her report. But now, there was only laughter and a huge sense of pride. “I gotta admit that was one hell of a shot Misty,” Dust said with a grin on her face as she took a sip of her beer. If the entire EDF had snipers of your caliber this war would’ve ended weeks ago.” “As nice as that would be, I’d hate not being able to boast,” Misty smirked. “Besides, Omega Squad wouldn’t be as significant to the war effort without me.” “Yeah yeah, whatever you say,” Soarin said as he took a sip of his drink. “Let’s all be honest here: we wouldn’t function as a team without our great Captain and leader.” “Don’t even start getting sappy and kissing my ass,” Spitfire said, though the small smile showed a bit of flattery. “The only reason we work so well together is because the majority of us worked together for so many years. We’re family, regardless of whether we’re the Wonderbolts or Omega Squad. And that goes the same for the newbies.” Dash was sitting in her chair, mostly staying quiet as she sipped her drink. She was usually more outspoken but when she was with the group she tended to be a little more hesitant to start conversation. Not really a surprise since she practically idolized these people. She then felt a nudge to her side and as she looked over she saw Fleetfoot smiling in her direction. “Hey guys, let’s not forget how quick Dash is rising through the ranks. Only a few months and she’s already a sergeant. By winter she’ll probably be a lieutenant.” “Oh come on Fleetfoot, I’m not that impressive,” Dash said, chuckling slightly as she tried to add some humor to all the praise. “Yeah really, you can’t forget about me,” Dust said. “I mean, sometimes I think Dash wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for me backing her up.” Dash merely rolled her eyes in response. “Eh…I guess you’re okay,” Spitfire said. “I only gave you the rank of sergeant so you wouldn’t try outdoing Dash and accidentally blow yourself up.” “To be fair,” Dust said. “That ammunition store blowing up only occurred due to the slight change in wind direction that caused my bullet to go off course and ricochet off the wall and hit said store.” “Oh man, that was pretty awesome,” Soarin said. “Well…until Spits got an earful from General Hailstorm.” “I rather get shot in the leg than have to go through that again…” Spitfire said as she downed her glass. “If he didn’t outrank me I’d be so tempted to kick him square in the nuts…” “Insubordination, I love it,” Misty giggled. “Hey where’s the rookie? Vapor Trails?” “She’s back at the barracks,” Dust said. “She’s not much of a drinker unfortunately.” “That doesn’t mean she can’t hang out with us,” Fleetfoot said. “Just get a ginger ale or something.” “Nah, knowing her she’s probably writing a letter to her parents,” Dash said. From what Vapor had told her, her parents were very much against her joining the war, not that they didn’t support the war, but merely out of fear of the possibility of losing their own daughter. However, they didn’t put up much resistance but Vapor had promised to send them a letter after every battle she was in, to show she was still alive and doing everything she could to help serve her country. Now that Dash thought about it, she was thinking she should write a letter to her parents as well. As long as they don’t try to send another embarrassing care package… "I hope I don’t have to remind all of you not to go overboard tonight,” Spitfire said as she finished her drink and stood up. “Meeting’s at oh-nine hundred tomorrow and if you can’t walk two feet in a straight line don’t even bother showing up. As for me, I got a nice comfy bunk calling my name…” With a small wave she left the bar. “Funny, for a leader I would’ve thought she’d wait til we all leave,” Soarin said. “That’s because I’m obviously the one in charge now,” Fleetfoot teased. “And I say, another round!” Fortunately the next morning no one appeared to be hung over, or at least not to the point where it was noticeable as Dash made her way through the barracks towards the showers. She was a casual drinker whereas Dust tended to go a little overboard, or at least she would if Dash wasn’t present. She quickly undressed and turned on the water, wincing as always when the cold water first hits her. She had scars all across parts of her body, mostly from slight scrapes with bullets or debris, but the most noticeable was across her left eye. A close encounter with a sniper one time caused a large chunk of concrete to strike her against the eye, though she was fortunate it wasn’t damaged and instead left her bleeding down the side of her face. At least now she could say it gave her a disposition that intimidated those who wanted to tell her and, as Dust had said a few times, it was pretty badass looking. “Mind if I join?” Dash didn’t even turn to look, knowing fully well Dust was behind her and was, of course, naked. “If I say no, are you still going to come in here?” Dash asked with a slight smile. “Pretty much, though I’ll try not to do what I did last time and drop the soap and make Misty…well you know.” Dash felt her cheeks going warm. “I thought we promised not to talk about that anymore…” “Oh relax, it was a harmless misinterpretation, I honestly don’t care,” Dust said as she shrugged. Besides, we usually have like five to ten girls in here at one time so I’m used to seeing naked girls. Hell, even Spits isn’t too hard on the eyes…” “Dust, just stop. Please.” The two of them were quiet for the next few minutes. “So what do you think we’ll be doing this time?” Dust finally spoke. “You heard HQ. They’re sending everything they have for a full-front offensive.” “And we’re the tip of the spear I take it?” “Pretty much…meaning we’ll be thrust right into enemy territory and soften things up for the rest of the army.” “We’re never getting that time off are we?” “Probably not…” Dust sighed as she leaned against the wall. “Well I guess its what we signed up for huh? Honestly…I’m not sure if I can go back to normalize so easily…probably be too damn paranoid…” “I don’t think any of us will,” Dash said as she finally turned off the water. “The only thing worse than the amount of people not coming back is the ones who are…and how they’re never going to be the same again…” “…Well it’s a good thing I already have a dark sense of humor then,” Dust said with a rather large grin. “It’ll take more than a little PTSD to bring me down…” An hour later, all members were present and sitting in the chairs provided in the meeting room as General Hailstorm stood in front of them, hovering over a large table. “By now I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors so I’m going to make it official: Operation Spearhead is about to commence and, appropriately, Omega Squad will be leading the charge, though as always you’ll be working from behind the scenes.” Dust couldn’t help but give Dash a glance. “You’re going to be dropped about ten kilometers into enemy territory. The target is a hydroelectric dam that uses a water source from the Crystal Mountains. This dam generates a lot of power throughout the area, used mostly for their security systems and spotlights. If we can take it out, not only will it delay the enemy but it gives us an open window to attack. “Now, our intel also reports that there’s a supply depot nearby as well and while the dam is your primary objective, if you can take out as much of their equipment as you can, it’ll make it much easier for our main army. Any questions?” “How tight will security be?” Spitfire asked. “Tighter than an eighteen-year old on prom night,” Hailstorm replied. Most people would’ve been turned off by the general’s crude humor, but Omega was quite used to it by now and Dust has to suppress a snort. “Thankfully we’re on a new moon cycle at the moment so you should be rather well concealed but rest assured they’ll most likely be ready for anything. Any other questions?” It was quiet and Hailstorm straightened his posture. “There’s one other thing I need to mention: once this mission begins, you’re all going to be in it for the long-haul. As soon as you hit enemy ground, you’re going to be seeing a lot of it the next several weeks, possibly months. I can’t guarantee when you’ll be coming back in the near future, or even if leave will be possible, so if I were you, I’d let your loved ones know it’s going to be a long campaign. We’re going to hit the Empire with everything we got but reaching the capital will be our greatest struggle. “One final thing: make sure you bundle up cause up north its damn cold almost all year round.” Long Way to the Crystal EmpireIt was close to 00:00 hours as the plane traveled close to the border of Imperial territory. There was no small talk or time for jokes, it was all serious now, as the members of Omega Squad sat on the large benches along the back of the plane and waited. It wasn’t long before a light started flashing, prompting everyone to get up and make their way to the side door. Spitfire opened it and they were all met with a sudden gust of wind. Dash was thankful the military had uniforms that were compatible of withstanding the cold as she shivered slightly. “Remember, meet at the rendezvous point!” Spitfire yelled over the loud roar of the wind. “And watch out for any trees!” She then nodded to Soarin, who repeated the gesture before being the first to jump out of the plane. Fleetfoot followed suit, jumping after him and the team jumped out one after the other. Dash was among the few left and once she got the nod from Spitfire, she steeled herself, remembering her training as she jumped out of the plane, feeling the rush of wind hit her straight in the face as she pointed herself towards the ground. It was her first air drop at nighttime, which meant it was much more difficult to see her squad mates but she knew to stay in one direction in order to not be blown off too far. Once she hit a certain altitude, her parachute automatically deployed and the sudden jolt was enough to knock the breath out of her. Luckily, she landed in a clearing and as soon as she hit ground, she detached the parachute from her back before grabbing her rifle that was slung on her shoulder and made her way to the rendezvous point, which was about a kilometer away. It took about five minutes to make her way over to the squad, though judging by the tension in the air something was wrong. “Spitfire wasn’t with you?” Soarin asked. Dash shook her head. “There was only Blaze and Spitfire after me. She must’ve landed further out than I did.” “I only just got here,” Blaze said, looking worried. “Shit, you don’t think she got stuck in a tree or something do you?” “That would be hilariously ironic,” Dust said, earning her severe glares. “Um…if this was a training exercise I mean.” “Soarin, you’re second-in-command, what do we do?” Fleetfoot asked. Soarin, himself a lieutenant, looked hesitant but only for a moment. “We wait…we’re still ahead of schedule so we can afford to wait for her. After all, no one gets left behind.” “You’re damn right about that…” Everyone suddenly turned around and saw Spitfire coming towards them. Dash suddenly noticed there was blood covering a part of her uniform. Others must’ve had the same look since Spitfire suddenly said, “It’s not my blood, don’t worry. I ended up running into a sentry, believe it or not. They probably won’t find him til the sun comes up.” “I swear, either you have the worst luck or you just love getting into a fight,” Misty commented. Spitfire grinned. “It’s luck so far that’s keeping me alive.” The grin quickly faded. “But enough chitchat, we got a mission to complete. On me, and make sure your night goggles are working right.” The mood turned serious again as the squad spread out in a loose formation as they made their way towards the dam. The night vision googles were a godsend, considering there was no moonlight and it was pitch black. However, the closer they got to the dam, the lighter it became. As expected, there were searchlights along the perimeter, but they were spaced out far enough to cause blind spots, which gave Omega Squad enough room to make it towards the perimeter. The hard part now was how to get inside. Fortunately, they managed to come prepared. “Aim for any gaps,” Spitfire said as she pulled out a grappling gun. The rest of the squad followed suit and aimed for the grating right below the balcony. Once the hooks connected, they were lurched forward towards the grating and quickly grabbed onto the railing before pulling themselves up. “So far so good,” Spitfire said. “Now’s where we split into two groups. Misty, think this is a good vantage point for you?” Misty glanced around. “It’ll do I suppose.” “Good. Remember, weapons silent, that goes for radio too unless we’re dealing with a major emergency. Soarin; you, Fleets, Blaze and Vapes will take the generator on the first floor while me, Dash, and Dust will take the one on the third floor. As soon as the power goes out, chaos will ensue so be ready for anything. Any questions? Good, let’s get to work.” The two groups split off, Spitfire’s group taking the stairs up to the third floor. “Security seems lighter than expected,” Dash commented. “Doesn’t that ring any alarms?” “Yeah, a little bit…but we gotta complete our mission,” Spitfire said. “Dust, you watch our sixes.” “Got it ma’am.” According to the blueprints that were provided, the generator was located in one of the rooms on the third floor. The issue was getting there without detection. They found that out as soon as they went through the door. “Shit, cameras…” Spitfire swore. “As if sentries weren’t enough… Alright, it looks like they swindle on a hundred-eighty degree axis so as long as we stick to the walls we should be okay.” Fortunately, there were corners that offered as blind spots. “Would just be easier to shoot them,” Dust offered. “If half of their cameras go offline, they’ll find it more than suspicious,” Spitfire replied. “And I doubt the security room is up here.” The good news was that the cameras only appeared to be located in the entrances and exits to the third floor. However, there were at least two sentries walking along the perimeter and both were heavily armed. As the closest sentry passed by them unknowingly, Spitfire glanced at Dash before nodding towards the sentry. Dash knew what was being asked as she slowly went down the hall. Keeping her footsteps as quiet as she could, she approached the guard quickly, pulling out her knife and steeled herself for the coming attack. As soon as she was a mere foot from him, she lunged forward, putting her one arm around his neck while the other that carried the knife aimed for the slight gap in his armor at his neck and plunged the blade deep into him. The attack was instant and the guard had no time to react before he quickly crumpled to the ground. Acting quick, Dash pulled out the knife and dragged the body behind a large group of crates. Now they had to move quick or else security would probably notice one of their guards was missing. After she gave the all clear, Spitfire and Dust followed behind her as they made their way towards the generator room, which was given away by both the sign on the door and the large warning sign above it. breaching through the door, they were surprised to find the room unattended. “Wow no kidding, the security here is pretty lax…” Dust said. “No time for chitchat, get that bomb ready Dust,” Spitfire snapped. “Yeah yeah…” Dust took out the small device from her belt and started attaching it to the generator. “I programmed it to set off in forty-five seconds so hopefully this doesn’t blow up half the facility.” “It’s going to be self-contained, weren’t you paying attention at all?” Dash asked, rolling her eyes. “Ehehe…” Suddenly, they felt the ground underneath shake slightly. “Wait…was that…?” Dash began. “Shit, they detonated theirs too quickly,” Spitfire swore. “Dust can you reset the timer on that.” “No, I programmed it to be not reprogrammed, as you requested,” Dust said. Spitfire groaned. “Just get it activated. We’ll just have to settle for Plan B.” “Plan B? You didn’t mention a plan B.” Dash said. “I’m making it up right now.” “Alright, activated and clock is ticking,” Dust said. “Good, you two get the hell out immediately.” “Wait, what the hell are you-?” Spitfire pulled out a grenade. “I’m shortening the timer.” Dash and Dust glanced at one another before getting the hell out of there. Spitfire made her way towards the door before pulling the pin and tossing the grenade towards the generator. She then pulled down her night vision goggles. “You two might want to put those goggles on right about…” Suddenly an explosion ripped through the room next to them, slamming the door off its hinges before everything went pitch black. “Now.” It wasn’t long before an alarm rang out and emergency lights turned on. “Guess we got their attention now,” Dust commented. “Alright, weapons free and make your way towards the rendezvous point,” Spitfire said. As they made their towards the exit, it wasn’t long before reinforcements showed up and bullets suddenly riddled the hallway. Luckily, the darkness managed to affect the enemy’s aim while Omega’s aim was on point. “Soarin, give me a sit rep,” Spitfire said urgently. “Everyone’s fine here…Vapes detonator malfunctioned.” Judging by the tone of his voice, Soarin didn’t feel good about having to report the mess up. “Don’t worry about it, mission’s complete. Just get to the rendezvous point,” Spitfire said before she changed frequencies. “Misty, please tell me you’ve cleared an escape route for us.” “Well, I’m not sure if they’ll notice about…twelve of their men missing but that should give you a clear shot to the exit. I’ll be down there shortly.” “Roger.” Spitfire clicked off the radio. “This entire facility will be put on lockdown if we don’t get out now. Misty’s given us an opening so let’s hurry!” The three of them had switched to their sidearms as they made their way towards the nearest exit. They could hear yells behind them as the enemy was trying to reorganize and it wasn’t long before bullets started firing at them from behind. Once they finally reached the outside, the situation wasn’t any better as Misty appeared to be pinned down. “Took you three long enough!” Misty yelled as she brandished her pistol. “Where are the others!?” Spitfire yelled as poked out and took a shot. “I got cut off from the rest, I think you pissed them off!” Spitfire looked down and saw a blog stain on Misty’s left leg. “Can you still walk?” “Yeah…but I don’t think the bullet went through all the way. Hurts like a bitch.” “Dash, Dust give us some cover fire.” The two of them opened fire at the soldiers who had been slowly advancing but now ducked under cover. “You’re clear, go!” Dash yelled. With Spitfire’s help, she and Misty made their way towards the large gate. “Funny how its always us two that have to deal with the stragglers!” Dust joked as she fully unloaded a clip into a group of soldiers, most of them ended up riddled with bullets. “Come on, we can’t stay here!” Dash yelled as she took out a grenade and pulled the pin before tossing it behind her. The sudden panic and explosion gave the two enough time to make their way out through the entrance gates as they made their way into the forest. “I’m not seeing any enemies,” Dust panted slightly. “Think the others took care of them?” “Just keep your eyes open and focus on the rendezvous point,” Dash replied. She looked back and saw a group of soldiers were following from behind. “We need to lose these guys though.” “Yeah…sorry about this.” Before Dash could respond, Dust suddenly pushed her into the large bush beside her before jumping in as well. Dash had every intention of snapping at her but Dust coyly put a finger to her lips. The two of them stood still, holding their breath as the sound of footsteps got closer and closer. Dash held her pistol in one hand and knife in the other, ready for a fight if it came to it. It wasn’t long before the footsteps sounded in front of them and the shadows of the enemy soldiers appeared in front of them. For a moment they stopped and as Dash glanced over at Dust, she was starting to see regret in the girl’s eyes, regretting the stupid idea she came up with on the fly. Suddenly, a hand clasped over Dash’s mouth and as she was about to react, she saw the orange-yellow hair behind her and relaxed slightly as it was only Spitfire. Next to her was Fleetfoot and judging by Dust’s look on her face, she almost looked like she wet her pants. Finally, the shadows moved on and the sound of footsteps echoed farther and farther. Spitfire breathed out in relief. “That was close. Not exactly the best place to hide but you lost them at least.” “I’d appreciate a little more warning next time,” Dash grumbled. “”H-Hey easy there Fleetfoot, not so hard…” “Dust for fuck’s sake will you please cut the shit for once?” Fleetfoot said, rolling her eyes. “Well maybe you shouldn’t put your hand so close to my chest hmm?” “I…” Fleetfoot had no response as she started blushing. “I hate you.” “Love you too Fleets.” “Alright, that’s enough,” Spitfire said as the four of them got out of the bush. “The others are just ahead. Once we regroup we move on.” “I’m guessing the army can’t give us a lift?” Dash asked. Spitfire snorted. “We’re meeting up with the army, but don’t expect too many breaks. Operation Spearhead has just begun and we’re a long way from the Crystal Empire…”
Newbie No MoreThree years. Three miserable years was how long this war lasted and at the end of it all, it would take even longer to rebuild everything that was lost. At the beginning, we weren’t sure what exactly was going on and why it was happening, but many of us enlisted, because who wasn’t willing to die for their country? As we found out, the Crystal Empire had returned under mysterious circumstances and ultimately declared war on Equestria, though it turned out King Sombra was the one pulling the strings behind this entire war and it was all about taking over the world, that kind of stuff. It should’ve been a short conflict, but the Empire was more prepared than we thought and after victory after victory, they were almost on Canterlot’s doorstep. That was where we came in: Omega Squad. We were the ones that took on the major challenges, helping here and there with the Equestrian Defense Force (EDF) and in some cases working on black ops missions. The best of the best as some said. However, even we were pushed to our limits and this war proved to be unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. To be honest…to this day I’m not sure how I’m still alive… - Excerpt from the diary of Sergeant Rainbow Dash, Omega Squad It had been almost a full year since the war began and morale was slowly starting to dip for the EDF. The Imperial war machine seemed to be going nonstop with their troops and artillery, almost overwhelming them at every turn. There had been some victories in between the string of defeats, but it was only delaying the inevitable. It took everything Equestria had to keep the enemy away from striking the capital. It had been a busy few months for Omega Squad. Missions had them going around the continent in all parts of the war front and they hardly got any rest, but they were used to that by now. For the moment, they were able to catch a fews z’s at least. The small town of Hoofington had managed to stay out of the war for at least a little awhile, until recently when intel reported that the Imperial Army was trying to make its way through the town in a recent push to hit the capital of Canterlot. Fortunately, there was enough time for the residents to evacuate and the town was currently deserted, save for the members of Omega Squad. Captain Spitfire was sitting on the roof of an abandoned shed that was next to a farmhouse, surrounded by a field of long grass. There had been no contact from HQ via radio about Imperial sightings so the least she could do was allow herself to get a little bit of relaxation. The weather was clear and the breeze was gentle, currently coming from the west. She got up and stretched slightly before looking down and seeing one of her fellow soldiers sleeping on the hood of a pickup truck. “Hey, no time for napping Dash,” she said in a slightly teasing tone. The girl with rainbow-colored hair opened one of her eyes. “I wasn’t napping, I was just resting my eyes.” “Sure you were,” Spitfire smiled slightly. “Don’t forget the enemy’s coming this way.” “I’m well aware of that,” Dash said. She frowned slightly. “It’s too bad really…it’s nice and peaceful here…except that’s not gonna last much longer is it?” “Probably not…” Spitfire sighed. “Still no word from HQ either, it’s almost as if-” She suddenly stopped. At that moment she realized the breeze had stopped as well and while that by itself was not unusual it often was a bad omen, at least for her. “What’s up Spits?” Dash was up, fully alert. “The wind has stopped…and you know what that means…” “Shit…” Dash suddenly grabbed her rifle and got on top of the truck’s hood. “Alright everyone, it’s go time! Get to your positions!” And in an instant, the field was suddenly full of bodies, all members of the same squad as they quickly made their way into the town, taking up defensive positions. “You think it’s them?” Dash asked as Spitfire jumped down. “If I’m right…” Spitfire started. About five seconds after that, an explosion erupted about fifty meters behind them, the result of an artillery blast. “Yep, it’s definitely them.” Suddenly her radio crackled to life. “Omega Squad, do you copy!?” Spitfire grabbed the small radio off her belt. “This is Omega, I copy.” “Imperial forces are headed in your direction. You must hold them back at all costs!” “Understand HQ, over and out.” Spitfire sighed as she clipped the radio back onto her waist. “In other words, don’t expect any reinforcements.” “What else is new…?” Dash grumbled. “Let’s hurry, if they’re shelling the place that gives us some time before they start moving in. Stick with me Dash and we’ll meet up with Soarin and Fleetfoot.” Dash grinned slightly. “This is where the fun begins.” One hour later… Dash was starting to regret her words as she practically sprinted down one of the empty streets and quickly found cover behind one of the buildings as gunfire erupted where she just was. Things had gone to shit almost immediately as the enemy’s attack proved to be much more aggressive than they planned, as they rained down mortar and artillery fire, leaving most of the buildings now in ruins. Omega had no choice but to retreat and unfortunately most of them had been separated due to the chaos. As of now, the Imperials were currently stationed on the other end of town and Dash was hoping Spitfire was planning on a counterattack. As she was determining her next move, her radio suddenly went off. “Dash, you copy!?” Speak of the devil… “Spitfire, please tell me you got a plan to send these assholes packing…” “I do, but some of the squad is still missing. You see a bell tower from where you are? Should be north-northeast.” Dash looked out from cover and saw the building to her two o’clock. “Yeah I see it. That’s our rendezvous point?” “Right. I got Misty on top of there so keep on her frequency in case you get into any trouble. Getting here is priority number one but if you see anyone else in trouble, do what you gotta do.” “Yes ma’am.” She then changed the frequency on her radio. “Misty, you copy?” “Good to see you’re still in one piece Dash,” Misty’s calm voice came through. “Good to see you’re my guardian angel at the moment,” Dash said, smiling slightly. “How’s it looking up there?” “The Imps are advancing slowly, being cautious since I ended up taking down three of their men so far. The good news is so far its only infantry but if we take too long to finish up and they call in backup this is going to get even uglier.” “Copy that, I’m on my way to your position.” The street was now clear for the moment, allowing Dash the opportunity to make her way across into one of the narrow alleyways. It was quieter for the most part due to the artillery barrage finally ceasing, but the sound of gunfire echoed across the town. At the end of all of this, these people would no longer have a home to come back to. It only strengthened Dash’s resolve and increased her eagerness to put a bullet in one of those Imp’s heads. As she came across a connecting alleyway, a hand suddenly shot out and grabbed her, pulling her in. Reacting quickly, Dash pulled out her sidearm with her free hand and quickly pointed it towards her target! “Whoa take it easy Dash! It’s just me!” Dash suddenly froze as she recognized the person in front of her. The short blonde hair on her shoulders quickly gave the culprit away. “Lightning Dust!? Son of a bitch, you scared me! I almost put a bullet into you.” “Well that’s a nice way of saying you’re welcome,” Dust said slightly teasingly. The small machine gun in her hands identified her as a shock trooper, the ones who were usually first into the battle. Shock troopers and scouts - which Dash was and her class was responsible for recon and being able to take out enemies from a longer distance - worked hand in hand as they essentially provided backup for one another. It was only appropriate that Dash and Dust, who were close friends, often worked together. “There’s a patrol coming down the street up ahead,” Dust explained. “Not saying you wouldn’t have seen them but you’d kinda be screwed on your own.” “Fine, thank you Dust,” Dash grumbled slightly. “See, wasn’t too hard was it? Anyway, now that you’re here, we can really wreck some havoc.” “You do realize we’re supposed to meet at the bell tower?” “Course I do, but Spits never said we had to be quiet about it.” Dash groaned. It was amazing how she got along with this girl. “Fine whatever, let’s just get a move on.” “Follow me.” Dust took the two of them down the connecting alley which led to another wide open street. Upon reaching the next block, Dust motioned for them to stop. “Down there.” Dash looked down the street and saw the backs of about six Imperial troopers walking down the road. If they were here, that only meant getting to the bell tower was going to be much harder. “What do you think?” Dust asked. “Should we just take them out?” “They’re way too far out of range.” “Yeah well it’s a good thing I have one of these and a very good throwing arm,” Dust said as she pulled out a grenade before pulling the pin. She then threw it as hard as she could and the arc she had was almost unbelievable. It landed just behind the troopers’ feet and before they could react it went off, sending the six of them flying straight into the concrete. “Damn that felt good!” Dust cheered. “You better hope that didn’t alert the rest of them to our presence.” “You worry too much Dash. You’re starting to sound like our dear Captain…” “Gee, wonder why…” The two of them made their way across the next street…only to run into a barricade. “Oh come on!” Dash groaned. Unfortunately, they were outnumbered so going in guns blazing wouldn’t work. Unless… “Misty, do you copy? I could use a little distraction on your end…” “Where would you be without me?” Misty said with a scolding tone, though Dash could imagine she had a grin on her face. “Where’s your location?” Dash took a look around her surroundings. “About fifty kilometers southeast of your position. Bunch of Imps near a theater.” Misty was quiet for a few moments. “Okay got ‘em. Yep, that’s probably more than you can handle on your own.” “Hey don’t forget about me,” Dust said with an annoyed tone. “Is that Dust? …Well even then you’re probably still screwed.” “Love you too hun.” “Just need a distraction and we’ll take care of the rest,” Dash said. “Alright, just give me the cue when you’re ready,” Misty replied. Dash looked over to Dust who then nodded. “Go for it.” It only took a few moments before a shot rang out and a small explosion went off - Misty had set off a large container of what had to have been fuel and the entire platoon stationed there was caught off guard, not paying attention to the two women behind them. Dash fired off the first shot, which went through the soldier’s head, killing him instantly while Dust unloaded a full clip into the remaining troops, dropping them all instantly. “Thanks for the assist Misty. We’re moving out.” Dust looked over as she heard a grunt of pain. One of the soldiers managed to survive the barrage of bullets. She then pulled out her pistol and without a word shot him in the head, killing him instantly. “That’s one less Imp we need to worry about,” Dust said. “We could’ve interrogated him you know,” Dash snapped. “Wouldn’t matter, I doubt he’d talk anyway,” Dust said calmly, the humor again gone from her face. “Besides, they’d rather die than betray their country. Honorable, I guess…anyway, let’s get a move on yeah?” She moved past Dash, who could only sit there and stare at the large amount of bodies before joining her. After another five minutes, they were able to finally make it to the bell tower, where the rest of the squad was stationed. “Took you two long enough,” Spitfire said. “Almost missed the big show.” “Show?” Dash asked. Moments after she finished her question, explosions rang out north of them. “I sent Vapor Trails and Blaze to lay down some mines before the infantry showed up,” Spitfire said. “And we’re talking about the ones that go off in a chain reaction.” “You sent the rookie out there?” Dust stared at her. “Private Trails is quite skilled when it comes to explosives so I put her to the test,” Spitfire said matter-of-factly. “Don’t worry, why do you think I sent Blaze with her?” Suddenly, a figure slid down the railing along the bell tower and quickly made her way over to the group. “Captain, it’s the enemy,” Misty said. “They’ve turned tail and run!” “…Maybe I didn’t give her enough credit,” Spitfire said with a grin. “Good work Omega! The enemy was willing to shell this town completely but we stood strong nevertheless! Tonight, drinks are on me!” The rest of the squad started cheering, though it wasn’t clear if it was due to victory or getting free drinks. However, Dash looked slightly concerned. “That’s great and all, but they didn’t put up as much of a fight as they usually did.” “Dash, come on, for once can you not be a downer?” Dust said. “They obviously thought this place was lightly defended and got caught off guard. Sure, they may come back but we’ll be ready for them…as long as they don’t send in a huge tank brigade.” Dash sighed and then smiled slightly. “Yeah you’re right…guess we all deserve to get a little wasted tonight.” It was still early in the war and was only the third battle I participated in and by that point I thought I had figured out the enemy’s strategy. But little did I know what the Empire was willing to do - and how far they would go - to achieve victory and what victory for us was going to cost. Author's Note Before I started writing this, I wasn't happy with And Ever We Fight On, and while I wanted to stay true to pony, I felt like I was being limited in what the characters could do. Therefore, I again scrapped the story and I'm now starting new, although most of the ideas I had for the previous fic will be put into this one. Also, if anyone can guess why I chose omega you'll...uh...I dunno get a cookie? Or recognition for how awesome you are? I dunno...
Operation SpearheadA few hours later, most of the squad was sitting in the bar located inside the FOB just outside of Hoofington. After the Imperial forces had finally retreated, it wasn’t long before reinforcements had shown up and despite the squad’s annoyance, Spitfire managed to keep her cool as she gave her report. But now, there was only laughter and a huge sense of pride. “I gotta admit that was one hell of a shot Misty,” Dust said with a grin on her face as she took a sip of her beer. If the entire EDF had snipers of your caliber this war would’ve ended weeks ago.” “As nice as that would be, I’d hate not being able to boast,” Misty smirked. “Besides, Omega Squad wouldn’t be as significant to the war effort without me.” “Yeah yeah, whatever you say,” Soarin said as he took a sip of his drink. “Let’s all be honest here: we wouldn’t function as a team without our great Captain and leader.” “Don’t even start getting sappy and kissing my ass,” Spitfire said, though the small smile showed a bit of flattery. “The only reason we work so well together is because the majority of us worked together for so many years. We’re family, regardless of whether we’re the Wonderbolts or Omega Squad. And that goes the same for the newbies.” Dash was sitting in her chair, mostly staying quiet as she sipped her drink. She was usually more outspoken but when she was with the group she tended to be a little more hesitant to start conversation. Not really a surprise since she practically idolized these people. She then felt a nudge to her side and as she looked over she saw Fleetfoot smiling in her direction. “Hey guys, let’s not forget how quick Dash is rising through the ranks. Only a few months and she’s already a sergeant. By winter she’ll probably be a lieutenant.” “Oh come on Fleetfoot, I’m not that impressive,” Dash said, chuckling slightly as she tried to add some humor to all the praise. “Yeah really, you can’t forget about me,” Dust said. “I mean, sometimes I think Dash wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for me backing her up.” Dash merely rolled her eyes in response. “Eh…I guess you’re okay,” Spitfire said. “I only gave you the rank of sergeant so you wouldn’t try outdoing Dash and accidentally blow yourself up.” “To be fair,” Dust said. “That ammunition store blowing up only occurred due to the slight change in wind direction that caused my bullet to go off course and ricochet off the wall and hit said store.” “Oh man, that was pretty awesome,” Soarin said. “Well…until Spits got an earful from General Hailstorm.” “I rather get shot in the leg than have to go through that again…” Spitfire said as she downed her glass. “If he didn’t outrank me I’d be so tempted to kick him square in the nuts…” “Insubordination, I love it,” Misty giggled. “Hey where’s the rookie? Vapor Trails?” “She’s back at the barracks,” Dust said. “She’s not much of a drinker unfortunately.” “That doesn’t mean she can’t hang out with us,” Fleetfoot said. “Just get a ginger ale or something.” “Nah, knowing her she’s probably writing a letter to her parents,” Dash said. From what Vapor had told her, her parents were very much against her joining the war, not that they didn’t support the war, but merely out of fear of the possibility of losing their own daughter. However, they didn’t put up much resistance but Vapor had promised to send them a letter after every battle she was in, to show she was still alive and doing everything she could to help serve her country. Now that Dash thought about it, she was thinking she should write a letter to her parents as well. As long as they don’t try to send another embarrassing care package… "I hope I don’t have to remind all of you not to go overboard tonight,” Spitfire said as she finished her drink and stood up. “Meeting’s at oh-nine hundred tomorrow and if you can’t walk two feet in a straight line don’t even bother showing up. As for me, I got a nice comfy bunk calling my name…” With a small wave she left the bar. “Funny, for a leader I would’ve thought she’d wait til we all leave,” Soarin said. “That’s because I’m obviously the one in charge now,” Fleetfoot teased. “And I say, another round!” Fortunately the next morning no one appeared to be hung over, or at least not to the point where it was noticeable as Dash made her way through the barracks towards the showers. She was a casual drinker whereas Dust tended to go a little overboard, or at least she would if Dash wasn’t present. She quickly undressed and turned on the water, wincing as always when the cold water first hits her. She had scars all across parts of her body, mostly from slight scrapes with bullets or debris, but the most noticeable was across her left eye. A close encounter with a sniper one time caused a large chunk of concrete to strike her against the eye, though she was fortunate it wasn’t damaged and instead left her bleeding down the side of her face. At least now she could say it gave her a disposition that intimidated those who wanted to tell her and, as Dust had said a few times, it was pretty badass looking. “Mind if I join?” Dash didn’t even turn to look, knowing fully well Dust was behind her and was, of course, naked. “If I say no, are you still going to come in here?” Dash asked with a slight smile. “Pretty much, though I’ll try not to do what I did last time and drop the soap and make Misty…well you know.” Dash felt her cheeks going warm. “I thought we promised not to talk about that anymore…” “Oh relax, it was a harmless misinterpretation, I honestly don’t care,” Dust said as she shrugged. Besides, we usually have like five to ten girls in here at one time so I’m used to seeing naked girls. Hell, even Spits isn’t too hard on the eyes…” “Dust, just stop. Please.” The two of them were quiet for the next few minutes. “So what do you think we’ll be doing this time?” Dust finally spoke. “You heard HQ. They’re sending everything they have for a full-front offensive.” “And we’re the tip of the spear I take it?” “Pretty much…meaning we’ll be thrust right into enemy territory and soften things up for the rest of the army.” “We’re never getting that time off are we?” “Probably not…” Dust sighed as she leaned against the wall. “Well I guess its what we signed up for huh? Honestly…I’m not sure if I can go back to normalize so easily…probably be too damn paranoid…” “I don’t think any of us will,” Dash said as she finally turned off the water. “The only thing worse than the amount of people not coming back is the ones who are…and how they’re never going to be the same again…” “…Well it’s a good thing I already have a dark sense of humor then,” Dust said with a rather large grin. “It’ll take more than a little PTSD to bring me down…” An hour later, all members were present and sitting in the chairs provided in the meeting room as General Hailstorm stood in front of them, hovering over a large table. “By now I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors so I’m going to make it official: Operation Spearhead is about to commence and, appropriately, Omega Squad will be leading the charge, though as always you’ll be working from behind the scenes.” Dust couldn’t help but give Dash a glance. “You’re going to be dropped about ten kilometers into enemy territory. The target is a hydroelectric dam that uses a water source from the Crystal Mountains. This dam generates a lot of power throughout the area, used mostly for their security systems and spotlights. If we can take it out, not only will it delay the enemy but it gives us an open window to attack. “Now, our intel also reports that there’s a supply depot nearby as well and while the dam is your primary objective, if you can take out as much of their equipment as you can, it’ll make it much easier for our main army. Any questions?” “How tight will security be?” Spitfire asked. “Tighter than an eighteen-year old on prom night,” Hailstorm replied. Most people would’ve been turned off by the general’s crude humor, but Omega was quite used to it by now and Dust has to suppress a snort. “Thankfully we’re on a new moon cycle at the moment so you should be rather well concealed but rest assured they’ll most likely be ready for anything. Any other questions?” It was quiet and Hailstorm straightened his posture. “There’s one other thing I need to mention: once this mission begins, you’re all going to be in it for the long-haul. As soon as you hit enemy ground, you’re going to be seeing a lot of it the next several weeks, possibly months. I can’t guarantee when you’ll be coming back in the near future, or even if leave will be possible, so if I were you, I’d let your loved ones know it’s going to be a long campaign. We’re going to hit the Empire with everything we got but reaching the capital will be our greatest struggle. “One final thing: make sure you bundle up cause up north its damn cold almost all year round.”
Long Way to the Crystal EmpireIt was close to 00:00 hours as the plane traveled close to the border of Imperial territory. There was no small talk or time for jokes, it was all serious now, as the members of Omega Squad sat on the large benches along the back of the plane and waited. It wasn’t long before a light started flashing, prompting everyone to get up and make their way to the side door. Spitfire opened it and they were all met with a sudden gust of wind. Dash was thankful the military had uniforms that were compatible of withstanding the cold as she shivered slightly. “Remember, meet at the rendezvous point!” Spitfire yelled over the loud roar of the wind. “And watch out for any trees!” She then nodded to Soarin, who repeated the gesture before being the first to jump out of the plane. Fleetfoot followed suit, jumping after him and the team jumped out one after the other. Dash was among the few left and once she got the nod from Spitfire, she steeled herself, remembering her training as she jumped out of the plane, feeling the rush of wind hit her straight in the face as she pointed herself towards the ground. It was her first air drop at nighttime, which meant it was much more difficult to see her squad mates but she knew to stay in one direction in order to not be blown off too far. Once she hit a certain altitude, her parachute automatically deployed and the sudden jolt was enough to knock the breath out of her. Luckily, she landed in a clearing and as soon as she hit ground, she detached the parachute from her back before grabbing her rifle that was slung on her shoulder and made her way to the rendezvous point, which was about a kilometer away. It took about five minutes to make her way over to the squad, though judging by the tension in the air something was wrong. “Spitfire wasn’t with you?” Soarin asked. Dash shook her head. “There was only Blaze and Spitfire after me. She must’ve landed further out than I did.” “I only just got here,” Blaze said, looking worried. “Shit, you don’t think she got stuck in a tree or something do you?” “That would be hilariously ironic,” Dust said, earning her severe glares. “Um…if this was a training exercise I mean.” “Soarin, you’re second-in-command, what do we do?” Fleetfoot asked. Soarin, himself a lieutenant, looked hesitant but only for a moment. “We wait…we’re still ahead of schedule so we can afford to wait for her. After all, no one gets left behind.” “You’re damn right about that…” Everyone suddenly turned around and saw Spitfire coming towards them. Dash suddenly noticed there was blood covering a part of her uniform. Others must’ve had the same look since Spitfire suddenly said, “It’s not my blood, don’t worry. I ended up running into a sentry, believe it or not. They probably won’t find him til the sun comes up.” “I swear, either you have the worst luck or you just love getting into a fight,” Misty commented. Spitfire grinned. “It’s luck so far that’s keeping me alive.” The grin quickly faded. “But enough chitchat, we got a mission to complete. On me, and make sure your night goggles are working right.” The mood turned serious again as the squad spread out in a loose formation as they made their way towards the dam. The night vision googles were a godsend, considering there was no moonlight and it was pitch black. However, the closer they got to the dam, the lighter it became. As expected, there were searchlights along the perimeter, but they were spaced out far enough to cause blind spots, which gave Omega Squad enough room to make it towards the perimeter. The hard part now was how to get inside. Fortunately, they managed to come prepared. “Aim for any gaps,” Spitfire said as she pulled out a grappling gun. The rest of the squad followed suit and aimed for the grating right below the balcony. Once the hooks connected, they were lurched forward towards the grating and quickly grabbed onto the railing before pulling themselves up. “So far so good,” Spitfire said. “Now’s where we split into two groups. Misty, think this is a good vantage point for you?” Misty glanced around. “It’ll do I suppose.” “Good. Remember, weapons silent, that goes for radio too unless we’re dealing with a major emergency. Soarin; you, Fleets, Blaze and Vapes will take the generator on the first floor while me, Dash, and Dust will take the one on the third floor. As soon as the power goes out, chaos will ensue so be ready for anything. Any questions? Good, let’s get to work.” The two groups split off, Spitfire’s group taking the stairs up to the third floor. “Security seems lighter than expected,” Dash commented. “Doesn’t that ring any alarms?” “Yeah, a little bit…but we gotta complete our mission,” Spitfire said. “Dust, you watch our sixes.” “Got it ma’am.” According to the blueprints that were provided, the generator was located in one of the rooms on the third floor. The issue was getting there without detection. They found that out as soon as they went through the door. “Shit, cameras…” Spitfire swore. “As if sentries weren’t enough… Alright, it looks like they swindle on a hundred-eighty degree axis so as long as we stick to the walls we should be okay.” Fortunately, there were corners that offered as blind spots. “Would just be easier to shoot them,” Dust offered. “If half of their cameras go offline, they’ll find it more than suspicious,” Spitfire replied. “And I doubt the security room is up here.” The good news was that the cameras only appeared to be located in the entrances and exits to the third floor. However, there were at least two sentries walking along the perimeter and both were heavily armed. As the closest sentry passed by them unknowingly, Spitfire glanced at Dash before nodding towards the sentry. Dash knew what was being asked as she slowly went down the hall. Keeping her footsteps as quiet as she could, she approached the guard quickly, pulling out her knife and steeled herself for the coming attack. As soon as she was a mere foot from him, she lunged forward, putting her one arm around his neck while the other that carried the knife aimed for the slight gap in his armor at his neck and plunged the blade deep into him. The attack was instant and the guard had no time to react before he quickly crumpled to the ground. Acting quick, Dash pulled out the knife and dragged the body behind a large group of crates. Now they had to move quick or else security would probably notice one of their guards was missing. After she gave the all clear, Spitfire and Dust followed behind her as they made their way towards the generator room, which was given away by both the sign on the door and the large warning sign above it. breaching through the door, they were surprised to find the room unattended. “Wow no kidding, the security here is pretty lax…” Dust said. “No time for chitchat, get that bomb ready Dust,” Spitfire snapped. “Yeah yeah…” Dust took out the small device from her belt and started attaching it to the generator. “I programmed it to set off in forty-five seconds so hopefully this doesn’t blow up half the facility.” “It’s going to be self-contained, weren’t you paying attention at all?” Dash asked, rolling her eyes. “Ehehe…” Suddenly, they felt the ground underneath shake slightly. “Wait…was that…?” Dash began. “Shit, they detonated theirs too quickly,” Spitfire swore. “Dust can you reset the timer on that.” “No, I programmed it to be not reprogrammed, as you requested,” Dust said. Spitfire groaned. “Just get it activated. We’ll just have to settle for Plan B.” “Plan B? You didn’t mention a plan B.” Dash said. “I’m making it up right now.” “Alright, activated and clock is ticking,” Dust said. “Good, you two get the hell out immediately.” “Wait, what the hell are you-?” Spitfire pulled out a grenade. “I’m shortening the timer.” Dash and Dust glanced at one another before getting the hell out of there. Spitfire made her way towards the door before pulling the pin and tossing the grenade towards the generator. She then pulled down her night vision goggles. “You two might want to put those goggles on right about…” Suddenly an explosion ripped through the room next to them, slamming the door off its hinges before everything went pitch black. “Now.” It wasn’t long before an alarm rang out and emergency lights turned on. “Guess we got their attention now,” Dust commented. “Alright, weapons free and make your way towards the rendezvous point,” Spitfire said. As they made their towards the exit, it wasn’t long before reinforcements showed up and bullets suddenly riddled the hallway. Luckily, the darkness managed to affect the enemy’s aim while Omega’s aim was on point. “Soarin, give me a sit rep,” Spitfire said urgently. “Everyone’s fine here…Vapes detonator malfunctioned.” Judging by the tone of his voice, Soarin didn’t feel good about having to report the mess up. “Don’t worry about it, mission’s complete. Just get to the rendezvous point,” Spitfire said before she changed frequencies. “Misty, please tell me you’ve cleared an escape route for us.” “Well, I’m not sure if they’ll notice about…twelve of their men missing but that should give you a clear shot to the exit. I’ll be down there shortly.” “Roger.” Spitfire clicked off the radio. “This entire facility will be put on lockdown if we don’t get out now. Misty’s given us an opening so let’s hurry!” The three of them had switched to their sidearms as they made their way towards the nearest exit. They could hear yells behind them as the enemy was trying to reorganize and it wasn’t long before bullets started firing at them from behind. Once they finally reached the outside, the situation wasn’t any better as Misty appeared to be pinned down. “Took you three long enough!” Misty yelled as she brandished her pistol. “Where are the others!?” Spitfire yelled as poked out and took a shot. “I got cut off from the rest, I think you pissed them off!” Spitfire looked down and saw a blog stain on Misty’s left leg. “Can you still walk?” “Yeah…but I don’t think the bullet went through all the way. Hurts like a bitch.” “Dash, Dust give us some cover fire.” The two of them opened fire at the soldiers who had been slowly advancing but now ducked under cover. “You’re clear, go!” Dash yelled. With Spitfire’s help, she and Misty made their way towards the large gate. “Funny how its always us two that have to deal with the stragglers!” Dust joked as she fully unloaded a clip into a group of soldiers, most of them ended up riddled with bullets. “Come on, we can’t stay here!” Dash yelled as she took out a grenade and pulled the pin before tossing it behind her. The sudden panic and explosion gave the two enough time to make their way out through the entrance gates as they made their way into the forest. “I’m not seeing any enemies,” Dust panted slightly. “Think the others took care of them?” “Just keep your eyes open and focus on the rendezvous point,” Dash replied. She looked back and saw a group of soldiers were following from behind. “We need to lose these guys though.” “Yeah…sorry about this.” Before Dash could respond, Dust suddenly pushed her into the large bush beside her before jumping in as well. Dash had every intention of snapping at her but Dust coyly put a finger to her lips. The two of them stood still, holding their breath as the sound of footsteps got closer and closer. Dash held her pistol in one hand and knife in the other, ready for a fight if it came to it. It wasn’t long before the footsteps sounded in front of them and the shadows of the enemy soldiers appeared in front of them. For a moment they stopped and as Dash glanced over at Dust, she was starting to see regret in the girl’s eyes, regretting the stupid idea she came up with on the fly. Suddenly, a hand clasped over Dash’s mouth and as she was about to react, she saw the orange-yellow hair behind her and relaxed slightly as it was only Spitfire. Next to her was Fleetfoot and judging by Dust’s look on her face, she almost looked like she wet her pants. Finally, the shadows moved on and the sound of footsteps echoed farther and farther. Spitfire breathed out in relief. “That was close. Not exactly the best place to hide but you lost them at least.” “I’d appreciate a little more warning next time,” Dash grumbled. “”H-Hey easy there Fleetfoot, not so hard…” “Dust for fuck’s sake will you please cut the shit for once?” Fleetfoot said, rolling her eyes. “Well maybe you shouldn’t put your hand so close to my chest hmm?” “I…” Fleetfoot had no response as she started blushing. “I hate you.” “Love you too Fleets.” “Alright, that’s enough,” Spitfire said as the four of them got out of the bush. “The others are just ahead. Once we regroup we move on.” “I’m guessing the army can’t give us a lift?” Dash asked. Spitfire snorted. “We’re meeting up with the army, but don’t expect too many breaks. Operation Spearhead has just begun and we’re a long way from the Crystal Empire…”
