Author's Note

I know it took me a long time to finish, but I needed help with this chapter, so much of the underlying lore I did not know about...I am thankful carmine could help, for now, onto the show!

phase three

Rules Of Engagement: Frostfall

Phase 3: “the face of the coin”

COG: resonance fleet

ATLAS-3B: GK-9296
NACS: Indomitable
2169AD/106AC
Enroute to, Stranded colony: Fenrugha

Why would the fleet be ordered to this planet? So many questions swam in the machine's processor and like many of its kind it fell back on its logic to find an answer.

Theoretical: The fleet is required to take the resources the planet has to offer.

Practical: Force will be required.

Theoretical: The deployment of myself and my fellows would be born in certain situations. One: A display of power, The Stranded on this planet are decades behind in regards to technology. Two: The colonists resist integration, or pose a threat to the landing force, in which case an orbital bombardment of the offending settlement will be sent. Three: In support of a joint assault with an allied unit. Final Four: void combat.

Theoretical: The reconnaissance fleet could under fire from UEC forces.

Logical: Should the fleet come under fire, the Indomitable will be placed at the fore of the Coalition's formation.

Logical: At the fore of the formation, the Indomitable's odds of survival decreased by 35.687 percent variable.

Theoretical: Fighter support on the planet could be limited due to heavy snowfalls.

Theoretical: From many reports from smugglers, and several Dark-ops kill teams the former colonists have partaken in heavy genetic testing.

Practical: Genetic testing of inhabitants is likely due to the planets' natively inhospitable climate.

Practical: Use of heat-based weapons would be preferred, possible drawbacks of gene therapy could include lack of sweat glands.

Theoretical: Inhabitants use scavenged, salvaged, or individually built arms and armor.

Theoretical: equipment and vehicles used by natives are older models or purchased from black market suppliers, or surplus.

Practical: Natives likely to be unprepared for Newer weaponry and armor.

Theoretical: Natives likely to possess special forces units.

Theoretical: Should the Fenrugha special forces come into contact with the Dark ops kill team or other SOCOM assets, what could the result be?

Practical: Older mark one armor likely unable to effectively stop blaster weapons.

Theoretical: Number of hostiles outnumber socom assets if Socom units utilize conventional weapons. Outcome friendly: total team kill. Outcome hostile: partial team kill.

Practical: recommend socom assets equip prototype legionnaire armor, recommend socom assets utilize blaster weapons.

Theoretical: number of hostiles outnumber friendly assets equipped with the newest equipment. Outcome friendly, no mech or war bot support: partial team kill. Outcome hostile: total team kill. Outcome friendly, warbot and mech support: zero biologic deaths, outcome favorable. Outcome hostile: total team kill.

“Unit GK-9296... Respond to vocal command…clearance code 4-Zulu-8-omega-1-zeta… confirm and identify yourself... ” The machine quickly recognizes the voice and clearance code as humans would call ‘familiar’ to it “unit GK-9296, respond now…”

It turns on its outer cams and points them towards the voice and quickly responds in a slightly monotone voice “pilot code confirmed… Welcome back pilot” it puts an armored red metal fist to its chest “atlas unit GK-9296 online and combat able” it stares at the pilot, decked out in full dark op gear “ready for orders”

“Run scenario test program on squad server” the pilot calls out before hopping within the cockpit of the atlas “let's get the squad ready in case of planet-bound combat”

“Roger, beginning squad simulation, downloading known planetary data” the cockpit seals up as the squad link is made “downloading known arsenals and wildlife data, download complete, completing program execution” the view from within the cockpit becomes a snowy plain as the hud comes online and the squad moves out.

First contact scrimmage
11/27/2169 AD/106AC

UEC escort force
VS
Raider band remnants
VS
Kapisi task force “squad E”

AO (Area of Operation): near vulcanis “ravine”

Humans in slapdash gear are slowly engaging in a fighting retreat from the small UEC force once their plan was ruined when a UEC command tank finally reached the battle line with the earth pony commander hopping off the back “keep up the pressure! Show those drifter buckers not to mess with us!” the commander shouts with a grin

There was a pop whoosh followed by a trail of glowing light that illuminated the snow behind the humans as the surissa gunner found a lock and let loose with the rocket. The rocket leaped from the tube, dipped low and sailed into the air before crashing back down into the top of the turret of a second tank.

As a human fell back a griffon charged hoping to slay the rebel and raise his chances of getting another mating contract. Instead, as the griffon drew close another human popped out of cover and racked the slide of his shotgun. Instantly the overgrown bird's side exploded before he dropped to the ground. Deep brownish blood soaked into the snow, and he looked up just in time to see the humans crudely armored boot coming down on his face.

On the ridge watching the slaughter, the white fox pandari Julie watches using the scope of her custom rifle. Hunting any aces on the ground coming across the leader of both groups “who to drop first...” she checks the round in the chamber making sure to steady her breath as her radio comes alive

“Julie, status on the battle…”

“Clyde, UEC forces are rallying and pushing back the bandits, just killed enemy sniper and stole his position” using her scope, she gets a quick headcount “bandits have less the 15 combat able and dropping, UEC have maybe three squads, backed up by a command tank…” she takes some snow and chews on it, hiding her breath “clear to fire on leaders?”

“Hang tight, the others are deploying now, I’m coming up the rear with the Hafen now” her ears allow her to pick up the tanks motor on the radio. “On my signal, drop both leaders if you can…”

“I’ll see what I can do…” her shroud under her, she beings lining up her first shot on the bandit leader “on your mark…” the edge of her vision glows blue for a split second before returning to normal.

“LET'S GO PEOPLE!!” a shout and howl becomes entwined within the sounds of battle “I’M A ONE HOUND ARMY!!” the german shepherd pandari Kane rushes to a sandbag position behind the bandits as the first mortar shell goes up and over, landing within a small UEC heavy weapons team turning them into a bloody mist “WOOHOO!!” he is quick to set up and opens fire with his LMG “COME GET SOME MOTHERFUCKERS!!” riflemen and shock troopers rush to get to him.

“Damn it to hell Kane!! Julie, fire now!” she hears her commander shout on the radio, sounding very mad.

“One shot is all I need…” seamlessly aiming, she pulls the trigger sending the round down range exploding the bandit leaders head all over the place “leader one down…” easily chambering another round and drops the UEC commander, ensuring a breakdown in command and instilling panic among the rank and file “panic is complete…”

“Roger that Julie, render aid when needed” within his custom tank, Clyde helps load a shell into the main gun “standby…” he pops out the command hach for a moment then drops back in “adjust aim, one tick right, two ticks up…”

“Aye aye...one right, two up…” the main gunner does just that

“Fire on mark…” Clyde looks at a pocket watch as the second's hand hits 12 “MARK!”

“AP SABOT OUT!” the tank shakes a bit from the shot going out, almost riding the wind… it then impacts the UEC command tank and penetrates the outer armor before shrapnel fills the tank and sets off the ammo supply. In turn, it sends the tank turret sky high “tank confirmed killed!”

At the battle line, the bandit forces have already flat out surrendered in fear as the UEC forces try to regroup, the battle’s momentum stolen from the UEC and into squad E’s hands, a dragon tries to charge, only to be met with MG fire from the Hafen's sponson mounted MG as it arrives and advances hard with mortar and sniper support with the rest of the infantry using what cover they can.

“HOLD THE LINE!” the second in command quickly gets the remaining UEC troops to begin hunkering down, ready to fight to the last trooper “PUSH THEM BACK!!” the UEC forces rally and fight harder, soon, however, the combined arms of squad E finally overwhelm them as they are wiped out.

“Squad E… salvage any ammo you can find and zip tie the bandits…” once the order was given, Clyde gets on the radio and calls it in “kapisi control, Squad E report, raid over and cleanup underway, standing by for salvage team, over…”

“Copy squad E, two baserunners inbound with LAV’s, hold site.”

“Aye aye, all troops are to hunker down and wait for pickup…” everyone starts getting set back up as a light snowfall arrives as some snow lands in clydes hand “I guess we got lucky this time..” he looks up and smiles a little, glad for the battle to be over

ATLAS-3B: Unit- GK9296
Pilot- [veteran] Moth: Burner
Combat simulation- Fenruga Delta 2
2170AD/107AC

The snow crunched underfoot as I stomped through the blizzard behind MOTH: Pike. "This fucking soup is icing up my joints." The pilot Complained.

"I told you to Use the de-icing coating before we dropped you dumbass." the pilot responded one of the machines orange cameras panning around to face me.

"Yeah well… Wait I've got something… contact left five hundred meters. looks like a tank column, count Zero eight hostile victors on a parallel heading."

"Got 'em." The lance leader said.

"Call it in. Let's drop some rods. Use Drucker code, comms aren't secure."

"Got it."

"Dreadnought calls to Sky eye."

"Sky eye answers Dreadnought."

"Sky Eye, a troop of Turtles marches to war at Five hundred lieges. Request Long Ball at code sierra, 9923, mark Gamma 0235. Westward walk."

"Sky Eye, long ball at sierra 9923, mark gamma 0235, westward walk. confirms Tallon Alpha. Four spears turn, spears out."

"Alright gents. As soon as those rods hit we move in. Set jump jets to skid burn, safeties off were going in hot." Several seconds passed while we waited for the ship in orbit to bring two of its railgun batteries to bare.

A defining boom could be heard High above, the sound of the hypervelocity railgun darts entering the atmosphere. And a fraction of a second later four columns of pulverized dirt and ice rocket into the sky. "Now."

Standing up I activated my jump jets as we took our first bounding steps forward. Instead of running toward the three remaining tanks our lance used our jump jets in tandem with our maneuvering thrusters to skid several feet from the loose-packed snow. The maneuver used up 12.698 more fuel than a sustained burn but allowed for much faster speed in short bursts.

As we neared the stunned tanks I swung up my Icarus mounted blaster cannon, displaying a retical while I lined up a shot for my pilot. He accepted and relieved fire control to me as he lifted my right arm, deployed the Gatling and sent a stream of flechettes into the side of an APC before it could discourage its troops.

As the .50 caliber flechettes punched through the comparatively weak armor of the vehicle I confirmed my lock and fired thee crimson bolts into the base of the tank's turret. The bolts of sizzling energy seared through the armor of the tank cooking off its magazine, and blowing the turret off as the tank exploded.

Warnings blared in the cockpit as a LAV swung its turret in our direction. With a thought, my pilot dashed us to the left maintaIning our vector as he ceased his firing and thrust an open palm towards the LAC as it tracked us with is cannon firing round after round in hopes of landing a shot. Instantly the rounds exploding around us stopped as they came into contact with my magnetic shield. They spun hovering in place suspended in the magnetic field before with a flick of the wrist were sent back to explode into the flank of the LAV.

Suddenly A roar rips out of nowhere as snow begins kicking up into a blizzard around us as spikes of ice come from all directions hitting everything indiscremently, hostile and friendly alike, remaining hostile troops cry out something along the lines of ‘wrivern!’ as a large beast seemingly grabs a dog like trooper and rips it in two before eating it and letting out a roar at us.

“What the hell is that?!” I hear the rookie veteran Mordred Le Fay cry out, my scanners quickly identify the beast as a legiana due to send data by field agents “it’s huge!” I easily transmit the data to the lance, marking weak points.

"Yeah It's almost as big as your mom." one of the humans said as he unlimbered KZ88's shoulder Gatling. It spun To life with a whine of electric motors before sending a stream of tracers towards the dragon-like creature which it easily dodged.

"Wow, you fucken suck! Where'd you get your license a belter a BNA ration?"

It dives into the storm as some tiger-like beast charges out the storm towards us “contacts coming out the storm!” hearing veteran le fay point out before laying down some cover to try pinning them down. “G-go down!” me and my pilot can hear his panic as he tries moving his atlas-2 back, only to get swarmed “get them off me!”

"Calm down kid. Pike take care of em." The lance leader ordered as I shot the barrel of the penultimate tank and my pilot swivels my torso in the direction of the new contacts. Six blinking red carrots marked the last known positions of these new hostiles. Pike brought up my left arm and slid back a panel, the movement sparking a pilot flame. He sent gout of violent flame illuminating the near darkness of the blizzard just as two beasts emerged from the haze, bathing them in potassium flames.

"Fuck. Pike your redlining take a stim. GK take control."

"Understood/acknowledged. Switching to AI control."

“Fuck! Fuck!” grabbing one that is on him, veteran le fay crushes the spine of the beast he has in his grip “I got one!” I see him kick another back into the storm “I think their breaking!”

"Negative," I said taking several stomping steps past the new pilot and his inferior machine. Targeting overlays filled my display as I cycled through my visual spectrum. Infrared, radar, dradis, sonar, and finally found my targets with millimeter-wave.

If I could feel joy I would have felt it as I retracted my incinerator unit instead opting for the jyro rockets as I painted the flesh beasts. In 0.82 microseconds I had a lock and had released the micro missiles to do their work and turned to find a new threat as the smart munitions leaped from my arm housing to track their targets.

The beast known as a legiana flys the eyewall of the storm almost as if waiting for us to drop our guard “why do I feel like a fish being watched by a shark?...” veteran le fay says over the coms as the beast lets out another roar at us “it is freaking me the fuck out…”

"Don't know Basic. But I'm inclined to agree with you. This sucks." A pilot said as he leaped his machine onto the front of the last remaining tank. With ease he knocked the barrel of the turret aside and retracted his right hand, replacing it with a close combat spike that he plunged into the tanks cab.

It suddenly dives at us ramming the mech from behind and shooting back into the storm “WHAT THE FUCK?!” I detect the last of the enemy infantry trying to form a perimeter in a panic of the monster “how fast is that thing?!”

"Fuck this. Lance, slave Icarus mounts and take that thing down." We sent our acknowledgments before I release control of my blaster cannon. Allowing it's computer to a network with those of the other four mechs in our reinforced lance. Instantly the guns unlimbered themselves and began tracking toward the wyvern in an attempt to find a proper firing vector.

I swear it seems to glare at me before backing off and diving full speed at me “incoming!!” veteran le fay cries out

My gun barked Its electric report as it sent several bolts towards the organic missile on an intercept course with my chassis. Taking a step back to brace myself I waited until the organic was ballistic, and couldn't maneuver.

The beast takes all the hits willingly and goes to land a lethal blow at max speed. “How the hell is it still alive?! My guns overheating!”

With a blast of my war horn, I took a single step forward. Rearing my left arm across my chassis I deployed my ballistic shield and slammed the four tone slab of segmented impervasteel into the skull of the beast.

There was a titanic boom that could be heard over the sound of the storm as two tons of meat and bone, met forty-five tons of impervasteel and hydraulics. If it had stayed at range and employed some form of ranged weapon, like the dragons of the UEC it might have lived. But melee it never stood a chance, it's bulk folded around the shield before I pushed it off sending it crashing to the snowy earth. It tried to crawl away, its pitiful broken form grasping desperately for purchase before I reached out with my free hand and crushed what was left of its head in my powerful clawed hand. "Pathetic Biotics. The flesh is weak."

As the storm cleared up, we hear veteran le fay call out over the coms “Hey guys! The enemy is giving up the ghost!” I detect the enemy forces doing just that, dropping their weapons and raising their arms “we won!”

"Simulation complete. Unit accuracy down by 4.27428 percent. Wyvern terminated 2.5 seconds faster than the previous attempt. Recommend use of micro yield nuclear strike instead of railgun bombardment."

“Man… I sucked this time too…” le fay comments over coms to us “I tried to keep calm…anyone got advice for fixing that?...”

"Yeah basic try bringing a better mech next time. Those 2s are too slow."

“That is what I was assigned... am I allowed to mod it?...” le fay flat out asks my pilot “maybe make it a bit faster?”

"Leave the kid alone Mylo. You're the one who missed the first shot on the wyvern."

"maybe, but you're the one who got his arm blown off by that tank so you didn't do much better." organic are honestly fun to listen to, even if they are squishy

“I’m logging off for lunch, see ya”

"Later basic." I detect veteran le fay logging out of the sim as I prepare for the order

"Kill-team, reset." I think humans have a saying… ‘into the drink again’... now, how to kill that beast this time?

Dreamscape

When one thinks of the realm of dreams, many would say that they believe it is a field of stars, others would say a realm of clouds… and very few would say a mix of both, and for steam gear, he falls in line with the third group.

Sitting in a wheelchair, steam just looks up at the ‘dream nebulas’ thinking before calling out after a sigh “greetings princess luna...our goddess of the night…” turning his chair around seeing a calm luna “I would have been more presentable and bowed…” a smirk crosses his lips as he gestures to the wheelchair “but I’m not really able to move as much as I can in the waking world…”

Princess Luna, dressed in a star-covered dress coated in constellations, crosses her arms “I’m unsure if I should be angry like my sister would be for not revealing your true condition, or impressed you were able to keep it hidden so well…” she stretches her wings for a moment “I suppose the injury was recent captain, why not recycle your old body and get a new one?”

A frown crosses steams face “nowhere close princess…and I have my reasons for not doing so, but I am sure that is not WHY your here...” making his wheelchair move forward to the princess the frown leaves his face. “Am I right?”

“That's true, however, I want to know how you are able to walk in the waking-” luna’s words are cut short as the area seems the glitch like a computer program “by mothers wings?!” she shoots steam an angry glare “what was that captain?! And you MUST explain!...”

Her glare made him raise his arms “as you command, we would be best to move while sis fixes the glitch…” he swipes the air as the world around them changes to an old-time study without the fireplace. “Do you want something to drink or eat?” his belly growls making him chuckle “because I need a snack..”

His comment gets a confused look from the princess as a train whistle sounds out and the room shakes as if moving. Moving to a window, she sees a city of old outside passing by “so vivid, every pony looks different and living their own lives, is this a memory?” she walks to a door opening it seeing the door to another room “a train, we are on a train…” looking back at steam, she sees him with a cup of tea and a tray of cookies. “Are you willing to explain now?”

“Aye princess...you remember that princess twilight is seeking fellow ‘eggheads’ to join her personal lab crew?” an earth pony mare dressed in a maids outfit offers luna a cup of tea from nowhere, a top hat on her head “the glitch is part of the reason…” he stands up as metal struts begin to appear on his body mimicking his movements “this is the core of it…” he bows to the mare taking a top hat off said mares head “thank ya marigold” luna blinks at the sight before taking the cup.

“It still does not explain anything steam gear…” taking a sip of her tea, she walks past him with a frown “nor does it explain why I could only reach your dream at the time your sister had in her message”

“Of course sis would know when a window would be open…” he puts his cup on the desk before looking at luna “she’s the one that does the maintenance of my EXO-rig, and thus can grant you a temp pass.”

“Exo-rig?...temp pass?..” his words only confused her more “captain, I want you to explain now!”

“Sorry princess, but you DO deserve answers…” steam summons a TV screen and points to it “Exo-rig is short for exoskeleton rigging, it is my sisters ‘dream child’ of many years, and many versions…” it shows them many different versions of the rigging on his body.

“Such detail...vital gear seems to have really put her heart into this…” she walks over to the TV and touches a version as her touch enlarges it “I bet twilight would be impressed…is this what you are using now?”

Suddenly, a mares voice chimes in “Hardly princess, that’s the mark 1.527...he is using mark 1.741” a chibi of vital appears sitting on the desk “I’m getting close to the mark 2 princess” the chibi says while kicking her legs “but, can I ask for a SMALL favor?...”

“Mrs vital?... how are you here?” Luna picks up the chibi vital looking her over “are you dream walking? No, that takes a lot of power…” an idea comes to Luna’s mind “lesser dream projection! It would explain your small size!”

Vital just shakes her head “not really princess, this is an avatar I am using visa a consol while working on the exo-rig” she teleports back to the desk “steam’s dream realm is the only place where dreams and data are one!” she puffs out her little chest in pride.

“Oh? And if I was to call you out on that as violating my Domaine mrs vital?” Luna just crosses her arms with a smirk as vital’s bravado shrinks, “I can easily have you locked up for it” her smirk becomes a smile “but I believe I can see how helpful it can be, so I shall let it slide this time”

“Thank you princess…” the chibi bows to her “and I am glad you could come to help my brother with his dream…” her brother just mumbles ‘I knew it’ making her glare over at him. “And about my little favor, can I request privacy on this?...”

Princess luna gently sits down in a seat crossing one leg over the other “very well, but if anything here can be useful to the rest of the fleets...”

“We understand princess...now let me just…” chibi vital starts tapping away only to squeak “no..no..NO! THE DATA!” she starts running around in a full-on panic “I’ve been hacked!”

“It seems Mrs vital will not be much help here…” says luna as she lets out a sigh “captain steam gear, can you describe the dreams then?”

“Very well princess…” steam gear sits behind his desk as the rest of the dreamscape falls away then a planet appears below everyone guarded by three full fleets. "all dreams start the same...a UEC planet... I can never tell what the planet is, the number of ships changes as well...all in battle lines..."

suddenly, truly alien-like ships began to appear from the ether. "one, then two, then four...then more, ships shaped like twin daggers....firing at our ships at the very rim of our range making us move to engage them...yet, what scares me... is that what arrives about 7 mins after the battle begins..."

"and what would that be captain?..." Luna asks watching the battle unfold. "so far, all I see is an overcompensation of these new foes..." she alters the dream bringing in some larger UEC ships to turn the tide

"titans...that is the only way I can describe them..." three gargantuan ships appear with a truly massive battle station following behind them then suddenly, the gargantuan ships fire mega weapons at the fleets obliterating the smaller ships and badly damaging the larger ones "at first I thought I was overreacting...but now..."

"do not fear captian, we will cut this off at the pass if this is true..." the dream fades away "if anyone spots ships like that, I will have them contact me as quick as possible, with the code 'locate city' " she sighs saying “spike use to LOVE ogres and oubliettes…”

Steam just shakes his head “We can not linger on the past, right princess luna?”

“Agreed, I had best return to my duties...sweet dreams my little ponies” luna stands up and bows before fading away and the dreamscape returns to the hilltop as leaves fall from the tree with steam now trying to calm his sister down.