Author's Note

DLR: 60. cal heavy machine gun capable of tearing through light armor or multiple infantry. Heavy and cumbersome, a soldier is not advised to carry it like a standard issue infantry rifle. Rate of fire is 1200 rounds per minute.

Rain Storm: "The bringers of rain" is their motto and for a reason. These platforms are highly mobile, fire a 678MM round of varying type from HE to AT, they can fire 64 rounds in a minute.

Broken Arrow: A term used in the military when a friendly unit is over run or their lines are broken and calls all available assets to strike the area. A suicidal last stand type of deal and yes, it's an actual thing but was a term used in Vietnam. If anyone has a more updated term let me know.

Retrograde: Effectively a fighting retreat. You're pulling back and giving the enemy ground in order to gain time or the ability to move.

Battery: Battery is an artillery company sized element.

There's a easter egg on this chapter for those who love history.

Burning Hope Part 1

Year : June 6th 4042
Time : 0630 Greenwich time
Unit 1st Battalion, 375th LDT, 78th fleet of the 1st fleet battle group.
Location: Drop point in front of Everfree forest.

The IFV came to a sudden halt as Gerad jumped out and ran towards the entrenched IFVs. "ALL WARRIORS FOCUS FIRE ON GRYPHON FORCES! TARGET LIST IS BEING UPLOADED NOW"! Gerad yelled through the comms as the gunners all turned their 55MM energy cannons towards the Gryphon lines along with the IFVs from Vanguard and Shield began to fire on the Gryphon Coalition forces who seemed to begin their attacks against the ponies anew while sending a large force towards the fire base. Using his optical system Gerad could see a Pegasus leave the town and several civilians leaving in a hurry.

"COMMAND THIS IS CAPTAIN GERAD! NEGOTIATIONS HAVE FAILED AND WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! I AM REQUESTING ADDITIONAL FORCES. LOCATION IS GULF, CHARLIE, YANKEE 1554, X-RAY 4435"! He called too the Solar Fury who's bridge was a whirlwind of activity as orders were sent out for the rest of Gerad's brigade to deploy and burn in hard. The soldiers of the other twenty IFVs who had been originally told no to deployment now started up their vehicles and pulled up to the line to be hooked up underneath the TDS-25s who went full afterburner as they rocketed out of the ship. "Captain Gerad, reinforcements ETA thirty minutes". The fleet captain said from the Solar Fury.

The Gryphons were closing on the pony lines and Gerad could clearly see that they would be over run by the larger force. "FIRST SERGEANT! YOU'RE IN COMMAND HERE! I NEED 50 TO COME WITH ME TIME NOW"! Gerad called as several soldiers left their positions in area of the patrol base that weren't in danger or not part of the engagement which easily filled his request. "FOLLOW ME! WE'RE SETTING UP A FIRING LINE IN BETWEEN THE PONIES AND THE GRYPHONS"! He yelled. Then again he had to yell because the whine and thumps of their powerful energy weapons were deafening as they sliced through and blew up the forces that opposed them.

With those words Gerad designated an area with a Personal Mission Display marker indicating his soldiers were to set up in teams of two every twenty feet in order to provide overlapping fields of fire. The town lay exactly two miles away but thanks to their enhanced speed from both armor and reflexes they were there in only a few minutes. As they took their positions they opened their Tac-guants and materialized a H.D.S (Hasty Defensive Structure) which was simply put a barrier to stop or block incoming fire. "GET THE DLR UP NOW! I WANT THAT 60. PUTTING FIRE ON THE ENEMY FIVE MINUTES AGO"! Gerad commanded as out of the fifty people he had brought, four had the Heavy Machine Gun with them and mounted them up on the H.D.S. As the Gryphons approached the DLRs opened fire first, cutting through the Gryphons before the AR-45s from the other joined in.

"Captain, this is Bravo and Charlie company of the 2345th Light Armor battalion of the 375th LDT. We're on our way to Reinforce you and Alpha Battery is landing now with their Rain Storm artillery platforms. ETA is five minutes till the IFVs land, hold out"! Gerad smiled wickedly under his helmet, the Rain Storms were a deadly piece of war tech and the Gryphons were going to learn the hard way. He continued to fire into the advancing coalition forces though at this point they were beginning to get extremely close. "EVERYONE HOLD ON! FRIENDLIES ARE LANDING SOON"! He called to his soldiers who's fire continued to rain down on the enemy. "Vanguard, I need some support from your big guns near my position, hostile forces are getting too close, Coordinates are Gulf, Charlie, Yankee 1557, X-RAY 4434"! A second later and a burst of twelve rounds slammed into the front of the enemy ranks, putting a sizable dent in their numbers and buying a bit of breathing room. It didn't last long though as the call came over. "Sorry sir, that's all we can provide right now. Their forces are hitting us pretty hard right now"! A muffled thump, thump, thump, thump could be heard through the comm link.

Gerad audibly cursed as he was working with very little and only two minutes had passed by though it felt like eternity. "SIR, THEY'RE ABOUT TO BREAK THROUGH"! Hearing this Gerad saw the enemy push once more towards them like a wave of bodies. He kept firing though as his ammunition tracker changed numbers with each round fired. "ACTIVATE BAYONETS"! He ordered his men who's energy bayonets extended from under their AR-45s and MR-61s. "Captain Gerad this is Alpha Battery, all Rain Storms are online and in place. All 8 are ready to fire on your order". Came a voice though while Gerad was relieved is was briefly as his right flank began to fall back from the shear numbers which meant his line was breaking. Only one thing went through his head and he dreaded what he was about to say. "ALL UNITS BROKEN ARROW! I SAY AGAIN WE HAVE A BROKEN ARROW AT GRID GULF, CHALRIE, YANKEE 15576, X-RAY 44345! BROKEN ARROW IS CONFIRMED"! He called out and began to pull back towards the village. "EVERYONE RETROGRADE TOWARDS THE VILLAGE"! He called as his line began to fall back.

"This is Alpha battery, Broken Arrow confirmed. Firing on coordinates Yankee 15576, X-RAY 44345! High Explosive splash rounds have been authorized". There was a rumble as the air it self shook and a sixteen purple lights arched through the air towards Gerad's retreating line. "HIT THE DIRT"! Gerad yelled and every one of his soldiers dove into a nearby river just as the large 678MM rounds slammed into the enemy line, incinerating and tearing through the enemy lines. If they hadn't been demoralized before then they should have been now. "OH GOD! OH FUCK MY LEGS! WHERE THE FUCK ARE MY LEGS"! A scream sounded through the comms. "OH GOD THEY LOOK LIKE FUCKING SPAGHETTI"! The voice panicked a bit. "MEDIC! HENRICKS IS HIT"! Another call come through as the Rain storms continued to blast the area in front of them. The only thing saving the 50 soldiers was the tench like way the river was and the over hanging bridge stopping any of the burning energy from reaching a few of them.

Gerad ran towards the location where a bright yellow marker tagged his soldier as Heavily wounded. Sliding to a stop and sending water in every direction he deactivated the soldier's leg armor. "Hang on kid, you're getting out of here and going home in one piece". He said calmly while a chaplain came over, a bible in hand a the two medics worked to stop the bleeding and let nanogel seal what was left of his legs and stop the blood loss while the soldier passed out. The marker then went bright red and began to flash. "FUCK! WE'RE LOSING HIM"! Yelled one of the medics and grabbed a patch before deactivating the soldier's armor completely and placing the patch on the soldier's chest making the his body jump once before he gasped loudly and began to breath once more.

"Solar Fury this is Gerad, one casualty, we need Cas-evac. Repate we have a casualty". Gerad calmly spoke since the coalition lines were now being hammered by friendly artillery. "Solar Fury copies, Saint Michael is coming down after Bravo and Charlie Company lands so keep him alive if you can".

Overhead the sounds of artillery screamed through the air while the ponies watched the destruction wrought upon their enemies by these new comers. The new comers had held their ground for twenty minutes with a much smaller force before finally falling back and that's when they felt the air shift and shake before purple lights arched through the air and hit the coalition lines.

For once the ponies felt true fear.

For once they felt hope.

For once, they felt that the elements of Harmony were utterly useless should these new comers become enemies.