Titanfall 2 - Armor of Scarsby Mkchief34ChaptersPrologue - On the Shoulders of GiantsChapter 1 - LZ AlphaChapter 2 - RevelationsPrologue - On the Shoulders of GiantsEquestria, Planet Equis Ponyville, Castle of Friendship Twilight Sparkle turned a page in an impossibly large catalog of star-charts as she mounted her telescope on her desk. The night sky was clear as could be, and free of any obstructions that would hide the stars above from her eyes. As she used her magic to write in a propped-up notebook lying beside her, her tail swished from side to side, as it often did when she was concentrating hard on something. "And we move the Axis 23.6 degrees to the north..." she murmured, adjusting her telescope accordingly. "Found it." The object in her telescope's lens was a planet far from Equestria, that had dubbed "Olympia". The planet itself had a unique feature that had Twilight and even some of the best astronomers intrigued. A massive crater that spanned nearly one half of the world's upper atmosphere had appeared three weeks ago, and before that the planet's moon had been shattered overnight. The Royal Astrologers had initially believed a meteor had struck the planet and the moon once they saw it, but Twilight thought differently. The force required to destroy a planet's moon and inflict that much damage to the planet itself in one go was astronomically large, larger than Twilight wanted to admit. However, Twilight had noticed something strange three weeks ago, about three day's time before the crater appeared. Small objects had appeared in the orbit of Olympia only to start falling to the surface like a ship torn under in a storm. Twilight had kept this knowledge to herself because this suggested aliens existed or something similar, and everypony in the scientific community knew that the existence of aliens was improbable or impossible. She had played along with this idea for a while, but one day she stumbled upon something fascinating in her new Castle's library, a voluminous book titled "The Human Race and theories regarding it", by Professor Crossroads. The book had taken Twilight three days to read and analyze, and it stated some interesting facts. One, the mythical human race existed in the stars above Equestria. Two, they were far more or drastically more advanced than the Equestrians, due to their use of technology over magic. And three, they rode on the shoulders of giants, a bond established between them. That last statement had mistified Twilight. The book itself was fascinating, but Twilight had stopped when she had read it the first time. Humans, a mythical race, riding on the shoulders of giant beasts? Yeah, not going to happen in Equestria anytime soon. As Twilight returned to her astronomy work, she thought on that statement for quite some time afterward, even past when she retired to bed for the night. ==== Planet Harmony, Frontier Militia Space Militia Fleet Primary Shipyard, Bridge "Commander Briggs?" A stern-looking woman of her thirties, wearing blue clothing with combat gear and a bandanna around her forehead, turned to see a soldier approach with a datapad. "Admiral Graves has a new briefing ready for you." "Thank you, soldier." Sarah Briggs replied. "Dismissed." As Briggs looked over the datapad, she let a small smile fly across her face. It had been three weeks since the Militia victory at Typhon and the destruction of the IMC Fold Weapon, and the Militia was celebrating. However, Briggs knew it was only a matter of time before the IMC would return with some new weapon that would exceed the Fold Weapon's capabilities. Until then, the Militia would rest and recover from the battle. They had lost the entirety of the Seventh Fleet at the initial space battle at Typhon, and it was still rebuilding its strength at Harmony's Shipyard. Briggs scrolled through the data displayed on the tablet, until she suddenly stopped and zoomed in on a particular section of the report. "Mysterious inbound signal?" she spoke under her breath. "Not IMC in origin? Source unknown?" As Briggs walked out of the ship's bridge and headed for the officer's barracks, she continued to read the report with her eyebrows raised. At the same time the Seventh Fleet headed to Typhon, a signal was blasted past Harmony, consisting of an unknown energy signature. The blast hadn't directly harmed the Militia or Planet Harmony, but it had spooked the Militia Command enough to warrant an investigation, albeit a brief one. The Militia Leadership's investigation had determined that a pulse of radiation had occured on a planet close to Harmony, and they had received some of the remains of it. Briggs didn't buy it, however. The blast's destructive energy was predicted to be larger than a nuclear bomb, and they had been outlawed long before the IMC even existed, like other pre-Frontier Age WMDs such as poison gas. To have such a harmless blast occur and hit Harmony just didn't sit right with Briggs. As she sat down in her office and called Vice Admiral Marcus Graves, she wiped the sweat from her brow. "Commander." Graves spoke as his image appeared. "How's the R-and-R going for the Seventh Fleet?" "It's going well, Admiral." Briggs said. "We've managed to rebuild the ships we lost in record time, but they're not combat ready yet. Also, I noticed a report about an energy pulse hitting Harmony included in the briefing?" "It is." Graves said. "Whatever caused that blast is still unknown, but many of the lower staff think it's nothing to worry about, that we need to focus on the IMC." "What do you think?" Briggs asked. Graves gave a sigh of deep thought before speaking. "I think we should investigate." he said. "If the IMC discovered something that could output more energy than a nuclear bomb, and turned it against us, we'd have another Operation Broadsword all over again." "So what can we do?" Briggs asked. "We've recently christened a new Supercarrier, the MacAllan II." Graves said, showing Briggs the schematics on the holoscreen. "It's combat ready and fully staffed. I want you to take what's left of the Seventh Fleet plus the MacAllan II and head to the source of the blast. I've sent the coordinates to the MacAllan II already. This is a high-risk mission, Commander, so be careful." "I understand." Briggs said. "When do we leave?" "I suggest you leave ASAP." Graves smiled. "I've also requisitioned a team of seven Pilots from the MCS Baron to support you. These pilots are led by Captain Daniel McKenna, a veteran Pilot and one of our best. I've already sent you their files. Once you're all set, you have the green light." "Roger that, Admiral." Briggs said. "Briggs out." As Briggs headed out of her office and towards the dormitories, she began to look over the files of each Pilot on her datapad with a smile forming on her lips. Author's Note Yeah, this will hpeefully be the last Titanfall 2 fanfic I write, since I deleted all the other ones. This one's staying for good. Next time-The Militia leave for Equestria, and Twilight consults with Celestia about her discoveries. Chapter 1 - LZ AlphaAs Twilight Sparkle slipped out of bed at the light of the dawn, she wiped her eyes clear and binked drowsily at herself. She stretched her wings, and proceeded downstairs to the alluring smell of breakfast on the stove. "Morning." Spike the Dragon said, handing her a plate of eggs and hay bacon. "You get enough sleep, Twilight?" "Yes, I did." Twilight replied. "Why do you ask?" "You've been staying up later and later due to your astronomy." Spike raised an eyebrow. "I don't think it's a good idea." ''And why, pray tell, is that?" Twilight replied. "Are you worried that I'm not getting enough sleep?" "That, and Twilight, remember the last time you stayed up to work on something, and you didn't get to bed until three in the morning?" Spike sighed. "And how you basically sleepwalked through several meetings until you face-planted into the table? I don't want that happening again." "That is true." Twilight sighed, looking at the dragon with a smile. "Okay, Spike. I'll get to bed sooner tonight." "Thanks." As they ate their morning meal and cleaned up afterward, Twilight looked over the agenda sheet she had stuck to the entrance of the main hall. "So, what's happening?" Spike asked. "Nothing much." Twilight said. "We are meeting the girls in the park in about an hour, so what do you want to do until then?" "Take a walk?" Spike suggested. "Sure thing." As they exited the castle and entered the morning light, they didn't notice a small spark of light in the sky, directly in orbit. ==== "Commander Briggs, we've made it." the MacAllan II's helmsman reported. "We've reached the pulse's origin coordinates." "Copy." Briggs replied from her station. "Get me Pilot McKenna and his team. tell them to make ready for surface recon, see if they can scout us a landing zone." "Yes, ma'am!" As the Grunts relayed the Commander's orders, Briggs had to stop and admire the pristine world below them. Most worlds, thanks to the war between the Frontier Militia and IMC, were severely damaged in terms of environment and resources. This planet looked like it was completely untouched by the strife around it. "Commander, I've got something!" Briggs pulled herself away to see a Grunt analyzing surface scans at his station beckon her over. "What is it?" she asked. "I've got strange readings from the surface." the Grunt said, moving the holographic display. "Scans are showing a vast amount of lifesigns on the surface. At least seven types so far." Briggs gave a murmur of thought. This planet, according to the Militia's latest intel, was uninhabited and unoccupied by the IMC or the Militia. "What are we looking at?" Briggs requested. "I'm seeing several distinct centers of population in this area here." the Grunt said, motioning to a large fertile area in the mid northern hemisphere. "In fact, our best bet at a landing zone is right on top of this presumably-inhabited settlement. Either we need to make ourselves completely unnoticeable when we land, or…" "Or what?" "Or we should prepare for unconfirmed first contact." the Grunt said. "I'd recommend we stay in orbit until we know that the locals won't attack us on sight." "Copy." Briggs sighed. "Tell Pilot McKenna and his team they'll be deploying with their Titans. Strict rules of engagement, and make sure they drop far enough away from that village so we don't startle the locals." "Yes, ma'am." As the Grunt sent Briggs's instructions, the Commander headed out of the Bridge towards the deployment bay. ==== As the seven Pilots assigned to Kilo Team finished their briefing with Commander Briggs, each of them began checking their weapons and equipment with haste. They were the tip of the spear for the Militia's surface recon, and being unprepared for a task like this was a death sentence. Which is why the Pilots packed non-lethal shock ammo alongside bullets into their armor pouches, and in order to reduce the possibility of lethal force, took Electric Smoke grenades instead of Frags or Satchel Charges. "So, we all set?" Asked Captain Daniel McKenna. "Yep." Sean Walker replied. "All kitted up. The Commander told us to deploy when ready, and in a scattered pattern, one a a time to reduce risk of detection." "And you'll be first, Danny." said Chase Dawes. "Find us a good LZ this time, okay?" "Since when have I not?" Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Might I remind you of Operation Nightshade?" "That was luck." Kelly Wright smirked. "Call it what you want, Kelly, I still saved lives that day." Daniel smirked. "Alright, all set. I'll see you on the surface." "Don't get killed." Sasha Voryunov said, with Helena Seiman waving casually. Daniel gave a thumbs-up as he mounted the Pilot Seat of his Vanguard-Class Titan, IN-2632. "We set, Indy?" he spoke. "All set, Pilot." IN said in a masculine, yet slightly jovial tone. "T-minus 30 seconds to insertion." As the countdown played on Daniel's HUD, he checked that his R201 Carbine, modified to his standards, was right next to him in the weapon rack. Then, the countdown hit zero, and Daniel felt the air give under his Titan as he plummeted through the lower atmosphere, with the familiar rumbling of the pod relaxing him as much as it could. ''5, 4, 3, 2, 1…" the Titan spoke over the speakers. "Warning, unknown energy signature." "What's going on?" Daniel asked as the pod was dragged astray from the pre-planned drop point. "Why aren't we moving?" "Something has taken hold of the insertion pod and is moving it away from our landing zone. I would recommend bracing for impact." his Titan reported. "We biting the dust?" Daniel asked. "The odds that we will not survive impact are low, but there is a chance." Indy replied. "Brace for impact now, Pilot. Initiating manual ejection." ==== Twilight hadn't believed Rainbow Dash when she said she saw a giant metal rock hurtling towards Ponyville on one of her high-level flights. Then, she saw what Rainbow was referring to, along with at least three-fourths of Ponyville's population. As she snared it with her magic (A difficult feat, due to the object's speed and mass), she proceeded to adjust its course and land it in the plain south of her new Castle. As she did just that, the object burst into pieces inexplicably, and something smaller than the initial object, but still very large, smashed into the ground in front of her castle. Had it landed thirty feet in front of itself, it would have smashed Twilight's new home to bits. As the dust settled, Twilight and the other citizens approached whatever it was that exited the object. It was bipedal, and hunched over from its landing. Colored gray, yellow, orange, and green in a speckled pattern, it also featured a skull logo on it's left shoulder, with some accompanying text. MCOR - IN 2632 And on it's right shoulder were multiple slashes made in white paint, around seven of them in total. It also featured a metallic eye set in its upper body, above the arms. A long object was strapped to its back, with a drum or barrel of some kind attached to it. Finally, two black boxes on hinges were locked on its shoulders. Nopony move or dared maked a sound. That is, until the creature spoke in a masculine voice, rough-toned and plain. "Indy, are we alright?" "Manual ejection complete, Pilot. Ocular systems are currently recalibrating from impact. Central datacore, weapons, and main chassis are intact and at 100 percent operation capacity. Reestablishing motion controls now." said a second voice, more artificial-sounding, but still masculine. Then, the creature stood up to a massive height, and peered down as its eye turned blue. As it swayed side to side, eyeing the residents, the first voice spoke one thing the Equestrians weren't expecting to hear. ==== "Fuck me." Daniel spoke in a growl as his Titan's ocular feed displayed the frames of lots of equine beings, all pastel-colored and varied in size and shape. Some had a horn, others had wings, but some had neither. But one in front, a female by the looks of it, had both. She had dropped her jaw at the profanity uttered, and by the way she was frozen, was stunned silent. "Indy, get us out of here." Daniel ordered. "We need to move." "Understood." the Vanguard-Class replied as it broke off into a sprint following its' Pilot's controls, tearing off towards an overgrown-looking forest. As he detached and loaded his XO16 Chaingun with 20MM AP rounds, he didn't see or hear six of the equines begin to speak avidly in English. ==== "What in the name of Celestia was that?" Rainbow Dash gaped as the creature ran towards the Everfree. "Come on, let's go after it!" "Wait, Rainbow!" Twilight replied, using her magic to snare the pegasus and preventing her from flying off. "We're jumping to conclusions here!" "How so?" Rarity asked. "That thing…" "One, I think we're dealing with two things, since we heard two voices. Two, despite the profanity, it spoke fluent Equish. And three, this isn't something we should handle." Twilight said. "We're dealing with a being that could probably crush us into paste with ease, judging by the footprints it left, so I don't think that we're going to stand much of a chance against it." "What are you getting at?" Applejack raised an eyebrow. "We're sending a letter to Celestia and getting some of the Royal Guards here." Twilight said. "Once we find it, we can try to talk to it, see if its friendly." "And if it isn't?" Rainbow asked. "We try to convince it otherwise, that we're not a threat to it." Twilight sighed, knowing how confrontational her friend could be. "I'm not resorting to violence, Rainbow. That creates more problems than it solves when it comes to making friends." Rainbow huffed and followed the Element Bearers back to the Castle as the crowd slowly dispersed out of fear. ==== It didn't take long for Princesses Celestia and Luna, along with a platoon of Solar and Lunar Guards each to arrive once the letter was sent. As they departed for the Everfree, Celestia pulled Twilight aside. "I'm relieved you did what you could, Twilight, but there's something I need to tell you." she whispered. "I think I know what these beings are after. It's just a hunch, however." "What do you mean?" Twilight asked. "Many years ago, a vessel known as the Odyssey came to Equestria." Celestia said. "My sister and I exchanged pleasantries with the vessel's captain, a being called MacAllan. He didn't stay long, due to the fact he was being hunted, as he put it. We gave him supplies and information in exchange for letting him stay in a remote corner of Equestria, away from prying eyes, for one month and not a day more." "When that month ended, MacAllan and the Odyssey left and never returned." Celestia continued. "I believe the beings you saw may be searching for him." "Are they friendly?" Twilight asked. "MacAllan told us that his kind would see us as allies or enemies depending on our actions." her mentor said as they entered the Everfree, following the massive footsteps that the creature had left behind. "So we must be careful. Exceptionally careful." As Twilight nodded and the two of them led the way into the Everfree, they didn't notice six more objects come down near the slopes of Whitetail Mountain. Author's Note Yep, Celestia knows James MacAllan. How? See the next chapter for more details and first contact. Chapter 2 - RevelationsAs Celestia and Luna led the way through the Everfree, following the metal giant's footsteps, Rainbow Dash came up next to Celestia, her eyes averted, but she quickly mustered her courage to speak. "Is something concerning you, Rainbow Dash?" she asked. "How can you be so calm, Princess?" Rainbow requested. "I won't tell anyone else, but I'm really freaked out right now. Why aren't you?" "Because I know what our guests are, most likely where they come from, and also likely who they are looking for." Celestia replied. "Have you heard of the human race, Rainbow Dash?" "Only in some of Twilight's books." Rainbow replied. "Aren't they make-believe, though?" "No, they are not." Celestia affirmed. "They do not use magic like us ponies, but technology and creativity to advance their kind. In fact, I would say they are superior to us in quite a few facets." "Really?" the pegasus asked, awestruck. "Yes. They have settled beyond their home world and in countless planets, developed space vessels such as in comic books, and created countless pieces of technology that put our own to shame." Celestia replied. "But you should be careful, Rainbow Dash. They are a warlike species, and quite proud of their prowess in combat. To further describe a human is quite complicated, as they are as varied in appearance and psyche as us ponies. Some are good, some are evil, others are kind, others are selfish. They are quite the enigmatic species." "And you've known about them fow how long?" Rainbow asked. "They came to Equestria, in one ship fleeing a civil war, about forty years ago." Celestia said. "I had to deal with them alone, as my sister had not yet returned. I gave them permission to hide on Equis, in a remote section of Equestria, for one month. I also gave them needed supplies." "Why'd they leave?" Rainbow asked, surprised. "A few reasons." the Solar Diarch sighed. "Some of their kind were not as trusting as their leader, a man named MacAllan. They were also insistent on hunting wildlife for food, as they are omnivorous, and terraforming their settlement, which threatened the environment and landscape." "That's bad, right?" Rainbow raised an eyebrow as she ducked under a tree branch to keep up. Yes, and no. Their methods of farming were simplistic and brutal, but effective. And finally, their adversaries came close to Equestria three times while searching for MacAllan's vessel, and the threat to us became too great. Not a minute after their allocated time expired, they took their vessel and departed. I declared their settlement protected land as to hide their activities, and I secretly stored what they left behind in the Vault of the Canterlot Archives." Celestia finished. "But there is one thing the humans have made that still makes me tremble in fear." "What?" Rainbow asked. "A certain class or caste of human warriors, said to be five times swifter than any ordinary soldier, stronger than three regular men, and heavily respected by both friend and foe, ride on the shoulders of giants." Celestia said. "They are much like the metal giant we are currently tracking now. They are powerful enough to crush wrought steel like paper, can trek countless miles without growing tired, and stand forty feet tall on average." "Woah." Rainbow was floored as her jaw dropped at the image her mind conjured. "There's more." Celestia said. "There are three kinds of them, known as Atlas, Stryder, and Ogre. i have never used one before, but I have seen them in action. I digress, however. Rainbow, I must ask you something." "What?" "As I have said, humans are proud and powerful." she cautioned. "Though their appearance suggests such, they are not anything like monkeys or primates. So do not call them that under any circumstances. I learned that lesson the hard way when our initial groups first met. We almost came to violence over that term being used to describe them. They prefer to be known as Humans, or by what they call a "Scientific name", Homo Sapiens." "Alright." Rainbow said. "We almost there?" "Indeed." Celestia said as the group came to a halt as the footprints ended. "Allow me to summon them, if i may." Celestia used her magic, and a small black box with a blue lighted display appeared next to her. She pushed a button on the side and spoke. "To the humans who have arrived in Equestria, I welcome you once again. I ask to meet under a flag of understanding to know why you have come back to our world. I will send up a flare on our location. Know that I and my company mean you no harm." ==== As Daniel and IN-2632 trekked through the trees to a clearing, Indy suddenly displayed a radio message on his Pilot's' HUD. "What's going on?" Daniel asked. "A radio broadcast has just ceased, not too far from our position. It is on a known Militia frequency, directed to us. It is most likely the native population contacting us." IN spoke. "Where?" Daniel raised an eyebrow. "About one-eighth of a klick southeast." IN spoke. "I will engage neutral subroutines and contact Commander Briggs." "Go ahead, I'll get us there." As Daniel began to retrace his steps, he could see a bright yellow sphere in the skyline, not too far from his position. "At least the locals marked their position." Daniel thought as IN reported their status to Commander Briggs on the MCS MacAllan II. "They're making it easy for us to find them, but why?" As Daniel approached the marked clearing, he could see several of the equines from the village, along with two companies of presumed soldiers, wearing blue and black, or white and gold armor. The ones in front both had a horn and wings, with ethereal manes and a mark of the sun or moon. "Greetings, human. I am Princess Celestia, Ruler of Equestria and Alicorn of the Sun." the sun-marked one said. "I presume you are here for MacAllan? Daniel froze in an instant. "Pilot, these beings likely know the late Field Commander James MacAllan. voice pattern analysis suggests they are being truthful." IN spoke. "Then let's do this." Daniel breathed, disembarking and standing before Celestia. As he removed his helmet, he sighed. "How do you know James MacAllan?" he asked, startling everyone there apart from Celestia and another one with a moon-like color scheme. "He came to our realm in need of sanctuary." Celestia said. "He stayed in our world for a month exactly. Are you in search of him?" Daniel sighed and looked her in the eye. "Ma'am, I regret to tell you that Field Commander James MacAllan was killed in action during the Battle of Demeter, two years ago." Daniel said. "The Frontier Militia is now led by Fleet Admiral Marcus Graves and Field Commander Sarah Briggs." Celestia raised her eyebrows and sighed. "I'm sorry." she said. "He was a good friend to me." ''How?" he asked. "I debated politics and the art of war with him when he stayed here on a weekly basis." Celestia said. "I believed him to be a good friend of mine. May I ask your name?" ''Sure." he said. "I'm Captain Daniel McKenna, Pilot of the Marauder Corps, SRS, Frontier Militia Fleet. Leader of Kilo Team. And this…" IN came forward and settled before the astounded locals. "Is my partner, IN-2632." Daniel said. "If you'll allow me, I will send records of our conversation to Commander Briggs, and we can continue negotiations in a better setting. Is that fair?" "Certainly." Celestia said. "Take all the time you need, Mr. McKenna." As Daniel marked a spacious section of the clearing with a flare for use as a landing zone, IN sent the recording to the orbiting Militia supercarrier. "Understood, IN." Briggs said over the radio. "I'm en route with Kilo Team, Barker, and Gates. Secure a landing zone, and once we arrive you'll lead the way, Pilot McKenna." "Copy that." Daniel replied. "Standing by." As three Titan dropships landed in the field, six other Titans disembarked, along with Briggs, the 6-4 leader Gates, and the Angel City Elites leader Barker. The ponies were visibly frightened, but in the presence of Celestia they mustered their courage to interact with their new guests. "Shall we be off?" Briggs said to Celestia as further introductions went around. "Indeed." Celestia said. "I wish to hear of the events that led to MacAllan's death and your coming to Equis." "Then you'll get it." Briggs said. "Let's move out!" As the combined group of Titans, Humans, and Ponies began the trek to Ponyville, the sun reached the midday point in the sky. Author's Note Update! Also, Celestia knows more about MacAllan then she's letting on. How much? You'll see.
Prologue - On the Shoulders of GiantsEquestria, Planet Equis Ponyville, Castle of Friendship Twilight Sparkle turned a page in an impossibly large catalog of star-charts as she mounted her telescope on her desk. The night sky was clear as could be, and free of any obstructions that would hide the stars above from her eyes. As she used her magic to write in a propped-up notebook lying beside her, her tail swished from side to side, as it often did when she was concentrating hard on something. "And we move the Axis 23.6 degrees to the north..." she murmured, adjusting her telescope accordingly. "Found it." The object in her telescope's lens was a planet far from Equestria, that had dubbed "Olympia". The planet itself had a unique feature that had Twilight and even some of the best astronomers intrigued. A massive crater that spanned nearly one half of the world's upper atmosphere had appeared three weeks ago, and before that the planet's moon had been shattered overnight. The Royal Astrologers had initially believed a meteor had struck the planet and the moon once they saw it, but Twilight thought differently. The force required to destroy a planet's moon and inflict that much damage to the planet itself in one go was astronomically large, larger than Twilight wanted to admit. However, Twilight had noticed something strange three weeks ago, about three day's time before the crater appeared. Small objects had appeared in the orbit of Olympia only to start falling to the surface like a ship torn under in a storm. Twilight had kept this knowledge to herself because this suggested aliens existed or something similar, and everypony in the scientific community knew that the existence of aliens was improbable or impossible. She had played along with this idea for a while, but one day she stumbled upon something fascinating in her new Castle's library, a voluminous book titled "The Human Race and theories regarding it", by Professor Crossroads. The book had taken Twilight three days to read and analyze, and it stated some interesting facts. One, the mythical human race existed in the stars above Equestria. Two, they were far more or drastically more advanced than the Equestrians, due to their use of technology over magic. And three, they rode on the shoulders of giants, a bond established between them. That last statement had mistified Twilight. The book itself was fascinating, but Twilight had stopped when she had read it the first time. Humans, a mythical race, riding on the shoulders of giant beasts? Yeah, not going to happen in Equestria anytime soon. As Twilight returned to her astronomy work, she thought on that statement for quite some time afterward, even past when she retired to bed for the night. ==== Planet Harmony, Frontier Militia Space Militia Fleet Primary Shipyard, Bridge "Commander Briggs?" A stern-looking woman of her thirties, wearing blue clothing with combat gear and a bandanna around her forehead, turned to see a soldier approach with a datapad. "Admiral Graves has a new briefing ready for you." "Thank you, soldier." Sarah Briggs replied. "Dismissed." As Briggs looked over the datapad, she let a small smile fly across her face. It had been three weeks since the Militia victory at Typhon and the destruction of the IMC Fold Weapon, and the Militia was celebrating. However, Briggs knew it was only a matter of time before the IMC would return with some new weapon that would exceed the Fold Weapon's capabilities. Until then, the Militia would rest and recover from the battle. They had lost the entirety of the Seventh Fleet at the initial space battle at Typhon, and it was still rebuilding its strength at Harmony's Shipyard. Briggs scrolled through the data displayed on the tablet, until she suddenly stopped and zoomed in on a particular section of the report. "Mysterious inbound signal?" she spoke under her breath. "Not IMC in origin? Source unknown?" As Briggs walked out of the ship's bridge and headed for the officer's barracks, she continued to read the report with her eyebrows raised. At the same time the Seventh Fleet headed to Typhon, a signal was blasted past Harmony, consisting of an unknown energy signature. The blast hadn't directly harmed the Militia or Planet Harmony, but it had spooked the Militia Command enough to warrant an investigation, albeit a brief one. The Militia Leadership's investigation had determined that a pulse of radiation had occured on a planet close to Harmony, and they had received some of the remains of it. Briggs didn't buy it, however. The blast's destructive energy was predicted to be larger than a nuclear bomb, and they had been outlawed long before the IMC even existed, like other pre-Frontier Age WMDs such as poison gas. To have such a harmless blast occur and hit Harmony just didn't sit right with Briggs. As she sat down in her office and called Vice Admiral Marcus Graves, she wiped the sweat from her brow. "Commander." Graves spoke as his image appeared. "How's the R-and-R going for the Seventh Fleet?" "It's going well, Admiral." Briggs said. "We've managed to rebuild the ships we lost in record time, but they're not combat ready yet. Also, I noticed a report about an energy pulse hitting Harmony included in the briefing?" "It is." Graves said. "Whatever caused that blast is still unknown, but many of the lower staff think it's nothing to worry about, that we need to focus on the IMC." "What do you think?" Briggs asked. Graves gave a sigh of deep thought before speaking. "I think we should investigate." he said. "If the IMC discovered something that could output more energy than a nuclear bomb, and turned it against us, we'd have another Operation Broadsword all over again." "So what can we do?" Briggs asked. "We've recently christened a new Supercarrier, the MacAllan II." Graves said, showing Briggs the schematics on the holoscreen. "It's combat ready and fully staffed. I want you to take what's left of the Seventh Fleet plus the MacAllan II and head to the source of the blast. I've sent the coordinates to the MacAllan II already. This is a high-risk mission, Commander, so be careful." "I understand." Briggs said. "When do we leave?" "I suggest you leave ASAP." Graves smiled. "I've also requisitioned a team of seven Pilots from the MCS Baron to support you. These pilots are led by Captain Daniel McKenna, a veteran Pilot and one of our best. I've already sent you their files. Once you're all set, you have the green light." "Roger that, Admiral." Briggs said. "Briggs out." As Briggs headed out of her office and towards the dormitories, she began to look over the files of each Pilot on her datapad with a smile forming on her lips. Author's Note Yeah, this will hpeefully be the last Titanfall 2 fanfic I write, since I deleted all the other ones. This one's staying for good. Next time-The Militia leave for Equestria, and Twilight consults with Celestia about her discoveries.
Chapter 1 - LZ AlphaAs Twilight Sparkle slipped out of bed at the light of the dawn, she wiped her eyes clear and binked drowsily at herself. She stretched her wings, and proceeded downstairs to the alluring smell of breakfast on the stove. "Morning." Spike the Dragon said, handing her a plate of eggs and hay bacon. "You get enough sleep, Twilight?" "Yes, I did." Twilight replied. "Why do you ask?" "You've been staying up later and later due to your astronomy." Spike raised an eyebrow. "I don't think it's a good idea." ''And why, pray tell, is that?" Twilight replied. "Are you worried that I'm not getting enough sleep?" "That, and Twilight, remember the last time you stayed up to work on something, and you didn't get to bed until three in the morning?" Spike sighed. "And how you basically sleepwalked through several meetings until you face-planted into the table? I don't want that happening again." "That is true." Twilight sighed, looking at the dragon with a smile. "Okay, Spike. I'll get to bed sooner tonight." "Thanks." As they ate their morning meal and cleaned up afterward, Twilight looked over the agenda sheet she had stuck to the entrance of the main hall. "So, what's happening?" Spike asked. "Nothing much." Twilight said. "We are meeting the girls in the park in about an hour, so what do you want to do until then?" "Take a walk?" Spike suggested. "Sure thing." As they exited the castle and entered the morning light, they didn't notice a small spark of light in the sky, directly in orbit. ==== "Commander Briggs, we've made it." the MacAllan II's helmsman reported. "We've reached the pulse's origin coordinates." "Copy." Briggs replied from her station. "Get me Pilot McKenna and his team. tell them to make ready for surface recon, see if they can scout us a landing zone." "Yes, ma'am!" As the Grunts relayed the Commander's orders, Briggs had to stop and admire the pristine world below them. Most worlds, thanks to the war between the Frontier Militia and IMC, were severely damaged in terms of environment and resources. This planet looked like it was completely untouched by the strife around it. "Commander, I've got something!" Briggs pulled herself away to see a Grunt analyzing surface scans at his station beckon her over. "What is it?" she asked. "I've got strange readings from the surface." the Grunt said, moving the holographic display. "Scans are showing a vast amount of lifesigns on the surface. At least seven types so far." Briggs gave a murmur of thought. This planet, according to the Militia's latest intel, was uninhabited and unoccupied by the IMC or the Militia. "What are we looking at?" Briggs requested. "I'm seeing several distinct centers of population in this area here." the Grunt said, motioning to a large fertile area in the mid northern hemisphere. "In fact, our best bet at a landing zone is right on top of this presumably-inhabited settlement. Either we need to make ourselves completely unnoticeable when we land, or…" "Or what?" "Or we should prepare for unconfirmed first contact." the Grunt said. "I'd recommend we stay in orbit until we know that the locals won't attack us on sight." "Copy." Briggs sighed. "Tell Pilot McKenna and his team they'll be deploying with their Titans. Strict rules of engagement, and make sure they drop far enough away from that village so we don't startle the locals." "Yes, ma'am." As the Grunt sent Briggs's instructions, the Commander headed out of the Bridge towards the deployment bay. ==== As the seven Pilots assigned to Kilo Team finished their briefing with Commander Briggs, each of them began checking their weapons and equipment with haste. They were the tip of the spear for the Militia's surface recon, and being unprepared for a task like this was a death sentence. Which is why the Pilots packed non-lethal shock ammo alongside bullets into their armor pouches, and in order to reduce the possibility of lethal force, took Electric Smoke grenades instead of Frags or Satchel Charges. "So, we all set?" Asked Captain Daniel McKenna. "Yep." Sean Walker replied. "All kitted up. The Commander told us to deploy when ready, and in a scattered pattern, one a a time to reduce risk of detection." "And you'll be first, Danny." said Chase Dawes. "Find us a good LZ this time, okay?" "Since when have I not?" Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Might I remind you of Operation Nightshade?" "That was luck." Kelly Wright smirked. "Call it what you want, Kelly, I still saved lives that day." Daniel smirked. "Alright, all set. I'll see you on the surface." "Don't get killed." Sasha Voryunov said, with Helena Seiman waving casually. Daniel gave a thumbs-up as he mounted the Pilot Seat of his Vanguard-Class Titan, IN-2632. "We set, Indy?" he spoke. "All set, Pilot." IN said in a masculine, yet slightly jovial tone. "T-minus 30 seconds to insertion." As the countdown played on Daniel's HUD, he checked that his R201 Carbine, modified to his standards, was right next to him in the weapon rack. Then, the countdown hit zero, and Daniel felt the air give under his Titan as he plummeted through the lower atmosphere, with the familiar rumbling of the pod relaxing him as much as it could. ''5, 4, 3, 2, 1…" the Titan spoke over the speakers. "Warning, unknown energy signature." "What's going on?" Daniel asked as the pod was dragged astray from the pre-planned drop point. "Why aren't we moving?" "Something has taken hold of the insertion pod and is moving it away from our landing zone. I would recommend bracing for impact." his Titan reported. "We biting the dust?" Daniel asked. "The odds that we will not survive impact are low, but there is a chance." Indy replied. "Brace for impact now, Pilot. Initiating manual ejection." ==== Twilight hadn't believed Rainbow Dash when she said she saw a giant metal rock hurtling towards Ponyville on one of her high-level flights. Then, she saw what Rainbow was referring to, along with at least three-fourths of Ponyville's population. As she snared it with her magic (A difficult feat, due to the object's speed and mass), she proceeded to adjust its course and land it in the plain south of her new Castle. As she did just that, the object burst into pieces inexplicably, and something smaller than the initial object, but still very large, smashed into the ground in front of her castle. Had it landed thirty feet in front of itself, it would have smashed Twilight's new home to bits. As the dust settled, Twilight and the other citizens approached whatever it was that exited the object. It was bipedal, and hunched over from its landing. Colored gray, yellow, orange, and green in a speckled pattern, it also featured a skull logo on it's left shoulder, with some accompanying text. MCOR - IN 2632 And on it's right shoulder were multiple slashes made in white paint, around seven of them in total. It also featured a metallic eye set in its upper body, above the arms. A long object was strapped to its back, with a drum or barrel of some kind attached to it. Finally, two black boxes on hinges were locked on its shoulders. Nopony move or dared maked a sound. That is, until the creature spoke in a masculine voice, rough-toned and plain. "Indy, are we alright?" "Manual ejection complete, Pilot. Ocular systems are currently recalibrating from impact. Central datacore, weapons, and main chassis are intact and at 100 percent operation capacity. Reestablishing motion controls now." said a second voice, more artificial-sounding, but still masculine. Then, the creature stood up to a massive height, and peered down as its eye turned blue. As it swayed side to side, eyeing the residents, the first voice spoke one thing the Equestrians weren't expecting to hear. ==== "Fuck me." Daniel spoke in a growl as his Titan's ocular feed displayed the frames of lots of equine beings, all pastel-colored and varied in size and shape. Some had a horn, others had wings, but some had neither. But one in front, a female by the looks of it, had both. She had dropped her jaw at the profanity uttered, and by the way she was frozen, was stunned silent. "Indy, get us out of here." Daniel ordered. "We need to move." "Understood." the Vanguard-Class replied as it broke off into a sprint following its' Pilot's controls, tearing off towards an overgrown-looking forest. As he detached and loaded his XO16 Chaingun with 20MM AP rounds, he didn't see or hear six of the equines begin to speak avidly in English. ==== "What in the name of Celestia was that?" Rainbow Dash gaped as the creature ran towards the Everfree. "Come on, let's go after it!" "Wait, Rainbow!" Twilight replied, using her magic to snare the pegasus and preventing her from flying off. "We're jumping to conclusions here!" "How so?" Rarity asked. "That thing…" "One, I think we're dealing with two things, since we heard two voices. Two, despite the profanity, it spoke fluent Equish. And three, this isn't something we should handle." Twilight said. "We're dealing with a being that could probably crush us into paste with ease, judging by the footprints it left, so I don't think that we're going to stand much of a chance against it." "What are you getting at?" Applejack raised an eyebrow. "We're sending a letter to Celestia and getting some of the Royal Guards here." Twilight said. "Once we find it, we can try to talk to it, see if its friendly." "And if it isn't?" Rainbow asked. "We try to convince it otherwise, that we're not a threat to it." Twilight sighed, knowing how confrontational her friend could be. "I'm not resorting to violence, Rainbow. That creates more problems than it solves when it comes to making friends." Rainbow huffed and followed the Element Bearers back to the Castle as the crowd slowly dispersed out of fear. ==== It didn't take long for Princesses Celestia and Luna, along with a platoon of Solar and Lunar Guards each to arrive once the letter was sent. As they departed for the Everfree, Celestia pulled Twilight aside. "I'm relieved you did what you could, Twilight, but there's something I need to tell you." she whispered. "I think I know what these beings are after. It's just a hunch, however." "What do you mean?" Twilight asked. "Many years ago, a vessel known as the Odyssey came to Equestria." Celestia said. "My sister and I exchanged pleasantries with the vessel's captain, a being called MacAllan. He didn't stay long, due to the fact he was being hunted, as he put it. We gave him supplies and information in exchange for letting him stay in a remote corner of Equestria, away from prying eyes, for one month and not a day more." "When that month ended, MacAllan and the Odyssey left and never returned." Celestia continued. "I believe the beings you saw may be searching for him." "Are they friendly?" Twilight asked. "MacAllan told us that his kind would see us as allies or enemies depending on our actions." her mentor said as they entered the Everfree, following the massive footsteps that the creature had left behind. "So we must be careful. Exceptionally careful." As Twilight nodded and the two of them led the way into the Everfree, they didn't notice six more objects come down near the slopes of Whitetail Mountain. Author's Note Yep, Celestia knows James MacAllan. How? See the next chapter for more details and first contact.
Chapter 2 - RevelationsAs Celestia and Luna led the way through the Everfree, following the metal giant's footsteps, Rainbow Dash came up next to Celestia, her eyes averted, but she quickly mustered her courage to speak. "Is something concerning you, Rainbow Dash?" she asked. "How can you be so calm, Princess?" Rainbow requested. "I won't tell anyone else, but I'm really freaked out right now. Why aren't you?" "Because I know what our guests are, most likely where they come from, and also likely who they are looking for." Celestia replied. "Have you heard of the human race, Rainbow Dash?" "Only in some of Twilight's books." Rainbow replied. "Aren't they make-believe, though?" "No, they are not." Celestia affirmed. "They do not use magic like us ponies, but technology and creativity to advance their kind. In fact, I would say they are superior to us in quite a few facets." "Really?" the pegasus asked, awestruck. "Yes. They have settled beyond their home world and in countless planets, developed space vessels such as in comic books, and created countless pieces of technology that put our own to shame." Celestia replied. "But you should be careful, Rainbow Dash. They are a warlike species, and quite proud of their prowess in combat. To further describe a human is quite complicated, as they are as varied in appearance and psyche as us ponies. Some are good, some are evil, others are kind, others are selfish. They are quite the enigmatic species." "And you've known about them fow how long?" Rainbow asked. "They came to Equestria, in one ship fleeing a civil war, about forty years ago." Celestia said. "I had to deal with them alone, as my sister had not yet returned. I gave them permission to hide on Equis, in a remote section of Equestria, for one month. I also gave them needed supplies." "Why'd they leave?" Rainbow asked, surprised. "A few reasons." the Solar Diarch sighed. "Some of their kind were not as trusting as their leader, a man named MacAllan. They were also insistent on hunting wildlife for food, as they are omnivorous, and terraforming their settlement, which threatened the environment and landscape." "That's bad, right?" Rainbow raised an eyebrow as she ducked under a tree branch to keep up. Yes, and no. Their methods of farming were simplistic and brutal, but effective. And finally, their adversaries came close to Equestria three times while searching for MacAllan's vessel, and the threat to us became too great. Not a minute after their allocated time expired, they took their vessel and departed. I declared their settlement protected land as to hide their activities, and I secretly stored what they left behind in the Vault of the Canterlot Archives." Celestia finished. "But there is one thing the humans have made that still makes me tremble in fear." "What?" Rainbow asked. "A certain class or caste of human warriors, said to be five times swifter than any ordinary soldier, stronger than three regular men, and heavily respected by both friend and foe, ride on the shoulders of giants." Celestia said. "They are much like the metal giant we are currently tracking now. They are powerful enough to crush wrought steel like paper, can trek countless miles without growing tired, and stand forty feet tall on average." "Woah." Rainbow was floored as her jaw dropped at the image her mind conjured. "There's more." Celestia said. "There are three kinds of them, known as Atlas, Stryder, and Ogre. i have never used one before, but I have seen them in action. I digress, however. Rainbow, I must ask you something." "What?" "As I have said, humans are proud and powerful." she cautioned. "Though their appearance suggests such, they are not anything like monkeys or primates. So do not call them that under any circumstances. I learned that lesson the hard way when our initial groups first met. We almost came to violence over that term being used to describe them. They prefer to be known as Humans, or by what they call a "Scientific name", Homo Sapiens." "Alright." Rainbow said. "We almost there?" "Indeed." Celestia said as the group came to a halt as the footprints ended. "Allow me to summon them, if i may." Celestia used her magic, and a small black box with a blue lighted display appeared next to her. She pushed a button on the side and spoke. "To the humans who have arrived in Equestria, I welcome you once again. I ask to meet under a flag of understanding to know why you have come back to our world. I will send up a flare on our location. Know that I and my company mean you no harm." ==== As Daniel and IN-2632 trekked through the trees to a clearing, Indy suddenly displayed a radio message on his Pilot's' HUD. "What's going on?" Daniel asked. "A radio broadcast has just ceased, not too far from our position. It is on a known Militia frequency, directed to us. It is most likely the native population contacting us." IN spoke. "Where?" Daniel raised an eyebrow. "About one-eighth of a klick southeast." IN spoke. "I will engage neutral subroutines and contact Commander Briggs." "Go ahead, I'll get us there." As Daniel began to retrace his steps, he could see a bright yellow sphere in the skyline, not too far from his position. "At least the locals marked their position." Daniel thought as IN reported their status to Commander Briggs on the MCS MacAllan II. "They're making it easy for us to find them, but why?" As Daniel approached the marked clearing, he could see several of the equines from the village, along with two companies of presumed soldiers, wearing blue and black, or white and gold armor. The ones in front both had a horn and wings, with ethereal manes and a mark of the sun or moon. "Greetings, human. I am Princess Celestia, Ruler of Equestria and Alicorn of the Sun." the sun-marked one said. "I presume you are here for MacAllan? Daniel froze in an instant. "Pilot, these beings likely know the late Field Commander James MacAllan. voice pattern analysis suggests they are being truthful." IN spoke. "Then let's do this." Daniel breathed, disembarking and standing before Celestia. As he removed his helmet, he sighed. "How do you know James MacAllan?" he asked, startling everyone there apart from Celestia and another one with a moon-like color scheme. "He came to our realm in need of sanctuary." Celestia said. "He stayed in our world for a month exactly. Are you in search of him?" Daniel sighed and looked her in the eye. "Ma'am, I regret to tell you that Field Commander James MacAllan was killed in action during the Battle of Demeter, two years ago." Daniel said. "The Frontier Militia is now led by Fleet Admiral Marcus Graves and Field Commander Sarah Briggs." Celestia raised her eyebrows and sighed. "I'm sorry." she said. "He was a good friend to me." ''How?" he asked. "I debated politics and the art of war with him when he stayed here on a weekly basis." Celestia said. "I believed him to be a good friend of mine. May I ask your name?" ''Sure." he said. "I'm Captain Daniel McKenna, Pilot of the Marauder Corps, SRS, Frontier Militia Fleet. Leader of Kilo Team. And this…" IN came forward and settled before the astounded locals. "Is my partner, IN-2632." Daniel said. "If you'll allow me, I will send records of our conversation to Commander Briggs, and we can continue negotiations in a better setting. Is that fair?" "Certainly." Celestia said. "Take all the time you need, Mr. McKenna." As Daniel marked a spacious section of the clearing with a flare for use as a landing zone, IN sent the recording to the orbiting Militia supercarrier. "Understood, IN." Briggs said over the radio. "I'm en route with Kilo Team, Barker, and Gates. Secure a landing zone, and once we arrive you'll lead the way, Pilot McKenna." "Copy that." Daniel replied. "Standing by." As three Titan dropships landed in the field, six other Titans disembarked, along with Briggs, the 6-4 leader Gates, and the Angel City Elites leader Barker. The ponies were visibly frightened, but in the presence of Celestia they mustered their courage to interact with their new guests. "Shall we be off?" Briggs said to Celestia as further introductions went around. "Indeed." Celestia said. "I wish to hear of the events that led to MacAllan's death and your coming to Equis." "Then you'll get it." Briggs said. "Let's move out!" As the combined group of Titans, Humans, and Ponies began the trek to Ponyville, the sun reached the midday point in the sky. Author's Note Update! Also, Celestia knows more about MacAllan then she's letting on. How much? You'll see.
