FiMTech - The War of Annihilation (BattleTech Crossover)

Sundance stepped off of the DropShip in his Hellbringer, shivering even though the cold of the outside world couldn't penetrate the cockpit. This area of Ironhold was desolate, barely falling into the range of habitable. Plateaus and sandy ridges filled the vast open desert while the sun beat down on his 'Mech, making it hard for him to believe that the outside temperature was below freezing.

"They made this rock their home planet? Why?" Mist wondered aloud as he followed Sundance in his Summoner, the newly-painted cutie mark sharp against the war machine's weathered armor.

"So they can conduct all sorts of immoral experiments on ponies in secret, probably," Hazelnut said.

Mist raised an eyebrow. "Really? I mean, I wouldn't put it past them, but I've never heard that before."

"I'm just speculating." Hazelnut turned his Blood Asp toward the assembling army before plodding forward. "Come on, we're getting into formation."

The others followed Hazelnut to where the rest of the 'Mechs were grouping up in two wedge formations separated by Trinary, with the Khan and saKhan at the head of their respective forces. The sturdiest machines made up the very front, while the 'Mechs carrying heavy long-range firepower sat along the edges, and the brawlers huddled in the middle to conserve their armor.

Sundance fell in between Mist and Vermillion on the far left of the formation, then glanced to the west, where he could barely see the soldiers of The Rage. Even the massive DropShips were only a gray smudge on the horizon. The 279th Battle Cluster of Clan Wolf was on his other side, though a huge plateau blocked his view of them. Behind him, he could hear the roar of the VTOLs as they exited the DropShips and moved to hover above the assembled Trinaries.

Sundance took a few deep breaths and placed his hooves over the controls, taking a moment to calm himself before they were ordered forward. Usually the short ritual was enough to get him through a battle, and his talk with Vermillion from a few days ago still echoed in his ears, but he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in his stomach.

Keep breathing, Sundance. You'll need all of your focus for this, Solis said, trying to comfort him.

"I know. I just can't help but remember Strana. We haven't seen a battle this scale since then. Every time I think about it, all I can see is..." Tangelo's lifeless body flashed through Sundance's mind again. He shuddered and shook his head vigorously, wanting to clear the image from his thoughts. Even after all he'd been through, after how much he'd grown and healed, the image of her so horribly mangled still haunted him.

Hey, it's okay. Everything will be okay. We're much better prepared for this fight. We just have to keep our head up, Solis cooed. Fear and anguish were two of the emotions that she understood best. While she wasn't a fully fledged AI and couldn't quite grasp everything behind how ponies felt, she still knew enough to not want her pilot and only friend to experience that pain.

Sundance nodded and took another deep breath, watching as the last of the soldiers got into position. "You're right. Thanks."

"Soldiers of Clan Ghost Bear," Khan Subzero began, "It is time to begin our assault. Forward, my brothers and sisters! Make your anger known to the enemy — not through words, but through every pull of your trigger!" The comms were filled with shouting for a brief moment as the soldiers voiced their determination, and all at once the two Trinaries stepped off, hundreds of ponies moving as one toward their enemy.

As the soldiers marched through the desert, Sundance glanced nervously at his Nav screen. There was plenty of space between them and Nav Alpha; their first target. Surely Clan Draconequus had some sort of trap laid out for them. He knew their strategies firsthoof, and rarely did they involve the direct confrontations of typical Clan warfare. What did they have planned?

"Enemy 'Mechs on the ridge, right side!" Scarlet said suddenly on the comms. Sundance turned to see the top of a ridgeline shift slightly, almost a kilometer away and on the opposite side of the formation from his position. Lasers raked through the air just as he caught sight of the camouflaged war machines, and he flinched back as a PPC shot flashed by his cockpit and smashed harmlessly into the sand a few dozen meters away. He could hear armor being stripped from 'Mechs around him, but from what he could tell, nopony had been seriously damaged by the attack thanks to Scarlet's warning.

All at once, the five 'Mechs making up the right-most line of the Ourse Keshik's formation aimed at their attackers and retaliated with their own weapons. Dozens of missiles rained down on a second enemy 'Mech, fired from the left wing of the Ourse Keshik. Both enemies crumpled to the ground, demonstrating the coordination of the Khan's personal unit. They had taken out two 'Mechs in a matter of seconds without receiving a single order.

"More on the left!" another voice shouted. Sundance turned in time to take a glancing blow from a laser that filtered through the 'Mechs in front of him, and he hissed at the burning sensation in his left shoulder. Luckily the damage to his 'Mech was minimal, but a low growl through the comms told him the others hadn't fared so well. He glanced to his right at Mist's Summoner, which lagged behind the group by a couple paces, stumbling slightly. Cracks spiderwebbed across the main left pane of his cockpit, and there was a dark gouge in the torso armor just beneath it.

"Mist! Are you okay?" Sundance called. Taking damage to such a critical and relatively fragile part of a 'Mech so early on in a battle wasn't good. Nothing had penetrated the glass, thankfully, but a hit like that would certainly rattle a pony's nerves, and could still cause minor injuries.

Mist nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. It didn't hit anything important." He shook off the damage and got back into formation, matching their Trinary's stride again.

"Return fire! Kill them before they can attack again!" saKhan Snow yelled. The booms of autocannons and PPCs around Sundance were enough to make his cockpit shake, and he watched well over a hundred missiles fly through the air toward their attackers. He couldn't see the enemy 'Mechs from his position, but he could imagine the devastation caused by such firepower.

Bright lights rising into the sky caught Sundance's attention, and he glanced up to see a trio of missiles arcing through the air toward their formation. They looked massive; much larger than any missile he'd ever seen come out of a 'Mech.

"Are those... Arrow IVs?" Mist asked nervously. "Should we panic?"

"Do not worry, we planned for this. The only form of artillery they carry is the Arrow IV missile. We have a way of dealing with those," Cobalt said over the comms. The roar of VTOLs briefly filled the air as three of the machines flew ahead of the steadily advancing 'Mechs, flying so low that Sundance could almost reach a hoof out and touch them. He watched them skeptically. He'd heard a little about Arrow IV missiles; one of the instructors from his cadet days on Dike had compared it to an AC-20 that could easily hit a group of five 'Mechs or more, and AMS systems couldn't effectively deal with the large missiles. What kind of defense mechanism did those three seemingly unremarkable VTOLs hold?

As the Arrow IV missiles flew closer, a small, blade-like protrusion on top of each of the VTOLs began to glow white. At the same time, each of the three missiles were enveloped in an aura of the same color, and they immediately veered off in random directions. Two exploded in the dirt a few hundred meters away from the advancing 'Mechs, while the third detonated against the canyon wall. The ground rumbled violently from the impacts.

"What in the hell was that?" Mist asked as the three VTOLs flew back to their place in the formation.

"That was a Magic Anti-Missile System, or MAMS, as we like to call it," Enzo replied.

Mist frowned to himself. "Magic? But magic weapons were scrapped centuries ago. They're terrible."

"They were, up until recently. Cobalt can tell you more later," Enzo said as he fired a salvo from the twin LRM-10 launchers on his Fire Scorpion. The exchange of fire continued for another few seconds, then quickly came to a halt as the last of the enemy war machines tumbled into the dirt.

Sundance shifted nervously in his seat. While everything had been going on, the Ghost Bear soldiers had neared Nav Alpha. He could see a ridge past the 'Mechs ahead of him closing in fast. The military base was supposed to be just on the other side, and right before they crested, the formation was supposed to shift so the 'Mechs better suited for close-range combat could rush in first. At that point, his part in the battle would begin.

"Five 'Mechs past the ridge. Four heavies, one assault. Minimal infantry and armor," Scarlet reported as she darted across the ground in her QuadMech; a modified Snow Fox variant 3 that replaced the ATM launcher and ammo with an ECM Suite, an Active Probe, another ER Medium Laser, and an extra half-ton of armor. It was incredibly fast- with MASC activated, it could sprint in excess of 170 km/h.

"Line formation!" Khan Subzero shouted. He charged ahead in his Kodiak variant 4, with saKhan Snow quickly catching up in his Executioner Prime. The side wings of each triangle formation opened up to allow the relatively undamaged 'Mechs to the middle of the line, where the fighting would be heaviest, and each Trinary formed up next to their respective leader.

"You guys ready for this?" Mist asked.

Sundance nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be." He could tell Mist was trying to keep the atmosphere as light as possible, but he could also tell that his friend was as nervous as he was. That was something Mist had never been particularly good at, as his emotions often crept into his voice despite his best efforts to hide them.

"It's only five 'Mechs and a small amount of infantry. We'll be just fine," Sundance thought to himself as he watched Khan Subzero and saKhan Snow crest the ridge first, a few paces ahead of the rest of the formation.

Sundance blinked in surprise at a sudden and violent flash of light. Had he not been paying attention, he would have completely missed it; a massive barrage of missiles, autocannon rounds, and every other weapon imaginable crashed into Khan Subzero's Kodiak all at once, creating a sizable cloud of smoke and flames. He stared into the haze with his mouth agape, hardly believing what he was seeing as the massive machine fell back into the dirt with a thud that shook the earth.

An unintelligible roar split the air as saKhan Snow rushed forward, firing the Gauss Rifle on his Executioner at the enemy assault 'Mech; a Gargoyle. The gauss slug smashed straight through the cockpit, instantly killing the pilot inside. Sundance watched as the rest of the Ghost Bear forces swarmed forward, overwhelming and dispatching the remaining enemies in a matter of seconds.

"We still have an objective to complete," Cobalt reminded them as the formation continued onward.

"But... The Khan..." Sundance began.

"Is dead. That doesn't change our mission," Cobalt shot back. "Soldiers die in every battle, but we move on. That's the Clan way."

Sundance bit his lip and pushed the throttle forward again. As long as he'd been around Cobalt, he'd never heard the older pony use contractions. The Khan's sudden death had shaken him as much as the rest of them, yet he pushed on, keeping up with the MechWarriors of the Ourse Keshik who hadn't missed a beat. If it weren't for the situation, Sundance might have stopped to wonder about Cobalt's past, and why he seemed so determined to act like something he wasn't. He shook his head as they came upon the military complex. Cobalt was right; they still had a job to do.

The Ghost Bear soldiers rushed into the base, smashing down fortifications and blasting buildings to the ground. In less than a minute the entire base was flattened, and saKhan Snow ordered for the 'Mechs to form two column formations. He took the lead in his Executioner, followed by the other assaults, then the brawlers. The fire-support 'Mechs brought up the rear.

"What next?" Mist asked, his voice shaking slightly.

"We follow the saKhan. In the Khan's absence, he takes charge," Obsidian replied.

"We don't have time to mourn. If we waste time, we risk blowing the whole operation." Mint shifted nervously in her seat. "Our next target is really close, right?"

"Yeah. It's also through a canyon, so we can only travel two 'Mechs wide," Hazelnut said.

Sundance glanced at the aforementioned canyon, which was only a few hundred meters away. The plateau swept around in front of them, forming a sort of wall behind the now destroyed military base with a wide crack in the middle. The canyon was barely thirty meters wide, making any sort of attack formation impossible. They'd come out two at a time on the other side, which wasn't something he was looking forward to.

"That's a good choke point," Vermillion commented. "Do you think we'll get ambushed?"

As if in answer, a series of loud booms reverberated through the air, followed by rumbling that shook the ground and lasted for a good ten seconds. Striker, the Ourse Keshik's scout, cut in on the comms a few moments later. "Enemies in the canyon. They saw us, and triggered explosives before we could kill them. The path still looks passable, but it will slow progress."

"Are there more explosives?" saKhan Snow demanded, slowing the formation slightly as they reached the canyon.

"Neg, the rest of the canyon is clear," Scarlet replied. "I am looking down into the enemy base now. One Binary of assault and heavy 'Mechs, supporting tanks and infantry of similar size-" A pained grunt cut off the transmission.

"Scarlet, are you okay? Scarlet!" Enzo shouted.

The silence dragged out worryingly for a few seconds, and Sundance had begun to worry she'd been killed too, until he heard her voice on the comms again.

"There is a Gauss sniper among the enemy. They took out a leg of my 'Mech and damaged my Active Probe," Scarlet replied, breathing heavily. "MechWarrior Striker was also hit. He is out of the fight, but I do not know his status."

"Are you able to continue?" saKhan Snow inquired.

"Aff, but at reduced efficiency. My MASC system appears to be damaged, too. I can only move at ninety kph."

"Very well. Continue to Nav Charlie and report back. Formation, forward!" saKhan Snow led the two columns of 'Mechs into the canyon, continuing on toward Nav Beta now that the way forward was clear.

Sundance bit his lip. With the Ourse Keshik's scout out of the fight and Scarlet's 'Mech damaged, things certainly got more complicated. He watched saKhan Snow rush between the canyon walls without slowing his pace. Whatever was going through that pony's mind, Sundance hoped it wouldn't lead to their deaths.

✸ ✸ ✸

Sundance glanced up at the steep walls of the canyon as he entered the gap in the rocks, trying to calm is racing heart. Too much was happening too quickly, and there was no telling what could happen next; were there more traps in the Canyon? If not, what would be waiting for them on the other side? Were they going to die, just like the Khan?

Sundance took a few deep breaths, forcing his mind to slow. He couldn't let those kinds of thoughts to distract him. He needed to stay calm, or things could very quickly take a turn for the worst.

Focus on the things around you. Staying grounded in reality usually does a good job of keeping your emotions in check, Solis suggested.

"I know, I know," Sundance thought as he looked up at the canyon walls towering above him. They seemed unnatural, probably carved or blasted out by Clan Draconequus at some point so they could use ground transportation between bases. He estimated the top to be around a hundred meters tall. While he trusted the discerning eyes of Scarlet and Striker, seeing rock stretch so high above him was still unsettling, and he sat forward in his seat anxiously as the soldiers marched ahead.

It didn't take long for the army to reach the rockslide. Sharp shards of stone littered the path ahead, some half the size of a car. SaKhan Snow ordered the 'Mechs to a halt and tested the stability of the rock pile with his Executioner. It seemed sturdy enough, so he continued across, with the rest of the 'Mechs following along carefully two at a time. Progress was agonizingly slow, and minutes dragged on into what felt like hours to the anxious ponies.

"This is taking too long. We're giving their Khan time to escape, or for reinforcements to arrive if one of our other forces is destroyed," Mist mumbled as the two 'Mechs in front of them started across the rockslide.

Sundance glanced sideways at Mist through his cockpit. "You think he'll try to run?"

Mist shrugged. "Probably not. He could force us to waste time and energy chasing him if he can get away, but he would have done that days ago. They've been heavily monitoring what goes in and out of this system. They knew what was coming as soon as our JumpShips came out of hyperspace."

Sundance glanced knowingly at his friend. "I thought you might be suspicious, too." He looked at the 'Mechs ahead of them. "I guess we should have expected them to target our Khan, but something still doesn't seem right."

"Yeah. This battle isn't at all like I thought it would be." Mist and Sundance stepped onto the loose rocks as it came their turn to cross, moving slowly to avoid slipping and damaging their 'Mechs.

"Our slow pace has given me plenty of time to think. First ten 'Mechs against thirty, then five against thirty, now ten against twenty-eight? Combining their forces and fighting us head-on would have been far more devastating to our ranks. I get that they're trying to destroy our leadership, but every MechWarrior here is in the same league in terms of combat ability. Why string out their forces like this?" Mist wondered aloud.

Sundance frowned. "You think they're trying to draw us in."

Mist nodded. "I don't think these small ambushes and rockslides are the big plan. They're only meant to fool us into thinking they are. Distractions to lure us into a false sense of security. Once we're confident the battle will end in our favor, then the real trap will spring. What that is exactly, I have no idea." They brought their 'Mechs back onto solid ground, and Mist turned to Sundance as they slowed to a halt. "We were raised and trained by Clan Draconequus. We know our enemy better than anypony else here. We can't be so easily fooled by their plans, but the others..."

"You should tell the saKhan. He needs to know," Sundance said, realizing what Mist said was probably true. They were taught numerous ambush techniques on Dike- hell, he'd even used one on Vermillion during their first training battle in the forest all those years ago. The surprise attacks and explosives were too small, too simple to be the main plan cooked up by Clan Draconequus.

"I'll tell Commander Cobalt. They may have already seen through Khan Bolt's plans, too, and I shouldn't waste saKhan Snow's concentration if that's the case. He can't be distracted," Mist said before cutting off the comms channel.

Sundance turned back and watched the next 'Mechs step off of the rockpile. About two-thirds of their forces were across. The tanks and APCs could drive over without too much added difficulty, and the VTOLs were hovering a ways back above the canyon, obviously unimpeded by the rockslide. Whatever their enemy's plans were, this delay was giving them extra time to prepare, even if it hadn't killed or injured anypony.

Another explosion echoed through the canyon, quickly followed by the sounds of weapon fire. Sundance placed his hooves over his Hellbringer's controls, expecting a fight.

It's not one of ours. Nothing is showing up on radar. Whoever is fighting, they're not nearby, Solis pointed out.

"SaKhan Snow, the enemies appear to be fighting each other," Scarlet said.

"Dissenters?" saKhan Snow asked.

"Possibly. They seem to be split roughly half and half. I do not know their reason for fighting, but it likely will not last much longer. It is a very violent confrontation."

SaKhan Snow turned to face the other soldiers. "How many of our BattleMechs have yet to cross?"

"Twelve, saKhan. Our least damaged 'Mechs have already crossed," Cobalt replied. "Do you wish to take advantage of this situation?"

"Aff. All able units, follow me. The rest, join the battle at your best speed." SaKhan Snow turned back around and began marching down the canyon again. "There is the possibility that some of our enemies wish to surrender. If that is the case, be careful who you target. At the same time, do not let your guard down. This could be a trick."

Sundance glanced at the two 'Mechs behind him as he followed the saKhan; an Ebon Jaguar and a Stormcrow. Even if it were a trap and all of the enemies turned on them, they had enough strong 'Mechs that he was sure they could easily wipe out the hostile forces. He was just worried about what they would give up in the process. He took a deep breath and turned his attention back to the front of the formation.

"If some of them want to surrender, how do we know who the enemy is?" Vermillion asked.

"If they shoot you, shoot back," Mint joked.

"We're near the rear of the formation, so it should be fairly clear by the time we get to the fight," Mist said. "Just follow what the ponies ahead of us do."

Sundance couldn't see the saKhan when he entered the fight, but he heard the uptick in gunfire as the Ghost Bear forces entered the fray. The canyon exit got closer and closer, and he reflexively tightened his hooves around the controls. Time for the second battle.

The scene Sundance encountered could only be described as utter chaos. The military base had already been torn to shreds, and the fight was equally messy; it was nearly impossible to tell who was shooting who. Should they just attack the Draconequus forces at random?

A laser raked through the air near Sundance, and he swiveled his aim around to a Nova Cat that was shooting into the Ghost Bear forces. He fired a slug from his autocannon first, then followed up with the medium lasers and HE missiles from the ATM. The Nova Cat stumbled from the impact, then turned to face Sundance. Before it was able to retaliate, however, it was blown to pieces by other Ghost Bear forces.

When Sundance turned to search for a new target, he found two 'Mechs and a small number of tanks and infantry, their weapons quiet. The Ghost Bear soldiers quickly surrounded the remaining enemies, who dropped their weapons and clambered out of their war machines.

"I guess they're the ones who wanted to surrender," Sundance thought. After having been through a similar situation himself, he could understand not wanting to die for a cause they didn't believe in. Or maybe they just hadn't wanted to die at all.

"Search them for weapons, then escort them to the DropShips. Do not take more soldiers than you need," saKhan Snow commanded. "The rest of us will continue to Nav Charlie at reduced speed. Any BattleMechs still in the canyon will regroup en route. Single wedge formation!"

SaKhan Snow led the soldiers past the destroyed buildings, with the Silveroot Keshik again making up the left wing. 'Mechs fell into formation as tanks filled the gaps and VTOLs hovered overhead. Ten or so hoofsoldiers and an Elemental had stayed behind; not enough to safely escort the dozens of prisoners were they to rebel, but it was all the firepower they could afford to give up.

Sundance glanced back as two more 'Mechs emerged from the canyon and broke out into a sprint, trying to catch up to the main force. At this speed their whole attacking force should be reassembled in time for the next fight. The rock fall had certainly slowed them down, but they were making the best of their situation and had even remained on schedule thanks to the infighting at Nav Beta.

"SaKhan Snow, I have eyes on enemies at Nav Charlie," Scarlet said. "I count a full Trinary, and they -" there was a sharp intake of breath, "- it is the Chaos Keshik. All soldiers seem to be present."

"The Chaos Keshik... That's Khan Bolt's unit, isn't it?" Mint asked nervously.

"Yep. That's both very good and very bad," Mist replied with a tense sigh.

Sundance frowned. "Why's that?"

"It's good because both their saKhan and their Khan will be there. Once those two are dead, the war is over. However, it's a Keshik..."

"...Which means it'll be made up of their best soldiers," Vermillion finished. "It will be a tough fight."

Sundance glanced at the Nav screen. The trip to Nav Charlie was by far the longest out of the bunch, but it was entirely open ground. Once there, they'd find the base set inside a bowl of sorts, surrounded on all sides by canyon walls. Neither side had many options for retreat, and he didn't think either side would surrender, either.

Our fight is almost over, Solis said.

"Yeah. All those years of treachery coming to an end. One century of bloodshed led to this moment." Sundance adjusted one of the shoulder straps. "We'll win if we're careful. I know we can do this."

You sound confident, Solis commented. Her voice changed tone to something sweeter than he was used to hearing from her. You've gotten so strong since our first battle. I'm proud to call you my pilot, and my friend.

Sundance smiled. "And I couldn't have wished for a better BattleMech, or a better companion."

Solis made a soft humming noise, one he often heard when she was happy. Good. Now, are you ready to end this thing, once and for all?

Sundance tightened his hooves over the controls and stared out at the horizon, behind which the final battle was waiting. The end of the war. "I am. No more running; no more hiding. We kill them here and now."

✸ ✸ ✸

"I told Commander Cobalt about our suspicions," Mist said suddenly. "He said they've already considered that possibility, but he also said they'd keep a closer eye out for traps and ambushes."

"I guess that's the best we can ask for." Sundance glanced at the canyon, which was rapidly approaching. They had increased their speed once the last of the 'Mechs had caught up, and now were a stone's throw away from the base. "Whatever they've got planned for us, we'll find out here."

"Column formation, four wide!" saKhan Snow shouted. The 'Mechs lined up in rows of four as they neared the canyon entrance, the heaviest machines making up the leading force. Sundance made his way close to the front, with Mist to his right and Hazelnut in front of him.

Sundance bit his lip nervously as they entered the canyon. Scarlet hadn't reported any traps along the way, but it was still unsettling to be in such a vulnerable location, and he was on edge the whole trip through.

Sundance rounded a corner, and suddenly the base was there in front of him. The Chaos Keshik was waiting in formation with a Hellstar and a Deimos at its head, but oddly none of the enemy had fired a single shot. What were they up to?

"SaKhan Snow, what an honor," an oily voice said over the comms. The voice sent shivers down Sundance's spine, and it made him want to stuff cotton balls in his ears. "Tell me, how is Khan Subzero? It has been many years since we last met. Or, would it be more accurate for me to call him ex-Khan? Given the current situation I do not think that title applies to him anymore."

"Lightning Bolt," saKhan Snow growled, coming to a stop. The other Ghost Bear soldiers restlessly halted behind him. "If you are smart, you will keep your mouth shut and die quietly."

"That is Khan Lightning Bolt to you. And I do not intend to die quietly, but if it would please you, I would be willing to settle this battle one on one. Me against you. A Trial of Grievance, of sorts," Khan Bolt said.

SaKhan Snow snorted. "Your word means nothing. I would not trust you to honor the rules of Clan combat any more than I would trust a wolf to herd sheep."

Khan Bolt shrugged. "Well, you can not blame me for trying." The Hellstar suddenly adjusted its aim and four ER PPCs flashed toward saKhan Snow's Executioner.

Sundance sucked in a sharp breath. For a brief moment he was horrified that they might have lost both their Khans in the same battle, but saKhan Snow shifted his balance and took the hit just next to his cockpit, avoiding what would have been a fatal blow.

"Weak." saKhan Snow fired his Gauss Rifle, which punched through the cockpit of the Hellstar. Even from afar, Sundance could see the wave of blood that splattered onto the glass.

The tension on both sides of the battlefield immediately snapped. Missile smoke and laser beams filled the air while bullets flew in both directions, the ringing of steel so loud it made Sundance's teeth vibrate.

Incoming Missile.

Sundance glanced up to see a cloud of missiles descending toward him. He managed to turn in time to absorb the damage in his right side, though it still caused a considerable amount of damage, and he gritted his teeth at the pain.

Critical Hit, ATM. Critical Hit, Right Arm. ER Large Laser Destroyed.

"Fuck, lost weapons already? At least the armor damage isn't too bad," he thought, searching for the source of the missiles. Fighting at long range wasn't a hobby of his, and losing half of his long range firepower certainly didn't help. "What's up with the ATM?"

Two tubes collapsed, but the other four appear functional. The reloading mechanism is unaffected, Solis replied as part of the missile rack flashed red on the damage indicator.

"That's better than nothing." He bit his lip, unable to find the missile carrier. There were so many 'Mechs it was hard to pick out one, especially one that would be hiding at the rear of the battlefield. "Any eyes on an LRM carrier?"

"Got one over here. Never seen it before. It's got ECM," Mint said.

Sundance could see Mint on the outskirts of the battlefield, firing at some unseen target. Mist followed closely behind in his Summoner.

"Wow, an Osteon. Those are new," Mist said, a hint of worry in his voice. "Also hard to kill."

"I'll back you up. Be there soon." Sundance weaved his way out of the battle, firing at the rear of an enemy Stormcrow as he went. The left side of the 'Mech exploded, and it stumbled forward a couple steps. "That'll certainly help," he thought.

Sundance turned his attention back to his previous predicament as he left the thick of the fighting. It didn't take long to find his assailant; the Osteon was big, bulky, and full of iATM launchers. Judging from the earlier damage, it probably had standard missiles loaded. He loaded HE missiles into his own ATM; unless Clan Draconequus had developed ammunition switching for their ATM launchers, he was at a slight advantage in this fight.

Sundance fired at the Osteon, hitting it in the right shoulder with his autocannon and lasers. The 'Mech barely glanced in his direction before firing three of its missile launchers at its previous target; Mint's Adder. The missiles arced toward Mint and exploded on the left side of the machine as it ran away. Her 'Mech tumbled into the dirt, rolling end over end before skidding to a halt after a few dozen meters.

"Mint!" Mist shouted, firing all his weapons at the large 'Mech. It spun its torso to one side, absorbing most of the return damage in its right arm. Sundance followed up with another LBX slug to the 'Mech's shoulder, which destroyed the joint and dropped the limb to the dirt.

The Osteon reeled from the damage, but quickly righted itself. Missiles shot out from its shoulder-mounted racks and descended toward Mint's 'Mech. Before they were able to hit, there was a light puff of smoke on top of the 'Mech, followed immediately by the Adder's cockpit rocketing out into open air. The 'Mech was destroyed by missiles a fraction of a second later.

Sundance allowed himself a brief moment of relief before aiming back at the Osteon, which was turning to face them again. Given the 'Mech's sturdiness and how spread apart its weapon systems were, going straight for center torso would probably be the most painless way to destroy it. Not that it was going to be easy. "Let's do this."

Missiles flew from the Osteon's remaining arm, and Sundance tensed in anticipation as they arrowed toward him. He didn't want to risk losing his autocannon or right torso, so it was best to take the damage head-on.

Sundance's body was immediately overcome with agony. It wasn't the kind of feeling he'd gotten used to; this was an entirely new level of pain, one that locked up his muscles and left him frozen. He growled, unable to even flinch. "What the hell?"

Magnetic Pulse missiles. They don't deal much damage, but they are a nuisance, Solis commented.

"That explains why it feels like I dropped a toaster in the bathtub," Sundance thought. MP missiles had completely slipped from his memory, considering most ponies thought them dishonorable and avoided loading them. He forced the Hellbringer to move forward again, fighting against the paralysis in his muscles. His 'Mech seemed similarly hindered, its movements labored and choppy. The sensors and comms had also gone dark.

Mist fired another salvo at the Osteon, gouging out chunks of its center torso with the autocannon and peppering it with missiles and lasers. Sundance followed up with his own weapons, causing the 'Mech to stagger back a couple steps. It righted itself before firing its standard missiles at Sundance and its MP missiles at Mist.

Critical Hit, Right Torso. Heat Sink Destroyed. Damage Critical.

Sundance gritted his teeth, again taking the damage to the front. Considering there were now holes in his center torso armor, he wouldn't be able to do that again. Surviving much longer would be difficult. He fired another wave of missiles followed by an autocannon slug, blasting steel pieces into the air.

The Osteon fired another missile salvo, and Sundance turned his 'Mech, taking most of the hits to his right side. There was a sharp pain in his right shoulder that was intense enough to knock the breath from his lungs. Tears sprang up in his eyes, and he bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. Losing limbs was an all-too-familiar feeling, yet it never seemed to get any easier.

Right Arm Destroyed. ATM Destroyed. I hope you have a good plan, Solis said, trying to keep her voice from sounding anxious. One more stream of missiles could potentially finish them off.

Sundance turned back to face the Osteon in time to see it take a couple autocannon bursts from Mist. Between the two of them they'd dug a deep crater in the machine's center torso, a little ways above the cockpit. Clouds of vapor poured from its remaining heat vents. "I do have one, but you're not gonna like it." He fired his LBX at the damaged armor, then loaded a cluster round into the weapon.

If you're confident in it, then I won't protest.

"Good, because we don't have many other options." It relied on Mist hitting his next shot, but Sundance trusted him. He held his breath, timing the Osteon's reload. All of the armor on the rear of his 'Mech was intact. If he spun at the right time, he should be able to absorb most of the damage there, and take any remaining missiles to his left side. A cluster round from his LBX would finish the job.

Missiles suddenly flew from the Osteon's left arm, and Sundance sucked in a breath as he jerked his 'Mech's torso to the right. The MP missiles hit before he could finish the maneuver, and he froze half-facing the enemy 'Mech. "Shit, that's bad!" The Osteon fired its regular missiles a second later, aiming for the breach in his center torso.

Sundance ground his teeth together as he made his hooves move, desperately trying to bring the torso of the Hellbringer around. It felt like his muscles had been replaced with lead, but they reluctantly obliged, and the 'Mech began to slowly rotate.

Some of the missiles hit before Sundance was able to finish spinning his 'Mech's torso around, ravaging the remaining armor and any exposed components. He growled as pain shot through his chest. It felt like somepony had shoved fire down his throat while another stabbed him repeatedly in the heart. The stinging in his left foreleg from the remaining missiles paled in comparison.

Critical Hit, Reactor. Critical Hit, LBX Autocannon. ER Small Laser Destroyed. Heat Sink Destroyed. Breathe, Sundance. I know it hurts, but you have to stay focused, Solis pleaded.

"I'm trying!" Sundance snapped, pained tears streaming down his cheeks. The Hellbringer's left arm raised shakily. "What happened to the LBX?"

There was a brief pause. The reloading mechanism is unresponsive, but the weapon itself and the loaded round appear to be unaffected.

We should jettison all the ammo. It's just a bomb at this point," Sundance thought as he pressed a button he didn't think he'd ever needed to use before. There was a clunk in the back of the 'Mech, followed by a rush of air that ejected all his remaining missiles and autocannon rounds. He pointed the LBX at the Osteon's weakened armor, waiting for Mist to punch through the last little bit of the 'Mech's armor. "Now. Let's make this last shot count."

Mist fired a salvo of missiles and autocannon slugs, hitting dead center with the missiles but striking undamaged portions of the Osteon's armor with the autocannon. He fired a second burst in a panic, only managing to land one of the three bullets on his mark.

Sundance sucked in a sharp breath. It was up to him to destroy the Osteon before it could reload, but what could he do? Cluster rounds weren't good for destroying armor, and there was no way for him to swap to a slug. "We need a new plan," he thought, hesitating with his own autocannon.

A cloud of missiles suddenly descended on the Osteon, knocking it back a couple steps. It fired its shoulder-mounted iATMs in retaliation, but before the last missile left the 'Mech its left rear torso abruptly exploded in a giant fireball, sending it to one knee.

"An ammunition cookoff! They overheated," Sundance thought in relief. With how often they had fired so many missiles, it wasn't a huge surprise, even in the cold environment.

Before the Osteon had a chance to recover, Mist fired another two bursts at its center torso, this time hitting with every shot and easily punching through the remaining armor. Sundance immediately followed up with his LBX, causing the entire torso to blow out as the reactor was destroyed.

Sundance let out a tense breath and rubbed at the lingering pain in his chest. "Mist was right, those things are hard to kill. Are you alright?"

'Alright' is subjective. Solis paused for a few moments. The ER Medium Lasers are the only responsive weapon systems, reactor output is down forty percent, armor is more or less gone, and the skeletal structure has sustained significant damage. But hey, we're alive.

"Yeah, alive is definitely better than dead. And that damage will buff out anyway, right?" Sundance asked jokingly.

If by buff out you mean take weeks to repair, yes.

"...Sundance, c̷̬̽͗a̶̜͙͒n̴̗̊͝ ̵̯̙̊y̶̳̱̎ó̷̼́ų̸̖̾̐ hear us?"

Sundance glanced at Mist, who had turned to face him. A little ways off he could also see Vermillion's Timber Wolf walking toward them. The comms had been completely jammed for the past few minutes, but some garbled words were starting to make it through now that the interference was dissipating. "Yeah, I can hear you. Kind of."

"Ȉ̵̥t̶̘́̑ ̴̮͊̓l̵̬͂̉o̴̺͘ǫ̷̳̓́k̸̀͜s̷̥̈̔ͅ ̶̲́l̵̟̊͝ĩ̶͍k̴̦̊ḛ̸̤̈́͘ ̵͙̘̎t̶͍̜̿͂h̶͖͌e̴̦̹̊ fighting ḭ̴͗s̵̜̙͖͂ almost over. Stay here, w̴̩̘̺̝̔̿ę̴̳̲̮̱̖͊͗̀̓́͋'̷̡̯̾̐̈́͂l̴̼͓̘̉̽̓͝ͅľ̵̯̤̻ protect you," Vermillion said through the static.

"Vermillion i̶̤̱͑͘s̶̻̅̿ mostly undamaged. I took a ̵̛̝̄b̸̘̦̗̦͉̿̅̾ḯ̷͉̫̠͋g̵͕̼̦̝̾̾̕ hit and can't really see straight, but I ṡ̶̪̈́t̴̺̯̑i̴͔̓̽l̸̯̻̰̈́̂͒ͅl̷͕̰̆̀̈́͠ ̸̻̰͇̪̀́ȟ̸̦͚̮͐̌͑a̵̝͓͑͗̓v̷̛͈e̷͈͠ some armor left. Try not to draw too much attention to yourself," Mist amended.

Sundance nodded. "Alright. Thanks for the help, guys." He leaned back and watched as Mist and Vermillion turned to fire into the battlefield again, forming a wall between him and the fighting. This was probably the best course of action for them to take, but it still felt weird to sit and do nothing at a time like this.

By this point in the battle most of the enemy forces had already been defeated. Their remaining soldiers fell faster and faster, yet not a soul threw down their weapons in surrender. Despite their dishonorable tactics, they were still Clan warriors at heart, and Sundance found himself admiring their resolve.

The fighting drew to a close as the last enemy 'Mech fell — a Blood Reaper that was barely recognizable for all the damage it had taken. The comms filled with cheers, the remaining soldiers voicing their excitement and happiness, but most of all their relief at the end of such a long and fruitless conflict.

SaKhan Snow allowed the soldiers a few moments before silencing them. "Bring me the bodies of Lightning Bolt and Arc Flash," he commanded as he brought his Executioner to the center of the battlefield.

A pair of soldiers climbed on top of Khan Bolt's Hellstar and pulled the access hatch open. They dropped carefully inside, then reappeared a few moments later carrying a mangled corpse. A short ways away two more soldiers were dragging another body across the open ground.

SaKhan Snow pulled himself from his cockpit and climbed down the side of his Executioner. Some of the larger 'Mechs formed a ring around him while armor and infantry filled the gaps, protecting him in case any particularly daring Draconequus soldiers were still alive.

Both bodies had been dropped in front of his 'Mech by the time he reached the ground, and one of the soldiers had pulled out a small camera. The soldier pointed the camera at the saKhan and nodded to him, and he cleared his throat before speaking.

"My fellow Clan soldiers," saKhan Snow began, his voice echoing through the comms of every pony present, "today marks the end of a century-long struggle. It is with great pleasure that I present the bodies of ex-Khan Lightning Bolt, and ex-saKhan Arc Flash." SaKhan Snow lifted each body by the mane before letting it drop back to the dirt, giving the camera a clear view of their faces. He then ripped open their cooling suits, exposing their cutie marks and confirming their identities.

"Let their deaths end this senseless conflict. Clan Draconequus is no more. I urge any units engaged in combat to cease fire, and to preserve the remaining lives on both sides. We have all suffered enough. Clan Draconequus soldiers need not fear. You will be absorbed into other Clans and, once you have earned the right, treated as our own. Let us return to the Clan way of life — to peace and prosperity."

SaKhan Snow gave a small nod to the soldier holding the camera, who then put the small device away and helped drag the two bodies onto an APC. The soldiers began to cheer after the saKhan finished speaking, some pumping their hooves in the air while others embraced.

"So... what now?" Mist said over the noise.

"You heard the saKhan. 'The Clan way of life — to peace and prosperity,'" Obsidian replied in an overly dramatic voice.

"Well, yeah, but what does 'the Clan way of life' mean?" Mist asked. "It's been a century since most Clans experienced that. Few ponies alive have experienced that, and none of them are here. I mean, obviously we've got the stories and history, but where do we really go from here?"

There was an amused snort. "It sounds like someone is getting worked up for no reason again."

"Mint, you're okay!" Mist sighed in relief. "I was worried about you."

"Worried? About me? You should know by now that I'm indestructible," Mint joked. "But seriously, we'll be fine. After all this fighting, regular life will be a piece of cake. You'll see. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"Afraid? Who's afraid? Mist, you can't go pissing yourself every time a new problem comes up," Enzo said.

"I wasn't-" Mist sighed and scowled ad Enzo. "Ha ha, very funny."

"It is a valid question, though," Vermilion commented. "What is next?"

Enzo shrugged. "Who knows? We'll cross that bridge when we get there. For now, just relax and enjoy the scenery."

Vermilion raised an eyebrow. "The scenery?"

"Yep. Why, you don't like boring, empty wastelands?"

"I think Vermilion and I have had quite enough of deserts," Hazelnut chimed in.

"Fair enough." Enzo yawned and stretched as far as his cockpit would allow. "Well, I'm gonna take a nap. Wake me when Snow decides to head back."

"A nap? Now?" Mist asked.

"Might as well. There's nothing better to do."

Mist shrugged. "I guess not."

Sundance sighed to himself, content. Fighting had been his whole life, at least as far back as he could remember. A part of him had begun to believe it would never end. But now it was finally finished. No more struggles. No more pain.

"We did it," Sundance mumbled, resting his head against the seat.

"Yeah. After all these years, it's finally over," Mist said. "They can all rest in peace now. Chartreuse, Tangelo, Fern, everypony. No longer just names on a wall, but heroes who will be remembered by history."

Sundance raised an eyebrow. "I don't think the Clans will be telling their specific stories. Or ours, for that matter. Any of us would be lucky to make footnotes."

"No. They won't tell any of our stories. The Clans may not know their sacrifices or bravery, but we do. They may just be a footnote to the great history of the Clans, but to us, they're an entire saga."

Sundance nodded to himself. Mist was right. The ponies they lost didn't have much meaning in the grand scheme of things. But to him, to Mist and Vermilion and everypony, a single life could change their entire world. He frowned. "Hmm. That was oddly poetic. Do you think you'll become an author someday? It certainly fits your cutie mark."

"An author?" Mist mused. "I hadn't actually considered that. I mean, I am rather good at story telling, so it's a definite possibility."

"Consider it. I think you'd be good at it," Sundance said.

"I will. Thanks."

Sundance glanced out at Ironhold's sun and sighed to himself again. It sounded like things were going to start quieting down. Some of them had obvious paths laid out for them. Cobalt, Enzo, and Scarlet would likely remain soldiers, Mist and Vermilion had obvious strengths that would land them solid careers, Hazelnut's determination was bound to get him endless job offers, Obsidian would do amazingly in the entertainment business, and Mint could probably succeed at anything she put her mind to. What did he want? What was he going to do when the dust settled?

What about staying a soldier? Solis suggested.

Sundance tapped his nose thoughtfully. "I guess I could. My cutie mark is a 'Mech, after all. But there are so many other things we could be. I'd always dreamt of this day, but I never actually thought about what we'd do tomorrow."

We? Solis said amusedly. There's only a 'we' if you're a soldier. I'm a BattleMech, remember? A military weapon?

Sundance smacked himself in the face with his hoof. What was he thinking? Of course Solis wouldn't be able to come with him. If he left the Ghost Bear touman, he'd never see her again. "Oh, yeah. I'm dumb." He smiled. "Well, I guess that only leaves one possibility."

Really? You'll stay?

"Of course. You mean the galaxy to me. I'm not going to abandon you that easily," Sundance replied.

Aw. If I didn't know any better I'd think you were confessing to me, Solis joked.

"Yeah, that's not biologically possible. Besides, my heart's already taken. Forever and always," he thought, looking to the few stars visible in the afternoon sky. Tangelo may be gone, but the memory of her never left his mind. They'd be reunited someday. Not any day soon, but someday.

A single red dot blipped on Sundance's radar, a ways behind their forces. "That's odd. Did one of them survive?" he thought as he turned his Hellbringer around.

Midway through the turn there was an ear-splitting blast, and the Gargoyle in front of Sundance jerked forward sharply, shards of metal flying off of its rear. It crumpled to its knees, destroyed by a single shot. "What..?"

"Fafnir! It's an ambush!" Mist shouted.

Sundance turned to see a big, blocky 'Mech standing next to one of the canyon walls, the ground around it scattered with chunks of rock. Sparks were pouring out of one of the huge holes in its torso, and as it turned to face Sundance, he realized those holes were actually barrels.

Sundance's muscles locked up again; not from MP missiles, but from fear. Staring down such a massive weapon, one capable of taking out an assault 'Mech with one shot — what could he do against such a monstrosity? Was he doomed to die so soon after their victory?

Something knocked Sundance to the side just as the Fafnir fired its other weapon. At first he thought the 'Mech had missed, but from the sound alone he knew that wasn't the case. He righted himself and spun on the new threat, only to feel a lump form in his throat as Vermillion's Timber Wolf tumbled to the dirt. "No..."

The radar suddenly exploded with pings, its screen now more red than green. Countless 'Mechs smashed out of the canyon walls and from the buildings in the Draconequus base, all of them unfamiliar and all of them undamaged. Their armor was completely bare, without the slightest hint of paint or affiliation marks. Hidden doors swung open from the ground, from which armor and hoofsoldiers exited like rivers. Within a heartbeat the air was once again full of weapon fire. New enemies boxed them in against the canyon; soldiers to their front and sides, an impassable wall to their backs.

Sundance jumped as another 'Mech burst from the canyon wall next to him. It was so large he had to incline his head to see its cockpit. His targeting computer called it an Annihilator 1X, with a terrifying loadout that he couldn't hope to beat on his best of days.

The Annihilator spun its massive torso to face Sundance, and he fired his measly two medium lasers at it, desperately pedaling backward in an attempt to escape. But he knew it was in vain. His 'Mech would become his tomb.

"Solis..." he choked out, unable to speak.

Goodbye, Sundance.

The Annihilator's autocannons flashed.

Sundance felt his heart stop.

And everything went black.