FiMTech - The War of Annihilation (BattleTech Crossover)

Blaze slammed a new magazine into his rifle and fired at a small group of Inner Sphere soldiers as they ran across the open battlefield. The soldier in the rear crumpled to the ground just before they reached the safety of a dune, and he moved back into his own cover. "There's so many of these bastards," he muttered.

An object struck Blaze in the side of the head, leaving a dark red streak on his helmet visor, and he turned to see what was left of one of his soldiers sliding down the hill. One rear leg and their entire head were missing, while their torso had been nearly split lengthwise, blood and guts and bones spilling from the opening. The only thing holding the halves together was a bit of stomach flesh. "Autocannon or Gauss Rifle. Poor Coco. At least he wouldn't have felt it."

"Damn. Someone get me eyes on the sadistic bastard killing infantry with cannons," Blaze shouted as he wiped the blood from his helmet.

"Got it over here. Light hovercraft with an autocannon, seventy meters north. It's got us locked down," replied Stars, his second in command. She dipped her head behind the dune, and half a second later a cloud of dirt blasted into the air not far from where she'd been. "Its gunner is a good shot."

Blaze recognized the ping-ping-ping of their grenade launcher and glanced over to see Sky with the heavy weapon sitting on top of the dune, firing out into the fray. Another autocannon slug hit the dirt barely a meter from his position, but he stubbornly stayed put, firing seven more times before sliding down the hill and pulling the grenade launcher after him. "Hovercraft's dead," Sky announced.

"Sky, you crazy bastard! Do that again and you'll be cleaning the DropShip for a month."

"Worth it," Sky replied as he wrestled the grenade launcher to a new position.

Blaze sighed in annoyance and peeked his head over the hill. This wasn't the time to be so reckless. True, a handful of grenades was worth less than an anti-armor missile in their situation, but he wasn't willing to make that trade if it came at the risk of more lives. Their situation was grim enough already.

"Blaze, do you copy?" a voice cut in.

Blaze pressed a button on the underside of his helmet. "I hear you."

"Your Point is on CASEVAC. Otso's Point will assist you, ETA ten seconds."

"Aff." From his position he could see a fair amount of immobile Ghost Bear vehicles, and even a few downed 'Mechs. If things were looking this rough for their armor, there was no way of knowing just how many soldiers were injured. Evacuating all their casualties was not going to be easy.

The ground underneath Blaze began to rumble slightly, and he turned to see five Ghost Bear Elementals charge around another dune before coming to a stop a dozen meters away. Basically a 'Mech shrunken down enough to be worn as a suit of armor, the Elemental was the poster child of Clan BattleArmor: capable of shrugging off a medium laser hit, more than capable of dealing with an entire Point of infantry with minimal support, and surprisingly proficient at killing 'Mechs and other armor when in groups. As intimidating as the nearly four-meter tall machines were, Blaze had always found the monstrous pilots inside, also known as Elementals, to be more terrifying.

"Point Commander Otso," Blaze said with a nod.

"Point Commander Blaze," rumbled the Elemental at the head of the group. "Regrettably, I have been commanded to follow your orders. So what shall we do?"

Blaze looked over the Elementals. "A full Point will draw too much attention. We need to split into smaller groups and take any injured as far behind our lines as the canyon will allow. One of your men and five of mine should be enough."

"Very well." Osto jerked his head, and the other Elementals split apart to stand next to the infantry.

"Black Star, Blue Star, you search for injured infantry. Gray Star, check any destroyed armor for survivors. White Star, stay with me," Blaze commanded. Three groups of five ponies and one Elemental broke off to carry out their orders, leaving the rest huddled behind the dune. Blaze peeked over the ridge again, surveying the battlefield.

"Stars of five soldiers? What do you think you are, BattleMechs?" Osto asked scornfully.

Blaze shrugged. "It's just a name. We're usually the ones on CASEVAC. Being able to quickly and efficiently split into smaller groups is essential."

Just then, the ground began to shake violently. Blaze turned around to see a Summoner break out into a sprint in their direction, firing at a far-away enemy. It leapt over their heads with its Jump Jets and fired a salvo from its arm-mounted autocannon. The rounds smashed into the front of an enemy 'Mech and sent it tumbling to the dirt, a smoking hole in the center of its chest.

Before the Summoner could land, a wall of missiles descended upon it and swatted it out of the air. It crashed to the ground with an almighty boom, and lay still. The pilot hadn't ejected, but the 'Mech didn't explode or otherwise appear destroyed. Were they unconscious?

A ways closer to their position, Blaze spotted a downed Hellbringer and Timber Wolf. The Timber Wolf too seemed functional, yet it remained immobile. The Hellbringer was on fire and obviously destroyed, but close to the canyon wall he saw what seemed to be the 'Mech's ejected cockpit, its exit hatch still firmly closed. They needed to get those three pilots out of there.

"White Star, go get that Summoner's pilot. Silver Star will get the other two." Blaze turned to Osto, but the Elemental was already charging off toward the Summoner.

"Valemon will escort you. I do not wish to be ordered around by a freebirth," Osto spat before taking the lead of White Star.

Blaze gritted his teeth but let the insult slide. There wasn't time to deal with Osto's wounded pride. He swung his rifle across his back and ran over to the remaining soldiers. "Fine. Valemon, you're with us. Let's hit that ejected cockpit first then swing around to the Timber Wolf."

"Where's Coco?" Crystal asked as she clipped her radio to her belt.

"Dead. It's just us four," Blaze said, jerking his head toward what was left of the pony's corpse.

Crystal sighed and glanced at her hooves, her eyes clouding over. "I understand." She slipped her helmet on and turned toward the Hellbringer's cockpit. "Let's hurry up and get this done."

Blaze nodded and turned toward the Elemental. "Valemon, don't fire unless we're fired upon. We don't want to draw any unnecessary attention to ourselves."

"Aff," Valemon replied.

"Good." Blaze peeked over the ridge one more time and took a deep breath. "Now let's go save those MechWarriors."

Sundance blinked his eyes open, slowly becoming aware of his surroundings. It was dark — nearly pitch-black. He could hear gunfire and explosions in the distance, though some sounded just a stone's throw away. He also came to the realization that he was suspended almost completely upside-down. None of it served to alleviate the pounding in his head or the lingering pain in his chest.

"Wait... I'm not dead?" Sundance thought, his mind beginning to catch up to his situation. His heart still felt like somepony was crushing it with their hooves, so he definitely wasn't dreaming. He wasn't dead either, unless his 'Mech followed him to the afterlife.

"My 'Mech — Solis!" Sundance fumbled for the controls and tried to turn his Hellbringer on, but there was no response to any button presses or anything. The machine was completely dead. "Okay, that's... that's not necessarily a bad thing. If I'm still alive, then there's a good chance Solis is, too," he reasoned. Even if the 'Mech was completely shot, the Techs could still transplant the DI Computer into another one. They just had to stay alive.

A loud banging reverberated in the cockpit, and Sundance glanced up as the access hatch swung open. He shielded his eyes against the light that streamed in, and shuddered at the gust of icy air. A pony-shaped figure clad in armor peered in, momentarily blocking the light.

"He's okay! Cover us for a minute!" the soldier shouted to an unseen companion before jumping into the cockpit. He reached up and began unlatching the straps holding Sundance in the air. "We're getting you out."

"What's happening out there?" Sundance asked.

"Everything's gone to shit. The BattleMechs are overwhelmed, enemy soldiers have us pinned down, and most of our VTOLs were swatted out of the sky." The soldier helped Sundance down, who nearly fell as soon as he was on his own hooves.

"Careful, you might have hit your head when you ejected," the soldier said as he helped Sundance back up. He frowned. "Wait, you're just a kid?"

Sundance shook off the larger pony's grip and climbed his way to the access hatch. "Ejected? Don't tell me..." The DI Computer was housed in the main body of the 'Mech, not in the cockpit. An ejection probably meant a totaled 'Mech.

As he reached the opening and squinted against the light, he realized just how dire their situation was. He could only see a small portion of the battlefield from his position, but even in that area alone, their forces were outnumbered almost two to one. Everywhere he looked was chaos, and 'Mechs and tanks fired in every direction. Explosions rocked the ground incessantly, making it difficult to balance.

"Hey, over here!" a voice called. Sundance looked down to see a Ghost Bear soldier with one hoof stretched up toward him. He took her hoof and hopped onto solid ground, staggering slightly. "We need to get in cover." The soldier led him to the other side of the cockpit, right next to the wall of the canyon. There he found two more soldiers: one fumbling to reload a belt-fed grenade launcher, the other with her helmet off and talking frantically into a radio. He also saw an Elemental standing in the open on the far side of the cockpit, firing the massive machine guns mounted on each shoulder to dissuade any would-be attackers.

The soldier talking into the radio glanced up as Sundance approached. She had a teal coat and a short white mane, with a jagged scar that cut across both her silver eyes. "Good, you're alive. We've been ordered to evacuate any injured soldiers. Try not to get shot in the meantime, yeah?"

Sundance gritted his teeth and leaned against the cockpit. He'd hoped he had misheard the first soldier, but there was no denying it. Where they were standing, they should have been inside the Hellbringer's center torso. Instead, there were only broken wires, sheared pipes, and the remnants of the ejection system.

"How long on those VTOLS?" the first soldier asked as he came around the side of the cockpit.

"Fifty seconds on the first, three minutes on the other. They're having to take the long way around," the teal pony replied.

"Damn." The soldier grabbed Sundance and pulled him to the end of their cover, just a couple meters from where the Elemental was standing. The massive suit of BattleArmor was formidable, nearly two times as tall as the soldiers. "Come on, kid. We need to get you to the dust off zone. You're not seriously hurt, so you'll have to wait for the second VTOL."

Sundance peeked his head past the side of the cockpit. This section of the battlefield looked just as hopeless as the rest. The ground was littered with bodies, destroyed tanks, and...

Sundance bit his lip as he recognized his Hellbringer, lying in a smoldering heap. A short ways off to the right and a few dozen meters closer, Vermillion's Timber Wolf sat. The machine seemed functional, other than the fact that the cockpit was completely destroyed. His heart sunk as he came to the realization. Solis and Vermillion were dead. He could feel the heat building up in his eyes already. Were they really all going to die here, so soon after their victory?

"Wait..." Sundance peered a little closer at the Timber Wolf. He swore he could see a pair of hooves in what looked like a MechWarrior's cooling suit poking out behind the Timber Wolf, lying in the dirt just next to the cockpit. Could Vermillion still be alive?

"What about the Timber Wolf pilot?" Sundance asked.

"Don't know yet. We haven't been able to get over there." The first soldier poked his head out above Sundance's. A couple of seconds later he abruptly pulled Sundance back into cover, just in time to avoid a hail of bullets that raked across their position. "Valemon! Don't give them any room to breathe!"

"I am trying!" the Elemental shouted. He adjusted his aim, suppressing the new threat.

Sundance gritted his teeth. Were they spread so thin that this group of just four hoofsoldiers and one Elemental were the only ponies able to evacuate the wounded? "How are we supposed to get to him like this?"

"There's no 'we.' You are going to the dust off zone, and us soldiers are going to continue our mission," the first soldier said.

"Quit treating me like a child," Sundance growled. "I'm going with you to save him."

"Like hell you are. This isn't a damn game."

"Either I go with you, or I'm going by myself. He'd do the same for me. Besides, you don't have the rank to order me around," Sundance pointed out, having noticed the soldier's rank of Point Commander.

The Commander glared at Sundance for a few seconds, then let out a sigh. "Damn it, fine. We don't have time for this. You almost done, Sky?"

The pony reloading the grenade launcher slammed the top cover shut. "Got it!" he shouted.

"Crystal, help him get into position! Stars, you're with us!" The soldier who'd helped Sundance from the cockpit ran over to join them, while the teal soldier helped Sky carry the heavy weapon to the far side of the cockpit. "As soon as I give the signal, the three of us sprint to the Timber Wolf, grab that MechWarrior, and run straight back here. You are to stay behind me and Stars. If you want to survive, don't so much as breathe without my command. Understood?"

Sundance nodded.

"Good. You ready, Valemon?"

"Ready as I will ever be," the Elemental grunted.

"All set over here too, boss," Crystal said as she ran back to her radio.

The Commander tightened the sling on his rifle and glanced out at the battlefield. "Let's do this. Three... two... now!" He charged out into the open with Sundance and Stars close behind, while Valemon and Sky provided covering fire.

Sundance could feel his heart pounding in his throat as they ran across the open ground. Dust flew up as their hooves raced desperately across the dirt, sending silent prayers to whatever cruel deities they believed in. Despite the massive amount of attention Valemon and Sky were drawing, bullets still cracked left and right, and the seconds stretched on into eternity. Sundance could imagine one of those bullets catching the Commander in the leg, passing through Stars' skull, hitting him straight in the chest...

The Commander stopped suddenly by the Timber Wolf, and Sundance skidded to a halt in time to avoid slamming into the larger pony. "Get that MechWarrior onto Stars' back, I'll cover you!" he shouted as he swung his rifle around to fire at the enemy.

Sundance and Stars ran toward the other side of the 'Mech, which gave off a low droning noise from the reactor. Vermillion would be there, likely injured; maybe missing an ear or an eye or a leg, but he knew the tough pony would adapt. A prosthetic could be even better than the real thing. Mint had said so herself a few times. He felt relief crash over him as Vermillion's hooves came into view, then his waist, then —

Sundance slowed to a stop. "This... no..." He took a step back, struggling to breathe. "Not again. Dear Celestia, not again." He took another step back, placing a hoof over his mouth as his eyes grew wet and his stomach churned. Stars placed a hoof comfortingly on his shoulder, but he barely felt it.

Everything above Vermillion's waist was gone. His organs and blood had spilled out into the dirt while chunks of bone were strewn on the ground, some over twenty meters away. Even his long blue tail was in tatters. There was nothing left, nothing to say goodbye to. Just a mangled corpse, growing cold and freezing into the unforgiving wasteland.

Sundance clenched his teeth. Vermilion and Solis had both died because of him. His careless error, a momentary lapse in focus had caused this. They were gone, and they would never come back. It was all his fault. His fault.

"Damn it!" Sundance shouted as he slammed his front hooves onto the Timber Wolf. He slowly collapsed against the fallen machine, sobs wracking his body. He was losing everypony he loved, one by one. When would it end? When would this wretched curse stop plaguing his existence?

"I'm sorry, but we need to go. We'll be killed if we stay here any longer," the Commander said urgently after a moment, appearing next to Sundance.

Sundance clenched his hooves. He didn't want to leave Vermillion, but he knew the Commander was right. Valemon and Sky could only hold off the enemy for so long. They had to retreat.

"Retreat," Sundance thought bitterly. Vermillion had risked himself numerous times to protect Sundance, now these soldiers were putting their lives on the line for him, and what had he ever done in return? Nothing. Well, he was done being baggage. It was time to return the favor.

"No," Sundance mumbled.

The Commander grabbed Sundance's shoulder. "You agreed to do exactly what I say. I know you want to mourn, but we have to go. Now."

Sundance brushed off the pony's hoof. "I said no. I won't be a coward. Not again." He wiped the tears from his eyes and jumped into the Timber Wolf's open cockpit. The 'Mechs reactor was still running, which meant he'd be able to skip the startup sequence, which only Vermillion knew. He'd just have to ignore the sickening feeling of sitting in a cockpit that was caked with blood and guts. "You guys go. Get the rest of the wounded soldiers out of here."

The Commander hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Very well." He gave Sundance a quick salute. "May Rainbow Dash be with you," he said before charging off, Stars in pursuit.

Sundance saluted back and placed his hooves over the controls. It was almost kind of poetic, he thought, to pilot the 'Mech of his fallen best friend into what may be his own final battle as well.

As Sundance pulled the machine to its feet, he realized that because of the missing cockpit glass, he'd have to guess at where he was aiming. Slightly more alarming than that, he couldn't hear anything coming from the 'Mech. He'd have to pilot it without a neural connection. "Doesn't matter. I don't need crosshairs or a neural link. I just need a target."

Sundance turned to face the battlefield after the Timber Wolf leveled out. There were countless enemy 'Mechs on the battlefield, all seemingly assault class. He didn't recognize any of the machines, and he knew nothing of the firepower they carried, but there was one thing he did know about them; they'd go down just as easily as any Clan 'Mech.

"I'll kill them," Sundance growled as he leveled his aim over the cockpit of an enemy. For everything they'd done, for all the pain and suffering they were causing, they would pay dearly. "I'll kill them all!"

Hazelnut fired his Gauss Rifles at a Marauder II, watching in satisfaction as it tumbled to the ground. "These bastards just keep coming!" he thought.

Hazelnut flinched as the left side of his 'Mech took a heavy hit, and he turned to see another Marauder II lumbering toward him. The last one tore him up pretty good — could he survive this one, too?

The Marauder suddenly lurched forward and fell face-first into the dirt. Shards of metal rained down as it went, and flames licked at the edges of a hole in its rear. Hazelnut saw Obsidian's Grand Summoner standing behind the wreckage, the barrels of its twin arm-mounted autocannons smoking.

"Got your back!" Obsidian said before turning toward another enemy 'Mech.

Hazelnut nodded and turned to find a new target. It didn't take long for him to spot one: a damaged Stalker halfway across the battlefield, most of one side torso collapsed and the other heavily pockmarked. Even from several hundred meters away, it should be easy to destroy the damaged 'Mech.

Hazelnut lined up the crosshairs over the center of the Stalker and fired both of his 'Mech's shoulder-mounted Gauss Rifles. The slugs punched through the mangled armor, and the machine collapsed in on itself a moment later as its artificial muscles went limp. "That's two," he said to himself.

Movement caught Hazelnut's attention, and he turned to see a trio of huge 'Mechs sprinting across the battlefield. They were moving impossibly fast for machines of their size, and — were they carrying hatchets? His targeting computer called them Berserkers. Though lightly armed on paper for a one-hundred ton 'Mech, carrying only six ER Medium Lasers and an ER PPC each, he hated to imagine the kind of devastation their melee attacks could inflict.

The Berserkers changed direction suddenly, and Hazelnut's heart missed a beat as he realized they were sprinting toward him. Not only him, but also Obsidian, who was fighting another enemy and had his back turned to the rapidly approaching threat.

"Obsidian, behind you!" Hazelnut shouted. He fired his four Heavy Medium Lasers at the rear of Obsidian's opponent and followed up with another Gauss Rifle salvo, destroying the 'Mech and freeing Obsidian to address the new danger.

The Berserker leading the charge took an Alpha Strike from Obsidian and a barrage of lasers from Hazelnut, causing it to stumble. Two more bursts from Obsidian's autocannons finished the large 'Mech off when it was just a few dozen meters away from him.

Obsidian raised the left arm of his Grand Summoner as the second Berserker swung its hatchet down toward him, deflecting the blow so that it slammed harmlessly into the dirt and the 'Mech fell forward. He fired the autocannon in his other arm at the cockpit of the third Berserker just as it swung its own hatchet at him.

The weapon sliced through the right arm of Obsidian's 'Mech and stuck into its side torso. Obsidian reeled from the blow, but recovered in time to fire another two bursts from his remaining autocannon at the third Berserker's cockpit, killing the pilot inside and leaving the 'Mech as still as a statue.

The second Berserker was back on its feet before Obsidian could disentangle himself. Hazelnut shot his Gauss Rifles at the 'Mech's raised arm, and cursed as one shot penetrated but failed to do anything meaningful, and the other ricocheted harmlessly off the armor. He fired all of his lasers, ignoring the painful temperature spike and desperately trying to disable the deadly weapon.

All of the damage was absorbed by the 'Mech's armor, and Hazelnut watched in slow motion as it swung its arm at Obsidian's 'Mech, frantically trying to do something with his two pulse lasers. It was laughable damage in the face of the sturdy enemy machine, but what else could he do with his main weapons all recharging?

The hatchet cut deep into the left side of Obsidian's 'Mech, wreaking havoc on its internal structure and causing the left arm to go limp. He was completely pinned between the two Berserkers, unable to run or even twist away.

"Obsidian, get out of there!" Hazelnut screamed. He fired his Gauss Rifles at the enemy 'Mech, which recoiled at the impact. It moved behind Obsidian's Grand Summoner before he had a chance to use his lasers, blocking his line of sight.

The third Berserker raised its left arm above its head, keeping Obsidian's 'Mech in place with the hatchet in its other hand. "Hazelnut..." Obsidian choked out. "I-"

The comms cut to static as the Berserker slammed its fist down on Obsidian's cockpit. Shattered glass flew high into the air before raining down like frozen teardrops. Hazelnut stared on, stunned into inaction. His last true friend, the last living pony who understood him and trusted him and loved him — gone in an instant.

Hazelnut growled, gritting his teeth so hard he felt one crack. The Berserker pulled its hatchet free, shoving Obsidian's 'Mech and the other defeated Berserker to the ground. "You," he snarled, leveling his aim over the 'Mech's chest. "Die."

A powerful explosion rocked the cockpit, and Hazelnut's vision went dark briefly as his head impacted something hard. He shook the stars from his vision and glanced up to see the barrel of his Blood Asp's left Gauss Rifle sag down, then snap off and drop to the ground. His damage indicator showed a hit to the rear. Some lucky asshole must have blown up his Gauss Rifle.

Critical Hit, Left Torso. Left Arm Destroyed. Gauss Rifle Destroyed. Heat Sink Destroyed. Damage Critical.

Hazelnut turned to see a Sunder charging toward him from behind, its autocannon barrel wreathed in smoke. To his other side, the Berserker had stepped over the wreckage of the other 'Mechs and was also sprinting forward.

"Fine. If that's how it is," Hazelnut spat, re-centering his aim on the Berserker. He would at least take Obsidian's killer down with him.

Before Hazelnut could fire his weapons, a hail of missiles flew past and slammed into the Berserker. It tumbled forward to the ground, sliding to a half just a few meters from where Hazelnut was standing. He took a step forward and kicked at the downed 'Mech's cockpit as it attempted to push itself upright. It crunched satisfyingly before falling to the ground, and he turned back to face the Sunder.

From the corner of his eye, he saw his savior running toward the enemy 'Mech. It was Vermillion; by some miracle alive despite the seemingly catastrophic damage to the Timber Wolf's cockpit. Lasers flashed from the 'Mech's arms, drilling holes into the Sunder's left leg. It fell to one knee as the joint failed, but the pilot managed to keep it mostly upright, and raised its arms to retaliate.

Hazelnut felt his jaw drop as Vermillion leapt to one side without missing a beat, deftly avoiding the missiles and lasers while the autocannon slug bounced off the side torso. How the hell did he do such a complex maneuver without breaking stride or even losing balance? Even with directional Jump Jets a skilled MechWarrior would have trouble doing that in a controlled environment, let alone the middle of battle.

Another wave of missiles poured from the Timber Wolf's twin missile racks. One stream hit the Sunder square in the face while the other detonated harmlessly on the ground in front of it, throwing up a massive cloud of dirt that completely blocked view of the 'Mech. Vermillion changed directions suddenly, sprinting off to the right side.

By the time the dirt cloud cleared, Vermillion was already next to the Sunder. Before its pilot could react, lasers raked out from Vermillion's 'Mech, carving into its left arm and disabling its deadly autocannon as he sprinted by. The Sunder's torso twisted around, vainly trying to follow its assailant with one knee still firmly planted.

Hazelnut fired his remaining weapons at the 'Mech's other arm as it turned away from him, destroying it and the two Large Lasers it housed. "That should give us more breathing room," he thought.

Vermillion slowed to a halt behind the Sunder. He raised one leg and kicked it to the ground, where it lay immobile. The pilot ejected just as he fired his missiles at the 'Mech's rear, smashing apart the thin armor and destroying the machine. Vermillion's aim trailed after the pilot, as if he was considering killing the defenseless pony, but he held his fire and instead turned to find a new target.

"Thanks," Hazelnut mumbled, but Vermillion had already charged across the battlefield again without acknowledging him in any way. "What was that about?"

Hazelnut let out a tense breath and glanced at Obsidian's fallen 'Mech. He was really the last one of their group left. It was all over. Why even try anymore? They were all going to die anyway.

Hazelnut shook his head vigorously, clearing the traitorous thoughts. "No. I won't stop fighting," he growled, turning to find a new enemy to kill. They'd come too far for him to quit now. For Cotton, Slate, Obsidian, everypony they'd lost; he'd keep fighting. Even if he died, it didn't matter. He was going to drag as many of the bastards down to hell as he could.

Chartreuse watched the Highlander crumple to the dirt, its center torso a jumble of charred steel. The ground rumbled a second time, the product of Honey Bee and Steel Thunder's opponent joining its fallen ally. By some miracle, the three of them had survived the bloody ambush.

But the same couldn't be said for the rest of their unit. The battlefield around them was littered with bodies and mangled war machines, Wolf and Inner Sphere alike. There was a considerably larger number of Inner Sphere soldiers lying dead, but it was little consolation.

"Is that all of them? Did we win, or are there more hiding somewhere?" Steel asked, surveying the carnage around them.

"Win?" Honey asked, her voice wavering. "What do you mean, 'win?'"

"Well, they're dead and we're not, right? Isn't that what winning is?"

"No! This... this was a slaughter, not a battle. Are you seriously telling me you feel triumphant looking at all of this?" Honey yelled in disbelief.

Steel gritted his teeth. "You're twisting my words. I said, 'we won,' not 'good job guys, let's kill even more of them next time.' Is that what you wanted me to say?"

"You don't have to now, you say that kind of thing all the time. You don't care about who we lose, you only care about your sadism fetish," Honey growled.

"Honey-" Chartreuse began, but Steel cut her off before she could continue.

"You think I don't care?! I'm a pony, not some heartless machine! I have feelings. Of course I care about our losses. But everypony here knew the risk, and everypony here was willing to fight to protect the Clan, and to die for it if necessary. It's not my fault you can't accept that outcome."

"You should have died with them. There's no better show of loyalty, right?" Honey shot back.

"That's enough, both of you!" Chartreuse shouted. "We're standing in the middle of hundreds of dead ponies, and you two are bickering like foals!"

"Star Commander Chartreuse?" a voice cut in on the comms.

Chartreuse took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her anger and turned to the source of the noise. There were a couple of tanks picking their way through the graveyard, surrounded by a hoofful of Elementals and no more than twenty infantryponies, all of whom were injured to varying degrees. They were a sorry sight, but she felt much better knowing there were others still alive. "Yes?"

"Would you like us to search for survivors?" one of the soldiers asked as he came to a halt a few dozen meters from Chartreuse's Warhawk.

"Yes, I think that's a good idea. If any of the enemy is still alive, capture them if you can," she replied.

"Aff, Commander." The pony saluted, then turned to the other soldiers to issue orders. After a few moments, they broke apart and began sifting through the wreckages.

Chartreuse watched the soldiers for a few moments, not really sure what else to do. All of her senior officers were dead, which made her first in command, for the time being. Somehow it didn't feel as good as she'd always dreamt it would.

"So we're really all that's left?" Honey asked quietly.

Chartreuse nodded solemnly. "Looks like it."

Honey was silent for another few seconds. "I'll miss her," she said finally, staring at Pixie's fallen Mad Dog.

"Me too." Chartreuse bit her lip hard enough to taste blood. The machine was barely recognizable, more like the aftermath of a steam engine explosion than a 'Mech. Bonfire's Stormcrow lay a ways away, its cockpit smashed and the pony inside crushed. Even though she knew any of them could have died in the battle, and it had seemed like they had accepted whatever their fate may be, it still felt like a bullet to the chest.

It shouldn't have happened like this. She could still hear the cheers as the last Clan Draconequus 'Mech fell, the congratulations from Khan Howl, and all of them laughing at one of Pixie's jokes.

Then everything had gone wrong. The First Wolf Assault Cluster's comms descended into chaos just as countless red dots blipped on Chartreuse's radar. Enemy 'Mechs and soldiers came out of nowhere. They emerged from the ground like wraiths and smashed out of false rocks, confusing and overwhelming the Wolf forces.

Pixie had died before she even had a chance to get a shot off. A Fafnir had fired through the rear of her 'Mech, setting off a reactor explosion and killing her in an instant. Chartreuse hadn't seen Bonfire's death, but his scream would haunt her nightmares for years to come.

"Commander Chartreuse!" a voice said urgently over the comms.

Chartreuse shook her head clear and gritted her teeth, recognizing the voice as belonging to the DropShip's pilot. Whatever was causing her to use that tone of voice, it wasn't good. "What is it?"

"The First Wolf Assault was overpowered. We are tracking the remaining enemy forces, and most of them are heading your way. It looks like the rest are moving to cut off your path back to the DropShip."

"Shit." Chartreuse looked over their own remaining forces. Her Warhawk and Honey's Shadow Cat were still in fighting condition, but Honey was low on LRM ammo. Steel's Timber Wolf, on the other hoof, had suffered severe damage, with one of the missile racks having been destroyed and most of the armor along the 'Mech's torsos missing. A quick glance told her the tanks and Elementals hadn't fared much better. "How many enemies?"

"They outnumber you at least three to one, and all of the BattleMechs are assault class. I would not advise holding your ground."

"What about Clan Command? They could get here fast enough to provide support," Steel suggested.

"No, they are still fighting," the DropShip pilot replied.

Steel frowned. "Then why are the remaining enemies heading to us?"

"Khan Howl was not so surprised by the ambush. She kept her forces alert, and as a result they have suffered minimal casualties while inflicting many. I believe the enemies see no point in aiding a lost battle and wish to pick off easy targets instead."

"That makes sense." Chartreuse gritted her teeth, trying to think of something. Clan Command, who was on the opposite side of the advancing enemies, would be no help. They couldn't retreat to the DropShip, there was nothing but wasteland in the opposite direction, and the only remaining possible retreat path had a sharp drop-off that the tanks and infantry couldn't possibly survive. Should they stage their own ambush and hope for the best?

"Wait... the Ghost Bears! They should be fairly close!" Chartreuse realized. "What about Clan Ghost Bear? Could we turn to them for help? I think the Ourse and Silveroot Keshiks are fighting nearby."

The DropShip pilot was silent for a few moments. "The Ourse and Silveroot Keshiks are still engaged in battle, near their third target. They will be unable to provide assistance."

"But... what if we go to them?" Honey asked. "We could provide backup, and maybe in turn they'd let us evacuate on their DropShip."

Chartreuse shook her head. "They're at the bottom of a cliff. Our infantry and armor can't make that jump."

Nopony spoke for a few long seconds. They were boxed in, with no good escape routes and no hope of defending themselves. Chartreuse glanced in the distance, where she could just barely see a large group of gray dots moving against the horizon. They'd have to come to a decision, and fast.

"Um, Commander, if I may suggest something," the soldier from earlier said.

"Do you have an idea?" Chartreuse asked.

"If the three of you link up with Clan Ghost Bear, we can run diversion and draw the enemy away. That should buy you enough time to defeat the enemies there and escape."

Chartreuse frowned. "But that's a suicide mission."

"We know. But the way we see it, either we can kill a few more enemy soldiers and all die in vain, or some of us can make it off this rock to fight another day. The choice isn't hard if you look at it that way."

Chartreuse glanced at the rest of the soldiers. They had all grouped together and were staring up at her, nervous, but determined. They looked like they'd already accepted death, and she wasn't going to deny them this last chance for honor. "Very well. If that's your wish, then we'll carry it out." She gave them the most heartfelt salute she could manage. "I'll make sure you all are remembered for this. Give them hell."

"Thank you, Commander. We won't let you down." The soldiers saluted back, then climbed onto the tanks. The machines sped off into the desert with the Elementals sprinting alongside, tracks and metal hooves throwing up clouds of dust as the soldiers went to meet fate.

"Let's get going. I don't know how much time they'll be able to buy us," Chartreuse said after a moment. She turned in the opposite direction and led her remaining comrades out of the mess of blood and scrap metal. "Get the DropShip out of here. None of us will be returning on it."

"Aff, Commander. Make it back from this mission and I will buy you a drink." There was a light click, and the DropShip pilot left the comms channel.

"I don't think this is really the time for flirting," Honey grumbled.

"Focus on the mission." Chartreuse glanced at her Nav screen. The Ourse and Silveroot Keshiks' third target was a little over two kilometers away. She was the slowest 'Mech in the Star; at her speed, they'd reach the Ghost Bears in about two minutes. She hoped they'd be able to hold on for that much longer, otherwise the soldiers' sacrifice would be wasted.

"Honey, is your ECM still functional?" Chartreuse asked.

Honey nodded. "Yep. MASC still works, too."

"Good. Can you scout ahead? We need to know what we're getting into. And don't get spotted."

"Got it." Honey sped ahead, her 'Mech glinting as it raced across the desert.

"What do you think we'll find down there?" Steel asked.

Chartreuse shrugged. "Hard to know for sure. If we're lucky, the Ghost Bears will have already killed most of the enemy and we'll only have to mop up, but I doubt that's the case." The Ourse and Silveroot Keshiks were a full Trinary short of her Cluster, but those soldiers were the best that Clan Ghost Bear had to offer. She had faith in their skills, but even a giant could be taken down if enough stones were thrown at it.

"I'm at the canyon. They're still fighting," Honey said, her voice full of relief. "They're badly outnumbered, but they're holding their ground."

"Good. Do a quick scouting run around the outside of the battlefield. We'll be there in less than a minute, so don't take too long."

"Doing it now," Honey replied.

Chartreuse glanced quickly at the map of the area. The drop to the canyon floor was a few dozen meters; short enough for a 'Mech to survive, but long enough that she was worried they could stumble upon landing, making them easy targets. It might be better to stay on the ridge and fire down into the fight. Their weapons certainly had the range capabilities to do so.

"Wait, there's more enemy 'Mechs heading toward the fight through a canyon pass," Honey said after a moment. "Four assault 'Mechs, all fresh, maybe one hundred tons? My 'Mech says they're Atlases. They'll probably get there in about two minutes. They're pretty slow."

"Shit," Chartreuse muttered. That was a lot of firepower. If they got to the battlefield, it could spell disaster. She glanced at her damage indicator. Her 'Mech was in okay-ish condition. If they surprised the enemy, the three of them could take out the four assaults before heading to the battlefield. "Keep them detected for us, but don't let them see you. How're your legs looking, Steel?"

"They're the only things on my 'Mech not torn to shreds. You want to drop on them?" Steel asked.

Chartreuse nodded. "Yep. We have to kill them quickly, and the only way I see us doing that is a death from above attack."

"Let's do it. I've always wanted to try this," Steel said. The two of them altered their course toward the four red dots on their radar.

"Let's get the ones in the back first. You're faster than me, so you jump on the 'Mech on the far side. After that, turn your weapons on the 'Mech in front of you," Chartreuse ordered. "Honey, if one of us misses our mark, you wait for them to turn toward us, then jump down and shoot their rear armor."

"Sounds like a plan." Honey turned to Chartreuse and Steel as they neared. "I'm ready."

Chartreuse nodded to Steel, who clenched his jaw and ran ahead, getting the speed necessary before leaping into the air. Chartreuse followed behind, using the radar to aim her 'Mech. They only had one shot; if they fucked this up, they'd almost certainly die, and the Ghost Bear forces might fall soon after.

Steel's Timber Wolf hung in the air for a few long moments before descending toward one of the enemy 'Mechs. Chartreuse's own target came into view as she crossed the canyon ledge, and she dug one foot of her Warhawk into the ground to slow her 'Mech slightly and prevent it from overshooting.

Steel almost completely missed his target, only managing to clip the first Atlas with one of his legs before crashing face-first into the dirt. It was enough to destabilize the machine, however, and it tripped over its own feet.

"That's bad," Chartreuse thought, gritting her teeth. Steel wouldn't be able to kill either of his targets from his position. That complicated things.

A moment later her own cockpit jerked, and the sound of groaning steel filled the air as the 'Mech below her crumpled in on itself. Chartreuse stumbled as she reached the ground, but righted herself in time to fire an Alpha Strike into the rear armor of the third Atlas, just as it was spinning to face her. Its arms and legs went slack, and the machine tumbled to the dirt.

The fourth Atlas turned to face the new threat, but instead of shooting at Chartreuse, it fired its hip-mounted autocannon at Steel's downed Timber Wolf. The shot crashed into his 'Mech, and the cockpit ejected and shot off into the distance as the machine exploded.

Before Chartreuse could retaliate, a cloud of missiles rained down on the rear of the fourth Atlas, soon followed by a gray blur she recognized as Honey's Shadow Cat, using its Jump Jets to propel itself through the air toward the enemy machine. The impact sent the large 'Mech barreling forward, and it crashed into the first Atlas as it was attempting to stand up, smashing the cockpit in and sending both 'Mechs to the dirt. Chartreuse followed up with two more PPC shots to the weakened rear armor of the fourth Atlas, destroying the 'Mech and putting an end to the short fight.

Chartreuse sighed in relief and turned toward Honey. "Go collect Steel, then join the fight as soon as you can. Let me know if you come across any more enemies."

"On it." Honey fired her Jump Jets again, arcing over Chartreuse in the direction Steel had ejected in. He wouldn't be any use in the battle, but at least he wasn't dead. That was all she could ask for right now.

✸ ✸ ✸

Chartreuse set her Warhawk down the canyon as fast as it could go, not wanting to waste any more time. A lot could change over the course of a few minutes, and she hoped things hadn't taken a turn for the worst while they were dealing with the Atlases. She clenched her hooves over the controls as the battlefield emerged from around the right side canyon wall. There was only one way to find out.

The amount of destroyed warmachines lying strewn about was startling. Chartreuse swore there were more fallen 'Mechs here than where she'd just come from, with the only notable difference being that almost all of them were Inner Sphere 'Mechs. Still, that didn't mean the Ghost Bears hadn't suffered casualties, and despite their valiant efforts, it looked like they had nearly run out of steam. They were outnumbered almost two to one, and were backed up against the far canyon wall by what seemed to be exclusively ninety-ton and above assault 'Mechs. The Inner Sphere had really put all their eggs in one basket here.

Chartreuse turned her attention to a nearby 'Mech that was walking along the outskirts of the battlefield, which her targeting computer labeled a Mauler-1R. It carried four autocannon 2s, two ER large lasers, and two LRM 15s; weapons best suited for long range. The missiles would be the 'Mech's strongest punch, and judging from her experiences in the last battle, Inner Sphere LRMs had a minimum range. Its pilot hadn't noticed her yet, so she took a chance and charged forward.

Charteuse fired one PPC at the Mauler as she came within a couple hundred meters of it. When it turned to address the new threat she fired her remaining three PPCs, which slammed into the 'Mech's left side and destroyed one of the autocannons it housed. The machine retaliated briefly with its large lasers and remaining autocannons, before the lasers suddenly cut off mid-burn and the autocannons slammed to a halt. After teetering on the edge of its balance for a moment longer, the Mauler slumped to the ground, defeated.

"Anticlimactic," Chartreuse thought. That was another thing she'd noticed from the previous fight; how easily Inner Sphere 'Mechs could be destroyed. It only seemed to be a few of them, as some were as hard to kill as any Clan 'Mech, but others went down after taking an alarmingly low amount of damage. That wasn't the first 'Mech she'd seen destroyed by a side torso penetration.

Movement caught Chartreuse's attention from the corner of her eye, and she turned in time to see an Ebon Jaguar tumble to the dirt, its massive opponent looming over the wreckage, a couple hundred meters away. Her targeting computer labeled the machine an Annihilator-1X. It weighed one hundred tons, had suffered minimal damage, carried an array of lasers and four terrifying LB 10-X autocannons — and was now turning its weapons toward her.

Chartreuse fired at the Annihilator's right torso, using only the weapons in her right arm, then immediately turned her 'Mech's torso to one side. The force from the return fire was enough to rumble her cockpit, and she was startled to see how much damage it had dealt. Her 'Mech's left arm had nearly been outright destroyed and one of the PPCs had suffered damage, but thankfully it was still mostly functional. The left torso had also taken a big hit, but most of the armor was still there, even if it was mangled and full of holes.

Critical Hit, ER Particle Cannon.

Chartreuse turned back to her opponent and fired the PPCs in her left arm at about the same spot she'd previously hit, punching a hole in the 'Mech's damaged armor. If the enemy pilot had any sense, she wouldn't get another shot off with those weapons, so she should use them while she still could.

Just as the Annihilator was about to return fire, an explosion almost as big as the machine itself effectively disintegrated its right torso and arm. Chartreuse let out the tense breath she'd been holding. "An ammunition explosion. Just what I needed," she thought. However, relief turned to confusion when the 'Mech remained upright, then to fear as it leveled its weapons on her again. Cluster rounds from its remaining two autocannons tore through her Warhawk's left torso, destroying it and the attached arm while shaking her cockpit so violently her head bashed into one of the screens next to her. Even through the neurohelmet's padding, it was still enough to daze her for a second.

Critical Hit, Left Torso. Left Arm Destroyed. ER Particle Cannon Destroyed. Heat Sink Destroyed. Damage Ctirical.

"That should have killed it!" Up until that point, every Inner Sphere 'Mech she'd seen suffer an ammunition explosion had immediately and spectacularly exploded. Why was this one any different?

Chartreuse blinked the stars from her vision and fired her remaining PPCs at the Annihilator's left arm, right at the elbow. The shot incinerated the Myomer at that joint, and the autocannon in that arm fell to hang harmlessly by the 'Mech's side. The heat from firing so often had turned her cockpit into a sauna, and Chartreuse hit the override button. She knew she could kill the enemy machine, but she didn't want to even imagine the toll it would take on her own 'Mech.

Heat Level Critical. Shutdown Sequence Overridden.

Chartreuse rotated her Warhawk's torso to absorb the incoming damage in her relatively undamaged right side. One autocannon definitely hurt much less than four, but in her condition, she wouldn't be able to survive for much longer. Another autocannon shot crashed into her 'Mech's right arm followed by a salvo of laser fire, and she cursed as it destroyed one of the PPCs. There was no way she won that matchup - one ER PPC against all of the Annihilator's remaining weapons?

ER Particle Cannon Destroyed.

"No! I can't lose this!" she thought stubbornly. There was no way she'd let her comrades' sacrifice be for nothing. Her usual 'shoot the enemy and push through the pain' strategy wasn't enough for a monster like this. She needed a plan. "There has to be something, anything!" She turned back to her opponent, scanning its torso for any damage significant enough for her to exploit. She couldn't aim for the cockpit now, considering it would take two shots to destroy. Ruefully, she realized she should have taken the risk and gone for the cockpit from the start. Now she was left searching for scraps, grasping at the smallest branch -

"There!" On the underside of the Annihilator's center torso, there was a deep gouge in the armor, just at the right level for her to reliably hit. It was probably from the Ebon Jaguar, given its height and angle. They hadn't been able to kill the large 'Mech, but they could at least enable her to finish what they'd started. She fired her last PPC at the damaged armor.

The Annihilator responded by advancing toward her and firing its autocannon at her right torso, destroying heat sinks and damaging the reactor.

Critical Hit, Reactor. Heat Sink Destroyed.

"W-what?" Chartreuse pedaled backward, trying to stay out of melee distance of the much heavier machine. Judging from the size of the gouge, she had thought one shot would be enough to break through. And while it had indeed been enough to open a gap in the armor, it was merely a crack in the remaining metal, an annoyingly thin slab of steel with a dark ripple in the middle. Nothing had gone through. It was a condemning misjudgment, and it would surely lead to her death.

But it didn't. The Annihilator's shot went wide, completely missing her side torso and slamming into her center torso just next to the cockpit. The glass cracked near the impact, and again her head knocked into one of the screens next to her, but she shook it off and adjusted her aim to sit over the hole in the 'Mech's armor again.

Critical Hit, Life Support.

Chartreuse watched the crosshair move agonizingly slowly across the HUD. A snail could move faster than her 'Mech right now. Why wasn't it cooperating? At this pace, the Annihilator might reload before she could even finish aiming.

"Because I pushed it too hard," she realized, her stomach tying itself in knots. "I had another chance, and I blew it." The machine was well over operating temperatures - even with the cooling system in the cockpit, she could feel her skin burning. But she wasn't the only thing worse for the wear. The Myomer in the 'Mech's arm and torso would have been damaged by the heat, which would cause continuously degrading performance. That combined with the reactor damage severely limited available power. It was no wonder her Warhawk could barely move anymore.

The reticle inched across Chartreuse's HUD slower and slower toward its target. She could feel her heart pounding all the way in her skull, and she ground her teeth together so hard her vision went dark around the edges. Whoever fired first would win the fight. It would be down to a matter of milliseconds.

The Annihilator's autocannon fired.

Chartreuse's reticle centered over its target.

Her Warhawk's PPC flashed.

Chartreuse felt the impact of the autocannon before the light from the PPC left her eyes. She knew it had hit her 'Mech's right torso, and she was almost certain her right arm and its weapon were inoperable, but she didn't take her eyes off the Annihilator for a second, even though the pain from the heat was unbearable.

The shot was true - it smashed through the hole in the Annihilator's armor, destroying the remnants of steel plating before crashing into the 'Mech's engine. The massive machine jerked still as the reactor shut down, fell to one knee, and tumbled sideways to the ground.

Chartreuse slammed the shutdown button, not wanting to make her 'Mech or herself cook for another second. She tore off her neurohelmet, ripped off the buckles holding her to the seat, and threw open the access hatch as quick as her aching body allowed.

Chartreuse pulled herself from the sweltering cockpit and lay on top of her Warhawk. The temperature shock was agonizing at first, but it slowly ebbed as the cold worked its way through her body, even managing to soothe her burns somewhat. After taking a moment to rest, she turned to watch the battle that was still going on around her. She'd been completely oblivious to it during her fight with the Annihilator, and she hoped it wouldn't have all been for nothing.

To her relief, the Ghost Bears were now the ones on the offensive. The Inner Sphere forces had lost their numbers advantage and were falling at an increasingly rapid pace. She could also see Honey's Shadow Cat sprinting toward the battle in the distance. With the help of that additional friendly 'Mech, the fight would be over that much quicker.

Chartreuse pushed herself into a sitting position, wincing at the pain in her body. She was really glad they'd managed to get there in time. Had the Atlases made it to the battlefield and had she not been able to take out the Mauler and Annihilator, things could have ended very differently. At best, they would have ended up like her own unit, reduced to just a hoofful of surviving soldiers. At worst, they would have been wiped out.

Chartreuse tentatively reached a hoof into the cockpit of her Warhawk. The air was still rather warm, but a significant amount of heat had vented out, and it was now at a temperature she considered safe. She clambered back into the machine and began the startup sequence, and for a few long moments there was no response. No hum from the neurohelmet, no sound from the computers, nothing. She'd begun to worry the 'Mech wouldn't start at all when the reactor suddenly rumbled to life. The screens around her flickered on one at a time, much slower than she'd become accustomed to. "All things considered, I guess I'm lucky it even powers up at all," she realized.

Outside, the battle was drawing to a close. All of the Inner Sphere hoofsoldiers and tanks had been eliminated, while the remaining four 'Mechs were being swiftly taken apart. She counted ten surviving Ghost Bear 'Mechs, along with a similarly low number of infantry and tanks. There was only one VTOL in the sky, which presumably was ferrying wounded soldiers to the DropShips.

Reactor: Online. Sensors: Offline. Weapons: Offline. Life Support: Offline. Seek Repairs.

"Seems like the smart thing to do," Chartreuse thought jokingly. Judging by the damage indicator, there was barely a shred of armor left on her 'Mech, while the inner structure was mangled to the point it could barely support the machine's weight. As far as damage to the systems, the Warhawk had taken nearly three times longer to start up than usual, which didn't bode well. The heat damage must have fried some of the electrical components. "Let's see if you can still walk."

The Warhawk sluggishly stomped forward at a speed comparable to a legged 'Mech. It was also having trouble balancing, and the whole torso slumped to the right side, which was a little disorienting. Still, it could move, which was good enough.

"What are Wolf soldiers doing on our battlefield?" a commanding voice questioned. Chartreuse turned to see an Executioner lumbering toward her as the last enemy fell, the mark of the Ghost Bears' saKhan barely visible through the marred armor.

"SaKhan Snow," Chartreuse said, dipping her head respectfully. "I'm Star Commander Chartreuse. We're what's left of the 279th Wolf Battle Cluster. The First Wolf Assault Cluster was completely wiped out, and the remainder of the enemy forces cut off the path to our DropShip. We came here hoping to get a ride on one of yours."

"You mean you led more enemy forces to us?" saKhan Snow growled. "Star Commander Scarlet, scout our eastern flank. And be quick about it."

Chartreuse bit her lip. He was right; she'd carelessly led their pursuers to the Ghost Bears. Of course the remaining soldiers from her unit were running diversion, but what about when they eventually fell? "Um, y-yes, but I thought-"

"Obviously you did not. Or maybe you did, and leading them here was your intent?" he said threateningly.

"What?! Of course not! Why would I do that?" Chartreuse sputtered. True, she hadn't thought everything through, but that didn't make her a traitor.

"Excuse my interruption," Honey interjected, walking toward the two ponies, "but we took out four one-hundred ton 'Mechs for you before they even reached the battlefield, during which our comrade nearly died. After that, Chartreuse killed two more assault 'Mechs all on her own while coming within a millimeter of death, and that's not even mentioning the fact that dozens of our soldiers willingly sacrificed themselves to divert the enemies' attention so we could make it here and save your sorry asses before enemy reinforcements arrived. Are you really going to stand there questioning our intentions despite all of that?"

Chartreuse stared at Honey, her mouth agape. Talking back to the second-in-command of an ally Clan in such an impudent way - what the hell was she thinking? "Honey-"

"You would ridicule me?" SaKhan Snow turned his Executioner toward Honey. "What gives a lowly MechWarrior the right to address me in such a way?"

"With all due respect, you're not our saKhan," Honey shot back.

Nopony spoke for a tense moment. Chartreuse could practically feel the anger radiating from saKhan Snow. What would she do if he attacked Honey? Surely he wouldn't do that, right?

"SaKhan Snow, there are enemy soldiers on our east flank. Two kilometers out. They do not appear to be advancing," a female voice said over the comms. "Fourteen BattleMechs, minimal infantry and armor, no aircraft. I can see more enemies in the distance, but they are too far to count."

"Not a fight we should take right now." SaKhan Snow was silent for another few seconds. "Very well. I will allow you to board the DropShip of the Ourse Keshik. Before you are returned to your Clan, I will take the BattleROMs in your BattleMechs and review the footage to see if what you claim is true," he relented.

"Thank you, sir," Chartreuse said, dipping her head again. That was about the best response they could have gotten.

"Star Commander Scarlet, keep watch on our eastern flank. Update me if the enemy moves a single meter. The rest of Clan Ghost Bear, return to the DropShips. We are done here. As for you," saKhan Snow said as he turned back to Chartreuse, "abandon your BattleMech. It is in no condition to make the trip. And bring your BattleROM with you."

"What? But I can't just leave it here," Chartreuse protested.

"At your speed, the enemy could arrive before you are even halfway to the DropShip. Unless you wish to join the rest of your Cluster, you will abandon it."

Chartreuse stared at saKhan Snow for a moment, then let out a defeated breath. Even though she knew he was right, she almost wanted to stay and fall with the venerable machine. But she couldn't. She'd live to see justice for her friends. "Of course."

"SaKhan, what about our dead? Are we to leave them here?" a bewildered voice asked.

"They will be remembered. We must leave now."

"But-"

"Every allied force has been ambushed, and we have no way of knowing if there are more enemies in hiding. If we stay, we will die, and the deaths of our comrades will be for nothing. We are leaving," saKhan Said firmly. "Move out!"

Chartreuse reached under the controls and yanked a small gray box free. She turned the BattleROM in her hooves for a moment, not wanting to go. How could she just leave her 'Mech here for the Inner Sphere forces to capture? She didn't want them to reverse-engineer it, or worse, repair and use it in their own army. The thought of her 'Mech being used against Clan soldiers was unbearable.

"I could... make it self destruct," she thought reluctantly. Her Warhawk had become like family to her over the past year. It pained her to have to make that decision, and she didn't want to see another friend she loved so much die. But it was better than the alternatives.

Chartreuse stretched a hoof up to the top of the cockpit, where a lone button was housed. She flipped off the safety cover and hovered her hoof over the red button. It was weird to become so attached to an object; she knew that. But that didn't change how much it hurt.

Memories flashed by, of her Trial of Position, of her first missions with Pixie, Bonfire, and her other fallen comrades, of all the times they'd joke and laugh over the comms, but most importantly, of how her 'Mech felt like an extension of herself. It was all coming to an end.

She pressed the button once, held it for one second, and pressed it a third time.

Confirm Self Destruct.

Chartreuse held the button for three more seconds. It was too late to go back now. She was committed.

Self Destruct Sequence Initiated. Detonation In T-minus Three Minutes.

"Well... I guess this is goodbye," Chartreuse mumbled. She sat for a moment, wanting to spend as much time with her Warhawk as possible. She reached a hoof toward one of the displays, where a piece of her cooling suit from Clan Draconequus hung. The tattered cloth was a sort of memento, to remind her of everything that had happened, and of what she didn't want to become. It was almost tempting her to bring it with her.

Chartreuse took off her neurohelmet and placed it on the seat before climbing to the access hatch. She pulled herself out into open air, then began descending down the side of the 'Mech. Many of the rungs were missing or badly damaged, which made her descent tricky. She was almost worried she wouldn't make it to the ground before the machine exploded.

"Need some help?" somepony asked. Chartreuse turned to see Honey's Shadow Cat standing just a few meters away, the 'Mech's hand open and outstretched toward her.

"Thanks." Chartreuse carefully dropped down onto the large hand and nestled herself on one of the fingers, getting into a secure enough position that she felt comfortable she wouldn't fall. The metal was even colder than the air, and it seeped through her cooling suit in an instant. "Okay. Let's go."

Honey maneuvered her 'Mech around the Warhawk, accelerating slowly as to not drop Chartreuse. She ran to catch up to the Ghost Bear forces, who had almost completely disappeared down one of the canyon passes.

Chartreuse looked back at the Warhawk as they neared the canyon entrance. It stood alone in the middle of the battlefield, outlined by Ironhold's bright sun and surrounded by countless bodies and fallen war machines. Despite being mangled almost beyond recognition, it was still simultaneously the most beautiful and most intimidating thing she'd ever seen.

"No. I won't look back," she thought, narrowing her eyes and tearing her gaze away. She glanced sideways into Honey's cockpit. Inside, she could see the young pony staring ahead, her expression clouded. Steel sat on the floor next to her with a similar look on his face, if more sour. "I can't let the past hold me back. It's my duty to protect my fellow soldiers; my family. From now on, all of my attention is focused solely on them."

A loud explosion sounded behind them, but still Chartreuse refused to turn back. "Our new enemy may have the numbers advantage, but they're as fierce as newborn foals. Even though they got the drop on us, the best they could pull off was a draw, and we're both walking away equally injured. They're not a threat." She gritted her teeth. "You picked the wrong fight, Inner Sphere. You may have started this war, but I'll be damned if you're the ones who finish it."