Soldiers: Skyfall

"This the EMS Nightingale, the captian is dead, XO too.....we are without power....drifting towards the rocks......the enemy won't let up there attack.....we are abandoning ship.....all hooves abandon ship.....I say agian all hooves aband--"
--Final Transmission from raidio operator before the destruction of EMS Nightingale.

Date: August 9th, 1666 CC
Time: 15:23
Name: Scattershot
Location: unnamed road, 58 miles outside of Baltimare

A small convoy of EDF vehicles moved along the twisting back road towards the city of Baltimare, it had been chosen so as to avoid the main highways. Inside were troopers from Camp McKay or what was left of them. The Camp had come under attack by the enemy aircraft and while they fought with everything they had their numbers had been decimated.

Inside the lead vehicle, Corporal Scattershot drove with Captain Lance beside her, the highest ranked member of the convoy. They were currently heading for Baltimare to try and help there as best as they could even though many of them were not sure what they could do against an enemy like this.

“Sir, possible contact ahead.” The gunner said and Scattershot slowed the vehicle to a stop and the rest of the convoy stopped behind them. Once it stopped multiple troops poured out of vehicles and took up defensive positions watching the trees around them

Captain Lance got out as well as Scattershot watching the trees around them for ambush as the Captain put binoculars to his eyes to see the shape further up the road. He sighed and let them hang from the strap before he pulled out a map and began looking over it.

He sighed and cursed under his breath as he folded the map. "Scattershot, Herb, Sour Tart, Cauldron with me.” He called back and the troopers stepped forward. “We are going to see what that is and if it's safe to pass.”

They nodded understanding and soon they were walking down the road towards the large metal thing sitting on the road.

Scattershot would be lying if she said she wasn't afraid of what they'd find as they crept up the road.

As they neared it Scattershot could make out it was a bus of some sort but not a city bus or school. Still she wondered what it was doing out here on a forgotten backroad.

She couldn't see inside as a curtain of some sort was over the windshield. Captain Lance signaled for them to split up and go on either side of the bus.

Scattershot moved to follow the captain as he made his way down one side of the bus passing the doors for the time being, it was here one mystery was answered as she read the side of the bus. Gateway Retirement Home. Now all that was left was what it was doing here, Well she had a decent idea but how it got here and why it was stopped.

The two returned to the front of the bus after finding the rest of the windows covered and Captain Lance knocked on the door. “This is Captain Lance of the EDF.” He announced with authority and there was no movement or sound from the bus. Trying once more and getting the same result The captain readied his rifle as Scattershot did the same.

He tapped his hoof in a count and the two of them pushed the doors open and swept in as fast as they could rifles at the ready.

There was a cry of fear from the back of the bus and Scattershot found herself aiming down sights at a group of elderly mares and stallions that looked utterly terrified and cowered behind seats. She quickly lowered the rifle as did the Capitan. “Easy….easy we aren't going to hurt you.” The Captains said in a calming tone.

“Hold it right there!” one of the troopers yelled outside.

Scattershot and The Captain quickly left and found the other three troopers with their rifles aimed at a pegasus stallion in a dress shirt aiming a revolver at them. “Get away from the bus!” He yelled. Scattershot taking aim and could see the pistol shaking.

“Easy, we are the EDF. We aren't here to hurt you.” The Captain said.

“Bullshit that's what the last group said! They had armor too.” The stallion said and Scattershot could see this side of the bus had multiple bullet holes.

“Okay….Okay easy…..we are going to lower our weapons and I'm going to signal my convoy to move up to show you we are Troopers from Camp McKay” The captain said and slowly lowered his rifle motioning for the others to do the same.

Hesitantly the others did the same as Captain Lance slowly reached up to his helmet. “Convoy moves up, slowly and do not take hostile action.” He said, Scattershot knowing someone would take her place behind the wheel of the lead vehicle.

Scatterslot’s ear swiveled as she heard the convoy pull up behind them and the troopers dismount.

The stallion looked between the captain and the convoy and slowly lowered the revolver. “S…sorry…..we ran into a group pretending to be EDF, had their armor and everything and they tried to steal our bus….I….I had to shoot one of them to get them off the bus…” The stallion said shakingly.

“It’s alright, I understand, these are uncertain times.” The captain said reassuringly. “What's your name?”

“Stamps….” The stallion said.

“Alight Stamps, what are you doing on this road?”

“I…was at the retirement home to look over various paperwork and make sure it was all in order when this all happened. I hide under the desk and well….when I came out I found the staff had fled leaving the residence behind and well…..my parents place is in Hollow Shades….it's a small out of the way town…there is a good chance it won’t be noticed….ran out of gas and had to hike back to a gas station I saw a while back.” Stamps said. “I found the revolver in the street….no clue why it was there.”

Scattershot looked up the road and saw a gas can laying on the side of the room and realized Stamps must have been coming back and saw them around the bus.

“Alright, we are heading for Baltimare, can you tell us the situation there?” The captain asked.

“Tartarus, people running everywhere, looting….like I said ran into some people I think stole the armor off dead EDF soldiers….I'm honestly amazed we made it out.”

The Captain nodded. “Alright, well…..the least we can do for terrorizing you and your group is give you some gas and have one of the hummers escort you to Hollow Shades.” The captain said.

“Wait….really? Don’t you need it?”

“Our duty is to keep people like you safe, making sure you make it to your destination is part of that." The captain said and signaled the convoy to follow those directions.

The stallion boarded the bus and explained what was going on to the elderly ponies as the troopers filled up the bus and one of the Humvees broke away to lead the bus to the town.

“Thank you so much, you have no idea what this means to us.” Stamps said.

"Don’t worry about it, just make sure those people on the bus get somewhere safe.” The captain said, patting the stallion on the shoulder.

Stamps nodded and boarded the bus as the convoy remounted their vehicles and soon the vehicles were passing each other as one group headed for safety as the other headed for tartarus.