Soldiers: Skyfall

Gunfire and screams
"This is Evac Site Quincy, they've breached the perimater...they're everywhere!....fire fire! Get those civilians out of here now! Fall back to the back up site. Shit shit shit changing mag! Fall back, I REPEAT FALL--"
--Final military transmission southwestern Equestria.

Date: August 9th, 1666 CC
Time: 18:41
Name: Dusty Trails
Location: The Town of Hope, Northeastern Equestria

Lieutenant Dusty Trails ducked behind the sandbags as she reloaded her rifle. Beside her a stallion dressed in overalls did the same to slowly reload his hunting rifle.

The Town of Hope was not a large town but it was filled with ponies who were descendants of those who escaped Tirek so long ago, founded from one of the refugee camps. As such they would never surrender.

And so when the invaders came they were met not just with EDF troopers but armed civilians prepared to lay down their lives to defend their home.

And so the battle raged as the defenders were attacked from all sides and unleashed everything they had.

Dusty raised up just over the sandbags and fired on one of the invaders and a couple seconds later the stallion joined her firing a high powered shot on another.

“We got another push coming from the south!” Someone shouted into the radio, whether a trooper or civilian given a radio was unknown, all that it meant was the floaters would move to help the southern defensive line. The enemy had tried a dozen large pushes to enter the town and had been beaten back each time.

“They have got to run out of soldiers at some point.” The stallion besides Dusty said.

“Let's hope it's before we run out of bullets, I really don't want to fight these guys with bayonets.”

“Bayonets? I'd be stuck using my rifle as a club!” The stallion said getting a chuckle from Dusty as the two enjoyed a bit of levity in this madness.

Another enemy reared its ugly head and Dusty opened fire to distract it as the stallion lined up his shot and fired.

They watched for more enemies as they listened to the gunfire echoing across the small town slowly starting to die down.

“Hey what's going on?” Dusty asked.

“No idea…..” Someone replied.

“Wait…..I think they are running…..I saw a couple of them heading away from us on the road.” Another pony said.

“Confirmed they are in retreat.”

“I don't believe it, did we win?”

“Looks like it but stay sharp they may be back.”

Something was off to Dusty, the last they heard the enemy was pressing everywhere and rarely retreating from any battle against even better set up groups….why would they retreat from them? Had they really put up that good of a fight?

Dusty’s fur stood on end like it would do during a lighting storm.

The trooper looked to the clear sky and saw one of massive ships high above the town and what looked like a small sun slowly growing at the center of its belly.

Her eyes went wide. “EVERYONE GET TO COVER NOW!” She screamed into the radio as she grabbed the stallion and ran from their defensive position. All around her dozens of others started to run at the order.

High above the The Town of Hope the invader’s ship unleashed its most powerful weapon. A powerful laser that drained the ship of most of its power to the point it wasn't used often.

Only one other Invader’s ship had used this weapon when it fired on a powerful pony in a far off city and burnt out her magic as she shielded the entire city.

The Town of Hope had no such protection and in a single instant The Town of Hope was rewarded for their perseverance and refusal to be overrun with a blinding light that surpassed the sun.

When the light faded all that stood in the area was a severely charged sign welcoming travelers to the town standing at the edge of a massive glowing crater.