Fallout Equestria: Shaping Shadow - Book 5

The final dawn of the civil war arrived as peaceful as the sky was blue. Without a cloud in the upper atmosphere, the sky was the richest it could possibly be. It didn't hold a hint of the coming slaughter.

Shadow launched from the top of the Twilight Sky. He was deploying with his zebra squad from the top, while other units exited out the ramp. Within a few minutes, every cloudship in the Equestrian Pegasus Military had their soldiers in the sky, gliding in a huge formation towards Nellie Air Force Base.

Their numbers were impressive as they took up a huge portion of the sky, but looks could be deceiving. The estimates had them outnumbered three to one. The best thing going for the EPM was the Enclave's lack of officers, especially senior officers, but the soldiers would still fight and the NCOs could keep themselves organized enough to put up a struggle. They were dug in and fortified, meaning it was still the Enclave's battle to lose.

The corvettes rushed ahead of the pegasi and began to open up with their small automatic cannons and guns, targeting the front defenses and hopefully softening them up for the soldiers to land unaccosted. For now their bigger turrets stayed quiet, but they had the coordinates from the scouting mission and knew where they could put down heavier support if needed. The big guns were not going to be very effective against the cloud base. The target had to be solid enough to set the shells off. Even strong building clouds were often too squishy.

Shadow dove, leaving the formation as he made the move to grab a hoofhold. Other Shock trooper units in power armor made the same move. As soon as they touched down the Enclave soldiers showed themselves from behind their defenses, opening up on the armored units. It was a fury of bullets and magic gun blasts as the Enclave tried to force the Equestrian Pegasus Military off the base.

The shock troopers unleashed all the had in their guns. Shadow launched every rocket he had and then began to fire grenades. His team would help him reload as soon as they landed. The corvettes swung back around, screaming barely above their heads as they pumped the fortifications full of explosive and magic rounds. They were gone before they could be targeted.

It was enough though. Shadow charged forward at the head of the shock troopers. They had lost soldiers and some more fell as their plates were destroyed, letting bullets through to claw open flesh, but they made it to the front of the defenses and entrenched themselves in their safety. Anypony left at the front was killed as the power armored units jumped over them and cleared them out before getting back to cover.

Shadow had warning signs for his armor taking damage. He had been distinguishable from the others and it had made him a target. Despite the damage, he was still good to go though. As soon as they had their hoofhold, they could use the talisman in the armor to repair it with steel.

ACUs dove from high up, strafing the next line of defenses as the bulk of the EPM touched down and rushed to cover.

Simi and the team joined Shadow. Ukuzwa was with them at the moment. Her magic was going to be crucial in the fight, both defensively and offensively. Shadow had little doubt her healing would keep them alive, but his main plan was to get to the bunker where Marble Falls was being held. With their hoofhold established, that was the target he had requested. Misty Thunder had granted it to him, believing that if any of them could get into the bunker, it would be Shadow and his team. She didn't know that Shadow had already been inside, only that it's location had been reported along with an estimation on its value. From the General, Shadow learned that the bunker was a well known prison for military dissidents. She expected that they would find the rumored captured soldiers there and wanted them freed. At the very least, losing the prisoners would piss off the Enclave.

They moved down the line to a better starting point for the attempt to take the bunker, however, the EPM attack was stalled. They had the hoofhold but despite the heavy amount of gunfire, the dug in Enclave was able to make it too risky to leap over the walls and barriers erected to defend the base and charge the next line.

Shadow didn't hear the order over the coms, but the corvettes opened up with their six inch guns, targeting the hardest locations on the second defensive line. The bombardment was fierce and not a single barge. With Mareland secured, they were not concerned about ammunition. They all had plenty and they had even more stashed on the cloudships. If it could hold ammo. They stuffed it there. Resupply locations would be set up soon, but they needed to push further into the base.

Colonel Arrow Heart jumped over the destroyed cloud wall, at the head of Unit 41. It had been blasted apart in the last cloudships slavo. Her team followed her over and they began to move towards the second line. They got to a destroyed section of the second defenses and move through the hole, going for the trench cut into the clouds.

It was a fierce and close fight as the six of them cleared it through hoof to hoof combat before they could unleash their rifles. They looked towards the third barricades from the safety of the trench.

Over it came several Enclave soldiers. They were trying to get to the trenches, but they froze as the guns were trained on them from the trench. Unit 41 had the drop on them. But they didn't open fire.

"Flags!" Arrow exclaimed over the nose of combat as she popped her head up further. "You did join them! I was hoping you were dead! How could you betray us!"

"I chose what I thought was best for my family, and my team's families!" Flags shouted back. "The last orders from the Council still stands. The last orders were for war. Just because Shadow was back, that didn't change the fact that we needed to secure a foothold below to survive."

"Shadow has a better way for us to survive!" Arrow argued back, ignoring the battle.

"Why does one Pegasus get to dictate that? Huh?" Flags asked back. "One Pegasus gets to decide how we handle below? I did missions too! I saw what it was like. And where was he at that time? I made the best choice I could for my family and my race."

"But...but Shadow-"

"I know the broadcast!" Flags shouted. "I know what he said he did. But it was decided we needed to fight for our survival. We live in a society that is run by a Council and then they went underground. That left their last orders as the ones to follow."

"Your side gets us killed!" Arrow pleaded. "It's not too late to switch."

"And your side kills the Grand Pegasus Enclave!" Flags exclaimed. "I joined the Grand Pegasus Enclave. I will stay a soldier of the Grand Pegasus Enclave till I die. And I'll fight for it, even if I don't always understand why. I'm not paid to know why, I'm paid to be a scout and fight to keep us free, in the clouds!"

"Surrender!" Arrow ordered. "Surrender. I'll give you that option because of all the good times we had. You can't beat us. We have our guns trained on you already, from solid cover, and you know Unit 41 is the faster and better shots than your scout unit."

"I…we…"

A single pegasus in a flight jacket came over the wall, pistol in their mouth as they gunned down the six scouts without hesitation. The missing wing was unmistakable. It was General Nova. He was here on a personal vendetta to take out a rival officer. He looked half his age as he joined them in the relative safety if the trenches

Arrow's heart shattered. There was no comfort in the fact that she didn't have to pull the trigger. Flags was dead. They were good friends but now, they were no more. He and everything they had was a memory. She had been betrayed. The betrayal wasn't what side they were on, or why Flags chose the Enclave. The betrayal was the simple fact that they never got to talk before the decision was made. Flags disappeared, discarding his friendship with Arrow, Shadow, Chocolate, Cardinal, Dipper, and Chocolate, and the next time she saw him was fighting against him. It was as if their time training and serving as Unit 41 meant nothing to Flags.

"Here they come!" One of her soldiers said.

Arrow snapped out of it and she trained her rifle in the new targets that were coming over the wall. She steeled herself for the battle ahead, cutting off all of her emotions in her anger. They would grieve for the dead after the war. Many of them would grieve for the loss of the Grand Pegasus Enclave in their own right. Like Flags, most had joined to protect the Enclave and considered themselves Enclave soldiers even if they were forced to wear another name. What mattered was protecting the pegasi and their families, but Arrow would mourn the loss of the Enclave because as much as she trusted Shadow, the Council, and believed in the need for a new direction, like Flags, she would always identify as a soldier of the Grand Pegasus Enclave. Arrow knew she was the be the only one silently suffering, but the battle lines had been drawn now long enough that everypony had made their choices and you were either her ally or her enemy. There was no grey area in this fight. The options were as black and white as Shadow's coat and mane.

It was several platoons who were trying to retake the trenches. Nova switched to his battle saddle, a single gun on the right side. The left had a saddlebag full of spare ammunition.

Arrow didn't need to order her team to open fire. They cut down the exposed Enclave soldiers. All of her soldiers were using the ACU battle rifles. They were a small caliber, but they were loaded with the armor piercing rounds and the combat armor worn by the Enclave was unable to protect its wearer.

Shadow's team took their time, tactically moving from cover and engaging every enemy unit they ran into. There was no room for mercy in this final fight. Everypony knew the sides and had made their choice. They were soon separated from the main battle as they fought to reach the bunker. The sun was high in the sky as they got to it.

Kami cloaked herself and quietly stalked over to the guards in their bunker towers. They died quickly as she cut them down with her bayonet knife and her bare hooves.

Shadow led them to the door. Simi, Kami, Chiha, and Koto held the door while everypony else went into the bunker. They were silent, using their bare hooves and blades to cut down anypony they found. They were clean and efficient as they swept through the bunker. They couldn't let them know they were under direct attack without risking somepony panicking and killing the prisoners. It also kept the ammo supplies high, which was important since they were separated from the others.

The main holding cells were empty, but the solitary confinement cells had occupants. Ukuzwa had the doors opened with ease as she slapped glyphs on the doors that unlocked them. Shadow stepped into the room with Marble Falls. She was still there, chained up in the same spot and barely conscious. She had clearly taken more of a beating after Black Widow had visited.

Shadow had the restraints unlocked quickly. Marble Falls collapsed, unable to support herself. "Shadow?" She groaned. "If that is you...not my imagination...thanks. Except, I don't think I can move."

"They have a triage center set up," Shadow said. "We will carry you back there."

Shadow went to help unlock the other prisoners. The next cell over he found another gruesome sight. It wasn't as bad of a torture routine, but it was worse for Shadow. It was Cardinal Spitfire. She was passed out. Shadow unlocked her and then went to the others. One of the Wonderbolts was dead, unable to withstand the torture they endured. The only reason they received the treatment to such a degree as they did was because of their refusal to talk. Outside of Marble Falls, the other five were Cardinal Spitfire's team, Squad 19.

Shadow lacked the leverage to easily carry anypony and he was the best shot. He took point as the others carried the Wonderbolt. It didn't matter if they were conscious or unconscious, they needed to be carried to the medics and treated for their severe injuries. They put on their invisibility cloaks and began to move out. Ukuzwa stayed with Simi and his team. She was with them to force the bunker out of the clouds. It was cleared out, but in case they missed the enemy, Ukuzwa was going to make it impossible for them to survive. Plus it would stop them from using it again. They would rendezvous after the bunker was no longer suspended in the clouds.

They got back to the front with relative ease. The three platoons they ran into were unaware of their approach. They died quickly as Shadow cut them down with his sword. The quiet attack meant they didn't hear him slaughter their comrades in time to shoot him.

General Misty Thunder was in triage, getting patched up. Shadow stepped over to her and reported in. "The bunker was cleared of enemy soldiers and Simi has reported that is has been dislodged from the clouds. Ukuzwa dropped it onto the wasteland so they couldn't reclaim it. We located General Marble Falls and Wonderbolt Squad 19, Pony Patrol. One from Pony Patrol is dead and everypony is in bad shape from the torture. I don't think they talked."

"They are Wondercolts," Misty Thunder stated. "They are trained to resist torture and not spill the secrets they know. I'm not sure why any of them were here. General Marble Falls is supposed to be at Fort Wind, with her recruits. She wasn't assigned any targets. I'm guessing 19 decided to try and rescue the rumored captured Wonderbolts and was caught. The only way that would have succeeded is if they had set a trap. Good job, Command Sergeant Major. You did good. Your whole team did. Resupply and get some food. I'll have orders for you shortly, so take this moment to make sure you have the energy for the upcoming fight."

"Understood," Shadow said, saluting.

Outside of the triage center were plenty of wounded, from both sides, but the bodies of the dead were also neatly lined up. They had express orders to leave their dead comrades where they fell so they could focus on the fight. Anypony lined up had died at the triage center. It was more than Shadow had feared and he hadn't surveyed the battlegrounds.

The cloudships opened up with another barrage. The shells flew deeper into the fort where they exploded. The EPM could not keep up with their current losses if they were to win this war.