Chapters Prologue - Lost in the Stars
Prologue - Secrets in the Beyond
Ponyville, Equestria
Castle of Friendship Observatory
Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Magic and an alicorn of Equestria, peered up at the stars through a telescope, while using her magic to write coordinates on a nearby sheet of parchment. Ever since an interaction with Princess Luna about two weeks ago, she had been engrossed in the study of astronomy every night she could manage.
One night, Princess Luna had noticed a bright flash and pulse of light across the night sky. What concerned the Princess of the Night was that this was not her doing. Using her magic, she had found the source of the anomaly, which was frightening as much as fascinating.
A nearby planet's moon had apparently shattered from a colossal impact or event of some kind. Luna would have disregarded it as a natural event, except she had studied that planet before.
And she knew that it had not been that way previously. Her hunch was proven true when she had surveyed it again, and saw something that astounded her more. A battle between what looked like a fleet of space-faring vessels and another fleet of their opposition was in progress above the planet's surface.
What had amazed Luna was not only her evidence of interstellar life, but how they had developed. For if these beings had created ships capable of travelling to space, what other wonders had they developed in their time?
Luna had kept the matter quiet, only telling Twilight Sparkle while in the dreamscape one night. Luna had asked Twilight to investigate further, as Luna had more prioritized tasks to deal with at the time. Twilight had wholeheartedly agreed to help, and now this was her fourth night of stargazing in search of the beings from the battle above the planet with the shattered moon.
Twilight continued to peer at the stars through her magically-enhanced telescope, taking down coordinates of possible activity. So far, she had found nothing worth further investigation.
Then, as she sat on her cushions, tired as could be, she got an idea. Twilight had recently perfected a Beacon spell, used to send messages quickly between magic users. A recently-tested theory had also allowed her to mass broadcast the spell a long distance.
Hopefully that distance was long enough to reach whoever was out there should she combine and enhance the spells with her magic. Twilight summoned the necessary magical energy and began to prepare the spell, recording her message of welcome and friendship in her thoughts. As she cast the spell, an orb of purple light appeared in front of her, and then expanded and contracted in sync with Twilight's spoken message, before disappearing without a trace.
Twilight, exhausted from lack of sleep and the spell's effects, decided to call it a night. As she slid into bed, her last waking thought was a single question.
"What it's like out there in space?" she murmured before she fell asleep underneath the stars.
However, Twilight didn't know the answer to her question was not as complicated as she thought.
====
"I hate being out here."
Far from Equestria, in the area of space known as The Frontier, on the planet Harmony, aboard the MCS James MacAllan II, a single man lay awake, gazing out his bunk-room's viewport.
The man wore a simple shirt and pants, a far cry from his usual Pilot's gear and jumpkit. He had curly pale brown hair and a thin stubble beard, with piercing blue eyes.
This was Captain Daniel McKenna, a Pilot in the Frontier Militia's Marauder Corps, and leader of Kilo Team, an elite squad of fellow Pilots and his friends. He had seen action on Typhon and other recent Militia operations, and now he had been transferred to Harmony for some R&R.
Most Pilots would've been thrilled at the prospect of a break on the Militia's homeworld, as Harmony was filled with places to go and things to do.
Daniel, on the other hand, was not. He never liked being out of combat for too long, and seeing as his schedule had him on reserve R&R for another week…let's just say Daniel had been having a lot of sleepless nights like this one, where he spent most of the night cycle stargazing or reading instead of sleeping.
"You still awake, man?"
Daniel turned to see his fellow Pilot and teammate Sean Walker, wearing similar clothes but carrying his Pilot helmet with him, sit down on his bunk across from Daniel.
"Yeah." Daniel replied. "Couldn't sleep."
"You've been doing that a lot lately." Sean replied. "Get some sleep, man. You look like you seriously need it."
Daniel shrugged and looked at his bunk with a sigh, as he drowsily rubbed his eyes.
"Yeah, I guess so." he replied. "I just can't stand R&R. Too quiet, too peaceful...just not what I'm used to."
"I know what you mean." Sean replied. "Hey, Daniel? Do me a favor and come with me planetside tomorrow. I found a great steakhouse earlier today. it was closed then, but it should be open when we arrive."
Daniel chuckled, and then nodded.
"Fine." he said. "You paying?"
"Yeah, I've got credits to spare." Sean said, climbing into his bunk. "Get some sleep, man. Good night."
Daniel replied with the same, and climbed into his own bunk. Somehow, he fell asleep in only a few moments, as the MCS MacAllan II lay amongst the stars, quiet as could be.
Somehow, Daniel's last waking thoughts were that somehow, he might grow to enjoy R&R after all.
====
The next morning, as Daniel and Sean ate in the MacAllan II's mess hall, Daniel had to admit that he felt more energetic and active than he had been in recent days.
"Feeling better?" Sean asked.
"Yeah, much better." Daniel said, taking a bite of his plate of scrambled eggs. Though most food on Militia ships was pre-made and rather bland, most Pilots on R&R bought their own ingredients and cooked for themselves, and Daniel was no slouch when it came to cooking, due to his time in the field, and that cookbooks were freely available on the HoloNet for reading and reviewing.
"Glad to hear it." Sean replied, as he ate his own pancakes. "You know, I've been thinking...you ever know if there's someone else out there? Like, a First Contact?"
"Well, no." Daniel replied. "If they are out there, I'm surprised we haven't found them yet. You know how big the Frontier and Core systems are."
"True." Sean shrugged. "Problem is, we're too busy fighting the IMC to go alien hunting."
"It's funny you two should mention that."
At the sound of that particular voice, everyone in the Mess Hall snapped to attention as Militia Field Commander Sarah Briggs entered the room.
"As you were." she said. "Pilots McKenna, Walker, glad I found you. I need you and your team in the briefing room ASAP. We've got something that might fulfill your curiosities about the extraterrestrial."
"Yes, ma'am!" the two PIlots replied as Briggs headed out. After finishing their meals, they proceeded to the briefing room with haste.
====
As Twilight Sparkle got out of bed and headed downstairs, she jumped at the sight of Princess Luna waiting for her at her Castle's kitchen table.
"Hello, Princess Luna!" Twilight said. "What's up?"
"Not much." Luna replied. "I figured I would stop by and see how your search fares."
"Nothing yet." Twilight sighed as she sat down. "I did cast a beacon spell in the hopes something would respond, but nothing on that end either."
"I see." Luna said. "I actually am impressed you managed to cast a Beacon spell at that scale."
"I didn't know I could." Twilight admitted. "Anyway, is there anything else you needed? Can I get you breakfast?"
As Spike came in with a platter of food, they began to eat and chat, unaware they were being watched from space by a Frontier Militia Spy Satellite, which proceeded to beam its data back to Harmony.
Author's Note
I know this is like, the 5th story I've done for Titanfall 2. Please, just roll with it.
Chapter 1 - Snowbound
As Daniel McKenna and Sean Walker, following after Sarah Briggs, entered the briefing room on the MCS MacAllan II, the two Pilots were surprised to see the rest of Daniel's squad, Kilo Team, waiting for them.
"So, Commander…" Daniel asked. "What's the op?"
"You'll see in a moment, Pilot." Briggs replied. "However, I won't be briefing you today. He will."
The Pilots took one look at the aforementioned figure and spun to a sharp salute.
"Admiral Graves, sir!" Daniel spoke.
"At ease, Pilots." Fleet Admiral Marcus Graves replied, as he took the podium at the front of the room. "We've got a priority alpha objective for you today."
"Last night, at 2200 Hours, one of our Recon Satellites picked up these images and bio-scans on a planet near Typhon."
As images flickered across the holoscreen of a small village made from wood and thatch, to a magnificent city on a mountainside, to a spire-centered city surrounded by snow, like a frozen oasis.
The Pilots looked at each other in shock and awe.
"As such, we have concluded that we are no longer alone." Graves continued. "However, due to this planet's proximity to the remains of Typhon, we are taking this carefully and slowly."
"That is why I am sending the MacAllan II on a diplomatic mission to this planet, in order to establish first contact." Graves said. "We have established a preliminary landing zone at a plain south of the frozen city. Kilo Team, you have been selected to be the recon and introductory forces for the Militia. You will deploy via your Titans and move northeast to the City to establish negotiations."
"This is a dangerous if not uncertain mission, so pack extra ammunition in case things go south. However, maintain weapons low and peaceful relations at all costs"
"Am I understood?"
"Sir, yes sir!" the Pilots replied.
"One question, sir." Daniel spoke. "I'm seeing eight names on the roster here. There's seven of us here. Who's coming with us?"
"A Pilot by the name of Jack Cooper." Graves said. "He's recently been inducted into the Marauder Corps, along with his Titan, BT-7274."
"So, a rookie?" Chase Dawes asked.
"On the contrary, he's a veteran Pilot who made quite a name for himself on Typhon." Graves said. "He's the Pilot who destroyed the Fold Weapon, eliminated several Apex Predator Mercenaries, and captured the IMS Malta."
"Damn." said Romero, a Pilot Spectre. "He sounds good."
"And now he'll be a part of your team." Graves replied. "We deploy in 2 hours, Pilots. Prepare yourselves accordingly. Dismissed."
The Pilots saluted and headed for the Deployment Bay. As Daniel took point, they were soon joined by their newest member, Jack Cooper. Cooper gave a salute and approached.
"You're Kilo Team?" he asked.
"Yep. Lieutenant Jack Cooper?" Daniel asked.
"Yes, sir."
"Good to meet you. Daniel McKenna, I'm your new squad leader." Daniel replied as they shook hands. "Your Titan's good to go?"
"Yep." Cooper said as he fell in with the other Pilots. "BT's finishing the last few tests and diagnostics right now."
"Why's that? Was he damaged?" asked Helena Sieman.
"Yeah, he sacrificed himself to destabilize the Fold Weapon." Cooper said. "Somehow, his datacore remained intact. We found his chassis, what was left of it, and repaired him. Third time it's happened, actually."
"Impressive." Kelly Wright nodded. "What are the odds of that happening?"
"From what the techs told me, it was a miracle his datacore survived the blast. We did have to do a lot of repair work to it, but his main data was intact." Cooper said as they entered the deployment bay, where their Titans were waiting.
"BT, how are you doing?" Cooper called out to his Vanguard-Class, who was at rest near the drop chute.
"I am fine, Pilot Cooper." BT-7274 replied. "All systems are functional. How are you?"
"Same here." Cooper said as he mounted up. "How's the new chassis working for you?"
"The systems data transfer is complete and diagnostics show no errors." BT replied. "I have also been cleared for combat."
"Good to hear." Cooper smiled as the other Pilots mounted up while the MacAllan II entered a Faster-Than-Light jump, making everything on board shudder. "Captain, we're all set!"
"Good to hear." Daniel said as he settled into his own Vanguard-Class Titan, IN-2632. "We've got plenty of time before we reach this planet, Pilots. Let's get some rest. I have a feeling we'll need it."
====
Castle of Friendship
"So, Princess Luna?" Twilight Sparkle asked as the two alicorns cleared their breakfast dishes. "Is there any other reason you came?"
"Actually, yes." Luna said. "It appears that Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor have invited you and the Element Bearers to the Crystal Empire for a week's vacation."
"That's great! I'd love to!" Twilight smiled. "And so would my friends once I tell them!"
"Oh, I already did." Luna smirked. "They're waiting for us at the train station. It pays to think of things ahead of time, doesn't it?"
Twilight flinched, but nodded as Spike hopped onto her back, ready to go. As the three of them sealed the Castle and headed for the Train Station, they were greeted by the other Element Bearers.
"You all packed?" Twilight asked, seeing the five suitcases being loaded onto the train.
"We sure did." Applejack replied. "Princess Luna kinda startled us, though."
"I apologize for anything of the sort." Luna smiled. "Shall we be off?"
"You're coming too?" Spike asked.
"There is some Royal Business I have to attend to in the Empire." Luna replied. "Now, let's get going."
As the eight of them boarded the train and found their seats, the train lurched forward and picked up speed, heading for the Crystal Empire.
====
"Huh." Twilight murmured as she looked out the window, frowning slightly. "The wind's picking up its pace, and the snow is coming down a lot faster. I think we've got a blizzard on our hooves."
"That's certainly not good." Rarity replied. "I can't fathom having to walk outside to the Crystal Empire in that kind of storm."
"We might not have a choice in that." Luna frowned as the train came to a sudden stop and the lights flickered slightly, but stayed lit. "Looks like we're stranded for the moment."
"So, what now?" Rainbow asked. "We can't just stay here."
"Somepony will dig us out eventually." Fluttershy said. "For now, let's just wait and see."
"Yeah, Fluttershy's right. We'll be fine, we always are!" Pinkie grinned. As the ponies came together, if they had been able to look up to the sky, they would've seen a bright blue flash appear on the horizon.
Author's Note
Update!
And yes, the Eight Militia Pilots will land in the blizzard soon.
Plus, Jack Cooper's here much earlier than I planned. What could be better?
Chapter 2 - First Contact
"I don't like the looks of this."
Daniel McKenna frowned as he glanced at a weather report on his tablet while his team rested in their dorm room. A large blizzard had apppeared over the MacAllan II's landing zone, which had delayed Kilo Team's insertion by about an hour while the bridge crew worked to find an alternative LZ or Titanfall-capable area.
"We've been through worse, Daniel." said Kelly Wright. "Remember Operation Frostbite on Planet Greydown?"
"Don't remind me." Daniel replied, checking some other files to keep himself occupied. "Fighting the IMC there was bad enough, but the storm that stopped all combat ops for two days straight? That was worse."
"I'll take your word for it." Jack Cooper replied, as he was currently watching a movie on his bunk's holoscreen. "Anyway, at least we're all going to deploy now as a team."
"True." Romero replied. "It would've been just Captain McKenna, Lt. Cooper, and Staff Sergeant Walker, but due to the blizzard, we're all heading down together. What could be better?"
"Not having to drop into a fucking blizzard." Daniel replied.
"I agree, Pilot, but we're out of options." Commander Briggs said, as she entered the room. "You're dropping into a relatively mild area inside the eye of the storm, one the engineers say should be stable enough for Titanfall. We've also found a landing zone north of the storm's projected path. Get kitted and be on the deck in five minutes tops."
"Yes, ma'am!" Daniel and the team replied as they got themselves up and retrieved their weapons and helmets, before proceeding to the deployment bay. As the Militia repairmen and various MRVN units gave the Titans and their Pilots the "all-clear", Daniel took the cockpit seat of IN-2632.
"Ready to go, Indy?" he asked.
"All systems green, Pilot McKenna." IN replied. "Standby for Titanfall in five, four, three, two, one...zero."
As the eight Titans shot out of the deployment chutes and towards the surface, Daniel activated the team's trackers, which were built into their Titans' various datacores.
"Alright, listen up." Daniel said over the radio. "Keep your eyes on your minimaps and trackers once we hit the ground. I don't want any of you getting lost in that blizzard. Once we find a suitable area, we'll begin surface recon and check for any local populations. Remember, we're in First Contact protocols, so weapons safe and don't do anything to provoke anyone. Am I clear?"
"Yessir!" the other Pilots replied. As they smashed into the ground and their drop-shields dissipated, Daniel motioned the team forward and into the storm.
====
"You guys holding up?" Cooper asked as BT-7274 activated a pair of floodlights built into the top of the Vanguard-class Titan's chassis. "I can't see anything past a few feet in front of me."
"We're holding up fine." Helena Sieman replied. "Those Vanguard-class Titans get all the nice toys, though."
"Amen to that." Sean Walker replied. "I'm pretty damn tempted to use my Heat Shield just to see in front of me."
"Let's focus on the objective, Pilots." McKenna said as his own floodlights activated. "Hold up, I've got a large unknown contact up ahead, roughly 20 meters."
As the Titans spread out in a straight line, they found their contact was a steam-engine with seven cars, currently trapped in the snow.
"What's the call, sir?" Cooper asked. "We can't just leave whoever's on that train here."
"Agreed." Chase Dawes added. "I believe we've got enough power between the eight of us to move it, one Titan to a car."
"Problem is, how are we going to get it free long enough for us to move it?" Kelly asked. "There's too much snow for us to dig it out."
"Which gives me an idea." Daniel smirked. "Walker, get to the front of the train and clear us a path using whatever Thermite you can spare. The rest of us, take a car and start pushing on my mark. We follow the tracks to wherever this train was heading."
As the bulkier Ogre-model Titans took the front and back, the Stryders took the middle, and the Vanguards and Atlas Titans took the center and engine, Sean activated his Heat Shield. As the snow began to melt rapidly in front of the train while the other Titans began to push, they couldn't see a sudden surge of movement inside.
====
Ten Minutes earlier…
"It's been an hour." Twilight Sparkle frowned as she, the Elements, Spike, and Princess Luna ate a lunch provided from the train's dining car, which had more than enough food to go around. "Somepony should have come for us by now."
"Patience, Twilight." Luna said. "Though, I am beginning to be worried that we haven't gotten help by now."
Then, the engine crew came into the room, covered in snow.
"Bad news." the crew chief said gravely. "We're snowed in completely. An SOS to the Crystal Empire's already been sent out, but they won't be able to send help until the storm lifts."
"So, we're stuck?" Rainbow asked. "Like, completely stuck?"
"For the moment, miss, yes." the engineer replied. "We've doused the fire in the engine to save our load of coal and water, so we shouldn't be moving anywhere anytime soon…"
Then, there was a sudden lurch of speed as the train began to move through the snow, almost as if being pushed by an invisible hand.
"I thought you said you turned the engine off." Twilight said, astounded.
"We did." the tender replied. "And the storm hasn't lifted yet, so nopony could've reached us by now."
"Then it has to be something outside, then." Luna said. "But who or what could accomplish such a feat of strength?"
"I have a feeling we'll see soon enough." Fluttershy said as she peeked out the window, staring intently. "There's a massive shape out there...it's almost like a giant minotaur's leg. At least, that's what it looks like. I can't see very well right now because of the snow."
"Giant minoutaurs?" Rainbow sounded surprised. "There's nothing like that in Equestria, or anywhere for that matter."
"At least whatever's out there is moving us in the right direction." Pinkie chimed in. "The Crystal Empire's not far now!"
====
"Steady as she goes!" Daniel ordered as the Militia Titans continued to push the train along the tracks it rested on. "Sean, how's your Thermite reserves holding up?"
"We're good!" Sean replied as his Heat Shield continued to melt the snow in front of the train. "I'm seeing a large city with some kind of dome around it up ahead! There storm's clear over in that area!"
"Then let's double-time it there." Daniel ordered. "You holding up, Cooper?"
"Yes, sir!" Cooper replied. "BT?"
"I am fine, Pilot Cooper." BT replied. "All systems are stable."
As the Titans pushed the train past the dome and into the open air train station, the Pilots realized the dome was some sort of shield around the city.
"I wonder how whoever lives here got that shield up." Kelly wondered. "I'm not seeing a generator anywhere."
"That can wait until later, Kelly." Sasha Voryunov added. "We're clear of the storm!"
As the Titans released their grip on the train, the doors on the passenger cars opened, and seven equine beings in various pastel colors and sporting a horn, wings, neither, or a combination of the former two stepped outside and promptly froze at the sight of the Militia Titans.
"Well, I guess we've met the locals." Daniel sighed. "IN, I'm disembarking to begin First Contact. The rest of you, stay ready in case of trouble."
As Daniel exited his Titan and dropped to the ground, his Jumpkit softening the landing on the crystal surface of the train station, the equines dropped their jaws even further.
"Here goes…" Daniel sighed before speaking. "Hello, can you understand me?"
There was a gasp, and one of the equines with a horn and wings passed out cold.
Author's Note
Update!
Chapter 4 - An Origin Story, Part Two
Chapter 4 - Who We Are
"Damn. You pulled out all the stops on this one." Chase Dawes said, his being impressed clearly heard in his voice. The Castle Staff, even on such short notice, had assembled a large meal for everyone present, including the eight Militia Pilots.
"We always do for our guests." Shining replied, he and Cadance taking their steas at the head of the table. "Make yourselves comfortable."
"Thank you, sir." Daniel nodded as the Pilots and Equestrians sat down across from each other, with eight seats on each side. "Indy, how are you and the other Titans doing?"
"We are maintaining Guard Mode, Pilot McKenna." IN-2632 replied. "I have relayed your mission success and relevant intel gained from your interactions with the locals to Field Commander Sarah Briggs. She asked me to tell you "Job well done", and she is preparing to join us at our present location."
"Understood." Daniel replied. "Keep us posted, Indy. McKenna out."
As Daniel said down and removed his helmet, the other Pilots followed his actions, except for Romero, seeing as he was a Spectre and didn't need one. At this, Princess Luna began studying them intently.
Daniel McKenna and Jack Cooper had similar-shaped faces, but Cooper had a slight beard and a crew cut, where Daniel was clean-shaven and his hair was slightly longer and featured a braided area on the left side.
Sasha Voryunov had short-cut black hair with a few strands falling down her forehead, and her eyes were pale blue.
Kelly's hair was blonde, and her gray eyes supported her light frame.
Chase Dawes and Sean Walker were more bulky, with Sean's strawberry-blonde crew cut and Chase's black tail contrasting each other.
Helena was similar to Kelly, but her hair was black flecked with gray, and her eyes were a bright green.
"So, Helena…" Rarity asked. "Is your hair natural? Those flecks don't seem like mane dye to me."
"Sort of." Helena shrugged. "I've had those flecks ever since I was about seven. My folks always said it was a birthmark. Never had reason to doubt it."
"Do all humans have similar mane colors?" Rainbow asked. "It seems kind of...dull to me."
"Pretty much, and we call it hair." Daniel said. "Mostly brown, black, blonde, or shades of red. Apart from those, no other natural colors. People can dye their hair, but it's mostly a civilian thing to do so."
"I see." Twilight replied. "So, where are you all from, if you don't mind me asking? Just trying to...break the ice further. No offense."
"None taken. I was born on Planet Harmony, the Militia's homeworld." Daniel said, with Sean and Jack affirming it was their home as well.
"For me, it was Planet Gladestone." Kelly sighed. "It was a forested world, great for farming. The elite of IMC society built vacation homes there before it was taken over."
"Planet White Tide." Chase said. "Island planet, great beaches. One of the few worlds that the IMC didn't fully take over due to the high civilian presence and its status as a resort world. My family still lives there."
"Planet River's End." Helena smiled. "Mountainous and full of rivers, but lots of arable land in between. Full of mineral resources we used to sell privately before the IMC came."
"What about you, Sasha?" Fluttershy asked, seeing that the last human Pilot hadn't spoken yet. "Where are you from?"
"I'd rather not talk about it." she replied with a bitter tone that made Fluttershy give an "eep!" of concern. "In fact, I don't talk about it at all."
"Any particular reason why?" Rainbow asked. She quickly said "Sorry!" when Sasha glared at her with frustration-filled eyes.
"Sasha, stand down." Daniel said to his teammate. "They were just curious, it's nothing to get mad about."
Sasha nodded, before swiftly standing up, placing her helmet on, muttering "Excuse me, I need a moment" to Daniel before heading out of the room, without another word.
"Is she okay?" Pinkie asked.
"She gets like that anytime her home or family gets brought up, as it's a really sore subject for her." Romero said. "It's not your fault, though. She probably just needs a break. It'll be fine."
Daniel gave a nod to confirm, and the rest of the meal passed in relative silence, with only a few brief conversations in between.
====
Sasha brushed past a pair of maids and opened the doors to a balcony that overlooked the courtyard where their Titans were standing in Guard Mode. Pulling off her Pilot helmet, she collapsed against the crystal railing with a sigh.
"You okay?"
She looked up to see Twilight approach, with a look of concern.
"Just stressed." she replied. "I don't enjoy talking about my home. Sigh...too many...unpleasant memories."
"I see." Twilight replied, sitting down next to her. "Sasha, look, my friends and I are sorry for saying or doing anything that upset you. We were just curious."
"Right." Sasha replied. "Thanks for that. It's just...let's just say that when I left my family's home for good, I swore that if I ever decided to go back, the only reason would be to burn it to the ground."
Twilight was shocked at such a vow, but she composed herself.
"Whatever happened there, I'm sorry that it did." she said sincerely.
Sasha nodded and gave a small sigh.
"Thanks." she said. "Let's head back. I'm okay."
"You're sure?" Twilight asked.
"I'm sure." Sasha replied. "Let's rejoin the others. Hopefully they haven't caused too much trouble while we were out."
Sasha immediately regretted saying those words once she and Twilight returned to the dining room. Somehow, Rainbow Dash and Chase Dawes had managed to get into an arm-wrestling showdown, and Rainbow was currently losing. The other Bearers were cheering on the Element of Loyalty, the other Pilots were supporting their teammate, and the other alicorns and Shining Armor were watching it all, feeling a mix of amusement, frustration, and disbelief at the same time.
"How long has this been going on?" Twilight asked.
"A few minutes now." Luna replied. "I will give Chase credit, he's quite strong."
"Rainbow is, too." Twilight sighed. "Let's hope they don't break the table in the process."
"Well, whatever happens…" Cadance smiled. "I think this should be over soon."
"Why's that?" Sasha asked.
SLAM!
The sound of a hoof hitting the table signalled that the contest was over, and Chase had won.
"Yeah, suck it blue!" Chase laughed. "Told you guys I'd win!"
"Rematch! Now!" Rainbow protested. "You just got lucky!"
"That's enough!" Twilight interjected. "You can have a rematch on your own time. I think it's time we get back to business."
"I agree."
Everyone turned to see Field Commander Sarah Briggs leaning against the doorway, chuckling under her breath.
"Commander? How long were you there?" Chase asked.
"Long enough." Briggs replied. "You put on a good show, Pilot, but we've still got work to do."
"I take it you must be Field Commander Sarah Briggs?" Princess Luna asked.
"That would be me." she replied, taking a seat. "So, let's get to the business at hand, or at hoof in this case, shall we?"
Author's Note
This took way too long to write, but it was worth it.
Also, did you catch a Red Versus Blue reference? I put one in.
Next time - The Equestrians tour the MacAllan II and a new threat stirs...
Chapter 3 - An Origin Story, Part One
Chapter 3 - The Frontier's Fight
Daniel flinched slightly as the locals gathered around their unconscious friend, murmuring in faint English under their breath.
"Is Twilight okay?" the yellow one with wings asked timidly.
"She'll be fine, but it's cold out here." the other one with a horn and wings said. "Alright, I'll speak with our new arrivals. Can you help Twilight somewhere more restful?"
As the five others moved the unconscious "Twilight" into the station proper, the equine approached Daniel with a raised eyebrow.
"So, can you understand me?" he asked. "I heard you all speaking English."
"Yes. To us, it is Equestrian, but I am relieved that we can speak and understand each other." she said. "I am Princess Luna, an alicorn, a Ruler of Equestria and Mistress of the Night."
"Well met." Daniel said. "I'm Captain Daniel McKennna, a Pilot in the Marauder Corps, SRS, Frontier Militia Fleet. My species is Human, or Homo Sapiens if you would prefer our scientific name."
Luna's eyes widened significantly at the mention of "human".
"Truly?" she asked. "Are you playing a trick on me?"
"Not one that I'd do intentionally." Daniel replied. "Is something wrong?"
"Something is not wrong, just quite surprising." Luna said. "For quite some time, even our most learned historians would cast your kind as mere myth. At least, until now."
"Really?" Daniel asked, quite surprised at this revelation. "We've existed for many thousands of years as a whole species, but we can get to that later. You must have questions, right?"
"I certainly do." Luna said. "If you and those giants would follow me, I will show you to somewhere far more proper for negotiations."
"Copy." Daniel said. "And for the record, those Titans are operated by my teammates."
"Titan?" Luna asked. "Is that your name for them?"
"It's our name for what they are, and there are multiple types." Sean Walker said as he opened the cockpit hatch of GT-5590. "This here is my Scorch-class Titan, GT-5590. Why don't you say hello?"
"Greetings." GT spoke in a rich, broad voice. "As my Pilot previously stated, I am a Militia Scorch-Class Titan, desingation is Golf-Tango Five-Five-Nine-Zero. I am linked to Pilot Sean Walker, and I prefer to be known as GT."
Luna was simply floored as she attempted to compose herself from the Titan speaking to her. After a few minutes, she cleared her throat.
"Well, it is nice to meet you, GT." she replied. "Do follow me to the Crystal Palace, I'll lead the way."
====
As the Titans and their Pilots followed the seven ponies to a massive palace near the center of the city, Daniel noticed a gleaming blue and silver, heart-shaped gem at the center of a spire.
"What is that?" he asked the air.
"Unknown." IN replied. "My scanning has found that this gemstone has a similar energy signature to the IMC Fold Weapon's Ark power source found on Planet Typhon during Operation Broadsword. I will continue analysis."
"How similar are we talking here?" Daniel asked his Titan.
"The signatures have a similar particle field and molecular structure, but their similarities end there. Their energy fields are approximately 32 Percent alike in all other factors."
"Copy that." Daniel said as Princess Luna spoke to another alicorn with a pink, purple, and goldd color scheme, alongside a unicorn with a white coat and blue mane wearing greek-style crystallline armor, along with a sword and shield. They went back and forth for a few moments, before Luna approached the Miltia Pilots again.
"Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor welcome you to the Crystal Empire, though they do ask that you leave your Titans here as to not scare the populace. Is that agreeable to you?" Luna said.
"We understand." Daniel replied. "Kilo Team, we're going to boots on the ground. All Titans, initate guard mode for now."
"Understood." IN spoke as the eight Pilots disembarked and stowed their weapons of choice on their back or shoulders. As Daniel motioned to his team, they followed the ponies into the palace while their Titans remained at the side gardens near the entrance.
====
"So, you seem to be soldiers, at least to me." Shining Armor said as they all sat down in a conference room overlooking a large balcony."Am I correct?"
"Sort of." Sasha Voryunov said. "We're an elite breed of soldier known as a Pilot."
"And how do you differ from a standard infantry unit?" Shining asked.
"Daniel?" Sasha said simply. Daniel nodded and smirked under his helmet.
"Of all the things you can find on the battlefields of the Frontier...the Pilot is the true dominant force." Daniel said with pride. "We are fast and agile, Graceful, yet devastating. Perceptive, resourceful, and relentless."
"We see the world differently in the heat of battle." Cooper continued. "Sheer walls become flanking routes. We are masters of deception and manuever, even impossible odds shift in our favor. But what truly separates us from the Grunts and machines of the battlefield is the bond between a Pilot...and a Titan. When linked to a Titan, a Pilot can only be stopped by overwhelming force….or an equal."
"When we enter the chaos of battle, a Pilot takes risks that no one else would dare to. A Pilot never backs down, never surrenders, and fights until the battle is won." Daniel finished. "That's what makes a Pilot...a Pilot."
Shining, suffice to say, was impressed not only by the speech, but by the conviction in the words spoken.
"Alright then." he said. "Why did you come to Equestria? And why are you Pilots in the first place"
"That's a long story." Daniel said. "But I suppose you should hear it. There's a lot to understand."
Daniel exhaled in preparation, then he spoke.
"Humanity comes from the Sol System of the Milky Way Galaxy, now at the pinnacle of the habitable cluster planets known as the Core Systems. After the development of the Space-Time Fold, allowing us to travel faster than light, we began sending these massive colony ships to a newly discovered area of space called the Frontier."
"These ships and everything needed to launch and sustain them were sponsored and paid for by the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation, or IMC. They were once a massive conglomerate of different industries and enterprises under one flag. Once the Colony ships found a habitable world, they would settle their human passengers there."
"Soon, the Frontier and the people living there had devloped a culture and identity of their own, with little feeling any sort of connection to the Core Systems. We lived on our own with no interference from Earth or the Core for generations and prospered because of it."
"Then, it all came to an end." Daniel sighed. "When the natural resources of the Core Systems were nearly depleted, the IMC saw an easy way to regain those resources needed to keep the Core worlds going through the Frontier. Using the fact that they had sponsored the colonization efforts, and a legal statute of eminent domain, the IMC formed a small military force and began taking over sovereign Frontier planets, one by one. They would force the populace into standing by while the IMC would plunder the helpless planet of any resource they could find. And once they had what they needed, they would move on to the next one."
"That's barbaric!" Luna interjected. "Shouldn't the humans on these planets have fought back or spoken out against these injustices?"
"Some did, and they were either silenced by the IMC or imprisoned without a fair trial." Daniel said. "Soon, several underground cells of Frontier citizens who believed in independence from the Core, formed the Frontier Militia to fight back with military action. It was a ragtag effort, but soon we had a large fleet amassed, mostly civilian and cargo ships modifed for battle. We saw this as a sign of solidarity against the rampant IMC."
"What did the IMC think?" Cadance asked.
"They saw it as the movement of terrorists and an act of war against the Core and the IMC." Daniel continued. "Soon, they railroaded the Core Planet governments into giving the IMC complete access to the Core's military. And seeing as they possessed nearly every other advantage over us, they soon had multiple fleets coming into the Frontier, loaded with soldiers and weapons, almost daily."
"The Militia knew we couldn't fight them head on. A Militia leader named Sarah Briggs send a broadcast pleading for the people of the Frontier to join them, and we got about five brigade's worth of seasoned soldiers and recruits to be trained. Among them were seven former IMC Pilots, who began the first Militia Pilot Training Initiative."
"The Militia fleet by this time was low on fuel, so we landed at a refinery to steal what we could." Daniel added. "The Refueling Raid would be the first battle of the Frontier War. Even though the IMC had advantages, such as a massive fleet of warships, countless troops, and nearly all the veteran Pilots, we had our strengths."
"First, many of these IMC Grunts and mechanical soldiers were part-time, and nearly all them hadn't seen battle before. The IMC fleet was also in a tangle trying to keep organized against us, despite the actions oft their leaders, Kuben Blisk and Marcus Graves. And on top of that, we had the element of surprise when we attacked. Our initial forces managed to secure a solid defensive position and we fought the IMC to a draw."
"Problem was, we were a mess too." Kelly Wright said. "We had multiple field commanders, with experience, but we needed someone who could keep us together and win us battles."
"We found that leader in an ex-IMC officer on the colony planet Troy. His name was James MacAllan." Sean said. "MacAllan was once a rising star in the IMC alongside Graves, but a series of events led MacAllan and his ship, the Odyssey, to desert the IMC and settle on Troy. Soon after, IMC forces searching for the Militia stumbled on his colony and attacked it."
"We then showed up to investigate MacAllan's distress signal." Helena Sieman continued. "Though we failed to stop the IMC attack, we did manage to save a good amount of MacAllan's colonists in a later battle. After that, MacAllan assumed command of the Militia Fleet and outlined our plan of attack, to take the fight to the IMC."
"How?" Pinkie asked. "That sounds impossible!"
"To MacAllan, it wasn't." Cooper said. "He knew that Demeter was the key."
"Demeter?" Fluttershy asked.
"Planet Demeter was home to the largest IMC refueling facility in the Frontier, not to mention the only way that IMC human forces could reach the Frontier. If we shut Demeter down, we could trap the IMC in now-hostile territory, and they would have to take years in order to send reinforcements there."
"MacAllan got to work prettty quickly, turning the Militia Grunts from guerrila fighters to actual soldiers. Plus, the seven IMC defector Pilots sent out their first batch of fully trained Militia Pilots, and they were ready and roaring for battle."
"Soon after, MacAllan brought the Fleet to Angel City in order to recruit his former Wingman, Barker." Sasha said. "Barker was a master aircraft pilot, not a Pilot like us, but he was quite drunk at the time. During our engagement to keep the IMC distracted, an IMC Battle Carrier called the Sentinel dropped into the fight."
"MacAllan knew we couldn't stop the Sentinel head-on, so he used our Hornet fighter craft to dama it and force it away for repairs at a nearby base, which also housed a particle cannon that we could use." Daniel said. "MacAllan recruited Barker, and we sent a decoy ship to distract the IMC while we deployed to seize the cannon."
"Did it work?" Rainbow asked. "Tell me it worked!'
"Oh, It worked." Romero said. "We took control of the Cannon and blew the Sentinel to bits. Then, we evacuated while we could. The IMC technically won that battle, but it was a pyhrric victory."
"After that, we headed to the Boneyard, an abandoned IMC base where Barker and MacAllan were once staffed. We stole technical data for the IMC repulsor towers used at the airbase that protected Demeter. The IMC couldn't stop us in time, and we soon attacked the airbase using our new "Icepick" system virus." Daniel said. "We destroyed the towers by remote controlling their fighters, and we would be at Demeter within the hour."
"The day of reckoning." Cooper said. "We amassed a fleet nearly twice as big as what we started with, and attacked Demeter while the IMC fleet moved to defend. Our plan was to overload the facility's reactor, but it didn't work out that way."
"How so?" Twilight asked.
"The IMC managed to stop a remote detonation." Cooper continued. "MacAllan also knew that a manual overload would do the trick even if the IMC shut down the entire reactor, but there wasn't a Titan in existence that could protect him from the radiation and the resulting blast."
"MacAllan made a heartfelt plea to his old friend Marcus Graves to desert the IMC and take command of the Militia, that they would need someone after he was gone." Daniel said. "MacAllan then ordered the Militia fleet to leave our ground troops behind. There wasn't time to evacuate them."
"MacAllan's last words were how it was an honor serving with us before the reactor detonated." Cooper said. "The blast levelled the facility and both the IMC and Militia ground forces there. Both fleets retreated, but we had won."
"Soon after, a mass defection of IMC ships and personnel to the Militia, led by Marcus Graves, more than made up for the soldiers and Pilots we lost." Romero said. "Graves did what MacAllan had pleaded for him to do, and he became our new Fleet Admiral while Sarah Briggs took the title of Field Commander."
"Now, the IMC were on the defensive as more and more of their garrisons fell to the Militia, their cries for reinforcements unheard by the Core. We began to win more and more battles." Daniel said. "At least, that was the case until Operation Broadsword."
"We sent the Seventh Militia Fleet alongside support to attack a planet housing an IMC research base." Cooper said. "I was a rifleman aboard one of those ships, the MCS James MacAllan. I was also training to be a Pilot under Captain Tai Lastimosa."
"The IMC ambushed us with anti-orbital defenses and fighter attacks." Cooper said. "Soon, all our ships had crashed and we were on our own. Lastimosa was later mortally wounded, and he promoted me to Acting Pilot before he died. I took his, now my Titan, BT-7274, and we began our journey together. Turns out the IMC on Typhon were building something."
"What was it?" Rarity asked.
"A Fold Weapon capable of destroying planets." Cooper said. "Though we killed several of the Apex Predator mercs the IMC hired to protect it along the journey, BT sacrificed himself to destroy the Weapon's core. I thought he was dead, but he managed to survive the blast. We recovered and transferred his Data to a new Titan. BT didn't come out unscathed, though. His memories of Typhon are a bit fuzzy, but he's still the same Titan I was given."
"That was a month ago." Daniel said. "Now, we're hunting the IMC Remnant Fleet, and that was what led us here. A Militia Spy Satellite recorded activity on this planet, so we came to investigate."
"That was quite an epic tale." Luna said. "One that I would love to read about in a book sometime. Anyway, are you in need of some refreshment? You must be hungry."
"Matter of fact,I am." Daniel said. "Let's get some lunch."
As the group headed to the dining room, Daniel breathed a sigh before moving to catch up with the others.
Author's Note
Update!
