03 May 1011, Thursday; St. Petershoof, Stalliongrad
The sun had set 5 hours ago, but St. Petershoof was as active as usual since the beginning of the war. Factories were working to their maximum capacity even that time of the day to produce guns, tanks, trucks and other goods for the frontlines.
In a different side of the city, it wasn’t that active. The area was mostly filled with residential buildings, mostly 5-10 floor apartments that were built after Stalliongrad’s independence. Many were either already sleeping or working in the factories at other side of the city.
But there were still some movement in that are too. In one of those buildings, a dim light still came out. Two stallions inside were still awake, waiting. The room was a normal room, nothing special would stand out if looked at sometime else. But now there was maps on the tables set up, along with some other documents lying around.
One of those stallions in the room were Mustapha bin Yakub, a light brown arabian unicorn who works for Lajnat 'Amn Aldawla, the intelligence agency of Arabian Socialist Republic. He had been in Stalliongrad since 1004 and after the revolution in Arabia, he started working for L’AD in Stalliongrad.
Other one was Nestor Lunin, a blue earth pony who is the head of Stalliongrad’s intelligence agency Naródnyiy Komissariát Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti, shortly known as NKGB.
Mustapha has looked at the clock on the wall once again, for how many times he didn’t count but it was a lot. He turned to Lunin and asked:
“Are they gonna come or not, they are already 30 minutes late.”
“There is no reason they would not come without notifying us beforehand. We are gonna be here today anyway, if they don’t come we just tidy the place up and go to bed.”
“How much more are...”
Mustapha’s words were cut with a knock on the door. “Finally”, he said and went to check the door. He opened the door and it was really the the ones who they were waiting for.
3 creatures were at the door, a unicorn stallion, an earth pony mare and a changeling.
The stallion was Prince Blueblood. After switching between being just your average noble, to being a diplomat and later the Chief of Army. He has been in the intelligence business since early 1008.
The mare was Sweetie Drops or better known as Bon Bon. A very successful spy within the Equestrian intelligence agency, SMILE. She had been to many operations in the past and while the wartime operations were a bit different, it was nothing she couldn’t handle.
And the Changeling, Thorax. As the old leader of the Harmonic Rebellion in the Changeling Lands, he has been in Equestria with his brother and some other supporters since the end of the Civil War. Although Equestria sheltering him caused a small diplomatic crisis after the civil war, Princesses and Prince Blueblood managed to keep them without further escalating the issue. Him and his brother Pharynx had been working with SMILE since they came to Equestria.
Mustapha looked at them angrily:
“What took you so long? We had an agreed time for the meetup.”
Prince Blueblood answered:
“Tell that to your border guards, it took us too long to enter the country.”
Lunin had came to the door too:
“The border controls had been heavily increased to counter possible Changeling spies. We would expect you to know that and schedule accordingly.”
“Anyway, let’s not wait at the door, let us in.”
Mustapha stepped away from the door and they all went into the living room where all the necessary maps and documents were laid. Blueblood also brought some documents from SMILE. Blueblood started:
“I would ask for a cup of tea before we start, we came from a long way, but we are already late so i’ll go straight to the topic. We are all aware that the Changeling advance is finally slowing down.”
“Correct.”, Lunin replied. Continued while pointing the relevant positions on the map. “The Changelings could only advance around 15 kilometers in central Equestria and a way less 4 kilometers in Crystal Empire in the past 2 months. We are expecting them to completely run out of steam no later than November.”
“Matches with our intel on their situation. We are here to do what we can to take that date back even further.”
Mustapha entered the discussion.
“Unfortunately my trip back to Arabia wasn’t much productive. L’AD isn’t able to divert more resources to the conflict. If i could get them to agree, there would probably someone higher than me here tonight.”
“We gotta work with what we have then.”, Thorax responded. “Pharynx is working with the resistance in Vanhoover to hinder the Changeling supply lines. They use city’s ports to move supplies from Hjortland to the frontlines.”
“I was in Acornage until the past week.”, Mustapha continued. “Resistance there also does raids to the railway to steal supplies from the Changelings. We have been keeping the railway active though, as the resistance requires these supplies.”
“We are on a common point then.” Blueblood added. “Resistance needs those supplies. We can’t provide them with much in other ways. We are barely arming the army.”
“So. We are not here to confirm that we are all doing okay. What is that thing you wanted to show?” Lunin asked.
Bon Bon opened the bag they brought with them. There were documents in them including some blueprints and some photos. She put them on the table. The photos and blueprints were showing a railway gun, bigger than any that were made before.
“I was in Versalipolis last week. We actually had access to these plans of theirs for months now. But we still let them complete the gun.”
Lunin and Mustapha started investigating the pictures and blueprints. Mustapha asked:
“This looks like something that can create a serious dent in the frontline if it were to let fired. Why would you let them complete it?”
“Well...”, Blueblood answered. “We’ll try to capture it before it can fire. Or destroy it at the worst case. Would be wasted industrial potential for the Changelings.”
“Do we know when and from which route they are gonna move the gun?”, asked Mustapha.
"Unless they change the plans at last second, it should be going through Acornage. That's why we want your cooperation in the operation. You are more familiar with the resistance forces in the area." Blueblood answered while showing the railway on the map.
"Are you certain? Why would they use a railway that already got raided 5 times in the past season for something this important." Mustapha responded.
"I have checked several times to ensure the validity of the intel. We are sure." said Bon Bon.
"Doesn't feel right to me either." said Lunin. "I don't think you would give us fake intel intentionally of course. But i still doubt correctness of this intel. Changelings are not stupid."
"Of course they are not stupid." Thorax responded. "The train will be well guarded."
"How are we expecting to capture a well guarded train?" Mustapha asked.
Blueblood answered while pointing at the map: "They won’t be able to guard the train well passing through the forest. Though we must also be careful there as it would be easy for us to get flanked too."
”Sounds like a plan to me." Lunin said. "Although Mustapha would be the one to say the last word. He knows the resistance forces in Acornage well.”
”I still have doubts of this working out." Mustapha said and continued: "But doesn’t seem like we have much other change. This weapon must not reach the frontlines. Also if i were you we would handle this before it was complete.”
”Celestia’s orders." Prince Blueblood answered. "I wouldn’t let them finish it either.”
”So, when are we going?” asked Thorax.
”I was planning to go back to there tomorrow anyway." Mustapha explained. "We left a changeling collaborator behind disguised as me. Not everypony knows that i’m not actually there.”
”The train that will carry the gun will leave Versalipolis at midnight, in 3 days." Bonbon said while showing the city on the map. "We won’t have much time to plan the attack in detail there.”
”I don’t know about you, but i’m pretty tired.” Blueblood added. Mustapha answered with:
”We’ll go there by plane, should have enough time to rest on board. No need to waste time here.”
”Well, i’m not coming anyway." Blueblood continued. "Bon Bon and Thorax will be coming with you.”
”Sounds good to me.” said Thorax.
Bon Bon shook her head in agreement. Lunin continued while holding hoofs with Prince Blueblood:
“If there is nothing else left that you are gonna tell, i’ll go find a plane for you.”
They shook hooves and Lunin moved towards the door. After opening the door he looked back and said:
“You clean the mess in the room meanwhile. Be ready when i’m back.”
Mustapha looked at the documents on the table. He tried to take one of the blueprints for the railway gun with magic but Bon Bon caught it midair.
“We keep those.”
Mustapha let the paper go and they continued to clear rest of the documents and maps without talking.
04 May 1011, Friday; Acornage, Equestria
The plane was coming closer to the city. The crew had set up their parachutes and were about to drop from the plane. But suddenly some anti-air shots were being fired from the ground. Mustapha shouted:
"What is going on!"
The pilot answered while clicking the button to open the door.
"We are under attack."
Mustapha jumped off the plane as soon as the door opened, and Thorax quickly followed. One of the AA rounds hit the right wing of the plane before Bon Bon could follow.
"Looks like we are going too.", the co-pilot exclaimed and they put on parachutes too before the plane’s altitude goes down too much for them to jump. Bon Bon had already jumped off and the pilots left the plane simultaneously too.
The crew had already opened their parachutes. They were still being fired at even though the firers should be able to see that they weren’t changelings. Mustapha squirted his eyes to see the anti-air emplacement better while trying to use shield magic to prevent them from getting shot.
"These are Changelings, but why did they attack a Changeling plane with no warning?"
"What do we do now?" Thorax asked.
"Let’s get to the ground alive first."
They have managed to get closer to the ground safely in the anti-air and machine gun fire over them. Most missed them and some blocked my Mustapha’s shield. Suddenly an explosion came from the location of the anti-air gun. Shortly followed by another explosion from the plane crashing further away. The crew looked around to hide somewhere after they landed but the look was cut with a changeling being thrown out of the 3rd floor of the building that the anti-air gun was on the roof of. Following the changeling a pegasus flew out of the window and flew towards the crew.
The white pegasus mare was Polar Wing. She was a PE teacher in Acornage High School before the war and has been a prominent member of the resistance there.
She quickly flew towards Mustapha. Mustapha asked:
"You alone?"
"Yes, we need to get out of here before they send reinforcements." Polar Wing said while pointing towards where they should go.
"What about the pilots? I saw they jumped after us." Mustapha asked.
"We don’t have time!" exclaimed Polar Wing.
"We cannot leave them behind!" Mustapha shouted.
"Fine." Polar Wing said. "But we need to be quick."
Mustapha took out his pistol and they started to run towards where the pilots landed. When they reached there they saw the pilot were lying on the ground. He got shot with a machine gun round in his right hoof. The co-pilot answered:
"Comrade Mustapha, Comrade Dmitry is shot. I cut my sleeve to apply pressure on the injury but this won’t hold long."
"We cannot stay here long. Can you walk?" Polar Wing asked.
"I can… try…" Dmitry answered with pain visible from his face.
Dmitry slowly leaned forward to get up. He got up without putting his injured hoof down but was struggling to move forward. The co-pilot quickly moved under him to support.
"I think we can move like this." said the co-pilot.
"But it’ll be slow, be on guard." Mustapha added. "Changelings can be there in any second."
"Follow me, as fast as you can." said Polar Wing and started to move.
The crew moved several blocks, when got near a turn Polar Wing noticed 2 Changeling Armored Cars coming towards them. She quickly moved back and signalleds others to be silent. Mustapha asked what to do in body language then Thorax cut between them saying "I can distract them." with a low voice. He shapeshifted to an ordinary looking changeling and continued towards the patrol.
He came back 2 minutes later, after sending the patrol to turn left to where they came from. After signalling the others that path was clear, they continued to eventually reach an old bar. After looking around to be sure that they weren’t being followed the crew entered the alley next to the bar. Next to the building, there was a trash container. Polar Wing pushed the container aside, revealing a hatch below it. She opened the hatch which opens to a staircase going below the bar. Mustapha entered the staircase first, then the rest followed with Polar Wing entering the last. After she closed the hatch door behind the trash container rolled back over the hatch due to the small slope on the ground, getting back to its previous position.
They continued inside to the place that was used as a storage room for the bar. There were old cider barrels lying around, now they are mostly empty either consumed by now or had to be disposed to use the barrels for other purposes. There were several ponies of different kinds inside the room. Here a white unicorn greeted them.
The unicorn mare was Ruby Heart, as an old nurse from the Acornage Hospital, she has been ensuring the health of the resistance members in these times. Afterall, the ponypower was one of the big issues of the resistance, so every life must stay on this fight as long as they could.
"I see we have guests… and patients. Lemme grab my stuff."
Mustapha looked around the room. Everyone was busy with their own thing.
"Hey, guys! How it is going?" shouted Mustapha.
There was no response from the room. Mustapha looked at Polar Wing.
"I guess our telegraph did not reach Stalliongrad. Why are you early then?" asked Polar Wing.
"Wait, you weren’t aware that i was coming back early. We sent..."
Mustapha’s words were cut by the door at the other side of the room opening. There was an middle aged brown earth pony coming towards them angrily.
That earth pony stallion was Fast Smoke, a railroad engineer who operated the trains that are now used to carry Changeling equipment to the frontlines. He has been really helpful in resistance’s attacks on the railway and capturing the supplies from them.
"Oh, Mr. Noodle Leg is back." shouted Fast Smoke.
Mustapha said "What?", trying to understand Fast Smoke's behaviour.
"Smoke, calm down!" said Polar Wing and entered between them. "He doesn’t even know..."
"That’s not an excuse!" Fast Smoke continued shouting and tried to get past Polar Wing.
"Can somepony explain me what happened when i was away?" Mustapha shouted in an even hihger voice.
"Can we sit down and talk properly?" Polar Wing asked. "You are gonna get sound out if you continue to scream like that."
"Ok, ok!" Fast Smoke exclaimed while trying to hold himself. "Let’s see what does this bug lover has to say this time, because last time it didn’t go well."
"I..." Mustapha wanted to answer but decided to not hold it longer.
The crew sit around a round table nearby and Polar Wing continued:
"So, you said you didn’t get the telegraph?"
"No, and it seems like you didn’t get ours either." answered Mustapha.
"We have been cut from the telegraph line for the past 2 days." added Polar Wing.
"That explains why Changelings were ready to shoot us down." Mustapha continued.
"I run out as soon as i heard the AA gun noises." said Polar Wing and asked: "If you didn’t get the telegraph, why are did you come early?"
"Long story, that i need to explain shortly but i would like to know what is the issue that makes Fast Smoke so furious." Mustapha responded.
"The main base under the High School got raided by the Changelings." Polar Wing sadly explained.
"Thanks to the stupid bug you brought." Fast Smoke entered, still breathing heavily to contain his anger.
"Smoke, we still don’t know..." Polar Wing tried to talk but Fast Smoke cut her:
"We don’t know, what!? How else could they learn our position."
"What happened to the Changeling?" Mustapha asked.
"He was the first one to get killed, but he was shapeshifted as you at that time." Polar Wing answered. "We were both there, it is likely that the raiders didn’t even knew about him."
"It is not unheard of for Changelings to kill each other to gain advantage." Fast Smoke responded incresing his voice a bit.
"What is our total casualties?" Mustapha asked.
"6 including the changeling, but we lost all the equipment we had under the school." Polar Wing answered.
"I hope you won’t cause something similar again Mustapha, or i’ll handle you personally." Fast Smoke continued in a threatening voice.
"I can understand your concerns, VOPS has agents everywhere." Thorax tried to enter the discussion. "But we are here to help."
"I guess you should introduce your new friends, Mustapha don’t you?", Polar Wing asked.
"I think they can introduce themselves better." Mustapha said and turned to others.
Thorax and Bon Bon shortly looked each other and said "Agent , S.M.I.L.E.". Thorax continued:
"We didn’t bring any identifications on us of course, so you gotta just believe us."
"Ah, awesome. More spy stuff. Can you not keep us out of this shit."
"Wait, Thorax… like the Thorax we know? The Harmonic Changeling leader."
"Yes.", Thorax answered shortly.
"Are you working with S.M.I.L.E. now Mustapha? Are L’AR and NKGB not paying enough?" Polar Wing asked while gigling.
"No, the co-operation between Stalliongrad and Equestria in this war extends to intelligence too." Mustapha stopped a bit then added: "Well maybe you are right that L'AR isn't paying enough, my trip back to Arabia was a total waste and it seems like it would indeed be better if i just stayed here."
"Nah, you might've got killed if you were here." Polar Wing said, putting pack a serious face.
"Anyway, i’m not interested in hearing these stuff." said Fast Smoke.
Fast Smoke tried to get up his chair, but Mustapha prevented him from doing so with magic and continued:
"You aren’t going anywhere, we need you in this one. We’ll raid the railway again. You like these stuff."
"Ok, i’m listening." Fast Smoke answered, looked interested in what Mustapha had to say.
"Bon Bon!" Mustapha exclaimed to signal her to start to explain the stuff.
"There is gonna be another train bringing stuff to the frontlines, it should be passing near here in 5 A.M. in two days."
"We intercept Changeling supplies often, does this one carry something special that needs to be intercepted." Fast Smoke responded.
"Yes, this one is not a supply train. It is carrying a railway gun." Bon Bon continued.
"Sounds straightforward." said Fast Smoke.
"It’ll be guarded way better than usual supply trains." Thorax added. "This is probably their last chance to break the stalemate."
"The frontline hasn’t changed for a while now, right?" Polar Wing asked.
"No, it is pretty much the same since last we talked about it." answered Mustapha.
"Changelings breaking the current stalemate could be the doom of Equestria. We cannot let it pass. I’m in." Fast Smoke said and turned to Mustapha: "But do not think that i forgive you horse. One more wrong move and you are dead."
"Let’s get inside, get some maps and do a proper plan." Polar Wing said. "Get others to join so we won’t need to repeat stuff."
They got off the table and Fast Smoke signalled the others in the room to follow him to the other room. Mustapha went near Ruby Heart and asked:
"How is he?"
"I took out the bullet and applied a healing spell." Ruby Heart answered. "But he needs to rest still."
"They should stay here while we are out." Mustapha continued.
"What is going on?" Ruby Hearth asked.
"We’ll explain everything, let’s go." answered Mustapha.
They all went into the other room on the hideout. That room was filled with tables, arranged like a classroom. There were maps of the city itself, its surrounding areas and the railway on the walls...
