Equestria Blitz!

A hot wind blew through the Badlands, howling against the hot terrain, the sands acting like tiny razor blades that rend anything unlucky enough to be caught in such a storm. In this sector of the Badlands, these storms were very common, making it almost impossible to deploy infantry that didn't have the protection of power armor. That being said, no infantry were deployed in this sector, or at least not at this moment.

Lyra Heartstrings shifted her body a bit, getting cramped inside her Jager, one of the most well known Heavy Gears of the Allied Southern Territories. She had studied her machine, knowing it's odds and ends, and knowing it's history of being a copy of the North's Hunter Gear. The two Gears were very similar, and both being the basic unit in the category. If you piloted a Jager, you knew it was the pride and joy of the South. Though she just assumed they told the pilots that to make them feel better for having to pilot them.

In the machine's hands, Lyra inspected her light autocannon, making sure it was still in her metal grasp. Confirming that she had not dropped it while her mind went into space, she returned to letting her mind drift. Here in this, what would perhaps become her coffin, was also her most peaceful place of all. Something about controlling a huge metal biped from within it's chest felt way more secure than say...Sitting on her bunk at the base. Nobody could bother her too much when she piloted her Jager.

"General Purpose Cadre Sigma, report." Said a male voice over the radio, the owner of that voice being Captain Sentry.

"Ron Burton, clear." Informed the cadre leader, Ron Burton.

"Linda Bates, clear." Informed the cadre's light bazooka wielding mad woman, Linda Bates.

"Star Caster, clear." Informed the cadre's spiritual mascot, Star Caster.

"Lyra Heartstrings, clear." The mare informed over the radio.

"General Purpose Cadre Sigma, continue keeping watch as scheduled." Said Captain Sentry. "Which appears to be..All day. Have a good shift."

Lyra sighed for a moment, somewhat wishing she had trained to be an MP or something. She hated just standing guard out here where there is nothing but sand, dust, the driest dirt you'll ever see, and some rocks that vary in sizes from tiny little pebbles to massive boulders. Worst part was accidentally treading on a patch of shifting sand, and the terrain was too rough to use any sort of wheeled or tread mobility.

She turned her Jager's head, looking around as the dust storm continues to block her vision. Occasionally she'd move her legs, not wanting her feet to get buried. She felt comforted knowing that her fellow pilots were nearby, her sensors not failing so far. She could barely make out the shadow of the Command Jager in which Ron Burton was seated in. She wondered how he could just stand there, never seeing his Gear move an inch.

"This storm sure is something." She commented, still looking at the motionless Jager's silhouette through the dust.

The shadow of the Command Jager shifted a bit, it's green eye piercing through the dusty haze, looking at Lyra directly. "Sure is."

"Sensors picking up movement." Came the voice of Linda Bates. "I copy, my sensors are picking up movement."

The shadow of Ron Burton's shadow reflexively pointed into the general direction of Linda Bates' position. "Direction and distance, Linda!" Shouted Ron Burton through the comms as he readied his medium autocannon. "Huh!?"

Lyra jumped a bit as the motion detection system pinged. "I'm picking up moveme-hagh!"

Lyra's Jager fell backward into the sand below, a worm like beast springing up from the ground before diving back into the sand. Picking herself up, she noticed the shadows similar beings leaping like dolphins in order to navigate the scattered rockiness of the terrain. A herd of these things were stampeding southeast, surely not going to bother the base that was situated from the cadre's current northeast.

"Everyone stand down, they're obviously not a threat..." Said Ron Burton before hesitating. "Base, this is Sigma Commander, we have a heard of dune worms passing us. I suspect something is causing them to retreat toward us."

"Base here, sending a drone your way." Said a nasally voice over the radio. "Going to forward this concern to the nearest cadre. Please continue to report any oddities you see."

"Roger." Confirmed Ron Burton. "Everyone stand ready, I've seen situations start like this before."

Lyra snapped out of her stupor and readied her light autocannon toward the northwest. She couldn't make out anything in the dust blizzard, only being able to see so far until it became an incomprehensible haze of sand. She began to break a sweat as she stood there, her fingers trembling as the herd of sand worms diminished. For what felt like minutes, it seemed the storm began to calm down, a sinking feeling overcoming her form. Though it seemed like a speck, she could make out a distinct glowing blue eye.

"Contact!" Announced Lyra, firing off a few rounds at the eye's direction. "Three hundred and thirty one degrees northwest!"

Suddenly the eye moved, the shape of the Gear's body becoming more visible as it changes position. It began to return fire with it's own volley of rounds. Lyra Heartstrings and Ron Burton took to the nearest hill they could find, laying down suppressing fire at the enemy Gear. Star Caster's gun was not heard from, his blip on the radar moving to what looked like low cover. Linda's blip was rapidly moving to what Lyra recognized as a rocky hill.

"Damn!" Sputtered Star Caster. "I think I've spotted two more!"

"Can confirm!" Linda announced. "They appear to be Ferrets!"

"Star Caster, open fire on them." Commanded Ron Burton. "Linda, line up a shot and try to waste em' with your bazooka! Lyra, see that rock over there?"

Lyra looked to where the Commander pointed, and spotted a rock big enough to cover three of her. "Yes sir!"

"I'm going to advance to that position. Use your missile pod to cover me." He commanded. "..Now!"

As the Commander advanced, Lyra did as told. Standing up a bit, she continued to focus controlled bursts at the now two specks in front of her. With the press of a button, she began to launch multiple missiles toward the contacts. One of them jumped away instantly as soon as the missiles' streams of fire became visible, the other stood there almost motionless. Right as the missiles erupted, Lyra for a split second saw the evaded contact attempt to rescue it's ally. At least, that's what Lyra interpreted it as. The explosions kicked up tall clouds of dust and sand, obscuring the spot.

"Good, now go to Star Caster's position!" Said the approving voice of Ron Burton.

Lyra nodded, going as fast as her Jager could take her. With a loud PLING, her light autocannon was shot from her grasp, hurtling to her right. Looking to her left, she could make out one of the enemy Ferrets, which then erupted as a rocket struck it directly in center mass. As she got to Star Caster's cover, she could hear Linda let out a cheer. Positioning to Star Caster's left, she could see that he had been squeezing out pot shots at anything he saw move.

"Took care of one of the Ferrets, sir!" Linda announced as she loaded another rocket. "The other has ducked and covered, but I bet I can draw him out."

"Lyra has made it to my position!" Blurted out Star Caster, as a few shots ripped into the sand near him. "Looks like we'r-"

PING! Star Caster yelped as a shot had hit the right shoulder joint of his Jager, his light autocannon falling to the ground. Lyra forced his Jager to lay low, and snatched his weapon with her other hand. More shots began to kick up sand around the two Jagers, one smacking into a boulder not too far from them. She dared not to take a peak, the best thing to do would be to stay behind cover with Star Caster.

"Sir, Star Caster's right arm has been disabled, and I have lost my weapon." Informed Lyra, watching as Star Caster detach his lame arm. She held his light autocannon toward him. "Need this?"

"Nah, I'm no good with left handed firing." Star declined. "Besides, I still got a full missile pod, and it looks like you've run out."

Lyra checked her sides, noticing that no spare missiles were attached to her armored skirting, only a hefty vibro knife. "Damn, I guess you're right. Catch any of that, Commander?"

"Loud and clear." Spoke Ron Burton, his shots audible on the radio. "Stay low. Linda, have you spotted a fifth contact? It's not often the North sends out groups of four."

"No si- Wait!!" Answered Linda catching herself. "I think..Yes, I do! Clear as day, heading toward your position! One Jaguar, definitely their commander! I can't get a clear shot, it's moving too fast!"

Before Ron could say anything, the rock he had been using for cover exploded into shrapnel. He let out an incomprehensible series of swears as he fell down his perch. Where the rock had been, the cocky Jaguar landed from a rather powerful jump. As it lifted up it's gun, it recoiled violently as a few well placed shots hit near it's center. Lyra let out a few taunts as she continued to take shots.

"Come on!" Spouted the minty green unicorn, unable to get a precise hit on the enemy commander from where she was huddled. "Dammit, I can't-"

Lyra was thrown onto the ground harshly by an unseen force. There standing above the two Jagers on the generously high patch of sand, was a single Cheetah. Lyra realized it was one of the two contacts she launched a volley at. Star Caster desperately charged toward the assailant, only to get stomped on. With the Cheetah's attention on Star Caster who was now helplessly face down in the sand, Lyra grabbed the Cheetah's weapon.

"No no no!" She sputtered, trying to wrench the gun out of the enemy's grasp. "We're not gonna go out like this!"

Lyra Heartstrings noticed that the Commander and the Jaguar were also struggling in close quarters, and it appeared Linda was trading missile shots with the enemy Ferret. The Cheetah's gun began to get terribly scratched up at the metal on metal contact of Lyra's hands. The Cheetah being through with the mare's attempt at disarmament, fired it's gun, taking out a chunk of Lyra's left hand and her light missile pod. She fell backward as her grasp slipped, and she watched as the Cheetah continued to stomp on Star Caster. The Cheetah seeming satisfied with it's punishment, aimed it's left arm at Star Caster's V-engine, Lyra just noticing the mounted spike gun.

"No! I won't let you take him!" She screamed, charging the Cheetah, and reaching for her vibro knife she had attached to her left.

THUNK! Lyra had slapped the Cheetah's right hand away, and pierced the huge knife into the Cheetah's torso. The Cheetah recoiled away from her, the knife still stuck deep into it. Lyra let out a curse from under her breath, realizing she had struck the abdomen. It was enough though, the Cheetah struggling away from over the hill. Suddenly there was a loud explosion from her right, followed by sigh of relief from Linda.

"Nngh!" The Commander was trading blows with the Jaguar, having a hard time keeping up with the faster Heavy Gear.

The Jaguar hunkered down before springing back up, landing a strong uppercut on the Command Jager. It took a few shots on the Ron Burton with it's own medium autocannon, but ceased as a devastating shot took out it's right arm along with a good chunk of the chest's hull. It too fled as fast as it could, just in time for the backup cadre arrived on the scene. They too appeared to just be a general purpose cadre, similar to Sigma, except for the fact that their leader piloted a Black Mamba.

"Send out a drone to tail that squad, we have a cadre to recover." Said the unfamiliar voice of their leader.

Lyra breathed more heavily now, just realizing how exhausted she was from the fight. Her uniform stuck to her with sweat, and her body trembling. She watched as a Jager, much like hers, begin to gesture toward her. It took her a moment to realize that it was trying to get her to follow, since she was one of the two left standing. As she went away, she had noticed Linda doing the same with another Jager. What was different however, was that Ron and Star were being dragged, their Heavy Gears leaving paths in the sand.

"Sorry we didn't arrive here sooner." Apologized the Jager that was leading Lyra, it's ID reading as 'Bill Venture'. "Our equipment was getting jammed by an enemy drone."

"..." Lyra remained silent, just unable to get a word out.

"Not surprising." Linda replied. "They appeared to be a recon cadre. Very common for them to have drones up the arse."

Lyra along with General Purpose Cadre Sigma had been relieved of their current shift. Hearing it phrased like that had scared Lyra to the bone, but she was assured they meant that they were just receiving time off to recover. The cadre that had saved them, GP Cadre Beta, had taken their task for the time being. She and Linda were the only ones left still standing it had seemed. She worried about Star Caster and Ron, but Linda from across the room had told her that they were probably fine.

Lyra when in the barracks, tended to read a magazine or a good novel. But as of right now, her hands were too shaky to hold the pages steady. Linda on the other hand was enjoying her time, kicking back and listening to a radio with a pair of headphones adorning her head. It was somewhat annoying to have the person right above herself to the music. Linda was one of those types that always felt they had to get into it with the rhythm.

Suddenly, Lyra's ears perked at the sound of the doors opening from the end of the room. She looked up noticing it was Ron Burton, his right arm now replaced with a mechanical prosthetic. Lyra jolted upward, standing on her bed so she could reach Linda's leg, shaking it. The two now stood at attention to their cadre leader. A hint of sadness on his face.

"I have some news." He said, putting his new hand to his brow. "Star Caster has been critically injured, and I'm afraid he's been paralyzed...I know it's not official just yet, but it's what it looked like to me."

Lyra's heart ached with worry. She had been a member of Sigma for about three years now. When she was assigned to Sigma, she was aware she was replacing a fallen pilot. His name... She could barely remember now. She knew that mortality rates in Gear combat were rather high, not too often you'd see a confrontation end the way it had ended today. Something had always felt that Sigma would lose it's lucky streak at some point.

That night, Lyra Heartstrings could barely sleep. All she could remember was that damned Norther stamping Star Caster into the dirt. Something about that Cheetah stuck with Lyra. She could recall that it had a cutie mark stenciled onto it, such is the procedure when an Equestrian pilots a Gear. That one crucial detail was so hazy, yet she could remember everything else in extreme detail. She tightened her grip on her blanket as a tear rolled down her cheek. Whoever that pegasus was, Lyra swore she'd kill them. She had a feeling in her heart that they'd meet again.