In Equia, an alternate Equestria...

The wonders of magic and technology brought the world together, giving ponies and non-ponies everywhere an unparalleled quality of life. It seemed as though there was nothing that could stop Equian progress...

2011. The Event occurs.
Gradually, all magic faded away, everywhere on the planet. All magitech devices failed, every object relying on magic fails, every magical construct disappears, and every magical ability ceases working. Untold millions of deaths occur; unicorns could no longer cast spells, pegasi could no longer stand on clouds, and virtually all technology, which relied on clean, magical power sources, eventually ceases functioning.

For over 20 years, what remains of civilization fights for scraps in the Resource Wars. The death toll continues rising as desperate acts of warfare rage across the world.
Equia turns into a post-apocalyptic shell of itself as every sapient creature scrambles to return ancient, non-magical technology into service, fighting for food, water, safety, and anything of value; real or perceived.

Eventually, the fighting ceases. The ponies and the non-ponies that survived must now face their new reality: in a post-magic world, together they must rebuild.

Over the decades that follow, new territories and new countries emerge, and new technologies develop from the ashes of the Resource Wars. From semi-independent warlord holdings to countries emulating pre-Event nations, all kinds of new symbols and flags rise above the Equian lands.

Mareope, 2040. Following a civil war, two unicorn princesses, Eloisa and Selina, reform the pre-Event country of Gallopeia. Initially, their territory only extends to what was once considered the Capital Region, but they soon reunite the 12 historical Gallopeian regions under a single flag.

Over the following years, the first non-magitech power sources come online in Mareope, with the activation of the first solar panel arrays, providing power to a local village. Windmill parks soon follow, and by 2045, primitive but functional computers are activated, using retrofitted magitech equipment.

Manafuel, a magitech power source, was one of the casualties of the Event, immobilizing virtually every motor vehicle.

2055. A substitute for manafuel is discovered. Originally named Flimflamium Miracle Go-Fast Juice, the substance was later renamed to simply Flamium, and allowed motor vehicles to return to the roads, significantly improving trading and rebuilding between the fractured regions.

Flamium is a 100% substitute for manafuel, extracted from various fungal cultivars. The mushroom species viable for flamium extraction became known as Flamushrooms.

Many territories begin cultivating and distilling Flamushrooms for Flamium production. Flamium becomes a valuable commodity, and communities in control of Flamium refineries soon grow to become the most prosperous.

An unintentional side-effect of this discovery is the formation of Flamium gangs, a colloquial name for roving bands of criminals riding Flamium-powered vehicles, reintroducing highway robbery to the world, and becoming the biggest scourge of the countryside.

For the decades that follow, most roads and virtually every highway become infested with these gangs, making it significantly difficult to travel between towns, villages, and communities. Armed caravans become the norm, towns can no longer guarantee security outside of their borders and realms of influence.

Mareope, 2099. Stories of the past become legends. Incredulity for the magical feats of yore settles.

One of the post-Event nations, the Kingdom of Gallopeia, is no longer able to communicate with countries far to the east. Soon, a rumor circulates: an advancing, hostile force is conquering every civilization in sight, pilfering their resources or razing them out of existence.
Despite the Gallopeian Intelligence Services' best efforts, no evidence is officially uncovered.

2100. A powerful, hostile military force identifying itself as the Cloneling Forces invades the eastern regions of Gallopeia. All defense forces are quickly overwhelmed; it seems as though no matter how many Clonelings they killed, more replacements always seemed to make their way back to the battlefield.

Within months, the entire country is under siege. The leader of the Cloneling Forces, Queen Kolkalis, announces that all Mareopean territories under her control now form the Kolkalis Empire. The Gallopeian leaders, Princesses Eloisa and Selina, are forced into exile in Neighland.

2101. The Kolkalis Empire spans across all of Mareope, with the exception of the Eichean Isles. The last four free countries of Mareope; Neighland, Trotsland, Eiriu, and Llywelyn, form an alliance. However, they lack the forces or the equipment to take on the Empire, and none of the other world leaders from the far-away continents are responding to their desperate call for help.
The Empire blockades the Eichean Isles, tightly restricting travel, trade, and communications between the Isles and the mainland. Queen Kolkalis's cruel intention is to force them into surrendering - or drive them into scarcity.

In secret, the leaders of the Eichean Isles, meet with the exiled Gallopeian leaders. Together with Eloisa and Selina, Princess Carysa of Neighland, Princess Rae of Llywelyn, Princess Lazuli of Trotsland, and Princess Fiera of Eiriu form the Free Council of Six and sign a secret pact, vowing to defend the Isles to the last pony.

Intelligence makes its way to the princesses, with reports strongly suggesting that the entirety of the Cloneling Forces depends on compliance drugs and the will of the Queen. The information suggests that if the link between the Clonelings and their Queen is broken, they will eventually lose their ability to organize on their own. They will remain dangerous and capable of fighting, but the Queen is the figurative central nervous system of her entire organization.

The plan becomes clear. Queen Kolkalis must be assassinated.

The Council of Six agrees to fund a secret operation to that end, Operation Liberate the Light. Only once the Queen is defeated can a full-scale military intervention be considered. The Gallopeian princesses enlist the help of former Gallopeian Intelligence Services field agent Tanya Lumen, alias "Twilight."

Twilight is given the task of contacting the best and most capable for-hires she can find, in order to assemble a small "crack team" of agents to infiltrate the now fractured and occupied regions of Gallopeia, penetrate deep into enemy territory, reach the Gallopeian capital city, Lucina, and assassinate the Queen.

To entice the most skilled operators, the Princesses authorize Twilight to offer 50 000 bits, plus gear and training to any capable individuals responding to the call, with a second cash prize in case the operation is a success: 1 million bits, no questions asked, for each member of the team.

For the next 18 months, Twilight scouts for talent, assembling, equipping and training her team, until she finds the best for-hires the free world had to offer. Together, they form Squad 16.

2103. Squad 16 secretly infiltrates the island of Kelpsey, strategically located between Neighland and Leonia, one of the twelve Gallopeian regions. Hearing that the Cloneling Forces restrict ferry travel between Kelpsey and the mainland down to four times a year, the team exploits an opportunity to blend among the civilians and reach Leonia undetected.

Dressed in civilian clothes, with equipment hidden in travel bags, the members of Squad 16 board a ferry en route for Grandbeach, the nearest Leonese town.

This is their story.

Author's Note

TECHNICALLY THE STORY HASN'T STARTED but since I'm developing this alternate universe from the ground up, I felt that having some exposition would help somewhat. The real first chapter will be properly numbered.

On that note, don't be scared by the fact I activated nearly every single red tag; I definitely think all of those themes will be involved at some point in this decidedly not bright and cheery story, but not in every chapter and not all at once.