Chapter 37 Surprise Visitors

“Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.” - Sun Tzu, c. 5th cent. BC, Chinese general & military strategist

Harness, Hackamore District, NCR: Gingersnaps

Soon after we have landed, our vertibuck is moved into a cave to the side. Tater and Twinks both volunteer to assist the aircrew in going over it and performing required maintenance on it. The rest of us are led to the local military headquarters.

I find myself amused as we go and I see most of the others, oh and ah as they walk through the miner-dug city. My smile does git wider though when I feel my husband’s tail wind into mine as we do so.

Walking alongside our guide is a very excited Double Back. Occasionally he calls back to us where things are and what they are used for. Soon we approach the doors for a building carved in rocks that are labeled Harness Battalion Military Headquarters.

Our guide stops us and then presses a button beside the door on a speaker box. We then hear a voice ask, “What can I do for you?”

“Lieutenant Sand Bank reporting with a special detachment as ordered.”

Next, we hear a buzz and a click as the door unlocks and we are permitted to enter the building. As we go in, I can see that the reception desk is carved from rock and it can act as a defensive position if needed. The lieutenant looks embarrassed slightly as he says, “We have become very careful with who enters the HQ since the war began. The Colonel says it is a lesson he learned during the Battle of Harness and how they almost got the NCR Lieutenant Colonel from Manesville with assassins. “

I nod my head having heard the story from my sister and Tater. He notices me nodding and I tell him, “Three of my sisters and Tater were there when it happened. I heard about that attack.”

He looks surprised and tells me, “You don’t look to be old enough and I assume your siblings are about your age, so what were they doing there?”

It is then that I see an open office door with an old recruiting poster for the Rangers on the wall that shows Tater, Epona, Millie, and Moonlily with her horn aglow. I grin and tell him, “Oh they were all in the headquarters with our mother, Lieutenant Colonel Mollygirl. That is them on the poster.”

As I say this, I see a smirk come across Double Back’s face as he tells me, “I didn’t know that was family.”

The lieutenant turns to him and asks, “What do you mean? How could they be family.”

That is when I hear a familiar voice respond, “As you were, thank you for bringing them to me Lieutenant.” He pauses then says, “You have to understand, that three of those youngsters are related to the surrogate father for the foals in my family. As far as we are concerned, we are all one big family, and Double Back here is my nephew, which brings me to ask, “Why are you all now members of the NCR Rangers?”

Double Back begins to blush and looks down briefly, then he answers, “Colonel, we were drafted, sir.”

“All of you were Drafted?”

“Well, they were. Days End and I went through some extra training a while back and they recruited us as reservists. Normally we are not on the Rangers Payroll, but Days end and I were activated when these guys were conscripted,” Double Back tells him.

“Well, that explains that so what’s up with you arriving unannounced in our airspace during a war?”

This time Choo speaks up, “Colonel, if I may?” he nods his head and she continues, “We are returning to NCR Territory from our previous raid against the Enclave. We need to rest and refit and I felt that this would be the best region, especially with one of the Battalions from Manesville still being in the area.”

He nods his head, “Choo, it is a good thing you showed yourself, as I was just about to order George to take your aircraft down. With that said, Manesville no longer has a battalion down here. They were recalled a couple of weeks ago.”

I feel nervous about this area when he says this and he then continues, “Luckily, we had just finished forming the third battalion for Harness when this occurred. As of right now, we have begun to raise another battalion as well. You know, just in case we need it.”

Choo then asks, “Colonel, with your permission, I would like to report in to Ranger HQ our status and request our next set of orders.”

He nods his head, “Permission Granted Choo. Lieutenant if you would, please take Ranger Choo to the comms room so she can report in. Also, on your way out, let my adjunct know I will need to set up short-term quarters for this team.”

“Yes sir,” he says as he salutes and then leads Choo out of the room.

He then turns to me, “OK Ginger, can you discuss with me what you guys have been up to this time and how it may affect us here in the Hackamore region?”

I hear myself sigh, then I tell him, “Perhaps this time we can give you a brief overview. But I will not be telling you how we infiltrated or who our local contacts were.”

He nods his head, “Perfectly acceptable and understandable Ginger.”

After I have given him the gist of it, he looks at us and tells us, “Very interesting. I had heard the radio broadcast from both DJ Pon3 and the Hallowed Dreams. I just wish we had a better after-action report.” He pauses and looks up at us again, “No offense, but I am thinking of from after you departed. Such as how extensive the damage really was at both targets.” He pauses again then he asks in a serious voice, “So you really had no involvement with that large explosion you thought was the ammo dump?”

“No, we didn’t we were all very surprised by it.”

We hear a knock on the door and Milo’s adjunct is standing there quietly.

He nods his head and tells us, “Ok. Well, let’s get you guys some quarters. Perhaps later tonight we can visit some more.”

With that, I realize we have been dismissed as Milo begins to go back to his paperwork and we are led to another mined-out barracks.

Later we are joined by Choo in the barracks. She tells us, “We are going to stay here another couple of days to finish readying the vertibuck and to give all of us a bit of a break. However, we are not to leave Harness proper. Ginger, Epona, that means you can go visit family if you like. I am going to head over and talk to George myself. Oh, and all of you, be back here by 2200 hours.”

That night, Epona, Xochitl, and I visit with most of our family here in Harness. When I notice Mama Laura Lee is missing and asks about it, Milo tells me, “She is in the field training with her new battalion. She has a lot of raw recruits.”

“What kind of training are they doing?” Epona asks.

“Well, this time they are doing a forced march between here to Fort Hope and back.”

Epona nods her head in understanding before replying, “I remember that was a pretty good distance. We were lucky to use a skywagon for insertion last time I was there.”

Milo nods his head, “Yeah, I remember that. Some rough times back then. Seems like they are coming again.”

“Well let’s hope not Papa Milo,” Epona tells him.

The morning we are supposed to leave, we receive a runner from the District Military HQ. The runner is a mule corporal who tells us, “Miss Choo, the Colonel request your presence in the HQ ASAP!”

We are all a bit surprised by this, and Choo asks, “Any idea what he wants me for Corporal?”

He seems startled by the question and replies, “Not sure, but I overheard the radio crew saying something about skywatchers and a raptor.”

Her eyes go wide as do the rest of ours. She turns to Flight Plan, “Get the vertibuck ready. Sunny, you and Morning Mist get ready to fly with me. The rest of you, if this is what I think it is, we have trouble inbound.” Then she tells the Corporal, “Let us go, we don’t want to keep the Colonel waiting.” And we watch as they run off at a gallop.

*****

Harness, Hackamore District, NCR: Xochitl

As we watch them run off, I turn to Ginger and see her eyes are wide and her ears forward. “OK Ponies, we have work to do. Let’s get this bird out onto the landing pad so we can get it ready to go.”

With that, our entire team helps to ponyhandle it out of the cavern that has served as a temporary hanger. Once it is on the landing area we help it to deploy its rotor. Then we begin to grab our gear and get ready as we wait for Choo to return and for Flight Plan to have the vertibuck ready to fly.

As the rest of us wait to load, Sunny and Morning Mist get themselves ready to fly with Choo and ready her battlesaddle and equipment so she can kit up quickly when she gets back.

A short time later that seems like forever passes before we see her flying as fast as she can back to us. She lands quickly and gives us the rundown as she uses her TK to put on her equipment.

The first thing she tells us is, “We have a Raptor inbound and they have already radioed demanding the NCR forces in this area surrender.”

Days End then asks, “They ain’t going to do that are they?”

Choo shakes her head, “No. Milo has already put out the alert to the local outpost of the Harness Regiment as well as begun the call up of the local militias.”

We all nod our heads and then we ask, “What are we to do Choo?”

She then tells us, “Flight Plan, you and your crew are to fly with me and our fliers as well as George and some of the local fliers.” She pauses, “Ginger, you are going to take the non-fliers of the Repair Ponies and assist in the defense of Harness.”

Again, we all nod our heads in understanding. Then she adds, “I have an idea if things are not going well for us. However, we will leave that be unless we need it. No need to barrow that kind of luck.”

In the distance, I can hear sirens and bells being rung as well as ponies yelling. I look back down the canyon and I can see ponies and mules running and units forming up as they then move to defensive positions.”

Soon we are joined by another mule officer. This time he is a captain and he tells us, “I am Captain Butler for the Firedamp or F Company. The Colonel has told me to let you know you are attached loosely to us.”

While I don’t like that fact, we are going to be attached to a regular grunt company. I guess we have no choice. Ginger on the other hoof simply nods her head as she salutes him and tells him, “I am Ranger Gingersnap, team leader for our non-fliers. Where do you want us, sir?”

This gets him to grin and he tells her, “Follow me, You and your team are going to be a reserve for my company HQ. That means if we need you, we will be using you as storm troopers.”

While I still have a headache from the other day I simply grin. Then I ask, “Captain sir, do you think I could get a new helmet from you?”

He looks surprised as he notices we are all heavily barded, but I am the only one not wearing one. He answers, “That should not be a problem, but Ranger, what happened to yours?”

“Sir it was destroyed when it saved my life on our last mission. I took a hit to the helmet.”

He nods his head, “Ok, let's go, follow me.” He tells us and he begins to run up a barely noticeable trail higher onto the valley wall and towards what would be the rear entrance to Harness. As we run I feel the ground shaking at first then feel a wind as George runs buy on the ground followed by her two youngsters. Both of whom are wearing shiny metal armor. They are followed by Choo and our fliers plus another half dozen pegasi and griffons in NCR uniforms.

Tater seeing I am distracted looks then pushes me forward, and yells, “Damnit Flower, keep moving.”

I shake my head to clear it and keep moving until we reach a well-concealed bunker that the Captain leads us into. Once there he tells a jenny mule, “First Sergeant, these Rangers are a reserve for us. Let’s keep them informed and use them if we need 'em.”

“Yes sir,” She replies as I hear our vertibuck take off.

As I look out one of the firing slit openings in the bunker I can see a raptor air ship moving slowly in our direction. Beside it, I can see a couple of dozen small dots as well as at least two vertibucks and some skywagons launching from its midships hanger bay.

As I watch Ginger moves close to me and I tell her, “Kinda reminds me of the Battle of Manesville.”

She nods her head and tells me, “Yeah, me too. But we have a lot more fliers this time.”

Then the first blast from the main guns of the Raptor begins to arrive with a thunder and burst of light.

The Captain tells us, “Don’t worry, they are only trying to feel out our defenses right now. Those blasts were randomly targeted.”

“How do you know that sir?” Ginger asks.

“I used to be in our artillery when it was first founded. I worked with a Captain named Archer and he taught me how to use artillery and what to look for when under fire. They are probing us trying to get us to react before they are in effective range of our guns. Too bad they don’t know we just got some more 155-millimeter guns. They are about to get a surp…”

His words are drowned out as suddenly we hear several large cannons quickly firing before they go silent. He grins and says, “That set of guns should be moving now.” Shortly after this, I hear an explosion from the direction of where that gun section had been.

From the other side of the canyon, I suddenly hear two more guns quick fire. After they go quite I see the explosion from about where they had been, as dirt and dust fly into the air. As I peer out the firing slit again, I see the air battle ragging between our fliers and theirs.

While their Raptor stays back, I can begin to make out the individual power armor suits as well as the skywagons and vertibucks. To the side, I hear Epona say, “It looks like they thought Hackamore was the main base. See how they are starting to bring their bow around towards us.”

The captain beside us tells her, “Yeah, I noticed that. But things should get interesting here soon.”

Right after he says this I see fire coming from a dug-in position I had not seen before. As I watch I see a squad of Enclave soldiers in power armor land and begin to advance on the dug-in troopers as another group keeps them suppressed by strafing them.

That is when I am surprised as suddenly I hear a rapid staccato of fire that reminds me of our old 40mm gun Nightmare Moon from the expedition as it fires and takes one of the fliers out in mid-strafe. The other breaks off as it shifts its fire to one of the vertibucks coming in hot and fast at us.

The vertibuck veers off, but seems undamaged. However, a skywagon that is following in its wake takes a direct hit and I see it disappear as the ordinance it was carrying explodes. I call over to the captain, “Looks like those skywagons are carrying bombs. They did that to us in Manesville back on the day of Sunshine and Rainbows.”

He nods his head, “Yeah, I heard about that. Part of why we have those 40mm guns up there.”

Soon the battle on the ground is joined fully. I am surprised though when I hear Tater asks, “Captain, do you have any explosive fields set to repel these guys?”

The captain looks surprised as does his 1st sergeant. He then asks, “How do you know about those?”

Tater grins, “Me and Pona there, well we were in the HQ bunker in Hackamore when they were used during the battle of Harness. We heard the Colonel’s talking about it on the radio.”

He nods his head, “Yeah, but they are already past them. We are going to have to do it the hard way this time.”

I nod my head as do the rest of us as I hear a call over the radio, “Firedamp 6 this is Firedamp 12, we have taken several casualties and they are pressing our position hard, we need to fall back.”

“Firedamp 12 this is Firedamp 6, Roger that. Firedamp 23, provide covering fire for them.”

“Firedamp 6, Firedamp 23 wilco.”

From below us and slightly to our left I can see a scattered group of mules and ponies performing a fighting withdrawal as a group further to their left and behind them provides suppressive fire. I also hear a couple of medium machineguns firing in support of them.

The fighting continues on the ground for another twenty minutes before we begin to have to engage. I hear one of the other HQ ponies call out, “Captain, I see a missile launcher being brought up to hit our bunker.”

“Can you take them out?”

“Negative sir,” is the nervous reply.

Suddenly a rocket hits the face of the bunker and I feel a couple of bits of rock from it pepper me and those around where it hit.

“Everyone out, now!”

We all run out of the bunker into the surrounding trenches and the open air where we are subject to more flying debris from the airship's long-range bombardment. The last of us has just gotten out when a large explosion comes from the bunker as it takes a direct hit from the Raptor's main gun. We are all thrown onto the ground. As we pick ourselves up, our attackers begin to rush us. We then begin a fighting withdrawal further back into the valley. During this retreat, the Harness troops continue to take casualties. I am stunned though when I hear Double Back call out, “Medic up!” and Twinks along with one of the Harness medics grabs him and drags him to cover where the treat him and I watch as he is carried away on a stretcher.

By this point, most of us have taken minor wounds, including Ginger who has a bloody wound along the side of her muzzle. She looks at me and we both just shrug, nod our heads and pop up to fire a couple of more rounds to slow the advance of the Enclavers.

After what seems like forever, we are near the outskirts of the town proper. That is when it occurs. I see several tunnels break through all around us and from higher up where heavy weapons are deploying. Those nearer where the company of pegasi troops, remind me of a kicked-over anthill as miners come pouring out of them with mining tools in their mouths striking the pegasi.

Captain Butler then yells at his troops as he stands on his hind hooves, “Forward, for home and kin!”

As we surge forward screaming, I see him get hit and fall, but by then we are all running to join the melee that the miners are already engaged in. I watch as Cowlick lowers his head and he hits two of the power-suited pegasi sending them in an uncontrolled flight against others. Then we are fighting hard and heavy. Rifle butts, knives, picks, shovels, and hooves against the power-suited behemoths and their poisoned scorpion-like tails. It is a fight as brutal as against the raiders at the Valley.

We know we have to do this quickly for mere flesh and blood cannot stand a fight against armor for long. However, we overwhelm them with our numbers. We realize we are winning when first some begin to try and escape, then finally they begin to call out that they surrender.

In the distance, I can see the raptor is on fire as she recovers what aircraft and troops she can. She slowly begins to turn away and towards the direction from which she came.

As the regulars begin to reorganize and take control of the prisoners, our team looks around us and I am stunned at the carnage around us. However, I am also relieved to notice that the only ground pounder of our team missing is Double Back. Soon a lieutenant from one of the platoons of F Troop comes over to us. He shakes his head and tells us, “Thank you for helping us to protect our homes. Now your team needs to head back to your barracks from last night. Colonel’s orders.”

Ginger salutes him for us and tells him, “Yes sir. Will do.” Then she leads us back to where we started the day.

*****

Harness, Hackamore Region, NCR: Choo Choo

As I follow the officer to the regional HQ, I am very surprised at this chain of events. As I arrive, I hear Milo say, “Captain Choo, we have hostiles inbound. I need your team to assist us.”

“Will do Colonel, but I am not a Captain.”

“Yes, you are. The message came in from Ranger HQ this morning authorizing you that title as the commander of your team.” He pauses to let me process then he tells me, “I need you to support George and what fliers we have to defend this area against an inbound raptor. Have Ginger take over the ground team while you are in the air. I will be sending an officer to attach them to his unit.”

I nod my head, “Yes sir.”

“Dismissed and may the Celestia protect and Luna defend us.”

With that, I spin on my heels and I am at the run back to the team. Once there I give them a quick rundown. Then I take Sunny and Morning Mist with me to go back to join the rest of the fliers. The last thing I tell my aircrew is, “Flight Plan, when we fly by with George, I want you to join us and fly behind her. Love Tap, do not be afraid to use your weapons. Good luck and I will see you in the skies.”

As we fly to meet the others by George’s cave, the entire city is in a panicked rush as ponies either run for shelter or gather in their militia and regular units and trot away to their assigned positions in the defenses.

We have only just arrived when George puts a claw to the patch on her hearing diaphragm and she says, “Everyone, let’s go, they just demanded our surrender. The Colonel wants us to give them our answer.”

We exit her cave and run through the streets at first, then when there is room for a good take-off, we all take flight. As we begin to leave the canyon, I can see Sunny on my left and Morning Mist on my right. There are several other pegasi and some griffons with us too. We begin to adjust our formations as we fly. Then I see two young dragons in metal armor zoom past my wing and form up behind George in a V formation. I call George on the radio, “Fire Flight Six, you have two youngsters on your five and seven.”

I see George look back franticly, but we are almost within range of the guns for the raptor. She shakes her head and I hear her mutter, “So this is how Mollygirl felt.” Then she climbs suddenly before diving at the raptor and the formations of fliers around it. As she does so she calls out on the radio, “All Fire Flight, follow me, first pass we do a fast pass through, do not stop to engage, Tally Ho!”

As a group we follow her down, all of us beginning to weave an intricate pattern as we fire and zoom through those who are escorting the raptor. It is as we do this pass-through that I notice both of her youngsters are carrying what looks to be griffon rifles and they are firing them while not effectively, adequately enough to get some pegasi to dodge out of their way.

Myself, I line up to fire on a vertibuck with my minigun and slide my tongue under the bit and gently pull back on the trigger of my battle saddle.

I watch sparks fly from the back of the veritbuck as it begins to maneuver away, I quickly throw up my shield with my horn as its gunner opens fire with a quick burst at me, then I am past it and as a group, we pull out of our dive and begin to surge forward at the raptor from below. Above us, I can see the Enclave forces begin to reform. They hesitate and most of them begin to fly towards Harness.

Suddenly we begin to take fire from the raptor's anti-dragon weapons mounted on the lower part of it. I can hear the rounds whipping by me occasionally. As we begin to close. Then I see two artillery shells from below hit it.

Over the radio, I hear Flight Plan call out, “Fire Flight Six, this is Fire Flight three three, suggest you approach from beneath the cloud generator. Make it harder for them to target you if possible.”

“This is Fire Flight Six, understood, that is how I did it last time.” There is a brief pause and then George tells us, “I want Fire Flight 33 to fly a diversion and keep those remaining vertibucks busy. Choo, take your flight and hit them from the rear if you can. All troops be aware they are making a major shift course for Harness.”

Right after she says this the main gun of the raptor lets loose another round and we can feel the concussion of it as it heads towards those that are groundside.

I lead my wing in a long sweep behind and to the side from lower down. While we take fire from both the anti-dragon guns and the single anti-griffon mount there, we are still below the topside anti-griffon ones. As we swing wide, I watch George lead her group away and high. In the distance, I can see Flight Plan take the vertibuck alongside one of the Enclave ones as they engage in as fast of combat as they can firing at each other with their door guns, as they twist and turn.

Once we are on the other side of the raptor I call George and let her know. In return, I hear, “Fire Flight Two One, go high and use your shield spell, fire on anypony topside and hit anything that can hurt them. Make a distraction for me.”

“Got it Fire Flight Six.”

As we take position slightly ahead of the airship I tell Sunny and Morning Mist, “We fire until we get their attention, then hide behind my shield as we move in closer.”

“Roger,” I hear them both reply and we begin our distraction. I open fire with my minigun and they with their weapons. One of them gets a crewpony who was topside while I see sparks bouncing off one of the anti-griffon turrets. Suddenly all three of the topside turrets spin toward us and I throw up my shield just in time.

“Boss, can you fly backward?” Morning Mist asks over the radio.

“Not well why?”

“Then how the Tartarus are we going to get away from those things.”

As he asks this, I see George making a move and tell him, “Follow me!” As I lead them in a dive as fast as we can fly forward. I feel my body stretch out and I tell the others, “We are going to do a Tactical Rainboom on the raptor.”

They say nothing in reply but we keep going. However, I do swear I hear one of their voices quietly saying over the radio, “Oh my goddesses, oh my goddesses.” As my eyes begin to squeeze shut and we close the distance I see George and the others fly up from underneath and past the raptor with her and her youngsters spitting fire as they pass the hangar doors.

The doors are glowing a dull red as we come in and suddenly pull up. We skim along the top from one side to the other and behind us, we can hear the noise from the compressed air hit the raptor just above the hanger doors on the side we had approached from. I then hear a griffon’s voice call out, “Look at her stagger. I have never seen a dent that big before.

From behind us, I can hear sirens wailing. We come around from the rear and the firing is less at us as I see one of the anti-griffon mounts is crushed and there are two large indentations in the hull, like it had been punched. I turn my head and I see George flying like she is hurt. Both of her children are right beside her. I also see several of the fliers that had started with us are hurt.

Over my headset, I hear Colonel Milo say, “Fire Flight Six, this is Muleskinner Six, I need you to hit that thing again.”

Inside I groan and I swear I do hear George do so. However, she answers back, “Roger, but we have taken casualties up here.”

“Understood, but we are taking them here as well and we need you to keep her too busy to concentrate on us.”

From the distance I see her shake her head and then she calls out in a resigned voice, “All Fire Flight elements, we are going in. I want you to spread out around the rear 180 degrees of it and when we go in, weave and dodge. If we can, land on it and do as much damage as possible.”

We all begin to reform, including Flight Plan and his crew. As we go in, the transport vertibuck starts to pull ahead of the others, suddenly it twists and opens fire with its minigun as it fires into one of the rear-mounted propulsion engines. I see it spark and begin to tear itself apart. After he hits a second one, he rolls away and dives for the ground as the ship has twisted to bring its guns to bear on him. However, it does so in a very slow, exaggerated manner as its other engines try to take up the slack for the missing ones.

Then the rest of us are on it. I know a second attempt at a tactical rainboom would be useless as we are too tired to try it again, and they will be looking for it. Instead, we weave back and forth fighting what crew members come out to try and stop us as we attack. I see the rearmost anti-griffon gun is targeting George as she is the greatest threat. I point to it and tell Morning Mist, “I need a demo charger on the base ring asap.”

He grins and as we land next to the still-firing turret, he places a premade charge on it, just above the point where the turret mounts. He grins and calls out, "Clear the area," and as we run forward, he pushes the red button on the detonator and I hear a medium size explosion. I turn my head back and I see the turret is jammed and its gun is pointing uselessly higher into the sky with smoke coming out of it. George comes in and lands hard. We are currently shielded from being fired upon by the forward anti-griffon turret by the middle one that was disabled earlier. She grins as she sees this and she says, “OK, stand back,” as she takes a deep breath and begins to blow a light blue flame against the top of the cloud ship.

As she does this the skin of it begins to glow brighter and brighter. Then we hear an increase in MEW and small arms fire as the raptor's crew begins to try to repeal borders.

I see George get hit by one shot and stagger back. When this happens Tempered and Forged leap skyward and attack the ponies who shot their mother. It is not pretty, but it seems to take some of the steam out of our attackers. They are now strictly on the defense and are performing a fighting withdrawal back into the skin of the skyship.

Then we hear, “This is Muleskinner Six, all Fire Flight elements, fallback and reform at your rally point.”

By now George has taken a healing potion and while not fully ready to fight she can still fly. She calls over the radio, “All Fire Flight elements, Rally on me!” and she takes to the air again and flies up and to the rear of the skyship, which is now starting to turn back towards where it had originally come from.

Those of us who are left stay high until we are out of range of the anti-dragon and anti-griffon weapons, then we begin to fly low again.

As we move out, we see a large number of pegasi, a couple of vertibucks, and skywagons swing wide away from us, but making their way towards the raptor. Over the radio, I hear, “Fire Flight Six, this is Muleskinner command. Return to base. I repeat return to base, avoid the hostile forces that are escaping.”

As she says this, I can see that the raptor has stopped firing and is slowly limping its way back from the way it came. I also can see their survivors from the ground fight all begin to land either on the top deck or in the landing bay on the opposite side of where the tactical rainbooms hit it. I guess the doors are at least jammed shut.

We land near the main entrance of the valley and make our way on hoof towards the cave where we had stored our vertibuck earlier. As we move, I stop and watch Flight Plan bring our vertibuck in to land. I notice the battle damage it has taken and I can see one engine is smoking slightly.

After he cuts the engine his crew dismounts. I then notice Love Tap get out of the aircraft, then walk behind it and it looks like she throws up. Finally, she comes back around and a team of local ponies help to push the aircraft back into the cave.

That is when I get a message from Ginger informing me that Double Back has been hit badly and is in medical. We do a quick debrief with one of the HQ ponies, then I fly over to the hospital.

As I enter the hospital, I see all the wounded and injured waiting to be treated. To the side, they set those who have already passed over, as well as covered their faces with sheets or cloth when possible.

I slowly make my way to a desk where a very harried-looking nurse is and asks her, “One of my rangers, a mule named Double Back was brought in here. Can you tell me where he might be?”

She gets on her computer and looks at it. Then she says, “I can’t find his name, check down in ER. If not there, then come back later. Really, we have enough going on right now that we really need to concentrate on the patients.”

It is as she says the last that I see her. A black-cloaked, white mare with her face barely showing. As she wanders down the hallway, I follow her. When she stops it is by a mule laying on the ground. He is in intense pain and I suddenly recognize him. It is Double Back. With a quick scan, I can tell he is dying. I see the mare begin to reach for him and I tell her, “Stop. I can help him.”

She looks at me and her eyes flash, “You. Then you know who I am and why I am here. He has earned a warrior’s death. Now let me work.”

I calmly say, “Yes Mareigan, he has. But it is not his time yet, and I have a super healing potion that can save him.”

She shakes her head, “Nothing can save him.”

“Let me try at least. It is what Moonlily would do.”

I see her look surprised when I bring up my great-granddaughter’s name. She steps back slightly and tells me, “If you think she would and that you can save him, then do so.”

I use my TK to remove the only super healing potion I have and I gently lift his head with my forehoof as I pour the potion down his throat. As I pour, I notice his throat hardly moves to swallow it.

It is only a couple of seconds later that his breathing becomes less labored and his wounds begin to heal quickly. As they heal, I see two spent bullets being pushed out of the wounds they made and fall onto the bed beside him.

I turn to Mareigan and I see a look of surprise on her face as she asks, quietly, “Where did you find that?”

“The same place that created the original megaspell. This was an offshoot of that research.”

She shakes her head, “Do you have more of it?”

I shake my head and tell her, “No, unfortunately, I don’t.”

She smiles grimly and tells me, “Good, that means you will not be interfering with me doing my job. Until the next time we met Choo Choo.”

Then she begins to walk the hallways again as I hear Double Back begin to cough and he turns to me and asks, “Boss, what happened? I thought I was dead.”

I nod my head in understanding, then I tell him, “I used our super healing potion on you. Remember the story of how the first time they used a mega spell it healed all the wounded and brought the dead back to life, and then the fighting started all over again?”

He nods his head as he begins to stand up, so I continue, “It seems it was not just a story.”

*****

Nightingale Military Hospital, Thunderhead, GPE: Ball Lightning

The overcrowding of the hospital has begun to decrease as the less seriously wounded are released and sent back home to further convalesce, or back to their units. The third roommate that I and the Lieutenant Colonel shared a room with was moved on the second day of his stay. I never did find out his name as he never woke up while still with us.

However, I have begun to talk to Sun Spot more. That is when I am not reading. I find it amusing as she too is a reader. The books she reads though tend to be more along the line of fieldcraft and intelligence. Myself, I have started to read more medical books and training manuals.

As I am reading up on the basic anatomy of a pegasus, I am beginning to understand just how much damage was done this last time to me. I finish a paragraph on the spleen and its function. Then I find myself looking toward the ceiling and shaking my head.

“Ok lieutenant, what is it that has you looking upset?” Sun Spot asks me.

I sigh, then I turn to face her, “Just realizing how bad I was hit, and wondering what use I am going to be to the Enclave.”

She laughs lightly, “Well if the regulars don’t want you, you will always have a spot with intel.”

I smile as I think about it and I tell her, “Perhaps. Let’s see how things go.”

Two days later she is released. As she goes, she tells me, “Remember what I said Ball. I mean it.”

I nod my head, “I will Sun. Take care and I will see you again soon.”

She then takes what few possessions she had with her in a saddlebag and gingerly walks out the door of my room and down the hall.

The next day while visiting with my wife, I receive a new roommate. I wake up as they bring him in. He has several burns and a broken wing.

He nods to me and asks, “What are you in here for?”

I smile and tell him, “Bad abdomen wound a couple of weeks ago during an op. You?”

He looks at me with a bit of horror on his face as he tells me, “I shouldn’t say anything, but, our raptor the Desert Wind, we were sent to attack an NCR regional headquarters. When we got close to it, we were attacked by at least three full-grown dragons. They also had alicorns, griffons as well as Dashites.”

This gets my attention as there are not that many dragons that are known. I notice Sundancer is paying attention as well when she hears him say alicorns. He then continues, “Yeah, our captain decided to ignore them and sent our fliers and aircraft to attack the town.”

He suddenly is looking through me and not at me as he says, “The dragons, they landed on the top of our airship. They heated up the deck and then used their claws to rip into it. I, I shot one of them and the two others attacked me. They did this to me and my partner on the security force.”

I bring my head back in surprise and then tell him, “You are very lucky to have survived a dragon attack like that. Thank the goddesses you were wearing your powerarmor.”

He shakes his head slowly. “I was luckier than that, I was not wearing any armor at the time. I passed out and when I woke up, they were gone and we were returning to port for repairs.”

I notice as he is talking that Sundancer has a funny expression on her face so I ask, “Ok, love, what is it?”

She turns to the wounded airship officer and asks, “What did the dragons look like?”

This gets me to raise an eyebrow but I say nothing. The officer on the other hoof says, “What does it matter? The biggest one, the one we shot, was big and blue and had on the largest set of pegasus goggles I have ever seen.”

She nods her head and asks, “And the others? “

“They were not as big, but one was Dark purple with lighter purple belly scales, the other was dark blue with dark red belly scales and was wearing glasses that looked like they were held on with a rope.”

This sounds so familiar to one of the stories that those who called themselves the Repair Ponies had described I have to ask, “Was any pony riding them?”

“What? No, of course not, why?”

“You said they had alicorns with them, was it just one, or more than one?”

He looks perturbed at first and tells me, “Well I remember this big blue one along with her was an all-black pegasus and a light blue pegasus with a gray mane and tail. Why?”

I turn to Sundancer and tell her, “Sunny and Big Blue, better let Air Burst know, sounds like the Repair Ponies, and if I remember right, they said that they were friends with a dragon named George that fits that description.”

The airship officer looks at me incredulously and asks, “You know them?”

I nod my head and tell him, “Not sure, but I think we know some of them. If that dragon was George, the Desert Wind was not the first of our airships she has tangled with, she severely damaged the Spring Monsoon over Manesville over ten years ago.” I pause, then I add, “Funny, the other two dragons do not fit any description I have heard before.”

He looks at me and asks, “What are you? You some kind of Intelligence officer?”

I shake my head, “No, I am just a security officer. But I hear things.”

He nods toward Sundancer and asks, “And her?”

“She is my wife; she hears things too sometimes.”’

He nods his head, “Yeah, I get that. Well, whoever did it, I know our ship will be in clouddock for a while getting repaired. Tartarus, I might be out of here before they are ready to go again.”

Soon our conversation shifts back to just me and Sundancer as the cloudie falls asleep from the drugs they are giving him for his pain.

She looks at him and asks, “You really think it might have been them?”

“Honestly dear, yeah. They had to lay up somewhere after what they did at Marimare.”

She nods her head, “Okay, now onto better subjects. So, Ball, have you thought about foal names yet?”

I smile and tell her, “Dear, I am not sure. Part of me is afraid to name it until they are born.”

She smiles and tells me, “Yeah, I get it. My aunt was like that too.”

She pauses looks around and then tells me, “The other day when I was at RDS, I ran into the young ones. They were asking about you. Little Bit is very worried about you and afraid she will not see you again.”

I smile thinking about the youngsters and I tell her, “I can understand that. They are good kids. I miss seeing them too.”

She pauses, “Ball, what if, because of our foal, I take an assignment ground side? Maybe at RDS or another VC station.”

“Something to think about, I guess.”

Two days later I am released from the hospital. As I am preparing to leave, I see my doctor one more time. “Remember what I said sir, be careful and remember you are not going to be able to do as much as you used to. Your body has taken a lot of damage already,” she tells me.

“I know Doc. Don’t worry, I will do my best to not be a patient here again.”

I see her raise an eyebrow and she asks, “What do you mean by that?”

I smile as I tell her, “Doc, when the war is over, I think I may be changing my occupation. If I survive, perhaps someday I can join your profession.”

She smiles and nods her head, “Well we can always use more. I wish you the best then in your endeavors. Take care.”

I take the papers that discharge me from the hospital and return me to duty with my security battalion to my company commander's HQ. As I walk in the door, I am surprised to see Bulls Eye Squall sitting at his desk. I pause for a moment when I notice she now is wearing lieutenants bars. When she sees me, she looks embarrassed and tells me, “Sorry Sir, but let me get out of your seat and I will give you a full rundown of what our company’s status is.”

I shake my head as if to clear it so I can hear her correctly, “Bullseye, what do you mean my seat?”

I see pain cross her face briefly, then she tells me, “The day they hit RDS and Marimare, we took pretty heavy casualties. The captain didn’t make it.”

“Damn, I am sorry to hear that.”

She nods her head, “Yeah, I know how you feel. By the way, sir you are now out of uniform, you have been bumped up to captain and have the company. I now have command of the 3rd Platoon.”

“What about the other platoon leaders? Shouldn’t one of them have taken over the company?”

She smiles, “Well, that would have made sense before you were wounded. While you were still dirtside, they transferred both Lieutenants, Dust Bowl, and Arrest Warrant to front-line units just before we got the word you were in the hospital. Currently 1st and 2nd platoons are also being led by their former 1st sergeants as well.”

I am stunned at the chain of events that has occurred. I then turn to her and tell her, “I best go report in with the battalion commander then.”

She nods her head, then reminds me, “And don’t forget to stop at the quartermaster's for your new rank insignia. Here is the paperwork authorizing it for you, sir,” she tells me as she uses a wing to open a drawer and bring it out to me.”

“Thanks 1st, I mean lieutenant. I do appreciate it.”

She grins, “Your welcome sir, and for what it’s worth, I am still trying to get used to it as well.”

I take my paperwork from her and grin as I put it in my saddlebags. Then I tell her, “I will be back in a bit. Please continue to mind the fort for me.”

She nods her head, “Will do sir. Oh, and I almost forgot to tell you, rumor has it the entire company if not the battalion may be transferred dirtside for the duration.”

I nod my head in reply and am soon on my way to see our battalion CO. I stop at the quartermaster’s depot to get my new rank badges issued. Then I finish my travel to Battalion. As I walk in, I see Lieutenant Colonel Full Bright with a coffee cup in his wing tips talking with our battalion sergeant major. He nods his head, “I see you have the news about your advancement. Congratulations Captain. Now how about we take this to my office. It seems we have some things to go over and I could use your personal knowledge and experience with these wastelanders. You see after the attacks a few weeks back the powers that be have decided we need to increase our ponypower on our ground-side facilities. They are sending our entire battalion down to the RDS permanently it seems. Of course, we will still get to rotate back cloud-side for R&R, but it is not the same.” He pauses and then adds, “I know that is probably the last thing you wanted to hear with still being recently married and having a foal on the way. But it is what it is Captain.”

I nod my head and I tell him, “Your right sir, it is what it is. Now where do you want to begin sir?”

*****

You have been listening to radio Tenpony Tower. As a reminder, I am Clean Feed. At the top of the hour, DJ Pon3 will be taking over the mike but until then here I am.

As a Public Service Announcement, the overland route between Baltimare and Manehatten has been temporarily closed to all caravans due to raids by the Enclave. If you choose to still travel on it the NCR Government cannot guarantee your safety at this time.

Also, if you see Enclave troop movements inform the local NCR leadership as soon as possible, without risking your life. This includes cloud-ships, vertibucks and even individual soldiers on the ground.

Finally, remember Loose Lips End Friendships. If you hear about NCR troop movements or other government actions, keep them to yourselves. Also, if the source keeps spreading this news, then report them as possible collaborators.

Now for the final three songs of my show tonight, we lead off with Soldiers Eyes.

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Author's Note

As the war begins to build in intensity we get to see some of the opening battles and cost. The opening battles can set the stages for later events during any conflict. Often these opening battles may be little more than raids as the two sides feel each other out and jockey for better positions.
The Second Battle of Harness may not have been a large one, but when all seems to be going against your side even a small victory can help to build morale.

For those who would like to listen to this chapters song, the YouTube link is: u]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmILa1buzo8