In the Name of GodView OnlineSunset's recollections of a war torn worldIn the Name of GodAuthor's Note Some Sabaton induced writing. Yes this chapter came from the main fic, and it's now being used to start the side stories. In the Name of God Sunset sat on a hilltop overlooking a city, relaxing in the shade of an old tree as she reminisced with her old mentor/mother. two-star General Sol, one of the three who had taken her in all those years ago, it was a shame Uncle Ymir died not long after her enlistment; he would be proud of all she's done. Thinking of him reminds her of when mother let her declare war, back when she was just a Lieutenant, a butter-bar on her way to silver. Just after her first attack from Them. Uncle would've liked the Chaos she made. Six years ago Lieutenant Sunset Shimmer stood atop the serving counter in the mess hall as she cleared her throat to quiet the crowds, her voice booming from every speaker across the base. Once all were silent and focused on her, she started her speech with a hard sigh. “It is with heavy heart that I bring you this news. New orders from HighCom, human shields are to be considered ‘Acceptable Casualties’ in future engagements with Zealot forces.” An uproar tore from the assembled masses, one that continued until the LT fired a pistol shot into the ceiling. “I know.” She said, her voice low and devoid of any emotion. ”But this is what HighCom says, and from what we know shooting them ourselves may be a mercy.” More uproar from the crowd. Sunset ignored them and continued. “We must not let hesitation allow any of those fanatics to escape, even if it means shooting through our own men.” “We cannot let any of these psychopaths live!” She shouted, her voice ringing throughout the room. “For hundreds more will pay the price. We will hunt them day and night, through mud and blood, we will not stop until their order is crushed. They say their cause is just as they murder, no, massacere our men, women, and children in the streets. They have forgone the uniforms of warfare and hide among the people, waiting to strike. They scream of their Rights when we kick in their doors and drag them from their guns and their bombs. They cry of oppression and genocide when they lose gunfights in the street. They dare plead for mercy in our courts when they showed our Children None!” She cried, her voice deafening as it boomed for all to hear. “They hide in holes waiting to strike at the right time, the right target, and hide in the crowd when they face consequences. They say they’re doing God’s will, I say, and I’ll say this to their face, they’re nothing but brainwashed zealots following a coward insane! Their wounded’ll rather die than face punishment, and will try and take you with them.” She spat, before continuing with a new thunder in her voice. “From now on the UNDF is at war with these terrorists, all are to execute any wounded you find, they may be waiting for you to help them. They wanted this… Holy War!” She spat, venom dripping from her maw. “And We Will Give Them War!” The crowd erupted at her declaration. “We will hunt them in the dunes. We will fight them wherever they strike. And We Will Burn Them From Their Tunnels! We will not stop until their religious force is Burnt from this earth!” Sunset cried, the base around her erupting with raucous roars of angered warriors. Present "It was only a few days before their next attack, and while it was outside of our territory and the news complained that we were extreme on the response; well, the amarican people we saved certainly weren't going to complain about the 'Winged Beasts' that arrived to rain death upon the terror group. Heh, 'Winged Beasts' I'm told that's what they screamed when our helicopters arrived." Sunset said, chuckling as she remembered the first big retaliation against the Zealots. Leaning back against a stone block she sighed, plates of food lay forgotten beside her. "They called us Demons after that strike, monsters rising from hell to smite the 'true believers' 'Demons' eh? Heh he, I like it"
Dreadnought - TeaserView OnlineSunset's recollections of a war torn worldDreadnought - TeaserCaptain Sunset Shimmer sat at a table with the princesses, Shining Armor, and the main six, telling war stories. Taking a large swig of cider, Sunset cleared her throat. “Let me tell you about the biggest and baddest bitch to rule the seven seas. It was not long after the UNDF was drug into war by an unprovoked attack on a Naval patrol.” Seeing Twilight open her mouth, Sunset cut her off. “I don’t know why they did it, but we made sure they never thought of doing it again.” “What did you do?” Celestia asked, partially dreading the answer. “Well, I wasn’t part of the initial counter, but let me tell you what I’ve heard from it. It was the first combat sortie for the UNDF’s biggest, strongest ship. The mighty UNNV Dreadnought, named after the famous HMS Dreadnought, namesake of the… well, dreadnoughts.” Glancing around at her audience and seeing their varying confusion and disinterest at the tale thus far, Sunset continues her grandiose retelling. “Now, that isn’t a name that just asks for respect, she demands it. And she will get it, or your fear will suffice. And she relishes in her enemies' fears…” 10 years earlier Pacific Ocean It was a grand retaliation, Russia had declared war. They attacked unprovoked, sunk three ships, killed over two hundred. Now, Task Force Zulu has been awoken to strike back tenfold, and leading this task force is the pride of the Defence Force’s Navy, an X-Ray class ‘super-dreadnought’ battleship, the largest warship to rule the oceans, so large she can deploy light destroyers. Dreadnought. She’ll punch through any defence the Russians can muster, they'll be in Moscow by next week. Currently hidden in fog and smoke, with E-war doing their best to disrupt enemy radar, the task force lies in wait, just outside range of an enemy fleet. Unknown Russian destroyer Pacific Ocean It was chaos on the bridge, the radar’s been chasing ghosts, and the radios were filled with static. Panels were thrown open and wires were everywhere, but nothing seemed to fix it. This seemed to be how the day was going, until a spotter ran in shouting. “Captain! Captain! Contacts South, three cruisers coming out of fog.” Hearing this, the Captain whipped his head around. “What?! How? Are they friendly?” “I don’t know sir, they-” “New contacts!” Someone else yelled. “Coming out of the fog.” Rushing to the bridge windows the Captain stared ahead, and promptly dropped his jaw at what he saw. Five light cruisers, three, no four heavys, a pair of battleships, and… “What. The. Hell.” He stared, frozen in terror at what he saw. There, in the mist, a shape; a ship was taking form. A bow pierced the fog bank, a bow bigger than anything in the Russian Navy. Slowly more ship pushed out of the fog. A turret appeared from the clouds, it’s three rifles slowly turning towards him. Then, two more turrets, then another, bigger than the others, almost the size of his destroyer. Slowly the massive ships tower emerged, a monolith standing tall over the ocean. Funnels belching thick, acrid smoke. BOOM The three sixteen-inch turrets spat a salvo of shells into the fray, four of the massive shells smashed into a Russian cruiser’s hull, erupting in a spray of liquid fire. Sailing through the burning water, fire lapping at her hull. Horn blaring as she bared down on a cripled warship, shot full of holes by her escorts, and with a final honk, rammed the smaller ship and split it in two under her prow. The surviving ships were on the run, and Dreadnought decided to give them a parting gift. Her massive twin turret swung to face them and fired, sending a pair of twenty-inch shells flying. Massive geysers of water erupted around them, rocking the fleeing ships. “…that marked the start of the Pacific campaign. In the coming week we made landfall in the East, while to the West others marched in from the continent.” Sunset finished her tale. “I was in one of the first landing waves.” “Why?” “Huh?” Sunset grunted, confused. “Why?” Twilight repeated. “Why would you do something like that?” “They gave us no choice.” Sunset said tiredly. “They attacked unprovoked, and when we demanded repercussions…” She sighed softly. “They basically laughed in our face and said they’d do it again.” “That’s horrible.” Celestia said, disgusted that someone could do something like that. Sunset simply nodded before she continued. “We struck quickly, kicked in the door to a council meeting and dragged their ambassador out in cuffs. Rounded up their representatives and shipped them back to their ‘Motherland’. What they called their homeland.” She added, seeing the brewing question. “You were allowed to do that?” Celestia questioned, surprised at the freedom they have. “Allowed, by the UN? They don’t even 'allow’ us to save civies if it goes against their profits.” Sunset spat. “We don’t answer to them, one of the best fuck ups they ever made. We just did it. They want to come bitch about us killing their profits, they're welcome to do so.” Author's Note Quick preview of another semi-Sabaton induced chapter. And a bit of insight into how the UNDF is run.
The UNDF deployed. EditedView OnlineSunset's recollections of a war torn worldThe UNDF deployed. Edited“This is General Sunset Shimmer, Field Commander of the United Nations Defense Force. For decades Humanity sent messages to the stars, wanting to know what’s out there, to know if we were alone or not. *sigh*. Five years ago we got our answer, and god do I wish we were alone. I am recording this message for anyone who may hear it before I join my men and lead the 'Caiden Guards' into battle again, heh, the planet breaks before they will. Five years ago they arrived, five years ago New York was attacked, it’s always New York, they held, barely. Five years ago the White House was destroyed and the US fell under our command, soon other capitals and cities fell, they killed thousands. Four years ago China cut contact, we sent scouts, but they aren’t reporting anything good. Four years ago the official death toll was in the low tens of millions. Three years ago we sank their mothership, ICBMs and nukes were used to destroy and drive off their fleet; much of the Earth was under UNDF control, we became the global government simply because we were all that’s left. We did our best to rebuild and advance Humanity in the years after, but after everything we weren’t ready for when they came back. The force that killed millions and left parts of the planet uninhabitable, was a fucking scout force. A scout force. An invasion fleet of hundreds of ships arrived five months ago, they dropped millions of their giant insects and their damn drones. As I speak Humanity may number in the millions now, maybe even thousands; fuck, for all I know we may be all that’s left. Two hundred thousand men, women, and children are gearing up for a final assault as I record this. We probably aren’t going to survive this, everyone knows this, but we sure as hell aren’t going to go quietly. We fought valiantly, made them pay for every foot in blood, but there was simply too many of them, we never stood a chance. May as well, one last time. ‘To save our Mother Earth from any alien attack. From vicious giant insects who once again came back. We unleashed all our forces, we didn’t cut them any slack. The UNDF deployed. Our soldiers were prepared for any alien threat. The Navy launched thier ships, the Air Force sent their jets. And nothing could withstand our Fixed Bayonets! The UNDF Deployed! Our forces have now dwindled and we pulled back to regroup, our enemies have multiplied and formed a massive group. We’d better beat these bugs before we’re all turned to soup. The UNDF deployed. The Air Force and the Navy were destroyed or cast about. Scouts, Rangers, Wing Divers have almost been wiped out, despite all this the Infantry still stubbornly holds out. The UNDF deployed!’” *Ping* “Well, shit guess it’s time, scouts report the bugs are coming. ‘Our friends were all killed yesterday, as were our families, today we will not make it, facing these atrocities. We’ll never drop our banner despite our casualties. The UNDF deployed! Two days ago my brother died, next day my lover fell, today most everyone was killed, on that we must not dwell, we’ll never leave the field, we’ll never say farewell! The UNDF Deploys!’ Heh, like it? We made it up as the war dragged on, gets kinda depressing at the end, still true though. Well, once more unto the breach. We said we’d never leave the field, and now we’ll die on it. We march unto our deaths, for we won’t go quietly into that good night. Sunset Shimmer out. I hope someone lives to hear this.” Author's Note Got this song stuck in my head for a while now, decided to make something of it. Also one of the main inspirations of the UNDF. Also, that song gets even more depressing in past tense.
Goddess's of the Sea - EditedView OnlineSunset's recollections of a war torn worldGoddess's of the Sea - EditedAuthor's Note Started writing an actual fic with this plot bunny, so I wanted to flesh it out some more. Also misjudged just how big the Gearings were, I'm so used to world war destroyers being smaller than Fletchers I just never looked at their sizes. Goddess's of the Sea - Edited Cobble Hill, New York City. UNDF Press conference, twenty-six days after the Battle of New York. A news helicopter hovered over the bay, its camera panning over the smoldering city, smoke still rose from the islands as the Hudson and bay were filled with floating debris. The city was devastated, but still its people persevered, unwilling to die so easily to this new threat. The scene changed to a camera on the ground overlooking the bay, the devastated skyline in the distance, and sitting almost centre stage was the beached wreck of the mighty battleship Dreadnought, who had been forced aground in the Battle of New York, her guns pointing out to sea, still ready to fight another battle. The camera swung around to focus on the built up stage, as a UNDF officer stepped towards the podium. “This is Captain Sunset Shimmer of the United Nations Defense Force. Today, is a day that will go down in history, the day we took the fight to them. The day we take back our waters, the day we kick their asses off our planet.” She called from the podium, to the cheers of the crowd. “You may have heard rumors about spirits, and ship-girls floating around. Well, I am here to confirm these rumors, and, to top it off, introduce you to some of our very own.” The mass of people stood in silence, hanging off everything she said. Sunset waved her arm to her left. “She has served almost forty years in the US Navy, ‘bout twenty with the Koreans, and another twenty with us. She has served through two major wars, from the Pacific to Vietnam, even earned a battle star with the yanks. Her class was the last to be built to torpedo other ships, she’s seen the dawn of the jet fighter, to putting a man on the moon, to even seeing her sisters used in our games. Let me introduce you toooo, The United Nations Naval Vessel, Gearing.” The curtain behind her was thrown open with great flourish, as a hearty feminine chuckle echoed throughout the building. “Usually, the good Lord works in mysterious ways. But not today! This here is thirty-five hundred tons of straight-up, HE-spewing, dee-vine intervention! If god is love, then you can call me ‘cupid’!” Out of the shadows stepped a rather small girl, if it weren’t for the guns hanging off her dress whites, and what looked like a rocket launcher on her back, they’d think she just left high school. Bracketing her were three slightly smaller girls, similar guns hung off them as well as what looked like torpedoes. “We are green and very, very mean!” She declared, the trio behind her shouting an affirmative ‘Oorah’. “Gearing and her three Fletchers, the Come and Get It, Light in the Black, and Say Uncle, are the first of our Navy to return, and they shall spearhead our advance to reclaim our planet. More shall come to our aid in time, but for now they, and any that other nations have summoned, shall be our stalwart defenders of the seas. Now are there any questions for the girls?” Sunset asked the crowd as she handed the stage to Gearing, who picked one of the reporters at random. ‘What are you?’ “I am the last Gearing class afloat. I may not be the fir- biggest ship around, but I'll fight like the Sammy B. Next.” ‘What do you think of the world now?’ “Ya do realize I only sank like three weeks ago, right. World ain’t that different. Hell, I only sank, like, half a kilometre from here. Next.” ‘Why do you look so different from the other three?’ “A. I’m a Gearing, They’re Fletchers. B. They’re conventional destroyers, I’m a missile destroyer. Next.” ‘What are your plans for the Abyssal threat?’ “I’m going to make them regret being alien bastards, regret coming to Earth, and most certainly regret that the ‘Corp just blew up their raggedy ass fleet!” ‘Oorah!’ “My plans to do it? Eh, figured I’d shoot my way out, mix it up a bit. Next.” Silence. “What? I’m a destroyer. Next!” 'Why do you have your name but the others don't?' At this Gearing paused, debating if she wanted to answer or not, after a terse few seconds she spoke. "The Fletchers and I carry the names we were given entering UNDF service, we care little who we once were, or who we were built as; though others may not see it as we do, and some ships we summon may wish to use their original name. The four of us have carried many different names over our tours, I myself am on my third. I may not be the first of my class, not even the first thirty, but I wear my sister's name with pride. Next!" ‘What does the UNDF plan to do about the Abyssal fleets gathering in the Atlantic?’ Complete silence followed this last question as Sunset grabbed the microphone from her hand. “First, I’m going to have to ask you where you heard about that. Secondly, we are no-” Gearing butt in, stealing the mic again. “Reports state they found something out there, we aren’t sure what, but they really want it. Well I don’t care if it’s God’s own anti-sonova-bitch machine, or a giant hula-hoop, we ain’t letting ‘em have it! What we will let them have is a belly fulla lead, and a pool of their own blood to drown in! Am I right?” She declared triumphantly to the crowd, her brackets giving another loud ‘Oorah!’ as they stomped their feet, cracking the stage’s boards. “Damn right I am. Heh, heh. Now, enough questions. We got demons to put the fear of me into.” ‘Oorah!’ “We will be linking up with the German and British ship-girls, with cover from our surviving ships, and mount an assault on those fuckers.” With that she, and her three followers, marched back into the curtain, disappearing from sight.