Crusade against Equestria.

A new year meant a new beginning for many. But in countries ravaged by war all is but the same. Three A10 Warthog`s make their rendezvous on a target on the outskirts of a major city. Their target is an oil refinery captured by the rebels in the bloodiest civil war in the modern era: The civil war in Syria. A commander of a pinned down regiment calls in for air support, “WERE PINNED!!” the commander cried. High command of the Syrian defense forces scrambled to the commanders aid. “Where are you?!” asked the leader of the warthog attack squad to the commander. “Were off the west of an oil refinery in the outskirts of Damascus, but you must hurry. We need to push through the rebel line.” The pilot replied “We copy, sir, ETA twenty five seconds.”

The three warplanes close in for the attack, flying over the chaos the civil war has caused to their country, entire settlements destroyed in the heavy fighting on the free for all which is the war. 2013 just started out but the celebrations were short lived as the world spirals down to a melting point. Bankruptcy, Corruption, theft and war ravages the New Year. Unemployment in America rising ever more and the government tries to use the propaganda that is the media that all is going fine but the truth is it is getting worse and worse. In the South China Sea, American naval dominance is challenged by the rising super power that is china on a standoff which may lead to another world war. This is the New Year that everyone must now endure.

Back on Syria, the rebel defiance at their government has been taking the lives of tens of thousands of people, most of which are children. The rebels have been holding the oil refineries and derricks for six months. If they can hold it longer the mechanized army of the local government will run out, including the air force. Now another massive counter attack by the government tries to break through the rebel lines, but to no avail. Commander of the rebel defense in the Damascus branch: Ishmael Mohamed-All Naik, a seasoned general on the civil war. He was once a convenience store clerk when the civil war calls him to arms. Now he stands defiantly at the oncoming horde, Hundreds of tanks with their chocking fumes and their metal tracks make an artificial sandstorm off the desert like a an army of horses ready to charge upon thy foe.

The other solders aren’t as brave as Ishmael considering how most of them didn’t even want to fight. Most are conscripts and released prisoners trained for the most basic use of weapons and arms. They aren’t even trained to clean their weapons, supposed it jams. They nervously peak through the windows of the abandoned homes and businesses in their little fortified town strategic to access the oil refinery. Ismail looks down at his small army entrenched in the city, “Men, most of us may not make this battle but always know you fight for a cause that will ensure this nations next generation`s survival. Look at them down there, there men cowardly hiding behind their fancy tanks and jets or whatever. No one of us isn’t afraid aren’t I right?” None answered. “I said no one of us isn’t afraid, am I right?!” He asked once more. A handful shyly raised their weapons in the air slowly. He knows his men are afraid and it is up to him to raise their morale.

“Freedom fighters, prepare to defend yourselves! ALLAH AKBAR!!”  He then gives the signal on the hidden artillery group to fire upon the enemy. On the first volley several tanks were knocked out by the rebels, but the armed forces have many more and soon the artillery which temporarily held back the enemy begins to overwhelm them. Fighting now begins to start within the city as the entrenched men now try to hold off a massive armed forces counterattack.  Ishmael aiming for the army valiantly fights along with his colleagues as they defend the city with all their might. A tank in the corner of his eye catches his attention as he quickly aims for the armored vehicle with a rocket propelled grenade the tank puffed in smoke and busted to flames. A kid curiously looks at the tank that was burning but the Ismail quickly picked up the boy and carried him away, just in the nick of time when the tank explodes.

The city gets its baptism of fire for the first time since it was taken by the rebels six months earlier. The ground forces have themselves pinned from the heavy entrenchment of entire apartments converted into pillboxes brimming with cannons and machine gun emplacements. Although the enemy armored and infantry forces find it hard to crack the free Syrian army defense of the oil refinery of Damascus, the air force enjoyed air superiority as the A10s continue to harass the rebels in the air. As Ishmael continues to fire on top of a rooftop heavy fire from the warthogs Gatling guns grave his left cheek and two men behind him were literally cut in half by the strafing run. “Somebody try and take out those planes!” he screamed. A pickup truck with a 50 cal. desperately tries to fire at the planes. To no avail the aim was too inaccurate and the plane was too fast. The planes sent in another strafing run, ripping apart the pickup truck and finally blowing up. One of Ishmaels second in command try to reason to him. “We must withdraw! The planes are cutting down our men. If we don t retreat now, well be dead!” Ismail shook his head “Holding this oil refinery will be the difference to this war effort. If we give up now the next generation of this country will be under slavery and death!”

“But we cannot knock out the planes, general!” the lieutenant reasoned out. “If we only have a way to take them out, we can hold this sector.”

“Where are the stinger missiles and SAM's” Questioned Ismail.

“They were stolen back by the army. All we have is the FLAK cannons!”

The general nodded his head. “That’s it! How the hell haven`t you fools ever tried to use it against the planes then?”

“But Ishmael this is the age of modern warfare. You don’t use flak cannons to take out a jet plane; this is not the Second World War!” Ismail looked at the man eye to eye. “If it can take out a helicopter, then it can take out a plane! Solder, tell me where the FLAK is!” The lieutenant shuddered. “Two blocks from here, on the rooftop of the makeshift command center.”

Ismail dashed quickly towards the said building but on his way down the chaos of the battle overwhelmed him. Rocked grenades, missiles, bullets fly like droplets of water when taking a bath. Running through the fire like a mad man he dodged his way through the battlefield. An advancing tank cornered him in an alleyway. Instead of retreating he ran towards the war machine, using his pistol to kill the machine gunner on top the turret. He shoved away the corpse blocking the entrance on top of the turret and threw a satchel full of anti-tank explosives and shut down the hatch. He ran away from the vehicle, exploding just after he was safely away. He finally reached the command center which was being overwhelmed by the enemy. Gunshots can be heard from the inside. He is out of bullets so he uses his combat knife instead. Upon entering the structure defense army solders blocked his way but he was valiant to fight them from up-close.  Tackling a solder down and then slitting the throat and using another as a human shield and cutting down the rest. Climbing up the stairs he goes, dodging fire and fighting in hand to hand combat he finally reached the rooftop. He noticed a few solders barricaded inside a janitors room and quickly rallies to aid him in the Flak cannon. “Load the cannon! Shoot the planes, QUICKLY!!” The conscripts shakily load the cannon`s ammunition and then prepares to fire. “Hey you, help me crank the cannon to aim! And you, load the ammunition to this if it runs out, got it?!” The conscripts just nodded.

The A10`s just returned from refueling and rearming just when Ismail is manning the cannon. The conscript to his left wants to fire already but Ishmael said “Hold your fire! Ill fire in cue, you however continue loading this shit!” When the Planes are close enough for maximum lethality, the squeezes the trigger, the cannons pounding sound beats down upon their hearts as the lay fire at the planes. They were on a V formation so knocking out multiple targets was easy. One plane gets hit in the wing barrel rolling down and exploding upon the advancing enemy army. The rebels from the ground yelled in applause at the downing of the enemy planes. The men using the cannons never stop firing until the magazines holding the shells were out. “Reload!” Ishmael commanded. The loader quickly loads up the ammunition and firing resumed. They never stopped until the sky was full of smoke from the downed planes and Flak clouds. The enemy army starts to rout and retreat while the rebels celebrate. The rebels chanted words from the Qur'an and scream praises for Allah, their god. “We hold the line in an unbelievable defense, against all odds. The cowards now retreat back to the desert for them now the day is ours!! ALLAH AKBAR!!” The solders chant along with him as the rebels celebrate. Their celebration was short lived when the Flak cannon was heavily strafed by unseen fire. Two of the men were cut down instead of Ismail. Suddenly explosions ring around the city as artillery raise the city to the ground. Ishmael tries to escape the building but finds the structure hid by one of the carpet bombs. The building crumbles and falls and as Ismail goes down the last thing he sees in the sky over him is a C-130 dropping a bomb. A MOAB over the fallen structure the bomb detonates an now Ismail and everyone within the blast zone is dead.