The Lost Brigade

By sierra_seven_

Prologue: Takungartut

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"So, what do you propose we do?" The stallion sighed, exasperated by the lack of progress. They'd been sat around the table for the past few hours, debating a course of action. Glasses of water sat untouched before them. Notepads filled with hastily scribbled notes circulated the room, provoking small outbursts of discussion, and more frequently, argument.

"It's simple. We don't have the strength to take on the threat straight on, so we need to come up with another course of action." General Graphite Shard had several folders before him, each listing the growing strength of Sombra's makeshift army. They all understood the threat that the unicorn battle-mage posed. Well, most of them.

"We've already discussed this! Sombra isn't stronger than the collective military strength of the Empire. Have faith in our defences, and in our soldiers. Sirs, I don't think there's any need for more deba-" Shard cut off the pony, eying him with disgust.

"Defences? Those half-destroyed ruins circling our city? They'd fall within hours, at the most. You've seen the reports from the shield patrols, Sombra's already moving scouts towards us. We have weeks, days perhaps. You want us to cower behind our walls, and our magic?"

"The Princesses of Equestria have already promised us support, and we're already entertaining a division of unicorns from Canterlot. What does Sombra have? A few icefly-riddled boars and a corruption or two? We need to focus on the preparations for the upcoming Crystal Fair, and take the opportunity to strengthen the shield. I'm sure the scholars from the Academy would be glad to top up the shield's reserves. Sombra's head is probably so far up his own backside that his arrogance will lead us to a swift victory."

A few of the assembled chuckled, before noticing the steely gazes of the rest of the Council. General Shard produced a small chart, presenting it to the assembled ponies. They all recognised his authority; his strategic knowledge was essential here.

"As you are all aware, we've only been able to maintain the general population's ignorance because of the Cloudsdale Airlift Scheme. If knowledge of our current situation leaks out, we'll be facing mass protests, demonstrations and it will become a lot harder to organise a response to this attack. Unfortunately, we've left it far too late. We all assumed Sombra would fade into the background, but that is now clearly not the case. The Cloudsdale Airlift Scheme will continue until such a time as it is unnecessary or impractical."

"General, could you please remind ze council of... zis scheme," asked an elderly zebra, the Minister for Culture.

"Of course. Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria, agreed to airlift food and supplies into the Empire via pegasus convoy. In return, we are trading a large proportion of our gem reserves. It's not the greatest deal we've ever struck, but it is essential. Without this, we would need to send convoys across the Wastes to Scandineighvia. The pegasus convoys are operating out of Cloudsdale, one of their larger cities, hence the name. Celestia has also dispatched a communications detachment from Canterlot, to act as a fast response team for any battalions we send outside the shield. Much faster than conventional messengers."

"What of Princess Luna? Has she granted us any further support?" enquired an aide, one that the general almost overlooked when he first trotted into the conference room.

Thankfully, the Foreign Minister decided to answer this. "Unfortunately, Princess Luna has taken a lesser approach to Equestrian politics in the last few months. Rumour is that she is unwell. In short, all support is being organised through Celestia. However, the Saddle Arabians have recently dispatched a shipment of gunpowder, weapons and a small amount of luxuries to Equestria, which will then be airlifted to us."

"Are there any developments on the status of that shipment?" asked the general, anxious to hear about the weapons. They were essential for what would come next.

"The shipment should be arriving within the hour, along with Director Lemon Rind and his communications detachment. It'll be one of the last personnel transfers, depending on the status of Sombra's advance."

"Well, we'll soon be ready to take the fight to him."

The Chancellor of the Exchequer slammed a hoof down on the table. "I don't care what happens with this war, the damage already caused to the economy is already beyond simple repair. We've had no trade in or out of the Empire in weeks, and we're beginning to run low on sugar, paper, cocoa beans..."

The assembled ponies slipped into mindless arguing once more. General Shard raised a hoof to his face, rubbing his forehead. While they argued, he took the opportunity to trot out onto the balcony overlooking the city. Below him, the Empire's citizens lived in peaceful ignorance. They knew Sombra, of course, but certainly not the threat he posed. However, it was his job to ensure the survival of the Empire, not it's citizens. If there was anything he'd learnt during his career, it was that not everyone could be saved.

He'd spent enough nights shaking in a trench during the Year of Long Shadows, covered in the blood of his soldiers. Once he'd risen high enough in the chain of command, soldiers and citizens became figures. He was there to ensure the Big Picture remained intact. After all, he had officers under his command to look out for the soldiers and civvies.

With this clear in his mind, he returned to the crowded conference room. They were still arguing. "Silence!" he shouted, stunning some of the civilians. "Sombra is the greatest threat we've faced since the Year of Long Shadows. Officials from Equestria to Saddle Arabia have pledged support, so this is no matter to be taken lightly. Sombra has had his minions raid the Rideyah Academy for Advanced Majicks, so he likely has the knowledge necessary to phase through the shield. If we sit back and do nothi-"

The doors slammed open as two guardsponies galloped into the room. "General! L-latest reports from t-the field, sir!" one guard panted, while the other dumped a dossier onto the table. The Minister for Culture slid the folder open, sliding out a few sketches.

"Zis, zis is terrible! Ze army stretches to ze very horizons!"

"Minister, control yourself," General Shard snapped, pulling the folder towards himself. He immediately dragged out the notes regarding army size and structure.

"General? How does it look?" asked his opponent from earlier, the Minister for Civic Development. The general merely sighed, and slid the folder closed.

"Troop numbers in the thousands. Everything from magick-corrupted beasts to siege engines. The city is lost. There is no way we can mount a significant defence before they reach us. We have stocks of gunpowder imported from Saddle Arabia, plenty of food and water stockpiled and a sizeable guard. We could escape into the caves and detonate them behind us, saving much of the city's population. At this point, we need to plan for a full-scale evacuation into the ruins below the city. Any defence of the city will result in massive casualties for both sides."

"Not an option," murmured the Emperor. He'd been silent throughout the entire discussion, merely observing. "We are not cowards. If Sombra takes the city, there is no telling what strength he'd achieve from our libraries and academies. He's already corrupted his soul and mind for power, so there's nothing stopping him from collapsing the caves from above us. We'd be crushed like ants. We must fight, and we must fight hard. The gunpowder will make sure no texts are left to him, and the supplies will ensure a significant resistance can be mounted."

General Shard rose, trotting over to a wall-sized map of the city. "The residential sector of the city would be easily defensible. Narrow streets, deep basements and easy access to the rooftops. From there, we could mount a full-scale counter attack by collapsing some of the streets with explosives. Once the attacking force is trapped, we can dispatch the Emperor's 4th Royal Hussars to surround them, and wipe them out. This is, of course, assuming they come through the closest entrance."

"Suppose they entered through the commercial sector, besieging the exits from the city? Open tents and markets..." For the first time, worry flashed across the Emperor's features.

"Then we flood the tunnels with oil, denying them a flanking route through the sewer network. After that, we'd have to face them head-on in the markets. Casualties would be massive."

"You are, of course, talking about Sombra's forces, general?"

"Both." General Shard's face remained as expressionless as stone, awaiting a response from the assembled council.

The table grew silent for the first time in hours. "So we'll be slaughtered in the thousands? For nothing?" The portly Chancellor began to sweat profusely with anxiety.

"I know honour must be an alien concept to you, Topaz, but a fight we must mount. Every guard, every soldier, every male must be armed to defend the city."

"How long do we have?"

The Emperor turned around, considering this. "Four days. We'll wait four days before raising the alert. And General Shard, I do not want every soldier defending the city. If we are to die fighting, we need someone to send the warning to the other countries. Equestria must prepare, for they are in the most immediate danger."

General Shard looked momentarily shocked. "Your Majesty, we can't send guards to safety without there being an outcry. They'll want to stay and fight!"

"Then give them sealed orders. Dispatch them to the fortress network, have them take supplies and building materials to dig in. Sombra wouldn't care for wiping out a few crumbling fortresses. He's only interested when knowledge is involved, and there's no knowledge to be found in the Wastes. General, I believe your own daughter is a captain in the guard. She can lead me of these expeditions."

"But your Majesty, she should be fighting alo-"

"General!" shouted the Emperor, shocking every pony assembled. "I am doing you a favour by saving your daughter's life! Go, write up your orders. They will leave in two days for the fortresses, while we prepare weapons and defences. On day four, every male will be armed, and by day six..."

"We'll be ready," the general affirmed quietly.

"Now, I've been informed by the Head of Archaeology from the Academy that we won't be defenceless. They have recovered stones similar to the Crystal Heart and the gate stones. These relics are priceless, but immensely powerful. I have had them brought out of storage to be prepared for use."

"Emperor, what do zese 'stones' do?" enquired the Minister for Cultural Development.

A small, fragile-looking pony spoke up, identifying himself as Chief of Scientific Development. "We believe one is an addition to the Crystal Heart. One responding to the same frequency as that which resonates within the Heart. They believe it has the capability to 'seal' the Empire indefinitely. It would turn the shield into an impenetrable, camouflaged barrier, effectively making the Empire impossible to find. This would be a last resort, as we do not fully understand the effects of this stone. The second, I am told, is capable of permanently erasing the memory of all caught within the event radius. Make no mistake, this is not selective memory erasure. It is equal to mass murder in terms of scale, as the ancient tablets suggest those affected also 'forget how to breathe'. Again, we do not know how time has denatured the magic contained within. Again, it is immensely powerful. Again, it is a last resort."

The elderly pony disappeared into the background as quickly as he had appeared, as the more influential members assembled began to argue.

"Memory magic? We could all end up as drooling vegetables!"

"What's this about shielding the Empire indefinitely! Our economy is in ruins as it is!"

"Gentleponies, I demand the pleasure of beheading the treacherous 'King' Sombra once his army lies in ruins."

General Shard wandered over to the balcony, looking over the sweeping cosmopolitan sprawl. 'I guess it'll be easier for Sapphire to work, without all this blasted bureaucracy slowing matters down. After all, they've had plenty of time to prepare for a situation like this.' A dark storm was brewing on the horizon, and it would soon be crashing down against the legendary shield of the Crystal Empire.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading the first chapter! Just as a quick note, I will be using British spellings, ranks, titles and words throughout this story. If you notice a spelling error, please check to make sure it isn't one of the above. As always, comments, favourites, votes and watches all mean a lot to me. Hell, even a comment lets me know someone actually enjoyed this.