"All Fire Teams, get prepped for drop." said the A.I over the ship's intercom. "Well time to get to work. Again." said Scootaloo with a sigh. She was placing shells into her shotgun and moved over to her pod. "Well think about this way Scoots," said Babs, " the UNSC sends us out there because we're the best. If not we'd just be stationed on some ice planet or somethin'." Scootaloo and Babs laughed at the idea of an ODST being 'just stationed'. "Well, we're almost at the drop zone girls. Where's Sweetie Belle?" Applebloom asked. Sweetie Belle popped out from inside her pod. " I'm here. I've been here actually..." "Yeah Applebloom, I can't believe you didn't hear her snoring." Babs said mockingly. "I was just resting before the drop." "Fair enough." Scootaloo said. "Teams Steel through Crusaders, get set for drop." said the A.I. "Well time to go everypony." Applebloom said as she climbed into her pod. The others did the same as the countdown started. "Prepare for drop in, 5. 4. 3. 2. Drop." One by one the Drop Pods fell to the surface of the planet as the AA fire from the cannons of the Covenant ships surrounded them. "Crusaders, check in." Applebloom said. "Sweetie Belle here" "Babs Seed reporting in." "Scootaloo's still alive" "Always good to hear Crusaders." Applebloom said. " It won't be long now, we're almost at the drop zone. Just don't get hit, best thing I can tell ya now." "Uh, guys? We have a problem. There's a Corvette in they way." Sweetie Belle said with worry in her voice. "Hold on Crusaders!" Applebloom said. Just as the Crusaders braced for smash into the Covenant ship, a MAC round from a UNSC ship shot straight through the Corvette. The Crusader's pods slipped through the hole and managed to get to the other side before it finally exploded. They all let out a sigh of relief and silently thanked Celestia for that great shot. Then the ship's A.I came in through the speakers inside the pods. "Watch out Teams. There's many scraps from ships floating around, we'er already getting reports from the ground about teams getting knocked off course." "Well we kinda noticed the 'scraps' already, Frost." Scootaloo said. "I'm so sorry but I'm programmed to state the obvious." Frost said back. Their pods were getting hotter by the minute as they came closer into the atmosphere. The pods jerked as the drag chutes open as the neared the drop zone. Applebloom looked down at the battle below. "Alright Crusaders. Time to remind the Covenant why we're just below Spartans!" As the pods hit the ground in a thunderous boom, the hatches flew open and the Crusaders rushed out into the battle. "Okay girls listen up. Today our task is to secure a landing zone the Pelicans. The Marines have been stuck here with out any kind of resupply and the wounded numbers are building up. After this we are to move into the city and take it back from the grubby hooves to the Covenant. Understood?" Applebloom said. The Crusaders nodded. "Let's get to work Troopers." "According to the schematics, the best LZ is a clearing in a valley....that way." Sweetie Belle sighed as she pointed to the wave of on coming Covenant forces. They gathered their gear and headed away from their drop zone to meet up with some of the marines that have already engaged. "Troopers! Thank Celestia you've arrived! We need some serious help. I'm Captain Flare of Task Force B. There's a downed Pelican over that way that had a Warthog. Maybe you can put it to use?" Flare continued firing at the onslaught as marines continued to fall all around them. "Sweetie Belle, you stay here and cover with the sniper. Babs, you move up with the marines. Scootaloo, you're with me." Applebloom said. "Alright Applebloom but I call. Wait for it. Shotgun!" Scootaloo said as she equipped her shotgun. Everypony just sighed in disappointment. "Seriously? You had all this time and that's what you come up with?" Babs asked has she moved closer to the marines. "They're getting closer." Sweetie Belle said as she popped the helmet off of an Elite. "Right. Scootaloo, let's go!" Applebloom said as she pulled Scootaloo by the collar. A marine called out in the distance. "Wraiths inbound!." and another calling out. "Take cover, Banshees!" Plasma Mortars started hitting all over their position. By the time Applebloom and Scootaloo got to the Pelican, the Covenant were all over them. "Scootaloo, toss me your SMG, I'll cover you, get that Hog back on four wheels." Scootaloo gave Applebloom the SMG. "I'm not a Spartan you know!" she called back. Applebloom started unloading clips onto Grunts on fast approach. "Scootaloo?" she asked as more and more aliens rushed towards them. "I'm trying!" Scootaloo's ramming herself into the Warthog until it finally tipped over. "Alright. No problem!" Scootaloo said between heavy pants. Applebloom gave Scootaloo her SMG back and quickly hoped into the driver seat. Scootaloo climbed into the back and got in gunner. They drove towards the Wraiths and got their attention. Babs saw the opportunity. She looked around to see a Grenade Launcher and aimed it to the Wraiths. She shot at the cores in the back of them, destroying the instantly. Sweetie Belle did the same with her sniper and took out a few units in her wake. With the Wraiths gone the rest of the forces fell back to city and the Banshees scattered. The Pelicans showed up with reinforcements and resupply. Also the wounded were taken off of the planet and back to safety. The Crusaders formed up and awaited for further instructions. "Well you know what they say girls. Hooves first into Hell." Applebloom said looking at the city crawling with Covenant forces as Phantoms flew freely overhead.
The Real Mares of The Night
"Well this is just great!" Scootaloo snorted. "Scootaloo, keep your voice down. You're going to get us caught." Sweetie Belle told her. "We are on the roof of the tallest building in the city. Unless the Covenant was behind that door, we're pretty safe." Hours have past after the drop. The Crusaders and other small teams have been sent inside the city walls for reconnaissance to see if the Covenant has any structures placed anywhere. It's dark, rainy, and the enemy is all over them. Phantoms and Banshees flew over as the Covenant puts a stronger hold on the city. Suddenly the two heard a sound coming from the roof door. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle glanced over at each other and equipped their silencers to their SMG's. They cover the door and waited for a while before hearing Morse Code tapping on the other side. The door slowly opened to reveal Applebloom and Babs Seed. "So how was the view from up here?" Applebloom asked. "Increased air traffic. And it looks like squads are come out of nowhere all over the place and are coming into the city." Sweetie Belle replied. "Well the Covenant has a big teleporter in the center of town. We aren't sure what they are bringing but it's gonna be pretty big." Babs told them. "We got the order to head back to the Command Post before some teams get spotted." Applebloom said. As Babs headed for the door she could hear voices. It was the voices of Jackal Snipers moving up the stairs. She slowly closed the door and looked to the rest of the Crusaders. "We got company." she told them. Then the door swung open as the Snipers moved onto the roof. Scootaloo came from behind one and put her hoof around it's mouth. She slowly moved towards the edge and pushed the Jackal over. Another Sniper turned and faced her just as Applebloom's silenced pistol popped it in the head. The other Snipers were dealt with by Babs and Sweetie as they unloaded their clips into them. They silently moved down the stairs when they noticed an elevator. "I dunno. Can we really trust this?" Scootaloo said worryingly. "Unless you want to walk down all these stairs checking every spot possible for an alien to hide. Besides we can get outta here faster." Babs said. The Crusaders approached the elevator with caution. The doors opened and they walked inside. Sweetie Belle hit the lobby button. "Scanners aren't showing and enemy reads. That's good right?" "They could have Spec Ops teams in here maybe." Applebloom said. "Well I guess they are just standing perfectly still." Sweetie Belle said while putting away the scanner. The elevator finally came to a halt in the lobby and the doors opened. "Wait a second. Scanner's going crazy with enemy movement." Sweetie Belle said. "Quick, get to cover and stay low." The Crusaders moved out of the elevator and into the dark lobby. "Sweetie Belle. Are they coming this way?" Applebloom called out. "No they're moving past us and are heading for the center of the city. There's a strong energy reading coming from the south of the city though." Applebloom's getting a transmission form the out post. "Change of plans Crusaders, the Covenant has a shield in place and you're boxed in. You need to get rid of that shield so we can continue with the operation and get you out of there. I guessing you have an idea of where it is. So your objective is to not only disable the generator but make sure they cant fix it and turn it back on. Then get out alive and in one piece. Got it?" "Understood Commander." Applebloom replied. "Good luck, Crusaders. Command out." "Alright Crusaders, it's time we make the job easier for the air crews and take out that generator."
