//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 (Unedited) 
// Story: Aliens Equestrian Marines 
// by ShadowLeomus 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 2 Cold Awaking

In hyper-sleep you don't dream, everypony knows that.
But here she was. Dreaming.
She was relieving a memory from her childhood, back when she had lived on Equus in the palace.
this memory was of her in her room reading.
what could she say, when your raised by a book worm you tend to end up reading allot too.
she heard a knock at he door followed by it opening.
"Midnight?" 
Filly Midnight watched the pony's shadow come further into the room.
"Midnight Are you in here?"
Midnight climbed out of her hiding space quietly, trying not to get the attention of the pony.
Quietly she hovered along ceiling until she was just above the pony.
then she let her self drop onto the pony's back.
"HI Twi!" she said happyly.
The Alicorn jumped in surprise "Midnight! you scared me" she ruffled Midnight mane "I don't know where you get your energy dear".
Filly Midnight giggled "Look at what I'm reading Twilight" she showed her, her book.
The alicorn picked up the book and read the title out load "The Battle of shattered Bones" she looked up at the filly alicorn "Midnight how did you get this?"
"It was in the library silly" she said as if it was nothing "I've read all the battles, the Liberation of halys world, Evacuation of Typhon-"
Twilight raised her hoof to silence the filly "OK OK but that's not what I meant" she lifted the book up "These books were in a locked room, how did you get them".
Midnight shuffled nervously "I know you told me to not read them but I really like them so I sneak in through the vents and chose one and get out before anyone knows I'm there".
Twilight looked at her in shock "But how do you get them without triggering the anti-theft spell?".
Midnight was more happy to speak about that "You always leave your books laying around and every once and a while I read them" she admitted "you left the spell out one day so I just made a counter spell that tricked the spell into thinking I was borrowing it".
Looking at her Mentor, she could see that she was impressed "You know... no one has ever been able to do that before".
"It wasn't that hard"
"But still, in the morning You will go and take this back OK" Twilight said sternly.
Midnight looked at her sadly "Are you going to stop me from reading them?"
"Midnight your too young to be rea-" she stopped as Midnight looked at her with her award winning puppy eyes.
Twilight try'd to resist it but faltered after a few moments with a sigh.
"Fine, you can read them" immediately after, she had the young filly wrapped around her neck hugging her "Thankyouthankyouthankyou" She said overjoy'd.
"Can't breath" Twilight whisperer comically.
after a minuet of this, Midnight felt a warmness as Twilight lifted her off her using her magic "OK you little rascal... Time for bed".
She set the filly down on he bed and pulled the covers over her. 
Another figure stood at the doorway.
"OK, me and aunty Celly have some important work to do" walked over to the door and looked back "Night My little pony" she said.

____________________________________________

Midnight woke with a start, what the hell was that.
She rose up with a groan, trying to remember where she was.
"Raise and shine filly's" somepony shouted.
then it all came rushing back, where she was, why she was there, everything.
Midnight began to clime out of her cryo tube, looking around.
most of the cryo tubes around her were empty, every platoon was out except for her's.
Midnight checked the date, it had only been a month since they had set off, why were they being woken up early?
The pony who had been shouting had been Goldroot "for any of you who are having trouble remembering anything you are part Viper platoon of the E.S.S Salura".
Midnight went over to where the rest of the platoon was standing, listening to the Sargent.
"I've got good news and some bad news" he said, gettinhg straight to the point "you wont be spending the rest of the trip in hyper-sleep".
Oats, who looked like Crap, stepped forwards "Whats to good news?"
"that was the good news son" the Old Sargent looked straight into Midnight eyes "The bad news is that we have a level 12 Xeno infestation on board".
Nervously whispers followed the announcement.
"We're the last platoon to be woken and the situation is grave indeed" he smiled grimly "So lock and load!"
"Hoora!".

____________________________________________

Armory, deck 2, 20 minuets later.

"Pass me a clip"
"Here you go, catch"
The armory was abuzz with activity, ponys pulling pulse rifles or shotguns from there racks and attaching them to there battle saddles.
Midnight looked at a collection of weapons that lined the racks.
She felt like a filly in a candy store.
"Will you just pick something" she heard someone said behind her.
She turned around to find Oats hefting a Smartgun "Your worst then my sister!".
She eyed the large gun "Hmm seems like your going with the biggest gun in the armory".
"No, sadly they wouldn't let me strap a atomizer cannon to my side, but-" he shrugged "what can I do".
Midnight rolled her eyes "well while your playing with your big toys, Ill be using something more subtle".
She pulled a pulse rifle from the rack with her magic.
she inspected it twice before nodding, satisfied and placed it in a holster on her back.
"Alright Marines, shopping times over" Goldroot shouted "Talon and Wolf platoons need some backup".
everyone began filing out of the room, with Midnight at the back.
just as she was about to leave the last rack, something caught her eye.
A complete rack of Incinerator Flamethrowers.
quickly she bolted over and grabbed one, plus spare canisters of fuel, and ran out.
out side, the squads were all lined up in groups.
"Midnight... A word".
She spun around to find Goldroot standing behind her.
Looking at him, she knew what is was about.
"Yes sir"
the moved down the hallway, away form prying eyes.
"Midnight... you remember that dream you told me about?" he asked, looking around.
"Yes, and yes I think that the situation we are in currently may be to do with it"
He shook his head "If I wasn't on Hellios, then I would think you were crazy" he paused "But then we'd all be dead by now".
He cleared her thought "I have a job for your team, Captain Bright Lance went missing a few days ago and I want you to keep an eye out for him".
"Yes Sir!"
As she turned to go, Goldroot put a hoof  on her shoulder "One more thing... keep an eye on my daughter corporal, shes all I got left..."
Hearing this rare show of affection stunned her, the Sargent never spoke openly about his feeling, even about his Daughter.
"You don't need to tell me twice Sir" she assured him "Buttercups one of my closest friends and I'm not about to let some Xeno harm her or any one under my command"
"Also I am promoting you to Sargent Midnight, and giving you command over all of Viper Platoon" he said, pulling out a  set of Sargent pips and pining them on her Armour.
She was about to say something when her radio crackled to life/
"This is barricade 3! were under heavy assult and need su...Ahhhh-" the pony's crys was cut off.
"Get moving Sargent, you've got work to do".
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Barricade 3.

She arrived at the barricade to find that the attack was over, but there were still pones being carried to the medics.
one of the wounded pony's stopped her "Sir, they took seven others with them deeper into the hive" he said.
she neeled down "Who did they take?" she asked.
"A few from Talon Platoon, and one of yours... someponys named buttercup..." he started coughing violently as the medic took him away.
Midnight, shocked at this news imeadietly began putting together a team to rescue the lost pony's and were quickly off down the way the Xenos had fled.
then they came to a door, which was ajar.
using her magic she open the door to reveal...