The Equestrian X-Com Project

The Equestrian X-Com Project
Chapter 3: To the skies!

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The X-Com command room erupted into cheers and hoof stomps, the X-Com project had worked! The aliens had been beaten and Mexicolt City was safe from those monsters. Luna firm expression finally gave a small smile as she spoke into her headset "Well done troops, you have given X-Com it's first victory, and the aliens something to fear. You have made history today, the day we turned the tide."

Vinyl Scratch's voice could be heard through the command room speakers, "Got it; returning to base, Bulk will need some treatment when we get there."

"The clinic staff are standing by, we will speak more when you return" Luna said taking off her head set and began receiving hoof shakes from the celebrating staff. The small marker on the hologram board indicating Fluttershy's location began to move away from Mexicolt City and towards the HQ.

Twilight Sparkle approached Base Commander Luna through the cheering crowd of ponies, "so the X-Com project works apparently."

"Thou had doubts that it would?" Luna spoke to her head researcher.

"Well... Its just what happened to the FLD... And my brother. I was unsure that we could ever defeat the aliens" Twilight looked at the floor. The harsh reality of her brother being gone still plagued Twilight's thoughts, she tried to keep her mind focused on her research and the X-Com project but Shining Armor's death kept forcing it's way back in to her thoughts. Twilight had never experienced death like this before, she had seen graveyards and watched funerals, but this was her brother! This was the stallion that stood by her when she was sad, this was the stallion that pushed her to succeed, he was more than her brother he was her best friend, and now he was gone.

Luna paused before speaking, "I respected your brother greatly. What he did and what he stood for is something Celestia or myself could never live up to. To feel that way about a mortal is a normal occurrence, Prince Shining Armor was truly exceptional. Maybe one day the ponies of the X-Com project will make him proud. Dark times are ahead Twilight; stay strong" Luna placed a wing on Twilight's back, Twilight nodded sadly.

Elsewhere the white unicorn named Rarity stood by herself watching Fluttershy's feed, taking notes on her clipboard. "Looks like your Skyranger worked fine" Applejack the earth pony said approaching Rarity.

Rarity turned to face Applejack, she was not celebrating like the others. "There still is room for improvement, its needs to be quicker. Think of how many ponies died while waiting for the troops" Rarity argued stomping a hoof.

Applejack raised an eyebrow, she was surprised at Rarity's comment. "Ah don't be to hard on yourself Rarity, imagine 'ow many would have died if your Skyranger crashed into the Badland mountains."

Rarity slowly nodded, Applejack had a point. "Thanks Applejack; I have to get back to the interceptor construction. I left Rainbow Dash in the half finished exoskeleton, I should go and check on her before she gets bored and damages the suit trying to get out" Rarity said leaving the command room. Applejack chuckled to herself and then returned to the celebration.

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Fluttershy landed the Skyranger with a harsh thud shaking the drop ship making the four soldiers fall out onto the hanger floor in a heap. Rainbow Dash watched from a distance, bursting out into laughter while stuck in the construction scaffolding Rarity had set up. A few seconds later four ponies dressed in medical uniforms rushed into the hanger with a stretcher. The pony leading them was a brown earth pony stallion with a short spiky darker brown mane and tail, his cutie mark was of an hourglass. The stallion spoke to his staff "get the white muscular one on the stretcher and take him to the clinic."

The medical ponies all struggled lifting Bulk's heavy body onto the stretcher. Derpy looked up at the stallion, her face lit up as soon as she realized who it was. "Brother!!" she exclaimed rising to her feet and giving the doctor a long hug.

Both Octavia and Vinyl looked at the two ponies hugging and then at each other. "Brother?!" Vinyl and Octavia asked simultaneously wondering if they had heard correctly.

The doctor reached his hoof out to Vinyl "Dr Whooves; at your service." Vinyl hoof bumped the doctor's hoof. "Sorry I would like to stay and chat with the soldiers that helped my sister, but I need to get back to the clinic and operate on Bulk's wounds before they become worse. I'll see you sometime in the lounge, I've got a present to give you Derpy." And with that the medical ponies rushed the confused Bulk Biceps out of the hanger, Dr Whooves galloped after them leaving the 3 soldiers and 2 pilots sitting in the hanger.

Rainbow Dash tried to free herself from the half finished exoskeleton, "erm I think Pinky Pie wanted to hold a party for your victory in the lounge, I think you should get going or you are going to miss it" Rainbow told the 3 remaining soldiers, Octavia nodded and began to leave the hanger with her two teammates. "Oh one more thing... Could you save some cake for me?" Rainbow Dash called out still stuck in her harness.

"Umm... also can you let me out of here?" Fluttershy called out of the Skyranger cockpit but the soldiers had already left.

"Oh no, your staying here and keeping me company, I'm not being left alone with Rarity!"

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The lounge was filled with the X-Com staff and the other soldiers all celebrating together. Pinkie Pie had set her sound system playing her classic party songs, and with all the chatter and laughing the lounge was filled with calm and happy atmosphere, a rare gift in this world as of late. Pinkie Pie had been mixing and serving drinks behind her bar when she saw Vinyl, Octavia and Derpy enter the lounge, she imminently called them over to the bar. "Hey every pony! The champions of Mexicolt are here!" Pinkie pie shouted drawing everyone's attention to the 3 soldiers.

Immediately all the ponies in the crowd turned towards the 3 soldiers erupting into hoof stomps and cheers. Vinyl gave a large smile to greet the crowd and hoof bumped nearby ponies. Octavia hung her head lower as she stood in Vinyl's shadow, she was not used to this kind of attention. Derpy hugged as many ponies as she could before reaching the bar. "Here let me get you heroes a drink!" Pinkie Pie bounced behind the bar getting a few glasses ready, "Let me tell ya, you guys are sooooo amazing! Going out and shutting up the aliens like that! You ponies are like celebrities now!" Pinkie Pie trailed off looking at Vinyl Scratch, "well more of a celebrity now."

While Pinkie Pie served the 3 heroes two black pegasi looked on from a distance, one with a blue mohawk and the other with a long black mane. It was the two remaining members of the Ponyville Militia, the two ponies who had the most combat experience out of all the soldiers. "I read the reports, they did amazing for their first combat" Midnight Strike said to Thunderlane.

Thunderlane chuckled to himself, "hopefully they can live up to the name they set for themselves. This victory will really help the other soldiers stand up to the aliens."

"I noticed Vinyl giving a lot of orders in the report. She had some nice tactics seeing how she hadn't commanded before."

"She has the charisma to lead, and the bravery to become a true hero... But I have a suspicion the tactics came from some pony else" Thunderlane suggested as his eyes scanned over to Octavia hiding in Vinyl's shadow.

Two ponies approached Vinyl Scratch at the bar, one was an earth pony with a beige coat and a curled blue mane with a rose pink streak. The other was a unicorn who had a mint colored coat and a windswept cyan mane and tail with a white streak. The Unicorn had a harp for a cutie mark while the other had three candy wrappers. Both seemed brimming with energy and awe for Vinyl. "Hey Vinyl! Great work on the operation in Mexicolt! My name is Sweetie Drops but you can call me Bonbon!" the beige earth pony bounced with energy eagerly shaking Vinyl's hoof.

The unicorn butted Bonbon away and faced Vinyl Scratch."Hi I'm Lyra! So great to be working with you! Bonbon and I will help you however we can!"

Bonbon pushed up against Lyra trying to get back Vinyl's attention. "How was it on the field? Was it scary? Were you nervous?"

Lyra edged closer to Vinyl "How many aliens did you kill? Do they really breath fire?"

Vinyl nervously backed up to the bar laughing and scratching the back of her neck with her hoof. She tried to answer the barrage of questions but couldn't stop stuttering and getting interrupted. Octavia smiled at her best friend's popularity, Pinkie Pie noticed this. "Your not jealous are you? Scratchy getting all the praise and your stuck at the bar drinking cider."

"No I'm not jealous. I'm just happy that Vinyl can unite ponies under her. She doesn't look it but she cares for her squad mates. She could be all we need to save Equestria... Anyway I'm not drinking cider" Octavia pointed out.

"Do you want one? You look like a cider drinker to me."

Octavia looked at Pinkie Pie with a blank stare pausing briefly, "I prefer Fillydelphia Vineyards Sparkling Magic Champagne."

Pinkie Pie looked at Octavia with a blank stare pausing briefly, "cider it is then!" she smiled setting a tankard on the table. Octavia gave a disappointed sigh and rested her head on her hooves.

The last soldier that X-Com had hired was keeping to herself, she lounged about on a couch away from the crowd. She was a pegasus called Cloud Chaser, she had a light purple colored coat with a styled spiked cyan and white mane and tail. Her cutie mark was of a shooting star. She didn't feel like celebrating, she knew that this fight was the first of many, her mind was troubled by many feelings she had obtained from her past. She had not fared well in the war so far. Seeing things like Vinyl being idolized for one victory made Cloud Chaser think of a single bullet shatter Vinyl's life and legacy along with the hopes and dreams of all those who followed her. According to Cloud Chaser, heroes were not immortal and only hurt those around them.

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Meanwhile Twilight Sparkle had gone to see Rarity in the hanger to oversee the final stages of the interceptor construction, and to propose Rarity's engineers work on a new project the research staff had studied. Twilight walked into the large hanger with two saddle bags filled with documents and studies. She saw Rarity and Fluttershy looking up at their completed work, 'the Interceptor.' The Skyranger design was based to be a drop ship built around the pilot and her harness. Unlike the Skyranger the interceptor was built as enhancements to the pilot's body herself. Rainbow Dash seemed more like a cyber pony than a pegasus, large steel enhancements stretched out from her wings making her wing span 4 times longer. Her body was covered in shiny metallic armor plating which spanned from her neck all the way to her hooves. On her back was two large gun assemblies which ran their barrels down Rainbow Dash's front legs. The final piece of Rainbow Dash's exoskeleton was a helmet which covered her face, a tinted black visor covered her eyes. Her rainbow colored mane flowing out from the back of her helmet and her flank were the only features you could see of Rainbow Dash.

"Woah. You did all this Rarity?" Twilight asked as she moved over to Rarity and Fluttershy. Her face was truly shocked.

"Not me alone. Most of my engineers were accustom to working with armors, all I did was draw the original blueprints, and help out here and there." Rarity said looking at her checklist.

Fluttershy moved her gaze from the floor and up the cyber pony's body, the giant steel wings, the huge weaponry. Fluttershy hated it, it was an instrument of war and destruction, and it had taken Raindow Dash along with it. "This war is horrible, look at what its doing to us" Fluttershy mumbled looking at the mechanical pony in front of her. The three other ponies didn't hear her quiet voice.

Rainbow Dash's voice could be heard from her helmet, her voice sounded more mechanical and robotic than her voice used to be. "This... Is... Awesome!! Rarity! When can I try it out?!"

"After the safety briefing, I don't want you crashing out there and damaging the interceptor... Or yourself... Okay so the wings will enhance your speed dramatically, so take care you don't overdo it. The extra hinges should also reduce their weight so you won't feel a difference in your flying style. The guns are unloaded at the moment but when they are they will only activate once you flick the safety switches on your hooves. The cameras will show up on your HUD allowing you to aim even when your hooves are facing away from your sight" Rarity explained off the list.

Rainbow Dash stomped her hooves lightly with anticipation, "okay okay; are we done yet?!"

Rarity looked at her list again, "that should just about cover it, if you need anything else we can communicate through the headset in your helmet."

"Be careful Rainbow Dash" Twilight said. Fluttershy remained silent, she hid her face under her long pink mane.

"You know me; I'm always careful" Rainbow Dash laughed inside her robotic suit, and with that she gave a mighty flap from her wings shooting her up and out of the hanger. Twilight and Rarity were nearly blown off their hooves by the powerful flap, Rarity fixed her mane as her radio crackled to life with Rainbow Dash's voice "Rarity this thing is awesome! You're amazing!! Rarity we gotta-"

Rarity turned off the radio and turned to Twilight Sparkle, "did you need something Twilight darling?"

"Well the research team have been studying the wounds on Milky Way's body, we may have found a better way to protect the soldiers bodies with nano fibers" Twilight said handing over a saddlebag to Rarity. "Luna has given us the green light to build a nano fiber vest prototype to help our soldiers."

Rarity looked through the papers, "okay I'll see what we can do" Rarity said taking the papers leaving the hanger with Twilight Sparkle. "Fluttershy, can you take the radio and make sure Rainbow Dash doesn't hurt herself?" Rarity asked.

"... Okay" Fluttershy responded with a hint of sadness.

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Back at the celebration the clinic doctor hastily stepped out into the lounge and walked in a straight line to the bar. He took a spot beside Thunderlane who was talking to Corporal Derpy Whooves.

Thunderlane and Derpy saw Dr Whooves, "how did the operation go doctor?' Thunderlane asked.

"The op went fine, we still don't know to much about the alien weaponry, so we are running into a few roadblocks" the doctor's voice was quick and stressed.

"How long will it take Bulk to recover?" Thunderlane asked concerned.

"Strictly speaking he must remain in bed for 3 days," Dr Whooves pointed a hoof at a glass of cider, "Is that yours?" he asked. Thunderlane was about to respond but Dr Whooves didn't let him as he downed the glass in front of him. He gave an odd look at the glass and then at Thunderlane, "why did you give me this? This is pear cider. I hate pear cider! Damn it Thunderlane I'm going to have this taste in my mouth for a week!"

Thunderlane looked around in shock, Derpy changed the subject. "You said you had a present for me earlier? I love presents!"

Dr Whooves stopped his complaining, and started smiling. "Oh yes, I was working with Applejack trying to develop a portable medical tool. We managed to make a small medical spray that can seal wounds and stop bleeding. Its only short term fixes to the wound but it should help out in the field. Luna wants the support class to use them to heal their teammates."

Thunderlane's face lit up "that's great doctor! Hey Derpy I guess that makes you a medic now?"

"Yay! Continuing the family business!" Derpy jumped over and hugged her brother.

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Day 2 living in the X-Com bunker.

Heh, still getting used to be isolated from the rest of Equestria. Leaving the base for personal reasons is highly unlikely, every soldier needs to be present and ready to deploy against the aliens immediately. I would come and visit you if it wasn't for that, I hope these letters from my diary are enough.

Then again, its not like we are alone down here. All the staff and soldiers support each other like a one big family. Pinkie Pie said she was going to hold a lot of get togethers to help build the friendship down here. I pulled up from last night quite well, can't say the same for Lyra, heh she was all over the place. I woke up pretty early this morning, apparently one of my squad mates loves early morning dubstep, I have my suspicions on who it is.

I feel sorry for Rainbow Dash, you remember her right? She was in the militia with me. She has been built into this prototype armor for UFO interception. The problem is she has to be ready to deploy at all times, so she must remain in her massive cyber suit, which means she can't leave the hanger. I'll make it a point to go see her as often as I can, it must get lonely.

How is the Griffon kingdom? Is the Equestrian refugee program treating you alright? Believe me, it will be far safer over there than it is in Equestria at the moment. I will feel a lot better if you stay over there until X-Com can clean up Equestria.

Don't worry bro, we will stop the aliens.

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Sirens began sounding throughout the X-Com headquarters as the central command room lit up with warnings coming off the hologlobe. Luna quickly entered the room and moved to her command chair, "what is the situation?" Luna boomed as she sat in her command chair.

Twilight quickly took to Central Officer Luna's side "our radar has picked up a UFO flying over Equestria. With your clearance we can deploy Rainbow Dash to shoot the UFO down before it lands in a city. Imagine what we could find out from the UFO's wreckage! It wouldn't be able to escape if we shoot it down!" Twilight's eyes glimmered considering the possibilities.

Luna looked over a clipboard, "Clearance granted, deploy the Interceptor. Get a squad ready in the Skyranger for a salvage mission"

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"Okay we've got the green light. Flight data is being transferred to your helmet computer. You're carrying live missiles now so be careful of the missile carrier on your back." Rarity informed the robotic Rainbow Dash.

"This is going to be sweet! This UFO won't stand a chance" Rainbow Dash laughed stomping her hooves.

"Okay Fluttershy, the squad will be here soon. Rainbow will send you the location of the wreck and you will fly there" Rarity explained. Fluttershy nodded. "Okay; good luck Rainbow Dash" Rarity said stepping back from Rainbow Dash's metallic wings. Rainbow Dash gave flapped her large wings sending her up and out of the hanger and off towards the hostile UFO.

4 lightly armored ponies galloped into the hanger. The squad consisted of the assault squadie Thunderlane leading 3 recruit ponies Bonbon, Cloud Chaser and Lyra Heartstrings into their first battle. Bonbon was given the prototype medkit to test in the field if required. Luna had ordered Thunderlane to command this squad as he was the only pony with prior experience. Thunderlane had also traded in his X-Com assault rifle for a X-Com shotgun for closer encounters. The four soldiers boarded the Skyranger and strapped in. "Ready to go Fluttershy" Thunderlane called into the cockpit.

Rarity finished strapping Fluttershy into the pilot harness, "if Rainbow Dash fails... I need you to retreat to a safe distance... And then see if you can find Rainbow Dash should she crash" Rarity explained the grim scenario as she exited the cockpit and flagged Fluttershy to go. The Skyranger's engines fired to life and lifted the drop ship out of the hanger and after Rainbow Dash.

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A few minutes later a hologram monitor in the X-Com command room lit up with a video feed from Rainbow Dash's on-board helmet camera, her voice could also be heard "I'm coming up on the target now. It's pretty quick, but not as quick as me!" She raised both her front legs out in front of her arming the missile launchers. Ahead a blurred object appeared in the clouds, Rainbow Dash increased her speed shooting through the foggy clouds over Equestria. Soon the sky opened up giving the camera a direct shot of the alien spaceship. It was a large smooth disk shaped object with no obvious method of propulsion, from what the outside could tell it looked like just a weird disk flying through the air, but everypony knew, the secrets were inside. "I'm in range, attacking now!"

The camera lit up as a missile flared up and shot from the interceptor's right hoof cannon, the missile shot past the UFO narrowly missing its roof. The UFO returned fire with a plasma cannon mounted on its roof, Rainbow Dash swerved to the right frantically, dodging the shot. The hectic combat was hard to follow from the Command room as Rainbow Dash's helmet was darting from aiming to dodging to checking her missile loader. 2 more missiles shot from the front hoof cannons landing two direct hits on the alien craft, but in her haste she didn't leave herself time to dodge the next shot as a plasma bolt hit the metallic pegasus in the chest. The camera shook violently as Rainbow Dash dropped in altitude screaming in pain, but eventually recovering.

"One more shot like that Rainbow and you're toast! Pull back if you can't engage" Rarity's voice could be heard over the command room speakers. Luna tensed her legs with anticipation and worry.

"This is my sky!" Rainbow Dash roared increasing speed catching up to the UFO. Lining up two more missiles she fired them. Black smoke poured from the UFO as it drastically shook and plummeted towards the ground. "Oh yeah! That UFO is out of here! Looks like it crashed into the White Tail Woods" Rainbow Dash laughed stowing her missile launchers, "Returning to base."

"Good work Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy you are clear to move in" Luna ordered, around her command staff stomped their hooves in applause. Applejack and Twilight congratulated Rarity on the interceptor cyber suit.

"Okay, I'm inbound" Fluttershy said softly.

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The Skyranger set down in a small clearing of White Tail Woods. The tall trees made for perfect camouflage for the Skyranger's landing site. A trail of fire and destruction pointed north west, the UFO wasn't graceful in it's landing. The trail seemed very out of place, the afternoon sunlight beamed through the lush and beautiful foliage of White Tails Woods. The black charcoal and alien green residue around broken trees around the crash site contrasted drastically.

The four ponies quickly surveyed the Skyranger landing site for any hostiles. "Area clear, okay mares we'll push towards the UFO, clear the site for the engineers so they can salvage what they can" Thunderlane ordered leading the three recruits over a ridge towards the crash site.

"So what is the plan? Just charge in to the unknown and hope for the best?" Cloud Chaser asked Thunderlane snarky, trotting after the group.

Thunderlane stopped and turned to Cloud Chaser "Is there a problem?"

"Yeah, I'm not one to blindly follow your ego towards my death" Cloud Chaser crossed her hooves leaning up against a tree.

"I wasn't planning for us to charge straight in. We scope it out, then we move in" Thunderlane explained.

"But why are we sending a military team in? We know absolutely nothing about the UFO, we could be breathing toxic fumes right now. Why do we have to be brash barbarians and charge into this highly dangerous situation" Cloud Chaser protested loading her gun.

"It's unlike we have a choice. We can't just leave the UFO here" Bonbon commented taking her gun off its holster.

Lyra smiled "this is Luna's orders, she wouldn't send us to our deaths. She really cares for each of us, you saw the training assessments. She wouldn't let in anypony who would have a high chance to die on the field."

Thunderlane agreed with his team "You're all right, Luna cares, we need to claim the crash site, and we need to be careful. Now lets move out" Thunderlane pumped his shotgun and trotted over the ridge. Lyra and Bonbon followed, and Cloud Chaser followed reluctantly.

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Over the ridge the squad saw a pony standing in a clearing, who seemed shell shocked from the UFO crash. The pony seemed odd, it's proportions were all off. It was way to thin to be a healthy pony and it's skull was to round for a mare or stallion skull. It had patches of black fur about its leathery unhealthy faded pink skin.

"Hey! You there! Get out of here, this is a combat zone!" Thunderlane called out to the lone earth pony. The pony stood and swayed slightly in the breeze, like it was to shell shocked to hear Thunderlane. "Lyra, go and check out that pony, check for shock."

Lyra nodded and slowly trotted towards the odd pony, Lyra couldn't tell if it was a stallion or a mare. "Hey excuse me, are you alri..." Lyra stopped dead in her tracks as she noticed the alien plasma pistol in the pony's hoof. "It's armed" Lyra said to Thunderlane over the radio.

The skinny pony turned around to look at Lyra, revealing it's lifeless black eyes like the other aliens. It raised it's gun at Lyra, but bullets from Cloud Chaser and Bonbon killed the slim pony before it could fire, it exploded in a green shroud of smoke. Thunderlane quickly approached Lyra who had fallen over in shock, patting her back with his hoof "You okay?"

Lyra's eyes were wide and spaced out. 'I nearly died just then! That could have been it, gone... What would Bonbon do without me? How would X-Com cope with my death?!' Lyra slowly got up, her legs shook with fear making her sway and stumble weakly. "Y-yeah, give me a second. Thanks for the covering fire you two" Lyra added waving a hoof at Bonbon and Cloud Chaser.

"Look more of those freak ponies! Get to cover!" Bonbon called out to her team as she saw 3 thin ponies approaching the team from the north. Frantically the X-Com team took cover behind the trees of White Tail Wood.

The soldiers and aliens opened fire on each other, the trees made it hard for anypony or alien to hit their target. "We need to flank them! Lyra on me!" Thunderlane yelled into his front leg radio. The unicorn and pegasus pushed out from the trees they were hiding behind and moved closer to the aliens weaving through the trees. [Hunker Down] They stopped and hid behind a fallen tree as the thin ponies concentrated fire on them. "Cloud Chaser! Bonbon! push through the trees along the ridge.

Cloud Chaser and Bonbon galloped up through the trees getting closer to the slim ponies. Bonbon saw a slim pony flip out of cover and spit a large green clump out of it's mouth and at Lyra. The clump exploded into the green smoke that the last slim pony exploded into. Lyra began coughing frantically, struggling to breath. "Lyra are you okay!?" Bonbon yelled.

Lyra coughed and wheezed "Can't... Breath!" Lyra flipped behind another tree away from the green smoke, still coughing. Bonbon opened fire on the slim pony which spat at Lyra, she hit the pony with her bullets and made it explode into the green smoke.

"Keep flanking Cloud Chaser, I'll distract them!" Thunderlane ordered into his radio. He flipped his shotgun onto the fallen tree firing a shot off but due to the range his shotgun missed, a slim pony returned fire hitting Thunderlane in the flank. "Gahh!" Thunderlane cried as he fell to the ground trying to stop the bleeding. His armor prevented the bullet from tearing deep into his flesh.

"Medic! Bonbon get over there!" Lyra rasped into her radio.

Bonbon watched Thunderlane get shot, she saw all the blood splatter out from his body and spray out and stain the green grass red with blood. [Panicked] "Nononono! I don't wanna be here! I don't want to die like this!" Bonbon cried and cowered behind the tree.

Cloud Chaser felt the same impulse surge through her. [Panicked] "They look like us! They spit poison! Their guns pierce our skin! Buck this!" Cloud Chaser yelled randomly firing bullets towards the thin ponies. Lyra was about to try yelling at the two panicking ponies but began coughing a spluttering once more due to the green smoke.

Thunderlane looked over his wound as his crimson blood had stained his dark coat. He then looked to each of his colleges, 'is this how it ends? Did we really not stand a chance?' he thought watching the thin ponies fire on Lyra. He watched Lyra duck and cover her head as she tried to stop coughing. He saw Bonbon covering her eyes and throw her gun down. He watched Cloud Chaser blind fire her rifle not daring to leave cover. "No! We have a duty!" Thunderlane shouted, he pulled up his radio "Bonbon! Pull yourself together! Come down here and use your medkit! I need you. Lyra put some covering fire on the aliens! get them to concentrate on you. Cloud Chaser! Keep moving up and attack them from the side. Come on team, we have an oath to fulfill." The X-Com team all took a second to think of the plaque written on the hologlobe.

'Every day from Celestia, and every night from Luna, We shall protect it with our lives.'

"Got it! Okay ponies I'll distract them" Lyra rasped picking up her gun from the wet grass and firing bullets into the trees the thin ponies were hiding behind.

Bonbon took this chance to charge down to Thunderlane. She crouched down next to him and looked over the wound. [Medkit] "Okay, this s-should do the trick" Bonbon took the medical spray into her mouth and sprayed the wound. Thunderlane clenched his teeth in pain as the wound sealed up.

Cloud Chaser stealthily pushed forward and flanked the aliens. She fired three shots into one killing it. The remaining thin pony began to run.

Thunderlane felt his strength return to him, he looked at the fleeing slim pony and his eyes filled with vengeance "that ones mine." [Run and Gun] Thunderlane burst out of cover and galloped after the thin pony,one he got close enough he pulled out his shotgun and landed a direct hit into it's back. The slim pony exploded. "Regroup!" Thunderlane ordered.

-----

"There it is! The crashed UFO" Bonbon whispered in awe of the crashed alien UFO as the group approached it from on top of a hill. Even in its destruction the alien spaceship was unique and beautiful in a way. The shiny blue alloy had held together throughout the crash and only bore a few markings from the fight with Rainbow Dash. The ground around it was charred and on fire which made the ponies ponder how strong the hull of the ship was.

"Okay we clear the area around it, then breach in and capture it. You mares ready?" Thunderlane asked

"Umm yeah about before-" Bonbon started but Thunderlane stopped her speaking with a wave of his hoof.

"Don't worry about it, it happens to the best of us." Thunderlane told the squad, thinking back on the times in the Ponyville militia. "Lyra and Bonbon, go around the right side. Cloud Chaser and I will take the left." The squad split up circling the UFO.

-----

Bonbon trotted with Lyra, a question had been sitting in her mind for some time now. Now that she had Lyra alone it seemed like a good time to ask it. Turning off her radio she asked "Lyra, how did you get into X-Com?"

Lyra looked over at Bonbon, "What do you mean? Same as you, I was just a late entry."

Bonbon seemed puzzled, "I could have sworn I heard you-"

Lyra looked around and quickly changed the topic "how about we talk more about this back at base when we are not being shot at, okay?" Lyra trotted quickly ahead.

-----

Thunderlane and Cloud Chaser found what they thought was a door into the UFO, it looked like a blue panel made out of a glowing liquid. How it functioned as a door left Thunderlane and Cloud Chaser stumped. Soon Lyra and Bonbon approached from around the UFO. "Alright, lets get ready" Thunderlane said taking to one side of the door, resting his shotgun in his front hooves.

Cloud Chaser took the other side, leaning on the wall with her rifle in her hooves. Bonbon and Lyra took positions behind her. "Okay, how do we open the door?" Cloud Chaser asked.

Thunderlane was silent, he hadn't thought of that. "Touch it I guess" Thunderlane muttered placing a hoof in the center of the door. The door pulsed a wave of glowing energy and the door dissolved outwards away from Thunderlane's hoof revealing the mysteries inside.

The inside of the UFO glowed with light emitting from various alien devices, the main being a large green pylon in the center. The ponies would stand there gawking for days but were interrupted as they saw three basic aliens like the ones in the Mexicolt mall, they ran for cover behind the rows of alien gadgets lining the floor of the UFO. One more alien took cover behind the green glowing pillar, he looked different. Much taller than the other aliens and covered in alien armor.

Twilight Sparkle's voice came through on the team radio, "take great care when fighting inside the UFO, we could learn so much from that equipment. We need it undamaged so no explosives and watch your fire!"

"We'll see what we can do Twilight" Thunderlane said into his radio before charging inside the UFO and closer to the aliens. As he crouched behind what he believed was an alien computer he fired a shogun shell at one of the normal aliens, it struck the small alien and killed it. Cloud Chaser also moved inside in the other direction starting to flank the aliens, [Hunker down] she ducked under some gadgets which sacrificed her visibility.

Lyra stood by the door firing bullets towards the head alien, bullets flew all over the UFO but failed to hit her target. "Watch your fire Lyra!" Thunderlane bellowed.

Lyra flipped back behind the wall, "sorry, hard shot!" [Overwatch] Bonbon kept an eye on the aliens preparing to fire as soon as they left cover. The head alien seemed to command the others, it pointed it's armored hand at Bonbon speaking to the others in an alien dialect. One of the remaining aliens hid behind cover firing shots at Cloud Chaser, the shots flew over her head. The other alien didn't listen to his commander and left cover, Bonbon took her shot and killed the alien before it could run to cover.

The main alien unloaded three green plasma bullets into Bonbon's side of the door, the wall melted from the first two shots and the third hit Bonbon in the midsection. Bonbon reeled in pain and fell to the ground, before crawling behind Lyra's side. Lyra tried to reload her rifle but the new ammo clip slipped out of her hoof and fell to the ground, "Damn these hooves!"

"Come on Lyra stop screwing about!" Cloud Chaser yelled into her radio as she finished her flank and fired on the last normal alien hitting it in the head and chest. Thunderlane took this chance to charge towards the green pillar, he took his time aiming before firing another shell into the commander. The alien seemed to catch fire and burn up before the bullets hit him. The alien quickly was engulfed in flames and somehow disappeared into thin air, like the fire had burnt away his body into nothing. The only thing left was a small gem left on the ground.

The squad regrouped inside the UFO. Bonbon was still limping and Lyra coughed green smoke occasionally, but they had won this day. Thunderlane lifted his foreleg radio to his mouth, "Central, the aliens have been cleared out. I think the commander got away. Call in the engineers, we are returning to base. Thunderlane out."