The Descent into Madness

by FenrisianBrony

Upgrades

Applejack

Aun’Vesa watched as the team of medics and drones moved around Applejack as she lay on the operating table, one doctor engaging her in conversation, while the others tightened straps around her body, making sure she didn’t jerk as the delicate surgery began. Aun’Vesa could see Applejack twitching and flinching each time a strap was added, but she never asked them to stop. The memories of her time with the human Magos, as old as they were, were clearly still fresh in her mind, but the benefits of the procedure outweighed them a hundred-fold. Applejack knew that, and she would face any nightmares required of her to face this coming storm head on.

“You’re sure this will work?” the Eldar, Juhani, asked, watching her with his own blinking gaze, beside him, the other Eldar, Tar’nek, having the same look on her face.

The pair’s armour had been removed and was currently in the quarters that they had been assigned. It had been completely unsavable to Aun’Vesa’s eyes, but the pair assured him that the Wraithbone would knit itself back together before the week was out. Aun’Vesa didn’t pretend to understand, and while part of him wished to learn of its secrets, he remembered his briefing on the Eldar race, especially those who inhabited Craftworld’s. They had powers the Tau Empire did not possess, that most of the Empire wasn’t even aware existed. The Tau and the Eldar were not compatible when it came to technology, or even ideology most of the time, but desperate times called for new alliances to be forged.

“I am,” Aun’Vesa nodded. “The Puretide chip has been refined since its first use, there will be no chance of loss of brain functions upon its removal, I have been assured of this over by a dozen Earth Caste scientists.”

“She’s a pony, you just hope that their brains are compatible with your technology?” Tar’nek pointed out.

“We are not operating blindly here, honoured guests,” Aun’Vesa turned to face them, forcing himself to remain completely calm as he looked up at the taller pair. “Applejack has been with us for years, in that time we have taken numerous brain scans. We have learnt much of their kind, or at least her sub-species of ‘earth pony’, this chip has been adjusted to account for that.”

“Well, it won’t do any good,” Juhani shook her head, looking down at Aun’Vesa. “Your empire has technology to put humanity to shame, the tactics to face down Orks, and even to resist the Great Devourer, but you’ve never faced an Eldar War Host, fighting alongside one is very different. And these are not even of the Craftworld’s, they are from Commoragh, akin to the ancient Empire, one that spanned the galaxy before yours even existed. They will land here, and they take Applejack away. If she fights, she’ll lose. If she fights at range, they’ll either outshoot her or just fade away and close to knifes range, if she engages them there…well, I used to be able to match her. Not any more.”

“We have way’s…” Aun’Vesa began.

“What? Kroot? Vespid? Demiurg? XV8 Crisis Suits? XV9 Hazzard Suits?” Juhani snapped. “I have studied your Empires tech and forces, I have fought alongside and against them, and you do not understand the ways of the sword. You pass at them, we excel, and Rainbow has eclipsed us.”

“Juhani, maybe…” Tar’nek began.

“Tell me I’m wrong, Tar’nek,” Juhani turned to face the other Eldar. “Please tell me I’m wrong, tell me there’s something I’ve overlooked, that the Tau have something that can match Rainbow. Please.”

Juhani’s eyes pleaded with Tar’nek, although Aun’Vesa knew that the pleading was only the surface emotion that she was expressing, and that Tar’nek could read hundreds more from the subtlest changes in Juhani. Even Aun’Vesa could see that Juhani wasn’t getting the answer that she wanted.

“I can’t Juhani, I’m sorry,” Tar’nek sighed.

“But perhaps I can,” Aun’Vesa cut in, turning and striding from the operating theatres viewing bay, beckoning for the other two to follow.

Aun’Vesa led the pair across the city, a hovercar taking them most the way to a large military facility on the outskirts of the cavern. Hundreds of Battlesuits were being tested and refitted here, but Aun’Vesa ignored them, leading them to a sealed off section which Tar’nek read as the Prototype labs. Eventually, Aun’Vesa stopped, pointing at the centre of the room.

“This is how we can level the field, it’s not finished, but it will be soon. Perhaps…with your assistance…it will be able to stand against this coming storm?”

“Well, not like we have anything else to do,” Juhani shrugged. “Tar’nek, want to stay here? I’ll give Applejack a crash course in craftworld combat.”

***

The days after Applejack’s brain surgery ticked by, at times seeming as if they passed agonisingly slowly, and at othesr feeling as if they rushed past far too fast, robbing the Tau of much needed preparation time. True to her word, Juhani had begun to put Applejack through what Aun’Vesa could only describe as hell. Every day the number of bruises on Applejack grew, while Juhani remained unblemished, as did Spitfire and Scootaloo, the pair volunteering to help with Juhani’s training, while Lightning shut herself in with the Earth Caste scientists and Tar’nek.

The three were doing their best to teach Applejack what they knew, but the techniques they were using could take years, if not decades or even centuries to truly master. Juhani fought in a very regimented style, although if Aun’Vesa had initially thought that would make her predictable, he was being proved wrong with every passing move. The Eldar style had more than enough moves to counter any possible attack, and Aun’Vesa got the distinct feeling that he had not even begun to see all of it.

Scootaloo and Spitfire fought different however, their styles being more akin to a loose collection of moves strung together with the ebb and flow of the battle, causing them to have even more of a dancer’s grace than Juhani possessed as spun around every blow aimed at them, avoiding it seemingly effortlessly.

Aun’Vesa could already see that Applejack would not be ready to even call herself proficient in the styles being taught to her before Rainbow arrived, let alone to be the master that she needed to be. With every lesson she learnt, she got closer to the readiness, but she would require far more to make her a turning point and give her a fighting chance against Rainbow in melee combat.

Aun’Vesa winced as Applejack spun on her hooves, spit being forced from her mouth after Spitfire's vicious blow. The small stick she was using in exchange for her own weapons may not have had any sort of cutting edge or power field, but it was still enough to cause damage, and from the look on her face, it had hurt Applejack, a lot.

“Oh come on,” Spitfire called out in exasperation. “You should have been able to see that attack coming a mile out.”

“Ah did,” Applejack snapped, spitting out a glob of blood before lashing out with her rear hooves, narrowly missing Spitfire, who leapt back just in time. “And y’all should have seen that coming.”

“As you should of seen this,” Juhani muttered softly.

Before Applejack could ask what she should have seen, or even turn to look for it, an unarmoured Demiurg leapt from the side of the combat square, revealing his shut down power hammer, bringing the heavy head down upon Applejack’s rear legs.

Applejack let out a roar of pain, jerking backwards as she attempted to use her smaller size to avoid the flurry of blows that were rained down on her by all four of her opponents, but it was a losing battle, and within seconds, Scootaloo weaved around her defences, leaping over her and wrapping her leg around Applejack’s neck, squeezing tightly.

“The Dark Eldar are the dirtiest fighters in the game, stealth teams,” Spitfire spoke, approaching Applejack as she collapsed to her knees still fighting against Scootaloo, but unable to dislodge her, even as she managed to land her first blows against her opponent. Scootaloo winced, but Applejack was not striking with her full strength due to the angle, and the younger Pegasi held on with grim determination. “When you fight them expect surprises and the unexpected, and then realise that no matter what you expect or plan for, they will always have something new they can throw at you.”

As Applejack’s face began to turn blue, Scootaloo finally released her, allowing her to sprawl forward, coughing and panting as she looked up at her trainers.

“Rainbow will not fight fair, and she will not conform to your battleplans,” Juhani continued where Spitfire had left off. “She will pull back and send waves of fodder at you if you ever seize an advantage in a fight, before moving to finish you herself when you are tired. Do not make the mistakes of the Avatar of Iyanden, not every foe will fight with honour. Some fight purely to win, and Rainbow Dash is one such opponent. Her pride is great, but her drive to win is greater still, and that makes her a deadly opponent.”

“The days lessons are over,” Scootaloo called out loudly, more to the crowd of onlookers than any of the participants. “Get to medical, see to the bruises.”

“No,” Aun’Vesa finally cut in, voicing his first words at the training session.

“Ethereal?” Applejack and the Demiurg asked in almost perfect tandem.

“Applejack, you will be able to see medical at a later stage, but unless your injuries are critical, then you are needed elsewhere with the upmost urgency. Thor’ungri, see yourself to medical and then return to your unit, and go with my thanks for your participation in this exercise.”

“It was mah pleasure, mighty Ethereal,” Thor’ungri bowed deeply as he spoke. “If ya ever need a training buddy again, them ah’d be happy for ya to call on me or any of mine again.”

“I shall keep that in mind,” Aun’Vesa nodded in thanks, before beckoning for Applejack, Juhani, Scootaloo and Spitfire to follow him. “Please, this way.”

***

Once again, Aun’Vesa found himself leading the group to the outskirts of the city and towards the Battlesuit facility. As he walked through, he attempted to keep a close eye on the group, specifically the ponies. He knew that at one time, Applejack’s eye would have been wide at the multitude of Battlesuits being tested around her, especially with the anticipation of what she must surely know was coming, but all the group kept the same forlorn look on their faces as they went through. It would take more than fancy tech to rouse any of them from their morose state.

“I know I don’t need to tell you all this, but this will be your greatest challenge yet,” Aun’Vesa began. “I know you may wish to take Rainbow alive…”

“She doesn’t deserve that,” Spitfire cut in, before Applejack waved a hood in front of her and answered herself.

“Ah know Aun’Vesa, ya don’t need ta state the obvious. Lives of the troops, and the mission comes first. Survival of tha Sept is a priority, capture of enemy command is secondary. Now, if yer done with statin’ the obvious, what are we doin’ here?”

“This has been a long time coming, Applejack, as you know,” Aun’Vesa nodded, the doors to the experimental wing opening before him. “You should have been granted this right upon your promotion to Shas’El, but complications in your species and battlesuit technology slowed our ability to properly equip you. Now though, we’ve come up with a prototype. Normally I wouldn’t advocate assigning a battlesuit to a brand new pilot with a potential war coming right for us, but…”

“But right now, you’ll pose no challenge to Rainbow at all, and you need a force multiplier,” Juhani finished for him. “Otherwise she’ll catch and do who knows what to you.”

“Harsh, but true,” Aun’Vesa muttered with a nod, before beckoning for an Earth Caste scientist to come over, the Tau bowing deeply as he approached.

“This is Fio’El Me’lek,” Aun’Vesa turned to the others. “He has been overseeing this project for the past five years, with some help from Tar’nek and Lightning Dust over the past week. I’m sure he can fill you in properly on what the project is, as I must take my leave. I am overseeing a retraining of the Gue’vesa, new tactics have come to light which are being trialled.”

“By your leave, Ethereal,” Me’lek bowed, before leading the group, minus Aun’Vesa, to a large workshop, pointing at the large mass of scaffolding and computer banks dominating the room, all surrounding a battlesuit of a designation that Applejack didn’t recognise from the Tau roster, but figured out what it was in an instant.

“This is the prototype XV74-02 Battlesuit, designated as the Equinox.”

The suit was a squat thing, half the height of a Crisis battlesuit, but longer, hunkered down as it was on four chunky legs, the rear two ending in oversized ‘hooves’, Applejack instantly drawing parallels with these designs and the Onager Gauntlets some battlesuits now wielded for use against enemy tanks. On its right foreleg, was a blocky fusion blaster, more powerful than the ones Applejack had used in her time, but it would do the same job, while on the left was a large shield disc, its generator humming softly as it idled, waiting for the pilot to activate its protective bubble.

“Ah didn’t know that the Earth Caste were workin’ on this,” Applejack murmured, slowly stepping towards the battlesuit, feeling her heartrate quicken.

“Mighty Aun’Vesa commanded that we do not mention this to you, Shas’O, so as to not get your hopes up in case we failed in our efforts,” Me’lek bowed his head. “We were not due to unveil it until we had run more tests, but it has passed our first VI tests, and we have concluded that a piloted test is safe. The more time you get to train in it, the better.”

“And I’m betting that Puretide chip they put in you will help as well,” Juhani pointed out.

“Indeed,” Me’lek nodded. “The chip should allow you to learn the technique of piloting quicker than normal, I hope that it shall be enough.”

“It will have to be,” Applejack shrugged. “So then, guessing we’re going to start testing it today?”

“We are,” Tar’nek called out, revealing himself from behind the suit, Lightning sticking her head out a moment later. “Just putting the final touches on it, Tau technology has a certain…elegance to it. Not quite our own technology, but certainly better than that used by the Mon’keigh.”

“Most things are better than what the humans use,” Applejack pointed out, a ghost of a smile flicking across her face. “We’ve learnt the mighty art of usin’ a toaster without prayin’ over it for an hour first.”

“Quite so,” Me’lek laughed, before pulling out a datapad and pressing a few buttons.

Almost immediately, the battlesuit purred into life, the head and chest section peeling back to reveal a heavily padded interior, albeit one that Applejack would have to squeeze herself into, and her armour would have to be removed to allow her to do even that.

“Gonna be a bit tight ain’t it?” Applejack asked, eyeing the space sceptically.

“You will have to adopt an approximation of a foetal position,” Me’lek nodded. “We also have modified a drive suit for you to allow for a better interface. You are ok with needles I take it?”

“I’ll deal with it, give me the drive suit and let’s get started,” Applejack grimaced, having seen the interface needles used in battlesuits before, bringing back bad memories.

Me’lek nodded, a drone coming over and presenting Applejack with an armoured jumpsuit, circuitry and connection ports dotting its surface. It took her almost ten minutes to work out the suit, pulling it on and adjusting it for comfort, pulling her tail through and giving it a few experimental swishes, before slipping the headset over her face.

“All right, let’s get this show on the road.”

Folding herself into the suit was an odd feeling, but not overly difficult, crossing her forehooves over her chest and tucking her rear hooves as far up as she could, the technician opening a panel in the back as she did so, preparing the main needle. Applejack had to grit her teeth to avoid crying out in pain as the monofilament needle was slid into the back of her head. For a moment, all she could feel was pain, before her world went blank, the needle rerouting her neural processes, everything from below her neck suddenly disappearing in her mind.

“This…this is weird,” Applejack called out as the battlesuit closed around her, plunging her into darkness, only exacerbating the growing feeling of panic she was getting.

“Shas’O,” the voice of Me’lek sounded through the headset. “Please remain calm, the suit will become active in a few moments, a calm mind will make the interface far smoother.”

Applejack bit her lip, but forced herself to remain as calm as she could. As the second ticked by however, she felt herself losing control, and she opened her mouth to cry out once more. Then she froze, as a feeling of ice cold water being pumped directly into her brain overwhelmed her, fixing her mouth in a silent scream.

“Systems active, XV74-02 Equinox battlesuit online, pilot interface active, link holding steady. Activating external sensor suite in 3…2…1…sensor suite active. Sending external information to pilot.”

The voice was a mechanised female one, coming from within Applejack’s own mind, but she didn’t bother to question it as feeling suddenly returned to her body. Or at least, it felt like her body. As she moved her head to try and look down at her hooves, all she could see was the battlesuit.

It was more than just machinery however, Applejack could feel the tiny breeze from the laboratory against the legs of the battlesuit as if it was her own flesh, while the plasma generator in the depths of the suit pulsed like it was her own heart.

“This…is what piloting a battlesuit feels like?” she asked, her voice being amplified by the suit, coming out as a more mechanical rendering of her own voice. “Ah can feel everythin’.”

“This is quite normal, Shas’O,” Me’lek assured her. “Now, you will remain tethered for today’s test piloting tomorrow we shall move onto basic movement, and so on and so forth, until you can pilot this like a second skin. While you are tethered in I will be able to get readings from your suit, and will explain its features to you properly.”

“Sounds good ta me,” Applejack nodded, getting sudden motion sickness as the head of the battlesuit mimicked the action she had tried to do.

“Shas’O, small movements to start off with,” Me’lek warned, dismissing a few warning lights with a tap of his screen. “At least until you get your bearings.”

“Ay, ah’ll do mah best,” Applejack nodded once more, making sure to keep the movement minimal, the battlesuits movement not catching her off guard this time.

“Very good,” Me’lek began. “As I said earlier, the XV74-02 Equinox battlesuit is equipped with an advanced sensor suite and vector thrusters, calibrated to aid leaps and dodges, as well as slow a decent from a dropship. They are not powerful enough to allow the suit to fly however.”

He tapped the screen a few more times, Applejack feeling her right leg come up unbidden, the fusion blaster stopping right before her eyes.

“This is a type four fusion blaster, common on Crisis battlesuits, and is longer ranged and more powerful than the infantry pattern you have wielded. However, this one has been modified with knowledge from the forbidden one authorised by Mighty Aun’Vesa, and refined by the ministrations of Tar’nek.”

As he spoke, Me’lek pressed the screen one more time, and the fusion blaster flared into life. Applejack moved to point it upwards, to avoid the deadly energy now being readied to fire, but as she did so, she felt the suit fight against her, as the fusion gun fired.

Applejack was transfixed as the shot seemed to slide outwards in slow motion, flattening until it was the shape of a long sword, made from the very substance of the stars themselves. Applejack could already feel the heat radiating from the blade, but it wasn’t unbearable, at least from here. If she touched the blade, she was sure that it would be a different story.

“That should be powerful enough to put any melee combatant out of action,” Me’lek nodded, taking a step back from the blade. “It will give you a deadly edge in a broken sword scenario.”

“Yeah, now all you have to do is be able to hit the bitch,” Juhani muttered dryly.

“Yes, quite,” Me’lek rolled his eyes, allowing Applejack to deactivate the blade and lower her leg. “To compliment this, the suit has two Onager Gauntlets on the rear legs, and a shield generator on your left foreleg. This has been calibrated to be more effective against blows from melee weaponry, but as a trade-off it is less able to deflect energy beams or other high powered ranged weapons, you’ll have to rely on your armour for that.”

“So ah’m all tooled up fer close range fightin’, just have to avoid the long-ranged enemies? Sounds like how ah’m used ta fightin all right,” Applejack chuckled.

“Precisely,” Me’lek nodded, before preparing to launch into a new speech about the suit, Applejack settling in for the long haul, pulling up the shorter version of the suits description from the headsets memory.

XV74-02 Equinox battlesuit

Armament:
2x rear Onager gauntlet hooves
1x fusion blaster/fusion blade – right arm mounted
1x experimental shield generator – melee spec – left arm mounted
1x advanced sensor suite
Vector thrusters

Designed to engage and destroy single high priority targets at close range, regardless of speed or armour their enemy may possess. The XV74-02 is faster than any XV8, 9 or 10 models, due to its lower weight class and additional legs, due to who it was first designed for. It lacks any sort of long range weapons however, a single fusion blaster making up its ranged capability, but this is more than offset by its deadly prowess in close combat. Unlike any other suit in the Tau’s arsenal, the XV74-02 is capable of both bipedal and quadruped movement, gyroscopic generators in the lower back enabling it to switch between modes with ease. In Bipedal mode, movement is substantially slowed, but all of the weapons may be brought to bear, in quadruped mode, only the Onager gauntlets are viable for use.

As Me’lek droned on, Applejack let herself smile, away from the prying eyes of everyone else. The situation was worse than she could ever have imagined, her worst nightmares paling in comparison to the cold hard reality she had to face it, but as Granny Smith had always said, clouds had silver linings. It was just in this case, her silver lining was made of a non-crystalline alloy. It had only taken her decades, but she had finally got herself a battlesuit.

Comments

[Bazing]

Keen af for the battle!

[Bahamuttone]

I have been assured of this over a dozen Earth Caste scientists.

missing by

fighting alongside one os very different.

is

[FenrisianBrony]

8121559
thanks on both

[the other sans]

but you’ve never faced an Eldar War Host, fighting alongside one os very different
and close to knifes range, if engages them there
Aun’Vesa lead the pair across the city
passed agonisingly slowly, and t other feeling as if they rushed
her mouth after Spitfires vicious blow
Survival of ta Sept is a priority, capture of enemy command is secondary
returned to her body. Or at least, it felt her body

1. Against, Is.
2. If she engages them there.
3. Led.
4. At other times.
5. Spitfire's.
6. Survival of the Spet.
7. It felt like her body.

[Terodeness]

2 updates in a such short time? Yay!

[SixColoredDeath]

oh I do so hope that this gets a real 40k ending... nothing ever goes down well in 40k :)

[FenrisianBrony]

8122162
Trust me, it's not over yet, there's more than enough time for grimdark endings

[redsopine]

Ok I'm gonna say it even with the suit and eldar training they are fucked left right and center X10 they need melee fighters more then tec or ones that are hard to kill

[SixColoredDeath]

8122393 well... you got me excited

[Subject Number 6]

I'm not wanting this battle to happen. No matter what happens it going to end with one friend most likely dead and another broken.

[Crystonian]

“Most things are better than what the humans use,” Applejack pointed out, a ghost of a smile flicking across her face. “We’ve learnt the mighty art of usin’ a toaster without prayin’ over it for an hour first.”

Ah yes, have ye ever heard the of the tale of the Great Techpriest Civil War over how many Techpriests it takes to change a light bulb.