Epilogue
Iron Hearts: Book 3
Epilogue
****
Ferrous Dominus - Solon's forge
Solon slowly wheeled up to a smelting pot, his chassis carried on a massive, reinforced gurney.
The glorified push-cart wasn't that hard to manage with his remaining three legs, but it was, obviously, highly visible. The Warsmith was pretty sure some of the Dark Techpriests were disguising their snickering as binary chatter as he had wheeled past them through the manufactorum.
Still, the legs were an embarrassment, but his decapitation was a handicap. Gaela's repair job had essentially fixed his helmet in place on his neck, which was more than a little inconvenient.
First job: a new neck assembly. Which wasn't hard to build, but actually cutting apart his current one and replacing it would be a pain, to say the least. Second job: three new legs. Third job: armor repair. Fourth job: new mechatendrils. And then his hololith projectors, and his heavy bolters, and his void shield assembly...
Solon sighed as he worked at the screens in front of him. The end result hadn't been all that bad, all things considered. Delgan had gotten through the fight with nary a scratch, and Gaela treated her loss of both arms with the same stolid indifference that most soldiers experienced when ditching a damaged helmet. Tolken had returned the Shadow generator mostly intact, and he had even mumbled something about ponies having their uses. And the Lamman Sept had abandoned many useful machines and stores of supplies in their haste to flee the city.
But it was absolutely mortifying to Solon personally that he had been shot and sliced apart in front of a group of ponies. Ponies that had subsequently disabled and restrained the enemy leader with ease.
"Pshykersh," Solon grumbled as jets of steam blasted up from the smelting pot.
An incoming vox link. Tellis.
Solon terminated the vox link before letting it connect. Even so, he swore he could somehow STILL hear the Raptor laughing hard enough to sunder his helmet.
Another incoming vox link. Not Tellis. He connected.
"Warsmith? This is Pterax again. I wish to report that Centaur III and its moon have returned to their previous stable orbits and rotations."
Solon tried to nod out of reflex, but his head didn't budge. "Good, good. It sheemsh the Dark Acolyte wash correct, then."
"Indeed. Also... we're picking up another Warp signal. One of those beacons that you say are used by the Ork fleets."
Solon would have jolted his head up in surprise, but couldn't. "Another one? I don't undershtand. There ishn't shupposhed to be any Ork activity in thish region. At leasht not according to the Tau. And thish ish their shector."
"That's the thing, Warsmith. I don't think the signals are coming from the Orks," Pterax mumbled, "this new signal is coming from here. Centaur III."
And then, suddenly, Solon understood.
"Thoshe clever little bashtardsh," the Warsmith mumbled.
"My lord?"
"Pardon me, Pterax. I need to get in contact with Magosh Kaelith. He hash a meshage I need him to deliver."
****
Black Point - communications center
*You can't be serious,* Wraithstar growled, *you can't! There are hundreds of men here! Tau! Kroot! Humans! You can't seriously be leaving us all here to die! That wasn't part of the mission!*
*Actually, that WAS part of the mission, in order-*
The Shas'el cut off the voice on the other end of the communicator. *WAS! In the past! Back when I had a comms scrambler, a hangar full of transports, and a full barracks!* he screamed into the monitor in front of him. *If you pull the fleet out of the system, you're sentencing every one of us to die here along with the rest of the planet!*
*There's nothing we can do, Shas'el!* barked the voice from the speaker. *There's no way the enemy fleet wouldn't detect us trying to evacuate Black Point! After that, they merely need to choose their favorite method of stopping the evacuation and killing you all anyway!*
*Then send an army! The gue'la have been plenty meek about assaulting this base so far! We HAVE the strength to stop them! Don't tell me that you're AFRAID of these blasted cultists!*
There was a long pause. Too long.
*You are,* Wraithstar accused, his voice low and angry, *you're afraid of them. You outnumber and outgun the blasted apes entirely, but you're terrified to even approach this planet again.*
*The defeat at Canterlot was... severe, Shas'el,* the other voice was getting weaker, shuddering, and taking deep breaths, *very few transports made it back. Shas'o Voidsong and her retinue... were not among them.*
That news was quite sobering, but Wraithstar's anger wasn't so easily quelled. *So you've sentenced us to her fate. Out of cowardice.*
*We can afford no further losses to the gue'la. We barely completed our mission. Your orders are to stay and defend the Warp beacon for as long as you can.*
A furious growl was the most coherent noise Wraithstar could make at that point, so he went ahead and growled furiously.
*This is your last, and greatest, duty to the Greater Good, and your final sacrifice for the Tau Empire. I'm sorry, Shas'el Wraithstar. Goodbye.* The communications link went dead.
The Tau Commander screamed incoherently, and then ripped his monitor from the desk and flung it against the wall.
He doubted he'd need it again anyway.
****
Canterlot Castle - royal plaza
"WEEEEEEEE ARRRRRE THE CHAAAAMMMMPIONNNNNS!! WEEEEEEEE ARRRRRE THE CHAAAAMMMMPIONNNNNS!! NOOOO ROOM FOR LOOOOSERSSSS, 'CUZ WEEEEEEEE ARRRRRE THE CHAAAAMMMMPIONNNNNS!!"
Around an enormous bonfire of burning debris, the voices of a hundred ponies mixed with the voices of a hundred humans, and were then drowned out by the booming howl of a pair of dreadnoughts. Each of the insane war walkers were stomping around the bonfire with groups of ponies sitting on top of them, and the equines lurched from side to side and laughed with every heavy step.
Pinkie Pie led the festivities, of course, a bullhorn at her lips as she led the singing from atop an unusually sedate defiler. Fluttershy rested in the back of the daemon engine, finding comfort in the warmth of its seething generators as well as the wide berth every human and pony gave the possessed machine.
"'CUZ WEEEEEEEE ARRRRRE THE CHAAAAMMMMPIONNNNNS... OF THE WORRRRRRRLD!!"
All around the bonfire, humans would occasionally walk up dragging chunks of flammable debris from the city to keep the flames burning, while ponies that arrived to the festivities usually brought snacks or drinks, and were greeted heartily for it.
As the celebrations carried on long into the night, however, there were ponies with plenty of reservations about the battle that had taken place earlier that evening.
Princess Celestia was one of those ponies. She watched the revelry from her balcony atop the castle, and as much as it lifted her heart to see her subjects laughing and cheering in the aftermath of the devastation they had witnessed, her eyes kept rising to the smoldering city beyond the bonfire.
Her capital was shattered. Buildings were gutted, towers were burned, and the bloody remains of a hundred different violent conflicts were scattered around the buildings like litter. It left an ache in her stomach that was hardly mollified by the singing below, and it was merely the most immediately visible aspect of what was wrong with Canterlot tonight. In the darkness, fluttering among the pillars of smoke, were giant black standards that had been mounted atop buildings without sanction or warning. Standards bearing a grinning silver skull.
"Sister, thou art up very late."
Celestia didn't turn around as Luna joined her on the balcony.
"We realize that the affairs of state are in disarray at the moment, but thou hast had an especially trying day. None would think less of thee for seeing to thy rest."
Celestia's wings ruffled. "I don't think I could sleep even if I wanted to."
Luna frowned, stepping up to the edge of the balcony with the larger alicorn. She glanced at her sister's tight, anxious frown, and then down at the diverse crowd below.
"Thou hates them still?" Luna asked, her voice free of judgment or reproach. "The humans?"
Celestia shook her head. "No, Luna. I don't hate them. I fear them."
Luna raised an eyebrow.
Celestia looked upwards, toward the night sky. "I fear the things that swim the vast ocean between the stars. They have knowledge beyond our comprehension, tools beyond our imagining, numbers beyond our counting, and power beyond our greatest feats of magic." Her head dropped once more to the celebration below. "All I want is to protect my little ponies. To keep our kingdom safe from those beyond the void that would swallow them up without a thought. But I can't."
Celestia took a deep breath before she turned her head toward her sister. "We were so helpless, Luna. One machine. One little machine from a race that had only learned of our existence weeks ago, and just like that our power was gone. Our capital was occupied and overrun in minutes, all from complete secrecy. And for what? Some mysterious goal that has nothing even to do with us. We were an afterthought, Luna."
The younger Princess snorted. "'Tis true, and the grays paid the price for their dismissal. It may hath been the humans that ousted the fiends, but it was thine Elements of Harmony that led them here before the invaders were ready."
Celestia was not comforted. "Yes. The Tau were bad. But the humans..." she clenched her teeth. "You saw, Luna. You saw that... thing that calls itself their leader." Her blood felt cold as she recalled the sight of an insectoid leg ripping free of Solon's metal shell. "What IS Solon? Was he... Was he human once, like the men down there? I know more than I would ever want about Chaos, but can it really turn a man into... that?" Celestia gulped. "Or, for that matter, what about a pony?"
Luna thought it over as she too recalled the moments in which Solon's more "supernatural" aspects were on full display, albeit with far less drama than her older sister.
"If We art honest, We find it difficult to take the Warsmith so seriously. Between his absurd slur, disastrous duel, and the utter disrespect he is afforded by his subordinates, We rather feel sorry for him."
"You PITY that thing?" Celestia asked, stunned. "He's a monster in charge of his own space army! And if I might say, he fared plenty well against a room full of enemies that I would not dare to send our royal guard against!"
Luna nodded calmly. "We art the Princess of the Night, Sister. Dreams are part of our duties, and We hast faced many a nightmare." She trailed off, meeting her sister's eyes. "'Tis not often We meet a nightmare with a soul. The Warsmith... fascinates us. We too wonder how much of him is man, machine, or infernal beast."
Another pause.
"Besides, if thou art concerned about the physical evidence of Chaos corruption, We found the Acolyte's performance far more unsettling," Luna grimaced, looking away from the other Princess.
Celestia visibly shivered, her fur bristling along her neck. "On that point, at least, we're in full agreement."
"Princess! There you are!"
The royal sisters let the grim tension of their conversation fade as they turned toward Twilight Sparkle, who was walking up to the balcony with Kibitz and Spike in tow.
"We've finished going over the preliminary damage reports with the human captains," Twilight reported, several checklists floating behind her in the air while Spike carried several more, "also, we found all the spots where Sliver used his Viral Scourge, and purged those areas with flame as recommended."
"Very good idea, that," Kibitz noted, "you should have seen the state of the trees that had been infected. Burning them felt like an act of mercy more than gardening or sanitation."
Twilight laughed awkwardly as she noticed that Celestia's expression was already souring. "Yes! Well! Speaking of fire, the castle gardens are mostly ashes now, forty-seven statues or other pieces of stonework are damaged beyond any possibility of repair, nine doors need repairs or replacing, seventeen of the windows that didn't detail historic battles between good and evil need to be fixed, the main guard barracks was destroyed by Fluttershy's defiler, and most of the sewer system behind the castle was caved in with explosives. And then, of course, there's the throne room, which had every window broken, a lot of the flooring damaged, and the throne smashed. That covers the most major damage on the royal grounds."
"What of the marks of Chaos that now desecrate the throne room on the floor and ceiling, thus polluting our very seat of power with their blighted energies?" Luna asked with a grimace.
"Oh, they're not very deep. A little spackle here and there and you won't even be able to tell," Kibitz insisted.
Celestia nodded solemnly. "I see. And what of my citizens? How many of my little ponies will never see the light of my sun once more?"
Kibitz blinked. "What? Oh! No, nopony died! A lot of humans did, of course, and we have quite a few injuries among the citizens, but as far as we know there were no pony deaths."
Celestia blinked. Twice. Then she tilted her head to one side. "Really?"
"Yeah. It's... actually getting a little suspicious at this point," Twilight mumbled, pursing her lips. She certainly wasn't upset at a lack of casualties, but she was disturbed at the blatant subversion of statistic probability.
"Oh, but some of the injuries ARE quite severe!" Kibitz noted. "Why, before the night is out some ponies may lose their legs! They'll never walk again!"
In the hall behind Kibitz, Big Macintosh passed by the open doorway while hauling a large, heavy cart full of corpses behind him. Luna arched an eyebrow at seeing the battered power armor worn by the stallion, noting that the damaged sections exposed his augmetics.
"So it's no laughing matter!" Kibitz finished sadly, his mustache wiggling back and forth.
"Yes, of course. I am... pleased we escaped the assault so lightly," Princess Celestia mumbled, looking away.
Twilight's ears fell flat against her head. "Uh, Princess? You... well... don't LOOK pleased."
Celestia sighed as she watched the clusters of gleaming armor patrol the city below, some of them dragging along captured foes or dead bodies.
"I can't help but wonder, Twilight: was this battle worth it? The Tau were going to leave our city unharmed once they completed their secret mission. Was this result better?"
Twilight and Luna both recoiled.
"Princess! You mean that after all they did, you would have trusted them to leave everypony unharmed?" Twilight asked. She certainly hoped that wasn't the case, given that she was the one who had alerted the 38th Company to the threat.
"To be sure, such an option is inconceivable to us," Luna bristled, "to submit to the enemy's deceit and aggression in order to avoid conflict is unacceptable!"
Celestia hesitated, and then nodded sadly. "Yes. You're right. But I can't help wishing there was another way."
Luna's expression softened, and she reached her head over to nuzzle her sister's neck. "Of course. There art no folly in hope or the earnest pursuit of peace. But rather than expend such sentiment on moments past, t'would be best to look to the future."
"Does anypony know why there's a giant, black, centipede-person in the castle?" Spike asked, facing the castle hall.
The question startled the Princesses out of their tender moment, and the three alicorns glanced back toward the door.
Kaelith was standing in front of the doorway, his body bent over a pair of nervous-looking pegasi guards.
Twilight immediately recognized the distinctive black rubber robe of the 38th Company's Dark Mechanicus, although she didn't recall seeing this particular individual before.
"Excuse me!" she called as she trotted over. "Is there a problem, Mister...?"
Dark Magos Kaelith turned toward Twilight, and his sensors took note of the alicorns.
"Identification: Dark Magos Kaelith. Explanatory: I am to update you as to Tau Empire activity in the Centaur system."
Kaelith stalked past the pony guards, ignoring their indignant shouts as he straightened his body to tower over the Equestrians. He was quite annoyed at being used to transmit a simple message when there was a great deal of supplies and salvage he should be sorting through, but he tamped down his frustration and resolved to complete his given task.
"It's all right," Twilight assured the guards before nodding to the Dark Magos, "please, go ahead."
"Begin debriefing: the Tau fleet is on course to depart the Centaur system and is accelerating to relativistic speed."
Twilight nodded, while the other two Princesses glanced at each other while shrugging.
"Then we did it! We won!" Twilight said with a grin. "I knew Voidsong was wrong!"
"Negative," Kaelith said harshly, causing the purple pony to recoil, "Explanatory: the Tau successfully transported the Warp core to their military outpost despite considerable opposition, taking advantage of our reduced patrols. They have completed and activated the device that was central to their mission here, and have ceased active combat operations in-system as a result."
Twilight gaped, her eyes wide. "But... That... We..."
Luna interrupted the younger Princess's stammering. "So have thee finally some inkling as to what this accursed device does?"
"Affirmative. Explanatory: the device is a Warp-space beacon. Expansion: the particular nature of the beacon is such that it provides guidance to the passage of local-sector Ork fleets in particular."
Twilight was lost at this point, but Kaelith didn't pause for any questions before several hololith projectors poked out of the folds of his robes.
"Display: the sections of the Ultima Segmentum which comprise the region considered 'Tau space'."
The hololith flickered into view, displaying numerous stars and nebulae in a large box. Twilight immediately leaned forward, her ears perking up.
"Notation: Centaur system."
A red box appeared and boxed in a particular star at the edge of a sparse arc of stars on the edge of the projection.
"Notation: Tyranid Hive Fleet Eumenides." A patch of the galactic view was flooded with red, such that it looked like a coil of tendrils were drilling through the void between star systems. "Expansion: a collection of massive bio-vessels containing armies of extremely destructive predator-soldiers."
Another red area appeared in the hololith, this time manifesting as a large red circle.
"Notation: unnamed Ork warfleet, threat rating six. Expansion: a massive congregation of alien armies driving a path through populated systems seeking enemies to conquer."
Twilight frowned. The two red spots weren't anywhere near each other, nor were they anywhere near the Centaur system. "Okay... so, what does this have to do with us?"
"Explanatory: each of these alien forces are moving deep into Tau space, and destroying their new colonies. Both are of a scale that makes stopping either of them difficult, and can only be done at a severe cost to the Empire's army. Together, they represent an existential threat to the integrity of the Tau's supremacy in this region of space."
The Dark Magos paused. "Extrapolation: in facing two nearly unstoppable forces, the Lamman Sept considered the simple stratagem of letting Tyranid and Ork fight each other, and then destroying the victor. To this end, they have designed and placed several Warp beacons along a string of uncolonized worlds to lead the Ork warfleet on an expedited path directly into the Tyranid hive fleet. Notation: Warp beacon system placement."
Several new green lights appeared over the stars on the edge of the hololith, and Twilight felt a distinct tightness in her chest as one of them flickered into place over the Centaur system. Their system.
"Notation: Ork warfleet route, confirmed and estimated."
New markers appeared on the hololith, some of them representing splinter engagements and major battles that had been gleaned from Tau records, but the Equestrians were most obviously concerned with the arrows that strung together the Warp beacons carefully arranged throughout space.
Arrows that reached the Centaur system, and then continued beyond it.
"Conclusive," Kaelith stated flatly to the stunned Princesses, "within seven hundred hours, the main body of the Ork fleet will arrive in the Centaur system, seeking opposition. Estimations of Ork army strength are notoriously unreliable, but it was last rated at approximately nine-point-seven billion individuals. And rising."
Spike's mouth started to mouth the word "billion", but no sound came out except a slight wheezing.
"Expansion: this planet will be overrun, and once the Orks have destroyed or enslaved everything on it, they will proceed to move on as per the Tau stratagem. Your world is doomed."
Kaelith's lower body turned on the spot and started to move away, even as the emerald lights of his optical sensors remained fixed on the gaping Princesses.
"Recommendation: enjoy the local festivities. Your extinction is nigh."
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Hot diggety daphodils! That was pretty damn amazing! Sad to see Celestia feeling so powerless. I hope some true pony power comes along! The ponies always come off as way too weak in most of these fics...
This was a fantastic end to another amazing book. I await eagerly for your Emerald Dawn, which I can only assume is to match the greenskins. :P
4725243
Well, she and the other Princesses DID kind of pwn Voidsong the literal second they had their magic back.
Buddy once I'm done with basic training I expect at least three chapters. You'd make me the happiest servant of the great gods if you did.
4725334
True, though it was 4 Alicorns vs. 1 Unsuspecting and battle worn soldier. :P Can't wait to see what you do next! ^^
4726050
There would have been more, but Solon's not a COMPLETE loser.
You'll probably enjoy Book 4 more, though. The Orks aren't as clever, and there's no narrative reason not to kill huge swathes of them at once.
Luna's gonna have a grand old time!
4725743
Well, I have no idea what kind of time frame that gives me, but I don't plan on slowing down any.
Well shit..… orks..… bye equestria!
I have a feeling that ponies have a statistical improbability warp effect, aken to having a free re roll for each dice they do roll. Fail a armor check? re roll, fail a to wound roll? re roll.
However it seems one pony does not share in this power
Anyway, looks like ponies will need to dig the fuck in and work on using the tech left behind by both sides here, start talking to the surviving tau for an alliance bring each nation on the planet together and get ready for some Xcom Ironman Imposable 40k style World savin.
I cant see the Iron Warriors coming up with a reason to stay... but then ponies might just reroll there speech.
4726200 Looks like the Iron Warrior 38th company are going to have A LOT OF NEW RECRUITS!!!
"This is Twilight Sparkle of the Chaos Six! Ready to experiment for the Dark Gods! (Evil laughter)"
Its either that or invading another planet:
-Death worlds are out of the question.
-Imperium worlds maybe
-Tau worlds definitely!
They could steal a Tau ship, after doing some favors for Chaos
Sorry but stealing the Warp Core is impossible by now. Commander Shadowsun would kick the flanks of everyone in Equestria.
4726200 Sorry but there is no way for everybody in Equestria to hold off that many Orks. Unless of course the Princesses are willingly to blow up their entire planet.
One million, maybe. Billions? Fuck that! Sorry, even if you GOD-WANK the princesses, they are screwed!
4726200 Maybe Book Four should be the ponies, griffons and other denizens of Equestria having to make a living as pirates of Chaos!
I mean seriously! They DON'T STAND A CHANCE!
4725243 Sorry, there is this fanfiction called MLP: Chaos in Equestria in which Equestria is in a civil war. In less than four months, the Chaos Ponies have SURROUNDED CANTERLOT!!! They are weak! Crazy Medieval Humans would slaughter them outright!
Maybe celestia or luna or the CMC could ascend to daemon princessdom and turn the planet into a daemon world. Or like it has been mentioned most could become space pirates. CMC space raiders yay.
4726200
Oh of course not! Solon a wicked badass! He's got a lot of work ahead of him though, sadly. Maybe enlist a little help? Pretty sure there's a lot of debt floating around. Also, yay Luna!
4727511
More into Pony power in general, less into pony death in general. That's why I like this fanfic. 500,000 words in and no pony has died, which is what's kept me going. Once fics get too much into pony killing (cause being able to withstand the sound barrier, regenerating bones in a few days, enough magic to move through dimensions and move the sun and the moon makes them super weak) tends to make me leave. I know it's Warhammer, but it's also My Little Pony, and people tend to forget that.
4728457
I don't think ponies as individuals are weak, but militarily, as a society? They aren't exactly Spartans. And that's not even their fault; hundreds of years of peace under a perfectly benevolent monarchy with a creed of harmony and tolerance aren't the best circumstances for developing a galactic-strength planetary defense force. It's no wonder Equestria gets by with a handful of super-powered magic-wielders to solve most national crises.
So when suddenly thrust into the genocidal intergalactic relations of the 41st Millennium, it's understandable that they need a helping hand... or tentacle.
But you're right. There's no fun in having the aliens tromp all over the planet while the ponies stand by waiting to be victimized. And we're all in this to have fun, right?
4727713
That would be too big an anticlimax even for me. "Never mind everypony, the genocide's off!"
4729173
I think you explained it perfectly there. In terms of military, yeah, they certainly need help, but they are by no means weak. Most ponies have never seen conflict and couldn't do much aside from take a hit or two, but they are also rather pure of spirit and the friendliest things you'd ever see, and that carries with it it's own strength. In terms of raw force, Celestia and Luna do move the Sun and the Moon respectively, or in your universe, rotate a planet, which is certainly nothing to sneeze at, not to mention super alicorn laser beams. :P
Thank you for your description of things, and glad that you see it the way you do, even if it does differ in a few places from my outlook. You are a wonderful author, and I can't wait for the next book. :)
Well, it seems plausible to me that Luna could reduce the number of incoming Ork Rokks by throwing her moon back and forth through their fleet formation a few times. Other than that, I would say the best defensive strategy for Equestria is for each pony to bend over and kiss their plots goodbye, because there aren't enough Humans, Tau, or Centaur III natives to fight off that kind of an Ork invasion.
Also, I'm keeping a running tally of species that haven't at least had an artifact show up, and the only ones left are the Dark Eldar and the Imperium. We've seen Necron necrodermis, a Tyrannid brain, and Eldar slaves, along with the Iron Warriors, Tau, and incoming Orks. I think the ideal Imperial force to blend into this mix is that bastion of love and tolerance, the Angry Marines.
4730493
I'm trying to avoid meme-based armies for the purposes of this story.
And if you count the presumption that Centaur is an old human colony whose original inhabitants vanished (leaving behind their language and a technology base for the ponies), then there's actually quite a bit of Imperium artifacts about (or pre-Imperium, I guess. Still counts).
I have a lot of chapters to grind through before I can introduce any Dark Eldar to this mess, though.
SOMEWHERE, OUT IN THE DEPTHS OF SPACE:
Well... Yikes!
It´s high time for Discord to get is missmatched four letters back to Equestria, those Ponies wil be in dire need of every ounce of firepower they can get. Oh and Celly and Lulu should better taking the kiddy gloves off soon.
4736771
I dislike Voidsong in general. Grats to you for creating such a well constructed yet absolute hateable character by the way.
I was really surprised that she actualy pulled a beheading move on Solon. I rather expected a point-blank shot with her back-up gun as she jumped him.
That aside, I soon was like "Ah come on, he a Nurglite PLUS a technical genius, he got to have some sort of back-up for such a situation". Did not expect it to be to just like what you wrote. Made me laugh really loud.^^
So...my shitstorm sence wasn't wrong.(maybe more than right)
Orks and Tyranids?! Sorry, but Equestria (and their whole world) is FU****!!! Already can't wait for a sequel!
P.S. The Chaos Dreadnoughts are officially called "Hellbrutes"
(finally remember)
4745374
Not Orks and Tyranids. Just Orks. The Ork Waaaaaugh!! is just passing through Centaur on its way to the Tyranid hive fleet.
And I know that Chaos dreadnoughts are officially called helbrutes now, but that name is stupid and unnecessary, so I still call them dreadnoughts. Chaos Marines still call their rhinos rhinos and their land raiders land raiders, so I think it's absurd that they'd think to rename their corpse-piloted assault walkers to be more edgy.
4745425
Sorry chap, my little mistake.
So what the Nids gonna do while our "heroes" will be
getting out of this shit as fast as they canfacing the problem in the count of billions?(or they just didn't arrive yet?)Enlighten me please, cause I misunderstood a little.
P.S. I kinda agree with you in the concept of shitty re-names of the same tech. But there is a big difference between a dreadnought and a hellbrute. Hellbrute mostly look like an Obliterator just bigger(mutations and fusing of flesh and armor) and in a dreadnought shell.(still agrees with you about the naming)
4745425
Whoops, haven't read the text well again...
As I presume the Nids's fleet is more far away than the others and Centaur III is nearer to Orks?
4745590
4745567
It's not an issue of distance, really. It's just that Orks use full-speed Warp travel, while Tyranid hive fleets move slowly. So the Ork Waaaugh!! can make much better time to the (last) fight of their lives than the Tyranids could if they were lured toward the Orks. Also, given the choice between trying to guide greenskins or bugs to act as a proxy army, historically the former has met with much more success. Getting a hive fleet to take a circuitous route through space and ignore all the tasty and much more conveniently-located planets nearby seems like a much more difficult ploy than convincing several fleets of Orks that there's a really awesome throw-down happening a few parsecs away.
I really wish there was a good way to explain niggling details like that in-story, but it would bog down the narrative (more than it already is with my glacial story pacing). I also can't think of a good reason why a pony would ask "So why don't we have billions of carnivorous space bugs coming to kill us instead of Orks, anyway?"
As for the helbrutes, as far as I'm aware they're just like conventional dreadnoughts (save for their allegiance and temperament), and the difference in appearance is due to Chaos corruption (the Warp did it). Considering that they can't have Chaos marks, daemonic possession, or any mutation that affects their combat stats, there's less difference between most helbrutes and dreadnoughts than there are between most Chaos land raiders and Imperial land raiders.
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Well thanks again for correcting me!
I just saw a rare occasion of a Hellbrute and that made me think that they are all like that...
P.S. Also wanted to ask about the moment the alicorns got their magic back...they disarmed Voidsong so quickly that it looked a little OP. So, why can't they do the same trick with most of CSM(chaos space marine) just in theory? The guys who worship Blood God not included.
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Well, for starters, there were four Princesses and a unicorn acting in concert. That's some serious magical firepower there.
Besides that, they COULD do that to an Iron Warrior. Or even several Iron Warriors. But a squad of Iron Warriors? At that point freezing them in place starts to become challenging. More than one squad? Well, now telekinesis is infeasible, and we're back to shields and alicorn lazer beams. Throw in the odd assault vehicle, a Sorcerer, or a Chaos Lord, and I'd say the outcome would be pretty uncertain for the ponies. And while any Chaos Space Marine force is going to have more reserves to call on, all Equestria has to help their Princesses is their chronically useless royal guards.
So I'd say the way that the Princesses instantly took Voidsong down was just about right. Especially considering I had rendered them completely helpless up until that point. I've gotta give the poor equines SOMETHING.
Well shit.
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He can't! Dermal-bonded armor and all that.
Besides, having a stick permanently up his ass is like Sliver's second most important character trait. After being a gross Nurgle-worshiping Chaos Lord.
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4825871
I believe you're referring to the XV107 "R'varna" battlesuit, not the Broadsides. Broadside battlesuits are a perfected design and not substantially larger than Crisis Suits.
To be honest, GiftedMonster is probably right. I really should re-write that scene rather than hoping most readers aren't that familiar with Tau tech.
TAAAAAAAUUUUUU!!!!!!
1d4chan.org/images/5/53/FFFFFFFF.jpg
*Claps* Well played well played. I have to say the humour again was great. Although certain things I did saw coming such as the cutiemark crusaders getting chaos marks was actually kinda predictable. The shenanigans they pulled out were not. I noticed Grabapple started to stop talking after her upgrade. I find that kinda sad and hope that in the next story we again read her thoughts.
That chaos god Tzeench is actually talking directly to Sweetybloom is also hilarious. I love it more then the cursed chaos spirit amulet and spike. Also Applejack and her relation with the Tau. Truly brilliantly pulled off that one. Her final scream into the sky when the ultimate destruction happened to her farm actually made me laugh so hard I had to stop reading for 5 minutes before I was able to focus again on reading. I also loved the joke with her constant battle and beating that fireblade. And the joke about the new screensaver.
Twilight and Trixie both seem kinda less funny in this story. I had thought more fun could have been done with her power armour upgrade though I have to give credit that one scene that Rainbow almost tied from egghead talk from Twilight was really funny and Trixie illusion doubles (both herself and twilight) were indeed very funny. But beyond that neither character had any funny moments for me in the rest of the book.
Solon really in this book he even outclassed Tellis and Theris and those two are my favourite of the chaos space marines so far. Danniel also had his many great funny moments. But back to Solon, tranquillizing Pinky, being Decapicated by a Tau in close combat (and being laughed about it.) not to mention the fight itself. Or each interaction with any character was simple brilliant and gave me a barrels of laugh.
Tellis really shone again although he was overshadowed by Solon somehow he simple hasn't been able to get that mass murdering hype he had in the 1st book. I really miss that. I still hope for a scene in which he's literally trapped inside a place where he can't get out (damaged jetpack for example) with hundreds of enemies and he simple chuckles and smiles while without fear heads into the mob with a murderous rage. Then we flip to a next scene when he finally is rescued only for his rescuers to see him on a pile of gored up death enemies and he complains what took them so long to get here because he was getting bored after his last victim died half an hour ago. No needs to detail how he accomplished it only to show that he thinks nothing of it and only wants to continue his killing spree while he can.
As for the corruption, too me it seemed in this book Chaos had more corruption then that friendship corrupted the values of the 38th. Though I give credit to the power of cake was indeed a fine counteract it simple just could not compete the chaos mark crusaders.
Overall a very good story and some really good funny moments. All the apples and Solon where the star in this story. Now I quickly go and read the next book. Orks..... now I'm prepared to know this story will have more humor then ever. If your going to include stuff like ShockAttack Guns, Droplifta's, Speedfreaks, grots, etc....
P.S. Something about you wrote that's incorrect with the 40k lore. The Tau have a word for Demon. Namely that word is the Mon'Tau, I sadly read the book fire warrior. The book is really as bad as the 1st shooter ps1 game. But it did gave a lot of info about the Tau culture and with it you learn more about the Mon'Tau, in official 40k lore this is the 1st time Tau encountered demons of Chaos. And they gave simple named them Mon'Tau as a reflection to the darkness that they almost brought extinction to their entire race in their massive civil war before the rise of the etherals. To them a Mon'tau means a being of pure evil and darkness.
5531693
She does seem more bothered by the prospect of a pear cutie mark than she actually is when she finds out it's Nurgle, doesn't she?
I predict Big Mac kicking arse faster than the orks can react, cuz everyone kno's da red wunz go fasta.
Ok, so I'm reading the part where the CMC agree to sell their souls and become servants to the Chaos gods for their cutie marks, and I have to say, you've done the characterisation perfectly. I mean, everyone knows that if they were presented with a chance to get their cutie marks in exchange for eternal servitude of evil that would possibly end up making them annihilate every living thing in Equestria in service to their masters, they'd absolutely jump at the opportunity.
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Tellis does have four claws on each hand, technically. Totally forgot that when EZTP was drawing him. Ah, well.
Glad you're enjoying yourself. The debt balance between the Apples and the Dark Mechanicus will be fully resolved, I can assure you that.
(Maniacal laughter)
And while the Tau are SAID to be marksmen, they're not really any better at it than humans unless assisted by their advanced targeting networks and spotters; their advantage is, as always, technological. So the average Fire Warrior's only real advantage over the average Guardsman is a better gun and armor suit; substantial advantages, yes, but also ones that humans can compensate for.
6363556 i, Unfourtunately, don't have the money for any of the mini figures to play a round with anyone. But, I've recently been corrupted by chaos, and can sorta agree with your statement. Unless Tellis is there.
6371451
Aww, man... Well, I guess we can't get everything we want.
Great (and rather unexpected) to hear that something similarly awesome does happen, though!
Also, Big Mac in power armor is wonderful so far.
Yay, Orkz! Nothing else can bring the horror and the humor quite like those greenskins can. It's only fitting that our favorite fairy tale horses are fought by a band of militant looney tunes.
This. A million times this right here. Let the fun begin!
Ha! Now the Equestrians (and all other dwellers of their planet) have about a month to devise a planet-wide cloaking field or a way to teleport the entire planet alongside with the moon to another star system... that, or entrench themselves as best the can and entertain the orks with their token resistance...
Still enjoying this immensely!
I KNEW IT! I knew where this story was going!!!! and I am thoroughly enjoying myself!
7726239
Damn it. I must have switched at some point to the correct spelling without realizing it.
I'll try to fix it tomorrow.
At least I managed to consistently misspell Cadance's name throughout the entire thing.
7784878
Well... I still got it only on the second reading...
I had a small inkling of what the Tau where going to do with the warp core.
I have very much enjoyed these last three books and by enjoined I mean I couldn't stop reading them for anything. 
You did excellent job of keeping everyone believable and there reasons for doing them. Also nice that even through they won like war in real life you still lose. 
Also like seeing the ponies taking a active role defending themselves other then the mane 6. I also want to comment on how you pretty much given all three sides realistick parts. The ponies are good mostly good but can't really defend themselves. The Humans serve evil but have done the most good in protecting the ponies. I also understand the Tau reason for doing everything there doing. I don't agree with it but like real life there are sometimes no easy answers. Also the comedy is very well placed and makes the story very enjoyable. 
I am also trying to figure out where you are going with Gaela. 
She is very evil but I see parts of her changing so I see hope for her but I don't want to get to invested. I guess I'll have to see.
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Thank you!
Gaela is very evil, as you'd expect of a Chaos Techpriest, but I think you'll be pleased by her character development going forward. Friendship is magic, you know.
And magic... is heresy.
8168669 I see. In the last version I was familiar with (5th), the Imperium didn't have plasma grenades, or at least the Imperial Guard and Space Marines didn't.