Turning tables

by DarkShadow95

Chp.2 boots on the ground

Turning tables
Chp.2 Boots on the ground

The whole transport vehicle shudders as the ground doors open dropping us into the blue abyss. The engines flare up trying to win against the force of gravity. Winning eventually they tilt propelling us more forward. The forces on my body are crushing as we thunder through the atmospheres layers. I may not be able to see out the craft but I can tell we are starting to catch on fire as I can feel the temperature rise in the pod. At this point I close my eyes and hope we don't burn up, what a way that would be to die.

I eventually open my eyes as a feel the tremors subside. At this point we must be gliding through the air the engines sound different now a lot more smoother. My presumptions are confirmed when the pilot speaks up "Soldiers prepare for drop in 2 minutes!". I grip the bracket over my chest and hold on for dear life 2 minutes in real life is 30 seconds. An orange light starts to flash above my head illuminating my pod in a hazardous glow. I breath deeply hoping I survive the drop. Only for my fears to be escalated as the cannons light up. Realising already the we must be near the drop zone.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM

I start to get jittery as the tension keeps building. I know these ponies can take down a troop carrier with ease just by themselves. No pressure then Mr pilot.

I feel the craft circle round for the drop run here we go. The side doors open revealing the world before me. Only to my joy that its sodding night time. WHY THE HELL ARE WE DOING AN ASSAULT AT NIGHT?! doing and assault at night is suicide as you can't see the enemy positions so who knows what you will run into! Looking out of the reinforced glass slit on the pod and look down as tracer rounds, bolts of magic and flares it looks like the sky is on fire with a rainbow of colours. The sad truth is anyone of those could kill me. I can make out roughly where the enemy positions where by following the pathways of the bolts. My analysing is disturbed as the pods beside me explode into life being dropped into the dark abyss.
I brace myself even tighter thinking this is it I grab on tightly to the bracket around my chest. Suddenly the orange light turns green and a large buzz sounds off.

CRACK

The sudden loss of gravity startles me, I look out and see I'm hurtling towards the planet. Oh why did I have a large lunch I feel as if I could paint this whole pod in vomit. The zero-G feeling suddenly disappears as a new feeling of the air breaks and rockets make the pod tremble, working against gravity to ensure a safe landing.

BANG

I've landed

BOOM

The door flies outward. The sudden shock of my senses assaults my brain. The sound of explosions, gunfire, lasers and screaming, working alongside the sight of complete hell of soldiers firing and laser bolts flying towards them. I freeze as my brain cannot cope with all the information flooding in at once. What do I do? Amongst all the haze, a bolt catches my eye its red and is about half a foot long. It actually looks quite beautiful. Until I realise exactly where its heading, towards ME. My eyes widen as the whole world turns slow from the sudden adrenaline flooding my bloodstream. My brain screams at me to duck as the projectile edges towards me. I comply in time as the bolt just misses my helmet by and inch.

CLANK

I turn around as the bolt landed inside the pod of where I once stood, at head level too! The impact has left some damage and my head tells me of the scenario if the worst would've happened, my head exploding. I forget that thought and concentrate letting my training and experience kick in. The adrenalin surging round my body helps. I need to get to cover! I'm exposed! I spin back round still crouching, making me a smaller target. I spot a cart that looks sturdy enough to resist fire. I sprint towards it at full speed bolts suddenly start to whizz round me as the enemy target me. That just makes me run faster. Slamming into the wooden cart and use my mass as force to knock it over. This makes it a larger form of cover. The bolts slam into it as it tips, making it splinter a little.

I crouch behind it, my back towards the cover and gather my breath at the sudden rush. As I'm doing that I look around doing my assessment of the ground. I notice we are in a built up area with thatched buildings. I look towards source of the gunfire noise. 5 men are pinned behind some rubble to my right, all of the trying to return fire to no avail. The bolts fly over their heads as one lands square into a guys chest. Now make that 4 pinned soldiers. I look back to my pod just away from me and realise the mass inferno that is raging behind it. How I missed that I will never know. Looking in front of me and notice the street is clear.
Perfect. I think inside my head for a moment coming up with a plan to get these guys out of here without getting killed. Soon as I'm done I unhook my bag and go into one of the side pockets. I pull out a flash grenade, its looks like a tennis ball but shiny and a red button on one side. I put my bag back on while un slinging my rifle. I take one deep breath as I switch it to auto.

I leap from cover and pull the trigger. Fire erupts from the muzzle.
CRACK ACK ACK ACK ACK

"COVERING FIRE!" I shout out. Immediately the soldiers rise up and start to fire towards the enemy in a chorus of gunfire. The enemy's rate of fire slows down as we start to win the firefight. I run towards the soldiers letting off a few rounds as I go. I crouch down as I reach the soldiers. The soldier in front of me faces me and opens his mouth about to speak before I cut him off. "Don't say anything!" I order "Just listen I'm going to toss this grenade and as soon as it goes off we pepperpot down the street understood!?".

"UNDERSTOOD SERGEANT!" he shouts spitting on my visor. Thanks loudmouth.

"PREPARE TO MOVE!" I bark as I arm the grenade pressing the button. "MOVE!" I rise up from cover and plant the grenade right in the middle of the street. I start to sprint in the opposite direction. Just as the bolts come hurtling towards us again the grenade goes off.
Great flashes of pure white illuminate the entire street. Luckily the visor on the helmet blocks the light so no damage comes to my eyes. Then the enemy stop firing.

"Sprint it!" I bark as all of us run at full pelt towards the end of the street. We make it there with no interruptions. Thank god for that. I turn towards the soldier from before to talk to him.
"Soldier I need to split off from your group," he looks at me dumbfounded "I have my own objective and so do you" pointing towards the explosive charges on his backpack. He must be going after one of the cannons.

"Understood sergeant" he replies, still panting from the sudden rush "thank you sergeant, without you we would of been done for".

I take thanks and wish him good luck as I turn the opposite way. Breaking into a jog I look around on how to getting out of here unnoticed by anyone. I spot a hill just rising some distant buildings. Perfect. Now jogging in the general direction I turn on the optics on my helmet. Looking around trying to learn more. Then to my dread spot movement in the distance. I skid to a halt freezing hopefully they wont notice. Only next is not what I wanted to hear.

"Look! There one of them!" a commanding deep voice erupts. They all start running towards me. Only to make out its the royal guard ponies. In their white coats and gold plated armour these guys are the elite. Not good!. They all run towards me all 5 of them, not a fair fight. I look around frantically trying to find a way out only to my demise that I'm in a large courtyard, with no cover. So much for running then! I raise my weapon and take aim firing off 2 rounds, only 1 hitting its mark. The pony I shot falls down convulsing as the electrical pulse through him. By then the other ponies are too close to hold my ground time to move. Only I can either move forward or backwards, if I move backwards they will just catch me up they do run faster. Looks like its forwards.

Slinging my rifle and start to run towards them. They pick up speed into a full gallop, only then do I pick out they're class of pony 2 pegasi, a unicorn and an earth pony. This is really not in my favour now. I sprint with all my might until literally we are 6ft away from each other. I dive into a slide tackle aiming straight for the earth pony's legs. I take him out by hitting him making him collapse behind me with an almighty thud. Once through I get up and keep sprinting, no looking back just get out of here!

"Get him! C'mon!" shouts one of them behind me.

I just keep going and going. Still keeping the hill in my sights but listening for the 2 pegasi flying overhead in case they try to swoop in. The only way is to keep diving into different streets making it harder for them to find me, plus to give me the advantage of agility. I start to gain some distance between them and halt for a second in a narrow street, as a come up with an idea.

Pulling out the bolt gun and switching to grenade rounds I fire at the buildings either side. Rubble starts to fall around making a massive dust cloud, with the added bonus of a blockade with the rubble. That should stop the 2 grounded ponies. I continue running along my previous direction. hearing the shouting from behind and the sound of wings!
BUGGER!

I'm almost at the hill so I draw my rifle again and try to see the ponies on the night sky. Nothing is all I see but I can still hear them. Even my optics cant work it out with the battle in the foreground and smoke in the air. Only option now is run towards the open ground see if that may help. May seem suicidal but its my best option. Complying I keep going till I make it to the hill climbing half way to turn around as the smug beggars are right there watching me! Literally just hovering there!

We just look at each other right in the eye.
We have a 2 minute stare down. Analysing each other trying to work out moves, strengths and weaknesses. Eyes still locked onto each other.
they may look the same visually ( I have no idea how they stay all white must be they're magic) but one has a tattoo mark of a feather on fire on his left flank. Where as the other has sword and lightning going from it. Both are well built and will be trained advantage them. I however have the weapons but they can fly. I'm not liking my odds now.

"Give it up soldier you have no where to run!" a feminine voice picks up. Okay I missed that one of them is female, interesting.

"Maybe but you forget I can still fight!" I reply as they fly there stationary waiting for my sudden move.

"We both know that won't end well for you," she tones down a bit "There is 2 of us and you can't fly so I think we have the upper hoof here". Upper hoof? What in space is that dialect?.

I think for a second on how I can fight them. Shooting them will just be too difficult. They are in the air and its hard to aim for 2 targets that are more agile in the air. Plus if I did hit they would fall and I might kill them by the fall. Only other option is CQB. I pull my baton from my gauntlets. I speak as I turn on the baton sending blue bolts across the baton "Well then lets see shall we?".

They both descend towards me at rapid speed. They must be thinking to both tackle me at once. Bad Idea, just as they were about to make contact I dive to my left. Making them collide with the ground rolling down the hill. It isn't over yet though, I run down seeing them as they struggle to get up. They see me and take up defensive stances but its too late. I clash into them breaking the male ponies guard and shove my baton straight into the gap in his chest armour. Sending pulses of electrical energy through him. He just stands there tensed till I pull it away from him. He falls onto his side still twitching like a dreaming dog. Turning around I see the shocked face of the female guard only for it to turn to anger instantly.

"You will pay for that!" she yells.

"Doubt that, he is still alive anyway" I calmly reply.
She lunges for me with killer eyes. "YAA!" she yells. She clashes into me sending us flying backwards. We fall to the ground as she raises her hooves to punch me repeatedly so raising my arms in defence. I knee her side aiming for the kidneys, sending her into writhing pain. She lets out a almighty cry. Quickly I then push her off with my hands and pull out my bayonet from my other arm. I get up fast and thrust kick her while she's still stunned in pain. Making her fall to the ground, I walk up and grab her helmet bringing her face to mine. My other hand bring the knife to her throat. She looks at me with absolute fear tears streaming lips trembling but no noise.

"Please don't kill me," she manages to break out trying not to loose her voice "I have 2 foals, please!"

"I'm not going to kill you," I whisper but her face is still in fear "Nor am I going to capture you or harm you in anyway. I'm not like the other soldiers I can assure you that". She looks right into me as I try to give her a look of trust and reassurance. Her tears slow down and she stops trembling "I don't understand," she still sobs "Any other one of your kind would kill us, why?".

"Like I said I'm not like them. I am better than them," I reply "I'm going to remove this knife and then going to let you go only if you let me go. I don't like killing". Removing the blade from her she nods still in tears though. "I want you to remember this moment. Please remember that not all humans are pure evil. Your friend over there is not dead he's just knocked out keep an eye on him though. Also I'm sorry for any damages I have caused but I have orders to follow just as you". She gently nods in agreement.

I pull away and pick up my baton and check I have all my gear. I start to walk away.

"Wait!" I hear and halting right there. "Thank you" I hear her voice now calm, I smile knowing I've just shown it isn't all a dark world.

I climb up the hill till I just reach the top. I turn around to take in the devastation that we have just brought to Ponyville.

For a simple raid to take out some cannons we have left a lot of damage. Buildings in flames screaming and gunfire shoots around the place with more gunships firing around. I just stand there dumbfounded as to how barbaric we have become.
Its just like my first crusade here, all of it on fire.

A tear falls in my helmet as the dark memories flash to me. All the screaming. Closing my eyes to take deep breaths to block the memories out.
I continue running previously and see a forest I can rest for the night.

I sure hope all this pain can end soon.