Chapter 29: Preparing For the Road Ahead
With potential war on their doorstep, both sides begin to take the steps towards resolution in an effort to avert bloodshed. While doubt whether these efforts will be successful lingers in the minds of some, those who wish to see their endeavor bear fruit refuse to lose hope that peace can be brokered. Little do they know that fate had other plans.........
The halls of the facility were strangely quiet where Achmed was. After being dismissed by his superiors he began to make his way towards the impromptu barracks 3rd Company had set up on the site. Thoughts of how those three men would perceive his testimony filled his mind, and he began to feel doubts creeping up on him.
Achmed soon found himself at his destination. He opened the door and stepped inside the room. Three rows of double bunks stretched up and down the long open space, and as he looked around, he quickly saw that nobody was there. He found comfort in that, as he preferred that nobody would see what he was about to do next. Achmed began to walk down to his bunk, the 10th frame down on the last row from the door. Once there, he made another look around the room, just to confirm that he was alone. He was, and he proceeded to move the bed frame out from the wall a little. There was a loud clank as something fell and hit the ground.
"*Dammit.*" Achmed quietly cursed.
He knew the item in question, for he stowed it there in secret and out of sight before he headed to his debriefing, despite the orders he was given. Achmed bent down to retrieve the item, picking it up and inspecting it more closely one more time. Tim's AKM, one of the last thing's that held the memory of his fallen friend. Though he was ordered to return it to the quartermaster, given that it was part of the 3rd's arsenal, Achmed couldn't bring himself to do it. This rifle would be the one thing that would drive him forward with what he wanted to accomplish, and with any luck, the tool that would deliver justice.
Tim was not the first friend Achmed had lost in his life. So many faces from his childhood raced across his mind. Friends, siblings, brothers and sisters, all fallen for a cause of faith that was not their own. The countless memories he had shared with them and the impact that their deaths had now left on him as grown man had turned him into the timid soul so many had come to know him by. But no more.
Tim would be the final straw, the nail in the coffin for who Achmed used to be, restraint was apparently for the weak, and had only caused more death for him by the end. Now, Achmed had purpose, a drive, a need to see this through. No longer would the deaths of those he cared for go unanswered. Tim's death will be paid with blood, and Achmed would die seeing that it was.
"*A life for a life.*" He spoke solemnly to himself.
Suddenly, Achmed could hear something from behind. Taking a moment to listen carefully, he recognized it as the the distinct shifting of feet, gradually becoming more and more audible by the second. Achmed quickly tried to see who it might have been, and if he had time to stow away the weapon before they either passed by or entered the room. Yet by the time he turned around, the person in question, Colonel Viktor Antonov, had already entered the room. The two were now locked in a gaze.
At this point Achmed made no attempt to hide the rifle, and wasn't even certain if he'd be called out on it. Achmed simply saluted respectfully, making an attempt to look natural.
"Colonel." He addressed.
"Private First Class Sabbag." Viktor greeted him. "Pack your things, you're needed in New Damascus."
The news hit like a bullet, only Achmed had trouble on how he should feel about it and what details such a thing entailed.
"What? Why?" Achmed asked.
"Your testimony is needed. You'll be presenting it before the council." Viktor replied. "Now pack your things, we leave for Fort Bismark at 1700. Have that weapon and everything else together by that time. Dismissed."
Viktor then turned around to leave and was soon gone from view. With that last sentence of his alone, the stakes just got raised to level 10. Achmed began to panic a little. Directly retelling his embellished account to the Commander-in-chief took a lot of nerve, but to retell it to the entirety of the council? Those doubts he had felt earlier were now coming back in force. But almost as if fate herself intervened, he once again turned to his newfound confidence to cope with it.
"C'mon Achmed, get it together. If you can put up a straight face to Sawyer you can put it up to the rest of them. You need to see this through" Achmed convinced himself.
He took a deep breath, and slung the rifle around his shoulder as he began to sort and pack his things. The experience of packing up his things made him rethink the priorities he had had before the mission, before he had witnessed his friend's demise. He recalled the argument he and Tim had in the elevator upon discovering this place, the talk of how Achmed had never planned to fully commit his life to the Militia, how his service was only temporary, and that the duties to the very little family he had left took priority. Perhaps they still did.
Family. There was something Achmed had a very bumpy history with, something that like Tim, he made no habit of sharing. That was common amongst most people. No sense in rekindling sad memories from ages ago he supposed. He diverted his thoughts away from the past, and redirected them towards the family he still had, which would no doubt be reduced by one within the month. His thoughts drew to his mother, Esma Sabbag, who, according to letters he got from his sister, currently lay bedridden from radfever, as it slowly withered away both her immune system an her mind. The thoughts of her death did not pain him as much as they probably should have. That was not to say he didn't love her, he did, but her mind had been gone for about two years now.
The sickness that plagued her mind and body began sometime before Achmed had joined the ranks of the Militia, with small fits of delirium and amnesia setting in about six months into his service. Her chances at fighting the disease were slim, being 49 years old when she contracted it. Now 54 years old, the short fits of memory loss had racked her mind to where she could barely think straight. By this point, recovery would almost be a guaranteed impossibility and Achmed was wholeheartedly convinced that his mother was already gone, as each time he'd come to visit her, her mind had progressed further and further into degradation. On his last visit, it took both his and his sister's convincing that Achmed was even home during that temporary leave.
Achmed deterred his mind from the impending death of his mother. He then thought of his sister. Little Suha, though she wasn't as little as she had been when Achmed left. Five years serving in the Militia had made watching her grow up a surprise upon each visit, as well as an overall feeling of sadness. Five years away and he had missed a portion of his sister's life. Despite both her and his mother's assurances, Achmed had always felt a little guilty for leaving them both while his mother was in failing health. He had always promised that he would return to be Suha's guardian when their mother's life would finally pass, but now, that was looking iffy. If war was to come, and he had a feeling that it would now that he was to testify before the council, he would be needed to fight, leaving her to essentially care for herself. No doubt friends of their mother would watch over her, but to leave Suha alone with no family after their mother was gone felt wrong.
Achmed began to feel conflicted over what his actions would entail. Now that he had fed the Commander a falsified record of what had transpired, his account of the events would be the point of reference from which to take action. Action that would very likely result in war. Achmed could fool himself into thinking he lied to avoid execution, but to do so would be lying to himself. He lied to avenge his friend, and although his feelings towards such a course of action hadn't changed, the guilt of essentially abandoning his only family to pursue a personal vendetta hit him hard. He sunk his head in sorrow.
"What the hell have I gotten myself into?"
"What needs to be done?" Twilight asked Celestia.
The group of ponies we're making their way towards the castle's entrance, simultaneously discussing what necessary steps were to be taken next, both individually and collectively. The discussion had already covered the necessary preparations each of them would have to conduct themselves, packing their things, saying their goodbyes, and so forth. Once that had been covered they moved on to the possible political situation that would no doubt be waiting for them upon their arrival to Canterlot, and how to best prepare for it.
"I'll have the guards secure the train station here in Ponyville." Celestia responded. "That will at least give us a clear path for when we leave."
"Clear path?" Pinkie Pie said confusedly. "A clear path for what?"
"Who do you think? Newsponies, concerned citizens, practically all of Equestria!" Rainbow Dash explained.
"Word'll spread fast bout this." Applejack added. "No doubt everypony from Appleloosa to Manehattan has heard the news already."
"And considering the incident involved three of the Princesses, worry and panic is bound to circulate." Commander Spark noted.
"There will be a time and place to quell the concerns of the ponies of Equestria." Celestia clarified. "But for now, it's best if we can recuperate and recollect to form a cohesive plan of action."
The group concurred with Celestia's suggestion. After another minute or so, they had returned to foyer once more.
"Alright my little ponies, now I need each of you to return here once you've collected your things and said your goodbyes." Celestia instructed. "A difficult task awaits us, and the sooner we attend to it the better."
The group of ponies replied with a confirming nod of agreement. Celestia then turned to Commander Spark, as she had a job for him and the guards with him.
"Commander, send one of your guards to accompany Twilight. Then I need you to see if the reinforcements from Baltimare have arrived, If so, I require you to rally up as many of your reserve guards as you can and have the train station secured for our arrival. And if at all possible, see if you can't get word on what has happened to my si-"
At that moment the front door to Twilight's home opened, and inside stepped several of Luna's night guards along with a few medics from Commander Spark's detachment of reserves. Soon, what stepped out and into view from the door was no other than the Princess of the Night herself.
"Sister!" Celestia exclaimed with tears of joy in her eyes, relieved to know that her sister had survived her injuries.
Celestia swarmed her sister with the biggest bear hug, one in which she was uncertain if she could let go, making certain to avoid any contact with where Luna had sustained injuries. Luna warmly returned the favor, albeit not as forcefully.
While glad to see that Luna was alive, many of the ponies present couldn't help but feel a small sense of disdain for her, given that her actions resulted in death of another sapient being, and ultimately started last night's events. There was guilt towards these feelings of course, as they all understood that Luna's actions were no way intentional, but nonetheless, her actions had inadvertently kick-started last night's terrible events. The mood of the room became a little more wary than it had been before, but nopony dared breath a word to these thoughts.
"It is good to see you too, dear sister." Luna said with a grateful smile across her face. "The same goes to the rest of you. I'm glad to know none of you were harmed by last night's events."
Releasing Luna from her loving grip, Celestia looked over her sister to assess how she had fared from her injuries. Luna's right wing was bandaged heavily, with a small but thick red stain bleeding through. Her right foreleg was also bandaged heavily with casts wrapping around the stem of her pastern and forearm which altogether currently rested upon a temporary crutch which more or less assisted her in walking. Other than that, she looked to be in good health.
"How are you feeling?" Celestia asked.
"Better than before, but the pain is still there. A little hard to walk." Luna replied.
"How bad were your injuries?"
At that time, one of the medics under Commander Spark's command began to make her way up to the two princesses to assess all that had been done to treat Luna's injuries. A green coated earth-pony mare, with a white mane and tail.
"Your majesty." She greeted with a bow. "Sergeant Remedy, I oversaw the treatment of Princess Luna's injuries."
"What's your professional opinion, Sergeant?" Celestia asked.
"Well, whatever weapons those creatures used tore straight through two parts of her right foreleg and then through her wing. The injury itself was similar to an arrow yet more advanced." Sgt. Remedy explained. "The entry wound was smaller than the exit wound by a considerable margin. While the actual range of her injuries weren't too catastrophic, another few inches to the left would have probably ended her life."
The mere thought of that filled Celestia, and everypony else for that matter, with unease.
"Thankfully that didn't happen." Sgt. Remedy continued. "We stopped the bleeding and patched her up the best we could with what we had. I pride myself on my medical work, but just to be safe, I would see if one of the doctors in Canterlot would give a second opinion. I have no telling how long it will take for a wound like that to heal. Exit wounds are one thing but for all we know, those weapons could have an unknown after effect."
The thought of that led Celestia down a worrisome road of speculation, fearing that perhaps her sister, along with everypony else who sustained injuries, weren't quite out of the woods yet. But without any substantial evidence to back that thought, speculation would have to come later, as there were more precedent matters to attend to, and an overall greater task ahead of them.
"Thank you, Sergeant." Celestia said with a smile. "You and those medics who oversaw my sister have my everlasting gratitude."
Sergeant remedy, along with a few other medics, bowed in respect.
"Just doing our duty, your majesty." Remedy replied.
With that out of the way, it was clear that there needed to be a discussion with Luna concerning last night's events and bringing her up-to-date with everything they had discovered. Yet time was of the essence, and everypony needed to be ready as quickly as possible if they were going to be planning for defense against possible invasion.
"Alright everypony, we have our tasks, now is the time we see to them. We meet back here, then make our way for Canterlot."
The ponies around her nodded in acknowledgement and proceeded with the various tasks they had been assigned. Those ponies who proceeded out of the building began to shoot quick glances at Luna that could best be described as a little wary at best and cautious at worst. Luna saw this, and was shrewd enough to understand the hidden undertones of their expressions. Her head sunk in dejection.
Celestia's response to this was immediate, as a troubled look along with feelings of concern began seeping into her expression. Celestia knew Luna too well, and understood how she no doubt felt responsible for what happened. To make matters worse, it would be on her to inform Luna of everything they had learned concerning the losses sustained and the destruction of Twilight's home, which would only feed more into Luna's guilt. Once everypony had left the room and was out of earshot, Luna broke the silence.
"I've heard how we fared. If I may ask, what were the losses, dear sister?" Luna asked in a mournful tone.
Celestia was reluctant to answer, as her heart told her that sparing her sister the harsh truth out of a sense of protection was the right thing to do. But her years-worth of wisdom was able to look past the moral-based intricacies of the heart, insisted that telling her the truth would lead to Luna obtaining the perspective of what was at stake.
"We've lost well over 220 so far." Celestia answered solemnly. "The number is bound to increase as they were still counting when I asked."
Much like she herself had reacted, Luna was distraught upon hearing the news. Tears began to form along the bottom of her eyelids as she reluctantly replied in sorrow.
"This is all my fault." she cried.
"Luna, don't say that." Celestia said, comforting her. "You had no idea that Tim would be susceptible to magic like that."
"Yet if I hadn't been so rash in my actions, it would have never had happened."
"You don't know that. Besides, if anypony's to blame, it would be Tim's cohort and those humans who accompanied him. They were trespassing regardless and....."
Celestia could see that her reassurances did little to deter her younger sister's mood. She let out a sigh, one that clearing expressed deep concern.
"What happened last night was unfortunate, but very clearly an accident." Celestia assured her. "He fired upon us without so much as a warning."
"Maybe that's because I killed his friend." Luna put bluntly. "My friend."
Celestia now clearly began to see the heart of the problem as Luna continued.
"Whether it was intentional or not, the deed had already been done. Once again my rash actions has brought danger to our doorstep, and has cost so many lives. And everypony knows it. No doubt they think I'm a murderer.""
Celestia could quickly see that reassuring words did little to deter Luna from her dismal thoughts, and simply sighed in a cheerless demeanor. The conversation was one they had had many a time since Luna had returned, one that brought up a touchy subject for the two them, with all the emotions one would expect. But like all those times, Celestia relied on the kindness in her heart for moments like this.
"Luna." Celestia said plainly. "I know things haven't been easy for you since your return, I know you've tried your best to be the leader and role model you aspire to be. And I know you feel responsible for what happened, but let me make this clear. What happened last night is not your fault. You are not a murderer. And no matter what happens, no matter how many times you fall or feel you've made a grave mistake, I'll always be there for you."
Luna's mood slowly began to lift up out of its depressed state, albeit at hesitant pace.
"But how do I bounce back?" Luna asked. "How do I make amends for my mistakes?"
"Remember what I said to you after Tim's death, dear sister?" Celestia asked her. "We have to make the best of what were given, regardless of the events that have transpired. The duty to protect our subjects comes before all, and you've already done so much in the past for their defense. That dedication is no different than it was before, and that alone will paint you for the pony you truly are, sister. A kind, passionate soul who loves her subjects."
Luna let her sister's words sink in and take hold, and for the first time in awhile, rather than descend into tangents of self-regret and sorrow from her past mistakes, she put in the effort to brush them aside. It was now Luna's turn to do the hugging.
"Thanks Tia." Luna said.
Celestia returned her sister's loving gesture for a second longer before finally letting go.
"I'm always here for you, Luna." Celestia
"You're right." Luna sighed. "I can think on my past mistakes for a later time. Right now, it's best if we both commit our hearts and minds to Equestria's defense. Have you learned anything new since we we're separated?"
"I have." Celestia replied, proceeding to inform her sister as to why Twilight's castle had been subjected to destruction, and how it could lead to the unthinkable.
By this point, the original group of ten men Sarah had initially addressed had now grown to about thirty in number, all circled in a massive group huddle around their Sergeant as she recounted her tale to them. With so much new information now relinquished concerning Tim's death and how it had been done at the hands of an alien enemy, many were itching to return to the world to deliver what they saw as rightful justice. Some even felt tempted to activate the portal at that moment, ready to charge in headfirst, resistance and odds be damned.
But none would, not without the order and certainly not without a plan. Ultimately the decision wasn't up to any of them, as the matter would be up to the Council's final say, which still remained uncertain given how any info that might have emerged from Sabbag's debriefing still remained unknown to them. While many of them craved for a chance at payback, the repercussions of such an act would undoubtedly mean war, and they knew it. War wasn't something anyone was eager to be hurled back into. Thirty some years had passed since The Conflict and the scars it had left behind had become a daily reminder of what war could bring. Memories of its horrors were still fresh in the minds of those who lived through it, and to subject the world that looked to be mankind's last hope at survival seemed insane. While Tim's death could technically be seen as an act of war, it wasn't really enough to rightfully justify going through with it.
As the group went in depth with the prospect and the scenarios it could bring, someone new had entered the room. A few turned their heads to see who it was, and upon recognizing him, stood at attention.
"COLONEL ON DECK!" one of them shouted.
Upon hearing that, the others were soon quick to follow suit. Viktor, seeing that the men had seemingly assembled around their CO, the woman he was looking for, was quick deduce that she had no doubt informed them of what she knew of the situation. Keeping the men under your command in the loop was always a good quality for a leader. He admired that, and while he couldn't say for certain whether her unit as a whole functioned as well as her leadership skills would lead him to believe, he saw first hand during the mission that she was dedicated to leading her unit by example. Overall, he liked her style.
"Sergeant Martinez." Viktor addressed. "I need to speak with you."
The men all looked to Sarah, who in turn simply relayed one last request to her men.
"Spread the word."
Sarah then stepped forward to accompany the Colonel as her men began to scatter about the room.
"Sir." She greeted with a salute. "What is it you need to speak with me about?"
Viktor didn't answer her query outright.
"Come with me, I'll explain on the way." he said.
With that, Viktor turned back around towards the elevator, with Sarah following beside him. As she walked with him, Sarah got a feel for the kind of man Colonel Antonov was. She had learned that like herself he was loyal soldier, yet at the same time sensible, with no patience for recklessness in just about any form. The amount of times both he and the Commander had argued had given her sense that perhaps the leadership of the Militia wasn't as flawless as she was initially led to believe. That was not to say that they had under-performed or outright failed to live up to her expectations, they had both been competent commanders in their own rights. But they seemed to butt heads pretty regularly, which really brought them down from the legend status many a militiaman had come to know them by. In fact, if they hadn't been such close friends, she had no doubt things would have gotten really ugly really quick.
Yet, that level of humanization seemed to give them a touch more respect than it took away. They were human beings, just like everyone else, with their own flaws and strengths that made them who they were, and both shared the common goal of ensuring mankind's survival against all odds, just like the rest of them. After spending a mission with them both, she didn't nearly feel as intimidated by their presence as she had felt before, despite the stories she had heard of both his and Sawyer's exploits together. Instead she felt that they were just two men, trying to make the best of things they could.
By this point they had reached the elevator, to which Viktor pressed the up button on the panel. As they waited for the elevator to arrive, Viktor struck up a conversation.
"I see you get along well with your men." Viktor noted.
The Colonel's voice brought Sarah out of her character analysis of the man walking beside her, and she was quick to respond.
"It's all about respect." She replied. "Show your men you mean no nonsense helps root out any sense your command is weak, but if you take the time to show you care about each an every one of them, and they'll follow you into hell and back."
"Hmm? A wise line of thought. Is that why you told them what became of Berfield?" Viktor asked.
"It is. Berfield was one of my men, it's only fitting that they hear the bad news from their CO. Though something tells me there'll be more news in the days to come."
"You would be correct in that assessment, Sergeant." Viktor replied. "No doubt you've figured out that our debriefing with Sabbag has concluded?"
"I have, sir. Given how you're here right now."
There was a distinctive ring, and the doors to the elevator opened. The two stepped inside, and Viktor hit the button which would lead them to the 24th floor, where the barracks were. Sarah wondered what would warrant the Colonel to head to the Barracks as he continued to speak.
"Well, you will be able to read the official after-action report later, but to summarize, we're currently led to believe that the Native leadership had been using Berfield to aid in a possible invasion effort. According to Sabbag, they used that strange anomalous ability of there's to construct the portal under the pretense that it would be used so that Berfield could return home. However, Sabbag seems to insist that the leadership alluded to it having ulterior motives."
That seemed to reaffirm what Achmed had claimed before he set out for the debriefing, yet a full-fledged confirmation seemed to still be lacking.
"Achmed said the same to me before he went to you. Do you think it's true?" Sarah asked.
Viktor was silent. While he personally believed that Sabbag had fabricated a good majority of what transpired, he knew better than to outright dismiss it. Given how tense and serious the situation was, in the event that Achmed was telling the truth, the time to act would be paramount, and any circulating dissent that there was no need to fear an invasion could only weaken an overall defense. While he wished to avoid open war and believed peace to a viable option, things were very well susceptible to change.
"I can't say for certain." Viktor replied. "But what I do know is that in my experience, I've learned not to take things at face value. As leader of a First Recon Fireteam, we're often called in for situations deemed too difficult for regulars to handle. Sometimes when we arrive we find that the situation has been exaggerated, and at others we've found them completely justified."
"So, what are you saying? That Sabbag is lying?" Sarah inquired.
"No not necessarily. I guess the bottom line is, I've learned that things are not always as they seem, and with that, I pretty much take every story I hear with a grain of salt. The claims made by your man, Sabbag, are no different. Considering what may come based on them, I'd say my attitude is a pretty healthy one."
Sarah took the Colonel's attitude into consideration, and while Achmed's words seemed sincere, she couldn't help but see past them and speculate what may have really happened. By this point they had finally reached the 24th floor, and the two stepped out into the large hallway that greeted them.
"But alas, I didn't exactly come to disclose the exact details Sabbag shared with us at our debriefing." Viktor continued. "I actually came with orders for you."
"Orders?"
"Yes. You are to pack your things. You will be accompanying me, Sabbag, and the Commander in flight to New Damascus. Sabbag is needed to give his testimony before the Council, and as his CO, you'll be supervising him while he's there. Lt. Bakowski will oversee your unit as well as this facility in your absence."
New Damascus. The words almost pierced like a knife to her gut. It had been years since she had been there, and for good reason. Most of her family resided there and more or less, never really approved of her induction within the ranks of the Militia, as they seemed more inclined play roles as peacemakers. Before she shipped out, there had been a pretty heated argument between her and the other members of her family, enough that it created a drift, enough that Sarah barely wrote home.
That was six years ago, and the last time they had a face-to-face conversation. Since then, she more or less couldn't care for the going-ons in her family circle, content with her duties leading 3rd Company. She loved them out of a familial obligation, or so she convinced herself, but quite frankly, a visit to New Damascus would no doubt mean she'd be obligated to pay them a visit. That was something she hadn't done in quite some time. She wasn't sure they'd even want to see her, given the distance and time spent away. To make matters worse, the looming threat of war on the horizon would no doubt be made public in the coming days, which might even make them resentful of her visit. All-in-all, a visit to New Damascus felt like detonating an atomic bomb of drama on herself.
But orders were orders, and there was the chance that she'd be so preoccupied with her duties that she wouldn't have time to visit. Though something in the back of her mind told her that wouldn't be the case, besides, despite the drama that surrounded the whole affair, she did miss them, and felt that seeing them again was overdue, especially if a coming conflict were to arise.
"When do we depart, sir?" She asked.
"We'll meet topside at 1700 hours. From there we will we make our way for Fort Bismark. Once we are there, we will board a C-130. If all things go to plan, and I see no reason why they shouldn't, we should reach New Damascus by midnight."
Given how it was only about 9:00 where they were, that gave her some time.
"I'll be ready by then, sir." She replied.
"I would hope so, Sergeant." Viktor said. "That will be all, you're dismissed."
Viktor than began heading down to the corresponding hallway to his right, no doubt to take the stairs two floors up to the Commander's quarters. Sarah was now left by her lonesome, both to begin the task of packing as well as to contemplate on the thoughts of what would transpire in the next couple of days. Something in her gut told her things were only going to get worse.
A trio of ponies made their way through the castle hallways of the second floor. One of which was no other than Twilight herself, still coping with all the death that had been dealt within her home. By means still uncertain, Pinkie Pie had miraculously already packed for the journey ahead, and was kind enough to offer Twilight help in packing, as well as being there to serve as emotional support, as the things she needed laid past where the battle had been waged. The last pony was River Breeze, the Corporal who was ordered by Commander Spark to accompany the Princess. In her own strange and frightening sense of curiosity, River gazed back and forth across the halls, taking in origins of where all of last night's carnage had begun.
Most of the bloodshed had occurred at the top of the stairwell that lead up to the second floor from the first, to which Twilight hastily teleported the three past. The three proceeded to work their way to the third floor from there, towards Twilight's room. As they did, they passed the various broken bits of clutter and debris that had been scattered by the explosion. Broken hall tables, bits of crystal, almost every wall sconce and chandelier now lay on the ground in a shattered mess. Glass from the exterior windows had been shattered, making the trip a precarious one with glass shards blanketing the carpets and floor. For about a minute or so, they saw more of the same consistency of damage, until they turned a corner, and came across something that couldn't be ignored.
"Oh no..." Pinkie murmured.
"Is that..........him?" River Breeze asked.
"......Yes. It is." Twilight lamented.
Lying still and lifeless ahead was none other than Tim. For Twilight, it took every facet of strength she had to keep herself together. She began to approach him, each step adding too her unease and sense of sadness. Soon enough, there she was, right alongside where he now lay. She looked down upon him, the tears once more stinging at her eyes.
A giant and blackened hole lay bear on the right side of his chest where Luna's spell had made impact. The cause of his death itself still boggled her mind, as no sleeping spell would have the amount of charged up magical energy to do that, regardless of one's race. His eyes lay closed, and in a strange way, he almost looked peaceful, but Twilight doubted his death was so graceful, and what followed it was definitely the opposite of peaceful. His skin tone had paled to a decaying shade of white, as it had been hours since his natural body heat and blood flow had ceased to function.
Twilight reflected on the time they spent together. Cooped up in the library, the meal they shared at Sugar Cube Corner, and the expedition into the Everfree. Over those few days, Twilight was able to experience something unique, and appreciated that she got the time to sense what kind of person he was. Yet there was still that yearning need that hadn't changed since she had met him. Only this time, she had wished he had shared one final goodbye with him rather than the information he could provide.
Twilight had reflected even further on this, creating an internal timetable on how her time spent with him had evened out by the end. So much of that time had been spent on what she could learn from him, rather than taking the time to just know him. A part of her tried to convince herself that she did, that by sharing those few moments of respite was time spent forming a friendly bond, and in truth, Twilight knew Tim and spent more time with him more than any other pony in Equestria. In fact, the night they had camped together in the Everfree had been one she remembered fondly. She shared his company with all her friends, true, but that one moment was where it truly felt like Tim was more or less her guest, and more along the lines of a friend. But another part of her made her feel guilt for being so inquisitive on learning from him, that all that time she spent asking question after question could have been used on getting to know him even better. She had even wished that he could feel comfortable enough that he might have even opened up to her.
But alas, that would never happen now, and she couldn't help but feel as if a lot of that time asking questions had been taken for granted. Pinkie and River had now joined her alongside him, and Twilight's tears couldn't be held back any longer. Almost immediately, Pinkie was there to console her with a hug.
"Let it all out, Twilight." she said, now beginning to cry herself.
As Pinkie Pie saw to her friend, River Breeze looked down at the man. While she would never doubt Princess Twilight's claims as to the kind of being he was, she certainly didn't see this human in the same light as she did. She had context that he wasn't the one of the ones in the attack, but she still didn't know who he was as a being personally, his habits, his personality. Instead, her only experience with humans had been at the hands of their wrath, which costed the lives of many of her comrades. She saw how Pinkie and Twilight could feel devastated over his loss, but she couldn't relate to it in the slightest. Instead of saying anything that could be a feint of sympathy, she simply said nothing, and allowed Princess Twilight and her friend their brief moment of grief before moving on.
This emotional moment lasted about a minute or two, before Twilight managed to vent out her sadness for yet another time. Releasing her from the hug, Pinkie checked on her friend.
"Feel better?" Pinkie asked.
"I'd say yes." Twilight said. "But..."
"Hey, I get it, Twilight." Pinkie sympathized, rubbing the tears from her eyes. "Wish I could say the same, but between all that's happened and seeing you like this, I'm feeling pretty down in the dumps too."
Pinkie gave her friend another quick hug, Twilight returning the gesture once again.
"I'm going miss him." Twilight said outright.
"I am too. Tim and I may have gotten off on a rocky start, but I feel we came to enjoy each others company by the end of it. And that's what's important. We gotta always look at the bright side of things, and cherish the time we spent together rather than thinking about the time we lost."
"That's very optimistic, Pinkie." Twilight responded. "But I feel that may be a challenge in it's own right."
"You're not wrong there." Pinkie chuckled slightly. "But we gotta make the effort, right?"
Heeding her friend's advice, Twilight began to slowly come out of her sad state. She stood up, and took a deep breath to level her thoughts and feelings.
"Thanks, Pinkie." she said with a a slight smile.
"No problem, Twilight. That's what friends are for." Pinkie replied.
Twilight concurred with a nod. Looking at Tim's corpse one more time, there was still one more thing that didn't sit right with her about it.
"We can't just leave him here." Twilight stated.
"No, we can't." Pinkie replied. "Or the other guards for that fact."
"The reinforcements will no doubt collect the fallen once they arrive, Princess." River informed them both.
"But does that extend to Tim though?" Twilight asked.
Taking a brief moment to think about it, River Breeze came back with an answer.
"Well, I would think so, but.......I doubt without proper context, they'd probably think he was one of the humans in the attack and just throw him somewhere to rot."
The idea of that didn't sit well at all with either Pinkie or Twilight.
"Then we can't leave him here." Twilight announced.
Twilight was ready to cast a spell to levitate him out of there, before Pinkie stepped in to halt her actions.
"I don't want to see him rot any more than you do Twilight, but we're not exactly in the position to be burying him right now. Why don't we pack your things first, then ask either Princess Celestia or Princess Luna what we should do?"
As eager as she was to oversee the matter herself, Pinkie's words did hold some considerable merit. The magic built it up in Twilight's horn dissipated.
"I guess you're right." Twilight sighed.
Twilight felt a little bad for leaving him here like this, but she convinced herself that it was only temporary. That the Princesses would no doubt have a plan for him once she was all done packing her things for Canterlot. With that in mind, she slowly began walking back down the hallway, and the trio continued to their destination within the castle walls.
The convoy was already gassed and ready to depart by the time Achmed and Sarah had finished packing, with Colonel Antonov, Commander Sawyer, and Councilor Bradford patiently awaiting topside for them to arrive, just a few minutes before the departure time. The convoy itself consisted of the same vehicles that Andrew, Bradford, and his science team had used to transport them here just a couple of days earlier.
"Feels like a whole other lifetime." Andrew noted mentally.
It was five hours past midday, and even though the clouds blotted out the sun, it was easy to tell the time of day given how things were getting darker. Sarah and Achmed were about halfway to the vehicles when Andrew spotted the two, both with duffles and a rifle slung over their shoulder.
"Sergeant Martinez, Private First Class Sabbag." He addressed them both, to which they both responded with a salute. "At ease. Are you two all set?"
"Yes sir." the two replied.
"Well alright then. Time to saddle up, you two'll be riding in the APC with Councilor Bradford." He informed, pointing at the EE-11 Urutu. "There's no time to lose, so let's get to it."
The two quickly began making there way over to the APC as Andrew had one last thing to say.
"By the way, I took the liberty of printing off a few copies of the official AAR, they're in the back where you'll be riding. Sabbag, you already know what most of what it has to offer, but Sergeant, try to take the time to read it over and get filled in with all the details."
"I will, sir." Sarah replied.
Andrew nodded, heading to the G-class where Viktor was waiting. Andrew stepped into the front passenger seat, closing the door as he entered. He was quick to notice that like the vehicle, its operators happened to be the same two men that had driven him here days earlier.
"Good to see you again, sir." The driver said.
"Likewise, son." Andrew replied. "Let's get going."
The driver nodded, picking up the radio to communicate with the other vehicles. As he relayed status with the rest of the convoy, the same wise-cracking gunner from days earlier shot a glance down at Andrew.
"So, uh, sir." he said with a smirk. "I heard we found the Garden of Eden. That true?"
"I suppose so, only we're the ones with the flaming sword." Andrew responded.
"All that's left is whether not we decide to put it to use." Viktor added.
"Let's pray it don't come to that." The gunner replied.
"Yeah. Let's." Andrew replied.
In the other vehicle, Sarah and Achmed sit across from one another within the confines of the Urutu. Bradford was there with them, yet any attempt at striking up a conversation fell flat on its feet. The two were silent, unnaturally so, as they each had their own thoughts on what lie on the road ahead.
Both thought of what would come as a result of Achmed's testimony, Achmed wishing to see it become the foundation piece to enacting his revenge. Suddenly, they felt the engines of the APC begin to spring to life, and soon felt the initial force of the vehicle as it began to move.
"And we're on our way." Sarah thought to herself.
On the other side, Achmed began to contemplate once more on the situation he had worked himself into, and how he was going to be successful with his end goal. However the thoughts of vengeance he felt would occasionally give way to those he was affecting with this personal vendetta of his. His people, his unit, and most of all, his family. Was he right in doing this, he wondered. A part of him told him Tim's death had no business of going unanswered, but to those who would be affected by this? Once again, doubt began to plague his thoughts. Whether or not it would extend to his actions, remained to be seen.
New Damascus
The scene around DC10 (Distribution Center 10) was bustling, as was expected around 12:00am to 3:00pm. The influx of a multitude of people from multiple parts of the city had become routine to those who worked it, and after years of coping with so many people, the workers of DC10 knew how to handle the crowds quite effectively. The real problem was the amount of food they were legally allowed to give to each person. With shortages at a record low, meals were becoming sparser for the day, and with less food in everyone's bellies, moods were getting a little more grumpy than usual.
Yet civility still held, and the workers of DC10 were glad for that fact. Feeding so many often meant they got along with most everyone who stopped by. And DC10 in particular was known well for its rather friendly staff, one young girl in particular.
"Suha!" an old woman in her mid-50's called out, tending to a broth. "Come here, sweetheart, I need you for something."
There was a commotion from the back storage closet.
"Suha? Are you alright?" The woman asked.
A second or two passed before a young girl stepped out from behind the door frame. Her name was Suha Sabbag, thirteen years old and she was already one of the backbone members of the DC10 team. She was thin in frame but deceptive in what she could accomplish physically. She wore a rolled-up violet long-sleeve shirt that had long since faded, khaki shorts, sandals, and her signature green print hijab in a loose fashion which displayed her black hair more openly. Sporting a pair of deep emerald eyes and a perky expression, Suha had become the pride and joy of DC10, as most folks were almost always happy to see her.
"I'm right here, Mrs. Pratt." Suha replied.
"What was all that noise I heard?" she asked.
"Oh, I was storing the last of those ration crates like Tony asked me to."
"I thought Tony was supposed to be doing that?" Mrs. Pratt replied, clearly irked that she was doing one of his jobs.
"Well, he was busy with giving out the meals to the electric crew." Suha explained. "Y'know how they can be. Besides, I don't mind, wasn't that busy anyway. So, what did you need?"
"Oh, right." Mrs Pratt said, reaching for an old milk crate filled with four empty plastic milk jugs.
"Ah. Water duty?" Suha asked.
"Afraid so. I know it's in short supply, but still a necessity I'm afraid. Ain't much else to drink around here, besides booze."
"What, you don't think serving alcohol during the day can remedy our water shortages?" Suha jested.
Suha and Mrs. Pratt shared a lighthearted laugh before getting back to their work.
"Well, I'll see what I can do." Suha replied, taking the crate from Mrs. Pratt. "Maybe I can see if the guys at the reservoir can spare some. See ya in a bit."
Suha began making her way through the kitchen and towards the exit, passing two of her other co-workers, Tony Attanucci and Maria Jones, the former of which calling out to her.
"Hey Suha, sweetie. Thanks for covering stacking duty for me, had my hands full with those EPG guys (Electric Power Grid)." He thanked her in a thick Brooklyn accent.
"No problem, Tony." Suha replied "Just know that you owe me for like the tenth time."
"Always eager to bring up the debt, huh?"
"Nah, just giving you fair warning that if you keep it up, you owe me one mega favor down the road. In case you didn't know, they stack." She joked.
And with that she was out the door, hearing Tony's laugh before she leaving the kitchen and reaching out of earshot. Now making her way through the actual bulk of DC10, which amounted to little more than several rows of tables under makeshift shelter that stemmed from the wreckage of an old Boeing Airliner, Suha passed by many a familiar face, exchanging greetings and quick jests as she headed to the reservoir.
The trip took a little over half an hour on foot, but she arrived at long last. As she approached the entrance to the reservoir, she felt a hand land on her shoulder. Looking up to see who it belonged to, she smiled when she recognized the face of who it belonged to.
"Kent!." she said happily, giving the man a quick hug.
"Hey kiddo." Kent greeted.
Kent Mitchell was an old friend of the family and one of Achmed's former classmates back when he was in school. For years their two families had maintained close ties. When they had finished education, Kent went to work for Pump division of the Science Branch, which kept him at the reservoir pretty regularly.
"So, what brings you to our quaint little abode?" Kent asked.
"Uh, water. Duh." She said, shaking the crate of empty jugs.
"I see that, you do know you're supposed to go to the pumps for that, right?" Kent noted.
"And trek three miles into town just to wait in a line that stretches across the Ag center?" She said shaking her head. "Yeah, not happening."
"Oh please, it's not that bad." Kent argued.
"If I was getting water for myself I wouldn't mind, but this water isn't for me, it's going towards all the people we gotta keep fed. Which by the way, I need to get back to DC10 as quickly as possible. Besides, this place is closer." she argued.
Kent laughed at her stubborn stance.
"Alright, alright, I'm just yanking your chain. C'mon, I'll get ya set up." he said, beckoning for her to follow.
The two walked within the central building. Although the place wasn't an actual reservoir, the name had stuck for years, and instead of water stored via any natural body, it was stored in large underground wells. To get to them, they would have to take an industrial elevator down to where they were housed. As they descended below, Kent struck up a conversation.
"So, how's your brother?" he asked. "It's been awhile since we last talked."
"He's fine. I saw him and Tim about two months back." She answered. "Achmed and I watched one of those old movies from the archives that they have multiple copies of. Real cool flick, it was about some old guy who was gonna open like a dinosaur zoo before things went crazy."
Kent responded with an acknowledging nod before proceeding with his next statement.
"How you holding up?" he asked, this time with a little more sincerity in his tone.
Suha sluggishly leaned against the outer edge of the elevator.
"Work and school keeps my mind off..........well, you know."
"Yeah." he said, understanding what she meant. "How's she holding up?"
"Not well." She said sadly. "If you don't mind, Kent, I'd rather not talk about my mother's failing health."
"Of course. I understand."
They stopped their descent and the doors to the elevator opened before them.
"We're here." Kent stated.
The two stepped out, walking down a series of service tunnels.
"We'll have to make our way down to well 3." Kent informed her. "They're still clearing rubble from that cave in front of 2."
"That was month ago!" Suha exclaimed. "You guys still haven't cleared it?"
"Hey, the whole tunnel collapsed! That's a lot of crap to clean up. You know-"
"Hey! Kent! Is that you!?" A voice called out from one of the tunnels they just passed.
The two back stepped a little, and saw that it was two of Kent's co-workers, Fang Shi and Tyler West.
"What do you need, Fang!?" he yelled back.
"We're almost finished clearing a path to well 2! Want to do the honors!?"
Hearing such news ignited a small spark of hope in Kent.
"Well I'll be damned." he said. "Guess we wont have to draw from 3."
"I heard. So nice of you guys to clear the path just for me." Suha said mockingly.
Kent rolled his eyes, and the two made their way down the now crumbly and earthen corridor that was once a service tunnel, where the two men waited for them.
"It's about damn time." Kent stated upon coming into speaking distance with the two.
"Yeah well, would have got done a lot quicker if everyone had pitched in." Tyler pointed out. "Hey, Suha."
"Hey." she replied back.
"West, you know well enough that our schedule is booked as is." Kent stated. "It was a miracle that we managed to get even one more person to dig this shit out last week."
"Well, no sense in arguing about it now, as we're about to bask the fruits of our labor." Fang said jokingly, offering Kent the sledgehammer he was holding. "Care to do the honors?"
Kent took the hammer in hand, grasping it firmly and ready to strike at that last layer of rubble that lay between them and the well that had been inaccessible for nearly a month.
"Stand back, Suha." Kent urged.
She did so, and with one forceful swing, Kent knocked down the thin layer of rubble, revealing a large room filled layered in darkness.
"Well, that's not surprising." Kent said, handing the hammer back to Fang and pulling out a small flashlight. "Cave in definitely tore out the circuitry."
"Yeah, well let EPG deal with that later." Tyler suggested.
"I intend to. Least the good news is is that we now have access back to our........."
Kent froze, an expression of pure horror struck across his face the moment he inspected what was supposed to be a large open well of water spanning around 2500 square feet in diameter with a depth of about 200 ft, only to discover it was completely bone dry. This shocked the others as well, as a the conversation took a drastic turn.
"What the fuck?!" Kent swore. "Where the hell's all the water?!"
The sheer absence of one entire well was not only baffling, but alarming. While access had been cut off to it for a month, the water within was still being accounted for due to the shortages. Now that it was all gone, it signaled an oncoming crisis. Suha began to feel a sense of growing fear for the future as the three men argued.
"I thought the pipes to well 2 were all shut off!" Fang exclaimed.
"They were!" Tyler quickly affirmed. "Do you think there's a leak?!"
"I dunno! What th-"
Once again, Kent cut off mid sentence. He had shone his light down to the bottom of the well, and what he saw made him and the other men take a significant step away from the well. Suha had by this time walked to the edge of the pool, and saw what had spooked Kent and the others so badly. At the very bottom of the well, clear as day thanks to Kent's light source, were a multitude large holes that had been burrowed in and out at the bottom of the well, around 3-4 square feet in diameter. They were tell-tale signs of one thing.
"Tunnelers." Kent breathed.
Tunnelers, a form of aggressive mutants that had been the cause of death for many people, and from the looks of it, they made an entrance to their nest at the bottom of the well. Suha could feel the cold sense of terror rise in her. Suddenly, they could hear faint cackling roar emit from the bottom of the well. Then there was another, and another, a soon, the roars reached an almost deafening level.
"Aw, fuck!" Tyler swore, pulling out a handgun.
Kent and Fang began to do the same. Suha dropped the crate she was holding. The thing about a Tunneler was that you really couldn't hope to outrun them, and with Suha presently in company, Kent's priority was seeing that she find safety as quickly as possible.
"Suha, run for the elevator! Get the Militia here as fast as you can!" he ordered.
"What?!"
The roars was now much closer than it was before, no further than 20 feet away.
"NO TIME TO ARGUE! GO!!!"
Whatever protests she had about leaving were quickly dashed as a Tunneler leaped from below, landing on the edge of the well and proceeded to rush Fang. Suha turned around and ran as fast as her legs would go, not taking a single second to look back as roars and gunfire gave way to the sounds of men screaming and flesh being torn. An alarm was sounded off, and it took every sheer amount of will for Suha not to look back, so terrified that if she did, she too would suffer the same fate as Kent no doubt just had.
She at last made it to the elevator, and within a heartbeat, she slammed the button closing the elevator doors. The slow and methodical pace they took to close sent her heart into a panic.
"C'mon! C'mon!" she begged, pressing the button again in panic.
They at last closed, and not a second too soon. The moment they did, the beasts that came from beneath had at last caught up with her. Standing at around five foot four, with elongated arms and legs ending in a pair of bulging long razor sharp claws, an abominable, deformed, head that could once be compared to that of a boar. It's mouth sported a set of unnaturally jagged tusks and teeth, with it's snout ending in star-shaped tendrils to that of a mole, both currently soaked a deep red. It bellowed out a cackling roar the second it smelled Suha out, and began attempting to tear at the reinforced steel mesh of the elevator to get to her. Suha screamed in terror as it tried to force its way through to her. But thankfully the frame and mesh held. And soon, Suha was out of harms way, her heart beating like no tomorrow. Tears now began streaming down across her face for what she had just endured, for the friend she had just lost.
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It's always awesome reading new chapters of this story bro!
Now I know this is all the build up for the main event but....it can't come FAST enough!!! Lol
Looking forward to next month's update bro!
Sweet, always happy to see a new chapter. This was a great one too. Really liked the multiple character viewpoints done here. Poor suha and Kent. Yeah humanity needs to get the heck off this planet.
I’m really hoping Luna has to truly answer for her mistake instead of having a war, and then end with her saying what amounts to “sowwy”. In some ways I think the only way for her to feel redeemed for her rash action is to face the consequence of her action.
There's... a bit of a narrative disconnect in the soldiers, I feel. On one hand, the story repeatedly emphasizes how tired of war the people of earth are and how terrified they are of the thought of war returning, yet on the other hand their reaction to gunning down hundreds of innocents is to basically crave even more vengeance once they hear one of their own died.
It feels like it should be either one or the other. I mean, is nobody even going to mention the fact that they effortlessly gunned down hundreds of ponies? While suffering one casualty (and calling him a casualty of the fight is debatable)? All that while the enemy was between them and their point of retreat? How do you even remotely justify an armed retaliation rather than (potentially armed if we remain paranoid) diplomacy when it's the supposed enemy that got utterly slaughtered by a recon force?
If Equestria had actually been portrayed as a threat I'd understand a panicked move to retaliate. But the Equestria we see here quite simply isn't a threat in any shape, way or form. What's left of earth can steamroll Equestria without much effort, and even a casual read of the after combat reports will show that.
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That's a fair point, and it's honestly something I may have overlooked, but if I can throw my two cents on the matter, (And I'm not trying to sound either preachy or overly defensive about this as I always appreciate insightful critique.) I was more or less trying to convey those thoughts of violence the soldiers were feeling as a fleeting thought of rash action, how one initially feels with their emotions before any rational thought kicks in, things they just thought about but wouldn't really go through with. Plus, while the humans were ultimately victorious against the Equestrians by a considerable margin, I wouldn't call it effortless. To be honest their were a lot of factors that gave the humans an advantage in that fight. Surprise the enemy by ambush, have a quick and ready escape nearby, and several seconds of little to no resistance when I had Achmed take Twilight hostage, to which it took the humans several seconds to realize that the enemy wasn't firing back. But you still bring up a good point, and I'll definitely be taking such perspectives on conflict with another race into consideration in the chapters to come.
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Point, effortless was perhaps not the right word but given the casualties on the Equestrian side it felt most appropriate. Technology has such an upper hand here that there is little Equestria could have done even if they were entirely prepared for what was about to happen.
Which reminds me, and this isn't aimed at you in particular, but I've noticed a lot of comments glaring rather accusingly at Luna to the point of calling for her head, but let's not forget that it was the earth side that started this by sending an armed incursion into what was quite blatantly a civilian settlement. The team had plenty of time to explore and knew they weren't facing a military installation, and yet they still went in with a military mindset of infiltrate and extract rather than make even the slightest attempts at diplomacy.
Yes, Luna fucked up, but so did the entire recon force by starting an armed incursion on foreign civilian soil that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of ponies. I feel this shouldn't be swept under the rug. Not by us readers, and not by the human leadership.
So, i'm guessing most of the guards don't know the full story and that Luna (accidentally) caused a VERY uphill war?
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Most don't, but this one does. But this is more or less her feelings towards someone that she doesn't see as a civilized being and more or less as a monster.
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Well when I wrote that part, I was hoping there'd be more gambling involved.
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don't make me hurt you.
8797378
Would posting the lyrics to "Johnny Guitar" Make that happen?
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I think i found out about that game, later after the post.
When next AWESOME chapter!?
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Almost ready.
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Thank you. I always appreciate it when someone is able to both show appreciation for my work whilst still addressing some of its flaws, as it adds critical input for the future. I will be the 1st to admit that I'm not the best proofreader, but have always been passionate about my storytelling, and I'm glad you found some joy from it.
...wow pinks, very optimistic
I gotta say that I'm really impressed with how you've been able to stir a conflict between the two groups without it seeming "forced". That is, the story is very believable as a whole.
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Yeah I feel Andrew Sawyer should have walked up to the castle unarmed and ask to talk while the rest of his men provided overwatch in case something went wrong or scope out the castle to find out how Tim’s being treated and act accordingly wait while I was typing this I just remembered they spied on Lyra talking about her chat with Tim so why didn’t they learn learn from that conversation that Tim was safe and not being held hostage?
Nice Jurassic park reference
Saw that coming. I knew your not a bad guy.