The Atlantean-Dominion War

by The Atlantean

46. Two Halves Make A Hole

Silvercrest howled ecstatically. Across the marshy land that covered most of the Mega Peninsula, a beacon of success glowed brightly into the early morning. Sarge had arrived and was battering the small regiment of Doms left between them. She’d been weakening them for her own assault with artillery, but the infamous middle-aged stallion still knew how to grasp an opportunity. Even now, his personal banner flapped wildly as its bearer waved around in glee.

Beyond that hill Sarge was now taking - it’s more of a mound, now that I think about it - was the lost half of AREA. The silver-colored general knew her counterpart probably thought the same thing about her own worn-out troops. After three months in the blistering heat and soaking humidity the hung around Haven Cove, all celebration would be well worth it.

A few hours later, the two commanders saw each other for the first time in four months and struggled to hold back their emotions. But, keeping their composure, they simply smiled at the other.

“General, I’d like to report the successful defense of the Whispering Mountain Pass and its neighboring town of High Frostgar,” Sarge finally said, saluting the silver Pegasus.

“As would I the successful defense of Haven Cove. We knew you were coming, by the way. Atlanta sent a the message via ship.”

“Temporal made it!” A wave of relief swept over Sarge and he wiped away a tear before Silvercrest saw it.

“Come on, Sergeant. You’ll want to see our messenger.”

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“You were right. Pardon me, ma’am, but that’s fucking awesome.”

The two stood on the Haven Cove naval dock, watching Nightmane roll up and down as the small waves below her slapped against the nearby shore.

Captain Road was most taking her leave at the moment, but that didn’t matter. Her XO filled in for her quite easily, and Silvercrest suspected he would be given command of the destroyer when she returned to Summercrest. As he explained Nightmane and her capabilities to Sarge, Silvercrest eyed a hazy form on the horizon. Finally, she asked about it.

The two stallions turned to look east. Whatever the thing was, it was best to know if it was hostile or not, especially with the Atlantean Navy spread out across the sea as it was. Nightmane’s executive officer hurried aboard and sounded general quarters. The bell’s dull clangs echoed across the brackish water, waking up anyone still asleep this late in the day. Even as her crew filtered aboard, Nightmane’s boilers were brought up to high pressure and her gun crews raced to their stations. Her wooden deck shuddered with stampeding hooves that threatened to drown out the alarm.

Captain Road raced up a stairway onto the bridge, preceded by her loud “As you were!” Her unkempt mane displayed a restless night and a late morning. “What’s the problem, Exec?”

“Unknown ship on the horizon, ma’am,” he replied. “Thought we should check it out before she got too close to the harbor.”

“Alright.” She pulled on her mane with a comb she’d brought with her. “Damn. I should’ve gotten up earlier.”

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As it was, the vessel was a messenger from Nautinia bearing news of the Second Coastal’s success in taking back Whitecap Point. Also there were orders for recapturing and securing the main supply lines. From current intel, there was an entire army between them and the switch network near Athene Plateau, where all western Atlantean rail lines went through.

When Silvercrest and Sarge saw the notes, they immediately conferred to the other the significance of Athene Plateau’s rail yard and the plausibility of gaining control. They already had Pacifica back from the Doms, with formidable defensive works now in place around the railroad city. It was quickly decided that, no matter the cost, Athene Plateau was AREA’s main priority. Meanwhile, the scattered remnants of the main Atlantean Army, which had suffered so many massive defeats that let the Doms walk freely through Atlantis, would attempt to secure the rail lines. That their incompetent commanders could do.

The army prepared to move out over the course of the next few days, gathering supplies and recruiting personnel to supplement the battered regiments. After the Battles of Mega Peninsula and Haven Cove, recruitment wasn’t a problem.

They marched north under a pall of afternoon rain. As the soaked, flapping banners wandered farther and farther from Haven Cove, Nightmane grew ever more distant to the southeast, finally lost from view as her escort of AREA ended. After her iron hull disappeared, she turned due east to head back to Nautinia and then Summercrest, her fuel bunkers just full enough to make the trip.

Sarge lead the vanguard, pushing far and fast to reach Athene Plateau in four days. The place was a full week’s standard march west-northwest of Pacifica, meaning it sat three days south of Emberforge Valley and five northwest of Nautinia. Silvercrest, on the other hoof, commanded the slower main portion of the army. She still hoped to make it within the week. If only Colonel Treetop could show up, then she wouldn’t worry about the coming battle. Her former regiment was the cream of the crop.

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After a week of double-marching, scouting, and hearing thousands of complaints, General Silvercrest set her eyes on the plateau ahead. It wasn’t actually much higher than the surrounding terrain, but it was clear and a lot flatter. The formerly busy rail yard was spread out across it, blanketing the land in a maze of rails, switches, sidings, sheds, and side tracks. Four strategically placed control towers usually directed traffic, but they currently provided excellent sniping posts from what she could see. Boxcars and steam locomotives bound for other Atlantean cities were being “inspected,” which seemed to involve raiding or breaking.

The voice of one of Sarge’s runners reached her ears. She listened to his message, then sent him back with a reply. From what the gruff stallion had inferred, a frontal assault, though most likely expected by the enemy, might prove most effective since there was no cover between his position and the yard. Any attacks induced would need to be quick unless they wanted artillery pieces meant for their use to blast them apart.

Silvercrest brought her part of the army to Sarge. For three hours, she watched the Dom positions for any pattern to their movement. They didn’t appear to notice the Atlanteans outside; either that, or they believed an attack would be a useless gesture of resistance that would be squashed underhoof like a bug. She planned the assault for dawn, when the sleepyhead sentries were most likely to be taken out quickly.

The sun had yet to creep over the horizon; the sky was dark. Among the trees sparsely placed around the rail yard, the many Atlantean regiments lay in wait. The artillery opened up, belching light gray smoke and choking their crews. Their flashes lit the early hours with orange and yellow fire. Round shot screamed through the air and slammed into the ground all around the yard, cratering dirt and punching cars.

The Doms began replying. Their accurate fire was more suppressive than anything, trying to prevent a ground assault from happening. They knocked down an oak here and there, but mostly created holes in the dirt and sending clouds of dust in the air.

For an hour, the artillery duel continued, neither side really gaining an advantage over the other. The tower nearest the to-be point of contact collapsed as stray shots blew holes into its support structure. A short-lived pillar of dust remained until it dispersed throughout the area.

Finally, the order was relayed down from Silvercrest and Sarge that the time was right. The regiments formed just behind the artillery, now silent for the first time all morning. The relative silence threatened to deafen everyone.

Officers waved their troops forward. For a single tense moment, nopony moved. Then they broke into a full gallop across the sparse vegetation, trying to get close enough fast enough. Most of them succeeded.

The two commanders had aimed perfectly: their charge collided with the hasty Dom fortifications dead center. At first, only a couple ponies waved their banners above the boxcar wall, then more. Soon, half of AREA was on search-and-destroy mode, systematically taking out Doms from an ever-expanding circle in the middle of the yard. Since the Dominion’s raiders had never expected an attack, even after a week across a field from Sarge, they were almost no match for the veteran soldiers of the Atlantean Reserve Emergency Army.

Silvercrest looked at Sarge, whose recurring headache was attended to by Corporal Terra, his personal favorite from the scout group when going down to Haven Cove. “Two halves make a whole, don’t they, Sarge?” she smiled.

“A hole in their line, ma’am,” he gruffly replied. There was a hint of satisfaction in his voice when he said it.

Author's Note:

Sorry this took so long. A bit of writer's block, I guess. Also, I'm rewriting a non-pony story I have, so that's taking quite some time.

This is the 46th chapter to this story, along with over 69,000 words. Damn. That is long compared to my other stories here - Homefront is 60,000! (But this is still longer, so my statement isn't false)

No, the chapter title does not have a typo.

Feedback appreciated.