//------------------------------// // Tactical Decision // Story: The Red Sun Rises: Siege of Manehattan // by The Atlantean //------------------------------// Lieutenant Rocky Road fumed at his failure. The Equestrians still held Manehattan, and their reinforcements were due to arrive in less than twelve hours according to his scouts in Fillydelphia, who had actually seen the Atlantean fleet. They claimed it comprised of five ships, anywhere from twenty to one hundred meters in length, with corresponding mast heights. Smoke billowed out of large steel tubes on the side of the ships, and they somehow propelled forward without hoisting the sails not three nautical miles off the coast. Reports on the previous night’s attack had come in. Most of Third Battalion was on either fighting the northern front or on Tartarus Bridge when it blew. Second Battalion lost half on 3rd Street and more in the tunnel during the retreat. First Battalion fared pretty well, successfully chasing the Equestrian forces off Garnet Island with minimal losses. Still, his army was down to a third its original strength, having only 1500 ponies left. A formidable force, but nothing compared to what Sombra recruited. The King of Shadows had called for a fighting force capable of bringing Celestia to her knees. In the first months of the war, it had done exactly that. Then Equestria got organized and pushed them back. Sombra obliterated it with the Gem, and the ragtag resistance of an army drawn from elsewhere in the country could not stand in his way. After that came the string of successes: the Crystal Empire conquered all the way south to the northern Equestrian cities, and systematically invaded. In fact, Equestrian territory currently went as far north as the outskirts of Ponyville, and shaped into a horseshoe configuration as the war dragged on. That dreadful little town, home to Princess Twilight, offered more resistance than Vanhoover, and the northwestern city was a close victory. Rumor had it that magical barricades lined the Equestrian border, preventing any Crystal pony from getting any closer than a few kilometers. Even so, it would fall eventually. He had a Unicorn mage send a message to General Shattered Hope as he debated his few options: to stay and most likely lose the entire army, or retreat now and come back when the actually was an army to use against Equestria. Rocky had also included an idea he felt should be sent to the higher authorities. About four hours later, the general’s reply came back. Lieutenant Rocky Road of the First Crystal Army, I understand the predicament your forces have encountered. Since Major Snow left you in charge, I do not doubt your abilities to lead the army, and therefore am allowing you to make the final decision. My personal advice would be to follow what the soldiers want. If they feel that a tactical retreat is necessary, take that into consideration. After all, they are the ponies doing the fighting. The final choice is yours; however, I would probably pull back. If you do decide to retreat, I will provide supplies and ponies to replenish what you have lost during the besieging of Manehattan. As for your suggestion to use the Gem to obliterate the Equestrian government is extremely radical. I do see promise in it, and will bring the idea before King Sombra for approval. According to my sources, Princess Celestia is currently west of Griffonstone, and therefore cannot be taken out as of yet. Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Princess Twilight Sparkle have been relocated to an unspecified area, but judging from Equestrian history and data available, I have determined the location to most likely be the Everfree Castle, situated deep within the Everfree Forest. To destroy it would be to destroy the Tree of Harmony, along with the Elements of Harmony as well. This is a most opportune moment, and I do not intend on missing it. An officer trotted in, saluted and asked for a final decision. “Tell the troops to pack,” Rocky said. “We leave for the Crystal Mountains in two hours.” By nightfall, the Crystal army was several miles from downtown Manehattan. The ponies had eagerly stuffed all their soldiering shit into their bags and formed ranks for an orderly retreat, which was the opposite of the previous night’s chaos. As darkness overtook the army, each and every pony sighed with relief. No longer would they have to deal with an enemy that just wouldn’t die. The Atlantean fleet was behind them, along with the Equestrians and blood-stained streets. Their backs were turned against the city, their fallen comrades, and the high-tech reinforcements. Wishes for vengeance brewed in the veins of every soldier and officer.Now they faced defeat, but survival seemed more important than dieing in a fight they couldn’t win. They had no idea how wrong they were.