"Push them back! We can't let them take the border!" A crystal unicorn mare bellowed from where she stood, holding her rifle high. "Fight them back!"
"There's too many of them!"
"Then we'll die fighting then!"
War... war never changes.
The Crystal Empire was the site of a very large conflict, the city of crystal and snow that was once a peaceful city of love... now a city being attacked by a race of slavers, a horrible species known as the Caribou had threatened Equestria and its allies for decades now with war unless they were given what they wanted. The caribou had finally had enough of the ponies and their friendship and equal rights for mares, and grew sick of Celestia and Luna being leaders when they should have been used by their rightful male leaders.
So they attacked, a massive force of two million caribou attacking the Crystal Empire from the deep north. The Empire was unprepared for such a force, having so little forces to actually fight back with. It was terrifying for many to witness, seeing and hearing the roars of the vile beasts outside their city trying to get inside to rape and pillage like pirates. Many of the guards were doing their best with holding back the creatures, utilizing old Crystal Powered Guns to fight back with, and they were doing a fair job.
But for every bullet they fired, and for every caribou they killed, there was another five caribou to replace em.
And this was chaotic for a Wonderbolt Captain, who had been sent in to assist the war effort and keep the caribou back while Equestria mobilizes its own forces.
"Soarin! Up high!" Spitfire yelled, causing the stallion to soar straight up into the air as he threw a grenade into the crowd of Caribou, which exploded upon impact as Spitfire fired her rifle. An energy based weapon that fired pure solar energy, sleek and powerful with a magically enhanced scope. She fired beam after beam, searing armor and blasting a few into nothing but ash that flew away. Spitfire was a very adept shot with her rifle, managing to get many kill shots as she and Soarin were covered by Lieutenant Fleetfoot, who was half a mile away on a building top armed with a very powerful sniper rifle.
A couple of caribou flying back after being hit by a bright blue beam of light made her thank Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer for their hard work with creating weaponry to combat the caribou. But it only did so much when they kept coming, and worse... their own runic magic brought their dead back to life like it was nothing!
Eyeballing one of the rune masters, she fired a few solar beams into him, making him cry out in pain as his head exploded. Damn necromancy! She cursed, firing another volley of solar beams into the crowd and scoring some hits as she dodged a few bullets. The caribou had crude weaponry, things that they didn't create. That much she knew, because the armor was something they did make. The firearms however were old, if the ones that managed to scavenge from assassins sent to Canterlot told them anything. They had found these weapons somewhere, but Equestrian intelligence had no idea where though.
When Spitfire landed on one of the towers outside of the Empire, she eyed the ever growing horde of Caribou with a grimace. There were far too many of them for the Wonderbolts to handle alone, they needed back up and they needed it now!
Landing next to her, Soarin was breathing heavily as he dropped his rifle and said, "This is hopeless!" He coughed, blood dribbling down his chin. "There's too many of them!"
"We have to hold them off!" Spitfire barked at her second in command, turning to glare at the stallion. "We can't give up, if we don't try then Equestria will fall!" Spitfire did not want that to happen, Equestria was her home and the very thought of seeing it fall to these damned beasts was one she didn't want to see come to fruition. "So get your ass back out there and fight!" She didn't want to be so hard on him, but right now...
They needed everyone they could get.
Spitfire turned to watch the fight.. gripping her rifle before loading in a new power crystal.
We need everyone...
As the Wonderbolts dealt with that, far to the east there was another fight going on.
A mare of gold dashed through the woods, bullets flying overhead as she outran a few caribou nearby. In the skies there were caribou airships trying to find her, arrows flying from above and nicking at her hills as the forest around her grew more dense by the second. But she tore through the woods, she had a purpose for being out so deep in the far eastern territories beyond the badlands. Daring was sent by Celestia herself to get aid from the Zebras over the border, she was fast after all and while Dash was faster, she was currently leading another defense.
So that left Daring Do.
The mare tore through the bushes as the caribou chased after her, she would be flying but she ended up getting shot in the wing and it screwed her over. As it always did when her wing was thrashed by something, bullets, magical trap, arrow, etc. In her hand she held a machete to cut through what was in her way, which was mostly bushes and leaves and such. The caribou behind her just burned their way through, and they were closing in on her with each roar she heard.
I have to get to the border, find the zebras! She told herself, they would have sent more flyers but Canterlot and Manehattan was under siege by Caribou who had come in from the sea on ships, managing to get past their defenses. So that left Daring to get to the zebras, as they lacked the magical dragonfire message system that Celestia had going on with her students.
She kept running, running as fast as her legs could take her...
That is until Daring's foot snagged on an overgrown root and she fell down a steep incline. "Fuck!" She screamed out, tucking and rolling the best she could as she rolled and tumbled down the hill. Rocks and roots tore into her clothing before she smashed into the ground, hard. "Gah!" She groaned, her body aching as she heard the caribou nearby.
"Find her!" She heard, and she panicked. Looking up, she found an entrance to a cave in front of her and got up, before bolting inside. "I saw her go into a cave! Get her!"
She ran into the cave, using her keen eyesight to try and see in the dark as she ran inside, sheathing her machete and pulling out her revolver as she made her way deeper into the cave. She wasn't sure where this led, but she could hope it led out to the other side and it could help her lose the caribou behind her.
Damn those things. Daring cursed as her stomach ached from where she had been punched during her fight to escape Canterlot and get help. She had managed to kill a decent amount of the caribou before leaving of course, slaughtering her way out of the city and making it out to head east. She was a mare sure, and a lot of asshole stallions may have figured she wasn't a strong female. but they were wrong, and not one of her books were embellished in the slightest, all of the fights, moves and techniques she's learned she's used to take down villains the world over.
These Caribou would test those lessons she's learned.
They will not win. She told herself, stumbling down the cave as her fatigue set in. They will never win, Equestria will not fall. Daring continued to tell herself, as her body grew more and more tired by the second. She found her hand reaching for an amulet around her neck, one that was given to her by her late father. It was an heirloom of sorts that she had held onto for years, and had always given her luck. We have to win...
Her thoughts ceased as her boot hit something metal, which clanged across the cave floor as she looked down. Panic setting in again, she pulled out a light crystal and shook it causing it to light up the cave in a bright green glow. When she looked down, Daring found a piece of metal that looked like it was part of a metal sign that was put up. She couldn't read what was on it however, the rust on it making it hard to read. She shook her head as she continued down the cave, finding the rocky flooring she was on suddenly smooth out and turn a gray color.
Ahead of Daring her eyes caught sight of what appeared to be a large looking door inset within a wall of solid concrete, the door was made of some sort of black steel and no way to open it. At least nothing she could make out that is, her eyes scanned it as fast as she could touching it and trying to find a way through.
"No no no." She could feel the panic coursing through her body as she tried to find a way through. Damn it!
Suddenly, she heard a whirring noise. Daring back away in shock as a black ball like object on the ceiling above the door turned to look at her with a small camera like lens
Before she could even question what was going on, she heard, "Scanning... scanning..." Came a mare's voice through some source Daring could not see. "Species, Equis Inteliges detected... threats detected outside of ATLAS, please enter safe zone, General Snow."
Daring blinked at the odd name as the door suddenly opened, rust and rusty gears grinding as it lifted up off of the ground, one part of the door pushing inward to fit behind the other part of the door and Daring was allowed inside. She didn't know what was inside, but it was better then being gang raped outside in the dark of the cave. Clutching her crystal she ran inside, hitting a smooth floor made of some shiny black material as she ventured deeper inside.
Lights began to turn on above her on the walls, dark lights that offer enough light to see but not damage the eyes. The entire hallway seemed... old, incredibly old and yet, far more advanced then anything she's ever seen. The lights flickered, a couple of them burst nearby as she slowed to a hasty walk, her eyes taking in the ruined halls that slowly became more and more ruined as she went deeper inside. The smell of old was one she was used to after being in nigh countable temples across the world, but this... had a scent inside of it that made shivers go down her spine.
Daring went deeper into the hall, finding it leading down some metal stairs that were rusting and what looked like an open closet with two sliding doors on either side half open, and some buttons on the side. She rose an eyebrow as she approached it before looking inside the closet, only seeing it was no closet... but some sort of lift that she climbed inside, making it shake slightly.
"G-greeeeeeeetings ge*bzt*General Snow." Said the voice again, as the doors struggled to close before Daring was dropped onto the floor as the lift started falling rapidly. "P-pbzzzt-crackle* ATLAS Control, up and running." Daring spotted some numbers counting down above her, barely lighting up the darkened lift, which continued to jostle and screech as metal scrapped against metal.
"Uh... excuse me? But who are you?" Daring asked as the lift stabilized, continuing its descent into the depths.
The AI either didn't listen or didn't care, as it went offline and the lift stopped. She almost fell, barely stopping herself as the doors screeched open, a few sparks flying as she saw a dark room ahead of her, only when her boot touched the floor did some lights come on, only to shatter off as several TV monitors buzzed to life, one sparking, another broken and showing readouts of something prepping itself. She saw several old chairs sitting around, and to her utter shock... skeletons still sitting in the chairs, with holes in their skulls as odd looking headsets in front of their eyes flickered to life with words and numbers that she couldn't understand the meaning.
They were not pony either... which confused and frightened her, what were these odd creatures sitting in the chairs. Their hands glued to keyboards, bodies lax in their seats as their headsets beeped and booped, bright blue glows lighting up their empty skulls as her eyes took in them all. They had all died in their seats, doing whatever it was that they were doing...
but what?
Whirring could be heard as incredibly old machinery turned on and came to life, monitors buzzed to life as keyboards lit up. The screens blue as a logo of a triangle with ATLAS on it appeared, before fading away and countless lines of numbers and words flew by. A distant rumble could be heard, but Daring thought nothing of it as she witnessed something incredible happening in front of her. She found herself drawn to a large control console looking device, where she found a large screen coming to life with words on it that she did understand.
Systems Online
Defense Systems - Online
Operations - Online
Communications Satellite -ERROR
Communications Satellite - OfflineMobilizing Sector-4 Terran Forces...
ERROR
Combat Forces Depleted...
0% Combat Units Remaining
Barracks DepletedChecking Sector ATLAS 7 Mobile Combat Mecha...
150,675 Units Remaining
Mobilizing Mechanized Combat UnitsChecking Hangers 1 - 10
ERROR
Pilot Error - Switching to Automatic Pilot Systems
Checking Total Aircraft...
12,469 Units Remaining
Mobilizing Aircraft UnitsAccessing Combat Satellite...
Satellite Accessed
Loading Battlefield Map
Please Standby
Daring Do found herself confused at what she was reading as the screen below the readout in front of her changed to one of... to her shock, the war in the Crystal Empire where the bulk of the Caribou forces were at. She witnessed the caribou slowly pushing the Equestrian forces back with each attack they threw at her kind. Even though it was a sky eye view of the empire and the battle, she could see it was clearly the Crystal Empire, and Equestria was slowly being pushed back.
"No... damn it, I need to get out of this place and find the Zebras!" She told herself, making to turn around, only to stop when she heard a beeping behind her. Looking down at the console below her, she saw another readout.
All Combat Systems Online
All Targets Locked...
Allies Locked...
Systems Ready
Launch?
Daring didn't know what that meant, but a look at the screen and she saw the Caribou were all marked in red, with the Equestrian forces in blue. She wasn't sure what any of this meant... but she found herself curious as she obviously knew what the words combat meant. Could... could whatever this is help? But what is this? What does it mean? She had no idea, who created these machines? What would happen if she launched whatever was waiting for her command?
Against her better judgement...
Daring reached down and hit the button.
Launching Combat UAV, Assessing Potential Combat Situation
What Daring Do, the Caribou currently trying to break into the facility, and pretty much every other soul on the planet didn't know. Was that Daring Do, famous explorer and archaeologist of Equestria had stumbled upon an incredibly old facility that was once used by humanity. A race long thought to have been wiped out eons and eons ago during their great war with each other, a race so powerful that their machines to this day...
*Whiiiiiiirr*
Still work.
Deep in the badlands west of the Crystal Empire, buried under tons of rock and dirt was another such facility like the one Daring was in right now. however it was in far worse shape, if the rust and decay inside of the facility was any indication. The bones of long dead soldiers and staff members rattled as the facility came to life, lights sparked and fluttered on as long dead systems burst to life finally for one more battle. Eagerly the machines inside began scanning the hanger bays, the barracks, the mecha storage bay and so on as loud drawn out metallic groans sounded. The building shook underground, alerting many underground dwellers that this land was about to experience war the likes of which hadn't been seen in several millennia.
Within the hanger bay of the facility, dubbed ATLAS 7 if the markings were any indications. Inside there were hundreds of aircraft lined up, waiting for centuries to be used on the battlefront, some having already seen plenty of action but were still flight capable, engines old and control systems rusted but still able to fly until they were blown out of the skies. One such aircraft was being prepped, a large UAV drone was taken from where it was stored by mechanical lifts and arms before being placed on a runway, the hanger bay doors struggling to open up as readouts nearby spoke of errors and problems, but continued to do as they were programmed to do.
The UAV was a rusty black color, with the name ATLAS on the side and a camera on the bottom of it, and armed with six missiles on either side. While used for scoping out enemy territory, it was also made good use as a combat aircraft, at least in terms of quick bombing runs and such. The wingspan was easily 68 feet long and the craft itself nearly 40 feet in length with a sleek build to allow for speeds that topped most previous UAVs in the past.
Once the doors to the facility were opened, which were once blocked off by rocks and dirt, but once the doors opened it all fell away as the UAV rolled out on its own volition. Its jets in the rear powered up, sputtering as fumes and smoke backfired out of it a few times before finally firing up and sending it rolling out over the rubble. The intense heat and back blast sending the rubble flying away before riding down a runway that had various rocks and rubble on it.
The UAV was smart though, and avoided the majority of it before blasting off down the eon old runway and into the skies above. Its camera turned and maneuvered around, rusty flakes falling off as the cracked glass was sending a video feed back to the bunker where Daring was at. The UAV was fast, its bullet riddled rust covered body blasting through the open skies once more. It wobbled in the air slightly, but managed to stay afloat as it flew towards its destination.
Daring was confused at what she was seeing, the screen showing her a birds eye view from whatever was launched. Combat UAV? What is that? She knew Combat well, but UAV was a word she didn't know anything about, however it sounded more like an abbreviation then a word.
Her sights fell on the sights of the Crystal Empire closing in from the UAV's perspective.
The UAV was flying high in the sky near the empire, and a few pegasi who were not fighting could hear its distant engine and briefly wondered what it was.
The UAV locked onto the mass group of caribou, their targeting markers a bright red as opposed to the Equestrians which were once more, blue.
Situation - Moderate
Launching Titan...
ERROR...
Malfunction - Titan MIA.Manually Launching Combat Mecha...
Back at the facility where the UAV had come from... was Changeling territory, and a few curious changeling scouts had found the entrance and grown wary when the UAV had launched.
"What do you think this is?" One Changeling scout named Bumble asked her cohort, Buzz.
"No idea... maybe some Equestrian sneak attack?" Buzz replied, cautiously walking up and peeking inside. Her bright yellow eyes caught sight of the machines inside working, and once she heard some loud thumping she saw something inside that made her reel back in fear.
Currently thumping its way out of the hanger bay was a large machine that likes of which Bumble and Buzz had never seen before. It caused them both to scream in terror as they ran away and vaulting over a hillside to sneakily watch the machine as fear filled their minds and bodies. It was a bulky piece of machinery with two huge arms, legs and a body with no head. It was covered in rust, with a dull silver color underneath as it struggled to move right out of the hanger bay. It had obviously suffered damage from combat, as Bumble could see a gaping hole where one might fit themselves inside for whatever reason. However, the cockpit of this... Titan wasn't unoccupied, inside Bumble and Buzz could clearly see the remains of a body, bones wrapped in some kind of battle suit and a broken helmet.
Inside the mecha, or Titan the machine was obeying its combat protocols sent from the bunker Daring was in. The two Changelings outside could clearly hear a voice from inside, distorted and deep as it spoke. "Captain John Myr, Pilot Status - Deceased... Systems Status - 89% Functional... Weapons Status - Online... Defense Systems - Online..." Its voice droned out as it stopped in the middle of the runway before its right arm reached behind itself, and produced a large looking weapon of sorts that looked like an over sized energy beam rifle that the Wonderbolts had, albeit more dangerous looking as the ends crackled with energy despite being so old. "Activating Thrusters." The back of the mechanical beast lit up, some kind of jet back on the back of it sending it flying into the sky before it sputtered out, only to fire back up again before it blasted off towards battle.
Bumble and Buzz watched as several more of these Titans appeared, pulling off strange weapons and in varying states of disrepair and damage, some showing the entire cockpit and dead bodies inside that were nothing more then skeletons, while others were empty. The majority of these machines blasted off into the skies, with only a few having problems like malfunctioning jet packs or thruster systems and resorting to sprinting across the badlands to their destination.
"Holy shit..." Bumble muttered.
"W-what do we do?! Those weren't Equestrian! What are they?" Buzz asked, being the younger of the two, she was understandably terrified of such machines.
Bumble just said, "I have no idea Buzzy..."
Back at the Crystal Empire, Spitfire was very very pissed.
The yellow mare was reloading where she was hiding with Fleetfoot, the two having met up to try and cut off some Caribou from getting into the city. However they failed and were paying the price as they tried fighting them, and Spitfire was running low on ammo, with Fleetfoot resorting to using a backup pistol that fired freeze rounds. The two were in a hard situation, five hours into the battle and already many of their forces were injured or killed...
Only one had defected, and Spitfire was still reeling in barely contained rage from it.
"Fucking bastard." Spitfire growled as she wiped blood from her muzzle again, her nose still bleeding from where Soarin had smashed his rifle butt into her and flew off. He was the defector, and with him knowing a lot about Equestrian defense, he would no doubt screw them over after this. And even if they did win, Spitfire was going to hurt him badly. "We need help."
"Aren't we supposed to be getting help from the Stripes?" Fleetfoot questioned, heaving a sigh as the two made their way down an alleyway as the fight raged on around them.
"At some point, Celestia sent Agent Daring to go find them." Spitfire told her lieutenant as they continued down the alleyway, and once they burst out into the open street both mares were caught unprepared as they were attacked by caribou who stormed in from all sides.
"Give yourselves up wench!" One yelled.
"There's no escape!"
Spitfire and Fleetfoot went back to back as they stared at the caribou all around them, the armored beasts outnumbering them 20 to 1. Even if they had the ammo, they'd be gunned down before they could do any hefty damage against the forces surrounding them. And out of the crowd came several captured Wonderbolts, beaten and injured, a few of the mares with the tops of their uniforms almost ripped apart and exposing their breasts. And Soarin...
Soarin was standing with the Caribou.
Spitfire gripped her rifle in one hand, the other clenched tightly. "Celestia damned traitor!" She spat.
"Spitfire, its over!" Soarin told her, regret and sadness in his eyes. "The Caribou have won! We just... need to quit fighting."
"I can't believe you!" Fleetfoot cried, betrayal in her eyes. "We went to Flight School together!"
"I'm sorry." Was all he said.
Damn it... is this is?
*Krack*
It would not be, as she might have thought, her end.
Up high in the skies, Spitfire, Fleetfoot, Soarin, the other Wonderbolts and the caribou all looked into the skies above. Above they saw the strange aircraft that had been launched a few hours ago flying overhead, its camera locked on them down below and zooming in on the hostage situation down below.
Back in the bunker, Daring saw Spitfire and them. "Spitfire? No..." She muttered. "Shit!"
"Hostage Situation Detected"
Daring heard from the voice. She looked up at the speakers, and said, "Can you help them?"
"Assessing situation... hostages... 12, enemy forces... 57... acceptable, initiating Counter-Terrorism operations."
Daring watched the screen with rapt attention. Please save them...
Back with Spitfire and the gang, they grew wary and suspicious at the aircraft... wondering what it was. Spitfire assumed it was some odd Caribou aircraft... however her keen eyesight could see it was something... old. old and ancient. She couldn't tell who it belonged it, and that worried her. Zebra tech maybe?
Massive thuds nearby, followed by panicked shouts were enough to draw her attention away from the skies.
Looking up near one of the rooftops, one of the Mecha had landed on the crystal structure, startling several caribou and ponies alike as the machine sparked and groaned. It was like some undead machine monster of sorts, complete with a skeleton poking out of the cockpit with glowing blue eyes that sent shivers down everyone's spine. The thing aimed its massive energy rifle at them all, the energy rifle charging up a shot. "By order of the ATLAS Corporation, cease all hostage and terrorist operations at once, or face extermination."
The lead caribou glared at the machine uneasily, turning to face the Equestrian Wonderbolt, Spitfire. "What is that thing?!"
"I-I don't know..." Spitfire murmured, shivering in slight fear. She wasn't one to show her fear to anyone, but this machine... this giant mech... sent primal fear down her spine.
"You have 10 seconds to r*bzzzzt*" Went the voice of the machine as sparks flew out of one side of it, the machine shaking a bit before steadying itself. "8 seconds."
"Bugger off you tin can!" One caribou yelled, throwing a rock at the machine which bounced harmlessly off of its hardened body.
"5 seconds." The machine counted off.
"Fire on that thing! NOW!" The lead caribou yelled, before they all aimed and fired their weaponry at the mecha. He smirked as he saw the bullets hit the body inside and the lights, making the machine stumble back slightly. Ha! Nothing can stop our firearms! He was so sure of himself, even with Equestria's magical and energy based firearms, they were no match for their ballistics.
...
This machine though, proved him wrong.
The bullets bounced off of the armor, making loud ricochet noises as the body inside was torn to shreds. After a few seconds of gunfire, it stopped and the mecha seemed to glare at them with its six blue lights...
Oh, did I say blue?
I meant bright red you're fucked lights.
The caribou gawked, looking at their guns as if they were mere toys and wondering why they failed to fell this beast as they had so many others. "Failure to comply, initiating extermination protocols." The machine droned. "Activating defensive shields." And if the caribou thought they were fucked, they were certainly fucked now. The giant Titan of a machine suddenly fired its energy weapon, the bright cyan blue beam arching down the two prongs of the rifle and exploding out towards the group of caribou on the far left.
They didn't even know how to react next.
The beam that was fired was akin to an incredibly high level force blast spell, with what it did once it connected with the group of caribou on the ground. The beam impacted the ground with such force it caused many of the ponies and caribou nearby to stumble back, the bright light almost too much for their eyes. Spitfire fell back with a startled noise, covering her head with her arms as she managed to watch what happened...
The beam had completely destroyed the caribou, turning some of them into mere ash while the others were burned badly and killed, while the others. Well they were unlucky and set on fire, running around and screaming in absolute agonizing pain...
Pain that Spitfire took advantage of.
"It's on our side! Let's take em now!" Spitfire cried, she had no idea if the monster was on their side, but she was willing to take that risk. She aimed her rifle and quickly fired at a few of the caribou as Fleetfoot did the same with her pistol, the other wonderbolts grabbed the dropped guns of their antler'd foes and got back onto the offensive as their robotic ally fired another energy blast into a crowd of caribou, effectively setting them on fire or causing them to be blasted into little more then atomic matter to blow away in the wind as it aided Spitfire and the Bolts.
Soarin took this time to fly away fast, but not before Spitfire fired her gun at him full blast.
"You'll pay for this! SOARIN!" Spitfire bellowed as she fired blast after blast at the stallion, who got hit a few times and went down nearby, whether he died or not would have to wait.
She had a war to win.
Outside of the Crystal Empire, the entire flock of mecha battlebots had flown overhead, some dropping down and creating intense shockwaves that crushed many caribou underfoot while others were sent flying away with screams. The many mecha were all armed differently, as most soldiers were. Some carried massive shotguns that fired something akin to depleted uranium shells in great abundance, and when fired tore apart the caribou and their war beasts. Others carried automatic guns, energy based and massive ballistic rounds that was tearing into the enemy like they were nothing. Some carried high powered rifles that could snipe the cock off a caribou from two, maybe three miles away using a very powerful scope and a high powered armor piercing round.
*Krack boom!*
"GAAAH! MY COCK!"
Example above.
On the southern, and western sides the mecha marched, the incredibly cold snow weather bombarding their frames and even freezing a few of their joints. But they still marched even as some of the pilot controls inside their suits froze over and cracked, their joints froze and they were bombarded with both rune spells, arrows and bullets from caribou airships above. Great blimps made of iron and floating thanks due to in part the assistance of a very opportunistic unicorn stallion who was sympathetic to the caribou's cause. Dozens of their airships were flying towards to the mecha, intent on stopping their advance so they could take over the empire, because they needed the crystal heart to effectively control the minds of all stallions and ensure total domination of the female species.
The combat UAV picked up on the airships approach, and quickly switched over from recon mode to attack mode before its jet engine blasted it off towards one of the airships, past still flying pegasi who were thrown away by the sheer force it was flying. The wind gusts it created as it zipped on by was incredible, before the pegasi, Daring and others witnessed it fire a missile from one of its wings, followed by three other missiles that blasted towards the first airship it locked onto. One missile buggered up, its propulsion system cutting out for a few moments before kicking back up and zipping back up with its own brethren.
The airship could do little more then watch as the 'spears' as they dubbed them flew towards their airship. All on board figured that were just high powered spears or something of Equestrian origin, nothing to fear as their airships were incredibly well defended.
Once the missiles impacted the sides, the airship's bridge, and one of its engines...
They found they were utterly wrong.
The airship quickly caught flames as the missiles exploded upon impact, setting fire to the bridge and tearing off a great portion of it that was sent falling down to the ground below. Any caribou that survived the blast were either injured by the blast, or were on fire, either way they were sucked out and went falling down hard and fast with screams of terror. The engine on the airship caught flames as well, exploding and sending shrapnel into the ship and tearing whoever was inside apart. The gases that kept it afloat and the magically powered engines exploded violently, creating a giant airshow in the sky of fire and explosions as the airship tilted forward.
And as headed right for one of the groups of caribou on the outside of the empire, all of them screaming in terror as flaming death itself was coming right for them in the form of one of their previously thought invincible airships. It crashed into the ground, crushing dozens of the antler'd beasts under its immense weight before exploding, debris flying and killing even more of them as the necromantic rune masters tried to revive the fallen. Only to either get killed by debris and explosions, or ran away in fright from the machines of war.
The ponies could only watch as these great machines of war stampeded into the empire, avoided ponies and going right for the caribou. Blasting them with their guns or using their sheer size to crush them under foot, some of the titans even grabbed the caribou and crushed them in their fists and threw them a great distance. And some more sleeker models of these bots pulled out great blades, huge swords either gleaming brightly, or covered in rust and jagged before slashing into their foes. Some of the blades seemed to power up, archs of energy gliding up and down their shining surface before they sent waves of pure energy flying into the caribou forces, their foot soldiers, their war beasts.
It was terrifying for the opposition to witness.
"We can't push forward! Their machines are too powerful!" One caribou cried as he fired his gun at the nearest titan, only for it to take the bullets like it was getting pelted with lego pieces before it surged forward and threw its fist into the caribou's warbeast, crushing its skull in one hit and killing it as the caribou cried out in alarm. Only for it to cease as it was gripped in the titan's grasp and crushed, bones snapping and his cries of anguish sounding out all over the place.
Spitfire landed nearby, firing the last of her energy rifle into a caribou lieutenant and killing him as the titans moved through the city, every loud blast from their guns, every crushing sound of their massive metal legs killing enemies underfoot, and the explosions of the airships above as they were destroyed one by one by a single drone was filling her with determination. She wasn't sure where these had come from, who had sent them.
But by Celestia... she was glad.
"Keep moving forward! We got them on the run!" Spitfire bellowed, holding her rifle high as the combined forces of the Equestrian and Crystal Empire army got together and reformed their lines, pushing back the caribou with the help of these massive titans that tore into the caribou like they were nothing.
The necromancers tried to revive their fallen, even managing to do so... only they were just making them go through yet another horrible fate. Being burned alive, blasted into pieces, crushed and stomped, thrown away like trash, filled with holes. It was pure agonizing torture, this was not how the war was supposed to go, this was not how things were supposed to be. Diann had promised them all harems of loyal whores and riches beyond their imagination, luxury living spaces and the very capital of Canterlot under their control, among whatever else their darkened hearts could desire.
What Diann couldn't have expected...
Was for humanity to still have their toys lying around...
Just waiting for another war to willingly fight.
Daring could only watch in both stunned amazement and slight fear, as these massive machines... no doubt eons old still working so perfectly and decimating the caribou with little more then their sheer size. Looking around her, she saw the still dead bodies of a long dead race she knew not the name of, but now... now she wondered what they were, who they were to have left such amazing technology behind. She felt saddened that they were all like this, and made a mental note that once this was all over... that these souls were laid to rest.
The war isn't over, not even close... but its thanks to whoever they were, that maybe, just maybe...
They can win.
*Beep Beep*
A look back to the screen, and Daring saw something else was ready.
ATLAS Leviathan... Online...
All systems... Green.
Targets Locked...
And Daring saw it was locked on Manehattan... a city currently under siege by even more caribou coming in from ships...
All Systems Ready
Launch?
Daring didn't even hesitate...
She hit the button, launching whatever terrible demon awaited the caribou.
What the caribou in Manehattan didn't know...
The oceans around Manehattan rippled, the ground shook as both forces turned to the sea.
Along with the ponies... zebras and so on...
Down below in the ocean, deep down outside of Manehattan... a beast of metal was long buried, lights came to life, sparking to life under the water as long dead systems came to life. The crew of this massive underwater beast were dead, skeletons locked in their turret systems seats, hands still gripping the controls as other bodies rattled when the machine came to life.
Its engines started up, fish and other aquatic wildlife fleeing for their lives as this huge metal beast rose up from the ocean. Parting the waters above and making it rain down on the sea below and whatever caribou ships were nearby, causing the mall to stop... and stare at this great piece of machinery humanity had left behind in its eternal exodus. A long drawn out groan could be heard from the machine, this terrified anyone who was looking at this thing as it rose out of the water and into the sky. Inside, everything hummed to life, combat systems, its own internal mecha and aircraft hanger bays, everything as it prepared for a battle it had been waiting for for eons. The beast was long, easily a kilometer long and half of that wide, and shaped like a massive whale shark with dozens of turrets buzzing to life. It had suffered centuries of damage, gaping holes and missing guns, lights that refused to come on, rust and seaweed covering its length along with scallops and so on.
Was that a single mare...