//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Operation Red Star // Story: The Harmony Initiative // by Madame Hellspawn //------------------------------// Fireteam Topaz The lounge was often a quiet spot and a favorite hangout among soldiers and off duty personnel. Stark, clean, black leather chairs were seldom vacant, with groups of ponies, zebras and griffons alike taking residence around tables, each wooden and a decisive choice of either round or squared. The bar was mostly empty, though the few who silently sat and stared into blank space enjoyed the lack of company. The lights were mostly dimmed, allowing for a spotlight to shine onto a stage where a peculiar pink fluffy pony would often entertain the troops. At the moment, she was gone, vanished in a backroom whose door Ethan could barely see behind the curtains. He hadn’t quite paid attention to the performance, but she did wonders for most of the ponies and griffons who watched. Shelves were full of the world’s most diverse cast of beverages, ranging from Apple Family Apple Cider, Griffonstone Brandy, several Zebra concoctions that Ethan hadn’t the slightest clue how to pronounce and even rare Saddle Arabian drinks. Of course, ponies tended to stick with what was familiar, sticking to their tame, but tasty cider. While Ethan was a griffon in almost every sense of the name, he preferred the taste of ice cold cider rather than the bitter, staleness of his people’s alcohol. As always, his fellow friends had chastised him for it, teasing and jesting if one could call it that. Ethan didn’t mind though. These were griffons who had welcomed him as a member of their Cast with open arms and Gilda had constantly reaffirmed that they were all like family and, as she put it, they always wanted a little brother to pick on. Besides, he had proved himself in the firing range, at least gaining some inkling of respect from the group’s more bitter members. Jallen, a burly barbarian of a griffon with a deceivingly soft-spoken voice, flanked Ethan’s left. His massive digits wrapped around a wood mug, filled to the brim with foam and very little drink. Nevertheless, he took several swigs, a beard of browning bubbles forming around the edges of his beak. Across from Jallen, another griffon, of Forrester variety sat. His beak was short and black, feathers a gradient mix of grey at the root to hazel. Lucas stifled laughter and sipped his own mug of an exotic Zebra beverage. He giggled and slammed a fist against the table, rocking the whole thing. Ethan stifled a yelp. Lucas’s guffaws continued unnecessarily, lowering his head against the table. Ethan looked away candidly. His boisterous personality and reckless demeanour was probably what led to the crack in his dry beak. Once the ponies, zebras and griffons of the room stopped staring, Lucas finished his laughing. Ethan rolled his eyes, taking a sip from his mug. “Good god, would you two shut your mouths,” Gilda growled. “Keep it down.” “Sorry Gil,” Jallen said, wiping his beak. He looked about the lounge. “Sorry everyone!” Gilda groaned, taking a frustrated sip from her mug. Her eyes met Ethan’s, gentle and maternal, betraying her typical stern and authoritative face. “You okay kid?” Ethan nodded simply. “I’m fine.” “It won’t be that bad,” Gilda tried to reassure. “Just keep a levelled head and we’ll probably make it out of this. Just prove we can work together as best we can and maybe Twilight’ll make us a griffon-only unit again.” It was three days since Fireteam Topaz became an official unit under Harmony’s roster. Ethan hated the idea, but understood the rationale. Still, he couldn’t entirely bring himself to approach any of the ponies alone. Or in the company of his fellow griffons, who growled and snarled each time the two groups passed each other in the halls. It was like watching packs of dogs threaten each other, but never actually fight. “Yeah, maybe,” Ethan sighed. He took the last sip from his mug and placed it down on the table. “Really not lookin’ forward to dealing with that guy again. Him and his other buddies. I’d probably end up with a bullet in my head before they decide to actually work with us. I mean, I’m willing to try and work things out.” Lucas smirked. “Speak of the devil.” “Hey,” Ethan shot up from his seat. Ethan looked up from his now-empty mug at the charcoal pegasus. He stroked his silvery mohawk mane nervously. “Thunderlane,” He managed a smile and extended his hoof, which Ethan hesitantly shook. He could see the frowning and glaring ponies behind the friendly stallion, shaking their heads and rolling their eyes before returning to their drinks. Brisk Bolt still managed to be equally as irritating from a distance where Ethan heard none of his words just as much as when Brisk was across a table accusing him of attempted murder. As if a pony would know anything about murder. “Hi,” Ethan said with a hint of suspicion in his voice. He looked at Thunderlane with a raised brow. “What’s going on? We’re not fighting you guys again.” Thunderlane pulled his hoof back. He looked genuinely wounded and for a moment Ethan felt a little bad. “What? N-no. We are going to be working together from now on. I figured at least one of us try talking to the other. After all, you know what The Commander said; we gotta trust each other and all that.” “Right,” Jallen leaned back in his seat, gulping down his drink and wiping his beak with a soaked arm. “Is that it?” The stallion raised an eyebrow and frowned. “Look, I’m trying to be friendly. I don’t have a problem with griffons. In fact, I knew Gilda before all this. She’d vouch for me.” He looked at her, hoping for some sort of reassurance. Ethan had done the same, as well as the other two griffons who had stopped drinking. She rolled her eyes, nodded and said cooly; “Yeah, I know him. Probably my second favorite pegasus. He’s cool.” “Your friend there,” Jallen raised his mug towards the group of pegasi. “Brisk Shit or whatever his name is. What’s his deal? Griffons kill his family or something? Skin his pup? Don’t know a lot of ponies having hate for...anything.” Thunderlane looked back at his alleged friends. “Brisk Bolt is a good stallion. R-really! He just doesn’t trust anyone...who isn’t a pony. He’ll come around. I know he will.” Ethan scratched around his head, the smooth feathers parting as his sharp talons gingerly scraped against skin. The idea that Brisk would actually like Ethan was a bit far fetched, although the two barely knew each other. After all, given a few proper minutes or hours together, who knows what might happen? But doubt still clouded Ethan’s mind. “And if he doesn’t?” The stallion frowned. He turned back towards his friends, still occupied with a conversation of their own. Maybe he thought it would have been better if he stayed with them and tried not to make friends. “I don’t know,” Thunderlane admitted. “But I’m at least willing to put differences aside for something better.” His stance was straight, confident and full of pride. Ethan contemplated him briefly. He certainly seemed like the truthful type and if the distasteful glances his ‘friends’ were any indication, then he did genuinely want to improve relations between Gilda’s Cast and his group of pegasi friends. A small goal compared to what Harmony would be going up against, but a pretty decent one to Ethan. What good would months or even years of bitter hatred do for anyone? “Ethan,” He said, attempting a friendly grin. Thunderlane’s eyes danced between the other two griffons, but frowned when they gave no answer. His gaze returned to Ethan’s, giving him a friendly smile. “Well, it’s a start huh?” Ethan nodded. “I guess so.” “You guys gonna kiss?” Lucas asked with a smug grin. Ethan felt the urge to rip of the rest of his cracking beak. Thunderlane chuckled nervously. “Fireteam Topaz to the barracks. Fireteam Topaz to the barracks.” Well, what great timing, Ethan thought to himself, standing up and looking to Gilda. Obviously displeased, she flapped her wings, taking off from her seat before landing back down on the ground beside Thunderlane. She pointed a talon towards Brisk Bolt. “Let’s get moving!” She turned towards Ethan. “Remember; levelled head. Don't let him get to you.” *** Unlike the ponies in the squad, Ethan had no need for a robotic arm system, whatever the eggheads in the lower levels had started to call it. He easily slipped on the thin vest, curling in both of his wings before stretching them out of the hole designated for them. He was surprised at how light his armor ended up being and how comfortable it wrapped around his body. Ethan grabbed the headset from the bench and slid it over his head. It was an unfortunate, although very comfortable and conforming piece of attire. He would have settled for an earpiece, but he rather not go trying to fish it out of his ear canal. Binoculars hung from a sling around Ethan’s neck and several pouches hung around his side, each full of magazines for the rifle he would be lugging around with him. Wrapped around his left foreleg was a rough leather holster for the simple pistol Harmony issued to all soldiers. Nothing really impressive, but Ethan wasn’t too picky. After all, if it could kill an alien, it was good enough. Compared to the others, Ethan felt like a twig. Thunderlane and Gilda both wore essentially the same standard armor all soldiers were issued, although while Thunderlane favoured maneuverability and protection, Gilda preferred just maneuverability. She removed the pauldrons and kept the bare essentials; a holster for her pistol, a forearm piece with circular slots, side packs which clung to her side and a headset which conformed comfortably to her head. Brisk Bolt wore a massive reinforced chestplate, chitin-like in nature. It overlapped the standard issue vest and looked like a general pain in the ass for anyone to maneuver with. Despite the thickness and probable heavy weight of the armor, he was able to float and glide with relative ease and his robotic arms had enough freedom to move in an array of varying directions. He looked at Ethan with a smug grin. A grin that Ethan ignored. “Try not to let him bother you,” Gilda said, tightening the holster around her forearm. “Even he will know when to accept your help.” The barrack doors slid open with a hiss, Shining Armor walking leisurely in with his trusty data-pad levitated before him. Ethan swore he never left his quarters without it. Chances, he even went to sleep with it beside his bed. “Alright everyone,” Shining levitated a small pad in front of his face before lowering it and taking a good look at the mixed bag that was Fireteam Topaz. A small semblance of a smile spread on his face. “You’ll be going to the Zebra Savannah for this one. One of their experimental science outposts has been targeted by the invaders. A large group of Sectoids were spotted in the—” “Uh,” Ethan raised a talon. “Sectoids sir? Seriously?” Shining Armor pursed his lips. “It’s what the ponies down in Biology started to call them. Something about...Science stuff. Hey, if you’ve got a better name...” Heads turned and Ethan felt the spotlight shining on him, flickering and buzzing in that annoying low tone. Or maybe it was just the grating buzz of the overhead lights. “Sectoid is fine.” Shining Armor let out a short chuckle. “Anyway, there’s a large group of them. Possibly up to six. Maybe more. The recon team was unable to get close enough to the site to get an approximate number. Keep your heads down and watch each other’s backs. Head on out soldiers!” Brisk snorted and rolled his eyes. Ethan grit his teeth. He picked up his rifle; a long barreled and gold lined heavy framed firearm with a massive scope along the top of the frame. It was a far cry from the rifles he used back in Griffonstone and a bit heavier than he would have liked, but it was still a sniper all the same. “C’mon Ethan,” Gilda took a glance at the high powered rifle he held in his talons. She loaded herself with crimson shells wherever her armor allowed; on the top of her forearm guards and several slots on her chest. She grasped a shotgun off the rack and loaded a few of the shells into it. “Seriously? You’re a griffon. I didn’t order you to sharpen those talons just so you could hang back and play hide and seek.” He shrugged. “The Zebra Savannahs are pretty open. Flush the Sectoids out of the building and I could start picking them off.” “Maybe the kid does have some brains after all,” Brisk chided with a sideways glare. His robotic assisted arms grabbed the heaviest thing on the rack; a massive, boxy, thing. A limp grip bounced and clacked against the frame as the stallion trotted past Ethan. Gilda stopped him with a rough shove against the chest. “Stow it,” Gilda growled, narrowing her eyes. “Like it or not, we’re a team now until Twilight says otherwise. Deal with it.” When the squad arrived in the hangar, The Commander stood beside Rainbow Dash, their conversation ending the moment they had come within earshot. Griffons and ponies alike had both slowed their work, casting eyes in the fireteam’s direction. The clopping of hooves and scratching of talons on the smooth metal garnered more attention than Ethan would have liked, but he moved forward beside Gilda. Twilight turned to Gilda and the rest of Fireteam Topaz. There was a sternness on her face, authority in her eyes. “Remember; one goal. Safety for all. Look out for each other out there.” “I’ll keep their heads straight if worse comes to worse,” Gilda replied, casting a maternal glance over to Ethan and a glare at Brisk. “We won’t let you down.” “Of course,” Twilight nodded, craning her head towards the arcane assisted carriage. “See you on the other side.” “Will you be watching us ma’am?” Thunderlane asked. “The same way you did with the Wonderbolts?” Twilight grimaced at the mention of the team. “Your vests and headpieces link to you all visually. Whatever you see out there, we’ll see back here from Mission Control.” The squad began to board the carriage. Rainbow strapping herself in with child-like enthusiasm. The blue helmet she picked up off the ground matched her coat color, the tinted visor blending into everything except for her eyes. “Remember,” Twilight said. “You must trust each other with your lives” *** The Zebra science facility was fairly simple in structure, secluded from the rest of the world in the safety of a small and sparse ‘forest’ just below a hill of golden ferns and grass. The main structure was in a ‘U’ shape, and divided itself into three sections, the two outer edges home to metallic dome structures and connected by a central wing made of a mix of wood and straw. Most of the windows were shattered and as Rainbow Dash made the descent around the structure, Ethan spotted a gaping wound in the structure where one of The Invaders’ pods smashed through. If there ever was a fire that raged, it had vanished, leaving charred wood, straw and chunks of rock around the area. As Rainbow circled around the sight trying to figure out where to land, Ethan pointed his binoculars out the window, peering down at the recently unfurled chaos. Sure enough, zebras were encased, mid-scramble, trying to get away. Zebra pulled chariots and carriages slumped over in strange angles, either torn apart by flying debris or shot at with whatever it was the Sectoids had shot at them with. Canisters and barrels speckled the open expanse outside of the main structure, a few burnt and charred while zebras sank into their emerald imprisonment beside volatile tankers full of that rich Saddle Arabian oil everyone east of the Celestial Sea was crazy about. “It’d probably be best to watch where you shoot,” Ethan warned. “Why? Are some of the zebras still alive?” Thunderlane asked. “No,” Ethan responded morosely. “Well, maybe, but some of the ones in that green stuff are next to oil tanks. Just something to consider.” Ethan set his sights on the roof of the main structure. If enemies were to be drawn out of the building, he could start picking them off from the roof. He thought about maneuvering around the large dome, if the space between it and the edge of the roof would be enough for him to slide through without having to jump into the air and paint a target on himself. There was also a small supply shack of some kind near the rear of the facility grounds. The roof may have been sloped and thatch, but if he was quick enough, perhaps each Sectoid that came scrambling out of the building, flushed out with the help of his squadmates, would wind up with a third, smaller eye right on their foreheads. Perhaps it was just wishful thinking on Ethan’s part, but he didn’t see them hitting him, especially if he used the slope of the roof as cover. Rainbow set the arcane assisted carriage down in a clearing just outside of the facility’s grounds. The entrance to the dome-capped end of the structure face the group, a flanked by two sconces whose fires still burned. One by one, everyone unloaded from the carriage. Ethan was the last to exit, earning a beakful of Brisk’s tail. He spat out stray strands and cast the oblivious pony a glare. Brisk stared at the building, soaking in every detail before looking over at Ethan. He recoiled for a moment once their eyes met. Without the safety of his partners in crime, Brisk said nothing out loud; instead muttering something to Thunderlane, who just rolled his eyes and whispered something back. Take it easy, Ethan told himself. Might be an asshole, but didn’t look like he did that on purpose. Bringing his binoculars back up, the horrors of The Invaders’ attack caused Ethan’s breath to catch in his throat. He had seen other griffons and even a few ponies scurry and try to retreat before, some of those griffons Ethan had shot himself. But there was something different about walking past each of the zebras. Had a warm summer-like breeze not rolled through and gently caressed his body, Ethan would have thought time stopped altogether. The four readied themselves, Ethan pulling the bolt of his rifle back and checking for a bullet, the two pegasi using their robotic arm systems to pat themselves down, making sure they truly were fully stocked. No more than five minutes since arriving at the site and Ethan was already beginning to sweat underneath his protective vest. The inner fabric stuck to his chest, clinging to the hazel feathers rather uncomfortably. Even the pads which protected his hind-legs were starting to dampen his fur. “You sure you’ll be fine here?” Gilda asked Rainbow, pumping her shotgun and flicking the safety switch. Rainbow sighed and removed her helmet. “I’ll be fine.” Gilda narrowed her eyes and tilted her head skeptically. “The thing’s got guns.” Thunderlane pointed out. One of his robotic arms lifted and pointed at the thick cylindrical tubes, belt fed from a compartment on the carriage. “Rainbow will be fine.” “Fine,” The griffon huffed. Suspicious still, Gilda nodded and turned towards the facility. She hovered in the air, as if walking with her two hind-legs was beneath her in some way. It was either that, or she just didn’t want to step on the emerald webbing covering most of the dirt. Scorch marks covered various spots in the dirt, leaving embers in their wake. Thunderlane’s ear twitched as the breeze began to pick up. His head went all over the place, anxiously looking for any indication that somepony—or somezebra in this case—had survived. Unfortunately there was none. The steps leading to the double doors was home to a zebra, a stallion if the body mass was any indication. A chasm parted his head, clipping off his ear, which lay in its own spot just beside him. A dried pool of blood dripped down the steps and stained his green encasement. Ethan felt his stomach churn. “Oh Luna,” Brisk muttered, covering his mouth with a hoof. Thunderlane looked away and shook his head. “Oh God,” Ethan managed. “What’s even the point?” “Leave it,” Gilda ordered. “Nothing we can do for them now. Let’s just find these bastards and take them down.” Gilda recklessly threw open the door and waltzed in without a second thought. Brisk trotted in next, his massive machine gun raised, followed by a cautious Thunderlane. Ethan raised the pistol from his holster and edged his way inside, despite knowing there was no immediate danger. He swung his rifle around, allowing it to dangle freely on his back. A part of Ethan was thankful that the lights were still running in the facility, even if there wasn’t anyone around. The rickety wooden floors creaked with every step the squad took. “Must have been a lounge,” Thunderlane noted. His robotic arms held his rifle close to eye level as he began to scan the room, each of his hoofsteps taken lightly and bringing him forwards ever-so-slightly. Off to the right side of the room, cushions and lavish velvety pillows were spread across the floor, surrounding a dark wooden coffee table that may have been set up straight at some point. Small cups and glasses were knocked over, cool tea spilled and staining the ornate drapery sprawled and kicked wildly around the edges, forming pockets and bumps underneath. The indentations of where the zebras sat were still visible on the cushions and yet strangely enough, there were no bodies inside. Directly in front of Ethan, several more cushions were surrounded by a thin curtain torn from its emplacement on the walls, secluding what Ethan could only assume to be a prayer area. A small statue of a golden figure stood leaning against the walls of the alcove in which it rested; a bronze zebra mare sitting in a state of peace, despite her precarious position. “I think we should take it slow,” Thunderlane suggested. He glanced over at Gilda who was taking in some of the fine art plastered with dripping crimson on the wall beside the door leading to the rest of the facility. Thunderlane pressed a hoof up against his ear. “Central, this is Thunderlane are you reading us? Do we have an exact count of how many of the aliens are here?” “We’re reading you loud and clear,” Shining Armor responded. “That’s a negative. We suspect they are still inside the outpost. Proceed with caution.” “Aye, aye,” Gilda spoke into her mouthpiece. She turned to face the squad. “Alright. We do as Thunderlane said. Take it slow. Keep your heads down and keep quiet. If you find anything, I need you to radio it in. Brisk, Ethan. Do a clean sweep of every room.” “Aye,” Ethan nodded. He looked towards a frowning Brisk Bolt, his eyes avoiding Ethan’s. He looked back to Gilda with concern. “Maybe I can perch myself on the roof?” “No,” Gilda scowled. “These things are weak right? Your pistol should be more than enough for a scrawny little freak. Besides, Brisk has that gun. Stay behind him; he’s a tank. Try not to kill each other.” Stubborn griffon pride. Ethan shook his head and sighed. “Right,” He whispered. “Don’t play it the smart way, play it the griffon way.” *** Twilight watched each individual screen with a held breath. Out of habit, she bit the inside of her lower lip as her eyes danced from screen to screen. She hoped the other ponies in Mission Control didn’t notice her growing anxiety as the soldiers began to traverse out of the zebra break room. Ponies mostly worked among the terminals, monitoring Harmony’s facilities and making sure everything was green across the board. Alongside that, they also noted whatever they could about the outside world, filing reports on alien activities, if there were any, and the general state of the world. It was a job anyone could easily overlook, but each pony worked around the clock before being replaced with someone else just as studious as the previous pony. But as Fireteam Topaz steadily stepped through the wooden corridors, walls sparsely decorated with what Twilight could only guess to be motivational and zebra scientific posters, most of the ponies couldn’t keep their eyes glued to their terminals anymore. Shining Armor and Spike watched just as intently as Twilight, although she hadn’t known what they were expecting to see. “Maybe grouping griffons and ponies wasn’t such a good idea,” Twilight commented watching the young griffon, Ethan watch with probable annoyance as Brisk Bolt stormed into a room, completely ignoring Gilda’s ‘heads down and quiet’ order. “They aren’t at all working the way I thought they would.” “Nothing happened yet,” Shining Armor said simply. He turned and scanned Twilight. “They’ll figure it out. Gilda might be headstrong, but Ethan sticking with Brisk is a decent move. If Brisk suppresses an enemy, Ethan could easily cap one of the aliens. Kid’s got eyes like a hawk. No pun intended.” Twilight winced. “I guess you’re right.” She brought her gaze back upwards. Ethan and Brisk entered a small lab of sorts. Counters and tables were full of beakers and other scientific glassware as well as quills and books. The zebras had probably left in a rush, leaving cabinets and drawers open and some burners still boiling unknown ingredients in vials and beakers. The initial panic must have been riveting for the scientists. Twilight felt her heart weigh down at the thought of what the zebras involved must have gone through. *** “Goddess,” Brisk groaned, lugging his massive machine gun with his robotic arm system. Beads of sweat began to roll down his forehead and into his eyes. “How in Equestria do zebras work in this damn heat?” “Very easily apparently,” Ethan answered, raising his pistol as he entered the room. His arm lowered as he looked around. “And probably even better without something trying to kill them.” Too parched to give any sass, Brisk let out an exasperated sigh. Maybe it was the foreign language or the sloppy nature in which the diagrams were doodled on the chalkboards, but there was something unsettling about this particular room. A certain energy permeated the room, whispering in a language Ethan could not discern. It made his feathers stand at attention. The room was like a class, with long tables and seats around each one with books and quills and inkwells set with relative neatness compared to the other parts of the room. Ethan spotted the source of unease the moment his eyes met the crimson pool amassing on the floor and bleeding through the cracks of the wood floor. “This is wrong,” Brisk whispered. “These were just scientists.” “A-are those,” Twilight’s voice cracked. “Are those children?” Ethan nodded quietly while forcing himself to move closer. He scanned the room, eyes gazing over empty glass cabinets and the equipment shattered on the counters. The bodies of those unfortunate enough not to be consumed by green lay slumped and littered the floor. Five bodies at most, all drowning in a pool of their own blood. Horror consumed their eyes, screaming and frantically calling for a help that would never come until it was too late. The size difference of the bodies made Ethan bit down and grind his teeth. He stood over one of the bodies, a single shot from an alien weapon marking a whole in his chest. “God,” Ethan muttered, looking towards the bodies curled together, taking hopeless cover behind the counter. The young griffon hoped that this was somehow better than being cased in green and letting the aliens do whatever it was they did with them. His eyes caught a glint of movement behind a wooden cabinet. Ethan raised his head and saw her fling herself out of sight. “We got something!” Brisk took aim, but Ethan leaped, flapping his wings and forced the gun down. “The hay are you doing?” “It’s not an alien!” Ethan eased his grasp off of the machine gun. He turned back and looked at the cowering figure. A zebra, shuddering in the corner, stiffly staring at the two. She slowly peeked her head around the corner of the cabinet, her azure eyes meeting Ethan’s. Ethan stepped forward, sliding his pistol back into its holster with ease. “It’s alright. We’re not gonna hurt you. You can come out now.” The zebra’s ears flicked, complying hesitantly. Her stripes glistened under the fading luminescent light dangling above, her coat covered in sweat and specks of blood. Not her own, thankfully. Each hoofstep was slower than the last, trembling yet still trying to retain her balance. Ethan extended a talon, gingerly as to not frighten the zebra mare. Her eyes widened. Fwip! Fwip! Fwip! The moment the first bolt of green fizzed past his head, Ethan threw himself on top of the zebra, feeling the heat from the next two bolts radiate against his now-outstretched wings before charring the wall. Dakka Dakka! Brisk Bolt’s massive machine gun unleashed a stream of hell on the Sectoid cowering around the doorframe. Ethan raised his pistol towards the door, waiting for one of the skinny grey bastards to pop out. Brisk darted for the counter, ignoring the splashing blood gathering on his hooves. He slammed his body against the cabinets, sending glass cylinders and beakers tumbling around him. “Well, there’s three of ‘em! I saw ‘em!” Ethan shot up, one arm around the zebra and the other clutching his pistol, aiming for the door. The mare screamed and kicked, but Ethan maintained a steady grip around her torso as he struggled his way over to Brisk. A Sectoid popped out, raising its arm. Bang! Bang! Ethan didn’t stop to see if the bullets met their mark, but if there was no emerald streak trying to stop him, he figured that question had answered itself. The zebra broke free from Ethan’s grip, wildly thrashing and eyes darting everywhere. A second Sectoid appeared at the doorway, arm raised. Out of pure instinct, Ethan dove for one of the tables, kicking it over and crouching down behind his new wall. Fwip! Fwip! Fwip! The zebra mare spoke—screamed and shouted really—in her native tongue as she slipped and fell, trying to regain her footing, eyes darting from body to body of her colleagues. The bolts fizzed and hissed against the wall behind her sending up black plumes of smoke. “Head down!” Brisk shouted at her. She stiffened up and shut her eyes, squealing and sobbing through grit teeth. She remained still, save for her body convulsing and her trying to swallow her panic to no avail. Her frantic breaths were shallow, shaky through her grit teeth. “Cover me,” Ethan said. Brisk hesitated before standing up, mounting himself on the table, while his robotic arms stabilized his massive gun. He aimed at the door’s general direction and opened fire. Dakka Dakka Dakka! Ethan flapped his wings once, giving him the little boost he needed, tackling into the lone mare in the center of the room, still rigid. She let out a yelp when Ethan’s talons gripped her soft, rigid torso and flung her back to where he had once been behind the knocked over table. She was still stiff, but at least had the good grace to move, and keep her head down. Blam! Blam! Gilda’s shotgun roared down the hall, splashing the wall with the Sectoids’ sickly green blood. Ethan relaxed himself and Brisk lowered his gun. Thunderlane was the first to enter the room, charging in and doing a quick scan. The zebra mare screamed. “Whoa, whoa!” Thunderlane lowered his assault rifle and approached slowly. Brisk, like an obedient dog, stepped gingerly to his side, eyes trained on the zebra. “We’re not gonna hurt you.” Her breaths came rapidly, trying to calm down. Ethan could see puncturing wounds where his talons grasped her. He felt a pang of guilt wash over him as she looked straight, never down at the ground and approached Ethan. She swallowed before speaking again, slowly and still incomprehensible to Ethan. She looked up at him with hopeful eyes before scanning the other members of the squad. “What’d she say?” Gilda asked. The zebra flinched at the sight of her, but did her best to relax. “I don’t know,” Ethan admitted. She hid behind him, using him like a shield, away from the rest of his squad’s sight. “S-should we…? “Take her back to Rainbow Dash,” Twilight commanded. “We’ll bring her back to Harmony HQ and figure out the rest here. For now” “Yes ma’am,” Gilda spoke into her mouthpiece. She looked towards Brisk Bolt. “Think you can handle that?” Brisk nodded his head reluctantly. “I’ll get her there.” “Good. We’ll try to make our way around to where the pod crashed. If there’s any more of ‘em, they’ll probably be around there.” Ethan guided the zebra beside Brisk Bolt, her fragile and trembling frame clinging close to his side. He looked back at her worriedly. “Everything will be alright. Brisk will keep you safe.” She faced the pegasus meekly, eyes darting from the mixed group of griffons and ponies, but never looking down at her blood-soaked hooves. She calmed herself, speaking in her native tongue, raising a hoof, gesturing as she spoke. The squad scratched their heads and exchanged worried and confused glances with each other. When the mare finished speaking she looked between the four, a small glint of hope in her eyes as she let a sheepish grin spread on her lips. Her eyes glistened and her lips began to drop, her eyebrows starting to raise. “Don’t worry,” Brisk lowered his gun, one of his arms gesturing for the zebra mare to follow. She hesitated, looking back at Ethan before glancing at Thunderlane and Gilda, who nodded their heads in Brisk’s direction. “I’ll get her back.” “When you’re done with that, I need you to set up outsidel,” Gilda ordered. She turned to Ethan. “Think you can work your way up to the roof?” Ethan felt the rifle on his back tingle with excitement. “Death from above? Oh hell yeah.” Gilda marched out of the room, Thunderlane following, gun darting around, checking uselessly for any hostiles. Gilda’s gold eyes met Ethan’s. “Get up there and keep your aim on the crash site. Brisk, stay on ground level. We’ll need your gun when we flush ‘em out. Radio us when you’re in position.” Brisk huffed and muttered; “Yes’m.” “Sorry Brisk,” Gilda growled. “Didn’t quite catch that.” Another huff. “Yes. Ma’am.” *** Ethan set his rifle’s bipod along the rim of the roof, his talons gripping the handle and eye peeking through the magnified scope. The heat was dreadful, but Ethan endured. The sun beat down on him like the devil, forcing beads of sweat to roll down his forehead. The vest began to stick horribly to his chest and he had to remove the dampening pads on his hind-legs, tossing them off to the side while he waited for Gilda and Thunderlane’s signal. That being the sound of their guns firing and hopefully flushing the enemy out into the open. Ethan scanned down below, swivelling slowly and watching for any movement. His mind thought back to his time in Griffonstone, more specifically watching the outer walls and making sure there were no bandits threatening the town. He had essentially done the same thing, although the anticipation that someone would practically be sent into Ethan’s sights. They also were usually incapacitated for the sake of being able to pass judgement later on. Sectoids weren’t bandits. Not in the traditional sense. It would be only a minor change, but one that he could pull off. All he had to do was aim a little higher than usual. Not too bad, right? After all, he had killed one Sectoid with his pistol a little while earlier. The heavy hoofsteps and clumsy form of Brisk Bolt baking in the sun below crossed Ethan’s sights. He looked around, gingerly stepping over the encased zebras helplessly lying in the courtyard. His eyes darted from body to body, before he rested himself behind a shoddily built wagon and began to load up his heavy machine gun. He had a clear view of most of the courtyard. If a Sectoid came out of the building, chances were they’d be full of bullets before they could even get behind a barrel. Ethan continued to survey the land, keeping mental notes of what he saw. Directly outside of the burning hole in the side of the wall, a small platform stood, an oil tank surrounded by several encased bodies. It was massive, but Ethan was still able to see most of the courtyard beyond it; the other entrance/exit to the adjacent metal dome’s base structure. “Watch your fire Ethan,” Twilight warned, her voice low. “We don’t know if those zebras are still alive, but we shouldn’t take any chances.” “Understood,” Ethan spoke into the mouthpiece. Truth be told, that bit of news forced a heavy weight on his heart. He was known for being a damn good shot, hell, even Gilda complimented him in the shooting range not two weeks ago. But the thought that a simple mistake could cost the lives of innocents who may well still be alive made a knot form in Ethan’s stomach. “You got that?” Ethan radioed to Brisk. The stallion cast a glare towards him. “I can hear just fine bucko,” He hissed. “I got ears you know.” Jackass. Ethan shook his head. Maybe Twilight wouldn’t notice if Brisk ‘accidentally’ got in the way? No, Ethan shook his head again. Bad idea. We’re a team now right? Ethan continued to look down his scope, aimed towards the gaping hole in the facility, ready for anything. Blam! Blam! Bratatatatatatat! Bratatatatatat! “Get ready!” Gilda announced. “Gotcha!” Ethan alerted. Sectoids scampered out into the open. The three creatures gazed up towards the roof, blinking their leathery eyelids almost curiously before scampering towards a row of crates and barrels. Ethan brought his rifle’s scope up and steadied his breath. They continued, dashing for cover with all the speed their little legs could muster. Ethan’s talon squeezed against the trigger gradually. He drew in a breath and led the shot. Krapoom! The Sectoid leading the charge fell, a massive chunk of brain matter shoved out of the clean hole the rifle’s bullet punched through. It fell with a pained chirp. The other two ignored their fallen comrade. Dakka Dakka Dakka Dakka Dakka! They ducked their heads down further, out of Ethan’s line of sight as bullet trails streaked and smoked passed the cowering Sectoids. Ethan grit his teeth, looking down at Brisk Bolt shooting almost aimlessly in their general direction. All those bullets flying and he only took down one of them. The last Sectoid dove for the barrels, knocking one over. “Yeah!” The pegasus shouted. “How do ya like that?” Blam! Blam! Blam! From the far side of the facility, four more Sectoids scrambled out and about, each wounded and no doubt running for their lives at this point. Gilda and Thunderlane came storming out, shouting and blasting the retreating aliens. Ethan took aim, his talon starting to pull the trigger. He drew in a breath and led the shot. Krapoom! There was one. Ethan drew back the bolt of the rifle and brought the scope back up to his eye and trained his sights on the Sectoids still trying to evade the ravenous Gilda and cautious Thunderlane now taking cover behind a carriage, selecting their shots carefully. One Sectoid stopped, turned and raised its arm as it backpedaled. Fwip! Fwip! Fwip! Thunderlane rushed back behind the carriage. Green bolts sailed past him, setting the wall of the zebra science outpost ablaze. Krapoom! “Down for the count!” Ethan shouted as he pulled the bolt back. He raised the rifle at a Sectoid still running for cover. It tripped over green encased zebras and rolled on its back and back on its feet. Ethan drew in a breath and squeezed the trigger of his rifle. He led the shoot. Click! Ethan’s heart stopped. It wasn’t the fact that Harmony’s rifles only had three shots per magazine that scared him. That didn’t bother him too much. In fact, as of now, he was grateful for it. The Sectoid continued to run, knowing full and well that nobody would risk trying to kill it as it disappeared behind the oil tank. I almost shot that. Ethan wasn’t sure if the tank would have ignited then and there if his single bullet pierced it, but he let out a morbid sigh of relief at the fact that he didn’t have to find out. “Watch your fire!” Gilda shouted, her voice echoing through the courtyard and through the radio. Ethan looked up, watching as bolts of green scorched the carriage his squad leader was using as cover. The distant and almost muffled blasts of her shotgun roared through the supply yard while Thunderlane’s rifle selected targets carefully, the shots unable to connect to their respective targets. “Brisk Bolt,” Twilight’s voice cut in through it all. “Move in to flank them. Ethan, keep him covered.” “Understood!” The two complied in unison. Ethan shot a glance down to Brisk, who looked up, doing the same. “You trust me?” Ethan asked with a grin. Brisk looked back towards the tanker with worried eyes. Ethan loaded in a fresh new magazine into his rifle. “No choice! Watch the ones by the barrels!” Brisk ordered as he launched himself out of cover, flapping his wings vigorously. Ethan complied, watching as one had already began to charge its arm cannon at Brisk Bolt’s bulky, elegant flying form. Fwip! Fwip! Fwip! The bolts streaked through the sky, Brisk twisting and turning unnecessarily to avoid the already off-target shots of green. He soared and hovered off to the side of the tank. His robotic arms raised the massive lead canon. Dakka! Dakka! Before he knew it, Ethan could see splashes of sickly green pour off from behind the oil tank. The Sectoid behind the barrel blinked its soulless black eyes, raising its head and arm. Ethan drew in a breath and steadied his sights as quickly as he could. As the green enveloped the tip of the alien blaster, Ethan’s talon squeezed the trigger. Krapoom! The creature dropped with a sickening thud and slosh as the gaping hole in its head released most of the creature’s contents. “Nice shooting kid.” Brisk commented with a grim smirk. He turned to the Sectoids firing their necromantic green energy bolts at Gild and Thunderlane. “You guys keep your head down!” Unable to do anything else, the two complied, while the Sectoids ceased their assault. Dakka Dakka Dakka Dakka Dakka! The storm of bullets was deafening, but the Sectoids all dropped, sprawled over a pool of their sickly green ichor, twitching and writhing in agony before expiring. Gilda and Thunderlane stood from their cover, peeking out before emerging from behind the bullet scarred carriage. Ethan was surprised, if not extremely grateful, that they had managed to survive Brisk’s onslaught. “Damn!” Gilda shouted, hovering her way over towards the center of the courtyard. She eyed all of the bodies with a sick smile. Her eyes met Ethan’s. “Good thing you brought the rifle huh?” “Seriously?” Ethan moaned with a grin. “Good work team,” Shining Armor sounded in Ethan’s ear. “Scanners aren’t showing anymore enemies. Let’s bring you guys home.” *** “Good work Topaz,” Twilight said through a smile. The ponies of Mission Control clopped their hooves against the steely, cool floors. Others let out hoots and light cheers at their stations before going back to work, faces smiling towards the glowing blue lights of the terminal screens. “Head back to Rainbow Dash.” “Aye aye,” Gilda sighed. She emerged from the hole in the building and fixed her sight on Ethan, still standing on the roof, aiming down and scanning the rest of the courtyard. Twilight fixed her gaze to Ethan’s screen and watched him lower his gun and wave a salute down to Brisk Bolt. He raised his hoof slightly and rolled his eyes. “I think that went well,” Shining Armor remarked, looking over to his sister whose body had finally eased and relaxed. She released a deep breath and faced him. “Yeah,” Twilight sighed. She looked around at all the ponies milling about, smiling triumphant like it was their own victory. Perhaps it was everyone’s in their own way. “Alright everypony, settle down. This may be our first major victory, but it definitely won’t be the last. We’ve got a long way to go.” The room began to settle, ponies returning to their stations. Twilight liked that about The Initiative’s diligent workers. Orderly and unquestioning loyalty. If only the soldiers were as easy to work with. “Don’t you think they’ve earned a little break?” Spike said. “I mean, they work around the clock without so much as a thanks.” Shining Armor shook his head. “That might be the case, but the war isn’t over yet. They all know that.” “Also,” Twilight faced her assistant. “The Harmony Initiative must remain vigilant. We are after all, Equestria’s first and last line of hope of defense. The ponies here have to work around the clock.” A moment of silence entered between them. “But what about the zebra?” Spike inquired. “Yeah,” Shining Armor looked at Twilight worriedly. “It’s bad enough that The Harmony Initiative is a rumor among the world; a group of ponies working in secret against the alien threat.” “I can have her arranged to speak with Zecora,” Twilight answered. “Perhaps we could give her a place in the science teams. After all, that was a science facility. She could be useful.” “And if she refuses?” Twilight pursed her lips. “I can...do a memory wipe spell on her. She’ll forget what she saw. We return her to her home and she gets to live her life as if it never happened. In fact, I might even do the wipe anyway. After what she might have seen...that would be a mercy.” Spike and Shining Armor exchanged anxious glances. Shining Armor spoke. “Understood sis. If that’s what you think is best.” Twilight nodded somberly. It was the only option she saw. Sure, she could just let the mare go, but what if the stories spread. The Harmony Initiative wouldn’t be so secret anymore. A part of Twilight thought it to be a good thing, but Luna and Celestia had put a lot into making sure The Initiative remained hidden from the public eye. The alicorn turned and started for her quarters. “Spike, take a letter.” *** “...Breaking news from the Zebra Savannahs: “A research outpost in the Har-an Itef region has been victim of a devastating attack from invading forces, following the same pattern of chemical warfare as all other attacks. From the limited reports we have so far, there are no witnesses of the attack and more than a hundred of the research team as well as children from near...b-by....Oh Celestia. “There are no survivors. A-a-as I said, reports are limited so far. W-we’ll have more information in the coming days. “To the families of all affected by the attacks; the ponies of Hoofington express our deepest sympathies. Equestria’s heart goes out to you all. We’re praying for the safety of all throughout The Known World. This is Lucy Song from the Equestrian News Broadcasting Network signing off for now.” *** After Action Report: Sergeant Gilda >>> Active Corporal Thunderlane >>> Active Corporal Brisk Bolt >>> Active Private Ethan >>> Active Alien bodies have been recovered. Alien weapon fragments have been recovered.