//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Introductions and Plan of Attack // Story: Fireteam Storm // by Lordvessel //------------------------------// The steady hum of the airship's engines provided the necessary white noise for one's mind to think clearly. Such was the case for Tempest Shadow, Commander of the Storm King's forces en route to Equestria, set with the task of apprehending its leaders, and confiscating all the magical power they possessed. Not an easy task in the slightest. In fact, upon first thoughts, the task seemed daunting, even outright impossible. So many before her had tried and failed at this very task, yet that wasn't quite enough to shake her resolve. Tempest knew very well of all the previous attempts of conquering Equestria that so many before her had tried their hoof at. She knew well that if there was one common thing among the failures of all those past attempts, it was a lack of adaptability, and a complete lack of a fallback plan. The trip towards Canterlot was quiet, at least on the observation deck where Tempest had ample time to reassess and reevaluate the multiple strategies that detailed the siege of the city. She had each one thoroughly memorized, and for weeks she had studied each of the four princesses strengths and weaknesses, the state and tactics of the royal guards, (which were honestly laughable), and the best place to make a dramatic entrance, which served to bait the princesses into a wide open space, making them easy pickings for the petrification orbs that she had stockpiled. She had carefully taken every possible scenario into consideration, her tactical mind eliminating any and all risks for this mission. There was no room for mistakes, for even one slip up, one crack in the armor could spell failure for the whole operation. So much was on the line for this one. Tempest's journey since foal-hood had taken her all over the globe to seek out a way to restore what she had lost. This quest had taken her to so many different places, filled with so many strange creatures. And after all those years, one such creature had promised her that if she delivered the core power of Equestria's magic unto, that he would use it to restore her horn. Failure was not an option, and to make certain that this mission would go off flawlessly, she requested the Storm King's most accomplished and mysterious force to tag along. While she had yet to meet them in person, she heard many things about them. They were the Storm King's clean up crew, his boogeymen, the ones he sent to silence anyone that proved to be a legitimate threat to his rule. Permanently. Even Tempest herself wasn't exactly sure who, or what kind of creatures they were, as they seemed to answer directly to the Storm King. Just like her. But from rumor alone, they were both revered, and feared among the Storm King's ranks. The loud static start-up of the airship's intercom suddenly erupted eliciting a small twitch of Tempest's ears. The sudden noise was followed by the familiar voice of Tempest's bumbling sidekick and second-in-command, Grubber, broadcasting at high volume. "*This thing on?*" Grubber said in a heavily lisped voice. "*It is? Okay. Uh, attention Commander Tempest, Fireteam Storm has arrived. Their CO is currently en route to the bridge, ma'am. So uh, yeah.....I-uh..........I think that's it." Tempest simply rolled her eyes at the more unprofessional aspects of Grubber's announcement, but got up from the table and made herself ready to receive an audience. Her thoughts wandered onto the stories she had heard of Fireteam Storm's more prolific history, stories ranging from assassination to sabotage. The Storm King had them carry out tasks that more or less involved getting your hooves dirty, and this one would be no exception if necessary. At long last, her lifelong search would come to a long awaited conclusion. "I can't afford to make mistakes. Not this time." She internally reminded herself. A knock then came from the door, indicating that her visitor had arrived. "Enter." Tempest called out. The iron bulkhead swung open slowly, and Tempest's eyes immediately began to decipher a tall figure obscured by shadow. A second passed before it stepped into the light of the bridge, revealing a creature that surprised Tempest, in both appearance and sheer size. The creature in question was one she never seen, nor even one she could recall from her study of the races that inhabited Equus. It stood on two legs yet their structure was strange compared to those of her troops, the Cats of Panthera and the various bipedal creatures of Klugetown. The legs were composed of two central sections, with a foot supporting most of the weight, with its central body mass located towards the torso area. Two muscled arms stemmed from its shoulders, each ending in five fingered hand, something usually attributed to Minotaurs. That was just the body structure, what the creature wore was what Tempest was mainly astounded by. The entirety of the creatures body was covered from head to toe. It wore some sort of heavy grey leather footwear, weaved in an advanced fashion, some sort blueish grey camouflage suit, sported an extensive armored navy blue chest piece with various pouches and weapons dotting across its strangely webbed surface and donned a strange device that was currently holstered and strapped to the hip of its right leg. The most prolific feature however had to be the almost sinister looking helmet. Unlike those of the Storm Beasts, this one looked almost alien in nature. The various straps, holes, grooves and edges gave it a mechanical look, forming a dome around the entirety of the head. The helmet had multiple cuts and chips across it's black surface, indicating it had seen battle an more than one occasion. It's only semblance of an opening aside from that of its base, had to be the glare of it's electric blue visor. Taking all these features into account, the creature almost looked more machine than flesh, and Tempest almost shuddered at the thought of being hunted by this thing, let alone being killed by it. Divulging just a bit further on that thought, Tempest somewhat pitied those who had the misfortune of having the Storm King set these things loose on. Being brought to your end by what looked like a professional killing machine brought about a sense of dread and soullessness to ones final moments before death. That alone was haunting to say the least. But alas, Tempest was quite capable of hiding any emotional indication that pertained to these thoughts, as her body and expression remained as neutral as it had been before it entered the room. "You certainly live up to your reputation as far as looks are concerned." Tempest internally noted. "Commander Tempest?" an aggressively deep masculine voice addressed through the static of the helmet's audio output. "Okay, that's unsettling by itself." she thought. "Am I to assume that you're Fireteam Storm's CO?" Tempest inquired. "That I am, ma'am." He reaffirmed. "Captain Carter. My team and I were sent here to relay the Storm King's decision on your request. You'll be happy to know that it's been granted. Fireteam Storm is at your complete disposal." Tempest couldn't help but let out a slight smirk, The Storm King had always been so forthcoming whenever she made requests for additional troops, but to have the most elite of the elite only seemed to bolster her sense of authority to an almost ego stroking level, though not nearly to level the Storm King himself would often boast. "I'm glad to hear." Tempest chuckled. "Given you and your team's track record, this mission should go off flawlessly." "We're ready to do our part, ma'am." Carter stated. Aside from it's unsettling nature, the staticy grain to his voice was starting to become grating to hear. "Okay, the helmet's becoming a nuisance. Take it off." She ordered in an annoyed tone. "Huh? Oh, apologies. I sometimes forget how sensitive it can be to the ears." Carter worked his hands underneath his helmet, undoing a few straps before taking it off. The face that came into view was astonishing to say the least. The threatening visage of the helmet hid a more approachable, yet still intimidating, face. His facial structure was heavily reminiscent of the Storm King yet off in a few ways. His skin was a dark shade of brown, sporting a pronounced nose and a pair of eyes that were light brown. His species seemed akin to that of a ape, bearing no fangs and no hair, he was bald. But of the most noticeable features, and in Tempest's case, most relatable, was the scar along his left eye. Almost instinctively, Tempest's eyes focused on it, memories of how she obtained it flashing through her mind. Her mind puzzled as to how he obtained his, and how long he had bored it. Carter was quick to notice she had dropped the authoritative look for just a second and started staring at him. He began to feel just a tad bit creeped out by it when he suddenly found himself noticing she had her own scar, and on the left eye no less, just like him. Drawing the connection, Carter couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. "Waddya know, we match." he said with a slight tone lightheartedness. "Can't believe I didn't notice that walking in." Tempest snapped back to the here and now by his statement. A little taken aback by the sense of humor, something she wasn't expecting from an assassin, especially one with his track record. Despite this, Tempest quickly recollected her thoughts and once again donned the persona of the ruthless war leader she had been infamous for. "It's irrelevant." She responded quite coldly. Carter gave her a rather unconvinced look, but was wise enough not to indulge further on the matter. "Sure didn't seem that way." Carter thought, before tucking the matter away. "Coincidences aside, I'm curious as to what exactly you are, Captain?" Tempest asked. "We get that question a lot." Carter replied. "We are what you'd call, human. And, well, we're not exactly from around here." "And what exactly do you mean by that, Captain?" Carter was hesitant with an answer, letting out a modest sigh that clearly indicated that this wasn't the first time he'd gone through this question. "With all due respect ma'am, I didn't exactly come up here to discuss my species and myself. I had hoped to discuss my team's tasks during the operation." Carter admitted. While she was genuinely curious to know more, he had a point. Time was of the essence, and it was best that he know of the task ahead. "Very well, I suppose those questions can wait." Tempest conceded. "If you'd be so kind as to follow me over to the table, we can get started." Carter did as he was instructed and followed her to the table at the center of the observation deck, where her strategic map of the surprise assault had been planned out. "The objective of this operation is rather simple, Captain. As of now, our fleet is heading towards Canterlot, the capital of Equestria, in an attempt to subdue the nation and its leaders." "So the usual raid then?" Carter inquired. Tempest couldn't help but shake her head and chuckle at his ignorance. "Oh my dear Captain, I'm afraid this surpasses a simple raid for magical trinkets." Tempest said with an almost vile grin. "What do you mean by that, ma'am?" "Equestria isn't some backwater nation with scrap amounts of magical artifacts, Captain. It's the heart of all magic in the world, a beacon of prosperity that their Alicorn hegemony would be willing to do anything to protect. And it's the very thing we've been sent to apprehend for the Storm King." Carter seemed to get the bigger picture, and the higher stakes that came with it. "I'm guessing once we have it, we deliver it to the him?" Carter asked. "Well, more like we'll be watching it until he comes to get it, but the same principle applies. And once he has it-" "He'll give me what was promised." "He'll make good on his promise." The two shared a surprised look, utterly unaware that the other was promised something for their service. While they were both genuinely curious as to what the other had been promised, Tempest chose to simply continue with debriefing him. "Anyways. Tell me, are you familiar with my kind, Captain?" She asked. "Can't say that I am, ma'am." Carter replied. "We've had a few run-ins with ponies, but not enough to get a firm grasp on how they tend to act as a species. In fact, I'm certain your the first one I've come to be acquainted with." "Well, Captain, trust me when I tell you that you wouldn't be impressed. My kind has let themselves be coddled into a state where they border on spoiled. They profess to be the pinnacle of friendship and kindness yet still manage to be a walking contradiction when faced with something they perceive as different. I learned that a long time ago. We are one of the few races that possess the ability to channel magic and yet the rulers of ponykind would rather have said talent wasted on parties, like this, Festival of Friendship, hosted by none other than Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship." Tempest's rather distasteful tone on the emphasis of those words painted a pretty clear picture on how she felt about it, one which Carter could relate to as he couldn't help but cringe at the names. "That was my initial reaction too." Tempest added, noticing his response. "But luckily for us, this little party is getting crashed." "How so?" Carter asked. "While Equestria's guards and populace are borderline helpless, their leadership can be quite formidable. Any direct assault would likely end in failure. And it doesn't help that they're the key to this operation's success. But if there's one thing the Princesses' have that could remotely be considered a fatal flaw, it would be their predictability, which in turn leads to an inability to adapt to certain, situations." Carter was beginning to figure out what she was alluding to. "Let me guess, you want to catch them in an ambush?" Carter asked. "Very perceptive, Captain." Tempest complimented. "That's precisely what I mean to do. My ship will approach the city spewing a trail of thick smoke screen, no doubt gaining the attention of their security, and with any luck, their precious Princesses. We'll land right in the center of their little festival, concentrated here in this large courtyard." She pointed out her hoof to the area on the map she was referring to, and Carter was now studying the visual plan of attack that was laid out across the table, following the multiple phases of the operation as Tempest explained them. "So you'll be acting as a distraction?" Carter inquired. "To buy time for the troops to set up the ambush?" "Precisely, my little intimidating display will no doubt provoke a response from the Princesses themselves. While I have their attention, the other ships will move in concealed by the smoke. They'll unload the shock troops on these nearby balconies for them to set up the ambush. Once it's sprung, the remainder of our forces will descend from above. The sheer chaos and suddenness of the attack is certain to catch the Princesses off guard, providing the ample opportunity to subdue them." "And how do you plan on doing that? If they're as powerful as you say they are, I have to imagine that they're formidable fighters." "They are, but I never said I had any intention of fighting them. No. I do believe this will be more than sufficient to handle the likes of them." Tempest pulled a green and glowing softball-sized orb from a nearby saddlebag and revealed it to Carter. "Petrification orbs." He said, recognizing the object. "Not a bad choice." "Indeed." Tempest confirmed. "Once this shatters, simply being within an inch of its dispersal radius is all it takes. "I know what those things can do. We've used a few on previous missions. They can turn a raging dragon into rock in seconds. But what's to stop the Princesses from simply deflecting them?" "These ones have been modified to have a hefty resistance to magical barriers. These orbs can be fended off for about two seconds at most before they launch through any magical defense." "You'll need to be pretty close to land a clean shot." "Maybe for you Captain, but I've been practicing with dummies for weeks. Record currently stands at 30 yards on a moving target." "Sounds pretty far fetched if you ask me, ma'am." "I know it does, and I won't hold it against you if you have doubts in my abilities, but rest assured, I'm confident in my aim." "And if you miss?" Tempest simply responded with a smile and moved her hoof up the map, towards two areas circled in red. "Well that's where you come in." Tempest informed. "While I'll be drawing out the Princesses and the regular troops will be carrying out the main assault, I need your team to be cutting off any and all routes of exits. Given that the airships will effectively cut off any sort aerial retreat, that leaves only two readily available routes of escape from the courtyard. They are located here by this large outdoor aviary, and here by this bridge over the river running through Canterlot." "So we're just the contingency plan?" Carter asked, a little surprised that they be playing a rather secondary role in the Op. "That's the polite way of putting it but don't take it as an insult, Captain." Tempest confirmed. "In the off chance that one of the princesses does slip by me, I need the best to ensure they don't escape. It also means that I need them alive. I know your team usually carry out assassination missions, but we can't afford to lose even one of the Alicorn Princesses, which means dealing with them by non-lethal means. Understood? Just to let you know, I don't trust any other unit in the entirety of the Storm King's army to handle this. You and your team have done some incredible things in service of the Storm King, which makes you four the only unit capable of handling this assignment." Carter gave out a slight smile, whether it was out of amusement to how hard she tried to make her statement seem sincere or out of sense of gratitude, Tempest couldn't say. "Then I I'll see to it we don't disappoint." Carter said. "But if I may ask, what happens if the Princesses don't even come to you? What if they send the guards to handle your little stunt?" Tempest returned his inquiry with a smile of her own. "Like I said, Captain, the Princesses are quite predictable, and I am quite certain that intimidating them on their newest addition's little festival will result in a direct confrontation. But in the case that they don't confront us, there's always a plan B, and a C, and a D." Tempest then proceeded to inform Carter of every one of her fallback plans, each one accounting for just about every scenario. It was no different than before, she couldn't afford to fail here, and from the sounds of it, neither could Carter.