//------------------------------// // 39. Battle Plans // Story: Guardians of the Elements of Harmony // by mcb893 //------------------------------// Royal Palace... Canterlot... Moore observed the maps that had been given to him by the princesses. Each had said that the war was starting to have psychological effects on captured cities. Princess Celestia was worried about enslaved ponies, since Mercuito probably was treating them very badly. However, Luna was concerned about the kids, who couldn't handle living in such a horrible scenario. Moore brought his hand to his chin, trying to consider which city could be next. Neigh York City was filled with enslaved ponies according to tapes from the recon devices Hans had made. But another had also discovered hundreds of traumatized children in Vanhoover. Most of the time, it was woman and children first, but back in the days of the Civil War, slaves were the primary concern. Moore had never had to make this decision, he had never been forced to choose between a child and a slave. Both needed to be rescued, but which one needed it more? Moore leaned back in his chair and rubbed the back of his head. "Staff Sergeant... We hate to place this decision on your shoulders but... you have more experience with seeing the effects of war on these groups." Princess Celestia said. Moore nodded, trying to observe the layouts of the cities. Neither one had an easy way in, or out. Making stealth a primary concern. However, according to the research gained from the drones, Vanhoover had fewer Chaos Bringers. This may not have a need for a slow op, they could just kick in the front door without too much of a problem. The troops would have to be on alert for civilians, but they had already been trained to the point of perfection in that department. "Vanhoover has a local militia that's been fighting the Chaos Bringers right? Guards too?" He asked. Princess Celestia looked over to her sister, who nodded. "Yes, but they are heavily outnumbered, and we believe that they're setting up a desperate "last stand" as we speak." She said with concern in her voice. Moore smiled and reached for his knife. He drove the knife into Vanhoover, letting it shake and stay there for a moment. "We need to split up our forces." "Come again?" Princess Luna asked. Moore looked up to face her. "We have large amounts of troops, and thanks to Hans, a heck of lot of firepower to back them up. Now what I'm recommending will rescue both of the cities, with minimal casualties, if any." He says. The Princesses nod and look over to each other. Luna nods, and Celestia looks over to Shining Armor, the captain of the guard. He also nods. Celestia smiles and looks back to the Staff Sergeant. "What do you have in mind?" She asked. Moore took a pen and drew a large circle around Vanhoover, pointing to it. "We need to send a small, heavily armed strike team to Vanhoover, let our allies know we're on our way. We can use the new UGV that Hans created to lay down heavy fire. The strongest warriors among us will lead the charge, we're kicking in the front door here." Moore took the pen and moved it over to Neigh York. He drew several small rectangles along the sides of the city, as well as drawing several small lines going into the city. "Here, we're sending a massive attack force, but first we pick off slave drivers and rescue the slaves. Once we've rescued about three fourths of the prisoners, we send in the full assault force, and liberate the remaining prisoners from there. We have to make sure not to make any shots too early, or we could give our troops away. Now, you said that Neigh York had a small lake nearby, right?" The Princess nodded. "Well, we can use that to our advantage. We can use the lake to sneak up behind the enemy and hit them where their most vulnerable first, that way we have less of a problem to deal with later on." Moore said as he drew lines through the water and to the back of the city. The Princesses watch in curiosity, taking in every part of Moore's plan. "Hans and I will lead the charge in Vanhoover. Newell can use the UGV since she's the most accustomed to commandeering vehicles. Connors will serve as overwatch sniper support in Neigh York, and will be assisted by SRTF teams. Barns will lead the way once the attack is signaled, providing as the strike captain of that operation. As for Adams, he will be in charge of the infiltration and liberation aspects of the job." Moore sat back and set down his pen, sliding it over to the Princesses. Princess Celestia grabbed the map and observed it, joined shortly by Luna and Shining Armor. The group of ponies carefully looked over the plans, until Princess Celestia placed the map on the table and smiled. "Staff Sergeant, I for one am for your plan. What about you two?" "Absolutely. I'll assist you in Vanhoover, you're not going in there without somepony the guards know they can trust." Shining Armor said as he placed his helmet on. Moore nodded and looked over to Princess Luna, who was also smiling. She simply nodded. Moore smiled and leaned forward. "I'll ready my men."