Somewhere between the frozen forest that was the Everfree and the blazing Appaloosan Desert, a convoy of fully-loaded Chinooks was being escorted by Comanches. Inside the transports, soldiers and drivers braced for the oncoming fight as they slowly made their way towards the campsite. Avengers and spare Quad Cannons swung underneath connected to the helicopters by cables. Inside the lead gunship, the radio blared with orders from command.
"Hercules 15, we're being rerouted. You're on your own from here."
"Copy that. Thanks for the company."
The two heavily armed helicopters slowed, letting the faster transports fly ahead. They turned in place and set a course back towards the hot and sunny desert.
***
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!"
Multiple workers waved and yelled for the ponies to move away from the front of the War Factory. Alarm lights flashed, and the heavy doors slid open. Inside was one of the most curious vehicles the ponies had ever seen. A boxy hull on top of what looked like to be a rolled-up road. The foals stared in awe at the sight of a shiny new Crusader Tank rumbled out. To a pony who barely came up to a human's knee, this seemed like an unstoppable fortress.
"Alright. How many Crusaders?"
The foreman flipped through a clipboard of papers, "We got enough for... eleven more tanks."
"But that's only enough for a single company!"
He shrugged. "We're broke. Again."
A short distance away, three pairs of ears shot up at the mentioning of their club's name. They looked around to see if they were wanted. When they heard the name again, they realized that the heavy metal monster had the same name as their club.
They decided they needed one. As their mascot.
***
On top of a plateau, Twilight peeked through a set of binoculars. There was something different about seeing the dragons on a screen, and seeing them with her own eyes. Every scale, eye, and scar had a slightly different shape and location up close. Or at least, as close as one can be without experiencing a painful death.
"This is Deadly 1 and 2, en route to engage. We're coming in from the west. ETA three minutes."
"We copy. You can't miss em'."
Indeed, there was little one could do to miss eighteen lumbering giants. Their bodies from head to tail were roughly twice the size in length as the massive Overlord Tank, while being just as tall. But one in particular was enormous, his full length from head to tail almost but not quite the same as two Nuke Cannons placed one behind another.
While their sides lacked the wings of their airborne cousins, they gained extra layers of scales, protecting their already invulnerable body even further. They moved at a steady pace, each step rattling the ground and slightly flattening the dunes around them. Connected to each dragon by thick chains was a large wagon, each with ten pairs of solid wood wheels cut straight from tree trunks. Even the bark was still on. But whatever they carried, their cargo was heavy enough that the wheels sank into the sand, carving deep trenches in the ground.
The terrain was rocky, boulders dotted the area in between hills of sand and gravel. Plateaus towered over the already massive dragons. The afternoon sun heated the already hot air even further, and just looking through the heat haze made everyone inexplicably tired. But the dragons marched on, their cold blood not so cold after a few days in the desert.
A faint snap came from the second dragon as a chain pulling its wagon broke. The convoy immediately came to a stop, and although the unicorn couldn't hear them, she was certain that they were angered by the interruption.
"Rockets armed, standing by."
The two helicopters sped through the sky. Coming over a cliff, the only thing the scaled giants made was a big fat target. The convoy had taken this opportunity to stop and rest. Harnesses came off and wagons were pushed aside as the giants relaxed. The dragon breathed fire gently on the broken ends, heating them until they were red hot. He rolled and pressed the links together, only a stopgap measure, but one that would be enough to last the journey.
The dragons turned their heads towards an unfamiliar sound, and two unfamiliar... things. They looked like fish, except for that weird circle thing above. That and they flew.
"Command, we see the dragons."
"Copy, dragons are confirmed as hostile. Cleared for engagement."
"WILCO. Rockets away!"
Of course the curious flying fish became curious no longer when a barrage of unguided rockets bombarded the stopped convoy. The group soon erupted into chaos as they all tried to scramble out of the way as each rocket exploded with a punch like nothing they had ever felt. A whole volley was enough to overwhelm the weaker dragons and cause the larger ones to panic, tripping over carts and getting caught in chains. The Comanches fired their guided missiles and opened fire with their guns, causing even more stinging pain to the already scattered convoy.
But when the dust settled, the weak were only groaning in pain.
"Command, we're only pissin' em' off!"
"Good enough. Keep doing it."
"WILCO." Deadly 1 said nervously.
Deadly 2 took on the job as bait and gained altitude, taking potshots at the dragons to keep their attention while his partner backed off until he was behind a particularly large hill, waiting for the rocket pods to reload.
The dragons scattering in all directions, leaving pockets of two or three dragons huddled together in fear. In the center was a dragon, roaring for the rest to get back up and fight. He shot a stream of fire roughly in the direction of the annoyance. It was easily avoided.
Deadly 2 slowly backed off while firing bursts, keeping its attention on the helicopter as it led the dragon closer and closer past the hill. The dragon stopped when he realized his position. A full volley of rockets, this time exclusively focused on him, exploded on the back of his head. Deadly 1 retreated with its rocket pods empty once more.
By now the other dragons had regained their confidence and had spread out in an attempt to destroy the metal gnats. From behind cliffs and over their heads, the two helicopters did their jobs to the best of their ability. But two Comanches against eighteen enemies that they could only anger was only a losing fight. Deadly 1's pilot wiped the sweat from his neck as he narrowly avoided yet another ball of blue flame.
***
Eleven US standard Crusader tanks stood side by side, their new paint still drying in the harsh sun of the desert. The crews ran one last check before closing and locking their hatches. Heads turned as the doors slowly split open with a metallic squeal, and the final tank rolled out of the War Factory and into the light where it joined the others who formed the first tank company in Equestria.
The commander in the lead tank took a breath and put on his grey helmet. "Command, Rhino Company is standing by, ready to mobilize!"
"Roger that. Your targets are eight klicks to the west. Recon 1's UAV will provide aerial reconnaissance. The dragons are heavily armored, just pretend that they're Overlords."
Rhino 1's commander started sweating. "That doesn't make us feel any better sir."
"It's not supposed to. Good luck. CENTCOM out.
He adjusted his microphone and pressed a few buttons on the radio so that his voice could be heard inside the other tanks.
"Alright, Rhinos once we get out into the open, Team 2 and Team 3 will split up and take our left and right flanks. Wedge formation. Stay within visual distance. Move out!" Various affirmatives sounded from the others as engines rumbled to life and one by one the Crusaders left the confines of the base, waving ponies and human alike seeing them off. Once they had plenty of space, the tanks increased the distance between themselves, and the mass eventually split into three groups, each four tanks strong.
Dust and sand were blown into the air from underneath the tracks, creating a clear trail of where they had come from. An impervious wall of steel and guns rumbled closer to the dragons. But in their minds they knew that if Command had compared the dragons to Overlords, there was no way that they could win. But orders were orders, and they continued on.
***
"WHAT THE HELL ARE THESE THING MADE OF?" Deadly 2 screamed into his mic.
The dragons were fully angered. After realizing that the attack helicopters could only cause pain, they retaliated in full, sending salvo after salvo of fire. The gunships shot more volleys of rockets towards them. One even got a face full of exploding metal tubes that made him stumble in pain.
But other than a few bruises, no actual damage was done.
Deadly 1 backed off, letting his rocket pods reload once more. By now the dragons had huddled back together into a single group, their wagons lay abandoned and overturned but still covered. Even though there were no casualties, there was no argument that the Comanches didn't have any effect.
Seeing the easy target the dragons made, the gunships fired in tandem, then backed down behind a hill. There they moved under the cover of the terrain, biding their time and waiting for the right moment. It was somewhat ironic that they used the same tactics that the GLA had executed to great effect.
But with all of their attention on the Comanches, the dragons didn't notice a large cloud of dust slowly creeping in from behind...
***
"You orders are engage and kill the enemy. Our aircraft are just returning from the camp so you'll be on your own for roughly fifteen minutes. Best of luck."
The commander peeked at his watch. It was already very late in the day, and the sun was beginning to color the sky a brilliant orange. The screen to his left showed a monochrome birds-eye-view of the battle that was currently raging. He took careful note of the terrain. A few meters could make the difference between completely vulnerable and being in safe cover.
"Alright listen up! We'll get the gunships to lead them in front of us in a killing field. We have surprise on our side, do not fire until the order is given. Team 1 follow me and hide in the rocky area directly in front of the field. Team 2 Rhinos, low spot to the south flank in a defilade position. Team 3, drive on the plateau, overwatch duty if we need it. Do not fire until we need you guys."
Various acknowledgements came through the radio and the tanks split up. The four tanks of Team 3 drove north where the dragons would be led and climbed onto a crumbled side of a plateau that made a convenient ramp to the flat top. High up, they could see the Comanches fighting to a stalemate, with no side having the advantage. Team 2 drove to the south where decades of wind had carved out a depression in the sand. Inching forwards so that their guns just cleared the ground, the tanks were no more than mere lumps in a desert filled with sand. Team 1 hid behind the massive boulders that dotted the area and they all waited for the command.
"Deadly 1! Deadly 2! Go ahead, lead them towards us."
"WILCO! Get ready!"
The two helicopters shot one more burst of rockets and slowly backed towards the waiting tanks. Suspicious, the dragons stayed immobile with some still shooting off fireballs in hopes that one would connect. Trailing smoke, one last barrage was shot towards them before the Comanches truly retreated so the pilots could rest.
Silence.
A rare sound on the battlefield. It could signal the end, beginning, or pause of a fight. The iron giants looked around, waiting for the familiar sound of the helicopters. Some of the more jittery ones started shooting fireballs to wherever they suspected the gunships would appear. But their shots only exploded against rocks and sand, blackening the area of impact.
***
"Team 2 is in position."
"Team 3 is in position."
"Hold until they're in range." the commander said into his radio as the screen showed the dragons huddled together.
The gunner whistled, impressed at their size. "Command was right, they are Overlords. Makes em' easy to target though."
"You better hit that or you're going back to basic."
"Yessir."
The Comanches rocketed past the tanks, weary and exhausted. A small blue dragon spotted the gunships from the corner of his eye and signaled their presence. It was like a bomb went off in the middle of a crowd. The giants ran towards them, confidence and morale rising while they chased after a retreating enemy. Even at such a distance, the crew could feel the rumbling of the ground as the dragons tried to finish off what they had been trying to kill.
"Hold..." The screen showed that the last dragon was only a few hundred meters past their optimal range.
Balls of fire flew over the tanks. With one final ray of light, the sun sank below the horizon and already they could feel the temperature starting to drop. Switching to their night vision cameras, the entire battlefield became an alien green. The ground became a bright green, still warm from the sun but cooling rapidly while the dragon's throats and the fire flying through the air glowed bright white.
"Choose your targets..."
The final dragon passed though the sights of Rhino 6 who was in the leftmost position.
"Fire."
***
He was probably the smartest of the bunch. Ironclaw might've had a common name like any other dragon, but the second the Comanches started to retreat, he knew that this was a trap. He and the others had heard the stories. Some new, unknown threat had appeared almost overnight. A messenger griffon, sopping wet, had caused quite a scene when he entered without opening the door. His ramblings were quickly silenced, but his words hung in the air like a thick fog.
Strange bipedal creatures loading gems and ponies onto flying green tubes.
The generals were furious when they found out that Bone Meal Mine had been reduced to a hole. They immediately put out orders so nothing like that would happen again.
And now, Ironclaw was limping towards cover, his leg in excruciating pain after a 120mm HEAT shell had ripped his muscle. It left a small pinprick of a hole in his lower limb and only a small amount of blood had been lost, but for all intents and purposes, Ironclaw was out of the game. He sighed as he rested behind a mountain that had also been cover for the Comanches.
His fellow dragons fared much worse. The smaller ones had fallen to lucky shots when their vital organs got hit. Others lost an eye or two but were still alive. A whopping seven dragons had already fell, their large corpses cooling rapidly. The biggest of them all, a gigantic red dragon, only flinched when he took a hit to his shoulder. He scanned the field, looking for a single enemy to focus on.
The dragon spotted a flash of light as another tank fired into his face. He growled for the remaining dragons to calm down and focus the attack on their right flank. They formed a line, this time facing the Team 2 who's drivers were getting ready to move on command. With a single roar, the dragons charged.
"All tanks fire at will! Team 2, start movin'!"
The flashes of light got larger and larger as they ran towards the line of tanks. By now, only seven dragons, six medium sized ones and one ridiculously large dragon were left. But the ones who had fallen were the smaller and weaker ones, leaving the stronger dragons to fight freely. Rhino 5's gunner adjusted his gun for one last shot. Through his sights, he could see one smaller dragon stop and open his mouth for a shot at him.
He stopped. If he could see his mouth clearly...
A burst of blue fire whooshed through the air as the dragon hoped for the best.
The gunner didn't have enough time to open his mouth and curse.
The fire melted right through the tank and exploded on the inside, sending the turret flying and creating a bonfire from the hull. Slag and sparks flew from the melted metal as the dragons roared with increasing vigor.
"We lost Rhino 5! These guys can kill with a single shot!"
"Team 2 MOVE!"
One by one, the remaining tanks backed down below the crest, with Rhino 7 not bothering to aim before shooting one last shell.
Above the battlefield on the plateau, the gunners of Team 3 all aimed carefully for weak spots. Behind the legs and the back of the knee if possible, considering that they were moving. Even with the advantage of computer guided systems, an object moving irregularly was hard to hit.
Rhino 10 fired first. The shell harmlessly exploded on the base of a tail. In fact, it seemed like the dragon hadn't even noticed. More shots came, but none seemed to have any effect.
"We can't get through these guys!"
"Team 2, circle back behind Team 1 and back into the field. Team 1, turn tanks around and start backing into the old killing field. Team 3, overwatch." He nervously wiped the sweat from his brows. "We're screwed...." He set his radio to contact the main base. "Command! We can't damage these guys! Where's our Raptors?!"
"Rhino 1, they're only a few seconds away. Get ready to designate targets. Out."
"We copy!" He switched to his radio for Team 3. "Recon 1! Designate target for airstrike! Choose a smaller one, we don't know how much damage they'll do!"
"We copy."
The remaining tanks of Team 2 hurried behind Team 1's position with the dragons not far behind. Their turrets were facing backwards, desperately hoping to get in a lucky shot to a vital area. They got it.
One fell as a shell went straight through his right eye and into his brain, sending him tumbling into the ground. The whole group was slowed by the corpse, as he was charging near the front. Some went around while the faster and more agile dragons simply jumped over their fallen comrade.
Back at Recon 1's position, Twilight was back on the UAV. Her eyes shot across the screen, trying to find the runt of the group as they all raced to see who was the faster of the two.
"There!" She pointed to the smallest one who was charging in the center of the formation. The Ranger pointed the tripod-mounted laser towards the dragon. Through night-vision cameras, a green line followed the runt's head.
"Roger, we see the target. Missiles away."
Twelve missiles rocketed from under the wings of two King Raptors. All eyes were glued on the small swarm as their engines glowed brightly in the night. Each explosion happened almost instantaneously, individual blasts were drowned out by others as the dragon went flying.
The Raptors circled around, trying to see the results. Both tank and dragon slowed to see the runt's fate.
"We're screwed."
The cloud of sand settled, but more was churned up by the dragon writhing in pain. They let out one victorious roar, knowing that they were truly invulnerable.
"Command! Raptors have no effect!"
"Keep them busy. We'll get stronger air assets up as fast as we can."
***
"Aurora Alpha. Now."
"Yes sir."
Tom held his head in his hands. There was a chance that even Aurora Alphas might not be able to damage the dragons. The only things that guaranteed a kill were superweapons, and sending up a satellite would take hours. Hours that they did not have...
General Alexander's supersonic bombers had better work. For the sake of an entire country...
***
"Alright. Rhinos, we have to keep them busy. Team 3, get down and flank them from the east. Team 1, circle around and flank the dragons from behind. Team 2, keep going til you reach the end of the rocky area, then circle around into the old killing field. Use the downed dragons for cover."
"Roger."
***
"Command, this is Airfield Tower."
"We copy. Go ahead Tower."
"The gunships are fueled and armed. We got other pilots and they're ready to return to the fight."
"Send them."
"Yes sir." The officer in charge nodded to the man sitting next to him. "Do it."
"Deadly 1, Deadly 2, you are cleared for liftoff, orders are to support Rhino company and assist with retreat if necessary."
***
In the battlefield, a few minutes felt like hours. But in a few minutes, much can happen. Only three dragons still stood. The smallest had fallen when another lucky shot ripped through his throat. The tanks of Team 1 were in the old killing field as Team 2 raced past Team 3, who was attempting to flank the dragons from the east.
"Rhino company! This is Deadly 1 and Deadly 2 comin' in to support. An Aurora Alpha is just behind us."
"We copy. Team 2, change of plans! Hold your ground near the ramp of the plateau. Deadly Flight, support Team 2 with stopping the dragons. We'll come up from behind them."
The remaining three tanks all scurried into the cover of the rocky ground. They all wiped the sweat from their faces. It was like a fly trying to stop a rhinoceros.
"How about those rocket pods?"
Rhino 6 responded. "Our guns are loaded. Team 2, Team 3, Deadly Flight, fire on my call."
"Roger."
The cool air of the desert finally reached an uncomfortably cold level.
"All fire."
A wall of shells and rockets slammed into the lead dragon, sending him tumbling head over feet into his teammates. With a resounding crash, the entire group skidded to a halt. The tanks of Team 1 quietly appeared behind them and aimed for the backs of their knees while Team 3 off to their side aimed for their sensitive eyes.
The dragons flailed around, completely disoriented and crying in pain. Another fell when his knee buckled under his weight. The leader roared in anger.
"Rhino company, Aurora bomber is in the air! Designate target!"
"Roger! Recon 1, laser another target!"
The Ranger looked at Twilight. "Which one?" He asked.
Her eyes looked at the four dragons. The smallest of the bunch was jumping around, trying to avoid being hit. The medium-small one was moving slowly, a hard target but easier to hit. The big red one was taking an insane amount of hits. Another tank shell exploded on his arm, but he barely flinched.
"Aim for the biggest one."
He looked through the scope and anyone with night-vision capabilities could see a green beam from the designator to the chest of the dragon.
"Roger, I see the target. Bomb away!"
A pair of doors opened on the underside of the delta-winged plane. A few click sounded as the latches unlocked the black cylinder from its mounting. Although it was designed to be totally silent when falling, a faint whistling could be heard as it fell towards it target. In contrast, the sonic boom echoed throughout the desert as the supersonic bomber soared above.
The red dragon yelled as the bomb impacted his chest with a dull thud. A millisecond later, a large cloud of fuel filled the air, choking the lungs of the targeted reptile.
Click.
Their ears were blown out by the blast. For a second, the entire scene flashed a bright orange. All the dragons were knocked back, some tumbling quite the distance away.
Time seemed to stop as the leader brushed off the sand from his scales. While he wasn't visibly bleeding, the shockwave from the blast had wreaked havoc on his internal organs, causing every movement to be painful as if he was bleeding an ocean. He slowly got to his feet, the others watching both in fear and respect.
A loud roar confirmed his willingness to continue fighting.
The Ranger of Recon 1 threw up his arms in annoyance. "Okay, now it's just getting ridiculous."
"I can't deny that I've been able to gather more data on Iron Dragons in a few hours than Dragon Scale did on her entire expedition, but..." Twilight sighed.
"Recon 1! Next time, aim for the smaller ones!"
"Roger."
High above, the Aurora soared, the majority of its fuel used up in the initial attack run. "Returning to base to rearm and refuel. Be back in a few."
***
This was bad.
Tom paced nervously around his desk. The entire camp seemed to be awake, unsurprising considering how loud afterburners were. All the ponies were milling around, unsure of what to do. Another Chinook departed from the base, more laser Avengers swinging from steel cables underneath.
The general tapped his head and thought hard. There was more than one way to get through armor...
He glanced towards the plans that lay on the table, held down by a rock paperweight. Orders to immobilize the remaining dragon came through the radio. Tom grinned.
Thank you General Tao...
***
The supersonic bomber skidded to a halt on the runway of the Airfield. Having heard the sonic boom a while ago, Rainbow Dash excitedly pointed to the triangle-shaped Aurora as a griffon sat next to her on the roof of the Airfield Tower. She had emerged from the Barracks with the pegasus to explore the base and to do a little flying. They had ended up at the Airfield when a sonic boom turned both of their heads.
Workers driving trucks filled with jet fuel and a cart carrying another fuel-air bomb emerged from inside the hanger.
"I wonder if that thing can do a Sonic Rainboom...?" the pegasus mused.
"A... Sonic... Rainboom?" Grizelda asked as she tilted her head.
"Yeah! It's when I go past the sound barrier and this ring of rainbows explode! It used to be a legend, but yours truly," She patted her chest in pride, "managed to do when she was just a filly."
"Wow... musta' been beautiful..." she mumbled.
"It is!" the pegasus yelled cheerfully. The engines of the Aurora let out a deafening roar as it sped faster and faster down the runway. It soared into the air, disappearing into the night.
"So eh..." Rainbow Dash rubbed her head, "Anything beautiful in your life?"
"...I wish."
***
The bomb released and ignited a cloud of fuel underneath the green dragon, sending it flying off into the distance.
"Good one! He's down!"
"Returning to base. Keep the last guy pinned!"
The leader was truly panicking. He flailed around, trying to hit his invisible enemies every time he was hit. He had his back to a particularly large boulder, ensuring that he wouldn't be able to escape. The Comanches let loose more rocket barrages, landing on him and the ground nearby. The dragon suddenly stopped and looked around. The most fragile-looking enemies were definitely the gunships that were attacking his rear flank.
He squeezed his eyes closed as another shell exploded on the side of his head. The sand around him felt cold. According to the overall frosty temperature, he should've been sleeping comfortably over a fire than dealing with... whatever in Tatarus these maggots were!
The dragon felt a hard lump in his left claw. Peeking out of his eyes, he noticed that it was a good-sized boulder that fit comfortably in his claws.
He felt the guns of the Comanches hammer a pattern into his back.
With a desperate roar, he flung the rock in the direction of the helicopters.
"Woah!" They swerved to avoid the incoming projectile. "That was too close!"
He took his chance. The dragon breathed in the cool air of the nighttime desert. Green, flammable fuel of his own poured from a special sac in his throat into his mouth. A microsecond later, he ignited the ball of flame.
They barely had any time before they were attacked again.
The pilot screamed into his microphone. Rhino company and Deadly 1 tried to figure out what he was screaming about.
"Deadly 2! What's the matte-"
"THE FLOOR IS MELTING!"
***
"Hey, Gunner." the Loader said as he pushed in another shell into the breech.
"Yeah?" he pushed the trigger, sending the football-sized projectile out of the barrel.
"Look at the dragon. That's a guy right?"
The Gunner looked closely through his scope. The dragon certainly looked like a male. Square, bulky features, large claws for fighting.
"Yeah. That's a guy." He turned to his partner. "So?"
"Aim for his nuts."
***
The dragon reared up onto his legs, roaring with the full might of a pissed-off iron dragon. More shots bounced off of him, leaving only the tiniest smudge of soot that indicated the impact.
He fired.
The shot traveled through the air in a blink, the end of the barrel lighting up the immediate area for a flash. The projectile whistled through the air until it exploded on his inner thigh, going right through the thin scales and sending blood spraying all over the sand.
The ground shook and rumbled as the tons of scales and muscle dropped to his side. More desperate shots of fire flew through the air, missing the tanks and the lone remaining Comanche.
The ball of fire melting the tail clean off and damaging the main body of Deadly 2. The rotors still spun, keeping the gunship from dropping like a rock, but sacrificing any control over the Comanche.
Recon 1 blew up a cloud of dust as the Humvee drove as fast as it could towards the downed gunship. The vehicle slid to a halt next to the melted wreck, some jagged edges still red-hot.
"Pilot you good?!" The Ranger yelled.
Groans came from the inside as the Pilot kicked open the door of the Comanche.
"I'm fine... We still winnin'?"
They both raised their heads at the sound of another fuel-air bomb going off. The painful roars of the dragon echoed soon after.
"I'd like to say so, but we're not getting anywhere."
***
He sighed as shell after shell bombarded the downed reptile. "Rhinos, cease fire."
The battlefield instantly went quiet. The only thing that any of them could hear was the faint whirr of the Comanche and the heavy breathing of the red dragon. His eyes shot from one side to the other, suspicious at what was occurring.
Rhino 1's commander switched on the loudspeakers. A short crackle sounded before his voice echoed throughout the desert.
"You have one chance to surrender! Stand down! The bomber will return in sixty seconds! Sixty!"
He roared. In his rage, his mind abandoned any trace of logic and ran on pure instinct. Gathering every ounce of strength, he slowly got up, bones creaking. Opening his mouth once more, he let loose a stream of fire.
***
The overseer squinted and tilted a manual. There were only a few letters in English but they were badly mistranslated to the point of gibberish. The majority of the text he didn't even attempt to read. But the pictures told enough.
The workers labored diligently, some yawning while they welded together plates of steel. Overhead, the crane whirred as the massive barrel was moved into place over the unfinished chassis. Men guided the operator as the metal tube slowly descended into its mount, seating it in place with a loud click. Air wrenches secured the bolts that held the barrel to the arms.
Workers hammered the pin into the track, combining the ends into one continuous loop. With a pull of a lever, the hydraulics hissed, sending the barrel into the air. The engine roared to life as another worker checked off the last box on the list.
It had taken them much longer than it would've taken their foreign counterpart, but finally, the doors slowly split open.
"Brighter than the sun."
***
"Bomb away."
For the tenth time this night, the Aurora Alpha released its payload. The dragon still continued attacking, flinging fire on whatever he could see. The battlefield was now littered with fires, both sparse plant life and red-hot boulders where the dragon's projectiles had landed.
Rhino 9 backed up behind a boulder in panic before another fireball whooshed past where it had been a moment ago. He might've been the enemy, but the entire company of tanks and Deadly 1 were all impressed at how much fight the dragon still had after hours of fighting. But the battle was taking quite the toll on his body. His rear left leg was completely useless, and his organs were injured but did not fail.
His ears perked up at the sound of a faint whistling. With a short grunt, he turned himself so that his back was towards the west, the same direction that the Aurora was attacking. He hunkered down and covered his ears. The dragon snarled in annoyance at the impact of the bomb, then winced when the cloud of fuel exploded.
But even with another round of tank guns shooting at the dragon, in all of their heads they knew that this battle had to end.
***
A distance away, an odd vehicle deployed its stabilizer legs from its body. It had been a very odd experience for the workers at the War Factory. While they did fix Chinese vehicles on occasion, building them was a completely new experience. Add that to the fact that they were on a tight schedule, and they cut quite a few corners and got a little unorthodox.
While it may have looked no different than its original in the darkness of the night, this particular Nuke Cannon was very different. A massive barrel laid on top of a mount, which itself sat on a pair of Crusader tank chassis crudely combined together. The cab was a Humvee with everything behind its normal dashboard completely gutted out and replaced with the control systems that they had managed to recreate from plans. All in all, it was quite the feat.
The hydraulics hissed as the two arms pushed the barrel into the air, ready to fire. While the driver relaxed, two technicians from the War Factory were struggling to figure out how to accurately fire the gargantuan weapon.
"I am actually sort of scared to shoot this thing." he said as he peeked through a pair of binoculars.
His partner fiddled with the touchscreen that was mounted on the inside of the cab. Range, direction, it was all vaguely familiar, but considering that the USA mostly relied on guided rockets, the Nuke Cannon was a completely new field. "So... we just wing it?"
The technician glared, "No. We are shooting a tactical nuclear weapon. We do not "wing it" like a mortar! If we miss, we might hit our own tanks! Or we might hit a city on the other end of the continent! We have no idea how to use this weapon, and we will use caution. Is that clear?"
"I got it. I got it." He opened the door and stepped outside. "I'll just get the range then."
"You do that."
He looked over the control screen. This option was obviously for entering the range. Or was it for tea temperature? It might've well been considering that it was all in Chinese.
The technician experimentally punched in a number, keeping his fingers away from the red button. No matter what the language, the red button meant business. Outside, his partner jumped as the cannon suddenly rose another foot.
He grinned. This could only end well.
***
"All tanks keep him pinned for just a little longer! Recon 1! Pull back as far as you can! We're going to be shooting off some nukes!"
"Come on," The Ranger shook the sleepy mare awake, "start packin'. We need to move."
Twilight rubbed her eyes, "Mn... what?"
"Do you want death by nuclear oven?"
Her brain was instantly awake. She shook her head.
"Then let's go."
There wasn't much to clean up, only an empty box where a scout drone once occupied and the laser designator stood outside the Humvee. The engine started with no problem and soon, the sleepy trio were off for the base.
"Command! This is Recon 1, RTB."
***
"And the big red button?" He pointed towards the push switch covered by a plastic shield.
"Guess."
"Command! This is Recon 1, RTB."
"Command! This is Deadly 1, RTB."
He turned to his partner, "Looks like this is it."
The technician nodded.
"All tanks this is Command, Nuke 1 is armed and loaded, cease fire and retreat to a safe location."
The guns in the distance were immediately silenced. A minute passed, and through the radio came the signal that Rhino company had backed off a significant distance while keeping the dragon trapped between tanks and rocks.
"Nuke 1, you are cleared to fire."
"Roger Command," He turned to his partner and nodded. "Punch it."
"Firing!"