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//Retrieve
Major Adam Jenkins gripped his rifle tightly, his masked eyes fixed on the dropship door. The vehicle rumbled and shook slightly as it descended, the other marines shifting as it reached the end of its journey. Jenkins glanced down at his rifle once again, making sure nothing had mysteriously moved out of place since his last look.
The ship’s intercom blazed to life. “This is as close as I can get you. No sign of any locals, but there’s still a lot of places to hide out there.”
Jenkins prepared himself to move. “Alright. Open the door.”
A mechanical whine pierced the air as the dropship’s exit slide aside and, with their Major at their head, the marines filed out. Heavy boots touched down on the cobblestone square creating a series of loud thumps and thuds in the dead of the night. Tall, dark buildings loomed over the squad, their old, flat stonework combined with the twisting shadows of the night gave them a quite sinister appearance.
“Ghost town.” A soldier muttered as he swept his torch over the nearby buildings, the cone of light creating dancing shadows through the windows as it passed.
Couldn’t have put it better myself, Jenkins silently remarked. There had been lights in the city as they approached, but the area around the huge fortress at the southern end of the city had been shrouded in darkness. Jenkins couldn’t help but feel that they were being watched.
“Let’s move.” He commanded, the network of transceivers in the soldier’s armour sharing the message between the squad whilst blocking the sound from the outside world.
The squad followed the twisting road toward the beacon, all the while keeping their eyes on the surrounding buildings in case any of the locals would be bold enough to stage an ambush. In the back of each man’s mind was a niggling fear, the fear of the mysterious forces that powered this seemingly impossible world, and what those forces could do to an unprepared man.
Several tense minutes dragged by as the black shape of the fortress came into view, the beacon’s signal emanating from within. Jenkins was uncomfortable. Nothing had attacked them yet, but did that mean they were scared, or that they were still waiting? When he first saw what he would be dealing with he had thought this would be an easy job. With armour strong enough to repel their simple medieval weaponry, nothing even needed to get shot.
But soon enough, reports had trickled in: glowing lights, levitating objects, dragon-like creatures with breaths hot enough to melt vehicles, and even men bursting into flames without any rational explanation or warning. This world was a mystery, and a dangerous one at that. Previous encounters suggested that some of the equine creatures possessed telekinetic and some pyrokinetic abilities. Perhaps the ‘gryphons’ were capable of such powers as well?
“Sir, top of the stairs. See that?”
The marines stood in a small courtyard in front of the fortress. The structure was made of huge stone bricks, layered on top of one another creating tall, imposing walls that would probably take a lot of force for the locals to breach. Dark windows dotted the walls at regular intervals, giving enough room for a man – or alien, in this case – to shoot out of, whilst not making itself an easy target. At the end of the courtyard as wide set of stone stairs ran up to a large gate of huge wooden boards, covered in metal plates. A single torch cast a flickering orange light in the darkness, illuminating a white mass at the top of the stairs. On closer inspection, the Major realised it was a white sheet spread over something.
Something the size of a man.
“You two, with me.” Jenkins gestured to two marines. “The rest of you, stay alert and keep an eye out.”
The soldier’s heavy boots thumped loudly as they scaled the stairs made up of steps barely big enough to give their soles room. The two marines with him covered Jenkins’ sides as they approached their target. It was definitely a man, Jenkins observed. The shape of a human body was clear under the stained white cloth. The Major kneeled down and slowly drew back the sheet.
A pair of closed eyes on a pale white face was the first thing he saw. A huge mat of black bruises streaked across the body’s bare chest, and on closer inspection, his chest was deformed slightly, the man’s ribs looking as though they had been crushed. As Jenkins expected, he was dead.
The Major sighed as he lowered the sheet back over the deceased officer’s face. He reached down, sliding his gauntlets under the body and lifting it, wrapping the remaining cloth around the corpse as best he could.
“Back to the LZ. Time to go.”
From Skies Above – Aftermath
Twilight staggered on her hooves, struggling to maintain her balance as the after effect of the spell struck. For a few moments her vision blurred, her ears rang and she lost her grasp on what was up and what was down, as if some omnipotent being had decided to snuff out gravity like a candle. Bracing herself where she stood, Twilight waited impatiently for the effects to pass.
Her experience in the field of magic rivalled all other unicorns alive, and maybe even those who aren’t, so teleportation was familiar ground to her. But even with all of her experience, her most recent attempt had been one of her hardest. Contrary to popular belief, it was actually easier when the user moved herself along with whatever objects, keeping the magical source closer to the objects along the journey to the target.
That’s why it was easier for the unicorn to transport herself, several friends, and a baby dragon a large distance rather than move, say, half a dozen fully armed and armoured guardsponies several hundred metres.
Twilight shook her head clear, the world around her coming into focus as the ringing in her ears subsided. Her hearing returned, and immediately she picked up the groans of several dazed guards. A spark of relief burst into life as Twilight realised she had succeeded in rescuing her brother.
“Shining?” The young mare frantically looked between the stirring masses of white and gold, her eyes quickly landing on the signature purple armour of the captain.
But something wasn’t right. The pale coloured armour and pure white fur was stain with bright red. Twilight gaped at her unmoving brother, feeling tears welling in her eyes. She hadn’t been fast enough. “Shining!”
“Fetch help.” Twilight glanced around, spotting Princess Celesita, the alicorn’s attention directed at one of the guards stationed in the room. The armour clad stallion nodded before taking off out of sight.
“Do not fear, Twilight Sparkle.” The unmistakable voice reached Twilight’s ears as the dark alicorn stepped into Twilight’s view. Her expression was soft, in the form of a reassuring smile. “We shall not allow Shining Armour to perish.”
*
His ears rang.
His flank was ablaze with pain.
Emerald Haze slowly opened his eyes and courtyard was first to grace his sighting. It’s once flawless, shining surfaces were now riddled with tiny craters and debris. The scorched remains of a tree rose like a twisted, blackened talon, and its brother lay torn apart on the other side where it had been struck by the thunderous alien cannons.
Slowly, Emerald raised himself off the ground, standing on shaky legs. His head throbbed, and he felt a warmth travelling down his brow. The unicorn gently touched his brow, withdrawing his hoof to find a small stain of red. How was he still alive? The last thing he remembered was the bright flash of the alien soldier erupting into flames, being thrown aside and the pounding booms of the biped’s retaliation.
“Lieutenant!”
Emerald Haze turned his head to face the call. A pony was galloping toward him, clad in the same armour Haze himself had been given upon joining the guard. The pony weaved through the debris, then slid to a halt before Emerald.
“By Harmony! You’re alive!” he exclaimed breathlessly, “Are you alright?”
“I... I think.” Emerald looked back over himself. His mane was a mess, tangled and in dire need of a thorough washing. His coat hadn’t fared much better, the fur resembling the twisting waves of a storm over open water, and the bandages applied by the aliens were stained red, probably meaning the wound had reopened.
“What happened?” Haze asked, “Why did they attack?”
“Somepony on the balconies thought they were going to start killing, and decided to hit first.” He looked over his shoulder, Emerald following his eyes to the what he presumed was balcony where it had started. “They fired back at the spellcasters, then used the big cannon on the courtyard. Nopony was down there but the Captain, though, and he teleported out before they wrecked the yard. Either they missed, or were just trying to scare us.”
The guard looked Emerald over, frowning when he saw the reddened bandages on his side. “Lieutenant, I think we should get you to the infirmary.”
Haze merely nodded. Who knows what the aliens could have done to him when he was in their thrall? He’d rather not wait to find out. “Let’s go.”
*
The heavy thumping of the alien’s footsteps echoed through the night as they backtracked through the city. Their dark shapes were contrasted by the cones of light that shone from their heads, brighter than any torch or lantern could hope to be. Through the maze of tall, tightly packed buildings was their destination. The square stood as an open clearing in a forest of buildings, marked by the huge flying beast that hung in the air above it. Jets of fire spurted from its body, illuminating its shining, metallic armour.
Alwin clung to the edge of his cloud, peering down at the huge, black clad beasts as they marched hastily though the city. He felt uneasy, as if something wasn’t right. Despite his expectations, the plan had gone ahead smoothly, and the bipeds had shown no signs of aggression. Personally, Alwin had been sure that simply leaving the body outside with nothing but a sheet to cover it would only incite anger in the beasts, yet they had merely collected their fallen and set off on their way.
Perhaps they were planning on removing their soldiers from the city before they unleashed their wrath? If a gryphon had been killed and his body so blatantly desecrated through the actions of another clan, warriors would be taking arms within minutes in case the situation should go south, and if that individual was of any importance, there was no doubt blood was going to be spilled.
The troop of bipeds thumped into the square, emerging into full view from the tightly packed structures that made up the city. All of the buildings had rooftop entrances, as most gryphons favoured the sky over walking. Roads were only in place to allow the wounded, crippled and the occasion ground faring visitor access to the city, and for larger wagons to transport supplies, although the latter was rapidly being replaced by small civilian airships.
The floating metal giant began to stir, descending to the ground. Alwin watched cautiously as the aliens disappeared into its hold before the beast took flight, rapidly putting distance between itself and the city until it was lost into the night sky. Alwin waited for several minutes, expecting more of the airships to appear and lay waste to the gryphon’s home.
None came.
Puzzled and relieved, the gryphon leapt off the cloud, setting his sights on the fortress.
*
An ivory mare sat still against the wall behind her, a golden helmet discarded on the floor beside her. The mare’s short blue mane hung down past her horn, ending just above her eyes, and her chest rose and fell quickly with every one of her short breaths. Not far from where she sat, a still open doorway allowed light entry into the building. If she stepped outside she would find herself on a balcony overlooking the ruins of a once magnificent courtyard, full of debris and dotted with impact holes.
The others had left, scrambling to re-establish control of the situation. It was just her now, her and...
Starry Night turned her head, her eyes fixated on a single point in the doorway. A thin red smear stretched through the entry, leading back out of sight. It didn’t matter whether or not she could see where it ended; she already knew that. She slowly reached up to her snout, feeling the coarse, dried blood that stained the fur on her face. What have I done?
Starry gritted her teeth and slammed her hoof down. No. I did what I had to. They were attacking...
The unicorn’s ear flicked at the sound of hoofsteps, and she raised her head, finding herself looking up into the stern gaze of a Royal Guard, one of two now standing before her. “Starry Night. I have orders to escort you to Princess Celestia immediately.”
Starry’s eyes widened. Oh no.
*
“They just left?”
Banewin’s deep voice held neither surprise nor joy. He looked down at the smaller gryphon who nodded frantically under his superior’s gaze.
“Yes, sire. They retrieved their fallen and left the city.”
The battlements were crowded with warriors armed an array of dangerous looking weapons, who now shared glances of relief, and some of confusion. Stories had been quick to circulate amongst the warriors, and the biped’s already immense power needed no exaggerating to inspire fear in the hearts of even the strongest warriors. Banewin resided in the midst of the defending force, his own fearsome blade grasped in his claw. There was no way he would shirk his duty to defend his own city, even if it was against a seemingly invincible enemy.
“Did they leave anything behind?” he asked.
The scout, Alwin, appeared to think for a moment before answering. “No, sire. I cannot recall the creatures leaving anything.”
“Very well.” Banewin turned away from him, pointing a talon at two nearby warriors. “Take these two and search the streets where the beasts have passed. Make sure they left nothing behind.”
“Of course, sire.” Alwin bowed before the large gryphon, then turned and waved his claw at the selected gryphons, gesturing them to follow. The trio took flight, Alwin leading the way, and they disappeared out of sight as they flew into the streets of the city below.
//Disposal
“Second squad is clear. We’ve recovered the body and encountered no resistance. En route to the Colmar as we speak.”
Bailey’s eyes did not leave his screen as the voice echoed its owner through the speakers. He tapped a key on the terminal before him and spoke. “Body?”
There was a moment of silence before the voice returned. “Yes sir. He was dead when we found him. The locals left him on the doorstep. No sign of his armour or weapons.”
Bailey frowned. He didn’t like the idea of leaving anything behind on the planet. The impact they’d already had would no doubt resonate through the culture of the aliens for years to come, there was no need to further aggravate the issue by leaving weapons and technology behind for the creatures to study. “How did he die?”
“I can’t be sure at the moment, but it looks like he got hit by something, and hard, too. His chest is heavily bruised and it looks like the ribs were crushed.”
“A weapon? Mace? Club?”
“Possible, but there’s no distinctive marking.”
Bailey leaned back into his chair. Mysteries had become a familiarity to the man over the past few weeks. From the unknown of each jump as the fleet scrambled to hold itself together, to the unidentified enemy that sought the destruction of the USM, to planets full of mythological beasts and forces he could not comprehend. Finally, he addressed the man on the other end of the connection. “Thank you, Jenkins.”
“ETA twenty minutes, sir. Jenkins out.” A short, sharp tone announced the connection’s severing.
Bailey leaned over the terminal, tapping several keys. “Roger? Is the Yamato clear?”
Another voice, this one belonging to a man much younger than the last, sounded out from the terminal’s speakers. “All ground teams are away. The area is clear.”
“Good. You know what to do.”
“Yes sir.”
The tone repeated itself, not long before the Colmar’s PA system sputtered to life. “Attention all crew members. Main batteries are online. Prepare for discharge.”
The planet almost seemed to glow in the darkness of space as Bailey looked out through the bridge’s observation window. The clouds swirled across its surface, and bright green landmasses rose up out of brilliant blue oceans.
“Discharge in three... two...”
It was just like Earth. Bailey smiled. Just like home.
“...one... firing.”
The ship rumbled, and there was a bright flash from somewhere below the observation window. A streak of flame appeared in the planet’s atmosphere marking a trail that lead down toward the surface.
To anything unlucky enough to be caught in the Yamato at the time, the resulting chaos would be reminiscent of divine intervention, perhaps against the invading monsters from the skies above, or directed as a warning toward the populous for angering their gods.
To Bailey, it was just tying up loose ends.
*
The sky itself seemed to scream as the streak of fire hurtled toward the ground, trailing black smoke in its wake. Under a layer of fresh snow the looming black mass of the Yamato rose out of the ground like a plateau of scorched rock, sitting right in the path of the falling star. In mere moments, the flames crossed vast distances and struck down directly on top of the metal giant. The resulting explosion was like none seen in Equestrian history, shining bright enough to blind the naked eye, and hot enough to incinerate those who were unfortunate enough to be too close. The shockwaves would be felt for miles away.
Words cannot express how sorry I am about leaving this for so long. I have my reasons, but its nothing overly important so I'm not going to bore you with them.
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