Smoke. Blood. Gas. Guns. Bombs. Trenches. Gray-Black Sky. Really 'bad-looking' words to most of ponies. Actually, 'most' is bad word too. In this forsaken universe, there is only war, and to everypony this landscape was absolutly normal. Turnurn IV was like any other Imperial outpost in this side of the galaxy. Bunch of cities, bunch of factories, some ponies, few rivers and forests. Nothing special at all.
The 29th Equestrian Regiment sent to deal with another tottaly normal invasion. Couple of Guardsponies Squad was deployed on battlefield by Vendetta's and Chimera's. General knew that this task is hard. She still remember this order, and it isn't looking good. Protecting Equestrian Empire always is a challenge, but this time she know that she can actually die. On this boring, not special planet. She will be soon forsaken, because in this universe every minute die so many soldiers and officers, that her death will not make any difference.
She ordered to prepare trenches and sandbags to make defensive line. Guardsponies digged ditches to stop the enemy vehicles in place. Heavy Weapon Squad with AP rocket launcher was setting up, while two Leman Russ battle tanks was slowly making way to better fire position. Colonel Hovard looked through his binoculars, searching for any enemy
activity. Three late Chimera's finally arrived, bringing two more squads of Guardsponies and Veteran Squad with Commissar Toth.
"Empress... please give us protection" - she whispered silently. Soldiers shook, and she really wanted to believe, that it's because of the cold, and not the incoming horde.
Actually, it was not Colonel Hovard who first spotted the enemy. Furthermore, they detected incoming wave not by eye, but by ears. Uneven terrein blocked their line of sight but still they heard the drums. Trumpets. Saxophones. Cymbals. That were the sounds of Imperium of Ponies most terrifying enemy.
"Steady, give them some time to charge at us, and then unleash entire arsenal." - she yelled - "Hold the line, and praise the Empress! For Equestria!"
Her battle cry was actually succesful. Ponies stood proud, ready for the incoming assault. Guardians of Imperium cheered loudly, praising the Goddess Empress and the Golden Pillow. General hope in winning this battle was restored.
Suddenly, first of enemies appeared. It was... a massive, muscular creature. Ridiculously big armor was covering entire body. Creature had two power hooves, mighty weapons that could easly penetrate any armor. The most interesting and visible thing was colour. Entire armor, fists, and skin were pink. There were some light blue and green lines running through entire plate, but still, pink was the most eye-catching.
- "Pinkskins'' - she said it almost like a curse - "Brace yourself Guardsponies of Equestria! Party Orkz are coming!"
And it was best moment, for enemy Partyboss to start battle cry. Battle cry, that could end peace for entire planet. Battle cry that could leads thousands, no, millions of party seekers into unstoppable rampage.
- "FUUUUUUUN!!!"
- "Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!" - Party Orkz answered immediately. Then, entire horde charged across battlefield, looking for victims...
Their meeting took place in Twilight's library. All six friends gathered together, to help each other in upcoming Tournement. Applejack and Pinkie Pie were staring at each other with focus, they were playing 1750 Points Battle Equestrian Guard vs Party Orkz. Twilight Sparkle has been reading ,,Ultimate Guide for WH40k Commanders''. Codex for her army lay just near her. Fluttershy and Rarity were busy painting miniatures, while Rainbow Dash was looking at battlefield/wooden table from above, probably guessing who will win.
Squad deployment was quite obvious for such armies. Equestrian Guard drew their fire lines at edge of board, while Party Orkz were set up by Pinkie to make their charge faster. Applejack miniatures were covered in a color scheme of legendary 29th Equestrian Regiment. Dark-green and some black made them look like veterans of hundeds batle. Party Orkz for comparison, were painted purely pink. Of course, there were some details with red, blue and green, but from distance they were invisible. In total, it made them look like... pink ones. Only vehicle were painted differently. For comparison, they were absolutly red.
Applejack had in total Company Command Squad, Platoon Command Squad, four Infantry Squads with flamethrowers and plasma guns, Heavy Weapon Squad with Apple-Powered rocket launcher and two heavy bolters, Veteran Squad led by Commisar with meltaguns and one auto-cannon. There were also two Leman Russ battle tanks, but without any upgrade and three Chimera's transports.
Pinkie Pie had powerful Partyboss and bunch of Partysipentz. 'Bunch' actually was incredible bad word. She had 110 miniatures of this crazy party-bearers. Pinkie also had some Party-Trukkz, which she could use to transport units faster. Orkz had axes, power hooves, party cannons, cake bombs ( or bombz : Orkz Codex say so ), FUUUUN! banner's, instruments, and guns.
"Good luck Applejack. If i would choose now, i will bet you" - Rainbow said with a smirk - "I mean in painting, of course."
"Ya, thank you Dash''. - answered farm-pony - "But i'm looking for victory not only in this."
"Hey, my Orkz are not such bad! Pink is the most funny colour, why would i paint in another? You deserve good colour Party Boss, aren't you?'' - Pinkie Pie told grabbing her HQ.
"According to lore and Codex, green would be a better colour'' - said Twilight not even stopping with reading her guide.
"Oh, leave it now! I want to see awesome battle! Give me a minute, i'll bring popcorn" - said Dash, and then she bolted from the room."
Applejack looked at her troops again, and then she said slowly with caution.
"So... for the good start, i order my squads to..."
- "...First Rank, FIRE! Second Rank, FIRE!" - cried General to her soldiers.
All Guardsponies fired with all they had. Lasguns, firelaunchers, melta guns, some plasma guns...
Pinkie Pie took sixteen miniatures from the back of her massive strike force.
- "Hey, shoudn't you took unit's from front? And why the heck you didn't take this big one with power hoof? He ran first, so he should died first!" - said Applejack.
- "Silly filly, don't you see? This guardsponies..." - she pointed - "... have shot this way..." - she pointed - "...and then lasers didn't hit this one's, because they were too fast, but the Orkz on back who didn't see this coming, got hit."
- "Pinkie, it doesn't make any sense."
- "According to 23th Rulebook, player who gets his troops wounded can allocate wounds as he or she wants, no 'Look Out, Sir!' rule.'' - said Twilight, still reading her book - "Ponies Workshop abandon it, no player wanted to use this. It was hard to determine which minitures got hit. Someponies use this quite old rule, but i don't expect this on tournement."
- "Still, it's stupid." - answered Applejack.
- "Don't worry Applejack, you haven't rolled for your AP launcher yet!" - cheered Rainbow Dash - "I bet that minimum 10 figures will go down."
- "Ok then, could you give me scatter dice and template? Thanks." - said farm-pony when she received tools. She made some calculation and then Applejack threw hoofful of dices.
"AP! Shoot this way!" - she made another order pointing incoming horde. She looked how guardspony slowly exceled and then he pulled a trigger.
Powerful Apple Rocket made a way thought the air. She was thinking that rocket will hit a group of Orkz, but it hit Party Trukk instead. There was a big explosion, and a lot of enemy's were wounded because of it.
"Wow, this was awesome. One Party Trukk and fourteen Partysipentz in total. Really lucky one." - said Rainbow
"Yea, i think too. Still, Pinkie's horde will overwhelm me if I allow them to get my troops in close combat."
,,My poor Party Trukk!'' - Pinkie Pie told with reprouch, while she was taking miniatures from board. - "It carried my biggest cake! With rich creamy goodness of the marzipan, combined with the tart tanginess of the mascarpone. It carried bombs too, but still!"
"Ok, my last rolles. Leman Russ tanks, go." - said Applejack throwing dices.
"Ghah, i don't see anything, sir! Too much smoke!" - cried one of the crew member.
"By the Golden Pillow, just shoot forward!'' - ordered commander - "There is a big pink mass, just ahead of us. Fire!"
A few minitures were destroyed, and Pinkie put them off table.
"Oki doki, now it's my turn!" - said pink pony with enthusiasm - "My Partyzipantz..."
"Um... Boss!? We'z gettin' shott up!" - Ork cried with confusion.
Partyboss looked on him with dissapointment - "Ain't you da master of da obvious!"
They hided in trench, because they got pinned by suppresy fire from heavy weapons and weak guardsponies. Luckily, trench was deep enough to hide them from enemy fire. Still, projectiles were cutting air just above their heads. Now, it was time for da Orkz Tactic.
"Mista Piebrain! Status reporta!"
"Piebrain iz all over 'ere! - said Kommando Sneaky Sneak - Se iz dere, dere and dere! And hiz brain is dere!
"Huh"
Partyboss became confused. He started to think. He really tried, and in a moment, or rather ten seconds, he know what to do.
"Dat means, diz punnies need to be hugga, stompa and dakka! Where is da party shoota!?"
"No party shoota, boss!"
"What?!"
"No party shoota! Dat means we 'an't dakka dakka dem!
Another point of plan was destroyed. Partyboss had thought for another ten seconds.
Leader of the FUUUUN! turn his sight to one of the Party Trukk.
"Move ya yur wrekk and destroy dis punnies!" - he ordered, then he immediately took cover. Shot from Leman Russ Battle Cannon just barely missed him.
"Right 'em boss! Dis iz gonna be fun!" - answered driver. Then, Party Trukk moved with incredibly speed, ignoring incoming fire from enemy weapons. Few seconds later, vehicle rammed entire Guardsponies squad. In the same moment, Partyzipantz got out of Trukk...
Applejack gave Pinkie suspecting glare.
"How'd your vehicle could drive so fast? You cannot in one turn cross half of the board!"
"Of course I can!" - said Pinkie with smile - "This Trukk is painted red, so it's move faster!"
"How red colour can make such a wreck faster?"
"Orkz Technology, making impossible possible by impossible."
"So, why you didn't paint entire army red?" - Applejack asked confused.
"Because Orkz believe that red makes vehicle faster, pink stronger, and FUUUN!, funnier!" - Pink pony answered with joy.
"Green Pinkie Pie, not pink. Still, i'm suprised that colours are so important in Orkz army." - said Twilight, now carefully observing entire battlefield.
"Oh come on! I still have a plenty rolls to make." - Pinkie cut conservation and then rolled another hoofful of dices.
"Get 'em, guyz! WAAA... i mean FUUUUUN!!!" - cried anonymous Partyzipant.
Group of Orkz from Trukk immediatly charged a squad of ponies with a fancy looking leader with even fancier looking pistol. Commisar took aim his weapon and then, after pulling trigger he vanished in a blue explosion.
Applejack was hardly keeping her fury at bay. She made a rolles for Overwatch before Partyzipantz horde charge and then...
Ten yellows dices and one red laid on table. This red one had 1 result. With a commisar death, Orkz easly destroyed her Veteran Squad.
"It's some kind of fatum. Everytime i give my leader plasma weapon, he just blow up himself!" - she yelled with frustration.
"Yea, i think it's some sort of rule of entire universe. Your leader always die in stupid way. Like Twilight HQ deep striking off board." - Rainbow said from above.
"Talking about rules of universe, i feel that this scatter dice is cursed. I have never had a moment, when shot scattered in a better way, it always hits nothing or rather your troops." - told Twilight putting guide on bookshelf.
"I think you are right Twi" - said Applejack - "My Leman Russ tanks are missing hard too".
"Actually, i just got a genious idea! We will make this battle bigger. Rainbow, you will join Applejack forces, and i will help Pinkie. 1250 more points for each of us. It will make 3000 points battle.
"Due to awesomeness of this idea..." - Dash said, while she was putting shades - "...i approve!"
"Me too! It will make things funnier! And more guys mean that my Partyboss can power hug more!"
"Hmm... I think that power hugging with this power hooves could end... deadly." - told farm pony glaring at pink pony's HQ.
"Okay then, according to Rulebook we must roll to check who will go first, after we joined battle." - said Twilight grabbing dice. - "Who will roll more, deploy first!"
Rainbow Dash grabbed dice too, and then they made rolls. 5 for Rainbow and 3 for Twilight.
"Yea, I won as always!" - she said with triumph - "Now, give me a moment, i will get ready my troops."
Then, Dash grabbed blue-painted chest and took it near the table. When she opened it, big smile appeared on her face. She had started pulling out her miniatures, and after minute she was done. Later, she scanned battlefield with caution.
"Okay then, let's do it!" - she told, while picking her favourite Drop Pod from her army.
"Deep Striking"
To be Continued.
Only in death does duty end.