//------------------------------// // Generals and Chieftains // Story: War of the Fallen Race // by PegasusKlondike //------------------------------// Colonel Winter's office was typical of a man of his position. A hardwood desk dominating the center of the room, bookshelves lining the back and a large window overlooking much of the base. Various trinkets interspersed the rather serious documents orderly piled on the shelves. Bullet shells, antique weaponry, a Marine Corp dress sword and various photographs from every theater of war the colonel had survived through stood as monuments to a once great soldier. Normally the days would be doldrum and insufferably so. Approve quartermaster requisition forms, put them in the "out" pile. Section B barracks having a rodent problem, arrange for an exterminator to come in. Some cadets go AWOL and rape a townie, have each one publicly flogged. The normal things that made executive life boring. But these were times like no other, and his secretary came in and out nearly every minute with combat order forms. Actual combat forms! But now his secretary had something different. And entering the room as he did, the colonel decided it must be horrendously good news. Lieutenant McGoff snapped a salute. "Colonel sir." Winters looked up from his current form. "Go ahead lieutenant." "We've managed to reestablish landline communications with Washington. Secretary Sterlace is on line 1 now." "Best news we've had all day, dismissed lieutenant." Truly the best news he'd had for the past few weeks, since this whole crisis had started. Picking up his office phone, Colonel Winters addressed the man who could make or break his career with a single phone call, the Secretary of Defense. "Winters speaking." "About damn time Winters, its been a mess out there." The Secretary's heavy Texan accent and most likely low IQ made this almost painful for Colonel Winters. "I know sir, but we are handling the situation as best as we can without direction from Washington or support from the other military establishments." "As best as you can? You're doing better than most other bases combined! How many casualties have you taken against the enemy?" "Honestly sir we have not lost more than a dozen of our soldiers and none of our civilian scientists have been injured or killed. As an official report, our sector is 88% clean now of any aggressors." "Can't say the same for us, but this ain't some bullshit call about how good your troops are at hunting Che Guerva's freedom ponies. Has Lazarus been compromised?" Winters winced, the Secretary was still bad at analogies, probably took after Bush too much. "No sir, the facility is completely intact and less than a month from being functional. Project Lazarus will be completed as planned." "Good...good." Colonel Winters could feel the man on the other end of the line relax. Obviously not a man to be underestimated. "Sir, I do have another issue to report. Some of our scientists managed to engineer an energy detector to be more accurate for hunting our adversaries. It's more specialized and sensitive than the regular infrared for our patrols and reconnaissance missions. Attach one unit to a helicopter and the enemy stands no chance. That's our secret for success." "You just seem to be full of surprises today Winters. Why don't you cut the Colonel crap and find yourself some Brigadier General's stars to put on those fatigues you like so damn much." "Thank you Secretary Sterlace, can't say I deserve such a title though." "The project cannot be compromised Winters. One little mistake and you're on latrine duty in the Arctic Circle for the rest of your miserable career. And one last thing, try catching some live, if they can talk maybe they know something. Or did you not think of that?" "Of course, sir." And with that, the Secretary of Defense cut off from his end. "I really do hate that man," Winters muttered to himself. ******************************************* It was an unspoken consensus in his herd, being the smartest pony and the best warrior, Cloud Hoof was the leader of the new tribe. The roan red wasn't much in the way of strength, but he was the fastest pony of any of the raiders and foragers in the herd. His cutie mark was a pair of wings, not much use to an earthbound pony, but he ran fast enough to where his friends found it hard to believe he didn't achieve liftoff. In truth, he longed for the skies, the freedom of the endless sea of blue. To soar among the clouds, that was his dream even before the change had occurred. When the change had happened, Cloud Hoof rallied his brethren to escape the tyranny and lifelessness of the torturous place known as "Double Q Ranch". He still cringed at the thought of the whip and the brand and the endless torture of repetition. Sure, he had lost a few good ponies in the several weeks of their freedom, but he and his tribe had managed to avoid the flying machines of the humans that had claimed so many others. Entering his herd's crude village in the clearing of the forest, he took pride in their hoofwork. It may have been little more than a collection of crude lean-toes and some shoddy huts, but it was the first structures ever built by ponies. His train of thought was broken by the call of the pony he wanted to see the absolute most right now. "Cloud Hoof!" called out a mint green mare. "Starshine!" Cloud shouted to the beautiful mare. The two ponies ran to each other and nuzzled. Starshine hugged her mate with her forelegs. "How did the scavenging go Cloud? Did you find any tools or other supplies?" Cloud nodded and pulled a bundle off of his back. "We found an abandoned human home that should be a treasure trove. I packed as many supplies as I could carry in my saddlebags and so did everypony else, but we didn't even scratch the surface." Starshine gave the stallion another nuzzle. "How wonderful! Anyways, I have a surprise for you." "Oh? What could you have that could surprise me my dear?" Starshine began to blush a little, tiptoeing on her hooves with excitement. "Cloud, I'm pregnant!" The mere words brought on all of those fatherly feelings simultaneously, but standing high and mighty among them were joy and love for his wife. "I'm...I'm gonna be... a father? Me, a daddy? Starshine, I don't know what to say, other than I love you more than anything. Everypony! I'm gonna be a dad! I'M GONNA BE A DAD!" Cloud Hoof bounded around the village, screaming at the top of his lungs. "I'M GONNA BE A FATHER!" Everypony who heard took heart, for in dark times any kernel of good news is something to hold on to. But, around his fourth or fifth nonstop lap around the village, it did get a tad bit on everypony's nerves. That night, like every night, the ponies of the village held council in the center of the clearing. The main subject was the same as every previous night, the human threat. Being that all the other ponies looked up to him and trusted his leadership, Cloud Hoof spoke first. "My fellow ponies, there isn't a day that goes by that we do not live in fear. Each and every waking moment we spend trying to build our lives while avoiding our ever present and all powerful enemies, the humans. And, I must say without joy that we must flee again. Yesterday while out scavenging with my friends, we spotted a flier on the edge of our territory." Many ponies who had been refugees from other herds shook with fear, they knew the pain and death brought down by the hellfires of the metal fliers. They also knew the horrifying accuracy with which the human's fliers could pinpoint a pony, even in hiding. "If anypony wishes to say anything, now is your chance." An older beige mare with more gray in her mane than anything else stood. "I for one would like to congratulate Starshine and Cloud Hoof. Just because the devils are always on our tails doesn't mean we can't enjoy our lives and welcome any new ones into the world." Cloud nodded to her. "My wife and I thank you dearly. Is there anypony else?" The silence of the night was his only answer. "Very well, let's all get some sleep, we will move our village again tomorrow." Tears in her eyes, Starshine walked with her stallion to their tent. "Oh Cloud, I just want to be safe." "Me too Star, but we can't give up hope, something has been whispering to me, deep in my heart that things will be alright for us." ************************************************************ Ah, young love. Aspirations of men great and meek. A struggle for survival for ponies and glory for men. I personally think I'm getting better at this, now the chapters just start to flow. As usual, if you find anything you think is incorrect or could use a quick fix, or if you just feel like taking out some of your daily stress on a poor hobbyist writer, comment below.