The drive back to Ponyville was unexciting to say the least. The Lieutenant didn't wake from his forced sleep as the Humvee bounced along, the tank following close behind. Sooner or later, the vehicles would run out of fuel and then things would get real interesting. I couldn't help but wonder if Twilight knew a combustion spell that she could infuse into the vehicles.
I felt my mood drop as I thought of the purple unicorn. She was beyond upset with me when she had teleported away. Once I get the Phoenix guys settled, I'll go try to talk to her, I mentally promised myself. Coming upon the last hill before the village, I stopped at the bottom of it which caused the tank to stop as well.
Picking up the microphone, I clicked the send button before saying, “Phoenix 1-1, Sentinel Three.”
“This is Phoenix. Go Three.”
“1-1 Actual, I recommend that you dismount and leave the tank stationary while we go explain your appearance to my Sergeant, Over.”
There was a pause before, “Roger Three. 1-1 Actual dismounting. Out.”
I put the microphone back and waited for the Sergeant Major. It wasn't long before the tan jumpsuit clad tanker opened the passenger door and climbed into the Humvee. When the door was closed, I hit the gas and continued up the hill.
“Leaving it running?” I asked, as I could still hear the tank.
“He's thirsty enough as is. That off and on in the clearing sucked up most of his gas. Once he's off, he's staying off unless we somehow get fuel,” Brad explained as the Humvee crested the hill. When it did, I looked down at the village, the mead-hall the closest building. Outside of it stood Kilborn and Smiley in their green uniforms with armor and weapons. Standing next to them was Big Mac, the ever present hay stem sticking from his mouth.
Pulling up, I came to a stop, shut off the Humvee, and got out, the SM following. Upon seeing the tanker, Kilborn frowned.
“So that is a tank I hear,” Kilborn stated as I came to stand in front of the three males. About a second after, Brad appeared by my side. It was then that Kilborn saw his rank tab and nodded in respect, “Sergeant Major.”
“Sergeant,” Brad replied, “Please, just call me Brad when in a casual situation.”
“Kilborn,” Kilborn responded before motioning with his rifle to the hill we had come over, “and this is hardly a 'casual situation' Sergeant Major. Almost all the town is inside the mead-hall scared shitless about the thundering and the roaring.”
“Eeyup,” Big Mac threw in, looking over Brad.
“Sergeant,” I began, “I would like to report that the Sergeant Major's CO has been relieved of command for endangering the stable relationship between US Army personnel and the local population.”
“Sergeant Major?” Kilborn asked, looking at Brad with curiosity. Brad nodded,
“It's true, Sergeant. First Lieutenant Victor Perez has been relieved and subdued.”
Kilborn nodded before turning to look at me, “Where is he Corporal?”
“The trunk, Sergeant.”
“Why is he in the trunk, Corporal? He's still an officer.”
“Permission to speak freely?”
“Granted.”
“He pissed me off, Sergeant. Twilight-”
“You had Twilight with you? What the hell were you thinking?”
“I was thinking that wasting time arguing with her would be bad for Phoenix 1-1, Sergeant.”
“...Continue,” Kilborn said after a short pause.
“Twilight was greeting the Lieutenant when she finally realized what had just happened. She began to question our response to the violence and the Lieutenant made it worse but acting like he enjoyed it. That is why he is in the trunk.”
“I see,” Kilborn turned to Smiley, “Smiley, go retrieve the Corporal's baggage and take him inside.” He then turned to face Brad, “Sergeant Major? Please call your tank and have them pull up and power down. The sooner we can alleviate fears the better.”
When Brad nodded and turned to do so, Kilborn focused a now unreadable visage onto me, “I will be expecting a full debrief, Odom.”
“I'll be prepared to give it Sergeant.”
There was a brief silence as Smiley walked past us with the Lieutenant slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. A couple seconds after he had entered, Applejack came out. She flattened her ears as the roar of the tank sounded off. With the clacking of treads, I turned to see the vehicle come over the hill and start to slowly come towards the hall. It's barrel was aimed high as it came down.
I turned to look at Big Mac and AJ. Big Mac's hay straw had fallen from his mouth, his eyes widened. AJ was stepping back towards the doors, her eyes widened. I saw you mutter, “By Celestia.”
Looking back at the tank, I watched as it came to a stop next to the Humvee. Slowly, it's turret rotated to where it was facing backwards, the gun lowering as far as it can before the machine finally died. When the roar of the engine ceased, I watched as the hatches popped open and the remaining two crewmen crawled out.
“What in the hay is that?” I heard AJ ask. Turning to look back, I saw that Smiley was standing beside the door. Said door was open with many ponies staring wide-eyed at the tank and it's crewmembers.
“That,” started Brad, “is a M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank.”
“Obviously one of your machines,” Rarity stated in a patronizing voice as she walked out, “Rugged, brutish and ever so loud. I see that this one is remarkably bigger than your precious 'Athena'.”
Brad nodded, chuckling, “That it is. Corbulo, the tank, is designed for more dangerous jobs than the Humvee.”
“That doesn't explain the noise,” Rarity countered.
“The engine, the thing that runs it, is large, miss. It's going to be loud,” Brad replied. He was met with a 'humph' before Rarity turned and walked away. All the other ponies began to file out as well, casting cautious glances at the tank and it's crewmembers. The last ponies, for some reason, were the kids. Most of them trotted over to the tank, and the driver who was still sitting on the front of it.
“Let's head on in Sergeant Major, maybe we can get things sorted out,” Kilborn said before turning and walking inside with Smiley following.
I saw Brad nod before looking over at the tank, “Yo! Malinowski! You good?”
The driver, who had removed his helmet and allowed Apple Bloom to try it on, looked up with a smile on his face and nodded, “I'm good Sarge!”
“Alright!” Brad called back before walking inside, the other crewman following. I then followed them inside, shutting the doors as I did. Once the doors were shut, we had gathered around a table, AJ and Big Mac included for some reason.
“Why don't I start with our story, eh SM?” Kilborn asked. Brad motioned for him to go ahead. Nodding, Kilborn cleared his throat, “Well, we were on patrol...”
For the next hour or so, Kilborn had recounted the events leading to us being here and the events after. After he had done so, Brad talked of how he had gotten here. Apparently, their platoon was heading to a a new Forward Operating Base. In an area once thought secure, they were ambushed. The Lieutenant in a moment of clarity (his only moment according to the Sergeant Major) knew that he had to lose one tank or lose them all. He ordered the platoon to fall back while he had his own tank take the brunt of the ambush. That was when they ended up in the grassland with the insurgents around them.
“I see. Well, Sergeant Major, you are welcome to our 'camp'. We will have to find you some place to stay while we're here.”
Brad looked around and chuckled, “Just don't give us a bar, Sergeant.”
Kilborn chuckled as well, “Never SM. I didn't rea-”
There was a loud 'pop' accompanied by two flashes of light. One was a dark blue-ish light while the other was yellow. When the light faded, I turned to see four beings standing on the hall's stage. They all had looks of urgency, however the two winged beings had some anger in their visage as well.
“Princesses? What are y'all doing here?” AJ asked.
Instead of one of the Regal Sisters, it was Gomez who stopped forward. “Sarge? We got a problem.”
As Gomez finished his sentence, the doors burst open, the tank's driver rushing inside. I could see the kids standing around the door looking confused and worried.
“Sergeant Major!” the driver started, “The radio's squawking!”
“Other units?” Brad asked the driver. The driver nodded. “How many?”
“Judging by the callsigns...” he trailed off.
“Well?”
“Lots, SM.”
There was a moment of silence before I heard Kilborn ask, “What's the problem Gomez?”
I turned back to see Celestia step forward, her wings spread in an Alpha-esque manner.
“That is the problem,” she stated.