//------------------------------//
//  Chapter 1: Strange New World 
// Story: MLP: ODST - Hazardous Venture 
// by JO3 
//------------------------------//

	On a lonesome night in the recently recolonized Epsilon Eridani system, the UNSC Infinity had deployed the battleship Victory  on a standard ODST training mission, and a historic supply run. The Victory was nearing the planet Reach, which was still burning from that fateful day 7 years ago. The ship's crew was supposed to be practicing a gravity-augmented slip-space jump. If it worked, it would enable a jump into the atmosphere of other worlds. They neared, engines burning at 350% optimal power output. The Shaw‑Fujikawa drive sputtered to life, but started sparking, out of control, due to the gravity of the nearby dead planet. 2559 was going to be a hectic year for the Victory. They jumped.
The navigation computer shorted out, the crew was flying blind. They could do nothing but hope and wait now that they were in slip-space. The ship exited the eleven-dimensional space, only to have the crew find that they were above a planet similar to Earth. “Those continents don't seem to be industrialized, I don't think this is Earth,” a nervous ensign said.
“Such a jump has never been done before, I wouldn't be surprised if this isn't even the same galaxy,” said the captain.
“Sir, engines are offline, ETA on reactivation is two weeks,” the engineering officer said.
“Get some eyes groundside,” ordered the captain.
“No can do sir, hanger doors fused shut in the jump, ODST pods are free, though,” one of the scientists said.
“Understood, Richards, send them groundside. Set the LZ as the forest down below. If whoever is down there hasn't industrialized yet, better keep the Helljumpers where they can get some cover,” the captain said.
“Orders received, sending SLRP team. Once initial reports get back, we'll send the rest of the 105th,” ODST Sgt. Joe responded.

Joe walked down to the barracks. He turned to the ODSTs and said, “Squad leaders, on me.”
He turned and left, with the NCOs trailing behind. “We're going to head groundside, we'll need Specialized Long-Range Patrols down there first, so equip a few squads for recon. I'll also need the engineers to establish a Forward Operating Base for future SLRP teams.” The 7 NCOs arrived at the armory, and started grabbing everything imaginable: MA5Bs, frag grenades, belts of 7.62mm x 38mm, assault weapons, sniper rifles, HMGs, LMGs, SAWs, and rocket launchers. It started looking like the Human-Covenant war. Once the squads were ready, they went to the pod bays. “What about all those 20th - 21st century aircraft in the hanger?” one ODST, Moose, said.
“We were going to deliver those aircraft to the RAF and USAF joint-military museum in Olympus Mons. They were planning on having a reenactment of the First Martian War, so we armed them to the teeth. Doesn't look like we'll make it though,” said ODST Rick.
“Focus on the matter at hand,” Joe said, carrying a beast of a weapon, the M16A10. The M16A10, named after the Warthog, is a standard M16 that has been re-chambered to 30-06 SEAP2 (Semi-Explosive, Armor Piercing, Anti-Personnel), given a belt instead of a magazine, a case containing 9,000 rounds (worn like a rucksack, enough for 10min of continuous fire), a water coolant system (30lbs tank on top of the ammo case), a 40mm SEAL-variant M79 grenade launcher mounted under the barrel (4 rounds of 40mm grenades, pump-action), a toggle-able 10x - 20x variable zoom scope, and a lot of other gizmos mounted on the remaining rails of the weapon. Joe also grabbed a M1911, this, however, has nothing special about it. These were the weapons Joe had on the Martian front during the First Martian War.
The drop siren sounded, bringing everyone to maximum awareness. “Get ready, and get in your pods. One minute until drop,” Joe said. The now-armored ODSTs got into their drop-pods, the standard SOEIV (Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle), and gripped the two flight sticks. The yellow lights turned red.
The pods burst forth, descending from 350,000ft, letting gravity handle the acceleration for now. Twenty minutes later, the SOEIVs hit atmosphere, slowing them down. A few seconds later, Joe radioed, “Start controlled burn of rockets, stay on my course.” Joe had done this dozens of times, only those drops were in combat. The rockets roared to life, rapidly accelerating the pods, but sputtered out 10sec later. “Pop your 'chutes, arm the explosive bolts,” Joe, again, informed. Most of the squad had done this before, but there were a few FNGs on the team.
There was a loud crash, the pods had landed. Joe hit the explosive bolts. Once the door was blasted off, he burst out of his pod, rifle ready. “Clear. Helljumpers, sound off!” Joe barked.
“Green, okay.”
“Moose, doing fine”
“Bookworm, ready”
“Snafu, up”
“Kraut, frosty”
“Pizza, baked”
The squad was okay, but Joe remembered a recent transfer... “Rookie, you there?” Joe asked.
“Trapped,” came the response. Joe went to the pod were it came from. “Have you blown the bolts?” Joe asked.
“No, sir,” the Rookie replied.
“Hit 'em, they should be glowing RED, once they're GREEN, it'll blow that dumb look right off your face,” Joe responded. Shortly later, the pod burst open, the Rookie toppled over. Apparently he landed upside down. The squad chuckled. Joe grabbed the Rookies weapons that were latched in. He pulled an MA5C out, and saw a non-regulation insignia on one of the magazines.
“Soldier, what is this?” Joe asked the Rookie, making sure that the rest of the squad couldn't see the image on the side of the weapon. Joe didn't want his men annoyed toward one another in the field, but on-base was a different story. The Rookie said, “It looks like an MA5C, sir.”
“Don't be a smart-ass,” Joe replied.
“It is a 2D image of an apple, sir,” the Rookie replied, half-honestly. Joe leaned in toward the Rookie, and said, “I know the show. Don't worry, I am a Brony too... Come to think of it,” Joe stood up, “doesn't this forest look familiar to you?” He asked.
“Looks like the Everfree Forest to me, sir” the Rookie replied.