//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: Assault // Story: Halo: Mane team // by NocturnalEagle //------------------------------// HALO: MANE TEAM <> Chapter 7: Assault Not long after the initial howls, Rarity, carrying an injured Fluttershy, scooted into the shack. The howls grew and magnified in intensity. Even in the middle of a god-forsaken desert and in my full body armor, I felt a chill creep up my spine as the hulking giants lumbered into view. "Celestia... Mutants..." Applejack murmured as the wolves snorted fire, setting some of the old wooden buildings ablaze. If was funny, because the wolves themselves were made of wood... A giant crack snapped me out of my reverie. One wolf keeled over, dead. Fifty-cal, straight through its head. The rest turned and looked warily around. "Twilight, who fired?" I asked, but I already kind of knew her answer. "Not us. My radar is detecting movement along the outer rim of the town." She pointed in a direction, and I could see a pillar of smoke. "May be allies. Let's find out?" Rarity suggested. Thinking quickly, I weighed the risks. "We'll need to get past those wolves. Safely. Only Twilight and me." I took out the sniper rifle. ~~~~~ We skirted the edges of the central square, out of sight in the shadows. Occasionally, a wolf would approach and get quickly sidetracked by a hastily thrown stone. Eventually, we reached the smoke column. Hiding in a small ditch, we surveyed the area. A UPSC troop transport lay on its side, armor doused with flames. I could barely make out the burnt and charred bodies of Marines, lying to one side. I turned and talked to Twilight. "I'm gonna go out there. Stay back and cover me. Okay?" She nodded and took out her assault rifle. Cautiously, I moved into the open and approached the truck. Reaching the door, I knelt and placed my hooves on it. I looked back and saw Twilight biting her lip in concentration and nodding madly away. I pushed my ears to the door, ignoring the flames licking at my helmet. I could hear sounds of bodies moving inside. Then, a resounding gong as the door shuddered. I tapped on the door. Immediately, it fell silent. Too silent. I was about to get up and leave when I heard small tapping noise. Leaning back to the door, I could hear a pattern... . --- ./.---/---../../--- --- ---/...../..... R A D I O 5 5 Not understanding too well, I tuned to the 55th wavelength and immediately heard voices. "Hello? Anypony out there? We're trapped in the truck. Please respond." And the message repeats. "I'm here. Outside the doors." I quickly replied, motioning for Twilight to get to my side. She clambered out of the ditch and raced to me. I motioned for her to tune to wavelength 55. "Thank goodness! Please, get us out of here. The door is stuck from the inside and we have wounded." The voice answered. "Alright. Hang on in there." I turned to Twilight. "How are we going to get them out?" "That's an assault troop transport. The doors are built to withstand a blast, yet still get easily kicked open in event of a crash. I'm guessing bucking it could work." She answered. "Okay. Um... I need you guys to move to the sides of the transport. It's gonna get ugly." I reported over the radio and heard quick scrambling inside. "Done. Ready when you are." The voice inside told me. Me and Twilight turned around and raised our legs up high, powered by our hind muscles and the acceleration provided by the suit. The doors buckled and twisted, but held securely. "Again." I said. We raised our legs and slammed down on the doors. The doors twisted even more and I could peer into the truck. I saw the Marines crouching in the corner of the truck and gave them a hooves-up. "One more time!" We raised again and slammed the door. It finally gave way and flew inwards. Smoke and dust filtered out of the interior. Clambering inside, I tapped somepony on his shoulder and grabbed him, bringing him outside. We repeated the process until we pulled out the ten ponies stuck inside. I clambered back inside to retrieve some weapons. "Uh Lance? Could you come out here?" I heard the uncertainty in Twilight's voice and reversed out of the transport, carrying ten assault rifles, along with my sniper rifle. I emerged out of the transport and squinted in the bright light of Celestia's sun. "No, wait. Celestia is gone..." I mumbled as I blinked quickly to accustom to it. When my sight returned, I immediately turned my focus to her problems. The Marines were all pointing their assault rifles at us. I watched Twilight quickly drop all her weapons. I kept my hold on my arsenal. "Lance... Drop them..." Twilight kicked my back leg. "Yeah. D..D...Drop them." The one obviously in charge pointed at me, shaking a bit. I sighed heavily and let the weapons clatter to the floor. "W...Who are you?" "Look, there's no time, Staff Sergeant...?" I quipped. "Whooves." "Nice to meet you, Whooves. Now, there is a pack of crazy timberwolf mutants roaming this town. We have to get out of here. Can that truck drive?" I guestured to the burning carrier. "I guess, but it is an oven in there if you don't put out the flames first." "Lance, that will have to wait. Our piority one injured is in danger!" Twilight reached for her ear Com. I looked to the skies and saw Rainbow with her assualt rifle, flying around. A sudden burst of flame catches her, setting her armor ablaze. "This one's hard." That was all she muttered before falling out of the sky. "RAINBOW!" Twilight shouted, charging away. "So, will you help us?" I turned back to Whooves. "Wha... Yeah, of course!" He turns to his little squad and starts to issue orders. ~~~~~ Turning a tight corner, I lobbed a frag grenade right down the throat of the approachng firewolf, taking genuine pleasure in the firewood produced. I turned and galloped back into the 'safe' house. I waved to make sure the three snipers and Rarity up top wouldn't blow my brains out accidentally. The door was guarded by Applejack and two machine gunners from Whooves team. She was busy juggling several grenades, to the amusement of the other two. Inching by slowly, I finally entered the 'War' room. Whooves and Twilight were conversing over a holo map, one of the few pieces of equipment that survived the crash. In the back, Rainbow lay, sprawled across the floor next to Fluttershy, forming an impromptu medical bay.. Both their armor was stacked within the Armoured Vehicle, which we somehow managed to wedge in through a hole in the wall. “Yes, Lance?” Twilight jerked me out of my reverie. “Reporting one kill, instinct tells me more inbound.” I stood there, stiffly watching the two for reactions. “Great. That’s one less mutant to worry about. Although the sudden increase of heat in this area has attracted the attention of the Covenant. We have several Ghosts approaching. If we head out now, there’s a slim chance that we’ll get away. Break that, and we’ll be sitting ducks.” “How ‘bout we wait? The covenant can slug it out with the mutants, thereby reducing both numbers. Then, when they are weak, we can roll out and head for Appleloosa.” Applejack shouted from the doorway. Twilight contemplated the suggestion, sat back, and nodded. “Seems legit.” ~~~~~ I watched from afar, the battalion of Ghosts fighting against the mutants. Plasma bolts served no purpose other than to piss the monsters off. Those mutants simply waddled up to the vehicles and flipped the occupant out of his seat, or fried them where they stood with fire. For every three Ghosts destroyed, however, the Covenant brought down one mutant. Soon the field was littered with hissing bits of machinery and sparkling wood. Of the original thirty Ghosts, perhaps five survived. The mutants were completely wiped out. “Snipers, train, 320 degrees north, wind speed five, height, ten meters below. Pick your targets.” One by one, the five ghosts were highlighted and designated to me, Rarity and the three other snipers. “Take your shots.” In unison, five shots rang out, each taking its target through the head. Reloading quickly, I headed down stairs. "Twilight, the area is clear. We have to move, now." Nodding, she begins to issue orders to move the wounded into the deepest part of the Carrier first. Then she and Whooves will drive, leaving Rarity and me on top, keeping an eye out, while Applejack and the five Marines stood close to the back hatch. The Armoured transport quickly was filled, and the poor suspension creaked in protest of the serious overload. "Let’s head out!" Rarity motioned to Whooves, who gunned the engine. The Carrier moved forward almost imperceptibly at first, and then it accelerated, bringing the lumbering beast into the open. The Carrier soon left Dodge junction behind in its dust trail. I spent most of the five hour drive trying to help care for the wounded Marines and the rest on overwatch on the roof. At around the fourth hour, my eyes stung and drooped from watching millions of particles of sand pelt my scope. ~~~~~ “Lance. Are you okay out there?” Twilight asked through Team Com. For the past four hours, she had watched him perform various medical procedures and tending to the patients non-stop. “Hello? Lance?” All that greeted her was the soft sound of someone snoring lightly. Twilight smiled ruefully. “Seems like he’s overworked himself again.” She said to Whooves. “Be thankful that you’ve got him. I’d wish for him to be on my squad. It would be so awesome...” Whooves keeps his eyes glued to the dusty terrain ahead. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. He is a mighty fine stallion. A bit brash at times, but a good, strong friend nonetheless. He’s... Nice.” Twilight leaned back into her chair. “What’s that? Is that a little bit of love I hear?” Whooves teased. Twilight blushed a furious red. “That’s not true. You take that back right now!” “Oh really? Twilight’s in love, Twilight’s in love!” Whooves used a singsong voice. Twilight invented a darker shade of red to blush, and was opening her mouth to retaliate, when several bullets perforated the windscreen in front of her. "What? Where did those come from?" Was all Twilight managed to get out before a plasma burst caught her straight in the head. Blood splattered all over Whooves, who instinctively called for full military power. ~~~~~ I don’t know about you, but a sudden increase of speed that slams your back into a turret is guaranteed to wake me up. “Ow. What in the hoof is going on?” I barely managed to steady myself on all fours when the Carrier crested a hill and caused me to lose my balance again. “Jeez, Whooves. Careful.” I crawled to the hatch and swung myself down into the interior. The wounded were all okay, and the others holding on for dear life. So what the hell is going on? I opened the small hatch between the bay and the driver’s seat and looked through. Firstly, Bullet holes in the windscreen. Secondly, Whooves is as white as a sheet, and sported new, red splatters everywhere. Putting two and two together, I tensed and looked at Twilight. The purple unicorn mare was facing away from me, and from this angle, with her cheek pressed against the chair, she almost looked... serene. I slowly pulled her shoulder back and around to see the other side of her face. “Mother of god...” ~~~~~ “Whooves! How much further? I don’t think I can keep this rejuvenation spell up for very much longer!” I kept my hooves planted tight on Twilight’s shoulders and constantly channelled magic onto her face. “It’s in sight! Hold on!” Whooves gunned the engine and sped across the rocky terrain. Twilight stirred, and for a moment, I could actually pretend she was alive. In fact, she was neither alive nor dead, just, somewhere in-between. I cradled the limp body in my grasp. “I’ve already lost one; please don’t make me lose another.” I whispered to the comatose Twilight. ~~~~~ The Armoured Carrier drove straight into the unloading bay, just because it was the closest to the medical bay. I watched, tired out of my wits, as they wheeled Twilight’s body away. I followed, walking with half-drunken like steps. “Ho there, you ain’t in any state of health to be walking at all.” Applejack’s rope curled around my leg and sent me sprawling. “I’m perfectly fine. Just... Tired.” I yawned, against my better instincts. “Uh-huh? Well, you just lie here; I’ll go get the quartermaster to sort us up with a bunk.” She untied the rope around my legs. “Okay, thanks.” I nodded and smiled. Did she really believe me? Evidently, cause she left with a furtive glance back at me. Rarity followed, making noise about how I was “So inelegant, just lying on the floor.” Fat chance, my friends. I clambered off the ground and left the bay. Now, I just needed to get... there... ~~~~~ Applejack returned with a forklift and looked at the small crack where Lance once lay. "That boy. Always getting into trouble." She shook her head and frowned. "How can you be so composed? We've got a tired STALLION-2 on the loose and he may be cranky." Rarity suggested. "Oh, no. He won't. There's only one thing on his mind now." Applejack replied softly. "Oh yeah? What's that?" Applejack pointed towards a sign with an obvious dent in in. The sign read: "Medical bay." "He's looking for Twilight." ~~~~~ When did all these corridors get so narrow and long? I wandered on, stumbling now and then. Sometimes, when I run into some personnel, they would turn around and go back the way they came. Was I really that scary? Nevertheless, after quite some time and damage to the walls of the base, I finally reached the medical bay. Pushing open the door, immediately, all eyes were on me. Ignoring those eyes, I made a beeline for the bed that contained Twilight. They had set up a medical healing field around her, so I knew batter that to go and touch it. I just pulled a chair over, and lay down on it, next to her. Nopony stopped me. In fact, some did come to offer condolences, or offer to get me some food or drink. I just ignored them, watching Twilight intently instead. Eventually, it must have been late at night; the room began to empty out, instead being filled with a skeleton crew. Whooves dropped by and we traded jokes and laments until he had to go. I just sat there. Willing for Twilight to wake up. I guess I must have fallen asleep at some point, cause I woke up later, my motor functions at minimal. I felt... drained. I don’t think a 15 minute nap is good enough to revive me after two days out in the field. I also found myself lying on Twilight’s bed, head facing her. I heard more than saw the entourage approaching. The doctors whispered quickly and fluidly. The floor shook ever so slightly. A loud voice demanded: “How is she?” “If you mean Twilight, She’s that one over there, in the purple armour. Extensive bone destruction, Loss of sight, maybe magic as well. Facial features may be deformed after this.” The doctors answered. “I see. What about the other one?” “The one in black armour has yet to reveal his face, but a preliminary examination suggests he is suffering from magical burnout.” I heard the curtains being drawn, and slowly turned my head to face the stallion asking the questions. His eyes were a moderate cerulean, matching his mane. He was dressed in an officer’s uniform, sporting three stars on the epaulette. His cutie mark... Was a blue shield with a pink-purple six pointed star in the middle, and it also has three light blue stars above the shield. “Twilie.” He muttered as I fell asleep again. <>