//------------------------------//
// The Labor Engine 
// Story: PonyHammer 40,000: Magic of War II | Redemption 
// by Dragon Heart 
//------------------------------//

	Before they would assault the Discord forces and Traytus on Cyrene, Spike had managed to pick up on something from the Space Hulk that seemed to be of interest.

"I have extracted another vox recording from the Harbinger of Damnation." said Spike. "It appears there is a cargo hold that may yield valuable assets."

Spike played the recording for them to hear.

*Containment Bay Octavius status notification.* the voice said, completely warped and distorted. *Initial Quarantine Designation: 3.5 centuries. Quarantine status: Completed. Cargo Designation: Security level Primarus. Value level Primarus. Power level Primarus. Docket: CONTENTS ERASED. Labor Engine for cargo relocation operational. ADVISE: External containment bay breach. Xenos presence confirmed. Relocate cargo immediately.*


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Helios, Applejack, and Pinkie returned to the Space Hulk, along with squads of Anti-Armor Devastators and Termineightors. It would be a very dangerous mission. Their initial scans of the interior of the Quarantine Hold indicated there were massive Paranids roaming around the area. They managed to find the source of the voice, which was the Labor Engine itself, but their work was only half done. Now they had to escort it to the cargo bay and protect it from the Paranids.

*Hostile Xenos infiltration detected.* the Engine said. *Defenses compromised.*

Paranid Generobbers bursted through a sealed door and attacked. Helios slashed them in halves while Applejack and Pinkie offered firing support. When the animals were killed, they and the engine moved on. They eventually reached a large four-way intersection, and the Labor Engine alerted them of more trouble.

*Hostile Xenos infiltration detected. Defenses compromised.*

The Labor Engine stopped dead in the center of the intersection. More Paranids swarmed upon them. One packed consisted of lesser beasts called Termagaunts, and their forelimbs were fused into a projectile weapon. Another pack was comprised of Hormagaunts, and they had scythe-like claws for ripping their prey apart. Applejack and Pinkie dealt with the Termagaunts, and Helios and the Termineightors fought the Hormagaunts. It took several minutes, but soon all the assaulting Paranids were slain.

*Hostiles purged. Operations recommencing.* the Engine said.

They continued on through the dark halls of the hulk, killing any Paranids that they encountered along the way. They soon reached the cargo bay. There were metal barrels all over the bay, and the floors were partially covered in blood. Helios and the others had reached their destination, but the Labor Engine alerted them again of another impending attack.

*Hostile Bioforms approaching.* the Engine said. *Prepare defenses and pray for deliverance.*

The Pony Marines quickly took their positions. Helios stood on top of the engine. The Termineightors stood around the engine in a defensive circle. Pinkie also got on top of the engine to gain high ground. Applejack and the Devastator Marines used the many barrels as cover against the incoming swarm.

*Inbound hostiles; attack imminent. They. Are. Here.*

The Blood Phoenixes readied their weapons and tightened their grips. They had to defend the Labor Engine long enough for it to deposit its load. Lesser Paranids began to crawl towards them from the darkness. The Termineightors fired their Assault Cannons and tore them to pieces. The small swarm died off easily, but then something big could be heard approaching them. From the darkness came not a Paranid, but a Harmonaught. Apparently Spike sent it in to give them an upper hoof against the xenos. But then a loud roar and screeches began to echo around them.

*Hostile Xenos infiltration detected. Defenses compromised.*

And the swarm arrived, consisting of many species of Paranids. From Hormagaunts to Generobbers, Brute Guards to Scorpnoxes. They were there, and they were coming in for the kill. The Devastators focused fire upon the more armored Paranids. Their Lascannons pierced the beasts' thick hides with deadly ease. The Termineightors opened fire upon the more vulnerable beasts. Their guns roared as they leveled their holy fury and thinned the Paranids' numbers.

The engine was nearly finished, and the Paranids were becoming less and less. Eventually, it seemed they stopped coming, but a Hive Alpha bursted through a sealed door and greeted them with a deafening roar.

"That monster... will die." said Helios.

Fortunately, the cargo bay had a fairly high ceiling. Helios took to the air and then slammed into the ground near the Alpha, pushing it back and making it lose its balance. Applejack shot plasma rounds at the beast, and Pinkie shot every single weak spot she could find. The other Pony Marines opened fire upon the large Paranid as well, and the Harmonaught went in to attack. The Hive Alpha fired its Venom Cannon at the Devastators, killing a few of them in slow succession. But soon, the Pony Marines dealt enough damage to it, and it fell to the floor and died in a pool of its own blood.