--TWO HOURS UNTIL LAUNCH--
The ponies in the prison yards spent the night smuggling weapons under the cover of the night, all of the ponies gathered inside the large shed, each carried high end weaponry stolen from the armory, Blue Thunder stood in front of the ponies,
"Here's whats going to happen, we have only a few minutes until the EDI realize whats going on so they will be coming and they WILL be coming in force, Drops and Tank will secure the armored vehicle and bring down the gate, the rest of us have to hold the line and give them that time, anypony having second thoughts?" Nopony moved, standing defiantly as one, then in the sound of the gate opening made the room fall silent, Blue Thunder nodded to Bon Bon and Tank who slipped out the back, as Bon Bon and Tank slipped through the hole in the wire they made it to the small motor pool attached to the guards quarters and to the six wheeled tank, as they entered Bon Bon stuck the key into the ignition and Tank pressed the button, nothing,
"What the hay!?" Tank said angrily, Bon Bon looking at the key, A763, popping out of the hatch she looked at the tanks serial number, A536, then she looked around
"This isn't the right tank," Bon Bon said,
"What do you mean the WRONG TANK?" Tank said, Bon Bon grabbing him by the scruff of the neck and pulling him out of the hatch,
"THAT'S our tank!" she said pointing at the tank with A763 printed on the side,Tank's face lit up when he saw that instead of a small water cannon on the front of the Tank like the one he had just tried to start this one had a large recoilless rifle strapped on the top, the two ponies ran to the tank and jumped in with the turn of the key and press of a button the tank roared to life, as it did gunfire could be heard from the prison yard, then a high powered rifle cracking through the sky from the tall tower overwatching the prison, Bon Bon aimed the large rifle at the tower, pressing the button she heard a charging noise,
"This is for my leg you sack of Sh-" Bon Bon was cut off when the high-powered cannon screamed across the sky crashing into the tower in a puff of smoke, when it had settled, the only thing left was the base around where the tower once stood, cheering could be heard from the prison,
"Lets go get our friends." Bon Bon said, Tank pressing the accelerator rolling forward, as they turned the corner of the motor pool the entrance was blocked by the Wonderbolts,
"Can we kill em?" Tank asked looking back at Bon Bon,
"Nah, lets embarrass them." she then pointed the cannon at the quarters where they lived, "Aim for the center tank."
"Aye Ma'am!" He slammed his hoof down the tank shot forward with incredible speed, when the shack came of distance, Bon Bon shot the Rifle right into the center causing the wall to explode, the tank smashed through the personal belongings of the Wonderbolts and crashed through the other side of the building leaving a destroyed shack and confused Wonderbolts behind them, after the small detour they made it to the gate, the Prisoners holding back the EDI riot forces, at the sight of the tank the soldiers retreated to the joy of the prisoners, Bon Bon jumped out of the tank, grabbed the winch of the front and hooked it to the fencing, with a signal Tank put his tank in reverse and tore the fencing right off it's hinges, the ponies inside the prison began to scramble out of the prison, Bon Bon noticed the Wonderbolts had retreated as well, entering the destroyed quarters she noticed her hat and poncho in a crushed locker of possessions of the prisoners, after some prying she forced it open placing on her winter apparel she overheard on a small radio, Rainbow Dash had retreated to gather the army to exterminate the prisoners that were escaping but making a specific kill order for Drops. Walking back to the tank she warned everypony about the incoming waves,
"They're going to be coming for me, if I split from the main group I can buy some time." Bon Bon said, Tank leaned out of the hatch,
"I'm staying with you, if this thing AND you can't buy some time, nothing will." Blue Thunder was about to stay as well but Bon Bon stopped him,
"They need a leader, take them to Ponyville, they will be safe, if we can't get them there safely this was all for nothing." At first he rejected but gave in realizing she was right,
"Good luck." He said rallying the ponies down the street, Tank poked Bon Bon on the shoulder,
"How long until they get here?"
"I'd say an hour, maybe less, we have to hold them back."
"That's for sure, I hear town square has choke points to where we can bottle neck them in, and if something happens the stores will make good cover."
"I always wanted to have a blaze of glory in my home town." Bon Bon said with a grin as the two rolled into town square,
--
Everypony in the Drops household was quiet as usual listening to the radio new update, The usual propaganda filled nonsense, then they noise was cut off by the sound of explosions and gunfire, everypony peeking outside saw a tower explode into a ball of fire and smoke, leaving nothing afterwards, the radio broadcast switching over
[THIS IS THE EDI NATIONAL ALERT SYSTEM, A UPRISING HAS OCCURRED AT PRISON 23 ALL RESIDENTS ARE ORDERED TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES, MARTIAL LAW IS IN EFFECT.] the message looped until Dudley snapped of the radio,
"Well ladies and gents the time to act is now!" Dudley said pressing a button causing the walls to rotate revealing a plethora of weapons, Dudley grabbing a lever action rifle from his days in the service, Ringo and Sifty loaded up with rifles and ammo, when ringo saw a weapon that made his beak drop, a large custom action single-shot rifle meant for taking out tanks, as he walked towards it Dudley stopped him,
"I wouldn't touch that." he said,
"Why not!?" Ringo begged like a child until Lemon Drops came skipping into the study, wearing an old safari outfit with a pith helmet, snagging up the rifle she slipped the large bullets into her pockets and saddlebag to the confused amusement of the group,
"What? I used to hunt Manticores in my day before they went all soft!" ringo's beak hung low, Dudley closing it for him with his hoof,
"I love my wife." he said with a smile walking over to her and giving her a kiss, he then walked over to Scully and Moka,
"I understand you two may not have any prior military training so if you want to lay low I will not feel offended. Moka shook her head,
"This is my city, I'm going with you!" she said snagging up a shotgun off the wall, Scully on impulse snatching up a small six shooter, "I go where she goes!" Dudley looked at the two,
"You sure?"
"Sure as ever."
"Then lets go!" The group opened the front door to the sight of prisoners running down the streets, others riding on stolen trucks, a Blue Pegasus leading them towards the outskirts of town. Dudley hailed the pony who flew over to them,
"I'd stay indoors if I were you," He warned,
"Sweetie Drops, where is she?" Dudley asked,
"She went into the town square to distract the main forces, if I were you I'd steer clear." the Pegasus flew back to the group leading them out of the city,
"Well, it looks like we're going into town." the group navigating the streets, the sight of multiple War-birds were on the horizon..
--
Fifty War-Birds swarmed Towards the city, some with Guardian Tanks in tow, others filled with soldiers, onboard one of the War-Birds Dash sat across from Screwloose and her gang of Mercs,
"You should've killed her when you had the chance." Screwloose said flatly,
"Good thing McTalk gave us the okay to do what YOU couldn't."
"and what's that?"
"Martial Law mean anything goes, collateral damage, casualties, oh the carnage!" Screwloose shivered in joy,
"You're insane.." Dash said Screwloose snapped to look Dash right in the eyes,
"I'M INSANE? ME? No no no YOU are the insane one! You think you can capture Drops, you think that some extravagant execution is going to bring some dead sucker back to life! If thats sane, I don't want to be." silence covered the cabin, the pilot spoke up,
"Ma'am, Drops is in the courtyard."
"Deploy the troops and surround the courtyard!" Dash ordered, slipping on her armor, she jumped out the back of the War-bird, Screwloose and her mercenaries placed their body armor on,
"Boys, I want Drop's head and I don't care how!"
"Yes Ma'am!" The mercenaries nodded as they repelled out the back of the craft to join the forces surrounding the tank.
--0:00 BEFORE LAUNCH--
The battle had raged on for an hour and a half, the Tank's treads were destroyed and the tank was smashed into a bakery the main gun out of ammunition, Tank looked at Bon Bon,
"This is it, it's been an honor." he gave himself and Bon Bon a cigar, the two lit the cigars and opened the hatch of the tank, rolling down the front of the tank they landed behind the counter of the bakery, gunfire ripping the wall behind them to shreds, the sound of machine-gun pods roaring covered the night sky, Bon Bon using a mirror was able to see they were surrounded by Guardian Tanks and War-birds, a few burning wreckages used as cover by the foot ponies, looking at the magazine of her rifle, she had ten rounds left, Bon Bon closed her eyes thinking of Lyra and Aniseed she popped up, she was immediately Blinded by what she thought was a searchlight.
Her thought was this was the end.