Chapter 1
Jump Start
"You think you're some sort of soldier, don't you?"
"Yes sir!" I know I can do this... "You can't get through this first week! I bet you'll quit tomorrow..."
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Low humming from the engines, soothing rumble from the slight turbulence, snugged into my slot on the plane. Best feeling before a Jump... "Hey, Skids! Time to prime up!" Jolted awake, I look around over to my right side. Volt and the rest of the squad are almost prepped. Great. We've arrived... "Ugh... Gimme a sec..." I slowly unbuckled myself, grabbed my M4 and combat saddle laying next to me, and slipped on my urban grey, digital baseball cap. I began to stretch my wings. "You guys ready to roll? Or do I have to take 'em all by myself?" Squints locked in a fresh mag on her L96 rifle, flipped open her lens protectors, and pulled the bolt back, quite loudly, and slammed a round in the chamber, "Cause I could..." She can be subtle... Sometimes...
I've spent 7 years of my life on the field. The time before that, I've spent dreaming about becoming what I am now. When I was a filly, my father had died during the changeling invasion. He had served 4 years as one of the royal guards, and taught me everything I could absorb as a kid. When he had died, I was determined to keep his up with his honor. A lot of ponies were grateful for his service, even higher authorities. After he had died, my mother and I had moved into Seaddle because of a teaching job she was offered. I lived there for the rest of my life... Well, except for when I enlisted...
Major Ryan Shine reporting for duty, call-sign "Skids", 32 Div. of the Equestrian TAC Force. Hand picked for combat. Best soldiers fighting, sneaking, and destroying against the Griffon insurgents. We fight on the front lines and behind the enemy's back. Our names strike fear into the names of our enemies, and cause other countries to slink back in fear. The only thing is... We don't technically exist....
Volts pulls out his rifle and slams a round from his magazine into the barrel, "ETA: 1 min. Weapons check boys!" I reach back and do the same. I hear the loud clank, "Check!" Squints pulls out his P226, pulls the slide back, and let's it load the .45 Round into the Chamber, "Check" I hear two more clanks behind me and simultaneous shouts behind me. Well, it's time...
The end of the plane opens up, revealing a large, thick layer of clouds. A red light flashes on signaling us to get ready. Volts gets close to the edge of the plane waving his hoof, telling us to line up. Volts took lead, I lined up behind him, Harp and Walker lined up behind me, and Squints came close behind. I hear a crackling in my earpiece, "Frazier one, radio check... Over." "Frazier two check..." And so on and so on...
The light switches from red to green, and we jump. Since I was a Pegasus, I didn't have to worry about a chute. I still carried one though because of the high altitudes we would jump at, but I managed to glide. I look up and see the rest of my squad deploy their chutes. I finally get to the ground and pull out my rifle.
"Frazier 4, Drop zone secure. ETA, over?" My communicator comes to life, "Frazier 1, 20 seconds. How's the view?" I can't help but smile at the sarcastic question, "Not as good as home, but at least we still have Luna's moon." "Hehe... Don't worry, Home is just around the corner..." My smile turns to a quiet chuckle as I scan the area. I hear 3 thuds behind me and after a bit, a hoof on my shoulder. "Faust, this is Frazier squad. We've dropped and landed. How copy?" We wait there for couple seconds until we get our clearance, "Good copy, proceed to the compound, locate the weapons, destroy them, and get out. Stay safe and get home safe..." "Rodger, Frazier out"
After Squints and Harp had split off, We had gotten a few clicks north of the compound when we heard engines rumbling. Volts motioned for us to find cover. I ducked behind a large, thick oak tree as my buddies dove into a small ditch nearby. A large convoy passes by... "Volts, I'm seeing four cargo trucks, three mounted vehicles, and two Hummers. Did we have any intel on another shipment?" We stood up and started to move towards the east wall of the compound. "That's a negative Harp. What do you see?" I hear a bit of rustling over the comms, "I spy with my little eye... A mansion? How did we not get pictures of this?" Volts gives a annoyed groan, "Listen we don't have time for-" All of a sudden we heard a whisp through the air and a hard thud behind us. We quickly lined into formation "Squints was that you?! Don't fire unless I give the order to fire!" I looked at where the thud had come from and I saw a dark brown colt, earth pony, lying dead. Squints had saved our backsides...
"Volts, it's good. Look..." I pointed to the corpse with a bullet between the eyes. He looked back and grunted, "Could've told us about it..." Walker walks over to the body, "Mercenaries... Sheesh, look at this!" We carefully trotted over to where he was. "Sweet Celestia... Where'd they get this equipment?! Look at this! G3A3, 1911, Semtex, these guys are loaded up!" My ears perk up as I hear a crunch sound behind me. I hear a loud bang and then... Blackness...