//------------------------------// // Chapter 17: Inferno // Story: Ace Combat: Gryphon Wings // by Bwaak //------------------------------// Chapter 17: Inferno “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds” — J. Robert Oppenheimer (Bhagavad Gita) Sudentor, Neue Gryphus/Belka May 19th 2020, 1340 hrs The surviving Belkan populous screamed in panic and horror as the undead dragon, Valkyrie, unleashed more of his flames on a building, causing the structure to catch fire and collapse under the sheer force of the flame blast. There was no hope left for the ones who still remained inside the city. Valkyrie had destroyed the escape routes, effectively trapping the remaining civilians and allied forces within the city. Ursa Major Squadron was one of the first casualties caused by Valkyrie as they tried to attack him head on. Ronin, Gilda and Butterclaw were the only Southwind members left alive after the rest of them were burned into ash by the dragon’s flames.  Rod and Archer were also the only survivors when the rest of his team perished by the flames. Jet, Lanner and Scunner were also the only survivors on their team, with the latter suffering from 3rd degree burns on his left wing. The Wonderbolts, along with Swallow Squadron, were the only allied squadrons left who managed to escape before Valkyrie trapped the rest within the burning city. All they could now was to watch as the dragon wreck havoc on the once beautiful city of Sudentor. For several times, Honey Rays and Fleetfoot tried to persuade Soarin’ to help the survivors, but the pegasus could only respond,         “As much I wanted to help them… I’m afraid that not even the Wonderbolts could fight against that… that… mechanical abomination.”         “So we can only sit here and watch as our comrades suffer!?” Fleetfoot stammered.         “No, we need to escort these civilians back to Gryphus,” Soarin’ responded. “Once they’re safe, we could go back here and either watch the inferno… or do something that would make Spitfire kick us out of the team.” The Wonderbolts immediately caught on the Soarin’s plan. An impossible mission indeed, but they would have to do it if they want to save more survivors in the burning city. However, Aquila Squadron was nowhere to be seen after Valkyrie destroyed the Sudentorian city hall, and they were presumed dead along with the three Belkan knights by the surviving squadrons. Quox’s Avion Company, along with Fire Crackle’s Newt Company, fired all of their offensive spells at the dragon, but the spells only bounced off the dragon’s bones. Quox however had no intentions to retreat. She was blinded by anger and sadness when she heard that Bertz perished along with the rest of his team, except for Collins, who managed to survive the ordeal. The blue unicorn mare yelled in rage as she produced her strongest spell yet: a concentrated beam of energy similar to Princess Luna’s beam, and fired it directly at Valkyrie’s head. The attack cause minimal damage to the dragon’s thick skull, but it did succeed in pissing him off even more. Valkyrie roared as he spread his wings and produced some strong winds which knocked the unicorns off their hooves. Hammerdown, along with Red Moon, managed to slip under the dragon’s detection and deliver some of their attacks at the dragon, intending to buy the unicorns some time to escape.         “Hey, over here!” Featherdust yelled. “Come and get us, you big ugly lizard!”         “Over here, ugly!” Red Moon taunted as one of his men launched another spear at the dragon in a desperate attempt to gain his attention. They succeeded. Valkyrie turned, exhaling more steam from the two hollow holes that were once his nostrils in anger. The Royal Guards tensed as they were expecting another flame blast from the dragon. Alas, Valkyrie had different plans for them. The mechanical joints that ran along his spine began to creak and stutter as holes began to open on each of them. Several mechanical whirring and Valkyrie’s own groan was heard until small missiles were launched from the holes and they were heading straight for the Royal Guards.         “Regal, break, break!” Hammerdown hollered, but he and his team were too late. Two missiles managed to hit one member of the guards, obliterating him to pieces. The other guards were hit by the missiles too before they could react. Even Hammerdown perished when three missiles blasted him to pieces. The Lunar Guards also suffered the same fate, although Red Moon managed to evade a brutal death by hiding behind a ruined building. Valkyrie roared loudly as he moved on to inspect the ruins, hoping to find some more survivors to kill. Red Moon could only hide inside a dumpster as he prayed that Valkyrie will not find him. A magical spell hit the dragon on his jaw, causing Valkyrie to growl in anger as he turned to see his attacker. Quox kept firing her spells with tears flowing from her eyes. Although her team knew that it was futile for them to attack the dragon, they joined their leader on attacking the dragon. Valkyrie finally had enough before he charged up his flame breath. Fire Crackle saw the danger and immediately cast a barrier to protect Avion Company from the imminent threat.         “Sparkles, get your team out of there! NOW!!” the brown unicorn yelled. Valkyrie finished charging and unleashed his flame breath. This time, the flame was more concentrated and was able to shatter Fire Crackle’s shield with ease. Quox and Fire Crackle were thrown back several meters, but her teammates were vaporized on their spot when Valkyrie’s beam grew in size, leaving nothing but blackened pony-shaped shadows on the ground where Quox’s team once stood.         “NO!!” Both Fire Crackle and Quox exclaimed in horror. Valkyrie turned his attention towards the brown-coated unicorn and gave him a loud screech that nearly burst his eardrums. Fire Crackle was scared stiff. He couldn’t move to escape, so he braced himself for the end. Suddenly, a loud alarm was heard, and it was loud enough to earn Valkyrie’s attention. Fire Crackle and a downed Quox turned and saw a large portion of the hillside located near Sudentor open up, revealing a large tunnel which went straight underground. Valkyrie growled while baring his fangs towards the opening shutters of the tunnel. Fire Crackle saw this golden opportunity and quickly teleported to Quox’s location. The brown-coated unicorn managed to get the unicorn mare back to her feet before they galloped towards a safe hiding spot near one of the ruins. The surviving allied squadrons also took notice on the large tunnel entrance. They didn’t care who opened it. All that matters now was that the opening shutters were drawing Valkyrie’s attention away from them. Ronin, Gilda and Butterclaw ran in silence as they moved from their current hiding spot to the next. Rod and Archer also moved from their hiding site with Jet, Lanner and Scunner running behind them.         “Man, that’s a big tunnel…” Fire Crackle thought in awe as the tunnel shutters continued to open. What he didn’t know was that this tunnel would be the their only chance of escaping this monster. Riddle watched in silence as the shutters opened up to reveal Grunder’s main supply tunnel. His family, the three knights, and the members of Aquila Squadron, along with Blade and three more members of Crimson Squadron, were standing behind him. The tunnel itself may have been long abandoned since the Belkan War, but it managed to remain intact after all these years. Technically, it would be a perfect escape route from Valkyrie. Now, they needed to get Valkyrie away from it.         “We need a distraction,” Riddle began. “We can’t get everyone in if that behemoth is blocking the way.”         “Leave it to us, Aquila,” Blade said in confidence. “Dragon or no dragon, we’ll clear the way.”         “Understood, captain. Good luck.” Riddle said before the Crimson members saluted him. Blade then exited the room with his members, Lance, Fencer and Rave following behind him.         “Careful out there, Rave!” Kite warned in which the crow griffoness just gave him a smile and a thumb up. Once they were outside, they took to the smoke-filled skies and headed straight for the dragon. Valkyrie continued to inspect the tunnel in pure curiosity, until a small pebble hit his head. The dragon let out a mechanical whine as it turn to see who dared to throw that stone. It saw four griffon fliers, hovering just above his tail, and they didn’t look intimidated by the dragon at all. Valkyrie growled before he prepared to charge another flame breath. As he unleashed his flames, Crimson squadron broke formation and flew straight at the dragon, scratching the bony surface to irritate him even more. Valkyrie roared as he tried to swat the annoying flies off his head.         “Valkyrie’s distracted!” Blade exclaimed through his comm.         “Keep on it for 5 minutes,” Riddle stated before he motioned Aquila Squadron to head out and help any survivors they could find. The knights also decided to help the squad under their own will. He then turned to his wife and kids.         “Gertrude, take the kids and head for the tunnel. I’ll meet you there,” The griffoness kissed him on the cheek and smiled.         “We’ll be waiting, Ratsel.” Riddle gave them one last smile before he turned and activated the intercom which was linked to multiple speakers around Grunder. Riddle could only hope that the EMP blast earlier didn’t fry all the circuits. He set the volume to maximum before he spoke,         “All survivors, you are all directed to go inside the tunnel while Valkyrie is distracted. I repeat, all survivors must go into the tunnel while Valkyrie is distracted. You got only 2 minutes to act!” All of the survivors heard Riddle’s message and decided to see if the dragon was truly distracted. Sure enough, Valkyrie was currently too busy with several griffons and began to walk away from the tunnel entrance. Rod and Archer immediately flew to the tunnel entrance along with Jet, Lanner and Scunner, with the latter being carried by his comrades. Ronin, Gilda and Butterclaw also made a mad dash to the entrance while Quox and Fire Crackle got through the rubble on foot. Gilda saw the two unicorns and groaned before she called her superior. “Ma’am, two unicorns on our six o’clock,” Both Ronin and Butterclaw turned and saw both Fire Crackle and Quox struggling to get through the rubbles. Red Moon also decided to help, but even with his help, he can’t carry both unicorns off the ground. Ronin glanced at both of her subordinates before nodding in determination. The three griffons flew down as fast as they could, before they, along with Quox, Fire Crackle and Red Moon flew to the tunnel entrance. Several surviving civilians also rushed to the safety of the tunnel. Once everyone was in, Blade signaled Bernhard to close the entrance via hand gestures in which he relayed the information to Riddle. The blue griffon immediately hit the override button, causing the already unstable motors to close the door. Without any time to waste, he, Black Star, Kestrel, Kite and the three knights exited the building before heading to the tunnel entrance. However, Valkyrie finally saw through their plans. The dragon ignored Crimson squadron and lumbered straight to the tunnel entrance.         “Scheiße! Our cover’s blown!” Dmitri exclaimed in horror when he saw Valkyrie’s form walking towards the entrance. The survivors who were already inside the tunnel saw the dragon blocking the entrance and screeched at Riddle’s group.         “They’re not going to make it!” Rod said in frustration. Fire Crackle, on the other hand, couldn’t bear to watch anymore of his allies die by this dragon’s claws. He quickly left the tunnel and started shooting at the dragon’s rear.         “Fire Crackle! What the hay are you doing!?” Quox shrieked when she saw the unicorn’s stunt.         “Buying some time!” Fire Crackle yelled back. All the while Quox was begging the brown unicorn to come back, Red Moon caught on Fire Crackle’s plan and decided to join him. The bat-like pegasus took off and started attacking Valkyrie on his face, distracting him even more. Their plan worked, and Riddle’s group managed to enter the tunnel in time, but the shutters continued to close and there was no time for them to go back. Both Fire Crackle and Red Moon already knew what was going to happen, and they could only gave the surviving teams a warm smile before the shutters were closed. Quox was on the verge of tears when the door finally closed. She could hear Valkyrie’s screech and the unmistakable sound of his flame breath powering up and firing at the two ponies in front of him. After the dragon’s flame subsided, there was only silence. Quox finally broke down crying, realizing she just lost two more comrades. Kite immediately came to her and tried to comfort the crying unicorn, earning a jealous glance from Rave. For the rest of the survivors, they used this time to do a head count. Aside from the teams, approximately 9 ponies and 4 griffons managed to survive the ordeal, but most of them suffered several injuries. Two of the pony survivors were unicorn mercs who were once part of Hog’s Braun Team. At first, nearly everyone in the tunnel antagonized them, but they explained that Hog also betrayed and left them to die along with the other members.         “Please, give us a chance!” one of them pleaded. “We’ll help you in any way we can!”         “Yes, anything! Just don’t kill us, please!” his comrade added in a desperate tone. “We’ve had it with Murtair Militia!” Though most of the survivors didn’t buy their excuse, Dmitri finally spoke on their behalf,         “Though we’re not planning to trust you for now, I think it’s best for you two to stay quiet. The more ruckus you cause, the closer I am to consider on throwing you out as dragon food.” The two mercs immediately nodded in silence while Kestrel, Gertrude, and her  cubs tried their best to treat the wounded. Riddle and Black Star, however surveyed the tunnel.         “What is this place?” the dark griffon asked.         “Grunder Industries Transport Supply Tunnel, but most of us fliers called it the ACES tunnel,” Riddle answered. “This tunnel was built during the Belkan War to transport large numbers of supplies from the Walderich Mountains mining site to Grunder’s front yard. It had since been closed since the Seven Pillars, but most fliers from the Neue Gryphus Defense Force used this tunnel to test their skills by flying through this thing. Hence why we called it, the ACES tunnel.”         “First one to get to the other side wins, eh?” Black Star concluded before he continued to gaze upon the tunnel. It was certainly large enough for a makeshift shelter, but also small enough to prevent Valkyrie from getting through.         “So, what do we do now, sir?” Black Star asked again. Riddle could only sigh in defeat.         “I don’t know…” he admitted. “We can’t go back the way we came, and it’s a dead end on the other side of this tunnel.”         “So we’re stuck here,” Black Star responded with a hint of frustration in his tone. Riddle only answered with a single nod. While the two griffons were trying to come up with a solution, Gilda felt worried about Ronin’s state. The metallic blue griffoness went quiet ever since nearly all members of Southwind squadron were killed by Valkyrie, and she was still absent after they entered the tunnel.         “So…” the brown griffoness began. “How long do you plan to stay like that, ma’am?”         “As long as it takes…” Ronin answered flatly.         “Gilda, now’s not the time!” Butterclaw snapped.         “No, Natasha… let her speak,” Ronin responded calmly, causing Butterclaw to back down. The metallic blue griffoness then turned her attention back to Gilda. “What’s on your mind, Gilda?”         “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s concern… for you, ma’am,” Gilda answered. “We lost all of our comrades… and I believe you’re taking this… quite hard.”         “Obviously,” Ronin groaned. “All of you are my subordinates, my children, and I failed… What kind of a squad leader can’t even protect her own squadron?”         “Although I agree with you on that,” another voice cut in from behind. It was Rod. “We’re fighting a cyborg dragon; there’s no chance in hell we could win against that. At least we’re still alive, and that’s something, right ma’am?”         “I agree with you on that,” Gilda nodded. “Losses are inevitable in a war, but there’s no doubt that they probably wanted us to continue fighting for their cause.” Ronin stayed silent, but inside her mind she was baffled by the words that came out from Gilda’s beak. She had read her records; Gilda was abrasive, arrogant, and wouldn’t give a damn to her comrades without a second thought. What makes her so different now than before? She had a hunch: it must have been that pegasus with the rainbow mane that changed her. The so-called Princess of the Skies. She heard that Gilda battled her over Fortress Intimidation and ended up losing to the pegasus. That battle must have been Gilda’s rude awakening, dealing a severe blow to her ego.         “The previous war really changed you…” Ronin said slowly, earning Gilda’s attention. “From what I’ve read about you, you’re nothing but a proud bastard who would hurt her own friends for her own cause.”         “I’m not like that…” Gilda said before turning her face away in shame. “Not anymore, at least.”         “Then it’s true? Did the Princess of the Skies changed you for the better?” Ronin smirked. Gilda just chuckled in response.         “Dashie’s always had that effect on me,” she began. “I used to be a big jerk to her and her friends. The engagement with her… and her willingness to forgive my actions really changed my view on the world.” Ronin could only gave Gilda a warm (and somewhat motherly) smile. It felt like she just learned something new from the griffoness. Sure, Gilda was arrogant before and even now, but she slowly learned a few lessons in humility. If this keeps up then there’s no doubt, Gilda could become a fine member of Southwind Squadron. Heck, even become its leader when she retires. Butterclaw could only sigh in relief. It seemed that tensions had eased up for a bit between the two griffonesses. Meanwhile, Riddle’s two cubs, Elinor and Riedl, flew around and gave medical supplies for the wounded. Another griffon cub and a filly also joined them in their task to help the wounded. All the elders thanked them for their support. Though Riedl wanted to aid the civilians more, his brother Elinor wanted to see his father and spend some time with him. The tiny griffon cub left his older brother and searched for his father. Finally, he found Riddle along with Black Star still surveying the tunnel.         “Dad!” Elinor shouted which gained Riddle’s attention.         “Elinor,” the blue griffon began as the cub ran towards his father’s embrace. “What are you doing here? I thought mommy told you to help the wounded.”         “I want to spend some time with you,” the cub admitted. “You have been away for so long. I missed you. Mommy missed you. Riedl missed you.” Riddle sighed. It seemed he couldn’t get out of this one. The blue griffon lifted the cub up to his back and spoke,         “Alright, why don’t you keep dad and his friend company while we… take a walk. But promise me that you would be quiet.” Elinor only responded with a smile and a nod. Riddle gave his own smile and said “Good boy,” before he and Black Star continued to search for a possible escape route from the tunnel. Suddenly, the whole tunnel shook before Valkyrie’s deafening shriek was heard from the closed entrance. All the squads/teams immediately took position while the civilians backed up further into the tunnel. The tremors continued as the dragon tried to break the solid barriers which separated him from his prey.         “Everyone back up!” Kestrel yelled. “Go deeper into the tunnel!”         “Is he trying to knock those shutters down!?” Quox said in disbelief. “Was an entire city not enough to satisfy him!?”         “Persistent bastard!” Archer mouthed as another tremor shook the tunnel. Small bits of concrete which covered the tunnel started to fall from their place. Quox, still infuriated by the deaths of her comrades, stood her ground and began to charge up a spell. Even the mercs started to charge up their horns in hopes that their attacks would be enough to save their skins. The tremors along with Valkyrie’s screech continued to shake the tunnel until a noticeable dent formed on the shutters. Kestrel immediately ordered all of the civilians to run deeper into the tunnel. Both Riddle and Black Star, along with Elinor in tow, flew to take their positions near the shutters as the dent slowly grew in size. The dent was finally pierced through by a large black claw. The claw retreated, leaving a large hole on the right shutter. Soon enough, a large red glowing eye could be seen from the other side. The dragon’s glare was enough to make a hardened soldier like Black Star freeze in terror. Valkyrie let out a mechanical growl before he tried to knock the shutters down again. The group could only take further steps deeper as the shutters rattled violently, growing weaker by every blow Valkyrie delivered. Finally, after withstanding Valkyrie’s blow for as long as it could, the right shutter gave way first and tumbled down with a loud thud. Everyone could finally see Valkyrie’s front claws along with the still-burning city of Sudentor on the background.         “Retreat!” Riddle yelled in terror. “I repeat, retreat from the entrance!” Although some of them planned to stay and fight, their own logic made them do otherwise and complied with Riddle’s orders. A loud bang was heard as the left shutter finally gave way before Valkyrie extended his talons into the tunnel: hoping to catch a few unlucky stragglers. The dragon let out a frustrated growl when he came up empty handed. He let out a ear-piercing shriek before the dragon lowered and lined his head with the tunnel entrance. Valkyrie then opened his jaws and began to charge up his flame breath: planning to burn all the survivors inside the tunnel. Everyone hold their breaths as they waited for their demise. Black Star wrapped his arms around Kestrel, and the griffoness did the same. Riddle spreads his wings and closed his eyes, hoping that his body would be enough to shield Elinor from the heat. Ronin along with the three knights: Detlef, Bernhard and Dmitri could only stand tall and proud before closing their eyes, while the others only closed their eyes and waited for the end. But it never came. A loud beeping was heard from the dragon, causing Valkyrie to growl in mild annoyance. The bony jaws clamped shut and the head of the dragon lifted off the tunnel. The dragon then proceed to climb up the hill side above the tunnel before spreading his wings and took flight. The survivors stayed in their places as Valkyrie’s wing flaps grew more faint with each flap the dragon took. When the sound was no longer hearable, the survivors let out a sigh of relief: knowing that the danger had past.         “D-dad…?” Elinor began with a shaky voice. “Is that the mean dragon from before?”         “Yes,” Riddle answered.         “Looks like it’s gone… for now,” Black Star spoke in relief.         “If it’s gone, that means it’s safe to go outside…” Jet added. “Right?”         “One way to find out,” Scunner said in determination as he stood up. Despite Lanner and Jet’s protest about him not in a proper shape to walk, the griffon insisted that he would check the area. Scunner limped his way to the entrance, taking careful steps around destroyed portions of the wall. When he reached the entrance, only the heat of the still burning flames greeted him. No screeches, no mechanical growls, no large wing beats. Just him, the heat and the destroyed city.         “OI! The wanker’s gone for good!!” he yelled back. “Let’s get out of here before he comes back!” Everyone couldn’t agree more with his statement. Riddle along with his family walked first, followed by Black Star and Kestrel and Kite who helped an injured earth pony. The three knights also escorted the surviving mercenaries while they used their magic to carry two wounded griffons. Quox along with Blade, Ronin, Rod, Rave, Gilda, Butterclaw, Archer and the rest of the civvies kept a steady pace behind the knights. All of them hoped that this nightmare would end soon once they arrived in Gryphus. The sight of the burning city greeted them once they exited the tunnel. The air was stagnant, and the smell of burning flesh came from everywhere. Some of the civilians couldn’t help but to broke down in tears at the sight of their burning homes. Even the surviving mercs were speechless when they saw the horrifying sight. Riddle, Gertrude along with the three knights merely closed their eyes in sadness while the other griffons of the kingdom gritted their beaks in anger. They estimated that nearly thousands of civilians and troops died from the attack.         “C’mon, we can’t stay here,” Riddle said somberly before the group continued their journey out of the ruined city. When they were halfway out of Sudentor, Black Star and Jet spotted a squadron coming straight at them. Once they were close, the griffons immediately recognized them as the Wonderbolts.         “Oh, thank goodness you’re all still alive,” Soarin’ began with a sigh of relief.         “Not all of us…” Riddle sighed. “Where were you? We thought that you were all…”         “We managed to escape in time with 30 plus civilians,” Soarin’ explained. “Swallow squadron also managed to escape.” Riddle silently sighed in relief. Thank the stars that not all of the EAF squads were eliminated.         “We still got a survivor in Avalon,” Riddle spoke in concern. “Collins, he’s the only survivor of Thunder Battalion. Can you guys pick him up?”         “We can try, sir,” Soarin’ nodded. “Though we will need some reinforcements if things go south.”         “We will go with you,” Detlef said in determination as he and the two knights stepped in front. The griffon quickly introduced himself along with his two comrades, causing several members of the Wonderbolts to greet them with respect. It would be an honor for Equestria’s elite squadron to fly along with the Knights of the Round Table. But first, Soarin’ motioned Surprise and Fleetfoot to call Honey Rays and her squad to assist the wounded civilians in Riddle’s group. Communications were still offline at the moment, so Soarin’ instructed them to head towards a designated spot until the GRG transports could arrive. Once Swallow squadron arrived, the Wonderbolts and the knights departed and headed straight for Avalon to rescue their comrade, while the survivors began their long trek to the rendezvous zone. Soarin’ was right: more than 30 Belkan civilians were there, waiting to be rescued. All of them looked distant, as if they didn’t have a will to live anymore. More than 5 GRG transport units arrived on the zone and began to carry the survivors first. Due to the urgency of the situation, some of the survivors were placed on top of the transports, and some of the GRGs were willing to carry one or two civvies all the way back to Pisa. Aquila squadron, along with Crimson and Southwind squadrons, were the last group to depart from the evac zone. Riddle, Gertrude and their kids could only glance at their destroyed city one more time before taking off into the skies. Meanwhile Waldreich Mountains, Near the Griffin Kingdom-Neue Gryphus border 1539 hrs It had been nearly an hour since Valkyrie’s arrival in a concealed base near the border. The dragon was called back when his boiler was running out of fresh water. It was critical that the tank must be refilled, or else the dragon will face the threat of overheating with catastrophic results. The cyborg dragon growled mildly as the changeling and pony engineers worked on his body, refilling his cooling tank, reloading some of the ordinances, and checking for any visible damages. Esser could only sit on the dragon’s head in complete boredom with the occasional irritating itch coming from the back of his neck. The ENSI device which Hog had modified for him to pilot the Valkyrie was a spectacular engineering feat, but it also caused a few problems for the brown griffon. The ENSI cockpit, dubbed the COFFIN system by Hog and his mysterious acquaintances, also caused a major headache for the brown griffon, since Hraesvelgr’s animal instinct was not easy to supress like he initially thought, causing severe strain on the ENSI port which linked the two minds together. Also, the port itched like hell.         “A small price to pay if I were to succeed in my quest to destroy those who murdered me,” Esser thought with a smirk while scratching on the ENSI port at the back of his neck. He was also glad that he kept another horde of changeling and pony mercs just in case if the first horde was defeated by the allies. Their new false queen was also none other than Violet’s body partially filled with a changeling’s mind, though her familiar psychotic giggling and personality were still present. Gray’s reanimated body was also present, remaining on standby until he was needed. Suddenly, Valkyrie’s head shifted as the dragon let out an annoyed growl before Svenson’s voice was heard from below.         “Sergei!”         “What!?” Esser answered with a squawk.         “The big guy’s hungry again, and I don’t want to be his snack!”         “Alright, alright. Hold on a sec,” Esser sighed as he opened a small hatch that led inside Valkyrie’s cockpit. Once he was inside, Esser closed a couple of switches, causing Valkyrie to twitch slightly before being completely paralyzed. Esser flew out again and yelled,         “There, I shut him down for now, but he won’t be happy when we switch him back on!”         “At least that solves the food problem,” Svenson replied. “Thanks, Sergei!” Esser just gave a salute to his wingmate with a smile. Of all griffons and equines, Heimer and Svenson didn’t really earn his hatred or insanity. The two griffons had proved themselves to be trustworthy for the brown griffon. Still, that had not stopped Esser to place a few strings just in case they decided to turn their backs on him. Esser laid his back on the rough bony surface and gazed at the skies above. Tomorrow the cleansing will be initiated, and all equine, griffon, and their pathetic rulers will burn from the flames of the Valkyrie and Ulysses. Not those wimpy Royal Princesses, the Elements of Harmony or her could stop him from his revenge. Everything will burn. World Council Meeting Room, Canterlot, Equestria May 19th 2020, 1930 hrs Words of the results of both Operation Annihilator and Valkyrie finally reached Valdar’s ears. Needless to say, he was outraged by it. The mission objectives for Annihilator were achieved, but both teams suffered heavy casualties along with thousands of Belkans at the talons of Valkyrie. It was confirmed that all of Griffin Kingdom’s top squadrons were reduced to just two or three fliers left, while most of the EAF forces were wiped out, leaving only two squads and two members from the ground team. The fact also pierced both of the Royal Princesses’ heart like a spear. Luna was fuming while her older sister, Celestia, tried her best to keep her emotions in check. Valdar understood their feelings completely. Those ponies were not just their subjects, they were already like their own children. The orange griffon also felt guilty about the heavy loss, since he promised the lunar princess that he would ensure the EAF’s safety. These thoughts continued to cloud his mind, and he needed to put it aside and focus on a more serious threat: the upcoming Ulysses Impact Event. Nearly all leaders or their representatives from all over Equis attended this emergency meeting, and for those who could not make it, they were connected via live broadcasts linked through several monitors. Celestia and Luna sat on Valdar’s right side while on his left sat a griffoness dressed in full military uniform. She was the representative of Estovakia. The daughter of the late General Gustav Dvornik, the former aerial commander of the Estovakian military forces and one of the individuals responsible for the Anean Continental War. Needles to say, all of the leaders were very concerned about both Ulysses, and the newer threat in the form of a giant mechanical dragon. Valdar had a hunch that the leader of the dragon kingdom, King Aigaion, won’t be pleased about this. It was further evidenced by the mild growling coming from the speakers from Aigaion’s monitor. The only leaders who were not present are the changeling queens from their respective hives. Valdar had to admit, it was better off this way than to bring those vampiric bugs out from their dens. The changeling queens, especially Chrysalis and Miasma, were notorious for being very uncooperative with the rest of the nations, preferring to live out their own lives without a single care for the world. Well, except for those unlucky enough to cross into their hives. The politicians squabbled with each other. Due to the recent events, the representative from North Point planned on reconsidering his country’s support from the Dome plan. Other countries, such as North Point’s neighbour, Neighpon, berated the former’s decision, calling them a coward. The tensions grew until Celestia silenced them with a single hoof knock on the table. The solar princess sat back down and turned towards Valdar.         “King Valdar,” she began. “Don’t you have anything to add?”         “Of course, princess,” the orange griffon nodded before he stood up. “It is true that my kingdom’s army were unable to stop Valkyrie from being deployed, even with the help of the EAFs. But that doesn’t mean we should be scared of what’s going to come!” Everyone stayed silent as the orange griffon continued with a louder voice.         “These are dark times for Equis, sparked by the Ulysses Disaster just 20 years ago. Many wars have broken out due to our own frustration and hatred. We could have prevented the severe loss of life caused by the disaster by uniting as one, but instead, we went to our separate ways… which lead us to this state.” Everyone kept their attention to the orange griffon. Knowing that he finally had everyone’s attention, Valdar continued,         “My kingdom also suffered in the wake of the disaster, but that doesn't mean that I shouldn’t support the princesses’ plan now. We must stand as one to face this threat, whether we succeed or not. If anyone still insists on withdrawing from this plan, then so be it. We will not stand in your way. It’s your choice after all.” The room was silent except for the occasional growls emitted by Aigaion. The dragon king was the first one to leave by shutting the monitor off from his end. He was soon followed by two or three countries, but the rest remained. The Estovakian griffoness decided to break the silence by standing up and responds to Valdar’s words.         “Truly, our countries have many things in common, your majesty.” She then shifted her attention towards the royal princesses. “Princesses Celestia and Luna. I, Lieutenant General Irena Dvornik of Estovakia and representative of its government will aid you.”         “So are we,” an earth pony said in an accented voice. “The Neighponese Empire shall stand with Equestria to face this threat.”         “North Point, affirmative on that,” a unicorn added. “We will not let any of our citizens suffer again.”         “Us too,” the representative of Zebrica declared in determination. Soon, many representatives and leaders from other countries voiced their opinion to support the princesses’ plans. The two alicorns were deeply moved by the support, and it soothed their aching hearts. Without another delay, Princess Celestia explained the details of the plan to them by directing the other countries’ leaders to move their unicorns to many strategic spots all around Equis, planning to equalize the dome’s strength. Valdar could only smile in relief. It looked like things just got a little better after all. Still, he must deal with the threat of Valkyrie. The genocidal cyborg was still out there somewhere… and he and his kingdom’s crippling forces must stop Valkyrie from wrecking havoc. Whatever it takes.