Within the walls of a fortified city
A fierce battle is taking place.
The heroines are coming to help the defenders,
But some heroes come in small sizes.
Chapter 10b
Rendezvous
June 27th, 2021
0900 hrs
Equestria, cir. 100 km from Stalliongrad
An army group, lead by Twilight Sparkle and Applejack, consisting of nearly 1000 earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns combined, was getting closer to the largest city in eastern Equestria with every passing day. After over a hundred hours spent in near-constant motion, the scouts reported that they had sighted Stalliongrad in the distance. They hoped that the defenders were not completely exhausted and managed to stall the main Exile offense.
The ponies made a short stop to check on supplies and assemble the units for an upcoming attack. Twilight was just conversing through radio with Gale. He had some very uplifting news.
“So you say Cloudsdale is safe?” the purple unicorn asked.
“For the moment, at least,” Gale’s voice replied. “Heavy Cloud relayed all the data to me already. He said that our fellow Angels played an important part in saving the city from being destroyed.”
“That’s great! I’ll be sure to tell that to Rainbow and the others.”
Twilight quickly switched her frequency to a broadband one, so others could hear her.
“Attention, everypony! This is the commander of the Arcana battalion, Twilight Sparkle. I’ve just received a report that the Cloudsdale region has been successfully defended by our pegasi forces! We don’t have to worry about possible enemy reinforcements from the western region! This is a chance we cannot miss! Let’s push on!”
A storm of cheers and gleeful screams filled the air. The ponies did not even care if any stranded Exiles units could hear them. That was one piece of information they were waiting for, one since they had to leave Canterlot behind.
Rainbow Dash, Medley and Fluttershy were just doing some casual flying, watching the crowd of ponies below them. Medley started dancing in the air.
“Did you hear that? Thunder and Sunny did it! Ha ha! Awesome!”
Rainbow nodded.
“That was pretty impressive of them. But I knew they were capable of doing it.”
“It only goes to show you had the right hunch, Rainbow,” said Fluttershy.
“Heh, yeah, I guess I did,” the blue pegasus replied nonchalantly. “Things are lookin’ up for us!”
The three pegasi clasped their hooves together and cheered among the others. Twilight’s voice interrupted their celebration.
“While this is certainly a great news, we cannot forget about our part in this campaign. We will truly celebrate when this is over. For now, let’s keep—”
Twilight’s voice was suddenly drowned in a loud explosion that sounded a few dozen meters away from her, alerting most of the ponies. Could it have been an ambush?
A different voice, almost a squeak, was heard in the silence.
“Dang it! I messed up again!”
Twilight followed to where she heard the voice coming from, with Firecracker Burst alongside her. She had an irritated expression on her face. A small trail of smoke was coming out of the area where the explosion occurred. The two mares came across a young, yellow unicorn pony with a dark-blue mane, held properly together by a yellow headband. She seemed to be tinkering with one of the mortar cannons.
“Stupid piece of junk…” she muttered.
“Short Circuit!” Firecracker Burst exclaimed.
When she turned around and noticed both Twilight and Firecracker leering at her, her cheeks blushed.
“Aah… Lt. Commander, Ma’am…” she said in that squeaky tone again.
“Would you mind telling me WHAT IN EQUESTRIA ARE YOU DOING, YOU LITTLE TWAT!?” Firecracker yelled at her. “I told you to stop messing with the mortar, didn’t I?”
“I-I’m… I’m sorry, I just…”
Firecracker moved closer to her, almost touching her nose with her own and giving her an angry glare.
“If something like that happens again, I’m going to make you feel REALLY sorry! You understand?”
“Y-Yes, Ma’am....”
As Twilight looked at her, she reminded her of a certain earth pony she once knew. She turned her sight to Firecracker, thinking that she should take over this discussion. She didn't liked how the green unicorn was treating her.
“Firecracker, return to your post. I’ll take care of this.”
“Yes, Ma’am!”
Firecracker Burst gave a quick salute and left without looking at the yellow unicorn. She lowered her sight in regret.
“Shucks… I didn’t mean to cause so much racket…”
Twilight looked at her with a little bit of pity, using her hoof to make the unicorn face her and establish eye contact.
“Don’t worry about her.”
“Huh”?
“Firecracker is pretty impulsive,” Twilight explained. “I guess the lack of activity or a major battle is starting to get to her and she felt like taking it out on somepony.”
“Why me? I get the feeling she hates me…” the unicorn whimpered.
“That’s not true. She’s just under a bit of pressure and is probably looking for a way to let it loose… Don’t worry about her,” Twilight reiterated.
She glanced at soldier’s uniform. She had an emblem of the 5th Earth Pony Battalion. When she asked why she is in this kind of unit and not with fellow unicorns, the pony replied:
“I volunteered. I always wanted to be in this kind of a unit.”
“I see… What is your name again?” Twilight asked.
“Short Circuit, Ma’am. But… I prefer to go by codename Bertz instead, if that’s okay,” the yellow unicorn replied.
“Bertz… That name sounds familiar…”
After recalling some events from the past few months, Twilight had a realisation.
“You don’t happen to be related to a pony named Lucky Stroke, by any chance?”
“I do, Ma’am. He… He was my big brother.”
Twilight remembered now. Lucky Stroke, an earth pony soldier, known more commonly by his nickname “Bertz”, took part in a military operations during the Neue Gryphus Rebellion. Sadly, one such operation ended in a failure and he was killed along with the rest of his unit. The only survivor was his teammate, Sergeant Mighty Weld, codenamed “Collins.” They both witnessed a terror no pony had even seen before…
When the conflict was resolved, the 5th Earth Pony Battalion was re-established and changed into an artillery unit. Short Circuit was among the first ponies who wanted to join the unit.
“To tell the truth, I was hoping my team would be assigned to Manehattan instead,” Short Circuit spoke. “That way I could fight alongside my sister…”
“And what is your sister’s name?” Twilight asked.
“Gingerbread Sparkles… But she really dislikes it and prefers to be called Quox.”
A giggle escaped the yellow unicorn’s mouth. Twilight scratched her chin, trying to recall that name.
“Quox… I know her. She used to be a part of my unit during The Equestrian War… Then Princess Celestia granted her leadership of her own company, Avion. She always had a knack for teleportation spells…”
Short Circuit nodded fervently.
“Both she and my big brother were involved in helping the Griffin Army during that rebellion… but things ended disastrously…”
“I know…”
Short Circuit sight dropped again.
“When my bro died, my sister was left heartbroken. Whatever she witnessed in that conflict must have disturbed both her and Sergeant Collins greatly. Their psyche was… damaged, or so the doctor said. But she eventually returned to service and... I wanted to be a part of the military like they were… against all better judgment.”
“So you decided to join the military so you could follow in your brother’s hoofsteps?” Twilight guessed.
“Thought I did… But I’m starting to wonder if I belong here…” Short Circuit squeaked.
“Of course you do!” Twilight exclaimed. “Everypony is important in this operation!”
“Oh? Even those kids that had been around you a few times, Ma’am? Shouldn’t they be at home with their parents?”
Twilight knew that she was referring to the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
Truly, among other soldiers, both rookies or battle hardened veterans, they seemed like an unusual, maybe even improper sight. However, they proved their worth by helping in defending Ponyville during the war with the griffins and even taking apart in the liberation of Canterlot. Their determination and desire to help in protecting Equestria was just as great as any regular soldier. Besides, they were operating as a scouting team and weren’t directly involved in any battle thus far. Applejack’s secondary job, besides keeping her own unit in check, was to look after the Crusaders as well.
When Twilight explained everything to her, Short Circuit looked at her with sad eyes, feeling almost miserable. To think that even kids could be more valuable than her… Twilight had to find a way to cheer her up.
“You don’t have to worry about them, Short Circuit,” she said. “I have everything under control. Return to your post and try to be a little more careful. Also...”
Short Circuit lifted her sight.
“Don’t get discouraged. Your unit is still an important part of this operation. Remember that… Bertz.”
“Y-Yes, Commander Ma’am!”
Short Circuit gave a salute. Twilight left her and returned to Applejack’s side. The ponies were ready to resume their march toward Stalliongrad at any moment.
Just then, Twilight received another incoming call from Gale. This time, however, the news were not positive.
“Twilight, the defenders in the city are under heavy attack. The Exiles decided to bring out their heavy artillery… and I mean, heavy.”
“What exactly do you mean by that, Gale?” she asked.
“Tanks.”
Twilight’s eyes widened.
“Did you say… tanks?!”
“I’m afraid so. They must have been transported to the area via the sea, just outside Stalliongrad. Fillydelphia, most likely. The Exiles now have some superior firepower on their side. You must hurry and get to Stalliongrad fast, otherwise…”
“I know that. We’re leaving immediately!”
-----------------
0942 hrs
Equestria, cir. 50 km from Stalliongrad
As the ponies hurryingly trotted toward the city area, some of them were exchanging worried whispers and concerns about the news they just heard. Twilight wondered if their own artillery would be enough to halt the potential attack of the tanks. When Applejack asked her what tanks are exactly, since she hadn’t seen one in her life so far, Twilight naturally provided an explanation.
“I once read about them. They are a powerful tool of war, used consistently in conflicts outside of Equestria. Try to imagine a big, armored vehicle with a long cannon extending from the front. That is what a tank is.”
“How come we weren’t able to make one?” Applejack asked.
“First of all, there was no need. We have endured decades, if not centuries of peace until the Equestrian War erupted,” Twilight reminded her. “Secondly, we had no resources necessary to mass-produce tanks. And thirdly, they wouldn’t really help against the air strikes conducted by the griffins.”
Once Applejack got a grasp of everything, she thought about the points Twilight made.
“Okay, but you said their armor’s pretty tough. They could wi’stand griffin’s attacks, wouldn’t they?”
“Yes, but the tanks have no weapons to use against an aerial target. Besides, they are quite slow on the ground, though they can traverse any terrain, thanks to the treads on their wheels,” Twilight added.
“Ah see…”
Out of all ponies, only the Cutie Mark Crusaders didn’t seem to be too bothered about the idea of fighting against tanks. In fact, when Button heard the conversation between Applejack and Twilight, he wanted to share his own thoughts with them.
“In our current situation, the tanks aren’t really that much of a problem,” the brown colt said, surprising Twilight and some ponies near her.
“How come?” Twilight asked.
“Because we are perfectly equipped to take them on. Y’see, Commander Ma’am, there are several ways to easily get rid of a tank. And I know most, if not all of them.”
“You, Button?” Applejack asked. “How can a young colt like you know stuff about war, anyway?”
Button snickered.
“From video games, where else? Well… maybe history class, too. Our teacher told us about some wars fought in the last 20 years and I got to see some tanks in a coursebook.”
Scootaloo approached him with an expression of disbelief.
“In case you didn’t notice — this is NOT a video game!”
“I know that!” Button exclaimed. “But I tell you, this stuff really works!”
“What exactly?” Twilight asked, although she still felt skeptical about hearing militaristic ideas from a colt. To any other normal ponies it sounded beyond ridiculous.
However, when Button Mash pointed out some facts, Twilight could not overlook them.
“The fact that tanks need fuel to actually work is one thing. But most of them have their fuel canisters stocked on the back of their armor. So if we could blow them up, we could stop the tank from moving. That, or we could try damaging the treads. That way at least it won’t be able to turn properly and will become an easy target for an air strike.”
“When you put it that way…” Twilight said, still allowing Button to continue.
Firecracker Burst barely managed to hold a laugh.
“With all due respect, Commander Ma’am, you’d be taking advices from kids?” she asked. “Next thing we know, he’ll tell us to blast the tank’s cannon with a magic spell to blow it up from the inside.”
Button Mash bared his teeth.
“You know, that sounds pretty awesome, too, ma’am.”
Firecracker realized how improbable and stupid it sounded, but at the same time, she did not think it would be impossible. Some ponies closest to Twilight, including Short Circuit’s 5th Earth Pony Battalion, expressed readiness for trying out these kind of tactics anyway.
“Personally, I think any kind of effective tactic would be useful against the tanks. We’re ready to try them out, Ma’am,” the yellow unicorn assured Twilight.
“First we need to get to Stalliongrad and asses the situation. Then we’ll worry about the strategy,” Twilight remarked. “Let’s keep going.”
Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Medley got every bit of information personally from the Crusaders. Fluttershy didn’t feel too convinced and thought that Button’s ideas were risky at best, but Rainbow did not mind them at all.
“I’ll try that air strike thing by first possible chance. Sounds like fun,” she said.
“Fun?” Medley asked, confused. “I dunno…”
“Come on, Kid, what’s the problem in having a bit of excitement during the fight?”
Those words worried Fluttershy a bit.
“Rainbow… Don’t you think you’re going… a little overboard?”
“Nah… I’m just curious if these will actually work. I mean, bombs and mortars are the only thing we got that could destroy the tanks. If not for them, it would be hard.”
“That’s true…”
-----------------
About twenty minutes later, Twilight’s army group finally reached the Stalliongrad area. Many ponies saw dark, greyish smoke in the distance, hovering over several parts of the city. It was under a relentless assault, as pegasus ponies were spotted swooping down every now and then, probably dropping bombs they carried in hopes of causing more damage. About 400-500 earth ponies and unicorns, maybe more, were located at the outskirts of Stalliongrad, bombarding it with shells fired from the tanks or magical spells that rained icy stalactites, thunder bolts or small fireballs on the defenders.
Twilight and Rainbow Dash did not hesitate any longer. The purple unicorn used the radio to contact the others.
“All units, engage the enemy! Break through their lines and head for Stalliongrad!”
“Roger that!” Rainbow Dash replied. “All right, girls, let’s go get’em!”
Fluttershy and Medley followed her, as did the pegasi from Falcon, Lancer, Sweeper and Cygnus squadrons. Blackberry seemed especially thrilled.
“I should keep a close eye on Fluttershy… Maybe I can learn something from her,” she thought to herself.
“All air units, this is Mirage 1! Prioritize on eliminating the enemy pegasi! Let’s clean the skies up!” Rainbow’s voice sounded in every pegasus’ headphones.
“You got it, Mirage 1!” Thunder Flicker replied.
“Finally some action! Looking forward to this!” Quick Chaser remarked.
“We’re here, too!” Thunderlane reminded them. “Leave some for us!”
Just as the ponies from Equestrian Allied Forces started their offense, Commander Clad Hoof, who lead the Exile’s siege on Stalliongrad, received a report about them coming from the western flank. Noticing the pegasi going into the air, he grumbled to himself.
“I knew I should have sent a scout team ahead. Dammit! Well, no matter. We still have greater firepower. The defenders will not be resisting for long,” he reassured himself, quickly switching the frequency to alert his soldiers.
“All units, the enemy reinforcements are trying to break into the city. Eliminate as many of them as you can!”
The Exiles tried to prevent Twilight’s group from reaching the city, but they could not do anything. Twilight herself lead the charge, constantly firing energy beams from her horn and taking down several enemy troops. Rainbow, Fluttershy, Medley and the other pegasi found no challenge among the Exile fliers. Most of them were defeated with little effort. Only Blackberry found herself being ganged up by three enemies, though she managed to defeat them with Quick Chaser and Fluttershy assisting her.
Twilight just took down another Exile soldier with a well-aimed shot, then turned to Firecracker Burst, who kept on firing small fireballs from her horn. One of them struck an enemy tank, causing the fuel canisters to explode. The vehicle was quickly engulfed in flames. Both the driver and the gunner tried to escape, but they were struck by a bomb dropped by one of Thunder Flicker’s wing ponies.
“Firecracker!” Twilight shouted to her. “Make an opening for us!”
“With pleasure, Ma’am!”
The green unicorn focused her magic essence, casting a stream of fire from her horn and burning any Exile trooper unlucky enough to be in her way.
“Outta my waaaay!”
She ran toward the city. Most ponies from EAF followed her, though several of them were creeped out by hearing Firecracker Burst laugh as she continued to blast the Exiles with a stream of fire. Those who were fast enough to avoid it received terrible burns on their bodies. Their screams filled the air.
“Ha, ha, hah! Oh boy, I needed that SO much! Who wants some!” the green unicorn exclaimed.
Soon Twilight started to regret giving out that order. She called another fellow unicorn, Colgate, to try and cool Firecracker down, especially after she noticed how the Cutie Mark Crusaders watched her outburst with disturbed or even outright scared expressions.
“Applejack… is that mare crazy?” Apple Bloom wondered quietly.
“Nah… Well… Not much, sugarcube, she’s just… uh, hot-headed,” Applejack said trying to calm her down.
Commander Clad Hoof did not want anymore losses and ordered his troops to pull back a little so he could reorganize his formations. Though the situation was now under control for the EAF, Firecracker kept shouting after the Exiles.
“Come back here, cowards! I ain’t done with you!”
Suddenly she got hit in the back of the head with a snowball, which left her briefly dumbfounded and caused her to dissipate the fire stream from her horn.
“Snow…? In June?” she wondered aloud.
Turning her head around, she noticed Colgate with an annoyed expression on her face.
“Feeling better, Firecracker?” she asked.
The green unicorn checked the area around her, seeing several Exile bodies lying face down and burned grasses. She started chuckling.
“Whoops… Heh heh… Looks like I got carried away…”
“Again,” Colgate finished.
“You must try to control your emotions, Firecracker,” Twilight scolded her. “It’s bad enough that we have to deal with the Exiles. Don’t make me turn you into custody for undisciplined behavior.”
“Sorry, Commander Ma’am,” Firecracker said with repentance.
One of the earth ponies from a local defense unit noticed the battle going in favor of the newly arrived group. Once the fiery stream from Firecracker’s horn disappeared, he assumed that they had won. He contacted his leader.
“Commander Big Bear! Reinforcements! The Exiles are pulling back!”
“Could it be?” asked a bulky brown earth pony wearing a crimson uniform.
Her heard Twilight’s voice in the communicator.
“To all Equestrian Allied Forces troops on this frequency. This is Twilight Sparkle, commander of the Arcana battalion. If you can hear me, please respond.”
“So glad to hear yo, Twilight. Vis is Cold Steel, codename Big Bear, leader of de Stalliongrad Defense Corps,” the earth pony replied. “We were beginning to lose hope. Our supplies are getting really vin, since we had to share most of vem with de 1st Fleet.”
“We have some supplies ourselves and we’ll be glad to share them with you. We’re almost at the designated point. I want to hear all the details from you, Big Bear,” said Twilight.
“Roger that, comrade.”
==========
1156 hrs
Stalliongrad
Once the ponies from EAF reached the central point in the city area, Cold Steel welcomed them warmly. By forcing the Exiles to retreat and regroup, they had gained some precious time to help the defenders. Cold Steel asked his troops to help the newly arrived soldiers with unloading the supplies from the wagons the army group had with them. The pegasi, including Rainbow’s team, were helping too. Applejack was keeping her eye on the Cutie Mark Crusaders, making sure they won’t wander off to “sightsee” the area. Twilight Sparkle moved to the side in order to talk with Cold Steel, while Colgate and Firecracker Burst were overseeing the unloading. Twilight noticed that some soldiers of the defense force were not wearing uniforms and wanted to know why.
The conversation between the two commanders lasted for several minutes as Cold Steel told Twilight about the Exiles’ recent attempts on making a siege around the city and how the citizens themselves, while risking their own lives, were not hesitating in helping Cold Steel’s corps in protecting Stalliongrad.
“If there are any true heroes in vis war so far, it’s de average ponies that keep assisting us, despite de danger,” Cold Steel said to Twilight. “It’s unfortunate vat we could not completely avert casualties among civilians. Nearly 200 ponies died since veese attacks started. Yet more are still coming to aid us however vey can. Vey have my utmost respect.”
“Their assistance and sacrifice will certainly not be in vain,” Twilight said with a reassuring tone. “Tell me, Big Bear, is the fleet ready?”
“Da. De entire 1st Fleet is waiting in ve port. All weapons, ammo and necessary supplies vere already loaded onboard. Captain Bluehaze and his crew are veiting only for you to board the shiffs.”
“We will, as soon as we secure the area around the city. Even if we defeat the Exiles here, they might eventually come back. We have destroy those tanks to cripple their offense.”
“And I assume yo have a plan on how to do it, Twilight?” Cold Steel asked.
Twilight did not respond immediately, as she was actually still considering the options Button Mash mentioned earlier. They could end up being the only ones available...
Cold Steel’s voice then interrupted her thoughts.
“However, I dink Fillydelphia isn’t de only city you should vorry about,” he said ominously. “More trouble veell be happening in de mainland soon.”
“What do you mean by that, Big Bear?” Twilight asked.
The brown earth pony looked at her with a surprised expression.
“Are you saying yo didn’t hear it? Yo seem to be behind with de recent news then, comrade,” he said.
Rainbow Dash descended from the sky. Her team already finished in unloading the supplies from the last wagon and she went ahead to inform Twilight about it. She overheard Cold Steel’s last few sentences.
“What’d you mean, buddy?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“De citizens of Ponyville are rumored to have created teir very own defense force. Didn’t you know vat?”
“No…” Twilight’s answer sounded a little unsure. “Nopony told us about it.”
“Hmph. Typical,” Cold Steel snorted. “Vose Ponyville folk always try to come up viff weird or risky ideas vithout ever thinking about de consequences of deir actions.”
“But… What exactly has been happening in Ponyville as of recent?” Twilight asked.
Cold Steel started walking back and forward as he explained.
“Rumor has it, de citizens of Ponyville decided to take de fight to de enemy without vaiting for de rest of EAF. Vey created what vey call ‘Ponyville Liberation Corps’ or PLC, for short. Because deir numbers are at least zree times smaller than the Exiles stationed in dat region, dey resolved into guerrilla tactics, veech include attacking enemy supply lines or even assassinating some soldiers. So far, vey seem to be doing quite good… almost too good, do be honest.”
Rainbow didn’t liked how that last sentence sounded.
“What does that mean?” she asked.
Cold Steel stopped in place.
“Dat cyka, Aurora, seems to have caught a vind of veir actions and thinks vey are interfering with her plans of expanding control in de region. She’s not taking any chances. She is going to send one of ve Dragon Generals to pacify ve rebels.”
These news shook Twilight and Rainbow to the core. Applejack would probably react the same way if she heard about it.
“Oh no…” the purple mare said quietly. “Do they know about it?”
“I’m afraid niet,” Cold Steel replied somberly. “The last contact we had with Ponyville vas forty hours ago. Not a single signal came to us since. I fear ve worst…”
“Then what are we waiting for?!” Rainbow exclaimed. “I’ll go get the girls and we’ll head for Ponyville right now!”
She was just about to go get Medley and Fluttershy when Twilight stopped her with a commanding voice.
“Rainbow, STOP! None of you are going anywhere. We have to stick to this operation!”
“So you want us to leave them alone to fight that dragon?!” Rainbow shouted.
“I never said that! Calm down!”
Rainbow landed on the ground and walked back to Twilight, but she was still giving her a piercing look.
“Listen, Rainbow, I don’t like this situation one bit. But we can’t act without devising a plan. I’m going to contact Gale and tell him everything now. After all, he is the leading commander of Operation Eternal Liberation, so it’s up to him to make any decision about altering the initial plan.”
“... Fine,” Rainbow sighed in disappointment.
Twilight managed to contact Gale quickly, and within the next few minutes she told him everything she has heard from Cold Steel. The Wonderbolt operator sounded flabbergasted upon receiving the news.
“Ponyville Liberation Corps? Unbelievable! And no pony even bothered telling us about it…? Kind of suspicious… Guess the citizens got tired of waiting for the main force to come and aid them.”
“What should we do, Gale? We can’t leave them stranded!” said Twilight.
“No, we can’t… And we won’t!”
“I’m ready to go!” Rainbow reminded them.
“No, you and the rest of Mirage will stay here,” Gale reiterated. “The defenders could use your help during the upcoming battle and you’ll be needed to keep an eye on how the situation will develop on your way to Fillydelphia.”
“But—”
Rainbow was about to lose it. Gale managed to calm her down a bit.
“Don’t worry, Rainbow. Cloudsdale is closer than Stalliongrad. I’ll relay this news to Spitfire and Heavy Cloud. I’m sure they will be able to send some additional help to Ponyville now that Cloudsdale is safe. You just focus your mind on completing your own mission. Understand?”
“... Yes, sir.”
Rainbow returned to Medley and Fluttershy, frustration clearly present on her face. She told them about everything, and though they understood how she felt, they stood by Gale’s decision to stay and continue Operation Rendezvous. Not a few minutes later, Rainbow Dash saw one of the earth ponies from Stalliongrad Defense Corps racing toward his leader.
“Big Bear, sir!”
“Tomtit, vat’s going on?” Cold Steel asked.
“Enemy infantry and artillery units sighted at the city perimeter! They are preparing another attack!” the earth pony replied.
“Heh. Vey never give up, do vey? Well, now vat we have Twilight and her comrades with us, we can put a bit more of a fight. Alert ve sentries and prepare for battle!”
“Yessir!”
Cold Steel turned to Twilight.
“If we work dogether, we should be able to keep ve enemy away from ve city limits. Idjóm, Twilight!”
Twilight nodded and used her radio to alert the others.
“All ground units, prepare yourself! Flametongue and Blizzard battalions, you will take the frontal positions and keep the enemy occupied. Apple battalion, you stay close with them and keep an eye out. Mirage team, lead the pegasi and defeat as many hostile fliers as possible. However, do not to push too deep into their lines. They may try to bait you into a trap.”
“Roger that, Commander Twilight!” Colgate replied. She was leading her Blizzard battalion, with Firecracker Burst having command over Flametongue battalion. Applejack’s battalion was also ready.
“We got the skies covered!” Rainbow assured.
“We’re ready to take those scum down! Let’s move it, everypony!” the green unicorn exclaimed.
-----------------
1245 hrs
As both armies clashed, the soldiers from EAF managed to get a slight advantage. Aided by the Stalliongrad Defense Corps and even some civilians, they managed to fulfill their plan. Flametongue and Blizzard battalions, along with Bertz company, dealt a heavy blow to the enemy formations, destroying several AA guns that could pose a threat to Rainbow’s team and the rest of the fliers. Occasionally, some Exile fighters managed to breach the city’s airspace, but it only took less than a minute for Rainbow, Medley and Fluttershy to defeat a group of three hostile pegasi, one of which was carrying a bomb. He intended on dropping at the artillery unit, but Rainbow’s swift attack knocked him out and sent the bomb flying away. It exploded midair a few seconds later when another EAF flier shot it with his machine guns.
In the meantime, Lancer and Sweeper squadrons attempted an attack run on the enemy artillery units. They were in for a nasty surprise, however. Commander Clad Hoof took into account the possibility of an air strike and had the cover of AA guns and SAMs protecting his main unit. The squadrons had to abandon their initial plan when a volley of bullets and homing missiles “greeted” them. Quick Chaser and Thunder Flicker managed to avoid most of them, but their wingmates were hit by a few bullets and one of the pegasi from Sweeper squadron nearly got hit by a missile in the wing. He managed to dodge it with a bit of luck, though it left him open for another attack. Quick Chaser swooped in and grabbed him, then he pulled back with the others.
Back in the base, the two pegasi reported back to Twilight.
“This ain’t good,” Quick Chaser grumbled. “Those missiles prevent us from going any further.”
“So they have SAMs, too?” Twilight wondered. “They must have been preparing this offensive for a while if they wanted these kinds of weapons…”
“Is there anyway to take those things down without getting ourselves killed, Twilight?” Thunder Flicker asked, trying to sound casual.
Twilight explained to them that SAMs are used to fire a heat-seeking missile from the ground, and though they take some time to lock on to their target, should one remain in its area of effect for too long, they would come under fire.
“From what I read, the SAM’s effective range is 2000 feet and they can fire a missile every 30 seconds or so,” the purple unicorn said. “We can always try to overwhelm them with numbers, but it’s too risky. Hmm…”
Rainbow Dash contacted her.
“Twilight! Maybe we can provide a distraction for our own ground forces? We’re fast enough to avoid those missiles and give ours guys enough time to take them down.”
Twilight thought about this for a while and eventually agreed to this plan.
“You do that, Rainbow. Applejack, you heard it?” she asked her through the communicator.
“Yeah, we’re ready to roll. Go get’em, Rainbow!” the earth pony hailed.
“On it! Mirage team, let’s go!”
“Roger that!” Medley replied vigorously.
The three pegasi flew ahead, ignoring any aerial enemies on their way. They managed to find the area where the SAMs and AA guns were kept by following multiple yellow dots on their radars. There were no less than twenty of them. Fluttershy seemed troubled, but Rainbow and Medley decided to press onward.
Once the SAMs’ radars picked them up, they started to track them. The Exiles controlling the SAMs could not, however, keep up with their incredible agility. When the first two volleys of missiles were launched at the mares, they managed to avoid every single one of them. Fluttershy wisely remained outside the SAMs’ range, acting more like a sentry and telling Rainbow she’ll give her a warning if an enemy squadron came their way.
No such thing happened, though, as Lancer, Falcon, Sweeper and Cygnus squadrons were keeping the hostile pegasi at bay, even managing to defeat some of them. When another group made its way toward them, Fluttershy decided to join the fray, supporting Blackberry’s team. The purple flier was very relieved to see her fighting beside her again and the feeling was mutual.
“I think we got their attention, Rainbow!” Medley exclaimed, dodging a third missile.
“Looks like it. OK, girls, take’em down!” Rainbow hailed to Colgate and Applejack.
A flurry of magic energy beams fired from the unicorn soldiers’ horns rained down upon the Exiles, reducing the majority of their artillery weapons and SAMs to rubble. Applejack’s battalion charged ahead, not concerned about possible danger. In a direct confrontation, they managed to surround and eliminate any survivors after the initial attack.
The battle seemed to be going in favor of the EAF, but Commander Clad Hood, who kept observing the battle from his main camp, had one more ace up his sleeve.
“Those foals are a nuisance. Harnisch battalion, engage and destroy their ground forces!” her ordered.
“Understood, Commander. We’ll be ready in a few minutes,” an adult, gruff voice replied. “All units, start the engines. We’ll great Celestia’s dogs with a salvo they’ll never forget!”
-----------------
Meanwhile, as the ponies were fighting, being unaware of enemy reinforcements, the Cutie Mark Crusaders kept observing the battle from the main base, remaining under Twilight’s eyes. They seemed disappointed that they were not allowed to participate in the battle, as the unicorn strongly opposed that idea and tried to explain it to them.
“It’s for your own safety, you have to understand,” she told them. “I could never forgive myself if anything would happen to you.”
“But it’s not fair!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “You weren’t so protective of me and Sweetie Belle when we were helping in defending Ponyville back—”
“Things were different back then, Scootaloo,” Twilight interrupted the filly. “And I wasn’t directly involved in that particular battle; Applejack was. We have enough trouble as it is now. I’m sorry, guys, but you will have to sit this one out.”
Scootaloo lowered her sight and started ranting.
“It’s always the same… Everypony thinks we are nothing but kids, and we should stay at home, while others will risk their lives. But Equestria is our home, too! We really want to help you! We are soldiers, just like everypony else… only younger! Why can’t they see it?!”
Twilight shook her head.
“It’s not that easy, Scootaloo…”
Rumble suddenly had a thought.
“Can I at least fly outside and see what is happening, Commander Ma’am?” he asked with a formal tone.
“Well... “ Twilight thought aloud. “I guess there is no harm in that. But come back quickly, Rumble.”
“Yes, Ma’am!”
“Lucky you…” Scootaloo grumbled.
The young grey pegasus flew out of the building to a higher altitude. He squinted his eyes and got a good look around the battlefield. The EAF troops were winning, but then, he noticed something in the back of enemy formation that made his spine shiver. A column of armored vehicles with cannons extending from them were making their way in the direction of the city.
Tanks were approaching!
“Oh no! I’ve got to tell the others!”
The colt quickly dived back down. His sudden return alerted Twilight and the other Crusaders.
“Rumble! What did ya saw?” Apple Bloom asked.
“The tank are coming!” he replied. “The enemy must be planning a counterattack! We gotta do something about this!”
“Right! Time to see if our ideas will really work out!” Button Mash added.
The young ponies turned to Twilight, but an expression of concern did not disappear from her face.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you go…” she started.
“Twilight, please!” Scootaloo pleaded. “This may be our only chance to show the others what we can do!”
“We aren’t toddlers anymore! We can take care of ourselves!” said Apple Bloom.
“We’ll be careful! We promise!” Pipsqueak added.
They kept staring at Twilight, hoping that she will change her mind. While she still seemed uncertain, an idea sprung into her mind.
“Sending you alone would be too dangerous. But… if you had some support…”
She reached her communicator.
“Flametongue 1, come in! I need you at the base. I have an important task for you.”
“No problem, I’m on my way!” Firecracker’s voice sounded. “Whatever it is, I’ll do it!”
The Cutie Mark Crusaders breathed in relief. Twilight has decided to give them a chance.
-----------------
1327 hrs
When Firecracker returned to the HQ and heard details about the task Twilight gave her, the green unicorn’s initial reaction was predictable.
“WHAT?! Hay no way!”
“You agreed to this, remember? It’s too late to quit now.”
“But, Commander Ma’am… Why do I have to babysit those kids? What about the tanks?”
“You will go there and take them out… with a little help from the Scouting Team,” Twilight replied.
“Please tell me you are joking, Twilight…” Firecracker said slowly.
“I am not!” she said sternly. “We’ve wasted enough time on small talk! Those tanks may commence attack at any moment! Give me a second… Big Bear, come in!”
Twilight went to the side to contact Cold Steel. The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked at Firecracker Burst, promising her that they will stay close to her and follow her orders, like any good soldier would do. She still seemed sceptic about this.
“You know that you will be putting yourself in grave danger?” she asked.
“We already did during the previous war, against the griffins,” Scootaloo reminded her. “Miss Cheerilee was watching over us then, but she isn’t much of a soldier, to be honest. You, Ma’am, definitely are.”
“I won’t deny that…” Firecracker said.
Twilight returned back to them, turning her attention to Rumble.
“Go to the armory at the end of the corridor. Get some C4 packages and a detonator. Look for small, grey square-shaped objects stacked together. One next to them should have a red button in the middle,” she told him.
“Yes, Ma’am.”
When Rumble left, Firecracker gave Twilight a surprised look.
“C4? Really? But I thought they were all out of ammo reserves or supplies, ‘cause they moved them to the ships…”
“Not all of them. Big Bear told me he keeps some inside HQ, just in case. It’s partially thanks to rational management of resources and ammo they were able to hold the Exile away from the city for so long.”
Rumble came back a few dozen seconds later, holding firmly to four, small, grey packages. One of them had a red button on it, just like Twilight said. She began explaining her plan.
“Listen up, guys. I want you to perform a sabotage mission. Take those C4 with you, plant them on as many enemy tanks as you can, them blow them up from a safe distance. Rumble, do you remember how many tanks were being prepared on enemy’s rear line?”
“About seven or eight,” Rumble replied.
Twilight frowned a little.
“We only have three bombs, it may not be enough… Firecracker, you’ll have to use your magic to blow up the rest.”
“I’m fine with that. Just one question, Twilight,” the green unicorn said.
“Yes?”
“How are we supposed to get behind enemy lines undetected and unnoticed? We’d have to turn invisible or something...”
“I’ll take care of that,” said Twilight. “I can’t make you invisible, but I’ll use my magic to teleport you there.”
“You can do THAT?” Firecracker exclaimed in amazement.
“I saw how Princess Celestia did it once… I though I could try it out, too.”
"Woah… Cool!”
“Though I don’t think I’ll be able to do it on all of you at once…” Twilight confessed. “This kind of teleportation drains a lot of stamina and energy. I think I can only teleport four ponies at once… Firecracker, I need you to choose which Crusaders will accompany you.”
Firecracker Burst took a few moments to consider possible options and ultimately settled on taking Scootaloo, Dinky and Rumble with her. Button Mash and Apple Bloom tried to protest.
“I told’em the ideas on how to take down the tanks! I should go, too!” the brown colt argued.
“And I wanna show Applejack what Ah can do!” Apple Bloom added.
Just then, a loud explosion occurred outside. The tanks had begun their offense. Twilight had to act quickly.
“No arguments! There’s no time to waste. Deal with those tanks and come back ASAP! I’m counting on you, guys!”
She focused the magic in her horn, pointing it at Firecracker and the three Crusaders accompanying her. A purplish aura surrounded them and a few seconds later, they vanished in a bright flash of light.
Twilight slumped to the ground, breathing heavily. Sweetie Belle, Pipsqueak, Button Mash and Apple Bloom helped her stand up. She could only hope that this seemingly ridiculous plan would succeed.
==========
1332 hrs
Firecracker Burst quickly got a grasp of her surroundings. Rumble, Dinky and Scootaloo were right next to her, holding onto her legs. They were transported onto a small cliff overlooking the battlefield. The kids let Firecracker go. Rumble immediately noticed three tanks located slightly below them. Three more were already firing their cannons at the defenders of the city, while the last two were still being prepared to go. Firecracker quickly processed possible scenarios in her head, trying to come up with the best strategy.
“What should we do, Lt. Commander?” Dinky asked politely.
“Gimme a second, kid…
This entire sabotage mission seemed extremely difficult for her to pull off, but there was one way she could try out…
“OK, I think I got it. Listen up,” she told the Crusaders. “I’ll create a little diversion by blowing up those two tanks in the base. This should give you enough time to plant C4s on those tanks that are heading for the front line. If you move quickly and quietly, you should be able to reach them unnoticed. I’ll buy you as much time as I can. Once you plant the charges, give me holler through the communicator. I’ll press this button to send those tanks flying sky high!”
The adrenaline in her blood started to build up. Dinky looked at her, slightly worried.
“Isn’t it risky, Ma’am?”
“I’ll be fine, kid. Risk is what I live for. Don’t worry.”
The three Crusaders huddled close together, moving slowly toward the edge of the cliff. Once they reached that position, Rumble rose his right foreleg, giving Firecracker the sign she needed. She quickly charged up a fireball and shot it at one of the two tanks that were ready to roll out. It didn’t hit the canister, but the flames did spread on the ground, causing mild commotion among the Exiles. Firecracker then shot another fireball, this time hitting the canister. An explosion sent nearby Exiles flying away and the armored vehicle was completely destroyed.
“That’s better! Come on, you scum! I’m over heeeere!”
The Exiles started pointing at Firecracker standing atop the cliff, and some tried to climb up it, only to drop down when the green unicorn used telekinesis to break fragments of the cliff, sending it down on the Exiles’ heads moments later.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders used this chance to slide down the cliff, avoiding being detected and ran as fast as they could toward the moving tanks. On their way they saw bodies of several ponies lying in pools of blood, some having a missing arm or a leg, others were crying for help with their dying breaths, futilely reaching their forelegs before they fell down and remained motionless.
Trying their best to ignore the gruesome scenery around them and keeping their sights focused on the tanks, Rumble started flapping his wings and got ahead of Dinky and Scootaloo. The orange filly tried to do the same, but her wings failed to lift her off the ground. Dinky helped her keep her balance and prevented her from falling. Rumble quickly planted a C4 package on the back of the tank. Scootaloo and Dinky did the same to the other two moments later. The crew of the tanks did not seem to notice anything, as they kept driving toward the city.
The three Crusaders quickly ran to a safer place, hiding behind a pile of rubble. Rumble managed to notice Firecracker still fending the Exiles away from her. He quickly grabbed a hold of his communicator to contact her.
“Lt. Commander, this is Rumble. The charges are set!” he exclaimed.
“Really? Impressive work, kids,” the green unicorn sounded surprised, although in a positive sense. “Now you get to watch the fireworks!”
She pressed the button on the detonator, and a few seconds later, the three tanks were destroyed by the explosions. Pieces of their armor were scattered around, and one member of the tank crew was launched through the air, landing not too far away from the Crusaders’ hiding spot. His entire body was burned by the fire and he was moaning in agony for a few seconds until he finally stopped. Dinky turned her sight away in disgust.
“Oh, gross…” she muttered.
Commander Clad Hoof finally realized that his tank battalion was attacked by a saboteur. He ordered his soldiers to take Firecracker down. They started to fire at the cliff from the mortars. Firecracker tried to fend them off a little more before she could call Twilight to try and teleport her back to HQ. Unfortunately, she was getting weaker as she had used a greater portion of her magical energy. When she tried to launch another fireball, only a fizzle of smoke came out of her horn.
“Damn… Ran out of juice…” she sounded more annoyed than worried.
Firecracker reached her communicator to contact Rumble.
“Kids, hurry back to Stalliongrad and tell Twilight that the operation is a success.”
“What about you, Ma’am?” Rumble asked.
“Never mind me… Go! Now!”
A loud explosion was heard in the headphones, which startled the Crusaders a little, though not as much as Firecracker’s scream that sounded along with loud rumbling.
“Oh shi— Aaaaah!”
The transmission was cut. The kids looked at each other, worried about the green unicorn. Nevertheless, they obeyed her order, as they promised. Rumble desperately wanted to contact Twilight now. Scootaloo, on the other hoof, had somepony else in mind.
“Try calling Rainbow Dash!” she suggested. “She can give us a quick lift to the city.”
“Right!”
Rumble did so. He changed the frequency and started hailing:
“Rainbow! Rainbow, come in! This is Rumble! We need your help!”
“Rumble?” Rainbow sounded really surprised. “Why are you not in the HQ with Twilight?”
“It’s a long story. We’ll tell you later,” the colt replied. “Follow our signals on the radar and take us back to Twilight! Lt. Commander Firecracker is in danger!”
Rainbow Dash did not ask for more. Within a few dozen seconds, the young ponies noticed her trail in the sky heading their way. She swooped down and told Dinky and Scootaloo to climb on her back. Rumble could fly on his own. The four quickly made their way back to Stalliongrad. Rainbow contacted Twilight and told her that the Crusaders were safe. The purple unicorn seemed relieved when she saw them present before her eyes, praising them for their bravery, but that expression changed in a blink of an eye to a terrified one when Rumble told her about Firecracker Burst.
“The Exiles caught her! They’re probably going to kill her!” the colt exclaimed.
As much as Twilight wanted to use her magic to teleport into battlefield herself and try to mount a rescue operation, she did not have enough energy to do so. Rainbow told her that most of enemy’s artillery units and SAMs were destroyed, but a few AA guns still remained. The pegasi could try and rescue Firecracker, but they needed some backup from the ground. Twilight thought for a moment before she came up with something.
“I know who can help you.”
She changed the frequency in her communicator.
“Bertz, come in!”
-----------------
1405 hrs
Firecracker tumbled down the cliff, landing in the middle of a group of Exiles. She didn’t have enough magic energy to deal with all of them. Commander Clad Hoof stepped forward, looking angered. By contrast, the green unicorn mare had a smirk on her face.
“Too bad, dude. Looks like your tanks are busted,” she said with a smug tone.
“Just because you destroyed them doesn’t mean we’re done fighting,” the dark-brown stallion replied. “You made a big mistake. Now you are going to die.”
“You’ll have to catch me first!”
Firecracker quickly turned around, trying to escape, as her left back leg touched the ground, she felt severe pain. She must’ve hurt her leg when she fell down. Now she was an easy target.
“Bind her down!” Clad Hoof ordered to one of the unicorns accompanying him.
He complied and fired an icy beam of energy at Firecracker’s other back leg. She screamed and fell down on her belly. The Exile commander then walked up to her, rolled her on her back and started punching her in the face. He hit her eight times, leaving several bruises and making the mare dazed and unable to defend herself.
“I could kill you right now… but I prefer to make you suffer some more. Just like you made my soldiers suffer from your fire,” Clad Hoof said.
The Exiles formed a small circle around him and Firecracker Burst.
“Make her pay, Commander!” one of them encouraged Clad Hoof further.
“You’re just a bunch of dumb, spineless cowards,” Firecracker blurted out.
“Hmph. Your impertinence will be your demise… soon.”
Clad Hood rose his right foreleg and brought it down on Firecracker’s. The unicorn mare screamed once more as he pressed it down, nearly piercing her skin and causing it to bleed. He tried to break her arm. Firecracker was howling in pain, but could not do anything to set herself free. She glanced to the side and noticed another Exile preparing a lance. He was most likely readying himself to stab her through the skull or the gut, should the commander give him such an order. Either would ensure a painful death. It seemed like Firecracker’s days were numbered…
Just then, one of the Exiles noticed a few signals heading in their direction. He alerted Clad Hoof about them.
“Sir, there are multiple enemy contacts approaching. They are attacking!”
“What?”
The dark-brown earth pony stopped torturing Firecracker Burst and ordered his soldiers to intercept the EAF offense. Rainbow Dash, Medley, Fluttershy, Quick Chaser, Blackberry and five other fliers assumed attack formation and dived down to fight the Exiles. At the same time, Short Circuit, Applejack and Colgate were leading their own battalions into battle. Rainbow’s group managed to easily overpower the Exile pegasi. Fluttershy and Blackberry fought together, as did Rainbow and Medley. Their combined attacks easily defeated most of the enemy fighters.
“The coast is clear!” Rainbow hailed. “Fire away, Bertz!”
“Roger, Rainbow! Fire, fire, fill’em full of lead!” the young unicorn exclaimed to her companions.
A shower of mortar shells rained down upon the Exiles, destroying the few remaining AA guns and artillery remaining, causing utter chaos in their ranks. The decimated army group wasn’t posing that much of a threat anymore. All that remained now were some infantry troops and about twenty pegasi.
Clad Hoof realized he was at a disadvantage, but he still had Firecracker Burst.
“What’d you do now, dude? Better scram, you lost this battle,” she chugged.
“Maybe so… but at least I’ll have the privilege of killing you.”
He approached Firecracker again, but came to a halt when she suddenly started laughing.
“You’re an idiot. You should’ve done that when you caught me. Instead, you kept me alive. Now I’ll pay you back!”
She used her injured leg to kick the ice holding her in place. After a couple of hits, she managed to shatter it. Clad Hoof dashed to her.
“How do you plan to do this? You are hurt. And I won’t let you get away!”
Firecracker Burst stood up. She still had a smirk on her face, despite feeling intense pain.
“Who said anything about running? I may not have much energy left… but I have enough to do THIS!”
In a stunning gambit, she used whatever little magic power was remaining in her horn to blast Clad Hoof with a stream of fire. The Exile Commander fell on the ground, holding onto his face. Horrible screams of pain were escaping his mouth. Firecracker felt nothing short of pure satisfaction before she collapsed on the ground, unable to move even a single muscle. She was completely exhausted. She heard some voices nearby, then her eyes closed before she passed out.
-----------------
1837 hrs
Stalliongrad, EAF HQ
“She’s coming to!”
“Thank the stars!”
Firecracker heard those faint voices, but did not recognized them initially. When she slowly opened her eyes, she realized she was lying in a bed, surrounded by some familiar faces. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Short Circuit and the Cutie Mark Crusaders gathered around her bed.
The green unicorn bared her teeth.
“Ugh… hi, guys. Oww…”
She felt a stream of pain in her right arm. Slowly, she started to recollect the events that happened before she passed out. She turned her sight to Twilight.
“Hey, how long was I sleeping…?”
“Over four hours,” Twilight replied.
“W-What happened?”
“You lost consciousness. We’ve managed to defeat the majority of the remaining Exile forces and brought you back here. The medics woke you up just recently.”
Firecracker Burst felt strange. She could not move her right back leg, The fore leg still hurt her. Twilight had some bad news for her.
“Your back leg suffers from severe numbness. Had it remained frozen for a little bit longer, it could end up being amputated. Good thing you broke free.”
“Yeah, but… damn, it hurts like buck,” Firecracker whined.
“Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time to recover,” Rainbow said. “The medics aren’t letting you go until your injuries are treated. Seems like you’ll be stuck in here for a while.”
Hearing this, Firecracker frowned at first, but a satisfied grin replaced her worried expression in a few seconds.
“So I guess I’ll miss the party at Fillydelphia… Too bad. I had fun while it lasted. At least I’ve turned their commander’s face into cheese spread. Ha ha ha ha!”
The other ponies briefly laughed with her, though the Crusaders weren’t exactly certain if laughing was truly justified. Dinky seemed especially depressed. For the last few hours, she tried in vain to rid her mind of those horrible images she witnessed. Desolated battleground, burned and mutilated pony bodies, a musty smell… Today she had witnessed the grimmer, darker side of the war… one that her mother, Derpy, tried to protect her from.
Luckily, the others were there with her to cheer her up. Firecracker wanted to talk with the kids for a moment. Twilight and Rainbow left to go and talk with Captain Bluehaze in the port, as he wanted to see them. The Cutie Mark Crusaders huddled close to Firecracker and she gave them a genuine smile.
“Sorry for treating you like babies, guys. You really are something else. You may be small in size, but you’re large in spirit. You have every right to call yourselves soldiers now. Ugh…”
The green unicorn winced in pain.
“Are you all right, Ma’am?” Apple Bloom asked.
“I’ll be fine. Just need to rest a bit. You guys go ahead and remain with Twilight. I’ll rejoin you soon,” Firecracker Burst promised.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders left the room where she was lying, but one pony still remained. Short Circuit walked up to Firecracker, looking at her with uncertainty. Firecracker squinted her eyes.
“That was some fine work, Short Circuit. I hope you don’t think badly of me for calling you out before…”
The young unicorn shook her head.
“We couldn’t leave you hanging, Ma’am. We always come back for our troops. That’s what they told me in the boot camp. And I intend on following that rule.”
“Heh. Good. Thanks… you and the others probably saved my life. I owe you one… Bertz.”
Short Circuit felt proud and happy that Firecracker also recognized her codename now. Once she exited the room, she knew that she left her in good hooves.
Twilight and Rainbow Dash met with Captain Bluehaze, who seemed to be in a very positive mood. He took his hat off as a mean of welcoming the two mares and said:
“I heard you gave those Exiles a serious whooping. Great! Once the troops from your units finish boarding the ships, we can set sail immediately.”
“That’s good news, Captain,” said Twilight. “How long it will take us to reach Fillydelphia?”
“Assuming we won’t run into any trouble, we should be able to get there within 48 hours or so,” the navy blue earth pony replied.
Rainbow looked at Twilight.
“Let’s hope we’ll get there before the dragon reaches Ponyville.”
“A dragon you say?” Captain Bluehaze asked.
“We’ll tell you everything on the way, Cap,” Rainbow told him. “I’ll go ahead and tell the others to assemble and start boarding the ships. Are you sure your fleet can house a crew of almost 1000 ponies?”
“Don’t you worry,” Captain Bluehaze said smugly. “This pegasus carrier alone can house at least eleven squadrons, or about 80 pegasi, if you wish to go by numbers. My fleet is comprised of fourteen ships, which includes two frigates, three corvettes and two cruisers. I’m sure we’ll have plenty of free space once everypony boards ’em. We might even ask Big Bear to lend us a company or two.”
That statement eased Twilight and Rainbow’s worries.
Their operation yielded another success. However, nearly 100 EAF troops were killed during the battle and nearly 220 were reported to have suffered from various wounds. The Stalliongrad Defense Corps additionally lost about 50 soldiers. 34 civilians were wounded as well, but the medics were ready to provide them with necessary treatment.
Rainbow Dash did a quick flight around the city, informing every EAF soldier who was on standby to go to the port and prepare to board the ships. Within the next two hours, the ponies have assembled. Twilight’s main group was going to board the Aegis-class Daybreak vessel, while Colgate’s group chose the battleship Nightfall as their transport unit. Firecracker’s Flametongue unit had a change of command, since the green unicorn had to remain in the hospital due to her injuries. They were now under Short Circuit’s command, who still lead her 5th Earth Pony Battalion.
Rainbow Dash, Medley, Fluttershy and the other pegasi were going to remain on Luminescence, though they were going to be scrambled if enemy air forces were confirmed in the region. They could also just go for routine flights in an area around the carrier to keep things under control. Additionally, Cold Steel designated two of his own squadrons. The first was Osa, a squadron specialized in interception, while the other one, Sova, was best suited for scouting. They were to go along with Rainbow’s group. In total, nearly 920 ponies boarded the ships of the 1st Fleet. At exactly 2100 hours, Captain Bluehaze gave an order to set sail for Fillydelphia.
-----------------
But the ponies from EAF did not know that Commander Clad Hoof was still alive. Though his face was horribly burned, he was quickly nursed back to health by the Exile medics. Now, he wore a metallic mask over his face, as the burns were too severe to perform a proper transplant and reconstruct it.
The brown earth pony just finished telling Aurora about the recent battle and another of his failures. He didn’t sound very happy and Aurora certainly did not either.
“I was expecting more out of you, Commander… but I am willing to give you another chance,” she told him from the monitor.
“My Lady… thank you…” he responded slowly.
His voice was now a permanent hiss. Even though most of his vital organs were still working properly, his vocal cords had been damaged from Firecracker’s attack.
“If I am correct, Celestia’s army is heading for Fillydelphia, yes?” Aurora asked him.
“Yes, Lady…”
“Then I want you to reach the city before they do. Gather all your remaining troops and leave immediately. You must meet with our forces within Fillydelphia. In the meantime, I will make sure that Celestia’s ponies will arrive after you. Do what you must do, Commander. In the end, we will be victorious,” Aurora proclaimed.
She then ended the transmission. Commander Clad Hoof did as he was told. The Exiles may have been defeated this time… but soon… surely, their time of victory would come, as Aurora herself had said.