//------------------------------//
// Prologue: Night Raid  
// Story: A Reason To Fight 
// by Benjamin Carmine 
//------------------------------//

	11:30PM
GDI OUTPOST
PVT. Kyle "Talon" Cyra


I finished cleaning my rifle and reported to Col. Hemmer for orders. I exited the makeshift barracks, we could not have real ones since our Mobile Construction Vehicle was trashed during the warp. I slung my rifle over my shoulder and checked my grenade and ammo count. I went over to the vehicle depot, I proceeded to a super-heavy mammoth tank being repaired. I walked up to Hemmer who was dressed in a green officer cap with a Forest trench coat with a pistol on his belt. Even still the massive scar on his right eye bugged me. 

I walked up to him and gave him a salute, standing at attention. "Sir! Pvt. Cyra reporting for duty!" I kept at attention until he lowered my arm.

He took out a cigar and lit it, the sparks flying into the air, the smoke floating around me. "Easy Private I just need to head up to the watchtower and look out for any of their damned late night raiders trying to sneak in. We can't have another accident like last weeks."ams

I acknowledged and remembered back when a demolish team infiltrated our base and planted some charges on one of our three Juggernaut mobile artillery walkers. God it was awful 5 men died, including a Zone trooper and those aren't easy to replace they are the best of the best, basically commandos but one under. I headed up to the watchtower and turned my night vision on and scanned the woods. I heard a loud explosion off in the distance and looked North. Fire erupted in the wooded area, flames bursting in the air.I thought. 'What is that..That's the Brotherhood of Nod base why would it be in fire, we don't have any planned operations for a raid..What could it be?"  

I got worried and put my rifle off safety and aimed towards the woods, trying to ready myself for possible Scrin. I heard alarms blare in the base, Grunts grabbing their rifles and pilots of tanks and our remaining Orcas gunships and Fighter jets rushing to their vehicles. Beams of light coming from the forest, blowing up our sentry guns and AT emplacements. I aimed down my sights and concentrated to see my target. I was confused as I only saw a small, harmless pony, until the damn think shot a beam of light at our sentry gun, blowing it to smithereens. I aimed down my sights and let loose burst of rifle fire, hitting the pony in the legs and breaking off part of its horn. The thing falling to the ground, crippled.

More came out of the forest, I shot as I walked backwards, trying to get out of the tower, blasts almost hitting me and breaking the tower one by one. I turned around and sprinted down the tower and tried to find Hemmer, only to see him dead on the ground, organs laying out of his body, a gaping hole in his chest, blood pouring out of him, his cigar resting on the ground next to him and a pistol with casings near him. I became worried as the chain off command was dying off and since he was a good man, always cared about his troops.

As one of our Orcas tried taking off it was hit by a Beam of pure light, blowing the thing into pieces, the pilots body ripped to shreds. I turned heel to see my squad pinned in their foxhole. I tried to reach them when crossbow bolts pelted the ground and pierced the soldiers armor. The only people that could withstand it were the Zone Troopers and Zone Raiders with their sonic emitters and heavy armor I never understood zone raiders the only difference was the armor and gender, same goes for our outfit's commando. The Zone Raiders ignited their jump packs  and opened up on the ponies, barely getting hurt, the Zone Troopers providing cover support with their Rail Guns.

That's when I heard screaming, the Raiders retreating and zone troopers being cut down. I turned peaked out from a downed predator tank only to see a pony twice the size and mane and tail with a  dark celestial touch, almost did not look like hair. She had a dark blue coat with what I could only make out was a moon tattoo on her ass. Everywhere I looked things were being blown up and people cut down. The probable leader of the group, the one with both wings and a horn ordered her troops to flush out the fox hole with my squad..I had finally broke, seeing my "family" killed like that destroyed me. I was furious and depressed. I tried to peak around the tank only to be fired at.  

I laid down and peaked out from the tank, lining up a bullet to the one that gave to order to kill my family, anger was in control now, my emotions overtook me. I pulled the trigger, bullets missed and hit her guards instead only giving my position away. I picked up my rifle and tried to get up, turning heel to run away to another location where a commando is backed up against a wall. trying to keep his ground, taking hits from crossbow bolts. I grabbed him and pulled him down into a crater, as I yanked him a blast from the big pony obliterated the spot he just was. The base was filled with ponies, me and him was the last ones left. It was a final stand now.

I was breaking down inside, fatigue finally setting in. The commando fell as like nothing once a spear was jabbed right in his face mask, tearing right through him. I was scared like I never was. Even the time a Black hand was about to burn me alive.  I had nothing to live for anymore. I stood up from the trench and put my hands up in defeat, my head looking down. my rifle in front of me. I said loudly but not screaming. " I surrender, I give."

The commander walked up to me and looked at me, almost the same height but a couple centimeters higher than me. and snickered. "Oh you seem smarter then your companions, giving up was a good choice fighting was futile anyhow.  Just know that you will be under lock down when we return to Canterlot."

I am utterly confused for one being it can talk and it is a she, and did she just insult me? I can tell me and her aren't going to getting along well. I act like a douche and say." Oh yes you are right, you won oh master general." I act like in about to be arrested. " I will bring myself to the dungeon to bring honor back to me. Oh you deserve this victory your highness, how glorious must it feel to win."

`	She can tell i'm mocking her and gives me a evil look. And yells at me. "HOW DARE YOU INSULT THE PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT!! THOU KNOW NO RESPECT?!!"  

I am cut off guard by the harsh reaction and back off the insults and try to calm her down. "WHOA! Calm down lady sorry about that just calm the hell down."

She does not respond to me and says to her first officer." Sargent take the prisoner away, make sure he is under complete  lock down I want at least 5 guards watching him every second."

He nods." Yes Princess Luna it will be done." He tells two guards to get me. 

They take my arms and bind them with rope, pushing me into the forest where a chariot resides. They force me on it and one of them hits me with their back hooves..My vision begins to fade and I collapse on the ground