I think this was the bumpiest truck ride I have ever been on in my entire career as a soldier. The road we were on had been devastated by numerous battles that had taken place on it. But Where did this road end?
It ended in San Fransiscolt.
This was the last major city that needed to be taken in order to finally complete Operation Bronco. The end goal of Operation Bronco was to make and support a major offensive line that could crawl its way up to Canterlot if needed.
This city is a special one, since it's the only city left to complete the operation. We are expecting more resistance from the Equestrian Royal Army, but not too much. In any case, we have come prepared; and with a lot of Armored columns, followed by four ST-1x Super tanks in case we need them, but it's highly unlikely we will.
I'm just bragging, but the armor the DAF has is vastly superior to Equestrian tanks, which were solely based off an inferior Zebrican design. Now, our tanks have their problems too, but they are less common with us than they are with ERA tanks. I'm not even sure how the ponies even move four meters before the engine jams or something. It helps that they use magic to run most of the components, but it requires a unicorn to run it, and several other basic crew members. Without magic, the ERA Mk 1 can't do jack.
Of course, this is tanker talk, and I'm not a tanker, I'm with the infantry. Personally, I prefer being outside of a tank than inside one, especially since the risk of fires has risen in DAF tanks. Besides, toasted Mathew wouldn't taste good either.
Mmm, toast...
Sorry, lost my train of thought for a sec, I forgot to eat breakfast this morning. Which was regrettably the worst choice I've made today, cause I'm starving right now.
"Mat, look alive."
"What?" I replied hazily, my head still in the clouds.
"I thought you froze up on me for a sec, Mat." It was the driver I was sitting next to.
"I was just thinking." I said.
"About what, Mat? Is it the war?" The driver asked me.
"No, but my stomach feels like a war zone. You got any MREs?" I asked him.
"Hold on, take the wheel for a sec." The driver replied, gesturing me to take control of the truck.
"Uh, alright." I reply questionably, bending sideways to grip the steering wheel. The driver pulled out his munitions pack and began to search around. Finding what he was looking for, he pulled out the MRE and handed it to me.
"You got lucky, it was my last one, Mat." He said, taking control of the truck again.
"Thanks, but why keep it in your munitions pack?" I ask him.
"Food is ammunition for the body of a soldier, and water is the fuel." He replies. "That's why the water container is right next to the gasoline container on the back of the truck."
"I see." I reply, preparing the MRE.
I look back out the window and immediately see billows of smoke pouring out of nearby villages, tanks lined up for the assault on San Fransiscolt, poor infantry marching all the way there, and recon aircraft zipping above our heads, keeping constant watch.
I look back to the driver. "How long until we get to the edge of San Fransiscolt?" I asked him.
"Oh, I'd say an hour from now. You getting car sick or something?" He replies back to me.
"No, I just need to get myself some leg room." I say.
"Well, we can stop now if you want." He says.
"No, it's not that important." I reply.
"Okay, if you say so, Mat." He replied.
"Do you remember those drives we used to take from Oklahoma to New Mexico?" I asked out of the blue.
"…Yeah, I remember." He replied.
"Remember when Jessica threw up all over the dash?" I said.
"Shit, yeah. I remember the smell." He replied, chuckling as he finished.
"God, it took hours to get the smell tolerable-"
WHOOSH!
The truck jerked as the driver tried to see what was happening. I saw the silhouette of a biplane flying low and fast over the convoy. It was an ERA fighter!
When I realized this, the AA trucks began to open fire with their quad guns. Tracers were flying towards the biplane, which was trying to dodge the barrage of lead.
The ERA biplane turned around and faced the convoy, which was a dumb move, because three seconds later it caught on fire and the pilot bailed. The plane spiraled downward towards the earth, just missing the convoy.
Some of the infantry walking outside tracked and captured the ERA pilot as soon as he touched the ground. I scanned the skies for any enemy aircraft, when there wasn't any, I settled down. The infantry were still alert, as well as the machine gunners on the tanks.
I remembered the MRE in my hand, and began to eat it again.
"Some crazy stuff, right?" The driver said.
"Yeah, and we're going to be in the middle of it." I replied.
"I pray to god we live." He said.
"We'll live. I'll make sure of it." I said. I continued to stare out the window, hoping to get there sooner and get this over with. Besides, what could go wrong?
Shit, I probably just jinxed myself.
Oh well, I won't find out for at least another hour or so.
We weren't even four miles away and we already began to hear the battle rage on in the city. God, that place was big!
"We'll stop in a few minutes, Mat. You should get the men and yourself ready." The driver suggested.
"Thanks Anthony." I replied, as I got out of the seat and opened a small hatch. Inside revealed the rear of the truck, with my whole squad sitting in the back.
"Guys, in a few minutes we'll be in San Fransiscolt, so get yourselves ready." I said, getting back into my seat up front.
I pulled off my backpack and checked how much ammo I had. Nineteen SAR clips, making it 380 SAR rounds. Seven grenades, ten HHP magazines, making 70 HHP rounds, and a single battery mine.
I was satisfied with my numbers, so I moved on to check my SAR, pulling the gun apart, then putting it back together. I moved on to my HHP pistol, repeating the same process of pulling it apart and putting it back in one piece.
I pulled out my gas mask and checked the filter for wear or tear. I don't want to suffocate or anything, and better safe than sorry.
I was satisfied with my inspection, and I put my backpack on again.
We were much closer now, the sounds of battle were louder, the infantry outside began to find cover, while the tanks guarded the convoy, engaging enemy tanks that got too close. I knew that somehow, this was going to be chaotic, and I got that feeling of fearing for your life again.
"Mat, this is going to get way too hot for me in a sec, I'm gonna have to let you guys off over there." Anthony said, pointing to a nearby ditch.
"Alright, do what you have to, just get us as close as possible." I replied.
"Yes, sir." Anthony replied.
The truck then turned towards the ditch, and then stopped next to it. The rest of the squad trucks halted as well, getting ready to deploy their infantry.
Let the show begin.
I open the door and jump out of the truck, equipping the SAR that was slung across my back. I headed towards the rear of the truck to open the tailgate and let the men out. I opened the gate, and the men poured out.
"Alright guys, we're going in on foot. I'll take point." I said, and I gave the order to move out.
We left the truck behind and double-timed down the road towards San Fransiscolt, followed by the rest of our platoon. Not long after, we made it to the city, luckily, the ERA forces that were defending the rim of San Fransiscolt were pushed back fast. Bad thing was, they were pushed back so fast that some ERA troops were left behind on accident, meaning scattered resistance was everywhere.
So when we got in the city, we immediately took fire from elevated positions, but the tanks behind us took them out quickly with HE rounds. We were making good progress, with thankfully no casualties from my squad yet, then HQ radioed our platoon and assigned us a new objective, which was to secure a park in the eastern side of the city, and we all headed over there.
When we got there, there was an excessive amount of ERA troops present. About twenty.
"Hey Jonathan, get over here." I whispered to the other squad leader.
"Yeah, coming." He replied.
"Okay, their forces are over here, and we're here, and we want to get over there." I told Jonathan when he got over me. "Take your squad and distract the enemy, while I take my squad and flank them."
"Sounds like a plan." Jonathan replied, as he got up and went back to his squad.
"Alright, here's the plan, Jonathan will take his squad and distract the ponies down there, while our squad will flank them." I said. "Move out and follow me."
I got up and walked carefully around the edge of the park, to where we were positioned beside the enemy. I waited until Jonathan's squad finally attacked. One ERA mare was unlucky enough to get hit twice, one hit her torso, sending small sparks flying from the armor, the other went clean through her throat. She fell to the ground and desperately began to grab at her throat, covering her hooves in her own blood. Two other ERA soldiers managed to pull her to cover, but she died soon after.
"Now!" I said, running out from cover behind a building.
I found a place to take cover, a brick wall roughly five yards wide, and four feet tall. I crouched behind it and aimed at a pony with my SAR, took careful aim, then I squeezed the trigger. The rifle flew back into my shoulder as a loud CRACK came from the tip of the barrel.
The bullet hit the stallion straight through the forehead, forcing blood, bone, grey matter, and brains to fly everywhere. Sparks flew from the bullet hitting the silver helmet at around 3500 fps. The stallion's head forcefully jerks backwards and his entire body slammed into the ground. The other ponies looked towards me as I got down behind cover, then there were more rifle bursts from behind me. I looked behind me, and my squad was crouched there, firing at the ponies. We hit three more, making that a total of 5 Equestrian casualties.
The ponies panicked and tried to retreat, but one of our tanks appeared from around the corner behind the equestrians, and the machine gunner opened up on them, mowing down fourteen of the retreating ponies. Only a single pony was left, and she seemed to suffer a leg wound.
I leapt from cover and approached her, she noticed me while she was trying to crawl away.
"Stay back, you monster! Stay away from me!" She yelled, holding only a knife.
"Drop your weapon! Do it now!" I yelled back, threatening her with my SAR aimed directly at the mare. Everyone else was aiming at her too, though the tank was long gone. "I SAID DROP IT!" I yelled much louder.
"You aren't killing me!" She yelled back, trying to get away.
I had to do something, I didn't want to have to kill her. So, I had to subdue her. I ran up to her and kicked the knife out of her hoof, she screamed in pain as I gripped her throat and pulled out my HHP and put it to her head.
"Please, please don't!" She cried, tears streaming from her eyes. I bluntly ignored her plea for mercy, because I wasn't going to kill her any way.
"Jones! Help me restrain her!" I said, pointing to Private Jones.
When he came over to me, the rest of the men settled down. Though it was hard to restrain her when she was flailing her legs, crying and screaming things like 'Please don't kill me' and 'Let me go'. Eventually, I got sick of it, so I grabbed her head and bashed it against the ground, knocking her out cold.
Later, a Ranger scout car came by, and we gave them the prisoner, telling them she may flip out again when she wakes up.
Our objective complete, the rest of our platoon moved forward, and we got the reports that the other forces were fighting at the bridge in the middle of San Fransiscolt, meaning that we controlled half the city.
At one point, we entered a building, and I saw something I thought I would never see in my life; a container of Root Beer. I immediately ran to it, pouring my water bottle out on the floor, and filled it with the Root Beer. I took a sip of it, and it was the best Root Beer I have ever tasted.
I couldn't take the container though, but I had a bottle full of Root Beer. That was enough to make me happy.
We left the building and continued our march forward to the front lines, but halfway in, Equestrian bombers began to pound the south side of San Fransiscolt.
"You hear that?" A soldier from the other squad says.
"Yeah, sounds like-"
BOOM!
I looked up, and to my horror, there were Equestrian bombers coming this way.
"BOMBERS!" I yell.
We had to get as far away from here as possible, so I began to run away, and everyone else followed.
We ran as fast as our legs could carry us, and I looked behind us, and what I saw brought some relief. Some DAF fighter planes were engaging the bombers, and two bombers were already going down.
I slowed down some, but realized that there were still bombers incoming, so I picked up the pace. I could hear the whistle of bombs dropping, and the bombers flew over our heads. A bomb flew directly over my head, it hit the ground, and skidded on the road with a dull thud.
It was a dud.
Holy crap, that was literally too close.
Other bombs hit the buildings next to us, brick, wood, concrete, and stone was flying everywhere. I thought I heard a guy get hit in the head by a brick, thank god we're wearing helmets.
We found what looked like a subway, so we went in to avoid the bombs. Eventually we were all in the subway, but an explosion collapsed the entrance. There was no way of getting out through that door, so we went down deeper into the dark subway. It got so dark that we had to attach flashlights to our weapons so that we could see through the darkness.
I could still hear the bombardment continue above us, and it was scary.
"It's creepy down here..." One of the guys said.
"No kidding." Said another man.
Suddenly, we heard hoof steps, and we scanned the area with our flashlights.
"Found something!" A man whispered.
He walked over to it, and yelled in surprise as something jumped out from the darkness.
"I got it!" He said, holding something.
"Let go of me!" Said a voice that came from his arms.
"It's just a kid, guys." He says.
"I want to see my mommy!" The filly said.
"Let the kid go, she won't bother us, will you?" I said to the Soldier and to the filly.
"I-I won't." Said the filly.
"Alright, get outa here!" The soldier said, and with that, the filly scurried away into the darkness.
"I'll say this, they are cute." The soldier said.
We continued our trek until we spotted a stairwell, and with it, an exit. When we crawled out of there, we ended up in the middle of a tank battle.
"Hey! Over here!" A tank commander called out.
I went to talk with him, but an ERA tank shell nearly hit me when it ricocheted off the armor of the tank. In response, the T-4's main gun fired its large 75mm round at the ERA Mk 1. The Mk 1 was hit by the round, and exploded, blowing the turret off the tank.
"What did you need, sir?" I asked the commander.
"I need your squad to find some nasty ERA antitank squad that's killed off two of our tanks already. Can you kill those bastards so we can advance?" The commander asked, pointing at two knocked out T-4 tanks.
"Yes sir, we can." I replied, giving a quick salute.
The commander closed his hatch, and I walked back to my squad.
"Alright, we need to take out an antitank position, possibly behind that building," I said, pointing at a building nearby, "so we are going to have to be careful."
I walked back to the tank and knocked on the hatch.
"Yes?" The commander said, opening the hatch.
"If you can, could you give us some backup if we need it?" I asked him.
"Well, I'll be here waiting for you to take out that antitank team, so I think we could help." He replied.
"Thanks." I said, hopping off the tank.
I gathered my men, and we moved out again. We passed the T-4s and saw the burnt corpses of the crew that were trying to get out. It was a sight, a horrifying sight.
We were going around the corner, and there was our suspected antitank team. They must have relocated, judging from where the tanks were destroyed. There were few ponies, but they had a howitzer with them.
The howitzer fired a massive 102mm round at us, and it hit the ground in front of me, and exploded. Next thing I knew I was flying backwards, and was on the ground. I was trying to process what had just transpired, so I tried to get up, but there was a sharp pain in my arm. I looked at my arm and saw that a piece of shrapnel was lodged in my upper arm. It stung like shit.
I wasn't worried about being careful, so I somewhat yanked the piece of metal out. And boy were tears shed. It hurt so bad I didn't want to get up. But I had to ignore the pain if I want to live, so I got back up, and was Immediately shot at.
I ran for cover and grabbed for my SAR, but it wasn't there.
Oh crap.
It was in the middle of the road.
The only ranged weapon I had on me was my HHP, a low-accuracy pistol. Not a great last resort weapon.
"You alright, sir?" The man next to me asks.
"Yeah, it's just a scratch." I replied.
I peer from my cover and see the howitzer crew, still pinned down, but able to deal heavy damage.
"Jones! Use a pineapple!" I yell.
He silently acknowledges the command, and prepared a grenade, but it all went wrong when he dropped the grenade, which switched the igniter on. Jones, not knowing what else to do, jumped away from the grenade, just as it detonated. He scrambled to his feet, and somehow made his way back to cover without getting hit by enemy fire.
That was clo-
BOOM!
The howitzer had opened fire on one of the men, and completely destroyed their cover, killing the man.
"NO!" I yelled. "You bastards!"
In a mad fury, I took a grenade, pulled the pin, activated the igniter, and threw the grenade as far as I could at the ponies. It must have landed on the ammo, because the howitzer was engulfed in a good sized fireball. It seemed to have killed three ponies, as their bodies laid still and burned.
The other two ponies put up a fierce fight, but it was useless, as they were both gunned down. I ran over to the ponies and began to bash their faces with my spade. I was so pissed, I didn't realize that one of them was still alive during the beating. Their faces made unrecognizable, I walked away, but one of them caught my eye.
It was a mare, she had a blonde mane, and an orange coat. I don't know why she got my attention, but I walked over to the body of the mare, and found a letter tucked away in her armor, just barely sticking out. I picked it up, and read its contents.
It's been a long time since I've sent ya'll a letter, but them humans have been trying to take southern Equestria, so we've moved out to defend one of them big cities, San Fransiscolt, if I remember correctly. We got them humans a surprise, though, it should really throw em off, I can't say much more, but I'll say we could save the city, and all those ponies. I can't wait to see ya'll again after this battle, it's been so long.
I love ya'll,
Applejack.
I closed the letter, and stuffed it In my pocket. What does the ERA have planned? Is it more forces? A secret weapon? A nuke?
Scratch that, couldn't be a nuke.
I had to get this letter relayed to HQ for analysis, so I left the body alone, then I realized I just broke my own rule about touching a dead body. Oh well.
"Guys, I got some vital information I have to relay to HQ. Gather the wounded, we're done here." I said, walking past the howitzer. But I heard a noise behind me.
Wait.
Crap! It's a Mk 1!
No, two Mk 1s!
Wait...
Shit, there's four Mk 1s...
And their guns are pointed straight at me.