//------------------------------// // Equestrian Black Crusade Arc: Four New Allies // Story: For the Emperor and the UNSC! (Old version) // by Titan Commander Sebaste //------------------------------// Maria ducked as a brute swung his hammer over her head, “Rider, get rid of these guys already!” she yelled at the sniper who was being swarmed by buggers. “I would, but I am a little busy right now!” he replied. “We don’t have the manpower to keep this many Covies busy for long!” John shouted as he cut the head off of a brute, “We need help.” “Qi’meen, get to the pelican and grab the .950. Rider needs it.” Maria ordered as she pulled out a chain sword and an assault rifle, “Sebastian and Sebaste, we need your help.” *Canterlot* “All right, so how many forces should we send to the Cadian Gate?” Sebaste asked. “I’d say at least four Displaced and a few Imperial forces” Sebastian replied. “Hmm, Ultron, you’ll be part of the Cadian Gate defence force along with Yubal.” “Great, I already have the legions on standby.” Ultron answered. Yubel looked over a few cards in her hand and got off from leaning on the wall. “Echo, radio whichever Imperial forces are in range and let them know that they’re needed at the Cadian Gate immediately” Sebaste ordered “Got it boss.” Echo replied as he got to work. “Right, now…” Just then a female voice was heard by all of the Displaced in the room. “Sebastian and Sebaste, we need your help.” A portal opened up and started to pull the two in. “Not again!” The Spartan shouted. “Not happening!” Was all Echo shouted as he latched onto Sebastian’s leg, trying to stop the force, but only ended up being pulled in as well. The commissar silently watch the event before shaking his head as the nostalgia washed over him. “That is the one thing I don't miss.” Before leaving the room to complete his duty. But as he left he turned his head to speak to the now empty room. “May the emperor protect you all; We don't need anymore dead heroes.” Soon the portal spat out the Displaced into a battlezone. “Bloody hell, who’s the wise guy that summoned us?!” Sebaste shouted. Maria turned to face the new arrivals, “That would be me, boys.” Maria used her suits hardlight shield to block another hit from a gravity hammer, “We could use your help though. There is way too many Covies for just me and my three teammates.” Sebastian nodded. “Ultron, Yubal, back her up. Echo, you’re with us.” He ordered as he summoned his lightning claws and opened up with his Storm Bolters. Ultron gave a nod and opened fire, power blasting them off Maria and flying to enter the fight. Yubel flew in smashing one into the ground taking the gravity hammer. Ultron glared as a shot hit him. Hands raised the poor attacker was lifted up by magic and used as a living weapon, slamming into his allies at every turn. “I love magic.” Ultron said, dropping the now dead body. There was a loud bang as Rider fired his rifle into a charging group of brutes killing the first couple, “Maria, you going to torch these guys or are we going to do this the hard way?” Rider dropped down as a brute attempted to tackle him. He threw his shoulder into the brute’s gut causing it to spit blood, “What is with these things and trying to kill us?” “They love to fight.” Maria said as she jumped and kicked a brute in the face, “Am I the only one concerned about the lack of variety in the things attacking us?” Maria said as she drew her oversized katana. “You fool, you just had to go and jinx it didn’t you?!” Shouted Echo as he cut open a brute's throat.   Sebaste rolled his eyes. “Seriously? You’re worried about Murphy's law?!” He asked Echo as he smashed aside a brute with a Gravity Hammer. “I used to not worry about it, but then I watched as a guard jinx something and that thing happened not two seconds later. So yes I am very concerned.” Echo replied, before throwing two cards into the side of a brute shot causing it to explode. A phantom came down from out of nowhere and dropped off two ghost and a wraith, “Great they have a tank.” John said as he pulled his blaster cannon off his back, “No one complain about anything please. I just want to sleep.” “Got the perfect form to take them out.” Sebastian said before going into his Dreadnought form and unleashing a tirade from his Kheres Assault Cannon at the Wraith. The Adamantium tipped bullets ripped through the tank, hitting a fuel line in the process and annihilating it in a fiery explosion. “Adamantium bullets? I’ll save that one for the next models.” Ultron said to himself. He spotted something trying to attack Yubel from behind and blasted it for her. “Your welcome.” Yubel rolled her eyes. “Whatever, I don’t fear getting hurt.” “I have had enough of the endless swarms, so that. Is. Enough! Activating the Archimedes II Orbital Laser. Target, enemy camp.” Echo said and a minute later the enemy camp was obliterated by a solar laser. “There, no more reinforcements.” “Holy Throne!” Sebastian swore before gutting the brute he was fighting on his lightning claws and turning to the remaining foes. Maria closed her eyes as she focused on the group of brutes in front of her. Slowly lightning started to dance along her arms as the brutes charged her, “You have made a grave mistake.” was all she said before she launched a torrent of lightning at the brutes electrocuting them. “Whoa!” Sebaste yelped as a bolt missed him. “Watch where you zap, I nearly got fried!” Rider approached Sebaste, “You should have seen her when she went full on demon when a group of elites stole a filly after killing her parents. I felt bad for the ones who did not lay down their weapons.” “Full on Demon? That's impossible, Spartans can't turn into demons, it’s just a moniker the Covenant gave them…” Sebaste said. “”Yes and humans can’t become superpowered beings.” Yubel remarked. “Tell that to her.” Rider looked at the number of dead bodies in the field, “She never did that before we got here is the odd part. It’s like when she took that sword from the merchant he did something to her, and now when she gets mad she becomes a demon.” “Back up one sec, you said the Merchant?!” The Spartan asked. “He’s the one that sent you guys here?!” “Yes he did. The only good thing that came from it so far is that we were reunited with an old friend and now we can actually do good for once. All anyone saw us as were machines made for killing. Here we are peace keepers loved by those we protect.” “He’s the reason all of us became as we are now, we were all cosplayers at conventions and he sold us something that changed us into the character we were pretending to be! You think we asked to be sent to another universe, away from our families? What he’s done is unforgivable.” Sebaste snarled ‘Actually I am the real Yubel, and it wasn’t the merchant who displaced me.” Yubel corrected. “I died to get here.” Echo stated. “Well, most of us.” Sebaste amended. Qi’meen, John, and Maria approached the Spartan, “Thank you for your help. We could not have stopped them without you all.” When Qi’meen finished a CCS battlecruiser flew over head. “It is about time they got their sorry rears over here.” Maria said. Sebaste looked at the four. “We could use your help, you see, the universe Sasha and I are in is under attack from a Displaced named Ahriman and his allies. We need all the allies we can get, the ones that came with us are just some of them.” Maria saluted the two, “You helped us. So least we could do is join you in the defense of your universe.” Sebaste and Sebastian returned the salute. “ Then welcome to the UDE.” Sebaste said. “Let's get back to my world and I’ll brief you there.” “Let us just retrieve our Covenant ship and its crew and we will be happy to join you.” Maria responded as the pelican landed behind the four. “Ultron, you think you can open a portal to our universe up?” Sebaste asked the robot. “Yes I can, though brace yourselves this is kinda experimental for me.” Ultron raised his hands summoning his token as a focal point. In a flash of light they entered into a portal. The flash stopped as the returned with Ultron holding his head. “Still need to fix a few kinks in it everyone ok?” “Little shook up but fine.” Maria said. “Yeah, we’re fine” Sebastian answered. “My head, hurts and it feels like someone just sat on it, weighing a skeleTON.” Echo joked.. A rimshot was heard at the joke. “That was so bad that not even executing you would help mortal.”replied the newly returned commissar. “You just had to kill the mood…” Sebaste deadpanned at Craner. “Well fine, if you don’t find this humerus then I will just go sit in a corner and mope.” Echo said back before trotting off. “I speak only the truth.”Replied the commissar. But all in the room could feel the grin hidden under the mask. The four new arrivals just watched and listened as they started to act like a strange family, “So, what do you need us to do?” Maria tried to ask the Spartan. “What exactly are your powers and abilities?” Sebaste asked the four. Maria stepped forward, “I can control lightning and fire to an extent. I also become a demon if pushed emotionally too far. I can pick up almost any weapon and know how to use it also.” John moved forward next, “I am excellent with electronics. I have yet to find out if I have any actual abilities though.” Qi’meen moved to stand next to John, “I am capable of making large lightning storms.” Finally Rider moved forward, “I can hit any target you give me. I can also pilot any form of vehicle.” “Hmmm…” Sebaste said. “You would make a perfect strike team, but as we have a lot more allies coming in and being assigned to defend other worlds, you’d be best helping defend Equis with the 145th Siege Regiment and Commissar Craner. If you’re okay with that arrangement…” “That is fine with us. I just have one question. Did our CCS Battlecruiser come through with us? My Sword Brother is determined to redeem himself, by defending the innocent.” “Yeah, it above the planet with Terra’s Wrath, our combined UNSC/Imperium fleet.” Sebastian replied. “Good. When we are done here I shall inform my men of the current situation.” Maria said. “We better get some rest now.” Sebaste said. “The briefing starts tomorrow at 1200.” “So anyone know where Father Anderson and Allen are?” Ultron asked. “Allen was off storing an armory's worth of gear, and the priest? No idea.” Yubel answered. “I heard that Anderson was off talking to a… techpriest I believe.” Echo said. “Alright, everyone get some rest, we have a briefing tomorrow and I don't think everyone being sleep deprived will make it end well.” Sebastian said to the group. “Report here at 1200 hours. Dismissed!” The others nodded and headed to their respective rooms or barracks. Sebaste then looked over at the Astartes. “ I have the feeling that I don't want to get on Maria’s bad side.” “Agreed. See you tomorrow.” With that, the duo headed to their rooms. Tomorrow was going to be a long day….