[IMPORTANT NOTICE: It is advisable to read Battle #28 before attempting this scenario. This is because it is the previous instalment of an ongoing plotline, of which this scenario is the second part.]

When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty.

~Thomas Jefferson

-Shardscree valley, 10:00 PM. 10th of March.

This is not war. This is murder... Then again, is there really much of a difference between the two?

These are the thoughts that echo in your mind as you step over another twisted and shattered corpse.

It has been exactly two hours since the start of the ambush.

Running a hand over your face, you look up at the stars. They are shining brightly tonight. In the distance, the blazing pyre glows sullenly at the north end of the valley, where the equine bodies are being burned.

No burial or honoured resting place for them. There's simply no time. It's more respectful than simply leaving them to rot where they fell, at any rate.

In the orange light of the fire, a small group of men are sorting through the personal effects of the dead, under the supervision of a sergeant.

Currency, jewellery and other valuables are considered as appropriate plunder. Items of clothing and armour are not to be touched, unless they looked like they might prove useful. Any other personal effects deemed not to be particularly valuable are also to be left where they are.

Even mercenaries have rules when it comes to dealing with the dead. You are businessmen, not monsters.

Turning about, you stride down to the south end of the valley road. In the darkness, the smears of blood upon the ground appear as pools of inky black.

The sole survivor awaits you at the south end of the valley. Caged and bound, the strange device given to you by the even stranger changelings has been clamped around the creature's long horn, inhibiting it's inherent magical ability.

Ten good men died trying to subdue this creature. At least another two were badly wounded as they tried to capture it.

Was the money really worth their lives?

With a quick shake of the head, you dispel that unwanted thought from your mind. It's too late to change anything now.

Your captive seems to behaving amicably, at least for the moment. She seems to be handling defeat rather well, all things considered. The initial rage and grief appear to have dwindled into begrudging acceptance, and quiet resentment.

"Your name is... Twilight Sparkle, yes?"

She doesn't answer your question verbally, but a short, terse nod of the head says all you need to know.

"Were you aware that there was a price on your head?"

Silence. The creature shifts uneasily, but her refusal to speak means that you don't really have much of an answer.

"...You can talk. I know you can, because I heard you."

Still no answer.

With a sigh, you remark dryly: "...Come now, you're not helping yourself by remaining silent."

Nothing. Not a word.

"...I'm wasting my time here, aren't I? Aren't you at least curious as to why we we're here?"

The tense silence is beginning to grate on your nerves. Maybe you should just kill this thing and have done with it... But part of you still wants to talk.

You want to know more about this strange creature. A single minute of conversation could be more informative to you than a whole month's worth of action reports... If only she would just talk!

Still, you can't blame her for not wanting to talk. Her entire entourage is lying dead upon the ground, and she is trapped, caged, like a feral beast.

Regardless, your men are preparing to move out. You must make the decision now: there is no more time...

So what should you do?

Realistically, there's only one feasible option. Despite all the containment equipment that you've been gifted, moving such a high-profile and obviously dangerous prisoner across enemy territory?

It's possible, but it's likely to be more trouble than it's worth... The other option, on the other hand... Well, dead bodies don't need feeding or guarding. They don't need to be contained with any special equipment, and they're considerably less dangerous.

There's really only one viable option.

You'll make it quick. As painless as possible. There's no honour in deliberately dragging out the suffering.

Well, time to get this over with.

And besides, what's the worst that could happen?

-----------------------------------

-Canterlot Castle, 10:05 PM. 10th of March.

Even the most privileged and trusted advisors to the Equestrian Royal Family know little about the various hidden qualities of their leaders.

Some of the more well-known skills of "Alicorns", as they are commonly known, include greatly enhanced strength, stamina, endurance and magical power. They can perform both magical and physical feats that would result in the permanent injury or even the death of lesser mortals.

To those who know Alicorns, none of this is particularly surprising : After all, Alicorns are beings so intrinsically linked with magic that it extends their lifespan indefinitely. As long as the body of an Alicorn is capable of supporting life, they will neither age nor die through natural means; they are totally resistant to all types of poisons and diseases.

In addition, the age at which they achieved ascension is perpetually maintained by their connection with the very core of magic itself.

However, there are a few things that only a very small number of ponies know; That Alicorns have inherent ability to make their minds leave their physical bodies at will, often entering the minds of others in order to observe, to learn, and to protect.

The term "Alicorn" is also not the true name for these creatures: It appears that their true name cannot be spoken in any language.

The closest anyone has ever come to an exact translation of the name into the Equine language resulted in a single word: "Aesir". Still, even this is a very imprecise and heavily simplified translation of the real name.

Finally, all Alicorns share a physic bond between their minds. However, it is not so precise that one can submit exact thoughts to another Alicorn.

It is something that even the Alicorns themselves struggle to control. In times of great emotional or physical pain, the basic emotions of an Alicorn are sometimes "broadcast" along this mental connection. It cannot be blocked, it cannot be predicted, it cannot be intercepted; it cannot be controlled.

It is through this connection that Celestia, Luna and Cadence felt the moment Twilight Sparkle's life was extinguished.

To them, it was as if all sound had momentarily been switched off. Time seemed to slow to a standstill.

The wave of emotional and physical pain hit like a freight train. Celestia, being both the oldest and most experienced Alicorn only stumbled as her knees momentarily gave way. Luna, being only slightly less experienced than her sister, tumbled out of the chair she had been sitting in, almost as if she had been physically pushed.

Cadence, on the other hand, had the unfortunate combination of being the youngest, and the most emotionally sensitive, fared much worse. Her knees gave way beneath her, sending her sprawling to the ground, head spinning, eyes blurring and ears ringing. Several blood vessels in her nose burst as a result of the physic onslaught, and it began to bleed profusely, blood pouring onto the stone floor.

Then, as suddenly as it came, it was over. Three minds reeled from the shock, even as their physical forms struggled to regain their balance.

Two minds were engulfed by confusion, sadness and grief...

...But the third felt something different. A terrible, burning anger enveloped the mind of Princess Celestia. Her greatest triumph, the heart of her ultimate plan, the keystone of the greatest weapon she had at her disposal had been destroyed.

Now her plans laid in ashes, broken and shattered... But this world would be hers, no matter the cost, no matter how many died in her pursuit of absolute power.

Those responsible for thwarting her plans would pay. By the time she finished with them, they would beg for the sweet release of death, and she would oblige. Eventually. But first, she would make them scream.

With a grim smile, Celestia began to plan her revenge.

-----------------------------------

Special Operations Corp Headquarters, Canterlot. 9:30 AM, 15th of March.

Good evening. My name is Colonel Blackwood. I've been sent over from the Royal Intelligence Agency to brief you on your latest assignment.

To put it in more simplistic terms, I suppose I'm what you might refer to as a "Spook", assuming I'm up-to-date with the current military slang...

Anyway... Right, so, as you no doubt know, the Gryphon kingdoms are currently in a state of civil war, as the Separatist and Loyalist factions engage in open warfare over the future of the crown.

Current Intelligence reports suggest that the Loyalist forces hold the upper hoof in this conflict.

Lord Shrike, a Separatist General, has contacted us quite recently. He has previously co-operated with Equestrian forces, and is somewhat sympathetic to our cause. As such, he has agreed to share with us with key information regarding the assassination of Princess Twilight.

However, in order for the information to be exchanged, he has requested that Equestrian special forces ambush and assassinate Prince Talon, a Loyalist commander and a member of the Gryphonic Royal Family.

In other words, we aren't about to get something for nothing.

Anyway, such an action will damage the Loyalist's morale, and remove an experienced commander from the field, thus giving the Separatist forces an advantage.

A small team from the Royal Scouts Special Intelligence and Reconnoissance Division, under the command of Captain Stardust has already been deployed, and has been able to link up with Separatist forces in the area.

Through this channel of information, we have been able to secure a copy of Prince Talon's Inspection Schedule.

You are to ambush the Prince's convoy as he travels between Loyalist garrisons. The recon team has already selected an ideal ambush point, located between the Fortified Town of Screel and Fort Lost-feather.

The ambush point is along the inter-connecting road that links the two garrisons. Thirteen miles out of Screel, the road bisects the Forest of Half-rock. The road heads into the forest for about 5 miles, following the Black River downstream.

As you can see from this fairth, (That's an image or likeness produced by magic. It's created by mentally picturing the image you are currently seeing and using magic to transfer it onto a surface, usually a slate tablet, with colored pigments imbued in it. Oh, and it is possible to create a false image with a fairth, though it is very difficult; usually only very experienced magic users can do this. ~Bloodpool.) the river runs along the right-hand side of the road, and is about 12 meters wide and at least 2 meters deep at any given point. Along the left-hand side of the road, the land rises sharply. The hillside is steep, and densely wooded. However, the trees do not grow all the way up to the roadside; as this is a road frequently used by military forces, the trees have been cut back from the roadside, leaving several meters of flat, open ground between the treeline and the road.

Other than that, I haven't got much else to say. Captain Stardust will brief you on the finer details when you arrive at the rendezvous point.

Good luck.

-----------------------------------

The Player: United Equestrian Empire (UEE)

Common units: N/A

Special units:

Royal Guard Pegasi: 4 units

Royal Guard Unicorns: 4 units

Lunar Knights: 2 units

Royal Assassins: 2 units

Heroes: N/A

--------------------------------

The Enemy: Gryphon Loyalists (GRL)

Common units:

Gryphon Heavy Infantry: 6 units

Hippogriff Light Infantry: 12 units

Gryphon Enforcers: 6 units

Special units:

The King's Bodyguard: 3 units

[Author's note: Terrain details are less spesific in this scenario. This is due to the fact that I am currently experimenting with different styles of writing when it comes to battle scenarios. Hopefuly, this sort of style will go down well; it's designed to force the "player" to be more tactical, instead of simply relying on the terrain for an advantage]

Am I a de facto hero unit now?

Also, Battles List updated.

777296
2 things: 1. I'M NOT DEAD! 2. It would seem so, but I have not checked the other battle sims so...

777299
"Not dead." That is glorious to hear. Anyways, I'm just asking, since this is the second battle in which I've been included in the scenario's opening sequence itself, one way or another.

777304
well, I've been reading and have started to try my hand at writing (ideas don't want to transfer well to paper for me...), so I've been away. I may need to see a mental shrink with the way ideas pile up though... I may even make a comeback on here, so... watch out

777296 Not exactly... However, I've been deliberating on the possibility of including member's OC's in scenarios. I'll get back to you on that, but, for now, only brief cameo appearances are acceptable.

777299 Ahh, you're back. I was just about to send out a search party to recover your equipment from your desceased corpse. Can't have it falling into enemy hands, now can we?

777342
Yeah, I kind of noticed I wasn't in the unit count. But that's okay. Cameos are still cool.

777268 So, how do we play this? You weren't exactly specific as to where the enemy was.

777859 They're moving down the road, in a large column. The direction isn't that important, so don't worry about that. If you plan it right, it won't matter, because they should be nice and screwed either way.

777953
To add a little more cinematic value to the opening 'cutscene', I imagined the Ghost merc spinning to face the 'camera', unholstering a revolver at the same time, then firing a shot and cutting to black at the same time. Then the whooshing wind sound effect, cutting to slow motion and muted sound while focused on Celestia and the others, with only them in focus, while the background is all blurred.

Okay, now that that's all over with, let's move on. (To fun in-character moment, no less.)

---

Rendezvous Point, Gryphon Kingdom
March 17
3:00 PM

"Alright, listen up. I'm Captain Stardust, 1st Royal Scout Division. You guys must be the ones RIA Special Operations said they were going to send over here to take care of Prince Talon."

"Back where I'm from, we'd just set up a couple of sniper teams or lay the road with mines or maybe even just drop an air strike on them, but we don't have that here, so you should just disregard what I said. Personally, I don't understand why there isn't a larger force than you guys being sent to attack the convoy, but Command thinks you can manage, so I'll follow."

"I also think that a possible reason you've all been sent here is because Princess-Master Assassin Cadance is in too much emotional distress to function. I'd bet that if she were as angry and wrathful as depressed as she is right now, that entire column you're being sent to intercept would be single-hoofedly decimated by her. Screw assassinating the Prince, just kill everyone. But it's not going to happen, despite how awesome that would be, so let's get down to business."

"In my opinion, as an intelligence specialist, I'd personally like to capture the Prince instead, knock some more information out of him. But orders are to kill the bitch, so we've set up a plan to kill the bitch."

"Based on our observations, the best way to deal with the opposition is as follows:

Unicorns and Lunar Knights should lie in waiting in the wooded area. When the griffons come close, reveal yourselves, though don't charge too far forward. This will draw away the bulk of the column. Griffon enforcers should be attempted to be taken care of immediately if possible. If done, the Light infantry will be less of a nuicance. Maybe.

More importantly is the target. There are 3 bodyguards, and should they be worth the weight of their armor, would not leave the side of the Prince.

On the principle of quick and efficient, Pegasi should go up into the air, 2 of you carrying an Assassin each. Take the guards by surprise and hit them from the air. We don't want to waste time dealing with those heavy armor stands. Land on their back, stab them in the neck, snap their neck, whatever gets the job done.

By the time the guards are out, only a few seconds should have passed. Then, Assassins should go for the target. Pegasi make sure he doesn't escape. Simple enough.

Because the objective here is to kill the HVT, try not to waste further time dealing with the escort force. Tactical retreat as soon as the target is eliminated. I'm sure you few unicorns can throw up a simple dust cover. The best escape route would be along the road or even across the river.

"That's all. A little bit to my disappointment, but I won't be joining you guys. Royal Scouts will be sticking with the Separatist forces awaiting further developments."

777343
Send a party out to loot my corpse? Sorry, the D&D party would have beaten you by a week

I'll get more involved in this when not on the ps3

777268
WHOA. I just noticed: you say that "ten good men died and another two wounded", but the scenario this was based on only had a total of 8.

And I guess this means Shining is dead too?

Whoops! I just noticed this:

Her greatest triumph, the heart of her ultimate plan, the keystone of the greatest weapon she had at her disposal had been destroyed.

Now her plans laid in ashes, broken and shattered... But this world would be hers, no matter the cost, no matter how many died in her pursuit of absolute power.

Well then....

Hmm... mind is working to see if merging of storylines between Campaigns 3 and 4 are posssible...

777953
Someone needs to write a fic about this multi-battle storyline you're building.

Also, who died, and whose plan did you use? Hopefully it was only the regular mercs.

779202

The scenario this was based on only had a total of 8.

Yes. 8 units. Not individual men.

779225 Eh, maybe I'll throw it all together into a story when I'm done with it. In the mean time, here's some smooth jazz.

779454
We're playing with representational unit numbers? What?!

779480 ...But it's always been like that, even in the PWG days. Don't tell me it took this long for you to figure that out.

779556
Uhh... I don't remember this. Anyone else know this?

779580 Whaa? You didn't know? .... Like I said, it's been like that since the very begining. It's one of the first things I decided upon when I started doing these things. None of the scenarios would make much sense otherwise. Ordering indivdual soliders around would have made everything horribly complicated!

780318
Well I naturally grouped them up anyways. That's how I ordered them around. Example-wise, Battle #27 would be the one that comes to mind. There's large numbers, but most of the numbers are put into generalized groups.

Seriously, who else knew this?

779580 ... you never realized that?

780318 The one thing I never got about that, though is how may soldiers are in each particular unit?

Anyway, as for the battle sim...

Operation Cross Roads

Split the Equestrian force into two groups. Two units of RG Pegasi, two units of RG Unicorns, One unit of Lunar Knights, and One unit of Royal Assassins per group. Ambush the enemy right as they arrive. Have the Knights and Assassins attack them from behind and stir up trouble by taking out he Bodyguards, then have the rest of the Equestrians attack the Gryphon column from both sides, they should be relatively easy to defeat.

784717>>780524>>779225

The next part of this "campaign" will be finished soon. I've been working on it for longer than I should, but I've been busy with various things.

Might let you guys get a quick sneak-peak at what's coming up, if you don't mind a few spoilers.

787539
Do not mind at all.

787599 Read the thread I just posted then Silly GP, no one gets spoilers, ever!

787673 You still didn't answer my previous question, how many soldiers are in a particular unit. (i.e., ponies in earth units, ponies in pegasi units, etc.)