Chaos Incorporated

by DontTreadOnMe777777

Tensions Up High

“Sir!”

“Agh!” Ricky’s suddenly awakened form fell from his cot onto the cold wooden floor with a thud.

Blearily, Ricky propped himself up on an elbow. He rubbed his eyes with a hand, before looking up to see Aeneus standing over his cot.

“What?” Ricky stretched, yawning.

“We’ve got a problem. You're gonna want to see this.” Aeneus’ no-nonsense tone caught Ricky’s attention.

“Alright, you've got my attention. What's the issue?” Ricky pushed himself onto his feet, but Aeneus refused to answer. Instead, he quickly turned and ran back towards the barracks door.

The bright morning light hurt Ricky’s eyes, even as he squinted. Even so, he followed the legionnaire guard as he set off at a quick trot back towards the edge of town.

The streets of Las Pegasus were eerily quiet. ‘There’s gotta still be ponies somewhere around here,’ Ricky convinced himself, but no ponies showed themselves to prove his theory.

As the two reached the city limits, the number of soldiers increased. ‘Wait, what?’ Ricky suddenly realized that the barracks had indeed been empty when he had gotten up just a couple of minutes ago. “Why’s everyone over here?”

Aeneus grimaced as he climbed over a small hill of rubble created from a blown-out house. “That's why,” he waved a hand at the sight ahead of them.

Ponies. Lots of ponies, carrying weapons. They were massed on the two hills, Thicket and Applewood, and the small valley connecting the two rises.

Ricky was astonished. “A pony army!? When the hell did they get here!?”

Aeneus tipped his helmet. “Sentries called in early this morning.”

“Call the commanders together. We’re going to fix this.” Aeneus stomped a salute in the Roman manner. Ricky turned on a heel, snorting an agitated breath through his nose.

“General,” Shining Armor turned to greet a new courier, “we’ve observed increased activity from the humans.”

Shining glanced over to the edges of Las Pegasus, windows dark and streets empty. Faintly, he could make out silhouettes, sulking just inside the city.

“They shouldn’t attack yet. And neither will we. Tell the wing commanders to prepare defensive fortifications. If we can, we’ll avoid a fight.”

The pegasus messenger saluted with a wing, before flying back off to relay orders.

Shining looked back down at the map laid out on the table. His position was clearly marked on the main ridge.

Brow furrowed, he made a few more small adjustments to the placement of a few divisions.

‘Truth be told, we’re in a bit of a bind here,’ Shining thought. His troops were definitely outclassed in armament, and possibly in numbers too. Although he held the advantageous position on Thicket and Applewood, that was no guarantee.

As he mused, the newly appointed commander heard another pegasus land next to him. “Yes?”

“Guessin’ you'd like our ‘sistance, sir.” Surprised, Shining turned around to actually get a good look at the messenger.

A blue pegasus dressed in a navy uniform saluted. “Salty Spray, first mate o’ the ENS Dragon. Admiral Tailwind would like t’ extend his ‘pologies that he can't be ‘ere right now. He would, however, like t’ offer his remaining ships for the blockade o’ Las Pegasus.”

Shining’s expression broke into a smile. “Tell the good admiral that I'd be glad to cooperate the attack of our two forces.” Salty Spray also smiled as he took off again, before flying out towards the ocean.

“We have to attack now, before the ponies can dig in.” Decius pointed at the small specks swarming the hills. “If we let them prepare, many more soldiers will be lost.”

“We have the city. This is the most important objective. We can hold off the ponies. Any time they’ll get to dig in, we’ll be able to fortify the town as well.” Decius, Karl and Chrysalis all frowned at Ricky’s statement.

Karl spoke first. “Ricky, this town doesn't matter if we’re trapped in it, with no relief.”

“And what do you suggest? We’re pinned onto this little peninsula. Any attempt to cross the river would be harassed to the brink.”

“So we take the fight to them, use our heavy weapons to our advantage,” Karl pressed.

Ricky shook his head. “No. We loophole all the buildings, fortify everything we can. We can make this an impenetrable bastion.”

“Ricky,” Decius pushed, his voice rising, “you can't possibly-”

“Yes I can possibly!” The outburst immediately silenced everyone. “I'm the commander, and what I say goes!”

Karl, to his credit, had the nerve to respond. “What about the men?! You're ordering them to suicide!”

Ricky did not answer, instead walking away from the others. He quietly pushed open the door. The click echoed through the room of the silence.

Karl slammed a knife into the table. MacArthur jumped slightly as the Nazi eagle shone in the sunlight. “Goddamnit,” Karl growled. “Damn him.”

“The ignorant fool is always confident when he alone makes the decision,” Decius remarked, smiling sadly.

MacArthur and Chrysalis just sat in silence. Eventually, MacArthur spoke. “God help us all,” he muttered under his breath.

“Stallions, your thoughts on the current situation?” The stallions crowded around the table all thought on General Armor’s question. The tent smelled of sweat, with many leaders cramped around a small table.

“We should dig in, wait them out. They, unlike us, will not be receiving reinforcements, as well as we know.”

Shining didn’t see the officer that spoke, but he nodded. “I agree. We have the all the advantages of waiting. Ricky has none.”

“I’ve already had my ponies begin extensive fortifications along Thicket Hill.” This time, Shining did catch the pony who had spoken. A red earth pony, who he knew to be the leader of the 1st Canterlot.

The newly promoted general nodded. “Everypony, I want you to follow his example. We’re digging in.”

“Yes, this whole street should be barricaded. Put a machine gun position on the corner, and we’ll have ‘em right where we want them.”

The German Ricky was talking to nodded. “Ja.” And with that, he went off to find some digging tools and barricade supplies.

All around the main thoroughfares of Las Pegasus, soldiers were loopholing buildings with pickaxes, barricading roads with random debris and barbed wire, and digging trenches wherever it suited the plans.

‘And of course, my own subordinates are refusing to follow me, their superior,” Ricky inwardly groaned. ‘But it doesn't matter. At least my troops listen.’

“Oh well,” Ricky decided aloud, “I don't need them right now. I can handle this all by myself.”

Proving Ricky’s theory about the pony inhabitants of Las Pegasus, ponies had indeed been found when the troops had begun to fortify. If they hadn't already liked Ricky’s army, and that was extremely likely, they just might hate him now that soldiers were currently busting through their walls and windows, preparing to use their homes as strongholds.

“Where did this pony army come from, anyways!?” Ricky pulled up a pair of binoculars he swiped from the command post, and used them to survey the pony army, slowly sweeping his gaze over their frontline. Sure enough, they were digging in. Ricky could see the glint of shovel blades in the midmorning sunlight.

‘See, I was right! Attacking is not in our best interests right now,’ Ricky told himself with a smile, giving himself a mental pat on the back for being right yet again.

Decius’ helmet slammed into a wall, making a clang and a thud.

The legionnaire stormed about the room, absolutely furious. “That idiot boy! He’s going to get all of us killed, and then what!?”

MacArthur stood up to lay a hand on his shoulder. “Calm down, Decius. Ain’t much we can do anyways, he’s got his mind made. And if I know one thing about Ricky, it’s that he’s as stubborn as an oak. All we can do is hope he comes around.”

His words did little to calm the flame in Decius’ eyes. He rounded on MacArthur. “What would you know about attacking!? You couldn’t attack an empty house without first surrounding it, putting it in the middle of so many trenches that it’d be impossible to count them all, and then bombing the fucking house to oblivion!” MacArthur stiffened. Karl and Chrysalis, both sitting on the outside of the discussion, shared a quick look, before Karl realized who he was looking at and scowled.

MacArthur sat back down. “I didn’t plan an attack after Inchon, no. But that's cause I was a fucking war hero.” He rounded on Decius, eyes alight with a rare fire that burned furiously. “I let the others get credit that I felt they needed, deserved. My reputation didn't need anything more or anything less. As for you, I don't recall Caesar’s goddamned underling getting any press! Do you!?”

Decius was swift. In the span of a second, he had pulled his gladius out and had it right under MacArthur’s chin. “I’ll kill you.”

“I'd like to see you try. Maybe that glorified razor of yours’d finally get some blood on it.” MacArthur spat on Decius’ sandal-covered foot.

Decius held his position for a moment, before sighing, pulling back his blade and resheathing it. He turned around and flopped into a chair. “Mars, preserve us. The army, your servants and humble worshippers, stand at your mercy.”

Author's Note:

Sorry about the short chapter and all that, midterms are midterms.

Enjoy!

Comments

[Emperor123456]

Das ist good

[DontTreadOnMe777777]

6763120 Thanks!

[DontTreadOnMe777777]

6774166 That'll be around Chapter 30...