First Victories
"Good news, everypony!" Shining said, walking into the Sanctum with a scroll before him. "The first general has been eliminated!" A round of cheers echoed throughout the rooms, as Harvey clapped with enthusiasm. "And the loyalists have gained a strong foothold in Carseract, and have begun expanding in earnest."
"That's great," Harvey said, "but I do believe our more concerning matters are here on the Equestrian front. The loyalists have proven that they can handle themselves quite well, and my comrades seem to be doing fantastically."
"No doubt about that. The griffons have already begun massing their forces outside the borders." Shining walked over to the war map and examined the number of red triangular blocks set up in and around the city of Aerocem. "Our pegasus scouts indicate that they definitely have the expected battle wagons, along with a significant number of air support."
"Have they noticed our own force buildup?"
Shining mulled it over for a moment. "If they noticed, they certainly haven't indicated as such. So it could either be a bluff, or maybe they really don't know that we know about their supposed attack. The way the Princess worded it was as if they'd expected to catch us with our guard down."
"Well, I hope you maintained discretion while setting up your emplacements for the ballistae?" Harvey asked, as an aide shifted a number of unit blocks from Stalliongrad and split them between the path leading to Canterlot and the nearby pass.
"With advice from Captain Talbot, we have. We still have to tread carefully, though; most of our efforts in building them have been slow since we can't afford to give away our positions. But when they do attack, they'll be in for a nasty surprise. Loyalists within Aerocem have sent us some reports on the battle wagons, and it seems that they'll attempt to use them en masse to break through our lines—since they're assuming that we may still rally an impromptu defense—and take the capital by storm."
"And..." Harvey's brow furrowed as he looked at the report in front of him. "They have an airship, currently in dock at Stratus Highbase above Aerocem, undergoing... well, preparations for whatever it is they're going to use it for." He tapped his finger on the last part. "And General Highcloud is situated in there."
"We've gone over this before. Loyalist help will be needed to reach the base," Shining said, levitating several more reports before him. "I'm worried about how this might turn out. The increased military presence has effectively turned the whole city and the township around it into an armed fortress. Martial law is already in full effect, and hefty numbers of troops from all the generals seem to be present."
"I'm sure the Captain can remain inconspicuous here," Harvey said. "Then again, it's not like they have a choice..."
"Let's see here..." Shining said. "...troop compositions, supply routes... well, it would seem that Strongbeak is seemingly turning a blind eye to the events in Carseract."
"Isn't that a bit foolish? It's not the first time a tyrant has been felled by ignoring those conspiring beneath him."
"He is prideful, after all. He might deal with it in due time, but that's the time that works for us and our griffon friends. Now, here..." Shining indicated towards the southern pass. "...seems to have the least amount of involvement. I'm not entirely sure whether or not it's the distance from their fortresses or the value, but it seems that they're completely ignoring it. To be sure, though, we're still posting some ballistae and troops there, but the rest of them are being moved north where they'll have better uses."
"The terrain is... pretty barren around the southern pass, isn't it?" Harvey asked, recalling the in-depth lecture he'd received from Princess Luna over Equestrian terrain.
"All desert and flat lands, yes," Shining confirmed. "Makes it hard to march an army through unless they've somehow managed to make their army disappear into thin air... though considering the type of equipment you say the Captain and his team have, maybe that isn't entirely too far-fetched."
"Perhaps a recommended intelligence report on future generals could help the Ghosts?" Harvey adjusted his glasses and looked at the flag-marked bastions of the other generals west of Aerocem. "There's... a fortress there, and two cities to the west and northwest."
"That would be Fortress Helmguard, Kruvem, and Tesseraka, respectively. Tesseraka is self-explanatory... Strongbeak is situated there and has the city completely locked down: passage is granted at his discretion. Helmguard is a military fortress, and the headquarters for Red Talon, in charge of the griffon's ground soldiers. I've heard rather fearsome rumors, some of which have actually been confirmed... he's monstrously large, even by griffon standards."
"I worry about the Ghosts' ammunition..." Harvey said. "Eventually, their reserves are going to dwindle, and although they do still have their camouflage, you have to realize that our primary method of warfare is from distance. Compared to griffons, our training in close quarters is lacking, and likewise, our armor wasn't exactly made to fend off a direct strike from something as hefty as a griffon sword."
"Well, that's what the griffons are there for, then. Aside from that, Kruvem is the headquarters of General Castshot, the general for artillery. From what it seems on this specific report, it involves using a powder substance that the Captain calls 'gunpowder'. I assume you're familiar with it?"
"Am I?" Harvey said, being reminded of his position back at DARPA. "Practically every modern projectile ammunition in our weapons use gunpowder to propel the projectile at incredible speeds. That the griffons have ready access to such a thing, even if it's just artillery and not in the form of smaller and more versatile weapons like the Ghosts', can prove to be deadly."
"Isn't one of the Ghosts an explosives expert? Specifically with gunpowder?"
"Yes, that would be Fuse... an apt name, I suppose. Well, if they manage to confiscate a good amount of it, I'm sure they'll find creative ways to put it to use."
Shining nodded and gave a final look-over of the plans and soon-to-be submitted reports before giving a final nod. "It seems everything is in order today. Thank you for joining me again, Doctor Harvey. When we receive a new batch of reports, I'll be sure to have you present."
"It's no problem," Harvey said, yawning. He looked around, attempting to find something to gauge the time of day, but found neither a clock nor a window. "What time is it?"
"It's just about to hit midnight," Shining asked. "We've been at this for quite a while. I expect we'll have a lot more sleepless nights when the griffons actually attack, so I'd suggest you brush up on your sleep while you still can." It was advice well taken, as Harvey had fallen asleep as soon as he'd gotten himself into his bed.
The next morning he found Shining knocking on his door, ecstatic with news. "They've launched their first attacks with a massive number of battle wagons!" he said. "We managed to push them back using the ballistae and they're already been routed."
Harvey rubbed his eyes, still half-asleep. "Where and when did they attack?" he asked.
"They sent their forces through just last night, through the primary pass just outside of Aerocem. They didn't expect our forces to be ready for them, so we managed to send them running with no problems. Of course, now that we've actually revealed our positions, they've relocated their army camps a further distance away. But it's a good start."
"Just be careful when that artillery general starts bringing out his guns," Harvey warned. "It might just ruin their days in more ways than one."
"Unless they can establish a superior firing position on the mountains—which we hold—the height advantage is ours. Our own unicorn corps can fend off aerial attackers while the ballistae fire off on the wagons."
"Well... have the Princesses received word of this yet?"
"They were notified immediately when the attack started, and are happy to hear of our success. The beginning skirmishes of the war have leaned heavily towards our favor, but we aren't finished just yet: the extra training that our guard units received means that they all can create a barrier that can shield our soldiers from attack."
Harvey blinked. "So... you're saying that unicorns are capable of using their magic to create magical barriers that can stop projectiles?"
"Exactly that."
They stared at each other wordlessly as Harvey's brain attempted to process that information, shaking his head at how farcical this whole conversation seemed; little moments like that kept slipping in, a reminder that he was in a world that wasn't his own. "You know, in our world, I can imagine that practically every government would be willing to throw money at something as crazy as the ability to project a shield using your head. More if they know that it actually does work."
"Well, we do things differently around here," Shining said, smiling. "But I only arrived to early to inform you of the good news. The reports will definitely be flowing in soon enough."
"Eh, I'm not holding my breath," Harvey said, earning a laugh from both of them. "Are you off to the war room again?"
Shining shook his head. "Today, I'm off-duty. The Princess has given orders that we're all to take some time off, to ease a bit of the stress. I have a wife that I fear that I've been neglecting a little bit too often, and she wants me to make up for it, so we're going out to town today and enjoying ourselves."
"I wish the best possible time for you," Harvey said. Looking at the clock and calendar, he had actually been making good time on his little compilation of whatever he could throw into the book off the top of his mind at the time. "Everyone deserves a little R&R in the middle of all this madness, anyway."
"Of course. Oh, I'd also like to mention that the Princess would like to see you at your earliest convenience. She has a rather sizeable lecture prepared on modern Equestrian culture and mannerisms."
Harvey rubbed his head, recalling Princess Luna's rather effervescent attitude towards trying to teach an alien, one who wasn't well-acquainted with Equestria, everything she possibly could about their culture. She even mentioned something about another unicorn who went by the name of Twilight who would have also enjoyed their little lectures. As if one wasn't enough, there was another pony who shared a similar enthusiasm for learning like her. He felt like he was going through university again under the watchful tutelage of one extremely dedicated professor. "Really, now...? I can't say that I'm too excited about it..."
"It's understandable... Princess Luna, even after her return and assimilation back into pony society, can still be a bit... eccentric, at times," Shining said, hushing the last part in wary caution of Luna's ever-present eyes and ears.
"She's your Princess. Why be so scared of her?" Shining gave him a sarcastic look before Harvey remembered. "Oh, of course, the whole Nightmare Moon thing... but she's changed from that, hasn't she?"
"Indeed she has, but there's always been that underlying..." Shining sighed. "Uh, you know what? I think I'm just being a bit stupid for talking like that. You're right, she's my Princess, and I should be as loyal to her as Princess Celestia. If my sister can look past that stigma, then so can I."
"That's the spirit," Harvey said half-heartedly, somewhat detached from the conversation. "Now, uh, I believe you had other things to attend to?"
"Of course. Have a nice day, Doctor."
"You, too."
With a final farewell nod, Harvey closed the door and turned around to the sight of all his work strewn about. The window curtains flowed peacefully as the sound of birds echoed outside the frames... it was easy to forget that there was actually a war raging on in what appeared—appeared being the key word—to be a utopian world so green that the whole country could be considered a national park back home.
Sitting down at his desk, he picked up a quill, still unused to the motions of dipping the quill for ink and actually writing it. Oh, if only he had a pen instead; his work would have certainly proceeded much faster with the aid of one.
"Now, let's see, where was I...? Oh, yes, I left off on countries..." Princess Luna and her lecture could stand to wait a short while, can't they...?
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Yes, I'm alive.
On another note, however, these chapters are intended to be interspersed with the Ghosts' chapters, appearing only after each of their successfully completed operations against the generals as a more mellowed out side of things (for now, as things don't necessarily warrant a larger chapter currently) and a portrayal of things from the Equestrian front.
... the change of your avatar caught me off guard for a short bit ...
As one of the people who like to see the big picture as well, this update pleases me!
Good story as always. It was the perfect time to thingk about the ammo suplies that the Ghost have truble with. And who is the next target?
1140553 I changed it to Fillyshy, because Fillyshy is adorable. And glad you like it!
1140574 That would be General Highcloud, with further information to be revealed in the next chapter.
Don't just serve Princess Luna, Fu*king worship her!
no
well, since Ghost recon is one of my fav games, im in aswell!
now, can i make something like this?
1140920 What do you mean?
i dunno, a fan-sequal or something like that?
or plausibly have a whole series of fics based on ghost recon fs...
to gain more intel however, im going to have to activate camo, turn on magnetics, and follow you via drone
1140940 I'm kind of wary about having fan-sequels. Mostly because I'm wary of how it will turn out, especially with someone whose writing skill I am not familiar with, so at least some decent works with passable English and grammar would be considered before I would give the green light for it.
On top of that, there are several things to contend with:
1) Attrition: The biggest bane of every crossover author. You started the story, but how much of a will do you have to actually finish it? This will become extremely prevalent throughout your entire time writing the story as you will quickly learn that writing is hard. Lots of authors on Fimfiction are famous for things such as oneshots, but longstanding stories that will stretch over multiple chapters are the hardest kinds to write, and crossover stories do not lend themselves to being oneshots unless you're really good at it.
2) Substance: You don't just crossover MLP and something else and hope it'll play out. These things require thought to make them shine, and for all of my current and future crossover stories, I never ever use characters already established within the game world. I make my own OC characters for them and use them in the story instead, which gives you a great deal of flexibility in making who you actually want instead of having Commander Shepard #189232 in Equestria.
3) Plausibility: I'm already stretching the line as it is just by having Ghost Recon within Equestria. What sort of justification would you be able to use for a sequel?
Just a few questions to ponder over if you're planning on being serious with it.
wait a minute....... has anyone ever considered basing the fiction on the MULTIPLAYER!?
cuz that might provide some flexibility
1141018 It is possible, but compared to something story-focused, multiplayer-centric stories are absurdly hard to write. I should know, since I did one based on Counter-Strike, and you will quite literally be grasping for straws before you even finish the first chapter since multiplayer isn't really all that inclusive beyond what it has (it's not self-adding, it's a pool of stuff you draw from until it runs dry), and you'll run through that material either quickly or very quickly, depending on how much you have to work with.
well just to experiment, i will be making a quick fiction about halo's multiplayer ponified... WISH ME LUCK!
1140755
woona and twiwight are still better
anywhoo[owl puns lol]
great chapter
Feels great to read after playing minecraft for such a long time.
YAY
Ooh, look, another chapter!
Nice to see that the Equestrians are scoring victories.
1141037
I think MP-based stories can be done if you use games where the battles are actually semi-canon, such as BF3 or ME3. I have such a crossover planned for BF3, which I was informed is similar to "Northern Aggression" in concept.
And as for the ammunition problem, the Ghosts could use semi-auto instead of full-auto, and perhaps even use their bows and knives when it's feasible.
1143477 Yep, there are the bows, but at most, the other Ghosts have only had several weeks of exposure to it at best, and that sort of experience isn't worth gambling on in a fight-or-flight combat situation if they can avoid it. As oft mentioned a few times before, I already have something set down the line that will provide a decent amount of resupply that also ties in with the story.
On another note, there is the possibility of an interesting solution: in Crysis 3, you can fire the bow without breaking camouflage when stealth mode is activated.
1144119
Huh, I must've missed that comment about the resupply. Well, on the topic of Crysis 3, I wanted to mention the bow and cloaking combo, which makes Alky/Prophet/whoever even more like a Predator/Yautja, but I thought it best not to bring up an admittedly awesome game you may or may not have played.
I also have one of the only Crysis crossovers on the site, if you're interested.
Hell, I'd be honored if you read any of my stories! 
1146637 FOR THE LUNAR EMPIRE!
1146967 I do my best!
...
How long till the Americans, Russians and Europeans throw a monkey wrench into the whole of Equestria?
It would indeed be interesting to see how each side will vye for land and resources, while the natives scramble
to fight back an all too advanced invader with spears against rifles.
1151136 I have no intention of doing such a thing, nor would I ever do so, as I personally think that's HMiE overkill and the easiest way to stroll down the path of mediocrity.
Cool story bro, looking forward to the next chapter.
1152378
Oh, come on, live a little. It's just like any alien-invasion story, only humans are the aliens! You don't get that kind of thing from Hollywood man! It just doesn't happen!
1153377 upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b0/Avatar-Teaser-Poster.jpg/220px-Avatar-Teaser-Poster.jpg
Your Hollywood argument is invalid.
1160920
A good movie kind sir, that was a bad one.
Thank you for your time.
thechive.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/moar-faces-4.jpg%3Fw%3D500%26h%3D404
Lol, but honestly, I might have to pick up a book or two of Ghost Recon stuff. I'm interested now.
I just wanted to drop in and say thanks, I'm enjoying the heck out of Ghost Recon Future Soldier right now
1226880 No problem, glad you enjoy it. I only actually got to play it myself recently after upgrading to Win7 and it's actually pretty good.
1226885
I just got it this week...your story may have influenced that purchase decision and now I want to play C&C for some unknown reason :>
files.sharenator.com/446f93d2_806b_70430_GOOD_NEWS_EVERYONE-s780x585-71152-580.jpg
That is all.
i.chzbgr.com/completestore/2011/10/2/9eabe8a9-3c55-4052-acc9-fb6c702d27ec.jpg
COULDN'T HELP IT
1264982
...
...
... Yes. Yes, yes I did.