Cosmic Rifts

by Silvak

Chapter XIV: Charge

"So, do we have any details on what the Xartik are throwing at us this time?" I asked as I stared at a monitor near the pilot's side of the dropship. Immediately after getting the news of another intrusion from the Xartik, I grabbed my armor, which thankfully was repaired, and boarded the first dropship that was ready to go.

"The enemy seemed to have changed their tactics after losing so many ships during the first invasion attempt, Captain," said Major Shadow Wing, a deep blue coated thestral mare with green eyes and a black mane through the monitor. "While we have detected a dimensional rift, our scanners have picked up multiple small objects coming out of it. Could the Xartik be able to send drop pods through the rift, Captain?"

Grunting in annoyance, I answered, "Probably, since they're just sending robots that can handle a trip through a rift far better than most organic lifeforms. Hopefully, Discord catches onto what they're doing and comes up with some trick to prevent them from continuing this. Though... is there any variance to the sizes of the objects they're sending through the rift, Shadow?"

Nodding, Shadow replied, "There is Captain, we're detecting that while most of the objects coming through are of a similar size, a hooffull of them are larger than the others."

"Damn it, that means they're either dropping off equipment to set a ground side rift, or vehicles to support them on the ground. Though most likely it's both. How far is your ship from the enemy rift, Major?" I asked while privately cursing to myself. I hope there are no nearby caves or caverns nearby, or we're fucked!

"About five miles currently, we'll be there and ready to pepper their landing site with artillery fire, Captain," Shadow stated with a salute.

Nodding, I replied, “Good, but do scan the region for any spaces underground. If you do detect them, do what you can to collapse them, while keeping tracks of the ones you can’t blow up. Also, inform all air support to be ready for the possibility of heavy anti-air fire. Do you have any troops on the ground?”

Lowering her hoof, Shadow answered, “Majority of the Aurora’s ground forces have already landed and are preparing a landing zone for your forces. There have been a few firefights, but we lack the marepower to mount an offensive without artillery support, so all they can hold them off until the Aurora is in position.”

“Very well, but once you started your bombardment, order your ground forces to send scouting units around the enemy. I want to keep track of as many of them as we can since I doubt our scanners will be able to do it on their own. Until something else comes up, you’re dismissed major,” I ordered, getting another salute in return.

“Roger Captain, Major Shadow out,” Shadow replied before the monitor went out, at which Flare let out a snort that drew our attention to her.

“I can’t believe this, my first engagement will be clean up duty,” Flare complained with a roll of her eyes.

Scowling at her, I countered, “Do you really think things would be easy with the Aurora providing support? We’re fighting alien robots you idiot, they’re not going just keel over and die when the Aurora open fire with its cannons,” before I took in a breath to calm myself down a bit. “Here’s a piece of advice when dealing with interdimensional matters, be it combat with alien robots or something else entirely: Always assume the worst possible outcome.”

“Like a bullet bouncing off Princess Luna’s shield only to pierce Aether’s armor!” Windbag declared with a wide grin, that only momentarily faltered when I shot a murderous look at him in response.

“Moving on... don’t assume that you’re the toughest being on the field, Flare. The Xartik are capable of bringing in robots the size of the father of the dragon lord, which could probably squish you underfoot as it runs through our lines on a whim,” I stated, causing Night to gulp at what I said.

Snorting out some fire from her nostrils, Flare stated, "If we weren't in a flying metal box going towards a battle with robots, I would've called bullshit on what you just said. So, instead, I'll just humor you and n—"

"Continue on with that statement, and I will have you fired out of one of the Aurora’s cannons,” I declared, causing Flare to shut her jaws before giving Windbag a questioning look.

“She will do it, all those who trained directly underneath her know of her twisted way of punishing others, along with her short fuse,” Windbag explained, smirking a bit when I frowned at him.

“Enough chatter, just prep yourselves for the battle ahead,” I ordered, causing my squad to recheck their gear and weapons, leaving me to think to myself. This isn’t going to end as well as the last one... and the Xartik got to have something planned. They’re not just going to drop troops without some scheme after what Discord did to them.

---

“Captain, we’re approaching the landing zone, but there is s bunch of enemy fire flying overhead!”

“Just bring us down to ground level, the squad and I will disembark as you’re coasting over the ground, but don’t go too fast for us so we can get off safely,” I ordered, getting off my seat to face the copter's rear door.

"Understood, captain," the pilot said, shifting the movement of the copter that most of us braced against, with the exception of Flare who slammed her snort against a seat harness.

"Fuck, did the pilot had to do that?" Flare complained as she glared towards the pilot seat, causing me to roll my eyes at her.

"Quit your whining, Flare," I ordered, causing Flare to shift her glare towards me. Sighing, I continued, "You need to learn to adapt to changing situations, even the shifting of a copter. You might even need to learn to deal with getting off one while it is crash landing."

Letting out a chuckle, Windbag commented, "And be happy that you weren't stuffed into a tight metal box before it was pushed down a bumpy hill. But I guess that training was valid after all."

"Enough talk, the door is going to o—" I started to say until the rear doors started to lower. "Alright everyone, move move move!" I shouted before jumping out of the copter, the others following right behind me. Rolling across the ground, with the sounds of gunfire going all around me, I pulled out my rifle before surveying the land. Unlike the battle in the forest, we were in a rocky landscape, with the rocks being large enough to provide cover, which I took advantage of immediately by running towards a few free boulders, my troops following right behind me.

Activating the radio, I said, "This is Captain General Aura, who is the commanding officer here?"

A feminine voice replied, "Captain Aura, Colonel Crystal Lance of the Aegis Guard reporting."

"Colonel Lance, report the situation we're in. Who's on the offensive?" I asked as Flare kept her head low while Windbag was occasionally firing a few shots back at the enemy.

“We were until ten minutes ago. The Xartik originally only had infantry on the field, allowing us the chance to push forward, only for their walking tanks to push us back. We called in some bombardments whenever we can. But there is still enough tanks roaming about in an erratic pattern, preventing the Aurora’s cannons from locking in on their positions,” Lance reported.

“And it’s safe to assume that the enemy troops are too spread out for artillery strike to be effective?” I asked, grunting in frustration. Celestia was the only alicorn available at the moment since Luna was resting, but she was held up by diplomatic talks, and wouldn’t be here for at least ten minutes.

“Correct madam, so we’re at a stalemate,” Lance reported, causing me to let out a snort before turning to look at Cherry.

“Cherry, do you have the bombs that I told you to bring?” I asked, causing everyone but Flare to take a step away from the mirror clone.

“Wait, bombs?!” Flare exclaimed as she stared at Cherry in shock.

Nodding, Cherry meekly replied, “Yeah, all those attachable high yield explosives... I do have them in my mane...” which caused her fellow squad mates to back away from her.

Except for Flare, who said, “You have... explosives... in your mane?!” as she stood up fully in surprise, only to immediately duck back down as a shot strayed right past her head.

Knowing that Cherry might be thinking that I'm secretly planning to blow her up, I rolled my eyes as I ordered, "Flare, be quiet. Cherry, I know you're quick and agile enough to slip through the enemy fire and plant those explosives on their walkers. Report in when you got them all or run out of explosive charges, that would be when I'll give the orders to push the enemy back."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Cherry saluted me as she exclaimed, "Orders received, Captain!" before disappearing out of our sight, which confused my entire squad with the exception of Windbag.

“Umm... how did she do that?” Agate asked before I gave my squad as a telekinetic slap to the back of their heads.

"Stop focusing on the impossibility and instead pay attention to the fucken alien robots that are still firing at us!" I shouted at my squad before my ears flicked at the sound of an explosion in the direction of the enemy. "Seems like Cherry had found her first target."

It only took half a minute as more explosions went off, when Cherry appeared by my side, startling most of my squad again as she gave me another salute. "Captain, all enemy tanks have been neutralized, as ordered."

Shaking off the urge to be disturbed by the clone, I activated my radio as I said, "All units, the enemy vehicles have been taken care of, it's time to push back the enemy!" before I took my hoof off it and lit my horn up as I glanced past the cover we were using. "Night, Cherry, Agate, you three head left while Windbag and Flare will go right."

"Wait, what are you going to be doing?" Flare asked as the rest of the squad was forming up.

"Making myself a target... again," I stated as I spotted a couple of Xartik firing towards our position. "On the count of three, we'll charge. Three!" I shouted before letting off my teleportation spell, appearing right behind the two Xartik drones. Noticing that they seemed to be of the same model as the ones used in the previous engagement, I let out a minor sigh of relief as I began blowing their heads off as I fired my rifle at them. Seeing the rest of my squad charging forward as ordered, with Flare lagging a bit behind Windbag, I spun about to get my bearings as a shot whizzed past my head, causing me to notice some more Xartik fighting behind a rather sizable boulder. Grunting in annoyance, pulled a grenade off my belt before I teleported to the top of the boulder, where I threw the explosive at the midst of five Xartik that I assume surprised by my sudden appearance. Glancing about, I saw that my squad were taken down two enemy positions on their own, which encouraged me to press on forward.

That is, until I heard a rather loud boom going off from the enemy lines, and the boulder I was next two splitting in half as it sent me tumbling a few feet before I brought myself to a stop. Turning around, I saw, much to my surprise and horror, that a rather heavily armored Xartik drone, with four mechanical eyes staring at me as it brought its right arm up, where I saw that it was rather broad and roundish compared to the other Xartik arms were. But that was probably due to the fact that there was a nozzle on it that made me thought, Fuck, we just played into their fucken claws! As the nozzle suddenly spew hot blue flames in my direction.

Comments

[Omega-82]

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Discord12]

Nodding, I replied, “Good, but do scan the region for any spaces underground. If you do detect them, so what you can to collapse them, while keeping tracks of the ones you can’t blow up. Also, inform all air support to be ready for the possibility of heavy anti air fire. Do you have any troops on the ground?”

I think you mean do.
I have been waiting for this chapter for awhile.

[Ni-kun]

Not my kind of story; just came here to ask you if you like Percy Jackson.

[Rozen Knight]

9206100
Damn, I missed that. Good catch, that's something I must've auto corrected in my head.

[JMP]

Yeah...that's not good. Aether will probably be fine, but those flames are gonna be a problem

[Asolem2]

Nodding, Cherry meekly replied, “Yeah, all those attachable high yield explosives... I do have them in my mane...” which caused her fellow squad mates to back away from her.

Except for Flare, who said, “You have... explosives... in your mane?!” as she stood up fully in surprise, only to immediately duck back down as a shot strayed right past her head.

“Umm... how did she do that?” Agate asked before I gave my squad as a telekinetic slap to the back of their heads.

*pfth* Rookies

But that was probably due to the fact that there was a nozzle on it that made me thought, Fuck, we just played into their fucken claws! As the nozzle suddenly spew hot blue flames in my direction.

Isn't a member of your squad pretty much fireproof

[Jphyper]

Cherry planting explosives... They're Cherry bombs. Ha.

I've come to a realization and I've been waiting for another update to post it. It's too bad the training portion is over, because I realized there's a musical number that I can see Aurora singing to/about her troops. It's so easy to see that it's almost a tragedy that it hasn't been included. Both the first part and the second part fit perfectly.

[Greatazuredragon]

Letting out a chuckle, Windbag commented, "And be happy that you weren't stuffed into a tight metal box before it was pushed down a bumpy hill. But I guess that training was valid after all."

I miss her training scenes...

“Umm... how did she do that?” Agate asked before I gave my squad as a telekinetic slap to the back of their heads.
"Stop focusing on the impossibility and instead pay attention to the fucken alien robots that are still firing at us!"

But seeing her command her troops is a nice second option.

[TartarusFire]

Ah so that robot is a firefighter Imminent Immolation much

[erictheblue]

Letting out a sigh of relief, Cherry saluted me as she exclaimed, "Orders received, Captain!" before disappearing out of our sight, which confused my entire squad with the exception of Windbag.

oh, i forgot that Cherry is a mirror-pond clone of Pinkie...