Brothers In Arms
Twilight rose from her bed in a robot-like state, her mind already running through her day planner before her hooves hit the ground. She mentally reached out and set her coffee to brew without even looking while at the same time blearily stumbling across the room. Tapping the command panel, the infested cycled through the various reports sent her way, marking each one as read when she was done.
“I don't care how much coal is being extracted from the area or how your rollout of new farming equipment is doing,” Twilight muttered to herself. “Pass, pass, pass. Oh, what's this?”
She paused and poured herself a cup of coffee, then sipped the dark beverage while she read.
“A combat mission to relieve the beleaguered forces of Mar Sara from zerg invaders. Local forces are stretched too thin to be of assistance,” Twilight muttered aloud. “This could be very interesting indeed. Full information has been sent to local command.”
The infested unicorn threw back her cup and swallowed its contents in a single gulp.
“Well then. It looks like we have a real opportunity on our hooves,” she muttered to noone. “I better get moving, and I also better stop talking to myself.”
Just a heads-up, but a few ex guards and soldiers are planning on surprising you with a proposal of theirs, Spike declared, his calm voice emanating from the back of Twilight's mind.
What manner of proposal? Twilight inquired.
You’ll see, Spike replied cryptically.
Twilight could press, demand the information, or simply obtain it herself by force, but decided not to. Spike assumed that she would find the entire event amusing, so she chose to trust the drake once again. Pushing that thought from her mind for the moment, Twilight trotted down to the main floor, noting the changes as she went.
The fleshy growths that marked the expanding creep were now visible all the way up to the second floor. There it divided the two segments of the building, the bottom which housed mostly full-blooded zerg and the top that had mostly infested staying there. This wasn't a hard and fast rule, but rather an unspoken law that noone really needed to formalize in any way.
Passing through those upper floors, Twilight took note of just how vibrant the small community was becoming. Families both new and old clustered together, turning ill used office spaces into new homes. The central area of these stories became one part nest, one part market where the various infested gathered.
Strip away all the extra limbs, glowing orange eyes, and frequency of pet zerglings, and it would resemble some apartment blocks. Only things were far more intimate, at least when it came to the feeling of community. True walls were rare, and doors rarer still. Noone seemed to mind just how open it was, and there were a sparse few who desired to change that.
Twilight waved and nodded on occasion, passing by the many smiling faces with a small amount of pride. That pride swelled when she reached the lower levels and was greeted by the many zerg nested there. Those infested who had taken to the more zerg-like qualities thrust upon them were found there. Lounging amidst piles of zerglings, hydralisks as well as other creatures, their eyes closed, but their minds active.
Within the hive mind the various creatures fought, played, were drilled, or simply recalled their previous lives. Though there was little discipline at the moment, there didn't need to be. The zerg required only a moment’s notice to return to full readiness. In the meantime, they enjoyed their downtime as much as their primitive animalistic minds could allow them.
Twilight paused, allowing the fleshy orifice that had replaced the main entrance to open. There on the other side stood a dozen or so infested of mixed race and gender. The only thing they had in common was that they were all more grizzled or worldly than the average creature.
“My queen,” greeted a one-horned minotaur whose name Twilight didn't bother to recall. “We hoped for a moment of your time.”
“Then you have it, so long as you walk while you talk,” Twilight replied.
The minotaur nodded, and together the group headed in the direction of the distant confederate outpost at the top of the ridge.
“This past week has shown us all that you are serious about your commitment to freedom and dignity. Furthermore, you have impressed us all with your military acumen and martial prowess,” continued the minotaur.
Twilight noted that the vast majority of the other followers nodded, grunted or otherwise voiced their agreement in some way.
“I know you said we would not be required to fight, but we wish to volunteer to do so,” offered the minotaur.
“We believe that a force of seemingly normal creatures would be beneficial to your operations,” added a unicorn from amidst the group.
Twilight nodded. “That it would. I assume you all have some kind of military background or previous training of some variety.”
“We do, and we’ve spent most of the last week drilling in secret so that we can work effectively as a group,” replied the minotaur.
Twilight raised an eyebrow and stopped. “So that's what you’ve all been doing these past few days. I just assumed that when you demanded privacy that you were having an orgy or something.”
The minotaur cackled, while the unicorn just blushed and looked away.
“Oh no, no. Though it's funny you should say that. I’m fairly certain I’ve seen more than a few of those break out recently,” remarked the minotaur.
“Yes, well. When you’ve shared in the intimacy of another’s mind, the intimacy of another’s pants is only a short hop away,” Twilight exclaimed, walking quickly once more.
“I suppose,” agreed the minotaur. “So, what do you think? I’ve got three squads at the moment, but I know that there are at least two more squads worth of potential recruits who are eager to fight.”
“I’ll requisition you better arms and armor immediately,” Twilight replied, stopping at the edge of the confederate territory and facing the minotaur. “What will you call your little makeshift platoon?”
“I was thinking the Fists of Dawn,” answered the minotaur. “Figured it was fitting, given everything.”
Twilight chuckled. “That it is. Consider it approved. Oh, and what is your name, soldier?”
The minotaur grinned and pounded a fist against his chest in a salute. “Sergeant Lock Jaw at your service, my queen.”
“And your second?” Twilight asked, glancing to the unicorn mare that had remained firmly attached to Lock Jaw’s side the entire walk over.
“Marching Orders,” answered the pony.
Twilight nodded. “Use whatever ammunition we were able to scrounge around the base to practice. No need to hold back, as we’ll be moving out relatively soon.”
“Yes, my queen,” Lock Jaw declared, turning to his gaggle of recruits and throwing up his arms. “You heard the bosslady, get to it!”
“Thanks, by the way,” added Marching Orders.
Twilight nodded and watched them go, paying close attention to the leaders of their little group. Lock Jaw was tall and broad-shouldered, but lithe, with a more dexterous, agile frame than most minotaurs. He also looked to be only a few years older than Twilight herself, with a soft, youthful face that hadn't quite faded with age. He wore a beaten up uniform of the local militia, one that had recently received a great number of new patches. Signs of infestation were limited, as he sported only claw-like nails and the signature glowing orange eyes like nearly everyone else.
Marching Orders was a little older, a little wiser, and a little more withdrawn than her more boisterous leader. She walked with the confidence and grace of a royal guard, her head held high despite her circumstances. The mare wore a flak jacket over a militia uniform, only this one had its name tag and rank removed.
“Note to self. Get to know those two more,” Twilight muttered to herself.
Twilight shook her head and continued on, passing the various guards posted outside the command center. Once inside, she deftly avoided the doctor who she knew wanted to ask her more questions, and made her way deeper. To where Twilight found Jetstream waiting for her, a curious eyebrow raised.
“You sure have been busy,” Jetstream exclaimed, taking a step back and clearing enough space for Twilight to join her near the command module. “I feel like given a few more days, you’ll spread beyond your initial walls.”
“Nah. We need additional biomass and resources,” Twilight replied. “Speaking of which, I have an eager group of recruits looking to be outfitted with more traditional arms and armor.”
“The group you were walking with earlier?” Jetstream questioned.
Twilight nodded.
“That could be arranged. Having a group that doesn't look quite so intimidating would be quite valuable, as you’ve no doubt already thought,” Jetstream remarked.
“My thoughts exactly,” Twilight agreed.
“I have some extra stored on base. I can loan that out to you for now and have custom suits sent over soon,” Jetstream leaned forward and tapped a few buttons on the console, bringing up a zoomed out image of a city as well as the surrounding area. “I assume you are here for the briefing?”
“I am,” Twilight answered.
“Good. It's as the report said. We’ve got a city under siege, and though holding, reinforcements are a long ways off,” Jetstream began.
Twilight nodded, leaning forward in order to get a better look at the tactical map before her. The city, which she recalled was named Mar Sara, sat nestled at the base of a mountain. Pressed tight into a defensible valley, it would likely be difficult to siege successfully, but impossible to retreat from.
On the way to the mining settlement, there were several smaller villages and outposts. All of whom sat on or near the large railroad that served as the primary transportation method for the area. These towns’ names were crossed out and were now sitting within a tide of green that went all the way up to Mar Sara’s walls.
“The brass is unbothered by the siege, given how difficult it would be to actually take the valley,” Jetstream continued. “That being said, so long as the siege continues, no new resources can be moved out of the city.”
“Which is where we come in,” Twilight picked up. “You want us to liberate these towns along the railroad and hopefully break the siege.”
“Exactly,” Jetstream replied, clopping her hooves together. “Once you’ve cut a path, we’ll send an armored transport through with enough supplies and technicians to bring their artillery online.”
“I was wondering why this was even an issue in the first place. A few well-placed guns on that mountain would turn that city into a fortress,” Twilight stated, tapping the point in emphasis.
“If the zerg had waited a day later, they would have found themselves at the mercy of the brand new artillery and likely wouldn't have even reached the gates in the first place,” Jetstream added.
“Interesting,” Twilight murmured.
“Right, so how you handle this is up to you, but we need that outpost and those two villages cleared of hostiles,” Jetstream stated. “You also have a small requisition budget if you’d like to request any transport or additional reinforcements.”
“I should be able to make due with what I have, though I’m wondering if you could send over a couple of dump trucks or other vehicles with a large carrying capacity,” Twilight inquired.
Jetstream raised an eyebrow. “And why would you want that?”
“Transporting troops and supplies,” Twilight answered.
“Hmmm, fine,” Jetstream declared, waving a dismissive hoof. “You aren't asking for tanks, aircraft or any other experimental weapons, so consider it done. Your heavy-duty equipment will be ready when you depart.”
“We should be able to start moving as early as this evening. Does that still fit your timetable?” Twilight pressed.
Jetstream nodded. “A local outpost has a ton of the things just sitting around collecting rust after a mine was destroyed by the zerg.”
“Well, that's convenient,” Twilight murmured.
“Now, was that everything?” Jetstream asked.
Twilight took a moment to observe the map once more, committing it firmly to memory. “Yes,” she replied. “I’ll begin mustering immediately.”
“See to it that you do,” Jetstream replied.
The commander nodded to Twilight and turned back to her display, inspecting it for herself.
Twilight trotted out of the confederate base in a haze, barely aware of the hustle and bustle of the soldiers. She walked past the newly built bunkers, barracks, and other structures without truly looking at any of them. For she was busy constructing plans and organizing troops within the confines of the hive mind.
By the time she reached her own base, it was abuzz with activity as well, with zerg scrambling in all directions. From humble zergling to captured hydralisk, they all gave Twilight a respectful berth as their queen made her way to the elevator. Taking it down to the bottom level, Twilight found that a slightly nervous Spike was already waiting for her.
“I was wondering,” Spike began.
“Yes, you can come along,” Twilight answered. “And yes, you will have troops under your command.”
Spike sighed. “You didn't even have to read my mind, did you?”
Twilight chuckled. “I only had to read your face.”
“Well, can you blame me? This place is already pretty well-defended, so it's not like you really need me sitting around twiddling my thumbs,” Spike offered.
“You would benefit greatly from commanding your own zerg,” Twilight stated. “I want you to be able to take over for me, should I become indisposed.”
Spike raised an eyebrow. “I know I’m your number two, but you’ve never put it like that before. You aren't thinking about heading to another dimension again, are you?”
Twilight laughed aloud, this time more heartily. “I assure you that I plan to do no such thing. Nor do I plan to perish, become grievously injured, or take an unexpected vacation.”
“Ahh, well, that's good. I don't think we’ve been working for these guys long enough to get vacation days,” Spike added.
“True,” Twilight muttered.
The infested unicorn motioned for Spike to follow, and together they walked deeper into the facility. There, just beyond the command and control center where Tiny was still working, were the rest of Twilight's upper command. Fluttershy, Applejack, Zecora, and for some reason Scootaloo were all waiting eagerly for their queen’s arrival.
I sense much anticipation in you, my queen. We have a mission, Zecora reasoned.
“We do,” Twilight admitted. “I’ve compiled all the relevant information in the hive mind, but thought it best to discuss the details in person.”
“Like why we need Fluttershy on this one,” Applejack added, turning down to the smaller infested. “No offence.”
“N-none t-t-taken,” Fluttershy murmured.
“Given that the zerg forces have settled in for a siege, there is a good chance that they have also constructed buildings of their own,” Twilight began, beginning to pace in front of the others. “Meaning we will have a chance to gather the essence we require to further our own advancement.”
Fluttershy’s eyes lit up and surged forward, her small three fingered claws rubbing together excitedly. “You wish to capture additional specimens and to gather more biomass, correct?” Fluttershy inquired.
Twilight nodded. “We will assault each of these locations as one, then split into two groups. Group A will be the more offensive-minded of us, who will continue to push on while group B will remain behind to gather everything we need.”
“Oh, like candy!” Scootaloo offered. “We ran out of like everything that’s sweet a few days ago.”
“I’m sure we’ll find the time to raid a bakery,” Spike offered.
“Yes!” declared Scootaloo, pumping a hoof into the air.
“You will be happy to know that nearly half of your zerglings have been reprocessed and are ready for combat,” Fluttershy declared.
“Excellent,” Twilight stated. “We will have those who have yet to be changed serve as the tip of the spear. They will be supported by hydralisks as well as the infested who have volunteered to fight.”
Twilight turned and pointed at Applejack. “You will serve as Spike’s bodyguard. The rest of us will remain behind while Spike pushes on alone.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Applejack asked. “Not like I don't trust your judgement or think Spike’s a bad commander or nothing.”
“I trust Spike,” Twilight stated firmly. “We won't be far, and should he become overwhelmed, he can always retreat and regroup.”
“It is the most optimal use of our numbers,” Spike muttered, scratching his chin. “You alone could defend the gathering operation while I keep up the assault and ensure that we don't lose our momentum.”
“Any other questions?” Twilight asked, glancing about the room. “Good. You have three hours to gather the troops and supplies required.”
“Alright, you heard the bosslady, let's get moving,” Spike barked.
Twilight took a step back and merely watched as her underlings moved about their duties in a hasty, yet unhurried manner. They were all eager to prove themselves, none moreso than Spike, who was relishing this opportunity. Twilight noted the young dragon’s naked excitement, but did nothing to curb his enthusiasm. The battlefield would temper such desires where mere words would fail to quench the flames of want.
In fact, Twilight did nothing to aid her brood as they gathered themselves for the mission. She merely sat back and observed from atop the walls, studying their movements. As time passed, and her mental checklist of pointers and lessons began to grow long, things started to become more orderly.
Rows of troops, crates of supplies, and a small crowd of gawking infested had assembled in the fort’s interior. Noticing that they were all nearly ready, Twilight was about to radio Jetstream when the transports began to roll in. The larger APCs were accompanied by the massive dump trucks promised by Jetstream.
Without a word needing to be spoken, the troops piled into their waiting vehicles in an orderly fashion. Spike and Applejack went along with the infested soldiers, sitting on the bench closest to the driver compartment. The others clambered inside a moment later and found that their weapons and armor were waiting for them in the overhead supply area.
The rest of the rank and file of Twilight's army made due with what little room they had left. Her friends, minus Spike and Applejack, piled into another APC alongside a half dozen zerglings. The small animalistic creatures reacted surprisingly well to the cramped conditions, squeezing into whatever available space was left.
“It's a b-bit c-c-cramped,” Fluttershy murmured.
“It won't be on the way back,” Twilight replied.
Fluttershy fell silent, the grim reminder weighing heavily on her mind.
A minute later, the last zergling had scrambled into the back of the dump truck. The command was then given, and the force rolled out, making their way eastward. The journey took several hours, giving everyone ample opportunity to talk, meditate, or scrap with their fellow warriors. Twilight spent that time chatting with her friends as well as Celestia over the radio.
Spike was in a similar situation, though he was far more nervous than the cool and collected Twilight. Around him, the other infested had suited up and now wore the heavy armor that had recently been phased out. It didn't have the utility or strength of the powered variety, but it provided surprisingly effective protection. The downside was the sheer weight of the thing, though none of the infested complained.
“We’re almost there,” Twilight declared, her voice echoing from the radios of everyone present in Spike’s APC. “Spike, have a unicorn use a scrying spell and choose a location for where we set out.”
“On it, bosslady,” Spike replied.
The dragon looked up just as Marching Orders finished the spell, and the magical sheet of energy appeared before him. Gazing down at it, Spike saw that they were ways off from the first outpost they were supposed to take. Little more than a small number of metal buildings set around a large radio tower, it wasn't much to look at. Now especially so since its defensive bunkers had been razed to the ground, along with the majority of the other buildings.
Spike paid little attention to the zerg milling about inside or the other fleshy structures that had since been erected. His focus was on the surrounding hillside and the closest available zone where they could safely disembark. There were a lot of factors, such as the size of vehicles, the sight lines of the hills, and location of the outpost itself.
“Here,” Spike remarked, mentally sending the image of the chosen location to Twilight. “We’ll disembark behind that rise and approach from the right. We should be able to get fairly close before they even notice us.”
“Excellent choice. I’ll inform the drivers,” Twilight replied.
Spike released a sigh he hadn't known he was holding.
“Good one. I didn't even think of the sight lines,” Lock Jaw exclaimed.
Spike blinked and looked up at the hunched minotaur. “Oh, uh, thanks.”
“Try to relax,” Marching Orders encouraged. “I know it's hectic going into your first real fight, but you’ll do fine.”
“You wouldn't think I’d be this shaken considering we fought Nightmare Moon,” Spike muttered.
“Nothing can prepare you for leadership. Having dozens, if not hundreds, of lives on the line is a feeling you can't replicate,” Lock Jaw remarked in a wisened, knowing tone.
Spike nodded.
A few minutes later, the APC was starting to slow down, prompting Marching Orders to stop her spell. When they finally came to a full stop, everyone stood up and readied themselves for what they knew was coming. The door went down, and they all filed out, weapons and equipment already stuffed into bags or pockets.
They joined the rest of the army as it disembarked, forming long lines made mostly of zerglings. A quick count in Spike’s head told him that he had nearly a hundred and fifty zerg under his command. Hydralisks and infested only numbered around forty total, though that wasn't counting non-combatants like Fluttershy or the drivers.
Twilight levitated herself up onto the cab of a nearby dump truck, her presence demanding the attention of all present.
“We are about to begin our operation, so ready yourselves,” Twilight began. “I expect that this outpost will be lightly defended and mostly used to simply alert the main group of any attack. As such, we must move quickly.”
Twilight jabbed a hoof down at Spike, nearly making the dragon jump. “Spike will take command after the first outpost has been cleared. You will follow his commands as if he were me, understood?”
The true zerg remained silent and still while the infested nodded or grunted.
“Good. Open your minds to my presence, so that I may know all you know,” Twilight ordered.
The infested did as was commanded.
“Alright then, form up!” Twilight bellowed.
The group felt orders be barked directly into their minds and found themselves following them before they were even consciously aware of them. Their initial formation was little more than a blob, but as they got moving and proceeded out onto the plain, it began to lengthen. Within only a hundred metres, they had become an enormous spearhead, with zerglings at the front and the ranged units behind.
In the distance, the outpost slowly appeared, rising up above the horizon like a jagged horn. The sensor mast sat at an odd angle, dangling wires sparking on occasion. The rest of the small settlement lay dark, illuminated only by a few flickering flood lamps and the ever-present moon that hung overhead.
Spike ran alongside his squad, noting idly that the entire group was surprisingly quiet given their number. For a moment, he began to wonder if they would be able to make it the entire way without even being spotted. Then he stepped foot on the fleshy ground extruded by a local creep colony. The moment he did so, a cry of surprise went up, and a zergling was raised into the air, impaled on the end of a large tentacle.
Twilight refused to let panic ruin things and shifted their formation once more. In the span of mere seconds and without slowing down, the spearhead became one of many. Grouped into squads with zerglings in front and ranged fighters in the center, they charged onward.
In the distance Spike could see that the defenders were beginning to scramble into defensive positions. Hydralisks took cover while zerglings grouped up, readying themselves for the counterattack. They wouldn't get the opportunity to do even that, however, as Twilight rose above the battlefield, her horn glowing like a beacon.
A scattershot of fireballs shot from her horn and exploded amongst the defenders. Half incinerated zerglings flew into the air, and for an instant it looked like the sun had risen. The burning panicked creatures were just enough illumination for Twilight to clearly see her targets.
With another flash, the infested unicorn vaporized a squat zerg structure that resembled a splayed hand. A second burst of light was all the warning the enemy zerg got before a dozen zerglings were turned into frogs. With her foes now confused and weakened, Twilight landed amidst her troops, trusting the rest to them.
Crossing the remaining distance took little time, though a few more zerglings died during the trek. However, they served their purpose, protecting their more valuable allies from the incredibly dangerous sunken colonies. Their lives were well spent, as the hydralisks and infested were quick to destroy each one of the dangerous structures as soon as they came in range.
A few zerglings attempted a counterattack, but were thrown into the air by Twilight's psychic might. Landing amidst Twilight's brood, they were easy prey for the prepared attackers. Who, after executing the confused and lightly injured zerglings, pressed on once more.
Enemy hydralisks fired out from cover, but found their attacks going wide, diverted by an unseen barrier. Twilight's invisible shield did not slow the shots of her own soldiers, whose blows landed with devastating results. One by one the hydralisks went down, joining what few zerglings charged out at the wall of death.
Spike pitied the unfortunate creatures and silently wished he didn't have to watch them get cut down with such ease. However, he didn't dare avert his gaze from the battlefield, and ran alongside the others. Until they reached their destination and found the outpost to be seemingly deserted.
No new defenders surged out from the buildings, no spines flew down from the rooftops and no tentacles attempted to impale anyone. In that quiet, the various squads fanned out, breaching the buildings, half destroyed bunkers, and other structures. Spike merely observed it all, watching as Twilight disabled a single sunken colony sitting at the edge of town. The entire hand-like zerg structure had its form covered in a thick stasis barrier, stopping it from harming anyone.
Spike turned his attention to Lock Jaw’s squad. He followed their progress through the hive mind. By then they had nearly cleared the building next to the half destroyed sensor tower, and had found nothing. Like the ground outside, the interior of the structure was completely covered in a thick layer of flesh-like creep. The stuff even grew over the confederate forces that had given their lives in the place’s defence.
The dragon was about to divert his attention elsewhere when he saw something interesting in the main command room. There, a single computer sat flickering in the relative darkness of the unlit building. The lone monitor displayed the surrounding area from a variety of angles, though most were up high. Noticing that one was looking down on himself, Spike searched for the camera and found it on the second story of a burnt out building.
Uh, boss, what do we do about this? asked Lock Jaw.
Leave it. The queen will want to see it. In fact, guard the location, just in case, Spike replied.
The dragon hastily sprinted off to where Twilight stood at the base of a three-story zerg structure. Shaped like a strange oozing tree, Spike recognized it as a creep colony. Though it was far uglier than the ones Twilight used. Twilight was inspecting the structure closely alongside Zecora and Fluttershy.
“Effectiveness beyond reproach,” Fluttershy remarked in a callous, almost mechanical tone. “But form mostly superfluous. Majority of structure could be moved underground with little effort.”
“I like your version far more,” Twilight added.
Before Spike could speak, Applejack slithered past them and threw an injured zergling before her queen. “We haven't been able to subdue many of them,” Applejack remarked. “They are surprisingly stubborn.”
“We won't be able to reliably convert them until after we’ve taken out whoever or whatever is controlling them,” Twilight replied.
“Speaking of which. We’ve got something weird,” Spike exclaimed.
Twilight turned to the dragon and glimpsed through his recent memories.
“That is most strange,” Twilight muttered. “Let's go check it out.”
The group moved in the direction of the command building, but was stopped by what sounded like hooves banging against wood. Only it was muffled somewhat and seemed to be coming from a nearby home, one less damaged than its neighbors. Twilight held up her hoof, signalling for Fluttershy to step back while the others moved over to the source of the noise. The creep was thick, but with the majority of the colonies destroyed, the topmost layer was already dying.
Twilight closed her eyes and reached out with her psychic powers, seeking out the presence of other minds. What she found confused her, as there were nearly a dozen ponies trapped in a cellar not far from where she was standing. She shared this information with the others and then moved to where she had detected the entrance, her horn glowing faintly. A beam of energy peeled away the creep and revealed a standard-looking cellar door.
“There is no way they would have missed this,” Applejack reasoned.
“Be ready for an ambush,” Twilight exclaimed before taking a step back.
A hoof pounded against the inside, only for the pony to stop almost immediately. A moment later, something clicked and the door was thrown open, a grinning stallion stepping out of the hatch.
“Oh, thank goodness, we’re… saved,” he muttered, enthusiasm draining when he realized he was surrounded by zerg and their infested allies.
“We are with the confederacy,” Twilight assured. “We’re here to rescue you.”
“Move out of the way, Wave Length. We want to get out too,” muttered a voice.
“Hold on, old lady Needles,” retorted the stallion.
“Look. We don't have time to deal with any theatrics, I’ve got an APC on the way. Have any injured ready for transport ASAP,” Twilight declared.
That seemed to snap the stallion out of his reverie. “Oh, uh, that won't be needed. We don't have any injured.”
“None?” asked Spike.
The pony nodded. “We were all able to get to the shelter in time.”
“Come with me,” Twilight demanded. “My associates will assist in evacuating your companions.”
“Who rescued us? Don't tell me it was that dashing Miss Racing Stripes,” remarked a voice. “I always did think she was… oh my.”
“Don't worry. We’re here to help,” Spike exclaimed, extending a hand to the baffled mare peering up at him from the hatch.
“Uh, right. Lead the way,” muttered the stallion.
Twilight guided him away from the confused mass of survivors spilling from the cellar. To where the broken sensor mast hung over head, its sparks illuminating the entrance every few seconds. It was there that Twilight looked the stallion up and down, noting his slim build, greyish white colors and most importantly, cutie mark.
“Judging from your name and the radio signal on your flanks, I assume you worked in this building,” Twilight half asked, half stated.
The stallion nodded mutely. “I was a, uh, junior technician. Mainly just kept the place clean, but I occasionally took the night shift in the monitoring station.”
“Come with me then,” Twilight urged.
Together the pair trod into the flesh-filled building and over to where the infested squad sat waiting for them. There Twilight paused and waited for her companion to finish resisting the urge to vomit before finally entering.
“Was this here when you left?” Twilight asked.
“Was what…” Wave Length paused, staring intently at the computer. “Uh, no. We used cameras to survey the wasteland, but didn't have any placed inside the compound. Command said it was pointless.”
“Then you can't explain why this is here at all?” Twilight inquired.
The technician shook his head. “No. All I can say is that it's likely sending the feed to an off-site location. That's what that tiny tower thing in the bottom right hand corner of the screen means.”
Twilight hummed. “This complicates things.”
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Pet zerglings are adorable, especially the Carbot ones.
Well it's not like they're going to be making many new broodlings
Yeah, each of you could run with your own army cap of 200
Just study how GiantGrantGames does his deathless runs
They're being tested! Someone's sizing up Twilight's Army...
It's very worrying now smoothly everything has gone. It's probably nothing, right? ..... Right?
Ah yes more questions just what Twilight was in need of
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1. Yes they are
2. hatchery is called that for a reason
3. Thats for later, I dont think they actualy have that many units tottal..... yet
4. I have yet to meet anything or one that dies faster then the plan
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Come on, that bunker of death isn't THAT deadly....
Or the fortification in the zergling evolution mission.
A sad fact, but a fact all the same
So either the current enemy those up to get an early warning or the Sisters did it to get more propaganda footage
Midway reading through this chapter I had a realisation.
How are they commanding this much Zerg?
I ask because, canonically, even Kerrigan at the height of her power could only command a certain number of zerg. Hell, even the Overmind couldn't command a major amount.
That's where Overlords came in. They're there to relay orders and keep Zerg in the fold, allowing the "commander" to retain hold over more zerg ar once. The overlords die, the Zerg go feral up until the amount the "commander" can hold. This is canon but shown in-game via supply.
So how is Twilight, Spike and the others, as well as any other high-ranking Zerg commander, able to hold so many Zerg under their thrall, with no Overlords in sight? Not even any mention of something that replaces the Overlord. The only thing that qualifies are the Mane 6 but...
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Because most of their 'army' are infested, who are given bodily autonomy. They don't need an overlord for them, and what forces they do have number less then two hundred, something Twilight and co can handle fairly easily. If they expand beyond that though, they may start running into trouble, so you'll have to see what happens then.
Also, in the books and supplimental story stuff, its confirmed that kerrigan could command several thousand zerg all on her own. But that has a questionable canoninity.
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I mean, even several thousand zerg was still a fraction of the size of the Swarm as a whole, so...
But yeah, we shall see
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and by several thousand alone I mean like, it wasnt even a considerable strain on her. If she directly ordered around more then that would change most likely.
Machine Orders was a little older, a little wiser, and a little more withdrawn than her more boisterous leader. She walked with the confidence and grace of a royal guard, her head held high despite her circumstances. The mare wore a flak jacket over a militia uniform, only this one had its name tag and rank removed.
I think this needs to be Marching, otherwise really enjoying the read.
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ty, fixed.
If I remember, Spike was never infected. His psychic connection to twilight was built up from being next to her his whole life. But now he can command Zerg? Is he still not infected? Or is he able to do that because Twilight specifically said he was in charge and he can physically connect to the hive mind. This question isn’t really related to this chapter specifically, it’s just Spike is never really described in the story and this chapter had me wonder if he had the eye glow too.
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he was never deliberately infested, but because he was hatched by Twilight he was infused with zerg essence from the moment of his birth. This will be explored more later.
So I just finished reading this story from start to now over the last few days, and I really enjoyed it a lot, but some things did really annoy me. Namely, how the story seems to dramatically change plots. I was very invested in Velvet Touch and Silver Scalpel as characters, but they were seemingly dropped at random and forgotten about completely! I was invested in the story about Twilight's family and how they were succumbing to the nobles, but that's gone also!
As I said, I'm really enjoying this story, and am excited to read more. But it does get to me how so many of the early establishing themes, tones and characters have been dropped and forgetten.
You would think the infested would lose such desires once they became Zerg