Chapter 10: Emergency Code "Whitewing"
Steelhooves had barely survived, the slash across his chestplate was bad, but healing, the metal wouldn’t, but the flesh beneath was, Littlepip breathed a sigh of relief, and it also confirmed that he could be cut out of that suit should he want to… At the last moment, as the Hellhound slashed, Rampage leapt forward, she was now lying on the floor with her head cut off, but glowing pink, sparking with magical energy, and rapidly regenerating… How the fuck did she survive that!
Calamity and Glory were both pulling, with two pegasi at the helm the Sky Bandit was twice as fast. Rampage muttered something “Ach, fuck… Hurts getting your head regrown! Still, rate it a four out of ten on the scale of things that fucking hurt,” Ever since Canterlot her spiked armor and barbed-wire lace was fused to her body, she simply hadn’t cared about the cloud, now though, her head looked fresh, unscared, and naked, red made lank and flat, unlike the curly and puffy mess it used to be. One of her legs had been sliced off but was now regrown fresh and unarmored, Littlepip had to wonder if she was going to keep the armor she had until it had all been cut free, or just plaster on new armor over the plates welded to her flesh…
“You… Saved me?” Steelhooves sounded shocked.
“Of course I did, I want to die, but can’t, you can, and you need to keep the rest of these idiots alive, you could probably do a hell of a lot better job at that then me!”
Littlepip stared at her pipbuck, fused to her leg… She could remove it… But she would rather keep it a part of herself, it wasn’t like she ever really took it off, and as Rampage suggested, it would seriously hurt.
“Uhh, guys!” The blue buck, Glory had said his name was P-21, weird name, had pointed a hoof out the window, “We got trouble.”
Littlepip flinched at the sight of a huge metal-plated airship flying on artificial clouds as it punched its way through the cloud-layer above, showing the early morning sky just beyond for a moment before it covered up, the ship was approaching Canterlot… And a swarm of power-armored pegasi were dismounting from it. “Glory! Calamity!” She shouted.
The Megaspell detonation had come as a shock, Crescent Bolt poured over seismographic data from Stable 107 and many other Steel Rangers bases from across Equestria with a working seismograph, the Star Paladin had accurately triangulated the origin point of the detonation with almost ninety-nine percent certainty, she compared it to both post-war and pre-war maps… Maripony… Luckily that meant that the radiation from the blast would be of little concern to Las Pegasus, Manehattan, Fillydelphia, and Hoofington, it was just to the north-west of Canterlot, Ponyville may be at risk of contamination, but there wasn’t anything over there that Crescent particularly cared about.
She then opened the Steel Rangers’ data on which factions in the wasteland had access to megaspells and reasons why Maripony would be targeted… There was very little data on the subject but if anyone in the wasteland knew numbers, it was Star Paladin Crescent Bolt, the probability of such an event however was small, and in the particular location, even less so… Little was known about Maripony, there had only ever been two expeditions into the region from the Manehattan Steel Rangers, one toward the abandoned research facility itself who went MIA, and another toward the local town of Old Olneigh, that one was confirmed KIA… The first team simply vanished, their comms just went silent, the second team got attacked by Hellhound, there are also much higher reports of Alicorns in the region, higher than any other location in the wasteland… That was a potential motive for using such a weapon… Other data had been recovered from wastelanders in the region, not as reliable as official Steel Ranger surveys, but useful in some circumstances, that had confirmed that Alicorns had previously only been sighted in that region, and were only recently spreading outward.
That confirmed the motive, it was likely that was their origin point, she would have passed this data on to the Manehattan contingent, but they had suffered 89% casualties in the past five days concerning events related to the Steelhooves incident. And it seemed that someone else had come to the same conclusion about it being the likely alicon origin point and had used a megaspell on it… Either that or it was sheer random luck that a megaspell had been detonated there, that was also a possibility, perhaps a wastelander or alicorn pressed a two-hundred year old button, or kicked a rock down a hole, and just so happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time… Ha, unlikely, too unlikely, Crescent Bolt did not believe in random chance, she believed in probability.
There then came an emergency video broadcast from… Stable 2, that wasn’t on the records of existing Steel Ranger outposts… A new acquisition? Or an outside connection? Were their systems hacked? Impossible... Regardless, it showed Canterlot, in the distance, when several blasts of energy struck the mountain from somewhere up above, the view was too shadowy to see much… The city of Canterlot collapsed, turning to dust and a shower of pink-stained rubble in seconds...
She was going over this new data when a far more worrying bit of information had been relayed to her. “This is Star Paladin Igneous Flare of the Rainbow Falls contingent! To all Star-Paladins and Elders,” The radio message played over her terminal, sound-only, evidently he didn’t have a camera with him, he sounded scared, terrified even, that was very unlike the stallion, and why wasn’t elder- “Elder Ion Beam is dead, vaporized!” That explained that. “I’m the highest remaining in the command structure, we don’t have much time, they’ve breached the outer walls of the SPP tower and have been working their way systematically,” There was a sudden series of BOOMS! And then the sounds of gunfire, energy weapons, ponies in power armor, there was a crackling sound, silence for a few seconds.
Crescent Bolt had thought for a moment that the feed had died, but no, it was still active and relaying, then a voice, one she was not familiar with came over the feed, “All targets neutralized, sweeping next floor!”
Then another unfamiliar voice, “They had an active audio relay, try and get a hold of where the data was being sent, mark compromised locations for Operation Cauterize.” The feed died with the sounds of the terminal on the other side being torn apart with power-tools. Crescent Bolt swore sulfuriously, whatever that was, it didn’t sound good.
Then, it got worse, one-by-one more data feeds from various Steel Rangers bases cropped up “This is Elder MacMare of Trottenfield, hostile air-targets closing in!”
“This is Star Paladin Wood Cinder, reporting from Outpost eighty-eight, hostile targets have breached the outpost, requesting assistance!”
“This is Elder Copper Spanner, Vanhoover Contingent, enemy airship is bombarding the Trottz HQ, please-”
“Star Paladin, Isosphere, Elder Copper Spanner is KIA, we’re retreating to Outpost Eighteen!”
“Star Paladin Calliope, the Hollow Shades outpost is compromised-”
Crescent Bolt shut all incoming and outgoing connections, it would be like that everywhere soon, someone was systematically targeting Steel Rangers bases and outposts across the wasteland, and she had a good idea who… She frantically typed at her terminal and loaded the folder marked “Project Whitewing”
Harry and the alicorn must have sat there for only a few seconds, but it seemed to stretch on to hours. “What should I do… The Goddess is gone…” The alicorn said.
Harry didn’t know what to say, she didn’t even know what this ‘Goddess’ was, but she needed to try something… “Umm, well, you can come with me, to the Steel Rangers, not sure they’ll like you though.”
“No, Little Mare, I do not want to do that, I want to be with the Goddess, but I can’t… I can hear my sisters, they are alive, I need to meet with them, goodbye...” With that, she vanished, like a ghost. Harry suddenly felt very lonely… She sat there for a few hours, when the sun started to rise, she did too, and marched back to the Stable, she hadn’t gone far… Then, she heard something she had never heard before… A klakson, loud and clear, rang out from the direction of the Stable… Then, a gem mounted to her scribe robes started to glow, and the voice of the Star Paladin came from it.
“All Steel Ranger personale, Emergency Code ‘Whitewing’ is now in effect, I repeat Emergency Code ‘Whitewing’ is now in effect, all Steel Ranger personale are ordered to report to Stable 107 immediately.”
Harry started running, something was happening, something bad, or at least it sounded like it… She needed to get back, and fast. When she did, she found the Stable in a state of organized chaos. Ponies were hauling out heavy weapons from stores deep within the Stable, Harry had never seen guns quite like these, three massive rectangles mounted to wheels and featuring an impressive series of cables and wires that snaked into the base, a terminal was mounted on the side, experienced scribes typing frantically at the keys, one-by-one the crystal lenses on the guns started to glow “Beam howitzers Alpha, Beta, and Gamma online!” One cried out.
“Good, get secondary heavy weapons, get these ready, we should be under attack any moment now!”
Those words made Harry run faster, when she got into the barricade she asked, “What the hell is going on?”
“Emergency Code Whitewing, expecting airborne hostels any second now, go, grab any weapons you can, run and get ready!”
What on earth… Well… What on Equus, Harry could vaguely remember a few things from earth, but what on Equus would require this much firepower in the wasteland, why did Stable 107 even have such massive beam-cannons! She grabbed another few spark cells for her beam pistol and grabbed her trottz magical plasma rifle, finding a good sniping nest from atop one of the barricades… Soon, she saw something loom out from above the clouds.
Victory Flare firing a burst from her assault rifles, gutting the raider in an instant, “For the Steel Rangers!” Victory believed in victory, for the rangers, for herself, for all ponykind, she wouldn’t rest until the whole world was united once again, she would see, in her lifetime, Equestria reborn, she would do it herself if she had to, alone, but she had the Rangers at her back!
She deftly reloaded, she was only ten years old, but she was better with a rifle than most scribes, she had no doubt once she was old enough she would be immediately promoted to Knight, and then Paladin, and then Star Paladin, and then Elder, and she would be the one to rebuild Equestria!
These thoughts rang through her head each and every time she took a life, this wasn’t for herself, this was for the Rangers, and for ponykind! Then, she paused, “Raiders dead, sweep next floor!”
The two scribes accompanying her had never been on a mission with this filly before, that was clear with how dumbstruck they were at how quickly she had cleared the room, this mare was already on the level of an experienced knight. Then, everypony in the room paused, “All Steel Ranger personale, Emergency Code ‘Whitewing’ is now in effect, I repeat Emergency Code ‘Whitewing’ is now in effect, all Steel Ranger personale are ordered to report to Stable 107 immediately.”
The gems implanted into their robes bleeped this message, “Wait-” One scribe began.
“That’s-”
Victory’s glare turned icy cold, “Don’t stand there! Get moving! Back to the Stable now!”
The lights flickered, and Corvo was pissed… That shouldn’t be happening! The Rangers had given the Talons access to their power. Her unofficial hostage had set up a two-way connection with their Stable… She needed to know why the Rangers suddenly went back on their deal.
“Crescent Bol-” She didn’t have time to say anything before the pony replied, catching Crovo off guard, she was used to ponies being scared of her, not happy to see her…
“Emergency Code Whitewing! I repeat, Emergency Code Whitewing!” Then the terminal cut off.
Corvo was angry that the Rangers had suddenly cut her off, and she was about to go out and order her Talons to go have a face-to-face talk with the ponies, when her pony hostage, Rose-something, ponies had such weird names, for a stallion too, came running in, chest heaving like bellows and looking panicked, “Emergency Code Whitewing!”
“Yes, Pony, your Paladin just told us, what is-”
“Emergency protocol, Enclave attack,” That made Corvo’s wings shoot out with surprise and concern.
“You mean?”
“Yes, something is going on, Enclave are going to attack soon, Emergency Code Whitewing… Corvo, if you want the Rangers to live, and probably your Talons too, grab all your soldiers and head to the Stable immediately!”
To say the biomechanical abomination you could arguably call a “stallion” was angry would be a colossal understatement, that cunt had gotten away from him! Now, there was no fucking sign of her! He hurt… He hurt so badly, he was ordered not to come back until the cunt and her pipbuck were captured, alive or dead… He had spent two weeks searching aimlessly, she wasn’t anywhere in Hoofington anymore, that was for sure, no signs of that damn mare! Where was she hiding! He had walked, on-hoof from Hoofington to cunt-fucking Salt Cube City!
Then, the stallion looked up, up at the airship that had just breached the clouds and was heading south… Well, there’s something he hadn’t thought were still around anymore! He just had an idea.
The alicorn was flying fast toward where she had heard the Goddess’ scream, she needed to find her, what remained of her, or any of her sisters! She needed to know what was happening… Then, something flew over her, casting dark shadows on the landscape below, it broke through the clouds, a ship, metal and plastic and cloud mashed together, flying toward where she had come from, the ship’s guns turning to aim at- “Little mare!”
The alicorn knew the Goddess was dead, there was no question about that, what whispers she could still hear of her sisters’ voices was clear enough, but the little mare, the one who had saved her, she known the Goddess’ voice for a few days more thanks to that mare, that mare had saved her in more ways than she realized, she couldn’t let the mare die! She was her friend!
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Wow things got turned up to 11
Well that escalated quickly
I have this strange feeling that everyone’s going to pop out of the mirror of erised
Well, that happened. Is it weird that I completely forgot that the Enclave assault was due to happen? I'm guessing everyone's going to head to that Stable, the Star Paladin will activate the teleportation spell as a last resort, and then there will be some very confused Policemen and Aurors.
As for Victory Flair's house (glad to get conformation that foals will be joining him, by the way) I'm torn between Gryffindor and Slytherin. She's certainly brave and courageous, but she's also very ambitious. If she does go Slytherin, I hope she won't be an antagonist, as it always annoys me when someone going to Slytherin automatically makes them evil.
This is beautiful, the original canon is unraveling, and I have little idea what to expect next.
Steelhooves survived. Rampage still doesn't give a damn. Steelhooves death hurt in the original story, because of how meaningless it was.
I wonder if Puppysmiles will show up, or Murky. Those would be the four main stories and all.
10823349
I kinda want Steelhooves and Deus to have a fight sometime soon, part of the reason why I kept the two alive, because cannon vs cannon and power armor vs cybernetics sounds like a badass battle. I would include Puppysmiles but I don't know what I would do with her (Other than make her a Hufflepuff)... As for Murky, if I do include him the explanation will be that he and a bunch of other slaves escaped Fillydelphia when Littlepip was freeing Xenith, because with Rampage there getting past the guards would have been easy as most of them would be trying to contain the angry immortal.
10823355
If Puppysmiles was turned into a human, what would that look like? Would she still be trapped in the suit, except now it's transformed to fit her new body? Would the hat even be able to fit on her head to sort her if she's wearing the dome helmet? Wouldn't the suit protect her from basically every spell, up to and including Avada Kedavra?
I am not sure that Steel Rangers were priority targets, Enclave were very busy with Dashites and Red Eye, meanwhile Steel, Rangers were practically crippled by Littlepip and divided by the different philosophies.
10823392
I'm going to say Puppy can't be turned into a human, period, and if she does go to Hogwarts she'll need to hide behind illusions or something... I'll figure out something for her.
10823761
That seems reasonable. You don't have to include her if you don't want to, or don't know how she would fit, it was just an idea.
So the ponies are going to be going undercover then? I have no idea how they could craft a backstory people would believe, but I trust you to do it.
10823795
They're going to be a whole lot better at the whole "undercover" thing compared to other stories thanks to military training and the cold logic of survival that the wasteland instils.
10823818
Of course, that would make sense. I'd ask if Dumbledore will know, but I'll have to wait and see. Given how your other fic was a bit of an Ozpin basher, I wonder how you'll treat Dumbles in this?
10823932
I kinda wondered that myself... Regarding the Dumbledore thing...
10823818
military can't do spy job. the more they are discipline, the more they sticking out.