Legends of Equestria: Hesturland

by The Blue EM2

Target Intercepted

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Rockhoof asked, looking at a map spread out over a table. "This seems incredibly risky."

"It's our best shot at finding out more information, given our limited resources," Stygian replied. "We have received-"

"Who is we?" Meadowbrook asked. "Are their multiple Stygians, or are ya talkin' in the Royal Plural now?"

"I am most certainly not talking in the Royal Plural!" Stygian replied. "OK then, start again. It's our best shot at finding out more information, given our limited resources. I have received news that there is a convoy proceeding through the area to reach a military installation. The convoy consists of vehicles belonging to an old friend of ours, Project 722. And furthermore, it has been confirmed that one of the people onboard is Colonel Peterson."

"Isn't he the guy in charge of the entire operation?" Meadowbrook asked.

"Indeed," Stygian replied. "He is the brains behind the entire operation, and presumably brings a lot of the muscle as well. It wouldn't be possible to keep such a large operation going without some form of government support, as people have this incredibly inconvenient habit of asking questions."

"Well, accountability is about answerin' questions," Meadowbrook noted.

"And government, if the radio is anything to go by, is about not answering them," Rockhoof noted dryly. "Have you noticed how they always talk in circle and say things that mean nothing at all or don't answer the question?"

"Ah sure have," Meadowbrook sighed. "It's another reason Ah want ta avoid that field of work."

"If we may get on," Stygian said, looking mildly annoyed, and indicated back to the map.

"Yer doin' it again!" Meadowbrook told him.

"Sorry," Stygian said back to her once more, the author aware that he had to hit a specific word count today. "Anyways, this convoy is going to be taking a small road through the bayou that leads to a secret military installation that has been scouted in previous days."

"Good luck getting that lot through," Rockhoof smirked. "The terrain there is so squishy and boggy it won't support a vehicle's weight, and the water will flood the engine compartments."

"That," Stygian continued, "is unfortunately not the case. These vehicles are fitted with four wheel drive and are designed to avoid sinking into mud owing to an overall sturdy, but light weight body. In addition to this, the vehicles are water proofed, which will allow them to drive through any body of water and come out the other side high and dry. As long as you remember to close the doors, of course."

"How are we plannin' ta take them out?" Meadowbrook enquired. "Yer the strategist, Stygian. You read up on our foes and determine our best course of action. What's the proposal this time?"

"Indeed," Stygian noted. "Now then, the guns carried by the members of the Hayseed Swamp Native Guard, although large calibre and powerful, are not sufficiently powerful enough to breach the armour or glass of these armoured vehicles, which had plating reinforced with carbon fibre (clearly, somebody had a lot of money to burn). Our plan, therefore, is not to destroy the vehicles in combat, but to do something else."

"What, namely?" both of the Earth ponies asked.

"We need to simply pick off the soldiers! We saw in a previous battle that the muskets were more than powerful enough to go through their body armour, but they've brought out a new, reinforced version that makes that a little more difficult. To this end, I have modified the weapons slightly to be able to punch through. Not only that, we only need to be able to take them out and leave the key target alive."

"Colonel Peterson," Rockhoof said. "I have plenty of questions to ask him."

"You will have you chance, but for this operation our focus is simple; we need to focus our efforts on getting him out alive and back to Hayseed Swamp without any significant damage. Then, once we have him back here, we can start the questioning. How's the development of the truth telling drug going?"

"Ah ought to have a workin' dose by tommora mornin'," Meadowbrook informed him. "Assumin' it works properly, or else Ah'll look mighty foolish. And all mah work will get flushed down the drain, both figuratively an' literally!"

Rockhoof nodded. "Is all sorted?" he said. "If so, I suggest that we all get an early night. We have a lot of work to do tomorrow."

---

Sure enough, tomorrow had arrived, and the Hayseed Swamp Native Guard were in ambush positions. They had taken up various positions up and down the road in order to disperse their firing lines and make it harder for the enemy to see them. It probably also helped that they wore green uniforms that helped them to blend in with the terrain. This was certain, they thought, to give them a critical advantage when the enemy arrived. Not only this, they were now equipped with battlefield radio, an innovation borrowed from the humans and reworked by both Rockhoof and Stygian to accomodate the pony form (as the headsets did not easily fit onto a pony head without some modification). The wiring was also neatly hidden away, so nopony could see it, and they waited in the darkness as the enemy was nowhere to be seen.

"All units, bugs in bushes, over?" said one.

"All units, don't clutter the mike with idle talk, over?" said another back. "It could cause us to miss a vital link, regarding the enemy."

"Copy."

There were a few moments silence, and then suddenly, in the distance, they heard it. There was rumbling of engines as several vehicles approached into the mass of wood and forest, creating great big tracks as they rolled along. Each vehicle was painted jet black, and had heavy, thick plating on them, but otherwise closely resembled FBI or Secret Service vehicles. They must have been close to their destination, as they didn't seem to have an operational roof turret.

"Targets spotted, up ahead."

"Roger that. Right flank, prepare to engage, on my mark."

The vehicles got closer and closer, rolling through their centre.

"Steady... steady..."

The vehicles got closer and closer, rolling through their centre.

"Mark."

With that, the right hand side of the roadway erupted in a volley of musket fire. Supercharged and superheated bullets flew through the air, smashing through windows and punching through enemy soldiers, leaving not much behind when the shot had stopped its course.

"Get out!" shouted one soldier, and several leaped out of their vehicles and took up position on opposite sides of the vehicles, using them as cover. "Open fire!"

One switched on his thermal goggles. "Unable to get a trace! The heat signatures in the swamp are messing with the goggles!"

"Left flank... mark."

With a thunderous roar, the left flank responded to the order, bullets flying through the air and striking the enemy from behind. Their commander had detested this plan at first- shooting an opponent in the back is cowardice, after all)- but he couldn't deny the plan seemed to be working.

Whilst the soldiers of Project 722 were tied down dealing with foes they couldn't see, spraying wildly as they did so, Rockhoof charged into the fray. With a single swing of his shovel, he flipped one of the trucks over, and the others were soon tossed about like toys. The enemy couldn't cope with this, and soon had no chance of escape. Repeated volleys wore them down, and soon there were none of them left. The gunfire had taken a lethal toll on them, and they were now nothing but memories in the dust.

Rockhoof went to the last damaged vehicle and checked the door. It was jammed from the damage it had taken, so he ripped it off its hinges with his mouth. He looked inside, to see only one occupant, who matched the security briefing they had looked at yesterday.

It was Colonel Peterson, who appeared to be wounded.

"Meadowbrook!" Rockhoof called. "I've found the Colonel, but he looks badly wounded. We need to drag him back to Hayseed Swamp for medical and interrogation!"

Meadowbrook charged over, fighting with the restraints as best she could. Unfortunately, they had gotten jammed in the firefight, and she struggled to free them.

"Here, let me help," Stygian offered, and with a quick blast of magic the button released. "Now we can get him back to base for interrogation."

"We won't get anything out of him until he's in a stable medical condition," Rockhoof replied. "He needs medical attention."

"But isn't he the enemy?"

Meadowbrook had gotten Peterson out of the damaged vehicle, and looked at Stygian. "Doctors don't take sides," she replied. "Now let's go, before any of his friends show up."

Rockhoof led the way on the road back down to Hayseed Swamp, with the other ponies close behind. Little did they realise, a being was watching them from the shadows.

Comments

[JimmyHook19]

"Doctors don't take sides,"

Heh... you know... I saw that sentence being used as the title of a Fanfic on this website involving Mage Meadowbrook. X3

[The Blue EM2]

10706462
It also perfectly sums up her mindset, and indeed the mindset of the entire medical community. Hence organisations such as Medicins sans Frontieres.