Equestria and the Griffons wage war as humanity's UNSC aids the Griffons. The dragons aid ponykind, and the Covenant Empire search for an ancient race.
Impossible odds. That is what the Equestrians have always overcome. With hardship comes happiness, and continued peace is their goal. They had always worked out differences and problems with the other races, but what happens when an alien race comes along and propagates violence and war? What happens when that race encourages other races to do the same? And what happens when ancient Gods, ones who have been gone for a millennium, return?
In their darkest days the Equestrians will have to stand and fight when their entire world is in danger, and though they may survive in being, they may not survive in spirit.
“Maybe I knew there was an alien alliance burning our worlds when I signed up. Maybe I knew that every ship had a 3 in 5 chance of being destroyed by the Covenant. Maybe I knew there was probably no chance of ever returning back home alive. Maybe I didn’t give a damn about all that.”
“But I don’t think I ever knew I’d end up where I am now.”
-=-=-=-=-
One. One Captain Kuyaki
-=-=-=-=-
To: Director of UNSC NAVSPECWAR From: UNSC Captain J. Keyes. Service number 01928-19912-JK Subject: UNSC Kabato’s mission
Officer in Charge(OIC): Captain Adam Kuyaki. Service number 01002-677430-AK Ship name/classification: UNSC Destroyer Kabato. DES-454 Mission statement:CLASSIFIED Current time: 1405 hours Date: November 19, 2547
The King has made his move. -Keyes.
END MESSAGE
-=-=-=-=-
Standing at the fore-front of the observation deck of the UNSC Kabato was Captain Adam Kuyaki, 22 year veteran of the Human-Covenant war and distinguished combatant of the battle for Gemini 9. He was 5 feet, 11 inches tall, 190 pounds, with heterochromia; he had one blue eye and one hazel. He was a Japanese-American, born two months after his parents emigrated to the United States. They chose ‘Adam’ to be his name in an effort to cement their new life in the new country.
Twenty-three years later the Human-Covenant war began.
Staring down through the plexi-glass floor at the planet below Captain Kuyaki stroked his thick facial hair in wonder, knowing what was down there but still unwilling to believe it all. His ship had arrived in the system two weeks ago and they had run extensive scans on all the planets, finding a single life sign on one planet, and millions on another. The first investigation had turned up nothing, but the second one revealed the inhabitants of the planet the Captain was looking down on right now.
The Equestrian Matriarchy, the Canine Republic, the Dragon Empire, the Crystal Empire, the Minotaur Parliament, and the Spider People of the Northern Isles made up the many races living upon the planet below the Captain mused, know that would have to go in his report.
Captain Kuyaki had initially not believed what he had seen when they had first landed upon the planet; a race of intelligent equines, two of which were of mythical varieties. Numerous radiation and chemical tests proved the creatures were not hallucinations, and after the initial shock and introductions the Captain and his cohorts were educated on the ponies and the other races on the planet. The entire process of meeting all the species had taken the two weeks the Kabato had been in system.
Today marked the first day the Equestrians would sit down and learn about the UNSC, the human race, and the Covenant.
The doors to the observation deck slid open and in stepped one of the bridge officer’s; Lieutenant Junior Grade Madison Preston, who snapped a salute which the Captain returned. “Sir, it’s nearly time for our delegation with the Equestrians” the Lieutenant said.
“Understood, Lieutenant. Let’s head to the hangar” Captain Kuyaki replied, joining the younger officer as they walked through the Kabato, the halls of the destroyer as familiar to Kuyaki as his hands.
The delegation to the Equestrians was strictly political, though a lightly-armed escort was mandated by protocol. Captain Kuyaki never went anywhere without his own sidearm, thus affording him some manner of personal protection. His favorite was the M6D magnum, though he only carried 7-round magazines on him, which fit flush with the bottom of the grip. He felt the 12-round mags stuck out too far and made the gun unwieldy.
Passing through the maintenance bays Captain Kuyaki and Lieutenant J.G. Preston reached hangar A-1, on the port-side of the ship.
Entering the hangar the Captain was greeted to the clangs of tools and the sizzle of welding arcs as various vehicles were tweaked or tightened up, the majority of the Pelican dropships squared away and the blast doors secured over them. One was out, however, which the two officers approached.
Standing outside the lowered boarding ramp, patiently waiting for the delegation, was the pilot of Pelican Victor-445, Major Michael Cromley. His Pelican the D77H-TCI model, which was the successor to the original D77-TC. Cromley’s Pelican was fitted with absolutely no weapons in accordance with the peace agreement between the human ship and the Equestrians. The co-pilot and crew chief were already in the Pelican.
“Sir!” Lieutenant Cromley stated, snapping the Captain a salute, which was returned.
“The delegation is ready, let’s head down to the surface” Captain Kuyaki replied, following Cromley as he stepped into his Pelican, the ramp bobbing under the weight of the humans boarding it. Taking seats closest to the doors the two officers strapped in as Lieutenant Cromley took position in the pilot’s seat, raising and vacuum-sealing the Pelican and starting the engines. All personnel were ordered to leave hangar A-1 by the ship’s sixth generation ‘Smart’ AI and the area was decompressed, allowing for the blast doors to open safely. V-445 was released by the docking clamps and became free-floating as the engines took on the weight of the vehicle.
“Happy hunting, Captain” the AI joked over the communicator.
“This is no hunt, Excalibur” Kuyaki replied, his smile heard rather than seen by the AI.
Accelerating away from the Kabato the Pelican turned down towards the planet, the pilot pushing the engines to their max speed. The ride down was uneventful, save for the usual jostling when they were entering the planet’s atmosphere. The view from the ramp’s window was limited, as always, and afforded barely any kind of sight-seeing. The Captain took in the sights mostly when they were in the city of Canterlot, which was Equestria’s capital.
Reducing speed the Pelican glided above the city, the pilot heading for the airship dock. Equestria, though strangely advanced in most ways, still relied heavily on hot-air balloons and airships for flight travel for those who did not possess wings or couldn’t fly far enough.
Finding an open spot Cromley eased V-445 into position and the dock-workers put the magic clamps into position, a few others extending a special bridge which allowed the humans to disembark from the lowered ramp.
“Consider this unofficial leave, Lieutenant. You and your crew are free to do as you please in the city while the delegation is going on. Be back to this spot no later than 1900 hours, understood?” Captain Kuyaki said to Cromley, who saluted and smiled, bringing his men with him as they went their own ways into Canterlot.
“Let’s get moving, Lieutenant Preston” the Captain said, beginning their trek to Canterlot Tower.
The heavy wooden doors of the royal dining halls clicked close, the wood thudding together. Captain Kuyaki and Lieutenant Preston stood at the end closest to them, seeing Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Twilight sitting patiently. The long table could easily sit 20 individuals, thus making the three Equestrians look awkward with Celestia and Luna sitting together on one side.
“Welcome, Adam. Please, let you and Madison be seated” Princess Celestia said, gesturing to the two chairs set for the humans. The officers did as suggested, both sitting at attention. No plates or other foodware were set before any party present, thus leading Kuyaki to believe that no food would be served, which was fine by him. Flowers were not at the top of his favorites list.
“Welcome to the seventh human-Equestrian delegation. All parties present have been properly introduced to each other, and it’s time to get down to business” Princess Twilight Sparkle stated.
“First question: what is the UNSC?” Twilight asked.
“United Nations Space Corps. The branch of the United Earth Government’s military in charge of outer space. Though we are a military branch we also handle peaceful first-contact scenarios and the discovery and securement of inhabitable and uncharted worlds within the void” Captain Kuyaki explained.
“And the United Earth Government?” Twilight inquired.
“The governing body of planet Earth, and political system that governs all colonies and inhabited worlds in its sphere of influence.”
“And your kind? Humanity? What is their story?”
Kuyaki sat for a moment, unanswering. He didn’t know what to say in particular to that question. His species’ history was a long, bloody, and storied. Rich with warfare, suffering, and atrocities. It was also rich with great alliances, happiness, and grand milestones and achievements. It was a mixed story, one that never ended or climaxed.
“That’s...difficult to answer, to say the least. We have been around a VERY long time, and to tell all about our race would take hours. If you want the short of it, I can give you this: we are a peaceful race, but we are not pacifists. We can visit the most extreme of violence upon any adversary, foe, or threat to the safety of our race. At the end of the day, warfare is a science to us, and there are always breakthroughs” the Captain explained.
“Why haven’t you found a cure to end it?” Twilight simply said.
“It’s not that simple. We would love nothing more to end war, but there are some... “patients” out there that don’t want to be “cured”...”
Silence befell the room as all present pondered warfare. The Equestrians wondered what it would be to experience war again, as the very notion had been abolished from the face of their earth for a long time. At the same time, the humans thought of what it would be like to finally abolish war from their dictionaries and minds.
“Is something wrong...?” Celestia asked after several uncomfortable moments of silence.
Captain Kuyaki adjusted his position in the seat and looked up at the Equestrian Princesses, knowing that any number of things could happen once he explained the situation.
“For the past twenty years, Princesses, we have waged a losing war against an alien alliance known as the Covenant. This group of aliens from all corners of the galaxy have swept through our outer colonies, burning them to ashes from orbit and diminishing our numbers like butter slowly melting. Despite all our weapons, advancements, ships and numbers, we are losing out to the Covenant” the Captain explained calmly.
“We need help... Your help...”
-=-=-=-=-
It was 7 past 1800 hours, and Captain Kuyaki and Lieutenant Preston were standing next to Pelican V-445 with no way to contact the pilot. Night would be coming on soon, and Kuyaki would like to return to the Kabato as soon as possible.
“It could’ve gone worse, right? I mean, we could’ve been exiled from the planet forever” Preston said, sitting on the dock next to the idle Pelican. The Captain stood with his arms crossed, and scoffed.
“Perhaps... Still, we can’t afford to take ‘no’ as an answer. We NEED help in this war, Lieutenant. Our special projects aren’t enough; we need more soldiers, period” Kuyaki declared.
“You are right, Captain...”
Boredom taking over Captain Kuyaki pulled his UNSC combat knife out and started idly picking at the blade, the ergonomic handle and weight feeling good in his hand. The edge had been expertly sharpened.
Hoofsteps in the dark caught Kuyaki’s attention and he looked up. The pony was mostly in the shadows, and Adam would’ve thought it was a dock-worker but the presence of both wings and a horn dispelled that notion right quick.
The Princess stepped into the light revealing that it was Twilight Sparkle who, despite her best efforts, didn’t look as regal or royal as the two leading Princesses.
“Princess Twilight, what brings you here?” the Captain inquired, returning his knife to its sheath, knowing that the presence of serious weapons made Equestrians nervous, especially when their operators are idly playing with them.
“Officially, I’ll say it was an emergency delegation if or when I get asked about it. Personally, I want a personal visit to your ship, Adam” Twilight answered, sitting down on her haunches. The light from the sun was finally disappearing beyond the horizon beyond the Captain, making way for the moon to rise.
Normally Captain Kuyaki would deny this request immediately, however he was feeling disappointed and thought maybe showing an Equestrian a little tour of his ship would be interesting.
“Sure. Why not. One problem, I can’t contact our pilots, and I have no idea where they may be at” the Captain replied, flexing his legs as they were getting sore from standing around for a few hours.
“Lieutenant Cromley and his crew? The pilots you always use? Gimme a sec...” Twilight said, teleporting away for a moment. After several seconds she teleported back with all three soldiers, who all doubled over and vomited.
“Oops... Sorry, I forgot to mention the teleportation process is very unsettling and nauseating for newcomers. You’ll all be OK” the Princess said as Cromley and his crew recovered.
“...We'll talk later about that maneuver. Shore leave is over, soldiers, let’s get back to the Kabato.”
-=-=-=-=-
With V-445 squared away in its blast-bay all scheduled Pelican flights had ended for the night, leaving Princess Twilight stuck on the UNSC destroyer. She didn’t mind, however, as she was curious to see what it was like to spend a night with the humans.
“Your ship is quite large, Adam” Twilight commented as they finished up the tour of the Kabato, which had taken up the past two hours. The Captain had showed her every last corner, and explained to her what every location and what every service was for.
The last stop was Captain Kuyaki’s quarters, which was at the top of the elevator they were riding on currently. “I suppose to you it is, Princess. There are much larger vessels in the fleet, though the biggest ones are being pulled back to guard the inner colonies from the Covenant” Adam replied.
The elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open, allowing the two occupants to step out and proceed down the short hall to the single sliding door there. The name A. Kuyaki imprinted on the fog-glass. Swiping his ID card unlocked the door, upon which it slid open.
“You first, Princess” Kuyaki said, stepping aside. Twilight blushed but nodded, stepping forward and past the threshold of the door.
“Please, just call me Twilight” the Princess said, still not used to the attention she gets as a Princess. Before she had ascended only her friends would’ve opened a door for her.
“As you wish.”
The door slid closed and Twilight Sparkle perused the room, taking in all the odds and ends the Captain had put up, seemingly for display. The bed was quite large for a room meant for a single person, though it could just look big from Twilight’s perspective.
Most of the room’s knick-knacks didn’t interest the Alicorn, but there was one above the bed that caught her eye. It was an old rifle, securely mounted via a bracket, and the trigger-guard was covered with a lock. “What is that?” Twilight asked.
“A family heirloom. A Mosin-Nagant model 91 rifle. One of my ancestors fought in a conflict known to our species as the Russo-Japanese war against the Russians. Not a well-known war, occurring only around the turn of the century in the year 1904. It has been passed down from father to son many times, and I suspect I’ll keep it for more than sentimental reasons...” the Captain trailed off.
“Fascinating” Twilight said, inspecting the old gun as best she could from a distance while Kuyaki went over to his bed and sat down, taking his deck shoes off and resting his feet. It had been a long day for him.
“Tell me, Twilight, what was the real reason you wanted to come up here?” Adam asked, leaning back and propping himself up with his arms. The Princess turned around, the look on her face telling of her nervousness.
“W-what do you mean? I just wanted a tour” Twilight replied, earning a chuckle from the Captain.
“For a politician you are not a very good liar, Ms. Sparkle.”
Twilight sighed and sat down on the floor, staring at the tiles between her hooves. She had gone over this a million times in her head but now that it was actually happening...nothing.
On the surface of Equestria Captain Adam Kuyaki drove an M12 Light Reconnaissance Vehicle with Princess Sparkle in the passenger seat, the two on the way to the Griffon capital. According to Twilight, friction between the Equestrians and Griffons had grown in recent years, and Twilight wanted the UNSC to aid in keeping diplomatic relations.
“I don’t want this to become a war, Adam. Celestia and Luna don’t want that, either. We’re going to do everything we can to keep this from boiling over and becoming an uncontainable situation” Twilight said.
“This vehicle is quite fast” the Princess said, changing the subject.
“The M12 Warthog is known for a decent speed within the UNSC. This specialized version has a rear window and gull-wing doors on the cabin for a full-seal. The gun in the back has been removed. Basically, this is a demilitarized model” Kuyaki replied.
“Fascinating.”
Captain Kuyaki knew what the Equestrians wanted, and knew what the Griffons wanted. Both of it was paradoxical. The Equestrians wanted continued peace, but also for the Griffons to stop expanding their already considerably large military. But the Griffons were taking a human proverb to heart; ‘Should you seek peace, prepare for war’. The Griffons wanted the same peace, but were preparing for what seemed like armageddon with how large their army was becoming.
Of course Adam had his own opinion; let the Griffons build their army. Obviously they had a reason for it, and there was no reason for the Equestrians to weigh in on it. The Princesses had, in Kuyaki’s view, a very misguided view on their world. Their entire species was frail, weak, wishing to see their whole world as one of peace, love, and affection. These were admirable desires, but they couldn’t seem to see that not every race wanted to conform to these ideals. The Equestrian military was miserably out-dated compared to all other species, and all her inhabitants rode high on their ideals of “peace and tolerance”.
They see their world as one of peace, but any kind of significant threat of violence struck absolute terror in any Equestrian, even the Princesses. Fear rules Equestria, though not by design. They haven’t experienced any kind of war in a very long time, and the idea of violence makes them panic Adam thought.
This was best exemplified by the Equestrians’ first reactions to the UNSC. The Kabato had stayed in orbit, but two fully-armed Pelicans and two dozen armed Marines on the doorstep of Canterlot had sufficiently freaked out the entire country. The Equestrians knew guns when they saw them, and in their first impressions the UNSC had made the Equestrians think an alien race built on the ideals of conquest, domination, and violence had come to their world.
Of course, that was absolutely what humanity was all about, but that wasn’t the UNSC’s objective for Equestria.
The Science of War... If the Princesses could see our history archives, they would have us thrown off the planet in seconds.
As a result of the UNSC’s first impressions no significant military weapons were allowed on planet. All Warthogs and Pelicans designated for use in-atmosphere must have their weapons removed, and any UNSC soldier to be on the ground is allowed no more than his sidearm. It was an extreme demilitarization, one that most Marines were uncomfortable with. As a result, very few people went down to Equestria, and Human-Equestrian interaction had been next to none in the two weeks they had been there.
Of course, if Captain Kuyaki brought these points to the attention of any of the Princesses, including Twilight, they would immediately remove him from court. Especially Twilight.
Either the Princesses are brilliant politicians, spinning that fear into favor from the public, or they too are slaves to their fear. I suspect it is the latter Adam thought.
In secret, Adam was hoping this thing with the Griffons would turn into a minor border conflict. Just enough to remind the Equestrians, especially the Princesses, that they could not live in their fairy-land of peace and love forever. That there ARE races and species out there that wish to visit extreme violence upon them, and they they’ll wake up and see that ignorance is not bliss.
At the end of the day the Captain could do nothing more but play the role of politician for the Equestrians, though he was officially neutral.
I’ll see what the Griffons have to say, and make up my mind.
“Nice day out, huh?” Twilight said, the first words spoken in over ten minutes. She had been mostly quiet, but in Adam’s peripheral vision he had noticed her stealing glances at his holstered M6D. Even in the demilitarized Warthog she was uncomfortable, knowing that it had been built as an instrument of war.
“I know why you’re uncomfortable, and my advice is to get over it” Captain Kuyaki stated.
“I am not uncomfortable at all, thank you!” Twilight protested, indignant. And lying. The Captain scoffed.
“Whatever you say, Equestrian.”
The rest of their trip to the Griffon homeland was uneventful, and silent. Twilight never stopped peeking at Adam’s gun, unable to get past the fact she was sitting next to something that had possibly taken the lives of many people.
Arriving at the Griffon capital an hour later the Warthog came to a stop in the parking lot and Adam turned the engine off, leaning back in his seat and turning to face Twilight. “Want to know what I think of all this?” the human asked.
“No” Twilight said, attempting to open the door and finding it locked. She signed, and turned to the Captain. “What?”
“I think this is a pointless endeavor.”
-=-=-=-=-
“Welcome. Now, please be seated” the leader of the Griffon Republic, Chancellor Steelbeak, said as Captain Kuyaki and Princess Twilight entered the conference room. The two arriving parties did as told.
“Now, let’s get right to the chase; we want to discuss a cease in the expanding military of the Griffon Republic, but reach a solution that will please all parties” Twilight said.
“I have but one question before we begin the debate; what is the purpose of the presence of the UNSC in this conference?” Steelbeak asked.
“I am a neutral party to this issue; I am merely representing the human race and observing your two species as part of my mission to find new alien races” Captain Kuyaki answered truthfully, though it was only half of the truth.
“Fine. Now, on to the matter at hand. The Griffon Republic has stated repeatedly that the expansion of its military is of no consequence to the Equestrian Empire. We seek no quarrel with you or your land” Chancellor Steelbeak replied.
“The expansion of your military concerns and frightens all of Equestria, and is in defiance of the Demilitarization of Equus Act” Princess Twilight explained.
“These are trying times, Princess. And furthermore, the DEA is outdated by 6 years. Countless other races of Equus are expanding their militaries now that the Act has expired. For the sake of their own interests I will not disclose the species I am referring to. You Equestrians like to meddle in other races’ affairs, quite honestly” the Chancellor declared.
“We are trying to keep our planet a peaceful one. We’ve all studied the history of this earth, and we know what kind of state it was in 1,000 years ago. We are trying to ensure it never becomes a planet of war and violence again” Twilight objected.
“By sticking your noses in everyone else’s business and telling them how to run their own governments? You are meddlers, Princess, and Griffonia will have nothing of it. Our nation will cease no production of new age military weapons, and I suggest your kind catch up, for their own sake.”
“Is that a threat of military action against Equestria?” Twilight inquired.
“No! We have no quarrel with you or your race; we merely wish to be prepared should any conflicts arise in the future. Times are changing, Princess, remember that. You cannot police the world forever. This is an official statement; Griffonia will not cease the expansion of its military” Steelbeak said matter-of-factly.
“Unbelievable. What is your opinion on this matter, Adam?” Twilight asked, turning to the human, who had sat silent.
“I have no opinion in this debate. Please continue on” Captain Kuyaki responded.
“If our military concerns you so much then schedule a conference to renew the DEA with the leaders of ALL races on this planet present to discuss the terms, otherwise Griffonia will not budge.”
Idly staring out the window Captain Kuyaki didn’t so much as see Equus as he looked through it, sitting in silence on the bridge. There was only the sound of computer processors ticking and some beeping. The planet turned as it went along its yearly cycle. The sun and moon went through the days and nights as usual, but rather strangely Princesses Celestia and Luna had to assist in the raising and lowering of their respective celestial bodies.
The country of Equestria rotated halfway out of view and a neighboring country came into view, which Kuyaki stared at as it edged out more and more. The planet was so green and blue* that it reminded the Captain of pictures of an older Earth.
Suddenly remembering the situation down on the surface Adam leaned forward and said “Excalibur, online. I need surveillance imagery of the surface of Equus”, turning the monitors on to see as the AI launched short-range unmanned satellites.
Within seven minutes the feeds came on and Kuyaki zoomed in, knowing the country he was looking at was Griffonia, the home of the Griffon Republic. Since no race native to the planet had any idea what a satellite was all their military projects and weapons were stored above ground, with very few top secret endeavors stowed away in secret bunkers. Even these could be pierced with UNSC surveillance technology.
Looking down on the military bases spread throughout the country Adam admired the Griffon’s considerable might. It came absolutely nowhere near the power humanity or definitely the Covenant had, but compared to Equus’s standards the Griffons were a military superpower, with the technology and means to field tanks, primitive by human standards, and other mechanized war units in addition to state-of-the-art body armor for its soldiers, fashioned and forged from the strongest steels available.
“Busy, busy, I see. I wonder just why they’ve really started expanding their military” Kuyaki said, watching an entire division of troops on a march. Tanks grinded the dirt beneath their treads and underground primitive military airships and other aerial projects were slaved away at.
Looking down at his holstered M6D Kuyaki thought about the evolution of military sidearm’s over the generations. A sort of military prodigy Adam had studied issued weapons from the days of musket balls and percussion caps to semi-auto powerhouses. The Single Action Army, the M1911, the Makarov PM, the M9, the Desert Eagle, and on to the M6 series. And those were just the pistols. The MA5 rifle was worlds away from the Sturmgewher 44, the world’s first mass-produced assault rifle. Humanity had evolved and were constantly perfecting war, and were willing to impart their knowledge on any willing to listen.
Looking back up at the land below him Adam Kuyaki leaned back and stroked his sideburns, pondering his options. The Equestrians were out; they were pacifists by nature. And Adam knew nothing about the other nations and races, but the political situation on the surface below was growing hot.
I think the Griffons would be willing to listen to our knowledge.
-=-=-=-=-
Captain Kuyaki turned the engine to the demilitarized Warthog off and popped the door open, stepping out before the capital hall of the Griffon republic. He was not expected by Steelbeak, but he knew the stalwart leader would be happy to see him.
Ascending the steps and proceeding through the building Kuyaki made his way to Steelbeak’s office, the many guards and secretaries waving him through each checkpoint. Arriving at the double doors the two honor guards sent him through where he found Steelbeak reading a newspaper.
“Ah, Captain Adam, welcome. I was just reading about you, coincidentally enough” the Griffon leader said, setting the newspaper down where Kuyaki read the title.
‘UNSC delegate Adam Kuyaki expresses nonchalance at Griffonia’s ever-expanding army’
“Well, at least that part’s true. What’s the sum of the article?” Adam asked, sitting down in the chair before the Chancellor’s desk. The Griffon pulled out a cigar and offered it to the Captain, who declined. He didn’t smoke, and even if he did, he would never smoke what the Griffons smoke. Immediate onset of lung cancer came to his mind when he saw Griffon cigars.
“They are saying your neutrality is a sign of disdain towards continued peace, and that by remaining neutral you are encouraging the other races of this world to become paranoid military states” Steelbeak replied.
“Aaaand there goes the rational thinking. WOOSH! Out the damn window.”
“Indeed. Anyway, what brings you down here, Captain?” the Chancellor said, letting out a billow of smoke from his cigar.
“The Equestrians, coincidentally enough” Kuyaki started. “Of the two races, I believe the Griffons are more up-to-date. More reasonably-thinking. More intelligent. And less naive. It is like what I told Princess Twilight; the Equestrians have a deluded mindset about them. They believe they can live in love and peace forever.”
“Should a war come, I want to aide the Griffons in it. The UNSC would be able to impart unbelievable support, both physical and logistical. I have studied your army’s might from orbit, and while I commend your emphasis on ground vehicles, I have noticed a deficiency in aerial support. This is the slack that the UNSC would be able to pick up” Kuyaki explained, conveniently omitting the fact that he spied on the Griffon’s secret projects. “UNSC Pelicans and GA-TL1 Longsword fighter jets would be able to rain a hell that the Equestrians would be completely unable to counter or hide from. For total safety, we could strike Equestrian positions from orbit using the Kabato’s Archer and Hyperion missiles. And, if extreme force is necessary, both of it’s Magnetic Accelerator Cannons” Adam explained.
“I would like to see a display of these weapons. IN atmosphere.”
-=-=-=-=-
Captain Kuyaki and Steelbeak stood on the upper balcony of the capital hall, just outside Steelbeak’s office. The Kabato hovered some miles away, preparing to target a nearby island that was completely unoccupied by any significant kinds of life. An Archer and Hyperion missile fired and streaked into the island, blasting huge plumes of dirt into the air. The 70mm point-defense cannons following up, splitting any remaining trees into toothpicks. Finally both MAC cannons fired, completely obliterating any trace of the island. Kuyaki had been hesitant to fire the cannons on soil but the Chancellor assured him that no ill effects would come of it.
“By our lords, that was impressive” Chancellor Steelbeak declared, thoroughly astounded by the Kabato’s power. Just then a wing of Longsword fighters streaked over; five in a flying ‘V’ formation, their engines easily pushing them past Mach 1.
“VERY impressive indeed!” Steelbeak clapped, looking around the sky for the Longswords. His attention was grabbed by the Kabato turning towards the capital hall, a nervous excitement in his belly. The destroyer eased forward as the Longswords came back around, splitting up. The lead came over the Kabato as the two on the port and starboard sides streaked along the sides of the ship. The Longswords came back together at the nose of the vessel and screamed overhead.
“By the lords they are fast” Steelbeak exclaimed, his attention turning back to the Kabato as it came to a stop. “The speed of your fighters and the power of your vessel will be unmatched by the Equestrians.”
“Indeed they will” Kuyaki commented, leaning on the rail.
“Which brings me to this; the Equestrians have invited leaders of all the races of the world to a committee in which we will discuss renewal of the Demilitarization of Equus Act. They have recognized the human race as a legitimate party and have invited you as well. No doubt that the majority of races will reject the act but I want you to bring the Kabato along. I WANT continued peace with their kind, but should that fail then I would like you to remind them that military expansion is the future of all races, and that aggression towards our expansion will be met with unwavering destruction” the Chancellor said.
“Sounds risky, but it may be the best course of action to ensure the continuity of your interests. When is the committee gathering?” Kuyaki asked, folding his arms over his chest.
Canterlot was a big city, but not confusing. It wasn’t hard for Captain Kuyaki and Chancellor Steelbeak to find Canterlot Tower, the largest building in the city, and enter her halls. At the back of the ground floor was a massive dining hall where the committee would gather, the ceiling well over 50 feet high.
“The Kabato is well outside Equestria’s borders, keeping in line with the non-aggression pact we have with them, but I can have her perform an in-atmosphere slipspace jump. Dangerous, but it will work for the shock and awe effect” Kuyaki told Steelbeak, who nodded.
Entering the dining hall Kuyaki and Steelbeak were greeted by all three Equestrian princesses, as well as the Crystal Princess, Cadence, and her husband. Also present was the Minotaur emperor, the Canine President, the Spider God, and the High Lord of the Dragons.
“Welcome, leaders of Equestria’s provinces, states and foreign representatives. Please, let’s be seated and begin” Princess Celestia stated, sitting at the head of the large table. All leaders did as instructed, though the dragon had already been sitting. He was a good 30 feet tall, with black scales and a light brown underbelly. His body was wrapped in ornate dress armor, the shoulder pauldrons spiked and the helmet sporting a cleft in the middle, covering the front of his mouth, the entire ensemble a fiery orange.
It reminded Kuyaki of the ornate armor Covenant Elites wore.
“Today’s agenda covers the Demilitarization of Equus Act and our concerns over several nations expanding their militaries” Princess Twilight declared, looking over her notes. “Now, we have discussed this before with Chancellor Steelbeak, but now we will say it to all races it concerns; we are staunchly opposed to military expansionism.”
“What are your reasons for this?” the Minotaur emperor asked, his race obviously being one of the ones investing in new military technology.
“Large militaries require heavy funding, and competing for the largest military and newest tech breeds unwarranted tension and friction between the races of the world as everyone fights for the most power” Twilight answered.
“Do you have evidence to support these claims?” the Canine President stated, gesturing his hand out as if motioning for the Princesses to hand something over.
“The proof is in the proverbial pudding! Since the Griffons have expanded their military our relations have grown tense!” Twilight exclaimed.
“Hmmph! That sounds like it’s YOUR problem, not ours. To me, that sounds like you WANT to breed and seek out tension with the races of the world. You CAN maintain peace with a nation that has a strong military” the Minotaur emperor stated.
“What?! That’s an oxymoron. ‘Peace’ and ‘military’ do not go together” Twilight said.
“Hah! Wow, this is unbelievable. Are you that fundamentally paranoid of strong militaries? Are you so actively scared of anything deadlier than a sword? I can see and smell it; you’re scared beyond any rational thinking of military expansionism” the Minotaur emperor replied.
“We see no reason for any race to invest in military spending since there has been no war in hundreds of years and no new threats have arisen!” Twilight said.
“This bickering is pointless! You should all vote and be done with it!” Captain Kuyaki piped up, folding his arms over his chest.
“Agreed!” all parties declared. The papers were slid out to each leader, including Kuyaki, with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ checkbox to the question at the top; ‘should the DEA be renewed?”. Captain Kuyaki took a quill from the cup next to him and scratched out the ‘no’ box.
When the voting was all said and done the papers were handed back to Princess Celestia, who looked them over in private, sighing. “The vote comes to 4 ‘no’, 3 ‘yes’. The DEA remains expired, and all races of the world are free to expand their militaries” Celestia declared.
“Unbelievable!” Twilight exploded, slamming her hoof on the table. “We’ll all be constantly clawing at each other’s throats within a decade, psychotically justifying violent wars, because all of you are so intent on building empires and armies! I bet within five years we’ll ALL be embroiled in war!”
“You know, I think if anyone present here is paranoid it is YOU, Princess Twilight!” Chancellor Steelbeak exclaimed. “Why do you so adamantly believe that strong militaries spark massive wars? We maintain militaries to deter any would-be enemies from trying to take from us our way of life! We all have armies, even you. It is just time to update and expand them all.”
“I do not agree with that! I believe we should abolish all forms of military in favor of strong peace. What is the point of having an army if you have no enemies?!” Twilight demanded.
“Because you DO have enemies” Kuyaki announced, leaning forward. “We ALL have enemies; someone, somewhere out there, will ALWAYS want to destroy you and everything you stand for. It is happening to my kind as we speak! An alien alliance billions strong are burning their way through the stars, and if they haven’t found your planet yet then they surely will! And when they do, if you had no military you would be completely HELPLESS to stop them” the Captain explained.
“I’m sure we could establish peace with your ‘Covenant’” Twilight spat.
“Don’t you get it? There IS NO peace with the Covenant. The only kind of ‘peace’ you maintain with the Covenant is if you JOIN the Covenant. You only have two choices with them; join their empire and survive, or resist and be destroyed! And when you join them your culture, your way of life, your beliefs, any and ALL religions are abolished and destroyed and replaced with the Covenant’s! And if you resist... Have you ever seen a LIVING being MELT into a puddle of bone paste and blood before your very eyes?! What the Covenant Empire is capable of doing with even the most basic of their technologies is extreme, and without a significant military you would be powerless to stop them.”
“Well we’re not fighting the Covenant, and they haven’t found us, so we’re not worried about them” Twilight responded.
“Exactly! With a strong military you are prepared for any future enemy” Adam stated.
“I still don’t see the point in wasting money on war when you are at peace. I want to schedule further conferences over the DEA” Twilight demanded.
“There will be no such conferences anymore. You lost, Princess. Military expansion WILL continue” Steelbeak replied, standing from his seat.
“UGGHH! I can not believe this!” Twilight exclaimed, well and truly pissed now.
“Calm yourself, Twilight. This is the way things are now” Celestia stated, putting a hoof on her prodigy. Captain Kuyaki stood, preparing to leave as well.
“You’re war mongerers, all of you who voted against the DEA” Twilight commented.
“Military expansionism is the future! The future to ensure the future. Should you continue to act with aggression towards our expansionism we will react accordingly. In fact, why don’t we SHOW you the might of our alliance?” Steelbeak declared, turning to Kuyaki and nodding.
“UNSC Kabato; put on the light show” Adam ordered over the radio, not bothering with Excalibur’s reply. He put the radio back in his pocket and walked over to the nearest window. “Watch, Princesses. Let us SHOW you a real military.”
All four of the Equestrian Princesses and the other leaders turned to the massive windows and watched as the UNSC Kabato warped into existence over Ponyville, barrelling down on Canterlot. The destroyer, massive compared to the pony cities, loomed like a beacon of war. “THIS is the culmination of human warfare. A vehicle capable of waging war from space itself! And it's not even our biggest one” Kuyaki announced.
Almost like clockwork both barrels of the Kabato’s MAC cannons thundered, spitting out two 1,000 ton slugs of titanium at five times the speed of sound, the searing streaks of white almost unseen against the blue of the daytime sky. Three dozen Longsword fighters came out of the ship and screamed over Canterlot, rattling the windows of the hall.
“The power of the UNSC and the knowledge of the Griffon Republic will make for Equus’s strongest military, and any who would join us would be very wise to do so” Chancellor Steelbeak announced as chaos erupted in the streets below, the panicked screams heard from all the way up in the tower.
“A strong military is the lifeblood of any and all races of the universe. The means to protect their citizens, and destroy their enemies. Peace is an impossible concept” Adam stated.
“Such an act of war will not go untolerated!” Princess Luna bellowed as the Longswords began to circle around Canterlot like sharks. The Dragon lord lowered to all fours and growled at the human and his Griffon compatriot. Kuyaki put his hand on the butt of his M6D but didn’t draw it.
“Kabato, show the Equestrians more power. Flex your wings” Kuyaki commanded, not bothering to watch as the destroyer fired one of its MAC cannons, the round thundering directly over Canterlot and landing harmlessly in a nearby lake.
“Pursue ANY kind of war against the Griffons, and the might of the UNSC will come to bear upon you, Princesses.”
The Dragon Lord snorted and black smoke billowed out of his nostrils but he didn’t move as he watched Kuyaki and Steelbeak exit the dining hall, leaving the Equestrians and Dragons pissed, the Spiders unsure of their allegiance, and the others sure of the future.
‘WAR! For the first time in hundreds of years the nation of Equestria will be going to war. With multiple acts of aggression over Canterlot the human-Griffon alliance has shown that they want to conquer Equestria and destroy our peaceful way of life!’
-=-=-=-=-
Alarm klaxons blared in the halls of the UNSC Kabato as it hovered over the Sea of Horns, fifteen miles from the edge of Equestria. A Forward Operating Base had already been established on the surface, and the Marines posted there reported Equestrian aircraft approaching.
The engines of the destroyer roared to life and it began to accelerate, turning as it did and quickly gliding into place over FOB Dawnguard, the base established on the ground. Ironically named to both spite the elite guard that protected Princess Celestia and to be the base that would be the guardian of the dawn of a new era. Captain Kuyaki stood on the bridge, watching as Equestrian airships quite slowly approached.
“Blimps? HAH! What a joke...” Kuyaki commented as the Kabato settled into position, the nose staring down the airships. Knowing the Equestrians completely disallowed guns on their land Kuyaki had to assume the airships were loaded with soldiers meant to assault the FOB or board the Kabato, the latter an act literally impossible for the Equestrians to perform with spears and swords.
“Sir, why are we not firing? They are well within range!” the weapons officer announced, turning in his seat.
“They are in range, but they are not in my killzone. Hold for now, but arm the point-defense cannons. Don’t bother with the missiles or MACs” the Captain ordered, patiently waiting for the sluggish Equestrians to come closer.
When the airships were five miles out from Dawnguard and the Kabato they began to descend, giving Kuyaki the signal. Their force was six airships, filled to the brim for a total of 1,000 soldiers or thereabouts.
“FIRE!” Kuyaki bellowed, listening to the dull thumps as the 70mm cannons thundered. 12 shots and the airships were fireballs on the ground.
“Hmph, poor showing on their part” Kuyaki said, sitting in his command chair. The UNSC could probably wage the entire war from right where they were. All they would have to do would be to let the Equestrians keep sending airships at them.
Easiest and least-violent war ever; just sit in a chair. It’s like a video game!
“Captain, recon drones are showing Equestrian mobilization beyond the nearby mountain range” the operations officer declared. “They’re on the move towards the FOB.”
“Scatter several Pelicans; full combat load with 12 Marines each” Kuyaki immediately commanded.
“Yes, sir!”
-=-=-=-=-
The pilots of V-445 rode on the air behind the lead Pelican, T-615. Five Pelicans proceeded towards the mountain range of Broken Horn, which was where the first Unicorns landed when they travelled from Unicornicopia. The mountain range had a small pointed spire cracked in half that looked like a Unicorn horn, which was its namesake.
As they neared the mountains Major Cromley flipped the ‘ready’ light to green, telling the Marines to prepare themselves. Stamping the event in his flight chronicle the pilot kept the Pelican steady as they got ever closer.
The war had only been on for a day, but the UNSC got a nice start today. And with the primitive technology the Equestrians had Cromley personally suspected the war would be over very quickly.
Looking up Cromley saw that they were about to pass over the mountains, wondering what kind of force the Equestrians had that the drones had seen. It was likely big, but weak. Numbers were formidable, but the weapons in their hands mattered too.
“Marines, prepare to--”
A massive dragon landed on top of T-615, his scales black as night. On his shoulders and head was an armor fiery orange in color, his arrival cutting the Major off. The dragon stomped over to the cockpit and craned his neck down, opening his mouth and unleashing a jet of flame at the cockpit, blasting it open immediately and flooding the entire inside of the vehicle with flames.
Taking to the skies with a flap of his mighty wings the dragon came right for V-445 as T-615 dipped down to the right, bleeding smoke from every crack and orifice before crashing into the mountains.
Major Cromley jerked the stick to the left, banking the Pelican away as the dragon opened his mouth, spewing more fire which singed the side of the Pelican. Cromley looked on the rear camera feed and saw the dragon rear back, braking himself as the third Pelican in the line continued on its course. The dragon literally pushed the giant dropship away and dove down and away, flapping his wings and coming around to the Pelican in the very back, hanging off the magnetic overhang and tearing the rear thrusters off with slaps of his hands, causing the vehicle to lose control.
“Good God, man. We need to get the Marines on the ground now!” Cromley declared, lowering the Pelican down as the dragon pursued the remaining three Pelicans, spewing fire all the way.
Cromley armed the 40mm chin gun attached to his Pelican and slaved the gun to his helmet, meaning it would follow his gaze. The Major turned his head to follow the dragon and opened fire, the heavy slugs arcing through the sky. The dragon banked left and presented his back to the Major, giving him a large target to shoot. Much to Cromley’s surprise, however, the rounds ricocheted and glanced off the dragon’s thick scales.
“Suck high explosive, bastard” Cromley growled, unleashing two Anvil-II missiles on the dragon, rockets that the beast literally smacked away. The dragon turned to V-445 and swooped in, opening its maw and unleashing its jet of flame. It was similar to the super-heated plasma utilized by the Covenant in that it melted anything it touched.
Cromley banked right towards the dragon, turning the Pelican in a barrel roll. The left wing smacked the beast in the head and V-445 rocketed down to the landing zone, Cromley firing the bottom thrusters to slow the Pelican’s descent. The dragon was still conscious and in the fight, but was recovering from the hit.
The remaining Pelicans joined V-445 and they all dropped their ramps, allowing the Marines to pour out. Drained of their soldiers the Pelicans took off as the dragon screamed overhead.
-=-=-=-=-
Captain Kuyaki stood and watched as the same massive dragon from the delegation harassed the Pelicans tasked with delivering Marines to the Equestrians’ position behind the mountain, unable to fire any weapons on the beast without risking hitting the Pelicans. Two birds fell before the dragon retreated.
“Excalibur, add the passengers and crew of those Pelicans to the KIA list” Adam said. “And pull up any info on that dragon you can find.”
“Sir, I will need SOME kind of connection to Equestria’s databases, and it seems in their infinite wisdom they have retained an invincibility to even our most advanced decryption worms” the AI said.
“They live in fucking wooden huts and marble castles. How are they holding you back?! Show me one of their datastores” the Captain demanded, sitting in his chair and looking at the AI holotank.
A hologram of a book appeared.
“Goddamn primitives...” the Captain muttered.
“Indeed, sir. Should you want more info on the Equestrians we will need to literally pry it from their shelves.”
Looking down on Equestria Kuyaki stared at the still burning wrecks of the airships sent to engage them, wondering if he should spare some Pelicans from Dawnguard to reinforce the Marines at Broken Horn. He thought against it, though; the Marines would be able to handle the Equestrians.
But the dragon...
“Excalibur, scramble Longsword squadron T-51. Target; giant black dragon over Broken Horn” Captain Kuyaki ordered, knowing the beast was still down there. The AI did as instructed and Adam stood, heading over to the viewport. The Longswords were already out the door and on their way to the mountains, keeping their eyes and instruments open for signs of the dragon.
“Excalibur, think the Griffons could tell us anything about that dragon?” Adam asked.
“I’m sure they would know more than us, sir.”
-=-=-=-=-
“Zee mirak, aal do uin* De’mah” the Dragon Lord Aldurmaax whispered as he watched the human flightboats return to the master vessel, leaving a batch of the invaders on the ground near the Equestrian garrison. The garrison was real, and the Equestrians there knew the humans were coming, but Aldurmaax intended to stop them.
‘Hih lar oto Div’ was Aldurmaax’s title in Dragon tongue. ‘High Lord of the Dragons’, dedicated to leading his people in the climactic Age of Height. An age that had drawn to a close with the arrival of humanity and the UNSC. Aldurmaax recognized the humans as a ferocious and vicious race, with the power to rain destruction on even the mightiest of fortresses. However, the Dragons, unwaveringly and fiercely loyal to the Equestrians since the beginning of the Princesses’ reign, would be there to drive them back at the dawn of the war and the new age; the Age of Deceit.
The Equestrians considered the Dragons their closest friends, and Aldurmaax felt the same way. There were outliers, there always would be, but the might and bulk of the Dragons would serve the Equestrians forever. They would be priceless allies to the Equestrians in the war against the human invaders. Any and all dragons in the war against humanity would fiercely fight to the death to protect the Equestrians.
The humans below began to enter a narrow pass to the Equestrian garrison and Aldurmaax made his move, taking to the free skies with his wings and barreling down on the humans. There was a place sacred to all Dragons, one that could never be taken from them; the sky. The access-anywhere shrine to worship the High Lord or give praise to the Dragon God, De’mah Tokam.
May my wings be true as I soar upon the winds of your breath to fulfill the will of our friends and allies who so boldly stand before the invaders of our world. May your breath guide me to the heart of the humans below as I aim to end their lives in a single snuff. May the divine wind of your lungs deliver unto these invaders unmatched fury Aldurmaax thought as he streaked through the sky, opening his maw as he neared the humans.
Reciting an instinctual spell Aldurmaax unleashed from his maw a jet of flame unto the humans, obliterating the group at the rear in a single blast. The humans in the front turned and opened fire with their weapons, the weak and puny rounds pinging off Aldurmaax’s scales.
“REE-MAAH! TREY ME’TAH TO MONTA!” Aldurmaax bellowed, his voice so loud it slammed the eardrums of the humans below and echoed all the way to their master ship. He declared to the humans that they would be driven back to the stars from where they came.
As he banked around Aldurmaax prepared to barrel down on the second group of humans when he was fired upon by massive bullets, causing him to turn and see human fliers coming to attack him. The aircraft streaked by with such speed as to cause Aldurmaax mild turbulence.
God above do their fliers move fast.
The fliers banked and came back around towards Aldurmaax, firing away. Their rounds similar to the ones fired upon him by the flightboats from earlier. These fliers were dangerous to Aldurmaax, but he knew he could out-do them.
Letting gravity take control for a second Aldurmaax dropped away and the fliers rocketed by, spreading his wings and soaring up. Just as expected the fliers banked around and came at him again, Aldurmaax roaring defiantly. Picking his target the dragon unleashed his flame, blocking a significant portion of the pilot’s view and diving away. As planned the distracted flier banked to his left as his companion went to his right, the two slamming together and exploding.
Falling towards the ground Aldurmaax blasted the remaining humans there, leaving behind no more than ash and char.
The humans knew then they would not be able to steamroll over the Equestrians.
“FIRE!” Captain Kuyaki ordered, the MAC cannons thundering on the Equestrian base behind Broken Horn, two Hyperion missiles finishing up what the MAC rounds missed. With the Equestrians near the UNSC ground base destroyed the Kabato was free to move on towards the next target, which was the city of Manehattan, which was a name disturbingly close to Earth’s Manhattan.
The destroyer lowered closer to the ground and Excalibur alerted the Marines to prepare for landfall. Pelicans were loaded, Longswords were launched, and the Equestrians in the streets were panicking. Soldiers of the Royal Guard were waiting, though they too were likely afraid of humanity’s power.
The Kabato settled to a stop and two dozen Archer missiles were fired into Manehattan, tearing the city asunder and softening it for human invasion. Equestrian military positions were easily spotted and blasted as well.
The Pelicans left the bays and headed straight for the city, Unicorn soldiers in the streets firing powerful magic at the dropships. Statistically speaking some Pelicans would get hit, and some did, but the offensive spells had little more of an effect than scorching the paint of the dropships they hit.
The dropships touched down and Marines poured out, their boots hitting the concrete as they rushed for cover. The skies were already darkening from the black smoke of fires raging in the city.
“You move fast or you die! Keep alert Marines; their swords and spells CAN hurt the unwary!” the Marine Master Sergeant declared, keeping his BR55 rifle shouldered firmly as the assault got underway. Equestrians ahead in the street stood waiting with their swords. Unicorns kept them gripped in their magic, but the earthen kind had fingered gauntlets secured to their hooves to adequately hold onto the bladed weapons.
“Engage!” the Master Sergeant ordered, taking aim with his battle rifle and opening fire, his Marines doing the same. The Equestrians scrambled to charge the humans, most of their numbers cut down immediately.
Practiced discipline saw the pony soldiers fall and the Marines unscathed, the humans reloading and proceeding down the street. The Marines had been ordered to secure and occupy Manehattan, the first city in Equestria, which would send a clear and bold message to the Equestrian leadership.
The Kabato hovered overhead, policing the relatively clear skies and delivering strikes upon large Equestian ground positions. The dual-strike was devastating to the extremely under-equipped ponies, and the Marines were already starting to sweep through the streets.
“Sir, Dragons have been spotted on the move towards Manehattan” Excalibur piped up, his avatar appearing on the plinth next to Kuyaki’s chair. True to his word Adam began to see the faint outlines of the beasts in the distance.
“Keep the point-defense cannons and the Archers armed. Let’s make sure the only thing the Marines have to worry about are swords and arrows” the Captain declared.
The external speakers were on and the entire bridge crew heard the lead Dragon shout, his voice carrying for miles. “Mur untamaiu faar wol draov lan onfaker reat!!”
“What did he say, Excalibur?” Adam asked.
“One moment, sir. I’m checking with the books that Steelbeak gave us... ‘Our unrelenting force will drive the invaders back’ were his exact words” the AI answered happily.
“I’ll show them unrelenting force. Fire the Archers! Lock one on each Dragon!” Adam ordered, watching the missiles streak away from the Kabato and bank off to chase their targets. Of the seven Dragons that came only three were hit, their bodies blown open and remains falling to the streets below.
“Excalibur, you got control of the 70mm’s. Keep those Dragons entertained” Adam stated, watching the battles play out.
“Sir, the Griffons have entered the city from the North. They’ve cut off any kind of retreat from the Equestrians” the communications officer announced.
“Good. Let them know that this is an extermination. All Equestrian military personnel are to be killed on sight. Let the civilians live unless they attempt to attack.”
A thud reverberated through the walls of the bridge, the monitors shaking a bit from the force. More heavy thuds like footsteps sounded through the roof of the bridge and the personnel looked up.
“Excalibur, turn the cameras on.”
The AI silently did as told and the main feed came on, half the view blocked by blackness. It was as if some large bird had landed on the roof of the bridge. “What the fuck is this? Is that a talon?” Adam questioned, trying to make out individual aspects of the video feed he was given.
The claw moved and the camera was knocked back, the lens catching the glimpse of a pointed black tail moving away, right towards the viewport.
Craning his neck down Adam and the rest of the crew saw the black dragon, the High Lord Aldurmaax, clambering into position in front of the bridge viewport, hanging down from the roof of the room separate from most of the ship. The mighty dragon opened his maw and unleashed a jet of flame, scorching and melting the thick glass of the viewport. The heavy glass and plexi-glass mix bubbled like boiling water but didn’t give way.
Seeing his flame breath didn’t work Aldurmaax raised his free hand and slammed on the weakened glass palm-open, his claws digging in the softened glass and cracking what was still hardened. Another open slap on the window caved and buckled it, but still it did not give. Putting in one final effort Aldurmaax closed his fist and cocked his arm back, driving it straight through the glass and shattering a hole as big as a Warthog in the viewport.
Recognizing Captain Kuyaki Aldurmaax pulled his head back and opened his mouth, preparing to flood the contained room with fire. His maw wide and open Adam pulled his M6D and opened fire, seven .50 caliber rounds pocking the dragon’s mouth and tongue. His head jerked from the heavy rounds, interrupting his fire spell.
Adam expended the magazine and reloaded, stepping beyond the command console towards the mighty beast and continuing to fire. Aldurmaax closed his mouth and the remaining bullets pinged off his hide and helmet, the dragon taking to the skies and circling around, opening his mouth and unleashing fire as he dove for the open wound on the bridge.
“EXCALIBUR! BLAST SHIELDS!” Kuyaki commanded, the heavy steel sliding into place just as Aldurmaax’s fire tested its heat-resistance.
“Replace forward view with camera feed” the Captain said, holstering his sidearm as he took his seat again. A video feed was projected onto the closed blast shield, allowing them all to see once more.
“Goddamn psycho came straight for the bridge. He’s quite ferocious, it seems” Adam exclaimed, putting one leg over the other. He saw Aldurmaax flying off with his compatriots.
“Open fire with the 70mm’s, Excalibur. Do your best to put them all down.”
The chorus of heavy gunfire was dulled by the thick hull, sounding like big drums being beat by a hundred tribesmen. The AI kept an eye on all angles of the ship to make sure no other Dragons snuck up on them like Aldurmaax did.
Checking up on the ground status Adam was pleased to learn that the Marines and Griffons were pinching the Equestrians hard between them, and that civilian casualties had been extremely low. The ground-pounders almost had the situation under control down there, and now it was just up to the Kabato to clear the skies.
Missiles and 70mm bullets clogged the skies and harassed the Dragons who had become occupied with attempting to avoid these attacks. It didn’t take long for three more to fall, leaving just Aldurmaax and one other Dragon, both of which quickly retreated.
“Good work, Excalibur. Make sure the Marines and Griffons on the ground get the city on lockdown and spare any reinforcements they need. We’re going to hold on to Manehattan until Equestrian military presence is null and void down there” Kuyaki stated.
“Yes, sir.”
-=-=-=-=-
“Tell me about the dragon leader, High Lord Aldurmaax” Adam asked Steelbeak as they sat on the bridge of the Kabato, the two drinking a special blend of Griffon coffee. Adam thought it’d be perfect for UNSC soldiers to stay awake since it was almost like a pure shot of energy in your bloodstream.
“He holds the highest title a dragon can hold in their hierarchy. And he’s a zealous believer in the dragon religion” the Griffon Chancellor explained. “He leads the dragons with courage and honor, and enforces the idea that all dragons should be willing to sacrifice their souls to their God, De’mah Tokam.”
“Who exactly is their God?” Adam inquired, folding his arms over his chest.
“Only the dragons know. All the other races have gleaned is that their God, a being known as De’mah Tokam, descended from the heavens thousands upon thousands of years ago and led the dragons to victory during a cripplingly deadly war against the Equestrians, and eventually us. In the end, though, the Equestrians were victorious, and after that the Dragons became fiercely loyal to the ponies” Steelbeak answered.
“Fascinating. Looks like the Dragons take sides with those who best them in war. So their God, De’mah, was an actual living being?”
“Most Gods of the races of this planet were. The Equestrian Princesses are Goddesses, still breathing and leading their subjects. They’re worshipped heavily by most of ponykind. The God of the Griffons was actually the first of our kind. She was a fierce lioness, if the books are to be believed. Many a bird wanted to bed her, but she wouldn’t allow any. Finally one stole her heart, and out came the first Griffon.”
“Only on Equus would I find a story of interspecies romance believable” Kuyaki chuckled.
“HAH! Indeed!” Steelbeak exclaimed, taking a drink of his coffee. “So! How goes our campaign against the Equestrians?”
Adam nodded and leaned back. “Now, Manehattan is under our control. We’re bowling over the Equestrians, but the dragons are picking up the slack. We can absolutely crush ground forces, but I have to take the Kabato to every battle to make sure the dragons don’t smash my men to pieces. Aldurmaax was even so bold, or foolhardy, to directly attack my ship. He melted the front viewport open for God’s sake!” the Captain explained.
“I noticed that. We can forge glass that can withstand the intense heat of a dragon’s fire breath if you’d like” Steelbeak commented.
“Good. We’re gonna need it. So now that Manehattan’s under our control we need to move on the next Equestrian city. Excalibur, what’s the next closest pony city?” Adam inquired.
“Cloudsdale, sir. A floating city of clouds.”
“What the-- Fine, put us on a course for it.”
-=-=-=-=-
Aldurmaax braked himself as he approached high Canterlot Tower, flapping his wings to slow his speed. The massive dragon perched himself on the balcony outside Princess Celestia’s room, craning his neck to look in. The Goddess of the sun had awoken at the racket Aldurmaax had made, and was slowly walking over to the open door.
“What is it?” Celestia asked.
“Manehattan has fallen, and the humans are assuredly making a move on the next city in their path. Several of my wing-kin have fallen on this day, but I damaged the human ship” the High Lord explained.
Celestia sighed and sat down on her haunches, pondering her situation and options. “Well, there’s not much we can do except continue to stand against humanity’s onslaught.”
“And should they make it all the way to Canterlot?” Aldurmaax suggested.
“We will continue to stand. Shining Armor and the Dawnguard can keep my family safe, and the rest of the army will stand valiantly.”
“My dragons will continue to stand with honor and courage. Even should we fail in the end, we will have stood with bravery against the inexorable destruction. Divine help us, though” Aldurmaax declared, looking to the sky. De’mah may be long gone, but Aldurmaax firmly believed he would help them someday.
Eyes closed and arms held out level at his sides Captain Kuyaki stood in his private quarters, standing stock still, looking like a human “T”. He breathed slowly and deeply, his mind clear of all. Light began to glow on his face and he raised his arms slowly, keeping them outstretched to the sides as he did so. His arms bent at the elbows and he turned his wrists, bringing his fingers together at the tips in sync with a ding from the holo-screen in front of him.
May your light shine upon and bring warmth and life to Earth and all her colonies, my radiant sun.
Dropping his arms and opening his eyes Captain Kuyaki turned off the digital representation of Sol, Earth’s sun, which was synced to Earth’s calendar and Japan’s time-zone. The sun had just risen on the island nation, bringing another day to her people.
When possible, the times of sunrise were Adam’s times to be alone as he performed the morning ritual to pay homage to the very body that granted life upon his home planet. He had long been a worshipper of the sun; since his adolescence, really.
“Right. Let’s get to work” the Captain said, leaving his quarters and heading for the elevator that would take him to the bridge. He never asked the sun for help on days of battle, believing the heavenly body was not a God to help her subjects any more than she already did.
Whilst riding the elevator Adam idly tapped his foot, doing it out of boredom more than anything else. It was another day, another battle. Cloudsdale, as the Equestrians had named it, was only 40 miles out and the Kabato was steadily advancing.
Adam had to wonder about the ramifications behind a city of clouds and how it would be assaulted. Ground troops could not be put on it, and all missiles would pass right through it. They would have to use the 70mm’s and shoot carefully. Maybe remote detonation for the rockets.
The elevator came to a stop and the Captain walked out, entering the bridge to the sight of his subordinates saluting. He returned the gesture and sat in the command chair, Excalibur appearing next to him.
“Arm the 70mm’s, nothing else. Watch the skies for Dragons, too” Adam declared, staring out the newly-replaced viewport. Every pane of glass had been removed and replaced with the Griffons’ dragon-resistant tempering.
As they got closer to the cloud city and it began to take shape in their eyes the dragons appeared like clockwork, taking off from deep within the clouds.
“FIRE!” Adam bellowed, the 70mm’s thundering as the mythical beasts approached, dozens swarming the Kabato. There had to be over 20 of the monsters attacking as they covered the evacuation of Cloudsdale.
“Excalibur, fire a missile into the city. Archer. You’ve got the trigger” the Captain stated, watching the large missile streak away from the destroyer and toward its target. In an amazing bout of heroic stupidity one dragon dove straight for the rocket, slamming into its warhead and triggering the detonation.
“Goddamn fanatics!! Arm and fire Archers!”
The smaller missiles were unleashed, burning through the mid-day sky. Again, dragons swooped down and deliberately flew into the path of the rockets, even if it meant they would be killed. Their other brethren continued to attack the Kabato, firing jets of flame on her hull and melting holes in the titanium.
“See if they deflect this blow” Adam growled, turning the key himself for MAC tube number one. A relatively small 100 ton slug lanced out at 30,000 meters per second and speared through the soft city, ripping it in half. The MAC round continued on its course until it hit a mountain range, toppling a peak and causing an avalanche.
The dragons were pissed.
“Yeah you don’t like that, HUH?! HUH you little fucks!? Excalibur, lock Archers on all dragons and keep up the 70mm pressure” Captain Kuyaki declared.
The dragons were starting to fall, their numbers dwindling from the constant onslaught of human weaponry. Then, like it was his scheduled appearance, Aldurmaax arrived on the scene, his fiery-orange armor reflecting the light from the sun.
“Oh great... It’s him. Target the High Lord, the one--”
Adam was cut off by Aldurmaax barreling right through the barrage of missiles and guns and landed on the hull of the Kabato, blasting flame at the viewport, which had little effect. Seeing he wouldn’t be able to directly attack the bridge crew Aldurmaax craned his neck down and unleashed flame on the hull, slowly melting a large hole open.
“Shake him off!” Adam yelled, the Kabato jerking to the right 180 degrees until it was upside-down, forcing the High Lord to dive off and take to the skies. The Kabato righted itself, Excalibur resuming his fire on the beasts still around.
Aldurmaax swooped far until he was over Cloudsale, turning back for the human ship and coming at it nose-first. Excalibur fired the nose cannons on him, the dragon turning, ducking, diving and jerking to avoid the spray of bullets. Tucking his wings against his body Aldurmaax came flying in like a missile, landing on the hull of the Kabato once again and skidding across the length of the bow, his claws throwing up sparks as they tried to brake.
Coming to a stop Aldurmaax got to his feet and stalked for the bridge once again, standing up on his hind legs and bracing his left hand on the roof to the bridge as he punched the glass with his fist. The glass, tempered to hold back even the mightiest of dragons, started to crack only after a few hits. From behind Aldurmaax Adam saw the other dragons breaking through the line and landing on the Kabato, punishing her hull and smashing turrets where they could.
“Goddamn it all to hell. Get us out of here, Excalibur. Sling us right through Cloudsdale on the way” Captain Kuyaki ordered. The destroyer accelerated and most of the dragons jumped to the air. Aldurmaax stayed, however, literally snapping at the glass and hull of the ship with his powerful jaws. With a jar experienced only by the Equestrians the UNSC Kabato smashed through the cloud city, blasting through as if it didn’t exist. When it had breached the other side Cloudsdale was an absolute wreck but still standing, and Aldurmaax was still latched onto the destroyer.
As the Kabato turned back the way it came Aldurmaax began to retreat, snaking back from the viewport. He rammed his head into it once for one last try before giving up, growling at Adam through the barrier before taking to the skies, heading back to Cloudsdale.
“Goddamn fanatics” Adam lamented, looking down on the damage to his ship.
-=-=-=-=-
Aldurmaax landed on the mountain range near Cloudsdale, where the wing-kin that aid helped him in the defense of the sky-city were waiting his return. Rock turned to gravel under his mighty claws, digging into the stone. Silently looking over his wing-kin Aldurmaax roared fire breath into the air, the dragons below returning the ancient gesture of victory celebration.
“The Princesses will be happy to hear our victory over the human invaders! Let them never forget the fury of a dragon! We will drive them back to the stars or to their graves; it will be the ONLY choice we will give them! We will never allow them to take victory over us or our friends!” Aldurmaax roared, his companions sounding their approval.
“De’mah will guide us. His iron-clad hand driving us to destroy the humans, to crush them into dust! Fight with honor and faith, and De’mah will see you home, and the humans annihilated!”
Looking back to the sky Aldurmaax looked not to De’mah, but to where the humans had gone, knowing tomorrow he would be helping the Pegasi of Cloudsdale relocate would give the humans time to recuperate.
“What about the river to the left, could we try-- No? Damn.”
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
“The mountains! We could sneak Pelicans through the passes and-- Swarming with Dragons? Son of a bitch.”
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
“Stealth forces. Under cover of night they would sneak into enemy cities and then-- You’re right, we wouldn’t be able to get them out and they wouldn’t be able to do much damage.”
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
“ODSTs!! We could drop them literally right into-- Oh, right, we wouldn’t be able to get them out without getting spotted by dragons.”
Taptaptaptaptaptaptap.
“Well Goddamnit, Excalibur, we gotta think of something!” Adam Kuyaki declared, taking his hand from his desk in his quarters, ceasing rapping his fingers against it. He had sat in the room for the past hour, thinking over plans of attack with Excalibur, to no avail.
“Sir, in layman’s terms; we are currently screwed. I suggest finding a way to drain the Equestrians of supplies until they surrender” the AI suggested.
“Hmm, what’s the ammo count for our weapons?”
“The MAC currently has seven rounds. Archer pods C7 through Z9 are intact, leaving us with a little over 1,000 missiles. Hyperion count is four” the AI explained.
“And Shiva?” Adam asked, leaning back in his seat and putting his boots up on the desk.
“Sir, I believe the technical term is ‘overkill’. Nonetheless, we have three SHIVA tactical nukes.”
“Excal, comb over the Equestrian cities for valuable strategic targets for the nukes. Let me know what’s up” Adam stated, getting up from his seat to head to the bridge.
“Again, sir, I believe--”
“Just do it, Excalibur.”
“Complying.”
-=-=-=-=-
Dink. Dink. Dink.
“So Manehattan is down, Cloudsdale is crippled, and the humans have pushed on the absolute edges of the Kingdom. There aren’t many more cities in the way of their onslaught. Fillydelphia, Ponyville, Canterlot” Princess Celestia declared to her sister.
“Aldurmaax and his dragons are fighting bravely, but I believe the humans will make a breakthrough soon. It’s just a matter of when” Luna replied. “Aldurmaax is demanding that all who can walk and fly fight for the honor of Equestria. The mating parties keep producing dragons but at the incredibly slow rate they age it will be decades before any one of the newborns are ready to fight.”
“There’re still plenty of dragons around to fight the humans, at least. We don’t need replacements yet” Celestia said.
Dink. Dink. Dink. Dink.
“The good news though is that Aldurmaax and his dragons pushed the humans back from Cloudsdale, giving what remained of her population time to evacuate. The city was absolutely wrecked, though. It’ll take the Pegasi years to rebuild it all” Luna stated.
“Hehm, maybe they’ll update the architecture” Celestia humorlessly joked.
The Princess of the sun stopped tapping her hoof against the marble and tucked it under her prone body, curling up. It was a little cold in her room, and the fireplace could only help so much.
“You think we're losing this war, don't you?” Luna asked. “Do you think we’re--”
“I know we’re losing, Luna... I just want to know if we’ve lost.”*
-=-=-=-=-
Thud. Thud. Thud.
“I believe they call it a stalemate” Aldurmaax declared to his shrampe; diminutive assistant, as they lamented the war.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
“De’mah will guide us, won’t he? There’s still hope, right?” the shrampe asked.
A dragon of unquestioning faith Aldurmaax rested his busy talons and looked up at the shrine to De’mah in his throne room, silently wondering if the God really would help them in the end.
“There’s no need for that, Shining Armor. Rise” Celestia gently commanded; the lead of her army complied. He was freshly bathed, his uniform sharp and spartan. His mane flowing in the breeze.
“Fillydelphia is prepared, correct?” Celestia asked, looking down at the stalwart stallion, who nodded.
“Yes, Princess, the civilians have all been evacuated and it has been converted into an extremely defensible location. The mountains on either side of the city prevent any meaningful ground invasion and our master magicians are in position on rooftops to blast down any of their skyboats. If they want in, they’ll have to come straight at us” Shining declared.
“And the ship?”
“Aldurmaax has pledged loyalty to his dying breath, and the dragons under him swore their oath. We will do everything in our power to stop the humans at Fillydelphia, your highness” Shining boldly stated.
“Good. Make sure your commanders have their orders. And make sure the Dawnguard serve honorably” the Princess of the Sun declared. Shining nodded and saluted, turning to leave.
“Oh and Shining?” the Princess called out.
“Hmm?”
“Don’t make it a pyrrhic victory.”
-=-=-=-=-
“MOVE! We’re shoring up every last defense we got here! THIS is the line! THIS is where we stop the human invaders and push them back into the heavens! You STAND, and you FIGHT!” Captain Shining Armor bellowed, watching the human ship slowly glide closer and closer to Fillydelphia, her fighters swarming around her like miniature sharks.
“They came from the heavens, but they are no angels! They crushed Manehattan, crippled Cloudsdale, but they stop HERE! THIS is where we make them fall, Dawnguard!”
As anticipated the skyboats, Pelicans they called them, came from the ship, flying ahead to deliver human soldiers to the battle. Were they a fair enemy Shining would wait until they had deposited their soldiers before engaging, but the humans had a knack for playing dirty.
“For the HONOR and GLORY of the Princesses! Master Mages, charge your horns!” Shining commanded, the Unicorns generating their powerful combat spells to blast the skyboats from their invisible waters. Dark green magic circled around the tips of each horn as they prepared to let off the first volley.
“FIRE!”
Like precision lasers the Unicorns fired, thick green beams lancing into the skies at the Pelicans. The lead skyboat was hit on the front left engine, crippling the pod and sending the vehicle to a wobbly crash-landing in the streets.
More Pelicans were hit on the bottom hull or magnetic overhang and survived, but those hit in the engines went down.
“Aim for the wings! Clip the beasts!” Captain Armor bellowed.
A Pelican swooped down over Shining and opened fire with its chin gun, heavy rounds ripping through the front ranks. Rockets unleashed from pods on the wings rained upon the rooftops, taking many a Unicorn.
“Humans behind the line! Humans behind the line!” a distant soldier shouted, blasting a red beam at an unknown target. More Pelicans were slipping past the Master Mages and depositing their soldiers.
“Dawnguard, let’s mop up these invaders!” Shining exclaimed, seeing that the Pelicans were returning to the ship and no more were coming. The dragons had taken off from the mountains and had replaced the human fighters as the sharks circling around the whale, which was now directly over Fillydelphia.
“You stay alert and you’ll stay alive! Be sure to--”
WHAM!!
Dust and rocks sprayed Shining Armor and his stallions, the tan cloud suddenly sprouting up from the street in front of them. In the cloud was a black pod, unmoving. A hiss and a BANG and a door came off the pod, slamming into a stallion face-first and cracking his skull.
The dust started to clear and Shining observed as a human, dressed in armor black as night, stepped out. His visor a silver color. Levelled in one hand was a small gun, his other hand braced on a handle inside the pod.
The human opened fire with the gun and it was like a hose of bullets, pocking the armor and faces and legs of the stallions in his way. Shining ducked into a department store as more pods slammed into the streets of Fillydelphia.
One human stepped forward, shouldering a strange weapon. Near him, standing fast, was a brave stallion. The soldier raised his sword, standing on his hinds. The move opened him up to the human and he fired, the stallion barrelled over by the weapon. His armor was torn open by a hundred small holes and the human racked a pump, a plastic shell clattering to the concrete with a distinctive sound.
“HELLJUMPERS! HOOAH MOTHERFUCKERS!”
Snaking to the back of the store Shining Armor exited into the alley there and doubled around, about to exit into the street when a massive Griffon tank grinded by, coming to a stop in the intersection and turning its cannon. A mighty BOOOM echoed in Shining’s ears as the main gun fired down an adjacent street, a plume of dust kicked up over the roofs.
“Goddess above!” Captain Armor commented, quickly crossing the street into another alley. The edge had been eroded away, but the Dawnguard were valiantly standing against the invaders deep in the city streets.
Several blocks later on main street the might of the Dawnguard fought bravely, fending off human bullets and grenades. The vehicles hadn’t reached this far. Rallying his forces Shining Armor steeled them and pushed them against the humans, hoping to put them on the offensive.
“Pick your targets well! Look for high-ranking officers or commanders!” Shining ordered, firing off small but powerful penetration spells; enough to kill human soldiers within 100 feet, but not severely taxing on his magic reserves.
A human fighter screamed over the length of main street, literally dropping fire into the midst of the Dawnguard. Stallions not killed by the blasts were forced to suffer painful deaths or asphyxiation.
“FIGHT! FIGHT FOR THE HONOR AND GLORY OF THE PRINCESSES!” Shining commanded, rapidly firing into the ranks of the humans. Automatic fire clattered in the air, tank shells collapsed buildings, and missiles rained from the skies.
“This is madness, Captain! We need to reconsolidate a calmer defense from a more strategic position!” one of the stallions declared, his bow long out of arrows.
“What would you suggest!?” the Captain asked, bunkering down from the explosion of a grenade.
“The church on the north side of the city. The Griffons coming from that side are being fended off quite well.”
“Let’s get mov--”
Cut off by his comrade’s head spraying blood from a vapor trail Shining was forced to duck down, the battle still long enough for him to hear the distant crack of a rifle. The vapor trail leading all the way back to the church tower, which had a perfect view of main street.
“Everypony OFF main street NOW!” Shining yelled, blasting a street clear with a magic bomb. His stallions funnelled toward him, the human fighters banking straight for the street.
Spotters. Snipers. In the tower. A radio.
Missiles were fired in all directions from the strafing fighters, ripping the street and many stallions asunder. The chorus of destruction assaulting Shining’s ears and shaking his bones. The madness forcing a psychological strain on most of the stallions.
The Dawnguard with Shining Armor followed him down the clear street and straight into the path of a convoy of human jeeps, the turrets on the back turning to fire on them. Some stallions were killed by bullets. Some by rockets. The truly unfortunate ones speared by a lance of white that seemed to blast through their targets and every building in town before stopping. A human tank, gigantic in size and power, toppled a building in the street from where the soldiers came, forcing them to split up and retreat into buildings and alleys.
“Goddess above save our hides! This is truly a lost cause!” one of the Dawnguard exclaimed, looking outside to the sky. The human ship loomed overhead, swarmed by dragons but barely touched. The sky was beginning to turn red, and black smoke billowed and mixed with the clouds above.
“Get yourselves together soldier, you’re in the Dawnguard. The most elite of Her Majesty’s soldiers and guards. We’ll drive the humans back or die trying” Shining stated matter-of-factly.
“FIGHT, DAWNGUARD! EVEN ‘TILL YOUR LAST!!”
Shining Armor shouldered the back door opened ready to fight, and instead saw humans skyboats flying away from Fillydelphia back to the mothership. The fighting had calmed down to a distant explosion or heavy gunfire, most likely from the fighters or Pelicans.
“Did we do it? Did we drive them back?” Shining wondered, heading down the alley and peeking out into the streets. It was clear, not of rubble or fire, but of humans or their vehicles. It seemed the Dawnguard had managed to drive the humans back to their ship.
“AHAHA! We DID it, troopers!” Shining thundered triumphantly. They had suffered many casualties but ultimately they had beaten the humans on the ground. A feat many had not thought possible. The last of the human skyboats disappeared from sight as it neared the human ship and Fillydelphia was clear of humans.
“Nice job, Dawnguard! You did me proud!” Shining Armor exclaimed, smiling at the soldiers with him, who looked relieved. “Let’s call in to the Princesses and give them the good news.”
A thunder shook Shining from his speech and he looked up, watching the human ship begin to accelerate. It wasn’t turning to retreat but was rather heading forward, north towards Ponyville and the direction of Canterlot. Dragons continued to attack it and were met with swift death from the cannons.
“What the hell?” Shining commented.
Something on the ship shifted and a single missile launched into the sky, the dragon High Lord Aldurmaax swatting at it but missing. In his heroism Aldurmaax took off after the gigantic rocket as it rose into the sky before beginning to dip and streak for Fillydelphia. The weapon and the mighty dragon silhouetted by the mid-day sun.
“One missile?! That’s their parting strike? Weak!” Shining boasted, watching the missile barrel down on the once-great metropolis. Aldurmaax never once stopped chasing it, tucking his wings against his body in an effort to gain more speed.
“RUN! RUN HEROES OF THE PRINCESSES! NOW!” Aldurmaax bellowed, his voice calling out to all of the Dawnguard in the city. He was obviously concerned about the rocket.
A mile above the streets of Fillydelphia the missile exploded, unleashing a power unlike anything Shining Armor had ever seen. His eyes burned and his vision blurred before turning black, leaving him dazed. The mighty BOOM sure to be heard all across the world. A whipping wind knocked Shining over and shook weakened buildings to their foundations. The roar of fire and flame raced through the streets, torching all in its path. The mountains only amplified the blast effect, reverberating off the rocky peaks and bounding back into the city with a much greater force, levelling it to the very ground.
The fire wooshed down the alley where Shining was, roaring like the fire blast of a dragon. Its searing heat was the last thing Shining Armor ever felt.
‘Mass destruction! Fillydelphia falls to the destructive power of one missile! The human juggernaut continues to sweep their way through our borders to the heart of our fair country! Canterlot! Full story on page seven.
-=-=-=-=-
“Jesus Goddamn Christ I knew nuclear warheads were deadly but I didn’t know the Hyperion missile could be that effective” Adam Kuyaki commented, observing the ruins and fires of Fillydelphia before turning away to face the challenges ahead. The dragons were extremely angry at them, and were chasing after them. The 70mms were starting to feel the strain as their ammo reserves slowly dwindled.
“Excalibur, be sure to reload the cannons first chance we get. We need to keep these dragons off us” the Captain said before getting on the comm. “Listen up boys and girls of the Kabato! We are abandoning the ground campaign! All future engagements will be fought from the safety of this ship! Stay strapped in, this war will be over soon!”
“Sir, an air-only campaign is against UNSC regulations when fighting on an alien world” Excalibur commented, appearing on the plinth.
“I am aware, Excal. Thanks for the reminder” Captain Kuyaki replied, sitting in his command chair as the Kabato began to pick up speed, beginning to slowly outrun the dragons chasing them.
“First up is Ponyville, then the capital city, Canterlot” Excalibur piped up, showing the Captain a hologram of the large hamlet and royal metropolis respectively. Adam stared at Canterlot in reminiscence of when he first arrived in the city.
Should’ve never agreed to their stupid fucking demilitarization demands.
“Arm Hyperion missiles and a single Archer. And reload the 70mms when we’ve got significant distance between us and the dragons” Adam said, standing and approaching the viewport, staring out at Ponyville ahead. “Switch the broadcasting megaphone on, too.”
“Complying.”
“Excal, train these guns on these targets” Captain Kuyaki stated, typing in on his datapad specific targets. The AI wouldn’t find it very logical but it was his job to do as told.
“Complying.”
“This is it, people! This is the last stand of the Equestrian Kingdom! This is to be their downfall! All you have to do is sit back and watch the show” Adam declared to his bridge crew, folding his hands behind his back.
Passing over a forest of black-bark trees the UNSC Kabato over Ponyville, casting her shadow of the town; turning right the destroyer began to face in the direction of Canterlot, purposefully creeping slowly across the sky. Aldurmaax and his dragons caught up, attacking the human ship.
“Keep them away from the missile pods!” Adam commanded, keeping his eyes on the dragon High Lord. Seeing him around other dragons the Captain noticed that Aldurmaax was slightly bigger than most of them.
Should make the bastard easier to hit.
“Fire the Hyperions on Ponyville” Kuyaki stated, watching two of the nuclear warheads launch from their tubes and rise into the sky. Aldurmaax, recognizing the destructive weapons, took off after them. Anticipating where the first one would apex before dipping down the High Lord intercepted the massive rocket, unleashing flame on the tube. Hitting the magnification Adam got to see a dragon’s fire breath in action, noticing that it sizzled and boiled like super-heated plasma, explaining how it was able to punch through the armor of his ship.
The Hyperion sputtered and failed as Aldurmaax melted the boosters and uranium core, causing the broken missile to spiral out of control before falling to a harmless landing in the middle of Ponyvile.
The other Hyperion, however--
BOOM!
A flash from behind the Kabato brightened the afternoon skies, illuminating the hull of the destroyer. Risking his eyes Adam turned to the left viewport and looked down at the city, watching the thermonuclear warhead working its fiery magic, spouting jets of flame through the city. The blast wave flattened most buildings and the intense fire melted the rest.
“FORWARD! CRUSH ALL WHO STAND BEFORE US!” Adam bellowed, feeling the Kabato get underway to Canterlot. Aldurmaax, assuredly seething with rage, dove straight for the UNSC destroyer, braving the fields of fire the 70mms provided. Landing on the top slope he practically galloped for the bridge, ramming his head against the tempered glass.
“TRE’MUH! BEA TOA NAAL GRAAAAAAN! FORS FAV AL TUU MOK! AH SOMD HIR LIR ALDURMAAX!!” the mighty beast thundered, the force of his voice almost crushing the bridge. The High Lord fired flame on the bridge, scorching it for a full 30 seconds before taking to the skies again.
“HEATHENS! YOU WREAK DESTRUCTION THAT YOU CAN NOT COMPREHEND! YOU WILL DIE THIS DAY HUMANS! FOR I AM THE HIGH LORD ALDURMAAX!” the automated translators declared, repeating what the dragon leader had said.
“How’s THIS for destruction! Excalibur, I want that dragon fucking DEAD, Goddamnit! NOW!” Adam Kuyaki declared, watching the High Lord bank back for the Kabato.
Landing on the slope with a slide Aldurmaax clutched the bridge in his massive hands, staring straight into Adam’s eyes as he stood mere feet from the giant dragon, separated only by glass impervious to his fire and claws and head.
“MAARK. MYYY. WOOORDS. HUMAN. YOU. WILL. DIE.”
Looking around for a suitable target Aldurmaax spied the pods for the Archer missiles, stalking over to them and picking at the open ports with his claws, trying to rip one of the rockets from its tube.
“Hey Excal, fire that entire pod, why don’t ya?” the Captain said, watching as 7 Archer missiles launched and went off in Aldurmaax’s face, crippling him. Face bloodied and beaten the High Lord glared at the bridge with an unfathomable rage, turning to attack once again.
“FIRE!” Adam yelled, a 70mm turret turning and firing two rounds at the underside of the High Lord, flashes of white and sparks flying off the armor there. The force of the blasts throwing Aldurmaax from the UNSC Kabato and sending his limp body plummeting to the earth below.
Arriving at Canterlot the human destroyer loomed like it did the day the war started, sending the citizens in the streets below into a panic. It was mass chaos as the human warship sat unmoving, unblinking.
“Give me the stick, Excalibur” Adam said, sitting in his command chair and grasping the yoke. The key turned, and a single missile was fired from its tube, lancing into the sky. Adam pushed forward on the stick, turning the missile down. Watching the display screen to guide the warhead the Captain guided the rocket into the grand hall of the royal palace, where an event known as the Grand Galloping Gala took place every year. The missile flew right where it was supposed to, and detonating. The small fireball and cloud of black smoke from the single Archer was enough to send a powerful signal to the Equestrians.
“No more meddling. No more interfering. You mind your own business, ‘Princess’” Chancellor Steelbeak snarled as he and Captain Adam Kuyaki stood before the three leaders of Equestria in the personal bedroom of Celestia.
“Those are the only terms we have” Adam commented.
“Very well” Celestia deadpanned. Twilight and Luna looked pissed, but the Princess of the day looked sad.
“Good! Now we will be leaving. Goodbye!” Steelbeak exclaimed, stalking away on all fours. Adam stayed his feet for a second before following.
-=-=-=-=-
The UNSC Kabato hovered over Canterlot, the Captain looking on the viewscreen at the damage to the royal palace being mended. There were several bodies of unlucky ponies in the room, which were about to be carried off by the medics. The single Archer was merely meant to be a personal slap on the Princesses, while the nuke fired into Ponyville was the true end to the war.
“Excalibur, take an inventory of our remaining weaponry and evaluate ship damage, then get us under way to Griffonia” Adam said, sitting in his seat.
In just a little over a week the Kabato had single-handedly won a war that would’ve taken the Equestrians months to finish, with minimal casualties among the UNSC and the Griffons. The Equestrians lost countless dragons and citizens, as well as two cities. All in all it had been a successful campaign.
“Let’s stay on the planet for another week or so and run the Griffons through some exercises before giving our report to, ONI. For now, let’s just all relax.” The bridge crew approved.
Leaning back in his command chair Adam closed his eyes, taking a minor breather. He had very high hopes for the future.
-=-=-=-=-
Princess Celestia sighed as Adam and the Griffon left, hanging her head low. It had been what seemed like the longest week of her life; two cities gone, hundreds of thousands dead, and her country crippled. She had ordered all soldiers to stand down, including the dragons, who complied wordlessly. She knew they were angry, though.
“I suppose we better get to work repairing our land” Celestia said, getting to her hooves and heading for the door.
“They killed my brother...” Twilight growled through grit teeth. Celestia sighed again, turning around to face her once-student.
Stationed in dry dock the UNSC Kabato underwent her repairs, the Griffon engineers hard at work mending her holes and polishing her coat. Adam stood on a catwalk, silently watching the sky and his ship. The UNSC destroyer was a fine piece, though not as powerful as other ships in the fleet. Speed was the destroyer’s power.
That and two MAC cannons.
70mm’s reloaded. ODST pods refilled. Archers reloaded. Looks like everything’s in order Adam mused, going over his datapad. He had the UNSC engineers reload the weapons and pods; the Griffons didn’t have the expertise, and Adam wouldn’t trust them with handling missiles.
They have a dedication to their allies, especially us. They’re really slacking in the aerial offense and defense departments, though, which is where we need the most help. They’re effective ground troops, though.
The first part of Adam’s report to the Office of Naval Intelligence was already taking shape, and would be ready by the end of the week. The only real obstacle was proving to FleetCom that these things actually exist, but Adam already had that figured out with a live video of one.
They might be curious of the Equestrians. Well, what remains of them anyway Adam smirked, still in celebration over their victory against the horse people. Despite minimal losses it had been a crushing victory. The use of nukes had been, as Excalibur put it, overkill, but it got the job done. The destruction wielded by those warheads would have the Equestrians reeling for decades.
All in all, a pretty poor showing on the side of the Equestrians.
There were those dragons, though. Especially Aldurmaax. That was a valid concern, but the dragons had stood down at Celestia’s order. And Aldurmaax was dead, so it was nothing to worry about.
Resting his arms on the railing Captain Kuyaki idly stared out, wondering where the future would take him and his new-found allies.
-=-=-=-=-
Outside the irradiated rubble of Ponyville, where rare survivors gathered to mourn their loss or express utter disbelief, the remainder of the Equestrian Dawnguard tended to the body of Aldurmaax, who lied unmoving on a small hill. The elite soldiers stood about wondering what to do with the dead High Lord, many suggesting they bury him where he lie.
The soil moved and the Dawnguard looked over casually, suspecting it was merely an underground critter that had been unearthed by the dragon’s fall.
Aldurmaax’s claw twitched, and shakily balled into a fist, his right eye breaking free of the dried blood that had caked it shut, the eyeball sluggishly looking back and forth across the faces of the stallions gathered around him.
Ninth age of Reclamation CCS battlecruiser Zealous Faith. Fleet of Undoubting Commitment Shipmaster N’por ‘Tumai
Shipmaster N’por ‘Tumai’s four-fingered hand curled around the armrest of his hovering command chair, the Sangheili’s dark eyes scanning the displays before him. He was an Aristocrat of the ‘Tumai state of Sangheilios, and stood above most other of his kin at 7 units high. A distinguished naval officer as well as ample swordsman, he strutted both the battlefield and his command center in fiery orange armor.
Always angry, and always planning his moves as if in battle, N’por carefully plotted where they would go next on their mission. A holy mission, assigned by the master statesmen of Sangheilios to find an ancient race known as the ‘Div’; who once worshipped the Sangheili as Gods.
“We can’t exactly go about jumping at random, though it may seem we have no chance but to do so” N’por announced, leaning back and bringing the tips of his fingers together, rapping them together.
“Chart a course and get us into the Void. Random trajectory.”
==---==
“...My sister, Princess Luna!” Princess Celestia exclaimed, pointing a hoof to her younger half, who smiled. Taking to the air the Princess of the Night spread her wings over the moon statue constructed for her, lowering the celestial body into position. Celestia did the same, the bodies of the heavens resting at twilight before taking their positions, the two Princess lowering themselves gently to the deck afterwards. The Summer Sun Celebration had gone as planned, despite the immense damages to the country, for morale purposes among the population.
“Have a happy celebration, everypony!” Luna called out, looking to her sister, who nodded. The crowd dispersed, going about their selected activities. While they were busy Celestia, Luna, and Twilight gathered behind the stage, looking out to the ruins of Ponyville in the distance.
“Charades can only go on for so long before the citizenry gets angry. Well, more angry than they already are. Most of them are afraid, however. We need to get this mess cleaned up” Luna commented.
“Agreed. Fillydelphia and Ponyville seem to be covered in blankets of some adverse magic, one that has severe effects on those exposed to it. The survivors of the blast have had their coats cooked off, and severe burns on their skin. Those who have survived the magic are beginning to lose clumps of fur and their skin is getting flaky. Whatever it is, it’s not easily contained. Most of the doctors treating the survivors are getting exposed to it too” Twilight explained.
“Ponyville and Fillydelphia will most likely have to be rebuilt in new locations. What of Cloudsdale and Manehattan?” Celestia asked.
“Cloudsdale is well under way to getting fully repaired, the dragons lending help. They’ve been understandably quiet, some even going so far as to growling or blowing smoke at their Pegasi companions. They are VERY angry at not only losing the war, but at us for surrendering” Twilight answered.
“Hmph, I figured they would understand. They were facing the same threats we were” Luna scoffed.
“You have to understand their culture, Luna. They are fiercely proud, and never submit to defeat. The last time they did was thousands of years ago when we defeated them, and they’ve been loyal to us ever since. All who serve and fight do so to their very last breath. When they concede to defeat it’s done so unanimously, and their leader is executed and replaced, the new one entrusted to lead the dragons to a brighter future. I’ve heard unconfirmed reports of some dragons deserting to join the humans, following their ancient code of honor to serve those who best them in battle with undying loyalty” Princess Sparkle explained.
“Hmm” was all Princess Luna had to offer in reply.
“Manehattan is under control of the Griffons for now. I don’t think we’ll ever be getting that city back.”
“We will let the dragons do as they please for now. It’s the least we can do for them” Celestia stated.
Silence fell over the trio, broken only by the sounds of the celebration behind them. It was far quieter this year than it usually was, most likely as the war was still fresh on everypony’s mind.
“Celestia, I--” Twilight started, cut off by an incredibly loud boom, like that of the sound barrier being broken. The crowd behind them screamed out in panic, fearing an attack from the humans using their Flash-Bombs.
“In the sky!!” one mare screamed, prompting everypony to look up. Twilight saw something unlike anything she had ever seen before racing down from the heavens, sailing through the sky effortlessly. It was long, massive, and was curved and bulbous. With a fat middle and narrow head. Three long fins stuck down from the nose. The hull of the spaceship a purple-gray.
It came to a stop directly over Canterlot, hovering, unmoving. The crowd was now in a full-blown panic, thinking it was more humans. Twilight knew better, though. It didn’t match what the humans painted their ships in.
A light purple cylinder of light extended from the bottom of the ship, coming to a stop in the very center of the park where the Summer Sun Celebration was being held. The crowd stilled for a moment, watching the light for any signs of...anything.
Finally, a being floated down the tube, slowing before impact and lightly landing in the grass. It was gargantuan, capping at 7 feet tall, towering over the diminutive ponies. It’s armor was fiery orange, and at it’s side was a handle, with ancient runes on it glowing blue.
“It’s...one of you...” Celestia whispered, stepping forth. “The dragons are going to want to see you.”
==--==
N’por stood impatient in the entrance hall to the Master Room, where the leader of a race known as ‘dragons’ resided. This leader had yet to arrive, however, and the Shipmaster was getting even more angry than usual.
Finally the gigantic wooden doors behind him opened and in stepped a beast, part of his face and chest heavily bandaged. His armor was dented and scorched, and his steps were a little wobbly.
“Greetings, I am High Lord of the Dragons, Aldurmaax” the beast declared, a strange tone of happiness in his voice. N’por stood with his arms folded over his chest, offering no reply other than his name.
“N’por... Come with me, there is something I must show you” Aldurmaax said, sluggishly walking past the Sangheili and down the hall. There was an offshoot to the right much too small for a dragon, and the High Lord commented on it.
“This temple was taken from a race known as the Griffons during our war 1,000 years ago. I adopted it as my perch when I took power.”
N’por remained silent, following the dragon.
Reaching a staircase the two descended, N’por impatiently waiting for the slow dragon to reach the bottom. On the level there were no doors or offshoots, and they moved on without pause.
Another flight down and they reached a long hall, leading to a massive stone chair in a big chamber. Aldurmaax picked up a little speed, not moving as wobbly as he was before. N’por easily stayed caught up with the dragon, and they quickly reached the chamber.
It was big, the ceiling stretching all the way to probably the peak of the mountain the temple was built into. The massive size and huge chair are not what caught N’por’s eye, however, but rather what was behind the chair.
It was a stained glass picture, almost as tall as the chamber it was in. At the top of the shrine was a black dragon, circling around. And at the forefront was a white-armored Sangheili, thrusting his energy sword high into the air.
“Welcome back, kin of De’mah ‘Tokam. We are the Div; the dragons” Aldurmaax commented, bowing before N’por ‘Tumai.
“Interesting. YOUR kind are the Div? The ancient race that once worshipped the Sangheili long ago?” N’por questioned.
“We never stopped worshipping. Wishing that one day you would return. Our faith has rewarded us kindly. We are in dire times” Aldurmaax explained, sitting on the floor.
This was an interesting development for N’por; his mission was complete, and he was supposed to report back to the master statesmen, but he was curious to see the Div in action. To see if they were truly capable warriors.
Not getting a reply from N’por Aldurmaax continued on. “They came from the heavens, much like you did, but were demons. They plundered our world, destroying anything in their path. They killed thousands! They called themselves; humanity” the High Lord said.
N’por immediately perked up, looking at the massive beast in surprise. “Did you say they called themselves ‘humanity’? By the Gods” N’por declared, curling his hand into a fist.
“Do you know of them? Do you know of their treachery?” Aldurmaax questioned, curious to see what the humans meant to ‘Tumai.
“I know all too well...”
-=-=-=-=-
Captain Kuyaki leaned back in his command chair on the bridge, idly flicking an antiquated quarter-dollar coin into the air. The view outside was excellent as night began to fall on Griffonia, Celestia’s sun sinking below the horizon.
“Excalibur, is our report ready to be sent to ONI?” Adam asked, looking over to the AI plinth. The AI appeared, nodding. “Good. Let’s send it off, then.”
“Do you believe our mission to be a success?” Excal inquired. Adam looked away in wonder, idly staring out the viewport.
“I don’t know. I guess we’ll just have to wait for the spooks to decide. I mean, we DID--”
Adam was cut off by the ship rumbling and shaking, and the alarms going off. Pulling his feet off the console Kuyaki turned his chair forward, alert and ready. “Excal, status report! Get us facing whatever just attacked us!” the Captain ordered, feeling it was more pesky dragons.
The UNSC Kabato turned in place, coming about to face--
--A Covenant battlecruiser. With dragons coming at the Kabato.
“What the hell? Oh you have got to be jerking me.”
-=-=-=-=-
“Keep the humans occupied while our new friends attack! I want their primitive cannons knocked off their vessel” N’por commanded, observing the human ship. It was moving to a new position; low and to the left. Aldurmaax’s Div were already nearing it, however.
“My dragons have bravely fought the human vessel, but have not fared well in the past. I am hoping you can change that, my lord” Aldurmaax said, watching the battle play out.
“The might of our ship will beat them down, and your Div will crush them into dust” N’por declared, tightening his fist. The human ship, seemingly named Kabato, accelerated toward the Zealous Faith, darting under her.
“Mistake, humans” N’por growled, arming the bottom plasma projector and firing it. The stream of superheated plasma thundered to the ground below, exploding the area of impact with great force. Thousands of trees around it flashed into ashes, and the rest were lit on fire.
Only the side of the human ship had been scorched, leaving her mostly unmarked save for a slight melting.
“Turn us around! NOW!” Shipmaster ‘Tumai barked, the Zealous Faith turning on its axis to continue its attack. The human ship had also turned, staring down the battlecruiser. “FOOLS! I crush you with the might of the Forerunners in my hands!” The main turret charged up, preparing to fire on the human vessel.
Suddenly there was a flash from the front of the Kabato, a white streak lancing across the sky. It brushed the side of the Faith, ripping a few holes in her hull.
N’por growled, the plasma turret discharged, and the human ship came straight for them. The plasma torpedo followed the humans, turning to chase after them. Banking hard to the right human ship roared past the Faith, the plasma torpedo failing to turn adequately and impacting on a nearby mountain, blasting the peak into pebbles.
Turning back again the Faith fired its point-defense lasers, targeting any part of the Kabato it could. The humans, recognizing their eventual defeat, retreated, rocketing away from the battle and towards the horizon.
“My lord, will you not chase after them?” Aldurmaax commented, baffled.
“No, let them run like the cowards they are. We will all enjoy hunting them like wounded animals” N’por ‘Tumai replied, tapping his fingers together.
ALERT: important announcement in the author's note at the end of this chapter.
Two. Sixteen Requiem for Equestria
“WHAT in the name of Tartarus below is that damn thing?! Did the Equestrians build that?!” Chancellor Steelbeak exclaimed, pointing to the hologram of the Covenant battlecruiser on the bridge of the Kabato.
“No, it was built by the biggest threat our race knows; the Covenant Empire. Looks like they struck up an alliance with the Equestrians and Dragons” Captain Kuyaki answered.
“That damn thing has lasered FOUR of my cities into glowing pools! I hope you have a plan to deal with it!” Steelbeak stated.
“Not yet! I need time to think it over. Standing orders for destroyers and frigates are to run when faced with Covenant ships of this size, but I won’t do so, not when I’m so close to my goal! We’ll have to find a way to fight, somehow.”
“Why not just blast it? You have your MAC! And your Flash-Bombs!” the Chancellor decreed. Adam shook his head, showing a representation of the energy shields.
“Magic... Probably granted to them by the Equestrians” the Griffon leader scoffed.
“Not magic; science. All Covenant ships have these energy shields. They can be broken, but it takes tremendous force” Adam explained.
“Damn... I bet the Equestrians are loving the Covenant right now” Steelbeak commented.
“Actually, I wonder what the Equestrians really have to say about the Covenant...”
-=-=-=-=-
The three Princesses of Equestria stood on the address stage of Canterlot, standing before a crowd of thousands of ponies. Hovering over the royal city was the Covenant battlecruiser Zealous Faith, the High Lord Aldurmaax next to the Princesses.
“You are sure about this?” Celestia asked, craning her neck to look up at Aldurmaax, who nodded eagerly. The Princess had never seen him this happy, or happy at all. She knew more than anyone else the extent of the Dragons’ religion, more than the actual Dragons knew. She knew what De’mah ‘Tokam was, what kind of dark secrets he held and hid from the ‘Div’. She knew what kind of beings the Sangheili were. She would never tell the Dragons the truth, though. She would never tell anyone.
A purple beam was cast down from the battlecruiser and a Sangheili descended, the same one from the Summer Sun Celebration. He landed on the stage with a thud, stalking over to where the Princesses stood.
Aldurmaax bowed.
“What is your name?” Celestia asked.
“N’por ‘Tumai” the Sangheili growled. Their voices were always deep and powerful.
“You come to Equestria seeking the Div; the Dragons. They worship you as Gods. You also come with the means to destroy humanity, the gravest enemy we have ever faced. We ask to see the power you hold, so we may judge it for ourselves” Princess Celestia declared.
N’por nodded, turning back to face his ship. He motioned to the vessel, and it answered. From the nose of the gargantuan ship came a purple beam, lancing out above the royal city. Several empty airships had been set up as targets. The beam hit the airship and it exploded, vaporized in under a second. The other weapons of the ship discharged, obliterating the other airships.
Moving away from Canterlot the Faith moved towards a small island, completely barren except for a few trees. It positioned itself over the island, lining up a large circle on the bottom that was starting to glow.
“Goodness that is bright. It’s hurting my eyes!” Twilight yelled, averting her gaze from the glow. It finally discharged, raining down a beam on the island. The impact annihilated the island, and the heat began to boil away the lake it was in. Collateral damage. Within seven seconds the island and lake were gone, leaving only a giant crater.
Aldurmaax could not help but grin ear to ear in awe of the Covenant’s power, but the Princesses, and indeed all of pony-kind, were mortified.
“Mother above, that was far too much” Luna commented, looking at her sister. The Sangheili turned around, and Aldurmaax looked down. Celestia was staring at where the island and lake used to be, unable to take her eyes away.
“The High Lord here believes you have a problem with humanity. That they have crushed your world and left you battered. I have the power to eradicate them from the face of this earth!” N’por growled, tightening his fist.
“No! No more violence! We can not bear it any longer! This is absurd! Your guns VAPORIZED an entire island and lake! They are far too powerful! We can not see more violence. Please go” Celestia said.
N’por’s expression did not change, he merely stood in place, and Aldurmaax was looking back and forth at the two parties.
“So be it” N’por grumbled, turning back to the grav lift and ascending it, Aldurmaax taking off after him.
“Mother... I need to take a rest” Celestia said, quickly leaving the stage and heading back to the palace. The crowd began to murmur, but dispersed.
Twilight sighed, relieved. She was glad to see the Princess still standing up for Equestria’s non-violent beliefs. “I do think we dodged a bullet with that one” Twilight commented, looking over her shoulder at Luna, who shook her head.
“It doesn’t matter. Every gun on this planet is trained on us right now.”
-=-=-=-=-
Shipmaster ‘Tumai sat in the control room, looking at the feed of Canterlot, the Royal Equestrian City. His hand hovered over the firing stud for the plasma projector, his mind debating over destroying them.
Aldurmaax sat at his side, staring at the Sangheili’s hand. He didn’t know what to do; he was still ferociously loyal to the Equestrians, but his God was sitting right next to him.
“Please, do not hurt them, my lord” Aldurmaax said.
N’por’s eyes darted back and forth over the firing stud and the city, still indecisive. The Equestrians posed no threat to him, but they dared show disgust at the might of his ship. On the other hand, the Div were very close allies to them, and hurting the Equestrians might drive away the Div.
N’por curled his fist and set it down on the armrest, putting the cover back over the stud. “We will not destroy them. But should they fight at humanity’s side in the coming battles, I will kill them without hesitation” the Shipmaster declared.
“I guess it was inevitable that they’d find us again” Princess Celestia said to her sister as they stood in the deep underhalls of Canterlot Tower, the halls not allowed to be seen by anypony or anyone else other than the Princesses. “I just hoped it would’ve been a lot longer than it has been.”
“We couldn’t stop it. No one could. But we can end it; we just need help” Princess Luna replied, idly staring at the mural on her side of the hall. The mural of all Equestria’s dark times throughout the ages. Starting long before Discord’s rule, on to the campaign of De’mah ‘Tokam, and from Nightmare Moon to the present, where the transpiring events were being painted by memories cast from the Princesses’ minds.
“De’mah... What was he like, Celestia?” Princess Twilight asked, tracing a hoof over the simple painting of the legendary Sangheili. He had blood-red armor with orange lights in the usual places, and his shoulder pauldrons and helmet were heavily spiked. His knee and thigh covers ended in a tapered point, and sharp points on the end of his gauntlets curled into the spaces between his fingers. In his part of the mural he was standing in the rain, staring at the stones between his feet and energy sword in his right hand.
“Different...from what I’ve seen of N’por. De’mah was a monster. A violent, uncontrollable demon. He subjugated the dragons and proceeded to smash us into pieces. He lost, despite the cost...” Celestia answered.
Proceeding down the dark hall the three Princesses soon reached the end, which contained a door sealed shut. Celestia stopped at the door and stared at it, lost in deep thought. Her world was troubled, in the throes of a violent war between two mighty alien races, and here she was showing those closest to her her dark secrets.
“There’s...something else. De’mah was Sangheili, yes, but he was a strong warrior. I had no choice but to kill him to end the war between us and the dragons. But I kept the details of his death hidden from the dragons all this time. They believe he was a martyr, that he fell in fair combat against me... It did not happen this way” Celestia explained, trailing off.
Twilight looked to Luna, who nodded solemnly. "Those were dark days, child."
“What does this have to do with humanity and the war?” Twilight inquired.
Celestia shook her head. “Nothing... I just wished I had done things differently in the past. Maybe then we wouldn’t have this war” the Princess of the sun replied. The door started to glow, a blood-red light emanating in the shape of an energy sword’s blade. It bathed the Princesses in its light, reflecting strongest off Celestia’s pure white coat.
“Is something wrong, my sister?” Luna said, cocking her head to the side. Celestia looked at the floor out of her corner of her eye, unable to look the others in the face.
“We are doomed. My sins will never die. And indeed they have caused the death of all on this earth... Huh... I guess De’mah was right; he would have his revenge, even if it was only in his name.”
-=-=-=-=-
“Mai fea taiyō wa, watashitachi ni anata no atataka-sa to hikari o motarasu. Soshite kondo no tatakai o mimamoru” Captain Adam Kuyaki whispered in Japanese, staring at the digital representation of Sol; earth’s sun.
He was alone on the Kabato’s bridge, though with Excalibur present he was technically never alone. The Covenant battlecruiser was on its way to find and destroy them, but it would encounter a healthy surprise.
“Is everyone in position? I want to make sure we’re ready to duke it out with the Covenant cruiser” Adam said, turning his head to look at Excal’s plinth. The AI appeared, nodding. “Good. I imagine that they’ll be here soon.”
Flicking a pen in the air Kuyaki waited as the bridge crew arrived, taking their places at their stations and readying the Kabato for battle. MACs were armed, the Archers primed, and the cannons loaded. Griffon airships took place near the Kabato, armed only with antiquated 40mm cannons for use against Covenant Seraphs. The airships could not bear the weight of anything more without significant redesign, though Adam was informed of all Griffon military projects, and knew they were working on improved aircraft.
With everyone in their place all they could do now was arguably the hardest part; wait.
Before too long the Covenant battlecruiser appeared, popping into place after making an in-atmosphere Slipspace jump, the wake of its arrival sending waves through the air.
“Excalibur, get a firing solution for the MACs on that cruiser and make sure our ‘presents’ are armed. Evade any and all attacks the Covies send our way” Adam declared, flipping the radio on. “Admiral Strongclaw, get your ships into position to keep the Covenant fighters away from us. They’re tear-drop shaped.”
“On this day, the only tears you will see will be in the eyes of our enemies. Admiral Strongclaw out.”
As expected Covenant dragons soon arrived, flocking toward the UNSC Kabato. Many dragons had defected from the Covenant and their pony allies to join the UNSC, due to their ancient beliefs. Adam had them being pressed for any prudent information, so they would would not be joining the war against the Covenant for a little while.
The battlecruiser moved, turning directly to face the Kabato. The lateral lines on her hull began to charge as the fore plasma projector armed, preparing to fire on the human ship. Excalibur was prepared to take evasive maneuvers when a Griffon airship glided into position in front of the destroyer just as the plasma projector discharged, the energy blasting the helium-filled aircraft apart.
“What the hell?!” Adam said, gripping his chair and leaning forward. He had not expected the Griffons to sacrifice themselves.
“We fight with honor, and go with glory. We’ll keep you safe one way or another, Captain” Admiral Strongclaw declared over the radio.
“Sir, the Covenant battlecruiser is within acceptable range of the HAVOK tactical nuclear mines we planted. Would you like to detonate?” Excalibur piped up. Adam looked at the display and saw that the Covenant were several thousand feet from the nukes.
“No, wait until that ship is right on top of the HAVOKs” Adam replied.
Covenant Seraphs and dragons began to approach the Kabato and the Griffon airships opened fire, performing well against the dragons but only downing a few Seraphs here and there. However, the Seraphs were distracted by the airships, leaving the Kabato to only focus on the battlecruiser.
The Kabato fired a Hyperion missile at the Covenant ship, forcing the enemy to move. The battlecruiser closed the distance to the HAVOKs and lasered the Hyperion mid-air, destroying it completely.
“Let ‘em have it, Excal!” Adam yelled. The viewports darkened as the HAVOKs detonated, creating two bright miniature suns in the sky. A lance of Archer missiles launched after the nukes detonated, impacting on the hull of the ship and leaving scorch marks.
The shields were down.
“Fire the MACs!”
The guns discharged, sending two massive slugs downrange at the cruiser. The first slammed into the ship, barreling through before exiting completely. The second one, however, ricocheted off the smooth top of the battlecruiser, gouging out part of the hull but not penetrating. The slug spun into the sky before falling to earth.
Crippled, the Covenant cruiser turned on the Kabato, firing the plasma projector. The laser hit the destroyer and began to smoothly carve into the titanium-A hull, easily punching through it.
“Hey! HEY! GET US THE FUCK OUT OF THE PATH OF THAT LASER!”
The Kabato jumped to the side as the emergency boosters fired; the enemy plasma projector ceased firing and the ship began to turn. Archers were fired from the ship and rained into the battlecruiser, leaving pockmarks and scorch marks.
“MACs reloaded” Excalibur announced.
“FIRE!”
The guns BANGED, sending another two rounds to the ship in fractions of seconds. The first round shaved off part of the the bulbous midship, and the second bored headfirst into the prow of the vessel.
“HAHA! Take that you split-chin freaks!” Kuyaki declared, gripping his armrests.
“Now, let’s fire another HAVOK at that bastard and break them--”
Adam was cut off as the enemy ship fired, a needle-thin spear of white-hot energy hitting the Kabato like a MAC round, blasting through her like she wasn’t even there, let alone fitted with titanium armor plating and filled with multiple decks. The beam began to cut through the destroyer as the Covenant ship turned.
“EMERGENCY BOOSTERS!” Adam commanded, the Kabato jumped back in the opposite direction. While the destroyer sailed to the left Excal launched another HAVOK mine, which soared to the front of the alien ship and detonated.
When the second sun died out Adam saw that the battlecruiser’s prow had been cleanly cut into. Like a perfect sphere of plasma had pressed into its end. The plasma laser had apparently been damaged, as it stopped firing when the nuke detonated.
“MACs at 75% load.”
With the MACs still reloading, and the Covenant ship’s main weapons damaged the two vessels could only stare at each other, waiting to attack again.
“Sir, the Griffon airships are all nearly gone. Admiral Strongclaw is still operational in his flagship” Excalibur piped up.
Without Griffon support the Kabato would be harassed by Seraphs and dragons within minutes, and the Kabato wouldn’t be able to continue its attack before the battlecruiser opened fire.
“Tell Strongclaw to pull back with us” the Captain responded.
“Sir, his airships will not be able to keep up with us without leading the Covenant to our destination” the AI stated.
“Then tell him to keep the enemy off us before bugging out and abandoning ship. They won’t survive if they stay in the air.”
“Understood.”
I may have to pull out a few wildcards to fight this war Adam thought, thinking of ideas. He had one Hyperion left, two HAVOKs, and plenty of MAC rounds and Archers to go around. But he needed something more powerful.
“This is it, huh? This is where I am to finally do battle with you face to face? One on one? Tell me, Princess; do you think you are winning, or us? My Div are a million strong, and they will rain fire upon your villages. Even your Canterlot was built by my dragons. But you and your sister are strong leaders, as well as warriors. And your Equestrians are innately powerful, but are afraid of power and violence. Your race is a contradiction to itself, a paradox truly worthy of destroying the universe.”
“Enough, De’mah ‘Tokam. I no longer have the energy or desire to fight you. This war has gone on far too long, and your dragons are murdering us by the thousands. I surrender... Take me away.”
“Hmm... Seems you are wiser than I thought. Do follow me.”
*BANG*
-=-=-=-=-
Princess Celestia’s eyes quickly fluttered open, awoken from her slumber. She looked around in her dark room, the moonlight softly streaming in through the glass doors to her balcony. The moon itself visible through the door, meaning it would be time for morning soon. She decided to stay awake for the time, since her clock said that it would be morning within an hour.
Lying in her bed Celestia stared at the ceiling, mulling over her dream. The dreams about De’mah had long since stopped but the arrival of N’por brought them back in full. His ship was stronger, bigger, and more powerful than De’mah’s. De’mah’s ship didn’t have shields, for one.
This is a very dire predicament we are all in. N’por is violently destroying our world, and the humans are certainly not doing it any favors. On the other hoof... They ARE fighting N’por, and doing a fair job of doing so with the help of the Griffins. The Minotaurs and Spiders are sitting idle. The Changelings are hiding, and the Dragons are torn over who to fight for. The Crystal Ponies are backing us, obviously, but even we are doing nothing. But the humans and Griffins are standing up against N’por’s onslaught... But what they did to us was extreme Celestia thought, unable to shake her thoughts.
As the moon began to come to a stop on the horizon and the sun rose to a stop on the other side, creating the purple sky twilight and signalling the changing of the bodies, Celestia began to walk to the door leading to the hall when something struck her.
What was that Saddle Arabian proverb? ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend’?
It was time to talk to the humans.
-=-=-=-=-
The three Princesses of Equestria stood behind the curtains of the address stage in Canterlot, a massive crowd of ponies outside. Celestia was delivering a statement to the kingdom that was deemed of utmost importance to her people, and thousands upon thousands had come to listen. Those who couldn’t had to rely on their radios.
Many would be angry that they tuned in by the end of the day.
“What is this about, sister?” Princess Luna asked, sitting idly next to Celestia, who had not informed Luna or Twilight of this public conference. They were as in the dark as the rest of Equestria.
“You’ll see. They’ll all see... It’s time” Celestia stated, stepping through the curtain. The fanfare was sounded, but the crowd did not cheer. They were nervous, uncertain, and expectant of her to say what they wanted to hear. That they would be backing the Dragons, siding with N’por, and taking revenge against the humans.
“We will not be siding with the Dragon Empire, or N’por ‘Tumai” Celestia started, the crowd immediately launching into murmurs, a select few loudly yelling. The Princess of the day stopped for a moment to steel herself, and find the words she needed.
Looking up she stared stoically over the crowd and to the horizon of Equestria, and said “we will instead be supplying and supporting the United Nations Space Command and humanity in their war against N’por ‘Tumai.”
The crowd before the stage erupted into anger and outrage, screaming and yelling at the Princesses. The ponies listening in on the radio had two things to be pissed about, however; Celestia’s decision, and their hurt ears.
-=-=-=-=-
Twilight Sparkle had tossed and turned and fluffed her pillow, even read some sleeping 101 books, but was not able to sleep at all this night. So she did what she always did when she couldn’t sleep.
Read.
Even that wasn’t really helping her, as she could not get her mind off Celestia’s decisions. She had not screamed in anger like the crowd did, for she found she could not make a sound at all. She was floored, absolutely floored, at the Princess’s announcements.
The media reaction had been equally vocal, with dozens of radio stations, newspapers, and gossip mags broadcasting their disapproval. Twilight herself had expressed immense concerns, but did so privately. It wouldn’t do Equestria any good to see two of the Princesses publicly at conflict.
Twilight had tried to see Celestia’s reasoning, her logic. She even had the fellow Princess explain very carefully the motivations behind her decision and let Twilight compute these reasonings in a computer. Logically, it was 100% sound; Equestria could not sit idle with two alien empires at war on her soil and in her skies. N’por had already expressed desire to destroy Equestria, and would eventually do so regardless of humanity’s status. The dragons were split, many breaking off to join humanity after they bested them in fair combat. But many other dragons stuck with the Equestrians, claiming it was not fair combat that humanity bested them in, but cowardly tactics.
Twilight was no expert on dragon belief or psychology, and she didn’t know what to think. The logical side of her was saying that the dragons who didn’t join humanity were simply stubborn and too set in their original ways, that an opponent must defeat a dragon from the ground for it to be fair combat. She also found this hypocritical and asinine, as all dragons who could fly did so to gain an edge in a fight.
On the other hoof, she couldn’t excuse the dragons who left for humanity. She thought them cowards and traitors, and wanted to see them tried as such. Again, the logical side of her found fault with this, knowing that indeed dragon code says that any who best them in war be joined, and that the Dragon Empire was not under jurisdiction of Equestria, and that should they leave to serve another army it would not be considered treason under Equestrian law. She was conflicted and confused, like almost all of Equestria, and--
Fire. There was fire. Twilight smelled smoke.
In a panic, she looked up and her head darted back and forth, looking for the blaze. Glow in her window showed her the fire was outside, and she opened it to see the streets of Canterlot lit up in flames, but scattered about. And only a few houses were burning. It seemed the fires were concentrated in the streets and--
--were moving.
Racing downstairs and out her door Princess Twilight saw it all; crowds of ponies carrying torches and tossing rocks. Canterlot Police was doing their best to hold them off, but were being overrun. A few were carrying signs, which said it all; they were angry at Princess Celestia for ‘defecting’ to humanity, and were rioting.
A few of the crowds were already starting to make their way down the road to the palace to confront the Princesses. She could try to calm them down but she knew it would be futile in the end.
Equestria was about to be embroiled in the first civil war it had seen in over a millenium.
Captain Adam Kuyaki couldn’t breathe. He wasn’t being strangled, he wasn’t choking on food, he hadn’t accidentally breathed in some water, he wasn’t in a vacuum, he just could not breathe.
And Princess Celestia was not amused as to why he couldn’t breathe.
“We are sure you find us very humorous, but this is a very serious matter!” Princess Luna exclaimed, stamping her hoof. Adam sharply inhaled, and his laughing began to slowly cease. The Princesses impatiently waited for him to calm down, and he flexed his jaw muscles, which were quite sore.
“Hmmp... I probably lost some brain cells after not being able to breathe that long. That was some funny shit. So, so, you want OUR help?! Bahahahaa~! Oh, I’m sorry but that’s too fucking rich” Adam declared.
“ENOUGH! Give us your answer, NOW!” Twilight yelled, slamming her hoof down on the table. Within a few seconds the Captain stopped laughing, composed himself, and bent forward, propping himself up on the table with his hands.
“Hgmm... On behalf of the UNSC, the United Earth Government, and the human race. I deliver to the Princesses of Equestria my official statement on their request for military support against N’por ‘Tumai and the Covenant Empire. *Ahem*... Go FUCK yourself, you insolent cunts!” Adam growled.
“How very typical of your race!” Twilight exclaimed.
“You will recall, PRINCESS, that I asked for your help against the Covenant LONG ago, and you declined. Now you want the same thing from me, because NOW it suits your purposes. Because NOW there’s something in it for you. Your race is so egregiously self-centered it is seriously not even funny” Adam said.
“We are dying! Our world is being ripped apart, and our allies and own ponies at home have split! A civil war has started, and the separatists are seeking the aid of the Covenant and Aldurmaax’s dragons!” Twilight protested.
“Meinu! We will NOT help you! Fight your own war, or join the Covenant. I care not!”
“Japaneighse... Futari wa sono gēmu de purei suru koto ga dekimasu” Twilight commented with a smirk. Adam blinked and pulled back, cocking his head to the side as he looked at Twilight.
“Hmm... I always liked you Sparkle. You were my favorite when I first came here. I THOUGHT you were rational, smart... You’re all either incredibly bold or stupid as hell to come ask ME for help. And after learning what I’ve learned about your race I’m not sure which of the two is more true, or more scary. The answer is still ‘no’. Now, I will escort you off my ship. I have a war to fight” Adam stated, stepping back from the table and heading for the door.
“Please...” Princess Celestia meekly said, the first thing she had said the entire time they were there. The Captain stopped and looked over his shoulder at her. Turning around to look at her Adam saw she was tired. Tired, concerned for her people and planet. “We can’t stand against N’por, the Covenant, on our own. And we can help you. Anything we can offer to help, we’ll give it. Just... Don’t make us face them, and DON’T make us join them.”
Sighing, Adam walked back to the table and crossed his arms over his chest. “There’s nothing you can offer to us that we don’t already have or can’t already make. All you can offer us are bodies; soldiers, lots and lots of them. All of them that you can.”
“I saw what you feed your soldiers with, and we can offer better food than that” Twilight commented.
“All our food is engineered, packaged, and served with the perfect balance of nutrients, antibiotics, , energy, and taste for our Marines. What could you possibly serve that’s better?” Adam posed.
“That was the key word in your sentence; ‘engineered’. All our food is natural, grown on farms, and is the most delicious stuff you’ll ever eat. And since you’re fans of meat, we can have the juiciest of natural meats imported from the Minotaurs. Your Marines will never love anything more than our food. And they’re plenty healthy, too” Twilight explained.
“Hmph... We'll get some samples and we’ll bring them back to the Kabato. Oh, and do try to not fucking poison them or something” Captain Kuyaki stated, motioning for the Princesses to follow him back to the hangar.
“We’re not savages, Captain. Unlike you, meat-eater...” Princess Sparkle declared.
“Twilight...” Celestia said, trying to keep her from pissing off the Captain and ruining their chances at an alliance.
“Hah! I bet you’ve never tasted meat in your life. You’ll never find anything more fucking delicious in the galaxy. We had a colony world, Harvest. They grew a lot of fruit and vegetables there, but my favorite were the Moa they bred there, brought in from another world of ours. Something those farmers did, whether it was skill or something else, made Moa meat so Goddamn scrumptious and juicy. That stuff bled like the Moa was still cooing. And their fish? Sweet and salty” Adam explained.
“Freaking carnivores...” Twilight lamented.
-=-=-=-=-
The Pelican sailed through the sky, the aircraft loaded up with several crates of natural bananas, apples, pears, oranges, and meats. Captain Kuyaki sat in the back with the three Princesses, idly enjoying the ride.
“For the record, Princesses; I was planning on approaching you with an alliance offer soon. Truth is, we need your help as much as you need ours. I can not win this war alone. Not all the guns, bullets, missiles, vehicles, and food I could make would win us this war. We need soldiers to do it. I need your guard. Police officers. Whatever kind of soldiers you can offer me; I need them all. And I need them where I say I need them” Adam explained.
“You want complete jurisdiction over my guard. A guard which is already unnerved and uncertain of my rule over this country. They will not accept or heed whatever orders you give them” Celestia said.
“Then I will give the orders to you, and you will relay them to the appropriate divisions. Damn it, my combat experience will be the key to winning this war. Shit will go bad, very soon if we don’t destroy the Covenant and their dragon friends” Adam replied.
“And our civil war? What about that?” Twilight asked.
“I’ll help the only way I can; by blasting the hell out of any who stand in my way.”
“No! There will be NO blasting of any of MY subjects! You can kill N’por, his soldiers, his dragons, and any others who help him. But you will NOT be killing any of my little ponies” Celestia stated matter-of-factly.
“Goddamnit woman do you want your species to survive this war?! You will not survive a war on two fronts, and certainly not when the second front is being waged in your backyard, frontyard, and your own fucking kitchen!! You. Are. SCREWED. Those separatists are being armed with plasma rifles, plasma pistols, needlers, plasma grenades, spears, fuel rod guns, fuel rods, and power cores. The majority of your race has been pushed past the breaking point and they will blast, blow up, stab, and kamikaze in the name of their alien leaders. You have no choice but to fight back, and my men will not hesitate” Adam declared.
Princess Celestia sighed and rubbed her head with her hoof, trying to alleviate the headache coming on. She was already nauseous beyond all reason from the flight, and she didn’t need anything more than that. “I don’t like it... I don’t like what is happening to my planet. If I didn’t have personal qualms about it I would have you thrown off in a second.”
“Personal qualms about what? Being ‘impolite’?!” Adam inquired.
“Personal qualms about N’por. About the Covenant.”
“What’s your beef? They never did anything to you” the Captain remarked, leaning back in his seat.
“That’s where you’re wrong... Oh so very wrong...”
-=-=-=-=-
Captain Kuyaki walked into the conference room where the three Princess of Equestria were waiting. Adam relieved the MP outside the door and slowly sat down at the head of the table, idly looking at the faux wood. The Princesses patiently waited for him to speak.
“You were right; the Marines loved the food. They want more; a steady supply of it. The few crates we got ran out within two hours. They’ll probably find ways to supplement their rations with your food, and I imagine that Equestrian meat, fruits and chocolate will become very sought-after when Marines are trading supplies and valuables. We got your food coming in, and I’ll keep the bullets going out into the hearts of Covenant, dragons, and separatist ponies. We got the alliance we all sought” Adam explained.
“Very good” Celestia replied, standing and heading to the door with her cohorts. Adam watched them go for a moment before heading to follow, catching up within moments.
“We will find our own way back to the hangar, thank you. I think I got the route memorized by now” Twilight said brazenly as the Captain followed them, his words slowing him to a stop.
“Hmm... Call me when you get lost, OK?”
-=-=-=-=-
“Captain Kuyaki? It’s Twilight. Where’s the hangar, again...?”
“In three days time 43% percent of Equestria’s native pony population have left their country to join the Covenant-Dragon Allegiance, and the Equestrian border guard has made no effort to stop them under personal orders from Celestia; in an effort to sway these separatists back to her side, she has said that all ponies are free to choose what they do in their lives” Excalibur said over the ship comm. Captain Kuyaki had called Chancellor Steelbeak to the conference room for a discussion of battle strategy.
“Or maybe she did it out of the kindness of her heart” Adam replied.
“That is a distinct possibility.”
“At least some part of the Equestrians have found their resolve. Too bad they didn’t come to our side, though. We could use some insider knowledge on the Equestrians. For future use” Steelbeak stated.
“Let’s focus on the Covenant and their loyalists, for now. Dragons pretty much exclusively live in caves and the such, and what few towns they have are more or less large perches and sleeping spaces. There is, however, a training camp for teenage dragons and pony defectors relatively near the border to dragon territory, and I vote we strike there” Adam declared.
“I concur” the Chancellor responded.
-=-=-=-=-
The UNSC Kabato hovered near the Lake of The Fallen, where, Adam was told, the ancient Sangheili De'mah 'Tokam had first appeared in Equestria. It marked the official border between Equestria and the Empire of the Dragons, and the training center was only seven miles away.
“We will bombard the center with a few Archers and Longswords, and the Pelicans will take the Marines and vehicles in right afterward. The ground plan is simple; brute force. Scorpions and Warthogs will smash their way through the training base and Marine ground-pounders will sweep the buildings and take any ponies loyal to the Covenant for interrogation” Adam explained to both Chancellor Steelbeak and the Marine teams that would be going in, who were mustered in the hangar bays.
“And my Griffons? What will they do?” Steelbeak asked.
“They will supplement the Marines and fight any dragons in the air. I see that there are not many adult dragons at the training center. Five, at the most. The teenagers can’t fly very well just yet, and certainly not high enough to reach the Kabato” Adam explained.
“Very well. Let us roll forth on this day, and meet our enemies on the field of battle!”
Adam nodded, and looked up at Excalibur’s camera. “Get the Marines moving out there, Excal” the Captain ordered, leaving the conference room to head back to the bridge.
“Marine Combat Teams Seven, Fourteen, 28, 35, and 49; prepare for imminent deployment. Longsword fighter teams T-45, T-51, and T-90; launch immediately to the objective. This is a defining moment in this campaign; let’s get it done” Excalibur announced.
“I’ve got remote drones searching for the Covenant battlecruiser and any dragon holdouts. We’ll find them and root ‘em out” Kuyaki told the Chancellor, who nodded.
“My people have never before faced an enemy like this. A challenge. It should be interesting” Steelbeak replied, his talons clattering against the steel floor.
“Remember, this a war; not a total decimation like that which we rained upon the Equestrians. The Covenant alone have the means to fight back with ample power. Outfitting their dragons and pony separatists with armor and weapons means they have expanded their might and reach. If we don’t play our hand right, this game will be over before any chips are on the table” the Captain explained.
The Spiders of the Northern Isles, who are big fans of card games, have an old saying; ‘put all your chips in and you will lose. Put a pair of fangs behind those chips, and you will scare your opponent shitless’” Steelbeak said with a leer.
“HAH! I like that; I’m gonna have to remember that one. I’ll make a few changes, of course” Adam stated.
Soon arriving at the bridge Adam looked out the viewport and saw the Pelicans moving towards the training center, which had already been hit by the Longswords.
Let’s get it done. Quick Adam though to himself.
-=-=-=-=-
“Forget everything you think you know about the Dragon Empire and the Equestrians we will be facing! The Equestrians are in the middle of a deadly civil war that is tearing them apart! That means the rainbow bastards we will be facing will be confused and misguided! These freakish mutations of horses still have family members back home in the Equestrian Empire harassing them about the choice they have made to join the Covenant! And when we pull these fuckers out of whatever holes they may be hiding in by their unshorn fetlocks we will assure them that they did in fact screw themselves over! The dragons here at this training camp are also not to be feared, for they are mere whelps! We will show these mythical sons of bitches that all their fancy magic and wings don’t mean shit when you’re going up against the U.N.S.C MARINE CORPS!” the Marine Master Sergeant, Alvin Aurora shouted in the lead Pelican.
“HOOAH, MARINES! Let’s HIT IT!” Alvin bellowed as the Pelican touched down, the ramp dropping and the Marines storming out. The Equestrian separatists were already blasting at them with unicorn magic, and the Marines opened fire.
The supplementary Pelicans arrived with Scorpions and Warthogs, dropping them free and taking off back for the Kabato. The massive tanks kicked into drive and grinded for the Equestrian positions, the Warthogs sticking by their sides and unleashing hell with the machine guns.
“Keep your heads down and we’ll get through this!” Master Sergeant Aurora shouted.
Behind the Equestrians were a number of teenage dragons, commanding their hooven brethren. The adult dragons had already taken off for the Kabato, though one stayed behind to command the teenagers.
A Scorpion rolled by, heading straight for the Equestrians. The gunner fired the main gun into the piles of dirt and sandbags, blasting them, and the ponies behind them, apart. The Scorpion stayed in place and opened up with the coaxial machine gun, sending dozens of Equestrians for cover.
Crossing over the Equestrian position the Marines reloaded their guns and moved on down the way for the next position. MCT 35 and 49 broke off to investigate the tents and barracks.
“Boro Por...TUMAI!!” an Equestrian screamed, charging straight for the Marines with a spear. He was gunned down quick, and the other Equestrians kept up the pressure. Several Marines went down from magic blasts, and the Scorpions moved up, blasting open any building with beams coming out of it and peppering any positions in the open.
“MOVE UP, MOTHERFUCKERS!” Alvin thundered, leaping over a mound of dirt as they neared the courtyard in the center of the training base. The Scorpions and Warthogs made it first, and arrived to an absolute hell that awaited them. The Equestrians and dragons had pulled back to the courtyard, where the remaining adult dragon stood. The master trainer dragon, who was only several feet taller than the teenagers, was fully adorned in Covenant battle armor. He lacked wings, but made up for it with the energy shield generator mounted to his armor.
“MANTO! BORO POR TUMAI, UN DERE ALLO BEIN ALDURMAAX! FAITO UNTA DALTHE!!” the adult dragon bellowed, lowering to all fours as the Equestrians and teenage dragons charged. The adult lead the front of the charge, his powerful steps shaking the earth beneath them all.
“OPEN FIRE! SCORPIONS, TARGET THAT BIG BASTARD!” Master Sergeant Aurora ordered, taking aim on an Equestrian with his BR55. The fanatical Covenant loyalists never faltered, and never lost their nerve. The Scorpions all fired at the adult dragon, his shields flaring with each hit. The guns on the Warthogs made short work of the teenage dragons, and the Marines took down any Equestrian that survived the barrage.
The adult dragon reached the lead Scorpion and grabbed the barrel, unleashing a jet of flame on the comparatively small tank. The center of the vehicle melted into a thick paste, and the dragon lowered his maw and flamethrowered MCT 14 and 28 to ashes.
“GODDAMN!” Alvin shouted, ducking behind the melted Scorpion as the dragon swung his hand down, attempting to crush the Master Sergeant and Marine Combat Team 7. Missing, the dragon craned his neck down and opened literal fire on the Marines, forcing them to retreat into a concrete barracks.
“Get on the horn and call the Longswords; tell them we’re gonna need an airstrike on this big son of a bitch” Alvin commanded, looking out the windows as the dragon attempted to smash into the building. He was shot by a Scorpion which made his shields flare. He turned back to stalk towards the tank, unleashing his flame.
“The Longswords acknowledge, but they said he’s too close to our men to safely engage” the radio operator spoke up, making Alvin curse.
“We’re gonna need to move him away and into the center of the courtyard.” Perusing the courtyard and mulling over his options the Master Sergeant got an idea; use a rocket ‘Hog to blast the dragon from the other end of the yard, where it would then drive away and the Longswords could move in.
Heading outside MSgt. Aurora ducked between two buildings where a rocket ‘Hog sat firing at the dragon. Giving the Marines the order the vehicle drove off, firing at the dragon all the way. Six missiles streaked to their target and slammed into its shields. The beast looked over its shoulder and saw the attacker. Spinning on its foot the dragon galloped on all fours towards the Warthog.
“MOVE IN! HIT IT!” Alvin yelled to the radio operator, who called in the Longswords. The bombers screamed overhead and fired Anvil-II’s at the beast, the missiles pounding its shields, which quickly broke. The remaining missiles and a few shots from the Scorpions brought the dragon down, dead.
“Woooh.. This was heavy fucking shit, Marines. Let’s get this base secured up and report to the Kabato” Alvin said.
“Sir! We captured a few Equestrians in the barracks” the leader of MCT 49 said as he jogged up, saluting the Master Sergeant. The Equestrians were bound and the unicorns’ horns restrained.
“Good. We’ll get them on the Pelicans back to the Kabato. Maybe they’ll tell us something useful” Aurora commented, putting his hands on his hips.
“Boro Por Tumai!! For our God, N’por ‘Tumai!!” one of the Equestrians shouted in anger.
“‘God’? That split-chin fuck is your god? Well shit...”
The doors to Aldurmaax’s palace deep in the heart of dragon territory thundered open, the booming of wood against stone echoing in the grand hall that stretched down at 5-degree angle to the great throne, the shrine of De’mah standing over it. The Equestrian Honor Guard bowed as Aldurmaax and N’por ‘Tumai walked down the hall, the Sangheili shipmaster looking at each and every pony that dedicated their lives to him.
“These Equestrians stayed loyal to the Dragon Empire and his people. They will be good warriors with the enhancements you can provide, my lord” Aldurmaax said to N’por.
‘Tumai nodded, studying the armor that the Dragons had adorned these Equestrians in. It was as ornamental and decorative as Sangheili armor, with a fiery orange sheen. The two leaders of the Empire reached the throne at the end of the hall, Aldurmaax taking his place on the large stone. N’por ascended the stairs that had been assembled which lead to a throne perfectly sized for the shipmaster, sitting on the cold brick.
Activating the voice amplifier built into his armor N’por established the uplink to the Zealous Faith’s broadcasting unit, which would signal his speech to every radio within the country. “Attention all citizens and soldiers of the Empire of the Dragons! This is N’por ‘Tumai, the Sangheili shipmaster of the vessel Zealous Faith! On this planet are a race of beings known as ‘humans’. They are weak, vile, and disgusting creatures! A stain upon the grand fabric of the universe! I have come to help your planet eradicate this vermin, but I may only help you should you be willing! And should you bow before I, and your Dragon god Aldurmaax!” N’por declared.
Standing from his throne and looking down at the honor guard N’por continued, shouting “you ALL will be the instruments in my hands! When you face the human soldiers on the battlefield, show devotion! Show faith! Show courage! Show honor! So that the humans may see what it is like to be a creature worthy of respect and glory before they die! NEVER show them mercy! And do NOT hesitate to kill all that you see!”
“FIGHT and DIE for the honor and glory of the Dragon Empire!”
On the bridge of the Faith N’por ‘Tumai stood, having taken his ship out to the many dragon training bases they had built for the Equestrians loyal to them and their cause to take a casual look. With such large numbers of Equestrians coming to their side there were simply not enough bases to train them all, but the dragons were doing their best.
They will make truly outstanding warriors when I take them all back to the Covenant N’por thought, settling in his command chair and looking at the displays.
Where are you hiding, humans?
It had been several days since they had engaged the human vessel, and they had not heard of hide nor tail of the vile creatures since then. N’por suspected they abandoned the planet like cowards, and felt that was reasonable to assume. With the humans gone, they would only have the Equestrians not allied with them to destroy.
Too bad, really. It’s always enjoyable to kill humans the Shipmaster mused.
As the Faith rounded a mountain the Shipmaster spied smoke billowing from a dragon training base, several human dropships bustling about the occupied base. The human ship was there, too, providing overwatch. At the sight of the mighty Covenant vessel the human ship turned to face them, their shipmaster no doubt arming their weapons and adjusting their heading.
Well, seems my wishes were granted.
“You know what to do my charges; alert the High Lord of this transgression and prepare to for battle. Arm all plasma turrets and defense lasers!” N’por commanded, watching as the human vessel turned at the sight of the Zealous Faith and began moving to a suitable combat position.
You are choosing only the spot that you will die in, humans.
“Alert detachment forces! Tell them to prepare to be deployed to the ground!” Shipmaster ‘Tumai ordered.
The human ship struck first in this battle, their kinetic strike cannon discharging. The hot iron slug bored into the Faith’s shields, doing naught to her. N’por laughed at their display, but nonetheless knew that their kinetic weapon was extremely lethal against an unshielded target, so he knew they would have to eliminate the human ship once and for all.
“Fire plasma turrets! Target critical portions of the human vessel!” N’por commanded. Red fire ignited and soared through the air, streaking toward the enemy ship. Turning to evade the human vessel fired back, their primitive missiles hammering the Faith’s shields like a drum. The charge faltered before the shield regenerated to full strength.
In a moment, the Zealous Faith’s bow camera flashed black as the High Lord Aldurmaax soared toward the human ship, the enemy firing their defensive cannons at the now-armored Dragon lord. His fiery orange armor glittered in the midday sun as he banked and dived to avoid human fire, spouting jets of fire when he could.
“REE’TEEMAH! RAK TORAI!” Aldurmaax thundered, the Faith’s translator immediately coming back with what the High Lord said. “Suffer for what you have done!”
We will ensure that they do, High Lord.
Following the human ship’s turn the Zealous Faith opened fire again, the plasma projector generating a beam that slashed across the sky, missing the intended target. With the shields down, the humans capitalized on the opportunity with their kinetic weapon. The heavy slug shearing off the right side round of the bow. Aldurmaax briefly turned to survey the damage to the Faith, to ensure it was intact, before getting back to his attack. That brief moment with his back turned allowed the human ship to fire one of its small missiles onto him, the explosion cracking his energy shields and throwing him to the deck of the human vessel. Climbing to his feet Aldurmaax took to the sky to let the Faith open fire again, taking the heat off of him.
The plasma turrets spewed forth again, sending bolts of fire through the sky again, the superheated plasma impacting on the hull of the human vessel, boiling the steel open. With the Faith’s shields down to fire, the humans returned the favor, missiles striking the hull of the mighty Covenant warship. Damage was minimal, but N’por took it all as a personal insult, like the humans had the gall to strike the property of the Covenant Empire.
With the Zealous Faith’s weapons recharging Aldurmaax dove back into the battle, landing near the bridge of the human vessel. Roaring in his Dragon tongue, the High Lord reared his massive hands back, hammering on the bridge with the trademark fury of the Div. The hull was apparently too strong for Aldurmaax though, as he could not break it.
Then, as if they had heard the battle, several dozen other Dragons arrived, diving straight for the human vessel. N’por smiled, leaning back in the command chair. He was eager to see the Dragons perform against such a large aerial target. The humans might fell a few of them, but their sheer power and numbers would make the inferior species succumb.
As the new arrivals approached the human vessel, Aldurmaax looked up, immediately bolting into the air. The High Lord was about to spew his magical fire when he was rammed from behind by one of the other Dragons, knocking him to the hull of the human ship.
“What is this?!” Shipmaster ‘Tumai demanded, asking only himself.
“TRAIMAIS! AK’TORI TRAIMAIS!” Aldurmaax thundered, taking to the sky again as two Dragons took off after him. The others immediately began flying straight after the Zealous Faith.
“Traitors. Heathenous traitors” the translation software repeated in Sangheili. Not understanding the treachery the humans had perpetrated but understanding the weight of the situation Shipmaster ‘Tumai ordered the helmsmen to push the Faith full speed ahead, intent on ramming the human vessel right out of the sky. The humans unleashed a full torrent of missiles and turret fire, the weapons hammering the Zealous Faith’s shields. N’por didn’t dare drop the shields to return fire; he knew what kind of magical power the Dragons possessed, and didn’t want his ship to face that.
Engines firing at full power the human vessel began to accelerate towards the port side of the Zealous Faith, the Covenant ship missing by mere feet but already turning. The BattleNet showed the human ship rising up above the Faith. As she turned, the Covenant ship was suddenly slammed with a mighty blow; the shields dropped instantly, and the displays showed Dragons landing all over the hull. “STATUS REPORT!” N’por barked, the operations officer immediately turning.
“Their kinetic weapon struck our shield at the thin point on top of our vessel, smashing right through the shield, excellency!”
“Vile beasts. Fire the plasma turrets; eliminate these traitorous Div!” N’por commanded, standing from the chair. Aldurmaax hadn’t seemed surprised at the sudden arrival of the opposing Dragons, but he had been enraged.
As he watched the plasma turrets fire, N’por realized he had made a terrible error. When the Covenant weapons warmed, they drew power from the shield generators; both to generate their own power, and to ensure the plasma bolts and beams don’t explode inside the shield. With the shield down, the human vessel was able to open fire, supplementing the damage the Dragons were doing.
“AGGH! ARM VOIDDRIVE, TAKE US INTO THE BEYOND!” N’por thundered, getting looks from his officers.
“A void jump, IN ATMOSPHERE?! Your excellency, such a thing has never been attempted!”
“Do NOT question my judgement!”
The officers did as told and a black hole opened in front of the Zealous Faith, the shields struggling to charge again with so much power being taken from them. Most of the Dragons scattered at the sight of the unknown portal, the Faith dipping in, closing the hole behind them as they finished. In typical void-portal fashion the sudden tearing of space caused an explosive reaction in atmosphere, generating a massive ball of energy that crumbled all it touched.
“What happened back there?! What treachery did those Dragons commit upon us?!” N’por demanded, standing in the Master Room of Aldurmaax’s roost. The High Lord seethed with anger, not only at his own kind, assuredly, but also N’por for retreating from the engagement.
“The ancient Dragon Code... It speaks to all Div. It tells us to serve with unwavering dedication and honor. To never retreat, and to fall upon the field of battle only with the bodies of your enemies gripped in your claws...” Aldurmaax started, deriding N’por for retreating. “It also says that when our race is bested in war, to immediately bow at the feet of the species who defeated us, and serve them in all their interests. Some Dragons followed this tenet of the Code, and are now serving the humans.”
“Why didn’t all of your race turn to the humans, then?” N’por inquired.
“Because the Code demands a fair war! The humans did not wage a fair war against us! They used their cowardice, hiding behind ships of steel and sticks of fire to fell our mighty warriors!” Aldurmaax explained.
“Interesting” N’por commented, folding his arms over his chest.
“Why did you retreat, my lord?” Aldurmaax asked, the heavy question that N’por’s honor did not want to face, let alone answer. He was piqued with curiosity over the Dragon Code; it’s tenet of never retreating was the same as the Sangheili honor code, but even Aldurmaax had to know that sometimes codes and traditions had to be bent.
“The situation demanded it. Your traitors and the human vessel were rendering unacceptable levels of damage against the Zealous Faith. In the interest of survival, I enacted a tactical retreat from the combat area to have repairs made to the Faith. We were lucky, if I dare to say; that Void jump in atmosphere was quite the risky venture” Shipmaster ‘Tumai declared.
Aldurmaax huffed, blowing black smoke from his nose that dissipated in the air quickly. “I do not like it. I long to see the humans die by my hands, to see the Div restored to their glory and unity, and to see peace return to Equestria.”
“I did not say you had to like it, only to follow along with it. My power will lead your race to victory against the Equestrians, and the humans” N’por replied.
“The Equestrians...” Aldurmaax said, looking up at the colored glass shrine to De’mah ‘Tokam. “Long have I led my Div with honor and distinction in service of the Princesses. I was anointed leader of Dragonkind when our race lost the original war against the Equestrians, 1,000 years ago, when De’mah lost to the Princesses.”
Princess Celestia ascended the cobblestone steps to the roost, the Dragon nest located at the flat top of the mountain peak. Seven pillars stood around the edge of the circular stone pad, purple fire licking at the air on top of them. Rain fell upon Equestria this day, making steam rise from the fire pits. In the center of the Dragon shrine, the rain producing a mist around the edge of his dark-red armor, stood the Sangheili warrior De’mah ‘Tokam. His energy sword ignited, producing the same steam in the rain. He regarded the Equestrian Princess with his dark eyes, off-hand clenched in fist. In the rain, the lights built into his armor illuminated him and his features; his red armor shining blue where the lights shone. The rain ran off the edges of his clad, and dripped off the tapers and pointed edges of his shoulder pauldrons.
The Equestrian Empire had waged a year-long war against De’mah and his legion of Dragons, and Celestia had grown weary of it. There were no Dragons to be seen anywhere, a request made by Celestia herself. She told De’mah that she would face him alone, and settle the war once and for all. Now, here she stood, regarding the dark warrior that had led her race to the slaughter.
Cracking out of his stillness with a roll of his shoulders De’mah began to pace. “This is it, huh? This is where I am to finally do battle with you face to face? One on one? Tell me, Princess; do you think you are winning, or us? My Div are a million strong, and they will rain fire upon your villages. They have even built for me a magnificent city, one in which thousands of Sangheili will some day live. But you and your sister are strong leaders, as well as warriors. And your Equestrians are innately powerful, but are afraid of power and violence. Your race is a contradiction to itself, a paradox truly worthy of destroying the universe.”
“Enough, De’mah ‘Tokam. I no longer have the energy or desire to fight you. This war has gone on far too long, and your Dragons are murdering us by the thousands. I surrender... Take me away” Celestia retorted.
“Hmm... Seems you are wiser than I thought. Do follow me.”
As De’mah turned his back, Celestia charged her horn, green energy arcing off the tip maliciously. De’mah quickly spun about, raised his sword, and lunged for the Princess as she let off the spell.
“In darkest days, when you feel naught but your own flesh, and see naught but the void, the lone blade shall light the way...” Princess Celestia whispered, standing before the sealed door at the end of the mural hall, deep in the castle catacombs. The impression of the energy sword on the door glowed red, as it always did when a living being approached it.
A nervous knot in her stomach, Celestia licked her dry lips, magic reaching out to the door. It responded to her touch, the blood-red impression darkening. The door clicked, signalling the release of the lock, and it grinded open. There was darkness beyond, lit only by the lone blade on the door. The door opened wide, stopping at a certain point. In this position it illuminated the sole feature of the room; a coffin.
Celestia stepped closer, heart thumping in her chest. She looked the somber stone capsule over, its surface bare. The Goddess of the Sun reached out with her hoof, the stone cold to the touch. She steeled herself, and pushed, dust kicking up as the stone grinded together. Shaking, she pushed harder, and the cover to the coffin began to come off. Light shone into the long-dark interior, revealing the sole of a boot that had once been dark-red, dulled to maroon by centuries of the air.
“Celestia?” a voice reverberated through the underhall, startling the Sun mare. It was Twilight. Quickly, Celestia put the coffin’s cover back into place, and retreated from the tomb, locking the door behind her again. The red light from the blade bathed her fully in its glow, making her white coat red. “What are you doing down here, again?”
“N-nothing, my student. What brings you down here?” Celestia asked as Twilight approached her, sitting on her haunches. Twilight looked curious, clearly not convinced by Celestia’s excuse.
“Word has come back from the humans. They started their push on the Dragons’ home territory. The bad news, however, is that the Covenant ship arrived to push them back. The other good news is that Kuyaki was able to drive them away, with the help of some Dragons still loyal to us” Twilight explained.
“Very good; let us hope this war ends soon” Celestia declared briskly, preparing to walk past Twilight. She was stopped by the lesser Princess, who cocked her head. This was it, Celestia supposed; this would be where the very fabric of Equestria would be undone, by a thread that had split a millennium ago.
“This door... What is it, Princess? Why does it glow when you get near it? What is its significance?” the studious mare asked. Celestia cursed in her mind, knowing that the truth would be too hard for Twilight to take. But still knowing there was no way around it. She had to know, if she hadn’t guessed already.
“It is a tomb... You remember what I told you of De’mah ‘Tokam, the Sangheili who led the Dragons to war against us 1,000 winters ago? It’s his” Celestia started, interrupted by Twilight’s expression of awe and disbelief.
“You have a Sangheili, buried here!? Why?” Twilight asked.
“Do you remember, what I told you, Twilight?” Celestia asked again, sternfully. “That the Dragons were led to believe that De’mah fell in fair combat against me, and that this was not the case?”
“Yes...” Twilight said, wary of her mentor’s sudden forcefulness, and what she might be about to say.
“And you remember that I said my sins will never die. This is what they have wrought; the war. My sins, my lie, has come back to bite me. But in true cruelty, it is biting all the races of this world... De’mah was not felled in fair combat, like I told the Dragons... I murdered him” Celestia explained, Twilight immediately rebuking it.
“No! That can’t be! You... You murdered him?!” she exclaimed.
“Yes. In cold blood. With little remorse. Cut him down like a dog, upon the very shrine dedicated to him, in the heart of the Dragon homelands. I had his body entombed here, in the Canterlot underhalls. I thought it only proper to have him laid to rest in the very city the Dragons built for him” the Goddess of the Sun continued.
“The Dragons built Canterlot?! You murdered him?!”
“YES, Twilight! Do you not understand the gravity of the Dragon war De’mah led? How the Dragons, who numbered in the millions, were led to commit genocide by a proud warrior, intent on bringing honor to his name?! Do you not understand how my decision was for the best, as Dragon Code demands they serve the race that bests them in war?! De’mah had to die, but I could never defeat him in fair battle. Not even with my sister, not even with the Elements! What I did was a con for the ages; a con that stemmed from cruelty and cowardice. A con of necessity!” Celestia shouted, the red glow of the door intensifying in the wake of her anger.
“But... But the Elements are the most powerful artifacts we know. They can defeat anything” Twilight reasoned futilely.
“Worthless, against a creature not tied to this earth. A creature not bound by the magical energies that are woven in the very fabric of Equestria. I know, we tried to use them, that’s what caused the war. De’mah was, at the time, an outlier. We believed him to be a mysterious creature, native from a land far beyond the borders of Equestria. When he declared war, appearing from, it seemed, no where, and enslaved a small village, my sister and I traveled there to use the Elements on him. He was not affected, but took the maneuver as an assault on his being, and the Dragons took the skies to raze our villages in his name” Celestia explained.
“But why? Why did they serve him?” Twilight asked.
Looking back at the door Celestia stared at the blood-red impression, its glow strong. “Because of Dragon Code. At the time the Dragons were free, independent. Ruled by one of their kind. De'mah arrived, and killed the Dragon High Lord. Code dictated that all the Div bow at his feet, and serve him and all his interests. A STUPID code, that cost us millions of lives, and stained Equestria’s soil with blood forever... They lost, though, and our race was saved. I murdered De’mah, and I will live with that sin for however long I live, but I saved our species by doing it. Or so, I thought, for now the Sangheili have returned, in a time of turmoil, to lead the Dragons, now soured with us, with promises of returned glory.”
“I...I can’t believe it... I don’t know what to think.”
“If you come to be angry with me, you will have the right. If we lose this war, it will be my fault only. I bear the burden of this sin, that saved us only temporarily, that the repercussions of which will damn all our kind” Celestia said, turning around to face the door to the tomb. “'In darkest days, when you feel naught but your own flesh, and see naught but the void, the lone blade shall light the way...' It's an ancient Equestrian prophecy, my Twilight. It can mean anything the listener wants it to. It can be interpreted anyway you want" the Sun Goddess whispered. "I think it means we're all doomed."
As De’mah lied on the wet stone, burning hole through his chest, he sputtered and clutched at Celestia’s hoof as she backed away in horror, terrified by the results of what she had done. The Sangheili god looked up at her, his dark eyes boring into hers. With anger and vitriol, and blood seeping from his maw, he spoke. “Your cowardice is abhorrent... That you would... Would... Would dare to strike at a warrior when his back is turned, reprehensible. I die here, now, by the hands of a coward, leaving my Dragons... To face whatever your treachery has in wait for them... I die now know-w-ing that..... That I will... Have my revenge. Even if... If it’s only in my n-name.....”
“My Wing-Kin await your command, my Lord. Like a wall, we stand, poised to strike at the human-dominated city of Manehattan, and their Griffon compatriots. Their fear will be as tangible as our steel and fire” Aldurmaax boasted over the radio to the Zealous Faith, as it lied in wait behind the mountain range next to the occupied Equestrian city.
“Fight strongly, and never relent” N’por ‘Tuma replied, leaning back in the command chair. It was a new day, and the Zealous Faith had seen her repairs. Now they were ready to attack once again, this time inserting themselves deep in the heart of Equestrian territory. This was to be it, this would be where they saw the true power of the Covenant Empire. The Griffons had already seen some of N’por’s glassing, and the Princesses had seen a demonstration, but they had not seen the full might. They would see from their doorstep the blinding glow of plasma, feel in their being’s the heat from the glass that once marked stone and masonry.
“It will be as you wish, my lord.”
Aldurmaax was a useful idiot, but his Dragons were strong. Powerful. N’por was impressed, but he still had a holy duty to integrate them into the Covenant. He had every intention of glassing all of the planet and dragging the worthy back to High Charity. N’por would admit only to himself that he believed the Div were equal to the Sangheili, and that they were not a lesser race like the rest of the Covenant’s species.
Though I may not have to force them to join. It is likely Aldurmaax would gladly lend over control of the Div when we win this war, if my knowledge of the Dragon Code is correct.
“We are ready, Aldurmaax. Launch the attack” N’por commanded, as the Faith’s engines came to life and they began to edge around the rim of the mountain range, the expansive metropolis coming into view.
Adam Kuyaki leveled his M6D sidearm, standing on the line. He regulated his breathing, keeping the sights level. The polymer frame grew warm in his grip, and his palm started to sweat. Left eye squinted to focus the sights the Captain pressed the pad of his finger to the trigger, and squeezed.
BAM! PING!
“Haha! Perfect score! Got all 7 shots in the center ring” Adam remarked, dropping the empty magazine from the pistol and clicking a fresh one home, sending the slide into battery with the slingshot maneuver; pulling on the slide to release the catch.
He had come down to the Kabato’s shooting range to refresh his marksmanship fundamentals, like the UNSC service code dictated naval soldiers do twice a month. He only had to qualify with the issued sidearm, as that’s all officers needed generally, but he always practiced with every small arm in the ship’s armory; MA5B, MA5K, BR-55, M90 CAWS, M7 SMG, SRS99C-S2 AMB, and the M6D.
For history’s sake Adam would also shoot his relic firearms from his personal collection, an array of firearms from throughout humanity’s history that he had spent a great deal of credits collecting. The pride of his collection being a Charleville 1766 musket, his particular model having been made in 1774; one year before the American Revolution. He found the old-world weapons kept his perspective.
“You shot well, Captain” Excalibur declared, appearing on the nearby plinth. The AI stood with his usual avatar; Knights of the Round armor with no helmet, his face modeled after the legendary King Arthur himself, though Adam understood much of Arthur’s legend was literary invention and folklore.
“Thank you, Excalibur” Captain Kuyaki responded. It had been a harrowing few days since the battle with the Covenant ship; the beating they had given the Kabato only exacerbated by the in-atmosphere Slipspace explosion that nearly rended the Destroyer apart. Repairs had been administered by the Griffons, with nearly an entire supplemental layer being applied. The Covenant cruiser had not been seen nor heard from since then, though Kuyaki and Chancellor Steelbeak believed it to be hiding away in the Dragon heartland.
“Patrols are returning soon, sir. We will know of any news of the Covenant cruiser and the separatist Dragons when that time comes” the AI declared. Adam began to police his empty weapons, returning them to the armorer for cleaning and storage. The Captain cleaned his own M6D before returning it to his holster, leaving the armory promptly thereafter.
“Very good, Excalibur. When they return redeploy the unmanned drones to continue the search. Get us on a course to Canterlot, and send word ahead to the Princesses” Captain Kuyaki instructed.
“Done, sir.”
“What is our armament status?” Adam asked as he reached the elevator, punching the button for the bridge. The doors slid closed and the car began to ascend.
“Limited. 96,000 rounds remaining for the defense cannons, 15 Archer pods, 17 MAC rounds, two Hyperion missiles, and three of the ‘wildcards’, sir” the AI explained over the Captain’s personal speaker.
“Thank you, Excal.”
The elevator arrived on the bridge and Captain Kuyaki stepped out, the officers snapping crisp salutes as he passed towards the command chair. Strapping himself in Adam looked out over the Equestrian sky, the afternoon sun blazing over the earth, casting long shadows. It would be night soon. The Kabato hovered near the mountain range behind Manehattan, which was located below Canterlot Mountain. As he looked out the viewport Kuyaki saw the Longswords screaming across the sky, coming for the Kabato’s hangars. They looked like they were in a hurry.
“Reports are coming in, sir. They will be on your datapad” Excalibur announced. Adam grabbed the device and, sure enough, the notifications were there. A quick tap had Excal producing a cup of coffee, and the Captain tapped the screen to read the first report.
“ALERT! Immediate contact, high tonnage!” Excalibur shouted. Adam looked up as the Kabato rounded the mountain range, the Covenant cruiser hovering over Manehattan, horizontally level with Canterlot, though the Royal City lied on the otherside of the mountain. A dark red glow gathered on the underside of the alien ship, discharging.
“NO!”
Afternoon sky turned to smoke and blood-red fire as the aftershock from the high-impact plasma washed over the Kabato; liquid fire soaked the metropolis, turning the bustling city into a raging hellhole within seconds. Any building not immediately vaporized was crushed or buckled by the immense blast pressure.
“FIRE THE MACS!” Kuyaki barked immediately, wanting to catch the cruiser with the shields down. Excalibur loaded the MAC cannons and put in a targeting solution, cannon one firing and spearing the enemy cruiser through the midsection.
Cannon two was about to fire when the Dragon High Lord landed on the prow of the Kabato, unleashing fire on the barrel of the magnetic cannon, completely melting a good two yards of the bore, rendering MAC 2 worthless.
Not this shit again. “Now damn it, I want that Dragon DEAD! Keep the point-defense cannons on him and do NOT relent!” Adam commanded. The Dragon took off as the Kabato’s auto-cannons fired on him, driving him away. The Covenant cruiser began to turn at the arrival of the human vessel.
“YOU WILL KNOW NAUGHT BUT FEAR AND FAILURE THIS DAY, HUMANS!” Aldurmaax bellowed in his dragon tongue. He banked through the dark-red sky as the Covenant ship finished its turn, discharging its plasma turrets at the Kabato. Shifting to the side to avoid the bolts the destroyer was beset upon by several Covenant-aligned Dragons, forcing Excalibur to aim the defense cannons at multiple targets. “Excal, sync the MAC cannon to the Covenant ship’s firing, and launch one Archer pod per MAC fired. Arm one Hyperion, and distribute the cannons evenly among the number of Dragons to maximize ammo usage” Captain Kuyaki commanded.
Cannons thundering like drums they arced fire into the sky, felling several Dragons. The Covenant ship warmed its plasma guns again, the Kabato fired. The MAC round lanced along the top hull of the Covenant vessel, going on to smash through the mountain and rain rocks upon the streets of Canterlot on the other side. The first of the remaining Archer pods was dumped on the enemy ship, scoring many hits along the mirror-smooth hull.
“Shit! We’ve got to be more precise with our targeting. Excalibur, turn the ship 40 degrees to the right; ensure the Covvie ship follows in turn, and adjust systems to target more vital locations.”
As the Kabato turned Adam got on the radio and called out to Chancellor Steelbeak, who had already heard about the attack on Manehattan from surviving soldiers in the city. “Captain! I have already deployed some of my forces to counter-attack the Covenant campaign!” the Griffon leader exclaimed.
“Don’t bother, there’s no ground campaign. The Covenant have glassed almost all of Manehattan. I want airships to help contend with these Dragons currently assaulting us” the Captain responded.
“As you wish, sire!”
The Covenant ship charged its weapons and fired again, the plasma bolts scoring the hull of the Kabato. Simultaneously the MAC gun discharged, the slug boring through the dead center of the alien ship’s prow.
The Covenant ship turned and drifted forward, forcing the Kabato to follow in suit, the human ship now facing East. The setting sun blazed behind the Covenant ship, partially obscuring it from vision. As the Kabato finished its rotation Aldurmaax rocketed over the bridge, light glittering off his fiery-orange armor. As this happened, the Griffon skyboats arrived on the scene.
Immediately several dragons broke off to engage the Griffons, who opened fire in earnest. With the sun at the Covenant ship’s back Kuyaki ordered the Kabato to lower, presenting the wide underside of the enemy cruiser. The Covenant guns charged, and the Kabato’s remaining MAC gun fired.
It was a trick.
Immediately the enemy guns stopped charging, and the MAC round lanced off the shields as they came back. Careening off wildly the massive slug smashed through a Griffon airship and felled the aircraft.
“Ah damn it!”
Bounding back the Covenant weapons charged and fired, the plasma projector on the underside lancing the port side of the Kabato, shearing off a large plate of her hull. Hitting the emergency thrusters the human destroyer jumped to the side, out of the path of the laser, and fired the Hyperion. The large missile streaked into the sky and turned toward the Covenant ship.
Like clockwork Aldurmaax took off after the enormous nuke, howling in rage and ancient Dragon tongue as he went. Several point defense cannons tracked him, firing all the way. The High Lord was beset upon by Griffon warships as well, the sluggish creations giving the Dragon a moment of pause.
Suddenly, sky turned to black, and Captain Kuyaki leaned back reflexively. A hole of pitch opened, burning blue at the edges. The Covenant had opened another Slipspace portal in atmosphere. Three of the Griffon ships were sucked in, and the Hyperion flew right into the void, Aldurmaax banking away and attacking the remaining Griffon skyships.
“Good lord! Excal, arm our remaining HAVOK nukes and reload the MAC. Sync four Archer pods per MAC fired. Put us on a course to the left side of the Covenant ship, and disperse our HAVOKS as we approach” Adam commanded, the Kabato moving as he commanded.
The Slipspace portal collapsed and the Covenant cruiser came back into view, turning as it too regained view of its enemy. The Kabato glided alongside the port side of the enemy cruiser and the HAVOK mines discharged, soaring towards the Covvie ship. The Kabato roared ahead away from the warheads and turned around.
In addition to the rest of the Kabato’s “unorthodox” arsenal like provisions for fighters and Hyperion missiles, the HAVOK mines provided to her were just as special. The HAVOK nuclear missile usually came in two variants; standard and Variant V, meant for use in the vacuum of space. The Kabato was armed with Variant X of the HAVOK mines, which were mounted to remote drone for direct control, or could be allowed to float in atmosphere.
The Covenant cruiser had turned around to face the Kabato when Excalibur detonated HAVOK 1, illuminating the blood-red sky in a flash of white, thermonuclear heat slamming the shields of the Covenant ship. HAVOK 2 detonated a second later, shattering the energy shield and sapping her energy supply. With the ship open for attack the MAC discharged, bringing Archer pods in its wake. The ordinance hammered the hull, leaving purple fires in some places as Covenant fuel ignited.
“Excal, arm a Wildcard; put it right in the bell of that beast and put her down for good!” Kuyaki ordered, leaning back in his seat. He had the Covenant ship right where he wanted it, and would see this fight finished before the day was over. Then, he could report to ONI and--
The Covenant ship was accelerating. It was rocketing straight for the Kabato.
“EMERGENCY THRUSTERS! PORT SIDE!” Adam barked, the destroyer jumping to the right as the enemy cruiser screamed across the afternoon sky. The jump wasn’t enough, and the absolute edge of the bulbous midsection of the cruiser grazed the Kabato, knocking her to the left. As the Covenant ship finished passing, the nose of the Kabato smashed into the end of the midsection, crushing MAC number 2. Finishing a 180 degree spin the human ship was left facing the way she’d come, jet wash from the Covenant cruiser’s thrusters singeing and melting parts of her hull.
“Coolant failing. All primary weapons offline. Hull integrity as 28%. Warning! We are in danger of losing the ship” Excalibur declared. The Covenant vessel began to turn, her lateral lines glowing brilliant red.
“Evasive maneuvers! Get us out of here and back to Griffon territory. Establish radio connection with Steelbeak and tell him we need his air forces to buy some extra time!” Kuyaki rattled off, as the Kabato turned away, limping. Excalibur pushed the engines to the safest limit that wouldn’t rend the ship apart as she left the battle area. Friendly Dragons arrived at the scene, presumably at Steelbeak’s request, as what airships that hadn’t been felled by Aldurmaax opened fire on the Covenant cruiser.
Speaking of which.
Surveying the rear camera Adam saw the Dragon in amber clad soar over the mountain and land on a perch in Canterlot, the royal city lightly damaged by falling rock. The Covenant ship trailed in his wake, coming to a stop over the Equestrian capital, blanketing it in a dark shadow. At the base of Canterlot Mountain a blinding red glow marred the spot where Manehattan once stood, casting a hellish glow in the shadow of the Covenant cruiser. The vivid red reflected perfectly off the pearly white marble of Canterlot, the shimmer of heat permeating the air around Canterlot as the vapor wash of the plasma rose over it.
The UNSC Kabato had just made it to the Griffon shipyard when the engines died, the massive vessel plowing into the dirt and earth below, smoke rising from the holes in her hull. Immediately Griffon workers came out to investigate and help.
Captain Adam Kuyaki climbed out of an emergency airlock outside of the bridge, clutching his head. He’d taken a good whack on the console when the Kabato came down, but was otherwise fine. He looked up at the Griffon workers and yelled “get some airships over here to hoist us up! We’re going to need twenty, at least! Get me Chancellor Steelbeak, too!”
The Griffons buzzed off to get the tugblimps, fitted with hooks specially designed to snag on the Kabato’s hull. It’d take some careful lifting to get the destroyer up to the dock, but Kuyaki was confident they’d get it done.
Have to, or we’re done here.
Stepping back into the bridge Adam sat down in the command chair and rested his head, the day’s events weighing down on him. Excalibur appeared on the plinth next to the Captain, folding his arms behind his back. “What’s the plan, sir?”
“For now, the plan is to lick our wounds until we can get back into the action. I want to speak with Steelbeak over possible courses of action, and then we can figure out how to strike back at the Covenant” Kuyaki replied.
“Very well, sir.”
Kuyaki sighed before grabbing his datapad, selecting the direct line he had with his ONI agent. The Captain wanted to request assistance for his mission, as well as provide an update.
Potentials discovered.
Potential One: Combat prowess is below set standards. Mental fortitude above set standards. Technology level: 6. Adapted well to provided armament and serve without question. Eager to apply themselves.
Potential Two: Combat prowess is below set standards. Mental fortitude below set standards. Technology level: 7. Reacted poorly to sight of armaments and subjected us to mandated disarmament while in atmosphere. Displayed collective mental shut down when presented with armed conflict. Currently in the midst of a civil war. Aided UNSC personnel with well-cultivated and well bred foodstuffs. Improved morale.
Recommended usage of Potential One: combat supplementaries for ground campaigns. Front line.
Recommended usage of Potential Two: medical and logistical aid. Food supply. Rear line.
Covenant resistance encountered. Request immediate assistance. Requisition one (1) Halcyon-class cruiser and two (2) destroyers. Requisition one (1) orbital repair and rearmament platform.
-Captain Adam Kuyaki. UNSC Kabato. DES-454.
-The King’s gamble is in jeopardy.
Princess Celestia stood on the balcony outside her room, her sister by her side. The Covenant ship had long left, and Canterlot's subjects were free to repair the damage done to their city by the falling rocks.
Manehattan would never be repaired, though.
“It could have gone much worse, sister” Luna declared, looking up at her elder sibling. Celestia did not meet her gaze, instead continuing to stare out at the horizon.
“Forgive me if I do not remain optimistic” Celestia responded. It was night time now, but Canterlot stayed illuminated in the red glow of Manehattan. A feverish panic had settled in Canterlot’s populace when Manehattan was melted in a single fell swoop, and the rain of rocks from a missed shot only served to add further pandemonium.
“Have you seen Twilight?” Celestia asked, tearing her gaze from the dark horizon, and instead focusing on her dark sister.
“She did not look well when I last saw her; debris from the rockslide destroyed several of her bookshelves, ruining part of her collection, and injured her Dragon assistant” Luna explained. “He is expected to survive, but... Your student has a temper, dear sister.”
“I know. I love my dear Twilight, but she always vested a little too much reverence into our peaceful ways. Plus with her brother dead at human hands, and her assistant injured by a human misfire, I imagine she's quite resentful. Her dedication to peace is admirable, but now I’m thinking we may have been wrong in that approach” the sun Goddess explained.
“Can you blame us? We only wanted the best for all on this planet. This world is the only shot we had; we nearly lost it before. Discord, De’mah... Nightmare...” Luna said, looking away in guilt.
“That did not give us reason to control the other races, no matter our intentions, but... I don’t know, sister. All we ever wanted was good things for our subjects and the other races. We thought we knew more than we did, more than they did, and it DID serve us well, but when external forces arrived we wilted under their might, and are doing it again. For mother’s sake, I murdered De’mah, sister. Even one war drove us to the edge, and now we have another times a thousand” Celestia ranted.
“Wait... You murdered De’mah?” Luna questioned.
“As I told Twilight; in cold blood, and out of desperation. I kept that secret from the Dragons. It was a terrible thing that saved our planet... I've lived with that guilt since that very day. I never told you, I never told Aldurmaax. I never told anyone. It was a lie that only prolonged the inevitable; that we would one day again fall under the attention of an alien species. His or another, it didn't matter. I never imagined, however, that it'd be his and another."
Luna was unsure of what to think. "I thought you had killed him on your own to exclude me from our nation's affairs... I thought something in you had broken, that you were becoming desperate and power hungry... For mother's sake, Tia, I...lost myself over this matter. I became paranoid and corrupted, I became the Nightmare, all because you wished to hide the truth from me..." she trailed off before she scoffed. "Was it worth it?"
Celestia never gave her sister an answer.
High Lord Aldurmaax rested at the threshold of an entrance to a cave in a mountain located deep in the Dragon heartland, peacefully gazing at the holy blue sky. For once, he was able to enjoy a moment of respite and reflect on the war, as well as the Dragon religion around De’mah.
Dragon faith was based on the tenets of five ages, each reflecting the state of events surrounding their name; the Age of Peace, the Age of Aggression, the Age of Subservience, the Age of Prosperity, and the Age of Deceit. The Dragons were currently in the middle of the Age of Deceit, marking the end of the current cycle. The war would end, and peace would return to Equestria, marking a new cycle. These tenets came to be when Aldurmaax reflected on the periods of history relating to the Dragons in the time leading up to De’mah’s arrival, and were put into the faith when Aldurmaax came to power after De’mah’s death.
The question is; ‘what is the deceit that marks this age’? Aldurmaax wondered. Personally he believed it had to do with the humans, how they lured Equestria into war with lies and promises of prosperity.
Stretching his wings Aldurmaax took to the skies, always enjoying the freedom they brought. He wanted to speak to Celestia, to assure her that everything would be just fine. Aldurmaax knew that Dragon Code dictated that they serve those who best them in fair combat, but he refused to serve the cowardly humans, for they knew nothing of fair. Plus, the return of De’mah’s kind marked an exciting time. There was nothing in Dragon faith that spoke of the Sangheili returning, but Aldurmaax figured it meant good things for their future.
Yes, good things were in order for Dragonkind, as Covenant victory was now assured.
Shipmaster N’por ‘Tumai watched patiently as loyal Dragons set about mending the damages to the Zealous Faith’s hull. Internal repairs would be impossible to render, but it was important that the Faith maintain a structurally sound hull.
The Shipmaster was happy with the day’s victory, as it marked a turning point in the war; the humans would soon be crushed, Equestria would be glass, and the Dragons would serve the Covenant. They would be off this planet within a month, and back to High Charity. N’por’s mission would be finished, and he could finally command a fleet, like he was meant to. This sacred mission was to be his proving.
Soon, all of humanity would know and fear N’por ‘Tumai.
Adam Kuyaki was impressed; the Griffons had done outstanding work on the Kabato. She now had an new complete layer of steel over her hull, reinforced around the destroyer’s weapons. Chancellor Steelbeak promised the steel would grant the same protection against dragon fire as the plate over the front viewport.
In addition to the armor, the Kabato sported an array of new weaponry, all of which was most impressive. MAC 2 had been saved, and the Griffons had installed and linked new cannons to the Kabato’s bridge. The destroyer sported 35 of these awe-inspiring weapons, known as Thunderheads; designed to take down dragons.
And our new backup Kuyaki mused, staring out the viewport via the video feed at the Griffons’ new aircraft. The hybrid race had been busy, infusing native ingenuity with human technology to create the Raptortooth Five; an airship held aloft by three magical steam engines with an aesthetic that mimicked the Kabato. Human technology came into play with the Raptortooth’s missile pods and machine guns, which imitated the Kabato’s own. Raptortooth Five was named after the lineage of a legendary Griffon warrior named Raptor Tooth, who was a renowned dragon slayer 5,000 years ago, and had three sons all named after him.
Raptortooth Five was also a dragon hunting weapon.
The airship was faster than most, but still slower than a dragon, so regular combat airships would supplement in engagements.
“Excalibur, take us to Canterlot. I wish to speak with the Princesses about our alliance, and the state of our war” Captain Kuyaki declared, settling into the command chair. The Kabato got under way, moving out from Griffon territory.
He figured that he owed the Princesses an explanation.
“You abandoned us!” Princess Twilight Sparkle shouted as Adam stood before the four Equestrian Princesses, stoic and unapologetic. Twilight and Luna seethed, but Celestia and Cadence displayed a more uncertain temperament. The bolder, inexperienced Princesses had a right to be angry, Kuyaki knew, but he was certain they’d accept his reasoning. His logic.
They had no other choice.
“The battle was lost. The Covenant had achieved a tactical victory, and destruction was assured if the Kabato stayed nearby. We needed to retreat, in order to ensure operational condition of our ship. We will NOT win this war if the Kabato goes down” the Captain explained.
“I see you have had some improvements done to her” Princess Celestia commented, looking out the window at the vessel. The entourage was gathered in the grand dining hall, where the Princesses had organized all meetings up to this point.
“Yes, the Griffons supplied us with new armor and weapons for defense against dragons. The Kabato will now be able to hold her own in a fight” Adam said. The Griffon Raptortooth Five had also accompanied them, though the Griffons had stayed aboard.
“And the Griffons' new toy?” Princess Luna asked.
“A tool for killing dragons. High Lord Aldurmaax has been a pain our asses for far too long” Kuyaki declared, seeing Celestia grow uncomfortable. She bristled at the mention of the dragon leader, and Adam suspected she still yearned to see the dragons return to fight for them in full. Some had stayed loyal, but many had turned away when the Covenant arrived.
“He is merely...misguided” Celestia reasoned, uncertainty in her voice.
“Spare me the sob story about how Aldurmaax was once a good guy; he’s a threat to Equestria’s safety, and I will see him felled” the Captain assured.
Princess Luna lost it.
“WHAT would YOU CARE for the safety of OUR LAND?!” the night goddess bellowed, the windows rattling. “THIS IS YOUR WAR! YOU have wrought upon US the FURY OF A RACE THAT HAD LONG SINCE LEFT EQUESTRIA! YOU were the aggressor! YOU destroyed several of our cities! MURDERED THOUSANDS OF OUR SUBJECTS! If it were up to ME I would SEE YOU BURN!!”
“ENOUGH!” Celestia thundered, a burst of solar heat flashing from her body before dissipating. “We are in grave danger of being extinguished by the Covenant! The humans are the only safety we have! The only light in our darkness!” Celestia trailed off for a second, as if realizing something, before continuing. “Do you forget, dear sister, that one of our cities stands now ONLY as a glowing pool of fire?! Do you forget the NIGHTMARE De’mah ‘Tokam inflicted upon us?!! Captain Kuyaki and the humans deserve our tolerance, if ONLY because they are the lesser of two evils!”
“He bombed two of our cities into DUST! He deserves nothing but the GALLOWS!”
The other Princesses gasped in horror, taking a step back from Luna. “Does thou fear our methods?! Does thou believe them to be too extreme!? Thou forgets thyself that the gallows were once a judgment we would have rendered with little thought! When we had POWER! When we had the mental FORTITUDE to PUNISH traitors and WAR CRIMINALS!” the Princess of the night roared, her eyes glowing white and tendrils of ebony emanating from an aura around her.
“Such barbarism is no longer tolerated in our country! It serves us NO purpose!” Princess Cadence objected, speaking for the first time in Kuyaki’s presence.
“Luna is right” a quiet but firm voice declared, all eyes turning to Twilight Sparkle, who stood by the Princess of the Night. The two stepped aside, squared off against Celestia and Cadence; Luna opposite Celestia, Twilight opposite Cadence.
The Equestrian schism had reached their rulers.
“This bickering gets us nowhere!” Adam exclaimed, intervening before the situation got out of control. "You can render whatever judgment upon me that you wish once this war is over, and Equestria is safe. I have a vested interest in ensuring that Equestria does not fall to the Covenant. If I didn’t, make no mistake; I would see your world glow a shade of crimson that only the Covenant could paint! Mutual assistance grants mutual goals!”
“And what, pray tell, are your goals?” Luna muttered ominously.
Adam stayed his tongue, looking back and forth between the four Princesses. All represented a tenet of Equestrian society, and as such were fair and equal rulers of the kingdom, regardless of tenure. Celestia had more experience than Twilight, for example, but Twilight represented an equally important facet of their culture. Thus, Adam could not ask any of them to leave while he spoke only to one; the truth he had intended only for Celestia’s ears would be heard by all.
Steeling himself, Captain Adam Kuyaki began to explain. “When I signed up, the war against the Covenant had began. Little was known, except that an alien juggernaut was beginning to burn its way through the stars, incinerating all planets that stood in its path. Survival was not guaranteed in the navy; many ships would not survive even one engagement against the Covenant. But we could hold our own in ground battles. We don’t know why the Covenant even field surface troops; they could win this entire war without ever leaving their ships, but the higher-ups believe the Covenant are looking for something. Something specific, important to their religion.”
“That much was known, at least” Celestia interjected.
“It was decided that help was needed for our ground campaigns; if we could field more soldiers for planetside engagements, we could whittle the Covenant down piece by piece, straining their available manpower. As their numbers would decrease, they would become more conservative in their war effort; more cautious. That caution could grant us an edge in the war; time to recoup our losses, organize more effective strategies. Death of a thousand papercuts.”
“We have other projects, but it was decided that only a large influx of capable soldiers was the only answer. It was the only answer that ONI reached. The only answer that assured the highest probability of success” Adam explained.
“And so, a ship was selected for the mission, and specially outfitted for it, and given a clear and concise objective: find and retrieve new alien species for the war” the Captain said.
“You were grooming us?” Twilight asked, bewildered.
“No. Testing” Kuyaki started, weighing his words. He knew that this next revelation would impact the Equestrians heavily, but could see no way to escape telling them. “I was given orders to engineer a test conflict, by any means necessary, to assess the mettle of any alien race I encountered. If the control group was deemed sufficiently powerful enough, we were to extend a truce if they would help us fight the Covenant. I could see fire and power in your hearts, but knew you needed some coaxing to release it. The Griffons, on the other hand, were a ready and willing fighting force, they just needed to believe we had a mutually beneficial alliance. I cared little for your conflict with the Griffons; our war was merely a test, to see if you both had the mettle, the fortitude, to withstand a protracted, violent war. You Equestrians lost, in more ways than one, but you still proved your worth to the UNSC. You’re still valuable to us, just as much so as the Griffons. The arrival of the Covenant was just a grave, unfortunate coincidence, but even they serve the experiment, albeit unknowingly; facing against them is an even better test to see how well the races of this earth fare in battle, especially since they are the primary enemy.”
Silence fell over the room as the Princesses processed this revelation, their minds overwhelmed by the gravity of the reality. When one finally spoke, it was Princess Twilight, and her eyes burned with a nigh-literal fire.
“You are a MONSTER. When this war is over, you WILL LEAVE this planet, and NEVER return. You will NOT take ANY beings of this world with you, either. You REVOLT me” Twilight growled, her voice guttural and furious.
All the Princesses looked at him, their eyes burning with a fury unlike any other, and Captain Kuyaki realized he had no choice but to obey. Any kind of objection would likely lead to him being vaporized on the spot.
“Very well, then.”
Adam was walking down the empty hall leading outside to the dock, resignation and defeat on his mind, when a bright flash sent light scattering along the walls. Reflexively he had reached for his holstered M6D, only to see that it was Princess Celestia standing before him, having seemingly teleported to his location. Dropping his hand, he stared her down.
Celestia seemed to be having trouble speaking.
“Equestria is built on the ideals of peace, tolerance, and forgiveness. But I am having a very difficult time accepting what you just told us. If the situation were not as dire as it is, I would have you cast from our home immediately. As it stands, you are lucky, for I am open to different ideals for the future” Celestia stated.
Adam was confused, and Celestia continued. “The future is grim, yes, but I believe we will survive it. However, there will still be domestic enemies to contend with. Our world is on the precipice of evolving; there are entities, such as aliens, that are immune to the magic of this world, and as such we will need the means to engage them.”
“What are you asking?” Adam inquired.
“Reach out to the Griffons for us; tell them that when this war is over, we would like to enter a military alliance. And before you leave, impart to us the knowledge of gunpowder and tanks” Celestia said.
“Surely you can not be serious” the Captain declared.
“I can, and I am. Chancellor Steelbeak was right; military expansion is the future of Equestria.”
“Princess Twilight would not accept it. Furthermore, it would only serve to further the schism between your race. All of Equestria would be embroiled in a civil war unlike any other” Captain Kuyaki explained.
“Like the one we’re already in? We already have a civil war going, but the separatists serve the Covenant. They have plasma guns, and fight for the most dangerous enemy we’ve ever faced. Please, do something GOOD for our planet before you leave; give us the tools we need to ensure our survival” Princess Celestia said.
Adam looked down at the floor and nodded, beginning to step past the Princess. “I will...consider it” he assured, and proceeded past the day Goddess. He had just reached the door to the outside when Celestia called out to him.
“‘In darkest days, when you feel naught but your own flesh, and see naught but the void, the lone blade shall light the way.’ De'mah once said something similar to me, and like so many other things about him the true meaning has been changed and altered and corrupted. It has evolved into a prophecy, and I used to think it meant we were doomed; that the lone blade was lighting the way to the afterlife. But now I see that I was wrong. You are the lone blade, Captain, and the Covenant are our darkness.”
“I have a way to end this war. It’s risky, but I think it’ll pay off. A strong ground campaign can cut a swathe through Covenant positions in the dragon homeland, where we can then intercept their ship and put it down. Aldurmaax can then be killed, and the war ended. I’ve pulled all soldiers out of occupied cities to discourage the Covenant from conducting more glassings, but our numbers may not be enough for a hard-hitting campaign” Captain Kuyaki said, sitting in the conference room of the Kabato.
“How will we change this, then? We cannot produce cubs any faster than we already are, and I will NOT have children or the elderly fight in this war” Chancellor Steelbeak declared.
“You won’t need to, for I already have a solution. The Equestrians have extended an offer of a military alliance, and would be willing to submit soldiers to the cause” Adam replied, Steelbeak immediately scoffing.
“If Princess Celestia put any honor in her offer she would have extended it in person. No, I am not convinced she is willing to help to that level” Steelbeak stated.
“It is not an offer she would have made lightly; you know how her race is. But we know they are willing to fight. Many have already taken up arms for the Covenant. They have the will, they just need a little...encouragement” the Captain responded.
“Do you really believe they have the internal fire to fight? The collective fortitude to stand as necessary, and strike with fury?” Steelbeak questioned.
“I know they do. They stood and fought when the dragon God, De’mah ‘Tokam, threatened their existence thousands of years ago, and many do so now for the Covenant. They can fight.”
“The question is, Captain, just how far are they willing to go? How hard will they fight before they shut down?” Steelbeak said.
“When their very existence as a species is threatened, they’ll fight to the last” Adam assured. “When you back an animal into a corner, it fights harder; when it’s very existence is at stake, instinct drives it into a killing machine.”
“I see. Very well; if you have such faith in the Equestrians then I would see them stand on the battlefield” the Chancellor replied, relenting.
“There’s one other thing; some of the Princesses have started to see the light, and want to establish a military alliance. They want YOU to impart to them the knowledge of gunpowder and war vehicles” Kuyaki said, telling Steelbeak what Celestia asked of him.
“Really? Other species will need to be included, as well, if this alliance is to have any kind of viability. I just wonder how they will reconcile their own race; a civil war is a nasty thing, especially when one’s race is so divided as theirs is” Chancellor Steelbeak remarked.
“That is for the Equestrians to figure out on their own. For now, our attention is to be devoted to the Covenant, and their dragon allies. I suspect the enemy ship is hiding away in the dragon homelands, seeing repairs and recuperation. We should strike first, fast and hard, with an excursion into the dragon lands” Kuyaki stated.
“No race has ever faced the dragons and won. Individual wyrms have been felled, of course, but collectively their race has no equal in terms of combat prowess. The Equestrians got lucky with killing De'mah, and that's the only reason they succeeded against dragonkind” Steelbeak protested. “Their numbers would blot out the sun, and swallow our forces whole. Literally, I suspect.”
“No race has ever had the power of a spaceship before, and I have a couple of ‘wildcards’ that would tip the scales, against both them and the Covenant ship. For now, though, I must do what I came here to do; negotiate. After all, we’ll need more than just our technological edge to win this conflict. We need numbers, and to that end I’ll see the Minotaurs added to our ranks” Captain Kuyaki said.
Once again, Captain Kuyaki found himself in the diplomat’s chair, this time seated before the Minotaur Emperor, an imposing fellow named Steel Hide. He towered over Kuyaki, would likely tower over an Elite too, and looked down at the human. “I find this proposition quite interesting. The Griffons, Equestrians, and Minotaurs in a military and diplomatic alliance. A league of nations, if you will, seeking to defend ourselves against those who would see our cities burn. Many do, already, do they not? We are not blind to the war raging beyond our walls; I have had Covenant scouts probing our lands” the Minotaur Emperor said.
“So you’ll join our cause and fight the Covenant?” Adam asked.
“You will see Minotaurs standing by your side, human. We have military knowledge and technology we would be willing to impart to the other races, but we want something in return from each. From the Griffons, the knowledge of tanks and sword forging, and from the Equestrians combat magic” the Emperor stated.
“You want to know how to use magic?”
“Yes. All races of this earth have the capability to wield magic, but few possess the aptitude for it. We have a few mages, but they’ve spent years studying the ability, and have only a few spells to show for it. We want it ALL.”
“I see. I will need to present the terms of this request to the others. Tell me, would you be open to the idea of assembling a summit with the Griffons and Equestrians to begin the formation of this pact?” Kuyaki inquired. A meeting would be most interesting to see, to study how the other races would interact with each other if in such an alliance. It would also give Adam another chance to sway some species to pledge their support to the UNSC and continue to fight the Covenant for them.
“Yes, I would see myself at the table. Organize this summit, and I will attend” Steel Hide replied.
Now again did Captain Kuyaki find himself in the great dining hall of Canterlot Tower, the leaders of the three states seated around him. The Equestrian Matriarchy, the Griffon Chancellor, and the Minotaur Emperor. Interesting things would be discussed here today, that was for sure. Adam just hoped another war would not be started.
Or not; more studying of the races would be appreciated.
“Let us observe the date; it is the year 1003 After-Nightmare, the day of Tuesday, the month of July. The ruling cabinet of Equestria, the Chancellor to the Griffon Republic, and the Emperor to the Minotaur Empire are seated here today, to discuss the opening of a pact between our species, an alliance of peace and defense that would forge a great barrier against future transgressions, be they from domestic enemies or alien” Princess Celestia declared. Flanked by her were the other Princesses, their expressions betraying their dispositions. Twilight was happy to see negotiations going again, Luna seethed, Cadance fretted, and Celestia feared. “We will begin with the terms of our offer; the Equestrian Matriarchy asks of the Griffons to give us the knowledge of gunpowder and firearms, so that we may better defend ourselves.”
Princess Twilight lost it.
“NO!! I want NO such thing to be known to us! These inventions of war repulse me, and I would not see them with Equestria’s chrysanthemum emblazoned on them! Such a thing would be a disgrace to our peaceful ways!” Twilight yelled.
“Stay your tongue, child. Thou should know that such devices are not much different than our combat spells. They serve a purpose most useful, for they could be used by those incapable of magic” Princess Luna said, chiding the young Princess.
“Griffonia accepts this offer. Our minister or defense can have a most exquisite rifle delivered to you for inspection and testing, and I would relinquish one of my great pistols from my personal collection. Griffonia asks nothing of the Equestrians” Chancellor Steelbeak stated.
“The Empire asks of the Griffons to render unto us the knowledge of tanks and techniques of sword forging, and asks of the Equestrians to give us the knowledge of magic, and in turn we would give to both the ways and means of manufacturing ships to match the might of the Empire’s naval strength” Emperor Steel Hide said.
It was Princess Luna’s turn to object.
“Hold! Such knowledge is most inappropriate to be known by the other races. Magic is a powerful thing, to be wielded only by those most competent in its intricacies. You will have no such knowledge given to you!” the Princess of the Night declared.
“The root of all of ire towards Equestrians; their innate superiority complex. You believe that only you are the ones that can be trusted with magic, with forbidden knowledge. In all your thousands of years of existence, since the three races staked their claims upon Equestria, have you hoarded and coveted the knowledge of the arcane arts. NO longer, say the people of the Minotaur Empire” Steel Hide responded.
Princess Celestia interjected. “We accept this offer, and ask nothing else of the Minotaur Empire.”
“I accept nothing!” Twilight and Luna yelled simultaneously.
“The Griffons and Minotaurs are amiable to the idea of change, Princesses, why are you not? It’s two on two; Twilight and Luna object to these terms, and Celestia and Cadance appear to accept. What will it be? A vote with an obvious outcome, or a veto?” Adam Kuyaki stated, folding his arms over his chest. History was about to be made, with the words about to come out of Celestia’s mouth.
The Princess of the Sun looked at her compatriots pleadingly, but they did not waver. Twilight and Luna stayed to their convictions, unrelenting. It was a terrible prospect; stay beholden to the old ways, and face extinction, or enter a new age with uncertainty. Turn from Equestria's pacifist ways, peaceful customs, and adopt many instruments of war, fundamentally changing their culture. The alternative was to die; to be left to the annals of history as a failed state. A future of turmoil, or a death of honor, both of which would be suffered by their entire species.
Celestia had no choice.
“I veto. Equestria accepts these terms, and enters into the alliance with the Griffon Republic and the capital of Griffonia, and the Minotaur Empire and the capital of Minoteera” Princess Celestia stated flatly, her expression carefully neutral.
“I resign from my position as Princess of Friendship, and relinquish all rights and privileges with it” Twilight Sparkle immediately said, promptly teleporting away. Princess Luna said nothing, but stared at her sister with contempt and sadness before dissipating in a cloud of ebony.
“A pact will be drafted and signed by all member states, to legitimize the alliance. Let us use our shared might and knowledge to defeat the Covenant and see a new age of peace and mutual benefit between all races of the planet” Celestia deadpanned, her voice monotone. Steel Hide and Steelbeak nodded, getting up from their seats.
“We shall take our leave, then” Emperor Steel Hide said, he and Steelbeak leaving the room, the heavy wooden doors echoing as they closed. Celestia hung her head, defeat and resignation in her eyes. Princess Cadance stood wordlessly and walked from the room, leaving only Celestia and Kuyaki.
Celestia then looked up at Adam, looking for all the world tired and beaten, and said “tell me, Captain, would you give up everything you had to see your species saved, or would you condemn them with honor? Would you give up your convictions, your dignity, and traditions to see your species continue? Or would you fight to the bitter end to never have to see your golden age end?”
'Changing times, an uncertain future. Equestrian royalty received today two test firearms from the Griffons, and the Griffon Minister of Defense met with Equestrian researchers to teach the ways of the gun. Minotaur scientists are also scheduled to meet with the Princesses to exchange the knowledge of shipbuilding for schooling on the arcane arts. A light in the darkness came in the form of an alliance agreement with the Griffon Republic and the Minotaur Empire, in which several secrets and sciences were traded amongst the unified nations. Complete story on page 2.'
High Lord Aldurmaax slowed himself, landing on a mountain top, artificially flattened thousands of years ago by his kind to build a shrine to De’mah ‘Tokam. Seven pillars burned with magical purple fires, an intricate symbol etched into the cobblestone floor. The Covenant ship, Zealous Faith, looming overhead. Aldurmaax looked to the horizon, watching. The humans were coming, their treachery palpable in the morning air.
“Do you stand ready, Aldurmaax?” N’por ‘Tumai inquired, his voice broadcast from the command room of the mighty cruiser. Aldurmaax stayed his tongue, recalling his duty. He had visited all the garrisons to ensure they were ready to fight. Equestrian traitors stood with Covenant weapons, dragon whelps and adults flew at alert, and the Faith soared proudly, its hull repaired in full. By all accounts, they were ready to meet the humans and their allies in battle.
But Aldurmaax sat with unease.
“Yes, my lord. We are ready to crush the humans” the High Lord responded. He took to the skies with a beat of his mighty wings, his pitch scales a stark contrast to the rising sun’s light. He sailed to the south, headed for Equestrian soil. The humans were coming, and he wanted to face them himself.
It was time to take the war to the Dragon homelands, and erase the Covenant from Equestria. Legions of Griffons, Minotaurs, and UNSC Marines stood ready to take the fight to the enemy’s heart, and the Kabato was ready to hit the enemy ship. She was flanked by RaptorTooth Five, and supplemented by several dragons still loyal to the Equestrians. Pony soldiers, freshly trained on the use of guns, stood at arms with Griffon-supplied rifles. The plan was in place, the terrain scouted, the guns cocked and sights wetted.
But still did Captain Kuyaki wait.
“Tell me, Captain, why do we continue to stand at the threshold of the door, when the enemy awaits inside?” Chancellor Steelbeak asked over the radio, the Griffon leader standing aboard RaptorTooth. The honor of crowd control and killing Aldurmaax had been delegated to the Griffons, who were eager to see their new weapon go up against the dragon that had ruled wyrm for over a thousand years.
“My apologies, we will go now. Helm, all power ahead” Captain Kuyaki commanded, the Kabato gliding forward, streaming across the sky. RaptorTooth Five followed, the mighty airship keeping pace with ease. The morning sun blazed in the sky, the warm orb casting its rays of life, unknowing or uncaring to the bloodshed that raged upon the surface of its favorite subject.
Turning the intership comm on and patching it into the RaptorTooth’s own system Adam prepared himself, clearing his throat before speaking. “Warriors, Marines; never before have so many stood as one, their ranks hailing from many countries, cultures, and even worlds. But never before have they faced such an enemy. Each species will go up against a kind of enemy they have never seen, but our numbers and strategy will see us victorious. By this time tomorrow Equestria, and indeed all of this world, will stand free from the Covenant threat. Fight bravely, never relent, and our enemies will know defeat this day.”
As the Kabato and RaptorTooth crested the first mountain a Covenant base came into view, the garrison one of many they would destroy this day. Like roaches to the light several dragons scattered from the base, heading straight for the two warships. This garrison was small, and as such ground forces would not be fielded against it. Kuyaki’s plan had the small bases being destroyed outright, and large bases softened before being taken by ground forces.
The dragons neared, and the RaptorTooth opened fire, its nearly two dozen machine guns thundering in the still air. Thousands of rounds of Griffon bullets streamed into the midst of the dragons, many of the beasts falling quickly. As a few broke through the barrage the Kabato jumped in, Excalibur targeting them himself and dropping them with the 70mm cannons. The contingent of dragons already dealt with the Kabato carpeted the Covenant garrison with missiles, the structures blasted apart with ease.
“One down, a few more to go!” Adam announced. “Excalibur, have ground teams ready to go.” The Kabato proceeded on, encountering a few more of the small training garrisons, where Equestrian separatists were ready to meet them, only to fall to death from above. This went on for an hour, with the RaptorTooth performing admirably, until they encountered their first major enemy base, the large installation sprawling across a field.
“Hit the base with ten Archer pods and get the ground teams onto the Pelicans, Excalibur” Kuyaki ordered. Again several dragons presented themselves, taking to the air. This time they were all adults, and their ranks were bolstered by the unmistakable High Lord Aldurmaax. His size, coupled with his bellowing in dragon tongue, were dead giveaways to his presence. The High Lord came straight for the Kabato, and Adam realized he made a mistake. The Pelicans left the hangar of the Kabato, flying straight down to the enemy base, and were right in the path of Aldurmaax. They couldn’t risk firing on him, for fear of hitting the Pelicans, so Aldurmaax was free to attack the aircraft, magical fire melting engines and flooding cabins with flame.
His pace unfaltering Aldurmaax soon passed the battalion of Pelicans and continued straight towards the Kabato, the RaptorTooth opening fire on him, the Griffon aircraft banking towards the beast to intercept him. The High Lord barked and swatted at the Griffon ship, uncaring of its attack. His Covenant armor deflected the Griffon bullets, and he soared for the Kabato without pause. Excalibur did not hesitate, and opened fire with the point-defense cannons. Banking and rolling Aldurmaax dodged the barrage, diving for the underside of the destroyer. RaptorTooth gave chase, turning fast and accelerating to give chase. Its harassment was more than enough to distract the wyrm, and allow the Kabato to press on.
The Pelicans were coming back, having dropped off the legion of ground troops. The battle was left to the coalition, and the two ships continued on.
N’por ‘Tumai sat patiently, mulling over the coming battle. Four garrisons and one stronghold had been rolled over by the humans, falling not to any skill on the part of the humans, but to their own weakness and incompetence, N’por was sure. The Griffons had constructed an airship to combat Covenant dragons, and were using it to great effect. Aldurmaax had not yet been felled, but still he was unable to destroy the enemy ships, and N’por suspected that honor would fall to him.
Below the Zealous Faith, on the surface, lied a mighty base, the largest Covenant stronghold on Equestria. Scout reports indicated that the humans were blasting small installations from above and fielding ground troops to take the large forts. This could be used to N’por’s advantage, he realized, as he could gull the humans into a trap; allowing them to storm the base before arriving to blindside the human ship and bury the ground forces in thousands of Covenant soldiers.
There was another large base, only slightly smaller than the master installation below the Faith, some miles out, that was next up on the human’s advance. They were sure to proceed past them all, but just when they thought they’d win the day N’por would obliterate them, and with this victory he would destroy or assimilate the rest of the races, and return to the war.
“My Lord,” Aldurmaax declared over the comm on his armor suit, “the humans are sweeping inexorably toward you. We have slowed them, but still yet do they come. The Griffons have this dragon-killer and they are swatting my kin out of the sky like flies!”
“Do not make excuses, Aldurmaax. Fell those humans, or I will give the glory to another” ‘Tumai declared. N’por was beginning to question Aldurmaax’s dedication to the cause; he spent more time aggrandizing N’por than he did killing humans, it seemed. When he did fight he was usually unmatched, but now it would seem he was losing his prowess. “Do not fail, Aldurmaax.”
“Of course, my Lord.”
Aldurmaax would have to be replaced; he was weak now. Really all of the dragons’ culture and customs would be going, so it stood to reason to have Aldurmaax removed. Their own culture could be exploited, even. Aldurmaax had been extremely forthcoming with all manner of information on dragon customs, so N’por knew that whomever killed the current High Lord would become the new leader of the dragons.
But as long as Aldurmaax drew breath, there would be no assimilation of the dragons. So if Aldurmaax would not fall in battle, then N’por would have to kill him himself.
N’por ‘Tumai had no qualms about this.
Twilight Sparkle, her stature reduced, her horn shortened, her wings gone, stood in the foyer of the royal library, where she once lived. The mid-day had come, with the dawn having brought the invasion of the dragon homelands, and no news had come with it. Twilight reasonably believed the humans would win, much to her chagrin. It was not as though she wanted the Covenant to win, though, but her ideal victory of having both species obliterating each other would likely not come to pass.
This was not something for Twilight to dwell on, however. She cared little for the war, which had already destroyed so much, killed so many. It killed her brother, it wounded Spike, and worst of all, it killed Equestria’s ideals. When the war ended Equestria’s golden age would end, falling prey to a future of war, violence, and despair as states warred and Equestrians suffered. Twilight was sure that a new age of destruction was coming, and she seethed over it.
So when she thought of punishing the one responsible for allowing this future, Princess Celestia, it seemed right. By all accounts it was Celestia’s fault that Equestria would soon possess guns, tanks, and warships. Punishing her would be just and logical, and with this punishment Equestria could return to the old ways, which had forged great peace and prosperity for the country.
It's her fault.
Having resigned her status as Princess, Twilight could no longer enter certain places of the palace, but it was nothing a little invisibility spell couldn’t fix. She went as far as she could before casting the spell, vanishing from view. Quietly pushing the door open Twilight entered the guards’ barracks, silently trotting down the aisles of bunks. Nary a guard was in sight, they were all out fighting the war, so the invisibility spell was really unnecessary, but Twilight would take no chances this night.
Reaching the far end of the barracks Twilight passed through another door, finding racks of swords, spears, and crossbows. Old world weapons. The hall was built in a fine cobblestone, illuminated by torchlight, and smelt of oil and wood. At the back of the armory hall lied a crate, furnished in wood and decorated by green paint. The crate was locked, though not for long. With a quick spell the lock gave way, allowing the lid to be lifted. Contained within, the steel reflecting the soft torchlight, were two rows of rifles, freshly delivered by the Griffons. A single-shot, breechloading affair, the guns were simple in construction and use. A crate of ammo lied next to the rifle crate, from which Twilight took five cartridges, the brass cartridge with its nickel-coated bullet a solid weight, instilling confidence. Securing the crates Twilight ensured the weapon and ammo were invisible along with her, and left the barracks.
This afternoon the Griffon Minister of Defense was to host a showcase of one of Chancellor Steelbeak’s pistols, displaying to the Equestrians the viability of small sidearms for secondary defense. The event was to be held in the castle gardens, which the royal library overlooked. There was a magnificent view of the gardens from a large bay window in the arcaneum, a room Twilight spent many days and nights in. Twilight was not invited to the event, of course, but she would be there. Nopony would notice her, nopony would see her.
The sun blazed hot today; sweltering heat, radiating into the royal library through the windows. The windows were designed to dissipate heat, but still did the library simmer. It was the kind of heat that kept everypony inside all day.
The heat wasn’t what was making Twilight sweat, though.
She lied patiently on the sill of the great bay window, the rifle propped up next to her against the wall, the chamber loaded. One of the panes was open, allowing a clear shot out into the gardens. The finely trimmed hedges forming a simple maze that lead into a circular clearing, with a great statue of some legendary pony erected in the center. The location had been designated for the test shoot of the Griffon pistol, and would be the spot where Princess Celestia would fall this day.
As the time fast approached Twilight found her nerves creeping up on her, a cold knot forming in her gut. Her mind told her this wasn’t right, that it would solve nothing, but her heart overruled it, dictating to Twilight that this was just. She had read some books on ancient Equestrian law to pass the time and discovered that those guilty of great crimes had been sentenced to death before, but never a Princess. They had always had free reign to change and challenge Equestria’s ways, to alter them as they saw fit.
No more.
Still did Twilight wait, however, the dread growing ever stronger. What if Celestia didn’t show up? What if she had changed the location for the showing? What if she had sensed Twilight’s intentions and was about to have her entombed? The ancient law books had indicated that those who attempted but failed assassinations or great crimes were forever sealed in stone, like Discord had been. Was this to be Twilight’s fate?
The garden doors opened, and out stepped Princess Celestia. She trotted slowly through the maze to the garden center, as the Griffon Minister of Defense and Princess Luna followed. They were talking, though Twilight could hear nothing said. She watched them carefully, making sure they did not look her way. They stopped together in the garden center, talked some more briefly, before the Minister unslung the case on his back, popping it open to show the Princesses the weapon within.
Hopping off the window sill Twilight stood on her hind legs, propped herself up on the sill with her fore, and levitated the rifle. Pulling the stock into her shoulder and bracing her cheek on the rest Twilight kept the weapon locked in place with her magic, taking in the sight picture according to the instruction manual. Gently, telekinetically, she pulled the hammer on the weapon back until it went *CLICK!*, the sound reverberating in the great arcaneum.
Twilight stilled herself, keeping the front post trained on the Princess of the Sun as the shots from the pistol rang out, the rounds impacting on the target set up for it. Celestia’s right flank faced Twilight, presenting a broad target for the mage to hit. Twilight’s magic wrapped around the trigger, her breath slowing.
And she hesitated.
“Remember our peaceful ways, my student” Celestia’s voice echoed in Twilight’s head. “Hurt not, unless you are hurt. Attack not, unless you are attacked. We are, all of us, vigils of peace.” It was from one of the Princess’s many lessons to Twilight as a foal, when she taught her combat magic. Defensive spells, for incapacitating violent attackers or hysterical ponies.
“You represent friendship, love, tolerance. Now, my student, your learning is not yet over, but I am no longer your teacher. You must teach yourself now, and learn from others” Celestia’s voice echoed again. This was from when Twilight had just become a Princess, a symbol of Equestria. She represented a core tenet of their species, one that was unalienable. Peace.
Am I really doing the right thing? It’s... It’s Celestia’s fault that we are no longer a nation of peace, right? It’s her fault I’m holding this gun, that I am training my sights on her? It is. It’s HER fault! It must be! She...she betrayed us! That wench turned her back on Equestria’s ideals! That hypocrite murdered the Dragon God, De’mah, all while espousing ideals of peace! She turned her back on us, and the old law dictates she must die for it Twilight thought.
But then, the old law is the old law for a reason, right? It was from a different time, when ponies held ideals of vengeance and retribution in their hearts and minds. We no longer punish criminals by death, so what makes this different? Does Celestia truly deserve to die? Does she not have the best intentions for Equestria at heart? Does she see a future only somepony like her could see, one that requires we fundamentally change our ways to survive?
Princess Celestia had moved, so Twilight adjusted her aim accordingly. She kept the sights leveled on Celestia’s barrel, where her vital organs were. The Day Goddess had a neutral expression on her face as she studied the Griffon pistol, as she Minister fired it. Behind that expression, though, Twilight could see...something. She could see a kind of...apprehension, uncertainty. She didn’t want this, nopony did. But then, why did she allow it?
She’s a hypocrite, remember? ‘Stay beholden to peace but strike with anger and fury if you’re attacked. Never kill’, but she murdered De’mah in cold blood. The doublespeak confused Twilight; was she supposed to stay fast to peaceful ideology or strike with anger and fury? Was she supposed to talk softly, or carry a big stick?
If you killed her, you wouldn’t have to choose. You could take it all back, and return Equestria to her rightful place; the fair and benevolent rulers of the world. You could return Equestria to her golden age of peace and prosperity.
Twilight got down low on the rifle, taking in the sight picture again. She looked at the sights, but looked past them at the same time, focusing on Celestia’s barrel. Her right flank still faced Twilight, her white coat a stark contrast to the green of the gardens. She was not even fifty yards away; it’d be impossible to miss, and she deserved to die.
There is a saying on Earth; Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum. It is Latin for ‘if you seek peace, prepare for war’. Nobody wants war, nobody wants death, destruction, but there are always those who would see your homes in ruins, your family dead, for one gain or another. So you must always stand ready to visit upon them extreme violence, always and only in the name of defense. If you want peace, you have to fight for it; words won’t secure it. Present prosperity and mutual gain to your opponent, but back up your words with steel and your opponent will stay amiable to diplomacy. Words of Captain Kuyaki, spoken to Twilight once before. She paid them no heed then, thinking them to be warmongering nonsense, but what if he was right?
Celestia, she...she realized that the time for change had come. She realized we couldn’t hide behind our honeyed words and peace offerings forever, the arrival of the humans hinted at it, and the arrival of the Covenant proved it beyond a doubt. These weapons of war are for defense only. That...that’s what the Griffons meant all along, we were just too blind to see it. Too arrogant. They’re for defense, to shield us from enemies like the Covenant, who cannot be reasoned with. With whom diplomacy is irrelevant Twilight thought, realizing her folly in one fell swoop. She was wrong. There was no two ways about it, she was wrong. Had been all along. Equestria needed to change, to adapt, with the times if it had any hope of surviving in the future. Their ideals could still stand, their ways of peace and tranquility, but the means to defend themselves would be necessary. Would always be necessary. For the Goddess’s sake, that’s why they had swords and spears and combat spells, to defend themselves. The gun and the tank and the warship were just adaptations of this concept. Celestia wasn’t a hypocrite, Twilight was the hypocrite!
“Twilight?”
BAM!
Her ears ringing and the glass around the muzzle of the rifle shattering into a thousand pieces Twilight screamed, dropping the rifle to the floor. She fell to her back, the weapon following her, as the wood and steel clattered on the marble. Twilight looked to see who had spoken, and saw Spike doubled over on the floor, covering his ears, his equilibrium knocked awry by the ringing. She hadn't even heard the baby dragon come in. As Twilight’s hearing slowly came back, she heard it. The screams of pain.
Celestia had been hit.
Shakily crawling to her hooves, her heart racing at a thousand miles an hour, her stomach doing flips, Twilight inched towards the window, mindful of the glass. She stood herself on her hind legs again, supporting herself on the sill with her fore, and looked down into the gardens.
On the grass, her flank running red, lie Princess Celestia, Luna at her side. The Griffon Minister of Defense looked on in horror as Luna tended to Celestia’s wounds. The Goddess of the Sun was still alive, screaming in earnest. Twilight strained, and saw that Celestia had moved during Twilight’s musings, the majority of her body out of the path of the muzzle. The bullet, for all its power, had struck Celestia in her rump, right through her cutie mark. It was fatal in no way, especially with Luna cauterizing the wound with a spell.
Celestia would live.
Backing away from the window in horror Twilight’s frazzled nerves could take it no longer and she upchucked, vomiting onto the floor. Her whole body shook, her coat pale. She turned to look at Spike, whose own face was painted in terror.
“Twilight, what have you DONE!?” the baby dragon bellowed. Twilight could not answer, she had lost her words. All she could do was back away, nearly tripping over the stairs leading down to the library proper. She turned to focus on the steps, struggling to stay conscious, putting one hoof in front of the other. She had just hit the bottom step when the great bay window completely exploded, disintegrating in a cloud of glass dust, and Princess Luna entered.
Well, Twilight assumed it was Luna. This hovering demon looked nothing like her.
It hovered high above the floor, flames of fury as dark as ebony emanating off her body, licking at the air. Her eyes glowed a brilliant white, her horn a sickly red, the only clue that it was Luna being the crescent moon emblazoned on her flank. She scanned the room, finding only Spike and Twilight within, her gaze falling on Twilight and freezing her in place. An exchange of looks, of realization, took place, and Twilight was running, galloping for the door.
“PAY FOR YOUR TREACHERY, AND FACE THE NIGHT’S JUSTICE!” Princess Luna thundered, unleashing a terrible spell on Twilight. It paralyzed her in her tracks, freezing her running form solid. She dared a look, and saw her body rapidly being encased in stone. This realization was the last Twilight knew, and she found peace in darkness’s embrace.
“Stand fast, and turn at heading 2-5-9! Arm MAC cannon and twenty Archer pods! Track all incoming dragons and Covenant fighters! Excalibur, arm one wildcard!” Captain Adam Kuyaki yelled, the Kabato and RaptorTooth Five high above yet another Covenant base, this one the largest on the planet. The day had brought many victories and few losses, but the enemy ship had yet to make an appearance, and this worried Kuyaki. Aldurmaax still breathed, but the Kabato had suffered little damage from wyrm or alien.
Once again did thousands of coalition ground forces stream to the surface to take the enemy base. Marines, Minotaurs, Griffons, Equestrians, a pact of arms that fell upon the Covenant like a mighty hammer. Many dragons fell this day, the legendary beasts no match for the bullets and rockets of the UNSC and the Griffon Republic. RaptorTooth Five and her crew had slayed twenty of the wyrms alone.
On the surface the massive Covenant stronghold was subject to a great missile barrage, many lesser structures falling to the earth, as the first lance of ground forces arrived. A Marine Colonel, a Minotaur Centurion, a Griffon Battlelord. Kuyaki had personally watched as the Centurion felled many a Grunt and Jackal with a sword, as the Battlelord sent Elites to their graves with whispers of death from his sniper rifle, as the Equestrian Captain rended apart Hunters with a mighty spell. They stabbed, shot, blew up, beat, broke, and obliterated those who came before them without pause, until they stood before the Covenant’s master base.
A dark shadow fell over the Kabato before passing as Aldurmaax screamed overhead, the High Lord’s armor dented and charred from the fighting, his dark scales a stark contrast to the setting afternoon sun, his shape unmistakable even as hundreds of his kin swarmed the skies. RaptorTooth Five chased without hesitation, peppering the mighty dragon with thousands of rounds. He dove, he banked, he rolled and he dodged, but it was enough to keep him out of the fight. He might get lucky now and again and take out a Pelican, but for the most part he was a non-issue.
“New contact! High tonnage” Excalibur exclaimed, Kuyaki’s eyes adding to the truth of the AI’s words as the Covenant cruiser appeared from a lightspeed jump, the air displaced in its wake. Its starboard side faced the Kabato, but it was quickly turning, the lateral lines already beginning to glow. Several dozen Spirit dropships streamed from its hangars, many diving for the surface, but one strayed, and headed for a nearby mountain top, one with a peak as flat as a table.
“Target the enemy ship with the MAC and the dropships with the Thunderheads, aim for weakspots and key weapons systems on the cruiser and target them with Archer pods! Keep the wildcard on standby!” Adam commanded, gripping his command chair. The lateral lines on the Covenant glowed a brilliant red, the shields dropped, and the plasma projector discharged.
But not at the Kabato.
A stream of red fire lanced down towards the surface of Equestria, impacting the Covenant base with the force of a nuclear bomb, and turned the sky a violent red. The plasma stream turned the entire stronghold into a glowing crater in seconds, as the MAC cannon and Archer pods discharged, scoring many a hit on the cruiser.
“What the hell?! They just glassed their own base!” Captain Kuyaki shouted, realizing as he spoke the purpose; thousands of coalition forces had just been vaporized, along with Covenant soldiers. The Covie soldiers were immaterial to a battle that was to be won in the sky, but the blow to the coalition forces was extreme. The worst casualties of the day lost to one measly strike, performed with such apathy on the part of the Covenant.
With their ground forces gone, the battle came down to this; the Kabato and the Covenant, the RaptorTooth and the dragons. Steelbeak versus Aldurmaax, Kuyaki versus the Covenant Shipmaster. The MAC cannon was loaded, the Thunderheads ready, the Archer’s primed, and the wildcard armed. The sky swam with wyrms, the RaptorTooth thundered, and the Covenant ship glowed with a hellfire unmatched by any other.
“Excalibur, turn us portside on heading 7-7-7. Drop the wildcard and drift it towards the enemy ship, arm all Archer pods, continue to track the dragons with the 70mm’s and Thunderheads and drop any that get to close. Get a firing solution on the neck of the cruiser with the MAC and prime all emergency thrusters” Adam rattled off as the Kabato began to turn.
“Yes, sir, firing solution acquired, Archers locked on, dragons tracked and wildcard fired, awaiting your detonation signal” Excalibur responded, the Kabato racing to the cruiser’s starboard side.
“I want that wildcard attached to the enemy ship, and do not let me order its detonation until the enemy ship’s shields are at full strength” the Captain declared, the AI wordlessly obeying, getting to work.
“Yes, sir, the SHIVA tactical nuke will not be detonated until it is attached to the target’s hull and their shields are at full strength.”
The chips were down, the pot was full, and the players were set. The entire Equestrian campaign boiled down to this very moment, where the world would be won by one side, and lost by the other.
“Turn us on heading 4-4-7 and bring us to bear on the Covenant cruiser, load MAC cannon and synchronize firing with the Covenant ship. Keep us on our toes and we’ll just slug it out with the beast until the SHIVA is in the sweet spot!” Captain Kuyaki declared, the Kabato streaming across the blood-red sky. The sun was setting, casting long shadows and a hellish glow on the world. RaptorTooth Five and the Griffons were still holding their own, their guns and missiles never stopping as countless dragons continued to fall. Adam had lost track of Aldurmaax, but he had little doubt the dragon lord was still fighting.
The Kabato turned at Kuyaki’s command, coming to bear on the Covenant ship. As the enemy vessel’s lines began to glow the MAC gun discharged, the mighty tungsten slug boring into the hull of the target. Archer missiles peppered along the starboard side of the Covenant cruiser, scoring and denting the iridescent alien steel. At the same time the plasma projector discharged, sending a lance of liquid fire across the afternoon sky, the energy striking the Kabato on her port side. For its part the Griffon steel served as a decent buffer to the plasma, but it still melted in earnest at the point of impact.
Turning away the Covenant cruiser moved to the right a quarter of a mile, discharging a flurry of plasma torpedoes at the Kabato. Emergency thrusters fired and the destroyer lurched to port, dodging the worst of the attack but still did a few torpedoes find their mark. Excalibur responded by firing a dozen Archer pods, the missiles scoring many hits. Purple fires licked at the air, superficial wounds to the mighty beast’s hull.
“MAC reloaded” Excalibur called out. “SHIVA warhead half a mile to the starboard.”
“Turn us on heading 8-9-8 and get us over the top of the enemy cruiser” Adam commanded, the Kabato accelerating over the Covenant ship. Plasma turrets turned to track, charging with fire. The Kabato turned, pointing straight down at the enemy vessel. Shields down the MAC gun fired, spearing through the midsection of the cruiser and into the earth below. Leveling out the Kabato raced away, plasma torpedoes striking her soft underbelly. Little damage was done, but it still hurt.
As the Kabato returned to a more natural position facing the Covenant cruiser Aldurmaax rocketed overhead, firing a passing stream of magical flame at the Kabato, to no avail. Circling around the prow of the Kabato he soared away, back towards the RaptorTooth. Adam watched the foolhardy dragon dive straight for the airship, latching onto its nose with feet and claws, cocking one fist back to smash the control room before getting sprayed off by two machine guns, blood arcing in the sky. The High Lord dropped loose, but still did his wings beat, and he turned away to come back around, bellowing in dragon tongue.
The lateral lines of the Covenant cruiser shined bright once again, and the plasma projector discharged, searing the Kabato up along her aft section, trailing along like a snake. The MAC gun fired, a 500 ton slug lancing into the alien ship and embedding within. The laser did not relent, destroying several Thunderheads and Archer pods.
Rolling to the left the Kabato edged out of the way of the laser, righting itself again to drift to the right, ascending to gain a view of the upper side of the Covenant cruiser. Plasma turrets firing the Kabato responded with Archer pods, directly targeting the plasma guns, obliterating several. A point-defense laser flashed half a second, spearing the Kabato diagonally.
“MAC gun ready.”
As the Covenant ship’s lines charged the MAC gun fired, striking the enemy vessel in the dead center of the nose, the slug boring through the length of the ship. It listed for a moment before regaining its power, the plasma projector erupted, the beam shaving off the starboard side plates of the Kabato. Secondary explosions tore through the destroyer’s hull.
“Critical damage sustained. Hull breach in many sections. SHIVA systems crippled. Deployed SHIVA warhead 1/4 of a mile out from the enemy cruiser” Excalibur declared.
Adam’s blood ran cold; if the single SHIVA failed to destroy the enemy ship the probability of success would then be very slim. The single MAC gun could do the job, but it’d be down to the wire; a game of complete chance.
Aldurmaax rocketed overhead. The RaptorTooth Five was still in the fight, but Aldurmaax was trying his damnedest to break away and attack the Kabato. A quick burst from the Thunderheads was enough to send him diving away.
“I have an idea. Excalibur, plot a course on heading 5-5-point-6-6-5, arm MAC gun and five oversized Archer pods” Kuyaki commanded, receiving puzzled looks from his helmsmen; the course Adam had specified took them directly over the enemy cruiser.
“Acknowledged.”
The Kabato accelerated, soaring over the Covenant ship. Already it began to turn, its long length spinning on a central axis. The lateral lines charged, the plasma turrets fired. The Kabato’s engines were exposed to the enemy cruiser, but Adam was used to taking risky gambles. Cresting the opposite side of the alien vessel the Kabato turned left, the plasma torpedoes striking along the port armor. The Covenant ship finished its about face, firing the plasma projector, the fiery beam spearing the lesser ship like a harpoon. The MAC gun fired, striking her in her midships.
“SHIVA attached to enemy ship.”
As the enemy attack ceased Archer pods peppered her along the length of her hull, softening the enemy vessel. A flash of a sheen spread over the Covenant cruiser, signifying that her shields were returned in full. The Kabato reversed, edging away from the enemy vessel, as Captain Kuyaki turned the proverbial key.
“Detonate SHIVA!!”
Purple hull vanished in a flash of white, contained within the Covenant ship’s shields. The atomic fusion amplified by the magnetic containment vaporized the majority of the enemy cruiser before the shield generators turned to dust, collapsing the shield and unleashing the nuclear blast. A mighty shockwave spread in all directions, knocking the Kabato around. RaptorTooth Five floundered, and Aldurmaax lost his hover and plummeted, as what remained of the Covenant ship fell to the earth, purple fires trailing in its wake.
“HAHA! Take THAT, fuckers!” Adam boasted, the flaming prow of the enemy vessel plowing into the dirt below. The cloud of nuclear fire dissipated in the air as fallout settled. With the Covenant cruiser down Equestria was safe from Covenant threat.
From the mountains below rose Aldurmaax, the dragon High Lord taking to the sky. None of his kin remained to fight at his side, so he rose alone. Beating his mighty wings the great wyrm headed straight for the Kabato, the RaptorTooth moving to intercept. Aldurmaax raged, thundering fast in dragon tongue. The guns of RaptorTooth opened fire, filling the sky with thousands of bullets as Aldurmaax rocketed for the two ships. Banking and diving Aldurmaax rolled and twisted upside down, passing under the RaptorTooth, latching on again and unleashing fire, the magical flame blasting apart one of the RaptorTooth’s engine pods. Leaping off Aldurmaax dove to the Kabato, landing on the prow.
“Lo’kmato! Korsus ahn vok tee’m!” Aldurmaax bellowed, smashing Thunderheads and 70mm turrets with claws and striking at the bridge with magical fire. He stalked toward the bridge, black smoke pouring from his mouth. “Lord ‘Tumai still breathes; he beckons for you, human, and you shall heed.”
Aldurmaax took to the sky again, soaring away from the two ships towards the mountain with the flat peak. Adam realized the mountain peak had several pillars arranged in a circle. Aldurmaax banked over the pillars, coming back for the Kabato. RaptorTooth opened fire again, machine gun bullets peppering the High Lord, many striking the wyrm. He howled as his armor and scales were pierced in many a place, but still did he fly.
“Track the target and lock with both Archers and cannons! He falls this day!” Adam commanded, the ship responding with Excalibur’s own input. Aldurmaax turned to strike at the vessels again, coming against a great fusilade of bullets and missiles. He banked in emergency, but turned a little late; an Archer proximity detonated near him, showering him in shrapnel and fire. His howl dissipated as he fell, but Adam knew he was not down yet.
True to his assumption Aldurmaax appeared again, rising high into the sky above the Kabato and RaptorTooth. The Kabato could track and target him, but the RaptorTooth could not aim her guns so. It seemed the wyrm wished to fell the Griffon dragon-killer before tending to the humans.
Captain Kuyaki would not let this pass.
“Though you have seen many victories this day, human, you will know defeat before the sun sets! The honor of Lord ‘Tumai demands it, and the tenets of dragon faith have called for it! It is to be, as willed by fate itself! Know that even if I fall, the might of the Covenant Empire will crush you!” Aldurmaax bellowed in the Equestrian language, which mirrored English.
Coming down, the sun at his back, Aldurmaax swiped at the RaptorTooth, claws shearing its steel hull. As he passed the guns of RaptorTooth opened fire, his soft underbelly exposed to the guns. Dozens of rounds speared the mighty beast’s belly and wings, knocking his flight awry. His momentum carried, he struck the Kabato with a mighty WHAM before sliding off.
“VIK’KAER!”
The automatic translation came in.
“Oh, that’s quite a colorful swear” Adam remarked. “Tells me we’re starting to bring the beast down. Launch Archers and switch to the aft underside camera.”
Missiles streaked in the fiery sky to chase the High Lord, who flew about far under the ships. He saw the rockets and raced away, unable to outrun the missiles, but perhaps able to outmaneuver. Banking left, then right, then rolling, Aldurmaax dodged much of the ordnance, but agility was no match for volume, and he was struck. Hitting the earth hard Aldurmaax tumbled, his armor splitting off in pieces as he rolled. His left wing was ripped apart, crippled. He attempted to fly and collapsed, crying out in rage.
“Adam, let the Griffons have the honor, so that the dragons may serve us in the future” Chancellor Steelbeak asked from the RaptorTooth, the crippled ship moving out in front of the Kabato. Adam saw the logic, and allowed the Griffon ship to continue.
“Honor shall be yours.”
“VIK’KAERS! A plague upon your Houses! Let it be known that cowardice and deceit were the tactics of the day that felled the High Lord Aldurmaax! Though indeed I fall, I shall live forever in honored dragon lore, a testament to the might and faith that empowers the dragon race! The Bird and the Sapien shall NEVER KNOW HONOR, FOR THEY FIGHT ONLY WITH THE DIGNITY OF A DYING ANIMAL!” Aldurmaax thundered.
“LORD ‘TUMAI BECKONS, HUMAN!”
With the RaptorTooth’s guns reloaded, they opened fire. Every machine gun the great dragon-killer had roared, raining so many hundreds of thousands of bullets down the setting sky, their numbers so great they cast a checkered shadow on the earth, before cascading into Aldurmaax.
And so did the High Lord fall.
“Excalibur, scan the mountain with the flattened peak for life signs and known Covenant signatures. Ready one Pelican of Marines” Adam ordered, the Kabato turning. The peak with the pillars, still burning, sat waiting. A Covenant dropship had approached the mountain top earlier, Kuyaki remembered, and there he assumed was where Lord ‘Tumai waited.
“One Spirit dropship and one life signature detected, standing in the middle of the shrine. The signature matches the shape of a Covenant Elite” Excalibur exclaimed. Adam stood from his chair, heading for the bridge door.
“The Commander has the deck. Relay to the armorer that I am coming down, and have the Pelican and Marine squad on standby until I get down there” Captain Kuyaki stated, passing through the threshold of the bridge doors. He could easily level the entire mountain, but he did not want to Martyr the Elite for the Equestrians that fought for the Covenant, or the dragons loyal to him.
No, history would see Lord ‘Tumai fall in fair combat.
Three. Thirty: ...We Will Have an Ending to Things
Three. Thirty. ...We Will Have an Ending to Things
Princess Celestia stood over the lifeless corpse of De’mah ‘Tokam, his blood running thin in the rain. Celestia’s coat sagged with the weight of the water, her hooves stained in the watery blood. She stared down at De’mah, the mighty Sangheili warrior’s dead eyes staring unto the sky. His final words haunted Celestia, swimming in the back of her mind like a dark tendril.
"I shall have my revenge, if only in my name."
A dark shadow passed overhead, accompanied by a whooshing of wings. Celestia looked up, her eyes catching sight of a dragon, his scales dark as midnight. Celestia tensed, watching the dragon bank back around and approach the shrine. Flapping his wings the dragon slowed his descent, dropping to the cobblestone of the shrine when he neared. Dust and dirt kicked up at his landing, the mighty beast inspecting De’mah’s body.
“De’mah, vork ahn toro. Liu’kun aro... You felled the High Lord De’mah? You faced him in fair combat, and triumphed?” the dragon asked. “This is most impressive, Equestrian. Tell me, what is your name?”
“Princess Celestia.”
“Mmm. You lead the Equestrians, with your sister? You have much fire, if you defeated De’mah fairly” the dragon stated. He tucked his wings against his body, lowering his chin to the stones. “Dragon code dictates that I must abide by you, and answer your beckon. All dragons shall be told, and all shall heed; the Div, the dragons, are now in service to the Equestrians.”
Celestia said nothing, and certainly would not tell him that she murdered the Sangheili by shooting him in the back. The dragon rose uncertainly, seemingly having expected Celestia to say something. He shifted on his feet, looking at Celestia.
“I see. Who is the High Lord now, then?” the Princess of the Sun inquired.
“There is none. The High Lord is dead, and one has not yet been selected to take his place” the dark dragon answered. He grabbed De’mah’s corpse and cast him aside, uncaring for his former lord and master, the one he and all dragons had regarded as a god.
This infuriated Princess Celestia. The dragons had waged a genocide in De'mah's name only, slaughtering ponies by the thousands to appease their demented god. To see this dragon cast him aside like he was nothing, like it all meant nothing to him, enraged Celestia.
But she did not dare speak out against it.
“OK... Then as your new...master...I select you as the new High Lord. I...expect you to perform to...to the highest of standards” Celestia said, unsure of her words; the guilt of lying piled on top of the guilt of murder, and she feared the dragon, but he was her charge now, and would have to set the rules for him and his species.
“Of course, my lord” the dragon responded.
Princess Celestia turned away, heading for the stairs that would lead back down the mountain. “I...must return to Canterlot. The rebuilding process must begin, and there is much to do.”
“Here, allow me. Walk or travel not; ride upon my back, and I shall deliver you unto the holy city” the dragon offered, lowering his chin to the stones again to allow Celestia to climb on his neck.
“I see. Thank you. Now tell me,” Celestia said, hoisting herself up onto the wyrm’s nape, grasping the spines running down his back to hold on, “what is your name?” The dragon raised his head, unfurling his wings as he prepared to take flight.
“Aldurmaax, my master. High Lord Aldurmaax.”
The whine of a Pelican’s thrusters filled the air as the aircraft took off, racing away from the mountain top where Adam Kuyaki and a squad of Marines stood. The great pillars still burned, fire licking at the air. Adam stepped forward, his deck shoes striking the cobblestone that marked the floor of the shrine. The stones had runes carved in them, an intricate affair written in a foreign tongue, likely dragon, and likely deifying this spot.
A Covenant Elite stood at the other end of the shrine, energy sword in hand, the fearsome blade simmering in the air. The setting sun cast long shadows over the shrine, and blooded the sky. The Elite’s fiery orange armor shining even in the matching light.
“Man and Sangheili meet this day, the two warriors, once squaring off in ships, fighting with strategy and tactics, must now fight with mettle and honor. I see that the opposing party has already sacrificed his honor. Tell me, human; are you so cowardly that you must always have others at your back to do your fighting for you” the Elite declared.
“N’por ‘Tumai, the dragon God. I may not have honor, but with numbers on my side it will be me who survives this day” Adam replied, his hands gripping his M6D pistol. The Elite huffed, carefully regarding the Captain.
“‘Dragon God’? I care little for the wyrms. Aldurmaax shadowed me like a whelp. He had no dedication to himself, he was always looking to me for approval. For guidance. Is that the sign of a legendary beast, one who should carry himself according to his own convictions? No. When this war ended I was going to crush him and enslave the dragons to the will of the Covenant” N’por said.
“Now who is the one with no honor?” Adam remarked, eliciting a snarl from the Elite. The alien rolled his shoulders and began to pace, watching Adam. “Grimes, hand me your shotgun” Kuyaki whispered, taking the M90 in his hands.
“1,000 years ago, on this very mountain, the true dragon God, De’mah ‘Tokam, fell to Princess Celestia. A fair fight, in single combat. Honor, and conviction. Today, on the very spot, cowardice and deceit are the tactics of the day. I suppose it is no matter. Fight as you wish, human. It shall not save you” N’por uttered darkly, vanishing as his active camouflage engaged.
“OPEN FIRE!” Adam yelled, the Marines unleashing a storm of bullets with their MA5B assault rifles, the .308 caliber rounds peppering the pillars at the other end of the shrine where N’por just stood, none finding their mark.
“Hahahaha, foolish human. You fight in the dark, blinded by my POWER!” N’por thundered, appearing from the air as he swung his sword, the fiery plasma falling through the air at Adam. The Captain rolled, dodging the searing weapon as N’por’s swing followed through, decapitating one of the Marines.
N’por vanished once more.
“More cowardice, costing the life of one of your kin” N’por echoed, the source of his voice unclear. “Your actions directly caused the death of one of your comrades, human. How does this make you feel?”
“You tell me! You were the one who glassed his entire base just to kill my fighters” Adam shot back, his eyes watching for the tell-tale shimmering air that indicated the presence of a cloaked Elite.
“And there lies the proof. Humans are weak, unable to make the hard decisions that win wars. You dare not sacrifice your own kind for the glory of victory. You torment thyselves over the mistakes that cost lives, thinking erroneously that you could’ve done something different, when the truth is that you can do NOTHING!”
N’por materialized once again, swinging his sword upwards at Adam. The Captain rolled to the left, the sword striking nothing. The Marines opened fire, .308 rounds peppering the Shipmaster’s shields as he again faded from view.
“You hide like a whelp, afraid to face me?!” Adam taunted. “Prove your honor!”
N’por appeared directly in front of Adam, thrusting his blade forward. Adam ducked right, leveling the shotgun. N’por’s energy sword struck one of the Marines, felling him. The Elite exposed, Adam fired the M90.
BOOM!
The mighty 8 gauge magnum shell delivered hundreds of tungsten pellets, whamming into the Elite like a Warthog. The Shipmaster’s shields shattered, and once again he vanished from view. Adam shucked the pump with authority, chambering a new shell.
“Cowardly heretic.”
Silence befell the great shrine as Adam and the Marines scanned the area for the Elite, carefully regarding each pillar and swirl of leaves as they visually searched for the alien warrior.
“Aldurmaax would be ashamed to see you hiding like this” Captain Kuyaki taunted.
“ALDURMAAX WAS A COWARD! A WYRM WHO HAD NO SENSE OF HONOR OR COURAGE! HE WAS FELLED BY LESSER BEINGS, A SHAME THAT SHALL NOT BEFALL MY NAME!” N’por thundered, emerging once again as he tossed a plasma grenade from the far end of the shrine, the glowing ball arcing through the air and sticking the Marine Sergeant. A flash of blue fire killed the rest of the Marines, leaving only Adam to face N’por.
“Now it is as it should be. Here, at the edge of the world, you and I...we’ll have an ending to things” N’por declared, materializing once again. “Fight with honor, human, so that you may know at least that before you die.”
N’por leapt forward, striking at Adam, who rolled left and came up, firing at the Elite again. Buckshot streaked through the air, most of the pellets missing the Shipmaster and striking the far pillar. Adam racked the pump, N’por rolling forward in response, past Adam. As the Captain turned he saw the Shipmaster cock his sword arm back, swinging laterally at the human. Adam dove to the ground, the sword blade passing overhead. As he hit the ground Adam rolled onto his back, watching the plasma blade slice one of the stone pillars in half, the upper portion toppling over and landing with a mighty thud, the magical fire at its apex still burning.
Scrambling to his feet Adam watched N,por vault over the toppled pillar, carefully eyeing Adam. The Captain kept the shotgun leveled as the Elite regarded him, their fight once again slowing to a stalemate.
“You fight well, human. None of your usual tricks. Perhaps you do have honor, after all” N’por declared, looking the Captain up and down.
“Those tricks are what’s kept us alive all these years; they’re why humanity still fights, why we still have a chance against your onslaught” Adam replied, tensing. He could see the Kabato and RaptorTooth hovering far away, silently watching the battle.
“If you recognize our might would you not surrender? What drives you in the face of ensured defeat? Guaranteed destruction? Is it your stubborn will, or the blind drive of an animal?” N’por asked, raising his sword.
“If you were faced with extinction would YOU go quietly into the night, or would you fight to the last, and die knowing you stood with honor and courage?” Adam retorted.
N’por thrust the energy sword forward in a stab. Adam ducked to the right, but still did the blade slice at his arm, the edge slashing along his bicep. Adam’s grip on the shotgun’s forend weakened as his muscles were cut, but he still had his arm, and control of the weapon. The M90 thundered again, the buckshot shattering the Elite’s shields. N’por swung again, this time cutting the shotgun clean in half.
Drawing his M6D Adam dove right, behind a pillar. N’por growled, approaching. The Captain ducked out, firing. Three Semi-armor piercing rounds struck the alien armor, hitting like a mighty hammer but not piercing. N’por roared and swung upward, missing Adam and instead carving up the pillar, the stones turning to magma at the blade’s touch.
Five rounds left in the M6D’s magazine Captain Kuyaki ran, rushing to the other end of the shrine, N’por in hot pursuit. “COWARD! You run in fear, as all humans do!” the Shipmaster bellowed.
Turning, Adam fired two rounds, the bullets striking N’por’s armor again. Adam deduced the last shotgun blast had damaged the Elite’s shield generator, leaving him with only his armor. Confident in his new situation Adam watched N’por approach, the mighty warrior swiping diagonally at Adam; a difficult strike to dodge.
Adam ducked, the energy sword cutting through his officer’s hat and singing his hair. The tips of the blade struck the upper portion of a pillar, and Adam stood to run, passing N’por as he went. Turning to fire Adam saw N’por already facing him, about to strike, when the upper part of the weakened pillar toppled over, striking the Elite in the head, his helmet conquered by the sheer weight of the stones.
Falling to the ground N’por growled, shrugging the masonry off his body as he struggled to stand. Adam took the opportunity to reload, slapping home a fresh magazine into the M6D. N’por staggered to his feet, leveling his sword as he prepared to strike again. He eyed Adam, watching the human, who watched him back. His enemy, his opponent, the symbol of heresy and cowardice.
And struck.
“DIE NOW, HUMAN!” N’por thundered, stabbing forward with the energy sword. His balance still awry N’por stumbled from the mighty thrust, stepping forward awkwardly as Adam dodged. Finding his balance again N’por turned back to Adam, finding only the muzzle of his gun to greet his gaze.
“Yes, Princess Celestia. Equestria is free from the Covenant, and Aldurmaax’s reign has ended. The Griffons felled him, and I felled N’por personally.”
“I see. There is still much to do. The rebuilding process is to begin, and there is a matter of justice to be carried out.”
“Justice? For whom?”
“Twilight Sparkle. She attempted to...take my life, in retribution for what she felt were betrayals to Equestria’s peaceful ways. She lies in stone, awaiting the trial. I alone shall decide her fate, as the living victim. So is Equestrian law.”
“What?! Twilight did that? Unbelievable... What are you going to do with her?”
“What I must do, what I have to do... What I don't want to do...”
It was the perfect day in Equestria; the sun warm and welcoming, the sky cloudless, a lovely blue. It was peaceful, quiet.
Somber.
Gathered at the Great Stage at the end of Canterlot was a massive crowd, a stone pony set before the crowd at the front of the stage. It was here where justice was doled out in Canterlot, as it always had been. It was here where justice would once again be delivered.
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna stood at the back of the stage, Captain Adam Kuyaki next to them, Chancellor Steelbeak and Emperor Steel Hide in a booth at the very front of the crowd, observing Equestrian justice.
“This is it, isn’t it? This is where I will face my star student, and render unto her a great punishment? Tell me, sister, how can I face her? How can I do this?” Celestia asked. “I practically raised her. I taught her everything there is to know about magic. She was my pupil, and my friend. She was the Princess of Friendship, an embodiment of our peaceful ways.”
“And dragons once ruled the skies, and the Minotaurs once knew nothing about magic. Just because something is, does not mean it is meant to be” Luna commented.
Celestia nodded, and stepped forward, her sister accompanying her. The crowd watched silently, waiting. The Princesses stopped at the flanks of the entombed Twilight, looking at each other. Luna lowered her head, casting the spell. Twilight’s head and neck were freed from the stone, and she looked up at the Goddesses.
“What year is it?” Twilight asked.
“The same year it was when you were encased” Luna flatly said. “Twilight Sparkle, you stand guilty of the crime of attempted assassination on a Princess of Equestria, and a Goddess of the Cosmos; Celestia. By Equestrian law, you are given the chance to explain your actions, and the living victim shall deliver your punishment. Given your former position and status as a significant figure of Equestria you are also extended the privilege of speaking privately to your friends, but also shall your sentence assuredly be more severe.”
“I understand” Twilight replied, finding the floorboards at her hooves more interesting to look at as she searched for her words. Nothing she could say would excuse what she did, or lighten her sentence, but in a way she was glad for this. She did not want to hide from her just punishment. “I was wrong. I realize that now" Twilight started. "I thought that Princess Celestia had betrayed our peaceful ways, had turned her back on what our country stood for. But she didn’t. She saw a future only she could see, and remembered a past that only she could remember. She knew that Equestria would have to change, that we could still embrace peace, but would have to be prepared to fight for it. She knew we could stay true to our ways, but still have the means to defend ourselves from the unreasonable. I actually realized that before I...shot her...but it was too late... There’s nothing else to say, everypony. Know this, though; I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. If I could take it back, I would.”
“Take your time with your friends, and prepare yourself for your punishment” Princess Luna coldly said, turning away as Twilight’s closest friends came to speak with her. Spike, Cadance, and the other Element Bearers. Fluttershy and Pinkie sobbed uncontrollably, Rainbow Dash seethed, but masked it, understanding that this could very well be the last time they would speak. Rarity and Applejack chided her, but offered their forgiveness. Twilight could not accept it, but thanked them all the same.
Spike and Cadance merely cried and hugged her.
As the last of Twilight’s friends walked away Adam Kuyaki approached, crouching to one knee to level with Twilight. He smiled a smile of assurance, that she would be OK. It did nothing to soothe Twilight’s nerves; she was utterly terrified.
“T-Tell me, Adam; do you ever think about the future? Did you ever think you’d be where you are right now, seeing what you see now, knowing what you know now?” Twilight asked, her voice hitching. Twilight could have never dreamt this was to be her fate; a star pupil of Princess Celestia, a Princess of Friendship, and bearer of an Element of Harmony, now faced with the fate of stone. Guilty of a great sin.
“You know, I think, maybe, that I knew a lot of things that would be held for me in my future. Maybe I knew there was an alien alliance burning through our worlds when I signed up. Maybe I knew every ship had a 3 in 5 chance of being destroyed by the Covenant. Maybe I knew there was probably no chance of ever returning back home alive. Maybe I didn’t give a damn about all that... But I don’t think I ever knew I’d end up where I am now” Adam said.
“Me too... I will never forgive you for what you did to us. You killed my brother, you killed thousands of ponies... But you saved us. You saved us from the greatest enemy we’ve ever faced. I hate you. I actually, and thoroughly hate you. I’ve never hated anypony, or anyone, but you; for what you did to us. But I thank you for saving our species, our planet. I have one wish to ask of you before you go; erase all records of our world, and take no races of it with you to fight the Covenant. Leave us in peace, forever” Twilight requested.
“You have my word” Adam said, saluting as he turned away, silently standing to the side.
Finally, Princess Celestia approached. It was time. Twilight’s mentor and teacher lowered her head, touching her horn to Twilight’s. She quietly looked at the floor. “I forgive you, my Twilight, and I commend you for realizing the error of your ways. I commend you for standing for what you believed in, too, even if it lead you down the path it did. I have decided to keep you in stone, for the time of 5,000 years, but I will keep you in the royal library. Both as comfort, for it was your favorite place in the palace, and as a reminder of your deed... I forgive you, my student, but I am ashamed of you” Celestia said.
“I understand... OK, I’m ready. But, Princess... Will anypony else ever forgive me for what I did? Can I ever be forgiven?” Twilight asked, steeling herself for what was coming. 5,000 years of solitude, of silence, of stillness. She tried to find peace with it, tried to find a shining light in the coming slumber, but couldn’t. There was nothing redeeming about what was coming to her, it was just what it was. It was what she deserved.
Princess Celestia stepped back, her horn glowing. “Twilight Sparkle, for the crime of attempted assassination and murder on a ruling member of Equestria, I condemn you to 5,000 years in stone. May you find peace in the sun’s embrace.” Celestia’s horn released its spell, the stone once again encasing Twilight. It spread up her neck, slowly wrapping around her head. Her heart quickened, a mild panic setting in as her vision darkened, her mind desperate to savor the last moment of vision.
“Sins never die, Twilight” Celestia said, answering Twilight’s question. Those words the last she heard, the peaceful sky the last she saw.
And darkness took her.
Adam Kuyaki stood on the airship dock in Canterlot, a Pelican’s engines whining next to him, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Chancellor Steelbeak before him. The sun was setting on Equestria once more; the last Equestrian sunset Adam would see.
“Twilight has been moved to the castle library. She will remain there for the duration of her sentence. My sister and I have taken the mantle of the Elements. We alone shall bear them, and distribute their power when needed, solely. It pained me to see her in stone, the most severe punishment we administer, but it had to be done. Our civil war has ended, as well. With Aldurmaax and N'por dead, there were no symbols to rally around, and with the primary war over those who stood against their own now have no reason to do so” Celestia said. “This is goodbye now, human. Leave us now, and never return. You saved us, but you ruined us. The lasting effects of your flash-bombs will plague us for a millennium, and have no doubt poisoned future generations. But, you saved us from the most horrible enemy we’ve ever known, and for that you have my thanks.”
“The dragons have pledged their allegiance to the Griffons, and a new High Lord appointed; Vinturak. Their whole species swears fealty to the Griffon Republic, and by proxy the Equestrian and Minotaur Empires. Our alliance is one that shall forge a new era of peace and prosperity for our countries and world, and thanks to your contributions, as well as our shared knowledge, we have woven a mighty barrier with which to shield ourselves from future conflict. Out of respect for Princess Celestia, and our new alliance, I must, however, agree that you are barred from ever returning to our world, and your species as well. You are to never speak of us, to never see us” Chancellor Steelbeak declared.
“I understand fully” Adam replied.
“When you arrived at our door, we could never have dreamt of the events that would transpire in the weeks to come. The expansion, the aggression, the war. N’por and the Covenant, Aldurmaax and the dragons turning on us. Truly, this marks a new age. However, it is all not sullied by the tragedies and hardship we endured. Peace reigns once again, and a new alliance, a better understanding of the other races, ensures that the events that catalysed our war with each other shall never come to pass. I curse you, human, but thank you” Princess Luna stated.
“And now you must go. All your hands are accounted for, your vessel is ship-shape, and nothing more binds you to this earth. Leave us now, and never return” Celestia commanded, Adam bowing in response. He boarded the Pelican wordlessly, eyeing the natives as they stood on the dock, watching him. His eyes savored their sight, regaled in their otherwordly elegance.
The hatch closed, the last glimpse of flowing mane and golden fur now but a memory.
Princess Celestia stood in the tomb of De'mah 'Tokam, the silent chamber illuminated softly by the glow of the great mural hall, and stared at De'mah's tomb. The Sangheili's sarcophagus nondescript, the only sound that of Celestia's own breathing.
"I beat you. You lost. So close again was your kind to erasing our species, our world. Dragons fought at your side once more, but a powerful ally crushed them, and together we forged a mighty alliance with the other great races of this earth. Your revenge shall never come to fruition, De'mah. I shan't allow it. Dragons swear fealty to our allies, and again did one of your kind fall in single combat against what you would have no doubt christened a lesser being. The sins that marred my past are atoned, and there are no more lies. I won, and you lost" Celestia quietly said to the tomb.
"If you'd never found us, never fought us...what could have been? If I did not know of your kind as I did after fighting you, would I have allied with N'por 'Tumai, and doomed our world to extinction? Or slavery?" Celestia wondered. "I despise you, but fighting you taught me a valuable lesson, one that saved us from your kind and their Covenant when they returned again."
Princess Celestia turned away from the tomb, sealing the door behind her. The energy sword imprint on the door, that once shined red, glowed white today, the brilliant light dancing across the mural hall, the walls again depicting Equestrian history as cast from Celestia's mind. Celestia stared at the glowing door, curious of the color change, before writing it off and ascending the steps out of the tomb.
"I won, and you lost" Princess Celestia remarked once again, this time with a smirk.
One whole system away from Equestria the UNSC Kabato sat in dry dock, attached to a repair and refit vessel, two destroyers and a Halcyon-class cruiser accompanying the repair and refit vessel. Adam had erased all mention of Equestria from the computer’s logs, wiped the navigational data pointing to it, and erased its existence from Excalibur’s data banks. To humanity, it exists now only as a memory of the crew and Marines who witnessed it.
The ONI spooks had not been pleased; they had blustered and threatened court-martials for the entirety of the ship’s hands, but Adam knew their words were hollow. The UNSC couldn’t afford court-martials, particularly when the war was looking so dire. Adam seethed, however, knowing his mission was a failure. He had done so much, sacrificed so many lives, for nothing. No gain. He had sent thousands to their graves, holding out just to see the war end so he could bring the worthy species back to UNSC space. All of it had been a waste; the many diplomatic talks, the war with Equestria. The war with the Covenant and dragons, the Equestrian civil war. Hundreds of thousands dead, a whole world sundered, several species irrevocably scarred, a destiny tampered with by outside meddling... All of it for naught. If the Covenant had never shown up, if Adam had never told the Princesses of the true nature of his presence...
It was no matter. What was done was done, and all there was left to do was fill out the mountains of after-operation reports and miscellaneous paperwork that came after such a mission. All of it would be lies, of course. As much as the total failure pained and angered Adam, he had made a promise, and he was a man of his word.
The ONI spooks had left long ago, the Kabato’s refitting was coming along nicely, and all hands relaxed quietly in their bunks or the common rooms. Adam stood in his private quarters, silently looking at his pictures of Equestria, the books about Equestrian history and culture hidden away in his footlocker, waiting to be read. Forever more would Adam Kuyaki think about Equestria, and what could have been.
For now there was a war to finish, a species, HIS species, to be defended, and a galaxy to be saved. Perhaps, many a year from now, Adam would return to Equestrian space, silently watch from above, and wish those he knew upon the planet a future of peace and tranquility.