The 101st drop into Normanedy to experience one of the gruesome moment in the war. Join Sgt. Baker and his squad as they fight through combat that will forever define them as brother-in-arms.
After the hellish drop into Normanedy on D-Day, Staff Sergeant Frost Baker and his squad of paraponies has been given one task: follow the mission and stay alive. But Baker has set himself a task: keep everyone alive and bring them home. Sometime, things didn`t go out the way Baker wanted it to be. Men will die under his command as he learn what it like to be a leader in a time of crisis. Join Baker and his squad in a true-to-life experience as they fought through eight harrowing days and the horror of war that will define history. And forever fought as brothers-in-arms.
Baker-"My dad said something to me after the divorce. He said every soldier has two families. Those you raise, and those you raise hell with. I've spent eight days here. Eight days commanding a squad I wasn't ready to lead. Eight days watching my men, my family, kill and be killed. Eight days wishing it would stop."
Raindrops splashes on Baker face as he regain consciousness after he got hit by a mortar round. As far as he concerned, he`s lying in a ditch but doesn`t know where exactly.
He started slowly gaining momentum and began to get back on his hooves when he heard gunfire all around him.
Then a stallion wearing a specs ran over to where Baker is and shouted, "Baker! Baker are you okay?"
Before Baker has time to answer, another stallion, Mac, who is Baker`s platoon leader, answered for Baker, "He`s fine. Just get him up!"
As soon as the stallion helped Baker up to his feet, someone yelled, "INCOMING!" and mortars rounds exploded all around them.
Baker and the stallion with the specs dashes forward to avoid getting hit and took cover behind a raised up trench.
Out in the field in front of them, are Germane Infantry shooting at them and taking covered behind hedgerows.
"Shit!" Mac cried out as he returned fire and yelled out at the stallion next to Baker, "I need you to call in some support now!"
The stallion nodded then set down hit SCR-563 radio on the ground and speak into the mouthpiece, "Fox six, can you hear me? Can you fucking hear me? Fox six this is Fox three. Answer me, dammit."
After hearing static, the stallion turned to Mac, " Sarge, I can`t get anyone!"
Mac cried back when he took cover, "Keep trying! We need armor now."
The stallion tried again by talking into the radio, "Hello? Hello? Shit! Is anyone there? I need armor support now. I mean right now!"
An explosion erupted behind them, sending most of them to the ground.
After Baker regained on his feet, he heard Mac yelling at his teammates, "Keep shooting. Keep shooting! No one breaks through. We're not gonna live long enough to run out of ammo so keep up the fire!"
Down the trench, a stallion screamed as he took a hit in the chest and fell to the ground, his buddy next to him noticed and try to get him up,
"York! York! Get up man. Get up."
"He`s dead! Keep firing!" another stallion yelled, ducking behind cover to reload.
The stallion with a specs went down the trench to help the stallion that got hit. He reaches him and began to cover up the wound with his hooves to keep the blood in.
"Come on man, don't die. Hang in there." said the stallion as his search around his musette bag for some bandages.
Mac run over to where the stallion is, grabbed his shoulder and shouted at him, "Where is that goddamn armor! You should be radioing for help!"
The stallion cried back, " He`s gonna die! He`s need help!"
Mac only shook his help and replied, "We`re all gonna die if you don`t get on that fucking radio!"
Then, an explosion happen, killing a couple of ponies next to the stallion with a spec.
"Ahhh! Dammit! Fucking kraut bastards!" he screamed, jumping up to fire his M-1 at the mass of advancing Germane soldiers.
As soon as he said this, Mark IV Panzer tank appeared in front of them, firing but also spreading fear to those in the ditch. The chances for them for hold off this counterattack is very slim and they are in grave danger.
""Oh shit, they got tanks! We got to get the hell out of here!" said one of the paratroopers as soon as he saw the tanks and was beginning to retreat but was stop but Mac who said to him, "We're not falling back! Keep firing! Don't stop firing!"
One of the tank got in as close to them and stopped right in front of them about a couple feet away, it main gun raising to get a better shot at them.
Mac saw this and scream, " Get down, this is gonna be bad!" and dove to the ground.
Unfortunately, Baker did not hear the warning in time because as soon as he got up to fire, the tank fire first and it shell exploded dangerously too close to him, sending him backward to the ground. Baker felt his whole body is on fire as he was peppered with shrapnel. As the smoke clear from the explosion, the next thing Baker saw as he look to his right is the stallion with the specs looking at him, his eyes filled with fury and hate.
Thinking that Baker is killed by the tank, the stallion took out a Colt .45, jumped on top of the ditch face first toward the tank and began to fire at it, screaming, "You want me? Fucking take me. TAKE ME!"
He raised his arm high in the air as to offer himself as the target to the tank.
The tank didn`t hesitate.
It fire in front of the stallion, sending him back to the ground next to Baker, but unlike Baker, the stallion is dead. His bloody face and his intestine spewing out from his stomach is enough for Baker to turn back to the gray sky.
"Baker!" Mac appeared on top of him, unconcerned that Baker has been hit.
Darkness began to set in around Baker as Mac said it again one final time, "Baker?"
Clouds departs in the sky, showing a C-47 transport plane flying high all by itself. Soon, as it climb out of the embankment, other transport planes appeared on either side of it. All of them are flying close together as it getting ready to drop paraponies behind enemy line as part of Operation Overload, an recognition for D-Day. Half of those planes carry paraponies from the 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. In plane Number 17, laying on either side of the belly of the plane is thirteen paraponies waiting for the signal to stand up and prepare to jump. Most of them are dozing off after taking those anti-airsickness pills that were given to them before.
Baker- I never asked to be squad leader, but I had no choice. Now I've got thirteen soldiers under my command. Thirteen men depending on me to make the right decisions and not get them killed. Thirteen families relying on me to bring their husbands and sons home. Thirteen. Thirteen is not a lucky number.
Waking up from his sleep while sitting on the plane seat is Sergeant Frost Baker of 3rd squad, F Company, 502nd Inf. His face is smeared with paint as did all the other paraponies did for this night drop. Baker look at his squad that are sitting on either side of him. Way before any of this ever started, their home country, Equestria, had discovered a type of technology which will allow them to have an easy lives and economy. But when they show this to the whole world, they did the same but it turn into violent and one of those nation, Germaney, allies themselves with the Changelings and causes a massive world war; in the 40’s style. Equestria was then involved after a surprise attack at Canterlot and use a powerful spell that wipe out all magic, just to play fair in this war. Equestria then jumpstarted their military to become the strongest in the war. One of those time, they decided to perform an experiment on a military unit that will jump behind enemy line, capture vital locations, sabotage and the most favorite part, and raise hell on the enemy. Thus, the airborne was born. This is an all-volunteer unit and was now consider the best of the best. Baker and his men are one of them but Baker likes to think more about his squad: They are young but are capable to fight as paraponies and are discipline, hard-working young ponies that are willing to fight for his country. They came from all over the kingdom, being from rural Appleloosa to urban and crowded Manehatten.
Baker is the only one from his squad that came from the village of Ponyville. He has heard of the magic of friendship that was going around in town but he didn`t take noticed of it, since he very soft-spoken to people and doesn`t hang around with ponies that much. Baker came from a family where one member comes and goes. His father is in the Royal Equestrian Military and Frost never get to see him that much because his dad been traveling around so much. His mother, on the other-hand, came from a wealthy family and military life did not suite her. After much argument about Frost`s future, his parent divorced when Frost was only eight years old. Kinda sucks for him when his family about him or anywhere else. After hearing that his father died at Pearl Harbor, Frost immediately join the army and volunteered to become a parapony. But one thing that he didn`t expected to fight is to lead a squad that he was totally unprepared for.
Across the aisle from where Baker is sitting is Corporal Lionheart looking Baker and he said to him, "Glad you could wake up Frost. We were about to jump without you!"
Corporal "Red" Lionheart is Baker close friend and has meet him during jump training. Before the war, Lionheart worked at a father`s ranch in Appleloosa. As a youth, he was wild and rebellious and gained a large scar during a bar fight with what he describes as "an angry lumberjack". When he join the army, he married a mare named, Erma, and they were going to have a child when he was at basic training. When he join 3rd squad, everyone give him a nickname, "Red", because of his red coat and mane. Mainly for Red, he wanted to get this war over with so he can go home and see his family again.
Next to Lionheart, Corporal Corrion threw up his breakfast on the floor and moan gruffly as the pills screwed up somehow.
"Goddamn it, Sam! Haven`t you been taking that pills lately?" Lionheart exclaimed as Corrion wiped his mouth with his combat sleeve.
"What do you think?" says Corrion, looking at Lionheart, "The damn thing didn`t work after all. Should`ve eat those D-ration instead."
Corporal "Sam" Corrion is one of the oldest member in 3rd squad. Back in basic training, he and Baker were Corporal together until their original squad later broke a leg during jump practice, thus making Baker promoted to Sergeant which he is now. Before the war, Corrion was a tough textile worker living in a rural town outside of Vanhoover. Corrion was fluent to both Equestrian and Germane small arms and could easily tell between what right and what wrong.
Across from Corrion is Private Moonshadow Meadow who tossed him a pills as he explain to Corrion, "Well, maybe you should stock up as much as you can. Like I did."
Private Moonshadow Meadow is by far, in the squad opinion, the most annoying person there was in the army. Coming from Fillydelphia, Meadow irritates the majority of the squad with his somewhat arrogant attitude and talkative manner. When the war started, he was desperate to join so he lied about his age and join the paraponies. He joined 3rd squad and became good friends to everyone.
Corrion catches the pill and his made a remark to Meadow, "You know, sometime I wish we could use you and your annoying manner and use to against the Germane. They will sure as hell run away from you."
Sitting on the other side of Corrion is Private Arrow laughing at what Corrion said to Meadow. "Hell, that was a good one." Arrow giggled, which make Meadow frustrated.
Across from Arrow is Private Dare, who happened to agree with Arrow about the remark. "It sure was." Dare nodded.
Private Wild Arrow and Private Nickel Dare were in fact, like brothers. Both coming from a rural area, Arrow and Dare wanted to see some action so they both joined the army after finishing high school without being drafted. They first met each other in boot camp and created an unbreakable friendship, thank to you know who, and they rarely been seen apart. In quite amazing who they ended up in a same squad and are going to fight together. They always had a shy and sarcastic remark for every situation and seem to pride themselves on that fact.
Sitting next to Dare is PFC Stanzan, who shook his head at the two idiot, "Could you guys ever stop?"
Private First Class Rune Stanzan is 3rd squad radio operator, since that he have to carry around a large radio on his back. Stanzan came from the Crystal Empire and often read poems that his father read to him when he was a child.
His dad often read him his favorite poem, “I understand the large hearts of heroes, the courage of present times... It amazes me that something so beautiful could be a part of something so ugly."
At the age of 21, he join the army and was qualified to become a radio operator in the 101st Airborne. While in service, Stanzan was fond of quoting obscure poetry and felt that all stories should have happy endings; he began to realize however, that in war, the story often ends differently. But there are two person that Stanzan really dislike, and that Arrow and Dare are their stupid humor. They still going to dislike each other, even if they have to fight alongside if they want to see Equestria again.
The plane rocked, sending Stanzan`s spec flying out if his face and into Corrion pool of vomit, which ignited a roar of laughter from Arrow and Dare.
Feeling embarrass, Stanzan reaches down to the floor, picked up his spec and began wiping it off on his sleeve before putting it back in place on his face.
Sitting next to Dare is PFC Silverjay, who is also laughing at Stanzan`s embarrassment, "Man, Kevin, do you need some duct tape to stick your thing on your face? Cause I got plenty of them!"
Private First Class "Zano" Silverjay is the oldest living soldier in 3rd squad and the lucky one. Silverjay came from a Czech family and ran away from home at the age of sixteen to join the French Foreign Legion. Having fought the Nazis for a year, he was evacuated with the rest of the unit at Dunkirk to Equestria. After he was told to get out of the army, he wanted to continue his fight so he join the Equestrian Army and eventually became part of the 101st Airborne.
After Silverjay made his suggestion, Stanzan just look at him and ignore him. Why everyone is being so mean to him? Everyone except Baker, of course, which he trusted him the most to keep him alive.
Sitting next to Silverjay is Private Blithe who is busying checking and re-checking his reserve chute and making sure the pin that will pull the chute canopy cover open is still in place.
Finding it highly annoying while watching Blithe fiddling around with his reserve across the aisle from him, PFC Bristle thought how long he has to be in the plane with this asshole. He hoped that once they get into a firefight, he`ll use Blithe as a target to make sure his rifle is not on safety, just to be on the safe side.
Private Michael Blithe also came Fillydelpia and has three passion in his life: fighting the Germanes, playing baseball, and Italian food. When he join the war, he became close friend with Lionheart in training, sharing stories of bar fights. Blithe spent his 20th birthday on a boat in the middle of the ocean, and was known to be complacent even in the face of death. The only thing he ever wanted to is to get out of the army and hoped that someday he will take his family`s Italian restaurant from his father.
Private First Class Steel Bristle is another one of those soldiers who came from Nazi occupied territories. Bristle came from a long way from Poland just to fight the Nazi. Once they get out of action in France, he hoped he will see his parent again, is they survive the Nazi`s occupation. Since they both almost came from the same place, Bristle and Silverjay became good friends and often talk about fudge cakes and other foreign foods, as long if it European, and tell each other their future if they want to stay another day in Europe.
Sitting next to Bristle is Private Course, staring down at a black-and-white photo of a young colt wearing a baseball hat and seem to be smiling.
Private Black Course is one of those people who seem to be interested of playing sports more than fighting a war. Course came from the city of Baltimare and enjoys playing baseball in his free time. He even told everyone that someday he would be a professional baseball player - the catcher for the Baltimare Red Colt.
"In your dreams." some of them will says but the hot-headed Course would keep his mouth shut after he learned that Baker used to played baseball so he went from there.
Sitting next to Course is Private Rivas, sketching and drawing out a plane on his sketchbook. Course notice this and said to him, "Hell, Rivas, you could be carrying pencils more than ammunition. I mean, who does that?"
Private Rivas came from Dodge Junction and art is his favorite things to do. He was always seen by his comrades holding his sketchbook and pencil; he drew whatever was around him. Rivas said many times that he'd jump with more pencils than ammo so he would always remember what he saw around him. Art was his passion, and he had an extraordinary talent for drawing. He said that once they get into combat and finishes a firefight, he will draw all the memorable experience as he fight together with his friends.
After drawing out a wing for the plane, Rivas look up at Course and replied with a smile, "Artist, obviously."
Sitting next to Rivas and hating to be the last one to jump out of the plane is Private Darkly Mustang. No one knows what Mustang actually do in life or where he came from. Let just say that he join because he wanted to serve His Majesty and his country so he could go home and rest in peace. For once in everyone account, Mustang got the Princesses pissed off after he tried to blow up their castle back at Canterlot. Surely no one knows this is what Mustang actually do or lives. Though he is a good friend of Meadow.
Back to the front of the plane, Baker stared out of the opening of the plane when, across from him, is a voice, "Careful, Frost, you don`t want to be close to the door or you`ll fall out! You father won`t be happy with you once you hit the ground and die early once the fight started."
Baker turn to see who said it. He smiled as soon as he found out that voice came from Baker`s platoon sergeant, Mac. Platoon Sergeant "Mac" Boundmask is the longtime family friend for Baker family.
Having served in the army before the war, Mac has been a friend to Baker father when they were together at basic training. He is dedicated, committed and an expert with all infantry weapons and a superb 'lead by example' Platoon sergeant. Mac will not let his men in his platoon down. He is very proud to be a paratrooper and the 101st and his 3rd platoon. When Mac was a rifle and machine gun man instructor at the infantry school and he and Colonel Baker were instructors of infantry tactics. Baker's father saved Mac's life in a demolitions training exercise at Fort Luna. As a result, Mac respects Baker's father and looks at Frost as a leader with potential and to carry on in his father's footsteps. Now, it Mac job to make sure Frost will carry out his father wishes.
Further yet, Mac is not part of 3rd squad.
As you can see, there are twelve ponies, plus Baker which make it thirteen, in the squad, commonly known as "Baker's Dozen" by the men. There are three team that make up 3rd squad; Assault Team, Fire Team and Scout Team.
The Assault team has Course, Stanzan, Blithe, Meadow and Meadow, led by Corrion. Their mission is to flank the enemy and suppress [if necessary] to continue on to their objectives.
The Fire Team consisted a tasks of keeping the enemy down while suppressing them while the Assault Team is flanking them and they also has to make sure that the enemy's fire to becoming less accurate and frequent. The job is laid down to Wildarrow, Silverjay, Dare and Bristle as they were being led by Lionheart.
The Scout Team is the team that normally just scout out the enemy positions and gather information of their whereabouts. This is being performed by Rivas and Mustang.
The most important things that the squad need to have and to know is their determination and training. Especially for training. While in basic training back in Equestria, Baker teaches his squad on basic maneuvers and a military tactic called the Four F's. Find, Fix, Flank and Finish.
Find: You locate the enemy.
Fix: you get into positions and harass them with fix field of fire.
Flank: once the enemy is pinned down, you carefully go to their side where they will most likely expose themselves to you.
Finish: you kill them all by shooting at their expose positions.
Whenever they get into a tough firefight, Baker and his man will use the Four F's and take out the enemy much faster so they can get to their objectives much faster.
With all that done, it time to go back to the plane scenario.
After many sarcastic remarks among the men and some prep talks, they all fell silence and begin to think what will happen to them and their comrades-in-arms once they get into combat.
After a moment of silence, a red light on the side of the door flicker on, signaling them to prepare for the jump.
As soon as Baker had time to notice the light, Mac is the first one to stand up and begin to give everyone on the plane the preparatory commands, "Stand up!"
Everyone got up from their seat and begin single first while facing the door. Baker stand on next to the door so he could see what going on outside of his plane.
Mac shouted the next command, "Hook up!"
Grabbing hold of their parachute clip that attaches to that back of their parachute canopy, they clip it to the static line that run down the ceiling of the plane toward the door that way when they jump out, the cord that attracted to their parachute will yank the canopy off and the parachute will deploy. If that failed, they will the pin that attaches to their reserve chute. If that failed, God knows what will happen to that unlucky bastard.
"Check your equipment!"
Each soldier check his own equipment's to make sure everything is in place.
After every soldiers check their equipment's, Mac shouted out the final order, “Remember! This squad sticks together! Once you hit the ground, find Baker! Sound off!"
The last man in the plane will shout out "Number Fourteen OK!"
When they got to number nine, their plane was hit by shells as it tore through and make holes on the side of their plane, it also disable one of the plane engines which burst into flames.
But the shell also sent in jagged pieces of shrapnel into their plane. One of the pieces hit Corrion in the shoulder, sending him to the ground.
"Corrion hit!" Lionheart shouted as soon as Corrion hit the floor.
Right when he said this, it seem like the whole world erupted with shells and bullets as the Germanes on the ground is shooting everything they have at the armada.
"Let get the hell out of here!" Dare yelled, urging forward of wanting to get out of the plane if they get shot down with them in it.
"We gotta jump Sarge!" Wildarrow shouted when they could hear bullets ripping through the metal of their plane.
"We wait for the green light!" Mac said as they were struggling to get back on their hooves.
Wildarrow snapped back with excitement, "We wait any longer, there won't be a fucking green light!"
Meanwhile, Baker stand so close to the opening of the door that Mac notices this and shout at him, "Baker! Stand in the door! "
As he was backing up into the plane, Baker looks out and sees tracer bullets hitting other C-47s and paraponies dropping from them.
Baker- I never asked to be squad leader.
When he step back into the plane, another shell hit the plane wing.
Baker fell out of the plane and his parachute opens, feeling the jerk from it and Baker happen to see that his musettes bag that contained all of his weapons break free from his leg and fall toward the ground. There goes his stuffs. After what seems like a very long time flying in the air, Baker looks down and realized he is going to land so prepare for impact! But then, his parachute was caught on a tree which allows Baker to land on the branches. Then, the parachute tore free of the tree and Baker fell to the ground back-first.
After he recovered from the fall, he got up, took off his parachute and begin to check if he have everything with him, except for his weapons. Now he unarmed. The next thing Baker need to do is to find his squad. Learning for the proper way to gather up a squad in fast time in a time like this in training, Baker look up the sky to see where the C-47s is going. They are heading north so that mean that if Baker is the first man out, he has to go the direction of the C-47s to find his squad.
After where he need to go, Baker found a cobblestone path and begin to take its course northward.
After a few minutes of walking, he found a farmhouse. He cautiously walks up to it without thinking about his safety when, out of nowhere, a figure appeared next to the house.
Baker froze and eyed the figure. The figure saw him and, before Baker had time to run, exclaimed, "Baker!" Baker looked at the figure and realized it was Mac.
Mac walk over to him and was happy to see Baker alive, even after he fell out of the plane. Mac said to him, "What the hell happened to your gear?"
"It fell off me when I fell out." Baker replied.
Mac shook his head, "Well shit... here take my .45 and shoot anything that is wearing greys." He handed Baker his pistol and Baker took it.
Baker couldn't remember the last time he hold a pistol like this, since he don't have one right now.
"Come on, we got to move." said Mac and he led Baker to the side of the house to the opening of the wall.
"Shh!" Mac put his hoof to his lip as to tell Baker to keep quiet when on the other side of the wall is two Germane soldiers checking a dead parapony that is hanging from a tree.
"Ich glaube, um den brauchen wir uns keine Sorgen mehr zu machen." said one Germane soldier after they checked the body.
"Ich glaube, um den brauchen wir uns keine Sorgen mehr zu machen?" said another, unconcern about the dropping that is happening all around them.
When they about to walk away, Mac shouted, "Now!" He and Baker lit up their gun at the two surprised Germanes and kill them both.
After they`re dead, Mac and Baker walk up to the dead parapony.
"There a couple of houses here," says Mac, taking out a map that has the whole area that they are in, "I`m trying to figure out where the hell we are."
While Mac is looking at the map, Baker first at the dead Germanes soldiers sprawling across the ground then at the dead parapony.
After looking at his map for a few times, Mac look around him then finally said to Baker, "I don't where the hell we are, but I`m sure as shit don't want to stay here with all these krauts about." He put his map away and said to Baker, "Let's move Baker."
Mac led Baker out of the courtyard to the side of the house when there was a paved road that runs parallel of the house front yard.
Hiding behind an abandoned wagon, Mac order Baker to cover him so he could cross the road to the other side. When Mac crosses it and got behind an old water fountain, a new voice called out, "Flash!"
Mac looked at Baker behind him to see if he said it, but Baker only shrugged.
Mac had no choice but to reply with a countersign, "Thunder! Who's there?"
Behind another abandoned wagon, an arm was raised in the air and waved them over. Mac and Baker walks into a front of the house when Stanzan came into view and greeted them with happiness, "Oh shit! Mac and Baker! I thought I was lost!"
"Quiet!" said another voice, which belong to Colonel Dale Sole, commander of the 502nd. He stand up and look at Stanzan in a whisper, "Keep your voice down or the whole goddamn Germane army will show up. They'll be plenty of time to reminisce later."
"Anypony know where we are?" Mac asked.
"No idea." said Stanzan.
"I`ll find out." says Sole and he walks up to the door of the house and knock on it. Moment later, they all could hear muffled voices and the sound of running inside the house.
“Hello. Je suis American." Sole said in french, after the sound of running stopped.
Moment later, a mare voice called out from inside of the house, "S'il vous plaît, laissez-nous en paix." (Please leave us in peace.)
"AMERICANS. What town is this?" said Sole, frustrated.
"S'il vous plaît, partez d'ici."(Please, leave.)
Sole acted like he'd given up then turn to the three soldiers standing behind him, “Any of y'all know French? I can't understand a goddamn word she's jabbering."
Stanzan raised his hoof as he peeped out, "I speak a bit, sir."
"Then get your ass over here, son."
Stanzan walks up to the door standing next to Sole and called out at the house, "Pouvez-vous nous dire où nous sommes?”(Can you tell us where we are?)
This time, instead of cooperating with Sole, the mare seem relaxed and speak confidently to Stanzan, "Juste au nord-est de Sainte Mère Eglise."(Just northeast of St. Mère Eglise.)
Stanzan translate this to Sole, "She says we're just northeast of St. Mere Eglise. "
"Dammit. Well, we're headed in the wrong direction. I'm going to see if I can gather some more guys. Y'all head that way through the gate and link up with anyone else you find as you head east. Stay alive. That's an order." Sole said to the three stallions and gallop down toward the road and disappeared.
Baker- You really start to notice the quirks a person has when you think he might be dead in a week. I remember the first time I saw Stanzan. It was in the breakfast tent. He was cutting a hardboiled egg into small pieces with a knife...like ham. It occurred to me at this point I had never in my twenty-three years of existence seen a man cut an egg into slices like that. I don't know why I remember that.
Minutes after Sole left, Mac, Baker and Stanzan are standing outside the gate of the French Woman's house to go do the mission Sole has set upon them before he left to gather up some reinforcement.
Mac said to Baker and Stanzan in almost in a hushed tone, "There's an AA gun over there, we have to take it out.” He pointed over behind a hedgerow where the flashes are on the other side of the gate.
Mac then buck the door down, it breaking its hinges. The bucking didn't sound so much when something really did break and make a loud crack.
"Are you going to pay for that?" said Stanzan as he look at the gate then at Mac in a worried look, "You just broke her damn gate!"
Mac look at Stanzan in disgust and make a remark, "Stanzan, shove a sock in it.”
Stanzan look at Baker for support but Baker didn't say anything. He was smiling that the old Mac came back even after the time with his father. Surely Stanzan is overseeing his way of thinking about the locals and their property but hey, it war. Isn't it?
After Mac went through, Baker and Stanzan follow him until they reaches the base of the hedgerow. On the other side in the distance, they could see a C-47 plane in flames and a couple of Germane soldiers savagery it.
"Should we just bypass them?" said Stanzan.
"No," says Mac, not wanting to hear another one of Stanzan concern about everything, "If the AA guns is that-away, then we should go right through them." He turn to the two soldiers and smiled, "And I have a perfect plan for it."
"Oh great, here comes another one of Mac`s brilliant plan that will get us all kill." Stanzan said after Mac made is suggestion'
Mac hissed at him, "Stanzan, shut the fuck up and go die in the hole. You`re lucky you`re with me and not walking around in some rat shit with the whole Germane Army coming down on your ass. And I have the higher ranking than you. Listen to what I says and follow it, got it?"
"Yes sir." Stanzan nodded.
Mac sighed then continue, "Okay, here the plan. You boys will provide some suppressing fire and drive them to cover while I`ll flank them and hit them in their rear. There only a couple of them in the area so we got to make this quick. Don`t fire till I do, alright?"
They nodded. Mac pointed at a stonewall where they should take cover behind. After they`re in position, Mac raised his Thompson at one of the Germanes who is walking along the fence and squeeze the trigger gently. The short burst hit the Germane in the chest and knocked him down, but it also alerted his buddies who is next to so they took refuge behind another stonewall and begin to fight back.
Mac dashed forward and took cover behind a haystack. When he reaches there, he was taking fire from the Germanes behind the wall so he yelled at Baker and Stanzan, "I need fire on those Krauts!"
Baker and Stanzan complied back firing whatever they had at the Germanes so Mac could get in closer to take them out. Mac noticed the firing has creased and begin to take his chance to knock out the bastards. He went and flank their rear, first coming up on their side and unleash a barrage of bullets onto them, killing them all.
After the area cleared, Mac waved them over to regroup when they stopped and gaze at the burning C-47.
"Poor bastards." Stanzan gasped as he was looking at the burning plane, “We should help them. Maybe there are still some alive! What do we do?"
Mac finally said something after a moment of silence, "There's nothing we can do"
"But Sarge-" Stanzan was beginning to says but Mac interrupted in an angry voice, "Keep moving Stanzan!" and walked away, leaving Baker and Stanzan behind with the burning plane.
Stanzan continue to look at the plane with a sad face and mumbled, "They shouldn't have died like that."
Baker grabbed Stanzan in the shoulder and said to him, "Stanzan let's go. There nothing we can do to save them."
Tears welled up in Stanzan eyes but he closed them and shook them away. He opened them and look at Baker and nodded at him then they both went after Mac who is crossing a ditch toward the sound of the AA guns. They reaches him as happen to came across a farmhouse when suddenly, a truck came by and five Germanes soldiers climb out and was about to go around the back of the house when one of them saw the three parapoines slowly approaching them. Before he could shout a warning to his friends, the three paraponies quickly cut them all down with a deadly force of fire then everything went silence again. They went up when they spotted an AA gun resting in place behind a piled of sandbags next to the house. There already Germanes soldiers operating the gun while they fired at incoming C-47s overhead.
The three paraponies positioned themselves behind boxes of crates that allowed them to hit the gun in the rear and wiped out the Germanes that is operating it.
"What should we do now Mac?" Baker asked when they got into position.
They could hit them head-on but that will take too much time and it would called out a meat-sack for other Germanes units in the area to come and kill them before they could even get to the gun.
"Same as before," said Mac as he look at Baker in the eyes, "Just don't fire till I do. We`ll wait till they have to reload then we`ll attack them."
Moments passed by and the damn thing is still firing, the three paraponies grew restless as the gun continue to fire at the C-47s overhead.
After waiting for so long, it finally stopped firing and needed to reload, which makes it gunners slurring around passing ammo belts into the gun.
Even after the gun stopped firing, Stanzan shouted out into the air, "Finally!" which froze everyone in the area, even Mac and Baker who shut Stanzan up before he could say anything else. Too late. The Germanes were completely off guards at first then went to cover and fire at them.
"You fuck!" Mac at Stanzan then yelled out, "Cover me! I'm flanking them." After repeating the same tactic as before, they managed to take out the gunners and set charges on the gun.
The gun exploded so loud, two Germanes soldiers went out from the farmhouse to investigate when they saw them and another firefight ensured.
After clearing them out, the paraponies went around the house and spotted the second AA gun, firing from a field.
They attempted to make another sneak attack on the gun but, before they could get close to hit, they were taking fire from behind courtyard.
"Hit the dirt!" Mac quickly yelled after the first bullet went by and dove for the ground.
The other did the same and took cover behind a hedgerow with Stanzan yelling, "I think they saw us."
"Well no shit!" Mac yelled back and fired back with no effect. He turn to Baker, "Baker, get around them. We have to get a flank on them!"
"Alright" Back shouted and carefully dodge between cover until he reaches the side of the Germanes position. He put some fire into it and toss a grenade that eventually wiped out the Germanes. When Mac and Stanzan moved up, they went over to the second gun and killed all the Germanes that were manning the gun.
They approached the gun and Mac ordered Baker to disable the gun. Baker did so and the gun blew up like a big ass firecracker, only if it worse.
The second gun is now destroyed and the C-47s have no problem flying over without the risks of being shots down. But what now?
Mac answer it when he regroup his men and said to them, "We can't stop to rest now. The 4th Infantry Division is coming up through Utah Beach, and there are Germanes all over that area. Let's move."
And off they went to fight out another battle in the night while the whole operation in now underway for the big show.
Baker-In the plane, just before we jumped, I finally came to the conclusion that I had to swallow my fears, take charge, and lead these men. It seems fate has a dark sense of humor. I'm a man with hell standing between me and my men. No matter. Not even hell will stop me.
Few hours later after they`d destroyed the AA guns, Mac, Baker and Stanzan continue to walk toward their next objective that is located near Utah Beach until they have to stop and to figure out where they are with another platoon they found next to a farmhouse.
Mac told Baker and Stanzan to stay put so he could go and talk to this platoon to find out their current location and about the rest of their squad. It has been six hours since they jump out of the plane and hadn't seen the rest of them ever since they were supposed to fight together. Baker was getting worrisome of what happen to his squad when he fell out of the plane. Had they all gotten themselves killed or scattered all over the Normanedy countryside like everyone else. He hope the latter is true. He didn't want any of them to get kill when he had promised them before the operation that he will lead them in combat and get them all home in one piece. So far, he doing an excellence job of not leading his men in the early hour of D-Day since, to be honest, he didn't asked to be squad leader in the first place. But he came to the conclusion that no matters what the given orders he`d been expected to follow, he got to lead this squad whether he like it or not.
Leaving them behind in a small field that is in front of the farmhouse, Stanzan look at a scarepony wearing a Germane uniform. It has been bothering him for a while when he mistook it as an actual Germane solder.
Curious, he asked Baker next to him about the scarepony, "I wonder why they put up this scarepony in an enemy uniform. Shouldn't they knows who the real Germane are?"
Baker reply without looking at him, "Probably the locals set it up so they can practice beating them up with pitchforks after what they`ve been through in a four years occupation. You know what the Germanes did to them."
"Yeah but why? That not the reason I`m looking for. There got to be another explanation about all this."
Before Baker could replied, Mac appeared and walked over to them.
"I got word from another platoon that some of our boys dropped in this area." Mac explained to them. "The krauts were nice enough to flood it for us as a welcoming gift."
"Sure as shit isn't gonna' be easy finding them out here." says Stanzan, scratching his head with his hoof, "Unless of course they... find us... is that Red?" he pointed to a ditch that is next to the base of the field.
Mac and Baker follow his gaze when they see Corporal Lionheart running at full speed toward them after coming out of the ditch. He stopped in front of them, out of breath, and gasped while he could catch his breath, "There... krauts... all over."
He first straighten himself up before he could continue on, "I think I saw a mortar team just back there. Jesus, it's great to see you guys. I spent this morning in a ditch full of water, but I got one. Picked him off as he sipped his morning joe. Did I mention it was great to see you guys?" He chuckle a bit and was so glad to be back with someone that he hadn't seen all morning.
Even if he is glad that Lionheart has joined the group, Mac picked up after what he had left off before Lionheart arrived, "The landings are scheduled for Zero Six Thirty, so there's no time to lose. Baker, you take Lionheart and clear the main road. I'll try to gather up anyone I can find around here. I'll meet you on the beach and we'll try to link up with 4th Infantry. Good luck guys."
Mac took Stanzan and together went toward the direction where Lionheart came from while Baker led Lionheart toward the main road that is next to the farmhouse. As they are walking on the side of the road, Baker asked Red if he had seen anyone since the jump.
"To be honest with you Frost," Red began, "I`d haven't seen anyone around that time. Shortly after you fell out of the plane, the green light came on and we all jump right out like hell. We could've set the world record for getting out of that plane really fast. Corrion's barely made it out after his shoulder got hit but I saw that the back of the plane got hit pretty bad and there were smoke covering it. I think whoever the last pony on the back of the plane got killed."
Baker looked at Red without a single word as he understood about the plane and stay like that. He still hoped that everyone in his squad had made it out of that plane alive. Even for that last pony.
They came to an intersection when suddenly, they heard some rustling on their left follow by harsh whispers.
With quick reflexes, Baker and Red hit the ground and pointed their guns at the direction where the sound is coming from. Sensing that whoever made that rustling didn't fire on them since Baker and Red is in open view, Baker decided to take the risk and called out, "Who's there?"
A couple of minutes later, the sound of the cricket could be heard.
Click Clack
Without hesitation when he heard the cricket, Baker called out again, "Is that really necessary? You could see us in broad daylight."
"Really? I thought you would shoot us if we come right out." said a mare with a high pitch voice from behind the hedgerow.
"And beside," said another, "We wouldn't trust anypony in this time of crisis."
Before Baker had time to reply back, Red answered for him, "Don't worry, we won't shoot ya."
Stepping into view from behind the hedgerow in front of them are three mare, one armed with a carbine and the other not.
"Who are you and what unit you all are from?" Baker demanded at them that one of them winches.
The one that winches quickly recovered before she could identify herself with a proper introduction, "My name is Twilight Sparkle and these are my friends, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie."
"Sup`" said the one with a carbine, presumably Rainbow Dash.
"Hi there!" said another with glee also known as Pinkie Pie.
"We are not actually from any units though," Twilight continue on, which give both Baker and Red a surprise look.
"What?" said Red, not hearing on what she said.
"Yeah, we are war correspondents. We`re supposed to jump in with you guys so we could give out information on what happening during D-Day. But then we got separated from the rest of the gang during the night drop." Rainbow answered back with a grim look on her face.
"And who are you?" Twilight pointed at Baker and Red in which was Baker turn to replied, "I am Sergeant Frost Baker and this is Corporal Lionheart. We`re from F Company of the 502nd."
Twilight motioned to the side of her helmet she is wearing, "Oh, so that what the heart stand for. Sorry, they hadn't put us in training like the other due of being a correspondent."
"No offense," Baker said, accepting apology then quickly added, "We just to have a squad but we also got separated because of the drop. Where you girls are heading to?"
"We`re supposed to link up with HQ at St. Marie du Mont but I think we got kinda lost our way over here." Twilight said to Baker.
"What do you mean lost?" says Rainbow, fumed, "I told you to take the other road but nooo, and you didn't even listen to me. We are more than lost, we`re stranded."
"Well you and your bragging that you've been seeing Germanes soldiers throughout the most of the night when it actually just the wind." Twilight snapped back.
"I swear it was them!"
They both argue some more then look at Pinkie for answer.
Taken aback this and has nothing to say, Pinkie said proudly, "I like cakes."
Rainbow facehoof herself while Twilight rolled her eyes before she said to the two soldiers that seem to be very quiet during their argument, "Sorry, it happened a lot. Where you boys are heading to?"
"We`re heading up to Utah Beach to clear out this road. We`re gladly to take you up to another intersection where a road head down to St Marie du Mont."
"We are happy to accept your generosity and your kindness to lead us to our destination!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Well, let's get going then," says Red, walking up a bit forward, "We got no time to lose."
They continue walking up the road when they came under rifle fire that is coming from a house on their right.
"Let's go get em'!" Red shouted as he fire his rifle at the house.
"Alright!" Baker turn to the other, "You girls stay here and watch for anyone that is coming up of this road. Got it?"
They nodded and stay put while Baker and Red run toward the house and engage the enemy. Hiding behind cover, Baker ordered Red to suppress fire while he could go around and flank them.
"You got it!" Red said then got up and fire steadily at a pair of Germanes soldiers that is hiding behind a hip-high wall.
When Red managed to get their head down, Baker went around them until he got them in his vision then fire his pistol at them, His bullets didn't hit them but it enough to shock them that they jumped up and got mowed down by Red's incoming fire.
After the area is cleared, Baker waved his arm in the circle and yelled at Twilight's group to form up.
As they approaches, Pinkie said out loud, almost in a robotic voice, "Checkpoint reaches."
"What?" Rainbow asked when she heard that Pinkie says something
"Nothing!" Pinkie replies back with a smiled.
"I guess there a road on the other side of this house where you guys should take." Red mentioned to the side of the house after they formed up.
They walked to the side of the house when the ground heaved and exploded as Navel shellfire bombed all around them, forcing them to hit the dirt. When it ceased, Baker called out if anyone is alright. They all nodded, except that their ears is ringing and feeling kind of dizzy from all those concussion from the shellfire.
"We better hurry up so we could clear the exit for the infantry." Red said after he got up.
They reaches the intersection without fail and now it was time to split up.
Before the departure, Twilight said to Baker and Red one final time, "I hope we could see each other again sometime in the future. You guys take care and be careful of where you`re going. There a lot of enemy soldiers more than you think."
"Don't worry princess," says Red, smiling, "Everything will be taken care of."
And Baker added, "Before we go. I like to make one recommendation, you think I could have that carbine?" He pointed at the carbine Rainbow is currently holding, "I needed it once we get into a heavy fight. I don't like being stuck around with this pistol."
Rainbow look at her carbine and grunted, "Fine, but I do like that pistol."
They both traded it with affair, exchanges final goodbye and headed in the opposite direction.
When they left, Red said to Baker, "Hey Frost, are you sure that was the good idea of trading Mac's gun for a carbine? What will he says once he learned you traded it off with some correspondent."
"Red, one, that pony wasn't a correspondent if she armed with gun and two, Mac wouldn't notice if he took another guy pistol for himself."
"Hmm.... good point." Red agreed with Baker suggestion.
They continue heading up the road toward the beach when Baker decided to not go up any further and got off the road into a ditch the run right between the dikes where the flooded water are. Going down to the closing of the dikes where it elevated upward, Baker and Red went down when two soldiers appeared from around the dike. Baker recognized them before they could shout out his name.
It Dare and Wildarrow, the two soldiers that were also in the plane.
They came rushing toward Baker and Red like crazy before stopping in front in them, delighted that they found someone that is from their squad.
"Wasn't sure if we were gonna' see any of you guys." says Dare, happy to see Baker and Red.
Wildarrow added of a clicking sound with his tongue, "Been shooting at Germanes coming off that beach all morning."
"One poor bastard was trying to take a crap while Wildarrow plugged him."
Dare laughed when Wildarrow said to him, “I swear he was going for his gun."
"We got this as well. The poor bastards that had it put up a hell of a fight before a potato masher got the best of them. Browning .30 cal. Watch out for the blood on the trigger." Dare thug his head to his right where in the distance, is a bipod .30 cal. Browning resting in place behind some ammo crate while it is facing a road, not to mention not fare from it a bundle of bodies crumpled up on each other in a big pile of heap.
"Have you seen the other" Red asked them, hoping to find some information about the rest of the squad.
There were an unusual sense in the air about these two. Dare and Wildarrow looked at each other before Dare could answered back with his eyes on the ground, "No but before I could jump out, I saw somebody on the back of the plane on the ground, dead."
"I`m pretty sure it was Mustang. He was supposed to be the last one to jump out but I hadn't seen him."
Guilt hit Baker hard that he lost one of him men but he shook it away then said to his men, "Alright, enough talk. We got to keep moving. Let's head over to that MG position. The coastline shouldn't be that far. I could see the bunker on that ridge line over there."
They has to wade through the water that was between them and the MG before they could get to it. There were trucks waiting to evacuate Germanes soldiers from the beach line. They could see those boarding trucks while the fighting on the beach is getting closer.
Thinking that they should take him out since it was part of the mission of clearing out the exit, Baker ordered Red to take his team and position themselves and be ready to fire while Baker went to the .30 cal., cocked the bolt to see if the bullet is in the chamber and waited until all the Germanes soldiers come out of the truck.
Seeing his chance to fire, Baker yelled out, "Fire!" and soon the first Germane soldier begin to drop, followed by other while the survivors quickly scattered to find any available covers and began to fire back. The paraponies put enough fire on one of the trucks that it engine caught fire them exploded, killing anyone around the blast radius.
The picked off the last of the enemy before they could move up and toward the bunkers to check if there any Germanes soldiers in it.
Before they could climb up to the first bunker, someone shouted, "Baker!"
They turn and saw Mac and Stanzan coming from the ridge.
Mac reaches them and exclaimed, "Baker. Glad you're okay. Looks like the 4th ID has things under control. As soon as they start moving their equipment ashore, we'll get resupplied and move out. I've got to speak to HQ to figure out where the hell the rest of our men are. Get some rest while you can; we've got a long day ahead of us."
Before any of them leave, Mac shouted, “Hey Baker! I see that you got yourselves a nice carbine. Where did you get it?”
“Uh… I found it?” Baker reply, thinking that Mac won’t buy it.
And he did so Mac continue, “In that case, what did you do with my pistol?”
“Oh shit,” Baker hear Red said behind him, “Baker you’re in trouble!”
...
Watching the landings from one of the MG emplacement that overlook the beach, Baker, Red, Stanzan, Wildarrow and Dare are looking down at the scene on the beach. But it was even more spectacular when they look at hundreds of ships waiting offshore while the landing crafts come and unload it troops and supplies on the beach.
Wanting to say something to something he will never want to forget, Stanzan said out load for those who is with him to hear, “I understand the large hearts of heroes, the courage of present times... "
Baker look at Stanzan with a confused look.
"It's from a poem my dad used to read me as a kid." Stanzan answered him slightly, which ease Baker's concern and he look back out toward the sea.
Stanzan continue what seem to be the final verse of the poem he was talking about, "It amazes me that something so beautiful could be a part of something so ugly."
On the beach, men coming in from the naval ships and Higgins boats and were getting things organized, and preparing to move a few units inland.
Baker and his men had come a long way just to witness this view. But it won't last for long. The day is far from over and Baker still need to locate the rest of his squad. They have a lot of things ahead of them to accomplish so they might be about to go home.
Something like this can be so beautiful when you realized that it not the way you think it would be.
The gray sky rain a bit then seem to break up as Baker's makeshift squad, himself and Mac were standing around in the opening of a hedgerow next to a rows of houses, waiting for a moment to attack while Stanzan is speaking into his radio for any unit contact, "Kickoff, Fox Three, can you hear, over?" They receive a new objective from HQ to attack a barracks where it houses Germanes artillerymen’s that are getting ready to man a battery of howitzers not far from here. These barracks are codenamed, “XYZ" because of its unique building side-by-side or probably whoever come up with this idea run out of name so he uses the alphabetical order instead.
While Stanzan is talking on the radio, Lionheart look at the buildings then said to those around him, "So we're supposed to kill them all before they finish breakfast. Say, what do you suppose Krauts eat for breakfast anyway? Sausage? Toast?"
Standing behind Lionheart, Dare yelled out in disgust, "Goddamn it!"
Mac spun around to face him, "Dare! What the hell are you yapping about?"
"I got hit by a fucking pigeon turd." says Dare, wiping off some white stuff that fell on his shoulder.
Everyone laughed before Red continue on about what the krauts eat, "Cold glass of blood?"
As soon as he said this, everyone stopped laughing at look at Red, even Stanzan stopped talking into his radio.
"What?" says Red, feeling embarrass, "I'm just saying."
"Sarge, I can't get anypony." says Stanzan, setting down his radio mouthpiece, "We're fucked."
Mac sighed a bit then announced, "All right, same plan as before. Lionheart, you're with Baker. The Krauts know we're here, so go say hello the Airborne way."
"You mean shoot them?" says Wildarrow, not understanding what Mac meant.
"Yes, obviously, Private Wildarrow."
"It's just I've never said hello like that. You could just say shoot them. "
"Well smart-ass you're with me." After that, Mac turn to Baker, "Baker, remember most of these guys don't know we're coming. So you and Lionheart tread lightly while you can. Move it!"
Mac group went away from the houses toward the side of the hedgerow and disappeared by crossing through it while both Baker and Red silently went up to the houses, trying not to make any noise as if they`re trying not to wake up the Germanes inside.
They consciously walked up to the first house and position on each side of the doorway.
From his view, Baker could see that Red is sweating a bit and his Adam apple is having a difficult journey bobbling up and down his throat, which indicate that he is pumping adrenaline into his body.
"Are you ready?" Baker asked Red, making sure if he is ready for the worse.
Red nodded back with a smiled, "Ready when you are. Let's send these krauts to hell."
Baker buck the door down and Red rushes in to fire anything that is alive and is wearing grey. He found a few of them relaxing in a living room. They were surprised when they saw Red rushes in and, before they could react, Red cut them down with his rifle. A pair of surviving Germanes became terrified and run out of the house to a two-story house next to them.
"Frost! They`re running!" Red said to Baker next to them and together, rushes out of the house and toward their next objective but were taking fire from the second house.
After they took cover, Baker ordered Red to suppress the house so he could run up and toss a grenade though the window.
Red compiled by shooting at the house while Baker went between covers to make his way toward the second house. He got behind a wall and, before he could move, out of nowhere is a captain from the 101st emerged from behind a hedgerow who appeared to be watching the fighting.
Baker saw him and waved him over, shouting, "Sir, find some covers! This is not a good time for you to be in."
The captain reaches Baker side and said to him, "I've seen the worse already during the night and waiting to kill as many jerries’ as possible before they get me. What your current situation?"
"We`re attacking a house full of artillerymen. We sure do need some help." Baker replied to the captain, not even sure if this guy could be in some heavy fight since he is a high ranking officer.
The captain nodded, "Okay, I`m coming with you."
In an instant before they could leave, a bullet passed by and hit the captain in the chest, killing him. Just like that, Baker is alone once again and he didn't even get to know who this person is. No matter. Baker need to move fast or Red will run out of ammo.
Baker run and got to the front of the house, pulled out his grenade from his webbing belt, count to three and toss it through of the broken window and pressed against the side of the wall, waiting for the explosion.
When Baker threw his grenade in, it bounces off a counter-top and landed next to a Germane soldier that is seeking refuge behind a wooden table from Red's fire. His eyes went wide eyes when he saw the grenade and quickly picked it up. He got up and toss it back but it too late, the grenade exploded on his hoof, killing him and those around him into a big fury of dust and smoke.
When he saw that his grenade exploded, Baker shouted out to Red to move up and they clear out the rest of the house. Time for the next one.
They did the same procedure as before, Red suppressing while Baker running toward the third house. He got there and buck the door opened and saw an unpleasant surprise that he will ever see. In the dining room are a group of artillerymen, sitting on the table and were preparing to eat breakfast. They all saw Baker rushing in and stopped what they`re doing. It was an awkward before Baker came to his senses and mowed them all down with a Thompson that he got from Mac earlier.
After clearing the house, Baker walk out by using the front door and mention Red to form up.
Red reaches him and saw the look on Baker face.
"Something wrong Frost? It look like you got hit in the face or something."
"As I was clearing out the house," Baker whisper loud enough for Red to hear, "I saw these Germanes eating breakfast and seem like they are not paying attention to what going on around them."
This caught Red attention as he question Baker, "Are they drinking a glass of blood?"
"No, they`re not vampires," Baker chuckle then sighed as he in a state of exhaustion.
Before they have time to reminisce about any of this, they could hear Germanes soldiers on the other side of the house they`d clear.
"I guess we got to keep moving." says Baker and they went to the side of the house to engage the enemy.
After successfully taking them out, they head up the road and start firing on more Germane rifle squads. Eventually, the two reach a house that's, perhaps, an acre wide. The house seemed more like a mansion. Inside, four Germane soldiers were enjoying their breakfast. Baker and Red look at each other and nodded as they each took out his grenade.
"On the count of three, “says Baker as they position next to the dining room, "toss it and run out of the house. Ready?"
Red nodded.
"One" Baker began counting.
"Oh, I`m going to enjoy this." says Red as he put his hoof around the grenade pin.
"Two."
"They are so dead."
"Three!" Baker shouted.
Before they could toss it in, Red yelled that spook the Germanes, "Eat this you fucking blood-sucking vampires!"
Moments later, the room was obliterated. Baker and Red reached the back door of the house and saw Wildarrow and Dare taking cover near an Opel Blitz. Dare was loading a rocket into a bazooka Wildarrow was holding it, facing another house where the Germanes are.
Dare finish loading the rocket and connected the wire together, "Alright it's connected. Backblast clear."
Wildarrow aim the bazooka up at the house and pull the trigger, the rocket whooshed by unintentionally into a farmhouse. A few moments later, Germane soldiers started showing up wondering what that loud explosion was.
"Oh shit!"Wildarrow shouted after he saw the Germane soldiers coming out of the house, "Load another. Load another!"
Dare was struggling to put the M6 rocket in the bazooka, probably because of the number of Germanes that were heading towards their position, Red's, and Baker's location.
"Load it now Dare!" Wildarrow was screaming hysterical.
"Hang on!" Dare shouted at him.
"No hang on! If you get me killed Dare, I swear to Celestia I will fucking kill you!"
Next to them, Baker and Red was firing furiously at a mass of Germane soldiers coming right at them from the house and other area. From his view, Baker could see a Germane soldier setting up his MG-42 machine gun at one of the windows in the house. They all going to get hit but fortunately, Dare puts the M6 rocket in the bazooka.
"Loaded. Wires connected! Go!" Dare said to Wildarrow and put him on the back of the head.
Wildarrow pulled the trigger and the shot whooshed through the air like a jet and hit the window of the house where the Germanes machine gun was coming from. The whole window was obliterated and up in flames. Regrettably, that was the last rocket of ammunition the bazooka had.
"Shit!" Wildarrow shouted as the bazooka runs out of ammo and toss it at the Germanes, shouting, "Take this piece of shit. I don't want it!"
Now Wildarrow and Dare got folded with Baker and Red. A large skirmish ensued, about 2 dozen Germane soldiers came into the courtyard firing and throwing grenades, After a few minutes of intense firefighting, the Germanes had all been killed or wounded, then Mac and Stanzan arrived just in the nick of time to save them from their flank before they were overrun. Everything was silent for a few seconds, Baker and Red had a stunned and dazed look in their eyes.
Nobody want to say anything until Dare spoke out load, "That was kind of crazy. I'm sure I'll never do anything like that again."
"I'm sure we'll do something that crazy a few more times before the sun goes down"WIldarrow added, "So who's hungry?"
Stanzan walked over to the truck, opened the door and look inside, then he announced as he stepped back other and turn to the other, “The keys are still in it! I say this Opel Blitz just became official REA property. What d'ya think, Mac?"
Mac look at him before replying, "I think I'm drivin'!"
They all board the truck and prepared to continue on in their journey.
Baker-Familiar faces. Makes a place like this almost feel like home... almost. Sometimes I forget Wildarrow and Dare are two people. They showed up at Fort Luna together and no one has seen them apart since. We just started saying 'Wild-n-Dare' like it was one word. Even with the damn mis-drops they still managed to stay together.
After Mac drop Baker, Lionheart, Wildarrow and Dare off next to the town of Foucarville, they walked along the outskirt of the city when they found a dead parapony next to a house.
Few moments later after staring at the corpse, Dare said out loud when he crouch next to the body, "What do you suppose killed him?”
"Wasn't old age that for sure." Wildarrow suggested, resting his rifle over his shoulder.
"They would just leave him here. Didn't we take this town? “Dare asked, wondering about the town and the surrounding area.
Red looked around him before replying, "I think we have to assume for the time being that Foucarville isn't under our control."
"Red, you're ruining my good mood." Wildarrow exclaimed next to him with delight.
"What the plan Baker?" Red asked Baker who thought for a minute and said to his men, "If this town is not secure, then we have to check it out."
"But what if we find some jerries’’?" Dare asked, a sight of fear on his face, "Do we go in gun blazing or fall back and see what we can do from there?"
"It only a matter of time before the krauts could find out what going on and start launching some counterattacks right at us," says Red.
"We might do both if things start going from bad to worse," said Baker then he walk up toward the main road before adding, "Now let's move."
They reaches a corner and, when they around it, they could start hearing the town church bell ringing very close to where they`re at.
The town of Foucarville is not much of a strategic objective but it next to the main body of Exit 4. If they could secure this town, then the ground troops won't have any trouble moving in while their colleagues is doing their jobs by providing them a way inland, deeper into the Normanedy countryside and beyond.
At the far-end side of the road was a "T" intersection with two Germane rifle platoons in position waiting for Baker and his Base of Fire team to move up. Moments later, the road is alive with Germane firepower.
"Shit! What do we do now?" Wildarrow shouted above the roar of gunfire as they took covers behind houses, "I think it the best time to talk to us, Baker!"
Baker quickly look and scanned a truck that is on the middle of the road but provide an excellence firing position for his men to go to and fire back at the Germane platoons.
"Red!" Baker yelled as he tapped Red and pointed, "I want you to go behind that cover and lay down some fire on that position so I could flank them!"
"You got it!" Red nodded and waved at his two men to follow.
When they got into position and begin to lay down harassing fire at the enemies, Baker maneuvered around the house and cut down the German rifle platoon by firing into their rear.
After they form up, Baker's squad continue to head down the road when two more rifle platoon showed up and another firefight began. When they take out the Germanes, soon they were met by a machine gun team almost to the center of the town.
"Goddamn, they're everywhere!" Dare shouted soon after the Germane machine gun opened up on them from behind a sandbag emplacement on the middle of the road, "It seem like we'd pissed off the whole Germane Army and they're here trying to kill us!"
"More like they're trying to kill you Dare!" Wildarrow chuckled, ignoring the machine gun fire so he could get up and take a shot.
"I'm not the one who plugged a kraut who was trying to take a crap!" Dare snapped back when Wildarrow got back into cover.
Red rushed from behind a truck and got next to Baker who is taking cover behind a house. Machine gun bullets riddled the ground behind Red as he said to Baker, "Frost, what now? The whole street is filled with Germanes. That MG is playing hell with Arrow and Dare."
"Hold on." Baker replied by looking at the whole area around them. Surely the Germanes hadn't cover the back by now...
"You have to take them on." Baker finally said, devising a plan for them to get past the enemy defenses, "Tell your team to stay where they are and suppress them."
"Wait, you`re telling us to stay put?" Red exclaimed in an alarmed voice, "Frost, you know that rifle fire against a big ass machine gun is not a very good odd. Beside, that truck is going to break apart any minute!"
"Then pray to Celestia that it won't break apart." Baker smiled then run off to get around the house.
After Baker left, Red just stand there then went back to his team behind the truck but then discovered that half of their new cover is now a pile of splinters and debris, all thank to that machine gun fire on the road.
"Where the hell is Baker?" Arrow shouted at his team leader when he returned.
Red explained his two men what Baker's is doing and what they're supposed to do. When he finish, he added, "And yes, we still have to blind fire in order for this to work."
The hood of the truck was shot off with a pang when Dare was trying to shoot over it. Their cover is almost virtually destroyed. It quite amazing that is didn't catch fire and not due to explode for much of your concern.
Like Red, Arrow didn't like Baker's plan, even if it get him killed. "Are you kidding?" he began, "Can a shitty ass rifle bullet can take out a big ass machine gun that is going to tear us apart any minute?"
"Hey, how did a .45 blew up a Tiger tank?" Dare added, being sarcastic.
In response, Arrow only shook his head and said to him, "That Ranger shit." Before he could talk any further, Red interrupted him, "Are you going to help or are you going to be a dumb fuck who is going to get everyone killed. I'm almost out of ammo."
With just that, the Fire team continue to have a firefight that they know they will never win. Where the hell is Baker?
After leaving Red and the Fire Time behind to flank the machine gun position, Baker silently went around the house back porch and got next to a group of barrels that is about 5 feet behind the machine gun emplacement.
Without hesitation, Baker toss two fragmentation grenades over the barrels and it’s landed right inside the emplacement. When they landed, one Germane soldiers quickly spotted the two grenades landed next to him so he shouted to his comrades next to him, "Granaten!” Taken by his word, his comrades spotted the grenades and got up to escape the kill zone, but only by be shot down by Red's and his Fire Team. Those who didn't got up to flee were taken out by the grenades itself.
After taking out the emplacement, Baker stepped out of cover and shouted into the air, "Regroup!" and wait for his team to join him. When they did, they were all, literally, covered in dust and pieces of woods because of taking cover behind the truck that were virtually almost destroyed by the machine gun devastating power.
Baker took one good look at them, shook his head and exclaimed, "It still amazing why you`ll still alive." He walked over to Red and bushed his shoulder off while Red muttered, "Go to hell, Frost."
Moments later, the squad advance forward, taking out small pockets of resistance here and there when suddenly, they could hear rumbling sound not far from them. They stopped and listen, trying to point out what it is. Is it a tank, a truck, a motorcycle, or worse, a tank? They all thought as they kept moving forward toward a church...
They reaches there without any incident when as they stepped into the church morgue, they were met with hail of Germanes fire from the two side of the church building.
As they took cover behind tombstones, Baker ordered Red to take his fire team and clear one side of the building while he clear out the other side. Instead of following orders, this time Red started to question it. "How about I should come with you this time so I won't be with the two idiots over there who almost got me kill back in town."
"I hear that!" Arrow shouted from the other side of the cemetery as soon as Red finish his sentence.
Baker rejected Red's offer to assist him. "They`re you're ponies after all." Baker said, matter-of-factly then got up to change between positions while Red went back to his idiotic team who is having a brief firefight with Germanes soldiers ahead of them.
Red told them what Baker ordered him to do and lead them to take out the rest of the enemies around the church by using the Four F`s.
After the area is cleared, they regroup back to Baker at the back of the church next to the hedgerows that is outlining a road and a field next to it. "Now what sir?" Dare asked his squad leader who is looking at the road and the field.
"Red?" Baker asked the corporal next to him after examining the area around him, "Do you think that Geramnes will launch counter-attack at us to retake this church?"
Behind them, Dare and Arrow is screwing around, tossing potato masher grenades they'd found at birds and pointing at every tombstones saying that where your daddy is.
"Knock that shit off and fall back it!" Red shouted at them angrily, which they scurried like naughty children, then focus back to Baker to answer his question, "I don't know. Do every church in every town has to be important to the Germanes. They're like Death."
"That not what I'm saying." said Baker then immediately turned toward the sound of an unmistakable noise of a Germanes convoy coming in from the field.
"Get to cover!" Baker shouted then ducked behind a hedgerow next to the road. He looked around then spotted a MG-42 emplacement that faces directly at the field and the road. This will provide them enough firepower to hold off at least a company of Germanes soldiers.
Baker manned the MG-42 while Red, Arrow and Dare position themselves along the hedgerow next to Baker's and waited for the nightmare to come.
Less than a minute later, as many as twenty to thirty Germanes soldiers start counterattacking Baker and his squad's location by climbing over the fence where Baker was facing and down the road where Baker's Base of Fire team was. In hindsight from the Germane perspective, that was not a perfectly well-planned execution. Baker and his squad cut them down instantly.
Seconds passed and soon a hail of mortar shells began bombarding. Thinking quickly, Baker orders his Base of Fire team to assault the two mortar teams that is on top of the slope down the road on their left. They went down there and swiftly, annihilated the first mortar crews when the second one, about 25 yards from where the first one is, tried to launched shells at the Fire Team.
Taking cover inside the sandbag, Arrow got an idea and shouted, "Hold up! I got an idea!"
He picked up a mortar round from a box next to him, armed the fuse, hit the bottom against the mortar base then quickly got up to toss it at the second mortar crew. The round hit they're side, which leaving them unscathed, but the explosion had buy enough time for Red and Dare to get up and fire onto the mortar crew, taking them out.
"Where the hell did you learn that Arrow?" Red asked after they completed they`re objective.
"Do you remember that time when we lost the mess hall back at training because an explosion wiped it out?"
"Yeah."
"Well, me and Dare were screwing around like always when we found this mortars lying around so thinking they're they were dud, we armed it and tossed it at Chef's kitchen."
"You sonofabitch. No wonder why we have no food for three days!"
"Hey!" Dare jumped in with a smile, "At least we don't have to eat zucchini salad again."
When they finish they're moment, they went back to Baker, who was impressed by Arrow's performance, and they all went across a slope next to a hedgerow that led them to another road next to the outskirts.
Not only when they got there but Mac and Stanzan were also there too, waiting for Baker and his squad on the other side of the fence to come by and join them.
When they got there, Mac was not only delighted but happy to see Baker back alive again.
"Well, Frost I got to says," says Mac, redirecting his helmet back to even out on his head, "We got here as soon as we could. We heard our guys were wiped out in a Germane counter-attack. Baker, I pegged you wrong. At first I thought you were a shy poetic young man. Turns out you're a shy poetic young man who kills everyone who gets in his way. That's a down right admirable quality."