> FiMTech - The Clan Civil War - EDITED (BattleTech Crossover)
>  by Dead_Mares
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> Prologue
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A blood-curdling scream echoed across a small town on the planet of Dyke, the first of many to break the early morning silence. Clan Draconequus soldiers had smashed their way into the stone brick homes and were gunning down any pony they came across, leaving only the young ones alive to foalnap and train as soldiers.

In a particularly old-fashioned house, a high pitched shriek was cut off as a soldier put a bullet through a mare’s head, splattering blood and brains against the wall behind her. The soldier looked around the room quickly before turning to find his companion in the small building.

He found the second soldier in one of the back rooms, holding a rifle level with a stallion’s head. A young yellow colt was cowering in fear behind the pony, who was presumably his father. “Come on, Ash. Don’t just stand there lookin’ at ‘em. Shoot ‘im!”

Ash glanced quickly over his shoulder at the first soldier before turning back to the stallion. The rifle creaked slightly as he tightened his hooves around it. “I’m sorry,” he whispered right before he fired the gun. The stallion slammed back into the stone wall as a loud BANG reverberated in the small room. A trail of red was left behind as his head slid down the bricks before flopping lifelessly to the floor. The colt screamed and leaped towards the dead pony, but the first soldier grabbed one of his hind legs before he could get there and dragged him toward the street outside.

“You need to learn what orders are, Ash. Do as you’re told and stuff. No hesitation,” the first soldier said. He threw the colt out of the front door and let him land painfully on the cobblestone street. Another soldier rushed over to grab the young pony and dragged him kicking and screaming to a hovercraft, where many other foals had been collected. The first soldier turned back to Ash and tilted his head. “You alright? You’ve been actin’ strange all mornin’.”

Ash let out a heavy sigh and lowered his head. “I… I don’t know, Hitch. What are we even doing here? Why are we murdering innocent ponies like this?”

Hitch tapped his friend’s helmet lightly. “‘Cause we’ve been ordered to. And goin’ against orders is a good way to get a knife in the back.”

“But why were we ordered to do this? I became a soldier to serve and protect our Clan, not… this,” Ash said, nodding towards the cacophony outside.

Hitch sighed and glanced through the open door to make sure nopony was eavesdropping before placing a hoof on Ash’s shoulder and leaning in close to him. “Listen. There ain’t nothin’ we can do but what we’re told. Take a look around and tell me they wouldn’t just as easily put a knife in your freeborn ass as one of those poor sods we just killed.”

Ash glanced at the blood that had begun to pool out of the back room and felt sick. Hitch was right; if the higher-ups were corrupt enough to order a mass execution like this, killing a few soldiers who went against orders would be easier than swatting a fly. As much as he wanted to do what was right and protect the citizens, he had never even considered the possibility of dying in the process. That wasn’t something he could do. He was here to protect his family, and he had to make it back to them. No matter what.

A light beep sounded in the speaker in Ash’s helmet. He frowned as the Commander’s voice cut in and silenced the noise of gunfire. “This is Commander Bolt. The transport hovercraft are full. We can not carry any more foals, so kill them, too. Do not leave any survivors.” There was a small click as he cut off, and Ash and Hitch glanced at each other.

Hitch shook his head. “Orders, Ash. If you wanna survive, follow ‘em.” He stepped out of the house and rolled his shoulders before scanning the buildings around him.

Ash hesitated. “He wants us to kill foals? Can I really do that?” he thought. He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood and glanced outside. “I… I have to. I can’t die here.” The armor plating strapped to his body rattled lightly as he followed his friend and sighed. He glanced at the gray sky as he stepped through the door frame, his expression sorrowful. “I’m sorry, mom. I know you’re probably disappointed in me, but I have to do this.”

He frowned as he felt tapping on one shoulder. He turned to find Hitch staring out into the town square with one hoof resting lightly on his shoulder. “See what happens when you don’t follow orders?”

Ash followed his friend’s gaze and saw the Commander towering over another soldier with a gun pressed up underneath his chin. Ash flinched as the Commander fired the gun and watched the soldier’s corpse crumple to the ground. If the thought of being killed for defecting wasn’t enough of an incentive to follow orders, watching it happen to another pony was more than sufficient.

“That’s why you do as you’re told. Now come on. We shouldn’t stand around for too long,” Hitch said subduedly. Ash nodded and followed his friend toward a building that hadn’t been breached yet. Before entering, he cast one glance back at the Commander. The unicorn had taken his helmet off and was walking towards the shadow of a building, but Ash couldn’t see towards what from his position. He shook his head, feeling sorry for whatever victim the cruel Commander had found, and trailed behind his friend through a now-open door.

“There you are,” Hitch said as he fired a few rounds from his rifle. They tore into the body of a young stallion as he tried to rush out from his hiding spot. “I was startin’ to think you’d run off.”

Ash glanced quickly at the body before turning to his friend. “Don’t worry about that. I’m here to stay. I have ponies back home who need me, so I can’t die now.”

Hitch’s shoulders relaxed. “Good. Most of the others here really piss me off. I wouldn’t want to have to find a new partner.”

Ash smiled slightly despite the situation. “Yeah,” he said quietly. He hefted his rifle and glanced at the two doors in the back of the main room. “Let’s do this, I guess.”

Hitch nodded and walked up to one of the doors. Ash stopped in front of the other, and at his signal, they burst their way into the rooms with their rifles held out in front of them.

A terrified pony was huddled in a ball in the far corner of the bedroom Ash had broken into and was staring straight back at him. He swung his rifle around and pointed it straight at the poor soul’s chest, but stopped upon realizing it was only a foal. A young colt no older than the one he had back home. The memory of the soldier’s body falling to the ground and the sound of the long gunshot reverberated in Ash’s head, the fear of such a thing causing him to tighten his hooves around his weapon in resolve. 

“I’m so sorry,” Ash thought. He knew that even if he survived the war and was allowed rejoin his family, he’d never really be with them. Not after this. Killing this colt would haunt him for the rest of his life, and he would relive this memory every time he saw his own foal. “But orders are orders.”
> Chapter 1
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Sundance jolted awake at the sound of raucous shouting. It was never a good sign for the cadets when that happened.

“Get out of bed, you freebirths! The Clan does not have time for your insolence! You should already be at the training field by now!”

The bed creaked under Sundance as he hauled his tired body upright. While he knew drill instructors were supposed to be obnoxious and push the cadets past their limits, he had a feeling the trueborn sibkos weren’t treated nearly as harshly. Though, their little group could barely be considered one. An amalgamation of the words “sibling” and “company,” the ponies in trueborn sibkos all shared the same blood and desirable genes. The freeborns in Sundance’s group were merely stolen from the same small town and shared no family. They weren’t even all in the same year of training. It was more of a regular military training camp that was simply called a sibko to distinguish it as a BattleMech training camp.

“Inner Sphere scum is livelier than you are! Would you like to run extra laps this morning to wake yourselves up? A bit of exercise to fix you slugs?”

Sundance slid off of his bed and hastily neatened the covers. The thin, scratchy blankets and worn-out mattresses did little to make sleeping comfortable, though the cadets were normally too tired to care by the time they were allowed to sleep.

The sound of hooves scuffling against concrete filled the cramped space as they all threw on their cadet jackets and moved to stand next to their beds. Normally one of the cadets was in charge of waking everypony in the barracks in time for their morning training session, but whoever had that duty had obviously failed to do so this morning.

The drill instructor stalked down the line of ponies. He had his chin turned up as if they were merely animals, unfit to be in his presence. None of them dared to move. They had learned quickly that moving at attention earned them more than a simple scolding. More often than not, it ended with painful cuts and bruises that took days to heal.

Much larger and stronger than any other stallion Sundance had seen before, the drill instructor was a trueborn pony. He had been “born” in a machine, his traits hoof-picked by the scientists who created him. While being stuck training lowly freeborns meant he was aging and no longer fit for battle by Clan standards, that didn’t make him any less terrifying.

Sundance risked a glance at the older pony as he walked by. He was almost bear-like in stature, with his unnaturally large dark-blue muscles bulging against the mottled green uniform. There wasn’t a single strand of hair on his head, and while Sundance couldn’t see clearly from his angle, he knew well the cold seaweed eyes framed by a chiseled facial structure.

Further down the line, one of the other cadets failed to stifle a yawn. Sundance recognized him as Vermilion, a dark red earth pony with a spiky blue mane and orange eyes, a strange combination of colors. He wasn’t any larger than the other cadets; in fact, he was a bit on the short side. But still, something about his maturity had always given Sundance the impression he was older than the others. 

The large pony halted and turned his angry gaze towards Vermilion who, to his credit, managed to avoid flinching back. It wouldn’t have been much consolation for him to realize, but his punishment would have been much more severe had he reacted.

In an instant, the drill instructor was on top of him. The large pony always seemed eager to push the cadets around, probably just to release his anger on somepony. Being safe in a training camp would have been frustrating for a pony like him who was bred for battle, and he tended to take those emotions out on whomever he felt like.

Vermilion was shoved roughly into the ground and gasped as a hoof was rammed into his stomach. “What is the matter with you? Are you tired? Need a little nap?”

Vermilion shook his head, and the drill instructor hit him again in the same spot. “No what?”

“No, Sir,” Vermilion choked out. Even through his attempts to hide his reactions, it was obvious to anypony watching how much pain he was in. The drill instructor was strong enough to knock somepony out with one swift kick to the head, and he had even broken bones in the past.

The drill instructor snorted and stepped backward before turning back toward the exit. “It seems you all have forgotten the most important rule of training; to not waste my time. In the minutes it took you dregs to get to attention an entire battle could have been over!”

He stalked back down the room towards the exit of the barracks. Before walking through the open door, he stopped and glanced over his shoulder. “I want fifty laps around the training field, with packs on. Do not even so much as think about eating breakfast before those laps are complete. Are we clear?”

“Aff!” the cadets shouted.

The drill instructor nodded. “Get to it, scum. You will run more laps if I deem you to be slow.” He stepped out onto the dirt path directly outside the old building and disappeared into the early morning haze.

Sundance watched the wooden door swing closed behind the large pony. Almost immediately after he heard it slam shut, one of the other cadets stepped out into the open space of the barracks. He was a lime green earth pony with a cutie mark in the shape of a bomb and a two-tone bright pink and stormcloud gray mane that framed his hot pink eyes. He was the tallest pony in the sibko, and while not the oldest, he was the closest thing to a leader they had. It wasn’t that he had any good leadership skills. Those were actually quite lacking, and he wasn’t a gentle pony by any standards. The sole reason he was “in charge” of the sibko was his battle prowess. He was by far the most skilled in ‘Mech combat out of any of the cadets, which earned him grudging respect from the others.

“Who’s the dumbfuck who didn’t wake us up?” he challenged with his clear voice. His eyes glared out with a fire Sundance had seen many times, and had hoped would never be directed towards him. The pony, named Bittersweet, had a short fuse and a bad habit for harsh punishment, and was even nicknamed the second drill instructor. Though, none of the cadets had the courage to call him that to his face.

After a brief pause, there was light scuffling at the back end of the barracks. A blue earth pony with a long, stringy navy blue mane that hung over his sapphire eyes was pushed out into the open space between the two rows of beds. He shook his head and glanced around him as if he wasn’t quite fully awake yet.

Bittersweet took long, angry strides towards the confused pony and shook his head. “Of course it was you, Azure. The slowest, most useless pony here.”

Azure glanced up at the slightly larger pony as he got close. Bittersweet wasn’t that much larger than him, and Azure was even a little thickset by the sibko’s standards with light curves around his stomach and legs. Still, the older pony was extremely intimidating, both in his movements and his reputation.

Azure blinked and took a step back. “But it wasn’t me! I was in charge of that last week!”

The scowl on Bittersweet’s face deepened as he continued his advance. Azure stumbled backward, his drowsy movements causing his hooves to trip over each other. He flinched when a green hoof reached towards him, but when it suddenly stopped he blinked again, surprised. Bittersweet smirked and placed his hoof back on the ground. “Actually, I’ve got a better idea. You can keep the blood inside your body for now.” He spun around and walked towards the exit of the barracks. “Let’s go. Shouldn’t keep the casket born drill instructor waiting any longer.”

With that, the cadets filed behind Bittersweet out into the morning air. Sundance glanced over his shoulder at the blue pony who brought up the rear of the line anxiously. He felt sorry for the poor guy and whatever punishment was in store for him, but it’s not like there was anything he could do. Pissing off Bittersweet wasn’t the way Sundance wanted to die.

Sundance glanced out at the field and realized there were already ponies running laps around it. “The mares,” he thought to himself. The two groups had separate barracks, though they shared everything else. “They’re lucky they don’t have to run their laps with weights strapped to them. Why did I have to get stuck with the idiots who can’t follow orders and cause problems for the rest of us?”

The sound of clicking echoed across the training field as the drill instructor unlocked the supply shed. It was a wooden building about half as large as the barracks and two times as run-down. It held everything they used for their physical training; packs of various sizes, hefty weights, practice weapons, real weapons, and plenty of unrecognizable items Sundance had never seen. Half of them looked more like torture devices than training implements and he hoped he would never have to see them used.

The drill instructor stepped back from the building and swung the door open none too gently. The structure rattled ominously but somehow managed to keep from collapsing. “Alright, maggots. I want fifty laps around the field with ten-kilogram packs. You have one hour. Hurry up and get it done.” He hoisted a bag of his own across his back, a forty-kilogram pack if Sundance remembered the coloring correctly, and took off around the field.

Sundance shook his head. There was something unnatural about trueborn ponies and their physical abilities. However; as much as he hated the drill instructor, he at least had to respect the fact that the old pony joined their training exercises instead of watching from the side, even if most of the time he was just screaming at them.

A pack landed on the ground next to Sundance and he flinched back. He glanced up to see Bittersweet walking down the line of cadets, giving out the weighted bags to everypony. All of the ponies in front of Sundance had already begun putting them on, and a few had even started their laps. He sighed to himself. Ever since being moved to the sibko a few months ago, life had gotten to be hellish. The training sessions were so strenuous he thought he would collapse at times. Somehow he had managed to survive this long, but he wasn’t entirely sure he would thank himself later when he was inevitably thrown into battle.

Sundance slung the pack across his back and cinched it into place. The straps were made of special magnetic fibers strong enough to hold the bag in place without the need for mechanical latches or buckles, and they were quite a bit more convenient than velcro. Confident that the pack wasn’t going anywhere, he set off down the field and cast a glance over his shoulder, curious to see what would happen to Azure. His punishment wasn’t likely to be delayed for long.

A small dirt cloud was thrown into the air as Bittersweet dropped a pack at Azure’s hooves and smirked. At first, it seemed like nothing was going to happen, but then Sundance noticed the color and size of the bag. It was a dull gray, like all of the others, but it had a red stripe running down the back in place of the usual blue one, just like the pack the drill instructor had taken.

“A forty-kilogram pack,” Sundance thought sympathetically. “That probably weighs half as much as he does.” He shuddered at the thought of running nearly ten kilometers with fifty percent of his weight strapped to his body. It was a tall order for a young cadet.

Sundance turned back towards the dirt path that wound through the short grass as Bittersweet began to trot after the other cadets, leaving Azure to struggle with the unwieldy weight. The path had small pebbles embedded in it, though there were a few larger rocks that could trip a pony if they weren’t careful. It wound like a snake around the training field, a large expanse of short grass where the cadets spent their mornings and evenings. They were taught about warfare in classrooms before and after lunch, but most of that theoretical training had been done before they joined the sibko. For the most part, the last few months they had spent indoors were full of simulations and lessons on how to use the neurohelmets, devices that allowed MechWarriors to interface mentally with their ‘Mechs.

After a few moments, Bittersweet passed Sundance and snorted at him in his usual condescending way. Sundance frowned after the larger pony. “Contemptuous bastard,” he muttered quietly to himself. Unluckily for him, however, he hadn’t been quiet enough.

Bittersweet spun around on his hooves and shoved his face into Sundance’s. “What did you say to me?” he nearly shouted, his face contorted in it's all too familiar angry expression.

Sundance skidded to a halt and stared up at the larger pony. They were close enough for him to feel the hot breath blasting from Bittersweet’s nose, and the fury was all too evident on his face. “I-I uh, um…” Sundance stammered as his body began to lock up. He tended to let his emotions control him quite often, which could actually be a useful trait in many situations. If only fear wasn’t the emotion that tended to take over most of the time.

Sundance grunted as a hoof shoved him harshly to the ground. He felt stones that were embedded in the path dig sharply into his flank, and he let out a pained gasp. Before he could recover, however, his head was shoved into the dirt. The cold metal of a horseshoe pressed firmly against the side of his face, causing him to grit his teeth.

“You’d better hope I heard you wrong, scum. What did you say to me?” Bittersweet growled.

Before Sundance could react, he heard hoofsteps approaching and the commanding voice of the drill instructor called out. “What is going on here, cadets?”

The weight suddenly vanished from Sundance’s head and he scrambled to his hooves to see the drill instructor standing about a meter away, an annoyed look on his face. A couple of other ponies had also stopped to watch the encounter.

“I was just teaching this one his place,” Bittersweet spat.

“Making sure the filth say where they belong? Well, go on, then. Teach him a lesson,” the drill instructor said as he gestured to Sundance without looking at him as if he weren’t even worth the time to glance at.

Without waiting for a second invitation, Bittersweet hurled himself forward and struck Sundance violently in the face. Stars sprang in his vision at the impact, and he shook his head. A sharp jab to the ribs took him by surprise, followed by a headbutt that sent him reeling.

“How is he doing that? I can’t even see his movements,” Sundance thought as he was hit again. Blow after relentless blow landed on him, and he could feel tears welling in his eyes from the pain and humiliation.

One final kick to the jaw sent Sundance sprawling into the grass, where he lay for a few moments on the edge of unconsciousness. The training and age gaps had made the fight nowhere close to fair, but that didn’t matter. A fight was a fight, and in Clan Draconequus, the strong conquered the weak.

“That is enough. Everypony back to your laps,” the drill instructor said as he began running again. The small crowd that had gathered followed behind him, and while a few cast sympathetic glances towards Sundance, none of them dared to make themselves look weak by helping him.

Sundance coughed and struggled weakly to his hooves. His head was pounding, his ribs ached, a small cut on his forehead was bleeding into his left eye, and the taste of iron filled his mouth. “Fuck… That’s not a great way to start the morning.” He glared after the bright green pony. “Piece of shit, thinking he can do whatever he wants. I hope it bites him in the ass one day.”

Sundance sighed as he started forward. Life was awful in the freeborn sibko. Nopony enjoyed the torture and negligence directed towards them, but they couldn’t get away from it. This was the way their lives were now, and their fates were sealed.



The supply shed rattled as Sundance threw his weight pack into it. He had been the second to last pony to finish their laps, save for Azure, who was struggling along on his last lap. However; he had finished before the hour was up, and that was all that mattered.

Sundance groaned and flopped to the ground breathlessly. Every fiber of his being ached as if he had been run through a meat tenderizer. “What a shit show,” he thought as he lied on the ground, gasping for breath.

After a few moments, he heard hoofsteps approaching. He glanced over to see Azure trudging towards the wooden shed. The blue pony dropped his packs heavily onto the ground and collapsed on the spot, not bothering to properly replace the bags or even move to a patch of grass to lay in. Sundance would have felt sorry for him, but he wasn’t sure which of them had gotten the tougher situation.

“So… that was fun…” Azure gasped out in between breaths.

Sundance snorted. “If that’s your definition of fun, you’re in the right place.”

Azure laughed and rolled over in the dirt to face Sundance. “Don’t get me wrong, I love this hell just as much as the next worthless meat sack. But some of the ponies here could really work on their social skills.”

“You said it.” Sundance sighed and pushed himself into a sitting position. “Your name’s Azure, right?”

“Yep. Bittersweet’s favorite victim. Sorry, I don’t remember yours,” Azure said.

“I’m Sundance.”

“Oh yeah, I think I remember you now. You’re one of the lucky ponies from Styx, right?” Azure asked. “There was a huge political mess when that Commander ordered the remaining foals to be killed along with the others.”

Sundance nodded. “Yeah, that’s where I grew up.” He scratched the back of his head lightly. “I don’t really remember much of what happened, though. Everything before the cart ride is blank.”

“Well, it’s probably better that way.”

“Probably.” Truthfully, while Sundance was glad he couldn’t remember the events of that morning, what bothered him was he couldn’t even remember what his life was like before the attack. The only thing that ever came to his mind was a white pony whose face was covered in fog, and these images always came with splitting headaches. He wanted to remember, but it wasn’t worth the pain.

After a few moments, Azure rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself to his hooves with a groan. “I’d love to relax and chat all day, but I don’t want to be around when the drill instructor comes back at the end of the hour.”

Sundance grunted in agreement and pushed his battered body upright. He followed Azure back into the barracks, where the showers were located. Most of the others had already left for breakfast, but there were still a few lounging on their beds or folding clothes into piles.

The showers were located through a door in the back of the long room. They were rusted and tended to leak badly, but luckily both the hot and cold water worked properly. They each dropped their dirty jackets into the hamper and grabbed clean towels as they entered before selecting stalls at opposite ends of the room.

“This certainly has been an eventful morning,” Sundance thought as he stepped into the small shower. He turned one of the dials and winced as scorching hot water assaulted his body, but a quick adjustment brought the temperature down to something more comfortable. For the next few short minutes, simple worries about the day circled through his mind. “I hope the rest of the day isn’t so lively. I wonder what’s on the schedule for after breakfast?”

The squeak of a shower knob roused Sundance from his thoughts. “You about done in there? Most of the good food is going to be gone if we don’t hurry,” he heard Azure say.

“Yeah, don’t worry.” Sundance shut the water off and quickly rubbed himself dry with the towel. He flinched as he went over a few spots that were still sore from the fight. A long cut along his flank caught his attention, and his mind went back to the sharp stone that had dug into him before the fight. It was still oozing blood, but it didn’t look too serious. “Hopefully that doesn’t leave a scar. I should bandage it up.”

Sundance dropped his towel into the hamper and rummaged through a cabinet at the end of the room. He found the rolls of gauze on the top shelf and went to reach for one, but Azure’s voice behind him made him jump. “Come on, that doesn’t look like you’re hurrying. What are you- wow, that looks bad,” he said, noting the jagged red line along Sundance’s side.

“It should be fine. I just need to get it covered up.” Sundance grabbed a roll of gauze and wrapped the wound, being careful to not leave it open anywhere. He tied the ends securely with a small knot and turned to Azure after replacing the gauze in the cabinet. “There. Now we can leave.”

Azure eyed him and shrugged. “If you say so. Let’s go.” He led the way out of the showers and back into the barracks. They were the last ponies left in the building, with everypony else already having gone to breakfast.

Sundance walked over to his bed and opened the storage locker underneath it to grab a clean cadet jacket. He panicked for a moment when he thought all of his were dirty, but let out a breath of relief when he noticed one tucked into the back corner. It was too large so he tried to avoid wearing it, but sometimes he didn’t have many options. He turned over his shoulder to look at the blue pony, who was putting on his own cadet jacket. “Hey Azure, do you have any jackets that are a size smaller? The only one I’ve got left is more like a dress than anything.”

Azure shook his head. “No, sorry. I don’t imagine the Quartermaster would be willing to get you one that fits properly, either. Snobby casket born.”

The door to Sundance’s locker squeaked as he swung it shut, and he sighed. “Oh well. I guess this’ll do for today.” He threw on the baggy clothing and walked over to the exit, where Azure was already waiting.

“And I’d prefer if you didn’t call me Azure. Like, my entire body is already blue. I don’t need a blue name, too,” not-Azure said as he opened the door to the outside.

Sundance nodded. “Alright. Your full name is Azure Mist, right? How about I just call you Mist?”

“That’s good enough, I guess. We’ll go with that.”

The two of them made their way along the winding path through the forest that surrounded the training camp. For some odd reason, the buildings were all spaced far apart instead of in a more efficient pattern. It took nearly five minutes to get to the mess hall from the barracks. Sundance was convinced it hadn’t always been a military camp because of small things like this. It was just repurposed to be one. There were small clearings along the main paths that showed remnants of old buildings, overgrown trails that served no purpose for their training led off deep into the woods, and as far as he knew, many of the buildings looked like they had been around longer than the war had been going on. The only new additions were the large BattleMech Hangars and the airstrip, which were likely added within the last fifty years.

Sundance frowned to himself. The war seemed to serve no purpose. In a strange move untrue to Clan fashion, their previous Khan had attacked a Clan Wolf site unprovoked, gaining little from it and earning disrespect from many of the other Clans. The Jade Falcons were one of the few exceptions to this, seeing as their relationship with the Wolves seemed to constantly be tense at best. Sundance suspected there was an ulterior motive behind this war, but he had no clue what it was.

“Hello? Sundance, are you in there?”

Sundance blinked to see Mist standing in front of him, and he slowed to a halt. They had arrived at a grey brick building that served as the mess hall. There were a few windows still intact around the walls, but many of them had been broken over the years and were boarded up. A small group of cadets walked through the wooden double doors, probably to relax somewhere while they waited for the next training session to start. He shook his head. “Yeah, sorry. Just got lost in thought.”

“You should take care of that. We’re piloting real ‘Mechs for the first time today, and you don’t want to be distracted when you’re in the cockpit of one of those.” Mist turned back to the mess hall and continued towards it. “Come on, we need to get there before somepony eats all the coffee cake.”

Sundance hurried after Mist. “We’re piloting ‘Mechs today? Cool. I forgot to check the schedule this morning, so I had no clue what we were doing.”

“Yeah. It’s just a training unit, but it’s better than nothing.” Mist swung the doors open and glanced around the mess hall. “Nice, there’s still one left.” He practically sprinted to the serving window to grab one of the trays, and Sundance grinned and shook his head after the excited pony. The door squeaked as he let it swing shut, and he followed his new friend, who had already selected a seat, at a more relaxed pace. For himself he selected a tray with pancakes, peach yogurt, orange juice, and a bowl of hoofberries; a sweet white fruit native to the planet of Dike with a flavor that could be described as a combination of blueberries, strawberries, and extra sugar.

“There you are. Hurry up and eat, I don’t want to be the last one in line to pilot the ‘Mech,” Mist said as he stuffed his mouth full of coffee cake.

Sundance shook his head again as he sat down on one of the hard seats. “You really love coffee cake, don’t you?”

“Of course I do. It’s the only good thing the cooks here can make.”

“Yeah, you’re not wrong.” Sundance glanced at the pancakes on his own tray. While edible, they were thin and inconsistent. One day they’d be dry and lumpy, the next they’d be soggy and undercooked. At least they didn’t have to do anything to the fruit and vegetables, so those were normally decent. “Speaking of which, why do they bother cooking meat? I get that we’re omnivores, but I’ve never seen anypony here actually eat it.”

Mist washed down the rest of the cake with half a glass of milk and glanced back at the serving window. “I think it’s all just leftovers from the instructors’ meals. From what I’ve heard, a few of them don’t really eat much else, and to avoid waste they at least try to give it out to us.”

“That makes sense, I guess.” The two of them continued eating in silence, trying to finish soon enough to make it to the next training session in time. Once they were done, they brought their empty trays back to the serving window and left the mess hall. They were the last ones out of the large space, but Sundance was pretty sure they could still make it on time without any worry.

The path to the ‘Mech Hangars snaked through the dense trees. It was a lot like the one to the barracks, with the main difference being that this one was wide enough to accommodate a BattleMech. ‘Mechs rarely came through this path, and the only time Sundance could remember seeing one was when the cadets had first been brought there. A few had been walking down the path from the airstrip, likely units meant to replace the ones taken to war by the previous cadets.

After a few minutes of hurried walking, they came to a large clearing around the bottom of a cliff face. There was a set of massive steel doors with a large “6” painted on them that stretched high above their heads set in the rock, which led back into the hangar when opened. A pony-sized opening in the rock just next to the bay doors beckoned to them, being the only entrance that wasn’t closed. Normally the bay doors were left cracked open, but today they were shut tightly against the world. “Hangar number six,” Sundance thought as the doors came into view.

“I guess we’re supposed to use that entrance today,” Mist said. He walked across the clearing to the opening with Sundance not far behind him. It was a simple stone tunnel carved neatly into the mountain, with dim fluorescent lights hanging from the ceiling.

“Are you sure this leads into the hangar? I’ve never used this entrance before,” Sundance said nervously. The last thing he wanted was to wander into someplace he wasn’t supposed to be, and thus be on the receiving end of a painful punishment.

Mist scratched the back of his head. “I’m fairly certain. It’s not like we were ever told to not go through here, so I think we’ll be fine.” He took a hesitant step into the tunnel, then another. No alarms went off and a guard didn’t suddenly burst out of the shadows, so they continued on.

After a few moments, they came to a sharp turn left in the tunnel, in the direction of the hangar. A rusty door was propped open, and through it, a metal staircase could be seen reaching towards a catwalk that wound around the walls high in the air. Sundance could hear voices through the doors, and when he walked through and looked up, he saw the other first-year cadets all on the catwalk above him. They were in one of the twenty ‘Mech Bays; individual bays meant for storing mechs that were separated by steel walls. It opened up into the main area of Hangar Six, a massive expanse of concrete with ceilings nearly thirty meters high in places.

“See? Nothing to worry about,” Mist said. He led the way up the stairs to where the other cadets were waiting in a line. There were two helmets placed against the far wall, and when Sundance looked he could see one of the same helmets next to each pony there.

“I guess we all get our own neurohelmets?” Sundance asked.

Mist nodded. “I think so. It’s best not to share. You wouldn’t want lice or anything,” he said with a wink before taking one of the helmets.

Sundance grabbed the last one and stepped into line next to Mist at the end of the line. The helmet was heavy in his hooves, and he lifted it in front of him to take a closer look. Unlike the simple neurohelmets they used in the simulators that simply sat on top of the user’s head, these ones covered a pony’s entire face with a large face shield. When he glanced into the helmet at the padded interior, he could see a series of small projectors that made up the heads-up display.

Neurohelmets allowed a BattleMech pilot, called a MechWarrior, to give commands to their ’Mechs through thought rather than physical action. While ‘Mechs weren’t controlled solely by the helmets and could even be piloted with just manual controls, the presence of a neurohelmet enabled MechWarriors to perform additional maneuvers that wouldn’t be possible without one. As well as that, a neurohelmet allowed the artificial intelligence in ‘Mechs to learn the pilot and know when they wanted to attack or retreat, for example.

The whine of a fusion reactor in the bay next to theirs caught Sundance’s attention. Mist glanced at him with an excited expression as the first step of a ‘Mech rattled the catwalk beneath them. Another step shook Sundance to the core, and after one more a large ‘Mech stepped out in front of them and stopped underneath the catwalk.

The ‘Mech, which Sundance recognized as a Shadow Cat, was painted bright orange to designate it as a training unit. All of the weapons had been removed and the computer systems in the ‘Mech were lower powered than a fully fledged ‘Mech, but it was still an amazing sight that rendered the cadets speechless.

A deep chuckle came through the external speakers of the machine. “I will never forget my first time seeing a ‘Mech. They are beautiful machines, quiaff?”

The access hatch above the cockpit swung open, and a burly black pegasus climbed out. His uniform marked him as a Point Commander, and he removed his own neurohelmet to reveal burnt orange eyes and a short orange mane that was greying at the roots. “And now you get to pilot one. My name is Commander Charcoal, and I am in charge of you freebirths. On this day, you begin the path to become MechWarriors.”
> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Commander stalked down the catwalk and surveyed each of the cadets. Sundance shivered as the old pony’s eyes raked over him. It was strange, as if the pony peered into their souls and plucked out the important bits. He seemed trustworthy and nicer than most of the other trueborns, but something about the atmosphere around him left Sundance with a cold feeling in his stomach.

“Alright, cadets. I know you have already been through basic training and simulations, but Cadmium and I are going to give you a brief recap,” the Commander said as he nodded towards a door at the top of the stairs. A dark blue, almost black unicorn with black eyes and a disheveled, long silver mane stepped out. He wore a frayed white lab coat and crooked rectangular wire frame glasses, and a device that was enveloped in a black aura floated in front of him.

Cadmium blinked a few times and straightened his glasses. He looked exhausted, and Sundance got the feeling he never got much sleep. “Thanks for the lovely introduction, Charcoal. Now then. I’m Cadmium, the lead scientist in this dump. I don’t wish to be here, lecturing all of you, but orders are orders.” He let out a suffering sigh as if he were about to give a spiel he had already done a million times. “This scanner is going to take measurements so that we can get cooling suits for all of you. If you recall from your classes, the temperature in the cockpit of a ‘Mech can soar well above the boiling point of water when its heat level reaches its maximum. You’ll cook long before you can be of any use without one of these suits.

“Your neurohelmets have all been linked to this training unit. Just like in the simulations, they will allow you to control the ‘Mech to a greater degree than if you were to use only physical controls. Expect a higher level of mental strain during this exercise. It shouldn’t cause any problems, but if you feel you are about to black out, please power down the ‘Mech before you do so. I don’t want to have to repair this scrapped machine any more than I will inevitably have to.” With that, Cadmium nodded to the Commander and walked over to the closest cadet, who happened to be Sundance.

“Face forward and remain still. The process will go much faster if you do,” Cadmium said. Sundance locked his muscles in place and stared straight ahead as a series of red lasers enveloped his body. After a short moment, the scanner beeped and Cadmium stepped in front of Mist to repeat the process.

“Now that all of that is out of the way, I will explain the exercise,” Commander Charcoal said. “Once inside the Shadow Cat, you are to power up the ‘Mech and remain upright. After you manage to hold your balance for a full thirty seconds, take a lap around the hangar. Try not to run into anything, or Cadmium will have a few angry words for you.”

“It’d be more than just words,” Cadmium grumbled as he moved on to the next cadet.

Commander Charcoal shook his head and was about to open his mouth to speak, but a silvery voice at the end of the line behind him interrupted him. “Um, Commander Charcoal?”

“Yes? What is it?” He asked as he turned around to face the cadet who had spoken up.

“Do we not need cooling suits for today, sir?”

The Commander shook his head. “While they do not have many heat sinks, training units do not output much heat, and they have no weapons. The cockpit temperature will remain low, so you will be fine for now. Since you seem to be so outspoken, we will start with you.” He turned and pointed to the open access hatch of the ‘Mech. “Climb in and begin the exercise.”

The sound of hooves on the steel catwalk echoed quietly through the ‘Mech Bay as a pegasus walked nervously over to the ‘Mech. She had a dark grey coat, a flowing yellow-green mane, and lively lime eyes set in a soft, round face. Something pulled faintly at the edges of Sundance’s mind when he saw her; a long forgotten memory of a dreary morning. The feeling was so fleeting he almost thought it was his imagination, but he couldn’t shake the impression that he had met her once before during an important event.

The pegasus briefly caught Sundance’s eyes before hastily putting on her neurohelmet and climbing down onto the Shadow Cat. The access hatch swung shut behind her, and Mist nudged him with an elbow. “Hey, she’s really cute, don’t you think?”

Sundance shrugged. “I guess so. I wasn’t really paying attention.”

“Come on, you’ve got as good of a chance with her as anypony. Better, actually. She stares at you all the time when you aren’t looking.”

Sundance raised an eyebrow at him. “Really?”

Mist nodded. “Yeah. She sat a few seats behind you back when we were still in that awful classroom, and I swear she paid more attention to you than the Commander who taught that class. I think her name is Chartreuse.”

“Huh.” Sundance glanced over at the Shadow Cat, which had just begun the startup sequence. Romance wasn’t something he was particularly interested in at that point. He was a bit more worried about surviving training, but maybe at some point in the future, he’d have time for such light-hearted things. “How did you notice something like that?”

Mist scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. “Well, she wasn’t the only one doing more staring than listening. Seriously, you remember what it was like there. It was impossible to listen to that monotonous idiot repeat everything.”

Sundance nodded in agreement as he thought back to Commander Seaweed, their ancient teacher from the classes that had previously occupied the time between breakfast and lunch. The dark green unicorn was the oldest pony he had ever seen, and many of the cadets had joked around by saying he was present during the Clan invasion five centuries ago. 

The invasion was mostly for revenge, seeing as the Clans had been driven from their home planets by the five remaining Great Houses a few hundred years prior. Even though they didn’t achieve their goal of taking over the Inner Sphere, the Clans managed to carve out a massive swathe of planets. Most of the Clans, who formerly made up the House of Loyalty, resided in their original sector beside the rest of the Houses as a result of the invasion. Sundance snorted. It seemed Commander Seaweed’s repetition was an effective way to learn things, even if it was boring.

The crash of something massive and the vibration of the catwalk roused Sundance from his thoughts. He and the rest of the cadets moved to the railing and glanced over it to see the Shadow Cat lying face-first on the ground with its legs flailing out behind it.

“Almost, cadet. Hurry up and get back on your feet so we can continue the exercise.”

The ‘Mech used its arms to leverage itself back to its feet. It stood mostly still for the required thirty seconds, only swaying slightly every few seconds, and the Commander nodded. “Very good. Now take your lap and hop out of the ‘Mech.”

The Shadow Cat turned in a slow arc and began walking around the hangar. At one turn it lost its balance and nearly smacked into the side of one of the other ‘Mech Bays, but Chartreuse managed to keep the ‘Mech upright and continued her lap. After a few more seconds the lap was complete, and she stopped the Shadow Cat beneath the catwalk in the Bay.

“That wasn’t too bad. I’d imagine piloting a real ‘Mech for the first time isn’t easy, and going first didn’t do her any favors,” Mist said.

Sundance nodded. He was a bit worried about how different it would be from the simulations, but luckily he was at the opposite end of the line and would be going last. Hardly anypony would be paying attention by the time it got to be his turn, so he didn’t have to worry quite as much about making a fool of himself.

The access hatch on the Shadow Cat opened and Chartreuse climbed out. The Commander reached a hoof down to help her up onto the catwalk and turned back to the other cadets. “Next in line, it is your turn. If the rest of you go through the exercise that quickly, we will not have to shorten your lunch time.”

The threat of a shortened lunch break seemed to hasten the movements of the cadets, and even though quite a few had less than impressive performances, the training session progressed acceptably well. Many of them managed to only fall over one time during the initial phase, and only a hoofful misstepped during their lap. Cadmium sighed heavily every time the ‘Mech made contact with the ground or one of the Bays, and it was hard for Sundance to stifle his smiles at the pony’s reactions.

After a while, somepony Sundance recognized stepped forward on the catwalk. It was Vermilion, the pony who the drill instructor had thrown around that morning. 

Vermilion’s run through of the exercise had a fairly standard start, and while his balance was better than most of the others’, what was truly impressive was the relative elegance at which he moved around the hangar during his lap. Sure the ‘Mech teetered precariously on a couple of turns, but his piloting skill was the best out of any of the cadets so far. His lap time was the shortest by a full five seconds.

“Excellent run through, cadet,” the Commander said as Vermilion stopped the ‘Mech in the Bay. Vermilion climbed out onto the catwalk and went back to his spot in line to shortly be replaced by the next cadet.

“That was pretty good. I’d be willing to bet I can do better, though,” Mist said to Sundance.

Sundance smirked at his new friend. “I guess we’ll see. Piloting a ‘Mech probably isn’t as simple as you think.”

Mist shrugged. “Come on. With my extensive knowledge of BattleMechs, there’s no way I could do poorly here.”

Over the course of the next few hours, more cadets went through the exercise, with some performing better than others. One somehow managed to trip over seemingly nothing on their lap, and neither the Commander or Cadmium was too happy as a result. 

Before long it became Mist’s turn to hop in the ‘Mech. He grinned at Sundance as he walked towards the powered down machine. “My time to shine. Wish me luck!” he called over his shoulder.

Sundance sighed and watched the blue pony lower himself into the Shadow Cat. The whine of the ‘Mech’s fusion reactor shortly followed the access hatch closing. The machine pitched backward almost immediately and tumbled to the ground. A sneering giggle ran through the assembled cadets, and the Commander shook his head in disappointment.

“I did warn him,” Sundance thought to himself. The ‘Mech struggled back to its feet and shakily stayed upright. It had begun to look like Mist was going to complete the first part of the exercise when the Shadow Cat began teetering sideways on one leg. It crashed onto the concrete again, and a collective groan went through the other ponies.

“Hurry up, cadet. We do not have all day to watch you blunder about,” the Commander said, clearly displeased.

The Shadow Cat pulled itself up again in an attempt to complete the exercise. Sundance could imagine how embarrassed Mist was just then, and he felt a little sorry for his friend. Maybe the situation would at least teach him a little bit of humility if he was lucky.

Mist managed to keep the ‘Mech balanced for the full thirty seconds, and the Commander nodded to him, signaling for Mist to begin his lap.

The Shadow Cat turned sluggishly and trudged forward, almost dragging its feet along the ground as it stomped around the hangar. When he was at the far Bay the ‘Mech’s left arm collided with one of the dividing walls and ripped a small gash in the thin steel. Cadmium rubbed his temples and let out an aggravated sigh, and Sundance had to stifle another laugh at the scientist.

“Poor display, cadet. You need to improve your piloting skills,” Commander Charcoal said as Mist brought the Shadow Cat to a hesitant halt in the ‘Mech Bay. The access hatch swung open slowly and Mist shamefully pulled himself up onto the catwalk. Sundance trotted towards the ‘Mech as Mist began his own walk back to his place in line. While it was true Mist’s performance was nothing special, he at least hadn’t been the worst cadet out of the group so far.

“Don’t say anything,” Mist mumbled as the two passed each other. Sundance chuckled quietly and continued past his friend. He noticed Chartreuse looking at him out of the corner of his eye, but pretended not to notice. The faint memory from earlier came back into his mind for a short moment, and he shook his head to clear it. He needed to focus on the training exercise and not some echo of a memory.

Sundance stepped carefully onto the top of the Shadow Cat and lowered himself down into the cockpit, his neurohelmet tucked underneath one foreleg. He swung the access hatch shut behind him and sat down in the pilot’s seat. 

The dull interior of the cockpit was illuminated by a dim light at the top of the small space. The usually complex layout was dumbed-down to just the essentials, but that wouldn’t make a difference for training. The pilot’s seat was fairly ergonomic, though years of wear had left the rubber padding thin in places. A seat in such condition would have been replaced on a combat unit, but since the ‘Mech was used only for training purposes, the Techs had not bothered to replace it yet as it still served its purpose acceptably well.

The neurohelmet beeped as Sundance put it on and it linked to the Shadow Cat. He slid the seat’s straps into place over his body and hovered one hoof nervously over the controls. “I guess there’s no point in delaying any longer,” he thought as he pressed a few buttons and began the startup sequence.

The fusion engine fired up and filled the cockpit with a barely audible hum. The Diagnostic Interpretation Computer, or DI Computer for short, let out a series of beeps as it ran a quick inspection of the ‘Mech’s systems. After a few short moments, the computer’s voice gave the all-clear, signaling the ‘Mech was fully operational.

Reactor: Online. All Systems Nominal.

Sundance shifted in his seat and grunted. “Huh. Short startup sequence,” he thought to himself. It made sense, considering the Shadow Cat didn’t even have a radar as far as he could tell. The cockpit felt empty compared to the simulations where screens filled all of the space that wasn’t glass or controls.

A strange sensation in the back of Sundance’s head caught his attention. It almost felt like somepony else was inside his thoughts, and it was unsettling to have something foreign invading his mind. “H-hello? Who’s there?” he called out tentatively.

Seemingly in response, a warm hum filled Sundance’s mind. It seemed like it was coming from the neurohelmet, but ‘Mechs didn’t have artificial intelligence integrated into them, so it should be impossible for it to react to anything he said or thought. Or should it?

“Are you… are you the Shadow Cat?” Sundance asked. The hum picked up in intensity briefly, as if to answer his question. “Amazing. I didn’t know ‘Mechs could communicate like that.” He glanced out of the cockpit to see the Commander signaling to him to start his lap around the hangar. “Wait, that was thirty seconds? That certainly didn’t seem like it,” he thought. He hadn’t felt the ‘Mech sway even a little bit, which was surprising given the performance of the other cadets. “Well, I guess I should finish so we can get to lunch.”

Sundance swung the legs of the Shadow Cat around and nearly overshot the turn when the ‘Mech moved much quicker than he had anticipated. Ironically, the exercise had gone almost exactly like the simulations for Sundance, barring the communication between him and the ‘Mech. He had expected the Shadow Cat to move sluggishly as it had for the past cadets, but it wasn’t even recognizable as the same machine.

“This is strange. I thought this would be harder,” he thought as he moved the ‘Mech forward. It stepped around the hanger lightly, gracefully taking the same path it had stomped along just a couple of minutes prior. The Shadow Cat buzzed in a way that almost made it sound amused, and Sundance adjusted his neurohelmet slightly. “Can you hear my thoughts, too?” The ‘Mech buzzed again in response. “Huh. I’ve never heard of that happening before.”

Sundance brought the Shadow Cat to rest carefully in the ‘Mech Bay. He hadn’t faltered once during the exercise, and his own surprise was mirrored on the faces of a few of the other cadets. “Well, that certainly was something,” Sundance thought. “I guess I’ll see you during the next training session.” The Shadow Cat beeped in what he assumed was agreement, and he powered down the machine.

The seat creaked as Sundance stood up in the cockpit and removed his neurohelmet. The light of the hangar was almost blinding after being in such a dim place, and he had to shield his eyes as he swung the access hatch open and climbed out of the machine.

“Very impressive, cadet. How did you pilot the ‘Mech so flawlessly?” the Commander asked, a faint look of awe briefly occupying his face.

Sundance scratched the back of his head after he pulled himself onto the catwalk. “I’m not sure, sir. It just kind of came naturally to me.” He glanced over his shoulder at the powered down ‘Mech, who stood perfectly still in its Bay. “Also, I know it probably sounds strange, but I think the ‘Mech talked to me. Or, at least tried to.”

The Commander frowned and opened his mouth to speak, but Cadmium rushed forward and interrupted him, his eyes wide in an expression of wonder. “Wait, wait, wait. You mean, the ‘Mech spoke to you?”

“Well, not exactly. There was a dull hum that seemed to react to my actions and what I was saying. It definitely was different than the usual static from the simulations.”

“Fascinating. Truly fascinating,” Cadmium said. “I’ve heard of pilots who shared a strong mental bond with their ‘Mechs, but this is… Completely unheard of. I’ll need to look into this more.” He turned around and walked down the catwalk towards the door he had exited at the start of training, muttering to himself the whole way.

The Commander shook his head and turned back to Sundance. “Regardless of the reason, that is quite the talent for a freeborn to have. I’ll be keeping a very close eye on your progress, so do not disappoint me.” He walked to where the other cadets were standing and called out in a loud voice that carried easily across the Bay. “Good progress today, cadets. Most of you performed acceptably well, though a few of you will need to improve quickly. Tomorrow will be a much more busy day. Now that we know you can all handle the neural load of a real ‘Mech, each of you will be assigned your own training units to use for the next week. After that point, your piloting skills should be perfected, and combat units will be assigned. You are dismissed.”

The cadets all filed down the stairs, muttering excitedly among themselves. They dropped off their neurohelmets where they had picked them up, and Sundance followed at the back, behind Chartreuse. Mist was waiting at the top of the stairs, and when Sundance arrived, he fell in beside him. “That was incredible! You almost looked like you knew what you were doing out there,” he said jokingly.

Sundance snorted and shoved his friend lightly. “More than you did. Didn’t you say earlier you were going to do better than any of the other cadets?”

Mist glanced nervously at Chartreuse then back to Sundance. “Yeah, well… it was different than I was expecting.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right about that. It definitely didn’t go how I thought it would either.” Sundance blinked a few times as his eyes adjusted to the dim tunnel that led out of the hangar. “We’re running more simulations after lunch, right?”

“Yep, combat simulations. I think they’re supposed to start throwing ambushes into the mix, so be prepared for that,” Mist said. He slowed his walking pace slightly so that the two of them were walking a short distance behind Chartreuse, far enough that they were out of earshot. Mist turned to Sundance with an odd expression on his face. “If Chartreuse didn’t like you enough already, now you’ve got your piloting skills to add to the pile of whatever she sees in you.”

Sundance sighed and glanced at the grey pegasus far ahead of them. “I think you’re overthinking things. It’s faint, but I think I can remember her from somewhere else. It feels like it was something important. She’s probably just in a similar situation. Besides, I’m not really interested in dating. We’ve got more urgent things to worry about, like our Trials coming up in a few years.”

“Whatever you say,” Mist said with a shrug. “If that means you aren’t going after her, can I?”

“If you think you can get her to like you.”

“Of course I can! I’m the most charming pony in the sibko. I can win over the heart of anypony I choose,” Mist said as he puffed out his chest.

Sundance chuckled and shook his head. “Go for it. Maybe learn some modesty on the way.” As he watched his new friend speed ahead of him, his own mind went back to the aforementioned “Trial.” He had referred to the Trial of Position, a sort of combat ritual that allowed a cadet to become a Warrior. While in most Clans failing at any point during training, including the Trial, meant the cadet would be relegated to a lower caste, such as Technicians, Scientists, or Merchants, that was not an option in Clan Draconequus.

As far as Sundance could tell, the outcome for the Draconequus freeborns was either death or combat. Ponies that would normally have failed their ‘Mech training instead become infantry, tank crews, or aerospace pilots. It was more theory than fact, but Sundance had a feeling the reason so many Warriors were allowed through was that Clan Draconequus was desperate. They threw ponies at the enemy like cannon fodder, a practice looked down upon by the other Clans.

Sundance glanced at Mist just as he caught up to Chartreuse. “Are we all going to survive this? It’s unlikely that we’ll die before we get put into combat, but what happens then? We won’t be as skilled as our opponents.” He sighed and glanced up at the sky. “I wish things could stay like this forever. Now that I have a friend, training is actually tolerable. I just worry about what happens when we leave for war.” Whatever was in store for them, all he knew was he needed to make the best of the next six years. It was unlikely he would survive long into adulthood, so he needed to enjoy life while he still could.



Sundance leaned back in his seat and rubbed his eyes. He had just failed one of the combat simulations; a scene taken from the Clan Invasion where he was supposed to hold a point against numerous Inner Sphere ‘Mechs and keep his own Star of ‘Mechs alive. It was a difficult mission he had never managed to pass, but to be fair, it was only the cadets’ third month of simulator training, and they couldn’t be expected to complete such a difficult situation. That didn’t stop the instructor from deducting points, however.

“Poor performance, cadet Sundance. You need to improve your combat skills,” the drill instructor said as he walked down the line of simulation cockpits. They were basically just the front half of a cockpit with display screens replacing the glass, leaving the back half open as both an entrance and to allow the instructor to observe.

“Maybe try a bit of constructive criticism next time,” Sundance muttered under his breath. He lifted the neurohelmet off of his head and stepped out of the fake cockpit. It was late in the evening, and now that it was time for dinner, the cadets were leaving for the mess hall as they completed their simulations. He looked for Mist, who had just finished his own simulation and was walking down the aisle towards him.

“How’d you do?” Mist asked.

Sundance sighed. “Not very good. Passed five simulations, came to a draw in one, and lost six.”

Mist raised an eyebrow at him. “A draw? How’d you manage something like that?”

“The last enemy got me with a Short Range Missile salvo just after I took him out with an autocannon.”

“Ah. I’d say unlucky, but the drill instructor wouldn’t see it that way,” Mist said.

“Definitely not.” Sundance rolled his still aching shoulder and grunted at the pain as they stepped out of the simulator room, which he thought used to be a common area of some sort before the camp was repurposed.

Mist gave him a concerned glance. “Are you alright? That fight earlier today was pretty intense.”

Sundance nodded. “Yeah, I’m just a bit sore.”

“Maybe you should go to the infirmary if it’s still bothering you. If nothing else, you could at least get some painkillers from the nurse.”

“I probably should.” While Sundance had been pushing through the pain all day, the adrenaline had worn off hours ago. Now that he was taking the time to actually listen to his body, he noticed just how much pain he was still in. His jaw and the cut along his flank stung sharply. “I think I might run over there now. Could you save a spot for me at our table?”

Mist nodded. “Sure thing. Want me to grab you anything before all the good stuff is gone?”

“Whatever looks the most edible today. I’m not picky.” Sundance took a separate path from Mist as they came to a fork in the road. “I’ll be there in a bit.”

“Got it. See you,” Mist said as he waved to Sundance.

“Now, I just have to remember which way it is to the infirmary,” Sundance thought. It wasn’t too hard to get lost in the network of pathways, and he had only been to the infirmary once before, when all of the cadets were examined upon entering the camp the first time.

After a few minutes of walking, a long wooden building came into view. It had a tin roof, windows that stretched along its entire length, and a sign above the double doors with a large red cross on it. “There it is. Glad I remembered correctly,” Sundance thought to himself as he walked up to it.

Sundance swung one of the doors open and glanced inside. It wasn’t the standard bright white of many other infirmaries and hospitals, and it felt more like a regular cabin. The wood-paneled walls and seemingly decorative cabinets under the windows added to the rustic look, and even the hardwood floor, which was covered in a clear protective layer, added a sense of comfort.

“Another injured cadet. They really should give me another pony to help out,” Sundance heard a voice say. He turned to see an old beige unicorn with orange eyes and a faded gray mane glance up at him from her patient, who was sitting on one of the beds. Sundance recognized her as Cornsilk, the only nurse they had at the camp. Surprisingly, he also recognized the patient, who in turn recognized him when she turned around and nearly fell off her bed in surprise.

“Easy, Chartreuse! Don’t add to your list of problems,” Cornsilk said as she reached to steady the gray pegasus before turning her attention back to Sundance. “So what seems to be the problem? Neurohelmet fry your brain, too?”

Sundance shook his head. “I got in a fight this morning and the pain hasn’t gone away yet.”

“This morning? Why’d you wait so long to come here?” Cornsilk shook her head. “Have a seat on the bed behind me. I’ll be with you in a moment.”

Sundance walked over to the bed across from Chartreuse and eased himself onto it. Again, the memory pressed faintly against the back of his mind when he looked at her. It was strange and he wanted answers, but he wasn’t really willing to risk a migraine for them.

Chartreuse squeaked quietly as Cornsilk prodded her in the stomach. The old pony jotted something down on the clipboard floating next to her and took a step back. “Yep, it looks to me like you’re just suffering from the side effects of piloting a BattleMech for the first time. The neurohelmet puts a lot of strain on first time pilots, and while most suffer discomfort from it, some form of idiotic bravery or whatever keeps them from coming to me, which causes more problems down the road. Stupid young ponies,” Cornsilk said as she shook her head. 

Cornsilk opened one of the cabinets with her magic and nodded towards it. “Take one of those bottles and follow the instructions until it’s empty. And write it down for me, will you? I need to keep track of my inventory. Just use the sheet taped to the cabinet’s door.”

Sundance shifted uncomfortably as Cornsilk turned towards him. “And now for you. Next time you get injured, come see me immediately. You’ll do less damage to yourself that way. Now up,” she said as she motioned for him to stand. Sundance slid off of the bed and stepped forward to allow her to examine his body.

Sharp pain in Sundance’s flank made him flinch as Cornsilk prodded the gash on his side underneath the bandages. “Did you put these on yourself? This is why I always tell ponies to let me do the work. None of you ever do it properly.” She sighed and floated a small tray over to herself. She selected a pair of scissors and used them to cut across the bandages on the opposite side of his wound.

“Now, this is going to hurt-” Cornsilk suddenly used her magic to rip the bandages off of Sundance, and he gasped in pain as a massive scab came along with the gauze.

“Ow! Fuck, why didn’t you warn me?” Sundance asked as he turned towards Cornsilk, more than a little annoyed.

Cornsilk chuckled and dropped the soiled bandages in the trash. “It hurts less that way, trust me. That’s what happens when you don’t bandage wounds properly. The blood dries in the bandage and you have to rip it off. Well, you don’t have to, but I like to. It’s more fun that way.” She wiped down the cut with a disinfectant wipe and sprayed it with a strange liquid that stung at first, but caused the blood to clot almost immediately. She then applied a strange, cold paste over top of it and grabbed a fresh roll of gauze.

A gasp behind Sundance caught his attention, and he turned to see Chartreuse staring at his flank with her mouth open.

“Why’s she staring like that? The cut wasn’t that bad,” Sundance thought as he turned to look back at his flank again. However, when he saw what she was actually gaping at, he felt her surprise mirrored in his own mind at the sudden appearance of the new mark on his flank.

It was a BattleMech. Sundance’s cutie mark was a Timber Wolf.
> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Are you serious? Your cutie mark is a Timber Wolf?!" Mist exclaimed. He leaned back in his seat exasperatedly. "I mean, everything makes sense now, but why you? First Chartreuse starts to like you, then you have the best piloting skills out of all of us, and now this?"

Sundance scratched his head. "It's just luck, I guess. Celestia knows why, but it's what I'm good at." The nurse had let him go for the night, giving him a bottle of pain reliever and instructions to take it every morning with breakfast until the bottle was empty. He was still going to be sore for a while, but luckily there weren't any serious problems.

"I know, but..." Mist sighed. "Even before I got stolen from my home, it was always my dream to be a MechWarrior and charge into battle, blasting holes in enemy Mechs with PPCs. That's why I know so much about them. I became obsessed with them. But it's not going to be me; it's your destiny. I'm the worst pilot in the Sibko."

Sundance placed a hoof reassuringly on Mist's shoulder. "You'll get better, don't worry. You know more about Mechs than any other cadet here. If anyone has the potential to be a great MechWarrior, it's you." He looked around nervously. "Besides, I'm sure you've noticed how much of a coward I am. I couldn't even defend myself against Bittersweet this morning. Even if I'm a good pilot, that doesn't mean I'll be a good soldier."

Mist looked up at Sundance. "You really think I can be a good MechWarrior?"

Sundance nodded. "Of course. Situational awareness and knowing the enemy are big parts of piloting a Mech. I don't know any other pony who has both of those things."

Mist smiled slightly at Sundance. "Thanks. The two of us would probably make quite the team on the battlefield." He stood up from his seat and grabbed his dinner tray. "We should probably head to bed now. We don't exactly get a lot of extra time to sleep." 

Sundance nodded. "Yeah." Their chairs squeaked as they pushed them in and headed back to the serving window. Sundance thought back to his encounter with Chartreuse earlier that evening. They had talked a bit on the way to the mess hall, but not about anything significant. Sundance didn't think he liked her that much, but she was cool to be around.

Sundance didn't notice the pony blocking his way until he was inches from them. He looked up, startled, to find Bittersweet staring at him. "Heard you impressed the Commander today."

Sundance stood still for a second, remembering their encounter from earlier that day. "Umm... Y-yeah, I guess," he said nervously. He glanced at Mist, who had already walked quite a ways away and would be of no help to him in this situation.

Bittersweet snorted. "Don't let it get to your head. You're still not MechWarrior material." He pushed past Sundance on his way to one of the other tables and bumped into him roughly. Sundance stared after the larger pony while trying to ignore the dull ache in his ribs.

"He isn't wrong. I don't exactly have the highest combat simulation scores." Sundance placed his tray back in the serving window and followed Mist out into the crisp night air. He sighed to himself and glanced out at the dark forest. "I shouldn't worry about that so much. I'll improve. I have to if I'm going to survive the war."



The time had finally come for the cadets to pilot a real BattleMech for the first time, and Sundance had never felt such a conflicting combination of emotions. He couldn't wait to hop into a real cockpit, but he still had doubts about being able to fight in one, and he was nervous about piloting something different. The bond between him and the Shadow Cat had become fairly strong over the past week, and he didn't really want a new 'Mech. Sundance shook his head. He needed to keep these negative thoughts out of his head or he'd be sure to disappoint the Commander.

Commander Charcoal walked down the line of cadets. They were standing shoulder to shoulder just outside of the hangar with their black and blue cooling suits fitted snugly to their body. It had taken some time for the cadets to get their suits, but they had had enough time to make any minor adjustments before the next stage of their training. The suits were designed with their growth in mind and could be modified without too much trouble as the cadets got older.

"Alright, MechWarriors. While you are going to be piloting BattleMechs with real weapon systems, they have been deactivated. You will not be firing today, just getting used to the added strain of extensive DI and battle computers. Most of you have been assigned to a medium mech, but a select few of you will be piloting heavies today." The Commander looked expectantly at Sundance, Chartreuse, and Vermilion, the three cadets with the highest piloting scores. "It is a big jump to go from a dumbed-down medium to a fully decked-out heavy, but know that I will not go any easier on you because of it." 

He turned back towards the rest of the cadets. "If any of you do not like the 'Mechs you were assigned, there will be an opportunity to switch tomorrow. However, for today at least, everypony will use what they were given." The Commander lifted up his neurohelmet. "Everypony is to meet me at the northwest training field in ten minutes. Do not be late."

"Aff, Commander!" the cadets all said, saluting in unison. The Commander nodded before he fit his neurohelmet to his head and turned towards his configuration C Mad Dog. As the rest of the cadets began walking towards their own Mechs, Mist caught up to Sundance, Chartreuse, and Vermilion.

"I wish I could pilot a heavy 'Mech. You guys are so lucky. Well, guys and girl, I guess," Mist said, smiling at his own bad joke. "I got stuck with a stupid Clan Hunchback." He sighed. "It's not exactly the pinnacle of medium 'Mechs. I'm one of the few cadets who wasn't assigned an OmniMech."

"That sucks. Maybe you can switch tomorrow?" Chartreuse suggested. The two of them acted so strangely towards each other, and Sundance still had no idea what she thought of Mist. It wasn't looking too good for him.

"I doubt Commander Charcoal would have kept me out of an OmniMech if there were any left." He perked up after a moment. "But... that's only all of the medium OmniMechs. Maybe there will be a heavy, or even an assault!" he said excitedly.

Vermilion shook his head. "The assaults are only for the third years and above who manage to impress Charcoal. Being a freeborn Sibko, we're not very high on the priority list for assault 'Mechs." 

Mist sighed in response. "Oh well. A heavy is still cool. An Ebon Jaguar or something, maybe."

Sundance raised an eyebrow at Vermilion. "Why do you refer to the Commander as just 'Charcoal?'"

The red pony shrugged. "I don't have any respect for a pony born in a machine. They all think they're so much better than us just because they're stronger." He glanced back at the Mad Dog that was leaving the hangar with a dark look on his face. "He's not as nice as he wants you to think. The freeborn units would always go into battle first under his command when he was still on active duty. It's just another brainwashing method to make us loyal."

Sundance, Mist, and Chartreuse glanced at each other. "Are you sure? But he actually seems like a good pony. He certainly treats us better than the drill instructor does," Chartreuse said. 

Vermilion nodded. "It happened to my brother. Just last year, his freeborn unit was on the frontlines acting as cannon fodder. Half of them died, including him."

The three of them thought about that for a moment. It was possible, and even though it was hard to believe, Sundance could actually see it happening and it aligned with his previous theory. Mist shook his head. "Well, let's get off this dark topic. Even if that's true, it's not like we can do anything about it. I want to see what 'Mechs you guys are piloting!" he said excitedly.

"I'm in the Summoner on the end," Chartreuse said as she motioned towards the Mech in the far back corner of the hangar. It was situated in the Bay next to Mist's Hunchback's. "I think Commander Charcoal said it's a configuration C."

"The Timber Wolf's mine, Prime config," Vermilion said with a nod toward the 'Mech they were about to reach.

Sundance looked up at the machine that towered far overhead. It was different seeing such a massive 'Mech outside of a simulation. He glanced at the last Mech in the hangar, which looked small next to the Timber Wolf. "That one's mine. It's a Hellbringer, but I don't remember which configuration."

Mist stopped for a moment. "Really? He gave you a Hellbringer? That's odd. It's got really strong offensive potential, but it barely has more armor than most mediums." He glanced at Sundance. "That 'Mech usually pairs well with aggressive pilots. Do you think you should switch?"

Sundance shook his head. "I've been meaning to work on my confidence, so I think it'll be a good match for me." He thought for a second. "Was it a coincidence that the Commander gave me this Mech? Or did he do it intentionally?" He glanced at Vermilion. "Either way, I guess this is something I needed."

"Well, me and Chartreuse should head to our BattleMechs. We'll follow you two out of the hangar," Mist said as he waved at the other two cadets. Chartreuse cast a quick glance at Sundance before following Mist over to their 'Mechs.

Sundance and Vermilion stood in front of the Timber Wolf for a moment in silence. After a few seconds, the red pony spoke up. "Well, I'm getting in my 'Mech." He turned to walk up the stairs but stopped and looked back over his shoulder. "The comms are probably tapped, even the private ones. Don't mention what I said to you earlier over them," he said before turning back to head up the stairs to his 'Mech.

Sundance nodded before turning towards his own Mech. He had a strong feeling of apprehension, but he pushed it to the back of his mind. "You'll never survive this war if you don't improve. It's time to do what's expected of you," he thought. He hurried up the stairs and climbed into the open cockpit, which swung closed behind him. The controls definitely seemed a lot more complicated than the ones in the training 'Mech, but they were identical to the simulator controls.

Sundance strapped himself to the seat and put on his neurohelmet. He pressed the power-up button and waited to see what would happen, but was shocked by the sudden hostility of the 'Mech. Unlike the comforting hum of the Shadow Cat, the Hellbringer's harsh whine almost immediately gave him a splitting headache.

Sundance was roused from his daze by various beeps from the DI computer as it checked to make sure all of the Mech's systems were working as they should. This went on for a couple more seconds before Sundance heard the DI computer's female voice confirming a successful startup.

Reactor: Online. Sensors: Online. Weapons: Disabled. All Systems Nominal.

Vermilion pulled forward into Sundance's view and turned the torso of his Timber Wolf towards Sundance. "Something wrong? We should go before we get left behind," he said over the open comms. Chartreuse and Mist had already climbed into their Mechs and were in the process of powering them up.

Sundance shook his head. "I'll be fine. I just wasn't expecting this Mech to have such a violent personality."

"If we're quick about it we can switch 'Mechs. I think Commander Charcoal would understand."

Sundance shook his head again. "I'll push through. Let's go."

Vermilion led the way out of the hangar with the other three close behind them. They could just see the last Mech heading down the road through the trees as they exited the doors. "Come on, we need to catch up." Vermilion's Timber Wolf took slow, massive strides along the path as he sped after the disappearing 'Mech.

"Are you alright? You seem like you're having trouble," Mist asked as he pulled up next to Sundance.

"I'm fine. It's just difficult to pilot this 'Mech when it feels like it's constantly screaming at me." Sundance looked back out towards Vermilion, who was quite a ways ahead of them. He pushed the throttle forward a bit.

"Maybe you should ask the Commander if you can switch to a different Mech tomorrow," Mist suggested. "I don't know what it feels like for your Mech to communicate like that, but it sounds rough."

Sundance winced as he felt a migraine coming on. "Sure, I guess I'll do that. I just hope the other 'Mechs aren't like this."

The four of them continued on towards the training field, crashing through tree branches that had strayed too far over the road. Before long, the northwest training field became visible through the forest. It was a huge open area situated in the shadow of the mountains, allowing them to use the field for target practice without worrying about stray fire going near the camp. Much of the grass had been chewed up by Mechs over a period of years, leaving mostly dirt.

The other cadets were already gathered around the Commander's Mad Dog. Vermilion went up to join the others, and the other three followed him. Sundance checked the time on the cockpit's digital clock. "Nine minutes. We barely made it," he thought.

"Since all of you made it here, I will assume you are all capable of handling the mental loads of your 'Mechs. We will start with ten laps around the field. Begin." the Commander said.

The assembled 'Mechs turned almost in unison and began tromping towards the tree line. Even with the high top speed of the Hellbringer, Sundance still brought up the rear of the pack. "Damnit, Sundance. Keep it together," he thought to himself as he struggled along behind the other cadets. It was extremely difficult to focus with the Hellbringer raging through his mind.

Chartreuse slowed slightly until she was running next to Sundance and opened a private comm channel. "Are you ok?"

Sundance shook his head and immediately regretted it when his migraine flared up. "I don't know. This 'Mech is giving me a headache. I don't know why it's so different than the Shadow Cat."

"Can you just ignore it?" Chartreuse asked.

Sundance shook his head. "It isn't that easy. Think of it like a speaker constantly broadcasting the 'Mech's emotions. It might help somewhat, but that's just avoiding the problem."

Chartreuse brought her hoof to her chin and thought for a moment. "Would it be possible to switch the DI computer from the training 'Mech to that one? Mist knows a lot more about 'Mechs so he might be the one to ask, but if you're set on using the Hellbringer, maybe it could work."

Sundance considered her idea for a moment. The cadets ahead of them turned left to follow a sharp bend in the trees, and the two of them did the same. "That might work. I'll ask Mist before suggesting it to the Commander," he said.

Chartreuse smiled at him. "Let's just make it through today, then. Even if it isn't possible, I'm sure the Commander would let you switch to a different 'Mech."

Sundance nodded. "Yeah." The Hellbringer buzzed at him again, but this time he tried just ignoring it as Chartreuse suggested. Obviously, he couldn't just stop listening, but he could try focusing less on the Hellbringer and more on the situation around him. Surprisingly, this made the pain bearable, at least for the time being. Chartreuse sped up a bit to catch up to the other cadets, and Sundance followed suit behind her.

The rest of that day's training session, with Sundance trudging behind the others at a barely acceptable pace. Commander Charcoal had them do things like climbing over rough terrain, changing direction quickly, and other maneuvering drills. 

Sundance had asked Mist during one of the drills if it was possible to switch the DI Computers between 'Mechs. He wasn't sure it would work since DI Computers were extensive and spread through the entire chassis of the 'Mechs they inhabited, but he thought it was worth a shot to ask.

Many long hours later the training session came to an end and the cadets all sped back to Hangar Six. They halted their 'Mechs in their Bays before powering them down and climbing out. As much as Sundance loved piloting 'Mechs, that was a stressful training session, and he had never been happier to shut down his 'Mech. The Hellbringer gave him a final angry blast before it got cut off by the 'Mech's voice.

Shutting Down.

Sundance tore off his neurohelmet and leaned back into his seat, breathing heavily. "Dear Celestia, I hope the Commander doesn't make me use this Mech anymore." After a few moments of him recovering, Vermilion appeared on the catwalk next to his cockpit and tapped on the glass. Sundance undid the straps to his seat and opened the access hatch above him.

"Rough day, huh? You hardly seemed like the same pilot out there," he said wryly. "I'm glad I don't have to worry about an angry Mech screaming at me constantly."

Sundance chuckled. "Yeah, you're lucky. I don't suppose you'd be willing to trade?" he said, half joking.

"Nah, I've already got a good bond going with my Timber Wolf." Vermilion grabbed onto Sundance as he climbed out of the Hellbringer and helped him onto the catwalk. 

"Thanks."

Vermilion nodded at him. "No problem." He glanced at the ground below them. "What might be a problem though is Charcoal. I'll let you handle this one." Sundance followed his gaze and saw the Commander walking up the stairs towards them. Vermilion patted him on the shoulder and walked away.

"Cadet Sundance," Commander Charcoal began as he walked up to Sundance. "What happened on the training field today? It was like you had forgotten how to pilot your 'Mech."

Sundance snapped to attention and glanced up at the Commander nervously. "W-well, Sir, you know how I can communicate with Mechs in a way that nopony else can?"

The Commander nodded. "Yes, what of it?"

"The Hellbringer was hostile in a way, and that made it difficult to pilot and gave me a migraine. I-I was going to ask you if it was possible to switch the DI computer from my old training unit to this one. Uh, Sir," he added awkwardly.

Commander Charcoal opened his mouth to reply but stopped for a moment with a thoughtful look on his face. "So that's how it works? I did not realize your ability worked like that." He thought for a second. "Follow me," he said before walking past Sundance. He followed the Commander down the catwalk nervously and walked past the other cadets' Mechs. They eventually came to a room, which Sundance recognized as the one Cadmium came out of on their first day of training under Commander Charcoal.

The Commander opened the door and walked into the room with Sundance close behind him. Cadmium was in the back corner, tinkering with a small device Sundance didn't recognize. The dark pony turned when he heard the door and set the item down, noticing Commander Charcoal. "Is this something that can wait? I'm about to make a breakthrough in my research, I can feel it," Cadmium said. His glasses were slightly askew, and Sundance had a hard time remembering a time when his glasses weren't crooked.

The Commander shook his head. "We have quite an unusual request, assuming it can be done. Sundance wants the DI computer from the training unit he has been using transferred to the Hellbringer. Today preferably."

Cadmium stared at Sundance, aghast. "Why in Luna's name would you want to do that? The DI computers in the training Mechs are horribly underpowered compared to that of a full BattleMech's. You might as well substitute in a pocket calculator."

"W-well, the Hellbringer has a really harsh personality that makes it difficult to pilot, and since I had formed a pretty close bond with the Shadow Cat, one of my friends suggested I ask to have their DI computers swapped," Sundance said.

Cadmium straightened his glasses. "Hmm... it should be possible to swap the main part of the computers. In theory, anyway. Whether or not it actually works, I guess we'll see. I can tune the DI computers for their new 'Mechs no problem, but you'll notice the systems on the Mech functioning well below their potential." He scratched his head. "Well, actually, the battle computer should pick up most of the slack. That is one of the functions of the battle computer, to act as a backup for the DI computer. How can you be sure that the Mech will respond differently with a different DI computer, though?"

"I already thought about that. I can feel the emotions of both the Shadow Cat and the Hellbringer, but the Shadow Cat doesn't even have a battle computer. Unless there's another part of BattleMechs that is extensive enough to do that, it's probably the DI computer since that's the only thing they have in common."

Cadmium opened his mouth, then closed it and frowned. "Yes, I suppose you're right." He turned back to the object he was messing with earlier. "I'll have it done in time for training tomorrow. Now please leave; I know this is going to work." He said as he bent over the table and peered closely at the object again.

Sundance followed Commander Charcoal out of the room and shut the door behind him. He turned towards the Commander curiously. "Commander, how come Cadmium doesn't have to refer to you using an honorific?"

The Commander glanced at Sundance, surprised. "Cadmium's rank as a scientist puts him at the equivalent rank of a Point Commander, which is what I am. We are effectively the same rank, so we refer to each other as equals. Much to my distaste."

"That makes sense. Thank you, Sir."

Commander Charcoal nodded. "That is all for today, so head to lunch. Like Cadmium said, the DI computer will be transferred in time for tomorrow. If that doesn't work, we can see about getting you a different Mech. You are dismissed."

Sundance saluted. "Aff, Commander." The Commander nodded again, and Sundance turned to walk down the stairs. He looked at the ground below and noticed Mist, Chartreuse, and Vermilion standing by the doors of the hangar, having already stripped from their cooling suits in favor of their cadet jackets. Vermilion nodded to him as he approached.

"Did Charcoal give you a piece of his mind?" he asked.

Sundance shook his head. "He was actually really understanding. Cadmium said he can switch the DI computers, so now we just have to hope it works."

Chartreuse glanced up towards the Commander, who was walking along the catwalk inspecting the Mechs. "Are you sure he's really as bad as you think, Vermilion? It's hard to believe he's as awful as you say."

Vermilion nodded. "I am. He's a con. He acts nice to get you on his side, then uses you. There are plenty of ponies like him in this Clan."

Mist sighed melodramatically. "Can we please not get on this topic again? I'm starving. Sundance, hurry up and get out of that cooling suit so we can go to lunch," he whined. Sundance got the feeling the two ponies had been arguing about this while they were waiting for him to finish talking with Commander Charcoal.

"Alright, don't get your panties in a bunch, Mist," Sundance said. He walked over to the locker room and quickly changed into his cadet jacket before hanging up the suit and placing his neurohelmet on the shelf. He locked the door and walked back over to his friends.

"Finally. Let's go, guys," Mist said. He turned and started walking down the path towards the mess hall without waiting for the others. Vermilion and Chartreuse glanced at each other, obviously still at odds, before following Mist. 

Sundance brought up the rear of the group, lost in thought. "I sure hope this works," he thought. "If it does, I'll get to be with the Shadow Cat again. I actually miss her quite a bit..." He glanced at the sky, slightly embarrassed. "I guess I should name her if this plan works. I have to think of something good," he thought, following close behind his friends but not really engaging in conversation. It had certainly been a stressful day and there was no guarantee of what tomorrow held, but Sundance couldn't wait to find out nonetheless.



Sundance hopped nervously into his Hellbringer, anticipating what would happen when the Mech started up. He strapped himself in and was about to put his neurohelmet on when he heard somepony call his name. Vermilion had appeared on the catwalk next to him and was looking in through the glass.

"You think this plan worked?" he asked.

"I sure hope so," Sundance replied. "I have the perfect name picked out for her, assuming the transfer went well."

"A name, huh? I guess that makes sense when you can communicate with the 'Mech. I'm just over here, so scream if your brain starts to fry or something," Vermilion said before turning to walk to his Timber Wolf.

"Will do," Sundance said. He put his neurohelmet on and swung the access hatch closed. His hoof hovered over the power switch nervously. "Well, there's only one way to find out if this worked, I guess. Here goes nothing," he thought. He clenched his eyes shut, flipped the switch, and waited for something to happen.

Beeps sounded seemingly at random as the 'Mech powered up. This went on for a few seconds, and Sundance opened his eyes, relieved, but also worried. The Hellbringer hadn't immediately assaulted his mind, but he couldn't feel anything at all coming from the Mech. "Please work," he thought anxiously as the startup sequence came to a close.

Reactor: Online. Sensors: Online. Weapons: Online. All Systems Nominal.

Sundance sighed. "Damn. That sucks." There was nothing but the usual static coming from the neurohelmet. It was better than an instant headache, but it wasn't what he had hoped for. He was about to give up entirely when suddenly, he felt a faint humming in the back of his mind, and he immediately sat up straight. "Is that... Yes! That's definitely you! It worked!" he called out excitedly in his mind.

The hum picked up in its usual encouraging way. She was weaker than she was in the training 'Mech, but that was just due to her unfamiliar surroundings. She would adjust to the increased workload over time. Sundance smiled to himself, glad that the plan had worked. He had the perfect nickname picked out for her, and he knew she would love it.

"Welcome back, Solis. It's good to see you again."
> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sundance sped towards the exit of the Mech Bay, nearly keeping pace with the medium and light Mechs. Many of the cadets had switched to a different Mech today and they looked almost like a real army rushing out of the Bay as a result. The Commander had abandoned his usual Mad Dog for a Solitaire and was leading the way back to the training field. "Look alive, cadets. Live fire training starts today, so this is not a time to be asleep at the controls. If any of you fire before I say so, you will be cleaning the entire hangar, along with every Mech in it, for the rest of the month."

"Come on, guys! You heard what the Commander said, we get to fire our weapons today!" Sundance called over a private comms channel to his friends. He glanced at the rear camera and saw his friends ambling not far behind him. "It's so good to have you back, Solis. Having a permanent companion like the one I had to deal with yesterday would have been unbearable," he thought. 

Solis purred cheerfully, just as excited to be in a full BattleMech as Sundance was. It hadn't even been a full minute yet, but she was already adjusting well to the expansive systems of the Hellbringer and was nearly functioning at her normal speed thanks to the help from the battle computer.

"Is it just me, or does Sundance suddenly seem unusually happy? It's kind of creeping me out a bit," Mist said from inside his new 'Mech. Chartreuse had switched from the Summoner today, and he had jumped on the chance for a heavy OmniMech.

Chartreuse laughed in her usual, kind way. "I'm guessing the DI computer swap worked?" she asked. Surprisingly, when she asked what other BattleMechs were available, the Commander offered to let her try out an assault Mech. She had agreed, obviously.

"Yep. Solis is just fine in here as far as I can tell. No problems at all, just a bit of lag as she adjusts." Sundance patted the controls gently, and Solis hummed happily.

"Solis? You named your Mech?" Chartreuse asked, intrigued.

"Yeah. Solis is a misspelling of the word solace. I liked the meaning and sound of it, so I just changed the spelling around a bit to make it a name." Sundance shielded his eyes as he and Solis stepped out of the Bay. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the sun had risen well above the mountains. It was a beautiful day, perfectly reflecting how Sundance felt.

Solis beeped encouragingly. She was happy that Sundance had given her a name, considering none of her past pilots had even bothered thinking of her as more than a machine. It was a wonderful change of pace.

"I still can't believe the Commander let you pilot an assault Mech. A Clan Marauder, of all things! I thought you said they were only for the older cadets, Vermilion?" Mist said. He had been moping nonstop ever since Chartreuse had excitedly told them she had been given an assault Mech.

"They're supposed to be. I guess Commander Charcoal decided to make an exception." Vermilion had opted to keep his Timber Wolf Prime. He was almost as good at piloting 'Mechs as Sundance was, so it made sense he wouldn't want to give up one he had almost immediately formed a bond with. While he couldn't understand a 'Mech's emotions, just like the rest of the other cadets, he was very good at making his 'Mech understand him and what he wanted it to do.

"Maybe Commander Charcoal isn't as mean as you said he is. I think he genuinely cares about all of us, and he wants what's best for the Sibko," Chartreuse said as she folded her forelegs.

"Hmph." Vermilion pressed the throttle forward to pass Sundance and catch up with the other cadets as he left the comm channel.

Chartreuse giggled and pulled up beside Sundance. Her massive Marauder struggled to keep up with the much lighter 'Mechs, and it shook the ground heavily as it walked. "I guess he couldn't handle being proved wrong. By a mare, no less," she said jokingly. "I hope I didn't hurt his masculine pride too much."

Sundance laughed. He was pretty sure Solis was laughing too, but it wasn't something he had felt from her before. "I guess not. So what exactly is on that thing? I know Mist said it's eighty-five tons, but that doesn't tell me much, other than it's fucking huge."

Chartreuse thought for a second. "Hmm... Let's see... It's got two medium pulse lasers, four ER small lasers, and three ER PPC's. The Commander said he thought I'd like this Mech, so I decided to give it a shot. Figuratively speaking," she said.

"That's a really good loadout. I heard it's supposed to be a real workhorse," Mist said as he chuckled at his own bad joke.

Chartreuse sighed. "It's a bit slow compared to the others, but hopefully it makes up for that today. Speaking of which, we're almost at the training field, so enough of your puns." The cadets all began slowing down as they neared where the Commander had stopped, and Chartreuse went to stand next to Vermilion. 

Mist pulled up next to Sundance, feeling dejected. "It wasn't that bad of a joke. Was it?" he asked. 

Sundance shook his head at his friend and went to stand next to Chartreuse and Vermilion, leaving Mist to seriously reconsider his humor.

Over in the distance, Sundance could see massive steel targets in the shapes of different BattleMechs situated in front of the mountain. It was hard to see from a distance, but they didn't look like full Mechs, just cheap models. The different parts of the Mechs were painted in different colors, presumably so the cadets could identify them easily.

"As I said earlier, you are going to be firing your weapons today for the first time. It is critical that you pay attention to everything I say. We do not need another accident like what happened five years ago," Commander Charcoal began.

"What happened last year? Did someone die?" Mist asked jokingly over their private comm channel.

"Yes, actually," Vermilion cut in. "My brother told me about it the last time I saw him. One of the idiot cadets was messing around and fired all of his weapons while aiming at another cadet's cockpit. I'd assume the cadet responsible for the death was executed, but nobody knows for sure."

Mist leaned back in his seat and scratched the back of his head. "Oh. Shit. I uh, I didn't mean to-"

"Yeah, we all know what you're trying to do. You're not impressing anyone." The other cadets all suddenly ran off down the field in the direction of the targets Sundance had noticed earlier. Vermilion turned to follow them. "Try thinking about what you say before you open your mouth next time." Vermilion ran off after the other cadets and left trails of dust as his Timber Wolf stepped through the dirt.

Chartreuse turned the torso of her Marauder towards Mist and Sundance. "Let's go. Commander Charcoal told us to line up by weight, so the four of us are on the end. And keep your weapons lock on so you don't blast a hole in somepony." Mist opened his mouth to speak, but Chartreuse lumbered away in her 'Mech before he could say anything. He turned towards Sundance, dispirited.

"They'll forgive you, Mist. Just make sure you apologize to Vermilion before the day is up. Remember what happened to his brother," Sundance said comfortingly. "Come on, let's not get the Commander after us by sitting around." Sundance headed after the other cadets with Mist trudging along behind him through the dirt.

The four of them lined up at the end of the line of 'Mechs facing the targets, with Chartreuse in her Marauder on the very end. She was followed by Vermilion in his Timber Wolf, Mist in his Summoner, and finally, Sundance and Solis. The only other heavy Mech being used by the first year cadets was on Sundance's right, and if he remembered correctly, it was a Clan Rifleman.

Commander Charcoal stepped out in front of the cadets in his Solitaire next to Chartreuse. The top of his tiny 'Mech barely reached the height of the Marauder's hip actuators, and it was strangely comical. "You see those targets? They are about two hundred meters out from the firing line, so it is a bit closer of an engagement distance than some of your 'Mechs are designed for," he said as he motioned towards a red line painted onto the ground a short distance from the cadets. "You will all be split into groups based on your 'Mech's classifications later this week, but for now, this is how we will operate." 

He started walking down the line of cadets. "What we are going to do is have one cadet at a time step up to the firing line. They are going to fire for a full minute as often as possible without shutting down from the heat. You will get three scores; effectiveness, heat tolerance, and number of overheats." 

The Commander stopped at the end of the line next to the other light Mechs and turned back around. "If any of you override the shutdown sequence and burn out your Mech, you will be the one to explain to Cadmium exactly why a perfectly good 'Mech now needs an overhaul. Assuming you survive, of course." He turned back towards the light Mech at the end of the line. "We will start with you. Do not turn off your weapons lock until I say so, and turn it back on as soon as I tell you."

The cadet walked up to the firing line nervously. It was a strange 'Mech Sundance hadn't recalled ever seeing before. Both of its arms were mounted high above its torso, giving it a unique silhouette. "That's a Fire Moth, one of the fastest light 'Mechs in the Clans," Mist explained. "It's really unusual to see one in a training camp. I wonder why it's here?" he wondered aloud.

"Oh, and the targets move, so be aware of that," the Commander said, almost as an afterthought. "Weapons lock off, and begin!"  Almost immediately the Fire Moth began firing all of its weapons, being lasers and missiles as far as Sundance could tell. Most of the missiles from the first volley completely missed the target as it suddenly shot sideways, but the pilot managed to rake one of the lasers over the target. After a brief lull while the weapons cooled and reloaded, the Fire Moth continued firing. This cycle continued for about half a minute, by which point the cadet seemed to get his aim dialed in and was landing almost half of his shots.

Mist shook his head. "He's firing too much. That config of the Fire Moth has ten double heat sinks, but it can't fire indefinitely." He eyed the smoke coming out of the 'Mech. "That's a bad sign. He has to be close to-"

Mist cut off as the Fire Moth automatically shut down and its arms drooped as it vented smoke out into the air. Surprisingly, Sundance actually remembered when all the cadets were taught about automatic shut downs. 'Mechs were designed to shut down before their internal temperature reached the point where they damaged themselves by melting their electronics or synthetic muscles.

"There it is. That's what happens when you don't watch your heat. If that happens in battle, you'll be a sitting duck," Mist explained. "It's actually still possible to damage your Mech even if it shuts down by itself depending on the Mech's loadout and the pilot's carelessness. Neither of us really have to worry about that, though. Chartreuse, however... Every single weapon on her Mech is an energy weapon." Mist glanced over at her. "With a loadout like that, it wouldn't be hard for a new MechWarrior fry their Mech despite all of its safety protocols. I hope she's as good at heat management as she is at piloting."

"Don't worry about her, Mist. Chartreuse is one of the best pilots in the Sibko." Sundance said to his friend.

"I know, but... it's hard not to worry about her. It's like those superhero comics I used to read as a colt. I had always imagined myself as the hero, facing extreme danger and always coming out on top despite the odds. But I never thought about it from the point of view of the hero's friends and family, all of whom must have been worried sick because they wanted the hero to be safe, but there was nothing they could do to help. I guess I kind of understand them now.

"And I know she isn't going to make a stupid mistake like that. It's like you said, she's an amazing MechWarrior. Ever since Vermilion told us about Comman- uh... about what war is really like, I've been thinking about it a lot. Even if she's an amazing MechWarrior, what if she gets into a situation even she couldn't handle? There's nopony who could survive something like a swarm of Dire Wolves or Warhawks, no matter how good of a MechWarrior they are or what 'Mech they're piloting." Mist sighed. "This whole situation of being thrown into war is just terrifying."

Sundance stared at his friend, surprised. "Wow. That was uncharacteristically mature for Mist," he thought. "I think you should just worry about what's here in front of you. We have years until they put us into battle."

Mist sighed again. "I know, you're right. I'm still going to worry, though. I've always just ignored my problems instead of facing them, which obviously hasn't taught me anything." Neither of them said anything for a long moment. While they had been talking, all of the cadets in light 'Mechs had already taken their turn, and they were halfway down the line of mediums. There was a Stormcrow on the firing line currently that was blazing away with its array of lasers. Many of the shots completely missed the target, but the cadet managed to get a few good hits in before their turn was up.

After a while, Mist finally broke the silence. "It hardly even feels like we're twelve. I don't know about you, but the past five years have felt like an eternity for me." Mist rested his head on his seat and stared out of the Summoner's cockpit. "Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if the soldiers had never invaded. I guess I'd probably be in school right now, reading a comic behind my textbook or doodling 'Mechs in the margins of my notes," he said, chuckling a bit. "But here I am instead, talking about life and worrying about war. Foalhood is great."

Sundance nodded. "Yeah, I get what you mean. We're young, but we're definitely not colts anymore."

Mist looked over at Sundance. "If we make it through this somehow, what are you going to do afterwards?"

Sundance thought about that for a few moments. "I don't really know. I've never thought ahead that far." He scratched his neck. "I guess the first thing I'd do is sleep until lunchtime and eat a decent meal for once. After that, who knows? Maybe I'd get a job as a Tech, or become an arena pilot."

"That sounds like you. Never been one to plan ahead," Mist said as he grinned at Sundance. "Ideally, I'd want to settle down somewhere quiet with Chartreuse and never set hoof in another battlefield. After seeing how bad of a pilot I am, I doubt I'd last very long in war, so the sooner I get out, the better. My dreams of grandeur will have to go to someone else."

The last medium stepped away from the firing line, having spent most of its time shut down. Sundance didn't recognize what 'Mech it was, but he had seen a lot of laser fire out of the corner of his eye. The Clan Rifleman next to Sundance stepped forward, and he noticed the Mech swayed quite a bit as it walked. "I guess they're not used to the extra weight. It does take quite a bit to get used to, I guess," Sundance thought, eyeing the 'Mech as it overshot the firing line. It turned around slowly before trudging back across it.

"Come on, cadet! We do not have all day to wait while you lumber around. I know the weight of a heavy takes work to get used to, but we can not wait around anymore," Commander Charcoal said over the comms. The cadet nodded and turned back around to face the target. "Now begin!"

The Rifleman fired all of its lasers immediately and missed with every single one. Mist shook his head again. "He has the same problem as the Fire Moth pilot. The Clan Rifleman has nineteen double heatsinks, but even that isn't enough to cool four Large Pulse Lasers firing simultaneously for long." He glanced down the line of cadets. "I wasn't really paying attention to how the other cadets were doing, but the Commander doesn't look happy. If most of the others are having the same problems we have a lot of work to do."

Almost as soon as Mist stopped talking, the Rifleman shut down and blasted waves of heat out of its exhaust vents. Sundance looked at the target. If he had to guess, only a third of the cadet's lasers had actually hit, and there was barely any damage to the critical components on the target. "I'm sure everypony's aim is going to get better eventually, but I agree their heat management shouldn't be this bad. It's like nopony actually paid attention during our classes about heat management," he said.

Mist chuckled. "Well, I guess we're about to see how much you listened in class." He nodded towards the Rifleman, which had turned toward them and was trudging back to the line of cadets.

"More than him, I'm assuming." Sundance walked up to the firing line and glanced at the weapons display. "One LB 20-X Autocannon with cluster rounds, two ER Medium Lasers, a single ER Small Laser, an ER Large Laser, and an ATM 6 with medium range ammunition. This shouldn't be too bad," he thought. 

"Weapons lock off, begin!"

Sundance fired the small and medium lasers first to get a feel for the weapons systems. The lasers shot over the target and completely missed. Sundance adjusted his aim down slightly, struggling to follow the moving target. "This is harder than I thought it'd be," he thought. Solis hummed encouragingly, trying to help him keep his focus. He brought the crosshairs over the target and fired the large laser, hitting the left torso of the fake Mech. The laser moved all over the target as he followed it, but he managed to keep it on target for most of its duration.

"I think I'm getting the hang of it. Let's give the autocannon a try." Sundance fired the small and medium lasers again, using them as a guide for the autocannon. When the lasers glanced past the center torso of the Mech, he fired the autocannon. Disappointingly, the spread of cluster rounds only glanced the right torso with the rest flying past the target. "Damn." Sundance glanced at the heat indicator. "Forty-seven percent. Still plenty of room left," he thought. He fired the large laser again, then the autocannon, using the large laser like he had the small and mediums. This shot was much closer to where he had intended, and about half of the cluster shot landed on the center torso. Solis beeped excitedly.

"Now we're getting somewhere. Maybe I should try out the ATM's," he thought as he glanced back at the weapons screen. "I wonder if I can lock on to the target. I don't know what the point of target practice would be if some of the 'Mechs here couldn't use their missiles." Sundance pressed the targeting button, and the Hellbringer beeped as the target was highlighted on his heads-up display and its information popped up on one of the screens. "Huh. I guess that answers that question," he thought. He brought the crosshairs over the target again and waited while the missiles locked on to the target. After a brief delay, Sundance heard a long, harsh whine, and he fired the ATM. Its six missiles fired out of the Hellbringer's right torso, and all of them flew through the air and managed to hit the target.

"Not bad. Let's keep going." Sundance fired the lasers and autocannon again, managing to keep almost all of his shots on target. He smiled to himself. "This isn't all that bad. Maybe I will be an arena pilot after I get out of the military," he thought. The Mech's voice and a noticeable increase in the cockpit's temperature brought him out of his focus, notifying him of the heat levels.

Heat Level Critical.

Sundance glanced at the heat indicator again. "Ninety-two percent? I guess I got a bit carried away," he thought. Solis beeped agreeably, struggling slightly with the elevated temperature. She didn't have to deal with much heat as a training 'Mech, so this was a strange situation for her to be in.

Sundance kept firing the weapons for the rest of his turn, managing to hit most of his shots and keep the heat level below eighty percent. The cockpit temperature steadily rose, but before it became uncomfortably hot the life support system kicked in and started drawing the heat out into the open air. Had he not been wearing the cooling suit, he would have been in danger of a heat stroke with the temperature so high.

"That is enough. Weapons lock on and head back. Nicely done, cadet Sundance," Commander Charcoal said. Sundance sighed and leaned back into his seat.

"Phew. That was more stressful than I expected it to be," Sundance thought. Solis buzzed happily, glad that Sundance was proud of himself. She could tell confidence was something he really needed. As Sundance turned back towards the line of cadets, Mist cut in on their private comm channel.

"That was really good. You actually managed to hit the target, which surprised me. I was expecting you to whiff every single shot." Mist winked at him. "Let a real MechWarrior show you how it's done. I'll probably have the best heat management and accuracy out of anypony here."

Sundance grinned at his friend as they walked towards each other. "I'll never let you hear the end of it if you overheat," he said.

Mist stuck his tongue out at Sundance before stepping up towards the firing line. His Summoner stomped to a halt and waited. At the Commander's order, Mist began firing at the target he had selected. A couple of lasers shot out of his Mech, which were followed by an autocannon barrage and a missile salvo. Sundance couldn't recall the specifics of what was on the Summoner C, but he remembered Mist bragging about the Ultra Autocannon/20 on it. The UAC/20 was one of the best close range weapons that could be mounted on a Mech, and from the looks of the target Mist shot at, it certainly did a good job of tearing up armor.

Over the course of the next minute, Mist continued his assault on the target and impressed Sundance with how many shots he managed to hit. Mist wasn't as accurate as Sundance, he noted, but he was still quite a bit better than the other cadets. By the time Commander Charcoal called him back, the target was barely recognizable. "Shit, that autocannon really did a number on the target," Sundance thought. Solis beeped in agreement.

Mist sauntered back over to the line of cadets. "How was that? Never reached above seventy percent heat," he said proudly over the private comm channel.

"That was actually really good. You weren't as accurate as me, of course, but I have to give you credit for your heat management," Sundance replied as he leaned back in his seat. 

Mist pressed a hoof to his chest in an exaggeratedly conceited way. "Well, of course I did well. It would've taken a miracle for me to do worse than the other cadets." The two of them laughed at this, the painful truth of it only making the joke funnier. "Anyway, let's watch Vermilion. I want to see what he can do with that Timber Wolf," Mist said, turning around to watch. Vermilion had already walked up to the starting line and was gazing out at the targets. "I hope he won't stay mad at me for long."

Sundance looked at his friend sympathetically. "I'm sure he won't as long as you give him a heartfelt apology. I know he looks tough on the outside, but I think he's a lot nicer than he lets on," he said.

"I sure hope so. I don't want to lose any of the friends I've made here. I don't think I could go back to the way things were when I was alone." Mist sighed. "I wish-"

Mist cut off as Vermilion began firing and an excessive amount of missiles fired from the Timber Wolf's two shoulder-mounted missile racks. The Long Range Missiles struggled to hit the relatively close target, but a decent percentage of them managed to connect. Shortly afterward, the Mech's array of lasers and machine guns began blasting at the target.

"Holy shit. I had a feeling that was going to be amazing to watch, but I didn't quite expect that," Mist said in awe. "The Timber Wolf Prime carries two Long Range Missile-20 launchers. LRM's are really hard to hit at close range, so I'm surprised he managed to hit as many as he did," he explained to Sundance. "I've never seen that many missiles fired at the same time. I can't imagine how terrifying it would be to get hit by that."

Sundance nodded. The missile salvo had blasted pretty much all of the paint off of the target, and the Timber Wolf's lasers were making quick work of tearing apart what was left. Sundance turned towards Mist. "What were you going to say?"

Mist shook his head. "It's not important." He glanced towards his friend. "You know, I think Vermilion might even be about as accurate as you are. He's certainly hitting most of his shots," he said with a grin. Sundance shot him a wry look. "Although, he doesn't seem to be watching his heat quite as closely. He's going to overheat if he isn't careful."

Mist was unsurprised when the Timber Wolf shut down a few moments later. Sundance wasn't as good at noticing when a 'Mech was overheating as Mist was, but he had noticed Vermilion was firing the lasers quite a bit. "That was bound to happen. He was firing the ER Large Lasers way too much. He probably would have been fine otherwise," Mist said.

After a brief delay, the Mech powered back up and resumed its onslaught against the target. Before long, his time was up and the Commander called him back. Vermilion turned around towards the line of cadets and walked over to stand in his place next to Mist. 

"I can't get over how graceful the Timber Wolf is when it walks," Mist said with a nod toward Chartreuse, who was lumbering slowly towards the firing line in her 'Mech. "Especially compared to massive 'Mechs like the Clan Marauder."

Sundance nodded. "You're right. I guess all of the weapons on the Marauder make up for that, though."

Mist nodded. "Yeah, none of the 'Mechs here would stand much of a chance up against that beast, even if Chartreuse was as bad of a pilot as them." Chartreuse finally reached the firing line, and the Commander gave her the OK to begin.

Sundance and Mist were both taken aback when Chartreuse began firing. The three ER PPC's nearly blasted a hole all the way through the target, and the lasers made short work of tearing apart what was left. There was a brief delay while the Marauder vented its heat before it continued firing salvo after devastating salvo. What impressed Sundance the most was the number of shots Chartreuse missed, or rather, the lack thereof. By the time her minute was up, he had counted four missed PPC shots and only a hoofful of lasers missed.

She turned back around and stomped to her spot in line. Mist stared at the target with his mouth agape. Chartreuse's target had been blasted to pieces with chunks of armor littering the ground. Many of these pieces were still glowing red from the heat of the energy weapons.

"How did she do that without overheating? You made it sound like a huge problem with how much you were stressing about the energy weapons on her 'Mech," Sundance said to Mist.

Mist shook his head. "The Clan Marauder has twenty-one double heat sinks, so it excels at dispelling heat. Even so, she must have been really close to the heat threshold," he said.

Commander Charcoal walked down the line of cadets again, silencing them before cutting in on the comms. "That was an acceptable training session, I suppose. Accuracy will come with practice, but I expect all of you to review heat management before our next session. Some of you were particularly disappointing in this regard." He stopped at the end of the line next to Chartreuse. "Others, however, did exceptionally well. Including cadet Mist, which was unexpected." Mist huffed with outrage, but luckily he wasn't connected to the comms.

"We are done for the day. Now that all of you are familiar with your weapons, we are going to streamline target practice tomorrow. You will all be split into groups the next day based on skill level and the optimal engagement distance of your Mechs, so I suggest you make any final Mech switches before then. You are all dismissed," the Commander said before walking towards the exit of the field.

Mist glanced over at Sundance, who nodded to him. The sooner Mist apologized, the better. He turned towards Vermilion and was about to open a private comm channel, but the Timber Wolf wasn't standing where Mist had expected it to be. In fact, it wasn't anywhere nearby. He kept turning and found that Vermilion had already charged past him, and was halfway down the field before he could react. He looked back at Sundance, feeling discouraged.

"Don't worry, you can still talk to him before lunch if you hurry. Come on, let's try to catch up," Sundance said. Mist nodded, and the two of them charged off down the field. Most of the lights and mediums had already made it off the field, so it was pretty much empty by the time Mist and Sundance reached the exit, save for Chartreuse who was trudging along well behind them, and the Rifleman who was even further behind.

"I don't think we'll be able to catch up to Vermilion. He isn't any slower than we are. In fact, all three of our Mechs have the exact same top speed," Mist said as they raced down the path towards the hangar. They had lost Vermilion through the trees, but Sundance was fairly sure he could hear the Timber Wolf's heavy footsteps close ahead.

"We're not far behind him. The hangar is right here, so we should hurry," Sundance said as he nodded towards the Hangar Six, which had just become visible through the trees. He thought he caught a glance of Vermilion's Mech going through the massive doorway, which meant Mist could still make it in time.

"Well, wish me luck, I guess," Mist said before speeding ahead of Sundance. He disappeared past the hangar doors, not too far behind Vermilion.

Sundance sighed. "I hope everything goes well with Mist's apology. I don't think I was wrong about Vermilion, but you know how Mist is with words," he said to Solis. She hummed comfortingly. She had gotten a decent grasp of Mist's personality through the comms, and while she agreed he wasn't the most thoughtful pony, she was fairly confident his apology would get through if he truly meant it.

Sundance walked through the hangar, being careful not to step on anypony. While most of the cadets had the common sense to not walk in the middle of the floor where a Mech could easily crush them, it never hurt to be careful. He stepped carefully into Solis's 'Mech Bay and turned back around to face the open hangar.

"I guess that's it for today, Solis. Firing your weapons sure was fun, huh?" Solis beeped in agreement. She had never gotten to fire weapons before, and it was certainly an exciting experience she never thought she would be able to have. "I'll see you tomorrow, then. Hopefully we get to shoot a bunch more. Bye, Solis," Sundance though. Solis chimed a farewell, and he powered down the Hellbringer. 

"I wonder how Mist's apology is going?" Sundance had noticed Mist racing across the catwalk as he neared the end of the hangar, presumably trying to get to the lockers before Vermilion did. Sundance got out of his 'Mech and took off his neurohelmet, blinking at the light. He caught Vermilion walking into the locker room, but he didn't see Mist anywhere, so he assumed he was already in there waiting for Vermilion. The catwalk shook as Chartreuse lumbered into the hangar, and Sundance walked around the catwalk to her Mech Bay and waited.

After Chartreuse shut down her Marauder in its Bay, the 'Mech's access hatch opened and she climbed out with her neurohelmet already tucked under one foreleg. Sundance walked up to where she was standing. "You were amazing out there. I didn't realize you were so good at shooting," Sundance said.

"Well, I did have the highest combat simulation score out of all the first-years," she replied. She gave him a strange look. "The two of you left the training field quickly. Where'd you get to in such a hurry?"

Sundance nodded towards the locker rooms. "Mist wanted to apologize to Vermilion. He feels pretty bad about the joke he made."

Chartreuse nodded. "Mist didn't really think that one through, did he? I kind of want to hear how it goes, so let's head over there." She led the way over to the locker rooms with Sundance close behind her. As they reached the locker rooms, Chartreuse nodded towards Sundance. "Let me know how it went. I can't exactly go into the boy's locker room," she said jokingly.

Sundance smiled. "Sure thing." They went into the separate locker rooms, and Sundance walked in just in time to hear the end of Mist's apology. He moved over to his locker, which was situated near Mist's, and began changing out of his cooling suit as he listened in on his friend's apology.

"...again, I'm really sorry about it. I honestly didn't mean anything by the joke," Mist said. He was standing next to Vermilion, who was busy stripping from his cooling suit.

"Yeah I know you weren't trying to be mean, but that wasn't exactly funny." He dropped the cooling suit on top of his neuro helmet and threw on his cadet jacket before slamming the locker shut. "I'll forgive you, but you had better not make pull any more stunts like that. I don't know if you're blind or stupid, but Chartreuse isn't going to like you for bad humor."

Mist scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I know. I'll figure something else out. Sorry again," Mist said. He finished changing into his own cadet jacket and closed his locker.

"Stop apologizing, damn. Once is enough. Now let's go eat lunch. You coming, Sundance?" Vermilion said as he walked towards the door.

"Yeah, give me a moment," Sundance said as he put on his jacket. He hung up his cooling suit and was about to close his locker door when he heard a squeal coming from somewhere else in the hangar. He turned to his friends. "Did you hear that?"

Vermilion and Mist nodded. "Yeah. Who was that?" Mist asked.

"No idea. I'm sure we'll find out if it's something important," Vermilion said before walking out the door. Sundance closed his locker, and he and Mist followed Vermilion out.

Just as Mist and Sundance walked out of the boys' locker room, the door to the girls' locker room crashed open and Chartreuse charged out excitedly, already having changed into her cadet jacket. "Guys, guys, look! Look at what happened!" She said, animatedly turning in a circle. "I finally got my cutie mark!"
> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sundance, Mist, and Vermilion were walking towards the mess hall with Chartreuse skipping happily ahead. All of the other first-year cadets had left for the mess hall long ago, with the exception of the cadet who piloted the Rifleman. Sundance looked over his shoulder and saw Commander Charcoal walking along the catwalk toward the 'Mech as it powered down. “I guess the Commander wasn’t too happy with that cadet’s performance. I wouldn’t be either. That pilot should probably stick to a lighter Mech,” Sundance thought.

Mist leaned over to Sundance as they kept walking. “I know getting your cutie mark is exciting and all, but don’t you think Chartreuse is too enthusiastic? I mean, I’m happy for her, but still. It's strange.”

Sundance turned back towards Mist and opened his mouth to reply, but Vermilion cut in on their conversation from Sundance’s other side. “I think she’s more happy about what her cutie mark is. You’ve noticed how she’s always fawning over Sundance, right?” Sundance scratched the back of his head awkwardly while Mist made a face and looked away. “With that in mind, why do you think she’s so happy?”

“Well, if you put it that way, it does make a bit more sense I guess,” Mist said.

Sundance shook his head. “I’m not following you.”

“Think about it. You got your cutie mark for piloting Mechs, Chartreuse got her cutie mark for shooting Mechs... Get it yet?” Vermilion said as he tapped Sundance on the forehead.

“Ow. No, not really.”

Vermilion sighed, visibly annoyed. “You’re a dense motherfucker, aren’t you? The two of you have related cutie marks and similar talents. Both of you are good at the same things. Of course she would be happy about that. You hadn’t even realized she liked you until I told you, had you?”

Sundance opened his mouth to protest, but Mist cut him off. “No, he did. Only because I told him, though. He probably would have been completely surprised just now if I hadn’t,” he said, shouldering Sundance playfully.

Sundance scowled at Mist as he regained his balance. “You don’t know that. I might have realized before now.” He glanced at Chartreuse. “Or maybe not.” Vermilion shook his head.

“I wonder what my cutie mark is going to be,” Mist wondered aloud. “You got a Timber Wolf, which I’m still jealous about by the way. Chartreuse got a crosshair, which is cool I guess, but that kind of thing doesn’t fit me, you know? Maybe it’ll be blueprints, and my talent is designing new Mechs?” 

Sundance rolled his eyes. “Leave that to Cadmium and whatever weird shit he works on in his free time. I don’t think you want to end up like him.”

Mist smiled. “Yeah, that’s a good point. Constantly adjusting glasses, grumbling at everything, just being a pain the ass in general. I wouldn’t want to be like that.”

Vermilion frowned at Mist. “Sure, like you’re not already a pain in the ass.”

“Hey. I take pride in my ability to antagonize people. It’s an art form, more than just annoying everypony else like Cadmium does.” Mist thought for a moment. “Maybe that’s what my cutie mark is going to be...”

Vermilion reached over Sundance to try and shove Mist, but he jumped sideways just in time to avoid being pushed to the dirt. Sundance laughed, and Mist shot him a smile. “See what I mean? If I were Cadmium, nopony here would be happy.” Vermilion glared at Mist, and he only grinned wider. “On the subject of being happy, you never seem happy, Vermilion. When was the last time you smiled?”

Vermilion sighed and glanced at the ground. “Probably not since I lost Carnelian, my brother.”

“I wish I had an older brother. Seven years is kind of a big difference, though. The two of you must have been close?” Mist asked.

Vermilion nodded. “Obviously. He isn’t... wasn’t that much older than me, though.”

Mist looked at him, confused. “But didn’t you say he died in his first battle last year? Shouldn’t that put him seven years ahead of you, since you’re twelve? Unless you’re not...”

Vermilion shook his head. “I’m fifteen. They didn’t move me to a Sibko until this year because... well, for reasons.”

“Ah, everything makes a lot more sense now. I thought you acted strangely for somepony our age.”

Sundance glanced back at where Vermilion’s cutie mark should have been. “How come you don’t have a cutie mark if you’re that old?”

Vermilion shook his head again. “I-I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s just eat lunch. The mess hall is right here,” he said as he sped ahead of the others.

Sundance looked towards where he was heading and realized they were already at the mess hall like Vermilion had said. It hadn’t felt like they walked that long, but they did, evidently. Chartreuse slowed down as they got closer to the gray building to walk next to Sundance. “It seems like he’s hiding something, don’t you think?”

Mist looked at her, startled. “You could hear us the whole time?”

“Of course,” Chartreuse said. Mist’s face fell in despair, and she laughed at him. “I’m kidding! I only heard the last bit. I didn’t listen in on whatever deep, private conversation the three of you were having earlier.”

Mist sighed and chuckled. “I think I understand how everypony else feels around me now. But yeah, it seems like he’s not telling us something."

Chartreuse nodded. “He’s obviously keeping in his emotions, which isn’t healthy. You noticed him stutter, right?” Sundance thought about that for a moment. He actually hadn't realized Vermilion had stuttered. Maybe Sundance was as dense as Vermilion had said.

“I know, right? I didn’t think I would have ever seen Vermilion be that nervous, so it was kind of surprising. It’s gotta be something that’s really bothering him. Probably something to do with Carnelian,” Mist said.

Chartreuse nodded. “That’s what I was thinking. I don’t know if we’ll get anything out of him today, though.”

“Yeah, I don’t think he’s quite ready to open up that much. Maybe soon.” Mist walked over to the doors of the mess hall and held them open for Chartreuse and Sundance. Chartreuse walked through with barely a glance in Mist’s direction, and Sundance gave him a sympathetic look. That was the kind of nice thing Mist should be doing to get somepony to like him, but maybe that just wasn’t her thing.

Sundance was too busy exchanging glances with his friend to notice that he had walked into the path of a particularly ill-tempered green pony carrying a food tray. Mist’s eyebrows shot up with alarm right before Sundance rammed into Bittersweet, and the two of them crashed to the floor, the clattering of his food tray hushing the mess hall and drawing everypony’s attention. Sundance shook his head, dazed, while Bittersweet angrily pulled himself to his hooves and dusted himself off before storming over to Sundance.

“What the fuck is your problem?” he bellowed, slamming a horseshoe-clad hoof down inches from Sundance’s face. He flinched backward at the loud noise and stared up at the older pony, trembling.

“I-I-ah...” Sundance stammered, too scared to formulate a sentence. He glanced around wildly at the other ponies in the room. Some of them looked excited by the confrontation, others seemed sympathetic, and the rest were all showing wide ranges of emotions. Although, even with this large amount of different reactions, Sundance didn’t see a single pony who looked like they wanted to help. He looked back at Bittersweet, quivering harder. “Please don’t let this happen again. I can’t handle ending up as a bloody mess for the second time. Celestia, please help me!” he thought as he squeezed his eyes tightly closed.

Bittersweet scowled down at Sundance and snorted. He planted a hoof on Sundance’s neck, pinning him to the ground. Sundance’s eyes shot open as terror began building up in his mind. “You have a bad habit of pissing me off,” he snarled through his teeth. Sundance opened and closed his mouth, unable to breathe past the pressure on his throat. He brought his hooves up in an attempt to remove the much stronger pony’s death grip, but to no avail. Bittersweet brought his face close to Sundance’s and opened his mouth to say something else, but stopped when a shadow moved over top of him. Sundance looked up and saw Chartreuse standing next to them.

“Leave him alone,” Chartreuse said, glaring dangerously at Bittersweet.

Bittersweet turned his head towards her. “Or what? What’s a pitiful pony like you going to do?” He stood up to his full height and stared back at her with just as much fire in his eyes. “I’d like to see you try and stop me.”

Chartreuse took a step backward as her confidence wavered. She opened her mouth nervously to reply, but Mist stepped forward and stopped her. “He didn’t mean to run into you, Bittersweet. I distracted him, and that’s what caused this. It was just an accident, so please let him go.”

Bittersweet sneered. “Of course the most useless and lazy pony in the Sibko would be the cause of our problems. Why don’t you just crawl into a corner and off yourself? The rest of our lives would become incredibly easier.”

Mist recoiled as if Bittersweet had struck him. His mouth opened and closed his mouth a few times, his lower jaw trembling, before he looked down at the floor and sniffed.

“That’s enough,” a steely voice said. Sundance twisted his head towards the sound and saw Vermilion standing a few meters away. He was staring defiantly at Bittersweet with his nostrils flaring.

Bittersweet turned towards him and laughed scornfully. “I’m not afraid of you, Vermilion.”

Vermillion walked up to Bittersweet steadily and stopped right in front of him. Vermillion was barely taller than Bittersweet’s shoulders and he had to crane his neck to make eye contact, but he remained undaunted nonetheless.

Bittersweet glowered at him. “Do you want to join your brother? I can make arrangements if that’s what you’re looking for.” 

Vermillion tensed his jaw muscles. “I said that’s enough.”

Bittersweet shoved his face into Vermillion’s hotly. “I’m seconds away from bashing your face in. Stay out of this, or I’ll kick your teeth out through your ass.”

“That’s. Enough,” Vermillion growled as he held his ground. Sundance stared up at the two of them, still struggling for air. He could feel Bittersweet’s muscles flexing, and he was worried that a fight between the two of them would end with one seriously injured, or even dead. Vermilion was strong and fast, but Bittersweet was much bigger and had more combat training. Sundance wasn’t sure who would come out on top if they came to blows.

Suddenly, Sundance felt the pressure release from his throat, and he rolled over. Chartreuse rushed over to him and rested a hoof on his shoulder comfortingly as he coughed against his sore throat.

Bittersweet snorted in Vermillion’s face. “Fine. Have it your way.” He turned away from Vermillion and began walking back towards the serving window. “You’ll never be your brother,” he threw over his shoulder. Vermillion glowered after him but said nothing. Instead, he turned towards his friends.

“Are you guys alright?” he asked. Sundance and Chartreuse nodded, but Mist remained still. He had barely moved since Bittersweet’s remark towards him and was still staring at the floor. Vermillion walked over to him and rested a hoof on his shoulder. “Ignore what he said. He was wrong.”

Mist didn’t reply, so Vermillion gently lifted his head with his other foreleg to force Mist to look at him. “Hey. Don’t listen to what Bittersweet said. You’re our friend, and careless jokes aside, we care about you. You’re not worthless to any of us.”

Mist stared at Vermillion with his eyes watering. After a moment, he sighed and nodded his head. Vermillion patted his shoulder softly. “Now let’s eat. I already grabbed food for all of us.”

Chartreuse helped Sundance to his hooves and the four of them walked over to the table Vermillion had selected. They sat at the end with Chartreuse and Sundance on one side, and Mist and Vermillion on the other. They ate in silence, the clatter of silverware being the only noises they made. Mist mostly just pushed around the vegetables on his plate, rarely taking a bite. “Poor Mist. I wish I could make him feel better, but I’m not exactly an empathetic pony,” Sundance thought as he glanced at his friend out of the corner of his eye.

After a few moments, Chartreuse broke the silence at their table. “Thank you for standing up for us,” she said to Vermillion.

“Somepony had to. Bittersweet is a cunt,” Vermillion replied. He scratched the back of his head, slightly embarrassed. “I couldn’t just let him have his way with you guys.”

Sundance smiled at him. “Yeah, he definitely is. Thanks.”

Mist nodded but remained silent. 

“Umm...” Chartreuse began. “Did Bittersweet know Carnelian? He seemed to be familiar with your situation.”

Vermillion put down his fork and nodded solemnly. “Yeah, he did. Carnelian used to be the best cadet here. Everypony looked up to him. Including Bittersweet.” Vermillion sighed. “Bittersweet idolized my brother. He wanted to be just like him, and my brother tried to help him along. He always had a hard personality, but he wasn’t cruel back then. I think losing Carnelian hit him harder than most other ponies.”

Sundance leaned back, shocked. “So Bittersweet isn’t just a total prick for no reason?”

Vermillion shook his head. “His reasoning doesn’t justify his actions, but no, he used to be tolerable.”

“So what was Carnelian like? He sounded like a great pony,” Chartreuse said, trying to see how much she could pull from Vermillion without hurting him. She wanted to help him feel better, but she needed to know the full story to do that.

Vermillion nodded. “He was. Carnelian was the best big brother I could have asked for. He always knew what to say, he never intentionally hurt me, he stood up for me, he was kind, caring, selfless... Sometimes I feel like I’m living in his shadow. I didn’t mind when he was here, but now that he’s gone...” he coughed awkwardly as his voice broke. “I’ll never be able to live up to Carnelian’s reputation, just like Bittersweet said. He was an amazing pony, the best I’ve ever known. I just wish I had said so while he was still alive.”

“Didn’t you ever tell him what he meant to you? Just once?” Chartreuse asked.

Vermillion shook his head. “I did, but just as a formality. I never realized just how important he was to me until he was gone. Do you know what the last thing I said to him was? The last thing he heard me say before he marched off to his death?” Vermillion ran a hoof over his face. 

“I told him I hated him, and that I never wanted to see him again. We were fighting before he left, and I was just so angry. I couldn’t think straight, and I said so many terrible things. Even through that, though, he never once raised his voice at me. Even with me shouting horrible things at him, he remained kind right up until the end. He-” Vermillion continued, his voice rising slightly in pitch. He swallowed. “He hugged me. He told me he loved me. He said, that even if things were hard, he knew I could find a way through. And I still said that as he walked out the door.” Vermillion buried his head in his forelegs as his shoulders beginning to shake. “I’m such a fucking idiot. I should be the one who’s dead, not him.”

Sundance stared at Vermillion, surprised. He hadn’t seemed like the type of pony to get angry like that, especially from how he had acted when he defended Sundance and the others. Chartreuse made a sympathetic face and reached over the table to comfort Vermillion, but Mist was closer.

“I doubt Carnelian actually believed you hated him,” Mist said softly, placing one of his forelegs across Vermillion’s back. “He was your brother, after all. I’m sure he knew how you really felt, even if you never said anything, and I can almost guarantee his last thoughts were about you.”

Vermillion looked up at Mist and sniffed. “Do you really think that?” he asked.

Mist nodded. “From what he sounded like, I can’t imagine anything else.”

Vermillion smiled and pulled him in for a hug. “Thanks, Mist,” he said. He let go and leaned back in his seat. “Well, I think I’ve put enough of a gloomy air on today’s lunch. Are you guys ready to go?”

The other three nodded, and they all got up, food trays in hoof. Chartreuse shot Sundance a strange look as they walked to the serving window. “That was an eventful lunch,” she said.

Sundance nodded. “Yeah. It was a lot more than I would have preferred to be shoved into twenty minutes.”

Chartreuse smiled. “At least we got Vermillion to talk about his past a bit.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Maybe he and Mist aren’t as incompatible as they looked. I wonder if Mist will be able to help him out more than we could.”

Sundance shrugged. “Hopefully. Either way, I’m glad he opened up a bit. It must be hard for him.”

Chartreuse nodded. “Losing ponies you’re close to can be debilitating. Vermillion isn’t too far gone, though, so I think the three of us can help him out.”

Sundance glanced at Vermillion as they dropped their food trays off at the window and turned to walk out of the building. “I sure hope so. I hate to see him or Mist so sad.”

“I guess we’ll see what happens.” Chartreuse smiled at Sundance. “We certainly are a strange group, aren’t we? There’s nothing remotely normal about any of us.”

Sundance chuckled. “Yeah. I wouldn’t give any of you up for anything, not even if I could be Khan of the Clan,” he said as they walked through the doors into the open air.

Chartreuse beamed at him and nudged him playfully. “That’s good to hear. The three of you are great friends to me, too.” She looked up at the mountains in the distance, their jagged peaks catching the sunlight like diamonds. “I hope we can all stay together for the rest of our lives.”



Sundance woke to the shaking of his bed. He cracked an eye open to find Mist standing closely in front of him, and he recoiled sluggishly in surprise. “Come on, Sundance!” Mist exclaimed as he took a few steps back. “We’re starting combat training today!” 

Sundance rubbed his eyes and pulled the blanket off of himself. “I’m up, I’m up.” He pushed himself drowsily onto the cold floor and made his bed. “No drill instructor today?” he asked, looking around the room. Most of the other cadets had already woken up, with the last few being shaken awake by the others.

Mist shook his head. “They needed his help for our training session today, so we’re on our own. No morning training session, either,” he said with a grin. “We get to eat breakfast and then go straight to the hangar.”

Sundance glanced at the door to the barracks and saw the grey light of morning streaming in through the window. He yawned. “Cool.” Sundance grabbed his jacket from the locker under his bed, threw it on, and walked over to Mist.

“Let’s go, come on! Vermillion is already on his way to the mess hall,” Mist said as he trotted over to the door excitedly.

Sundance rubbed his eyes again and followed his friend. He glanced around the barracks as he walked down the aisle of beds. “No Bittersweet. Good,” he thought. He glanced at Mist, who was holding the door open and beckoning to him eagerly. Sundance sighed and walked through into the frigid air, his hooves sinking into the soft snow that had fallen the night before. He pulled his jacket tight around himself and squinted at the sun, which had barely started poking over the tops of the snowcapped mountains. It had been over a year since he had gotten his cutie mark, and he had never felt so unsure of himself. “What’s the point of being able to pilot a Mech if I won’t be able to fight in one?” he thought. “I’m just going to get humiliated today.”

Mist bounced out ahead of Sundance, his hooves leaving trails in the barely touched snow. Sundance sighed and reluctantly trudged behind him. The two of them made their way to the mess hall, following the tracks of the cadets who had left before them. The training camp was barely recognizable now that all the leaves on the trees were gone and the ground was covered in snow. It almost looked uninviting. Sundance shivered. He and Vermillion had been talking about what was going on in the Clan recently, with freeborn ponies being treated like herds of cattle. He wasn’t sure if Vermillion had just made him paranoid, but he had begun to notice a lot of things that certainly painted ponies like the drill instructor and Commander Charcoal as the bad guys. Sundance scratched the back of his neck. “Is Vermillion right about all of them? Are they just luring us into a false sense of trust?”

Sundance shook his head and looked at Mist, who was still bounding ahead of him. “I know Mist is probably on Chartreuse’s side in all of this, but I wonder what he thinks. I’ve never heard him talk much about us being here. I guess he did say he has a tendency to just ignore his problems. Maybe I should try to get him to think about them instead.” Sundance sped up until he was walking beside his friend, whose excited jumping through the snow showered Sundance with the cold powder. He shielded his face. “Hey Mist, can I ask you a question?”

Mist calmed his excited outburst a bit and turned towards Sundance. “Of course, whatever you want.”

“If we could somehow escape from here and take Vermillion and Chartreuse with us, would you do it?”

Mist glanced at him, surprised. “Escape? I’ve never thought about doing that. I guess I just kind of accepted our fate a long time ago.” He looked ahead and thought for a moment. “We’d probably be hunted down and killed if we tried to run away, just so they could make an example out of us.”

Sundance shook his head. “Hypothetically, what would happen if we did and they didn’t come after us? Just pretend.”

Mist scratched underneath his chin. “If it were possible, I guess. I have no idea where we’d go, but I wouldn’t mind getting away from all of this. Dying isn’t really my thing, you know? Why the sudden curiosity?”

“Don’t you feel at least a little angry about the whole taken from our home thing? I mean, they pretty much stole our entire lives from us,” Sundance said.

Mist frowned. “Well... I guess they did, but it’s not like there’s anything we can do about it. Isn’t it just simpler to go with it and accept our situation? The only thing fighting back will get you is a bumpy ride in the trunk of a car tied up with a bag over your head, then a bullet through your skull in the middle of some remote field.” Mist shook his head. “Trust me, we’re better off just riding this war out. At least then we have a chance at surviving, even if it's slim.” He peered at Sundance. “You’ve been talking to Vermillion a lot lately, haven’t you?”

Sundance sighed. “Yes, I have. He has really valid arguments, though. Why can’t we stand up for ourselves?”

“Because it’s safer not to.” Mist sighed and stopped walking. “Listen. Vermillion is a great guy, and he’s one of the best friends I’ve ever had. But he has a dangerous way of thinking, and I worry constantly that his lack of caution is going to get him killed.” Mist placed a hoof on Sundance’s shoulder. “I get how you feel. It’s frustrating, and it would be great if we were still back at our homes. But we’re not, and there’s nothing we can do to change that. Please don’t talk about this kind of thing anymore. I don’t want to have to worry about losing you, too.”

Sundance sighed heavily. “I can't change how I feel about this. But I guess I can stop talking about it so much.”

Mist smiled and patted his shoulder. “Good. Trust me, the four of us are going to make it through this war together. We’ll do whatever it takes, and we’ll get out alive. Now come on, let’s make it to breakfast before Vermillion eats all the good food.”

Sundance nodded, and the two of them continued towards the mess hall, which had become visible quickly through the leafless trees. The two of them went inside and walked towards their usual table, where Vermillion and Chartreuse had beaten them there. As usual, Vermillion had already gotten all of their food for them. Sundance smiled. “I know he said he’ll never be like Carnelian, but I don’t think he needs to be. He’s an amazing pony the way he is,” he thought happily as he sat down next to Chartreuse.

Chartreuse smiled at the two of them as they sat down while Vermillion nodded at them. “Hey guys,” she said. “You ready for today?”

Mist nodded enthusiastically. “Definitely! I’ve been waiting for this day for ages,” he said as he shoveled his breakfast into his mouth.

Sundance shook his head. “Mist, nopony can understand you with food in your mouth.”

Mist glanced at Sundance, hurriedly chewed his food, and swallowed. “Sorry, I’m just so excited. I’ve been looking forward to today for a long time.”

Chartreuse laughed and looked at Sundance. “What about you?”

Sundance sighed and rested his chin on one of his hooves. “It’s cool, I guess.”

She looked at him, slightly worried. “Is something wrong? You don’t seem like yourself today.”

“I don’t know. I guess I’m just worried about what’s going to happen in training.”

“How come? You’re the best pilot in the Sibko. Nothing could go wrong,” Chartreuse said.

“Don’t jinx it.” Sundance leaned back in his seat and sighed again. “You remember all those times Bittersweet pushed me around in the past year, and I was always too scared to do anything about it? What if the same thing happens today?”

Chartreuse made a sympathetic face. “You’ll be alright. We were there for you every time, weren’t we? We can’t fight for you in training, but you’ll be fine if you just remember we’re not far away.”

Vermillion nodded. “Don’t think about your fear too much.”

Sundance smiled slightly. “I’ll try that. Thanks.” Truthfully, he was still terrified about combat training. He wasn’t sure either of them were much help, but he didn’t want to make them worry any more than they already were. It’s not like they could truly understand what he was feeling, after all. They didn’t have the same problem he did, so how could they?

“If everypony is done talking, let’s hurry up and eat. I want to be there before anypony else!” Mist exclaimed, still stuffing his cheeks. Sundance shook his head at his friend.

The four of them finished eating quickly, left their trays by the serving window with the other dirty dishes, and stepped out into the cold air. Chartreuse shivered and pulled her jacket tight around herself. “Why couldn’t they give us winter jackets, too? It’s freezing out here.”

“Because they’re too busy sending all of the good shit to the trueborn Sibkos. We just get whatever’s left, which isn’t very good, obviously,” Mist said as he pulled on his tattered cadet jacket. “Honestly, getting only one new jacket every year sucks. We have to wear these things constantly, and we can’t exactly be gentle with them.”

Vermillion shook his head. “That’s just how they treat us. We probably would have been better off dead rather than being here.”

Mist shot Sundance a glance and raised an eyebrow. Sundance sighed and turned away. He almost agreed with Vermillion. As much as he wanted to believe what Mist said about them all making it through the war, Sundance wasn’t too sure they could. The Clan had been pushing freeborn cadets out with worse and worse training and equipment recently, at least according to Vermillion. “I have no idea how all the other cadets can remain so optimistic. It’s almost like they’re brainwashing everypony.” A theory popped into his head, but Mist’s excited outburst cut him off before he could think about it any further.

“Come on, guys! The hangar is right here!” Mist called as he charged ahead of them when the massive steel doors became visible through the trees.

Vermillion shook his head and turned towards Chartreuse. “He said you were too excited about getting your cutie mark last year and look at him now.”

Chartreuse giggled. “So that’s what you three were talking about after training that day?”

Sundance glanced up at Commander Charcoal’s 'Mech Bay as they passed through the hangar’s entrance, and he noticed it was empty. “I guess the Commander already left for the training field.” Sundance scratched the back of his head. “I hope he doesn’t expect too much of me today.”

Mist rushed past them as he ran out of the locker room, his cooling suit already on and his neurohelmet in one foreleg. He grinned at them and ran towards his 'Mech Bay. Sundance sighed. “He really doesn’t know when to calm down, does he?”

The three of them got into their cooling suits and headed over to their own 'Mechs. Some of the cadets had begun to trickle into the hangar, none of whom seemed remotely as ecstatic as Mist. Vermillion nodded to Sundance as they reached the top of the stairs, and they climbed into their Mechs. Sundance put his neurohelmet on as the access hatch swung closed and turned on the Hellbringer. The usual beeps accompanied the start up procedure, and he heard Solis hum to life. "Good morning, Solis," he thought.

Good morning, Solis said.

Sundance smiled. He had gotten to the point with Solis where he could understand her basic emotions as words. He wasn't anywhere close to being able to have a full conversation with her, but he could at least understand greetings and ask yes or no questions. The Hellbringer stepped out of its Mech Bay and followed Mist out of the hangar with Vermillion and Chartreuse not far behind. By the time Sundance had cleared the doors of the hangar, Mist had already almost sprinted out of view, moving quickly between the trees.

"He certainly is lively," Vermillion said as he followed Sundance.

Sundance nodded and glanced after the disappearing Mech. "He's almost like an entirely different pony when he's this excited," he thought as the three of them walked towards the training field. From this high up, it was a bit easier to see where the path used to be through the snow. Before long, the three of them reached the training field where Mist was already waiting. Sundance saw the Commander's Mad Dog near the end of the field, along with another Mech he didn't recognize.

"God damn. You got here fast," Vermillion said as the three of them stopped next to Mist.

"Of course. I did say I was excited."

Vermillion shook his head. They stood there in silence as the other cadets slowly began filing onto the field. Before long, the last straggler made it onto the field, and the Commander walked over to them with the other Mech trailing behind.

"I think that's a Gyrfalcon," Mist said over their private comm channel. "I don't know much about it, though. They're produced exclusively by Clan Jade Falcon, so I have no idea how we got one." He scratched the back of his head. "They haven't joined the war officially, so the only reason I can think of is they're supporting our side while staying out of the fighting, which is strange for them." He frowned. "I'll have to think about this more."

Sundance nodded, not really listening. He was too busy worrying about humiliating himself when the mock battles started. 

The Commander halted in front of the cadets with the Gyrfalcon stopping not far behind. "It is time for combat training, cadets. I hope you all came prepared. We are going to get right into it today so that we can finish this as soon as possible. All 'Mechs fifty tons and above, follow me. The rest of you, stay here with Commander Juniper. She will be evaluating you instead," he said with a gesture toward the Gyrfalcon.

Commander Charcoal turned around and walked back to the other end of the field with about half of the cadets following him. He stopped when they reached the far side of the field and turned back towards them. "As you have probably already guessed, I am not going to have you guys use live ammunition yet, despite the training methods of the other Clans. We put all of your Mechs in training mode and replaced the ammo with dummy ammunition. While your Mechs will not take physical damage, they will act as if they did when being shot, which makes this an excellent way to train for real-world situations. For now, though, an open field will do.

"The way this works is I will select two cadets who will fight once I give the signal. The winner is whoever is left standing at the end, and they get a point. The loser gets nothing. It will be a tournament-style system, with a winners' bracket and a losers' bracket. In addition to this, you will get a certain score based off of your performance, which is what we are really looking for here. The tonnage difference is accounted for in this score, so if you, for example, lose to a 'Mech that is ten tons heavier than your own but you still manage to inflict substantial damage, your score gain will likely be similar to that of your opponent's. Keep your heat in mind, since that is a factor in your score, too. Your 'Mech is going to keep track of the estimated heat you would have with real weapons without actually accumulating heat, but you will still shut down if it reaches the threshold.

"So now we will get started. Cadets Chartreuse and Mist, you are up."

Chartreuse giggled and stepped forward from the group while Mist turned towards Sundance with a defeated expression. Sundance chuckled and shook his head at his friend. "I'd say good luck, but I don't think it would be enough."

Mist sighed and walked out to stand across from Chartreuse. The two of them looked at each other, both knowing fully who was going to win.

"He should have put me up against her. I would have had a chance," Vermillion said to Sundance over a private comm channel.

"Maybe it's personal? Mist can be quite irritating when he wants to be, so it wouldn't be surprising."

Vermillion barked a laugh. "Yeah, that makes sense."

"Start!" the Commander said over the open comms. Chartreuse immediately began firing, and bright flashes came from her Marauder's PPCs. It looked strange since there weren't actually any projectiles coming out of the weapons, but Mist's Summoner still recoiled as if it had been hit.

"I guess the training mode makes the Mechs move as if it's been hit, too," Sundance thought. He targeted Mist and pulled up his Mech's data on the targeting screen. "Mist isn't doing too good. Barely ten seconds in and he's already lost half of the armor on his torsos."

Chartreuse kept up her constant barrage, keeping the Summoner's torso rocking and making it almost impossible for Mist to aim. He managed to hit her with a few glancing shots, but he couldn't get in any meaningful damage before his 'Mech inevitably shut down from the simulated damage. An easy victory for Chartreuse.

"Punched straight through the CT. I guess Chartreuse didn't get her cutie mark for nothing," Sundance thought as the targeting screen flickered off. A 'Mech was taken out most commonly by destroying either the head or center torso, and if this had been a real battle, Mist would have a gaping hole in the middle of his 'Mech.

"Very good performance, cadet Chartreuse," Commander Charcoal said. "Better luck next time, Mist. Power back up and your damage will reset. Vermillion and Sundance, you are up next."

Sundance sighed and glanced over at Vermillion's Timber Wolf as they stepped out in front of the other cadets, feeling even more anxious than he had before. "I guess I should have expected that," he thought. Solis hummed reassuringly. Not only was the Timber Wolf ten tons heavier than the Hellbringer, he had a feeling there wasn't much of a skill gap between them, either.

Sundance's heart was pounding as he stopped and faced Vermilion. "It's no big deal. I'll do fine. Right?" he thought to himself. He pulled up Vermillion's 'Mech on his targeting screen and waited anxiously. His heart began pounding harder as the seconds dragged out before he heard the Commander's call to start the skirmish.

"Start!"
> Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sundance tore off his neurohelmet and threw himself forward in his seat, gasping for breath. His head felt like it was being stuffed with cotton, his heart was hammering in his chest so hard he swore he could feel it through his rib cage, and his entire body hurt sharply all over. The muffled sound of machine guns abruptly cut off, and he put a hoof to his temple. "What the hell was that?" he thought as he flinched at the now receding headache. He looked around the dark cockpit, realizing he was shut down in a field. "What..." He sat there for a moment, recollecting what had just happened.

The only thing Sundance remembered after the Commander's call was the flash of gunfire and lasers, followed immediately by horrible pain coursing through his whole body, possibly the worst he had ever experienced. He brought his hoof to his still-pounding heart. He was sure he could remember something else, but... it was more like a distant memory, probably triggered by the gunfire. Sundance wasn't sure what it was, but it felt important. He winced and placed his hoof back on his head as the migraine kicked back up slightly.

Sundance glanced up as Vermilion walked over to him in his Timber Wolf. "Sundance? Are you alright in there?" he asked over his external speaker, the noise dully reverberating in the cockpit. Sundance nodded and restarted his Hellbringer, the cockpit relighting and coming to life.

Sundance gingerly placed the neurohelmet back on his head and Solis's worried humming soothing the headache slightly. "I'm alright, Solis. I just need a moment," he thought. He leaned back into his seat and winced, the contact making his pain flare up again. After a moment, he saw movement from the corner of his eye, and he turned his head to see Commander Charcoal in his Mad Dog walk into view.

"What was that about, cadet Sundance? You did not even fight back!" the Commander said, obviously more than a little displeased.

"I-I was just, um..." Sundance struggled. He wasn't exactly sure how to explain what happened to the Commander, especially considering even he didn't know what happened. His pain certainly didn't do anything to help.

"I think there was something wrong, Sir," Vermilion cut in. "He had his neurohelmet off and he looked like he was in pain."

Commander Charcoal looked at Sundance in the cockpit. "Is that so? Are you well enough to continue, or do you need to go to the infirmary?"

Sundance shook his head and gritted his teeth. "I'll be alright, Sir. I can continue." Truthfully, Sundance wasn't alright, and he'd love to go to the infirmary and skip the rest of training, but there was no way he could slink away and use his pain as an excuse for his poor performance.

The Commander frowned and stared at him for a few more seconds. "No, you can not. I will not have one of my most promising cadets ruin himself." He turned towards the 'Mechs at the other end of the field just as two light 'Mechs finished their skirmish.

"Cadet Tangelo, come over here," Commander Charcoal called over the open comms as the shut down light Mech powered back up. The tiny 'Mech turned around and ran over to stand in front of the Commander.

"You called for me, Sir?" a singsong voice said over the comms. Sundance saw the cadet inside, presumably Tangelo, salute to the Commander.

"Yes. Take cadet Sundance here to the infirmary. And be quick about it."

"Of course, Sir," Tangelo said.

"Cadets Lilac and Chrome, it is your turn," Sundance heard the Commander say as he wheeled around. He watched another heavy and a medium step out in front of the other cadets before they stopped and faced each other. 

Sundance heard a polite cough on a private comm channel. He turned around to find Tangelo waiting a short distance down the field in her Mech. "We shouldn't keep the Commander waiting. Unless, of course, you don't want to go to the infirmary?"

Sundance sighed and shook his head. "I'm coming." He cast a quick glance back at the other cadets as they started their skirmish before lumbering behind Tangelo down the training field. They walked past the tree line and into the forest, and the sounds of weapon fire faded behind them. After a while, Tangelo broke the silence.

"You heavy Mechs are all so slow. How can you handle dragging your hooves everywhere?"

Sundance looked down at her and scratched the back of his head. "I don't know. I guess I never really thought of heavies being slow, just lights being really fast. The Commander always said lights are like annoying gnats that never go away," he said, almost immediately realizing his mistake. "Though, umm... I'm sure he meant the 'Mechs themselves, and not the, uh, ponies piloting them." Solis buzzed in an amused way. "I know, I know. Not a great way to start a conversation with a pony I've never met," Sundance thought.

Tangelo giggled lightly. "Well, he wasn't wrong about one thing. I think whoever named most light Mechs kept that in mind, considering mine is called a Locust. Well, the Clan version of a Locust, anyway. So what do you need to go to the infirmary for? We weren't using live ammunition, so I wasn't expecting to have to take anypony there today."

Sundance winced as the headache flared up slightly. "I'm not sure. As soon as the skirmish started, my body started hurting all over," he said, rubbing the back of his head gingerly. "And what do you mean by that? You knew the Commander would tell you if somepony got hurt?"

"Of course. My cutie mark is a first aid kit, after all," Tangelo said, slowing slightly as they went around a turn in the path. "Hmm... I've never heard of that happening to anypony before. Maybe Cornsilk will have an idea of what happened."

They continued along the path in silence before it narrowed drastically. Tangelo stopped quickly, and Sundance scrambled to not trample her as he stumbled to a halt. "Sorry. I forgot you guys can't just stop when you're running at seventy kph," she said as she stepped away from Sundance. "So anyway, you can't really get to the infirmary in that Mech, as you've no doubt already realized. We'll have to continue on hoof."

Sundance glanced at the low-hanging branches. "Can't we just push through them? It's not like the branches are going to hurt our Mechs."

"I'd rather not spend my lunchtime dragging broken limbs off of the path instead of eating, thank you." She powered down her Locust and swung the cramped cockpit open, leaving her neurohelmet on the seat. The first things Sundance noticed about her was her extraordinarily bright orange mane and her almost-as-bright yellow eyes. It was almost difficult to see the duller shade of orange that made up her coat past all of the more intense colors. She motioned to Sundance to follow her and hopped off of the short 'Mech.

Sundance stared after her for a moment, slightly distracted, before Solis beeped and got his attention. "What? I know, I'm going," he thought. Solis hummed, confused. Sundance certainly seemed out of sorts, though she wasn't sure why. "No, it's nothing. I'll be back soon. Don't go anywhere." 

Sundance shut down the Hellbringer and removed his neurohelmet, his heart beating noticeably faster than normal. "Huh, that's weird. I hope this all isn't being caused by some horrible heart condition," he thought. He swung the access hatch open and looked down at the distant ground. A fall from this height would no doubt break something, so he'd have to be careful.

The rungs attached to the outside of the Hellbringer led down to the ground along the side of the 'Mech. Sundance had never used them before, and it seemed like a precarious way to get off and on a 'Mech. "Let's hope I don't fall to my death," he thought as he began his descent.

Climbing down the 'Mech was slow progress, but eventually Sundance began to near the ground. He got a little too impatient however, and in his haste to reach the ground, he slipped on one of the rungs and tumbled a couple of meters to the ground. Luckily the snow broke his fall, and he let out a grunt as the air was knocked from his lungs.

He laid on the ground for a few moments, staring at the sky as the world spun around him. Tangelo walked up to him and looked down at him, seemingly entertained by his trouble. "Are you alright?"

Sundance shook his head to clear his vision and pulled himself quickly to his hooves. "Yeah, I'm fine. Never better," he said as he brushed the snow off of his cooling suit.

Tangelo eyed him amusedly before shaking her head and smiling. "Come on, let's not keep the Commander waiting."

Sundance paused as she walked past him, then turned to follow. Their hooves left trails through the snow as the two cadets walked through the quiet forest, with Tangelo leading the way. A light breeze swept through the trees, and Sundance shivered. The cooling suits were designed to be breathable, so they understandably didn't have much in the way of insulation.

Before long they made it to the infirmary, where the doors were shut against the cold. Tangelo pushed one of them open and stepped inside. "Cornsilk? Are you in here?" she called.

The nurse's head popped out from behind a curtain halfway down the room and she smiled. "Tangelo, my favorite cadet," she said as she stepped towards the two cadets. Sundance could see the faint outline of a pony lying on the bed behind the curtain, and he saw dark green hooves sticking out at the end of the bed. Cornsilk scowled when she saw Sundance, and he smiled awkwardly and waved. "Along with Sundance. Not my favorite cadet." She shook her head. "I know my personality is charming and it's warm in the infirmary, but you can't keep coming here. It's been, what, a week since I last saw you?"

Sundance shrugged. Bittersweet had been pushing him around almost constantly for the past year, but he hadn't told his friends about it. He knew they would get involved and would probably get hurt, especially Vermilion. "I get injured a lot."

Cornsilk shook her head again. "You need to be more careful. You'll have joints like mine by age thirty if you keep this up." She sighed. "So what's the problem this time? Broken leg? Lacerations covering your chest? Crabs?" Tangelo giggled. 

Sundance opened his mouth and stopped. He frowned. "What? No, eww. That's disgusting. Why would you even think that?"

"You've come to me with nearly every injury and ailment I know about over the past year, and that just came to mind as one you haven't complained about. Yet, anyway. You don't have to be embarrassed about it."

"Of course I don't have crabs. I'm thirteen," Sundance said, making a face.

"That's too bad. They just sent me an entire case of ointment for the nasty buggers, and I have no idea what to do with all of it. It's completely useless to me." Cornsilk sighed before walking over to a cabinet and opening it. "They must have mixed up my order again. Command always does shit like this." She rummaged through the cabinet before shutting it, frustrated. "If they could actually send over the medicine I ordered, then I could do my job. I'm sure you two know about the horrible viruses that plague Dike in the winter. They're not lethal, thank Celestia, but it's dreadful business without medicine. Poor Fern over there is getting the worst of it right now," she said with a nod toward the green hooves Sundance noticed earlier. A pitiful cough sounded in response from the sick cadet.

She turned back to Sundance and looked him over. "So what exactly's the matter with you this time? I can't see blood pooling on my clean floor, so you must be better off than usual."

Sundance sighed. "I'm not sure, actually. We were starting skirmishes in training today, and as soon as my turn started, my body started hurting all over."

Cornsilk frowned. "That's odd. Either you're the victim of a strange coincidence or there's something terribly wrong with you." She nodded towards one of the beds. "Have a seat."

Sundance walked over to the bed and sat down nervously. "I sure hope it's nothing serious," he thought. Cornsilk walked up to him and immediately tapped him roughly on one knee to test his reflexes. Sundance flinched and grabbed his knee. "Ow! Did you have to do it that hard?"

"No, but I wanted to. Now hold still." Cornsilk prodded him in the stomach a few times before peering into his ears, eyes, and down his throat. "Hmm... Tangelo, can you bring me the tray on that cart over there, darling?" she said, nodding towards a cart at the end of the room. She turned back towards Sundance. "I need you to strip out of that cooling suit. The Commander would have my ass on a platter if I stabbed you through that thing. It's probably worth as many bits as I make in a month."

"Of course." Tangelo walked towards the end of the room with her hips swaying slightly. Sundance stared after her for a moment, and Cornsilk waved a hoof in front of his eyes to get his attention.

"Hey. Stop mooning and get out of that cooling suit."

Sundance blinked a few times. "Oh, sorry. I've been really distracted recently for some reason," he said, sliding off the bed and unhooking the collar of the cooling suit.

Cornsilk raised an eyebrow at him. "Really? I hadn't noticed. That reason wouldn't happen to be an eye-piercing shade of orange, would it?"

Sundance shook his head as he pulled his forelegs out of the sleeves. "No. I think it had something to do with why my body started hurting. I got a really weird headache at the same time, and I felt like I almost remembered something I had forgotten, too."

"Uh-huh. Whatever you say," Cornsilk said. Tangelo walked back over to them with a metal tray in one hoof, and Cornsilk grabbed a stethoscope from it. She turned back towards Sundance and placed it on his chest, listening intently. Every once in a while she moved it to a different location, before doing the same thing on his back. 

After a minute or so, she sighed and shook her head before removing the stethoscope from her ears. "I can't find anything immediately wrong with you, so we'll have to do this the fun way."

Sundance furrowed his brow, confused. "The fun way? What does that involve?" he asked just as Cornsilk took a massive needle from the tray Tangelo had brought her. She turned her head to face Sundance with a crooked smile on her face.

"With needles, how else? I did say I was going to stab you. Unless, of course, you were too distracted to hear."

Sundance backed up against the bed in alarm. "That? But it's huge! What are you going to do with it?"

"Sample your blood, of course. I need to run some tests to make sure you're not diseased." Cornsilk took a step towards him.

"But do you really need to? Isn't there an easier way to draw blood?" he asked anxiously. Needles certainly weren't his favorite thing, especially ones the size of a drinking straw.

"There certainly are, but this is the most fun way for me. Now hold still or I'll have to prick you more than once." She grabbed his left foreleg none too gently and looked it over. "If you relax your muscles, this won't hurt as much."

Sundance shot her a look. "Relax? Easy for you to say. You're not the one- Fuck!" he yelled as Cornsilk abruptly jabbed the needle into his foreleg. "Ow! Why didn't you warn me?"

"Because you were going to tense up if I did. You'll thank me later," she said, winking. "I'm getting a strange sense of déjà vu." Sundance gritted his teeth and held on tightly to the edge of the bed. He sat there for a few moments, watching the syringe fill with his blood. It was a bit unsettling.

When the syringe was about half full, Cornsilk nodded to herself. "That's enough." She suddenly yanked the needle back out of Sundance's foreleg, and he gasped and clutched the wound. He shot her a glare, and she just stared back innocently. "What? Remember what I said about tensing your muscles?" She turned to Tangelo and nodded towards Sundance. "Take care of him for me. I'll be in the back room running exciting tests like sitting around for two hours while I wait for the results to come back."

"Sure thing." Cornsilk nodded and walked down to a metal door at the end of the room. She used the key around her neck to unlock the door and disappeared inside. Tangelo walked over to Sundance, who was still clutching his bleeding foreleg. She set the metal tray down and grabbed a disinfectant wipe and a paper towel from it before turning to Sundance and motioning for him to remove his hoof. He obliged, and she began wiping down his foreleg with the towel. "So, you said something about a distant memory or whatever when you were in your 'Mech?" she asked.

Sundance nodded. "Yeah, but I can't remember what it was about." He went to scratch the back of his head, but stopped when he remembered the blood on his hoof. He set his hoof back down on his lap.

"I kind of gathered that much. Why don't you try harder to remember it? Put yourself back in your 'Mech and try to remember everything." Tangelo raised an eyebrow at him. "I meant that figuratively, by the way. In case you were actually about to walk back outside and climb into your 'Mech."

Sundance laughed. "I'm not that stupid. Alright, I'll try." He closed his eyes as Tangelo switched from the towel to the disinfectant wipe. He imagined he was back in the cockpit of his Hellbringer, facing Vermillion's Timber Wolf, waiting for the Commander to give them the signal to start. He frowned. He didn't think this was helping, but he went along with it anyway. He remembered the Commander's call, machine guns, and... And...



Nine years ago, a group of soldiers was invading the small town of Styx. Gunfire was echoing across the whole town, and every single pony was awake and panicking. Innocent blood was flowing unrestricted down the streets, and frightened screams could be heard from nearly every building. All but one.

Eggshell, who was the mother of a four-year-old foal at the old age of eighteen, dragged her young foal out of bed, who cried in protest. "Come on, we have to run! The soldiers are here!"

The foal rubbed its eyes. "But mommy, I'm tired. Can't we go back to bed?"

Eggshell shuffled her wings, frustrated and terrified at the same time. "No, we need to go. Now!" She grabbed the foal's foreleg and pulled it along behind her. The foal let out a sharp cry of pain.

"Ow! Mommy, that hurt!" it whined. It stumbled, struggling to keep up with the older pony.

"I'm sorry young one, but we can't slow down. I need to keep you safe." She went up to the front door and hovered her hoof over the handle. "No, they'll see us," she thought. "We need to get out a different way." She dragged her foal to the rear door and silently swung the door open. She peeked her head out carefully, praying to Celestia that nopony would see them. 

Luckily for them, fate was smiling on Eggshell and her foal, at least for the moment. She led the foal out into the open air where the gunshots were much louder.

The foal covered its ears. "What's that noise? Why is it so loud?"

"The soldiers are attacking our town," she growled. If she had known this was going to happen she would have taken her foal and left to live in the countryside, instead of letting that good-for-nothing, manipulating stallion walk out on her. She stamped her hoof, her nostrils flaring. "No time for loathing," she said quietly to herself. She pushed her foal underneath a cart in the alley next to their house and stopped to think for a moment.

"We need to leave town, but how? They'll see us if we try to run." She glanced out at the main square, and was wholly unprepared for the terrible scene before her. There were pools of blood everywhere seeping from the countless dead bodies lining the streets. Among those faces were many ponies she had grown up around, and even a couple of friends she could recognize, their dull eyes staring lifelessly at nothing. 

"Dear Celestia, no..." she whispered, her voice cracking. She planted a hoof over her mouth, willing herself not to scream out. She knew ponies were dying, but seeing their corpses piled on top of each other like yesterday's garbage was too much for her. Her jaw began trembling, and she could feel tears welling up in her eyes. She continued gazing out at the terrible scene, unable to tear her eyes away, when she saw a stallion standing in the middle of the square.

Staring right at her.

She shrieked and backed up against a wall, her wings unfolding but refusing to carry her anywhere. Even if she could fly away fast enough to avoid being shot down, there was no way she was going to leave her foal behind. The best she could do was not draw any attention to it and hope she died quickly and painlessly.

The stallion sauntered up to Eggshell, his face twisted in an expression of corrupt pleasure. She trembled as he breathed in deeply, unable to will her body to do anything but cower. His horn began to glow, and she felt herself being lifted off the ground, followed by the most intense pain she could imagine.

Eggshell screamed in agony as every single one of her joints were ripped from their sockets. She could feel her teeth being torn from her jaw and her skin shredding like paper as her bones snapped and slashed through her flesh. What was only about twenty seconds dragged out into what felt like hours of excruciating torture, and she continued screaming.

"AAAAHH! FUCK! Please! Please just kill me already! she cried, just wanting the unbearable pain to end. Her torturer, however, had different plans for her. He contorted her body into unnatural shapes with his magic and watched as the sharp bones shredding her body into an unrecognizable mess. Her cries slowly became fainter and weaker, until the blood pooling in her throat silenced them completely. Her mind slowed and her pain ebbed as her body mercifully began shutting down. As the last of her life flowed onto the cobblestones and her eyes began to flutter shut, she risked a glance at her foal.

The young colt was cowering under the cart, just where she had left him. She stared at him in her last moments, wanting to take the memory of him to whatever afterlife awaited her. His perfect coat the color of lamb's wool, his black mane as slick as oil, his beautiful purple eyes always looking at the world as if there was something he could see in it that she couldn't. "Please, Sundance... make it out alive..." she thought as a single tear rolled down her cheek. 



"Sundance! Hey, just breathe, alright? Calm down and breathe. Deep breaths. You're alright, I've got you."

Sundance blinked rapidly as his eyes slowly readjusted to the world around him. He could feel his weight leaning forward on something soft, and there was a hoof on his chest trying to calm his ragged breathing. "That's it. Nothing here is going to hurt you. Just keep taking deep breaths."

As his eyes refocused, Sundance glanced around the room, trying to remember where he was. "Oh yeah, I'm in the infirmary. Cornsilk assaulted me and stole a bunch of my blood, then left Tangelo to do the rest of her job." 

He shook his head and turned to Tangelo, who was staring at him with a worried expression. "Are you okay? You blacked out for a minute."

Tangelo helped Sundance back into a sitting position and he rubbed his forehead with one of his hooves. "I think so. I just... I remembered something from when the soldiers invaded our home town. Not everything, just a few pieces."

Tangelo frowned slightly at him, concerned. "Really? That can't have been an easy memory," she said, noting his wet eyes. "Here, let me get that for you." Before Sundance could react she reached towards the tray behind her, grabbed a clean paper towel, and started gently wiping the tears from his face.

Sundance froze, unsure how to react. He hadn't even realized he had been crying, and he certainly hadn't expected Tangelo to bring her face so close to his. He could faintly smell citrus, probably from her shampoo, and each of her breaths lightly caressed his cheek. Sundance felt his face growing hot and he held his breath.

Tangelo finished drying his face and stepped back, making eye contact with him. Her face flushed as she realized what she had done, and the two of them looked away from each other awkwardly. "Sorry, I was just, umm... I got a bit caught up in the moment." She put the towel back on the tray and picked it up. "You should probably get back into your cooling suit so we can get our Mechs to the hangar."

"Shouldn't we wait for Cornsilk to tell me I can go?" Sundance asked. He looked down at his foreleg, which had apparently been bandaged while he was unconscious.

Tangelo carried the tray back over to the cart and began dropping the used supplies into the trash. "She'll call for you if she finds something. Besides, I don't actually think there's anything wrong with you."

Sundance tilted his head at her as he struggled to pull the cooling suit over his body. "Why not? Do you think it was just a coincidence?"

Tangelo turned back towards him and shook her head. "I think it's a combination of two things. I think that memory tried to surface which caused you to black out, and there might be an explanation for the pain. It isn't unheard of for a MechWarrior to feel pain when their 'Mech is damaged, so it would make sense if you felt it to a much greater degree than any other pilot with your talent."

"Are you sure? We weren't using live ammunition, so how could I feel anything if my 'Mech wasn't actually being hit?" Sundance asked as he got the last of his legs into the cooling suit.

Tangelo shrugged. "I'm not sure, it's just a theory. Though, the training program in the Mechs is designed to simulate damage, so it still could have caused some sort of pain."

Sundance zipped up the front of the cooling suit and hooked the collar. "I guess that makes sense."

Tangelo walked over to the door to the infirmary and pulled it open, letting the cold air flow inside. "Ready to go? We took so much time the others might already be on their way to the hangar," she said.

Sundance nodded. "Sure. Let's go." He followed Tangelo out into the open air where the wind whipped around them. The sun was reflecting brightly off of the snow, and Sundance had to squint his eyes to see. "That certainly was an eventful morning," he thought to himself. He glanced at Tangelo. "I know I told Mist I wasn't interested in a relationship, but..." Sundance shook his head. "I don't know. I'll just have to see what happens. Even if things don't quite work out, I wouldn't mind having more friends."



Meanwhile on Terra, two hundred light years from Clan space...

"But why can't we just attack them? They're weakened with all the fighting going on. This would be the perfect time to take revenge for everything they've done! With the three of us and the entire Inner Sphere, we could easily wipe them out now," Discord said, frustrated. His colleagues were quite vexing to work with sometimes.

Celestia shook her head. "We mustn't attack unprovoked. I know you're still angry about the invasion all those years ago, but we can't hang on to the past."

"They killed millions of our ponies! Five hundred years later and we're still recovering from the damage they inflicted. They even almost killed you!" he argued.

"That was in ritualistic combat. I survived, they honored their laws and agreement to leave, and now we must honor our own laws. I will not attack unless it is absolutely necessary. That is the end of it, Discord," Celestia said as she stamped her hoof.

"They will attack again. You know how ruthless and bloodthirsty the Clans are-"

"Discord! That is the end of the discussion," Luna said angrily, cutting him off. "We are not attacking and that is final. Come, sister. We must tend to the needs of our citizens."

The two princesses turned and left the dark council room, leaving Discord to stew in it by himself. He glowered after them as they left and rapped his claws once on the oak wood table. "We'll see about that." Discord stood up and walked over to one of the tall windows. He parted the heavy red curtains and looked out at the bustling city below, where the automated traffic systems kept everything running flawlessly. A terrifically terrible plan began forming in his head, and he grinned devilishly. "The two of you ponies have been in power for far too long. Perhaps it's time for a certain Draconequus to take your place."
> Chapter 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Snow began lightly falling while Sundance and Tangelo were walking back to their Mechs. Sundance glanced up at the sky and noticed dark clouds off in the distance, their imposing shapes scraping past the tips of the mountains. "That doesn't look good."

Tangelo followed his gaze to the oncoming blizzard and sucked in a breath. "Yeah, that's really bad. I doubt we'll do any more training today out in that. We don't have enough pegasi to clear a storm that large before it hits." The two of them picked up the pace, not wanting to be stuck outside their 'Mechs when the storm hit. 

"Can I ask you something a little strange?" Sundance asked after a while. Their 'Mechs had become visible through the trees by now, but the clouds had almost reached the camp.

"Sure." Tangelo looked nervously up at the clouds.

"Have you... ever thought about running away? About escaping from here?"

Tangelo's eyes went wide and she planted a hoof over his mouth. "Are you crazy? You can't just bring that up!" She hissed. She glanced at the trees around them uneasily and brought her voice to a whisper. "You never know who might be listening. You've noticed how other cadets disappear occasionally, right? This Clan isn't exactly forgiving towards dissenters."

Sundance nodded. He had only noticed because Vermilion had mentioned that at some point, but he had completely forgotten about it. Nopony knew where those cadets went, but if they were still alive, he'd imagine they'd wish they were dead. "I guess I forgot my promise to Mist, too. Sorry about that," he thought nervously.

Tangelo sighed and put her hoof back on the ground. "Be careful about who you trust. Most of the other cadets would turn you in the second you mention something like that." She started walking towards their Mechs again, and Sundance followed. "I'm a bit of an odd case. The soldiers actually saved my life when they took me. I owe them that much."

Sundance tilted his head at her. "Saved your life? How?"

She sighed heavily and glanced at the sky again. "I had a hard life growing up. I hated every second of it. The cold nights without a bed, living off of the scraps my parents threw me, the… well, it doesn't matter, really. There wasn't a single day where I didn't want to die." She shivered. "I woke up to our door crashing open. When I saw the soldiers rush in and put a bullet through both of my parents' heads, it felt like the best day of my life. I was finally free from all of the things they put me through."

They finally reached their 'Mechs just as the first of the snow began to fall. The wind and snow had picked up and the trees were making ominous creaking sounds. Tangelo stopped and put a hoof on a leg of her Locust. "It's paradise here compared to back home. I'm probably the only one who feels that way, but it's my honest feelings." She turned towards Sundance. "I know you want to get away from all this, but there's no way out. We're soldiers now. The sooner you accept that the sooner you can be safe."

Sundance shielded his face from the increasingly violent blizzard that had pushed over the tops of the mountains. It was getting hard to see or hear anything from a distance. He knew blizzards had a bad habit of appearing out of nowhere on Dike, but he had never been unlucky enough to be out in one. He thought for a moment, then sighed. "You're the second pony to tell me that."

Tangelo giggled lightly. "Well, it must be good advice if I'm not the only one who's said it."

Sundance nodded reluctantly. "Fine, you win. I'll go along with it, but I won't be happy about it."

"That's good enough for me." Tangelo climbed up onto one of the legs of her Locust and reached up towards the cockpit. She stopped and turned towards Sundance's Hellbringer. "Oh, and be careful when you climb back into your 'Mech. Don't fall again," she said with a wink. She pulled herself into her Mech and swung the access hatch shut.

Sundance sighed again and walked over towards his Mech. "Can I really just accept being a soldier? After everything they did to us?" He grabbed one of the rungs leading up the side of his 'Mech and began to climb. "I probably wouldn't be able to escape, anyway. It's just wishful thinking on my part. It's not like I actually have the courage to sneak away then live on my own for the rest of my life, or hide on a ship heading to a different planet and live in a different Clan."

Sundance grabbed at the top rung and pulled himself through the access hatch. A light dusting of snow had covered the interior, and he brushed the thin coating of snow off the seat and swung the hatch closed behind him, shutting out the blizzard. Sundance lifted his neurohelmet from the floor and gazed at his reflection in the visor. "This probably is the best option for me. Just go with the flow and accept whatever comes." He snorted and placed the neurohelmet over his head. "At least I'm not alone anymore."

By the time Sundance and Tangelo made it back to the hangar, the blizzard was in full swing. To avoid stepping on anypony, they had switched to infrared view, allowing them to see other cadets struggling through the heavy snow. Most of them knew to get out of the way when they heard a 'Mech walking down the path, but Tangelo had to blare her 'Mech's war horn once or twice when a cadet didn't seem to notice them.

Sundance saw a group of three ponies standing near the hangar doors, and he switched infrared view off when he got close enough to see them without it. He immediately recognized his friends, who were huddled close to each other and staring out into the blizzard.

Mist waved to Sundance as he emerged from the snow. "There you are! We've been worried sick about you."

"Sorry. We got caught up in the infirmary," he said awkwardly over the speaker. He glanced at Tangelo as she stepped into her Mech Bay and powered down.

"Well, hurry up and get out so we can make it to the barracks before they're buried under all this snow! It's too dangerous to be out in the blizzard for long. It's almost negative twenty degrees with wind chill!" Mist said, shivering. Chartreuse shuffled a bit and looked away from Sundance.

"Shit. Why don't they just keep us in the hangar?" Sundance said as he lumbered over to his Mech Bay. 

"Because they want us to die," Vermilion grumbled. Chartreuse smacked him with one of her wings, and he glared back at her. Sundance got the feeling they had been arguing about that for a while now.

Mist glanced at Vermilion. "No, because the hangar isn't heated. We'd still freeze to death in here. We could sit in our Mechs, but I don't want to wait in a cockpit until morning."

Sundance scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, that's a good point." Solis whined, hurt, and Sundance patted the controls comfortingly. "Sorry, but this seat isn't very comfortable. You might be able to survive sitting in one spot for that long, but I certainly can't. I'll see you tomorrow. Hopefully, anyway." Solis hummed resignedly, and Sundance powered down the Hellbringer.

Chartreuse shivered violently and stamped her hooves against the cold. "I don't know about you guys, but I can't wait for another second." With that, she turned and raced off into the blizzard, her bright tail flapping behind her, before disappearing into the snow.

"Wait! We shouldn't go off by ourselves!" Mist called as he reached one hoof out towards her disappearing figure.

Vermilion nudged him. "Make sure she gets there. I'll wait for Sundance and Tangelo."

Mist nodded to him and charged after Chartreuse, the merciless storm swallowing him, too. Sundance rushed down the stairs from the catwalk and darted over to Vermilion with his neurohelmet tucked under his right foreleg. "What's happening? Why did they run off like that?"

Vermilion shook his head. "Chartreuse left by herself, and Mist is making sure she's safe. This isn't the time for her jealousy," he growled, obviously worried about their safety. Sundance frowned, confused, but Vermilion continued before he could ask what he meant. "Get out of that cooling suit. The sooner we're in the barracks, the better."

"Alright. I'll be back in a minute." Sundance ran into the locker room and quickly stripped from his cooling suit. "I hope Mist and Chartreuse are alright. We really should have left as a group instead of splitting up like that," he thought as he slammed the locker shut and threw on his cadet jacket. "I have a really bad feeling about this."

He ran out of the locker room and over to Vermilion and Tangelo, who had also changed back into her cadet jacket. "Ready to go?" she asked as he approached.

Sundance nodded "Let's just get out of this cold."

The three of them charged out into the blizzard, and Sundance was hit by the piercing wind so hard he immediately lost his balance. The wind bit harshly through the thin fabric of his jacket and tore at his mane. "Fuck, this blizzard isn't joking around!" He quickly righted himself and followed behind Vermilion and Tangelo with the snow violently whipping into his eyes and making it almost impossible to see. The thick clouds blocking out the sun certainly didn't help, but at least Tangelo's bright orange tail was easy to follow through the haze.

They fought their way through the snow for a long time, following the faint trails from the ponies who had left before them. The fresh, soft snow on top of the previous night's ice-covered snow made it extremely difficult to move carefully. More than once, they tripped on a hidden tree root or fell through the thin layer of unseen ice, slowing their progress further. 

"This is terrible. I know the winters on Dike are bad, but this is just too much," Sundance thought, spitting out a mouthful of the cold white powder after he had tripped over yet another obscured object. "How much farther? I can't even see if we're going the right direction!" he shouted, struggling to make himself heard over the howling of the wind.

"We're almost there. We just passed the fork in the path. I think." Vermilion stopped and peered through the white haze around them. He frowned. "What the..?" He took off suddenly, and Sundance and Tangelo followed after him. Sundance wasn't sure what Vermilion was chasing at first, but after a moment, he saw a blue pony frantically searching through the snow around himself.

Vermilion grabbed the pony's shoulder and shook them. "Mist! What's going on? Where's Chartreuse?"

Mist shook his head as Sundance and Tangelo came up behind Vermilion. "I don't know! I tripped while I was following her, and when I stood back up, she was gone! She's not in the barracks, and her trail just suddenly stopped!"

Vermillion hissed. "Shit!" He glanced around them for a moment. "You need to get to the barracks. We'll search for her."

Mist shook his head wildly. "No! I have to find her!"

"Mist, you've been out here for far longer than we have. You're going to freeze to death."

Mist shook his head again. "I feel fine! I'm not that cold. I can keep searching!"

Tangelo walked up to Mist and placed a hoof on his shoulder. "Mist, listen to me. Once you don't feel cold anymore, that's when the problems start." She sighed. "A friend taught me an old saying a while back. 'First you're cold, then you're not. Then you're hot, then you're dead.'" She grimaced. "It's not the best, but it gets the point across. You will get hypothermia and you will die if you stay out here for much longer. You can't do any good that way, so just get where it's warm and make sure you survive."

She turned to Vermilion and Sundance. "I'll take him back to the barracks. I recognized where we are, so we'll be fine. You two keep searching for your friend. Just don't stay out here too long, okay?" she said, giving Sundance a significant look.

"We won't. Thanks for the help," Vermilion said

Tangelo nodded. "Take her to the infirmary if you find her. It's not much further than the barracks, and she'll need urgent care if she's collapsed somewhere." She turned back down the path and forced Mist ahead of her, who protested the whole way.

"Come on. We need to find her soon," Vermilion said grimly. "Make sure you say within line of sight of me."

Sundance nodded, and the two of them spread out across the path, sifting through the snow. The snow bit coldly against Sundance's hooves even harsher than before, and he winced. "Please be okay, Chartreuse," he thought as he ran his forehooves through any snow bank she might be under.

The two of them searched for what felt like forever without luck. Sundance's hooves had become numb, and his face almost felt like a block of ice. His muscles stiffened, and he started to have doubts. He shook his head. "We can't give up on her. She has to be here somewhere."

He felt a hoof on his shoulder and turned to find Vermilion behind him. "I don't think she's around here." He sighed heavily and looked out into the blizzard. "You head back. I'll keep searching for her."

Sundance stared at him in disbelief. "You can't stay out here alone! You'll freeze to death in this cold! You heard what Tangelo said."

Vermilion shook his head. "Just go. I need to keep searching. I... I know it's what my brother would do. No matter what, he never gave up on his friends."

"But he wouldn't want you searching out here all alone. I'm not leaving until you do." Vermilion opened his mouth to speak, but Sundance shushed him. "I'm sure she's somewhere out here. We just aren't looking in the right area." Sundance pressed a hoof to his temple and grimaced. "Think, Sundance! Where would she be? She can't be closer to the barracks. Mist said her trail ended somewhere around here." He frowned. "She can't be far. So where..."

Sundance's eyes flew open. When he had tripped earlier by the fork in the path... he hadn't tripped on a tree root! Whatever it was, it hadn't been hard enough to be wood or a rock, but he hadn't stopped to think about it at the time. He was too busy focusing on where he was going. Sundance grabbed Vermilion's shoulder. "I think I know where she is! Follow me!" he said before turning around and tearing through the snow. He glanced behind him to make sure Vermilion was following and raced back to the fork in the path.

Sundance stopped where the two paths met and turned to Vermilion. "She's around here somewhere. She has to be. Start searching," he ran around the path, running his hooves around where he thought he had been when he tripped. He could barely feel the ground anymore, but he could at least tell whenever his hooves hit something solid. He felt his panic mounting as his hopes plummeted. "I know she's around here. Please... I can't lose anypony else!"

Sundance was struck by a sudden headache, and he stumbled and pressed a hoof to his head. He caught a quick glimpse of a broken white pegasus with a purple mane and felt a strong terror similar to what he was already feeling. "No! Not now! I can't stop!" he growled as he pushed himself back upright. "I have to find her!" He glanced around him and shoved his hooves into a particularly large snowdrift, and flinched when his hooves hit something firm. "Is that..."

He started clearing the snow off of the mound, his forelegs feeling more like planks of wood strapped to his shoulders than legs. He didn't feel all that cold at this point, and Tangelo's words hung anxiously over his head. "I can't go back without her. I refuse to," he thought.

The soft snow cleared away quickly, and Sundance saw a tuft of bright yellow sticking out of the snow. "Vermilion! She's over here!" he shouted as he frantically shoveled the snow away. He uncovered her head first and saw her frozen face with her mouth hanging open slightly, her lips a pale shade of blue, and her eyelashes crusted over with ice. "Chartreuse..." Sundance felt a pony shove themselves in next to him, and he saw Vermilion's dark red hooves thrust into the snowdrift.

"Out of the way!" he yelled. Sundance backed away quickly, and Vermilion yanked Chartreuse's cold body from the snow. He placed an ear over her still chest and shook his head. "I don't think she's breathing. Help me pick her up." Sundance reached over and helped Vermilion maneuver Chartreuse onto his back, balancing her carefully across his shoulders. He nodded. "Now let's go! I think I know the way."

Vermilion raced across the snow, being careful to not drop Chartreuse. Sundance caught up to him and helped keep her from tumbling into the snow. The blizzard only kept getting worse, and it had become difficult to see more than a couple of meters ahead of them. 

They wandered for an uncomfortably long amount of time, and Sundance began to worry. "Are you sure we're going the right way? How can you tell where we're going in this?" he asked Vermilion. His entire body had started to feel warm by this point, and his head felt like it was wading through mud.

"Because we're here," Vermilion said with a nod towards the trees that had come to a stop behind them. "I've got a good sense of direction. It's just ahead." He led the way across the clearing, and Sundance saw a light in the distance. Feeling invigorated, the two of them picked up their pace. 

A building loomed above them out of the snow, and Sundance recognized the red cross above the doors. "We made it!" he said. He went ahead of Vermilion and tried to swing the door open, only to find it shut tightly against the storm. He rattled the door handles. "No..."

"What is it?" Vermilion asked, stopping next to him.

"It's locked." Sundance knocked anxiously on the doors, hoping somepony was paying attention. "Cornsilk? Fern? Anypony in there?" Nopony answered, so he began pounding on the doors, becoming desperate. "Please! We need help!"

The door swung open suddenly underneath Sundance's hoof, and he fell forward and nearly smacked Cornsilk in the face. She jumped back, startled. "Sundance? What are you doing here in this mess? Didn't anypony tell you..." she cut off when she saw Chartreuse's pale body across Vermilion's back. "Oh my... Quick. Get her inside," she said urgently, stepping aside and beckoning. Vermillion rushed inside and carefully laid Chartreuse on a bed with Cornsilk following closely behind. Sundance shut the door to the infirmary and ran over to them.

"How long has she been like this?" Cornsilk asked as she removed Chartreuse's jacket.

"Roughly half an hour, I think," Vermilion said.

Cornsilk shook her head. "That's not good. Sundance, remember where the heated blankets are? Grab me one."

Sundance nodded and rushed over to one of the cabinets on the far wall. He flung open the door and grabbed one of the blankets before running over and handing it to Cornsilk. She took it from him and put it on Chartreuse before setting it to its lowest setting. She turned back to Sundance. "Turn the temperature up slightly every minute. I'm going to get her breathing."

Sundance nodded again and glanced anxiously at the clock on the wall while the nurse started CPR. "I hope we weren't too late," he thought. "I wish I could have stopped her from going off on her own." He turned the blanket's temperature up and waited. It was stressful, not being able to do anything other than turn a dial every so often.

Cornsilk kept trying to resuscitate Chartreuse, pumping on her chest and breathing air into her lungs. Sundance glanced nervously at the clock again. "Two minutes. Not good." He turned the dial again and fidgeted with a button on his jacket. He always felt helpless in situations like this. He watched as the nurse vainly blew air into Chartreuse's lungs. "Please wake up."

This went on for three, five, ten minutes with no success. Chartreuse's body remained cold, and her only movements were from Cornsilk trying to revive her. Sundance bowed his head. "This can't be happening," he thought as he stared at the ground. Tears welled up in his eyes, blurring his vision. He was about to give up entirely when he felt a hoof around his shoulder.

"It's going to be okay, Sundance. Chartreuse will be fine," Vermilion said, giving him a firm hug. 

Sundance buried his head into Vermilion's shoulder. "I wish I could believe that," he said, beginning to sob. "This wasn't supposed to happen. We should have all gone back together. No, we should all be back in our homes, warm and safe. Why'd they have to take that from us? Why are we here, training to fight in a war we have no part in? Eggshell wouldn't have let this happen. Why..." He began to sob uncontrollably, wrapping his forelegs tightly around Vermilion.

Vermilion said something in response, but Sundance couldn't hear what he said. The telltale throb of another migraine started coming on, and he didn't bother fighting it this time. "Fine. Do what you want. Show me more of what I lost. It's not like there's anything I could do to stop you. I can't even save a single friend," he thought as he collapsed against Vermilion and slipping from consciousness for the third time that day.



Sundance stared at his mother's broken body from underneath the cart, trembling uncontrollably. "Why? Why is this happening?" he thought, his eyes watering. He glanced up at the unicorn standing above Eggshell's corpse and saw him take a few slow steps away, staring out into the distance at some unseen object. 

With the unicorn lost in his thoughts and standing a few meters away with his back turned, Sundance darted over to his mother's side and nuzzled her flank. "Mommy? Mom, please wake up!" he cried hopelessly in his head. He knew there was nothing he could do to save her; surviving much longer with her injuries would be impossible. He threw his hooves around her neck and sobbed. "We didn't do anything wrong! Why did he hurt her?" Sundance buried his head into his mother's long mane as his shoulders began shaking violently.

"Go..." Sundance heard in one ear. It was a barely audible whisper, but he knew he had heard something. He leaned back to find one of Eggshell's eyes cracked open, staring at him helplessly. A single tear formed in her open eye, mixing with the blood on her face. "Go..." she mouthed weakly.

Sundance shook his head. "No. I won't leave you," he whispered. He gently grabbed one of her hooves and pressed his forehead against hers. "I want to stay."

Eggshell nuzzled him tenderly. "Go," she breathed, blood leaking from her mouth. She weakly pushed his head away from hers with her own. "Live." She gazed at him sternly with her one open eye. Sundance had always been a stubborn colt. She often saw some of Sundance's father in him at times like this, but every time she looked at him, she knew he wouldn't grow up to be the same terrible pony who had fathered him. That was all she needed to die peacefully.

Sundance sniffled and nuzzled his mother one last time. "Okay." She smiled faintly as he stepped away from her and made eye contact. They stared at each other for a long moment, and the world stopped around them for a split second. Sundance backed away slowly, tears streaming down his cheeks. He glanced at the unicorn, who still hadn't turned around, and back to his mother. "I love you," he whispered, before turning and fleeing silently.

Eggshell stared after him and felt her muscles relax. "Stubborn little fool," she thought, smiling to herself. "At least you won't... end up dead... like me..." Her head rested against the cold cobblestone street, flopping lifelessly to the ground. She hadn't been a perfect mother; she knew that. But knowing that she tried her hardest to make Sundance happy, even until the end, was enough for her to be at peace.

Sundance sprinted across the open street and dove into the bushes in front of their home. He covered his head with his hooves and buried his face in the dirt. "Everything is wrong! What am I supposed to do without Mommy?" he thought. He clenched his hooves and slammed them on the ground. "Why does it hurt so much?"

A pebble crashed through the bush and grabbed Sundance's attention. His head shot up and he stared at it. "What..?" Movement past the pebble caught his eye; a soldier on the other side of the square. He was pushing his hooves through something, and it took Sundance a moment to realize the soldier was searching through another bush. Looking for survivors.

"No..." he said as he backed out of the bush. "They're going to find me. I'm going to die!" he thought, quivering. "I don't want to die!" He shook his head and looked around him frantically. There had to be a better place to hide. The cart he had just left wasn't a good enough hiding spot. Back in the house?

Sundance flinched as a soldier threw an object through the window of another building. It immediately went up in flames, and fire licked hungrily at the walls. "Not there." He glanced around again. The fountain? No, he'd be seen long before he ever made it to the center of the square. He'd play dead, but he didn't think he could make it convincing enough.

Motion from the corner of Sundance's eye drew his attention. A large metal cart not too far away, filled with foals all huddled together. "What about there? Those foals aren't getting hurt," Sundance thought. He quickly scanned the square again, but there was no other place to hide. It was his only choice if he wanted to survive.

He glanced around him quickly, checking for soldiers. Luckily the few soldiers remaining in the square were busy doing other things, and not a single one of them was watching the foals. Sundance dashed across the street and dove into the cart, scaring a few of the other foals. A few of them whimpered before they realized he wasn't a soldier.

"Quick, don't let them see you don't have cuffs!" a high pitched voice said. Sundance saw a grey hoof reach out through the crowd of foals and grab him by one foreleg. He was pulled into the group and shoved to the center, where he could be easily hidden from view.

Sundance stumbled to the center of the cart. He glanced at the filly who had helped him, a grey pegasus with bright hair that glowed golden in the morning sun. "Thanks," he mumbled gloomily. The filly nodded and turned away. Sundance sat down and wrapped his forelegs around himself, shivering. "Maybe I would have been better off staying in the bush and dying. I can't live on my own." 

He buried his head in his forelegs and began to cry again. "I wish I could forget any of this ever happened. I wish I could just forget it all," Sundance thought as the gunfire picked back up briefly. The pain he was feeling was as if one of those bullets was meant for his heart, and he kept sobbing, even as the cart began to move and they headed north, deep into the mountains of Dike.



Sundance blinked his eyes open wearily. The harsh incandescent lights of the infirmary clashed horribly with the soft natural light coming in through the windows, and he shielded his eyes with a hoof. "Urgh. My head hurts," he thought, wincing. The old memory was still vivid in his mind, and he felt like it had happened only yesterday. He rubbed his head. "So that's where I remembered Chartreuse from. She saved me when the soldiers invaded." His eyes shot open and he sat up suddenly as he remembered why he was in the infirmary in the first place. "Chartreuse."

He turned his head towards her bed expecting to see her sleeping peacefully, only to find it empty. Her cadet jacket was still in a jumbled heap on the floor, and neither the heated blanket nor Chartreuse were present. Sundance sighed and his shoulders fell. "Oh. She didn't make it." 

Sundance slumped back against his bed and laid a foreleg across his eyes. "God damn it. It happened again. I lost somepony close to me, and all I could do was sit there and watch." It was hard to feel attached to Eggshell, considering the only memory he had of her was her death, but the emotions he felt were very real.

"Sundance? Are you alright?"

Sundance's body tensed at the familiar voice. "Was that..?" He lifted his foreleg and turned his head to see the one pony he had been hoping for, alive and well. Chartreuse was walking slowly towards him from the opposite side of the bed. She had the heated blanket wrapped around her and she had a concerned expression on her face. Sundance's muscles relaxed and he smiled at her, relieved. "You're alive," he said.

Chartreuse smiled back and scratched the side of her neck. "Yeah, thanks to you and Vermilion." She turned her head away and looked at the ground awkwardly. "I'm sorry I just ran off like that on you guys. I don't know why I thought it was a good idea."

Sundance pushed himself carefully into a sitting position and brushed his mane from his eyes. He was a little upset with her about that, but it was hard for him to feel anything other than relief at the moment. "At least you're safe now. That's the important part," he said with a smile. "But why did you go off on your own?"

Chartreuse glanced at Sundance then turned to look out one of the windows as she pulled the blanket tight around herself. "Well, it's a little embarrassing to say out loud, but..." She shuffled her hooves, her face reddening. "I think... I think I'm in love with you," she said, looking at him sideways. "Not like as a friend or a brother. More than that. Whenever I'm around you, I feel happier, and my heart feels so much lighter. You're all I can think about every second of every day. It wasn't always like that. Ever since we left Styx I've just been observing you, but I guess it changed into something more over time.

"I felt jealous when you went off with Tangelo during training today. I was worried about you, of course, but still jealous. I couldn't stop thinking about the two of you and how I felt during the rest of training, and when the two of you came back together..." Chartreuse sighed. "I don't know. I guess I just let my emotions control me."

Sundance stared at her, unsure how to respond. He had already known how she felt, obviously, but it was different hearing her say it instead of Mist or Vermilion speculating, and he hadn't thought she cared for him that deeply. "What do I say here? I do love her, but... not that way. She's like family to me." Sundance's face flushed slightly as his mind went to Tangelo. "If that's what love is supposed to feel like, I don't think it would have worked out between me and Chartreuse. I just didn't feel an immediate connection with her like I did with Tangelo. I wouldn't be happy in a relationship with her, and that would make her feel unhappy, too."

Sundance scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I get how you feel, and I love you too, just... not in the same way you love me. Besides, there are other ponies here who would make you much happier than I ever could." Chartreuse's face fell and she nodded slightly. Sundance could practically hear her heart breaking as she stared at the ground. "Think, Sundance. You can't just leave it at that. That's horrible."

"You, Mist, and Vermilion are all like family to me. The three of you have made the past year and a half bearable, enjoyable, even. I've felt so happy being with you, even through all the shit we've had to endure here. I wouldn't have wanted to spend that time with anypony else." Sundance gently placed a hoof underneath Chartreuse's chin and lifted her head so that she was looking at him again. "I'm sorry I can't love you like you want me to, but even though we can't be together in the way you hoped, you still mean the world to me."

Chartreuse smiled forlornly and nodded, her eyes watering slightly. "Okay."

Sundance and Chartreuse both jumped as the door to the infirmary burst open and a blue pony dashed in, trailing snow behind him. Sundance barely recognized Mist at first with his mane a horrid mess and his eyes bloodshot. Mist glanced around frantically for a few moments before his face lit up with relief when he found Chartreuse. He rushed over to her and threw his hooves around her. "Chartreuse! You're okay!" he cried.

Chartreuse wrapped her hooves around him awkwardly and patted him on the back comfortingly. "Yeah, I'm alright."

Vermilion walked through the door and stamped the snow off of his hooves. Sundance could see the dying blizzard through the open door, with only a light flurry remaining in the dull sunset. The previous night's few centimeters of snow had multiplied in the time Sundance was out to almost a full meter. Vermilion shut the door behind him, trying to remove as much of the snow Mist dragged in as possible. There was still a sizeable pile left inside the infirmary, but he didn't really feel like opening the door again so he just left it and walked over to Sundance's bed.

"Hey. You doing alright?" Vermilion asked, eying Mist and Chartreuse.

Sundance nodded. "Yeah, I'm not bad. When did you leave?"

"About twenty minutes ago. I wanted to tell Mist Chartreuse was alive." Vermilion looked Sundance over. "What happened to you earlier? You just collapsed. It's been almost six hours."

Sundance shrugged. "I'm not really sure. It happened a few times today. I just blacked out and relived part of my past I thought I had forgotten. I'm not really sure why."

Vermilion frowned. "That's strange. Do you think it will happen again?"

Sundance shook his head. "I think that was the last time. That was the end of the memory, as far as I can tell."

Vermilion nodded. "That's good." He glanced at Chartreuse again. "What were you two talking about earlier?"

"Oh, uh..." Sundance leaned in close to Vermilion so Mist and Chartreuse wouldn't hear. "She confessed to me, and I turned her down. I told her she felt more like family to me. Her, Mist, and you. We're all like a family."

Vermilion smiled and ruffled Sundance's hair. "You big sap. I guess that makes me the older brother now," he said, grinning. Sundance smiled. He was glad to see Vermilion smile for once, considering his sad history.

"Are you sure Tangelo wasn't another reason, though? I saw the two of you earlier today," Vermilion said as he placed his hoof back on the floor.

Sundance's face flushed and he straightened his hair. "Well, yes, she was another reason. But I obviously didn't tell Chartreuse that. I didn't want to make her feel worse."

Vermilion nodded. "Makes sense." He frowned, suddenly remembering something.

"There's something you missed while you were out, though. Something important." Vermilion sighed and shut his eyes. This was something he was having a hard time accepting himself, even though he should have expected something like this would happen eventually. When he opened his eyes again, his expression was dire. "You're not going to like it."
> Chapter 8
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sundance shivered as he stepped out of the infirmary. The night air was freezing, more than cold enough to turn his breath into a visible cloud, and the snow almost up to his stomach certainly didn't do him any favors. At least the last of the blizzard had passed, and two of Dike's three moons were shining high in the sky unobstructed.

"So that's it? They're just sending away most of the cadets?" Chartreuse asked, shocked. She had left the blanket folded up on the bed in the infirmary and now had her cadet jacket wrapped tightly around her against the cold air. They had left for the barracks as soon as she thought she was feeling well enough to move on her own.

Vermilion nodded. "The cadets who don't show promise as a MechWarrior are leaving in two days. They're cannon fodder."

"But why? Is there a shortage of 'Mechs or something? They can't be doing this for no reason."

Vermilion shook his head and sighed. "They only accept a certain number of MechWarriors from freeborn Sibkos anyway, regardless of how many pass their Trials of Position. They want more soldiers quick, so they're splitting us up. They can push out a tank crew after three years, and infantry in only two."

"So they're gonna throw us into the war sooner, and we can die when we're fourteen instead of eighteen. Wonderful," Sundance said before rubbing a hoof over his face. "Why don't they just shoot us now and get it over with?"

"In the hopes that we take out an enemy soldier before biting the dust." Vermilion sighed again.

"This is ridiculous," Mist said as he kicked a hoof through the snow and unintentionally showered Sundance in the cold powder, who flinched and glared at him. "They should have done this from the beginning. What if we get separated?"

"We won't. They take eight cadets from every year. I'm thinking it'll be us four, two mediums, and two lights," Vermilion said with a glance at the moons overhead. "They're certain to take Chartreuse, and I'm sure you've noticed how bad the other heavy pilots are. We don't have much competition. They've probably already picked who they're keeping, so we won't have to worry about the Trial anymore, at least."

Chartreuse nodded. "That's comforting for us, at least. But the rest of the cadets can't have taken that information well."

"They didn't. When the Commander told us in the barracks earlier, some of the cadets almost started a fight with him. A bunch of soldiers rushed in through the door before anything could happen, so they were probably expecting something like that," Mist said. He frowned, the deep creases in his forehead making him look even more exhausted. "It isn't all good new for us, though. You want to tell them, Vermilion?"

Sundance glanced at Vermilion, whose expression immediately darkened. Whatever it was, it must be serious. "They're not giving us worse Mechs, are they?"

Vermilion shook his head. "No. This is worse." He sighed heavily and glanced out into the dark forest. "They're speeding up our training. Instead of six years, we're only getting four. You three will be sixteen when we're sent off."

Sundance stared at Vermilion, his mouth agape. "What? Are you serious?"

"What the hell are they thinking? Six years is barely long enough, so why would they think four is fine?" Chartreuse exclaimed.

Mist glanced off in the distance at the lights of the barracks which had just become visible through the trees. "Clan Draconequus is losing ground. We're not the massive, terrifying Clan we were back during the Clan Invasion. When the six original Clans split after that war, five of the eighteen new Clans broke off from us alone. That left us the smallest of all the Clans, and now that we're in a war of attrition against Clans may times larger than us and our allies, we can't hold off for much longer.

"This is Clan Draconequus's final push. They're hoping to end the war in the next ten years, no matter what it takes. If winning the war leaves their population, economy, and military in shambles, so be it. They don't care if they have to go into debt to secure more 'Mechs. They just need more pilots to fill them, hence our current situation." Mist's frown deepened. "I'm assuming most of the trueborn cadets become MechWarriors, which is why they only take some of us and use the rest as infantry. We're just rats to them."

Sundance sighed and rubbed his forehead, squeezing his eyes shut. "And I thought our situation couldn't get any worse."

"Shit." Chartreuse shook her head and sighed, unsure of what else to say.

"Well, at least we get to spend whatever time we have left together. I wouldn't have it any other way," Vermilion said before stopping in front of the barracks.

"There's that soft side of yours. You should let that guy out more often. You're not so bad when you're not scowling at everything and everypony," Mist said jokingly, walking over to Vermilion and punching him lightly in the shoulder. This earned him a lighthearted glare. "I agree. Early mornings and terrible food aside, I've loved spending time with you three. Especially Sundance." Mist wrapped a hoof around Sundance's shoulders. "Who knows what would have happened to us if he hadn't pissed off Bittersweet and gotten the shit beaten out of him. None of us might be friends."

Sundance laughed uneasily with the rest of his friends. He still hadn't told them what was still going on between him and Bittersweet, with the older pony abusing him seemingly every chance he got. "I wonder what's going to happen to him. He's been here for almost seven years now, and there's no way somepony with his skill set wouldn't become a MechWarrior. Is he going to get sent off to war immediately, or will he stick around a bit longer?" Sundance wondered.

"Vermilion would be constantly glaring at everypony, I'd be alone and quite bored, and you'd probably still be the slowest pony in the Sibko," Chartreuse said, still giggling.

The four of them laughed again, forgetting for a moment about the freezing night air and the bloody war they were going to be thrown into very soon. Sundance loved moments like this when he could just be with his friends and not worry about their impending doom. He felt as if all of his problems just dissolved whenever they were together. He almost felt grateful that the soldiers had taken them here and brought them together in a way that wouldn't have happened naturally. Almost.

Mist smiled and sighed, his breath frosting in the cold air. "We should probably all get to bed. It's freezing out here, and it's been a long day for all of us. I don't imagine the Commander is going to take it easy on any of us tomorrow just because of the blizzard."

Chartreuse nodded. "Yeah, we probably should." She accidentally made eye contact with Sundance and looked away awkwardly. "Well, I'll see you guys tomorrow." She turned and headed towards the female barracks, which were only a short walk away.

"Goodnight," Mist called. He turned back towards Sundance and Vermilion and yawned. "I don't know about you guys, but I could sleep for a week." 

Vermilion nodded in agreement. "Me too. Let's go."

The three of them filed into the barracks, ready to put an end to the eventful day. Despite having just slept for the entire evening, Sundance still felt tired, and he fell asleep almost the instant his head hit his pillow. He slept soundly that night, feeling as if all of his fears had disappeared, at least for the time being.



Sundance leaned back in his seat and winced as the lights in his cockpit flickered off for the third time that day. "Damn. At least I did some damage this time," he thought as he clutched a hoof to his aching chest. Tangelo's theory about him being able to feel the damage his 'Mech took turned out to be correct, though Sundance wondered if the simulated damage felt any different than actually being shot. The training program in the 'Mechs was fairly simplistic, so he wouldn't be surprised if it did.

Sundance reached over and powered his 'Mech back up. His mind went back to the cryptic letter that he had found on top of his cadet jacket that morning, which made it hard to focus on much else. He still wasn't entirely sure what to think of it, and neither were his friends. Sundance sighed. It was really worrying, but he wasn't sure what he could do about it.

"Not too bad this time, cadet Sundance," Commander Charcoal said. "With your piloting skills, you should be able to run circles around him, though. Do not just sit there face-tanking his shots. Work on that for next time."

Sundance nodded. "Yes, Sir." After the announcement that most of the cadets would be leaving, the Commander had to change his plans for their training. All of the other cadets were preparing to leave, so the training field was mostly barren. Other than the Commanders, the only 'Mechs on the field were Sundance and his friends, a Stormcrow, an Ice Ferret, an Adder, and surprisingly, Tangelo in her Clan Locust. Apparently she was the best scout they had, so her and the Ice Ferret would be taking that role on the battlefield. For now, though, those two were still stuck doing combat training with Commander Juniper and the other medium and light.

"Cadet Vermilion, you're up." Vermilion stepped up to face Mist with his hooves placed on the controls. He wasn't going to hold back and he didn't expect Mist to, either. Combat training was actually enjoyable for him. He wasn't sure why, but he always felt more alive behind the controls of a seventy-five ton war machine.

Sundance walked over to stand next to Chartreuse in her Clan Marauder. It had only been one day since the blizzard and her near-death experience, but she didn't seem to have any lasting injuries. He glanced up at her massive 'Mech as he turned around. Even in his Hellbringer Sundance always felt tiny standing next to her.

"Begin!"

As usual, Vermilion started off by firing everything at once. Even if it wasn't the most heat efficient tactic, it certainly was terrifying to be against, even without real ammunition. Mist proceeded to whiff all of his first shots, which pretty much sealed his fate for that fight.

Chartreuse opened a private comm channel with Sundance. "Can you read that note for me again? I want to make sure I remembered it right."

Sundance nodded and pulled the note out from the bag attached to the back of his seat. He unfolded the paper and read it aloud. "'Meet me behind the mess hall during lunch today, before the other cadets leave. I have something important to talk to you about. Come alone. -C' That's all it says." Solis hummed, a little confused. As little as she understood ponies and how they interacted with each other, it certainly seemed like a strange message to receive.

Chartreuse shook her head. "I still don't like it. You're not thinking about actually going, are you? 'Come alone?' That's about as shady as somepony can get. Edgy, but still shady."

Sundance sighed. "I might. I'm really curious about it, but I'm a little worried, too. The only thing they signed was C, so I have no idea who it wrote it." He shot Chartreuse a joking look. "It wasn't you, was it?"

She giggled and shook her head. "Of course not. Even if I could sneak into your barracks without being seen, I wouldn't give you a mysterious note if I wanted to talk to you about something. Besides, there isn't really anything left I'd need to talk to you about in private that I haven't already," she said awkwardly.

"I guess not." Sundance folded the note back up and placed it in its bag. He leaned back in his seat and sighed. "I'm gonna see what they want. I doubt anything bad is going to happen so close to so many other ponies. Besides, if it's somepony who's leaving today, this is the only chance they'll get to talk to me. Shouldn't I give them that chance?"

"Well, it's your decision," Chartreuse said with a glance at Mist and Vermilion. Mist was just about finished, with his left torso, arm, and leg having been disabled by the simulated damage in the training program. "We'll be just on the other side of the wall, so scream if you're in trouble. We'll come running."

Sundance smiled. "Thanks. I'll count on you three to bail me out if something happens."

Mist's 'Mech shut down, the center torso having finally been taken out. "You need to work on your aim, cadet Mist. You are almost the same tonnage as Vermilion, and you are geared towards close combat. It should have been an easy win for you," Commander Charcoal said as Mist's Summoner powered back up. 

"Sorry, Sir. I'll try to work on that." Mist and Vermilion walked back over towards Sundance and Chartreuse, their 'Mechs throwing up clouds of snow.

Commander Charcoal sighed. "That is enough combat training for today. Go get some lunch, then be back here by thirteen hundred hours. We will start working on each of your individual roles on the battlefield then. Dismissed," he said over the open comms. 

"Yes, Sir!" the cadets all said before turning and charging towards the exit of the field.

Vermilion pulled up next to Sundance, his Timber Wolf's machine guns still smoking from the fight. "Not a bad training session. For me and Chartreuse, anyway."

Sundance made a face at him. "Hey, I'm improving. I'm not sure about Mist, but I definitely am."

"I heard that, asshole. Remind me who won our fight earlier?" Mist said playfully.

"Good point," Sundance said, laughing. "I didn't do too badly though. All things considered."

Tangelo slowed down as she neared Sundance and the Ice Ferret sprinted past her, almost at full speed. It was surprising to Sundance just how fast the lighter Mechs could move. The two of them had crossed almost two times the distance he had in the same amount of time.

"How are you doing? Feeling alright after yesterday?" Tangelo asked over a private comm channel.

"Yeah, I'm good. Turns out your theory about me feeling the damage my 'Mech takes was correct," Sundance said as he rubbed a sore spot on his shoulder.

"That's interesting. It doesn't affect your concentration too much, does it? It seems like it would be distracting to feel pain every time you get shot."

Sundance shook his head. "It was at first, and it's also a little annoying, but I'm starting to get used to it. It's actually kind of helpful to know where I'm getting hit without having to look at my damage indicator. I don't have to look away from what I'm shooting at to know what's happening to my 'Mech."

Tangelo nodded. "That makes sense. I guess it would be kind of a useful thing for somepony like you. I won't really be taking too much damage, as a scout and all," she said, giggling. "On that note, they've got a few other 'Mechs for me and Fern to try out later. There's a really fast light I want to try out. Commander Juniper said it can sprint up to one hundred and fifty kph."

"Damn, that's quick. Eighty-five is pushing it for me, and Chartreuse can barely hit sixty-five," Sundance said with a shake of his head. He frowned. "Fern? The pony who was still in the infirmary yesterday? How did he get better that quickly?"

"He didn't. Commander Charcoal told Cornsilk to just give him painkillers and send him out anyway, since he isn't contagious or anything. Poor guy's barely conscious," she said as she glanced after the 'Mech disappearing through the trees. "He really shouldn't be going that fast in his condition."

Sundance shook his head. "Normally I'd be upset about that, but seeing as how they cut our training time by two years, I can understand why the Commander doesn't want anypony taking time off."

Tangelo nodded. "Yeah. This whole situation is a mess, isn't it? Ethics aside, it makes more sense this way when you think about it, though. If they're gonna split us up at some point, they might as well do it sooner and save time and resources."

"I guess so. I'm still not happy about it, but it's not like there's anything we can do about it. I wonder if the other freeborn Sibkos in the Clan are in similar situations?" Sundance wondered.

"I'd imagine so. The Commanders aren't happy about having less time to train us, so it can't have been their choice, and they're the highest authority here. The Khan probably was the one who made the decision. He needs more soldiers fast unless he wants to lose the war."

Sundance nodded, reluctantly agreeing. He'd probably choose to lose the war over throwing foals into it and destroying the economy it if he were Khan, but he could at least see why the decision was made, even if he thought the reasoning wasn't sound. 

"Anyway, are you going to talk to the cadet who left you the letter?" Tangelo asked.

Sundance nodded again. "Yeah, I think I'll do that before I eat. If you hear somepony scream like a little filly, assume it's me yelling for help."

Tangelo giggled again. "Got it. Just be careful, alright? I still think it could be a trick. Their wording was pretty suspicious."

"I will. I'll be right next to the mess hall though, so I don't think anything is gonna go wrong. We're just cadets. What's the worst that could happen?"



Vermilion set his tray on the table and sat down in the uncomfortable plastic seat. He glanced at Sundance's empty spot at the table across from him. "I still don't think he should have gone. I think it's a trap."

"You worry too much, Vermilion. Why would somepony try to trick Sundance?" Mist said as he fell into his usual seat and shoved a forkful of broccoli into his mouth. "We're all on the same side here. And if the Clan wanted him hurt, dead, or blackmailed, they wouldn't do it this way. He'll be just fine."

Chartreuse thwacked the top of Mist's head with her spoon as she walked by, then sat down across from him. Mist let out a cry of pain and placed his hooves on top of his head. "If Sundance hadn't gone, I'm sure he would have told you to chew with your mouth closed for the thousandth time," she said with a smile. "I think he should have stayed, but I agree there probably isn't anything to worry about. Not anything serious, anyway."

"I don't know. Some of the other ponies here can be pretty terrible, and Sundance comes into the infirmary a bunch," Tangelo said, walking over to their table. "Is it okay if I sit here with you guys?"

"Yeah, that's fine." Chartreuse stabbed her fork into her salad as Tangelo placed her tray down next to her. "Just not there. That's where Sundance sits."

"Oh, okay. I'll just sit here then." Tangelo slid her tray over one spot and sat down before tucking into her lunch.

The four of them sat in silence for the next few minutes, all of them worrying about Sundance to some degree. All of them except for Mist, who was too busy focusing on his lasagna to pay much attention to the others.

"It's been almost ten minutes. I wonder what's taking Sundance so long?" Vermilion thought as he listlessly twirling his fork in his spaghetti. He glanced at the doors of the mess hall. "Something doesn't feel right."

A tray slammed down in Sundance's spot, jarring everypony at the table back into reality. "Can I sit here?" a gravelly voice asked. Without waiting for an answer, a dark pink earth pony with a long, blue and white mane and dark purple eyes sat down. She had an unusual cutie mark in the shape of a pink swirl. "My friends weren't feeling hungry, so they left early. I can't say I blame them. Never having to eat here again is scary, but exciting all the same," she said as she shoved the rest of a half-eaten brownie into her mouth.

Chartreuse opened her mouth to say something, but stopped as the pony sat down and just kept talking. Either she enjoyed the sound of her own voice, or she was just oblivious of others. Chartreuse sighed and stabbed her fork into her salad again. "Sure. Whatever," she said when the pony finally shut up.

"Good. I wasn't planning on getting up, anyway," she said with a grin. "My name's Carmine, by the way. Carmine Rose."

"Nice to meet you," Tangelo said. Vermilion and Mist nodded to Carmine. Mist normally would have said something, but his mouth was full of food again.

Chartreuse sighed internally. "This pony's manners are almost as bad as Mist's," she thought.

Carmine swallowed the rest of her brownie and looked around at the others at the table. "So what year are you guys? I haven't seen you around very often."

"We're all second-years. You?" Vermilion said. He had remembered Sundance's note was signed by somepony with the initial 'C,' so was it her? He wasn't sure, but considering she was here and he wasn't, it probably wasn't Carmine. Either that, or he was lying unconscious in the snow.

"This is my fifth year. Lucky me, I'm past the fourth-year cut-off point, so I'm getting shipped off today. Hopefully I can take out some fuckers before my inevitable death." She narrowed her eyes at Vermilion. "Really? You look older than thirteen. You look familiar, too. Are you related to Carnelian?"

"I started training a few years late." Vermilion frowned and nodded. "You knew my brother?"

Carmine shook her head. "Hardly. I saw him around a bit before he left, but I've heard about him a bit from Chalk. He said Carnelian was something of a prodigy before he, well... It's a shame he died so young. From his reputation, he probably could have become a Star Commander, even as a freeborn. A damn good one, at that."

Vermilion nodded. "He would have been." His frown deepened. "Who's Chalk?" He couldn't remember any cadets with the word 'chalk' in their name, so he was curious, especially considering Sundance's letter. They might be the pony who wrote it.

"Oh, that's not his actual name. Chalk is our nickname for Bittersweet. In war, Draconequus Warriors add a chalk mark to the outside of their 'Mech or tank for every kill they get after each battle. None of us have ever managed to beat him in a fight, so we decided that would be a fitting nickname."

Vermilion glanced at Carmine as his mind began racing. "Bittersweet's nickname is Chalk? What if he wrote the letter?" He glanced at his friends, but none of them seemed to catch on. "Tangelo said Sundance goes to the infirmary often, and I don't think it's to help out. Is Bittersweet still beating him up? Why hasn't he told me? I could have put a stop to it." 

Vermilion stood up quickly, causing his chair to slide back and crash into the wall behind him. He turned and raced towards the exit. "Hey, where are you going?" Mist called.

"Don't worry about it," he yelled, throwing the doors open. "I'm certain Bittersweet wrote that letter for Sundance. I was right to be suspicious." He shook his head as he ran through the snow toward the back of the mess hall. "Please don't be too late. I don't want to lose another brother."

Ten Minutes Prior.

Sundance crept around the corner of the mess hall and looked around. "Hello? Anypony here?" he asked. He didn't see anypony around, so he stepped out further and turned to look behind him. He didn't see anypony anywhere. "Maybe they changed their mind?" he thought before a familiar voice proved that hope wrong.

"There you are. It took you long enough." Bittersweet stepped out from between the dumpsters with an annoyed look on his face.

Sundance winced and turned to face the bigger pony. "What did you want to talk about?" he asked, trying to sound as calm as he could.

"Just some things. Maybe amend some wrongs."

Sundance's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really? You want to do that?"

Bittersweet smirked and stalked towards him. "Of course not. I'm not a pussy like you." He grabbed Sundance by the mane, eliciting a yelp of pain. "I just wanted to fuck you up one last time before I get sent to my death. I'm quite pissed about our whole situation, so I've got some tension I need to let out." He wrenched Sundance to the ground and swung a hoof into his stomach. Hard.

Sundance clasped his forelegs around his stomach in pain. His stomach collapsed from the impact, and he vomited a small amount of bitter dark yellow liquid. "I'm glad I didn't eat lunch yet," he thought wryly as Bittersweet hit him again.

"Have I ever told you how much I enjoy these little meetings of ours? I'm glad you were retarded enough to come to this one." He slammed his hoof down onto Sundance's face and pushed his head into the deep snow. "You probably would have stayed safely in the dining hall if I had signed my real name or initial. I couldn't have that, now could I?" He brought his face down next to Sundance's ear. "And don't even think about fighting back or calling for help. If anypony comes around that corner I'll slice them up, and once I'm done with them, I'll cut out that annoying little tongue of yours," he said, flashing a knife from his pocket. 

Sundance nodded feebly. "Why does he have a knife?" He shut his eyes tightly. "This is bad. Really bad."

Bittersweet stood back up. "Good. Now where was I? Oh yeah, beating you senseless," he growled before slamming his hoof onto Sundance's head again. The metal of a horseshoe dug painfully into his flesh. "Thanks for being my personal punching bag for so long. I never realized just how much stress I had built up over the past five years."

The edges of Sundance's vision started going black as he was hit in the head a third time, and he tasted blood in his mouth. "Fuck... I can hardly even think straight." He felt himself being lifted off the ground and slammed into the wall. "Vermilion's probably gonna be angry with me."

Bittersweet hit him over and over again, to the point where Sundance could barely feel it since almost his entire body was in mind-numbing pain. "Can't... keep going," he thought, retching for the fourth or fifth time. Sundance wasn't sure since he lost count a while ago. He blinked sluggishly, the back of his throat burning from all the bile passing through it. "Maybe death wouldn't be so bad."

Bittersweet's hoof crashed into the side of Sundance's face so hard he felt the blow reverberate through his whole body and he tumbled to the ground. Sundance ran his tongue over a loosened tooth and cringed when it popped out of his gums. He groaned in pain and spat out the bloody object. "Gross."

Sundance felt a hoof plant itself on his throat, a familiar feeling, and he gasped for breath. "I wish I could spend all day doing this, but the WarShip is leaving in half an hour," Bittersweet said, breathing heavily from exertion. He pressed his hoof harder against Sundance's throat, cutting off his air entirely. "Now be a good boy and go to sleep. I'll probably be planets away by the time you wake up, so don't bother telling anypony."

Sundance clenched his hooves weakly around Bittersweet's foreleg. "Not again... I'm gonna... miss training today..." Sundance's eyes rolled to the back of his head and his forelegs flopped to the ground as his mind slipped from consciousness.

Bittersweet sighed and stepped off of Sundance's motionless body. He rolled his shoulders. "I really needed that." He thought for a moment and glanced back at Sundance. "I think I might be able to stick around for a little longer. I have plenty of time to get on the DropShip." He took the knife out of his pocket and twirled it around his hoof. "I guess I could have a bit of fun with this. But what to do?" Bittersweet tapped the blade against his chin. "I think a massive scar across his face would suit him just fine. Something to remember me by every time he looks in a mirror." He grinned and brought the knife slowly to Sundance's face, but stopped when he heard a pony skid to a stop in the snow behind him. He spun around, making sure to hide the knife in the snow.

Vermilion glanced at Sundance's unconscious body and back to Bittersweet, his face contorted with rage. "What did you do?" he growled.

"Oh, nothing. We were just having a bit of fun." Bittersweet smirked. "Sorry to leave you out of it. Care to join in?"

Vermilion roared and charged at Bittersweet. Vermilion lunged at him, and he scrambled out of the way. "Shit, somepony's angry," Bittersweet said smugly, pulling himself to his hooves. The two of them circled for a moment with Bittersweet's knife still concealed.

Vermilion growled deep in his throat and lunged again, his hooves outstretched. Having expected this, Bittersweet sidestepped and smashed his hoof into Vermilion's face as he flew past. He tumbled into the ground, but quickly pushed himself back up, unfazed.

This time Bittersweet went on the offensive, rushing forward and swinging the knife at Vermilion. He reeled back, surprised, just in time to avoid losing an eye. He felt the blade slice neatly through the flesh on his cheek, and he winced.

Bittersweet grinned and spun the blade around before quickly jabbing it at Vermilion. He jumped away, fearing for his life. He hadn't thought Bittersweet would take it this far, but now he was fighting for survival. "So be it. If he's not holding back, neither will I," he thought, turning to face his opponent.

Vermilion sidestepped as the knife jabbed towards him again, and he grabbed Bittersweet's foreleg. He slammed his own hoof towards his opponent's face and felt it connect with an eye. Bittersweet howled in pain, and Vermilion jumped back to avoid the knife that sliced through the air where he had been moments before. 

Not giving him time to recover, Vermilion lunged at Bittersweet and quickly landed two blows on his head before jumping away again. The green pony roared, the knife swinging around him wildly. "I'm going to slice you open!" he shouted, swinging the knife in a wide arc at Vermilion's throat.

Vermilion ducked under the knife and hissed as he felt it slice through one of his ears. He planted his hooves on the ground and slammed his shoulder into Bittersweet's chest. He heard a satisfying grunt and swung his hind legs around, sweeping Bittersweet's hooves out from under him. Bittersweet let out a breath as he crashed onto the ground, and Vermilion clambered on top of him, grabbing the knife by the handle and wrestling it away. He tossed the knife out into the trees, far out of reach.

"You cunt!" Bittersweet slammed a hoof into the side of Vermilion's head, knocking him flat on the ground. Bittersweet clambered to his hooves and turned to face Vermilion.

Vermilion shook the stars from his vision and glanced at Sundance, who was still lying motionless. "I can't lose. Who knows what he'll do to Sundance if I do." He stood back up and glared at Bittersweet. He clenched his hooves. "I'd rather die than fail here. I won't lose another brother."

"I've always hated how you look down on everypony," Bittersweet spat, gasping for breath. "That's why I'm going to enjoy turning you into a drooling mess."

"You can certainly try." Vermilion rushed forward and swung a hoof at Bittersweet's face, then ducked to avoid the return strike. He jabbed quickly at his opponent's chest then dashed away, before charging back in to slam his shoulder into Bittersweet. He kept doing this, hitting with quick, successive blows, while avoiding the slower, but more powerful, return attacks.

"Stand still, you motherfucker!" Bittersweet shouted shakily, swinging a hoof downwards toward Vermilion's skull.

Vermilion dodged the sluggish attack and slammed a hoof across Bittersweet's head. He dug his forehooves into the ground and spun around on them, before smashing his rear hooves directly into Bittersweet's face with all of his might. This sent him flying a few meters before he crashed into the snow, his tongue lolling from his mouth as he briefly blacked out.

Bittersweet planted a hoof on the ground and tried to pull himself up, only to fall to the ground, completely incapacitated. "Piece of shit," he growled. He struggled shakily to his hooves and shot Vermilion a look of pure hatred, blood trailing down his face from a cut on his forehead. "You can't protect everypony. Your naïve nobility is going to get you or somepony you care about killed one day. I look forward to when that happens." He spat blood out of his mouth and turned to trudge down the path, drops of blood falling from his face as he went.

Vermilion sighed and took a step towards Sundance, but stopped when he felt a tingling in his flank. "What..?" he thought, glancing back at his side. He turned his head just in time to see a glowing sphere appear over his hind legs, before shifting into shape and changing colors. "It's my cutie mark. It's finally appearing."

He frowned as the shape stopped changing. It was a black and white heater shield enveloped by bright orange flames. "A shield? But... that's what Carnelian had." He shook his head and took a deep breath, before turning towards Sundance. "Now's not the time. I can think about that later."

"Vermilion! What happened?" he heard a voice call. He turned to see Tangelo standing at the corner of the mess hall, a hoof over her mouth as she glanced back and forth between Vermilion and Sundance. Chartreuse and Mist charged around the corner behind her and stopped when they saw the two of them. Carmine followed behind at a slower pace and eyed Vermilion's bloody state.

"It was Bittersweet. He wrote the letter for Sundance," he panted, still breathing heavily from the encounter. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, he was starting to feel the aches from the fight.

"Really?" Mist glanced at the green pony slinking off through the trees. "I guess it makes a bit more sense now, knowing his nickname. I'm surprised you figured it out before me, though."

Tangelo rushed over to Sundance and shook him gently. She turned back to the others. "We need to get him to the infirmary. Bittersweet went way too far this time."

Vermilion walked over to Sundance and Tangelo. "I'll carry him."

"Can you in your condition? You look almost as beat up as him," Tangelo said as she looked him over.

Vermilion nodded. "I'll be fine. Just help him onto my back."

"Okay." Tangelo helped wrestle Sundance's unconscious body onto Vermilion's back and he started walking carefully towards the infirmary. 

Chartreuse walked over to help keep Sundance balanced. "Is he going to be okay?" she asked.

Tangelo nodded. "He'll live, at least. Hopefully there's no permanent damage."

Mist glanced at Vermilion's new cutie mark and shook his head. "It's a good thing you were so paranoid. Who knows what would have happened if you hadn't run out here when you did. I guess your cutie mark fits."

"I'm not so sure. It's really similar to what my brother had. I don't know if I can live up to that."

"Don't worry about living up to your brother's legacy. We don't want your brother, we want you. You protected Sundance and fought off Bittersweet, not Carnelian. You're our older brother, so just be yourself instead of trying to imitate somepony else," Mist said with a grin. Vermilion smiled and nodded to him.

"Welp, I'm gonna go. The DropShip is taking off soon, and they'd kick my ass if I missed it. There's no other way up to the WarShip and sending the DropShip back down would be a huge pain. Maybe I'll see you guys in a few years if I manage to survive." Carmine waved to them and turned to follow the trail of blood that led through the snow. "I'll try to talk some sense into Bittersweet. Maybe he'll be all fixed up next time you see him. Cheers!"

Mist waved at Carmine, being the only pony who wasn't busy trying to handle an unconscious pony. "See you!" He turned around and trotted to catch up to the others. "So I'm guessing we're going to be late for training?"

Meanwhile in Chaosville…

Discord groaned and fell back onto his couch. "This is all so tedious. Why can't I just do whatever I want anymore? I haven't seen some good old fashioned chaos in half a millennia,"

"Because your powers aren't what they used to be," Fluttershy said as she phased through one of the walls. She had been busy counting the number of bricks that make up Discord's home for the hundredth time. Being stuck in the realm of chaos for over five hundred years got old real fast, and not being able to leave or see what was going on in the world of the living was torture. 

"Spare me your pity. I could snap you back to the afterlife as easily as breathing," Discord said, rubbing his thumb and middle finger together. 

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. "Please do. I love being here, but I miss my other friends. I haven't seen them in so long."

Discord sighed and snapped his fingers, and Fluttershy's ghost was enveloped in a bright flash of light. Nothing else happened.

Fluttershy shrugged. "It was worth a try." Discord had brought her spirit from the afterlife at some point after her natural death, too distraught to continue without his closest friend. Being the kind pony she is, or was, rather, Fluttershy agreed to move between the afterlife and Chaosville, seeing as how the two were connected in a strange way and she could travel back and forth with a little help from Discord's magic. Now that his powers weren't nearly as strong as they used to be, however, she was stuck in Chaosville.

"Anything new happen today? Did you make a new friend?" she asked.

"Of course I didn't. None of these ponies are worth being friends with," Discord said bitterly.

"Spring Bud was."

"Spring is dead, all thanks to those stupid Clans and their bloodthirsty nature. There isn't another pony out there like you or him," he spat. "It's a bit ironic that the Clans formed from the House of Loyalty. You'd think that out of all the Great Houses that made up the Inner Sphere, they'd have been the last ones to betray us and leave."

Fluttershy rubbed her hooves together. "I remember that. Rainbow wasn't very happy when it happened. She wanted to go down there and knock some sense into them." She glanced out the window. "You should find another pony to keep you company. A living pony. I shouldn't even be here."

"But you are, and you can't leave."

Fluttershy sighed. "I know. It would still do you good to talk to a living pony every once in a while, though. I'm sure Princess Celestia could point you to somepony you would like."

Discord frowned. "Yes, well, about Celestia..."

Fluttershy gasped after hearing him explain his plan to overthrow Celestia and Luna. Seeing as he couldn't use his magic to do it, he would have to resort to more traditional means, which would probably end with Celestia and Luna's deaths.

"Discord, that's not right! I know you're angry about the Clans' invasion and how the war killed Spring, but taking over the Inner Sphere and using the military for your own personal revenge is wrong. Spring wasn't killed in cold blood, he died fighting a war that the Inner Sphere started when they chased out the Clans. They're not the bad guys here," Fluttershy said firmly. She rarely ever raised her voice, but this was a serious matter that she couldn't back down on.

"So what, you're saying we should have allowed those bloodthirsty savages to live on our doorstep, waiting for them to inevitably attack us?" he challenged.

"Yes! They didn't do anything wrong and now you're just continuing the chain of revenge. Wiping out the Clans won't solve anything or make you feel better, Discord. It's time to let go." Fluttershy shook her head. "This isn't like you. What happened to that kind, chaos-loving draconequus from a thousand years ago?

Discord snorted. "He died along with Spring Bud." He snapped his fingers and a zipper appeared across Fluttershy's mouth, sealing it shut. "Hah! How's that for weakening powers? Now stay here. I have to go put this long plan into motion."

Discord teleported himself to the Canterlot portal and stepped through. He found it almost impossible to teleport between dimensions nowadays, so he had to do it the common way. "Your final years as rulers have begun, Princesses. Once this plan is finished and the two of you are gone in five year's time, there will be a new leader at the head of this alliance. And his name is Discord."
> Chapter 9
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sundance blinked an eye open and groaned in pain. His body ached from head to hoof and his mouth and throat felt like they'd been rubbed raw with sandpaper. "Fuck... everything hurts." He felt a hoof rest over one of his own and he squinted up at the orange shape above him, slowly adjusting his eyes to the light.

"Welcome back to the world of the living," Tangelo said, beaming at him. "Don't try to move or you'll just make it worse."

"What... what happened?" Sundance croaked, struggling to form words around the cotton stuffed into the bleeding hole in his gums.

"Bittersweet beat the shit out of you and you've been out for a couple of hours," Tangelo replied bluntly. "Vermilion got him back though and chased him off." She shook her head. "You should have told Vermilion about Bittersweet from the start. He could have stopped this from ever happening."

Sundance shook his head feebly. "Didn't want to involve anypony. Is he okay?"

Tangelo nodded. "He'll be fine. Bittersweet sliced the tip off one of his ears and he's probably going to have a scar under one eye, but nothing too serious."

Sundance sighed. "I knew he'd get hurt."

"He got involved because he cares about you. You have to stick with your family and trust them to take care of you. That's what they're for." Tangelo tapped him lightly on the nose. "You can't handle everything yourself, you know. We're all here for you."

Sundance shook his head again. "I don't want to be a burden."

"You're not a burden, not to any of us. Just because we might have to do work to help each other, that doesn't make it unpleasant. Vermilion even got his cutie mark because he protected you."

"Really?" Sundance said, his eyes brightening slightly.

Tangelo nodded. "Yeah, it's a really cool flaming shield. You'll have to see it next time he comes in here."

Sundance smiled to himself. "That's great." He was happy that at least something good came from today, even if it cost Vermilion a bit of pain. While he hated being indirectly responsible for Vermilion's injuries, helping him earn something as important as his cutie mark was worth it in his eyes.

Tangelo stood up and rubbed one of Sundance's shoulders gently. "Well, now that I know you're okay, I should be heading to training. The others will want to know you're awake and I can't imagine the Commanders are very happy with me at the moment," she said with a smile. "You look like you could use some more rest anyway. Cornsilk is around here somewhere if you need her. Just rip off your heartbeat monitor or something if she's not in the room. That would be sure to get her attention."

Sundance smiled back. "Sure thing."

Tangelo walked over to the doors and pulled one open, letting in a gust of cold air. The sun had started to go down, but sunset was still a few hours off. "See you later, Sundance. I'll stop by again after dinner," she said as she glanced back at him.

"See you," Sundance said, waving weakly to her as she shut the door behind her. He placed his hoof back down on the bed and sighed happily. He wasn't sure why, but even though he'd only known Tangelo for barely more than a day, he found himself thinking about her quite often. Maybe it was her affectionate, almost motherly nature, her easygoing yet firm personality, her contagious smile, her deep, beautiful eyes that spoke of passion and gentleness, or maybe it was something else entirely.

Sundance leaned back against his pillow and closed his eyes. "Alright, I admit it. I guess I might have a crush on Tangelo," he thought to himself, his face flushing slightly. "I never thought I'd bother with romance, but I guess these things kind of sneak up on you."

Sundance sighed again, letting his thoughts wander as he felt his eyes growing heavy. Tangelo was right; he was exhausted, and sleeping was the only thing he felt he could do right now. As much as his mind wanted to focus on the events of the day and what it meant for his future his heart kept dragging it back to Tangelo. He just couldn't stop thinking about her. Even when his mind began slowing, the thought of her was still there.

As he slipped from consciousness, drooling slightly from his open mouth, Sundance drifted off into a deep sleep. After having accepted his feelings and knowing his most immediate worry was taken care of, his dreams were undisturbed by dark thoughts, and he slept peacefully, truly peacefully, for the first time in years.



"Okay, cadets. This should be a fairly quick training exercise. You might even make it to the mess hall before it closes if you're lucky. To win, you have to either destroy all the enemy Mechs or destroy the enemy base and make it back to your DropShip without letting your own base fall. If you get taken out, stay powered down until the exercise is over. You will power back up automatically when that happens. Simple, right? Any questions?" Commander Charcoal asked. His Mad Dog and Commander Juniper's Gyrfalcon almost looked like they were made of gold in the setting sun, especially next to the cadets' 'Mechs, which were all painted to match the dark greens and dull browns of the forest. 

They were standing in the southeast training field today, which was really more of a small clearing with numerous pathways leading from it. The cadets were separated into two mostly even groups, ready for their first real combat training exercise. The training programs were still installed on the Mechs but it was as real of a battle as they were going to see until they were sent off. The cadets of previous years would have continued their training with live ammunition instead of going straight to real battle simulations, but with the recent changes to their schedule the Commanders decided to omit live ammunition from exercises like this one to save time. Teaching specialized combat such as this in four years time just wasn't possible to do the right way.

None of the cadets said anything, so Commander Charcoal nodded. "Right, then. Follow your Nav Points and wait at the base when you get there. Once I have confirmed all of you are where you should be, I will give the signal to start."

"Aff, Sir," the cadets said before turning to leave. Everypony in each group had the same Navigation Points, so they walked as units to their bases. The paths ended after a while and they had to continue deep into the forest with only the navigation systems of their DI Computers to guide them.

Sundance glanced at the top of his HUD to make sure they were following the Nav Points. The massive trees in this part of the forest were spaced far apart, making it relatively easy for the larger Mechs to navigate their way through. He glanced at a particularly large tree as he stepped around it. It was nearly as wide as his Mech was. "That's a huge fucking tree."

"I've seen bigger," Tangelo said as she sprinted past him. "All the trees in this part of Dike are large. It's really not that impressive." She had switched into a configuration 3 Piranha a while back, the fast 'Mech she had told Sundance about a few years ago. She couldn't use it to its fullest potential in a forest like this where she had to be careful to not smack into a tree, but the 'Mech was still more than nimble enough to slip between cover with ease. "There's one a bit further out that's as big around as the mess hall."

"Bullshit," said the cadet in the Stormcrow, one of the other Mechs in Sundance's unit. He was a little ways ahead of the others and he turned the torso of his 'Mech to look back at them. "Trees can't get that big."

"It's true. It's over near the waterfall. Go take a look later if you don't believe me."

"Fine, I think I will," the cadet said before turning to face forward again. He slowed down until he was walking between Sundance and Chartreuse. "I'm Bistre, by the way. Best medium pilot in the Sibko."

"Only medium pilot in the Sibko. Fern is running a scout 'Mech, so he barely counts," Tangelo remarked as she stepped over a fallen tree.

Bistre pulled his shoulders back proudly. "Exactly. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't the best."

Sundance raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. "Wow, he's really taken what we've been taught to heart," he thought. "Does he actually want to be here?"

Tangelo sighed and shook her head. "Way to feel sorry for everypony else in our Sibko who didn't make the cut. How many of them do you think are already dead?"

Bistre shrugged. "Not saying I don't feel sorry for them, but there's no point dwelling on that. We're here to train so we can kick some ass. We can't stay stuck in the past."

"And you think you could actually take on a seasoned Clan MechWarrior?" Chartreuse asked dubiously.

"Of course. I did say I was the best."

Tangelo sighed again and sped ahead of them, disappearing through the trees. "Come on, we're almost there."

Sundance glanced at Bistre's 'Mech as they hurried after Tangelo. "Either that pony has an inflated ego or he's hugely underestimating what other Clans' MechWarriors are capable of," he thought.

Probably both, Solis said. Not that she knew much about other Clans' MechWarriors, but their skill level couldn't be too far off from the ones in Draconequus.

Sundance nodded and glanced at the rickety structure that was meant to be their base which had begun to appear through the trees. He could understand most of what Solis said by this point, having been her pilot for nearly four years. It almost seemed weird to him now, imagining not being able to talk to your Mech like another pony. "I wonder how the others do it, not being able to communicate fully with their Mechs?"

Solis hummed in a way that Sundance generally took to be a sort of mental shrug. After so long she had forgotten what it was like to have a pilot who couldn't understand her as well as Sundance could, so she could understand what he meant.

As they neared the fake base the cadets all slowed down to a halt. The base was a jumbled mess of wood, and it looked like any holes knocked in it during training were just sloppily boarded up. Bistre shook his head at the abomination.

"Commander called this a base? It's more of a shack if you ask me. Is there even a way in?" Bistre said as he stretched in his seat to try and look around it.

"If there was, it was boarded over a long time ago." Chartreuse adjusted her neurohelmet slightly. "I guess they don't really want to put in the effort for something as insignificant as that for a freeborn Sibko."

"At least we're still alive," Bistre said.

"For now." Sundance scratched his neck underneath the neurohelmet. "I'm kind of doubting we're going to last long at this point. Our four years are nearly up, and we're only just now starting combat simulations."

Vermilion and Chartreuse will protect you, Solis said reassuringly.

Sundance just shrugged and glanced at the sky through the trees. After a few moments, he heard a light crackling as Commander Charcoal cut in on the comms.

"Okay, cadets. It seems like everypony is in position, so we will begin. As soon as your Nav points change, that is your cue to start. The 'Mechs on the opposing unit are keyed in as hostile on your IFF Transponders, so there is no excuse for friendly fire. You will be reprimanded for damaging a friendly. Good luck." The Commander's voice cut out along with the static, and a few seconds later the cadets' DI Computers beeped as their Nav points were updated.

"So, what's the plan here? Who's going to defend, who's going to attack?" Tangelo asked as she turned to face the others.

Bistre scoffed. "Plan? Just go out there and shoot them. It's not much harder than that." He immediately charged off into the forest, shaking the ground as he ran.

"Don't just run off alone, hothead!" Tangelo hissed and shook her head. "That unicorn drives me crazy." She turned to face the direction Bistre ran off in and rotated her torso back to face Sundance. "I'm the only one fast enough to keep up with him. You two stay behind and defend. I'll come back and warn you if we run into trouble we can't handle. I've got an ECM and speed, so I should be able to get away if anything happens."

Sundance frowned. "ECM? What's that?"

"Electronic Countermeasure. I don't have time to explain fully, but think of it as a signal jammer that only affects hostile Mechs," Tangelo said hastily. She pushed the throttle forward and broke into a run to catch up to the Stormcrow. "Fern has an ECM in his Ice Ferret too, so keep a sharp eye out for him."

Sundance and Chartreuse glanced at each other as Tangelo disappeared rapidly through the trees. It made sense for Chartreuse to defend, given her large size and slow speed, but having their two weakest Mechs on the offensive didn't seem like a great plan. "Do you think this will work?" Sundance asked.

Chartreuse shrugged. "I guess we'll see. It would have been nice to actually talk through a plan instead of just going for it."

Sundance nodded in agreement. He remembered the Commander telling them before that a good plan was usually the key to winning a battle. However, he also seemed to recall the Commander telling them plans almost always fell apart, and a good soldier should be able to act on instinct. Either way, a plan would have at least made him feel more confident.

Many minutes went by in silence with Sundance and Chartreuse turning slowly back and forth to watch for hostile Mechs.  Sundance kept thinking he saw a 'Mech moving out of his peripheral vision, but whenever he looked it was always just a branch swaying in the wind or an animal scurrying up a tree. Nothing seemed to be happening at the moment and the comms were still dark.

Suddenly Sundance heard gunfire in the distance, followed by the faint sound of missiles. "I guess they found somepony," he said, shifting in his seat.

"Or somepony found them." Chartreuse glanced in the direction the noise was coming from. "Vermilion or Mist could easily tear both of them apart in close range like this, especially if they're together."

Sundance nodded nervously as the weapon fire abruptly cut off. Judging by the sound of the guns, he thought Vermilion and Mist were together. He knew he heard the machine guns in Vermilion's Timber Wolf firing constantly, and he was fairly confident he heard a few shots from the UAC/20 in Mist's Summoner, too. "I never thought about how scary of a combination their 'Mechs make. Vermilion can soften up an enemy 'Mech from range, then Mist can dash in and finish them off."

Chartreuse nodded. "That's why the Commander split us up this way. Vermilion and I are good at range, You and Mist are strong up close, and each unit has a scout and a support fighter. The teams are evenly balanced. Or at least they were, until Bistre ran off like that."

Sundance's ears perked up as he heard heavy footsteps running towards them from the direction of the weapon fire. He turned towards the sound and tightened his hooves around the controls anxiously.

It's Tangelo, not a hostile, Solis said. Look at the T&T.

Sundance glanced at the radar screen, and sure enough, there was a friendly signal moving towards them. He relaxed back into his seat as Tangelo's Piranha dashed into view. Her targeting data pulled up on Sundance's HUD, and he was surprised to see how much damage she had taken. Almost all the armor on the left side of her Mech was stripped off, and the right arm was destroyed. They certainly didn't take it easy on her. "Shit, what happened to you?"

"Vermilion and Mist ambushed us. I managed to get away, but Bistre's down. I think both of them are coming here, and Fern is out there somewhere," Tangelo said as she slowed to stop in front of them.

"Who's defending their base, then?" Chartreuse asked, looking out into the forest.

"Mint in her Adder. I didn't see her out there anywhere." Tangelo sighed. "I can't fight Mint, especially not in my state. Her Mech carries two ER PPCs. It would only take one or two shots to finish me off."

Sundance raised an eyebrow. "Two ER PPCs on a light Mech? That can't be very heat efficient."

"It's not, but that doesn't mean it's weak." Tangelo glanced behind her. "I don't know how useful I'll be in this condition. I'll try to spot them for you, but I'm going to have to hang back a bit."

"Please tell me there's a plan this time. We're already at a disadvantage as it is," Chartreuse said.

Tangelo nodded. "I've got something, but it's risky." She glanced behind her again before turning back and moving closer to them. "Here's what I was thinking..."



Sundance moved into position behind a rock outcropping overlooking a ledge. "Are you sure this is going to work?" he asked. He glanced at his weapons loadout again. "One LB 20-X autocannon with cluster rounds, one ATM-6 with short range ammunition, and the lasers. This should be good for close combat." 

"No, but it's the only plan we've got," Tangelo said as she moved swiftly between the trees. She was patrolling the area around their base, trying to spot any hostile Mechs. Either they were waiting in ambush or they were taking the long way around because she wasn't finding anything.

"I hope you know what you're doing." Chartreuse glanced around her, still guarding the base. "We need to know all of their locations for this to work. It's a big problem if you can't find any of them."

"I'll find them, don't worry. They're just not here yet." A few moments went by with none of them saying anything. Sundance held his breath, waiting for something to happen. He hated waiting around like this.

Suddenly he heard a beep from the radar, and he saw a red dot pop up on it. "There. A Timber Wolf by itself. It's Vermilion," Tangelo said over the comms. "He's heading your way, Sundance."

"You got eyes on Mist yet?" he asked.

"No, he isn't here. They must have split up. Keep an eye out behind you, Chartreuse," Tangelo said.

Sundance ran his tongue over the gap in his teeth apprehensively. "This is it. Our first real battle. Sort of," he thought. "It's just a training exercise, but it's scarier than I had expected."

We'll be fine. Focus on breathing, Solis hummed. They had worked on a system of breathing that got Sundance to feel a bit calmer and focus whenever he felt his anxiety getting out of hoof. It wasn't perfect, but it helped.

Sundance nodded, slowing his breathing and counting each exhale. He certainly needed to stay calm in a situation like this.

One... Two... Three...

"He'll be underneath you in a few seconds, Sundance. Get ready," Tangelo said.

Four... Five... Six...

Sundance wrapped his hooves around the controls, keeping his muscles relaxed to mirror his breathing.

Seven... Eight... Nine...

"Almost there..."

Ten.

"Now!" Tangelo shouted.

Sundance's eyes shot open and he flung the throttle as far forward as it could go, quickly bringing his Hellbringer up to a sprint. "Here we go, Solis!" he shouted in his head as he leaped over the tall ledge, about twenty meters above the ground below. He saw Vermilion's Timber Wolf off slightly to his left which had just begun to turn around at the noise. Sundance brought the torso of his 'Mech around to face the heavier machine and fired everything he had in midair as the targeting data pulled up on one of his screens.

Half of his lasers hit the left torso, with only the ER Medium lasers missing their mark. All the missiles from the ATM-6 landed on the torso, slightly weakening the Timber Wolf's armor further. This was followed by an LB 20-X shot, which damaged both the left and center torsos.

Sundance winced as the Hellbringer hit the ground and the legs bent at the knees to take up as much of the force form the drop as possible. It felt almost exactly like Sundance had been the one to jump off the ledge, not the Mech. "Ow. I guess different types of damage are supposed to feel different," he thought. He straightened back up and bolted forward, moving to get into cover while he cooled down and reloaded. He heard the Timber Wolf's inordinate amount of missiles sail past as he ducked behind a tree, but hissed through his teeth as he felt a sharp pain in his left foreleg, right above the elbow.

Moderate damage, left arm. Armor holding, Solis informed.

"Not too bad. He's starting off in worse shape than we are," Sundance thought as he glanced at the heat gauge. He took a deep breath and tightened his hooves around the controls. "Let's do this."

Sundance charged out from behind the tree, aiming at where he thought Vermilion was going to be. However, the large 'Mech had vanished and was nowhere to be seen. He glanced around nervously. "Talk to me, Tangelo. Where'd he go?"

"He ran off into the trees somewhere. I'm trying to find him, just hold on," Tangelo replied. "He can't have gone far."

Sundance turned in a slow circle, scanning the forest around him. He thought he could hear the faint sound of footsteps, but he had no way of knowing whose they were, and it was nerve-racking.

He glanced at the radar as it beeped and a red dot reappeared off to one side. "There he is. Coming up on your right," Tangelo said. "Alpha Strike him again when he pops out, then get back into cover. You have a chance here."

Sundance glanced at his heat indicator. "Sitting right around 25%. I need to be careful." He turned the torso of his Hellbringer to face the direction indicated on the radar and waited. "Could you give him a few shots in the back after I get into cover then run away? I'll need time to cool off.

"You got it. He's almost in the open, so get ready."

Sundance narrowed his eyes as the footsteps got louder. Suddenly he saw the Timber Wolf run out from the trees, the torso turning wildly to search for his Hellbringer. Sundance aimed straight at the left torso again as Vermilion spotted him and locked on, just a second too slow.

Sundance fired everything again, having enough time to fully aim this time. All of the lasers hit dead on the left torso, while the missiles peppered the entire torso again. He followed up with an autocannon shot directly where the lasers had hit, before getting back behind cover. All of the return shots missed, harmlessly hitting the tree in front of him.

"LT is just about gone. An LBX shot should disable half of his weapons," Tangelo called as she hurtled off into the forest at top speed. "I didn't do much damage but I got his attention. He should be distracted for a moment. I'll go looking for Mist. You've got this, Sundance."

Sundance nodded. "Thanks for the help." He glanced at the heat indicator again. "60% and falling. A few more seconds and we'll be good. You ready, Solis?"

Always ready, she replied, determined to win this fight.

"Then let's go." Sundance ran forward through the trees, ducking in and out of the cover of the trees. Vermilion fired his machine guns and lasers after him, managing to get a few small hits in but unable to do any significant damage.

Light damage, all torsos. Armor holding. Heat at 30%.

"I need to get in closer. He could chew me up at this range if I'm not careful." Sundance scanned the forest ahead of him, noting a large rock he could use as cover. "There. We'll use that to close the distance. Get ready for some serious stress on your actuators."

Solis beeped, ready for his plan. It was a risk, but it was the only thing Sundance could think of at the moment.

Sundance eyed the rock as it got closer, placing one hoof on the throttle. "Just a little closer..." He slammed the throttle all the way back as he ducked behind the rock, digging the legs of the giant Mech into the dirt. He felt the joints in his legs strain as the actuators in the Mech struggled to keep its weight from flying forward. Once the Mech stopped behind the rock, he spun around and charged back out the same side he came from and rushed forward towards his unsuspecting opponent.

The Timber Wolf turned it's torso hastily, noticing Sundance hadn't popped up in the spot he had thought. Too slow though, as Sundance fired the ER Large laser and LBX at the left torso, managing to hit with the laser but only glancing the left arm with the autocannon. He managed to disable the weapons in the left torso but not destroy it, which meant most of its weapons were still intact. He followed up with an ER Medium laser, but that still wasn't enough to destroy the torso, leaving Sundance out in the open for longer than he should have been.

Vermilion fired his remaining LRM launcher and followed up with successive shots from the two ER Large lasers. All the while the remaining machine gun was blazing away, dealing low but consistent damage. Sundance sucked in a breath from the pain and ran forward, trying to close the gap between them.

Critical hit, left arm. Moderate damage, center and left torsos. Armor holding.

"Shit, I need to end this quick," Sundance though as he ran closer and fired his remaining medium and small lasers. "He has a lot more armor than I do." He turned the torso of his Hellbringer, allowing the right arm and torso to soak up the damage from the medium lasers and machine guns. "Let's see how you like this."

Sundance rotated the torso back around and brought the left arm up as he got within spitting distance of the Timber Wolf, making absolutely certain this next shot wouldn't miss. He likely wouldn't survive if it did. He fired his autocannon directly into the left torso, destroying it and the left arm, along with their attached weapons.

"Nice, that's what we needed." Sundance sprinted past Vermilion, forcing him to pull the 'Mech around for any return shots. "I think we've got this," he thought, slowing to turn back around.

Don't get cocky, Solis said, concerned. Even in its damaged condition, the Timber Wolf was still a very strong Mech.

"Don't worry, he's almost out of it. I've got this." Sundance dug the legs of his 'Mech into the ground and spun around to face the Timber Wolf, readying his weapons. Instead of being the first one to fire, however, he was immediately met with an Alpha Strike from Vermilion, and he gasped and clutched his left shoulder in excruciating pain.

Internal ammo explosion detected. Left torso destroyed. Weapon destroyed. Damage critical. Solis hummed, sighing mentally. I said 'don't get cocky.'

Sundance shook his head to clear the pain. He took a deep breath to calm his mounting anxiety. "We still have a chance. He's in the same boat we are, and we've got more weapons left," he thought as he glanced at the loadout on his HUD. The only weapons he had lost were the LB 20-X AC and the ER Small laser. It sucked that he lost his main weapon, but it wasn't over yet.

"If we keep him on our right he won't be able to hit our weak spot." Sundance pushed the throttle forward again and charged towards Vermilion to close the distance between them. "Let's do this."

Sundance ran straight at Vermilion before firing the ATM-6 and medium lasers at the Timber Wolf's center torso. While he didn't manage to strip the remaining armor off, there wasn't much left. He suddenly dashed off to his left as Vermilion fired his remaining large laser again, taking most of the damage on the right torso and arm. Sundance raised the right arm of his Hellbringer and fired his own large laser directly at the Timber Wolf's center torso as he ran by, exposing the internals on that sector.

Critical hit, right torso. You need to end this, Solis said. He wasn't going to last much longer in this condition, and another ammo explosion would quickly put an end to his part in this training exercise.

"I'll think of something," Sundance thought as he moved behind a tree in time to avoid the missiles that followed after him. An idea popped into his head and he peeked around the tree before ducking back as Vermilion fired at him again. "I think I've got an idea but Cadmium is going to hate me for it. We're not supposed to cause any actual damage to our 'Mechs."

You already did. The legs, remember? Solis remarked.

Sundance grimaced. "Good point. If he already has to repair one thing, we might as well just go all out." Sundance took a deep breath and ran his tongue over his missing tooth again. "Here we go."

Sundance pushed the throttle forward yet again and rushed out from behind the tree, slowly bringing his Hellbringer up to its top speed of eighty-seven kph. He turned the torso to the left again to absorb the lasers and machine guns in his remaining armor on his right side, before spinning the torso all the way around to the right. Vermilion had exhausted all of his main weapons, and Sundance's center torso had more than enough armor remaining to absorb the machine gun fire for another couple of seconds. "Bingo."

Sundance swung the torso back around and brought the right arm up, level with the Timber Wolf's center torso. He fired his large laser right as he swung the fist of his 'Mech with all of its strength at the center torso of the larger 'Mech. He heard metal groan and glass crack as the lights in the cockpit flickered off and the Timber Wolf fell backward, its reactor powering down. It plummeted slowly to the earth, almost in slow motion, and shook the ground with an almighty thud as it landed.

Sundance sighed and leaned back into his seat, breathing heavily. He shook his right hoof to try and get the pain out of it. Punching a 'Mech ten tons heavier than your own certainly hurt. "Fuck. I can't believe that worked."

"You got him? Good job," Chartreuse said, more than a little impressed.

"Yeah, but I had to push Solis really hard, and I'm pretty sure Vermilion's Mech is going to need repairs, too," Sundance said as he glanced at the Timber Wolf's cracked cockpit and dented armor guiltily. "Cadmium is not going to be happy."

"Hey, it's his job to repair the 'Mechs so it's no big deal. These things happen in training. Let's just get you back to base for now. How are you holding up?"

Sundance glanced at his armor indicator. "The only armor left is on my legs and rear torsos, I lost my left torso and arm, and my ER Large laser was destroyed in that last attack. I won't be of much use. It's pretty much just you left, Chartreuse." He grimaced. The large laser was probably actually destroyed, or at least severely damaged. That was going to be an expensive fix.

"We can still win this," Tangelo said. "Just get back to Chartreuse. You shouldn't be out there alone in your condition." Sundance nodded and turned towards their base, but stopped when Tangelo cut in again. "Wait... hold on, there's something out here. It's Mist! He's coming your way!"

Sundance heard the radar beep as a red dot appeared on it directly behind him, He spun around in time to see Mist's Summoner step out from behind a tree and turn towards him. Sundance fired his medium lasers, but there wasn't much he could do in this situation. The Summoner's left arm extended forward and fired a rapid volley of shots from its UAC/20, and Sundance felt an intense pain in the center of his chest. The lights in his cockpit flickered off as the reactor powered off, and he felt the 'Mech lean forward, out of balance. It plummeted to the ground and slammed into the dirt, the crash echoing through the forest.

"Shit," Sundance thought as he shook his head. The impact of falling had dazed him, but luckily the cockpits were designed to keep the pilot from feeling too much pain from an impact like that. "I guess it's up to Chartreuse and Tangelo now," he thought as he grabbed onto the straps around his shoulders. In his position, he was stuck in his seat staring at the ground, suspended by the shoulder and waist straps attached to the seat. This was going to be an uncomfortable wait.



"Damn it. Sundance's down," Tangelo said, moving to head back to their base. "Mist is heading your way. I'm going to try to find Fern before he gets to you."

"No, stick with the plan. I can handle both of them. Just hurry up and destroy their base."

"Are you sure? His Ice Ferret is fast." Tangelo slowed slightly as she crested a hill and scanned the forest around her. "That 'Mech doesn't have a lot of weapons, but it doesn't matter against your rear armor."

"I'm positive. I'm not going to make it that easy for them," Chartreuse said.

Tangelo slowed to a halt and turned to face the other direction. "If you say so. We lose if you go down, though."

"Don't worry about me. I'll do my part, so make sure you do yours."

"I will. See you when this is over." Tangelo sped off through the trees and weaved through the thick trunks. She and Chartreuse knew they both had feelings for Sundance, which made their few interactions tense. "I guess we know which one of us matters more to him," she thought, smirking. She shook her head. "No, that was uncalled for. I shouldn't be rude. It's just hard to not be smug when she's such a bitch about everything."

Tangelo leaped over a small stream and continued running as her Piranha's legs slammed into the ground. "I wonder if I could talk to him before dinner. We should have time at this rate, and I think it'd be nice if we started officially dating," she thought, smiling and squirming slightly in her seat. Her heart always felt lighter whenever she thought about him and she couldn't really imagine going off to war without him. "Does he feel the same way about me?"

Some sort of sixth sense went off in the back of Tangelo's mind and she glanced up at where she was running. Her eyes went wide as she saw the tree hurtling towards her, and she managed to scramble out of the way to avoid slamming face-first into it. She let out a nervous breath. "That was close." Even though 'Mechs were designed to lessen the force the pilot feels whenever it falls over or hits something, there's nothing her 'Mech would have been able to do if she had suddenly smashed into a solid object while going almost one hundred kph, and she probably would have died.

Tangelo shook her head and continued forward. "Focus, Tangelo. Training now, sappy stuff later." She glanced at the Nav points at the top of her HUD. She was almost to the enemy base. She wouldn't be able to destroy it that quickly, given her measly loadout of four ER Micro lasers and two micro pulse lasers. Normally a Piranha in the third configuration would have eight ER Micro lasers instead of four, but hers had been modified to hold an ECM which took the place of the missing weapons.

Tangelo heard the faint sound of gunfire in the distance behind her, assumingly from Mist's Summoner. "I guess he's at out base now. You'd better take care of him fast, Chartreuse," she thought. She glanced at her radar as it beeped and a small red dot appeared on it. She noticed a break in the trees at the same time and saw Mint standing in front of the enemy base in her Adder, looking the other direction. The dot disappeared a few seconds after she moved out of line of sight, but she had a good enough idea of where to attack from now. The ECM would have kept her from being detected by Mint's radar, so with any luck, she'd be able to sneak up and start taking apart their base without being immediately noticed. Tangelo tightened her hooves around the controls. "I only get one shot at this. I have to make it count."



The Summoner crashed to the dirt, shaking the ground as it fell on its back. Chartreuse sighed and lowered the arm of her Marauder. Mist had gotten better over the years, but he still wasn't much of a match for her. As brave as taking her head-on was it wasn't a very smart move, considering their skill gap and tonnage difference. She glanced at the screens in her cockpit. "Armor on the left arm is gone and the left torso doesn't have much left, but there's nothing else concerning. 62% heat and falling. Mist almost had me worried there." Chartreuse reached a hoof over and flicked on the thermal imaging view. Now that she didn't have to worry about fighting so much, she just had to focus on making sure Fern didn't get anywhere close. "Almost."

"How are you doing out there? Mist is down, so there's not much to worry about on my end," Chartreuse said over the comms.

"I'm almost done. I can't destroy their base quickly with my weapon loadout and Mint isn't making it easy for me." Chartreuse could hear weapon fire faintly through the comms. "Just give me a little more time."

Chartreuse sighed and leaned back in her seat. If Tangelo went down before she took out their base, there was no way they'd be able to win. Not with the mission conditions. She frowned as she heard a series of noises behind her. It almost sounded like footsteps, but they were too slow for that, weren't they? 

Chartreuse turned her 'Mech around to investigate, and saw a small 'Mech inching towards their base. It stopped as Chartreuse turned around before sprinting behind the rickety building. "Shit, it's Fern!" she said, firing after him. One of the PPCs managed to hit, but she wasn't entirely sure where since she couldn't target him fast enough.

"That's bad. He'll be able to destroy our base much faster than I can destroy theirs. You'll have to slow him down."

"I'm trying, but the bastard's too quick," Chartreuse said, walking around a corner of their base just as Fern disappeared around the other. "I can't catch up to him. What am I supposed to do?" She glanced at her damage indicator as it flashed, the left arm having been shot by Fern.

Critical hit, left arm. ER Particle Cannon destroyed.

"Fuck. How is he that fast?" She turned the torso of her Marauder to the left in time to see Fern slip behind her and run back around the base, firing at it. "There's nothing I can do. He's running circles around me."

"You have to stall him. I'm working- crap, I'm working as fast as I can. It's not simple with something like an Adder chasing me."

"Easier said than done." Chartreuse stepped back and glanced between the far corners of the base, waiting for Fern to pop around one of them. "Come on out, you little bugger."

The Ice Ferret charged around the corner on Chartreuse's left and scrambled to a halt when it saw her aiming right at it. "Gotcha." She fired her remaining two PPCs at Fern's 'Mech, connecting with the center torso with both shots. She fired her lasers after it as it turned and ran back around the corner of the base. She hissed under her breath. "How am I supposed to target this thing? I have no idea how much damage I'm dealing. I've hit Fern with three PPC shots and he's still going."

"It takes a while to target a 'Mech with an ECM mounted. The Ice Ferret has almost as much armor as Sundance's Hellbringer, so it won't be that easy to destroy."

"Seriously? Why does it need that much armor?" She glanced back and forth again, waiting for Fern to come around another corner. It's entirely possible he'd just sit and wait, considering she wasn't doing much moving herself. She'd have to move at some point, but what if she went around the wrong side and Fern just charged around behind her again? She groaned when she heard her DI Computer's voice chime in as Fern destroyed the base, almost mocking her.

Friendly base destroyed.

"Damn it!" Chartreuse yelled as she threw the throttle forward. She crashed through the weak wooden structure, collapsing the whole thing and revealing the tiny 'Mech hiding behind it. The Ice Ferret scrabbled backward, trying to get away from the much larger 'Mech. Chartreuse fired her lasers after it, followed by successive shots from her PPCs. This time it was easy to tell where her shots landed since the 'Mech stopped running and had to limp away through the forest. Even at a reduced pace though, Fern was moving faster than her Marauder could, so she gave up the chase. Chartreuse sighed and leaned back in her seat. "Fern got away, but I destroyed one of his legs. You almost done?"

"Just about. One more shot..." The computer's voice butted in again, a little less annoying this time considering it was a message she actually wanted to hear.

Enemy base destroyed.

"Nice. Now hurry back. Fern's still pretty quick with only one leg working," Chartreuse said before turning towards their DropShip. It was a pretty far distance away, but she could easily get there before Fern got to his own DropShip.

"I'm on my way. Just give me-" Tangelo cut out suddenly and the comms went to static.

"Hello? Stupid orange pony, are you there?" Chartreuse asked, getting no response. She shrugged. "I guess Mint got her. Oh well, she did her part, and now we're pretty much guaranteed to win." She pushed the throttle forward and headed towards the DropShip icon on her HUD, stepping through the rubble of the collapsed base as she moved through the forest. She raised an eyebrow at the pile of wood, not realizing the entire base had collapsed after she had crashed through it until now. "Oops. I hope we don't get points deducted for that."



Sundance powered down his Hellbringer in the hangar and swung the cockpit open. While the Commanders had been impressed with their unit's performance, Cadmium was not. Commander Charcoal had cleared them of any punishment, saying they hadn't broken any rules. However, that didn't stop Cadmium's resentment. Sundance sighed. At least they were leaving in a few months and he wouldn't have to see the bad-tempered blue unicorn anymore.

Sundance climbed out onto the catwalk with his neurohelmet tucked underneath one hoof. "I wonder what Tangelo wanted to talk to me about?" he wondered as he walked down the stairs to the floor below. She had asked him if he had time to talk on the way back from training, and of course he had said yes. Being around her always made him feel happier, as if nothing could possibly go wrong. His mind went guiltily to Chartreuse. He still felt bad about rejecting her, but he just didn't feel the same way about her.

He made his way into the locker rooms and opened his locker before pulling his cadet jacket out and placing his neurohelmet in its place. Bistre was already in the locker room, stripping from his cooling suit in an annoyed way. The Commanders certainly hadn't been impressed with his performance.

Sundance heard the door swing open and turned to see Mist walk through, followed by Vermilion and Fern. Mist waved at Sundance with a wide grin on his face. "Hey, Sundance! Good job out there."

"Thanks," Sundance said, smiling at his friend. "You guys did really good, too."

"That was really clever back there," Vermilion said with a nod to Sundance. The long scar under his right eye and the missing tip of his matching ear almost made him look like a real MechWarrior, bred for battle. "I remember now that Charcoal mentioned melee attacks, but I had completely forgotten."

Sundance scratched the back of his head. "He did? I actually don't remember that. I just kind of acted out of desperation at the time. Sorry about damaging your 'Mech."

Vermilion shrugged. "It's no big deal. Cadmium said the Techs will have it fixed by tomorrow's training session."

Sundance hung his cooling suit up in his locker and shut it before throwing on his cadet jacket. It was worn thin by this point, but luckily they would get actual uniforms before they left. At least they could die knowing they'd be buried in clothes that actually fit. Assuming freeborn soldiers in their Clan even got burials, of course.

"Well, I'm gonna get going. I'll meet you guys at the mess hall later," Sundance said before walking towards the door.

"You're heading to the mess hall already? Aren't you gonna wait for us?" Mist asked, turning his head towards Sundance as he placed his own neurohelmet in his locker.

"No, I've actually, uh... I've got somewhere I need to be. I'll see you later." Sundance turned to leave, feeling his cheeks flush slightly. He had noticed Vermilion raise an eyebrow at him before he left, almost certainly knowing that Sundance wasn't telling the whole truth. "Mist is such a nice guy, and Vermilion doesn't miss a thing," He thought, smiling to himself. "I'm glad I have great friends like them."

Sundance walked over to the hangar doors and stared out at the forest, watching the green leaves flutter in the breeze. "I can't believe we're leaving this place behind in just a few short months. I'll finally be rid of the terrible food and Mist's incessant snoring," he thought nostalgically. "I think I might actually miss this place. Despite what brought all of us here, I made some pretty damn good memories."

Sundance turned as he heard hoofsteps behind him and saw Tangelo walking up to him. She smiled at him in a way that meant so much more than a simple greeting. "Hey," she said.

Sundance grinned back at her. "Hey. What did you want to talk about?"

Tangelo shrugged and nudged him playfully with her shoulder. "I'll tell you in a bit. I want to show you something really cool first. Come on, it won't take too long." She walked down the path to the mess hall, through the cool evening air and dimming light of the setting sun. Sundance followed off to her left, walking next to her.

The two of them talked while they went, just chatting about whatever things came to mind. It was relaxing, being able to enjoy themselves without the worry of a training exercise or their impending doom hanging over their heads. After a while Tangelo led the way down a path that branched off of the main one, into a thicker part of the forest where the trees cast heavy shadows and the air felt noticeably cooler.

Sundance gazed up at the dense canopy above them. "I never knew this part of the forest was here. It's pretty nice out here."

Tangelo nodded solemnly. "Yeah, it is."

Sundance glanced at her. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'll tell you when we get there." Tangelo shook her head and her ears twitched. "Anyway, we're almost to the waterfall. The whole area around it pretty."

Sundance looked through the trees, now noticing the faint sound of a waterfall. It didn't sound particularly large, but he didn't think he'd ever seen one of any size so it would still be cool to see. He glanced back at Tangelo. Normally he would have pressured her more, but she made it sound like she was going to tell him at some point so he decided to give her the time to collect her thoughts. He'd ask her again later if he had to.

They came to a break in the trees, the dense forestry giving way to open air. Sundance sucked in a breath. Tangelo had said it was pretty, but that wasn't nearly doing it justice.

There was a large meadow in the middle of the forest, split down the middle by a lazy stream that began at a moderately sized waterfall at the far end of the clearing, off to their left It was outlined by the setting sun, the light casting rainbows as the water crashed onto the rocks below. Cattails lined the stream, swaying in the breeze with the tall grass. The path continued through the meadow and Sundance saw an old wooden bridge that arched over the stream.

"Wow..." Sundance said, gaping at the scene.

Tangelo smiled at him. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Sundance nodded. "Yeah. I had no idea something like this was so close to camp."

"It's not quite what I wanted to show you, though." Tangelo started walking down the path again. "Come on. As much as I'd love to stand here all day too, we need to get back in time for dinner."

Sundance followed her down the path. The wooden boards of the bridge creaked as they walked over it, but the aged structure still felt solid. He glanced into the stream and noticed small golden fish swimming in it. "I can't believe this place survives so close to a military camp," he thought.

They continued past the treeline, back into the shadows of the trees. It was quiet here with only the occasional rustle of a small animal in the undergrowth. They walked in silence for a few minutes, neither of them saying anything for a long while.

Sundance glanced at Tangelo out of the corner of his eye again. "I'm still worried about her. Maybe It's time to ask again," he thought. He steeled his courage and stepped out in front of her, putting a hoof on her shoulder and stopping her. "Something's bothering you. As dense as I am, I've known you long enough to be able to tell when something's wrong. What did you really take me out here to see?"

Tangelo turned her head away and shuffled her hooves. "Well, I originally was going to stop at the bridge. I wanted to ask if you wanted to start dating, but then I got to thinking that I should tell you about something else first." Sundance opened his mouth to say something, but Tangelo lifted a hoof and placed it over his mouth. "Before you give me your answer, though, you need to see what I brought you here for and listen to what I have to say. Don't speak, just listen."

Sundance nodded and Tangelo placed her hoof back on the ground. "Good, because we're finally here." She motioned down the path towards the biggest tree Sundance had ever seen. Tangelo hadn't lied when she said there was a tree out here as big around as the mess hall. The two of them walked over to it and Tangelo sat down in one of the hollows created by the tree's massive roots. Sundance followed suit and sat next to her, their bodies separated by only a few centimeters.

Tangelo breathed in deeply and let out a long sigh. "I know I've told you a bit about my past, but I haven't told you everything." She glanced out deep into the forest. "Despite what I've told you, my foalhood actually started without any trouble. My parents were happy, I had a baby sister, and life was just good in general. This went on until I was three, or maybe four. Then... everything went wrong." Tangelo drew her forelegs around herself and shivered.

"My mother and sister died when somepony broke into our home. My mother was carrying her baby, feeding her dinner, when the intruder crashed in and just... shot them. He murdered a young filly and her mother in cold blood. There was no provocation." Tangelo sniffed. "My father bashed his skull in, but there was nothing he could do to bring them back. They were gone.

"This drove my father to alcoholism. He met some dumb whore and brought her into my life, calling her my new mother." Tangelo snorted. "As if that cur could have ever replaced my real mother. She corrupted my father worse than the alcohol did, draining his money and what was left of his life dry. She broke his mind and turned him into an unrecognizable mess, a demon. Being the only other pony around, I became the target of any rage or aggression he ever felt like taking out. Being the bitch she was, she decided to join in pretty often."

Tangelo curled her hooves around the edge of her jacket, staring blankly into the trees. Her lower lip was trembling with the effort of not bursting into tears. "I wish I could forget all the things they did to me. You name it, they did it. Cruel insults, punches, slaps, switches, burns, suffocation, drowning, starvation, rape..." Her voice broke and she cleared her throat. "All the shit I've been through, yet I'm still somehow alive." She tapped her shoulder a few times, thinking, before she unzipped her cadet jacket and slowly pulled it off.

Sundance felt a lump forming in his throat. He had never seen her without either her cooling suit or her cadet jacket on, so he hadn't known what was underneath. There were countless matching scars up and down both of her forelegs, telling of years of unimaginable suffering and anguish. There were a few larger ones along her chest as well with their jagged lines defacing her soft orange fur.

Tangelo scratched the scars on one foreleg. "It became the only thing I could do to cope. My knife was the only thing I owned, and I kept it hidden away safely. When the soldiers took us away, the pain receded slightly, but the thought of becoming a soldier terrified me. To slow my training, I injured myself as often as I could to keep myself in the infirmary. I very nearly died once when I 'accidentally' impaled my chest on a branch when I fell from a tree. I remember clearly thinking it wouldn't be so bad if I died."

Tangelo shook her head. "They got tired of me after a few years and just shipped me off here, even though I hadn't finished that part of my training. The first time I ended up in the infirmary here, Cornsilk sat me down and we had a long talk. It was the first time in years anypony had actually acted like they cared about me at all, and I started going back regularly. Not for injuries, just to chat with Cornsilk about life and stuff. We became close. One day when I was there, a cadet was rushed in with a serious injury, and Cornsilk needed all the help she could get. I helped her save his life, and that was when I realized I knew what I was meant to do, and I earned my cutie mark. It's kind of ironic, going into war wanting to save lives instead of taking them," she said with a snort.

Tangelo sighed and turned her head towards Sundance with her watery eyes staring down at the ground. "I know I usually seem calm and carefree, but that's just an act. If you want me, you're also getting the mess that's inside. I understand if you don't want to deal with that. I don't even know if I would, honestly."

Sundance stared at her, unsure of what to say. He had a feeling she had been hiding a part of her past, but all of his friends were, so that wasn't surprising. He just hadn't expected hers to be so dark and heart-wrenching. He sat there for a moment in silence and collected his thoughts. Sundance could empathize to a degree, having watched his own mother being maimed to death, but he couldn't imagine the pain she had experienced afterward.

Sundance leaned his head down and rested his forehead against Tangelo's. "We all have a past, but that's what makes us who we are. I'm sorry you had to go through all that. But you're free from it now, free to live your life." Sundance pulled his head back, and Tangelo lifted her own. He smiled kindly at her. "I do want you. Both the kind, happy pony on the outside," he lifted one hoof to wipe the tears that were forming in her eyes, "and the sad, hurt mare on the inside. Because I love you."

Tangelo smiled and lifted one of her own hooves and placed it over Sundance's. "I knew there was another reason I fell in love with you. I know you say you're nothing special, but to me, you're my hero."

They pressed their foreheads together, just enjoying each other's company for the moment. After a while, Tangelo broke the silence, giggling. "It's stupid to ask this, but I'm assuming that was a yes?"

Sundance laughed and opened his eyes to stare into hers. He wasn't sure why or how, but he felt like he knew exactly what he was supposed to do here, as if it was some deep down, hidden instinct. He smiled at her. "Is this enough of an answer?"

Sundance suddenly closed his eyes and pressed his lips to Tangelo's, surprising both her and himself. She froze for a moment, startled, before her own eyes fluttered shut and she melted into him. It just felt so right for both of them, being with the pony that meant more to them than life itself, and time seemed to freeze around them with their feelings locked together for the world to see.

After a moment Tangelo broke the kiss, her face flushed red. She leaned back to stare into Sundance's eyes, beaming at him. "It's more than enough." She leaned forward and rested her head against Sundance's chest, listening to his accelerated heartbeat. 

Sundance rested his chin on top of her head, blissfully taking in the moment. He had never imagined happiness like this could come to a pony as ordinary and boring as him, but sitting here now with a mare who made him feel like his life truly had purpose, he had never been happier to be wrong.



Further into the forest, a pony was backing away slowly from the couple. She sighed in a defeated manner, turning away from the scene. "That's all I needed to see," she thought as she wiped her eyes with her wings. She frowned to herself. "What makes her so much better than me? What's so special about her that I don't have?" She let out an angry sigh. "'You're my hero, Sundance. Why don't we run off into the sunset and forget about the rest of your stupid friends?' The fucking cunt," the pony said mockingly. She smacked a branch in anger, only to have it spring back and slap stingingly against her face.

"Ow!" She shook her head and moved forward only to have the branch get caught in her long mane and lock her in place. "Ugh, stupid fucking tree. Stupid fucking nature. I wish it would all just fucking burn down already," she said as she tugged at her main angrily, to no avail. "Fucking cunt. Let go of me already you useless son of a-" the pony cut off as most of her mane suddenly released from the branch with a few chartreuse-colored strands being left behind. She fell backward and smacked her head painfully against a rock. The pony gasped in pain and clutched her hooves around the back of her head.

"Oww..." She curled up on the ground and began to cry. "Why is this happening? What did I do to deserve any of this?" She tucked her hind legs up into her chest and pushed her head into them, her entire body racking with her sobs as the sun set, leaving the forest black. The remaining dim light from the moons barely carried through to the forest floor, and night fell, bringing more than just darkness with it.
> Chapter 10
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The cadets walked together down the airstrip, the cold air barely affecting them through their new uniforms. They were fairly simple; dark blue cotton jackets with black accents, black slacks with a single blue line running down each side, black leather boots that clicked sharply on the stone of the one paved area in all of camp, and dark blue berets with a single four pointed silver star in the middle. They had the same star stitched to the left sleeve of their jackets, and Tangelo also had red crosses on her jacket and beret beneath the stars, designating her as a medic.

"Ready to march off to our deaths?" Vermilion said jokingly as he nudged Sundance with one shoulder.

Sundance laughed and pushed him back. "As ready as I'll ever be, I guess. It's a hell of a lot easier knowing I'm not alone." He glanced over his shoulder back at the forest which held the camp that had been his home for the past four years. Four years that felt both long and short at the same time. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I don't want to go. We've made so many memories here and it actually could have been enjoyable if it weren't for the fact that we were being raised for the sole purpose of fighting a pointless war."

Vermilion nodded. "I get what you mean." He glanced at the DropShips at the far end of the airstrip and sighed. "I wonder how long we'll survive out there."

"Me too. Do you think they're going to just throw us straight into battle or have us wait around for a while?"

"I'm not sure. I guess that depends on whenever they need extra bodies to throw into the frontlines. I can't imagine they see us freeborns as valuable assets," Vermilion said, shrugging.

"I'm sure they recognize that the few of us left actually have some level of skill," Tangelo said from Sundance's right. "They're letting us keep the Mechs, after all."

"That's a good point." Vermilion sighed again as they neared the DropShips, their bay doors open and awaiting the new arrivals. "We'll see you guys on the WarShip, I guess," he said to the light and medium Mech pilots before walking towards the DropShip on the left. Mist and Chartreuse followed him over before walking up the ship's ramp. Bistre led Mint and Fern to the other DropShip, leaving Sundance and Tangelo alone on the airstrip.

Tangelo sighed and turned towards Sundance. "It's finally happening. We really might not be alive one week from now."

Sundance nodded. "Yeah. It's terrifying."

Tangelo pushed herself against Sundance and nestled her head underneath his. "Are we going to be alright? Can we actually survive long enough to be let free?"

Sundance nuzzled her hair and let out a sigh while he gazed out into the forest. "I don't know." He really wanted to say something to make Tangelo feel better, but he didn't think there was a single thing he could tell her. Everything he thought of was either a blatant lie she wouldn't believe or not the slightest bit comforting.

They sat there for a long moment with their bodies pressed together, comforting each other just with their presence. After a while, the engines of the DropShips firing up brought them back to the present. Sundance took a step away from Tangelo and gave her a sad smile. "See you in space?"

Tangelo smiled slightly. "Yeah. See you up there."

Sundance leaned down and gave her a quick kiss, stealing their last moment together on Dike. This was what he knew he was going to miss the most; all the happy and carefree time he got to spend with Tangelo, when it was just the two of them without a care in the world.

Sundance broke the kiss after a moment and smiled at her before turning towards the DropShip and walking up to it. He stopped at the foot of the ramp and stared up at the massive steel doors that acted as the entrance to the Hell he was sure to be thrown into very soon. He shook his head, his heart catching in his throat. Even now, knowing escape was impossible, he had still dreamed about it constantly. It was an enticing fantasy, but one that he couldn't follow. "I've got no choice. I have to go." He glanced back at the other DropShip. "Besides, I can't let Tangelo go on alone. Wherever she goes, I go."

Sundance turned back to the DropShip in front of him, took a deep breath, and stepped onto the ramp. His boots clicked as he walked up it and through the steel doors into the dim interior of the DropShip. He blinked as his eyes adjusted and he looked around to take in his surroundings. 

Vermilion's Timber Wolf was directly in front of him, facing out the door he just came through. His own Hellbringer was situated in front of the closed doors to his left, and Chartreuse's Clan Marauder and Mist's Summoner were on the far side of the DropShip, facing the opposite direction. All of their cutie marks had been painted onto their 'Mechs right below the insignia of Clan Draconequus on the left torso. Except for Mist's, who for some reason had yet to earn his cutie mark.

Sundance noticed an open door in the wall to his right and went over to it. When he poked his head through and looked around, he saw what seemed to be a small common area for the crew. There were three square tables with four chairs seated around each of them, a few couches along the walls, and a long bar to his left. The tables and couches all appeared to be bolted to the floor of the ship. Mist and Vermilion were sitting at one of the tables in the middle of the room and Chartreuse was sitting alone on one of the couches.

Mist waved to Sundance as he peeked his head into the room. "Hey, Sundance. We were starting to get worried the ship was gonna leave without you. Come on over, we were just about to get wasted!"

Vermilion smacked Mist in the back of the head. "We're too young to drink, idiot."

Mist yelped and rubbed the lump forming on his head. "Ow. So? The drink cabinets aren't under lock and key. They're just waiting for somepony to take a drink. Nopony's gonna know."

Sundance shook his head and walked over to them. "Tell you what, Mist. If we both manage to survive for another five years, we can get as drunk as you'd like."

Mist grinned at him. "Sounds like a plan."

Sundance pulled out one of the chairs and sat down in it before glancing at Chartreuse and making eye contact with her. She frowned and turned away to stare at the far wall.

Vermilion leaned in over the table. "She's been in a bad mood for a while now, hasn't she?" he whispered.

Sundance nodded. She had started acting differently about two years ago, but she hadn't really gotten to be as bitter as she was now until just a few months prior. He wasn't really sure why.

"Do you have any idea why, Mist? The two of you are pretty close," Vermilion said quietly.

Mist scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Well, I do know why she's upset, but she asked me not to tell anypony else. Especially not either of you."

Vermilion glanced at Sundance. "It has something to do with him and Tangelo, doesn't it?"

Mist bit his bottom lip and leaned back in his seat. "You really gotta stop doing that. How do you figure everything out like that?"

"I'm not sure. I just notice a lot of things." Vermilion sighed. "Cue the typical brooding, silent pony stereotypes."

"You're not brooding, you're just, um..." Mist scratched the bottom of his chin for a few seconds, thinking, before throwing his hooves up in an exaggerated shrug. "Yeah, I got nothing. Sorry."

Vermilion shook his head. "Anyways, why don't you go talk to her? It shouldn't really be me, and no offense Sundance, but you're probably one of the last ponies she would want to talk to about this."

Sundance shrugged. "I totally agree with you on that, actually."

Mist sighed. "I could, but I've already tried a few times. She doesn't seem like she wants to go too far into detail."

"You have to keep trying. Keeping her negative emotions to herself isn't good. Trust me, I know," Vermilion said.

Mist scratched the side of his neck and glanced over at Chartreuse. He sighed again after a moment. "Alright, fine. I'll go see what I can do. Don't blame me if I just make things worse, though," he said before getting up and walking over to her.

Vermilion leaned back in his seat and watched Mist go. The blue pony sat down next to Chartreuse and tried to get her attention, but to no avail. Vermilion shook his head and turned to Sundance. "So how are things with you and Tangelo?"

Sundance smiled shyly and rubbed his shoulder. "It's great. I've never felt better in my life than I do now, and she feels the same way. I'm just glad I could make her feel so happy again. She's an amazing pony and she deserves to feel wanted."

Vermilion nodded. "That's good to hear. If only Chartreuse could feel the same way about it." He glanced over at the grey pegasus again. "Jealousy is a terrible thing. It's going to consume her if somepony isn't there to keep her from holding everything in. That's why I pushed Mist to talk to her."

Sundance sighed. "I still feel bad about rejecting her. I never meant to hurt her, I just thought she could be happier with somepony else." He rubbed his upper foreleg. "Not just her, either. I felt I could be happier with somepony else. That's why I turned her down."

"Don't feel guilty. You shouldn't feel obligated to dedicate your life to pleasing everypony else." Vermilion leaned over and rested a hoof on Sundance's shoulder. "It's your life, and you should be free to do what you want with it. Just don't forget about us, okay? We're still your family," he said with a wink.

Sundance nodded and smiled. "Okay."

A siren suddenly went off, making the four of them jump. They heard metal groan as the ramp receded into the DropShip and the door slid shut. An animated, raspy voice sounded through the intercom and echoed jubilantly throughout the ship. "Welcome aboard the Leopard-class DropShip, 'Tub of Lard.' Lovingly named so because it handles like one. Soon we'll be departing for the Nightlord-class WarShip named 'Celestia's Left Tit.' You don't want to know how that ship got its name. This is going to be a bumpy ascent, so hold on tight to something, or better yet, grab those convenient straps next to you and cinch those bad boys around your waist. You don't want to be standing up when this baby takes off." 

The voice chuckled. "Now, I know what you're thinking. 'Obsidian, what do you mean straps? There aren't any on this bloody ship!' Precisely. There used to be, but those trueborn fuckers don't give a blind rat's arse about us and wouldn't pay to replace them when they broke. Luckily we managed to steal some grade-A scotch and those comfy couches from them, though. So, grab your ankles and hope nothing in your fragile body breaks, because-"

The voice suddenly cut off and they heard scuffling and grunting through the speakers. The four of them exchanged confused glances with each other, not quite sure what was going on. This continued for a few seconds as the engines of the DropShip whined louder and louder. After a moment the speakers went silent and a different pony cleared his throat. His voice was deep and clear, ringing with authority. "My name is Commander Slate. Don't mind my brother. He was clearly dropped on his head as a colt." 

The voice sighed, clearly defeated. "This DropShip is indeed named 'Tub of Lard.' The pilot has a strange sense of humor. However, there is no WarShip anywhere in all of the Clans with a daft name like that. The Nightlord you are about to board is called the 'Constellation.' Feel free to hold on to anything that's bolted down. Or don't. The military doesn't care either way."

The four cadets all glanced at each other, confused. That certainly wasn't what they expected to hear when they boarded the ship. "So, should we hold on to something or not?" Mist asked right before the DropShip shot forward like an arrow from a bow. Sundance and Vermilion's chairs fell over, taking the two ponies with them. Mist and Chartreuse were pressed violently into the soft cushions of the couch but luckily had nothing hard to slam into, Unlike poor Vermilion and Sundance who both smacked their heads painfully against the floor, followed by the wall behind them.

After a few moments when the ship finished accelerating, Sundance and Vermilion stood back up and stretched their battered joints. Mist chuckled. "I guess we know now why the chairs were all lying on the floor when we got here."

Vermilion nodded and brushed off his jacket. "Yeah." He frowned. "I wonder why they were so open about how they feel about their higher-ups. Are they not worried about the consequences?"

Sundance shrugged and picked his beret up off the ground. "I'm not sure. If so, Clan Draconequus must be in worse shape than we thought." He turned towards the exit of the room and glanced out at their Mechs. He rubbed the sore spot on the back of his head. "I know one thing's for certain, though. Things are going to get a lot more complicated from here on out."



Sundance woke to the racket of a pony bursting into the room, screaming everypony awake. "Get your arses out of bed, freebirths! It's time to go to war, did you hear?"

Sundance shook his head and blinked drearily at the pony that had crashed into the room. It was a stallion with a black coat, a dark grey mane, and black eyes. It was Obsidian, one of the two brother Commanders. While by far the least strict Commander Sundance had ever met, he had a thing for theatrics. And he was so loud. He yelled all the time, which was probably why his voice was always raspy.

"Into those uniforms, out the door! To the mission briefing room! Are you soldiers, or what?"

"I think I might go with 'or what,' sir," Mist said as he rubbed his head and rolled back onto his stomach. He had fallen out of bed when the Commander had smashed the door open. "Is it really that urgent or are you just yelling for the fun of it again?"

Obsidian waved a hoof at Mist. "Of course I'm yelling for the fun of it, brussel sprout. You should have learned that by now. That's the best part about being a Commander."

Mist frowned. "Brussel sprout?"

"Come on, let's go! The girls have been there for ages! You wouldn't want to keep the mares waiting, would you?" Obsidian said before turning to march back out the room. "Step to, lads! Shouldn't your last hours be lively?" After a moment of blissful silence, the black pony's head popped back in through the door. "Oh, before I forget, there are plenty of dark corners around this ship if you have anything you want to do before you die. Don't worry, none of the video cameras actually work," he said with a wink before he disappeared again.

Sundance shook his head. "Weird fucking pony," he mumbled before groaning and rolling out of bed. Being a soldier wasn't anything like he had expected. From the moment he heard Obsidian's voice on the intercom last week he had a feeling things were going to get strange, and boy was he right. It almost seemed like the Clan hierarchy meant nothing to the crew of the freeborn WarShip, and the Commanders acted more like mentors and friends than leaders. Or at least they tried to. Sundance shook his head. He wasn't sure what to think of any of it yet, but at least it wasn't bad.

Sundance turned to Vermilion as he pulled his slacks over his hind legs. "I don't think I'll ever get used to this. Why do the Commanders act like that? Commander Charcoal would have a fit if he saw how they acted. They don't even make us call them by their ranks."

Vermilion shrugged. "I don't know, but why question it? If I don't have to suck up to some casket born, I don't care how strange our Commanders are."

"It's probably because everypony on this ship is freeborn," Mist said, walking over to them. He was fiddling with the zipper on his slacks, trying to coax it to move. "We've all been through the same situation. Everypony here woke up on a planet somewhere in Clan Draconequus space one morning, heard gunshots and watched our families get murdered, got thrown into a cart, were raised for war while being told we're inferior and useless, then sent off here to do the dirty work. Ah, finally," Mist said as the zipper moved into place. He grabbed the jacket that was draped over his back and pulled it on. "Nopony here actually cares about this war, not even the Commanders. None of us belong here."

Bistre ran a brown hoof through his golden mane. "Shouldn't there be at least one trueborn on board? They don't trust us with anything else, so why let us run a million ton space ship?"

Mist shrugged. "I don't know. If there was one here, they stopped caring a long time ago. It's strange that they're just letting us operate on our own like this. The military might be stretched even thinner than I had thought." 

"So what does that mean for us?" Fern asked as he stamped his hooves into his boots.

"Not much, at least not at the moment. For now, pretty much all we get is relaxed higher-ups. Maybe once the Clan finally overexerts its military they'll give up and set us free, or better yet we can set ourselves free." Mist shook his head. "Anyway, we shouldn't be talking about this right now. Let's get going. Obsidian made it sound like we're doing more than just mopping floors today. I don't know about you guys, but I don't exactly have a warm, fuzzy feeling in the pit of my stomach."

The five of them walked out of their dark room and into the brightly lit halls of the WarShip. Once sleek and beautiful, this aging ship no longer had the luster it used to have, though it was still taken good care of by its inhabitants. The cadets had had to adjust to a different time system, which was strange to get used to but not impossible. Normally it just made Sundance feel like he was awake for far too long, and he tended to wake up early as well. Just not on days like today when somepony decided to jolt all of them awake. Sundance scratched the back of his head. It had been a long week, but nonetheless, he had hoped this time of peace for the cadets would never end.

They made their way to the briefing room which had its double doors propped wide open. Inside, Sundance saw Mint, Chartreuse, and Tangelo all seated around the long wooden table. A projector lit up the entirety of the opposite wall with its "no input" signal bouncing around aimlessly. Tangelo waved to Sundance as he walked through the doors and he went over to sit next to her.

"Hey. Did you sleep well?" she asked, giving him a quick kiss as he sat down.

Sundance rubbed his eyes. "Not in the slightest."

Tangelo gave him an amused look. "Obsidian again?"

He nodded. "That pony has something seriously wrong with his head."

"Well, it could be worse. At least we haven't been treated like livestock." She reached up and straightened Sundance's mane. "And the food is good."

He nodded. "That's true. Despite our Commanders' quirks, it's not actually that bad here. Though, I don't know if I could get used to seeing nothing but steel walls all day. I miss the mountains." He glanced around the bland room around them. There wasn't really much nice about it. Just boring grey walls. 

Sundance noticed Mist and Chartreuse sitting together, talking to each other. They had seemed like they had gotten closer over the past week and Chartreuse had begun to seem like her old self again, though she still acted somewhat strange around Sundance. He smiled to himself. "It's good to see everypony smiling again."

The cadets all glanced at the entrance of the room as their four Commanders walked into the room. It was always easy to tell when they were coming since half of them were anything but quiet. Obsidian and Slate were nearly yelling at each other, as usual, while Cotton was busy messing with her Noteputer and Hazelnut had a grim expression on his face. The two brothers continued their argument in the far corner of the room and Obsidian gestured wildly with his hooves. Sundance couldn't quite tell what they were arguing about, but whatever it was, it sounded bad.

Cotton walked up to the front of the room and placed her Noteputer down on the table, her bouncy white mane flopping over her baby blue eyes. She reached a pale hoof up to brush it out of her face and tapped a few keys on the device. The projector suddenly flashed and switched to a top-down picture of a field littered with small sections of sparse forestry and rippling hills. Cotton tapped another button, and the view zoomed out to include not only the edge of a mountain range, but also a few buildings that looked like the outskirts of a military base with watchtowers, turrets, and a far-reaching barrier.

Hazelnut cleared his throat and stared at the bickering brothers, his mahogany eyes serious. The two of them quieted down, though they still shot each other the occasional glare. Normally Hazelnut was much lighter-hearted than this, which worried Sundance. "So, as you should have already been told, the soldiers of the Constellation have been tasked with a new assignment." He sighed and turned towards the projected image, pointing to the visible buildings at the top of the picture with one of his dirt colored hooves. "These are the outskirts of a production facility under the control of Clan Wolf. It's our mission to destroy it and kill everypony there." 

"Are you serious? We're just supposed to run in and shoot anything that moves? Even if they're trying to run or surrender?" Mint asked in disbelief. She scratched the top of her head with her pale hoof, ruffling her red and white mane. "And I thought our Clan couldn't sink any lower."

"Yes, but that's not all." Hazelnut sighed and frowned, the light from the projector accenting his furrowed brow. "This particular facility is on the planet... Strana Mechty."

The cadets all stared at him in disbelief. Strana was somewhat of a sacred planet to all of the Clans. The Khans met there in the Hall of Khans whenever they needed to discuss something face to face, and while it wasn't under the control of any one Clan, it was the home to a number of military installations and production facilities. Whether they completed or failed this mission, it was suicide for Clan Draconequus.

Vermilion slammed his hooves on the table and shot up as his chair crashed into the wall behind him. "What?! What the hell is our Khan thinking? Invade Strana? Has he gone mad?"

Obsidian shook his head. "It's awful, isn't it?" He ran a hoof along the side of his neck, somber for once. "I say we leave. We should just jump straight into Clan Wolf or Ghost Bear territory and tell them what's going on. They're honorable, unlike this detestable Clan. They'll let us join them, either as soldiers or civilians."

"Is that what you were arguing about when you walked in?" Bistre piped in. "I think it's a great plan. I'd love to be the one to personally put a bullet through our Khan's head. Why wouldn't you agree with something like that, Slate?"

Slate sighed and shook his head, his short, black hair swinging back and forth above his dark grey coat. "I do agree. This Clan is full of corrupt scum who need to be purged. What we didn't agree about was what to do after we fled. I wanted to fight, while Obsidian wanted to be cowardly and become a merchant."

"We can't just leave. It's too risky," Cotton said as she looked up from her Noteputer. "They'd send another WarShip to intercept us, and they'd blow our DropShips to kingdom come days before we ever made it to any habitable planet."

Hazelnut nodded. "Besides, we can't leave the other freeborn cadets. If we're not here for them when they finish training, who knows what kind of terrible trueborn crew they'll get stuck with? We have to stay."

"Well, it is good to see at least some of you have a shred of loyalty," a steely voice said from the doorway. Sundance turned towards the voice and saw a unicorn standing in the doorway. And shit, was she massive. Her muscles strained against her violet coat and her uniform, which had a five-pointed golden star with a black diamond over it stitched onto her uniform, the mark of a Clan Draconequus Captain. Her dark red eyes scanned the room, looking over every pony in it.

"C-Captain Sienna," Obsidian stammered before backing against the wall. "What are you doing on the Constellation?"

"Investigating. It had come to my attention that a few ponies here had begun to misbehave." Captain Sienna sighed. "Why could you not just accept your orders? The military can not spare any trueborns to run this blasted ship, so I am indirectly in charge of two vessels. Whenever one of you freebirths act up, I am the one who suffers because I have to spend my precious time finding your replacements. It really is a hassle."

Slate narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to speak, but just then an ear-ringingly loud BANG shook the walls of the room. His eyes grew wide and he froze in place, no sound coming out of his agape mouth. He slowly lowered his head to stare at the small hole that had appeared in his chest and was leaking blood out onto the floor. "Son of a bitch." Slate collapsed to the ground, sputtering blood out of his mouth.

"No! Slate!" Obsidian shouted as he leaped down to lift his brother's head with his hooves. "Stay with me! You can't die!"

Tangelo gasped and rushed over to the fallen Commander before pressing her hooves against the gunshot wound. "Quick, get me something to stop the bleeding with!" she said to Cotton frantically.

"Oh, it is far too late for that," Captain Sienna said as she walked slowly towards them with her horn aglow. Her jacket opened slightly and a glowing pistol floated its way out before pointing itself directly at Tangelo. "These two worthless brothers are going to die, as are you."

Sundance stared at the Captain, gritting his teeth. "I have to do something!" he thought. He willed his muscles to move, to jump up and tear the gun away from her, but they resisted, stiff with fear. He clenched his jaw harder and glared at the back of the unicorn who had just walked past him. "Come on, you worthless pony! Get up and do something! MOVE!" 

Suddenly an object flew through the air and smacked into the gun, nudging the barrel enough so that the shot went wide and missed its mark. It was a boot, hurled by one of the other cadets in the room. Captain Sienna spun around and glared around the room angrily, looking to punish whoever interfered. Luckily, however, it was all Sundance needed to snap out of his terrified trance.

Sundance leaped up out of his seat and jabbed one of his hooves into the unicorn's right eye, hoping to incapacitate her. However, this only managed to elicit an angry grunt from the Captain. She grabbed him by the collar of his uniform and slammed him onto the table before pressing the barrel of the gun underneath his chin. "You fucking little cunt. How many of you useless scum do I have to kill today?"

Sundance squeezed his eyes closed and waited for the gunshot, followed by whatever afterlife awaited him. "I'm sorry, Tangelo. I guess this is it for me."

He flinched when he heard the gunshot and felt heat spray over his face, but was confused when he realized he hadn't been hit. Sundance cracked one eye open and saw blood and brains spattered all over the ceiling, right above where the Captain had been moments ago. The room was infused with the smell of gunpowder and the warm, ironish scent of blood. The pistol was still floating above Sundance's chest, except it was pointing away from him, and it was glowing brown now, not red.

Sundance turned his head and saw Bistre staring blankly at the mess on the walls, his horn aglow. He set the gun down gently on the table and plopped into his seat, trembling. He opened his mouth but no sound came out, only a nervous breath. He shook his head and rested his forehead on the table.

Cotton rushed over to Slate and placed a medkit down next to Tangelo. "Here, we need to get him patched up."

Slate grabbed Cotton's hoof feebly as she went to open the small box. "Don't bother. I'm already dead," he coughed out as a stream of blood began running out of his mouth.

"No, I can still save you. The four of us have been together for nearly twenty years. We've survived countless battles and disasters. I'm not about to lose you now, after all we've been through," she said, struggling to open the med kit. Her eyes were tearing up and her hooves weren't cooperating quite like they should have been.

Slate smiled at her. "It's too late. There's nothing you can do for me." He weakly raised a hoof and placed it against her cheek, wiping the tears from her face. "Don't cry for me. There are worse fates than dying for the ones you love-" he suddenly broke off into a coughing fit and curled up painfully.

"Slate!" Cotton cried, leaning down to try to help him.

He placed a hoof on Cotton's shoulder. "You know what needs to be done. You can't save me, but you can keep all of these young ponies alive," Slate whispered before weakly coughing up more blood. "Go. Do your duty... as their Commander..." His head flopped onto the floor and he let out a sigh as his life left his body. His dull black eyes stared out ahead of him, all of the light having gone from them.

Cotton let out a sob and rested her forehead on his. She sat there for a moment, allowing herself just a few seconds to grieve before she stood back up and stared back down at Slate. "Goodbye, old friend." She reached down to shut his eyelids with one hoof before turning around to face Hazelnut, who had moved to comfort Bistre. Hazelnut nodded to her and she rushed out the door, taking her Noteputer with her.

Sundance slipped off the table and walked over to Tangelo, carefully stepping over the dead body of the Captain. She was sitting back on her hind legs with her head placed in her bloody hooves. Sundance sat down next to her and pulled her close, wrapping his forelegs around her. He didn't say anything, he just let her cry on him, supporting her just by being there.

Vermilion, Mist, and Chartreuse all walked over to them solemnly, eyeing the bloody scene. Obsidian was sprawled over his brother's body, sobbing uncontrollably. They felt truly bad for him, and while they'd only known the late Commander for one week it was still a hard blow. Slate was an amazing pony whose strong sense of duty was an inspiration to all of them, even though it had gotten him killed in the end.

Sundance glanced over at his friends and noticed Chartreuse was standing a little funny. When he glanced down he saw one of her boots was missing. "Chartreuse threw that boot at the Captain? She risked her life to save Tangelo? Why? I thought she hated her," he thought, confused. He opened his mouth to say something to her, but Cotton's voice on the intercom stopped him.

"All essential crew is to head to the bridge immediately to prepare for Jump Zero. Everypony else head to your designated DropShip and await further orders. Do not leave your DropShip. That is essential for your survival."

Vermilion frowned and turned to Hazelnut. "What's going on?"

Hazelnut sighed. "A trueborn Captain was murdered aboard the Constellation. We'd be very lucky if they let any of us go after that. Our only remaining chance at getting you lot out alive is to jump to the nearest militarized planet, Strana Mechty in this case, and drop you all off. At least one of the other Clans there should be willing to accept any survivors as bondsmen. You'll not only be alive, but you'll be in an honorable Clan with the choice to live out a peaceful life."

Mist shook his head. "Wait, wait, wait. You mean, the WarShip is going to jump to Strana and just 'drop us off?' How close are we getting to the planet, exactly?"

Hazelnut scratched the back of his head. "Almost five hundred thousand kilometers from the surface of the planet, I think."

Mist's eyes went wide. "But that's suicide! The WarShip can't survive something like that! Even if the jump isn't miscalculated and we don't crash into a planet or end up fifty years in the future, that much gravity would destroy the ship. They're not meant to get within a hundred million kilometers of a planet at least, let alone five hundred thousand."

"That's what Jump Zero is. It's a suicide mission to save as many lives as possible, while ending only a small hoof full. Everypony on the DropShips can make it to safety, at the expense of the few ponies piloting the WarShip. We've planned for something like this. We don't just sit around on our asses up here, contrary to popular belief," Hazelnut said with a rueful smile. "We had a feeling it might come to this one day. Let the big boys handle this stuff, and just worry about your own skins."

Hazelnut sighed deeply and gazed at the ceiling. "We've lost Slate today. Cotton won't live to see tomorrow, either. None of us might survive, in fact. If the trueborns on the ship Sienna came from are particularly pissed, they might just follow us and destroy their own WarShip just to end all of our lives. No, I'm almost certain that's what they're going to do."

He lowered his head back to level and looked at the cadets, his eyes ablaze with fury. "Get ready. Once we're on Strana you'll be fighting for your lives."
> Chapter 11
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cotton rested the back of her head against the wall and stared at the ceiling blankly. Deep down she had always felt this day would come, but that didn't make it any easier to accept. She sighed. "I can't believe it's finally happening. Who knows how many of these poor sods are actually going to make it out alive." Cotton draped a foreleg over her eyes. "Dear Celestia, this is a disaster." She heard the doors to the bridge open as more of the crew filed in. She had expected most of them to bail and hide on a DropShip so she was surprised every time another pony walked in.

"What will the crew think, seeing their leader cry in the back of the room like this? It doesn't exactly instill confidence," she heard a painfully familiar voice say. 

Cotton moved her hoof to see Obsidian standing above her, flanked by Hazelnut. While Obsidian was smiling at her she could easily tell all he wanted to do was break down in a corner somewhere. As much as losing Slate devastated her she knew he would be much worse off.

"You know, you almost sound like him when you're not yelling or hoarse," she said with a smile. "If only we could do something about that personality of yours."

Obsidian let out a small chuckle despite the situation. "You mean my charm? You and Hazelnut would be lost without it."

Cotton shook her head. "I'm sure we would." She glanced at the doors as another pony walked through and headed to their console. "What are you two doing here? You should be on your DropShip. We're about to jump."

"You didn't think we'd leave without saying goodbye, did you?" Obsidian said. He sighed. "It's nice to actually have time for something like this. There's so much I wish I could have said, before..."

Cotton nodded. "I know what you mean." Losing somepony that close to you in the blink of an eye was a horrible feeling. The four of them had been extremely close, and while she had expected Slate's sense of duty to get him killed before any of the others she hadn't thought it would happen so soon. They weren't romantically attached; Cotton loved each of them equally. Though, she couldn't really call them family either, considering they'd each fucked her at least half a dozen times in their twenty-two years of living. She scratched the back of her head. "Probably not the best thing to remember your friends by," she thought awkwardly.

"Are you sure you're up for this? Obsidian or I could take your place if you want," Hazelnut said with a glance at the distant trueborn WarShip through the windows of the bridge. They probably would have begun to get suspicious with their Captain being silent for so long.

Cotton shook her head and pushed herself to her hooves. "If the others here saw me back out, they'd start to have their own doubts, too. Besides, my place is on the bridge, not the battlefield. It's my duty to go down with the Constellation. I'm ready, trust me."

Obsidian smiled sadly. "I guess we can't change your mind, then." He pulled her in for a hug with Hazelnut joining in soon after. "You always were as stubborn as a mule."

Cotton giggled softly but didn't say anything. As much as she wanted to sit there and talk with them for hours, she also felt like there wasn't much to be said. Just the final moments they were spending together was enough to convey each of their feelings and the three of them stood there silently, embraced tightly.

After a long moment, they untangled themselves and took a step back, sad but determined. "Good luck down there. Kick in a few cockpits for me," Cotton said.

Hazelnut nodded. "You got it. These casket born are going to get a nasty surprise when their DropShips land. We're not as weak as they think we are."

"Commander Cotton? The calculations for the jump are complete," a blue pegasus said, walking up to Cotton with a tablet in one hoof.

Cotton nodded to the pegasus and turned back to her friends. "I guess I'll see you guys again at some point in the future. Just try not to join me too soon, alright?"

Obsidian smiled sadly at her. "Someday. Tell Slate I love him, yeah? He probably already knew that, but I kind of regret never saying it out loud."

Cotton nodded. "Of course." Obsidian and Hazelnut gave her a quick last hug before walking out of the bridge and heading to their respective DropShips. Cotton took a deep breath and turned back to the pegasus, readying herself for the coming jump. "Good. Are they correct?"

The pegasus sighed. "I'm honestly not sure, Commander. The calculations were rushed which increased the chance of a misjump, but I don't think that's our biggest problem. A WarShip isn't meant to jump that deep into a planet's gravitational field. Even if the Constellation isn't outright destroyed, we still might die before we can release the DropShips."

She walked over to a console and docked the tablet she was carrying that displayed a map of the system they were jumping to, nicknamed 'The Stars of the Protector.' Strana was outlined and labeled, and there was a small red dot between the planet and the center of the system. "I tried to place us between Strana and its star. I'm hoping the two opposing gravitational fields will cancel out enough to keep everypony alive." The pegasus shook her head. "It's risky, Commander. Are you sure we should go through with this?"

"You don't have to call me 'Commander.' I've told you that plenty of times," Cotton said as she walked over to the pegasus. She sighed. "I don't like those odds, but it's our only option of survival." She walked over to the head of the bridge and looked out over the other ponies in the large room. It wasn't as full as it should have been for a complicated jump like this; over half the consoles had nopony seated behind them. That was all they needed though, so it would have to do.

Cotton cleared her throat. "Listen up. I know it's sudden to start Jump Zero like this, but we don't have any other choice." She closed her eyes and let out a sigh. "Slate is dead. He was murdered by Captain Sienna, who was in turn killed by a group of young soldiers." This elicited gasps from across the bridge. "That ship out there," she said with a nod towards the other WarShip, "is not going to be happy when they find out a bunch of freeborns killed their Captain. We either make this jump now and hope for the survival of the rest of the ponies on board, or we sit here and wait for our deaths."

The bridge was silent. Nopony spoke for a long time, all of them too shocked to react. It was a lot to take in. Slate had been the one commanding the ship for over two years, so most of the ponies who worked on the bridge knew him well. Cotton sighed internally. "I guess this is the part where Slate would give a rallying speech. Too bad I'm nothing like him," she thought wryly. "I have to say something, though."

"I know it's hard to take in, but as the crew of this vessel, we're obligated to keep the other soldiers alive, no matter what. We may have lost our commander, but that doesn't mean we can neglect our duties. If we go down, we'll do it standing up to those trueborn motherfuckers, not sniveling like a wounded dog. Any questions? Good," Cotton said without waiting for an answer. "Sorry guys, but that's about as good of a speech as I can give." She turned back to the blue pegasus. "Get those calculations into the KF drive quickly. And try to cut down on the jump time if you can. We're going to alert that other ship as soon as the jump procedure starts, and they're going to start firing at us once they've figured out what's going on."

"Aff," the pegasus said as she saluted hastily before rushing back over to her own console.

Cotton walked over to the large swiveling chair at the head of the bridge. She stopped in front of it and ran a hoof along one of the armrests, hesitating. "Slate's seat," she thought. "Is this all a mistake? Am I leading hundreds of ponies to painful deaths?"

Cotton shook her head. "It's too late to worry about that now. Either we die here, or we die at Strana. It doesn't matter where, so we might as well make a stand." Cotton pulled herself onto the seat and leaned back in it before placing her rear hooves on the railing in front of it like Slate would always do. 

"Are you watching, Slate? You always feared it would come to this." Cotton glanced at the other WarShip as the KF field enveloped the Constellation and put a light haze around the ship. With any luck, they'd be on their way to Strana before suffering any severe damage. She furrowed her brow and turned back to face forward. "You won't have died in vain. Once the DropShips make it onto Strana and alert the other Clans to the treachery of our own, this war will be over, and we can rest in peace."



Hazelnut sat down in his seat and leaned back, thinking about the other ship he had seen from the bridge. "The Windigo," he thought. "A McKenna-class WarShip with enough armor and weapons to take on the Constellation twice and live to tell about it, named after the evil spirits on Terra. And it's chock-full of angry trueborn soldiers who would just as soon put a bullet through each of our skulls as even glance in our direction."

With less than a minute left before the ship leaped into hyperspace, it was surprising that the other WarShip hadn't yet begun to fire at them. Were they that disorganized without their Captain? Or had they just not considered the option that anything could go wrong, so nopony had bothered to check up on the situation? If that were the case it could be possible for them to be halfway to Strana before the crew of the Windigo even noticed they were gone.

"Hazelnut? Shouldn't you be in your cooling suit? We'll be on Strana in a couple of hours," he heard a voice behind him say. He turned to see a bright green pony ease themselves into the pilot's seat of the DropShip.

Hazelnut shook his head. "I'll change into it before we land. Somepony has to tell whoever's close to where we're landing on Strana that we're not hostile, but the ones following us are. I figured Obsidian shouldn't be the one to do it, making me the only Star Commander left for the job."

The pilot nodded. "Good point."

Thirty seconds until jump.

They sat there in silence and gripped their seats tightly. Obsidian would have been on his own DropShip by now, probably taking the time to properly mourn his brother in private. They had loaded Slate's body onto the Tub of Lard and had hoped to be able to bury him on Strana. Hazelnut smiled sadly to himself. "No better place to be buried than Strana Mechty, especially for a pony like him." 

Akin to an ancestral home passed down through a family for generations, Strana was an important place for the Clans. It was the first planet the six original Clans had fled to, battered and bruised from their first war with the Inner Sphere. Since this would give every Clan a claim to ownership of the planet the Khans decided it should instead be declared neutral territory, becoming home to many wartime production facilities. Most of the new Clans took their names from wildlife on Strana, much like the original Clans did with creatures from Terra.

Hazelnut frowned. If their Khan had decided to attack Strana, there had to be a reason. It was ritual suicide to launch an invasion on a place so sacred to all the Clans, so why do it? He scratched his chin as a dark theory came to mind. "Our Khan knows deep down the war is lost, so I suppose his twisted mind doesn't care about how soon it happens. He only wants to inflict as much damage as possible before the Clan falls. 

"What if... what if the Khans from other Clans are meeting on Strana during our scheduled attack? We weren't the only ship involved in the plan, and the other ships were supposed to destroy sites controlled by other Clans. We were the only ones set to attack a Clan Wolf installation. If their Khan is there, that would explain why we were given explicit instructions to kill everypony on site. Were we really supposed to murder the Khans of other Clans? Of all the dishonorable things..." Hazelnut shook his head. It made sense. He couldn't think of any other reason their Khan would attack Strana like this. There was nothing else to gain from such a thing.

Twenty seconds until jump.

The green pony glanced over at Hazelnut. "Hey, do you really think that other ship is going to follow us?"

Hazelnut nodded. "I'm sure of it. If my theory about the attack we had planned was correct, they'll do anything in their power to keep us from making it to Strana. Once they figure out we've left, of course. If they haven't started firing at us yet, they must not have noticed we're about to jump. I can imagine the looks on their faces when they realize we're lightyears away, along with their Captain. They'll probably figure out the smartest place for us to head is Strana, and they'll be hot on our tails as soon as they come up with the equations for the jump."

Ten seconds until jump.

"That's concerning, but comforting at the same time." The pilot faced forwards again and clutched the edges of his seat tighter.

"Well, I guess none of that matters if we don't even survive the jump. I sure hope those calculations are correct," Hazelnut said, shifting nervously in his seat. The other pony shot him a terrified look but said nothing. Not that Hazelnut could have heard him over the ship's robotic voice counting down, anyway.

Five seconds until jump.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

Initiating jump.

Hazelnut felt a familiar twisting in his stomach as the ship entered hyperspace. The low odds of an error during a standard jump never bothered him, but in a situation like this, he'd have to be insane to not be afraid. Well, insane or Obsidian. Not that there was much of a difference.

The seconds ticked by and the nauseating effects of the jump began to bear down on Hazelnut. "Normally it isn't this bad. Is it the effect of a misjump or is it just my mind?" he worried, gritting his teeth. His mind had started to feel like it was wading through a pool of water, which quickly changed to mud. He could barely think straight anymore. "No, this is definitely not supposed to happen. Something's going wrong. Is it a misjump? Is it the effect of Strana's gravity?" Hazelnut blinked his heavy eyes a few times as black tendrils creeped in around the edges of his vision. "This is bad. Celestia protect us..." he thought as he slipped from consciousness.

Hazelnut blinked his eyes open groggily. He could feel somepony shaking him and calling his name. "I'm alive, get yer hooves off me," he said, his words slurring together. He raised a hoof slowly to fend off the green shape that was standing in front of him. The fact that they were still alive after a jump like that was surprising to him, though maybe not entirely unexpected.

Hazelnut shook his head to try and clear the sludge from his mind. He managed to focus his eyes on the world around him and saw the pilot of the DropShip standing in front of him with his worried expression outlined by the flashing red lights visible through the glass of the cockpit. He could hear the Constellation's voice repeating itself over and over in a tone of voice he'd hoped he would never have to hear.

Hull damage catastrophic. Evacuate immediately. Hull damage catastrophic. Evacuate immediately...

He rubbed his eyes. "Do you know what's going on?"

The pony shook his head. "No word yet from the bridge. The jump just finished, so they're probably still recovering and reorganizing."

Hazelnut slid out of his seat onto unsteady hooves and glanced out at the red lights. "Hopefully they're okay in there. We can't leave the ship unless they undock us."

The pilot nodded. Being stuck in a nonfunctioning ship with another, larger WarShip following was not a good situation to be in. Just then the ship's harrowing voice cut to static and, to Hazelnut's relief, Cotton's voice came in through the comms on the DropShip.

"Bridge to DropShip pilots. What's your status?"

The green pony walked over to the console and held down a button. "All good here." He was quickly echoed by two more pilots and followed by a third, less convincing voice.

"Good. We're going to undock you now. We're above pretty much the middle of nowhere on Strana, but there's a big Clan Ghost Bear facility not too far from your drop point. Head there and make sure you mention at some point you're not hostile. If the Windigo isn't destroyed when it follows us, we'll try to draw its fire and distract it long enough for you to land. Good luck, soldiers. We'll see you on the other side someday," Cotton said, followed by an ominous creaking sound from the ship.

"Aff, Commander. It's been an honor," the pilot said before releasing the button and sitting down in his seat. "I guess this is it, huh? We die here, or we go on to live the peaceful lives we should have had in the first place."

Hazelnut sighed. "Yeah. Although, I was actually thinking about fighting against Clan Draconequus if we survive this. I know it's what Slate would do, and I wouldn't want to disappoint him."

The WarShip let out an ungodly groan, weakly detaching the DropShips from itself. It barely seemed functional anymore and Hazelnut would be surprised if it could even still move. Strana would surely be taking its toll on the hull, which wasn't designed to handle any sort of gravitational load. The DropShip let out a long beep as it slid out of the Constellation and into open space.

Hazelnut saw another DropShip exit in front of them, this one much larger and designed to hold many more soldiers. Unlike the Tub of Lard and his own ship, which were Leopard-classes and were well suited for regular transport missions, the ship in front of his was a Lion-class DropShip, usually only used in combat. It could carry over two times the number of Mechs as well as a large number of infantry. However, the Lion-class ships were more like giant drop pods with powerful thrusters than actual ships, which would make it impossible for them to fly straight to the Clan Ghost Bear facility. They would have to make their stand wherever they landed and pray the Ghost Bears would send help.

Hazelnut shook his head again and turned to head out of the cockpit. The nausea of the jump had begun to wear off, and he felt steady enough to walk around again. "I'm going to change into my cooling suit. Let me know when we get within comms range of the facility," he said as he walked through the door at the back of the room.

"Aff," the pilot said as he turned the ship to follow the Lion in front of them.

The door hissed shut behind Hazelnut and he walked down the cramped hallway to one of the closets which usually contained the cooling suits and neurohelmets of the other MechWarriors on board. His was the only one left in the small space with the others having been replaced by uniforms, and he pulled it out and headed to the restroom. He didn't particularly enjoy changing in the confined passageways of the ship and avoided it whenever possible.

Hazelnut shut the door of the restroom behind him and quickly stripped from his uniform, not taking his usual care to keep it at least somewhat neatly folded. He couldn't see himself ever wearing it again after today so he didn't see a point in keeping it looking nice. He dropped his uniform in the trash can and reached for his cooling suit which was draped over the sink, but stopped when he saw his reflection. 

From this angle, Hazelnut could clearly see the jagged scar on his flank, just in front of his knife-shaped cutie mark. Cotton had given him that a few years ago when they were very drunk on their way to pick up another group of cadets. In her delirious state, she thought it would be cool if it looked like his cutie mark hat cut him. She had chased him all around the ship not stopping until she had accomplished what she had set out to do, which ended up being quite painful for him. Looking back on it, it was actually a fond memory of his, though it was quite terrifying at the time.

Hazelnut smiled sadly to himself. That wasn't the half craziest thing he and Cotton had gotten into on this ship, especially while drinking. The usually mellow pony turned into somepony else entirely when she was drunk and he swore she had almost gotten them killed on multiple occasions. She was the closest friend he'd ever had and he was going to miss her.

Hazelnut sighed and pulled his cooling suit onto his body. "I can't think about that now. The others are counting on me and Obsidian to see them through this, and we can't let them down." He grabbed his neurohelmet and left the small restroom before heading down the hall back to the cockpit.

The pilot looked back as Hazelnut entered the room. "There you are. I was starting to get worried." He pressed a few buttons to put the ship into autopilot and walked over to stare out one of the glass panes of the cockpit. "Come take a look at this. It's a miracle we survived that jump."

Hazelnut placed his neurohelmet on his seat and walked over to peer through the window, looking for what the other pony was talking about. He sucked in a breath. The Constellation was just barely visible from where he stood, or rather, what was left of the Constellation. Almost the entire top half of the ship was collapsed in with bits of it floating off into space. The glass of the cockpit was cracked, though luckily it wasn't leaking air otherwise the crew inside would have died before they could have released the DropShips. The rest of the ship seemed unharmed though, so with any luck, some of the weapons were still functional.

"Damn. I can't believe we're still alive," Hazelnut said, blinking at the mangled ship.

"Me neither." The pilot walked back over to his seat and tapped one of the screens. "I think we're about in comms range of the facility. They shouldn't have any trouble hearing us from here, especially if we can use one of those satellites," he said as he pointed to a few objects floating in the distance.

Hazelnut walked back over to his seat and sat down after placing his neurohelmet on the floor beneath him. "Good. Hopefully they'll actually listen to us." He grabbed his headset off of its stand and placed it on, flicking the microphone down in front of his mouth after clearing his throat. "Here goes nothing," he thought as he tapped a few buttons on his console. A light flickered on just above it, indicating the ship was now broadcasting. Hazelnut took a deep breath, ready to speak into his microphone, but stopped when he heard a gravelly voice through his headset.

"This is Star Colonel Cobalt Dash of Clan Ghost Bear, Silveroot Keshik. State your business on Strana Mechty before we blow you out of the atmosphere, Draconequus scum."

Hazelnut froze with his mouth open slightly. "The Silveroot Keshik? That's the personal military unit of Ghost Bear's saKhan, the second in command of their Clan. If they're here, the Khans must really be meeting on Strana. It looks like my theory was correct," he thought. Somehow that didn't make him feel any better. "Um, this is Star Commander Hazelnut of Clan Draconequus, 84th Freeborn Unit. We defected after we were given orders to attack the Clan Wolf base on Strana in one week's time, and Strana was the closest militarized planet to our last location. We were hoping to find help here. We're not hostile."

The comms were silent for a moment, and Hazelnut bit his lip anxiously. "This really isn't as flawless of a plan as I'd like to have," he thought. "Our survival rides almost entirely on whether or not we can get help here."

After a few more seconds, Colonel Dash spoke up again. "And how can I trust you? Your Clan is known for nothing other than your bloodthirsty and deceptive nature. How can you prove what you say is true? Show me proof, and I may consider aiding you and your soldiers."

Just then, the DropShip beeped, alerting them to another ship emerging from hyperspace. Hazelnut glanced at his console which showed the location and mass of the ship. "Two million tons. Shit, that's definitely the Windigo," he thought before running over to the glass of the cockpit. He glanced out and saw the massive ship floating not too far from the Constellation. While damaged, the Windigo still seemed to be in working condition and would likely be operational in just a few minutes. The Constellation began firing at the other ship with its remaining weapons, hoping to draw their attention.

"Is that proof enough?" Hazelnut said as he walked back over to his seat. "We killed their Captain after they murdered one of our Commanders, so they're probably more than a little pissed off."

The comms were silent again, this time for much longer. Hazelnut began to worry he wasn't going to get a response until a new voice cut in, this one sounding like it belonged to a much older pony. "Forgive me for interfering, Colonel, but I believe it is our duty to help them in this situation. They risked their lives to come here and warn us of their Clan's treachery. If not for them, Our Kahns would have been murdered in this planned attack and we owe them for warning us. Do not sully your Clan's honor by being shrewd."

Hazelnut heard a click, presumably from the Colonel exiting the comm channel. The other voice let out a sigh. "Sorry to barge in on your conversation, but I could not sit by and watch your unit be destroyed after what you did for us. Ah, and forgive me for not introducing myself sooner. I am Galaxy Commander Peregrine of Clan Wolf, Red Keshik. DropShips are preparing to leave for your drop location, ETA three hours. We are not nearly as close as Clan Ghost Bear is which is why I wanted to convince Colonel Dash to head to your location, but I guess we will work with what we have. Do not die before we get there. I would like to thank you properly."

"Understood. Thank you, Sir," Hazelnut said before slumping back into his seat. He pressed a button on his console and took his headset off.

"Kind of ironic that the ones chasing us helped us find help," the pilot said, chuckling lightly.

Hazelnut nodded. "Now we just have to survive long enough for that help to get to us." He stood up from his seat and walked back over to the edge of the cockpit to watch the fight going on overhead. The crew of the Windigo seemed to have come to their senses and were turning the ship to bring their weapons to bear on the Constellation. After a brief delay, their numerous weapons began firing, slamming into the other ship's already weakened hull.

"We're entering the mesosphere. If the Constellation can hold them off for just another couple of minutes we'll be safe from their weapons," the pilot said as he turned his head to look down at the planet. A light red haze had begun to envelop the DropShips as they broke through the atmosphere, and they began shaking violently.

"I really should be sitting down for this," Hazelnut thought, digging his hooves into the floor as the ship rapidly decelerated. He could no longer see the fight going on, but he could imagine the severe damage the Constellation would have taken by now. Especially in its current state, it was no match for its much larger and more heavily armed opponent.

As the ship began to stop decelerating and the haze around it disappeared, Hazelnut looked back out the window at the distant WarShips. The Constellation wasn't even firing back anymore; it was just tanking the hits. "Is the crew dead or are their weapons destroyed?" he thought, frowning. "Or, maybe now that their mission is complete they don't see a point in fighting back anymore." 

The Windigo fired a final salvo from its autocannons and punched through the Constellation's depleted armor. The large shells tore into the hull and decimated the internals of the ship. The ammunition on the Constellation exploded, shredding it to pieces and flinging scraps of metal out into space. Having defeated their opponent, the Windigo began launching its own dropships which headed straight for Strana.

Hazelnut shut his eyes and turned his head away, fighting back tears. "No, not now. There will be time to mourn later. These ponies need a Commander, and you'll have to be a damn fine one to pull them through this mess," he thought as he walked slowly back over to his seat.

"They did their job. We made it into the atmosphere and now we have a chance at survival. This is all thanks to them," the pilot said, bowing his head for a moment. He turned back to face forward and adjusted their course to follow the Lion DropShips that were falling below them.

Hazelnut reached down to grab his neurohelmet. "Goodbye, friend. May you and every other pony on board have a swift passage to the afterlife." He flipped the helmet around to stare at his reflection. His brown eyes stared straight back at him, a complicated mixture of emotions clouding them. "Because of your sacrifice our Khan will answer for his crimes, and we can finally put an end to this accursed war. Thank you."
> The End of the Beginning
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sundance stepped out of the DropShip and glanced around at the open field they had landed in. It was a tundra in the northern part of Strana, probably about half a day's travel from the mountains by 'Mech. The rocky ground had patches of moss-like grass here and there and was mostly flat. He could see large grey buildings in the far distance, presumably the Clan Ghost Bear facility. It would probably take a few hours to get there by Mech, but an aerodyne DropShip like the Leopard could probably make the trip in just over an hour.

"Um... Not a lot of cover out here. Is this really the best place to hold?" Chartreuse asked as she scanned the barren ground around them.

"We don't have a choice. This is as far north as the Lions could alter their drop paths so we have to hold here. We've got about an hour before those Mercers hit the ground. The Ghost Bears weren't very open to helping us, so we can't run to them for help," Hazelnut said over the comms.

"You're telling me those DropShips heading towards us are all Mercers? They can each hold a full binary Mechs, and there are six of them! We can't fight off sixty mechs on our own! How are we supposed to survive without help?" Mist asked as he glanced worryingly up at the massive spheres rapidly descending towards the atmosphere.

Hazelnut clicked his tongue. "Ah, I didn't say nopony was going to help us, just not the Ghost Bears. Clan Wolf is sending dropships to our location. They'll get here a little under an hour after the Mercers, so we just have to survive on our own for that long."

Mist sighed and dropped his head into his hooves. He took a deep breath then sat back up, leaning into his seat. "Alright, fuck it. Do we have a plan?"

"Our DropShips should deter them from landing too close, though they'll likely try to land within range to provide some assistance to their 'Mechs while they fight. I was thinking we could try to use our Lions as cover since it's pretty empty out here. The scout 'Mechs can all hang around behind the DropShips and attack when the enemy starts to get closer. We only need to delay them, not kill them, so that makes it a little easier."

"That's it? That's our plan?" Mist said.

Hazelnut sighed. "Slate was the one who was always in charge of this stuff. That's the best I could come up with, so we're gonna have to stick with it."

The massive bay doors of the Lion DropShips opened slowly, revealing the 'Mechs and infantry that were inside. Sundance saw quite a few large 'Mechs step out, shaking the ground with their weight. "And I guess nopony's told you yet, but despite being a freeborn unit we've got quite a few strong 'Mechs. This mission shouldn't be too impossible, assuming everything goes to plan," Hazelnut said, stepping out of one of the DropShips in his 'Mech. Since there wasn't room on the Leopard DropShips for their own 'Mechs the commanders had to keep them on the Lions. It didn't matter too much in a situation like this where they had plenty of time, but it could be annoying at other times.

"Damn. I take back what I said. We might actually survive long enough," Mist said, surprised.

Sundance glanced over the 'Mechs that had stepped off the DropShips. He couldn't recognize all of them, but if he had to guess, there were two lights, six mediums, eight heavies, and four assaults, excluding the ones from the Leopard DropShips. Hazelnut and Obsidian walked over to Sundance and his friends, both in very large 'Mechs. Obsidian's 'Mech seemed to be a Summoner like Mist's, but something was a bit different about how it looked. It looked newer in a way.

"Wow, a Blood Asp and a Grand Summoner." Mist stared at the two 'Mechs, practically salivating. Sundance had never heard of either of those two, but considering the names, he assumed the Grand Summoner was the one that looked like Mist's 'Mech and the Blood Asp was the one with two massive guns on top of it.

"Yep. Being the terribly important assets to our Clan that we are, we get only the very best equipment," Obsidian said jokingly. "Wait, no, actually we aren't and we don't. We took these as salvage a while back because we were issued ancient 'Mechs that could barely move, like yours. No offense."

Mist shrugged. "I don't disagree. I love this 'Mech but it shows it's age sometimes. It could really use some work."

Sundance turned to Mist as the two commanders walked away to do their best to boost the morale of the other soldiers. "So how exactly will we know which 'Mechs to shoot at? Every 'Mech on the battlefield is going to have Clan Draconequus's symbol painted on them."

"It's shouldn't be too hard to tell. While all of our 'Mechs are painted in the standard forest camo, theirs should be painted in our Clan's colors. If you see a 'Mech that looks more like a foal's school art project than a war machine, shoot it. Simple, right?"

Sundance nodded. "I guess so."

"Is that who I think it is?" Sundance heard a voice over the comms exclaim. He turned to see a large 'Mech sauntering over to them with a bright pink swirl painted on it as the pony's cutie mark. He recognized the 'Mech as a Gargoyle, another one of the aging 'Mechs from the same era as his own.

"Carmine? You're still alive?" Mist said as he turned to face the larger 'Mech.

"Surprisingly, yeah. I certainly never expected to see any of you again. That's mostly thanks to Chalk, though. He's been doing most of the keeping me alive," Carmine said jokingly, a curious edge to her voice. She rotated the torso of her Gargoyle around to look at another, much larger 'Mech, which was walking slowly towards them. There were quite a few short white lines drawn on it near the cockpit, which Sundance was pretty sure signified the number of kills the pilot had. This pilot had more than either of the commanders, meaning they must be a very dangerous MechWarrior.

Sundance glanced at one of his screens, which showed the 'Mech was an Executioner in configuration E, a ninety-five ton assault 'Mech with a nasty weapons loadout. He thought he recognized the bomb-shaped cutie mark painted on it as belonging to Bittersweet, but brushed it off as too much of a coincidence. However, his hopes quickly fell when he heard the other pony speak up.

"It's not my fault you can't defend yourself. If you weren't so careless you wouldn't need saving all the time," Bittersweet said with a frown.

Carmine shrugged. "You'd have nothing to do if I wasn't constantly in danger. Besides, I'm pretty sure half of those kills of yours are indirectly because of me."

Bittersweet sighed. "I'm gonna die trying to save your ass one of these days, and I won't be happy about it." He turned to Sundance and looked his 'Mech over equivocally, scratching under his neurohelmet with one hoof. "Can't say I ever thought I'd see you again. I was surprised when they put you on the Constellation, and not in a good way."

Sundance shifted in his seat nervously. He had actually kind of been hoping that Bittersweet would be dead by now. After everything the green pony put him through, he wasn't exactly happy to be standing in front of his tormentor again. He wasn't really sure what to say, either. This wasn't a situation he had thought he would ever be in.

Luckily for Sundance, Vermilion moved his Timber Wolf in between the two of them before he could react. "Leave him alone, Bittersweet."

Bittersweet raised his hooves. "I wasn't gonna touch him. I'm not an idiot, you know. Even somepony like him can do at least something in a 'Mech like that before dying, and we need all the help we can get here." He turned to go but stopped for a moment. He rotated the torso of his Executioner back around to glance at Sundance. "I heard you were one of the ones to off Sienna. That took guts, even if it was just a fluke." He nodded to Sundance before walking over to another group of heavies and the other assault. Carmine waved to the group and followed Bittersweet over to the other 'Mechs, frowning slightly to herself.

"Is it just me, or did he compliment Sundance? I'm not going crazy, right? He actually said that?" Mist asked, glancing between his friends.

"You are going crazy, but that doesn't have anything to do with Bittersweet," Chartreuse said, poking fun at him. She walked over to them and sighed. "This all feels like it's going too fast. Everything was normal this morning, but it's not even lunchtime yet and we're suddenly about to fight for our lives."

Sundance nodded. Everything had gone downhill rapidly after the Captain walked into the briefing room. He had been prepared to fight 'Mechs in a war, not kill a pony face to face, almost die during a risky jump through hyperspace, and finally have to fight for survival in an open field while waiting for backup. His anxiety had been at an all-time high the entire day, and it certainly wasn't getting any better.

Breathe, Sundance. Calm down before you panic again, Solis said. She hadn't even been aware that anything was going on until Sundance powered up the Hellbringer half an hour ago. It definitely seemed like a dire situation to her and a panic attack right now certainly wouldn't do him any good. They both needed to keep calm for the coming battle.

Sundance nodded again and took deep breaths, calming himself and thinking through the past few hours. Even though it had been an incredibly stressful morning he wasn't sure he would have preferred it to have happened much differently. Attacking another Clan on Strana would have been awful, and he wasn't entirely sure he could have gone through with it. He hated that Slate and Cotton had had to die for it, but it didn't hurt quite as much when he thought of their deaths as sacrifices rather than unfortunate casualties of war. 

"Speaking of which, I wonder if the other WarShip is still alive. From what Mist said, the gravity should be taking its toll on it by now," he thought, glancing out of his cockpit up at the sky to try and find the ship. However, he felt his heart miss a beat when he realized it was nowhere to be seen. All he could see was the wreck of the Constellation.

"Mist? What happened to the other WarShip?" he asked, confused. It couldn't possibly have jumped again or moved away from the planet that fast. He didn't know that much about WarShips, but he knew the KF drives couldn't do subsequent jumps because they had to recharge, which took days normally.

"Shit, they're not there? They're just gone?" Mist asked, slumping back into his seat. He rested his chin on one hoof. "Hmm... They might have jumped, probably to some point out of the star's gravitational field."

Sundance scratched the back of his head. "How? I thought the KF drives had to recharge before being used again. Doesn't that take a really long time?"

Mist nodded. "They do, but there is a way to jump twice. The Constellation should have been able to as well. It uses a Lithium-Fusion battery, which basically acts as a second charge for the KF drive. They must have had a functioning one on board. I'd imagine the one on the Constellation wasn't functional, considering we're here instead of somewhere in deep space. 

"Anyway, jumping from a point with high gravity is almost as dangerous as jumping to a point with high gravity. There's a lot less room for error, making a misjump much less likely, but the ship is still going to suffer pretty severe damage. With any luck, it'll be enough to destroy the ship." Mist glanced back up at the DropShips, which had just entered the mesosphere and looked more like meteors than ships. "Not that it's important to us right now. We don't have long until they're on us."

Sundance sighed and leaned back into his seat. The other 'Mechs had begun to move into their positions, preparing for the fight. "Damn. Even after all that they still might survive." 

The four of them walked over to stand beside one of the Lion DropShips, lined up by weight with Chartreuse in the front. Since she had the most armor she could take any stray hits from the Mercers as they landed. The other assaults and heavies lined up in a similar fashion, and even a few of the larger mediums were in formation. The lights and more fragile mediums were hunkered behind the large DropShips, waiting for their opportunity to join the fight. All of the infantry were still onboard the ships, similarly waiting until they could be of use. After a few minutes of silence, Hazelnut spoke up on the comms.

"Alright, soldiers. This is it. We hold them off here while we wait for reinforcements. Our Lions are equipped with anti-missile systems, so don't stray too far until the enemy gets closer. Try to stay behind the DropShips until then. You don't need to take any excess damage, and we only need to survive until the Clan Wolf forces arrive. Does everypony know their role?" Hazelnut said, walking to his place in the formation between the two Lions. "Yes? Good. Save your ammo for the 'Mechs when they step out. Don't bother firing at the DropShips. From the distance they're landing at, they can't do too much anyway."

Sundance glanced behind the other DropShips at Tangelo's 'Mech. They weren't likely to see each other in battle too much, considering their hugely different roles. "I hope she'll be okay. I don't know what I'll do if she doesn't make it through this."

Sundance watched as the Mercers broke through the atmosphere and plummeted towards the ground. They were huge, bigger then the Lion he was hiding partially behind. They certainly looked intimidating as the massive engines began firing, slowing their descent. He ran his tongue over his missing tooth nervously.

The Mercers slowed almost to a halt as they neared the dirt. Now that they were more or less level with the 'Mechs on the ground, the enemy ships began firing their PPCs at them. At extreme ranges like this, they weren't hugely accurate or powerful, and most of the shots hit the Lions and dealt negligible amounts of damage to the sturdy machines.

The ground shook as the six DropShips touched down, just a few seconds apart. If Sundance had to guess, they were a little over a kilometer and a half away. As long as everypony stuck to the plan and didn't move too far forward, the DropShips wouldn't be much of a threat to them. 

The doors slowly opened one after another and 'Mechs began spilling out of the giant ships. Even though he knew they had the advantage with the enemy having to come to them, Sundance couldn't help but feel fear at the sight of so many 'Mechs charging towards them.

Sundance took a deep breath and placed his hooves nervously on the controls. "Here we go. Ready to hopefully not die?" he thought, glancing at the advancing Mechs. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest like a jackhammer and he could barely keep his hooves from shaking.

Of course. Let's give them hell, Solis said. While she was a little scared, she was also excited at the prospect of finally participating in a real battle. Maybe it was a little barbaric, but as a training 'Mech she had always wanted to fight on a battlefield and destroy enemy 'Mechs. Now she just had to live through it.

"Assaults and heavies, now's our time. Once we've got their attention, we'll need the slower mediums to support us and keep their lights away from our rear armor. Our lights and faster mediums should circle around and shoot at the assaults and heavies from the rear. Infantry, do your best to help after the lights have entered the fight. Stick together and call your targets. With that many enemies, we really have to focus just a few 'Mechs at a time if we're going to survive. Everypony ready?" Hazelnut asked, stepping forward from the cover of the DropShips. "Good. Now charge!" He ran forward towards the enemy 'Mechs, a group of heavies following close behind. The rest of the assaults and heavies followed his lead, dispersing out into the battlefield and firing at the enemy.

Sundance glanced wildly around the battlefield as he followed his friends into it, trying to keep his fear under control. Even though he had known this was going to be terrifying it was still more than he had expected to have to handle. "There's so many of them," he said, starting to lose hope. Could they really hold off two whole Clusters of 'Mechs on their own long enough for Clan Wolf to get there?

"Let's not worry about their numbers. Sitting here isn't going to do much good. Let's just focus on one thing at a time," Vermilion said as he fired his missiles at a distant 'Mech.

Mist nodded. "If the four of us stick together and focus one 'Mech at a time we should be good. Me and Sundance can run in and shoot them from up close while you and Chartreuse get them from a bit further back. We can make it through this, just stick to the plan." He glanced around the battlefield, assessing possible targets for a moment. "There, an Ebon Jaguar to the right, cut off from the rest of them. You guys ready?"

"I guess so," Sundance said. He glanced at his loadout. "Slug ammo on the LBX and medium-range missiles in the ATM. That's about as good as I'm gonna get in an open field like this," he thought as he took a few more deep breaths.

"Let's go, then." Mist charged forward in his Summoner and sprinted towards the smaller 'Mech, who had its back facing him. "Turn around and face us, you motherfucker!" he shouted, firing his SRMs and small laser at the Ebon Jaguar. The 'Mech turned around to look for who had dared to shoot it in the back, only to be met by a volley of shots from Mist's UAC/20 across the center and left torsos. After a moment the 'Mech oriented itself and brought its weapons to bear on Mist's Summoner, backing away from the larger 'Mech.

Sundance ran his tongue over his missing tooth again as the Ebon Jaguar's targeting data pulled up on one of his screens. "Moderate damage to the torsos, but the CT has the worst of it. I guess that's where we're gonna aim," he thought, pushing the throttle forward. He fired his large and medium lasers at the 'Mech as it turned its torso to follow Mist, not really dealing any significant damage but managing to grab its attention. He waited for the torso of the enemy 'Mech to turn around to face him, and instead of just a few autocannon shots this time a volley of energy weapons and missiles smacked directly into the 'Mech, fired from Vermilion and Chartreuse. That was enough firepower to strip the armor from the Mech's torsos, and Sundance followed up with a slug from his own autocannon which punched straight through the weakened armor on the left torso and widened the hole in the armor.

"This is going strangely well," Sundance thought. "I guess having two massive DropShips close enough to use their short range weapons helps a lot." As if on cue, one of the Lions fired what seemed to be half a Star's worth of lasers at the Ebon Jaguar, dealing more than enough damage to destroy the Mech and kill the pilot inside.

"Damn. I guess that's one for the DropShips," Mist said jokingly.

Sundance nodded. "Is it just me, or is this a lot easier than it should be?"

"They've underestimated us. They had the advantage until they split apart like that." Vermilion shook his head and glanced around the battlefield. "Their lighter 'Mechs didn't wait for the assaults and larger heavies, so we don't have much opposition yet. The problem comes when their main force gets here."

"They really made a huge mistake there," Chartreuse said, firing at a light 'Mech as it ran by. Sundance saw one of the tiny 'Mech's arms get destroyed, but it managed to sprint away before taking any more damage. "We might actually survive this."

Just then an ungodly roar split the air as a hail of bullets flew through the air and smashed directly into Chartreuse's Marauder, exploding on the thick armor plates. The shots just kept coming, and Chartreuse let out a cry of annoyance. "Fuck! What's going on? I can't see a god damn thing!"

"It's a Bane on the far ridge. Those things mount a ton of UAC/2s," Mist said as he turned to look at a far away assault 'Mech. "It's not within effective range of any of our weapons. We need to get deeper into the fighting if we want to avoid it. Hurry!"

The four of them rushed further into the battle where they were safe from the Bane but became subject to fire from more enemies. Sundance flinched as he felt a burning pain in his left shoulder. He turned and saw a small 'Mech dart past him before moving behind another allied 'Mech to pester them instead.

"How are you holding up, Chartreuse?" Vermilion asked, firing his lasers at the back of a medium 'Mech. It turned to face him, only to get shot in the back and killed by what Sundance thought were the massive guns on top of Hazelnut's Blood Asp.

"Not too good. That Mech really fucked me up back there." Chartreuse turned as a light 'Mech tried to flank around behind her, but Sundance warded it off with a shot from his autocannon and blew off a side torso and the attached arm. She sighed. "The entire front of my 'Mech is pretty beat up. This is a shitty situation to be in."

Sundance watched the small 'Mech run off, trailing smoke behind it. His mind went to Tangelo who very well could be in a similar situation, or dead already. Light 'Mechs were quite fragile as he had just seen. Sundance shook his head. He was distracting himself by worrying about something he couldn't control again. He would just have to make sure he survived this battle and hope she would be able to do the same.

"I hate these small bastards. They're so hard to hit." Mist turned in a circle as a light 'Mech ran around him, peppering him with lasers. He let out an exasperated noise and stepped forward, tripping the 'Mech as it ran in front of him. "Aha! Not so slippery now, are you?" He shouted as he turned to face his fallen opponent. He walked forward and brought one of the legs of his Summoner down on it, pinning its torso to the ground. He pushed his full weight onto that leg and crushed the small 'Mech and the pilot inside. Glass shattered outwards as the cockpit was flattened and Sundance saw blood spray out. He shuddered, his mind going back to the previous events of the morning.

Chartreuse shook her head and fired at a heavy 'Mech who was engaged with one of their mediums. "Holy shit, Mist. That's kind of brutal."

Mist shrugged and turned to fire at the 'Mech Chartreuse was shooting. "War is war. We have to do whatever it takes to survive."

The battle continued, slowly getting fiercer as the heavier enemy 'Mechs trickled into the fray. While it had been manageable before, Sundance was pretty sure most of the enemy heavies were there by now and he thought he even saw a few assaults running around. Most of the enemy lights and mediums were dead, and the ones that weren't were backing off to play a more supportive role. There was only one friendly casualty as far as he could tell, but that was likely to get much worse very soon.

"Shit's starting to get hard now. How many of them do you think are still up?" Chartreuse asked as she destroyed an enemy Hellbringer. They still focused enemy 'Mechs as a group whenever possible, minimizing the damage they took while maximizing the damage they dealt.

"I'd say we've killed about a quarter of their forces, but going by firepower instead of numbers, I don't know if we've made much of a dent. All we did was destroy a bunch of lights, mediums, and two or three of the faster heavies. This fight is far from over." He glanced around, looking for a new target. "Clan Phoenix Hawk to the right. Let's do this."

Sundance and Mist rushed towards the Phoenix Hawk which had noticed them and turned its torso towards them, firing its twin autocannons. The pilot wasn't sure who to shoot at first, but they quickly settled on Sundance. He grunted as he felt the large shells slam into his 'Mech's side torsos but he kept running forward to get within effective range of his own weapons.

"Now!" Mist shouted. He and Sundance both fired their autocannons at the assault 'Mech's center torso then split apart to allow Chartreuse and Vermilion to attack with their own weapons. However, the pilot managed to see through their attack and fired the 'Mech's Jump Jets, carrying them out of the way of the follow-up shots. The Phoenix Hawk landed after a couple of seconds and turned to face Mist, who was running past him off to the left. It leaped forward and swung with one of its weaponless arms, connecting with the slightly lighter 'Mech and sending it tumbling to the ground.

"Over here, you big bastard!" Sundance shouted, firing his lasers and autocannon at the rear of the 'Mech. The LBX slug punched straight through the softened armor and satisfyingly blew the entire torso apart. The large 'Mech toppled to the ground and exploded in a massive fireball out the open chassis. 

Mist pushed his 'Mech to its feet and groaned, rubbing his head. "Good shot. That was almost really bad."

"How'd he die so fast? You killed him with one salvo," Chartreuse said as she walked over towards them.

"Ammunition explosion, I think. It happened to me during one of our training exercises a few months back," Sundance replied, glancing at the fallen enemy. "You alright, Mist?"

"Yeah, I'm good. My armor's still holding up pretty well." Mist turned to look out at the battlefield, which they had managed to stray towards the edge of again. "We shouldn't be all the way out here. I can't imagine the others are faring to well. We need to go help them."

Sundance nodded and turned to follow him back into the thickest part of the fighting. He spotted a couple more friendly 'Mechs lying in pieces, which was concerning. While their own 'Mechs had been fighting for a while now and were all damaged to some degree, the enemy still had fresh 'Mechs pouring in and they were getting heavier and stronger with each wave.

Sundance glanced around him but stopped when movement off to his left caught his eye. There was a large group of enemy 'Mechs charging across the battlefield, heading straight for them. "Shit. Guys?" He started turning to face the new enemy but flinched back when he felt a sharp pain in the center of his chest. He clasped a hoof over it and let out a gasp.

Moderate damage, center torso. Gauss Rifle fired from that group of 'Mechs, I think, Solis said. Things had suddenly taken a bad turn, and she wasn't entirely sure they could survive a fight against the five 'Mechs that were charging towards them.

Suddenly one of the DropShips shifted its attention towards the enemy Star of 'Mechs and began firing at them, managing to heavily damage one of the heavies with its lasers. "Still looking out for us, I see," Sundance thought, glancing back gratefully at the ship before turning to face the enemy. He pushed forwards again, running to the aid of his friends who had already begun engaging the group.

Sundance winced as he felt lasers rake across his 'Mech and turned to face his new opponent. Similarly to the Grand Summoner and Mist's 'Mech, this one looked like a newer version of his own. He pulled up the 'Mech's targeting data which simply named it Hel, a sixty-five ton 'Mech just like the original Hellbringer, only with a more dangerous weapon loadout and more armor. Two Gauss Rifles, two ER Large Lasers, and a Streak SRM-4 launcher. "Shit, this is bad," he thought.

Sundance fired his autocannon at the Hel's right torso, rocking the enemy 'Mech at just the right time to throw off the return shots from its two Gauss Rifles. Sundance felt a stinging pain in his left foreleg as of the massive slugs glanced off the edge of his Hellbringer's ar, while the other missed entirely. He followed up with his lasers and missiles before turning his torso to absorb the return missiles and laser shots in one of his arms.

Moderate damage, right arm. Light damage, right torso.

Sundance turned back towards the enemy 'Mech hoping to get another shot into its left torso. However, the Hel's reload was a split second faster than his own and it fired both of its Gauss Rifles directly at his center torso. Sundance recoiled, the pain not unlike getting hit with a sledgehammer. He let out an agonized cough and gripped the controls tighter.

Critical hit, center torso. The others can't help right now. You have to be careful, Solis said, worried. She was concerned for Sundance's safety of course, but she would die too if the Hellbringer was destroyed.

"I know, I'm trying. I don't know what I can do in this situation," Sundance thought, feeling the fear rise in his throat. He turned the torso again to take the return missiles in the left arm before turning back to fire his autocannon and lasers. Some of the lasers missed the target but the LBX slug managed to connect with the left torso. He glanced at the targeting screen. "This isn't good. They've still got a lot of armor left and our CT is open."

The Hel fired its lasers again, and Sundance winced as he felt a burning sensation in his left foreleg. This was followed by the most intense pain he thought he'd ever felt as the 'Mech fired is Gauss Rifles at the same spot. Sundance doubled over in his seat and stifled a yell, clutching his left foreleg to his chest.

Arm destroyed. Weapon destroyed. You have to do something. You're not going to last much longer, Solis said, rising as close to panic as she had ever been. While she had always wanted to fight in a battle and destroy enemy Mechs it had never occurred to her that she might be the one to get destroyed.

"I can't do anything. What am I supposed to be able to do here? They have every advantage in a one on one fight," Sundance cried out, fighting back tears from the pain. He gingerly placed his hooves back on the controls and turned to face the enemy 'Mech. He fired his large laser and missiles again, only to be met by another salvo from the Hel's weapons. Sundance clutched a hoof to his right shoulder and threw his head back as he screamed in agony.

Right torso destroyed. Weapon destroyed. Damage critical. Solis began beeping sporadically in what Sundance assumed was full-blown panic, but he wasn't able to understand most of what she was saying.

Sundance glanced at the weapons loadout screen. "Just an ER Small laser left. So this is what happens when a skilled pilot fights somepony like me," he thought hopelessly. The pain from his damaged 'Mech was almost unbearable at this point and Sundance gritted his teeth, tears streaming down his face. The Hel wandered into his view, its torso turned to face him. Sundance's reflexes shouted at him to do something, but deep down he knew he couldn't lift a hoof to save himself. He had never been much use on his own, and even in a life or death situation he couldn't protect himself. Sundance tightened his hooves around his aching body and stared out at the enemy 'Mech, waiting for it to finish him off. "I'm sorry, Tangelo."

Suddenly a bright light flashed around the Hel and he saw a few small shapes dart past the bottom of his cockpit. The back of the enemy 'Mech exploded in a giant fireball as it tumbled to the ground. "What the..?"

"Need some help?" he heard a wonderfully familiar voice say over the comms.

"Tangelo, you're alive!" Sundance breathed as she stepped into view, her Piranha looking like it was barely damaged. Solis let out what he thought was a terrified sigh of relief.

"Yep! We've been charging around the battlefield causing all sorts of hell for the enemy heavies and assaults. It's hard to hit what you can't see," she said before turning to help the others with their own fights. Sundance saw two more lights and a couple of mediums follow behind her, one of them being Fern in his Ice Ferret. Between all their 'Mechs and the DropShip assisting them, the enemy Star of 'Mechs was quickly dealt with and the group took a moment to rest and catch their breath. The pain in Sundance's body had begun to fade though he still felt a sharp twinge whenever he moved too suddenly.

Sundance glanced at his friends. Vermilion seemed to be the better off of the four of them with seemingly minimal damage. Mist's Summoner had definitely seen better days, but as far as Sundance could tell his armor was still holding. Chartreuse, however, was not in such great condition. Almost all of the armor plating on the torso of her Marauder had been stripped off and her left arm was lying in a heap on the ground. At least they were all still alive, though.

Tangelo walked back over to Sundance and let out a nervous sigh. "I'm glad we got here when we did. Another second later and you would have... well, thankfully you're still with us."

He nodded. "I almost gave up there. Thanks for saving my ass."

"Hey, it's what I'm here for," Tangelo said, winking at him.

Sundance grinned at her, feeling lucky in more ways than one at that moment. Even on the battlefield, in the middle of all this death and destruction, she still managed to warm his heart and melt all of his fears away. Tangelo really was an amazing pony.

"Shit, it's that Bane again!" Mist shouted, a hint of fear in his voice. Sundance's head snapped around towards the enemy 'Mech just as the barrage of shells ripped through the air and tore into Tangelo's Piranha. He turned back towards the small 'Mech and felt his stomach drop as he saw the armor shred itself, pieces of metal flying off in every direction from the force of the explosions. The cockpit shattered from the shells pummeling it, eventually giving way and allowing some to pass through. The Mech crumpled to the ground in slow motion as Sundance realized what had just happened.

"NOOO!" Sundance shouted as he shot forward out of his seat to stare at the fallen 'Mech. His mouth hung open as he stood there, and while he could hear the sounds of weapon fire and ponies talking on the comms all his stunned mind could process was the fact that Tangelo's 'Mech was lying in a smoking heap in front of him. He flung the access hatch open and climbed frantically out of the cramped space.

Wait, Sundance, you can't exit in the middle of a battle! You'll get killed! Solis said in as close to a yell as she could manage. He didn't listen to her, however, and he hastily sped down the side of the Hellbringer.

"Come on, come on! I have to hurry!" he thought. Too fast, however, as one of his hooves slipped and he lost his grip on the rungs. The wind whipped hungrily past him as he plummeted towards the ground. He turned his head just in time to avoid a broken neck as he smashed into the frozen dirt and he felt the sharp SNAP of bones as he landed.

The neurohelmet was flung from Sundance's head by the force of the impact. He lied there for a moment, gasping for breath. "Fuck..." He coughed a few times and pushed himself shakily to his hooves, wincing at the pain in his chest and right foreleg. He hobbled over towards Tangelo's Piranha with his broken limb held limply against his chest. "Please be okay. For the love of Celestia, please, please don't be dead," he begged as he neared the hunk of metal.

Sundance pulled his battered body on top of the 'Mech and towards the cockpit. His hopes quickly fell as he saw the blood splattered on the inside of the cockpit that stained the glass red. "No..." He pounded on the glass with his good hoof, trying to see inside through the cracked glass and ichor. "Tangelo? Tangelo!" He reached frantically for the access hatch and unlatched it. It swung open slowly and Sundance felt his stomach churn dangerously at the gory mess inside. If he had eaten breakfast that morning, he probably would've vomited on the spot.

Blood was spattered all over the cockpit, giving off a sickly warm scent. There were four massive holes in Tangelo's torso and what looked like her intestines were leaking out of a couple. Sundance was pretty sure that was her stomach lying on the floor. A few of the rounds had grazed across her legs, but one must have hit bone because her left hind leg had been severed just below the hip. He could see a hoof wedged tightly underneath the seat where it shouldn't have been.

Sundance gaped at the terrible scene, unable to move. He was shaking so badly he felt he might topple right off the Mech. "This... this can't be happening," he thought, his jaw quivering. "She was fine. Ten seconds ago she was just fine. We-we were going to make it through this and everything was okay, but now..."

Tangelo's head moved slightly and she let out a low groan. Sundance gasped and catapulted himself into the cockpit, not caring about the blood and guts he landed in. "Tangelo!" he cried, carefully removing her neurohelmet with his left hoof.

Tangelo blinked weakly at him, her eyes struggling to focus. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly. "Hey, Sundance. Sorry you had to see me like this," she said softly. She coughed painfully, blood beginning to trickle from her mouth. Her breaths were shallow and crackled like paper.

Sundance placed his uninjured hoof behind Tangelo's head, gently supporting it. "Why did this have to happen? We were doing so good. We were gonna make it out alive." His voice cracked, but he didn't particularly care at the moment. He could feel the burning heat from the tears building up in his eyes, and the lump forming in his throat was threatening to choke him to death.

Tangelo let out a coughing laugh. "That's war, I guess. It doesn't care who you are or how happy you are or how hard you try. It'll take your life just the same." She wheezed, struggling to form words around the blood pooling in her lungs. "It's cruel, but... it's not so bad to die in the company of the one you love."

Sundance cupped her head with his hooves delicately as she coughed again, much weaker this time. He gritted his teeth at the pain in his right foreleg but pushed through it. "Please, you can't die! There's so much we haven't gotten to talk about or do yet," he whined as tears began to flow down his cheeks.

Tangelo smiled sadly, her own eyes beginning to water. "I wish I had a choice. Look at me, Sundance. It would take more than a miracle to keep me alive. Life isn't some story where everything turns out alright in the end." Her voice had almost quieted to a whisper at this point and Sundance had to strain his ears to hear her over the sounds of weapon fire. "You have to move on. You have friends... who still need you."

Sundance rested his forehead against Tangelo's and squeezed his eyes shut. "But I need you."

Tangelo raised a hoof weakly and ran it through Sundance's ruffled mane. "And I need you. But this is how it is." She sighed quietly and coughed up more blood. "I don't want to go. I want to grow old with you and have your foals," she said, smiling slightly. "But that won't happen now. This is the end for me. But you... are still alive. You have to keep going."

Tangelo raised her head feebly. "You're such a kind stallion. You made me feel wanted... even after you knew how broken I was. Never let... that part of you change. You're such a blessing... to this cold universe." She locked her lips with Sundance's one last time, pouring the last of her love and emotions into him. The tears began slowly rolling down her face, not for herself, but for everything she was putting Sundance through now. For all the pain he was feeling, the one pony who ever made her feel truly special. The pony who completed her. The pony she loved.

"All things considered... It really wasn't such a bad life..." Tangelo thought as her mind went dark. She let out a sigh as the light left her body, sad but content. Undeniably, it had been a fulfilling last few years.

Sundance broke the kiss as he felt the foreleg wrapped around him relax and flop lifelessly to Tangelo's side. He stared at her peaceful face, her eyes cracked open ever so slightly, her lips wet with her crimson blood, her mane aglow from the light of Strana's star spilling into the cockpit and blanketing her entire body.

Sundance clenched his trembling jaw shut and dropped his head down on Tangelo's body, his hooves gripping her tightly. His shoulders shook violently as he began to sob, his tears flowing freely now. "I'm sorry," he whimpered in between shaky breaths. "I'm so so sorry." He leaned back and cried out his lament to the world, cradling the body of his one true love. He cried, cried until his throat was ragged, cried until his tears ran dry, cried until he had nothing left to give.



Chartreuse gasped and glanced back at Tangelo's Piranha as it fell. She gritted her teeth and turned back towards the enemy mech, looking to trade a life for a life. The Bane shifted it's attention towards Sundance's Hellbringer just as the access hatch swung open and Chartreuse stepped forward, firing her remaining ER PPCs at the massive 'Mech's center torso. While it still was quite a ways away, it had wandered into the effective range of some of their weapons. "No you don't!" she shouted, drawing its focus. Its targeting data pulled up on one of her screens. "Ten UAC/2s on a one hundred ton 'Mech!? What the fuck?"

Chartreuse recoiled back into her seat as the Bane began firing at her again, but the onslaught didn't last more than a few seconds as the friendly mediums and remaining lights rushed at the assault 'Mech. Fern ran at the head of the group, shouting something unintelligible as he fired his own PPC at it. The Bane oriented itself and pedaled backward, trying to get away from the oncoming swarm of Mechs. It fired its autocannons at the medium at the back of the charging group though it was taking considerably more damage than it could give with the help of Chartreuse and Vermillion.

Chartreuse had begun to think they had this fight won as the small 'Mechs closed the gap and got within spitting distance of the Bane, but that hope rapidly changed to despair as another large 'Mech, which she recognized as a Warhawk, came out of seemingly nowhere. It swung one of its massive legs at Fern's Ice Ferret and knocked it to the ground before stomping down on its cockpit. Fern screamed in fear, which was quickly cut off when the large 'Mech's foot smashed through the glass and crushed the torso of the small 'Mech. This was followed up by four ER PPC shots that slammed into one of the light 'Mechs charging towards it, making short work of the thinly-armored machine.

The Bane finished off the medium 'Mech it was shooting at, and their remaining light 'Mech ran off to avoid the same fate. However, this fleeing was short lived as the small 'Mech ran straight into a barrage of autocannon slugs fired from another enemy assault 'Mech as it crested the ridge. "It's over," Chartreuse thought hopelessly as she watched the four small 'Mechs get swatted like flies. She gripped the controls of her 'Mech tightly as her body began to shake. "We failed, and now we're all going to die to these fucking casket born."

Suddenly, a voice Chartreuse didn't recognize came in over the comms. It was gruff and sounded like it belonged to a very old pony. "Mind if we drop in?"

Chartreuse glanced up at the sky as a group of blue dots pinged on her radar. She saw six DropShips barreling towards them with a red wolf head in front of a red five-pointed star painted on each of them. They looked a lot like the Leopard-class DropShip she had arrived on, but a big difference made itself clear when the bay doors began to open. In addition to the four doors like on the Leopards, there was a fifth door situated at the nose of the ship, allowing it to carry a full Star of 'Mechs.

"Galaxy Commander Peregrine! I've never been so happy to see anypony in all my life," Hazelnut exclaimed. "We really were in a tight spot."

As the bay doors finished opening and the DropShips flew over the battlefield, Chartreuse saw a Dire Wolf, a one hundred ton assault 'Mech, step out of the ship at the head of the formation. It plummeted to the ground and landed right on top of the Bane in front of her, crushing it into the ground with its momentum. It then turned its attention to the Warhawk and used its blistering array of lasers and autocannons to take apart the enemy 'Mech's armor. Chartreuse and the others took the opportunity to fire at the remaining assault 'Mech, which her targeting computer labeled a Canis, to keep it off of their new ally.

"I was beginning to worry we were too late. We would have been here sooner, but I was busy convincing a certain Colonel to lend a hoof. While I did bring a Cluster of assault Mechs, I felt this battle could go a lot smoother if we had more help." The Clan Wolf 'Mech finished off its opponent just as the others destroyed the Canis and the Dire Wolf turned towards them. "Get yourselves behind those Lions. We will take care of it from here."

Chartreuse nodded and the three of them turned to move towards cover. The rest of the Clan Wolf 'Mechs had all jumped from their own DropShips by then and were engaged in the battle, the terror of thirty assault 'Mechs dropping from the sky causing mass confusion among the enemy ranks.

"You convinced Colonel Dash to help us? That can't have been easy," Hazelnut said, a slight hint of admiration in his voice.

"It was not. It took the better part of two hours for me to get him to budge. Stupid Ghost Bear philosophies."

"Our philosophy of 'wait and see' is not stupid. It is a belief that has served our Clan well for centuries," another voice said. This one was gravelly, and the pony behind it sounded much younger than the first. "I have brought a Trinary of assault and heavy 'Mechs. We will attack from the opposite side and crush the scum between our claws. Get your soldiers out of the fight, Commander Hazelnut. We will handle the rest."

"Aff. We are in your debt." Chartreuse heard a click as Hazelnut switched to their unit's private channel. "Everypony take cover behind the DropShips. The Wolves and Ghost Bears have got our backs."

Chartreuse sighed and slumped back into her seat. She ran a hoof along the back of her mane as she turned her Marauder around. "Holy fuck, it's finally over. I can't believe we all made it through."

"Well, almost all of us. Fern and Tangelo..." Mist glanced down at Tangelo's Piranha, where Sundance was still bowed over her corpse.

Chartreuse felt a twinge of an unexpected emotion as she glanced down at his huddled figure. While she obviously felt sorry for him and she was a little sad that Tangelo had died, she also felt... victorious. She felt like she'd won somehow, seeing the broken orange body. Even now she couldn't forget that night she saw the two of them together in the forest, and it felt impossible to ignore how she felt about Sundance. Chartreuse bit her bottom lip and looked away, unsure how to feel. "Is that really the kind of pony I'm turning into? The kind who feels joy at the pain of others and who only cares about themselves? I know it's terrible, so why do I feel so... happy?"

"Chartreuse, you go on to the DropShip. Mist and I will stay here and guard Sundance. You shouldn't stay out here in your condition," Vermillion said as he stopped by the wrecked Piranha.

Chartreuse nodded gratefully to her friends. "You got it. Thanks," she said as she glanced at her damage indicator. It really was a miracle that she was still alive in her state. She walked past them and headed for the Lions which were a few hundred meters away. As she got near them, however, a loud beeping caught her attention.

Warning.

Chartreuse glanced at the top of her HUD and felt her stomach drop when she saw the missile indicator light up. "Fuck, not now! I'm not within range of the DropShip's AMS yet!" She turned around and saw a stream of missiles arcing towards her, launched from some far away 'Mech hoping to get one last kill before being taken out by the forces surrounding them. "Uh... guys?"

"Shit! Get out of there! Eject!" Mist shouted as he turned around. Vermillion charged forwards to try to put his own 'Mech between hers and the missiles, but he wasn't nearly close enough to get there in time.

Chartreuse's hoof hovered over the ejection lever under her seat. She was shaking in fear, and while every muscle in her body was screaming for her to pull it and launch herself to safety a nagging thought in the back of her mind froze her entire body. "You deserve this. A terrible pony like you shouldn't exist in this world. You've become who you so desperately despise and now you have to suffer for it."

Chartreuse stared at the missiles as the world slowed around her and these thoughts circled in her head. All she could do was sit there with her mouth open. "It's karma. I'm getting what I deserve," she realized, her body trembling as the missiles began crashing into the exposed internals of her 'Mech. The last of the armor on her Marauder was blasted off and the synthetic muscles disintegrated as her entire 'Mech was engulfed in a massive fireball. The glass of the cockpit cracked before eventually giving way to the relentless onslaught of missiles. Chartreuse didn't scream as her body was enveloped in fire. She simply sat there as the flames licked hungrily at her body, and as the 'Mech tumbled to the ground, everything around her went black.



Bittersweet smashed the arm of his Executioner into the cockpit of his opponent and fired one of his ER Large lasers, destroying the internals of the 'Mech and vaporizing the pilot inside. He stepped back to allow the heavy 'Mech to crumple to the ground, defeated.

"Nice one, Chalk. What's that, your third kill today?" Carmine asked, engaged in her own fight a short distance away.

"Fourth actually. They're not any tougher than those Clan Bugbear dregs we fought last month." He turned to look around the battlefield. Now that Clan Wolf had joined the fight and the Clan Ghost Bear mechs had just begun dropping from their own ships, there wasn't much left for him to do. The fight would probably be over in a matter of minutes with so many skilled pilots on their side.

Bittersweet sighed and leaned back in his seat. From the time he had stepped out onto the battlefield and claimed his first life he had realized this was what he was meant for. The clashing of steel against steel, the smell of gunpowder from his machine guns, the screaming of his victims... There wasn't a better place in all of the universe for a pony like him.

"Yeah, they're not all that good. I was expecting more resistance." Carmine let out a cry of triumph as her enemy's torso exploded into bits, the ammunition setting off a deadly reaction. "That's two for me. I guess we should head behind the DropShips now."

Bittersweet sighed again and turned to head back after casting a longing glance at the fighting. From the sound of it he'd end up joining Clan Ghost Bear after the battle, and he didn't want them to think he couldn't follow instructions. They'd probably relegate him to the laborer class if he continued against orders and he certainly didn't want to live a life like that.

"Fuck, where'd you come from? Hey, I'll catch up to you in a moment. I've got something to deal with," Carmine said. Bittersweet glanced at the rear-view camera and saw her fighting an enemy Mad Dog Mk IV. It wasn't exactly an even matchup in favor of the small heavy, so Bittersweet left her to deal with the negligible threat.

Bittersweet heard a loud explosion behind him. "Ah shit. I might actually need some help back here. Bastard's got friends." He glanced at the small screen again and saw an Omen had appeared to back up the Mad Dog. He shook his head.

"This is what I meant about being careless," Bittersweet said before turning his Executioner in a slow circle. As much as he wanted to rebuke her, she had given him an excuse to rejoin the battle which was the one thing he really wanted at that moment. He pressed the throttle forward and activated his 'Mech's MASC, temporarily pushing the Executioner past it's walking speed of sixty-five kph.

Bittersweet fired his missiles at the back of the Omen, dragging its attention towards him. He shot his heavy lasers as the smaller 'Mech turned around and followed up with his large lasers. The 'Mech had already been lightly damaged in the battle, and his volley of shots had almost managed to destroy the last of the armor on the 'Mech's left torso. He turned the torso of his Executioner to absorb the return shots which caused a fair amount of damage to one of his arms.

Bittersweet turned back towards the Omen and fired the heavy lasers again, stripping the last of the armor from the 'Mech's left torso. He fired his missiles at the breach and watched as the torso crumpled, the missiles ravaging the internal structure of the enemy 'Mech.

The Omen fired its weapons again and Bittersweet glanced at his damage indicator. "I'm starting to take some pretty heavy damage. I've been out here for too long," he thought. As much as he wanted to enjoy the fight he had to end it quickly. Sighing, Bittersweet activated the MASC again and rushed forward before twisting the torso of his Executioner and slamming its right arm into the exposed structure of the 'Mech. He fired the large lasers, watching in satisfaction as they ripped through the cockpit and killed the 'Mech's pilot.

Bittersweet flinched as he felt the torso of his 'Mech rock forward sharply. He turned and saw a Deimos stepping towards him, its twin autocannon barrels smoking. The Mad Dog was also running towards him off to the left, and Carmine was nowhere to be seen. Bittersweet cursed under his breath. "Where is that retarded pony?" He shook his head and rushed forwards toward the Deimos. "Fine, I'll do all the work myself!"

Bittersweet fired the heavy lasers directly at the Deimos's cockpit, damaging the reinforced glass. It fired it's autocannons again and Bittersweet hissed at the computer's irritating voice.

Critical hit, left torso.

"Shut up, bitch. I have eyes." Bittersweet hated whenever his Mech piped up. He knew more of what was going on in the Mech than it did and the voice only served as a distraction. "Why is there no way to turn that shit off?" He fired his missiles again then followed up with the large lasers. His missiles peppered the enemy's torso and one of the large lasers managed to hit the cockpit, further compromising it. He smirked as the distance between the two of them quickly closed. The Deimos was walking backward as fast as it could, but it didn't have a chance at outrunning an Executioner with its MASC activated.

"You're mine now!" he shouted as he got within melee distance of the enemy 'Mech. He swung at the cockpit of the Deimos and growled with satisfaction as the arm of his Executioner passed straight through the weakened glass. The assault 'Mech fell backward and crashed to the ground, trailing shards of glass stained with blood.

Bittersweet turned around just in time to take a volley of SRMs to the left torso, which was soon followed by a PPC and autocannon shot to the center torso.

Left torso destroyed. Weapon destroyed. Damage critical.

"Fucking little cunt. Let's see you do that again up close!" He pushed the throttle forward again, the MASC beginning to take its toll on the legs. While the speed boost was helpful, it could be damaging when used for prolonged periods of time. He fired his missiles at the Mad Dog's cockpit, obstructing the pilot's vision and dealing a respectable amount of damage. Bittersweet turned out of the way to avoid the return shots from the temporarily blinded pilot. He smirked again as he got into grappling range with the small 'Mech and grabbed one of its arms with the hand actuator on his Executioner. Not many 'Mechs had hands and Bittersweet tended to use his quite a bit. His unorthodox fighting method was one reason he was such an effective MechWarrior.

Bittersweet wrenched the Mad Dog to the ground and stepped on the center torso of the 'Mech, grunting in satisfaction as the arm clenched in his 'Mech's hand ripped free. The armor on the Mad Dog began buckling from his Executioner's weight, and before long it collapsed entirely. The 'Mech exploded in a bright fireball and the glass of the cockpit shattered outwards.

Bittersweet let out a sigh and stepped back. He glanced at his damage indicator again. "That could have ended badly. I don't know why nopony ever thinks to use melee attacks or aim for the cockpit. It's a good tactic if your opponent is as inept as they were."

"Nice work. I kind of thought they had you there for a second," Carmine said as she sauntered over to Bittersweet.

Bittersweet turned angrily towards her. "That wouldn't have happened if you had helped at all. What the fuck were you doing, chasing a butterfly?"

Carmine nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. Sorry. I didn't mean to get distracted."

"Can't you just use your brain for once in your life? Why are you always so useless?" He snarled.

Carmine sighed. "Fine, you want to know why? You want to know the reason I'm always running off and getting into stupid situations where you have to save my ass?" She could hear her voice rising in pitch, but she didn't particularly care. She had been waiting years for this very moment, the right time to say what she'd always wanted to, to do what she had been planning for such a long time.

Bittersweet snorted contemptuously. "Fine, tell me why you're such a worthless pony."

Carmine shifted in her seat as the felt the strong emotions welling up inside of her. She'd always dreamed of this moment, but now she almost felt too nervous to say just a few words to the pony she'd been around for most of her life. It should be easy after everything they'd been through but she could still feel the words catching in her throat. She glanced out at the battlefield and took a deep breath. "It's now or never," she told herself. "I'm always putting myself into these situations where you have to risk your life for me on purpose. I wanted you to get hurt protecting me, but still survive." Carmine took a step towards his 'Mech until they were almost close enough to touch. "I'm always doing that because I wanted to work up the courage. The courage to tell you that I..." She swallowed and took a deep breath as the corners of her mouth twitched upwards.

"That I'm the one who killed you."

Carmine rammed the right arm of her Gargoyle into the exposed internals of Bittersweet's Executioner and pushed it in as deep as it would go, tearing apart the inside of the 'Mech. She fired the LBX autocannon in that arm and giggled maniacally as the cluster ammunition tore through the inside of the 'Mech and shredded the synthetic muscles, electronics, and finally, Bittersweet. She watched the blood spray across the cockpit, and her hooves went to her face is the larger Mech tumbled backward, defeated.

"If you honestly thought I'd just sit back and take your abuse for the rest of my life, you're even dumber than you looked!" Carmine shouted in between breaths, still cackling uncontrollably. She threw her head back and laughed even harder, running her hooves down her face and onto her chest. There was a raging inferno of conflicting emotions inside of her, but she knew the one she felt the strongest right then was twisted, corrupt glee. She was finally rid of that bastard, and not a single fiber of her being felt guilty.

"You traitor!" a scratchy voice shouted over the comms. Carmine's laughter cut off and she turned her head to look at the 'Mech that had appeared in front of her. It was a Kodiak with a gold tree overtop of a blue shield painted on it as its unit designation. It charged towards her and knocked her Gargoyle to the ground before planting a foot over top of her 'Mech's torso. "If you were one of mine I would kill you here and now. But regrettably, your fate is up to Commander Hazelnut."

Carmine glared up at the larger 'Mech and rubbed a sore spot on the back of her head. "Look at this fucking asshole, all high and mighty. He doesn't know the shit I've been through," she thought bitterly. "You can fuck off. This matter is none of your business," she said, raising the arms of her Gargoyle at the Kodiak.

"You do not want to do that," the voice said dangerously.

"Try me." Carmine fired the autocannons in her arms at the Kodiak, aiming straight for the cockpit. Having expected this, the pilot shifted their 'Mech slightly and the cluster rounds smacked into the side torso of the 'Mech. She followed up with her missiles, trying to get the 'Mech to move off of her.

"You asked for this," the pilot growled as he reared his one hundred ton 'Mech upwards. He brought the torso and all of its momentum back down towards Carmine's 'Mech and she screamed as a large claw on one of the Kodiak's arms pierced the cockpit and sliced her in half. Blood quickly gurgled in her throat, muffling her struggles, and she stared out at the other pilot.

"You can't... do this..." she struggled out through the blood flooding her lungs. She had been sliced cleanly in half, right through the middle of her torso. Her vision began going dark as the blood flowed out of her body at an alarming rate. "You... scum..." Carmine sighed and her head flopped to the side, her eyes still open and staring angrily out at the world.



Colonel Cobalt Dash sighed and stood his Kodiak back up, pulling the 'Mech's claws from the Gargoyle underneath him. He glanced ruefully down at the dead pilot. "I will have to explain this to Hazelnut. He will not be happy if he finds out otherwise." He hadn't really wanted to kill her but she'd left him with no choice. He turned towards the fallen Executioner and bowed his head slightly. The skilled pilot had taken on two assaults and a heavy alone, not a feat many can claim to have survived. Losing a MechWarrior with that level of talent was something he deeply regretted. "You die with honor, MechWarrior. I wish you good hunting in the afterlife."

Cobalt turned back towards the battlefield and surveyed the ongoing destruction. A few enemies had been taken out in Death From Above attacks when their 'Mechs had jumped from the DropShips. It was a favorite tactic of the Clans though it was rarely performed in that manner. Typically that type of attack was restricted to Mechs with Jump Jets. The rest were being swiftly dealt with by the hardened MechWarriors from both Clan Wolf and his own unit. Cobalt nodded to himself. Even though Keshiks rarely saw battle being the personal units of high-up officials, that didn't mean they were inexperienced. Every one of his warriors was capable of defeating Mechs many tons heavier than their own with ease, providing an average pilot was behind the opponent's Mech.

The sound of weapon fire began dying off as the battle came to a close. Cobalt walked around the battlefield, observing but not participating. He had complete faith in the skills of his warriors and their Wolf allies, and with the numbers now heavily in their favor, there was no need to get in the way. He would leave the glory to the MechWarriors already engaged in fights.

A Blood Asp not too far from Cobalt kicked a Mad Dog to the ground and fired its twin Gauss Rifles at the 'Mech, exploding it in a violent fireball. The victor lowered its arms and looked around it and turning towards Cobalt as the pilot noticed him. "Colonel Dash, I'd assume? I'm Commander Hazelnut. Thank you again for your support."

Cobalt nodded to the junior warrior. "It was what needed to be done. We could not let the Wolves be the only ones to assist you after you saved countless lives." He growled quietly to himself. "If only I had been quicker to come to your aid. Many lives were lost because of my hesitance to believe your words." Cobalt sighed deeply. "One of your MechWarriors, the exceptional pilot in the Executioner, was betrayed and killed by an ally Gargoyle. I attempted to immobilize the traitor but I was forced to kill her when she fired on me. I apologize for this. Her fate was yours to decide, not mine."

Hazelnut frowned and let out a disappointed sigh. "So he's dead, huh? Bittersweet was so talented, though I can understand how he made enemies. He was more than a little rough around the edges. But to die in such a manner? Murdered by an ally? I never thought Carmine would stoop so low." He shook his head.

Cobalt glanced at the dying battle again and noted the inactivity of the warriors. There must only be a hoofful of enemies left for them to be idling around like that. He turned back to the Commander. "I think now would be a good time to make a decision on your future. I would like to personally extend an invitation to you and your surviving MechWarriors to join the Silveroot Keshik, at least to the ones who accept and pass our trial. It is not an easy task, though the reward is great."

Hazelnut sucked in a breath. "Join the Silveroot Keshik? Are you sure? That's a huge honor."

Cobalt nodded. "Your warriors are skilled to have survived this fight and I believe they have a place in my unit providing they choose to accept. In addition to the usual process of becoming a bondspony and eventually an abtakha, they will need to pass an additional trial completed by all members of the Silveroot Keshik."

Hazelnut was silent for a moment. He hadn't expected to be offered a place among a new Clan so easily, especially as part of such a venerable unit. "My fellow commander and I would be honored to join you. However, I'm not sure how many of our soldiers would be willing to continue to fight. They are strong, but none of them became soldiers by choice. Many of them may choose to become merchants or laborers instead."

Cobalt turned his gaze towards a small group of 'Mechs in the distance. He could see three heavy 'Mechs standing proudly, their pilots skilled, dedicated, and loyal, though young. He had seen them fight as his DropShip had neared the battlefield and he had a feeling they had great untold potential. It was a shame the Marauder pilot had been killed, however. She had seemed to be the most talented of them all.

He glanced down at the Piranha where one of the pilots was crouched. While seemingly not as strong as his companions, there was a certain spark in the young pony. The death of his friend would only serve to strengthen him and fuel the fires of his resolve, and Cobalt was particularly interested to see where the MechWarrior would go. He was certain that group would accept his offer even if none of the others did. He could sense strength in ponies, and even from such a far distance, their determination was emanating like a visible aura around them as they mourned their fallen comrades. They were fighters; that much was certain.

"Do not underestimate your soldiers, Commander. There is much more to them than meets the eye."
> Epilogue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mint rolled out of her bed in the infirmary onto her three unsteady hooves, nearly faceplanting onto the floor. She righted herself and shook her head, clearing the haze from her mind. The stuffy room made it hard to think clearly, which wasn't helped along by the anesthetics. Sighing, she peeled off the sensors plastered to her body and shuffled over towards the door. It opened automatically as she neared it, sliding into the wall with a light hiss. A nurse charged through the doorway at the same time and nearly collided with her. The nurse let out a small yelp before stepping back and taking a breath.

"Mint, you had me worried when the monitors went dark. You should be resting in bed, not moving around like this. You need to give your body time to heal. We've been over this," she said, motioning for her to walk back into the room.

"I'm tired of sitting around. It's been a week. Can't I just take a quick walk? Please? I'm fine, really." Mint lifted one of her hind legs and balanced shakily on two legs, smiling and trying to demonstrate her point.

The nurse ran a hoof down the side of her neck. The young pony had been sitting patiently for a while now. As long as she was careful, she wasn't likely to make her injuries worse. She sighed reluctantly. "Alright, but be careful. You'll never heal if you're always moving around."

"Thank you!" Mint hobbled past the nurse into the hallway and glanced around her. She had been unconscious when she was brought to the infirmary, so the clean hallways were completely unfamiliar to her. She looked around as she came to an intersection, pressing herself against the wall as a doctor rushed past. Shrugging, she picked a hall at random, turning right to head down a short hallway that ended at a set of double doors. She could see light filtering in through the frosted windows, but it was impossible to tell what was on the other side through the translucent glass.

Mint pushed one of the doors open and squinted at the dazzling courtyard in front of her. It was a large space with trees and bushes lining the smooth stone walkways. She could hear wildlife rustling in the brush or occasionally scampering up a tree. A small pond sat neatly in one corner of the square area, the fountain in the middle of it sending ripples across its surface. There was a line of benches situated around it, and Mint saw her friends seated in them. Well, most of her friends, anyway.

Mint had heard about the deaths of Chartreuse, Fern, and of course, Tangelo. She had been devastated at the news, and she couldn't help thinking that things could have turned out differently if her Mech hadn't been destroyed so early on in the fight. She shuddered, thinking back to the event. A Gauss slug had passed straight through the cockpit of her Adder, removing her right foreleg in the process. She had managed to eject before a follow-up shot punched a hole through the Mech's center torso, and had been taken onto one of the DropShips by a medic. She had been transferred to an infirmary on the Ghost Bear facility after the battle was over, and she had woken up a few days prior, weary and confused.

Mint walked over to her friends, not wanting to call out and startle them. Vermillion and Mist were sitting on one of the benches, talking in hushed voices, while Sundance sat not too far off and stared off into space with one of his forelegs bandaged and in a sling. Bistre was lying on the ground, listlessly pulling up blades of grass and dropping them into the pond.

"Hey guys," Mint said as she ambled closer. The air was crisp enough for her breath to turn to vapor, but strangely she didn't feel all that cold. Mist and Vermillion waved to her before turning back to continue their conversation. Bistre simply glanced at her from the corner of his eye, and Sundance ignored her completely. Mint sighed internally. She couldn't even imagine the pain he was going through. Sure, she had been close to Tangelo. The two of them had practically been sisters. But Tangelo had told her just how much Sundance meant to her during their countless late-night talks, even before they had started dating. She knew Sundance felt the same way about her, and she couldn't see that kind of hurt going away easily.

Mint plopped herself down next to Sundance and gazed into the pond. She could see fish swimming around aimlessly in it; Koi, if she remembered correctly. They were native to Terra but were brought over to many other planets back during the first Exodus. She watched the creatures mill about for a few moments, before eventually breaking the silence. "They're kind of like us, aren't they? The fish trapped in the pond, I mean."

Sundance shifted his gaze slowly towards her, his brow creased slightly into a frown.

"We got dragged into this war unwillingly, and now there's nothing we can do to get out of it. Try as we might, there's no escape."

Sundance turned back towards the pond, silent for a moment. "But we can get out now. It's over. The war will be finished soon. We don't have to fight anymore." He stared at the Koi blankly. "They're trapped, but we have a way out."

Mint shook her head. "The Koi could leave too, but they'd have to evolve and grow legs. We're in the same boat. You and I both know that even though it's simple in theory for us to leave all this behind us, it's much easier said than done." She sighed and rested her head on the back of the bench, turning her eyes towards the early grey sky. Strana's white star gleamed above the mountains, its rays cutting through the morning fog. It was almost ironic; the way the pure light made their whole situation seem so clear, and now that they finally had the opportunity for the peaceful lives they've always wanted, they were going to turn their backs on the one in a million chance.

"After everything that's happened, do you really think you could just sit by and wait? After everything our old Clan did to us, could you really do nothing? I don't know about you, but now that I'm finally out of there, I realize my old dream of settling down as a merchant was never going to happen, at least not for a long while. Maybe it's the determination we developed as cadets, the sense of duty Slate demonstrated, the selfless sacrifice made by Cotton, or revenge for the deaths of our friends, but now there's nothing I want more than to be the one to personally run a blade through the heart of that foul Khan who started this century-long struggle." Mint clenched her hoof in her lap, before sighing and relaxing her body. "That's my take on our situation, anyway. Do with it what you will."

Sundance frowned again, deeper this time. The gears in his head slowly began turning, and he glanced at her again. Before he could reply though, Bistre stood up and sighed in a resigned way. He turned around and walked past their bench. "That's great and all, but not all of us are as determined as you." He stopped and looked at Mint over his shoulder. "I... I wish I had half the confidence and strength as you. A DropShip is picking me up tomorrow. I'm leaving to become a laborer."

Mint blinked at him. "I understand. Maybe we'll see each other again someday," she said, smiling sadly at her friend. He had been acting differently ever since he killed Sienna, and she had almost expected him to stay out of the fighting now that they were free. He hadn't done much during the battle either, mostly just hanging out at the rear of the formation. She couldn't really blame him, actually. It was still strange though, seeing the once hotheaded pony now so quiet and feeble.

Bistre nodded and turned away before slowly slinking towards the double doors Mint had come through earlier. Mint sighed and turned to face forwards again. She patted Sundance gently on the shoulder. "Think about it, okay? Don't spend the rest of your life wallowing like this. It's not what Tangelo would want." She stood up and walked over towards Mist and Vermillion, the latter nodding as she neared.

"Good to see you out of bed," Vermillion said.

Mint smiled. "Feels good, too. Hopefully I won't be hobbling around like this for long. Colonel Dash said he'd pay for a prosthetic, regardless of whether or not I choose to accept his offer. Obviously I'm going to, though."

Mist nodded. "We were thinking the same thing. The Clan Draconequus higher-ups have to pay for what they've done, and we'd love to be a part of that."

Mint sat down next to them. "Good. I wasn't entirely sure if I'd have to go on alone." She shifted to get into a more comfortable position, the cold stone bench hurting her spine. "So we're bondsponies now. What does that mean, exactly?"

"It's a bit different for each Clan, but Hazelnut explained it all to me a few days ago. Once you and Sundance are well enough to leave, we'll get bondcords, bracelets that we'll have to wear until we earn the right to join Clan Ghost Bear as reinstated warriors, abtakhas. We'll need to prove our combat skill, integrity, and loyalty for that to happen." Mist scratched the back of his head. "There was something else he mentioned, but apparently Colonel Dash didn't tell him the specifics. All I know is that there's another trial we'll have to pass before we can join the Silveroot Keshik. We'll be abtakhas whether or not we pass it though."

Mint nodded. "Sounds like a pretty good deal. I can't wait to put an end to this mess," she said, leaning back on the bench. She smiled to herself. Now that their old Clan's cruelty and war crimes had been brought to light, the Khans of all the other Clans had made new plans to meet on Strana, safely this time. Once they came to a decision, Clan Draconequus was likely to be hunted down and killed, and their destruction would be a sweet one. Mint sighed in a way that was almost happy. "It's good to finally see some justice in the universe."


~~


Galaxy Commander Peregrine was walking across the battlefield in his Dire Wolf, surveying the destruction that had occurred. While the freeborn unit who had saved his Khan suffered heavy casualties, he was pleased to see the entire attacking force had been wiped out. Not a single MechWarrior from either Clan Wolf or Clan Ghost Bear had fallen, either.

Peregrine had agreed to allow Clan Ghost Bear to have the survivors as bondsponies, on the condition Clan Wolf got the destroyed Mechs and DropShips as salvage. There were a lot of strong Mechs lying as scrap across the battlefield, and the recoverable ones would make a favorable addition to his unit's armory. He placed a hoof over the throttle and was about to move forward, but a scraping noise outside of his Mech made him stop. "What was that? Are one of the enemies still alive?" he thought, gripping the controls tighter. He spun his Mech around suddenly, expecting to see an enemy Mech still kicking around behind him. He did not, however, expect to see a pilot he had thought dead stand their Mech back up, pieces of it falling off as the structure weakly held the mess of a machine together. 

It was barely recognizable anymore, but he could tell it was a Clan Marauder. It's right arm hung loosely by its side, there wasn't a scrap of armor left on it, and the cockpit had been blown to hell, revealing the injured MechWarrior inside. The glass of her neurohelmet had been shattered, and he could see the terrible burn wounds underneath. Her cooling suit had fared similarly, and very little of her grey fur and yellow mane were still visible, but somehow, she was still breathing and strong enough to control her Mech. It was a miracle either the pilot or the machine had survived, and Peregrine was more than a little impressed.

Peregrine tapped a hoof against his chin, thinking. While he had agreed to send any bodies inside the Mechs to Clan Ghost Bear so the freeborn unit could mourn their dead, he hadn't been given instructions on what to do with live pilots. This left him in a rather odd predicament. "Hmm... what to do with you?" he mused. He leaned back in his seat, an idea coming to mind. "The Ghost Bears got the rest of the survivors, so why don't we keep just one? I'm sure nopony will mind."

Peregrine pressed a button to activate the external speakers on his Mech. Judging by the state of the Marauder, there wasn't much of a chance the comms on it were still functional. He cleared his throat and opened his mouth to speak. "MechWarrior, I hereby claim you as my bondspony. You now serve the Red Keshik of Clan Wolf under my direct command."


~~


Discord groaned internally as Fluttershy greeted him at the door again. He was starting to regret telling her about his plan to kill Celestia and Luna. Even though she couldn't tell anypony else, she had refused to do anything but try to persuade him to change the past few years.

"Welcome back, Discord. Did you-"

"No, I didn't make any new friends today. Honestly Fluttershy, you should just stop trying to convince me. My mind is made up." Discord walked over to his couch and flopped into it before letting out an overly dramatic sigh. "Planning to overthrow an interplanetary government takes a lot of work. What does the Lord of Chaos have to do to relax around here?" He snapped his fingers, only to be met with a disappointing flash. Even that seemed to get weaker each time he did it.

"You could-"

"Make friends. Yes, you've tried that one already. A hundred times, in fact." His clawed hand went reflexively to the ornate ring on his other index finger. He tended to play with it whenever he got irritated. It was a gift from Celestia, given to him centuries ago, with a matching bracelet worn by each of the royal ponies. Exactly when or why it was given, he couldn't remember. That memory had always eluded his mind, for some strange reason.

"You never told me how you got that. It seems a bit strange for you to wear a ring like that," Fluttershy said, floating over towards him.

He spun the ring around his finger. "I don't entirely remember how I got it. It happened ages ago. All I know is that Celestia gave it to me."

Fluttershy frowned, confused. "And you still wear it? But I thought you hated her? You wouldn't still be wearing a gift from her after all this time if that were true."

"Fine, I will take it off, then," Discord retorted, twisting the ring off of his finger just to spite her. Truth be told, he had always been too terrified to remove it. He didn't know why, but whenever he thought of removing the ring, a sharp terror shot through his body. This time was no exception, and as the ring slowly moved off of his finger, he physically felt a chill move up his spine.

The ring came off of Discord's finger, throwing up sparks as it went. His eyes shot open and a thousand new thoughts flooded his head. His mind somehow felt... clearer. As if a thick fog he hadn't realized was there had suddenly lifted.

"Discord? Are you feeling alright?" Fluttershy said, concerned. He had suddenly locked up and was staring off into space, completely silent.

Discord slowly turned to the ring in his hand. A theory popped into his head, and to test it out, he crushed the ring in his palm. When he opened it again, the ring had turned into a pebble, grey and ordinary. "My magic..."

He turned his head towards Fluttershy, who had a look of confusion on her face. As they sat there in silence, realization dawned on both of them, almost at the same time, and Fluttershy followed after Discord as he stormed out of his house. "Discord, wait!"

"No! All of these years, that's why my magic was slowly disappearing? Those curs!" Discord shouted, flinging the ring-turned-pebble as far as he could, out into the depths of Chaosville. "An enchanted ring? How dare they curb my powers!" He huffed angrily, cursing himself for being dumb enough to put on that ring all those years ago. The memory had suddenly came into his mind when he removed it. "Was it enchanted to alter my thoughts as well? That must be why it took me so long to remove it."

"Discord, please, don't do this! I'm sure Celestia has a perfectly valid explanation!" Fluttershy said desperately as Discord raised one hand.

Discord scoffed. "You mean they didn't trust me! After a millennium and a half, those sisters still didn't think I was good enough to restrain myself. And look where that's gotten us. Well, I'm done playing nice."

"Please think this over! You don't have to kill them. They were just worried-"

"That I might turn evil again? Guess what, they were right. You never really believed in me either, did you? You've just been pretending this whole time, haven't you?" Discord could feel the anger building up inside of him, but he didn't particularly care. It was too much for him to control anymore.

Fluttershy recoiled backward, hurt. "Why would you think I would do something like that? Of course I believe in you! I've always believed in you!"

Discord snorted and raised one of his hands again. "I'm sure you did. Goodbye, Fluttershy. It's time to go back to your real friends in the afterlife. I'm sure they'd love to hear more of your lies," he snarled, snapping his fingers.

"No, wait! I-" Fluttershy cut off as her astral body was enveloped in a flash of bright light, and a moment later, she was gone.

Discord sighed. He knew he had gone too far, but he was too pissed to care. He'd have to reconjure her some time and apologize. For now, however, he had a mission to complete. With his magic now returned, he could abandon his original plan and take his rightful place as Lord of Chaos again. He frowned dangerously. Celestia and Luna had messed with the wrong draconequus, and now they were going to pay.


To be continued...