I'll openly admit that it took a few minutes longer than I expected to tie up the damn pegasus with some loose wire ties from the utility room.  It was definitely a learning experience as it turns out that one of these critters can take an obscene amount of voltage to stay down.  After the third time it shrugged off lower shocks and tried to headbutt or kick me, I raised the voltage to maximum.  That turned the little blue prisoner into a gibbering, spasming mess pretty nicely so I could truss it up like a turkey.

"Seven, any reports from the cameras?"

***No visuals as of yet.  When contact is found, I will uplink to your net.

Not much to really say to that, so I kept working.  There was little time to waste as after my little explosion, I'm fairly certain the hybrid was going to try to regroup and blow a hole through me.  Time to make another plan A and B, and I was going to need more AI help for that.

"Seven, while you are in the drives I need you to get access to the comm system surrounding the encampment.  On top of that, I need you downloading every scrap of info you have access to into the storage in my armor.  And I mean everything."

***I will attempt to access the systems you have requested.  Network access is proving more difficult than expected.

"Oh, and Seven, please keep an eye on our unconscious friend.  I'll be back shortly.  I need to close a section of tunnel apparently."

The AI was strangely silent as I opened one of the armory panels and pulled out some RCom explosive.  Then again, he might have been able to tell that was coming after my method of securing the door and my foothold on the base.  Either way, I needed to make sure nothing else could follow the path the blue one had taken.  After hanging a right down the hall next to my barricades, I paused to eye the still glowing door frame.  Thank god for my armor, otherwise the heat would be unbearable.  That should buy me more time though.

It took several minutes of searching to finally find the small section where the pony had squeezed between fallen beams and the concrete floor.  It was completely impassable for a human, so using it as an emergency exit was right out.  Might as well make sure it can't be used as an entrance again either.  A few feet away from the collapsed portion, I began to set my charges.  Bowl shaped pucks of yellowish explosive stuck to the walls and ceiling almost effortlessly.  They should force the blast into the supports around this section and bring the entire span down completely.  A small metal spike was inserted into each blob before I turned away to head to the cover in the nearby hall.

"Fire in the hole."

###Detonating remote explosive charges 1-3

Even through my supposedly soundproof helmet, I could still hear the deep WHUMP! as the blocks exploded.  My armor protected my body but the concussion still forced some air out of my lungs angrily.  Either way, that tunnel was going to be no use to anyone now.  As I headed back to the vault, the soft tinkling of tons of dirt settling on abused steel was my soundtrack.

***It appears that the explosion has woken our guest.  She is currently struggling against her bindings.

"Guess it is my lucky day," I muttered to myself.  Not often I get to talk to a mythical creature after blowing stuff up.  Any other smartassery was forgotten as I entered the vault and was immediately assaulted by the obscene noises the creature was producing.

###Activating Translation

"...OUT OF HERE YOU FREAK!"

I just stood there, staring impassively at it, hoping that my faceless helmet would somehow intimidate the thing into submission.  It just struggled more as I watched, as if getting shocked again was something it desired.

"Stop struggling or I will shock you again.  You are going to explain what is going on here, since you and your friends woke me up."

If looks could kill, I would have exploded from the amount of pure unadulterated hate the look the pony was giving me.  She had oddly colored eyes.  Strange I didn't notice it earlier, but I was a little occupied.

"BUCK YOU!  YOU ATTACKED MY FRIENDS!  YOU ZAPPED ME!  I'M NOT TELLING YOU ANYTHING MONSTER!"

Sighing softly, I triggered the circuits in my gauntlets and let the electricity arc from finger to finger as if it were begging to be freed.  The blue one shrunk back, apparently getting the point.

"I'M COOL!  I'm cool.  Just...Just don't shock me again, okay?"

With a thought, I dismissed the arcs, but still kept the contacts primed.  That was just too easy.  As I leaned against the opposite wall, the open doorway to my right, the pegasus kept making darting glances away from me.  Clever girl...

"So what is your name?  Also, what are you and the rest of these "Ponies" doing in a secured facility?"

"My name is..."

Whatever it was saying was cut off as the camera feed began pouring into my displays.  It appeared that the group of ponies did not have any fatalities, just some burns and mild injuries.  That was utterly amazing considering the blast and massive results.  Stranger still was the hybrid.  The moment I linked to the camera, her head swiveled to look directly at it for a moment as her lips moved.

"...Rainbow Dash to us!  We will not rest until she is returned to us.  You have declared war on Equestria from within its capitol.  Return her to us.  I won't ask again."

***Apparently, she does not have to ask again, Sergeant.  Cameras have detected movement at the campsite.

***An indeterminate number of armored ponies are entering the facility.  A compromise may be in order.

***In either case, odds of survival are exceedingly low.  As are the odds of other survivors.  Shall I prepare Objective ***99?

Calmly, I tried to figure out what to do as my options were getting smaller and smaller by the moment, until the thought occurred to me.

"Seven, prime Objective 99.  Do not activate the unit, but play the warnings through the translator and speaker system at maximum volume."

***Link Established to Objective 99

***Remote Detonator assembly inoperative

***Manual Detonation Required.  No access path to weapon available.

***It appears that we cannot activate the weapon at this time.  Proceeding with vocal warnings.

The very phrase I was expecting sounded very twisted as it poured from the speakers across the facility.  At least, the speakers that remained working in the destroyed tunnels.

"Vault Compromised.  Activating Objective 99 Facility Denial Weapons System.  Verbal Activation Required."

"If you attempt to seize this base, I will detonate the nuclear weapons stored within.  Withdraw now and your "Rainbow Dash" will be returned to you once your forces have evacuated."

***I hope she does not call your bluff.  At this time, it does appear to be the best option we have available.

The camera view started to warp and distort as I heard the one called Twilight Sparkle yell in frustration just before the view went dead.

***The camera has been destroyed.  Acoustic sensors state the group of ponies is heading toward their encampment.

"Okay Seven, now we need to figure out how to get the hell out of here before they figure out we are lying.  I'm not exactly a fan of having holes blown through me."

Through all of this, I had completely forgotten about Rainbow Dash until a blur slammed into my chest.  Reflexively, I brought my arms around, trying to grapple as my vision blanked out for a moment.

###Capacitors Discharged.  180 seconds remaining until recharge complete.

When my vision flickered back to life, the first thing I noticed was a smoldering patch of blackened fur on a twitching pegasus.

"Damnit..."

A short time later, I was sorting and tearing through lockers for what I would need to pull this hoax off.  Extra power packs were attached to the back of my armor by the robotic arms and a weighty pouch of RCom was slung on my hip.  I had even pulled out a spare grenade pouch and attached it to the side of my chest.  This was going to be...interesting.  Seven had informed me that the ponies were shuffling out of the collapsed tunnel and into the beyond in an orderly fashion, and could not find anymore within the facility.  Time for part two of the plan.

"Seven, broadcast the modified message.  This should make sure that none of them around around if they really care this much for the damn horse."

After a moment, the speakers roared to life again, pitching my lies into the darkness and beyond.

"To hostile forces:  We are showing you have vacated the facility.  I will be performing the prisoner transfer shortly.  Any attacks on my person will be dealt with immediate lethal force."

"Objective 99 system triggering status change.  Motion and Proximity sensors activated.  Any entrance to the facility will result in immediate detonation."

There was no reply so I figured it was good enough of a time to give my plan a shot.  A dull CRACK tore through the air as the det cord I placed on the blast door tore out a roughly human sized hole.  With a groan, I hefted the bound blue bundle and headed out into the blackness beyond.

###Activating camoflage system at maximum.  With additional power supplies, 19 minutes of charge remain.

The heat output from my suit was immense, but what normally would have rendered me into a nearly matching color was overpowered into making me practically invisible at a distance.  Time to get this crap over with before I roasted in my armor.

Eleven minutes of overly cautious walking later, I was approaching the splintered entrance that the ponies flowed into the facility through.  Per the plan, I had Seven make the lights start flickering and die well in advance of my arrival.  Apparently the ponies took me at my word as I had come across nothing but hastily left supplies and hoof prints smeared into the dust covered floors.  Either way, I approached the portal with extreme caution.  Catching a bolt to the chest would really ruin my day.  My eyes never left the hole in the wall as I stepped toward it.  Every few paces I would pause a moment to listen.  Content that there was nothing hidden in the dark but myself, I would place a block of RCom to the concrete wall.  This hole was going to be sealed one way or another.

Finally, I stood at the brink, nothing but blackend tunnel and something reflecting IR light in the distance.  Considering it had a flat sheen to it, I assumed it was part of whatever they had breached the wall with.  A grunt escaped my lips as I hefted the weight in my right hand, getting a test feel for the swing of it all.  Moments later, a bound blue blur was tossed into the pit, a small radio attached to the wire binding her.  After the soft thump of her impact, I quicky walked backward away from the entrance, rifle cradled in my arms in case it was needed as I triggered the radio.

"Rainbow Dash has been returned to you.  Follow the constant tone this device will emit.  Sealing facility in ten seconds."

Naturally this was right when my camo system decided to run out of power and my grey armor stood out in the gloom like a specter in the dark.  I turned and ran around the nearby corner before I took any incoming fire.  Strangely enough, none came.  Even though I was expecting it, I jumped a little as the charges began to detonate from each end of the tunnel, working toward the middle.  The middle where I had placed the most charges to bring down the house.

whump...whump...whump...whump...WHUMP...WHUMP...WHUMP!

To say I was tossed on my ass was an understatement.  Thrown like a ragdoll was more accurate, my armor skittering me down the side of the concrete tunnel where I ended up laying for more than a moment as I just tried to breathe.  Pressure waves are a bitch.

***You might have used slightly too much explosives.  Never the less, the entrance has been sealed.

"Good enough for me, Seven," I groaned as I sat up.  "Since we are closer to the main hub, try to access more of the network.  We need to try to find out what happened here and make an escape route.  I don't think those ponies are going to let us off this easily."