Captain Phebus Diomedes could smell fear like he was drowning in the stuff. The Therunorian captain, this Yerlus, paced feverishly as he gibbered madly to the Astartes and royal sisters. Phebus couldn't help pity the captain, pity how far he had fallen from the proud, graceful captain he must have been not so long ago. His feline features cringed and strained as he spoke, his lips rapidly peeling back and forth; displaying his needle-like teeth. His long, bushy tail riddled with bright blue bio-luminescent spots flicked and twitched as his nerves held little to no strength. His cat-like eyes were bloodshot and puffy from a lack of sleep and rest and his general posture resembled that of an old hag, maddened and crippled by age; although the captain looked no older than perhaps thirty years or so. The large, bright feathers behind his long pointed ears were at full spread and pulsed an angry red/orange color. He told those present before him how his crew and himself had been the victim of some dark and ethereal torment for months, saying he 'had no choice' and 'didn't want to die'. Yet ironically the good captain had already sealed his own fate.

Imperial law, section four, page eighty eight, passage twenty one had stated for over four thousand years how any and all captains must halt all ship engine function, seal all airlocks and hangar door, purge all data stacks and activate a distress signal as soon as they become aware of a daemonic threat or even presence on their vessel. Failure to commit to such a law was punishable by immediate execution, as well as all those under the captains command be sent to a penitentionary facility as soon as sanctioned transport is available. To also breach Imperial quarantine, evade boarding and ignore hails, well, Phebus was wondering why he hadn't shot Yerlus as soon as he set eyes on him. However, Phebus did know the reason: Information.

The greatest weapon against any given daemon was knowledge over them. Where they came from, who they came from, where they were headed, what their plan was. Even knowing a daemons true name could cripple its hold on reality to the point that a simple bolt round would send it hurtling back into the warp in several hundred different pieces. However, such information was not being given by this deranged individual, who Phebus could not tel whether was mad enough to believe the imperial forces would save him and his men, or was stalling them for something. This made Phebus realize something.

"-And the voices...sad, lonely voices. They called to us, calling for help, like lost children. They'd lead a crewman around a ship for hours until they had enough fun with them. Then we'd find them in a dark place, usually the maintenance corridors, all huddled up like a newborn and crazed. My first lieutenant was found chewing his own fingers off! And technician Salvanaa, he'd bitten his own tongue out to use as a damned painting sponge! He was writing symbols on a display screen in the medical wing, and when a doctor found him he rushed her; he must have raped her for hours before tearing her heart out of her throat!" Yerlus said in a shrill tone, his words shaky and lost.

Celestia and Luna were both buying the act completely, their faces in utterly horror and disbelief, Luna even having tears gather in her eyes.

"That is quite enough, Captain." Phebus said, raising a hand.

The Astarte turned to Optus and brought his lips close to his brothers' ear.

"This is a facade, I suspect he's stalling us." Phebus whispered.

"You read my mind, brother. I'll stay here and keep watch over him, you take the princesses outside and contact our forces to see if Therunorian forces have done anything suspicious." Optus replied.

Phebus signaled the matriarchs over and lead them outside, Optus taking up words with the mad captain.

"That poor thing. We have to help him and his soldiers Captain, I'm sure our communities can offer them some shelter and care until they feel they can head back home again." Celestia proposed, Luna nodding in agreement.

"Such aid will not be necessary mi'lady, I believe the Therunorians are after something you can't give them," Phebus said as he descended a set of marble stairs that lead to the palace gardens, "Phebus to Gordus, anything to report?"

"Negative Captain. Therunor ships are still on the ground, and my Devastators haven't seen as much as a peep through a window. Wouldn't be surprised if I was told these ships are empty sire." Replied Gordus through the captains earpiece.

"Very well. Hold position and await reinforcements, those stormravens are only a few minutes ou-" Phebus said before being cut off.

"Captain, I think I heard...forgive me sire, for a minute I thought-...Cancel that! Activity! The ship...Negative, the fleets hangars are opening! Captain the cruisers are deploying dropships, and fighters, and they're taking off!" Gordus announced, his voice blaring into the captains ear.

"Sergeant, open fire on all flyers! Phebus to 'Skyward Lance', intercept and destroy those cruisers! All crivtos ships, assist the strike cruiser!" Phebus finished before hearing gunfire from behind him.

"Captain, what's happening?!" Luna asked in terror.

"We're under-" Phebus started as he began to run back into the palace before his attention was drawn up to the heavens.

At least another twenty Therunorian cruisers and one ten-kilometer-long assault barge fell towards Equis from the bright blue skies.

"...attack."

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Applejack had, somewhat, grown to appreciate the aesthetics of space marine architecture. A hundred 'cherubs' swarmed a dozen 'angels' above her head in golden form. The walls fell down in large marble pillars that separated castle-high murals of space marines in fierce battle, and the floor looked like frozen mercury; as if it was somehow carved from some colossal cut of mother-of-pearl.

"Applejack, it's so borin' here. Why cain't we go an' look out th' windows?" Applebloom whined, tugging on AJs' belt.

"Cuz ah don' want y'all no further than a pony-tail away from me. Cain't letcha outta mah sight fer a secund, lest ya'll stir up trouble in a place a mile above ground." Applejack replied in an agitated tone.

"Aaw, come on! We won't touch a thing, we promise!" Squeaked Sweetie Belle after bouncing dramatically from behind Applebloom.

"It's not like we'd be let into anywhere we'd cause any harm anyway, right?" Scootaloo said after stepping out from behind Sweetie Belle.

"No." AJ said flatly, the girls groaning in complaint.

The sound of wind blasting passed Applejacks' ears made her jump forward a little before an arm was swung over her shoulder.

"Come on AJ, loosen up a little! How about I keep an eye on the girls and take them to look outside a while?" Rainbow Dash proposed, shaking Applejack playfully and raising the little fillies hopes.

"Rainbow Dash, may ah have a wurd?" AJ asked rhetorically before dragging Dash away by the wings.

AJ pulled Dash away through the crowds of dozens of other ponies that had been herded into the belly of one of the space marines sky ships, dragging her into the corner of the Ponyville-sized hall to be sure nopony could hear her.

"Whatcha think th' girls'll see if they lookin' out a window huh?" AJ asked aggressively.

"...Uh...an awesome view of Ponyville?" Dash responded casually.

"It's taken this long fer Applebloom tah sleep a full night without havin' nightmares about th' griffin and goblin invasion! Ah know you're tryin' tah make sure they have a little fun an' all, but ah cain't risk the girls seein' ponyville wrecked again. Ah mean, things could be going far south out there." AJ explained holding Dash by the shoulders.

"You...really think it could be bad out there. I mean, heh, we do have a flank-load of space marines at Ponyville and Canterlot. I'd like to see these, uh...whatever these thing are, I'd like to see them try and get within a hundred metres of Ponyville before getting turned to jelly!" Dash laughed.

"Ah have all the confidence that the marines'll do a mighty fine job a' giving these hear newcomers a hard time. But this ain't no rabble a' critters and brutes. These things have ships, an' probably guns an' tanks too. Ah know th' space marines'll get us outta this all fine, but ah just don't want mah little sis tah lose her home." AJ said, her head falling so that her hat hid her face.

Dash tilted her head to the side and frowned in her frustration of not being able to comfort her friend in the way she'd like to, but she did her best.

"Hey, I bet for every plank of wood and brick these plot-heads knock over or blow up, our guys are dropping a dozen troops as a punishment. And after it's all over, I promise to not rest until your farm is standing twice as strong as before." Dash replied with a cocky grin, giving AJ a good pat on the arm.

"Thanks Dash...ah just hope there's even somethin' tah rebuild on when we get back." AJ said as she looked up again at Dash.

A low growling sound blared from the speakers that the spread about the pillars of the great hall before a dull, droning voice followed.

"Civilians, attention! Planetary militia recruitment is now underway. Enlist at the comms deck, receive the Emperors blessing and defend your world as an Imperial trooper."

The two ponies both turned their heads to the nearest speaker, then back to each other in perfect synchronicity.

"How about we go make sure there is ourselves?" Dash asked with a devilish grin.

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"You two can't do this! You're crazy! You'll get yourselves killed!" Twilight yelled frantically as she struggled to keep up with Rainbow Dash and Applejack.

"Please girls, just think this through! I know you're worried about your home, but think of Applebloom!" Rarity added while walking at a ridiculously fast pace.

"Uhm, uh Rainbow Dash...I just think that...well maybe if you...no!" Fluttershy squeaked helplessly.

"You girls are crazy! Now just think, that's coming fro me!" Pinkie Pie shrieked.

AJ and Rainbow Dash remained un-wavered, practically jogging to keep up with the flow of over thirty other ponies who'd decided to enlist in the Imperial planetary defense force. Stallions and mares both jogged on through the wide hallways of the space marine cruisers innards, some carrying rucksacks and belt-bags, and others simply bearing nothing but their clothes.

"GIRLS! PLEASE STOP!" Twilight shrieked as she bolted in front of the duo, arms held wide.

"Honestly, think about this! What are you doing?! Just what the heck are you doing?!" Twilight yelled hysterically.

"I know you don't understand Twilight, and we don't expect you to. But this is our decision to make, and there's nothing you can do to stop us." Rainbow dash stated in absolution.

"Stop what? Stop you from getting yourselves killed?"

"Twilight stop! This is ridiculous! Ah know that this is a, well, real war an' all but what about you? You've dragged us out intah some real messy situations. Nightmare Moon, Discord an' Sombra? All those things could have killed us all." AJ said firmly.

"Look Twi, I know you won't come with us, an' I wouldn't expect yer to. But what we're doing is no more dangerous than what we've all been through together."

"But that's just it, we were together. I can't let you both go out there alone." Twilight replied sadly.

"We won't be alone sugarcube. Me an' Dash'll have each others back every day an' night. An' don't forget, we'll be behind a loada' fanatical aliens, so I'm sure we'll be jus' fine." AJ assured, putting her arm around Twilight.

"Yeah, and besides, I'm pretty sure the marines are begging for us to join them right now, y'know, as they've probably heard how awesome we are!" Dash added with a laugh.

All six of them huddled together into a group hug, a few tears being shared among cheeks and sniffs muffled from being pressed into clothing. The group fell apart again after a moment, Dash and Applejack stepping away toward the direction of the comms deck.

"Come home." Twilight said simply, her face struck with fear.

"We will, promise." Dash said before the both of them took off at a run.

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"You will be taken to a temporary barracks camp just outside of our fortress monastery! There you will be provided shelter and food! You will receive two weeks training on basic military equipment, basic combat techniques, basic strategic techniques and basic military doctrine! Your military licence will last the duration of the current conflict, no longer! If you wish to receive a permanent military position, enlist for complete military training after the conflict has been resolved!"

The space marine sergeants voice held as much bass to it as one of Vinyl Scratches Dubtrot tracks. His booming shouts seeming to shake Rainbow Dashs' very innards. Dash scribbled her signature onto the piece of thick parchment before moving to the side to provide a 'DNA sample'. This hurt. After being basically skewered, Dash and AJ were given a large, dark green sack full of Celestia-knows-what and herded into a line leading through a dark, narrow hallway. The line moved forward and stopped again several times as it was processed through several sets of doors before finally being led into the wide, bright openness of some kind of inner-ship docks. From a metal walkway the small crowd had a fine view of the several large airships that were gathered on the dark grey of the docks floor below them. The crowd was, as Dash predicted, led down a set of large stairs and into an airship. Inside a marine aided them in locking them into place with the help of an over sized steel harness and granting them a set of earphones. Dash took this as a sign that things were about to get loud now.

Things got very loud.

After an ear-wrecking hour-long flight Dash an AJ were rushed out into an enormous field, one that neither of them had ever seen the likes of in Equestria. They both seemed to notice at once that the sun was lighting their surrounding very poorly, making them turn to the side. Dash had never seen anything so big. A wall, a wall as high as the mountain Canterlot was built on, and so long that it stretched out of view for the common eye. It was a dark grey, a dark and uncaring grey that seemed to drain away any sense of self-importance either of the girls may have previously felt. Dash could barely make out, in between each reinforced segment, clusters of gun turret both on top of and within the wall as well as firing bunkers peering from its base. Dash and AJ then noticed that all around them were large bunkers, artificial trenches, gun emplacements and even a command center of some kind in the distance. Such structures Dash knew she'd never see the inside of, instead she'd have to make do with the very much temporary looking barracks.

The Barracks was sectioned off by a grid of wire fence, with simple watch towers and trenches serving as a defense. The complex was large enough for over two hundred soldiers, easily, but such a number would never be worth it to send into battle. Once inside Dash could see through the fence at the complexes far side, spotting another barracks not to far away, making her assume that there were possibly as many as a dozen such sites outside the walls of the fortress monastery. The crowd of ponies was quickly split up into their designated squads, AJ and Dash holding each other close as they were, fortunately set into the same twelve-pony squad. After a lovely afternoon of running around pointlessly and doing so many press-ups Dash could swear she was now more buff than Celestia, the squads were sent to their bunks for the night.

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Dash was thrown back as the machine went wild in her grasp. The weapon reacted more viciously than any animal Dash had ever encountered, and had utterly obliterated the targeting bust she had been ordered too aim at. Most of the others, including AJ, were also struggling with the new, 'prototype' firearms the Imperial forges had developed for the Equestrians. Dash and the others had been given a simple plastic card each, varying into three different colors. Black meant basic equipment: An assault rifle and pistol. Green meant advanced equipment: Either an assault rifle, burst rifle or ranger rifle and pistol. And red meant special equipment: All the weapons of the green card, and also the sub-machine gun, sniper rifle and grenade launcher. Dash had been granted a red card, probably down to her excellent progress and performance over the seven days she'd been at the camp. Dash had come first place in nearly every physical test, had learnt a lot about the doctrine and methods of the Imperial military and had come a close second in close combat training; Applejack having put her to the floor in a somewhat awkward manner after an hour of dodging blows from each others rubber blades.

Dash quickly recomposed herself and remembered what the serf had taught her. She claimed a firm grip, her finger-less gloves squeaking as her hands gripped the handle tightly and then eased up to allow the blow-back some ease. She placed the stock against her shoulder, resting her cheek against its roof and peering down the iron sights. Her opposite hand wrapped round the frontal handle and prepared to counter the recoil. She slowly squeezed the trigger and forced herself to concentrate on the target at hand, not the deafening roar the weapon produced when provoked. The weapon bucked like a dozen hyperactive mules in a millisecond, a hail of round sailing through the air and removing the top of the head of another faceless bust. Dash repeated the process again and again before finishing off the final target by swiftly decapitating it with a burst of metal fire.

After another two hours of becoming comfortable with her firearm and accustomed to the others Dash and the others were rounded up and led outside the camp. The training serf led them to a section of the monasteries trench and bunker network and led into one of the tan colored structures. The squad peered out the firing bay and down upon a large segment of battlement, were a squad of five marine stood close together on one side, and on the other a mob of dead-faced servitors armed with shoulder mounted weapons stood in utter stillness. After a moment of waiting the marine set off among the trenches, the servitor platoon also shuffling off on their own mission. Gunfire soon rang about the battlefield, ex-servitor being blown far and wide as the marine cut a path of devastation through the trenches. In one of the bunkers a marine wielding a heavy bolter rained down tidal waves of white hot fire among the exposed ranks of servitors. The battle brothers knocked down several opponents at a time, slug fire chipping at their armor but not enough to breach it. The marines and their sergeant soon decided to take to their blades and went on a ferocious dismemberment frenzy, the haunting groans of dying techno-servants echoing about the trench-work until the field grew silent once again. Dash was suddenly feeling much more at ease with her decision to enlist.

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Two weeks. Daily exercise drills. One weeks daily weapons drills. Four days straight pony on pony combat simulation. Dash didn't know whether she was ready to face live warfare or not, but she sure felt like she could. Her and AJ stood side by side in their flak armor along with the rest of their squad, standing stiller than stone. Before them a row of stormravens sat ready to speed them straight to the one place both of them couldn't wait to get to: Ponyville.

Apparently the situation was somewhat...irritating, at least in the space marines eyes. The Therunorians had dug in deep in the forests to Equestrias south-west, below Everfree, and were still numbering well over one hundred thousand. The enemy forces were extremely good survivalists, focusing on raiding nearby towns for resources as they planned to make Equestria there new home. The space marines had tried deep striking techniques against the Therunorians, yet the thick foliage and tree canopy coupled with the uneven terrain made drop pods more than hazardous to use, and teleportation unreliable at best. The front the Astartes had put up was utterly unbreakable, and the five ships that had try to flee the planet had been quickly destroyed by the small Imperial fleet left behind. The Star Lords and Halo Skulls had been called to send reinforcements to Equis along with news on current events, however due to the warps current and the direction the fleets were headed the chapters had received the message a week after it had been sent. The chapters had replied saying half their forces were en route back to Equis, forces that would take ten days to reach them. This meant Equis had to hold its own for another three days before the fleet arrived.

The latest news was that a large column of Therunorian armored vehicles escorted by a flight of aircraft was headed straight for Ponyville, and from there would siege the capital city, Canterlot. This is were Dash, AJ and the Equestrian defense force came in, fully armed and reinforced with five Star Lords space marines. The marines and the eight hundred troops were loaded up into their craft and sped off to the town of Ponyville.