Two months after JSOG is cleared for field operations.

Bovine hooves clopped mutely and kicked up tufts of dirt as the young minotaur heifer ran through the roughshod path that rounded her small village. She was panting heavily, her blood up in a panic as she frantically weaved across the path, dodging and weaving between discarded carts and personal belongings left behind in the rush. The path ended just prior to the largest building in the village; the herd hall. Presently, the inhabitants of the small village were currently streaming into the hall, carrying what they could. Calves mewled and cried out in fear as the cows tried to herd their young into the hall. Beside the streaming crowd stood the Chief, and the Outlander.

“Yuma! Chief Yuma!” The heifer called out, struggling to raise her voice over the panicked din of the crowd as they pushed into the hall. The Chief’s eyes flicked to the small heifer, and she strode over as quickly as possible. Kneeling next to the girl, Yuma leaned in to hear her panicked message as the Outlander simply watched and guided the herd with an armoured hand. “T-the raiders! On the horizon!” The heifer cried out.

The raiders. Yuma shook her head and scowled as she rested a hand on the girl's head. The raiders had already killed the bulls of the village in battle, and now their leader aimed to take the village for himself; no doubt he was already planning how he would split the cows between himself and his inner circle. The elderly and sick would be put to death, and the children would share similarly gruesome fates. Or at least, that's what Yuma figured the raider chieftain was planning. What he didn't know, was that her village had been gifted something truly marvelous; a means to communicate further than the eye could see, to call for help from all who would listen.

Yuma had called for help. Her father had ordered her to, his last act as chieftain before he had been killed on the field of battle. The voices on the device had promised help, but she had barely believed that those promises would come true. And yet, that promise now stood next to her, his armour clad boots slowly sinking into the damp ground.

“So, lemme get this straight fer the record.” Knight Sergeant Kessle drawled lightly as he hefted the heavy Equestrian pattern assault rifle up and loaded a magazine. “Those boys wanna come in here, and rape n’ pillage you like a Viking barmitzvah?”

Yuma certainly didn't like the Outlander. He was loud, and brash, and he carried himself with a calm that acted as if her life, and nearly one hundred others were not hanging in the balance. “Yes.” She spoke lowly as she adjusted her scalemail armour. It had belonged to her grandfather, and fit her poorly. “They aim to enslave us. I am to send my tribe's strongest to defeat theirs.” She didn't have to make note of how she was the only minotaur in the village capable of fighting.

“Hmm. Well, preparations should almost be done, so let's go meet this cocksucker and split his head open.”

Huffing in mock amusement, Yuma brandished her spear and began walking toward the front of her village. “You know Outlander, your cavalier attitude is beginning to make me think you actually believe we can win.” She glanced down at the shorter creature. “Tell me, what are these 'preparations’ you speak of?”

“It's a surprise.” She could almost hear his smarmy smirk, and it caused her to grunt in disgust.

“I have learned to loathe surprises.” Yuma came to a momentary pause as the hills came into view, and the two hundred strong raiding band made itself seen against the horizon.

Unabated by the showing of odds, Kessle simply hummed and cradled the rifle like a child. “So have I. Except surprise fellatio. That, I like.” He chuckled at his own humour as he began walking ahead of her. “Come on Yuma, let's get this honour battle over with.”

Shaking her head, Yuma quickened her pace to keep up with the man, and soon she could see the leader of the raiders break off from the main force. The bull closed the ground between them far too quickly, and only came to a stop at the last moment, in an effort to spook Yuma and her Outlander ally. Snorting hotly across his thick iron nose ring, the bull grinned savagely. “Is this all your pitiful village could muster? One scared heifer and an Outlander?” He chuckled warmly and shook his head. “And who is your champion then, girl?”

“Y’know, that's a cute little nose ring, your boyfriend get it for you?” Jack taunted as he stared at the bull. Watching the raider's cocky grin turn to anger in a split second only pushed him further. “I hope those horns are real, boy, cause I'm gonna use ‘em as handlebars when I fuck you up.”

“That is enough, Knight Sergeant!” Yuma hissed as the massive bull fumed. “You are facing me, Eldron Blackheart! I am my village's champion, and I will stop you and your warband!”

“I'll cut your head off and use it to warn the next village!” Eldron declared as he unsheathed his sword and swung hard at Yuma.

Yelling in surprise at the sudden attack, Yuma leapt back and deflected the energy of the blow with the shaft of her spear. Her counter attack saw the iron head of her spear sparking and skidding off Eldon's thick breastplate. The bull swung again, this time cleaving off one of her dangling braids. The loss of the braid was like a hammer blow to Yuma, but she continued onwards, striking upwards as the bull over extended himself. The strike landed true, piercing between the plates of the raider's breastplate and plunging through the thick mass of muscle that constituted his shoulder. Bellowing in anger, Eldron grabbed hold of the spear as it impaled him, and snapped the shaft with his raw strength. Caught off guard and weaponless, Yuma was unprepared as Eldron brought his sword down, and cleaved her left arm off at the elbow.

Dropping like a stone to the ground as she clutched her spurting stump in shock, Yuma barely had a moment to look up as Eldron brought his sword back down toward her head.

A metal clad hand shot out above her head, catching the sword mid-swing and stopping it dead. The hand slowly closed as Eldron struggled to pull his weapon free, and he was forced to watch as pure hydraulic pressure saw his weapon warp and crumple. Dropping the ruined sword, Jack engaged the strike plates on his gauntlets. “Ah was willing to let you two do this your way, but now we're gonna do it mine.”

Striking out with shocking speed, Jack pistoned a fist into Eldon's chest, causing the thick breastplate to buckle and split. Eldron gasped on empty lungs and swung awkwardly at Jack, only to have the breathless attack side stepped. Hammering his strike plates into the raider’s armoured torso, Jack was rewarded for his efforts when a section of the layered plate fell away, and his armoured fist sank into the bulls muscular chest. The rippling muscle burst under the attack as Eldon's lung collapsed and his ribs shattered. Gasping for air and gagging up blood, Eldron began to fall back, only to have Jack grab him by the horns and pull him down hard into an upward pistoning knee. Shattering the raider chieftain's face, Jack broke one of the sharpened horns free from the bulls head. Spinning in in his palms until the points were facing down, Jack slammed the goring horn down into the raider's eye socket. For good measure, Jack reeled his right fist back, before slamming it forward into the shattered backside of the severed horn, driving it out the back of the dead bull's skull. Letting the cadaver drop to the ground, He immediately broke open his first aid pouch and kneeled next to the downed form of Yuma. The Cow's arm was completely severed, and she was looking pale from the blood loss. A glance out at the horizon already confirmed the raider army was charging. They’d had no intention of ever leaving, honourable victory or no. Tsking softly as he applied a magical tourniquet to the stump of Yuma's arm, Jack propped her up to watch as the army bored down on them.

“Yuma, stay awake. Focus on my voice.” Jack pulled his helmet off for the first time since arriving at the small village with JSOG. He smiled readily toward her as the magic did its work and stabilized her wound. “Did you know that the Claymore mine has an effective kill zone of almost one hundred meters?” Bringing the detonator up as the raider's entered his kill zone, Jack smiled confidently. “Never show up to a fair fight Yuma.” As he triggered the detonator, rippling thunder tore across the hillside as two dozen equestrian made Claymore mines went off in rapid succession. The steel balls shot out, shredding armour, muscle, and bone with equal ease. As the screams of terror and confusion sounded out, Jack keyed his mic and spoke. “Operation Wolverines is in effect, all guns are free to fire.”

Yuma watched with unhidden shock as expertly disguised trapdoors swung open from the grassy plain, and JSOG soldiers opened fire on the raider's with automatic weapons. “All… all this time… you knew how this would end?” Yuma managed to speak weakly, drawing Jack's attention as he waved over his medic.

“Well I didn't anticipate you being so damn bullheaded about rushing off to your death. That was supposed to be me, but yeah, just about.” Jack grinned and patted her shoulder. “We’ll get that arm reattached in no time. Or hell, we'll make you a new one!” Standing, Jack hefted his rifle and ambled off to join the mop up operation. As he left, and the medic applied anaesthetic to the wounded Yuma, the last thing she would hear before losing consciousness was a faint 'oorah’ carrying on the wind.

When Yuma next awoke, it was to the sound of quiet buzzing. Blinking away bleary sleep from her eyes. Yuma lifted her left hand to rub her cheek, only to find nothing touching her skin. Opening her eyes fully against their will, the young chief looked down at herself, before starting in shock. Her left arm was missing at the elbow, and she was wearing a strange, stiff smock that was light green. Looking around, Yuma found herself against a wall of metal, and surrounded by curtains. The buzzing was coming from above her, the culprit being a small light that hummed gently while it was on. Sitting up on the stiff bed, Yuma furrowed her brow heavily before slowly swinging her legs off the bed. Her hooves clonked quietly against the metal decking, and she was just about to stand when a painful twinge pulled at her right arm. Looking back at it, Yuma scowled before pulling out the tubes and leads. The strange machine at her bedside immediately began to emit a single monotone as she stood on weak legs.

Stumbling as she pushed passed through the curtains, Yuma shook her head and looked around the medical bay furtively. The metal walls were all around her, and the air began to taste strangely used. The only immediate exit that she could see was a heavy metal bulkhead, which was opening before her. A small pony rushed in, only to run straight into Yuma. The doctor fixed her glasses before looking up at what she had run into, only to find that Yuma had taken a shaky stride out the bulkhead door.

“Hey! You can’t leave!” The doctor was quick to give chase, only to find that the minotaur chieftain had already disappeared into the maze of halls. “Oh shoot… the captain is going to kill me!”

While the unfortunate doctor was cursing her luck, Yuma was picking up speed as her mind began to reel and thrash. The walls seemed to go on forever, getting tighter and tighter around her as the pipes above her rattled and groaned. Ponies in her path jumped to the sides and yelled to her, but none were heard as panic set itself in control of Yuma’s mind. Regaining her usual stride, Yuma ducked through another bulkhead only to come across a certain Knight Sergeant, who only managed a startled ‘NUAH?!’ as she ran into him, bowling him over. Losing her precarious balance, Yuma hit the deck plates and skidded into the next bulkhead, which had been closed just prior to her collision.

“Ow.” Jack slowly pushed himself up off the deck and rubbed his face. “Anybody get the plates off that truck?” Groaning as he straightened out, Jack shook his head and slowly jogged to the downed Yuma. “Yuma? Hey, Yuma!” He snapped his fingers before her face, causing the cow to finally open her eyes and look up toward him in panic. Doing his best to calm her as equestrian air-sailors gathered round and jockeyed for a glimpse of the calamity, Jack kneeled down next to the chieftain. “Hey, easy there Yuma, you’re alright, you’re safe.” Placing his hands over her shoulders in a meek attempt to keep her from bolting up again, Jack found the large minotaur finally looking at him.

“K-knight Sergeant Kessle?” She questioned shakily, causing him to grin a bit and nod.

“Yeah, in the flesh.”

Yuma swallowed thickly and almost seemed to furrow her brow in confusion. “I thought you’d be taller…”

“O-” Jack deflated visibly as the heifer blinked at him. “Wow. Okay, uh… thanks.” Sighing as he helped her up, Jack made sure to keep a careful hand on her furry back. “Come on, let’s get you back to the doc’s. You shouldn’t be running around here with your butt hanging in the wind.”

To his dismay, she shook her head vehemently and grabbed onto his starched uniform with her remaining hand. “NO. No, please, I need to get air, I can’t stay in here, I need air!” Yuma clutched at his shirt, nearly dragging him off the floor as he waved his arms in a placating manner.

“Okay okay! Easy Yuma, easy! I’ll take you up top and you can get some air.” Placing both hands over Yuma’s large paw, Jack let out a silent breath of relief as the minotaur quickly nodded and set him down.

“Please, Knight Sergeant-” Yuma began softly as she held the bandaged stump of her left arm, only to be interrupted by jack as he carefully grabbed hold of her right hand and began to lead her on.

“It’s alright Yuma, just follow me.”

“Okay… yes… okay.” Yuma nodded again, and allowed herself to be led up to the top deck. The moment the last bulkhead opened, Yuma sucked in a huge breath of the fresh air that buffeted them both as they stepped out onto the flight deck. Several carriages and a small handful of the VTOL transports sat ready for deployment, while their maintenance crews ran checks and cared for the machines. The tip of a nearby mountain was just visible from the flight deck. Approaching the end of the deck, Yuma nearly found herself floored by the sudden sense of vertigo that overcame her when she caught a glimpse over the edge of the deck. “W-where are we!?”

Sitting down on the deck, jack motioned for her to follow suit. “You’re on the HMS Stalwart Liberty, biggest airship in the whole damn world. Your village is almost right under us.”

Slowly sitting down with awkward one armed gracelessness, Yuma shivered at the cold air that tousled her thick fur. “My… my village!” Her eyes went wide. “Did we save my village?”

Thankfully, her question was answered by a sure smile and a nod from Jack. “Yep. Not a single one of your people got so much as a papercut. You were the only injury on our side. Well, except for Donovan. Idiot got caught up in his webbing and ate shit getting out of his spider hole.” Jack chuckled and shook his head as he looked out to watch the impending sunset. “Fuckin’ Donovan.”

“I…” Yuma looked down upon the familiar plains that surrounded her lifelong home. “You saved my people…”

“Me? Nah. I just kicked the shit out of an asshole. You’ve got JSOG and the Air-Navy boys to thank for all the hard work, and to be fair, it’s kind of our job to do it.” He grinned slightly as he crossed his legs, before noticing her gaze slowly drift to her amputated arm. “Hey.”

Tearing her gaze away from the bandaged stump, Yuma looked to Jack. “Yes, Knight Sergeant?”

“Don’t focus too much on it, alright? What’s done is done, and you can’t change the past. Besides, you’ve got some of the best doctors in the entire world looking after you, and our boys in R&D are working on getting you a replacement.” At her shocked look, he nodded. “I’m being serious.”

Shaking her head, Yuma looked toward her stump again. “How am I supposed to keep my people safe with only one arm? I am worthless to them now…”

“Oh fuck off with that.” Jack snarked heavily, a frown crossing his features as Yuma looked back to him. “We both know that ain’t true. Hell, a good leader only needs one arm anyway.” He cast a careful glance over his shoulder toward the medical team that was standing by. “Yuma, I’ve been where you’re at right now. I’ve lost limbs before. I know how shitty it is, how god awful it makes you feel.” Yuma slowly frowned as her eyes were cast down. “But you can’t let that shit define you. Your people need you, and you’ve still got plenty to offer.”

“You…” Yuma sighed softly before nodding. “For such a brash, strange human, you have sage words…” Yuma hugged her knees lightly with her remaining arm. “Thank you, Knight Sergeant.”

“Call me Jack.” Standing, Jack offered his hand to the heifer. “Come on, I know you don’t wanna go back inside, but you scared the crap out of the doctors when you bolted outta medbay.”

Taking the hand, and carefully standing up, Yuma nodded to him before slowly looking over to the medical team. “I understand…” Without warning, Yuma hugged the marine with one arm, hefting him off the deck and causing him to squawk in surprise and mild pain as she squashed him. “Thank you, Jack. I will… return to the insides of this metal beast…” Setting him back down on the deck and leaving him to wheeze for air, Yuma slowly plodded back toward the medical team, who promptly chaperoned her back to the on-ship hospital.

As Jack regained his composure, Ada walked over, smiling and shaking her head. “Always a ladies man, hey Jack?” She smirked a bit as he scowled at her. “Oh don’t be sour, luv. It was a nice thing you did. Shame you never take me to see the sun set.” Ada leaned on Jack as she looked out upon the horizon over the massive plains; the setting sun set the sky ablaze as it slowly set, casting a myriad of pinks, purples, oranges, yellows, and reds across the cloud filled sky.

“It’s cuz’ I only take nice girls to see the sunset.” Jack sniped, causing Ada to jerk and gawk.

“You twat! That hurt!” Punching him in the shoulder before bursting out laughing, Ada shook her head and slipped her arm around his. “So, whatdoya’ think? Beginners luck, or recurring theme?”

Turning toward her with a light smile, Jack set his hands on her hips. “Good guys winning, and the innocents get saved? I think I’d be okay with that repeating itself. Did Candle’s suggestion go through alright?”

Nodding as she slipped her own arms around him, Ada visibly relaxed. “Mhm. Give it a fortnight and our relief aid will show up. They’re gonna build them a wall, supply ‘em with rifles, and show them how to shoot.” Humming as she looked out across the plains, then back to Jack, Ada openly smiled and drew herself closer. “You make a good leader Jack.”

Hugging the lithe woman closer, Jack hummed lightly with amusement. “Beginners luck.” As the pair leaned closer to lock lips, Ada’s radio crackled lightly and the voice of the Captain came through clear.

“Jack, Ada, This is the Captain. So sorry to interrupt, but you two realize the entire bridge crew is watching you, right? Right. If you two are done then, I need you both on the bridge. Over.”

Jack and Ada both stopped just as their noses touched, before casting a furtive glance toward the bridge. A large number of silhouettes were visible in the windows, causing the pair to curse in unison. Pulling away, Ada straightened her uniform and cleared her throat before radioing back. “Yes Captain, we’ll be right up. Over.” Setting her radio back in her uniform, Ada pursed her lips tightly. “Well, we’ll never hear the end of that. Let’s go see what the tosser wants-” Ada found her words cut off as Jack snorted and rolled his eyes, before embracing her and kissing her quickly. When he released her, Ada stammered and blushed. “W-what the bloody hell was that for?”

“Somebody just lost a bet and I want to mock them. Come on Corporal, let’s go see what the Cap’n has for us. I bet it’s something neat.”

Letting out a flustered huff, Ada was quick to follow Jack as he quickly marched off to the bridge to receive their next set of orders from the crown.

Several thousand kilometers away, deep in Griffonian territory, Prince Carolus Rex was sharing a table with one of his country's most powerful generals. General Skytalon was respected by the crown, and feared by his rivals for being a shrewd tactician and dervish on the field. Of course, that didn’t interest Carolus, as much as the General’s ability to be a foul political animal did.

Sitting across from the heavyset grey griffon, Carolus smiled as he sipped his wine. “So I have your support then, General?”

“Aye. I won’t sit on MY tail feathers while the so called Emperor marries Equestria! The very idea makes me sick!” Skytalon slammed his fat fist down onto the table, causing the place setting to jump. To his internal surprise, the smaller prince didn’t do so much as flinch.

“Indeed.” Carolus finished his wine glass, before carefully setting it down onto the table. “General, my father is losing his mind. He would sell us as Equestria’s cuckold, pawn our best warriors off to them for nothing. My mother follows him blindly like a fool, and my sister is so obsessed with Equestria, she abandoned her station to live there for a time.” Carolus steepled his talons before himself. “I cannot in good faith, allow them to rule; to abuse our great empire so.”

“Here here!” Skytalon boomed, and his trusted staff echoed the sentiment. “To think, he has a damned human bitch running around the castle like an untrained mutt! She should be carved into steaks by now.” The general muttered, before loudly demanding a human flank steak. “As great as your father once was, he has obviously lost his damned mind!” Skytalon shifted in his seat as Carolus glanced up at him. “So, my prince, what is your plan?”

As he slowly opened his satchel, which he had kept protectively by his side for the entire meal, Carolus’ beak twitched with the ghost of a smile. “My Plan, dear general, requires upmost loyalty.” Pulling the mask free from his bag, General Skytalon had a scant second to be confused, before a blue pulse lashed out from the mask as Carolus slipped it on. The General and his command staff spasmed as it struck them, before relaxing as the glow in their eyes faded away. Removing the mask, Carolus looked toward the General as he watched Carolus with unparalleled attention. When his steak arrived, it went untouched. “General.” Carolus began as he stood from his seat. “You will serve your purpose, General. You will help me take what is rightfully mine, and with the help of our Lord, Griffonkind will take their place as rulers of the world. Order, will reign.” Carolus ran a gentle talon over the mask in his bag. “And I will be its ruler.”

Humming to himself, Carolus paced over to the General’s side of the table, and took a sampling nibble of the flank steak. Scowling, Carolus looked to the staff. “Bring the cook out here.” The staff were quick to do so, hauling the cook out to the table. The cook prostrated himself before Carolus, but he said nothing as Carolus threw the steak onto the floor. “You call that a steak? A cook is supposed to put his heart into his work, not feed a lord rubbish! Show me your heart, because I doubt you have one.” Without pause, the chef pulled a razor sharp blade from one of the guard’s belts with ease, and quickly set to work on the Prince’s ghastly order.

To Carolus’ dismay, a carrier hawk burst through the open window as the chef was breaking his own ribs, interrupting the Prince’s train of thought. Growling at the smaller bird, Carolus yanked the missive free from its leg and unfurled it. His attitude quickly shifted from foul to gleeful as he read. “My my… Arcturus, you have been busy. A field test? Well, I will have to see this for myself, If I’m to trust your work at all.” Quickly drafting up a response, Carolus tied the response around the hawk’s leg, before shooing it out the window. Turning, Carolus almost smiled. “General!” His barking voice had the general stand up stock straight in an instant. “I need your fastest transport to the Crystal Empire border.”

General Skytalon swiftly saluted, before bowing. “At once, my lord. It will be done.”

Moving toward the door as the cook finished carving out his own heart, Carolus ignored the offered lump of bloody muscle as he walked out the door and wondered out loud to himself. “Now, Dr. Forge… what have you been doing with my money for all these months?”

Author's Notes:

Okay. Where to begin on this one? A lot of shit has happened that stalled the work on this one, and I am ultra glad that it's finally out the door. I know it's not exactly the longest, and it's not exactly the most amazing chapter in the world, but I'm hoping it'll help tide you guys over until I can really start to get into the meat of my plans.

Chapter Forty One was supposed to be apart of this, but I felt that I'd been stalled too long, and putting a little cliff hangar here would at least help build tension. Who knows, maybe I'm just a bad person.

Edit: Chapter has been edited, again.