From the flame the phoenix dies, from the ashes the phoenix is reborn! -Applebits

I awoke, the stable lights were dead or dim but my sensors told me that I was not alone, at least two other living beings in the room with me, both friendly. I turned on my head lamp to see Knight BrokenBlade step out of his cryo tube and do the same. I looked around again, my tube had been opened with all of the others, yet nopony else moved, they had perished, the stable released neurotoxins and killed them because it was unable to release them, the pegasus soldiers who had been safe in the sky had forgotten us, and the rest of my army had paid the price.

“Are you okay?” I asked the knight,

“Yes ma’am, all systems are ago, though I do wish I could say the same about my buddies… Our buddies.” He replied in a country accent.

“Good, do you have a third friend on your eyes forward as well?” I asked looking towards the door and loading my two twenty millimeter gatling machine guns with AP ammo, deciding that I should take point not only because of rank but weapons since all he had were two anti tank cannons after all.

He replied, “Yes ma’am but I don’t know who it is all I know is that he is in the control room for all systems.”

I just looked at him realizing that his helmet was missing, he was a dark brown stallion with a blond closely cropped mane and blue eyes.

“I want to meet this friendly and ask a few questions, stay close but try not to fire your guns, oh and don’t forget your helmet.” I pointed a fore hoof at his helmet and he nodded.

About half way up the corridor I heard screaming as the stable alarms went off and defense turrets activated, thankfully they too were listed as friendly, could the pegasi have just taken so long because we were still fighting zebras, and they couldn’t get into the stable? Sadly as I rounded the next turn that thought was blasted out of my mind as though Celestia had banished it to the Moon with Luna. I heard my companion squeak which was unexpected all I could do was stare at the bodies of disemboweled ponies hanging by their necks around me, and about twenty more in steel cages next to me.

“Ma’am what is this?” BrokenBlade asked me.

I just back stepped back and shook my head when a filly nearby in one of the cages whispered to what appeared to be a dead mare next to her,

"Mommy steel rangers are here to save us!”

To my shear astonishment the dead pony looked up from sleeping at me and to the filly and said, “My dear, steel rangers are more likely to save this stable for its remaining technology than to save us.”

I couldn't believe what I heard and my companion gave a defiant stomp,

“I don’t know what’s going on but I aint about to let it continue, go find that other friendly I’m going to get these ponies out of here!”

I looked at him and nodded still trying to process what I was seeing, then I galloped off to the door on the other side of the room.

When I was about halfway through the room the door I was running to opened and two ponies with spiky hair charged out of it taking positions on either side and not noticing me. They were both mares, identical in fact, black coats and black manes they each had gold eyes, and they were covered in blood. Then one of them saw me and a few of the civilians behind me with my partner, and shouted at her sister to kill us, I logically opened fire, forgetting that I had AP rounds loaded killing both in an instant. All noise stopped as soon as I opened fire, my eyes forward declared to me that there were still roughly five hundred hostiles left which wasn’t good because I just killed two of them and forgot that my guns sounded just a tad bit louder than theirs.

I turned and yelled, “Get them out of here and into safety I will catch up!” BrokenBlade nodded having just opened the last cage. I charged through the door and jammed it shut, it was now time to find the guy who woke us up and give him a hug.

WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH, three missiles took out groups of the vile ponies, I had just came out of the stable kitchen and it was filled with cut up ponies who these monsters had been eating, I now felt no remorse in killing them because now I wanted them dead. I stopped just short as a rocket flew right in front of me and into the wall next to me, somepony just missed his target, the 50. CAL turrets opened fire on the crapper, I smiled one less bullet to waste on them for me. Turning the corner I saw a river of blood and bodies this was where the friendly was holding out then the turrets went red.

I then heard somepony go, “Crap, they overrode my code, security is now against me and I don’t have a gun!”

I realized that the turrets had targeted me so I opened fire, WHOOSH, WHOOSH, two missiles later and the turrets were no more. I trotted into the security station, “Hello?”

To my amazement there was a Shadowbolt in the room with me, he had custom armor that looked stark naked without his wings and weapons.

“I’m here to help, you opened the cryo chambers?” I asked.

“Not intentionally, I was trying to activate security functions for this stable, those raiders removed my wings and guns, worse they have a large population of folks from a nearby town I came to investigate, turns out they have been eating them too.” he said, his voice was deep and plain, but definitely distinguishable to most others I knew.

“So, I noticed they turned the turrets against us.” I said, thinking about my comrade defending the captives and leading them to safety.

“Yes, I’m part of Commander Dash’s squad, second in command in fact, the names Dark Lightning, you came out of cryo?” He said.

I couldn’t see him through his armor, though I could tell he was sturdy, tall and buff. Then I realized he asked me a question while I was looking him over inspecting him.

“I’m Star Paladin SteelCrusher of the first Equestrian Army, second in command to General Tempest Knight.” as I said it I watched him drop his head a few inches.

“You are part of his unit!” He exclaimed, I knew this not to be a question, but all hopes of a rescue operation launched by the Shadowbolts faded at that reaction. Just as multiple explosions erupted from below, the distinct sound of anti tank cannons sounded and we raced out the door.

BrokenBlade had not only escorted the civilians out but cut a swath through the stable of blood and bits of turrets, and what looked like ponies, I approached him.

“Did you leave yourself any ammo.” I asked, he had removed his helmet and sat down to catch his breath exhausted from the fight, my EFS was telling me that there were still lot more hostiles moving in on our position.

“Fresh out ma’am, but mission complete, didn’t think it right to leave you here by your lonesome.” He replied.

I told Lightning to get him out, that I had a plan. I waited for him to leave before turning around and charging my way down the halls into the reactor core of the stable, floating enough explosives behind me that I could erase Ponyville off the face of Equestria. I threw the explosives and fired a missile as I turned and galloped for my life out the front of the stable as a column of fire raced out behind me and the world went black.

Author's Notes:

Seeing as though the Raiders were not only caught off guard and confronted by two heavily armed rangers that have actual wartime experience and a Shadowbolt of all ponies (don't forget the automated turrets) that went rather well. And since it was a military style stable it was less focused on sustaining a growing population and was redesigned to be able to take a beating.