"Sweetie Belle, this is Luna, could you have your team switch on your helmet mounted camera's?" Luna asked. "Command and I wish to see how bad the situation really is."

"No problem, Captain." Sweetie Belle replied. Seconds later, five images appeared on the main screen. Luna gasped in shock at the horrifying images in front of her. The hallways the Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and Scootaloo were walking through were covered in blood and were filled with the remains of the crew. A necromorph came charging out of the darkness, shrieking as it ran. The Spartans quickly mowed it down, its blood peppering the hallway. Luna's eyes soon fell upon the screens of Surprise and Firefly, who had just finished setting up a pair of M247H's and were now mowing down a swarm of charging necromorphs.

"Are you getting this, Command?" Luna asked, turning to another screen, where Lord Hood was standing.

"Yes, we are receiving. Once you have all active personal out, you are ordered to destroy both the Equestria and the Nightingale." Lord Hood stated firmly.

"Yes sir." Luna replied, shooting off a salute.

Sweetie Belle heard a series of chirps as the trio of Spartans walked into the Nightingales cargo bay. They quickly galloped down a flight of stairs and walked into a large room filled with crates and containers. As the trio walked among the sea of containers, the chirps soon became more numerous. Applebloom paused and looked at a container that stuck out, which had "Beware the stalkers" written on it with someones blood. The Spartans soon heard a loud, high pitched shriek as a strange necromorphs charged at the trio at unusually high speeds. Scootaloo shouldered her LWC and aimed down its holographic sight, shooting a few quick bursts at the creature, dismembering and killing it. The Spartans soon heard multiple other shrieks as many other stalkers ran out of the darkness, charging at the Spartans.

"Contacts! Lots of contacts!" Applebloom shrieked.

"Open fire!" Sweetie Belle ordered. The cargo bay soon erupted with gunfire as the three Spartans began mowing down the charging stalkers. But it seemed with every one that fell, three more took its place.

"We need ta get out'a here!" Applebloom called out.

"Agreed! Spartans, move!" Sweetie Belle ordered as she pulled out her grenade launcher and fired a grenade into the swarm of stalkers, resulting a hellish fireball. Scootaloo raised her LWC and fired a grenade from its 40mm grenade launcher into the survivors, killing off the majority of the stalkers. The trio quickly galloped through cargo bay, mowing down any necromorphs in their way. A legless necromorph crawled into front of the Spartans and spat acid at Applebloom, who barely managed to roll out of the way. Sweetie Belle raised her two SMG's and unloaded on the necromorph, dismembering it. Scootaloo quickly loaded another grenade into her underbarrel grenade launcher and fired it into the necromorphs that were massing behind them, which exploded in a large ball of orange flame.

"Over here!" The Spartans heard someone shout. They looked over their left and saw a young colt waving frantically to them. The trio quickly galloped past the colt, who shouldered his rocket launcher and fired two rockets into the necromorphs, killing the majority of them. He tossed it aside and galloped after the Spartans.

"Oh thank Celestia! Spartans! We're saved!" An older mare said as she stood up and walked up to the Spartans and the colt. She handed an assault rifle to the colt and smiled at him, before picking up a DMR that was leaned up against the wall.

"We thought everypony else was dead. We're here to rescue two O.D.S.T.'s that were deployed to investigate."

"As far as we know, everypony else is dead." The colt said. He offered his hoof to Sweetie Belle and cracked a smile. "I'm Isaac Colt. I was an engineer before everything went down the shitter. My friend here is named Carrot Top, she was in charge of our navigation."

Sweetie shook Isaac's hoof. "What happened here, Isaac?"

Isaac sighed and sat down. "I was in engineering when it started. I don't know what started it, but I think it may have been that thing we found... The Marker. At first, things were fine... until some of the crew started losing it. Then, the bodies in morgue mysteriously vanished, and people on the lower decks started going missing. Our Marine forces were sent in to investigate, and they were wiped out by the things. Soon after, they ran rampant throughout the ship, slaughtering everything in sight. Me and Carrot here were just lucky enough to survive."

"Is there more of those things?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Hundreds more... most of the humans were mutated into them. For some strange reason, ponies are immune to infection. Sadly... that doesn't stop them from slaughtering us." Carrot Top muttered.

"No shit! We were barely able to escape back there!" Scootaloo stated.

"Okay, so... where are these O.D.S.T.'s anyways?"

"The main armory." Applebloom said.

"That's the next deck up..." Carrot muttered as she and Isaac exchanged glances.

"What's the problem with the next deck up?" Scootaloo asked.

"That's where the ubermorph is." Isaac stated.

"What is an ubermorph?" Sweetie Belle.

"It is a type of necromorph that has regenerative abilities, so dismemberment will only slow it down." Isaac said. "I can slow it down further by using my stasis on it, but that will only add maybe ten or fifteen seconds to the clock. It's practically invincible."

"There is also many other necromorphs up there. It is one of the most dangerous decks of the Nightingale." Carrot Top said.

"Well, let's go." Scootaloo said, loading a fresh magazine into her LWC and walking out the room. The other ponies soon followed her.

"Alright guys," Sweetie began as they all entered an elevator, "here's the deal. Carrot Top, Applebloom, I want you two to get point. Scootaloo, I want you covering our flank. Isaac, you're with me in the middle. Let's move."

The elevator doors closed as the elevator quickly rose up a floor. The doors opened and Applebloom tossed a frag through the opening, killing a few waiting necromorphs in hellish firestorm.

"Move!" Sweetie ordered as the ponies filed out, weapons at the ready.

"Cle-" Carrot Top began to call out, before a bat like necromorph tackled her, impaling her through her forehead with its proboscis. Carrot screamed before she began to mutate, her bones snapping out of place, claws and blades replacing her forehooves. Scootaloo raised her LWC and shot off the legs of the now infected Carrot Top, before blowing her head off.

"I thought you said ponies were immune!" Sweetie Belle shouted at Isaac.

"I thought they were!" Isaac shouted back.

"Guys, we don't have time to bicker. We need to move!" Applebloom called out. Isaac and Sweetie Belle glared at each other before nodding.

"Alright, Applebloom, you got point, be careful." Sweetie Belle said. Applebloom nodded and trotted forward, shotgun at the ready. As the ponies continued forward, they heard a loud, shrill shriek coming from the darkness. A small necromorph, evidently what used to be an adolescent, charged at the ponies. Sweetie Belle raised her SMG's and fired two small bursts at it, quickly killing it. More shrieks errupted from the darkness as more them charged forward.

"Pack!" Isaac shouted as he raised his assault rifle. "Open fire! Kill them like you would kill a bugger!" Isaac aimed at the nearest pack member and fired a quick burst, mowing it to the ground. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo raised their weapons, firing in bursts like Isaac, killing the small necromorphs by the dozens. One of them managed to flank them, but Applebloom blew its head off with a blast from her shotgun. As the bodies started piling up, the small necromorphs evidently lost interest and fled. The ponies waited for more them to show up, before moving on a moment later.

"How much further to the armory?" Scootaloo asked Isaac.

"Were close, it should be down the hall..." Isaac said. Down the hall, there was a dim orange glow. As the ponies got closer, they began to smell smoke and burnt flesh. The group rounded the corner to see Backdraft holding off a mass of necromorphs using a flamethrower.

"Let's give him a hoof." Sweetie Belle said as she loaded a fresh clip into each of her SMG's and opened fire, mowing down necromorph after necromorph. Scootaloo raised her LWC and loaded a grenade into its grenade launcher. Backdraft, noticing this, dove behind a wall as Scootaloo shot it in the middle of the swarm, killing the majority of them. Applebloom and Isaac charged forward and mowed down the survivors. Sweetie Belle trotted up to Backdraft, who shot off a salute to the Spartan.

"You okay?" She asked.

"I'll be fine once I'm out of this hellhole." Backdraft muttered. "I'll get Nova." Backdraft ran into the armory, soon returning as he carried an injured Nova.

"Let's get out of he-" Applebloom began, before being interrupted by a loud, enraged roar. The ponies turned around to see a large necromorph walking slowly towards them, its five eyes glowing red in the darkness.

"Ubermorph..." Isaac muttered. "I'll handle it, you guys get out of here. I'll catch up."

"You heard him... let's move." Sweetie Belle said. As she passed by him, she took off her helmet and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you..." She whispered, before placing her helmet back on top of her head. Isaac smiled at her before shouldering his assault rifle, aiming it at the ubermorph. It released a loud, vicious roar as it charged towards the ponies. Isaac opened fire and dismembered each of its limbs. As it fell to the ground, it started writhing as its limbs started regenerated. A blue pulse shot out of a device on Isaac's shoulder, trapping the ubermorph in stasis.

"Go now!" Isaac shouted to the others. They rushed forward as the stasis cancelled out and the ubermorph started regenerating. It soon rose up off the ground, turning to give chase after the ponies, until several rounds from Isaac's assault rifle ripped through it. "Come get some!" Isaac shouted at it. The ubermorph charged at Isaac, as it chased him into the engine room.

"Do you think he's going to be okay?" Scootaloo asked Sweetie Belle as the group entered the elevator.

"Let's hope so..." Sweetie Belle muttered as the elevator door closed as it started to descend.

Isaac backed against a wall and ducked, saving himself from being decapitated. He rolled past the ubermorph, who swung its claw at Isaac, cutting a deep gash down his side. Isaac screamed out in pain and raised his assault rifle, firing a burst into the ubermorph's stomach. He jumped backwards, narrowly dodging a fury of swipes from the ubermorph. It lunged forward, swinging its blade at Isaac. Isaac blocked it with his assault rifle, but the force from the swing knocked the assault rifle out of his hand. It clattered on the floor and slid out of Isaac's reach. Isaac looked behind him, noticing their was only a large rotating fan behind him. He was cornered.

"Come on!" Isaac shouted at it. The ubermorph charged forward, swinging its claws widely in the air. As it closed in on Isaac, he quickly sidestepped to the left and bucked it with all his strength. The ubermorph stumbled backwards from the strength of the blow, suddenly tripping and falling into the fan, which ripped it apart.

"And stay down...." Isaac muttered. He trotted over to where his assault rifle was lying on the ground and picked it up, loading a fresh magazine into it.

"Dead Celestia..." Sweetie Belle muttered as the group walked into Hanger C. The hanger was filled with piles of corpses, with Surprise and Firefly standing proudly over them, weapons at the ready.

"Looks like you guys have been busy!" Scootaloo shouted to them. Firefly shrugged and walked up to them.

"Pelican is waiting and ready to go. Let's hurry." Firefly said. The ponies turned and started trotting towards the pelican, save for one. Sweetie Belle stayed in her place, waiting for something.

"Come on boss, we need to go." Scootaloo said.

"We have to wait for him... I know he is coming." Sweetie Belle said.

"Sweetie Belle... I'm sorry, but he's not coming." Scootaloo muttered, before dragging a struggling Sweetie Belle towards the pelican.

"Hey guys!" They heard a voice shout. They turned and saw a blood covered Isaac limp out of a nearby elevator. "P-planning on leaving without me?" Sweetie Belle ran up to him and hugged him.

"You're hurt." She said, wrapping one of her forelegs around him to support him.

"I'll live. Let's get out of here." Isaac said as the two slowly made their way to the waiting pelican. Scootaloo and Surprise helped them on board, as the pelican bay door closed behind him. The pelican rocketed out of the hanger into space.

"Captain. This is Sweetie Belle. The package is secure." Sweetie Belle said over her helmet radio.

"Roger that. See you in a few." Luna's voice replied, as the U.N.S.C. Equis passed by them, firing its MAC cannons and Archer missiles at the Nightingale and the Equestria.

Backdraft sat next to Nova, who was staring down at the metallic floor. He wrapped one of his forelegs around her and pulled her in for a hug.

"Are you okay, Nova?" He asked.

"I am now...." Nova whispered, snuggling into his chest. Backdraft allowed himself to smile and stroked her mane, as he was overcome by a warmth he felt only with one other filly before.