Colonel Rose Shard grumbled her way past various cameras and reporters as she continued to get used to her eyesight again. For the sake of the masses, she had been granted her sight by Princess Celestia a week prior and been given the chance to get used to it again, but the process was long and gave her regular headaches. Even with the buffer period before the televised event where Celestia herself granted the brave, sole survivor her eyes back, the amount of camera flashes nearly blinded the young pony a second time.

“Colonel Shard! Colonel Shard! Ink Blot, Canterlot Times.” a light blue unicorn interrupted, managing to get in her way, “It’s only been a scarce three weeks since you woke up, how does it feel to receive such an amazing gift from the Goddess herself for your heroic actions in the Crystal Kingdom?”

Usually, an officer, specifically a staff officer, of the GDI Armed Forces would conduct themselves with tact in a situation like this. No civilian pony would ever truly understand what she went through, or what any military pony went through. Unfortunately for this reporter, he was trying to interview an earth pony with a bit of a grudge against just about everyone.

“All of my friends are dead, most of my family is dead, and the only extraordinary thing I did in the Crystal Kingdom was not get killed by the orders of a damn unicorn.” she spat, pushing past the dumbfounded reporter on her way to the Timberwolf that had brought her from the hospital.

“Quite the statement, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were a bit angry at the old staff.” a black unicorn stated once she was inside.

“And you are?” she demanded, scowling at the stallion who was very obviously not her driver.

“GDI Intelligence, that’s all you need to know. I’m your driver for the trip back to the hospital, courtesy of Mr. Enigma.” he replied, starting the vehicle and pressing the accelerator.

“And what does ole’ horn-head want with me this time?”

“New orders straight from our mutual friend, top secret and all that jazz. How would you like to repay Nod for what they did to you? With interests.”
_______________

Strategy meetings were always a hassle. For Hyperion that used to be doubly so back when he was under the command of that imbecile, Trenderhoof. Oh how he had enjoyed culling that incompetent ass out of his command position.

Now that he was a Brigadier such meetings had become the regular type of annoying, the kind that, after a while, simply became routine.

“You can’t seriously believe GDI would do something so tremendously stupid.” he deadpanned as a holographic projection of the Mother of Shadows finished her report.

“That is what my Shadows have reported and I can assure you of the reliability of their findings.” Pallette retorted, “My department has ascertained the enemy is redeploying frontline units from their southern front to reinforce Baltimare, Las Pegasus, the Vanhoover front, and Canterlot itself. While they reorganize the front, their line is vulnerable. The Kodiak that’s supposed to reinforce the Appleloosa front is still days away. If we strike now, we will have a direct path through the Everfree Forest straight into the Ponyville Blue Zone, and from there Canterlot.”

The sounds of approval from all most of those present resonated within the Mareajevo War Room, hoof stomps echoing all over regardless of whether it was made by those who were present physically or holographically. The cacophony of cheers died down immediately however when the bald pony spoke up.

"Honor, glory, victory... so easily these words get melded together in the chaos of war... today, however, I am offering all three." said Kane, looking at his commanders.

Slavik was the first to reply. “I decline. Vanhoover may have fallen swiftly after the Crystal Kingdom fell, but this front is still far from secured.”

“I’m a little too busy as well, we’re all aware of the situation with Great Britmane’s latest naval incursion.” Rarity added.

Almost by turns, each commander present declined Kane’s most gracious offer, responsibilities throughout the world preventing them from grasping victory from GDI’s clutches. Hyperion could almost feel the eyes falling on him to take on the enemy.

“FOR THE MEMORY OF THE BUFFALO TRIBE” declared a thunderous voice, “I, ROLLING THUNDER, SHALL CRUSH THE ENEMY BEFORE OUR MIGHTY STAMPEDE!” said a mighty, maroon buffalo. Ah yes, Rolling Thunder; he never ceased to remind Hyperion of the Yaks in the north, and how they had managed to stay out of this whole mess by yelling at both GDI and Nod emissaries until they left. Probably the only winners in this war so far.

“EVA, what’s commander Thunder’s current position?” asked Kane, a map of Equestria soon projecting itself over the strategy table. His unit’s position was quickly highlighted as being at the Dodge City front, assisting Diamond Dog forces assaulting the city.

“Congratulations, son of Nod.” said Kane, “The honor of breaking GDI’s back falls upon you. Usually there would be a unit designated as the ‘dagger’ while you distract them with the sword, but this time… well, rather poetic that you would usher in the beginning of the end of the war with their own tactics, no?”

“YES MY LORD! WE WILL BRING DOWN THE HAMMER!” was the buffalo’s reply, obvious pride present in both his face and words.

As far as Hyperion was concerned, this was getting ridiculous. “If I may, milord. This smells like a trap.” he said flatly, getting inquisitive looks from all over. Across the room, the indignation was palpable as Pallette’s hologram was visibly hurt by the implication.

“My Shadows are the best operatives on the planet, Brother, they don’t bring me faulty information.”

“We’ll let GDI decide that.” Hyperion retorted with a sour look, getting an equally grim scowl from the mare.

“If we are all done, Brother Thunder, I believe you have a front to report to. Everyone else, you are dismissed… with the exception of you, Brother Hyperion, I’d like a moment with you.” Kane interjected, bringing the meeting to an abrupt halt. Quickly and orderly, every other officer left the office as the holograms of those not physically present disappeared in sequence, quickly followed by the security detail as well until the only ones left in the room were Kane and Hyperion.

“Did I overstep my bounds, sir?”

“Quite the contrary, Brother, I just needed this conversation to happen away from prying eyes and listening ears.” Kane replied, “Your roster is only at 80% last time I checked, correct?”

“... Yes, my lord. I still have a few hundred open spaces that I need to fill before we resume constant operations.” the brigadier stated after some hesitation; the simple topic had thrown him off-guard.

“And you refuse to pad your unit with militia forces… intriguing. Besides Rarity and Starlight Glimmer, you are the only other officer in the entire Brotherhood to use a ‘professional’ force with no irregulars.”

“Militia pressed on by Confessors were the other half of the equation that lost Trenderhoof the Battle of Baltimare… while I cannot deny the effectiveness of such units, they do not fit in with my tactical doctrine.”

“Which is why you need roughly 250 more soldiers for your battalion. Make no mistake, my friend, Pallette and I are well aware that this operation feels like and most likely is a trap, but you can’t separate the chaff from the wheat without a little force, now can you?”

“Sir…?”

“Our dear Mother of Shadows agrees that this is all a trap, but I ordered her to say otherwise during the meeting for the sake of identifying those who rely entirely on the intel network to make decisions and those who can actually use their brains.” Kane stated, gesturing to the empty chairs and blank screens, “You were the only one to question it, as I knew you would. You will take every Stealth Carryall you have and wait just outside the battle area, if you are right and Rolling Thunder gets overwhelmed by GDI’s preferred tactic, save all who deserve to be saved and recruit them. If it turns out that GDI really is as dumb as this sloppy redeployment implies they are, you’re on Dagger detail.”

“I understand, Messiah.” Hyperion stated with a bow, “What of Rolling Thunder should this battle turn into an ambush?”

“Make sure to use a GDI weapon when you keep him from boarding your transport, I’d hate for our top Shadow to find out that a fellow Brother executed one of the few remaining buffalo.”

“Your will be done, my lord.” the general added, nodding once more before he turned for the door.

“Oh and Hyperion… give my regards to your XO. It’s not every day that a Changeling gets ‘coronated’.”
_______________

When it came to orders from his superiors, Lieutenant Sandhorn was not the type to be particularly curious about the thought processes that governed the brass’ minds and ultimately resulted in his orders. That changed when Colonel Hook suddenly let them all know that instead of moving out to reinforce Canterlot, which in everyone’s minds had already been equated with a much deserved vacation, the 67th Armored Battalion would instead move out to the Front’s armpit, Dodge City.

“Nothin’ on scopes Platoon Lead.” said a voice over the radio.

“Roger that. Keep your eyes peeled for any movement. Don’t need Noddies knocking out our treads in the middle of nowhere.” replied Sandhorn.

His tank platoon was tasked with maintaining security as the tank company moved in conjunction with the rest of the battalion. For this purpose his platoon moved in a platoon echelon right formation on the company’s flank, his tank at the head of the group keeping eyes forward, two tanks in line behind his own with their turrets aimed towards their right covering the horizon, and finally the rearmost of the four tanks moving with its turret aimed to its rear.

“Think we’ll get some proper sleep once we get there, LT?” asked Sergeant Woodtooth, the tank’s gunner.

“Keep dreaming, sergeant.” Sandhorn replied, looking at the distant silhouette of Dodge City through the tank’s exterior camera. “Don’t know why you’re thinking about that though; beauty sleep’s only for the pretty.”

It was then that the tank’s EVA unit decided to make her presence known, as if anyone onboard had forgotten about its existence. Sometimes, just sometimes, they wished they did.

“New assignment received from Lieutenant Colonel Hook. 2nd Platoon, Company C, 67th Armored Battalion is to proceed to Dodge City Main Station, Platform 1-B. Uploading coordinates.”

Sandhorn sure was glad EVAs came with built-in map displays showing where he should go because he barely understood what all the longitudes and latitudes meant. Sure, he was trained to read them and find a location on a map, but that didn’t mean he understood how the damn system worked.

“Understood.” he said, opening the platoon channel to his other tanks. “Alright ladies, we’ve got a new destination once we hit the city.”
_______________

“Forgive my Prench sir, but this is some horseshit.”

General Stampede took the comment in stride.

“Your concern is noted Hook. The order comes from Ironsides himself, so unless you want to get on the old bruiser’s shitlist I suggest you colt the hell up and follow it.” said Stampede, his commanding gaze successfully making its way through the screen but not quite phasing the white unicorn. Hook had seen his fair share of combat and his formerly pristine white coat and usually well-kept blonde mane were both marred with well-earned scars. Even his horn had a few nicks and scratches on it from some close calls with Black Hand troops.

“I’ll take the risk.” said Hook indifferently, “Now, let me tell you something Chuck. This morning I got a visit from from a spook - a goddamn spook, tux and everything - telling me to ignore my redeployment orders and instead go to DC. Now, you know me, I don’t mind being at the front. Hell, if anyone has to command troops I want to be there to kick ass and get my boys and girls back safe. But when a goddamn spook with an extremely punchable face comes to my barracks, tells me to go against my official orders, and then tells me to put the lives of my troops in the hoofs of someone who skipped three pay grades after getting catapulted into becoming my superior, I will protest because this smells like some shady shit. All my respect to Colonel Shard for what she went through, but she does not have the experience or aptitude to command this battalion or any of the others I’m now being told you’re giving her reign over!”

“Which is exactly why I gave her yours as her core unit.” replied the General. “Don’t think the promotion came out of nowhere. We went through the surviving data our rescue teams were able to salvage from the Crystal Kingdom’s HQ. The force she took command of after the nuke hit had no chance whatsoever, but we did run the numbers and data through the EVAs. Were it not for Slavik dropping in personally to burn the place down, her forces would have left Nod with a couple of graveyards to fill before being taken out. Girl’s got guts and talent.” General Stampede’s grin soon became one of the few things Lieutenant Colonel Hook feared in life, “Congratulations, I’m assigning you as her XO. Give her whatever guidance she needs to get used to her new command role, then stand back.”
_______________

The Brotherhood’s R&D division was well known for their ability to take something good and then make it better. Such was the case with the infamous stealth generators, officially designated as Lazarus Shields. Originally built as massive power-hungry, building sized machines to keep the Brotherhood’s facilities and resources hidden before the war, miniaturization and power efficiency improvements had resulted in their adaptation into mobile platforms that permitted armies to move unseen and strike anywhere, at any time. This process never really stopped, with further advances allowing for the creation of a light, tank portable version resulting in the Mk. I Stealth Tanks, and eventually the far smaller Mk. IIs. This constant technological evolution now bore new fruits; a stealth generation small enough, light enough, and sufficiently energy efficient to be installed on an aircraft. Earlier in the war, a number of carryalls were equipped with older versions of the Lazarus Shield, sacrificing far too much space and carrying capacity to allow for any meaningful troop deployments to take place outside of deeply inserted shadow teams.

The Lightbender Shield changed that. The Brotherhood’s latest generation of carryalls had been equipped with these devices, allowing them to remain unseen and undetectable without sacrificing the aircraft’s precious cargo space or carrying capacity needed to ferry troops and equipment to combat zones. Another use Hyperion had found for them was using the ample space offered within to turn one such vessel into a flying, invisible, mobile HQ by simply adding all the equipment usually found either on base camps or command trucks.

At this particular moment however he wished he was on the ground in a buggy on his way to knock some sense into an overgrown buffalo instead of sitting on a flight deck waiting for takeoff.

“Listen to me, my operatives are already gathering data at the front. Delay the assault for a day, for only a day, and we’ll know whether this is really a trap or not.”

“YOUR PARANOIA BESMIRCHES YOU, HYPERION. OTHER COMMANDERS THINK OF YOU AS BRILLIANT, BUT YOU’RE NOTHING BUT A HESITANT TORTOISE COWERING IN HIS SHELL BEFORE A STORM!” replied Rolling Thunder.

“Well, one of us has to use his brain, might as well be me again… though I suppose that makes you the rabbit in this little race.”

“WATCH AND LEARN, PONY! WITNESS THE MIGHT OF THE BUFFALO!”

The holoscreen shut off immediately after. Buffalo were already hard to deal with given their prideful and stubborn nature, but Rolling Thunder was a particularly dense one to try to get to.

Hyperion sighed. There was nothing more to be done on that end. He would be hard pressed to carry out either of his orders if Rolling Thunder attacked soon. The good news was that the attack would commence in a little over ten hours, giving Hyperion just enough time to get there and set up his forces in preparation at the staging area. The bad news was that, if the assault took place ahead of schedule, his operatives wouldn’t be able to report back in time and as such they would have no idea whether this was a trap or not.

Kane may have given this assault his blessing, but that didn’t mean Hyperion approved. If this was a GDI blunder, the results would speak for themselves while they pushed towards Ponyville. If this was a trap though, the resulting loss of life and materiel would likely be unacceptable. Just like the concept of Nod’s militia forces, he despised such needless loss of life.

It was wasteful.

“Ahem”

Hyperion reached for his sidearm almost instinctually. Being as deep in thought as he was, he had failed to hear the compartment door open. However his posture and reaction became relaxed once he set eyes on the black, lithe figure before him.

“Mantis.” he said, acknowledging her presence.

With a sigh, the changeling shook her head.

“You know, I realized it’s actually pretty rare for us to meet personally. I thought you would be happy to see me.” she said.

“Why aren’t you on your transport with your troops?” asked Hyperion, his tone never changing from that of an officer to his subordinates.

“Because it was too cramped in there. I swear, the inside of my Tick is roomier than a carryall when it’s loaded.” she answered, “Besides, notice anything different, Hype?”

There was a momentary silence between the two, with Mantis’ expectant face growing gloomier the longer Hyperion remained without answering.

“Anything royal?” she added, giving him a wink before doing a half twirl, blowing the short skirt added to an officer’s uniform, displaying a plethora of Changeling cultural imagery and more than one small piece of jewelry.

“You looked better in your old uniform. Now you look like a Ladybug.” Hyperion quipped, making reference to the common nickname for Minor Queens.

“I am a Ladybug now, Hype! You were at my coronation for Kane’s sake!”

“Oh I know, but there are more important things to attend to than how good your flank looks in black… oh and Kane extends his most sincere congratulations, he’s glad to see that you’ve gotten your dues. Now then, since you are conveniently here let's get to the matters at hand.”

With the flick of a switch, Hyperion’s desk activated its holographic projector, displaying the contents of his monitor for Mantis to see.

“You last reported that our operatives had infiltrated the enemy lines fifteen hours ago. Have you heard any new reports from them?” he asked.

Mantis’ mood fluctuated slightly. On one hand Hyperion was acting the same as he always did, cold and calculating when in business mode. On the other, he had complimented her new status as well as how she looked in the new uniform so she could let his attitude slide.

This time.

For now, though, it was time to focus on the task at hand; breaking GDI’s back.

“Haven’t heard from all of them but current reports state irregular troops movement throughout the front. Units supposedly headed for Canterlot are nowhere to be seen on their expected route. A battalion-sized force was seen heading towards Dodge City, possibly to reinforce the city given the constant battle taking place there. A few other units have been seen moving across the Ghastly Gorge bridge in direction towards Los Pegasus. So far our intel is inconclusive but we should have a better idea of what’s waiting for us in a few hours.”

She studied Hyperion’s face for any sign as to what he was thinking.

“Good” he said plainly, “we might just be able to make this operation work then. Keep me informed.”

It was at that moment that Hyperion’s earpiece began buzzing, letting him know of an incoming call.

“Hyperion here.” he answered. For a brief second Mantis’ heart sank in terror as Hyperion’s jaw dropped and his eyes practically popped out of his skull.

“HE WHAT?!”
_______________

“Absolutely not!”

Rose Shard turned towards General Stampede, rage in her eyes at the prospect of what they were expecting her to tolerate.

“Colonel Shard, Lieutenant Colonel Hook is my best battalion commander on this front. He will serve as an adviser to all things relating to this theatre and provide strategic support as you require it. Isn’t that right, Colonel?”

“Yes sir.” answered Hook, giving a short nod before turning towards Rose Shard. “I await your instructions, ma’am.”

Rose Shard outright ignored him. “General, I formally refuse. Their incompetence has gotten our fellow Earth Ponies killed by the thousands. I won’t have such a hindrance under my command!”

“Orders are orders, Colonel. If you want to argue, take it to General Ironsides himself. I will leave you two to get acquainted.” said Chuck, his bodyguards following close behind as he left Shard’s new office in the Ruins HQ at the southern end of the Everfree Forest.

“I’ll level with you, LC… I don’t like unicorn officers. Unicorns? Not all bad ponies, but unicorn officers? They got most of my family and friends killed, and they are responsible for the absolute clusterfuck we find ourselves in now, so if you think for one Celestia-damn minute that I’m going to trust your ability without seeing it firsthoof, you’ve got another thing coming. You’re a unicorn, and more importantly, you’re a Blueblood. I think the name speaks for itself.”

“My idiot cousin got what he deserved and I’ve been saying that since the Blueblood Broadcast.” answered Hook, staring her right in the eyes. Those dead, unnatural eyes. “Since we’re being honest here, let me level with you as well. I don’t care if you’re my CO. Compare me to the incompetent, pampered, nepotistic bastard that got tens of thousands of ponies killed in a single battle again, and I will walk out of these ruins and take my troops with me. You may believe what you want, but I have led my troops to victory, and more importantly I’ve led them to safety, so wherever I go they will willingly follow and there’s not a damn thing you can do to stop me.”

As if to emphasize the point, the whole building shook followed by the resounding echo of explosions both near and far. The EVA unit in the office sprung to life, with Generals Stampede and Ironsides being displayed on a screen.

Both officers looked at each other, their respective EVAs, and then to each other again before speaking in unison.

“Truce.”

“That was quick.” said Stampede as ponies ran frantically on his background. How he had gotten back to his unit headquarters so quickly was anyone’s guess.

“To your stations, both of you.” Ironsides pitched in. “Nod’s taken the bait. Colonel Shard, now would be a good time to call in the ‘Cavalry’.”
_______________

Apple Bloom stared out at the stars for what had to be the tenth time that day. She still couldn’t believe where she was standing, and she had a harder time believing the mission she and her fellow Zone Troopers were about to undertake. Their orders were simple enough, land in contested territory, kill every Nod soldier they saw, and make sure the scientists had gear to look over when the fighting died down.

It was how they were all getting there that had her concerned and baffled at the same time.

For the past week, Apple Bloom, Jet Deck, and their entire platoon of Zone Troopers, the now-famous “First Class” under the call-sign Wolverines, had been aboard the GDI Orbital Defense Station Harmony. Originally just an Ion Cannon Cannon satellite, Harmony was the first of 10 planned Orbital Defense Platforms. She was meant to provide extreme-range fire support for any GDI unit within her operating zone courtesy of geosynchronous orbit and her sizable armament. Point Defense lasers to keep Nod’s nukes from reaching her, “ship-to-ship” railguns that could either take out another station in the event of capture or land a projectile on a target the size of an Ursa-class tank, and the Ion Cannon. While not available for use at the time because of Kane’s Ultimatum, Ironsides planned on making the weapons available again once all 10 stations were up and had full coverage of GDI territory.

For the time being, her most lethal armament was a platoon of Zone Troopers currently waiting to be sealed up by fireteam into Orbital Insertion Pods. From the launch bays oriented in a circle around the outer edge of the station, up to 20 pods could be launched simultaneously onto a location no bigger than a hundred square meters. Once construction was complete, there’d be a ring of armor around the drop bays nearly a meter thick, but for the time being a good portion of the installation was still scaffolding and half-completed areas still awaiting the refit.

Drop Troopers was initially part of ZOCOM’s version of the Zone Trooper program, meant to be dropped down into red zones where aircraft couldn’t penetrate ion storms after an Ion Projection Beam cleared the landing zone of Tiberium. From there, they’d clear their way back into a yellow zone or set up shop to start a long restoration and land reclamation campaign.

“Still hard to believe… always enjoyed lookin’ up at the stars, never thought I’d actually, y’know, be up where with’em.” Apple Bloom murmured to the stallion standing next to her.

“I’m still freaking out a bit over the whole ‘drop you from mid-orbit’ thing. That’s one hell of a long drop.” Jet Deck replied, his eyes focusing on a particularly large tiberium patch that could be seen from the observation deck that he and Apple Bloom were waiting in. For a few moments he let his thoughts drift into emptiness as he enjoyed the quiet before the storm they were about to cause, but quickly he brought himself back and looked over to his partner in crime as she spoke up.

“Platoon’s ready for the big drop, Staff, I went through the kits of the squad leaders ‘bout twenty minutes ago.”

“You know you don’t have to call me that, right?” Jet quipped, a playful smile dominating his muzzle quickly.

“Oh but where’s the fun in you becomin’ our platoon commander if I can’t tease you about it?”

“You got promoted too, darlin’.” the stallion sniped back, forcing a horrid drawl into his voice into that last jab before he felt her elbow plant itself firmly between a pair of his ribs. It wasn’t enough to knock the wind out of him but it definitely pulled his attention from his platoon sergeant and the planet to the pony in an all-black uniform standing behind them. How she had managed to do that while they were both in armor, he’d never find out.

“Something we can help you with, sir?” Jet inquired, looking over the new arrival.

“Things on the surface got a little heated a little too early, your timetable has been moved up. The platoon drops in 10.”

“Well then we better get a move on. Thanks.” Jet answered, nodding quickly to Apple Bloom before starting towards the launch bay himself.
_____________

The airlock hissed as the doors of the pod slammed shut and pressurized. Apple Bloom, Jet Deck, and three other ponies were all secured courtesy of multiple harnesses. The ride down was bumpy at best, so they all made sure that every restraint, buckle, and magnetic lock was where it should be and tightened down as far as it could go. Around the outer ring of the Harmony, another 40 Zone Troopers were doing the same, if this went off without a hitch, all 45 troopers would land safely on the ground and be able to do what they did best against Nod’s infantry and light armor.

“Everypony ready?” Jet Deck asked over the platoon frequency. A chorus of affirmatives followed shortly after and the pods all shook as the launch bay doors opened up.

Once the doors were open, each OIP was lowered into position just below the open hatch, dangling in hard vacuum so that when launched there was no chance of a pod causing damage to the station or being thrown off course by an issue with the doors. Apple Bloom brought up the external hull cameras onto her HUD and let out a low whistle at the sight of 9 pods just hanging there like misshapen and very deadly apples ready to fall on an unsuspecting Noddie’s head. With a shudder, the launch crane detached from each pod and left them drifting, barely moving relatively down due to the weak hold of gravity this far up.

A countdown appeared on every troopers HUD, starting from 30.

At 00:20, the boosters and maneuvering thrusters primed.

At 00:10, Apple Bloom extended a hoof towards Jet Deck and he responded in kind.

At 00:05, they locked hooves and synced up their internal helmet cameras.

And once the clock hit 00:00 the engines ignited.
___________

Havoc was having a hell of a time. Nod was pressing just like expected, armor was on the way to assist, and something that General Stampede had called “Death’s Angels” were on their way to the battlefield. The seasoned commando figured he meant aircraft or maybe an orbital strike from a railgun, but honestly at the time, Havoc couldn’t give a damn.

“They’re pushing! Pull back in pairs!” the pegasus barked, grinning slightly at just how organized a retreat they were managing. Last time he had seen GDI troops retreat en masse had been early in the war and it was more of a rout than anything else, but now he was seeing proper doctrine taking hold. Groups of ponies would lay down covering fire as a team in front of them pulled back to a good position. From there, the team that had run would provide cover for the ponies that covered them and then repeat the process until they hit the right phase line.

Of course, that was before somepony saw what looked like shooting stars heading straight towards the area of operation. Barely three months since the fall of the Crystal Kingdom and shooting stars had gone from beacons of hope and wonder to omens of death.

“Those nukes!?” someone called out on an open comm frequency.

“Hold steady!” Stampede’s voice cut through all channels as ponies started to panic, “Those are ours, and you’re about to see them hurt Nod a damn bit more than some flimsy nuke could!”

Havoc took the news and ran with it, rallying every pony within earshot and willing to have an open comm frequency with him, holding down the line as those shooting stars continued to get closer and closer. 9 stars continued to shoot towards the surface, breaching the atmosphere and glowing red with the intense heat of reentry. A few moments later, everyone along the front heard the sonic booms of the blazing pods breaking the sound barrier once they were in the atmosphere followed by every EVA along the GDI line making a matter-of-factly announcement.

“Zone Troopers inbound.”
___________

Bumpy was an understatement of the same caliber as “Nod won’t ever pose a serious threat” and “Celestia only eats cake in moderation.” Jet Deck and Apple Bloom held hooves for the entire trip through the atmosphere, still keeping an eye on the cameras mounted on the pods so they could at least enjoy the show should this drop be their last.

“Haven’t seen that much fire since I landed inside of a Flame Tank.” Jet deadpanned, trying to keep calm despite the circumstances.

“I think I was punchin’ a Black Hand to death at the time, you made me look pretty cool with the explosion in the background.” Apple Bloom replied, giving a smirk to her helmet’s internal camera for Jet Deck to see. “Think this entrance will be as dramatic?”

“I fail to see how it could be, AB, we’re the first ponies to be dropped from orbit.” the yellow earth pony deadpanned, grimacing slightly as the pod hit another bout of turbulence. “60 seconds to ground, inertial dampeners enabled.”

“Thank Celestia.” another trooper blurted out, getting a similar reaction from the rest of the ponies in the pod as the turbulence stopped completely. With how they had to decelerate after being punched through the atmosphere, the pods were fitted with inertial dampeners. With them in operation, the occupants wouldn’t feel anything other than a slight rumble in their hooves when the pod slammed into the ground and broke its magical shield. The only drawback was that the power source wasn’t refined yet and could only be activated when they were nearly to the ground, otherwise the crystals powering the dampeners and shields would fail before landfall and those inside the pod would have damaged armor when they entered the battle.

“30 seconds Troopers! Let’s show Nod why they don’t buck with the Wolverines!” Jet barked into the platoon channel. The chorus of cheers that followed would keep him smiling well into the party they were about to crash.

The countdown timer continued to tick down right next to the altitude meter inside their HUDs and the cheering stopped. These last few seconds before an engagement were always quiet. Every Zone Trooper took them to center themselves, do a last check of their gear via their helmet visor, and if necessary, psych themselves up to engage jet boosters and start taking the fight to Nod in a way that only a power-armored soldier could.

The pods made landfall, huge plumes of dirt and dust were kicked up into the air and the fighting along the line came to a complete halt. Neither side could get proper firing lines on the other and with all the dirt and debris freshly sent into the air, no one wanted to risk friendly fire, not even the militia.

Along the line, 35 Ursa Tanks exploded as EVA-guided railgun rounds pierced their armor and ignited their magazines. Another 10 lost control as the rounds penetrated but instead of hitting the magazine, bounced around inside and turned the tank crews to pulp. Too shocked to respond, the Nod line kept from firing their weapons as the fog of war started to clear.

Standing out in front of 9 Orbital Insertion Pods were 45 Zone Troopers, armor-mounted railguns charging again as their .50cal secondary weapons were brought to bear on the exposed Nod line. Safeties clicked off, Jet Deck gave the order, and 45 armored death machines started mowing down any Nod bastard in sight.