Starbound Ascension: The Next Generation

Chapter Fifteen A: The Fallout of New Echo

Nelly and her team jumped to the UPF sector to their planet of New Echo. It was a heavily irradiated planet with plenty of mutated flora and fauna. Her team were all equipped with airtight armor, integrated gas masks, and even had their tails wrapped in bulletproof resilin to keep the whole group protected from the radiation that still lingered on the planet for thousands of years. Nelly's team was made up of Prelude, Fragarach, Slashwing, Blossom, Wishful, Umbra, and Blue Circuit.

As Blossom landed the dropship at the UPF New Echo Outpost she noticed a large tower that broadcasted a sort of radio signal that scrambled the native animals away from the base. As they all departed they noticed none of the UPF troops had any protection from the radiation.

“Say Nelly, why don't these UPF troops have hazmat suits?” Blossom whined her engines down as she hopped out.

“I have no idea. That can't be safe.”

“Oh no,” Prelude spoke up, “Pokemorphs evolved from this radiation. As a result their whole species is immune to the effects of prolonged gamma exposure. I read it in a book once.”

“Don't you always read books Mr. Prelude?” Strella came up behind the group and gave them hugs. She was positively glowing with radioactive waste and dirt from her recent scouting mission. Her clothes were less than that of a professional soldier and more like that of a native wastelander. Her ragtag getup served to blend in with the native people that called this wasteland home.

“Oh hello there Strella! I didn't recognize you there with the...” Prelude paused as he gave a look of slight disgust to her dirty mercenary clothes.

“You look like hammered shit,” Blue Circuit joked bluntly. Strella chuckled and smiled.

“And that is what I'm looking for. I gotta blend in with these-” Strella looked back and forth before whispering to them, “degenerates. Honestly why would anyone want to live in this filth?”

“I thought you didn't like to get your paws dirty?” Nelly walked next to Strella as they entered the command tent.

“I can but I just don't prefer it. But seeing as I am a soldier I really don't care. It's part of the job. Now! Onto business!” Strella waved to Q, Mitch, and Ally gathered around a map, “Sup faggots!”

“Yo! Glad you could make it NGJSF!”

“NGJTF mate,” Nelly corrected him.

“Sorry. Gotta get used to that. Anyway we got reports of a Pulsar cell operating in one of the old human vaults left over from their extinction in our universe. Vault 298. Used to be a whacked up place where they had their unmentionables experimented on. Some of our species believes that is the vault we came from.”

“Wait, so the Pokemorph race was a genetic experiment for the long dead humans in THIS universe and not ours right?” Nelly asked.

“Yup. This vault was contained vats of the so called Forced Evolutionary Virus. A more refined version eventually made us, the Pokemorphs. Or at least that's what their old records say. Not much left after their wars I'm afraid. I listened to one recording uploaded to our internet where it said the Pokemorph race was supposedly the legacy of mankind. Somehow in the other universe they survived their wars but didn't make us as a result of their timeline though. This is why we share such good relations. My species sees the human race as creators and is willing to help them with their flaws and in return we get cheap, high quality outsourcing from the EUF conglomerate. Sorry, guess I'm yapping too much,” Mitch pointed a thumb to the four armored hover jeeps, “We'll take the Type 23 Kodas. Strella and I will drive but Q and Alyssa will take a Qb-1 Venomoth ATV for a stealthy insertion. We don't wanna get caught until we get close to the vault otherwise they'll seal the door shut and call in reinforcements. Pile in guys!”

“Gotcha. Blue, you man the turret of Strella's jeep. I'll take the one on Mitch's,” Nelly ordered as they all embarked in their vehicles. As the engines lifted their jeeps above the ground a low humming could be heard from the grav-lift panels underneath. As they moved forward the sound went from a low hum to more of a soft whine roughly the same amount of noise as a regular car engine. The two turret mounted miniguns swiveled back and forth as Nelly and Blue scanned the horizon.

Slash, the cyborg pegasus looked out at the landscape of the planet, “Reminds me of home.”

“How so?” Blossom asked.

“All this sand and rock. Reminds me of my days as a miner for RMco. I left Equus to venture into space and work with some mercenaries. Turns out they had other plans and turned me into this monster,” Slash shook his head.

“Well, you aren't a monster. Why should we threat you any different all because you just have some parts wielded onto you? In fact, it probably makes you somewhat better than a lot of us. Half pony half machine. At the end of the day what's matters is that you're alive. We live by Celestia and Luna's grace afterall,” Blossom started to show her perky side inherited from her mother.

“I guess,” Slash dismissed the idea and caught something in the distance, “Say, what is THAT thing?”

“That bipedal crab? It's called a Mirelurk. They're mutant horseshoe crabs and they taste delicious,” Mitch licked his lips, “Out here on New Echo we hunt critters like that for fun and profit. Mirelurk meat is one of the most sot after delicacies in the UPF, same with Sky Whales. It's a dangerous job. Out here in the wasteland it's kill or be killed. This planet is also one of the only planets in the UPF where anarchy roams free thanks to the heavy rads and the electromagnetic interference. Bands of raiders and crazies are out there willing to prey on anyone. Really, this is the only planet we have where our true evil resides. Oh, and I hope you aren't allergic to bees!”

Mitch full throttled to run over a giant wasp that tried to cross the road. He parked the jeep and got out.

“Disembark! I want all of you in a perimeter!” Mitch gave his order.

“What the hell is THAT?!” Nelly recoiled in disgust.

“Cazador! It's what our past space fighters were named after. Giant, deadlier versions of old tarantula hawk wasps,” Mitch cut open the giant bug to remove its venom sack, “There we go! That's a lot of good money right there. Strella's mom always needs these.”

“What in Celestia's name are you going to do with that?” Nelly looked at the pulsating organ and turned away.

“It's how we make our advanced biofoam. The venom of the Cazador is good for eating away any dead cells for the binding agents of our medicine to repair once refined,” Mitch gave the sack to his cousin, “There you go. Mind the stinger.”

“Um, are those more of those Cazador thingies?” Blossom looked on top of a cliff face all lined with the giant wasp nests.

“Oh, fuck...” Mitch made no sudden movements, “Get to the car. Now!”

“Nelly, I count two, no, three dozen of them crawling on that cliff wall!” Prelude reported in as he scoped in with his rifle.

“Man the minigun! If those things sting you even once you're dead!” Mitch slammed the door to the Type 23 and Nelly took her place on the turret, “GTFO! Just keep firing Nelly!”

“Trying!” Nelly and Blue Circuit poured out the bullet hoses as the wasps gave chase. One of them managed to grab Nelly out of her turret and lifted her into the air.

“SHIT!” Prelude kicked his door open and took his Creber rifle in one hoof, “Hold her steady!”

The rough road made the jeep bounce back and forth even with its hover technology. Prelude leaned out of his open door and fired, the bullet impacting the abdomen of the Cazador, “Got it!”

Blue Circuit jumped from his turret and used his boost jump to catch Nelly in mid fall. He boosted back to his jeep and laid Nelly down, “You okay?”

“Fine! Just a little shaken. I'm not stung or anything. Celestia damn, thanks Prelude!”

“No problem. Looks like we're out of the danger zone.”

“That was close,” Mitch sighed.

“MITCH! THERE'S A DEATHCLAW AHEAD!” Strella yelled into her radio.

“OH what the fuck?!” Mitch swerved right as the monstrous reptile swung one of its massive claws. The armored door of the jeep was completely ripped off by the force and the Koda jinked violently, “Son of a bitch! I hate those things! Damn the jeep's disabled!”

“It's coming back!” Alyssa and Q drifted to a stop next to the two hoverjeeps, “Focus fire on it now!”

“I got this!” Prelude took to the dirt and scoped in. Stable in his prone position he fired an armor piercing 14.5mm slug into the chest of that creature. The Deathclaw only staggered from its leaping gape, “What the hell?!”

“Those things can take out a tank! We need to focus all fire on it now!” Mitch pulled the rocket launcher from his back and took aim, “Clear my backblast!”

Five rockets erupted from his RPG-290 with four of them boosting forward at high speed. The initial four impacts staggered the Deathclaw again and the fifth impacted at its feet. The scaly, ravenous killing machine still stood.

“SHIT! Why is nopony shooting! Kill this fucker!” Mitch threw his launcher to the ground and pulled his AEK-2143. With a G-diffused recoil mitigator canceling out his recoil he put shot after shot into the Deathclaw yet it still charged forward. The rest of the NGJTF and Frostbite opened fire. The Deathclaw was torn to pieces only after Blossom made sure her RPGs did hit.

“That THING took two rockets, scores of bullet and plasma wounds, and five shots from an anti-materiel rifle to take it down? Sweet filly Luna what the hell is on this planet?” Nelly shook again.

“Jeep is toast. It's okay, we're near the vault anyway. But, something about this Deathclaw isn't right. Take a look at that thing on it head,” Mitch looked over the carcass, “It's a control device. With a Pulsar emblem on it! Looks like they're turning New Echo mutants into their own bio-weapons. And somehow they've managed to genetically engineer this Deathclaw with a thicker hide without sacrificing speed.”

Strella came forward and took a picture followed by a skin sample, “My mom should analyze this ASAP. Looks like the Pulsar has some deep ties to some UPF bio-engineering. Next thing we know they're gonna blame my mom next for working with these terrorists.”

“How's your dad by the way?” Nelly asked, remembering what happened to Strella's father.

“He was proven innocent. Had he been proven guilty it was off to the firing squad with him. Thank Arceus you helped to get the evidence we needed. You saved my dad's life and our company as well,” Strella expressed her thanks.

“Anytime. Glad to know I wasn't thrown under the bus for no good reason,” Nelly smiled, “Squad! Keep a sharp eye out for any hostiles or creatures. Stay close!”

“Roger Miss Nelly!” her squad all followed in formation with Frostbite leading the way.

As they approached the vault they could see Apex and Avian soldiers moving crates to and from strange VTOLs. They were all in Pulsar Militia hazmat suits with the flag of their own nations on their backs. Frostbite and the NGJTF looked on at their operation from the hilltops.

“Looks like they're loading something into those Vertibirds,” Mitch scoped in with some binoculars, “Hold on! Those are Rivers Manufacturing crates! Energy weapons and aircraft parts. Something isn't right.”

“Mitch take a look at the Vertibird on the right. UPF Bio-Medical crates. Looks like we got a sleeper agent embedded in my dad's company,” Strella noticed the crates of equipment being hauled off.

“Who do you think it is?” Nelly asked.

“No clue, sooner we get down there the sooner we can hopefully find out,” Strella sighed, “Let's go! Those guards don't know we're coming so let's split up into two elements and setup a double overwatch ambush.”

“Got it, NGJTF take the left flank, Frostbite's got the right,” Nelly gave her orders, “Prelude you post up with Alyssa and provide sniper fire. The rest of you on me! Let's try to keep a low profile until the snipers kick things off.”

They all ran off to take up positions in a pincer move to surround the remaining guards as the Vertibirds took off. Concealed in their cover and ready to strike Nelly gave the word to Prelude.

“Take the shot.”

Prelude relaxed his body and held his breathe. His heart rate slowed and he timed the trigger squeeze right in between his heartbeats. The massive anti-materiel round took out two of the guards standing in line with the bullet piercing through them both. As the remaining Pulsar scrambled for cover Frostbite and the NGJTF jumped up from their cover and gunned them down flawlessly with no trace of an alarm.

“We got it! We're in!” Mitch radioed out.

“Guys! Party's not over!” Alyssa noticed the two Vertibirds turn back and deployed their weapons from internal bays, “VTOLs are coming back!”

“Shit! You guys got any anti-air?!” Mitch asked around.

“Blossom you better have some!” Nelly yelled to her squadmate.

“I only have my unguided RPG-45! Didn't think we'd need the AA!”

“Fuck it! I'll take matters in my own hooves! Wishful we need a bubble shield now!”

“Got it!” Wishful Fun concentrated hard to envelope them in a protective dome shield that deflected the explosions from the Vertibird's rockets. As the two tiltrotors flew over Nelly grappled out to one of them with her rotor blade sword drawn. She used her momentum to slice one of the door gunners in half as she boarded the plane. She bucked the other gunner out of the open cargo bay and thrust her giant sword into the pilots chair, killing the crewman. She threw the body out of the seat and jumped out.

“This is Nelly! First gunship is down!” Nelly slowed her decent at the last minute with her thrusters, “Dammit! The other one is circling back around! It's too high to grapple!”

“Crap! If only we had-” Alyssa was interrupted with her radio. Three rapid beeps followed by a roar of G-defused engines above.

“This is Squadron Seven of the Cornerian Defense Force! Looks like you guys need some air support!” Xzayvoir Oynx came through the UPF channel.

“Copy that Shadow One! Enemy gunship is pounding us apart down here!” Mitch radioed back out, “Take em out for us!”

“Solid copy! Squadron Seven! Engage!” Xzayvior and his team flew over the wasteland in their Z-38 Blitzers roaring past the enemy Vertibird with their homing lasers impact sending it crashing to the ground. The Arwing-like fighters seamlessly landed in VTOL mode and their pilots all hopped out, “So! We finally get to work with the legendary NGJSF. Nice to meet you guys in person, or should I say pony.”

“Pleased to meet you as well, nice hazmat suits,” Nelly smiled to the help that arrived.

“Thanks, this is my team: Christine, Zander, Aaron, Lenny, and Max. Fox, fox, rhino, komodo, and wolf respectively.”

“Alright, let's not waste any time then,” Nelly ordered her squad to group up.

“Now let's breach open this vault!” Mitch also gathered his squad as they entered the cavern to find the vault door wide open, “Good! Our surprise attack left the door open. Strella! Lock the controls!”

“Gotcha! Vault door is locked wide open! Make way for the red carpet,” Strella pulled the lever to the control panel of the vault setting it to lock open.

Nelly rounded up her squad and posted up to breach into the vault, “This is gonna be some confined spaces. Check your corners and don't bunch up on doorways! It'd be easier if only one or two of our squads came in while the rest guard the door.”

“We'll post up here! Besides it's your time to shine NGJTF!” Q winked to them, “The squad and I will call in reinforcements to secure the entrance. You and the Sevens go in!”

“Copy that, squad! BREACH!” Nelly gave her orders. Blossom rugged her C4 charges onto the airlock doors.

“Stand back! Breaching!” Blossom blew open the doors and the ponies rushed in. Pulsating plasma fire greeted their arrival. Frag, Blue, and Wishful combined their magic into a riot shield which they used to press forward. The two pulsar guarding the airlocks were knocked into the walls with two mighty swings from Nelly's rotor blade sword and Fragarach's greatsword.

“Tangos down!” Nelly yelled, “Sevens you are free to move!”

“Copy! Aaron you are up!” Xzayvoir smirked and signaled for his rhino friend to come to his aid. The massive EOD suited anthro soldier armed with a minigun lurched forward with barrels spinning with glee.

“Suppressin'!” Aaron gave a jolly laugh as the multi-barrelled weapon cut through the metal walls with armor piercing bullets. The boisterous giant continued to laugh as his squad cleaned up house.

“An EOD suited rhino with a minigun... What else can be more terrifying?” Blossom scoped in with her airburst grenade launcher to take out some enemies around a corner using her smart grenades, “Ha! Got em!”

“Great work Blossom! Honestly to answer your question maybe an Epanterias with a portable nuclear launcher?” Prelude was forced to use his RE-45 machine pistol in the confined spaces. With the others covering him he managed to take down his share of enemy soldiers, “Room cleared! Say, these guys are all Avians.”

“You're right, Lylat has had trouble with these guys before, mostly because they can blend into our ranks as bipedal birds. And take a look at this,” Christine the fox, Xzayvoir's second in command and the CQB expert of the group started to examine some of the bodies, “These guys are dressed in their native uniforms of the Kluex Sovereignty. But with Pulsar shoulder pads.”

“One last room guys! Looks like the head honcho's office,” Nelly pressed herself near the edge of the door, “Anyone got a flashbang?”

“Got one better,” Umbra tossed her an arc grenade, “No hard feelings about Jet?”

“None at all. I'm not the one to hold a grudge,” Nelly winked as she tossed the grenade into the room. The incapacitating electricity shocked the enemy leader into submission, “ON THE GROUND NOW!”

They rushed in and Nelly planted a firm hoof onto his face. His purple helmet rolled to the side and exposed his face of greying feathers. Nelly gasped.

“Okay! I may not hold a grudge, but I will for this guy! It's fucking Vanu!”

“Took you long enough you stupid ponies...” Vanu mouthed off before getting thrown onto the wall from Nelly's giant sword, “Argh!”

“Zip it you old cunt! Remember me?”

“T-That face! You, you're that teal pony's kid! And-I think that other pony, the white one with blue hair!”

Nelly smirked, “You tried to kill my mom and dad once. They send their regards.”

Nelly knocked him out with a good punch in the face.

“So this is the bird responsible for organizing terrorist attacks on both Lylat and the UPF?” X took a look at their captive, “He's just an old man.”

“That old crow is responsible for the deaths of thousands of ponies. Used to lead a special forces group called the Pony Eradication Forces. Now it looks like he's just a washed up senile bird,” Rush join in the discussion, “This was the guy who planned the attack on New Ponyville when it was first built. Nearly killed me and Jet when we were babies. I... Still remember being trapped under that rubble.”

“Feel free to take a crack at his ugly mug Rush, you deserve it,” Nelly lifted up the unconscious body.

“No, let's not waste time. Allow us to take him into Equestrian custody.”

“Well, we want this guy too! If you hand him over the the UPF or us, we'll pay you kindly. What do you say? Hand him over the Lylat.”

“Hell nah! The UPF wants this guy dead. You put a bullet in his brain and we'll sweeten the deal!” Strella radioed out.

“Well guys?” Nelly asked her squad.

“I say we keep him. He's done a number on your species and we should be the ones to get even,” Rush nodded. The rest of them agreed.

“Alright then,” Nelly restrained Vanu's hands and proceeded to exit the vault, “Mission complete on our end! We got the Pulsar leader in the bag and the UPF forces are inbound.”

“Solid copy Nelly! Solid execution. Now get out of there.”

“Hold on Ship, this place,” Nelly paused as she turned her weapon mounted flashlight all around the facility, “Looks like a bio-engineering lab of some kind. They repurposed the vault for their experiments. Looks like some of these tanks are long evacuated.”

“Whatever they were up to, we stopped it now. Head home Nelly mission complete. RTB.”