Starbound Ascension: The Next Generation

Chapter Twenty B: Red October's Hunt

“Okay! We are entering Stalliongradi airspace now comrades!” Red looked to the back of his dropship with Scratch, Hornet, Piggle, Umbra, Wishful, Blue, Glitzy, and Jet Stream locked into their seats ready for the invasion. Off to their left and right wings were the aces of Nimbus Squadron from the NLRS Fairview 2.

“Roger that! This is where we break off,” Cirrus radioed back from her Hornet, “Nimbus on me! We'll soften up their air forces so the Stallies can come in with the airborne assault to take back their city. Good luck Red! Celestial speed!”

“Spasibo! I tebe udachi,” Red wished them luck and broke off from the flight. Two other fighters came up right behind them to escort them to the mainland.

“Eto VVS Rossii 172- yu istrebitel'nuyu eskadril'yu takticheskogo. My zdes', chtoby soprovozhdat' vas,” the Stalliongradi pilot radioed out to the dropship as his SU-48 came up to escort them.

“Eto kapitan Krasnyy Oktyabr' Organizatsii Ob"yedinennykh Equuskii prostranstvo Force NGJTF. My dolzhny vstretit'sya s vozdushno-desantnykh voysk dlya provedeniya operatsiy, chtoby vernut' gorod,” Red announced that they were to meet up with the airborne forces to retake the city.

“Rodzher, letat' na vektor 0-9-7 150 kilometrov. Vy ne mozhete propustit' platsdarm,” The pilot told him to fly east roughly 150 kilometers to meet up with the Stalliongradi forces.

“Spasibo tovarishch!” Red October radioed out one last time to thank him for the escort. A few minutes of flight and they arrived at the massive staging area for the main assault of Stalliongrad. Various reverse engineered human Soviet and Russian vehicles and weapons gathered here for an airborne drop to take back the city plus a few rather unique twists made by the Stalliongradi military, “Okay! We're touching down now. The commander of the base will meet us on the helipad!”

As the dropship landed and they all filed out a grey pegasus stood to greet them with guards left and right. He smiled as he saw Red October step out. He couldn't forget the look of his son anywhere.

“Priyatno videt' vas snova, syn!” he held out his arms and gave Red a big bear hug.

“Everyone, this is my father. General Peace Walker. He is the man who has trained me from birth to be a proud soldier for the motherland!”

“And what I fine son I do have,” Walker smiled and spoke with a much thicker Slavic accent than his son but in more complete sentences, “But I have some bad news. The Pulsar Militia have taken your mother Red.”

Red grit his teeth and growled with fury, “How dare they?! First they defile my homeland, destroy innocent lives, and now take my own mother away from me?! This will not stand father!”

“No it will not. They need her alive to manufacture their own nuclear arms as she is Luna's personal nuclear engineer. Although the Pulsar's technology is advanced I've heard that only top level military personnel from the UPF have access to nuclear technology. I've done my intelligence work, thanks in part to our KGB operatives working with United Equus and the Coalition,” Walker noticed Passion as she rubbed up on Red, “Son, care to introduce your mate that I've heard so much about?”

“Da otets! This is Passion. Passion this is my father General Peace Walker.”

“Hello there um... General,” Passion saluted with a hint of shyness in her voice.

With a judgmental glare shot right at Passion the General inspected her like he would a new recruit. This made Passion all the more uncomfortable with the General's gruff appearance.

“Ona vsegda eto stesnyat'sya?” Walker asked his son.

“Da, no ona byla pechat' VMS,” Red replied, “Ona takzhe olimpiyskiy plovets.”

“Da, da,” Walker nodded, “Okay! You pass. If you happen to meet my son's mother just be prepare that she isn't as lax as I am.”

“I'll... Keep that in mind,” Passion's tail was tucked in between her legs and she started to paw at the ground, “So aren't we supposed to launch soon?”

“You will see the might of the Red Bear. Comrades!” the General got up onto a tank and yelled to his men. The ponies of Stalliongrad lifted their weapons in a cheer. The General continued, “Today we take back our home! Today we will drive out the alien incursion and cement this day in the proud history of our motherland! Join me brothers and sisters of Stalliongrad! Join us into the fray!”

The thunderous applause from the troops echoed throughout the base. The roar of tank engines and the sounds of the many hundreds of planes and helicopters soaring overhead in the distance gave them a vibe of pure military might. Red looked at his father and admired his fevered speech.

“So father, you have us at your command. Where would you like us?”

“Go with the next flight taking off. I'm sure you'll enjoy the company. Please, take back our glorious homeland.”

“I will father,” Red bowed in respect before embracing his father. He turned back to his team as they boarded one of the cargo planes. Among the faces of the tightly packed aircraft Red saw a few friends from long ago, “Artyom? Dimitri? Natasha?”

“Krasnyy? Red is that you?” Natasha smiled, “Eto bylo tak davno, drug.”

“Da da!” Red patted her back and laughed, “Everyone! This is my old squad!”

“Glad to see you enjoying yourself in United Equus military Krasnyy,” Artyom gave a pat on Red's helmet as his Kalash fell to the floor, “Will you get that comrade?”

“Here, I got it,” Passion reached down and handed the black furred stallion his AK.

“I hear you are Krasnyy's new girlfriend. Is that true?” Artyom chuckled, “You look tiny.”
Passion lifted an eyebrow as she threw the Spetnaz soldier to the floor in an arm lock, “FYI: I'm a Navy SEAL thank you. Shy I may be, but I can still kick your ass if you fuck with me.”

Passion winked as she let go of the Slavic pony.

“Artyom, you never were good with the ladies!” Dimitri laughed as the plane took off.

“Zatknis' Dimitri,” he jokingly told his friend to shut up.

“So Red, mind if you introduce your old crew?” Scratch raised her hoof to get Red's attention.

“Da, Artyom is the dark pony. He's the grenadier. Dimitri is the one in blue with red hair. He's the machine-gunner and cook for the team. His borsch is amazing!”

“Only the finest beets and sour cream for my recipe. You should all try it sometime!”

“Soup sounds good right now in this weather,” Wishful shivered in the metal hull of the plane, “It's cold man!”

“Hey Glitzy and JS, weren't you two 82nd Airborne?” Scratch turned her head to her squad mates seated next to her.

Glitzy and JS flashed the patches on their shoulders, “You bet! Jumping out of planes is what we did. This reminds us of training and it's a blast.”

“Well comrade, this is real now. Expect all sorts of shit when we enter the AO,” Natasha chambered her KSVK as her thick accent echoed in the radio as the booming engines of the plane made them switch to their headsets.

“Oh and I forget,” Dimitri whistled for one of the animal handlers in the plane. On a leash of one of their friends was an armored war bear that was covered head to toe in kevlar plating. It roared with fury as the beast was let go and charged at Red.

“RED!” Passion shrieked before the bear pounced on her boyfriend playfully and started to lick the red pegasus.

“Hahahaha! Bozkov! Bozkov you remember me!” Red hugged the giant fluffy armored animal as it dug into his pocket to pick out a ration tin. With a loud crunch the bear squished the can open and started to lick the food off the ground, “Good boy Bozkov! Still as clever as ever.”

“So let me get this straight. You had a bear?” Passion looked at him confused.

“Heh, sorry I never told you. The Stalliongradi military employs trained war bears for use like attack dogs. But really more for psychological warfare reasons,” Red was licked again by Bozkov, “He’s very friendly. Only kills when we tell him to. Most of time he just paralyzes enemy troops with sound amplified roar.”

“Well, Fluttershy has a bear for a pet back in Ponyville. I don’t think it’s all that weird,” Piggle shrugged.

“Yeah, I’ve seen weirder,” Umbra agreed with her brother. She looked out of her window to see a flight of blimps right under them as they passed by in their cargo plane, “What in the world are those blimps doing here?”

“Surely you have heard of the fabled Kirov airships comrade. Clad in titanium, as armored as a main battle tank, and as powerful as any conventional bomber aircraft. When speed isn’t a concern you turn to Kirovs for assured destruction. With Equestria’s guided bombs, they’ve become even more deadly,” Natasha smiled at the large formation of Stalliongradi aircraft all formed up in the clouds, “Equuskii forces are also flying with us today I see.”

The loudspeakers of the cargo plane started to ring out with a song. A smile shined on Red’s face and some of the soldiers in the cargo bay started to hum along as well.

“The red bear has awoken my friends! We will take back our land!” Red victoriously stood on top of the tank in the middle of the cargo bay. The red alert in the cargo plane started to blare as the doors opened. The crew of the T-100 MBT boarded their vehicle and pumped their hooves in
the air with Red October cheering them on. Two crewponies detached the cables of the vehicle and the tank rolled out of the back. Three large parachutes deployed from the tank to slow its descent to the ground.

“Razvertyvaniye! Razvertyvaniye! Go go go!” the crew chief of the cargo plane signaled to all the troops to follow the tank. They all got up and filed out of the plane under heavy anti aircraft fire. Just as the last of the NGJTF jumped out the plane was hit with a missile and exploded with almost all of the ponies caught inside. By sheer luck the NGJTF and the Spetnaz squad managed to survive along with three other airborne soldiers as well as Bozkov the bear.

“Holy shit! Did you see that?” Blue Circuit looked up at the flaming wreck as it plowed into the ground below.

“Doesn’t matter comrade! We fly into battle! Not one step back!” they all joined in their HALO jump formation and deployed their parachutes as they neared the ground. Several of them were blown off course and landed in the trees northeast of their intended town.

“Krasnyy here, Dimitri, Artyom, Natasha?” Red radioed out as he cut himself free of his harness. Passion landed right beside him and was tangled in a tree.

“Krasnyy, our squad lead, Reznov, is dead. His parachute failed to deploy.”

“Der’mo!” Red swore, “Dushka! Are you okay?”

“Just tangled. I’m not choking or anything. Can you cut me out?”

Red smiled as he flew up to his girlfriend and cut her out of her chute. He ruffled her mane as he handed her helmet to her.

“Thanks sweetheart. Where are we anyway?” Passion crouched down and laid low in some bushes as they got their bearings.

“Northeast of the city of Chernogorsk. The Pulsar have taken all of the province of Chernarus. This was where I would spent my summers with my mother…” Red sighed sadly.

“Hang in there. Yo! Any of you made it on the ground?”

“Scratch here! Hornet and I are okay. Blue is with us as well.”

“Wishful here. Glitzy, JS, and I are all together. I got hurt but it's just a fleshwound. Glitzy patched me up. Exactly why do we have three medics?”

“Guess Jump Jet forgot his squad needed one. I hope they are okay,” Red sighed again, “Everyone form up! Move to grid 054115. There should be a house we can meet up at.”

“There has to be a reason you picked that right? Normally we’d regroup in the forest,” Passion read his body language.

“...Da… It was my summer home when my mother would work at the nuclear power plant in Electrozavodsk. Besides, that’s where Bozkov landed. He always finds his way back home.”

All of them moved 456 meters to the north to find Red’s old house. Bozkov was already there pawing at the rubble of the splintered and toppled cottage. Red’s heart sunk for a moment and then ignited with anger.

“Chertovy Pulsar pridurki! Eto byl moy dom! MOY DOM!” Red stomped the ground in anger as the rest of his team emerged from the forests around him.

“Bozhe moy, Krasnyy Mne tak zhal'...” Natasha put a hoof onto his shoulder and Passion did as well. The bear roared as it dug up something out of the ground.

“What you got Bozkov?” Passion walked over. Bozkov gave her a toy tank soaked in drool and gave her a big sloppy lick trying to be cute, “Eww!”

Red chuckled a bit before he looked down at his old toy. He carefully grabbed it and placed it in his pocket, “Bozkov likes you. However, this atrocity will never stand.”

“Let’s get focused comrade,” Artyom reassured Red as two Mi-48 Kajmans flew overhead, “Kajmans! Dammit!”

The two friendly helicopters were shot down as they tried to pass over the city. Red saw the smoke trail of the missiles.

“We have to destroy their SAMs. Everyone on me! Poyekhali!” Red followed one of the power lines south and they all held up at a power substation. He radioed out to command, “Komanda, my na puti, chtoby unichtozhit' protivnika poverkhnost' -vozdukh rakety. Mozhete li vy podtverdit' mestopolozheniye?”

“Imeyte v vidu, vrazhdebnyye rakety nakhodyatsya na vershine v bol'nitsu v Chapaevsk,” they all heard it over their headsets but only the Stalliongradi soldiers could understand, “Koordinaty 056127”

“And that means?” Scratch bluntly asked.

“Coordinates 056127. Hospital building.”
“Copy that, snipers let’s take up positions,” Scratch moved up the hill with the two other snipers.

“I see it from here, 200 meters,” Hornet scoped in with his rifle, “Damn! It’s automated. I can’t snipe the crew from here.”

“Here, maybe I can help,” Scratch pulled her own sniper rifle from her back. Her rifle was the Storm Piercing Shot Rifle. This weapon was another marvel of Applebloom Engineering. The rifle had no moving parts and was a completely computerized firearm with three separate barrels. When the trigger is held down the rifle could build up a magic spell that would infuse into the bullets, that would allow them to punch right through any wall. Scratch laid prone next to her boyfriend and scoped in, “Got three guys operating the SAM from computer consoles inside the building. I can see them through my X-ray scope.”

“Anything else down there?” Blue Circuit asked.

“Main battle tank patrolling the streets. A lot of dead bodies. Everywhere I look there’s a Pulsar squad.”

“Any civilians?”

“None squad leader. They’re all dead…”

“Squad move in and kill anything that moves. No prisoners!” Red ordered out to his troops, “Scratch, Hornet, Natasha. You three stay here, provide overwatch, and watch our backs.”

“Copy,” Scratch nodded.

“Moving to overwatch,” Hornet smiled.

“The rest of you on me!” Red made his way into the streets of the suburb of Cherno from a barn at the edge of town.

“Stop right there squad lead. Enemy checkpoint at the entrance of the suburb. We are holding fire.”

“Spasiba for the spot Scratch. Umbra, you dispatch that checkpoint.”

“Copy Red, they won’t know what hit them,” Umbra sighted her ASP-1 Kir. The large caliber silent sniper rifle took down the guards at the checkpoint with no alert, “Down and clear! Move up!”

“Sweet Luna…” Passion held her mouth from gagging as they passed by the checkpoint. They were piling bodies of ponies in a ditch to be burned.
“Even the foals and the mares. Dammit…” Red turned away, “Move on! We can’t stay here.”

“That tank is coming towards you guys! Heads up!” Scratch reported in.

“Der’mo! Okay, everyone behind the apartment buildings! Let’s go!” Red’s squad all moved behind the buildings as the tank came dangerously close to their positions. When it saw the checkpoint destroyed it started to patrol more aggressively, “Shit! That thing is on to us!”

“Natasha here. I’ve got an idea,” her horn glowed with a magic spell that wrapped the barrel of her rifle, “I’m going to disable the gunner of that tank with my armor piercing spell.”

“Funny you mention that, my rifle has the same capability,” Scratch scoped in, “Mine has the X-ray scope though. See the big stupid emblem? Aim just to the right of edge of that underneath the machine gun turret. That’s where they’re sitting. I’ll fire on your mark.”

“Execute!” Red gave out the order as two sniper shots rang out. With a metallic piercing sound the tank stopped rotating its turret. Another shot came from Scratch right into the driver’s hatch and the tank rolled in behind the buildings right to where Red and the others were hiding. Passion and Blue got on top and opened up the hatches.

“Crew’s dead! Good shot snipers!”

“Our position is compromised! They’re raining fire down here!” Hornet caught a magnetic slug right into his torso, “GRAH!”

“Hornet!” Scratch went back for him and dragged him away behind a tree, “Crap! He’s bleeding out!”

“Medics! I want one of you to get to our snipers! Fast!”

“Krasnyy, Scratch and I are carrying Hornet down from the hill to your location. But we are pinned down!” Natasha yelled as machine gun and sniper fire grazed their location. As she looked out to peek a sniper pinged her right in the head. Scratch saw Natasha’s head explode as her body hit the floor.

“FOR THE LOVE OF CELESTIA GET ME OUT OF HERE!” Scratch started to panic holding on close to Hornet dying of blood loss. She dragged his body behind a dumpster and cowered in fear.

“Scratch hold on! We are coming! Dimitri! Try and suppress that sniper!”

“Roger! Suppressing!” Dimitri peppered the hospital building with fire from his PKP. The enemy sniper rang out again and caught Dimitri right in the heart. The splatter of blood hit Red’s helmet visor from behind cover as he saw his friend dead in an instant.

“DIMITRI!”

“Hon we gotta make some moves! Hornet isn’t gonna last much longer and Scratch is too panicked to be of any use!” Passion yelled out through the fire of the enemy.

“Get behind me! I got an idea!” Wishful came to the rescue as he put up a front facing magic shield. As he got up the sniper shot again and managed to pierce right through the shield and hit him in the leg, “Shit! Dammit! URGH!”

“That’s no ordinary sniper…” Glitzy commented as she used her magic to drag Wishful into cover, “His leg’s out! It’s only a minor wound but Wishful is out for the whole mission!”

“Scratch! Scratch! I need you to listen!” Red tried to reach his cowering sniper.

“Hornet! Hornet please! Hang on!” Scratch held on to the blood soaked body of her lover. With every one of his heartbeats a spout of blood came gushing out and soaked into Scratch’s coat.

“Scratch! I need you to listen! You’re the only one who can kill this sniper with that rifle of yours! You need to snap out of it!” Red tried his best to reach out to the stunned pegasus cat.

“Oh screw this!” Glitzy ran out of cover and only managed to get grazed in the tail by the sniper. She ran her ass off to Scratch and right to Hornet’s body, “Get off! I need to operate on him!”

“Please! You have to help!”

“He’s okay! I’ve got him Scratch. You just do what you need to do: take out that sniper!”

“O-Okay!” Scratched calmed herself down enough to scope in with her rifle. Her shaking hooves made her aim difficult, “I-I can’t do it!”

“Here!” Glitzy injected her with drug to calm her down and steady her aim, “You got this!”

Scratch inhaled and sighted the sniper through her scope behind the building. She held the trigger down and saw the Noctowl sniper perched up on the roof of the hospital building. As she let go the shot phased right through all the walls of the apartment and the hospital and landed perfectly into the right arm of the enemy sniper, taking it off in a bloody shower. She exhaled in relief as she went back to Glitzy.

“He’s… He’s okay right?”
“Yes… Just barely. That was such a dumb move on my part but I can’t believe it worked,” Glitzy sighed in relief as well, “Glitzy to Red! Hornet is stable and Scratch took out the sniper!”

“Thank Luna! Squad move up! Move into the hospital!” As they moved in they could see many bodies still sat in chairs in the lobby and reception area. One of the nurses was slumped over the counter in a pool of her own blood with one hoof reaching for a Marakov pistol, “Lobby clear!”

“Move in,” Blue and Passion covered their corners as they made it into a hallway, “Hallway clear!”

“Pass, you, Wishful and Blue take the stairs and clear the floors. I will clear the room at the end of the hallway,” Red took Umbra and Piggle. They rounded a corner and downed two Pulsar soldiers guarding the back room. The double doors were locked up tight, “Take your positions and breach!”

“Breaching!” Piggle slammed into the door as Red and Umbra covered every corner of the room. Immediately they were all hit with a sickening feeling as they noticed all the cribs, incubators, and various other neonatal supplies about the room. They stood shocked at all the body parts, gore, and worst of all, the blood stained beds and furniture with various bodies chained to them.

“This was a Maternity Ward…” Piggle gagged.

“This isn’t right! These mares… They didn’t deserve this! The foals either!” Umbra started to cry, “Nothing’s left…”

Red was the most hard hit. He knew this place. This was his home and his country, now torn apart by his Pulsar enemies. He started to weep as Passion burst through the door.

“Red!” she rushed to his side and saw the room all around her. She took in every last bloody detail and shrieked, “Sweet Celestia! Red we need to get you out of here.”

“THIS WAS WHERE I WAS BORN! HOW DARE THEY KILL NEW AND UNBORN FOALS AND THEIR MOTHERS LIKE THIS! WHY?! WHY! WHY?!”

“Extinction…” the Noctowl sniper that took out Red’s friends was brought into custody before Red. The enraged pegasus drew his knife and held it to the owl’s throat as his fellow squadmates restrained the Pokemorph.

“You have done nothing but defile my home! For what cause?! FOR WHAT FUCKING EXCUSE DO YOU HAVE TO KILL CHILDREN LIKE THIS!” Red’s hooves shook as he pressed the knife harder and harder onto the owl’s throat. He merely scoffed.

“To usher in a new golden age for all nations. That is why I fight for the Pulsar.”

“Red, this is no ordinary sniper. It’s Nightwing Laurent, the third best sniper in all of the UPF,” Scratch brought up a hologram of his data file.

“Twenty five years ago I fought in the Lylat-Federation War. I was one of the best snipers in all of the Federation, second only to Vice President Tanya and her mother. I was Tanya’s pupil. I was there on Fichina! I was there on Rube! Sargasso! Emerald City! Aquas! Ascension City! Venom! And Fortuna! I fought against the Rising Tide and I’ve seen the death of my nation from the moment we won that war. President Micheal is a joke and what the Pulsar promises will bring in a new age for the Federation! I joined because you ponies and my current government are corrupting my country! You need to die. Mikey needs to die.”

“He’s nothing but an old man talking out of his ass,” Scratch hissed, “Red, you get the honors.”

“Ni shagu nazad…” Red thrust the knife into the owl’s gut and groin. As the enemy sniper bled out he plunged the knife into the stomach over and over again. He punched, stomped, kicked, and beat the owl to death repeatedly with each strike breaking bones and rupturing organs. Umbra started to join in, so did Piggle, then Passion. Eventually all of them took out their rage against their common enemy now literally a bloody pulp on the floor.

“Krasnyy, kakov status etogo SAM vzglyada?” Red’s radio crackled to life once again from command.

“Krasnyye zdes', tsel' unichtozhena,” Red reported in that the SAM sight was destroyed. He walked out of the hospital and saw the smoking roof. Passion was right there next to him with a towel that she wrapped over him.

“Feeling better after we kicked the crap out of that guy?”

“I have never felt more alive… We have to rescue my mother. Who knows what the Pulsar have done to her? Komanda, ya s pros'boy SEVA v etom meste,” Red called for a helicopter to pick them up.

“Roger that my son.”

“Otets?”

“Da?”

“Vy znayete, chto ya sobirayus' delat' dal'she.”

“Ya znayu…” the General radioed back out to his son, “A Twinblade will be there shortly callsign Mosin 1-5.”

“Roger,” Red replaced the radio on his belt before tossing out a smoke grenade into the middle of the street, “LZ marked!”

“Twinblade inspection complete! We see your smoke. Mosin 1-5 is at the LZ,” A large helicopter with intermeshing rotors hovered over them and landed in the street in front of the hospital. The troops loaded onto the helicopter dismounted and took up positions while the NGJTF boarded in their place.

“Be advised, all allied units are storming Chernogorsk. Anti-air threat has been removed! Thanks for the cover NGJTF!” the pilots of the Equestrian Air Force flew overhead and bombarded the city with precision fire, knocking out droves of tanks and entrenched Pulsar.

“Copy that allied command! We are thankful for your help,” Red’s father radioed back out to the Equestrians that arrived. As the helicopter flew over the city they could see amphibious tanks landing at the docks to storm and liberate the city.

“Red, we’re going in to save your mother aren’t we?” Passion asked through the sound of the chopper’s rotors.

“Yes my love. She’s in the next city over: Electro. No doubt heavily guarded by Pulsar.”

“If anything happens today…”

“Hush now dushka. It will not and don’t even think about it,” Red lurched forward and hugged her, “It’s okay. We’ll win this war.”

Meanwhile Scratch and Glitzy were in the back of the helicopter. Scratch was as nervous as ever having seen the near death of her boyfriend and the exploding head of one of her comrades. Her drug had worn off and she shook in her seat.

“Scratch, you okay?”

“No, not until I know Hornet is going to be alright. He lost a lot of blood back there.”

Glitzy gave a comforting hug to her squad mate, “He’s gonna be okay. I managed to stabilize his vitals before we left.”

“I’m still not okay… I SAW her head explode! I can’t get that image out of my head!”

“Calm down and remember your training. Think about Hornet and what he’s gonna do with you once we get back. He’s gonna be lying in bed recovering, maybe he’ll need a little ‘warmth’ if you catch my drift. Haha, just think happy thoughts.”

“I dunno,” Scratch cupped her face.

“Okay, let’s try the kick ass approach. Feel that anger in you?”

“Yeah… YEAH!” Scratch looked up and grit her teeth.

“That’s the Pulsar. You need to focus. Focus on the mission and send these assholes back into space! You hear me?”

“YEAH!” Scratch pumped her hoof, “Death to the Pulsar!”

“Oorah!” the whole cargo bay cheered. As they neared the town two anti air missiles were launched from the nuclear power plant. As the missile warnings alerted them the pilot of the helicopter threw his aircraft into a tight curve while launching flares. The missiles took the bait and the pilot of the gunship quickly turned back to strike with a volley of rocket fire.

“It’s gonna be a bumpy ride! Everyone hang on!” the pilot used the cover of the mountains to mask his touchdown, “Okay! This is where you get dropped off! I can’t land anywhere safer! Go go go!”

All of the NGJTF dismounted and the chopper flew back up.

“I will continue with your support! Call us in when you have targets!”

“Da da da! Mosin 1-5 stay at distance until we call you in!”

“Roger Krasnyy, we are circling around to provide fire support.”

“Hey, check it out,” Scratch pointed out a mobile rocket launcher they were using as artillery, “It’s aimed right at Cherno. Call it in.”

“Krasnyy to Mosin. We have enemy artillery truck aimed right at Chernogorsk. Marked it on your HUDs.”

“Copy! Rockets inbound!” the helicopter soared overhead and unleashed a barrage of unguided rockets. The explosions that followed destroyed the truck as well as a few soldier guarding it.

“Be advised Mosin, all SAMs are confirmed destroyed by initial rocket run. You are free to attack!” Scratch radioed in as she spotted the destroyed missile sights.

“Roger NGJTF. We are coming around for another pass,” the Twinblade unloaded once more and managed to take out a jeep firing back at it, “We took some hits! Dammit! They disabled my controls!”

“Mosin give me a sitrep,” Red tried to contact the helicopter.

“Stable! I have control back. Gunner! Rakety! Tselevaya chto bronevik!”

Red saw the helicopter circle back around to hit an armored car on the road, “Otlichno! Otlichno! Haha! Squad! Move in!”

With the supporting fire of the Twinblade they made their way down the mountain with their guardian angel above. Scratch dropped to her belly as she saw an enemy with a guided missile launcher.

“AA soldier! I got him!” Scratch planted a bullet right into the Pulsar trooper’s chest, “He’s down!”

“Khorosho! Khorosho! Keep up the fire!” Red and his team made their blaze of glory down the mountain to the power plant. The helicopter was still overhead with chainguns roaring and rockets flying. It was a sight to behold, “We are at the first smokestack! Mosin you are doing good comrade!”

“Confirmed: all enemies KIA at the powerplant. We will cover your entrance NGJTF!”

“Zametano,” Red’s mane flowed with the gusts of wind caused by the rotors of the helicopter as it flew by again. He looked up at the large gunship and smiled in awe, “We are cleared to enter the complex! Mosin remain on station!”

“Da! Udachi Krasnyy,” the gunship pilot wished him good luck as they stormed into the main compound. They busted into the main building and cleared it out of enemy forces. As they entered the underground lab of the nuclear plant, things started to get spooky.

“Hold on there, this isn’t just a normal nuclear power plant is it Red?”

“No, this is where my mother would build nuclear and balefire weapons to be shipped to Equestria. Princess Luna wanted to keep this place a secret. Looks like someone or something killed all these Pulsar troops.”

“That’s strange. Looks like they’ve been either melted or electrocuted to death,” Glitzy gave her diagnostics, “And what is this goo?”

“Magical taint. I think I know how it works,” Red dipped his hoof into it.

“Red what are you doing?!” Passion held him back.

“It’s harmless! To us anyway. This has my mother’s work all over it.”

A flurry of fire erupted from the railings of the underground warehouse. Railgun slugs were flying left and right as Scratch was caught in the crossfire. Several of them were hit from all directions as they walked right into an ambush.

“RED!” Passion yelled, “RED HELP!”

“PASSION! URGH!” a railgun slug caught him right in the wing. He continued to run into the cover of his lover, “I’m hit!”

“Me too! ARGH IT HURTS!” Blue Circuit was down.

“They got me! Oh Sweet Celestia they got me!” Piggle squirmed in pain behind a box he managed to drag himself behind.

“I’m still up! Piggle don’t you die on me now!” Umbra defended her brother as an enemy machine gunner peppered her wooden cover, “I’m pinned!”

“HAA!” Glitzy came in with a rifle butt to the face of the machine gunner. Wishful came in and unleashed his aimbot spell to put some fire back up at the enemies with the height advantage. He grabbed Glitzy and rushed into cover with Red and Passion.

“You two hurt?!”

“Wishful! Thank Celestia you’re here! Red’s knocked out cold!” Passion tried to keep him awake, “Red! Red don’t leave me!”

“I got him! Glitzy, How’s Scratch?!”

Glitzy ran back into their cover and dragged Scratch back with her. She removed Scratch’s helmet and found blood dripping out of her mouth with a bullet hole right in her head. Her eyes were locked in a restless stare into space. With a heavy heart Glitzy closed the eyes of the dead pegasus mare and laid her back down onto the ground, “She’s dead…”

Blue got up and staggered his way back through the cover of Wishful’s fire, “What are we gonna tell Hornet then?”

Glitzy sobbed, “I… Lied… Hornet was dead too. I couldn’t save him in time.”

“Let’s not join them! My spell is running out here!” Wishful backed into the corner with the others, “Dammit! I’m out of juice!”

His magic gave way and his weapons fell to the floor. With no way to defend himself he was as good as dead.

“OH GOD! I DON’T WANT TO DIE!” Blue screamed as the enemies closed in around them.

While the rest of them panicked Glitzy stepped up to the plate again. With her magic she levitated one of the enemy machine guns and grasped it in her hooves. She got up from behind the boxes and started to unload at everything around them. With a seemingly never ending supply of bullets she cut down anyone that came in close to their position. More and more came and unknown to her the ammo counter of the machine gun started to drain into its last ten slugs. With a final click the empty gun sealed her fate as well. A sniper shot rang out and caught her right in the head as well. Her limp body fell behind the rest of her cowering squad.

“NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!!” Passion panicked, “We’re all gonna die!”

“I wanna go home! Dammit HELP!” Wishful tried to get his magic to work but the futile sparks on his head were the only traces he could muster.

“Game over man! Game over!” Piggle cowered underneath his sister. Umbra, for the first time in her life, felt fear wash over her.

“I’m scared…”

“Hold your fire,” one of the Pulsar commanders looked at the weak ponies all huddled together behind the boxes, “We take them alive. Commander Burry is gonna be eating well tonight!”

“Rubber boots in motion!” announced the intercom of the facility as a wall was blasted down by a giant mechanized suit, “Electrodes ready!”

All of the enemy attention was now directed to a battle mech that had made its entrance. The arcing electricity burned the air as it shocked any and all that opposed its wrath. At the same time, a bear crashed through one of the windows and charged in. Bozkov attacked and mauled any Pulsar trooper that dared to fire at him.

“Good work Bozkov! I wouldn’t have found my son without you,” the pilot of the mech suit waved to the bear, “Krasnyy! Krasnyy!”

“Are you Red’s mom?” Passion got up from her cover, “Wishful, you got this. I’m the new actual.”

“Copy ma’am!” Wishful went to work with his bare hooves patching up his wounded squad mates while Passion got up and walked over to the pilot of the tesla suit.

“Where is my son?”

“He’s getting patched up by our medic right now. Thanks for the help back there!”

“Let me see him,” the yellow pegasus pilot of the mech walked out of her suit and to her injured son, “Krasnyy, Krasnyy.”

“Mother?” Red looked up at the yellow pegasus, “I’m okay. Do not worry.”

“Thank Luna,” Red’s mother embraced her son as the whole power plant started to shake.

“What was that?” Passion looked around to see all the alarms in the building go off. Red’s mother shot a glance behind her.

“Der’mo! The enemy has breached the control room!”

“What’s going on miss?” Passion paused.

“Yadernogo… But you can call me Nuke,” she lifted one of her wings to reveal a nuclear symbol cutiemark, “We have to go! Now!”

“Umbra you’re with me! Let’s follow Miss Nuke. Piggle you and Wishful make sure our wounded stay safe!”

“Roger miss Passion!”

Pass saluted to Wishful and ran back to the mech suit as Nuke got in. Before she could ask Nuke already started her explanation.

“The Pulsar have launched one of my nuclear missiles. We have to disable it before it makes landfall!”

“What?!” Umbra and Passion gasped.

“No pressure,” Nuke busted down the walls and made her shortcut to the control room of the base. Her staff and guards lay dead on the floor as the Pulsar troopers who initiated the launch were knocked back by her bull rush, “It will be a silent spring!”

Nuke switched out her tesla coils for spray nozzles of a peculiar magical gel that she sprayed around the room. Once it made contact with non magical organic matter it started to burn and dissolve the flesh and bones of the Pulsar troops in the room. Immune to the toxin, Umbra and Passion walked into the control room and saw the status of the launched missile.

“Crap! I can’t read this. What does it say?” Umbra looked at the screens around her with all the Slavic letters and symbols. Nuke stepped up to read them.

“The missile is nearing the edge of space and its warheads are targeted at Canterlot, Ponyville, and Cloudsdale. Hold on while I disable this missile, it shouldn’t be that long comrades,” Nuke exited her suit and started to type away at the console. Her fevered clip clops on the keyboards echoed in the room, “Got it!”

“Miss, that didn’t do anything! Command still says that the missile is still active!”

“Of course… I just retargeted it at our enemies is all. They’ll be in for a big surprise to find that my missiles work in space!” Nuke grinned an evil smile as she thought of the destruction of the enemy.

“What do you mean? I thought nukes and balefire bombs always worked,” Passion escorted her out of the room as they went back to the rest of her squad.

“You are Krasnyy’s girlfriend da? Well you see, normally nuclear and balefire missile rely on an atmospheric medium to transfer energy onto the target. Conventional weapons of mass destruction can only work in atmosphere. However, thanks to my magical engineering and expertise, you will see quite the fireworks show tonight. You have fought well to reach inside this base I see. Good to see my son has found a mare as talented in death as he is.”

“Um, pardon me?” Passion sat right next to Red as he woke up from his coma.

“Don’t mind my mother, she is always like this,” Red managed a laugh before he hissed in pain, “Ouch.”

“Hey!” Umbra ran in from one of the hallways that lead up to the surface, “I just took a quick glance from the top of the building. The reinforcements are outside. Stalliongradi troops are clearing the streets as we speak. Mission complete squad lead. Command wants us to RTB.”

“I think we’ve had enough fun for today,” Nuke nodded as she got back into her suit, “Or… Maybe not. Heh!”