Federal Press
August 24, 2037
Metil Highway Closed For Construction
By Mark Erikson

A section of Metil Highway east of Calten will be closed while some minor road work is done in order to repair a small sink hole that was discovered a few days ago. Officials assure citizens that it shouldn’t be more than a week to repair the damage from the sink hole.

Official also want to dispel supposed reports of a Federal Army helicopter flying over the highway and surrounding forest. The Federal Army has no documents of any helicopters being in the air at any time in the past two weeks.

Official also want to alleviate fears of the supposed explosions and sounds of gunfire near the Metil Highway a few days ago and official documents stay a group of youths were setting off fire words during a party and that local authorities dealt with the noise complaint…

Twilight sat in the barracks with the rest of the Nightmares as she had hoped the last mission had helped them all work off their anger and though they might not all have been friends the tension was none existent as they played cards together. Twilight had managed to dig up another deck of cards since their old deck belonged to Wilkerson and he always carried it with him.

“Hit me.” Twilight said and Rook 2, who was acting as dealer, gave her another card and Twilights face met the table as she went bust.

“Well Sarge is out.” Hudson said, despite her best efforts Twilight still couldn’t stop herself from reacting when she went Bust.

“Yeah yeah, just finish up so we can play again. “Twilight said as she sat back up and rubbed her forehead, she had hit the table harder then she meant to and the cold steel felt good. She still wasn’t used to her legs always being cold and hard, hell she still hurt herself sometime when she faced hoofed sometimes.

All of her squad but McKay, Chekov and Desmond laughed at her expense to which Twilight glared at them. “Haha very fucking funny.”

The rest of them took their turns and Chekov ended up winning with a solid 21. "So Sarge any news about the Feds and the fact they sent a gunship after us a couple days ago?” Rook 2 asked as she shuffled the cards.

Twilight looked at her flatly. “What makes you think I’d know anything about it?” She asked.

“Well you tend to have a drink with the General every couple of days.” She said and Twilight saw the others all looking at her.

Twilight sighed. “Just because we have a few drinks in the mess hall and talk doesn’t mean he tells me what’s going on above my pay grade.” She said flatly. “We mostly just talk about random shit”

“Any word on what our next mission is going to be?” Hudson asked and Twilight sighed again.

“Just deal the fucking cards.”

Nightmare squad made their way into the staging area and Twilight was surprised to see Delco was there sitting in one of the chairs. Twilight took a seat beside him. “Why the hell are you here?” She asked her friend.

“You got me, Major had be show up today for some reason.” Delco said.

“If you two stop talking and let me begin the briefing you might actually get the answer to that question Sergeant.” Major Briggs said from the front of the room where he normally was and Twilight blushed a bit and smiled sheepishly waving a hoof to indicate the she was done talking.

“Thank you now then.” The Major said as he put up a picture of a large building in the city. “This is the Grenten Corporation, they specialize in computer technology. We have received word that the Feds have contracted them to build some sort of computer system. Obviously we are very interested in learning exactly what this new system is for.” He looked at each of them. “That’s where you come in, you are going to break into the building, gain access to their mainframe and download all the information on the computer system.” Major Briggs said as he put up a picture of an office.

“The mainframe is in the sub-basement and protected by multiple layers of security, but there is a second access point from the CEO’s personal computer. That is where you will gain entry to the mainframe from. “He turned back to the group. “Nightmare’s unique track record is the reason you have been chosen for this mission, and Lieutenant Delco is being temporarily assigned to Nightmare to act as your hacker.”

Twilight raised a hoof. “Major, wouldn’t it be safer to hack the mainframe from another location rather than sending in a squad?”

“Normally you’d be right sergeant but in this case Grenten Corporation’s runs off a closed network so the only way to access it is through a terminal that is on the network.” He said. “I also want to be clear Lieutenant Delco is not in command of this mission, he is purely here to run as support.”

The Nightmares nodded and Major Briggs put up some blue prints as well as other pictures of the street around the building as well as a few others of the interior. “If there are no questions I’ll leave you to plan the mission, I shouldn’t have to tell you this is a stealth op so avoid detection at all costs.” There were no questions so Major Briggs left the Nightmares to plan their break in.

Twilight walked over and looked over the blueprints of the building for a few minutes before turning to face her squad. “So…anyone know how to plan a heist?”

On their second day of planning the heist, they had been forced to move to Twilight’s quarters so the staging area could be used by other squads the Nightmares got a visitor announced by a knock on the door. “Keep going with the planning I’ll see who it is.” Twilight told the 6 humans before she pushed away from the counter and made her way to the door.

Upon opening she was greeted by someone she hadn’t seen in a while. “Hey there little pony mind if I come in?” Liston asked with his smile.

“Uh, not really but I can come out.” Twilight said before stepping out and closing the door.

“Oh? Planning a secret mission to break into a building housing a corporation that specializes in computer technology with the intention of stealing some information?” Listen said with a wide smile.

Twilight just stared at him. “How the fuck did you jump to that?”

“Lucky guess.” He said waving away the thought. “Anyways I have something for you.”

Twilight stared at the smiling supply clerk, if not for the fact she had both me the supply clerk and heard stories of him she’d most likely have drawn her side arm and taken him to the brig as a spy. As it was Twilight just treated him as she treated Pinkie Pie and didn’t question it. “So what do you have for me?”

Liston reached into his suit jacket and pull out a Datapad that in no way could have fit with in the jacket without being visible. Twilight sighed, first Pinkie and her mane holding innumerable amount of items and now Liston’s suit jacket. How could there be two being in existence that could defy everything about physics even if this was another world it still made her head hurt.

“I finished modifying a Datapad for you to use.” Liston said holding out the Datapad for her to take.

“Modified? How so?” She asked.

“Well you see we can’t always guarantee a recovery of Datapads in the event a squad gets wiped out. Now clearly we don’t want them falling into the hands of the Federal Army as they could learn everything about it no matter how encrypted it is and I’m sure I don’t need to explain why that would be bad.” Liston said. “So I modify them to link up with the helmet so that in the event of the helmets registering a KIA then the Datapad will fry itself with a small power surge because you can’t recover data from a fried hard drive.”

Twilight nodded, it made sense. “So…this is mine?” She asked looking at the Datapad.

“Yes it is little pony, as a squad leader you get one, I am sorry it took so longer for me to get it to you but with all the issues in the field I’ve been swap with work trying to find out how the Feds keep knowing where we are.”

Twilight blinked up at the Pinkie like human. “Why did you tell me that? Wouldn’t it be safer not to tell me?” She asked as she took the Datapad in her magic.

“Because I know you aren’t a spy little pony.” Liston said with a smile. “You’d never betray your friends like that.” He said with a nod. Twilight blinked up at him again, while it was true she was surprised that Liston had figured that out with just a few meetings with her.

“Anyways I also have some information for you.” He said. “It concerns how you got here.” This caused Twilight’s ears to perk up. “Well if my information is correct, and I have no reason to doubt it seems you aren’t an alien.”

Twilight blinked. “What? How can you not say I’m not an alien when I am clearly not a human?” She deadpanned.

“Well you aren’t and alien in the normal meaning of the word, which means you are from another planet.” He said. “According to my sources the device that brought you here didn’t bring you from another planet, but rather a completely different dimension entirely. At least that is the running theory concerning you and it would explain your magic in a place where what you do is physically impossible.”

Twilight blinked up at the supply clerk. “So you mean I’m not even in the right universe?” She asked and Liston nodded. Twilight looked down at her hooves, if that was the case then getting home would be a lot harder than doing a simple teleport.

“Hey, hey don’t be like that, I told you that I would find a way to get you home and I meant it, even if you are from another dimension, that fact you got her means that you can go back.” He said and smiled. “You will get home Twilight, I promise.”

Twilight looked up at the Pinkie like man and saw him with a serious look on his face, he was still smiling but there was a determination behind it that told her the supply clerk would move mountains if need to get her home. She smiled back at him and nodded. “Thank you Liston, that means a lot to me.” She said and the supply clerk waved his hand like he always did.

“Don’t mention it, I guarantee my customers happiness.” He said his normal wide smile reappearing. “Now then I believe you have a heist to plan and a Datapad to familiarize yourself with. Good luck little pony.” Twilight nodded again and the supply clerked turned to return to his SHOP while Twilight returned to the planning.

In the industrial part of the city late at night a manhole cover slowly slide to the side and from the sewers climbed six humans and one pony. The humans were dressed in dark brown utility jumpsuits while the pony wore nothing at all.

“I still don’t get why we can’t wear armor.” Rook 2 asked as the Rebels made their way towards an abandoned warehouse.

“Because we don’t want anyone to know that we were the ones that broke in, let them think it was some criminal group or something.” Twilight said with some annoyance. The ladder out of the manhole was defiantly not designed with ponies in mind and it took her a while to actually climb out. “Anyways let’s just get this mission over with.”

“Yeah, yeah Sarge.” Rook said as they reached the warehouse and unlocked it. Inside was all the equipment they had spent the last week acquiring which consisted of a city workers van, some computer equipment as well as a few cutting tools.

“Ok so let’s run through the plan one last time to make sure we got this, once we start there is no way to turn back.” Twilight said making her way to table set up near the van. She didn’t like not wearing armor, it made her extremely uncomfortable. “So we all leave here in the van and park it half a block away leaving Delco to run the computers while the rest of us make our way to the side entrance on the East side of the building.”

“Once there we radio for Delco to kill the security system.” She said, they had been lucky to find that while the security system was on a closed network like the rest of the building, there was an access point located in the sewers for maintenance; something the Rebels had taken advantage of by splicing in a wireless transmitter that would allow Delco access to the security system. “Before we go in Delco will loop the security camera and disable motion tackers. Then all we will have to worry about are the few guard patrolling the buildings but if we are careful they won’t know we are even there.”

She looked around at the squad. “Once we reached CEO’s office we attach the wireless transmitter and lets Delco work on the computer while we keep watch, once we are in we start to transfer and then then get the hell out once we have the data and get back to the van.”

Twilight looked over the blueprints before her. “If there are no questions grab your gear and get your asses in the van.” She said grabbing her side arm, do to this being a stealth mission they weren’t allowed to bring anything more than their side arms, though Twilight still had Rook 1’s sniper rifle in her pocket dimension as she never turned it in.

She opened the back door and climbed in while the others grabbed the equipment and moved it into the van before they squeezed into the back with Twilight with Chekov got behind the wheel and Hudson got into the passenger seat.

Once they were all settled Chekov started the van and they left the heist staging area, the mission had official started and there was no turning back.

The van parked on the side of the road and the Rebel soldier all pulled on ski masks they had picked up though Twilight didn’t see why she needed on due to the fact if she was seen it wouldn’t be hard to recognize a lavender pony on a world of humans but hey if they all were wearing them she would to.

The Nightmares climbed out of the van leaving Delco behind to man the computers. They made their way up the street and before reaching the building Twilight decided to test their radios, it was her first mission that wasn’t radio silence so she wanted to make sure they worked. “Radio Check.” She said into the radio.

“One here.” Desmond said.
Two here.” Rook 2 said.
“Three.” Chekov said
“Four right here.” Hudson said.
“Five here.” McKay said.
“Hacker reading you all loud and clear, good luck Leader” Delco said to Twilight

Leader nodded and they made their way to the door, they had choses to use simple code name just in case their radios were picked up they couldn’t be easily identified. When they reached the door One and Three and Four took up position on the right side of the door while Leader, Two and Five took up on the other side. “In position Hacker.” Leader said over the radio.

“One moment.” Hacker said. After a few minutes. “Ok I’m in, unlocking the door in 5.” A few second later the door clicked. “Ok motion trackers are down and cameras looped good luck in there.”

“Thanks Hacker, will radio when we reach destination.” Leader said and One opened the door and moved in with Leader entering last. The room they entered was small and had a counter along one side and a couple of small tables with chairs around the room; in short it was an employee break room.

“Guess we used the employee entrance” Four said as they moved to the door on the far side of the room. Three slowly opened the door and looked down the hall in both directions.

“It is clear.” He said and the team moved out into the hall way. The group slowly made their way down the hall till it opened up into a sea of cubical.

“Stay low.” Leader said and the other nodded. They made their way across the room towards the stairs making sure to stay below the cubical in case a guard entered the room from the front desk where three guard were posted according to intel they had. It wasn’t long before they reached the stairs and as expected found the door locked.

“Ok four work you magic” One said and Four took out his lock picking tools, Leader had been very surprised and pleased to learn one of her squad knew how to pick locks as it opened up many other possibilities for missions.

After a minute there was a clock and Four opened the door and they moved into the stairwell. Making their way to the top floor Four started to pick the door when there was a clock from the door and it opened.

The Thieves started at the guard who stared back at them. All at once the guard’s hand shot for his radio while he started to take a step back, at the same time Four launched himself at the guard and tackled him to the ground and levering three swift punched to the other man’s face knocking him out.

“Nice work Four. “Leader said as she stepped through the door and picked up the unconscious guard. “now we just need to find some where to stash out friend here.” She said. In the end they tossed the guard into a broom closet they found and then got back on track now with more haste as there was a time limit now. Either from the guard failing to report in or waking up granted the later wasn’t as much of an issue as they took his radio but still he could make a lot of noise locked in the closet.

They ended up having to avoid two more guards, Leader had to admit it was easier avoid these guards then the Feds or the guard back at the lab as there was only one guard on any patrol route and they were no soldiers.

Soon they reached the CEO’s office and Leader was annoyed to see the front door and walls were made of glass, and that there was a guard sitting at the desk outside of it reading a book. Before she could say anything Three calmly walked into the room and up to the desk. The guard looked up and went wide eyed a moment before Three grabbed his head and slammed it hard onto the top of the desk then letting go and the guard slumped below the desk.

“Well that works.” Leader said and the rest nodded before walking past the desk where Three was making sure the guard was stuffed under it. Four picked the lock to the office and they entered. “Ok so let’s get this over with and get back to the van.”

One nodded and pulled out the wireless transmitter and hooked it up to the computer. “Ok Hacker, the transmitter is hooked up and the computer is booting up.”

“Alright give me a few minutes and I should have what we need.” Hacker said back. The rest of the thieves moved around the room and kept an eye out while Leader sat behind the desk and watch as letters and numbers started to dance across the screen as Hacker worked on the computer’s system. “ok, anyone who uses their own name as a password deserves to get hacked, I’m into the computer and am working on gaining entry to the mainframe” Hacker said.

Leader nodded. “Alright, take your time don’t want you to tip them off.” She said over the radio. She watched and after a while a progress bar appeared on the screen.

“Ok I’m in and am transferring the files, shouldn’t be more than ten minutes as I’m grabbing some other sensitive files so that they won’t know exactly what we were after as I’m going to leave a trail with the other files while covering the real one.” Leader nodded again and watched the progress bar.

When it was about half way done the screen started flashing red. “Hacker what’s going on?”

“Shit.” Hacker said. “Someone just triggered the alarm remotely. Fuck security system is coming online, get your asses out of there!” Before Leader could say anything a hovering machine shot around the corner. The machine was half the size of Leader and hovering about four and a half feet off the ground, it was shaped somewhat like a sphere and was painted dark gray. Leader could see cameras and other sensors running along its side. When it saw the thieves it beeped rapidly and the long barreled Gatling gun hanging down below the sphere started to spin up.

“Everyone down!” Leader yelled as she dove bellow the desk a moment before the sentries started to spray the room through the glass walls. After a few second it stopped firing and Leader could hear the sound of side arms returning fire. Leader looked over the desk just in time to see the bot exploded in a shower of sparks and crash to the floor.

Leader checked the computer and ear ears went back as the computer was completely destroyed by the sentry’s gunfire. “Hacker do you have what we came for?” Leader asked over the radio as the rest of the thieves climbed to their feet, pistols in hand.

“Most of it. Just get out of there, go go go!” Hacker said and leader nodded to herself.

“Ok let’s get the hell out of here, move it!” Leader said as she drew Rook 1’s sniper rifle, she figured the power for the sniper would be more useful then the pistol. As she stepped over the broke galls that was once the wall of the office red lights started flashing as an alarm started blaring.

“Damnit, level two security just came online, expect a lot more sentry bots and the human security. You’re going to have to shoot your way out.” Hacker said over the radio.

“Ok you heard hacker, weapons free.” Leader said and they started to run for the stairs. Before they reached it two more sentries came out of a side hall and started firing making the loud beeping noise. The thieves dove for cover where they could find it and started to return fire while Leader put up a shield, she winced as the rounds struck shield but she held it. When the sentries’ paused in their fire she dropped the shield and took aim with the sniper and fired a round through the middle of the sentry on the right and it exploded in a shower of sparks like the first had.

A few moments later the left one exploded as it succumbed to the combined fire of the rest of the thieves. Once they were down they began to make their way to the stairs again, shooting the three guards that came through the door before they started to run down the stairs.

At the ground floor they ran into more sentries and guards and it took most of the ammo the thieves had with them to take down the sentries’ and guards.

“Shit, you need to go, an alert was just sent to the Feds and they are in route, we need to go now!” Hacker said over the radio.

“Feds are on the way, move your fucking asses!” Leader yelled at the others as they jumped over the remains of the security that tried to stop them at the outside of the stairs. Leader could hear beeping of more sentries heading for them and she turned and shot the first two to turn the corn. She paused for a moment looking at them before she moved them into her pocket dimension, she then turned and galloped after her team when were already entering the break room.

They ran out of the side door just as another sentry appeared in the doorway behind Leader and she barely got her shield up as it sprayed her. She winces from the rabid fire as another two joined it firing at her trying to shoot her.

Leader heard gunfire behind her as her team opened fire on them and destroyed them with the last of their ammo just as Leader’s shield shattered and she collapsed, dropping the sniper as her horn shot off a burst of magic then went out leaving just it scorched.

Leader felt an arm around her and looked to see One picking her up before running out side, before her head fell limply; her horn felt like it was ready to explode. She saw that Two was running behind them carrying her sniper.

As they neared the road the van came into view skidding to a halt with Hacker behind the wheel. “Come one get in, move move move!” He yelled at them as they opened the back doors while Two jumped into the passenger seat.

As Three climbed in hacker floored it and the team nearly tumbled out the still open back doors but they managed to stay in till they got their footing and three pulled the doors shut. The van took a sharp right as it turned down a side street to avoid the incoming flashing lights and then took several more sharp turns to make sure no one was following them.

With a groan Twilight sat up. “What’s the status of the files? Did we get them?” She asked

“mostly, but the sudden loss of connection caused them to be corrupted, it’s going to take me a while to be able to get anything out of them.” Delco told her as he slowed the van and the Nightmares removed their ski mask, Desmond helping twilight with her as her magic was burnt out.

“ok, well we all made it out ok and have the files in some form so I think I’ll call that a successful mission though I don’t think the Major will be happy we alerted the security and the Feds.” She said holding her head in her hooves, her head felt like it was being used as a drum.

“Yeah I don’t know what the hell happened, I know it wasn’t me but someone triggered the alarm remotely, I didn’t have time to follow the signal, what I do know is we weren’t the only one in the system and someone tripped the alarm on purpose.” He said looking in the rearview mirror.

Twilight nodded. “So what you are saying is someone didn’t want us to get the files.” She said. “And the only way they knew we were going on a mission now would be if they were in the base, which means someone in the PFDR is working for the enemy as a spy.”

Author's Notes:

well this was a pain to write as I couldn't think of how to actually do a heist, lucky once it got going it was a lot smoother.

and for those paying attention to appearance of Psycho-Twi this chapter as I'm sure people have figured out how to tell when she dips into psychopath territory.

Hope this is a believe able heist scenario.

also what do you think of them going by their code names during the actual Heist?