(Amp)

The debriefing was done. It was never exactly part of the mission that anyone specifically enjoyed. Filling in those higher in command of what happened, explaining how well things went, and then going the extra step to explain why keeping information over an enemy away from another enemy was a good idea.

Granted, Fallon didn't think that anyone high in the Brass would be stupid enough to give any of the Equestrians any sensitive information. Especially since the Equestrians themselves had proven to be more than a little hostile. Most of the other podheads were heading back to the tavern, and honestly, a decent drink did sound inviting.

He followed them, right to the bar, finding a table big enough for them, and a few others should they decide to join, and took their seats. The waitress at first appeared to be human, but that was only if someone didn't truly look her over. She was a hybrid, either a genetically engineered one that lived on the station or the spawn of two different human gene pools. From the look of it, part of her parentage had been Helgast her skin too pale, her hair white as snow.

He didn't try to study her specifically, but in all honesty, he knew what she was. Still, the port was neutral ground, at least it was for the moment. It was neutral enough that no one wanted to let the Lankies know where they were, and that meant that she was free from worrying about the UEC here at least for now. Her parents were free here for the moment, and he couldn't blame her for attempting to make a living. When the Lankies left he wasn't sure what would happen, but if possible they'd chase the UEC from this sector.

She took their orders, and he watched as she walked toward the UEC group that they had seen earlier. She stood by them, and then her eyes, which were slightly more pink than any other normal color, widened in shock. She stepped back as one of them laughed. This wasn't his fight, he had no reason to get involved. None until he heard the next phrase out of that UEC soldier's mouth.

"Little piece of ass like you is only good for slave fucking pricks like those humans over there!"

He stood, and he felt a hand on his leg. He probably expected to hear an excuse not to do this. And probably a reason not to go start a fight, instead he heard a chuckle.

"We got your back bro,” I say gesturing to the other MOTHs and another small group of podheads sitting at our table.

As he neared them, walking up behind the now frightened waitress. She moved, and he looked at the UEC soldier who was sizing him up. The soldier stood, easily a head taller, his bulk was wider, and the Caleb was easily fatter than Fallon, probably steals food from the slaves or the commissary. He studied Fallon for a moment before he grinned.

"Got something to say? Or are all of you slave lovers only brave when you're hiding behind those junk piles you call ships?" the fat human asks

“Yeah, I've got something to say. One, your ships are fuckin’ trash That’s why we beat the shit out of you in every fleet battle. Two, I think you need to find another bar friend, you're harassing the staff.”

“Hey I know you.” another UEC soldier a blue unicorn says from her seat.

“Realy? Because I don't know you. And your Fat-body, non-running, fatty-cake, cake eaten, sloppy eaten, ham sandwich over here is stinking up the air.” Fallon says before being shoved back by fat body.

“You were in the Command Key earlier today with that blond bitch and that Reptile cocksleave.”

“You got something to say about my squad, Coyo? Step up and say it to my face, Or are you too much of a bitch?” Fallon says receiving an actual slap to the face from the pony. Avery to his credit looks baffled beyond all belief, before the pony starts talking again.

“Yeah, I think once we are done here me and my friends here are gonna go and pay those two slut…” Fallon punched him.

The punch was hard, fast, and took the UEC soldier by surprise. It easily landed him on his ass, and his friends stood. The waitress ran for the safety of the bar, and the sound of the gate closing to separate it from the area they were in was easily heard. On the ground, the side of the stallion's face is caved where Fallon punched him with his bionic. The muscle and bone looking like it went a few rounds with a brick, his freakishly large right eye a trait shared by all ponies looks deflated goo oozing from a crack in the membrane.

Fatty was not so lucky Fallon simply kicks him in the groin, stands over him, grabs his collar and begins to repeatedly punch the fat fuck in the face. The sound and sight of Fallon's metal fist hitting his fat face is quite satisfying, but the result is less so it's actually quite gross.

The UEC soldiers in the bar stand up and so do we. Our bonds to our respective brothers telling us to close ranks. Thirty UEC soldiers, Ponies, humans/Caleb's, zebras, Changelings, Gryphons, and Dragons close on Fallon while fifteen NAC Podheads begin a mishmash of MOTHs, Helldivers, SEALs, Delta, Rainbow, Space borne rescue, Force Recon Marines, and combat controllers close on one another.They outnumber us two to one, They have claws, beaks, magic, and strength on there side, we are squishy humans who lack any of these things.

The fight was quick, the fight was brutal, and the result was never in doubt. By the time the MP’s arrived to break up the fight they are greeted with the sight of fifteen Podheads drinking companionably with one another chatting up an exotic waitress. And thirty beaten and broken UEC soldiers unconscious on the ground.

We get split up and the remaining MOTHs of MOTH Team-1 get a twenty-mile run. In power armor with the batteries removed, you do not run in power armor with the batteries removed. This is not an admission of weakness, this is a statement of fact. But with the honor of two of our own preserved, it is totally worth it.

=====================================================================

(Miiora)

The walk back to the arranged common areas was generally peaceful. Miiora had asked several questions of Charlotte, and the human female had answered them. Dating... Seems odd at best. IT wasn't that family wasn't important, it was, but the Equestrians that owned them typically chose their mates. It didn't matter what we wanted, it never did. All that mattered was that we were property, and would produce viable stock to sell or work.

But to be able to choose one's mate is beyond belief, and to know that interspecies dating wasn't frowned upon gave her some peace of mind. Do the Helghast count as another species? They certainly look different from regular humans They had very pale skin, lighter eye color, and white hair if they grew it at all.

What about well as the humans hatched and raised in micro or zero G? Those humans were taller, had wider heads, and weaker bones do to not having a constant gravitational pull. Miiora watched as Charlotte stopped and I am about to ask her what she stopped for when she points to something on the other end of the ring above us. It appears to be a gathering of some kind in the form of the symbol of Helghan.

"While we're here, enjoying some much-needed rest, you should see if Fallon wants to do something, maybe go to that whatever it is the Helghast are having on the other side of the ring. Wear that cute little dress we picked out. It compliments your look."

Miiora gave a smile, "Does the female typically ask the male?"

Charlotte laughed, "typically no. Men like to consider themselves brave enough to ask. And if Fallon asks you accept, but if he doesn't go ahead and ask. Nothing ventured nothing gained."

I look looked at the bag in my hands. There was a necklace that Fallon had given her on bagmare during my hatching day. It was special, on it are two shapes, roughly humanoid, which what appear to holding hands coming together to form what appears to be a heart shape. In the heart shape is a brilliant ruby. The necklace is gold, and there are a few scratches on the surface of it. she could wear it as well.

I wonder if Avery Fallon knows the meaning of the necklace he gave me. It usually was a testament to the neverending love between the giver and the recipient. Something that bound them together and spoke volumes more than mere words could. But Fallon stole it from a dead body and gave it to me, so it probably doesn't mean the same thing.

Part of her wondered if it would further than just a date. Would they end up mating? Charlotte said that humans sometimes mated for recreation, but there was times it was deeper. If they found someone they liked, or loved, they would build a relationship, they'd try to make it work, and they usually would be married, bonded together, mated if you will. The idea didn't seem terrible to her. Part of her wondered how it would feel, as my mind starts to wander.

As we walk down the side of the road towards the base we hear the sound of men singing a cadence, and pay it no mind. We see Trombley and Fick playing something called football, in the park. The light of the station beginning to dim, to simulate night on helghan.

The smell of cooking meat makes me salivate and hungry. Charlotte, knowing Miiora will always take every opportunity to eat decided it would be alright if we quote “graced the ninth with our presence”. As we eat I begin to wander about Fallon again. I wander where he is and what he is doing right now. And decide right then that I am going to ask him.

==================================================================

(Fallon)

“Everywhere we go!” I begin as the base's gates come into view. The weight of my goliath modal power armor weighing down my every step. The Micro L-B on its Cherub mount on my shoulder listing me slightly to the right.

“Everywhere we go.” we all shout

“People want to know!” Hijack says his Armor covered in mud from falling into a colverd on the side of the road.

“People want to know.”

“Who we are!” Garza, one of our drone operators calls out. He’d suffered a severe headshot wound on the Bagmare deployment. The same deployment where Miiora almost got raped and i lost my arm. Any way the doc had worried Garza might experience an altered personality from the head wound, but he had made a full recovery. His charming persona completely in tact.

“Who we are.” we all say

“So we tell them!” Bishop chants his auto-shotgun clutched in one big hand like a toy gun held by an adult when compared to the bulky armor . His comm unit swaying with the movement.

“So we tell them.”

“We are the NAVY!” Big dog his face covered in sweat behind his armors visor as he takes a step forward the various pouches on his armor rattling like so many tin cans.

“We are the Navy!” we shout before Rage falls

“The mother Fucken Navy!” I say as we trudge into the base passing the watch post.

“The mother fucken Navy!” we fall on our armored backs our twenty mile PA ruck hump over with.

=============================================================

(Miiora)

I lean over and say to Charlotte “I'm going to do it. I am going to ask him.”.

“You're going to ask one of my MOTHs out, huh?” comes a new voice and heads turn to see grizzled man. The fearless leader of the Moths Chief Bourbon Jack says a statement of fact not a question.

Usually this is the man Fallon reports to above fick. He is a grizzled man with streaks of grey running through both his hair and beard. His dark eyes always observing taking in and measuring not only the situation at hand, but the temperament of the men around him. This is the man Fallon looks up to the same way Trombley looks up to Fallon, his nose matches those hawkish eyes, hooked like a beak.

“If you wanna ask out my Moth, he and his team are going to be getting off in a few, you better hurry, Miss” he says nodds to Fick and walks off.

“Come on then let's go, get you ready” Charlotte says excitedly literally pulling me away from the table. The members of Ficks Fighting Ninth cheering me on and Fick just smiles and shakes his head before turning away, laughing.

An hour later Charlotte and I have finally found where the MOTHs hide themselves away on the base. Charlotte keeps getting looks from people on the base as we walk into the building, the french pilot insisting on coming with me when I ask Fallon out on this date. We them proceed to spend the next few minutes trying to search the mostly empty barracks.

===================================================================

(Big Dog)

After a much needed shower and scrubbing out my armor that reeks of ball sweat and BO I wind up in the team wreck room. Iceman hangs his armor on the rack in his holding clamp, If you ask me the fucker spends too much time with his embedded squad. Amp sits there reading on his PDP probably some nerd shit but hey he is one of the best.

“Yo what's your deal with that alien in your squad, whats her name, Miiora?” Rage one of the teams Snipers asks as he cleanes his rifle.

“She’s fine i guess.” Iceman says as he cleans the multi barreled gun that mounts into our power armored right arm, before slipping it back into its forearm housing under the right hand.

“Don't give me that shit, you spend most of your time with her, she’s even there when you are doing maintenance on your mech sometimes so don't tell me fine.” Bender says as he curls a dumbbell in the corner. He has a tattoo of an Atlas Moth, the insect taking up his entire back its wings spread wide.

“What's the deal she can't be that…” Having only ever seen this Miiora once before I am completely thrown for a loop when a blond woman walks in front of the one way mirror currently passing as a wall. Her hair is in long beyond NAC regulation braids reaching her shoulder blades and tied with a ribbon. She has the body and face of a model she has a smile on her face as she leads someone around a corner and the room erupts.

“Fallon... holy shit Miiora's hot as fuck you’ve got to get in there.” Bishop says as a tymerian glides around the corner looking like she is looking for someone before she slightly lifts her snout and her nostrils flare and she points at the door to the wreck room.

She is dressed in sleek backless dress, that holds the top up by a single button behind the neck. The dress is form fitting, but with enough room to allow her tail to move easily. The top is a helghast grey and it slowly fades into darker color before it meets about a hand lengths from the bottom and is black. It's still sleek, the colors are vibrant, almost wet, and the top fits Miiora like a glove, accenting her cleavage. And immediately making me question what the fuck is wrong with my fellow MOTH.

Iceman shakes his head before answering, “I've seen what she can do with those claws, naw.... i’m not about that.”

“Then what about that NE chick with her…” Hijack asks

“Do not talk about Charlotte or you're gonna get my metal fist in your face.”

“Come on you pussy do it, ask Miiora out or i’m going to.” Bender says adding in his two cents

“But i'm just a man she's an alien she won't want to go out with me.” Iceman says as the two women apparently and the blond begins to knock on the soundproof glass, after seeing that they can't hear us and we can't hear them.

“Don't you know, you're more than a man…” I say watching the horned female fidget either self consciously, or in agitation. Her face is very hard to read lacking any of the tells that humans or equestrians possess. A glint of light catches my eye around her neck and just below her collarbone and above her cleavage I see a gold necklace with a ruby pendant, that matches her red scales.

“I hate you.” Iceman says as he begins to stand up.

I smile and he gives me a look “Your a MOTH.”. On the other side of the glass the alien in question must have given a huff and raises her hand and uses one of her claws to scratch a lazy circle into the glass in one slow motion.

“Kill yourself.... Fine” Iceman says before walking outside and closing the door behind him.

The conversation on the other side of the glass then becomes slightly animated as Iceman and the blond talk about something. Before the blonde maneuvers the reptile in front of her, the alien and Iceman then apparently continue the conversation where he had just left off with the blonde. Miiora begins to fidget with her horns as she asks him something.

Iceman then takes a deep breath and rubs the back of his neck and head with his bionic. After a long few seconds Iceman drops his hand down and gives a palms out shrug with his hands, a gesture used by people who spend a lot of time in power armor and bulky vack suits. Apparently the answer is what the female wanted because the blonde then almost physically pushes Iceman away before the alien follows. On her way she slaps the window with her tail. The circle she had previously scratched into the window promptly falls out and wabbels like a coin on the deck.

“Isn't that an armor glass window?” Bishop asks as eyes the piece of plastic.

“I'm pretty sure it is.”

==================================================================

(Fallon)

Fuck what have i gotten myself into? Is just one of the many questions running through my head as I take a quick shower washing the dried sweat and gun lube off of my body. My Bionic shimmers in the dull light as I turn off the water and get dressed. Being that I don't own very many civilian clothes at all I walk out of the head dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt with a small atlas moth on the right pectoral.

I am greeted with the sight of Miiora in that stunning dress that I have no doubt Charlotte bought her sitting elegantly on my bunk with her tail in her lap talking to Char who is leaning on the small night stand beside her. Their conversation stops and I see Miiora watching me out of the corner of my eye as I reach the small table that holds my PDP and side arm.

“What are you doing?” Charlotte asks me when she sees me strapping the flechette pistol holster to my thigh.

I finish strapping the holster and loading the weapon. “Moth regs, we are not to go anywhere off base unarmed.”

“That actually makes sense. Why don't they have that rule for everybody?” Miiora asks from her position.

“Because they don't issue sidearms to everyone. Only Spec-ops and officers get them. They call it protecting an investment.” I put the pistol into the holster and put my leash or PDP into the leg pouch.

“That seems quite morbid doesn't it?”

“You know it. But really a pistol won't do much to a person in battle armor but it's better than nothing so they give them to us. And you might as well throw the damn thing at a lanky for all the good it will do you.”

“Well now you two get out of here and have some fun.” Charlotte says as Miiora and I leave the building. I give her the finger behind my back before allowing Miiora to lead me deeper into the station.

===================================================================

(Miiora)

“What are you all celebrating?” I ask one of the many helghast soldiers standing guard at the entrance to the celebration grounds. The Helghast in question looks at the two of us his finger resting on the trigger guard of his rifle, giving us a quick once over. Glowing orange eyes shine and his respirator rasps as he breaths before speaking.

“It is a festival we have every year, celebrating the states of matter that keep the helghast people alive. After the Lankys took our homeworld.” He says before shifting his weight and hefting his rifle in one hand to point keeping the barrel of the weapon pointed to the ground.

“The Ice representing solid matter, from the commit that we pulled to the station all those years ago…” He points to the end of one the three arrows. Where a sculptures cut from blue ice drift in the microgravity.

“The water a liquid that sustains us, lets us plant and live.” He continues gesturing to another of the points and there a massive shimmering globe of water floats. Colors of varying shades of red and white illuminate smaller globes that orbit the larger sphere like the moons of a planet.

He looks at the two of us no doubt to see if we are still interested. And I give him a nod to continue, and he looks behind me to Avery Fallon who gives him an open handed gesture. “What about Gas, and Plasma?” my date asks.

“Gas, is the one over there. The gas giant we orbit whose magnetic field and turbulent tides keep us hidden from the Lankys.” the soldier says pointing to the last row where a ring of burning pires rest on the ground. The flames being swirled into an impressive fire tornado.

“And last Plasma. The thing that keeps our station alive, and allows us to battle the lankys.” the helghast says gesturing to what looks like a massive ring in the center of celebration grounds. Where a lightning swirls before arcing back and forth in the center of the ring.

“You are very lucky to be here we only have this festival once every three years. Please you two enjoy yourselves, remember Glory to Helghan.” The helghast soldier says a smile evident in his raspy voice.

After we say our goodbyes to the helghast, he lets us into the festival. A feet that apparently has many UEC personnel who had tried to get in up in arms. The soldier to his credit never once wavers and even when a large earth pony attempts to force the issue he keeps his cool. He levels the at the pony before stating “Disperse and leave the premises or I will use lethal force.” he says as calmly as if he was asking for the weather.
“Wow, It sucks to be them.” Fallon says from my side

“Indeed.”

====================================================

(Fallon)

The date is strange to say the least we spend the first hour meandering to some of the different stalls. The two of us have no idea of the romantic customs of the other’s species so it is awkward at first. But eventually after stopping at what i assume to be Miiora’s least favorite part of the festival the Ice carvings things start to pick up a bit.

We eventually found a spot to sit down and talk for a bit. Nothing fancy just somewhere to eat some of the station grone fish one of the booths was selling. Miiora had jumped at the chance to try the food and I was reminded of how much she had loved the fish on New Svalbard a year ago. The fish is some of the best i have ever had, better than anything in a PRC, but Miiora says that it isn't as good as what her mother makes on her homeworld.

The beer was a local brew served cold. Over the course of two hours the sting of awkwardness, and self loathing at not doing this sooner lost their edges, if they didn't quite vanish. Miiora told stories about her family. One of her brothers in the UEC military who wouldn't stop with his superior attitude, until she had beaten him senseless, now the two of them were close, and he worked on a colony, as a garrison guard.

When Miiora laughed I laughed too. She loved to talk about her family and the new things she had learned about human culture and history. Most of it I already knew because I can pick up my PDP and learn about caesar or the legend of king Arthur, where she had learned Camelot had gotten its name. But I let her talk and actually loved to hear her tell me about things that i already knew about.

The way she would get so exited her tail would slap against the her lap. Or her speech would become more accented and dotted with words I can't understand, was appearing in its own way. Slowly i started taking my turn too, when she had looked at me expectantly and apologised for not letting me say anything, despite my never once interrupting her.

I told her what it had been like to go to boot camp, never knowing that there were other aliens beside the lanky's. My first deployment as a marine against and SRA splinter group. When I went to Spec-ops and became a combat controller, and my first deployment with a SEAL team on LV-426. She listened intently and asked many questions about things she didn't quite understand, but that's ok.

“What was it like growing up?” she finally asked, fingering the pendant on the necklace I gave her on her birthday the necklace I stole off of a dead dude.

“Miiora, if it wasn't for the Dunois family getting me out after they had found out my mom was sick, I probably would have been dead a long time ago. Look, I don't want to upset you or anything, but there’s a lot of past in my past. And I would like to leave it at that.” I said looking at the table. I felt her clawed hand on my bionic her cold blooded body making her hand the same ambient temperature as my cold metal limb. I remember how I got the limb and what I had done. I had killed a man in cold blood to keep Miiora from harm and if I had to do it again i would, again and again. And I'm okay with that.

She let out a sound that was something between a hiss and a growl, not threatening or agitated, but what i would assume to be a sigh. “I understand we both have things we would rather not talk about, I’m here, for you, Avery Fallon.”

“Thanks. Whelp there's still a bunch to do, let's get out there shall we?” I say standing up and throwing our empty food containers into a nearby recycler. She stands aswell and presses into me another one of those hiss growls escaping her maw. I wrap my Bionic around her waist and we continue our sight seeing adventure with no hint of awkwardness at all.

==================================================================

(Miiora)

Our date comes to an end as we sit on what passes for a hill on a space station. In the night we watch beautiful streams of water snake into the air in the microgravity of the ground towards the zero G of the stations axus. Large shards of that wretched Ice slowly glide their way into the air. On their faces the symbol of Helgan as smoke gathers around and binds to the ball of water creating beautiful glowing pseudo gas giant.

Avery Fallon my date sits on the grass beside me holding one of his knees and watching the display. The scarf I had bought him bearing the Helghast logo or termenatus on each end clutched in his hand. His other hand the right one the one he had lost protecting her rested on the grass between us. My eyes linger on the limb, if she had been more attentive, more aggressive, more anything. Her date would wouldn't have been forced to permanently bear the scar of my failure.

Avery fallon who had appeared one day, from a strange place beyond the UEC and lead her away and showed me a life without slavery. Who had taken me in and taught me things about the NAC. Who was always patient, and kind, but so intense and protective of not only her but everyone in his command. Who had taken her failure to protect herself not as something to scorn but instead wore it proudly.

I don't quite understand the human's ways, but this method is so chaotic, so enrapturing. Yet here was a male who she would have never even met if he had been born in the UEC,but here he is. I lean on his shoulder and place my free hand on his metal limb. He doesn't recoil but the muscles in his shoulder tenses up for a fraction of a second before relaxing.

She pressed her snout into the crux of his neck breathing in his sent. The smell of weapon lubricant, Flechette sabot, mud, salt water, and gunpowder fills her lungs. She can taste the different scents all of them individual and unique to him. He in return turns his head and plants his lips on her forehead between the spot her horns frame her face. I let out a hiss of relief and let my tail drift around aimlessly before it lands in both of our laps.

“So… I guess im not single anymore am I?”

“No, I suppose we aren't.”

===================================================================

(Fallon)

After a shower, and a long night sleep. I am brought out of my first pleasant dream in years by the sound of alarms. Action stations are being called, and I join my brother MOTHs in the briefing room. I reached a state of anger beyond pissed, I have transcended pissed off and reached full blown rage. I will not be spending the rest of the day with my new sexy alien girlfriend and the fighting ninth. Because the UEC as decided to bale on out little truce, the second trouble arrived.

Now instead of exploring my new relationship with Miiora, I will be in power armor killing anything to get between me and my mech. And then I will use my six tone mech to kill any Lanky or UEC scum, stupid enough to wander into my general area. Because I don't get to spend my day with my brothers, and friends. So I will gladly vent my frustrations upon them with extreme prejudice.

Author's Notes:

A special thank you to any one of you who have stuck with me this long and thank you so much for getting this two hundred likes. You are the real winners.

And thank you to https://www.fimfiction.net/user/171476/Ron+Jeremy+Pony for making this chapter possible with all of your help.