I don't know what exactly or how I know but something is different. I can not tell where this conviction comes from, whatever stopped the keening is a mystery to me. I am trapped thinking of what could be happening while I rest locked in my damaged and broken machine. Sealed in my womb while powerful bangs and shifting slosh me around and churn the liquid outside. "Hud on.”

With an eye blink I can see that my machine is being carried back to Galactica in orbit around Tearus. Tearus… that world's name fills me with memory and flashes of the traitor, his master Rarity, and the name of her home world. Equis… even the name burns my mind and twists my blood until acid burns its way through my veins. I do not know what has caused this change and so fall asleep.

When I awake I am submerged in a medical tank with a breathing mask fixed over my mouth and nose. Flesh wevers stitch at the bullet wounds on my side and I run a hand over the back of my head feeling the raw flesh where the tartarus had been. I look around hoping to get an idea of where exactly I am, and I notice I am not alone in the room. Several other medical tanks line the perimeter of the room, each of them occupied.

I see Big Dog in one of them to my left, and I can see Charlotte in the one directly to my right. Her sleeping form looks graceful as it floats in the green tinged liquid. Parts of her hair float around her, free of its ponytail and framing her pale face in a halo of blond.

A noise jerks my attention from my friend and i see between the two of us is Miiora. I was about to call out to her but the slight rise and fall of her chest, slouched posture and dipped snout tells me she is asleep.

A flash fills my vision, and I can once again hear the keening as images of Charlotte's gungnir being shot down fills my mind. The keening grows as I see another flash now of Miiora’s machine damaged as if fights the UEC mech.

When I reopen my eyes the keening is gone. But my vision is sharper not to much better but noticeably so, I feel something's changed but I can not place it. But the thoughts of them, not not only the two of them but all of humanity being forced to suffer like I did fills me.

More movement catches my eye and I see the male tymerian Bra’tac standing beside his sister statue. Thoughts of his master causes my blood to boil. Around me I can see not only Big Dog but two other people in tanks begin to writhe as a wave of red washes over my vision me before subsiding.

The dull thrumm of a medical alarm sounds and Miiora jerks awake. Heside her a corpsman checks on Charlotte and she wakes flashing him an affirmative before looking up and giving me a wave. In her chair Miiora looks up before standing to check with the corpsman who has moved to my tank. Their eyes go wide as they see me staring at them and Miiora says something that I can't really hear through the glass, before I fall back asleep.

I wake again some time latter. To see that the Big Dog, only one, and myself are the only ones still still in the tanks. ‘How long has it been?’ The thought is cut off by a tapping that draws my attention to one side of the tank. Again I see Miiora standing with her brother behind her, his hands clasped behind his back. And beside her I can see Charlotte with the upper portion of her skintight black and orange flight suit exposed.

They both look excited to see me, and the nondescript man beside them looks content to just stand there. ‘Several days.’ a voice comes into my mind, ah this guy must be one of psi-ops people. Yeah I remember now Eisenhower or eisenstine or something like that that. ‘I am Gregor Eisenhorn, veteran. Remember we rescued you, big dog, and the equestrian known as gutsy.’

My thoughts go to Big Dog and a flash of calming washes over me before I can even begin to worry. He nods once smiling as if to confirm something he already suspects before turning on a heel and walking away.

I glance back at miiora and Charlotte as a Corpsman walks between them and flips a switch after checking a screen. The liquid in the tank begins to drain and something else washes over me. I feel anger now hot and heavy, like a pack of beasts inside of me are ready to lash out and kill them all. Their rage fills my heart before filtering to my limbs like boiling metal. Seeing their faces fills me with a feeling that I have never known but something tells me.

The first thing that flashes across my vision Fallon Avery Staff sergeant. Veteran CT-229624 CG-624450. I am not the Iceman anymore but something is changing.

My hands curl into fists and I wrench the breathing mask from my face. I feel strong something as the blood screams through my veins. I am wrath incarnate, born into this universe to kill until finally killed. …I am a weapon and I can feel the something else deep inside of me burning to get out, a thirst and a need to kill.

But as I gaze at the faces of Mii'ora and Charlotte, and some of the others around the room who have come to see me out of this Damn tank like X and bender. I can feel this rage lessen, move into the back of my mind. I am connected to something, I can feel it in the back of my mind and it gives me pause. It tells me something profound that I have always known as I close my eyes once more.

When I open then again I am lying on a regular hospital bed. Hands reach out to embrace me I close my eyes. Feeling the cool sensation of Miiora’s scaled arms wrapping around me holding me close. As my rage subsides and hate fades and the realization returns. I feel Miiora begin to shake and I return the hug, holding her close to my chest and images of a red disk flashes through my mind.

And as I lay in the bed awkwardly holding my love close I know one thing is true. It will happen soon, within the coming nights of blood and fire. I will draw a breath, and when my love and my friends returns to the stars I will be by her side. I am not what Miiora, charlotte, or anyone else believes me to be. I am weapon in this war to ensure humanity's survival in the stars. Yet strength, wrath, and my body won't be enough.

I will die in this war, I will die for Miiora.

General Tyler Barron

Of the thirty six capital class ships, Fleet command felt the need to send to this shit hole. We lost two hammerhead cruisers, three SRA brojnef destroyers, one NE light carrier, and a light NAC siege breaker Leathy class.

Pair that with moderate damage taken by the Nostromo, Manitoba, donnager, John a warden, Erie and Nile. Nevermind the dozens of smaller escorts, torpedo boats, dropships, fighters, and corvettes, we have lost so many good spacers it makes me sick.

And I don't even want to think about how many good gears died down there. Trapped under a UEC destroyer that no one knew was there until it was to late. Twelve hundred Gears, all NAC, SRA, NE, and UAF soldiers, killed because orders indicated that we couldn't just nuke the base. Made even worse by the fact that probably of the thousands of UEC soldiers they killed down there, probably about a fortieth of them actually stayed dead.

That destroyer above the file and water station was scanned as it broke the atmosphere. But because of the defensive posture the uec fleet had taken none of the ships on Nostromo’s battle group none of the ships were in position to destroy the brand new super destroyer the UEC renamed element of magic.

“General your 12:30 is here.” the calm feminine voice of Sk-98 his security bot and secretary said. “Excellent send him in please.”

The door smashed open to reveal a man in a black long coat. The crimson psi-ops roset hung loosely around his neck. His bodyguard android took up position next to Sk-98 on the opposite side of the door. “General.” he says with a nod.

“Gregor! Come in please have a seat. So what can you tell me.”

“Straight to the point, very well. Of the six people affected three of them remain lucid. And three of them are dead. The ones alive are CT-229624 Fallon, CT-624450 Harris, and CT-106543 Douglas.” he says bringing up the personnel profiles of each if the men in question and sending them to my own pdp. “Those of them that were issued Atlas-3s are still alive… but here's the curious part. All of them were equipped with L-blades.”

“Yes, I saw that in the various mission reports. Each of the blades began glowing when they began acting… erratically.” The inquisitor chuckled at that before leaning back in his chair. “Erratic, yes that's one way of putting it when our mech drivers start stuffing body's and organs into their cockpits.”

“Yeah, Zekshul complained for hours about having to hose out cockpits. On top of the damage, they all pushed their machines way passed the green. But the strange part came when they pulled them out of their wombs.”

“Yes with interior linings of the drivers wombs being eroded. And that they were covered in metallic dust.” Eisenhorn’s eyes glazed over for a second before he spoke again. “Indeed the medical reports show the dust were in fact nanites.”

“Nanites? How is that possible…” Without skipping a beat the general called up his chief medical officer. The screen on the generals desk flicked with a connection request before the face of a tired looking female myralos dressed only in her plane grey underwear appeared. “...mheh Yes general?”

“Shuala. These nanites in the…” Barron began to say before the blue shelled woman cut him off. “I already know what you are going to say sir. But from our tests we can't see they are having no negative effects on the three patients. Nore are wa able to remove them.”

“Why not.” Eisenhorn asked leaning forward slightly. “Well Inquisitor I believe your rank is. The nanites in their systems have become integral to their bodily function. Many of which have linked to the patients neural synapses. In fact sir it is all quite fascinating. Whatever has done this took the inner linings from the wombs and repurposed what it had into these nanites.”

“If that is the case doctor then is their any chance if the nanites spreading? What kind of precautions should be taken?” The inquisitor asked stepol his fingers under his chin.

“Well, I would recommend they be kept under surveillance. But that said I see no reason as to why they can't return to active duty. In fact patents 001, and 003 has shown increased neurological activity. Faster reaction times and increased bone strength but there is no noticeable change in size of the patients.” She says ending with an eye blink of her pinkish transparent eyelids as she sat up in her bed. Giving a rather alluring stretch that accentuated her exotic alien and crustacean body.

"Perhaps. But at the same time I can not fully suppress the feeling of another presence within them however. And to be honest with you it might be some kind of lanky tech we haven't seen before." Gregor said before Shuala propped herself up on her elbows in an oddly sensual manner.

"I to feel the changes may be a result of an as yet unseen lanky technology. Seeing as how the nanites in their systems have made more nanites out of some of their body's own cells. Thus becoming part of their biology. This does seem to fit the technology used by the lankys seeing as how all of their technology is biological in nature. " she paused for a moment allowing for this new information to sink in, before continuing.

“But general. The disk we received form the lanky fighter is quite interesting. It contains the neurological code for human consciousness. And on an impulse Red Heart linked it to one of the UEC revival machines we “received” from the Glorious.” Drawing his roaming eyes away from his chief medical officers body Barron took a breath to steady himself and shot a glare to his friend who wore an sly smirk. “Damn psychics.”

“I heard that.”

“What was that general?” Shuala asked as she turned around and flopped belly first onto her bed to look at the screen. “Nothing doctor please continue.”

Shuala’s blue eyes drifted between both humans for a second before she spoke again. “...Well when Red Heart linked our computer to the revival machine it began printing. And a few seconds later it spat out a body.”

“Realy who was it?” Now that drew Eisenhorns undivided attention. “As you say inquisitor it was odd. The human it spat out identified himself as Corporal Raymond Forbes. It was odd because he was registered as KIA by the lankys by the Manitoba’s AI in Hellian system.”

“Human revival…” Barron said as ham window in his screen changed to show a human male standing in the medical bays isolation room. “Yes sir. Human revival and on top of this it does not seem to have the effects that equestrian revival has. We will have to run some more tests to be sure. And we are already working on reverse engineering these disks. But if we…”

“Doctor, Psi-ops wants you to continue this research. And ONI will now cover all financial aspects of this project. Tyler this could be what we need to level the playing field in this war. Doctor is he fit to return to active duty?”

“K-Kek Inquisitor I do not know what to say… I will divert a team to study these disks right away. And as for the corporal he is indeed fit to return to duty, but where will we place him?”

“...hmmm, is his old squad still around?” Barron asked turning to the thoughtful looking inquisitor. “Yes. Squad Fallon is still around.” His friend said cooly.

“Excellent we will place him there and we will be able to watch both of the patients and our new revive at once…” Shuala then chose that time to speak up. "And what of the Equine that assisted with his rescue? Surely you have some use of her and the remaining UEC prisoners?"

"The one known as Gutsy. Yes the three of them did seem to work well together. Well as far as two humans and pony can be expected to... And as for the prisoners I say we execute them. But interrogation might be better. Especially since the movement captured the supreme commander." Barron says leaning forward.

"I conquer with the General on keeping them alive. We may yet learn more about our enemy and any weaknesses they may hold. Like possible insurrections or rebel movements from within their organization. Besides we must show our new guests how much better we are at being civilized when it comes to treating our P.O.Ws'. At least until we have the Intel we want.” Eisenhorn said stroking his chin in thought.

"Indeed my general. But might I recommend keeping CT-229624 and CT-624450 away from Rarity. I fear it will... agitate them greatly."

"Or, Perhaps we should let them interrogate her instead of your Operatives, Gregor." The general suggested.

“Hmm. Perhaps, we shall see.”

My love's tongue locks with mine as he presses my back into the bulkhead. The entire kissing concept is strange especially with my mouth being much wider than Averys do to my reptilian physiology. But that doesn't mean he didn't figure out a way for it to work. It is such an intimate method of expression something tymerians do not possess in our own culture.

Being this close to him after being away for so long is like nothing I have ever experienced. I reshethe tongue as we finally separate for air and rest my snout on his shoulder inhaling his intoxicating scent. Ever since he has been released from the medical ward he has been so passionate.

I feel a cool hand run itself softly along my left horn as his other hand wraps itself around my waist holding my close as I do the same. And we are about to kiss once more before something hits Fallon. “Hey! Miia get your ass in the ring.”

“Very well.” I respond before uncoiling myself from my lovers embrace and following Charlotte to the sparring ring. Inside of the ring I saw the zaltule member of squad fallon pick up two humans before slamming them both back down into the mat and pinning him under his superior weight with two of his legs.

As I entered I saw my brother standing to the side holding a staff, why do humans call it a ring when it is a square? He dipped his head to me while the two males beside him shot disgusted looks my way before the smaller of the two grunted before entering the ring.

When Durge signaled the start of the match it did not last as long as I would have liked. Round one ended with my knee pressed to his neck as I pulled on his tail to drive my knee farther. And the second ended with me sprawled on the ground after receiving a rather uncalled for tail smack directly to the side of my right horn.

This left me dazed on entering round three and the male promptly slammed his tail into my left horn before sweeping my legs out from under me. He then grabbed me by the throat and chokeslammed me into the mat.

“What the hell are you doing!?” I heard someone call out before I saw the glint of the males claws coming down. But when I opened my eye again I saw a white and blue bionic holding the male by the wrist. “That’s enough of that.” Avery calls out. Before the male lets out an angry hiss before releasing my throat and swiping at Fallons throat.

My heart drops as the swipe flashes through the air knowing he is to close for Fallon to react with his slower human reaction time. I heard a sharp gasp go through out the room as Avery released the males hand and ducked under the swipe before a devastating punch to the side of the males’ jaw sends him straight to the mat.

“Oh no sit down lizard!” one of the humans in the crowd calls out much to the chagrin of the tymerians present. It's then that I felt one of Durge’s powerful hands wrap itself around my waist before lift me out of the way as the second male came sprinting into the ring.

The larger gray scaled male’s lunge was stopped short as Fallon drove his shoulder into the his stomach. He then pivoted and basically threw the male into the mat with his own momentum.

My love leaned back as a clawed kick from the gray male flew passed his head as he got back up. The male then threw right hook that Avery blocked with his elbow, then a left that Avery ducked under. Before he threw a kick that Fallon to ducked under before physically throwing himself backwards down onto the mat as the males tail came arching in just in time barely missing the appendage.

When his back hit the mat he pushed back up and into a superman punch that connected with the males snout sending him staggering back. Then Fallon followed up by crouching low and launching himself into a flying drop kick into the side of the males head, whose head snapped to the side. Before Fallon landed and delivers a back powerful punch into the male's chest.

There was a loud crack as his fist connected and he fell to the mat holding his chest gasping for air. Avery then stood back up not even out of breath. “Holy shit! You fucking kicked his ass man!” a very familiar voice called out from the side of the ring.

When I turn to see who it is I let out a gasp when I see the face of a ghost, Raymond Forbes. “Ray? How the fuck?” my love exclaimed walking over to stand in front of the dead man, confirming that I am not going insane. Around us the other troopers began to disperse soon leaving only the members of squad Fallon, Watkins, Charlotte, Amp, LT Fick and Gunny Perkins.

“No idea last thing I remember is being ripped in half by some kind of lanky with a weird ass spike launcher in its arm. Then next thing I know I’m covered in goo being spat out of a fucking tube.” He explained before Avery closed the gap and the two of them shared a masculine half hug.

“Whatever the case its good to see ya again man.” Avery said before abruptly ending the hug and clapping Forbes on the shoulders with a resounding thud. “You are taking this a lot better than i expected.”

“To be honest with you Forbes I’m just glad that its one of our own guys coming back for once.” My heart swells as I see the smile on my love's face. Despite everything that has happens between us since his rescue, the scars from his torture at the hands of the UEC have not truly begun to heal.

Calling the portable modular building a tent was a stretch, but I didn’t want to question it. The human commander had landed several of their heavily armed shuttles and began setting up some kind of temporary outpost. There was a tingling sensation, something that had been building up inside of me for quite some time, and I knew all too well what it was. Rarity had figured out Grogar’s necromancy. She had successfully brought somepony back from Tartarus. I couldn’t explain how she knew, but my gut told me that I understood because I was so connected to the necromancy that Rarity had obviously used.

I was sure that Rarity didn’t understand what she had done. Oh, I was certain that Rarity understood the immediate implications. Granting life, immortal life, to somepony, but I knew that she didn’t believe in the curse. That this pony would live to see all of her kind die. Death had been something I almost craved, and it was now going to be out of my reach forever. It was true that I had no desire to be back in the tender care of the demons of Tartarus, but at the same time I grew weary of my exceptionally long life.

Now, now I faced an eternity which whatever Pony it was that Rarity had given this curse to. I heard something and looked up at one of the humans. He was actually charming, in his own way, and from what I had seen he was quite loyal. If we weren’t on mission…. No, best not to go down that road. Quick meaningless romps were one thing. It helped in making me feel alive, but if it was somep… someone that I could potentially feel something for then I had no business going there.

I had no business because I wouldn’t subject myself to that again. I wouldn’t watch as they grew old, fraile, and then died. This curse did several things. It took several things from me. I would never be a mother, I couldn’t age, and I couldn’t die. But my mind aged. My spirit grew old and frail. And I had taken far too many lovers in the past to make the same mistake again. I felt the kind of heaviness that came with experience. I almost became lost to my musing when I felt a nudge and looked over at the human sitting beside me. She’s a good sort, more interested in mares… well women, than stallions, or men rather, and I can see the glint in her eye that tells me that she has something interesting planned.

She slipped a spoonful of the bluish gray gel into her mouth that we’re served. She swished it around for a moment, half chewing, half searching for taste, and then she swallowed.

“Thinking about some fun?”

I shook my head, “Not really, just thinking some old thoughts.”

She laughed, and I would be the first to admit that her laughter is musical. It was almost endearing the way it sounded. Her laughter slowed, and she looked toward the men I had been eyeing.

“They’re all damned good soldiers, but I don’t have a clue what kind of lovers they are,” she took another spoonful, “But maybe that’s a good thing. I’ve been told that being surprised makes the world a better place.”

I grin, surprises would be nice, but then again there’s little left that I could say would be that surprising, “Thanks Ms. Howard.”

She shook her head, “Please, my friends call me Curie.”

I took in how she looks. Her brunette hair was short, but long enough for fingers to be ran through. She was shorter than most of us. To the crown of my head I stood about five and a half of their feet, but she’s just past the shoulder on me. She almost looked like a filly, but the way her body looks told the tale of a full grown woman.

Then an alarm began to blare from each of the assembled shuttles. “What is happening?” I asked as Curie threw her food onto the ground and hustled to the nearest shuttle ramp. “Radiological warning! Fleets about about to drop salt mirvs on this continent, Get your ass in a dropship now!”

I immediately rush drop what I was doing and rush up the ramp of the nearest shuttle. Taking a seat in the aquard seat, one of the cog soldiers a tymerian must have seen me struggling with the unfamiliar straps and rushed over to strap me in. “Thank you”

“Crew chiefs job” He grunted in response before returning to the head of the hold and to a chair with a console in front of it. And soon the entire hold was full of humans, tymerians, myralos and even two kleese who were strapped to hanging racks like cargo.

“Hold on.” Came the universally calm voice of the pilot. Before there was a shutter in the hold as the shuttles two massive engines roared to life and the rear hatch closed. For a moment the hold was illuminated only by the same red lights the NAC seemed to use in most of their equipment. Before a more calming strip of pale white lite illuminated the area as my seat snapped to one side on a gimbal as we rocketed into the air.

After what felt like hours but was probably only affew one or two minutes we felt the turbulence of something big passing us by. “What’s that!?” one of the myralos asked.

“Relax Nimb were fine, here see.” the gear to my left said taking out a data-pad and holding it in the middle of the isle as the shuttle slowed.

On the screen was an image of the content below. This was quite shocking because even the fastest UEC shuttles weren't able to make this kind of speed. And nor did they possess rear facing camera as this image was no doubt a life camera feed from this very shuttle. The continent below looms peacefully as the sun pokes out from behind the planet. So much has happened on this planet and finally the few colonists will be able to live in peace. The humans of earth might have allegedly started this war, but they weren't the ones...

Then there was a flash of light somewhere on the continent. The clouds parted in a perfect circle around the small sun revealing the earth beneath it. The explosion was massive, and my breath catches in my throat as another small sun makes its appearance near the first. Before at once seven more massive fireballs split the clouds all across the continent, throwing up massive fiery mushroom clouds into the atmosphere.

I felt stinging in my eyes as the force of one explosion cleared the clouds from a large cluster of lights. Revealing the only real colony on the entire planet, Shattermane with a population of almost three thousand. Then the city disintegrated when fireball erupted almost in the middle of the colony.

“Hell yeah! That was for Tollen!” A human called out referring to a planet the UEC had captured one of their years ago. I had participated in that campaign, and the human civilians put up one hell of a fight forcing us to put most of them down. But I never thought the humans of earth would be so vengeful as to nuke an entire continent, salting the entire surface with radiation in retaliation.