I never enjoyed medivacs, no matter how many times I needed one over the years. Flying with Buck had gotten me more acclimatized to having my hooves way off the ground but there was some level of control to be had there. I could look around freely, shoot the bad guys and ultimately, I trusted Buck regardless of his fat fucking head and boundless ego. Laying as I was, strapped to a stretcher between two yammering Paramedics, there wasn't anything in my control up here. With my legs pinned to my sides and an IV stuck in me there was not a single goddamn thing I could do in the event of evasive maneuvers. I couldn't even imagine having to go through it in an active firezone because if one wing gets hit...the chances of making it home alive are pretty up for debate. I could walk if needed but a crash landing wasn't known for being too kind on bodies, regardless of species.

"Goddamn dude...fuckin' wow!"

"I know! Fuckin Commander TYPHOON! Like...what?? Since fuckin' when has a Shadowbolt Commander ever stopped to talk with a bunch of guys like us? She might be older but dude...she's got a nice ass under all that armor."

"Totally! She was so fuckin' cool...I'd let her sit on my face any fucking day!"

'Oh definitely.' I thought to myself knowing better than to speak up. 'But that armor was far more interesting to me.'

"What you think, Colonel?"

It took a second for me to recognize that they had directed the question at me and I responded, "About what? I've been zoning out..."

"The fuckin' Commander!" He exclaimed, though which of them it was that responded was unknown. "Isn't she fuckin' awesome?!"

"Heh, oh for damn sure!" I replied quickly just to make sure I didn't hesitate for too long. "Wasn't expecting an assist let alone one by Team Crash. They are just as impressive as the stories say!"

"The fuck ya mean 'stories'?!?" They cried in shock and quasi-disgust. "Team Crash were hoof-picked by Generals Rainbow Dash and Spitfire! Only others that got the special selection by both Generals are Teams Tank and Bolt!"

"Soooo...in other words, as close to the big shots as you'll probably ever get then?" I asked with a laugh, trying not to sound patronizing despite my personal lack of interest in Pegusi war heroes. "Fair enough then. I didn't know there were only three Shadowbolt teams."

"Nah, there's like fifteen or something in total now but only three are the top-tier badasses recruited personally by one of the Generals. No higher fuckin' honor for a flyboy than to fly wing-to-wing with one of those fuckin' legends"

"Just a casual reminder that becoming a legend in this kinda work usually means most of your work will never be known and you can't talk to anyone about it without risking a court marshal. A nasty, punitive one I'd bet given their elite status. Shadowbolts will always get the better equipment over anyone save for maybe the Tin Heads but that's 'cause their Apple Jack's prized poodle and get similar levels of preferential treatment."

"Eh shut up, you're just jealous you'll never even have a chance at having a chance to join them." They snickered back. "Sure, all our hard work would be dripping with black ink after the censors do their shit but common! We're talking true legends, Colonel!"

"Oh don't I know it..." I groaned, rolling my eyes to myself. "Even being in Alpha Squad, it's still like I'm the new kid on the block to most people. All the hero worship is reserved for the wingaling fucks and tinfoil soldiers on parade and even the fuckin Grunts get more recognition than the DRC."

"Oh? Y'all got top teams too then? Cool I guess...bet ya stole the idea from General Dash, didn't ya?"

"Just how old do you think the Desert Ranger Corps is?!" I snapped back in annoyance.

"I dunno, you guys ain't badass enough for a Pegasus to join when we've got an entire Corps of our own for those with fucking wings. How many fuckin' wings you even got with you guys? Aside from that dumbass Griffin of yours I haven't even heard of a goddamn one."

"Yeah, how the fuck did he even get her attention over us? You think she has a thing for birds? That's gotta be it..."

"Soldier you better shut the fuck up right now or so help me fuck, I'll cripple your asses myself and walk back to base dragging you behind me." I growled as threateningly as I could while being tied down. "That's my fucking brother in arms you're shitting on and he's a better fucking flyer than both of you combined! You wanna know why Typhoon barely spoke to you two? It's because you lack the fucking discipline and mentality to even be at their level. Who the fuck cares about you two? Does anypony outside your Platoon know you exist? I haven't heard of either of you and Buck, who would've fuckin' known, didn't know you either. People know Buck. Not a ton, but enough do because he's a genuine fucking badass and earned his fame. You were just lucky you happened to be the ones assigned to medivac us, asshole."

"Who the fuck do you think you ar-"

"A Lieutenant Colonel and your fucking better, that's who." I snapped back, absolutely incensed at these low blows after the night I had had. "Drop me the fuck off right NOW. Don't care where, I'll fuckin' walk back to the Mauler myself. You two can go suck each other off somewhere, just leave me the fuck alone."

They hesitated but soon dipped lower and lower to the ground, coming to a stop on a sandy street a few thousand meters from our destination in complete silence. I had already pried myself free of the stretcher's restraints with a little help from my horn and stuffed the IV bag under the collar of my duster by the time we landed so I immediately hopped off. They both had their flight visors down on their helmets helping mask them as individuals and make them easier to loathe as faceless assholes. The fact I wasn't in a shouting match was a miracle but it was a nice little consolation victory.

"Fly home dumbasses, some of us like walking on our own four legs." I snapped, giving them each the hoof before taking my weapons and briskly trotting away in the direction of the Mauler.

My gait was unsteady and my pace was uneven thanks to trying to keep my IV leg straight, but I maintained my speed nonetheless until I was out of sight. I knew the Desert Rangers were nigh-on the laughingstock of the EAF by this point but this...this hit differently than usual. I had been at this long enough to know how to take a blow to my pride when directly attacked but when they went and brought up Buck...

"Goddamn pansy-ass cuntbags...!" I hissed quietly to myself out loud, kicking the door shut on a cluster of curious civilian eyes. "You just had to go and insult a member of my team to my face, and you're expecting me to just fucking take it?! Fuck you! Both of you asswipes weren't even good enough to break outta the Juniors were ya? Fuckin flyboys..."

My grumblings carried me through the subdued outer ring of the city strewn with the detritus of conflict. Shell casings gleamed softly on the ground amidst the strewn bodies and unfortunate structural damage Command was surely not going to be pleased with. With the city still well under siege, these parts that we had already subdued were almost eerily quiet with the echoes of battle growing more and more distant. The occasional blue tick of a civilian skittering about the back alleys popped up on my HUD but they were few and far between. I couldn't see through walls with either my visor or E.F.S but it didn't take an egghead to assume they were hiding as far away from us as they were the Zeebs.

Being isolated as I was, removed from both my battle buddy and my whole Platoon, I had a chance to feel alone again. This felt different than the loneliness I experienced coming back from Manehatten; another kind of melancholy that was similar but...different. While I had felt sad and lonely on the train as if a part of me had been left behind, here...I felt almost like a filly who had to watch while her friends went off and had fun without her. I hated how exposed I felt having only one pair of eyes and a hundred different angles of attack to account for. Being buddy-less was something Command frowned on and avoided at all costs by anyone with a brain but I had two problems. One was that I was an obstinate bitch sometimes when provoked the wrong way and the other was that I had Buck as a partner. This train of thought carried me for a long way and when I waddled out from another alley out onto a street where the Mauler was parked I recognized being alone was more of a problem then I thought. Isolation left me with my own thoughts and those go a thousand directions a second at a breakneck pace. I was too easily given to distraction and become unprofessionally unfocused when left by myself in a bad mood.

To my relief I found that the back bay was wide open for me to enter and Brandy gave a shout from her perch on the roof a few moments after I stumbled into the open. Accompanying her on the ground surrounding the Mauler was an entire Fireteam of GIs, all poised with their weapons drawn in a defensive perimeter; a glorified guard of honor for my mostly unnecessary medical assessment. The Mauler looked to be in good shape, though I could see gouges and dents in the cast armor of the hull, along with the occasional burn mark of some hex or another that had dissipated when hitting an arcane ward. The desert camo was scraped off in places exposing the tough steel underneath but overall, she was in one piece and looking fiercer than ever. With so many soldiers around and an autocannon to boot, I could feel the ranting and raving from earlier melt away under waves of relief from seeing some friendlier faces. Finally, I had more than enough eyes and armor around me to spare a moment for some much needed self-care.

"Colonel, Sir!" A soldier by the door bellowed in my direction as I approached. "Where is your medivac? We were told you would be arriving by air Sir, not by hoof. Is everything ok?"

"Ugh...I dunno, they took off to pick up someone else or some shit. I dunno..." I replied with a grunt, making my way past and through the loading bay into the cramped hallway leading into the crew compartment.

Already I could see that the M.O.P had set up shop while we had been away and I was impressed with how quickly they had put together a small mobile triage station in the crew/fighting compartment. The roof hatches were sealed shut against danger, and each bunk hugging the wall was fitted with portable IV stations, devices for monitoring vitals and M.O.P branded bedding. All but two of the Power Armor repair stations had their chains and hoists raised and tools stashed away to make room for boxes and crates of medical supplies; a Healer and her assistants busying themselves with a half dozen patients. The recessed lighting had also been dimmed somewhat making it more comfortable to see at night and encouraged those who needed it to sleep. Of course, that was assuming anyone could sleep under these conditions without some assistance from a spell, a hefty dose of drugs or a little bit of both. With nothing left to do, I approached the group of M.O.P staff and cleared my throat in an attempt to get their attention.

"Uhhh...hi?" I called out as loud as I felt safe for a medical setting which caused the soft gold colored Healer in her gown of white and pink to turn my direction.

"Ah! You must be Colonel Crete!" She sang softly, passing ownership of a brewing kit to her assistants before approaching me with all the grace of a dancer. "I am Honeydew Sunshine, licensed Healer for the Ministry of Peace's Martial Branch, 3rd District. I understand you came under fire and took a few bullets?"

"Um...yeah, heh." I replied with a bit of surprise. "And a burnout from lifting shit way above my weight class."

"My, my...well that is certainly not good at all! Very well Ma'am, please wait a moment as we perform some rotations in bedding. Cherry! Opal! Get to it, darlings!"

She was a different breed of M.O.P than I was used to, and her odd blend of gentleness and militaristic protocol was unexpected after interacting with others like her who were more...froofy with how they conducted themselves. The two mares set to work with their horns, enveloping some of the occupied lower bunks in their magic and lifting them, equipment and all, away from the wall and replacing them with empty ones from higher up. The bunks had been designed to be easily put up and taken down via a system of hooks and tethers, but this was a use I had not accounted for. I could only assume those they had moved had been stabilized and they were simply making room for the next in line as per the rules of triage. I was continually amazed at just how many features the Bünkerwagen contained and laid down in silent amazement while they all winced and gasped at the large holes in my breastplate.

"Damn...thirty-three caliber, armor piercing with an explosive tracer element judging by the burn patterns around the point of penetration. It's a miracle you survived, darling..." Honeydew hummed from beneath her M.O.P branded hood, her hazy lavender eyes laser focused on my abdomen. "What method of treatment did you undergo, Colonel? Considering you made it back here alive at all, I have to assume your immediate wounds were attended to. Which potion was administered? Oh, and if you know the dosage as well, that would be most helpful."

"Uhhh..." I hesitated as I remembered the stupidity behind my survival. "Yeah about that...you're not gonna like the answer."

"I usually don't when it comes to in-field applications of medical care..." She sighed with a tired smile. "Go on love, nothing I haven't heard yet and the more we know ahead of time, the better we can patch ya up where it counts."

"Heh...yeah, um...I used a Griffin Stim." I laughed sheepishly, watching as shock and horror hit their eyes in unison. "Heard that one yet?"

"Um...well!" She replied with wide eyes though I couldn't sense any doubt behind them. "I cannot say I have, darling! Please, do elaborate in brief."

It was difficult to condense the events of the last few hours into short, cohesive lines of thought that would explain what happened without wandering off after details that wouldn't matter to them. As I explained away, her expression remained in a constant look of quiet contemplation while I laid out what lead up to my intestines getting introduced to a few steel penetrators. In the meantime, Cherry and Opal manually detached my armor from my underbarding so they had easier access to my body for examination. Were the situation vastly different, I would have been incredibly turned on at just how fast these girls got me stripped down and showin' some fluff. As it was, I was just too distracted to feel horny.

"I see..." She hummed softly after I had finished my ramble. "Well, thank you for your candor. It seems Sergeant Buck's foresight into bringing that Stim device was very prudent indeed. However, I must stress from a professional standing that what you did should never be attempted again if you value your life as it is. It seems your situation had a mixture of factors that were all nominally positive enough for you to have survived it. Extreme pain, some pain killers, heightened adrenal secretions, the life-or-death nature of the decision, a nearly empty Stim canister and the idiotic courage to even try that method. Truly one for the research notes I must say, even if it is not necessarily something to be celebrated."

"Yeah, heh... But in my defense, I never said it was a smart idea though. I 100% knew what I was signing up for when I chose to use that thing. What I did say however, was I was completely out of health potions having given most of what I had to Buck due to his own injuries. I would have bled out and died had I not decided to use the damn thing and if it failed then I would die knowing I did every damned thing I could to keep on kicking."

"Do not mistake my professional opinion for that of one who is condemning you for your choices, please." She chided softly with a hint of a pout hitting her lips. "You did what you could to ensure the best outcome and luck threw you a bone on top of it all. Regardless...a thorough examination is in order to ensure all was healed properly. Those cocktails the Griffins brew for themselves are dangerous even for their own consumption, let alone for us comparably smaller and less sturdy Equines. Perhaps we will be lucky again and there won't be any runaway tumors growing away inside you!"

"Well...I'm ready when you are." I replied with a nod and a silent shiver of worry. "Personally I feel fine and just wanna get back to work before the night is out but...do what you gotta do."

She nodded in return and lit her horn with a silvery magic that contrasted well against her gold-colored enamel. Meticulously she enveloped my legs in a long band of her sparkling aura and slowly panned along the length of my figure; a faint but not unpleasant feeling of something almost like a fog of cool mist slowly moving through my body. She intentionally skipped my abdomen to examine my chest and head before returning back to it for an extra long look in the area of most concern. I actually felt some relief and even more respect for her given most would have focused directly on the most obvious problem while others could be lurking under the surface somewhere else in the body. Massive bodily trauma had a tendency to affect multiple places with some pains coming days or months later when you least expected it.

"Hmm...looks like the tungsten penetrators were pushed completely out, which is wonderful news after what you experienced." She hummed in a bright tone, her attention still half-focused on the last of her scan. "Annnnd, as a happy cherry on top, your wounds were healed correctly! Well, so far as I am able to tell from my examination at least. I strongly recommend a regular check-in with any member of the M.O.P every two weeks or so, depending on availability of course. I'll be sure to add the full lab results from your blood draw in case any doubters wish to check your toxicology chart."

A massive sigh escaped my lips from a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding in. Cancer was one of those things that was a gamble on whether or not something could be done to treat it. Not only that, she was being so kind as to ensure my story wouldn't get me laughed out the door of another Doctor or Healer not so familiar with my medical history.

"I should also mention that I detected your body is still very aware it was damaged significantly, and will not be all too pleased when the stress of this battle is over. Much as I am loathe to give it however, you do pass the minimum requirements set by the Ministry to be returned to the field as an active combatant. Just...don't push yourself darling. The area will undoubtedly be quite sore for several days and...there is no saying what the side affects, if any, will be from using a Griffin Stim. It's not like I am teaming with documented prior cases for comparison, heh. All being said however, I didn't detect any abnormal cell division at this time, so no super cancer far as I can tell. Congratulations!"

I nodded and sighed, "Well, glad to hear I ain't a mess down there. I do wanna get back to the fight, any recommendations on how to do that without causing my team medic to go ballistic on me once she hears about this?"

"Hmm...good question. Cherry! Give this girl a jab of that extended-release Medix we brought with us and something to perk her up a bit, mind and body. I forget which case it was that contained the vials but it should be in one of the ones marked with purple-and-yellow stripes so it shouldn't be too troubling to find. Opal? Be a dear and fetch one of the stallions in charge of this vehicle and bring them back here to speak with the Colonel. She's been out of the loop with the broader goings-on and needs a sitrep, stat!"

The two mares in their nurse's uniforms both curtsied quietly and hurriedly moved off to complete their assigned tasks. Given the relative uselessness of Sprocket Wrench, I was relieved when Opal returned with Cobalt in tow, who was himself looking more than a little strained and exhausted from the night. Our resident Combat Sorcerer was as dark blue in color as the famous pigment he was named after, but possessed a brilliantly silver mane that was long and bushy which he kept out of the way with a respectable ponytail. The white combat robes provided by the Ministry of Arcane Science looked comfy to wear, coming complete with long flowing sleeves, a multi-layered skirt with trains of varying lengths and a stylized hood all lightly embroidered with blue silk. The whole ensemble was woven from a short-fiber Kevyarn weave that had been bleached white and then capped off with additional pieces of impact plating, courtesy of a modified set of Type 4b combat armor. On a chain around his neck he kept both his dogtags, as well as an amplifying medallion he had been awarded upon completing his studies at the M.O.A.S Academy. A handy trinket for increasing the power and capabilities of a competent user but, it didn't seem to come with any added benefits to one's magical stamina and fortitude.

"Hey, Crete." He sighed as he sat on the edge of the bunk, the exhaustion in his body and voice hard to miss. "Good to see ya back. Took some hits out there?"

"Yeah...should've seen Buck Beak though, he arguably took more damage than I did out there. But...we knocked out three AA batteries and each got easily over a dozen enemy KIAs while doing it. What's the broader situation out there? When I called in the Shaman sighting and Command told all teams in the air to hunker down, Buck took off and we kinda shut off anything that wasn't just the two of us talking."

"Yeah, we noticed..." He sighed again, glancing towards the front of the cabin. "It was...who, Penny? I think Penny... Anyway, when you two went silent for awhile, she told me and the other guys here not to worry since they were expecting it to happen. Then awhile later we get the call you guys took some hits and need a medivac and we're balls-deep in the Bazaar fighting off RPG teams on the rooftops. Shit just moved so fast after all you guys left..."

"Yeah, I remember hearing that fight over the radio when I talked with Copper. Still, we both managed to scrape by with a passing grade this time around, eh? That's not so bad,right?"

"Hmph...for now... Let me tell ya, when they had us running the defensive spell courses, and they said we would have to learn to project a bubble of awareness around us...I didn't expect it to be that necessary out here. This thing is a powerhouse, but the armor on this bucket of bolts isn't like those heavy Gryphon tanks they rolled into town behind us. It's plenty sturdy but...still, I can't help but feel uneasy about the thickness. My magic has had more than enough time to get attuned to the signature of the Mauler and I've had a 'feel' of the steel and uh...it's fine but it...feels a little thin to me..."

"It just has to get us through tonight, we can see about welding on some extra shit to the exterior once we get the chance and the Engineers have the time. That all being said...how's it all going? What's going on outside 4th Platoon?" I asked, sitting up with a wince and offering my neck to Cherry who had finally located the painkillers and other injectable drugs.

"Pretty damn well, all things considered." He said with a grin. "We've secured almost three-fourths of the Anti-Air emplacements and around the same number of checkpoints in the outer city area. Basically, we've taken most of everything outside the Old City but, they've sealed the city wall with a great barrier spell. With how long they've been here...there's no telling how many supplies they've got stored away for a siege like this. What else...? Oh! Beta Company has moved in with Army Group South and the Ministry of Peace has already started evacuating civilians as best they can. If it's any surprise, that's slow work, what with all the major roads leading out of Anakha jam-packed with traffic. Honeydew alone had a hell of a time just getting here on hoof hauling all that gear with them. It's a damn miracle they even made it through that maze of shoddy townhouses without getting lost, or losing personnel or equipment."

"Indeed...once our convoy was halted a half-click from the city outskirts, most of us chose to finish the last leg by hoof to minimize the amount of time the wounded spent unaided." She chimed in from the far corner where she stood reviewing entries on their portable terminal station. "The roads leading out of here towards Camp Sentinel are also backed up from what I have heard from other Healers in the area. Everyone with working legs is walking and anything with wheels, mechanized or not, are transporting the rest as soon as they are freed up. It's a mess absolutely everywhere you look..."

"Mhm...thankfully though, we are part of an active Armored Platoon so we couldn't just up and leave the AO to ferry civvies outta the hotzone." Cobalt added. "To be honest we were just parked here for only a moment while we switched out some ammunition and just ended up happening to be in the right place at right time. Honeydew and her escort walked right on in and immediately just starting to set up shop in here. It seems the stars aligned for them since they had packed one of those white tents of theirs but we presented a far better and more immediate option for their medical needs. Besides, the immediate area is locked down tighter than Celestia's ass and all of us needed a fuckin' breather anyway so...it all worked out far as I care."

"Ah...so that explains why the Mauler is just sitting here acting as an infirmary rather than as a rolling death machine." I replied with a soft chuckle, the sensation of a soft happy numbness ever so slightly gripping my body as the medicine began to work.

"Indeed it does!" She responded, giving a small curtsy as best she could manage in such tight quarters. "We are most grateful to be allowed to work with a machine such as this as it allows us to treat multiple patients at once with a decent amount of space to work in. Goddesses bless the Gryphons as such a use had been foreseen by the designers given how easily we modified it for use in emergency triage. Knowing it is also capable of fending off enemy fire with its armor and keeping us safe thanks to its main armament is a sense of security I have not felt in a combat zone before."

"Yeah...be grateful you didn't have to be in here when we were actively engaged. Blocking that many hits was...ugh..." Cobalt grunted, rubbing his eyes with his hooves in slow circles. "I think I need another dose, Ma'am. Head is still aching like a bitch and my horn feels like its on fire..."

"Tsk, tsk, that won't do at all." She replied with a smile, nodding to me next. "Miss Crete? Unless you are seriously considering medical sanity and wish to lie down till this battle is over, I suggest you allow Sorcerer Cobalt your spot in bed."

"Oh. Yeah! Totally!" I laughed as I tried to worm my way past where he sat rooted to the edge and onto my hooves. "By all means, Cobalt. Good work out there! Glad the Academy sent you to us, you've been a great help to the team tonight."

He took a moment to slowly lay down followed by a massive sigh of relief before he replied, "Thanks, Colonel. I know I'm new around here since all of you seem to know each other pretty well by now but...glad to know you don't all hate me. It's a nice change from the Academy."

"Heh, well...I don't wanna speak for everyone since I don't know exactly how they all feel personally, but you've got my vote of confidence at least. Plenty of expertise in our group across multiple fields but there's not a damn single one of us that is all that great at magic. Don't know yet about Crystal Decanter but I can say for Huckleberry and I, we can't cast a ward to save our asses, let alone pull off what you did tonight. I only pulled through that shit earlier thanks to ArmsTech making a damn good set of armor."

"Doc? I think you might need to check my ears too because I swear I just heard a fuckin C.O give me a compliment tonight." He laughed softly, wincing as he did so and gripping his head slightly. "Ugh, goddamn headache...seriously though, thank you. Can't say I've ever had that long of a compliment from a higher up before."

"Heh, yeah...well, I'm only a Lieutenant Colonel by a coincidence of needs with the GA. I hold the rank but much of the responsibility has been passed on to desk jockeys and NCOs technically under my command. I'm a Desert Ranger first and foremost, and I am much better used as an asset in the field than sitting back coordinating shit over radio."

"Heh, that is exactly the kinda attitude I wanna hear out of my C.O." He replied with a grin before I was shooed out of the way by Honeydew carrying along a fresh bottle of Nexus-infused saline.

"Go on, love." She chided, hanging up the bottle and attaching the surgical tubing to the apparatus. "Let the weary rest. Go speak with one of the others and snag some food and fluids on your way, your body will thank me soon. When you are ready to return to the field, Cherry will have your kit available for you in the rear cargo bay and will replenish your medical supplies with some to spare as well."

I gave Cobalt one last nod and smile of approval, thanked Honeydew for her time, and turned towards the front, making my way down the narrow center aisle towards the turret ladder. When I approached the base of it and heard the sound of chipper jazz music coming from above, I knew at least one of the brighter bulbs in our Engineering team was up there; spurning me to climb upwards to greet them. To my surprise however, the turret was only occupied by Copper alongside Rivet, both relaxing as much as one could in an angled dome of steel and enjoying some tunes while passing a pack of smokes between them. The roof hatch in the commander's cupola was partially opened allowing the acrid smoke to lazily drift out into the night sky that was still flashing every now and again with signs of the fight going on deeper in the city. It was a little surreal but I couldn't blame either of them for trying to force some semblance of peace while they had the chance. Neither had spent much time in the direct line of fire like they had tonight so I had to commend how well they were handling the pressure. All the same...they looked pretty shaken up from everything.

"Hey, boys." I sighed with a grunt as I pulled myself up enough so my torso poked above the turret ring. "You two holding up?"

"Oh, heya Crete." Copper replied, breathing out enough smoke to make a Dragon proud. "Glad to see you made it back in one piece. Gods this has been a hell of a night..."

"Heh, fuckin' tell me about it..." I replied with a chuckle, glancing between them and seeing the fatigue and post-adrenaline shock causing their muscles to tremble slightly. "Cobalt gave me a bit of a rundown on the big picture but you guys have the radio training so lemme know how shit's goin'."

"Lemme tell ya...after you guys took off, things went eight different fuckin' directions at once. Command is such a mess dealing with all the logistics of this operation and it shows that this is their first time doing something on this scale in the South. General comms are just as jammed as the fuckin' roads, so we've been mostly sticking to local channels so we can actually communicate with the rest of the Rough Riders. That being said though...even that has become a problem since we can't even get them the respond."

"That bad huh? You didn't answer my earlier question though, how are you guys doing?"

They both took long drags in unison, the curling trails of smoke from the burning ends of their cigarettes wavering softly in their shaking mouths before Rivet replied, "Hot shite, Crete. I don't know how you guys have the balls to fight those bastards out in the open. We've got 85mm of frontal glacis armor canted at 145^o and the turret's got 65-mil at 55...and for all that steel, I felt like we were gonna get a hole punched through our hull."

"Cobalt is the real MVP here." Copper sighed. "He bitches about being fresh outta the Academy, but his defense is fuckin' on point. Zeebs love lobbing those HEAA missiles at anything that moves and we are anything but a small target. Compare us to a Steel Ranger and it's pretty easy to guess who's the more valuable and easy-to-hit target."

"Yeah, he was telling me a bit about it when I was down there, sounds like it was a hell of a time. Sorry I wasn't here to help out, guys..."

"Ah, shut it..." Copper grunted, waving a hoof down at me dismissively. "We knew you'd be split off with Buck from the start so you were doing your job as assigned to you. From what I know, sounds like you two did a decent number on them out there so you've got nothin' to apologize for. Now...as for Sprocket..."

"Yeahhh...was gonna ask where he was since I was expecting one of you to be up in the driver's seat. He off getting high somewhere like the shitstain he is?"

"Hell if we know, fuckin' probably. Could be dead for all we know or care!" Rivet snorted, pointing in the general direction of the cargo bay. "Bastard zipped right out the back not two-minutes after all you guys took off. Left his PipBuck plugged in at the comms station and fuckin' vanished with that bag of Dash he pulled outta the turret neck earlier. Haven't seen or heard a peep from that jackass since, and neither of us give enough of a shit to mount a search. We'll all probably get a demotion if he's listed as MIA...eh, worth it at this point..."

"Oh sweet mother of..." I growled before immediately cooling down and replying, "Whatever...if you haven't reported it already, call it in and let Command figure out what to do about it. Far as I can see, you two are tied to the Mauler at the hip and wherever it's needed, you're supposed to be. He fucked off and it ain't your job to track him down when this is your post so, in my opinion, you made the right call. If he gets himself killed then sweet blessed day for us, we can get a replacement. Which, speaking of...who the hell's driving now?"

"Engineer Mahogany, she was rolling in with Beta Company as one of their 'spare wrenches'. She was riding on the back of one of those slick lookin' Falke IIs and had no active duties, so she was happy to fill in for that douchebag's role. Who knew the controls between Gryphon vehicles were so universal? At least, that's what I like to think. Only worked with a few of 'em so far so there could be more complicated control schemes in the other models they've not trained us on yet."

"Oh? I honestly think the only one of us who has had any quality time behind the wheel so far has been Onyx so...I wouldn't know, heh. I spend most of my time on my hooves with an AMR and a pack of freaks watching my back."

"Heh, heh...pack of freaks, yeah that's pretty fuckin' true." Rivet chuckled in reply, taking a moment to light another cigarette form their shared pack. "But yeah, they're all pretty close in terms of control schemes. Just a couple levers to control power to each track, a gearshift lever, and some muscle to move 'em where you want 'em. The Mauler handles easier than the earlier stuff they've made that I've been on, but the controls themselves haven't changed much since they started making this sorta shit. Anyways, yeah...Mahogany is a damned fine pilot. Girl had this thing fuckin' dancing around on air it felt like...knew exactly what to do and didn't question orders. A breath of fresh air after dealing with Sprocket for the last couple years, lemme tell ya."

"Oh I bet, anyone would be a better fit for this team than that sorry excuse for an Engineer. Of course, that's assuming we actually had any say in his posting in any way, shape or form."

"Heh, can say that again...dumbass wouldn't know a docking port from a fleshlight."

We all shared a quiet laugh at his expense before slipping into a slightly awkward silence. They were already worn out from the night's events and the siege was only roughly a third of the way complete. With the old city being cordoned off by a barrier, the attack was going to slam to a halt until they found a way to crack the damn thing wide open. That or...we starved them into submission the old fashioned way like our ancestors once did when besieging a castle. With the ancient city wall acting as the bulwark of their barrier spell, the imagery was all too appropriate.

"Where'd the rest of Alpha Squad end up?" I asked once my curiosity overcame my respect for the tranquil silence.

"Alpha? Eh...who fuckin' knows at this point..." Rivet replied with a lazy shrug. "Command has sent them everywhere tonight...least half of 'em were temporarily reassigned to other Armored Platoons and helping out wherever they're needed. Other half got yoinked to lead Fireteams in the immediate area and I think only one of the pairs from the start are still together. Lost track of where they all are and they've all been comms-locked to these other Platoons to keep shit simpler. Like I said...it's been a fucking nightmare for logistics tonight."

"Ah...shoulda figured." I sighed with a shrug of my own. "To be honest? We should've expected this sorta thing to happen but...eh, I'm not worried about 'em. They know what they're doing and none of them have the penchant for chasing danger like Buck does. We're all pawns on the chessboard anyway so we go where they tell us to."

"Where is Buck, by the way?" Copper asked pointedly, finally bringing up the obvious. "Heard he took some nasty hits too but he didn't swing by for a checkup like you did. So...what gives? Not like you guys checked in with us after calling for the medivac earlier."

"Ah...right. He's currently receiving the best care money can buy, courtesy of Commander Typhoon of Shadowbolt Team Crash. He impressed her too damn much and she just kinda up and snagged him right then and there. I got a nod of acknowledgement too at least, but yeah...he's having the time of his fuckin' life out there, wherever the hell they have their private services set up."

"Really? Well goddamn! Good on him I guess. Not like Command could bitch about you two getting split up like this, even if they wanted to." Copper replied with a tired smile. "Wonder what kinda kit they got...would be a dream to get a glimpse of that Lunar Steel they use in their gear. Can only imagine what it looks like at night."

"Oh? What's tha-?"

"Conqueror to Mauler, we gotta problem! Come in, Copper!"

The weird tranquility of the moment was shattered and Copper flopped around a bit in his seat while trying to find the radio receiver. The panic in that voice wasn't exactly reassuring...

"Mauler here, the fuck's going on Hinge?"

"Bastards had some time to prepare, laid some kinda trap hex on the road to Checkpoint Gamma and blew through our egghead's shield spell. Left track's completely fucked and our radar station took some heavy damage in the blast, got at least four wounded including the driver. Primary turret can't turn left past 45 degrees and we nearly had the belt cook off on us in the turret neck. Got our boys on a perimeter but we could really use some extra hooves and guns! Rabid and her crew took off after the enemy, hauling ass through the Old City, and you guys were much fuckin' closer than anyone else right now. We can't handle all this by ourselves!"

"Goddamnit, fucking shitstains!" Copper growled while settling into the commander's chair and controls. "Crete! Let the medic team know the situation and prep for casualties. Rivet, get Mahogany and Brandy on the line and get this bitch on the move! We've got some work to do, boys and girls."

Before I knew it, the adrenaline of the moment had me at the base of the ladder and leaping off the bottom down the central aisle. Just because I took some shots to the gut didn't mean I was off for the rest of the night and it certainly wasn't over for our fellows on Conqueror. Honeydew cocked her head curiously with a stern expression that told me she could tell something was up; a situational awareness I admired and already deeply valued. She was sharp, focused and a tremendous benefit to us for as long as we had her around.

"Conqueror took a hit and needs backup, prep for casualties!" I called out as I danced my way down the narrow aisle. "Make a hole, gotta tell the guys outside!"

With the bunks placed out of the way and the repair station alcoves being more than large enough to slink into, they cleared a path for me right down the center of the Mauler with little warning. As my hooves touched the floor of the cargo bay, the overhead lighting switched from a peaceful blue/white to a glaring red, acting as a quaint backdrop for my message to the troops on the defense around the vehicle. I didn't know any of them but I could count on their immediate compliance all the same. There were some things they couldn't rob my Corps of and in-field authority was thankfully one of them.

"Climb aboard! Got some friendlies down to our East and they need some extra support!"

Helmeted heads whipped around to face me but discipline held their trigger hooves in check as their commanding Sergeant jolted into action.

"You heard the Colonel, get those pussy asses off the floor and on the cart boys! We've got some stripes to wipe!"

The team of eight formed up promptly before funneling their way inside with the Sergeant and I bringing up the rear and shutting the hatches behind us. The moment the bay door hissed shut we were already lurching forward, the muffled metallic clatter of the tracks emanating from the steel walls beside us. Once we made it into the fighting compartment I observed Honeydew instructing the Privates on where to stand so they wouldn't interfere with their preparations for the incoming wounded. Meanwhile, the Sergeant ordered the guys with a crewed LMG package to climb the rearmost stacks of empty bunks in order to access the roof hatches and give Brandy (and the two turrets) some extra eyes for the road.

"Colonel Crete!" Honeydew called out, jutting a hoof towards the repair bay nearest me where my armor lay in a tidy pile. "Your weapons are on the bunk beside it darling, best get ready quickly!"

It took a bit of dancing for the Sergeant and I to get out of each others' way, but eventually we both got where we needed to go; he to further direct his team and I to slip back into something more appropriate for what laid ahead. With my underbarding's anchor points magnetized, I could quite literally slap on most of my armor and be ready for a fight in a little more than a minute, with piece after piece flying into place in my telekinesis. Once each part was properly mounted or strapped down, I was quick to fill the empty void in my holsters with my usual choice in weaponry for the night. All the while, the Mauler rumbled and shook under my hooves as we sped along the paved city road towards our bogged-down brothers in arms. As a preemptive move, six of the eight GIs had been quickly reshuffled back into the cargo bay, one with a hoof hovering over the release latch for the moment we got close. Conqueror had claimed the immediate area around them was free of enemies, but that was subject to change at any moment and it felt stupid to leave ourselves exposed without an infantry escort. Given Mauler had been located in a well-secured area (obvious given the presence of medical personnel), the path between us had already been swept previously for enemy contacts. That being said however, we had already wandered too far from each other and it was starting to show some consequences.

With my helmet back on, I accessed my radio and connected to the general comms line of the Mauler so I could communicate with the crew and anyone else patched into the line. At this point we were just barreling into the unknown with no more of a plan than just...throwing ourselves in Conqueror's direction. Command seemed to be in chaos and unit cohesion was nowhere near at the level it usually was, even including the grunts of the General Army and their varied level of quality from Platoon to Platoon.

"Crete here, I'm all geared up and ready to go. How we lookin', people?"

"Green across the board, Colonel! Map readout up here is showing a clean path to the Conqueror." Sang a mare with a hint of an Applewood accent whom I had to assume was Engineer Mahogany. "This girl can move fast if you tickle her the right way! ETA, five minutes!"

"Turret crew here, we're locked and loaded. Gotta belt fulla HEs and a helluva bone to pick with those striped bastards. BuzzSaw's AI is wide awake and scanning for targets with a full tank of APs at its disposal so our rear is as covered as it can be. Tried contacting Rabid to see why they can't help Hinge and his boys patch up Conqueror but got jack shit in reply. Dunno what's goin' on with Transistor or Chisel that'd keep 'em from responding but...I dunno. How you doin', Cobalt? Hate to say it be we're prolly gonna absolutely need your ability to stonewall the enemy again."

I looked up from where I had been staring at the wall and caught a glimpse of Cobalt blanch as he heard the message, before it gave away to a stern look as he replied, "I'm here. Nurse is gonna juice me up and keep me on an I.V leash just to make sure I can keep up with the work load. Ready as I'll ever be for this shit..."

"Sergeant Birchwood here. Ma'am, my boys and I are all ready and able to kick some ass. Just tell us where some can be found and how far into hell ya want 'em blown away!"

"Alright...good. Good..." I hummed as my mind ran through the many possibilities awaiting us. "Birchwood was it? You and your team disembark once we're a minute out and scout ahead. Secure us a good defensive position so we can park this 40-mil of ours in a spot it'll matter the most and keep your heads on a goddamn swivel out there. Take a peek in the armories and stock up on anything you think you might need but make your shots count. We've got a long night ahead and we might need the extra bullets for later."

They each in turn gave their acknowledgement of my orders and the line went silent as the blood started pumping and an intense feeling of focus overcame us all. From my place near the armories I watched as a few of the guys in the bay took turns heading into one or the other and then return loaded down with something new. Extra belts of ammo, satchels of rockets, one even sporting a second LMG taken right off the rack ready to use; what was ours was, for the time being, theirs to use as far as it went to benefit us all. The red lighting was poignant for the tense atmosphere and by itself it had a strange way of subtly fucking with how the eyes perceived shadows and depth of field. It was all beginning to feel surreal again...the clatter of the metal tracks outside and the muffled orders of Birchwood became white noise as time seemed to slip away for a moment. Maybe two. All I truly knew in that time was that these were images and sensations that would one day randomly smack me in the face. Was it going to be something to have some sort of nostalgic feeling for? Or...was I doomed to be haunted by it as some sort of phantom memory that would haunt the corners of my dreams?

"Helm to all hooves, one-minute thirty! Cargo bay, prepare to disembark!"

Our trance was broken and I was grateful at least one of us was paying attention and not dissociating from reality for a moment. I sprung to my hooves, doing a quick pat-down of myself to make sure I had everything, and swung around the corner and into the armory hallway to join the fun. Birchwood barked at his troops and there was a slight shudder in the hull as the bay door began to open while at the same time our speed was reduced in preparation. By the time the door began to scrape uncomfortably on the paved street, the Mauler had slowed to a speedy crawl and we were galloping out the back; armored boots digging into the paving stones allowing us to swing around and cover the flanks. Up ahead lay the small, distant blue triangle of Conqueror somewhere past the maze of square houses and anything could lay in between. The word was that the combined data feed from all nearby Stable-Tec devices (PipBucks, radar stations, etc.) were showing our sector clear of enemy activity but...it helped to remain somewhat on edge in case it proved otherwise.

"Guns up, eyes loose in the sockets boys!" Birchwood snapped over comms. "Everypony here's got one pretty little life to live and yours'll be over if any more of that crew goes down tonight, got it?"

The chorus of 'Yes Sir!' almost hurt my ears as his team gave an exuberant response, followed by the usual banter over who in the group would kick the most ass. Alpha Squad had been split up and scattered across the city helping out wherever they were needed, and once again I felt lonely, this time from seeing another team amping each other up for the fight ahead. Even with his bullshit, I couldn't help but wish Buck were still around as we could use our combined talents for scouting out the area properly while providing overwatch support. But... no, he was off getting his wing patched up and getting his jollies from spending time with some Shadowbolts. The lucky fucking bastard...

The housing in this portion of the New City was of middling means, modest multi-story brick and wood dwellings that were still rather cramped together anywhere that wasn't a major road. The Mauler rolled smoothly across the paved stones with room to spare on either side but Birchwood and the rest of us had to contend with yet more tight, winding alleyways. For all the racket the metal tracks made, the air around us was still and quiet. There were no shadows under the watchful light of infrared but...there was nothing at all to be seen in the darkness. Each white plastered home was similar to the other, and the fanciful symbols and signs adoring the walls were all equally unintelligible to my ignorant mind. The Baladi enjoyed an altogether foreign way of life amidst all the scorching sand of the Far South, finding enough solidarity of some form amongst all the heat to bring together a mighty civilization. What powerlines that could be seen were rather rudimentary, and most signs of technology was modest to extremely limited, at least when compared to Equestrian standards. From the lower to the upper classes, a minimalistic implementation of modern innovations could be observed across all structures; least so far as I had myself witnessed. Brass oil lamps and torches made from dried reeds were the preferred interior lighting over electric for most with majestic rugs in the place of bland interior carpeting. There was a very old-fashioned vibe to it all but it was clear they took great pride in relying on the classic ways, even in the face of the modern conveniences that Equestria now took for granted. All the while, they surrounded themselves with sophisticated works of art in paint, wood, stone and exuberant gold and gemstones; a true and thriving culture all its own that had changed very little since its golden age. Indeed, the faint murmur of old tales from my history classes in school echoed somewhere in the back of my mind as I came to the sweet revelation that what tales I could remember seemed to have more than a nugget of truth to them. It was my first real experience with such a culture so foreign to my own, and I found myself feeling respectful and intrigued by their simplistic, fanciful existence. Theirs was far more in touch with their ancestors than anything I ever did in my own personal life. While I had appreciated the childhood experiences gained whilst childhood friends with Zecuro and his family, mere stories did little to compare to personal experience such as this.

Conqueror's assurances of the area being clear of enemies seemed to hold weight as we passed through the tight alleyways on either side of the Mauler, all without a single peep of resistance or really even much life at all. Like the shoddier houses towards the fringes of the New City, not a single door was open nor was a single window not shuttered tight with whatever they could afford. We weren't here for anyone hiding inside, unless of course they had some kind of lethal intent; otherwise, they would be left entirely alone. I could only feel pity for the other grunts making the trek alongside our mechanized death toy. While the Sergeant and I were afforded low-light optics due to our rank and equipment, they had to make due with what the genetic lottery said was their natural night vision and the lights mounted to their weapons and helmets. It had been so long since I had been forced to do a night mission without the benefits of my helmet that I wasn't ever sure I could go back to fearing the shadows like I used to. If anything, I couldn't help but feel bad for them; the weight of equipment shortages not lost from the burdens on my mind.

The main road finally gave way to a large, open plaza sporting a fantastically tall obelisk in the center acting as the centerpiece of a public fountain that pooled in a large carved basin around its base. On the far side, near where the wall of houses began once more, sat the Conqueror with a small team of four hiding behind some hastily made barricades. Like us they seemed to have been carrying a spare pair of light machine guns in their Armory as they had both of them out and attached to their optional tripod mounts as the focal point of their makeshift defenses. Scattered around us were the bloodied remains of well over a dozen enemy combatants, the unfortunate recipients of a panicked defense armed to the teeth. Several more bodies littered the plaza in the space between us and the defensive perimeter standing as a testament to their fighting spirit and will to survive. The troops themselves cheered as we exited into the plaza proper and as one we wasted no time and made a beeline straight for them. Even from a distance, we could see the damage done to both them and their Bünkerwagen. Each and every defender still standing was banged up, bruised and scared shitless, but holding firm while the Conqueror itself sported an enormous, nasty gash in the left side of the hull that was twice the length and thickness of my leg. Truly, it looked like it had been hit by a bolt of fucking lightning if one were to take a guess based solely off the shape of the damaged area alone. The familiar blue-white interior lighting was noticeably peeking from out of the hole in their armor, while the left track directly beneath the blast zone was a total disaster. Well over a full third of its length had been completely torn off from the explosion, and over a dozen twisted, individual links were strewn across the immediate area around us. By all rights...we should have lost the damned thing but, she somehow still clung to life and had at least partial internal power still running through its wires from the Fusion Cores. With some juice still getting through her circuits, the situation we had been thrust into was definitely better than it could've been. Way better.

"Klutzy!" Birchwood barked out authoritatively, even though it was all but confirmed already they were friendlies.

"Oh thank fuck are we glad to see you guys!" Came the reply, something that only seemed to infuriate the Sergeant.

"Klutzy! You goddamned shitbags, what's the fuckin' counter-sign goddamnit?!"

"Ugh, Draconequus! Happy now, Captain By-The-Book? Fuckin' hell..."

We finally approached in full while the Mauler parked itself a few meters away, the bay door thudding to the floor the moment it stopped accompanied by Honeydew and one of her assistants loaded down with tools and supplies. At the same time, Birchwood ordered his team to join the defensive perimeter and work began immediately on expanding and hardening the defenses already in place. The grunts we came to rescue were more than a little rattled from the event, and I could see some thousand-yard stares forming in their eyes as the adrenaline wore off and shot nerves set in. They had held firm so far and were to be commended for their resolve but...based off all evidence, they too had been stripped of their heavier escorts like we were. Not a single Steel or Desert Ranger (outside of Brandy and myself) were anywhere nearby leaving their poor replacements with some big horseshoes to fill but nowhere near the same level of firepower to accompany it. It wasn't that I lacked any sort of faith in the common soldier of the General Army as I had led a Platoon of my own at one time. Instead, I was more concerned that Equestria's ability to equip her gruntiest of grunts for the future was decidedly lacking compared to the Zeebs and their ilk. Though I felt almost traitorous for thinking it, I couldn't help but feel that the average Askari in the Imperial Army was better protected than any Private or, hell, even any Corporal or Sergeant in our Army. These poor grunts were dressed in an array of armor from none to aging M-CAP Model 3s with stripped back pieces. Had the situation been any worse for them, I had my doubts on their chances for survival from another enemy assault.

"Look, soldier...we're in an active warzone in case you turned off your fuckin pea-sized brain. We got identifiers for a reason, Corporal Jackass!"

"Yeah, yeah. Have you seen what the fuck happened to us?! Fuck you!"

"Shut it! Both of you!" I snapped as I walked past them towards Conqueror's now open bay. "Yell at each other as much as you like after we get this city locked down. Get in position and keep your eyes peeled for any contacts."

I didn't stop to hear their response and continued into the vehicle, going off the assumption that Birchwood would sort it out professionally and promptly. With the inner hatch open, I had a clear view down the middle of the beast and it warmed my heart a little to see Honeydew making quick work of transforming Conqueror into another triage station. The overhead lighting was fighting to stay alive and I found it easier to just keep my IRs on then rely on them to help me navigate my way down the aisle. As I approached the group ahead of me, I took a moment to glance around the inside of the fighting compartment and felt some relief in seeing much of the familiar interior remained intact. Though, even from a distance, I could see the shredded remains of the portside radar station and the wound blown into the turret neck. The damage on the inside didn't look nearly as bad (ignoring the new unorthodox window to the outside world), but I was still shaking softly with nervous energy at how close the crew had been to a deadly cook-off of ammunition. I felt a particular kinship with the Bünkerwagens, something that could be considered in the same vein as a beloved family pet or...dare say even a family member in full. My time with them had been so short and yet, for all it was worth, I fell in love with our armored sand devils; with daydreams filled with how I could make use of one as a private home on treads. To see one so damaged, it's veritable neck slit by magic...it was like getting shot all over again but in a way that bypassed my armor and flesh entirely and burned the heart with sadness.

I was far from the only person crammed inside the limping Bünkerwagen, as the team of M.O.P specialists that had accompanied us were getting close to finished with setting up their equipment. Gathered around the bunks nearest the front was the chaos of Honeydew attempting to sort things out and ordering everyone around.

"Engineer Torque, open that triage kit and apply splint #3 from the blue box inside to his leg and maintain tight pressure on the artery until the bleeding is staunched by the coagulants. Corporal Rubber! Is the pilot stabilized for transport into the Mauler?"

"Yes Ma'am! Lyric and I are ready t-"

"Good! Prepare to transfer! Everyone else, make a hole, now!"

She was on absolute fire! An whirlwind of instructions and commands all in the pursuit of preserving life by any means possible with all the professionalism and authority of a field officer. All of us who weren't directly involved immediately crammed ourselves into the nearest nook or cranny we could find just in time for Honeydew to trot briskly by. Accompanying her were a pair of Unicorn GIs from the Conqueror's crew levitating a deployable stretcher between them, each looking haggard but stern as they moved past. I could only catch a glance at the state of the driver as she passed but what stood out to me the most was the flash image of a mangled left side, coagulated blood and extensive patches of horrifyingly black burns. I could only guess something had exploded beside her, a control panel or something along those lines that had gotten overloaded from the electric energy and popped like a can of soda in a fire.

Soon as they had vacated the cabin we resumed our own duties and jumped immediately back into action, Copper snaking his way in once he had an opening to slip inside. We were safe for the moment but it was no excuse to let our guard down while repairs were made. While Copper busied himself with some quick inspections and speaking a mile a minute with one of the surviving Engineers, I pulled aside the other and stepped back into the cargo bay for a bit of privacy. I was going to get an explanation of what happened from Copper eventually but I felt like hearing a first-hoof account for myself while it was still fresh. Last I knew, Conqueror and Rabid had been following each other as a team while they continued the push to secure the remaining holdouts in the new city. The fact Rabid was nowhere in sight and couldn't be raised on comms was enough cause to ask for an answer into just what in the fuck went wrong here.

"Alright, gimmie a quick rundown of what happened." I said, making sure we were stuffed out of the way as there was going to be some traffic coming and going for awhile. "And forgive me if I'm completely blanking on your name...haven't had much time to get to know the Engineers on my own team let alone the whole Platoon."

"N-no worries Ma'am." He stammered, shaking a bit in his armored jumpsuit. "E-Engineer Torque, Ma'am. We were en-route to the objective just as ordered. We had taken point in the column since Misty Meadows has the strongest barrier spell between the two Bünkerwagens, b-but then Rabid took some fire from the Southeast outta nowhere and t-they took off after it. Peeled off down some smaller side road we had passed since we were trying to rush to Checkpoint Gamma. Before I fucking knew it, we barreled into this plaza trying to catch up to them and hit that hex trap..."

"Where's your heavy infantry support?" I asked pointedly. "Aside from those scared GIs outside, it looks like your heavies got stripped off you guys too. Ours are spread out somewhere between here and hell and the stand-ins the GA sent in as replacements are...not the most qualified to defend such valuable assets."

"Yeah... Yeah, I get you. Our team of Steel Rangers disembarked as soon as we hit the AO and got sent all-fucking-over before we could even hear where they were going or why. Goddesses what a fucking mess..."

"You're preaching to the converted..." I sighed, nodding towards the front where the bulk of the damage had been done. "What's the damage? Radar station looked completely fucked and your driver was...yeah."

He gulped hard at the mention of his critically injured comrade and nodded slowly as he tried to form words for his reply.

"Y-yes...u-um...well, the confusion of the situation seems to have dropped Misty's guard a bit because the blast blew right fuckin through her shield and the track and the fucking radar station! Some poor Private took the blast to the torso and just...fucking vaporized. The rest of it hit the turret neck and barely grazed a 40 in the belt, sheered off the head of the projectile and dissipated in the inner mechanics of of the turret neck. S-saw it zip right past my hindleg up in there...fuckin' miracle it didn't set off the whole belt..."

"Stay with me, Torque." I prodded, putting a hoof on his shoulder as reassuringly as I could with a relative stranger. "Looks like there was a firefight out there, mind giving me a quick idea as to what happened there?"

"Y-yeah..." He breathed, taking a moment to calm down and focus. "Um...well, we got stuck due to the blast s-so we dropped the hatch and started inspecting the d-damage when a whole bunch of 'em just...came outta nowhere. This area is so fuckin' open they coulda come from anywhere! But...yeah...s-soon as the bullets started flyin' I ran back in here and..."

"Returned fire as best you could given the circumstances?" I filled in for him to save him some face. The fear of shooting back at a sudden attack was a level of panic everyone felt at least once in their time in the field

"Y-yeah...that." He replied with a shaky sigh and nod. "I...I really thought this thing's armor was better than this...I truly did..."

"Seems everyone did tonight..." I replied with a tired sigh of my own, glancing back up the bowels of Conqueror. "Maybe against bullets and rockets, but magic...ugh...there's a reason we can't keep up with the Empire. Everything we solve with technology, they solve even better with just fancy spellwork and Alchemy."

He nodded silently in haggard agreement before he excused himself to return to the rest of the Engineers to assist with the repairs. I had the gist of what had transpired so I felt no need to hold him back any longer and let him sneak away deeper inside Conqueror. There wasn't a lot to parse from this situation that hadn't already been said; everyone was lulled into believing the Bünkerwagens were invincible, including Command, and as a result unit cohesion became more of an idea than a strongly worded command.

"How we looking, Rivet?" I called out over the radio. "Anything on the horizon?"

"Negative." He replied immediately. "Nothin' I can see around here but us but, uh...don't wanna be stuck in here solo if that changes. I've only got one set of eyes and limited gunnery controls in this seat...this thing wasn't exactly intended to be used by just one guy, same with the cockpit."

"Copy. Keep your eyes peeled and keep me updated on any changes, especially if you get anything useful outta Command or any nearby units. We could be here for a fair bit."

"I hear ya. Over and out."

The night was a mixed bag if I had ever seen one. We had swept in and subdued the bulk of the New City in only a couple of hours and yet, we had also been completely scattered to the wind at the same time. My own Platoon had been fractured almost impressively fast, our three Bünkerwagens separated far from each other and their core crews of veteran soldiers pulled every which way as Command saw fit. In their stead were the poor saps of the General Army, and while I respected their resolve and commitment thus far...they weren't exactly experts in their fields yet.

"Colonel Crete? A word if I may?"

I hated being interrupted but all the same I glanced back towards the hatch and saw yet another wearing the somewhat extravagant armor of a certified Combat Sorcerer. She stood there, staring back at me from under the beaked hood of her robes with sparkling green eyes that hardly tried to hide her weariness. The white Kevyarn of her robes was singed black across her left side and hints of the complex inner weave of fibers inside it poked through the outer tough sheath. Around her neck hung another Academy medallion like unto Cobalt's, this one however sported a large carved sapphire in its center; sign enough of what Torque had said regarding her skill and talent. If the M.O.A.S found her worthy of a jeweled amulet of power, regardless of its strength or quality, she was someone who had learned her craft more efficiently than her peers during her studies.

"Uh...yeah. You must be Misty, yes?"

"Yes Ma'am." She replied with a simple curtsy over a salute. "I was assigned to this unit by Archmage Eclipse only yesterday evening, so I apologize for any unfamiliarity with this vehicle or its usual occupants."

"Don't worry about that, I'm having the same issue. What do you need?" I asked, brushing off her concerns to keep the conversation from getting bogged down in semantics.

"I would like to officially apologize for my actions tonight, Ma'am. I was inattentive and my shield failed to block that bolt hex from penetrating the hull and injuring and...killing...those poor, poor soldiers. I take full responsibility for it and accept any punishment you deem fitting as you are the ranking officer on site."

I was so taken aback by her sudden apology I couldn't even muster up an expression of surprise and instead just stared blankly at her as I tried to process her words. So much had happened to lead up to Conqueror being knocked outta the fight that her part in it felt honestly blameless. Far as I was aware, she had done her part pretty damn well so far and her shield could not have failed that badly seeing as the bulk of the machine and its occupants were still alive and intact.

"Uh...not sure who you're confusing me with but, I'm not exactly here to point hooves at the moment." I replied with a hesitant laugh. "From what I've been told, you've done a damn good job so far tonight and Rabid going off on its own is hardly something I can blame on you."

"Yes, but I still allowed us to be hit to begin with which resulted in casualties...casualties I will have to live with."

"Perhaps...but let me counter by asking you this. What would have happened if your shield wasn't there to blunt the blast? Based off the damage I saw earlier, this thing is lucky to not be a smoldering wreck of steel and charred bones."

"W-well...yes, but..."

"Look..." I sighed with a grunt of exasperation. "I know it's easy for me to say all that, being free of this dilemma, but at the end of the day I try to be a pragmatist. And in this situation, all I can do is look at the damage caused and guess at how much worse it could have been. What's happened has happened and since I doubt the Academy allows any to dabble in time magic, there isn't a way to fix this current outcome. You're alive, the bulk of the crew survived and Conqueror still has a fighting chance. Hell, if we're lucky we can keep her in the field and put off giving her to the Engineers for a full repair and overhaul. At least for now. It would be a pain to have to reshuffle everyone between the other Bünkerwagens and that's assuming we even get back in contact with Rabid anytime soon."

"I...I guess so." She replied with a quiet mumble after a moment of silence that was punctuated with the sound of everyone else hard at work. "B-but if I wasn't distracted by everyone yelling at each other over the radio for Rabid going off on their own...I w-would've had more focus on my spell and could've blocked it entirely!"

"Alright, well be that as it may, you still maintained your shield. Even if it was weaker than it could have been, you still kept that bitch up and running. Thanks to your spell, you blunted the blow enough that this thing came away crippled, not
completely blasted to hell and back. As I said before, it's easy for me to say all this shit but if you came to me looking for some kind of punishment...then you've got the wrong mare, hun. We've got shit to do and a city to subdue, so our time can be spent second-guessing our actions later. Until then keep your chin up, rely on your training and your instincts, and for your own sake...find something to keep you busy. Very busy."

"Are you...are you sure...?" She asked again, staring me directly in the eyes as if looking for some hint of some ulterior motive.

"Damned straight as a rifle barrel. If you wanna discuss this more after we all can take a step back from tonight, then by all means, hit me up later. But for right now...both of us are needed right here where we are, doing what we do best. Trust me...keeping busy will help you focus on something else and keep you moving forward."

"Y-yes Ma'am..." She breathed, taking a moment to close her eyes and take a few deep breaths. "Yes. Yes. Make myself useful. I can do that."

"Yes, you can." I responded with a soft chuckle of support. "Go on, put that horn of yours to good use. I'm sure Copper and Hinge would appreciate the extra support with grounding any residual energy from that hex or some other delicate work a talented horn is best suited for."

"Oh Goddesses, I completely forgot that was possible with their hex magic! I must see to that immediately!"

The moment I brought it up she latched onto it like a drowning victim to some flotsam in a storm; my advice taken immediately to heart as she set off to occupy herself with something other than the faces of the dead. Distracting oneself from an emotionally and/or mentally crippling scenario wasn't the best coping mechanism to turn into a habit, but in small doses it could be a comforting thing to do in an otherwise debilitating experience. She wasn't directly to blame for the deaths and injuries that had resulted from tonight, merely a cog in the machine that was more victim than perpetrator because of the actions of others. As she had said herself, it was Rabid's choice to fuck off to who knew where and the sudden change in plans was only going to lead to the kind of confusion and anger over comms that she had described. Given all I knew so far, she had done pretty well given the shit sandwich she had thrown on her plate. Something I couldn't say for everyone in 4th Platoon tonight...

Without anything left keeping me in Conqueror's cargo hold, I exited back out to the plaza and had a long sigh to try and reset my own mind a bit. The defensive perimeter had seen some significant improvements in the short time I had been inside and I could see our pair of LMGs had already been added to the line facing outwards. Mauler sat where she had parked earlier, keeping her large barrel slowly panning in a full circle and Sergeant Birchwood sat right in the middle of it all, one eye on the soldiers under his command and the other on the dark wall of buildings that sat around us. We had a decently defensible perimeter established but I couldn't help but feel naked under an open sky with no air cover overhead. With Buck gone, the only way we would get some more wings for the team was if we pounded on the metaphorical doors of those above us and beg for a few seconds of their attention. Barring incredible luck or a surprise visit from someone like Colonel Horn, there was no chance in hell of getting someone overhead anytime soon. It only took a quick glance upwards to see the friendly blue ticks zip about overhead beneath the cloud layer, the number of vengeful red ticks darting amongst them thicker than was comfortable. Whether one of these descended upon us was purely up to chance and we would have to be extra aware of the skies and the dangers they held. That being said, there was a way to get some modicum of comfort for this woe of mine but I was going to need to do some delegating.

"Birchwood, what's our status?" I asked as I approached him from the side, taking a quick headcount of as many as I could see before me.

"Could do with another Fireteam but, we're as dug in as we can get without breaking out the heavy machinery. Were time no issue I'd say damn straight we bustin' that shit out but...this wouldn't be an easy place to entrench. If you could kindly tell those grease boys to hurry the fuck along so we can get the fuck outta here, I would be very much obliged Colonel. We're too exposed out here and I don't wanna get rained on..."

His brevity helped alleviate at least some of the tension in my gut and I rewarded him with the chuckle he was owed for it. Humor is a valuable commodity in times of stress and in allowing oneself to laugh a little in spite of it all, the reward is knowing your sanity was not yet entirely spent up.

"They're well aware of it as we are but I'll whip some ass if needed." I replied with another laugh as I glanced around the surrounding buildings for what I wanted next. "Next question, who here knows their way around a sniper rifle and have any sort of overwatch training?"

Out of the eight or so within earshot, only two hooves shot up in reply. I wasn't expecting a whole lot from a group so green but it wasn't like Command was going to be sending me any sort of extra support in the near future.

"Alright, it'll have to do. You two, go and switch out your kit in one of the armories and take a rifle of your choice. Speak to the Lead Engineer aboard to get access to the NVGs then report back to me for placement. We're gonna make this place as comfy and cozy as grandma's house! If you didn't have a granny, well time to pretend ya did!"

"That will not be necessary!"

It took a second for the words to register with my brain; who the fuck present here thought it was a good time for false bravado?

"Who in the fu-" I spun around to face the direction of my veritable opposition only to feel my jaw drop to the bottom of my mask.

Another team of Pegusi stood proudly before me, dressed up in unfamiliar Airborne Corps barding and ballistic plates. Standing at the head of this group of six flyboys was none other than...Buck Beak, accompanied by one of the Shadowbolts from earlier who kept her masked flight helmet firmly on. The group behind her likewise had similar mysterious helmets masking their faces and even in my surprise, I couldn't help but notice something else about them. Like their leader, each bore an emblem of an equine skull in profile flanked by a bony wing on a sea of plum velvet encircled by a wreath of black. I felt safe to assume it was a unit patch like most major units in the EAF received to denote which group they belonged to in the grand scheme of the War. In this case however, these Pegusi seemed to be much more rank-and-file than the actual Shadowbolt team Buck and I met earlier. Did the Shadowbolts have their own private forces under their direct command? If so...what other little perks were hiding behind their powerful and enigmatic insignia?

"Miss me, bitch?" Buck grinned while looking as pristine and whole as when we had started the night. "Heard you needed some help and Commander Typhoon was willing to lend some of her personal retinue to 4th Platoon for the night!"

"With the caveat of reassigning you and some of those present to another task entirely." The previously silent Shadowbolt replied, her voice clearly being conveyed via a microphone inside her helmet. "Commander Typhoon has taken an interest in a proposition made by your First Sergeant, Colonel Crete. However..."

"What...?" I asked hesitantly, the hustle and bustle of the assembled Pegusi moving past us completely passing by my attention as I awaited what came next. "I know there's a massive 'but' in this plan of yours."

"I told her that you're the only one shitheaded enough to try and pull it off with me." He grinned devilishly.

Next Chapter: Chapter Forty-Three: Fruitful Outpost Explorations Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 5 Minutes