Corporal Steve Davidson was bored, the kind of bored that drove guys nuts. The stocky twenty-two-year-old Marine Infantryman was reclining against a Humvee, wishing he’d gone to college. A month they’d been sitting here, hoping the Reds would try something. Thirty whole days of filling sandbags, checking and rechecking weapons, and fuck all else. After morning chow, He’d asked Sergeant Moyer what the word was, Moyer had asked him to supply his own straw.

“Suck it the fuck up, Corporal.”

“Rah’ Sergeant.”

And the waiting had continued, Davidson plucking stones out of the earth and tossing them across the grass, his squad sitting around of various stages of recline after a short recon patrol, that had turned up jack and shit. Jack must’ve caught a bus outta town. Ruiz was catching flies, Martin was idly scrolling through Instagram, Doc Carlson was watching porn…with no headphones…Fucking Navy. The other two fireteams had hit the showers while they had the chance, leaving the rest his boys on standby for chow.

The thatch-roofed houses of Hollow Shades reminded him of a stretch of leave two years ago when he’d visited Scotland with a couple of buddies. The place looked like it had fallen straight out of a fantasy novel. The bat pony civvies were a friendly bunch, always bringing them food or something, thanking the Marines profusely for putting their lives on the line.

“Hey, Davidson?”

Steve looked up to see one of his EQ counterparts, a Corporal and Medic named Violet Rain, standing over him with a smile on her face and her hands behind her back. Her purple eyes sparkling in the midday sun, accented by her plum-colored mane, currently up in a tight regulation bun, and dark grey coat.

Steve returned her smile, “Hey, Violet, what’s up?”

She pulled her hands out from behind her, holding two styrofoam containers that she’d been trying to balance, “Chow?”

Steve’s stomach growled at the sight of the EQ cuisine, the ponies were mostly vegan, but they could cook with the best of them. He nodded and patted the grass next to him, “You’re a lifesaver Vi’ got a minute to join me?” He addressed his guys, “Alright boys, strip it down and go get some chow.”

Ruiz woke up fucking quick, “Aye Corporal.”

Steve chuckled as the rest snapped off their assent and headed for the murder-wagon.

Violet passed him his chow and slid to the ground next to him, scooting closer until her armor almost brushed his plate carrier. There was an unspoken attraction between the two that had only gotten more pronounced the more time they’d spent together, but neither had made a move due to nerves and regulations. Steve had never really given any thought to dating a pony before being sent over, sure they were cute but too different in his mind. Violet had changed all that, she was hilarious, had as filthy a sense of humor as he did, and was a consummate professional. He had a hard time seeing anything but a beautiful, capable woman when he looked at her.

For her part, Violet had been intrigued by the dark-eyed Human from the moment his unit had rolled into town, and she’d tried her hardest to slip him hints, like bringing him lunch, for instance. She was beginning to wonder if he simply didn’t see her as anything other than a colleague. It was about time for her to close the book on the cute Marine.

Maybe.

“Any word?” Steve asked in between bites of his expertly prepared rice and veggies.

Violet shook her head, “Nothing yet, You?”

“Nah, more hurry up and wait.”

Violet nodded, chewing her own salad.

“Time for a trump card,” Violet thought, “Hey Corporal?”

Steve smiled, “Vi’ You can call me Steve, you know? I get enough formality for a fucking lifetime.”

She beamed at him, feeling her heart skip a beat or two as she looked into his twinkling eyes, “Sorry, old habit. Listen, I, um, I have a gift for you.”

Steve cocked his head, an easy smile spreading across his face, “You got me something? Aw, Vi’ You shouldn’t have. I’m gonna start thinking you like having me around.”

Violet blushed to the tips of her tufted ears, “Don’t make this any bucking harder than it is dude.” She dug into her armor and produced a photo, taken by one of her friends at a local pub before the war, “Just a little keepsake for when your unit moves out, d-don’t want you forgetting about me now.”

Steve plucked the photo out of her death-grip, whistling when he looked it over, “Damn Corporal, you sure do clean up well.”

Now Violet’s face was on fire, “Don’t tease me, you fucker!” She snarled.

Steve laughed out loud, “I’m not! You look great, Vi’, I’m touched.”

Violet socked him in the plates, “I’ll touch you, you dick.”

Steve just laughed harder as his guys walked back up, chow in hand.

“We miss something?” Carlson asked.

Vi’ sniggered, Steve laughed, and the squad wondered, not for the first time either, if the Corporals were going a little stir-crazy.

The rest of the day passed, Violet bailed back to her unit, and after filling more sandbags, Davidson and his squad were given the go-ahead to get some rest. Steve found his thoughts wandering back to the grey Bat-pony as he walked into his hooch, settling on the edge of his rack and pulling the battered photo from his pocket. When sleep finally claimed him, he dreamed of her purple eyes gazing into his.

Violet was in similar straits on the Equestrian side of town, tossing and turning in her bunk, she’d offered her gift, and he had accepted, never mind that he wasn’t aware of the old traditions.

A gift of something personal was as close as she could get to screaming, “WILL YOU GO OUT WITH ME!?” In Steve’s face, without actually screaming, in her clan's language, and that photo was something personal, a memory of better times for her. She wished he knew just what it meant to her, tomorrow she decided, she’d come clean tomorrow. Whatever happened after that, she’d deal with.

Nodding softly to herself, steely determination finding a place in her gut, she finally allowed sleep to claim her.

Somewhere outside of town, grid coordinates were relayed, and a Russian forward observer smiled in the darkness.

The Americans had no idea what was coming for them.

The IDF alarm went off with a piercing wail, jarring Steve awake, his guys followed seconds later, frantically pulling on gear and hustling out of the tent. Steve’s heart thundered in his chest as he barked token orders to his squad, they knew their jobs. He ran out into the night, into the flurry of activity, stuffing Violet’s picture into his pocket, needing some small part of her with him out there. His legs pumped as he ran, making his way to the fighting positions they’d dug on the outskirts of town. Mortar rounds landed inside the wire, all over the town, the starbursts of light, sound, and shrapnel ripping through the night air.

Steve dropped his NOD’s, kicking his PEQ IR laser/illuminator on and scanning the treeline.

“SOUND OFF!” He called into the darkness.

One by one everyone answered,

Ruiz called back, “Third Squad all present and accounted for Corporal!”

“Good shit boys, eyes on your sectors, if they’re coming, they’re coming soon.”

Steve reached into his body armor, giving the photo a little graze with his thumb; moments later, his radio flared to life.

“Hitman Six to all Hitman elements, SITREP is as follows: Indirect fire is being targeted by counter-batteries but is accurate and continuous, ISR reports enemy massing in forest surrounding FOB, expect an attack, hold position at all costs while civilians are evacuated, over.”

Steve grimaced as each platoon leader checked in, confirming they’d heard the orders. He sighted in on the dark woods surrounding them, hearing Martin mutter a short prayer.

Seconds later, the mortars stop, and an eerie hush blankets Hollow Shades.

A rifle cracks in the darkness, a war cry from the trees is followed by the clanking of armored vehicles.

The Battle of Hollow Shades had begun.

Movement to Steve’s right prompts a burst from Roberts’s M27, a pained scream announces its effect, then the clearing is torn apart as fire is exchanged in both directions. Rounds snap and whine over the Marines, impacting the defensive positions and forcing them all to take cover, Ruiz primes a frag and hurls it into the darkness,” FRAG OUT!”

A deafening crumpf and more screams are the answer. Martin primed the Gustav, “Backblast, Area Clear!” A burst of pressure followed by a brilliant flash and a loud bang that lights up the treeline, showering the attackers with shrapnel. For a moment, Third Squad’s slice of the perimeter goes quiet, then all hell breaks loose again as RPG’s whip by overhead.

“KEEP HITTING ‘EM!” Steve screams over the din as Third Squad does their level-best to annihilate everything in front of their position. His boys are all too happy to comply, pouring fire into the Russian advance.

Killing Commies for Mommy.

Across town, Violet hears the cry, like so many in the last few minutes, “MEDIC UP!” Her heart sinks, but she runs through the fire, sliding into the dirt next to an Earth Pony, his chest is peppered with shrapnel wounds from a grenade. His breathing is ragged, eyes wide and full of pain and fear. Violet does a quick blood sweep to check for arterials, finding none she sets about the more in-depth exam, listening to lung sounds, hearing the blood filling them up.

Too far gone.

“I know it hurts, I’m gonna give you something for the pain, okay?”

The Earth Pony nodded, eyes shut tight, tears slipping through and down his cheeks.

Violet takes a deep breath and sticks him morphine, then another ampoule follows the first, his eyes snap open, and she can see the shock, horror, and finally, acceptance as the plunger hits its end. His eyes waver, he’s fighting it, but there’s too much to fight against. Seconds later, his eyes slide closed for the final time. Violet wiped her own eyes, a moment of silence.

“Medic up!”

Blinking back her tears, She turned away from the pony she’d killed and raced into the darkness.

“ ’320 OUT!” Steve shouted as he cranked a forty mike mike into the coming horde, the HEDP round exploding and showering the Russians Vanguard with burning shrapnel. Bursts of machine-gun fire are tearing them apart, but they just keep coming. His heart stops as a T-90 rolls into view, churning through trees and over bodies, the massive heavy tank is followed by three more on its flanks.

Steve grabbed for his radio, yelling over the roar of the firefight “TOC! EAST PERIMETER HAS CONTACT WITH RUSSIAN TANK PLATOON! RUIZ! GET THAT GUSTAV IN THE FIGHT!”

“ON IT!” Ruiz called back, loading a Tandem-Warhead HEAT round into the anti-tank launcher, it might not punch through the T-90’s armor, but the crew would definitely feel it. Seconds later, he sighted, called backblast clear, and sent the round streaking into the group of tanks.

Where it detonated impotently against the reactive armor of the lead tank.

“FUCK!” Steve shouted, they couldn’t fall back, this flank was gonna fold as it was. The turret of the T-90 slowly began to traverse in his direction as incoming fire snapped overhead.

Steve knew he was dead, the barrel of the tank’s main gun looked cavernous even fifty yards off. A half-second later, a bolt of magic flew over his shoulder, so close it blistered the skin on his exposed neck, and a thunderous explosion ripped through the night. The tank platoon was in ruins, dark blue flames raged, engulfing the infantry surrounding the formation. In an instant, the incoming fired slackened before ceasing entirely, replaced by the screams of Russian tanks crews burning in their steel coffins.

Steve turned to see a group of Equestrians sliding into cover with his Marines, one of them, a Batpony wearing a baseball cap emblazoned with the Wonderbolts logo, offered his hand as he hopped into Steve’s fighting hole.

“Captain Knight, Lunar Special Forces, we heard you guys could use a hand!”

Steve smiled as he shook the Officer’s hand, “Not a moment too soon, sir, appreciate the assist.”

The Bat-pony returned his smile, “My team was in the area, figured we’d get in on the party, not a problem Corporal.”

“AMMO CHECK!” Steve called out, getting back that his squad was at less than fifty percent. Not good news, the Russians would keep hitting them until they took the town, they needed fast air, and they needed it soon. “Captain, what's the situation with the evac?”

“Helo’s are heading this way as we speak, but there’s anti-air that needs to be dealt with, My guys and I are gonna head out and do just that if you’ve got this locked down.”

Steve nodded, “We’ll hold, sir.”

The Captain nodded, “Alright then. URSA! Let’s get evil!” He gave Steve one last smile before hauling himself out of the hole, his team following suit, and in a few long strides, they melted into the woods. Lunar SF was no joke, they could all see in the dark given their bat-pony lineage, and were fierce fighters with guns or hand-to-hand. The Reds were in for a hell of a time.

Steve called in that his sector was secure for now and sent Martin for more ammo.

They were in for a long night.

Author's Notes:

Just a little side project. The second part should be out tomorrow or thereabouts.