Canterlot, Occupied Equestria
Eight PM
====

As the rain came down, drenching the once-idyllic capital of Equestria, a lone alicorn stood on her covered balcony, her tears interlaced with the drops that fell. Twilight Sparkle gave a sigh of remorse and took a seat on a nearby chair, and brushed her tears away.

Three months ago, she and her friends had defeated the demon Lord Tirek and restored the land's stolen magic. It had been a time for celebration, as Twilight was soon crowned the Princess of Friendship. Everything soon returned to a relative state of normalcy.

Until black-clad warships appeared in the seas to the south of Equestria, their banners proudly displayed the image of a wendigo. They called themselves the Eqaharions, and they came to conquer. For when Twilight and her friends defeated Tirek, a pulse of magic echoed across the entire world. For many, it was a sign of hope for the future.

For the Eqaharions, it was a sign of what was to come. Their homeland, though once the origin of the three tribes that would found Equestria, had been splintered by years of internal strife, culminating in the three city-states made of unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies electing their first King, Diomedas.

Diomedas, and his sons Hector, Ajax, and Chiron, quickly set their sights on the land to the north that was said to be paradise. Equestria was told of as a land where winter did not kill, crops grew year-round, and above all, defended only by six "Elements of Harmony" and the three Alicorns of the Sun, Moon, and Love.

For generations, the Eqaharions had looked there and yearned to see their flag over Canterlot, but due to the power of the two Alicorns of the Sun and Moon, they had never attempted an incursion or even set out to reach its shores.

But once Diomedas became King, he made it clear that it was now or never that Equestria would come under their banner, and he made ready his newly-conscripted amies from each city-state. New and terrible weapons were forged, and obsidian armor made to resist magic was given to every soldier regardless of rank or skill. These soldiers were then trained to be ruthless, unforgiving, and ordered to kill without mercy.

The Eqaharions, bolstered by these new weapons and fueled by a fervor for conquest, launched a massive invasion of Equestria. From the south, they struck Canterlot and soon conquered the entire southern provinces of the realm.

The Crystal Empire, recognizing the threat, took in as many refugees as they could, bolstered its defenses, and shielded itself like in the days of King Sombra, using the winter weather to its advantage. But for the ill-prepared and under-armed Equestrians, it was a slaughter as city after city fell.

Soon, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna vanished, the sun and moon now rising and setting
on their own upon each day and night. The Elements of Harmony scattered, Twilight Sparkle personally captured by Prince Hector, and the White Banner of the Eqaharions flew over Canterlot. With the city and the realm secure, the Eqaharions made themselves at home, establishing themselves as the new ruling class.

It wasn't long before Prince Hector made a public declaration to the world. One that declared Twilight Sparkle to be his future bride and queen, the realm of Equestria to be a satellite of Eqaharion. The final statement was a threat to any other nation that would dare contest this claim.

Set even an inch into Equestria, and all the nations of the world will burn.

Now, Twilight dreaded every day she lived, as her inevitable wedding to Prince Hector drew closer and closer. She couldn't even muster the courage to jump from her chamber's window, and even if she did, the Eqaharions had patrols and magical wards to discourage any escape attempt.

"Dear Princess?"

Twilight seized up at the voice of Prince Hector, who came into the room with a plate of food and a goblet of wine. Hector was broad, well-muscled, and like all Eqharian royalty, had a pale gray coat with a bright gold mane. His cutie mark was a crown and a sword intersecting, and as he set the meal down, he approached Twilight with an air of lust.

"Go away." was all Twilight could say.

"Why so hostile?" Hector chuckled. "I have come with your dinner, and in good spirits. I am afraid I don't understand."

"You know perfectly well why I'm hostile to you and all of your kind." she retorted bitterly, swiping away Hector's hoof, that was reaching for her cheek. "You came and destroyed my home, exiled my friends, and banished Celestia and Luna, all for what? Did your father not even tell you?"

"My father's word is law, and his every command obeyed." Hector replied instantly. "We do not dare question our ruler's judgement. And neither should you, my bride."

"As if." Twilight walked away in a huff. "I couldn't care less about you, Hector. And despite the fact that you've all of a sudden been nice to me after a month straight of captivity, I have no reason to like you, let alone marry you."

Hector's eyes darkened as he moved closer to her.

"You are lucky I am bound by my oath to my father to leave you...unspoiled before our marriage." he scowled. "Otherwise I would have taken you weeks ago and made you merely a slave, a concubine at best."

Twilight turned to him with fury in her eyes and slapped him with all the strength she could muster, given her weakened state from having her magic drained at the climax of Canterlot's fall. Hector stumbled, but quickly regained his poise.

"One day, you'll regret ever doing that." he said with an air of a promise. "Goodnight, my bride. I hope to see you at breakfast in the morning."

As he departed, Twilight collapsed on a couch and began to cry weakly. As she turned to a single crystal bookshelf, all that she saved from her palace in Ponyville, she turned her eyes to the journal linked to Sunset Shimmer in the human world of Earth. Before she was captured, she had sent a message to Sunset, telling her of the invasion and to seal the portal to Earth immediately so the Eqaharions could not learn of it or use it.

Sunset had done so, and promised to find help as soon as she could. That had been two weeks ago, and there had been no further responses since then.

"Just send help soon, Sunset…" she muttered before she collapsed and fell asleep, tears streaking down her face as the lanterns in her chambers dimmed.

====
Planet Earth, United States of America
Canter City, Massachusetts.
Canterlot High Library
====

"Sunset Shimmer?"

Sunset Shimmer looked up from her journal and homework at the sound of someone clearing their throat and asking her name. She had expected Principal Celestia or Vice Principal Luna.

Instead, it was a man wearing military fatigues, with a pistol at his waist. Another man wearing special-forces gear with a blue baseball cap, emblazoned with a Spartan Helmet stood nearby.

"That's me." she replied, cautiously closing the journal. "Who are you?"

"Lt. Colonel Scott Mitchell, US Army, Fifth Special Forces Group." the man replied, taking a seat. "We're here to talk to you about Equestria."

That made Sunset freeze noticeably. Ever since she got Twilight's message, she had done as she asked, and one night after school, shut the portal using a spell Twilight supplied. Since then, Twilight hadn't sent a single message at all. Sunset knew nothing of what had happened back home since then.

"Is this about the invasion?" she asked carefully. "I'm aware of what happened."

"As is the US Government." Mitchell replied. "Seeing as you're the only Equestrian on Earth that can help us, you're our best shot."

"Best shot at what?" Sunset said quietly, raising her eyebrow.

"The US Government is launching an Operation, designated Echo Solace." Mitchell replied. "Four teams from my unit are deploying to Equestria in order to topple the Eqaharian regime. But we need you to get us over there. If you can get that portal open, the 5th SFG will take it from there."

"All we need is your cooperation."

Sunset looked to the side before meeting Mitchell's eyes sharply.

"I'll do it. Except...you'll need someone familiar with Equestria to help you navigate. That will be me. Deal?"

"Deal." Mitchell replied, shaking Sunset's hand. "Welcome to the 5th SFG, Sunset.

"Glad to be with you." she replied. "I'll see what I can do with the portal."

====

As Mitchell and Nomad watched, Sunset utilized her magic and touched the portal with her hand. As a glowing white vortex appeared in front of the statue, the human Twilight Sparkle pressed a button on a nearby device she had laid on the ground.

This device, which Twilight and Sunset had used to seal the portal the first time, had been reworked to open a new portal to Equestria, independent of the original. If all went according to plan, the device could open the new portal at will and close it if needed.

Plus, it was about the size of a car battery, albeit with an Ipad tablet taped onto the top, so it could be moved and adjusted on the go, and didn't need to rely on an external power source.

As the portal near the statue closed, Sunset pulled away an orb of magic about the size of a basketball in her hands from the vortex. As she fed the orb into the device's core, it glowed a vibrant blue along with a command window displaying lines of code on the screen. Then, it ceased and the text-composed image of a thumbs-up appeared.

"We're good to go." Sunset nodded, powering off the portal device and handing it to Mitchell, who secured it aboard the Blackhawk. "What now?"

"Now, we get to work" Mitchell replied as he motioned to the helicopter. "Pack your things, Sunset."

"You're coming with us. Ready to fight a war?"

"As I'll ever be." she replied. "Let's do this."

Well, here we go. I hope you enjoyed!

Next time - the four Ghost squads deploy to Equestria, and soon link up with the Resistance cell in the Everfree, led by Rainbow Dash.

Hours later, as the Blackhawk carrying Sunset, Mitchell, Nomad, and the Portal Device landed on the Aircraft Carrier USS Ticonderoga, several technicians took the device to store it safely, while the others headed below decks.

"So, how many soldiers are going to Equestria?" Sunset asked.

"Four teams of four operators each." Mitchell replied as he showed her to a briefing room. "Plus air and naval support should they need it."

"Only sixteen?" Sunset said, bewildered. "These guys must be good."

"We are good. The best of the best." Nomad said as he moved up. "I'm Nomad, I'm leading the Ghost Teams deploying to Equestria. Sunset, we've toppled drug cartels, terrorists, hell, even reigning governments. I can give you examples if you want."

"I'll take your word for it, Nomad." Sunset replied as they sat down. "So...what do you want to know?"

"We'll start with the briefing once all the Ghosts are assembled." Mitchell replied. "Some are still en route from Fort Bragg, in South Carolina. Until then, Sunset, make yourself at home as best you can."

Sunset merely nodded as she stretched her arms back. Nomad stood up and proceeded over to a nearby laptop, and began typing away, a chat window visible on the screen.

====

It wasn't much later that the remaining fifteen Ghosts filed into the room and took their seats, all wearing gear similar to Nomad's equipment. Mostly brown, gray, with some various-colored highlights, but they all wore eyepiece or glasses with blue details. Some had also made modifications to their gear, such as personal detailing.

As they saluted Mitchell as he came in, Mitchell ordered "at ease", and they sat as one.

"Alright Ghosts, listen up." Mitchell said in an authoritative voice. "We are now in command of Operation: Echo Solace. Be briefed in full or be sorry."

"11 Hours ago, the US Government received an inbound alien signal directed to an individual here in the US. It was a distress beacon from the realm of Equestria, which the individual here originated from."

Sunset gave a small wave.

"Their realm has been conquered by hostile forces, their leaders exiled, imprisoned, or scattered, and the last of the realm's allies is currently under siege. We are their last hope for freedom."

"As such, all of you will be deploying in five hours through a portal device we have previously secured from the source of the message, and your mission is as follows."

"First, topple the Eqaharion regime and eliminate whatever organization and leadership is present. Second, restore the Equestrian Government to whatever extent is possible. Third, locate and secure the HVTs known as the Elements of Harmony, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Twilight Sparkle."

"Last but not least, make contact with whatever resistance groups are present, and help them out as much as you can, but operational objectives take priority Sunset Shimmer has also volunteered to guide you once you reach Equestria.."

"Gentlemen, are there any questions?"

"What can we expect in terms of hostile armament?" Midas asked.

"They're armed with medieval weaponry such as bows, swords, lances, et cetera." Mitchell replied. "It may seem like a cakewalk, but don't underestimate them until you know what they are capable of."

"Where are we starting out with a base of ops?" Fixit asked.

"Sunset Shimmer's identified an old castle inside a forest that rarely sees their kind. That'll be a good start. Once you start freeing or securing territory, adjust position as needed."

"What do we know about the local resistance groups?" Kozak asked.

"Not much." Mitchell replied. "We do know there are at least three of them in the realm, and one of them, in the northern lands, gets support from the Crystal Empire, so once you reach them, it'll be a good place to start building conventional forces as backup."

"Any other questions?"

There were none to be heard. As Mitchell dismissed them and the Ghosts headed out, Sunset was escorted to the sub-hangar were the device was being stored and worked on by DARPA technicians.

"We all set?" Mitchell asked.

"We are good to go, sir." the lead tech replied. "We've managed to modify the device to spawn additional portals off the bow of the Ticonderoga, in case air or ground support is needed. We've also hooked it up to a reserve power supply, and we can modify the location of the exit portals from our end, thanks to GPS."

"What's the catch?" Mitchell asked.

"According to our data, it'll take about one minute and a half to transfer something to Equestria, and then more time once it's on the other side, so take that into account when tasking CAS or ground forces to support."

"Good work." Mitchell replied. "Have it ready in four hours for initial deployment."

"Yessir!"

As the two of them left, Sunset turned to Mitchell with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm almost afraid to ask...but how exactly did those guys learn how to operate the device like they were doing in the scant amount of time they've had access to it?"

"It's a long story." Mitchell replied. "First thing to know is that those techs came here from DARPA, so they know any experimental tech like the back of their hand once they get familiar. Also, your friend Twilight wrote us an instruction manual while we were flying over here. She's a bit long-winded, but we got what we needed out of it."

"Also, she was on a video feed the entire time giving instructions to the techs."

"That does sound like her." Sunset replied. "How'd those guys react?"

"Well, the DARPA guys were so impressed with her work, they offered her a job working in a magic-based R and D section. Well, once she gets out of college and past the necessary pre-reqs for Government employment. Frankly, I'm surprised they didn't hire her on the spot, she's that tech-savvy.."

"Well, it makes sense, seeing as she'd actually been studying magic ever since the Fall Formal incident at Canterlot High." Sunset replied as they entered a stairwell. "She knows how to work tech and magic like no one else."

"I'll hold you to that." Mitchell replied as they soon entered the mess hall. "Mind giving me some answers to a few questions of mine?"

"Ask away." Sunset replied. "How much time do we have before we go save Equestria?"

"Three hours, fifteen minutes." Mitchell replied. "Mind if I record this?"

"Go ahead." she replied. "What do you want to know?"

====

Nearly four hours later, the Ghosts and Sunset were assembled in the garage where the portal device, activated and ready, waited for them. Sunset had been given a M9 pistol and a ballistic vest for personal defense. Not only that, After the DARPA techs managed to calculate the radio frequency used by Twilight's distress beacon, the Ghosts' Cross-Com tech and radios were outfitted to be capable of transmitting between Earth and Equestria.

"Are we ready?" Mitchell called from behind a blast-shield. Nomad and Sunset each gave a thumbs-up, and the techs activated the portal. As the white vortex appeared, the group of seventeen stepped in and vanished in a flash of white light.

====

As the Ghosts and Sunset appeared on the hill overlooking Ponyville, they could clearly see the extent of the Eqaharions' brutal rule. A low wall of obsidian surrounded the town, and a second wall defended the base used by the Eqaharian soldiers.

"Kozak, send a drone up." Nomad ordered. Kozak deployed a quad-rotor, and flew it over towards the town. As he guided the drone through his Cross-Com, Kozak beggan to listen in on a pair of Eqaharian soldiers at the gate.

"...you think those rebels in the forest are still out there?"

"I do. I mean, we lost three convoys of food in the last week thanks to them. We just can't reach 'em, they're too deep in the forest. Last I heard, they were camped out near a river to the northwest."

"I wish they'd come out and fight us face to face. We'd finish them once and for all if it was like a fair fight."

"We'll get 'em eventually, brother. Let's get back to work in the meantime."

As Kozak recalled the drone, Nomad motioned to the river that flowed into the Evefree. As they took their positions and followed Nomad and Sunset, the moon began to shine in the night sky.

====

As the Ghosts walked through the tangles of the Everfree Forest, Sunset used her magic to illuminate their path. Kozak's drone provided aerial surveillance, and according to him, they weren't far from the river's middle point, which meant they were further than the Eqaharions could go.

"Any idea where the rebels are?" Holt murmured. "We'll find 'em eventually, I'd prefer it to be sooner rather than later."

"Agreed." said Matthew Gates, or Aegis Lead. "They don't know we're here to help, they might ambush us, thinking we're the enemy."

"Good point." Nomad nodded. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, we push forward. Kozak, is thermal giving us anything?"

"Not yet." Kozak replied. "Wait, multiple contacts approaching from the right."

"Rebels?" Weaver asked.

"Not sure yet." Kozak replied, drawing his Goblin PDR and recalling the drone. "but they're close."

As the Ghosts readied their weapons, the sound of hoofsteps could be heard from in front of them. Sunset came forward, and the hoofsteps stopped suddenly. The Ghosts tensed up, only Sunset motioned for them to stay back.

As another equine came into the clearing, Sunset sighed at seeing the rainbow-colored mane and teal coat of Rainbow Dash. Sunset could see several scars across her body and one on her neck.
"Hey...aren't you the mare who stole Twilight's Crown? Sunset Shimmer?" she asked. "What are you doing here? And who are they?"

"Yes, that's me. And they all came to help." Sunset replied. "We can explain more when we're not in the middle of the Everfree Forest at night. Does that sound good?"

Rainbow nodded as her fighters came into view. Most of them were clearly civilians in Royal Guard Armor, but Sunset could see at least three Solar Guards among them, due to their frame and stance.

"This way." Rainbow replied as Sunset and the Ghosts were led to the Castle of the Royal Sisters. After passing over the bridge, most of the Ghosts were brought to a small atrium, while Nomad and Sunset were brought to Celestia's old office chambers. Nomad saw several maps and charts, a few crates, and a command table scattered across the room. Behind Rainbow was a map that had the marked locations of the Elements of Harmony, along with the markers of several Resistance hideouts.

"So, what's your name?" she asked Nomad.

"Name's Nomad." he replied. "You're Rainbow Dash, I take it?"

"Yeah." she replied. "Alright, listen. I don't know what you're doing or why you're here, but if you came to help, you can prove it to me, and I'll help you out as much as I can."

"How so?" Nomad asked.

"We traced a prisoner convoy carrying some of my best fighters and several trained Guardsponies that's coming to Ponyville's local work camp." Rainbow Dash replied. "Get my troops out of that convoy, and then we'll talk."

"Consider it done." Nomad replied. "But what about this work camp? Got any intel on it?"

"Plenty, we secured their patrol schedules two days ago." Rainbow replied. "Why?"

Nomad merely smiled.

Update!

Yep, the next chapter kicks off the action when the Ghosts attack the Ponyville work camp and gain the trust of someone who will greatly aid the Resistance...

Who might that be?

You'll have to stay tuned to find out.

After about an hour of discussion between Nomad and Rainbow Dash, the two of them exited her command center, and Rainbow called her troops to attention. As they assembled, the Ghosts remained in the back, watching quietly.

"Alright, listen up." she called out. "We've got a new objective and a new game plan. We're still securing the convoy as planned, but thanks to our new friends here...we have another target."

"We're hitting the Ponyville Prison Camp."

There were whispers and gasps of disbelief and shock that echoed from all around. Rainbow called for silence, and continued to speak.

"We won't be the ones heading there, though. We'll be the diversion for Nomad and his Ghosts as they take care of it. Would you care to explain more?"

"Sure thing." Nomad said. "As you've heard, you'll be distracting the Eqaharians by attacking the convoy, drawing the majority of their troops out of Ponyville and into the open. While that's going down, the Ghosts and I will be securing the camp and eliminating any hostiles as we go."

"Once the prisoners are secure and armed up via fighters waiting for them at the forest's edge, we trap the Eqaharions between hammer and anvil." Nomad finished. "They'll have to split their forces up to counter both sides. That's when we push in and finish the job. We pull this off, you'll gain over 500 additional soldiers, and we gain a base of operations to use against the Eqaharians."

"Any questions?"

There were none. As the Ghosts geared up for their assault at dawn, the remaining resistance fighters followed their lead, equipping their armor and sharpening their weapons.

"Do you really think you can take that entire camp with only fifteen soldiers?" one of the fighters asked Aegis Lead dubiously as the Equestrian prepared his sword.

"We don't think, we know we can. We've achieved the impossible multiple times." Aegis Lead replied. "I can give you examples, Operation War Wraith, Operation Kingslayer, Operation Shattered Mountain...shall I go on?"

The fighter seemed convinced, but he didn't respond. As the Ghosts finished gearing up, they followed Nomad out of the castle and towards the prison camp, with a pegasus fighter serving as a guide.

====

As the Ghosts arrived at the Camp's outskirts, Kozak deployed a drone and surveyed the inside.

"We've got three guard towers with mounted crossbows, three or four guards at each." he noted. "Seems like they're beginning to assemble the prisoners for roll call at the moment."

"Let's take the sentries out first." Nomad ordered. "Set up sync shots and execute on my mark."

As the Ghosts repositioned, each of their sights lined up with a Guard's head, Nomad gave the "execute" gesture. As the guards fell as one, Nomad, Aegis Lead, and Kozak positioned themselves by the prison walls. As Nomad and Kozak set packs of C4 along each of the supports for the Guard towers, Aegis Lead uncapped a breach torch, and cut a decent-sized hole in the fence behind one of the prison barracks.

As they regrouped, Kozak handed Nomad the detonator.

"C4 is in place." Kozak reported.

"Good. We all set?" Nomad asked.

"We're clear." each of the Ghosts replied. Nomad nodded and motioned for a countdown as the Ghosts lined up their weapons with the remaining Guards' heads. So far, they were silent, but now was the time to go loud.

"Five, four, three, two, one…"

"Go hot."

====

As Nomad clicked the detonator, the C4 exploded, collapsing all three towers at the same time. Before the Guards could even react or draw their weapons, they were killed by shots to the head or chest. The prisoners immediately ducked down, to then notice the hole in the fence.

And the Ghost motioning towards it. It took a few seconds to process, but somepony eventually had it click.

"Now's our chance! Run!" he bellowed, and the prisoners headed for the breached fence, Rook and Sparrow guiding them through in groups of five.

"Head to the edge of the Everfree and get armed up!" Rook ordered a Guardspony. "Resistance fighters will meet you there!"

The Guard saluted gratefully and headed off to rejoin the others. As alarms sounded through Ponyville, the Ghosts regrouped and took defensive positions, while Domino and Kozak set sonar sensor-triggered mines at the camp entrance.

"Trap is set!" Domino called as he and Kozak retreated to cover. "They're coming in fast!"

"Get ready! Weapons hot!" Fury called as the Eqaharian Guards approached the gate with weapons ready. As they surveyed the area, one stepped directly onto a mine.

The explosions obliterated most of the soldiers, leaving many others injured. A few lucky ones were thrown away by the blast, and were then neutralized by the Ghosts with single headshots. As their commander writhed on the ground, one of his legs torn up, Nomad approached and stood above him, decloaking for good measure.

"Who...are you?" the commander groaned, his once-mighty obsidian armor shredded to fragments. Nomad could see several cracked areas in the armor itself, making a metal note to check in on that.

He sighed before shooting the commander in the head, ending his torment. As the Ghosts regrouped, they exited the base and headed for the plains, where the sounds of clashing swords and war cries could be heard.

====

Rainbow Dash had to admit a few things in particular about the Ghosts. They were goddamned effective, fast, and they kept their word.

Because the Eqaharians, when they saw 500 of their former prisoners screaming towards them with weapons ready, immediately turned and fled, most getting cut down by arrows of blasts of magic from her unicorn fighters.

Then the Ghosts opened fire, cutting down more of the Eqaharians until there were none left standing. As the resistance fighters grouped up, Nomad picked up one of the helmets from a dead guard who had taken a rifle round to the head.

The helmet now bore a massive, jagged break in the center from the impact of the bullet. Nomad then turned to the dead guard who once wore it, and saw several pieces of obsidian shrapnel in his forehead.

"Seems that armor's not as strong as it appears to be. That's good to know." Nomad smiled, taking a reference photo with his Cross-com, before he rejoined the others. Rainbow came forward and gave a smile.

"Nomad, you're a damned miracle worker." she smiled. "Whatever you need from me or my fighters, you'll have it. It also helps we picked up an old friend from the camp."

"Who might that be?" Aegis Lead asked. Rainbow stepped to the side, and a small lizard-like being came forward, introducing himself as Spike.

"Nice to meet you, Spike." Nomad said, shaking the little dragon's hand. "Got anything you can tell us?"

"Lots." Spike replied. "Let's take it somewhere else, though. The Eqaharians have to be on their way by now. And they won't be happy."

====

As the Ghosts and the now-bolstered fighters retuned to the Everfree base, Nomad brought Spike over to a map of Equestria, on which was displayed the extent of the occupation. As Nomad scanned the map and uploaded it to each Ghost's Cross-Com Network, Spike took a seat.

"Based on my own knowledge and stuff I overhead at the camp, I know that Twilight's in Canterlot as a prisoner, and Fluttershy was taken as a concubine to a brothel in Cloudsdale. Rarity and Pinkie managed to make it to Manehattan before it was captured, and I haven't heard much about them since." Spike said. "But the Guards were also saying that the Crystal Empire has held out by manipulating the weather to their advantage."

"How so?" Nomad replied.

"They formed a wall of ice and a bunch of winter hazards like pitfalls and frozen quicksand, plus they keep the temp cold enough that the Eqaharians' armor freezes to their skin. It's too bulky and brittle for cold environments."

"Our bullets went and punched through that armor easily." Nomad said, thinking back. "It also sent out pieces of shrapnel on impact…What can you tell me about their armor?"

"It's made from some kind of obsidian, enchanted to deflect blades and resist arrows. We quickly learned to go for the neck or joints back during the invasion, but too little, too late. Seems like your weapons made piecemeal out of it." Spike replied.

"They did." Nomad smiled. "Arrows are kinda useless when a gun can fire a bullet faster and kill quicker. "

"Well, I'll gladly take your world for it." Spike nodded. "So, what now?"

"You said Fluttershy was in Cloudsdale." Nomad replied, thinking to the descriptions of each Element Bearer given to him by Rainbow Dash. "How far is that?"

"Not far to the north, and the Eqaharians built a few bridges tethering it to the ground. It's also their first stop for units heading north to the border of the Crystal Empire." Spike replied. "I've also heard the brothel's at the north side of the city."

"Thanks." Nomad replied. "Keep fighting the good fight. We'll be back soon."

====

Prince Hector watched from his obsidian throne as a set of three sensually-clad dancers entertained him after a session of the court. His bride and future Queen had locked herself in her room once more, and Hector was growing annoyed with her actions. His promise to his father, the king was to leave her untouched sexually before they married in order to foster a new ruling bloodline, but that didn't mean he couldn't force her to submit physically.

His thoughts were interrupted when a courier came in, out of breath and still bleeding from a bandaged wound in his side. The dancers made themselves scarce as the soldier approached.

"What is it?" Hector asked.

"Our southern work camp has been attacked." the guard stammered. Hector raised an eyebrow. The few that still resisted Eqaharian rule were persistent, but this was unheard of.

"Then send more soldiers to deal with it." he sighed.

"That's...the thing." the guard replied. "The entire garrison and the commander there were wiped out. All 500 prisoners were freed, and the resistance fighters have captured the nearby town. We have found over 50 of our soldiers dead, with many more wounded, most of them mortally."

Hector stood up and approached the guard with a cold frown.

"How...is...this...possible?" he snarled.

"We know the fighters were not alone." was the stammered, fearful reply. "Who or whatever it was that attacked alongside them were able to kill the guards with invisible arrows that pierced and shattered our armor. They were so fast and deadly, none of the survivors can tell of their appearance or even what they are."

Hector's anger spiked, along with his curiosity. Invisible arrows that could pierce and shatter their until-recently-impenetrable armor? Whoever they were, they were powerful.

"Thank you for this report." Hector said coldly. "I will take this under advisement. Return to your post and make sure as many of the wounded survive."

The Guard bowed and left. As Hector's gaze turned to the window, he pondered the guard's report in his mind, knowing that he would have to bring this unforeseen turn of events up...with his father, King Diomedas.

And the King of Eqaharian did not like to hear anything that would upset him in the slightest.

Hector sighed and strode out towards his father's chambers.

Update!

Next time - The rescue of Fluttershy in Cloudsdale, and the Ghosts move on their next targets....

It was around 11 pm, and as the rain fell over Cloudsdale, yet another side-effect of nature's magical disruption by the absence of Celestia and Luna, Matthew Gates, or Aegis Lead, pulled his scarf up a bit to cover his face.They were stacked up in an alleyway between buildings, and Gates tapped his helmet, signalling for a comms check.

"This is Domino, 5 for 5."

"This is Rook, good to go."

"This is Sparrow, green across the board."

"Check." Gates replied, as the comms check for their allies, Ghost Team Cyclone, led by Captain Jason McCoy, sounded off. "Alright, Aegis Team, Cyclone Team, here's the op."

"Our target is Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness, and currently imprisoned in a brothel south of our location. Since stealth isn't an option thanks to the number of civilians, we'll be doing this op loud, hard, and fast. The target building is a large villa with two obsidian guard posts. It's apparently a favorite locale of the Eqaharian soldiers stationed here, so be ready for hostile action once we kick the door down."

"Once we have secured the objective, we bail. Remember, there's going to be witnesses no matter what, seeing as we don't kill civilians, so do whatever it takes to keep our identities hidden. Smoke, flashbangs, anything non-lethal is fair game."

"Clear?"

"Clear!" the other seven Ghosts replied. Aegis Lead cocked his Remington R5 assault rifle, and motioned for them to move into the streets towards the target location. As they walked, their cloaking systems and the dark environment kept them hidden.

"I'll tell you one thing, guys…" Fury said, her Vector moving from alleyway to street, back and forth to cover their flanks. "It's too quiet for my tastes."

"Agreed." Cyclone Lead added. "You think they'd be more guards stationed here in town, and on higher alert seeing as we just took one of their prison camps."

"True." Aegis Lead replied. "Button it up, though. The brothel's straight ahead."

====

As the Ghosts approached the wall surrounding the Grecian-style villa that contained the brothel and its necessary facilities, Gates motioned for a sync shot, marking the two guards at the nearby checkpoint, then he swiped his hand across his throat.
Fixit and Domino dropped the two guards, and Gates then doused the nearby lamps, shrouding the courtyard in darkness. Then, they noticed a third guard, who seemed to have drunk a bit too much, nodding off nearby.

Gates sneaked forward and grabbed him, whispering into the Guard's ear forcefully.

"Where's Fluttershy? I'm only asking once."

"Gah…the dungeons! Don't…" the Guard stammered before Gates knocked him out and set him down, positioning him to make it look like he was asleep. As the Ghosts regrouped at the main entrance, Vasily prepped a Flashbang while Rook took out a smoke grenade.

"3...2...1...breach." Gates ordered, and Vasily tossed in the flashbang, then shut the door behind it. As it detonated, the shrieks and panicked screams of the attendees and the staff could be clearly heard. Rook then threw in the smoke, and as the Ghosts kicked the door down, they switched to filtered vision through their Cross-Coms.

They had clearly interrupted some sort of dinner party, as multiple tables of food and drink were scattered about, and many of the brothel staff were dressed a bit more fancy than the Ghosts had expected. As they moved through the smoke, shooting any Eqaharian soldier they encountered, they kicked a second door open and shot the three responding guards on the other side.

"Cyclone, we'll cover you! Head for the objective!" Gates ordered, motioning to a stairwell. Cyclone Team split off, while Gates and Aegis Team continued to pop smoke grenades when needed, as well as eliminate the responding guards with suppressed gunfire.

====

As Cyclone Team entered the dungeons, they could see several depraved instruments scattered about, and the smell of such activity, even through their masks, was noticeable. Fury let her face show rage when she looked around, her firm grip on her submachine gun tightening.

"Goddamn…" Vasily growled, noticing a pair of stocks also equipped with some form of a branding instrument. "These fuckers are perverted, that's for sure."

"Focus up." Cyclone Lead replied. "Cell block, up ahead."

As they entered the cell bay, which was filled with cages and chains, they quickly found the butter-yellow pegasus in her own cell, shackled to the ground with her wings limp at her sides, clearly broken. She whimpered fearfully as they approached, but she registered surprise when Fury broke her chains and picked her up shepherd style on her back.

"Aegis Lead, we have the target, but she's not walking out of here." Cyclone Lead replied. "We're coming to you."

"Copy!" Aegis Lead replied. "Make it quick, someone must've sounded the alarm, we've got more hostiles headed our way!"

As Cyclone Team headed out of the dungeons and back to the atrium, the two teams, once they rejoined each other, began to fight their way out in a diamond formation with Fury at the center, who had also drawn her pistol.

Now that the element of surprise was gone, the Eqaharian soldiers began to charge, only to be cut down by gunfire or blinded by a thrown smoke grenade. Gates dropped a Guard with a plumed helmet, and noticed a packet of papers fall out of his chest. He quickly stuffed the package into a pocket on his tac-rig, and motioned for the Ghosts to evacuate. As they kicked the gate open and vanished into the night, dropping the three pursuing Guards, Gates radioed Nomad to report mission success and to have medics ready when they returned to the castle.

"Copy, I'll tell Rainbow Dash." Nomad replied. "Good work, Aegis, Cyclone. See you when you get back here."

"I also found some intel on an Eqaharian captain." Gates continued. "Haven't looked at it yet, but I reckon we'll get some use out of whatever it is."

"Nice job. Now focus on getting back here. Nomad out."

As the Ghosts disappeared into the streets of Cloudsdale, the Eqaharians began to sort through the carnage they had left in their wake.

====

Canterlot, Chambers of the King

Prince Hector knocked three times on his father's chamber door, and a grim voice replied with "enter". As Hector came in, the gaunt, bearded face of his father, King Diomedas, could be seen in the faint light from a dying fire in the fireplace.

"What is it?" Diomedas asked.

"Our work camp in the western plains was attacked." Hector said. "The attackers, their identity, origins, and weapons are unknown to us. They eliminated the full garrison there, and freed over 500 prisoners. I ask your permission to search for and destroy them."

Diomedas was silent as he turned to his son.

"Unknown, you say?" he asked.

"Yes. We know nothing of what they look like, but they have weapons capable of piercing, even shattering our armor." Hector continued. "They are most likely not from Equestria or any other realm we know of."

"I see." Diomedas said calmly. "I will take this under advisement. But as to your request...I command you not to go. Your brother Ajax shall go in your place to hunt these attackers down and, as you said, destroy them."

"Ajax?" Hector asked. "May I ask why, father? He is not a warrior like me."

"But he will become one. I have foreseen it." Diomedas replied. "Tell him to leave with a host of troops to the western plains at dawn tomorrow. Make sure he is well-equipped."

"Yes, father."

"Is there anything else you would ask of me?"

"No…"

"Then go."

As Hector bowed and left, Diomedas turned to the dying fire and sighed. Since he was of age, he had been blessed by a gift of foresight, being able to see the future in flashes through his mind. He had used this gift to aid him in becoming King of the Eqaharian city-states, and then again in conquering Equestria.

The Equestrians couldn't rely on a single strategy, no matter how effective, to work more than once, due to Diomedas's gift. So, it greatly disturbed the King to not be able to foresee these attackers or where they came from.

The King doused what remained of the fire, shrouding the room in darkness.

"Whoever it is that has dared challenge me...know your days are numbered." he thought. "For I see everything. And you are not part of the picture I have painted, one of conquest and power over all things."

"Someday, we will meet. And who will live and who will die...has yet to be determined by the cast of fate."

Update!

Yeah, Diomedas is a real piece of work. It's hard to fight someone when he can see your every move before you can make it.

Next time - Prince Ajax begins the hunt for the attackers, and Nomad plans a dariang ambush...

A few hours after the attack on the brothel, Sunset, Rainbow, and Spike watched as the Ghosts helped a whimpering Fluttershy into a field bed in order to receive long-delayed medical treatment. Her injuries, according to the Royal Guard Medics, would heal, but there would be scars she would bear permanently.

Most of these scars were prominently on her back and near her privates. Fury, the only female Ghost assigned to the operation, had scowled when she saw the extent of the abuse the pegasus had taken. Stil, as ever, she got a hold of herself and rejoined the other Ghosts.

"So, Aegis?" Nomad said once the Ghosts had returned to their temporary barracks in the grand hall. "You said that you recovered some intel?"

"Yep, it's right here. Shall we check it out?" Aegis Lead replied. As the Ghosts gathered around, Domino split the leather seal open with his knife, revealing the pages within. While Fixit took photos using his Cross-Com eyepiece, Nomad studied the documents intently.

"Looks like a target list and their last known locations." he said. "Says here that the Elements of Generosity and Laughter are still on the run in Manehattan. Honesty's location is unknown, we've recovered Kindness and Loyalty, and there's no way we can recover Magic at the present time. Canterlot is out of our reach for now."

"Hey, Nomad, check this out." Sparrow replied. pointing to a page emblazoned with the seal of the Eqaharian dynasty. "Looks like the Eqaharian King is sending one of his sons with, and I quote, "A full host of soldiers", to track us down. According to this at the time, they should arrive in Cloudsdale in several hours."

"Does it say where they're heading after that?" Nomad asked.

"Unfortunately, no." Sparrow frowned. "But it's been about three hours since our attack on the brothel, and judging by the date on this...we've got two hours before they reach our last known position."

Nomad was silent for several moments, until he got a spark in his eyes

"Sparrow, you said that it was one of the Eqaharian princes leading this op." he smiled. "I think that's a golden opportunity, if you all get my meaning."

"I think we do." Fixit smiled. "We're gonna capture and interrogate?"

"Right in one." Nomad nodded. "We'll need an isolated location to keep him so he can't reveal our position should he escape."

"And we'll have to identify him out of all those soldiers he'll be with." Cyclone Lead added. "How does that work into the plan?"

"Leave that to me." Nomad said in reply. "Ghosts, get ready for CQC. We're going hunting."

====

Back in Cloudsdale, Prince Ajax, the middle sibling of the three Princes, watched as his soldiers went through the remains of the brothel site. Multiple bodies were being interred for later burial, and some were collecting the small, hollow golden objects scattered about the area.

Ajax took in a breath, thinking back to when he had been given this task by his father. Ajax took after his late mother, one of Diomedas's three wives back in Eqaharia. He had a gray coat like his siblings, but his mane was rust-brown and curled, instead of flaxen gold and straight. He was well-built like Hector, but for his entire life, Ajax had been his brother's shadow.

Hector was the one pursued by so many young mares in Eqaharia, idolized by their father, and thoroughly respected if not feared by his troops. Ajax, on the other hand, always felt like a footnote in his brother's story. He wasn't as handsome or strong, not by much in the strength area, but it was noticeable.

And that was excluding the scholastic prospects of their younger brother Chiron. Chiron was certainly not a warrior as he was lean and rather small, but rather a scholar. At thirteen, he could match wits with some of the best scholars and tutors in their homeland. In fact, his wit was one of the very few things that King Diomedas enjoyed hearing about or interacting with.

"Your highness?"

Ajax turned to see his second approach, and with a bow, spoke.

"Everything of value has been collected. We should pursue our enemy with haste." he reported.

"Good. Let's get going, then." Ajax replied, shifting in his armor. "Rally the troops."

As the soldiers surrounded their Prince in a box formation, they marched down the causeway that led to the city and into the plains near Ponyville. The Equestrian citizens cowered as they passed, a few brave folks sent them hate filled glares and muttered words of vengeance.

Ajax didn't care. As they entered the fields near Ponyville, they didn't notice a Cipher-2 UAV controlled by Kozak watching them, its form hidden in the tall grasses nearby.

====

"Got an ID on Prince Ajax?" Nomad asked as he watched Kozak's drone feed through his cross-com. Kozak nodded, and pointed out a soldier in far more ornate armor with a rust-red mane.

"That's him." Gates added, cross-referencing the dossier. "We're set, Nomad."

"Then let's move." Nomad ordered.

"Good luck!" Sunset called out from her post with Rainbow Dash at the command table. Sunset had taken charge in Ponyville from Mayor Mare, and was currently busy tracking the still-missing Apple Family through local contacts, idle hearsay and rumors gathered from the Ponyville citizens.

Nomad gave her a thumbs-up in response as he moved his Spartan cap forward. As the Guards opened the castle gates, the Ghosts moved as one, and headed out on an intercept course, each of them loading their weapons.

====

As the Eqaharians advanced into the Everfree, two Unicorn mages used a combination of blades and their magic to cut through the thick foliage. All the while, the Cipher UAV in crawler mode moved ahead of them. This particular UAV had been equipped with a sonic disruption device and a smokescreen to cover the escape once the Ghosts acquired their target.

Eventually, they reached a clearing, and Ajax gave the order for his men to rest. As the soldiers brought out canteens of water, along with flasks of high nectar, an Eqaharian beverage that restored the consumer's stamina and helped to keep the drinker ready for battle. They sat down in a circle, with Ajax in the middle.

However, as their weapons were set down at their sides, the Cipher UAV moved into position.

====

As the Ghosts, their cloaking getting a boost from the dark environment, slowly drew their weapons, Nomad directed the others into position using hand signals rather than the radio, which would run the risk of them being overheard.

Vasily and Weaver, the two snipers of the unit, lined up their crosshairs on the heads of the soldiers closest to the Prince. The other Ghosts lined up their own sync shots, and once they all signed "Ready", Nomad took in a breath.

"Engage on my mark." he whispered.

"5...4...3...2...1…"

"Mark."

Update!

Yeah, I hate cliffhangers, but trust me, the next chapter will be well worth it. Also, I totally forgot to include Sunset in the last few chapters, so her being in charge in Ponyville was a change I needed to put in.

Also, I tried my best to shy away from writing imagery related to the brothel and Fluttershy's injuries that would be hard for me to write, yet still descriptive enough to get the point across.

I think I succeeded, though.

Anyway, next time...The Ghosts engage Ajax's unit, Sunset discovers a lead on the Apple Family, and in the Crystal Empire, Shining Armor and Cadance learn of the new arrivals, and prepare a member their own special forces unit of their Guard, known as the Crystal Sabres, to investigate..

As soon as the first bullet smashed into the head of the first Eqaharian soldier, the remaining Guards jumped to their hooves and formed a living shield around Prince Ajax. Their canteens of nectar spilled their contents out onto the ground, and their spears were now clutched tightly in the soldiers' hooves in an act of protection for their Prince.

However, that was of little consolation, Ajax thought as more and more Guards fell, blood splattered across their heads and chests, and shrapnel from their armor filling the air.

However, what terrified Prince Ajax more were the cut-off screams of his dying men as bullets tore them apart. A Guard attempted to rise up and cast a shielding spell, only to have his chest riddled with rounds. He fell to the ground, sporting multiple holes in his once-mighty obsidian armor.

As the last few guards fell, the area became full of the cries of the injured, and Ajax frantically looked for the source of the attack that had eliminated most of his force in mere moments.

Then, he saw something move in the trees directly in front of him. As a phantom-esque figure exited the treeline and slowly approached, Ajax stared in disbelief, shock and horror as the once invisible being turned visible once more. It was clad in brown, white, and gray, with a shining blue eye. Ajax could also see the insignia of a skull on its chest.

This would have been intimidating enough for the Prince, until fifteen other beings like the first also made themselves visible. They had their differences in attire, but the strange metal objects in their hands were held in a ready position. They moved quickly and with purpose, and soon surrounded the site of the carnage. Some of them began combing through the bodies, others took defensive positions.

But one, wearing a blue cap that bore the image of what seemed to be an ancient helmet, came and knelt in front of Ajax, whose voice was rendered silent from fear. Now that he was getting a closer look, Ajax could see the being's intelligent brown eyes past the strange, vivid blue-glowing glasses it wore. The being gave a scoff, stood up to his full height, and then motioned to another one of his companions.

The last thing Ajax saw before he was knocked out cold was the sole of one of their boots impacting against his forehead.

====

"Good work, Ghosts." Nomad smirked as Aegis Lead zip-tied the unconscious prince, discarded his armor, and hefted him over his shoulders like a lost sheep. "Target acquired. Let's get back to base before reinforcements get here."

"Yessir!" the other Ghosts replied. As Sparrow and Rook secured a few pieces of intelligence from the bodies of two soldiers with gold-trimmed armor, the Ghosts cloaked and retreated into the forests, leaving only the bodies, spent cartridges, and their footprints behind in the mud.

Moments later, a team of Eqaharian pegasi soldiers landed and stared at the carnage in horror, moreso at the cast-aside armor of their Prince. As they trembled in fear, the captain of the team slowly spoke.

"Send a message to Prince Hector, right now."
====

As Ajax slowly came to his senses, he could see that he was in a dark cell somewhere, lined with worn and cracked stone bricks. A small table had been set before him with a glass of what seemed to be water and a folded piece of paper with a pen. He looked down to see he had been securely bound to a metal chair, and due to his still-disoriented state, he couldn't use his magic.

Then, the cell door opened, revealing the leader of the beings who had attacked him. Ajax could see it was masculine, with a long beard of brown. As he took a seat, he placed a tablet of some kind with a glossy black face on the table and tapped it. An array of writing, designs, and lights appeared on it, though Ajax couldn't read the foreign text displayed on it.

"Prince Ajax, I presume?"

Ajax's eyes snapped back to the male being, realizing in panic that he could speak the common language used by both Eqaharion and Equestria. The being laughed and crossed his arms.

"You know, I figured you'd be too scared to talk. I'll make this clear to you."

"Tell us what you know about everything I ask about, and I'll do my best to guarantee your safety."

"Go to Hades." Ajax spat. "You won't get anything out of me. I am a Prince of Eqaharia, you have no power to keep me here!"

"So that's a no?"

"What do you think?" Ajax replied. The being shrugged, and grabbed the back of Ajax's head. Then, he slammed it into the front of the table with great force, letting the whiplash from the blow recoil the Eqaharian upwards. Ajax growled in pain from the blow, as his head began to spin.

Once it settled, he saw the being sit back down and put his legs up on the table.

"Wanna try that again?" he chuckled. "Let me make some things absolutely clear to you."

"One, no one knows you are here, and there's no one coming for you as a result. So you can forget about a rescue mission anytime soon."

"Two, even though I personally don't condone the use of torture on anyone, I think the Equestrians really don't care at this point what they could do to the Prince of a kingdom who has occupied their home."

"And three, I very much would prefer it if you talked sooner rather than later. Because one of my friends wanted to interrogate you in my place. You should thank me for persuading her otherwise."

"Why is that?"

"Because she saw what happened to the Element of Kindness at the brothel you imprisoned her at. As a result, she really wanted to beat you senseless until you didn't know right from left. Those were her exact words, I might add."

"But I persuaded her otherwise. But if you don't start talking in about ten minutes, I'll let her have some time with you.How much time that is, depends on how long you don't talk. And the longer it takes, the more she gets into it. I hear she brings out a knife at the five-minute mark."

Ajax's eyes flared, and he started to struggle to no avail.

"That sure woke you up." the being replied, sliding the folded piece of paper over, then opening it up. What followed was a list of subjects all too familiar to Ajax, such as the specifics of the defenses in Canterlot, Manehattan, and other cities, the locations of the other Eqaharian princes and the King, the locations of the other prison camps, and more. Ajax stared at it, knowing that even divulging the smallest piece of information would mean sedition in the eyes of his father.

"Now, you can tell me what I want to know." the being replied. "Or I could have my female friend come in. Your choice."

Ajax stared at the paper for a few moments, then looked up at the being.

"My father would kill me if I tell you anything."

"My friend will kill you if you don't cooperate. And she'll make it slow." the being said darkly. "If you cooperate, as I said, I will guarantee your safety as a prisoner of war."

Ajax thought this offer over in his head. On one hoof, if he escaped and made it to Canterlot, he could tell his father what he had learned of his enemy. That is, if he managed to live through the process of escaping, and there was no guarantee he wouldn't be recaptured and likely killed.

Or he could keep his life, and tell this being what he wanted to know. Which would ensure a great many things that Ajax feared would happen from his father as a result.

It was a surprisingly quick decision, as Ajax decided to spill his kingdom's most heavily guarded secrets and plans before this female friend or his father, King Diomedas, could spill his guts onto the ground.

====

About an hour later, As Nomad tapped the END RECORDING button on his MRT, a weary, hoarse-voiced Ajax looked up at him. Nomad simply uncuffed one of his hooves, and shoved the glass of water into his grasp.

Once he had finished drinking, Ajax was then tossed into another cell, this one being furnished with a pit toilet and rough bed. As the door was closed and locked, Nomad walked away with a smile of satisfaction on his face.

"If it's just you and your host, you won't win."

Nomad turned back to Ajax, and smirked fiercely, making the Prince flinch.

"Who said it was just us?"

Nomad laughed and closed the door to the brig before returning to the Ghosts' barracks, all the intel they needed stored securely on his MRT.

====

"I don't believe it." Sunset gasped as she was told of Nomad's successful interrogation, and then she was shown every piece of intel the Prince had spilled. "You got all this out of him?"

"Yes." Nomad replied as the other Ghosts restocked their ammunition from a supply crate, a recent arrival through the portal, along with other pieces of human tech. "Any luck finding the Element of Honesty?"

"The most I have to go on is that she and her family headed north to the Crystal Empire as refugees." Sunset replied. "But ever since the war started, the Empire surrounded itself with a shield of winter weather so harsh, not even the Eqaharians will risk an attack there."

"Is there any way we can reach the rulers of this Crystal Empire?" he asked.

"I could try to teleport there, but it's not exactly safe on my end." Sunset sighed. "But I'll see if we can find a pegasus capable of carrying a message that far and with great speed."

"Leave that to me." said Rainbow Dash, who approached with an air of readiness. "I've still got my Wonderbolts training with me, I can make it there in a few hours at most."

"Then prep to leave ASAP." Nomad replied. "You'll need to take this, though."

Rainbow was handed a sidebag containing an abbreviated but still concise copy of the intel secured from Prince Ajax, a written message from Lt. Colonel Scott Mitchell and Nomad, and a satellite radio for communication.

"Shouldn't be a problem." Rainbow nodded. "See you on the far side, Nomad."

As Rainbow departed into the sky at breakneck speed, Nomad and Sunset headed to the command table to plan their next operation.

====
The Crystal Empire, Royal Palace
Office of Prince Shining Armor, Balcony patio
====

Hours lanter, in the Crystal Spire, As Prince Shining Armor stared out into the darkened night sky, sipping a late-night glass of wine, soft hoofsteps could be heard behind him, then he felt the embrace of his wife, Princess Cadance.

"Couldn't sleep?" she asked quietly.

"Who can these days?" Shining replied bitterly. "Even though the Yaks and Griffons send us supply shipments weekly, there never seems to be enough rations, water, or elbow room for everypony here, the other refugees included."

"You can't blame yourself for that." Cadance replied, sitting down next to him. "We couldn't have known about the invasion at all, let alone that we'd be put in this position. All we can do is make the best of it and plan appropriately."

"And I also know you've been...crying in private because of Twilight during nights when I work late."

Shining sighed and looked at his wife solemnly.

"I don't think I'll ever see her again." he admitted. "First the invasion cut us off. Then, Canterlot was captured and Twilight along with it. Finally, that decree was announced. What else can I do?"

Cadance brought her husband to her shoulder and he soon closed his eyes, starting to sob quietly.

"Hush, Shining Armor, hush." she soothed. "We can hope that we'll see her again, and pray this war comes to an end. Until then...take whatever solace you need in me, okay?""

Shining nodded weakly and soon quieted down. As the night settled, Cadance was about to close her own eyes, when another set of hoofsteps could be heard behind them.

"Princess Cadance? Prince Shining Armor?" asked a nearby Crystal Guard. "There's somepony to see you. It's urgent."

"Can it wait?" Cadance asked.

"Not really." Rainbow Dash said, coming into the light, startling both Shining and Cadance. "I've got news you absolutely need to hear, and intel you cannot pass on."

As Rainbow spread out the captured information from Prince Ajax, Shining's eyes widened as far as they could go.

"This is impossible," he gasped. "This is strategic info for Canterlot and Manehattan, defensive details and troop movements, prison camp locations...damn near everything! How in heaven's name did you get all this?"

"From Prince Ajax himself." Rainbow smirked.

"How did you capture him? I thought the Princes never left Canterlot." Cadance replied in a similar state of disbelief.

"It wasn't us." she replied. "Remember how Twilight sent a distress message to Sunset Shimmer after the fall of Canterlot?"

"We thought Sunset didn't get it." Shining replied. "I thought the mirror was the only way to access the human world."

"Not the case anymore." she smirked. "The United States government learned about the invasion. They sent sixteen of their best soldiers to retake Equestria, and they've accomplished more in a week than we could have in three months."

"They call themselves the Ghosts." Rainbow continued, pulling out the satellite phone and powering it up, displaying the logo of the Fifth Special Forces Group, followed by a rapidly-filling progress bar. "Would you like to meet them?"

Shining Armor and Cadance dropped their jaws as the image of Nomad sitting at a table appeared on the screen.

"Hello." Nomad said. "I'm Major Anthony Perryman, United States Army, Fifth Special Forces Group, Ghost Recon. You can call me Nomad. I take it you're the rulers of the Crystal Empire?"

"Yes, I'm Shining Armor. My wife, Princess Cadance." Shining replied. "What can we do for you, Nomad?"

"I think it's actually...what can we do for you." Nomad replied. "I take it Rainbow Dash made it there with our package in one piece?"

"Yes, she did." Cadance replied. "Where do you wish to start, Nomad?"

"Let's start with this. It's a pleasure to work with you, Prince Shining Armor, Princess Cadance. Tell us what you need done, and we'll get it done."

"I like you already." Shining smiled, this being the first time in a while. "Ready for a good amount of talk regarding the liberation of Equestria?"

"I can't wait to get started." Nomad replied. "Tell us what you got."

Update!

Yep, the Ghosts are heading to the Crystal Empire, and will soon meet the Empire's own variation of Special Forces, known as the Crystal Sabres.

And in Canterlot, Diomedas learns of his son's disappearance....

As the conversation between Prince Shining Armor, Princess Cadance, and Nomad came to a close about two hours later, Shining gave a weary, but relief filled sigh. After initial introductions wrapped up, he and Nomad had agreed on a few facets and conditions of their cooperation with the US Government and their military.

Primarily, the Ghosts needed a better base of operations and equivalent facilities. Though Celestia's old castle was isolated and easy to defend, there was no nearby area capable of hosting US vehicular assets, and storage of supplies and ammunition was becoming an issue. Shining agreed to lease to the Ghosts one of the old Crystal Guard Barracks buildings, one that had been slated for renovation but was still habitable and furnished.

In exchange, some of the Ghosts would help further train a unit that Shining referred to as "The Sabres" in use of firearms and some US military gear, and Nomad apparently recommended one of his men, apparently nicknamed "Domino" for that task. What made Nomad happy personally, however, was the fact that the Crystal Empire had something he didn't expect to have for some time, ready to use.

During the Equestria Games, the Empire had set up a small visitor's complex near the stadium to host outside dignitaries. It hadn't been used in a while and was in need of some light renovation…but the nearby chariot-racing airstrip that could also service and house larger airships meant another advantage for the Ghosts.

They could now use US air power for whatever purposes they needed, such as close-air support, transportation, and resupply runs to other resistance holdouts.

Which made not only the Ghosts and the Rulers of the Empire happy, but Lt. Colonel Mitchell as well. Mitchell soon requisitioned a set of Blackhawks for transportation, and two MQ-9 Reapers outfitted with full payloads for fire missions. Along with the pilots and crew to service them, the Navy also supplied additional ordinance, more ammunition, and some requested equipment upgrades for the Ghosts.

Finally, the US Navy agreed to send over a massive cache of needed supplies, including much-needed water and raw materials, surplus MREs, traditional electrical and solar-powered generators for basic infrastructure, and more.

"So, what's left?" Shining asked Nomad, who gave a weary but gratitude-filled smile.

"That's everything, I believe." Nomad replied. "Once we arrive, we'll get right to business. It's a pleasure to be working with you, Prince Shining Armor."

"Feeling's mutual." Shining nodded. "See you soon."

Nomad nodded as the connection ended. As Shining looked to the vacant seat where Cadance was previously, as she had retired to bed earlier, he smiled, envisioning Twilight sitting there, safe and sound.

"Just hang on, Twilight." he whispered, sitting up and heading for his bedroom. "We'll be there soon. Just be safe and stay alive."

====
Occupied Canterlot, Chambers of King Diomedas
10:15 PM.
====

"Your Majesty, I have brought important news."

KIng Diomedas turned away from his work and watched a trembling messenger come forward.

"What is it?" he asked darkly.

"Prince Ajax has gone missing. We presume...he was captured...." the messenger stammered, only for the entire room to shudder and low growling noise to sound. Diomedas's horn glowed with gold energy as his anger took physical form, and was then released in a blast of magical power. A blast that sent the messenger flying into the wall, into a dazed heap.

As the King strode forward, the anger in his eyes a raging inferno, he stared down the messenger into a whimpering mess.

"How?" he snarled. "I did not foresee this."

"We don't know." the messenger squeaked. "The company he was sent with...we found their bodies and armaments, but no sign of the Prince himself. We are searching for him diligently as we speak."

Diomedas spun around and turned to the window, closing his eyes, as a flashing picture appeared in his mind's eye. He could see his son and his troops resting, then they were attacked, fired upon by invisible arrows. Soon, his soon was all that was left, and the last thing Diomedas could see was Ajax being dragged off into the woods.

But there was no indication of who was responsible for this act.

Diomedas growled loudly, and then cast aside a table with his magic, shattering it into pieces.

"Find them. Whoever they are, and make them suffer." he roared. "I will have their heads atop the gate as ornaments, do you understand? That is my order! GO!"

The messenger stammered his understanding and departed. Diomedas simply threw the door closed and prostrated himself before the fireplace.

"O, what power in the heavens that has given me this sight...what is it you see that I do not?" he prayed fervently. "What great force is it that seeks my downfall? I demand to know, for I am your receiver! I must know! I must!"

As Diomedas tightened his hoof's grip on the stone mantlepiece, he extinguished the flames with his magic and threw aside his cape in anguish. Slowly regaining his composure, he repaired the damage he had done using his magic, and headed for his bedroom chambers.

====

Twilight Sparkle, on the other hand, listened to this unfold with a gleeful smile, the first one she'd given in a long time. It was no secret that any misfortune on the Eqaharian royalty's part was well received by the captive Princess, as her room was just down the hall from the chambers of the Royal Family.

Striding away from the balcony, she froze at the sight of an Eqaharian maid setting a large plate of food and a glass of wine on the main table. She was an earth pony, with a pale gold coat and a green mane. Her cutie mark was a quill and feather duster, and she seemed occupied by the task at hand.

"Um...Hello?" Twilight asked. The maid jumped and turned around, trembling sightly.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she stepped aside, giving a curtsy. "DId I disturb you, Princess? I apologize if I did."

"No, it's fine." Twilight replied, taking the bread from the plate. "If anything, I must've scared you."

The maid nodded, and gave a weak smile.

"Actually...would you mind staying for a bit?" Twilight asked. "I...just want to talk."

"As you wish." the maid replied. "My name's Bianca, Princess."

"It's nice to meet you, Bianca. Though, normally it's Prince Hector who brings me dinner." Twilight observed.

"He's out looking for his brother with a full host." Bianca replied. "Prince Ajax went missing a few days ago. His Majesty was...upset to hear the news."

"So that's what that tantrum from down the hall was about." Twilight noted. "Bianca...thanks."

"For what?"

"For just...being here." Twilight sighed. "Ever since I was captured, I haven't had any chance to talk with anypony who isn't royalty, or Prince Hector for that matter. It's...relieving to see a new face."

"I know the feeling. I was impressed into the royal family's service." Bianca replied.

"What do you mean by...impressed?" Twilight asked.

"Back in Eqaharia...I was taken from my family by my Lanistae, a lord who owned the land my family lived on.." Bianca said, noticing Twilight's confused expression at hearing the Eqaharian term. "He wanted me to be his...mistress as he was taken by my youth. I refused, and thus was given to Prince Hector as a gift when he visited years ago. Since then, I have served the Royal Family as a maid. In all truth, I doubt I fared better under my Lanistae back then, rather than now."

"That's horrible." Twilight said. "Tell me, Bianca...how bad is it for the normal ponies of Eqaharion? How do they fare? Please, tell me all you can."

Bianca nodded, and composed herself.

"It's...quite bad." she replied. "All surplus food that is grown or harvested goes to the army for rations. We have little time to wash ourselves or study and learn. Our work takes precedence over everything. At most, we get five hours a week to ourselves. Our food is of poor quality compared to what we serve the lords, and our water is bitter."

And the work is degrading and back-breaking. While we serve the soldiers as well, many are quite...rowdy with the maids sent to clean and heal them after battle. I've been slapped on my flank more times than I can count, and furthermore, sometimes we're assigned...comfort duty to the captains and commanders."

"Tell me that's not what I think it is." Twilight asked, horrified beyond saying anything else.

Bianca merely nodded, her embarrasment and sadness clear in her eyes.

"How can they be so cruel?" Twilight gasped. "Is there anyone who could help you?"

"The Head Maid does her best to limit those who are sent to the barracks, but the soldiers demand they be seen to at all times while not in the field. They act and behave like swine, every one of them, while their leaders turn to the side."

"Just last week, three soldiers pinned a friend to a post, bound her, and...raped her out of desire alone." Bianca said. "The soldiers were caught, but they only received a few lashes from the whip as punishment. The maid was given scant medical attention, and sent right back to work."

Twilight dropped her jaw. The Equestrian Guards were held to strict standards of civility, and if one of them committed an act like she'd heard, they'd be judged by Princess Celestia herself, very harshly.

"I'm so very sorry." Twilight put a hoof on her shoulder. Bianca shuddered, but nodded in thanks. She continued, tears starting to fall.

"And that's not even how bad it can get, Princess. Sometimes, the maids are assigned to his Majesty, King Diomedas." she cried quietly. "He prefers it rough and his partners...bound tightly and helplessly. He truly knows no mercy to those who displease him, even with his...partners of choice. Maids who are chosen for this are condemmed to a dire fate. f they do poorly, they are punished. If they do their best, they are sent back with no benefit."

Bianca began to cry openly, and Twilight loosely hugged her from the side.. There was silence for several minutes as Twilight comprehended what she was doing. But she didn't mind. Equestrian or Eqaharian, everyone deserves a helping hoof in time of need, she told herself. Especially after going through the experiences that Bianca did.

"We all suffer in one way or another, but some have suffered more than others…" Bianca finished. "But there is little we can do."

There was silence for several more moments. Twilight kept the embrace going until Bianca composed herself again, and she gave a reassured smile.

"Princess, thank you so much for listening to me. I know you must be busy."

"It's fine, and know I care and I always will. " Twilight replied. "If it would help you...I think I have an idea."

"What?"

"Instead of serving the soldiers or the Royal Family, how about you serve me for a change?" Twilight said, brushing a tear away from her cheek. "You won't have to go through any of that again, I promise. It helps that I've been confined to my chambers for heaven knows how long. "

"I...I accept, Princess." Bianca replied. "I'll tell the Head Maid of your request immediately."

Bianca got up, curtseyed gratefully, and left. Twilight looked at the plate of food she had mostly ignored, and deciding that she had an appetite after all, began to eat. As she did, she let a thought come across her mind.

"I may not be able to help my friends right now...but I will help you, Bianca. I promise."

Yeah, this chapter went into some pretty messed-up stuff. Why did I write it, you may wonder?

Because in war, everyone suffers. Everyone. Civilian or soldier, good or bad, one side or the other. And those who cannot escape it are those who deserve aid the most.

Also, I wanted to make it known what it is that the Eqaharians stand for. And what the Ghosts are fighting to topple. Plus, it's known that in war, on both sides, there's good and evil. I wanted Twilight to experience the good for a change.

Bianca will also play a role later in the story for Twilight's own agenda of either escaping or being rescued.

Next Chapter - The Ghosts move to the Crystal Empire, Hector returns to Canterlot empty handed, and Twilight adjusts to a new routine with Bianca.

"Alright guys, I got a question for you all." 30K grumbled as the snow flew past him and through the trees, propelled by the strong northern winds. "Whose bright idea was it to have us hike all the way to the edge of the Crystal Empire in the middle of this storm?"

"It doesn't matter." Nomad smirked as he side-leaped over a boulder. "We need to make sure we remain undetected since we're so close to Cloudsdale, and aerial transport is out for the moment. So, this is it."

"Fucking hell." Kozak scoffed. "Hey Nomad, where's the LZ at anyway? I thought the Crystal Empire was sending chariots to pick us up."

"They are." Nomad said. "However, they can't land in the middle of this forest, so until we get a decent-sized break in the canopy or the foliage clears up, we keep pushing forward."

The Ghosts nodded as they continued their hike, occasionally leaping over a fallen tree or ill-positioned boulder. Kozak's Cypher UAV led the way for them through the trees, since it was their only piece of aerial, human-made tech for the moment. Or, at least until they reached the Crystal Empire and got their hands on more human-made tech.

Lt. Colonel Mitchell had negotiated with Shining Armor for a team of Crystal Chariots to pick up the Ghosts at the ideal middle ground between their location and the Empire itself. Seeing as the Eqaharian siege lines were close enough to be a problem, but far enough they couldn't reach the Ghosts in great numbers, finding the ideal LZ was a problem.

Until the Ghosts were signalled to head to a small train station near the former town of Dodge Junction, which had been ransacked during the initial siege of the Crystal Empire. However, the Ghosts had to deal with a few logistical problems beforehand.

Primarily, what to do with their high-value prisoner, Prince Ajax. Though he had already surrendered the intel package now securely in the hooves of Shining Armor, he was still a liability, if he managed to escape and would likely reveal their identities to the Eqaharians.

As such, Aegis and Cyclone Team had left the day before with the Prince, and delivered him safely to the Crystal Empire's dungeons. Shining had apparently needed to be held back physically by his Guards, as he had wanted to pummel Ajax into a bloody pulp upon seeing him.

Now, Hunter and Kingslayer Team were to follow up and head to the Empire as soon as they could to rejoin the other Ghosts who were already there.

Now, as the Ghosts exited the treeline and the abandoned train station came into view, Nomad popped a blue-colored smoke grenade, the signal for the waiting chariots to land. It wasn't long before they did, and as they boarded, Kozak retrieved the UAV and attached it to his rucksack.

"We're good, let's fly!" one of the Crystal Guards flying the Chariot called, and as they soared into the air, Nomad swept over the area visually one last time, confirming they hadn't been detected by the enemy.

====

About thirty minutes later, the Chariots bearing the remaining Ghosts landed in the newly-constructed airstrip north of the Crystal Stadium. To their slight surprise, Princess Cadance was waiting for them instead of her husband.

"Shining's talking on the radio with Lt. Colonel Mitchell." she said as the Ghosts approached. "They're working out a few last-minute details on lodging and supplies for the other humans who are coming over."

"That's good to know." Nomad nodded as the eight Ghosts followed Cadance towards the stadium. "I've been meaning to ask, Princess...how are things going in the Empire since the siege began?"

"Well, I can say that with your help and extra supplies, things are looking up." she replied. "For a while, the refugees coming from the conquered parts of Equestria were an issue in terms of housing and keeping them fed and watered."

"How'd you manage that?" Hunter Lead asked.

"We started rationing food and water depending on how much somepony did for the Empire each day, such as construction or for enlisting in the Guard." Cadance replied as they entered the grounds of the Palace. "It was still tight for a while after that."

"Then the Yaks and Griffons started sending us supply shipments by air and ground." she continued. "The Yaks even volunteered to dig a tunnel through the northeastern mountains for us just in case, but the old trail worked out fine."

"I take it the Eqaharians don't know about it?" Kozak asked.

"They never reached it, seeing as it's further north than we are." she nodded. "Plus, the Eqaharians weren't initially going after us. They primarily wanted the southern parts, where it's not as wintry."

"I wonder why." 30K said. "What's their goal, anyway? Why'd they even invade in the first place?"

"From what I can tell, it's complicated." Cadance sighed. "From what I've gathered, their homeland was suffering in most ways, and they saw conquest as the only way to escape that. I've also heard a rumor that Eqaharia was the original homeland of the Equines, before the three tribes moved northward to Equestria during Hearth's Warming."

"Hearth's Warming?" Nomad asked. "Is that some sort of holiday?"

"It is. Specifically the anniversary of the day Equestria came to be, and the story behind it." Cadance replied as they entered the palace, and headed to the great hall. As the other two Ghost teams waved them over from a table bearing what Nomad presumed was a prepared lunch, Shining Armor then entered the room.

"How'd things go?" Cadance asked her husband.

"Went well," he replied. "Lt. Colonel Mitchell will be sending everything over in about an hour or so. Supplies, additional human technology and vehicles, spare parts and materials, the vehicle crews, whole nine yards. We might even break the siege at this rate."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Aegis Lead said. "We've got to have a solid upper hand before we go on the offensive. And with the majority of Equestria still under hostile control, we need to work them down before we take them out."

Shining nodded, and as he and his wife took their seats, Nomad powered up the satellite phone and called Sunset Shimmer.

"Hey, Nomad." Sunset said once the connection was established. "I was just about to call you. I found the Element of Honesty, Applejack and her family, plus two others. They're in the refugee lodgings in the Crystal Empire. Unfortunately...Applejack's grandmother passed away two weeks ago in her sleep."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Nomad replied. "Did Rainbow and Fluttershy meet up with them at any point?"

"Yeah, they did two days ago." Sunset replied. "Rainbow also reunited with her adoptive sister, Scootaloo, and Rarity's sister Sweetie Belle made it as well."

"Nothing like a family reunion." Nomad nodded. "Anything else?"

"I've got one more piece of good news and some bad news." she replied. "The good news is that I confirmed Rarity and Pinkie Pie are in Manehattan, in a shelter run by a small resistance group."

"And the bad news?"

"The news of Prince Ajax's disappearance reached Canterlot." Sunset sighed. "Apparently Ajax's older brother Prince Hector is leading a full division of troops across Equestria in search of him. Plus, the Eqaharian King, Diomedas, has offered a pretty big reward in gold to anyone who returns his son to Canterlot. Lucky for us, they won't find him at the Everfree base."

"That's not good." Nomad said. "Has news of that reward reached the Empire?"

"Not yet, but it likely will. We should be on the lookout for saboteurs." Sunset advised. "Plus, the longer it takes for Prince Hector to search, the more likely Diomedas will go on the offensive. And if he figures out that we're keeping him in the Empire…"

"It'll go from a siege to total war really damn quick." Nomad growled. "Any way we can capture Prince Hector?"

"Good luck with that. He's the heir to the Eqaharian throne, so he gets triple the attention and protection his brother had." Sunset sighed. "Plus, he's searching every inch of ground he can, so he's never in one place for too long."

Nomad gave a hum of thought, having flashbacks to the hunt for the Santa Blanca Cartel's transport genius, El Cerebro, during Operation Kingslayer. Though he had escaped, the Ghosts did manage to shut down his narco-submarine plan among his other schemes.

Which gave Nomad an idea after a few moments.

"That's just it." he said. "We're going to have to go loud here sooner or later. And if it's on our terms, it's better for us as a whole."

"So what are you thinking?" Sunset asked.

"I think it's time we let the enemy know who they're up against," he replied. "Sunset, I need you to spread a message to whoever comes into contact with the Eqaharians."

"What's the message?" she asked.

"Tell the Eqaharians…" Nomad smiled. "Among other things...do they believe in Ghosts?"

"Will do." Sunset said approvingly. "See you soon, Nomad."

"Same to you." Nomad smiled before ending the call, exiting the room for privacy, and then switched the connection to Lt. Colonel Mitchell aboard the USS Ticonderoga. After explaining his idea to his C.O., Mitchel was silent for a few moments.

"You're fortunate to have brought this up, Nomad." Mitchell replied. "The heads of Operation Echo Solace, the President included, are working on the same idea. We're not getting a declaration of war, it's off the table for now...but we are going all in on this operation."

"We're sending the USS Ticonderoga and the accompanying naval group to Equestria, with all the firepower included along with it. It's still getting officiated, but Nomad...we're done being silent."

"In a few days...we go on the offensive against Eqaharia. The President is preparing an ultimatum, and if that doesn't do the trick...Well, let's just say the enemy's in for royal hell."

"I'm glad to hear it." Nomad said. "See you on the other side, sir."

"I look forward to it, Nomad. Mitchell out."

Update!

Yep, it's time for air and naval support for the Ghosts. And soon, they'll have to defend the Crystal Empire as Hector sets his sights on rescuing his brother...and in the meantime, Twilight learns more about the state of things in Eqaharia from Bianca...

"So, these Crystal Sabres… Sipes asked Shining Armor as the two of them walked towards a separate barracks near the palace. "What's their origin? Are they your guards?"

"Not all of them." Shining replied. "Most of them are Solar or Lunar Guards who managed to escape Canterlot during or after the city's fall. All of them were combat veterans with lots of acquired skills and had learned some unique strategies.”

"I realized they were too valuable to waste, so these Guards became the Sabres when they arrived here in the Empire. Those Guards then took charge of recruiting or rescuing others that we could use, and so on.”

"A force multiplying operation." Sipes nodded. "That's impressive work. How many are there?"

"Well, there's only about 27 of them currently." Shining said with a slight sigh as they stopped for a moment. "We have an additional 33 in training, but I'd say until you Ghosts came along, they were our best bet at getting through to Canterlot…and my sister back home safe."

"We'll get her back." Sipes replied. "You can count on it."

Shining gave a grateful nod, and as they resumed walking, there was silence for a while. Then, they reached a more spacious barracks building marked with a heart, sword, and crown. Shining opened the door and inside, about three Equestrian and four Crystal Ponies snapped to salute. Mounted on storage racks scattered along the wall were sets of heavily modified armor and weapons made from an ice-blue metal.

"At ease." Shining ordered. "Sabres, you can all take a seat. I'll explain what's going on once you do."

The Sabres nodded and did so, and once everyone was comfortable, he cleared his throat.

"I'm sure you've all heard that the United States of America has joined us against the Eqaharians, and are providing us with additional forces, supplies, and weaponry," he said. "I'm not too proud to admit that their help came just in time."

There were nods throughout the room as Shining continued.

"Because of this, I've asked one of the sixteen elite soldiers they've sent, or one of the Ghosts, to give us a weapons demonstration. Would you care to introduce yourself?”

"Sure?" Sipes replied. "I'm Second Lieutenant Thomas Sipes, Delta Company, 1st Battalion, Fifth Special Forces Group, Though we prefer to be known as Ghost Recon, or simply the Ghosts. From what I've heard, you are the best the Crystal Empire has to offer in terms of special forces."

“Well, I don’t doubt that in this world’s terms, but in ours, it’s a different story.” He continued. “But let’s get to what I came here for. Do you have an archery or firing range here?”

“This way, and over here, sir.” A Sabre replied. As they all headed out, Sipes was greeted by a large, expansive archery range with multiple distance-incremented targets. A rack of bows and arrows, tipped with the same ice-blue metal as their armor, lay nearby.

“Alright, let’s get to it.” Sipes said. “Take a seat in a single file line. We’ll start small.”

As the Sabres did so, Shining stepped aside to watch carefully from the observation area.

Sipes then took out his P226 sidearm, and showed it. To humans, it was a reliable pistol, used by multiple special forces units on Earth such as the British SAS.

To the Sabres, it was curious to see, as they didn’t know how a weapon so small could be considered useful.

“This here is my sidearm, a Sig Sauer model P226.” He spoke. “It fires 9mm bullets from a 10-round magazine, at 830 feet per second. It’s a solid weapon, and though it seems small, looks and size can be deceiving.”

Sipes took a weaver stance, called “Check range!”, and fired three shots at a target down range. The archery target, designed to break and fall over if hit by a force or projectile at a speed considered lethal, shattered upon impact.

The guards dropped their jaws as Sipes reloaded, called “Clear range!”, and holstered the gun.

“Any questions?” He asked.

“How exactly did these come to be?” A mare Sabre asked.

“Good question. Primitive firearms have been around for over 100 years, and as time passed and technology’s pace accelerated, the design and use of guns went with it. It’s kind of easy to see why a sword or lance wouldn’t be useful, when your opponent can just pull out a gun and shoot before you get into melee range.”

“Then how do they work?” Another asked.

“Simple.” Sipes said, taking out a sole cartridge. “The tip here is what actually goes out of the gun. It works by encasing a variable amount of propellant, the bullet, and a primer cap in this casing…”

Sipes held up a casing for reference.

“And striking the primer with a firing pin when the trigger is pulled. The pin ignites the primer, which ignites the propellant, creating an explosion that fires the bullet out of the barrel. Spiraling grooves, called rifling, carved inside the barrel make the round spin when fired, increasing its accuracy, and the spent case is ejected automatically.”

“After that, a loading slide mechanism readies another round for firing. Semi-auto firing means you get one shot per trigger pull, full-auto means you fire for as long as you pull. There are burst weapons that fire typically 3 shots with each pull, giving a balance between the other two.”

‘Semi-auto is more accurate and less intensive on the weapon, but full-auto can be useful if you need as many rounds down range as you can. It’s not exactly needed in most scenarios, but it’s good to have.”

“So it’s not the size of the weapon but how big and fast it fires?” A stallion noted.

“And how much it weighs, works, and handles.” Sipes nodded, pulling up pictures of the US Military and the Ghosts’ standard weapons, such as the M4A1, M40A5, and others, explaining each weapons’ use and design.

After about an hour and 45 minutes, Sipes concluded his work by taking out a target with his Remington M870 MCS. Then, Shining dismissed the Sabres to their barracks, before the two of them headed back to the palace.

“What did you think?” Sipes asked.

“I think you did your part well.” Shining replied. “Let’s go and meet up with the others. See what we’ve missed.”

“After you.”

====

“Glad you made it back in time.” Aegis Lead called to Sipes and Shining Armor as they entered the Crystal Empire’s command area. “We’ve got some good news.”

“Hit me with it.” Shining replied, joining the others, who were set up and looking at a sprawling map of Equestria.

“The President has given authorization to the US Navy to bring the Ticonderoga and its task force to neutral waters off Manehattan.” Nomad reported. “We’re sending an official diplomatic ultimatum to them as we speak.”

“And these are the terms of that ultimatum?” Cadance asked, looking over a copy of the message in question, which was emblazoned with the seal of the Presidency, the flag of the USA, and the combined logos of the US Military.

“Yep.” Kozak replied. “Do you think they’ll go for it?”

“We’ll see.” Cyclone shrugged. “From what I’ve seen, king Diomedas and Eqaharion won’t go down without a fight.”

“And if they do…we’ll take that fight straight to them.”

Update!

Next chapter - The Eqaharian forces receive the USA Ultimatum, and King Diomedas must meet with the POTUS.

At the same time, Hector moves to attack the Crystal Empire.

Occupied Manehattan, Around Nine AM
Aboard the Eqaharian Royal Flagship "Subjugator"
====

As the waves rolled against the hulls of the Eqaharian vessels that lay in waiting, the feeling of the crew aboard was permeated with a deep fear, so much that the officers of each ship were sweating.

For aboard the Subjugator, Prince Hector and King Diomedas stood at the prow deck, watching the seas in front of them with a mixture of solemnity, anger, and pride. The King in particular was incensed to the point where the power of his magic was radiating off of him in a physical gray aura.

Prince Hector dared not speak, for he knew why his father was so incensed. During a strategy meeting with his council of generals and governors, a messenger from Manehattan had burst in, bearing with him a sealed gray tube marked with a seal of an eagle bearing arrows and an olive branch.

The message inside was a diplomatic ultimatum from a realm known as the "United States of America", and their President. It laid out the terms for a formal meeting in the waters off Manehattan, to occur in three hours. Diomedas had wanted to incinerate the message, for he saw it as pathetic that any realm's leader would demand this of him in such a way…

...but his generals made him see reason, and now, the two stallions stood side by side, as it was about to turn to the arranged time.

And on the hour exactly, a fleet of seven massive vessels appeared out of the sea mist, bearing a flag of white stars on blue, and stripes of red and white. King Diomedas, normally stalwart and passive, raised an eyebrow at the size of the lead ship, a flat-topped vessel named, according to the text on its side, "USS Ticonderoga".

Some of the others were named "King's Mountain", "Baltimore", "New Orleans", and "Phoenix", but alongside the Ticonderoga were two smaller vessels bristling with what the King presumed was cannon artillery.

These two vessels were slim, but still vast and powerful, and a central control tower was surrounded by smaller rifle nests. On the main bow's front, three quad-barreled gun mounts lay at the ready, and on the rear, an additional set of two three-barreled mounts.

The King did not know that these two ships, the first of their kind to enter service, were Morgan-Class neo-Battleships, or more specifically, the USS Chicago II and USS Arizona II, freshly christened and ready for action.

The neo-Battleship was a recent concept, partially drawn up by a US Navy commission researching how a WWII era battleship such as the USS Missouri could compete in the modern age of naval warfare.

The results had been more optimistic than expected, as the commission found that with advances in modern armaments, power generation, and armor, a battleship could be used to great effect as a carrier escort, weapons platform, or naval base of operations when in situations a regular aircraft carrier could not operate.

Each battleship had nearly three times the firepower of the base reference, the USS Missouri, and featured a pair of helipads, multiple missile pods in addition to the main guns, an aircraft carrier-grade power plant, and carried a crew of 150 to 175.

These two ships were designed, built, tested, and approved for action within about sixteen months, and were now leading the US Naval task force's security element. The whole task force was given the callsign "Hurricane".

And now, this Task Force slowly and surely entered into view, flags waving in the breeze. Prince Hector, at seeing the scale of the vessels before him, gave a rare mutter of shock and surprise.

"Those are certainly impressive," he said to his father. "We must tread carefully. Our opposition has...shown their strength quite quickly."

"I am inclined to agree." Diomedas admitted. "For now...let us bargain with this...United States of America. We shall see what they are made of."

====
Meanwhile, in the Crystal Empire…
====

"Talk about perfect timing." 30K smiled as he and the other Ghosts looked over the load of supplies they had just been sent through the portal. The device's location had been changed from the USS Ticonderoga to a small base on the Massachusetts coastline, as the carrier would be the neutral ground for negotiations with King Diomedas. Security issues had prompted the change, as the risk of the Eqaharians discovering the device was too great.

However, a positive of the change was that the Ghosts now had access to a much needed amount of supplies from Earth. The delivery also included a set of upgrades to some of the Ghosts' weapons. As Aegis Lead, Cyclone, Lead, and Hunter Lead set their old weapons down, Aegis picked up a freshly made Remington ACR from a crate and started setting up attachments such as a Hybrid sight.

"Well, this certainly feels better." Cyclone smiled, exchanging his M4A1 for a TAR-21. "It's about time we got new equipment."

"You can say that again." Kozak nodded, as he worked on recharging the four Cypher UAVs they were using, as their batteries were in need of replacement. "Uncle Sam went all out for this one."

"There's a reason for that being the case here." Hunter Lead replied, looking over his HK417 for any sign of damage. "The President is meeting the King of Eqaharia and Prince Hector aboard the Ticonderoga as we speak. Hopefully we can negotiate a peaceful settlement to end this."

"And if we don't? Or can't?" Fury asked, in between bites from a granola bar.

"Then we go to war." Nomad replied simply. "The President's ultimatum made that perfectly clear. And if the Eqaharians make any bad moves...they've got an entire aircraft carrier to fight through before they escape."

"We still have Prince Ajax." Holt said. "Can't we use him?"

"That's not how we do things, Holt." Cyclone said. "Not anymore. That being said, we did bring a full naval Task Force into hostile waters, and then demanded a meeting. Not exactly a way to start a diplomatic process. Plus, if things do go down south..."

"If that happens, it's nothing the Navy can't handle." Vasily replied.

"Plus, don't they have those modern neo-battleships with the Task Force?" Fixit added. "I'd read a few reports about them. I've heard those two ships carry more combined firepower than all of the old Iowa-class battleships back in the day. If the Eqaharians go up against that, they're gonna get blown sky-high, and they're not going to come down."

"Hopefully, we won't have to resort to that option." Nomad nodded. "Because if we do go full-scale...things here are going to heat up fast here in the Crystal Empire. You have to remember, this was the last place on King Diomedas's checklist. If negotiations go south, we'd best be ready."

"Agreed." Sparrow nodded, as he cleaned his Cross-Com-equipped sunglasses. "I have a feeling we'll need all the firepower we can get real soon."

And despite the fact that it was sunny, with no wind, the Ghosts shivered in anticipation. Their next move depended on the outcome of the negotiations happening right in that moment in Manehattan...because a single false move could bring full-scale war.

I know it's shorter than usual, but I needed to get this out, mostly to satisfy myself of my progress. I hope to have longer chapters as the norm in the near future.

Anyway, in the next chapter, we take a different perspective. Alongside the negotiations between King Diomedas and US President Thomas Andrews, we will also see how Bianca and Twilight are doing in the meantime...

So, stay tuned. More will come soon.

As the Subjugator pulled alongside a boarding ramp deployed from the side of the USS Ticonderoga, King Diomedas and Prince Hector stood passively as the chosen representatives of the United States came into view. Each side was protected by two columns of soldiers carrying strange objects in their hands, and Diomedas reasoned these were the weapons that were capable of shattering his warriors' obsidian armor.

As the soldiers stood at ease, a man wearing a green, tan, and gray officer's uniform approached, a smaller weapon clearly visible at his waistline. The nametag on his chest read "GRIFFIN", and was accompanied by an officer's insignia.

"Which one of you is King Diomedas?" he asked in a dry, rough voice.

"I am." the King replied. "This would be my eldest son, Prince Hector. And you are?"

"I'm a Lt. Colonel in the United States Army, and that's all you're getting for now." the man replied. "I've been ordered by the President of the United States to escort you to the meeting area."

"Very well." Diomedas replied. "Hector, my warriors, stay here. I do not require protection."

Hector raised an eyebrow, along with many of the Eqaharian soldiers present, but they did as their King commanded. As Diomedas entered the Ticonderoga, followed by the officer, the route they took was short and empty of any other humans. A few subtle noises could be heard, such as the grinding of metal and the lapping of the waves against the hull, but for the most part, it was quiet.

"I expected this ship of this size to have a more substantial crew." Diomedas observed.

"You're mistaken." the officer replied. "This carrier houses a standard crew of about six thousand, give or take. They're on other decks at the moment or on security detail at a different position on the ship."

Diomedas huffed quietly, and as the officer opened the door to a large conference room, a human wearing a suit sat at the front of the table. He was tall, with graying brown hair and a thin beard. His eyes were a piercing green, and they were focused directly at the King in that moment.

"You are the President, I presume?" Diomedas asked.

"Correct. Adam Daniels, President of the United States of America." the human replied. "I'm glad you decided to attend this meeting. Some of my advisors believed you wouldn't respond to the ultimatum."

"My generals persuaded me to come." Diomedas replied. "Shall we discuss terms?"

"Not yet. First of all, I want to know why your nation invaded Equestria." President Daniels asked. "To sate my curiosity."

"Very well." Diomedas replied. "Ages ago, Eqaharia was once the home of all ponies, but after a series of famines and harsh weather, a consensus was decided amongst the three tribes that they would seek a new land for themselves."

"However, there was a moderately sized group among this consensus that did not wish to abandon their homes, and what little they currently possessed. This group founded the first of the Eqaharian city-states, split among pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies."

"When food began to grow again, many years later, the city-states began to expand. However, the harsh winters that killed many of my people's ancestors remained. Our lives began to grow hard, and we envied those who had left to found Equestria."

"Long had we wanted to join our nations again, but the two alicorns who ruled Equestria denied the city-states, saying we had made our choice years ago, and they had made theirs. Ever since, they paid us no heed, even when we were in need of aid."

"Recently, when it became known that the two alicorns had become four, and Equestria was more prosperous than ever, the city-states of Eqaharia elected me as their first King. All I desired was the same prosperity for my own land that the other realms enjoyed. So I went forth and did exactly what my ancestors planned years ago, and formed a peaceful union."

President Daniels was silent for a few moments, before he spoke.

"I don't believe you're being honest with me."

"What do you mean?" Diomedas asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Shortly after your invasion," the President said with barely contained harshness. "We received a distress signal from Equestria. That signal spoke a vastly different story than the one you told me just now. Would you care to see it for yourself?"

The President pulled open a tablet computer, powered it on, and pressed "Play". Then, flashing across the screen, were images of the invasion as it happened. From the first, thoroughly one-sided and brutal battles, to the fall of the burning city of Canterlot. Equestrians placed in chains, Princess Twilight Sparkle made to kneel in front of Prince Hector, and other images that amounted in the President's eyes to war crimes.

King Diomedas was silent as the President placed the tablet computer to the side.

"Watching that for the first time nearly made me sick." the President said. "You call that a peaceful union? That was a goddamned massacre."

"There were those who resisted the union." the King replied. "They were dealt with appropriately."

"And by that, you mean they were executed publicly." the President scowled. "Now, I'm going to drop the pleasantries and tell you straight that the United States will not tolerate your rule over Equestria any further. And now I'm going to give you our terms, as per our ultimatum. They are non-negotiable in all forms and conditions."

The President slid a two-page document across the table towards King Diomedas. The King swept the papers to the floor and snarled in fury. His magic blasting the other chairs on the sides of the table to the ground.

"You dare take what destiny has ordained away from me? From my people? My homeland?" he growled. "And seeing as you have made your stance clear, I shall do so for mine!"

"If you intend to take Equestria away from us, we shall hold onto it until the bitter end, until our hooves turn white and bleed! Your soldiers' blood shall fall like rain for every insignificant inch of ground you must take!"

"If you want war, President Daniels, you shall gladly receive it!"

"Then I take it our negotiations are over. Your vessel will not be engaged as you leave. However should you attack, we will respond with due force." the President said calmly as he stood up and moved towards a nearby door, and banged on it twice. Before the King could lunge, his horn already ablaze with magical power, two men charged into the room and escorted the President out, with two others holding their weapons ready and aimed at the King.

Diomedas scoffed and teleported himself to safety before the Secret Service agents could open fire. As alarms began to blare, and the Ticonderoga's PA began to sound the call of "All crew, man your battle stations, this is not a drill!", the King reappeared aboard the bridge of his flagship, which quickly made a swift retreat towards Manehattan.

"Father..." Hector asked as they tore through the waves.

"This United States of America has made an enemy of Eqaharia." the King growled. "Send word to our forces at the border of the Crystal Empire to attack immediately and fight with no mercy. We have claimed our destiny, and now we must keep it from those who would steal it from us!"

"Yes, father!" Hector nodded. The King watched as the American vessels moved to a safe distance, and Diomedas scoffed as he realized the President held true to his words that they would not be attacked as they departed.

"A foolish mistake." King Diomedas thought to himself as they approached the harbor. "Though my gift of sight has forsaken me, I know my conviction will not. I will have what I am destined to receive, and nothing will stop me!"

However, no one aboard the Subjugator realized that they were being followed by a small UAV, who was broadcasting the King's words to the Ticonderoga, which was then relayed to a receiver far to the north...

====
The Crystal Empire, Ghosts' Barracks
====

"I take it things went south?" Aegis Lead asked as the Ghosts, Prince Shining Armor, and the Crystal Sabres gathered in a situation room.

"That doesn't begin to cover it." Nomad asked. "The negotiations failed. The Eqaharians are now at war with the United States, and they're going to launch an attack here shortly. Even though we're still waiting on inbound close air support from the Task Force, this is our one chance to repel the enemy and get them on their heels, right off the bat."

"As such, Ghosts, we're heading to the front lines," he continued. "When the Eqaharians attack, we'll be sneaking behind their lines to eliminate their commander, while the Empire's forces hold their attention."

"Get kitted up, everyone." Nomad finished. "Today, we're going to war."

UPDATE!

Next time - The Battle of the Crystal Empire begins...

"Damn, it's cold out here. What's the temperature, anyway?"

"42 degrees, give or take, 30K." Kozak replied to his teammate, looking up from his MRT. "Besides, it's not that much colder then when were in Siberia, securing oil-drilling ships for the Russian Resistance. Remember that operation?"

"Do I ever." 30K grumbled.

"Cut the chatter and rally up." Hunter Lead said. "Cyclone, check in."

"We're here." said Cyclone Lead. "Ready to go."

As the two Ghost Teams emerged from a hidden tunnel beneath the surface of the tundra, Kozak went through the mission parameters in his head one last time. The Eqaharians had amassed a large force south of the Crystal Empire, equipped with heavy siege weapons, after word of the failed negotiations reached those forces. While the Crystal Empire was still waiting for American air support to arrive, which consisted of an AC-130 gunship and fighter escort, the four Ghost units would have to split up for now.

As Kingslayer and Aegis teams stayed back to help defend the line and direct close-air-support, Hunter and Cyclone teams would flank the opposing army, infiltrate their camp, destroy or disable as many of their siege engines as possible, and capture their kill their commander.

The Ghosts had done similar missions before, such as Operation Valiant Hammer, where they rescued General Douka's forces from Raven's Rock, but this mission held significantly more risk.

Because if the Eqaharians reached the Crystal Empire before the two away teams could accomplish their mission, the Empire would be forced to unleash a massive, sub-zero temperature blizzard as a last resort, to flash-freeze anyone outside their defensive shield.

And that included the Ghosts if they didn't either accomplish their mission, or should the target commander escape, get past the shield before the blizzard would reach full strength.

At most, the Ghosts had two hours to finish this mission and return safely to the Empire.

"No pressure, gentlemen." Griffin had said once the two away teams had deployed aboard a helicopter about an hour ago.

"Alright Ghosts, we're on the clock here in t-minus three, two, one...now." Hunter Lead ordered as the Ghosts set their clocks. "We all know our orders, so let's get to it."

"Understood, sir." the other Ghosts replied. As the Ghosts headed out for the ridge that lay above the Eqaharian's siege camp, Pepper took aim with his M110, surveying the camp's four guard towers and four entry checkpoints.

"It's not going to be easy getting in." Pepper noted. "Any alert going out will signal them to start the attack on the Crystal Empire. We can't be seen or heard here."

"And we can't drop any hostiles either." Fury added. "In a camp that size, any bodies we drop are going to be found pretty quickly. What's the plan, Hunter Lead?"

Hunter Lead was silent for a few moments, before he spoke up that he had an idea.

"What might that be?" Cyclone Lead asked.

"That siege engine there's our way in." Hunter Lead motioned to a very large, wheeled object equipped with a mounted repeating crossbow that was being assembled outside the camp. It was made from wood and metal plates, and had two entry doors on the left and right. Through his scope, Pepper could see it was being connected to a troop transport wagon.

"That probably has room for all eight of us." Fixit noted. "We probably can't be detected if we're inside that thing."

"Plus, it's their own tech." Kozak noted. "It won't seem out of place once we get into the camp."

"Then let's move." Hunter Lead said. "Double time it."

====

The two soldiers guarding the dig site were occupied by playing a board game of some kind that resembled mancala, and the engineer working on the connector between the battlewagon and the transport cart was focused on his work.

So focused, that he didn't hear the muffled groans of pain from the pair of guards, who had been sync-shotted by Cyclone Lead and Hunter Lead. Kozak quickly grabbed and secured the engineer with zip-ties as the other Ghosts boarded the battlewagon.

"You can understand what I'm saying, right?" Kozak whispered. The engineer nodded back quickly.

"You're going to get us inside, and take this thing to whoever your commander is. If you try to give us away, we'll shoot you and do it ourselves. Got it?"

The Guard nodded frantically in response. Kozak shepherded the engineer inside, and one he was secure, the Ghosts soon found this siege engine was powered by a railway lever cart's pull-bar, and both Fixit and Kozak stepped up to work it, and Hunter lead took hold of the steering bar.

"Let's go." Hunter Lead said as the Ghosts brought the battlewagon into the camp. Through the viewports, the Ghosts could see soldiers stockpiling melee weapons, racks of bows, and quivers full of arrows.

Also visible were racks of their obsidian armor, and a prisoner stockade lined with chains and pillories. Fury growled in displeasure, remembering the brothel where they rescued Fluttershy had similar instruments in its dungeon.

"Quiet, Fury." Cyclone Lead said. "We're here to make sure that no one else has to go through that. Focus up."

"Yes, sir." Fury replied, settling back into her seat. As the engine approached the command campsite, they were stopped by two Guards in armor.

"You're up." Cyclone spoke to their prisoner, who quickly informed the Guards that the siege engine was ready for a personal inspection by "General Madras", and the Guards allowed them to pass.

"General Madras, huh?" 30K said. "Is that who's in charge here?"

The engineer quietly said yes, after being prodded by the stock of Hunter Lead's HK417.

"What's he look like?" Fury asked. The engineer replied that the Generals all wore a command sash of gold and red, and their armor was painted with similarly colored stripes.

"Thanks for that." Fury said, knocking him out and gagging him with the engineer's own sweat towel. "Get ready", she added as they came to a stop. "Looks like their inspection team is here."

As four soldiers looked over the wagon, a stallion wearing the armor described by the engineer came out and began to speak with one of the soldiers, demanding to know why the wagon wasn't with the other siege engines at the front of the camp.

"Cover's about to be blown." Vasily said. "Should we set up sync shots?"

"Negative." Cyclone replied. "Keep it quiet. We've got one chance at this, so let's make sure it's all we need."

The Guards responded that they didn't know, and that the driver told them that it needed to be inspected by the General himself. The General scoffed and began to look it over from the left, and as he approached the right side entrance door, the Ghosts already had their weapons ready.

There were five suppressed gunshots, and all five hostiles fell dead. The Ghosts dragged the bodies inside the wagon, and then radioed Griffin to report that General Madras was KIA.

"Good work." Mitchell replied. "Now see what you can do about the remaining siege engines before getting out. You don't have much time."

"Check." Hunter Lead said. As they moved towards the exit for the command camp, and then towards the siege engines' staging area, Cyclone Lead began prepping the Ghosts' parting gift for the Eqaharains.

A remote-detonation capable package of thermite. As they stopped next to an array of siege engines like the one they currently occupied, Cyclone quickly opened the door to the adjacent wagon, tossed the thermite in, and set the charge.

"Let's book it." he said simply. As the Ghosts moved out on foot, cloaking themselves for good measure, they soon reached their exfil point, a clearing above the ridge, invisible to the Eqaharian camp.

A Blackhawk soon landed, and as the Ghosts boarded, Cyclone Lead readied the detonator for thermite charge.

====

The Eqaharians were in quite a panic as the Ghosts safely reached the Empire. Upon realizing their General was nowhere to be found, they began searching the entire camp, every inch of it, for him or his guards. The General was the only one that knew their unit's direction of attack for the assault on the Empire, and not finding him would be catastrophic.

After all, the other two units in the assault were relying on their siege engines to break the line and clear a path for the infantry to take the Crystal Empire.

As they checked the interiors of all the siege engines, two soldiers found the General's body, along with the bodies of his personal guard. But before they could raise the alarm or even scream…the thermite charge detonated.

The resulting fire began to spread very quickly, consuming the wooden frames of the other siege engines. As the alarm went out and the soldiers began attempting to combat the flames, it was soon realized they were too late.

The siege engines, once thought to be the key for an Eqaharian victory, were reduced to smoldering timbers, still-burning ash, and burnt metal. Not only that, the fire had begun to spread to other sections of the camp. Including the medical tent, the armory, and the command center.

It took quite some time to extinguish the flames with magic, and the remaining soldiers looked on in despair. Then, the messengers sent to alert the General to begin his assault arrived...and promptly turned and ran back to wherever they had come from.

Later, Prince Hector would look upon the remains in fury and shame, as he realized that he had failed his father for the first time. The siege engines were lost, along with the materials to rebuild them.

Their weapons, medical supplies, and their command center were scorched beyond any use.

It was a near-total loss. The Prince, in his rage, decimated the remaining soldiers, executing one out of every ten soldiers that remained alive, and shamefully gave the order for the two remaining units to retreat to safe territory.

For all their preparation and hopes to conquer the last Equestrian holdout had been lost in the fire. As the Eqaharians returned to Canterlot in defeat and disgrace, Hector's heart seethed with fury, a wish for revenge, and above all, fear.

Fear for what his father would do to him as a result of his failure to take the Crystal Empire.

====

As the Crystal Empire celebrated into the night, the Ghosts conferred with Lt. Colonel Mitchell and Prince Shining Armor.

"Good work, gentlemen." Mitchell said. "We've gotten the upper hand, but there's still more to do. We have two of the Elements of Harmony still to recover from the enemy in Manehattan, Princess Twilight is still a prisoner in Canterlot, and King Diomedas, along with Prince Hector, still hold power."

"But we've finally been able to declare the Crystal Empire secure from further attacks. There have been mass breakouts in multiple hostile prison camps, the Eqaharian army is spread thin, and we've got a solid advantage in this fight."

"Enjoy this party while you can, because tomorrow, we hit Manehattan and secure the Elements of Laughter and Generosity. We leave at dawn, so don't stay up late. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" the Ghosts replied.

Update!

AND THE END OF PART ONE OF THIS STORY, WITH TWO MORE PARTS TO COME.

And just so you are all aware, the AC-130 will come with the attack on Manehattan, which will be urban combat at its finest and most brutal. The Eqaharians rely on the city for naval purposes and population control...and they won't give it up so easily.

Next time - The Liberation of Manehattan, Part One.

Occupied City of Manehattan, near the harbor
Equestrian Resistance Shelter 7
====

It was nighttime in Manehattan, the stars were out in full view, and many ponies would have been eager for an evening on the town on a night like this. However, the constant threat of Eqaharian patrols snatching Equestrians off the street for random interrogation-and-release, their block-by-block checkpoints, or their heavily enforced curfew of sundown made sure that nopony form Equestria dared challenge their rule on land.

The harbor was an option, a tempting way to escape from the city itself, but after two small boats carrying resistance fighters and supplies slipped in and out without challenge, the Eqaharian sea guard was tasked with destroying any unknown boat that did not fly their flag or was registered with their list of collaborators and their assets.

That list, that Celestia-damned list in the eyes of many Equestrians, was a double-edged blade for anyone who signed it. By putting their name on the list at any Eqaharian checkpoint or base camp, you would receive some extra supplies, a medallion signifying you as a non-hostile collaborator, and thus would earn the ability to freely roam through Manehattan.

Should you sign, however, the collaborator would have to spy on their friends and family without discretion, respect Eqaharia's rules and laws, and above all, take an oath to serve King Diomedas above Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and all the sovereigns of Equestria.

That final statement branded those who signed as traitors to their homeland, which cost plenty of Equestrians their friends, family, business, and even sometimes, their safety. Since the occupation of the city began, seven collaborators had been assaulted in the open by Equestrian resistance fighters, without mercy. It seemed that every time this happened, the attacker or even attackers would vanish into the crowd as soon as Eqaharian guards appeared in sight.

This resistance movement was the perpetual thorn in the side of the Eqaharian General in charge of the City, Azheran. It was led by former Royal Guards from both the Solar and Lunar divisions, and their network of shelters, depots for supplies and weapons, and even three underground medical clinics was, simply put, impenetrable by outsiders or spies.

This was because anypony who signed the list was immediately marked by the Resistance as a threat, and should anypony close to them need aid, they would have to take a test of loyalty to Equestria in order to receive help. Resistance fighters broke out imprisoned Equestrians through forged release documents or brute force, Eqaharian supply camps were raided almost daily, and above all..no Eqaharian could truthfully claim to have a lead on their main camp, the whispered-about and fabled Shelter 1.

Shelter 1, and its six companion shelters, made use of the city's subterranean walkways, first used to relieve foot traffic, but were now all supposedly sealed by the Eqaharians. Through clever usage of magic, specialized ward spells would allow resistance fighters and those they trusted in…and those suspected of harmful goals out. Each ward was watched by a gatekeeper, whose job was to watch for new arrivals and determine if entrance would be allowed.

The first step for the new arrival was to give a password that changed every three days, and each time it changed, resistance fighters gave the new password to those they trusted, and those trusted spread it to one pony at a time. This way, should the password be revealed, they could determine who had been the cause of the breach in the first place

The second step was to show their hoof, which if trustworthy had a special mark printed on it in ink that disappeared, again, every three days.

The final step was a question of some facet from Equestrian history, such as "What is the name of the fall races in the countryside?" or "What are the Elements of Harmony...in alphabetical order?". If the visitor answered correctly all three times, they would be allowed in.

Those that failed any of the questions were turned away, and while their back was to the gate…they would be knocked out and left at the nearest Eqaharian camp, with a note that simply read "Traitor".

Due to this system's versatility and success, the resistance had managed to snag thirteen infiltrators so far, and had left them all blackened and bruised by an Eqaharian camp, with the word "traitor" inscribed on a note left with them.

Now, as the lights flickered three times in Shelter 1, signaling it was time to wind down for the night, the last two Elements of Harmony speak to each other in their shared dormitory…

====

"Rarity…do you ever think that we'll win?" Pinkie Pie asked, jostling inside her sleeping bag to get to a more comfortable position.

"I hope we do, but that seems to be a distant fantasy to me currently." Rarity replied from next to her. "I do worry more about Sweetie Belle back in Ponyville. I haven't heard from her in a while."

"Same for the Cakes." Pinkie nodded. "Their last letter said they were heading to the Crystal Empire, but that was two months ago. Hard to believe it's been that long."

"I agree." Rarity turned towards the side, where a mother and her filly were receiving some medical attention from a resistance medic, as the filly had a large bruise on her side, most likely from being shoved out of the way by an Eqaharian soldier. "It's so sad what has happened to this city, and to Equestria."

"But we survived." Pinkie replied, placing a hoof on Rarity's shoulder in a supportive manner. "We're safe here, we've got food and water, companions, and a safe place to sleep. There's not that much I could ask for."

"I suppose I could ask for an extra blanket." Rarity sighed despondently. "Why must the Resistance fighters shut off the dormitory heaters every night? It gets so cold here."

"Better to be safe and cold than a prisoner in a warm cell block." Pinkie cautioned the Element of Generosity. "Rarity, let's get to sleep. We'll make it through each day, one at a time, as we all have. Who knows, the war might end soon and things will all go back to normal. Or as close to normal as we can get. So don't worry too much, alright?"

"Alright. Well then, good night, Pinkie."

"Good night, Rarity."

As they settled into their bunk, their thin blankets providing a sense of protection rather than warmth, nopony in any of the Resistance shelters knew that the next day would bring far more than extra blankets or supplies.

Because off the coast of Equestria, the US Navy's Task Force Hurricane sailed for Manehattan harbor, the crews of every vessel at their action stations. The Task Force had received confirmation only hours earlier that Congress had approved a resolution that allowed the US military to fully intervene against Eqaharia, in a manner similar to the Vietnam war's Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, only for the modern day and in modern terms.

Aboard the USS Ticonderoga, which was leading the Task Force alongside the Arizona and Chicago II, the four Ghost teams were standing by alongside their air support for the invasion of Manehattan.

The operation was given the designation "Corsair Blade", and the plan was as follows. US Marines would make an amphibious landing in the harbor, alongside a unit from the 8th Armored. They would fan out street by street and secure the city, eliminating any resistance as they went.

USAF F-22s would provide close-air support if necessary, and an AC-130 gunship, callsign "Helios", was to be in the skies if necessary. Using the main operation as a cover, the four Ghost teams would, after rescuing both Rarity and Pinkie Pie from Shelter 1, attack the Eqaharian's main command center and eliminate their General in charge. All the while, word had been given for the Resistance to hamper the Eqaharian's response in any way possible.

If Task Force Hurricane could pull this off successfully, the Eqaharians' main port of entry for supplies and reinforcements would be sealed off, their naval fleet would be decimated, and most importantly, Canterlot would be open for an operation to rescue Princess Twilight Sparkle, the final Element of Harmony.

As the hours passed, the night sky slowly turned from deep black to darkest blue, and from the Ticonderoga, a set of four Stealth Blackhawks took to the sky, bearing the four Ghost Recon teams that heralded Manehattan's impending liberation.

UPDATE!

In the next chapter, expect plenty of urban warfare and a beach assault akin to the "Goalpost" mission opening from Call of Duty - Modern Warfare 3. There will be assault Hovercraft, plenty of gunships and tanks, and above all, an AC-130.

After that, a Bianca/Twilight interlude, and then, the planning for Operation: Thronebreaker, the name for the final assault on Canterlot and the rescue of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Get excited, because it's all coming very soon.

Manehattan Harbor, 32 minutes before dawn
Aboard USAF Stealth Blackhawk “Helix 1-3”
====

“Lock and load, Ghosts. We hit the ground in 3 minutes!” Cyclone Lead called out to Fixit, Vasily, and Fury, who nodded and began assessing their weapons and equipment. Outside, the sun was slowly rising, leaving the once deep blue sky into a paler shade of pink. Cyclone looked out the window for a few moments, taking in the pristine Manehattan cityscape. He knew it would not be so picture-perfect for long.

Operation Corsair Blade would launch as soon as the Ghosts hit the ground running, and Cyclone knew this would not be as easy as their previous operations. The Eqaharians here were well-fortified, they had time to familiarize themselves with the streets, and there was no clue what defenses they had prepared.

To remedy this, The 8th Armored, along with a full detachment of M1A3 Abrams tanks, several Strykers, MRAPs, and Humvees with mounted weapons were standing by to deploy on assault hovercraft once the attack commenced.

The only problem was the Eqaharian fleet. In anticipation of the attack, intercepted orders from King Diomedas that were procured by the resistance, alerted Task Force Hurricane that the harbor entrances had been blockaded with Eqaharian warships.

Thankfully, there was no indication they had deployed sea mines or anything similar, and even if the Task Force had to deploy on rough waters, the hovercrafts would make it to the beach all the same.

All this counted on the Ghosts sending the signal to attack once they reached Shelter 7, where Rarity and Pinkie were waiting.

Cyclone sighed, picked up his TAR-21, and loaded a fresh magazine as the Blackhawks began to hover over what was once a boardwalk amusement park. The doors were opened, fast-ropes were deployed, and in no time at all, Hunter, Kingslayer, Cyclone, and Aegis teams were on the ground and moving.

“Helix 1-1, this is Nomad, we’ll take it from here.” Nomad said over the radio. “Clear to RTB.”

“Confirmed, we’re heading home.” the lead Blackhawk replied. “Good luck, Ghosts.”

As the Blackhawks slipped out into the dawnlit skies, Nomad checked his Cross-com for the location of Shelter 7, and was soon pointed in the right direction.

“On me, Ghosts. Keep your asses cloaked. Don’t be seen, don’t be heard, and don’t drop any hostiles till we send the signal.” He ordered, and the three other Ghost Leads nodded or spoke in the affirmative. As the Ghosts proceeded out of the boardwalk and into the streets, Aegis Lead could see stretch after stretch of boarded up or looted homes and businesses.

“Those Eqaharians strip-mined this whole damn city.” He growled. “This doesn’t look good at all.”

“It doesn’t, not in the least.” Cyclone replied. “Focus up, Aegis. We’ll make it count for ‘em.”

Aegis Lead nodded, and as they approached an Eqaharian checkpoint, the Ghosts stopped to survey the area. The checkpoint was essentially a gated, militarized, roadblock, with two entry and two exit lanes. A tower for presumably archers or snipers lay in the center, and a cage for prisoners lay behind the gate. The obsidian walls were seared onto the buildings on each side, preventing anyone from sneaking around them.

“What’s the play?” Weaver asked. “We’re not going through, that’s for sure.”

“Then we go over.” Nomad replied. “Teams, set up to boost each other.”

Nomad, Cyclone, Hunter, and Aegis Lead each took a steady crouch, backs to the wall, and each other Ghost buddy-jumped over before helping their team leader up themselves.

“Good work.” Nomad nodded. “Looks like that’s our rally point. The shelter 7 entrance is down those steps. Move quick and quiet.”

The Ghosts did just that, and as they approached the shelter, they were greeted by the Equestrian gatekeeper, who let them in with a nod of respect and a salute, and closed the door behind them.

“Where’s Rarity and Pinkie Pie?” Nomad asked the gatekeeper.

“Both should still be in the dorms. Civilians don’t get up for about another half hour.” The gatekeeper replied. “Are you the only ones they sent?”

“Not in the slightest.” Hunter Lead replied. “Let’s go.”

After the gatekeeper showed them into the shelter, the civilians inside were milling about, performing some of their daily tasks. At the sight of the Ghosts, they stopped and watched quietly, astounded at the new arrivals.

“We’re here for Rarity and Pinkie Pie.” Aegis Lead said. “Are they around?”

“We’re right here.” The Elements of Generosity and Laughter approached, relief clear on their faces. “I assume we’re leaving?”

“Not just yet.” Cyclone replied, before speaking into his radio. “Hurricane Actual, this is Cyclone Lead. We have secured the HVIs, I repeat, Generosity and Laughter are secure. Send them in, we’ve got Blue Skies.”

“Confirmed.” Griffin responded. “Cavalry’s readying up, and we’re starting our approach into the harbor. Extraction bird is one the way to your position.”

“Check. We’re moving to the extraction point now.” Cyclone replied. “Rarity, Pinkie, do you have everything you need? You’ll be leaving shortly.”

Both Equestrians nodded in the affirmative, and as they promptly retrieved their saddlebags, the Ghosts escorted them out of the shelter and onto street level. It didn’t take long for the Blackhawk to appear, and Rook and Sparrow rappelled both ponies up and on board, before returning to the ground.

Once both Equestrians were strapped in, secured, and ready, the Blackhawk departed for the rapidly approaching ships of Task Force Hurricane.

“Begin the second set of objectives.” Nomad ordered. “Let’s find their command area, and light it up. If we can capture or kill General Azheran, that’s even better.”

“Then let’s get moving.” Kozak said as the Ghosts began heading for the plaza in the city’s center area, cloaking up to conceal their forms in the early morning sunlight. “We’d better not keep the General waiting.”

“Just what I was thinking.” Nomad smiled slightly, reading his custom-made Koblin assault rifle. “Time to go to work.” He added as an afterthought. In the distance, the US Navy began their final approach to the harbor.

====

"So, are we taking bets on what nasty surprise the Eqaharians are gonna have in store for us?" 30K ventured

"Not now, 30." Hunter Lead replied quietly as they entered the open plaza, which was packed with Eqaharian fortifications made from wood and obsidian. "This place looks like a base of ops. We should search around, see if we can find some intel."

"Good thinking." Nomad nodded. Before the Ghosts could split up to do so, the sound of heavy, armor-clad footsteps could be heard approaching them. The Ghosts immediately took cover and put their sights towards a nearby street, where several Eqaharian soldiers could be seen approaching them.

However, it wasn't the soldiers that made the Ghosts pause, rather, it was the absolute behemoth of an Eqaharian that stood in the middle. He was covered in head-to-toe obsidian armor that glowed with a strange white light, and was armed with a mace and tower shield.

"What the hell is that?" Kozak murmured.

"Something new, and big, that's for sure." Sparrow replied. The monster slammed his mace down, silencing any further words from the Ghosts.

"Humans!" the warrior proclaimed. "I am a High Guard of King Diomedas. You shall surrender, or have your skulls be crushed beneath me! What is your choice, wretches?"

The Ghosts answered with several shots from their weapons. The bullets struck hard and true, and the High Guard took a few steps back from the impact, but was otherwise unscathed.

"So be it!" the Giant roared as he charged into the fray of bullets sent towards him, as the naval bombardment of the city's Eqaharian's defenses began in the distance…

Yeah...I must apologize for not writing any updates in a while. Writer's block is a bitch, and life is even more so.

But now I'm back.

Next time - The Ghosts and their accompanying armored units must push through a storm of fire to reach the Eqaharian command center.

"How are we supposed to kill this guy?" 30K swore loudly, ducking behind cover to avoid a blast of magic from the Eqaharian High Guard they were facing. It had only been a few minutes since they had first been engaged, but the Ghosts knew every moment they wasted kept them further from completing their objective.

The behemoth's armor had currently taken multiple mags of ammo and three frag grenades directly, and had remained mostly intact. More pieces of the plating were being chipped off with each round, but so far, they weren't making much headway against their enemy.

"Pick your shots, make 'em count!" Nomad replied, reloading his Koblin assault rifle before firing several shots at the High Guard's head. Apart from chipping away more of his armor, their enemy was unharmed.

"You will never best me!" the High Guard proclaimed arrogantly. "Now lie down and die!"

Nomad growled as he returned to a kneeling position behind cover, but then, he remembered something Spike had mentioned earlier. It came back to him that the Equestrians had aimed for the Eqaharians' knees and joints during the initial invasion, as they were the most vulnerable parts of their armor.

"Aim for his knees and neck!" Nomad called. "Those are his weak points!"

Aegis, Hunter, and Cyclone looked at him in astonishment, then, they nodded and gave the order to focus fire. This time, their bullets did more than chip away the armor, as the rounds tore through the obsidian weave. As the High Guard staggered and fell, Nomad advanced forward, working from cover to cover towards his incapacitated enemy.

"You'll never kill us all, the King will end you one day!" he coughed, rasping heavily. Nomad smirked as he gave his reply.

"That day won't be coming anytime soon."

The High Guard chuckled and closed his eyes, and Nomad put three shots into his head. As he waved his team forward, a gravelly voice spoke over the Cross-com radio.

"Nomad, this is Griffin, do you copy?"

"Affirmative." Nomad replied as the Ghosts resumed their trek to the city center. "Any updates on the enemy commander's location?"

"Several. We've confirmed via thermal surveillance that there's a large hostile force near a municipal building in the downtown district. Problem is, the Eqaharians have the only clear road to it sealed up tighter than a coffin."

"Do you need us to clear the way?" Aegis Lead asked.

"Negative." Mitchell replied. "We've got a fully armed A-130, callsign Helios 1-1, en route to clear the way. The Marines and 8th Armored can handle breaking through the enemy lines, your mission is to take out the enemy leadership."

"So what's our heading?" Fixit piped up.

"Drone surveillance coupled with civilian intel reports there's a drainage trench of some kind that leads directly behind the presumed enemy command center. It's accessible from a nearby subway station. We're pushing its location to you now. Get into that trench, break into the enemy HQ, and do what we came here for. Understood?"

"Roger that." Nomad said. "We'll handle it."

"Good to hear. Griffin out."

As the Ghosts each received a nav-marker on their Cross-coms indicating their target route, all sixteen of them knew it was time to pick up the pace. As they knew that stealth was no longer an option, they disengaged their active camo for the moment.

"So, who wants to guess what the enemy commander's up to right now?" 30K wondered out loud.

"If I had to guess, 30, he's probably directing his troops from the rear, but you never know." Cyclone Lead replied.

"He's probably in a bunker or something, pissing himself." Holt chuckled. 'What do you think, boss?"

"I think we need to focus up. We don't know what we're walking into in terms of enemy resistance.' Nomad said in a sharp tone. "Ready up. We're not thta far from the trench."

====
Manehattan Municipal Building, Top floor office
Eqaharian Field headquarters for General Azheran.
====

As the gunfire in the distance rumbled like thunder, and the effects of explosives shook the table in front of him slightly, General Azheran nonchalantly picked up a cup of high nectar and took a sip. The battle was progressing exactly how he had wanted it to.

Even though the American's superior weapons, technology, and numbers had caught him off-guard, his forces' dedication was holding the line for now against them. However, even if he was to be captured or killed, at the given command of King Diomedas, there was a backup plan should the city be captured.

The Eqaharians had known that an attack on Manehattan was imminent ever since the failed negotiations between the King and the American "President". As such, the King had ordered several of the drainage dams that kept the seawater out of the city sabotaged.

These drainage dams, four of them in total, had been weakened to the point of collapse, then reinforced solely with Eqaharian magical runes. At Azheran's signal, the soldiers at each dam would detonate the runes, allowing the seawater to rapidly flood outwards and drown out the invaders.

However, Azheran knew that if he were to be killed, this order would not go out, so his own orders were that the command center would be breached at any point, and if he was not heard from in ten minutes from that point…the soldiers were to detonate the runes themselves.

It was a devious strategy, but Azheran had bet the lives of his own soldiers, the civilians that remained, and the invading Americans on this plan, along with the King's faith in his abilities.

Should he fail, Azheran had been warned personally by the King, I would begin to pray that death finds you first, before I do. And I will kill you with my own hooves, slowly and painfully.

Thus, Azheran had stationed his own guard to the front of the line, not knowing that his rear had already been infiltrated, and his plan was already in the process of being dismantled…

====

Nomad had to give the Eqaharian soldiers credit for one thing, they were quick talkers. Especially when caught off guard and without their weapons. The Ghosts had infiltrated the tunnels behind the Eqaharian HQ when they had heard voices coming from a nearby sub-tunnel.

After sending in a Cypher to investigate, they had overheard the five soldiers there discussing their orders, including their plan to flood the city. Nomad warned Mitchell of this new threat, and he had responded that three Marine squads would break off to secure the other sabotaged dams. In the meantime, Mitchell advised, do what you can to obtain additional intel.

Nomad had responded in the affirmative, and ordered the Ghosts to stack up for a breach-and-clear maneuver. After a flashbang detonation and several hectic seconds, the Eqaharian soldiers were on the ground and restrained with zip-ties.

"Tell me what I want to know." Nomad had simply said after this, and the lead soldier eventually cracked after Fury had advanced with a knife drawn and ready.

"Mitchell, we've got the locations of the other three sites, along with General Azheran's location." Nomad had reported. "Pushing the intel to you now."

"Received, we're processing it now." Mitchell replied. "Get to this General Azheran and take him out. Clock's ticking, Ghosts, so don't be late."

"Not a chance, We'll get it done. Nomad out."

As the Ghosts tagged the site with a nav beacon, and headed up a set of stairs to the surface, Nomad tightened his grip on his Koblin assault rifle. All the Ghosts knew that this was the beginning of the end…and one way or another, they were going to see this war through, no matter the cost.

Update!

As the Ghosts steadily walked through the drainage cistern, their weapons swept from angle to angle, checking for more Eqaharian soldiers as they went. Judging form the chatter over the Cross-Com, the US Marines on the bridge were making significant progress.

"It's too quiet here." 30K murmured. "Do you think there's something waiting for us up ahead?"

"Maybe, but don't jinx it, 30." Kozak replied. "Remember the 15 flights of stairs in Moscow?"

"Don't remind me." 30K snapped back.

"Quiet." Nomad said, drawing Kozak and 30K's attention back to the objective at hand. "You keep talking the way you are, we'll walk into an ambush either way. Focus up."

"Yes, sir." the other two Ghosts replied. As they approached the end of the cistern, there was a welcome sight to greet them.

"Ladders. Finally, we must be close to street level." Aegis nodded. "Up we go."

"Two at a time." Nomad added. "We don't know what's up there. so have your weapons ready as soon as you hit the top."

As Nomad and Cyclone lead climbed up the ladders and peeked over, they could see a large atrium, which was occupied by several more Eqaharian soldiers placing what appeared to be large spikes of obsidian on support pillars.

"Contact, looks like we've got a demo team. They're rigging the supports for the tunnel." Cyclone called back to the rest of the Ghosts quietly. "Should we find another way up?"

"Nope." Nomad smirked. "I've got an idea. Kozak, get a drone in there, prepare a sonic blast. The rest of you, get ready to climb. We won't have much time once it goes off, so move quickly."

"Copy that." Kozak nodded, deploying the Cipher as ordered. He guided the drone to a central point inside the group of enemy soldiers, who were absorbed by their tasks, and thus didn't notice the cloaked drone whatsoever.

"Three, two, one…smoke 'em." Nomad ordered, and the Cipher's sonic weapon detonated. When the Eqaharians screamed and began to stumble around helplessly as a result of their eyes and ears being effectively short-circuited, Nomad and Cyclone opened fire as they moved to cover. The remaining Ghosts hightailed it up the ladders, and in no time at all, the room was cleared.

"Griffin, the saboteurs have been neutralized." Nomad reported over the Cross-Com. "We're all clear here."

"Good work." Lt. Colonel Mitchell replied. "The Marines have just disabled the remaining charges. You are clear to move on the enemy commander. We've got intel from resistance fighters that he's hiding out at a hotel not far from your current position. Make your way topside and take him out."

"Understood, we're moving!" Nomad affirmed. As the Ghosts proceeded up a flight of stairs, which bore a sign marked with a rough image of three skyscrapers, it didn't take too much navigation to reach street level and resume their hunt once again.

====

"Alright, Griffin, what hotel are we looking for?" Aegis Lead asked as the Ghosts headed down the street. Apart from the roar of guns and artillery in the distance, the area was all clear.

"It should be straight ahead, on Grid 027-149." Lt. Colonel Mitchell replied. "Be advised, your air cover is diverting to assist the Marines on the main causeway. The Eqaharians are dug in deep with what appear to be large ballistas at strategic points. Our tanks and Strykers are holding their positions until they're cleared out."

"Need us to deal with them?" Aegis Lead queried.

"We'll see. Stick to your objective for now. Griffin out."

As they continued through the empty streets, it seemed to Nomad that the fighting along the causeway had drawn practically all of the Eqaharian forces away from the Ghosts. Which was all good and fine to Nomad, but everything seemed way too quiet for a section of the city that was behind enemy lines.

Nomad switched on his magnetic filter, looking for anything unusual. Seeing nothing that stuck out, he re-centered himself as the target building came into view. As Vasily moved off and swung his Scorpio Sniper Rifle into a ready position, he noticed something interesting on the hotel’s top floor.

“Boss, I think I’ve got the General in my sights.” Vasily called, and Nomad pulled out a pair of field binoculars. “He’s got the same gold markings on his armor that Hunter and Cyclone learned about during their last op.”

“You want the shot?” Nomad smirked, and Vasily took aim, steadied his breath, and fired. The figure staggered, and whether it be fate or just the throes of death taking hold, the target fell over the low hanging balcony rail.

“Damn.” Kozak scoffed. “Helluva way to go out.”

“Check it, see if we got our target.” Nomad ordered, and Aegis Team provided cover as Cyclone Lead took several photos of the body’s face, and uploaded them to the Cross-Com Network.

“Griffin, our target’s down. Can you confirm it on your end?” Cyclone Lead asked. After a few minutes, Lt.Colonel Mitchell’s reply made the Ghosts breathe a sigh of relief.

“Affirmative, we got ‘em.” Griffin replied. “Excellent work, we’re sending a QRF to pick you up. The Marines have cleared the causeway and are pushing into the city. Not to mention that resistance fighters are coming out en masse to reinforce and give us intel. Head on home, Ghosts. That’s one for the books.”

====
Three hours later…
====

As the Ghosts relaxed in the ready room aboard the USS Ticonderoga, the mood was certainly jovial. Kozak had managed to scrounge up two cases of beer, and plenty of snacks from the mess hall. When the Eqaharians realized their General was dead, they turned tail and ran like bats out of hell for the northwest towards Canterlot. In the process, they left behind materials, supplies, and most importantly, a motherlode of intelligence.

General Azheran had been corresponding with King Diomedas on a daily basis, which included Azheran’s orders to reinforce the defenses at Canterlot once Manehattan was successfully defended from the humans.

Now that Manehattan was solidly in Equestrian and American hands, things couldn’t be more different. The resistance and the Marines had been busy rounding up enemy stragglers, taking care of many sick or wounded Equestrians in the shelters, and searching for the remaining collaborators.

Many of the traitorous Equestrians had stayed behind, though some ardent ones had fled beforehand or with the bulk of the enemy’s forces. The ones that remained were currently being confined at an apartment block to await trial by the resistance.

The US command staff had insisted these trials be fair and impartial, and the Resistance had agreed, seeing that many of the collaborators were scared out of their wits, and many had said they only collaborated to get essential supplies, like food, water, and medicine.

For now, across the liberated areas, countless celebrations echoed into the night, as the Equestrians rejoiced at one of their largest cities being reclaimed. There had also been a successful uprising in Cloudsdale, much to Fury’s satisfaction.

“Ladies, Gents.” Mitchell said as he entered the ready room, and the Ghosts turned their attention to their commanding officer. “We’ve got a helluva fight still to go. The Eqaharians are consolidating their forces in Canterlot, and intel suggests that we have five days before we lose the Element of Magic to the enemy.”

“I take it King Diomedas is picking up the pace?” Aegis Lead asked.

“Indeed. An Equestrian source in Canterlot informed us that Prince Hector’s personally overseeing the defenses and planning to marry Princess Twilight during that time period. If that happens, we lose the final Element of Harmony and a key point in our fight. There’s also something else that caused a stir.”

“What might that be?” Cyclone Lead raised an eyebrow. “Good news or bad news?”

“We’re not sure.” Mitchell plucked a can of beer from one of the cases before continuing. “We received a message from an unknown source, asking us to meet them at a forest house southeast of Canterlot, near a waterfall and a large oak tree.”

“That’s really specific.” Nomad mused. “Any idea who sent it?”

“We suspect it’s an Eqaharian defector, but we’re not sure. We’re gonna have to split up again. Nomad, Cyclone, you’ll be heading to Canterlot to link up with a group of resistance fighters that have secured passage into the city. Aegis, you and Hunter Lead will head to this forest house and see what’s going on. Hope for the best, but plan for the worst. Understood?”

“Yes, sir!” The Ghosts replied.

"Good. You deploy at dawn, and it's going to be a very busy day…so be ready for it." Mitchell nodded before heading out. As the Ghosts packed up their food and drink, an air of trepidation settled over them. Tomorrow would be a game-changer, whether it was for their cause…or the enemy's.

UPDATE!

Yeah, this was in the works for a while. Ironically, getting away from my laptop made this easier to write on my phone, as I didn't have so many distractions.

Anyway, the next chapter should be a big one. Get psyched.

"How much farther are we going?" Rook asked with a bit of frustration in his voice, as he mantled over a fallen tree. "I'm starting to think that this whole signal was just a ruse for an ambush."

"You're not wrong there, Rook." Aegis Lead replied. "It's too quiet out here. There's no wildlife, or any signs of life in general. Something does feel off to me, but whatever happens, we can handle it."

"Agreed." Hunter Lead nodded as he pulled out a MRT tablet and powered it up. "I'll see if our recon drone has found anything. There's got to be someone or something out there, because the last time I checked, you can't send a signal like that without physically doing it yourself."

"Makes me wonder if we're being watched…" Sparrow grumbled, but the group pressed onward nonetheless. Then, Aegis Lead held up his closed fist, and the other Ghosts came to an immediate halt.

"Boss?" Domino asked quietly. "What's out there?"

"I'm not sure, but I saw a blue and gold flash at 2 o'clock, not sure of the distance." Aegis Lead replied. "Guns up, we may have company."

As the Ghosts circled up into a defensive stance, the quiet gave way to tension, and every Ghost there was scanning through their vision filters to identify what was going on. However, a faint blue light soon appeared, hidden in the bushes, and it pulsed once. Out of thin air, a magical shield, colored deep blue, covered the encircled Ghosts.

"Shit!" Kozak swore, striking the barrier with the stock of his Goblin PDR. For his effort, he felt a small shock course through him, and he fell to one knee in an instant, as the world began to spin, distorting his senses.

"Kozak!" Hunter Lead called out, quickly making his way to his fellow Ghost, and injecting him with a Stim shot. "You good?"

"I'm fine...at least I hope I'm fine." Kozak breathed in warily as his senses returned to normal, and he stood back up. "Whatever this shield is, it really messed me up there."

"Okay, Ghosts, focus up.." Aegis Lead called before going for his Cross-Com radio.. "Griffin, Aegis Lead. You copy?"

"3 for 5, Aegis, whatcha got?" Mitchell replied. "Tell me you found the source of that signal."

"Negative, sir. We're trapped in some kind of magic, a dome shield." Aegis Lead replied. "Not sure how to get out. Kozak tried to break through, and he was disabled for a short time."

'Copy, we'll reach out to the Equestrians for more info, so just stick to the mission for now and we'll get you some support ASAP." Mitchell replied. "Good luck, Griffin out."

"So we just stand here and wait?" 30K frowned. "What the hell's going on here?"

"Look, we'll make it out of this thing somehow." Aegis Lead replied. "Just keep calm, we'll figure something out…"

Then, Aegis Lead snapped his fingers, causing the others to look at him.

"I take it you got an idea or something like that?" Rook asked.

"Yep." Aegis Lead said, and he set down his ACR and placed his hands up in a non-threatening manner, before he began to call out loudly.

"Whoever's out there, we mean you no harm. We're here in search of a signal that was sent to us a few hours ago. We're just here to speak with whoever contacted us. If you'll let us out of this shield, we can talk this out."

There was silence for a few moments, then the shield went down with a faint flash of blue light. Then, Aegis noticed two invisible figures approaching. What really caught him off guard was that they were Equestrian in shape.

"Ah, our sincerest apologies. We didn't realize who you were." the figure on the left said as their cloaks dissipated, revealing two Equestrians that up until now, hadn't been seen since Eqaharians took Canterlot…Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.

"Princesses." Hunter Lead called. "You sent that signal?"

"Yes, we did, and now we'll show you inside to a safe location where we can talk." Princess Celestia smiled, and then, the forest around them vanished, leaving behind a large clearing…and the three-story oak-and-granite mansion that now stood right in front of the group. Off to the side, there was a waterfall with three populated bird baths, several flower gardens, and a cobblestone path leading up to the entrance.

"Holy shit." Sparrow said in awe. "How'd you manage this?"

"This mansion was made secretly as a safehouse for us both, should an external threat compromise Equestria." Princess Celestia replied, motioning for everyone to head inside. "The veiling magic surrounding it distorts the surrounding area, making it nearly impossible to locate on a map. Should anyone reach the edge of the veil, magical sentries keep them in place until we can arrive."

"Huh...that's really impressive." Pepper nodded, as they entered the mansion's foyer and set their weapons down against the wall. "So…what have you been up to since the invasion?"

"A lot of planning, for one thing." Princess Luna motioned to a large map on the wall with several pieces of paper and photographs pinned to it. "We raise the sun and moon each day and night, check for disturbances along the veil…there's plenty to do here."

"I see." Aegis Lead nodded, as the Ghosts took their seats on the wide couches and seats near the fireplace. "What happens now that we're here?"

"Well, you should take a look at that map. I think you'll find it quite helpful when you assault Canterlot in due time." Princess Luna said. Aegis Lead got up, took one look, and his eyebrows went skyward.

The map contained a full diagram of the city of Canterlot, including three secret entrances into the palace located beneath the mountain. Not only that, it contained the locations of every Eqaharian position, a roster of how many soldiers occupied each one, and several identified weak points in the defensive lines outside the city…it was everything the Ghosts needed in one place.

"How in God's name did you find all this out?" Aegis Lead asked, dumbfounded. "This isn't an intel jackpot, it's a goddamn motherlode."

"We have several informants inside the city, both Equestrian and Eqaharian." Princess Celestia replied with a small smirk of pride. "There are a good number of Eqaharians that have grown disillusioned with King Diomedas, and while they cannot act openly, they certainly resist in the dark. However, most of it came from one Eqaharian in particular."

Aegis Lead immediately took out his MRT, and began taking photos of the map, along with the pinned materials. Then, he leaned into his radio and reported to Griffin everything that had happened so far.

"Fantastic work, Ghosts." Mitchell said, and if Aegis had been in person, he would've done anything to see the proud look on Mitchell's face. "We'll pass that along to our forces, and I imagine that we'll have a battle plan soon enough, all thanks to you. Griffin out."

Once Aegis Lead finished, he turned back to Princess Celestia, who raised an eyebrow.

"Princess, we also heard there was an Eqaharian defector around here," he asked. "Do you know who that is?”

“He’s on the third floor, in the library.” Princess Luna replied. “All we ask when you meet him, is that you trust him, and don’t jump to any conclusions.”

Aegis Lead nodded, and headed up the nearby staircase, with Hunter Lead not far behind. As the other Ghosts passed around canteens and some MREs, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna thought it best to move to a separate room. Until Aegis Lead’s voice could be heard on the comms.

“Ghosts, get up here now!” Aegis Lead loudly growled.

“Boss, what’s going on?” Kozak replied, swinging over the couch to retrieve his Goblin PDR.

“Come on up and see for yourself.” Hunter Lead replied.

The Ghosts hurried up the stairs to the third floor, with their sidearms at the ready. The Princesses followed, hoping their presence would dissuade the humans from any form of violence towards their informant. As the Ghosts filed in, Aegis Lead spoke into his shoulder radio.

“Griffin, you copy?”

“5 for 5, Aegis Lead. What’s your status?” Mitchell replied.

“Sir, we’ve linked up with an Eqaharian defector, and you won’t believe who it is.”

“Try me.” Mitchell deadpanned.

“It’s the third Eqaharian prince, Chiron.” Aegis Lead said, his voice split into equal parts of shock and distrust. “He sent the Princesses that intel on Canterlot.”

“Yes, that was me.” Prince Chiron replied, getting up from his chair. His coat was silver instead of gray like his two brothers’, and his mane was a paler shade of brown, almost like tan. His blue eyes were observing the Ghosts, not sure of what would happen next.

Princess Celestia broke the tension by asking Aegis Lead for his radio. Aegis raised an eyebrow, but handed her the radio nonetheless.

“Princess Celestia?” Mitchell asked. “This is Lt. Colonel Scott Mitchel, US Army, 5th SFG. Glad you could rejoin us.”

“As am I.” She replied. “My sister and I now agree that it is time to emerge from the shadows. Is there anything you wish to know at this moment?”

”How did you manage to capture Prince Chiron?” Mitchell asked tentatively. “Judging from the video feed from Hunter Lead’s Cross-com, he appears to be physically unharmed.”

“We didn’t capture him. He came to us seeking refuge.” Princess Luna said, taking the radio from her sister. “King Diomedas has apparently begun to lose what is left of his fragile mind due to his and Prince Hector’s unstable position of power in Canterlot. Recent events, such as the failed attack on the Crystal Empire and the battle of Manehattan have turned many Equestrians to open resistance.”

“Hmm.” Mitchell murmured. “Is that why Prince Chiron switched sides?”

“I’ll field that question, if you will allow it.” Chiron asked, extending a hoof. Celestia tentatively handed him the radio, and Chiron took a breath before speaking.

”The reasons I have defected are many, but I suppose I should start from the beginning. Ever since Prince Hector’s failure at the Crystal Empire, and General Azheran’s death…my father has gone mad, and it worsens every day. Even his most faithful are expecting his death, and if that happens…my older brother will assume the throne. He intends to marry Princess Twilight and use her as a bargaining chip should Canterlot come under attack.”

”Hmm, keep going.” Mitchell requested.

“Well, the situation in Canterlot by itself is also at a breaking point.” Chiron added. “Many of the Equestrian citizens are considering a revolt, and both the Eqaharian and traitorous Equestrian nobility have been advocating for it to be suppressed with force. To say one spark could ignite an inferno is putting it lightly.”

”What Equestrian nobility are we talking about here?”

”Mostly those who were discontented with Princess Celestia’s reign, her nephew Prince Blueblood included. He is often attributed to opening the gates that led to the city’s capture.” Chiron replied. “They are one of the last tethers keeping my father in power, and his gift is failing him as well.”

”A gift?” Mitchell asked in a dubious manner.

“My father was given the ability of foresight before he became the King of Equaharia. It’s the reason that he rose to power so quickly. He could see every move his enemies planned before they made them. as of now, it has been found wanting in its abilities.”

Mitchell was silent for a few moments, contemplating this information. The Ghosts looked at each other, unsure of what would happen next. Even Princesses Celestia and Luna wore worried expressions.

“Alright, listen up.” Mitchell finally spoke. “Thanks to you, we have our game plan ready. Chiron, should your intel prove genuine, we’ll take you into protective custody. Until then, you will stay where you are.”

“Aegis and Hunter Lead, start heading towards Canterlot. Kingslayer and Cyclone will link up with you along the way with reinforcements from the Crystal Empire. We only have 48 hours at most before Hector takes the throne and we lose the Element of Magic in the process. Air support is being preparing as we speak, so you’d better get moving.”

“Sir, yes sir!” Aegis Lead replied, and as the Ghosts headed downstairs to retrieve their weapons, Prince Chiron turned to Princess Celestia.

”What will happen to my father should he be captured?” He asked. Princess Celestia sighed before giving a simple reply.

“He will pay for his crimes however it is seen fit.”

Good lord, this took forever. I’m glad that it’s finally done now.

EDIT - 5/7/2024 - Hopefully fixed the last of the typos. If you see any more lemme know.