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....