The Changelings hissed threateningly and at least a dozen flew at the cyborg eagerly, more than happy to blast him to bits and rip him apart. But they were soon to discover that was to be no simple task.

Easily, General Grievous flipped elegantly over the more aggressive frontrunners and landed directly on one Changeling, a sickening crack made the ponies grimace. Grievous began a furious assault on the drones his lightsabers unmercifully tearing through them like hot butter. He dashed by, decapitating two, whirling around and delivering a neck breaking kick to another, a string of thin saliva splattered on the ground. Turning his green lightsaber downward he brought it back to send it stabbing through another Changeling's skull. It twitched for a few seconds.

Renn grinned wickedly, the Dark Jedi scooped up his lightsaber and ignited it quickly and ran up behind the warlord. Grievous' keen hearing picked up on the humming lightsaber and the man's boots slamming down heavily on the wooden floor. Grievous wheeled around, cutting a Changeling in two and seizing Renn roughly by the face with a large metal foot. Slamming the assassin on the floor causing a few floorboards to pop up and cracks to splinter the wood. With a disdainful growl, Grievous flipped up, catching himself on his clenched fists; his weapons scorching the damaged floor.

CRACK!

Renn was sent through the ceiling. A few tiny slivers fell to the floor.

“Follow me, we will fight our way out!” The general roared in his full glory, comfortable among the chaos, the thrill of war in his golden eyes. And naturally he pointed a glowing lightsaber forward and led the charge. Fearlessly cutting down numerous Changelings who dared get in his way. He seemed to be everywhere at once...a bone colored blur with green and blue beams cutting and stabbing enemies to death. One lightsaber he now held in his foot sliced a Changeling in half diagonally and he effortlessly switched it back into his free hand in seconds. Spinning his blue blade rapidly and allowing four of the insect like creatures fly into it. Effectively cutting them to pieces.

Rainbow Dash bravely punched a single enemy aside with a hoof laughing triumphantly at her heroism.

VMM!

A death scream rang out behind her making the blue pony jump.

“You should pay more attention to you're surroundings!” Grievous hissed, a green blade protruding from the chest of the would be killer of Rainbow Dash. Her eyes widened in terror as she realized how easily she could've died...as well as seeing the aftermath of seeing something being impaled only inches away from her. In mere seconds Grievous had once again turned his wrath on the Changelings, grabbing one by it's holed through legs and flinging it through a wall behind him.

With fast and wide swings he cleaved glowing cuts into the chests of two Changelings who died wearing horrified expressions, a swift kick to the chin of another snapped it's neck. A particularly aggressive Changeling screeched in agony as his horn was severed, but he was put out of his misery when Grievous thrusted his green lightsaber through it's upper jaw.

Twilight Sparkle fired sparkling blasts of purple energy beams managing to knock a few Changelings out of the sky, however a panicked scream drew attention over to a helpless filly, bright read with a light green mane cowering as a large Changeling descended down on her, it's fangs glinted in the sunlight.

In a blur Grievous ran to the defense of the filly, cutting off the attacker's forelegs in the process. Swinging with his left he sliced it's head off, it bounced twice on the dusty ground.

“Go!” The Kaleesh yelled. Without any other words being spoken the ponies ran as hard and as fast as they could. Rarity took the time to kick one of the creature's in the face rendering unconscious, she fired a blue magical bolt to knock two others out.

With one push of his thin but immensely powerful legs Grievous was at the head of the group, deflecting a few green blasts aside and back at their senders. Only two Changelings were bold enough to attempt a direct attack but to the cyborg's surprise, they were both spontaneously enclosed in a purple glow and were smashed face first into each other before being violently cast away. Each landing into empty barrels that their assailant immediately sealed.

Grievous glanced back at Twilight, who smiled at him. He chuckled to himself for a few seconds and resumed his focus o the battle.

- - - -

  Renn winced from muscle soreness as well as from the bruises that were quickly manifesting on his back and face. The man propped himself up on his elbows and cautiously peered over the rim of Town Hall's rooftop...and found exactly what he did not want to find...dozens of dead Changelings littered the area along with their severed limbs; their lifeless eyes looking in all directions and some of them even had the terrified expressions they had made before being cut down. More victims to the ruthless General Grievous

Renn had to act soon! He had learned in his time as an assassin it was never good to fail a client...especially one as powerful as Craw. Lucky for him he had a backup plan, Renn fully knew he was now much to weak to engage Grievous in combat on his own again. He pulled out a small communicator and pressed it on the side.

“Ulrik?”

“Renn...I take it the situation isn't going well?” A cold but hoarse voice asked from the tiny communication device.

“Unfortunately no. I am going to need you to stop General Grievous from boarding the train while I regroup with the surviving Changelings to counter strike.”

“I will kill that abomination,” Ulrik stated with an aggressive eagerness.

“Don't underestimate him.”

- - - -

  The train was still active and its conductor was plenty happy to get going, all doors were opened as the tired and frightened ponies hurried aboard. The sound of their hooves resonating throughout the station.

“Everypony keep in an orderly line,” Twilight instructed and indicated while Pinkie Pie sat beside her and stuck her left hoof straight out and contentiously waved her right hoof to the left to beckon them in.

Rarity looked back out at the town which now seemed deserted but she knew other wise. Her mane was now disheveled but at the present time she didn't care as her primary concern was saving the residents of Appleloosa.

“Is that everypony?” She asked breathlessly.

“I think so” Pinkie said, “let's get outta here.” She hopped into the crowded train car while Twilight and Rarity followed. The indigo maned pony looked back to see Grievous standing motionlessly save for his cape occasionally moving with the breeze.

“General? What seems to be the problem?”

“Where is Fluttershy?” Grievous asked darkly, still staring out the town. Before the fashion pony could answer she was suddenly barreled over by a frantic Rainbow Dash.

“We forgot Fluttershy! Damn it we left her back there!” She yelled furiously, before sitting down gloomily, “if I had just been paying better attention-”

“I will go retrieve her.”

“WHAT!?” Twilight, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash yelled simultaneously their jaws dropping open as the general began to march steadily back into the war zone that was Appleloosa.

“You will all remain here and keep this train safe. Understood?”

When he wasn't answered he turned around with a glare.

“Is that understood?”

They nodded vigorously. But before Grievous had even taken four steps Twilight piped up.

“Grievous?”

He stopped.

“What?”

“Be careful...,” Grievous had not heard those words spoken to him in years...nor had he said what he was about to say back to anyone in years.

“I will.” Next Chapter: Rescue Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 10 Minutes