“Daddy...” a voice called out to him.

“Daddy... come back, please...”

“Daddy...”

“WAKE UP!”

With a loud gasp, Commander Jack Silverback regained consciousness from his deep slumber. He looked down at the picture held in his hands, depicting a young girl, a woman, and himself standing inside a space-station. He adjusted his sitting position, giving the picture a last look before placing it back in his chestplate’s hatch.

The man looked around the dropship he was in, noticing a mixture of heavy and standard troopers staring worriedly at him. He frowned and took his faceplate off, sighing. It had been the same for him for several days, just falling asleep and hearing his daughter’s voice. In a way, it hurt him more than a gun ever could. At least Cookie was always there to comfort him.

“Are you alright, sir?” one of the troopers standing in the troop bay asked.

Silverback drew in a deep breath, then sighed it out, “I’m not the only one who has a family waiting back home, am I?”

The troopers all shook their heads, one of them speaking up, “No, sir. You’re not alone in this.”

He offered a weak smile. “Thanks...”

A few moments were spent in complete silence, only hearing the muffled drone of the ship’s engines. Jack idly wondered what he would see at this “Gryphus” city. It seemed as if every civilization on this planet was monarchical. Primitive, really. Nevertheless, he was going to end this war, one way or another.

“Sir...” one of the other men muttered. “Do you think we’re gonna get back home?”

Jack fell silent for a moment, then stood up, looking directly at the man. “I don’t know, son. But even so, I’m gonna do my damn best to make that happen.”

“We’ve got a visual on Gryphus,” the pilot said through the loudspeakers. “ETA is five.”

“Alright,” Silverback said, grabbing onto one of the metallic railings on the ceiling. “Listen up. Our orders are to negotiate a truce between the Gryphons and the Equestrians. I know that we’re no diplomats, but someone had to do it.”

“These are biological creatures.” He pointed at the heavy troopers, who held flamethrowers in their hands. “We’re armed accordingly should things get violent. Our usual shock procedures are in place, so scare them if you can.”

The Commander looked up at one of the screens. He looked through the ship’s camera, watching as the ship approached the large city boult into a mountain. Hundreds of quadrupedal, flying beings could be seen, all thrown in a panicked fit upon witnessing the dropship fly over them.

“Land us near the castle.”

“Copy that,” the pilot replied.

Silverback placed his faceplate back on, standing near the ramp as the ship descended onto the city. He checked that his gear was ready, and motioned for the other troopers to line behind him. The vessel then touched ground, and the ramp began to lower itself. Taking in one last deep breath, he walked out of the dropship and into the city, covered by the night.

His feet landed with loud thumps on the cobblestone street, followed by the rest of his men. The dim light of the city washed over him, even if the lights of his own suit shone in a brighter shade. He stood still, quietly watching as the eagle-lion cross breeds hid into their homes, waiting for their warriors to organize and act.

Soon the Gryphon soldiers gathered up and formed a circle around the dropship, holding bronze spears at Silverback and his troopers. Their armor only consisted of the same material as their weapons; something which he found to be laughable primitive.

“State your purpose, monster!” one of the creatures called out.

The Commander stepped up. “We’re here to talk to King Audrus Winter.”

“About what?” another Gryphon scoffed.

Silverback shook his head. “Do you really want to risk the entire existence of your species? Let us talk to your king, now.”

The Gryphons looked at each other with uncertainty, exchanging whispers among themselves. Naught but thirty seconds were spent in silence, the two sides staring at each other, before the large set of doors leading to the castle were pushed open. Out came another Gryphon, this one entirely white. A crown sat on top of his head, and a purple cape followed his steps.

The crowd of Gryphons between Silverback and the king parted itself to allow him near the humans, who looked down at him with their expressions hidden.

“You must be very brave, or stupid, to enter Gryphus like this, let alone threaten my kingdom,” the king said, frowning as he looked up at the Commander. “Who, or rather, what are you?”

“You can call us ‘Humans’,” Silverback replied. “I am Infantry Commander Jack Silverback, second in command of the USS Vector. I’m here to make a truce, between your people and Equestria.”

King Winter’s eyes shot open. “Are you referring to that monstrosity the pony Princesses summoned? Are you part of it?”

“In a way, yes.” Silverback folded his arms.

The old Gryphon looked around, taking in the expressions of his citizens. “The ponies and us... we are far beyond a mere truce. Not only is this tension older than the Princesses, it is inborn, and we will not surrender. Not until their last city falls, and the ponies and humans cry for mercy.” Winter looked up at the Commander with a solemn expression. “Your pitiful attempt to save yourselves is but a waste of time. I am sorry.”

“Let me put it this way...” Silverback sighed, “If you do not cease your conflict with Equestria, we will do more than to liberate Trottingham.” He held out his hand, and a holographic display lit up, showing a brief view of the Trottingham battle.

“This... this cannot be true!” the king exclaimed as the moon finally hid behind the horizon, signaling the liberation was completed.

“Your entire army is retreating, you’re stuck in a corner now.”

King Winter clenched his claw and released a low grow. “Bring me my armor and sword! And the ‘Thunder’!”

Silverback tilted his head to the side. “What’s this?”

Out from the castle came several Gryphons carrying a set of armor, a sword, and a small chest. “You have gone too far, demon,” the king growled as he threw his crown away and undid his cape. “Not only have you threatened my people, dishonored us, and supported Equestria... Your simple existence, cannot be allowed.” He allowed the nearby Gryphons to place the pieces of armor on him. “I have slain monsters bigger than you; this should not even be a challenge.”

A smirk spread across Silverback’s face. “And I have destroyed planets bigger than this one.”

Once he was armed and armored, the king opened the small chest, retrieving a surprisingly primitive-looking weapon, one that vaguely resembled a pistol. He looked it over, running his claw along its length. “Do you know what this is, Commander?”

“Enlighten me.”

The Gryphon smirked. “We call it the ‘Thunder’, due to the sound it makes when actioned.” He pulled back a small mechanism on the pistol. “It can penetrate even the strongest of armors,” he said as he aimed it as Silverback, who chuckled along with the other men. “Shall we begin?”

Jack huffed. “Alright, let’s get this over with.”

In an instant, the king pulled back the trigger on the gun, which spat a brief column of fire and sent a small projectile towards Silverback. The man’s energy shielding immediately lit up, forming a blue net of hexagons around him.

In less than a second, all that remained was a small piece of molten metal on the ground.

The king dropped his gun, letting it clatter carelessly on the floor while he looked, with wide-eyes, at what remained of the bullet. Meanwhile, Silverback continued to stand with his arms folded, chuckling along with the rest of his men.

Audrus Winter drew out his sword and lashed out at the Commander. He slashed and sliced, only managing to make a few dents on Jack’s armor due to the suit not detecting the sword as a threat. He remained in the same position, letting the Gryphon have a bit of fun.

The surrounding Gryphons watched with slacked jaws as their king attacked for minutes, never managing to pierce the man’s armor. Eventually, he fell to his knees and dropped his sword, completely exhausted. Silverback walked over to him and wrapped his hand around his neck, lifting the old Gryphon up. The king reached up with his claw, attempting to pry open the Commander’s fingers.

“I’m going to ask again,” Silverback whispered as he tightened his grip on the king’s neck and brought him closer. “Will you cease your attack on Equestria?”

“N-...Never...” Winter choked out.

“Then I’ll force you,” Silverback said as he reached with his other hand and twisted the Gryphon’s neck, producing a sickening snap before dropping him to the floor. The nearby circle of Gryphons gasped upon seeing their king fall dead, then looked back at the Commander, who took his pistol off of his hip and aimed it at the sky. He fired a few shots that caused the Gryphons to cover their ears. “We also have Thunder, see!?” he yelled as he pressed the trigger a couple more times, then aimed it down at the winged creatures. “Bow to us.”

They immediately did as he told them, dropping to the ground in fear. He could see other Gryphons looking out through their windows, all of them shaking in fear.

He turned on his radio as he began walking towards the castle, followed by the other troopers. “Admiral Becker, this is Commander Silverback reporting in.”

“Copy that, Commander. How did the negotiations go?”

“South, sir. I recommend the establishment of a colony to stabilize the population.”

“... I’ll look into it. Becker out.”