Prologue:

It has been eight years since the day the Locust emerged from beneath the Earth and began wreaking havoc on not only Equestria, but the entire planet. On that day the two royal sisters disappeared and have not been heard from since. In their absence a new government was formed by the All-fathers, a group of elder Clydesdale's. This group was called the Clydesdales of Ordered Governments, or the C.O.G., whose call sign is a gear with the Fourth Horseman’s, or Death’s, head in the center of it. Their rule was much worse then that of their predecessor’s, but theirs is the only one. The C.O.G. needed soldiers to fight off the Locust. They destroyed almost every major city including Ponyville, reducing them to a carcass of what they once were.

The Pegasi retreated to Cloudsdale, where they now reside out of contact with the rest of Equestria. Some of them joined the C.O.G. military to help the Earth ponies and Unicorns fight back the Locust. The ponies who did not join the military, or fly to Cloudsdale, tried to seek refuge in Canterlot, the only other safe haven left in Equestria. They, unfortunately, were refused by the government, due to lack of room in the city. They are now scattered across Equestria surviving anyway they can, while avoiding detection by the Locust.

The mane six all went their separate ways after the collapse of Ponyville. Twilight Sparkle, and Rarity were both already in Canterlot when the city was closed off. They were drafted into the C.O.G. army as control center operatives, guiding soldiers in combat situations and relaying commands to them from higher up. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy left for Cloudsdale, but not before telling the others that they would find out what was going on there, and bring help as soon as possible. They have not been heard from since. Apple Jack and Pinkie Pie, after being sent away by the C.O.G., joined the other stranded ponies and are now held up somewhere in Equestria trying to survive. Spike is presumed dead, after he was no where to be found during the Locust attack on Ponyville.

The C.O.G. is doing it’s best to defend Canterlot and recruit more soldiers so that it can launch a counter attack on it’s enemy. This is where our story begins, corporal Jackknife is leading his squad on a search and rescue raid on a Locust P.O.W. base in what’s left of the city of Manehattan.

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“Control, come in. Control? Twi.....you there?” Jackknife whispered.

“Yeah I’m here, sorry about that. Rarity and I were switching shifts.” Twilight answered back through his tac-com.

Jackknife sighed with relief. “Alright Twi, give me a sit-rep. We’re outside of the building and I need to know what we’re up against.” Jackknife was just a few yards from the entrance of a large three story prison that had been taken over by the Locust, and were using it to torture and imprison their captives. He was covered in grass and green war paint to blend in with the bushes he was surrounded by. Jackknife had been a commando for about six and a half years, and was familiar with many covert tactics like this one. The rest of his squad was positioned a bit farther back, waiting for his signal to engage.

Twilight was using the satellite surveillance system to monitor Jackknife’s squad. “Um....okay, it....looks like you’ve got two guarding the entrance, four patrolling the perimeter, and two snipers on each corner on the roof. So you have a total of fourteen outside, and thermal imaging is picking up at least twenty hostiles inside.”

Jackknife closed his eyes in disappointment “Damn, this won’t be easy.”

“Has it ever been, lad?” Pot McShot chimed in over the tac-com.

Jackknife grinned a bit. “Good point Mac.”

Pot McShot was about six hundred yards away from Jackknife’s position, posted up in a tree. Pot Shot was the top sharp shooter in his class and could shoot the wings off a parasprite at a hundred meters. He was completely invisible in his Gillie suit, and already had a shot lined up on a locusts head. “Just say the word and it’s good night for baldy, up top.”

Jackknife knew that if Pot fired, it would alert the whole base. “No, Mac. You’ll just give away our position. I’m gonna try to get in there, free the prisoners and get the hell out. I’ll let you know when I need you, don’t worry you’ll get to have a bit of fun once we’re done here.”

“Alright, you’re the boss lad.” Pot was much older then Jackknife but had enlisted only about three years ago, and was stuck as a low rank. He didn’t mind being under the command of Jackknife and respected him as an individual and a soldier. He still had the grub sniper in his cross-hairs. “You lucky bastard. You get to live....for now.”

Jackknife waited for the patrol to pass then quickly rushed forward with his rifle bayonet and stabbed both the guards in their throats before they could alert the others. He then dragged the bodies into the bushes he had been hiding in, and covered them with leaves and branches. Then he dashed through the entrance and into the building.

There was nopony inside and but he could hear the steps of something big coming towards him. He quickly sprang for cover and waited for it to pass. It was a Locust, but he was much taller then the others, and was in strange black armor that Jackknife had never seen before. He was being escorted by two guards who’s armor was also unfamiliar to Jackknife. He didn’t know who they were but he could tell they were important.

He waited for them to pass and once they did, asked Twilight, “Twi you got anything on that guy?”

Twilight’s stati’cy voice filled his right ear. “No Jack, I saw them in your visor feed, but, I’m not seeing anything on him or his friends in the data base.” There was a sense of worry in her voice.

Jackknife decided it would be a good idea to inform the rest of the squad. “Okay ponies, you heard the lady we got us unidentified Locust personnel, so stay frosty.”

The squad all responded one after another, “Roger that.” “Copy.” “Aye lad.”

“Good, I’m gonna make my way to the prison cells. I’ll signal y'all for back-up if I need it.” Jackknife slowly made his way over to the stairs that lead to the prison blocks.

“Good huntin’ lad.” Pot said.

“Thanks Mac.” Jackknife whispered as he opened the door to the stairs. The stair way was dark, and the power was out so all of the lights were dead. The only things keeping Jackknife from falling down, were the little blue lights scattered around his armor. ‘Why can’t they just give us flashlights?’ He thought to himself.

Finally he reached the bottom of the stair way and opened the door. His rifle was right over his shoulder ready to fire at whatever was on the other side, but what he saw was not what he expected.

The bodies of dead Locust were scattered all around the prison block floor. Intestines and dismembered limbs also painted the grey walls of the prison with blood and entrails. In one corner there was almost a pile of bodies. It was a gruesome scene. Locust were tall hulking creatures, that stood on two legs, and had razor sharp nails and teeth. In a hoof to hand fight it would take, at least, three full grown stallions to take down one Locust grub.

“Twilight, are you getting this.” asked jackknife.

“Yes, I’ve never seen so many dead grubs.” Twilight had been a control operative since the war started, and had seen many horrifying and scarring scenes since then, so she was not as weak hearted as she was when she started. Still, it was enough to shake even her mentality. “What, or whoever, did this must have been some kind of a.....”

“Bad ass.” he interrupted her.

Twilight always liked his sense of humor but this was not the time for jokes. “Not exactly what I was going to say.”

Jackknife was on the second cell floor, when he decided to take a closer look. He slid down the ladder and looked around for prisoners. There were none, all the cells were either empty or had the rotting remains of a corpse in them.

Jackknife was confused, his orders were to liberate the prisoners who were held here, but there was nopony to be found. Plenty of Locust, but no ponies.

“Twilight, are you sure this is the right place?” He asked

“Yes Jack, I’m positive. According to the blueprints there should be another cell section for the especially violent criminals down below. Please be careful.” Twilight feared for Jackknife’s safety.

“Thanks Twi, and don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.” Jackknife proceeded around the corner and down the next flight of stairs. It was even darker then the previous stair way he had gone through, and yet again the small lights on his armor were the only light source in the room. Jackknife searched the room, but found nothing. As he turned around to leave, a bright light stunned his eyes. He picked up his hoof to shield his face from the light then activated the firing mechanism on his rifle.

The sound of the rifle firing right next to his ear nearly deafened him. The bright flashes of light from his rifle revealed several images hidden by the darkness of the room. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground and his rifle had been knocked off it’s stand on his back. There was a figure standing over him, holding him down on the ground. His eyes were still adjusting to the light being shined in his face, but he could make out that the figure was a pony not a locust.

“What is your name?!” the figured shouted.

Jackknife, still a bit dazed, asked. “What?”

“Your NAME motha’ fucka’, do you know it?!” The figure asked again.

Jackknife, still slightly stunned from the hit and the gunfire, finally said “Corporal Jackknife, 23 infantry, Echo squad.”

The figure lifted it’s hoof from Jackknife, “So your the squad they sent.” he said as he helped him up. “Well it’s about damn time. I was getting lonely.”

Jackknife, finally with his mind in order, said “Wait so your telling me your the only one left? What happened to rest of the prisoners?”

The figure, still a dark silhouette to Jackknife, said, “They’re all dead, the damn grubs either tortured em’ to death or ate em’. When they came to do the same to me, I took one of their guns and went to town. You just missed it, I heard you come in from second block and I waited for you here. Name’s Phoenix by the way.”

The words ‘Bad ass’ from his memory echoed in Jackknife’s head. “Well I’m here to get you out so lets move out. When they found themselves back in the prison blocks, they looked up from where Jackknife had entered and made their way up the ladder. When Jackknifed opened the door, his eyes met the metal chest plate of a locust.

It shouted out in it’s growling voice, “PONIES!!” Jackknife immediately stabbed his combat knife right in it’s throat, then Phoenix Shot it in the chest with his shot gun and they both raced up the stairs to the exit.

Jackknife began relaying commands to the rest of the squad.“Axle, I have the prisoner, call in a Crow, we need an evac. asap.!”

Axle began to radio for the chopper. “Yes sir.”

He gave the next order, “Tank Tread get your mulcher spinning up we need covering fire.”

Tank Tread hooked up his mulcher to his weapon rack, “Oh I’ve been waitin’ for dis shit.”

Jackknife smiled, “And Mac...here’s that fun I promised you.”

“Aye, sir. You hear that baldy, your time’s up.” Pot, began picking off the sniper on the roof one by one. A smile slowly formed on his face little by little with each kill.

Jackknife and Phoenix kicked open the exit and sprinted to the evac. site. Tank Tread laughed hysterically as he mowed down the locust trying to prevent them from escaping. Once the snipers were taken care of Pot McShot jumped out of the tree and hustled for the orange smoke that Axle had placed to mark the spot for the crow to land. It only took minuets for the Crow to arrive and land in the designated area to pick up Echo squad. Axle and Pot were already waiting in the chopper by the time Jackknife and Phoenix made it. The four of them waited in the chopper for Tank Tread.

“Tank, get your ass on the chopper.” yelled Jackknife.

“On my way sir.” Tank Tread galloped to the crow, his Gatling gun mulcher still drilling the enemy with a barrage of bullets. Once he was inside the pilot gained altitude and turned to face the prison building.

“Say good by mother fuckers.” The pilot flipped open a red cap on his joystick and pressed the exposed button, sending two missiles flying at the building, destroying it completely.

All of Echo squad was looking at Phoenix. Jackknife noticed this then said, “Yes he’s the only one that made it. Now lets get him back to Canterlot in one piece.” At that moment Twilight’s voice came on the tac-com.

“Jack, I just got word from Command they want you to bring Phoenix to the All-fathers building for a debriefing. Sorry that’s all the info I can give you right now.”

“That’s okay Twi, thanks. Tell Command that we’ll be there soon.” said Jack.

“Sure thing, and Jack....I’m glad your alright.” She said.

“Thanks Twi, see you soon.” He took off his visor and wiped his face. “Job well done squad. When we get back to Canterlot, drinks are on me.” With that they all cheered and flew off into the setting sun.