Chapter 61: First Invasion
Part 1: Poking the Dragon's Nest
TIME: 00:57 NRWT
DATE: War Day 571/30 Decemus, 1003 C.S.
LOCATION: Niihao Island, Occupied Empire of Neighpon
So, how do you go about pissing off a dragon? You throw rocks at it. High velocity ones. This plan, such as it was, was crazy. Probably the craziest I'd ever considered.
I was going to try and get a dragon to kill Tirek's troops. Troops that it has eaten for food, and have been feeding it whatever they can, to avoid being eaten AS food. Troops that it probably considers less than ants.
Forest Spirit: "I think the best way to get its attention is to snipe its tail." He nodded, rubbing a fetlock under his chin.
K: "I'd agree. I don't know if an 11mm round would be more than a mosquito, though. Maybe a beesting? Might be enough." I was stripping off my extra gear, so I could go in light. Bradley-Gavin (C7, actually), Morgan, two spare impact-fuse grenades for the Gavin, one timed grenade, and one flare. Sword of Rainbow's Light. Bradley bayonet. "Alright.." I looked to Teddy, seeing Gorcat was also ready. "..shoot that tail once we get close."
Teddy: "How close?" He started moving with us, down and low to the ground.
K: "As close as we can get before being spotted. Then, we run inside the facility and get him to chase us. We shuck and jive, run and dodge, until we cause as much havoc as we can. Then, we lure him to the shoreline, and hope the Fleet has arrived - they'll engage it as soon as they see it."
Gorcat: "How'd you kill the last one?" He was referring to the one in Marelin that killed his aunt.
K: "A couple 75mm rounds and four or five shots from a Walker." I shrugged. "If we have to, we'll use the Funstons on it. They have more punch, and better range, but I want that to be a last resort."
Teddy: "Right. Time to prove myself.." He flicked a look at me. "..pay Tirek back." He shook his head.
K: "No crazy chances." I warned both of them. "Brains before Bravado, I don't care what else." I wagged a finger. "Got it?"
They both nodded.
We managed to get within 500 meters of the perimeter before we ran out of brush cover. From there, we were on our bellies, all the way. They didn't have searchlights, just static torches and a few early (1910's) electric bulb strings around the place. The fence line had little light, and the moon wasn't out. We actually got all the way to the fence..
K: "Gorcat.. can you cut this?"
Gorcat: "Yeah.." He got his beak around it, and snipped the fence line easily. Licking his beak afterwards, he smirked at me. "No problem."
K: "Okay, just inside the wire, then Teddy, take your shot. We're close enough." I nodded as we got through - me first, then Teddy, then Gorcat.
Teddy lined it up expertly, sling wrapped partway around his foreleg, sighting in. I finally had a sniper as good as Rarity.. and he immediately lowered it, shaking his head.
Teddy: "We need to go." He slid back down to his belly, and he was the first one back out.
I didn't question it - he saw something through the scope that I didn't, I couldn't. He had final say on that trigger, not me. We got back to the brush, and everyone got around in a small circle.
Teddy: "I'm not taking the shot, sir." He looked me right in the eye. "I'm not killing kids."
K: "What!?" I hissed, my brow furrowing. "That's the tail of an adult.. a large one.."
Teddy: "Yeah, and you can't see it from back here, but they have a whole line of dragon kids in cages, with Porcines guarding them, with Pershings. I'm talkin' younger than Spike." He looked at Applejack.
Applejack: "Whal.. of all th' low-down dirty.."
Dr. Allcome: "We need a new plan. Bombardment at this point is out, too." He shook his head.
Forest Spirit: "No kidding. K? I'm thinking fake frontal assault, with us or the 1st Rangers going in the rear for a hostage rescue."
Cosmic: "I agree with Spirit. Our team can get some basic fighting positions ready, then we rush straight for them with at least a Regiment, dig in, and offer battle."
Norfy: "Meanwhile, the Prench Marines can attack the side of the island - a bit further up the coast than planned - split their forces." He nodded.
Gaze: "Aye, an' th' Rangers c'n land wi' our own Marines, here." He nodded back towards the beach. "No 'ffense t'th' Prench, suh, but right here? I'm wantin' expert troops - an' that's us. Suh." He smirked.
Dusty: "We should commit most of our naval assets to that side, too, with the Prench, so they think the main assault's there, and this fake assault catches them by surprise." She nodded, then blushed a bit.
Applejack: "Sounds lakh they gots th' right idea." She smirked. "Better keep our own ships on this side, though, jes' in case."
K: "Not bad, everyone." I pointed at them, waving a finger between them all. "This is why you're with me. Cosmic? Radio." Which he handed me with a smirk. C> "Alpha to all callsigns. Hostage situation. The dragon on the island has children - and they're all hostages of Tirek. Change of plans. 1st MARDIV, 1st Regiment, Callsign Bulldog, prepare to land. Objective is the south-west beach. Advance straight inland at speed, you'll find fighting positions ready for you. Callsign Romeo One, do you read?"
Derpy: C> "Romeo One, we read you."
K: C> "Advance with Bulldog, 50 Mikes east of the fighting positions, rendesvous with Alpha Actual."
Derpy: C> "Romeo One, roger."
K: C> "Alpha Fox, do you read?" Admiral Lauzun.
Adm. Lauzun: C> "Alpha Fox reads."
K: C> "Fox Team has a new objective - Watchtower Three through five." The eastern beaches, near the old port facility we wrecked. "Fox Mike will make its assault there. Alpha Fox and company provide close support. Alpha Uniform, do you read?"
Fleet Captain Wellington: C> "Alpha Uniform, aye-aye, Alpha."
K: C> "Alpha Uniform provides support to Fox Mike." Meaning, close shore artillery support - they'll need it. "Alpha Actual to Alpha Golf, do you read?"
VAdm. Kaltbluter: C> "Ja, Alpha. Golf reads."
K: C> "Alpha Golf provides sea protection with Alpha Romeo. Do you read?" The Roaman fleet, so my anti-ship cover has a fast striker and a heavy battle line.
VAdm. Tortellini: "Alpha Romeo! We read and understand!"
K: C> "Watchtower at designated time. Alpha Actual, out." I looked at everyone. "Start getting something together for fighting positions. Whatever we can get that they won't notice until it's too late."
It surprised me the foraging team hadn't been missed, yet. Then again, the compartmentalization of command among Tirek's forces likely played a part in that - if it wasn't their duty, they probably didn't care.
Then again, I had no idea what dragon I was about to rescue, either...
[End of Part 1]
Part 2: First Blood, Thirst Blood
TIME: 05:50 NRWT
DATE: War Day 571/30 Decemus, 1003 C.S.
LOCATION: Niihao Island, Occupied Empire of Neighpon
K: "Bombardment starting... now."
I looked up into the trees of the sun just peeking through, and I instantly heard the rip-snort of over a dozen naval rifles firing at almost the same instant. Short screech times, and then, rippling impacts of different calibers, chewing up anything they hit.
K: C> "Alpha to Cognac!" I called Sacquet.
Sacquet: C> "Cognac here. All goes to plan, Alpha. All fortifications and beach defenses are defeated. Silently." I could hear him shout in the background, and demo charges going off, disabling anything they had to get away from. "Cognac will take the vanguard. Watchtower adjustments registered - we will pin them here, mon ami. Over."
K: C> "Excellent, Cognac. Alpha, out." I nodded to everyone. "Alright, get down. Once they start coming out of the base, we wait. We want them going towards the beaches first - don't engage until they turn this direction."
Forest Spirit: "We got it." He got in with Kiwi, and readied the Merrill Commando Machine Gun they were manning.
Everyone fanned out to the positions we'd partly dug, partly erected from hastily-chopped trees. Ambrosia's special talent coming in the clutch, here, as we had two wooden pillboxes with machine guns, a small trenchlet, and logs sunk hard into the earth, forming barriers. Most of the Regiment should be able to take cover here.
K: "Alright, Spirit, you'll have command here. Everyone else, pick positions once the Regiment gets here, to support them. Make sure the Mortar Company is situated properly. Norfy, Cosmic, Gaze, Teddy, Gorcat, AJ, Gilda, with me."
Yes, the Napoleon Mortar. First tested on War Day 140, they'd been mainly used by Marines ever since being put into production on War Day 240 (it taking three months to figure out the best way to mass produce them, given they had some finicky small parts) - each Marine Regiment of 360 had a 60-pony Mortar Company, organized much like an Artillery Battery. Two Ponies to a Mortar, plus an NCO to command the gun. Two Mortars to a Section. 7 Sections per Company, with one spare squad to run ammo from the Wagon Train.
We hadn't had them for the first trip to Neighpon. Now, we did.
We silently watched as the forces of Tirek marched out of the base's east exit. Company after company, and in a hurry. If Sacquet did his job - and I'm sure he did - they'd find their rapid response roads and tunnels would be useless. They'd be pidgeon-holed into a handful of paths.
I checked my watch.. the 1st Marine Regiment should be landing, now. And they'd do so unopposed - not a single enemy had gotten past us, nor tried. I watched and waited.. we wouldn't break off until the Marines arrived.
Five minutes passed, and I could hear hooves behind me. Forest Spirit got their attention.
Forest Spirit: "Over here!"
Blinda: "Coming, sir." She charged in to the pillbox with the Scout Team of 1st Company, which included Sigmask and Ochre Wave.
K: "Private." I acknowledged the former Navy captain.
Ochre: "General." He nodded to me.
Blinda: "Your command team and 1st Royal Rangers are on the way. Go ahead, sir, first company is right behind me." She got into position on the far side of the pillbox.
I motioned to my team, and off we went.
TIME: 06:12 NRWT
Everyone was here. All of the 1st Royal Rangers, the girls, and my handpicked command staff. Which, really, is almost a company and a half.
K: "Derpy. Listen up. There's a dragon there, and we're pretty sure their children are being held hostage. From what we know of dragons, this shouldn't be an issue - they're not the best parents. That tells me this dragon is special, somehow. We need to rescue them." I laid it out.
Derpy: "Alright. Plan?" She fixed her gaze - being a mother, now, she understood the situation better than most.
K: "We're going around the back side of the facility. I don't know what to expect, so, anyone with Funstons, be sure you're ready to hit tanks. Snipers will take out the guards, three squads will move in to free the hostages." I looked at Fluttershy. "And someone is going to try and talk to that dragon."
Spike: "..it should be me, K." He pushed his way forwards.
K: "I.. I've got nothing to say." I looked at Twilight. "Alright, Spike, you stay CLOSE to me, got it?"
Spike: "No problem."
K: "Alright, let's move. Stagger your formations and keep down." I nodded, and we were off.
I didn't imagine I'd be rescuing a dragon as part of the invasion of Neighpon.. but, here we were.
[End of Part 2]
Part 3: Imagined Dragons
TIME: 06:24 NRWT
DATE: War Day 571/30 Decemus, 1003 C.S.
LOCATION: Niihao Island, Occupied Empire of Neighpon
By the time we got to the back side of the facility, I could hear gunfire from the 1st Marine Regiment's position - they'd finally picked a fight with the base defenders. Perfect timing, as multiple streams of guards, reserve troops, and some equipment quickly abandoned their positions around the base to answer the offer of battle.
We were right by the fence, and we were cutting wires. We were about half a kilometer from the Dragon, who was under a huge tarp. We couldn't see them, but we could see the hostage cages set a bit away from them. Some of the Porcine guards had left their posts, leaving about a company of troops by the Dragon itself. Some were in machine gun nests, and bunkers, facing it. I presumed they had anti-armor weapons pointed at it, in case it got squirrelly.
On our bellies in tall Elephant Grass, we moved forwards. In four hours, Neighponese troops would land on the north side of the island, trapping Tirek's forces. I hoped they wouldn't be needed.
Finally, we got within 200 meters.
K: "Derpy. Snipers. Get ready. Hit the guards by the cages." I pointed out my squads. "Cheerilee, Waxing, Norfy, Cosmic, Gaze, Dusty, AJ, me and Spike. Everyone else, base of fire, and pick them off."
Cheerilee: "You got it, K."
I waited for Rarity to start the shooting.. and she lasered in on a Porcine's head..
*KRACK!*
Down it went, and forward we went, at a flat run. No words. The snipers talked for us. I saw all the Guards go down at once.. then one of the machine gun crews, then some troops in the open. Only then, did the rest react. Sporadic fire was aimed in our general direction.
We didn't stop. Not until we cleared the Elephant Grass about 50 meters from the dragon. Everyone else but me and Spike fanned out, got to cover, and started shooting.
K: "Come on, Spike!" I encouraged.
Spike: "Right!" He was hefting that youth-stocked Sagebrush Shotgun, again, and a Custer revolver in cross-draw across his waist, along with the uniform Rarity made.
We got underneath the tarp, and I pivoted, to cover him. My Bradley barked twice, dropping a Raptorian. Spike slid like a baseball player, into the tent, ducking two of them that were trying to grab him. He then rolled over, and loosed both barrels into them, like a pro. His first kills.
K: "Good job!" I looked back at the Dragon.. and realized it was looking at us. "..Spike.."
Spike: "Ah..ahhh.." He paced over to the dragon, while I diverted my attention to the battle. "H-Hey! I'm Spike the Dragon!" He got the Dragon's attention.
Tiamat: "We know, Child."
Literally, everyone on the island FELT her speak.
All shooting stopped instantly.
Utter silence.
I turned to face her, and went to my knees.
K: "Goddess of Dragons.. my name-"
Tiamat: "Is K---- K---." She finished. "Took you long enough to get here."
Still, total silence.
K: "Goddess Tiamat.." I looked around, realizing that time wasn't frozen, her aura had simply paralyzed everyone. "..it seems you didn't need us.. if you can.. stop creatures like this." Why wasn't I affected?
Tiamat: "True. But I cannot move." She looked at the chains. "They are magical, and bind me in place. And, K----, you were not affected because I chose so."
She can hear my thoughts.
Tiamat: "I can, indeed, hear your thoughts. Unlike Celestia, I am a true Goddess, and a very ancient one." She reached down and patted Spike on the head. "You look so much like him."
K: "TWILIGHT!!" I called. I needed my Mage.
She came running in, and also immediately bowed to Tiamat.
Twilight: "G-Goddess Tiamat..! Uhh-uh.. fo-forgive me.. uhm.." She was stammering.
Tiamat: "There is nothing to forgive. As with the arrival of a human, Spike's rebirth was foretold. Though, not how." She looked at us. "Just like his spiritual predecessor." A soft grin. "You love him, as a Mother should."
K: "Twilight, see what you can do about those chains. They're holding her in place, and I'm sure, tamping most of her power."
Tiamat: "Well deduced." She gently cocked a brow at me. "I see you already believed in me, before." A tiny grin. "It's nice to have humans believe in me."
K: "Yes, Goddess Tiamat, but realize, I put my God first." I nodded to her.
Tiamat: "Which is fine. You have Faith, K----. Even if you don't take it seriously, you do."
Twilight: "I've.. NEVER seen this before.. uh.. K. I have no idea what to do!" She looked back at me.
Tiamat: "Believe in yourself, Twilight Sparkle. You DO know what to do.." She looked at me, as if there was an unspoken joke or meta reference here that only I'd get.
I picked up on it immediately - this was exactly like how most G1 My Little Pony (and, for that matter a lot of other 1980's cartoons) "Life Lesson" sorts of stories went. The person - pony - in question, often had to look past their self-imposed mental blockages, and believe in themselves, in order to overcome the adversity at hand. This was EXACTLY the same thing.. which fit.. oddly well.
This brought to mind a lot of questions. I didn't let them form into full thoughts, though.
Twilight, on the other hand, put her hooves on the metal of the chains holding Tiamat down.. running her hooves along it, feeling them.
K: "..how do we stop the Avegir?" I wasn't looking her in the eye - that would be disrespectful.
Meanwhile, she was petting Spike like he was one of her own.
Tiamat: "You can't. You can re-seal it, however." She nodded. "There isn't a mortal alive that can destroy it. It will cease to exist, however, when the Hydra is destroyed. That, however, you can do - and no, I won't tell you where to find it. That's part of the whole 'save or destroy the world' thing."
I bade myself to move while Twilight worked, and given that our enemies were also frozen in place, I just ignored them, and undid the cages holding the baby dragons. They all followed me back to Tiamat without a word, and huddled around Spike, of all things.
Twilight: "I got it!" She said, closing her eyes, and concentrating her magic power.
I could see her horn glow, and a trail of power eminate from it, go along the chains, and to the base, frazzling out at the 'locks' (which, to me, looked like solid chunks of metal), and blew them open forcibly.
The Goddess Tiamat was freed.
She flexed her wings, and stretched.
Tiamat: "Thank you. I must return to.." She looked at me. "..well, you probably know where.." She smirked.
K: "Does one universe seed another, or is your existence here a coincidence?"
Tiamat: "I have no relation to the Dragons of this realm." She nodded. "Call me a tourist!" She actually giggled. "And only because this land is so positive, am I so agreeable to mortals." She looked down at Spike. "You will, one day, be very important." Then, to me. "You.. will set your own path. Your arrival was foretold, your actions are not. But, I see a pure heart.. mm.. I think things will turn out okay."
With that, she pushed the tent over, and rocketed into the sky.
That Tiamat was a dimensional traveller.. the legends of her, in this realm, were of her prior appearances here. The Hydra and the Avegir were an accident, more or less. The Hydra tried to steal her and Bahamut's power, got part of it, and then they made the Avegir to get it back. This hadn't yet happened.
Knowing the rules like I do, I knew that if we defeated the Hydra, she and Bahamut would owe us another favor - but, at the same time, they won't interfere with the world. So, she wasn't about to level the enemy base for us, and even if we killed the Hydra, she wouldn't lift a claw to stop Tirek. That, it seemed, was my job.
Well enough.
I pushed Spike and the babies to the ground with one hand, as my other, rocked the Bradley back into the pocket of my arm, sighting down the nearest Raptorian...
K: "TIME IN!"
[End of Part 3]
Part 4: Scattered Battle
TIME: 07:12 NRWT
DATE: War Day 571/30 Decemus, 1003 C.S.
LOCATION: Niihao Island, Occupied Empire of Neighpon
About the same time as I spoke, Tiamat's effects wore off of everyone around me, and propegated throughout the region. The shooting restarted in earnest. I tagged the Raptorian I'd been aiming at in the head, blowing it clean apart. Twilight whipped around and levitated the magic chains, slamming them down on a Duregar APC that was coming up to our left, ensnaring the gun, and making it an easy target for Teddy's Funston rocket, which blew it apart, hitting the ammo magazine.
Twilight and I were WAY far forward of the rest of the team, and isolated. Everyone was trying to get to us, while we were trying to protect the baby dragons. Twilight erected the strongest force barrier she could, but it didn't fully stop bullets. I was pivoting on my right knee, trying to engage any target that got close. There were, however, too many of them for me to manage. I felt a searing pain in my hip, then my right forearm, and my hand reflexively opened, dropping my rifle on its sling.
Reacting, I cross-drew my Morgan, and started firing, not looking at my arm, knowing I was wounded. I'm right-hand dominant, not lefty, but I'm ambi enough to shoot with either hand. Just, not as well.
Right about then, Octavia and Scratch broke through with Colgate. I nodded as I saw her, and relaxed a bit, behind the musical pair, holding my arm out to Colgate.
K: "How bad." I stated, not asked.
Colgate: "Bad enough." She levitated bandages out of her kit, wrapping my wound, as her right foreleg was busy firing her Ridgway, and her mouth soon filled with a full magazine for a mag change. "Hord shtill..." She muttered, with her mouth full.
K: "Thanks." I holstered the Morgan, slide locked back, and left-armed my Bradley, tucking the stock in my armpit, only getting to fire a single round before the bolt locked back. "Never thought we'd see the Goddess of Dragons, you know.." I pinned the carbine in my armpit, and grabbed a fresh mag from my thigh rig. "..really leans in to that whole theory I had of reality and universes having a malleable barrier between them.." I used the lip of the magazine to hit the Bradley's mag release, and wormed the mag in. "..wonder what that's gonna mean for us?" I actually used my teeth to rack the bolt, finding the Canidan C-7 Carbine a bit harder to do, but manageable, and returned to one-arm shooting the Bradley.
Colgate: "All patched." She rose and two-armed her Ridgway, stitiching a Porcine from hip to neck with 14 rounds, reloading again.
About then, the rest of Cheerilee's squad arrived to our position. The flower girls, Vigilance, and Cheerilee herself. The lads and the rest of the girls were paired off, and taking out the last few entrenched positions.
The shooting died down, as we ran out of targets. I tried to stand, and found I couldn't.
K: "Ah, shit. CODY!" I called. Yes, Cody, now, not Doc.
Colgate: "Let me see." She stuck her hoof over the wound on my hip, feeling around. "..mmm, not good. Gonna.. gonna stuff that, hang on."
K: "How bad's the leak?" I looked at the others. "We need to get the babies back to the Landers! Prepare to move out!"
Dr. Allcome: "I'm here. Colgate?" He deferred to her - she, too, held a doctorate, but in dentistry.
Colgate: "Mmm.. I can feel the slug, I think it's close to the joint, grinding on his hip bone."
K: "It HURTS, is what!" It was starting to cut through my adrenaline.
Dr. Allcome: "Fast, then. Pretend it's a bad tooth." He was prepping sutures.
Colgate: "Hold still, K." She got one of her dental tools out, grasped hold of the round, and yanked it - and I could feel instant sensation return to my leg, and the pain lessened.
Dr. Allcome got in there fast, and tied off bleeders, while Colgate cotton-dabbed the wound to keep his vision clear. After a moment, they had me stitched back up.
Dr. Allcome: "The arm?" He nodded to it.
K: "Hand's all shakey, it's not working right, but it's not bad. I'm okay."
Cheerilee: "Everything's clear. We're ready to go." She nodded.
K: "Alright, let's move out for the Landers! Double-time!"
I got up - and with help from my dear pony wife - we made tracks back towards the landing boats. Besides me, some minor wounds had been sustained by some of the other Rangers - nothing combat-compromising. Once more, I wound up as the worst hurt.
No matter. The island would be ours, now.
Combat on the island lasted several more hours. I could hear it, even as I was forced to return to HMS Moonlight with Dr. Allcome so he could more properly patch my wounds. Forest Spirit and Sacquet had command on the ground, and by all accounts, handled themselves extremely well.
Even though our original plan had been completely changed because of the Dragon situation, the invasion went as smooth as it could have. I knew from Dr. Allcome and Commodore Sargasso Sea that casualties among the Equestrian Marines were light, with only fifteen wounded and one dead - digging in and having mortar support made all the difference, since the enemy sent most of its armor against our Marines, with only a few pieces going to the Watchtower beaches.
After a while, I would disembark again, and check in with Sacquet and the Prench forces ashore.. by the time I was ready, the shooting was all over.
[End of Part 4]
Part 5: Watchtower Beach
TIME: 11:33 NRWT
DATE: War Day 571/30 Decemus, 1003 C.S.
LOCATION: Watchtower Three Beach
I strode up with my command team, and on a crutch. The whole area was peaceful.. there were a lot of corpses. La Boche came up to me and nodded.
La Boche: "Marechal." He smirked. "Only three Fusiliers were killed, and twenty-five wounded." He looked back at the Fusiliers battalion, as they were cleaning up the area. "Enemy resistance stopped half an hour ago. We are consolidating positions."
La Selle: "Marechal!" She trotted up, with a slight limp - a bandage was over her left foreleg. "Wounded again. It seems, around you, a lady must earn her keep in blood!" She giggled.
Applejack: "Yew dun know th' half of it, sister!" She smirked - Toola never told her that La Selle had been gunning for me around my birthday.
K: "And Phillipe?" I raised my head a bit.
La Selle: "He is with the other officers. Eh.." She lowered her head. "Ensign Chastellux was killed, Marechal.." A small shrug. "..I am sorry."
K: "No, I'm the one that's sorry." I put my free hand on her shoulder. "She was a fine officer."
I moved over to the officer's area, and found Sacquet - also bandaged - conferring with the Marine officers present.
K: "Phillipe.. I'm sorry about Chastellux.." I shrugged. "..I saw you taking a liking to her." In the teacher-student sense, but I didn't have to say it.
Sacquet: "Ah.. Marechal." He shook his head. "She lost her life assaulting an enemy tank." He shrugged. "At the head of her troops."
K: "You know, you Prench officers have a bad habit of self-sacrifice." I smirked a little - gallows humor, remembering Brogard and LeFaucheaux.
Sacquet: "Ehh.. is a risk of the job, oui? Bravado is in our blood." He gave me a small smile. "And your mission?"
K: "We ended up rescuing the Queen-Goddess of Dragons, not just some random adult dragon, and 12 Dragon Whelps." I shrugged. "It was complicated."
Gorton: "Glad you made it. Looks like you got hurt, too." He paced up, and handed Sacquet a large sword. "The base commander's sword, Colonel."
Sacquet: "Send it to Louise's family.." He shook his head. "..let them know their daughter gave her life for all of Prance, for Neighpon, and for peace."
K: "Magnanimous gesture, old friend." I sat.
Sacquet: "I need no trophies, mon ami." He smirked back, then looked to Julienne.
I got the message.
K: "Ah-heh.. gotcha." I looked at her, and she was blushing.
Applejack tugged her aside to give her the business.
K: "Forest Spirit moved in on the base at zero-nine-fifty.. after the raid the Rangers did, there was almost no one left. Whoever was in charge, over there, sent almost every creature that could shoot, after us. They confirmed the Rangers scored 278 kills, and 3 armored vehicles." I nodded to him. "He'll be along shortly, so you can organize some teams to comb the island for any leftovers."
Sacquet: "Fantastique!" He beamed. "It seems, again, my command prowess equals yours." He said that so humbly.
K: "Phillipe, you and perhaps a few other ponies in this world have the ability to think like me - to hold their pony instincts in check long enough to accomplish the mission without distraction. Ever since Quirtbeck, I've seen you as my equal." I put a hand on his shoulder. "And my brother-in-arms."
Sacquet: "Ohhh.. K, you give me far too much credit.." He chuckled.
Gorton: "I agree with Marshal K." He narrowed his eyes. "I know ponies, from the perspective of an outsider. Most of them don't have the belly for a real fight to the death. Most. You're different. You don't just fight, Colonel, you command. Not many ponies have that ability unless they have a Mark for it." He snorted through his beak.
Gorcat: "Agree'n with uncle." He nodded. "I've been with K longer than you. I know how he thinks - he's sharp, he's tough.." He looked at me. "..and you're at least as good as him."
Cosmic: "I agree, too, Colonel." He nodded.
Rarity: "Yes, darling. When Her Highness said you should be the Marshal of Prance, I honestly wondered why you didn't take the title immediately!" She grinned.
Sacquet: "..thank you, mes amis." He smiled warmly.
With that, our campaign in Neighpon took form. The Prench Fusiliers Marins were blooded, they knew combat, and what it meant. The Ambleon, Germane, Prench, and Roaman fleets knew what combat meant, too, and how to do it - their respective commanders showing moxie and courage.
Next stop was the Capital of Neighpon.. Miaco, the Thousand Year Capital.
{End of Chapter 61}
