Chapter 118: East Indies Campaign V
Part 1: Jakarta Gold/OPERATION: Coffee Bean Pt. 2
TIME: 01:23 NCT
DATE: War Day 922/16 Decemus, 1004 C.S.
LOCATION: Jakarta, Dutch East Indies
I stepped out of the Goblin HQ, and started directing my Stick to set up defensive positions. The rest of the CAG was kinda spread out among other units, or, like Forest Spirit, acting in managerial roles.
I took a moment to check my ammo load as Rarity came up next to me.
Rarity: "Looking good, darling." She nodded, affirmatively. "Dusk is.. sure pulling his weight." She smiled, warmly.
K: "He sure is. His intel was spot on to the nose." I shrugged. "With any luck, the other teams are doing just as good as we are."
Lieutenant Biscuits Gravy came trotting up. They commanded 1st Rifle Platoon of 2nd Company of Marines. They brought with them the backup platoon, who had Elsie with them.
1LT Gravy: "General." She nodded. "Ink Romeo One is here to get your POW's."
K: "Inside. They're tied up. Watch the females until someone from CAG gets a chance to talk with them, but you can leave them uncuffed for now. Rest of 'em, keep them tied down." I instructed.
Elsie: "How's it going so far?" She asked, notepad out.
K: "Ahead of schedule, with fewer casualties than expected. We have 4 wounded in our Stick, none serious. We eliminated three companies of the enemy, and captured over 30 enemy prisoners." I relayed to her.
Rarity: "Elsie, darling.." She nodded to her a bit. "..I never got a chance to ask - why this?"
Elsie: "The people deserve the truth about the war and everything in it. There's some that don't think we need to be doing this, and others that think we're winning without a drop of blood being shed. Some need to understand the cost, some need to understand the purchase." She shrugged, but narrowed her eyes a bit. "As a reporter, that's my job." She wagged her pencil at Rarity. "AFTER the war.. I want to cover your fashion shows." She smirked. "Probably more action than we get here."
Rarity: "..with the right competition, things can get downright vicious, darling." She smirked.
I watched one of the Roaman destroyers slide up along the shore in the distance, and start laying its guns, turrets traversing and barrels being raised into position. I could just make out her smokestack markings through my binoculars.
Ah, the Carzano. I wondered if Linguine was still aboard.
K: C> "Alpha Actual to Carzano. Come in." I nodded affirmative to Gravy as she led the reserve formation to the prisoners.
MdB Ferraro: C> "Roger'a Alpha! Carzano here!"
K: C> "If Lieutenant Linguine is aboard, requesting his report on status and current requested fire mission."
MdB Ferraro: "Si, Generale. Un Momento!"
A moment later..
TC Linguine: C> "Tiente Comandante Linguine reporting, General!" He chirped happily. "Carzano, she'a my baby, now. Current status is responding to request'a for fire mission by Dog One-Four, three rounds smoke'a, coordinates Juliet Seven by Kilo One-One, and prepare for artillery strike. How'a copy?"
K: C> "First of all, she couldn't be in better hands, Linguine. Second, acknowledged fire mission request. Go right ahead. Alpha out."
Elsie: "What's up, K?" She tilted her head.
Rarity: "Lieutenant Commander Linguine was the nice officer in charge of the Carzano when I was marenapped in Mayaimi some time back." She smirked. "K used the ship to run my captors down."
K: "Mhm. Also, we're getting a call for an artillery fire mission." I motioned for AJ to collect the command team. C> "Alpha to Dog One-Four. Come back." I paused. And shrugged. C> "K to Blinda. What's going on?"
Blinda: C> "I'm with Dog One-Four! We're having a hard time, here! I'll get back to you!"
Forest Spirit: C> "Mike One to Alpha. We've got small pockets of fires everywhere. Most of it's being managed. Ink Romeo has taken positions outside of the city and are dug in, facing heavy resistance. I'm in the middle of retasking forces."
K: C> "Gotcha. K to Cheerilee, you on shore, yet?"
Cheerilee: C> "First Rangers - Callsign Ranger One - is on shore and waiting for task."
K: C> "Head to Ink Romeo's location. We'll join Blinda." I motioned for everyone to gather around. C> "K to Spirit. I'll handle Dog One-Four myself. Ranger One is enroute to Ink Romeo. Remember, the Legion's aboard the Roaman ships if we need 'em."
Forest Spirit: C> "Roger that. Thank you, Alpha. Mike, out."
Rose: "Wow. Sounds like a party we can't afford to miss." She nodded firmly. "All armed up, everyone's got full ammo. We're ready to go."
Toola Roola: "Absolutely." She nodded.
K: "NORFY! GET OVER HERE! WE NEED TO GO!" I called to the AAV.
Right about then, a golden coated stallion ran up to me. Green hair, and wearing a hat similar to AJ's.
Stallion: "Oi, mate! Is this where the war is?" He smirked, and nodded to Gaze, who was peeking out of the AAV's hatch.
Gaze: "Och! Another Ambler! Lidless Gaze. Fr'm Scotland, originally." He smirked.
K: "Yes.. ah.. this is where the war is. And whomst are you?" I chuckled a bit, at this rough-and-tumble stallion with, already, some streaks of dirt on him.
Golden: "Corporal Golden Wattle, suh." He came to attention, but did not salute. "Signals Platoon, 4th Company, East Yorkshire Regiment, 3rd Battalion, Ambleonian Royal Army."
K: "..w.. what the hell are you doing here?" He seemed to be a sharp lad, too.
Golden: "Came along with some friends of the family." He shrugged. "Didn't think the war'd be here."
K: "Get this stallion a rifle." I pointed, and Gaze handed off his own Grant.
Gaze: "Take good care'a her, mate." He smiled warmly.
K: "You just became my dedicated comspony. COZ!" I called into the AAV.
Cosmic slid out the back, and handed him the larger field radio.
Cosmic: "Cosmic Plane. And I'm glad to relieve myself of this." He nodded, also handing Golden a set of Equestrian webbed gear. "Here, you'll need this."
Golden: "Jes' li' that, eh?" He said, slipping it all on.
K: "Just like that. I find talent, I use talent." I nodded, as ponies started mounting the AAV. "Now, come on. We have friends in trouble."
Fluttershy: "Yes, we need to go-" She saw Golden and nodded. "-I'm Fluttershy." And smiled. "Come on." She motioned for him to get into the AAV. "All the prisoners are secure, K."
K: "Righto." I climbed up on top. "Let's go!"
[End of Part 1]
Part 2: Jakarta Front/OPERATION: Coffee Bean Pt. 3
TIME: 01:47 NCT
DATE: War Day 922/16 Decemus, 1004 C.S.
LOCATION: Jakarta, Dutch East Indies
We got to within a block of Dog One-Four's position, and dismounted. I pulled Golden close to me.
K: "Stay on my six at all times." I nodded to him.
Golden: "Aye, suh." He smirked.
K: "No hesitation." I nodded, and as Fluttershy was closest, I pulled her over. "You watch him." I pointed at Golden.
Fluttershy: "Of course, K!" She smiled sweetly.
K: "She's our team's combat medic, so, she usually sticks pretty close, too." I shrugged.
Dr. Allcome: "He gets hurt a lot." He moved out of the AAV and took position to the rear of our formation, toting his Ridgway-II.
Golden: "Oh, I've heard." He nodded a bit. "They tell stories, yanno? Soldiers talk."
K: "I know they do." I held my hand out for the mic, and he instantly had it in my palm. C> "Blinda, where are you?"
Blinda: C> "I see you. One building up and one left." She said, calmer now. "I just stuck a bed sheet through the window. Second floor left to you."
I looked up and I could see her. We all started advancing in that direction.
Blinda: "Advance to the RIGHT of the building, and be ready to shoot once you see the street." She called out the window once we were in range.
K: "Smoke's wearing off. What's in there?" I craned my neck up to ask.
Blinda: "Two AFV's, four companies with losses. One-Four and my Platoon are caught up, holding them from the front. Working around the right'll get you to a flanking position." She pointed casually.
K: "Gotcha." I motioned for everyone to follow me.
We slid around to the right side of the building, and right there, was one of the AFV's. It was kinda stuck where it was, with a part of a pillar jammed next to it.
Golden: *Quietly* "Ah could huck a Mills up in there, suh." He nodded to the turret.
A 'Mills' is the Ambelonian designation for a hoof grenade, named for its inventor, Grainy Mills. Officially, "Hoof Bomb, Fragmentation, Mark I, Mills."
So.. I passed him one of my grenades. At this angle, even Dusty would need to bank-shot a Gavin grenade. I even looked at her, and she shook her head, nodding to Golden, like, 'Give it a shot.'
K: "On my go." I nodded, also talking quiet. "Rarity, Dusk, Sunset, first floor of this building, get ready. Dusty, AJ, Rose, second floor. Golden, you and Flutters right here. Slapshot, Dash, Toola, to my left, right by the notch in the wall." I looked at Golden. "Alright, you. We're on your go." I gave him a warm smile.
Golden: "Natch." He hefted the Equestrian Grenade in his hoof, slipping off the safety, bit the safety handle in his mouth, and snapped it open. "OI CUNTS!" He bellowed, then hoof-chucked it in a parabolic arc and landed it right in the hatch.
It exploded, and all my team popped up from their hidden posiitons, and started shooting. I climbed a bit up the AFV, and used that as cover. Golden was below and to my left. Flutters squeezed over to my right.
We caught the enemy force in a crossfire between us and Blinda's team. We didn't need to move, much, as the enemy all had lighter weapons, but taking out the first AFV allowed Blinda's team to score the second with a Funston.
The shooting lasted a good five minutes, and after the initial mag dumps, degenerated into one side or the other carefully picking shots here and there.
Dusk: "GOT THE LAST ONE, K!" He called out.
Sunset: "YEAH, KAY! WE'RE GOOD!" She joined in.
K: "You good down there, Golden?" I looked down, and got a hoof's up from him.
Golden: "Fair." He smirked broadly, and handed me the Mic that I was about to ask for, as my team regrouped.
K: C> "Blinda? How's it looking?"
Blinda: C> "We're good. This objective is secure. I'm sending in my troops to the little square, there, now, to make sure."
K: C> "Alpha to Mike One. Report status."
Forest Spirit: C> "Status is good. All objectives inside the city are Condition Green. Enemy force outside of the city is starting to taper off, thanks to Ranger One. The city should be ours - we can move to Phase 2, sweep and clear any stragglers."
K: "Roger. CAG is moving to Ranger One's position." I motioned to the AAV. "Everyone aboard." I nodded to Golden. "Anyone else want to join up?" I smirked.
Golden: "Weeeelllll..." He led in, shrugging a bit. "..I gotta mate that might. 'E's from Ironland." And smirked. "Met'm 'round here. Oughtta be 'round somewhere. Gimme a minnit?"
K: "I'll go with." I gestured for Norfy's rifle.
AJ: "Ah'm comin', too." She smirked.
Dusk: "Count me in." He nodded.
Rarity: "..and I know I can't let you go anywhere without me." She shrugged.
Fluttershy: "You told me to watch over him." She nodded to Golden, firmly.
K: "Fine. Let's hurry." I motioned, and off we went.
Golden: "Ah'met'im while I was in Jakarta. Once'a invasion happened, all'a us foreingers, we got the idea, maybe we outta help. 'Specially us wi' militahry tray'nin." He said.
K: "And he has some?" I asked, following, as we cut through an alley.
Golden: "Oi! Shure does. Royal Ironish Regiment." He beamed a cheeky grin. "Lad's a scout! Bloody good shot, too. Bit'u'va tall poppy.. you'll see. OI! BROKEN! YE 'ROUND HERE, MATE?!" He said, finally leaning into a small building.
Pastrami: "Oh!" He came trotting out. "Oh, hey 'dere, General. Didn't know youse was rounding up the foreign talent." He patted Golden's shoulder.
K: "Just allied military. Where's this Broken fellow?" I shrugged.
Pastrami: "Spanner! Go get 'da Ironish fella." He gestured and off she took.
I should mention, I knew who Silver Spanner was, already. I'd met her in Manehattan four years ago. Once. It's hard to forget cutie marks, though. After a moment, she came back with a Pegasus stallion, with a warm smile, and slightly rectangular glasses.
Broken Dawn: "Corporal of the Ironish Guards, Broken Dawn, suh'r." He nodded a little sheepishly towards me. "3rd Company, Scouts." He shrugged a bit.
K: "Fall in, soldier. As Supreme Allied Commander of NEIGHTO, I need every pony I can get." I handed him Norfy's Grant. "Here. Murder presents." And a bandolier of magazines.
Broken Dawn: "Aye-suh'r." He nodded sharply, and smiled.
K: "Golden says you're.. a tall poppy." I knew that meant 'successful' in some way.
Broken Dawn: "Used t'be an assistant pr'fesster at Queen's College, in Londinium, suh'r." He got the gear on, and nodded. "Whi' way?"
K: "Come on, we're heading to Ranger One's position." I gestured.
Pastrami: "Nah, take 'da tunnel under us. Git'cha there faster." He gestured.
K: "Right, then." I nodded to Golden.
Golden: "Thi' is Alpha. We're headin' to Ranger One's poz. Actual says CAG to go on ahead, we'll meet'cha there!" He gave me a tilted head like, was that correct?
K: "Perfect. Come on." I led the way to the tunnel. "So, Pastrami, most of the fighting's over. Just keep your head down.. and your path STRAIGHT from now on. And as I promised, once I get back to Equestria, a full Pardon is yours."
Pastrami: "Be nice'ta go back'n see my pops." He smirked. "Glad'ta help, General."
K: "Glad you did, Pastrami. Any other foreign forces, send them to the beach head." I nodded. "Let's go, team."
So, we started up the tunnelway..
Applejack: "Ah'm Applejack!" She nodded to Broken. "K's mah stallion." She smiled with a blush.
Broken: "Aye? Noice. I herd tha' one'a the Elements married the General.." He shrugged a little, hovering a bit off the ground. "..brings ta'e mind somethin' from Sire Schatam, th' Northumbrian Philosopher. Aboot fren'ship. It bein' a state'a flux.. ahh.." He cleared his throat. "Frien'ship bein' a fluxuous nature, that which cannot be defined as a material object, but a substance'a value an' a precious treasure, needn't be anchored between only ponies. Indeed, as our Ancient Ones one held, all can try be friends.. but can all define frien'ship?" He blinked. "Er.."
K: "It's fine, Broke." I nodded.
Rarity: "Whatever did he mean, Broke?" She tilted her head at him. "Rarity Belle." And nodded. "This is Dusk Seeker."
Dusk: "Nice to meet you." He smirked. "I hope you fight as hard as you think."
Broken: "Aye, suh'r." He nodded to him. "An' I thinkin' he meant'at we can tryin' be friends wi' everyone.. but not everyone gits the idea o' bein' friends."
K: "Sometimes, you can't be, because they don't want it, or understand it." I turned to him. "Tirek is against friendship and peaceful alliance. He understands and desires only power."
Applejack: "S'hore'nuff." She nodded firmly. "An' jes'cuz some don't understand it now, don't mean they cain't later." She smiled.
Broken: "O-Oh!" He blushed a bit. "I didn't realize.. uh.. everyone'd have an'a'pinion."
K: "Intelligence leads to understanding. Lots of people think AJ's not the smartest.. they'd be wrong." I smirked. "My wife is VERY smart.. she even has this cute outfit-"
Applejack: "Aw, hesh!" She gave me a light thump with her tail. "That'thar's private!" She blushed.
Everyone had a bit of a chuckle.
K: "..which is nothing on what Rarity has in-"
Rarity: "DARLING!" She hissed. "Please!" She struck a haughty pose.
I didn't see it, but Dusk Seeker actually.. had the same damn look on his face that Sunshine had, when I was forced to kiss Cadence to prove a point, or the same look Flash had, when I reminded Twilight of what her and I had done..
..funny, that, eh?
Fluttershy: "I'm positive most of Tirek's monsters can be defeated with friendship, though." She spoke up. "Why, with all these good friends? We can't possibly lose! Right?" She ducked just a bit.
K: "We're giving it our best." I nodded.
Golden: "Fair do." He nodded. "Naw.. yeah.. we got this, mates." He was a bit.. cocky.
Dusk: "You are aware you could.. die in battle.. right?" He tilted his head, probing him.
Golden: "Strewth?" He lowered his head a bit. "Dyin' fer princess'n country.. to save me friends?" He shrugged, casually. "Don't be a drongo, mate. We supposed'ta make the other bloke dead.." And looked away. "..but, there's worse things to die for."
Up ahead was the exit to the area outside of town - true enough, it was close to Ranger One's position, as Cheerilee was right ahead of us.
Cheerilee: "Oh, there you are! Come on! I was using the entrance as a safe point for my comms." She smiled. "New friends?"
K: "Damn straight." I nodded. "Major, this is Dusk, Golden and Broken."
And as I always say, friendship is magic.
[End of Part 2]
Part 3: Jakarta Wall/OPERATION: Coffee Bean, Pt. 4
TIME: 02:26 NCT
DATE: War Day 922/16 Decemus, 1004 C.S.
LOCATION: Jakarta, Dutch East Indies
Cheerilee, now commanding the 1st Royal Ranger Regiment in its entirety, had her entire force landed, and in position just outside the city limits. The QRF forces of the enemy, positioned between Jakarta and Surabaya, had slammed into a wall of Funstons, Brownings, and rifles manned by them, and the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment.
Blinda had called up already, she was passing command of the sweep-and-clear operation to Webley, so she could retask the rest of the 1st Marine Regiment to the city edge.
There was a reason..
Dusk Seeker: "..and if I recall Neighpon, Tirek has a habit of counter-attacking recently captured land with the majority of his remaining forces." He nodded to me.
K: "Very good, Dusk." I patted his shoulder. "That's exactly what we need to prepare for. Fortunately, the geography isn't quite like Earth, and Jakarta is on the edge of a peninsula, with a narrow-ish approach about 62 kilometers wide. The majority of that, to the south, is an impassible jungle." I nodded in that direction. "We have only a narrow spit of solid ground 8 kilometers wide to worry about. They can outflank the city by going to the south of that, but we're landing the rest of 2nd Battalion now."
We had brought three Haltimer County-class Landing Ships, and the warships themselves were packed with troops, plus two of the older converted cargo vessels, for a total of one Brigade plus an extra two Regiments of support troops, for a total of 4,000 Equestrian soldiers.
The Roamans had brought the entire Castrum Pedites Marum - the "Marines" Legion, which itself was a full Brigade formation of 3,240 soldiers, along with their own support units, for another 4,000 troops.
In about a week, when the Dutch troops were ready, we'd have three more Dutch Regiments for a full Dutch Marine Battalion of 1080, and two companies of Colonial Infantry for another 240 troops.
Add to that what Emperor no Ken brought - a full Brigade (1st Brigade, Western Army Group of the Neighponese Imperial Army, an elite formation) plus supporting land-based artillery.
That's a full division and change. Plus three fleets, with a total of three Aircraft Carriers, three Fast Battleships, two Battlecruisers, seven Heavy Cruisers, twelve Light Cruisers, thirteen Destroyers, six frigates, and four Submarines.
By all accounts, that would put us at about 1:1 odds with Tirek's remaining forces, on paper, before any reinforcements. And if I was right, his reinforcements would take 10 days.. mine would take about 15.
Broken: "..and given all that fiahpower, best thing he could try is a direct surgical strike on the landing.. beaches.." He looked towards the jungle. "..oh, bloody Tartarus."
Golden: "Cheers, mate." He smirked. "We got this."
K: "Rarity?" I shrugged.
Rarity: "The one advantage, gentlecolts, that we have is superior weapons, tactics, and combat experience." She nodded, confidently. "So long as our dear General commands with his usual aplomb - or failing that, Forest Spirit or Tankette Blinda, or even Emperor no Ken himself - we shall be the victors."
Fluttershy: "Really, the only question there is.." She shrunk back a tad. "..is how many ponies get hurt in the process." She nodded. "But, we can win. And we can save these deer and ponies from being eaten or worse."
Golden: "Worse..?" He was about to look over to her and ask what 'worse' was, when a sniper shot whizzed about an inch over his head and hit the tree behind him. "DOWN! CHECK YER HORSESHOES!"
We all hit the deck. I smirked - "tie your laces" is British Commonwealth military slang for ducking. It made sense it got replaced, here, with something else.
Broken: "GEEZE! That were a couple centimeters over yer head!" He hissed.
Cheerilee: "K?" She nodded to me and nodded to where the shot came from.
K: "Rarity. Take it." I pointed.
Rarity: "Dusk?" She nodded ahead. "I was bait last time this happened. Your turn." She smiled at him a bit.
Dusk: "...roger that. You better not let my flank get shot off, though." He snorted a bit.
K: "I trust her." I nodded.
Rarity: "To my left, gallop to the tree with the red fruit hanging off it." She readied her Spencer.
Dusk: "Ready." He nodded, getting his over his shoulder, and getting his Dager out, levitating it.
Rarity: "Go." She nodded, and as he took off, she eased above the sandbag barricade, just a tiny bit. When she saw the scope move in the moonlight and glint, she whipped up all the way, and fired.. then paused. "DUSK HIT THE DIRT AND DON'T MOVE!"
Dusk: "RIGHT!" He splayed out on the ground and froze.
K: "What IS it, Rarity?!" I called over to her.
Rarity: "K, the rifle.. is aiming itself.. it's alive. I hit the scope, it's blind, but.." She looked back through the scope, and fired off two more shots. "..there, I hit the action, and the magazine. I think I crippled it, but it might still be able to fire another shot."
K: "BEEZEN!" I hissed... okay, reminder? Not everything in this world is a pure military solution.. sometimes there's magic involved. "Range?"
Rarity: "..one fifty." She nodded. "East north east, log next to a green rock, up from a dip in the ground with a black bolulder in it."
K: "Dusty. Drop an egg on that." I nodded to her.
Dusty: "You got it." She smirked and crawled forwards. "Rarity?"
Rarity leaned over and adjusted Dusty with hoof and magic, so all she'd have to do is pop up, aim almost straight, and fire. Dusty set her grenade sight ladder to 150 meters.. and when she was ready, she did just that, eye down the grenade sight, she heaved over, lined it up in a blink, and fired, then ducked down. The explosion came a moment later.
Rarity: "..er, the rifle is very dead, K. It spun around, and flopped on the ground a few times. Very melodramatic." She sniffed.
But, in many cases, even when facing magic, Science will Fuck You.
K: "Dusk, get back here!" I hissed. "Sentient weapons, now?!" I grunted.
Applejack: "This Beezen's shure a slippery snake!" She hissed as well.
K: "I'm betting his animation magic is behind this." I nodded firmly.. then lowered my head. "Alright, he can't be THAT far away. I know his magic has a specific range. Not sure WHAT, but I know it's ranged." I looked back over my team. "Me, AJ, Dusty, Rarity, Dusk, Sunset."
Sunset: "What's up, Kay?" She tilted her head at me.
K: "We're going to assassinate him. Rarity and Dusk if we can do it with guns, you and me if we can't." I nodded.
Dusty: "Makes sense." She shrugged. "Alright, I'm game!" She nodded.
Golden: "Wha'bout us?" He up-nodded to me, then side-nodded to Broken.
K: "You're too inexperienced." I shrugged. "Besides, you just saw how to take these down - I need you here."
Fluttershy: "Experience is important and you don't gain any if you're.. dead." She protectively guided them both to a better position. "I'll watch the rookies, K."
K: "Alright.. let's go. Cheerilee, you're in charge here until relieved by Blinda. Let her know what's up." I motioned, and off we went.
Well, this is certainly a new wrinkle. Though, if we can get Beezen off the field, we can just about liberate the rest of the East Indies without much trouble, I figured. Without their Big Bosses, Tirek's hordes tended to fall apart for want of good leadership.
And now, we had more friends to do it with!
[End of Part 3]
Part 4: Shelled Shock/OPERATION: Coffee Bean, Pt. 5
TIME: 03:06 NCT
DATE: War Day 922/16 Decemus, 1004 C.S.
LOCATION: East of Jakarta, Dutch East Indies
We were deep in the jungle after barely 12 meters from the lines. And it was THICK JUNGLE, too. Like, we instantly felt we were no longer in 'civilization' by any means. As with the rest of the planet Equus, the East Indies were scaled down, smaller, but still had most of the things one would see on Earth.
Picking up Beezen's trail, though, was easy. This guy was not trying to hide very well.
Dusty: "He's leaving a heck of a trail." She examined the tracks. "AJ, Dusk, this look right to you? Or you thinkin' Ambush?"
Dusk: "Ambush." He nodded, with a cocked brow. "Not bad."
AJ: "Ah'm in agreem'nt." She nodded to Dusk, with a smile. "Yeah, Dusty's a Gendarmes SWAT from Las Pegasus - jungle might not be her thang, but she knows trackin' real good."
Dusk: "You DO keep talented company." He smiled just a tiny bit. "I'll have to stay real keen."
Rarity: "Thank you, Darling." She flicked her hair back. "We've been at this for a while." And shrugged. "It's been.. what? Two and a half years since Canterlot? And that was eight months after Lonehoof Ridge."
Dusty: "I've been with K since before his wedding." She smiled a bit. "Over a year, now." And shrugged. "Without him, I never would've found my Special Talent." Then grinned. "It's a sheriff's star with crossed rifles." Referring to her Cutie Mark.
AJ: "Mm." She slid up by Dusty. "She been right neighborly, too." And cocked a brow.
Well, I did endorse this.
Dusk: "Seems your off-battlefield duties are as pressing as your in-the-field ones, K." He couldn't help but give a tiny smirk.
K: "Indeed." I nodded with a grin, and got back to the matter at hand. "Let's.. slide off to one side a bit." I motioned.
Dusk: "Over here. Undisturbed ground." He nodded, taking second place to Dusty.
We proceeded somewhat parallel to the path Beezen had left, all of us thinking it was an ambush, as he was being so obvious. I could see Rarity admiring Dusk's plot - no two ways about that. He was displaying Alpha qualities, and she was.. somehow.. receptive and recognizing them. I couldn't tell in what way, though. Idle fantasy? Something more? Oh, well.
We got about another 30 meters.
Then, the Jungle started to.. look different.
K: "STOP! Stop stop stop.." I held my fist up. "Back up! Straight back! Follow your path perfectly." I waited for everyone, and followed.
Dusk: "Ah-huh.. that didn't look right at all." He frowned.
K: "I bet it was animated. We just didn't get close enough to the trap point. Hero Mistake." I nodded.
Dusk: "Hero Mistake?" He tilted his head a bit.
Rarity: "Indeed, darling." She stepped ahead, and sighted through her scope. "Hero Mistakes are what our dear General K has called things that we might do, that seem like common sense, but we don't think of, at the time." She examined the area ahead. "I do not think Mango fruits can eat mice, normally, K." She frowned.
K: "They can't." I said, frowning.
Applejack: "E'yup." She nodded, and stepped forwards to examine the 'normal' plants. "Mah husband's written a whole guide on 'em. Required readin' for anyone in CAG."
Dusk: "Huh." He nodded. "I'll have to learn on the job."
Rarity: "Oh, fear not, darling. Everyone does, eventually." She smirked and looked at me. "What next, K?"
K: "Long detour. Other side, and try and follow the path as best we can." I shrugged.
Dusty: "Sounds right." She nodded.
K: "Roughly, Dusk, where does this road lead?" I nodded ahead.
Dusk: "There's a town a bit down a'ways.. Cianjur. About three thousand Deer, Dutch trading post, hotel.." He looked down, then back at me. "..oh, yeah, and some ruins nopony goes near."
Everyone gave him a look. Rarity and Dusty both sighed.
Dusk: "Oh.. kay." He blinked and thought a moment. "Yeah, okay, Beezen is in the ruins, isn't he? Or, at least it's very likely."
Rarity: "Exactly, darling. You're learning fast!" She struck a bit of a pose with a grin. "Methinks.." She nodded to me. "..the best course of action is to simply go straight to the ruins."
Dusk: "Alright, then we cut across here and head for that small rise that way about 100 meters. There's a trail along the spine of it, and it should have a natural spring turned into a fountain right there on the trail path. We go straight ahead from there, we get to the ruins." He nodded firmly.
K: "That's our plan, then - straight to the ruins. Dusk, point. I'm right behind you." I pointed to the others to take positions in the stack, and we moved.
Advancing through the jungle, now, was a lot easier. We weren't playing by Beezen's rules. Which was the point of my entire approach to this war from the start. The enemy wanted and expected us to do things a certain way.
I would not do things this way.
We got to the rise, and scaled it easily. Once up there, we found the fountain. We all got a quick drink, just because it was a good idea. And since it wasn't "animated" in any way..
Dusk: "..but, it could be poisoned." He nodded as I slurped.
K: "Nah." I wiped my mouth with the back of my sleeve. "Number one, that's not Beezen's gimmick. Number two, Tirek wouldn't want a resource ruined." I nodded in the direction of the ruins. "Tirek is all about gathering more resources to exploit. He has a lot of things cooking - some we know, some we don't. He'll brute force ravage every territory he gets to gather more resources. We're more careful, more respectful to nature." I shrugged. "Anyway. In almost every case - unless there's an unseen element at play - you can expect the bad guys to do exactly what they're built to do, and nothing more. This is just how things work. BUT! Good on you for being cautious."
Dusk: "Hm..!" He nodded with a tiny grin. "I get it."
K: "Alright, is there any good concealment or cover coming up to the ruins?" I gestured a bit.
Dusk: "Thick foliage until you get to the last.. oh.. 10 or so meters before the ruins. They used to have a very intricate paved stone area around the ruins, and that inhibited plant growth." He shrugged just a bit.
K: "Alright. Let's go." I nodded towards them, and started moving.
Dusk was right. There was plenty of thick foliage around the ruins. And we were able to creep in REAL close. Given how much experience we all had, this was old hat. One small team in the middle of the jungle, creeping close to an enemy encampment at a fixed structure.
Beezen had set up his headquarters in the front of the gigantic ruins complex and open front hallway of the ruins themselves. His security procedures were minimal at best. Some Raptorian foot soldiers wandering around. Nothing big. No entrenched positions, no fixed machine guns. Heck, no Triple-A, either. It would be a cinch to kill him in an air strike if I wanted.
Ah, there he was. The mad wizard himself. He had a couple huge books in his hands, and his wand was sheathed at his side.
He was issuing orders, too. It seemed he had several of those better evolved, proper Porcina with him, as well as several Goblin officers, and a bodyguard detachment of Gizmonks.
And, troublingly, a group of Ympha scientists. Something was up, here. It looked like they were investigating the ruins for some reason.. but, it's not like Ympha might know the local legends and stories. They should have some kind of local expert here - that would track with their standard procedures, typical Bad Guy Actions.
Usually, they hired some local hot shot. I didn't SEE one, though.
K: "Dusk? Anything there, that I might want to know about? Silly legends? Old sto-"
Mare: "GET YOUR HOOVES AND PAWS OFF OF ME!!"
Rarity: "Oh, dear..! We have a hostage situation." She settled in, and started picking her targets.
Dusk did likewise, without a sound.
AJ: "Ah k'n see her.." She blinked and lowered her binoculars. "..ah dun believe it! It's..!"
K: "What is it, AJ?" I looked at her, concerned.
Rarity: "Darling, I don't.. believe it!"
Dusk: "That's impossible!"
I grabbed my binoculars to have a look myself. And, no, I didn't believe my eyes, either.
[End of Part 4]
Part 5: An Act of Daring/OPERATION: Coffee Bean, Pt. 6
TIME: 03:35 NCT
DATE: War Day 922/16 Decemus, 1004 C.S.
LOCATION: East of Jakarta, Dutch East Indies
Applejack: "That's Daring DO!" She hissed.
Rarity: "Indeed. And they ARE holding her hostage, darling." She leaned a bit more into her rifle.
Dusk: "This is going to mess up our assassination plans. That VIP being out there." He snorted. "And if these 'Hero Rules' mean anything, he's got her for a reason.. a reason we need to know, as it's probably baaad news for us."
Dusty: "Yer catchin' on real good, Dusk." She smirked, shrugged, and looked at me. "Options?"
K: "I need Rainbow Dash." I nodded.
Applejack: "Ah'm on it." She grabbed the radio. C> "Alpha Leader to Alpha Four. Dash, you there?"
Golden: C> "One sec, mate! We got some comp'ny!"
K: "Figures." I shrugged.
Rainbow Dash: C> "Yeah?! This better be important!"
Applejack: "We need'yas pronto! Grab a couple more. Head straight in along the trail about five hund'erd meters, then head south-west over a ridge, past a fountain, an' infiltrate the bush 200 meters past that. We need'yer fast wings. An' hurry!" She hissed.
Rainbow Dash: C> "Oh, yeah! I knew you couldn't do without my awesome skills. Be right there!"
It took her and her two helpers about twenty minutes. In that time, we watched as Daring Do was chained up, stuffed in a cage, and stripped of her Earp revolver, whip, and musette bag. She'd also had a machete on her - likely to cut through the jungle. The Ympha Scientists were going through the stuff in her bag. One of them caught my attention.
This Ympha was larger than the others. He dressed in a black suit, with a white shirt, black-and-red tie, what could only be described as a black fedora, and a black trench coat.
He also had a large pin on his lapel that looked like a stylized version of Tirek's horns.
Daring Do: "Earnless Trot! I should've known." She hissed at him.
Trot: "Ahh.. we meet again, Daring Do." He stepped up to the cage, and cocked his head at her. "Great Tirek will be most pleased you worked most of those puzzles for us.. the treasure is worth a great deal to him.. but you already know that."
A pony with grey hair, thick build, a small scar on his cheek, and wearing a seersucker suit stepped over to the cage as well.
Daring Do: "Bellend!" She spat.
Beloit: "That's.. BELOIT!.. Daring." He glared at her. "An' zu have been captured, I see? Shame, I sink ziss will be our last meeting." He smirked, then.
Prench accent..
..wait a second. Trot? Beloit? Oh, no. This was.. I was literally watching a live replay of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Great.
Rainbow Dash slid in next to us with.. Golden and Broken.
K: "These two?" I harshly whispered at her.
Dash: "They INSISTED!" She hissed back, then had a look at what we were seeing. "HOLY HAY BALES, THAT'S DARING!" She whisper-shouted.
K: "No kidding. Now, listen, I have a plan, but it's going to call for some very precise timing." I looked at Golden and Broken. "You two better be at your absolute A-Game."
Golden: "Naw problem, mate!" He beamed a grin.
Broken: "Nat-cher-ly." He bowed his head a bit.
Rainbow Dash: "I'll watch'em. Fluttershy was a bit busy. Beezen sent up his forces from Surabaya. You know, just like you predicted?" She smirked a bit and gave me a gentle hoof push. "Where do you need me?"
K: "Simple. You're going to rescue Daring. Golden? Broken? You're her cover. If someone's going to take a shot at her, shoot them first. Got it?" I laid this out for them.
Golden: "Naw worries, mate." He nodded.
Broken: "Aye. We got thi's." He nodded confidently, checking his Grant again.
K: "Alright. While you do that, Rarity, Dusk and I are going to infiltrate to the left and take a shot at Beezen. Sunset?" I looked to her.
Sunset: "Yeah, Kay?" She raised her head a bit.
K: "If the shot fails, you, AJ, and Dusty come on in the center and raise Cain. Then you and I go for Beezen with magic while everyone else suppresses the enemy." I looked betweeen them.
Applejack: "Yew got it, honeybun." She patted Dusty on the shoulder.
Dusty: "Yeah." She beamed a grin. "Ready."
K: "Alright. Dash, your signal to go will be the rifle shot for Beezen. You hear that, you get Daring Do and get her out of there. Got it?" I nodded to her.
Dash: "You bet, K!" She puffed herself up. "Time to show Daring Do, how awesome I really am." And she grinned, mischeviously. "You know how they say never meet your heroes?" She nodded to Daring Do. "I'm gonna show her real heroes."
K: "Throttle back a bit, Dash." I patted her between the wings. "Focus." I nodded to Broken and Golden. "You'll do fine." And then to Rarity and Dusk. "Let's go."
Dusk, Rarity, and I moved off. It wasn't hard to get a good position, the foliage was so thick.
K: "Dusk, no offense, but I know Rarity's skills. Rares, you get first shot. Dusk, you follow up. His internal organs are like mine." I nodded to them.
Dusk: "None taken." He nodded back to me. "You want the head or the heart?"
Rarity: "Head, darling. I'll be going for the T-Zone." She made some final fidgets with her rifle. "You get the heart."
Dusk: "Roger." He looked at me. "Which side?"
I thought about that one for a moment. About Beezen, what he represented, and so on.
K: "..right side. I'm going to bet my bottom dollar his organs are mirrored to mine." I shrugged a tad. "I have my reasons. I'll cover both of you from his Goon Squad. Rarity, on you."
I prepped the Gavin Grenade Launcher, and set my range. Linign up my sights for the rough middle of where his Gizmonks were. I felt Dusk and Rarity both take position on either side of me.. and grow still at the same moments.. their breathing in synch with each other.
I didn't see it, but they both cast side eyes to one another.
*CRACK!*-*CRACK!*
Both shots fired at almost the same instant. I fired my Gavin grenade, shucked the chamber open, and had a second on its way before the first one landed, then shouldered the Grant and started firing at Gizmonks.
Rarity: "HE'S DOWN! BUT HE IS ALIVE!" She reported.
Dusk: "That one pony is pulling him to safety!" He yelled. "ENGAGING TEE-OH-OH!"
I heard both of them start firing rapidly, as I changed magazines. I looked up as Dash skidded to a stop by Daring Do's cage. Trot got to her at the same moment, and tried grabbing her. She did a cartwheel double kick to his face, hovered at the last second, and punched him jsut above the belt line so hard, using her limited Pegasi weather control ability to focus a tight low pressure at her hoofpoint, that he FIRED across the courtyard and slammed into several crates.
She then whipped out her Dager pistol, shot the lock off, kicked the table over, and sent Daring's weapons into the air. Daring caught her revolver and immediately put three rounds into three Raptorians.
Time for me. I dropped my rifle to its sling, and charged forwards with the Sword of Rainbow's Light out. Sunset, AJ, and Dusty came charging from the left, mowing down the opposition. Sunset and I met in the middle, and charged up the stairs.
What I did NOT expect was to have Daring Do AND Dash on our heels.
Daring Do: "HE'S HEADED FOR THE CEREMONIAL CHAMBER!" She yelled.
K: "That's BAD, isn't it?!" I called back.
Daring Do: "YOU HAVE NO IDEA!" She was almost running ahead of me.
I managed to get the sword back in its sheath without stabbling myself, while running, and re-transitioned back to my rifle. Flicking the empty mag out, I got a fresh one in, AND got the Gavin reloaded with a new shell.
We got to the Chamber just as a HUGE stone door slid down and blocked it.
K: "Fuck." I cursed.
Daring Do: "We can't let Beloit-"
K: "I get it, I get it." C> "Alpha Actual to all callsigns, I need air support RIGHT NOW!" I nodded to Sunset. "Purple Flare." And reached for my headset again. C> "Alpha, on me, we got Trouble with a Capital T!"
Applejack: C> "Courtyard's clear, honeybun, we's comin'!"
Tanuki Three: C> "Genarar! Dis is Tanuki Three! I got two bombs! Wherr you want de eggs?!"
K: C> "Tanuki Three, Alpha, purple smoke flare. Aim for the giant stone door." I motioned for everyone to take cover, and found some ditch to dive into. "One point five klicks south of Jakarta South Front Lines! ETA?!"
Tanuki Three: C> "ETA is fifteen seconds! Watch your heads!"
Dash: "AIR STRIKE! AIR STRIKE! INCOMING! GET DOWN~!" She pushed Daring Do to the ground next to me.
Everyone got to our position, and got down. I watched as a F2 Kitsune came in to our AO, and arced over, seeing the smoke. He had two 255kg bombs, and he dropped both of them RIGHT on the doors. They exploded, and the doors were reduced to rubble.
K: "GOGOGO!" I got up just as the explosions ended, and charged into the Temple. "Daring! Which way?!" As there were three hallways.
Daring Do: "Over here!" She pointed and took to the air a bit.
We followed behind her, and noted there were a LOT of broken and defeated traps ALL OVER the place. She led us down a hallway, and I could hear chanting.
That was bad.
As we got to the chamber, I could see the markings on the ground, and I knew immediately what was going on here.
K: "HE'S SUMMONING EREBUS!!!" I screamed. "STOP HIM!!"
Beezen raised his arms and ignored us as we approached. Just as he was about to finish his incantation, though, his head developed a MASSIVE hole..
..and I felt Dusk push me aside as he fired.
Beloit: "AH! But, you're too late!" He said, pressing his hoof to the dias they were in front of.
Trot: "NOW YOU WILL SEE TIREK'S MIGHT!" He yelled at us.
The Dias opened up, and as soon as it did, I saw both Beloit and Trot immediately regret their decisions. A tendril snaked up from the pit, and grabbed them by the throat...
They screamed. Unearthly screams.
I watched them sieze up, then wither away as though everything was drained from them but their skin. And then, thier Shadows were pulled away from them, sucked down into the hole in the large Dias.
They fell over.
Dead.
Erebus had awoken.
{End of Chapter 118}
