Ossyan gasped as he woke up from his coma. He jumped up as he began to remember what happened, the bugs, fighting to get them off, passing out, then nothing. He ran over to Firepot "Fire?" When he didn't get an answer he started shaking him "Fire? Firepot!" He pressed his ear against the stallion's chest "Still breathing. Alright" With that reassurance, he began to check on the rest of his platoon. They were all breathing, but none would wake up. "Hold tight, I'm going to get you all out of here" He promised

Ossyan took the radio from one of the comatose Rangers and turned it on, beginning to scroll through the wavelengths "Hello? This is Commander Ossyan Metalsmith, calling out to any gunships in the area. My platoon is down and I need an evac. Repeat, this is Ossyan Metalsmith, calling out to any gunships in the area. My platoon is down and I need an evac" he repeated into the radio several times. When he began to think he had used up all his luck by waking up, another voice came over the radio. It was staticy and broken, but it was a pony's voice... No, an elf's. It was far too smooth to belong to a pony

"Commander Metalsmith, this is Areyth command. Can you recall what happened to your platoon?"

"We were swarmed by these weird bugs" Ossyan said, not understanding why it was important

"Were you swarmed by those insects?" the elf asked

"Yeah, though I don't understand why this is important" Ossyan looked around nervously. The longer he was here, the greater chance those creatures had of finding him and his soldiers

"You survived? Ok, we're sending a rescue right now" the elf responded, to which Ossyan gave out a sigh of relief "Be prepared to leave in ten minutes"

"Thank you" Ossyan nodded thankfully before he looked back to his still comatose platoon "I'll get you out of here"

Within ten minutes, an Iosan VTOL aircraft flew down, opening it's side door for Ossyan. Several Iosan Colonial Marines came out, aiming their rifles at the Commander

"Stand down,I'm alright. I just need help getting my troops on" Ossyan said calmly to the Marines

"We can't allow that sir. It's just you coming, we can't risk bringing them along" one of the Marines shook his head, the unit's guns swinging towards the bodies "This is a kindness sir"

"No, don't!" Ossyan shouted

The marines opened fire, peppering the Ranger's bodies with rapid plasma blasts. Ossyan tried to stop at least one of them, slamming his steel capped hoof into one of them before the rest restrained him

"Sir, calm down! We'll explain everything in the Areyth" another Marine grunted before one slammed his rifle butt into Ossyan's face, knocking the commander unconscious. The Marines carried his limp body into the VTOL before it took off.

Ossyan snapped awake inside the med lab inside the Areyth. He was surrounded by Elf researchers and doctors, all whispering in elvis, of which Ossyan spoke fluently

"How can he be awake, he should be in a coma by now"

"I think he's awake"

"Look at his eyes"

"What's going on?" Ossyan sat up, holding a hoof to his black eye "And where's the dead elf that hit me?"

"Commander, do try to relax" a doctor told Ossyan, who pushed him out of the way as he got up

"Commander, you shouldn't be up yet, we're still trying to examine you" another doctor said nervously

"Examine me for what!" Ossyan roared, his anger flaring up at what had occurred "Somepony better tell me what's going on!"

"Ossyan! I didn't think you were the one coming here" an elf mare smiled, walking into the med lab

"Eryiss?" Ossyan looked at the mare, who was commander of the Colonial Marine Corps and the Retribution. This mare was in charge of almost half of all of Ios' military offensives

"That's right. I'm in charge, I've got what you came here to get, and I have a question for you..." Eyriss started

"Yes, Mithril is safe. I wouldn't let her come" Ossyan nodded "Now, care to explain to me what's happening?"

"Sure, come with me" Eyriss led Ossyan out of the med lab

It was amazing, knowing something about the state of the world that Ossyan didn't. The look on his face after I explained what the Chimera were is one I will never forget. He didn't want to believe me, that the Chimera weren't an alien virus, that he was infected. He only began to listen to me after I showed him his now golden eyes, the once red irises now a rich golden color. I told him what I knew of what happened to the infected, but I was quick to assure him that he was different, that all the others had never woken up from their coma until they were fully transformed. He looked at me, then at the wartime map of what used to be my country, then asked if I could send a message to his wife and children if he didn't come back. The look on his face told me he wouldn't take a no for an answer. I promised I would and he walked out