I would like to inform you all, before this chapter begins, that in Chapter Nine of this story events of importance were unfolding in the background across the planet; named Bastion by Celestial Fire and Lunar Grace. This is one of such events…
Finally, a vacation; and damn did she need it.
Sapphire mused to herself about how her day was going to go as she read the newspaper in a coffee shop in Braelin. On the table beside her was her cream-colored trench coat, needed for the seasonal rains, now folded and laid over the edge of the table since the sky had cleared. She had moved her tea and doughnuts outside, the sun beating against her deep blue skin comfortably. She flipped the page she was holding to give it more integrity, reading the main headline. It was a report on the danger from space that now faced them, informing all those who were willing to travel to their recruitment centre and sign a letter of recommendation for transfer after basic training.
'Even the free press is getting in on the Call-To-Arms,' she thought as she turned the page, finding more about the area's events. 'You have no idea how far your influence is spreading Kim.' She lifted her cup from its saucer, taking a sip before stopping halfway and lowering it. The article she had stopped on read that her brother, Mat Shields, was playing the Symphony hall with Octavia and her Four String Quartet. It seemed, once again, that her reason for not taking vacations was justified. Each time she would visit a city he would be somewhere nearby, and each time it would be completely unintentional. She sighed, folding the paper in half and rolling it up before depositing it in her shoulder bag. She stood from her seat, placing a twenty-Bit note on the table and laying her coat ever her crooked arm before leaving the shops outdoor section.
Upon entering the street, she received several stares from stallions on both the opposite sidewalk and her own, their eyes lingering on her tight fitting dress and bare legs and arms. She smirked, taking pleasure in the fact that she was so successful at her young age of twenty-seven. Most of the tourists to the Land of Hops were graying couples or rich business mares and stallions, all reaching their fifties and higher. She turned on her six-inch heels, letting the crosscut hem of her dress move on its own time as she strode down the street lithely. She continued toward the older section of the city, intent on viewing the well-preserved structures built out of the stone that the city had originally been hollowed out of. She could already see sparse remnants of the city's original sprawling structures, usually some of the hollow stone huts melded with newer red brick construction. 'Quite sad how much of our history is being lost by expansion,' she mused, standing on a street corner and calling a taxi.
Sapphire stood before a podium, reading about a large building that lay in ruins. She had entered the downtown area of Braelin an hour ago, having admired the architecture and artistic style of the locals for the majority of the time before moving into the historic areas. The plaque before her detailed the bombing of Braelin by the Griffin Empire in 1919 CL, noting at the end that the building before her was in fact detonated by their own forces to halt the enemy advance and force them back; bringing an end to the forty year long war. A feeling of slight sorrow fell over her, remembering how many ponies had fallen to the Griffin Army's automatic weapons and land tanks in the war. She hung her head slightly, offering a silent prayer to the deceased. One fighter fell onto her mind heavily, remembering how her father had been crippled in the Great War. The sadness clung to her until it was replaced with anger towards her brother for refusing to appreciate the sacrifice their father had made to ensure their future.
Sapphire sat at the bar of a club, listening to the sounds of a rock and roll band as she nursed a whiskey and cola. She sat there, appreciating the direction the music of the new generation was developing. The band was reciting an old ballad to the fallen, the tune worked with effectively to keep close to the original sound while simultaneously making the song their own. She finished her drink, snapping her metal fingers to get the bartenders attention. The Unicorn behind the counter walked over, saying something in the region's native language. She had no idea what he was saying, having over looked the need to learn the language and simply pointed to her glass. The unicorn nodded, filling her glass with some more ice cubes and whiskey before topping it off with cola. "Danke," she said, having picked up the local niceties quickly from her hotel. The barkeep nodded, bowing slightly before returning to other matters. She placed her left forefinger into the drink up to the second joint, swirling a cube of ice idly as the band played out the ballad.
"Alone tonight?" a deep voice said beside her. She reached into her shoulder bag and withdrew a chrome plated M6D-HE pistol Kim had given her and laid it on the counter, taking a drink as the silent statement stood fast. The owner of the voice placed a muted black M6/SOCOM pistol next to hers with his left hand, the slides lying opposite each other. "Good to see you Captain," Sapphire looked to her right slightly, finding the owner of the voice to be Black Fire. "I haven't seen you out of uniform in..." he let his eyes trace her form slowly, appreciating every detail the tight dress screamed. "Well I have to say I have never seen you out of uniform." Sapphire smirked, holding the glass before her lips.
"And you never did," she whispered, taking a sip before setting it down and turning towards him. "I wasn't here and I assume your orders say you weren't either." Black Fire nodded once. Sapphire smirked, raising her right arm to her lap and crossing her legs slowly. "Good. Then this will go unnoticed." Black Fire raised an eyebrow, utterly confused by her statement. "All of those Black Operations lessons and you still can't read a mare," she said, laying a soft kiss on him.
Sapphire stood on the platform in downtown Braelin, waiting on the conductor to open the doors to the train. She was wearing her uniform and some pieces of her Guard armor, her trench coat covering all of them save for her greaves. At Oh-four-hundred hours that morning, her vacation had ended, having to return to her duties as soon as she woke. She had pushed Black Fire out of her room with a smile, leaving him to his former engagements and trusted he would never speak of what had happened. Her face flushed slightly as she recalled last night, biting her lip to stymie the longing she felt. 'Control yourself Captain,' she thought, boarding the train as the conductor opened the doors. 'What would your father say if he was still here?' she chuckled slightly as she placed her travel bag in the rack above her seat. 'He would either scold you for being so impulsive or scold you for not having bore him grandfoals yet.'
She took off her coat, hanging it on the rack next to the window as a knock sounded from the door. "Come in," she said, the door opening slightly before somepony called in.
"Captain," the young male voice said. "I have the trunk you requested be brought directly to you. The only problem is that the trolley won't fit through the door." Sapphire huffed, opening the door completely and lifting the trunk from the cart with her right hand. The young male behind the cart stared in awe as she turned the trunk sideways and slipped into the room. "Thank you ma'am," he said, Sapphire handing him a tip before closing the door.
Sapphire pushed the trunk underneath the window, sitting back and crossing her legs while staring at the ponies that milled about the station as the train began to roll forward. She continued to watch Braelin pass by, the countryside closing in on them as they passed under the city walls. She sighed, leaning forward and taking a folder off the trunk and opening it. Inside was a Griffin Observation Outpost report, detailing her current directive. Black Fire had filled her in at breakfast, telling her he believed something big was about to go down on the border, that there was a terrorist plot employing corrupted ponies and rouge dragons, and of a plan to hijack the train she had boarded. She knew the tracks she was on, that the train would enter Griffin territory on a De-Militarized Zone for ten minutes; but what Black Fire had told her had convinced her that today was her unlucky day.
She opened the trunk, taking out a suit of Mk I Equestrian Battle Armor. The black suit was Semi-Powered, allowing her to lift more and run faster, and was bullet proof up to a .50 caliber slug. She ran over the details of the dossier as she latched the suit to her body, taking care to affix each fitting with wires and hoses. She was to climb onto the roof of the passenger cars, at maximum four from the engine, and keep a watch for any of the feathered bastards. She picked the helmet up from the trunk, finding a note taped to the full frontal visor.
Sapphire, I thought this might help you. It was given to me before the second augmentation, but now that I have MJOLNIR, it no longer serves a purpose. I am stronger than it is. This is Semi-Powered Infantry armor, designed by the UNSC, that I have had altered to fit an earth pony.
PS: Celestia approved it for daily guard work if you so desire to take up an extra responsibility as advance soldier and all that blah.
Regards and affection,
UNSC Com. Kim Levinson.
Sapphire smiled at the notion, glad that he had thought of her. 'Maybe there is hope...' she thought, feeding her Ego as she donned the helmet. The display ran her through the tutorial, loading maps after tutoring her how to control the suit properly. Sapphire was about to begin her mission as a video screen loaded in the center of her view.
"Sapphire," the image of Kim said. "I am certain that you've been briefed on the situation already, if not think OPEN FILE BRIEFING." The video paused for five seconds, continuing after she had ignored the extension. "Good, everything is taken care of up to now. I am unsure if he remembered to tell you, but under the compartment where your armor was stowed are a few weapons I made especially for your mechanical attachments, namely your arm. If you would, follow these directions to remove the entire right sleeve and greave." She followed the instructions, being rewarded with a slight hiss as the limbs retracted up to her thigh and upper arm. "Approach the trunk and place your right hand on the illuminated image." She turned her head to the left, finding a hand shaped light on the right side of the trunk. She did as she was told, mechanical arms reaching up and grasping her forearm. The arms disassembled the outer casing, placing devices into the metal construction and covering them with alterations of the original plating. The overall change had placed a couple of ridges and bulges in her arm but the weight had stayed the same.
"These devices are weapons," Kim informed. "They are, from the lowest to the elbow, a set of claws for grappling or fighting, a dart launcher with explosive heads attached that is preloaded with fifteen darts and a retractable elbow spike. Now place your foot on the illuminated image." She did as instructed, more arms revealing themselves and doing like alterations to her leg.
"These are a little more devastating," he said, the video continuing as she looked the leg over. "On the tip of your foot are more spikes, or claws, for climbing, grappling or hand to hand combat. The shin has been replaced, making the lower attachment more structurally sound and a retractable blade is integrated into the surface. You can learn how to use it manually from Firecracker when you return. In the thigh, behind the kneecap, is a seventy-millimeter high explosive grenade launcher with a four round magazine. The rounds are all fragmentation and incendiary as well." The suit, as if on cue, covered her limbs again, the surface altering to compensate for the added material. "Good hunting." The video said, disappearing from the visor.
Sapphire stood on the top of the fourth car, watching the mountain ranges before them intently. She had found a few of the suit's integrated systems to be quite useful; variable zoom on distant objects, automatic targeting of weapons and the ammunition monitors to be among her top ten. They were about one mile from the tunnels that lead into the range, the train being able to cover the distance in nearly a single minute giving her only a short while to prepare. When she exited her car the conductor had handed her a bag, inside she found fifteen magazines for her sidearm and an M7 sub-machinegun. She did not know who the conductor was, and as far as she was concerned, her pay grade didn't allow her to. Inside the bag were also several magazines for the automatic weapon and four fragmentation grenades that were being produced for the Equestrian Regulars.
'I think the scarce information I was given was only part of the report,' she thought as they entered the large tunnel. She knew the structure narrowed substantially, lying down as soon as they entered to save herself a head injury. She waited in the dark, seconds feeling like hours as the sounds of the steel wheels on the tracks deafened her too any other sounds. She checked to make sure that her weapons were ready, already the seasoned veteran expecting an ambush. She grasped her M6 in her right hand, the reticule activating on her visor and following the direction it was facing before a dot of sunlight appeared in the distance. The light gave her just enough information to warrant rising to a low crouch. She waited like this, the light quickly filling her vision to reveal several Griffin Army platoons descending on the train. "If I had a bit for every time I smelled a cluster fuck…," she mused, opening on the flying gunmen with a volley from her pistol. She saw ten of the twelve rounds strike flesh, blood spurting like a fountain before the wound exploded from the charge in the bullet. The remaining assailants turned towards her, flying abreast to the train as she holstered her pistol and drew her M7.
The hostiles opened fire on her, forcing her to dive over the edge of the car and break through a window after grabbing onto a rail. Sapphire tumbled into the economy class benches, falling into the aisle and rising to her feet. Several of the griffins had had the same idea, having entered the car and taken aim at her. "Horse apples," he muttered, ducking behind one of the steel benches as the three griffins opened on her with automatic fire. She waited until the fire ceased, raising her arm over the bench and firing on the three blindly. She heard the sound of flesh tearing and blood spraying on the walls before she stood up, loading her pistol from the clips on her belt and holding the empty machinegun at her side. The last remaining griffin ducked out of cover, taking aim before Sapphire lodged a round into its skull. She grimaced inside her helmet as the creatures head exploded, wishing now that she had chosen a less gruesome variant.
The sound of shattering glass drew her attention to the car at the rear, gunfire sounding before she could see what was happening. The sounds ceased, the silence lasting until the door began to slide back. Sapphire raised her pistol, being met with the barrel of another weapon; this one in the hands of the Conductor. They both lowered their weapons, the sound of breaking glass sounding in the car ahead of them drawing their attention. "Go," the conductor said. "I have everything from here back under control. Do not let them reach the engineers." Sapphire nodded, turning and running to the next car.
She didn't bother with the door, simply barreling through the pair in time to catch another griffin off guard and drive it to the ground. The enemy screeched something in their native language before Sapphire drove her steel arm into its throat, silencing the foe for good. Two more Griffins landed on the walkway between cars behind her. Sapphire simply raised her pistol and fired twice, the scope on the weapon activating as it left her fore to allow her to aim. The griffins fell off the sides, their bodies being sliced by the wheels as they fell under the car. She ran the length of the car, crashing through another set of doors and entering the next compartment.
Inside were several huddled ponies, groups of three or four crouched together in their benches as they stared at her. She scanned over the car, looking for any hostiles before jogging the length and opening the door that lead to the engineer's station. All around the train, flying circles like buzzards, were squadrons of griffins armed with automatic rifles. She raised her pistol, taking aim on a rifleman before spying something odd in the claws of another. It was a long, tubular device with a bulbous extension. She aimed at the enemy, firing quickly but not soon enough. The tube had launched the cone from the end, the projectile striking the train four cars behind. The car exploded, fire and metal extending in all directions as what remained of the chassis separated from the engine. Sapphire unloaded her magazine into the circling horde before climbing along the side of the engine. She hopped from handhold to handhold, digging the claws that protruded from her right hand and foot into the steel construction when she had none. She reached out with her right hand; grasping the door and wrenching the lock open, swinging back away as gunfire echoed from the pilot's stations.
"Friendly fire," she screamed at the door, the bullets halting as she hauled herself into the engine control room. She pulled the thick door shut as the Griffins fired on them, the sounds of metal striking metal resonating through the chamber as the door dented from the sustained fire. "What in Tartarus is going on," Sapphire demanded, standing up looking out of the slits the train had for viewports. One of the engineers began to say something but was stopped as a sound filled the air, the resonant bass vibrating their lungs and bodies to the point of it being painful. The engineers fell to their knees, grabbing at their ears and chests as four loud thuds landed atop the train. The concussive sound died away as the sounds of four pairs of feet walking played on the roof. Sapphire turned toward the engineers, holding a finger up to the respirator on her helmet and sliding across the walls. She traced the path of the sound to the right wall, staring outside the thin slits to catch a glimpse of their new hitchhikers. The sound stopped, followed by a low growling and a few clacks.
AN: I would like to inform you all that the symbol "!" when used in the middle of a word denotes the sound one makes when clicking the back of their tongue to the soft palate… just sharper and much louder.
"Thum' Aran no!hun kerlan thrah!" a guttural voice outside the train yelled over the engines. Two other voices of like tone shouted incomprehensively. "Harakanrag Thel' Vadum ekmora Rahla. Grif fon kerinar wort flahmakonh." The strange voice stopped, the sound of shuffling overhead being followed with a loud crash as a large, orange mass landed outside the train engine. Sapphire froze as the figure crouched slightly, bringing the beasts head to the top of the one-way window. The creature, apparently a massive biped, stood at eight feet and three inches. It was wearing armor that almost glowed, actually doing so in certain places. The beast raised its hand, two long fingers between what seemed to be thumbs grasping a slightly curved, black rod. "Poh Nee Kmara Hu!nag hurfal…" the creatures jaw split into four mandibles when it spoke, the plates lining the outside flexing with them to reveal row after row of shark like teeth. The beast laughed a malevolent, hissing laugh as the rod sizzled and popped, two long, curved stripes of lighting and light materializing on either side of it.
Sapphire swallowed hard, trying to force herself from the sheer terror she was locked in. 'No, not here…' she screamed and pleaded in her mind. 'Covenant, here… On Equestria… and if Kim is anypony to believe, these are the worst of them.' She tore her view away from the window, hearing the other three pairs of feet land on the catwalks on the other side. "Hide, now!" She hissed at the engineers. They stopped in shock, as if they had seen a ghost. "What are you waiting for? Hide!" She moved her hand to point to an access vent, finding she had become invisible. "I'm still here, just get hidden!" the two nodded, opening the vent quickly and closing it behind themselves before receding into the darkness of the area between the two power plant engines. Sapphire waved her arm a few times, finding she was only invisible as long as she stayed still lest her movement would cause a ripple effect in the cloak. 'How am I going to make it out of this one,' she questioned her mind, readying herself for an unwinnable fight.
Oh my Dayum!
Even I didn't see where this was going! It just sort of flowed onto the screen. I actually had to go back and read the thing to see what I had wrote!
Anyway, this chapter ends at the same time Kim has his breakdown. And holy balls, Shit's Hitting The Fan In Here!
So what do you all think will happen? Will Sapphire survive the four Elites? Will Kim survive the mental breakdown? Am I going to eat my quadruple cheeseburger with every unhealthy topping I could find on it on Livestream?!
Maybe :P
Tune in later Folks! And before you leave, head on over to the review board – every chapter! I love your opinions, and they help me with the creative process. Forward the Lunar Republic!
CREDITS!
Black Fire property of and used with permission from Najee
Mat and Sapphire are property of and used with permission from Bahamut Crisis Core (Don't worry buddy, Mat will get his spot light soon)