My Little Pony: Sleeping Giant
Chapter 9: The Machine of War
We had arrived in the Griffon Kingdom to help bolster the defenses. This small mountain village is of key importance. It is the last defensive point before Griffonstone. My ponies were settling down, and cleaning their weapons or socializing with the locals. Everypony was hard at work, and on their best behavior around the local villagers. Be kind to them.
I helped with my unicorn magic to set up sandbag perimeters for machine gun nests at the entrance to the village, and helped dig trenches for the soldiers and our artillery. It is hard work even with magic. If you do not have sweat stinging your eyes in the day then you aren't working hard enough. It also makes the meal times well worth it as a reward.
"Thank you for coming," said Princess Ghislaine
"Equestria's forces are being pushed back in the Orel, I believe we will need a couple more pushes on several fronts to put this war out of reach of victory for Equestria, here, here, and here," I explained to the officers gathered around a map in the local tavern "if we keep our resistance firm at Singvogel, Equestria will pull out of the Griffon Kingdom,"
"So that leaves Pont De Dauphin and Golondrina in the south in Castillo and Chefal, according to the commanders in Orel, the Equestrians are pulling out from their offensives in Sokoligrad and Artsiv, the hammer blow is going to fall hardest here" said Princess Ghislaine "all we can do is prepare for Equestria to give us everything they can to throw at us"
"Permission to speak?" asked Keen Eye,
"Granted," I replied, she is a valuable member
"I see what Equestria is doing, it's a 'shock and awe' tactic, a show of force, so yes, Princess Ghislaine is right" said Keen Eye "I know the enemy, they will stop at nothing until not a building stands, we need to make sure the safety of the villagers, there must be a way for them to evacuate," she asked of us, a griffon named Gabby nodded to speak up.
"There's a trail that leads into the mountains, and out toward Griffonstone, we've had patrols around the area more months now, it should be safe to travel on," said Gabby, and got a light ruffle of her feathers from the Griffon Princess. Those two must be very close, "if it's possible, we can use the trucks or half-tracks to help get the villagers to safety,"
"We can spare a few 250s," said Ghislaine
"We can offer a few trucks," said Wilhelmina
"Time is of the essence, so we need to work fast," added Wilhelmina, and with that we adjourned the first gathering. Saurer M6 and M8 trucks from Chefal, and Griffon Kingdom Sdkfz. 250 Half-Tracks were helping to evacuate the civilians. Mothers were calming crying hatchlings and fledgelings while others weeped as they were helped onto the vehicles.
A wife had to be pulled away from her husband's arms to get her onto the back of a truck. As the truck drove away, she was still crying, and reaching out with taloned paws that wanted to hold her husband. A couple 'Char 30 AP' tanks acted as an escort to the convoy of civilians. Equestria's forces have not reached Griffonstone yet. I pray for their safety
"Have no fear," I soothed, "you will see her again"
He is a young soldier. I would say in his early twenties, and a mix of a white-tailed eagle and a lion, "She is your wife, yes?" I asked him while I sat down next to him as he was cleaning his rifle "we have a saying in Uma: 'go into battle knowing you will die, and you will surely live, but go into battle knowing you will live, and you will surely die," I stated
"She is my Gia, the love of my life, I will die for her," said the soldier-griffon, reaching for his pocket to pull out his wallet. There in the folds was a smiling photograph of his Gia, a beautiful white-tailed eagle and jaguar griffon. He gave the photograph a kiss, and placed it in his pocket. I gave him a pat on the wing, and went off to see to my own soldiers
"But do you think we can win?" he asked me
"Think about what I told you," I smiled back
I looked back at him to let him know he has a friend in the coming battle. Keen Eye is right. With my large size for a mare and bigger-than-average flanks, I am kind of jiggly in the back. It does not bother me. Maybe they can help me find a stallion, and settle down into a family after the war. I may have lost an eye, yet I haven't lost faith in my ponies.
A few of the younger stallion and mare-soldiers were all gathering around a tank destroyer that the enemy nicknamed 'The Elephant Gun': an AMX 50 Foch B. I have seen what this tank hunter can do. One hit from the 12cm main gun, and you've had it. White Lotus was among the soldiers, and mingling with them until, "Kiotsuke!" she ordered to them
"Yasume," I replied and saluted, "how are they?"
"Eager," said White Lotus, "as they should be"
We have two Type 6 'Mamushi' tanks, two 'Kampfpanzer Jaguar' tanks, two Char 30 AP tanks, a Jagdpanzer Kanone E-60 12.8cm, and an AMX 50 Foch B make up the armored force. A blend of power, and speed. We also have our battery of Type 96 15cm howitzers to assist the Griffon-Soldiers battery of 15cm sFH 18 howitzers, and anti-tank gun nests
My soldiers were looking, and pointing up toward the skies. A hum of bomber squadrons with fighter escorts filled the skies. That is to be the first wave of attack on the enemy, "So it begins," I said to White Lotus, I could hear the bombs in the distance. It was not just bombs I heard, but the sound of shells from heavy artillery on the frontline. This is it.