Western Front/ Champagne/ Laval/ January 18th/ 1917
"On December 29th, 1916, France came under attack by an enemy not of this plane of exitance. Its soldiers however were ready to prove themselves. After 2 painful and bloody weeks of humiliation, bloodshed, death, mud, and tears we the soldiers of France drove them back as well as our German enemies. Right now, it is the time to heal. We cannot see the Germans as our enemies unless our government has spoken otherwise. The situation still remains uncertain. We do not know if the creatures will be coming back. For now, we will stand at the ready to defend France. Not from the Germans but from the creatures from hell. You are all Heroes. You have all stood up to a truly evil and horrific enemy and drove them back. 12,000 of Frances's sons died in these 2 weeks. 16,000 were wounded and lay in suffering and pain. 37,000 are reported to be in the creatures clutched as they were cocooned. That number is most likely higher. You have suffered a great deal. You have lost friends, fathers, and brothers. However, they shall not go unnoticed. One way or another France will Avenge her sons. It is my sole promise as a General of France to ensure that you receive the retribution you all deserve. France will Avenge her sons and you all shall have your vengeance. Vive la France!"
Petain finished his speech. Internally his mouth was a bit dry after that speech. He really needed some coffee or water. The men on their part yelled "Vive La France" before breaking off to enjoy a well-earned rest. Petain had moved up the remaining reserves to man the Frontline positions and fraternize with the Germans for a bit while the troops who had seen active combat were allowed their due leave. The losses against the creatures in terms of just those killed wasn't as devastating as he expected. 12,000 killed in action in just 2 weeks of fighting was nothing compared to the 20,000 or so British boys sent to their deaths on the first day of the Somme or the thousands of soldiers that died per day at Verdun.
He still remembered Verdun clearly in his mind.
Journalist had already gotten the word abroad or so he'd heard about the French and German armies fighting "Demons" at Champagne. He and his men would take the credit for such victory as well as the Germans, but it would put an even bigger target on his back. Petain personally hated politics. It was a messy affair and one that cost him his position during the battle of Verdun.
The Generals and politicians in France were very worried about this old Lion or "Lion of Verdun" as the civilian's populace called him of replaced their crud and outdated tactics as well as outshining them. Robert Neaville the man who'd replaced him at Verdun had led the final charge to victory however he threw men's lives away to easily which was a dangerous quality to have however he'd been rewarded for it by being appointed commander in Chief of French and allied forces.
Petain felt the cold winter wind brush against him as he wrapped his coat around him tighter. By this point he'd walked off stage and was making his way to his car to drive over to the Frontlines to visit the men in the Trenches as well as maybe even the Germans if he had the chance.
It seemed his men and the Germans were on semi good speaking terms.
Petain personally liked to visit the front. It provided him with good insight on what needed to be improved, restore any bad moral, and the men were generally funnier to talk to than his staff. He drove his car across the muddied roads of Champagne. He passed by the bodies of the creatures, his own men, downed trucks, and horses.
The creatures had luckily been too idiotic to destroy any of the equipment they'd taken from his men. Scores of artillery guns that had been abandoned during the retreat had been found in peak condition and exactly where they had been left behind or placed neatly side by side each other by the creatures across the battlefield.
He spotted several 75mm guns being hauled off by trucks or men as they waved to him. Their faces illuminated by the lamps they carried. The night sky had been truly clear for once and Petain could see the stars dancing. He Waved back at the men and gave a soft smile before focusing back on the wheel. He had an hour or 2 of driving to do.
Equestria/ Griffon Empire/ Griffon Stone/ at around the same time Petain was making his speech
"The Future of our crumbling empire lies here! For too long have you fools been lamenting and rotting away! Dreaming of the days when we reclaim our idol! Well Buck the Idol! The true path forward is through blood and Iron! After much effort and money, we have been able to create the future of warfare itself! A future which Griffon stone and the empire now holds in its talons! With help from a Pony who wishes to share her magic to assist in making Griffon Stone great again we have this new revolutionary weapon in our hands! Presenting the King Grover Cannon!" General Sir Archbald Talon yelled triumphantly. Around him in one of the few not dilapidated areas of the castle he was flocked by hundreds of disgruntled Griffon soldiers, guards, nobles, and some common people. In the background his assistant skulked in the shadows.
He tore open the fabric over the large object revealing a large weapon of sorts. It was supported by a large wooden platform with 2 large wheels. On the Platform lay a large and long metal tube which was about 6 foot wide in the back but narrowed down to 4 feet wide at the front were the opening in the tube lay. In terms of length the tube was 25 foot height including the platform the artillery piece was 8-10 feet in height. At the very back of the gun was a long tick piece of rope which if pulled would fire the gun. Next to the gun were gloves and next to those gloves were several large round balls that were glowing with magic.
His fellow Griffons around him gave out a cheer as he demonstrated the weapon.
"This large cannon utilizing magic has the ability to shatter even the strongest fortifications and while we just have one with the help of our little Pony doner we shall be able to make another 50!" Archibald Talon continued as he showed off the gun. Using a handkerchief, he wiped off some dust off one of the cannons wheels.
"Now gentlemen the moment you've all been waiting for! The test run!" He gestured at some of the soldiers with him to help aim the large artillery piece at a large and cracked stone wall in the palace. The palace was already falling apart anyways. It is best to destroy another useless relic of the past than to preserve it. Archibald signaled for his little Pony accomplice to assist in the process. The hooded Pony nodded and walked over. The magic from under the hood shown by the Pony used its magic to check the illuminating round balls that served as the ammo for the beast of a gun.
The balls themselves were a perfect circular shape that while the material used to craft them looked black it was also glowing a purplish red showing the magic that was inside such ammunition. The ball while heavy was hallow inside and contained liquid magic instead. To turn magic into such a state requires skill. The magic combined with the material of the ball it was contained in when fired would trigger an explosive reaction for when it landed on its target it vaporized it instantly.
The Pony soon nodded, signaling that the ammo was stable enough to fire.
Archibald gave an excited grin as he looked over at the troops manning the cannon. The cannon required a crew of 5. 1 Griffon skilled in magic identification to check if the ammunition was stable, 1 Griffon to carry the ammo over and load it, 2 Griffons to move the gun in the direction where it was to be fired or be aimed upwards or downwards, and finally the Griffon in charge of pulling the rope to fire the cannon. Of course, there would also be an officer supervising the firing of the gun in times of combat or in testing. It was a very complicated procedure for just 1 weapon. However, such a procedure was necessary for safety reasons.
"Make ready!" Archibald barked as the Crew sprang into action. With the Pony already having checked the stability of the ammo no Checker was needed so the procedure went a bit faster than usual. The loader hauled one of the balls of ammo over and got to the front of the tube. He shoved the ball of ammo directly into the tubes opening. The ball rolled down as the loader then scrambled out of the way.
"Aim!" Archibald barked again.
The 2 aimers kicked into action as they began to push the gun in the direction of where it was to be fired. The Griffons, moving the gun and aiming it, squawked and grunted in effort as they struggled to move and aim such a heavy piece of artillery but eventually got it into position after 2 minutes. They had the cannon aimed directly at the wall Archibald wanted them to fire at. They nodded signaling their work was done while also staring daggers at Archibald for putting them to such hard work.
"Fire!" Archibald barked.
The Griffon with his talons on the rope tugged it as the cannon rumbled before a loud Boom! echoed through the building.
The ball with liquid magic in it went flying out of the gun and crashed into the wall causing it to explode. The Griffon spectators scrambled for cover to avoid the shrapnel and chunks of the wall flying towards them. Archibald on the other hand watched amused and happy. The gun had worked as intended. With their little Pony accomplice haven giving him for the formula for Liquid magic her part was done, and it was time for her reward.
The hooded Pony walked up to him before snarky remarking "My reward?"
"Yes, yes, follow me." Archibald said as he guided the Pony to his private quarters.
His Quarters were one of the few places in Griffon stone without a crumbling roof, cracked walls, or anything delipidated for a matter of fact. He opened up a chest inside it revealing around 1,000 bits before also giving the Pony what she truly sought after. A map detailing the exact layout of Celestia's palace and of course including all the secret passages. How had he gotten ahold of such a map. Well let's say he was other than the crumbling Griffons empires secretary of weapons manufacturing also had contacts inside Equestria. Griffon immigrates to be exact who just so happens to come across and steal one of the top-secret maps containing the true layout of Celestia's palace. How did they come across such map. Let's just say the Changelings were pathetically bad when it came to identifying truly valuable intel. The map had been seen as useless since they already had control of the palace, so they threw it out into a nearby dumpster which was then found by a Griffon who was hiding in it. The rest is history.
While he was originally intent on keeping the map this pony who he had encountered one day while he was on his usual rounds of going along with the other minsters and secretaries on a typical boring diplomatic mission had offered him something quite useful. You see he had as well as other true believers in the reformation of the true glorious Griffon empire had been trying to create a new weapon to benefit the empire when the eventually bring the pathetic Pony's to their knees. The power of Friendship? Bah! The future of warfare? Yes!
The Pony he had created this little alliance with wanted the map in return for her services in showing him the formula for liquid magic which powered the cannons ammo. This cannon and its ammo would be tough to replicate however not impossible it would just take time and resources to create the 50 other copies of this cannon he wanted.
While he was going on his internal rant the Pony in question took the map before then extending her hoof for a hoof/talon shake which he accepted.
"Never got your name, my associate. To whom should a credit the creation of such ammo to?" Archibald asked smugly.
The hooded pony flatly replied "Sunset shimmer. Also, you never saw me here."
She then using magic teleported away.
"So much for proper goodbyes." Archibald said slightly annoyed.
France/ Paris/ January 29th/ 1917
"Due to your Heroic efforts in leading our soldiers defense of Champagne, driving back an invasion which may have been very well from the depths of hell itself, and finally suffering a surprisingly moderate causality I President Raymond Poincare of the 3rd Republic of France Grant you General Petain the Rank of Marshal of France and full command of any counter invasion we may launch to get our revenge against the demonic hordes." President Raymond Poincare said to the elderly General Petain as he handed the General a saber engraved with an imagine of a French soldier Bayoneting one of the creatures.
The crowd which had formed around such a skeptical cheered screaming "Vive La France! Vive Petain!"
French and Allied Commander in Chief Robert Neaville skulked in the background of the assembly of Generals on stage with Petain. Petain could easily see how frustrated and Jealous the commander in Chief of the French military was and he internally was relishing in it quite a bit.
However, one thing Petain had not expected was to be put in charge of a potential counter invasion. A counter invasion so soon sounded farfetched. Which it was. Fighting was slowly dying down across the western front due to the news of the Demonic invasion getting out, but the Eastern front still remained a bloodbath, same with Arabia, Palestine, German East Africa, and the Balkans.
The Germans also while settling into an uneasy and unspoken truce as the fighting died down on the front it didn't exactly mean they wouldn't just continue the war after a month or so.
Unless the diplomatic issues were solved first Petain didn't see any way that a counter invasion was feasible.