1560 replies and 7 files omitted.
>>139738There are quite a number of squad members there, about six in total, a couple of whom talk together, while the others rumage through the possessions of the Changeling machinegun nest. The Changeling with the carbine lying on the ground has stopped breathing, and seems to have a couple new blue-knife wounds in his body. One of the squad members wears a belt of Changeling machinegun ammunition like it's an over priced scarf while going to the opera.
>>139739"I assume Town Hall is clear, then? Where is Lieutenant Brisbuck?"
>>139740“Uh, sir, downstairs, sir.”
>>139741"Thank you."
Silver goes downstairs to meet with Lieutenant Brisbuck.
>>139742Silver goes downstairs to find Brisbuck in the dining area, above a few of the wounded soldiers and speaking to the cream colored pegasus.
>>139743Silver joins them, listening in on the conversation instead of interrupting.
>>139744Silver learns from the Cream colored pegasus - who seems to have taken over Salt Lick's role as messenger - that Changelings in the town have set up more defensive positions in the easterly part of the town.
>>139745Silver nods, and asks the cream colored pegasus a question.
"What is current status of A Squad?"
>>139746The pegasus looks over, at first stunned
"Still frosty; no longer under fire."
>>139747Silver nods, and looks at both the pegasus and his Lieutenant.
"Once you are done receiving reports, I have information to give to you, Lieutenant."
>>139748The Lieutenant pulls away from the pegasus.
"And what is that, sergeant?"
>>139749"We found telephone switchboard and two army telephone operators upstairs who managed to avoid changeling replacement. We discovered that Changeling forces initiated bombardment of our Frontline to prepare for their big assault either tonight or tomorrow morning. These Infiltrators were sent ahead to deafen Command as to their plans. I am also afraid that it appears telephone and telegraph lines have gone down again just now."
>>139750His eyes go wide.
"Then I think you know what we must do. We need to push them out of their positions."
>>139751"Indeed. And if I may, I think we may have just kind of equipment we need for such endeavor in our wagon. I wonder if they know we have mortar."
>>139752He smiles
"I think they just might find out"
>>139753He smiles back at him, and salutes his Lieutenant.
"What are your orders, Sir?"
>>139754"Use teams as necessary to scout out the Changeling positions. Use any firepower necessary to dislodge them and remove them from the town. And above all else, keep the telephone, powerlines, and roadways clear of all Changelings for use in defending The Front"
>>139755"Sir, yes Sir! Do you know of Sargent Amber Grain's location?"
>>139756He's sitting down, over there"
He points a hoof towards a wall, where Amber Grain is sitting
>>139757"Thank you, Sir."
Silver trots over to the sitting Amber Grain.
"How are you doing, Sargent? I saw you got hit during earlier engagement."
>>139758"I've been better" He winces. "But they've stopped the bleeding."
>>139759Silver smiles at that last bit of news.
"Good. Think you are up to leading soldiers, or do you still need more rest?"
>>139760“Somehow, I don’t really think rest is an option for any of us at this point.” He pushes against the ground, attempting to stand up
“Ugh! Umph!”
With difficulty, he stands up.
“I think you need medical assistance yourself, Sargent.”
>>138272 →"We are boarding a train so we can slip past patrols. After all, only approved passengers make it on the train, and you fit the criteria we need to get on it."
>>139762“Uh... okay.. I’ll leave the infiltration fo you, though.”
He seems unsure.
Spark now has the task of getting himself, another pony, and at least one wolf on a train without being noticed or seeming out of place.
>>139761"Probably."
He looks down to the multiple bleeding bullet wounds across his body, staining his uniform crimson.
"Hurts like hell, but it is nothing I have not dealt with before."
>>139764“Wounded before?” He asks
“Well, ugh! It’s my first time.”
>>139763Hmm....
Spark looks to the wolves.
"How about it? Ready for a train ride?"
>>139766Waabishki is left silent for a moment, and Maakade’s eyes go wide.
Makade: “I am not so sure the doubles will be happy to see wolves from the north forest.”
>>139767"Then you will just have to be left unseen."
>>139765Silver nods.
"That I have been. For your first time, you are holding up rather well. I am impressed!"
>>139768Makade’s ears lower, and then raise
Waabishki answers
“I will have this much trust in your pony medicine, and this much trust in you. You were found in the nest if a Sa’be. That must be a sign.”
>>139769“Hopefully it will be the last.” He says
“What is the news?”
>>139771Spark nods and turns back to the doctor.
"We are going to need some crates big enough for our wolf friends, some blankets for them to rest on, and some documents to say the contents are of a medical nature."
>>139773Spark accompanies the doctor in search of the supplies.
>>139771"Changelings have bombarded our Frontline in preparation for their assault. We have orders from Lieutenant Brisbuck to drive changelings here in Vale from their defensive positions using any necessary force, and to patrol telegraph lines, power lines, and roads to prevent further Changeling sabotage from cutting Front off from Command."
>>139774“Uh, well we have... what will fit a wolf? Especially without hurting their necks.”
He goes back to his office, and looks through the back.
“Uh, well we have body bags and coffins. That will fit them, at least.”
>>139775“So it’s true. We should have expected a massive assault after uncovering their misinformation campaign.”
>>139776"There have been rumors of it for while. Turns out, they were true. That thunder we heard when we began our assault was sound of changeling artillery in distance."
>>139776"Well... I suppose they wouldn't be much interested in searching coffins. That could work if you can drum up some fake death reports and certificates."
>>139777His hair seems to stand up at points.
“It is a good thing we did not split our forces, as the first reports suggested.”
>>139778“Three coffins they will not want to search? I think I can work with that.” He answers, strangely confident
>>139779"That's the spirit. But remember, you have a cargo of wolves inside, and they best be comfortable as you can afford to make it. Unhappy wolves tend to not be pleasant if you can imagine."
>>139780He blinks
“I think I’ll leave opening the coffins once we are safe to you.”
>>139781"No problem. Got the paperwork needed to get on board?"
>>139779Silver nods.
"Anyways, if you were up to it, we have two tasks we can split between us. One of us assists in dislodging changelings, other leads team to patrol area."
>>139782“Uh... let me get some death certificates made. If I have my guesses right they won’t bother to look too closely.”
>>139783“Yes sir. I will go where you need me.” He answers
>>139784"Though we will still need a few regular supplies to keep the sick one well through the trip. We will also need to be able to check in on them. We can't have them suffocate or go thirsty."
>>139785“We need to be in the same car, or at least access the same car. They will have to get out during the trip.”
>>139786"What if other changelings see them and report it? They could have drones waiting at the station we arrive to and arrest us. We need to be able to quarantine the car or something."
>>139787“Have them place the coffins in the baggage car, or a freight car. That should be mostly safe. I think...”
>>139784"Okay. Youlead team on patrol, it should be easier one of two to do while injured."
>>139789He nods.
“Understood. Where are we patrolling?”
>>139788"Sounds good. Now for our disguises. Think I could pass as your apprentice?"
>>139791“Well, the term would be a ‘resident,’ a student who has graduated medical school and is now learning the trade. But I doubt the Changelings will be so savy to know that.”
>>139792"Then the last issue I can think of is how do we move the coffins into the more equipped medical facility once we arrive. It might look strange that we are bringing coffins in there."
>>139793“Maybe.... do you have a cover story?”
>>139794"Not off hoof... I would have to think up something. Perhaps it was a request to move the bodies directly from the hospital to the coffins. Perhaps I will just have to smooth talk it by."
>>139793>>139794“Or... when we are in Whinnyapolis, it may be easier to hide them. They may not even stand out as quite as unusual when we get there.”
>>139790"Patrol along telegraph and power lines. Somewhere along them changelings sabotaged them, and we need to find where they are broken and keep changelings from destroying them permanently."
>>139797He nods, and picks up his submachine gun.
“Yes sir.”
>>139798“Uh, good. Are we ready, then?”
>>139799"Good. I will lead rest of our troops in breaking changeling defenses. Do not be startled if you hear mortar fire in town."
>>139800“Alright... I’ll get these coffins... then let’s get a train.”
>>139801He makes something resembling a smile.
“Ill let the Changelings be startled, for once.”
>>139802"I don't suppose you know when the next one headed our way arrives?"
>>139802Silver chuckles in response.
"Alright, let us get it finished, Sargent."
>>139803He blinks. “We could catch the 11:55, maybe, as it stops in town.”
>>139804And now, Silver Sword has to decide where to send the squads. The road north of the town hall is Whinnington. The town hall faces Old Mecc’s trail, and so does the courthouse north of it. North of Old Mecc’s Trail is main street, which the courthouse is backed to. The way to Wald is East, the way to the Frong is West.
>>139805"Perfect. Let's go get the wolves then."
>>139806They go back up to the clearing, to find all three sitting down in front of Miskobag, who is still on the sled.
>>139807Spark waves them over.
"We are about ready to head out."
>>139808Waabishki stands up, then Makade. Waabishki takes the sled.
“Good.” She says with a rope in her mouth. “Let’s go then.”
>>139809Spark follows the sled until they get to the edge of the forest.
>>139805Silver leaves B Squad under the command of Amber Grain, as well as leaving the exact performance of the task to his discretion. He does suggest to start with patrolling the way to the Front first since the remaining changelings have taken up defensive positions in the East.
>>139811Is Amber Grain suggested to patrol east, or does Silver?
>>139810The third wolf (technically fourth) still helps pull the sled to this area.
>>139812Well, Silver is leading the rest of the platoon in breaking the changleing defensive position in the East. He doesn't dissuade Amber Grain from patrolling East, only that it is advisable to patrol the path that doesn't have changelings on it.
He also goes back upstairs to the mayor's office to investigate the changeling machinegun.
>>139813Silver returns to the office to inspect the machine gun. The gun is a medium or “universal” machine gun that is heavier than the Equestrian light machine gun, and unlike that gun, cannot be reasonably fired while walking of in clearing a building. It is belt fed, and is a true “crew served” weapon requiring at least one assistant gunner, and usually has two. It is, however, air cooled and light enough to deploy in the squad, which they do.
The Changeling submachine gun is popular enough with Equestrian troops that it’s not unthinkable that a captured one would end up in a rear supply company, but this gun would have had to be carried in by the Changelings, along with all of its ammunition and the replacement barrel.
>>139814Silver bends down to inspect the damage done to it when they grenaded the room, while asking those present a question.
"Any of you think this weapon is still operational?"
>>139815As an air cooled weapon, there is no vulnerable water jacket to be damaged by shrapnel.
“I think so. It doesn’t look like it got hit directly.” One of the rifle ponies answers.
>>139816"We might be able to use it, then. Suppress changelings with their own gun. Think you can bring this and equipment for it to our machinegun attachment?"
>>139817“We can
bring it. I don’t know if they’ll have enough ponies to use it, though.”
>>139818"They may have to take on additional ponies from A or C squad then, but this is opportunity that we can not pass up."
>>139819“Yes sir.” He answers, trying to pick up the machine gun, as another grabs an ammunition box.
>>139820Silver assists in carrying the machine gun, as well as the replacement barrel. He groans a little in pain from the extra weight.
>>139821It’s down the stairs, out the front door, across the street to the sherif’s office to get it to the machine gun detachment. It’s not heavy enough to be a pain at this distance, at least. Silver is met in front of the sherif’s office by a brown pony with a full helmet.
>>139823“Huh? Oh. Uh, uh, Dragon Echo.”
>>139824Silver sighs, and uses his magic to levitate his flashlight up to check the pony's eyes.
>>139825He scrunches, and pulls away. It’s hard to see exactly what is going on from a distance, but nothing immediately pops out as out of place.
>>139826Silver puts the flashlight away.
"Dra-con-e-quus. Anyways, we have new acquisition for machinegun attachment. I am thinking of using it against its previous owners."
>>139827He taps his hoof to his chin
"Hmmm, a new gun, is it?"
>>139828"You do not see this big gun we are carrying?"
>>139829reeeHe blinks
"We barely have enough ponies for the unit we have. Especially with one stallion down..."
>>139830"One stallion...oh, right, infiltrator. We can temporarily reassign riflestallions from A and C Squads to operate this gun. I just want to see it used against these changelings, it is beastly and it would be quite enjoyably ironic."
>>139831He smiles
"Yes sir. We will see what we can do."
>>139832"Heh. Almost want to be one to fire it, myself. Anyways, I have heard changelings have taken up defensive position on east side of town. Let us get A Squad, C Squad, Machinegun Attachment, and this gun into position to assault them. Also send couple of ponies to fetch mortars from wagon. We are going to rain hell and let thunder loose on these bugs."
>>139833"Yes sir. Do we know where they are positioned?"
>>139834"East of firestation. We will need to put scout on crows nest in area."
>>139836"Come on, let us get A, C, and MGs moving. This gun is heavy and lifting it is killing my wounds."
>>139837He nods.
Time to locate the enemy.
>>139838Silver heads to the firestation to look for a crow's nest.