1460 replies and 7 files omitted.
>>139522Captain Forrester turns around to Silver, without word, but still making eye contact to him
>>139523The unicorn quickly brings out his flashlight, and flashes it in the Captain's eyes.
>>139524Forrester is at a distance, and reflexively closes his eyes. His eyes look sort of like a dog's eyes in the night, or that of a cat, glowing back.
>>139525Silver's eyes widen as he quickly calls out to the gathered ponies.
"Forrester's a changeling!"
>>139527Ponies hold up their weapons from every corner.
Forrester yells back, and looks again at Silver Sword
"I am nothing of the sort, you imposter!"
>>139528"You can not fool us! You and your ilk sabotaged line to Wald to cut off Frontline forces from Command! You had our radio operator Technical Sargent Hazelred replaced!"
>>139529"You are yourself replaced!" He yells out
Silver is present himself with Salt lick and Amber Grain, as well as the 12 members of B Squad. Across the Street, at the Misfortune County Court House and the roof of the Sheriff's Office, Silver knows there are two machine guns and rifleponies. Inside the Town Hall and exiting are eight ponies of the 332nd. With Forrester are still his four guards, two armed with submachine guns.
Forrester draws his pistol.
>>139530Silver draws his rifle and levels it at Forrester.
"Surrender Changeling! Our entire platoon has been tested, there are no more of your Infiltrators among us, you can not fool us!"
>>139532Forrester's small group backs away, a little down the road,
Forrester yells back,
"You are the infiltrator here!"
Now, guns are leveled
>>139533"You are surrounded! Put down your weapons and surrender, and you will be given fair treatment!"
>>139534A grin comes across his face
"That, I know is not true"
From down the valley, a distant rumble, like thunder, comes from the dark clouds on the horizon that begin to obscure the setting sun
>>139536"You think yourselves masters? Gardeners of nature?
No. That would be to leave the weeds in control. And you have less control than you think."
Roll Initiative Initiative set for all involved
Forrester:
[1d20+2 = 21]
Guards
[1d20+2 = 9]
[1d20+2 = 10]
[1d20+2 = 13]
[1d20+2 = 10]
Forrester's Troops
[1d20 = 16] [1d3 = 1]
[1d20 = 11] [1d3 = 2]
[1d20 = 6] [1d3 = 2]
[1d20 = 14] [1d3 = 2]
[1d20 = 12] [1d3 = 2]
[1d20 = 15] [1d3 = 2]
[1d20 = 3] [1d3 = 1]
[1d20 = 14] [1d3 = 2]
Saltlick
[1d20+2 = 12]
Amber Grain
[1d20+2 = 8]
Squad Sargent
[1d20+1 = 19]
Black Colt
[1d20 = 9]
B Squad Rifle ponies:
[1d20 = 2] [1d20 = 17]
[1d20 = 1] [1d20 = 8]
[1d20 = 16] [1d20 = 2]
[1d20 = 11] [1d20 = 8]
[1d20 = 13] [1d20 = 4]
C Squad
[1d20-2 = 7]
[1d20-2 = 5]
[1d20-2 = 15]
[1d20-2 = 0]
>>139539>>139538A cacophony of noise erupts, with Forrester the first to discharge his gun, followed by the squad sergeant, who fires his submachine gun at the guards, then ponies from Forrester's troop, who aim them at the squad members
Silver is shot at by Forrester's pistol
[1d20+4 = 19]And a guard's carbine
[1d20+3 = 13]Then a rifle
[1d20 = 17] >>139539B Squad exchanges with the guards
[1d20 = 20] [1d20 = 9][1d20 = 18] [1d20 = 20][1d20 = 3] [1d20 = 15][1d20 = 20] [1d20 = 6]While the reserve troops of Forrester shoot back
[1d20 = 12][1d20 = 4][1d20 = 9]And three at the squad leaders
[1d20 = 19][1d20 = 15][1d20 = 17]>>139538Silver is hit by Forrester's pistol
[2d6 = 10]And a soldier's rifle
[2d8 = 4] [1d20+10 = 26]>>139541They hit Silver good, but he's still standing. He aims his rifle at Forrester, and fires.
>>139541A submachine gunner is struck repeatedly by the squad leader's bullets and is downed. The other submachine gunner, and both carbine carriers are shot in the head by great shots from the riflestallion privates of B Squad. Only a few bullets are shot at all, including one carbine shot that misses Silver
The troops inside the building shoot through the glass and out the door, missing any rifle squad members.
Unfortunately, every single leader of Silver's section is hit by these troops, including Silver himself (already calculated)
Amber Grain
[2d8 = 10]Saltlick
[2d8 = 7]And the submachinegun wielding squad sergeant
[2d8 = 14]>>139543>>139542Silver hits Forrester forcibly in the chest, but has not downed him
>>139544>>139542At this point, the black colt, firing the machine gun from his shoulder in an unaimed attack, fires it inside the building at the reserve troops
A marksstallion's bullet hits one of the guards, but it's overkill
From across the street, the machine guns open up, albeit perhaps too close for comfort
>>139544The squad sergeant is downed
>>139543>>139542The guards fall to the ground, but as they do, green magic envelopes them, as if it burns away their coats, and leaves charred blackness behind. All four are Changelings, lying bleeding a bluish blood on the ground, and with strangely red colored blood spatters on the wall from where they've been hit in the head.
Forrester turns, and runs
[1d20+10 = 17]>>139546Silver aims at the retreating Forrester, and fires.
>>139548>>139547Hit, and, Hit.
Forrester falls down. B Squad focuses on pulling away and out of the line of fire from across the street.
Far off in the distance, another "thunk," "thunk," and "thunk."
But it's what's above that gives the most cause for concern. A terrifyingly loud, almost ripping-sound comes from a room on the left side of the second floor of the town hall. Silver can see the barrel sticking out. It's a machinegun. Belt-fed. Changeling model. The angle isn't shallow enough to aim at Silver and B Squad; instead, it takes aim at C Squad and the machine gun detachment across the street.
>>139549Silver shouts out to B Squad.
"TOWN HALL, SECOND FLOOR, LEFT SIDE! SOMEPONY GRENADE THAT GUN!"
He quickly rushes out to the downed squad sergeant.
>>139550Brisbuck yells
"C squad! Suppressive fire!"
And then less loudly, looking back,
"B Squad - back up, out of the line of fire! Grenadiers, upfront!"
Silver leans down to find the sergeant is down, and Amber Grain and Saltlick are badly wounded.
From inside, a trooper pops off a shot at Silver
[1d20 = 19] >>139551>>139552"Ngh!"
Silver is wounded again, but is determined to get these ponies to safety. He tries to drag the sergeant away and out of the line of fire.
>>139553Silver is the most wounded pony on the field, bleeding out from three wounds.
The loud, ripping sound flings out mass numbers of bullets at the forces across the street, while a lower "tat-tat-tat" and an even lower "dakka dakka dakka" come from the belt fed machine gun and light machine gun of C Squad respectively. Silver can see green tracers fly, and red tracers fly back. This exchange leaves the lower level entrance of the town hall less covered, and bullets fly out of here. The unicorn uses his magic to replace the magazine of the machine gun the black colt carries, and he aims in around the inside of the hall. The cream colored pegasus hugs the wall next to the entrance, and with his wing, tosses in a grenade, while a purple unicorn follows quickly behind doing the same
[1d20 = 3][1d20 = 19]Silver is able to drag the Sargent aside
>>139554Once the Sargent is out of the line of fire, he looks to see how Amber Grain and Saltlick are doing.
>>139555These ponies are wounded, but upright.
One of the grenades tossed in through the broken window bounces against some object inside, and explodes almost in the door frame, spreading shrapnel outwards in a pattern that makes B squad fall prone.
From the upstairs window, a submachine gun is stuck out and aimed downwards. The creature, leaning its head out, fires
[1d20 = 6] >>139555>>139556Forrester still moves, crawling away
>>139556>>139557"Cover me, I am going for Forrester!"
Silver runs out of cover, and makes a B-line for the disguised captain.
>>139558But first...
Grenadiers fire rifle grenades at the room upstairs
[1d20 = 8][1d20 = 20] >>139559One goes wide, right past the room, while another goes through the window and seems to detonate on the ceiling
The black colt nevertheless fires his automatic rifle in bursts in the direction of the room
Silver runs towards the captain, who manages to turn towards him, and level his gun
>>139559>>139560Silver maintains his current course, unfazed by the levelled pistol.
>>139561And what does Silver do when he gets there?
>>139562That would be hitting Forrester over the head with the butt of his rifle.
>>139563He fires one shot up at Silver
[1d20+3 = 12] >>139563>>139564Missing. Silver’s chance to attack
[1d20+5 = 6]>>139564>>139565Silver turns his rifle around, and aims a bash right at the disguised changeling's head.
>>139566Silver’s rifle misses, gets caught in the band that keeps Forrester’s pack on his shoulder, and falls the ground when Silver tries to pull it back
Forrester shoots again
[1d20+3 = 23] >>139566>>139567Unfortunately, this one is quite the hit
[1d20+3 = 5][2d6 = 7] >>139568"Блин, больно!"
Silver picks the rifle back up.
>>139569This, he does. Another attack, or attempt to kick Forrester?
>>139571A hit, if barely, against the prone Forrester
>>139573Forrester is knocked down, to the ground.
Silver can see his cost burn away in bright green light, revealing one of the parasitic, black pony imitators in his place.
>>139574Satisfied, Silver hurriedly returns to B Squad.
>>139575At B squad, Brisbuck gives a command, filling in fir the Sargent
“Machine gun! Covering fire! Rifle section, forward!”
B squad advances inside the town hall, the black colt firing from the hip
>>139576Silver salutes his Lieutenant.
"Forrester has been knocked unconscious, Sir. Your orders?"
>>139578"Sir, yes sir!"
Silver moves to join B Squad in storming the town hall.
>>139579The entryway has been shot to pieces by multiple machine guns and two grenades. On the floor lay the bodies of three changeling drones, fallen in strange ways or curled up, and wearing Equestrian uniforms.
What is more disturbing is the presence of two pony bodies in Equestrian uniform, never turning into drones. One lies on his back, the other on his side, with a hoof pressing holding his chest.
There are no more gunshots from within town hall
>>139580Silver stops to check on these ponies, to see their names/ranks and if they're still alive.
>>139581Private Low Glow, 332nd supply company
He seems to have suffered shock and died from multiple rifle rounds - probably originating from a machine gun
Private Reed Wringer, 332nnd supply company
He seems to be gone or nearly so. He has several bullet wounds, and shrapnel as well.
>>139582"I am sorry, soldiers."
Silver stands up from the bodies, and calls out into town hall.
"B Squad, report!"
>>139583B squad assembles before Silver, taking position and examining the surroundings
>>139584"Any sign of additional changeling occupancy in town hall?"
>>139586Silver nods.
"Do we have any more grenades?"
>>139587"Yes, plenty more."
As B Squad stands there, they can hear the words
"Don't shoot" calling from the left
>>139588Silver wheels around to face the direction of the voice.
"Who is there?"
>>139589Silver sees, coming through the doorway, three ponies wearing Equestrian non-combatant uniforms, trying to hold hooves up. One has a carbine on his back, two are completely unarmed. Two are bleeding, one from a scratch on the face, and another more heavily from under the uniform on the chest.
"Us" A white earthpony answers
>>139590Silver pulls out his flashlight, and trots slowly towards the three ponies.
"Stay right where you are, and do not move until I tell you to. I am going to check if you are changelings."
>>139592They pull their hooves in the air, though the last one cowers
Yellow eyes, partly reflective
Dark red eyes, blinks
Steel Grey, seems to reflect back blue under the eye whites
>>139593Silver turns off his flashlight, and nods. He tells the first one, with yellow eyes, to go join B Squad, but keeps the other two for a moment longer. He starts by talking to the red eyed one.
"I need you to keep your eyes open. It will only take second."
>>139594The first one stands there, looking at Silver for a moment, and then runs off into the squad of soldiers he was shooting at not two minutes ago
The second one tries to speak back to SIlver
"Wah"
He lowers a hoof, evidently to hold onto his chest (which is bleeding), and staggers. But his eyes are open
>>139595Silver quickly checks his eyes while they're open and he's still conscious.
>>139596Reflection from the pupil, which narrows, but the whites and iris are unaffected
>>139597"Clear."
He looks back at B Squad.
"He needs first aid, stat!"
He now looks back at the third pony, the grey eyed one, and looks seriously at him.
"I want you to be completely honest with me: are you changeling?"
[1d20-1 = 9]>>139599Sense Motive: Silver looks carefully at him for any sign of him lying.
"Are you sure? If you are, and you come out voluntarily, I promise you will be treated fairly."
I like this combat sequence, it reminds me of Post Scriptum. Check out Vade's videos with German comms/English subtitles if you can, they are really immersive.
>>139604Silver considers it for a second, but ultimately decides to concede and accept it as an aberration in testing.
"Alright. My apologies, we are just under lot of stress right now. Go ahead and join others."
>>139605He stands there for a moment, but then rushes past
>>139606Silver returns to B Squad.
"Alright, are we ready to continue?"
>>139608Silver looks to see that the red eyed pony is getting medical aid before he does anything.
>>139609The red eyed pony has to get in line, with the squad sergeant, Saltlick, and Amber Grain being injured
>>139610"Alright then. We will make our way towards upstairs room, checking rooms along way. When we get outside room, we will give them chance to surrender, and if they do not, we will toss grenade inside. Understood?"
>>139611"Sir, yes sir!"
B Squad advances into the dinning room - finding nothing, though some cots are on the floor. Nothing, down stairs office. Nothing in the bathrooms, or the other downstairs office.
On to upstairs. It's a narrow hallway not everypony can fit through
>>139612About how many can fit through?
>>139614Silver instructs a grenadier to go first, with Silver behind him. Once they get to the doors of the room, Silver calls out.
"Anyone alive in there?"
>>139615Silver pokes his head out to see a door on the right side, a door on the left, and a couple doors in the center
Silver's question is answered with a "ching-ching-ching-ching-ching" from the right
Role for reflex
>>139616>>139618>>139617When Silver and the grenadier get up to the second floor, they are shot at from a blind-fired submachine gun out the door from the office on the far right, and a grenade is tossed at them.
Silver evades all bullets, while the grenadier is hit with one. Silver dives into the stairwell, and is not hit from any shrapnel, while the grenadier tries to jump back into the stairway
[2d6 = 6][1d6 = 1] >>139618>>139620The grenadier, partly caught in the blast, almost lands on Silver.
>>139620>>139621Silver helps get the grenadier get to his hooves, and gets him down the stairwell. He points to the other grenadiers.
"They are not surrendering, flush them out!"
>>139622One rushes past, jumping over Silver, with a rifle grenade on his gun. As he rushes into the hall, there is more blind fire. There is a "thunk" and then a loud
BANG as a rifle grenade is shot and detonates at ranges too close for comfort.
>>139623Silver flinches somewhat, and starts talking once the ringing starts to subside.
"Sweet Celestia, soldier, I meant throw pineapple, not rifle grenade. You okay?"
>>139624"What!?" He seems a little dazed, but the attack still needs pressing forward
>>139625"Just nevermind. Come on!"
Silver pushes past the soldier to get to the room with the blind firing submachine gunner.
>>139626Silver presumably kicks open the door, which itself is shot through with several bullet and shrapnel holes. Silver can see this room was a large sized office, with several; photographs on the walls, a couple book shelves, and a hardwood desk.
Books from the shelves have fallen to the ground. Some a shredded. The desk is moved at an odd angle, and is torn in many areas. There is a distinct hole in the wall above the desk, with broken bits of glass, parts of a wooden picture frame and the like strewn across the floor, along with so many papers. on the left side is a window, with a torn up chair propped up next to the window, and a turned over table to its left. The window is completely shattered, there is a large hole in the cieling with insulation hanging down, as well as part of a vent, and a large, belt-fed machine gun lies across the chair, with a number of empty cases to its right. Portions of the wall are penetrated with bullets, with paint coming off, while other portions are chipped.
Hanging over the Machine gun is a dead changeling drone with a Changeling style helmet, and no uniform. He bleeds blue on the foor. Next to him is another in an Equestrian uniform who also fell on his belly, and is holding what looks like a replacement barrel. This second one is covered in white drywall, which can also be found to a degree on the first one, but this one is covered almost like he fell asleep in snow. To the left of both is a dead changeling in Equestrian uniform who lies on his back, and has more than one noticeable bullet wound. He has a Changeling style bolt-action rifle next to him. between these three and the desk is a changeling lying on his belly and bleeding on the floor. He wears no uniform, and has an ammunition belt across his back, with an Equestrian carbine rifle beside him.
But most concerning is an alleged pony - a tan unicorn - in a bloody, Equestrian uniform, wearing a helmet and lying on his back. He looks to have fallen against the desk, then fallen off of it. In front of him is a Changeling style submachine gun, which he is reaching towards.
>>139627Silver wraps a telekinetic sheath over the SMG, and tosses it aside.
"Do not move muscle."
>>139628He keeps moving, like he's trying to get up
>>139629"Final warning. Do not move."
Silver keeps his rifle trained on the changeling.
>>139630The alleged pony sits up, baring its gritted teeth at Silver. It magically undoes its pouch.
[1d20+10 = 13]>>139631Silver shoots at the changeling.
>>139634Silver shoots the creature in its belly, which is enough to make it slink over to its side. A green fire comes down it, burning away and revealing a changeling drone with a large number of open blue wounds. the end of a Changeling-style grenade pops out of its open pouch
>>139635"I told you."
He calls out into the hallway.
"Clear."
>>139636A soldier cone and peeps into the mess of the room
“I hope they’ll forgive what we’ve done to the mayor’s office” he says
>>139637"Offices can be rebuilt, but ponies can not be brought back from dead. I think they will not mind."
He looks back to the soldier.
"Tell rest of B Squad to finish performing sweep of town hall, then meet me outside. Our work is not finished yet."
>>139638"Sir, yes sir!"
He goes off to meet with other soldiers
But outside, Silver can already hear rifle shots, then machine gun fire
>>139639Silver rushes out to see where the gunfire is at.
>>139640Silver can hear it from the direction of the back of town hall; i.e., A company.
Does Silver go outside before the full clearing of the building?
>>139641Uh...unless something important is supposed to happen?
>>139642Okay, so silver goes outside.
What do?
>>139643Well, he was suppose to go investigate the gunshots behind the town hall.
>>139644Going down the central hallway of town hall, silver sees a hallway that leads to a door. Peaking out the door onto the street, silver can see that A company, stationed in the second floor of the small brick fire station across the street, is engaged in fire with other enemies, hard to see from that location
>>139645Silver advances towards the fire station, trying to get in contact with the ponies or not-ponies inside.
>>139648Uh, well B squad is still in town hall, C squad and the machine gun section is unengaged, and A squad is engaged behind the town hall in the fire station.
>>139649Eeyup. And now he's heading to see whether the ones in the fire station are ponies or changelings.
>>139650Silver would have to run out into open fire to cross the street, and could be shot.
>>139651In that case, it is probably best that he stay in town hall and assist B Squad until he has covering fire.
>>139659Any more specific actions?
>>139660Besides performing a sweep of town hall? Not really.
>>139661From his position in the office on the far end Silver can see that there are four doors. Two on the right, one on the left, and one at the end.
>>139662Silver goes to the first door on the right.
>>139663This room looks to be a mundane bathroom with a single toilet, blue tile floors, a basket and a window on the far side. It's a narrow room.
>>139664Hmm...door on the left, then.
>>139665Technically this is the second door on the left, as the staiwell Silver came in from is also on the left.
This is a narrow supply closet that wraps around, with stacks of paper, a set of pens, a simple paper cups among other things.
What is less in-place, is what lies down on the ground: a green sleeping bag that looks to be full. It lies in such a position that it takes up essentially the full space between shelves.
>>139666"That is unusual..."
Silver investigates this 'green sleeping bag' with his flashlight.
>>139667It seems to be completely zipped up and full. It's the standard cotton and nylon bag issued to the Equestrian Army.
>>139669Silver cannot make out many details through the thin, nigh transparent covering of silk that encases what is before him. Yet what Silver can gather is that under the layer of white-tinted gossamer is a light brown unicorn with his eyes closed and mouth open - technical private Hazelfront.
>>139670"Private!"
Silver is relieved that he's found his missing private, but figures that until the town is secure it is not a good idea pulling him out just yet. He whispers to Hazelfront before zipping him back up.
"I am coming back for you."
Next, he tries the second door on the right.
>>139671This room is marked "records" above the door, and inside are a number of file cabinets, shelves, and cardboard boxes
>>139672Interesting. He definitely marks this room for further inspection later, as the records may hold things of value. For now, however, he inspects the room on the end.
>>139673Silver enters this room to see:
A pair of desks, each facing towards the center. A wall that seems to hold a black, telephone switch board with cables (albeit now many applicable holes), a pair of telephones, a chair near the entrance, an over turned chair near one of the desks, an upright chair by the other desk, and windows on each side of the room. Both desks have papers on them, while one has a headset, and another has an apple core on top. The room smells of cigarette smoke.
>>139674Silver curses himself somewhat for not knowing how to contact command using telephones. Doing so would undoubtably be so much faster than telegraphs.
>>139675There is a slight bumping sound, as if against wood
>>139676Silver pulls his rifle in front of him, and turns towards the direction of the noise.
>>139677It seems to be from the direction of the desk on the left. No creature is visible popping out from behind the desk... yet.
>>139678Silver calls out to the desk, and whoever may or may not be behind it.
"Whoever you are, come out slowly and put your hooves where I can see them."
>>139679A beige furred pair of ears pop up, and then a muzzle and dark blue eyes. Then a thin pony sits up, hooves raised. The form is decidedly female, her hair is back and she wears an Equestrian Army uniform.
>>139680Silver nods slowly.
"Alright. Good. Now...changeling or pony?"
>>139682He nods again.
"Okay. Now, here is what I am going to do. I am going to come over there, and test you to see if you really are pony or not. Regardless of what test shows, even if it turns out you are changeling, as long as you stay still and do not try anything you will not get hurt. Understand?"
>>139683She nods, slowly.
In the corner of Silver's eye, he can see something rising up behind him
>>139684Silver turns around to face whatever this threat is.
>>139685Behind Silver, rising up from the second desk is another pony; a pegasus mare with a bright dandelion coat and a brown mane tied in a pony tail. She, too, wears an Equestrian Army uniform and no hat.
>>139686"Stay right there!"
Silver trains his gun on her.
>>139687Silver may want to be careful as to where he stands, as the desks are perpendicular to each other and it's easy for Silver to be blind to one while facing the other.
>>139688I assume there is a spot Silver can back up to where he has some measure of view of them both?
>>139689Without them moving? Silver can move to the entry door, or maybe even to either of the windows, but it will place him at a distance from at least one of the two ponies, wherever he moves
>>139690Silver backs up to the entry door, turning to aim first at earth pony, then the pegasus, and back again.
>>139691The earth pony is very frightened, with the dandelion pegasus having a more blank expression
>>139692Once he's back to the entryway, he keeps the two in his sights.
"Okay, slight change of plans. I am going to call for assistance, then I will test you two..."
He calls out into the hallway while maintaining line of sight.
"I got two non-combatants here. Second floor, last room. If anypony can hear me, I need assistance."
>>139693Enthusiastically, a pair of ponies come over from the office on the far side. It looks like several members of the squad, including the two grenadiers Silver came with, have gone to the office taken up by the machine gunner's nest. Now, two rifle ponies come into the room, with fixed bayonets.
>>139694"Alright, same deal as before. Pony or not, you do
not try anything funny. Understand?"
>>139695"Uh huh"
"Yes sir"
They respond, nodding, and clearly unsettled by the situation, as two rife stallions come forward, and point their bayonets towards the mares.
>>139696Silver nods, and first checks the pegasus with his flashlight.
>>139697He eyes are magenta. She narrows her eyes, but does not close them. There is no visible abnormality.
>>139698"Clear."
He motions for the riflestallion to let her go before he goes to check the earth pony.
>>139699He drops his rifle down, and the dandelion Pegasus stands up.
Looking into the earth pony's deep blue eyes, there is no unusual coloration, though the bright light turns her whites yellow. She does not flinch
>>139700"Clear."
He motions for this riflestallion to let her go as well.
"I am deeply sorry for such rude welcome, but we are currently still in middle of combat zone. Platoon Sargent Silver Sword."
>>139701"Uh, Private Primrose"
She tries to stand up on her feet, and smiles awkwardly back at Silver
>>139702Silver smiles, and looks back at the pegasus.
"And you?"
>>139703Her expression is still a little blank. She blinks, and answers
"Private Thistle Brush, Sir."
>>139704He speaks briefly to the two riflestallions.
"Our missing Technical Private is in storage closet, couple of rooms over. Tell either Amber Grain or Brisbuck so we can retrieve him once town is secured."
He turns back to the two mares.
"You two aware of what is going on?"
>>139705"Damn... Sir, Yes Sir." One of the two rifle stallions answers. They leave the room.
Thistle Bush starts to answer
"Well... the phone lines went out. We only had some paperwork that could be done, but we came up here anyways to get away from the stallions. A combat platoon showed up... Then bullets started to fly and we hid under our desks."
>>139706"Sounds right. That combat platoon is us, we just came up from Wald today. Changelings infiltrated significant part of 332nd, including replacing Captain Forrester and his guards. Seems your desire to keep away from platoon's stallions kept you both from being replaced."
He looks at the telephone switchboard.
"I assume it was this morning when you last checked telephone lines. I sent A Squad to repair sabotaged lines just before shooting started. Can you check them now? We need to get message to Command immediately about our current situation."
>>139707“Well, they stopped working sometime last night. I’m not sure if they work to The Front. Maybe they work now, I don’t know.”
Thistle Bruah puts on a head set, and goes to the board, placing the wire in one slot.
“Busy”
Then another
“This one, I think leads back to the Quartermaster in Wald...”
She tries another one
“Something seems off. Not like the line is down, but there is more traffic than the lines can handle...”
>>139708Silver trots up to Thistle Brush, and points to the last one she tried.
"Where does that go?"
>>139709“That line was supposed to go to the state capitol in Chemeketa, but it’s rewired to the Front.”
>>139710It takes a second for that to sink in, and when it does it sinks like a rock dropped into a lake. Silver feels like his heart has stopped for a few moments before he comes back and looks at Private Thistle Brush. He looks like he's seen a ghost.
"Private...that line leads from Front to here, and this is primary point of communication between Front and Command. There is only one reason I can think of why that line is overwhelmed with traffic..."
>>139711Thistle Brush hasn’t smiled the whole time Silver has been there, and she doesn’t start now.
“I’m guessing it’s not because they are wondering when the next shipment of carrots will arrive.”
In the silence that follows, the distant thud and thunder creeps into the room.
>>139712He looks up at the sound, knocked out of his semi-trance and into action. He knows what that thunder means, now.
"Changelings are making their assault on our lines
now. They sent Infiltrators ahead to sabotage telegraph and telephone lines so Command would be deaf. Private, patch us in with Wald, immediately. Tell them to either get in touch with Command or find somepony who can, Changelings are attacking
now."
>>139713Her eyes widen, and she is silenced for a moment, before answering Silver.
“Uh, you can only do so much here. The lines rewired here are for speaking to the supply chain on the Front and the quartermaster in Wald. If you want to try more general lines, I think you may have more luck at the Lunar Telephone and Telegraph Office here in town. The lines that run along Old Mecca’s Trail, and along the railroad line from Benson - I think that town is even closer to the front - are all routes through there before going east to Virtue and the Wald. Unless you want to speak with the Quartermaster.”
>>139714"Can Quartermaster get in touch with Command?"
>>139715She shrugs
“Probably? He’s a commissioned officer.”
>>139716"Then get in touch with him. Every pony we can contact about this is one more chance we can stop this assault before Changelings destroy us all."
>>139717“Uh, okay. I can try. They may not like to hear it. They are already afraid to send trains through. Now they will be even more afraid, but they will have no choice.”
>>139718"Please, do so Thistle."
He looks to Private Primrose.
"Primrose, is there anything you can do about line from Front, any way to sort out traffic so we can get some idea of what is going on?"
>>139719“I think the telephone office has the main line, so it’s possible to tap into people’s conversations there. I don’t think we can do it here. Maybe if we call somepony will have the time to tell us?”
She gives a toothy smile that’s a bit nervous.
>>139721She places the line in the appropriate slot in the board, puts on the headset, and moves the rotary several times, before waiting ona response.
“Hello? Hello? Yes, we know about the water shortage. Oh. Well, sorry to hear about that, but can we get a situation report? Oh. Well I know you’re busy. Yes. I understand. Thank you.”
They are not on the line a full minute.
She turns to Silver
“The Changelings have begun a mass scale bombardment across the entire line. There is no assault yet, but they are expecting a night attack, or an attack at the break of dawn. That is all they could tell me.”
>>139724"Relay that information to Quartermaster so he may send it to Command. They have been in dark for far too long."
Silver lets out a sigh of relief.
"So, our death is not imminent. Given circumstances, I will take it."
>>139725“Oh, okay.... Are the Changelings gone here?”
>>139726"No, A Squad is still in combat with them. I am waiting for B Squad to finish sweep of building before joining them...or at least finding out which group is actualy A Squad and which are changelings."
>>139727This unsettles her
“Oh... alright then. I’ll sit back here, if you don’t mind.”
>>139728"Good idea. I am going to go check on troops. Lock this door after I leave. So you know we are ponies when we return, we will say 'klutzy' through door, to which you will reply 'draconequus' to let us know you are ponies. Understood?"
>>139729“Fluxy what now? Uh, yes. I will do so.”
>>139730"Klutzy, draconequus. It is sign and countersign we are using to distinguish ourselves as being ponies, not changelings. Memorize it, please."
hopes to continue tomorrow
>>139731>>139735She gives a small smile. "Okay, sir."
The gunfire has since stopped.
Within ten seconds, the following two things happen. The distant thunder stops, and the small lights on the switch board go out.
>>139737"That is not good sign."
Silver goes to where the former mayor's office, to see how much of B Squad is there.