The Milk Run (soldiers)

Dash allowed himself to be pulled away from the others without resisting. He understood, if any of these Apostolov ponies found out he was related to an enclave officer, they'd probably kill him. This was war, and anything that could possibly raise suspicion, would. When Dash listened to Lightning ask him about whether or not the enemy forces would recognize him because of his father, he shook his head, "I was born and raised in Friendship City, here on the surface, and my father left the Enclave before that." he said, "He deserted because he was ordered to kill my mother, a unicorn mare from some stable... He told me some of what he knew about them, if only to defend myself if I ever encountered them out here."

Lightning listened to Dash closely, glancing around carefully to make sure the ponies from AL weren't around to hear them. Looking back at the pony, he gave a simple nod. "I see. I'm not one that will judge you nor your family for your history because I know that you're a good pegasus." He paused for a second before looking around and adding, "But you do know their tactics, don't you? How they will attack? What they want to go for?"

Cross surveyed the area, not paying a second thought to the others as he listened closely to the sounds of battle. Closing his eyes to picture what he was going to do when it finally reached him as well. Sighing, he tightened his grip on his rippers as he focused on making sure they won, by no means was this going to be worth it. But he had to make sure Winter could do her job, wherever she was. Turning around to Dash and Flash chattering and the rest lounging around. Loading up his incinerator he searched for a stone to stand on, turned and called out to the others.

"Come on ponies, we have a war to fight! Flash! lets get going!"

Bakewell stared at the 10mm Flash had given her before picking it up carefully, as though it could bite her. Bad memories of stable 113 instantly filled into her mind. Memories of insane foals. Memories of sad adults. Memories of genocide. The picture of a female pegasus, lying dead in a pool of her own blood. There had been so many ponies in the stable that the beige mare had held regrets over, things she hadn’t been able to tell them or apologize for because she had waited and waited and waited until eventually it was too late and they were gone forever.

In her moment of reflection, Bakewell realized that Scrap Parts had almost become the new Cream Cheese. He was the smart one, telling Bakewell what to do and keeping her out of trouble. He had bonded with her, seeing something in the large earth pony that she had never been able to gain a glimpse of. Bakewell had already lost her closest friend once. She couldn’t lose Scrap, too. She couldn’t allow herself to make the mistake of taking his friendship for granted like she had with her deceased friend a year ago.

Bakewell adjusted her hold, squatting back onto her rear hooves in order to cradle the unicorn buck’s head without putting all of her weight upon him. For a while she said nothing, simply stroking his red mane with her beige hoof while she tried to think of what she wanted to say.

“Scrap." She began whispering into his ear. "I just… this is important. There’s some stuff I want to- I need to say” She said, continuing to stroke his mane.

“You’ve been there for me constantly, Scrap. Ever since we met you’ve cared non-stop. Even in New Pegasus where we barely knew one another you cared enough to follow me and worry when something was wrong. You never gave up on me. You never fussed at me, or acted offended by any of my jokes. My house is beyond crowded and my pet constantly tries to eat your face, but you’ve never complained. You were always patient and caring. Even now, these hooves! You’re always thinking about me. I know this isn’t the best time or place to say this, Scrap, but I have to. If don’t say it now I might not ever get the chance.”

Bakewell moved her hooves from her husband’s neck to his face. Applying light pressure, carefully feeling the hard yet oh so fragile skull beneath his visage. A horrible mental image filled her mind of Scrap’s limp body collapsed into a cold still heap onto a steel stable floor, red gore from his crushed and unrecognizable head spattering the area, her hooves red with blood not her own. She gulped, and forced herself to ignore the aching in her rotten heart and continue.

“I want to say that I’m sorry, Scrap. You’ve done nothing but give and give and give, and I’ve greedily taken everything you offered. What have I given you in return? In Harmony Lane, I abused you. On the ship, I broke down and I had to have hurt you, Scrap. Don’t lie; it must have been hard to work up the courage to ask me, and I just tried to brush you off and get you to go out with Zestari instead. When that didn’t work I pushed you around. When we appeared in that... that place I just gave you up for dead. I never returned your love. Hay, I never even had the respect to try. That was wrong of me, because you’re the best thing that’s happened to me in the wasteland. You’re much better than I deserve.” She pulled back and stared into Scrap’s eyes. The moment was feeling overly sappy but she couldn’t stop now. Even if the emotions she felt surging through her weren’t what the pony’s thuggish lonely mind had convinced her love felt like, they were close enough for her to be happy if only she could keep from messing everything up.

“I guess what I need to say is…please be careful. I love you and can’t live without you.”

Her sappy piece said, Bakewell returned to all fours and took off into the crowd so that she could wait alone. The cook knew that both she and Scrap now had a job to do no matter however much she wanted to just up and leave Stalliongrad. Sitting around Scrap for too long would probably just result in the two getting in the way. Besides, as Cross was loudly proclaiming from somewhere behind her, they had a war to fight. She had to prepare even if there was nowhere to “get going” to until tomorrow.

After Cross spoke out and said how they had a war to fight, Blitz gave him a blank look. "You know that's why they've got ponies here who are in charge, right? I mean, yeah, I love to rush in, I really do. But I'm going to keep my flank alive through this so I can get paid, not run off into the enclave to get turned into goop. I do like your confidence here, but we're getting told when we're going where, not deciding ourselves." Blitz had finished waving his sword around, smiling as he got used to it.

Out from the MASH area the massive, well armored form of Kestrel approached Milk Run for the second time that day. His saddlebags were heavy, laden down with excess gear that would soon find a new home in the arms of the AL forces.

And the Red coated mare behind him was going to make that a profitable experience.

Walking over to the Quarter Master, Kestrel noticed a few familar faces stationed around. Lightning, Dash, Bakewell, even Red was down here getting pumped up for the fight ahead. Hopefully that attitude would stay with them, war wasn't like anything else in the wastes. Sure folks got used to killing off raiders, slavers, and sometimes smaller factions.

But this? This was a full scale incursion, and the enemy was holding a lot of cards in their favor. Power Armor and Energy weapons being just two of said cards.

He didn't have the time to worry about that now though, he had a transaction to rush through. He looked over at Cuppa and motioned at the QM, this was her signal to start the talking. While she was doing that Kestrel set his stuff down and started pulling out all the gear he was going to have to sell.

And by the Void there was a lot of it. Armor, Weapons, all kept in as best condition as Kestrel could manage. All of them had been freely acquired, so any caps he earned would be considered Profitable.

-----

Selling

Base Price/Item Name/Selling Price with Cuppa selling for me

1100, Metal Armor, 792
8000, Combat Barding, 5760
8500, AL Honorguard armor, 6120
5200, Marksmare Carbine, 3744
5200, Marksmare Carbine, 3744
700, Trench Knife, 504
4900, Brush Gun, 3528
4500, Sniper rifle, 2950
3750, .45 Auto SMG, 3450

Dash nodded when Lightning asked him if he knew their tactics and other such thing, "I know more about them than your average wastelander, probably... From what my father told me, they're probably looking for something of immense technological or magical power. Yet, something fragile enough that they're not willing to just flatten us and the AL under a barrage of skyfire... One thing's for sure, though. Every victory against them makes them less willing to attack over less important things. They aren't infinite up there." He looked over to Cross when he said that they should get moving soon, "We just need to stay sharp and not let our guard down. You ready?"

Lightning simply nodded, sliding his sword back into it's sheath before turning and beginning to walk back to the others. "Keep that information in mind...it might keep us alive..." He paused for a second before adding, "Keep your eye out whatever you think is important. Whatever they want, we can't let them take it."

Perking his ears to Cross yelling his name, Lightning just said to Dash once more, "It's best we stick together for this battle. If we separate, we'll simply just get picked off one by one. Come on, let's go see what Cross wants." Instead of unfolding his wings and taking to the sky to get back over to Cross quicker (which would probably get him shot if he tried), he broke into a run, quickly traversing the distance between him and the red unicorn. Stopping in front of Cross, he would simply bow his head, "All ready here?"

Ale looked at the supplies left on the table, most of the stuff ale wanted was gone but the .44 magnum and reinforced barding cought his eye. Ale dumped his nonesinchal gear onto the table and asked, "how much will ya give me for this stuff?" If he could make enough off of this shit then he aimed to add that pretty little revolver to his collection.

[barter 30]

Selling
-combat knife
-AL trooper armor
-Cowboy repeater

Bone head saw a pair of razor claws on the quartermasters table. The griffion's talons were already sharp enough, but these bladed gountlets were even sharper. "You know what, screw the raiders back home, bone head comes first." The bird told himself as he held out the carbine. "I'll trade you this for the razor claws and any left over caps."

[Barter 13]

Selling
-Marksmare Carbine

Buying
-Razor claws

caps 162

Blast trotted up beside Blitz "he is right you know, we are in the order of the Ponies paying the bills" Blast blows a puff from his cigarillo "THEY tell US what to do,where to do it, and when, they hired us as guns not brains." Blast smiled to himself "In this game of chess we are the pawns and were going up against knights, Its going to be one hell of a battle but we have to play smart if we want to win," he puffed more smoke and could feel something in him stirring, something he hadnt felt in a long time. Blast snapped to attention "Alright ponies lets get some order in here," Blast barked as he puffed more smoke "Lets give these Enclave bastards a real fight, they expect a bunch of crazy ponies to come running at them guns blazing" Blast let a wicked smile cross his face "Lets change it up on them and whoop some tail and take some prisoners," he barked raising his grenade rifle into the air.

Kira came walking from the chapel seeing the large collection of ponies around the place all doing different thing in preparation for what would come soon. The gryphoness was waking around among the ponies looking at them as they talked and traded, she scanned the group in search of familiar stripes. It took some time for her eyes to spot him among all the different ponies but she finally spotted him next to a familiar pegasus.

"Hey there Sky, hey Fluffeh." The gryphoness said as she hugged both of them. "I am just passing though seeing how Fluffeh here is but I did not expect to see you here Sky, still I have to say I am not surprised."

“Alright ponies,” Brass barked, spitting his toothpick on the ground as he walked towards the gaggle of bodies gathered around the quartermaster. “hope you got all the trinkets you wanted, cause it's time to get off your flanks. Looks like the Enclave got it in their skulls that they'll set up a communications relay on a strategic point. We get to act as the reality check. Grab your gear, say your goodbyes, and kiss your sweetheart one last time.”
Brass flipped his helmet on as he jumped into the network of trenches, trotting east, to the ever roaring fires of war.


Thirty minutes later the soldiers were at the edge of the network, the trenches ended abrubtly leaving the only way forward nobuck's land. Brass pulled himself from the trench an pulled out his binoculars. The sun was setting fast behind them, turning the landscape into one of elongate shadows and mute color. In the fading light the hilltop stood above them like the peak of a mountain, on its summit stood 6 Enclave guarding a pair of techponies as they rigged together the transmitter for the relay.

“They always have the high ground.” Brass mumbled to himself. “Nothing new there...probably more nearby...” The cogs in the old Sergeants head worked at top speed, working out how to win with a team of unknowns. They said they were soldier material, he hoped they were right. “Flyboys,” he growled at the pegasi. “At my signal, swing round that bombed out apartment building and strafe the hilltop. Everypony else, make a beeline for the apartment building and set up in the windows.”

Hearing the call to battle roaring outside Kestrel collected his Caps, all 31079 of them, and got moving back towards Vityaz's Chapel. No doubt there would be a call to duty showing up there any second.

Before he left though, he gave Cuppa her promised funds of 1000 Caps, leaving himself with 30,079 pieces of metal that would soon find use elsewhere should Kes find the time.

For now, it was time to get geared up and ready to rock. Without a word Kestrel took off towards Chapel, moving at a pace that would make some pegasi jelous.

The radio Scrap had been given by Trails crackled to life as Brass walked off with the soldiers in tow.

"Get back to the Chapel, we've got a job to do."

Blast marched along in the middle of the group. He looked to where Brass told him to go on the signal, he picked himself a nice spot behind a broken concrete wall that had rebar jutting out of it to break up his silohuette. "Shade, on his signal get on my flank and keep up, last thing we need is to loose somepony out in the buildings."

Lightning perked his ears at the sound of the officer calling out for them to move. 'Look like we're getting sent out.' Glancing at Dash and Cross, he would simply nod and begin the walk to follow the pony. Moving along the trench, the pegasus walked without a word, knowing very well that the battle was about to heat up.

Once they arrived, Lightning frowned as he saw the hill that they were going to attack. What made him frown even more was the idea that he and the other pegasi, which there was only two, had to fly up there and strafe their positions. Great, this was the easiest way to get shot and killed.

Lightning would look at his two pegasi companions and say, "Alright, we have to strafe that hill. Fly fast, fly high, and don't clump up. Let's make sure we spread out so we don't get picked off by a random pony spraying into the air. Cover each other and let's show them how real pegasi fly."

Sky looked over to the other ponies before they were given the orders to move out, "Hey there Kira, but sorry got to run." Sky gave a smile to Kira before they moved out with the sergeant and Sky just silently followed Brass to the point, going through the vast trenches that followed suit.

=============

As Sky followed Brass and heard his orders about the hill, She sighed and looked over to Flash as he smirked at the orders. "Got it Flash, they want to see real pegasi, then they will get to see how we real pegasi fight." Sky said as she looked over to the over two, she unfurled her wings and hovered above the ground. Ready to head out and even eager to go, "well im ready if you guys want to go." Sky took out her sniper rifle and grinned to everypony.

Ginger Ale's Transaction:

Gains: 1,222 caps

Bone Head's Transaction:

Gains: 2340 caps
Loses: 1240 caps

Total Gain: 1100 caps, Razor Claws

Kestrel's Transaction:

Gains: 31079 caps

Bone head heard the call to arms and grabed the claws and his caps. Slipping the blade covered gloves over his talons, he now felt that much deadlyer and had more of an urge to slice a pony apart. Best he find one in a suit of power armor to test them out on.


When the group reached the hill that the enclave was useing as a communication outpost bone head had to admire there positioning. "Best place for a big hunk of metal I suppose." When brass called out to the "flyboys" the griffion assumed his wings made him qualifed to aid in the first attack. We walked next to lightning and said simply "I'm comming too." Soon the bird will have an enclave kill under his belt, or more spasificly an enclave skull on his belt.

Ginger ale gathered up his collection of caps, he had wanted to grab some more gear from the quartermaster but duty calls. He equiped his hunting rifle and fell inline with the other ponies. "Celestia I hope i'm not marching to my death right now."

When the group arived at their destination ale was sad to see that he woulden't have the advantage of hight untill he ran across an open feild while most likly getting shot at. Ale took a swig of whiskey from his flask to try and calm his nerves. "O.k. lets get this job done, and if any of you let me get turned into goo then i'm going to be slightly mad."

"I got your back Blast." said Night-Shade to Blast Cap. He floated out his new Marksmen Carbine. He was ready for whatever the Enclave ponies had to bring. There equipment looked pretty impressive though. Shade then turned his attention back to Blast Cap, he needed to stay focused.

Atriark gave Kira a firm squeeze. "Be safe love," the zebra said and gave her a kiss. "You're probably gonna be in one hell of a hard place before too long. I suck at goodbyes, so let's not have this be our last one."

As he let his gryphoness go and settled back to all fours, Atriark couldn't help but feel a moment of hesitation. He felt as though he should be in the MASH with the other doctors... But no. He had a feeling that he may be needed more here as a combat medic. Atriark sighed and nuzzled Kira, all the while hoping he had enough Med-X and bandages.

"Hunt well my love."

------

Atriark peered through the scope on his Marksmare rifle. It wasn't the best, but it was all he had in terms of anything to let him see further. He once had Binoculars, but he had lost them soon after he had acquired a Critical case of Radiation Poisoning. The Stable 113 zebra had gotten better and had purged it all from his system, but not before it weakened him greatly. Atriark was as strong as he was before, but he didn't have quite the stamina he had before.

The stabled zebra lowered his rifle and looked around to all the ponies gathered there. He knew quite a few and he didn't think any of them had much in the ways of medical experience. He didn't expect any, those that did would have naturally flocked to the MASH. He hadn't known any doctors to take the risks that Atriark took in combat. Hell, how many actually could kill a pony with their hooves? If there were any that Atriark knew, he apparently didn't know them that well. So, Atriark needed to not be stupid and run out front like a mad zebra.

The whole situation a head of the group gathered at the end of the trenches did not look good. Having the high ground was a major advantage for the Enclave. Atriark had never faced Enclave pegasus before, so he didn't know their capabilities. And that didn't bode well with the zebra. Half the battle was won by information. If you didn't know your enemy, you were at a disadvantage. So there were two major disadvantages already; The Enclave had the high ground, and probably most of those who came here with Trails- if not all- never fought them before.

Blitz watched and listened to Brass as he said they were to head off right away, following the pony's lead to Nobuck's land.

Upon arrival, Blitz listened to orders and nodded, it occurred to him that it was putting the pegasi in more danger than anypony else, which wasn't okay by him, but now wasn't the time for an argument, right? It definitely wasn't okay by him, what with other ponies being in danger instead of him, he loved danger and getting stuck into it. He had to say something, maybe when they get to the apartment building whilst the Pegasi were being a distraction.

Waiting for the right moment, where everypony else would rush to the apartment building, Blitz would rush to the building also.

Bakewell followed Brass’ instructions to the letter, ducking down and waiting for the pony’s signal to make a dash for the apartments. The mare wasn’t really sure how to set up in the windows, and knew that she couldn’t hit anything reliably with her gun from such a distance even if she somehow managed to set herself up properly. Even if she did hit, she had all of a 10mm and 9mm pistol. They worked well on Bloatsprites and such, sure. But Enclave wore super-strong armor, right? And the soldiers had been given stronger guns that she had no hopes of ever using. Maybe Brass would just let her watch the gunponies’ backs? In case sneaky Enclave pegusi snuck into the building?