"Alright, thank you for clearing that up and getting something off my chest" Damien simply nodded. "We'll keep in touch. Whenever you ever need me for something, I'll be there. Next time that you're in Vegas, mention my name at the Imperial Tower and you will get in easy. First round's on me." Damien smiled before walking back to his truck, waving back with two fingers. A moment later, he was gone. (Want to wrap this up soon ?)
(I have an idea. Since that I have completely re imagined my FO:E timeline, we could perform a redo of the Pre-war RP that we did. )
(Alright. Here we go!) Many years ago It was a special day at Luna’s school for gifted unicorns. Banner’s were set up across the school, balloons and streamers were everywhere and the students could not be more thrilled to discover that Princess Luna was taking time to visit for a special purpose. The teachers were pleased with their own students as they went about ensuring that everything was set up just right for the princess. The princess arrived at the school with two ‘friendlier’ royal guards, much to the children’s delight. There were just under 150 students at the school, but the presence of the Princess caught the attention of the media. When she was inside, she watched the children play about, drawing pictures for the princess and going about the day like it was a special party. One of these children caught her attention. A dark red unicorn stallion, with a puffy purple and yellow mane, was busy drawing for the princess. When he noticed her, he could not help but smile at her. Luna smiled back before walking over to him and seeing what he was drawing. It was merely a picture of her and the young stallion, standing on what appeared to be a beach. The princess tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. “Hello, there.” She said nicely. “What is your name?” The young stallion looked back, kind of starstruck to see the princess speaking to him. “Cr....Crimson. My auntie works for you. It’s...nice to see you princess.” The child could have been barely older than six. So far, he was filling the descriptions perfectly. She needed a unicorn but she noticed that he was half a head taller than the other unicorns around him, and that after speaking to his teacher, had above average intelligence. It was not genius intellect, but it was impressive. Unlike that stallion she had selected back in Appleloosa, who’s IQ was higher than anything she had ever seen in Equestria. She looked at him again. “I know your auntie. She is with me in a special place. Do you wish to come with me?” Luna asked the boy. The stallion replied by nodding his head as he got out of his seat and stood next to him. The two of them went and spent the rest of the day together before leaving Canterlot entirely. She felt like that the boy was perfect for the program. It took some explaining for why he had to live with the scientists, and that he could not live with his auntie, but it was explained in the end, as she would visit him regularly. The boy understood, and surprisingly, was not as upset as she thought he would get. The young stallion was to receive the finest education in Equestria, far better than the expensive private schools in Canterlot, while also being raised alongside seven other friends that would grow up alongside him to form the deadliest fighting unit in Equestrian history. Crimson was selected for Project Eternal...
"Snow, you okay sis?" Dark Light asked Snow as she trotted into her Canterlot office, "The past few times I've visited you, ever since the rescue, you've seen...disturbed, is it bothering you? I've always known you're quite pacifist and don't like the thought of ponies getting hurt...I can't imagine what seeing happened to the Wonderbolts did to you..." Snow looked up at Dark, "Oh...Sorry, don't worry, it's nothing, just made me realize some things...Dark, we're in for a war, what currently is going on? The small skirmishes? It's only a matter of time they seem like small play fights for children compared to what's goin to happen..." "Yes, I know Sis, I've asked Celestia for permission to change the Elite Guard and the entire military for that matter into a more offensive and modern force. I mean, half our forces are still armed with spears, spears! And the zebra have a 100% firearm equipment!" snow sighed, "I could help..." "W-what? Snow, you and I both know Mark Co doesn't make weapons, never has, never will!" "That's a lie...Dad founded Mark Co as a secret arms company..." Snow suddenly admitted, "And I continued it to pay for my societal advancement research..." "Sis...You better be just pulling my leg...you are, right?" Snow gave Dark a sad look that told her it was the sad truth, "Dark...Just put in the order, and I can have the modern equipment we sorely lack within the month." "I-I'm going to have to clear it with Celestia...but alright Sis, I trust you..."
"Welcome, Crimson." Said a scientist with a light brown coat and gray elderly hair. "I'm Time Turner, head scientist of the Big Mountain Research and Development Center, Equestria's greatest scientific facility outside of Mark Co. This will become your new home. Here, we will help you grow to protect Equestria and all of the ponies that live here from the ones that wish for our destruction." The facility itself was outside in the open and dominated by an enormous dome like building easily a kilometer across. Dotted around the landscape were multiple cliffs and some very small facilities. The high majority of the center was underground, but the surface was dominated by a huge mountain that gave the facility it's name. "What do you do here?" Crimson asked as him and the Princess followed Dr.Turner through an entrance door that led to a number of different travel vehicles. "You see, Crimson. The goal of the facility was to build the future of ponydom and create the technology of tomorrow without restraints, either moral or technical. We welcomed some of the most gifted scientists in the land, who plumbed the depths of many experimental technological fields. Our research is groundbreaking, but we have something special here, just for you that would revolutionize all of ponydom. " All three of them then went through the main travel vehicle, appearing as a small train. "In a way, we are going to make you young forever..." "Immortality?" Crimson asked the scientist, in which Princess Luna and Dr. Turner smiled warmly back at him. "That's correct, you catch on fast don't you? True immortality is impossible, but we believe that we have discovered the way to stop you from aging beyond a certain point, like when you're an adult. You could live for hundreds or even thousands of years! However, as said before, we cannot make you truly immortal. You will still be mortal, but you could possibly live forever." "I don't understand..." Crimson replied as Luna then looked at Crimson. "I have selected you for a program to make you a solider, but not any solider. You are going to be...changed, to help protect Equestria and all of her people. I'm not going to lie to you Crimson, there is going to be a war happening in the future. So we need you and your new friends to help protect all of Equestria." Just as Luna had finished speaking, the train had stopped moving. At the end was seven other children from all three pony races, male and female and all the same age. They all looked at Crimson as they rushed from the instructors and surrounded Crimson out of happiness and hugged him. Crimson had met his new life-long friends, but was far too young to understand that he had met his new "Brother's and Sisters..." Luna looked at Dr.Turner and the group of students. "I need to leave you now. I'll visit you another time, I'll see you again one day." Luna smiled as she went back onto the train, the student's watching the door close as it sped away from them. Turner looked back at his children. "Alright. We'll go to class and introduce ourselves, after that, we will give you a tour across the facility and get you into your new rooms. Training will begin tomorrow." Dr. Turner announced before an enormous grin came across his face. "Welcome home" (Time-skip several years?)
Three years later While being too young to receive their augmentations until they were at the ‘ideal’ age of 14 years old, the 9 year old mares and stallions had already endured a great deal of hardship during their first three years of training. They were placed into situations and drills that pushed their abilities to their very limit and beyond. Their hard training was complemented with high-level education, which included mathematics, science, physics, reading, writing, and military tactics. Despite the hard training, this improved the bond of friendship to new heights. The Eternal’s considered themselves as brothers and sisters, forming a bond with another that surprised the officials and scientists. All of the young children played with each other, fought and trained with each other and learned with each other. When out of training, they enjoyed their own hobbies, such as watching cartoons and any other activity that a child would have. When news of the Littlehorn massacre had occurred, the news had hit Crimson hard. If he was never selected for the program, he would have ended up dead on that day. He understood now that since this had occurred, peace between Equestria and Zebrica was now impossible. Soon, a war would begin that was to last for more than twenty years. From what he was told by Dr. Turner and the other scientists, he was not ready to be sent into the field unless he and the other Eternal’s were needed if the war were to escalate to a dangerous height, alongside having to keep their existence hidden from the rest of the world. All the Eternals could do was wait until they were needed. (The Eternal’s are not called into action until they are about 19-20ish. My next few posts will just be time-passing.)
Dark Light examined the troops before her, having recently undergone re-training, and changing their name to the "Commandos", Equestria's elite special forces. Crescent Moon had finally spurred Celestia into signing the arms deal with Mark Co, but Dark worried that the newly found "Ironshod Weapons" by the Apple family will come to replace Mark Co simply because of ties to Applejack, and neopotism has never say well with her sister. Luckily, she got a permenant armament deal her sister, meaning no matter what, her Commandos would wield Mark Co weaponry. Dark stepped onto a small stage before her Commandos, "Now, you all have likely heard about what happened at Crescent Moon School for Talented Unicorns, how now there is no turning back; Equestria, without a doubt, is at war. At not just a play war, a real, bloody war that will likely take years. I have formed you, the Commandos, the most elite corp of soldiers Equestria has, to be sent behind Zebra lines and shorten the war and save lives by cutting off the Zebra supply lines. Remember, every bullet we destroy, every missile taken out of commission, one more zebra reinforcement taken out, that's one less problem our comrades will have to worry about. And every meal, letter wagon, and such we destroy, the lower the morale of our enemy. Celestia herself has told me we will avoid full deployment currently as not to give away the true purpose of our corp so early, but we will strike out, and when the time comes,we will do what we were formed to do!"
By the time the Eternal’s were 14 years old, they had already experienced more combat situations than a normal solider would face in his entire lifetime. Every single one of them was at peak physical condition rivalling the greatest of world athletes. This combined with their training in the art of war and martial art skills had created eight of the deadliest soldiers in history. The majority of their training took place physically, while brand new VR simulation machines were used to simulate live combat situations against the Zebra mentally alongside some martial arts simulations, all of them with a 100% success rate. Each Eternal managed roles between themselves. Jackpot Fortune, a beautiful white unicorn mare, was a mastery of stealth combat. Cinnamon Delight, A light brown Earth pony Stallion from Appleloosa with a recorded IQ of 207, was the team’s Sniper, hacker and engineer. Crimson was acknowledged as the Eternal’s de-facto leader and seemingly mastering any form of combat, but preferred guns and swordsmanship. A week before their augmentations, the scientists of Big Mountain had received a group of Zebra POW’s for their research against the Eternal’s in a fight to the death in unarmed combat. If the Zebra defeated the Eternal’s, they were given their freedom. It sounded easy enough to them, fighting against a group of kids. Each Eternal was given a small group, round about 4 each. Crimson however, due to his recent success in training, was given double the amount. And he just... He just smacked them about like they were sacks of meat and throwing them around like ragdolls. Crimson delivered skull-breaking blows and easily shattered the ribcage of one of the Zebra soldiers like glass. The Zebra’s were terrified at this individual, this 14 year old child that killed many battle-hardened soldiers like it was nothing. They never understood what they were up against. Never knowing who they were dealing with.
"Megaspells." Snow said to Twilight Sparkle. They were in the middle of a vast valley, Maripony facility about 20 miles away, "Developed by your Fluttershy as a way to heal an entire battlefeild and bring about Mutually Assured Destruction, which is a stupid theory for an enemy like the Zebra." "Snow; just get on with this demonstration, I have much work to attend to." twilight replied to Snow, who sighed in response. "Alright Twilight, but I warn you, what you're about to witness...It will be quite frightening, it's only been a year since Fluttershy came up with the Megaspells, and I'm about to top it. Miss Shine, if you would?" Snow said to a mare with a dark pink coat standing over a briefcase with a strange jumble of wires and switches. Snow then floated over a pair of extremely tinted eye googles, "Trust me." She said putting on her own as Shine pressed a switch and counted down to a mic. "5...4...3...2...1...testing weapon now." Her voice rang out o the empty plains (outside the example house built about 400 meters in front of them) before she flicked a final switch and a small clicking sound was heard as the detonation frequency was set. Seconds later, a bright flash came from miles away. Through the tinted goggles, the light faded and the trio watched as an oncoming shockwave slammed into the house, which was already in flames, blasting it apart. The shock wave hit them like a sledge hammer, nearly knocking Twilight off her hooves as a massive mushroom cloud began to rise to the sky. The noise was deafening. When the ringing in their ears faded and the mushroom cloud now miles overhead, Snow turned to Twilight, "The biggest balefire bombs have an average explosive capability of 100 kilotons of TNT and wiping half of Manehatten off the map. The bomb you just witnessed, the atom bomb, has an explosive capability of 500 kilotons but can be increased unlimitedly. The bomb just detonated could wipe all of Fillydelphia off the map." "S-Snow...I think you've gone mad!" "Maybe, but the Zebra will have extra encouragement of not firing the megaspells ever with us having this weapon." "...You aren't the Snow I knew before the war...you're some...bad mirrored image of her! I...I will not sanction this weapon, it is to be buried and removed from history, do you understand me?! If you refuse...I will have you tried for treason...Do I make myself clear?" "...Yes Twilight...."
It was the day of the Eternal Augmentations. The ultimate hybrid of arcane science featuring biochemical and if needed, biomechanical manipulations applied to Eternal conscripts at the onset of puberty. Although each Eternal is in a state of unconsciousness, a state of which the subject should not feel any pain, the effects of the augmentation procedures still produce excruciating pain. Physiological stress of the augmentations can produce cardiac arrest and death if the scientists were not careful. Each scientist placed the Eternal’s apart from another in separate rooms to create a safer work environment. The augmentations under the scientists went like this... -With an extensive study of Crystal pony volunteers on their coat as well as producing a special formula of the Zebra’s bone strengthening brew, the subject was to have a virtually unbreakable skeleton while their own coat was strengthened to incredible levels. Specific risks for pre-and near-post pubescent adolescents was that the skeletal growth spurts may cause irreparable bone pulverization. -Submergence and boosted blood vessel flow beneath the rods and cones of the subject's retina is to produce a enormous visual perception that allows the subject to see 6x better than a standard Equestrian while also giving them a permanent low-light vision, allowing them to virtually see in the dark perfectly. Risks involve retinal rejection and detachment that would lead to Permanent blindness -Alteration of biochemical nerve transduction. 300% increase in subject reflexes. Anecdotal evidence of marked increase in intelligence, memory, and creativity. Reflex time is astronomically increased during combat situations. Risks involve significant instances of Parkinson's Disease and Fletcher's Syndrome. -Injection of E4-369 “Immortality” chemical into brain and heart. Effects include the age process stopping once an Eternal reaches a certain age, roughly between their mid-20’s to late 40’s, granting them biological immortality. Risk involves rare instantaneous death upon injection. The list went on to include other factors that seemingly turned the Eternals into seemingly physical gods. From immunity from disease, poison and radiation to reduced need to eat and sleep. It went onwards, scientists and doctors ready to accomplish the impossible. This program itself was capable to win the war and accomplish so much more. Crimson was hooked up to many machines as he was placed onto an operating table, the light shining brightly on his face, providing a warm sensation across his skin. He then seen five doctors in full medical clothing stand around him, one of them placing a mask around his face and spoke softly. Crimson’s eyes began to flutter as the gas performed its work before falling unconscious. "Alright. Just take deep breaths..." One of the doctors replied.
"Another job well done!" Dark said proudly as her small squad trotted through the now wiped up Zebra infiltration camp that had previously housed a century of Zebra Legionaires in an otherwise deserted sector of the front that functioned as a rest point for Zebra agents going into Equestria. The squad was now carrying various trophies, namely officer's helmets and weapons and personal items while Dark had the grand prize; the standard of the legion this particular century came from, of whom they were obviously the 1st Cohort of. Dark had come to learn if a legion's standard was lost, it was a humiliation and demoralizer for the entire zebra nation. So far, she had taken three of these standards and dozens of century flags, last she heard, her Commandos had come to be called the "Standard Thiefs" by the zebra. And it made them mad how helpless they were at stopping her. If she was to sneak a squad into Zebra lands and take an "elite standard", the legion standard of the best of the Zebra legions, her collection will be so much better. After making sure every Zebra lay dead, Dark radioed command telling them the alternate path to the coveted Striped Coal Mines that made up half of the Zebra's entire coal supply, take that and Equestria will finally be on the tract to victory...
Dr.Turner went inside of a dark room that contained post-surgery Crimson, whom was now hooked into a machine that held him upright, cords of fluid and supported to a life-support machine. His skin felt like he had been burnt alive, the blood in his body felt like it had been injected with napalm. There were several bandages across his body, the more defining one being a band that went around his head to cover his eyes, where two visible bloodstains were evident. It was not the prettiest sight he had ever seen, but it would heal in time. The Eternals had managed to defy the limits of science as all of them managed to survive the augmentations, where it was estimated that at least half would die. It was either sheer blind luck, or the will to survive. Nobody knew what happened. Dr.Turner, now entering old age, spotted a deep gray mane that still contained some youthful looks. Dressed in a lab coat, he went over and began to speak to the dark red unicorn strapped onto the machine. “Can you hear me, Crimson?” There was a silence for a moment, as if time suddenly stopped. He was then greeted with a response. “....yes.....” Dr.Turner smiled slightly as he looked at a clipboard before looking back at the Eternal, Crimson barely being classified as an Equestrian anymore. “Glad you can hear me. Your body is not quite accustomed to what we have done to you yet, but it is healing at an astronomical rate. You still need to be hooked onto this machine for about another two days, while we place you and you’re other Eternals into an induced coma. All of you survived, something that we did not believe would happen at all. Yet again, you were all a special the moment I put my eyes on you. You’re going to be placed under training in your new bodies, and you’re going to remain inside of the facility for quite a long time. If word was to spread about you and the Eternal’s existence in the public, they would not be ready yet to acknowledge to what we have done to you yet. It might be a few years, but you will be used to save Equestria eventually.” The room remained silent until Crimson tried to speak again. “I understand. Who is winning the war?” Dr.Turner sighed deeply. “We’re at a stalemate on both sides at the moment, but Commander Dark Light and her new ‘Commando’s’ are starting to put the war in our favour. We have had a few projects running on the side, such as power-armour prototypes and energy weapons. The only thing stopping us at the moment is the red tape the Ministry Mare’s have placed on the war-effort. If only one of you were deployed, the Princess would be telling our soldiers to pack their bags and come back home.” Dr.Turner replied as the gas inside of the breathing mask was turned on. “Until then, enjoy your rest.” (Massive time-skip by at least 9 years? Crim is going to be involved in the war soon)
(Sure) Snow sat in despair at her desk, eyes staring blankly at the pistol before her. Ever since the...incident...a few months ago, when she was...taken...by those things...she'd letting herself go. Her grey striped mane, once kept just around the top of her eyes, now cascaded down the left side(from her perspective) of her face, almost completely covering all her face to the left of her snout. She carefully wrapped the weapon in a magical feild and brought it up to be level with her face. It was a redesigned version of their weapons, meant for Equestrians. The weapon in front of her could be adapted to the point where every shot could kill a pony no matter where the beam hit, or down to paralyzing a certain part of the body temporarily, or knocking out a pony for capture. This sort of weapon was now being deployed to the Commandos, the only corp in the military not being equipped with inferior Ironshod weapons, all because Ironshod was run by relatives of Applejack. She sighed and placed the pistol in her desk, next to her emergency light Commando Armor, before getting out of her chair and looking out at the floor of the MAD facility, where weapons were being produced for the Commandos and private buyers, her sister's Commandos were already 3/4ths of the way to the Zebra capital, in the 19th year of this grueling war. At their current pace, they'ld reach the Capital and begin the assault on October 23rd of the next year. Through the window, Snow could see a great weapon being out together, one of the many parts for Mark Co's newest great project, the Equestria's Messenger. A new line of great robots that was supposed to be used by the Commandos to seize the Zebra capital, and more importantly, the Zebra Caesar and his Legatus. Without them, the zebra would have no leadership and be forced to surrender. Hopefully they wouldn't fire their balefire missiles in response....Putting on a brave face, she turned and headed towards a certain new department of MAD, the Cyrogenic Frozen Animation Research Group. Or C-FARG(not the prettiest of acronyms, she'ld admit) ****** Dark Light flew over the newest captured Zebra city, the last one before the Capital. The place was reduced to ruins by heavy fighting. It had been a bloody battle that was fought not even street by street, but room by room in each building. Nearly a million Zebra, military and civilian, lay dead from the battle, with 350,000 Equestrian service personnel laying dead, with twice that wounded. It had been the bloodiest battle of the war, and made Dark scared for the battle for the Capital. Snow had reassured Dark that Mark Co was developing a weapon that would make the Capital an extremely easy fight. She hoped so, she was getting tired of having to bring in conventional non-Commandos to assist, especially those damn troops of Rainbow Dash the press loved so much, even though her Commandos were the reason the war was now turning heavily in Equestria's favor. She was the damn leader of the entire damn military! Her stradegies were the ones winning the war, not the rainbow-maned glory hunter. Dark closed her eyes and took a few breaths to calm herself, she had to focus on the road ahead, the 6 million Zebra personnel in the Capital that were the best the zebra had to offer supported by the same amount of civilians who would fight to the death, and another million defending all approaches possible to the Equestrians. She had promised the war would not drag into a 21st year without the capture of the Zebra Capital. The next offensive to shatter the defenses around the Zebra capital would have to come within the month, "No rest for the weary..." She muttered before banking hard right towards her comman outpost.
The Eternals stood in a courtyard in the middle of the underground facility, dressed in their own black highly modified 3rd Generation Combat Armour (According to the Fallout wiki, Riot Gear). It would take far too long to design special armour for the Eternals, and much longer even managing to create it. The difference setting this apart from other armours was the kinetic shields built inside that would block seemingly all weaponry until they break, which they then have to wait for five seconds until they recharge. The scientists decided to give the Eternals older and much cheaper armour until after the war, where new sets of armour would be created. All of the Eight Eternal’s did not wear a helmet, wearing a white mask to cover their faces, which their mane usually covered. Dr.Turner, now well into his 60’s, appeared before them. “It has been nineteen years. Nineteen years since the Zebra had declared war against Equestria, resulting in huge casualties on both sides. You have been waiting for this day for your entire lives, ready to make a difference in the world. That day has finally come. Equestria, no thanks to Dark Light’s commandos and their Mark. Co tech, have been an invaluable help to our side. We are going to one-up everypony in the entire war, and here is how we are going to do it.” Dr.Turner replied as a interactive screen came to life. “From what I have been told by the military, this is the very last major Zebra military base they have left until the path to Roam, residing to about 45,000 .This camp is not ready to be taken by Equestria or the Commandos for another MONTH! We cannot wait that long while the Ministry Mares send ponies to their deaths. Simply put, you kill everypony inside,The Zebra's defences are annihilated and Equestria will be on the to win the war. Got that?” The Eternals then saluted in unison. “Yes, sir!” “Excellent...” Dr.Turner replied. “The ship is outside. Remember, Equestria and the Zebra do not know about our existence yet. Make a damn good first impression, make them remember you...”
Dark looked at a map of the area around the Zebra capital, looking at the base in the valley that marked the most direct approached to the capital, "Even if it weren't there,,." She muttered, "I don't have the troops to hold the damn thing...they'ld just counterattack until we had to leave..." She looked around the map, "One month...one month and I'll have the troops..." She muttered, tracing an invisible line from their current position towards the north and south flank of the defenses of the Capital, compartively weakely defended to the center. Crack the flanks and they could surround the center, it would be a massacre. Smiling to herself, "It's time for some real stradegy." She said before bringing up her Pipbuck and sending a message out the Ministry Mare, "As Commander In Chief of the Royal Equestrian Armed Forces, I hereby decree that all stradegems and military operations must be approved by myself directly first, as I am required to under Article 8 Section 4A of my contract to Equestria. Failure to oblige will result in court martial and military trial under the charge of treason and obstruction of war effort at even the highest of levels. As stated, time of total control of military actions shall last 1 year were it shall be considered for renewal by war council. -Dark Light
