*"Well at the time thats just how things were, we were fighting against an enemy who was our better in almost every way, if we didn't follow orders then odds are ponies would end up dead because of our hesitation… now where was I, right."*
*"According to intelligence passed on from SMILE Gold Heart was going to be heading out to a mountainside retreat in Northern Prance. Heavy forest, tight roads, it was practically a perfect region for an ambush. The problem? The Mountainside in question also held Prances largest Cloudship Anchorage. Yeah, like the flying battleships those Enclavers keep up above the clouds."*
*"Now fortunately these were older models, Pre-War ships… but a flying battleship is still a flying battleship. With the anchorage so close we'd only get one shot to pull off the ambush and get out before responders flood out from the base, or a passing patrol ship notices the fighting. So speed, efficiency, and ruthlessness was the method of the day."*
*"I split my team into three groups. My explosives experts: Gearbox and Strawberry Swirl, planted the explosives along the road and set up a killbox to catch the lead vehicle on a turn. Fire Brand and Ice Hellion, my assault specialists, were given the right side of the convoy, they were my best shooters. I'd need them taking the shots."*
*"Then there were the newcomers, Marsh Mist and Sunsetter… I tasked them with rearguard, Sunsetter was more then able to handle himself against the Prench Poilu. The problem was Mist, I could tell during the briefing that she didn't have her heart in this mission and I honestly couldn't blame her. But it needed to be done, and if she wasn't at her best, I couldn't count on her to take the shots up front…"*
*"I took the left side… sat dug into a bramble bush for three hours waiting before the first set of headlights came around the bend, I checked in with Gearbox, made sure everyone remembered to speak Zebrekian, then all Tartarus broke loose."*
*"It wasn't a fight, we had superior positioning, superior weapons, and most of all we had surprise, only a hoof-ful of the Poilu managed to retaliate, but unarmored and using bolt action rifles? Against us in Warded battle-plate, wielding flame-enchanted assault rifles… the fact they managed to get off even a single shot was a testament to their determination. Even as bullets riddled their bodies they tried to fight back, one even managed to catch Gearbox in his prosthetic leg. But there was no comparison. They died fighting…"*
*"We'd managed to riddle all three of the cars with fire by the time the last Poilu fell, so I rushed towards the central vehicle. It was the only one that hadn't disgorged more than two defenders, so it fell to reason that the target was inside. I reached up, pulled open the door…"*