Ranger22

My standard procedure for greeting strangers usually involved explosives then a whole lot of gunfire, any other way usually cost me a soldier's well being. Yellow blips can immediately turn red at a moments notice, forcing me to be cautious regardless of the possible outcomes least I risk my life. My light brightened the way for my eyes to see the forms of two ponies, one of which was already out of my sight as soon as my voice was raised. The other one however caught my interest and caused me to skip a heart beat. Wings...a pegasus, down in the wasteland? Many thoughts flowed through my mind with curiosity and rage to guide their construction. Equestria, our home which was ravaged by war was abandoned by the arrogant pegasi race. Those who turned their backs on their homeland did not deserve to ever touch a single patch of its soil ever again no matter how polluted it was. In that brief moment emotion clouded my judgement. Somepony had to answer for the actions of the pegasi, and in that moment of blindness and prejudicial fury the winged individual was the only target. The red pegasus gave off a quick nod before hurrying off after his companion. The would be friendly notion only seemed like egotistical mockery to my eyes in my current state. Moments passed before I clenched my teeth and snarled as I gave chase to the red pony firing snapshots from my machine gun as I ran. The sounds from my gunfire and hasty movement rang throughout the building, unfortunately for the three of us it didn't matter to me at the moment. Looking at my E.F.S I barely noticed a turn in the halls of the ancient facility, noticing my error just in time I slammed my armored hooves into the ancient floor crushing,cracking, and sending old tiles scattering as I caught myself. As I got closer to the blips on my E.F.S I grew eager enough to shout, " Come and face me pegasi, do not defile a ministry's hall with your traitorous touch!"

I grunted in annoyance as I continued wandering the halls of the facility, making sure to peak into every office room I could find. But as expected from one of the middle floors there was no major working technology to be found besides broken terminals I promptly looted. Recalling the firefight I avoided near the entrance of the building I tried to piece together the faces of those involved. The raiders were the most easily recognizable and I swear I saw black power armor, but it was most likely my imagination running wild in the moment. It was looking fairly once sided so I'll probably have to deal with those wastelanders myself but until that happens it'd be best not to stress about it. As I walked I could faintly hear the sounds of shouting faintly echoing through the halls of the ancient facility. Probably the loser of the firefight from earlier. Taking a deep breath I trudged forwards with the gut feeling the fighting would eventually make its way to my direction and that I'd probably kill more then two miscreants. Not long after hearing the faint sounds something more audible came to ear. Looking down at my E.F.S I saw two yellow blips both fairly close to my current position down past a corridor. Hugging the wall I slowly crept towards the position listening in to all I could. I had to admit them not shooting each other was start, a start that I could take advantage of. Turning on my head lamp I readied my weapon and rounded the corner, "Freeze, hold your fire!" I promptly shouted as I faced the two individuals.

I remembered the conversation I had with Maple when I departed from Fillydelphia with my team of six. The war with Red eye's industrial empire was getting worse for my contingent, with guerrilla tactics being the most viable and only option laid out for us. It was clear that if we didn't retreat we would eventually be routed and destroyed, finding a new base to set up took priority. " Don't worry about us love we got the more then enough munitions to fight off an entire army, don't take too long you know how your daughters get." Maple's words echoed throughout my mind for the many days I've traveled and its distracted me more times then I would have liked. I sighed as I tried to refocus my attention to the current task at hoof, securing technologies and getting an assessment of the current powers in the area. I scanned ahead and spotted the ironshod facility that still stood strong to this day, oh what treasures would I find? I quickly made my way to the pre-war factory, making sure to check my weaponry as I've learned to do over the years. Ranger battlesaddles could hold many impressive armaments, with high caliber weaponry and explosives being the norm. I grunted in annoyance as I remembered the encounter with a talon merc that left me with a malfunctioning missile pod and another death caused by my hooves. The sounds of screaming and gunfire close by took my attention from my grief as I closed in on the facility. "Bunch of savages," I muttered to myself as I swerved past the firefight and to the rear portion of the building. Letting the ponies fight would have been a safer and less costly endeavor then getting in the fight myself. After a quick search I found an entrance to the facility and made my way inside. It was dark, a minor hurdle but one that wasn't important, the red blips on my E.F.S however was another story. Two ponies filled my sights each wearing makeshift barding and dirty scarred covered hides, there eyes although barely visible were clearly bloodshot. I opened fire, sending a rifle round slamming into the closest ones shoulder sending him sprawling to the floor and gawking in surprise. The second raider only noticed the muzzle flash of my weapon before he was down and choking on his own blood due to a round hitting the base of his collar. Grunting in disgust I took a closer look at the poor sap laying on the floor holding his shoulder, before I could put him down the supposedly injured raider shot up from his position brandishing a combat knife. I flinched in surprise and activated S.A.T.S right before the tip of the blade made contact with the lighter armor were my head connected with my neck. I targeted his head and watched as the raiders head burst like a watermelon spraying a few droops of blood on my armor. I gritted my teeth as I steeled myself over making such a rookie mistake. Activating my helmet light I prepared myself before I continued my search of the facility. Everything in this building probably heard my gunfire, and wearing a metal suit of power armor didn't help in the stealth factor. I checked the state of my armor and weapons as I walked. My light machine gun still had around 90 rounds left, enough to last me for a few fire fights. My armor was in decent shape only taking a few small caliber rounds and a few larger rounds hitting the heavier chest plate. I took a look at my missile pod and remembered the fight with the talon merc. " I wonder how Maple is doing," I said to myself worrying about the Rangers back in Fillydelphia.

The sudden collapse of one of the shelves was all I needed to know that there was somepony hiding from us. My other companions seemed to find our pacing not to their liking and came to check on us. They probably heard the loud crash of the crates that rang throughout the halls of the old facility. Solar as she introduced herself brought her weapons to bare and mentioned someponies presence. Probably used the E.F.S on her helmets visor to locate our guests old and new. I took a moment to inspect my companions and noticed both of the mares had looks of caution on their faces. The zebra looked the most peculiar as he had his strangely clean sword in his mouth ready to swing at whoever was hidden. They were cautious...good, at least I know they aren't completely brain dead now. The zebra began approaching the dark corner of the room with his sword to bare, I grunted in annoyance when I noticed the many disadvantages he had. I shined my helmet light in his general direction as I began to follow suite with my grenade launcher ready to fire. If this pony didn't run away by now or was setting up a way for a fight to go in his or her favor I wouldn't know what to think. Caution was truly beneficial but I was confident in our ability to fight as of right now. "Whoever is there come out now or I'l force you out! I ain't exactly keen on wasting ordinance on your sorry ass so save yourself the trouble! If you hadn't figured out by now that we aren't psychotic murder rapist you must be a special kind of stupid."

The room had a lot more nooks and crannys then one would suspect out of a large and open room. It was filled to the brim with crates and scrap so I guess it was a good place to hide in as any. I looked back and found no sign of the armored pegasus at the door. Initially I was surprised however I gave it some thought and looked up at the ceiling. I saw the armored pegasus hovering over and scanning the area just as I presumed. You'd think flying would make you stealthier, I mean when you're not in a heavily armored suit. Sure it's not as big and entirely covered in metallic plates as my suit. But it's still heavier and more covering then a combat armor set, so it ain't exactly a zebra stealth suit. I put away the thought as I continued my search along with the winged mare. After a while it seemed the more I searched the room the duller it became. It didn't help that the room itself was old and deteriorating. Surely if I hadn't been accustomed to looting old facilities I would have gone mad, well I was over exaggerating but it didn't hinder the fact the room was horrifyingly dull. The only thing I successfully found was rusty torn up weapons that would never see the light of day again. I began to even fancy the thought of looking down at my E.F.S which would have hurt my pride a little bit. Before I looked down a faint rustling noise managed to reach my armored ear. With a grin I began to make my way towards the sound. Fighting in Fillydelphia kept me wary of ambushes, which helped me train my ears and eyes. Not long I finally found a trace of life. There was a few colored hairs on the floor, definitely a ponies.

Ellieum's words echoed through the empty halls as I began my search of the source of the loud crash from earlier. Her statement was supposed to be demeaning as it was informative. I myself loved the combination of the two yet sadly was not witty enough to come up with anything on the spot. I looked over to the armored pegasus as she began searching with me. Her face showed reluctance and a bit of boredom, truth be told she was probably wrapped up in this as suddenly as me. I never understood the design of the pegasi helmets, why would you put less defense on a helmet and remove the built in respirator? The thought came up as I observed her face, maybe they did it to make them seem more ponylike. Satisfied with my observation I turned back around and began searching once more. If I were to describe the noise I would have said it sounded like a crash. Due to it being a weapons facility I presumed somepony or something knocked over a box or crate filled with objects of a metallic nature. Observing my E.F.S I continued searching each individual room that crossed my path. That's when I heard it, a faint sound of metal touching metal. Rustling...yes that was the word to describe what I was hearing and it was close. I looked at my E.F.S to confirm my suspicions, and there was indeed another yellow blip showing up that wasn't the pegasus. Following the blip I passed through the door ignoring the faded sign that was on the wall. I was greeted by a dusty room filled to the brim with crates and scattered pieces of metal. My breathing was kept at a steady pace and seemed to keep a constant rhythm. My suit made its familiar clanking noise as the metal joints connected smoothly as I walked with caution. The hissing from the pistons as it moved with the armor didn't help in keeping me stealthy. My helmet light scanned the dark room like a watchtower searching for escaped prisoners. I ignored the blip on my E.F.S as I searched the room, searching for my target was always the fun part about missions. Like a game of hide and seek except it was for keeps. Even if this being escaped my gaze surely the pegasus would catch them at the door.

So the mare's name was Ellieum, strange name. But considering most of the ponies I know at home are named after food I had no place to talk. Her decision to head to the ironshod facility seemed irrelevant to the current task at hoof. Well if that facility still had weaponry and ammunition it would surely aid us in culling the numbers of the cult we face. I kept quiet and followed the others, staying at the back of the group for tactical purposes. The black armored pegasus seemed to suspect me of foul play. I had no doubts everypony else had similar opinions about me and each other. Truly this was a party destined for success. After a few minute walk the party reached the firearm facility of respectable size. The fact that it was standing proved the skill of those who built this facility two hundred years ago. The zebra named Ezekiel was the leading party member despite not having any form of protection beside his sword. I was about to speak up but decided not to after I realized what he was doing. I turned on my head lamp as I walked through the path Ezekiel created for the group. I kept a close eye on my E.F.S while I scanned the dirty dust filled hallway that was ironshod. To think this empty building once had life in the form of countless employees with smiles on their faces. I always get a chill down my spine whenever I delve into ancient ruins like this, I didn't really want to disturb the peace. Being a steelranger most would assume I would never had let wastelanders scavenge ruins while I was around. Normally that would have been the case but with the situation at hoof and years of doing so eventually got me to stop caring. One would think the other rangers would have noticed a change like that. But serving for years gave me an itchy trigger, or mechanism in my case. Most of the facilities in the building would have been in the lower levels while the offices were in the top ones. It was still an ironshod building, I was sure to find something if I kept looking. My would be tranquil search was interrupted by a noise that echoed through the building. I primed my weapons as I began searching for the source of the noise. "Watch out we've got company!" Surely I would have been found first due to my equipment, however unluckily for them that's exactly what I wanted.

Introductions? Funny how we wanted to kill each other a few seconds ago yet here we are introducing ourselves like neighbors. "My name is Hazel nut a paladin of the Fillydelphia steelrangers. Occasional murderer, acquirer of pre-war technology, and a lovable suburban dad." I spouted with a sense of sincerity. If these bozos want honesty I'll just be as straight forward as possible with questions they ask. This'll be a really interesting field trip, I mean after all the fate of equestria lays in our hooves. I smiled in response to the thought, this will truly be an interesting field trip.

I gave off a quick chuckle in response to the pegasus's stark expression, if all enclave soldiers acted like this it would have proved my daughter's theory on the enclave's inexperience and overconfidence with their military. I turned back to the zebra who stopped the verbal conflict and was currently explaining the situation to the best of his ability. "Warnings are better then nothing checkers but if we don't get details it will simply be a waste of time. Since everypony is pressing you for information you don't have do you happen to know anyone else who does?" I asked as I tucked away my fragmentation grenades in my armor. Hmmm a threat that normal ponies couldn't see, sounds normal enough until you add the word spirit in the description. My knowledge of spirits was mostly from old storybooks, tribals, and junkies. Not a whole lot of useful information to create any form of plan or defense against whatever this thing was. I still can barely believe I'm just accepting this thing was actually real. But living in this wasteland has taught me to expect the unexpected even if it was ridiculously surreal. Was there anypony I knew who would be of use to us in this situation? Maple would just dismiss it as myth, the eldest of my daughters would over think it and not of gotten anywhere, and my youngest would just be pondering like me. I gave off a sigh as I accepted the fact I needed these wastelanders help.

The zebra in front of me mentioned spirits being the source of the strange energy spike, normally I would have tagged him as crazy but considering how spread out magic was it wasn't something I could just ignore. Now that I gotten my answer I turned my attention to the other members of the party. Unlike the zebra the two mares were less then friendly in their statements compared to the kindness of the striped one with funny hair. I responded to each one of them in order because I'm just that type of guy, of course I stay close to the zebra as I speak my words. "I prefer the term full metal jack ass, tin can is rather rustic don't you think? It's awfully rude to ask my intentions if you have no intention of revealing your own, so I'll wait till your ready to speak up till I answer." I looked at the pegasi and took a moment to control myself as laughter had a high possibility of occurring. "Strange, I was lead to believe this land was blighted and too dangerous for anypony to be able to live in. Surely anypony who stays down here is contaminated and risk the health of everypony in the sky. The safest and most sensible option would be to kill them before they can fly back up and poison our loved ones." I couldn't hold back anymore, I let out a slight but audible chuckle. "Oh and do be careful who you threaten girl, no amount of fancy armor and weapons can save you from an entire army on your tail. Fighting in Fillydelphia for twenty years taught me that, so take my advice and watch your mouth when your around ponies. You never know who has their back."

"Son of a bitch!" I almost found my self saying out loud as soon as I found who the particular ponies I was looking for were. There was a lot more of them then I originally had expected. To make it worse each and every one of them were the kind of individuals I was usually inclined to shoot and kill on sight. I took a moment to catch my breath and recollect myself. That huge spike of energy in the warehouse was more important to the interest of the rangers then the cads who stood in front of me. Firstly and possibly the most dangerous was the lone pegasi soldier, why the hell was she down here by herself? The presence of enclave personnel usually meant something was happening and that didn't bide to well in my thoughts. Next was not a pony but instead one of the striped folk who fashioned his mane in dreadlocks, strange but I've seen other ponies do it so it wasn't that surprising. He had a sword hilariously enough but I was more intrigued in the ritual he was doing. Next was a unicorn who seemed more out of it then the fellows he was standing by. His choice of weaponry made my blood boil but as of now it couldn't be helped. Last but possibly least was the mare who was your typical wastelander. She didn't seem to know any of the ponies here and was quickly loading her firearm, which told me a whole lot about their team composition. I sighed before priming my weapon and pulling out my grenades and kept them close as I approached the group with a steady and strong pace. "What brings a pre-war menace, a traitor, a child, and a survivor to the same location?. Quite an interesting mix of backgrounds don't you think? Not only that but the peculiar spike of energy that occurred in the warehouse a few moments ago was fascinating in its own right. So would somepony please be a dear and tell me what exactly is happening." I shifted my line of sight directly to the armored pegasus who sat next to the unicorn. I always liked the sleeker designs of the black insectoid armor of theirs. It was a shame it couldn't take punishment as well as the steelranger design, I guess earth ponies and pegasi had different ways of doing things. I took a second glance at the mare with her firearm out, maybe it would be safer to kill her first if things went badly. I was certain 40mm grenades were enough to put down this bunch regardless of armor, I just had to be fast enough to get a shot off.

I couldn't believe what was happening, did my eyes deceive? Summoning,conjuring, magic?!?! How was this happening in the lands that have long forgotten and forsaken ancient magical entities.Did this ritual of theirs actually managed to summon something? I saw no distinct shapes yet I felt a a sudden change of temperature even in my suits enclosed environment. Suddenly there was a change of color in the room that shone brightly like the sun at morn. Beautiful yet powerful shades of orange,red, and yellow filled the room and burned my eyes. But even with all its might another color seemed to almost drown it out completely with its dull tones and shades. the area seemed to ripple as if it was going to rip apart the fabric of the world itself and a shiver went down my spine as it made its presence. It was remarkable and stupidly peculiar, but I still knew the danger it possessed. I quickly ran off as fast as I could to the doorway I entered from down the hallway. Not looking back despite the buildings violent shakes and the strange ethereal feeling seemingly grasping at my hoofs as I galloped. This was supposed to be a simple mission then I could go back home and relax with my fucking family! The talons were bad enough but now I had to deal with this stupid bullshit! Maybe I should have died back there, at least it would have been believable and simple. I saw the bright yellow glow of the outdoors shining through the door. Yes i'm almost there, once I leave through that door everything that just happened will be just like a dream. I was only a few steps away from the door when a strong force of energy pushed against my armored flank sending my sprawling outside and on to the dirt. I laid on the dirt for a few moments letting the dirt clog up my helmet filters in annoyance. That explosion didn't feel like anything I've ever been hit with, and considering I've been hit with pretty much every type of explosive known to ponykind that was saying something. I groaned as I got up and wiped off the dirt from my helmet and chest plate, looking back at the warehouse as I did. Every single window panel was shattered by this strange energy. I didn't' know where to start, everypony that would have known to do this were probably evaporated inside. No wait...there was a few ponies that ran as soon as I did. If I can find at least one of them I can figure out what the hell am I dealing with.

The sounds of shouting and gunfire became more audible the deeper I delved into the warehouse. The grime on the windows effectively blocked out most of the sunlight from outside. Only a few rays of light managed to pierce the window and shine upon the path ahead of me. I checked my E.F.S and spotted a few red blips as well as a few yellow blips. I looked at the walls as i quickly trotted past the hallway, many strange writings and symbols covered them. Probably just some wasteland nutjobs looking to past the time with their miserable lives. When I reached the end of the hallway I saw three figures quickly rushing past my vision. They didn't seem to notice me, probably busy dealing with whomever is fighting them. I thought about my next course of action before deciding that following them would be a good way to figure out exactly what is happening in this warehouse. The sound of their gunfire drowned out the clinking sounds of my metallic suit of armor allowing me to effectively catch them by surprise. Now that they were standing in a fixed position I could see them in more detail then my initial encounter. They all wore dark cloaks covered in blood red runes and bone talismans. Mouth held submachineguns sent volley after volley of small arms fire downwards to whom I presumed was the cause of the earlier racket. Suddenly loud maniacal laughter filled the halls and the building began to shake vigorously. I quickly regained my form before grunting in annoyance and opening fire with my weapons. I fired three shells at the closest cultist and tore him apart like a bloody ragdol. I kicked into S.A.T.S and targeted one of the legs of the next cultist, the two shells hit their mark and left a charred stump in its place. The final cultist managed to regain his form and start firing his weapon at me. Not wanting to waste any more of my ammunition I charged the robed figure, ignoring the pain of multiple bullets ricocheting of my helmet. The cultist kept firing at me till his firearm clicked empty. I wish I could of saw the face this pony made as a half a ton of metal rammed him into the ground. The best description of my maneuver was well...I fell on a pony. It seemed strange on paper but I might as well turn my weakness into a strength. I lifted myself off the ground and grinned as I saw my hoofwork. The now hoofless cultist laid on the floor attempting his best not to go into shock as he stared at his charred and detached limb. "Judging from your robes I thought you would have loved the color black. Did you a favor and made your hide the same hahaha!" Now that my encounter was over I looked over to find myself staring at a large and green biomass standing erect in the middle of a warehouse. Damn if maple was here she would be freaking the hell out. Plant life had a hard time growing out in the waste, yet this thing managed to grow out inside this wasteland. Either it was some strange science I needed to preserve or it was a plant of a magical nature like those monstrosities of the everfree forest. I looked down and saw a bloodbath. A lone zebra stood standing defiant against the large plant wielding a sword in his mouth. Seriously? sure I guess it worked out for you but could you have at least used something less...primitive? I groaned in annoyance before pulling out on of the grenades I took from new appleoosa. I made my way to the downed cultist and hefted him off the edge of my heightened position towards the plant and zebra.

After the war lasted a few more years then Equestria had expected she soon had to rely on private industry to supply its troops. Ironshod industries was one of the more famous and widespread companies. If you had a weapon in your battlesaddle you could bet a whole lot of caps that it was made in an pre-war ironshod factory. I suspected I had much to gain in looting this facility for treasures. I still had my doubts though, mainly due to the nearby presence of civilization whom probably looted the facility long before any ranger could get to it. As I made my way to the facility I heard the sound of gunfire in the distance. It was either far away or muffled by a building, whatever it was it was far away and none of my business. On the other hoof whoever is causing that racket might be a potential threat to me and my current goal. I looked at the distant factory before turning to the source of the noise. I shifted my sights a couple more times before groaning and finally made the choice that checking the potential threat was the safest course of action. From a short distance away from the factory was a warehouse, if you didn't make the effort to look there was no promise you'd find it. Probably home to some gang or tribal cult that made their home base a decently secluded spot. I primed my weapons and quickly found a wall to hug as I tried to look for an entrance. I looked at the E.F.S on my visor and spotted a couple of blips both yellow and red. After scooting along at a slow pace I finally found a door to enter. The gunfire and shouts got louder as I put my head to the door, before I pulled away and turned around. With a quick windup I bucked the door with both of my hind legs. The door quite literally flew off its hinges slamming down on the floor in one loud thump. I then stormed the building ready to blast away any opposition.

I took one of the large bags from the merchants wagon and filled it up with the supplies formerly owned by the raider and merchant ponies and tied them tightly onto my back. Might be able to sell this to some locals if I get desperate enough or find anything useful in their stores. I neared an area which was walled off. Giving a clear indicator that is was some ponies territory. I contemplated if I should go in to investigate or keep on going to my intended destination. Before I could decide anything a sudden heavy impact slammed into the side of my helmet. Pain dominated my senses and my ears rang due to the close proximity of the round. I quickly scanned the area for a possible sniper until I noticed the signal light coming from the walls of the nearby settlement. If they wanted they could have taken my head off, probably a warning that I was better off heeding than foolishly charging a well fortified location by myself. I tried grabbing my head in an attempt to stop the shaky feeling I was getting, sadly to no avail. With a sigh I quickly made my way out of the territory hoping not to get a second bullet in the flank. I spent the last hour or so contemplating my codex as the other rangers do to past the time. Not many rangers actually remember the full codex itself, there's too much text to remember anyway. Luckily for us it was pretty easy to decide what to prioritize, I mean surely a plasma caster could save more lives in the long run. They would have just died the next day and wasted ammo for you to save somepony you actually cared about, yeah that's what's important. Speaking of important ponies I wonder how Maple is doing, must be hard having Blueberrysabre on your ass all day about a generator you can't even build. With me deep in thought I was at the gates of New Appleoosa in no time, or as they would say in a jiffy. I got some stares from the town folk other then that they didn't come too close. I had too admit these folks had carved a nice place for themselves here, if there was something I could say about wastelanders was their ability to adapt and survive. I looked around for a suitable shop to peddle my wares and eventually found a shop titled absolutely everything. I walked in to find a cozy little shop lined with stands filled with various supplies and trinkets which were interesting but not much of use to me. It was empty, despite this all her goods still sat on their prospective shelves. The counter even had a few caps laid upon it, whoever the owner the shop is they have these ponies trust and vice versa. I left the sack on the counter before grabbing what I believed to be a fair trade. Energy cells,water,food stuff, and two grenades. I tucked them away in my suits compartments before making my way out of town. That must have been the fairest thing I've ever done in my forty three year life span in this wasteland. I dumped the thought out of my mind as I continued westward towards the facility that may hold pre-war riches.

I grunted in annoyance as I walked out of the small town building in a failed attempt to find anything worth my time. Beyond the occasional radroach I introduced to my hoof there was nothing in this little town besides empty cans and cash registers filled with a few pre-war bits. Judging by its size this was a little town with a tight nit homey feel to it. However its proximity to railroad tracks convinced me it could have possibly been a trading hub or pit stop for those heading off to ponyville and yonder. The buildings were in their expected condition surviving an apocalypse, however a few of them had more concentrated scorch marks and bullet holes. I couldn't tell if they were made recently or a while ago but it was better a better clue then a whole lot of nothing. Truth be told my knights would have most likely head to manehatten for some rest and restocking before going back home to Filly. But I have not explored this area as much as I would have liked in the past, with a moment of conformation in my head I ponied up and headed to the north. I didn't know exactly how long I've spent walking the road, but I can conclude it was easily longer than an hour. Luckily for me wearing a suit that magically enhanced your strength and endurance made long journeys a simple and easy task. The loud pops and bangs of gunfire caught my attention as I walked the long road between Junction and the little town. Looking ahead I could see a few ponies taking potshots behind a tipped over wagon, firing back was the familiar spiked armor wearing raiders of the wasteland. Normally I would have avoided wasting ammo on such a simple affair, but it seemed these two parties blocked my path. Grunting in annoyance I primed my weapons and prepared for any offensive actions from both groups. One of the raiders noticed my approach and warned his companions. They had looks of hesitation on their faces before continuing their task at hoof, this time they sent two of them charging me. One wore a heavy looking metal suit made up of scrounged up pieces of scrap metal and the other wore simple leather barding covered in obnoxious spikes. The armored one charged me with a pool cue in his mouth while the other shot at me with his submachinegun. The impacts of multiple bullets hitting your armor was something you felt no matter how large the caliber. Despite the raiders futile attempt at killing me it was indeed distracting enough to allow his companion to get in close and slam his weapon on my helmeted forehead. The impact caused the pool cue to snap in two and send my head reeling to the left. I grunted in annoyance and pain as I regained my composure and focused on my opponents, the world fell to a stop and everything seemed to stand still. Entering S.A.T.S was always a strange feeling but with enough uses, it proved to be worth the headache. The armored stallion's eyes were wide in shock and his weapon seemed to float in midair. His buddy in the back was popping in a fresh clip from his belt readying to fire another barrage of bullets in my direction. I wasn't going to let that happen, I targeted the armored ones head and conformed my hits. The thump of my grenade machinegun was the last thing the raider heard before it sent a 40mm grenade into his head. The raider's head was reduced to nothing but red sizzling chunks and fell to the floor as his buddy watched , his companion didn't look to excited now that it was his turn. He managed to send a few bullets my way with his submachinegun before one shot to the neck blew out his lungs and he dropped to the pre-war road. Satisfied with my handiwork I gave off a satisfied grunt before walking over to the ponies ahead. There was three ragged and tired looking ponies, whom I could assume were in fact a caravan. "Thanks for the save uh...ranger sir, lucky you got here in time they would have overrun us if...never mind is there something I could do to repay ya?" I looked as his wares which were laid un-ceremonially on the ground behind his shot up wagon. They were your typical wasteland food and small ballistic firearms. None of which I was interested in to acquire, "I'm not interested in what you have to sell, I'm more interested in locations." His face went deep into thought before his eyes widened as he remembered something useful, "I do in fact have the location of an ironshod company factory, it's due farther up north past junction!" He said happily. His guards were both wearing toughened up brahmin hide like a bunch of caveponies, but it seemed to work for them so I ignored the thought. I scanned his wares once more before barely spotting a grayish and green hue peaking out of one of his bags. I walked over to it and unraveled the mystery like a pre-war foal opened a present box on hearths warming eve. My eyes flashed brighter then my weapons as I found a piece of pre-war glory, a stable tech standard issue pipbuck! "Woah woah woah there buckaroo that ain't for sale, that's something very personal of mine." The merchant said before I could take the artifact off his hoofs. The world seemed to stop as I focused on the merchant and the artifact in his belongings. I sighed as I looked at him and his guards for one last time. "Uh...partner what ya staring at?," the merchants eyes widened as the grenade machineguns mechanisms began to move. I passed junction with little to no trouble strangely enough, however that did not matter. Recovering pre-war technology always made my heart flutter and my stomach tingle. I smiled as I made my way to the ironshod facility, who knows what lovely artifacts were housed inside the ancient building. I may have been traveling alone up north far from reinforcements but boy was I in a good mood. I began happily humming to myself loud enough to not hear the squawking of the many carrion birds fighting over pieces of meat behind me.

War...war was a foreign concept to pony kind two hundred years ago. How did a race so renowned for peace cause the hellish landscape I laid dying on. How was it fair that they had the luxury of living in peace while we suffered for their mistakes. I guess that didn't matter anymore. I'm dying, honestly i don't mind it as much as others would think I would. I've been blessed with lovely experiences most were too unfortunate to have in life. I died knowing I had loved ones who would go on another day thanks to my death. Best of all I was able to die the way I wanted to, helping my knights continue their quest as soldiers of the ministry and kill some bastards while I do. The sounds of gunfire and shouting began to die down as I began to close my eyes, what lovely music to die too. Breathing...I could hear breathing, no...wait that's coming from me. I tried opening my eyes as I fought to regain control of my limp body. Pain suddenly surged through my body as I attempted to move my position causing me to clench my teeth. Finally my eyes opened and I was greeted to the sight of a dead griffon. I held my breath as I made a second attempt at getting up, doing this seemed to ease some of my pain allowing me to get up off the ground. I began stretching my body trying my best to ignore the bruises and aches that plagued my body. I took a breath of air before breathing out, doing so caused a spike of pain in my chest cavity. I was forced to breath in short and quick intervals in order to tolerate the pain. I began scanning the area in order to locate my knights. Wherever they were they were long gone from here, and that brought me a sense of relief. The area was covered in bullet casings and shrapnel. The bodies of three griffons laid near where I've been, their injuries suggested they were crushed to death not shot. Looking up I saw the remains of a large structure which I presumed was a railway due to it's design and size. I put my hoof to my head as I tried to remember the events that happened before my passing. We were being trailed by griffon mercenaries and we goaded them into urban combat. Many of there number were slain in the firefights before they cornered us here. Then I...ordered my knights to destroy this structure while I held them at bay in an attempt to slow them down. I looked down once more to examine the griffons. They each wore a set of black combat armor with weapons of various sizes. Two of them wielded weapons designed to be gripped by their talons while the other had a large battlesaddle with a missile launcher on its side. I inspected my own battlesaddle to find them in miraculously good condition. Being a paladin allows me access to the more rarer weapons in our armories, I usually preferred the equipment the other knights used. I began refocusing my attention on the dilemma that currently was at hoof. Where do I go? my knights were nowhere to be found and who knows how long I've been out? I sighed as I began to venture away from the former battle. My power armor seemed to lag however at my pace i couldn't tell how severe. With my head high I began exploring the ruins that laid in my path. "Better to wander than stay still and do nothing," I quoted my father as I curiously inspected the ruins.

She's making me wait huh I guess I'll do as she wishes, even though she probably just wants me to get bored and give up. Might as well find something to do in this town. Can't sell my loot due to the bandit attacks so I might as well help mop up the apposition that bothers to stay around. I left as soon as Lux wandered off to do her own thing. I wandered the town aimlessly in search for someone to meet or something to do.

After a moment of hesitation the girl dug into her bag and pulled out a parchment in less then mint condition. I grabbed the paper and skimmed over it to determine the truth. After a bit of reading she was in fact a member of the Knights of Artemis. I closed the parchment and handed it back to Lux. Her statement about other knights in the area took my interest. However she was probably trying to get me to leave quicker. "This is good however I would like to speak with your sister considering the odd recruitment."

After Dashia was done giving directions to Anne with her pipbuck she made her way towards me. Her question got my attention considering it mentioned me. "I'm just thinking about how we're not dealing with the robot in hand or hoof quicker. You ponies seem to underestimate how much damage a super sentinel can actually do. I'm going to scout out the thunderhead, trust me I can take care of myself. Oh and due tell our little party to focus on killing the damn thing, trying to hack one while it's active is just going to get more ponies killed." I said before I gripped my rifle tight and flew away towards the metallic remains of the ship. A heavy feeling filled my stomach as I got closer to the ship.

I crossed the paths of a few more people before I was faced with Lux. She demanded the reason for my pursuit before crossing her arms and making a face. I shook my head before sticking my hands in my pockets and pulling out a thick sheet of paper. "It seems to me my earlier explanation wasn't as straight forward as it should have been. You say you are a member of my company yet you do not clarify a great many things required to prove so. Every single recruit gets a little parchment like this," I said pointing to the piece of paper in my hand. "Show me one of these or another type of official statement that shows you're indeed a member of the knights of Artemis. Otherwise I'd be forced to give the usual punishment of impersonating a knight of Artemis. All you have to do is show me proof and we'll be on our way."

I heard the reaction Lux gave in response to the gift I bestowed on her. Most mercenaries were smart enough to take advice from more experienced mercenaries. Sadly for me this one didn't see the usefulness in having a back up weapon. With my helmet off I could hear her foot steps quickening in an attempt to escape my. I sighed before putting back on my helmet and trailing her movements. Many people underestimate how fast a fully armored person could move, this usually lead to the death of the doubter. Luckily for Lux I was simply watching over her instead of killing her. It wasn't long before I caught up to her, the crowd of locals were easy enough to push out the way. This girl doesn't realize how distinct her cloak was with the emblem of ours sewed on it.

My adventure so far wasn't really the most eventful journey I've been on but it did have its moments. Slaying a hellhound in its own right was a tremendous achievement to accomplish. Considering not many folks in the wasteland could fight one, even the steelrangers fell to their claws most of the time. The companions I chose to tag along with were considerably naive about many things, and their priorities were never really on point most of the time. But their attitudes were as positive as a wastelander could have so that was one thing they had over most people out here. Sadly this trip wasn't the most profitable one so far and I've lost a hell of a lot more then I'd hope to gain. I grimaced as I remembered my father's suit in its horrid state. Taking my mind off it I chose to think of the two more prominent finds on my trip so far. Pegasi...two pegasi walking the same ground as us. If I was still with red eye I'd be paid a small fortune for slapping on collars on the both of them. I sighed as I looked at Anne conversing with Dashia as they looked over her pipbuck. Tenpony tower? truth be told it was the best possible place for a child to be raised but I wondered if Anne had enough caps to get in the first place. I shrugged and turned around as she took flight with her child in tow. That's when I realized something, Anne didn't have enough caps to get into tenpony tower. A ponies chance of getting into tenpony was usually at the mercy of the current guard in place. So they usually had to have a silver tongue to get in. However it usually came down to the caps which sadly she did not have as of current. Worst of all she was a pegasi. Most folks down there wouldn't care less if she was kicked out onto the curb child or no child. Not to mention all the citizenship crap that took years to even accomplish. I sighed as I left to sit down on a little rock formation, wasn't my problem might as well not stress over it. I eyed the large metallic structure of the Thunderhead before looking back down at my rifle.

I wasn't surprised to find out she was not skilled with a blade. Learning both the art of magic and the art of the blade would have been mental and physical torture. I took back the sword from her arms and tucked it underneath my belt with the other weapons I've looted. I took a moment to think before coming to a realization and reaching for my pockets once more. Pulling out one of my own weapons I usually used in emergencies. I handed Lux the dagger that has served me well for the last couple of months. "Sword fighting is a skill that takes years to perfect and I understand if you don't feel suited to wield one, however that doesn't mean you shouldn't wield a weapon. If your enemy closes in you may not be quick enough to cast a spell, this dagger can save your life." After speaking my mind I stretched a bit before removing my helmet to wipe off the sweat from my brow.

It was understandable if this woman didn't like me hanging around but I still had to do my job. She seemed trustworthy enough even innocent, however I still had the feeling she was hiding something from me. I shook my head before unsheathing one of the blades I took off from one of the bandits in the hills. I swung the sword a couple of times to feel the weight, with a satisfied grunt I put it back in its scabbard and pushed it on Lux. "Sadly in order to get rich we have to follow rules set in stone. If we break those rules...we lose a cut of our share of the profits and I really don't like loosing money. So I'm going to say this one more time, I'm following you until you've proven to me that you're one of the company. Also do take this, no mercenary is complete without a sword in their hand." I said leaving the covered weapon in the girls arms.