((STORY EXTRACT))

The small jet did an arcing roll over the top of the cloud, before it came back around to match up with us in our orbit, hanging on our right wing. “So, what’s the damages down there? Ah mean, besides the obvious explosion an’ all, any more stuff these rockets might be needed for?” Static clacked away at his console for a short while, the stem and head of the mushroom becoming wisps on the wind while the ground cloud remained, thick and low. The earth pony behind me let off a few uncertain grunts, watching his screens.

“It’s hard to see exact figures, but I think we’ve gotten a healthy number of whatever’s underground with that bomb. Still see some moving towards the entrance, though, so try and get set up for a strafing pass or two there. We’ll keep gunshipping from up here.” Contrail gave the wings of the Icarus a little waggle, before peeling away from us and looping back around. I turned attention back to the valley, watching the wispy ground cloud start to dissipate finally. The tinkling of magic filled the cockpit, and in the corner of my vision I was just about able to see Aerith bring up one of her screens.

‘I don’t think those are robo-dragons, down there. The way their magic signature looks… it’s not the right shape for it.’ The cockpit went quiet as I watched down through the canopy again, Static still clacking away at his console behind me. The ground cloud had mostly settled by now, revealing the sight of the now much larger crater, and the flattened structures surrounding it. As I kept watching on, almost able to see the glint of something moving around down there in the debris, the radio broke over with another, panicked voice…