Fallout Equestria: Legacy

Everypony in Crusader Command was hard at work. But not Éclair. She was kicking back in her seat with her hooves up on her desk. She was levitating an ice cold bottle of Sparkle~Cola and casually taking sips through a straw, savoring every last carrot-flavored drop. Life was good for Éclair. Being a unicorn gave her virtually unlimited possibilities of a career field (except for things only pegasi are capable of). When she got hired as a Crusader Team Handler, she was more overjoyed than ever. These days, the only real jobs in Junction Town for most ponies are low-end jobs like being a merchant or service pony. Of course, if Éclair had played her cards right she could've tried for politics. The New Canterlot Republic is always on the lookout for more ponies to help run Equestria. But Éclair is no politician. Her cutie mark clearly states that she was meant to be a Crusader Handler! (Okay, her cutie mark is actually just a pair of headphones. They could've meant anything to anypony. But they do apply well for this job as she's always wearing her headphones.)

As a Crusader Handler, it is Éclair’s job to track and monitor her assigned Crusader Team's movements. If command has an order for her team, she passes it along. Likewise, if the team is responding to call on its own they relay that information to her, and she passes it to Crusader Command. Basically, she is just a liaison between her Crusader Team and Crusader Command. It is a simple task, but it is crucial nonetheless. Should her team end up in trouble, she could be their only lifeline. If that situation occurs then it is her responsibility to ensure that they receive immediate help.

Every Crusader Team has its own handler. All of the handlers are mares (go figure), and they each have their own station in Crusader Command. Each station is equipped with a terminal to record team activities and a pair of headphones (Éclair’s cutie mark paid off!) to communicate with Crusaders in the field. All the other handlers were busy passing along orders, information or any other pieces of directives to their team captains (or vice versa). Éclair was not doing any of that for the moment. It's not that she's lazy; she just does not have much work to do for the time being. Besides, she was privileged to be assigned to the most badass team of Equestrian Crusaders, the infamous Shadow Team. She was thrilled that Commander Tabasco gave her this assignment. She gets to work with one of, if not the best, group of ponies within all of Equestria.

Honestly, she also had her heart set on Shadow Team's leader: Captain Raging Thunder, the "Invincible Stallion" of Trottingham. It's not quite known how he earned that moniker. Rumors suggest he can't be killed, but that is ridiculous. Others think it's because of his many battle wounds he's attained throughout his life. Still others believe he earned that title because of his heroic defense of Trottingham nearly twenty years ago. Apparently, Trottingham had come under a massive slaver attack and Captain Thunder was able to rally the residents of the town and successfully fight them off. Whatever actually happened, it was that day that ponies addressed him as the "Invincible Stallion". I could've thought of a better nickname.

As Éclair took another sip from her Sparkle~Cola she remembered back to when she first saw Captain Thunder. It was two years ago when he first came to the NCR to start the Equestrian Crusaders. They bumped into each other (literally) at the market in Junction Town. When Éclair first looked at the dark blue unicorn with a black mane and tail she fell for him instantly. But she didn't say more than a word to the stallion. They didn't formally meet until several months later when she became Shadow Team's handler.

Éclair fondled her long brown mane and gazed at the many pictures on her desk. Sitting next to her personal terminal were several pictures of her and Captain Thunder. They weren't so much as photographs as they were drawings she did herself. She was certainly no Silver Bell, but she didn't do half bad on the cute drawings. They were all of (fantasized) romantic moments of herself and the captain. Her friends and coworkers often mocked her for having such a filly crush on Captain Thunder; he was, after all, at least 10 years older than her. But she didn't care. A mare can dream, can't she?

Mrs. Éclair Thunder. She smiled at that thought. I could get used to the sound of that. Unfortunately, Captain Thunder did not ever seem to have the time for any mare, let alone Éclair. Having such an important job means he's always got to be prepared for the worst that Equestria can throw at him. Perhaps he doesn't have a love life because he's afraid of it interfering with his service? Still, one day he'd have to retire from service and then he’ll have to find love. And that's where I'll come in.

Éclair leaned further back in her chair and drank the rest of the Sparkle~Cola. She levitated the empty bottle to her desk. She pocketed the bottle cap for later. It's strange. Even though it’s been years since the formation of the New Canterlot Republic and the official currency are still bottle caps. It could’ve been because the other towns and settlements in Equestria are still using bottle caps. Not every region in Equestria is part of the NCR yet. So it’s just easier for everypony to continue using bottle caps as universal currency. Who even thought of using bottle caps as currency in the first place?

Éclair stretched before rising from her seat. She got to her hooves and decided to get another Sparkle~Cola from the fridge in the HQ’s small cafeteria. Shadow Team was currently en route to some location somewhere for some secret assignment; she didn’t know the full details. It was her job to relay information, not question it. She was certain she wouldn’t miss anything important if she’s only gone for a second.

The snowy unicorn nonchalantly trotted past other handler stalls. She couldn’t help but overhear some of their conversations. “… Yes, I’ve already told them you want…” “… Negative, Captain Cruise. Whiskey Team is to…” “… is not currently looking for replacements at the moment Sorry, Flak. You’ll just have to…” “… No, Commander Tabasco is not here...” Sometimes Éclair wondered what the other Crusader Teams were up to. Shadow Team was always going somewhere or doing something. Again she reminded herself how lucky she was to be assigned as Shadow Team’s handler.

After retrieving the last Sparkle~Cola from the fridge (much to the dismay of another handler with the same idea) Éclair walked back to her stall. Along the way she began to fantasize about Captain Thunder again. What if I try seducing him the next time we see each other. How will I be able to do that? I remember hearing something about pheromones could do the job… But what pheromones? She telekinetically popped open the bottle and pocketed the cap. Stepping into her stall Éclair almost returned to her seat when the buzzer sounded.

The buzzer indicated that a Crusader Team was urgently trying to communicate with command. Usually, those situations were emergencies. Éclair quickly sat down and put her headphones back on. “Command, come in!” a frantic stallion shouted from the other end. It was Captain Thunder.

“Command here, go ahead Captain Thunder,” Éclair responded. “What is your situ-”

Captain Thunder cut her off. “We are under attack from all sides!” he screamed. Éclair heard massive amounts of gunfire in the background. A few muffled voices screamed. “We’re being swarmed here! Request immediate backup!”

Éclair froze in her seat. This type of call had never come in before. Shadow Team has never called for help. She stuttered, “C-c-can you relay your coordinates?”

“Our position is marked two…” Captain Thunder started. An explosion was heard followed by the sounds of someone screaming in agony.

“Scorch is down! Scorch is down!” a muffled voice cried. Éclair froze again.

“Dammit!” the captain yelled over the sounds of battle. “Suppressive fire! Oddball…” the captain’s voice was drowned out by another explosion.

Éclair regained her composure. “Say again, captain. What is your position, over!” She could now hear other voices in the background. None of them sounded like any of the ponies in Shadow Team. They were cheering and shouting over the sounds of their weapons. She could barely hear what the captain was saying. “Captain Thunder?”

“Command,” Captain Thunder spoke. He sounded like he was hurt bad. “Shadow Team is down. We are at mark…” an explosion interrupted the communication.

Éclair could hear no sounds from the other end. “Captain Thunder, do you copy?” she panicked. No answer. “Shadow Team, come in!” she cried desperately. Silence. “Shadow Team… Captain Thunder… COME IN!!!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. No one answered. The line was dead.

Éclair sat back in horror. She dropped the still levitating bottle of Sparkle~Cola. It shattered on the ground. Pieces of glass scattered, the soft drink splashed all over the stall. She heard someone mumble behind her. Éclair slowly turned in her seat and saw several other handlers had gathered outside her stall. They all had concerned expressions. “What is it?” one of them asked.

“What happened?” another demanded.

Éclair was too shocked to reply; she couldn’t say what she knew was true. She quietly glanced at the pictures on her desk; tears began to form in her eyes. No one even knows where they are. Finally, with tears rolling down her cheeks, she cried, “We’ve lost them.”

Fallout Equestria: Legacy