"Mommy, why does daddy have so many scars?"
Asked so care free and innocent it almost brought a tear to my eye. I stood outside the cloud door to my chambers and silently listened to my daughter speak with her mother.
"Well darling, your father has been my hero for a long time. He has been hurt a lot to protect us and our home."
She said it tenderly, but I could hear the pain in her voice as she spoke.
"But doesn't daddy wear his armor?"
I heard a rustle, no doubt her mimicking the same battle stance she had asked me to show her countless times. One of these days she will perfect It. The thought her tiny white frame. Her head lowered with all four legs braced, and her little wings spread as far as they would go brought a smile to my face.
Inciting a soft laugh from her mother.
"Not even your father's armor can protect him from everything my love."
I heard the rattle of automatic weapons fire and countless screams fill my ears. I closed my eyes tight and shook the thoughts away. Breathing a little heavier, I continued to listen.
"But daddy is the best soldier in the world!"
I smiled wider as I filled with pride.
"Your father is amazing. I can not deny that. I just wish.."
Her soft voice drifted out of my mind, as the world slipped back in to focus.
***
"Captain Heights... Captain Heights, are yout listening?"
The stern tone of my C.O. Admiral Air Heart, settled in my ears. The deep blue mare was sitting on the opposite side of the desk from me. The look on her face was anything but pleased at my lapse in attention. She placed her pencil on the desk before crossing her forehooves beneath her chin. Her tired teal eyes read me like a book, like they always had.
I stiffened a little more before I answered her. "Yes ma'am, I read you loud and clear."
She unfolded and ran a forehoof through her graying black mane as she spoke.
"Iron, it's been five years since your wife passed. SlipStream will be missed dearly, but I need your full attention for this briefing. understood?"
Her tone was softer this time.
I brought my right wing to my brow in a salute, before answering.
"Understood ma'am."
"Glad to hear it."
AirHeart took a deep breath before continuing.
"As you know, this... slaver camp has been executing sloppy "hit and run" attacks on our surface supply line for weeks."
She rubbed her face in aggravation.
"I need them dealt with A.S.A.P. get your team together and make it happen."
"About the slaves ma'am..."
I asked apprehensively, almost fearing her decision.
"You're one of my most competent field officers, and I trust your judgement completely. I leave what happens to the "slaves" to your discretion."
Air Heart said the word slave with so much disgust it was almost palatable.
"Yes ma'am, you will have my report on your desk by 1300 hours tomorrow."
I snapped another quick salute, swiftly turned and walked out of AirHeart's office. As I walked through her door I heard her say mostly to herself.
"Of that... I have no doubt."
As I stepped in to the hallway the door to AirHearts office slid shut behind me with a thunk, and hydrolic hiss.
"So Cpt. what did admiral "AirHead" want?"
The voice came from my daughter leaning against the oposite wall of the hallway, she had a broad smile on her pure white face. SnowStorm wore her full set of enclave flight armor everything except the helmet, which dangled from her left shoulder. Allowing me to see the light purple eyes I remembered... (her mother's eyes) so well from when she was only a filly. Now those eyes were hardened from training, time, and the loss of her mom. Her ice blue mane streaked with snow white lines was pulled back tight for easy plcement of her helmet.
"How did your over watch operation go Pvt.?"
I asked with out even breaking my stride.
"Oh, down to business then I see. Yes sir."
She rolled her eyes with half hearted salute before following and debriefing me on the operation.
"It was literally just another boring scouting unit protection OP." Snow exhaled sounding bored. "We never even got close to the ground."
"That's a good thing." I insured her. Feeling releif to know that my child had been in no real danger.
"Sir... permission to speak freely?" She asked apprehensively.
"Granted." I replied, with my own roll of my eyes.
"When will I actually be able to join in on a real mission. I mean the scouting runs are "fun" and all, they do get me out of this floating fortress. But where's all the action? The sense of doing something that actually matters? When do I get to see the surface?" That last word stopped me dead in my tracks.
I turned to face her slowly. "Why in Celestias wide open blue do you want to see that hell So badly?"
"All due respect sir, but my father trained me to be a soldier from the day could wear a battle saddle. Now everyone knows I'm the second best in this unit. Sure I don't have as much combat experience, but I was placed in this unit because of my "top of the class" scores in all of my axams and sims. So why do I keep getting these shit assignments?" Frustration building in her voice.
"Yes, and your father could not be more proud of you, but your Captain thinks you need a little more training and time." You are fighting a loosing battle here Iron. I thought to myself as I spoke.
"How can I get that if neither will let me prove that I'm ready for action!?" She basically growled the last half of the sentence at me.
"SnowStorm I..." I noticed the small group of trainees that had stopped to watch and listen to our conversation. I raised my head and glared at the three staring recruits. "Don't you three have some where to be?"
"Y..yes sir." The three responded in unison. They saluted, then took turns bumping in to each other as they all tried to turn at once before trotting down the hall.
I turned back to her. "Snow, I know you want to make me proud. By Luna you have, but I just want to protect you." I pleaded.
"Dad I'm not a filly any more, I'm a soldier of the G.P.E. just like you I'm ready for a real mission... please dad." Her eyes blazed with determination.
My resolve faltered. "Fine."
"I mean there are pegasi in our unit with les-... wait, really?" Her face was a mixture of emotions.
"Yes, we will be hitting the slave camp that has been attacking our supply lines on the surface. We fly out in thirty minutes. Get your gear, me and the rest of Whiskey team will be waiting in the hangar." I'm getting old I thought to myself.
"Yes! Thank you thank you thank you!" She shouted with excitement and pinned me to the wall with a hug. "Hehe sorry sir"
She started to pull away as I returned the embrace. I squeezed her tight. "I love you princess," I released her slowly. "You have your orders, now move."
She saluted with a wide smile. "Yes sir." She then turned and flew down the hall.
"SlipStream, I hope I made the right decision. I miss you so much." I continued to the hangar.
Hangar 2-B. Whiskey squads rendezvou.
"SnapShot, where are Beetle and Javelin?" I asked as I walked in to the wide open hangar.
The red mare didn't even look up from her rifle. her white eyes focused on making fine adjustments to the scope. SnapShot and I go way back she was the only to finish above at the range during training. She has turned down every promotion she was ever offered. Snap AKA "Squint" is my second in command. Her ears swiveled towards me and she answered. "Beetle went to the armory to get more explosives, and javelin tagged along to get more anti personnel rounds."
"Understood." I watched as the mint green twins checked their own equipment, and then the others. "Spector, Spade are you two operational?"
Both responded instantly. "Fly high sir."
It took almost a year to be able to tell the two apart when they were hidden behind there armor. Spector keeps his mane buzzed low, while Spade tends to keep his long enough to spike. I also painted a red number one on Spector's helmet, and a blue number one on Spade's. To this day they still call me "A cheater." For it.
"Good stay that way"
"Wow the captain decided to bring along the offspring."
The low even voice of Beetle made me turn to look at the char coal black buck.
Beetle was followed closely by Javelin. If you ever saw one of these two the other was never far off. Javelin was an adorable tan mare with a brown mane. In the enclave it is against protocol to engage in relations with squad mates, But neither of the two would ever confirm they were together but the whole team knew.
"Sir, come speak with me for a moment." SnapShot was standing to my right. Her sudden appearance made me start.
"What is it Squint?" I asked with a smile.
"Sir, I don't have a very good feeling about this. Why is command only sending one seven member squad? It's only slavers, but we should have support."
"Do you think we can't handle it?" After working with her for this long I had learned to trust her intuition.
"Sir, if we can't handle this we need to hang up our armor. Something just doesn't feel right." She spoke with the same stoic demeanor as always.
"Noted, are you ready?" I asked with a smile.
"Fly high sir." She smiled and went back to her gear.
"Whiskey squad, we will be reaching your DZ in five minutes good luck Whiskey."
The hangars speakers dropped back into the same mundane reports of weather and windage.
"Whiskey form up!"
I snapped the order and everypony in the room was standing in formation before me in a matter of seconds. From left to right, Squint, Beetle, Javelin, Spector, Spade, and the filly I had raised SnowStorm.
I looked at my assemble squadron, everyone listening with quiet concentration. "As you all know our supply lines on the surface have been slowed to a crawl because of the slavers in the area. The order came down from command today." I pace as I speak. Six sets of eyes following my every move. "Whiskey squad... is mobilizing. Everyone here knows what to do. Squint and I will be on overwatch from above. Everyone else will be on fly bys and crowd control. Remember Whiskey not all targets will be hostiles. Any questions?"
Nopony moves.
"We move out in Two, be ready."
All six salute as a unit.
"Whiskey!" I address the team. As they hold their salutes. "Fly high!"
All six finish the sound off as one. "Or fall and die!"
"Whiskey you have the green light. I repeat you have the green light."
