Fallout Equestria: Stable Scout

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter 01 - Pull the Trigger
Chapter 02 - Outside the Wire
Chapter 03 - The Village
Chapter 04 - The Crater
Chapter 05 - The City
Chapter 06 - The Pegasus
Chapter 07 - Shadows and Tripwires
Chapter 08 - Protect and Serve
Chapter 09 - Back Home, Part 1-1
Chapter 10 - Back Home, Part 1-2
Chapter 11 - On the Road Again
Chapter 12 - Contact!
Chapter 13 - That Fucking Hospital
Chapter 14 - Back Home, Part 2-1
Chapter 15 - Stars and Stripes
Chapter 16 - Abandoned
Chapter 17 - Insecurity
Chapter 18 - Going Hot

Prologue

Fallout Equestria: Stable Scout
Prologue

War. War never changes.

For over a thousand years, peace reigned under Princess Celestia. But nopony, not even a god, can keep peace forever. Ponies industrialized, and with their industry, came the requirement of power. In Equestria's case, power meant coal. The Zebras had coal, but had a dire need for the crystals and gemstones Equestria was overflowing with. Trade began. Then somepony demanded more and more. Who is irrelevant. A war began, and with it, an arms race.

Finally, the war ended. Not with a hoof shake, but with a bang. Millions died. Zebras, ponies, griffons. Others. Those who were not instantly vaporized in a cloud of cursed balefire, suffered other equally horrible fates.

The Last Day was not the end of ponykind, however. Many ponies survived in underground fallout shelters, called Stables. Stable 30 is one of those shelters, buried in the hills around the city of Baltimare.

#

On the Last Day, the city of Baltimare awoke as it always did. Nopony awoke, thinking "today will be the day everypony dies". Unfortunately, they were wrong.

One minute, the city was quietly waking up. The next minute, the city was full of attack warning sirens. The next, the city square was engulfed in balefire. Not from missiles, like Cloudsdale had been minutes before, but from bombs the zebras and their pony collaborators had smuggled into the city.

A pegasus named Amaranth Thunder, the Chief of Police, was far enough from the city to survive the initial wave. He went to the police station, grabbed supplies, including the prized IF-88 Ironpony Ironshod Firearms had kindly donated to Baltimare Police and hijacked a sky chariot to take his family and everypony he could fit to Stable 30.

Once he arrived, the Overmare demanded that they seal the Stable. He argued that there were still more ponies to be saved. The Overmare accused him of being a bleeding heart, more interested in saving a few ponies than the entire Stable and its vital contents of magical supplies and knowledge. He did not deny those accusations, but pointed out that he had a shotgun and the will to use it if required. The Overmare looked to the large, scary, black scattergun at his side and the armed mob backing him, and stormed off to her office.

A full day after the bombs fell, Stable 30 finally closed its doors. Safely contained within were over a thousand former residents of Baltimare. That day, Amaranth Thunder's actions to save ponies cemented Security's importance to the Stable's survival.

#

Two hundred years passed. Stable life continued as it was planned by Stable-Tec before the Last Day. Healing potions, Radaway, other magical potions were brewed. Arcane sciences research was performed, carefully. Cider was fermented. Ponies were born. Ponies died.

Finally, one day, the Stable, urged by the descendant of Amaranth Thunder, opened its door. Civilized ponies were sought out. Trade began.

But uncivilized ponies heard of the Stable. They had heard of how Stables were easy living. A mob of over a hundred raiders, addicts and other lowlifes attacked the Stable. They were repelled, at great cost. The Chief of Field Operations took most of Security off to finish the raiders. They were never seen again, but neither were the raiders. It was considered a victory, barely.

Stable life continued over the next several years, but trade flourished. Trade day went from once a month to once a week. More ponies came, trading commodities the Stable could produce for those it could not. It became known as a place of healing. The Chief of Field Operations' daughter matured and entered Security in her father's hoofsteps.

Two bold, intrepid mares ventured from their Stables - a Pipbuck maintenance mare from Stable 02 near Ponyville, and a Security mare from Stable 99 near Hoofington. Things happened. Those who could see the writing on the wall knew that this was the calm before a storm that would shake all of Equestria, from the surface to the clouds and beyond. Red Eye's empire in Fillydelphia massed slaves. The Goddess made alliances. The Steel Rangers hoarded weapons and technology.

#

The past few weeks has involved several meetings with the mysterious Leading Council. Captain Firefly of Stable Security has been seeking permission to lead an expedition outside of the Stable to the nearby trading town of Haven. The Leading Council has yet to give her a straight answer, yet Captain Firefly has a 'feeling' about today.

Life in the Stable is about to change.

Author's Note

Now that you've read that... go reread the opening paragraphs in Ron Pearlman's voice. ... assuming you did not do so already.

Welcome to Fallout Equestria: Stable Scout. Thank you for reading. It's gonna be a wild ride!

e: revised on 01.21.16
e: re-revised on 01.31.16

Chapter 01 - Pull the Trigger

Fallout Equestria: Stable Scout
Chapter 01
Pull the Trigger

I have a good feeling about today.

Captain Firefly

Monday, approximately two hundred years after the death of Equestria and the end of the Equestria-Roam War.
0834

"You know, Colonel, I'm not much use without my magic. If we could try a match with magic...."

Colonel Hot Range considered, before nodding. "Very well, Firefly. Let's try hide & seek." Her sly, feral look made me immediately regret my decision. "Give me a minute's head start, then come and find me."

"Got it." Already committed.

She confidently trotted off into the darkened sparring arena while I crawled back to my hooves.

The sparring arena was really two separate rooms. There was the main room, the gym, a large, open room with mats on the floor where ponies were able to spar and practice hoof fighting. Then there was the sparring arena, which was a maze for fighting in a real-world setting. Some rooms were lit, some were darkened. The dull hum of life support equipment surrounding the arena blocked out low sounds.

I nodded to Security Officer Crescent Spark and her civie friend, Mineral Sands as they rose to their hooves and took up positions in the middle of the room.

"You sure about this, boss?" Lieutenant Rapid Dash, my partner in crime-busting, walked over to me with a faintly worried look. He was a maroon pony who normally defaulted to an irritatingly smug, lopsided smirk.

"Oh, absolutely." I've made a horrible mistake.

"You're a horrible liar." Already. Committed.

"I don't recall asking your opinion, Lieutenant." Our Pipbucks beeped, indicating that the match had begun. I gestured for him to head in one direction to head off Range. I'd follow her in and prevent her from doubling back. Dashie slipped off in the direction I'd directed him while I followed her into the darkened maze.

It was a hide and seek match. Range's objective was to get past us out of the maze. Dashie and I were tasked with preventing that. Either party could win via incapacitating the other, or Range could keep moving and attempt to slip past us and make it to the entrance we'd come through.

I followed her on my Eyes Forward Sparkle. Left, right, left, left... is she going for the light room?

After a minute of following her ping on my EFS, I located her tail disappearing around a corner. A quick look to my EFS confirmed Dashie was ahead of her. I sent Dashie a comm click. On three. He responded with two quick clicks. Copy.

Three... two...

Suddenly a stun bolt came out of the darkness. I neatly sidestepped... only to realize I'd also been hoofcuffed. I tumbled to the floor on my side, unable to move.

Crap.

A second stun bolt shot out of the darkness, hitting me in the chest as I attempted to cast the hoofcuffing counterspell.

Moments later, I heard Dashie groaning. "Not again..."

Followed by a meaty thud and a pained grunt as he slammed into another wall.

"Not very stealthy, Captain." I glared in the direction of her voice, feeling my legs twitching as much as they could in the hoofcuffs. "Two minutes, thirteen seconds."

That could have gone better. "Best of... fifteen, Range?"

"Don't be stupid, Firefly." Range emerged from the darkness, backlit by the glow of her pale blue magic as she finished the counterspell her stun had disrupted. "You're not your mother." The pale glow highlighted the scars crisscrossing her silver hide. Normally I was taller than her, but laying on the ground underneath her was a very different perspective, and her imposing frame towered over me. "You expected that, of course."

"That went better than I expected, to be completely honest." She offered me her hoof, and I let her pull me to my hooves, looking to Dashie. "You okay, Dashie?"

Dashie grunted in response and rolled over to his hooves, stretching. "Are you suggesting that actually hurt?" He threw me one of his annoyingly smug smirks. "I'm sure I'll feel that in the morning." He groaned as he glanced to Range.

I looked to my Pipbuck. 0840 "We've got Market duty in an hour. Let's get showered."

"Us? Together?" Dashie's amusement was tangible through his tone as he trotted off. "Ponies will talk, Captain." I glanced to Range, and she looked back to me disinterestedly as she stretched.

... This is a test. Did they plan it? I looked to Dashie's... hopeful? expression. Unlikely.

"Sure thing, Dashie." I shrugged and trotted off after him.

"Wait, you serious?" Dashie paused mid-step and looked to me.

"Of course not." His hopeful expression was dashed with an annoyed scowl. "Security policy 47-C states that 'Personal relationships between officer and enlisted members that are unduly familiar and that do not respect differences in grade or rank are prohibited'." I glanced to Dashie, ignoring his annoyed look as I continued to throw the book at him. "Such relationships are prejudicial to good order and discipline and violate-"

"Yeah, I think I got it, boss." Dashie talked over me.

Don't. Interrupt. Me.

I glanced to Range as she trotted off past us demurely. "Plus, Colonel Range would shit a brick if we started dating."

"For everyone's sake - particularly that of my anus - kindly don't forget that, you two." Range trotted out of the sparring room without a glance back, disappearing around the corner with a swish of her cropped, white and pale blue streaked tail.

Too much information, Colonel.

"I'll see you in an hour, Dashie." I waved to him.

"Mhm..." He groaned, stretching. "Sure. Right. Fine then. See you in an hour, Captain." He turned and trotted off shortly. What crawled between his flanks and died?

I sighed as I entered my quarters. My mother. She was, as usual, passed out on the couch. I spared her a sideways glance, before trotting off to my room.

Hrmph. Former Colonel Sapphire Aurora. Partner of Captain Crimson Nimbus, hero of Stable 30. Not my mother, just the mare who gave birth to me. If I was to accuse anyone of being a mother figure I looked up to, it would be Range.

After retrieving a fresh Stable suit, I headed to shower, plugging in my ear blooms. Mostly, my ear blooms keep me in contact with Security constantly. It's certainly kept my sex life boring. This morning, however, I'm using them for their Stable-tec intended purpose - personal entertainment. Specifically, the local radio station.

"Heelllloooo, ponies! It's the one, the only radiopony in Baltimare! It's meee-" The radiopony's voice cracked, and I snickered. "- Lunar Note!" Lunar Note paused, clearing her throat. "So surely most of you have heard of that Stable Dweller in the north, right? He goes around shooting bad ponies in the face and saving good ponies? Yeaah... I've just heard about his latest exploit. He found a dragon - I know, you're thinking 'they still exist!?', me too, right? - and then he decided he'd go kill it. How? Fuck if I know! But it's legit. Carry on, Stable Dweller, carry on...." Lunar sighed. "That said? As always, for the rest of us non-hero ponies, watch your fire and stay on your hooves. Here's some Bits for Nothin'." Her voice was replaced by someone whispering "I want my PMV...."

Oh yeah, I love this song.

I spent a luxurious twenty minutes showering in pleasantly warm water, carefully inspecting my body for bruises, marks and other new additions.

It was glorious, as showers always are.

I groaned, stretching, as I felt water run down my neck and through my mane.

Yeah, I'm definitely going to hurt in the morning.

Finally I shut the water off, running my magic through my coat and mane to draw the majority of the water off before exiting the shower and dressing.

This has been a great morning, bruises notwithstanding.

Pipbuck M3000, check. Underarmor barding, check. My underarmor barding was my day-to-day Security uniform, a reinforced version of the full-length Maintenance suit with attachment points for armor plates. Boring yet practical and comfortable, I have to say I preferred it to the basic suit. I can't even remember the last time I wore the normal suit. Before I got my Pipbuck, definitely.

As for me? I'm a unicorn. Reddish pinkish coat. A mane that is long and two shades of pale blue. I tend to keep it mostly long and loose, with the locks that get in my face pulled back in a ponytail. The same colors as my father, from what I've heard. I never met him - he left the Stable when I was very young.

I walked out into the hallway, heading for the Cafe across from the Security station in the Atrium, spending a leisurely five minutes consuming a just-perfectly-heated yet bland apple fritter.

If I never have to eat anything apple-based again, it will be too soon.

I strolled off as I stuffed the last piece of fritter into my mouth and trotted off towards the Security Station outside of Operations.

Entering Security, I found the path blocked by a purple unicorn, her hair pulled back into tight braids. Her eyes glanced down to my barding. "Lieutenant." The look she gave me conveyed a strange blend of boredom, arrogance and anger. A Pipbuck M1500, the kind that was mostly only used for data storage, was held in her green magic.

Yeah, no.

"Actually, I'm Captain Firefly, miss...."

She had that fussy look about her, her suit perfectly clean and wrinkle-free.

Probably not part of Maintenance or Agriculture. Arcane Sciences? She doesn't strike me as an egghead.

Command, probably. Ugh. Likely one of the Council's gofers.

"Oh! You're Crimson's kid, aren't you." She spat it as if it were an insult, something to be ashamed of. She threw me a mocking salute and trotted off stiffly.

The end of the green ribbon keeping her mane in place hung tantalizing loose.

I considered pulling it free. Just a gentle tug with my magic would cause her braid to come free....

No, no, that's petty.

Don't be petty, Firefly. Be the better mare.

You obnoxious bitch.

I glanced around to make sure nopony else was going to attempt to run me down and headed into the Security station. Colonel Range was standing in the doorway to her office, glaring at the mare I'd passed. She nodded to me curtly, then turned and went back into her office.

"Hiya, boss." Dashie waved me over, sitting at his desk, working at a terminal. I'd once asked him how earth ponies used terminals; the answer haunted me to this day. "Ready for today's patrol?"

"Of course, of course." I glanced to my Pipbuck. 0903. "Still another hour to go." Dashie replied with a distracted grunt as he went back to typing on the terminal. I trotted to my desk and settled down, laying my head down on it, eyes closed.

Guh.

Headache. One too many blows to the head this morning, perhaps?

Ah! I levitated a shot glass and a Sparkle-cola bottle out of a drawer, settling them on the desk in front of me. After a full minute of contemplating the bottle of healing potion fluxing before me, I closed my eyes and leaned forward, resting the tip of my horn against the bottle and concentrated.

A long moment passed and I felt the magic flowing through me, through my horn into the glass bottle. After another long moment of follow through, I sit up and look at the bottle. Its movement had slowed, and I leaned over to press my right fetlock - the one without the arcane management device on it - against the cooled bottle.

I love being a unicorn.

My personal show of amusement over, I poured a shot and downed it, tucking the bottle and glass back where they'd been.

Ahhh... that's better. Right, back to work.

The next half hour passed productively. I wrote reports, signed off on requests. Finally at 0940, I called together several teams to the briefing room.

"Good morning, everypony." Several of the ponies scattered around the briefing room gave muted responses. "I said, good morning, everypony!" I stomped my forehoof loudly.

"Good morning, Captain Firefly!" rang through the room in response. Much better.

"It's Market Day." Obviously. "Door opens at 1000. Show of force, you know the drill. Convince the wastelanders that causing trouble is not in their best interests." I turned and projected a map of the Exterior Marketplace on the wall behind me, giving out patrol assignments. "Questions?" A silver wing in the back rose. "Do you have a question, Silver?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Do you like peeling apples, Silver?"

The wing disappeared. "No questions, ma'am...."

"The Door will open in fifteen minutes." I glanced up at the PA system as the voice of the Overmare echoed through the Stable.

"Well, ponies, you heard the Overmare. Let's go get dressed." I grinned in spite of myself.

Leaving the Stable is always kind of a rush.

A short trot across the main Security office brought us to the locker room and Armory.

"Morning, Captain!" Sergeant Slate Weld, the armory master, was field stripping a rifle. He set it aside as I entered the locker room and trotted over to my locker.

"Morning, Slate." I opened my locker, levitating out my armor while Weld started preparing our weapons. I retrieved my weapons, two IF-21 pistols, eight magazines of 10mm Auto ammunition and a baton, and headed to the door, waiting for the rest of the team.

"The Door will open in ten minutes."

I looked around to the team, finishing up. "Kit check, kit check." They nodded, confirming, and I lead the way out of the locker room, through Security and down into the Atrium. "Comms check, comms check." All around us, ponies bustled about as we passed through the sea of Stable suits to the Door. Booths for depleted spark battery for recharging, empty Sparkle-cola bottles for healing potion and radaway use and medical treatment were being set up. "Test, one two three, test, test."

Everypony checked in, confirming they heard me, switching to do their team tests.

"So, boss, you got any plans tonight?" I glanced in Dashie's direction as he fell in on my flank.

"I dunno." What am I going to do tonight? "Curl up in the shower and masturbate, maybe." I allowed myself a satisfied grin at the strangled sound Dashie made over the personal comms. Comms work.

"You know, I could help you with that...."

Yeah, thanks, no. "Range. Anus. Brick. That is all."

Dashie made another strangled sound. "Too much info, Firefly."

I snickered at his expression. "Wanna bet that won't improve her mood?"

He looked over at me uncharacteristic seriousness. "I'd say, I don't know, three to two odds it would actually piss her off even more." Crap. "There's stretching to account for, after all." Don't go there. "I'm not... intimately familiar... enough with the Colonel to comment on the elasticity of her-" Ewww!

I cut him off before he finished that thought. "I think that's a bit more than I needed to hear, Lieutenant."

Ugh. Okay, Dashie, you win.

I glanced to him, and the slyness faded from his eyes as he donned an equally uncharacteristically concerned look. "You seriously need to get laid. How long has it been?"

Hrm... six months? No, no, that ended with us cuddling while he cried on my shoulder.

Ugh, was that awkward.

"My last coltfriend broke up with me after about a month." I frowned. "About a year or so."

Wow.

"Celestia, Firefly, a year? That's like, forever, mare!" Yes, I'm aware of that, Dashie....

Great.

Now I'm super horny. Dashie glanced in my direction, and I got the feeling he picked up on that.

Damn it, Dashie.

"The Door will open in five minutes."

We entered the door room airlock, and my team took up positions out of the way of the maintenance ponies working.

Think unsexy thoughts.

Shower tonight.

"Good morning, Captain." Security Officer Winter Green, better known as Minty, waved to me. I heard muttered swearing and saw Winter's partner shoot to her hooves as she realized I was there.

"Good morning, Minty. As you were, Dawn." Security Officer Dawning Petals nodded, somewhat unsuccessfully attempting to suppress a yawn as she looked around. Minty and Dawn were in my generation and had been long-time friends, joining Security around the same time I did. I stepped over to the pony by the door console, a maintenance pony I didn't know by name. "Everything ready?"

"Everything ready, Captain." A lavender unicorn I recognized as Overmare Book Keeper slipped into the entrance hall from a closet - what? - flashed me a pleasant smile and ducked into an out of the way corner.

"The Door is opening now." Idly I wondered how the Overmare managed to be physically present while her voice rang through the Stable.

I raised my hoof. "Ready weapons." I suited words to action and drew my pistols, inserting a magazine and racking the action. Around me, I heard my troops loading and cocking their weapons. Dashie's weapon consisted of a battle saddle containing a belt-fed heavy machine gun that had been converted to fire twelve gauge shells.

I nodded and the maintenance pony reached over and pressed the big, red button to open the Door.

A hazard alarm blared and lights on both sides of the Door lit up, lighting around it. With a screeching rumble of metal on metal, the Door slid out, away from us and rolled halfway into the wall. Lights in the ceiling lit up the cave outside the Door, granting access to the Wasteland surrounding our Stable. Visibly dusty air rushed in around the door, and I moved aside slightly to avoid the worst of it. Even the air in the Wasteland was foul. "Security, forward!" I waved my hoof forward as I lead the way out of the Door, Dashie flanking me a pace behind me to my right, and up the hallway to the checkpoint we'd set up in the surface building that the Stable had been built under.

The Stable Marketplace was really two separate Marketplaces. There was the Atrium Marketplace, where ponies went in to receive medical treatment or turn in empty bottles or spark batteries, and then there was the Exterior Marketplace, set up outside of the surface building. That was where the Wastelanders set up their trading booths, and that was where Security needed to have the biggest presence. It consisted of barbed wire run around an area around a prewar building, and some sheets of plastic stretched over poles to keep the area somewhat dry when it rained.

We entered the surface building and split up. I lead my group straight through the main entrance, weapons out, timing my exit so that teams Two and Three exited from opposite sides of the building at the same time, splitting up and patrolling among the traders. Most of them had seen the show before and simply continued setting up their booths. However, a few had looked up in surprise, and one seemed to go for his weapons before deciding that opening fire on a dozen armed and armored ponies was not ideal.

"Mornin' folks. Carry on with your business." I tucked my weapons away as I trotted around the Marketplace. A couple of ponies watched me while most of them went back to their business. Of course it was raining.

But then again, this is Baltimare.

It's always raining.

"Top of the mornin' to ya, Firefly!" Broken Enamel claimed he was a former Stable dentist. Which Stable he was from had never come up. "Glad to see ya, actually. I was hoping to talk to ya."

"Mornin', Enamel. What's up?" Dashie followed me over to Enamel, looking over his caravan.

"We ran into a spot of trouble on the way here from Haven."

"Raiders?" That could be a problem, considering what happened to the Stable last time a raider gang started getting bold.

"Nah, raiders don't mess with caravans, not since the last time...." He broke off. "Right, anyways. Not raiders. Zombies!"

"Zombies? Surely you can't be serious." Idly I remembered some of the books I'd read.

"I am!" I shared another glance with Dashie. "Feral ghouls, a bunch of em!" Ohhh! "They came outta nowhere, screechin' their manes off and biting everything they could get their teeth on. Killed two of my guards!"

"So y'want us to go hunt them down and kill them?" Dashie glanced over as he spoke up, studying Enamel's caravan.

"Kill em? Why would I care about that?" He shook his head. "Nah. I want some of your ponies to escort my caravan back to Haven until we can find some more guards." He considered what Dashie had said, rubbing his jaw. "Although, killin' em probably wouldn't be a bad idea."

I thought about that, adjusting my helmet to give me a moment to think.

I'm not sure.

We do need to have an increased presence outside of the Stable.

"Check in with Security before you leave and I'll see that you have your escort." I smiled to Enamel brightly.

"Thank ye kindly, Firefly." Enamel turned to his trading station before he rushed off, yelling at one of his ponies. "What are you doing? No, no! This goes here, that goes there!"

A squad of Steel Rangers clanked past us towards the Stable. Most of the crowd cleared out of their way.

I glanced to Dashie; he looked concerned. "Are you sure that's a good idea, Firefly? Authorizing troops out of the Stable?"

"The Stable does need to have an increased presence in the Baltimare area, outside of the Stable."

His worried expression remained. "Do you think the Council will approve?"

For once, I was the smug one smirking at Dashie, who had a worried expression more typical of me. "I have a feeling about today."

He stared at me for a long moment, before nodding. "I hope you're right."

Makes two of us, Dashie.

I levitated my canteen out, uncapping it as I felt... something.

Something was coming.

Something big and powerful, that didn't care whether it was expected or not. I glanced up, noticing unicorns across the marketplace perking up.

"Boss?"

I shook my head. "Something's coming."

A group of alicorns popped into existence, just outside the wire.

Alicorns.

They were tall, majestic... and wrong. They felt like they shouldn't exist. They were... aberrations.

There were five of them - two of them were a dark lavender, two others were an olive green and the fifth was a brilliant azure. Their ethereal manes flowed in the wind, even when there was no wind, and they wore no barding, their coats perfectly brushed no matter the situation.

Some part in the back of my mind wanted to ask them for tips on how they looked so amazing.

They were also one of the Stable's most notable trading partners, and nopony made any trouble while they were around, so I was happy to put up with their presence, as disturbing as it may be.

A couple of wastelanders went for their weapons, and I was pleased to see my ponies do a fine job to convince them not to.

They gracefully trotted to the line where the Stable traded water. Those in their path mysteriously found other places to be, and the alicorns moved to the front of the line.

"GREETINGS, PONIES OF STABLE THIRTY. WE BRING SUPPLIES TO TRADE." After a moment, they recoiled as one, wings spread.

Uh oh.

I hurried over to intervene. "What seems to be the problem, ponies?" I glanced to the Stable zebras at the stand.

They shared a look and shrugged.

The alicorns turned as one - Celestia, was that creepy - to look at me, and as one they boomed out. "DO YOU INTEND US INSULT, STABLE PONY?"

"These are members of the Stable, just like me. What's wrong?"

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEM? THE GODDESS DEMANDS TO KNOW WHETHER YOU ARE BLIND, SECURITY PONY, OR PERHAPS SIMPLY DAFT. THEY ARE ZEBRAS. THEY ARE STRIPED. THEY ARE THE ENEMY." They glared at the zebras in their creepy, simultaneous way.

Oh.

"Hold, please, while we fix our mistake." I trotted a short distance away, calling the Security station. "Captain Firefly to Security."

"Security here. What can I do for you, Captain?"

"Get some water merchants up to the XM ASAP. Make sure they're not zebras." I glanced in the alicorns' direction.

"Yes, ma'am. Hold please." To his credit, he made no comment otherwise. "They're on their way now."

"Excellent." I turned and trotted back to the alicorns. "I have found some ponies to assist you. They will be here momentarily. Please accept our sincerest apologies."

The alicorns looked at us, shot a nasty look at the bewildered zebras, before nodding dramatically. "THE GODDESS FINDS YOUR ASSISTANCE ACCEPTABLE."

Well shit, acceptable is just great.

An earth pony mare and a unicorn colt in the regular Stable barding trotted over to the stand, confused. After a moment of discussion with the ponies at the stand, they then took over for the zebras.

The zebras carefully drifted in our direction, away from the alicorns. "What was that all about?"

"Ancient, prewar hatred, I suspect." I shrugged. "Could you do me a favor and convey to your boss that it would probably be best if you kept at least one Equestrian pony on duty on the surface?" I paused, frowning at how that sounded. "Sorry. You know what I mean."

The zebras stared at me blandly, an expression I recognized (from my own use) as hiding their feelings. "I thought we had advanced past all that... pettiness."

"We did," I stressed 'we', "the wasteland has spent the past two hundred years tearing itself apart over and over again instead of advancing."

They shrugged and fell silent as the four of us watched the alicorns get their water. Afterwards, the alicorns carefully counted out their payment, threw another dark look at the zebras beside us and teleported off.

"Sooo... that happened." Dashie was, unsurprisingly, the first to break the silence. "Nice flanks on those alicorns, doncha think, boss?" He grinned at me.

I spared Dashie an aside glance. "Sure." I shook my head, rose to my hooves and trotted back toward the Stable. Dashie fell in on my flank.

"So, what do you think the alicorns are doing with the water they keep buying from us?" Dashie spoke up after a moment with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

"I've heard rumors that they're delivering it to towns who can't afford it."

"That's interesting."

"Kind of nice to know Stable 30 is helping the wasteland, even if we're not doing it personally, don't you think?"

I nodded back towards the surface building above the Stable. "Let's check up on those Steel Rangers."

#

"Can I help you folks with anything?" I trotted over to the foursome of Steel Rangers in suits of power armor, Dashie flanking me. Compared to their gleaming armor, I'm sure our kit looked like improvised barding at best.

"Yeah, you can fuck off, Stable." A low mare's voice came from the towering suit of armor in the far side. The one in the lead looked at them, and I suspected she was being reprimanded.

No, you can fuck off!

The leader looked to me. "We require nothing from you, security pony. We will pay for what we require and we will be gone." His tone was somehow placating and condescending all at once.

How does he do that?

I should ask him... but no.

"Of course, of course. If you require anything, ask for Captain Firefly and I will make sure it happens." I trotted off after giving them a polite, bland smile.

"Nice folks, don't you think?" I glanced to Dashie and shook my head.

"As long as they're not shooting at us, I'm fuckin' thrilled." I glanced to the ceiling where The Gun sat in its little niche. "I don't want to have to spray out any suits of power armor." Or even be present for that happening.

"I can't complain about that." I trotted off into the crowd, Dashie at my flank. "Fortunately, that's not our job. That's Maintenance's."

Ew.

My ear blooms rang with the Dispatcher tone. "Captain? We're almost ready to begin The Gun test."

Perfect timing.

"Shall we begin?"

"Hold for my mark."

"Of course, ma'am."

I gestured to Dashie. "Test in five. On me." Dashie fell in as I headed to the stairwell at the corner of the Atrium, up to the second floor overlooking the main Atrium floor. "Plat, Nimble." I looked to the overwatch team on the balcony, a white earth pony and an orange and blue unicorn.

The unicorn scanned the Atrium. "All clear, ma'am."

"Test ready?" The dispatcher confirmed. "Hold onto your bowels." I glanced to Dashie and he winced. "On my mark. Three... two... one... mark."

A high pitched hum filled the Atrium, a sound that invaded everywhere and everything, just below the upper level of equine hearing range. I clamped down on my bowels as all liquids inside me attempted to escape through the most unpleasant route. After a few seemingly endless seconds, the sound died down.

The crowd on the first floor paused their dealings, and I cast a voice amplification spell. "Nothing to worry about, ponies. Just a routine test." I looked straight at the quartet of Steel Rangers that everypony was giving a wide berth. Impossible to tell through their opaque, supposedly bullet resistant visors, but I believed they got the hint. Another moment's pause and the crowd resumed their business, but subdued.

I cast the voice amplification counterspell as I turned to Dashie, trotting off. "I'd say that went well, Dashie."

He resumed his position a hooflength behind me to my right. "Maybe for you, but I wouldn't want to be Maintenance tonight."

"I don't think anyone shit themselves."

"That's an..." Dashie paused, glancing over the railing. "... optimistic assessment, I think." He glanced to me as we headed down the stairs. "I'll ask dad tonight, get ya an answer on that tomorrow."

"I think I'm good, thank you...." My ear blooms pinged again - this time with the Command tone and I ducked into a niche by the doors on the first floor, Dashie a hoofstep behind me. "Hold, Dashie."

Is it Range?

Of course it was Range. "Everything okay down there, Captain?"

Mare, I love it when I'm right.

"Situation okay, Colonel. Just testing The Gun."

"You know, Colonel, if you needed help with that brick of yours, I'm sure The Gun could be of assistance...." I turned and stared at Dashie. He tossed me a sly grin in response.

No, Dashie.

Range fell silent for a moment before apparently deciding the best response was no response. "Firefly, if situation's okay down there, I need to see you in my office."

"On my way, Colonel." I switched to the intra-Security channel. "Lieutenant Dash is taking command of Marketplace Patrol." A dozen teams acknowledged and I turned to Dashie. "See you in a bit, Dashie."

I turned and trotted back up the stairs to Security and into Range's office.

"Captain Firefly, reporting as requested, ma'am." I saluted.

Range momentarily looked up to me from the pre-hoof mounted Pipbuck M2500 on her desk she was studying intensely. "Good, good, you're here." I noticed that Overmare Book Keeper was also present. "Sit down, Captain."

I smiled to Overmare Keeper, and she flashed me one of her ever present dazzling smiles in return. "Good afternoon, Captain."

One part of my mind pointed out that this was perfect(ly coincidental) evidence of the fabled unicorn uprising conspiracy theory.

The vigilant part of my mind suggested that this would be an excellent target for a crazed Isolationist who wished to kill three of the strongest proponents of wandering outside the Stable.

The rational part of my mind pointed out that the chances of that happening were almost nonexistent, so I put it aside.

"Colonel Range and I were discussing your proposal for an external Scout team, Captain." Overmare Keeper rose from her cushion gracefully.

"I'm listening, ma'am." I knew I had a good feeling about today.

"I have convinced the Leading Council to grant you one expedition, with further expeditions granted on an at-will basis, depending on the outcome of this one."

Yes!

"Colonel Range has put together several plans of action, and I believe she's chosen one."

Oh dear.

Overmare Keeper turned to Range and calmly returned to her seat. "Colonel?" She sipped a glass of water as she turned her attention to Range.

"Thank you, Overmare." Range looked up from her Pipbuck, rose to her hooves and trotted over to the map that dominated one side wall of her office. "What we have here is a map of the Baltimare area, as of two centuries ago." She levitated a pointer over and tapped a pentagon inside a square on the map labeled 'Equestrian Strategic Command Headquarters'. "We don't even know if this still exists. What we need is hooves on the ground outside, which is the primary objective of Operation Baltimare. Blah blah blah, you know all of this, you're the one who's been giving reports to the Council on this."

"Operation Baltimare?" I snickered. "Wait." I raised an eyebrow at Range. "Operational planning happened without me?"

"The Leading Council was very insistent that you not be involved, at least in the initial strategic planning." Range made a face. "And yes, I know. It's a shitty name. The Council demanded results quickly."

"That's comforting."

Also a gross violation of the chain of command....

"The Leading Council doesn't have any faith in your abilities, Fi." Range scowled sharply.

Ouch.

"What Colonel Range is saying, is that you haven't proven yourself, in their eyes. Given the..." Overmare Keeper paused, searching for the most diplomatic way to say what she was thinking. "...tenuous... relationship the Council and your father had, I would expect nothing else." She rose to her hooves, studying the map. "For what it's worth, Captain, I have the fullest confidence in you." She shifted her gaze to Range, who was tapping a hoof against the floor. "I apologize, Colonel. Please, continue."

Range's scowl lessened as she resumed. "The objectives for Operation Baltimare are as follows. One, intel. We don't know what's out there beyond the wire, and we can't prepare for what we don't know about. No preparation, no defense. Two is increasing favor for the Stable. When Stable Security shows up, we want these ponies not only happy to see us, but willing to help us. We're going to need all of the support we can get out there, and we need to start doing it now." She sipped from her flask, looking to her Pipbuck M2500. "To that end, you have been authorized to speak for the Stable should a situation arise you feel can be used for the benefit of the Stable."

"Rules of engagement?"

"You're scouting, not preparing for war. If somepony tries to kill you, go right ahead and kill them back, but be discreet about it." She paused, glancing to the map. "Leave the Ironpony in the Armory."

Damn it.

"Yes, ma'am." I nodded. I had been searching for an opportunity to bring out the IF-88 'Ironpony' for some testing for some time. Unfortunately, this was not to be this time. "While I'm out there, what about the last team?"

Range and Overmare Keeper shared a glance. I wonder what that's about... "You may pursue leads if you find anything substantial, but intelligence is your primary objective, not finding your father's team." I covered a wince with a bland expression as she levitated a Pipbuck M1500 over to me. "Review these plans, pick your team and be ready to leave by tomorrow morning. Check in before you leave so I know what you're doing."

"Yes, ma'am." I tucked the M1500 away.

"Anything else?" Range gave me a steely look that clearly attempted to dissuade me from saying yes.

Challenge accepted!

"You're not secretly trying to get me killed, are you?"

Range stared at me for a long moment as I suppressed an amused grin. "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response, Captain. Dismissed!" She barked the last word with a sharp, not-so-subtle message of 'shut up, get out'. I saluted and turned to leave her office. "Fi, wait." I looked back to her. Book Keeper did, too. Range looked to me for a long moment. "Stay safe out there." I got the feeling that's not what she'd meant to say.

Hrm....

"That's the plan, ma'am." I paused. "Oh, unrelated. Who was that mare this morning?"

"Huh?" Range gave me a confused look. "Oh. Ruby Blossom. She's the personal gofer of Councilmare Rose. She was observing our planning session and carried a transcript to the Council." She made a face. "Rude little shit. Thinks she's Celestia's gift to the Stable because her mother used to be Overmare."

"You know, Colonel, if the Council hears you talking like that...." Overmare Keeper had a quietly reproachful yet amused tone.

"Tell me, Overmare, what are they going to do to me?" Range looked to Overmare Keeper with a disgusted look. "If they could find a justification to remove me from office, they would have done so long ago."

"I know, I know. Still..." The Overmare sighed, looking to me. "Sometimes it feels like I'm foalsitting every pony here." She glanced back to Range as she laid down. "I know you don't like the Council, Range, but could you at least pretend to be polite?"

"If you mares will excuse me, I have things to be doing...."

"Tell your mom I said hi!" Range waved a hoof in my direction and I made a quick exit. "Polite, polite, polite! That's what I hate about all of you pencil pushers, you're all about politely stabbing everypony in the flank!"

"You know, Range, your job description makes you one of those 'pencil pushers' you're talking about...." I could hear the Overmare's coy smile through the door to Range's office from my desk.

"I know! And that's what makes it even worse! I kind of miss being the Armorer's assistant."

Huh. Range used to be Assistant Armorer? Interesting.

I looked to the M1500 Range had given me, tuned out the surrounding ordered chaos and got to work reviewing the plans.

#

An hour later, I decided that I didn't particularly like any of them, but in lieu of a proper plan....

Ugh.

I sighed and rose to my hooves, crossing to the Cafe to nibble on something to eat while I thought.

Mmmm, mushy apple fritter.

After an hour of laying in the cafe, Dashie came off duty and joined me, crunching on a box of Sugar Apple Bombs. "Review these, would you?" I passed him the M1500 with the plans. "I don't understand how you can eat that crap." He stared at me blankly, and I looked to his box.

"I'd think that after several years of eating nothing but apple-based foods, you'd be interested in something else." He poured another mouthful and pointedly went back to the M1500, browsing through the plans as he crunched on his cereal.

Finally, he looked up to me and swallowed his mouthful of cereal. "None of these plans are all that good, boss."

"Well, you can take that up with Colonel Range, if you feel so strongly about it."

"Yeah, I don't think so." Dashie suddenly sat up sharply. "Hey!" He turned to me. "Whatabout Enamel's caravan?"

"Pardon?" You might be onto something here.

"We could go with his caravan to Haven."

...

Bingo.

"You know, that's not a bad idea." I glanced to the offending M1500 with its plethora of shitty plans. "A lot better than heading off in the direction of Equestrian Stratcom and hoping we find something there." I stretched, rolling my head. "Right then. Dashie." He hopped to his hooves and saluted, mock all fired up. "Go get kit. Enough for four ponies for..." Dashie raised an eyebrow at 'four' as I paused, thinking. "A week. Food, supplies, etc. Anypony got any questions, direct 'em to Range." I glanced to my Pipbuck. 1503. "Meet at the briefing room at 1600. We'll head out with Enamel's caravan tonight. Questions?"

"None." Dashie trotted off briskly. "See ya in an hour."

I picked up Range's M1500, the trash we'd accrued from my laying about and headed off to Security, typing up a quick summary of my plan and headed into Range's office, knocking on the door frame.

"Hey, Colonel-" I glanced up from the M1500, noticing she had a visitor. "Sorry, am I interrupting anything?"

"No, nothing at all really." She turned to her visitor. "G'bye, Mend. It was nice talking to you. I think...."

"Maybe we'll do this again in a couple of months, Range. It's been fun." The pale blue unicorn rose to his hooves with a groan. "'Scuse me, Captain...." A Sparkle-Cola bottle followed him out, wreathed in his bluish green magic.

I glanced back at him as he left the Security station. "Dare I...?"

"No." Her voice took on an unusually cool tone. "That is not a door you want to open, Captain." On closer inspection, Range seemed more relaxed than she had been a couple of hours ago. She sighed, taking a moment to compose herself, and she almost smiled. "Tell me you have good news."

I trotted in and passed her the M1500. "I have a plan."

"That's not necessarily good news, Fi." She pulled an IF-21 magazine towards herself protectively as I settled down. "Is it a good plan?"

"No offense, Colonel, but it's better than any of the plans you had."

"Implying that tactical planning is my area of expertise, or, in fact, part of my job description." She held up a sheet of paper and screwed her face up in a look of pure astonishment. "Oh, look! It's not." She narrowed her eyes at the paper. "In fact, I believe that's your job!" She tossed the paper aside and looked to me.

"You're hilarious, Colonel. Perhaps you should retire for a position in comedy. Perhaps a transfer to the Department of Morale?"

Perhaps I should stop tempting fate.

"No, I'm an overworked, under appreciated security pony with nopony to blame but myself for it."

Oh, praise the sun.

She fell silent, focusing on the M1500. "I like it." She set the M1500 aside. "Can you make it out of the Stable in the next hour?"

"Ma'am?"

"The Council wants to approve any plan of action before it goes into effect. Unfortunately, because of red tape, that will take ages. Get your team out of the Stable in the next hour and I should be able to convince the Council that it was necessary for you to leave immediately."

"Yes, ma'am!" I turned and trotted out.

The next hour seemed to take forever and yet passed in a blur.

I had a couple of officers on duty at the XM inform Enamel that we'd be ready to leave by 1600. I tracked down a team for Enamel's caravan who would be accompanying us to Haven.

I wrote a report on the incident with the alicorns at the XM.

Chewed out Ivory Charm for showing up out of uniform for the third time this week. I showered and changed into clean underarmor barding.

Dashie, Platinum Starlight and Nimble Shine reported to the briefing room at 1600. I trotted over to the podium. "Thank you for being here. You are now part of Operation Baltimare. Operation Baltimare is the Stable's defense strategy. I'll skip the backstory, but we're leaving the Stable. The objectives are as follows. First of all is recon. We don't know anything about the Baltimare area beyond the wire, and we can't prepare against what we don't know exists." I took a sip from my flask. "The second is spreading fame. We're going to be operating outside of the Stable, as part of the wasteland as a whole, and we're going to need allies. When Stable 30 shows up, we want the wastelanders not just happy to see us, but willing to help us. We scratch their backs, they'll scratch our backs later on."

I turned, projecting a map on the wall beside me. "For this first mission, we'll be heading to Haven." I pointed, and a gear with nine cogs inside of a box appeared, representing the Stable. I then traced a path along the road by the Stable to the northeast, where a square with an icon of a house popped up. "This is the settlement of 'Haven'. We don't know a lot about it, but it's a trading town between the Stable and what used to be the city of Baltimare. We'll be going along as escort for a trading caravan. There have been reports of feral ghoul attacks on the road between the Stable and Haven. Questions?"

Platinum Starlight raised her hoof again. "Ghouls, ma'am?"

"Undead ponies, turned by incredible amounts of radiation exposure. Ferals have... well, lost their minds, I guess."

The three of them shared looks.

"Yeah, I know." I glanced around. "Lieutenant Dash and I will be Team One." I gestured to the two mares. "Platinum Starlight and Nimble Shine will be Team Two. Teams One and Two will proceed to Haven with the trade caravan. Team Two will stay with the caravan as escorts until the caravan returns to the Stable for market day next week."

Platinum Starlight raised her hoof again. "And where will Team One be going?"

"Good question. Team One will be sticking around Haven, performing recon on the town and the area around it. If everything goes well, we'll be able to do some things for them and make them like us." I turned to the map, pointing out another location, and a pentagon inside of a square appeared. "This is, or was, Equestrian Strategic Command Headquarters. We're also going to be checking it out to see what's there. For all we know, it's just an irradiated hole in the ground. If we're lucky, it's an untouched cache of prewar military equipment. Any more questions?" There were none. "Let's get dressed, folks." I lead the way to the armory. "Afternoon, Slate."

"Hello, Captain." He glanced past me to the three ponies following me and their grim expressions. "This isn't a routine mission."

"Nope. We're leaving the Stable." The edges of his mouth turned down into a similarly grim frown. "We need kit for a week's excursion, not that I expect it to last a week. Weapons, ammo, excursion kit."

"So your petitions finally worked. Congrats." He nodded and turned, browsing through the racks, levitating out weapons, ammo and equipment for everyone while they dressed. Battle saddles for Dashie and Platinum, pistols for everypony. Knives, flares, a coil of rope. Mirrors for everypony, a couple of tools and a shovel for the carriers. Quad power hooves for Dashie.

I checked the time on my Pipbuck. 1620. "Kit check, kit check. Comm checks. Everyone ready?" The three ponies facing me confirmed they were ready. "Let's move." I turned and trotted out of Security, pinging Range. "Colonel? We're leaving now."

"Good. Stay safe out there, Firefly." Range sounded happy. I couldn't blame her. I was a bit giddy myself.

Months of petitioning and borderline begging with the Council for this mission.

It was finally fuckin' happening!

Author's Note

Traits:
Healing Potion Connoisseur
In spite of your hypocritical "all drugs are bad" stance, you maintain a small addiction to healing potions. You could totally quit whenever you want, but you're not ready to, yet. You gain a 20% bonus to your natural healing rate, but when you down an entire potion in one go, its restorative effects and duration are reduced by 20%. Your state of being constantly fit and healthy provides a charisma bonus to ponies who find you attractive. As a side effect of your constant healthiness, you are more tired, and withdrawal... is unpleasant.

Efficient Spellcasting
You are innately skilled at optimizing your spellwork, but in return, learning new spells is draining for you and learning more complex spells is difficult. After a dozen casts, your spells require less effort and come more easily, but the first dozen are draining and complicated. As an additional complication, learning advanced spells such as teleporting or shield barriers is nearly impossible and even after learning, your optimization is limited.

Precision Telekinesis
Your telekinesis is capable of incredible precision, allowing you to pick locks without tools and interact with things, such as firearms, from a distance. As a side effect, your ability to lift heavy things is highly limited, and levitating yourself? Not a chance in hell. However, as an aside - you need to understand what it is you're interacting with to be able to interact with it.

Welcome to the first chapter of Fallout Equestria: Stable Scout, thank you for reading. The theme is a more... military atmosphere rather than "vigilante ragtag band of misfits" like many other stories.

KylerAdams - for most of the writing, etc.
CrimsonVixen - for coming up with most of the basic concepts for the roleplay I adapted into FOE:SS
TK "Gigantic Dickasaurus Rex" Knorr - Editing, ideas. Moral support?
Most of the Sulura group, Anailaigh, my NaNo group - misc spitballing, editing, suggestions, etc. Moral support? Sure.
The Amazing Fo:E Writers group - for being pure awesome and writing incredible fics.
Brandon - ALL THE PUNS. Well not all of them.

Neigh Anything: Part 2 - ALL of the 80s songs I will reference in the coming chapters and MORE. Also for being an AWESOMELY hilarious comic.
Dire Straits - writing awesome music, including (in this case, particularly) "Money for Nothing".

e: completely rewritten on 01.31.16, because the original draft was horrifying.
e: rehosted the logo on 02.14.16
e: minor fixes on 03.02.16
e: minor reworks on 09.05.16

Chapter 02 - Outside the Wire

Fallout Equestria: Stable Scout
Chapter 02
Outside the Wire

Captain Firefly

The four of us proceeded to the Exterior Marketplace from the Atrium, meeting up with Enamel at his trading station. Dashie had his shotgun in a battle saddle mount. His backup weapon was an IF-21 10mm pistol, holstered on his chest. An axe and a shovel lay slung between his right flank and his saddlebags.

"Well shit, Firefly. I wasn't expecting you to personally escort me to Haven!" Enamel was surprised to see me while waiting for his caravan to leave.

"I'm afraid I have an ulterior motive, Enamel." Dashie clicked over to me on his power hooves.

"Of course you do, Stable." He smiled at me slyly. "Nopony ever does anything for free in the wasteland." Ouch.

"We're coming along to Haven. If you don't mind..."

His smile grew. "You're asking me if I'd like to have two Stable Security ponies to come along."

I nodded, and was shocked as he suddenly lunged at me, wrapped his fore hooves around my neck and... kissed me, stepping back with a bright grin. Um. While I dealt with just how to respond to that, I saw Dashie take a step back from Enamel and politely requesting he didn't kiss him, ears folded back. Fuck. Enamel grinned at him and burst out laughing. Think unsexy thoughts, Firefly. After a minute I recovered enough to speak and introduced our companions. "Well... actually, there's four of us." I stepped aside, glancing to Team Two standing behind us and introducing them. "Nimble Shine, Platinum Starlight, this is Broken Enamel, leader of the caravan." I glanced to the two mares standing behind us.

"Leader, founder, manager, barterer. I basically do everything here! Except haulin' and guardin' the cart, of course. That's what I pay these folks for." He gestured towards his ponies, then grinned and bowed grandly to the two mares.

Platinum Starlight gave Enamel a friendly smile and bowed politely, speaking in her quiet but clear voice, her tone tinged with respectful jest. "Please don't kiss me, sir." She was a silvery, almost fragile-looking earth pony with a cropped pale lavender mane she kept tied back with a bandanna, dressed in light Stable barding and a boonie cap, with a light marksman rifle in a battle saddle resting along her left flank. On her right side, to balance the weight, were her saddlebags. A pair of sunglasses sat on her muzzle over her eyes. Her backup weapon, an IF-21 pistol, sat holstered on her chest alongside a pair of binoculars. A complex-looking rig mounted a scope for her rifle within her eye sight, currently folded to the side for transport.

Her partner, Nimble Shine, was almost her exact opposite; a short, stout unicorn mare with a peachy yellow coat and a pretty, twin hued blue mane that her horn emerged from, a single dark lock curled around the other side. She always had a nervous, dour expression on her face, the edges of her mouth curled down, her dark purple eyes slightly squinted. She, too, wore unarmored Stable barding and a boonie cap, with an IF-21 pistol holstered on her chest; a pair of binoculars hung beside her IF-21. She spent a long moment studying the caravaner with a standoffish look, before softening into an expression that somepony, in an accidental fit of optimism, mistake for a smile and she spoke. "Pleasure." She had a cool, clipped voice that stated what she felt needed to be said and little else.

"Au contraire, mon jument, le plaisir est pour moi!" Enamel leaned forwards and and grabbed her hoof, pulling up to kiss it. Somehow, Nimble managed to avoid falling over and she scrambled back with a displeased look. "In my defense, you didn't ask me to not kiss you."

Nimble took another pace back, glaring at him - I had an unfortunate feeling she was considering shooting him - before she burst out laughing. ... Unexpected. "That's true!" She fell back on her haunches, still laughing.

I gave her a minute, before loudly clearing my throat and turning to Enamel. "So, is your caravan ready, Enamel?" In the background I watched Dashie and Plat helping the still giggling Nimble to her hooves.

"Aye, that we are." He nodded and turned to his caravan, yelling. "Off we go!" He trotted off towards them. "Lucky us, folks, we got some pretty Stable mares to protect us!"

Dashie groaned. "Boss, I protest. I'm not a pretty Stable mare." I grinned at his deadpan tone.

"You're a clever colt, Dashie." I bumped his shoulder with my flank as I stepped past him after the caravan. In the background of the caravan setting off, I heard Nimble and Plat discussing Enamel knowing how to speak Fancee.

#

Stable 30 had been built under a rest stop on the road between Baltimare and Dodge Junction. When the Stable had opened, the rest stop had been repurposed, cleaned up and fortified to act as a gatehouse for the Stable and turned into the Exterior Marketplace. It was a large, U-shaped building, which a series of tarps had been pulled across the center to keep the rain out of the marketplace. Most of the area was paved over so that even while pouring rain, as the Baltimare area was notorious for, it was still very easy to cross. The paved area had, at some point, been partially fenced in with rusty barbed wire. I doubted its ability to stop anything larger than, say, a dirt-bound bloatsprite, but it served as a very visual sign of where the Stable ended and the wasteland began.

I'd never actually been outside of the Stable grounds. I'd been to the surface plenty of times in the past two years, but... beyond the wire... Wow. It was a bit of a thrill to leave for once.

Today had been, comparatively, nice. It was only somewhat gloomy and only a few showers in the morning. It had actually stopped raining pretty much all day, though by the look of things, it was going to make up for it with a hell of a storm in a couple of hours, if we were lucky.

As the caravan moved out, the Stable group took escort position, Team One on the left side, Team Two on the right.

Enamel slowed to let Dashie and I come alongside. "Looks like it's gonna rain."

I glanced up to the sky, ignoring the faint wave of nausea that swept over me at the grey blandness above me. "Yeah..." I quickly glanced back down to the wonderful, muddy ground below me.

Dashie glanced around. "Is that a bad thing? I mean, besides getting wet?"

One of the caravaners, a light reddish brown earth pony with a brownish purple and orange mane, let out a derisive snort. "Wow, you Stable folks sure are stupid. You don't know that the rain is radioactive?" He rolled his eyes. "What next, y'all will learn how feral ghouls ain't friendly?" He snickered. "Or gettin' shot hurts?"

Twitch. You asshole. I glanced to Dashie, and he opened his mouth to respond, but Enamel got there first. "First rule of wasteland survival, Caramel, don't insult ponies better armed than you." Caramel looked around with a volatile look. "It's like you're fresh from a Stable or somethin'. Don't you have somewhere better to be?" Caramel's ears folded back and he responded with a sullen negative. "Well find somewhere else!" He hurried off, glaring at us. "Sorry about that. He's... kind of an idiot?" He shrugged for lack of a better word, then continued. "If we hurry, we should be able to make it to Haven before it starts pouring." I nodded in agreement. He cantered forward, yelling. "Pick it up, colts! Rain's comin', double time it if ya hate radaway! We're three hours from Haven; lets see if we can make it in two!"

Oh Celestia I hate moving quickly. The rest of the caravan apparently hated rain more and moved faster. Rain started coming down, just sprinkling for now, and my Pipbuck's Geiger counter started gently ticking in response. Wonderful. A couple traders atop the caravan opened awnings to give the escorts some protection from the rain. I brought up the radio to listen to something, only to be greeted by what is possibly the sexiest voice I have ever had the fortune to hear.

"Hello, good colts and mares. I'm Moonstone Mustang, Lunar's magic technician, and you are listening to Tech Talk!" He paused. Oh Celestia he sounds hawt. "You may have noticed that it is raining outside, and you may be filled with a wondrous desire to go running around in the rain." He spoke in a fancy-sounding Trottingham accent. Delicious. "THIS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA. Those of you with a Pipbuck will probably hear it ticking; this is called a Geiger counter, and it tells you how frightfully hard the world around you is trying to kill you. If it is ticking quite loudly, the world is trying really hard to kill you, so you should go somewhere where it is not ticking, or, more likely, simply ticking less. This is Baltimare, so if you find somewhere your Pipbuck is not ticking, DO NOT FORGET WHERE IT IS. Of course, none of this is of any use if you do not have a Pipbuck yourself, so... as always, gentlefolks - use your loaf!" ...I have no clue what that means. I wonder what drug he's addicte- no, no, actually I don't want to know. Every time I learn about a new drug I regret it. "Back to Lunar!" With that, Lunar Note resumed her monologue as Dashie and one of the merchant ponies started handing out Rad-X. I glanced at the pouch with a sound of disgust, but uncapped it with my magic and leaned back to drink it.

"EEELLLLO BALTIMARE. IT'S MEEEEEEEEE, LUNAR!" She snickered at something. "Nothin' more to report, honestly, ponies. Sooo, since I'm in a Constables kick, it's time for a song about what to do when the world is runnin' down." Not bad, Lunar.

#

About an hour after we started moving faster, we came across a road that curved away to the north out of sight. A faded stone sign proclaimed that it lead to "Equestrian Strategic Command". Interesting. I hurried to catch up to Enamel and pointed the sign out. "Where's that?"

LOCATION FOUND: EQUESTRIAN STRATEGIC COMMAND

"Equestrian Strategic Command," he responded flatly. At my look, he elaborated. "Front door to Deathcon." Well, probably a safe bet to say ESC no longer exists. "Buncha beam turrets, still active two hundred years later. Prewar ponies sure had some good engineering. Probably earth pony made." I ignored his 'earth ponies are best' jab. Besides, if earth ponies were best, they'd be able to cast spells.

"Deathcon?" I waved Dashie into the conversation and he cantered over beside us, slowing to a trot alongside us.

"Deathcon Crater. Used to be some big 'ole Equestrian missile base, or something, before it became a radioactive crater. Two of 'em, from what I've heard. It's pretty badly irradiated, in case you were curious."

Dashie rolled his eyes. "Implying there's anywhere in this place that isn't irradiated."

Right. "Soo..." I turned back to Enamel. "You mentioned ferals attacking you on the trip to the Stable? Whereabouts?"

Enamel narrowed his eyes, glancing off in the direction of Deathcon. "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

"Ghouls from Deathcon?" Enamel nodded. "Yar." I snickered.

Dashie spoke up. "That might be worth checking out, boss."

I looked to Dashie, considering for a moment as we trotted. "Alright. We'll make a stopover at Haven, spend the night there, then head to Deathcon tomorrow." Enamel gave me a concerned look. "Team Two stays with you until the next time you get to the Stable." He nodded in satisfaction.

#

The rest of the walk to Haven was uninteresting and involved an awful lot of trotting. My Pipbuck ticking annoyingly as the rain continued to sprinkle. I wondered if there was a way to lower its sensitivity so it doesn't go haywire when it starts sprinkling. I need to talk to the Pipbuck maintenance crew when I get back to the Stable. Dashie broke me out of my distracted thinking. "Hey boss, you hear that?" I shut up and listened to the sounds around me - I thought I heard infrequent cracks in the distance.

"Gunfire?" Dashie nodded in confirmation, and I switched to the squad frequency. "Team Two, go scout ahead." The two mares clicked their comms in reply and cantered forward, reaching the top of the hill and disappearing out of sight.

"So that's Haven."

"Not much to look at." I couldn't tell who said what, but the sporadic crack of gunfire continued.

"Cut the chatter, mares. Gimme a sitrep."

"Oh, right, sorry." Oh right, my flank! "Haven's being attacked by a bunch of ghouls."

That's not good. "Are they inside?"

"No ma'am, it appears the walls have held." I heard another crack, much closer. They opened fire without permission? We'll discuss this later. "Got one!"

"That's a hit. Uhh, that one's still moving, Plat."

"Oh, crap!" Another crack followed her curse.

"How many?"

"Uhh, looks like," Nimble fell silent, "about a dozen."

"Copy," I tuned them out and left them to their own devices as I waved the old trader over. "Enamel!" He came over to me. "There are ghouls attacking Haven. Stop the caravan at the last hill and bunker down while we clear them out." He nodded and cantered off, shouting orders to his crew. Best let the professionals deal with fighting. "Dashie, on me." I set off at a trot up the hill towards Team Two.

Dashie snickered. "Time to earn our hazard pay, eh, boss?"

I rolled my eyes as he mucked along behind me on his power hooves. "This whole expedition is hazard pay, Dashie."

LOCATION FOUND: HAVEN

We crested the hill beside Team Two as they did their work. On actually seeing Haven, I had to agree with Team Two; it wasn't much to look at. It looked like it had been a rest stop like the one S30 was buried under that had been fortified surprisingly well. There were a bunch of ramshackle structures built surrounding the prewar buildings, and tarps... Celestia, there were tarps everywhere. It may well be tent-and-tarp city. Despite the improvised, cobbled together appearance, apparently the walls had been built soundly and still held. A dozen ghouls lay splattered around the walls, and another dozen remained active, trying to get inside the town. One of the ghouls head exploded and the rest of it fell to the ground. I heard Team Two cheering. That brought it down to eleven.

"Hey boss, contact, range about three-twenty to the northwest." Dashie nudged my flank with his shoulder and gestured. I brought my binoculars up and zoomed in on what he was pointing at, finally seeing a pair of suits of power armor standing off on another hill.

"Steel Rangers?" A closer look revealed they were not. Or rather, not any longer. Their armor was in poor condition, and several gaps had remained unrepaired. One of them had a rotary cannon on its flank. The faceplate had torn away, revealing torn flesh and cracked bone. "Not anymore. Poor bastards." Considering they weren't actually fighting, I ignored them for the moment and turned back to the fighting at hoof. One thing at a time, Firefly. "Keep me informed if anything changes, Dashie." He nodded to me.

While I'd been watching the Ghoul Rangers, another ghoul had fallen, bringing the odds only down to just over two-to-one, still in their favor. Fortunately, we had guns and they did not. Unfortunately, they'd realized that there was potential food outside of Haven's walls and were now stumbling in our direction uncomfortably quickly. Crap. Another fell during the rush, but I was unsure if it'd actually been hit, or simply tripped over its own hooves. Haven's defenders had picked up shooting as the mob of undead turned to come at us, downing another.

"Hey boss, those Rangers have noticed us." Shit. I turned to face them, seeing one of them spinning up the rotary cannon on its side.

"Get down!" Everyone ducked and moved, and after a moment of being not shot a whole lot, I rose and looked back to the ghoul, seeing the cannon still spinning and not firing. Uhh... After a moment it cycled through my mind. "They're empty! Ha ha! Okay folks, back to ghoul slaying." Unfortunately, while we'd been ducking, we hadn't been shooting and the ghouls were almost on us. And that's when the other Ranger had remembered it had rockets and one spiraled past us, sending a wave of heat and shrapnel against our armored flanks. Oh, fuck! "Team Two, turn to the northwest and deal with those ghouls now." The two mares clicked their comms in response. "Team One will cover you."

Dashie chipped in as we moved and drew our weapons to deal with the approaching ghouls. "So much for empty, huh, boss?" Can it Dashie. "Here they come!" While we'd been ducking, Haven's defenders had managed to down another two, bringing it down to six ghouls against two troops. Keep your fuckin' distance and nopony gets hurt.

Of course they wanted to get up close & personal. Our fire downed two of them, bringing it down to four ghouls. ...and then they were way too close. Shit! The back of my mind processed someone from Team Two shrieking something but I pushed it aside for the moment.

I stuffed my baton into the first's mouth to redirect its lunge as I entered SATS - Stable-Tec Arcane Targeting Spell - and time slowed to a crawl. SATS allowed me to analyze the situation and fire shots with pinpoint accuracy.

Three of the ghouls came for me, seemingly in slow motion, but I knew they were galloping at me as fast as their rotting hooves could carry them. I levitated over one of my IF-21s and pressed the muzzle against the forehead of the nearest ghoul, sending a 10mm slug through its skull, brain, brain stem and exiting somewhere under its ribcage in a spray of gore. The ghoul collapsed to the muddy ground. Ha ha! The falling body overpowered my magic grip on my baton and taking my baton with it. Fuck.

I let it have it for the moment, as SATS ran out and the second ghoul rushed at me. Shit! I continued backtrotting and firing shots into it. Without SATS, I wasn't as accurate. Dumping both mags eventually downed it and it collapsed at my hooves. Woo! I fired my last round through the forehead, making sure it wasn't going to get up. Two down. Two to go?

While I'd been busy with my attackers, Dashie had dealt with one of them himself and was currently cartwheeling through the air, chased by ghoul number four. I dropped the dry magazines from my guns, tucking them away as I swapped two fresh ones into them. I circled to keep Dashie out of my line of fire as I resumed shooting.

While none of my shots were enough to kill it, one of then snagged one of its fetlocks and it tumbled to the ground next to Dashie as he landed, rolling a few times. Dashie hopped to his hooves and jumped on the last ghoul while I was reloading. The ghoul exploded, sending Dashie cartwheeling through the air again with a squeal of laughter. Damn it Dashie.

Holy shit! I yelped as ghoul gore flew everywhere, deflecting most of it from me with a wave of telekinetic energy. "Report!"

Team Two responded after a moment. "All clear..." Debatable. I turned to face Dashie as he landed on the ground nearby and tumbled.

"Dashie, you okay?" He responded with a muffled groan as I retrieved my baton, wiping it on the uniform of the ghoul that had taken it.

"Yeah, I'm great!" He laughed as he nimbly rolled to his hooves. How does he do that. "Think I might need a shower."

"Yeah, you might... go get the merchants." He clicked his comm in response, grinning widely, and trotted off in the direction of the caravan. I turned to Team Two. "You yelled as the ghouls approached us. What happened?"

Plat spoke up, moving from side to side in a frenzy. "One of the ghouls, uh, exploded. Like, boom! I didn't even get to shoot it!" Her normally calm voice was hurried and frantic.

"Deep breaths, Plat. And stop pacing, you're making me sick..." I glanced away, closing my eyes. I thought a quiet praise to the hidden sun as the sound of her hooves mucking about in the mud stopped.

Nimble spoke up. "It was the ghoul with the rocket launcher. I believe a rocket malfunctioned in the launcher." The sound of the caravan approaching stopped our conversation, and I noticed a unicorn mare talking with Dashie as they approached, wiping his armor off with a cloth. I waved Dashie over, and she gave me a look of pure dislike.

I wondered what her problem was, before remembering I didn't really have time for that as Enamel wandered over, carefully navigating around unidentifiable ghoul bits.

"Wow!" Enamel grinned to me, pushing half a skull into the ground. "Looks like that was a hell of a fight."

I gestured towards Team Two. "Team Two and Haven's defenders did most of the work." Nimble and Plat looked to me curiously, which I ignored as I turned to them. "Team Two, escort the caravan directly to Haven." I turned and pointed off where the Ghoul Rangers had been. "Team One's going to check out that suit of power armor." They nodded and headed for the caravan as I turned to Dashie. "Dashie, on me." Dashie trotted over to me, ignoring (or perhaps not noticing) the look the unicorn mare gave him.

"Where to, boss?" Did I fucking stutter?

"We're gonna check out that armor." I gestured over towards where the ghouls had been, one of them still standing, and set off for them, Dashie loping in my wake. "How are you feeling, Dashie?"

"Excited." He brightly grinned at me, and I tossed him a level glance back. Is my partner a psychopath? At my look, he elaborated. "I've never done anything like that before. Blood is pumping through all of my everywhere in ways it never has before. I feel great!" He spoke excitedly. Oh, no.

"Being covered in ghoul gore notwithstanding."

"Well, yeah, that is a bit disgusting," he drawled. "Other than that though..." He glanced back towards Haven. "Hey, what are the chances Haven has running water?"

I glanced back in Haven's direction, then back to Dashie; as I looked to him, a yelp and a single gunshot rang out. I glanced back to the caravan. "Team Two, Team One. Report."

"Uh, all clear now. I stepped on a ghoul that... wasn't quite dead." Nimble sounded nervous.

"Copy, Team Two, out." I turned back to Dashie. "Not a chance in hell."

"Didn't think so. It'd probably be all irradiated anyways." I nodded in quiet agreement as we got to where the ghouls were. Or, had been, in the case of one of them. "Poor bastards." Dashie prodded one of the boots, which was the only signs a suit of power armor had been there. "Could you imagine, just slowly dying of radiation poisoning, and then, just when you think it's over, you don't die, and you just keep living on, in a state of not quite technically dead, until you finally lose your sanity?"

"I'd rather not, Lieutenant." I'm not sure if it was my sharp tone or my short words, but he stopped talking. I circle around the power armor to the front, studying the kill shot. A nice shot through its right eye in a gap of missing armor. "Good thing there was a hole in its faceplate, or we might not have been able to stop it."

I stepped beside it, interfacing with the computer and copying all the data over to my Pipbuck. Fortunately, the computer software was basically identical to the Pipbuck software, so the Security data override worked. My Pipbuck ticked gently and reminded me how much everything in the wasteland was trying to kill me.

A memory orb was ejected from the side, and I leaned down to look at it, carefully not touching it. “Hey, Dashie. Do me a favor, pick this up and put it in my saddlebags.”

"Oh neat, I wonder what's in it." Dashie neatly tucked it into one of my saddlebags.

"Probably the death of the operator or something equally gruesome." I grumbled.

"Aw, yeah, sounds fun, huh?" Sure. I shook my head and Dashie changed the topic. "I dunno, boss, we mighta been able to cherry tap it with spalling?" He didn't sound too hopeful.

I shook my head. "Probably not with a ghoul inside it, though a live pony..." I decided this wasn't a matter I wanted to go into now. The ghoul that hadn't blown up was standing there in place, held up by its armor. I didn't want to think of what might happen if the operator had been removed from the armor while still undead. Likely not any worse than if they were liquefied. I circled, studying the suit. All things considered, this suit still looked functional. "I wonder if the repair talisman is still working..." I glanced around and levitated one of the boots that remained from the other ghoul, feeding it into the resupply port. With a faint glow, the faceplate and several other spots started to repair themselves slowly. I laughed, prancing in place. "Haha, it still works. It still works!" I grinned to Dashie, leaning down and resting my horn against the flank, eyes closed, letting my magic study the suit. My Pipbuck ticked gently and reminded me how much everything in the irradiated hellhole was trying to kill me.

"You're prancing." Dashie facehooved. "Thats great, boss. Do you know how to use it?" I shook my head. "Of course not. It's glowing... are you going to pick it up and bring it back to the Stable?" I shook my head again. "Pick it up and throw it a klick in the air?"

Aha, ahaha. "No. That would be pretty cool though, wouldn't it?"

"Hornheads." He shook his head. "Sure thing. What are you doing, then, if a simple minded earth pony such as myself might inquire?" I felt Dashie step past me and heard him bite into something.

"Careful, Dashie, you might injure your simple mind if you use too many syllables in a single sentence." I let him consider that for a moment before answering his question. "I'm analyzing the suit so that if we run into more armored ghouls I can disable it from a distance, or at least mess with it." Dashie let out a muffled sound. "Or some uppity Steel Rangers, yes." I opened my eyes and looked up to see him with his teeth clenched around the bit on the rotary cannon attached to the suit's flank. "It's not coming off like that." He grunted in response. "There's something holding it in place, Dashie." He let go of it, and I smirked, closing my eyes and resting my horn against the flank again, following the bar that held it in place to a lever, switching the lever and letting the rotary cannon smoothly slip out; I levitated it and used my magic to cycle it. "Unsurprisingly, it still works." I stopped spinning it and let its mass spin itself back to idle.

"Blegh, irradiated metal." Dashie dug out his canteen and sipped from it, swirling the water around in his mouth before swallowing it. "What was I thinking?"

"You're the one that bit a suit of power armor with an irradiated ghoul inside it." I know, my incredible ability to state the obvious is why some of my troops gave me the nickname Captain Obvious, which they (somewhat cleverly) only used when they thought I wasn't listening.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Still, gross." Dashie glanced to me. "See? That's definitely proof of the unicorn revolution, makin' guns that only unicorns can service."

I sighed. "First of all, Dashie, power armor suits were primarily Wartime Technology designs, not Arcane Sciences. Second of all... the operator can also trigger the button. Thirdly, there are no helmets designed for unicorns, so its not like unicorns can use them." Dashie smirked at me. "What kind of an idiot would design armor that can't be used by some of the best ponies if those very ponies were planning to overthrow the rest of them?"

Dashie shrugged and glanced around us indifferently. "Probably the same folks that lead to this." By 'this', of course, he meant the wasteland in general.

"... Touche." I glanced to the sky and saw the sun was going down. "Time to head back to Haven." I glanced to the rotary cannon. We may as well take it with us. I levitated it beside me, muzzle pointed towards the ground below us.

"Aye, boss." He nodded and we trotted back towards Haven. As we got there, a voice hailed us from the top of the walls.

"That's far enough, you ponies!" I looked up and saw a unicorn mare levitating a lever rifle in our direction. At this range and in this light, I doubted she could hit us, but getting shot at by the guards is really not a good way to get into the town.

"We're part of the escort team from that last caravan, can we come in please?"

The mare's loud, sharp voice suggested she'd probably gone a few too many hours awake with too few hours asleep in the past few days. "Ha, a likely story!"

"Oh shut up, Frosty, and let them in." A colt's voice came out from atop the walls, out of sight.

Finally the sun disappeared behind the walls and I could see what the unicorn mare looked like. She had a cool blue palette with a lavender streak in her mane, with a paranoid expression as she paced from side to side, her lavender magic holding the lever rifle in our general direction. She was dressed in poorly maintained blue barding that I judged was supposed to be armor but I guessed anything larger than 10mm would penetrate easily. A pair of flight goggles sat over her eyes below her horn, which glowed with a lavender aura that matched the streak in her mane and the aura surrounding the lever rifle.

"They could be raiders!" I glanced to Dashie and I, wearing identical armored Stable barding, then glanced up to her with a mildly confused look. What an idiot. Dashie's look implied he was thinking the same thing I was. "And the unicorn has a minigun!" I rolled my eyes. It's a. ROTARY. CANNON. You idiot.

I sighed and called up to her. "Go find a trader named Broken Enamel. He'll know Captain Firefly and Lieutenant Rapid Dash." I glanced around for a spot free of ghoul bits and settled down, slowly setting the rotary cannon beside me.

The mare looked at us for a long moment, before slowly backing away. "You stay right there. You stay right the fuck there!" She yelled at us as she backed off. I rolled my eyes and glanced to Dashie, who was busy looting the bits of ghouls.

"Dashie, you've got sticky hooves, you know that?" He simply snickered. The rain picked up, bigger drops coming down more frequently. Wonderful. The gate suddenly and loudly lurched to life, slowly grinding open, far too soon for Ms. Paranoia to have talked to Enamel and returned. I stayed where I was, expecting a bunch of Haven's defense force to rush us, which is what I would have done in that situation after opening the gate. Of course, I wouldn't have even opened the gate until someone had confirmed my story.

Surprisingly instead, the colt from before waved us in. "C'mon in before Frost gets back." He leaned over the railing and yelled down to us. "She means well but she's sort of an idiot." Unprofessional. "Plus it's aloooot of fun to wind her up!" He grinned. Very unprofessional. "Thanks for helping us, by the way! I was on the south wall when y'all showed up, saw the whole thing."

"It was nothing." I rose to my hooves and headed towards the gate.

"Nothing? HA. I dunno about where you Stable folks come from, but helping other ponies in the wasteland is almost unheard of." I glanced to Dashie, who was already going through the gate.

I nodded. "You're welcome." I smiled to him and headed inside, before realizing I had no clue where we were going and calling back to the colt on the wall. "Hey, do you know where our caravan went to?"

He glanced back to us and leaned on the railing. "'Fraid not, Security." A mild thrill went up my spine as he called me Security, even though I knew he didn't mean it that way. "Check on the north east half of town past the main square, that's where most of the caravans end up." I nodded and set off to the north east. As we headed out of sight of the gate, I heard a mare shrieking furiously. Oops.

On one hoof, I did have to agree with her. Letting a strange pony in around another guard's back is really unprofessional, not to mention talking about them behind their back to complete strangers. On the other hoof? I think I could use that incompetency to everypony's advantage, especially Stable 30's.

"You know..." I smirked at Dashie. "All things considered, I've had worse entrances." All Dashie had to say in response was a disbelieving grunt. How he can communicate so well with just grunts amazes me. Must be some lesser understood form of earth pony magic.

Author's Note

And thus we get an insight into Firefly's mind as she defines her combat style as considerably less... enthusiastic... than Blackjack's "sword in one hoof, shotgun in another, bottle of whiskey in another!"

*"On the contrary, my mare, the pleasure is all mine!"

Revised on 01.31.16

Chapter 03 - The Village

Fallout Equestria: Stable Scout
Chapter 03
The Village

Captain Firefly

Team Two guided us to where the caravan had set up for the night. One of the group unicorns was setting up a fire for us to huddle around. An earth pony rolled out a keg of something, to great cheering from the traders.

Ah, alcohol, it appears.

"Hey, Security, we're still on duty." Dashie and Platinum glanced to me, and I elaborated. "No drinking." Dashie gave me a frown.

Dashie likes to drink? Who knew.

Next to Dashie was the unicorn mare, levitating two cups beside her as she waited for them to get filled; she was a light orange with a pale blue and green mane and yellow eyes. If I were into mares I might say she was 'pretty', but like everyone out here, she could definitely benefit from a shower. I set the rotary cannon down by the Stable team's equipment.

I glanced around the crowd, noticing that Nimble wasn't among the group of caravaners. "Where'd Nimble get to?" Dashie shrugged. I switched to the squad frequency. "Nimble, where are you?"

...

"Okay. Dashie and I will go find her. Plat," I pointed to her, "will stay here in case Nimble returns to the caravan." I glanced to Dashie. "Dashie, on me."

Plat glanced around nervously. "Yes ma'am." Dashie grunted as I plugged Nimble's Pipbuck tag in and we set off.

"I wonder what's going on."

I shrugged. "Perhaps you should be Captain Obvious, Dashie." He tossed me an obnoxious smirk. "I have no idea, but I'm going to find out and give her a stern talking to."

"I almost feel sorry for the poor mare, considering the tongue lashing you're going to give her."

I ignored the subtle dig at my preference for the opposite sex and sighed quietly. "Assuming one of the locals didn't attack her and is currently raping her slowly cooling corpse."

Dashie paused mid-step in shock. "Wow, boss, you're actually kind of evil sometimes." He gave me a strange look.

"Keep moving." I smirked at him. "I don't believe that's what's going on. If she was dead we'd have gotten an alert on our Pipbucks."

Dashie rolled his eyes. "Yeah... you always find the most comforting of reasons."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "And that's why I'm the boss."

"The fact I don't want to be probably helps."

"There might be something to that." I shrugged as Nimble finally responded on the comms.

"I, I, uh, I'm here..." She's blathering on. I wonder.

"What happened?" I inquired coolly.

"Uh, nothing happened. I just... went off to, y'know, be on my own for a little while." She chuckled nervously.

I frowned. "Stay where you are. We're coming to you."

"No, no, that's not needed-."

"That is an order. Stop talking."

"Yes ma'am, shutting up, ma'am..." I cleared my throat loudly and she stopped speaking mid word.

After a moment, Dashie and I made it to her location, a darkened corner underneath a tarp and some crates. Some snide part of my mind wondered how she'd managed to crawl inside, because Nimble was not exactly a little filly.

"Explain yourself."

"I, I... uh..." I continued to look at her, letting her blather on. "Hold on." She growled and I realized she was chewing on something; she hurriedly swallowed. "I was eating, okay!? When I get stressed out, I eat. It's what I do, and it's why I'm so fuckin' fat! Is that what you wanted to know?"

I frowned. "You forgot to tell us." She winced, nodding slowly. "Don't do that." I glanced back towards the camp, speaking softly to her. "Remember when we were foals and we went on field trips and had a buddy system?" She nodded again. "That applies doubly out here. Your partner is supposed to know where you are at all times." My voice hardened again. "Do not disappear like that again, ever. Is that clear?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes ma'am." Judging her suitably disciplined, I turned, leading the group back to the campsite.

#

After I gave Nimble and Platinum a few minutes to calm each other, I called the group together for a debriefing. "Kay, debriefing time." Debriefings basically consist of the group talking about the skirmish we'd just gone through, logging what happened for later review should the need ever arise and generally decompressing. A few wastelanders had looked interested in that, including the unicorn mare who had done her level best to spend every minute with Dashie after we made it to Haven. I spent a moment before considering, "I don't see why you couldn't watch."

All in all, about a dozen wastelanders joined us, most holding or levitating cups or mugs of alcohol, for our debriefing session as we settled down in a relatively dry place under a couple of tarps, a small lantern in the middle of the group.

I turned on my Pipbuck's recording device. "Stable Thirty, reconnaissance log, Day One and after-action report for skirmish at Haven. Captain Firefly leading, Security officers Rapid Dash, Nimble Shine and Platinum Starlight participating. Members of Haven, Broken Enamel's Trading and other trade caravans observing." After a short pause, I continued. "Begin." I turned to Team Two. "Tell me what you saw when you first saw Haven."

The two shared a look before Platinum spoke up, speaking in her clear, quiet voice. "Haven was... being attacked by a bunch of zombies."

"Zombies?" I was aware of what she meant, but later reviewers might not. "Ghouls?"

She nodded, then realized that nodding wasn't visible on audio recordings. "Yes. A bunch of feral ghouls, perhaps a dozen."

Nimble poked in quietly. "Twelve moving around, another twelve or so incapacitated."

"Right. What happened next?"

Platinum smirked a little. "Well, we shot one."

"You opened fire? Without permission?" I pointed out gently.

Nimble and Platinum shared a look. "Uh, oops."

"And it won't happen again?"

"Yes ma'am." The two of them said together.

"Good mares. What happened next?"

"Well.. we shot the ghoul again and it stopped moving. You two came over the hill."

"You two?" Dashie and I, of course, but later reviewers. "Dashie and Firefly?"

"Yeah. Then the ghouls turned and came at us."

"I suspect you shootin' at 'em had somethin' to do with it." Dashie dryly drawled with a smirk. "Haven's defenders opened fire as they turned to face us, killed a few of em. Then I noticed the feral Rangers." I noticed the unicorn mare from earlier was laying down next to Dashie.

"Rangers?"

"Steel Rangers, Brotherhoof of Steel, whatever. Zombies in power armor." He shrugged. "You know. The ones you thought that were out of ammo, that actually weren't?"

"Riiiight..." Platinum chipped in with a sly look. "Yeah, you know, the ones that shot a rocket at us?" Some of the wastelanders around us chuckled, and I flushed slightly. The unicorn next to Dashie nuzzled him, grinning.

"Can it, you two." I let a hint of snap into my voice, before I closed my eyes for a moment, taking a slow breath, before opening my eyes, calm now. "Okay... I told Team Two to deal with them, and... one of them exploded?"

Nimble nodded. "Yes." After a moment of silence, she elaborated. "I believe a rocket malfunctioned in the launcher."

Platinum pouted. "I didn't even get to shoot it. Then I shot the other one through a gap in his helmet..." She trailed off, her eyes focusing on the wall behind me and her ears folding back. I suspected she just realized she was talking about shooting somepony.

"Platinum?" Nimble leaned over to nuzzle her.

"I shot somepony in the face! And here I am, just casually chatting about it like, 'oh, hey, I just drank a Sparkle-cola'! The fuck is wrong with me?" She buried her face in her hooves and groaned loudly.

I spent a long moment pondering, before replying quietly. "They weren't a pony any longer. They died ages ago. You simply ended their suffering."

"Think of it as a mercy kill," a brown buck with a big ten gallon hat chipped in. "It's what keeps me sane," he mumbled, looking to the ground.

"Okay..." Platinum considered for a long moment, before shaking her head. "So.. what about raiders? Or other ponies?"

An awkward silence followed her question.

A younger buck behind me coughed into his drink.

Nimble answered her question. "Raiders are not... ponies, either. They've forgotten what it means to be a pony, if they ever knew at all. It's you or them, and I'd hope you'd pick yourself over them?" She looked over to Platinum, and I thought I saw a bit of pleading in Nimble's eyes.

Can I trust her? I hope so.

"Moving on..." I turned to Nimble. "I heard a gunshot while Dashie and I went to check out the ghouls. What happened?"

Nimble gave me a confused look, before remembering we were logging. "I found a ghoul that wasn't... incapacitated, and I... changed that."

I nodded and looked around. Dashie spoke up. "Hey boss, while you were convincing the guards to let us in, I got a look at the ghouls."

"While you were robbing their bodies."

He stared at me, as if wondering why I'd brought that up, before nodding disinterestedly. "Yes. They were wearing tattered military uniforms, so I'm guessing they were from before the Last Day." He paused for a moment, letting everyone think about that before continuing. "So I suspect they were from Deathcon... which brings us to... why did they leave?"

"It would take a lot of radiation to turn somepony in power armor into a ghoul." I shrugged. "That's a good question." I glanced around to the wastelanders. "Anypony know anythin' about Deathcon?"

The unicorn mare laying against Dashie perked up. "I've heard rumors Deathcon use to be some big prewar facility, a command center headquarters, or somethin'." I ignored the redundancies of that. "Before it got blown up."

"Interesting." I felt a smirk cross my muzzle and I turned to her. "Do you know anything else about Deathcon?"

She shook her head. "'Fraid not." I looked around, extending the question to the rest of the traders, who all gave various negatory signs. Dang.

One of them, a dark brown earth pony colt with ice blue eyes, spoke up with a smirk. "It's pretty badly irradiated. If that wasn't obvious."

"Didn't Enamel tell you to stop making fun of ponies better armed than you, Caramel?" He shut up and scowled at me through his drink while the rest of the gathering snickered.

A moment of silence ensued, and I looked around the gathering. "Okay... any questions?"

The mare next to Dashie spoke up. "Y'all said no drinking, blah blah blah, no fun. Does that mean they can't have sex neither?" She flashed Dashie a very obvious look and brushed his armor with her tail. "Cause I have not been rutted in way too long..." The wastelanders surrounding us chuckled.

I sighed, eyes closed for a moment. "Security, you're free to do whatever you want, as long as you're sober and awake in the morning. Bedtime in..." I glanced down to my Pipbuck's clock. "One hour. Debriefing adjourned!" I shut the Pipbuck's recorder off and rose to my hooves with a groan, stretching. Around me, the crowd rose to their hooves and went back to being busy. Several colts and a couple mares dragged Team Two along back to towards the camp. The mare nibbled on Dashie's ear and tugged him away.

Unsurprisingly, nopony showed much interest in rutting me, which I was not that bothered about.

I have a military to run, after all.

I yawned and rolled my head before turning off and trotting on my own to familiarize myself with this small town, having a feeling I'll be coming back here again frequently.

Half an hour later, I ran into several merchants, drunk off their flanks.

I casually kept my distance as I passed them, but apparently they decided now was the best time to go where ever I was going.

What are they doing?

I glanced over and they attempted to play super casual and pretending they weren't at all interested in me, which meant... they were following me.

Why were they following me?

I continued my casual patrol with them obviously but casually following me, before turning and greeting them. "Hello gentleponies, what can I do for you this fine night?"

"You think you're all high and better than us, don't you?" one of them slurred. I started to deny it as he continued. "All you Stable folks, living in your nice, shiny, fancy underground shelters, free from all the shit that the wasteland is!" While the drunken trader continued his tirade, I did a mental armory check if things got physical.

Lethal force? Excessive firepower. Paperwork, lots of hard feelings. No.

Baton? I eyed an angry looking unicorn in the back.

Not particularly effective against a mob like this.

Disinterest spell? Not likely to work against a dozen drunk and angry ponies.

Stunning? ... Might work if I can scare them.

"Well? What do you have to say?" The mob stared at me. A few of them looked angry.

Oh. This is where I respond.

"The Stable is full already. What do you want us to do, leave our home so you can live in it?"

Unsurprisingly, this did not appease them and one in the background called for them to attack me.

...

I drew my IF-21s, racking the slides while keeping them from ejecting a round, and took a step back. "Keep your distance and nopony gets hurt, folks." Several of them suddenly looked much more interested in being anywhere but here as I panned the two pistols across the crowd.

"She's only one pony! Attack her!" That's why the voice sounded familiar - it was Caramel, the earth pony from earlier.

"Shut up, Caramel." Identifying him infuriated the colt and he screamed something profane and rushed at me, the crowed clearing out around him.

I hit him with a stunning spell.

Twice.

Just to be sure.

"I told you to shut up." He collapsed, sliding in the mud and landing at my hooves. I panned my weapons across the mob to convince them not to join in that pointless attack.

"Did you just kill him?" One of the merchants, a purple earth pony, yelled in shock.

I opened my mouth to respond, but a brown unicorn mare got there first. "No, she just stunned him. He's fine." She turned and stepped away from him. "Stupid colt."

I nodded. "Let's... just... move on, shall we, folks?" I tucked my pistols back into their holsters and watched as the crowd of ponies dispersed quickly, one of them carrying Caramel away.

Stupid colt, indeed. I continued my trot around the town and a unicorn colt approached me.

"Heeeey pretty mare..." He was also drunk. I wondered how he could even walk at this point.

Oh Celestia, he's hitting on me.

"You're drunk."

Is there anypony in this bloody town that's not drunk?

Hopefully not my ponies.

"Yeah, so I am, and you're hot. But in the mornin', I'll be sober and you'll still be hot."

... This colt is smooth.

I felt my cheeks heating up and facehooved to hide my blush and grin, but even that wasn't enough to hide my giggle. "You're wayyy too young for me, kiddo..." He leaned up against me, bumping against my side, though he was too short so he bumped against my legs.

"Maybe I am, or maybe you're just too ooold for me." He snickered and stuck his tongue up at me.

... why you lit-.

I blinked and realized I was getting furious at a foal, before grinning at him.

"Cute. You are one silver tongued little bastard, y'know that?" He'd passed out against my legs and was drooling a little on my armor. I sighed, still grinning, and levitated him up onto my back.

Luna's left tit, he is heavy.

I headed back for the camp, glancing to my Pipbuck's clock. Almost time for us to head to bed. I switched to the squad comms, speaking quietly to not wake the colt. "Alright folks, time for night watch. I'm coming back to the camp site, ETA five minutes. Ready up by the fire." I received three comm clicks in response.

Excellent.

I left the foal by the fire and met up with my team. Dashie's mane was messier and stickier than usual and his Stable suit was unzipped, but he was alert with the grin of a colt who'd just had a great conquest. Nimble and Platinum had removed their gear and Platinum's battle saddle, but otherwise looked the same.

"So boss, I see you made a friend? I thought you didn't like foals." Dashie flashed me his annoyingly smug smirk, eyes sparkling in amusement. He was correct. I did not, but this one was a clever speaker.

"Shush Dashie. The silver tongued little bastard tried to make a pass at me and passed out on me."

Dashie laughed. "Oh, do you make a habit of taking all the colts that pass out on you home?"

"Yes. I was actually planning to eat the little bastard, but y'all caught me before I had a chance." I deflected the question with a snide comment; Dashie's horrified look showed I'd succeeded. "Okay, night watch. Team One will take first watch, Team Two second." I glanced to Nimble and Platinum. "Get some sleep, you two."

"Yes, ma'am," Platinum responded. Nimble simply nodded and the two of them went off to get ready for bed. I yawned and settled down on my haunches, front legs and spine straight, listening to the radio.

"As you may have noticed... it is still raining outside. I do suggest you stay indoors, or under cover, because it is frightfully cold and dreary out there." Yes, yes it was. Fortunately we had plenty of cover and a fire to keep warm. "And remember, gentleponies, don't forget to use yer loaf. That's all. Back to Lunar!"

Ohhh, this colt sounds hawt.

Lunar continued where her friend had left off. "Aaaand that is Moonstone Mustang. Yes, mares, he's just as hot as he sounds. And he's mine. ALL MINE." She let out an evil sounding cackle. "But I digress. Reported sightings of Enclave scouts have been surfacing from all around the area. Whatever they're doing, it's probably not the beginnings of enacting their plan to come down and 'save the wasteland' or whatever it is." Her voice dripped sarcasm.

I had to agree... not that I wouldn't mind. Mmm, pegasi colts. Yes, please.

"And here's 'Driven to Tears' by the Constables." Lunar sighed despondently. "My thoughts exactly, Thorn. My thoughts exactly... as always, folks, keep on your hooves and watch your fire."

A fast, steady drum beat came out of my ear blooms and I nodded along gently as I dug an apple and a healing potion to eat.

It looked nothing like those huge, juicy red apples from history texts I'd seen. It was a small, hard, shriveled green piece of food, and I use 'food' only in the basest sense that it's something grown intended to be consumed for nutritional value and little else. Taste was optional. I mentally groaned as I munched on the piece of fruit dully.

Dashie, meanwhile, had curled up beside the fire with a groan and glanced over to me. "Firefly, you look tired." I glanced to my Pipbuck's clock and did some math.

Woke up at 0800.

Spent two hours walking to Haven.

It's 2100 now.

I rolled my eyes. "Only spent thirteen hours on duty, including two trotting to Haven and a half hour of combat with a dozen ghouls. I have no clue why." I groaned as I laid down on the ground, cooling and pouring a shot of healing potion and pouring it down my throat.

That's the stuff...

I pushed myself back to a sitting position.

"Heeeey you're not gonna sleep in your armor, right?"

"I was planning to. Why?"

"Ohh you'll find out in the morning." Dashie smirked. "Soo... here I was, dick deep in this mare, when this stallion comes up and mounts me from behind."

Oh Princesses, Dashie. "I can't know this!"

One of the mares on watch with Enamel's caravan grinned lewdly. "I could stand to hear a little more..."

I groaned and curled up, hooves over my ears as Dashie launched into an all-too-detailed explanation.

The next few hours passed unsurprisingly uneventfully. It continued raining. I put a few more logs on the fire to keep it going, made some small chat with Dashie and Enamel's night watch, and I set up my bed roll and drifted off after Platinum woke to relieve me.

#

Oh. So this is why Dashie was laughing at me.

Buck me, never again. No more sleeping in my armor.

I groaned as I staggered to my hooves, doing some exercise to get blood flowing through my limbs.

There we go. Better.

I glanced to the clock on my Pipbuck.

0900.

Wonderful. I overslept.

The sun had risen while I slept, but it was still dark. My Pipbuck ticked, reminding me that A, everything was trying to kill me and B, that irradiated water was still falling from the sky.

Glorious.

It had lessened somewhat while I was sleeping, however, slackening to a light rain.

"Mornin' Firefly! Nice of you to join us finally." I groaned and trotted over to Enamel, who was sitting beside the fire, roasting something he'd spit on a steel rebar.

Is it meat? I bet it's meat.

My mouth tasted of dust, iron, cordite, meat and other substances I'd rather not put name to. I dig out my canteen, drank some water and swished it around in my mouth before swallowing, carefully not thinking of what I was putting in my stomach.

"Welcome to the Wasteland," Enamel snickered at me, turning the thing he was roasting on the fire over. "Hungry? Got some radroach here."

Once again, I was right. Once again, I regret my natural ability to know things.

"Good for ya, put a shine in your coat and a sparkle in your eye!" I decided not to debate that.

I shook my head. "I, ah, no thank you." I eyed the hunk of radroach. "If ponies were supposed to eat meat..."

Enamel rolled his eyes and pulled his food out of the fire. "Your loss."

I glanced around. "So I see you put my ponies to work." I glanced over to them, watching Dashie carry a crate over to the cart.

Enamel nodded, burying one end of the stick in the ground. "Couldn't let 'em lay about, could I? Gotta keep 'em busy, y'know? That they just pitched in didn't hurt. The things I could get done with a dozen of your ponies..." I groaned and curled up in a ball on the ground, hooves over my ears. "Sleep well, Firefly?" I could hear Enamel's smug smirk through his tone. "Learn anything?"

"Yes, yes. Don't sleep in your armor." I groaned again and pushed myself back to my hooves, shaking my mane out and went over to pack up my bedroll. Enamel snickered and began his breakfast. "By the way... do you know Caramel?"

He nodded with a suspicious look. "What of him?"

"Yeah, he tried to incite a bunch of drunk ponies into lynching me last night." Perhaps a mild exaggeration, but only a mild one. Enamel growled and rose to his hooves, looking for him.

I finished packing up my stuff and left the fire, pinging my crew. "Finish up you're doing and meet me at the fire in five minutes, time for morning briefing."

I received two comm clicks and a grunt in response. I didn't question who gave what.

While waiting, I dug out an apple and munched on it, downing another shot of healing potion to wash it down. Finally my team arrived, Dashie out of his barding. Platinum and Nimble were in various states of undress, Nimble wearing her hat. The three of them settled down facing me. "Good, good, you're here."

Dashie sprawled out in a manner suggesting he knew he was attractive and enjoyed showing it off. "Yeah, that we are. So whats up, boss?" I sighed and levitated my brush out of my saddlebag and started brushing the knots out.

"Operational briefing begins." Dashie rolled his eyes as I gestured to Team Two. "Team Two, you are to escort Enamel's caravan throughout their trade route." Nimble nodded. "Dashie and I will continue on to Deathcon and see what we can find out about the ghoul attacks." I turned back to Team Two. "Remember - we're gathering intelligence on the Wasteland. Pay attention, keep your eyes and ears open. If you get an opportunity to help other ponies, take it. I expect to see you mares in a week." I let that sink in for a moment. "... I don't need to specify that's an order, not a request, right?"

It made perfect sense. If they were truly loyal, they'd make it back here in one piece. If not, well... they weren't loyal troops anyways, right?

That's a joke. A bad one.

"Yes ma'am." Platinum responded. Nimble simply nodded her assent.

I glanced over at a couple of caravaners who were being very obvious trying to be subtle glaring at us. "Watch out for Caramel, I think he might be pissed at us." I pointed him out. "The brown buck with the short orange and purple mane."

They glanced to each other, before Nimble spoke up with a mildly confused tone. "Why is he angry at us, ma'am?"

I shrugged. "I guess I rubbed him the wrong way yesterday, and he tried to incite a bunch of drunken townsponies into lynching me last night. Sit down, Lieutenant." Dashie had growled and started to rise. At the snap in my voice, he returned to his position but still looked angry. I looked to Team Two. "If he attacks you, you've got permission to do whatever you feel is necessary, if you can prove he started it. Try not to kill him, but if it happens..." I shrugged disinterestedly. My mane brushed, I tossed my head back and shook my mane out, then pulling it back into my normal half ponytail. "Any questions?"

"Do you know where his caravan is going, or what we'll be facing?"

I shook my head. "Unfortunately I don't." I waved Enamel over. "Enamel is the one to talk to on that. With that said..." I slipped out of commander mode for a moment. "Come back in one piece. Protect the caravan. Watch each other's backs. Good luck and good shooting, mares." I saluted them. They seemed a bit bewildered at that, and I smiled. "Stay safe out there."

Enamel came over to us and I asked him to explain where the caravan went. He explained where they went to and about how long it took to get to there. I paid attention, noting the places they went on my map.

#

"Dashie, I'll be in the marketplace. Stay here and help load the caravan. If anything happens, ping me. When the caravan heads out, alert me and I'll meet them at the gate to see them off." Dashie nodded. Briefing finished, I headed into the marketplace. The town really may as well be nicknamed, "tent and tarp city". Half of the town was made of tents, and most of it had tarps stretched from one end to the other. The town itself was built around a prewar structure of some kind, while a northeast-southwest road crossed the center of it. There were entrances that could be sealed at both ends.

The Haven Marketplace was a large, open area that occupied the southwest half of the town center along the road. Metal plates had been put in the ground leaving a partially passable path across the square, and tarps and awnings ran along the edges of the center to give ponies looking to buy wares cover when it rained, like it was now. It had lessened to a light sprinkle, though, compared to the storm there had been last night. The Marketplace was full of ponies going every way, and I suspected that the days before and after the Stable's market day were the busiest days Haven had. It felt good to see the effects of our trade firsthoof. Note to self, mention that in the report tonight. I struggled through the hoof-deep mud to the other side of the square where I spotted a bounty board. Surprisingly, despite the dozens of ponies in the square, it was almost empty. Probably because the town isn't usually this busy.

I looked over the bounty board, finding little of interest other than a bounty that had recently been posted looking for somepony to check out Deathcon, by the town mayor. Isn't that convenient. We get to get paid for what we were planning to do anyways. Stepping back from the bounty board, I noticed an emaciated buck in barding that looked in need of a tailor's services, and approached him. He looked unsettled by my approach, and on second thought, I wasn't surprised. I did cut a rather intimidating figure in fancy, purpose-built armor and bristling with well maintained firearms.

"Hello." He shied back, glancing around nervously. "Is there anything I can help you with? Perhaps some food? Or barding?" I waited patiently. "Go on."

After another long, pregnant moment, he apparently finally decided I wasn't just messinging with him and made a noise like there was something in his throat, before speaking. "I would like some... food."

I glanced around. "Well, go pick something." He nodded and hurried off with a clear idea of where he was going. Meat vendor? Of course he was going to the meat vendor. I followed him there and he pointed a hoof at the biggest hunk of meat hanging in sight. The vendor looked to me curiously, and I sighed, pulling out my bag of caps and jingling it. The vendor looked considerably happier and unhooked the chunk of meat, handing it to the unfortunate stallion. The beggar promptly stuffed it in his mouth and hoofed it into the crowd. You're welcome, you twit.

The vendor glanced to me and smirked, holding his hoof out. "One hundred caps!" He was a smug looking purple unicorn with vibrant green eyes and a mane of thick orange and green strands.

"What? You can't be serious. A hundred caps for that?"

"What do you know, Stable pony? You're a security pony, you're probably not that bright."

I growled quietly at the dig, before closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. "I know for starters, insulting ponies better armed than you is not a sound business tactic." My holstered pistols glowed for a moment. "Another is that radroaches are ridiculously common and a fine unicorn stallion such as yourself should have no problems catching and roasting them." I paused for a moment, before primly declaring, "I won't pay a cap more than fifty." I suspected he was considering calling the town's security forces to have me ejected. I was also fairly sure they'd be unable to make me leave without shooting me, but again, toying with the locals like that is counterproductive to my assignment, so I continued. "I propose a trade."

He looked at me suspiciously, but nodded and gestured for me to continue. "What kiiind of trade?"

Looking behind him, I saw a Sparkle-cola machine in the back of his shop. "Ten caps for a Sparkle-cola?" He nodded. "A Sparkle-Cola, please." I levitated out ten caps and stacked them in front of him.

He passed his hoof over them and they 'disappeared' before he went to get the bottle, setting it down in front of me. "So are you going to pay for the meat or not?"

"Just watch..." I smirked to him; he eyed me skeptically, but said nothing. I closed my eyes, concentrating on the glass bottle in front of me. After a moment, I could feel the magic flowing from my horn, and I opened my eyes. "Try it now." He blinked, and I gestured towards the drink. "Try the cola."

"Pardon?" He looked at me blankly, before twisting the cap off with a soft hiss and a faint, deliciously carroty smell before he leaned the bottle back and sipped it. "It's... cold?"

I nodded. "I could teach you the spell." He sipped it again. Victory is mine. "Just imagine... how many stores in this town can sell ice cold Sparkle-Colas?" His expression told me I had won.

#

An hour later, I had taught him the basics of the spell and he could cast it himself. Dashie had found me and bought himself a hunk of meat from that same vendor. Nimble and Platinum were on the road with Enamel's caravan. I wondered if I'd ever see them again. I hoped so. The sun had come up about as much as it would, the rain had settled to a minor sprinkle and the town square had mostly emptied out. The meat vendor had pointed us in the direction of the mayor's office.

"I have no clue how you can eat that stuff." I shook my head.

Dashie rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, 'if ponies were supposed to eat meat', blah blah. You're a picky eater. So tell me what you were doing with that unicorn in his stall? You weren't, by any chance, giving him a horn job, were you?" He tossed me a sly smirk as he bit into his hunk of meat.

For a moment, I was unsure whether to be insulted and disgusted or insulted and amused before I settled on insulted, deadpan laughter. "Ha. Ha ha. No. I taught him a spell."

"Why? Which one? For what purpose?" So many questions, so many potential answers.

"I bought a beggar some meat." Dashie looked ready to interrupt but I shut him up with a look. "Instead of paying a ridiculous amount of caps - he screwed you good, by the way, and not in the fun way - I agreed to teach him my cooling spell."

Dashie considered for a moment, before nodding slowly. "Ooo... kay... then." He munched on some roasted radroach, before speaking. "Did I ever tell you how weird you are sometimes, boss?"

"Your comments have been noted, Lieutenant." I glanced over. "Here we are." The mayor's office was adjacent to the street, across from the main square and the prewar structure the whole town was centered around. It appeared to be a rest stop built identically to the one Stable 30 was built underneath. I lead the way into the building and a unicorn colt sat at a desk in front of a door to the back, playing with a deck of cards. After he noticed us, he hurriedly hid the cards and did his best to look busy. "Is this the mayor's office?" He nodded slowly. "We'd like to see him, please."

"Do you have an appointment?" He spoke in a condescending voice. "The mayor is a very busy stallion, after all." He was a small unicorn with a green coat that reminded me of some of the trees I'd seen, and a spikey, pale green and blue mane. The door behind him opened and a large stallion emerged. "Oh, hello sir..."

Seizing the opportunity, I stepped into his path. "Are you the mayor, sir?" He was a tall, well built earth pony with a purple coat and a brownish orange mane streaked with grey.

He nodded cheerfully. "That I am, ma'am. And who might you be?" He spent a moment looking at us, before his expression shifted. "... Would you be, by any chance, Stable ponies that helped fight off the ghouls attacking us last night?" He had a loud, confident voice that, if I had to use a phrase to describe it, I would probably, hesitantly (and not to his face) use "pompous windbag".

I nodded. "Yes sir, we are. I'm Captain Firefly and this is my partner, Lieutenant Rapid Dash." I glanced to Dashie. "If you're not busy, I'd like to ask you some question-".

"Of course! Come in, come in!" He interrupted me as he turned and trotted back into his office. That's... annoying... I glanced to Dashie and followed him, taking a deep, calming breath. "Sit! Please! I'd offer you a cigar, but, y'know. No cigars to be found anywhere, right?" He laughed loudly as he sprawled out on the pillows behind his desk. "I can't thank you enough for saving my city!"

His office was more than I expected from a wasteland town. Actually, it was about what I expected, considering it was the back room of a prewar rest stop. A single, light crystal hung from a cable in the middle of the room, throwing his desk into sharp but dim white light. Atop his desk, off to one side, sat a terminal. I wondered if he could use it, if even it still functioned, or if it was just a prop. A pair of pillows sat in front of his desk, slightly dingier than the ones he had, which Dashie and I settled on. They sighed softly in response and released a foul odor I suspected was mold. My Pipbuck ticked gently in response.

I removed my helmet and settled the rotary cannon down beside me. "We simply happened to be passing by, and we did what we needed to do." I shifted, leaning forward towards his desk. "What brings us here, is twofold. I'm here on a reconnaissance mission for the Stable. Specifically, we're going to Deathcon Crater to see if that could potentially be of use for the Stable. So we're here to claim the Deathcon bounty."

He waved one hoof distractedly. "Yes, yes, of course. Talk to my secretary when you get back and we'll pay you the bounty."

"We also need information on Deathcon. Is there anypony we could talk to?"

The Mayor leaned back with a grunt, rubbing his jaw with one hoof. "Y'know, I think I know someone." He heaved himself forward to his hooves with a low groan. "Come! Sky Chaser should be up by now. Not sure where she is at the moment. Ivy ought to know."

I remained sitting. "Well, actually, Mayor... Lets put that aside for just a moment. My other purpose for coming here, is to suggest an alliance."

"An alliance, hrm?" He gave me an annoyed look and settle back down on his pillows. "What kind of alliance? What would you give us, and what would you take from us?"

I considered for a moment. "Well, Haven's defenders - and I hope you realize I mean no insult by this - are... not exactly trained soldiers. Stable 30 could set up a security outpost there, give some of your defenders proper training." He shrugged. "Medical care, we could set up a healing station, somewhere to trade healing potions." I considered for another moment, thinking back. "Haven is trying to grow crops, aren't they? We could offer fresh, untainted water supplies." In the background I heard the secretary inquiring if somepony had an appointment. "Of course, we'd need some space to house our ponies. This could also bring Haven some unwanted attention, because some factions may inevitably attack the Stable and Haven, as a much more easily attacked target..."

He considered, rubbing his jaw. "Y'know what? I'm interested. Talk to me when you claim the bounty n Deathcon."

"Of course." I rose to my hooves. "Now, about that mare you mentioned... Sky Chaser, was it?"

"Right, right..." He groaned and heaved himself to his hooves again, striding past us out of his office. I levitated the rotary cannon as we followed him out. "Tumbler! I'll be back later!" Tumbler shot us an annoyed glare.

I tossed him a polite smile back in response, before turning to see who else was in the waiting room, only to backpedal quickly as I see the blue unicorn mare from the gate last night, who started shrieking as she saw me.

"You! What are you doing here?!" I suddenly found myself looking down the muzzle of a lever action rifle sheathed in a lavender aura.

"Frost! What in blazes are you doing?!" The Mayor apparently did not appreciate her stuffing a rifle in his guest's face.

Speaking as somepony having a rifle pointed at their face, I had to agree.

"This mare was let into the town without my permission!" At a closer look, she almost felt like one of my ponies, just the way she moved. She wore barding in a well faded but familiar blue color. On her back rested a holster for her rifle and a belt of 10mm rounds hung across her chest. A Pipbuck rested on her left fetlock and a pair of flight goggles sat on her forehead below her horn.

"Let's just... everypony... calm down, yes?" I glanced to the unicorn, moving sideways slightly. The rifle followed my movement.

She's good.

The mayor looked to me, then to Frost. "Frost, put the gun down!" She glared at me. "Firefly, this is my head of security, Frost Beat." After another moment, she lowered her rifle and smoothly returned to its holster on her back. "Captain Firefly here has offered to go looking around Deathcon to see if she can find out what caused the ghouls to go crazy."

She blinked, looking at me with a hard expression, which then softened, and she offered me her hoof with a strained smile. "I apologize. And for pointing a rifle at you last night... too few hours asleep over the past week." She rubbed the back of her head. "Can't trust any of my ponies."

"I understand." I took her hoof, smiling back. "All too well, I understand."

The Mayor glanced around to the two of us. "So, Frost, what were you here for?" He had an impatient edge to his voice...

...which Frost apparently picked up on. She shrugged casually. "You know. The usual. I need more ponies so we can keep sane shift lengths. More weapons, ammo, equipment. Armor. I'unno if we could withstand an attack from raiders or any sort of ponies with guns right now." I winced, having been in her position before. "I'll be going now, Mr. Mayor." She sighed and trotted off, pausing to glance back at me. "Nice to meet you, Captain."

"Likewise!" Dashie glanced at her with an inquisitive look, and I glanced to him. I wonder what he noticed.

"Right, sorry you had to see that..." The mayor glared in her direction.

"No, no, I've been in her position far more often than I'd like to admit." I glanced at the mayor with a sly smirk. "You know, Mr. Mayor... the Stable has an excess of guns... We've been hesitant to trade them in fear they'd end up in the wrong hooves and used against us, but I believe Haven would be a 'safe' location... if 'safe' and 'guns' can be used in the same sentence."

The Mayor narrowed his eyes with a thinking look. "I'll think on it." He nodded and lead us out of the building, heading out to the south half of the town. It appeared this is where most of the local townsponies lived. "I was on the wall when you folks showed up last night. That was some damn fine shootin', damn fine shootin'." He seems like a well intentioned pony, but he never shuts up. Ugh.

"It was nothing, sir. We were just happened to be passing through, and they were in our way."

He nodded in acknowledgement, though I was unsure if he was actually listening. He lead the way into the residential area, heading to a door and banging on it. "Hey Ivy, it's me! Open the door. Any idea where Sky is?"

After the sound of somepony rummaging around for a minute, the door opened and an earth pony emerged from it. A very large earth pony mare, with a lavender coat and a long olive green mane, the ends held together by a pair of elastics. Her right ear was missing the tip. Oh shit. I had a feeling she could have broken my horn with a single swipe if she desired. "Why?" She looked to us warily for a moment.

The mayor spoke up, "These Stable scouts are lookin' for her." Her gaze darkened in response, and I took a step back, readying my stunning spell. Just in case. "Oh, no! Not like that." He turned to us, and I elaborated. I skipped our introduction, just because she didn't look interested in that.

"We're planning an expedition to Deathcon," her expression changed to one of mild pity, which I ignored as I continued, "to see why the ghouls there went crazy and attacked the town. The Mayor says Sky is the one we should talk to about it." Her expression shifted to one of grudging respect.

"She's usually in the Eastern corner of the Marketplace." I nodded and turned away. "Hey, Stable Scout." I turned back to her. "Don't hurt her."

I nodded, glancing to Dashie. "Of course not, ma'am..." She gave us a hard look for a long moment, before turning and going back into her house.

The Mayor cleared his throat loudly. "Ivy, ah... cares about Sky Chaser."

Dashie snickered. "We hadn't noticed."

Hush, Dashie.The mayor either missed or ignored Dashie's sarcasm, and set off the way to the Marketplace.

By this point, the rain had stopped entirely and it was what I suspected the wasteland considered 'quite sunny' though by prewar standards it would be 'overcast'.

The Mayor stomped a forehoof against the plate he was standing on loudly. "Ahhh! I know where she'll be."

It turned out, he did.

A pair of foals were settled at a table I guessed was older than everypony present combined, under a tarp outside, chatting. I decided I didn't want to know what it was they were eating. "Hiii kids."

The two of them looked to be siblings, though on closer inspection I questioned that impression. "Hello, Mayor..." They looked to the mayor with a suspicious look for a moment, before turning their interest to the two of us. Dashie made a face at them and the colt lost it and burst out laughing, falling over on his side. I glanced to Dashie, who smirked at me, and I shook my head as I levitated out a pair of Sparkle-Colas, cooled and uncapped them and set them in front of the two foals. Colas delivered, I settled down facing the two foals, setting the rotary cannon down beside me. The Mayor found a good reason to suddenly be somewhere else.

"I'm Firefly, and this is Rapid Dash." The colt on the left seemed too distracted laughing at Dashie's expressions to notice. He was a pale yellow, sharp nosed unicorn with a messy, red and green striped mane that reminded me of Hearthswarming decorations. To his right was a unicorn filly with a similar coat that I suspected was actually a pure white desperately in need of a shower instead, with a dark red mane and sharp, dark blue eyes.

She stared at the drink with a skeptical look, then looked back to us. "It's not poisoned, you know."

She still looked skeptical, so I sighed and pushed myself to my hooves, pantomiming an old Equestrian oath. "Cross my heart and hope to fly," I crossed a hoof across my chest, "stick a cupcake in my eye," and pressed my opposite hoof against my right eye as I closed it. The filly shared a look with her coltfriend, then the two lost it again.

Unexpected.

I glanced to Dashie, who snickered. "Y'got a somethin'..." He gestured to his cheek. I rubbed my hoof where he'd pointed and looked to him. He shook his head, and I shrugged, glancing back to the foals, who were still laughing.

"Oh mare, that was hilarious! I've never seen an adult do that so seriously!" She rolled over onto her side, still laughing and pounding the ground with a hoof.

After another minute or two, she finally settled down and pulled herself back into a sitting position. "Kay..." She leaned over and bit the bottle like an earth pony, tilting it back. "That's kind of good, actually." Sky Chaser looked to us. "So why are you here, 'Firefly'?" By this time her colt friend had settled and, after seeing her sip the drink, decided to sip his as well, levitating it like a unicorn should, the bottle wreathed in a purple aura that matched his eyes.

"Basically... we're heading into Deathcon." I gestured off in the direction the Mayor had disappeared off. "He told me you were the pony to talk to."

Sky sipped her drink again before responding. "For all of his self-centered pretentiousness, he does have a point." I considered giggling, but decided it was, ah, unprofessional. Dashie apparently had no such reservations. I sighed quietly.

Smooth, Dashie. Very professional.

He made a face at me and shook my head. "Soo..." I turned back to Sky, who was snickering at or with Dashie.

"So like I was saying before your friend started laughing..." She rolled her eyes. What a drama queen. "Yes, I'm the mare to talk to. Nopony else goes there, they're all scared of stuff. And things."

Her coltfriend chipped in. "Y'know, Sky, if anything catches you there, you're totally dead, right?" He frowned worriedly.

"Duh, Ivory, that's what makes it fun." She rolled her eyes with a cocky smirk. "So, Stable, whatcha wanna know?" She turned her eyes to me with a sly look. "And, whatcha gonna gimme for it?"

I thought, eyes narrowed, before looking up to the tip of her horn poking out of her dark red, spiky mane. "I could teach you a spell. How's that?"

She considered, before shaking her head. "Nope!" ... I did not expect that. Something twitched in her cheek as she grinned and the tip of her horn glowed a deep, dark blue like her eyes, her mane parting slightly around it. "I want a gun." I glanced down to my sides and saw her trying to draw one of my IF-21s. "One of yours will do."

"Fraid not, kiddo." I narrowed my eyes slightly at her and retrieved my pistol from her magic, tucking it back into its holster. "Do you even know how to use one?"

"How hard could it be? Just point and shoot, yeah?" Dashie groaned softly and facehooved.

I sighed quietly. "No. It's not as easy as it sounds." I considered for a moment. "Okay. Here's my offer. Either I'll teach you a spell, or Dashie will show you how to use a gun."

She frowned, then considered, taking another large gulp of her drink and setting it down. "Alright. Deal. So. Whatcha wanna know, Stable." She leaned forward, staring at me intently.

"So." I settled down with my hooves folded under me, leaning forward in a similar pose. "Tell me about Deathcon. What's the terrain like?"

"It's an old military base, surrounded by concrete walls and a chain link fence. If you need help getting past those I don't think I can help you." She smirked rudely. "There's two balefire craters, one to the south of the center, then another in the northern half of the base. The northern crater is where the alicorns generally hang out."

Alicorns? I nodded, noting her comments. "Tell me about the alicorns." I used my interrogation spell as she spoke. She was either a very good liar, or she was telling the truth. I suspected she was being honest, because I could see no motive for lying.

"They're not normal alicorns. I don't think they're part of the Goddess." She glared at me. “You’re using a spell on me, aren’t you?”

“Standard Security procedure. Just seeing if you’re telling the truth. I could teach you later. Why don’t you think they’re part of the Goddess?"

Her confident, smug exterior faltered for just a moment. "They... talk." I raised an eyebrow. "These speak. Not like the normal alicorns that talk in your head. I haven't been able to get close enough to understand them, yet, but sometimes when the wind is blowing just right, I can hear them." ... Interesting.

Dashie groaned softly as he realized what Sky meant. "I feel... soo... violated." Ivory giggled a little nervously.

"What do they do?"

Sky shrugged. "Not a whole lot, honestly. Sometimes a couple of them teleport off somewhere. I think they're... lonely."

I nodded. "Alright. What else are there? Other groups, factions. Ghouls?"

"There are some ghouls, though I dunno if there are any more at this point. Y'all killed most of 'em, I think." She smirked, glancing to Dashie's battle saddle with an envious look that bordered on lust.

"Yeah..." I considered for a moment, before nodding one last time. "One last question. Would you be interested in accompanying us as a guide? I can pay you in cold Sparkle-Colas or caps. Or, surely we could work something out."

The dirty foal burst out in laughter again. ... Definitely not the expected response. "You're funny, Stable. I like you." I elaborated that I was actually being serious. "Yeah, no, not a chance in hell. Y'all are loud and clumsy. You'll get me killed!"

"Fair enough, I suppose. Gun or spell?"

"Gun!" She grinned brightly, eyeing my weapons.

I shrugged and drew one of my IF-21s, ejecting the magazine and racking the slide twice to eject the chambered round, tucking the magazine and unfired round away. "Is there anywhere we can show you how to use this?"

Her coltfriend looked up in alarm as she pushed herself to her hooves, grabbing the two empty Sparkle-cola bottles in her magic. Again, as she used her magic, something in her cheek definitely twitched. Interesting. "This way, ponies!" She lead the way to an outdoor target range behind the central building. It was surprisingly solid, with a large dirt backstop at the far end and a barrier keeping ponies from accidentally wandering into the firing line.

Interesting... I wonder.

I shrugged and offered her the gun. She trotted over and grabbed it in her mouth like an earth pony. Ick. I turned to Dashie. "Have fun teaching her how to shoot. I'll be in the Marketplace."

Dashie immediately yelled out, "First rule of guns - don't point it at ponies, unless you're planning to shoot them!" ...and heard her saying something, followed by the sharp click of the striker dropping. "Aye boss, see ya later." He turned back to the red maned foal. As I trotted off, I noticed her coltfriend was sitting alone, watching the two and I trotted over to him.

"Hiya. Ivory, was it?" He nodded. "Would you like to use my gun?" Surprisingly, he… blushed and turned away from me, raising his tail.

...

"I was asking if you wanted me to show you how to use my pistol." I levitated out my other IF-21 and unloaded it.

"Oh!" He turned back around, blushing brightly and staring at the pistol as I offered it to him, grip first, muzzle down. "I dunno... what if I shoot you? Or somepony else?"

I glanced to the gun. "It's unloaded." I racked the action, showing him how it operated. "This is where the magazine goes. Press this to remove the magazine. Got that?" He nodded. "Okay... first thing to remember with guns. Don't point it at anything you're not willing to shoot. EVER." He nodded again, looking to the gun. "Second, treat them as if they're loaded, always. Third..." I rotated it, still muzzle down, and pointed to the trigger. "This is the trigger." I pulled it back and the striker slammed forward with a loud click. "Keep your tongue or magic off it unless you're sure you want to fire it. Finally, when you're sure you do want to fire it, make sure you know what's on the other side of your target." I held it up. "Do you still want to try it?"

He considered for a long moment and glanced to Sky, whose giggling was muffled by the gun. "Yes, I do." He took it in his purple magic carefully, looking to it.

"Remember - it's just a tool. It can't hurt you if you respect it and handle it carefully." He nodded, staring at it. "Go over and watch Dashie, he'll get to you in a minute. Okay?"

"Okay..." I turned and trotted off. "Uh, Firefly?" I glanced back to him. "Thank you." He smiled to me.

#

I crossed the main road and headed into the Marketplace, browsing. Most of the traders cluttering up the square had left already so the mud was much less unpleasant to move through. I noticed a store with a prewar sign by the door, a hoof-drawn IF-22 with "Ironshod Guns and Ammo sold here" written above the pistol, and ducked inside. It was a genuine store with solid, wood and metal walls and stuff. I used my magic to brush most of the mud off of my hooves, then continued into the store, doing a walk around the messy, L-shaped room. Basic guns. Nothing particularly interesting. A surprisingly well taken care of Ironshod Ammo Emporium vending machine sat in a corner surrounded by several military grade ammunition boxes. A single rocket rested on top of the vending machine. An earth pony mare with a brown coat and a pink mane tamed by a lavender bandanna watched me inquisitively as I entered the store, standing behind a counter in the middle of the room.

One wall consisted of improvised 'guns' I was genuinely concerned might just kaboom up if they were ever used. The main display wall, which I suspected was supposed to be impressive, had a half dozen pistols in various conditions, a couple of shotguns, a brush gun and a cut down IF-64 at the top. I questioned the practical use of a cut down assault rifle, and the sanity of the pony who had created the abomination, before I remembered where I was. Ah, yes, the Equestrian Wasteland. There is no sanity to be found here. A closer look revealed the IF-64 probably wasn't even functional. A modified IF-9 combat shotgun at the bottom caught my eye and I trotted over, levitating it from its slot.

"HEY MARE, YOU GONNA BUY THAT THING OR WHAT?" I yelped, backtrotting as I suddenly found myself way too close to a bratty little colt screeching in my face. An urge to draw all of my weapons in shock crossed my mind, though I curbed it quickly, simply stepping back a couple paces as I glared at him. I hope you get the cutie pox and die, you obnoxious little cuntrag.

"Steel! Leave the poor Stable mare alone!" The store owner yelled at him. He blew a raspberry at me, stuck his tongue at her and scampered off. I glared at him as he disappeared, before glancing around to see if there were any other colts about to ambush me, or... something. Finding none, I brought the shotgun over to the mare at the counter. Couldn't help but notice she didn't apologize for the little shit scaring me.

"What can you tell me about this?" I held the IF-9 up for her to see and set the rotary cannon down, muzzle up. She glanced over to it with clear curiosity, before returning her attentions to the shotgun.

"Ironshod Firearms Model 9, twelve gauge. Somepony replaced the magwell with an trio of rotating, underbarrel tube mags, though no clue why." She shrugged, rotating the magazine tubes. "Two hundred and twenty caps for it."

"Two hundred and twenty caps? For this? Can't use the drum mags, can't fit more than six seventy-six millimeters Magnums. Definitely can't be worth more than one hundred and seventy."

"That's why you use seventy millimeter shells. No need to keep track of mags - you got shells, you got a workin' gun." She slid a box of, how conveniently, seventy millimeter shells, over next to us. "Could even feed different kinds of rounds in each tube. Fits three per tube plus one in the chamber. I'll toss the box in for another twenty caps."

"Unless it falls apart when you shoot it, of course." I made a face at the shotgun, turning the box and opening it. "This box is only half full."

"Whatcha see is whatcha get, mare."

I thought, before smirking and levitating the rotary cannon slowly, setting it on the counter. "I know where there's an entire, functional suit of Steel Ranger power armor." I turned the box of shells towards her with a hoof. "Top this box off with some specialty rounds, toss in another full box of seventy-six millimeter Magnum shells and the whole suit is yours. I'll even toss in a hundred caps up front."

She looked to me with a skeptical look, then studied the rotary cannon closely, sniffing it. "You're one of the ponies from Stable 30, right?" She glanced to the big, black 30 on my flank. Obviously. "You happen to be one of those that showed up last night and fought the ghouls off?"

"Wow. News travels fast, huh?" I shouldn't be surprised, the Stable isn't that much larger and news travels just as quickly.

"Small town, Stable. So?" She leaned toward me with a gossip-y smirk.

"Yeah, that was us. I'm leading an expedition to learn more about the surrounding area, so it's likely that we'll be more visible in the area." I left out details about the possible alliance, because again, 'possible'.

The mare gave me a long, level look, before nodding slowly. "What the hay. Got some Dragon's Breath shells here..." She stuck her head under the counter, pulling out several more shells. "Green ones are Dragon's Breath." She pointed to a trio of green hulled, seventy-six millimeter shells. "Orange ones are twelve-point-seven millimeter slugs." She gestured to a group of five orange hulled, high brass shells.

I levitated them over, studying them. "These look good." I nodded. "The seventy-six millimeter Magnum shells?"

She shook her head. "Ain't got anymore seventy-six millimeter Magnum shells, but I've got some seventy millimeter slugs." She produced another box, which I opened and confirmed was full, then levitated out my hundred caps, stacking them in piles of ten. She counted them out, then put them away.

"The suit's off to the southwest of the town, not too far. You should be able to see it from the wall." I realized there was no sling for the IF-9, before noticing a shotsaddle and sling combo, pointing over at it. "How much for the shell saddle?"

She glanced to where I'd pointed. "That? Twenty caps." I doubted it was worth that much...

"Fifteen?" I was hopeful.

She shook her head. "Twenty."

But I did need a sling, and that looked just the right size for my new toy. "Deal." I levitated out another twenty caps and she tossed me the sling... which was perfectly adjusted to hang at my side. How... convenient. I got the feeling I'd just been screwed, but then again, I'd bought at least three hundred caps' worth of weapons and munitions for a hundred caps and a suit of armor I technically didn't even own. I tucked my spoils away, glancing to my suit and remembering something. "Heeeey, have you seen anypony from Stable 30 in the past few years?"

The mare leaned back, glancing up. "Y'know, I remember a bunch of 'em a couple decades, maybe sixteen, twenty years ago." Holy shit. "They showed up, asked some questions and left. Dressed a lot like you, shiny guns and fancy armor."

Oh...

"Do you any idea what happened to them? Or where they went?"

"Fraid I don't. They left, haven't seen 'em since." She paused and glanced up. "Actually... one of em came back a few years ago, as I recall."

"They did? Who was it? Where are they?" I grinned brightly. "Are they still alive?"

"Slow down, mare." She shook her head. "One of em, a mare, pregnant, pretty far along. She took up leading the town's defense. Had her foal, died a couple years back. S'all I know."

"Can I speak to her foal? Is she still here?"

The mare shook her head. "Don't know who it is, or if she still is. Sorry."

"Oh..." I sighed, then dug out ten caps, setting them on the counter in front of her. "Thanks anyways!" I exited the store, ignoring the shopkeeper's grumbling about what a cheapskate I was.

Dashie was still out by the central building, teaching the colt - whose name I learned was Ivory Spark - and Sky Chaser how to use our 10mm pistols. I glanced to my Pipbuck while watching the two trying with live ammo. Ivory was a much better and more careful shooter in spite of the lack of 'feeling' your gun you get by levitating it. Sky was using it like an earth pony, but firing much faster and with less care. I wonder why she doesn't like using her magic. I shrugged. "Alright kids, last mag."

Dashie collected the brass and reloaded the mags while I tested my new shotgun, loading a shell into each tube and firing it downrange to confirm it fired and cycled properly, which it did. Finally we headed off, telling the kids we'd be back, and lead the way to the town exit with Dashie. “To Deathcon!”

I sighed. “Doesn’t that just sound wonderful. Out of the frying pan...”

Author's Note

Chapter 03. Little to say, except this marks the beginning of Firefly's empire.

Revised on 04.11.17

The Police - Driven to Tears

Chapter 04 - The Crater

Fallout Equestria: Stable Scout
Chapter 04
The Crater

Captain Firefly

"...into the fire."

Dashie and I armored up, put our helmets on and Dashie zipped up his Stable suit. I reloaded my pistols and the shotgun. We exited Haven shortly before noon, according to my Pipbuck.

"So, that's a nice piece ya got there." Dashie glanced to the shotgun I'd picked up.

I drew it from its sling, holding it up. "It's an Ironshod Firearms Model 9. Somepony removed the magazine well and replaced it with a trio of rotating underbarrel tubes. Probably a unicorn." I shrugged and returned it to my side. "Probably ought to name it. Firefly's Fury, whatcha think?"

Dashie sighed. "Sure thing, boss." He rolled his eyes. "So, did you notice the barding Frosty was wearing?"

"Who?"

"The security mare from the mayor's office."

Oh! Her.

I nodded.

"Yeah, her. Her barding looked like Stable barding."

"Wait, what?"

"You didn't notice?"

"No, I was too busy having a rifle put in my face."

Dashie shrugged. "Yeah, alright... Stable barding, and a Pipbuck."

I nodded. "I noticed the Pipbuck. Stable 30 isn't the only place you can get a Pipbuck, though."

Dashie shook his head. "It was in Security lockdown." I raised my eyebrow at him. "I got a glance at it and the screen was locked. She looks too young to be part of the last team, though..."

"Oh!" That triggered me remembering the gunstore mare's comments. "That's 'cause she isn't! They stopped here after exiting the Stable, asked some questions and left. Then, a few months later, one of them came back. She took over running defenses for the town and had a foal... then she died a couple years ago." I frowned. "...aaand that's all I know."

One end of Dashie's muzzle curled down. "Where'd you get that intel?"

"The mare that sold me Firefly's Fury told me." Dashie sighed. "Yes, I'm going to call it that."

"And you're sure that intel is reliable?"

I considered, then shrugged. "I can't confirm, but I think it's reliable."

"Alrighty then... When we get back to Haven, we ask Frosty about it?" I nodded. "So, Firefly... I gotta ask."

Whenever he uses my actual name, I get concerned. "Are you jealous?" He tossed me his usual, smug look.

"Pardon?"

"About the mare last night." I blinked. My first reaction was to burst out laughing and say I didn't care about who he slept with, but that sounded... insensitive.

"Ah... no. You're a big colt and you're free to sleep with whoever you want."

Dashie smirked at me. "You didn't answer my question." I imagined that, if he were a pegasus, he'd be rolling around in the sky above me with a grin the size of Manehatten.

No, I didn't.

I sighed. "No, Dashie, I'm not jealous. I care about you, but you're like the big brother I never had." Something in his cheek twitched at that. That's twice in two days. I wonder... but I don't have time for this. "You relationships are your life, I don't mind what you do as long as you do your job."

He sighed. "Understood, boss."

Did I just miss something?

After about an hour's trot through boggy terrain, we reached a hill overlooking Deathcon.

A huge military complex spanning several acres, I'm sure it had been impressive once upon a time. A large reinforced concrete wall surrounded the base, and infrequent patches of chainlink fence survived by the wall. In the northern corner of the base there sat one large balefire crater. A second lay in the south center of the base, just like Sky Chaser had said. I couldn't see inside the northern one from here, but, based on everything Sky had said, I was sure that would be where the alicorns were. The northern section of the base consisted of a docking yard adjacent to a river that snaked off east-west. A couple of partially sunk ships were visible. Ideas for restoring them crossed the back of my mind, but I pushed them aside. The western half of the base consisted of hardened buildings surrounding a large octagonal shaped building. The eastern half consisted of what I imagined were launch silos for balefire missiles.

We spent a moment plotting a course through the base from the hill before we set off. Just after we set off with a distinctive fwash sound, a pair of purple alicorns appeared in front of us. Dashie and I drew our weapons as we backtrotted, before lowering them as we realized they were friendly alicorns, or at least, as friendly as the Goddess ever is.

"GREETINGS, PONIES OF STABLE THIRTY." I thought I saw a sly smirk on their muzzles at our reactions.

"THE GODDESS REQUIRES YOUR ASSISTANCE," Drone One boomed.

"YOU WILL ASSIST US," Drone Two continued Drone One's thoughts.

I glanced to Dashie, who shrugged. "Assistance with what?"

"WE MUST OBSERVE SOMEPONY," Drone One spoke to us with an annoyingly haughty and superior look.

"Are you going to elaborate on who we're spying on?"

"WE WILL NOT." Drone Two boomed in the least helpful way possible.

Well, two can play at this game.

"No, we won't help you. Not until you tell us who we're spying on."

After a long and irritating discussion that reminded me uncomfortably of Stable council discussions, we ended up learning that they were also here to spy on the other alicorns/

The Goddess drones carefully danced around not admitting they were rogue alicorns, which all-but-confirmed they were, in fact, not a part of the Goddess.

Intriguing.

After perhaps a half hour of picking through the base, we arrived at the edge of the crater and ducked down by some concrete outcroppings. There were perhaps two dozen alicorns inside the crater. Frolicking, idling. There were no guards that I could see. A pair teleported off somewhere. A minute later, another pair teleported in and went over to a cluster of alicorns. The wind direction shifted and their voices came towards us, but too muted for us to pick out more than occasional words.

One voice came through over the babble of the rest, louder. "Sisters, we are being observed."

Oh crap.

One of them pointed in our direction and most of the alicorns turned to look at us.

...

And then the world in front of me changed.

I felt light.

Long-forgotten memories of when I was a foal crossed my mind.

I tasted purple.

Then... darkness.

#

Lieutenant Rapid Dash

Oh shit.

I watched Firefly collapse. For a mere second, I froze up. Then I rose to my hooves with a defiant growl and bit down on the trigger for my battle saddle, sending several clouds of steel pellets into the crater. None of them hit anything moving - not the point - but it made them panic. I smirked as I saw them running around. A few of them teleported off. A nearer double fwash suggested the Goddess had abandoned us, and a glance where they had been confirmed it.

Good, good. This day just keeps getting better.

I fired another burst to keep them scared before leaning down to bite Firefly's tail and dragging her off. A glance up revealed they were still running around and terrified.

It was pathetic.

Even unarmed, if they'd attacked us, I'm sure they could have stopped us... although considering Firefly had just collapsed, they were halfway there already. I glanced around, figuring where we were was far enough from the crater and paused, letting go of her tail and tossing her on my back for easier carrying. She's lighter than I expected. Has she lost weight? I hurried south towards the structures, looking for one to bunker down in while Firefly recovers. What the hay just happened? I found a locked door on one of the smaller buildings. Locked doors probably mean nopony's been in here. Good. I bucked the door open, carried Firefly inside and carefully set her down, digging through my saddlebag for a healing potion and carefully poured one down her throat, careful not to spill a drop. Healing potion fed to her, I carefully laid her down on her side in the off chance her body reacted poorly to the healing potion and rose to my hooves, pacing after closing the door to the outside.

I wanted to buck somepony in the face hard enough to make them explode, but there was nopony for me to buck. I glanced around the room I had ducked into. It looked like an office. I growled loudly and spun, bucking a desk over. The desk fell over, the terminal atop it smashing as it landed on the floor. Several sheets of papers slowly drifted to the ground in its wake. I glanced to Firefly, laying there. She looked so content and happy, free of the frown she almost always had. It would be peaceful if I didn't know she'd just collapsed. I sighed and curled up next to her, clearing my urge to go back and attempt to murder a bunch of alicorns.

An infuriatingly familiar double fwash told me tall, horned and winged had returned.

Wonderful! Somepony for me to buck.

I rose to my hooves and turned to face the two.

"THE GODDESS WISHES YOU TO KNOW SHE IS MOST DISAPPOINTED." A sheet of paper impaled itself on one drone's horn, and a pair of them landed amid the other's mane. "YOUR ASSISTANCE WAS MOST UNHELPFUL." The sight of papers amongst the drones' otherwise perfectly tamed manes made me snicker. "ARE THOU AMUSED BY OUR DISAPPOINTMENT?"

I shook my head. "Y'all got a, thing in your manes." The two of them turned and looked at each other simultaneously in their creepy way, the sheets of paper covered in a matching purple aura and tossed aside.

"YOU NEGLECTED TO MENTION THE SHEET OF PAPER ON OUR HORN, STABLE PONY."

I snickered. "Y'all noticed it fine enough on your own." Based on their expressions, they were clearly not amused.

Looking back on things, this is about where things went wrong. "Soo... y'all look great, y'really do, but y'know what would look better in you?"

The two drones stared at me blankly and I grinned. "Me!"

I'm unsure what precisely happened, but all I know I may have pushed the Goddess a little too far this time.

Oh, crap.

And then I found myself unclothed and unarmored, and tied up.

In a bondage harness, with a ball gag in my mouth.

In a highly compromising position. "Mmmf. Mmmmf!"

...

Crap.

Having quite literally nothing else to do, I spent the next few minutes reflecting on what I had done wrong. What I had done wrong was that I had made my pass too obvious. Our Pipbucks softly ticked in tandem in the awkward silence.

Finally, Firefly came to, groaning and coughing. "What just happened, Dashie?"

Mmmmf. Mmmmf!

She glanced to me and hurried to her hooves as she saw me. Her magic untied the ballgag and removed it, tossing it aside. "What did you do!"

"Well... I made a pass at the Goddess."

"You... what." She paused untying me and stared at me. I couldn't tell what she was thinking. "You hit on. The Goddess."

"Did I stutter?" She facehooved and resumed untying me. "So... that's better." I groaned as I pushed myself to my hooves. "That's the stuff..."

"They... tied you up and left us here?"

"Yes, but no. You collapsed] about..." I glanced at my Pipbuck. "An hour ago. The Goddess teleported off when you collapsed, and I dragged you here. Fed you a healing potion. Goddess came back, bitched about us being unhelpful."

"And then you hit on the Goddess."

"Then I hit on the Goddess." I grinned as I redressed. "So, tell me, Firefly. You collapsed. What happened? And where did you throw that ball gag?"

She shrugged and groaned as she stretched. "I... uhh. Tasted purple." The soft sound of her magic was the only sound as she gingerly levitated the ball gag out of somewhere and dropped it next to me. Gotta wash that before I use it again.

"What?" I watched the tall, slim red unicorn mare as she stretched.

"I don't know. That's all I remember." All that could be heard in the awkward silence was the sounds of me strapping my power hooves back on.

"Are you okay?" I glanced to her as I tucked the harness and gag into my bags. "Or, are you okay to continue the mission?"

She blinked and looked to me. "Yes, Dashie. I'm okay. I don't know what happened. I'm fine now." She glanced to my bags. "You're keeping that thing?"

"Are you kidding? A bondage harness that can keep me contained?" I sighed and leaned over to hug her. "Yea, I am sooo keeping it."

She froze up for just a second, confused, before leaning into the hug. "Thank you."

We stayed that way for some time before she stepped away from me. "Okay... time for us to go, I think." All good things must come to an end. I nodded and let her take the lead; she headed deeper into the building. "Didn't you search this place already?"

"Of course not. I was a bit tied up." She glanced to me curiously again. I wondered if she was picking up on something, then remembered how dense this mare was sometimes.

Of course not.

The mare snickered and rolled her head as she headed into the next room. Over the next hour, we searched the building and moved onto two more. Finally we found a sealed, reinforced door.

After I tried bucking it open with a surprising lack of success, we marked the door, took a break for radaway, and then searched the rest of the building. It had been sealed since the war ended, so I wasn't surprised we didn't find anything other than a few skeletons.

Poor bastards.

We stacked them in a corner out of the way and scavenged what there was to take of interest. Several spark batteries, a few standard issue 10mm pistols in varying states. A set of prewar combat armor and a helmet on one of the bodies. Finally we returned to the secured door.

Firefly studied the door, locating the points that kept it in place, and we wrapped some plastic explosives around it.

A few minutes later, a muffled explosion shook the building, shaking dust free from everywhere, and a much louder bang indicated the door had fallen free.

"We're in." Firefly snickered. "So much for earth pony engineering, huh?"

Shush Firefly.

"Earth pony explosives are better at breaching than earth pony engineering is at keeping us out." Firefly has some great traits, but her arrogance is not one of them. I lead the way over to the door and poked my head inside the room.

...

"Fancy Buck snack cakes?" I shook my head. Sealed boxes and boxes of Fancy Buck snack cakes. I shook my head. "Prewar ponies."

Firefly hopped over, levitating a case of them over as she grinned at me. "Earth ponies?"

"You can't seriously be thinking of eating those, are you?" As they passed me, my Pipbuck started ticking loudly. "Also, nope. Prewar unicorns are definitely to blame for this."

She looked to me. "Maybe I am," she glanced to the box of snack cakes. "Nope! Pegasi."

I nodded. "Yeah, pegasi." I wandered into the room, seeing if it was actually hiding something. A room full of snack cakes concealing a secret entrance to the command center sounds exactly like a thing prewar ponies would do.

Shockingly, it did not. Or at least, I didn't find anything.

Finally we moved onto the next building, and this one appeared to have had somepony living in it recently. We found a ghoul chewing on somepony. Firefly dispatched it with a pair of sharp, metallic cracks and it slumped over missing half of its head. "Not bad, I think I like this. Not too loud, recoil's not too bad, but it hits pretty hard."

"Yeah, you'd be surprised how light recoil is when you're not actually touching the weapon. I'd like to see you shooting that thing like me."

Firefly let out a cute little laugh. "Ah, ha ha, yeah right. As if I'd ever stoop to that level." She continued to snicker as she trotted past the ghoul's body, a pair of shotgun shells wreathed in her blue aura as she topped off her gun. "No offense intended." She turned to smirk back at me. I stopped to retrieve the weapon belt the ghoul had been wearing, tucking it into my saddlebag. The two shells she'd fired bounced off the concrete floor once before her magic picked them up.

"Yeah, none taken, boss." I let a hint of sarcasm creep into my tone.

Firefly is a great mare in a lot of ways, but she's kind of obnoxious sometimes. Mixed unicorn and pegasus blood is probably part of that.

"Well, I think we found some of the previous tenants." I looked up to see Firefly looking into the next room with a grim look.

"I don't want to know, do I?" Half of a pony leg held inside a familiar blue aura flew in my direction, and I jumped to the left to avoid it. "Ewww, Firefly!"

She giggled and carefully set it down in a corner. "Sorry. Couldn't resist."

"You couldn't resist throwing half a recently dead pony's leg at me. Wow, boss."

The fuck, Firefly.

Sometimes I wonder about my best friend... and my taste in mares.

I trotted past Firefly into the room. It looked like there had been a firefight here.

No, not a firefight. A seige. The room looked like it had been a barracks during the war, and there were a few dozen bunks inside. Most of them were scattered around the entrance, where it appeared the ponies here had made a last stand.

A bunch of ghouls and a half dozen ponies lay around the room, many in pieces. I closed my eyes, taking several slow, deep breaths. Finally I calmed myself and reopened my eyes, speaking up.

I frowned, then shrugged. "Well, we may as well see if they have anything useful. It's not like they're using it anymore." One of the bodies twitched and made a muffled sound, and I hurried over before I realized that it was another ghoul, which growled as it saw me. I spun and bucked it, sending it flying against the wall with a sickening crunch. It made a whistling sound, then went silent and stopped moving.

No.

Bad ghoul!

I am not delicious.

"Yeah..." I glanced to Firefly as she went over to a row of lockers and started opening them. I studied her face for a moment, and noticed that she looked slightly nauseous underneath her grim frown. I went back to browsing through the bodies with a sigh.

Poor bastards.

One of the limbs stood out, an olive coated fetlock with a Pipbuck on it. If I had to guess, it had probably belonged to a unicorn mare. A glance around revealed several other olive coated parts that seemed to suggest there had once been a unicorn mare here. The Pipbuck was in tough shape, but it was a Model 3000. Pressing one of the buttons caused the screen to light up.

It still worked!

...

Of course it still worked - it was a Pipbuck Model 3000. I recalled a rumor of somepony getting hit by lightning and only having their Pipbuck's UI fried.

"Hey boss, I found a Pipbuck over here." Firefly looked up and trotted over.

"Oh, how... sweet. You always get me the nicest of gifts, Dashie..." I smirked at her squicked expression.

That's what you get for throwing somepony's leg at me! She levitated the Pipbuck free of the fetlock and carefully set it aside, copying the data over to hers. "Apparently this belonged to a pony named 'Pole Dancer'."

"That's a strange name." I resumed nosing through the bodies.

Firefly snickered. "Helllo, I'm a unicorn mare with a traditional pegasus name. I'm toootally the queen of weird names here."

Queens are usually evil. How fitting, Firefly.

"Ah, lets see. Personal logs, here we go."

The voice of a quiet, ragged sounding mare emerged from Firefly's Pipbuck. "Okay, so.... something happened." The sound of hoofsteps were audible in the background, back and forth. "The alicorns approached me. They want me to help them. They said they could protect us. I don't know what to say." A brief pause, before the next log played. "They approached me again, when I was out of the base. Stable 60. They said they need me to get something off the computers of Stable 60. I guess I'll do it. They said they'd take me there, and all I need to do is copy the files, but... fuckin' Stables, mare! There's 30 to the south, but that's... the only one that didn't fuck up. Every other Stable... fuckin' Stables, mare! Fuck it." Her voice rose in pitch and intensity. "FUCK IT! I'LL DO IT!" The log ended there.

"I wonder what the alicorns want with Stable 60." I mused quietly, pacing back and forth with a metallic clip clop as Firefly tucked the Pipbuck away.

"Interesting..." Firefly paused and I glanced over to see her, eyes closed and breathing carefully measured. "Oh for... Dashie, stop doing that." I looked to her with a curious look. "The pacing."

Oops.

I stopped and she resumed speaking. "The obvious solution is to go to Stable 60 and get a copy of the computer logs there, but we can't just go there. I'd say most of the ghouls are dealt with. Mission over?"

"Mission over, a'yep." I smirked to Firefly. "Hey boss, wanna bet the Library has a list of all the Stables in the area?"

"Really, Dashie? Not a chance," Firefly shook her head. "Five caps?"

"Five bits!" It was a long shot, of course. Both of us knew it, but I didn't care. "Lemme finish and we can head back to the Stable."

"Five minutes, then we're out of here, Dashie." Firefly went back to rummaging through the lockers. I resumed scavenging weapons, armor and ammo, even spent brass.

"Aye, boss." We finished scavenging the room and continued on, searching for a way out.

#

"Hold on, Dashie, I gotta take a leak." I glanced to Firefly and saw that she was pointing towards a door marked bathrooms.

I shrugged. "Sure thing, boss." I tossed my impish smirk at her. "Do you need toilet paper?"

She mock glared at me. "No." She turned and trotted into the bathroom, the door swinging to a standstill.

A few seconds later, she yelped and her shotgun called out in a quick twin burst, then a third shot.

"Firefly!?" I spun, bucked the door open and rushed into the bathroom.

"I'm okay." There were two ghouls and what appeared to be a dead pony scattered across the room. Most of the ghouls were splattered across the far wall.

Firefly was topping off her shotgun and policing her brass. "There were ghouls," she elaborated. "Emphasis on past tense."

Well said, Captain Obvious.

"Next time, bathroom checks?" I glanced around the room and carefully trotted over to the bodies, nosing through them for anything worth taking.

She sighed. "Next time, bathroom checks. You're right." She nodded as she went into one of the stalls. "Ew! When was the last time somepony flushed these toilets?"

"Probably two hundred years ago." She made a quiet sound of disgusted agreement.

One of the ghouls had a revolver tucked into their uniform, which I freed and wiped off. Opening the cylinder, I judged it was probably 10mm. Six shots, six spent.

I unloaded it, dumped the shells into my brass collection container and put the weapon into my saddlebag.

The other ghoul had a combat helmet marked "MP" on the front. I wiped it off and tucked it away in my saddlebags. The unfortunate pony, a brown and reddish pink maned unicorn mare, had some small armor plates that had survived her death, which I took.

Finished looting the bodies, I moved onto the rest of the room, finding a square, yellow case on it with the distinctive pink butterfly that indicated medical equipment. Even better, it was unopened! I trotted over to it, trying to open it. "Of course." I frowned, glaring at the offending yellow case, turning around to buck it open with... no success.

"Oh for... Dashie, can you keep it down out there? I'm trying to pee!" Firefly's peeved voice came from the stall.

"Right, sorry boss." I rolled my eyes and trotted outside, settling down outside.

She emerged a minute later with a content sigh. "Did you wash your hooves?"

She looked at me with a strange look, then shook her head.

"That's sooo grosssss, boss!" I grinned.

She sighed, shook her head and trotted off. "C'mon Dashie."

"Wait, wait wait. There's a medical box by the door in the bathroom." She blinked and turned around, heading back to the bathroom and leading with her shotgun as she poked her head inside. "To your right."

"Oh! ... How did I miss that?" She pulled back out of the room with the box held in her magic. "A Ministry of Peace box!" I looked to her, confusion apparently visible on my face, and she launched into lecture mode. "The Ministry of Peace was one of the ministries that ran the prewar military. They mostly worked on healing magic and attempted to find a peaceful solution to the war."

"Obviously, they failed." I smirked.

Apparently she picked up on my disinterest. "Alright, alright, I'll skip the history lesson."

"Oh good. I was hoping you would." I settled down on my hooves, looking to the box. "Can you open the box?"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course I can." She set it down and her aura shrank down to focus on the lock as she knelt beside it to put her horn against it.

After a few minutes of intense concentration, she grinned and rose. "Aha! Got it." She popped the box open, levitating the contents into view. A couple of healing potions, a gauze pad and roll of bandages. "It's something, I guess?" She shrugged and set the items back in the bag. "Here Dashie, carry this." She closed and levitated the box, opened the flap on my saddlebags and settled the box inside.

"I was planning to take it anyways." I gestured towards the other bathroom. "Wanna check the other bathroom?" She shrugged, sighed melodramatically, drew her shotgun and headed into the other bathroom.

I was pleased to see she could learn.

A moment later she returned with another medical box, which we consolidated with the first one. I took the second, empty box, sure I'd come up with some use for it at some point. If not I could just donate it to the Stable medical ponies or something.

We continued through the building, looting a trail of buildings to the west as we set off for the Stable. A few more ghouls tried to eat us. Several shots and a couple of bucks later taught them that their decisions were bad, and they should feel bad about it.

The trek back to Stable 30 was long and uneventful. We passed the time sharing what we'd scavenged from Deathcon. Firefly had grabbed some of the irradiated fancy buck cakes, a six pack of irradiated Sparkle-Cola Grape minus one, a couple weapons and some copies of Wingboner Magazine - Colt Edition.

She scowled at my snarky comment about her actually thinking about sex, then admitted she may have a thing for pegasus colts.

Ouch. Then she inquired what I had found.

I sighed and informed her that the most interesting thing I had found was... a bunch of guns. "In my defense, I dragged your flank out of the fire. I think I win. Also I found that Pipbuck." She shrugged in mild agreement.

Finally we arrived back at the Stable and were let inside. Firefly and I went directly to Hot Range's office. She was sitting in her office with pile of paperwork, which she cleared away when we arrived. Firefly explained what we'd learned and suggested that our next place to go is Stable 60. The Colonel called a meeting with the Overmare. The heads of the Arcane Sciences department and Amber Rhyme, the Chief of Justice Operations for the Stable, were also invited. Five minutes later, everyone gathered in the conference room in the Security station.

Astral Vision was Firefly's equivalent in the Arcane Sciences department and a timid dark blue unicorn mare a little younger than Firefly and I. Many Stable ponies, myself included, were unsure why Astral held such a high position - she never seemed to have any magic abilities... but the Council backed her position. Her boss, Uchawi, was a zony - a unicorn with zebra ancestry, with a pale green coat with dark green stripes and a pink and purple striped mane.

I had to admit, her 'unusual' palette was attractive, though her habit of speaking in rhymes was... not.

Amber Rhyme, who I referred to as 'Aristotwit', was the Chief of Justice Operations and handled various bureaucratic tasks within Security, making him equal in position to Firefly. He was one of the members of the Stable who argued for closing the door. This was often put him at odds with Overmare Book Keeper, who was all for helping the Wasteland. I questioned Amber Rhyme's invitation, since his role in Security has little to do with the topic at hand and his politics would probably make him more obstructive than usual.

Overmare Book Keeper was an attractive and intelligent unicorn mare a bit older than Firefly and I. I didn't know her very well, but she had done a decent job of running the Stable so far. Colonel Hot Range was the Head of Security and one of the last members of the 'last' generation of government. She is a clever unicorn, possibly even more so than Firefly. "I trust you will keep us from being disturbed and the contents of this meeting confidential?"

"Yes, ma'am." I saluted and settled down by the door. The Colonel nodded and headed into the conference room. I yawned and started sorting through my saddlebags while I watched the door. An indeterminate time later, the door opened and everypony exited the briefing room. The Arcane Sciences eggheads were discussing something about Stables and alicorns, levitating several stacks of files between them. Aristotwit looked disgruntled, to my amusement. The Colonel and the Overmare were deep in private conversation. Firefly left the room last with a yawn.

"So, Dashie. Do you want to go to Baltimare?" It was a rhetorical question, of course.

Anywhere Firefly went, I went, and she knew this.

"Lovely." I sighed quietly.

Author's Note

Gods I hope that POV switch worked, because that's going to become a 'thing'. Do people still say that? I'unno.

Revised on 04.14.17

Chapter 05 - The City

Fallout Equestria: Stable Scout
Chapter 05
The City

Captain Firefly

I found myself facing a crowd of my peers, which was another first. I'd been the Chief of Field Operations for five years now, but I'd never had a group of these ponies looking at me.

My counterpart in the other half of Security, Justice Amber Rhyme. My direct superior, Colonel Range. Her direct superior, Overmare Book Keeper. Then there was the Arcane Sciences mares, who I was not so familiar with. Uchawi was the Head of Arcane Sciences, a pale green unicorn with zebra ancestry that is evident in her striped coat. Astral Vision was Uchawi's subordinate and my direct counterpart as the Chief Researcher. Her position was surprising, because she took every possible opportunity to downplay her magical power. The Arcane Sciences mares were sitting across from me, Book Keeper at the head of the table, Range and Amber Rhyme to my right.

Book Keeper spoke into her Pipbuck, beginning the meeting. "So, Captain, tell us about your excursion."

I launched into a brief explanation what had happened over the past two days. The fight at Haven, the trip to Deathcon. "While in Haven, one of the townsponies told me that the last Security team had stopped there, and then left. Apparently, one of them had returned, settled down in Haven and had a foal." I paused, glancing around. The group's interest wavered between outright distaste from Range and mild interest from the rest.

Range gave me a dark look. "Captain, it would be best if some ponies stayed dead." Book Keeper glanced to her, and she fell silent.

"Remember, defending the Stable is your priority, not finding your father." Book Keeper spoke up. The room fell silent for a long moment, before she resumed speaking. "Tell us what you found in... Deathcon, was it?"

I nodded and explained about how there was a group of unconnected alicorns in Deathcon. "They apparently wanted something in Stable 60. Do you know anything more about the alicorn project?"

"We know nothing more that is of help to you. It is surprising we know that what we do." Uchawi looked to us. I spent a moment translating that in my mind, before nodding.

Astral Vision was busy digging through her Pipbuck. After a moment, she looked up. "Uhh, sorry, Captain, she's right. I'm not sure how we even know that the IMP Project even existed. It was super classified during the war and the end of the war, well..." She trailed off. Everypony died, of course.

"About what I was expecting." I frowned, then shrugged. A shame. "Do we know where Stable 60 is?"

Astral Vision shook her head. "No. We didn't even know there was a Stable 60 in the area until now." She glanced down to her Pipbuck for a moment. "... the mare from the radio, uh... Lano, Luna? Lunar Note?" I nodded. "She may know more. She probably has more contacts than we do."

The room fell silent for a moment before Amber Rhyme spoke up. "Well... now that your trip outside is over, why should you go out again? We know what's at Haven."

"Because the world outside of the Stable isn't just Haven." I glanced to him. "We need to know more."

"Are you sure you're not simply looking for somewhere else so you can take the Stable's defenses and abandon us?" Amber Rhyme had a smug look, which confused me. Where did that come from?

I looked to him curiously, but Range got called him out. "Justice! You will keep a polite tongue in your mouth or you will stop coming to these sessions."

Amber Rhyme's expression shifted from a smug scowl to an apologetic frown. "My apologies, ma'am." He sounded sincere.

Book Keeper quietly cleared her throat. "Mares. Stallions. Arguments are unproductive." She looked around to all of the ponies in the room, ending with Amber Rhyme. "Now, with all that said, is there anything else you have to add, Captain?" She turned her purple eyes on me.

Hrmm... Ah! "I suggested an alliance with the mayor of Haven. He seemed interested." I looked to Range. "I suggest that Colonel Range go to Haven to negotiate the terms of the alliance."

Book Keeper closed her eyes. "Yes, that sounds good." She opened her eyes and nodded. "Anything else?"

Astral Vision spoke up. "We'll keep looking into the alicorns - we have so much information I don't even know what we have, so we very well may have everything on the IMP Project and not know it." Good.

Book Keeper looked around to the ponies around the table. "Meeting adjourned, then. Good evening, ponies." She smiled as she suited words to action by rising to her hooves, stretching, then trotting over to Range.

I followed Range and Book Keeper out of the conference room with a yawn. "So, Dashie. Do you want to go to Baltimare?" Of course he does.

"Lovely." Dashie sighed.

"Oh, and I win! No list in the Library! Pay up." He narrowed his eyes slightly, then nodded, digging out five prewar bits and tossing them my way. I grinned and tucked them away in my money container. I had to wonder why he kept making these bets, though. He almost always lost them.

I yawned, glancing to the clock on my Pipbuck and doing some quick calculations. Woke up at 0900. Left Haven at 1130. Trotted an hour to reach Deathcon. Passed out. Spent an hour unconscious. Spent a few hours scavenging Deathcon. Another three hours trotting home. An hour in a briefing with my superiors. 1930 now. Got stuff to do. "Dashie, I'm gonna wrap up on some work. You're off duty now, go do whatever you do. Go take a shower! That's an order."

Dashie nodded. "Sure thing, boss." He shrugged at the shower comment. "I'm off duty, you can't order me around like that." He smirked at me as he packed up his stuff and headed to the Armory. I followed him into the Armory, turning in my weapons to Slate Weld first.

"Welcome back, Captain. Did you ruin any of my toys yet?" Weld was sitting at his desk, but at the sight of me, he hurried over to the door.

I yawned. "'Scuse me. No, I haven't ruined any of your weapons. In fact..." I levitated out Firefly's Fury. "I got you a new one. It's called Firefly's Fury. Don't scratch it now."

He opened his mouth to respond, before seeing the IF-9, and he stared at it for a long moment, before carefully taking it from my magic. "Oh that... that's gorgeous." He smiled in awe. "This is beautiful machinework. Where did you find it?" He rotated the magazine tubes with a soft click, before unloading it, lining the shells up in neat rows. "What in...?" He leaned down to stare at the green hulled shells. "What are these?" He looked over to me.

"Taking up space in the weapons store at Haven." I levitated out all of my weapons and ammunition, unloading my pistols and setting the magazines down in neat rows. "According to the mare who ran the shop, they're "Dragon's Breath" shells." I shrugged. "The orange ones are .50 caliber slugs."

"I don't know if those are safe to use... Lemme look at them before you use them." I sighed and nodded, digging out the rest of the ammunition and weapons I'd found. "I found these too."

He set Firefly's Fury aside carefully. "An IF-44! Good find." He casually set the IF-44 aside after unloading it, turning to the beam weapon. "...I don't know what this is." He levitated the beam weapon up, holding it up near his muzzle but pointing away from him.

"It's a beam pistol." I looked to it.

He grumbled at the beam pistol, held in his pale pink aura. "It doesn't even smell like a gun."

I shrugged in response. "Imagine it's unfired. Does it smell like a gun now?" I smirked.

"No." He made a face at it. "Too much plastic, not enough metal, wood or grease." He set the beam weapon aside. "Okay, Captain..." He held my shotgun up. "This inspires me." Oh, great. Wonderful. "Find me a pair of regular IF-9s and I think I can make something with them. Trust me - you'll like it." Oookay...? I nodded and headed off while he put his new toys away.

The next hour or so was spent productively. I stripped off my armor, groaned in sheer delight of being finally free of my heavy gear, then went to deal with the most boring aspects of being in Security - filing reports. I copied my intelligence reports to the Stable computer. Checked the roster to find a team for my next excursion out of the Stable. Took a shower, finally went to sleep in my own bed.

#

The next morning began as most mornings do, with my alarm going off. I slept like a filly. Wow, I guess I must have been really tired. I rose, exercised and retrieved a clean Stable suit for myself.

My mother was passed out on the couch, dead to the world. I paused, and then I noticed her breath fogging the Sparkle-cola bottle in front of her. Unfortunately, only temporarily. I grimaced as I passed her, my grimace fading as she whimpered in her sleep. I wonder if she's dreaming of dad... Memories of being a little filly without a mother floated to the surface of my mind and my grimace returned as I exited my quarters, grumbling and heading for the shower.

A moan filtered out from under the door as it opened with a soft hiss, and I frowned, glancing around before finally seeing the source - a pair of mares were employing, ah, 'ineffectual washing methods' using their tongues. I trotted past them, and one of them - an orange pegasus - immediately snapped to attention and saluted, wings poofed out tightly, hooves spread. "MA'AM! Uh. I, I can explain. MA'AM." Her expression wavered slightly and a glance down revealed her marefriend was laying underneath her on her back. In spite of her wingboner, she was seriously trying to maintain her at attention stance. I had to admit - her dedication was impressive.

"As you were, mares." I sighed and waved her down. "Just cause I can't get any, doesn't mean you can't."

Her marefriend, an orange unicorn mare with a sly smirk, poked her head out from underneath her pegasus partner. "Y'know, Captain... we could change that, if you like..." Her partner was gesturing crazily above her, but I'm not sure the unicorn even saw her.

"Unless one of you are secretly a stallion, I think I'll pass." I turned towards the far shower stall.

"Welll nooo, we're not... but... I recently learned a spell, 'Arcane Strapo-'." Her pegasus friend had given up on trying to shush her with gestures and had turned around, settling down on top of her. Yeah, thank you, no. The unicorn stopped talking and whinnied loudly as I hurried away to take my shower.

You know, maybe I should get back into the dating pool. I could use some stress relief... Surely there's somepony in the Stable that isn't completely intimidated by dating the Chief of Field Operations. Only number three in the entire Stable's chain of command. Heh, heh. Yeah right. The last time I tried that was a pathetic catastrophe. I showered quickly and dressed, exiting the room, unable to quite block out the moans from the two.

"Hey Pumpkin, don't forget you're on duty in an half hour." I left the bathroom, listening to one of them swearing and the other whining as I snickered. Yeah, sure, it might be a bit petty, but messing with my troops heads (and their sex lives) is kind of fun.

I headed to the Cafe to get an apple fritter, dully munching on it as I headed to Security. Unsurprisingly, Dashie was already awake, looking through a bunch of files at his desk. "Mornin' boss."

"Good morning, Dashie." I settled down at my desk, looking through the list of volunteers. Pumpkin Blitz and Cerulean Mend was the first team on the list, which I thought was a good idea. A pony with wings and a pony who knows more about fixing ponies besides 'pour a healing potion down their throat and let them sleep it off' would be useful. Hot Range would be accompanying us, so an escort team for her would be needed as well. After looking through the list, I selected Dawning Petals and Winter Green, and put out an alert to have the four of them meet with us in the briefing room at 0900.

The next hour and a half was filled with the unfortunate necessity of paperwork. Dashie and I headed into the briefing room at 0830. Hot Range trotted in and settled down in a corner in the front of the room. Cerulean Mend and Pumpkin Blitz showed up a couple minutes early. The orange pegasus mare had a cheerful and curious expression, dressed in the Security under armor barding like I was, her wings folded up against her sides. Upon seeing me, she ducked her head and headed for the back corner quickly. Cerulean Mend was small, a pale cyan unicorn colt with a black and purple streaked mane, and he was dressed in the normal Stable barding that covered his front half. He laid down in the middle of the briefing room. Dawning Petals and Winter Green arrived a few minutes later. Dawning Petals was a pale blue-green unicorn mare who wore her dark red and purple striped mane and tail in a tight braid. At some point in the past couple of years, a brawl had cost her the tip of her right ear. Winter Green was a large, green earth pony with a cropped pale green mane and tail. Minty rolled his shoulders, waved to me and settled down in the front row next to Dawn. Finally, I noticed Justice Amber Rhyme leaning by the door. Interesting.

After a moment of letting everypony sit down, I turned on my Pipbuck's recording device and cleared my throat. "Good morning, everypony, thank you for coming. You are now officially a part of Operation Baltimare." I paused for just a moment, surveying the group. "Operation Baltimare is the Stable's plan of defense. The objectives are simple. First and most important, is intelligence. We know nothing about the wasteland around us, and we can't prepare for what we don't know exists. Second, is spreading repute for the Stable. The ponies outside don't know anything about us. They need to be happy when we show up, and they can't do that without knowing us. We scratch their backs, they scratch our backs when we need them to. Questions?"

Everypony shared a look, but nopony had any questions yet.

I projected a map of the area on the wall behind me. "Today, there are two separate missions going on under Operation Baltimare." I gestured to myself and Dashie. "Team One - Lieutenant Dash and I - will be heading to the Baltimare Radio station." I pointed out where Baltimare Radio was on the map - a radio tower in a square - then gestured to Pumpkin Blitz and Cerulean Mend. "Pumpkin and Cerulean will be Team Two, acting as backup for Team One as they proceed to Baltimare Radio." The two of them shared a look, Pumpkin curiously cheerful, Cerulean wary. Good, good.

"The other mission will be escorting the Colonel to Haven." I pointed out where Haven was approximately on the map - a town marker appeared there - and then pointed to the other two security ponies in the room, Dawn and Minty. "Dawn and Minty will be Team Three, acting as escort for the HVI." I gestured towards Range, settled in a corner. She waved a hoof in response. "After the HVI has completed her task, Team Three will return to the Stable with her." I paused for a moment, glancing around. "Questions?"

"Yeah." Cerulean Mend rose from his haunches, waving a hoof in the air. "What purpose does going to the radio station have for Stable defense?"

"That's a good question. In the short term, it doesn't. In the long term, we need the radio station on our side, because if they wanted to, they could turn the wasteland against us."

Cerulean looked to me with a confused expression, head cocked. "What sense would doing that make?"

"We're in the Baltimare Wasteland. There ain't no sense to be found within these lands, Doctor." I remembered the cut down IF-64 rifle I'd seen in the gun store in Haven.

He frowned, then shrugged, laying back down. "Right then..." I glanced around the rest of the group.

Dawn spoke up softly, waving a hoof in the air. "Why is the Colonel going to Haven, ma'am?" She glanced to Range, curled up in the corner.

"That's classified for the moment." The edges of her mouth curled down in a frown. "I know, I know. You'll find out soon enough." I looked around. "Any other questions?" The lack of responses suggested no. "Alright folks." I glanced down to my Pipbuck's clock. 0855. "We move out at 1000. Gather back here no later than 0930. Dismissed!" The security team filed out of the room and dispersed. I followed them out a moment later with a yawn and trotted to my desk, levitating out a shot glass and my bottle of healing potion, consuming a shot of it. There we go.

The next half hour was consumed by reports and other, less than amusing and yet vital parts of Security. Finally, at 0920, I headed to the briefing room to find the rest of my team was gathered there. Excellent. Glancing around, I noticed there were a few extra ponies. Not so excellent. Amber Rhyme was back.

I cleared my throat and everypony quieted. "Nice to see everypony here on time. Any more questions?"

The orange unicorn mare from the shower earlier waved one of her hooves. "Uh, Captain, how long will this take?" She was standing next to Pumpkin Blitz, the two of them at an intimate distance.

"That's a question I don't have an answer for. We don't know anything about Baltimare. This could take a couple days, this could take a week." A couple of them shared looks. An inquiry if there were any further questions confirmed there were none. "Let's get ready then. To the Armory!"

I lead the way to the Armory. Minty and Dawn started helping each other dress. Dawn had an IF-44 subgun, hanging from a sling across her side. Minty was lightly armed with an IF-21 pistol. Both of them were in heavy armor with hard plates, Minty with a helmet, Dawn in a boonie cap. The rest of the team dressed and were ready, armed and armored in fifteen minutes, and assembled in the entrance room.

Pumpkin Blitz was dressed in light armor with a helmet, the visor flipped up. A beam pistol sat in a chest holster, and several spark batteries were tucked safely into sealed pouches beside it. The front of her barding was covered in useful equipment - a length of rope, a flare, marking chalk, binoculars, a knife sheathed by her jaw. She was deep in a discussion with her unicorn partner - I caught something about "the Colonel not liking intra-Security relationships" before the unicorn shut her up with a kiss. This is true. I wonder what that's about.

Amber Rhyme caught my eye and I trotted over coolly. "Yes?"

"I would like to apologize for my behavior at the meeting last night." He bowed his head lightly. "I spoke without thinking, and I did not intend to question your loyalty to the Stable. Your father..." He paused. "Was not very popular among the leadership. Many saw his exit from the Stable as abandoning his responsibilities." I wasn't expecting that. "I wish you good luck on your mission." He lowered his voice slightly. "As a side note, the Council is watching you very closely, Captain. I would advise that you don't screw this up." He saluted me.

I blinked, not sure how to respond to that, before nodding. "Thank you, Justice." I returned his salute, and he trotted off to talk to Range.

Cerulean Mend sat in a corner with a grouchy look, dressed in the same soft armor I was. I trotted over to him. "How are you feeling?" An IF-18 revolver lay slung across his chest.

He shook his head in contempt. "No more apprehensive than whenever I have to leave the Stable. At least this time we have another competent unicorn with us."

"... Thank you." I think?

"Wasn't talkin' about you." He nodded over at Range, who was in a discussion with Book Keeper and Amber Rhyme. He looked back to me. "I s'ppose you're alright. You're a decent spokespony, at least..." He glanced down to my saddlebags, and the healing potion sticking out of it. "Try not to drink all of our healing potions. I don't like healing potions, but they'll do in a pinch when I don't have the magic reserves to, oh, I don't know, regrow half of the muscles in your foreleg or something." He glanced over to my face, our eyes locking for a moment. "I don't have to remind you that's not a good idea, right?"

Uh huh... I shrugged and walked over to Dashie. "A week, boss?" He grinned at me.

I shrugged again. "Expect the worst, hope for the best. I doubt it'll be more than a few days, but like I said, we don't know anything about Baltimare. That's the point of Operation Baltimare, after all." I glanced down to my Pipbuck's clock - 0954 - before clearing my throat loudly. "Five mikes, everypony. Kit check, kit check." Around me, everyone checked over their kit one final time, checked weapons, checked their comms and otherwise prepared to move out.

Five minutes later, everyone said they were done and we moved out, exiting the Stable grounds, beyond the wire. After a few minutes of trotting, Pumpkin glanced up and smirked cheerfully, galloping forward before throwing herself into the air. I watched her for a long moment, before remembering how easily I got motion sick and quickly returning my eyes to the damp dirt below us. Pumpkin's laughter came through the comms. "Pumpkin, I don't mind if you're having fun, but while you're up there, keep an eye out for anything on the ground."

"Yes ma'am!" She giggled. I glanced around to the rest of the group. Cerulean was in a discussion with Range. Dawn and Dashie were idly chitchatting.

#

Three hours later, we made it to Haven, were let inside by one of the guards on the walls and headed over to the Mayor's office. The mayor's secretary inquired if we had an appointment. You ass.

"Oh for Celestia's sake, Tumbler! Let the damn mare in." I smiled innocently in response to Tumbler's annoyed glare as he waved us through. "From now on, when this mare shows up, you send her in immediately! Y'hear?" Tumbler said he agreed, though I doubted he was pleased about it. "Mornin' Scout! Oh, brought some company, did ya?"

"Of course, Mayor. This is Colonel Hot Range. She's here to negotiate our alliance with your lovely town." Range trotted in behind me, glancing around his office with contempt. He gave her a lecherous grin, and I hoped he wasn't thinking of flirting with her. "Colonel, this is the Mayor of Haven."

"Very well, Captain. Resume your previous mission." Range trotted inside his office, levitating her helmet off as she spoke to the Mayor. "Nice little fortress you've got here..." Please don't try to flirt with her, Mayor.

"Yes ma'am." I nodded and gestured to my ponies. "Team Three will stay with the Colonel and escort her back to the Stable after her task is completed. Team Two will accompany Team One on to Baltimare. We'll see you back at the Stable, Team Three." I received two comm clicks in response. "Team Two, hold here at the Mayor's office. We have some tasks to take care of before we can leave." I received another group of comm clicks. "Dashie, on me."

"Riiight behind you, boss."

Dashie fell in with me as I trotted over to talk to Tumbler. "We're here to claim the bounty on Deathcon."

"Did you actually go to Deathcon?" Tumbler frowned at us, somehow managing to look condescending while we towered over him in our kit.

Ugh. I blinked, then turned and looked through my saddlebags, levitating out the box of irradiated Fancy Buck snack cakes and dumping it on his desk. "Yes." My Pipbuck went crazy as it came out.

"What the..." Tumbler stared at the box, leaning down to look at them. "Fancy Buck snack cakes?" He levitated a switchblade out and cut the box open, levitating one out.

"Those are..." I began to tell him they were irradiated.

Tumbler looked at me, his look full of contempt and annoyance. "Yes?" You know what, never mind. "Mmmm, delicious." He took another bite out of it and spoke with his mouth full. So much for manners. "Go talk to Frosty over there," he gestured over towards another section of the building and turned back to his terminal as he opened another snack cake, signaling an end to the conversation.

I glanced to Dashie, who shrugged, and I turned to head to the room he told us to go. "Not sure I can complain, saves us the trouble of tracking her down." Dashie grunted in quiet agreement.

Tumbler pointed us to partially ajar door with a poorly written sign marked "Security". I knocked on it, and it fell open. A loud crash came from inside and a familiar voice yelled at us. "What? WHAT IS IT, WHAT DO YOU WANT NOW?" Frosty sighed as I looked into her office and she realized who it was. "Oh. It's you. I'm sorry. Again. Captain Firefly, you said?" She was nude, sprawled out behind a small desk covered in paperwork. Her lever rifle and belt of rounds hung from a peg beside her. A broom hung from a peg behind her desk. She pulled herself into a somewhat decent position as I poked my head inside her office.

"That's right." I nodded, entering. "Dashie, stay outside." There might not be enough space for three of us in here. "I'm here to collect the bounty on Deathcon. Tumbler said you were the pony to talk to."

"For a start, did you actually go to Deathcon?" I opened my mouth before she cut me off. Damn it. "Y'know what, I don't even care. I believe you anyways." Frosty yawned again and rolled over to look through the papers on her desk, mumbling to herself. "Here ya go." She stamped a sheet of paper and levitated it over to me. "Take this to Mocha Circus on the other side of the building." I opened my mouth, but she cut me off again. "Yes, I know. I KNOW. I'm sorry."

Something dripped on me, and I looked up to see Frosty's barding was stretched on hooks. I glanced to her. "Yeah, sorry about that too. Hey, by any chance, you don't know a drying spell, do you?"

I shook my head. "I'm not drying your barding for you."

"No, didn't think so. You never answered my question, though." This is true. I did not.

"You would think, with a name like Firefly..." I sighed and glanced up to her barding again, a square in a shade of yellow with a familiar three inside it, partially covered by sewn over patches. "Speaking of your barding... where did you get it?"

Frosty glanced up to it with a groan. "It was in my mom's stuff when she died, and it's the only thing I have that really fits." She waved her hoof with her Pipbuck on it. "Oh! And this thing. Damned thing locked up when I put it on."

"Oh really? ... that's interesting."

"What do you mean, 'interesting'?" She glared at me suspiciously. I opened my mouth to explain as Dashie poked his head in and interrupted me. I think I kept the irritation from my expression at that.

"Was your mother's name 'Soulful Impact', by any chance?" Both of us turned and stared at him.

Frosty's jaw dropped. "What? How did you know that!?" Dashie? Her rifle spun out from its hook, pointing at Dashie.

Dashie ignored the rifle being stuffed in his face. "I memorized the profiles for the previous team this morning, and two of the officers were pregnant when they left. Soulful Impact was one of them, and her palette looks similar to yours." Shiiit. Nice, Dashie.

"Just like that, huh?" Frosty leaned back at that with a low grunt, returning her rifle to its spot. "Alright then... Was there anything else you needed, Captain?"

I smiled to her. "I'd like to offer you a choice to come back to the Stable, if you want."

She spent a moment considering, before she shook her head. "Nah! Haven is my home, not the Stable. Plus, if I were to leave, this town would collapse within a week, and nopony wants that."

I looked around. "Y'know, we could offer you quarters bigger than a broom closet." For a long moment, she looked definitely tempted. Ha ha. "Yeah, you've got a good point there. Nopony wants Haven to disappear, most of all the Stable, so whatever you're doing, keep it up. Oh, one more thing. If you want that thing," I gestured to her Pipbuck, "fixed or removed, stop by Stable 30 and tell them I sent you, they'll get it straightened out for you. See ya 'round, Frosty." I smirked at her and left her office.

Dashie poked his head in. "Y'know, ma'am... you look a bit stressed out..." She bit back a response, which I could imagine the content without words. "I could 'help' you with burning some stress, if you want."

I sighed. "C'mon, lovercolt. I think you've 'helped' enough ponies to your dick already this week." I pulled him out by his mane, heading for Mocha's office. He protested that he wasn't just crudely 'helping ponies to his dick', he's assisting them with stress-related issues that sometimes involved his dick, but more often simply involved his tongue. Too much info, Dashie.

Mocha Circus was an aptly named brown unicorn mare with a brown and blue mane and a pleasant smile. "Hello. What can I help you ponies with?"

I levitated out the paper Frosty had given me. "We're here to claim the bounty on Deathcon. Frosty authorized it."

She took the sheet and studied it for a long moment, before nodding and tucking it away. "This way, please." She trotted out past us and lead us across the building again.

Dashie leaned over to whisper to me. "Where do you think they found all these desks?" I shushed him with a look, and he smirked back at me.

"Stay here, please." The mare lead us to a door and went inside, returning a minute later with a bag of caps held in her deep blue magic. "One thousand caps, as agreed upon." I eyed the bag, considering counting it before realizing that a dozen caps means nothing in the grand scheme of things. "Have a pleasant day, ponies." She locked the door behind her and trotted back to her office. I took the bag and split it into roughly equal halves, dumping half in Dashie's caps bag and the other half in mine.

Dashie leaned over to me and whispered. "Seems pleasant, but kind of boring..." I glanced at him levelly. "Not a bad flank, either, though Frosty's is nicer, don't you think?"

I sighed. "Let's move, Dashie." We talked to Frosty about her barding. Got paid for the bounty. Did I forget something? No. "Let's go." I headed back to pick up Team Two, requested Team Three convey my message about Frosty's Pipbuck and headed out of Haven, heading for Baltimare.

#

After a while of trotting and finding absolutely nothing other than trees and bogs to both sides of us, I turned on the radio and was greeted by Lunar Note's wonderful voice.

"SOOOOO PONIES, y'all might be thinking, Baltimare has been slackin', just a bit, in the whole "havin' a Stable hero" department. TURNS OUT, we were just takin' our sweet time to do so, courtesy of Stable 30. Stable 30's colt showed up and killed a bunch of ghouls attacking Haven. Hearsay says he even blew up a ghoul in one of those Steel Ranger power armor suits, too! So if you see some ponies in Stable 30 armor, give 'em a hoof, will ya? Even heroes need help sometimes. As always, folks, keep on your hooves and watch your fire! With that, here's a reminder about how again and again nature points out the folly of equuskind."

"...I'm not a colt..." I frowned, then glanced to Dashie and sighed, who smirked. "You know everything that is wrong with that, right?"

"Yeah, but without you choosing to go with Enamel that night, we wouldn't be escorting that caravan, wouldn't have shown up in time to help Haven. By extension, all of our actions are because of you. You kiiiind of are a hero, yeah."

"Oh shut up, Dashie. That was your suggestion, anyways." I debated his last comment. "Do you remember what Captain Armet used to say about heroes?"

Dashie glanced up to the sky for a moment, before dully reciting, "Heroes are ponies who get innocent ponies killed."

"Exactly." I frowned slightly at his irreverent tone. "We're not heroes. We're professionals. We are Security. Security saves ponies."

Dashie rolled his eyes. "Please, boss. Reciting some flag waving rhetoric bullshit? I thought you were smarter than that."

What. I blinked. "Pardon?"

"With all due respect, ma'am." His tone suggested anything but, though I knew he meant it, to a point. "That is a load of crap, and you know it." His expression shifted, and I thought I detected a hint of an interrogative behind it. "We're heroes, Celestia damn it. You want to go and help the wasteland, right? Like the Security Mare and the Stable Dweller? You're a damn hero and you know it."

He had a point. I did want to help the wasteland. I sighed. "Your point is made, Lieutenant." I disliked pulling rank, but I'm not going to have my subordinates questioning me in combat.

He snickered slyly. "We'll be doing this again, boss."

I shrugged, ignoring that, and glanced up to Pumpkin Blitz, our eyes in the sky. She was very carefully not paying attention to us, which meant she'd been listening to our every word. Hrm. I switched to the squad frequency. "Hey Pumpkin, do you see anything?"

"Trees, swamps. I think there's a radfrog off in the distance, but I can't tell. My EFS isn't giving me anything useful. In other words, a whole lotta nothin', ma'am." She rolled over, buzzing us. I could hear her giggling through the radio again.

#

LOCATION FOUND: BALTIMARE

A couple more hours passed and we reached the outer limits of Baltimare. The sun was starting to go down. Pumpkin stopped wheeling about in the sky and went back to hovering with us. In the distance a large, round structure was visible, and Dashie suggested we go check it out. I considered, then nodded. "Sure, why not."

After a few minutes of trudging along in silence, Dashie broke the silence. "Hey, what do you think those are?" He pointed out some crude artwork painted on a building's wall. A crimson gear that strongly reminded me of the Stable's door had been painted over it... recently.

I spoke up, musing idly. "Gang symbols, perhaps?"

Pumpkin trotted over to it. "That last one looks like the Stable-tec logo, ma'am..."

"That's right, it does..." Hrm... I wonder...

LOCATION FOUND: BALTIMARE - ROOKS STADIUM

Finally, a half hour later, we reached the structure. A large sign overlooking one of the entrances said it was "Rooks Stadium" and "Home of the Baltimare Rooks". There was a large entrance, a few dozen pony lengths wide, with several brick doorways stretching across the bottom. Most of the doors had been blocked off, but the one in the center was still open. Above the entrances was open space for pegasi to enter. A strip of purple gems ran around the top level of the stadium. Two hundred years later, some of them still glowed brightly. I glanced to Dashie. "I don't think you can reach those gems, Dashie."

He glanced up at them, chewing on his lip, then smirked at me. "I can definitely reach those gems, boss." I shrugged and started for the open door.

A sound drew my attention to the floor, and suddenly I found myself airborne. My ears were filled with a loud ringing. Oh crap. My visor was spiderwebbed with cracks. Nothing had penetrated. Still alive. Good. Okay. What just happened. I felt something dripping out of my ears and nose. Eww. Somepony rushed over to me, and looking up at them, I saw it was Cerulean Mend. Two of him, in fact. I could hear by the time he made it to me, but my ears were still ringing. What is that smell?

"You stupid security pony. WHY DID YOU DRINK A HEALING POTIO-. Never mind that." I looked up, blinking. His voice sounded fuzzy. I opened my mouth to inquire as to why there were two of him. "Don't answer that, you idiot." His horn lit the area up around us in a lavender glow.

The Doctor took a step back and frowned deeply. What's up, doc? "Oh! Hmmm..." He started to say something further as he leaned down and then, blackness.

#

Security Officer Pumpkin Blitz

I heard a dull thump and felt a blast of air pressing against me, but it just pushed me back and made my ears ring. I looked up in the direction it had come from and saw Captain Firefly flying through the air back towards us. I hurried towards her, only for Lieutenant Dash to bite my tail.

"Stay back!" I glanced down and saw a series of round discs and bits of debris. I slowly flapped my wings to climb and backed away from them as Mend hurried over to her. My visor flashed a Flatline alert, and I looked to the Captain. "Captain!"

"Dash, get over over here and drag Firefly into cover." Dash carefully trotted over to the Captain and Mend, dragging her behind a pile of debris. "Pumpkin, go get Firefly's leg. It's over there somewhere." Mend gestured over towards the entrance, inside the field of explosives and traps. "Surely Basic taught you idiots something about first aid." I flapped over towards the two of them, glancing to the marker on my visor that illuminated the Captain's Pipbuck. "Or mine sweeping. I hope." It's called 'EOD', Mend...

"I found it..." A strong smell, metallic and spicy, surrounded me as I approached the two of them. Based off what Cerulean had said, I suspected it was blood. "Oh Celestia..." I fought back the urge to vomit as I carefully dropped to my hooves after making sure there were no explosives below them and used my wings to fan the smell away from us.

"Well, I suppose that was useful-ish... I think, but I really need Captain Landmine's leg now, because the longer it is before we reattach it, the less likely it will work properly in the future." I nodded and flew off to retrieve her leg, keeping my distance from the all of the debris in the area. "Good, this will do." The limb was pulled from my hooves by a purple aura and floated out of sight between Dash and Mend.

I flapped over to the doctor, looking to the Captain. "Are you sure she'll be okay?" He nodded and settled down beside her, rummaging through his medical bag. The Captain groaned and moved. Mend immediately turned and cast a spell on her. "Back to sleep, you." She went limp. He reattached her limb, casting another spell, her foreleg surrounded in a lavender aura.

While he tended to the Captain, Lieutenant Dash dug out one of the mines and disarmed it, showing me how to do it.

Finally Mend cast another spell and Captain Firefly groaned again, rolling over. "Are we feeling alive? That would be good."

The Captain dug out her canteen, taking a long drink. "... I'm alive."

"All thanks of your conveniently present expert practitioner of battlefield medicine." He levitated out a speedloader for his revolver and held it up in front of the Captain. "Watch this. Don't move your head." She complied. "Good, good." I sighed. Mend is a good doctor, but he's... his bedside manner needs some work. "How do you feel?"

"... been better." The Captain nodded and pushed herself to her hooves.

"Of course you have. Your vital organs were subjected to far more pressure than they're supposed to. Your eardrums were ruptured and your left fetlock was explosively removed. You lost at minimum three, possibly four liters of blood. Quite frankly, it's a miracle you're still feeling anything. Or a testament to my skill. Probably both." He leaned up to look in her ears, which twitched as he got close to them. "What is the takeaway from this?"

"Don't step on landmines?" She spread her back legs as she waved in place.

"That's right. DON'T. STEP. ON. LANDMINES." He leaned back and smacked her over the side of the helmet with his hoof. "You idiot." She tumbled back to the ground with a shocked yelp. "And don't forget to thank your doctor."

A red and blue blur suddenly tackled Mend, and then Lieutenant Dash was pinning Mend to the ground. Oh shit!

"Dashie! Let him go." The Captain had pushed herself back to her hooves. "That was mean, but I deserved it." Um... "Let him go." She limped over towards the two of them. Dash growled at Mend, the two of them muzzle to muzzle, before stepping aside and letting Mend to his hooves. Mend started packing up his medical equipment. "I'll make sure you get a commendation for this, Cerulean."

"A commendation for doing my job? Thank you, no." What's his problem? He rose to his hooves with a groan. "You're all done, Firefly. Drink this." He levitated a healing potion out next to her, which she drank. "You'll be tired while your body regenerates. Try not to do anything too strenuous for the next few hours. I'll take a look at you when we break for the night unless something else happens, like you stepping on more high explosives." He paused, rubbing his muzzle. "I don't need to tell you not to do that again, right?"

#

We continued into the Stadium. A sign inside stated this was the Ticket Office. I hovered, keeping my hooves off the ground, hoping to avoid stepping on a mine. Glass crunched under the hooves of my fellow security officers. After a short trot, we found ourselves at a junction. A map showed that we were at one end of the oval-shaped stadium.

The Captain limped over to the map, studying it. "Team Two, head north and circle around. Team One will head to the south and do the same." She pointed to a spot on map, marked "Ticket Office". "We are here, at Point Thorn." She pointed to the map on the other side at a spot marked "Gate B". "We'll rendezvous on the other side of the stadium, at Point Bravo at..." She paused to look at her Pipbuck. "1630, should nothing go wrong. Keep in contact." She turned to us. "Questions?"

"What are we doing here, exactly?"

"Gathering intel and supplies."

Lieutenant Dash snickered. "She means looting."

The Captain gave him a sidelong glance. "See you in a few hours. Move out." Team One turned and headed to the left, Captain Firefly limping in Lieutenant Dash's wake.

I turned and fluttered down the hallway to the right, looking back towards Mend. "Soo... you said she was a 'stupid security pony'. Does that mean you don't consider yourself a security pony?"

He looked to me with an unsure look, before returning to his usual contemptuous grimace. "Of course I don't. I'm not a Security pony. I'm a doctor whose area of expertise happens to be battlefield medicine."

"It sure looks like you're dressed like a Security pony..."

"That's correct. I'm dressed like a Security pony. I am not one. I'm wearing armor, because only an idiot would leave someplace like the Stable without armor. This just happens to be the most accessible armor for me."

I nodded slowly, thinking about that. "Okay."

"Thats all? 'Okay'?" He frowned at me.

I nodded again, glancing back eyes forward. "Yes? Why?"

"Oh thank Sombra. Everypony else seems to enjoy pig-piling on me because I don't like Security and I don't suck up to Firefly."

I shrugged, turning to face him, hovering in place to let him catch up. "I don't really understand why you don't like Security, but... my family has been in Security since the Stable first closed, so it was kind of inevitable..."

He grumbled, speeding up to catch up to me. "So you're one of those generation jarheads. Figures." I frowned, sticking my bottom lip out at him. "Oh don't give me that look. You're not too obnoxious, all things considered. Let's go." He trotted past me. Hello, kettle. Pot says hi. I sighed and flew after him, tips of my primaries brushing the dusty walls.

#

After a while of trotting, we came to a large room. A locker room, if I had to guess. A purple shield with the head of a bird decorated the plushly carpeted floor, and Mend's hoofsteps kicked up small clouds of dust. There were no bodies, but the dark wood lockers were full of sports equipment. "Hey, Mend. You said you were looking for armor?" I grinned and pointed with a hoof.

He glanced where I'd pointed and shook his head. "That's not armor, that's sports equipment. One absorbs blunt force trauma damage, one stops bullets. Big difference."

I smiled at him and flapped over to one of the doorways, which lead to a bunch of showers. "Clear." I settled into hovering, turning to face Mend. "You know, you're not very much fun to be around."

He paused mid-step and looked to me, our Pipbucks ticking softly in the silence. "You're a nice mare, so I'll be honest with you." He put his hoof down, kicking up another small cloud of dust. "I hate the wasteland. It's full of things that don't want to kill you but will anyways, or things that aren't even living, but will kill you anyways. It's full of evil ponies who want to do nothing more than kill you and turn your corpse into a cock ornament. It's full of death, and as a doctor, I was trained to heal ponies. Not kill them." He fell silent, before changing the topic. "Do you remember Firefly's dad?"

I blinked, wondering where he was going with this and shook my head. "No, Captain Nimbus had already left the Stable before I was born."

"Con-grat-u-fuckin-lations. Red was an asshole. A prime, Grade-A asshole. I dunno if his daughter's one too and really good at hiding it, or not..." He paused, staring off at the wall. "No, Red wasn't an asshole. Not at first. The Wasteland turned Red into an asshole. THAT is why I hate the wasteland. It brings the worst out of ponies."

Maybe I shouldn't have brought this up, but... "Soo... why did you agree to leave the Stable with me?"

"Because, I don't know. Maybe I had a stupid moment. Maybe I knew that, deep down, Firefly deserved a chance to blaze her own path without the stain of her father's name."

"This sounds a lot like gossiping..." I regretted opening my mouth.

"Heh, heh heh..." This was the first time I'd heard him laugh. It wasn't a pretty or a happy sound. "Gossip? Ha, you have no idea some of the stuff I know. Red had it all - he had a gorgeous mare for a wife, a cute kid, a great job. Then it went to his head and he turned into an asshole. Maybe he'd always been an asshole and just had been more careful at hiding it before. Apparently he tried to sleep with his wife's best friend, and she didn't take kindly to that. Who was that..." He paused for the sake of drama, because I could tell he knew exactly what he was going to say. "Oh! Hot Range. Colonel Hot Range, you ask? The very same." He grinned. "So, Red leaves. His wife starts drinking. Range is kicked upstairs to take her position, and her first official task? Formalizing her best friend's dishonorable discharge." He sighed dramatically. "That poor fillyfooler..." He stopped talking. "I kinda feel sorry for Firefly, honestly." He shrugged and glanced around, smirking at me.

His smirk matched his laugh, and I wondered if he was anchored in reality anymore, or if Captain Nimbus was really as bad as he said he was. "Stop! I don't want to hear any more!" He paused, and his expression changed to one of shock, staring at me. "Just... stop! You're being mean for the sake of being mean, even if you are right." I frowned and turned, flying off towards the doorway. "... you're not a very nice stallion..." I heard him sighing softly, and I wondered if he regretted opening his mouth, too.

#

We continued through the Stadium, finding a lot of cramped, concrete corridors. You'd think, growing up in a Stable, I'd be used to closed spaces, right? I'm used to them. I don't like them.

"Team Two, Team One, report. Over."

I keyed my radio. "Situation okay, Captain."

"Team Two, Team One. Send traffic. Over!" Huh? Captain Firefly didn't get my reply?

I glanced to my partner. He had been quiet since his outburst in the locker rooms, but I couldn't tell if he was just reverting to his quiet state, or if he regretted what he'd said earlier. "Mend, try answering the Captain."

He started, glanced to me, considered for a moment, and then nodded, keying his radio. "What's up, Firefly."

"Why didn't you respond earlier?"

"Wings did. Something's wrong with your Pipbuck, it's probably on your end." I glanced over to him at calling me 'Wings'. A long delay followed, and I'm unsure if it was intentional or because comm issues.

"That's... interesting." The Captain's tone suggested "interesting" wasn't the word she was thinking of. "Situation okay?"

"You betcha. So, boss, are we looking for boring, concrete walls? We've found a whole lotta boring, concrete walls. Oh, and radiation. My Pipbuck hasn't stopped ticking since we entered this Sombra damned city."

The Captain sighed softly and spoke over him. "Point taken, Doctor. Keep me informed if anything happens. Out."

"Sure thing, Firefly." I glanced to Mend, and he smiled, a little nervous.

I returned his smile. "If I'm 'Wings', does that make you 'Horn'?"

He grinned. "Interestingly, did you know that the medically proper term for the horn is 'alicorn'?"

I did not, and I told him so. We passed a few mines, which I stopped to disarm and take. Mend made a snide comment about how I was taking after Lieutenant Dash so well. I wasn't quite sure what he was talking about, so I didn't respond.

A short time later, I heard a distant crack. "Hey, did you hear that?" I looked to Mend.

Mend's response was cut off by radio static, followed by the Captain clearly saying "Contact, contact!" Oh crap.

After a moment, our comms cleared up. "Team One, base of fire! Team Two, flank! They're halfway up the seats on the southern side."

"Team Two copies, flanking southern stands! Out." Oh, crap.

I glanced to Mend, who frowned, then shrugged. "There were stairs back there." He turned and cantered down the corridor. "Lets go." I hopped into the air, took to wing and darted after him.

A few minutes of cantering took us to the main level of the stands. I dropped to my hooves, folding my wings partially as I scanned the area. I saw a path of bloodstains leading to a door along a raised section of the stands. We weren't too far from their hideout, and I saw a large scoped rifle swathed in an olive green aura poking over the top of the barrier.

I pointed it out, and spent a moment thinking. "I'll fly up and distract them while you sneak over there and throw the mines inside?"

He blinked and frowned, closing his eyes and mouthing something.

"Team Two, Team One, where are you?!" The Captain's voice had a hint of concern.

"Team One, Team Two. We're near them, but they don't know we're here. Starting our attack now. Some cover fire would be nice. Over."

"Consider it done. Out!" Lieutenant Dash's voice came over the comms, and Team One started firing again.

"Doctor?" I looked to him. "We have to go, now."

He mumbled inaudible something before speaking to me. "I know. I know." He sighed. "On your go." I stripped off my saddlebags and threw myself into the air and started climbing. Mend called to me through the comms, "Hey, Wings. Don't get shot."

I nickered. "Are you starting to care for me, Horn?"

"No. Feathers are a pain in the ass to fix." He sighed quietly, mumbling something to himself as I watched him crawling towards the raider hideout, several landmines held in his purple aura.

After a few seconds of flying, I was high enough to start shooting at them and drew my beam pistol instead of responding. My first shot hit the receiver of the rifle as it spun towards me. I guessed I had disabled the rifle, since the unicorn dropped the rifle and fumbled for a revolver. One of their shots hit my visor, spiderwebbing it. I yelped, dropping my weapon. Holy shit! If I hadn't been wearing a helmet...

"Wings? You okay?" Not now, Mend... I folded my wings and brought up SATS, dropping like a stone until I opened my wings. Ow ow ow. I grabbed my pistol, firing a burst of shots at the unicorn with the sniper rifle as I dropped into a hover. A sharpened metal stake flew past, above me by at least a dozen meters. Not even close! I paused and opened fire at the unicorn, who was covered in a sort of armored barding made of clipboards. Instead of burning through the clipboards - like they should have - my shots sizzled against them ineffectively. What!? I moved horizontally across their field of vision, firing as I went. SATS ended. Several shots tugged at my barding, but none punched through, thankfully.

...and then they all exploded! Thank the sun. I circled around and swooped over their hideout long way, looking if there was anypony moving and finding nothing. I slid my beam pistol back into its holster as I dropped into a hover over the area. "All clear. Doctor?"

"I'm here." He groaned as he crawled over the edge of the box, looking at the results of his work with a frozen look.

"Team One, Team Two, it's secure up here, come on up. Over." The unicorn with the sniper rifle was olive with messy, dark green striped hair. A coffee mug had had the bottom bored out and used as an improvised horn guard. A revolver lay beside her, and I trotted over to kick it away from her. Clipboards? I stomped on one, and it resisted my hoof. Wow, what were they made of? I turned to study the rest of the scene.

The smell of blood in the air was sickening, overwhelming. There had been several other raiders with her armed with a mix of guns and close quarters weapons, including what appeared to be a sword that had been forcefully mated with a flamethrower. "We got a live one. Medic!"

I held my breath as I trotted over to the survivor, kicking another pistol away from him.

Curiously, he happened to be wearing a familiar looking combat helmet. The front of it bore the Stable-tec emblem, much like ours. A look around revealed a Pipbuck attached to a limb with an identical olive coat. Mend hurried over, freezing for a moment, as he stared at what he had done. I trotted over and put my hoof on Mend's shoulder. He glanced over to me, a look of disgust and fear crossing his face momentarily as he stepped away from me, then he got to work on the raider. Letting the medic do his job, I went over to investigate the Pipbuck. It was in a lock down countdown. "Team One, Team Two, we've got some Stable kit up here. Over."

"Say again, Team Two. Did you say 'Stable kit'? Over." The Captain sounded incredibly interested in that.

"Affirm. There's a Stable helmet and a Pipbuck in Security lock down up here."

"Roger. We're en route to your position, ETA three mikes. Out." The Captain sounded out of breath. While Mend tried to patch up the raider for interrogation, I jumped the barrier between the raider's nest and the stands, tossing myself into the air and studying the Stadium from up high. It was huge. It had to have held thousands of ponies in its glory days, but the intervening two hundred years had ruined it. It was falling apart, but curiously, the grass on the field looked in perfect health. Up here, away from everything on the ground, my Pipbuck's incessant ticking finally quieted down.

While hovering in place here both made me a perfect target for a sniper and was straining on my wings, it was... relaxing, being this free from everything. Nothing but empty air dozens of meters from me from all sides. This is great. I took a deep breath, enjoying the almost clean, blood-free air and let it out with a soft sigh.

A loud bang announced Team One had made it up to the raider's nest. I turned to watch them, before folding my wings. I dropped like a large, fleshy and feathered rock, spreading my wings and dropping into a hover a few meters above the ground. Captain Firefly was galloping from a recently opened doorway, mane and tail streaming out behind her as she headed directly to the raider Mend was tending to. Lieutenant Dash was a few paces behind her, and he wasted no time starting to nose through the bodies.

"How is he?" I could hear the Captain talking with Mend.

"Well, considering he ran afoul of several landmines..." Mend paused and his cool exterior broke. "... he's still breathing, which is something I can work with."

"Excellent. Tell me when he's stable enough for interrogation." Mend nodded. The raider's helmet was levitated off his head, and the Captain flipped her visor up as she studied it. "Hey, Dashie. C'mere." Lieutenant Dash paced over to her, tossing some items into his saddlebags.

"The Pipbuck is over here..." I pointed to it... and the limb it was still attached to. Lieutenant Dash diverted to retrieve it, removing the limb from the Pipbuck and gently setting it aside.

"Sup boss." Dash trotted to the Captain.

The Captain levitated the helmet over to him. "See if you can read the name?" He leaned down, then shook his head. "Negative, too damaged." He spent a moment looking closer. "This looks like it was intentionally removed. These scores look too clean to be battle damage."

"The Pipbuck might say who it belonged to?" I suggested, glancing to the hoof computer Dash was holding.

"Oh, hey. That's an idea." He grinned and turned it over, looking at the inside of the computer. I glanced to the Captain with a confused look, who shrugged. He set it down, glancing to the sky. "Oh! Specialist Stainless Hex. The previous security team's magitech expert."

"You didn't even look at the Pipbuck's operating system, how did you...?" I glanced to Dash with a confused look.

"I memorized the security team's profiles last night. This was the serial number for Hex's Pipbuck." ... Memorized... a dozen ponies' profiles... down to the serial number on their Pipbucks? Okay, the Lieutenant is definitely not dumb muscle... "Plus the OS probably would have reset when our raider pal put it on." He gestured towards the pony it had come from as I looked to the Captain. She simply shrugged in response.

"Good work, Dashie." The Captain picked up the Pipbuck in her magic and tried to take it, but Lieutenant Dash kept a firm grip on it.

"Sooo I had a thought, boss..." I glanced to Mend while Dash spoke. He was grumbling to himself as he patched up the wastelander. "This Pipbuck wasn't locked down. At least, it wasn't until Team Two, uh... neutralized him." Dash glanced to me, and I felt goosebumps go up along my spine. The Captain gave Dash an annoyed look, and he dropped his dramatic voice. "That definitely wasn't Stainless Hex, so somepony removed the Pipbuck, but kept it from locking down, which can only be done by entering a code that only high ranking Stable 30 Security officers know."

Captain Firefly snorted impatiently and stomped a hoof on the ground. "What are you suggesting, Dashie?"

"I think Crimson Nimbus is still alive." Something in the Captain's expression changed. "For all we know, they were slaughtered and Soulful Impact was the only survivor," Who? "but the raiders tortured the lock down code out of Crimson before he died." He shook his head. "I don't think so, though. Based off Crimson's profile, I doubt he would let slip something like that. I think he's still alive. What he's doing, though... I have no clue."

"Captain, he's awake." Mend waved the Captain over, and the three of us moved over to the raider. A faintly purple iridescent Sparkle-cola bottle lay beside him. Two of his limbs had been... removed... and most of his underside was covered with rapidly staining bandages.

The raider stirred, looking around, blinking rapidly before his eyes focused on Captain Firefly, eyes widening. "Oh shit, aww shit! Wait..." His eyes focused on her horn. "You can't be Serenity. You're not Nimbus. Who the hell're you?" 'Nimbus'? I shared a look with Lieutenant Dash. He flashed me a smug smirk in response. Ugh.

"Answer my questions truthfully and we'll do what we can to help you. Where did you get your helmet?" The tip of the Captain's horn glowed blue.

"Wha... where?" He glanced around, and the Captain held up the helmet he had been wearing. "Oh... that..." He laughed, a deep, smug laugh. "That's for me to know and you to find out! Stupid Stable ponies!" His bandages started staining red faster.

"He's bleeding out, Firefly. I might be able to put him to sleep and keep him alive until we could get him back to the Stable..." The Captain looked tempted by Mend's suggestion.

I snorted. Oh, please. I drew my beam pistol, putting a beam through his eye socket. He was dead before he realized it, and his laughter died with him. Good riddance. I returned my weapon to its holster and turned to the rest of the group. A disgusting smell floated my way that I suspected was cooking meat, and I fanned it away with my wings.

"What the hell, Pumpkin!?" Everypony was shocked by what I'd done, Mend the most vocally.

I turned to Mend. "He was dying anyways. I simply ended his suffering."

Mend seemed to be appeased by that, but I could tell he wasn't happy about it. Team One, on the other hoof...

"Are you the squad leader, trooper?" Oops. Captain Firefly is pissed.

"No, ma'am."

"And who would that be?"

"You, ma'am."

"And who is the one who gives the orders in this group?"

"You, ma'am."

"Correct. I don't recall ordering you to kill him. Do you?"

"No, ma'am."

"Would you like to explain your actions?"

"Yes ma'am. He wasn't planning to tell us anything else before he died, and wasting valuable time and medical supplies attempting to prolong his life in hopes he would share something further is just that: a waste." I paused, then changed the discussion away from my execution. Just thinking about it made me feel dirty inside, but I still felt it was the right thing to do. "He confirmed Lieutenant Dash's theory that Captain Nimbus was still alive." Something in the Lieutenant's cheek twitched as I referred to him by rank. "He also referenced somepony named 'Serenity', though I can't even begin to guess the significance of that."

#

After the skirmish with the raiders, we resumed our previous courses, splitting up again to link up on the other side of the Stadium. Little happened on our end until we met up at the other side of the stadium. Lieutenant Dash looked considerably worse for wear. It looked like he had gone swimming in radroach slime.

Mend looked to the Lieutenant. "What happened to you, Dash?"

Dash glanced to us with an annoyed look. "Don't ask. Did you find anything?"

I glanced to Mend, who shrugged in disinterest. "Radiation? Narrow concrete corridors?" Mend grinned mischievously at Dash, and I suspected he was planning to pester Dash about what had happened, but a look at Team One's expressions changed his mind.

"In other words, nothing." The Captain's expression shifted to one of mild displeasure. "Move out."

As we exited through the front doors, my Pipbuck gave out a Lock down alert on the Captain. Shit! I threw myself into the air and drew my beam pistol, scanning around us on my EFS. Finding nothing at all, I turned slowly around, scanning the entire area before holstering my weapon. "Clear!"

"What happened?" Lieutenant Dash and Mend had turned, flank to flank with the Captain. I settled into a hover a few pony lengths above them.

The Captain groaned. "... My Pipbuck just locked down." She sighed and continued limping away from the Stadium along the train tracks. "Today is just going fucking swimmingly. Move out."

I flew up to the top of the stadium, using my knife to pry several of the still glowing gems out. "Got a gift for you, sir." I grinned to him, dropping to my hooves a few paces in front of him and holding out the gems for him with my wings.

"Oh, you shouldn't have." His usually sarcastic voice had a deadpan tone to it, but I could see a hint of amusement in his expression. "Thank you." He took them and tucked them away.

We followed the tracks for about an hour, encountering more gang symbols, crude art and well maintained crimson gears, until it really started getting dark. It felt... weird, seeing darkness. Sure, the Stable dimmed the lights during the sleep cycle, but that was just a small, muted darkness. This? This was full darkness, darkness everywhere.

"Probably a good idea to make camp now, boss."

The Captain considered, then nodded. "Yes, let's."

We quickly found a place to bunker down for the night, a prewar apartment building, and split into pairs to secure the building, floor by floor. Finally we settled down in an apartment on the second floor around a spark battery powered glow lantern.

"Debriefing time, ponies." I had just started unpacking my bedroll. I continued to do so, turning to watch the Captain while I settled down for bed. She turned to her Pipbuck, only to apparently remember what had happened. "Oh. Right. Glorious. Dashie, get over here."

"Yeah, boss?" Lieutenant Dash bounded over to the Captain.

Captain Firefly leaned over and grabbed his Pipbuck. "My Pipbuck is dead, so we'll use yours for our debriefings."

Dash shrugged. "Sure thing." He wriggled his way out of his armor and battle saddle, sprawling out beside Firefly, hoof with his Pipbuck resting across her hoof. I finished setting up my bed roll and pulled my helmet off.

"Stable Thirty, reconnaissance log, Day Two and after-action report for skirmish at Baltimare Stadium. Captain Firefly leading, Lieutenant Rapid Dash, Security Officer Pumpkin Blitz and Doctor Cerulean Mend participating." After a short pause, she continued. "Begin." She turned to Mend and myself. "Tell me what happened when we got to the Stadium."

I glanced to Mend, then answered as honestly as I could. "Well, you stepped on a landmine." Mend tried to conceal his snickering. The Captain did not find that as funny, apparently, as something in her cheek twitched. Oops. "Cerulean Mend patched you up as best he could."

"Yeah, you're welcome for me reattaching your damn leg and all." The Captain glared at him as Mend's usual grumpy tone returned, and I shushed him by prodding his barrel with my hoof. He glared at me, but fell silent.

"Shush you. We continued into the Stadium after Lieutenant Dash dealt with the mines. We came to a fork in the hallway and split up. Team One went North, Team Two went South, intending to link up on the other side of the stadium. We came to one of the locker rooms and..." I paused, remembering our discussion and glancing to the Captain, deciding I should probably omit that part. "... we found nothing." The Captain gave me a skeptical look, which I quickly brushed aside and changed the topic. "What happened on your side?"

Lieutenant Dash lazily rolled over onto his side. "Absolutely nothin'." I had to admit, for a stallion, he was attractive. For a stallion.

I continued as the Captain yawned, resting her muzzle on her hooves. "Then you apparently wandered out onto the playing field and found some raiders."

Dash glanced over to his armor. "Oh, yeah. One of my plates shattered when I was hit." He reached a back hoof over and poked the pockets containing one of his armor plates.

Mend glanced over and yawned. Celestia, are all unicorns this easily tired? "Yeah... I'm not going to be able to fix that." ... Oh. Yeah, they are, actually.

I continued as if nothing had happened. "While you kept the raider's attention, we flanked and neutralized them."

"Neutralized them, my flank! We straight up murdered them." Mend frowned. "No. I murdered them." He sighed quietly, burying his face in his hooves.

I reached over to press my hoof against his side. "We did what we had to do."

He shifted away from my hoof. "Like you murdered that last one?"

"I ended his suffering. He was dying anyways and nothing you could do would have saved him."

"I had to save him! I murdered his friends. I left the Stable to help ponies, not slaughter entire groups of them!"

"They made the mistake of shooting at us. We taught them that was a mistake."

"For all we know, they might have been just been scared wastelanders! What gives you the right to get to choose who lives and who dies?" While we argued, the Captain levitated a bottle of healing potion and a shot glass out, drinking a shot of it.

"Both of you, stuff it! That's an order!" Oops. I immediately shut up and looked to her. "Good. We'll deal with whether or not we should have killed them when we're home. Right now, we're logging our day." The Captain sighed, eyes closed, rubbing her temples, and Dashie reached over to prod her in the side with one of his hooves. She jumped and glared at him, and then giggled (??) as Dashie held up a... coin? with his other.

"... A coin, Firefly?" Mend leaned over to get a look at it.

"Not a coin, Doctor. It's the emblem of the Ministry of Wartime Technology." She grinned as I looked closer. It was the outline of an apple, with a sword splitting it in half vertically. Three gears, two smaller than the third, branched out from the blade.

I shrugged. "Congrats, Captain?"

She tucked it away inside her collar, considerably more cheerful. "Alright, back to work folks." She turned to us, leaning over to pull Dash's Pipbuck over to her, the two of them intertwining hooves. Hrrmmm... "Team Two, please continue telling us what happened after the raiders found us."

I groaned, ruffling my wings slightly as I glanced to Mend. He shrugged. "You tell 'em, Wings."

"Very well. You called out the location of where the raiders were, and we diverted to where you'd directed. We emerged on the stands a short distance away. We quickly came up with a plan." The doctor snorted here, grumbling about 'us' and 'plan', which I ignored and continued. "You radioed us asking where we were. We told you we were ready to start our attack and asked you to provide some cover fire to draw their attention back to you, which you did, then we started. I flew up to distract them while Mend sneaked around and returned several of their landmines to them."

Mend winced. "What a wonderfully sterile way you phrased the death of a half dozen ponies. You'd make a good doctor, if you knew anything about fixing ponies." His snide tone returned. "And didn't get sick at the smell of blood."

"Hush, Horn." I glared over at him. He shut up. "I made sure everypony was neutralized, but I found somepony still alive. Mend went over to heal him, then Team One showed up." I glanced to Lieutenant Dash. "The Lieutenant started nosing through the bodies and I found Stainless Hex's Pipbuck and the Stable helmet. After looking at the two pieces of equipment, Lieutenant Dash put forth the theory that Captain Nimbus is still alive based on the fact that the Pipbuck was still active while being used by another pony."

"Wait, what." Mend sat bolt upright. "You're saying Red is still alive? Captain Crimson Nimbus, Firefly's dad? Sombra damn it!"

The Captain cleared her throat as she leveled a glance at Mend. "I would prefer, Doctor, if, at least in professional settings, you would refer to me as 'Captain'. Or at the very least, 'ma'am'."

Mend glanced back to her, then shrugged, laying back down. "Sure thing, Captain Firefly ma'am." His sarcasm was so thick you could almost feel it radiating from him.

I quickly steered the conversation back on topic after a look at him. "The raider we interrogated seemed to confirm Dash's theory."

"Before you murdered him." The Captain glared at him, and he stopped talking.

"... Yes." I sighed and continued. "While the Captain and the Doctor debated the finer points of stabilizing a raider and carting him back to the Stable and he bled out, I ended his suffering."

"And then, rightfully so, you got chewed out by Captain Firefly ma'am."

The Captain glared at Mend. "I would appreciate it if you would please be quiet, unless you have something useful to add, Doctor." A hint of bark slipped into her tone.

"Sure thing, Captain Firefly ma'am." The Captain glared and Mend smirked at her, one of his more antagonistic looks.

"Would you like to repeat your argument from earlier, for the sake of record, Pumpkin?"

I sighed. "Of course, ma'am." I closed my eyes, thinking back. "I ended his life because I did not feel that wasting the medical supplies and time to carry and escort him to our objective and then back to the Stable was a worthy investment on the potential intelligence interrogation would provide."

"In spite of you not being the squad leader?"

"Yes, ma'am."

The Captain nodded, then sighed, looking around. "Does anyone have anything else they would like to add?" Doctor Mend opened his mouth and she cut him off. "That would be relevant or useful to the discussion." Mend said nothing. "No? Debriefing adjourned." She reached down to shut the recorder off on Dash's Pipbuck. "Let's get some sleep. Team One will take first watch, Team Two will wake at 0030 to relieve Team One at 0100, then Team One will wake at 0630. Lights out at..." She glanced down at Dashie's Pipbuck. "1930."

I glanced to my Pipbuck's clock. 1900. Mmmk. I groaned, wriggling out of my barding and digging some food out of my saddlebags. The group remained quiet as we relaxed and Mend checked over the Captain. At 1930, Dash turned the glow lantern out and the Doctor and I crawled into our beds, drifting to sleep.

Several hours passed and I was woken up. I wouldn't say I had slept well, but Captain Firefly looked dead on her hooves. ...considering the events of this afternoon, that's probably not a good comparison. Team One went to sleep at 0100, leaving Mend and I on duty. I nibbled on another apple. Mend dug a book out of his saddlebags, reading by the amber light of his Pipbuck. I preened my feathers. We idly chitchatted for a while, then fell silent.

Some time after Team One went to bed, I started getting signals on my EFS, and mysterious echoes on my radio. "Hey, Mend, are you getting anything on your EFS? Or your comms?"

"It's probably just radsprites or something." Mend nibbled on an apple as he flipped a page on his book.

"I don't think so... they're not yellow, or red. They're green." I rose to my hooves, putting on my helmet and beam pistol holster. "And radsprites don't talk. Definitely getting voices here." I considered waking Team One, but a skeptical look from Mend changed my mind.

Something changed in the air around us - I don't know what - but something told me to go into SATS right then, and I did.

...and then we were under attack! A half dozen shapes pouring through the door. Crap. The ceiling above us exploded and debris rained down. Oh, shit! Ponies dropped through. I tried to yell through my beam pistol as I fled into the air. "Shit!"

Mend went down immediately, just collapsed on the ground and twitching. No!

Lieutenant Dash rolled from his bedroll. He came out swinging, hitting one of the enemies, but he too fell, twitching.

I saw a pegasus mare darting among the enemy. A familiar-looking pegasus, with a red coat and a blue mane. What? SATS wore off as I looked back to the pegasus... for a second. Just a second too long... and then, blackness.

#

I came to, upside down, an indeterminate time later. I had been stripped of my barding, right down to my bare coat. Brr. A look around revealed we were hanging from the ceiling of a small room by our hooves.

Mend. Captain Firefly. Lieutenant Dash. Everypony here. Good. A closer glance around revealed everypony was still breathing. Better. A glance 'down' revealed my Pipbuck was intact. Excellent. I folded my wings, which had fallen open while I was unconscious, with a soft sigh. Nothing to do but wait.

A fifth pony, an older, pegasus stallion with a familiar red and blue palette, hung face-to-face with the Captain.

The Captain woke with a groan, yelping and recoiling at the sight of a stallion a few meters in front of her.

"'Firey? Is that you?" The Captain recoiled, a look of shock visible on her face. The fuck is going on here?!

Author's Note

Sooo... who is this mysterious stallion, I wonder? I know, and some of you sharper readers may already be fairly sure who this is, but the rest of you... you'll have to wait!

Okay, okay. I promised "5k words in 2 weeks". Instead I delivered "13k in 3 weeks". Hope this makes up for it. The next few chapters are planned to be shorter ones, so hopefully I should be able to stick with the 5k/2w schedule for the next month or two. Should.

e: revised on 07.05.15
e: re-revised on 02.27.16
e: revised on 03.08.16

CrimsonVixen for "arcane strapon"
Wintrparkgirl for Spock's basic design
Seraphem for reminding me that the alicorn project should just be called "The IMP Project"
Brandon, Dendrish, TK "Gigantic Dickasauraus Rex" Knorr' for misc editing, spitballing, etc.

Just wanna toss out a shout-out to Generalzoi on DA, who's unwitting contribution through making V3 of her pony creator game helped shape the cast of Fallout Equestria: Stable Scout in ways I never expected to happen. (So yes, I used her game to design my characters. Thanks Generalzoi!)

Chapter 06 - The Pegasus

Fallout Equestria: Stable Scout
Chapter 06
The Pegasus

Captain Firefly

I awoke to find myself face to face with an older stallion. I yelped and tried to backtrot, only to find that my hooves were held in place.

"Firey? Is that you?" His eyes focused on me. ... Firey. I have not heard that name since I was... young. Very young. A closer inspection revealed that this stallion looked like me... but he was a pegasus. An old one, with a messy mane in the exact same shade of blue as mine.

"Captain Nimbus!" The stallion and I both turned to look at Pumpkin Blitz, who had spoken. "You are Captain Nimbus, aren't you?"

Cerulean Mend awoke with a loud oath. "Sombra's left testicle! Red, you bastard. You're still alive? Of course you're still alive."

"Blue! Is that you? Well shit, it is you. Still pining after Sapphire? Of course you are." Somewhere in the back of my mind processed that "Sapphire" presumably referenced my mother, and that Cerulean had 'liked' my mother. Ew. Cerulean sputtered furiously as the pegasus - my dad? - turned to Pumpkin. "That would be 'King' Nimbus now, but yes, that's me. You must be Gusty and Sunbeam's kid. How are they doing?"

"They're doing fine, sir." I spent a long moment considering strange turn of events had lead to this meeting, glancing up towards the ceiling, only to realize that the floor is up. Oh crap. I immediately regretted it as my motion sickness made its presence felt, pulling my eyes back down to the 'floor'.

The red stallion suddenly dropped off the ceiling, wings flaring out as he flipped, landing on his hooves. "Aye Azure, get us out of here." The door opened and sounds of a half dozen ponies filing inside. A moment later found me with my hooves safely on what my stomach comfortably told me was solid ground and I looked around the room. Most of the ponies that had entered were guards. That I could tell easily enough, with their cropped manes and stern demeanor. A red streak ran through their mane. The last one... looked like my mother, but a stallion. What in...?

"You two, fall in. The rest of you, back to your positions." My father - it still felt weird talking about this strange stallion like that - gave orders and trotted out of the room, clearly expecting us to follow him.

I glanced to my team, who shrugged. Cerulean was still sputtering quietly. Pumpkin and Dashie glanced to me for orders, and I nodded towards the door. We'll follow, for now. The guards prodded us, and I confidently led the way outside, guards flanking us from the rear. They kept their distance, out of hoof range. These guys are good.

Outside, we entered a detention center. I'd seen detention centers before, and this was definitely a detention center. A bunch of small cells around a large, metal and concrete hallway, with a single door leading out at one end. A security station blocked the way out, but we were waved through with Crimson.

Crimson glanced back. "I'm afraid I have some business I should have been attending to instead of hanging", he chuckled, "out with you." No, dad. Cringe. "So in the mean time, Azure will show you around." Crimson took to wing and headed off through the narrow hallways out of sight and the unicorn - Azure, I guess? - took the lead, leading us through the halls confidently. The two guards followed us, keeping their distance.

"So Firefly, is Overmare Lily still in charge?"

I blinked at that seemingly random question. "I'm afraid that's classified." I paused, glancing to the unicorn. "Okay... I'm gonna need some answers." I stopped moving, Dashie and Pumpkin flanking me. "Who the hell are you?" The guards took a step back, keeping their weapons on us.

"Yeah I suppose that's true." He looked to me, head canted. "You don't remember me?"

"No." Should I? "You look like my mother, but if she were a stallion."

"Ouch..." Azure winced. "That's... actually pretty close. I'm her twin brother, so that makes me your uncle."

What. Dashie spoke up. "That would make you Lieutenant Azure Luminance, then." Azure Luminance was an older unicorn with a dark, pale blue coat and a short, cropped mane with pink and green streaks.

"That's me." He grinned to Dashie, then turned back to me. "So... how is Sapphire doing? Still Chief of Security?" He nodded and gestured for us to continue following him, which I did, after a glance to his guards.

"Hrrrm? Oh! No. After you and dad left, my mother - your sister - became a neglectful alcoholic. Hot Range is now Head of Security." Azure winced slightly at my not-so-subtle jab.

"Okay, okay... So you're kind of mad. We had our reasons. Crimson will explain lat- Wait. Did you say Hot Range is now the chief?" He swore. "So I lost the bet." What the...? He elaborated at my dark look. "After Crimson and I... left... we made a bet on who would take over his position. I bet that Hot Range would become Head of Field Ops. Obviously... I was wrong." He frowned. "So who took over Crimson's position?"

"Defiant Armet."

Azure burst out laughing. "Armet became Chief of Field Ops? That rhetoric-spewing moron? Wow, the Stable must have been desperate." No, really. A glance to Dashie revealed he was very carefully doing his best to not laugh at Azure's comment. "Anyways..." Azure glanced forward, opening the double doors at the end of the hallway. "Welcome to the main base of operations for the Crimson Raiders."

I had to admit... it was impressive. I had never seen a prewar military facility at the height of its life, but if I had, I was pretty sure this is a lot what it would look like. A couple hundred ponies moved around. A dozen lined up at a purpose-built target range, practicing with various weapons. Most of the ponies moved with a purpose. Beyond the courtyard surrounding the main building we'd emerged from lay walls. Tall, well built, heavily fortified walls. Guards patrolled the top. It was very early in the morning, so I judged we'd been out for maybe six or seven hours.

Dashie spoke up. "I can't help but notice there aren't any pony bits strung up around... which is usually what raiders do?"

"That's correct. They don't do that here anymore."

"Anymore?"

"That's what I said. Those that do get a visit from Crimson's finest."

"You slaughter other raiders?"

"No." His voice hardened. "We perform pest control on those who have forgotten what it means to be a pony." His voice returned to his usual relaxed tone. "To be completely honest, the name is more of an artifact than anything else." He started to continue, before breaking off with an amused smirk. "I'll let Crimson tell you, he likes doing that himself." Azure lead the way down along a set of stairs to the ground. The ground was almost flat, but the occasional rough patch meant I needed to watch my steps.

Azure lead us past a series of ramshackle houses. "Stainless Hex designed a lot of the buildings here before he died." Ponies stuck their heads out of windows, watching us, or turned to look at us as they sat in front of their houses. Some were more obvious than others. None of them looked like I'd imagined raiders to look like. They just looked like regular wasteland ponies. Foals and families. Most of the adults had had their hair cropped short and a red streak dyed in it from front to back.

We continued in through to a square where a couple dozen ponies did their things. Some of them bartered, some simply chatting. The disgusting smell of cooking flesh drifted our way, and I was reminded of the 'incident' at the Stadium yesterday. "Oooh, meat." Dashie moved towards the vendor with a grin, only to pause mid-step as a grossed out expression crossed his face. "...I'm not hungry anymore."

I grinned to Pumpkin. "If it keeps Dashie from eating meat, I like beam weapons now." The rest of my team gave me disgusted looks, which I ignored. My joke was funny, even if it was kind of grim.

Azure tossed the four of us an amused yet bemused look. "I'm not going to ask."

"Probably for the best."

"Heyo, ponies." Crimson landed amongst us, flanked a moment later by a mare that looked like... ... me, but with wings instead of a horn, dressed in the same dark barding as pretty much everypony else. Her pale, dark blue mane was cut short with a couple of red streaks added in, but the confidence she moved with showed she wasn't just another soldier. A worn-looking Pipbuck rested on her left fetlock.

"Who the hell are you?" The two of us spoke simultaneously.

"The fuck, bitch, I live here, you tell me!"

"Settle down, children." Crimson glanced to his companion. "This is..."

Pumpkin, who had been quiet up until now, interrupted Crimson. Apparently he didn't like that. I wonder where I got that from. "You're Serenity!"

The pegasus - Serenity? - stared at Pumpkin. "How did you know that?" Seriously, how?

"I, um... guessed." Her wings spread, covering her face partially. "Somepony in the Stadium mistook the Captain for somepony named 'Serenity', and I saw her when they... attacked us last night."

Crimson considered that, then nodded. "Not bad, not bad at all. You're a clever one. What would it take to get you working for me?"

I glanced to Pumpkin. She looked tempted. Hrm...

"I think I'll pass, sir." She glanced to me.

"I like that - can't say it's a bad thing. Pegasi and loyalty & all that. Y'know what? If you ever change your mind, come to the gate and tell the guards you want to talk to me. They'll get you to me."

"I... I will keep that in mind, sir..." Hrrmmm....

"Same goes for the rest of you ponies." Crimson glanced to the rest of my team. Damnit dad. "With that said..." He looked to me. "My daughter and I have some business to attend to. Azure and Serenity will show you three around."

Dashie stepped close to me. Crimson's escorts shifted their weapons to him, but Crimson waved them down. "I suppose the two of you can stay together." He gave Dashie a deep look before nodding to us and setting off back towards the base headquarters. Crimson's escorts followed behind us. I glanced to Team Two, who were being escorted off by Azure and two of his soldiers for an 'extended tour'.

Crimson gestured for us to first. As we went through, he stepped among us, wrapping his wings around Dashie and I's shoulders. "So, Dash was it? You plannin' to marry my daughter?"

I stepped in to save him when it was clear he wasn't going to be forming a coherent thought anytime soon. "I don't think that's going to happen." I mentally added 'dad', but didn't say it, because it felt awkward.

"What a shame. You keep her safe anyways, Dash. Or you'll regret it..." Crimson lead us into the building, showing us around. "This is the noncombatant's section of the base. Quarters and classrooms for all of the kids" Kids? "and the breeders." He lead us to a large room. A couple dozen assorted ponies across all three races and both sexes lounged about on comfortable cushions, scantily clad, if not entirely nude. "This is the brothel. Fertile ponies are kept here for breeding and recreational purposes." Dashie opened his mouth to say something, but Crimson cut him off. "They're treated very well and all of my troops are expected to respect them or lose their right to visit. Or worse." He chuckled. "Before you ask - no, they're not slaves. Not in name and not in actuality. We make sure slavers don't operate in our areas."

Dashie glanced to me and I shrugged as Crimson continued. "We raise the kids properly, to respect pony life and how to read and all that glorious stuff the Stable taught me. There've been a few expeditions to retrieve learning materials from schools, books from libraries, all sorts of stuff. C'mon." He nodded back up the hallway. "We might be 'just' raiders and warriors, but we probably have more knowledge than pretty much anywhere else in Baltimare. 'Cept for the Stable, of course, but that's a prewar society." He lead us into a door at the end of the hallway, which turned out to be his personal quarters, the two guards taking up positions by the door. "So, daughter... what brings you to my humble little city?" He trotted over to the bathroom and filled up a mug with water, sipping it. His Pipbuck was noticeably silent.

"Well, your troops for a start." I looked to his mug. "Is that clean water?"

"Absolutely. There's a water talisman powering the base, so.. yes, we have running water. You two look like you could use a shower.." He snickered at that. "Fair enough. So I'm guessing Sunset Lily has been replaced as Overmare?"

"I'm afraid that's classified."

"Oh come on, Firey." He started in a convincing tone, before breaking off. "Okay, look. We left the Stable. You're pissed about that. We had our reasons."

"Oh? And what might those reasons be, if you'd be so kind as to share?"

"Y'know what? Let's do an intel swap. I'll answer your questions if you'll answer mine."

I considered. Most of the information he seemed to be looking for was not particularly vital, and if he'd been planning to take the Stable, he probably could do it just with brute force. "Deal. Tell me why you left the Stable."

"I exited the Stable because that's what I had been ordered to do." I could almost feel an obnoxious... ...Dashie like... smirk behind his neutrally bland expression.

"Sorry, I phrased that badly-"

"Ah ah ah, I answered your question. My turn." I scowled. "Who took over my position after we left?"

I blinked. Well, if he could be tight lipped like that, so could I. "Defiant Armet."

"That's not what I expected. I was expecting Hot Range to take over."

"No. Hot Range took over mother's position after you left, because she became a neglectful alcoholic. Why did you abandon the Stable?"

"I didn't 'abandon' the Stable." I opened my mouth. "Let me speak." He glared at me. "I'm still on assignment."

"You abandoned the Stable!" Somewhere in the back of my mind suggested that yelling at the leader of an army that outnumbered my unarmed ponies 50:1 was not in my best interests. I ignored it.

"I abandoned the Stable. Do you feel better now?" He was pissing me off by playing with me. He was doing it intentionally, and the worst part was that it was working.

"Yes." I paused, considering that. No, I did not really feel better. "No. Why didn't you return?"

"I left the Stable to save the Stable. I abandoned the Stable to help the wasteland."

"And I see you found some pretty nice quarters for yourself..." I glanced around at his quarters. They were the size of our family quarters back at the Stable, but... Stable quarters were simplistic. These were plush. We were in the combined living room and kitchen, a L-shaped room. Off to the sides were other rooms, I had to guess one of them was a bedroom, another a bathroom. While I was looking around, Dashie slipped into one of the doors.

"One of the perks of settling in a Ministry storehouse."

"... Pardon?" I glanced around. Ministry storehouse?

"What, you didn't think I built this place, did you? I found it. This is why we settled here." He turned, trotting over to a large window. "When I left the Stable, I had goal and I had a plan. I didn't have a big gun," he paused to grumble, too quietly for me to hear, "and I didn't know if this plan would work, but I had a plan. So what I did is... I asked to talk to the leader of the raider clan. Challenged him in single combat for control of the clan. Put us and our gear up for collateral."

"You walked into a raider camp and challenged their leader to single combat." I repeated flatly. "For control of the clan. Using your ponies and their equipment for collateral." I'm sure that violates several regulations...

"Yep! Shockingly, I won. A few raiders complained, but not for very long." He paused, looking out the window overlooking the main courtyard of the base. "Ten millimeter bullets are surprisingly effective at silencing complaints. So I convinced 'em that taking the Stable was an ineffective plan. Packed 'em up, lead 'em here. Originally I'd been planning to goad them into killing each other, then finishing the survivors off. Done in a month, tops, I'd said."

I trotted over to the window, surveying the base. Several ponies practiced their marksponyship at the target range with a variety of small weapons. "So apparently it didn't go that way."

"Correct. I found this place and told everyone to dig in. The high security areas opened for me, containing hundreds, perhaps thousands of boxes of ammunition. More weapons than you could imagine. Armor. Other equipment needed to arm a military... and my plan was born. So, this is where we settled."

"And somehow you were Kinged."

"Basically, yes."

"Would you care to elaborate?"

"No, you haven't earned that story yet, dear daughter." I glared at him. "So, as I was saying... I left the Stable because I could not help the Wasteland from there. The Overmare was a cowardly idiot, and the majority of the Stable ponies were no better. The vote to open the doors barely passed. The Overmare would have never granted me access to leave the Stable otherwise."

"Are you saying you convinced the raiders to attack the Stable?" I spoke softly but clearly.

"What?" His expression suggested I'd genuinely stumped him. Score one for Firefly. "Why the hell would I do that?" He paused. "OH!" He burst out laughing. "I see where you're coming from. Ha ha. Ah. No. I did bad things," his expression hardened, eyes narrowing, "to your mother and to other good ponies that didn't deserve it, but that's too far even for me." He fell silent, glancing out in the distance, and I wondered what he was thinking about. "What are you doing out here?"

I frowned and glanced to my Pipbuck. I wondered if he'd grabbed data off our Pipbucks. Probably. It's what I would have done in his position. "Intelligence. We're trying to figure out what's out here, beyond Haven."

"Sounds like Sunset has been replaced, then. Tell me she died a horrible fate, like tripped and fell over the railing and landed on someone's horn."

Uhm... "No. She died of natural causes."

"That was my second guess. Damn." He sighed. "What a shame."

"Was she really that bad?"

"Yes, she was horrible and I hated her." He paused, his annoyed expression changing to a smirk. "No, she really wasn't all that bad. She wasn't unintelligent, but she should have been doing something she was better suited to. A pencil pushing egghead, perhaps, or an assistant inventorying clerk. Not running the Stable. So, tell me..."

While he talked, I listened, and I thought. Maybe if I... hrm... No. Or perhaps I could... ... If I did this, then... that might just work. Yeah. A vague voice in the back of my head informed me that the actions I was planning were most illogical. I ignored it.

#

Doctor Cerulean Mend

"So Azure... how have you been?"

Azure threw me an amused look. "Are you genuinely concerned about how I've been, Cerulean?" I sighed, grinding my teeth together.

Grinding teeth is a sign of being overly stressed. "Yes. I guess I am." I have no idea what that could be. "You were a decent enough pony before you left and you don't seem to have changed much."

"Oh no, I have changed. Just not visibly. So... I've been alright." He smiled at me. "How has Saph been?"

With great difficulty, I unclenched my jaw. "Like Firefly said, she spend most of her time drinking. After you and Crimson didn't return, Hot Range was kicked upstairs to Saph's job. Her first assignment was to formalize Saph's dishonorable discharge." At least Azure had the decency to wince. "Why didn't you at least check in?"

"Captain Crimson wanted us to remain unknown. He was worried that if Overmare Lily knew we were still alive, she'd send out teams to look for us and get them killed."

"Whatabout Soul?"

"Soul..." He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

"Surely you remember Soulful Impact..."

"Yes." He nodded. "She made it clear she didn't like our, ah, 'company' and left after an argument with the Captain. She agreed not to tell the Stable about us, though."

"I don't know why she simply didn't return to the Stable and report y'all as killed."

"She didn't?" Azure looked surprised at that. "What did she do?"

"Hell if I know. Never came back."

"She went to Haven, I think..." Wings said. The two of us looked to her.

"Where'd you hear that?" Azure was genuinely curious. That's a good thing, I think.

"While you were patching up the raider yesterday, Lieutenant Dash mentioned her." While Wings was speaking, Azure suddenly stiffened, eyes focusing on a point in the distance. I recognized that look. The look when some stupid Security pony is receiving orders over their ear blooms. Uh oh.

"Let's keep moving, shall we?" He smiled at us. "We've got places to see, after all." That smile suddenly made me very uncomfortable, and I was reminded that this is not the Azure I knew. He may look, talk and move like him, but he's changed. I shared a glance with Wings, and she shrugged and trotted after Azure, our "escorts" trailing along behind us.

"Yeah, alright..." He lead us along, and very shortly we found ourselves back in a cell. Not officially a cell - it was a conference room - but I could tell it was a prison nevertheless. Glorious.

"Crimson would like to speak with you. He'll be here shortly." Azure settled down in a chair on the far end of the table. Serenity settled down beside him.

"Of course he will..." I paced around the edge of the room. Wings settled down on one of the chairs facing Azure, fiddling with her Pipbuck.

Several minutes later, Red entered the room. "Alright, folks. Here's what happened." His mane was messier than usual, he had a nasty looking bruise swelling on his cheek and some blood was dried to his nose. His feathers were disarrayed, primaries sticking out of place.

"Somethin' ruffle your feathers, Red? Isn't that a shame." Heh, heh. Playing with fire. Heh.

Red glared and fluffed his wings. "Cute, Blue. But no. Funnily enough, my daughter - your leader - almost killed me, actually." Uh... "Instead, she only killed two of my troopers." Uh oh. "By all rights, rules of the Wasteland, laws of the Crimson Raiders, ectera ectera, I should have the two of you publicly executed for conspiring to attack me, as an example for my troops."

Oh, shit. I shared a look with Wings, and she tensed. Good mare.

Red smirked. "But that doesn't suit my purposes."

... of course not. "What do you want, Red."

"Killing the two of you would be a waste." He stepped over towards me and prodded me in the chest with a hoof. Don't touch me, you treasonous dickface. "Cerulean, despite your horrific bedside manner, you were an excellent doctor and I'm sure your skills have only improved with age, unlike your body." You're a year older than me, you ass. He turned and looked to Wings. "Pumpkin, you appear to be an excellent trooper who is both loyal and intelligent."

I groaned. "What do you want, Red." Shut up, you pompous windbag, and get to the damn point already.

"What do I want? It's quite simple. I want my daughter on my side. Killing two of her troops would be counterproductive." He paused, turning to us and pointing with one hoof. "You will deliver a message to her, from me, in exchange for your lives, your equipment and all of the intel we can provide." He put his hoof down. "Do you agree to my terms?"

I shared another look with Wings. I kind of wanted to tell Red to go fuck himself, just because it would annoy him, but then again, I'm awfully attached to being alive...

#

Lieutenant Rapid Dash

We stopped galloping about two or three blocks outside the Crimson Raiders' base, ducking into a building. Firefly settled down on the ground, breathing hard. I paced back and forth and neither of us spoke. Firefly looked over to me.

"What the fuck was that, Firefly?" I looked at her.

Her ears folded back as she looked down at the floor. "I don't know..."

I sighed. What the fuck, Firefly. I stepped over towards a window, peeking out. "They're not following us. I think that's something we should be worried about..."

Firefly rose to her hooves as she caught her breath and limped over towards me, looking out of the window. "We don't have the equipment or ability to do anything about it right now. Let's just get to the rally point. Team Two may have gotten free, and if they did, they'll be heading there too..." She glanced down to her Pipbuck, trailing off, before she swore. "Right. Pipbuck's dead. Wonderful. Just fuckin' wonderful. Take point, Dashie."

"Yes ma'am." A glance in Firefly's direction said she got the hint that I'm not happy with her.

The fuck just happened, Firefly?

Author's Note

Not much to say. We've met Crimson Nimbus. Is he a just a one-chapter wonder or is he going to become a recurring villain, or something else? Tune in next week to find out. Not, of course, that you'll find out about Crimson next week, but... there's always more about the Adventures of the Stable 30 Security Team!

Shenanigans and TK "Giant Dickasaurus Rex" Knorr for editing, feedback, misc.
Mark Morgan - Fallout 2 soundtrack, particularly All-Clear Signal

Chapter 07 - Shadows and Tripwires

Fallout Equestria: Stable Scout
Chapter 07
Shadows and Tripwires

Captain Firefly

I brought my revolver down, opening the cylinder and checking the ammunition. Six cartridges. Four fired. I have two shots left. I removed a spent cartridge, reading the text on the back face. .38s? That makes this a IF-38, then. Well. Fuck. I locked the cylinder back in and glanced to Dashie, who was nosing through a corner.

"Figures." Dashie trotted off. "This way towards the rally point."

"Are you... mad?" I moved after him.

"Yes, ma'am." Ouch... "I'm furious. What the fuck just happened back there?"

"I fucked up. That's what happened."

"No, Firefly." He turned to face me. "Choosing an apple fritter for breakfast after oh-nine-hundred is a fuck up. What happened back there is a level beyond 'fucked up.' You might have just gotten Team Two killed." I opened my mouth, but he cut me off. "No, we're not sure they're dead, but it's probably a safe assumption to say they're not having the time of their lives."

"Okay, okay..." I sighed. "What now?"

"Well... we continue the mission. You pointed out that we don't have the resources to mount a rescue for them. We advance to the rally point, wait the twelve hours we agreed upon in case Team Two gets free, and then we proceed to Baltimare Radio to make contact with the DJ." He looked to me. "Unless you have a better suggestion, Captain."

I sighed again. "Okay. Okay. I fucked up. You're right. Let's just go." He looked at me for a long moment. "Dashie?" His approach made me incredibly nervous for some reason. I stepped back, before he hugged me.

"Damn it Firefly." I leaned into the hug, and we spent a long minute there, just hugging.

"... okay... let's move." I noticed I had subconciously raised my tail, and I hurriedly put it back down, hoping Dashie hadn't noticed.

"Yeah, alright." Dashie stepped back from me, looked at me for a long moment, before setting off. "What do we know about the radio station?"

I glanced to Dashie, glad he found something else for us to talk about. "Honestly, not a whole lot. We're not even sure this is where Lunar Note is broadcasting from. It stands to reason though, that this might be a Steel Ranger base. It sounds like the sort of thing they'd hole up in."

"The Steel Rangers? That's just wonderful." I had to agree with Dashie's thoughts. "Think they're still sore about the incident?"

"Celestia, I hope not."

"I'm definitely not hearing an answer to my question there. Bet, yes, no?"

I sighed. "I'm gonna go with 'yes, the Steel Rangers are still pissed.' Five caps?"

"Better make it ten caps, boss."

Why does he continue to make these bets. "You're awfully optimistic."

He simply smirked in response. "One of these days I'll be right."

"So..." I smirked teasingly. "Tell me, Dashie. Why do you sleep around so much?"

He blinked. "Uh. What? That's a strange question." Ha ha, gotcha! His ears folded back.

"Well?"

"...I dunno if I want to answer that one, boss." ... Unexpected.

"Go on..." I dragged the words out playfully.

"Hold." He glanced down to his Pipbuck, then gestured for me to get down and slipped forward. I had to wonder how he was so damned quiet. I ducked down and wished my Pipbuck still worked, because I couldn't see anything on my EFS, and it was freaking me the hell out.

He crawled back to me. "Two radroaches in the room ahead."

"I could use my mag-"

Dashie interrupted me loudly. "No, you're not allowed to do that again."

"But they're just normal-sized radroaches, right? Not pony-sized ones?"

"No, Firefly."

"Fiiine, I won't crush them."

Dashie shuddered. "Let's just avoid them."

I considered for a moment, then nodded. "Find us a path around them?"

"There's so many blips on my EFS." He groaned. "Damn Pipbuck gives me just enough info to make me paranoid." He turned trotted to the west. "This should be the right way." He stepped into another room, then dropped to the ground as a shotgun went off where his head should have been. "FUCK! I hate this city!"

"Holy shit. How did you avoid that?!" He crawled to his hooves as I poked my head in, looking at the trap. It was an IF-9 with a box magazine. I freed it from its mount and removed the magazine. Because the world hates me, it was now empty.

"I felt the tripwire against my leg and I dropped. It was a fifty-fifty chance of coming from above and coming from the side and I chose correctly, I guess."

"That could have gone worse..." Ugh. "This city will be the death of us, I know it." I sighed, looking around as I continued through the building, levitating the IF-9. "Worst case scenario, this makes a decent club." I slid the magazine back into the weapon.

"I'd make a bet against you, but I might actually win that one." I glanced to him curiously. "Hey, Weld was looking for a pair of those, right?"

"...So he was. Any bets on what he'll do with it?"

"What do you think?"

"I'm not sure... there's kind of a limit on the amount of things you can do with two shotguns, right?"

"Sky's the limit, Firefly, sky's the limit. You're intelligent, but you're not creative."

"Uh... thanks?" I'm not sure if that was a compliment or an insult...

"You're naturally gifted. You don't have to deal with, for example, figuring out how to get dressed. You just use your telekinesis and you're done." Dashie smirked. "Not a bad thing, it's just a thing." Ouch!

...

And then I found myself on the ground with somepony lying on me. Why am I on the ground? Then I realized the pony on top of me was Dashie. Dimly my mind recorded a gun going off somewhere very close to us.

"Dashie?"

"You okay, boss?"

"I think so. You're lying on top of me." Something dripped onto my flank. "Dashie?" The weapons and other items I'd been carrying with me clattered to the ground around us as they fell from my magical field.

"I'm fine." He rolled off of me with a groan and I rose to my hooves. "Ow."

"Ow?" Then I noticed he was bleeding. "You pushed me out of the way?"

"Yeah. You're fine, right? We're fine." He tried to rise to his hooves and yelped, falling back down. "Nope! Scratch that, not fine!"

I sighed. "Dashie, you idiot... Thank you." I leaned down, performing my triage spell on his flank.

"You're the boss, boss. Gotta watch out for you, right?"

"See previous comment. You've got a bunch of little bits in here, but I can't tell what they are specifically." Dashie's Pipbuck lit up, bathing the area around us in a pale blue glow. "That's better. My medical spells aren't all that developed. I wish Cerulean was here."

"Well, he ain't here. So... see what you can do."

I sighed. "Right..." Can't fuck this up. Already fucked up enough today. "Where did it come from?"

Dashie looked around and pointed with a hoof behind me. I rose and trotted over to it, looking at what he'd pointed out. A revolver sat pointed towards where Dashie and I had been. "Why the fuck are there so many traps here!?" I levitated the revolver free of its mount and sighed as I saw that it had only been loaded with one round... which was now buried inside Dashie's flank. "The world hates me."

"Yeah, sure it does. Just like it hates everypony else, too. A little less complaining and a little more healing would be great, Firefly." Oops.

"Right, right..." I leaned over, feeling with my magic around inside the wound and removing pieces of bullet. "Uhh... I don't know if I can use my anesthesia spell on a localized area like this, and we need to keep moving, so... Close your eyes?" I frowned. "I don't know how many pieces this fragmented into..."

"Well, what's the worst that could happen?" His voice sounded muffled, and I realized he had his teeth clenched.

"Uhh,.. I'm not a doctor. It could probably move around and cause more internal damage, or it might bring in an infection leading to..." I paused. "I don't even know."

"Ah. Try not to miss any fragments, okay?"

I sighed. "Right, I think I got all of them."

"You think?"

"I'm fairly sure I got all of the bullet in your leg."

"Well that's comforting."

"Damn it Dashie, I'm a security pony, not a doctor!"

"Yea, yeah. I wish Cerulean was here now."

"That makes two of us. Alright, I don't think this will hurt."

"Don't 'think'?"

"Well... yeah." I sealed up the wound with my healing spell.

"... ah..." He gasped as he looked over at his flank. "Oh I wish I hadn't watched that..."

I suddenly realized I was incredibly tired. "Celestia, I'm tired..."

"C'mon boss, we gotta get to the rally point."

"Yeah I know... just... lemme lay down for a minute." I yawned, curling up.

I glanced over at Dashie. "No, boss..." He glared at me. And then he reached over with a hoof. Huh?

Then backhoofed me in the face!

"Ow! What was that for?" I rubbed my muzzle.

"Gotta keep moving. Almost there."

I nodded, crawling to my hooves. "Right, right..."

#

We continued through the city, building by building, avoiding or disarming traps. After about an hour, we found ourselves free of the traps.

"The hell was with all those traps?"

"I dunno, boss."

"It feels like someone's watching us..."

Dashie stopped and turned in a slow circle, his Pipbuck clicking softly. "So many blips, I can't tell if we're being followed or not. Gives me just enough information to keep me nervous and edgy..."

"Wonderful. Let's keep moving."

"Sure." Dashie stopped, looked around, before setting off. His Pipbuck's ticking increased in intensity.

"You sure this is the right way?"

"All I know this is the way my Pipbuck's EFS is pointing me, and..." He paused, looking at his Pipbuck. "This seems to be the right way, yes."

"Well, what I meant was... are you sure this is a good idea? Remember training, DNFWSTIR?"

"Boss, we're in Baltimare. EVERYTHING is irradiated!"

"Right... alright." I glanced around, following him as he continued trotting.

A round... thing... flew out of a building past us, and we ducked down. It was spherical, perhaps the size of a foal's head, with four mechanical wings propelling it. A magical beam weapon lay slung across the underside, almost like a stinger from an insect. Several antennae emerged from the top and bottom of it. It ignored us as it continued buzzing past, blasting some annoying polka music.

"I've heard worse music." I glanced to Dashie.

I frowned. "What are you talking about, this music sucks."

"It's probably earth pony music." Dashie smirked, looking at where the construct had disappeared around a corner.

"... See previous comment."

We continued moving along, staying out of sight in case there were other spheres that weren't as stupid or friendly.

Finally, we entered a large, open square. A couple of buildings around had been destroyed, much worse than the surrounding area. "Do... you see those... shapes?" Dashie's Pipbuck started ticking even more intensely.

"What shapes?" Dashie glanced around.

"On the walls." I pointed them out. "They look like ponies..."

"...they look like shadows." For some reason, those shadows terrified the fuck out of me.

"I don't see anything to cast shadows?" I looked around and found nothing.

"I don't know. Let's just go." We continued through the square. Dashie's Pipbuck calmed down somewhat after we got a few blocks away.

"Still feels like we're being watched..." In the silence after that, I thought I could hear the hair-raising wail of a siren off in the distance.

"Shush Dashie." I glanced to him as we crossed to another building.

#

"Almost there, boss. There's the building across the street."

"Oh good."

LOCATION DISCOVERED: RALLY POINT ALPHA

# #

Security Officer Pumpkin Blitz

"I can't believe you shot him."

"What?" I looked to Mend.

"The injured pony in the Stadium. Why did you have to shoot him?"

I sighed. "I already explained this, Doctor." Celestia damn it, Horn. "He was dying. Nothing you could have done would have saved him."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Are you a trained medical pony?" I shook my head. "Have you been practicing medicine for longer than you've been alive?" Also no. "What gives you the right to decide whether he lives or dies?"

"What gives you the right to force him to live as a cripple? Even if you could have saved him, he would have been unable to even walk without help." Something on my EFS moved, and I glanced to him as he opened his mouth to respond, shushing him. "Somepony's coming." I waved him to take cover and he glanced the way I had, before ducking behind something. "Princess Celestia!" Please say Princess Cadance.

"Princess Cadance!" Oh thank Celestia.

"It's Team One." I heard Mend muttering about something as Captain Firefly and Lieutenant Dash entered the room. Lieutenant Dash was limping and blood had dried on his flank.

"Oh good, you're here." Captain Firefly had a grouchy expression, and a shotgun and a revolver held in her magic.

"Ah... yes. It's nice to see you too, ma'am."

"Cerulean, get over here. Dashie's injured."

"What the hell did you stupid security ponies do this time?" He rose from his cover and trotted over to Lieutenant Dash, grumbling as he ordered the Lieutenant to lay down.

"I see you two also managed to escape from... ah... my father." The Captain looked to me, and I thought I could see worry in her expression.

"... That's one way to put it. He escorted us here so we could convey a message to you." She looked shocked. I brought up the message on my Pipbuck, playing it so the four of us could hear.

"Alright, Firefly. Both of us said a lot of things you're probably going to regret, but I want you to know that I still want you by my side. Everypony gets one chance - this is yours." Crimson sighed. "Tell the guards at the front gate you're from Stable 30 and that you wish to talk to me and they will bring you directly to me." Captain Firefly looked surprised and said nothing for a long moment.

"Captain?" I reached over and pressed a hoof against her shoulder. She jumped, looked around quickly, and shook her head, before looking to me. "We also brought your kit." I looked towards their saddlebags.

"Ah. Yes. Thank you." She trotted over to the saddlebags, levitating her equipment out and starting to get dressed.

Around this time, Mend had finished with Lieutenant Dash. "Alright then, who patched Dashie's flank up?" He looked to the Captain, midway through pulling on her Stable barding. "Was it you?" Lieutenant Dash sipped from a bottle of radaway with a wince.

"Ah... yes." The Captain looked mildly confused by his response.

"All things considered, you didn't do too badly, considering what you had. You missed a projectile, but he'll be fine, thanks to me." Mend glanced to Dash. Lieutenant Dash's looked to Captain Firefly with a worried look. "With that out of the way..." Uh oh. "What the fuck was that shit?"

"I fucked up. It won't happen again."

"No, no, you don't get to do that. That's a shitty excuse and you damn well know it. What. Happened. Back. There?"

"I don't know!"

If his tone could be given physical form, I could cut it and use it to chill tea. "Well... let's go back, shall we, 'Captain'?" The Captain frowned, glaring at him. "What did you do?"

"I made a bad decision. That's what I did."

Mend glared at the Captain for a long moment, before he spun and bucked her. Caught off guard and half dressed, the Captain fell back, awkwardly tumbling for several hooflengths. "That's not what I asked and you know it." I moved to put myself between him and the Captain as Lieutenant Dash went to help her up. "I probably shouldn't have done that. Oh well, too late! Now answer my question."

The Captain got back to her hooves as some blood dripped from her nose, groaning. "I killed a couple of Crimson's guards."

What? "Why?" Why- Hey, out of my head, Horn.

"I don't know!" Mend narrowed his eyes at the Captain, and Dash moved to put himself between the two unicorns.

"Oh relax Dashie, I'm not going to hit her again. If she cooperates... Out of my way, Wings." He looked to Captain Firefly. "Why don't you think a bit harder?"

"Look, okay, I fucked up. It won't happen again."

"Riiight..." Mend looked unconvinced. I had to agree with him... "Well, keep this in mind: if you ever do anything stupid like that again, I will leave you and go back to the Stable."

The Captain looked shocked. "That's dereliction of duty!" That... is treason.

"No, it's survival, you dolt! If I can't trust you to keep a level head when it comes to bigger, more powerful factions, I'm not going to follow you to my death."

"If you leave me, you'll be exiled from the Stable." The Captain's voice was low.

"In exchange for never having to deal with you or your Sombra-damned family again? I might just take it. I have skills, I can survive out here on my own. I'll stay, for now..."

"Very well..." The Captain sighed and looked to me. "Is there anything you'd like to add, trooper?"

"Ah... no, ma'am. I think Doctor Mend covered everything... but please don't do that again."

"Right then..." The Captain fell silent and resumed dressing. "Hey, where's my shotgun?"

"Oh, uh... Crimson said he was keeping it. Because you, um, killed two of his soldiers and all..." I frowned.

"Which is preferable to him killing two of your soldiers in exchange. Right?"

"Hush, Doctor..." I looked to Mend, who was looking at the Captain with an annoyed look.

"Don't tell me to shut up, Wings. Hey, boss-Horn, get over here. I need to make sure your leg isn't infected." The Captain nodded, levitating out a healing potion and taking a swig of it as she trotted over. "What did I say before we left? You're going to drink all of our healing potions." Mend levitated the Captain's suit up, checking her leg.

"No worries, I won't."

"Good, good, looks like your leg is healing up nicely." Mend snorted in response and levitated out a radaway. "Drink this. I don't know what the hell you two stupid security ponies blundered through, but your rads are through the roof." The Captain sipped it, and Mend coughed a bit dramatically as he stepped back from her. "Sombra's left testicle, you smell disgusting!"

"Oh, and you don't?" The Captain glanced to him over her bottle of radaway. "... no you don't. Why don't you?"

"Well, Red offered us a shower. You know, he probably would have let you shower, too, if you hadn't murdered two of his ponies." Cringe. "Wings here certainly enjoyed hers." Mend glanced at me with a lewd expression that made me feel dirty. "Half of the base probably heard her, too." Hey!

"Let's, ah... all calm down, everypony?" I felt my cheeks heat up. "I wasn't that loud..."

"Sure thing, Wings." Mend nickered and trotted off to look out a window. Team One quickly finished dressing and we set off.

The next few hours went quietly. We crossed through the city, encountering several of the flying spheres. Crimson had called them sprite bots. Finally we arrived at a point overseeing the Baltimare radio station and found it was... a Steel Rangers outpost. Some caps changed from Lieutenant Dash's hooves to Captain Firefly's.

The four of us settled down in the third floor of a building, watching from a distance. "You knew this was going to be a Steel Rangers outpost?"

"Just a hunch." Lieutenant Dash smirked over at me, passing his binoculars to Captain Firefly.

The Captain shook her head. "No, we didn't know, but we suspected it."

Fair enough." I considered that, then nodded. "So what's the plan? We stroll up and ask to come inside politely?"

Mend spoke up snidely. "Well, we're definitely not going to shoot our way inside." He glanced to the Captain. "Not that you won't try it. I don't need to remind you that shooting at these ponies is probably not a good idea. Right? Unless your grandfather happens to be the leader of the Steel Rangers..."

"Hush, Doctor." I reached over to press a hoof against his side as the Captain glared at him. He glanced to me with a displeased expression, but stopped talking.

"Since, as our medic pointed out, we're not going to be shooting our way inside, I think through the front door is the best way to go. We're here on legitimate business and I believe they'll let us in."

"What if they're still pissed at us over that time they tried to take over the Stable?"

"Wellll then we're fucked, I guess."

"You're awfully cavalier about that, 'Captain'." Hush, Horn.

"No use arguing over what we can't control."

"You may have a point there..."

"Let's move." The Captain rose to her hooves and lead the way down to the Steel Ranger outpost. We approached the base slowly and several more Rangers, some in power armor, some in light armor, appeared.

"What do you want?" One of the guards at the foot of the wall challenged us, operating one of the suits of power armor. They sounded like a mare, but it could just be a colt with a voice modifying talisman.

"We're here to see Lunar Note." Captain Firefly stepped forward a hoof length.

"Your kind isn't welcome here, Stable." I sighed. We're not getting in, are we.

He fell silent, and the other guard spoke up. "What business do you have with Lunar Note?"

"Our business with Lunar Note is private."

"Lunar Note is one of us. Her business is our business." Lunar Note is a member of the Steel Rangers? "I will ask you one more time before I'll ask you to leave; what is your business with Lunar Note?"

"The Stable Scout wishes to talk to Lunar Note. Convey that message and I'm sure she'd like to see me."

"The Stable Scout, huh?" The first guard spoke up.

The second glanced to her, and she stopped talking again. I guess the second one has seniority. "Standby, Scout." The power suit stopped moving, and I suspected there were conversations here we're not privy to going on. Not surprised. After a long moment, the second guard spoke again. "We have a task for you. The Baltimare police station has been locked down for a long time, and we've been unable to get inside. Open it up and we'll let you in to speak with Lunar Note."

"Why can't you do it yourself?" Cringe, Captain. "Surely somepony as powerful as you could get inside easily enough." Please don't taunt the nice power armored ponies.

"Take it or leave it, Scout. Doesn't matter to us either way. Now begone or be destroyed."

I looked to the Captain, and she nodded away from the radio station and turned, trotting down the hill at a carefully measured stroll. "It's getting dark." Obviously. "So we'll head back to one of the buildings and bunker down for the night while we figure out where the Baltimare police station is."

"We're going to do what they told us to?"

"Surely you'd prefer that to trying to shoot our way in, Doctor." The Captain smiled to Mend, and he grumbled.

"So maybe you can learn. Alright then, let's see where this goes." He glanced to me, and I shrugged, trotting after him.

#

A few minutes into our search for a building, a sprite bot came buzzing out of a building to our left, blasting its annoying, tuba-filled music... and then stopped. It went silent, bobbing there in place, until a tinny voice came out of the speaker. "Hello!"

"Open fire!" Captain Firefly yelped and screamed.

Shit!

I drew my beam pistol and opened fire. A moment later, it was sitting on the ground, smoking with a dozen holes through it.

"... Uhh... overkill?" I holstered my weapon, looking around to the rest of the team, lowering their own weapons.

"Who could even think of such a thing?" Lieutenant Dash grinned as he trotted over to it, pulling several pieces out of it and tucked them into his saddlebags. "Think fast, Wings."

"What?" I caught the spark battery with one of my wings as he tossed it at me and tucked it into one of my pouches. "Oh, thanks."

"Riiight... that was a waste of ammunition." The Captain sighed, looking around as she holstered, slung or otherwise put away the veritable armory she'd just drawn.

"Should we be concerned somepony is trying to contact us, and you just shot their messenger?" Mend apparently had not opened fire with us.

I frowned. "... That's a good point, Doctor."

The Captain nodded. "Right, let's keep moving."

We found another building, an intact two story on a street of similar two story buildings this time, and settled down on the second floor after fortifying it, in the off chance the Crimson Raiders came back. We blocked the back doors and other entrances to the second floor, so the only way up was the stairs by our camp, and cleared a path to the roof. Dash put a small hole in the roof of the corner for smoke, and we covered the windows.

Captain Firefly sighed. "Right. I'll be... here, laying down. You take care of setting up camp." She levitated her helmet off, setting it beside her as she laid down.

Mend lost no opportunity to mock her. "Kay then, let's let the earth ponies and pegasi do all the hard work, right? Just like old times, huh, your queenness?"

The Captain sighed again tiredly. "Please shut up, Doctor. Don't make me make that an order."

"Sure thing, Captain Landmine."

"Mend." I glared at him.

"Yes, Wings?" He smirked back at me innocently.

"Please shut up. Please, shut up. Please, just shut up."

"Right, right, Wings." Mend seemed to get the hint, because he dropped the snarky tone and looked around.

Lieutenant Dash glanced to me, and I smiled back to him as I trotted over, stage whispering to him. "It's like we're babysitting a couple of foals." He grinned and seemed to get some amusement from that I wasn't aware of, but hey, he grinned. It's something. The four of us fell silent. I lead Mend to secure the building, going from room-to-room.

We returned to find camp all set up, and Dashie heating up some food for us, which I gratefully accepted. It seemed to revive Captain Firefly, and she shook herself awake, rising to her hooves. "Right, not done yet. Still gotta do the debriefing."

"Sure, boss."

"Okay..." The Captain laid down next to Lieutenant Dash, and he offered her his leg with his Pipbuck, which she hugged and spoke into. "Stable Thirty, reconnaissance log, Day Three and after-action report for Baltimare Radio meeting. Captain Firefly leading, Lieutenant Rapid Dash, Security Officer Pumpkin Blitz and Doctor Cerulean Mend participating." After a short pause, she continued. "Begin." Then she looked to me. "What happened since last night?"

"Well, a couple of hours after you went to sleep, Serenity - thats... uh. Captain Nimbus' other daughter, I guess?" ... Cringe? "Attacked us and captured us. It was a well planned out attack, they came from three different directions. Even if all four of us had been awake and waiting for them, I doubt we could have fought them off." I glanced to Mend to see if he had anything to add. He shrugged.

"Do you know it was Serenity that lead the attack?"

"Yes, ma'am, I saw her myself."

The Captain nodded. "Right then... Go on."

"Well, we woke up across from Captain Nimbus." I paused. "I guess he's King Crimson now?"

Captain Firefly winced. "Don't remind me."

Lieutenant Dash smirked at her. "You've had worse wake ups."

"Ugh, see previous comment." She covered her head with her hooves.

"Soo..." I glanced around. "Let's see... met Captain Crimson, met Lieutenant Azure, Serenity." I looked to Team One. "What happened after Lieutenant Azure took you two away?"

Lieutenant Dash thought for a moment. "Crimson told us about his troops. Highlights, hrm... water talisman producing clean water." He glanced to me. "I'm guessing you two found that out the fun way."

Mend quietly snickered, and I felt my cheeks heating slightly. "Shush Doctor."

"Sorry miss, I didn't mean it that way." Lieutenant Dash continued. "He told us about what happened after he left the Stable. He challenged the leader of the bandit clan that had attacked the Stable to individual combat and... somehow won." He shrugged.

I considered that for a moment. "That's awfully ballsy."

"Or stupid." The Captain spoke up with an annoyed expression.

"Sometimes there's a very fine line between the two." Surprisingly, Doctor Mend spoke up in Crimson's defense.

"Are you starting to warm up to 'Red', Doctor?" I smirked at Mend teasingly.

"No." For once, Mend was rather short.

"Riight then..." The Captain sighed and continued. "Shall we continue?"

Lieutenant Dash nodded. "He was interested in Overmare Lily's demise."

Mend perked up at that. "Oh?" He narrowed his eyes. "I know Red keeps grudges, but I wasn't expecting him to still be that pissed about that."

"What?" The three of us all stared at Mend.

"...Shut off the recorder and I'll explain."

The three of us looked to the Lieutenant's Pipbuck, then back to Mend, then the Captain turned off the recording. "Alright. Explain."

He sighed. "... I didn't actually expect that to work. Alright. Back when we were your age, Red, Range, Saph and Aimpoint - she was a damn fine pegasus mare, a good shot - were all junior officers in Security. I was one of them, but not in Security. One day, Red and his partner Aimpoint went down to patrol the underbelly of the Stable. Something happened and Crimson returned carrying Aimpoint's body. Overmare Lily promptly put out a gag order on discussing the incident. I never heard what happened, but scuttlebutt said the Overmare was to blame for it." He sighed and glanced around. "Kay, you can turn the recorder back on."

"... Uhh... wow..." The three of us shared looks.

"By the way, I think that gag order is still in effect, so if you're curious, watch who you ask back at the Stable. Range might know more, I think. She knew Red better than I do."

"Right..." Dash and Firefly shared a look. "Uh, where were we..."

"You were turning the recorder back on before you forget to." Mend's snide tone returned. Wonderful. I tossed him a sideways look, and he smirked slyly.

"Oh! Right." Dash turned it back on.

"After that happened..." The Captain continued.

Dash interrupted her. "Oh! He told us he settled in a Ministry storehouse."

The Captain glared at him, and I snickered a little bit, shutting up as she turned her withering glare on me. "Right... Ministry storehouse?"

"He never elaborated. Probably military of some sort." Mend yawned and rolled over.

"Equestrian Army, maybe?" I wondered aloud.

"Ministry, not Army." I prodded Mend. He jumped and glared at me, rubbing his side where I poked him.

"Eh, we'll figure it out later. Nothing else happened, really." Dash sighed and looked to Firefly. "... Nothing we haven't already discussed at extreme length."

I looked to Mend and he, surprisingly, had nothing to add. I looked back to the Captain and he spoke up. "Well... Extreme, yes. Excessive, not yet." I sighed.

"Please drop it, Doctor."

"Of course, miss." He gave me a pleasant smile that I immediately questioned the sincerity of.

"Soo... what happened to you two, Pumpkin, Cerulean?" The Captain smoothly changed the topic away from her.

I frowned, looking up. "Well, Lieutenant Azure took us to a room where Captain Crimson could talk to us. He..." I paused for a moment. How to put it. "Told us that the normal punishment for killing some of his soldiers was blood for blood, but... offered to spare us if we agreed to carry a message to you." Captain Firefly and Lieutenant Dash shared a meaningful look, and Firefly winced. "I don't want to know. He let us rest and recuperate for a couple of hours. Shower, food, replaced Lieutenant Dash's armor plates, our damaged equipment and spent ammo. Kept Captain Firefly's shotgun." Captain Firefly glanced to the replacement shotgun laying beside her.

"They escorted us to the rendezvous point where we met up with Team One." I paused for a moment, eyes closed, recalling the trip there. "These aren't just some ponies with a lot of guns, these guys are trained to use both guns and tactics. They're not idiots, and they're not to be taken lightly. We don't want to piss these ponies off, because I genuinely believe these ponies could take the Stable in a fair fight."

Mend nodded. "I hate to say this, but I agree with her. Red's troops are good."

I continued. "You finally arrived at the rendezvous point, ah... the two of you discussed the Captain's earlier command decisions."

Of course Mend couldn't keep his mouth shut. "Ha, what a wonderfully diplomatic way to phrase it."

"Please shut the fuck up, Horn." I prodded him roughly. "You're not helping."

"Whoa! Wings' got some claws to her!"

"Please stop talking." I prodded him again, hard.

"Yes, ma'am." His tone implied he was toying with me but I was tired of him fucking with me. I sighed again. I prodded him a third time just to make sure, digging the sharp edge of my hoof into his side, and he shifted uncomfortably. Success!

"I would really appreciate it if you'd stop causing shit just to cause shit. We've all had a long and difficult day, and you constantly bringing our mistakes up or just being sarcastic for the sake of being sarcastic is not fucking helping."

His expression changed to something that suggested I may have actually gotten through to him. "Alright, I'll shut up." I prodded him a fourth time, not as hard as before.

"You're good at fixing ponies. That's what you're good at. You're really good at fixing ponies. I'm really good at hurting ponies. Please don't make me show you." I prodded him, digging my hoof in again, and he shied away from me. Good. Gooood.

"Trooper Blitz!"

"Sorry ma'am." I bowed my head. "That was out of line. I apologize, Doctor." He glanced away.

"I understand, I went too far. My apologies." Mend glanced around to the rest of the squad. Success! ... I think.

"Riiight..." Lieutenant Dash spoke up to redirect the conversation. "So then we headed to Baltimare Radio, which is a Steel Ranger outpost, we learned. They demanded we go open the Baltimare police station before they'd let us in. So we're bunkered down here for the night."

"That sounds about right..." The Captain yawned.

"There was the sprite bot that tried to talk to us." I glanced to Mend, and he hurriedly found an incredibly fascinating spot on the ground in front of him.

"Oh, yes, there was that, wasn't there." The Captain nodded again. "Alright ponies, here's what we do. We'll hold here for sixteen hours. We're getting stressed out..." She glanced to me and Mend, then sighed and looked down at herself. "We're getting sloppy and we're making mistakes. We take a sixteen hour rest period for our sanity. After that, we proceed to the Baltimare police station and open it up for the Steel Rangers. Any questions?"

I had none. Mend was staying quiet. Lieutenant Dash had one, fortunately. "Do we actually know where the police station is?"

"I suspect our Pipbucks have it stored. Pumpkin?" She looked to me, and I looked down to my Pipbuck, calling up the map.

"Yes, ma'am, it's right here." I extended my hoof over to let her see. "We're not far from it. I don't have any recent data, but we know where it is, at least."

"It's something, I suppose. Alright then. Team Two is on first watch. Team One will take second, Team Two will take third watch and Team One will take fourth watch."

"Yes, ma'am."

The Captain turned the Lieutenant's Pipbuck off and gave off a huge yawn. "I'll see you ponies in three hours or so..." She rolled over and didn't even bother to release the Lieutenant's hoof from her hooves as she immediately dropped to sleep, still in her armor. Lieutenant Dash looked around, then shrugged, crawling out of his armor and battle saddle while still managing to keep his hoof with the Captain's.

I leaned over and whispered to him, "I won't tell if you don't." He looked to me, confused for a moment, before he smiled at me. Ahhhh, he likes her. Hrmm... "Sleep well." He nodded and curled up against the Captain. I rose and dragged his bed roll over to him, then returned to my position. Doctor Mend looked to me, and increased the distance between us nervously.

I looked to him, and he sighed. "I'm sorry."

"You already apologized, Doctor."

"No, I didn't. I said 'I'm sorry'. That doesn't mean I apologized." He sighed again. "I dislike... Crimson." I noted his use of Crimson's name, not his nickname. "He brings back bad memories. He married Saph - that's Firefly's mother, if you didn't know - and then took her brother and left her, stuck her with Firefly. She hasn't been the same since."

I frowned, confused for a moment. Oh! "... you loved her?"

He frowned as I said that too loudly, and the two of us looked to the sleeping Team One. Captain Firefly's ear twitched, but otherwise they remained asleep. He stayed quiet for a long moment, before he sighed sadly, ears drooping. "Yes, I did. We dated for a time, but she'd always loved Crimson."

I nodded and reached over to press my hoof against his shoulder. He froze up, before realizing I wasn't hurting him. "You understand."

"No, I don't, not firsthoof, but I empathize. I met Tawny and we just hit it off. She was my first partner and..." I sighed. "Enough about my relationships. I'm sorry your relationship had to go that way."

He nodded, cheering up slightly. "That doesn't excuse my actions today, but it explains it."

"It's probably a good idea to keep your personal and professional lives separate. That's why I don't date my coworkers." I smiled. "... well, and that nopony's interested. And I'm already taken anyways." I frowned. "...and Colonel Range would shit a brick if I started boning a squadmate." I snickered at the mental image that came with that. "Ouch."

"That sounds painful." Mend grinned at that. "You can thank Crimson for that." He sighed. "When Crimson left and Saph started drinking, Range went from being the assistant armorer to being stuck with adminning all of Security." He frowned. "I've been talking about that time a lot, haven't I? I sound whiny."

"Yeah, you have." He winced. "At least you're honest."

"Honesty is what I do. When I'm not patching up ponies, anyways." He smiled, then glanced to Team One. The Captain's nose twitched and she shifted to hug the Lieutenant's hoof closer.

"Speaking of squadmates dating..."

Mend shook his head. "Nope."

"Nope?"

"Nope." He smirked. "Not goin' there." It was a nice smirk, and I was glad to see it. "Too many fuckin' issues with her family and their relationships." His smirk shifted to a worried look as he watched the two of them sleeping. "Sombra, I hope they're not screwing." He shivered. "Range would shit a brick, and she likes Firefly and Dash. So, Wings, tell me about your partner."

"Tawny?" He nodded and I rose to my hooves, stretching my wings out. "Ahhh, that's better... She's the mare I was with when we left."

"I couldn't help but notice her, when she was basically throwing herself at you. Clingy much?" His snide tone returned, and he winced.

"Hey! That's not nice." I frowned.

"No it wasn't, but it seems that way."

"You're an asshole. She's just... kind of friendly."

"Friendly, huh?" He snickered, and I narrowed my eyes at him. "Sorry, habit."

"It's not a nice habit."

"Never said I was nice, miss." He smirked at me.

"Your bed side manner sucks."

He snickered. "I know. But that's why I'm here, instead of back at the Stable tending to foals' scraped knees and boo boos."

"You're kind of screwed up, you know that?"

"You bet I do. But then again, you intentionally joined a group who's very purpose is to willingly throw yourself into danger again and again. So that makes two of us, no?"

I considered that. "That's an unusual take on Security."

"True, though."

I nodded in agreement, echoing his words. "True, though." I curled up, resting my head on my hooves, thinking about that. Mend took my silence as a reason or excuse to bury his muzzle in a book, which I didn't argue with as I idly watched all the red bars on my EFS. Just enough information to keep me paranoid...

#

Three hours later, Lieutenant Dash woke up, noticing Captain Firefly was still hugging his hoof. With his free hoof, he dug something out of his saddlebag and set it in front of Captain Firefly. "Ssssh," he smirked at me. I glanced to Mend, who shrugged and went back to his book. I looked at the item. It was a pair of blue wings on either side of a yellow thunderbolt, inside of a ring. Oh! The Wonderbolts logo. Some of the Stable history texts had spoken about them.

I shrugged and rose to my hooves, taking to wing and turning in place to do an EFS scan with a frown. There could be a team of ponies getting ready to attack us and I wouldn't be able to separate them from everything else in the city. I sighed. "Just enough information to keep me paranoid." Mend looked to me with a concerned look, and I shook my head, dropping to my hooves and trotting around the room.

#

A half hour later, I woke Team One so they could take watch and we could get some rest. Captain Firefly yawned cutely - ugh - before noticing the statue. "Uh... what is this?" She leaned down, focusing on it.

"It's a Wonderbolts emblem, ma'am." I shrugged and prodded Lieutenant Dash to wake him up.

He yawned and stretched. "Mornin' Pumpkin."

I glanced down to my Pipbuck. 0023. "So it is." I frowned. "Ugh, I have been awake far tooo long."

"Somehow, I don't think your day was a bad as mine..." Dash grinned at me as he rose to his hooves. "You didn't almost lose your head to a shotgun tied to a door, did ya?"

"When you put it that way..." I smiled back to him. "Did you sleep well?"

Captain Firefly grumbled in response to my question. "No, I could have slept for at least another six hours."

I smiled, then winced as I bit back a sarcastic comment about the Crimson Raiders and her command decisions yesterday. I glanced over to Mend, surprised he would pass up such an obvious opportunity. He looked to me with a nervous look, before shaking his head and returning to his book. "Good morning, Firefly."

Captain Firefly rose to her hooves with a groan. "Ow. I thought I learned this in Haven."

"Don't sleep in armor?" I smiled at her.

She nodded, yawning again. "Don't sleep in armor." She groaned, stretching to wake up.

The next half hour went along quietly. We chatted. Finally at 0100 Mend and I turned in to sleep for the night after stripping off our armor.

#

An indeterminate time passed before I was awoken. According to my Pipbuck, it was about three and a half hours. According to my body, it was about five minutes.

"Your turn, folks."

I groaned as I rose to my hooves, looking at my wings and noticing their disarray. "I did not sleep for anywhere near long enough."

"Welcome to Security, Pumpkin." The Captain tossed me a wry smile.

I groaned again. "Of course, ma'am." I settled down and started to pull my feathers into some sense of organization.

Mend grumbled as he woke up, waving a hoof in Captain Firefly's direction. "G'way, mare. It's too early to get up."

"So it is, but here we are." Captain Firefly seemed more relaxed than she'd been since we left Haven.

I smiled to her. "Are you feeling better, Captain?"

She nodded cheerfully. "Yes. We needed this break."

I considered for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah..." I gave up on my wings for the moment and settled for pulling them in against my sides, groaning as I stretched again. "Sombra, do I neeeeeed to peeeee..." I glanced around. "Where are we, uh, going?"

Dashie rose to his hooves. "I'll show you." I think I can pee on my own... oh, wait. Buddy system. I nodded.

"Lead the way, sir."

His cheek twitched, and his smirk fell for a moment. "This way."

Huh? "Should I not call you 'sir', uh...?" I trailed off, suppressing the urge to call him sir while asking if I shouldn't call him sir.

He sighed as he lead the way out. "No, it's not that. I'm still getting used to it." He headed out what I assumed had been the 'back' door of the building. "Being called 'sir' is so... military to me. My parents were cooks and engineers, not soldiers. When I first met Firefly, I never expected to end up here, leading a military expedition in an irradiated hellhole of a city."

"That's an interesting point there..." I considered, looking at Lieutenant Dash. "I grew up in a military family, so this is exactly where I expected to end up." I frowned, considering possible what-ifs. "So yeah, I guess I'm a generation jarhead."

"A... what?" Dash looked to me in confusion as I slipped behind some rubble to pee.

"Doctor Mend called me a generation jarhead yesterday. I'm guessing it's someone who's been in the military for a few generations... just like my family."

"Huh, not that nice."

"No, Doctor Mend isn't a nice pony. He's a good doctor, though."

"That's a good point..." He trailed off.

"So, you and Captain Firefly, you're not... an item... right?"

He took a long moment to respond, then he sighed. "No, we're not together. Hold on a second."

Ahhh that is soo much better. I sighed contently, zipping my suit back up, and emerged from the rubble to see Dash marking the side of the building with some signaling chalk. "What are you doing?"

He took a long moment to respond while he finished the drawing, a crudely drawn blue gear with nine cogs - the Stable-tec logo. He tucked the chalk back to its pouch, then turned to talk to me. "While you were sleeping, Firefly and I discussed creating safe houses in Baltimare in case we need somewhere to rest. This one's a decent place, so we'll make this the first one."

"That's not a bad idea."

"All done?"

I nodded and lead the way back into the building to find Captain Firefly reassembling her revolver. Looking around, I noticed that the inside of the building did look a bit neater. Over the next half hour, we idly chatted. Mend took a look at Dash's flank and Firefly's leg, making sure they hadn't become infected before the two of them curled up for their rest period at 0500.

"Ugh, it's too early. I should still be asleep." As soon as Team One fell asleep, Mend resumed his bitching, glancing out at his Pipbuck. "Hey, Wings. Y'know what?" He looked up at me and I immediately disliked his expression without knowing what it meant. "I don't like ponies touching me, so I'd appreciate if you didn't touch me again, ever. Deal?"

I blinked. "Oh, really?" I grinned, leaning forward to invade his personal space, just a little. "I don't like your constant bitching and complaining, so... I'll make you a deal." He leaned back uncomfortably. Gooood. "If you agree to keep in line - don't bitch and complain much, don't bring up our fuck ups too often, don't be a disagreeable ass like you've been all damn day - and I won't touch you again. Deal?"

He frowned, glaring at me. "... Deal." I spat on my hoof and offered it to him. His disgusted look amused me. "... I'm not touching that, but I agree to abide by your terms."

I snickered. Gotcha. "Oh, one more thing - I don't appreciate lewd comments about my sex life. Don't do that again." I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Yeah, sure, fine. You have no idea how disgusting that is, you know." I looked to him with a confused look, and he elaborated. "Spitting on your hoof like that to shake it."

"Do I care?" I stuck my lower lip out at him.

"No, surely you don't. Look, I know medicine isn't your thing, but there are things called 'germs', and..." He sighed. "You know what? Never mind." He threw a hoof in the air with a sullen look. "Fuck it. Forget I said anything." He dug a book out of his bag and started reading it.

Oops. I may have pushed him a bit too far. I frowned and rose to my hooves, cleaning up the room we slept in, clearing floor space and just neatening up the room.

After about an hour, he stopped to look at me suspiciously. "What are you doing?"

"Captain Firefly decided we should start setting up safe houses in Baltimare in case we need somewhere to rest, and this is a good place, so I'm cleaning up for the next team that stays."

He considered, shook his head, before closing his book and rising to his hooves. "This is ridiculous, but alright. What are we doing?"

Over the next two hours, we cleaned up most of the first floor, fixed - or at least stood up - most of the furniture and tossed everything that couldn't be salvaged into the basement. Anything that could be salvaged from the basement was brought up to the first floor, and we ended up rifling through the personal belongings of the ponies who had once lived here. It had been a store, with the proprietors living above the store. Most of the wares had been stolen over the past two hundred years, but the building itself was in good condition.

#

Eventually I wandered upstairs and started cleaning, going into a room. A messy bedroom contained a bed with... two skeletons lying on top of it. "Oh." I shivered and stepped back out of the room, using my radio. "Mend?"

"What is it?"

"There are... bodies... up here."

"I'll be right there." He sounded nearly as disturbed as I felt. A moment later, I heard him trotting up the stairs. I waved him over with a wing, and he stepped inside. "They're dead."

"Well said, Doctor Obvious." I followed him inside, looking at the bed.

He winced. "Yes, I know..." Two skeletons lay on the bed, a unicorn and an earth pony. "They're mares." I noticed a pair of revolvers on the the bed. One lay between the two; the other rested in one's jaws. "Poor, poor souls." I noticed matching holes in their skulls.

"How do you know?" I looked to the skeletons closer. They just looked like bones to me.

"The pelvises are larger and shaped differently than a stallion's, wider and deeper. The bones are slimmer and more rounded. It must have been a romantic death..." He sighed. "The world is ending and everpony is dying, so we'll kill ourselves. It will be sooo romantic." His voice started off sincere before dipping into mocking sarcasm.

"Oh." I bowed my head. The sound of Mend using his magic surprised me, and I looked up to see him freeing the guns from their bodies.

"What? They're not using them anymore."

"Taking after Lieutenant Dash, I see..."

His brows furrowed, then he smiled in acknowledgement. "We should give them a memorial."

That isn't a bad idea. "Do you have any suggestions?" I guess?

"Moment of silence, burn the bones, scatter the ashes on the ground. Standard Stable remembrance ritual."

"We don't know their names, though..."

Mend frowned at me. "Does it matter?"

"No, I guess not. Let's wait for Captain Firefly to wake first."

He nodded in acquiescence. "Mmm, alright."

We continued cleaning the second floor. Looking through the house's contents, I found their names.

I frowned, glancing around on my EFS. "I feel like we're being watched."

Mend snorted. "It's probably just..." He frowned and trailed off, drawing his revolver.

"Just what?" I cocked an ear, scanning the area around me with my EFS.

"Nothing. I'm just feeling paranoid too. Last time you said that, Red's troops showed up."

Oh. I considered, then nodded. "Yeah, alright."

"I'm not an idiot, after all."

"If you say so..." I smirked at him, and he frowned back.

Half an hour later, I went to woke Team One. "Morning, Captain. It's 0903 now."

Captain Firefly yawned loudly as she woke up. "Ahhhh..." She rose to her hooves. "There we go. I neeeeeeeeeeded that..." Her voice cutely spiked in pitch as she yawned midway through speaking. "There we go. Anything happen while I was out?"

"We cleaned up." I considered. "We found some bodies."

"Bodies?" The Captain frowned. "Should I be concerned?"

"No. They're long dead. Doctor Mend suspects they're prewar ponies who committed suicide when the bombs fell." The Captain nodded. "He suggested we give them a memorial."

She nodded again. "Not a bad idea. Lemme wake up first." She yawned and turned to rummage through her bag, producing food and drink.

After eating and waking up, Dash and her headed upstairs to survey the safe house. "You've been busy, I see."

"Thank you, ma'am." I pointed to the bedroom. "Doctor Mend removed the bones and flipped the mattress, but..." I shivered. "Even if you slept alone in that bed, you wouldn't be sleeping alone."

"Ugh, ew. Thank you, no." She cringed in agreement. "We should just get rid of the mattress, if you ask me."

I nodded. "Hey, Horn!"

He yelled back from another of the rooms. "Hey, what!"

"Captain Firefly wants the mattress where we found the bodies downstairs."

"Well, tell Captain Landmine she can do it herself!" Captain Firefly and I followed the sound of his voice.

"What are you doing?"

"Wondering why we're yelling in a place like Baltimare."

I thought about that. "... that's a good point."

He turned to Captain Firefly, launching into conversation without any preamble. "So I'm thinking we take the bones outside, say a few words, immolate the bones. Discuss."

She looked to Mend for a long moment. "Sounds good. Any suggestions for words?"

"I dunno, you're the Captain here. Aren't speeches your thing?" I glared at him, and he had the decency to look mildly apologetic.

"No, that's Hot Range's area. Shooting ponies is more my thing." She winced at that. "Phrasing. You get my point."

"Oh shush Firefly, shooting ponies is Hot Range's thing and you're the most diplomatic pony here and you know it." Dash trotted into the room after us.

"No, bucking ponies in the dick is Range's thing." Mend chipped in. "Firefly is shooty-er."

"Shush yourself." She glanced to Dashie sideways, and he smirked. "Right..." Captain Firefly glanced down to her Pipbuck, then over to his. "It's 0930 now. We'll head out at 1300. Until then, we're staying put. Mend, Pumpkin. Can you two plot us a path to the police station?"

"Yes, ma'am." Mend winced, but nodded in agreement.

"When you get that done, get some more rest. I have a feeling this little quest the Steel Rangers are having us do isn't going to be easy." She turned to Lieutenant Dash. "Dashie, look through the building. See if you can locate any supplies for trading and leave some basic supplies for the next team to divert here."

"Sure thing, boss." He nodded. "And what are you going to do?"

"What any sort of competent leader should do - absolutely nothing at all!" She grinned. "I'll float around, come up with some words for the memorial and check up on our gear."

"Mkay. Doctor, c'mere. Let's figure out how to get to the police station." Mend grumbled, but trotted over as I lead the way downstairs. The two of us curled up with our Pipbucks in the room where all of our gear had been set up. After mapping a few different paths through the city, we went to sleep.

#

I was awoken some time later, approximately two hours according to my Pipbuck, and I pulled my armor back on.

"This thing is a piece of junk!" I glanced over to see Captain Firefly frowning at the shotgun she had found. "I want Firefly's Fury back!"

She named her gun? Cringe. "A piece of junk shotgun is better than no shotgun at all, ma'am." She laid down on her haunches, shotgun levitated in front of her.

"Debatable." She removed the magazine and racked the bolt to eject the chambered cartridge, catching it and tucking it back into the magazine. "Is it better to have a better gun that shoots sometimes, or an inferior gun that always shoots?"

"That's a good point." She set the magazine aside as she pushed the back of the upper receiver forward and pivoted the barrel up around the lower half. "Oh you poor gun, what did they do to you?" She sighed sadly, levitating the bolt and recoil assembly out, splitting them apart into their base pieces. "Look at this!" She held a piece up, and I looked at it closely. "The firing pin should have been replaced ages ago!"

"Have you been talking to Sergeant Slate too much recently?"

"... never mind that." She sighed again and reassembled the gun neatly, loading it and racking the bolt with a metallic thunk. "So, even if this doesn't work, at least I have my pistols."

"That's why I prefer beam weapons, ma'am." I looked to my beam pistol's bit, hanging from my front. "No recoil, no moving parts, much less likely to get dust or contaminants inside. Of course, there's no dirt here to get inside." I stamped a hoof against the carpet, kicking a small cloud of dust up.

"Spark batteries are better used for powering lights or something, though, instead of a weapon."

"Sure, if you're not a Stable pony with access to spark battery recharging stations. Spark batteries can be be recharged, shotgun shells or pistol cartridges can't be as easily reloaded."

"Yeah, alright. Let's just agree to disagree on this." I smirked as she set her shotgun aside. "Right then..." She glanced down to her Pipbuck, before grumbling. "Pumpkin, time?"

"1233, ma'am. Shall I summon the colts?"

She considered, before nodding. "Do it."

I switched my comms to the squad channel. "Lieutenant Dash, Doctor Mend? Captain wants you in the main room." I received a comm click, presumably from Dash, and an annoyed grumble from Doctor Mend. "They're coming now." She nodded and yawned, digging out a healing potion and a shot glass. "You've been drinking a lot of healing potions, ma'am..."

"I'm also recovering from having a leg removed, Pumpkin."

I winced. That's true, but... "You've still been drinking quite a lot of them."

She nodded and turned to face me with a suddenness that surprised me, and pointed the bottle at me. Uhh... "Y'know what, you're right. I have." Oops? "We've all been a bit ... jumpy, and this makes me move faster and think better."

"Are you sure that's it?"

She nodded. "It won't be a problem."

"If you say so, ma'am..." I frowned, considering that. I think Horn is right. Dash and Mend arrived to end the conversation, and Captain Firefly turned to the two of them.

"Right, let's break camp and get ready to move. We get back on the road for the police station at 1300. Any questions?"

"That includes the memorial, right?" Mend looked concerned about that.

"That's correct, Doctor." She looked to Dash's Pipbuck, and he held it up for her. "We'll start the memorial at 1250. That's about twenty minutes from now. Get ready, eat, pee if you have to, whichever. Be ready to move out at 1250. As you were." She yawned, stretching. "If you'll excuse me, I have to pee..." She turned and trotted off towards the back, Dash following a pace behind.

I looked to Mend, and he shrugged. "Sooo... gotta pee?" I grinned at him.

"No." He turned and busied himself packing his stuff into his saddlebags.

"I found their names, by the way." He looked over to me with curiosity. "Ice Dusk and Caramel Candy." He smiled and went back to packing.

#

Twenty minutes later found the four of us outside, behind the building, the doors sealed behind us. Mend had laid the skeletons side by side.

Captain Firefly spoke quietly. "We don't know who you were, but surely you didn't deserve the deaths the world offered you." Mend lit the bones with his magic, and small puffs of smoke curled to the sky. The four of us bowed our heads in respectful silence for a long moment. "Good bye, Ice Dusk, Caramel Candy. May your souls rest in peace."

Captain Firefly stepped back, looking around at us, and nodded. "Right then, let's move, folks." The four of us set off. "We have a police station to visit."

Author's Note

Fallout Equestria: Stable Scout needs you to upvote! No, really. People can't see a story's rating until it gets 15 upvotes, and that probably leads to more than a few people simply passing on it. Do comment if you enjoy this. Feedback is especially preferable, but simple ego stroking will suffice.

I'm also looking for someone to draw some cover art for FOE:SS, if someone is willing. I have character designs, colors, image ideas and possibly even money, but limited artistic skills.

So, where is Firefly and her minions headed next? The prewar police station, of course! What will she find there? TUNE IN NEXT WEEK TO FIND OUT. Of course, this being FOE:SS, "next week" means "next month or so." Still, point remains.

CrimsonVixen - for the suggestion about Overmare Lily and Crimson. (the names are unrelated)
Shenanigans - for various editing suggestions. His fic, Fallout Equestria: Joker's Wild, is ridiculously silly in all of the right ways and you should take a look at it, because it is awesome.
Relentless and belmor - for being awesome, letting me bounce ideas off them and for writing the incredibly awesome Fallout Equestria: Frozen Skies.
TK "Gigantic Dickasaurus Rex" Knorr - for more suggestions and things.

e: revised on 03.05.16

Chapter 08 - Protect and Serve

Fallout Equestria: Stable Scout
Chapter 08
Protect and Serve

Captain Firefly

Continuing from the Safehouse, we found a large crater blocking our path. Dashie kicked a rock into the deep water, and I thought I saw something splashing after it. A building on the other side had partially collapsed into it. Nice place.

Dashie's Pipbuck ticked ominously as he leaned dangerously over the edge. "Well, we're not going this way." Careful, Dashie...

"That's a shame, I'd been planning to have a nice radbath." Cerulean's tone dripped with sarcasm. "It's been sooo long since I had a nice radbath." Please stop talking, Doctor. "Why, I don't think I've ever had a radbath! How horrifying!" Shut up.

"Hey Captain, there's a sewer access here." I trotted away from the complaining doctor as Pumpkin called out to us. "If we follow the sewers south, then east for a bit, we should emerge close to the police station." Fascinating.

I trotted over. "Should? How do you know this?"

"Apparently one of the ponies who entered Stable 30 had a map of the sewers on their Pipbuck. I cross referenced a map of the city with the map of the sewers on my HUD. I think I know the way there."

"You can do that?" I frowned, glancing to her Pipbuck. "Overlaying multiple maps on your HUD?"

"I, uh, guess so?" Pumpkin looked to me with a nervous look. "You mean, you can't?" Now I'm jealous.

"No." She opened her mouth to reply and I shook my head. "It's not important. Back to plotting us a path to the police station, please." I looked to her, and she glanced away. "Can you guide us to the police station?"

"I think so, ma'am... Assuming these tunnels haven't collapsed, or... um." She paused, biting her lip. "Anything else."

"Sounds as promising as anything else. Let's go." I raised my voice. "Everypony into the sewers, folks!" Hope this doesn't kill us.

Cerulean trotted over with a dark look. "That phrase has never lead to anything bad, ever." Shut up, Doctor.

"I could ask what could possibly go wrong." Look I know it's fun, but stop winding Cerulean up, Dashie. It's fun, but it's wrong.

"Sombra damn it, Dashie."

#

The sewers were dark and damp, but having three ponies with glowing Pipbucks certainly helped. The sound of water dripping echoed all around us. I popped the top off a flare and struck it, holding it high. The only thing less pleasant than the darkness was the smell.

"Looks ominous." With the soft hissing and the red glow the flare threw out, I had to agree with the Doctor.

"Doesn't it just..." I glanced to Dashie as he replied to Cerulean.

"Cut the chatter, you two. Pumpkin, you're on point." I glanced to Pumpkin, breathing through my mouth. "Get us out of here." Before I die from the smell.

"Yes ma'am." She winced. "Ugh, it stinks in here."

"You suggested this path, Wings." Cerulean groaned, stepping back with a disgusted look. "I just stepped in something."

"I know..." She took to wing, hovering in place for a moment. "Lemme... just a second. Ah! This way, ponies." She turned off and headed north. I floated the flare ahead in her wake as I trotted after her.

The tunnels were oppressively close, even to a Stable pony like me. The sound of little critters skittering came from all around us. Then again, considering the size of the radroach we'd met in the Stadium, they might not be so little... I don't want to find out.

Eventually we came across somepony, trotting towards us. I drew my IF-21, watching his approach. "Fellow Equestrians! Greetings!" The pony had a gravelly but friendly voice. In the light of our Pipbucks, his skin looked as if it had been burnt off in places. If I hadn't seen him moving, I might have mistaken him for a dead body. "Welcome, welcome to our humble abode!" He gestured grandly.

Um... "Hello."

"Please! Come with us. We will prepare the feast!"

I shared a look with the team, before nodding in his direction. We'll follow.

In the background I heard Cerulean complaining at Dashie. "I've got a bad feeling about this..."

"You're always complaining about bad feelings."

"Yeah well this time it's more-bad." I shut the two up with a look.

As we walked, our host talked. "It has been so long since our home has received visitors!" I can't imagine why. No, really. I have no clue.

A short trot through several semi-lit tunnels lead us to a large, open underground area. Several undead ponies were preparing a large fire by a crack in the ceiling in the center of the room. "It has been quite some time since we have had a pegasus in our midst." Reverence tinged the speaker's tone. "Welcome, all of you." Several of them bowed to us. Uhh... I covered my confusion with a pleasant smile.

They swarmed us, splitting us up. For a moment, I debated bringing the group back together, but one of them, an older-looking ghoul in a worn prewar suit addressed me. "Greetings, ponies of Stable 30. Never before have we been graced by the presence such strong ponies offering themselves to us." ... What.

"Pardon?" Offering... ourselves...? Oh dear.

"Surely you must have come here to offer yourselves to us. Why else would you have entered our Labyrinth?" Um... This might be a problem.

"We were going somewhere, and the clearest path was through the se-" I broke off as I heard a high pitched yelp and scream.

"He bit me!" ...followed by the sharp pink glow and sound of a beam weapon firing. Uh oh. My pleasant smile shifted to a concerned frown.

"We must not let them escape!" The one I had been speaking with had yelled orders to the ponies surrounding us.

... and then suddenly everything became clear. "I don't think so." I jammed the lit end of the dying flare into the leader's eye. "Stable, on Pumpkin!" I found his scream incredibly, smirk-generatingly satisfying. Fuck you! "Back the way we came! Pumpkin, lead us out of here!" Out came Firefly's Fury's replacement. I immediately regretted my decision after the first shot made my ears ring.

Pumpkin's lack of vocal response was made up for by beams lancing through several of the ghouls between us and the exit, and I set off that way, leading the way with my shotgun as it... jammed. Damn it! Tap, rack, bang. Click! Fuck! A ghoul tried to block my exit, and I slammed them in the face with the butt of my shotgun. I don't think so!

The four of us made it to the exit at about the same time, and I levitated a table over behind us, partially blocking the hallway. Two of the hostiles got past the table. Dashie bucked one into a wall with satisfying meaty crunch, and Pumpkin blasted the other one. It glowed brightly, and then turned into a pile of ash. Holy shit! The table creaked, and I gestured to the rest of the group. "Pumpkin, get us out of here!" She nodded, beam weapon still in her mouth, and galloped off down a tunnel, seemingly at random. Hopefully not at random.

Cerulean galloped beside me. "Great job, Captain Landmine! I think you just gave all of us permanent ear damage!" I ignored the ringing in my ears that backed his statement.

"If you'd prefer, you can go back and give them indigestion, instead." I checked the magazine on my shotgun, only to find it was empty. Great! I loaded a shell through the breech, released the bolt and refilled the magazine.

For once, Cerulean was speechless. Not bad, Firefly. Not bad. Unfortunately, not for long. The table splintered behind us, and I pointed my shotgun at our six. "Don't you fucking dare! Some of us like hearing!"

"Yeah, I think I like living more!" I nevertheless held my fire and hurried after Pumpkin. I do like hearing too, but I'd rather live to old age than keep my perfect hearing.

"Let's follow the cannibal ghouls, she said. We'll have a great adventure, she said!" Cerulean grumbled and moved ahead of me as we continued fleeing.

"I never said we'd have an adventure, I ordered you out of the Stable!" And that's the difference between us and wastelanders.

Cerulean glared at me for a moment, then stumbled. "Shit!" I slowed, looking at our six as he regained to his hooves. "What did I say?" We resumed fleeing.

"I thought you were just being paranoid!"

"Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're not trying to kill us!" Cerulean looked down at the ground, leaping across a junction. "What did we learn?"

"The sewers were a bad idea!"

#

"Okay, think we lost em..." Dashie glanced over his shoulder. The rest of us stopped running.

"You're not even winded, Doctor." I looked to Cerulean as I leaned against a wall, gasping for air. "Why."

"You'd be surprised what happens when you're not out of shape, Captain Landmine." I made a face at him, opening my mouth to reply before Dashie cut me off.

"Hey, boss." Dashie spoke quietly, studying the tunnel around us. "This is a storm water overflow tunnel, isn't it?"

I glanced down at the liquid we were standing in. "It could be." Fortunately, we were now standing in cold, clean-ish water. "Why?"

I looked to Pumpkin, who looked to her Pipbuck, brows furrowed. "I don't know, these tunnels aren't really... labeled."

"Well, you know what storm overflow tunnels are, right?" Dashie hopped, turning around to bring his gun covering our six.

"... Overflow tunnels for storm water...?" That sounds about right.

Dashie sighed. "No you don't. They're where rain goes when the streets are flooded."

"... Is that not what I said?" Hrm. Crap. Right... "Let's keep moving." I turned to Pumpkin. "Tell me we went the right way."

"Ah... give me a second." She went back to her Pipbuck. "If we head this way..."

"There they are!" A raspy voice came from behind us. "We have found them, brothers!" Oh crap.

"Move, move!" I suited orders to action and lead the rush away from the voices.

"Again with the running." Cerulean panted beside me as we fled. "Always with the running. Why!"

"Better than being eaten by zombies, Doctor!"

Cerulean opened his mouth to reply before Pumpkin called out, interrupting him. "Hey, hey, back back back!" I had just enough time to process what she'd said before my hooves gave out from under me, dropping me into water. Shit! So. Cold. ... then I realized this water wasn't just cold; it was deep and it was moving quickly. Oh crap. I flailed my hooves, trying to get to the surface, until I bounced off something. Time blurred, becoming so incredibly slow and unbelievably fast...

Everything went black.

#

The sound of groaning told me I wasn't alone. Probably not dead. Hopefully. If this is what death is like, I don't want to be dead. I crawled to my hooves, shaking water out of my mane. "Team Two, Team One. Report." Looking around revealed Dashie and Cerulean, but no Pumpkin. "Pumpkin?"

"I don't see her, boss..." Dashie rose to his hooves smoothly. "No flatline alert." He glanced to his Pipbuck. "She might be out of range, though. She was flying when we ran into the overflow tunnel, right?"

That might be a problem. "I think so." I glanced over to Cerulean, who was too busy coughing up water to speak. "You okay, Doctor?"

He stopped coughing up water long enough to give me a look of pure venom. "No more sewers." He groaned, coughing up some more water. "I'm wet in places I didn't even know water could go."

I thought about that, before nodding. "... Deal." I paused, smirking. "Think of it as a science experiment."

Cerulean sputtered in fury. "I'm a doctor, not an egghead!" Or are you?

"Y'know, Mend, as far as I'm concerned, all Arcane Sciences ponies are eggheads." A familiar voice drifted our way, and I glanced back to see Pumpkin flapping towards us. Oh good.

"Nice of you to show up, Pumpkin..." I groaned as I stretched, inspecting my body. Nice bruise on my left foreleg. The scars might make good party talk.

"You ponies should grow wings. They're surprisingly helpful for avoiding getting swept down a sewer tunnel. Or, uh, landmines..." She glanced to me with a wince, and I snickered.

"Oh, is that all?" Cerulean got to his hooves, levitating a helmet over to him with a groan. "That's yours." He sent it in my direction.

"They're pretty cool for flyin', too." I grinned to her, looking over to Pumpkin's confident smirk as she hovered high and dry. ... Now I'm jealous, too.

"Ah, excellent." I levitated the helmet over to me, settling it on my head. "Right, Pumpkin. Where are we now?" I winced as a ton of water poured out of it. Not like I can get any wetter. Ugh.

"Hold, ma'am." She looked to her Pipbuck, slowly turning in place. "... We're somewhat closer to the police station than when we entered the sewers, but on the opposite side. Not too far." ... Wonderful. "Should be a straight shot a few blocks that direction." She pointed up the street with a hoof.

"Not that bad. Right folks, off we go." Let's see where this takes us.

"Hold up, we're not going anywhere until everyone here has a Sombra damned Radaway." Cerulean levitated out four bottles of Radaway, floating them over to us. "And I get a look at Pumpkin. Where'd that pseudoferal bite you?"

Fair enough. "Good idea, Doctor." I winced and nodded, taking the bottle of Radaway and twisting the cap off.

He held his bottle up with a cynical smirk. "Bottoms up!"

No. Just no. I groaned and downed half of the bottle. This is disgusting. I looked to Pumpkin.

"Looks like we're down near the docks..." Pumpkin dropped to her hooves, nose buried in the Pipbuck's screen as she extended one of her wings, letting Cerulean take a look at her wound. An untouched bottle of radaway gently bumped against the side of her helmet as she hovered in place. "Yeah, we're down at the docks. There's a building marked 'Aquastrian Embassy' a few blocks to the east."

"The Aquastrian Embassy? It's still standing?"

"I don't know, ma'am. These maps are two hundred years out of date." The bottle floated in front of her face, bouncing off the tip of her muzzle. "Damn it Horn! I swear if you don't stop doing that I will stuff that bottle down your-."

Before she could finish the threat, Cerulean stuck the bottle in her mouth and upended it. "Shut up and drink your radaway, mare." I glanced to Dashie, momentarily wondering where she'd been planning to put that bottle, before deciding I didn't want to know. "Before you turn into a ghoul and your 'friend' finds out what necrophilia is like."

I looked to Dashie. "Necro... wha..." I paused. "You know what?" I waved a hoof in Dashie's direction. "Don't answer that. I don't want to know." I turned to Cerulean and Pumpkin. "Right then, gear check. All done? Let's move."

#

Two hours took us to the police station. We spent a half hour observing the building from various buildings around it. Finally, we'd settled down in a damaged building facing the front of the target building. It looked like it'd been set ablaze at some point, and part of the exterior wall facing the target had collapsed.

LOCATION DISCOVERED: BALTIMARE CENTRAL POLICE SERVICES BUILDING

A large square building with a large notch in the middle, a ramp on one side lead the way to what I guessed was the main entrance. The bottom levels were made of a white stone, while the top levels were made of red brick. A radio tower atop the building had come down, the top poking over one of the sides. Many of the windows had been broken.

"Target building looks abandoned."
"Seems suspicious the Steel Rangers would send us here just to open some doors."
"I get the feeling they're hoping we don't come back."
"We almost didn't, after Wings' suggestion."
"You're the doctor, Horn, I'm the navigator. I don't question your medical expertise, don't question my navigation."
"If I gave medical advice like you gave navigational advice, I'd advise you all of you to eat grenades and sleep in radioactive barrels. ... I feel the need to tell you not to do that."

"Cut the chatter. Let's move. Watch your movement, there may be traps." Or mines. I paid careful attention to where I was walking as I lead the way down the partially collapsed floor towards the police station. The main entrance had several glass doors, most of which had been shattered. The sound of only two accompanying sets of hoofsteps crunching on broken glass caused me to look back, and I realized that Pumpkin was flying instead of trotting. Good idea. A desk had been overturned facing the door, bullet holes and scorch marks decorating the main atrium.

"There was a battle here." I was surprised to not hear a snarky comment from Cerulean, but had no complaints. "I wonder what happened."

"Post apocalyptic gang wars are my bet." Dashie nosed around the room.

"Riots, actually. In the days after Equestria died." A gravelly voice drew my attention from the desk and I turned to see a dead-looking pony pointing a revolver in our direction, dressed in a well worn police uniform. "Who are you ponies and why are you here?" A police uniform? Hrm... "Your uniforms don't look scavenged, you wear them too well. You." He looked to me. "Show me your face."

"I'm sorry?"

"Remove your helmet so I can see your face." He had to be either an idiot or very skilled to be talking clearly through the bit of a revolver. Or he was bluffing and his weapon was empty.

"Very well." I raised my visor, turning to let some light shine on my face.

"... Amaranth?" His voice took on an awed tone.

"Pardon?" Interesting.

"No, you're not Amaranth. You're a mare, and a unicorn, and it has been far too long..." His eyes traveled down to our armor. "... Stable 30. Of course." A smile crossed his face as he looked to my helmet. "Do you know if you were you descended from a pegasus named 'Amaranth Thunder', by any chance?" I nodded, hiding my confusion behind a bland look. "So he did make it to the Stable. Of course, of course. The family has not been forgotten. Why are you here?" What the hell is going on here?

"Ah... we didn't know the police station was occupied." Nice dodge.

"Obviously. You didn't answer my question, Captain." Crap.

"I have been ordered to make contact with the pony operating the local radio station. The Steel Rangers blocking the way requested I open the police station for them." A contemptuous grimace crossed his face at the mention of the Steel Rangers.

"The Steel Rangers." He snorted. "I knew Steel Rangers. Those egotistical charlatans have no right to use the name or the armor. Why are you working for them?"

"They demanded we go to the police station before allowing us access to their base."

"Of course, of course..." I didn't like how his tone changed.

"So what are you doing here, if I might ask?"

"Continuing to police Baltimare, as I have for over two hundred years." His glare shifted to an annoyed frown. "Not that a whole lot changed after the war."

... Pardon? "I'm not sure how well one pony could police an entire city... but we are attempting to do a similar thing." I saw Pumpkin and Cerulean share a look, which the ghoul noticed. Damn it you two.

"Oh, really now?" Skepticism filled his tone. "So what, I join you, let you open the doors so your Steel Ranger pals can rob the station of everything more technological than espatoons and... then what? We go police Baltimare, save the city, a week later, sunshine and rainbows for everypony?"

"Yes, but no." He frowned as I continued before he could reply. "You join us while we attempt to establish some sort of law over Baltimare and protect ponies who need protection. Yes, we do need to let them pillage the police station, but... being Stable ponies, the Steel Rangers aren't our friends, either, so... here's what I propose: You join us and we clean the building ourselves, before the Steel Rangers get there. We stash everything of value at our safehouse for our own use. The Steel Rangers let us in and get nothing but trinkets. Everypony wins."

He considered for a long moment. "You know, Captain Firefly... that is an idea." He sighed, tucking his revolver back into its holster. "Very well. I accept."

"How do you, uh, know her name?" Cerulean looked to the ghoul with a suspicious look.

He looked to my helmet. "Her name is written on her helmet. You are Captain Firefly, correct?"

I nodded. "That's me. The red earth pony is Lieutenant Dash." Dashie nodded to the ghoul. "The pegasus is Security Officer Blitz, our scout." She waved a hoof with a cheerful smile. "The other unicorn is Doctor Mend." I think Cerulean attempted a smile but it came out as more of a grimace. He then glanced to his gently ticking Pipbuck, waving it in the ghoul's direction. Doctor, be nice.

"It is a pleasure to meet the four of you." The ghoul bowed his head grandly. "My name is-"

As he bowed, Pumpkin gasped. "What happened to your wings?" She looked at him nervously. "I'm sorry, that was rude..." She covered her mouth with her hooves.

He sighed, glancing over his shoulder at his back. "Did your Stable teach you about a city called Cloudsdale?"

"Kind of?" I believe the history texts may have mentioned it once or twice...

"Kind of." He made a noise of contempt. "Cloudsdale was the symbol of pegasi pride. Neighvarro was the military center of the pegasi, but it was nothing more than a small town until the war picked up. Cloudsdale was..." He trailed off with a sad sigh, eyes closed. "I was there when Cloudsdale died. It was early in the morning. I was going there to visit family when they bombed it. I was far enough from the city to not be killed, but..." He opened his eyes, looking to where his wings had been. "My wings were destroyed, and I was turned into this." He turned, revealing Cerulean standing behind him. "Would you stop poking me for the Princesses' sake?! Yes, my wings are dead, go away."

"No promises. I'm a doctor." Damn it Cerulean.

I quickly diverted the conversation away from Cerulean's habit of invading personal space. "Couldn't you just regrow his wings, Doctor?"

Cerulean snorted. "Stop trying to think about medicine. You'll hurt your brain."

"Right..." You obnoxious ass. "Explain, then."

"The arcane sciences are incredible, yes especially the medical branch, but they're not infallible. They still have to follow the laws of physics, and they can't revive dead cells." He paused. "Not without getting into necromancy, but that's dark magic. Ain't nopony interested in dark magic."

"Oh, okay." I nodded, like that made perfect sense. "Now try explaining that in Equestrian."

"Right, right, stupid security pony. Look." He trotted over and prodded my horn with a hoof. Hey! Personal space! "Your alicorn can be regrown. It's just a spire of keratin that lets us focus our magic." He trotted over to Pumpkin, who winced as he extended her wing with his magic. "This is muscle and feathers. If it's not reconstructed properly, it's useless." She pulled her wing closed, stepping away from Cerulean with an uncomfortable look. "If it's not reconstructed or reattached within hours... it's gone. Pegasi wings are incredibly resilient, but necromantic magic... don't fuck with necromantic magic unless you like necrophilia."

"Okay, Doctor, I think we get it." I glared to him, and he shut up. I looked to Pumpkin. "Pumpkin, time?" The hell is necrophilia, anyways? You know what? I don't want to know.

She glanced to her Pipbuck, taking another step away from Cerulean. I couldn't blame her. "2026, ma'am."

"Right. We camp here tonight, secure the police station and head out tomorrow." I looked to the ghoul. "Is that acceptable to you?"

He thought about that for a moment, looking around. "Yes."

"Team Two, take a map of the building and check the exterior rooms. If you see anything that looks valuable to the Steel Rangers, take it. Block and or lock all the doors after you." I looked to our companion. "I didn't get your name."

"You may call me Cyclone." He shifted and I noticed his uniform bore a name tag - Sgt Cyclone.

"Very well, Sergeant." I nodded. "Could you please go with them?" He nodded. "Team One will locate a room for us to spend the night in. Keep in contact."

"Yes ma'am." Team Two and Cyclone headed off one way.

Dashie and I turned, heading up the stairway to locate a room we could set up in. "What's up with Doctor Cerulean and necrophilia jokes today?"

"I swear, Dashie, if you tell me what necrophilia is, you will regret it." I don't want to know.

"What? I don't joke about death. You should know that by now." Ugh.

#

Two hours later found the five of us finished with our initial defenses. Pumpkin kept watch at the sole unblocked entrance in a bunker of desks Cerulean and I had created with a firing port. Dashie and I had found a room on the third floor of four to set up some living quarters in, off the main hallway. We'd set up several fall back points to the roof. If we had to leave the building in a hurry, our exfil plan had us using the ladder on the roof. If anypony was coming in, they'd be coming in through the front doors and we'd know it. Dashie had put a hole in the roof for smoke, and we'd blocked over the windows in that corner of the building.

Currently, Dashie and I were looking at the armory door. It looked like it hadn't been opened in two hundred years. "Plastic explosives?"

"No, we used all of it opening the prewar Fancy Buck Snack Cake vault in Deathcon."

"So we did..." Hrm. I trotted over, turning and bucking the door. Surprisingly, it didn't yield.

"Yeah, I don't think that's gonna work, boss. We got any detcord?"

But you just said we didn't have any plasti... Oh! "That might work." I dug through my saddlebags, levitating out a length of detcord, approximately half a hoof long.

Dashie took it and deftly tied it into a slipknot, wrapping it around the door's handle. "Breaching, breaching." We retreated into the hallway and I set it off with a dull thump. Cerulean's voice came through Dashie's Pipbuck, asking what was going on. "Just opening a door, Doctor. Nothing to be worried about." Dashie lead the way back to the armory, which was a cramped room full of lots of firepower.

Or... perhaps not? I frowned. "This isn't the armory...?" It was a small room with lots of cabinets.

"No, it's the evidence locker, boss." He pointed to a sign beside the door we'd just opened. Oh. "The armory is inside there." He gestured to another door. "Hope that's not secured, too, or we might have a problem."

I trotted over to the door and studying it. Nice, heavy, secured door... with the hinges on the outside. So much for secure. "No problem." I pulled the pins on the hinges, levitating the door aside.

"Nice trick." Dashie stood back as I set the door aside.

"Isn't it just. Unicorn master race and all that shit." I lead the way into the Armory, looking around. "Ohhh, yeah, I bet the Steel Rangers totally want all of these batons." I rolled my eyes and glanced to Dashie.

"No, they'd probably be more interested in whatever was inside that case." I followed Dashie's gaze to an exquisitely crafted wooden case with a glass cover. Red felt decorated the IF-88 shaped cut out.

"... that looks familiar. Oh-so-familiar..." Oh... my...

"Yes, I thought so, too." He turned and nosed through a rack of pistols, tossing them into his saddlebags.

I approached the case, noticing the corner of a book that had fallen behind the case, levitating it and reading the cover. Ironshod 88 Autoloading Shotgun Owner's Manual. "Shiiiny..."

Dashie glanced over, trotting over to another rack, this one filled with IF-9s. "Settle down, boss, it's just a book."

You silly, silly earth pony. You don't understand. "Just a book, my flank! This is marked serial number 00007. This is the manual that came with the Ironpony in the armory!" Squee.

"Right, right... sure thing." Dashie tossed an IF-9 in my direction as I tucked the book into my saddlebag. "Looking for a shotgun to replace your battlefield pickup?"

"Yeah, sure." I caught it in my magic, resting the butt against the ground and racking the bolt. A shell flew out, and I was genuinely surprised. "You saw that. Right?" I stared at the shell as it bounced on the ground before I retrieved it with my magic.

"Prewar ponies are idiots, I guess?" You guess?

"I'll let you deal with the armory. Take what's worth taking and we can carry. We leave the rest for the Steel Rangers." I shrugged and tucked the shotgun and shell away, swapping my junk shotgun in its slot. "Find me a couple of functional magazines for the IF-9, please." He nodded. "I'll be around, yell if you need me." I headed off, looking room-to-room.

Finally I found a door marked as the chief of station's office. It was locked, so I pulled the pins out of the hinges and levitated the door aside. No traps, nothing exploding. Why am I surprised? I settled down at the desk. A box of cigars rested on the desk next to a terminal. A newspaper sat atop the desk, and I glanced to it. The headline boldly stated, "Lead Councilmare impeached for jaywalking!" The hell is jaywalking? A nameplate sat overturned, and I picked it up with my magic, staring at the name.

Commissioner Amaranth Thunder

I sighed, leaning back in the seat, which creaked softly. "Two hundred years ago, this is where my ancestor sat and worked." The seat broke, dumping me on my ass. "Ow." I crawled to my hooves and swept the seat aside with my magic. "Fuck you, chair." I started looking through the contents of the desk. Oh, yeah. The mayor of Haven wanted some of those, didn't he? I tucked the cigars away, rifling through the drawers. Lots of paperwork. Memos for meetings that probably never happened. Requisition forms requiring signatures. Fuzzy, pink hoofcuffs. Nothing too interesting. I turned to the terminal, touching the keyboard. It immediately booted up to a menu with several options.

Welcome, Commissioner Amaranth Thunder.

Personal Messages
Personal Logs
Settings
Log Off

I selected Personal Logs, and several more options came up. I selected the first one, marked "Personal Log, Day One." A stallion's voice came from the terminal somewhere.

"My wife suggested I start keeping logs, and now that I have a terminal I can use to do it..." He paused for a long moment. "Personal log, Amaranth Thunder, recently tasked to reform the Baltimare police station at the personal request of the Ministry Mare of the Ministry of Image. Here I am. I'm out of the Equestrian armed forces. I've married the love of my life and she is pregnant with my child. I'm being paid by the Ministry of Image, a fat paycheck. Why am I not happy? Did I abandon my friends in the army, or am I just being stupid? I served my time and I got out when I couldn't do it anymore."

The next few logs were corrupted, and the next one was marked "Personal Log, Day 124."

"Personal log, Commissioner Amaranth Thunder, day one hundred and twenty four. I was recently visited by an old friend. He has also left the army and is having issues transitioning back to civilian life. Considering he's from Baltimare, I invited him to join the police force, and he accepted."

"Personal log, Commissioner Amaranth Thunder, day one hundred fifty three. Some nosy journalist found out how poorly armed the Baltimare police force is and wrote an article on it. It was never published in the papers, thank the Ministry Mare, but somehow Ironshod Firearms found out about it. In response, they 'kindly' donated a shipment of equipment to the Baltimare police as a show of good will and support for Equestria." He paused, and something creaked in the background. His voice became distant, and I could hear the clopping of hoofsteps in the background. "'Good will', my flank!' This is a PR stunt and everypony knows it! Oh, yes, the next thing the Baltimare police force needs are better ways to brutalize the citizens." A long growl followed before the log ended.

"Personal log, Commissioner Amaranth Thunder, day... fuck it. I don't even know." His voice sounded tired, and he fell silent for so long I thought that the audio log ended there. When he spoke, his words burned with a tranquil fury. "The world has ended. Congrat-u-fuckin-lations, everypony! We did it. We killed Equestria! Cloudsdale is dead. Manehatten has been hit. Equestrian StratCom's been hit. Canterlot is... I don't even know. No reports from Neighvarro, Hoofington, Ponyville. I don't know about the zebras. At this point, I hope they survive. Somepony should survive..." He let out a long, tired sigh. "I'm going to Stable 30. I'm gonna take everypony I can find, and go to Stable 30." Squee. "May the Princesses have mercy on our souls."

... wow. I sat back, awed by that. A personal perspective of the end of the world, from my direct ancestor. Two hundred years ago, my great great grandfather sat here this seat... I glared at the seat that had betrayed me. He sat here while the bombs fell on Equestria. Wow. He hoped the zebras won the war? Hrm... I suppose someone should live. I looked to the terminal. "Well, somepony did. We did, grandfather, because of you." I bowed my head, a moment of silence for my long-dead ancestor.

Dashie found me a few minutes later. "Hey, boss, I've g- ...what are you doing?"

"Oh, hello." I looked up. "I'm not doing anything." He looked at me skeptically.

"Yes, I believe you. That's why I'm looking at you like that. You never just do 'nothing'." He shook his head. "Doesn't matter. I've got a list of all the gear we'll be taking set up in the evidence locker, pending your approval."

"Of course." I nodded, rising to my hooves. "Give me a sitrep."

Dashie lead the way back to the armory. "Doctor Mend and Sergeant Cyclone have cleared the first floor, working on the second of three floors now. We should be done clearing the place by 1400 or so. Pumpkin says she's still bored."

"Good, good." I nodded, looking through the gear he'd selected, noticing a transparent riot shield. ... Yes, I think I like you. I levitated it out, slinging it over my back. Dashie shook his head. "Right, right. Start packing it up for transport." He saluted and went to work.

We set out at 1600. Two hours of crawling through streets took us back at Safehouse Alpha at the 1800 mark. The skies looked cloudy, but I couldn't tell if that was just because the sky is always cloudy, or if it was going to rain. I hoped it wasn't going to rain. We spent an hour unpacking and resting at the safehouse before setting out for the Steel Rangers main base, leaving Cyclone there.

Another hour and a half of traversing streets, some blocked by collapsed buildings, found us at the Steel Ranger's base. Of course, it started raining shortly after we left the safehouse, and we decided we'd keep pushing on toward the Steel Rangers' base instead of returning to the safehouse.

"We went to the police station and opened it for you, as you asked. Let us in, please." Celestia damned Steel Rangers.

"What proof have you?" Open. The fucking. Door. It's cold out here.

I considered for a moment, before levitating the riot shield off my back and holding it up over my head to block the rain. "It looked like the place had been picked clean before we got there, but this was in the Armory."

"Hold, Stable." A minute or two passed until the gate opened enough to let another Ranger in power armor through.

"This is your proof of opening the police station?" The Ranger looked down at us in his immaculate armor.

Yes, that's what I just said. "That's correct." The Ranger was quiet for a long moment. I suspected conversations were happening we weren't privy to. I wasn't surprised.

"Alright, Stable. Come here." The gate rumbled aside to let us in, single file, and we trotted over as the rain continued to pour down on us. Praise the sun.

"Hold." Celestia damn you. The Ranger stepped forward to block our paths. "You'll have to remove your Pipbucks." Like hell we will.

I glanced down to the dead computer on my fetlock, adjusting my barding to partially cover the screen. "These don't come off."

"Don't be ridiculous, Stable, of course they do." Suddenly I was reminded of how massive a suit of power armor was. "You just may not survive the process." You ass.

"Surely the Steel Rangers have better things to do than mug Stable ponies for their Pipbucks."

"The preservation of Ministry matériel is the highest mandate of the brotherhood of the Steel Rangers." Ugh, this may be a problem. "However!" Yes? "We will settle for simply disabling your Pipbucks." Or not. A couple of Rangers shared looks at his announcement. I wonder why...

I considered that, before nodding. "Very well. This is acceptable." I glanced to my team. Pumpkin and Cerulean shared a nervous look.

The Ranger turned to look at the wall. "Line up against the wall over there. Remove your armor and saddlebags."

What now? "Pardon?"

"We must make sure you aren't bringing in any contraband." The sincerity in the Ranger's tone was concerning.

With incredible difficulty, I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, but nodded to my troops. "You heard the pony. Kit, off." Pumpkin and Cerulean shared a look, but complied. I glanced to the sky, groaning internally as my stomach did a flip to remind me that large open spaces are not my friend and that it's still raining. Ow.

I trotted over to the designated area and Dashie leaned over to whisper to me. "I hope you know what you're doing, boss." That makes two of us, Dashie.

"If they were going to kill us, they'd have just shot us. They'll likely just settle for mugging us." Probably. Hopefully.

"'Likely'. That's comforting..." Isn't it just. I nodded grimly as several unicorns in heavy crimson robes exited the gate.

Some of them started looking through our saddlebags while others started examining our Pipbucks, whispering among themselves. I winced as I watched one of them hoof through my saddlebags carelessly. Another, an older unicorn in a fancier, gilded robe, levitated Pumpkin's beam rifle from its saddle mount. Oh crap.

"Tell me, wastelander, where did you find this?" Oh damn it.

"We're not wastelanders, we're Stable ponies." Technically true, but... not now, Pumpkin.

"Ah, yes, Stable Thirty, I believe." I glanced to the big yellow thirties on our uniforms. Well spotted, you pretentious dolt. "We should have taken your piddly little hole in the ground ages ago."

Cerulean added his two bits, unasked as always. "You tried." For fuck's sake, you two, stop antagonizing the mean ponies in the power armor. He ignored my look.

"Hrmph. Regardless." Fancy Robes stuck his muzzle up in the air, tossing Cerulean an annoyed glare. "Answer my question. Where did this weapon come from? It is much too advanced to be Stable-tec issue."

Pumpkin shied away from the old unicorn harassing her. "I don't know, sir... it was in the Stable armory." ... Good, good, Pumpkin.

"Mmm, a likely story." He levitated it away. "It is property of the Steel Rangers." Another unicorn levitated it out of sight inside their robe. "As is all Ministry technology." Ah yes, the egotism that Cyclone was talking about...

"Hey! That's mine!" Several Rangers shifted their weapons to her, including a suit of power armor with an anti-matériel rifle. Oh shit!

"Pumpkin, leave it. We'll get you another weapon." She stayed silent, before nodding shortly, fluffing her wings.

"You look like an Enclave spy. Are you an Enclave spy?" ... that is definitely a stupid question, Fancy Robes.

"No, sir, I... I'm not an Enclave spy." Diplomatically spoken, Pumpkin.

"That's exactly what an Enclave spy would say!" Uhh...

"On my honor as a Stable pony, I've never been to the clouds in my life."

"Pegasus." He snorted in contempt. "Honor. What do pegasi know of honor or loyalty to their kin?" He glared to the sky. You know, in prewar times, a pegasus bore the Element of Loyalty. Not that you'd know that, you egotistical ass. Idly I found myself jealous of his ability to look at the sky.

I sighed. This is getting out of hoof. I opened my mouth to intervene, but the suited Ranger that had addressed us earlier put a hoof out in front of me and spoke up.

"I don't believe she's an Enclave spy, Elder. She speaks like a Stable pony, not a skypony." Oh, so this is the Steel Rangers Elder.

"Very well, Senior Paladin. If she turns out to be an Enclave spy, you'll be the one to deal with it." ... Celestia I hope this pony is just pretending to be a senile old idiot.

"Of course, Elder. I believe everything has been taken care of here. You should return to the command center. It is raining, after all." The Elder nodded and trotted off. The Senior Paladin looked around to the rest of the robed unicorns. "Are you Scribes finished?" A hint of annoyance crept into his tone.

"All done, Senior Paladin."

"Good. Return to your tasks. I shall escort these Stable ponies to the Radio Station." They nodded and disappeared while we redressed.

#

The Senior Paladin led the way into the base. About a dozen ponies in various classifications and types of barding milled around, performing various tasks in the main courtyard. A line of sky chariots in various stages of disrepair stood against one of the walls, a couple of Rangers crawling over them. I had to question the use of hoarding them. Surely they were worthless without pegasi to crew them.

"Is it Steel Ranger SOP for the Elder to come to the main gate to see every pony seeking entrance?" Doo dee doo, don't mind me.

"You, Scout of Stable 30, are anypony but every pony." Fair enough.

"I suppose that's one way to put it." I looked around. "Somepony has accused me of being a hero."

"Who said anything about heroes? You're just a wastelander with some guts and some military-grade hardware." Ouch.

"We're not wastelanders, we're Stable ponies. From a certain point of view, we are one of the purest examples of prewar Equestrian society."

The Ranger fell silent, leading us into one of the buildings. Several Rangers snapped to attention and saluted as he passed them - he ignored them - before he replied. "There may be some truth to that, Scout. But has Stable 30 continued to evolve, or are you simply following the same traditions that your ancestors established when they entered the Stable on the Last Day?"

"One could ask the same question of the Steel Rangers." Getting bold, are we? Refuge in audacity, of course.

"The preservation of Ministry matériel is the highest mandate of the brotherhood of the Steel Rangers." He stated the phrase almost as if it had been imprinted into his mind from birth, and I suspected it had. He paused in front of a door and turned to face me. "No, Scout. The Steel Rangers have not evolved in almost two hundred years." Wow. That was unexpectedly direct. He knocked on the door and called through it. "You have visitors, Keeper."

"Come!" A mare's voice called, and the Ranger gestured for us to enter before turning and trotting off.

#

The four of us entered a cluttered workshop. A grey coated unicorn mare looked to us, her vivid green and hot pink eyes slightly crossed. ... Is this Lunar Note? She glanced to Dashie and smiled. "You must be the Scout." Two thick, strands of her messy, dark blue mane dangled around her horn, forming a heart shape. Had she ever seen a brush in her life?

"Ah... no. 'Fraid not, ma'am." Dashie glanced to me with a look of mild confusion. "She is."

She tilted her head, glancing under my barding. Hey! "Well you're not a colt." Umm.

"Your eyes are sharp as ever, ma'am." Well said, me.

She grinned, her eyes uncrossing and focusing on me. "Firefly, is it?" I nodded. "I'm Lunar Note. You might have noticed." Her horn lit up with an olive green glow and a yelp came from somewhere in the room as she turned and bellowed into the studio. "Oi, Moony! We got company." Wow, she's loud.

I suddenly found a delicious-looking dark grey pegasus colt laying on top of me. Um... Holy crap. He smells wonderful. Um... After a moment, I found him not on top of me any longer, to my disappointment, looking down at me. "Uh. Miss?" ... delicious. This must be the other radio pony. Moonstone Mustang, wasn't it?

"Yes?" Mmmm...

"Are you okay?" He wasn't wearing a Pipbuck, but instead an eyepiece that wrapped around his ear.

"... Yes, yes. I am wonderful. Just... wonderful..." Okay okay, enough with the lovestruck foal act. "That's an interesting Pipbuck you've got there." I rolled to my hooves. "Not a Pipbuck?"

"Nope! It's a Tactical Field Display, TFD for short." Ohh that accent...
"It's similar to a Pipbuck, but for the military. I could tell you..." Somepony cleared their throat, and I realized everyone was staring at us.

"I'm glad to see you ponies have become acquainted..." Oops. "What was it you were here for, Firefly?"

I nodded, turning to face her, carefully avoiding staring at Moonstone's delicious flanks. "Right, right. Well, first of all we're here to see you. We're also here to ask for whatever intel you have on the Baltimare area as a whole."

Lunar glanced around the studio. "That sounds reasonable. But..." Of course. "I have to ask a favor from you in exchange."

Fetch quests? "This depends on what the favor is." Mare, I fuckin' love fetch quests.

"Good, good. I'd be concerned if you just said yes. Come with me." Lunar smirked and turned, trotting off. "I guess the "daft Stable pony" stereotype isn't true. Mostly." She glared to Cerulean, who was looking at something. "You there, hornhead, don't touch that! It'll explode and kill us all." She gave him a stern look as she lead the way deeper into her workshop.

"You just leave dangerous stuff like that out?" She looked confused, and I gestured towards the item she had chastised Cerulean for looking at.

"Huh? Oh. No, it's a coaxial focus relay." A... what?

Dashie trotted over to us. "So you're just screwing with him?"

"Bingo, hornless." She smirked. "You know, you're not too bad looking..." She leaned over to me, whispering in my ear. "Give ya a night with Moony for a night with your colt."

I... um. What? "... We're not a couple." I glanced to Dashie.

"Oh, excellent." She smirked to Dashie, a coy smirk. Damn it, Lunar. "Rawr, you." Dashie smirked to me, then glanced to her flanks. I shook my head as she lead the way into a somewhat cleaner section of the studio, a room with a messy table in the middle. A map decorated one wall. "Okay, we go. Do you want the simple or the extended explanation?"

"Give me the long version but don't get too technical?" She nodded as her horn lit up. Dashie looked to his Pipbuck.

"I can do that. Let's get to the brass tacks..." I gave her a bland look and she groaned, resting her hoof on her cheek. "Damn it, Moony. Facts. Let's get to the facts." She turned, studying the map. "There are Ministry of Arcane Sciences Emergency Broadcast System towers here, here and here." The pointer in her magic pointed to their locations. "...you know what the MASEBS..." I nodded and she continued. "I can't access them. Right now, my information is limited to what traders bring in. If you could clear the towers out, somepony could fly out there to get me hooked up to them." She gestured toward another corner of the room where she'd hooked up a bunch of terminal screens. "Meet the Observation Room. It's a work in progress." She considered, looking back to the map. "I think DJ P0N3 uses them, too, so we might get his broadcasts in the area." I looked to her curiously. "It's a thought." She shrugged. "I could be wrong."

I nodded. "The Steel Rangers don't mind you doing your own thing?"

"Not really. As long as I keep their reputation neutral and repair the things they tell me to, they mostly keep out of my mane and keep other ponies out." She smirked. "Plus they're incredibly easy to manipulate."

I smirked back to her. "Really?" Go on...

She leaned in. "Discipline is key with them. Initiates will do pretty much anything if yelled at in a commanding enough voice. It's pretty funny."

I leaned in, whispering to her conspiratorially."You know... they took some of our gear when they let us in."

"Oh did they?" Lunar smirked. "Come, come." She lead the two of us out back to the main room. "Moony, stay here, make sure horn over there doesn't touch anything explosive. I'm going on a gear run."

"So, Moonstone, I take it you're not from the Baltimare area." I trotted over to the grey pegasus, studying him.

Moonstone looked to me, taking a moment before replying in his incredibly delicious accent. "What tipped you off?" Mmmm...

"Your wings, for a start." I smirked. "You're a Pipbuck expert, right?"

"I'm not the only one with wings here, you know." He looked to Pumpkin, who shook her head back at him and drifted over to Dashie. He shrugged, then turned back to me. "I've toyed with a Pipbuck or two in my time. What's up?"

I held my left hoof out to him. "My Pipbuck shut down, can you fix it?"

He took it, pressing the unlock button for the screen. "What happened?" He frowned, staring at the gear with nine cogs that covered the screen. "I've never seen this happen."

"I sort of had my leg... removed." I winced.

He raised an eyebrow. "That shouldn't have damaged it, Pipbucks are almost impossible to damage. I've heard stories of ponies using them as melee weapons and they still worked fine."

"It's not damaged, it locked down when I flatlined." He stared at me blankly. "It's to prevent Pipbucks falling into enemy hooves if the operator is killed."

"Oh! Deputy mode. I've heard about it, but I've never seen this before."

"Not quite, Deputy mode is... less." Never mind. "It's not important." I shook my head. "Can you fix my Pipbuck?"

"I don't know, lemme take a look." He paused, looking to me. "Let's get somewhere more comfortable, this might take a while." I glanced away as I felt my cheeks heating up. Sometimes having a red coat is helpful.

"Oh, no. I'm not interested in that." He turned to look for me, before nodding and turning off, leading the way to a private corner of the workshop. I really need to work on lying. I could almost hear him going "uh huh" skeptically. I followed him and laid down so he could work on my Pipbuck.

"Hey ponies, I'm back." Lunar paused, apparently noticing the two of us had disappeared as her voice took on a snarky tone. "Have fun, Moony!"

I winced and Moonstone looked to me. "I'm not like that."

"What? It's just sex. Don't you have sex for fun at your Stable?"

"Well, yeah, but not when you're in a relationship with somepony else..."

"Sex isn't about love, y'know, it's about having fun." He frowned. "Are you in a relationship?"

"No, I'm not." I paused, thinking. "Not for almost a year..." I sigh, slumping, then levitating my helmet off as I realized I'm still wearing my kit. Has it been a year already? Wow. "Not since I was promoted to Chief of Field Ops." I groaned, stretching out as I pulled my saddlebags and armor plates off. "Regulations prevent me from sleeping with anyone in Security, and most non-Security ponies find me... intimidating."

"I know that feeling." He thought about that for a moment, chewing on his lip. "Regulations, I mean. The En... er... place where I'm from... discourages... heterosexual couples, and I'm... not interested in colts."

I smiled. Oh, he's hot. Wait... "You're from the Enclave?"

He frowned, brows furrowing. "Yes, I am." He chewed on his lip, frown deepening. Mmm. "Try not to spread that around? I... don't want to attract attention from... anypony." Like the Steel Rangers?

"Of course, I'll keep it to myself. So... tell me about where you're from." I paused, considering. "Not Enclave military secrets. Just where you grew up." I tossed him a sly smirk. "Tell me about your home and I'll tell you about mine?"

"Trottingham. It's where I come from. It's... a nice place." He closed his eyes, a fond smile crossing his face. "It's one of the original settlements. You know the story of Hearthswarming?" I nodded. "Trottingham is where pegasi originally settled... at least, thats what the story is."

"That's fascinating. What's it like there?"

"It's... quiet. The Enclave mostly leaves Trottingham alone, or they would, if there wasn't a Wonderbolt Academy there." He paused, looking to me. "You don't happen to have pegasus ancestry, do you?"

"I might." How did he know? "Why?"

"Firefly is a popular name for pegasi." He groaned, stretching his wings. "The Wonderbolts were originally formed by a mare named Firefly."

"Oh, that's interesting!" I nodded earnestly. "So, tell me... what are the Wonderbolts?"

He frowned, staring at me with an awestruck look. "Clearly you don't have any pegasi ancestry." I raised an eyebrow at him. Huh? "The Wonderbolts are the top fliers in the clouds. They're heroes of the Enclave."

"Oh. Actually..." I smirked to Moonstone. "My father is a pegasus." I reached up with my free hoof, twirling it by my head. "Stable pony, remember?"

He shook his head. "Raising pegasi in a Stable... that can't be fun." He frowned at my Pipbuck. "Okay, I give up, I can't fix your Pipbuck. What did you even do to do it? Clearly you're not dead."

"I... stepped on a landmine." It kind of hurt.

He stared at me. "...okay, so, you miiight be dead." He frowned, then his frown shifted to a sly smirk. "Last I checked, necrophilia is frowned upon in most places."

What? "... Based on the prior conversation and the parts of that word I recognize, I don't want to know." His smirked shifted. I recognized that smirk, cutting him off as he opened his mouth. "No, no, no. I'm not listening."

"Done now?" I nodded and his smirk returned. "It means sleeping with dead ponies!" Oh damn it.

"I hate you so much." I groaned, curling up against his side.

"No you don't." He shifted and wrapped one of his wings around me. Uh... hot. Hot hot hot. "You okay?" He looked down to me. No. Not at all okay. Um. Crap.

"You're ...different." He gave me a blank look, and I continued. "From other colts. I've never, ah... cuddled... with a pegasus. It's nice. You're not as... rough? As an earth pony." Um... Well said, me. "That's not what I meant, I mean..."

"You're cute when you're blushing and babbling." Crap. His grin widened as he leaned over, nose-tip to nose-tip. I'm sure ... and suddenly we were kissing. What did I do to end up here... a moment later, I realized I was undoing my Stable suit... and you know what? I was perfectly okay with that.

#

Security Officer Pumpkin Blitz

Five minutes prior...

The Radiopony trotted back to the center of her workshop where Mend and I were staying. "Hey, you, Wings. Power rangers took some of your stuff when you came in, right?"

Huh? I looked to the Radiopony. "Power rangers?"

"It's what I call the Rangers in power armor." Oh.

"They did." Alas. "Why?"

"Come with me." She gave me a roguish smirk. "Bring your pal, too. The old colt with personal space issues."

"Miss?" Um?

"You heard me." ... Yes I did. "Don't make me make it an order."

... What? "I don't have to follow your orders."

"Or do you?" She smirked at me slyly.

Do I? ... No. This just got weird. "No, I don't."

"Congratulations, you just realized that! Come with me if you want your shit back."

What the fuck? I turned, looking around for Mend, before calling for him. "Mend, c'mere."

He trotted out from behind some stuff. "Sup, Wings?"

"Oh for fu-." I sighed. "Nevermind. Get over here. We're going with Miss Note to get some of our kit back. Go tell Lieutenant Dash."

"Oh, please, call me Lunar." I gave her an aside look, nodding distractedly. Riight then.

Mend glared at me. "Why the hell do I have to?"

"Because you're the civilian, therefore the lowest rank, Doctor." Chain of command, Mend.

"Boo, you whore." Mend trotted off, grumbling. "Sure, fine, send the Doctor off delivering messages." He returned shortly. "Where we goin'?" I looked to the Radiopony.

"So what's the plan, Miss Note?"

She winced, then shrugged. "Follow me." She turned and trotted out through the door. "As you were, Knight."

The guard snapped a brisk salute. "Where are you going, Keeper?"

"I need supplies to repair some things." She glanced back, gesturing to us. "These two are with me."

"Of course, Keeper."

He resumed his position as the Radiopony lead the way through several hallways confidently. "So, Wings, Horn, what're your names?"

I glanced to Mend, who glowered at me and opened his mouth to answer her. "I'm Pumpkin Blitz." I tossed Mend a smug smirk as I interrupted him. "This is the angry doctor, also known as Cerulean Mend." He responded with an even fouler glare. "He likes glaring at ponies."

"Only orange ones with wings that interrupt him..." I smirked at him in response to his growl. I'm not orange, I'm pumpkin.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Lunar Note." She grinned to me. "This is a huge shock, I'm sure."

I nodded. "I figured that out, yes..."

"So, what do you think of my show?" She smirked at me.

"I, um... I don't actually listen to the radio a lot..." Heh.

"I knew there was something fucked up about you, Wings." I reached over and flicked his ear with one of my wings.

"Generational jarhead, yeah, yeah, blah blah blah, go fuck yourself." Miss Note paused, watching the two of us with an unsure look, and I grinned back to her. "We're cool, we're cool, Miss Note."

"Yeah... about that. Could you please call me Lunar? I get called enough titles, gets kind of... demeaning?" She frowned. "I don't know, I'm not a word pony, just..." She sighed. "You know what I mean, right?"

"I guess can see that. Um... Lunar?"

"That'll do." She grinned at me. "Do all ponies from Stable 30 treat each other like you two do?" No. "You seem like you're best friends, but you're so... mean to each other?"

"Nope!" Mend glanced to me, smirking. "Why else would we be out of the Stable, out here in the wastes? We're the outcasts, the freaks!" He let out a sharp burst of laughter. "Ain't no pony that likes us!" I kind of... um. Nevermind.

I stared at him, then shook my head. "No, we're just..." I trailed off. What the hell ARE we?

Mend had an answer, as always. "Vitriolic best buds." I looked to him. I guess that works... Yeah.

I nodded in agreement. "We're friends."

"I can't say I doubted that... much." She smirked. "So what's your Stable like?"

"Quiet, peaceful. Most of the ponies... don't give much thought to the outside. Some of the more outgoing civilians and Security tend to the Market days."

"Every Monday, pretty much all day til we shut down." Mend supplied info. Good point. Lunar nodded.

"Everypony else, well... they live. And it's soo... tight." I grinned, hopping into the air and spreading my wings. "There's sooo much open space out here! It's incredible!"

Lunar nodded at a set of double doors. "Here we are, ponies." She lead the way through the doors and the large room they opened to. Hell of a view from that window, shame it's night. Command center? I glanced to Mend, who shrugged. Command center. Several ponies occupied themselves doing things, some at desks, one at a terminal, a few standing guard. Lunar set out for another set of reinforced double doors with two ponies in armor guarding it. "It's alright, Knights, they're with me. I require supplies to maintain the radio station, and these ponies are here to carry them for me."

"Of course, Keeper." One of them bowed while another opened one of the doors grandly. That's... interesting. She smirked to us and trotted inside.

Wow, that's a lot of technology. I glanced back as the door closed behind us. Well, no going back now. I glanced around the room. Tawny would go insane in here! One wall contained weapons and military equipment on racks. I trotted over to the opposite wall, which was covered in small cabinets, poking around.

"Hello, Keeper." A pony in those red robes lay at the far wall by a work bench covered with several things... including my beam rifle. I want that rifle! ...again.

"Hiya, Gleam. I need some things to maintain the radio station." Lunar trotted over, looking to the rifle. "This yours, Pumpkin?" I nodded to her, trotting over as she levitated it over to me.

"You require a pristine beam rifle to maintain the radio station, Lunar?" The Ranger smirked to Lunar with a twinkle in her pink eyes.

"No, I'm just returning it to the pony who owns it." I settled my rifle back under my wing, smirking. I'll never let you go again, you poor, poor thing.

"I'll take care of the logs. You know, Lunar, if somepony asks, I'll have to tell them it was you..." The Ranger levitated a Pipbuck out of her robes, one of the older, pre-hoofmounted models.

Lunar considered, then shrugged. "Tell 'em I stripped it for parts."

"Of course, of course... I'll file the logs as switching this one with..." She paused, studying the Pipbuck on the table in front of her. "...rifle seven-three and say you claimed seven-three for radio station maintenance."

"Most appreciated, Gleam."

I glanced to Mend, rifling his way through several of the cabinets and I whispered to him. "What are you doing?"

"Looking around." He opened another cabinet, sticking his muzzle in it. "Can you believe how many Pipbucks they've got in here? It's friggin' ridiculous."

"Mend, are you looking to get shot?"

"Not even gonna justify that with a response. Can't help but notice she's not armed." He glanced in the Ranger's direction, deep in conversation with Lunar. "What could they possibly use them for?"

I sighed. "We're in a room full of weapons. And she's a unicorn."

"Or paying the slightest bit of attention to us." Mend continued unabated as he levitated a Pipbuck out, studying it. "This is pretty nice."

"We safeguard them. For the safety of the Equestrian Wasteland, we preserve artifacts of the prewar world, until the outside world is ready to use them again." The Ranger looked to Mend, glancing around Lunar. "Please put that back, Outsider." She sighed. "The amount of trouble one single Pipbuck disappearing would cause..."

"Yeah, Mend, put it back." He glared at me and returned the Pipbuck. "You don't want to cause trouble for this nice Knight, would you?"

"I'm not a Knight." She looked to me primly. "I'm a Scribe."

"Oops, sorry. There's a difference?"

"There is." She declined to elaborate and went back to talking with Lunar as Mend wandered over to the other side of the Armory.

"Nice sword, don't you think?" Mend pointed at an abomination that could only be the spawn of a chainsaw and a sword. "Bit big for my line of work, though." Sure thing, Doc.

I shook my head at his sadistic smirk. "Are you trying to get us shot? I'm pretty sure Captain Firefly would be cross if you got us shot."

"Cross? Bitch, please, she'd be fuckin' pissed." He paused, glancing to me. "So would I, for that matter. I like to get in at least two days sleep cycles between patching up ponies."

"Yeah, so keep your hooves off the touchy ponies' stuff. Before you have to patch your self up." Please.

"Ehh, I don't think we've gotten to "shooty pissed off" yet." Mend shrugged. "Cross pissed off", maybe..."

"Just so you know, Outsider, the Knights outside the door? They're always..." She paused, and I suspect it was because she was mentally preparing to quote Mend's butchered Equestrian. "Shooty pissed off", when it comes to outsiders or wastelanders. Even with the Keeper, I'm amazed they allowed you inside."

"Told ya, doc." I smirked at Mend, and he glowered at me.

"Right, right. I was wrong, you were right, blah blah blah, fuck you."

"Yeah, no." I grinned at him, and he stared at me blankly.

"Wha? Oh." He shook his head. "I have my own special somepony. So do you, for that matter."

"Let's get going, ponies." Lunar trotted over to us, levitating a box over. "Pumpkin, you want to keep that rifle? Put it in here." I sighed, looking down to the rifle tucked under my wing, muzzle peeking out from under my feathers, before nodding and sliding it into the box carefully. I'll be back for you. Lunar levitated several other things into the box. "Anything else they took from you?"

Mend smirked, and I glared to him. He frowned back at me sullenly and shook his head. "You're no fun, Wings."

"Yeah, you know what's also not fun? Getting shot."

"Pfft, like you'd know."

"Well, you know, there was the Stadium." I glanced down to my barding, staring at one of the impacts.

Mend followed my gaze."... Oh. Yeah. There was that..." He frowned. "Um... yeah. Let's go?" He turned to Lunar, who smirked at us.

"I am sure you have a bunch of stories, and I'm going to hear every single last one of them before you leave. Off we go!" She turned and trotted out of the Armory. A short trot through the hallways brought us back to the radio studio.

Lunar glanced around the radio station as we returned. "Huh. Where'd they go? ... Oohhhh. Have fun, Moony!" She grinned and raised her voice as Mend trotted off among the mess, talking to himself. I looked to her curiously as I tucked my beam rifle under my right wing. "So, tell me, Miss Blitz. When was the last time Miss Scout got laid?"

I frowned, not quite sure how to answer that. "... I'm sorry?"

"Eh, forget it. Resets tonight!" Oh. um. ... ew. "I give her another five minutes, tops."

"I could have gone without knowing that, thank you..." Too... much... information, Lunar...

"You know, Dashie and I..." She smirked, leaning over to me. I gave her a blank look before she nibbled at the base of my ear. Oh Celestia she's good...

No. "... oh. Um. ... No. I'm not into colts." No no no.

"We could... make out while he ruts me..." ... This got weird fast.

"I'm... already taken." Plus I'm pretty sure that violates several Security regulations...

"Oh, we're having a sleep over, are we?" Oh thank Sombra, it's a distraction. "Mind if I use this paint?" Mend levitated a couple tubes of what I guessed were paint over.

"What? Oh, that? No, have fun." Lunar looked to Mend with a flirtious look. "Hey, you're cute, in an old colt kinda way. You wanna join me and Dashie?"

"'Join'? Oh. That kind of 'join'." Mend gave me a confused look, almost as if he were asking me if she was serious, and I shrugged in response. "No." He shook his head. "I've got plans."

"Oh? What kiiiind of plans?" Lunar smirked, leaning up against him. "Fun plans?"

"Yeah. Real fun. Like not having sex with Dashie." Mend turned to trot off. "Have fun. Try not to be too loud."

"Aww, don't you like Dashie?" Lunar pouted at him. "That's not very nice!"

"I respect Lieutenant Dash as a professional, but I'm not going to have sex with him." I winced as unbidden and unwanted mental images of Dash and Mend... mating... came to mind. Ugh ugh ugh. Ew.

"Your loss, hornhead. Hey, Dashie!" She trotted over to Dash, nibbling at the base of his ear. "Let's do that intel thing!"

I looked to Mend as I tried to purge the sound Dashie made from my memory. "Is that a new euphemism?" Moans of that intensity should not be made at pitches that low.

"I hope not." He shrugged as he headed back to where we'd set down our gear. "You may want to close your wings, by the way."

"Wha... Oh!" Crap. I pulled my wings closed as I followed him over to his spot. He curled up on the floor with several items, a strip of wood, a coffee mug, a couple of brushes and some other items. "So, what are you doing?"

He levitated a tattered sheet of paper over to me. "Painting." A yellow pegasus with a grey-streaked pink mane looked at me sadly, surrounded by evil-looking zebras. 'War? Fear? Death? We Must Do Better!' decorated the top. 'Ministry of Peace' was written along the bottom.

"That's fascinating." I watched him dump some water from his canteen into the mug. "What are you painting?"

"Ministry Mare Fluttershy's cutie mark on my helmet."

"Okay. Why are you painting?"

"Because I'm bored and I'm trying to block out the sounds of Dashie and Captain Landmine getting laid. Because I need to remind myself why I left the Stable." He squirted some paint onto the strip of wood. "We need to do better. I don't want any more incidents like the one we had at the stadium." He gave me an irked, sideways glance.

"Look, I already explained my reasoning, we're not doing this again." I frowned, looking over to his helmet as he started painting. "You know, you're pretty good at that."

"Normally, I'd make a snide comment about unicorn dexterity, but I'm too tired." He dipped his brush in the paint. "Yes, I am. It's what I do when I'm not healing ponies."

I sighed, deciding it would be best if I shut up before I pissed him off, and I unslung my beam rifle, turning it over as I started to field strip it. Everypony but me is getting laid. I guess I can't complain, because I did it to myself, but damn it, I'm horny everywhere and I don't have anything to satisfy myself. Ugh.

#

Captain Firefly

"Okay... I needed that..." I moaned, curling up as light flooded onto me. Hey, this isn't my bed... Huh? I sat up, looking around.

"Mornin', you." Oh that voice... Who? Oh. Right. I looked to Moonstone, who was hovering in the air, halfway to the ceiling.

"What are you doing?" I rolled over onto my back, sprawling out and intentionally ignoring all of the things I might be laying in.

"I like being off the ground, it reminds me of home." I nodded, enjoying the view. "The Steel Rangers don't like me, bunch of gits. They like to take potshots at me when I leave the station, so I try not to if I don't have to."

"The Steel Rangers don't like the Stable, either. A few months after the Stable opened the doors, they came in and tried to take over. Three of them were... ah... liquefied... inside their suits."

"Sounds messy." He drifted over the bed and folded his wings, dropping towards me. "Hey you." He settled down standing over me before I could react, and suddenly found myself uncomfortably close to a gorgeous pegasus colt again. ... And his... 'thing', based on the feeling between my hind legs. "Got time for a quickie?"

My body said yes - curse you, biology - but I shook my head. "No, I really have to get up..." I glanced over at my Pipbuck, before remembering... "You don't happen to have the time, do you?" He leaned down, nibbling at the base of my ear, and I whinnied, pushing his head aside. "No seriously, I, I have to go... do... stuff..." I crawled out from under him, and he rolled over onto the bed facing me.

"Yeah, aw'right miss." He leaned over and retrieved his TFD. "It's 0904."

"I overslept, of course I overslept..." I crawled off the bed, stretching out and suddenly feeling incredibly self-conscious as I felt his eyes on my flanks. I glanced over my shoulder at him, blushing as I saw 'him'. "Um..." He looked at me, confusion on his face, before he looked down and quickly covered himself with a wing. "Last night was..."

"Enjoyable, yeah." He rolled over, hooves curled under him. "So, tell me about your cutie mark?"

"Huh?" How dignified. I glanced to my bare flanks and turned so I could look at him as I went through my morning excercises. "Oh, yeah. That." His awestruck expression said it all. "Well... I don't have one. Not yet, anyways."

"That's it?" He looked concerned. "You just... don't have a cutie mark?"

"Yep. It's a big deal for the wasteland, isn't it?" I shrugged. "It's just a thing in Stable 30. Nopony really cares."

"That's... unusual." He frowned, brows furrowing slightly. "Well, you know..." He trailing off slyly. "Maybe I can help you get a sex cutie mark?"

"Wha..." Oh Celestia, did you really just... I groaned. "I can't now." ...not that I don't want to... "You don't have a shower I could use, do you?" I bet they don't.

Moonstone rolled up onto his hooves, leaning over the side of his cot. It creaked precariously as he shifted his weight. "Lemme tell ya, luv - I haven't had a right proper shower since I left the clouds." Of course they don't. "It kinda makes me miss home..." He shot to his hooves, throwing himself into the air and spreading his wings. "...until I remember everything else about home."

"A shame..." I groaned and turned, running my magic through my coat and wincing at all the hairs the... 'stickiness' was stuck to. Better. Not right, but better. The trip home is going to suck. I trotted out of Moonstone's corner of the studio, stumbling and almost falling over something on the ground. Stupid... thing. I glanced down to it and saw it was a magazine for an IF-44 subgun. I picked it up and set it aside as I headed over to my kit, digging a healing potion out.

"Good morning, ma'am. How did you sleep?" Pumpkin Blitz looked well-rested. Lunar Note was curled up on the floor beside her as Pumpkin brushed her mane. I cooled a shot of healing potion and downed it, ignoring the stares from Lunar and Pumpkin.

"I've slept in cleaner beds." I winced, running a hoof through my mane. "Anything of note happen while I was out?" Lunar smirked at me as I said 'note'. Huh? Oh. "Pun unintended, I promise."

Pumpkin shook her head. "Nothing, ma'am. Lieutenant Dash got the intel. I was just telling Lunar about our... earlier adventures."

"Good, good. That's what I like to hear." I nodded. "Which adventures?"

"Oh, you know. Sewers, Stadium, Police Station. Other places."

"Right, right." I sighed. "We're on the road back to the Stable at 1030."

Lunar smirked at me in mild bemusement. "Did you just... drink... a healing potion?"

"I did." Nothing wrong with that.

She shook her head. "Stable ponies..." She closed her eyes, resting her head on her crossed hooves contently.

I glanced to her, then shrugged. "So, Lunar, tell me, how would I go about getting an audience with the Elder?"

She opened her eyes and looked at me in surprise. "You're joking, right?" That sounds promising. She burst out laughing, then stared at me for another awkward moment. "Oh, wait. You're serious. Aren't you?" I glanced to Dashie, who simply shrugged. "Lemme laugh even harder."

Oh yes, very promising indeed... "I'm afraid I'm serious."

"That old coot hates pretty much everyone that doesn't have a hardon for advanced Ministry technology." She paused. "Surprisingly, I think he hates me too despite my skill for repairing for advanced technology." She narrowed her eyes.

"Okay, okay, I get it, he hates me because he hates everyone." I shook my head. "I would like to talk to him to propose a mutually beneficial alliance."

"Yeah I don't think that's going to work. Old coot, remember?" I think you might have mentioned that earlier.

"Okay, okay, Lunar, I think she gets it." Moonstone trotted over to us. "Like we said... not a good idea. You set on this?"

I nodded. "I have to tryyy at least." I doubt I'll regret this much. Much.

Moonstone sighed. "Your funeral, Firefly..." Hopefully not. "Lunar, go get her an audience with him, please?"

"Aww why do I gotta do it?"

"Because the Rangers actually listen to you. They just sort of glare at me and pretend I don't exist."

"Fiiiine, fiine." She jutted her lower lip out at Moonstone. "But you gotta make up to me later for it."

"I was planning to." He grinned as he trotted over and kissed her on the head. "Hey, you brushed your mane."

She leaned up to nuzzle him. N'aw. "Something like that..." So sappy.

I glanced to Dashie, who shrugged again and came over to me, whispering in my ear. "You sure about this, boss?" I shifted, pushing aside the feeling between my hind legs his intimacy sparked. Um. When did I turn into a filly again? Ugh.

"Sweet Celestia, does nopony fucking listen to me? Yeah I'm going to. Remember what I did in Haven? Same thing."

"Sure thing, boss." He shook his head.

"Right, um..." I glanced to Lunar and Moonstone getting, ah, 'intimate' with each other and cleared my throat.

"Oh, yeah, you needed a... thing. Oops." I shrugged and followed Lunar out into the hallway. A Steel Ranger in blue and grey barding was standing at attention.

"Initiate! This pony requires an audience with the Elder. Make it happen!" If I hadn't heard Lunar on the radio before, I probably would have been surprised by the volume and power from the little mare.

"Keeper! Yes Keeper!" He saluted, turned to me and trotted off at a brisk clip. "This way, ma'am." I idly debated trying to engage him in some sort of conversation before deciding against it. He lead the way through several hallways, taking me to a large set of double doors. He then turned and saluted me. "I'm going to have to ask you to stay here for a moment, ma'am." I nodded and he trotted inside. A moment later, another Ranger in power armor emerged, his helmet hanging off a rack on his flank. Ah. Hello again.

"Oh, it's you. For some reason, I'm not surprised." Ah, so this is what the Senior Paladin looks like without his helmet on. "What can I do for you, Stable?" His head looked awfully small for the rest of his body, but I was sure it was just his power armor making his body seem much larger.

"I would like an audience with the Elder, please." Here we go again...

"'Please'. How polite of you, Stable." I ignored his comment about my politeness. Never hurts to be polite to your enemies, even if they're hoping you would kindly die. Be the better mare, right? "Why?"

"I was hoping to..." I paused for just a moment. "Suggest a mutually beneficial alliance." He blinked, narrowing his green eyes at me, before nodding with a calculating look. I wonder...

"Well, that's not what I was expecting. Of course, Stable." That was easy. "Do you have any weapons on you?" I shook my head. ... Tooo easy. Hrm... "This way." He turned and trotted through the doors and I followed him in. "Scribe! Go get a ring." The Scribe nodded and hurried off. Ring? Ah. Of course... Fuck me.

I glanced around the room, large and rectangular. One wall was covered in a continuous sheet of glass. Idly I wondered how it had survived the intervening two hundred years as I approached it, overlooking most of Baltimare to the west. What a view. Hey, I can see the Stable from here. Hrm... Fascinating.

Desks and terminals decorated the other three walls. A half dozen ponies in crimson robes and light barding occupied themselves doing tasks in the room. Only six ponies occupying the command center? Interesting. The unicorn returned with a gold ring held in his magic. Aw hell.

"Um... sorry about this, miss..." I sighed and closed my eyes as he put the ring over my horn, gasping softly as I felt my arcane power suppressed. Hnng... do not like these fucking rings... one... bit.

The Senior Paladin had disappeared while I was having magic restrained, and he returned. "Quite a view, isn't it, Stable?" That it is. "You can see your Stable from here. It's just over there." He pointed with a hoof. I had noticed... "Come with me. It is time you saw the Elder." I nodded, feeling the cold metal ring settling against my coat at the base of my horn. Nhg...

Five minutes later, I found myself facing the Elder again. Oh the things I do for my Stable...

"So. Stable. You have come to me." So I have. "Crawling." No. "Have you come to surrender your Stable to the glorious Brotherhood of the Steel Rangers?" Also no.

"I have not. I h-" I think I managed to keep my expression neutral as he cut me off. I think.

"Then we have nothing further to discuss." Welll that was fast.

"Surely there is something the Steel Rangers have need of..." Maybe...?

"No! The Steel Rangers require nothing, unless you are willing to surrender your Stable and all of its contents." Did not see that comin'.

How rude. "I can't do that."

"Then our business is concluded. Senior Paladin!" You asshole. I sighed as the Senior Paladin entered the room. Well, that could have gone better. "Remove this... pest from my sight." ... Yet it could have been worse.

"Thy bidding be done, my leige." The Senior Paladin sighed and nodded. "This way." He looked to me, and I nodded, following him out. He lead the way out of what I imagined was the command center. "You know, Stable, that went better than I expected."

Um... "Thank you?"

He lead me into an empty room and closed the door behind him. "This entire conversation never happened." I nodded and opened my mouth, but he shut me up with a steely glare. "There are many things the Steel Rangers require, but our Elder is a bureaucrat, not a leader. However, I am bound to follow his every order." Fascinating. I nodded again. "I would be open to an alliance with your Stable, and I am not alone in this. Remember - this conversation never happened. Come." He lead the way out of the room. What just happened? ... Fascinating. Hrrmmm...

#

At 1030, we left the radio station. The Rangers at the gate searched our bags, 'confiscated' a few more trinkets - fortunately not Pumpkin's beam rifle - reactivated our Pipbucks and then let us loose. If nothing else, they were professional enough to not directly tell us to kindly die in a cloud of balefire. They certainly implied the desire, though.

Another hour and a half of crawling through streets brought us back to Safehouse Alpha. Some of the streets had flooded overnight, and we'd had to find alternate paths... including being carried across a street by Pumpkin. Never again. Based on how clean the safehouse looked, I had to imagine Cyclone had been busy. "Hello ponies. Where to?"

"Back to the Stable." Cyclone narrowed his eyes at me. "Just returning there to resupply and deliver our intel." Assuming nothing goes wrong, of course. "Surely you could help with intel as well. You must know this city better than anypony else here could."

The old colt nodded slowly. "And then we go back to help Baltimare?"

"Of course. That's our long-term goal, even if it may not seem like it."

"Very well. Lead the way, Scout."

#

About an hour of slogging through buildings and streets from Safehouse Alpha, I heard a distant crack. "Hey, Dashie. You hear that?" Distant pops, almost like submachine gun fire...

Dashie paused, cocking an ear. "Sounds like a firefight, boss." Bingo.

"Team Two, head northeast, get us eyes on that." Pumpkin acknowledged with a radio click and hurried to the northeast, Mend trotting in her path. Stay safe, ponies.

"What are we doing?" Cyclone trotted over to me with a curious look.

"Hear that gunfire? We're gonna go take a look at it." I ignored the rational part of my mind that pointed out that I was heading *towards* gunfire.

Cyclone glanced around as we followed Team Two at a distance. "It has been some time since I was out here, but I believe there's a zebra village nearby..." Zebras? Interesting.

Pumpkin's voice came back through Dashie's Pipbuck. "Team One, Team Two. Looks like a group of ponies attacking a zebra village. Over."

"Ponies?"

"Not-zebras. Not Crimson's troops either. Looks like the fight is over, zebras have surrendered, REPEAT, zebras have surrendered."

"Where are you now?" I nodded to Dashie, heading towards the village. The gunfire had died down.

"Settled on top of a building overlooking the village. I've got eyes on what looks like the boss. Permission to engage? Over."

"Denied. Hold fire until Team One opens fire OR until the attackers are going to start killing prisoners. Out."

"Wilco." Pumpkin sighed. "Out."

I came across Cerulean around a corner. "You know, technically zebras aren't actually ponies, they're ano-" I cut him off.

"That's fascinating, Doctor, it really is." Quite frankly, my Doctor, I don't give a damn. "Where's Pumpkin?" He glared at me and looked up, and I saw an orange wingtip waving around the edge of the building. Ohhh how I hate wide, open spaces. "Gotcha." I dug a mirror out, looking around the corner, seeing the target area. A wall had been erected across the street, and a large gap had been cleared in it. A couple of ponies were rifling around by the gap, until a loud noise distracted them and the wastelanders headed inside the walls. "Cross the street on my go. Head for that building there, the half collapsed one. Ready? Go." Dashie and Cyclone trailed me to the building, which creaked as we entered it. Cerulean stayed on the other side of the street, heading up to regroup with Pumpkin.

"Eyes on you, Team One."

"Roger. Got a count of the wastelanders?" It would be nice to know how many hostiles we're going up against.

"Looks to be about one zero, REPEAT, one zero. I've marked them on your EFS, you should see them." I could not, of course, because my EFS was dead along with my Pipbuck.

"Copy. Count on locals?"

"Negative, no count. Few dozen, maybe." Pumpkin groaned quietly. "They keep moving around, makes it impossible to get an accurate count."

"Copy." I lead the way up to the second floor where we could get a good vantage point on the village.

The village itself was small. Several of the wastelanders - I suppose this counts as raiding, making them actual raiders - were rummaging through the buildings, looting stuff. A couple of them were drinking from bottles. Two of the raiders were rounding up the local townsponies in a group in the middle.

"Designate all non-zebras as potential hostiles. Pumpkin, see the large unicorn in the center of the village?"

"Yeah, with the hoofball helmet?"

"Affirmative. Designate as Target One."

"Wilco."

We spent several minutes designating each of the hostiles. Dashie spoke up. "Okay, we've got all of the targets. We got a game plan, or are we just going to rush in guns blazing?"

Good question. "No, we're not going to rush in guns blazing, Dashie. We still don't have all the info. Cyclone?" I turned to him. "What do you know about the area?"

"Not a whole lot that's relevant, I'm afraid. This raider gang isn't big enough to get a reputation, and gangs change frequently. As for this town, I have not been out in this area in probably a generation. For all I know, the townsfolk could be another raider gang." I idly wondered why we hadn't run into any gangs before, before deciding it was not a question for now.

"Understood. Team One will go in and see what they're up to. If things turn violent, Team Two and Cyclone will provide overwatch. Watch your fire; there are noncombatants in there. Questions?" Pumpkin and Cerulean confirmed with a comm click, and Cyclone nodded. "Right then. Five minutes, starting... now. Go." Cyclone slipped off into the building.

I waited my five minutes before rising and heading into the village. Several of the raiders stopped what they were doing, appraising us, but none of them outright attacked us. They're not stupid. Interesting.

LOCATION DISCOVERED: ZEBRA VILLAGE

I watched the indigo unicorn approach us, a charming smirk on her face that automatically made me suspicious of her. "Hello there, ponies. What brings you to this fine town?" You. You're going to be a problem. Aren't you. On the other hoof... two can play at that game.

"Oh, we were just exploring this wonderful city." I purposely avoided looking in Dashie's direction, hoping they wouldn't see his expression. Surely it had to be good. "Have you ever seen the sky? It's soo... high..." I ignored how my stomach flipped as I thought about the sky. Don't look up.

"Oh? Where are you from?" The raider looked intrigued.

Feed her just enough to make her curious... "Stable 30. Have you heard of it?" Surely they have.

"I've heard the Stables are incredible places of safety and wealth. Why did you leave?" She had a greasy purple mane with a blue streak that had been braided and tucked behind her ear. Her barding was fairly typical, jury rigged pseudo-armor, with an improvised sword slung against her left side.

"Oh, you know. It got boring in there." The one speaking to us and what I imagined was the leader shared a look. Fascinating. I'm going to kill both of you. "So what are you folks doing here?" I trotted over to the bunch of zebras, looking at them. Target One, the big unicorn, shifted, keeping himself between them and I.

"You know, you look pretty smart, for a Stable pony. What do you think, Rip?" She looked to the big unicorn, who nodded to her. "Why don't you join our group?" The lavender unicorn bumped against me, wrapping her tail around my neck, attempting (with limited amounts of success) to draw my attention away from the zebras. Ugh. I felt dirty, inside and outside.

"Oh? Group? What kind of group?" I looked to her, playing along as the daft Stable pony.

"Ehh, we do everything." She smirked. "Whatever we want, whenever we want." Her smirk shifted slyly as she lowered her voice. "Whomever we want..." Vaguely I imagined one of my Stable teachers twitching at that blatant misuse of 'whom'. Also, ew.

"Whatabout the.. um... stripes..?" I intentionally stumbled over the slur as I looked at the zebras.

"What, them? Pfft, who cares. You want in with us." The raider leaned in, lowering her voice again. "Lemme tell ya, Stable, we got a sweet deal. Somepony hires us to attack them, pays us hoofsomely. Then, on top of that? We get to keep whatever we steal from 'em." Oookay then. "They tell us when, how and where to attack. We just gotta go attack em. Only thing is we don't rough 'em up too badly..." She sighed dramatically. Who even goes around telling total strangers their plans?

Dead ponies. That's who. "That's interesting. Who is it?" Keep talking...

"Ah, hell, who even cares, mare? Caps and loot for what we'd be doin' anyways. Sweet deal, innit?" And dead.

"Yeah, I guess it is..." I nodded, stepping away from her. "Dashie!" He looked to me. "Pumpkin, Target One. Do it." The raiders looked at us curiously for a long, awkward moment. Now would be great, Pumpkin... off in the distance, I saw a flash of light and a pink beam of light leading to the big unicorn's head and continuing into the ground on the opposite side; he immediately collapsed.

"Right then, folks. Here's how it's going to work." I drew my shotgun, flicking the safety off. "You're going to surrender, right now, or we going to kill all of you." Please work.

The raiders shared a look. Crap. They turned and rushed us, screaming defiant profanities and threats, some of which didn't even make any sense. Damn it!

"Open fire! Back, back!" I backtrotted as I flipped my visor down. The one that had attempted to seduce me - ew - rushed towards me with her head down and her sword held high in her bubblegum pink magic. I activated SATS as Dashie's battle saddle barked... and then I realized I don't have SATS anymore. Oh, shit! I turned and hoofed it the opposite way as she cackled insanely, all thoughts of dignity discarded in preference of not getting run through. Mistakes have been made!

I glanced back, realizing she was catching up to me, and fired a shell at her legs. "Gonna put you in the ground!" It missed, but her dodge took her back, increasing the distance between us. I'll take it! Damn, why is everyone so much more agile than I am? I fired another shell at her legs, and this time her dodge took her closer to me. "Don't think so, bitch!" Shit!

"Firefly!" Huh? I glanced in Dashie's direction. "Down!" Right! I dropped to the ground as Dashie's shotgun barked in my direction. Several other shots crossed where I'd been from another direction as I rolled over, blocking the blade the unicorn was swinging at me with my shield. Shit shit shit! The distraction was just enough for me to bring my shotgun up and fire three shots into her upper body. The shield blocked the kill from my sight, but she collapsed beside me, twitching and screaming. I fired a fourth shot into her body, and she stopped moving. And stay down! Bitch. I rolled over, crawling for cover.

Several rounds punched through what I'd taken cover behind. Visual concealment, not cover. Crap. I paused, looking for something more solid, noticing a nearby building. That might work. Several more rounds punched through on the other side, uncomfortably close, and I rose to my hooves, backing up before galloping for the building, firing my pistols over the shield in the direction those shots had come from. A pink beam punched through the cover I'd been firing at, and the shots in my direction stopped.

... As had all sounds of battle. I glanced to my EFS and remembered it was still dead. "Report!"

"All clear, boss!" Good good, Dashie sounds good.

"Status?" I left my cover, looking around with my weapons, finally holstering them when nothing popped out to run a sword through my ribs.

"I'm good. Pumpkin, Cerulean and Cyclone are out of the area." Dashie trotted over to me. "Ten KIAs confirmed."

"Good, good." I headed for where the zebras had been, only to notice they had disappeared, presumably when the shooting had started.

"Who are you, and what do you want with us?" A single zebra exited one of the buildings, trotting towards us proudly.

"We're from Stable 30. I am Captain Firefly. They attacked your town, did they not?" Please be grateful.

The old zebra paused, looking to Team Two as they trotted into the town. "Yes, they did. I suppose we should thank you. We don't have anything we can give you." Good enough.

"We're not asking for anything. We have things to trade, if you'd like." I looked towards Cerulean, who had carefully trotted over to a pair of injured zebras, trying to help them.

The zebra considered, glancing over her shoulder, before nodding. "I think something could be worked out."

An hour later, we set out from the zebra village. Cerulean had helped several of the locals. Dashie had traded some equipment and ammunition for other supplies. Pumpkin and Cyclone had helped repairing their defenses while I talked with the leader, learning about the village.

#

"That was a good shot, Pumpkin." I looked over to her, and something in her cheek twitched. Hrm?

"I... don't like sniping, ma'am..." Cerulean trotted over next to Pumpkin as she spoke, nuzzling her, and she relaxed, slightly.

"Understood, Pumpkin." I nodded to her, keeping eye contact for a moment longer than necessary before glancing forward.

"That was murder, Captain." Huh? I looked to Pumpkin, and she continued quietly. "You went in there intending to kill them, no matter what happened."

"I agree, Wings." Cerulean shared his opinion as expected.

Pumpkin threw Cerulean a dirty look. "Shut the fuck up, Horn. I don't want or need your opportunistic consent." I glanced to him, and he shut up with a shocked look.

"We're Security, trooper. That's what we do."

"You're right." Pumpkin stopped and spun, facing me. "We're Security, Captain. Security saves ponies. Isn't that what you said?" That it is... "We didn't save those ponies, now did we? We slaughtered them."

I frowned to her. "Those raiders had just attacked the village, by their own admission, and showed nothing but enjoyment."

"So what, we just slaughter anypony who gets in our way? Is that what we do now, Captain?" She glared at me aggressively.

I sighed and took a deep breath, turning to face her. "No, we didn't. We went in there prepared with the knowledge that we might have to kill them and the hope that we wouldn't have to. They forfeit their lives when they attacked the village, and I am confident that they had no plans to stop attacking villages. They were getting paid to harass villages."

"Oh, you are, are you? How do we know that you didn't just make that up?" The hell did that come from? "Did Lieutenant Dash hear that?" Dashie looked to me but declined to answer, turning to watch around us.

I blinked, narrowing my eyes. What? I closed my eyes, taking another deep breath. Respond, don't react.

"The fuck, Pumpkin, that's out of line, even for me." I was surprised to hear Cerulean speaking up in my defense. I glanced to him. I wonder if he's actually defending me, or just pretending to... Opportunistic ass.

"You're right." Pumpkin sighed. "That was out of line. I'm sorry, Captain."

"As healthy as getting this out is, I believe now is not the best time." Cyclone stepped in between the two of us, and I had to agree. "Even in prewar times, the middle of a street in Baltimare was not the safest of places to converse..."

"... Yes, I think you have a point there." I looked to Pumpkin. She scanned the perimeter around us, before nodding tightly. "Let's move." I dropped back to trotting beside Pumpkin, and she looked at me nervously. "I appreciate your concerns, Pumpkin, but this is not the place to bring up those issues." She nodded, glancing away.

"So, boss, one of my flank plates shattered." I glanced to Dashie as he spoke up. His flank plate did look broken.

"Again? Those aren't easily replaceable, Dashie." Captain Obvious strikes again.

"Wasn't my idea to go into CQB range with enemies who mostly specialize in CQB." Fair enough. "But I don't think that would have mattered, one of them had a cut down seven-six-two rifle in a battle saddle."

"A cut down seven-six-two? Wow." Wait... "Your armor stopped a seven-six-two? I for one am impressed."

"Don't be daft. These plates aren't even rated for five-five-six. I think it hit at an oblique angle and ricocheted off, instead of a straight up stop."

About an hour after we left the town, we left the city behind us, returning to trotting on an open road with dense forest on both sides.

"I'm not a fan of creepy roads, ma'am..." Pumpkin was flying again, a short distance above the rest of the team.

"What are you talking about, Pumpkin? This is the same road we came through on the way to Baltimare." I glanced up to her as she flew overhead, immediately regretting my decision immensely as my stomach's contents attempted to exit through my mouth. Bad stomach. Bad.

"Yeah but it was earlier in the day. The shadows are all different." She paused, settling to hover above us as she pointed at something. "There. That fuckin' tree creeps me out. We should blow it up."

Damn it Pumpkin, don't make me go up there and buck some sense into you. Nopony here's gonna like that. "We don't have the firepower to blow it up, and even if we did, it's just a tree." Especially me. "Even if it is a creepy-looking tree." Giving it a second look, I had to agree...

An hour after that interesting conversation brought us to Haven. A couple of S30 troops stood at the wall by the east gate that we approached.

#

"Who's there?"

"Captain Firefly!" Pumpkin waved at them and the gate rumbled open to let us in.

"Hello Captain." They saluted. "Trip went well?"

"Well enough, trooper. I see the negotiations with the mayor were successful?"

"Yes ma'am. He offered us a building by the main square for Stable operations."

"Excellent, excellent. Carry on."

"Yes ma'am." I turned to my team. "Right, meet us at the west gate at 1640. We set out for the Stable at 1700. Dismissed." Team Two saluted and headed off into the village. "Come with me, Dashie. I have something for the mayor." We headed to the mayor's office, running into Sky Chaser and Ivory Spark.

"Hey Firefly. Ugh, what did you do, go swimming in brahmin shit? You stink!" Apparently brahmins were two-headed mutant cows. Or something.

"Oh crap, not you two." I grinned to them to show I was joking.

Dashie leaned in, stage whispering to them. "No, brahmin shit would probably smell better."

Hey! "I don't smell that bad." Yes I probably do, but... "Hiya kids. How are you?" Shut up.

Ivory spoke up with his quiet, calm voice. "We've been good."

Sky Chaser grinned. "I found a gun at Deathcon!"

"... I don't know if I should be worried or not..." She glared at me, and I smirked.

"And I managed to con Ivory into coming with me to Deathcon!" Oh dear.

I looked to Ivory, and he winced. "She found the gun while I was with her, so she thinks I'm her good luck charm now. At least she didn't find bullets, too." He shrugged. "Security has been showing us how to use them."

"That makes sense." I looked back to Sky Chaser. "Has anything changed with the alicorns?"

She cocked her head and looked to the sky, before shaking her head. "I haven't noticed anything different."

"It's good to see you two, but we have somewhere to go. Stay safe!"

Ivory shook his head with an amused smile. "Safe. In the wasteland... you are funny."

Upon entering the Mayor's office, his secretary shot us one of the darkest glares I have ever seen as I trotted over to his desk. "Hello..."

He looked at us for a long moment. "The mayor is expecting you. Go right in." I could almost hear him wishing we would take a long trot off a high cliff. Into a pool of taint.

"Scout! It's been a while!" Only a few days.

"Hello, Mayor." I bowed respectfully. "How has Security been treating your town?"

"Oh, it's great! I can't remember the last time everypony was so pleased with me!" Noted.

I levitated out the box of cigars. "I would be honored if you would accept this gift, on behalf of Stable 30, for your incredible generosity." I brought the box over in front of him, opening it slowly.

"Oh! Oh my. Are those... Sapphires? I smell? Wonderful. Wonderful!" He levitated two of them out. "The town of Haven is most appreciative of your donation, Scout!" If by 'town', you mean 'you', then yes, I'm sure it is.

"Of course, Mayor. I'm sure you have business to attend to. We shall make our exit." I bowed and we exited his office.

As we left his office, he called his secretary in. I heard the two arguing for a moment, followed by an incendiary spell being cast, and then coughing. An acrid smell I imagined was cigar smoke drifted out of the office, and I smirked to Dashie.

He simply shook his head. "Let's go, boss. We've still got a trot back to the Stable."

"Right, right." I nodded and headed over to the Stable 30 Security station, checking in and seeing how everything was going. Somepony had painted a fairly good likeness of the Stable 30 Security emblem, a shield over the Stable-tec gear with 30 on it, on a sheet of metal and nailed it over the door. Idly I wondered who.

"Ah, hello, Captain, we weren't expecting you..." The pony on duty looked up in surprise as I entered, snapping to her hooves and saluting.

"No, nopony ever expects Stable 30 Security." Thank you, thank you, I'm so witty. "As you were. How is the town?"

"It's a town. A few of the ponies have been very accepting of us, a few quietly wish for us to go die, the rest..." She trailed off with a shrug. Gotcha. "We've been training the townsponies how to use guns properly." I nodded. "I hope this doesn't bite us in the flank, Captain."

"I don't think it will." I hope. "At the risk of sounding like Captain Obvious." She blushed in response to that. Ah, another who uses that nickname when I'm not around. "You're representing us out here, so your actions are crucial here. Try not to rock the boat too much."

"Of course, ma'am. Would you like a tour of the town?"

"That won't be necessary, thank you."

"Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Not a thing. We're heading back to the Stable. Keep doing what you're doing."

#

Halfway between the Stable and Haven, I asked Dashie to turn the radio on, and he obliged. Conveniently, it was during one of Lunar's broadcasts.

"Hellloooo Baltimare! So it turns out, our intrepid local hero pony, is either stupider than she looks, or braver than she looks. Having met her, it's probably both." Thanks Lunar. "She braved - or bumbled her way through, depending on who you ask - Central Baltimare and the irradiated city center to get to me..." Her voice took on a slightly deadpan tone. "And the Steel Rangers graciously allowed her entrance to their wonderfully secured base." Her voice resumed its normal tones. "And the sewers. Oh did she go through the sewers. The stories her friends had... well, it turns out, those rumors and stories that cannibal ghouls live in the sewers? They're reeeeeeal, ponies!" She fell silent, and I wondered if that was all she had. "On a related note - Celestia DAMN are their teeth soo... straight!" I ran my tongue along my teeth before I realized I was doing it, noticing I'd lost a tooth during the mission. Huh.

"You know, that's blasphemy." Cyclone spoke up almost casually. "Taking the Princess' name in vain."

"You don't seem too upset about it." I looked to Cyclone inquisitively, and he shrugged. "You knew the Princesses?"

"Not really, not personally. I met them once, briefly, during an award ceremony. Somepony in the Ministry of Peace had arrived at the end of a battle and healed everypony who was dying - including all of the stripes - so the battle was fought twice. Later, I heard that was the first test of a megaspell..." He sighed. "Celestia was heartbroken, Luna seemed... distant." He glanced up to the sky - I carefully avoided following his gaze- then looked back down. "Beginning of the end, that."

In the pause after he fell silent, Lunar resumed talking. "Aaanywho... this proves one thing - that's how it starts. Radroaches are gateway drugs." What? "Eat a radroach just once, and there you are, five years later, an undead ghoul hiding in the sewers and eating ponies daft enough to go down into them! As always, ponies, keep on your hooves and watch your fire! Sycamore Ridge!" ... Noise... came from Dashie's Pipbuck. This is unusual.

I looked to Dashie. "You think she's serious?"

"No, I think she's out of her freakin' mind." Dashie shook his head.

"You wanna take that chance?" C'mon Dashie, eating meat is gross.

"Firefly, I'm pretty sure she's just fucking with us." Dashie made a face at his Pipbuck as he shut the radio off.

"But do you want to take that chance?"

"For fuck's sake, Firefly, I'm a medical pony with an arcane sciences background and I'm fairly sure she's not serious." Cerulean added his two bits. Unasked, as always. "Or if she is, there's no scientific basis for it."

"If you say so, Doctor..." I smirked at him, and he narrowed his eyes back at me.

"Don't patronize me, Captain." He threw the title back at me sharply. "You're great at killing ponies, I'm great at fixing them. I find eating the remains of formerly sentient or sapient beings horrifying, and I'm positive Lunar is full of shit."

That blunt pronouncement killed the conversation. Well done, Doctor.

#

We approached the Stable around 2000, after far too many hours of trotting, and were greeted by the duty officers. "Welcome back, ma'am. How was your trip?"

"Hello Ivory." Stable must be desperate to put Ivory Charm on duty. "Good, good."

"I see you brought somepony else with you?" To her credit, she kept her expression neutral.

"Something like that, trooper." She nodded.

"Colonel Range is waiting for you in her office." Of course she is.

"Good, good." I found myself in Colonel Range's office, ignoring the looks my fellow Stable ponies gave me. Given the time it had been since I'd showered, I couldn't blame them. "Captain Firefly, reporting from the radio station, ma'am." I saluted.

"Good to see yo..." Hot Range broke off, coughing. "Sweet Celestia, when was the last time you showered?"

"Allow me to answer your question with another question - when was the last time I was at the Stable?" Ugh...

"I knew you were going to say that." She shifted, staying upwind of me. "How did the mission go?"

"Successfully." I considered, levitating my helmet off. "I could tell you about it, but I think it would be a better idea to tell everyone all at once. Unless you have anything else, I'm going to go shower."

Hot Range nodded. "Meeting in fifte..." She paused, narrowing her eyes at me. "Make that an hour. I'll get reports from the rest of your team first."

"Works for me, Colonel." I saluted and headed off to the Armory to turn in my gear, then a shower. Oh it feels great to be home.

#

After-Action Report
Doctor Cerulean Mend

While I must agree that this mission was a success in that it achieved all of its set objectives, I can not agree that it was a success in the long-term. Crimson Nimbus is still alive. He is now aware that the Stable is being more visible in the Baltimare area. Since leaving the Stable, Crimson has been busy. He has two or three hundred trained and loyal soldiers under his command. If he desired, I have little doubt that Crimson could take the Stable with brute force alone. The fact he has not, however, suggests he does not want to.

Captain Firefly made several questionable decisions during the course of this operation, foremost among them attacking Crimson and killing two of his so-called "Crimson Raiders". Fortunately, Crimson does not seem to be holding a grudge on this matter. When given a legitimate excuse to execute Pumpkin and Cerulean in revenge, he instead escorted us to link up with Captain Firefly and resupplied us in exchange for us to convey a message insisting he was not angry with her. While I am unsure as to Crimson's long-term plans, I do not believe he is a threat to the well-being of the Stable. However, Crimson and his Raiders will require careful management in the future.

The Steel Rangers are just as displeased with the Stable as they have been since the Incident. While they are a potential threat, I believe they could be turned away with limited amounts of bloodshed through intimidation or persuasion. Other factions were observed, but none of which are likely to become a threat short of drastic changes in their structure. Small villages, a cult of sewer-dwelling cannibal ghouls...

As a final note, Captain Firefly's command skills leave something to be desired when it comes to her father. When pressed for answers as to why she attacked him, she could not provide a satisfactory answer, or any answer at all. I recommend she take medical leave until a psychiatrist clears her for active duty.

#

The following evening...

The pale blue unicorn trotted into the security station. Nopony paid him any attention as he went straight for the Head of Security's office.

"Hello, Colonel." Colonel Hot Range looked up from her desk in confusion.

"Oh, it's you. Drop the titles, Mend, this can't be an official visit." She privately wondered what precisely an 'official' visit from Mend could even be, considering he technically was one of hers. "What do I owe the displeasure of this visit to?" She glanced back down to the Pipbuck 2000 sitting on her desk.

"Any change with Saph while I was out getting shot at?" Doctor Cerulean Mend sat down as Hot Range shook her head with a disgusted look and levitated out a pair of Sparkle-Cola bottles of cider. "I didn't think so. Cider? Don't mind if I do." Mend looked to the bottle in front of him, levitating over an empty IF-21 magazine and using the feed lips to pop the cap off. "Drinking on duty, Colonel? How irresponsible of us."

Mend's annoying smirk and casual abuse of one of her magazines irritated Range more than it usually did, and she dug back into the past as she pulled her magazine back from Mend's magic. "Surely this isn't any more grievous of a problem than your little 'bedside manner' issue, 'Doctor'." She looked to him coldly as she opened her bottle. "Has Warding Charm forgiven you yet?"

"That was... a long time ago." Mend glanced down with a haunted look. "A... long time ago..." He took a long drink from the bottle. "Did you read my report?"

"I did. As well as Dash's and Blitz's."

"So, what do you think?"

"I think fuckin' Crimson should have stayed dead."

Mend burst out laughing at Range's muted statement. "Still mad, huh?"

"If he hadn't left the Stable, I'm sure he would have had an 'accident'."

Mend sobered quickly at her unsettling pronouncement. "I...ah. Wow, Range..."

"He hurt Saph, Mend." Range spoke slowly and quietly. "You of all ponies should remember that."

"First off, Red never loved her, and Saph knew that when they married, so Red can't take all of the blame here, as much as we'd like to pin it on him. Secondly, Red had nothing to do with Saph's ...drinking. That was entirely Sunset Lily." A look of disgust crossed his muzzle as he spoke those last two words.

Rage filled Hot Range's eyes for a long moment, and Mend almost regretted opening his mouth, but then she closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. "You're right. I'm sorry." She leaned back in her chair, waving a hoof in Mend's direction. "You know, Mend, Overmare Lily was never conclusively proven to be at fault for that." She sipped her cider with an contemplative expression.

"Oh, yes, just like Daisy's death was an accident. You? Passing up an opportunity to talk shit about Sunset? You must be getting old, Range." Mend smirked at her momentarily, before fading to a saddened look. "You know how I feel about Saph. She's not strong willed. I love her, but... she is not strong willed." Mend threw his hooves in the air, raising his voice. "She married Red, for fuck's sake! What kind of an idiot would marry somepony who tells her he doesn't love her?" He groaned, crawling to his hooves. "I have places to be, ponies to save, all that hero doctor bullshit." Range snorted at that. Mend? Hero? Ha. "Oh! By the way, outside the Stable, one thing lead to another and Aimpoint came up. Firefly might come around asking about that. Just a heads up."

"Celestia damn it, Mend."

"That's me, Range." His obnoxious smirk returned.

Colonel Hot Range sat back in her chair, not entirely sure how she felt. Despite her dislike of him, talking with Mend usually made her feel better, and to be completely honest, she did feel more relaxed than she had in days, but... she could feel tension creeping back into her shoulders and stomach as she opened the door and let memories of Aimpoint, Crimson and Sapphire come flooding back. "... Celestia damn it, Mend."

Author's Note

And so we meet the Steel Rangers. And Cyclone. And Lunar Note. Fascinating bunch, aren't they, the Baltimare chapter of the Steel Rangers?

kkat - for Fallout Equestria, naturally.
Relentless and belmor of Fallout Equestria: Frozen Skies, a deliciously awesome story. They provided vital military expertise for this chapter and the design/concept of Moonstone's TFD, which is identical to the ones worn by Snap Roll and Tailwind.
'Brandon' for some super sick burns from the squad combat medic.
Fallout Equestria - Rules of Engagement was a big inspiration for FOE:SS, I suppose. The plot is a bit... unusual, but the writing was solid. It's a shame it died so quickly.

Chapter 09 - Back Home, Part 1-1

Fallout Equestria: Stable Scout
Chapter 09
Back Home, Part 1-1

Oh, it feels great to be home...

Captain Firefly

Sunday
2030

I headed for the locker rooms and Armory, seeing Sergeant Slate focusing intently on something. "Hey, Slate." I quickly stripped out of my armor and set my saddlebags down. "Slate." He ignored me. "Slate!"

He yelped - ha ha! - and threw... sparkly stuff... in the air. Um. "WHAT!"

I glanced down. "What were you...?" Oh, it's just metal dust.

"Repairing the rifling on this weapon." He held up an IF-18 revolver, before setting it aside and casting a spell. All of the metal filings he'd dropped pulled itself into a small ball at the tip of his horn.

"Magnetize spell?" He nodded. "Useful spell, that." A loose magazine flew over and stuck to him, floorplate flat against his cheek. "Sometimes?" I winced in sympathy.

"Sometimes." He nodded glumly. "So what did you want, Captain?" He set the nugget of metal and magazine aside, rubbing his cheek where the magazine had landed.

Dashie trotted into the Armory after me, coughing exaggeratedly. "You still haven't showered yet, boss?"

I turned a withing glare on him. "That's my next stop." He simply smirked in response.

"She doesn't smell that bad, sir..." I looked to Weld, politely sticking up for me.

Dashie looked to Weld for a moment, before shaking his head and laughing. "Oh that's rich." I glanced to Dashie, then to Weld, who was staring at Dashie with a mild look of confusion. Huh?

I bunched up and levitated the barding I'd been wearing for the past five days over to him. "Enjoy!"

He inhaled, then turned green, hurriedly stepping back and pushing my barding away. "That's... um... that's something." How diplomatic.

"By 'something', you mean, 'worthy of the incinerator'?" He shook his head at my crazed grin. "You said you wanted a pair of IF-9s, right?" Weld nodded as I turned to Dashie. "Hey, Dashie, got the IF-9s?"

"Got your scatterguns right here, boss." He tossed me the two IF-9s, and I caught them in my magic. They're. Not. Scatterguns.

I confirmed they were clear, remembering the police armory, before giving him to them. "Here ya go, Slate." He almost glowed at me - I wasn't sure if it was my use of his first name or the gift of firepower - as he pulled out a pair of 12 gauge chamber flags and slipped one of them in place, setting it aside.

He used a light spell to look through the bore. "The rifling... these look pristine. It's almost a shame to cut these up..." Huh? He inserted the second chamber flag and set the weapon aside. "Where did you even find them? I wouldn't have expected to find pristine weapons out in the wastes."

"We raided the police station."

He cocked his head. "Weren't you just going to the radio station?"

"Yes, but the Steel Rangers demanded we go to the police station for them first." I shrugged, glancing to Dashie unpacking his saddlebags. Where did he find all the space for everything in there? Earth pony magic, clearly.

"Why were the Stee..." He shook his head as he trailed off. "Never mind."

"You're going to read the operational report, it'll make more sense?"

He nodded as his horn lit up with his pink glow. "I'm going to read the after action reports, it'll make more sense."

I felt something being sprayed on my bare flank. "Wha?" I glanced over to get a face full of it and yelped. "The hell was that?"

"You, um... you've smelled better." Was he... blushing? Cute.

I caught a whiff of the smell, more intensely. "Sweet Celestia, what the fuck did you spray me with? It stinks!"

"It smells better than you did." Dashie tossed a weapon at Weld. "Heads up, Weld!"

"It was either that or pesticide spray." He caught it in his pink magic and brought it over to him to study it intently.

"Oh, ew." Wait. "Where did you even get pesticide spray?"

"It was in the workshop when I took over."

"Right then, I'm going to go shower." I suppressed another yawn. "See you folks later. Dashie, sort my saddlebags, would you?"

Dashie tossed a salute in my direction as I headed for the Pipbuck maintenance tech to get my Pipbuck fixed.

"What brings you down here, Captain..." The head tech glanced over at me. "... nude?" After a moment, she stiffened and a mild expression of disgust passed her face, quickly hidden.

"Yes, I know I smell disgusting." I held my Pipbuck out to her. "I just returned from the Outside. Something went wrong with my Pipbuck, and I need you to fix it."

"Of course, Captain... What seems to be the issue?"

"It's locked down." She gave me a confused look. "You're familiar with the Security mode, right...?"

"Oh!" She nodded. "Wait. That's only supposed to happen when you die." She looked at me closely. "You're not dead, right?"

"If I said I was, would you believe me?"

"Quit being clever and tell me what you did to your damn Pipbuck!"

"Sorry. I stepped on a mine and had my leg... removed."

"... Oh." She stepped back in surprise, looking at my legs.

I shifted my weight off of my leg and waved it at her. "I got better." I smirked at her; she looked deeply unsettled.

"Well. I.... yes. That might do it." She frowned and turned, trotting over deeper into the room. "Oh where did it go..." Huh? I trotted into the repair room and settled down on a bench with a quiet groan. Ohhh yes... Maybe I could just sleep here... I yawned and closed my eyes for just a moment...

...

Ow! Ow ow ow!

"Hey! No sleeping in here!" I yelped and flailed my limbs as I was shocked back to consciousness, falling off the bench and looking up to see the head Pipbuck technician glaring down at me. "Go sleep in your quarters!" Ow ow ow. "There's barely enough space for stuff that belongs here without Security ponies sleeping on duty!"

I groaned. "I just got back to the Stable, give me a break!" I yawned and rolled over as my limbs returned to my control.

"You're all done, Captain." She trotted over to her seat and settled down, watching me with an intense look of morbid fascination as I laid there, giving my limbs a moment to recover before leaving. She apparently took this as an opportunity to start a new conversation. "What's... what's it like? Out there, I mean."

I glanced over to her and rolled over onto my belly, looking back at her. "It's..." I paused, thinking. "Dangerous, but... amazing. There's soo much stuff out there, stuff you've never seen." Not my best, but it seemed to fascinate her. What did I know about her? Pipbuck technician. Seems to like computers and magitech devices. Dislikes cramped spaces. Play to that. "It's... quite open out there. Lots of space." I glanced around the dull, grey room. "Plenty of color out there, too. Greens and browns and blues..."

"Wow..." She looked impressed.

I nodded and smirked to her, rising to my hooves. "I didn't catch your name. I'm Firefly." I offered her my hoof, and she took it after a moment's hesitation. In her hooves, I probably would have done the same.

"Broken Screen. It's been a pleasure, Captain." She smiled to me. "I hope you know what I mean when I say I hope I won't be doing a lot of professional dealing with you in the future."

I grinned back to her. "Not a lot of ponies come down here to chat, I'm sure? Thank you. By the way, what was that spell you used on me? That hurt."

A pleased smile crossed her face at my question. "It's a modification of the stunning spell Security has in the SOP hoofbook. I charged it with an electrical shock so it momentarily overwhelms all the nerves in your body."

I... recognized... some of those words. "Very impressive! Perhaps you could teach me sometime?"

"We'll see, Captain. Have a good night." Having used that very same dismissal before, I nodded, bid her good night and hurried out to do other things.

#

I left Pipbuck Maintenance and ducked into my quarters to get some clean clothes. My mother was passed out on the couch - as always - and I hurried for the shower.

Oh, that's wonderful. While I showered, I thought back about the mission I'd just returned from. Not only did we accomplish our assigned mission - acquire intelligence and open a dialogue with the radio pony - but we did it with zero casualties! That was definitely a complete success.

Hell, I even found my father! ... Oh. Right. I bucked him, killed two of his ponies and ran off. That... could have gone better.

I groaned and curled up on the floor. Fuck me, that could have gone way better. I could have taken a dump on the floor and set his bed on fire, and that still would have gone better! Shit...

He had another daughter? What, was I not good enough for him? Oh that's right, he ran off and abandoned the Stable! And me! The bastard.

Ahhh... It feels good to be home. I spent a couple of minutes, just curled up on the floor, enjoying the luxury of clean, warm water running through my coat and mane working the tenseness from my muscles.

Finally, I decided I had things to be doing and started cleaning up, starting with washing my mane. What the hell is this stuff in my mane?

I think I whimpered as I combed whatever was stuck in my mane and tail out. Oh. Yeah. I... 'screwed' Moonstone. Wow. It's been a couple of years since I've washed cum out of my mane. When was the last time I did that? I groaned as everywhere ached dully.

Celestia, I am sore everywhere. Well, mostly between my legs. I stretched and bruises reminded me of their existence all across my body. Correction: sore everywhere.

... And now I'm horny. Crap. I have a meeting in a while, don't I...

I spent way too long in the shower, but seeing as I hadn't showered in five days, I think it was justified. Wait, there was that... swim... I took yesterday.

I never did get the chance to masturbate, but that shower was almost as good...

#

Range had left me a message, informing me that the meeting would be at 2100 in Conference Room Two. I entered the room at 2105. The seven ponies of the Leading Council were arrayed along one side of the table. Overmare Book Keeper sat at the head, facing the door I just had just entered through. Range was sitting midway along the table, opposite Lead Councilor Diamond Rose. Justice Amber Rhyme, my counterpart in the Judicial half of Security, was sitting on Range's left. Oh, so this is how it's going to be. "Nice of you to show up, Captain..."

I glanced to Range; she simply shrugged and gave me a sympathetically annoyed look. Zero showers, five days, shot at or attacked on four. Cum dried in my coat since this time last night. Sure. Why not. I trotted over to the seat next to Range and settled down, looking to Councilor Rose. "I was unaware the Leading Council had an interest in Security's normal day-to-day operations of defending the Stable, Councilor."

Councilor Rose snorted. "Don't play clever, Captain. Your missions Outside are anything but normal. Tell us how your mission went." She was a blue-green unicorn, with a blue-purple and pale blue striped mane she wore in a long, sleek style. Her orange eyes were currently furrowed at me, a notable difference from her usual pleasant smile.

I thought about that, levitating a glass of water over to myself. "It went excellently." I paused, sipping the water.

Oh that's wonderful.

"We completed the primary objective of opening a dialogue with the radio station. We were attacked by a couple of groups, yet we took no losses ourselves. Overall, a critical success, Councilor."

Councilor Rose frowned. "You were attacked?" The Council shared a concerned look amongst themselves.

"We encountered a group of raiders in the city. They attacked us and we defended ourselves. A group of ghouls in the sewers tried to eat us. We encountered a group of raiders harassing a town, and we..." I paused, thinking of a way to phrase it, "Put a stop to it."

"Raiders?" Councilor Rose's frown deepened. "Cannibal ghouls?" I nodded tiredly. Why yes, Councilor, that's what I said. "Do you remember what happened last time the Stable was attacked, Captain?"

Not vividly, no. "I am aware of the events that happened two decades ago, Councilor..."

"Many Security ponies perished in that attack." Councilor Rose sighed sadly. "Captain Crimson was a fine leader." Mock-sadly. You bitch.

"I'm afraid I must report that Captain Crimson did not perish in the attack, Councilor." I shook my head. "He is doing well."

The Council looked confused at that, and shared a glance. Councilor Emerald Hex looked up from her M2500. She was an older earth pony, mint green with a long green and turquoise striped mane, kind of like a candy cane. "The traitor lives?" Traitor? Hey! ... actually, that's what I told him myself.

Councilor Rose pursed her lips. "Your father did always have a strange affinity for leaving the Stable."

The door opened, and the Arcane Sciences mares - Chief Researcher Astral Vision and her superior, Head of Arcane Knowledge Uchawi - entered. "Apologies, Overmare." They trotted in, taking positions one seat down from us. Overmare Keeper waved to them.

I sipped my water as I thought about meeting Crimson. "That's correct, Councilor. Captain Crimson is alive and doing well. The Crimson Raiders have a couple of hundred experienced wasteland fighters, at a low estimate."

"At least a couple of hundred experienced fighters?" Councilor Rose's frown deepened. Tell me, Captain. How many ponies does Security have?" That's a stupid question, you know the answer. Ah, it's not the answer that matters.

Time to play her game. "Approximately fifty, Councilor."

Councilor Rose nodded. "Can your ponies defend the Stable against a force that large?" She looked around to the rest of the ponies in the room, before looking back to me. "Would you trade our husbands and children for the Wasteland?"

I spent a moment thinking about that. "Yes and no, in that order, Councilor." She frowned. "Attacking any well fortified position is always a costly venture. A self-sufficient underground position built to be easily defended, like a Stable, is even more-so." I paused and glanced to Councilor Rose. "Have you ever wondered about the angled ceiling in the hallways?" Confusion momentarily clouded her features. "That's called a choke point, and every hallway can be turned into a kill zone. Three ponies and a machine gun could effortlessly hold a hallway against a much larger force." Confusion was quickly replaced with disgust.

I paused and sipped my water. "We are a very closed society, and our numbers have been limited to what we could sustain. The Outside is not limited as we are." I paused as I refilled my drink. "The Outside has numbers. We have technology and knowledge." I turned to Overmare Keeper. "Overmare, what was Stable 30's purpose, as given by Stable-tec?"

Overmare Keeper looked to me, sipped her water and looked through her Pipbuck, before reading out a file. "Cataloging and preservation of Arcane Knowledge, for the purpose of helping to restore civilization."

I nodded. "Thank you, Overmare." I turned back to the Council. "Other Stables are opening their Doors - the Security Mare is busy to the south, and the Stable Dweller... she's everywhere."

I paused to give the Council a moment to think on my arguments, before finishing. "I believe now is the time for us to move out, Councilor."

"Clearly, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Councilor Hex spoke contemptuously. "Your obsession with helping the Outside will be the death of us all, Captain."

I suppressed a smirk as Overmare Keeper quietly addressed Councilor Hex. "Personal attacks are unnecessary and unproductive, Councilor."

"My apologies, Overmare." Councilor Hex bowed her head 'sincerely'. Uh huh.

I continued, answering Councilor Hex's comment. "That's unlikely, Councilor." I glanced to my Pipbuck, pulling up the current Armory contents. "With our current armory, right now, today, if we can hold the Atrium, we could hold the entire Stable against any group in the area. This goes up to and includes the Steel Rangers. With better weapons, we could retake the Stable from any area."

"Now that we've decided that..." Range glanced around to everyone present. "What shall we do now?" Her gaze shifted to me.

I cleared my throat, and everyone looked to me. "The pony at the radio station requested a favor in return for the intelligence she provided us with."

"A 'favor'." Councilor Hex spoke, her voice full of contempt. "Did she specify what kind of favor?"

"She did, Councilor." I rose and turned, using my magic to display a map of the Baltimare area on the wall behind me. "She provided me with the location of three Ministry of Arcane Science Emergency Broadcast System towers here, here and here." Three six-pointed stars inside of a box appeared on the map surrounding the city, along with the nine-cogged gear indicating Stable 30, to the southeast of the city proper. "She requested that we clear them so that one of her assistants could grant her access to their broadcast networks." I paused, ignoring the sore ache that twinged between my hind legs at the mention of 'assistant', shifting slightly. "I believe that accessing the MASEBS network would be good for Stable 30, as well."

"Explain."

"If we accessed all three towers, we could observe much of the wasteland from the safety of the Stable. Even if we were to seal the Door," I left that one alone, "we could continue to observe what went on Outside without having anypony physically occupying the towers."

A couple of the other Councilors start to nod. Success. Councilor Rose was among them. "Very well, Captain." I returned to my seat, letting the map spell expire.

Overmare Keeper turned to the Arcane Sciences ponies. "Is her idea feasible?"

Uchawi looked to Researcher Vision, who looked to her M3000, spending a moment looking through files. "Yes, I think her plan could work, Overmare." She looked to Overmare Keeper, shifting nervously. "I could do some looking into the specifics...?"

Overmare Keeper nodded. "Make it happen."

"If we seal ourselves off from the Outside, what would it matter that we know what's going on outside the Stable?" Back to this again?

"Put yourself in my shoes, Councilor." Damn civilians. "It's your job to keep the Stable safe. If, for example, the Steel Rangers were rallying outside the Door to attack us, wouldn't you like to know that, so you can prepare for them?"

"The Door is immense." Councilor Hex's brows furrowed in confusion. "How could they do that?" Use your imagination, mare. Big door can be blown up by bigger guns. Hacking the control system would be a better route, though.

Range spoke up so I didn't have to answer that. "The Door is big, Councilor, but it's just steel."

Councilor Sparking Sheets spoke up, adjusting her glasses. "If they could... 'breach' the Door, then why haven't they done so?" Civilians attempting to use military terms they barely understand. How cute. Councilor Sheets was a blue/green earth pony around my age. She kept her dark blue and red-pink mane short and practically cut. Out of the Council, she was the youngest and a bit of an unknown. If nothing else, she was definitely not as biased against Security as the rest of the Council, which is a huge plus-one in my book.

"The Steel Rangers tried to annex the Stable before, and we routed them. Even if they could successfully take the Stable - again, a very big if - they'd have to deal with the losses we inflict upon them defending the Stable and our resistance when we retreat to the lower levels. Beyond that, they would have to continue to maintain their visible strength to the rest of the area." I paused, refilling my water as I considered where to go next, changing tracks. "The balance of power is a delicate line, Councilor, and one mistake could lead to the destruction of the Baltimare Steel Rangers. I find it unlikely they have any plans in taking the Stable, especially after having met their leader myself."

Councilor Rose glanced over to me curiously. "What were you doing at the Steel Rangers base?" None of her usual contempt, just sheer curiosity. Interesting.

"During the expedition, we learned that the Steel Rangers base is the radio station."

Councilor Hex snorted. "Military intelligence, indeed." How clever.

I pointedly ignored Councilor Hex as I turned to Councilor Rose. "The primary objective of these missions beyond the wire is to gather intelligence, Councilor, and they have gone better than I expected." I glanced to my Pipbuck. "We have acquired an immense amount of intelligence over the past week, and for now, we need time to analyze it."

Councilor Rose fell silent for a moment. "I still think that Captain Crimson is a threat." I am too tired for this shit. "Captain Crimson surely is... intimately familiar with our defenses. He could use that against us."

Range spoke up delicately. "Knowing Crimson, I find that to be very unlikely, Councilor..."

"I'm still concerned about it." She narrowed her eyes at at me severely. "Do something about it, Captain."

"Of course, Councilor." I covered the urge to roll my eyes at her with a pleasant and bland smile. Yeah, I'll get right on stripping the information about the Stable's defenses from his brain. You obnoxious dolt.

The Council fell silent, looking to their Pipbucks, sharing looks and typing as they debated in silence. After a couple of minutes, Councilor Rose spoke again. "We have heard enough for now, Captain. You may go." Oh, I may go, huh? What's that, civilian for 'dismissed'? Yeah, sure thing, mare.

"Thank you for your time, Councilors..." I leaned back, refilling my water again. No, you may go. Researcher Vision smiled to me - I waved back - and rose to her hooves to made a swift exit, Uchawi two steps behind her. Overmare Keeper was a few paces behind her.

I glanced to Range, and she made a face. "The Crimson Raiders?" I shrugged. "How very... Crimson of him."

"I'd make a witty quip about Crimson being red, but right now, I just want to pass out in my bed for at least three days." I groaned and laid my head down on the table as the Council rose and left. Ha ha! Victory.

Amber smiled to me. "How did your excursion go?"

I waited until the door had closed after the Council before answering. "Honestly, I can't say it went that badly. Cannibal ghouls. Steel Rangers, normal ghouls. The Crimson Raiders. Acquired plenty of intel. Made friends with the radiopony. Helped a couple of towns." I gestured off into the Stable. "Cyclone knew my prewar ancestor. Cool, huh?" Hrm. What else? "Oh!" I grinned to Range and Amber. "I got laid!"

Amber raised an eyebrow. "You? ... Seriously?" He glanced to Range. "So, you win, then?"

"About damn time." Range snickered. "What's it up to? Two hundred bits now?" Amber nodded idly, looking through his Pipbuck.

Wait, what? "Let's pretend I don't know what you're talking about."

"We've had a betting pool on your love life for, what... two, three years now?" Amber glanced up from his Pipbuck over to Range.

Range nodded with a pleased grin. "I was pretty sure I'd have won six months ago, but apparently you two didn't fuck. At least, not that he'd admit to, anyways." Hey! "Shame, he was kind of cute, for a stallion." I tossed Range an annoyed glare.

"That sounds an awful lot like gambling, which is a violation of security policy 34B." I yawned.

"Yes, but security policy 34B was designed for a locale that doesn't consist of spending your entire lives underground." Range shrugged and rose to her hooves. "Rhyme, I'll collect my winnings tomorrow morning." She turned to me. "Firefly, go write up a mission report, then go get some sleep. You've got market duty tomorrow."

"Oh yeah, today's... Shit." I glanced to my Pipbuck, confirming the time and date. "It's Sunday already. Wow."

#

Monday
0800

First on my list this morning was showing around some kids interested in joining Security. This ought to be fun.

The group met at the Security station. Three foals, two colts and a mare. The tallest was a unicorn mare, half zebra ancestry hinted at by the light blue highlights in her medium blue coat. Behind her was a short earth pony, just entering puberty, with cropped, straw colored hair. Obviously not with the other two, was a happy-looking unicorn colt with a orange/brown coat, his messy mane orange-yellow, the tips ending in cyan.

The last one snapped to attention and saluted as he saw me. Not perfect form, but not bad for a kid. He reminded me of myself, ten years ago. I returned the salute, then turned to begin address the three of them.

With a pop of compressed air, Security Officer Ivory Charm teleported in beside me and I tried - unsuccessfully - to suppress a yelp. "Oh, good morning, Captain!" She chirped in her annoyingly high pitched voice as she threw me a smirk that could give Dashie a run for his bits in the 'obnoxiously smug' department. Someone's awfully cheerful this morning.

I turned to the kids. "Ivory Charm has generously offered to help me showing you folks around this morning."

"I have, ma'am?" Her smug smile shifted to an expression of confusion, and she looked to her Pipbuck.

"Yes." I threw her a glare that told her 'play along or spend a month peeling apples'. "You have." She nodded.

"Oh. Yes. I remember now." She nodded again, more confidently. "... Am I late?"

"No, you're right on time." I studied her closely. She had a tan, perhaps even, ivory coat, and her mane was a dark violet, brushed and pinned up in a bun for once, parted around her horn. Hrm, nice save, Ivory. Perhaps I'll need to pay more attention to her...

"You're here early, Ivory." Amber Rhyme trotted into the Security station, looking to Ivory Charm. "Good morning, Firefly."

"Good morning, father..." I could almost hear the weariness in Ivory's voice.

"Morning, Amber." I glanced to Ivory Charm, then back over to him. "Speaking of being here early... you usually don't come in this early."

Amber smiled to me. "I wanted to get some work done early, before Market day."

"You do work?" I smirked to Amber. "This is Justice Amber Rhyme, Chief of Justice Operations. He doesn't do a lot, most of the time..." I grinned at him; he simply smiled politely to the kids. "But he's a really nice pony, even if it is his job give out punishments. Know him, make him like you. He'll make your life a lot easier if you get in trouble."

"Oh, please, Captain. I don't do that, you should know that's against the rules."

"Much like running a betting pool on fellow Security officers' love lives?" I glanced to him teasingly.

Amber simply snickered softly. "You're free to take that up with the Colonel, if you feel so strongly about it."

"Right." Tempting, if she weren't in on it, too... "Let's get you kids acquainted with the station." I turned and trotted off towards the Armory. "Fall in." The unicorn colt fell in on my right flank, the other two following in a slightly less organized fashion. We'll work on that later. Ivory and, curiously, Amber also fell in. "Weld!" I waved a hoof toward Weld. "Kids, this is Sergeant Weld, the stallion in charge of all of Security's weapons and other kit." I waved a hoof around the Armory. "All this you see? This is his domain."

"Hello, Captain." Weld leaned up to look over the counter at the kids. "Hi kids."

"Hey, when do we get to play with the guns?" The unicorn mare attempted to pick up an IF-18 revolver with her deep blue magic, and Slate let out an indistinct, whimpering sound as he pulled the weapon from her magic.

"No, no, no!" He set it back in its rack. "No guns! Not til you're in Security."

"Aww, mare..."

"Guns aren't toys, they're dangerous weapons. You'll get them when you're ready." I paused for a moment, thinking. "I'm sure you've heard that before so many times, but it is true." I waved to Weld. "Nice to see you, Weld." I turned back to the kids. "Moving on..." I lead the way out, crossing the station to Range's office. "Off to the left there is the briefing room." I banged a hoof on her door and trotted inside. "Knock knock, Colonel!"

"Sweet Celestia, Firefly! There's a door for a fucking reas-" Range hurriedly cut herself off as she noticed the kids. "... Oh." She glanced down to her M2500. "It's that time." She set it aside. "Hello kids."

"This vulgarity-spewing unicorn is Colonel Range, the Head of Security." I tossed her a smirk as she glared at me. "She's usually not this vulgar."

Range opened her mouth to say something before the earth pony colt cut her off and raised one of his hooves, looking to me. "But aren't you the Head of Security?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but the unicorn colt cut me off. "Captain Firefly is the Chief of Field Operations, Colonel Range is the Head of Security. Captain Firefly handles external issues, such as attacks and training, while Colonel Range handles internal issues such intra-department communications and liasoning with the Leading Council. Officially, Captain Firefly is subordinate to Colonel Range, but their duties are separate, distinct areas, making them equals in many ways."

Damn, kid. "Well said." I nodded, looking to the other two kids. "That's basically it. I lead the troops, Range manages everything else."

Range groaned, laying her head on the desk. "I should have just stayed in the damn Armory."

Amber poked his head inside. "Don't be ridiculous, Colonel, you've done an excellent job of managing Security. Would you have preferred Captain Armet have become Head of Security, instead?"

Range burst out laughing. "Oh my fucking goddesses, that would have been a disaster."

I frowned. Captain Armet wasn't that bad... I cleared my throat. "Right then... I think it's time we moved on. Colonel Range is a busy mare, after all." Range snickered anew at that as I hurried the kids out of her office.

"So, where to now?" The unicorn mare smirked at me, and I gave her a stern, sideways glance. "Uh, ma'am." Better.

"Patrol time!" I grinned to her. "Sounds fun, huh?"

"Uh.. no, ma'am." She frowned dejectedly.

I snickered. "Now you're getting it." I grinned to the three of them. "Security isn't all that glamorous. Lots of really boring stuff, with occasional moments of excitement." I paused, thinking back. "... Excitement is..." I trailed off, considering. "Boring is safe. Boring is good."

"Aww, that's no fun." She stuck her lower lip out at me in a pouty look. I recognized that look - it was her most dangerous weapon, and she probably didn't even realize that yet.

"Not to sound like Captain Obvious, but excitement in our line of work usually results in injuries or fatalities..."

"... oh. Yeah." She frowned.

"Don't let that discourage you, though. Security is a noble profession, even if it's not so glamorous most of the time." Actually, that's kind of an understatement - Security is dangerously dull much of the time. "It's dangerous, but somepony's gotta remind the wasteland that Stable 30 isn't a pushover, after all." I leaned in conspiratorially. "Wouldn't you like to be the ponies showing the wasteland what prewar Equestria was like?"

The unicorn mare grinned brightly, but the earth pony colt had a worried look. The unicorn colt had a thoughtful look. Bright kids.

I lead the way out of Security, Amber, Ivory and the kids following me. "So, um, ma'am? What's it like outside the Door?" The unicorn mare spoke up.

"It's... dangerous, but incredible." I paused, considering, before smirking. "It's so colorful out there. Reds and blues and greens. All sort of colors you've never seen outside of history texts."

"You mean, the walls aren't grey out there, too?" The earth pony colt spoke up in amazement.

"All sorts of colors." I grinned. "All of the books say that the Outside is brown and scorched by the bombs? Everything is green and blue. It's amazing."

"Are you sure we should be helping the wasteland, Captain?" Amber looked to me in concern. "We opened the Door, and the wasteland attacked us. That attack, I should remind you, is what cost your father his life in the Stable."

Ha, ha ha. I glanced to Amber in amusement. "I don't think Crimson feels he lost anything when he left the Stable, Amber. He has... adapted well to Wasteland life."

Amber thought about that. "Captain Nimbus always was rather... strange. It's a shame you never got to meet him." I cleared my throat to remind Amber that I had, quite recently, and he clarified. "While he lived in the Stable, I mean."

"You know, Father, I think that Captain Firefly has a point." Ivory spoke up in the silence that followed Amber's comment. "Colonel Range has mentioned that she thinks the Stable should move out into the Wasteland."

"Colonel Range is allowed her opinions, and I'm allowed to disagree with them." Amber glanced to me as he spoke.

I cleared my throat. "Didn't you have some work you said you were going to attend to, Justice?"

"So I did, Captain. If you'll excuse me..." He leaned over to hug Ivory, and she returned the hug.

I watched him trot off, then turned back to the kids. "So, kids. Pop quiz time - what do you think the purpose of patrols are?" I gestured to the unicorn colt as he opened his mouth. "I know you know what the answer is, let the other two try." He frowned, and I smirked to him as a trio of ponies trotted past us, chatting, and went around the corner.

The earth pony spoke up curiously. "Busywork?" No.

The unicorn mare thought for a moment. "Punishment?" Not usually.

"Nope." I shook my head. "Good guesses, though. They're our day-to-day interaction with the rest of the Stable, and that's where we remind them of what we do. We're there to help and protect them, and if they're going to be interacting with us, it will probably be while we're patrolling." I lead the way through the Stable. "How often do you go to the Security station?" I looked to the three of them, and they looked to each other, then the unicorn mare looked to me and shrugged. "Exactly." I glanced at the corner, then back to the kids. "Tell me, how many ponies did we just pass?"

The unicorn mare glanced back, before sharing a look with the earth pony, faces screwed up in confusion, before shrugging and glancing to the other unicorn. He had a blank expression, before a sharp look of understanding crossed his face. "I... wasn't paying attention, ma'am."

"It's important to pay attention to what's going on around you." I smiled to them as I shushed the part of me that pointed out I wouldn't have stepped on a landmine had I been paying attention. "Okay. If you're really interested in joining in Security, I have an assignment for you. Just... count things around you. You'll start to notice and remember a lot more around you."

They nodded, and we continued through the Stable. I quizzed the kids on things as we passed them. Around 0900, I hoofed the kids over to Ivory and Dashie to get some work done. Reports, reports, reports. Yay. At 0940, I called a briefing for Market patrol.

"Good morning, everypony." Several of the ponies scattered around the briefing room gave muted responses. "I said, good morning, everypony!" I stomped my forehoof loudly.

"Good morning, Captain Firefly!" rang through the room in response. Much better.

"It's Market Day." Obviously. "Door opens at 1000. Show of force, blah blah blah. Convince any wastelanders looking for trouble that they don't want to give us trouble." I turned and projected a map of the Exterior Marketplace on the wall behind me, giving out patrol assignments. "Some of you may have noticed that Teams Five and Six were switched with Teams Seven and Eight. There were some issues last week, and it was decided that it would be best to keep zebras off XM patrol. Questions?" A silver wing in the back rose. "Do you like peeling apples, Silver?"

Silver rose to his hooves. "No, ma'am." I nodded for him to continue. "What a silly question that was." Uh huh. "Have you ever given thought to, perhaps, going out with Striker?" What? All eyes shifted from Silver, to me, to Striker, as Striker flicked him over the head. One. Month. Peeling. Apples.

I opened my mouth to reply, but Striker cut me off coolly. "I don't think so. I don't 'do' unicorns." Ouch. "They're drama queens." Hey! Several ponies laughed, a few looked to me nervously, and I think I successfully managed to suppress a grin.

"I believe Colonel Range would shit a brick if Captain Firefly started dating anypony in Security, anyways." Dashie smirked, and most of my ponies laughed.

After a few moments, I cleared my throat and my team quieted down. "Thanks for that mental image, Lieutenant." More laughter. "Any actual questions?" There were none. "Go get dressed. Dismissed!" My troops rose and headed for the locker room. "I'd like to see Team Five." A groan, some small chuckles came from the ponies.

"The Door will open in fifteen minutes."

Silver and Striker stopped and I let the rest of the squad filter out before speaking. "Silver, you're to spend the next two weeks helping in the kitchen when other duties don't occupy your time." He smirked. Of course he was expecting this. "Striker, you're to watch Silver, but you're not required to help at all. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am." Silver and Striker did their weird salute with one wing.

"Let's get dressed." A quick trot across the main Security station brought us to the locker rooms and Armory where my team was mostly dressed. "Kit check, comms check." Everyone confirmed they were ready and we headed out through Security, down through the sea of Stable suits milling about in the Atrium and to the Door room airlock.

"The Door is opening now."

This week, the Overmare declined to attend the Door opening. I raised my hoof. "Ready weapons!" As one, my team loaded their weapons. I nodded to the maintenance pony at the console, and she pressed the button.

With a screeching, room shaking rumble, the Door slid out of its niche away from us and rolled aside. Hazard lights lit up the cave outside the Stable. I waved my hoof forward. "Security, forward!" I lead the way out of the Stable, taking a deep breath of foul wasteland air. Not so foul, I suppose. Or perhaps I'm just adjusting... isn't that a scary thought. My distracted thinking had taken me to the XM. Getting sloppy, not good.

"Hello, Captain." I turned to see two ponies in Stable 30 light barding standing off to the side.

"Nimble! Plat! You're alive." I nodded to Dashie and ducked to the side to let the rest of the team do their patrol.

Platinum Starlight nodded. "Yes, ma'am." The pale earth pony added some stuff to her kit, a metal plate bent around her chest and right shoulder held in place by some belts.

"I'm surprised how fun it was." Nimble Shine's cap had taken a hit. She had a break action over-under shotgun and a belt of shells slung across her chest. An interesting optic sat on atop. She looked like she'd lost some weight.

"Fun?" I raised an eyebrow.

Nimble grinned. "Live life a little, y'know? Get drunk, have a one-night stand, get shot at." I raised an eyebrow at her, and she shrugged. "Well, maybe not all at once." Something in her cheek twitched. "You know." Sure, why not.

I grinned back at them as they trotted past me. "Hey, did you blow up any more ghouls?"

Nimble shared a look with Plat, not quite sure how to respond to that. Plat snickered. "I think blowing up ghouls is more your thing, ma'am."

"I'd rather get laid than blow up ghouls, honestly." Nimble waved a hoof. "If you'll excuse us, ma'am, we could use a shower..."

"Yes, I know that feeling. Go get showered. Don't forget your operational reports." I smirked at them. "Welcome home, ponies."

#

Trotting through the XM, I noticed a frantic, familiar-looking mare, followed closely by a stallion. Where had I seen her before... yellow coat, pale blue and light green striped mane. She turned and saw me, and pointed me out to her companion, and both of them turned and started coming to me. Uh.

"Firefly to Security, might have a problem in the XM. All teams go to yellow alert." I glanced around.

"Copy. All teams to yellow alert."

The mare stepped past a couple of wastelanders and approached me. "You're one of the Security ponies that helped defend Haven from the ghouls last week, right?"

"That's correct, ma'am... what can I do for you?"

"I'm looking for your, um, friend?" Friend? "The earth pony with the red coat?" What could she be looking for Dashie for... "I'm pregnant." Oh. Oh!

"Ahhh. Hold please." I turned away. "Firefly to Security. Cancel the alert. I've got a wastelander looking for Lieutenant Dash." I turned back to her. "He's coming." I smiled to her, letting a hint of cheerful enthusiasm into my voice. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you!" She smiled brightly. "We've been trying to have a foal for months, but we've... not had any luck." I glanced to her companion; he looked happy.

Dashie trotted over to me, looking to the wastelanders curiously. "Sup, boss?"

I gestured to the mare. "She's pregnant."

"... Oh." Dashie blinked, looking to her and taking a step back, glancing to the stallion.

"Stable 30 has a policy of letting in families, right? Or pregnant mares?" The wastelander sounded hopeful. That was true, though I don't remember that happening any time recently.

"Ah!" Dashie nodded. "Come with me, I'll get the paperwork started."

Good, good. I watched the three of them trot off. "Cancel yellow alert." I turned and headed through the XM, spotting a pair of wasteland traders arguing. "What seems to be the problem, folks?"

One of them, a yellow earth pony mare with a severely cut pink and green mane, turned to me. "Who the fuck asked you, Stable pony?"

I glanced down to my weapons, then around the XM. "Sometimes, arguments turn violent. I think everypony would prefer if I headed off your problems, before they become my problems."

The other trader, a pale blue and dark green-striped zebracorn with a duotone red mane pulled back in a messy ponytail, nodded after a moment of studying me. Was he blue with green stripes, or green with blue stripes? Equestria may never know. "You have a valid point, Captain."

The other trader didn't seem to get it. "I don't care about that, who asked your fuckin' opinion?"

I turned to her, gripping my weapons with my magic and tilted my head so the name on my helmet was clearly visible. "The head of Stable 30 Security. That's who."

I watched her face change through several expressions rapidly, settling on uneasy not-quite-fear. And now she gets it. "... oh." Bingo. I released my weapons. "Um..." Shut up.

I glanced to the zebracorn, the reasonable one, and repeated myself. "What seems to be the problem, folks?"

He cleared his throat. "We were just disagreeing over the price of some items."

I suppressed a smirk. "I could call some Stable merchants to value the items, if you'd like?"

The zebracorn glared to the other trader, who mercifully stayed quiet. "I don't believe that will be necessary, Captain."

"Do you agree with him, ma'am?" I looked to the earth pony, who winced and nodded, glaring at her 'companion'. "Very well. I'll leave you to it, then." The Stable's presence appropriately established, I turned and trotted off, listening to the mare grumbling about Stable 30 poking their muzzle in places they have no right. Sure we do, it's our front yard.

The marketplace went smoothly for the rest of the morning. The Goddess alicorns traded for their water and left without any issues. The Steel Rangers didn't show up, and based on their previous appearances, weren't due for another month. Enamel commented that my troops had been attacked by Caramel, and they'd killed him. He didn't seem too concerned.

#

For a glorious half hour, I found myself free of time. My desk was clear, I had no pressing matters. What shall I do? Ahh, I wonder what Astral has found out about the alicorns... I yawned and dug out a bottle of healing potion, pouring out a shot. It hasn't been as effective recently. Perhaps I'm building up a tolerance to it? Concerning, maybe.

I rose to my hooves. "Dashie, I'll be in the Arcane Sciences wing."

"Right right, enjoy, boss." He waved a hoof in my general direction.

A short trot through the Atrium and Library brought me to the Arcane Sciences wing. "Hello, ma'am... um..." She paused, waving a hoof in my direction. "You're Sapphire Aurora's daughter, correct?"

"Name's Firefly."

"Ah, I understand that can't be enjoyable, being known as your..." She apparently picked up on my irritation and stopped talking. "Sorry, Firefly. What brings you here?"

"I'd like to talk to Chief Researcher Vision, if she's free?"

"Is she expecting you?" She glanced to M2000 on her desk.

"Not that I know of..." I smiled to her. "But then again, who knows what the Arcane Sciences ponies can do? Maybe seeing the future is something they do?"

The secretary stared at me for a long moment, before replying quietly. "I believe Researcher Vision is working on a time travel spell, actually."

I blinked. "You're kidding." She said nothing, but smiled mysteriously. "You're not kidding."

She shrugged. "I have no idea." She smiled teasingly. "Researcher Vision is very private with her research, but a time travel spell seems like something within her power. What was it you were here to see her about?"

"I asked her to do some research into the IMP project. I'd like to see what she's found out."

She nodded, then disappeared into one of the rooms, returning a minute later. "Researcher Vision will see you now, Captain Firefly."

I appreciated her use of my name and smiled as I trotted into Astral's office.

Astral Vision smiled to me. "Hello, Captain." She was a dark blue unicorn with a short, spikey mane comprised of two shades of pale blue, and was easily the most powerful unicorn in the Stable, a fact she took every possible opportunity to downplay. A tea set sat on her desk, in a space cleared of technically obsolete Pipbucks and several arcane-looking artifacts. One of them was an impossible-looking black gem.

Just looking at it made me uncomfortable. I pointed to it. "What's this?"

"I'm not entirely sure, I haven't gotten around to studying it yet. Some outsiders brought it in a couple of years ago and traded it for several items. All I've figured out is that it's infused with dark or possibly necromantic magics."

"Which is why you have it sitting on your desk, in plain view, for anypony with sticky hooves to steal." I waved a hoof towards it.

Astral blinked, looking at the gem. "... that's a good point." She carefully packed it away in a case like she was holding a bomb. "What brings you here, Captain?"

"Well duh, Astral! She's here about the alicorns." Her companion was a bright orangey yellow unicorn with a red mane in a carefully casually tied back style, two thick strands flowing down the sides of her face and the rest of it gathered in a high ponytail. "Right, Captain Firefly?" Her voice was annoyingly high pitched and she had a bit too much enthusiasm about, well, everything. Where had I seen her before...

Oh! "You're Pumpkin Blitz's partner, right?"

"Yep!" She bowed grandly. "Researcher Tawny Forge, at your service!" She sat back up, her ponytail flipping back over her head. "So, you were curious about the IMP Project, right?"

"That's correct."

"Well, the short version is..." Astral sipped from a steaming mug. "We haven't found anything, Captain. Nothing you probably don't know, that is." She paused, glancing to a M2500 with a vertical pink strip on the back. "Blessed by pegasi, unicorn and earth pony magics. The Princesses were all alicorns. Some older texts, written long before the Ministries, suggest that there were spells and rituals to turn normal ponies into alicorns, but Ministry Mare Sparkle's research had nothing to do with that, that we know of..." She glanced to Tawny. "Is there anything else, Tawny?"

Tawny shifted and began in a tone that crushed the assumptions most ponies - myself included - made about her being an obnoxious idiot and little more. "The alicorns of the Goddess's Unity, aren't natural alicorns." She sipped from her own chipped, steaming mug, levitating another M2500 over with a horizontal red strip across the back and looking through it. "From what I've pieced together, they are sterile. I don't know if that was an intentional part of the process, or simply kinks that hadn't been worked out when the bombs fell, or if it's even true." She glanced to me, tips of her mouth drooping into a frown. "Like Astral said, not a whole lot."

"So, is this just "we haven't found anything yet", or is this a case of, "we don't actually have anything"?"

The two eggheads shared a glance, and Tawny continued. "We don't know."

Astral spoke up, elaborating on Tawny's comments. "We don't know what we have. When the Stable was first supplied, they just sort of gave us... everything. So... we really don't know what we have here." She shrugged. "It could take another century to catalog everything we have here, and IMP hasn't been a very high priority up until now."

I nodded. "Understandable, understandable. No rush, but please, keep working on it?"

Tawny nodded brightly. "Of course, Captain!" She levitated out a third chipped mug and filled it with tea. "So, Firefly... come, sit with us." Her sly expression worried me as she offered me the tea, but I settled down and took the drink. "You don't happen to have any pressing matters for the next few minutes, do you?" Her intent expression made me wish I did...

"What do you want, Tawny?" I sipped the tea. Mmm, tasty. "What is this?"

"It's mint tea. Delicious, isn't it?" She immediately dropped the coy look and replaced it with a momentary pouty look as I called her out, before shifting back to a serious look. "What happened out there, Firefly?"

"Pardon?"

"Don't insult my intelligence, Captain." Huh? "Pumpkin has been upset since you came back, and she won't talk about it." She has? "What happened out there?" Crap, I haven't checked on her, have I? She paused for a moment, looking to me intensely. "And please don't tell me it's classified. My marefriend is hurt, and I'm not happy about that. Sooo... spill. Please?" She sipped her tea, giving me an intense smile look over the mug.

I glanced to Astral. She simply shrugged and refilled her tea. Okay then. "Have you ever killed anypony before?"

"Sorry, what?" Tawny fell silent and her bemused expression shifted to one of shock, blinking several times. "... Oh." Now she gets it. "... have you?"

...

"I don't know." Lying is wrong, Firefly. "I have to go." I set my tea down and left.

...

#

Tuesday
0820

I found myself in the briefing room, preparing a briefing for three teams that had volunteered for Exterior duty, but had limited (or no) experience outside the Door.

First up, Team One was Crescent Spark and Mineral Sands. Crescent was a few years younger than me, and had enlisted in Security when she was sixteen, just like I had. She hadn't done much to distinguish herself, but I think she'd been looking for an opportunity. She was a sharp-looking unicorn with an olive coat and a blue mane she kept in a trio of tails, a ponytail in the back and two tails along the side of her face. Mineral was officially a civilian volunteer like Cerulean, part of Stable Medical, but several ponies had vouched for her. She was a small, short brown earth pony with a green mane and tail she kept short and neat. Range had put her through basic training over the past few days, and she'd done reasonably well. Now, it's time to see if she's up for Security.

Team Two would be Ivory Charm and Cast Collage. Ivory had established herself as being lazy and not too motivated, but her name was top of the list of volunteers, so I'm not entirely sure what to think. Her partner, Cast, was ... quite honestly, I didn't trust him not to turn on me to save his own skin. His parents were part of the Morale department, and I have no clue why he's here. He's not an idiot, but it's just a... feeling. He'd signed up with Ivory, though. Hrm...

Team Three was Steady Trot and Quick Clip. They had very similar manes and coats, and it could be difficult to tell them apart at times to those unfamiliar with them. Their manes were alternating stripes of similar but different shades of blue and pink, with an olive coat. Steady's fell more into olive greenish, whereas Quick's was more of a brown. I don't know why they volunteered - they never showed any interest in leaving prior.

The six ponies filed into the briefing room around 0900, along with Dashie, Pumpkin, Nimble and Platinum, and settled down around the room.

"Thank you for volunteering for external duty. The six of you," I paused for a moment, looking to the new ponies, "are not yet ready to leave the Stable, but today's operation will give you a taste of what it's like Outside and see if you have the potential to be ready." I glanced to them as they shared a look. "You know Nimble and Platinum. They've spent the past week on caravan guard duty, so they're the Stable's Outside experts." I gestured to the two of them. "They will be the opposing force for this operation. The objective will be to take this..." I levitated the case up so they could see it. "From the opposing force."

Steady Trot raised a hoof. "Six on two, ma'am? That doesn't seem fair..."

Nimble snickered quietly as I answered. "Glad you asked that, Steady. No, combat is never fair. In fact... you want to make it as unfair for your opponents as you possibly can. You want your ponies to succeed, and the opfor to fail. That's combat." I paused, glancing to Nimble's smirk. "That said? I don't think this is going to be as easy as you think." The six of them turned to Nimble and Plat, noticed their confident looks, and shared an uneasy look.

"This operation will test your ability to plan missions on your own, work together and remain calm under pressure. We've erected an arena outside the Stable for you." I turned to the board behind me, projecting a map of the area. "This is the arena." I turned to the board, and an trophy appeared in the center. "This is where the objective will be located..." I glanced down to my Pipbuck. "You have thirty minutes to plan the operation, starting... Now." I stepped to the side, letting the six of them to the map.

Crescent and Ivory reacted first, trotting over to the map and studying it. Good, good. The rest of the team filed over, Cast and Mineral trailing behind a hoofstep. Mineral had the excuse of being a civilian, but Cast was... intentionally hesitant.

Over the next hour and a half, Pumpkin and I watched the eight ponies skirmish. Crescent and Mineral worked well together. Crescent had potential for command - she was sharp, could think on her hooves and was cool in stressful situations, even if her combat skills needed some work. Mineral lacked skill, but she could follow directions well. This team is pretty good... I need to pay attention to these two.

Ivory and Cast were a bit of a bit of a problem - Ivory was skilled, but she tended to prefer to work solo. Cast stuck with Ivory closely and refused to do anything that left him on his own. Ivory needs work, but has potential. Cast should be relegated to non-combat roles that keep him out of personal danger.

Steady Trot and Quick Clip weren't that bad, but they needed work still. They were a good pair and worked together well, but they panicked quickly when things got intense. They need a lot of work, but they might have potential.

Platinum and Nimble were excellent fighters, even in close quarters, the opposite of their specialty of designated marksponies. I wonder what went on during the caravan run...

The blufor eventually won, numbers over skill. They could have done so much faster if Cast had simply followed orders and stayed down when told to rather than throwing himself into the redfor to keep them from following Ivory. Sweet, but stupid. That's the sort of decision that would fail a mission and get everypony killed...

The redfor's mistake was that they'd moved to chase the blufor instead of defending. That had been a plan devised by Crescent, and it had worked.

"And... done! Blufor wins." I trotted over to the ledge where the objective had been. "Good job, everypony." I leaned over the railing, which creaked precariously, and I took a step back away from it. "Quick thinking there, Crescent. Well done, Ivory." I glanced to Ivory, holding up the objective with a pleased grin. "Debriefing time." I glanced down to my Pipbuck. "Ah! If you'll excuse me, something came up. Pumpkin will be leading the debriefing." I looked to Pumpkin, and she saluted.

#

Range had left me a message, informing me that another meeting would be at 1000. I entered Conference Room Two at 1003. The seven ponies of the Leading Council sat arrayed along one side of the table. Councilor Hex frowned and looked to her Pipbuck in disapproval. The Overmare smiled to me from the head of the table. Range gave me an uncharacteristically worried look. Oh, good. Amber glanced from his Pipbuck, to me, to Councilor Rose. Hrm... this looks familiar.

"Captain Firefly. So nice of you to join us." Range rolled her eyes while Councilor Rose was focused on me. "We are discussing the safety of the entire Stable, and you're unable to even make the effort to arrive on time?"

Lovely way to start the meeting. "Training the Stable's defenders is a little more important than arriving on time for a meeting, Councilor." I trotted over to my seat between Range and Amber.

Range cleared her throat quietly, and all eyes turned to her. "So, Councilor, could you remind us of why summoned us here?"

Councilor Rose looked to me, ignoring Range. "The Council has reviewed your operational reports, and we have a few... reservations."

Huh? "I was under the impression we had unanimously agreed that Operation Baltimare was necessary during our last meeting?"

Councilor Rose gave me a feral smile that for some reason, made me shiver. "Not the mission, Captain. The pony leading the mission."

"I'm sorry, what?" The hell?

Councilor Hex spoke up, glancing down to her Pipbuck for a merest moment. "Could you explain the series of decisions that lead to entering the sewers and encountering the, ah, 'cannibal pseudo-ferals', as Doctor Mend put it." I don't like how she said Cerulean's name....

"Trooper Blitz, the team's scout, suggested it. At that time, there was no intel to suggest that the sewers would be occupied. It seemed to be the most reasonable plan at the time." Idiot.

"Mmm." Councilor Hex narrowed her eyes at me, letting out a skeptical sound. "What about the battle at the Stadium? Can you justify hiding while sending Team Two out to kill your attackers?"

One of the few things that went as expected last week. "That's basic infantry tactics, Councilor. Team One drew their fire so that Team Two could flank and ambush the attackers, as they did successfully." Coward.

"Ah, very well, Captain." I levitated a glass of water over. "Would you like to explain what happened at the Crimson Raiders main base?"

"Which part are you referring to, specifically?" I don't like where this is going....

"Well, Doctor Mend's report... mentioned that you, and I quote..." Councilor Hex looked to her Pipbuck. "Killed two of Crimson's guards while escaping from his presence. Is that true?"

"We were being held at gunpoint." Liar. "I felt that the use of deadly force was justified." Murderer.

"Lieutenant Dash's report states that you and Crimson were in the middle of a..." She paused momentarily as she scrolled through her Pipbuck. "'cordial, yet somewhat terse conversation, when you sucker bucked him in the face'."

As Councilor Hex droned on, I imagined drawing my IF-21, flicking the safety off and triggering SATS, firing three rounds into her pretty, manicured face, one each into her eyes, and then a third, right where her horn would meet her head, if she were a unicorn.

...

I can't do that. I glanced down momentarily. I don't have my pistol. Range wouldn't approve. Nor would Dashie. "Captain?" That would be wrong, anyways.

Ah, this is where I respond, isn't it. "Given the circumstances, I felt that our mission required us to get away from Crimson. As I mentioned earlier, they were holding us at gunpoint."

Councilor Sheets raised a hoof. "Question, Captain - you felt that abandoning half of your team to continue the mission was an acceptable solution?"

Fuck off, civie. "There are times where hard decisions must be made, Councilor."

"Mhmmm." I didn't like Councilor Rose's expression of smug satisfaction as she glanced to the rest of the Council. They nodded or otherwise agreed with her, and she continued. "The Council has some reservations about your capabilities." Yes, you said that earlier. "As such, we recommend that Captain Firefly be suspended until a psychiatric evaluation states she is fit for duty." No. Councilor Rose looked to Overmare Keeper, who had a thoughtful expression.

After a long moment of deliberation, she looked to me. "What do you have to say in your defense, Captain?"

Hrm. "Relieving me of duty does leave the Stable without a field commander."

"There is Colonel Range, of course." Councilor Hex spoke up. "I believe the Colonel has performed that job previously." She glanced to Range with a look bordering on smugness.

Range narrowed her eyes. "Forcing me to manage both positions' duties would put an undue burden on me personally and Security as a whole."

Councilor Sheets looked up from her Pipbuck. "In that case, would it be possible for Lieutenant Dash to cover for Captain Firefly?"

On one hoof, tell the Council no and suggest that Dashie is incompetent. On the other hoof, tell the Council yes and suggest that Dashie can replace me. Ugh... "I don't feel Lieutenant Dash is up for taking on the full responsibilities of the Chief of Field Operations." I sipped my water. "However, in the short term, he should be capable of performing my duties..."

The Overmare nodded slowly. "I'm afraid I must agree that the Council's argument is convincing." No... "As such, I have to second the Council's motion." No! "Meeting adjourned." The Council rose to their hooves and left, some smirking, some sympathetic. I ignored them, sipping my water.

"Firefly?" I glanced to Range as she spoke to me, concern etched across her scarred features. "You okay?"

I smiled. "I'll be fine, Range." I rose to my hooves and stretched. "If you'll excuse me..." I trotted out of the room.

#

I've lost it.

I've lost my job. I was halfway to Security when I started sweating. My life is over. Did it get cold in here or something? I looked at the floor. Suddenly my stomach flipped itself over. Oh crap. I think I'm gonna throw up...

I ducked into an empty room and found myself on the floor. Can't breathe... I curled up on my side. Shit. I lost my job. It's gone. I think I whimpered. I've lost my job, my life is over.

I pressed my hooves against my chest, trying to slow my heart, but... my vision turned blurry, and after a moment, I realized I was crying. I can't help the wasteland anymore.

I don't know how long I laid there. Eventually I was able to... think. Kind of, I think? I got up and started moving, just... anywhere.

#

I don't even know how long it was, but eventually I found myself in a toilet, staring at myself in the mirror. What just happened. I just got fired!

No! I didn't get fired. I just got suspended.

I just need to talk to the shrink and prove I'm sane. How hard could that be?

...

Fuck. Today has just been hell.

No, this morning went pretty well.

The lights flickered, and I glanced up. Wait. Did I just imagine that? They flickered again. Oh. I did not.

Huh. That's unusual... I wonder.

The lights flickered a third time, and then normalized. Well then. Somepony entered the toilets, and I nodded to her. "Excuse me, miss...." I rose to my hooves and trotted out.

#

A couple of questions directed me to the apple orchards, where most of the food for the Stable was grown, and I found my prey with his head bowed by the memorial of Captain Amaranth Thunder, my prewar ancestor.

"Hello, Firefly. What can I do for you?" Cyclone rose to his hooves as I trotted next to him.

I bowed to the memorial, spending a moment in silence before I looked to Cyclone. "How has your stay at Stable 30 been?"

He took a long moment to answer. "It has been... interesting. Your Medical and Arcane Sciences ponies haven't stopped poking me, trying to figure out how I'm still alive. I'd like an answer for that, too, but they're not telling me anything I don't already know. Your Security ponies have either spent their time bowing and scraping to me, or expecting me to rip their throats out. Zebras who don't shun me on sight is a pleasant twist, though." He stretched, groaning. "Like I said, it's been interesting." He turned to me.

"Tell me what he was like." I nodded to the sign marking where my ancestor was buried. "Amaranth, I mean." I groaned and laid down. Maybe this will be a good way to relax after... that.

He frowned for a moment, looking back, then grinned. "Have you ever heard of Wingboner Magazine?"

... I don't know if I like where this is going. "Yes."

"Before the war, he was a model."

"A... model? For Wingboner Magazine?"

"Yes."

"By which you mean he was a porn star, right?"

"Yeah, he did gay for pay. More of a side hobby than anything, really. Mostly he preferred clothing. He did some work with the head of the Ministry of Image, before..." He sighed, a mournful look crossing his face as he laid down. "Everything."

"So I'm the great-great granddaughter of a porn star?" I rolled over onto my back and snickered, rubbing my back against the grass. Wow.

"Don't make such a big deal of it, it was just a job for him." He rolled over onto his back, glancing to me. "You know, your Stable reminds me of what it was like back then, in some ways." I glanced over to him. "And in some cases, it's nothing like it." He gestured to the ceiling. "Children of the sky, living under steel and concrete? It's just... wrong. Blasphemous."

"That does make sense, I suppose." I yawned. "I have had one hell of a day..." I glanced to my Pipbuck. "And it's not even midday."

"You wanna talk about it?" Cyclone glanced over.

Maybe. "Thank you for the offer..." I probably should... "I'll pass, though."

"You'll probably feel better if you talk to someone about it. It's not healthy hiding those emotions, you know."

"That's probably true. Well!" I crawled to my hooves. "I should go. Got work to do, you know." I heard Cyclone sigh as I trotted off.

#

The next six hours consisted of work I really should have made Dashie or someone else do. Yet I needed something to keep my mind off of.. It. Eventually I realized I had nothing left to do, trotted out to the cafe and sprawled out in my corner seat. It was a couple of hours before most ponies on the day cycle ate their late meal, so the cafe was empty.

"Hiya, 'Fly." Aura Cinnamon approached my table. Aura was my ex coltfriend, a cute brown earth pony with a beige and yellow-orange striped mane. Nice colt, cute flanks. Socially awkward. Kind of counter-productive for a food server, I guess, but whatever.

"Hi, Aura." I smiled to him.

"I recognize that look." He frowned, looking to me with concern. "You don't look so good."

I glared at him. "Gee, thanks." Asshole.

"I, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. It's you just..." He paused. "... You've looked hotter?"

I groaned. "How are you?"

He smiled nervously and settled down next to me. "I'd offer to help you with that stress, but, um..." He took on an apologetic look. "I broke up with you, so..." You didn't break up with me, we agreed it wouldn't work out!

"I thought we'd agreed to just forget that ever happened." Why did I ever date this guy, he's so fucking awkward.

He winced. "Kind of hard to forget your, um, first..." Yep, awkward in conversation, awkward in bed.

I covered my ears, resting my head on the table. "This is not a discussion I'm having right now! We dated, we fucked, we decided we weren't right for each other, please drop it." He is cute, though. That's probably why I dated him.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Simply remembering that awkward night made me aroused. "I didn't mean it like that..."

Argh! I bolted up as he hopelessly babbled on. I stuffed one hoof in his mouth, wrapped my other around his neck and leaned over to hiss in his ear. "Would you kindly, please shut the fuck up!"

He shut up - good - and stared at me in shock, mouth open. Even better! "Are, um..." He looked to me in concern. "Are you feeling okay, 'Fly?"

Am I okay?! Of cour- I stopped mid-thought. I just snapped at him and told him to shut the fuck up, and his only thought is concern about me? Celestia damn it.

He leaned over to rest a hoof against my shoulder. "One of 'those' days, huh?" Oh. This is probably why I dated him...

I took a deep breath to calm myself. "I... am sorry. I shouldn't have barked at you like that." I closed my eyes, took another deep breath, opened my eyes and gave him a friendly smile. "Let's have a drink, to being single? For old times sake?" I levitated out some bits and laid them out on the table in front of him.

"That sounds great." He grinned and trotted off with my bits, returning with a pair of Sparkle-Colas.

I smirked and used my magic to open and cool the drinks. "Enjoy." I neatly tucked both caps away.

"Hey, that's my line." He snickered as he took his. "To being single?" He held his bottle up.

I spent a moment enjoying the smell of the delicious, carroty drink before I gently clinked my bottle against his. "To being single!"

#

I trotted into the Security station, passing Cerulean exiting Hot Range's office. He smirked in my direction and held up a bottle of cider. I nodded to him and stepped inside.

"... Celestia damn it, Mend." Range was leaning back in her chair, a half empty Sparkle-Cola bottle held in her magic.

I smirked. "... drinking on duty, Colo-?"

"Don't even." She sat up and cut me off with a glare. "Tell me the shrink says you're cleared for duty."

Uh. "No, ma'am."

She sighed. "Please tell me the shrink has not said you're batshit crazy."

Well, she hasn't... "I... have not seen the shrink yet."

"Then what the hell are you doing here?"

"I was... wondering about my parents."

"Oh. Alright then." Range finished her bottle and set it aside. "Sure, why not. Have a seat." She leaned back and levitated out another bottle and a pair of tumblers. "You drink?"

Huh? "No, not usually, ma'am." I settled down on the chair opposite her.

"Oh please, Fi, drop the titles. Right now, we're friends, not colleagues." She popped the top off of the bottle and poured us drinks. "Today's not a normal day." She set one in front of me. "Have a drink, you deserve it." As she set my drink down, she pulled an IF-21 magazine towards herself protectively, glanced to her glass and set the magazine back where it had been sitting. What was that all about? "So! What do you want to know about your parents?"

"Why did my mother marry ..." I paused. What should I call him? Father? Captain Nimbus? No. "... Crimson?"

"Right to the point, huh?" Range groaned. "That is a question I have spent a long time thinking about. And you know what?" She threw her hooves in the air. "I still have no fucking clue! He told her he didn't love her, before they married."

"He, what...?" I sipped my drink. Hrm... It was sweet and burned as it went down, but not offensively sweet. Overall, acceptable. Something I might see myself perhaps even enjoying in the future. "What is this?" I looked over to the bottle.

"Yeah... My thoughts exactly." Range held the bottle up and glanced to it. "Captain Lyra's Spiced Rum." I could have read the damn label myself, Range. "Mmmm..." She sipped her drink, eyes closed, head bobbing from side to side gently to music only she could hear for a long moment. "Pretty sure it's a post-war bottle. It's rum, so it's not bad, but it's not two hundred year old rum." She groaned again as she leaned back. "One of the few good things to come out of opening the Door." Huh?

Range shrugged and set the bottle aside. "So! Back to your question." She leaned forward and glanced back to me. "I told Saph not to marry him. Mend told her not to. Fuckin' Crimson told her not to do it, in his indirect, silver tongued way. Aimpoint would have told her not to, if she'd still been around. And Saph went through with it anyways."

"But... why? Why would she marry someone who admits he doesn't love her?"

"Your mother..." She stopped mid-sentence with a frown. "Your mother is a great mare." I declined to comment, but I think my expression said everything I would have said anyways. "Look, I know you're pissed at her, but..." She stopped, a frown creasing her brows, before starting again. "She was a great mare. She's my best friend, but..." She sighed. "She's not really a... strong willed mare. She's been going through some hard times."

"Twenty five years of hard times?" I realized I was furious, and closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. Calm, Firefly. Calm.

"Her twin brother and husband," she paused for a merest moment at that, "left the Stable to neutralize a raider group and never returned. She... loved both of them deeply." Range paused and I opened my eyes, several expressions crossing her face before settling on tired sadness as her shoulders slumped. "And then Overmare Lily convinced her that alcohol was the solution." She sipped her drink, waving a hoof. "It can't be conclusively proven, of course. Even attempting to do so would be a waste of time. Mend, Overmare Keeper, myself, all of us have tried to help her."

"Obviously, you haven't done a very good job of it."

"Come on, Fi." She frowned at me. "You can't help somepony who doesn't want to be helped."

"I suppose that's true..." I sighed. "I'm getting the feeling that Overmare Lily... wasn't a nice pony." Captain Obvious strikes again.

"No." Range's cool blue eyes hardened and took on a distant look. "She wasn't."

"She tricked... Crimson... into killing his partner, didn't she?" I finished my first drink.

Range winced. "Celestia damn it, Mend." She refilled my drink. "Nope!"

Huh? "But Cerulean said..."

Range cut me off with a smirk. "Oh no, that twisted little bitch totally manipulated Crimson into killing Aimpoint." She leaned forward and shook her head. "But, nope, we are not discussing that tonight! Ask me some other day, maybe."

"That bad?"

"Fi, the Overmare willfully manipulated two Security ponies into killing each other, and almost succeeded in killing your father." Range sipped her drink as she leaned back. "Think about that for a minute."

"Oh. ... Yeah...."

She let out an immense belch. "Some secrets should stay secrets." She wiped her chin on her hoof.

"Classy, Range. Very classy." I smirked at her as I sipped my drink.

Rather than glaring at me or chuckling, like I expected, she leaned forward and set her drink down, staring at me with a thoughtful look, head cocked slightly.

"Sup, boss?" I looked to her curiously. Should I be worried?

"... You are Crimson's daughter." She picked her drink back up and leaned back.

Huh? "Yes?"

"Just being reminded that you are Crimson's kid, that's all. Same mannerisms, same irritatingly smug tone. Same obnoxious smirk."

"Unusually big words for you, Range." She glowered at my grin. "... I don't know if that was a compliment or not."

"Hey!" I jumped at her sudden bark. "You're a junior officer again, so I could charge you with insubordination for that."

"Aww, you wouldn't do that to your little filly..." I grinned at her, tilting my head cutely.

"Don't do that." Range frowned at me. "You know I don't like kids. Raising you was a favor for Saph, nothing more."

"Oh come on, I'm not a kid anymore! I'm twenty five. That's like, ancient!"

"No, you're not a kid anymore." She snickered and sipped her drink. "This is why I like you."

"Aw, mare, that's just cold." I grinned and sipped my drink. "Soo... tell me about Aimpoint. What was she like?" If I ask Range about her, perhaps how she died will come up again...

Range grinned fondly as she glanced to the ceiling. "Aimpoint was... you'd like her. She was the ringleader of our gang, and she was a lot like you... clever, sarcastic, forward-thinking. Your mother was the hot, classy one. I was the muscle. Azure was the invisible one. Crimson..." She sighed. "Crimson was... Shit, what was Crimson?" She glanced back down to the bottle sitting on her desk. "Crimson was the lovestruck idiot, before Aimpoint's death. Charming bastard, but not that ambitious." She grinned happily. "Together, we could take on anything and emerge unscathed." She fell silent, chewing on her lip. "I think that might have been what Aimpoint was planning... It was her idea to help the wasteland, not Crimson's. When she died, he took up her cause."

"Wow..." I sipped my drink. "So... what happened between you and Crimson?" I, too, like to live dangerously. "You get so... tense, when he comes up in conversation."

An expression of pain crossed her muzzle, replaced immediately by cold rage. Oops. Already committed. "He... tried to coerce me to have sex with him, a couple of weeks after you were born."

"Oh..."

"He... we were drunk." She paused, emotions crossing her face rapidly. "I... never talked to him again." Her quiet fury mellowed to an idle anger, and she sipped her drink again. "I was hoping he'd really died when he left the Stable. He dies a hero. I never have to see him again. Everypony wins." She ran her hoof along the rim of her not-quite empty glass.

We sat there in silence for a minute or two before Range continued. "You know, I thought about it."

"What?" Huh? "It?"

"Fucking your father." I blinked. Um... ew. "Yeah. I know."

"That would explain your strict adherence to policy 47c?" She nodded distractedly, refilling her drink. "In my defense, Range, we kind of... stumbled into Crimson's territory, instead of tracking him down."

She nodded tightly. "Mend's report said as much." She considered, sipping her drink. "Not that really mattered, you're fuckin' tenacious when you set your mind to something." She tossed the bottle's cap onto her desk. "Plus, if he's as big of a player as we think, you would have crossed paths with him anyways."

I nodded. Wait, was that a compliment or not? I decided to let it slip unacknowledged. "You didn't mention Cerulean when you talked about your old friends." I sipped my drink. "Weren't you and Cerulean friends?"

She closed her eyes again, a confused look crossing her face. "We... hung out together. Actually..." She shook her head seriously. "No. We weren't friends."

"Oh. Poor Cerulean..." I frowned sympathetically.

"Not really." I glanced to Range at her deadpan continuation. "Surely you've noticed this, but Mend is a huge asshole."

"Huh, I hadn't noticed." I rubbed my cheek where he'd bucked me as Range continued, snickering. "I dunno, he wasn't that bad..." Yes he was.

"Friendly words for the stallion who advised the Council on your 'medical leave'."

"That backstabbing motherfucker!" Arrggghhhh!

"Yes..." Range paused, a slow, evil smirk crossing her face. "Now that you mention it, I do believe Mend and Saph did fuck a couple of times."

... "Tirek with a tire iron, Range! Ew! My mother's sex life is one of those things that 'anything I know about it' is 'way too much'!" I considered that for a moment longer than I really wanted to - approximately one and a half moments - then finished my drink with a shiver.

"Honestly?" Range grinned to me. "Mend's report was a lot less damning than Dash's." Her grin faded to an amused smirk. "We hung out together, but nopony really liked him." She leaned back and sipped her drink. "He was an obnoxious know-it-all with an overblown ego and a thing for Saph. Brilliant, but fucking obnoxious." She paused, chuckling. "Heh. I'm comparing Crimson in a positive light to Mend. See what I mean?" She paused as she thought back. "Aimpoint liked him, though, and we respected Aimpoint, so we tolerated him." She leaned forward again. "Maybe I should be nicer to him. Somepony should, after all..." Range fell silent again, refilling her glass. "So, how's your uncle?"

Huh? Oh. Ohhhh. "Azure?" She nodded. I considered for a long moment, before simply shrugging. "I dunno. We didn't really get a chance to chat." I paused. "You know, before I bucked Crimson and ran off." I winced. "He's still alive, so I guess there's that."

"Heh." Range grinned. "Yeah. Your father has that effect on ponies." She sighed. "It's a shame you never got to meet him, back before... all of that." Her grin returned. "Saph and Azure were inseparable as kids, caused all kinds of chaos. Everypony paid attention to Saph, and Azure hid in the background, watching everything. Sneaky bastard liked it that way, I think."

"Wow..." I may have wobbled a little as I set my second drink down.

Range looked to me closely, before grunting and levitated out a flask. "Here, drink this."

"... What is it?" I looked into the flask skeptically, swirling it around. Yep, it's full. But of what...

"It's water, you idiot."

I took a sip. Hey, what do you know. It is water!

"You've never gone drinking before, have you?" I nodded. "Right. You're drunk. Drink that." She gestured to the flask. "Go back to your quarters and go to sleep. Do not go anywhere else. Do not talk to anypony else. Tell Saph I said hi."

I giggled. "Sure thing ma'am..." When did I start giggling?

Range groaned and went to her Pipbuck. "Colonel Range to Security, I need a team in my office to escort an intoxicated civilian back to her quarters."

"Boo, you spoilsport..." I stuck my tongue out at her.

A few minutes later, two ponies entered Range's office and saluted. Oh, it was Silver and Striker. Hi ponies!

"Good, you're here." Range looked to me. "Escort her back to her quarters. Keep it low key." They nodded and turned, letting me lead. Uh huh. "Go get some sleep, Firefly."

Oh, well, if you insist... I sighed loudly and trotted out of Security, head high. Okay, so I may have staggered a little, but you know, unicorns aren't known for their agility, right?

"So... Captain?" I noted a hint of uncertain interrogative slipped into Striker's voice as he addressed me. "You're a civilian now?"

"It's only temporary!" I waved a hoof, grinning at them.

They shared a look. "Temporary?"

"Long story. Council doesn't like me so they took away my stripes." I grinned. "Like I said, temporary!" We passed a toilet and I stopped. "Hey, I gotta use the filly's room, you don't mind, right, colts?"

They stopped, turned and came back to me. "Colonel Range was very specific about taking you back to your quarters..."

"Well, I gotta pee, and I really don't want to pee in my quarters. You don't want to make Maintenance's job harder, right?" I let out a small whimper for added effect.

"Okay, okay, fine..." They shared another look.

I giggled - when did I start giggling, again? - and went into the toilet. Toilets... toilets are great. ... Wow. I'm babbling about toilets. How drunk AM I? I only had... two? two drinks. Okay, so I'm... not a heavy drinker. No more than two drinks in an hour. I'm not my mother.

...

Huh. I'm not my mother. I slumped against the sink, looking at my reflection in the mirror. "So what the hell am I?" A drunk unicorn mare, talking to herself in a toilet. Red coat. Blue mane, boring ponytail. Standard Security barding. She stared back at me, mirroring my every move. "Ugh!" I pulled the ties out of my hair and shook it out. Hey, I kind like it long and loose. I grinned, running my magic through my mane a few times. Maybe I should be a mane stylist. I could have lived a boring, safe, productive life as a mane stylist!

...

"Nah! Couldn't save the wasteland as a mane stylist!" I grinned at my reflection - she grinned back with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes - as I finished with my mane, pulling it into a loose ponytail that flowed around the sides of my face and ears. There we go.

Hrm...

I glanced down at my barding. Boring Stable Security underarmor barding. "Fuck it. Already committed!" I unzipped my barding, stepped out of it and poked my head outside of the toilets.

Silver and Striker were arguing. "Unicorns are drama queens."

"Yeah, but they're hot. Seriously, tell me you wouldn't rut Book Keeper if she wanted it."

"But they're massive drama queens." Striker paused, considering that. "Okay, okay, no strings attached? I might. She's got some nice flanks. But a relationship? No friggin' way." Classy conversation, colts.

My escorts suitably distracted, I trotted down the hall the way we'd come, taking the first corner. Ha ha, that was a lot easier than I'd expected. Concerning. I'll have to deal with that later. Now... where to. I glanced at my Pipbuck, browsing through events. Surely there had to be something going on... Hey, there's a club down in the maintenance level. Perfect!

I caught a few glances as I trotted through the Stable. I think somepony may have even recognized me! Wow, this feels great. Nudity wasn't illegal, it was just... uncommon. Not many ponies walked around outside of their Stable suits. Between my Security barding, the regular Stable suit and my birthday suit? I gotta admit I enjoyed my birthday suit more than the regular Stable suit. I should do this more often.

As I made it to the door, some part of my mind asked me if this was a good idea. Is it a good idea? Nope! I trotted through the door. Is it too late to back out? Yep!

Oh yeah, I'd been here once. Security patrol. Soo... here I am. Fun place. I stepped off to the side, by the door, watching the room. Nopony recognized me, or if they did, nopony showed it. Huh.

...

That's it. That's the secret of life. Nopony gives a fuck. "Uh, miss? Are you okay?" A colt looked to me with a concerned look. I guess I'd been staring too long. "You sure you're old enough to be here?" Huh? That's... a compliment. I think?

I flashed him a brilliant smile. "I am absolutely... fucking... wonderful! You wanna dance?" He looked to me, confused, and I grabbed his hoof, pulling him onto the dance floor. "For your information, I am twenty five!"

That's the secret to life. Nopony gives a fuck!

#

Acting Captain Rapid Dash

Tuesday
2005

Bang!

What was that? I hurried for the quarters it had come from and barged through the door. It's Firefly's quarters.

"What the HELL is going on here?" Firefly was backed against the wall, her mother advancing on her. A shelf was knocked over, an assortment of dusty bottles scattered across the floor.

"Oh, um, nothing." Firefly grinned. Her 'I'm a bad liar' grin. "Nothin' at all." I smelled alcohol, though I couldn't identify it. It didn't smell like the cider Mrs. Aurora normally drank. If anything, it reminded me of Colonel Range.

I narrowed my eyes at her, then turned to the other mare in the room. "Ma'am?" Mrs. Aurora looked to be on the verge of crying.

She suddenly burst into tears. "I'm sorry!" Huh? Oh. She's looking at Firefly, who had an... expression. I recognized that expression. She was looking for an exit. I glared at her and shook my head sternly. No. You don't get to run from this. Her mother continued apologizing before dissolving into wet sobs.

"You stay there." I glared at Firefly again. "Don't fucking move."

She winced and curled up on the floor. "Yes, sir..." When did she start calling ponies 'sir'?

I could get used to that... "Dash to Security."

"Sir?" The dispatcher responded quickly.

"I have a domestic dispute in living quarters Three Alpha, room five. Scene is safe."

"Sending you backup now, sir. ETA, three minutes."

Colonel Range broke in before I could acknowledge. "Firefly?"

"Yes ma'am. She seems to have gotten into an... altercation.. with her mother."

"I told her to go to her quarters."

"Ma'am?"

"Nothing." Colonel Range spoke curtly. "Keep her there. I'm coming down." Oh Fi, what did you do.

"Yes, ma'am." I turned my attention to Firefly. "Colonel Range is coming." She whimpered and rose to her hooves, a wince crossing her face as she looked down at her side. "You okay?" She nodded shortly and I sat down by the door, watching the two.

A few minutes later, Colonel Range stormed inside, barely through the door before she was bellowing. "WHAT DID I TELL YOU TO DO, FIREFLY." I rose to my hooves and stepped away from the door, canceling the salute I'd started into.

Firefly looked away, mumbling into the floor. "Go back to my quarters and tell my mother you said hi."

"And what did you do?" Oh, Firefly...

"I... took a... long detour back to my quarters." Nice try. She stopped speaking for a moment, before her voice spiked in pitch and volume. "AND THAT'S WHERE EVERYTHING WENT WRONG! I talked to my mother, like you asked me to. And then she attacked me!" Colonel Range looked to Firefly, then to Mrs. Aurora for a long moment, curled up on the floor, still sobbing.

Colonel Range looked to Mrs. Aurora. "Why did she attack you, Firefly?" Her expression softened and she trotted over to Firefly's mother, nuzzling her gently.

"I, um..." Colonel Range frowned as Firefly spoke. "I suggested you were a better mother than she was?" Colonel Range groaned. I had to agree with her assessment... "I just had some fun, anyways. Nopony got hurt, what's wrong with that?"

"You're right..." Colonel Range trailed off. "Holy shit." What? "What happened, and when did I get old and responsible and boring?" What in...?

I just stared at the absurdity of the scene. Three mature, responsible unicorn mares, freaking out. Two of these mares, plus the Overmare, are all that's between me and being in control of the entire Stable... the things I do for love.

Silver and Striker entered her quarters and stopped in the doorway. "There was a, um, domestic dispute here, sir?"

I looked to them, smirking lightly and speaking slowly. "Let me guess - you're looking for Firefly. Right?" Striker nodded. "No, I don't know what's going on here."

Silver glanced around. "Okay, Striker, you win. Unicorns are drama queens." I simply shook my head in disgust.

#

Security Officer Firefly

Wednesday Morning

I awoke to the sound of grunting. I realized I was lying down, tied to a bed, legs spread. Huh? And then I realized I was being ... pounded from behind by someone. I'm tied to a bed, and having sex with someone.

I looked around, and saw Range. I felt my cheeks heat up. "Uh... Hi, Range?" She simply smirked at me slyly. The pony beside her drew my eye. My mother. Former Colonel Sapphire Aurora. "Um, hello, Mother..." She just smirked at me, too. One of those infuriating smirks that suggested she knew something I didn't. Pumpkin and Cerulean flanked Range, both smirking.

The pony beside my mother was an indigo unicorn, with a purple mane, with a braided blue streak. The raider from the zebra settlement. "I killed you..."

"Or did you?" She chuckled. "Apparently not." A large unicorn in a hoofball helmet stood behind her. Their companions stood behind them, all with that Celestia damned smirk.

Beside them, stood a group of ponies, a unicorn mare brandishing a damaged sniper rifle, dressed in barding that looked like it had been made of... clipboards? What? Behind her sat an earth pony with one leg. A M3000 rested on his one leg, and a Stable helmet sat on his head. He laughed, and the bandages on his midsection stained red.

Range grimaced, and a line of blood trailed its way down from under her mane between her cold blue eyes, full of rage, directed at me. This is all your fault.

Pumpkin soundlessly whimpered and disintegrated into glowing pink dust as she stared at me with her big, purple eyes. Why, Captain, why? Why would you do this?

Cerulean glared at me as he collapsed, blood oozing from his ears, eyes, nose and mouth, eyes yellowed, patches of his coat falling out. You and your Sombra-damned father...

"This is the fate these ponies will suffer if what you are trying fails."

My attention was drawn back to myself as the pony atop me bit into my mane and groaned, a long, low, pleasured sound. I think I whimpered in response. I felt him throbbing inside me, filling me with warmth, making me sick to my stomach and flooding me with pleasure everywhere else. I closed my eyes and the sound of my heartbeat drowned out everything but the feeling of sweat trailing down my flanks and between my hind legs...

"Oh, Firefly..." Dashie nuzzled his cheek against mine.

...

!!!

I screamed.

And suddenly, I was falling....

Author's Note

Oh... my.

So, it's been four months since anything new for StSc has been posted, and almost six since a new chapter went live.

But StSc is not dead!

Originally chapter 9 was supposed to be one big Stable chapter, but some reflection lead to me realizing, "shit, this is way too big", so I split into 9 and 10. That said, the first draft of 10 is complete. It just needs editing and it's good to go - plans are for it to be posted by Bcon 2016 Baltimore.

So. Enjoy.

Chapter 10 - Back Home, Part 1-2

Fallout Equestria: Stable Scout
Chapter 10
Back Home, Part 1-2

Security Officer Firefly

Wednesday
0758

... I came to as I fell off my bed.

Shit!

That nightmare... I glanced at my Pipbuck. Huh. The alarm didn't go off? It is way too early for me. Or is it? I flailed my way over onto my side. Blood dripped down my sinuses and out of my nose.

...

I crawled to my hooves.

...and that's when my alarm decided to go off. Why!? I glared at my Pipbuck until it shut off, and then I realized....

"I can shut it off with my magic."

So I did.

So this must be what it's like to forget your magic.

...

Wait. Did last night actually happen? Or was that just a messed up dream? I crawled over to the door and poked my head out of my room, to see the familiar sight of Dashie comfortably sprawled out on the couch and... a shelf knocked over.

...

Dusty bottles, spread across the floor. Knocked over shelf. Shit. Last night really happened. Fuck me sideways.

I wiped some of the blood dripping out of my nose on my fetlock and slipped out of my room for the door to the hallway.

Halfway there, I kicked something, and it went clattering across the floor loudly.

Dashie, sprawled out on the couch, a mere few hooves’ length from me, snorted and shifted.

...and then he rolled over and went back to sleep.

I glanced at see what I'd tripped over. An empty bottle of cider. I levitated it, considering throwing it into the wall, just to see it shatter. No... I looked at Dashie, who was still passed out on my couch. He's asleep. Let's not wake him. I carefully set the bottle out of the way and quietly walked out the door.

Wincing at the sound the door made closing behind me, I glanced down at myself. No clothes? Oops.

I don't need clothes. Where to? My bladder reminded me it needed to be emptied. I do need to pee, though.

Oh, I'm going to. It's just a matter of where, and I don't think Maintenance would like me very much.

...

Hey... I could run. Have Pipbuck Maintenance remove my Pipbuck, hide in the lower levels. They'd never find me!

I ignored the part of my mind that suggested this was a stupid plan and I should feel bad for even considering it.

Next stop? Toilet, and then Pipbuck Maintenance.

#

I trotted into the toilets, wincing. What did I do, sleep in my armor last night? I remembered my... dream... and falling out of bed. Right. I trotted over to the sink. The sound of my hoofsteps echoed offensively in the enclosed room. Ugh.

This damn hangover is not helping matters. I glanced up to the mirror and a tired-looking, red-eyed unicorn stared back at me, her blue mane in dire need of a good brushing. As I watched, a bead of blood dripped out of her nose and landed in the sink with a soft splat.

I am so thirsty.

I turned the faucet on and water came out. Delicious, cold water, flowing into the sink. Down the drain to Celestia knows where.

My blood went with it. Such pretty red shapes....

At some point my mind put together that water was drinkable. I leaned over, slurping from the faucet.

Fuck! Water up my nose! I whimpered as my nose started bleeding all over again.

Somepony cleared their throat. "Hi."

...

Familiar, high pitched voice. "Would you like some privacy?" I looked over.

Security Officer Pumpkin Blitz was standing just inside the door, watching me with clear amusement in her deep purple eyes. ... "I can go pee elsewhere, if you'd prefer." How do I get out of this with my dignity intact? "Or I could stay, if you'd prefer that, too. I mean, voyeurism isn't my kink, but if you're into that kinda stuff, who am I to talk?"

Dignity? What dignity? I sat up, away from the sink. "No, no, I'm fine." I didn't need that dignity anyways.

"One taste of sex and you've devolved to making out with sink faucets? I don't know if that counts as dedication or desperation...." Laugh it up, featherhead.

Another bead of blood dripped out of my nose. "How did you sleep?"

Pumpkin smirked at me. "About as well as you did, from the looks of it. Well, maybe a little better." She groaned and stretched, wings and legs. "I just have bruises and hickeys."

"Nightmare?" I looked at her closely. Bruises and hickeys, indeed, and she looked tired. Her bluish green mane was a mess of disorganized spikes. That may have been an intentional style choice, though. Some of her feathers stuck out at odd angles, and as I looked at her, she shifted, pulling her wings in tight against her flanks.

She took a moment to respond as she trotted into one of the stalls. "I don't regret anything I did over the past week, but I know I'm not going to be sleeping soundly for a while."

I nodded, shifting to lean against the sink, holding a hoof to my muzzle to staunch the bleeding. "I think I understand."

"I don't think you do, but thank you anyways." She fell silent for a few moments. "He smiled, you know." I raised an eyebrow. "Before I shot him." She paused for a moment. "I think he was close to the mare you were talking with."

Well, this got awkward fast. "Ah." I glanced over into the mirror, pulling my mane back out of my face, kind of like I had last night.

"Bastard got what he deserved." She sighed contently as she flushed the toilet. "You forfeit some rights when you attack ponies like that." She exited the stall and went to wash her hooves. "Thanks for listening, ma'am. It feels better to talk to someone who knows."

I smiled to her. "Of course."

"Try not to get any lipstick on the faucet, Captain." Pumpkin waved a wing at me with a evil smirk as the door opened. Somepony else entered the toilets, and then Pumpkin was gone as the door hissed shut behind her.

Another bead of blood dripped out of my nose, landing on the floor with a soft splat.

"But... I don't wear lipstick!" I ignored the confused look from the new pony and exited the toilets after her.

#

"What can I do for you, um..." The assistant Pipbuck technician glanced down to his Pipbuck, so subtly it was incredibly obvious to anypony paying attention. Very smooth. "Captain Firefly?" At least he recognized me by name. Kinda cute unicorn colt, but a bit young for me. Sleek blue coat, sharp orange eyes.

"That's me." I smiled to him. "Is Broken Screen here?"

He shook his head. "She just went off shift about ten minutes ago. I can help you, if you need something with your Pipbuck...?"

"Yes. Could you replace the padding?" I held out my foreleg. "It's starting to chafe." I stuck my lower lip out at him, just slightly.

"Of course, of course!" He levitated out some tools and quickly removed my Pipbuck, levitating it away. "I'll have it done in about three hours." He glanced at me, a bit nervous as he ran a hoof through his pale blue and purple mane. "If that's not a problem?"

"Please, take your time. I haven't taken it in for maintenance for some time." I smiled. "I'll be back at..." I glanced down to my Pipbuck to get the time, only to remember he'd removed it. "... about three hours, I guess."

He smiled. "It'll be better than when you got it when I'm finished." I'd hope so. Seeing as that's your job and all.

"Thank you very much!" I leaned over to touch his shoulder, flashing him a grateful smile.

I walked into the hall and paused, looking around.

Ha ha! I was free!

...

Now where do I go? I glanced down to my front leg.

...

You know, if only I had a map of the entire Stable, perhaps in a compact form I could carry around on my hoof....

Fuck it.

I wandered around until I found a shower and walked into the farthest stall from the door.

If I didn't have my Pipbuck, I could seriously get lost in the Stable.

Nopony would find me for months.

You know, like what had happened during the last excursion.... I made a mental note to familiarize myself with the layout of the whole Stable as I turned the water on.

Cold cold cold!

"Fuck!"

After a few moments, I adjusted, and my mind turned back to the dream....

That encounter on Thursday....

I attacked them.

I fucking strolled in there and opened fire on them. Pumpkin was right - I went in planning to kill them from the start.

No questions asked. "Yep, they're raiders. Fuck 'em, they're dead."

The guards at Crimson's base.
...

Indiscriminately murdering ponies in my path?

What the fuck makes me any better than the raiders I killed?

...

I murdered them.

I should kill myself.

Before I hurt anyone else.

...

I can't kill myself. I have ponies who count on what I do every day.

"Why would I do that? I don't even want to kill myself."

"Do you make a habit of considering suicide while you shower, boss?"

I'm pretty sure I squeaked as Dashie's voice shocked me out of my thoughts. "Dashie! What are you doing in here?"

"Right now? I'm wondering why you're talking about killing yourself." The sound of Dashie's hoofsteps on the hard steel floor echoed in the showers, only slightly muffled by the sound of falling water.

"Do you make a habit of abusing Security privilege to sneak into the mares' showers?" I glared at the direction of his hoofsteps.

"I didn't sneak in here, and only when my boss ditches her Pipbuck and hides in the showers." His hoofsteps stopped outside my shower. "Why are you talking about killing yourself?"

"I wasn't talking about killing myself, I was talking about not wanting to kill myself."

"Nice dodge, boss." Dashie chuckled as I heard the water turn on in the shower beside me. We fell silent for a minute, before Dashie spoke again, a note of concern audible in his voice. "Firefly? You've been acting... strange. Are... you okay?"

"I'm okay." I settled down on the floor, eyes closed.

"You don't sound okay."

I sighed. "No. I'm not okay." I closed my eyes as the cold water gently tugged my mane down over my face. "I hate talking about feelings." Dashie kept silent. "You remember the guards outside my father's room? On Thursday?" Dashie said he did. "I murdered them."

The two of us spent a few minutes in silence, the only sound being that of the water silently judging me as it ran down the drain, before Dashie spoke up. "That is true."

"Don't ask a question you don't want the answer to, heh?"

"That wasn't a question." Dashie chuckled lightly. "Why did you do it?"

"I don't know." Dashie made a sound. "I felt... trapped."

"Fight or flight, and you choose flight? Hrm...." Dashie trailed off. "That seems unusual for you."

Fight or flight? I groaned and curled up on the floor. "I guess that's who I really am...." A coward?

"I don't think you're a coward, Firefly." Dashie fell silent for a few more minutes, before speaking again. "So, if your father's guards was murder, what was the skirmish on Sunday?"

Hrm.

I opened fire on ponies with whom I was cordially talking. That's the definition of cold blooded murder.

...

Ponies who were in the middle of raiding a village they had just subdued, by their own admission, expressing clear joy at it.

I opened my eyes, let a hint of Dashie-like drawl into my voice and a momentarily satisfied smirk to cross my face. "They had it comin'."

"Oh?" Dashie simply sounded curious.

I pulled my mane out of my eyes. "They had just attacked a village. They were in the middle of raiding it. The mare I was talking with admitted that they'd been hired to do so, and openly stated they enjoyed what they were doing." I nodded and repeated myself, more confidently. "Yes." I sat up. "They had it coming to them."

"I can accept that." I can't help but notice he didn't say he agreed with that.

"That was our first test of what we, as Stable Scouts, are doing Outside. I think we passed." I smirked.

"So, what now, boss?"

What now, indeed. I rose to my hooves, smirk shifting to a bright grin. "Now?" Today looks a whole lot better now. "I finish showering." Hm. "You didn't happen to bring soap, did you?" A bar of soap flew over the divider between our stalls. "Oh Dashie, you complete me." Dashie declined to comment.

The two of us finished our showers and got out. I was using my magic to pull most of the water out of my coat and mane when Dashie spoke up. "You, um, want some clothes?" He politely averted his eyes as he dressed. How sweet.

I glanced down to myself, considering the fact I was completely naked in public for literally the first time in my memory. "You know what? No. I'm good." I flashed him a bright grin as I pulled my mane back, letting it hang long but back, out of my eyes. "Let's go back to my quarters!" I used my magic to zip up his suit.

The door slid open and a pair of mares came inside, pausing in their conversation to stare at Dashie and I; I grinned to them brightly. "Excuse us, mares. The showers are kind of cold, though - you've been warned!" I walked past them, Dashie falling in as he always did.

I turned to Dashie as the door hissed closed behind us and he spoke up. "You noticed the showers were cold, too?" I nodded. "Enchantment on the pipes has probably worn off again. I'll mention it to Mom."

I glanced over my shoulder towards the showers. "I wonder why they enchanted the pipes, instead of simply using a water heater?"

Dashie looked over to me in shock. "Who are you, and what have you done with Firefly?" I looked back to him in confusion. "You? Admitting that, perhaps, unicorn magic is not the solution to everything?"

"Please." I snorted as he snickered. "There are some situations in which earth pony technology's strengths work better than unicorn magic. Not many, but they do exist."

Dashie chuckled at that. "What next, you'll be admitting that unicorns are, perhaps, not the master race after all?"

"Yeah, come back and ask me that again when you can do spells, then we'll talk." I looked at his forehead, where his horn would be, if he were a unicorn. "Oh? What's that? You can't? Exactly."

Dashie simply smirked and shook his head. After a few minutes of trotting through the halls in pleasant silence, I spoke again. "Thank you for that, Dashie. I feel much better now."

He smiled at me, a smile devoid of his usual sly amusement, just simple concern. "How are you feeling? Otherwise, I mean."

"My head hurts. I feel like I could drink a pond, right now."

"That's what you get for getting drunk." I groaned. "How many did you have?"

"Two."

"Lightweight."

"Hey, Range started it." I glanced at Dashie. "How did you find me?"

Dashie glanced back to me with a thoughtful look. "I just... had a feeling."

I snickered and grinned to Dashie. "Do you normally follow your feelings into the mares' showers?"

"Only when my dick says it's a good idea." He grinned back at me lecherously.

"Ewww, Dashie." He chuckled, and I grinned. "This is nice. Just us, chatting... you know?"

"Yeah, I know...." He smirked at me. "I woke up way too early." He glanced at his Pipbuck and suppressed a yawn. "Thanks for that, by the way. Do you normally wake up screaming?"

"Wha?" Shit. I actually screamed?

"I'll take that as a no, then." He looked at me closely. "Bad dream?"

"Ugh, don't ask." I suppressed a shiver. I think I suppressed it. "I've spent way too much time talking about my emotions today."

Dashie spent a long moment looking to me in concern, before dropping it. Thank you, Dashie. "Sure hope you're wrong about that. You and your mother have an appointment with the therapist in an hour."

"Wait, wha?"

"Security SOP, domestic disputes that turn physical require a visit to the shrink." Dashie glanced at me with a sadistic smile.

You bastard. "Oh. Okay." I looked at him. "You were planning to tell me this, when?"

"Aw, you know, whenever you stumbled out of your room."

"Yeah, I did. You didn't tell me?"

"You were tryin' to be sneaky." He glared to me. "Emphasis on 'trying'."

"Hey, don't blame me, I don't have any of your earth pony magic to make me stealthy." I glanced at the wall away from him.

"It's not earth pony magic, it's just watching where you put your hooves! Really, Firefly. Is magic always the answer?"

"Uh, hello? Unicorn?" I gave him cheeky smile and looked up to my horn. "Duh!"

"Ah. Right. Yes." He groaned. "Can I trust you to go to the cafe and not get into trouble for an hour while I get your mother up?"

"I don't know, I wouldn't consider what I did last night 'trouble', exactly...." Dashie narrowed his eyes in what I could only describe as a 'shooty' look. "Okay, I'll go to the cafe, eat breakfast, and then I'll go to the Library and read a book until it's time to meet the shrink or you go and get me. Does that sound good?"

"Just don't get into any more trouble, okay?"

I threw him an innocent look. "All I can promise is that I'll try not to get in trouble." He trotted off with another groan. After a moment's thought, I yelled to him. "Careful waking up my mother! She can buck pretty hard."

I grinned and trotted the opposite way, back towards the cafe, totally nude. You know what? I don't mind this. I felt like I should burst into song, but I can't sing, so I didn't.

I slipped into the Security station, retrieved my bottle of healing potion and consumed a shot. "Oh that's the stuff." I tucked them away in my desk, then headed off to cafe for breakfast.

"Morning 'Fly. The usual?" Aura Cinnamon came over to my table, balancing a tray on his back.

I nodded. "The usual, Aura." He turned to trot off. "Wait! What do you normally eat for breakfast?" He looked confused. I couldn't blame him. "I'll have that. And a big pitcher of water! Please?"

He glanced down to my leg. "You don't have your Pipbuck." Huh? I glanced down. Oh damn it. "I can get you an apple fritter and a water ration for free, but...." He trailed off, not wanting to outright say, 'I can't get you food'.

"Can you cover it for me just this one time? I swear I'll pay you back for it, okay?" He considered, then nodded and hurried off.

I yawned and laid my head down, closing my eyes. A few minutes later, he returned with my food. Oats. "Enjoy!" Oh yes, I will. He glanced around the cafe.

I glanced down to my food. Oh, that looks wonderful. Then, I realized Aura hadn't left, and I looked back up to him as my stomach grumbled. "Can, um, I help you, Aura?" I glanced back to my food.

"I, um. I was wondering. What's it like? Outside the Stable, I mean..." At that moment I'd chosen to eat a spoonful of oats, and subsequently inhaled most of it.

After a moment of coughing, I realized that the only sound in the room was... me coughing. Celestia damn it, Aura.

Well then, I guess I can't disappoint the ponies, can I?

I rose to my hooves, then hopped onto an adjacent table with a smirk, bringing my bowl of oats with me. "So, folks, you wanna know about the outside, huh?" A foal called out an affirmative. "Fair enough."

I settled down and spent a moment chewing on my breakfast, thinking. Damn, this is good. Not a hint of apples to be found. Hrm....

Ah! "We're all used to grey and, well, grey, right? All of the colors the history books told us about? They're Outside." I waved a hoof in the direction of up and outside. "It's like the farm levels, but even that... it's nothing like the Outside." I filled a glass of water and downed it. "The sky is blue and the ground is green. It's... beautiful."

"Really?" A couple of kids shared a look.

"Oh, yeah!" I smirked at the kids as Amber leaned against the wall by one of the supports in the cafe. He caught my eye, and I nodded to him. "The lights are... they're not controlled by any pony, either. They kind of do... whatever they want. You know how the lights are always the same, always?" I gestured towards the lights in the cafe ceiling, kept at the same neutral level they had been for centuries. "Not out there."

"That sounds... unnatural...?" A few ponies looked concerned by that.

Cyclone trotted into the cafe - perfect timing. "Unnatural? No. That's natural light. I remember when ponies used to live under the sun. That's what prewar Equestria was all about."

"Wait, you mean, you were alive before the Last Day?" One of the kids looked at him awe.

"Yeah right, nopony could ever be that old." Another kid snorted. "Don't be stupid."

"Believe it, don't believe it. Doesn't matter to me." Cyclone trotted over to the table I'd been sitting at. "The only thing that should be above the ground is clouds."

#

"That definitely wasn't the library." Dashie had found Cyclone and I telling the whole cafe wonderful, only mildly embellished tales of the wasteland. "Can't you go an hour without getting into trouble?"

"Trouble? What are you talking about? I was performing some of my duties for Security, drumming up support for our cause of helping the wasteland!"

"Well, your cause, anyways." I raised an eyebrow at him. "Regardless, you're currently relieved of duty, so you're a civilian now. So!" Dashie smirked to me with an evil glint in his eyes. "You're not actually performing your duties, you're causing a disturbance in the cafe."

"I'm not the one that started it, Aura asked a question and then everyone wanted to hear about it. Even ponies that want to seal the Door were listening!"

"Uh huh... You have a meeting with the therapist now."

"What are you, my secretary?"

"No, I'm normally your second in command, currently your superior right now, and your foalsitter."

"I don't need a foalsitter!"

"No, you just need someone to keep you from stepping on landmines."

"Hey!" ... I glanced down to my left leg, suppressing a shiver. "Okay, okay, you might have a point there."

"Might?" Dashie raised an eyebrow.

"That's all I'm going to accede right now." Dashie let out a skeptical grunt. "I've made a decision. Enough running! I'm going to face my problems head on now!"

"Uh huh...." Dashie pointed to a door. "Now go face your mommy issues."

"Maybe I could leave that one until tomorrow?"

"Yeah, no." Dashie pushed me into the room.

#

He's right, of course. Dashie followed me in and took a position by the door, in case my mother tried to attack me again.

"Hello, Firefly." There were two other ponies in the room. One of them was my mother, curled up on the couch. She looked at me as I entered, before hurriedly looking back to the floor. The second was an older earth pony mare. She glanced over to me, then to Dashie trotting in behind the door and sighed softly.

Then she turned her bright green-eyed stare on me. "I see you and your mother are... not on friendly terms?"

"Me? Not friendly with my mother? Huh. I had no idea." I rolled my eyes. "It's not like she abandoned me for most of my life or anything. Nope! No chance, lady." She smiled to me, and I realized what I'd just said. "Fuck."

I expected her to chastise me for swearing, but she simply smiled. "I was going to suggest we just talk and get to know each other a little before going into that, but if you want to go right into it...."

I sighed. "What do you want to know?"

She smiled. "Please don't patronize me, Firefly."

"I'm sorry...." I looked at the shrink, before I realized... that wasn't the shrink that had just spoken.

It was my mother.

"Sapphire?" The shrink looked at her. "Did you want to say something?" No.

My mother cleared her throat. "Yes." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before opening her eyes and looking at me. "I... Yes. I did."

I looked away. I should have worn my Security barding. "I'm sorry, Firefly. I've been a horrible mother." Yes. Yes you have.

"I've neglected you..." Yes. Yes you have.

"And...." She paused.

Is she crying?

Shit.

Mare, that's one nice scuff in the carpet there.

"I almost killed you last night!" I'm gonna leave that one alone....

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Nice speech.

"Could you ever forgive me?" Nope!

...

A pregnant silence settled over the room.

...

Wait. This is where I answer her. Uh. ... I opened my mouth for a heartbeat, glancing at a spot on the wall.

What do I say. "I, um..." I closed my mouth again.

She looked so... heartbroken as she curled up on the floor.

...

So... pathetic.

...

So pitiful.

...

I sat down, looking to the floor, and my mane fell over my face, blocking her from view.

For a moment, I felt pity for her. My mother.

The mare who bore me, and then abandoned me.

Another moment, another heartbeat, and I took a deep breath. "I don't know." Another heartbeat went by. "I...."

....

What do I want?

I want my mother.

Suddenly, the answer was clear. I looked up her and tossed my mane out of my face. "I will... give you a chance. Okay? I'm not ready to forgive you. Not, not yet. Okay?"

She looked up, and beamed at me, tears streaming down her cheeks. She just seemed to look... so much more vibrant than I'd ever seen her.

"Thank you!" She lunged at me. Holy shit, she was fast!

... But Dashie was faster. She ran into him and fell back.

"I think that about wraps up today's session...."

#

That... could have gone worse, I guess. I glanced back to the therapist's office and hurried away, glancing to my Pipbuck.

... which I wasn't wearing, because I'd had it removed.

Right. Okay. Quarters, clothes, Pipbuck.

I hurried to my quarters before my mother got back there and dressed, looking at the shelf I... we'd knocked over last night.

Hrm....

I sighed and walked over to it, picking the shelf up and straightening it up.

After standing the shelf back up, I glanced around. May as well clean up the bottles too.

Mother entered her quarters and froze inside the door, staring at me. I paused, picking up a bottle, before giving her a small smile. She returned it with a nervous, but grateful look.

"No more cider?" I waved the bottle at her. She blinked, cocked her head, before realizing what I meant.

She spent another moment staring at it, before nodding jerkily. "No more cider. I promise." She sighed softly, and trotted over to me, slowly. That wasn't the same look as last night, but... I backpedaled nevertheless. "Can... can I... hug?"

I thought about that for a moment. I looked at her nervous expression, before trotting over to hug her. She froze up, before leaning into the hug carefully.

We stood there for a moment, just hugging, before I gently pulled away and looked at her. "You...." She cocked her head quizzically. "You look... nice. Better than you have in ages." She smiled brilliantly. Ewww, she stinks. "When was the last time you showered?" Her smile faded to a sad look.

...and it came back, a slow, happy smile. "And you're the Stable's diplomat?" Her smile grew to a grin, and she chuckled.

It was a lovely sound.

Her chuckles grew to laughter.

It was infectious.

We sat there for a few minutes, just laughing at nothing and everything.

I was laughing with my mother. This is a dream....

Or a nightmare?

"You know... I never expected this." She looked over to me as I spoke. "Us. Laying here. Laughing together."

She sighed. "I... I'm sorry." Her sad look returned. "Maybe, we can do this more often?"

I smiled. "I'd like that." I crawled to my hooves. "Come on, lets get you showered, okay?" I offered her my hoof.

She looked up to me before she took my hoof and let me pull her to her hooves.

Once we got to the showers, she glanced around, sighing wistfully. "You know, your father and I...." A sly smirk crossed her face as she trailed off. "Which shower do you normally use?" I raised a hoof and slowly pointed to the far one in the corner. She giggled. "Guess which one you were conceived in."

"Eww! Mother!"

"Oh please, Firefly, it's not as if other ponies don't use the showers for that same purpose."

Idly I remembered walking in on Pumpkin and Tawny last week.

To be perfectly honest? So have I. "Most other ponies aren't my mother though!"

"I should hope not!" She grinned - evilly - before it quickly faded, and she glanced away nervously. "I... I'm sorry. You didn't need to hear that."

I thought about that. "No, I didn't. But thank you, anyways." She went into the shower.

I went over to the sink, looking at myself in the mirror and pulling my mane back into my normal half-ponytail. After a few minutes, Mother emerged from the shower, and I turned to face her as she twisted her pink and green striped mane into a quick bun.

She smiled to me. "Aww, my little mare's all grown up." Thanks, Mother. Her smile faded to a sad look, and she sighed. "And I missed so much of it...."

"I'm not gonna lie - you're getting pretty depressing." I looked up to her. "Don't apologize any more, just make up for it." I continued to soften the blow. "Okay?"

She nodded. "I...." She cut herself off - probably before she apologized again - and closed her mouth. "Yes. You're right." She stared at me as I tilted my head, and a lock of my mane fell over my face. "You should probably use a bun for your mane, not a ponytail. Ponytails are an easy target to grab."

"That's a good point." I nodded. "I'll take it into consideration."

"You're so like your father sometimes...." She sighed. "Come here." I'll wait to tell her that Crimson and Azure are still alive.

I trotted over to her after a moment's consideration, and she pulled my ponytail out. "Hey!"

"Let me show you how to do it."

"Ugh, fine."

"Oh, stop acting like a filly." She pulled my mane back into a full ponytail, then held up a strip of a Stable suit, part of the sleeve. "It's called a sleeve bun. Fold this up and put it on your ponytail, then turn your mane in and pull it back with another mane tie." She turned my head so I could look at the mirror. "There. How's that?"

I glanced at the side, shaking my head. None of my mane really flowed with it. "I don't like it." I made a face. "It doesn't flow like my ponytail does."

"You know, ponytails are actually prohibited by...." She paused, a blank look crossing her face. "I... I can't remember which policy." Her blank look shifted to a lost, forlorn frown.

"It's been a while since you've used that?" She nodded slowly, and I leaned over to hug her. She squeezed back. "Ow, ow."

"Ooh, right. Sorry."

"What did I say about apologizing?"

She gave me a blank look, before smirking. "Oops. Sorry?"

Rude little brat. "You can buck really hard, you know?"

"You should be able to do the same thing. You're half my age!" She gave me a fragile smile. "I'm going to go get dressed, then I'll go in to Security. Do you have something to do?"

I glanced down to my leg. "I need to get my Pipbuck back. I'll see you tonight?"

"Count on it." She grinned and squeezed me back.

"Ow." I glanced over to the mirror at her, and noticed she had a wedding earring. "You have an earth pony earring?"

She glanced at me, then to her reflection with a distant look. "Yeah..." She reached up to rub it with one of her hooves, then nodded as she pulled herself back to the here and now. "It's harder to lose than a horn ring."

"That's a good point." I leaned over to hug her. "Okay, I have to go do things. I'll see you in a bit, Mother." Vague ideas of kissing her on the cheek crossed my mind, but... I'm not ready for that yet.

#

The assistant Pipbuck tech was sitting at a bench, and he rose to his hooves as I entered. "Three visits from Security within three days? What have you ponies been doing to your Pipbucks?" I smiled to him as his amused smile shifted to a bemused frown. "Wait, no, no. Please don't answer that. Hello, uhh..." He glanced down to his Pipbuck, then to my fetlock as he noticed I wasn't wearing a Pipbuck. "Oh. ... Why are you here, uh, ma'am?"

I glanced at the workbench, where a Pipbuck I was fairly sure was mine sat. "I'm here for my Pipbuck." He looked confused. "I came here this morning?"

"... Oh." He looked at the Pipbuck, then to me again with a blank expression. "Oh! Captain Firefly, right?" He paused. "You looked, um, different, this morning."

"Less dressed?"

"You look a lot better with your mane down." He smirked. "And undressed, yeah...."

"Well, there's definitely a reason why you're a Pipbuck tech." I narrowed my eyes at him. "Just tell me my damn Pipbuck is done."

He looked confused. "Uh... yes, ma'am..." He levitated it over to me, and I held my fetlock out for him. "I replaced the padding, cleared the cache and installed a couple of updates some of the Arcane Science ponies made. I also cleaned it off. What did you go galloping through to get it that gross?"

"You know... mud. Radroach bits." I thought about that. "There was the land mine...."

His eyes trailed up my leg. "Land... mine...?"

"Small bomb, buried in the ground. Goes boom when you step on them." I smirked and leaned in. "Took my leg off." I pulled my Stable suit up to the scar, showing him it. "Damn good thing I had the Stable's best doctor with me, or I might not be standing here!" He glanced away nervously, looking a bit green. Hehehe. Jerk.

#

Exiting Pipbuck Maintenance, dressed in my Security barding, with my Pipbuck back... it felt right. As wonderful as au naturale was, I just felt 'right' in my security barding. A glance to my EFS - I have no clue why - revealed a green tag, surrounded by several... red? tags. I followed the tags to a room. A familiar older, blue unicorn stallion, surrounded by several unfriendly looking ponies. The red tags corresponded to Doctor Cerulean's 'companions.'

"Kill any more Stable ponies yet, 'Doc'?" Oh, okay, that's how it is.

I sauntered into the room. "Doctor Cerulean pulled my flank out of the fire last week, so, yes, I'd say he's done pretty well." The group all turned to face me. "What seems to be the problem here, ponies?"

"I don't think that's really any of your business, mare." The leader took a step forward with a confident look. She was a skinny blue unicorn mare, not quite an adult, a few hooves shorter than I am. Based off the glint in her pink eyes, I think she might be trying to intimidate me....

Oh, well, if that's how your going to play it.

"It's a damn good thing nopony cares what you think." I slipped into orders mode, barking at them. "I'm Captain Firefly." That did it. I gave them a moment to consider their mistakes, before speaking again, slowly and clearly. "What is going on here?" Their expressions changed from smug confidence to anxiety, and a couple of them shared uneasy looks.

"We were just having a, uh, discussion with the good Doctor here...." One of them sniggered at that, and a couple of them glared at her.

That's cute. "Uh huh. I'll give you all a warning - this time - but I'll be making a note on your records. If there any further 'discussions' with Doctor Cerulean, your punishments will be severe. Get out of here."

"Yes, ma'am..." The ponies filed out, grumbling quietly.

I turned to Cerulean as the door shut behind them. "You okay, Cerulean?"

"What?" Cerulean looked... stupefied? "Why?"

"Why...?"

"Why did you get involved? You didn't have to do that."

"Actually, I do." I tossed a quick glance over my shoulder, to my clearly labeled Security barding. "It's my job." I took a step over towards him. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Oh." Cerulean turned and started to leave. "I see."

"Cerulean, wait." I took a step towards him. "You're also my friend."

He stopped and spoke, repeating my words with a strangled voice. "Why wouldn't I?" He glanced at me, a cold, mocking sneer crossing his face, and his voice changed, depression and bitterness filling it. "Because I'm an obnoxious, unpleasant asshole, and I spent the past week making your life hell, that's why." He turned to face me as his voice suddenly spiked in volume. "Why the fuck would you? What kind of crazed idiot would waste their time on me?"

I stepped back in shock at the spike in volume, and a cruel smirk of satisfaction crossed his face. "Hell? No. A bit more difficult than it needed to be, mayb-"

Cerulean snorted. "Don't try and sugar coat it, Captain Landmine." He turned away, trotting over to a desk in the corner. "It's condescending."

"I was serious about that." Cerulean looked at me curiously. "I think of you as one of my friends." He quickly looked away.

He turned back to face me. "I've... never had any friends." After a moment, a look of shock crossed his face. "If you'll excuse me, I hear my friends calling me." He turned and fled the room.

...

Well.

That was unexpected.

Hrm....

#

I went back to the therapist's office, knocking on the door. A voice bade me to enter, and I walked inside, looking about carefully. "Do you have time to talk?"

"Hello again, Firefly." She glanced at a Pipbuck on her desk, then nodded with a pleasant smile. "I have a few hours before my next appointment. You've already had your visit with your mother today, haven't you?"

"Sort of, yes." I thought back about that with a wince. "Yes, about that... I would like to apologize for my earlier behavior."

"Rude sarcasm is fairly tame, compared to some of the things I've dealt with."

"Oh?" I looked at her curiously as I walked into her office, the door closing behind me. Already committed.

"As much I'd like to tell you.... I actually wouldn't, even if I could." She smiled. "Client confidentiality is crucial to establishing a healthy space. Nothing said in this room will be repeated outside, on my honor as a medical professional. Sit down, if you feel like." She gestured towards the couch my mother had been lying on earlier. I groaned and collapsed on it. "I see you're dressed this time."

"I had a... revelation... last night." I closed my eyes. "And a few too many drinks, which lead to ... the reason for my previous visit."

"Do you normally drink?" She had a clear, but quiet voice that put me at ease.

I shook my head. "No, I'd..." I paused, considering, before changing where I was going. "The Leading Council has deemed me unfit for my current position and requested that I have a psychiatric evaluation. So I guess that's why I'm here."

She made some notes on a M1500. "And why has the Council deemed you unfit for your position?"

Why did they, indeed.... "Normally my answer would be, 'because they don't like me or my father'." I paused, chewing on my lip. "But that would be the immature answer. It's true, of course." I glanced at her, and she said nothing, simply looked at me, expecting me to elaborate. "... but that's not completely why. I made several... ah..." I broke off and sat up, looking to her. "I made some pretty stupid, dangerous, irresponsible decisions during my last mission Outside."

"And what were those decisions?"

I looked at her, considering. "Crimson has been... busy since he left the Stable twenty years ago." I elaborated after a moment. "Crimson being my... father...."

She nodded. "I remember his departure."

"I ran into him last week, and while talking with him, I... had what I believe was a panic attack." I sighed and curled up on my side. "I attacked him, shot two of his ponies and ran away...." I closed my eyes. "He had two of my ponies prisoner, and I ran off without them. If ... Crimson... had been less lenient, he could have killed both of them."

"If he had been vengeful, he could have hunted Dashie and I and killed us, too." I paused, blinking as my mind galloped ahead. "I could have gotten all of my ponies killed with that one fucking decision! I don't even know if I'm fucking fit for duty anymore!"

She leaned forward. "If you were unfit for duty, you would also be unable to realize you were unfit for duty. By admitting that, you've admitted that you made a mistake, and that you understand you made a mistake. That's a very big step."

I blinked, considering that. I have the ability to judge that I'm incompetent, which means I'm less competent than I thought? ... that makes sense, in a twisted sort of way. She continued after a moment. "Why did you run away?"

"He... ran off. I never got a chance to know him...." I thought back, trying to remember what had been going through my mind. "He had other children... a pegasus mare. She looks like me, but a pegasus." I trailed off sadly. "He abandoned me, and he replaced me with another daughter." I curled up on my side. "... Like I never meant anything to him."

She stayed quiet for several moments. "I can't speak for your father, but I don't think your sister 'replaced' you, not in his mind. You can't simply replace a child like that. I think he missed you." I thought about that, wiping a tear I'd only just noticed, and sat up.

"So, Firefly, tell me. Do you experience panic attacks frequently?" She leaned forward, looking to me curiously.

My mind flashed back to yesterday afternoon. "No."

She looked at me for a long moment, and I think she was trying to tell if I was being honest. "Very well." If she were a unicorn, she'd probably be using an interrogation spell. "Is there anything else you want to discuss?"

"I think that's everything..."

"Well, if that's all...." She glanced down to her M1500. "I see no reason why you're not fit for duty." She looked back up to me. "Assuming there's nothing else...?" She trailed off.

"That's it." I smiled. "Thank you. For listening."

She returned the smile. "That is what I get paid to do, after all."

#

I left the therapist's office with an idea. Dashie and Cyclone were right - talking about it did make me feel better.

"Hiya, Captain FF." I glanced up at the sound of Crescent Sparks' voice, and looked over to see her saluting me.

"As you were, Crescent." Mineral Sands was with Crescent.

"What brings you down to the Sciences wing, ma'am?" Sands looked at me with a curious smile.

"Security business." I smiled to them.

"So, um, is it true that you've been removed from Chief of Field Operations?" Sands looked around nervously as Crescent glared at her.

"Technically, yes." Crescent looked worried. "But nothing to be worried about. The Council had a few concerns about my previous mission, and I accepted a temporary suspension to satisfy them. As I said, temporary."

"So, when are we going to leave the Stable, Captain?" Crescent had an excited grin.

...you know, that's a good question. "The next mission is currently in the planning stages, but it's too early to say anything concrete. Soon, though. Next week or so, at the latest."

"Woo!" Crescent grinned. "Good luck, Captain!"

"Luck is for the weak and unprepared." I smiled. "But thank you." I turned and trotted off for the cafe, taking my usual corner seat after getting a Sparkle-cola. I dug out my Pipbuck and got to work.

The conversation with Crescent had put me on the path of planning, and I needed time to think.

#

An hour later, I briskly trotted into Security like the mare on a mission I was, heading into Range's office.

...

Please don't be fucking Cerulean, Range. "Colonel!" Fortunately, she was not. In fact, she was lying back in her seat, back hooves crossed on her desk, chatting with my mother.

Range yawned boredly. "What is it, Fi...."

"Two things." I closed the door behind me and leaned over to hug my mother. "Hi, Mother." Range's brows narrowed in confusion at that. "Yeah, yes, ask me later. First of all," I pointed a hoof in Range's direction, "the shrink says I'm not batshit crazy."

"Secondly?" I hopped onto the chair across from Range, allowing a smug smirk to cross my face, folding my forehooves across the back. "I have a plan."

"Oh, I see." Range's frown deepened, and she sighed. "It's going to be one of those days." She dug out a bottle of cider, and I glared at her, looking over at my mother. She scowled at me and put the bottle away. "What kind of plan." She levitated out three bottles of Sparkle-cola.

"We form an exterior scout force." I leaned forward, grinning as I cooled and uncapped my bottle. My Pipbuck ticked softly.

"You lost me." She frowned and pulled her hooves off her desk, levitating out her M2500.

"The exterior scout force will focus on maintaining our reputation outside, while Security will focus on internal matters and Stable defense." The chair I was sitting on started tipping over and I leaned back. "That way, we have two forces optimized for different purposes, and it allows my exterior groups to operate without interfering with internal police and defense matters."

"Right, so, assuming the Council approves this...." Range shook her head. "Who the hell would be stupid enough to join a group like that?"

"Before I left, I put out a request for volunteers, remember?" Range frowned and sipped her Sparkle-cola. "I have six volunteers. They're inexperienced, but they've got potential."

"Ah. Yes." Range rubbed her jaw with her hoof. "You know... that might work."

"Plus there's Cerulean and Pumpkin, Plat and Nimble. Add in Dashie and I and that's almost a quarter of Security's total complement willing to join this group."

"I dunno know about Mend, Fi." Range considered. "Or Pumpkin, the Council have been... testy... about her recently. Whatever." She waved her hoof. "Irrelevant. So, who's going to lead this... 'excursion group'?" I smirked. Range frowned. "You can't do everything all at once, Firefly. Who's going to be CFO?"

I leaned back, considering that. "Not sure, not yet. You could double as CFO. Isn't that basically what you do when I'm not around anyways?" Range snorted.

My mother spoke up. "I could, perhaps...?" She trailed off, glancing between Range and I nervously.

Range looked at my mother. "I don't think you're quite ready for that yet, Saph. I could use your help." Mother thought about that, then nodded slowly with a sad look as Range turned back to me. "That's pretty much what I did before you came along anyways. It's a damn good thing Armet never had to actually do his job." She groaned. "I am going to regret this. This is your thing, but I'll back you on it."

"Excellent!" I glanced at my Pipbuck. "Meeting with the Council in... two hours?" Range nodded. "See you then." I leaned over to kiss my mother on the cheek - how casually I did it surprised me - and I left to go write up a proposal.

Once again, how my day starts sets the tone for it will end. In this case, inversely.

#

Councilor Rose frowned as she sat down. "So you say the therapist has certified you as ready for duty?" I leaned forward as the Council quickly got to business. Enough smugness, time to serious up, Firefly.

"Yes." I nodded. "If you'd like, I could summon her." I looked at my Pipbuck.

Councilor Rose considered, then shook her head. "No, that won't be necessary. We believe you." Councilor Hex immediately looked at her Pipbuck with a skeptical look. Councilor Rose shared a look with the rest of the Council, and they all gave her varying amounts of approval. "The Council will allow you to be reinstated as Chief of Field Operations, Captain."

"Thank you, Councilor." I think I mostly hid my gleeful grin.

I think.

Mostly.

Range spoke up. "There was also another reason for calling this meeting. I believe we should wait for the Overmare before we begin, as this concerns her."

The door hissed open and - right on cue - Overmare Book Keeper entered, bearing her usual pleasant smile. "I see you've started with me?"

I coughed, drawing attention to myself as I rose. "Impeccable timing, Overmare. We were just getting some minor business out of the way." Councilor Hex glared at me as I spoke, and I politely snubbed her as I turned to the Overmare. "The real purpose for this meeting is that I have a proposal for Security I'd like you to read." Before she had a chance to react, I levitated a M2500 over to her. As the Overmare took her seat, Range distributed M2000s to the Council.

The Council discussed my proposal amongst themselves quietly, occasionally glancing around to us, huddled inside a bubble of silence. Councilor Hex's face in particular rapidly shifted through several expressions - confusion, understanding, irritation - before settling on her default bland smile.

I shared a glance with Range as the room remained silent.

I filled a glass of water for myself. Come on, come on.

After several brief-yet-never-ending minutes, the Council sat up, dispelled the bubble of silence and glanced at the Overmare.

The Overmare nodded, indicating we should continue. Promising.

"The Council will... hear your proposal out." Councilor Rose began evenly. "Explain your idea, Captain." Good.

"Thank you, Councilor." I appreciated her use of my rank as I sipped my water before rising. "The Stable requires a presence Outside. Like it or not, by opening the doors two decades ago, we informed the Outside of our existence, and we can't simply close the doors and hide away. In order to survive in the wasteland, we need friends."

I turned and cast a map of the area on the wall behind me, illuminating major players within the area. "The city of Baltimare is not as dead as we expected it to be." A large circle displayed in the center of the city. A red Stable-tec gear in the center of the circle indicated that this was Crimson Raiders turf. "Some of these factions are friendly, traders or other settlements." Other, smaller circles lit up around the Crimson Raiders turf, a variety of colors. "Others are unknowns." A blue circle lit up around the prewar hospital. "Still more are unfriendly, but not actively hostile." A green circle lit up around the radio station. A sword-and-gears emblem inside of a box indicated that this was the Steel Rangers base. "So far, we haven't encountered any outright hostile factions."

Councilor Hex spoke up. "Assuming that your... actions... in the Crimson Raider's main base did not draw their ire, of course." I was under the impression the general consensus during the first meeting was that the Crimson Raiders were of no concern?

"Yes, there is that." I nodded and attempted to deflect the conversation back towards where I'd been going.

Councilor Sheets spoke up before I could go back to my arguments. "What about the wastelanders you encountered in the Rooks Stadium on Wednesday and the raiders attacking the zebra settlement on Sunday?" Ah, she read the operational reports. Interesting.

I shook my head. "Isolated gangs of raiders, nothing more."

"Are you sure of that?"

Hrm. It is possible there were more of them. "As of this moment, I am confident that there are no parties who are planning to threaten the Stable with the capabilities to do so, Councilor."

"You're saying that there are parties who would like to threaten the Stable?"

"Of course. Wastelanders angry and jealous of our lot in life. Raiders who seek to take what isn't theirs. Others. They're not a threat."

Councilor Hex frowned at me severely, but nodded. "Very well."

"As Councilor Hex brought up, the Stable may eventually have enemies. In that regard, Stable 30 has been lucky so far. But luck can only get you so far. An exterior scout force to tip the odds in our favor would would greatly reduce the chances of an attack, by gaining favor and forming alliances with major factions Outside." I paused and sipped my water, smirking slightly and lowering my voice in a conspiratorial manner, speaking slowly for emphasis. "After all, who would dare attack a trade hub that has ties with all major factions in the area? An attack on us would be an attack on all of them, and that would be..." I paused, as if I were looking for an appropriate word, "Messy for the aggressors." I gave that a moment to sink in, before continuing. "This exterior scout force's goals would include gathering intelligence and managing our reputation among the Outside."

Councilor Sheets adjusted her glasses. "What's wrong with how Security is currently, Captain?"

"Good question, Councilor." I sat back and looked at Councilor Sheets. "Security is currently specialized into policing the Stable and repelling attackers. Their purpose is necessary, but what we really need now is a force that is specialized into operations beyond the wire. We can't prepare to defend against what we don't know about, and the only way to learn about the Outside is to go outside and get our hooves dirty."

Councilor Hex leaned forward. "Forcing ponies to go Outside? You're insane." She shook her head, looking to the rest of the Council. "Nopony will go for it." A couple Councilors seemed to be leaning towards her opinion. "This is a waste of our time."

I shook my head. "As I mentioned in my proposal, it would be an entirely volunteer force." I suppressed a smirk. "In fact, I already have several volunteers already." I paused to let that sink in. "I require more ponies for my reconnaissance teams to properly defend the Stable, and creating this exterior scout force will allow me to utilize them in the most expedient manner without interfering with Security's day-to-day operations."

"Colonel?" Councilor Rose shifted her glance to Range.

Range thought for a moment, before speaking calmly. "Captain Firefly's idea is sound. It's a logical extension of Security."

"Very well...." Councilor Rose turned the the Overmare. "Would you like to weigh in with your opinion, Overmare?"

She smiled. "I approve of this proposal." She glanced at the Council. "Does the Leading Council have any closing arguments they wish to be heard?"

Councilor Rose spoke up. "Who would be in command of this exterior scout force?"

Range spoke up. "During the transitional period, Captain Firefly will maintain her positions as both Chief of Field Operations and head of the exterior scout force. As field operations, this does fall under her jurisdiction, after all." The Council turned their eyes to me. "That will change once things settle down, and command of the exterior scout force will be separated into its own position distinct from Chief of Field Operations."

"And who will act as Chief of Field Operations while Captain Firefly is out of the Stable?" Councilor Sheets glanced from Range to I and back. "Didn't you mention that personally handling the CFO duties would put undue strain on Security?"

"As of that moment, that was true, yes." Range paused and smirked - for just a moment - a curling of the edges of her mouth, unnoticeable to anyone who didn't know her. "However, Colonel Aurora has decided to seek treatment and assistance in recovering from her alcoholism. With her assistance I should be able to manage both."

"What about the ponies at, uh..." Councilor Sheets looked at the M2000. "FOB Haven, was it?"

"They'll get folded in to the exterior scout force, unless, of course, they wish not to. In that case, they'll remain in Security and be reassigned back to the Stable."

Councilor Sheets glanced up from her M2000. "Wouldn't doing this siphon ponies from Security?"

Range shook her head. "On paper, maybe, but not really, not in practice."

I coughed. "Security would certainly benefit from having additional ponies."

Councilor Rose nodded. "We will see what we can do."

The room fell quiet for a moment, and the Overmare spoke up again. "Does the Council have any other concerns they'd like to have addressed?"

The Council looked among each other, giving signs of approval. "The Council has nothing further to add, Overmare. Captain Firefly's proposal has the Council's full backing." Councilor Hex pushed her M2000 forward slightly, and Councilor Rose continued. "For now, that is. The Council reserves the right to pull its support, should anything happen."

"Very well." The Overmare nodded and turned to me. "Did you have a name in mind for this exterior scout force, Captain?"

"Why yes, Overmare, I did." I flashed her a brilliant smile. "Stable Scout."

Author's Note

So. This has happened. It's delightful, is it not?
I've been waiting for several of the big events in this chapter for months! One step forward.

Speaking of, if you're interested, I'll likely be attending Bronycon Baltimore, so, track me down if you can. Chances are good I'll be at the Fallout Equestria panel.

Chapter 11 - On the Road Again

Fallout Equestria: Stable Scout
Chapter 11
On The Road Again

Captain Firefly

Thursday
0830

"Thank you for coming, everypony." I turned to cast a map spell on the wall behind me. "Operation Baltimare is now a Stable Scout operation, and you're all taking part." I looked to the map. "This is the city of Baltimare, about a day's trot to the northeast." A blue circle appeared around the prewar hospital. "This is Redheart General Hospital. Intel says that it's been occupied and reactivated, and our next mission is to open a dialogue with the ponies occupying it."

I glanced around at the ponies present.

Crescent Spark, eager and ready.

Mineral Sands, curiosity but wariness visible in her maroon eyes.

Ivory Charm, pulling her mane back into a bun.

Cast Collage, looking around in discomfort.

Pumpkin Blitz, looking around alertly as she brushed a wing through her short, spiky mane.

Cerulean Mend, yawning.

Dashie, sprawled out across two seats, missing nothing.

Cyclone sitting at attention, looking to me.

"Questions?"

"Yea, I got one." Cerulean waved a hoof in the air. "What am I doing here?"

"You're coming along to inspect the capabilities of Redheart General and tell me what they need and what we can offer them."

"Like hell I'm leaving the Stable with you again." Cerulean rose. "Miss Sands is an excellent doctor, you'll be fine." He waved a hoof in Sands' direction and turned and trotted off.

"Very well, Doctor." After the door closed behind Cerulean, I coughed and looked to the rest of the ponies present. "Is there anyone else that would rather stay in the Stable?"

Everyone shared a look. Pumpkin raised a wing. "I think I speak for everyone when I say, we're with you, Captain." Charm grinned.

"Good. Questions about the mission?"

Sands spoke up with a glance towards the door, scrunching her muzzle in confusion. "What was his problem?"

"He disagreed with some of my decisions during our last mission." Pumpkin snickered quietly. "Did you say something, Blitz?"

Pumpkin sobered up. "No, ma'am."

"Good. Questions?" There we none. "We deploy at 1030. Meet back here no later than 1000. Dismissed!" Dashie hoofed out a stack of M2500s to the team as they filed out.

#

Cerulean trotted into the Security station. "Hey, Firefly. It's time for your check up."

"Cerulean, you suck at this doctor stuff." I looked up from my M2500 to see who it was.

"Sorry?" Cerulean looked... hurt? "I need to make sure your leg is healing properly."

"Oh, okay." I snickered. "You don't need to come up with excuses to make me take my clothes off, Cerulean."

He gave me a blank expression in return. "I don't see that being an issue."

"Okay, okay." I smirked at him. "Briefing room?"

"Sure." Cerulean frowned, deadpan, and trotted to the briefing room. "Lay down on the floor so I can look at your leg."

I nodded, laying down on the floor and tugging my barding up to my shoulder. "Thought you didn't like me, Cerulean."

"I have no clue what you've been smoking, but I never said that." He prodded my leg a few times. "Even if I didn't, I'd still be here to check on your leg."

"Sure implied it."

"I never 'imply' anything. If I didn't like you, I'd tell you I didn't like you."

"So, you're saying you don't like me, but you don't hate me?"

"Look, shut up. I don't dislike you." Cerulean rose to his hooves. "All done. Your leg is healing fine."

"Oooh, touchy. You don't dislike me." I smirked at him.

"Seriously, Firefly? Be professional. Pretend you're an adult." He leaned in a little closer, smirking. "I don't dislike you because you're not fun."

Hey!

"I can be fun!" I glared at him.

"Oh yeah? I don't believe you."

"Oh really?" I smirked and rose to my hooves. "Not fun, huh?"

"Nope." Cerulean smirked back at me.

"Oh yeah?" I leaned in, just a little closer.

...

And then I kissed him.

...

Someone cleared their throat.

I recognized that sound.

Celestia damn it.

I opened my eyes and glanced over to the door at the voice. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Again with the....

I took a step back from Cerulean and wiped my muzzle on my hoof. "Hello, Pumpkin."

"I think you were better off with the faucet, personally." That fuckin' grin....

"Can it, Blitz." I glared at her, tugging my barding back down.

"Yes, ma'am!" She saluted, turned and trotted off. "Got some lipstick on your face, Mend." She gestured to her cheek with a wing.

"What was that about...?" Cerulean looked confused, rubbing his cheek with his hoof.

"You don't have any lipstick on your face, Cerulean." He stopped wiping his cheek and glared at the door Pumpkin had disappeared through. "So you said my leg was healed?"

"No, that's not what I said. It's healing up nicely, though. Have Miss Sands take a look at it tomorrow or whatever."

"Sure thing, Doc." I saluted him.

Cerulean looked to me for a long moment, his expression impenetrable, ears folded back. "I'm... going now." He turned and trotted off.

#

1000 found my troops at the briefing room. I looked around. "Good. Everypony read the briefing given to you?" Everyone said they had. "Any questions?"

Spark waved a hoof in the air. "Your report mentioned that we'll be heading to Redheart General via stopovers at FOB Haven and the Baltimare Central Exchange. What's that?"

"Good question. FOB Haven is an outpost we set up in the town of Haven." I turned and highlighted Haven on the map. "As for BCE? Cyclone knows the area better than I do. Cyclone?" I looked to him.

"Baltimare Central Exchange is a trading hub centered around what was known as the "Inner Harbor" of Baltimare, the tourist areas."

"Tourist?" Charm looked confused. I was curious, too.

"Ah." Cyclone frowned, thinking. "It's where ponies who didn't live in Baltimare visited, usually for... large meetings. Baltimare was a nice city to be, inside of those small areas."

"And if you were outside of those areas?"

"Well, let's just say that prewar Baltimare was the source of some of those legends about what happens to ponies who are outside after dark."

"Nice place." Dashie smirked.

"Really, it was, at times." Cyclone sounded sincere, and he sighed. "Any other questions?"

Charm raised her hoof. "One for Captain Firefly, actually. Who are we escorting to FOB Haven?"

"They're some Arcane Sciences ponies. They're going to set up a school there and help with the local agriculture. Stable 30 will save the wasteland and all that crap." I waved a hoof. "You know. Next?"

Collage cleared his throat and spoke up. "What kind of hostiles, if any?"

I looked to Cyclone, and he answered. "Honestly, I don't know. It's been a few years since I was around there, and a lot can change in that time, especially with the Crimson Raiders."

"The report mentioned the Crimson Raiders... were peace keepers or something?" Spark spoke up.

"Basically." Cyclone nodded. "They're the largest power in the area, and they tend to keep the smaller gang wars from getting out of control." Cyclone thought. "Well, there's the Steel Rangers, but I don't actually know if they're as dangerous as they like to think they are. Disgraceful."

"Right...." I coughed. "Back to business, folks. Any further questions?"

Sands raised a hoof, addressing Cyclone directly. "What can you tell me about the hospital?"

"Well, it's a prewar hospital." Sands frowned as Cyclone stated the bluntly obvious. "Ponies have occupied it, fixed it up somewhat and are now offering medical assistance to ponies. For caps, of course. It stands to reason that trading for medical supplies would be something that interests them. Thus, our mission."

I picked up where Cyclone had left off. "The purpose of Operation Baltimare is to protect the Stable via creating alliances with the major powers in the area. Securing an alliance with the local hospital would benefit all parties, both those involved in the deal and otherwise." I glanced around at my ponies. "Any further questions?" There were none. "Dash and I are Team One." I gestured to Pumpkin and Cyclone. "Blitz and Cyclone, Team Two. Spark and Sands, Team Three, Charm and Collage, Team Four. Lets get dressed, folks."

I lead the way across to the Armory, and found a small mob of ponies loitering around the station, others visible outside. I raised my voice, speaking over the sound of quiet chatter. "What seems to be the problem, ponies?" Nopony seemed interested in answering. "Well?"

Aura Cinnamon spoke up from the midst of a group. "We're here to see you off, Firefly."

"All of you?" I glanced around the crowd.

"Well... yeah."

I glanced to my Pipbuck. 1015. "I can't argue with that...." I looked to the Armory. "But we need to get dressed first." I took a step towards the locker room doors, and the crowd parted.

"Mornin', Weld." Weld was, as usual, working on a weapon. A pair of IF-9s were field stripped on his workbench.

He looked up as we entered. "Another mission Outside, Captain?"

"Yep!" I grinned at him, and he frowned in concern. "We'll be fine, Weld."

Five minutes later saw all of us dressed. As Cyclone finished, he started jumping up and down. "What are you doing, Cyclone?"

"Making sure my kit won't move. Sure would suck to lose something on the move, don't you think?"

"Makes sense." I turned to the rest of the group. "Jump test, ponies."

"Captain?" Sands looked to me curiously.

"You heard me." She shared a look with Collage, and they shrugged, jumping up and down halfheartedly.

Dashie had his beltgun and quad power hooves, plus the standard heavy armor plates. Everyone else had light armor and saddlebags, and a helmet or boonie hats. Sands had an IF-18 revolver, Spark had an IF-9 shotgun. Ivory had an IF-44 subgun, and Collage had another IF-18. Pumpkin had her beam rifle, and Cyclone had another IF-44. I had my IF-9 I'd picked up from the police station and my IF-21 pistols. Sands also had a spare belt of shells for Dashie's beltgun.

I settled my helmet on, adjusted my headset and switched over to my comms. "Comms check, folks. We good?"

Dashie nodded, grinning. "We good, boss."

I shifted to Team 1 personal comms. "What, no odds on Range shitting a brick this time?"

Dashie smirked after a moment. "I dunno, you gonna tell me about your plans to curl up in the shower and masturbate tonight?"

"No, I did that this morning, actually. You know how I like to be prepared." I raised my voice to cut off any response from Dashie, earning a sour look from him. "We ready? Let's move." I lead the way out of Security to the Door, and the crowd followed us.

Shit, that's gotta be at least fifty ponies.

"Five minutes. Kit check, kit check. Anything you wanna take with you, get it now. We're not comin' back for your one-of-a-kind whatever."

Spark was immediately embraced by a mare of similar palette I would venture a guess was her mother.

Sands was deep in conversation about two ponies I presumed were her parents, a pair of arcane science egghead types I'd seen around, but never actually met.

Charm was talking with her father, Amber Rhyme. It was not a happy discussion. Collage was a polite distance away.

Pumpkin and Tawny were talking together in a private corner.

I trotted over to the group of Arcane Sciences ponies. "Are your ponies ready?"

"We are, Captain." There were three of them, dressed in light Stable suits with saddlebags slung over their flanks.

"You three may want some armor. It's rough out there."

The leader shook his head. "We don't need armor. We're teachers, not fighters."

"Raiders out there won't care whether you're a teacher or not."

"I think we'll be fine, Captain. We're going to Haven. It's a civilized town, right?" The unicorn paused, looking to me. "Besides, it is your job to protect us."

"It would make my job much easier if you would take some steps to protect yourselves."

"Of course, Captain." He gave me a polite smile, and they shared a glance when they thought I wasn't looking.

I know, I know - stupid, paranoid Security pony. Can't do her damn job.

Fucking civies.

"It's your call...." Cerulean caught my eye from the edge of the crowd. "If you'll excuse me, ponies." I stepped over to him. "Yes?"

He looked around a little nervously, before speaking quietly. "Did you mean what you said?" I raised an eyebrow at him. "About being my friend?"

"Yes." I nodded. "When I say something like that, I generally mean it." He nodded, looking a little dazed. "Doc? You okay?"

"Um... yes." He paused, looking around, before returning to me. "Did that kiss mean anything?"

"Uh, no." I shook my head. "You're my friend, that's all. Besides..." I glanced over my shoulder to Range, chatting with the Overmare. "Range would shit a brick if she caught us boning." I threw him a grin.

Cerulean returned the grin with a snicker. "You're too young for me, anyways."

Hey!

I'm not- Wait.

That was a compliment.

Wasn't it?

I nodded. "I'm gonna leave that one alone." He leaned over and awkwardly hugged me.

...

"What is it with old ponies hugging me without asking?" Cerulean looked genuinely confused at that. "Never mind. You staying here?" I paused as he looked confused. "I'd feel better with you watching my flanks out there." Cerulean shuddered.

Not like that.

He frowned - a look of potentially genuinely reconsidering my question - before shaking his head and glancing over to Sapphire, who was walking over to join Range and the Overmare. "Someone has to keep an eye on your mother, don't you think?"

I followed his gaze to her, looking back to him as his gaze softened. Ahh, right. "Okay, Cerulean." I glanced to my Pipbuck. 1028. I walked over to join my mother, Range and the Overmare.

"Good luck, Captain." Overmare Keeper smiled to me.

"Luck is for those who have no plans." I tossed her a confident grin in return. "We'll be back in a few days, Overmare."

"You better." Range groaned to me, stretching. "I'll never hear the end of it from the Council if you don't." She looked to me. "Oh, I'll be sad if you don't, too."

"I feel so loved, Range." She grinned back, and I looked over to my mother. My mother smiled and leaned over to hug me. I leaned into the hug, and kissed her on the cheek. "Gotta go, mother. Be back in a few days."

I stepped from the hug and cleared my throat loudly. "Security!" Everyone fell silent and looked to me. "We ready?" I glanced to my troops. They looked back with various signs of agreement. "Let's move."

#

"Welcome to the Outside, ponies." I lead the way past the wire. "Please don't look up."

Charm, Sands and one of the eggheads looked up.

Of course.

The egghead threw up.

Wonderful.

Charm grinned brightly in awe. "Wow! It's so... open!" Yes... yes it is. I calmly kept my eyes on the muddy path under me.

"Hey, Captain, that's the sun, right?" Collage looked up, pointing off towards the light in the sky, hidden behind clouds.

Cyclone looked to Collage like he'd grown an extra set of hooves. Considering the wasteland, that might not be so weird for him.... "Yes. That is the sun."

#

Two hours of brisk trotting took us to FOB Haven. I was almost getting familiar with the path there.

"We're making good time, folks."

We headed in to Security and checked in.

Sergeant Chipped Helm, the head of the garrison at FOB Haven, saluted. "Captain, I was thinking - if we could set up a communications signal booster here, we could keep in radio contact with the Stable, rather than having to rely on your teams carrying messages. What if we were attacked?"

"That's a good idea. I like it." I nodded. "You know the Council, write up a proposal, blah blah blah."

She sighed. "Of course, Captain...."

"I know, I know. It's a pain in the flank for us." I glanced over to the eggheads with us. "These eggheads are now part of your group. They've volunteered to help with the farming here, and one of them is going to host a school."

"Ah...." All eyes turned to them. The leader, the one who had declined armor, gave me a dirty look.

I gave him a sweet smile in return, then continued after a moment. "Also, you should know - you're now part of Stable Scout, rather than Stable Security. If any of you want a transfer back to the Stable, I'll make it happen." I glanced around.

The five ponies occupying FOB Haven sat around the station, looking at me. One of them spoke up. "So, Captain... what is this 'Stable Scout' group?"

"I suggested that ponies operating outside of the Stable - you know, like you ponies - should have their own group, separate from Stable Security. The Council approved it."

Night Stick spoke up. "And you named it after what the Mayor calls you...?"

Clever.

"The main duty of the Stable Scout is intelligence gathering, after all."

"And the Mayor calls you that."

"Yes." I nodded. "Congrats - you're now all Stable Scouts." I glanced to Sergeant Helm. "By the way, Sergeant, I'd prefer if you kept at least one Stable 30 member on the walls at all times."

"Of course, Captain...."

"So! Tell me - how are the local militia?"

"They're not bad. Over all they're more experienced than us, but with less formal training. Their discipline is really lacking. They're workable, I think. Captain Frosty is trustworthy." Sergeant Helm chewed on her lip. "The rest of her troops, well...." She shrugged. "I wouldn't trust any of them to watch my flanks, to be honest."

"Understandable. Keep up what you're doing - you're doing good work out here."

"Thank you, Captain...."

I turned to my ponies. "Dash, take Team Three. Check out the Marketplace, see if there's anything we could use. Team Four, stay here. Keep them updated on whatever gossip they want. Team Two, on me. Meet up back here in thirty mikes. Questions?"

Next, I headed to the Mayor's office. His secretary threw me a nasty look, but waved me in. "Hello, Mayor."

"Scout! So good to see you! Take a seat!" He waved towards the cushions.

"And you, Mayor." I smiled. "I can't, I'm afraid. But I came in to tell you that I brought some ponies to help with your farming. Someone to set up a school, and someone else to help with structural engineering. If you don't mind me saying so, some of those buildings look like they could use some help."

"What brought this on?"

"Well, they volunteered, actually. Like I said, we want to help Haven, and my superiors felt that this would be a benefit to all involved."

"Mmm, that is wonderful!"

"I thought so, too." I smiled to the Mayor. "I have one question, though...." He looked to me. "Why didn't you mention the Crimson Raiders the last time we talked?"

"I assumed you knew." His brows came together, and he frowned. "How could you not? Aren't the Crimson Raiders working for the Stable?"

"Ah." I shook my head. "Daft Stable pony, remember?" I smiled to him and glanced down to my Pipbuck. "We have to get moving, I'm afraid, Mayor, but I just wanted to check in with you. Thank you very much for your time!" I bowed out and made a quick exit to go link up with Dashie.

#

A half hour later found the rest of us back at the Security station. "We all ready?"

"All ready here, Captain!" Spark saluted.

"No, no saluting." Cyclone shook his head. "Saluting out here gets squad leaders shot."

I looked to Cyclone, then nodded. "That makes sense, Sergeant. No saluting out here, ponies. I'd like to avoid getting shot, if you don't mind."

Spark flushed. "Uh, sorry, ma'am...."

"Don't worry about it. You didn't know, and now you do." I glanced around to my troops. "We ready? Let's move."

#

It was mid afternoon by the time we reached the outskirts of Baltimare, and I turned on the radio to listen. "And so, we have some neeeeews from the rest of the hellhole they call Equestria. In this instance, apparently, a small army of slavers from Fillydelphia are busy sieging Tenpony Tower." Lunar Note paused for a moment. "Honestly? I don't know who to dislike in this. On one hoof, slavers, and fuck everything about slavers. But on another hoof, Tenpony Tower are kind of dicks. But on the third hoof, they're okay dicks, I guess. And on the fourth hoof? ... Yeeeah, I got nothin'. Maybe the Stable Dweller will go fuck 'em up, cause last I heard she was up in that area. Then again, I'd also heard rumors that she's comin' up towards Baltimare from the south. Aaaaand that's all for Baltimare News Weekly, folks. Have some music." A fast drum and bass beat came from my Pipbuck as Lunar Note spoke in a deadpan tone. "It's not rock, it's not electronic, it's... rocktronic. What does that mean? Bugger if I know. Enjoy."

"The Stable Dweller is coming here?"

Dashie shook his head. "I'll believe it when I see her."

Cyclone frowned. "I'm not sure that's a good thing."

"Oh?" I looked to Cyclone. "Why not?"

"Didn't you hear about Bucklyn Cross? Arbu?"

"I may have missed that. What happened?"

"This is all just rumors and hearsay, but apparently the Stable Dweller attacked both the town of Arbu and the Steel Rangers base at Bucklyn Cross."

"Massacred...?"

Dashie shook his head. "I dunno, that sounds pretty sketchy. Why would she do that?"

Cyclone shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first 'hero' I've seen to go bad." He glanced to me seriously. "You're not planning to massacre any settlements, are you?"

Why would I...? I shook my head. "Not planning to."

"We don't actually know that she did that, though." Dashie looked over. "What if this is just the beginning of some horrible evil monster's reign of terror?"

I looked to him for a long moment.

He kept his serious expression.

"Are you serious?"

"We don't know anything more than rumors at this point." Dashie shrugged. "It's just as likely some monster as it is the Stable Dweller going bad."

"Yeah, okay, you're right." I glanced to Dashie.

"I think we're being watched, boss."

I glanced to Dashie, then down to my EFS. "Not a whole lot we can do about it, I think."

"Sure we could. Take longer, roundabout routes. Go underground, maybe."

"We could turn around and go home." Collage called out from the back.

"Yeah, I don't see that happening." I shook my head.

#

"So...." I sidled over to Dashie.

"I dislike it when you use that tone." He frowned at me.

"Why do you sleep around so much?" I glanced around with a smirk. "I don't see any potentially interrupting radroaches here, do you?"

"Tempting fate, that." Dashie smirked back to me.

"That was one nice dodge. Seriously, though."

"I plead the fifth."

"This isn't an interrogation and you're not under arrest, so that doesn't work here."

"If this isn't an interrogation and I'm not under arrest, then there's no contempt of court. So! Go suck a cock." Dashie threw me an obnoxious smirk.

"Classy, Dashie."

He sighed and leaned in with a look of genuine... worry? "This is not a road you want to go down, Firefly." I stuck my lower lip out at him, and he sighed. "I... like you."

Wait.... "You mean..." I glanced to him, and then down to me. "You..." Back to him. "Me...?" Over to me again. "Us?"

He nodded. "Yes."

Oh.

I looked away from him. This is definitely not something I have the time for.

I turned and stepped away from him, seeing what Spark and Sands were discussing.

#

LOCATION DISCOVERED: BALTIMARE - CENTRAL EXCHANGE

Another hour trot took us to our first objective, the Baltimare Central Exchange.

"You don't look like Crimson Raiders." The pony at the gate looked at us. "State your business."

"That's good - we're not." I stepped forward. "We're passing through, stopping here to pick up some supplies."

"Very well. Don't cause any trouble." He turned to write, before looking back to us. "Hey, are you the Stable ponies that mare on the radio's been babbling on about?"

"Captain Firefly, Scout of Stable 30, at your service." I bowed grandly.

"Uh huh. Okay." He crossed something out and rewrote it. "You should check in with Splinter - she's our head of security. She likes to meet any new groups entering her home. She's in the building just past the gate."

"Of course we would."

The guard glanced around at us as the gate opened, and he stepped aside after a moment. "Ah, hello Cyclone. Didn't recognize you under all that barding."

"Evenin', Jaywalker."

I glanced over as we entered the Central Exchange. "You know him?"

"Not exactly, not really. Living for two hundred years tends to make you a bit of a celebrity, though."

"Fair enough." I glanced forward. The Central Exchange seemed to follow one street - Prance Street. To the south was the main Market. Forward, to the west, seemed to be the rest of the settlement, a bunch of repurposed buildings. A couple questions directed us to an office on the second floor overlooking the main entrance we'd just come through.

"So. What brings a team of security from a Stable a day's trot outside of the city to my village?" She was a older lavender earth pony with violet mane, dressed in light, stitched barding. A picture sat on her desk - clearly a younger Splinter, hugging two stallions. On her right was a blue earth pony with a pair of glasses, a grumpy look and a prosthetic on his right forehoof. On her left was a grey unicorn wearing an aviator's cap. They looked... happy.

I cleared my throat before launching into my pitch. "Stable 30 is moving out into the wasteland, and we're seeking allies for the long run. Today, this is just a step along the way to our objective." I paused, glancing around her office. "You know, I'm sure there is something that the Baltimare Central Exchange could use that perhaps Stable 30 could supply?"

"This is the largest trading hub inside Baltimare." The mare shook her head. "If we can't find something, it can't be found in this world." She rose, walking over to the window overlooking the entrance.

Interesting phrasing. "The Stable does have information and technology from prewar times, you know...."

She thought about it. "Perhaps. See me before you leave."

"Will do." I followed her over to the window, looking out. "So, where would you suggest we go?" She looked over curiously. "We're taking a rest here."

"The Hard Rock Cafe has good food." She looked over me critically. "I suppose barding isn't something you need. The Marketplace has plenty of supplies for trade, though I can't imagine you Stable ponies would have need anything."

"Strangely enough, the Stable isn't big on producing non-essentials. I'm sure my troops would love the chance to buy what they can't find at home." I bowed to her. "Thank you for your assistance, ma'am."

#

I glanced around the marketplace, checked the time, then over to my troops. "It's 1603. Half hour of trading, then we rendezvous at the Hard Rock Cafe for a meal at 1630. Stay in groups, don't wander off alone, keep in contact. Questions?"

My troops looked around, before Spark lead Sands off into the marketplace with a grin. "Let's go get some stuff, Min!" Charm lead Collage off on another direction.

I glanced to the rest of my troops. "Dash, Blitz? Cyclone?"

Dashie shrugged. "I'm with you, boss."

Pumpkin glanced around, then nodded.

"I could show you around, if you like. I've been here a few times."

Dashie tossed Cyclone one of his lopsided smirks. "Only a few, huh?"

"Yeah, only a few." Cyclone shrugged. "Over the past few months, anyways." He grinned back at Dashie. "What is it you're looking for, Firefly?"

"Just give me a quick tour?"

"Sure." Cyclone nodded and lead the way along Prance Street. A Crimson Raider patrol strolled past us, and I gave them a wide berth. "Marketplace is that way. The buildings surrounding it are part of it, housing upscale, more permanent shops, all with a theme. Weapons, barding, general supplies, ectera ectera. If you're looking for anything, you can probably find it here." He gestured to the opposite side. "Inner Harbor. Don't go for a swim."

"Radiation?" Pumpkin hovered above us, looking over to the water.

"Among other things, yes. I think two hundred years may have cleared the sewage, but...." He shook his head. "Just don't. I don't know what sorcery they use to clean the fish living in there, but it's pretty good. Just don't think about it too hard."

"Ewww." Pumpkin shook her head. "What's that?" She pointed a hoof out into the harbor towards a half-sunken structure.

"HMS Neighvarro. It was a coal freighter in prewar times. Now it's a shelter if BCE ever gets attacked. Very defensible."

I glanced over to it. "Bet that makes taking a Stable look like taking cupcakes from a foal."

"Bingo." Cyclone nodded and gestured up Prance Street. "Several inns, including the Hard Rock Cafe. Excellent food, good rooms. A lot of meat." He glances over to us. "That's not going to be an issue, is it?"

"Eww, meat." I shook my head. "I'd rather starve than eat another living critter."

Cyclone smirked. "Oh you poor, poor Stable pony."

Dashie shook his head. "We've done this before, Cyclone, you're wasting your time."

"Ah." Cyclone frowned.

Dashie snickered and pointed a hoof at a lopsided street sign. "Hey, Pumpkin, look, it's your street!"

S Gay Street.

Pumpkin flushed a little. "Ah. Ha ha. Very funny, Lieutenant."

"Did... did you really just...?" I looked to Dashie in concern.

Cyclone provided an excellent distraction. "If we head up the next street, there's a museum that's been restored." He pointed up the street.

I shook my head. "We're not on a sightseeing tour, Sergeant."

"Oh, right...." He frowned sadly.

We continued on down the street, and looped back to the marketplace, browsing. I spotted a weapon at a trading booth. A weapon with a very, very familiar profile.

"Is... is that a...?"

"Captain?" Pumpkin looked to me in concern.

I shook my head and trotted over to it.

Sure looks like an IF-88 Ironpony.

The proprietor greeted me. "Ah! Welcome, welcome! I am Avarice, and my associates manufacture fine weapons and tools of all kinds! All focusing on the field of killing!" I ignored her for the moment, focusing on the IF-88. "I see you've seen our most prestigious weapon - the Ironshod Firearms model 88 Ironpony." She paused for a moment while I continued ignoring her. "One thousand caps."

...

I'm thinking about it....

"I'd like to see it." I looked up to her finally. She was an offensively pink earth pony with a styled blonde mane.

"If you break it, you're going to have to pay for it... Do you still want to see it?"

"If it's worth what you're offering, I'll give you your money. If it's not, I'm going to walk away. Yes, I'd like to see it."

"Ah... well. If you insist. Remember - you break it, you buy it!"

Uh huh.

She slid the box over and opened it slowly. Very dramatically.

...

"This... is not an IF-88."

It was a pathetic mockery of an IF-88.

Poorly manufactured with crude hoof tools. Tool marks were visible everywhere. The worst kind of earth pony manufacturing.

I levitated it out. "What the fuck is this?" I looked up to her.

The box it was stored in looked legitimate, though. Probably worth more than the weapon it contained.

"How dare you." Very good mock offense. "This is an IF-88!"

I could list off a dozen reasons it's not, but in the end, it just doesn't matter.

I held it muzzle up and racked the bolt, and then I realized... it was a single-shot weapon. The magazine was just decoration. A twelve gauge shell ejected into my face. "I'll give you fifty caps and..." I dug through my saddlebag, discretely tucking the shell away. "Three Fancy Buck Snack Cakes. For the gun and the case."

"I am insulted, Stable pony!" She tried to take it from me, and I pulled it back, instinctively raising it for a buttstroke before lowering it. "What could you possibly know about guns?"

"Well, for a start, you don't look down the muzzle!" I raised it back to muzzle up. "I am the Chief of Field Operations and head of the Scouts of Stable 30." I glanced over my shoulder at Pumpkin, Dashie and Cyclone, watching this... debacle with amusement. "I find it unlikely you'll ever find anyone with a shred of interest in this." I set the IFaux-88 back in the case. "Fifty caps and the cakes is my final offer." My Pipbuck ticked softly as I set the cakes on her table. "Take it or I walk."

She scowled at me.

#

Dashie looked to me in concern and looked at it. "You paid money for this?" He paused, looking to it again. "On purpose...?"

"I did, Lieutenant." I looked to my Pipbuck, shifting my radio to the squad frequency. "Team Three, Team One. Report." I groaned, tucking the IFaux-88 and display case in my saddlebags.

"Team One, Team Three. Min and I are in the general store." Spark answered. "What's up, Captain?"

"Just conned a gun dealer into selling me a junk shotgun." I hopped in place, testing how the IFaux-88 shifted my saddlebags, and shifted a couple things around.

"Captain...?"

"Never mind, Spark." I glanced to my Pipbuck to get the time. "Team Four?"

...

"Team Four, report!"

Collage answered after a moment. "We're in a clothing shop. Iv's getting a dress."

"What took you so long to respond?"

"Oops."

Oops. Oops?

"Oops?" I sighed. "Meet at the Hard Rock Cafe in fifteen minutes."

#

1640 found us seated outside the Hard Rock Cafe, overlooking the water. I'd walked to the edge to look out over the water, and my Pipbuck had started ticking. Hot.

We'd occupied two tables, and by now were eating wasteland fare. If nothing else, it was hot, and that was a plus over hard apples and water. Actually, this was pretty good.

"You know, this is kind of nice." I looked to Dashie curiously as he continued. "Sitting here, enjoying food. Almost like we're not soldiers...."

"Yeah, except we actually are soldiers." I sipped my drink, glancing around.

"Wow. Way to kill the mood, boss." Dashie groaned and went back to eating with a disgruntled expression.

Cyclone, on my other side, spoke up. "Captain, I think we should follow Prance Street northeast to Broadway. From there, it's a straight shot to the hospital."

I glanced down to my Pipbuck, calling up the map. "Why not go up East Fayette Street to Broadway?"

"No, East Fayett-"

Cyclone broke off at the sound of gunfire, and I dove under the table. My ponies followed, ducking down around me. "We need better cover, Captain." Yeah, tables aren't very good at stopping bullets, I know this Cyclone.

"Where's it coming from?" A round hit the ground beside me, and flying stone chips cut a line across my cheek.

Shit!

Pumpkin crawled over to another table as I retrieved my helmet and shield. "Not at us, Captain. Bunch of wasters fighting some alicorns!"

"Should we get involved?" Dashie looked over.

I shook my head, peeking around the table after pulling my visor down. "Probably should let local security handle it."

It was a group of wastelanders with some decent weapons, a couple of rifles, dug in behind some light cover. They were firing at a group of alicorns, who were hidden in a shield bubble by a green one in the middle. Their weapons weren't being effective.

Note to self: intermediate or battle rifle caliber weapons aren't effective against alicorn shield barriers.

Suddenly, they all disappeared - alicorns and all - in a pair of flashes. "Somepony please tell me what the hell just happened." I poked my head out farther, looking around. "Anyone?" Several Crimson Raider patrols were converging on the site.

Charm glanced over. "The alicorns just teleported them away...."

"How do you know?" I looked to her curiously. All the gunfire died.

She looked down to her flank, then sighed. "Right, barding." She looked up. "Teleporting is my special talent, ma'am." She frowned. "Not a very elegant teleport, either...."

"Ah, yes." I nodded. "Okay." I rose to my hooves, looking around.

"Seems clear, boss."

I glanced to Dashie, then nodded. "Back to eating?"

Dashie trotted over as Charm set the chairs back up. "You're hurt, Firefly...."

I realized my cheek was bleeding. "It's nothing." I shook my head, looking around as I applied pressure to it.

#

After our meal, around 1700, we set out. I headed up to Splinter's office and entered.

She looked up. "Yes?"

"You requested that I see you before we left?"

"Ah. Yes." She glanced to my barding. "Stable 30, yes. Firefly, correct?" I nodded, and she picked up a sheet of paper. "Here's a list of the things we're looking for."

I looked to the list. "A water talisman?" I frowned.

"A water talisman would be great if you could provide us with one. We have to clean water from the harbor, and that's difficult. A water talisman would go a long way towards making the Central Exchange a better place."

I nodded. "I don't know if we even have any spares in the Stable. I'll convey it to my superiors, but I can't promise anything."

She smiled thinly. "I won't hold my breath, Scout."

"I know, I know." I considered. "The Steel Rangers might have one...."

"Oh yes, I'm sure they'll give you one if you ask them politely." Thick sarcasm tinted her voice.

"Of course they would." I smiled to her. "I've met the leader. Nice pony. Very generous."

She narrowed her eyes at me.

I held the joke for just another moment before I shook my head. "I'm kidding, no, he isn't, no, they won't, you're right. But you of all ponies should know that everything is for sale. It's just a matter of finding the right price, right?"

She considered, then shook her head. "I'm not getting involved in this. Find me a water talisman. I don't care where it comes from, as long as the Steel Rangers don't come knocking on my door to steal it."

"Of course. I'll look into it."

"Right." She went back to her desk, and I took the hint, turning and leaving, meeting up with my troops at the gate.

"We ready?" I looked around.

"Aye, Captain." Pumpkin nodded.

We slipped out the gate and continued on towards Redheart General.

#

A few hours passed, before Dashie held up his hoof. "Hold." We froze, looking around. "Listen."

Distant pops.

"Gunfire?"

Dashie nodded. I glanced to Pumpkin. "Blitz. Scout."

"Aye." She hopped up into the air and hovered for a moment, looking around before flapping off in the direction.

I gestured at her. "Follow her." I suited words to action by turning and following her on the ground.

"Remind me, Captain, why are we going towards the gunfire? Isn't that, uh, dangerous?" Collage spoke up.

"That's our job, Collage."

He made an face. "What are we going to do there, exactly?"

"We're going to see what's going on. And if it's raiders attacking a village or something we can help them with, we're going to help them."

"Ah."

"Team One, Team Two. Eyes on, over." Pumpkin broke in on the radio.

"Copy. Sitrep?"

"Raiders attacking a settlement. Two dozen, maybe more."

"What kind of raiders?"

"Not Crimson's. This is...." She trailed off, uneasy. "This is an attack, Captain, not a fight."

"Copy. Where are you?"

"Third floor of a building on..." She paused for a moment. "Fleet Street."

"Copy, we're coming to you. Keep us posted. Out." I glanced around, down to my Pipbuck, then back up. "This way. Dash, point."

Cyclone shook his head, glancing around. "That's the bad part of town, Captain...."

I glanced to him with a smirk. "There are good parts of town?"

Dashie prowled that way, and five minutes later took us to observing the attack from a building.

LOCATION DISCOVERED: BALTIMARE - FLEET STREET SETTLEMENT

Our target was a small village, a couple of buildings surrounded by walls. The walls had been breached on two sides, and at least two dozen ponies were busy... raiding. The distant pops of gunfire had settled down.

"Wow...."

"That is a lot of ponies...." Collage glanced down into the clearing.

"So, what's the plan, Captain?" Spark looked to me intently, and the rest of the team followed suit.

I spent a long moment thinking. We can't attack them. That's too many ponies down there.

Surely Security would find a way to save them, but....

I'm not Security.

"We hold position and watch." I shook my head.

"What? We're just going to sit by and watch while these raiders attack this town?" Spark glared at me.

#

Security Officer Crescent Spark

"Yes, Spark. We're not going to get involved in this." Captain FF's expression hardened.

"Didn't you just say that was what we were here to do? Get involved?"

"If we go in there guns blazing, we're not going to be trotting out of this one alive." She shook her head. "There's nothing we can do."

"Captain." Trooper PB raised a wing, pointing off to an adjacent building. "Those look like Crimson Raiders." I levitated my binoculars over and looked over.

A half dozen ponies, sitting on the second floor. Combat barding, red streaks in their cropped manes. Three of them seemed to be surrounding a fourth, a goat with some cybernetic implants. Two others were watching their backs.

"So that's what they look like?"

"Yeah." Lieutenant RD nodded, turning to Captain FF. "Sooo... what are they doin' here, boss?"

"That is a good question...." Captain FF's tone cooled as she trailed off.

Trooper IC lowered her binoculars, looking around. "Maybe they're waiting for reinforcements?"

Trooper PB shook her head. "Those sure aren't." She gestured angrily into the center of the settlement, where another quartet of Raiders were busy sorting through the pile of supplies that the non-uniformed raiders were bringing out.

Sergeant CC, the ghoul, spoke up. "This is assuming that they're all working together. They could be two separate groups."

A couple of townsponies made a rush for some raiders, brandishing weapons....

CRACK!

One of them fell dead.

Another crack, and a moment later, the other fell dead at the hooves of one of the Crimson Raiders.

Captain FF shot up. "Blitz, where did that come from?"

"I'm looking, I'm looking - there!" Trooper PB waved her hoof at another building opposite. "Half right, fifth floor, the hole near the middle. Sniper team."

I followed her hoof up to the hole. A green earth pony mare with a violently pink and dark red mane, cropped short and neatly slicked back, was laying next to a sniper rifle. Laying next to her was a dark blue unicorn stallion, with a dark green and red mane, cut similarly short, but greasy and spiky. Both of them were dressed in light barding.

"Do they see us?" FF glanced over to PB.

"If they can, they're ignoring us." PB shook her head.

"Right." Captain FF looked around. "Team Three, Team Four. Back out, secure our exfil route. Team One, Team Two, keep observing. We're going to see how this plays out."

#

We set out two hours later, after the settlement had been abandoned by the raiders and the fading light had made further observation useless.

Captain FF glanced around as we stood in the first floor of the building we'd watched from. "I'd like to push to RHG tonight, if possible. Questions?"

I glanced to Min. She shrugged. "No, ma'am."

"Good. Blitz, point. Team Four, rear. Move out." Trooper PB slipped out of the building, flapping down the street. The rest of us followed her out, looking around nervously.

A half hour of trotting took us to a blocked off street, a half dozen ponies standing by the improvised walls halfway down the street.

We holed up up in a building overlooking the walls. It was made of grey stone, and the top half was covered in green shingles. Or at least, it had been, two hundred years ago. A sign by the door proclaimed it was the 'Baltimare Cutie Mark Museum'. Prewar ponies were weird, all right.

"What's the plan, Captain?" I looked to her as Trooper PB observed the walls from a window. We had a narrow view on the road block from a partially collapsed brick building.

"We could backtrack and find another way around." Lieutenant RD stepped over next to Trooper PB, looking down the street.

"That could take hours, Dash." Captain FF shook her head. "Cyclone?" She looked to the ghoul.

Sergeant CC shrugged. "Chances are good they're not going to attack us."

Captain FF looked to him in skeptical amusement. "Chances are good?"

"Attacking ponies is a good way to draw the ire of the Crimson Raiders, and nopony wants to draw the ire of the Crimson Raiders."

"That make sense." Captain FF nodded. "Well, onwards and upwards, right?" Sergeant CC grinned.

LOCATION DISCOVERED: BALTIMARE - TOLL BOOTH ON EASTERN AVE

"Halt! There's a toll of a thousand caps to pass through!"

A thousand caps? I glanced around to the rest of the unit. Do we even have that many caps? A few other ponies stepped into view in the buildings overlooking the street.

Captain FF stepped forward to speak. "A thousand caps? You must be joking." Two of them raised their weapons. "Do ponies routinely wander Baltimare with a thousand caps in their saddlebags?"

"It's a toll, Stable. Pony up or begone."

"What's to stop us from just going around?"

"Nothin' really, but this is the only safe path to the eastern half of Baltimare for miles." The waster smirked. "You're free to try the sewers, if you're feelin' cheap. But that's ferals territory. I hear they like Stable pony best."

Captain FF considered, glancing around at the troops watching us before speaking. "You've heard of the Stable Dweller, and the Security Mare, yes?"

One of the wasters nodded, two of them sharing a look. "What's your point, mare?"

She continued after a moment. "The Stable Dweller has slain a dragon. The Security Mare has blown up a battleship. Both of these are a single Stable pony. Do you really want to see what a squad of Stable ponies can do?" The three wastelanders shared a look. "We'll offer you twenty caps per pony...." She glanced over to us. "For a total of one hundred and sixty caps for the whole team. Is that acceptable?"

The ponies shared a look, and a couple leaned over to talk privately. "Forty. Forty caps per pony." The leader waved a weapon in our direction.

Ugh.

Captain FF considered for a moment. "Very well." She levitated out the caps, and they stepped aside to let us pass.

A few minutes later, Sergeant CC spoke up. "I'm surprised they gave in so quickly. I was expecting them to demand at least fifty caps per pony."

Min glanced to CC. "I don't know if we could have made it through that if that had turned violent."

Captain FF glanced back. "We wouldn't have to fight them, just get past them."

Trooper IC spoke up. "What if they'd pursued us to get their money?"

"You may have a point there." Sergeant CC glanced to Captain FF, seeing her response.

"Well, we keep running. They can't hurt us if they can't catch us, right? Either way, they'd open fire first, so I think we'd be justified in defending ourselves."

"I dunno, boss." Lieutenant RD spoke up. "We did kind of go there and demand our own way. We would have then screwed them over when they refused to change their offer."

Captain FF tossed an annoyed glare over her shoulder at Lieutenant RD, and he smirked at her. "Let's keep moving."

A few hours later, we came to a two-way intersection, one street meeting the one we were walking down to our left and continuing to the east. It was past 2300, and we'd left streets with functional lights a couple hours ago. Captain FF had given the order to go dark, the only illumination natural sources - like the moon that nopony could really see - or Trooper PB's Pipbuck, when she needed to use it to navigate. PB didn't seem to need to use it very often. The occasional flashes of her bright orange coat I saw told me that she had no troubles navigating through the streets in darkness.

Maybe pegasi have some sort of echolocation, like bats?

I turned my eyes to the intersection ahead of us. Broadway, the street we'd been on for a couple of hours, was really two parallel streets with trees and sidewalks between them. Broken down brick apartment buildings lined the outside of the streets. My Pipbuck said we were approaching East Baltimare street, which was the street that cut across Broadway. A sky bus lay flipped over across the right side, blocking us from moving east. Off in the distance to the north, a single light post glowed, a lone beacon in the darkness. A dress store sat in the north east corner of the intersection, pale moonlight shining off of shards of broken windows. A mannequin in a tattered pink dress lay on its side. On the southern, closest side of the intersection across from the dress shop, lay a liquor store. Behind the barred, broken windows, a sign still proudly announced that they sold Captain Lyra's Spiced Rum.

Somehow I doubt they still sell it, but they might have some still.... I spotted a hole in the bars over one window, and noticed it looked like it'd been cut. Probably not any longer. I opened my mouth to ask Lieutenant RD if he wanted to go check it out, when he spoke.

"We're still being watched...." Lieutenant RD glanced around, scanning the walls of the apartment buildings surrounding us.

"Yeah, I think so, too." Trooper PB nodded and hopped into the air. "This damn EFS gives me just enough to make me paranoid."

"What do you mean, PB?" I levitated my Pipbuck ou-

Author's Note

Oh, well.

Okay.

So that happened.

What's just happened? Find out in Fallout Equestria: Stable Scout chapter 12 - Contact!

e: revised on 09.05.16

Chapter 12 - Contact!

Fallout Equestria: Stable Scout
Chapter 12
Contact!

Lieutenant Rapid Dash

Thursday
2345

"Contact!" Pumpkin's calm yell split the night. "Contact!"

I rolled off of Firefly and came up, scanning the street ahead of us. "Mineral! Get Crescent!" The shot had come from ahead of us, and I'd pushed Firefly out of the way. Crescent had been walking right behind Firefly....

The glance I spared Crescent showed she was down and not moving. Her Pipbuck sat on the ground beside her.

"Shooter, quarter right, third floor window by the glowing light pole!" Pumpkin's voice came through the comms, loud but not deafening. I'd lost track of her as soon as the fighting started.

Glad we still have Pumpkin's eyes with us....

I turned my eyes up the street and noted the building with the light pole. "Eyes on, copy!" I looked to my left, and I realized we were being rushed, hostiles yelling battle cries.

There's the assault element. These guys know what they're doing.

"Negative! Negative! Contact low left, street, incoming!" I took a step towards them, opening up with the beltgun.

"Hostiles beside us, building half right!" Ivory yelled from my rear, and a burst of subgun fire rang out.

Pumpkin opened fire from an adjacent roof, and by the flashes of pink, I saw way too many moving bodies. "We're surrounded! Time to leave, boss!"

I looked to Firefly; she'd crawled to her hooves and was readying her shotgun. "Copy! Dash, ambush left! Everyone on Dash! Go, go!"

Ivory backed into me and shrieked.

Damn it!

"Moving, moving!" I charged down the street, passing between a dress shop and a liquor store, firing the beltgun as I went.

Flashes from Pumpkin's beam rifle lit up the street. Ivory and Cast were a pace behind me, firing their weapons, and Mineral two, Crescent over her back. Mineral was not firing her weapon.

The heavy bark of a machine gun cut through the night, kicking up stone and dust ahead of me. I hopped backwards, and it shifted up, beyond me, clear of us. "Shit! We don't wanna be here anymore, boss!"

"Copy! Dash, building left, go! Light pulse in five! Everyone else, on Dash!" A sharp crack rang out behind me, and the machine gun went silent.

Nice shot!

"Copy, moving left!"

"Eyes, eyes!" I averted my eyes as Firefly fired a light orb down the street.

Screams of confusion told me her plan worked, and I spun to the left, bucking a waster through the door and leading the way through it. Cast screamed, but I was too busy clearing the room to look. "Clear, clear!"

Mineral, Ivory and Cast followed me in. I waited to see Firefly with us, bringing up the rear with Cyclone, before leading the way out of the building.

I met Pumpkin on the other side of the building, and Firefly wasted no time giving orders as she levitated her shield behind us. I spared the rest of the team a quick glance. Mineral was examining Crescent - she wasn't moving.

Damn it.

Ivory and Cast were watching the rear with Cyclone, weapons out. Ivory had been hit, her right hind leg, and was keeping her weight off it. The wound on Firefly's cheek had split open, and she'd picked up a bolt-action rifle from somewhere.

"Report!" Firefly looked to me, racking the bolt and slinging her shotgun tight across her flank, under her right saddlebag.

"Crescent is down. Ivory's hit." I glanced down. "Down to fifty rounds for the beltgun, boss."

"Understood." Firefly sighed. "Fighting retreat. Blitz, point, that way." She pointed a hoof in the direction we hadn't come from, to the south. "Find us somewhere to lose them."

"Aye." Pumpkin looked around. "Objective's that way, Captain." She pointed back the way we'd come.

"Forget it!" Cyclone shook his head. "Survive first, mission second."

"Yeah." Firefly looked to the rest. "Lethal force authorized."

Obviously.

Cyclone nodded grimly.

"Captain, those were Crimson Raiders." Pumpkin switched to the radio as we tailed her south through an alleyway.

"Are you sure?" I shared a glance with Firefly as we emerged into a slightly less narrow street, continuing south, tall buildings on either side.

That's not good.

"Same snipers from the settlement earlier. I'd bet my wings on it." That's a bold statement, Pumpkin.

"Survive first, mission second." Firefly nodded. "Revenge later."

"I dusted the sniper." You could hear Pumpkin's savage grin through the comms. "Nothing left of the bitch but kit and ash. Spotter got away, though...."

Cyclone tossed her a warning glare. "Not the time, trooper!"

Mineral yelped and stopped as the strap for her saddlebags broke. "My kit!" She turned back to get it.

"Leave it!" I bit her tail and tugged her forward. "Keep moving!"

"Fuck!" Our rush through the street lead us to a dead end, a street blocked by a building collapsed into a sewer tunnel. "This should be open!"

"Well, it's not! Find us another exit." Firefly turned, drawing her rifle as the yells came closer.

"On it." She hovered in place. "This way." She pointed a hoof to a door.

"Dash, get the door." I nodded and went for the door.

"There! I found them!" Screams and gunshots came from behind us.

Pumpkin turned, firing behind us. "Contact, rear!"

Fuck it. "Going loud!" I spun and bucked the door as several rounds hit around me.

These assholes can't aim for shit.

Mineral let out a muted yelp, and a few rounds tugged at my barding, though none went through.

Gotta stop tempting fate.

"Blitz, point. Cyclone, Dash, rear. Sands, Charm, Collage, after me, through the door." Firefly followed Pumpkin in through, and I turned, taking a step away from the door as I bit down on the trigger, dumping another burst of shells into the mob as they charged towards us.

Another round hit the ground beside me. "Dash, time to go!" I backed into the building after Cyclone, firing a few more shells through the door to keep their heads down.

Shit! Loud!

Cyclone leaned over to yell in my ear, "Grenades?"

"Right saddlebag! Top pocket!"

My ears kept ringing from the gunfire as something collapsed behind me, and I glanced around. The stairs leading to the second floor had collapsed. A few more rounds punched through the thin wooden walls beside the door, sending splinters flying.

"Dashie! Up!" I looked to Firefly, and she gestured to a hole in the ceiling. I nodded, and she took a running jump, landing on my back, and I jumped, throwing her up into the hole. "Blitz, get Dash!"

"Aye, Captain." Pumpkin flapped over to me, lifting me up. "Celestia, you're heavy." Cyclone was doing something with the door.

"Bitch, bitch, bitch. You wanna carry the beltgun?"

"Ha ha, not a chance, Lieutenant." I winced at her use of my rank.

She set me down on the second floor, and the floor creaked under me. "This fuckin' place is fallin' apart, boss." I glanced to Mineral - she'd set Crescent down and was tending to Ivory. "Mineral, you're hit."

She glanced down to her leg in confusion. "Oh, so that's what that was...." She went back to Ivory's leg.

"Stand by." Firefly looked down the hole, holding the riot shield. "Cyclone, you done down there?" He nodded an affirmative. "Blitz, get Cyclone."

"What'd he do?" I leaned in to speak with Firefly quietly.

"Grenades on a tripwire." She smirked.

"Good idea." I glanced to the wall beside me, noting a corkboard with tacks and string connecting various newspaper clippings. The words "Goldenblood" and "OIA??" were hastily scribbled on different sheets of paper in the middle. I stepped over and stripped the board, string, tacks and clippings.

Pumpkin dropped Cyclone on the second floor beside me and threw me a dirty look. "Why can't you be as light as he is?"

Firefly glared at us. "Cut the chatter, you two." I glanced down the hole as she barked orders. "Blitz, find us a path out."

Pumpkin turned and flapped over to a window on the opposite side of the building, wiping it off with a hoof. "This window leads to a back alley that leads to an open street. We should be able to ditch them from here."

Should?

"Right." Firefly nodded and opened the window. "Blitz, point. I'll follow. Sands, Charm, Collage, after me. Dash, Cyclone, rear."

As Cyclone dropped out of the window, I heard a loud, sharp thump.

The grenade detonating.

"They're entering the building, boss."

...

Followed by creaking and screaming.

That's a lot of creaking....

I kept moving quietly, and as I glanced back, the building shifted.

"Go, go! Building is coming down!"

"Get out of there!"

"I'm clear! Keep going!"

I gave up all pretenses of sneaking away and broke into a gallop as the creaking got louder.

Finally, the building gave up, falling in on itself, kicking out a cloud of dust in all directions. It wasn't as loud as gunfire inside a small building, but it was pretty loud.

I took a deep breath of mostly clean air and held it as I galloped down the street.

I noticed a building we'd just passed a mere five minutes ago, a burnt down store, and realized we just crossed Broadway - the street we'd been advancing along. "We just went in a big circle, boss."

"I don't even care at this point. We're still alive." All of us glanced to Mineral, Crescent slung over her back. 'Mostly' rang unspoken among all of us.

We stopped galloping after ten minutes, slowing to a trot. West for two blocks, north for one, past a church made of grey stone and tall, unbroken windows.

"Sewers, boss." I nodded over towards a marehole in the sidewalk.

"Good call." Firefly turned, looking behind us, before trotting over to the marehole and levitating it aside. "Blitz, point. I'll follow. Dash, Cyclone, rear. Collage, close the door behind Dash."

"I thought we said we weren't doing sewers anymore, Captain?" Pumpkin looked over to Firefly in confusion.

I caught Firefly looking to Crescent in the moonlight. "Things changed."

"Oh. Right." Pumpkin slipped down into the sewer.

I sure hope this ends better than the last time, boss....

Captain Firefly

Friday
0024

"That was an ambush, Captain." I looked to Pumpkin as she spoke, anger and pain visible in her eyes. "They were waiting for us, and they fucking wanted us dead."

"If they'd known what they were doing, they would have just opened up with the machine gun and cut us down where we stood, instead of piddling around with snipers." Cyclone shook his head in contempt. "Bunch of amateurs."

"Hold that thought - let's log this." I shifted, pulling my hooves out from under me, and started my Pipbuck's recorder. "Stable Thirty, reconnaissance log, Day One and after-action report for excursion to Redheart General. Captain Firefly leading, Lieutenant Rapid Dash, Sergeant Cyclone, Security officers Pumpkin Blitz, Ivory Charm, Cast Collage and Mineral Sands, participating." I paused. "Begin." I glanced around to my ponies. "We have been ambushed by unknown assailants, and Security officer Crescent Spark has been killed in action." I looked over to the corner where Crescent was laying....

"Not unknown." Pumpkin announced grimly. "Crimson Raiders."

"Not all of 'em." Dashie shook his head as he curled up next to me. "The assault element wasn't Crimson's troops. Mercenaries, perhaps?"

"Crimson doesn't strike me as the type to hire mercs for hits." Cyclone stretched, facing me. "If he wants you dead, he makes it public, and then he kills you. Seen it before."

"Might be an unofficial op, Cyc." Dashie stretched. "The patrols at the Central Exchange ignored us."

"Why would the Crimson Raiders want to kill us?" Charm was laying down facing me, between Collage and Cyclone, worry visible in her orange eyes. "Aren't they our allies?"

I shared a glance with Dashie. "There was an incident when we first met Crimson."

Sands spoke up for the first time since we'd made camp. "What happened, Captain?" She looked up from her leg.

I sighed. "I had a panic attack, shot two of his guards and ran off, leaving Pumpkin and Cerulean with him." Cyclone closed his eyes and groaned.

"Crimson then escorted Doctor Mend and I to our rendezvous point and asked us to ferry a message to Firefly, assuring her that he still wanted her working for him." Pumpkin cleared her throat as she continued where I'd left off. "It makes no sense for him to want you or us dead at this point, Captain."

"I'm inclined to agree this is an unofficial op, Blitz, but we don't know anywhere near enough to make any sort of accurate judgments. In the mean time, here's what we're going to do." I paused, looking around to my ponies, arrayed in a circle facing me. "We are not going to open fire on the Raiders. If they attack us, we are going to defend ourselves."

"We're not going to attack them, Captain?" Charm glared at me. "They attacked us!"

"That's correct. We don't know if this is official Crimson Raider business or a personal vendetta. If this isn't an official Raider hit, we are not going to fire the first shots and piss them off."

Charm rose to her hooves angrily with a wince. "They killed Crescent!" She waved a hoof at Spark's body, before taking a step towards me. "We're going to let them just get away with that?" Sands followed Charm's hoof over to Spark's body, then hurriedly looked away.

"I fucking know that!" I shot to my hooves, too.

Respond.

Don't react.

"I know, Ivory." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "I know." I opened my eyes and looked back to her, and she took a step backwards. "If we attack them, and this was just some personal vendetta by two angry Raiders, we'll be the bad guys." I paused. "They will kill us." I glanced around to my ponies, speaking slowly and quietly. "All of us." Charm looked around. "If the Crimson Raiders really want us dead, the next time we see them, they'll attack us. And then, if and when they tip their hoof, we will do whatever is necessary to get home alive. Am I clear?"

Charm nodded grimly. "I... apologize, Captain." She laid back down.

I glanced around to my ponies one last time, and sat back down. "You did well back there. I'm proud of all of you."

"So... food for thought." Dashie nuzzled me for a moment, and then spoke up. "What did we do wrong? How did we get into this situation? Let's review."

"Well, I pissed them off." I sighed.

"Naw. No mopin'. Bad Firefly." Dashie prodded that spot on my side, and I glared at him. "I mean, that's true, but not what I was talking about." He shook his head. "We walked into that ambush unprepared, flathooved. How did we not know they were there?"

"They were well hidden?" Charm spoke up.

"No." Dashie shook his head again. "They were, but that's not my point. We were predictable and visible. They knew we were coming. They were watching us for a while. When we entered the city, most likely. Doesn't matter."

I stretched. "So, Lieutenant, how would you suggest that we change that?"

"I don't know if we can break observation completely." Dash stretched. "But we can be more unpredictable. For a start, we can stop walking in straight, predictable lines. Take roundabout paths. Don't walk down the middle of big, open streets. Take back alleys, or underground routes, if possible. Like I said."

He glanced back to me. "This is the second time we've been ambushed in as many missions - I think it's time we try something new."

"But that will slow us down." Charm glanced down to her leg.

"I think another ambush like that, one that kills all of us, would slow us down a bit more." Cyclone looked over to me, speaking quietly, just loud enough to be heard.

...

Silence followed Cyclone's casual statement.

"Okay. Point made." I sighed and nodded and glanced to my Pipbuck.

0102

"We rest here for the night. We'll move out in the morning. Questions?"

Nopony had any questions.

Nopony was in a talking mood, either.

I glanced to Spark's body, and closed my eyes.

I shouldn't have pressed on to Redheart General.

I thought about Crescent, remembering her and the stuff she'd done....

"Something funny, Captain?"

I opened my eyes and looked to Cyclone. "Just remembering Crescent...."

As I realized I was grinning, I turned to Dashie. "Dash - remember the thing she did with Weld? First night on patrol, the two of them together?"

Dashie chuckled lightly.

Collage and Sands smiled a little, sharing an awkward look.

Cyclone grinned, not in on the joke, but aware of the context.

Charm burst out laughing. "Oh mare, yeah! Weld wouldn't sleep in his quarters for a week!"

"That seems to rely on the assumption that Weld actually does sleep in his quarters." I smirked at Charm.

"Nah, he does." Dashie grinned. "I've seen him leaving his quarters before."

Charm snickered back. "What if he was just doing that intentionally, to make it look like he doesn't sleep in the Armory all the time?"

We all lay there for a long minute, grinning and chuckling. I closed my eyes, enjoying the sounds of my ponies laughing and remembering Spark fondly.

I sighed, and we all fell silent, our thoughts bringing us a grim reality check.

Crescent was no longer here, and it was all my fault.

I need to stop fucking around.

Cyclone was right - we should have spent the night at the Central Exchange.

I took a deep breath, opened my eyes and looked to Spark again.

"Debriefing adjourned." I looked to my Pipbuck, shutting off the recorder. "Cyclone and I will take first watch. Dash and Blitz, second. Lights out in thirty minutes."

#

Casualties of Operation Baltimare

Security Officer Crescent Spark

#

Friday
0634

The raiding party returned to their home, full of confidence and victory. The Crimson Raiders group leader had been killed - what a bitch she was. They'd lost the target, and fanning out to look for them in Baltimare was a lost cause after freeing who they could from the collapsed building. The job wasn't complete, but they were returning to let the Raiders plan another ambush. They were just the muscle, after all. It was a Crimson Raiders job.

But then, they realized something was wrong. There was no cheering for their return, no children rushing out to greet their parents. And upon entering the town square, they realized why....

It was full of Crimson Raiders - the very same ponies that had contracted them for this job... only these Raiders were holding their families hostages. Many of the raiding party readied their weapons, until the leader yelled for them to stop.

The leader of the Crimson Raiders group stepped forward. He was a blue unicorn with a spiky, greasy mane, naturally dark green with red streaks dyed through it, named Mayweather. As he opened his mouth to speak, King Crimson Nimbus stepped out of the ranks. He gasped softly. Crimson was seeing to this personally? This was serious.

"This is interesting." Crimson paused, looking over the raiding party. "You see, I was under the impression that this village wasn't raiding other villages...." He frowned, speaking quietly as he approached. "But this looks very much like a raiding party returning. Lower your weapons." The raiders looked around, debating between fighting and surrendering.

They might have a chance. "Put your weapons down or we'll execute your families where they stand."

Mention of their families made them reconsider, and many looked into the mass of ponies in the middle, seeing siblings, children and spouses, held at gunpoint. Those who did not put their weapons down, were convinced to do so by their companions.

"Good." The red pegasus turned to his pony. "Sergeant Mayweather. Explain."

Mayweather cleared his throat before speaking. "It was the Stable 30 team, sir. They attacked these ponies."

King Crimson considered that. Unlikely.

But not impossible.

But very unlikely. His daughter wasn't stupid. "Continue."

"They attacked these ponies, and my team came to their aid. They murdered Belldandy, sir. There wasn't anything left of her-"

King Crimson caught whispers among the ponies with his Raiders. "Silence." He looked to the group, pointing to one of them. "You." Two Raiders dragged him to the front. "Did the Stable 30 ponies attack your group?"

"What?"

"You heard me. Are you saying that you were minding your business, when you were attacked by ponies from Stable 30?"

"Well, not exactly. We kind of...." He quickly fell silent, glancing around nervously.

"Please, continue." Crimson spoke quietly.

"What I meant was, yeah. They totally attacked us."

"They attacked you, but not exactly?" Crimson looked to the dark blue unicorn in the back, his horn glowing.

"Yeah." The wastelander nodded. "They attacked us." The unicorn discretely shook his head.

"Very well." Crimson looked to their barding. It was dark blue with light armor plates, a pair of saddlebags with a gear with nine cogs for a clasp, the number 30 neatly embossed on the face. Blood and specs of grey stained one side. "Where did your barding come from?" Rainbow liquid dripped out of a hole in one saddlebag, and as the wastelander shifted, the sound of broken glass bouncing around was audible.

"We killed one of them. Defending ourselves, I mean." He swallowed. "We took the stuff, because they weren't using it, right?"

"What were you doing in Baltimare in a group like that?" Crimson approached the group, crossing the front of the formation. "Because, from where I'm standing, this very much looks like a raiding party...."

"We were out... exploring."

The entire village fell silent. All present knew that they were lying.

Crimson turned to Mayweather. "Where did this attack happen?"

He swallowed. "The intersection where East Baltimare Street meets Broadway, sir."

Crimson said nothing for a long moment, before looking Mayweather in the eyes. "No more second chances. Arrest the traitors." He turned and trotted off. "If they resist, kill them. Kill the rest."

Major Serenity

I turned and followed Father to the command center as the screams and gunfire began. "Father?" Something about his tone had begged... no, dared them to resist. "What's wrong?"

"Your sister...." Father paused for a moment.

"My half sister, you mean."

"Yes. Your sister." He nodded, looking over to me. "She's not a stupid mare. She gains nothing I can see from attacking these ponies...." He trailed off. "So! What would these ponies gain from attacking her?"

"Perhaps you're missing something? Are you aware of the Stable troops' motives? They did attack us, before...."

"Of course I'm missing something." Crimson shook his head, frowning. "I know of what they're doing in Baltimare in general." He trotted over to his saddlebags, digging out a thermos. "I don't know what they're doing right now." He looked back to me, smirking. "Beyond that, you did attack them previously."

"You ordered me to bring them in. You didn't specify how." I coughed and diverted the discussion elsewhere. "Mayweather and Belldandy were friends of Sharp and Aegis."

Part of me wished they had succeeded in killing Firefly....

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Do you know that the Stable ponies were telling you the truth?"

"I know Blue - he's trustworthy." He dug out a coffee mug, pouring himself some coffee as he thought. "Hrm... Attacking us now would be suicide. I'm sure she knows that. There's more going on than I know." He paused for a moment. "I'm not ready to write her off. Not yet." He rubbed his muzzle where the bruise was still healing. "But make no mistake - if she fucks up again, we will deal with her."

Good.

I felt better about that.

He turned to face me. "Major! You will personally inspect the intersection at Broadway and East Baltimare and tell me your findings. Once that is completed, you will then link up with the team observing the Stable 30 team. You are not authorized to engage them unless I personally issue orders to do so. Questions?"

"What do we do if they attack us?"

"Disengage, continue observation if possible and contact me."

"Yes, sir!" I saluted and turned off.

"Daughter." I looked back to him. "Stay safe out there."

"Of course, Father...." I smirked and hopped into the air, circling the village for a moment to think. The pops and screams had mostly died down. I kept my eyes on the streets outside of the settlement.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught movement, and a closer look showed a group of kids who were fleeing. A few of them had guns. "Exterior Team, Serenity. We've got movement, armed runners by the west wall, over."

"Copy, Major. Moving to intercept." Sergeant Tin Wall lead the unit that was responsible for exterior security.

"Who are they?" Crimson broke in on the radios.

A scream, cut off by a couple of distant pops came from below, and I winced as I flipped over in mid-air, turning to the west. "Looks like a bunch of kids, sir."

"Leave them. If they're lucky, they'll make it to a town and tell them what we've done. If they're not, the radiation or the wildlife will get them."

"Lettin' 'em do our job for us, huh, sir?" Sergeant Wall chuckled.

"Exactly. Crimson Actual, out."

Author's Note

Oh.

Well.

Soo... Um. That happened.

Hrm...

e: revised on 09.05.16

Chapter 13 - That Fucking Hospital

Fallout Equestria: Stable Scout
Chapter 13
That Fucking Hospital

Captain Firefly

Friday
0630

The night in our small little stone room passed uneventfully. Dirty water quietly trickled through an inlet outside the only doorway.

At 0600, Dashie woke me. By 0630, we were all awake and getting ready to move out. The room was lit by a glow lantern in the center and our Pipbucks.

"This isn't too bad cold." Pumpkin waved a hoof to me as she nibbled on leftovers from her meal last night. "Captain, I think I found us a path to the hospital through the sewers."

"Ghoul-free?" I brushed the tangles out of my greasy mane as I approached her.

"I... don't have an answer for that." She frowned, looking away. "Cyclone doesn't know either." The amber glow of her Pipbuck was the only thing illuminating her features from where she sat, facing away from the glow lantern.

"Don't worry about it." I nodded grimly, and waved Cyclone and Dashie over. "Pumpkin thinks she found a way to the hospital, but we don't know if the tunnels haven't collapsed, or if they're infested with, uh, pseudoferals." Pumpkin smiled at my use of Cerulean's term. "What're your thoughts, folks?" Charm looked over, looking like she wanted to say something. "Ivory? Mineral, Cast? You're part of this too."

Cast looked from Cyclone to I. "What are the chances that the Crimson Raiders can follow us?"

I considered, remembering something Crimson had said. "Ah. They're tracking us through our Pipbucks."

Everyone fell silent at that, sharing looks ranging from worry to shock. A couple looked to their Pipbucks, giving them looks of betrayal. Cast in particular anxiously fiddled with his Pipbuck, as if he were looking for a toggle to turn off the tracking that we'd all forgotten about. To my knowledge, there was none.

Idly, I made a mental note to learn more about my Pipbuck's capabilities.

Dashie broke the silence after a moment. "So, no chance of going quiet, then?"

"Probably not." I shook my head. "We don't know the extent of their tracking capabilities, though."

"If we move quickly, they probably can't maneuver quickly enough to catch us." Pumpkin frowned, looking to me with a hopeful expression.

"I'm hearing an awful lot of 'maybes' here." I glanced back, the way we'd come, towards the marehole we'd entered the sewers from. "If we go back that way, they're likely waiting."

Dashie frowned. "This is assuming they know where we are. For all we know, our counterattack, the building collapse and us going to ground may have thrown them off the trail."

I nodded. "That's possible."

Cyclone glanced around. "Better to assume they know we're here, I think."

Everyone started talking at once, agreeing, disagreeing.

"Right!" I raised my voice to be heard over my ponies. "Here's the plan. We're going to follow the sewers towards another marehole closer to the objective. Exit the sewers there and press on to the objective. Change streets every other street or so." I glanced to Dashie. "Like he said - be unpredictable."

Mineral spoke up for the first time since she'd cried herself to sleep last night. "What do we do with...." She partially turned towards where Crescent's body lay. Ivory reached over to rest a hoof against her side.

...

Oh.

Right.

I considered for a long moment. "Strip her kit. We'll burn the body."

"What?" Cyclone looked shocked. "Burn her body?"

"Yes. When we get home, we'll hold a celebration in her name." I pointed to Cast, then Ivory. "Cast. Ivory. Deal with Crescent." Ivory nodded grimly. I looked to Mineral. "Mineral, could you take a look at my leg?" I looked to Dashie. "Dash, come over here. Mineral's going to check your flank after she checks my leg."

"Captain?" Mineral gave me a confused look.

I stretched over on a clean-ish section of the ground, and they followed me over. "I was... hurt during the previous mission. Cerulean told me to have you look at it this morning."

Mineral settled down on her haunches next to me, running her hooves along my foreleg. "How bad was it?"

I didn't want to bring this up. "I... lost my leg. Cerulean reattached it."

She gave me a flat look. "Are you serious?"

Oh, how I wish I wasn't. "Yes."

She shook her head. "This doesn't make any sense. If I didn't know better, I'd say this injury was at least a month old...." She dug through pockets in her barding. "I'd like to run some tests on it when we get back to the Stable."

"No tests necessary, I know what the answer is!" Mineral gave me a concerned look. "Unicorn master race, naturally." Dashie quietly groaned.

Mineral gave me a blank look. "Ha... ha ha." She rose to her hooves, directing Dashie to lay down. "By the way, I lost my medical supplies, Captain." She glanced to what kit she had left. "And most of my stuff."

"Yes, yes...." I glanced over towards Cast and Ivory, who were repacking Crescent's kit into an easy to carry form.

...

Crescent's kit has nopony to wear it.

Mineral has no kit.

Mineral is not going to like this.

"You get to carry Crescent's kit now."

"Captain?" Mineral looked up from Dashie's flank with a shocked look. "But... I... Crescent!"

"No! No arguing. You're carrying Crescent's kit." She glared at me, and I could tell she was going to argue. "Wait. Never mind." I looked around.

There is something disturbing about making someone wearing their dead best friend's kit.

"Ivory!" Ivory looked over. "Strip. Mineral will wear your kit. You're going to wear... Crescent's kit."

Ivory looked down in confusion and opened her mouth. "But..."

I cut her off before she could start whining. "I'm not in the mood. Just do it."

"Yes, ma'am." Ivory started stripping her equipment off.

"Mineral, Ivory, deal with that." I trotted over to Dashie.

Dashie rose to his hooves, stretching as he fixed his barding. "Boss, I'm down to five rounds for the beltgun."

It's not a... oh, never mind.

It doesn't matter.

I glanced to Mineral. Mineral was carrying...

Ah.

Mineral lost her kit, and Dashie's reload.

"Right." Out of all the ponies to lose their kit, it had to be the ammo carrier. "Perfect."

#

At 0650, we were all packed and ready to move. Only one thing left. Dashie nuzzled me. "Well, boss..."

"I know." I cleared my throat. "Ponies!"

My ponies looked to me.

Ivory and Cast were standing together. They'd been talking quietly, their expressions neutral.

Cyclone and Pumpkin had been talking shop about Pumpkin's beam rifle. Mineral was looking at the bite mark on Pumpkin's wing.

Dashie was standing next to me. He had a grim expression.

"It's time." I glanced to Crescent's body.

All of their moods fell at the reminder of our loss, expressions turning to grim sadness, pain or anger. Mineral rose to her hooves, slinging her saddlebags over her flanks and yanking the straps tight with an angry look.

Dashie had set some strips of wood under her body and covered it with a cloth soaked in gas. Where he'd found it, I didn't ask.

I was glad I didn't have to see her body.

"Well." I glanced around. "Good bye, Crescent. It's been an honor."

If I hadn't fucked up last week, she wouldn't be dead.

...

I don't know that for sure.

But I think that's what happened.

...

"I'm sorry." I looked up to everyone, blinking back tears. Not the time, Firefly. Time for angst later.

"Does anypony have anything they'd like to add?"

"Goodbye, Security Officer Crescent Spark." Cyclone stepped forward as he spoke. "Your time was far too short, and I'm saddened that I didn't get the chance to know you properly." He closed his eyes and bowed.

"Bye, Cres..." Ivory had a dead expression, her voice cracking as she said Crescent's name. I gave her a closer look. Fear seemed to winning out on her face.

A minute of silence passed as Min quietly sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Then, I broke the silence as I drew a flare and cracked it open with a sharp hiss.

Everyone looked up to me in shock, and then relaxed as they realized it was just me.

I turned to Min, offering her the end of the flare that wasn't hissing. "Would you like to do the honors, Mineral?"

She looked to me in blank confusion, before violently shaking her head as she realized what I meant, taking a step back.

I nodded tightly and carefully set it among the folds of cloth covering Crescent.

The cloth quickly lit.

For a long minute, the only sound was the soft crackling of flames and Min crying. Ivory leaned over to nuzzle her, and Cyclone put his hoof on her shoulder.

"We should move, boss." Dashie prodded me.

I nodded. "Right." I cleared my throat. "Let's move!"

#

Cyclone broke the tense silence we'd been trotting in for a half hour. "Underground's for moles and Stable ponies."

The tunnels were dark, lit only by our Pipbucks and the pale blue light orbs Ivory and I had cast. They were stuffy and hot, a far cry from the welcoming, well-lit steel corridors of our home.

Even the air felt like it wished us ill.

I shook my head, glancing to the rest of my team. "We're not so hot on these tunnels either, Cyclone." Not even Dashie had a snarky comment for once.

We exited the sewers via a marehole around 0740, emerging onto a wide, open street, buildings on both sides. A light post had fallen across the street and through a wall, making an access way into the second story of that building.

Pumpkin announced it was clear. "At least, as clear as this EFS can determine."

I wasn't the only pony concerned about their Pipbuck's usefulness.

Wonderful.

"Praise the sun, I can breathe." I took a deep breath, enjoying the clean air. It... felt alive. Natural. I almost preferred it to the sterile air of the Stable.

Preferring surface air to Stable air? That's probably concerning.

"Is that a sunrise?" Ivory perked up immediately, and I looked up. "It's so pretty!"

The sky was... pink.

"No." Cyclone was not so cheerful. "It's pink rain. A storm is coming."

"Pink rain?"

"Rain infused with the pink cloud that the zebras used to bomb Canterlot." Cyclone shook his head. "It melts things together."

"This day keeps just getting better. How long until it gets here?"

"A day. Two, perhaps." Cyclone frowned.

I nodded, and looked to Pumpkin. "Blitz, where are we?"

Pumpkin nodded in agreement with Cyclone. "A day or two, yeah." She looked to her Pipbuck. "We're on Broadway." She pointed up the street. "Hospital's that way."

I shook my head. "Get us off this Princess forsaken street. We'll take a roundabout path and hit the objective from the east."

"Aye." She set off, leading us through an alleyway up the street.

I had to admit, getting out of the dark sewers definitely lifted our spirits despite the impending rain storm. Cool, clean air was certainly an improvement. Pumpkin was happier, almost flitting about.

"Captain, two contacts, coming down the street, over." I glanced to Pumpkin, catching sight of a cyan and seafoam green striped tail disappearing into a third story window.

"Weapons tight. Get down." I ducked into the doorway of a building, and my team scattered into cover. "Let them pass."

The two of them trotted into our formation, unaware. They were a pair of unicorns, a small, blue stallion in a cloak, his long mane white and yellow, and a mare, beige with a black and pink streaked mane. They passed through, until the mare looked straight at me, and we locked eyes.

Shit.

She immediately went for a weapon of some kind, and Dashie came out of nowhere, bucking her. Her weapon, a switchblade, clattered against the sidewalk in front of me.

I advanced out of the shadows, rifle beside me. "What are you doing here?"

"We're just leaving the city. We... we don't want any trouble!" Her voice was shrill with fear.

Oh.

Oops.

I nodded to Dashie, and he stepped back, letting them up. "Ah." I nodded, digging through my saddlebags. "Take this as a token of our apology." I levitated out a 10mm pistol, two magazines and my last sealed healing potion. I offered her these and returned her switchblade, hilt first.

She looked to me in confusion, but nodded, taking the supplies and backing away. "Who... are you?" She tucked the healing potion in one of her saddlebags, looking to me.

Huh, okay. "We're the Scouts of Stable 30. We're here to lead the way for Stable 30 to rejoin Equestria."

She frowned. "So... what does that mean?"

"Well... we're going to be doing what needs to be done to make the wasteland safer for all."

"Like...?"

"Right now, we're reaching out to forge alliances among the major groups. Steel Rangers, Crimson Raiders, the Central Exchange, others."

"Oh, okay..." She nodded. "We're leaving now."

I waved to her. "Good luck with what you're doing!"

"Smooth, boss." Dashie tossed me one of his lopsided smirks.

"Shut it, Lieutenant." I shook my head. "Let's move."

Huh. That didn't go too badly, over all.

#

0832

An hour and a half of tramping through back alleys and darting across roads brought us to eyes on the objective.

We settled down to observe the target in a square, three-story building on Canterlot Street, made of brick, with barred, shattered windows. A sign on the front claimed it sold plumbing supplies, but I suspected it had been abandoned before the war. At some point, ponies had occupied it, and there was a distinct smell of feces coming from a corner of the first floor. Abandoned, now.

Redheart General was a series of gleaming buildings, primarily made of softly rounded glass windows and brick.

Or, at least, I presume it had been gleaming at one point. All of the windows had been shattered, and a couple of the secondary buildings had collapsed. A skybridge stretched between two buildings. Looking through the windows showed signs that the buildings had recently been occupied, at least one of them - glass swept out of the way, furniture stood up, other things.

"Hospital looks occupied."

"Gee, who'da thunk it, boss?" Dashie's smart-ass attitude was getting to me.

"Can it, Lieutenant." I threw Dashie a stern glare.

Apparently Dashie picked up on that, and his smug tone disappeared. "Sorry, ma'am."

Pumpkin spoke up, pointing with a hoof. "Looks like the north building is the primarily occupied structure, ma'am."

"Looks like we've found our first lead." I grinned to Sands. "Showtime, ponies."

Our hooves crunched on broken glass as we approached the northern building, the former wall of glass to our right. Eventually, though, we came across a path where the glass had been cleared away, leading to the front entrance.

"Interesting." I glanced down as the sound my hooves crunching on glass changed to clopping on pavement.

"Guess they're expecting visitors." Dashie spoke up, glancing around.

"It is a hospital, after all. What good is a hospital without a way for ponies to get there?"

LOCATION DISCOVERED: BALTIMARE - REDHEART GENERAL

The front entrance was a large, open area, almost a park with trees and overgrown grass in between brick pathways. The brick path leading to the main door had been cleared up, weeds pulled out and bricks replaced. Sandbag fortifications had been erected. A skybus had fallen to the ground off to the left, and it'd been pulled over to create a partial wall.

A couple of guards stood by the main door, and they raised their weapons as we approached. "Who are you, and what do you want?"

I approached slowly, weapons down. "We're here to negotiate for a trade route for medical supplies."

"For what purpose?"

"Well, the purpose of trade, of course. I'd like to speak to your leader, if that would be possible."

One of them, a griffon, looked to the other, a green earth pony in a battle saddle. Her mane and tail were cropped short, and a rifle lay slung against her right flank. "Go on in." They stepped aside, and I lead the way in.

The reception hall was much the same - white tile I imagined had been clean two hundred years ago, and broken glass walls. Benches and seats dotted the room. The lower levels of glass walls had been boarded up with planks. A broken wheelchair lay on its side in a corner. Brown spots dotted the white tile underhoof.

Cyclone sighed softly. "I remember when they first built this place...."

"Nostalgic much, Sarge?" Charm looked to him, a little teasing, a little genuine curiosity in her tone.

Cyclone nodded sadly. "It's been over fifty years since I've done a whole lot of traveling, not since the... incident in New Reino. It felt like I was... losing myself. I'm glad I came with you."

"Can I help you, ponies?" A stallion sat at the front desk, back legs crossed on the desk, a hoofball cap worn backwards pushed over his mane. "You don't look injured?" He smirked. "Sorry, we don't do psychological issues."

I chuckled at his joke. "No, we're not here for your help. We're here to help you, actually." He looked confused. "We'd like to negotiate a trading route for medical supplies."

He shrugged, looking over us as he pulled his hooves off the desk. "You're gonna have to talk to Rez for that."

I nodded. "Where would we find her?"

"She's over that way." He pointed a hoof. "Not sure what she's doing, though."

A short trot lead us to a tired-looking yellow unicorn, carrying a stack of boxes on her back. Her purple mane was pulled back in a loose, messy bun, several locks on the verge of falling out.

"Rez?" I studied her as I pulled my helmet off.

She threw a frosty glare back the way we'd come, before she frowned at me severely. "I am 'Doctor Insecure Resident'. You may call me 'Doctor Resident'." She looked at me for a long moment, tucking some of her mane back behind her ear. "If you're looking for medical treatment, go back that way and talk to Adjunct." She pointed a hoof back the way we'd come.

"No, we're the Scouts of Stable 30. Would you like the long version or the short version?"

"Unless the long version ends with a healing spell in a reusable megaspell matrix, make it fast." She continued on her way, and we followed her.

"Unfortunately, I don't have one of those to offer. Yet." She raised her eyebrow as I set about revising and optimizing my pitch.

Right.

I cleared my throat. "I would like to offer Redheart General our services. In exchange, we wish to create a serious alliance, supplying your hospital in exchange for possible assistance in the future. For now, I'd like to take a tour of your facilities to see what you have, and what we can offer you."

"A tour. Of my facilities." Doctor Resident set the boxes aside and turned, leaning against the wall. "Still not hearing a concrete offer of what you've got to offer us."

"Well, Stable 30 has the ability to produce healing potions, new stock, with a greatly improved recipe."

She shook her head. "We're here to provide medical care, not sell healing potions. Healing potions don't set broken bones properly." Sands nodded in agreement, and Doctor Resident smiled approvingly for a moment. "More on that, I'm sure you're only offering 'limitless supplies of healing potions' for the low, low price of complete and total ownership of the hospital. No thanks."

"Taking over the hospital would put unnecessary strain on the Stable." I shook my head. "Not good for either party." She nodded, acceding that point as I took a different track. "Tell me, where do your healing potions come from?"

"Mostly from passing traders." She pursed her lips at me, body language clearly asking, 'what's your point?'.

I suppressed a smirk as I levitated my last healing potion out, half full. "Do they come in sealed Sparkle-cola bottles like this?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Many of them do, yes..."

I cleared my throat and smiled. "Think of it as simply cutting out the middlemare, rather than finding a new source."

She nodded slowly. "Very well..."

"We could also supply you with ponies with medical training. After all, even the most skilled of experts can learn a new trick from a novice, and Stable 30's business is storing knowledge."

"I'm not interested in being one-upped by Stable ponies." She frowned and pushed off from the wall. "I doubt your 'experts' have anywhere near as much experience treating bullet wounds and radiation as my ponies."

"That is probably true, but how much experience do your ponies have with more advanced medical issues? Together, we could round out Redheart General's abilities and help Baltimare." She frowned, not swayed.

"Nope. Actually..." She looked down, and then slowly smirked. "You know what? Yeah. There is something you can do for us." I followed her gaze to my M3000, and looked back up to her. "There's a Stable under the hospital. We've never been able to get inside. Get us inside, and I'll personally give you your damn tour."

I perked up. "A Stable, did you say?"

She shrugged. "For all I know, it might just be a door in the wall that leads nowhere."

My ponies shared looks, curious or wary. Ivory grinned brightly. "We're not the only Stable ponies out here? That's amazing!" The rest of the team shared her sentiments, glee and happiness at another Stable.

...before Dashie popped their balloon of hope. "They probably won't be anything like us."

"I wouldn't bet on it." Doctor Resident shook her head. "We've tried talking to them. No reply. A couple guards looked at the air vents - they're pretty bad." She shrugged. "If there are ponies in there, I'd be very, very worried about them, for our sakes...."

I nodded solemnly. "Not every Stable could be a success story."

"Stable 30 is the only Stable I've heard of that wasn't a failure, a disaster or a death trap." She chuckled. "Or all of the above, for that matter." She nodded slowly, chewing on her cheek. "Alright. Get us inside the Stable, and I'll give you your tour." She turned and called out into a back room. "Scalpel! I'm going to show these ponies the Stable. Send some guards down."

"On it!" A stallion's voice called back.

"This way." She turned and walked off, leading us through the hospital, and across the skybridge over the road we'd used on our approach. The windows were shattered - like all glass in this building - but the name "Redheart General Hospital" was visible along one side. We went through the building, down to the basement, full of dusty crates, and into a back room.

Not just any room, though. An empty room, bare except for a door that resembled a rusty gear with nine cogs. A set of tracks were visible along the back wall, leading to the corner.

The number "60" sat in the middle in yellow text.

"Stable 60, huh?" I glanced to Dashie.

"Lemme guess - you planned this from the start." He smirked - the return of his obnoxiously smug smirk - but my mood had risen so much in the past half hour I didn't even mind his smirk again.

"What would make you think that, Lieutenant." I stepped over to the console, looking to it. A small red light lit the control panel. I pressed the intercom button, speaking into the microphone. "This is Captain Firefly of Stable 30 - is there anyone in there?"

...

Silence answered us.

"Well..." I pulled the interface cable free from its slot on my Pipbuck, plugged it into the console and triggered the door override.

The red light on the console went out for a short eternity.

It was quickly replaced with a green light. "Here goes nothing." I flipped the switch.

...

With a room-shaking groan, the massive gear screeched out of its niche and rolled aside. Stale, dusty air rushed out behind the door.

Dust fell from the ceiling, settling in my sticky coat through gaps between my helmet and barding. Behind the door lay darkness and distant echoes of the door's opening.

It almost reminded me of the first time I exited Stable 30, but in reverse.

"Well. I'll be damned. You did it." Doctor Resident nodded, a smile slowly crossing her face. "You upheld your half. You want the tour now, or after?"

I considered, turning to my ponies. "Sergeant Cyclone, Doctor Sands. You're up." I gestured to Sands. "Mineral Sands is our medic. She'll see what you have." I glanced around to my troops. "The rest of us will look through the Stable, get an idea of what's in there."

Doctor Resident nodded, brushing a couple of loose strands of her mane behind her ear. "Good luck!" She turned and trotted off, Sands and Cyclone in tow. "Cyclone, huh? You're that ghoul from the police station, right?"

"The one and only, ma'am."

Good, good.

I turned back to my team. "Questions?"

Collage looked around. "What are we doing in... there?" He pointed in through the door.

"Well, we're going in there to make sure it's safe. We volunteered, remember?" I turned, facing Collage.

"No, you volunteered for that." I narrowed my eyes at Collage at his response.

"Cut it out, Cas." Charm prodded Collage.

"You volunteered for exterior duty, trooper. I volunteered our services, which includes you." Collage nodded - grudgingly - and I continued. "We also need to get a copy of the computer storage."

Collage cocked his head in confusion. "For what?"

"The alicorns in Deathcon want something on there. I want to know what they're looking for, and why. First step of that is to find it."

"Um, okay. You're going to go to this group of super magical abominations, tell them, "I have what you want", and try to blackmail them for it?"

"No, I'm going to negotiate with them for a mutually beneficial alliance that leaves both parties pleased with the resulting agreement." Collage looked less than impressed.

That's okay - it doesn't matter. Collage and Ivory traded another look.

Today's finally going just right.

I turned, tossed my team a confident smirk, then trotted into Stable 60 after Pumpkin as Ivory cast a light orb.

Security Officer Ivory Charm

Cas grabbed my tail, pulling me back.

Blue lightning suddenly engulfed Team One.

"Holy shit!"

Blitz, Firefly and Dash collapsed.

My EFS flashed alerts everywhere!

Just being near it made me want to run and hide. My light orb dispelled.

"Cas, get Firefly!" I drew my weapon, Firefly's rifle and shotgun, turning to cover Cas. "Min! Min, get down here!"

Min came galloping back, Cyclone behind her. "What happened?"

"I dunno! There was a flash of magic, and they collapsed!" My EFS showed something hostile to my right, and I spun, bringing all of my weapons to bear on it.

...

There was nothing there.

My levitation field collapsed, dropping all of the guns to the ground. I tried to pick them up, and... my levitation field failed again?

What the hell?

"Ivory?" Cyclone looked over to me curiously as he pulled Dash back out of the Stable. Doctor Resident hurried over to Firefly, her horn lighting up.

"I... thought I saw something." I trotted over to the weapons, and glanced to my EFS, seeing red pings everywhere. "I think my Pipbuck's damaged."

"They're waking up."

Blitz groaned, crawling to her hooves. Min hurried over to her. "Ow! Quit shining that in my eyes!"

"Just checking." Min looked down to Blitz in concern. "What time is it?"

"What?" Blitz sat up, brushing Min aside. "I'm fine. Are they okay?" She gestured towards Team One.

Min shook her head in irritation and trotted over to check on Dash. "Lieutenant?"

He groaned and rolled over as she shined a flashlight in his eyes. "Owww! Celestia, I'm awake!"

After giving myself a minute to recharge, I tried to pick the guns up again. My magic worked this time.

I set Firefly's weapons down by her as she sat up and I walked over to the door cautiously, recasting my light orb and waving it around.

Cas spoke up, worried as always. "Iv?"

"Stay back. Cover me, Cas." I looked around as he drew his weapon. "There's magic here...." I glanced along the wall, finding something that gave off an arcane spark.

What's this?

I followed a wire attached to it back around the door, and found a spark battery hooked to it.

I pulled the spark battery free and studied it. It was dull - depleted. I tucked it away. "Hey, Sarge, what's this?"

Cyclone trotted over, studying what it was hooked to. "Ooh, an AM pulse emitter." He shook his head. "It doesn't do any fatal damage, but stuns ponies and scrambles magitech hardware..." He glanced down to my leg. "... like Pipbucks."

"But why?" Firefly stepped over to us, tucking a healing potion back into her saddlebags. "What purpose does this serve?"

Blitz shrugged. "No clue, Captain."

"Must be something in here, right?" She grinned, glancing to Cyclone.

"Not necessarily. Wartime ponies were incredibly paranoid." I looked to Cyclone as well. "Yours truly was among them, for a time."

I glanced down at my Pipbuck to get the time.

99:99

"Uh." As I watched, the EFS politely informed me I was dead, and that I should seek medical attention immediately. "I don't feel dead?"

"What?" Firefly stared at me.

"My clock is all screwed up. And my EFS is telling me I'm dead." Firefly, Blitz, Dash and Cas all looked to their own Pipbucks. "I'm not dead... right?"

Is this what being dead is like? I looked around and dug my hoof into my other my leg.

It hurt, a lot.

If this is what being dead is like, being dead sucks.

Dad is gonna be soo pissed at Captain Firefly....

"You're not dead. Unless..." Cas trailed off, eyes widening. "What if we're all dead?"

"We're not dead!" Firefly looked to us sternly, and then grinned. "We are not dead, and this changes nothing."

"Captain?" I looked to Cas, and he shrugged.

"This changes nothing." She smirked, a confident and sly expression. "Plan remains the same - we go in there, we get the computer data dump, and we get out. But this time, we watch our hooves." She looked to Cyclone and Min. "Sergeant, Doctor. You two go check the hospital with the kind Doctor Resident." She gestured towards Doctor Resident. "Blitz, point. Dash, rear. Team Four will follow me."

"Yes, ma'am." Blitz turned and set off into the Stable, far more carefully than we had initially.

#

This felt... wrong.

Horrifying.

The Atrium looked identical - same architecture, same configuration. Two levels, with tables and benches neatly spread around the lower level. A round window at the far end of the room - where the Overmare's office should be.

But... it was derelict.

In the red glow of emergency lights, rust was visible crawling up the walls.

"This looks like home...." I spoke quietly.

"No. Not like home. Like what home could have been...." Dash answered in an equally hushed tone.

I shivered.

We stood there for a long moment, looking at this mirror of our home.

Even Captain Firefly seemed to be frozen in awe.

Finally, she spoke up, barking out orders. "Let's move!" She winced at her voice echoing, and lowered it as she continued. "We have places to be, ponies." She lead the way through the Atrium, up to the second floor.

Everything was where it should have been, untouched by everything except for rust and age. All of the stools in the Cafe were neatly pushed in under tables.

"Let's check Security." Captain Firefly turned and trotted around the second level, leading us to Security.

"There!" I spun, bringing my weapons to bear on a red ping on my EFS...

... only to find nothing was there.

"Charm?" Everypony was staring at me.

"Uh, sorry." I shook my head. "EFS acting up." I slung my weapons.

"Right..." Firefly turned and entered Security.

Once again, everything was as it should be. All of the desks neatly laid out, almost identical to how it was at home. Terminals sat covered in a thick layer of dust.

Firefly went over to the Armory and hoofed an access code into the keypad.

The door beeped and smoothly slid open.

"Huh. My codes work here." She walked inside, looking around. "Armory looks untouched."

Dash followed Firefly into the Armory, speaking with a hint of glee. "Untouched, did you say?"

I shook my head and walked over to 'my' desk, looking through the drawers.

It was empty.

What a shock, right?

I looked up. There should be the sound of ponies talking and laughing, echoing through the narrow steel corridors. "It's quiet here."

There was nothing but the sound of our hoofsteps and breathing.

...

And Lieutenant Dash looting the Armory.

Cas looked to me. "Too quiet." He nodded, poking his head into the briefing room.

"We have places to be." Firefly trotted out of the Armory. "Let's move." She turned and lead the way out of Security.

Dash followed her, tucking some items into his saddlebags. "Dust, rust and silence, boss."

"What?" We all looked to him.

"This feels like home, but it's not - it's what home could have been. Dust, rust and silence. That's all there is here."

"In the future, I'd prefer if you kept those comments to yourself, Lieutenant." Firefly broke the awkward silence after Dash's statement.

Well, that was depressing.

She turned and lead the way out of Security, up the hallway and through one of the living quarters blocks.

The door beside me hissed open.

I screamed, hopping away from it and drawing my weapons, bringing them on target as I dropped into SATS.

My Pipbuck squawked like a chicken.

...

The room was empty. It was just a small twin bedroom, one of the smaller classes of quarters. Something lay on one of the beds.

"You stepped too close to one of the doors." Dash looked to me, grinning. "Jumpy?"

"No." I shook my head.

"Suuure." Dash snickered as he walked inside. "Oooh, what have we here?"

You're an asshole, sir.

"Come on, Lieutenant." Firefly grumbled, glaring in Dash's direction.

Dash returned bearing something, which he tucked into his saddlebags. I glanced to Blitz again. She shrugged again.

I cleared my throat. "I dunno about you ponies, but I'd really like to get out of this place."

"Yes... Right." Firefly lead the way down the hallway, and we came to an intersection, two confining steel corridors meeting each other. "I forget, computer mainframe is...?" She glanced back.

Blitz looked to her Pipbuck, and Dash pointed down a hallway. "That way, boss."

"Blitz." Firefly nodded to Blitz.

She flitted down that direction, looking around, before calling back to us. "Hallway, clear!"

We continued hopping from rusty, confining hallway to rusty, confining hallway, making it to the room with the computer mainframe. "Charm, get a copy of the computer storage. Everyone else, take positions."

"On it." I walked over to a corner terminal, waving Cas over. "Cas, come over here. I'll download it to your Pipbuck."

Cas nodded, coming over to me, and I started the transfer. As the data transferred, I browsed through the files.

What would dad think... here I am, sitting in the computer room of a Stable that looks identical to home, except for copious amounts of rust and dust.

I continued browsing through the files, finding a map of the Stable.

...

"Huh. That's interesting..." I sat back, waving a hoof at Firefly. "Hey, Captain, I've found another entrance."

"What?" Firefly walked over.

"There's a secret exit from the Stable, under the desk in the Overmare's office." I glanced over to Captain Firefly, then back to the terminal.

"Hrm, that explains... Never mind." Firefly removed her helmet, setting it on one of her saddlebags. "I wonder if that's a feature of every Stable."

I shrugged. "I don't know, Captain."

She leaned over, looking at the map. "Where's it lead?"

"No clue. Off the map." I pointed it out with my hoof.

"Right. We'll check it out on the way out. ETA for the copy?"

"Fifteen minutes."

#

We headed out, first going to the medical bay to check on the supplies there, before heading to the Overmare's office. "Good thing this Stable has the same floor plan as home."

I nodded tightly, looking to Firefly. "Do you have a plan to get in the tunnel?"

"Not enough intel to know yet." We stacked up by the door to the Overmare's office, and Firefly hoofed in an access code. "Breaching, breaching."

The door hissed opened.

Captain Firefly pointed to Blitz, and she flapped inside, kicking up dust. "Clear."

Captain Firefly gestured me in. "Charm, check the terminal."

"Sure thing, Captain." I entered the Overmare's office. "Good heavens." I started coughing as I settled down at the seat and booted up the terminal. "Nice seat."

"Overmare's prerogative and all that crap." Firefly shrugged, following me in.

"Can I take it home with me, boss?" Firefly looked to Dash as he trotted in after her, frowning at his gleeful expression.

The expression of lust he gave the chair made me uncomfortable just by proximity.

"Sure thing." Dash grinned and went rummaging through his saddlebags. "That was a joke, no, you can't."

Dash pouted at Firefly as it booted up to the main menu. "Aww, boo, you suck."

"Cut the chatter, ponies." Firefly turned back to me with a bored look.

I turned back to the terminal - it booted up to the main menu without giving me a password prompt.

I shook my head. "Stable-tec computer security."

"Charm?" Firefly looked to me in confusion.

"Nothing important, Captain."

Welcome, Overmare [null].

You have three (3) unread messages.

Personal Messages
Personal Logs
Overmare's Personal Exit
Settings
Log Off

"Uh. Well. Hrm, okay then..."

"Talk to me, Charm." Captain Firefly leaned over my shoulder.

"Good news - secret entrance is here." I glanced over to Firefly, leaning away from her. "Strange news? - this Stable never had an Overmare assigned."

"How do you know that?"

"The welcome prompt has a null value."

"Maybe the Overmare's name was scrubbed. See if you can get a list of the Stable's occupants?"

"Null, not deleted, Captain."

"... Equestrian, trooper."

I narrowed my eyes, thinking. "In computers, null means "never entered", versus deleted, which indicates, well. Something was entered, and then deleted." I waved a hoof at the terminal. "I can tell you with ninety nine percent certainty - there was no Overmare assigned to this Stable. At least, not in the computers."

"Right." Firefly nodded. "Anything on this 'secret door'?"

"It's here." I hit 'Open Overmare's Personal Exit' and leaned back. I glanced around and saw Dash nosing through the drawers, hoofing some more stuff into his saddlebags.

Lieutenant Sticky Hooves, yes.

The desk in front of me slowly rose, kicking up another huge cloud of dust.

The rising desk revealed a set of stairs leading down to a dark tunnel.

I hopped back, coughing. "Good heavens, that is a lot of dust."

Firefly peeked down, tossing a flare down along it. "Blitz."

"Aye." Blitz disappeared down the hallway, taking the flare with her. A minute later, she called back down the hallway, "Hallway, clear!"

"We're coming." Firefly hopped down the hallway, trotting along at a fast clip. "C'mon. Let's see where this goes!"

"Aww, but, there's dust there." Firefly tossed me a look. "I'm coming, I'm coming...." I traded a look with Cas - he shrugged - and I started climbing down the stairs carefully, keeping an eye out for any more AMP grenades that Blitz may have missed.

After a moment, Dash broke the silence. "Hey, Blitz. You flew down here, right?" She nodded, and he pointed down at the floor. "Looks like we're not the only ponies to use this recently."

Hoof prints in the thick dust.

"Huh." Firefly and Dash shared a look.

'Huh' indeed... I glanced down to my subgun, checking the magazine and realized... it was dry.

I haven't checked it sinc... shit. Last night. I've spent all day with an empty weapon.

Well done, me.

I tucked the dry mag in my barding and pulled out a fresh mag, loading it and racking the action. Lieutenant Dash and Cas looked to me, and I shrugged.

Eventually the tunnel lead out to a dingy basement, and - what a shock - more dust.

"Blitz, where are we?" Firefly looked to Blitz.

"Hold." Blitz looked to her Pipbuck, before looking back up with a frown. "I... have no idea, Captain."

"Lost in Baltimare without a map." Cas sighed dramatically. "Where oh where did my life go so wrong...."

"We could always go back through the tunnel and let the hospital find out where it goes, Captain." Blitz looked to Firefly.

"Don't you like to live dangerously, boss?" Dash smirked at Firefly, nosing through a box.

"Cut the chatter, Collage." Firefly looked to Blitz as Cas grumbled. "Ever the realist, Blitz. No - we're better equipped for this. Just doesn't do to leave this job half-assed, right? We'll check it out."

#

It turns out, we were about a five minute brisk trot away from the hospital, in a building along the street we'd used on our initial approach.

The guards, however, were not amused.

"Hey! You just went in!"

"Are you changelings?"

Captain Firefly looked to them in confusion. "We're not changelings. There's a back entrance." She pointed back the way we'd come.

"If you say so...." The earth pony whispered to the griffon about how she still suspected we were changelings.

I shrugged as Firefly led the way back in. The receptionist looked up, "Didn't you just...?"

"We're not changelings. Doctor Resident?" He pointed off towards the back with a confused look. "Thank you."

A short walk brought us to Min and Cyclone, talking with Doctor Resident.

"Captain, I thought you were...?"

"All done." Firefly turned to Doctor Resident as she levitated her helmet off. "We cleared the Stable. It's empty - looks like it was stocked, but never occupied." Doctor Resident nodded. "There's a back entrance that leads out to a building down the street. It leads into the Overmare's office, overlooking the Atrium." Firefly glanced to Min. "Sands?"

Min began. "There's a lot of machines and equipment, but they're running low on medical supplies. Bandages, radaway, other consumables."

"These are all things the Stable could help you with. In the meantime, the medical bay down in the Stable is fully stocked." Firefly glanced to Doctor Resident and Min. "Min, could you compile a list of the stuff they need? Also, do you have a quartermaster, so we can trade?"

Doctor Resident considered, turning and taking a step away from us. "Hey, Scalpel, Immac!"

A mare's voice called back. "Yeah, whaaat?"

"C'mere. These Stable scouts opened the Stable."

"They've been living under the hospital this whole time?" 'Immac' approached trotted over to us. She was a unicorn, a few years older than me. Green coat, with a striped mane two shades of pinkish purple. "Oh, wow! What can I do?"

Doctor Resident gestured to us. "These ponies wants to trade. Go deal with them."

Firefly shook her head. "No, we haven't been living under the hospital the whole time. We're from Stable 30 - Stable 60 is under the hospital." Firefly glanced around at us. "Cyclone, Team Four, go with Dash. Keep in contact."

I saluted. "Yes, ma'am!"

The unicorn mare lead us through the hospital to a back room. "Hi. I'm Immaculate Scrubs, but everyone calls me Immac!" Her scrubs weren't so immaculate, but I decided against commenting. "So, Stable ponies, huh? What's it like down there?"

Celestia, she's cheerful.

Everyone shared a look, before I decided to answer. "It's ... Hrm. It's a lot more enclosed in there. The air tastes different... cleaner. Sterile." I glanced around. "Safe, though. Nopony trying to kill me."

Immac nodded with a smile. "That happens in Baltimare. Not often, but sometimes...." She trotted over to a table and turned to Dash. "What do you have to trade?"

Dash dug through his saddlebags, producing a variety of things beyond the items he'd looted from Stable 60... and everywhere else, I'm sure. Immac started hoofing through it, talking to herself as she did.

"Hey, so, Cyc." Dash looked to Cyclone. "You know the most about wartime Equestria out of anyone here."

"That's one way to think about it." He glanced to Dash with a blank expression.

Dash snickered. "So, what's the OIA? Goldenblood?"

Cyclone narrowed his eyes with a frown, and looked back to Dash. "Why?"

Dash dug through his saddlebags, producing a bunch of sheets of paper. "Encountered this in the building last night."

I leaned over, looking over them. Articles from wartime newspapers.

"Goldenblood and Fluttershy lovers?"
"Princess Celestia really ... Prince Celestia?"
"Ministry of Awesome - Or Ministry of Not-Doing-Anything?"

Cyclone hoofed through the headlines with an amused grin. "Missed that one. Heh heh, so true... The Baltimare Sun, faithful to the last day." He glanced back to Dash, grin fading to a somber look. "So, OIA, huh?" Dash nodded. "The Office of Interministry Affairs. Goldenblood lead it. Officially, it did exactly what it sounds like. Unofficially? Well... conspiracy theories abound. Many of them were probably true."

"Really? How'd you know this?" Dash smirked at him.

"I'm afraid that's classified, Lieutenant." Cyclone shook his head sadly.

"Two hundred years later?" Dash leaned in, smirking conspiratorially. "C'mon, Cyc."

Sergeant Cyclone stepped over to Dash, getting a little too close for comfort. Dash ignored it, smirking back at him. "Some of the things the OIA did should stay buried."

"So, what were you, Sarge?" I grinned at Cyclone. "Some OIA stooge? Agent of darkness, boogiemare under foals' beds?"

"No."

I leaned back as he suddenly loomed over me, his leathery muzzle and bloodshot eyes inspiring thoughts of drawing my weapons.

"But I knew some of them." He shook his head sadly, stepping out of my personal space. "Memories, memories, memories...."

#

An hour later we left the hospital. Captain Firefly had negotiated an alliance with the head, and we'd completed our primary objective. Lieutenant Dash spent some of the time waiting showing 'the nice nurse' how to fire a gun. Min had refilled her medical supplies for the trip home.

Finally, we met up in the front lobby. "Mission accomplished. Back to the Stable." Firefly glanced to her Pipbuck and remembered it was fried. "Right. Sands, time."

Min glanced to her Pipbuck, tapped the monitor with her hoof twice, then looked back up. "It's 1434, ma'am."

Firefly nodded. "We'll spend the night at the BCE. Blitz, take us out. Same as our approach to the hospital - let's be unpredictable." She paused, blinking rapidly. "Keep us the hell away from Broadway and Baltimare."

Blitz frowned. "I don't have my map, ma'am. Following Broadway back may be our best option."

"Right." Firefly nodded again. "Right."

Cyclone waved a hoof. "I know these streets, Captain. I could guide us back to the BCE."

"Good. Cyclone, point. Same orders. Dash, Blitz, rear."

I glanced down to my kit as we left the hospital and Lieutenant Dash uttered those magical words again. "We're being watched, boss."

"Fucking hell." She frowned.

"Somehow I don't think Lunar Note's radio commentary on us was a good thing...." Dash glanced around.

"Everyone wants an eyeful of the new Stable heroes, yes." Firefly dug her canteen out, stretching. "Right. Time to put on a show for our peeping toms. Let's move, double time!"

Cas groaned. "Again with the running."

"Cut the chatter, trooper." Firefly threw Cas a sharp glare as she put her canteen back.

We headed east along ES-40, through back alleys at a fast clip, occasionally breaking observation.

Around 1500, we moved through a building, entering what had apparently been a living room, a hole in the ceiling showing the second and third floors.

Something felt... off, and I stopped mid-step, looking around.

Cas bumped into my flank with a sound of confusion. "Iv? What's wrong?"

Someone was coming.
...

Oh shit, Mineral!

Min had started to climb over a pile of debris under the hole, and I lunged and bit her tail, pulling her away from the debris. It had taken mere moments between I understood something was wrong and my response.

Min looked back at me, confused, and as she opened her mouth, somepony teleported right in front of her, casting a shield barrier.

...

Right where she would have been, if I hadn't stopped her!

He dispelled the shield barrier as he grinned lecherously at Min. "Aww. Dang." He was a kid, early teens, maybe a few years younger than me. "I missed the cute one." His expression terrified me, and I drew my weapon, taking a step back. "I wonder what ya look like inside..."

Min screamed, lost her precarious positioning and fell backwards into me.

"Damn Stable ponies." He continued monologuing, drawing a pistol with his magic and racking the action. "Life just goes perfectly for ya, don't i-?"

While he was speaking, Captain Firefly drew her own weapons and spoke over him angrily. "Weapons free."

He barely had time to realize how much trouble he was in before he was covering the wall beside us...

And me.

I think I screamed.

Blitz hopped into the air as guns went off around us, deafeningly loud. "Contact, contact!"

I crawled over to a doorway, dragging Min with me as bullets slammed into the damp carpet where we'd been lying.

Blitz's beam rifle lanced out. "Who the fuck are these ponies, Captain?"

Cas ducked down beside me. "Iv? Are you okay?"

I think I nodded. "I'm okay." Dash's belt gun cracked out, five shots, and then fell silent, followed by a yelp.

"Doesn't matter who - if they're not one of us, kill 'em!" Firefly bellowed as her rifle cracked again. "Team Four! Fire your weapons!"

I sat back against the wall. Holy.... I just saved Min from... holy fuck!

Everything got blurry.

I think I threw up.

...

Some time later, the world came back into focus.

I found myself lying on my side with somepony standing over me. "Ivory? Can you hear me?"

Oh, it's Min.

I tried to say I could, but I think it came out kind of mumbled nonsense, and I settled for nodding. She held up a light, and shined it in my eyes.

Ow!

"Good reactions. Follow this." She waved the flashlight, and I looked to it. "Do you know what time is it?"

"Uh..." I jerked my hoof to look at my Pipbuck, before I realized it wasn't reliable anymore. "Last I checked, it's... 1503? Right?"

I didn't want to look at it again, anyways. I shivered.

"Ivory?" She leaned in, confused.

"I'm okay! I'm good, I'm good." I sat up quickly.

"Oookay..." Min glanced over to her kit, sorting through her medical supplies.

"Iv, you passed out." Cas stepped over to nuzzle me.

"Oh..." I nodded again, looking to Min. "I, uh I saved you. Didn't I?"

She blinked, narrowing her eyes at something above me. "Oh... Yes." She shivered and turned around.

Captain Firefly trotted over, clearing her throat. "Sands, is she okay?"

Min looked to Firefly gratefully. "She's... functional. I'd like to get her a proper examination, perhaps a MRI, but...." She glanced around.

"Not a luxury we can afford at the moment." Lieutenant Dash limped over to the group, a bandage wrapped around one of his forelegs.

"Right." Min turned back to me, offering me a canteen. "Drink, slowly." She turned and rummaged through my bag, producing an apple and a can of oats.

Blitz returned, speaking quietly to Firefly. I cocked an ear, listening. "Those were kids, Captain."

"I said we'd do whatever it takes to get home, didn't I?" She gestured towards Min and I.

I spoke up between bites. "He was trying to, um... teleport into Min, Captain."

"Into?" Blitz frowned at me blankly. "How does that even...?"

"Watch." I levitated two bricks, side by side... and then I teleported the second into the first.

The first brick exploded.

Min screamed again.

Firefly looked away, throwing up a telekinetic barrier to direct flying brick away from her and Blitz.

"See?" I looked to Blitz, and she nodded in mute horror, staring at Min.

"I don't think that was really necessary, trooper." Firefly frowned at me severely.

"Sorry, Captain."

"Let's move, ponies. I'd like to make it back to BCE before sundown." She glanced over her shoulder to Lieutenant Dash. "Dash - we still being watched?"

Lieutenant Dash frowned. "Unknown."

We continued east for another half hour, until we made it to several elevated streets going north-south. Cyclone directed us south along them to BCE.

#

We entered the BCE at 1700 - before the sun started to go down - and headed for the Hard Rock Cafe.

Several Crimson Raiders patrols discretely followed us, and as we got to the docks, they surrounded us, occupying all of the paths out. "Weapons tight." Firefly spoke quietly as she brought her riot shield out. "Cyclone, you got a plan of escape?"

What had once been a fairly bustling street suddenly emptied as everypony present decided they wanted to be anywhere that wasn't here.

"Let's not go for a swim." Firefly glanced to Cyclone in annoyance, and he shrugged. "Either we run, or we open fire. Neither will end well. Let's see what they want."

Local security appeared, surrounding the Crimson Raiders and us. A lavender pony emerged and called out. A kitchen knife lay sheathed by her shoulder, anger visible in her carmine eyes. "I don't care what your squabble is, but if this turns violent inside my city, I'm going to use any survivors for practice flaying." She fell silent for a moment. "It's been so long since I've had a chance to flay somepony."

A reddish pink and blue pegasus - the same colors as Captain Firefly! - emerged from the Crimson Raider ranks. Not entirely the same colors - purple eyes, instead of Firefly's blue. "We don't want any violence, Sheriff Splinter." She turned towards us. "Come with us, Stable."

"Come to gloat before you kill us, Sister?" Firefly called back.

The pegasus winced at the last word, before she responded. "Oh please." Contempt colored her voice. "If we wanted you dead, we'd have ambushed you outside the Hospital, and none of you would be here."

"Ha! You tried that last night." Captain Firefly looked around at us, smirking. "We're still here."

Well, mostly. I glanced to my kit....

"What?" The pegasus seemed confused by that. "Oh..." She narrowed her eyes, and waved a hoof to her troops, who lowered their weapons. "No. Our Father -" now it was Firefly's turn to wince, "- wishes to see you." The pegasus turned to the sheriff. "We're not here to do violence, ma'am."

The lavender pony shook her head with an expression of skeptical contempt. "Uh huh. Make sure it doesn't happen."

"It won't..." The pegasus directed a predatory smile at Captain Firefly. "Unless these Stable ponies start something."

Everyone looked to Firefly.

After a moment, Firefly nodded. "Very well. We'll come with you. But we keep our weapons."

The pegasus snorted. "As if you had a choice, Stable pony."

#

L0#@$I0N DISC#%#R3D; ??? - ???

A half hour of being escorted at not-quite-gunpoint took us to a settlement... one that had been attacked.

Just... not the one we'd seen yesterday.

This one had been different. The walls hadn't been breached. It looked like it had been a... slaughter. There was a huge fire in the town square.

The smell of burning flesh was overpowering. I think I would have thrown up, if I hadn't done so earlier.

The pegasus - whose identity I'd learned was Major Serenity - immediately disappeared into a tent set up near the main entrance.

We were arrayed in a tight delta formation, Captain Firefly at the center. Lieutenant Dash and Min stood to her right, a pace behind her. Sergeant Cyclone, myself and Cas stood to her left, in that order.

"Inhale through your mouth and exhale through your nose." Firefly spoke quietly, glancing to us. "Remain calm and we'll get through this in one piece."

We were surrounded on all sides by uniformed ponies, dark blue kit and battle saddles. On closer inspection, there were two different companies of troops, based on the insignias on their uniforms. There were no guns pointed directly at us, but they were present.

No chance of breaking out from here.

I hope Captain Firefly knows what she's doing.

A few minutes later, another pegasus emerged - an older stallion, reddish pink with a blue mane streaked with grey. Again, the same palette as Firefly. That would make him Firefly's father, Captain Crimson Nimbus. I glanced to the similarly colored pegasus mare trailing him... which would make Serenity Firefly's sister.

"Firefly. Daughter. Hello." Firefly scowled. "We really need to stop meeting like this, don't you think?" Firefly said nothing. "Ah." Nimbus leaned in, pulling Firefly's necklace out with a wing. "So that's where that went to." He glanced over towards Dash. "Dash's work, I'm sure. Sticky hooved bastard." Dash simply smirked to him in response.

"I approve." Nimbus tipped his head to Dash, before returning his attention to Firefly. "It is good to see the Wonderbolts borne by another Firefly."

Nimbus glanced over the rest of us. "Restrain them."

I was pushed to the ground by three ponies. The muzzle of a gun poked the back of my neck, and I felt my weapons being removed and unloaded.

"I've fought many unicorns, Daughter. You are the first I've sought a suppression ring for."

"I'm honored. Cut the gloating and just kill us, if you're going to do that."

"Why would I want to kill you?" Nimbus looked mildly amused. Firefly opened her mouth to answer his question.

Before she could start, he leaned forward, stuffing his hoof in her mouth. "Know this, Daughter - I give all ponies one second chance." All traces of prior amusement were instantly replaced with cold fury. "You used your chance last week when you murdered my guards. If you do something stupid today, I will see you dead, your head on a pike. Do you understand?"

...

We should have run....

I looked to Cas, and he smiled comfortingly to me.

Maybe I could teleport us out...?

Nimbus took a step back as Firefly spoke. Her tone shifted from sullen anger to quiet confidence. "That's... interesting, actually." She paused, and Nimbus narrowed his eyes at her. "You say you're not trying to kill me, yet some of your Raiders ambushed us last night. So... either you're lying - which serves little purpose at this point - or... not all of your Raiders are as loyal as you think they are."

"Or a third party is attempting to implicate us in an attack on you." Nimbus shook his head. "There are many possibilities."

Blitz spoke up. "A green earth pony mare with a pink mane, and a blue unicorn mare. A sniper team." She paused, as all eyes went to her. "Do you make it a habit of attacking defenseless villages, or is this week just a good time for it?"

Nimbus narrowed his eyes. "This settlement went back on their protection agreement by raiding other settlements. As spelled out in the contract they signed, we put an end to it."

"Really now?" Firefly snickered, somehow managing to sound confident and in control, despite being pinned to the ground. "We saw several groups of your ponies pillaging a village at Fleet Street. The Raiders who attacked us at East Baltimare and Broadway were there."

Nimbus frowned at that, just a moment, and glanced at something out of sight behind us.

"There was a goat, with cybernetics." Blitz called out to him.

"Ah..." Nimbus froze, speaking softly. "I'd escort you back to the Stable personally, but I have things to attend to." He turned to Serenity. "Major, take a platoon and escort these ponies back to their Stable."

"We don't need an escort, Crimson." Firefly spoke up quietly.

"Sir?" Serenity looked to him, confused.

"You heard me, Major." Nimbus turned to Firefly. "I'm afraid this decision is bigger than you, Captain." He trotted off with a purpose, calling orders to the ponies around us. "We're done here. Pack it up and prepare to RTB. Zephyr." He pointed to somepony. "Go retrieve the Stable kit."

"Yes, sir." Serenity waved to her troops, and they backed off us.

The muzzle poking me disappeared. A stallion offered me his hoof and pulled me up. I looked to Cas, and he smiled as he rubbed his flank.

One of them trotted over, bearing Min's kit and the ammo for Dash's machine gun. Min quickly discarded my armor for hers, rummaging through her saddlebags with the sound of broken glass.

I considered stripping out of my own kit, before realizing I didn't care that much, even though I was wearing....

I gestured to Cas, and he picked it up, slinging it over his flanks. Captain Nimbus approached Cyclone as Firefly helped Lieutenant Sticky Hooves load his beltgun. I drifted over to listen.

"Cyclone." Captain Nimbus spoke quietly.

"Yes?" Cyclone looked to Nimbus.

"Ministry of Awesome?"

Cyclone narrowed his eyes faintly at Nimbus. "Why?"

"Records. Variables. Planning."

Cyclone considered that for a moment, before nodding tersely. "Correct."

"Very well." Nimbus turned and walked off. As he walked past me, he looked me in the eyes - as if he saw through to my soul and read my deepest secrets in that briefest of looks - before moving on, inclining his head in polite acknowledgement. "Security Officer Spark."

"I'm Charm, actually, sir. Spark, uh... was..." I decided not to point out that it had been some of his soldiers who had... done it.

You are dead. Please seek medical attention immediately.

I shivered, resisting the urge to look at my Pipbuck. I wanted to check its vitals readout, but I was afraid of what it might tell me.

"Ah!" Nimbus paused in his step to bow to me respectfully. "My apologies, Charm." He rose, smiling to me sadly. "It doesn't get any easier, I'm afraid."

"Sir?" I stared at the pegasus, taking a step back.

"Losing a friend in battle. But it is preferable to the alternative."

"The alternative?"

"Not feeling anything." Nimbus bowed his head, eyes closed.

"Ah... excuse me, sir." I turned and trotted off.

I can't be talking to Captain Nimbus! Why would he talk to me?

#

An hour of quiet trotting took us out of the city's borders, and green trees replaced grey brick. The troops that had escorted us from the Baltimare Central Exchange surrounded us, moving quickly and quietly, leading us through the city.

These ponies were good. Training and plenty of experience moving through city streets.

I'd hate to have to fight them, even if they didn't outnumber us three to one.

After a few minutes of mucking along the muddy road back towards Haven, Firefly spoke to Serenity quietly. "What happened back there? In the town."

"They broke the protection agreement we made with them by raiding other settlements under our protection. As stated in the agreement they signed, we...." She paused, and glared at Firefly. "We killed them. I don't enjoy doing it, but it's necessary. Not that you'd understand, being a bleeding heart Stable 'hero'."

"No, I understand." Firefly nodded slowly. "They challenged your power. You had to respond."

Serenity looked surprised for a moment, before she smirked at Firefly. "In fact... we should be thanking you for it - your intervention on Sunday is what turned us on to them."

"Ah." Firefly frowned, and turned to me. "Charm - how did you know earlier, in the attack with the kids?"

"Oh. Um..." I cleared my throat. "He was... his teleporting wasn't subtle. It was a brute force 'attack', and I could feel him coming, instead of an elegant... stepping through space? Does that make sense?"

Firefly considered for a moment. "Ah, unicorn sense." I nodded. "Got it."

Serenity looked to Firefly in confusion. "What?"

"We were attacked earlier."

"By... kids?"

"Yes." Firefly nodded.

"Oh." Serenity narrowed her eyes, glancing at the ground.

"Oh?" Firefly spoke sharply. "What do you mean, 'oh'?"

"Well, they were from the town. We let them go."

"You let them go?" Firefly glared to Serenity.

"Well, it wasn't my idea!" Serenity sounded defensive. "Father told me to let them go. They'd tell other towns about our attack. What were the chances they'd stumble into you, anyways, right?" She spoke quickly and changed the topic. "Let's see what the radio has to say about that, eh?" She glanced around, smirking, and took to wing as she turned the radio on.

"Hellloooo ponies! And it's me, again - Lunar Note!" She fell silent, and muffled, arguing voices could be heard in the background. "So, apparently the Crimson Raiders have been busy recently. By 'recently', of course, I mean 'yesterday and today'. So... Let's see, where did I put it..." She trailed off, accompanied by the sounds of somepony digging through a pile of paper. "Ah, here it is!" She cleared her throat, speaking imperiously. "Two separate attacks on settlements. One at Highlandtownville, in which Crimson Raiders and some mercenaries attacked and raided the settlement. Not very effectively, apparently - they left some survivors. Took everything that wasn't bolted down, though. And Celestial Midtown, in which they slaughtered everyone and burnt the bodies."

Another pony, a stallion with an unfamiliar accent picked up. "So, these... Crimson Raiders. Good or bad, do you think, Lunar?"

"Honestly, Moony? Fuck if I know, but good ponies rarely slaughter entire settlements. Just sayin'..." The radio fell silent. "Also, there are reports of a gun fight at the intersection of Broadway and Baltimare streets. Rumors say some Raiders attacked the Stable Scouts. Definitely not a good showing for the Raiders, if you ask me."

"Well, Lunar, maybe they're in the middle of an internal conflict? Wars of the Roses situation, perhaps?"

"Fuck if I know, Moony. Just hope they keep their petty squabbles to themselves and don't kill too many uninvolved ponies." She chuckled. "Maybe they'll fall apart like all those raider clans always do, right?"

'Moony' spoke up after a moment. "And leave the Steel Rangers in control of the city?"

...

"Don't joke about those things, Moony." They both fell silent, before Lunar resumed speaking. "Aaanywho, that's all the news for now, ponies. So, as always! Keep on your hooves and watch your fire. And, of course... have some time. Too Much Time on my Hooves, in fact."

Serenity frowned. "We don't hire mercenaries..."

Captain Firefly glanced over to Serenity. "Seems Lunar and co know your own operations better than you do, Major..."

"Oh, shut up." Serenity glared at Firefly. "If you hadn't killed those kids, they would have done their job."

"If we hadn't...!" Firefly glared back, disgust visible.

“Once again - shut up, I don’t care.” Serenity cut Firefly off, changing the topic quickly as she dropped to her hooves, folding her wings. "So! Aren't Stable 30 teams supposed to work in pairs? You've got an odd number of ponies here."

"Your traitors killed one of my ponies." Firefly spoke quietly. “In the ambush at Broadway and Baltimare.”

Serenity glared at Firefly. "Good."

What the hell?

"That almost makes us even." She glared to Firefly. "Considering that you murdered two of my ponies last week."

"Really?" Firefly stopped and spun, facing Serenity. "Are we really going to compare casualties like it's some kind of pissing contest?"

"Yeah, maybe we are!" Serenity spun with her, spreading her wings. "Why the fuck did you do it?" The Raiders surrounding us stopped, some turning their eyes and weapons outwards and upward, some turning inwards.

"Captain, look at this! Low silica intrusions with north striking flow indicators! I didn't know that the dykes at the Stable got this fa-..." All eyes turned to Min as she broke the tense silence. "Um... never mind."

Too much time on my hooves, it's ticking away with my sanity
I've got too much time on my hooves, it's hard to believe such a calamity
I've got too much time on my hooves and it's ticking away from me

...

After a minute of awkward silence, Firefly spoke quietly, turning back to Serenity. "I had a panic attack. Seeing Crimson alive... You. I was not prepared for the fact that Crimson may not want to come home." She fell silent again. "Since then, I have come to terms with it." Serenity continued to glare at her as she turned the radio off. "In my defense, my team had been attacked, captured and held prisoner by possibly hostile soldiers."

"Yeah. Sure. Whatever. Our traitors have been dealt with. Should we be worried you'll turn on us?" Serenity closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "If it hadn't been for Father expressly forbidding any attacks on you, I would have hunted you down last week." She folded her wings and resumed walking, cutting Firefly's response off. "I don't want to hear your excuses. Let's move!" As she passed Firefly, she threw her an angry glare.

Lieutenant Dash grinned and leaned in. "Okay, now kiss and make up, you two."

Um, ew, Lieutenant...

Serenity glanced to Dash, her glare fading to an expression of what I could only assume was shocked confusion.

After a long moment, a sly grin slowly crossed her muzzle, and she grinned at Dash. "Oh, you're fun!" She smirked over her shoulder at Firefly and leaned over. "C'mere, Firefly!"

"Yeah, I don't see that happening." Firefly sidestepped away from her. "You're my sister."

"Barely!" Serenity stuck her tongue out at her.

What the...?

"No. Even if you weren't my sister, I'm not into mares." Firefly shook her head and stepped past her.

"Boo, you suck." Serenity, meanwhile, flashed Dash a grin, and matched his speed. "Let's move, ponies!" The two struck up a private conversation.

I shared a glance with Min.

"What did I miss?" She gave me a confused look.

"I'll tell you when I figure it out." I shrugged. "So, Min... dykes at the Stable? I didn't know you were into mares...."

She frowned. "It's a... geology thing. Oh, forget it."

Cas leaned in. "Convenient timing on the radio there, don't you think?"

"Magic, Cas. Magic."

Captain Firefly

Ponies cheered and stomped as we entered the Atrium.

After a moment, they realized that something was wrong, and the cheering silenced itself.

We had left as eight, but returned as seven.

The whispers started.

A moment of awkward silence and nervous whispering ensued as ponies tried to figure out what was wrong. Where was number eight? And who was it?

Finally, they realized who it was that hadn't returned.

"Captain?" Crescent's mother approached me, fear lingering behind her determination. I glanced away, and she stepped in front of me. "Where's my daughter?"

I've been dreading this.

"Well, Captain?"

I took a deep breath to calm myself, and looked her in the eyes. "I'm afraid I have to report that Security Officer Crescent Spark was killed in action."

The room quickly filled with silence - whisper free, complete silence. Crescent's mother looked to me in awestruck horror.

I didn't even know the mare's name.

Crescent's mother's face shifted through several emotions quickly.

Pumpkin grinned and leaned over to nudge her shoulder. "It's okay - we made the bastards that killed her pay for it."

Pumpkin's comment prompted Crescent's mother to finally settle on an emotion - anger. "You take my daughter out of the Stable, get her killed... and the best you have to say is, 'you killed the ponies that killed her'?" She stepped back, seething and glaring at Pumpkin. "You barbarians."

I shifted, speaking in defense of Pumpkin. "Your daughter willingly left the Stable, doing what she felt was right, knowing full well she may not return, and I'm proud to have served with her."

Tears welled up in her eyes, seeping with hurt rage. "An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind." She turned to stalk off. "I wish my daughter had never met you."

The crowd quickly dissipated, leaving my team and few others occupying the Atrium.

Range lead the way towards Security, speaking quietly. "So, Fi, how much of that was bullshit?"

"From a certain point of view-"

Range snickered. "Favorite words of mystical old mares who've been caught in a lie."

Damn it.

"- none of it. Spark did leave the Stable fully believing in the mission. We did kill the ponies who killed her."

"Red would be proud. Deception without outright falsehood."

I sighed. "Yes. We were ambushed because of something I did the during the last mission. The only reason I'm standing here is because Dash pushed me out of the way. Spark took the bullet for me. So, yes - Spark is dead because of me."

"Wait..." Cerulean joined us. "Crescent... Crescent died? Shit. I should have been there...."

I shook my head and leaned in to hug him. "There was nothing you could have done, Cerulean. She was dead before she knew we were under attack."

After a minute, he broke the hug, and I stepped back, smiling to him. "Can I expect your presence during the next mission out?"

Cerulean stared at me in pained shock. "Are you... trying to... guilt trip me over Crescent's death?"

"No. I'm merely wondering if you've changed your mind during the past two days."

Cerulean shook his head. "No, I haven't." He turned and trotted off angrily.

Oops.

Range smirked to me. "That was highly opportunistic, Fi."

I glanced in Cerulean's direction before answering quietly. "I want him as my team's doctor. I trust Doctor Cerulean to be selfishly opportunistic enough to do the right things out there to bring my team home if I get killed."

Range frowned. "You've been awfully calculating recently... Red would be proud, I'm sure."

"Getting ponies killed usually leads to a harsh look at your priorities." I groaned. "I don't even want to think about my dad right now."

Range simply grinned at me. "You know the Council is going to want a full debriefing in an hour, right?"

Of course they are.

Author's Note

And thus, the plot thickens.

Credits:
Dreamkissed Crimsonvixen for Min's geobabble, misc editing and commentary
The Amazing FoE Writing Group for being amazing, editing, commenting and other lovely stuff.
The wonderful Firestreak, for his FoE soundtrack.
Silk Touch, one of the unicorns attacked on the way to the hospital, belongs to Mr_B.

Chapter 14 - Back Home, Part 2-1

Fallout Equestria: Stable Scout
Chapter 14
Back Home, Part 2-1

"In light of these... extenuating circumstances, the Council has decided to delay the meeting until the next morning."

Captain Firefly

Saturday
0910

To-do List, Saturday:
1. 0630: daily run
2. 0900: Council meeting
3. 1400: Meeting with Aura about Crescent's memorial
4. * Get copy of Pipbuck operational manual
5. * Schedule Pipbuck tracking class for Security

"So, Captain... run this by us, one more time." Councilor Hex sighed. "You were ambushed by Crimson Raiders, costing one of your ponies her life? And then..." She glanced to her M2000. "Crimson had you escorted to... what, precisely? And then he ordered your sister to escort you back here?"

It's too early for this shit.

I glanced down to my Pipbuck.

No, it's not.

Still...

I cleared my throat, repeating myself. "We were ambushed by a renegade faction of the Crimson Raiders. It was an unofficial operation, and the ponies who were involved with that are dead." I sat back, sipping the mint tea somepony - I suspected Aura - had thoughtfully provided. "Crimson summoned us to a settlement to find the truth of what had happened."

Councilor Sheets waved a hoof. "Highlandville, the settlement which your report says was..." She swallowed, thinking of a word she'd probably never expected to speak in her entire life. "Massacred?"

Councilor Hex spoke softly, awed. "The wasteland has changed Crimson." She glanced around and spoke up, more confidently. "Another reason for us to seal the Door. What if his madness is contagious?"

I shook my head. "The settlement had been caught raiding other settlements - a violation of their protection agreement with the Crimson Raiders and entirely unrelated to our actions. As for escorting us back to the Stable, Crimson was worried that another group of his renegades could make another attempt to kill us."

Councilor Rose glanced up from her Pipbuck. "What, precisely, was their reasoning for attacking your team?"

I glanced to the teapot, leaning over to refill my mug.

Two ponies in uniforms, standing guard outside the bedroom of a crimson pegasus, floated to memory as I set the teapot down.

"There could be a variety of reasons, none of which do we conclusively know." I leaned back in my seat. "This could be an attempt to get revenge on Crimson for some slight, perceived or real, in the past."

"Or this could be blowback from your attempt on Crimson." Councilor Hex frowned. "It seems Crimson has personnel problems of his own."

"Yet another possibility." I nodded offhoofedly.

Councilor Sheets spoke up. "Question, Captain - how would attacking your teams be a reasonable way of getting at Crimson?"

"Well, I am his daughter, and Crimson has not forgotten that. Beyond that, as I've mentioned, Crimson wishes to forge an alliance with the Stable, and if his ponies were seen attacking us, we wouldn't be interested in an alliance, would we?"

Councilor Sheets nodded. "Ah. That clears that up, thank you, Captain."

I nodded again. "At this point, though, this is pointless speculation." I sipped my tea. "A more meaningful topic would be... where do we go from here?"

"Dwelling on the past is of no help, though it is good to learn from it..." Councilor Rose nodded approvingly. "What is your next move, Captain?"

"For the next few days, reorganization and recuperation. My ponies from the last mission need a few days to recover, and I need to shuffle some ponies around." I suppressed another smirk as I leaned forward. "Do you remember the alicorns in Deathcon?"

Councilor Hex nodded slowly. "What of them?"

"They were seeking something on Stable 60's databanks, which we now have. We'll go and find out what they wanted, and hopefully forge an alliance with them."

"What could a group of alicorns possibly offer us?" Councilor Copper Filament was an orange, kindly old pony, who thought that opening the Door should only be done for scavenging for repair supplies, and 'once a lifetime' infrequently.

Range spoke, answering Councilor Filament. "When alicorns say something, ponies listen. Having a group of alicorns at our disposal would be an incredible sign of our strength."

Councilor Filament frowned again. "Why would we even need alicorns at our disposal, if we have no need to interact with the Outside?"

I answered that question, carefully avoiding outright contradicting Councilor Filament. "Well, as a backup, we should maintain some alliances with the surface. What if, for example, our water talisman was damaged?"

Councilor Filament shook her head. "The water talisman is perfectly functional, and guaranteed to work for the next century."

Councilor Sheets glanced from her Pipbuck to Councilor Filament. "I believe that was a hypothetical question, Copper."

"Ah." Councilor Filament nodded. "Yes."

"Very well, Captain." Councilor Hex nodded in grudging agreement. "Give us an update on our current alliances."

Not even a 'please'.

"Of course, Councilor." I glanced to my Pipbuck, browsing through it for a moment, before turning and casting a map spell on the wall behind me.

"We have a solid alliance with the town of Haven." I highlighted Haven on the map. "They offer us a location for a surface forward operating base, and we help them defend their town. We've also provided them with assistance - medicine, farming, teachers." I paused. "In short, fulfilling Stable-tec's order for us to help the surface return to what it was before the war. To be fair, though, Haven only exists because of our marketplace event. If we were to seal the Door, I predict that Haven would be completely abandoned within six months."

"Next..." Another circle lit up, in the center of Baltimare, at the farthest point in the bay. "The ponies who run the Central Exchange in Baltimare requested we find them a water talisman."

Councilor Hex spoke up. "If you were to acquire such an invaluable asset that could extend the Stable's life for another century, you would simply gift it away to some mere junk peddlers? Better that we retain it. What if our own water talisman were to break..."

"I would hardly consider the largest trading hub in Baltimare 'mere junk peddlers'." I frowned at Councilor Hex. "As Councilor Filament mentioned, our own water talisman is guaranteed for another hundred years." Councilor Filament nodded slowly, in agreement. "Donating it to the largest trading hub in Baltimare would go a long way towards both of Stable Scout's primary operational goals - generating good-will towards the Stable among the surface population, and helping the surface population to return to Equestria's glory."

"A fair point, Captain. Continue."

I smirked slightly. "Additionally, I did not promise them a water talisman. I simply requested a list of what they needed, and they said they needed a water talisman. Nor did I assure them I would deliver one, just that I would consider their request if I found one." I paused, sipping my tea. "I suspect the Steel Rangers have one."

Councilor Hex spoke up. "So you're going to... barter with the Steel Rangers for a water talisman? With what, precisely? The Stable doesn't have limitless supplies, after all."

"That is the plan, yes. It's not high priority right now, however - we're not on a time limit here. With what, I can't possibly say. Surely we could find something in our databanks that would interest them without endangering us." I glanced back to the map, and another circle, blue, north of the Central Exchange, lit up. "The ponies occupying Redheart General have agreed to purchase medical supplies from us, in exchange for discounted medical services for our ponies. We've also offered them medical expertise. Our first trade mission should start sometime next week, along with some medical ponies for an intelligence swap. Yes, this is somewhat of a bargain for them, but we don't actually lose anything."

Overmare Keeper spoke quietly. "I think that Doctor Mend should be able to handle compiling a list, don't you think, Captain?"

I smiled to her politely. "Of course, Overmare." A radio tower in a green square lit up on the map, west of Redheart General and Baltimare Central Exchange. Next to it, the Steel Ranger's sword-and-gears emblem lit up, also in green. "Next, the radio station has agreed to paint the news in a manner sympathetic to our cause. In exchange, we have agreed to clear a path for them to Ministry of Arcane Science Emergency Broadcast System towers number 41, 46 and 69."

"The very same radio station that happens to be inside the Steel Ranger's main base of operations?" Councilor Rose gestured towards the map.

"Yes, that one. They have no lost love for the Steel Rangers, and likely wouldn't be upset if all of the Rangers simply died." I let that sink in for a moment before continuing. "They are a bit of a wild card when it comes to major powers - they show no sympathy towards the Crimson Raiders, either."

"So you don't actually know who the radio station would support if it came down to choosing sides." Councilor Rose glanced up from her Pipbuck, taking notes.

"It's too early to tell right now, but yes, that's exactly what I'm saying." A red circle appeared on the map, on the northeastern side of the city. "Finally, the Crimson Raiders are friendly towards us." Councilor Hex snorted. I politely ignored her as I continued. "Crimson has made it clear that he wants to form a working relationship with the Stable, now that we're making moves to the surface."

"Captain, are you sure that you aren't..." Councilor Hex paused, looking at me. "Reading a little too much into this? Hoping for a relationship with your father where there is none?"

...

I narrowed my eyes, considering that.

Was it possible?

"On the opposite side of this matter, Councilor, is it possible that you could be seeking to destroy a potential alliance with a major faction simply because you have a grudge for being rejected by Crimson?" Range spoke coolly, looking to the other mare.

What?

Councilor Hex flushed in embarrassment, narrowing her eyes at Range.

"Councilor. Colonel." Councilor Rose spoke up, and both of them looked to her. "I feel both Councilor Hex and Colonel Range both have some valid points, despite their emotional attachment to the matter at hoof." She glanced from Range, to Hex, and then turned her eyes on me. "Captain, seeing as you're the only pony present who's personally spoken to Crimson recently, would you like to comment?"

"Regardless of my feelings on my father, I do think that Crimson is serious about forming an alliance. I can't think of anything that creating an alliance and then turning on us would gain him that he couldn't simply take with brute force, other than possibly personal amusement."

"Crimson's not that spiteful." Range shook her head. "I second Captain Firefly's assessment."

"Very well, Colonel, Captain." Councilor Rose nodded lightly and glanced around. "Unless anypony else has any other matters they'd like to discuss, I would suggest we wrap this up, Overmare."

Overmare Keeper glanced around. "Anypony?"

I raised a hoof. "One thing, Overmare. I would like to recommend that all access codes - doors, weapon lockers, other secured areas - be changed. Codes haven't changed since Crimson was here, have they?"

Overmare Keeper nodded. "I will send out a memo."

"Thank you, Overmare."

"Anything further, anypony?" Everyone said they had nothing. "Very well. Meeting adjourned."

I sipped my tea as the Council rose and left, followed by the Overmare. Finally, the door sealed behind Overmare Keeper, and Range levitated her flask out, taking a drink. "Celestia, do I hate that bitch." She glared at the door.

I glanced to Range. "Hex?"

She nodded. "I don't understand what she saw in your father."

I gave Range a blank expression... and then things came together. "Ew...."

Sapphire Aurora and Amber Rhyme entered the room.

Praise the sun, a distraction.

Mom settled down in one of the now-empty seats, facing me. "How'd it go?"

“Hey, Mom. Amber.” I smiled to them.

Range waved a hoof. "Hey, Saph..." I glanced to Range, and she shrugged. "It... went."

I nodded in agreement. "It went about as well as meetings with the Council usually go."

Amber gave Range a smile. "You and the Council politely but vehemently disagreed on almost every topic, mediated by Overmare Keeper?"

"Wow! How did you know that?" I rolled my eyes at him, sipping my tea. My mother chuckled.

Amber glanced to Range. "Well, Colonel Range is drinking, which she rarely does nowadays."

She scowled at Amber, quickly tucking her flask away. "Everypony's got their vices, Amber."

"I didn't say anything against it, Range."

"So, speaking of things we weren't speaking about at all, what did I miss while I was Outside?"

"Amber and Rose hooked up." Range snickered.

Amber flushed in faint embarrassment. "We haven't hooked up, we've just been... seeing each other... more seriously..." Amber trailed off with a blank expression. "We have hooked up. Dear Celestia..."

"Congrats!" I smiled at Amber.

Range grumbled. "See if you could make Rose be more sympathetic to us, would you?"

"Colonel! Using my relationship with the Lead Councilmare to sway her stance on Security's actions? That would be wrong."

I glanced to Range. "To be fair, Rose isn't really the problem, Range. It's Hex, mostly."

Range nodded, with an annoyed look. "Yeah, well... damn it." She shrugged and rose to her hooves. "I've got things to tend to."

#

Doctor Cerulean Mend

Saturday
0640

I took a deep breath at the sound of approaching hooves.

Okay.

Time to do this.

I trotted out, spotting Firefly out on her morning run, and matched her stride. "Do you mind if I join you, Captain?"

"Of course not, Doctor." She flashed me a pleasant smile as she freed one of her ear blooms, letting it hang from her neck.

"Let's make this casual?" I returned the smile.

"Sure, Cerulean." She flashed me an easy smile - so easy I had to wonder if it was genuine or not. "What brings you to this corner of the Stable this early in the morning?"

I considered, speaking after a long minute. "Ehh... you know." She nodded agreeably, and we continued trotting along. After a few minutes of pleasant silence, I spoke up. "You know... maybe Aimpoint was right. Maybe we should move out of the Stable."

Firefly looked to me, curious. "What brought this up now?"

"I... don't know. Range, I guess. You?"

Another minute passed before Firefly replied, smirking over her shoulder at me. "I don't know why it took you so long to figure that one out."

"It's an unpopular opinion. At least, it was, before you started this Operation Baltimare crap." She lead the way down one of the fortified hallways, and I followed her.

"You? Worried about unpopular opinions?" Firefly nickered. "You're like the poster pony for stating unpopular opinions."

I shook my head. "If I started talking like that, ponies might start talking about having me exiled, like Red..."

Firefly looked to me with a smile, curious but happy. "You didn't seem too worried about leaving the Stable last week."

"There is a difference between 'leaving of your own accord' and 'being exiled'." We passed through one of the checkpoints separating the Atrium from the rest of the Stable.

"True...." She nodded distractedly. "Wait. I thought Crimson left the Stable under orders?"

"He did, but there was talk of him being exiled... They never amounted to anything, because he 'selflessly' left the Stable before anything came of it." I frowned in contempt. I glanced forwards, and noticed we were a hallway over from the Atrium. "Excuse me, Captain." I turned and trotted back the way we'd come.

"Until next time, Doctor."

I passed through the checkpoint, and somepony spoke in my ear. "Clandestine meetings in the early morning, hrm?"

I jumped. "Sombra! The fuck-?" It was Councilor Inertia. "Oh. It's just you."

"You should be more respectful, Doctor. I'm a Councilpony, after all."

I don't know how that happened... surely the entire Stable couldn't have all had an aneurysm at the same time.

...

Well, maybe...

"What do you want, Councilor?" Councilor Nominal Inertia was the Council's pegasus representative, with a coat a similar shade of blue as mine and a purple mane, which he kept short yet slicked back to conceal how it was thinning. A neatly trimmed mustache and a bit of a cider gut - which he was currently unsuccessfully attempting to hold in - filled out his image as full of himself and irritating.

Usually, when he opened his mouth, he confirmed it.

Normally, I don't have anything against mustaches, but hearing him speak made me want to pull his mustache out, hair by hair.

"Just seeing two of Stable Scout's most important members having a clandestine meeting in the early morning, is all. Should I be concerned?"

Me? Most important member of Stable Scout?

Clandestine meetings in the early morning?

Well, it is early morning... One out of four facts right is okay, I guess.

I wanted to laugh, but I knew that'd only annoy him a little.

Now, if I went along with it before laughing at him...

"That's silly, having clandestine meetings in public is the worst idea because ponies will hear you."

"Strangely enough, no. If you have them in crowded public spaces, it's much more difficult for someone to eavesdrop on you. Tradecraft 101, my friend."

Uh huh...

"I have somewhere to be, Councilor. Excuse me." I turned and trotted off down the hall.

"And where would that be?" Nominal followed me.

"There's an annoying asshole who's been bothering me recently." I frowned as he started following me. "I'm avoiding him."

"Oh? And who would that be? Perhaps I could help you... scratch my flank, I'll scratch yours later?"

And owe you a favor in the future? Fuck that.

"His name is Nominal Inertia." I glanced over my shoulder as Nominal stopped following me.

His scowl was priceless. "I know where you sleep, Doctor."

"Duly noted, Councilor." I smiled to him thinly. "I could certainly go for breakfast in bed. I usually wake up around 0700, if you're interested..." I turned and trotted off, smirking.

Yep. Playing along was definitely my best choice this morning.

#

Security Officer Pumpkin Blitz

Saturday
0935

I felt a gentle tug on one of my wings, and looked down to see one of my feathers wreathed in Tawny's tan aura. "Hey!"

"Shush, dear. That one was falling out and you know it." She levitated a knife out of her barding and started sharpening the tip.

Mend looked at her. "Did you just pull one of her feathers out...?"

I fluffed my wings up, and pulled them tight against my flanks. "Yeah, Horn, she did."

"Why...?"

"There's this thing called 'writing', Ceru, you may have heard of it..." Tawny lead us into the Cafe.

"Yeah, I know what writing is." Horn threw an annoyed look at Tawny as he followed her into the Cafe.

"A questionable assessment, considering what some of our colleagues think..." Tawny glanced to me. "Blitzy, what are you going to eat?"

"I haven't decided...." I followed Mend into the Cafe. Scanning the room, I noticed Captain Firefly sitting in a corner alone. "Excuse me, Tawny...."

I trotted over to Firefly. "Captain? Can we talk?"

She looked up from the Pipbuck. "Sure, take a seat. What's up, Blitz?"

I sat down opposite her. "Uh..." I raised my wings, covering my face with them.

Captain Firefly frowned over her Pipbuck. "Spit it out, Blitz."

"Am I... barbaric..?"

Firefly looked to me curiously. "What?"

"What Crescent's mother said. Am I barbaric?"

She set her Pipbuck down. "Pumpkin, you are not barbaric. You're one of the kindest ponies I've met."

I looked down at the table - a Sparkle-cola bottle sat next to her, among the food wrappers. "What about what I told Crescent's mother? And during the ambush? And the thing with Mend during our first mission? I mean, I basically attacked-"

"Shut up, Blitz." I looked up shock. "You're a nice pony. You're also a fighter. That's a rare combination." She leaned towards me. "You're not some bloodthirsty, savage raider - you don't fight for the thrill of killing ponies. You fight to protect your friends. That's a good thing."

"Out of all of the Scouts, I've killed the most ponies..." I thought back through all of the missions I've been through. I couldn't even remember how many specifically. "I've murdered more ponies than anyone else here."

"First of all, that's not murder - that's self defense. Secondly, let's get hypothetical. You find yourself Outside, alone, and stumble upon an injured pony, also alone. She asks you for help. What do you do?"

I blinked, considering that. "Well, I'd help her..."

"There. Those aren't the words of a barbaric psychopath." She smiled to me. "I'm proud of how well you've handled yourself Outside, Pumpkin. You're one of the few ponies in the entire Stable I would unthinkingly trust to watch my flank out there."

"Maybe I don't want to anymore..." I glanced down. "Excuse me, Captain."

"Go talk to Database Error!"

I turned around, going over to Tawny and Mend. They'd settled at a table in the middle of the Cafe.

I definitely enjoyed hurting Mend during that last mission... I felt my cheeks heating up as I thought back. Celestia, that turned me on!

I settled down next to Tawny. "I wish you'd sat in one of the corner tables..."

"Blitzy?" Tawny looked to me in confusion. "What's up?" I leaned over to hug her, wrapping one wing around her. "Pumpkin?"

I glanced in Mend's direction, giving Tawny a pleading look.

"Right then." Mend grumbled, rising to his hooves. "I can tell when I'm not welcome. I'll leave."

"No! Mend, please..." He froze, looking to me in confusion. "Stay, please." He sat back down. "Thank you..." I looked over to Tawny. "I'll explain later, I promise."

She nodded. "You better...." She leaned over to kiss me on the forehead.

"I will, I promise... So, um... what were you two talking about?"

Tawny looked to me in concern for a long time, before glancing to her Pipbuck with a yawn. "I was telling Ceru about the data you retrieved from the Stable under the hospital."

"Stable 60...." I shivered, just thinking about it.

She nodded. "Lots of data. I'm not sure what Captain Firefly is looking for, though. I mean, hermaphrodite alicorns, hivemind queen rituals, radiation hardening. Lots of fascinating stuff, really." She let out a dreamy sigh. "So much knowledge, so little time!"

"You sound so passionate about it..."

"It's fascinating!" She grinned excitedly, before turning to Mend. "Ceru, you're being quiet. Why are you quiet?"

Mend nodded quietly. "It's probably for the best."

"Why?" Tawny frowned at him in annoyance.

"He implied you were a whore when we went out of the Stable." I tossed Mend a scowl.

"Oh please, Blitzy." Tawny rolled her eyes. "Ponies imply a lot of things about me. You know I don't care." She spared him an aside glance. "It's a dick move, but that's Ceru. He's a dick. A rude and abrasive, but mostly harmless, dick."

Mend looked slightly offended. "Hey, so, I'm right here?"

"Yeah, we know." She waved a hoof at Head Researcher Astral Vision. "Hiya Azzy." Tawny prodded me, and I moved over to let Researcher Vision join us as she pulled a seat over from another table.

"Hiya, Tawny. Blitz." Researcher Vision smiled to me politely. "Hello, Doctor." She glanced from Tawny to Mend in confusion.

"Hello, Researcher." I smiled at her, waving a wing. "He's with me."

"I didn't know you two were friends."

Mend cleared his throat loudly. "Still right here?"

"We know, Mend." I shrugged and prodded him in the side. "Yeah, we're friends." Mend scowled at me and shifted over, but his expression softened as I called him my friend. "We left the Stable with Firefly for her first mission to Baltimare."

"So, you mentioned some new project you wanted to talk to me about, Azzy?"

Researcher Vision nodded. "I've been studying Sergeant Cyclone. He's... fascinating. How is he even still alive?"

Mend leaned forward, looking to Researcher Vision. "I've been thinking - is it possible the radiation exposure has supercharged his cells' regeneration? His cells regenerate as quickly as they die?"

Researcher Vision nodded slowly. "I've considered that."

I smirked at Mend. "So, you're saying that his cells are... cancer?"

Mend and Tawny shared a look. "That's not really how cancer works, Blitzy." Mend shook his head in disgust.

#

Sergeant Cyclone

Saturday
1020

"May I help you?" The mare at the receptionist desk looked up from her terminal as I approached.

"Paperclip, right?" I smiled to her, and she nodded. "I'm here for an appointment with Chief Researcher Vision at 1030."

Paperclip smiled back, glancing to an older Pipbuck on her desk. "Researcher Vision is out presently, but she should be back soon. You can go on in, though... you shouldn't touch anything. It's the third door on the right."

"Thank you." I turned to move past her.

"Ah, excuse me, sir... This may seem rude, but... you were alive back then, weren't you?" I nodded to her, and she continued. "What was it like? Before the war?"

...

"Your orchards come close, in some ways, but they don't have... the feel of fresh, clean air flowing through your mane, or the smell of..." I thought back, remembering long ago with a fond smile. "The orchards are still delightful, though."

"That sounds... lovely... Thank you." She smiled, and I walked past her, entering Astral's office.

It was as messy as it had been the last time I was here. Based on some of the dust patterns, I suspected it'd been that way for a long time. Possibly even like that way since before Astral took over...

Heh, inherited messes.

I shook my head. Stable ponies...

I looked around, noticing... a feeling. It made me uncomfortable, and I followed it.

It lead to a safe behind her desk. A decent sized safe, though hidden in a fairly obvious place. I returned to the front of her desk.

Researcher Astral walked through the door, in the middle of a discussion with another unicorn. She turned and smiled to me. "Cyclone, you're here! Excellent. We can get started."

"This is..." She turned and gestured towards her companions.

Doctor Cerulean Mend and Officer Pumpkin Blitz followed her companion in. "Sweet fucking Celestia, Mend, I get it, you're right, I'm wrong, I don't know what cancer is!"

"I wasn't..." Doctor Cerulean frowned. "...trying to prove you were wrong, I was trying to tell you about cancer..."

Officer Pumpkin opened her mouth to respond, but Researcher Astral cleared her throat, and the two of them stopped talking.

"Doctor Cerulean Mend and Security Officer Pumpkin Blitz, yes. We've met." I waved to the two of them. "I didn't realize I warranted a Security escort..." I smiled at them.

"Hello, Sergeant." Officer Pumpkin shook her head. "We're off duty."

"And this is Researcher Tawny Forge." I nodded to the orange unicorn mare politely. "Are you ready?"

"One question first." I pointed a hoof at the safe. "What's in the safe behind your desk?"

Researcher Astral followed my hoof with a confused look. "A lot of items... dangerous artifacts I haven't had a chance to identify yet."

"Open it, please." She frowned in obvious concern. "I may be able to identify some things. I've been around for some time, you know..."

She smiled. "Good point." She walked over and opened it, stepping aside.

I trotted over, and an impossible-looking black gem immediately drew my attention.

...

I stared at it as I realized what it was. "That... is a balefire egg."

"A balefire egg? I've heard of-" Researcher Astral spoke speculatively. "Oh. Ohhh..." She trailed off, her eyes getting big, and looked to Researcher Tawny, stroking her chin thoughtfully. "That makes sense."

Researcher Tawny frowned. "Sweet Celestia..."

Officer Pumpkin stared around at us. "A... what now?"

"It's a downsized version of the bombs that destroyed Equestria, designed for infantry use."

Officer Pumpkin gasped and recoiled, taking a step away from the safe.

Researcher Tawny smirked at Researcher Astral. "And you were using it as a paperweight?"

"Shush, Tawny." Researcher Astral frowned at her, before looking to me. "Okay! I think that's enough of a heart attack for right now..." She - carefully - closed the safe and spun the dial. "So, Cyclone... you mentioned...?"

#

Doctor Mineral Sands

Saturday
1134

I poked my head into the corner of the Security station that served as Captain Firefly's office. "Captain? May I speak with you?"

She looked up from her Pipbuck, and nodded. "What's up, Sands?"

I settled down in front of her desk. "I'd like to request a permanent transfer to the Stable Scout unit, ma'am."

Firefly leaned back, frowning.

Please...

She set her Pipbuck down. "On what grounds?"

"I'd like to offer my services. Stable Scout needs a medic, right?"

"I'm gonna need a little more than that. Why do you want to join?"

"Well... I want to help. Cres died for it, right?"

"Denied."

I frowned at Firefly. "What the hell? Why?"

"I'll tell you why." Firefly leaned forward, bridging her hooves. "I don't need volunteers. I need fighters - ponies who are willing to fight, to kill if necessary. You handled yourself remarkably well during the last mission, but I don't know if that was a just fluke or something more." She shook her head. "Moreso, I don't know if you're really dedicated to the Stable Scout cause, or if you're just hurt and angry over Crescent's death, and this is just a spur of the moment decision."

"Hurt and... " I sputtered for a moment, before changing tracks. "The fuck? It's your fault Crescent's dead, and you're blaming me?"

Firefly winced.

Oh, shit.

I shouldn't have said that.

"No, Mineral, I'm not blaming you for Crescent's death." She sighed. "If you're really interested, here's your assignment: go talk to Database Error and talk to me again in three days after you've had some time to think about it. Dismissed!"

I scowled at her, refusing to move. "You're not even going to consider this?"

"I have, Mineral. I've been expecting this since we returned. You got my answer and my reasoning." She pointedly returned to her Pipbuck.

I ground my teeth together. "Fine..." As I turned to leave, I thought I caught Captain Firefly smirking over her Pipbuck.

That... that bitch! I'll show her.

I trotted out into the main Security station, wanting to buck someone through a wall.

...

You know, that's a good idea.

I headed down to the sparring arena on the third level. A few ponies were scattered around the room. Ivory and Cast were there in the middle of a spar, grappling on the floor.

I approached them, and after a minute, I cleared my throat. "Am I interrupting anything?"

Ivory looked over, pinned underneath Cast. "Oh, hiya..."

"Would you two like some privacy?"

Ivory flushed after a moment. "Uh, we're not like that, Min..."

Cast glared at me, and I smirked.

So... that's a yes, then.

"Mind if I join you guys? I need some sparring practice..."

"Sure thing." Ivory smiled, prodding Cast. "Off, Cas, please..." He grumbled and crawled off of her.

"I'll sit this one out. You mares have fun." Cast settled down on the edge of the mat, buffing one of his hooves against his suit.

"Go easy on me?" Ivory smiled as she faced me. "I'm not as durable as you earth ponies are..."

I nodded curtly. "Blocking practice?"

"Sounds good to me."

We started trading blows - I hitting Ivory, Ivory blocking and then vice versa. My third strike, from the side, missed her entirely.

Ivory snickered as I blocked her strike.

...

That pissed me off.

Fucking Security ponies.

Can they take anything seriously?

I planted my hooves, putting more force into my strikes.

Ivory simply sidestepped my next side strike.

I ground my teeth. "Ivory... I can't practice my strikes if you keep dodging..."

"Sure you can! Battlefield conditions on a moving target!" She smirked smugly. "Advanced practice!"

She darted in, bucked me in the ribs, and teleported away from my return strike in a cloud of pink sparkles.

She appeared a few meters away, smirking.

Just like Firefly... that smug, obnoxious smirk.

"Get over here!"

"Come and get me!" She laughed as she backed away.

I charged her, and she stood there, smirking.

I got to her, and she teleported next to me, bucked me in the ribs again, and teleported away again.

"Kind of like dodging ponies trying to teleport into you, huh?" She chuckled. "Only the opposite - teleporting away from ponies trying to catch you!"

I frowned, rubbing my ribs. "Is this some fucking joke to you?"

Her grin faded, and she looked to me in confusion. "What?"

"This isn't a game, Ivory! This is real life! Crescent is dead! Gone! Do you know what? I spent the entire ambush covered in my best friend's brains!" Ivory's expression changed from confusion to shocked disgust.

I thought back to Ivory's 'demonstration' with the brick. "I could be dead, too! Is that what you want?"

"N... no...?" Ivory's face returned to an expression of stupid confusion. "But... you're not dead. You're still here, Min... I saved you..."

"Yeah? Well, you might not be able to do that the next time if you keep treating this like a fucking game! If you're not going to be serious about this, maybe you should quit Stable Scout now."

"I'm..." Ivory paused, narrowing her eyes. "Why wouldn't I be serious? We're just messing around, right?"

"Sure doesn't look like it right now. I certainly wouldn't trust you to watch my flanks, if this is you being 'serious'..."

A shocked look of pain crossed her face, and she looked away. "I'm sorry I couldn't save Crescent..."

I took a step towards her. "Why the fuck not?"

"I can't do anything right..." Is she crying?

She's crying.

Good.

I rushed her, rearing back and bringing my hooves down.

As I reared back, she screamed and threw up a shield barrier. My hooves slammed down on it instead of her. "Fucking unicorn magic!"

The shield barrier kept my hooves from landing, but I could feel that it was weak.

I grinned.

I can break it.

I slammed my hooves down again, and the shield barrier held.

I planted my hind legs and slammed my hooves down a third time - this time, it shattered.

Ivory screamed again, and disappeared in a cloud of pink sparkles. I growled, hopping back and glancing around.

Where did she go...

Ivory was on the other side of the room, curled up on her side, Cast hurrying over to her. She was wreathed in aura of pink sparkles, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Oh.

Cast lead Ivory out of the gym, tossing a dark glare over his shoulder at me. Ivory was limping.

...

"Serves her right for fuckin' around, eh?" I glanced around, realizing that I was surrounded by Security ponies.

None of them looked happy.

Fuck 'em. Fuck 'em all, if they're gonna tolerate Ivory just fucking around.

"Looking for a fight, Min?" I glanced back to see Pumpkin standing behind me.

She frowned at me as she stretched her wings.

Something about that frown made me wary, but I pushed forward. "Come at me."

We met in the middle of the mat, three meters between us. I started circling to the side, and she took a step sideways towards me - I hurriedly moved the other way, and she smirked, standing there. "You get issued that smirk when you joined Security?"

"Cute, Min." Pumpkin was on her hooves, gently waving from side to side, wings folded.

"Fuck you!" I charged her.

I was pretty fast, but she was faster. She spun out of the way of my hooves, missing by centimeters, and she bucked me in the ribs.

I gasped as I tumbled away from her to open the distance, and she stood there, facing me as I scrambled to my hooves, feeling a sharp spike of pain in my heart.

"Get over here!" I galloped at her, sliding on my side and throwing a hoof at her legs to bring her to the ground.

She spread her wings, hopping over me, and hovered above me.

Oh shit.

We stared at each other for a moment, and she frowned, shaking her head slightly.

She folded her wings and dropped on me, driving her rear hooves between my hind legs and her forelegs down on my solar plexus, scowling at me.

"Go away!" I bucked out at her, and threw myself away from her, rolling away. My attack pushed her away from me, long enough for me to get up. One of her hooves caught my muzzle, but I ignored it as I rolled to my hooves.

I dove at her again, and this time she grabbed me, throwing me over her and slamming me against the mat.

I gasped, looking at her upside down, towering over me. "You talk too much." She stepped back, out of my view. "Get up."

I twisted, grabbing her hooves and twisting her around onto her back, flipping us so I was on top of her.

She flipped us over so I was on the bottom, jabbing her hoof against the artery in my neck. "D-don't-"

"I know. Shut up." She narrowed her eyes at me as she leaned in, scary fury in her purple eyes. "You're not a fighter, Min." She pushed her hoof against the artery a little, and I squeaked. "Stop pretending to be what you're not, before you get someone killed."

Pumpkin got up, glaring at me. "If you're serious about being a Scout, go talk to the shrink and sort your problems out. If you're not, find someone else to vent at. Do not make the mistake of preying on my ponies again, or you'll be back in Medical. I'm not talking about a transfer, either." She turned and stalked off.

I sighed and looked around, wiping some of the blood flowing out of my nose.

Everypony else was going back to what they were doing before.

I blinked, wiping a tear off my cheek. I do have issues... I groaned as I rose to my hooves.

#

Security Officer Ivory Charm

Saturday
1723

"Captain?" I walked into Firefly's office, knocking on the wall. "Are you busy?"

"No, I suppose not." She glanced up from her Pipbuck. "Take a seat. What's up, Charm?"

"I, um... I'd like to request a transfer off Stable Scout outside duty. At least, excursions duty...?"

Firefly frowned, then shrugged, tossing her Pipbuck onto her desk. "Excellent. This simplifies things. Your father wanted me to do that, too."

Aww, dad. Damn it! Stop interfering with my life!

"I... don't want to die..."

"Charm?" I looked to Firefly as she called my name.

"I don't want to die, but I want to help... am I a coward?"

"No, Ivory, you're not a coward. You want to survive, to live - that's good. That's natural."

"What about you? You didn't even react to... to everything. Crescent's death... losing your Pipbuck... why?" I blinked as my vision turned blurry.

"I'll let you in on a little secret, Ivory." She leaned forward over the desk. "I was pretty scared, too."

"How did you...?"

"I focused on what needed to be done. We needed to get out of there alive. So I..." She paused, blinking. "I ignored everything that wouldn't help us, and focused on... just getting us out of there in one piece." She smirked back to me, confident and sexy. "Like I said - I'd do whatever was necessary to bring us home. And here we are, right?"

I nodded, wiping tears away. "My Pipbuck told me I... I was dead." I paused. "Am... am I dead?"

"Pretty sure we aren't, Ivory." She rose, putting a hoof on my shoulder. "You should talk to Database Error - this is really her area of expertise, not mine. You can trust her. But if you ever want to talk to me personally, my door is always open." She paused, narrowing her eyes thoughtfully, before her expression shifted to a sly smile. "How would you like to be the advisor for Field Operations at FOB Haven? You'd be Outside, helping the ponies of Haven and the Stable, but not directly doing external operations to Baltimare."

"Um..." I blinked. "That seems like a lot of responsibility, Captain..."

"Don't worry, you don't have to answer now." She stepped back with a smile. "Take a few days, think about it. It's yours, if you want it. After all, you're one of the few ponies out of the entire Stable with hooves in the dirt experience Outside."

I nodded again. "Thank you, ma'am..."

She returned to her desk. "Anything else you needed?" I shook my head. "Good, good. Don't forget to talk to the shrink. Off you go!"

I rose, saluted and left.

#

Lieutenant Rapid Dash

Sunday
0632

"Mornin', Mom." My mother, a beige-coated, green-eyed pegasus named Stack Draft, stumbled into the family's quarters and stepped around Rivets, snoozing on the floor under a blanket.

She prodded me off the couch, collapsing on it with a groan. "Hi, dear."

"Long night?" I settled down on one of the recliners.

"You have no idea." She stretched her wings. "Have you ever tried to hold a clumsy unicorn up so he can climb into an access tunnel?"

"Arc again?"

She nodded. "He's a great pony, but nimble, he is not. How's Firefly?"

"She's been... stressed recently."

"Given the circumstances, I'd be worried if she wasn't stressed out... a mare of her age doing what she's doing."

"She's twenty five, Mom, that's plenty old."

She chuckled. "Calling a mare 'plenty old' is a good way to sleep on the couch, Dashie."

"Well, that's why I don't call her 'plenty old' to her face." I smirked back at her.

"Good colt." Mom chuckled. "When I was twenty five, I was just a maintenance pony, crawling through vents..." She shook her head. "I can't imagine what she must be going through."

"You're still crawling through vents, though."

"No, I have ponies to crawl through vents for me. I've been promoted to boosting them inside." Mom chuckled, before sobering up. "What's it like Outside?"

"Wow, that's quite a change in topic, Mom."

"I'm curious." She smiled, spreading her wings as she stretched out. "Humor me?"

"It's big and open. Plenty of space for everypony..." I looked to her wings. "Plenty of space for you to stretch your wings." I considered. "The sun! You can't imagine what it's like, watching the sun rise over the horizon, clean, cool air blowing through your mane..."

She thought about that, eyes closed, face in a thinking expression. "That does sound lovely..."

I glanced to my Pipbuck.

0645

"Well, I gotta get to work. See you in a few hours, Mom." I rose and kissed her on the cheek.

She pulled me into a tight hug with one of her wings. "Be careful..."

"That's the plan!" I smirked and hugged her back.

I ducked into the Cafe, retrieved a freshly baked apple fritter, and strolled over to Security. "Good morning, Lieutenant..." Dawning Petals and Winter Green were on the third shift, which extended from 0000 to 0800. The Stable ran on three eight-hour shifts, instead of the surface's two-twelve day-night cycle. Some good things to living underground all of your lives, I guess.

"Mornin' Dawn, Minty. I'll take over from here."

Dawn yawned and flicked her braid over to her other shoulder. "Did you sleep well?"

"Pretty well, yeah." I groaned, stretching. "Hey, so, if you ever thought that your bunk's uncomfortable, try sleeping in a sewer tunnel."

"Not a chance." Minty shook his head. "Captain Firefly might be right about all this Operation Baltimare stuff, but I don't plan to leave the Stable if I don't have to. It's dangerous out there."

"Dangerous, but wonderful. There's something... mystical and amazing about watching the sun rise over the horizon, from the roof of a building, fresh, clean air blowing through your mane."

"Wow!" Dawn smiled. "That sounds beautiful..."

Even Minty grudgingly seemed to be intrigued by that.

Finally, third shift left.

I smirked as I turned, looking at the empty Security station, all mine for the next hour until Firefly showed up!

Excellent.

Heh.

Haha.

MUAHAHAHAHA.

First I strolled over to Firefly's desk, studying it.

Hrm... No, it would annoy her even more to not do anything today.

I left her desk alone, leaving everything where she'd left it. I turned, glancing around the station. No, nothing of interest.

Hrm...

I yawned and strolled into Range's office.

Someone walked down the hallway, towards Security.

...

I cocked an ear, and the hoofsteps continued down the hallway, past Security.

Phew.

Colonel Range's office was... as always, pretty bare.

Let's see what she's hiding in that desk.

The top drawers contained nothing of interest.

... but one of the bottom drawers was locked.

Oh, what's in here... I picked the lock.

A pair of fuzzy pink hoofcuffs, and half of a bottle of 'Captain Lyra's Spiced Rum'.

Well, hello there. I wonder when those are going to become standard issue. Wasn't that the alcohol Firefly said she liked?

I tucked both bottle and cuffs away in my tail.

Someone trotted into Security, clearing their throat rudely. I left Range's office, seeing somepony standing in the middle of the lobby.

"May I help you, ma'am...?" She was a purple unicorn with an expression of bored contempt.

Just looking at her I knew I was going to dislike her. She scowled at me and opened her mouth to confirm my hypothesis. "Slacking on duty, I see, Sergeant."

I raised one eyebrow.

Sergeant?

"Blossom. Ruby Blossom, Personal Assistant to Lead Councilmare Diamond Rose." She levitated an older model Pipbuck out of her Stable suit. "The Council wants Captain Firefly to see this."

I saluted her smartly. "Of course, Assistant!"

She stared at me for a long moment. "Are you going to take it...?" Her eyes flicked to the Pipbuck held in her magic.

Perfect.

I leaned over to pick it up in my mouth.

"Oh, right... Never mind." She levitated it away, and set it on the desk. "Wait." She turned and stared at me deeply, eyebrows furrowed in intense concentration. I suspected that was an unusual expression for her.

"I recognize you. You're Crimson's kid's sex toy, aren't you?"

...

"I'm sorry?"

She simply smirked.

That smug look pissed me off.

"I earned my position through working hard and being good at my job, ma'am. Not by being the former Overmare's daughter and being pitied by the Council."

She gaped at me in anger and shock. "How dare you!" She figured out how to close her mouth, and scowled at me. "I'm reporting you to Colonel Range. What's your name?"

Like Colonel Range will do anything.

"Pardon?"

"Your name." She spoke slowly, like she was speaking to a simpleton. "What... is... your... name?"

"I am Lieutenant Rapid Dash, ma'am." I stressed my rank to point out her earlier mistake.

Her scowl deepened, and she left, casting a dark look at me as she did.

"Have a pleasant day, ma'am!" I gave her my best smile, which only deepened her glare.

What a complete cunt.

I gave her another three minutes to begone, and headed for the evidence locker in Colonel Range's office, picking the lock. There were a few new items since the last time I'd been there, so I hoofed through them. Nothing of value, really...

I glanced to my Pipbuck to see it was 0737.

I picked up a Ministry Mare Sparkle figurine and hurried for the front desk, assuming a casually alert stance.

Barely a minute later, Firefly strolled in, nibbling on an apple fritter. Her mother, Sapphire Aurora, trailed her in, a steaming mug of tea in her magic.

"Good morning, Dashie!" Firefly threw me a cheery smile.

"Mornin', boss. Councilor Rose's gofer told me to give you this." I gestured to the Pipbuck sitting at the front desk, and Firefly picked it up on the way past. "Good morning, Mrs Aurora. It's nice to see you up." I smiled to her.

"Hello, Dash. Please, call me Sapphire, I'm not old enough to be 'Mrs Aurora'."

I nodded and left that one alone. Perception is just as important as the truth.

I glanced to Firefly as she walked over to her desk, glaring at it. "Did you sleep well, Firefly?"

"Something's wrong."

"Hrm?"

She narrowed her eyes at it, staring at it for a long moment. "Nothing moved."

"Sup, Firefly...?" I glanced to her, head cocked.

She opened one of the drawers - the one with her bottle of healing potion. "Almost every day for the past year, someone's reorganized my desk. Today, nothing." She shook her head, frowned, and closed the drawer after a moment.

"Isn't that good...?" I suppressed the urge to smirk, instead adopting a look of confusion.

"Oh, whatever." She shook her head and sat down. "Yes, yes."

I glanced to the drawer she'd just closed. "Aren't you going to have your healing potion?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm gonna cut back on it."

Sapphire followed her over. "You're drinking healing potions? Those aren't good for you..."

Firefly smirked to her mother. "I know, Mother. Don't worry about it."

Twenty minutes of the morning shift slowly trickling in later, Colonel Range entered Security with a yawn, holding a steaming cup in her magic.

I glanced around. "Hey, I had a thought. We haven't done anything since Operation Baltimare began. How about we do some sparring?"

Range and Firefly shared a look and Firefly shrugged. "I'm free for the next hour or so. It would be nice to get some training in..."

Range nodded. "Yeah, alright..." She let out a huge yawn, and stretched. "Saph?" She glanced to Sapphire.

Sapphire smiled and nodded. "It's been..." She paused, trailing off sadly, and started again. "Yes. That sounds great."

The four of us headed down to the gym, and did some warm-ups. The gym was a large, open room with various training materials, with mats on the floor for hoof-to-hoof training. Two rooms off to the side were the real-life practice arenas, replicating the effects of training in urban and low light environments.

Firefly groaned as she stretched, rising to her hooves. "Hide and seek?" She waved a hoof at the side arenas.

I shared glanced to Range and Sapphire. "No magic, no Pipbucks?"

Range considered, then nodded in agreement. "No magic, no Pipbucks."

"No." Firefly frowned, glanced to her Pipbuck, and then shook her head. "Magic, but no Pipbuck."

I could tell she was thinking back to the encounter with her father on Friday, when she'd been stripped of both her Pipbuck and magic, and I moved to prod her in the spot. Firefly glared at me, and I smirked back at her while Range gave us a confused look.

Sapphire looked around seriously. "Third option - Range and Dash don't use magic, while Firefly and I do? Both teams have a similar handicap."

"That sounds good." We all agreed. "Capture the flag? Range and Sapphire on defense, Firefly and I on offense?"

Capture the Flag was exactly what it said on the tin - a flag in the middle of the sparring arena. It was offense's job to capture the flag, and defense's to prevent that. Kind of self explanatory, really.

Range nodded. "Yeah, let's do it." She went over to the props locker and retrieved four paintball guns and holsters, distributing them to everyone.

Paintball guns allowed us to track our hits, and give us a way to practice marksponyship safely. Three hits to limbs, two to the torso or one to the head would neutralize a pony.

I adjusted mine as we gave them a minute so it hung against my chest, off to the side, grip in mouth reach.

"Pipbucks down." I glanced to Firefly as she spoke, and she smirked at me. "Ready, Dashie?"

"Hell yeah." I threw her a bright grin. "Been waiting for round two for weeks."

"Let's go." Firefly glanced down to her Pipbuck, and then nodded to herself, speaking quietly as she looked to me. "Take point. I'll follow, five paces."

"Copy." I drew my paintball gun and trotted into the darkened maze, moving quietly, the barely audible sound of my hooves covered by the sound of the engineering equipment that allowed the Stable to function a level below us.

Left, right, left, and we came to a three-way junction.

I cocked an ear at the faint sound of Firefly casting a spell, and faded into the shadows, just beyond the pale blue glow Firefly's spell generated.

She looked to me, then pointedly looked to the left hallway. I lead the way, eyes and ears open.

I heard something to my right and ducked, just as Range went sailing over me with a muttered curse. One of her flailing hooves clipped me in the head, and I growled around my pistol's bit as I hopped backwards.

Firefly raised her pistol and popped off a burst of red paintballs at Range, which splatted against a pale blue shield barrier that appeared in front of her.

I rose, hopping aside as Sapphire came out of the darkness behind me, but her pounce followed me, driving a hoof into my stomach.

I blew out a breath as I kicked out, rolled away from Sapphire and opening the distance as Firefly fired at her again. One splatted against another shield barrier and the second splattered against the wall behind us, visible by the faint blue light Sapphire's shield barrier gave off.

The third hit me squarely on my hind leg. "Firefly!"

"Oops!" She hopped back as Sapphire rolled to her hooves, firing at her.

I turned and rushed Range, firing as I galloped at her. None of my shots landed, but they disrupted her aim until I got to her.

I dodged to the right just as I got to her, going into a leg sweep to kick her hooves from under her - I'd finish her as she fell.

Instead, she hopped towards me, and my hooves only clipped two of her legs, pushing her off balance. I fell into her, and she fell onto me.

She lost her grip on her pistol, but I did not.

I twisted as I fell, bringing my pistol on target and firing again.

Range glared at me as my first shots missed, and she drove a hoof between my hind legs.

I grunted.

A hoof to the balls isn't a kill shot!

I fired another burst at her.

One paintball clipped her horn, another her ear, and a third hit her squarely in the forehead, right below her horn, splattering her face and mane with red paint.

I smirked at her and tried to rise, twisting to bring my pistol on Sapphire as Range went limp on me with a grumble.

A burst of blue paintballs hit me in the chest and neck, and I groaned as I died.

I turned to scowl at Range's pistol, held in a blue aura, before turning to watch Firefly and Sapphire's fight, sliding my pistol towards Firefly.

Firefly scooped up my pistol with her magic, turning it on Sapphire as she hopped to the side, dodging one burst from Sapphire's pistol, right into the path of a burst from Range's pistol.

Instead of trying to dodge again, she swatted them out of the air with her telekinesis, and they splattered against the wall beside her, her expression of confident pride faintly lit by the blue glow of magic, only marred by the faint look of surprise in her eyes.

Nice trick!

Sapphire charged Firefly, dropping to the floor and sliding into Firefly's hooves, and the two of them fell to the ground as a mess of flailing hooves and yelps.

Firefly kicked away from Sapphire, sliding on her flanks as her pistols fired out a short burst. She then smoothly rose to her hooves with a bright, pleased smirk. "You're dead, Mom!"

Sapphire groaned, crawling to her hooves, and Range pushed me off of her as she got up.

I moaned as I shifted, staying on the ground for a moment. "You took way too much pleasure in saying that, Firefly..."

She blinked in shock at that, a horrified look crossing her face for a moment, and she stepped over to Sapphire, wrapping her hooves around her.

Range and Sapphire shared a confused look over Firefly's shoulder, before Sapphire hugged her back carefully.

She did have a habit of muttering stuff about hoping her mother would 'just die already' when she was pissed off... Probably best to keep that to myself.

Range frowned to me, and I shook my head. "You don't want to know."

Range smirked and offered me her hoof. "If I'd had my magic, we would have won, no contest."

I took her hoof, spreading my hooves unsteadily as she pulled me up. "You could have won if you hadn't dropped your pistol, either."

"Like I said, if I'd had my magic..." She smirked as she slapped me on the flank. "How're your balls?"

"The win makes them hurt less."

#

Security Officer Pumpkin Blitz

Sunday
1403

"Captain?" I saluted as I entered her office.

"You have that look, Blitz." Captain Firefly looked up from her Pipbuck with a sigh. "What's up?"

I dug the scroll out of my barding and set it on her desk. "This is my letter of resignation."

Firefly looked to me with a confused expression, leaning forward. "This is really not funny, Blitz."

"No, it's not a joke." I sighed. "I don't like killing ponies, Captain."

"Well, obviously." Captain Firefly rolled her eyes. "I'd be concerned if you did."

"Well... no. That's not true." Firefly's left eyebrow drooped in skepticism, and I elaborated. "When bullets start flying, or... a fight starts, I... go away. And when I come back, they're all dead... and I'm happy about it. I killed them, and all I can feel is... satisfaction. And power." I stopped speaking, glancing at a Pipbuck on her desk. "They attacked me, and they got what they fucking deserved." I paused, going down another track. "I had an incident with Mineral in the gym yesterday."

Firefly glanced to her Pipbuck. "I was just reading the report on that..."

"She... blew up on Ivory. She blamed her for Crescent's death." I paused again. "I beat her flank for it. Roughed her up, scared her, nothing serious. Told her to stop playing around if she wanted to be a Scout."

Firefly frowned in mild disapproval, but said nothing, just listening.

"I don't like what I'm capable of, Captain. From when I was a foal, I was taught, "violence is wrong", and over the past two weeks, I've learned two things about myself: one, that I'm good at hurting ponies, and two, that I enjoy hurting ponies."

"I understand..." She nodded decisively, cutting the seal and unrolling the scroll. "I'll wait three days before I file it, in case you change your mind. You're still going to have to serve the next month, but I'll transfer you back to internal policing matters in the mean time."

"Thank you, ma'am." She paused, and for a moment, we stood there in silence.

"So, Pumpkin... what's your next move?"

"I don't know..." I looked up, considering. "Maybe I'll transfer to Maintenance. Learn to fix water pumps or bake cakes or something."

"Well... good luck. It's been an honor." She considered. "I'm not ordering you to, but I'm serious - I really want you to go talk to the shrink. Okay?"

"I'll think about it."

I exited Firefly's office a few minutes later to see a snotty-looking purple unicorn leaning against the wall, being very obvious that she was pretending she wasn't listening to my conversation with Captain Firefly.

I cleared my throat. "What are you doing here, ma'am?"

"I was talking to Colonel Range about an incident I had with the first shift watch."

I nodded impassively. "I'll escort you out, then."

"Oh, how kind of you, young mare." I gestured for her to go ahead, and she smiled. Her smile was one of those sincerely insincere smiles. I glanced over my shoulder as she moved forward. It reminded me of somepony creeping up behind me with a knife...

She continued after a moment. "So, I hear you're resigning from Security? Might I ask the reasoning behind that?"

So she had been eavesdropping.

Polite or rude...

Polite would be best, I guess. "If that were true, that would be between Captain Firefly, myself and nopony else."

"Ah..." She smiled to me knowingly.

When Lieutenant Dash did that, it was endearingly confident.

When this mare did it, it made her look obnoxiously smug.

I lead the way to the door to the Atrium. "Well, here we are..."

She smiled to me, turning to face me, blocking the door. "Do you have anything to be doing? Perhaps we could get together?"

Somehow I doubt "get together" means the same thing to you as it does to me...

I shook my head and headed down the hallway towards the Cafe. "I have to meet someone."

She followed me. "Maybe I could come along?"

"I'm planning to go have sex with my marefriend in the showers. So no, I don't think you want to join." She stopped following me. "I could ask her, though, she is somewhat open-minded...."

She gave me a faux-pleasant smile. "Ah. Later, then?"

"Yeah, let's not..."

#

Server Aura Cinnamon

Sunday
1702

Finally it was complete. The kitchen staff and I had spent most of today planning and cooking, but Crescent's memorial was ready on time, despite the lack of preparation time.

It had begun. The food was laid out, the music was playing through the radio. Ponies were arriving.

In a lull in the voices, I heard Researcher Tawny say something. "Calm, Blitzy... calm. It's okay."

I meandered in their direction, and Doctor Mineral, snickered, pointing a hoof at Officer Blitz. "Hey, Blitz. No crying, not at Cres' memorial."

"Don't tell me what to do, Min!" Officer Blitz rose to her hooves, glaring at Doctor Mineral. "You don't get to fucking do that. Not after that stunt you pulled yesterday!"

The room fell silent except for the radio. Somepony coughed.

Researcher Tawny came over and pulled Officer Blitz outside. "Come on, Blitzy..." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting herself be pulled out of the Cafe.

The party continued, ponies trickling in, small groups and individual ponies. They formed small groups, talking quietly amongst themselves as they snacked, until 1730. At 1730, the Overmare rose, stepping over to the podium we'd set up facing the room, clearing her throat. "Excuse me, everypony. Captain Firefly would like to make a statement."

Firefly rose from her seat, approaching the podium and spending a moment fiddling with an older Pipbuck.

She glanced up to the crowd, back down to an older model Pipbuck, then back up and sighed.

"I had a speech." Firefly grandly waved a hoof in the air. "A great speech, one rivaling any of the finest the Princesses gave during their reign! But... that isn't what this event needs. Not some high and mighty speech from the Stable's leadership. This isn't about Security, or the Stable. It's about Crescent Spark."

She fell silent for a moment, setting the Pipbuck aside.

"Crescent is dead, and I regret that it had to be her. I know some of you are wondering, why did she die? She didn't die because the wasteland hated her, or because of something she did wrong. Crescent died because she was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and nothing could have changed that. Crescent died for Stable Scout, and her sacrifice... It allowed her friends to come home safely." She paused, blinking rapidly. "I'm grateful she was there with us, and I... I'm sorry she was the one who died."

"But you're putting the entire Stable in danger every time you open the Door! We should close the Door, before anypony else dies."

"Sealing the Door now would make Crescent's death be for nothing." Firefly smiled sadly. "Everypony dies. Some live longer than others..." She glanced to the ghoul, Sergeant Cyclone. "But death is inevitable. What matters is the life you live in that time." She turned back to the rest of the ponies present. "When we opened the Door two decades ago, we announced our presence to the Outside. Nothing can take that back, and we can't just seal the Door and hope the Outside ignores us, because they're not going to. It's time for us to rejoin the surface, now. On our terms, or theirs."

"How do you know now is the time?" I slipped through the crowd, refilling Sergeant Cyclone's drink. He nodded to me appreciatively.

Firefly smiled at her heckler, and spoke quietly, dramatically. "That is the purpose of Stable Scout."

Sergeant Cyclone raised his drink, speaking up from his seat. "Events are happening on a scale that have not happened since the War. If Stable 30 is to move out to the surface and forge their path from a position of strength, now is the time."

"Thank you, Sergeant." Firefly gestured a hoof towards Sergeant Cyclone. She paused, glancing around at the assembled ponies, who leaned in to listen to her next words. "And that is why Crescent died. To help pave a path for the Stable to survive on the surface... because the Stable is not as secure as it once was - surely you've noticed things. Maintenance being far more active in the living areas in the past few years. Hot water not working in the showers. Other small, little annoyances. Signs that the Stable isn't doing so well."

"But the Wasteland is such a..." The pony broke off for a moment unsurely. "It's dangerous and creepy and messy. And what about the ceiling?"

"The sky, yes. It's dangerous, yeah." Security Officer Platinum Starlight spoke up, and everyone looked to her as she rose to her hooves, walking towards the stage. "But it's... wonderful, too. Have you ever felt the wind blowing through your mane? Real wind, not just the ventilation system circulating air..." She had an expression of awe. "Or watched the sun rise over the horizon? It's... inspiring. Everyone should see it, at least once in their lives."

Many of the gathered ponies looked tempted by that, though some still looked wary.

That did sound kind of amazing...

"Thank you, Plat." Firefly glanced around. "I apologize for making this so somber - this isn't the time to talk about my problems," she smiled, chuckling a little. "This is the time to remember Crescent's life! Is there anyone that would like to speak?"

#

Captain Firefly

Sunday
1730

After the speech, I occupied my usual table in the back corner.

Aura came over to talk to me, offering me a steaming mug of mint tea. "That was a pretty good show, 'Fly. Did you plan for your team to join in?"

...

"Yes." I nodded. "Yes, I did. Absolutely." I levitated the tea over.

Aura smiled at me teasingly. "How can someone so good at giving speeches be so bad at lying?"

"Practice." I smiled back at him.

"If I weren't hopeless in a fight, I might consider joining Security."

"Oh, please, Aura. You're just saying that..."

"No, really! I heard some of the kitchen staff talking about it. They were really impressed with it."

"Wait, you're serious?"

He nodded earnestly. "I said it was a good show. A lot of ponies are going to be talking about it tonight." He glanced over his shoulder. "Hey, I gotta get back to work. I'll be back in a bit?"

"Don't get in trouble on my behalf, Aura..."

He smiled and walked off to serve another table.

I sipped my tea, burnt my tongue, and quickly set it down with a sigh. I looked up, and noticed an olive green unicorn glaring at me from across the Cafe. We made eye contact for a moment, and she looked away.

Ah.

That must be Crescent's mother...

Crescent wouldn't be dead if I hadn't taken her out of the Stable.

I wouldn't be here, getting dirty glares from the mother of one of my dead ponies.

A mare whose name I still don't know.

Yet, Crescent volunteered for Stable Scout duty.

But, did she really know what she was getting into?

Yet, did any of us really know what we were getting into?

No, I suppose not...

But, is that really an excuse?

...

The sound of someone clearing their throat broke my line of thought, and I realize Aura had been talking to me. "Firefly? Are you okay?" He cocked his head, looking at me in concern.

I nodded. "I'm okay, Aura..."

"Tea?" He smiled to me.

I glanced down to my still full mug of tea.

It wasn't steaming anymore.

...

How long had I been sitting here? I glanced to my Pipbuck.

1820

"I'll take that as a no, then..." Aura smiled. "Hey, would you like to get together tonight? My shift ends at 2200."

I frowned, glancing to my to-do list. I had a Council meeting at 2000. "Sorry, Aura. I've got a lot of stuff to do tonight... but I'd like that. Tomorrow, maybe? I'll pay?"

"You better." He smiled confidently. "Call me when you get time for us civvies, Captain." He turned and trotted off.

...

When did Aura get so smooth?

I don't have time for that right now.

I rose and left the Cafe.

#

I found myself sitting on the couch in my quarters, furiously second-guessing every decision I'd made over the past two weeks.

I levitated a shelf over, the shelf my mother and I had knocked over last week, when we had our fight...

"Fucking shelf."

I turned it over, and everything dumped out onto the floor.

"Fuck you."

I disassembled it - removing all of the screws. Within a minute, instead of a standing shelf, I held all of the parts for a shelf.

Screws, supports, shelves.

"You... fucking... shelf!"

I screamed and threw it at the wall.

Supports crumpled on impact, and one of the shelves dented.

...

Only a dent?!

...

I pulled the dented shelf back to me, slamming my hooves on it. On the fourth hit, it crumpled.

I spun, throwing it into the couch.

The couch fell over backwards.

Finally, I crawled to my hooves, venting done.

I have things to do....

Somepony knocked on the door, and I trotted over to it. "I'm coming..."

"Firefly? The Council meet-" Range was standing there, and she broke off as she saw me. "Celestia, you look like shit. Are you okay?" Dashie poked his head over Range's shoulder, and I stepped forward, allowing the door to my quarters to seal behind me.

"No, I'm not." Range frowned in concern at me. "Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer, right? But I have things to do, so my mood is irrelevant."

Range shook her head. "We could delay the Council."

"Ha, sure." I shook my head and trotted past her.

Dashie stepped out of my way. "I could push you down a flight of stairs, boss." Dashie and Range fell in as I walked down the hallway. "Tell the Council you tripped."

"Yeah, that's appealing." I glanced over my shoulder at Dashie. "Ditch my responsibilities by pretending to fall down the stairs."

"The Council would totally buy that." Range grinned. "You're clumsy enough for that to work, Fi." Dashie nodded enthusiastically.

"Thanks for that, boss."

"Great confidence boost, no?" Dashie grinned at me.

"Yeah, definitely. Very ego boosting." I smiled back, then sighed.

"Better?" Range smiled to me with a worried look.

I nodded. "Yes. Thank you."

#

Sunday
2006

"You constantly complain about needing more ponies, yet you just as constantly turn volunteers down. The Stable doesn't have unlimited resources, Captain!"

Isn't this just a great start.

"I don't need volunteers or police ponies. I need fighters, ponies I can trust to be able to handle themselves Outside. When it comes to 'kill or be killed', I don't want to have to worry about my ponies getting killed by refusing to fight. Dash, Mend and Blitz, Plat and Shine."

"Team reports from your first mission say that Mend was nothing but a problem. He even threatened to abandon your team, because he disagreed with your leadership!"

I suppressed another sigh. "Doctor Cerulean was correct, and you agreed with his recommendation. However! He has the strength of character to tell someone when they're making a bad decision, and that is why I want him on Stable Scout One - his skills and thoughts are more than worth his occasional quirks."

Councilor Hex nodded. "Yes... speaking of Security Officer Blitz. We'd like you to transfer her away from assignments Outside."

"Pardon?"

"We feel Security Officer Blitz is... she may not be the best pony to represent Stable on the surface. Especially after her... meltdowns... during Security Officer Spark's memorial and in the gym yesterday."

I narrowed my eyes. "Pumpkin and Cerulean are some of the only ponies I trust to watch my flanks out there."

"I feel that alone speaks volumes about these Stable Scout teams, don't you think, Colonel?" Councilor Hex looked around to the rest of the Council.

"I trust Captain Firefly's judgment in these matters." Range spoke. "The Scouts don't need a doctor, they need a combat medic, and Mend is the best the Stable has. Blitz has proven herself highly capable."

Councilor Hex glanced to her Pipbuck. "What of the incident at the Stadium, in which Blitz killed an unarmed prisoner and potential source of information on Crimson's Raiders?"

"Again with this, Hex?" Range snorted. "You're implying that a pony who has never left the Stable before and was born after Crimson left the Stable, was secretly working for him? Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds, Councilor?"

"No, that's not my point at all, Colonel." Councilor Hex shook her head sadly. "My point is that two of Captain Firefly's most 'trustworthy' ponies are a murderous psychopath who executed an unarmed prisoner and a doctor who was ejected from the Medical department for malpractice. My concerns are that they may not be the best ponies to represent the Stable to the Outside, even if moving out of the Stable is for the best."

...

"The prisoner was bleeding out, and nothing we could reasonably do would save him. If nothing else, Blitz did him a mercy." I coughed, diverting the conversation back towards where it had begun. "I have been turning down volunteers, Councilor, that is correct. Groups always encounter teething issues, especially groups as radical as Stable Scout."

Councilor Hex looked from Range to me. "A valid argument." Councilor Filament nodded in approval.

I smiled as I continued. "I need ponies that have the capability to take the initiative to act when an opportunity presents itself, as Pumpkin did. I'm proud of how my ponies handled themselves during our last mission, but I don't think any of them are in a state to do another mission soon. So! I'd like permission to recruit another dozen ponies to fill out our defense roster. Not as Scouts, of course, but as reserve ponies to fill in less dangerous roles."

Councilor Sheets browsed through her Pipbuck. "We could spare some ponies from Medical and Arcane Sciences."

I nodded. "Ponies with technical expertise are always welcome."

Councilor Rose spoke. "Very well, Captain. You shall have your extra ponies. Is there anything else?"

Councilor Hex spoke up again. "I have one final thing to say, if I may."

Councilor Rose gave Councilor Hex a frosty look, but nodded. "You may."

Wonderful.

"What are we going to do about the Scouts' failure at the hospital? Their purpose is to open diplomatic relations with various factions Outside, not antagonize them. There should be a point in which we agree that enough is enough and Stable Scout should stop, before they get more ponies killed."

"I beg to differ, Councilor." I rose to my hooves. "Operation Redheart was an unbridled success. We set out to open diplomatic relations with the Hospital and negotiate an alliance, which we succeeded in better than I expected. We also opened relations with the Baltimare Central Exchange, and retrieved intelligence from Stable 60, both of which were unexpected bonuses."

"And what of Crescent Spark? And the incident with the Crimson Raiders?"

"We've discussed the Crimson Raiders enough." I sighed. "As for Crescent, every member of Security understands that there may be a time where they will have to lay their lives down for the Stable. This goes doubly-so for those who volunteer for exterior duty, and all of the Scouts are volunteers."

"My concern is, though, are we sure that our children are 'laying down their lives' for the Stable, or for one mare's fantasies about her traitor father?" Councilor Rose glanced to Councilor Hex, and she bowed. "Thank you for listening."

Councilor Rose cleared her throat, drawing attention back to her. "Councilor Hex brings up some valid points."

Range narrowed her eyes in irritation. "All the while implying that we don't have the Stable's best interests at heart."

Councilor Rose turned to face Range, bridging her hooves. "Honestly, Colonel? I'm not completely convinced you do. You keep saying we need to leave the Stable to survive, but I'm not seeing any hard evidence of this. It seems that every time your teams leave the Stable and the more we learn about the surface, the worse it gets. We've lost Security Officer Spark, and half of your team have requested transfers away from Stable Scout. Security Officer Blitz, whom you've said is one of your most valuable ponies, has resigned from Security entirely, to say nothing of her... incident... at Spark's memorial. Why would we want to go back Outside when everything is so terrible?"

I shared a glance with Range, and Range began. "The Stable is old, Councilor. It wasn't designed to operate for two hundred years. It's a miracle that it's still operational. The reactor is well-past its intended service life, and simply keeping the lights on and the hot water flowing is a full-time job for Maintenance. The list goes on - ask Head Engineer Draft if you need more specifics."

Councilor Rose frowned and glanced to Councilor Filament, who nodded regretfully. "Colonel Range has a point - keeping much of the Stable's infrastructure functional is an immense task."

Councilor Hex looked up from her Pipbuck. "Curiously, Mrs Draft's eldest son is the second in command of Stable Scout."

Range looked to Councilor Hex. "Is she? I hadn't realized." She shrugged as Councilor Filament nodded in agreement with Hex's statement. "We should expand into the Outside while we can still do so on our own terms, before we're forced to abandon the Stable due to attrition. In short - it's not because we want to, it's because we feel it is necessary for the long-term survival of the Stable."

"Fair points, Colonel." Councilor Rose nodded quietly. "Hold, please." She glanced to the Councilors around her, and they huddled up in their bubble of silence to debate amongst themselves.

I glanced to Range. "How did they know about Blitz's resignation and the transfers?"

Range frowned in response. "Not sure. We might have a leak."

I rose to my hooves, stretching. "Who the hell would go to the Council with that?"

Range leaned back, then scowled. "Ruby Blossom was in my office to report Dash for pissing her off. She may have overheard something." I glanced to the Council, and Range followed my gaze, cutting off what she'd planned to continue.

The bubble of silence dispelled with a soft sound of magic, and I turned to the Council.

Councilor Rose spoke as they took their seats. "The Council has come to an accord."

Councilor Hex looked somewhat pleased with herself.

Great.

"Stable Scout will be permitted to continue on a mission-by-mission basis, with each mission being confirmed by the Council personally. If there any more ... failures, this experiment will be terminated, and Captain Firefly will accept a demotion or transfer away from Security's leadership."

I glanced to Range at that last, and Range spoke up. "That last condition seems rather personal."

Councilor Rose nodded. "It may seem that way, yes. If Stable Scout is terminated, we want to make sure Captain Firefly doesn't try to continue her agenda."

#

Head Researcher Astral Vision

Sunday
2050

"What about this, Astral?" Paperclip held up a green book with a leaf on the cover.

I looked to the book and levitated it over, reading the inside cover. "Supernaturals: Natural Remedies and Cure-alls That are Simply Super." I shook my head. "I don't think the Ghoul Condition is a curse, Clippy..."

A dull boom came from above me, and everyone in the Library sat up from their books, looking around.

Somepony spoke quietly. "What was that?" Other ponies murmured responses, echoing their sentiment or expressing confusion.

The radio from the memorial across the Atrium drifted into the Library.

...

What happened to the sound negation enchantment...?

The sharp chatter of machine gun fire broke the silence, and Clippy fell over, littering the beige carpet with red and grey.

Gunfire!

I ducked down behind my seat.

#

Author's Note

So... that happened.

Tune back next week for StSc15 - Stars and Stripes.

Chapter 15 - Stars and Stripes

Fallout Equestria: Stable Scout
Chapter 15
Stars and Stripes

Head Researcher Astral Vision

Sunday
2050

I ducked down behind my table, casting a disinterest spell.

Clippy landed beside me, her eyes staring right at me.

"Clippy! Somepony should do something."

...

I could be that somepony...

...

But that could be dangerous...

I shivered as I realized that Clippy was dead, and I was talking to a dead body...

#

Server Aura Cinnamon

Sunday
2055

"It's me, ponies - Lunar Note! News for all my little ponies, as DJ P0N3 would say." She chuckled, sobering up after a moment. "Everyone knows about Security, right? The big one down in Hoofington. Apparently some raiders got their hooves on her and..." Lunar paused, voice wavering. "Well, reports are sketchy, but what I've heard is it was... really bad. Details unnecessary. So! Anyways. When her lovely band of ponies caught up to her rescued her and started the muchly deserved murdering of raiders, and... Get this." She paused again, chuckling. "Security had her ponies spare the raiders. Fuckin' crazy, right? What kind of an idiot would spare a gang of murderous rapists?"

Her companion, a stallion with a cool, clipped accent that made me think of some of the wartime radio broadcasts I'd heard of, spoke up. "Well, Lunar, perhaps it's her kindness? Maybe everypony should follow her example, just a little bit? 'Do better', as Ministry Mare Fluttershy said?"

I bet the mares love this guy...

Lunar took a moment to consider. "Maybe you're right. Or, maybe, she's just some daft, naive Stable pony. Kill 'em all, let the Princesses sort 'em out, right? Either way - what do I know? Carry on with what you're doin', Security, it seems to be working. Hey, it's time for your show, right, Moony?"

"Too right, Lunar, too right." He fell silent for a moment. "I'm Moonstone Mustang, Lunar's magic technician, and you are listening to Tech Talk! If you've a Pipbuck, you may have looked through the tools, and come across SANS - Stable-tec Arcane Navigation Spell. This can be used to guide you to ponies and places - locations you've saved or other ponies with Pipbucks so long as you know their Pipbuck tag. For example, you can mark your home on the Pipbuck's map, and no matter where you are in Equestria, your Pipbuck can guide you home! Compared to a device that can track your live progress on a map, it may not as helpful as it seems, yet nevertheless... do not forget about it. It can save your life! And with that... don't forget to use your loaf, either!"

I wonder what that means...

Lunar chipped in as gentle music came from the radio. "Here's some sweet, sweet Sweetie Belle."

The music cut out, with a sizzling pop, and everyone looked up. I walked over to the radio, looking at it and flipping the switch.

"That's weird..."

Sergeant Cyclone and Security Officer Pumpkin Blitz were in a discussion about Cloudsdale, but they stopped as the radio cut out.

Loud gunfire ripped through the Atrium.

I ducked down behind a table at the sound of somepony galloping down the hallway, and looked around to see Firefly, tail streaming out behind her, covered in shampoo suds.

"Firefly!" I stepped out from behind the table, waving a hoof at her. "What's going on?"

She shook her head. "Get down!"

I took another step out from the table--

#

Doctor Mineral Sands

Sunday
2056

"Shots fired inside the Stable!"

My blood ran cold as those words came through my Pipbuck's radio. Immediately a dozen voices followed it, all speaking simultaneously.

I looked to the shrink. "I've gotta go..."

Database Error nodded, paling. "Go save the Stable. I can keep my head down here."

My Pipbuck screeched, and Captain Firefly's voice cut through the static and confusion. "I need everyone to shut the fuck up right now! Keep your communications to your personal channels, unless you need to address the entire Security division! That is an order!" Silence filled the radio for a moment. "Security station, report!"

...

"Does anypony have any clue what is happening?"

Another moment of silence, before I spoke up. "Negative, ma'am."

"I need someone at Security yesterday! I'll be there in five. If you can get to Security, get there! If not, find somewhere to hole up with as many civilians as you can." Various ponies replied in affirmatives. "Weld, report!"

Somepony groaned into the radio. "Weld, here."

"Tell me some good news, Weld."

"Something in the station happened. I'm sealed in the Armory - the door's locked itself. Don't know anything further; sorry, Captain." She continued giving orders, and I tuned her out, focusing on my surroundings.

I trotted for the Security station, passing through one of the big armored doors that separated the Atrium from the rest of the Stable.

I heard somepony yelp, and I saw Joker falling to the ground at the end of the hallway. His pistol slid along the hallway, to settle at my hooves. I picked it up, flicking the safety off.

He rolled to his hooves, backing away, dodging... nothing? One hit landed, and he fell backwards, hooves kicked out from under him.

Somepony stepped out of thin air!

A zebra.

They shifted, trotting over to Joker, and the light fell across their features. They looked more like Cyclone than a Stable zebra. A ghoul!

Joker slid back against a wall, and the zebra drew a revolver from their flanks, lowering it to Joker's temple.

I raised the pistol.

Line up sights on target.

I exhaled slowly, holding my breath and biting down on the bit.

I pulled back on the trigger with my tongue.

The gun bucked in my mouth, and I quickly reset my sights as the gunshot echoed down the hallway.

The zebra had fallen over and stopped moving. I galloped down the hallway, tongue off the trigger, and looked at the body. They weren't moving...

I fired a second shot at the base of their brain stem, just to make sure they weren't going anywhere. Just in case.

"You okay, Joker?"

He nodded gratefully. "Thanks, Mineral..." I returned his pistol, and he holstered it.

I spoke into the radio, cutting someone off. "Captain! They're zebra ghouls. With invisibility cloaks."

Firefly answered quickly. "You're sure on this, Sands?"

"I've got a fuckin' stiff down in one of the back halls near the Atrium." I kicked the body, and something went crunch inside. "You're free to come down and take a look if you want."

"That won't be necessary, Sands..."

Cyclone spoke up. "Given everything going on out on the surface, it makes sense that the Star Touched would be active now... it would be about that time again..."

Firefly grumbled. "I swear to Celestia, I'm going to pistol whip the next pony who uses vague terms I don't know. Right! Sands. Good work."

I tuned Firefly out again as I looked to Joker. "There's a checkpoint nearby, there should be weapons in it." I nodded in its direction.

"Let's go..." Joker shrugged in agreement.

I lead the way, and rounding a corner, we found a couple of Stable ponies.

One of them was laying on the ground, not moving, held by the other. The other one looked to me, and I identified them - Pepperbox. That must make it... I glanced to Tacit Understatement's body and sighed softly, hurrying over.

I could tell from a quick glance Tacit was dead.

"He's dead..." Pepperbox looked down to him sadly. "Come with us, Pepperbox." She looked up to me in confusion. "There's nothing you can do for him..."

Joker looked to me in shock. "How can you be so... so... sane about this! Tacit's dead, and you're just, okay with that?"

"No, Joker! I'm not 'okay' with that!"

"Then, how the hell are you..." He frowned in shock.

"I... I watched Crescent die." Pepperbox looked shocked. "I was talking to her when she died."

I closed my eyes, taking a breath.

Stay calm. Getting angry won't help anypony.

Captain Firefly stayed calm and focused on just what was necessary to get us home.

I blew out a breath harshly.

I can do that.

What do we need to do?

I opened my eyes. "We need to get moving so we can get armed, so we can defend ourselves and make sure that nopony else dies, too!"

Pepperbox looked back up to me. "Can we..."

"Yes, Pepperbox, we can get the fuckers that killed him. For Tacit!" I offered her my hoof.

"Look, boss! More Stable ponies!"

I glanced over my shoulder to see a group of wastelanders - not zebras! - brandishing weapons and improvised barding.

Oh, shit.

"Run!" I pushed Pepperbox to her hooves and hurried down the hallway, Joker ahead of me.

"Get them!" They opened fire, echoing gunfire following us, but they didn't hit anything other than the floor and walls.

I yelled back at them. "You bastards can fuck right off!"

"We're gonna get you!"

Joker held the door to the checkpoint open, and I followed Pepperbox inside, pulling the door closed behind us.

They settled just outside the door to the checkpoint, and I could hear them through the gun slit. I slipped along the checkpoint, up to the gun nest, overlooking the hallway.

We were in a machine gun nest overlooking a four-way intersection, just above one of the secured doors leading to the rest of the Stable, which was opened. The two hallways we hadn't come through looped through some lightly used secondary areas and fed back into the Atrium from the first floor.

The checkpoint itself was a narrow hallway running alongside the main hallway, lined with lockers. Two bunks sat at the far end. A ladder lead up to the gun nest, which was a narrow room directly over the hallway, looking down into it. The ceiling sloped down towards the four-way junction where the attackers were standing.

I'd always wondered what its purpose was - it made more sense to just keep them Outside - but right now I was so happy Stable-tec did it.

There were five of them, two of them unicorns.

"Where'd they go?" The apparent leader was a brown unicorn mare, waving a shiny revolver around in her green magic. Her barding consisted of a bunch of clipboards tied together like chain mail that jingled as she walked.

The rest of them shrugged.

One of the earth ponies, a stallion, spoke up. "Dunno, Rimshot." He wore a hoofball helmet, spikes protruding through the top.

I looked to the weapons locker, seeing the access key was right next to it.

...

Too fuckin' easy.

I gestured to Joker, and then to the locker, and he nodded, slipping over to the locker and opening it.

"Leave 'em, there's sure to be plenty of other ponies." The other unicorn was a stallion, his barding covered in sheathed knives and his mane cut into a spiky mohawk.

Probably held in place with engine grease or something. "We can weed 'em out once we secure the Stable."

The other unicorn shook her head, waving her revolver in his direction. "Nah, I think they're with the local militia. They'll show up later on if we don't kill 'em now."

One of the earth ponies, a mare with a sword slung across her side, grumbled. "Fuckin' Stable ponies, right?"

The leader spun on the mare who'd spoken. "Well, what're you still doing here? Fan out and find them! They can't have gone far. I'll stay here and make sure they can't double back." The other unicorn and earth ponies split into pairs, heading along the two hallways we hadn't gone down.

Fuck.

I glanced to Pepperbox, gesturing for her to bring the machine gun up to me. She looked at me in shock, whispering to me. "What do we do?"

I glared at her, whispering back. "Get me the gun and a box of ammo." I pointed over her shoulder at a can of belted rounds. She looked over her shoulder and nodded, using her tail to pull it over.

"I know you're there! Come out, come out and I'll make it quick!" The unicorn hopped and spun around, her barding rattling loudly as she did.

I flattened myself against the wall, peeking down the slit. She was right under it, looking every direction but up!

She growled, trotting towards the way we'd come, pacing back and forth.

Pepperbox loaded the machine gun and brought it up, and I linked it to the mount, aiming it downwards at her.

"Shake, Chipsy, come back! They're fuckin' here, somewhere!" The sound of approaching hoofsteps told me our time had run out.

I stepped on the trigger, and nothing happened.

I looked to Joker, and he whispered, "pull the handle," gesturing back and forward. Pepperbox grabbed the handle, pulling it back and racking it loudly.

"I found you!" The unicorn looked up at the sound of Pepperbox charging the machine gun, and I grinned, stepping on the trigger.

She barely had time to realize how fucked she was before she died, and I walked rounds into the pair of approaching earth ponies - they followed shortly. "Yeah! Come get some!"

The second unicorn managed to put up a shield barrier, but it wasn't strong enough to do more than delay the inevitable.

"Hey, there were five raiders..."

The door to the checkpoint opened, and the last raider cackled as he trotted into the checkpoint. "Found you!" He had an automatic shotgun in a battle saddle, and he opened fire, his first shots hitting Joker.

Pepperbox raised her weapon, firing a perfect two shots, both hitting the same spot in his welding helmet's visor, the second punching through. His gunfire trailed off into the wall, bouncing pellets back at me. I raised a hoof to shield my face from them.

He fell down, screaming, and a third shot from Pepperbox silenced him.

Pepperbox looked to me. "You forgot to lock the door?"

"This is really not the fucking time, Pepperbox!" I pushed her aside as I hurried to Joker. "Close the door - lock it - get the door leading into the Stable and watch the gun. I'll tend to Joker."

She nodded and trotted past me with a scowl as I took a deep breath.

Calm, Mineral.

"Where are you hit?" I looked to him.

"My wings! He hit my wings!"

"Stop moving, please, you're making it difficult for me to help. Did he hit you anywhere else?" He froze up, tensing.

He shook his head. "My armor stopped most of it..."

"That's good. Wings are mostly flesh wounds. It's usually not fatal."

"What if he ruined my wings?"

"You're not going to die. That's what matters, right?" He frowned, glancing to his wings as I probed them with my hoof.

He opened his mouth, and I spoke over him as he gasped sharply. "Joker, please. You're not in enough pain to distract you from worrying about your wings."

He nodded grimly. "How many ponies do you think we've lost?"

I paused running my hooves through his wings at his question.

His Pipbuck screeched, and I winced as as a flatline alert flashed across the screen.

"I don't know, Joker..."

Pepperbox called down softly. "It's going to be bad."

Joker's Pipbuck radio beeped, and Captain Firefly came through it. "Where the hell is Dash?"

#

Security Officer Nimble Shine

Sunday
2112

I looked to Platinum Starlight, and she looked back to me as our Pipbucks flashed a flatline warning.

"I'm down in Agriculture, boss." I glanced up and down the hall, before gesturing her into the room across the hall as I drew my pistol.

"The hell are you doing in there?"

"I'm having a picnic under the apple trees!" Dash fell silent for a long moment. "What's the plan, boss?"

Firefly spoke after another long moment, with a tone of sly confidence. "We are going to make these fuckers regret their life choices." I glanced to my map as I followed Plat into the room.

We were a level up from Agriculture. Not a far trot.

"While I can only echo that sentiment, Captain, I have to mention that's rather sparse on the details."

"Indeed, Sergeant. We'll go with Defense plan five-seven. Occupy the fortified checkpoints and the Door, restrict their movement. Isolate and stamp out. After we've got them trapped, we'll funnel them to the Atrium and force a fight on our terms."

I spoke up. "Shine here. Plat and I are near Agriculture. We could dig Dash's flanks out."

Dash spoke back."No need - we've got shelter and weapons. Go occupy the nearest checkpoint."

"Yes, sir."

I looked to Plat as gunfire echoes down the halls.

Someone spoke through the radio, a civilian. "That's a risky plan, Captain. What if they take hostages? Wouldn't it be better to open the Door let them leave?"

"No, Councilor Rose. If they control the Door, that means they can bring ponies into the Stable, too. If we don't control the Door, we have big problems."

Councilor Rose continued. "Ah, I see... that makes sense. How did they get inside? And what are they here for?"

"Councilor, those are all very excellent questions, all of which I will find answers to one way or another, but I really need you to keep the comms clear now, or more ponies will die." Captain Firefly sounded spoke quietly, on edge, like she was about to snap at someone. "Please find somewhere and keep your head down while we sort this out."

"Very well. Our lives are in your capable hooves, Captain."

"Thank you, Councilor." Firefly addressed the comms. "Dash, you're on VIP duty. Find a team and secure VIPs."

Before Dash could acknowledge, somepony else cut him off, yelling into the comms.

"This is a direct order from the Council: I need a team of Security ponies to the Council chambers, ASAP!" That sounds like...

"Councilor Inertia?" I glanced to Plat, and she nodded.

Firefly turned her attention to Councilor Inertia. "I'm sorry, Councilor Inertia? Do you have a problem?"

"There are attackers inside the Stable, Captain! You may have noticed that?"

"Yes, Councilor... I have noticed. This is why I'm in Operations, directing Security."

"Well, we're unprotected in the Council chambers. We require protection."

"Are you under attack currently?" Captain Firefly's vexed tone continued.

"No, but we could be, at any time."

"Councilor, I must ask you a question. Are you the Chief of Field Operations?"

"No?"

"You don't send a chef to repair a water pump. You don't send a Councilor to lead the defense of the Stable." Firefly spoke tersely. "Keep off the radio unless you require immediate assistance OR have something I need to know this minute. Are we clear, Councilor?"

"You can't talk to me like that, I'm a-"

Overmare Keeper spoke over Councilor Inertia. "Yes, Councilor, she can. As Chief of Field Operations, her orders supersede even mine during a crisis such as this. Please allow Captain Firefly to do her job undisturbed, Councilor."

"Thank you, Overmare..."

I looked over my shoulder to Plat. "Command troubles..."

She made a face of annoyance. "Nominal Inertia..."

"He's an idiot, yes." I looked back down to my Pipbuck. "There's a checkpoint down the hallway. Let's go."

She glanced over her shoulder, to me, to her Pipbuck, swallowed, then nodded. "Yeah. Let's do it."

I drew my pistol, slipping out into the hallway.

Nopony shot at me, which I took as a good sign.

I continued down the hallway, hopping from room to room as Plat covered me, and I covered her as she followed me.

We made it to the checkpoint without encountering any hostiles, though gunfire continued to echo around us.

The door was sealed, and I had a feeling about it, like that time I'd had in Baltimare during the caravan duty. I gestured for Plat to open the door while I'd enter.

Somepony in a Stable suit rushed me, screaming, and I rolled back with their charge, using their inertia to throw them into the wall behind me. "Stop! Stable Security!"

I rolled to my hooves, turning to face them.

It was Skyfault. "Oh, Nimble, it's just you." He was an orange unicorn, with a yellow and light blue-green mane, which he was running a hoof through nervously. "Sorry about that."

"Yeah, it's me." I gestured inside the checkpoint, noticing that he wasn't alone. Ceramic Plate and Xenxhir were with him, a couple of his friends I knew, though not closely. "Why aren't you armed? There's a weapons locker right there."

Xenxhir spoke, a green zony with a spiky purple mane. "Well, it's locked..."

I groaned as Plat sealed the door behind us, and I spoke into my Pipbuck. "Shine to Security, need an access code for weapons locker..." I looked to the locker, "two niner."

"Hold, Shine." The dispatcher continued after a moment. "Locker two niner? Try... one-two-three-four."

I hoofed the code in, and the locker opened. "Thanks." I immediately retrieved a submachine gun and half of the magazines for it. "Was that so difficult?"

"Apparently it was." Ceramic Plates was a stout, purple mare with a long, blue and green striped mane. She'd tied it into a loose bun, and her suit was rolled up past her knees. "Thanks." She stepped past me to dig out a revolver and a holster.

"Okay, we need to get the gun set up." I glanced around. "Skyfault, help Plat set the gun up." I gestured to him, the locker behind me, and finally the ledge that overlooked the hallway it secured. He bit his lip and nodded.

I climbed up to the gun to watch the hallway, hitting the switch to seal the door into the Stable.

#

Security Officer Winter Green

Sunday
2130

"Minty here. I'm at the Door..."

Firefly spoke up in relief. "Minty! What happened?"

"I don't know... ponies attacked us and opened the Door. Dawn's dead, Captain! Everyone else is dead!"

"Focus, Minty..." I nodded to myself. "What is the Door's status?"

"Right..." I rose, poking from cover.

The Door was opened, cool air gently running through my coat.

Somepony was pacing near it. A zebra. They wore a Stable suit, one of the civilian suits. Shauvir groaned, and the zebra walked over to them, drawing a pistol, and shot them, their gun magically silenced.

I ducked back out of sight as they looked over at me.

I held my Pipbuck up, whispering into it. "Captain - the Door is opened. There's... a Stable pony guarding it. They just shot Shauvir!"

"What?"

"I said-"

"I heard you. You have to seal the Door."

"Okay..." I nodded. "Okay. I can do this..." I poked my head around, and saw the pony sitting down by the entrance to the Atrium access tunnel.

"Why?" I staggered out of cover, yelling at the traitor. "Why did you do it?"

Their only answer was to shoot at me.

"You fucking coward!" I drew my pistol and activated SATS.

I don't know what happened, but somehow I survived... they were dead, and I wasn't!

I crawled to the Door control console, sealing the Door with my Pipbuck.

The Door screeched loudly as it whirred to the side and slid back, cogs locking into their slots as it sealed.

"The Door is closed...."

"Good! What's your status?"

I looked down, seeing blood staining my suit. "I'm hit..."

"Minty, stay with me..."

"Sorry, Captain... I did what I could."

"Minty. I need you to stay conscious. We need someone watching the Door."

"I... I can't..."

"Damn it, Minty!" Firefly continued talking into the radio as everything got fuzzy... "Where the hell is Blitz?"

...

#

Researcher Tawny Forge

Sunday
2145

"Kind of a little busy here! Tawny, I need a reload!" Blitzy ducked down behind the table, tossing her revolver in my direction. "I'm pinned down in the Atrium. What do you need, Captain?" She glanced up at the balcony above us as she spoke into her Pipbuck.

I levitated the revolver over, opened the cylinder and dumping the spent rounds, holding up the last four rounds so she could see them. "Last reload, Blitzy!"

She scowled at her Pipbuck, waving a wing at me in acknowledgement. "Can't do that right now. Need somepony to dig us out of here first." She glanced to me as I tossed her the loaded gun. "Looks like they're some surfacer gang, Captain, not Crimson's troops."

Somepony teleported into the middle of the Atrium and threw up a shield barrier sphere with a scream of anger and pain.

I poked my head over the table, seeing somepony in a Stable suit inside the sphere, turning and approaching a group of the attackers. She methodically started hitting them with bolts of magic through her shield.

Who is that...?

Cyclone grabbed my mane, pulling me down. "Keep your head down, Forge!"

Blitzy leaned out, revolver out, and fired twice.

Within two minutes, the Atrium had fallen silent, and the pony looked around and dispelled their shield barrier, falling to the ground.

It was... Astral.

...

Blitzy looked around, checking that it was clear, and emerged from the table. "Astral?"

Astral jumped, teleporting to her hooves and looking around frantically, before looking to Blitzy. "Pumpkin?" Astral shook her head sadly. "They're all dead..."

Blitzy looked to Astral. "Astral, I need you to come with me. We need to make sure nopony else comes through the Door, so Firefly and her teams can deal with the attackers. Cyclone, can you take control of getting the wounded to Security? There's a first aid station there." She paused, glancing to me. "Tawny... come with me."

Astral nodded. "Ookay..." I approached Astral, nuzzling her.

"Wouldn't it make more sense for Astral and I to carry ponies to Security, while you and Cyclone secure the Door?"

Blitzy shook her head. "I... I want you to stay where I can see you." She glanced around. "Cyclone can put the uninjured to work. Plus, I'd like to have some unicorns with me at the Door, especially with Astral's shield barriers."

I glanced to Cyclone and Astral, and nodded. "That makes sense..."

Blitzy pushed off into the air, flying up to the second level balcony as she spoke into her Pipbuck. "On my way, Captain. Do I have anypony waiting for me?"

"Affirm, Blitz, you've got support waiting in the Armory. Good luck. Out."

I pulled Astral to her hooves. "C'mon, Astral, let's go!" She nodded nervously, following me up the stairs to the second level.

The Atrium was a large, two level room, one of the biggest rooms in the Stable, other than the Orchards or maybe some of the Maintenance areas. The bottom level was a large, open space, with a small fountain and some greenery in the center. We'd been on the bottom level, in the lower level of the Cafe, across from the Library, which was open to the main Atrium, but separated from it by a noise cancellation enchantment. On the other side, on the top floor, were the entrances to Security and Operations. The lower level was recreation areas - pool tables, benches and tables under the Cafe.

Right now, the tables in the Cafe and lower levels had been flipped onto their sides, bullet holes through many of them. Bodies - some clad in Stable suits, others in improvised barding - were scattered around, and a large area in the middle had been cleared out by Astral's attack near the fountain.

I lead Astral through to Security and the Armory.

Blitzy was there already, getting dressed. I approached her, and she tossed me a helmet. "Put this on." She gestured to a big gun sitting on the floor. "Tawny, can you handle this?"

I caught the helmet, frowning as I noticed it didn't have a hole for my horn. "It's..."

"It's a machine gun. We'll mount it to the railing by the Door."

I thought about that, and nodded decisively. "Yeah, I can." I set the helmet aside. "I can't wear this..."

Blitzy nodded grimly and fell silent as she finished strapping armor on.

Astral glanced around, speaking quietly. "So, is there anyone else coming?"

"Speak up, Astral." Blitzy nodded as Astral repeated herself a little louder. "Supposedly... You're gonna want armor, too, Researcher. Even with that amazing shield barrier..."

Astral glanced around as Sergeant Weld disappeared for a moment.

I trotted over to her. "Blitzy, you're yelling. Hold still." I leaned over, resting my horn against her temple, casting a weak regeneration spell.

Sergeant Weld trotted over, bringing Astral and I armor. "We don't have any more unicorn helmets. Sorry, mares..."

I nodded slowly. "We'll make do, Sergeant..." I levitated a boonie cap over, settling it over my horn.

Astral picked up a big shotgun, grinning as she held it up. "Oh, I like this."

Sergeant Weld hurried over. "Put that down, please... that's Captain Firefly's."

"Oh..." Sergeant Weld levitated over another shotgun to her, showing her how to use it. I leaned in to hug Blitzy for a moment, and she adjusted the chin strap on my hat with her wings.

"Pumpkin!" Blitzy's mother, a blue pegasus who shared her deep purple eye color and a similar mane style, but yellow-orange instead of blue-green, trotted in, already dressed. "There you are." The edges of her mouth turned down slightly at the sight of me.

Oh, I was so hoping to see my partner's mother...

"Mother?" Blitzy walked over to her, hugging her with a wing. "What are you doing here?"

"Captain Firefly ordered me to help you secure the Door."

"And Father..?"

"He's down in the Orchards with Lieutenant Dash."

Blitz nodded. "Anyone else?" Her mother shook her head.

"Captain Firefly says she'll get us reinforcements when she's able."

"Very well..." I looked to Blitz, picking up the machine gun and two boxes of ammo, and we headed out through Security, passing Ceru and Councilor Sheets.

#

Councilor Sparking Sheets

Sunday
2155

I entered Operations two steps behind Doctor Mend, and Captain Firefly immediately made a beeline for him. "Cerulean! Good. We've got a triage area in the briefing room." She gestured towards one of the doors off the main lobby. "It's yours now."

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Firefly... why me?"

"Because, quite frankly, it's your fucking job." She turned to face me. "What can I do for you..."

Doctor Mend looked to her in shock, interrupting her. "But Doctor Charm..."

"Oh. Right." Captain Firefly scowled. "That." She turned back to Mend. "Fortunately, I outrank Warding Charm right now." She pointed a hoof at Doctor Mend. "I am putting you in charge of the medical station in Security and if Charm has a problem with it, he can fucking deal with it." She snarled out those last words. "You are the most experienced doctor in the Stable right now - how many other ponies have even seen a gunshot wound?" Doctor Mend opened his mouth to answer, and Captain Firefly cut him off with a frosty glare. "Any medically cross-trained Security ponies are more useful as guns than medics right now. Your specialty is doctoring - go be a doctor. Don't let me down, Cerulean."

"Oh... uh. Right." Doctor Mend nodded nervously, turning to trot off. "I got this..."

"Cerulean!" He looked back at her, and she levitated a healing potion over, drinking from it. "Here. I've blessed it!" She levitated it to him. "Go forth and save the Stable, Doctor!"

Doctor Mend gave her a blank look, before smiling slowly. "Thank you, Captain..." He took the potion and galloped off towards Security past me.

Captain Firefly turned to me coolly. "Yes, Councilor. What can I help you with?"

I bit my lip nervously. "I'm here to provide any assistance I can, Captain."

"Good. You can help Cerulean." She pointed a hoof at Doctor Mend as he hurried off.

"I'm on it." I turned to follow Mend.

"Hold on. Sheets!" I glanced back to Firefly. "First, find me somepony to fix The Gun in the Atrium."

"Yes, ma'am." I looked to my Pipbuck as she trotted off, going over to Colonel Range.

Copper Filament.

I contacted her through my Pipbuck, using the Council's frequency. "Copper, where are you? I need something from you."

"I'm down in the sublevels. What's going on? Are you okay?"

"The Stable is under attack - Security is repelling them. I'm fine. Captain Firefly needs you to find somepony to look at The Gun in the Atrium."

"I'll see to it personally."

"Be careful, Copper..."

"I don't intend to die tonight, dear. I'll be fine."

I nodded to myself, glanced around, stepping out of the way of a pair of Security ponies trotting past me, and headed towards Security to help Doctor Mend.

I approached him, and he scowled at me. "What is it?"

"Captain Firefly told me to help you, Doctor."

"Alright. Do you know anything about medicine?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Great." He frowned. "Can you... follow simple directions?"

"What kind of a question is that...?"

Doctor Mend spoke slowly. "If you can follow simple directions, I can show you how to do basic things so I can do the more important things. Answer the question, mare!" I nodded mutely. "Good. You'll triage ponies as they come in." I opened my mouth to ask him what that meant, and he glared at me as he levitated out four rolls of string. "You're in charge of who I get to - tie a length of string around everyone's hooves." He held up a roll of green. "Green, they're not really injured. If they can walk, talk and aren't bleeding profusely from somewhere, they're green." He held up the yellow, and I adjusted my glasses. "Yellow, they're injured, but not in danger of dying. Broken limbs, etc. Find them a spot out of the way, get to them when you have time." He held up the red. "Red, critical condition, these ponies need my attention immediately." He held up the black string. "Black means they're not going to survive. Nothing we can do but comfort them." He paused, swallowing.

I blinked in shock. He grimaced. "I... I know."

After a moment, he started again. "Remember this - ABC. Airway, Breathing, Circulation. Airway - is their airway clear? If not, tilt their head back. Breathing - are they breathing? If yes, are they breathing enough? If they're not, black. Circulation - is the blood flowing? If yes, good. Is the blood flowing out of them? Still good. Red. Get someone to put pressure on the wound, bandage and elevate it, if possible." He guided my hoof to his neck. "If they're not breathing, not bleeding, their heart isn't beating, black. This is a constant process - if you can bandage a bleeding yellow and stabilize them, they become a green, or a yellow stops breathing and becomes a red."

"What about internal bleeding? Or..."

"Don't worry about that." He frowned, cutting me off. "This is a worst case scenario. Lots of ponies are going to die, no matter what we do. Don't get bogged down with blacks, and don't spend more than a minute with anyone. Just focus on helping who you can and keep your eyes open." He tucked the rolls of string into my collar and hurried off.

I turned and saw a pony hopping in on three hooves - I rushed over to her, looking her over. "What happened?"

"I sprained my hoof on the way here. I'm a nurse - help me and I can get to work." I nodded - apparently a little nervously - and she smiled to me. "Don't worry - it's not hard. I'll walk you through it."

She showed me how to splint her leg.

She got to her hooves, testing her forehoof with a wince. "I can walk... thank you." She waved her injured hoof in the air, calling out. "Excuse me! Anypony who requires assistance, please go over to the corner!" She glanced that way, nodding to the crowd of ponies who were moving over there, and I followed them over there. "Anyone else who still requires assistance but can't move, raise your hoof or speak up!" She turned, trotting off among the ponies. "Anypony who does not require assistance, please clear the way!"

I glanced among the ponies, starting to triage. The first was a stallion. "What happened, sir?"

"I was in the Cafe, listening to some of the Security ponies talk about-"

"Sir, I-"

He continued on with his story undeterred. "-the radio died. How weird was that? It never dies-"

"Sir, I just need to-" I cleared my throat loudly, and he stopped with a harassed look. "Sir. I need to know where you're hurt."

He looked down. "You know, I thought I was hurt..." He waved his hoof, narrowly missing my ear. "Ah! I've got this cut here. Is it serious?"

I looked at it closely. "I don't think so." I tied a loop of green around his hoof. "Find somewhere to sit down out of the way, please. We'll see to you when we can, okay?"

"Oh, okay!" He nodded. "Say. Who's the doctor here?"

"Cerulean Mend."

At that, several ponies shared nervous looks, including the pony I was triaging. "Are there... any other doctors...?"

"No, there aren't. Why?"

"I want someone who's going to listen to me when I tell him something!" Someone yelled out, and everyone turned to look at him. He cowered from the attention. "What? You were all thinking it!"

Doctor Mend paused, frowning. "If you want me to help you, shut up and stop complaining. Otherwise, get out. I don't have time to waste on ponies who don't want my help. If you'll excuse me, I have lives to save." He went back to the pony he was tending to.

Many of the ponies around us looked unhappy, nervous, or concerned, but none of them left.

I looked to the next pony. "Where are you...?" She turned, and her flank was covered in blood. Other than the blood, she was breathing quickly. I recognized her - it was Sweet Drops, one of my classmates from when I was in school.

Mend rushed past me, and I flagged him down. "Doctor?"

He gave her one look, his eyes widening slightly, and he shook his head. "Black."

"But..." Mend kept walking, ignoring me, and I nodded, cutting off a length of black string and tying it around her hoof.

"Spark? What does that mean?"

I turned away.

"Spark!" She waved the hoof with the black string at me. "What does that mean?"

"It means you're going to die..."

"What?"

"We can't help you... Not... not without... I'm sorry. I have to..." I turned away, trailing off.

She curled up, starting to cry.

I hurried away.

#

Rivets

Sunday
2204

I galloped into Operations and hurried for Captain Firefly. "What do you want me to do, Captain?" I saluted.

She turned and looked at me, frowning and glancing around. "Don't salute in the middle of battle."

"Um, sorry..." I looked to her. "Please let me help!"

"Are you sure you can help?" She turned to face me with a serious look.

I nodded. "Anything!"

"Very well. You're with Range; you'll hold Security and watch the door to Security."

"Captain?" I glanced over at the door. "That seems kind of...?" I trailed off.

She turned back towards me. "If you can't follow orders, soldier, I can find a nice closet to lock you in. I hear the Armory's is pretty spacious."

"Uh, no, please, ma'am..."

"Good." She turned towards Security, and a tan unicorn mare teleported in, accompanied by a blue stallion, who stumbled with a disoriented shake of his head. He had very nicely buffed hooves...

"Charm! Collage! Good timing." She waved a hoof at the unicorn and gestured towards me. "This is Rivets. Go get him a kit. After that, he's going to watch the door to Security." Firefly gestured to me, and I smiled to Charm nervously. "Once you're done with that, report to me; I'm putting together an assault team to clear the Stable - you two are on it."

"Captain?" Charm gave her a similarly confused look.

"You heard me!" Captain Firefly turned, galloping off to talk to another group of ponies. "Samsiir, Sharps, hold on!"

I looked to the mare, and she looked back to me. "Well... this way." She nodded over towards the Armory. "You're Lieutenant Dash's brother, right?"

I gave her a wary look as I followed her over. "Yes..." She smiled to me, and within a few minutes I was armed with a pistol hanging over my shoulder, watching the door, listening to radio chatter.

"Captain, I'm getting reports of attackers in the back hallways around the Atrium."

#

Blossom. Ruby Blossom, Personal Assistant to Lead Councilmare Diamond Rose

Sunday
2220

The Overmare's voice came over the PA system. "The Stable is under attack. All ponies are to remain in their quarters or to take cover while Security repels the attackers."

Sharp cracks echoed through the Stable, near the Security Station, and I ducked down, looking around.

Hoofsteps.

Security! Thank Celestia...

I rose to approach them, but before I could see them, they stopped, and shot at me.

...

I turned and bolted back the direction I'd come. Why was Security shooting at me?

It must be Firefly's sex toy! What was his name? Dash something?

Security must be enacting a coup... I must find Rose!

I ducked down around a corner, sighed and looked back, finding myself muzzle-to-muzzle to a unicorn who looked like just like him, a gun held in his magic.

I screamed, turned and ran.

The ponies that had been chasing me saw me, and yelled out at me.

I turned away, running away from them, too!

Three gunshots cracked out, and I glanced over my shoulder to see the two ponies that had been chasing me were dead.

I looked forward and ran into a wall, falling back down on my flank.

I looked to the ponies that had been chasing me. They aren't Stable Security... They're... no.

They can't be Outsiders.

That's impossible.

"Are you okay, ma'am?" The unicorn that had arrived just when I needed him looked to me after putting his gun away. He was a foal, maybe thirteen or fourteen, wearing armor three sizes too big.

How polite of him.

I smiled. "I'm fine, young stallion. I have to see Councilmare Rose immediately. Can you help me?"

He shook his head. "I can't, I have to... stay at my post." He glanced over his shoulder. "Come to Security with me - you'll be safe there."

#

Captain Firefly

Sunday
2230

"Firefly!" Sapphire waved a hoof at me. "Councilor Rose is broadcasting on secure channel three."

I switched my Pipbuck radio to secure channel three.

"-any more of you back there? Some clown wagon shit here, eh?" Somepony chuckled in the background.

"My name is Councilor Diamond Rose, and I wish to negotiate for the safety of my ponies. Who is your leader?"

"Aha, that'd be me, mare. Name's Hooves. Diamond Rose, eh? Pretty name, that."

...

Shit.

I switched to the VIP team's channel, speaking over somepony. "VIP Team, Firefly. New directive: locate and retrieve Diamond Rose. She's broadcasting on secure channel three. Out." I glanced back to mom. "Sapphire, what do you have on the attackers?"

She looked up from her M1500. "Five groups, perhaps thirty ponies total."

"Locations?"

"There's at least two groups prowling on level three. There seems to be a group hiding in the bathhouse on level four, and two others... last reported on level two."

"Good."

Charm trotted over to me, two subguns hanging from her barding.

"I'm not going to be able to really fly in here, Captain..." Striker followed Charm over, spreading his wings. "The halls are too narrow." Swan Striker was a lithe, olive pegasus with large wings.

"I need hooves, not wings right now."

"Yes, ma'am..." He folded his wings with an irritated frown.

I glanced to Cast Collage as he trailed the two of them over. "Collage, you and Charm are some of only the ponies here with combat experience. Keep your head down, watch your fire, and we'll get through this like we did last time. Right?"

Charm nodded. "Yes, ma'am!"

"Right..." Collage glanced around, wrapping his teeth around the trigger bit.

"Keep your tongue off the trigger, please... we don't need a ND in Ops." Collage scowled at me as I lead the way from Ops to Security.

"Charm, you're in command of Team Two." I gestured to Collage and two other Security ponies who I'd flagged for this operation. "Collage, Scarlet and Sharps - you're Team Two, under Charm's lead." I gestured to her. "You'll be following me as we clear the attackers from the Stable." I then looked to Striker, Rolling Block and Samsiir. "You're with me as Team One."

Striker waved a wing in my direction. "My partner isn't here, ma'am..."

"I sure could use some of Joker's jokes right about now..." I shook my head. "They attacked us, and we're going to make them regret it. We're going in to the Stable to flush the attackers out, and force a surrender if possible, or a fight on our terms in the Atrium with The Gun's assistance if not. Team One will lead - Team Two will follow and watch our backs. Obviously, lethal force authorized." I glanced over the firepower the ponies facing me had - barding, helmets, subguns and shotguns. "Questions?" The ponies facing me had grim, wary or scared expressions.

"What are we going up against, ma'am?" Scarlet Paper was a short, stout pony, tan with a blue and purple mane, dressed in light barding, a shotgun on her left. She had a wary, but determined frown.

"It looks like there's two groups, presumably working together. There's a large group of wastelanders, who have been doing most of the fighting, and there are apparently zebras with invisibility cloaks lurking about."

"Invisibility cloaks? What is this, some fantasy book series?" Striker shook his head in amusement.

"Apparently..." Samsiir was a blue zebra, his blue and purple striped mane pulled back into a tight braid under his helmet.

Everyone turned to look at him, some ponies giving him strange looks.

"Stop that." Everyone looked back to me as I spoke. "Samsiir is not one of the attackers, and we're not going to do that." I cast a stern look at Collage, and he made a face back at me.

"How do you know they're working together?" Sharps was a red mare with a thick, wavy mane, a sort of creamy pink color, pulled back into a thick tail under her helmet.

I shook my head. "Honestly, we don't. It's just the timing is way too coincidental to be anything else."

"Right..." Sharps frowned tightly, glancing around, and Charm waved a hoof.

"Captain? May we speak alone?" I took a step off to the side, and Charm followed me, speaking quietly. "Are you... sure about this? I mean, me leading a team?"

"Of course, Ivory." I nodded earnestly. "Just do what you did at the Hospital, and you'll do fine." She took a deep breath, determination coloring her expression.

I smiled to her, turning to face the rest of the team. "Let's move." I racked the Ironpony's bolt, and it failed to go into battery fully.

...

Reassuring.

I racked the bolt again, hard, and this time it went into battery fully.

Collage spoke up. "I've got a bad feeling-"

"Can it, Collage." I tossed a glare in his direction as I cut him off, turning and trotted out of Ops, through Security, to the Atrium. Passing through the Atrium, I glanced to The Gun. I wonder what happened to it...

A short trot along the Atrium's top level brought us to the stairway to level two, and rushing down it, I heard some raiders at the bottom, and held a hoof up. "Hold."

A mare, speaking slowly. "Hey, I was thinking... Crimson's from a Stable... isn't he?"

Another mare answered her, chuckling. "You? Thinking? That's usually where things go wrong for you!"

A moment of silence, before a third pony, a stallion, spoke up. "Have you met him? No fuckin' way he's from a Stable. He's an alicorn, isn't he?"

A fourth pony, another mare. "A male alicorn? That's not possible." She paused. "What're you getting at, Taze?"

The first mare. "Well, we're attacking a Stable, right? What if we're attacking the Stable he came from?"

All the raiders fell silent, to consider that.

I stepped around the corner, Ironpony and shield up. "The good news is: you're right, Taze!" I took another step out, my ponies behind me. "The bad news is: I'm his daughter."

There were a half-dozen ponies facing us, a few with shotguns or submachine guns, a couple with melee weapons like swords, dressed in improvised metal and cloth armor. They all spun to face me, raising weapons.

One of them, a unicorn with several knives on her barding, held an subgun in her red magic at eye level, tilted sideways, and pointed it at me.

I shifted the Ironpony and shield towards the unicorn. "Surrender, and you'll be treated fairly." The unicorn sneered as I spoke. "Fight us, and our home will become your tomb." Her subgun twitched, and I held the bolt back with my magic.

"Bullshit! Crimson's daughter ain't a Stable pony, and she ain't a pinecone head, either!" She cackled. "Shoulda just run, rookie!" The subgun moved, and I could feel her applying pressure to the trigger as she pointed it at my head.

I held the bolt back, and she scowled at her gun. "Stupid gun!"

She flipped it over and looked down the muzzle, still holding the trigger back.

...

I released my telekinetic grasp on the bolt.

It slammed closed, firing a three round burst into the pony who'd been holding it.

Three casings clattered to the ground as everyone stared in shock at the raider as she fell over, half of her head missing, red and grey splattered over the wall and ceiling behind her.

Pathetic.

I glared at the other raiders, turning the subgun on them. "Run or die."

They turned and fled down the stairs, screaming.

"Open fire."

Both teams' combined gunfire felled two of them.

I followed them down, turning to the first one, shifting the subgun to her.

She hugged her leg, tears streaming down her cheeks.

I disarmed her of her sword, stunned and cuffed her.

The second one sneered at me. "Please, don't kill me..." He snickered mockingly. "Like a Stable pony like you'd have the guts to murder an injured pony begging for mercy." I turned the sword on him, and his sneer faded to fear. "No, no! Please!"

I stabbed him with the sword on the way past.

Striker looked to me in confusion. "You killed him, but let her live?"

I turned to face him partially. "He resisted. She did not." I turned, hurrying down the stairs after the survivors. "More bad guys to catch - let's go."

"Hey, Captain." Charm called over to me. "What's a 'pinecone'?"

"Add it to the list of questions for any prisoners we take." I glanced forward.

We chased them down to the third level, where they ran into a second group.

"Team Two, take the right hallway. Should be able to pin them down - we'll follow them and prevent them from doubling back."

"Aye, ma'am."

They opened fire at us, ducking into a room, and I tossed a flashbang into the room. Some of them fired out through the door as the grenade went off, and we rushed in after them.

Several of them fled out the other side of the room, and Team Two fired at them, letting them go in exchange for preventing the others from escaping.

We stunned, disarmed and cuffed several of them, those who'd surrendered, leaving them in the hallway to be picked up, and chased after the ponies who'd run off.

We caught up to them around a corner, and they ran off again - we downed two of them as they fled. One of them resisted, and we shot her on the way past.

We came to a junction, and they split up - we followed them, Team One going left, Team Two going right.

Someone pounced on me from behind, biting my mane, and I yelped, calling out to my ponies as my vocal cords tightened.

I spoke, but nothing came out.

...

Silencing spell!

I dropped to the ground, feeling a knife against my throat, and she yanked my head back.

"Crimson's daughter, eh?" I glanced over to the mare as she growled into my ear. "That fuckhead made us do so much shit. Get up every day before the sun rose, training, trotting, so much... fucking... trotting! I'm gonna enjoy this. For Wickie..."

I shifted my Ironpony, aiming at the unicorn on my back. The first shot went high, and the second...

It didn't fire.

Shit.

I dropped the Ironpony, tossing it at the mare on top of me, and bucked against her, pushing her head and the knife in her magic away from my throat as I drew the subgun from under me.

She resisted, staying on top of me through my buck, and I laid back down as I brought the subgun up, firing a three round burst into her.

She gasped, bringing the knife down towards me, and I pushed away from it, the tip of the blade barely nicking my neck as it went over my shoulder.

I fired a second burst into her, and she went limp, bleeding over me.

I bucked her, and she slid off of me.

I closed my eyes, dispelling the spell, and feeling my vocal cords loosening. "You talk too much."

I opened my eyes, and she lay there, facing me, eyes blank staring up at me, surrounded by long strands of hair. She was one of the ponies from the first group of attackers we'd run into.

...

Long hair, a very familiar two shades of blue...

"No..." I glanced over my shoulder, where my mane should have hung, and... found nothing.

"No... You bitch..."

"You fucking bitch!" I dumped the rest of the mag into her body, and after a moment of glaring at her, threw the empty subgun at her for good measure.

I took a deep breath, turning to retrieve the Ironpony and racking the bolt.

A spent, deformed ten gauge shell dropped out of the action, and this time it cycled properly, feeding a fresh shell and going into battery. "Ironpony, we can't keep doing this. You gotta stop that, or you're gonna get me killed..."

I shook my head as I realized I was talking to my shotgun, and slung it, picking up her knife and considering cutting off some of her mane to repair mine with, before deciding against it - her mane was an ugly lime green, with red tips.

I prodded her, turning her body over, and I noticed she was wearing a necklace. A trio of faintly blood-streaked blue diamonds, inside of a circle.

The Ministry of Image.

I tugged the emblem off the chain, brushing the blood off and tucking it into my pocket as I continued down the hallway we'd been galloping and speaking into my radio. "Team One, Firefly. Where are you?"

#

Both teams had settled watching the door to the bathhouse while Samsiir and Collage patched up some of Team Two.

"Sitrep?" I frowned, trotting up and glancing to a couple of the dead attackers by the door.

"They kited us here." Charm gritted her teeth as Collage wrapped a bandage around her hind leg, glancing to me. "As soon as we got there, they opened up with a machine gun. That was planned, I think..."

I frowned, gesturing to the opfor bodies. "What happened to them?"

Charm shook her head. "Like I said, they lit us up with a machine gun. And their own..."

"Ah..." I glanced around. "Do they have hostages?"

Paper frowned. "I... don't know, ma'am..."

I nodded, rummaging through my grenade pouches.

Two smoke, one tear gas.

"Who else has a CS grenade?"

Striker and Samsiir raised a hoof.

"Good."

Someone inside the bathhouse yelled out, angry and panicked. "I'll get them! Open the door!"

Other voices spoke up, muffled.

"Oh shit!"

"No, no!"

"You'll kill us all, you idiot!"

The arguments were cut off by a sharp hiss, and a dull explosion against the door.

I shared a look with Charm, and everyone else looked around in confusion.

"What just happened...?"

"Sounds like someone just tried to fire a rocket at us." Striker frowned.

Gunfire to our right put the matter aside, and we turned to see a pair of my ponies - not from my team - rushed around the corner, firing behind them.

A half dozen of the attackers rounded the corner, pausing when they saw us.

"Oh shit!"

"Run!"

I raised my shield and Ironpony, one of the few shots they fired spiderwebbing my shield. "Open fire!" My new ponies dropped to the ground as my two teams opened fire.

The attackers fled, one of them limping from one of our shots landing.

"Go, go!" I suited words to action, galloping after them. "With us!" I gestured to my ponies, identifying them as I passed them - Starlight and Shine.

We chased them through the Stable, and they ran to another group of attackers, who joined them running from us.

Team Two split off, both teams corralling them towards the Atrium. "Checkpoints Five and Six, open the doors and let them through! All other checkpoints, stay sealed!"

#

Lead Councilor Diamond Rose

Sunday
2310

"Don't do this, Hooves!"

"Shut the fuck up. I know what I'm doing. Never let you down before, have I?"

One of them, a glanced around to the others around him, and drew a gun. "Hooves, we've been nothing more than well-paid thugs for you."

Another pony drew a gun - he'd been called Crumble. "We've kept you fed and safe, and this is how you repay us? By turning on us at this critical time? We're this close to taking the Stable! You fuckin' traitors!"

I shared a glance with Amber, resting my hoof against his. Close to taking the Stable? I find that very, very unlikely, Outsider.

Hooves prodded me with his weapon. "Hey, you, Diamond - you're talking to your ponies, right? Bring 'em in here, kill the traitors and I'll give you all a cut of the profits. And your lives! Forty-sixty, even split. Good deal, right?"

I looked over my shoulder at the raider leader as Amber spoke to him. "I think that bringing my Security ponies in here right now would be one of your worst ideas today."

I spoke quietly, looking to Hooves. "You would likely have far more success using us as hostages to barter for your safe passage Outside, than attempting to coerce Security into joining you."

"If I wanted your opinion, I'd beat it out of you, piney!" He hit Amber with his weapon.

Hooves had a smaller gun in his holster, and I picked it up with my magic as he turned to ignore me for the moment.

I turned to the mutineers. "As leader of the Stable, I can offer you amnesty if you were to help us." Out of the the corner of my eye, I saw the door open behind them.

"You bitch!" Hooves prodded me with his gun.

How did SATS work... ah.

I turned my glare upon him, slapping his gun to the side, like Colonel Range had showed me. "You shouldn't have attacked my home, you scoundrel." I exited SATS, and his head exploded outwards.

I spun the pistol, to bring it over to Crumble.

The weapon failed to fire.

Oh, damn.

#

Lieutenant Rapid Dash

Sunday
2324

"If I wanted your opinion, I'd beat it out of you, piney!" Somepony grunted, as if they'd been hit.

Showtime.

"Flashbang through the door."

Quick Clip hit the button for the door, and Steady Trot rolled the flashbang grenade into the room. "Hold - go, go, go!" The grenade's sharp crack was preceded by several gunshots, and we rushed into the room.

The attackers threw down their weapons.

"Don't shoot!"

"We surrender!"

"Don't kill us!"

"Hold fire!" I held a hoof up, and to my ponies' credit, they held fire. "You, down on the ground. Quick, get their weapons."

I surveyed the rest of the room - it was a mess.

Dust and debris kicked up by the flashbang obscured our vision, but what I could see was Councilor Rose and Judge Rhyme were both dead, as were some of the attackers. A dozen Stable ponies were scattered around the edges of the room, some cowering, some staring.

One of the attackers, in the middle, spoke quietly. "We tried to save her..." He glanced toward Councilor Rose's body.

"We know." I cast a dark look in his direction. "That is why you're still breathing. Steady, read them their rights."

Steady Trot looked to me, confusion decorating her features. "What rights do they have, Lieutenant? I mean, they're not Stable residents, they're not ponies seeking admittance to the Stable..." She glanced to her Pipbuck.

That's a good question, Steady...

I turned to face the attackers. "You're now our prisoners. You'll be treated fairly, so long as you don't give us a reason to kill you. Questions?"

Firefly came through the comms. "Dash, Firefly. Sitrep on Rose?"

I glanced to Councilor Rose's body.

Shit.

#

Head Pipbuck Technician Broken Screen

Sunday
2330

Yells, hoofsteps and gunfire announced the attackers' entrance to the Atrium, and I glanced down to see Security settling down on the upper levels. One of the attackers jumped over the railing, screaming.

I closed my eyes, trying to ignore them to focus on my task. My EFS continued to display under my eyelids.

...

EFS. That's it!

I opened my eyes. "Copper, I think I can route The Gun to accept input from my EFS for more efficient targeting."

"Oh, why hadn't I thought of that... do it. Do it now!"

I grumbled, plugging my Pipbuck into The Gun. "I need to make sure it doesn't attack our ponies, too..."

"Obviously."

"I think I've got it..." I nodded. "Here goes nothing..."

I gritted my teeth as The Gun began its charging cycle, pressing my hooves against my ears. Screams - ones I knew weren't from the ponies below me - filled my ears. I shivered, and a single word came to mind.

Death.

I glanced over my shoulder through a grate as the gunfire died completely, trailing The Gun's cycle.

Copper glanced over. "I thought being in the Atrium when The Gun cycled was bad..."

That was only one cycle... it can't have killed everyone, right?

...

My heart skipped a beat at that thought as I looked down.

Some of the attackers had taken cover behind tables in the middle of the Atrium. Firefly's Security ponies were on the second level.

Good.

They're still alive.

"We surrender!" Somepony threw their weapons down, and a few other ponies followed.

"Please don't kill us!" Somepony else yelled out.

I shifted, looking to Firefly, head down behind some cover on the Atrium's second level. She's still alive... good.

"Captain? What's the plan?"

"Nopony would miss them if we killed them all, and nopony would blame us." After a moment, she sighed and rose to her hooves, stepping into sight and speaking loudly with a voice amplification spell. "Very well. We accept your surrender. Throw down your weapons."

"Of... of course!"

"Thank you!"

Captain Firefly glanced to her ponies, before glancing away. "Read them their rights, strip them of their barding, restrain them, and find somewhere to contain them." She turned away, trotting off and dispelling her amplification spell as she spoke into the radio. "The situation is contained, Overmare."

...

"Overmare?"

No response.

"Shine, Starlight, on me. Dash, Firefly. Sitrep on Rose?"

Blitz cut Dash off before he could respond. "Firefly, Blitz, the Overmare is being taken! They're opening the Door!"

"Copy, Blitz! Coming to you!"

#

Overmare Book Keeper

Sunday
2302

I heard something moving behind me, inside my office, and I opened a drawer, drawing the revolver that had been in the Overmare's desk when I became Overmare, continuing to type on my terminal as I did so.

The rustling sound came again, and I spun, whipping a stack of older model Pipbucks at the direction it had come from. As I did so, I raised the revolver and fired into the pony shaped space among the stack of Pipbucks.

Blood splashed the wall behind it, and I trotted over to pull the cloak off, to find precisely what Security had said - a zebra, but a living one. I'd hit them in the hindquarters.

I glanced to my Pipbuck, activating the broadcaster. "Overmare to Security, I have a prisoner. Please advise."

...

No answer. Not even anypony broadcasting on this channel, other than the faint hiss of static. I changed frequencies, and static was all I received.

The door to my office hissed open, and I raised my revolver, stepping away from the prisoner. Nopony was visible in the door.

"Overmare to Security. Anypony?"

Nothing. I glanced back to the door, stepping back, my back to the wall.

"Greetings, Overmare Book Keeper of Stable 30." A zebra stepped out of thin air, and I raised my weapon at them. "Yes, I know who you are." He was what Firefly had described as a 'ghoul', with one of his legs replaced with a cybernetic limb.

"It appears you have me at a disadvantage, then. What are you here for?"

"You, of course."

"I'm afraid that I can't give you that. Not without an assurance you'll leave my Stable in peace."

"You are hardly in a position to negotiate. We are at war, and there are no innocents in this kind of war."

He went to continue, but I cut him off before he could, simply because of how absurd what he said was. "I'm afraid that I'm not sure what you mean about 'being at war'? We don't know you..."

"Your Stable is one of the last remnants of Equestria, a representative and continuation of the prewar government, no?"

"The war ended two centuries ago..."

"There was no formal treaty, no apology. The war is still on. But that is irrelevant! We are here on a different mission - a very, very important mission. The lives and souls of all beings in the world, zebra and inferior are at stake - threatened by an ancient evil. We exist to assist the Star Maiden in slaying the Eater."

"I'm sure Stable 30 could be of assistance..."

"Oh, certainly, certainly. Unfortunately, you won't be around to appreciate it..." He narrowed his eyes speculatively. "After all, your Scout may be the Star Maiden. She will reveal herself in time."

I frowned. "Captain Firefly would never help you. Not after you've attacked our - her - home."

The zebra shrugged. "The Star Maiden will do what she must, and we will assist her in doing it, regardless of what she feels."

"I have one final question..." The zebra nodded distracted. "Will you marry me?"

He frowned in mild confusion, and I activated SATS, lining the sights up on his head.

Time slowed down, and my weapon exploded in slow motion.

After a moment, time resumed its normal speed, and I frowned at the leader.

He smiled. "You have strength. Good. You will serve us well."

#

Security Officer Pumpkin Blitz

Sunday
2340

"Copy, Blitz! Coming to you!"

I ducked down as one of the attackers reared up over me, firing a beam blast through their chest.

They fell on me, pinning me under them, and I shifted to bring my rifle up at the opening Door.

A zebra carrying the Overmare was fleeing out of the Door, both ponies partially hidden under an invisibility cloak, and I activated SATS, lining up a shot.

Several bullets hit the body pinning me, and I flinched, just enough to throw my aim off as I bit down on the trigger.

I hit my target, barely - only clipping their hind leg.

Tawny levitated the zebra off of me, and I rose to my hooves as the Door sealed behind them... with the Overmare outside.

Well.

Shit.

I turned to the zebra who had fallen on me, oozing the smell of cooking flesh.

I'm starting to become accustomed to the smell of cooking flesh. Great.

I turned to the Door, waving a hoof at the pony near the console. "Get the Door open! Now!"

Firefly and her team rushed in. "What happened, Blitz?"

"They took the Overmare. We're getting ready to go after her."

"Hold that! Seal the Door." Firefly waved her hoof at the pony near the console and turned to me. "We can't."

"What do you mean, 'we can't'?" I turned to face her, rifle at the floor.

"We have to secure the Stable before we mount any more operations. Protecting the population is our primary goal!"

"You're going to just leave-"

"No, Blitz, I'm not! I want to go after her, too, but we can't! Not now..." Firefly took a shaky breath. "We will come back for her."

"How? We don't know where they're taking her!"

"We will come back for the Overmare!" She glared at me. "It doesn't matter where they took her - we will find her, and we will make them regret attacking us - when we're ready to. Are we clear, Blitz?"

Damn it... "Yes, ma'am..."

"Where did they come from? They didn't come through the Atrium."

"I dunno... over there." I pointed with a wing, closing my eyes to take a deep breath.

"Huh... Hey, Captain. Remember how Stable 60 had an entrance from the Overmare's office?" I opened my eyes at Ivory's comment as Firefly trotted over to her and a doorway behind a panel.

Ivory snickered. "Five bits says that goes to the Overmare's office."

"Sucker bet." Firefly shook her head. "Just one more thing to look at..." She sighed, looking around, looking to me. "Blitz, your ponies are on Door duty. You'll be relieved when we can. For now, make sure nobody opens the Door." She turned around, looking at the ponies staring. "For now, the Door is under Security's control. If you're not with Blitz's team, clear out!"

#

Captain Firefly

Monday
0120

I settled down at a table in the corner, groaning, as somepony fixed the radio. It came on, blasting disco music at an offensive volume in the grim silence of the aftermath of the attack.

Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother
You're stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin'
And we're stayin' alive, stayin'-

...

Dashie trotted over to me, and I glanced past him, to the radio as it was quickly silenced, the pony with it looking around in embarrassment.

Dashie followed my glance to the radio, and then over to me.

He smirked.

I snickered.

He chuckled.

I burst out laughing.

A minute later, I managed to stop laughing, and sighed, crawling to my hooves. "Give me a sitrep, Dashie. How many did we lose?"

"Again with the serious, boss..." Dashie frowned. "Too soon to tell - not all sections have reported in yet."

"What do you have so far?"

Dashie frowned. "Most of second shift... Notable exceptions, Minty, Pepperbox, Joker, Starlight and Shine."

"It's been a hell of a day."

Dashie nodded slowly. "Yeah..."

#

Casualties of Operation Baltimare

Amber Rhyme, 45 - Chief Justice
Aura Cinnamon, 25 - Morale
Badoglio, 26 - Maintenance
Beaker, 18 - Arcane Sciences
Benito, 26 - Maintenance
Bobby Pin, 45 - Morale
Buttons, 43 - Morale
Creme Puff, 15 - Morale
Crystal Voice, 55 - Arcane Sciences
Crescent Spark, 16 - Security
Dawning Petals, 29 - Security
Diamond Rose, 38 - Councilor
Denshir, 46 - Arcane Sciences
Fiery Spark, 25 - Arcane Sciences
Firelight Splendor, 41 - Morale
Flashlight, 43 - Maintenance
Flint Sparks, 38 - Morale
Franco, 46 - Maintenance
Fudge Cakes, 32 - Maintenance
Gyula, 45 - Morale
Jade, 26 - Arcane Sciences
Orovus, 48 - Morale
Paperclip, 23 - Arcane Sciences
Piacentini, 34 - Arcane Sciences
Perfume, 29 - Morale
Photo Start, 41 - Maintenance
Pop Tab, 51 - Agriculture
Ponti, 24 - Security
Potted Fern, 15 - Agriculture
Prasca, 28 - Security
Rimfire, 34 - Security
Sabato, 54 - Agriculture
Screwdriver, 35 - Morale
Shadowdancer, 13 - Agriculture
Shauvir, 36 - Arcane Sciences
Sunshine Rays, 37 - Maintenance
Strings, 26 - Morale
Sweet Drops, 21 - Morale
Tacit Understatement, 23 - Security
Wilted Leaf, 34 - Agriculture
Valanir, 21 - Arcane Sciences
Zezarus, 54 - Arcane Sciences
Zog, 21 - Agriculture

Author's Note

So.

That happened.

This has been a long-time coming! I've been waiting to get to this point for literally years!

Chapter 16 - Abandoned

Fallout Equestria: Stable Scout
Chapter 16
Abandoned

Doctor Cerulean Mend

Monday
0130

I heard a beam rifle blast, and the Door opening. I picked up the rifle beside me and galloped for the Atrium.

The Door sealed as quickly as it opened, and silence reigned in the Atrium as I got there.

"Why the fuck did the Door just open without my authority?" Range's thunderous bellow preceded her as she exited Security, and I turned to face her, looking at the ponies on the ground level as she slammed her hooves on the railing.

Gusty spoke up, coming through the entrance to the Door. "There was an... argument. My daughter... Blitz. She left. She said she was going to the Crimson Raiders."

...

"What?" Range turned, glaring at the ponies, and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, before opening them and looking to Gusty. "What happened? Why did she leave?"

"She said that... none of the civilians..." Gusty swallowed. "Understood her. They..." She glanced to the mob below her. "They blamed her for the attack, her and... Firefly's Scouts. She's just a teenager, Colonel, we can't let her-"

"I know, Gusty. But she is a legal adult with the most combat and surface experience in the Stable. We don't have the time or resources to mount a rescue party now. She'll be fine Outside."

"She's still my daughter-"

"And she's an adult now." Gusty opened her mouth to argue, but Range shut her up with a glare, and looked down at the mob of ponies. "Go back to your quarters or find something to do."

Firefly spoke through the radio, coming through Range's Pipbuck. "Range, Firefly. Where are you?"

"Just dealing with another minor disaster. Meet me in my office in five." Range turned, threw another glare at the group of ponies dispersing, and looked to me. "I'll be in Security, Mend."

I nodded mutely, glancing down, and a spot of color drew my attention. I walked over to it.

It was a slightly crushed, yellow-orange feather.

Wings.

...

I blinked back tears as I picked it up carefully.

Damn it, Wings...

Former Security Officer Pumpkin Blitz

I fell to my hooves as the Door slammed behind me, Tawny nuzzling me. "Blitzy?"

"Oh shit..."

"You know the way to the Crimson Raiders base, right?" Tawny looked to me in concern, and I noticed the tip of her ear was missing.

"You're hurt!"

"It's not serious..."

"The tip of your ear is missing!"

She scowled at me, ears folding back. "It's not bleeding any more. I'm okay. Blitzy. We gotta move." She prodded me with the tip of her horn.

I nodded. "Move... right." I got to my hooves, looking at my Pipbuck. "We'll head for FOB Haven. It's the nearest friendly place. We'll resupply there, then head to the Crimson Raiders base."

"Assuming they haven't been attacked, too..."

I frowned, thinking about that. "Yeah."

#

A hour brisk trot brought us to FOB Haven. The ponies at the gate let us in, and I headed for the Stable Scout station, Tawny behind me.

It appeared Haven had been attacked, and a group of ponies were being marched down the street by three local militiaponies with rifles and shotguns.

Chipped Helm frowned as I trotted into the Scouts station. "Holy shit, what happened to you?" Captain Frost Beat, Haven's Head of Security, was there, too.

I spoke quietly. "The Stable has been attacked."

Chipped shared an uneasy look with Frosty.

"Shit..."

"Yeah." I nodded. "We just fought them off. Casualties, but... Stable is secure."

"Okay..." Chipped bit her lip. "Sit down, take some time to relax?"

I nodded, and the blue unicorn glanced to me as Chipped hurried off.

"What happened here?"

"Well, they attacked Haven... late last evening. We think we've got everyone. It seems Tumbler tried to stage a coup to kill the mayor and put himself in power. Bastard."

"Tumbler?"

"The mayor's former secretary."

"Sounds like a fun pony."

She smirked evilly. "He begged before he died..."

I made a face at her statement. "I've seen far too much death tonight to enjoy anyone's death right now. Is the mayor okay?"

"Nightstick and Tin Wall happened to stumble into the mayor's office at the right time." She nodded. "Dumb shit timed it when Haven was full of traders and Steel Rangers. Wasn't that much of a fight. Got a breach in the northern wall. Some Rangers got a bit carried away with their munitions."

"Good..." I looked over to Tawny. "Tawny?"

She looked back and smirked at me. "Yeah, Blitzy?"

I smiled a little. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm... okay? I think I haven't properly realized what I just did, yet..." She paused, swallowing. "Let's go."

"No, not yet. We need to get some rest first." I turned back to Frosty. "Is there somewhere we can get some rest?"

She considered, glancing to my wings. "I know a place. Sorry, it's... kind of a mess."

I shrugged. "I honestly don't give a fuck, so long it has a bed."

Ten minutes later, Tawny and I were curled up together on a bed. Two hours later, by my Pipbuck, we were woken up by the sun rising, light shining through a hole in the wall across from the bed.

The sunrise was... I had to admit... it was pretty. Shades of pink I hadn't seen outside of worn history texts. Something about it left me uneasy, though...

"Blitzy?" Tawny spoke, shifting against me.

"Yes?"

"Is the sunrise always this pretty?" She pointed outside.

"I don't know... Maybe?" I thought back to the number of sunrises I'd seen in the past couple of weeks... I couldn't remember if I had seen any.

She spoke up, distracting me from my thoughts. "I don't know if I ever want to go back to that hole in the ground again..."

I looked to her curiously, then hugged her, wrapping one of my wings around her. She used her magic to clean a small piece of the window, and we watched the sun rise together.

She nibbled along my ear, and I gasped. "We're still alive..."

"I don't like it."

She sat up slightly and looked to me. "Don't like... what?"

"The sunrise." I pointed at the sunrise with my other wing, the one not wrapped around her. "It feels like something... wrong. I don't know."

"Oh..." She leaned back against me, nibbling again. "We're safe, for a few minutes."

She wrapped a hoof around me, trailing its way down my belly, and I realized what she was getting at... "I don't know if I want to, Tawny..."

"Are you... sure?" She spoke softly, nuzzling my cheek. "We don't know when the next time we get some privacy again... We should celebrate..."

I thought about it for a moment, and decided I did, in fact, want to as her lips traveled down along my neck towards my wings...

A half-hour later, the sun had risen, and we climbed out of bed, getting dressed. Chipped saluted me as I entered the station.

I groaned. "Don't salute me, I'm not..." I shook my head. "Right. We have places to be. Captain Firefly ordered me to go inform the Crimson Raiders of what happened. We need supplies."

A half hour later, burdened with saddlebags full of traveling supplies, we left FOB Haven.

#

0302

Tawny spoke quietly, looking to me in concern. "Are you sure this was a good idea?"

"No, I'm not. But I'm going with it." I looked to Tawny. "You could probably go home..."

"And, what, break up with you? Not a fucking chance." She shook her head angrily. "I love you, and I'm not going to just abandon you!"

I paused mid-step, looking at her. "Do you... really mean that?"

She paused, looking at me. "I... guess? I mean, I don't know if it's... 'true love, happily ever, into the sunset' love, but... yes? I want you by my side, and I don't want think about a world where you're... not in my life."

Not knowing what to say, I hugged her, wrapping my wings around her. After a bit, she poked her head out of my wings. "Um... I think we should keep moving."

"Bad place to hug..." I nodded. "I don't know if the Stable is safe, either... there still might be infiltrators."

#

0424

I lead the way up the street to the main gate, letting my rifle hang from sling.

A couple earth ponies in heavy barding stood on the wall, and one of the large-caliber guns overlooking the main gate traversed towards us.

"Who the hell are you, and what do you want?" One of the guards barked at me as several other guards rushed along the wall, weapons up.

Something was up. I shared a look with Tawny, before calling up to them.

"Stable 30 has been attacked. Crimson said he'd talk to us."

"Well, Crimson's not here," another of the guards snarled down at us, "so you can go back to your shitty little hole in the ground while we deal with our own problems."

"Private!" A pegasus dropped to the wall, glaring at the pony who'd spoken, and then she looked down to us. "Blitz, right?"

Major Serenity. Firefly's sister. That's it. I saluted with a wing. "Security Officer Blitz, ma'am."

"Good." She turned, looking back. "Open the gate!" The gate opened, and I walked over, carefully. Serenity was on the other side. "You're gonna have to surrender your weapons. We don't want any more... accidents."

I glanced down to my beam rifle, considering refusing, before decharging and unloading it, tossing the spark battery at Serenity's hooves. "We will surrender our ammo." Tawny dropped the mag on her pistol, racked the slide and tossed her ammo next to my spark battery. A couple of ponies hurried over, looking through our bags, and they let us through after stripping us of our ammo. Serenity was joined by General Azure Luminance, Crimson's second in command, and the two of them lead us through the base.

"I'm glad you surrendered." Serenity smirked. "I would have hated to see what a one-twenty-seven mil did to ponies."

"One-twenty-seven...?" I looked over my shoulder at the large caliber weapon.

"Yeah. We salvaged the main artillery off an old Equestrian Navy destroyer, the HMS Pudding, in exchange for getting it working again. She does runs up and down the coast."

"Oh..." I glanced to a bonfire off to the side of the courtyard. "What happened?" The smell of burning flesh filled the courtyard, and I glanced to Tawny.

She looked uncomfortable, but glanced back to me and nodded determinedly.

Serenity's jaw tightened. "We were attacked. They took Father."

"Stable 30 was attacked, too. They took the Overmare."

Azure spoke quietly from my other side, and I jumped. "I find the timing to be far too much to be a coincidence."

He'd been so quiet, I'd forgotten he was there.

"Well, obviously." I looked from Azure to Serenity. "What's our next move?"

"'Our' next move?" Serenity looked to me. "This is an internal matter, not the Stable's business."

Azure shook his head. "I disagree, Major. The Stable has already been brought into this, and will surely be launching their own search for their leader. It would benefit both parties to work together, at least until we retrieve our leaders."

Serenity considered, before nodding. "Yes, sir."

I thought about that. "I'm not really... part of the Stable any longer. So... I can't speak for them."

Serenity frowned. "What are you doing here, then?"

"Crimson offered me the option to join the Crimson Raiders. I'm taking him up on it." Serenity and Azure shared a look, and I continued. "The Stable's leadership has made me the scapegoat for everything that has gone wrong since we left the Stable, and I'm... not welcome there any longer."

"And you?" He looked to Tawny.

"I'm with her." She glared back at him.

After a moment, Azure smiled. "Consider yourselves probationary Crimson Raiders. We'll discuss this again after Crimson is rescued." He turned, leading the way back to the command center. "The first thing we need to do is establish communications with the Stable and find if they're willing to accept our help in the first place. Major, you're in command of this. Report to me when you get an answer."

Serenity saluted. "Yes, sir." Azure turned as someone - the goat from the settlement that we'd seen attacked during last operation - approached him, and the two of them walked off, surrounded by several aides.

"I have an idea, ma'am..." I waved a wing at her. "I know where there's a MASEBS tower, and Tawny knows how to get into the system.

Tawny smirked "I can use it to boost the ranges of Blitz's broadcaster."

I glanced back to Azure, seeing him and their aides going into one of the buildings. "That goat, he was the pony from the town! Uh... Highlandtownville, right?"

Serenity glanced over her shoulder as Tawny gave me a confused look. "General Matchlock. Yes, we're aware."

I looked to Serenity. "And you're going to explain why he's still around...?"

"Politics, Blitz. He's popular. The word of a group of ponies who are on their second chance doesn't have much weight, especially against one of the founders."

"I thought that the Crimson Raiders didn't do red tape, bureaucratic bullshit?"

"We do a lot of things. Yes, that's how we like to operate. But we can't always do that. We're not just a band of raiders who do whatever we want to. As I mentioned, you Stable ponies aren't exactly liked, and its really only your word against his."

"Is... someone going to explain what you're talking about?" Tawny looked around, confused.

"The goat who went with General Azure lead a raid on a settlement last Thursday. We watched, but we couldn't help them."

Serenity frowned idly. "He's been a thorn in Father's side for longer than I've been alive. I'd certainly enjoy putting a bullet in his head."

"So... what's the plan, Major?"

"He's probably going to insist we abandon Father. He may well have helped the attackers take him." She shrugged. "Piece of shit."

"The plan to get in communication with the Stable, I mean."

"Ah." Serenity nodded. "Right. Where's this MASEBS tower?"

#

Captain Firefly

0600
Monday

My Pipbuck crackled, and I heard a voice I hadn't expected to hear again. "Captain?"

"Blitz? Is that you?"

"Who else, ma'am?" I could hear her smirk through the radio.

"What happened? Where are you? How did you..."

"This is not a discussion I'm having now." She sighed, and the radio broke up momentarily. "- hacked MASEBS tower 69. The Crimson Raiders have been attacked, and the attackers took your father. General Azure suggested that this isn't a coincidence, and that we should work together."

"That's a good idea - tell them we're in. Soon as we're able to get the Stable secured, we'll head over to their base."

"See you then. Blitz, out."

The radio crackled again, then went silent.

Hmm...

I glanced to my Pipbuck, and then to my escort, running a hoof across my muzzle. "Well. Time to get back to work."

Striker nodded. "The Council wants a meeting in five minutes, ma'am."

"Well, they can wait. Tell them I'm busy, they can make it thirty."

#

0634

I sat the Ironpony against the table, muzzle up, and set my helmet down beside it as I sat down, facing the Council.

Seven seats, six ponies, and the seat in the center... empty.

'Our lives are in your capable hooves, Captain.'

I sighed softly.

"Captain..." Filament began, serious yet... confused? "Before we begin..."

"Yes?" I looked to her, curious at her tone.

"Is that a pastry on your horn?"

...

I looked up, seeing an apple fritter impaled on my horn.

How did that get there?

I levitated it off, taking a bite of it. Some apple dripped out of it, landing on the table.

"Yes, Councilor... yes, it is."

"Now that we have that straightened out..." Hex frowned at me seriously. "What happened?"

I took another bite. "Definitely an apple fritter." It tasted kind of like cordite, and I suspected it was full of other things I really didn't want to know about. "It's stale."

Hex frowned sternly. "Well, now that we have your expert opinion on what makes an excellent apple fritter... What happened, Captain?"

I looked over to her. "We got caught with our pants down. That's what happened."

"That doesn't tell us much. How did they get inside the Stable?"

"I... I don't know - it's too soon to tell. One possible way is they slipped someone inside the Stable during Market day."

"You said the Stable was safe, Captain."

I sighed. "I did."

"You were wrong?"

"I was wrong. I don't know what happened. I don't know who these ponies are, I don't know why they attacked us. I don't know where they took the Overmare, nor do I know why they did."

"How are you so... calm... about this?"

"I'm not sure, damn it!"

"What the hell do you know, then?"

I grinned, forehooves on the table. "I know that we're going to find these ponies and make them regret everything."

"What?"

"Let's go back to how they got in." I nodded, changing tracks and sitting back down, forcing myself to calm down. "Unless there are any secret entrances we don't know about - not likely - they most likely slipped someone in through the Door during Market day. That's how I would plan an attack, at least." I shook my head. "We're getting off topic - mistakes were made. We'll learn from them, and it'll never happen again. We need to find the Overmare. I'll start planning-"

Filament interrupted me, and I stopped talking to let her speak. "I'm sure that will comfort the families of the ponies who died." She frowned, beginning again, softly. "I agree with Councilor Hex. We should close the Door, so this doesn't happen again."

"We can't seal the Door now. You know how well the Stable is doing - how long do we have before important things start breaking down? We need to start moving out now, when we still have the ability to retreat to the Stable, before we're forced Outside by something breaking. We need to establish a settlement on the surface, somewhere we can live. We need allies, and we need hooves on the ground out there to do that."

Filament nodded slowly. "I see your point, Captain..."

"This was bad, I... I know. But we need to think long term - a... a few may have died today, but if we seal the Door and retreat underground, only to be forced out when the water talisman breaks five years from now, we could all die." I glanced around, from Filament, to Hex. "All of us. Wiped out. You. I. Everyone else."

"Surely not everyone would be killed, Captain..." Councilor Inertia frowned, glancing around in mild worry.

"No, of course not. Some of us would probably be enslaved, sold to the slaver empire in Fillydelphia. Surely some, small groups would survive, settling down in other settlements. Doesn't that sound much better than 'completely wiped out'?" I gave Inertia a sweet smile.

"No..."

"Other than attempting to scare us, what is the point of your argument, Captain?" Hex frowned seriously.

"I have to request two things. One, for the Door to remain open, for reasons explained earlier. And two, authorization for an operation to rescue the Overmare."

The Council shared a look and retreated into a corner, speaking quietly.

I glanced to Range, and she shrugged.

The Council returned to their seats, and Hex spoke. "We will authorize the Door to remain open for the short term. Your points are valid. However, you are not authorized to launch a mission to rescue the Overmare. We need to recover. Do you remember what happened after your father left the Stable two decades ago? What would happen to the Stable, if that were to happen again?"

Filament spoke up in a kindly voice. "Just look to your mother, Firefly..." Hex shifted uneasily at that. "We can't afford to risk it."

Idly I wondered what Hex's reaction meant, before setting it aside for later.

"I disagree. We can't afford to not! This is a test, and the Stable can't afford to simply... to bend over and take it! If we are perceived as weak, others won't be so hesitant to attack us, and the next attack might be worse. A diversionary attack from a street gang is one thing... a planned assault by the Steel Rangers is another entirely."

"Or, you could all be killed, leaving the Stable without any capable Security ponies to defend us, like what happened with your father."

"This isn't the same as last time - we aren't alone, and we have a clear, tangible objective." I paused, glancing around. "Beyond that... my father did not intend to return. I do."

"I hope you understand where I'm coming from, when I say I don't think we're confident in your judgment anymore." Hex spoke quietly.

"The Overmare could be anywhere, Captain. She could already be dead, for all we know." Filament shook her head. "We're not questioning your loyalty or dedication to the Stable, but... this could be some fool's errand. It's a massive world out there."

"No. They took the Overmare, instead of just killing her - they wanted her alive for a reason. They're likely somewhere in Baltimare, and having drawn the full ire of the Crimson Raiders, they won't stay hidden forever."

Sheets spoke quietly, glancing to Filament. "I'm sure Overmare Keeper would be pleased to hear that your first thought was to abandon her."

"My duties are to the Stable, Spark." Filament sighed sadly. "No one pony, not even my dear friend Book Keeper, is worth risking the lives of the entire Stable. I'm sure she understands that."

"I understand..." Sheets sighed sadly.

"I agree with you, Filament." Range nodded in agreement, before beginning slowly after a moment. "I suggest... we put it to a vote - this affects the entire Stable. A week from now, if we can't bring the Overmare back by then, we'll put it up to a vote by the Stable's entire population."

The Council shared a look, before retreating into another huddle.

"Could have fuckin' warned me about that, boss." I glanced to Range, speaking quietly. "A vote? We're risking the entire operation to the opinion of a bunch of scared civvies?"

She smirked at me, shrugging. "Only if you can't bring back the Overmare in a week. This is our best shot." I glanced to the Council as Sheets' voice spiked in volume hotly.

"What if she's already dead?"

"Better bring back a good story, then." I frowned at her. "Come on, Fi. The attack was a disgrace, and we need to do something big." She smirked at me. "Your father would tell us something like, "who dares, wins", right? Let's be bold."

I considered, but before I could answer her, the Council broke up and resumed their seats. Councilor Hex began. "Your proposal is acceptable, but with one addition - the vote goes to the population, regardless of whether or not you rescue Overmare Keeper."

Range glanced to me, and nodded. "Very well. We accept your terms."

Filament spoke up. "In the meantime... who shall be the provisional Overmare?"

Range glanced to the Council. "Well, the line of succession leaves me in charge should the Overmare disappear under any unnatural circumstances."

Filament looked back to Range. "Temporarily, until order is restored and a new Overmare is chosen."

"That is correct."

"Colonel Range, I was thinking." Hex rose from her seat smoothly. "You may have noticed this, I'm sure, but every time the Stable is attacked, you end up with far more power at your hooves."

Range sighed tiredly. "That is one way to put it..."

Hex donned a predatory smile as she trotted around the table. "I don't think this is by accident, Colonel."

Range frowned at Hex, wary confusion coloring the edges of her expression. "Pardon?"

"As a young mare, you belonged to a group of highly influential, "up and coming" ponies. Twenty years ago - the Stable is attacked. You go from junior armory officer to Head of Security. Fast forward to today - Head of Security, number two in the chain of command having groomed your best friend's daughter into your personal successor, and the Stable is once again attacked, leaving you in the Overmare's seat." She paused for dramatic effect, glancing around to everyone, before continuing. "Somepony could connect those events into a way that suggests that you were securing power." She pointed a hoof directly at Range. "And finally, to truly cement your power and put someone... favorable towards you in the Overmare's seat... you killed Overmare Lily!"

I glanced to Range, and her eyes got wide at that last pronouncement.

...

Inertia immediately looked to his Pipbuck, browsing through it with an intensely deep expression.

Sheets stared at Hex, awestruck. "What the hell, Emerald?"

Range's look of shock was quickly replaced with one of quiet fury, as she narrowed her eyes at Hex, beginning quietly. "I don't know what noir detective fantasy you think this is, Councilor, but this is the real world. My first task after assuming my position was to dishonorably discharge my best friend since foalhood, who was going through a difficult time."

She rose to her hooves in the wake of the silence that statement produced.

"I raised Firefly as a due of respect to her mother, nothing more. If I thought she was unable to properly perform her duties, she wouldn't be in charge of these duties." She glanced to me, and I winced. "I do not 'enjoy' being the Head of Security, but it is a necessary burden I am uniquely capable of doing." Range looked to the seat at the head of the table, where the Overmare should have sat. "If I wanted to occupy the Overmare's seat, I wouldn't be suggesting we rescue her, now would I?" She paused, glancing to the rest of the Council. "As for your last statement... Overmare Keeper had already been elected by the time Lily died, so murdering her to 'secure the Overmare's seat' doesn't even make any sense."

"I think we've heard enough, Colonel." Filament glared at Hex in shocked fury. "What proof have you of this, Emerald?"

Hex frowned. "Colonel Range was last seen leaving the Atrium around the time the report said Sunset died, and in the months prior to that, Security and Sunset had had several major disagreements, especially in light of Crimson being deemed dead and opening the Door. The case was quickly deemed an accident and closed, almost unreasonably quickly."

"So you have no proof beyond circumstantial evidence." The only sound beyond the deafening silence was Range drinking from her flask.

Hex swallowed, and nodded. "That is correct."

Filament scowled at Hex angrily. "You have gone too far, Emerald!" She turned to Range. "I apologize on behalf of my colleague." She turned back to Hex with a frosty glare, and then closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "We will hold a vote to seal the Door for good once the Overmare is rescued or you return with news of her... demise. Until then, the Stable is in your hooves, Colonel."

...

Thank Celestia.

"Thank you, Councilor." The Council exited, sharing glances. Range followed them a minute later.

"You know, Range..." Range paused on the way out, cocking an ear. "Rose's final words to me were, 'our lives are in your capable hooves'. I guess I kind of let her down..."

After a moment of silence, she sighed deeply, glancing back to me. "Lots of ponies died, Firefly. You can't save everyone. Nothing good ever comes from moping about or regret. Quit feeling sorry for yourself and get back to work salvaging what we can from this clusterfuck." She left, and the door sealed behind her.

I sighed.

She's right, of course.

#

It was 1010 when I realized what today was.

"Oh, shit."

Monday meant Market day, and Market day started ten minutes ago. It took me over twenty minutes to round up a squad, and we exited the Stable at 1045 - forty five minutes late.

There were a few ponies waiting outside the Door, and we lowered our weapons as they made no move to resist. "The Stable is sealed today. I apologize to anypony who this inconveniences, but I'm sure the traders on the surface might have something for you...?"

The ponies grumbled, but a wave of our weapons - including my large and scary-looking Ironpony - quelled any complaints, and the lot headed back towards the surface.

We trailed them, splitting into two four-pony teams as we reached the surface building.

The market was continuing as if nothing had happened. A group of alicorn drones were eying a squad of Steel Rangers. Enamel's caravan was set up in its usual corner. A few ponies looked up as we approached, then went back to their trading and bartering.

Almost as if... nothing of note had happened...

They don't care that our world was... turned upside down last night. That a significant portion of us died.

...

Because they don't know.

How could they?

...

I sighed softly. "We need to change that..."

"Ma'am?" I looked to Striker as he spoke up, giving me a look of confusion.

"The wasteland, Striker." I waved a hoof at the Stable marketplace, full of busy traders and ponies. "The wasteland doesn't know who we are, what has happened. How could they? We need to become part of the wasteland, so that they will help us, when we need it. And we can help them when they need it. That's why we're here." He nodded, still confused, and I turned my attention towards Enamel's caravan.

A couple of ponies were busy repairing one of the sides, which had several new bullet holes. Looking a bit closer, everyone seemed... tense. More than a few were sporting bruises or bandages.

Hm...

I glanced to the Steel Ranger who had approached me, removing their helmet. It was the Senior Paladin I'd encountered at their base. "May I help you, Senior Paladin...?"

He raised an eyebrow at my use of his title. "You seem rather... harried, Scout." He was an earth pony with a small head... or maybe it just seemed that way in his armor. He gave me a look as severe and serious as I expected to come from 'stick up their ass: the army.'

"I have no clue what you're talking about..."

He glanced up to my mane, half of it missing. "Has your Stable been attacked?"

I made a note to get my mane trimmed as I shifted, facing him. "I'm afraid I can neither confirm nor deny that, sir..."

"I ask because other settlements across the region have been attacked, including your pet along the trail, Haven..."

...

I glanced around. "Ah..."

He continued smoothly. "If the Stable were to have been attacked, the Steel Rangers would be willing to offer their assistance..."

I nodded, considering that... "What kind of assistance might that be?"

"Some patrols in the Stable's area, perhaps... heavy firepower, if your ponies encounter something especially dangerous. Your Scouts would be highly feared with the Steel Rangers' backing."

"Why would you do that?"

"In the two weeks since you've left, you've stirred up quite a lot of shit. Given the... success... other Stable 'heroes'," his tone very clearly stated just what he thought about those ponies, "have experienced against various groups on the surface, I've decided that it would be best to maintain a friendly relationship with your Stable."

"So... A mutually beneficial alliance, as I suggested to your Elder?"

"I wouldn't go that far, Scout." He narrowed his eyes slightly. "I've merely noticed that your Stable has had quite an economic effect on the region..." He turned, glancing to the marketplace. "It would help nopony if your Stable were to be destroyed, or to retreat to underground."

Hmm...

Stalling for time to think, I glanced to my Pipbuck.

"This would make the Scouts less welcome in areas where the Steel Rangers aren't the dominant faction, though..."

"That's not incorrect." Somehow he managed to shrug in his power armor. I didn't realize they had that level of articulation.

"Has your leadership..." I hesitated to describe the Elder I had met as 'leadership', "changed his stance on the Stable?"

"That is not your concern, Scout." His scowl returned, a hint of irritation crossing his expression.

I'll take that as a no, then.

"Very well." I nodded. "I accept, on a short-term basis, to see how this will go."

#

1204

"Range, let's talk..." I closed the door behind me as I settled down facing her, hooves resting on the back of the seat.

"I hate that tone." Range frowned at me. "What is it?"

"Did you kill Overmare Lily?"

She scowled. "Oh, it's going to be another one of those days." She dug through her desk, frowning. "Oh Celestia damn it. Where did it... Never mind." She levitated out a pair of bottles of cider, popping them open and pointing one of them at me. "Nothing said from this point on leaves this room. Got it?"

I nodded. "What's going on, Range?"

"Firefly... I love you, and you're the closest thing to a daughter I'll ever have, but if this surfaces, I'll throw you under the train without a second thought." I nodded again as she set the cider in front of me.

She sighed, leaning back, sipping her cider. "This needs context to fully understand." She leaned forward expectantly, and I looked to her, confused. "Have you ever done a horn lock?"

Ah.

"I have not." I leaned forward, resting my horn against hers, and the world swirled away...

#

Security Officer Hot Range

I found myself in a set of Stable quarters, curled up on a couch. Across from me was a red pegasus, about my age. He looked familiar. Almost like...

...

Crimson. I really have to stop meeting him like this.

Even if this is just a memory...

"You said you wanted to talk, Crimson...?" Range leaned forward, extending one blued grey hoof to rest against his shoulder.

He closed his eyes, looking down. I recognized that expression - he was thinking about what he was going to say. "Yes, I did." He sighed, a long pained sigh, before looking Range in the eyes.

Even as just a memory, he was intense.

"I killed Aimpoint. It was not an accident. I murdered her. Before she could kill me."

My view rotated as Range cocked her head. "But... why?"

He threw his forehooves in the air and then rose to his hooves. "I don't fucking know!" He paced in front of the couch. "The Overmare requested us for a live-fire special mission. Who were we to argue? She cleared it with Sixshooter. It's the Overmare, for fuck's sake!" Crimson was... babbling. "So we did what she told us to. Some sort of special training mission. She split us up and told us we were looking for an insurgent. Something. Mind is fuzzy." He paused, narrowing his eyes. "Sure, why not? So we went along with it. I saw Aimpoint. For one moment, I saw the worst enemy I've ever seen. We fired. Aimpoint missed. I did not..."

Range cocked her head the other way, narrowing her eyes at Crimson. "But Aimpoint never misses..."

"No... Aimpoint never misses..." Crimson stopped, mid step, and sat down hard. "She knew. She fucking knew. She had to have known."

"Crimson? You're not making any sense..." Range slid off the couch, carefully trotting over to him as he curled up on his side.

"She was going to kill me, just like I was going to kill her... and at the last moment, she intentionally missed." Range trotted over him, looking down at him as she put her hoof on his shoulder. "She had to have."

Range's voice softened in sympathy. "If you felt she was going to shoot you, you had to stop her. It's just self defense... there was nothing you could have done."

"Like hell! I could have done something." He shot to his hooves and Range stepped back out of his way. "I could have, I don't know... talked her down. Something! I could have just not fucking shot her! Come on, Range, you're not stupid, right?"

"No. I'm not." She paused for a moment, simply fuming at him. "Why did you shoot her? What happened?"

"I don't fuckin' know!" Crimson resumed his pacing as Range settled back down on the couch to watch him and buffed her perfectly manicured hoof against her Stable suit. "I saw her and suddenly my vision went red and I just wanted to fucking murder her. So I shot her." He groaned, letting his head droop.

"I'm no egghead, Crimson, but is it, perhaps, possible that someone used a telepathic attack of some kind?"

"Who could have done it? And why?"

"Who else was there?"

"Well, the Overmare was there."

"She is a unicorn, after all..."

"What?" Crimson momentarily paused his pacing, tossing Range a look of pure contempt. "No, that's stupid. Don't be stupid, Range."

"Who else was there?"

"I don't know about anyone else..."

"Bingo. There's suspect number one." Range nodded. "Who do you know about that would want to kill you or Aimpoint?"

"Range, I don't know anyone who would want to kill either of us... this is crazy. Why would the Overmare want to kill either of us?"

"Ponies who disagree with the Overmare tend to end up dead real quick..." Crimson shook his head, and Range continued hotly. "What about Daisy? The Overmare's opponent in a very close election just 'happens' to run afoul of a malfunctioning door a month after the election? Doesn't that seem a bit... I don't know... sketchy?"

"Range, this is insane..." He resumed pacing back and forth with a wary look.

"Damn it, Crimson, just bear with me here, alright?" Range pointed a hoof at him. "Halfheart. Public disagreement with the Overmare. Crushed in a door the following week. Wires, Bobby Pin, Pop Tab. Same thing - disagreements or arguments, 'fatal accident' a month later."

Crimson paused, frowning at her. "So why would the Overmare want to kill me?"

"What if she wasn't trying to kill you, but... Aimpoint? She said something about the Overmare a few days ago. And she's been spearheading this whole "leave the Stable" business that the Overmare dislikes. Two birds, one stone, right?"

"You know..." He trailed off with a confused look. "When the impossible have been eliminated, whatever remains, however implausible, must be the truth." He took on a thinking expression and continued. "I didn't want to kill her, but I did. Fuzzy memory. Sudden rage. Something fucked with my head." A determined look crossed his face. "Shit. That's not fucking crazy." He dropped to the floor with a look of terror. "That is dangerously not fucking crazy at all."

"Don't get poetic on me, Red." Range glanced up at him with a look of mild annoyance.

"Ah, Range, my uncultured friend." Crimson's pained expression shifted into his smug smirk for a moment. "Do read a book some time."

"Uh huh." Range scowled at him.

"Ah. Uh... I'm sorry..." Crimson rose to his hooves as his smirk quickly faded. "You're a unicorn, you have an excuse to be snooping around the Arcane Science section of the Library. Do some research into telepathic attacks. I know subtle isn't exactly your thing, but try to keep it discreet. Please? I'd rather not have to put a round in your pretty face, too..."

Range let out another grunt, and with that unpleasant sound, the world swirled away again...

#

Captain Firefly

"Do you know what you just saw?" Range groaned as she leaned back, rubbing her horn. "Ugh, I'd forgotten what a pain in the flank horn locks were. And what a smug bastard your father was. That was the first and last time he'd apologized to me, though..."

I ran back through the memory of what I'd seen as I moved back to my seat. "You and my father... talking about... Overmare Lily. She... made Crimson kill his partner." I paused, running what I'd just said through my mind again. "Why?"

"Your father... he was close to Aimpoint. Kind of like you and Dash, really." She sighed, rubbing her temples. "No... more. He loved Aimpoint." She leaned back again. "That night changed him. He became... focused. He had a mission."

"Fucking hell..." I glanced to the bottle of cider, before taking a long drink of it.

Range nodded and sipped her drink, levitating out another pair of bottles of cider. "Why did Lily kill Aimpoint?" She sighed. "Aimpoint poked her muzzle in places Lily didn't like." Range sighed, leaning back. "That's what I've pieced together, at least. Fortunately, Lily failed to make sure Aimpoint's Pipbuck databanks were wiped. Aimpoint had been watching her for months and had recorded all of everything in detail on her Pipbuck. Nothing hard enough to arrest her, but enough to make anypony think, 'just maybe, something was up'..."

"Holy shit."

"Plus, Aimpoint was busy... what was that I said, 'spearheading that whole "leave the Stable" business that the Overmare disliked." Range nodded, smiling sweetly. "That's where Crimson got it from. It wasn't his idea. After Aimpoint died, he took her cause and ran with it."

"Why didn't you arrest her?"

Range leaned back with a look of mild curiosity. "What would doing that achieve, Fi?"

"Justice?"

A look of contempt similar to my father's expression crossed her face. "Justice? Nothing the Stable justice system could or would have been able to do would have been justice. I did say that there wasn't anything hard enough to prove anything." Her cruel smirk returned and she leaned over her desk again. "Allow me to show you."

I leaned forward to cross our horns apprehensively, and the world swirled away again...

#

Colonel Hot Range

Range moved through the Stable with silent, almost grim, determination. She passed two security ponies and nodded to them. They nodded back to her, and she trotted through the door into the Overmare's office.

This was and yet was not Book Keeper's office. All of the furniture was in the same place, but it felt clean, almost to the point of sterile, a sharp contrast to Book Keeper's office that felt organized, welcoming and lived in. "Ah, Overmare Lily. I was hoping to catch you before you left."

A pale orange unicorn sat at the Overmare's desk, and she flashed Range a brilliant smile that immediately set me on edge. "Ah, Colonel, I'm no longer the Overmare. Please, call me Sunset." Her elegantly styled mane was a light red, with tasteful pink streaks through it.

"Of course, Sunset." I felt Range's face twist into an equally false attempt at a smile. "Come, let's discuss your future. I have been thinking of retiring, and Security is in need of a mare with just your skills..."

"Really now?" She almost purred. "Give me but a moment." She neatly set the papers she'd been working on aside, turned to lock down her terminal before rising to her hooves and following Range out.

The two guards fell in with Range and Lily as Range lead the way through the Stable to the Atrium. As we reached the stairs to the second level of the Atrium, the guards took positions at the bottom of the stairs.

Range lead Lily over to the edge of the balcony, across from Security, overlooking the first level wrapping her hoof around her neck intimately.

The first level was unusually sparse...

"I just wanted you to know, 'Sunset', that I have the fullest backing of Security for this." Quiet rage filled Range's voice and I felt her face twist into a cruel smile.

"What?" Lily looked to Range, confusion crossing her face before turning to outrage. "I am the Overmare. How dare you!"

"Were!" Range's mouth twisted into a snarl, and she leaned in, muzzle-to-muzzle with Lily. "You were the Overmare. Now you're just a worn-out has-been with a lot of powerful friends. You are an insult to the office of Overmare, and you don't deserve that title."

"I knew you were conspiring-" Lily fell silent, though her mouth continued to move.

Ah... Silencing spell.

"Shut up." Lily continued silently talking, looking around uncomfortably as Range leaned back. "You are guilty of abuse of office, misappropriation, murder by proxy, election tampering, assault, intimidation, conspiracy and racketeering. During your term, you ordered the deaths of over two dozen of your citizens, the ponies I was tasked with protecting. I know that you would allow the Stable to tear itself apart if I were to publicly charge you for your crimes, if it just meant you were on top of it as it came crashing down. I am doing my job of protecting the Stable from you."

Range paused, and Lily continued mouthing frantically. "My only regret is that I can only do this once..." She leaned in. "... you fucking cunt."

Range pushed her over the railing.

Range leaned over, watching her fall, limbs flailing. After a moment, she was engulfed in Range's pale blue magic.

Had Range changed her mind?

Lily rotated face down and fell faster, and landed with a sickening crunch, her neck twisted at an unnatural angle.

Oh.

Range sighed, watching her for a moment as she laid there, smirking. She then turned and trotted off, nodding to the two Security guards, who were waiting at the bottom of the stairs we'd just gone up. "Five minutes."

They nodded back grimly and Range prowled away from the scene of the murder as the world swirled away again...

#

Captain Firefly

Range sighed, sipping her drink. "She didn't personally kill anypony, but she arranged for the deaths of almost two dozen ponies who she professionally disagreed with or personally disliked." She paused, eyes closed, a look of pain crossing her face. "Including Aimpoint, who was a dear friend to all of us." She looked back up to me and opened her eyes again. "I didn't have enough solid evidence - she covered her tracks too well. I couldn't arrest her. I couldn't have her exiled. If she had been allowed, she would have let the Stable tear itself apart, for her. I couldn't let her do that."

"So I killed her." She looked back up at me seriously. "Now do you understand why, Firefly?"

"I... um... fuck me sideways." I blinked. "I guess, but... Holy shit, you killed the Overmare?" She nodded primly, opening herself another bottle.

"So..." I considered. "All of Security was in on it? That... must have been a opsec nightmare."

"Good mare." An approving, sly grin crossed Range's muzzle. "No. I knew. The two guards you saw knew. Three others around the Atrium knew. That's it. I told her that to piss her off." She stretched, shaking her bottle a little.

"You seem a bit pleased about it?"

Range considered and shrugged. "Yeah, I guess I am. I did something that made the Stable a better place, but if this got out..." She sighed sadly. "None of the civvies would understand."

"None of the civies would understand..." I nodded soberly. "This is conspiracy, sedition..." I shrugged. "So, what about Book Keeper?"

Range frowned. "Don't forget insurrection and attempting to incite rebellion. Premeditated murder..." She smiled. "I like Book Keeper. Really, I do - she's a fair and intelligent mare, who is everything Lily liked to pretend she was. I haven't seen any evidence of her becoming a threat like Lily did, but I've been keeping my eye on her, all the same..."

"You swore an oath to the Overmare, Range..."

"No, I swore an oath to the Stable. There's a difference."

I closed my eyes, considering that, and nodded, continuing. "Why aren't you backing the Council's attempts to close the door, then?"

"You explained it yourself to the Council. Closing the Door isn't the best solution for the Stable's long-term survival. If I didn't think that was true, we wouldn't be here."

I smirked. "And you like some of the finer things the surface offers?"

"Everypony has their vices after all." She returned the smirk. "Anything else?"

"I think I've heard quite enough about the Stable's skeletons in the closet for at least a week." I rose, yawning, and stretched. "I need to go sleep for at least two shifts."

"Try not to sleep too long, we've got things to do. Speaking of!" She waved a hoof, and I groaned, coming back. "What's our next move? You got a plan?"

"Always." I smirked. "Short version, put a team together, link up with the Crimson Raiders, find Overmare Keeper and get her back. Crimson, too, if he's there."

"That's a rather sparse plan."

"You didn't ask if I had an amazing, groundbreaking, 'plan-that-redefines-plans-for-all-eternity' plan." Range nodded in mild agreement, and I continued. "We don't know where the Overmare is, so we can't go in guns blazing yet."

"This assumes the Overmare is still alive." Range grumbled, downing more of her cider.

"Stop it, Range!" Range jumped and inhaled half of her drink, scowling at me as I slammed my hooves on her desk.

It felt almost satisfying to see her do that, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have.

"We're all operating on the assumption that this isn't some fool's errand, that Overmare Keeper is still alive, and Stable Scout isn't completely fucked. Let's be positive here, boss."

"Yeah..." Range wiped cider off her muzzle as she nodded soberly. "We should probably talk contingencies. Just... just in case."

"You're right... who's the favorite for Overmare?"

"Hex, I think."

"Celestia..."

"Yeah. Other than her?"

Range shrugged. "Copper Filament, maybe?"

"It's almost depressing to think that Hex is the most appealing option." I glanced to Range slyly. "You know... you could run for Overmare."

She groaned, holding a hoof up. "No."

"You'd be better than Hex or Filament."

"Better for who?" She shrugged. "Yeah, alright. It's not off the table."

I sighed, settling back down in my seat. "This could be the end of Stable Scout... dead before it even really started..."

"I just realized..." She tossed me a sly smirk. "The 'demote and transfer' clause wasn't part of the latest agreement over the vote. If this fails, you might not forced to retire. We can sort through the intelligence we have and try this again in the future. This can still work, Firefly."

"If they seal the Door, it wouldn't really matter if she demotes me or not, we'll still be stuck down here with our hooves up our asses. I'd rather be demoted and leave someone else in charge of Operation Baltimare, than remain CFO of 'doing fuck all'."

Range leaned back, waving a hoof in the air. "There is that."

"Right..." I rose to my hooves. "We'll talk in the evening. I need a good shift's sleep."

"Let's make it 2100." Range waved a hoof in my direction as she downed her cider.

#

1400

Councilor Hex was standing in the Atrium, by the wall of dead. I smiled to her politely as I passed her.

"Behold, Captain." She waved a hoof at the wall. Flowers, mementos and a notebook for writing notes to the dead sat against the wall, below the list of names.

"I'm sorry?" I stopped, turning to look at her. "I lost friends in this attack, just like everypony else." I could feel the muscles in my shoulders tense as my good mood from getting my mane trimmed fled in her presence. "This hurt me just as much as it hurt everypony else."

"Good. This is your fault." She waved a hoof at the list. "They're dead because of you. You and your Celestia-damned father, and your insane fixation on the Outside."

"Crimson made the decision to abandon the Stable for the Outside." I consciously relaxed my shoulders, closing my eyes. "I am nothing like him."

"Really? Look around!" She waved a hoof around at the damage and gore decorating the walls. "This is not a safe Stable. This is a Stable tainted by the Outside. And you've brought it to our home, looking for your father."

"I have explained my reasons why we must do this, again and again..."

"You're taking our family, our children, our siblings out of the Stable, and killing them! Just like your father did."

...

"Councilor... Did you lose someone to Crimson's excursion?"

Councilor Hex stared at me, taken aback for a moment, before nodding curtly, a pained scowl crossing her face. "Stainless Hex. My brother." Her pained expression shifted to one of contempt. "Not that you'd care. Or understand."

I frowned. "Crimson took my mother from me."

"Your mother?" Councilor Hex snorted. "You've been living her with your whole life. Or had that little detail escaped you?"

"I never knew Sapphire. The mare I grew up with was a neglectful alcoholic - nothing like the mare everyone tells me she was before Crimson left." She frowned, shock crossing her face for a moment. "Did you know her?"

"We were friendly." Her expression shifted from wariness to sadness. “I’m… sorry about what happened to her.”

I could tell she was hiding something from me...

I took a step towards her, drawing one of my pistols with my magic and flicking the safety off.

Muzzle to forehead until she tells me what she's hiding.

...

I froze, pistol drawn, suspended above its holster.

"Captain?" Hex looked at me in concern.

I wanted to fight her, to beat her until she told me what she was hiding.

It could be a threat to the Stable's security.

...

Councilor Hex is not a threat to the Stable's security.

Councilor Hex's brows furrowed in confusion and concern. "Are you okay?"

I shook my head sharply to clear my mind.

I very deliberately safed my pistol and returned it to its holster, slipping the strap over the grip.

"I know you're leaving something out, but to be quite fucking honest, I'm too tired to care right now. If you'll excuse me, I was long overdue for some sleep before the attack began. Good afternoon, Councilor." I turned and trotted off, deeper into the Stable.

#

1420

I strolled into my quarters, glancing around. It looked like it'd been ransacked.

The disassembled shelf caught my eye.

Ah.

Right. I'd done it.

I set the seat upright and settled down in it, sipping my cider with a groan.

I ran my tongue along my teeth, and realized that the burn on the tip of my tongue still hadn't healed.

Huh... that's unusual.

I unplugged my ear blooms, and the radio came out of my Pipbuck's speaker.

"Well, they say no news is good news, right?" Lunar Note paused for a moment, chuckling, before beginning again in a sober tone. "Unfortunately, I have news, and... none of it's good. Several settlements, including the Crimson Raiders' base, have been attacked. Reports coming in have identified the attackers as various members of street gangs. There's something going on... something big. Things are going on all across Equestria, and this apparently includes Baltimare, too. As always, ponies, but even more so today! - keep on your hooves and watch your fire! Coming up next, 'Your Biggest Mistake'..." Lunar trailed off speculatively as soft, sad music began. "Here's a thought. The wasteland could use some more openness and honesty, right? Tell your closest friend your biggest regret. Just... use your discretion." Lunar paused again, taking a deep breath. "If you killed your partner's ex in a fit of jealous rage, don't... don't tell her that... Right? Right. I'm off. Enjoy!"

As Lunar spoke, I levitated out my necklace and the ministry token I'd picked up from the attacker.

The Wonderbolts. The Steel Rangers and the Ministry of Wartime Technology. Ministry of Arcane Sciences. Ministry of Awesome. Finally... the Ministry of Image.

I need... the Ministry of Morale and the Ministry of Peace.

One more in my collection... but I'd rather have the lives of my ponies than this token.

I brushed them off, wiping the blood and sweat off on a clean corner of my Stable barding.

The door to my quarters hissed open, and I looked over to see Dashie there.

"Firefly!" His worried frown turned into a look of relieved happiness, and he rushed to me. "You're okay!"

"I'm... alive." I leaned over to hug him, stringing the tokens back on the necklace and clipping it around my neck. "Councilor Hex accused Range of killing the former Overmare."

"What?" Dashie frowned, confused. "Where the hell did that come from?"

Probably because she actually did.

I shrugged, arranging my face in a carefully confused expression. "I don't know, it's Hex."

"Do you think she did it?"

...

"Why the fuck would you think that?"

Dashie shrugged. "We live in some weird times..."

I nodded. "It's a good thing she did, though... she'd almost convinced the Council to seal the Door."

He shook his head, repeating himself. "We live in some weird fucking times..." He glanced to me. "Celestia! What happened to your mane?"

I glanced over my shoulder, shaking my head, and sighed. "One of the attackers got it. I just had it trimmed."

"It kind of reminds me of Range's."

"Ugh, don't remind me." I groaned, covering my head with my hooves.

"It suits a mare of your... status."

"Oh, Celestia, don't remind me! I know, I'm old."

"You're not old, you're well aged." Dashie snickered. "Like a bottle of fine cider."

I groaned. "Thanks..."

He leaned over to press his hoof on my shoulder. "C'mon Firefly, smile."

"Celestia damn it, Dash, stop trying to cheer me up! Let me be mopey for once!"

He nodded, leaning over to wrap his hooves around me. "Does it... make you happy?"

"No, but it makes me feel better. Eventually. So it's productive."

Dashie nodded, rising to his hooves, head tilted as he looked around. "So... what happened here?"

I glanced around.

Oh, yeah.

I'd trashed my quarters the last time I'd been here. "Maybe the attackers were looking for something?"

Dashie looked skeptical at my answer.

I couldn't blame him.

I shrugged and glanced to the item he'd brought with him - a half-full bottle of Captain Lyra's Spiced Rum.

...

The exact same brand of rum Range preferred.

I looked to him suspiciously. "Where did you get this?"

He returned one of his sly smirks. "Ask me no questions, my dear mare, and I'll tell you no lies."

"You didn't steal it, did you...?" The label was peeling in the same places...

He smirked, swiping the bottle from me, uncapping it and taking a swig. "I didn't say that - you did."

"You stole this from Range's desk?"

"Security regulation number 74-Bravo - it can't be used against you if you don't say it."

"You just made that up!"

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes!"

He snickered and tossed me onto the couch. "Let's be honest - both of us are hiding something here."

I frowned. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He tossed me one of his annoyingly smug smirks. "I find it very unlikely the attackers managed to ransack your quarters, before the Council meeting... while you were in them."

It was one of those smirks he only gives when he's right, and he knows he's right, and he knows I know he's right.

"The wasteland could use some more openness and honesty." He looked confused, opening his mouth, but I cut him off. "Lunar Note said to tell your best friend something you regret." I sighed, closing my eyes, and looked to him, gesturing towards the shelf. "I did it. I was angry about Crescent's death. I... don't know what to do. I left the Stable to save the wasteland, and... all I've done is get ponies killed. The ponies I was charged with protecting, are dead. Because of me."

"Wait, wait..." Dash snickered. "You left the Stable to... 'save the wasteland'? From what? Bad mane cuts?"

"Oh, fuck off!" I pushed him away, stealing the bottle and taking a drink myself. "I tell you my deepest fears, and all you have to do is laugh at it?"

"I... I'm sorry. I wasn't laughing at that." He frowned. "I don't know what to do, either. You're not a quitter, though..."

I glanced to him, eyebrow raised. "Um. No?"

"Sorry, you're just speaking like one." He smirked. "What was Captain Armet's other favorite quote? 'Remember the objective, and all else will fall into place'? Remember what it is that we're doing, and you'll find a way to do anything. Save the wasteland? I fear for any fuckin' Outsiders dumb enough to get in your way." He threw me a confident smirk as he leaned in.

I blinked, nodding slowly. "Yeah... Thank you." I leaned over to hug him.

"Um... speaking of openness and honesty..." I looked up to him, recognizing that tone.

No...

"I think I'm in love with you."

I pushed him away, rising to my hooves. "No, Dashie! We can't... we can't do this. Not... now."

"Celestia damn it, Firefly!" He rose to his hooves, taking the bottle from me as he paced back and forth. "You're right! I can't do this! I almost lost you today! Yesterday! Whenever it was! How many times have you almost died in the past two weeks, or almost gotten us killed?" He spun, bucking a shelf into the wall. "Why can't we be together? Is it just Security? What do you want? Me to leave Security? Because if that's what you need, I'll fucking do it in a heartbeat!"

"I'm sorry..." I curled up on the couch. "I didn't realize..."

"No! Of course not, Firefly! You're always looking at the horizon, ignoring what's right in front of you. Just like the stadium! Do you know what seeing you blow up did to me? I thought you... you'd died!"

I whimpered, glancing to the crumpled shelf he'd bucked into the wall. "How long...?"

"It's... been a while." He stopped pacing, turning to face me. "I realized it when we met your father. Do you remember the first thing he said to me?"

I shook my head, glancing to the floor. "I... don't remember a lot of the finer details that day..."

"'So, Dash, was it? You plannin' to marry my daughter?'" I glanced away from him, back to the shelf as he continued evenly. "You said, 'I don't think that's going to happen', and he responded with, 'What a shame. You keep her safe, anyways, Dash, or you'll regret it'..."

...

I looked up to him in awe. "You can remember all of that? Word-for-word? Every word?"

He nodded, smirking at me. "Only the conversations that change my life."

I blinked, glancing away quickly. "Oh..." I felt my cheeks heating up, and I levitated the bottle over. "We can't."

"That's not a 'no', though..." Dashie curled up on the couch next to me intimately, and I shifted. "Is it, 'we can't', or 'I don't want to'?"

"Range would shit a brick and you know that."

"She can't lose her shit over something she doesn't know about."

I shifted, looking to him seriously, mirroring his smug, obnoxious tone from earlier. "Let's be honest - both of us are pretty shitty liars."

He smirked back to me. "You're not answering the question, though."

"I... I don't know, Dashie." I glanced back towards the shelf. "I need to think. But I... I want you in my life. Please don't leave me..."

"Mare, I think might just be the first straight thing you've told me all day." He grinned brightly and buried his face in my neck.

I nodded and shifted, leaning against him, and took another sip of the bottle, before setting it aside as I sat up, looking at him seriously. "You, sir, are a complete asshole."

He sat up and looked over at me in bewildered shock - ha ha! - and opened his mouth to ask why. I leaned in to shut him up with a rough kiss.

A minute passed - or five, maybe - until I broke the kiss. He smiled at me brightly. "Oh, okay then..."

No smartass comment, nothing, just a happy, pleased glow.

I smirked back at him. "You're kind of okay when you're not being a smartass."

He smirked and opened his mouth. "Only 'okay'?"

I bit him on the neck and he yelped loudly. "Off." I pushed him off me. "Into the bedroom. I've done the couch-sex thing before and it is not fun in the morning."

#

"RISE AND SHINE, MARE. Oh fucking Celestia, there's two of you. On your hooves, you two." I was awakened from pleasant slumber by Range's loud yell.

I groaned as an offensively bright light forced its way through my eyelids, and I rolled over, curling up in the sheets and burying my face in the pillow and Dashie's hoof. "What is that thing? It's offensive, make it go away." I waved one of my hooves in its direction.

"Ergh. So this is what sex smells like." Ranged sighed sadly. "If it wasn't for the shitstorm it would cause now, I'd discharge both of you."

I uncurled, looking to her in shock as she continued. "Oh. So that's where that went. That explains a lot..." Range levitated the bottle off the bedside table, scowling at Dashie. "Dash, if you ever steal so much as a paperclip from my desk again, your mother will find your body in the air vents in little pieces." She turned and trotted out stiffly.

"She's kidding, right?" Dashie looked to me in genuine worry.

"Um..." I wasn't completely sure. "Yes. I'm sure she is."

"That's not very comforting, Firefly..."

"I didn't say that - she did." I crawled to the edge of my bed.

Dashie glared at me with a hurt look.

"You drank all of it?" I groaned again as Range let out a shriek of rage and ducked back into my room. "Do you have any idea how expensive that bottle was?" She scowled at Dashie, throwing the bottle at him. "Little. Pieces, Lieutenant."

Dashie yelped, and one of his hooves pushed me off the bed. "In my defense, I think Firefly drank most of it." I flailed my hooves in Dashie's direction as I fell, and was rewarded by another yelp from him.

"Planning session. Briefing room. 2100." Range scowled at him, hit me with the bottle too, and left.

I pushed myself to my hooves and dug a healing potion out of the bedside table, taking a long drink.

Dashie pushed himself to his hooves, looking to me. "Firefly, I think you're addicted to those."

"I'm not addicted, I can quit..."

...

"...any time I want."

He gave me a significant look.

"Shit."

He nodded tightly, and I groaned, glancing at my Pipbuck to check the time.

2044

"Oh, shit!"

#

2107

Dashie and I were late to the meeting. Fortunately, the meeting only consisted of myself, Dashie, Cyclone and Range.

"Have a nice shower, you two?" Range glared daggers at us as we came in together, and Cyclone looked to her curiously, which she ignored.

The briefing room was... well, the cleaning crew hadn't made it there yet. There were bandages and strips of Stable suit scattered in the corners, and on the way in, I stepped in a pool of blood.

"We brought food." I settled the box of apple fritters and pot of tea on the table, levitating a pair of seats over. "Let's get to work." I looked to Cyclone. "What do we have, Sergeant?"

"Two missing leaders, no clue where they are, and a tentative alliance with both the Steel Rangers and the Crimson Raiders." He nibbled on one of the pastries.

"That's a short list, Cyclone."

"I assumed you wanted the short version." I poured myself some tea as he elaborated. "King Crimson and Overmare Keeper have been taken, and other major settlements in Baltimare proper have been attacked, though we have no confirmation of their missing leaders, yet. Considering the timing, it's probably not just a coincidence. So, it stands to reason they were probably taken by the same group. General Azure suggested an alliance, which we've all agreed is a good idea."

"Since you're the Stable's resident surface expert, who could have had the ability and desire to do this?"

"Given the evidence we have - bodies and all - it's probably the Star Touched." He frowned and slid a M1500 across the table to me. "No given name, nothing really known about their motives. They've been a recurring problem in Baltimare since the War ended - every couple of decades, they come out of wherever they're hiding, stir up some trouble for a few months, and then disappear again."

"So, they're spooky boogiemares who steal your foals if you don't give them enough candy?" Cyclone chuckled grimly as Dash spoke. "That's a lot of words for not a lot of information, Cyc."

"That's all I have confirmed. Everything else is completely speculation." He paused, digging out another pastry before speaking. "Their raids seem to be hit and run supply gathering, and they tend to target Equestrian settlements over zebra settlements, leaving few survivors. There have been reports of 'shadowy, old striped ghouls with stealth cloaks' stalking zebra settlements, trying to 'tempt the young into joining them with promises of glory', or coming in the night to kidnap foals. It stands to reason that they'd convince a couple of street gangs to attack somewhere as a distraction for their main operation, though there hasn't been any confirmed cases of this happening. I suspect they're part of the zebras that bombed Baltimare on the Last Day."

"What makes you say that?" I dug a pastry out.

Cyclone glanced around with a shrug. "The timeline seems to match up - their attacks started a few short years after the war ended, they seem to have an agenda against Equestrians specifically, and they have some very impressive wartime-era hardware - stealth cloaks generally aren't commonplace equipment."

I wiped the blood off my hoof on a strip of shredded Stable suit. "Seems like a pleasant bunch."

Cyclone nodded grimly. "Yes, except not at all..."

"Anything else?"

"The orchards were attacked last night. Some infiltrators remained, apparently. We think we've weeded them out."

"How bad?"

"About half of the trees were damaged. Fortunately, they didn't get the wheat fields, too."

"Blitz was right..."

"Yes."

"Celestia damn it."

Cyclone nodded slowly.

"Why wasn't I woken up for it?"

"There wasn't anything you could have done, and you needed sleep."

"It could have been a second attack."

Cyclone and Range shared a look, and Range shrugged. "It was my call."

"Finally, we've identified the zebra in the Stable barding who opened the Door."

I raised an eyebrow. "Traitors?"

"No. They were wearing a Pipbuck, but their family has stated that the body is not who they're supposed to be."

"Is it possible the family are infiltrators, too?"

Cyclone shook his head. "No."

"Hrm... that's not terrible. At least we don't have to worry about fighting our own, too." I glanced between the two. "So, I'm guessing we don't know where these 'Star Touched' hide?"

"No." He shook his head grimly. "But I think I might know a guy..."

"Good. We'll head out tomorrow."

Range nodded. "Good."

"Who is 'we'?" Dashie looked around.

"I don't have an answer to that yet. I need volunteers. Might need a draft of some kind."

The door hissed open and Mineral Sands trotted through, pausing in the doorway. "Am I interrupting something?"

"What do you want, Min?"

"I want to request a transfer to Stable Scout." She glanced aside, and I could see her suppressing saying, 'again'.

Wiseass.

"Why?"

"Well... they attacked us. We can't just let them do that."

"What would you do, Min?"

She frowned, thinking about that. "Find 'em, kill 'em. Make 'em pay for what they did to us."

I sighed. "Well, that answer would certainly disqualify you from internal security..."

She blinked, a look of shock crossing her face, before she narrowed her eyes in a look of determination. "Good - I'm not applying for internal security."

"Welcome aboard, Min."

"Wait, what?" She cocked her head, staring at me in confusion. "That's it?"

"Don't make me reconsider my decision."

"Yes, ma'am!" She saluted.

I smirked and rose to my hooves. "Min, we're putting together a mission for tomorrow. Do you know of anyone who might be crazy enough to volunteer?"

"Um... Doctor Mend might...? I don't know, I've been... busy."

"Right." I nodded. "Go find me some volunteers. That's your first task as an official Stable Scout. Go find volunteers for the next mission."

Min saluted again. "Yes, ma'am!" She turned, stepped in a pool of blood, squeaked, and hurried out of the room.

I glanced around. "I'm going to suggest we go to all of the allies we've made. Invite them to a shot to kill the fuck out of these Star Touched."

Everyone nodded grimly.

Range spoke. "Make 'em pay, Fi."

#

2122

I poked my head into Range's office, and she gave me a serious look. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry about-."

"Save it." She cut me off with a glare, before she continued. "I don't mind the two of you screwing - I think you could have better taste, but that's beside the point - but other ponies will get upset if it looks like we're selectively enforcing the laws. You know why that rule exists." She sighed, changing the topic slightly. "There have been rumors that the only reason Dash is your second in command is because he's screwing you."

"What?" I blinked at that. "That's ridiculous. Dash is my subordinate because he works well with me, not because we're screwing. We weren't even..."

I shut up at Range's glare. "Perception is more important than the truth, Firefly!"

...

Shit.

She's right.

I nodded. "It won't happen again."

"Please, Firefly." She frowned to me. "Make sure the public thinks you're not boning, too." I nodded again, and neither of us moved for a moment. "You may leave now."

"Permission to speak freely?" Range nodded tiredly. "You don't think I have good taste in Dash?"

"No." She narrowed her eyes. "I don't think he's your type."

I narrowed my eyes back at her. "Not my 'type'? What exactly is my 'type'?"

"Honestly? I kind of wish you were a mare-muncher. It'd save you all the trouble of stallions."

I blinked, wincing at unwanted mental images of me sleeping with mares. "I... don't see that happening."

"No, neither do I." She sighed uncomfortably. "And I kind of feel like an asshole for saying that, now."

"Somehow I doubt simply being gay would solve all of my relationship issues..."

She nodded uncomfortably. "I certainly haven't much luck..."

I smirked at her. "So... what is my type, then?"

"Male, very serious, kind of a stick in the mud. Probably not interested in anything more than missionary or cuddling in bed. Not-Dash."

"Oh?" I smirked. "And what do you think Dash's like in bed?"

"Probably into some weird, kinky shit."

"For your information, Dashie is kind of boring in bed. I like a stallion who gets a bit... creative... in the bedroom."

Range's cheeks took on a pink hue, and I grinned. "Okay, I think we've had enough of a heart-to-heart for now. Don't get caught boning Dash again. Dismissed!"

#

Five minutes after that little heart-to-heart with Range found me dozing off at a table in the Cafe, nursing a steaming tea.

The Cafe looked terrible - bullet holes and wood splinters decorated the ground and furniture. Most of the seats had been set up, with the majority of them pushed along the walls. Next to the table was a bloodstain I had an unfortunate suspicion I knew who it had belonged to...

Dashie approached me with a tired, frustrated expression. "You let my brother fight?"

I shook my head to wake myself and thought back, before tying names to faces.

Rivets.

I nodded sharply. "Yeah, I did!" I sat up, glancing to the blood stain again. "My first thought was to lock him in a closet, but I knew he'd end up in the fight, in the worst possible place, so I let him feel like he was helping while putting him in a position that would probably be safe."

"Well it wasn't safe, he got into the fighting!"

"He disobeyed orders to save the Council's gopher. I'm proud of his initiative, even if he disobeyed orders, and that was bad."

"But it's dangerous!"

I stood up, slamming my hoof on the table. "Of course it was dangerous, it was a fucking warzone!" I leaned across the table, prodding him in the chest. "You don't get to take the moral high ground, Lieutenant Sticky Hooves!" I glanced around as I realized how loudly I'd said that, and sat down, forcing myself to calm down as someone looked at us. I lowered my voice as I continued speaking. "He wants to be like you."

"What?" Dashie looked genuinely confused as he dropped into the seat facing me. "That's a stupid idea. Why would he do that?" A slightly bloodstained bandage sat across a cut on his muzzle.

"Because you're his big brother!"

He blinked. "Oh."

"Yeah. 'Oh'." I glanced to the blood stain again.

He nodded tightly. "Well. Shit." He trotted off, and I continued sipping my tea, looking to the blood stain with another sigh. Sapphire entered the Cafe, noticed me, and threw me an unsteady wave of a hoof, approached me, and sat down in the seat Dashie had just vacated.

"Hello, mother." I smelled cider as she sat down, leaning against the table tiredly. "I thought you said you were going to stop drinking?"

"I said I'd try." She grumbled, throwing me an annoyed look, her eyes taking a moment to focus. "And I didn't expect the Stable to get attacked..."

"Fair... No more after this?"

She groaned, laying her head on the table, one hoof over her eyes. "I can't promise anything. I'll try?"

"That's what you said last time, mother." She nodded tiredly. "I don't know if that's better or worse than promising to stop, and not stopping..."

"S' more genuine."

I propped my head up on one of my forehooves as I nodded tightly. "Here, try this..." I slid my tea over to her.

She looked to me curiously, sitting up slightly, brows furrowed. "What's this?"

"It's mint tea." She gave it a skeptical look. "It's plant leaves steeped in-"

"I... I know what tea is, hon..." She sat up, picking the mug up and sipping it.

Her face crossed several emotions, settling on joy. "This is... actually kind of good. Where did you find out about it?"

...

"He's right here." I grinned, gesturing towards the bloodstain on the floor beside us.

Sapphire glanced over, looked at the bloodstain in mild unease, before looking back to me. "What?"

"My ex, Aura Cinnamon. He introduced it to me." She gave me a blank look. "That's him."

After a moment, her blank look shifted to one of horror, ears folding back. "Oh..."

I nodded, pulling my tea back over and sipping it. "Yep..."

She glanced over to it again and swallowed. "I think I'm going to go get some rest... you should, too." She rose and hugged me. I hugged her back, and she beat a quick retreat.

Fantastic...

"I'm sorry, Aura... We never got to get together like I said we would..." I raised my tea to him, and glanced to the mug.

He paid for my food the last time...

I rose, heading down to the wall.

#

I dug a half dozen bits out of my barding, leaving them next to the notebook. After a long moment, I picked up the quill, flipping to a new page.

I closed my eyes, bowing my head.

Why couldn't you have just kept your head down...

I glanced over the list, noticing someone had added something to the bottom, in messy writing.

"Firefly's Mane"

...

Joker.

I left the wall, heading towards the stairs to the second level of the Atrium, only to encounter the pony I'd been expecting to run into sometime today.

Unfortunately.

"Yes, Doctor Warding, what can I do for you?"

He scowled at me, blocking the way up the stairs. "You let Mend practice medicine inside the Stable?"

"Yes, I did. Doctor Cerulean," something twitched in Warding's cheek at my calling Cerulean 'doctor,' "was the only doctor we had available during the attack in Security. He saved many lives."

"What of the many other Security ponies who have medical training?"

"None of them at Security had the level of expertise that Doctor Cerulean has, and all of them were more useful as fighters than healers." I paused. "Prior to last night, had anyone in your department ever treated a gunshot wound?"

"Well, no..." Doctor Warding frowned. "But you are aware of my-"

"Yes, Doctor, I am." I cut him off. "I wouldn't dare to tell you how to attempt to run your department, Doctor - so I won't suggest you're being unreasonable by continuing to punish Doctor Cerulean for a mistake he made before I was born, even a fatal one - but I respectfully demand you stop trying to tell me how to run mine. Doctor Cerulean is a member of Security now - my department - and when a situation calls for it, I will use all tools at my disposal necessary to defend the Stable. Doctor Cerulean was the most experienced medical pony I had, and I am proud of his conduct last night. Excuse me, I have things to tend to." I stepped past him, hurrying up the stairs to Security.

#

2200

"Nice of you to show up, Captain..." I looked up to see Councilor Inertia leaning against the wall.

"May I help you, Councilor?"

"Why yes, I think you can." He pushed away from the wall, throwing an aside glare at ponies guarding the cells, Skyfault and Rolling Block. "You can inform your ponies to let me in, and you can accompany me to interrogate the prisoners."

...

"I'm sorry...?" He said nothing, simply looking at me expectantly. "Why would I do that?"

"There's no Overmare to override me, after all. So..." He glanced to the guards with an expectant glare.

"Did you forget the meeting this morning? Security has been left in control for the meantime."

"Indeed. I was under the impression you agreed to let the Council in on your plans."

"I did. This has nothing at all to do with keeping you informed of our actions." I paused, glancing to him. "Why would you even want to help with this?"

...

Some part of me suspected it involved power fantasies and beating up tied up ponies.

"On second thought, don't answer that, Councilor. Please leave, before I have you escorted out."

He scowled, but left of his own accord.

Praise the sun.

I drew my pistol, unloading it, and offered it to Skyfault. "If Councilor Inertia comes around here again, you're not to let him into the holding area. If he has any problems with that, direct him to me."

"Captain Firefly's way of making friends and influencing ponies, hrm?" Skyfault took my pistol, tucking it away.

I shrugged. "He's annoying, but I don't think he's a serious threat."

"He doesn't have to be a serious threat, just an opportunistic asshole who shoots you in the back at the worst possible moment."

"Skyfault's way of making friends and influencing ponies, eh?"

He smirked. "Yes, ma'am."

I entered the interview room, settling down at the table in the interrogation room, across from the wastelander. He was an earth pony, dressed in some ragged barding. Some blood had dried down his muzzle, and his mane could use a brush and a trim. "You wanted to talk?"

He nodded. "I do." He paused, and I stayed quiet, letting them talk. "Your Councilor. She... was a good pony. I'm sorry she died."

"Remorse won't bring her or my friends back."

"Yeah..." He glanced to the table. "Hooves... We followed him because he kept us alive, nothing more. He got us the contract, and we couldn't pass it up." The wastelander shook his head. "No choice."

I frowned at him. "There's always a choice."

"That's pretty arrogant, coming from a Stable pony." He glared at me. "Tell that to your family when they're starving, and someone shows up and says they'll give you what you need to survive, in exchange for killing these complete strangers." He shook his head, leaning back. "Fuck off, Stable."

I nodded slowly. "I... can sympathize."

"So. Why are we still alive?" He paused. "Are you... giving us another chance, like... Security?" A hint of hope entered his voice.

"Bodies don't talk." The light in his eyes faded. "But I don't want to kill you. Give me something I can use, and I'll see that you get freed. In the meantime, you'll be fed and treated well. Who sent you?"

He shrugged. "I dunno, mare. Hooves handled the contact. We were just bodies." He frowned. "We got fuckin' played. They never meant to help us. We were just the distraction..." He glanced up to me, sad and mournful.

"If it means anything, I'm sorry it happened this way..." He shrugged again, and I continued. "They took our leader. Do you have anything that could help us find her?"

"They were stripes, I think. I saw one leaving, once. An old one, with a cybernetic leg. He disappeared into the sewers." He frowned. "At least, I think so. Sorry, lady..."

"Which leg?"

"Uh... left hind, I think..."

Sewers. Zebras. Cybernetics. Not much to go on.

"Would any of your ponies know more?"

He shrugged. "You're free to ask 'em. I'unno, honestly."

"Right, thanks."

He began again. "Look, lady, I'm sorry about how... this all turned out."

"So am I." I smiled slowly, ideas forming. "But I think I can find a way for you to make up for this."

"Uh... okay." He gave me a worried look.

"Keep your loyalties together, and I'll see you make it out of this shitshow with all of your pieces in place and your friends alive. I'll be in touch. Tell your ponies to get some rest."

#

2230

"Hey, Captain!" Exiting to the main Security station, Weld flagged me down from the Armory. "I thought you'd get a kick out of this." I followed him into the Armory. "I found them on one of the... intruders." His expression faltered as he levitated a pair of knives to me.

But they weren't just any knives.

They were elegantly crafted, with a rainbow finish, except for the cutting edge, which was unfinished. The handles were a pair of IF-21 magazines of good quality.

...

"But... why...?" I picked one up, studying the rainbow effect in the light. I flipped it over so the magazine-handle was up, and depressed the follower. It slid back up smoothly. A bit was molded into the steel for a mouth grip - it was probably too wide to drop free, as IF-21 magazines were supposed to.

"Anodized titanium oxide." Coil Spring, the assistant armorer, spoke up. I looked to her, and she continued. "Anodized. It's, um. It's the process used to get that effect on the blade. It looks like this was heat treated, and then had some kind of durability spell cast on it."

"Wow, you could tell that by looking at it? I'm impressed."

"Uh..." She glanced around, and nodded. "Yeah." I could tell she wasn't being entirely truthful, but I didn't care enough to prod her about it.

"I'm abusing my power as CFO to claim those knives." I glanced between the two. "Nobody takes 'em but me."

"Sure thing..." Weld nodded.

"I'm serious, I want 'em." I waved a hoof at him, and he grinned, throwing me a mock salute.

His salute didn't have that cheerful energy Weld always had, however... "How are you ponies holding up?"

He glanced to Springs, and she shrugged, amusement fading fast at the reminder as Weld spoke. "I don't know, Captain... I've been working since... it happened."

"Get some rest." He nodded distractedly, turning away, and I turned to keep in his view, giving him a stern look. "I mean it, Weld. That's an order."

He grumbled quietly. "Alright, I'll get some rest."

I frowned, trotting over to him, prodding him on the shoulder. "In your quarters, I mean." He gave me a blank look. "There have been rumors..."

His blank look changed to one of embarrassment. "That was one time, Captain!"

"I don't want to know about it, Weld." I smiled to him. "But get some rest. You make mistakes when you're tired, and mistakes when dealing with guns can be fatal. Please?"

"Okay, okay." He nodded, a little more seriously. "I'll get some rest."

"Good. When you've gotten some rest, look at the Ironpony." I glanced towards the weapon, hanging from the ceiling. "It had trouble cycling reliably. See if you can figure it out, would you?"

He saluted again. "I'll get right-"

"Weld." He shut up as I pointed a hoof at him. "After you've had some rest. I don't want a pony who hasn't slept in two days working on my weapon."

"Yes, ma'am..."

#

2345

I closed my eyes as Joker entered my office. "Captain? You wanted to see me?"

"Have a seat, Joker."

He nodded, settling down. "What's up?"

"Did you add anything to the list of casualties?"

He snickered. "Aww. How'd you know?"

"You just told me."

He frowned. "Crap."

I leaned forward, smirking a little. "How long did you practice for it?"

He grinned. "Oh, I dunno... twenty minutes, maybe? I mean, it was true..."

"It's not-" I thought about it for a moment, glancing over my shoulder.

Damn it.

"That's not the point! It was disrespectful."

He sighed, grumbling. "Another write up, Captain?"

...

I bridged my hooves on my desk, leaning forward. "No."

"Ma'am?" He looked at me in confusion.

"Joker, you vandalized the list of ponies who were killed during the attack. There's talk about the attack, and concerns that 'Security can't do their job.' What do you think ponies are going to think when they see that someone vandalized the list of casualties?"

He deflated, frowning, light of understanding visible in eyes. "Mom would have appreciated it..."

I thought back, realizing that Joker's mother had been the head of the Morale department - it was their job to make ponies laugh... and, true to his nickname, that's what Joker did in Security.

"Damn it..." I sighed. "Joker. I, personally, thought it was pretty funny." I paused. "It... it's true. But that's not the important thing right now - it makes Security look weak. We can't keep the Stable safe from attackers, we can't keep things from being vandalized... What can we do?"

"I'm sorry..." Tears dripped onto his suit.

...

Hmm...

"It's a PR stunt."

"Ma'am?"

"As punishment, I'm assigning you to Morale. During the upcoming operation, you will remain home in case of any further attacks, and to keep ponies spirits up."

He nodded, a little confused.

"In the future, Joker, kindly limit your pranks to small groups of ponies or individuals."

#

Tuesday
0030

"I trust everyone here has read my proposal?" I glanced around to the Council. They all gave various signs of concurrence.

I gave each of the Council a long look. Seven seats, six ponies filling them, with the one in the middle - Diamond Rose's - empty.

To the right, Emerald Hex, the earth pony representative. She had a carefully neutral composed expression, and she quickly looked away as our eyes met. I had left a note on her Pipbuck, informing her that I would attempt to track down her brother's fate.

To Hex's right, Copper Filament, the Maintenance representative. She gave me a polite smile as she met my eyes.

To Filament's right sat Nominal Inertia, the pegasus representative. He scowled at me, refusing to meet my eyes, and looked to the M1500 in his hooves.

To the left of the empty seat, sat Sparking Sheets. She smiled to me in an encouraging manner.

To Sheets' left sat Skectari. He was the zebras' representative, and supposedly unpopular among his constituents. I didn't know him well, other than that he tended to keep his mouth shut in these Outside discussions, at least when Security was present.

To Skectari's left sat Letter Element. She gave me a severe, impassive look. She generally supported Hex and Filament in sealing the Door, and had been close to Sunshine Rays, who was - had been - Joker's mother. She was the representative for the Morale department.

"I have a couple of additions to make. Investigation of the attack has turned several things up. We believe there's a ninety-five percent chance that what happened is that the attackers slipped someone in to the Stable during the last market day. The infiltrator who opened the Door has been identified by their Pipbuck, and their family has stated that the body found is not Orovus."

"How did it happen?"

I considered. "I... don't know. I would guess the most likely solution is that they killed Orovus while he was outside in the Marketplace, assumed their Pipbuck and clothing and slipped past my ponies at the Door when the day ended. The only way to know for sure would be to ask them, and that would be... difficult at this point."

"I see..." Councilor Filament nodded. "And what are you going to do to prevent this from happening again?"

"We'll log everyone who enters and exits with both names and a headcount, issuing Pipbucks - day passes - to everyone who enters. If anyone attempts to stay inside after the Door closes, we'll be able to track them down via their pass. Additionally, if the head count is off, we'll call everyone back. As for this specific occurrence - zebras sneaking in - I will make sure that there are always zebras on Door duty." I paused. "Finally... the Crimson Raiders and the Scouts will track these ponies down, and make sure they'll never threaten us or anyone else ever again. This is not a faction that anypony wants to see around any longer."

Councilor Element spoke. "Why didn't we learn from the last time, Captain?"

"It was a different situation, then, and a different time."

"We were still attacked. Ponies still died. How is that different?"

"Different insertion method. Different objective, different sort of attack."

Councilor Sheets spoke up, glancing over to Councilor Element. "I don't think that pointing hooves and placing blame is helpful right now, Element. We've already agreed to authorize this mission."

"Thank you, Councilor. Does anyone have any questions about the mission?"

The Council looked around, and Councilor Filament spoke. "Your plan is to... what, precisely? Convince all of the major groups in Baltimare to back you, based on...?" She trailed off.

"Correct, that is the basic plan. Assuming the Star Touched are as big of a threat as Cyclone says they are - and given that he's been around for all two hundred years of their reign, I don't think that's a bold assumption - I think everyone would be thrilled to have a chance to kill them."

"What are you expecting from them? An army?"

I shook my head. "Probably not. Many of the prisoners we took agreed to join us."

The Council looked shocked, or confused at that. Councilor Skectari looked shocked, and Councilor Inertia furious.

"Keeping them prisoners requires feeding them, and after the attack on the orchards, food isn't something we have an excess of. It also diverts Security ponies from more useful tasks to guard them, making sure they don't escape, so on and so forth. Considering that I don't believe anyone here thinks the solution is to line them up against a wall and shoot them..." I trailed off, glancing around the Council.

All of them looked disgusted... except for Councilor Inertia.

Of course. He looked tempted.

Councilor Sheets spoke up. "No..."

Councilor Filament frowned. "That you even considered that is disturbing, Captain."

"Precisely. That is my job, ma'am." I glanced around to the Council, drank some water, and then continued. "This solves all of our problems. It gives us more troops, ponies who can be... more expendable. It gets them out of the Stable's holding cells. It lets us release them, provided they don't turn on us, and they'll be more inclined to like the Stable, the settlement that showed them mercy when they expected nothing but death."

Councilor Filament nodded. "That is... um." She frowned. "Yes. Go on." She shared a wary look with Councilor Inertia.

"As we've discussed, the Crimson Raiders offered to work with us to rescue both of our leaders. Beyond that, the Steel Rangers have offered some support of their own. Beyond that, no, I don't expect an army from Baltimare... but there's a lot more that can be provided for assistance than ponies with guns, ma'am..."

"Very well, Captain." Councilor Filament looked to Councilor Hex. "Emerald? Do you have anything to say?"

Councilor Hex shook her head lightly, as if she'd not been paying attention, before shaking her head more confidently and clearing her throat. "I have nothing to add, other than that I have the fullest confidence in Captain Firefly's skills, and I wish her good luck."

"Thank you, Councilor." I nodded to her. "I'd also like to suggest a draft, calling up the former Security ponies to round out Security's numbers at the very least."

The Council glanced around, sharing looks, and Councilor Filament spoke. "That sounds like a fine idea."

Range glanced around. "I think that wraps about everything..."

Councilor Hex nodded, and Councilor Filament spoke. "Yes..."

#

0104

I exited my office, pausing in the doorway to groan and stretch, when Cast Collage approached me with a worried look.

"What's up, Cast?" I looked to him closely.

"Can we talk?"

I gestured into my office. "Sure. What's up?" I settled down behind my desk, and he settled down facing me.

"I have a problem..."

"Yes?"

Spit it out, Collage...

"There's this mare I know, and... she's my friend. How do I make it more...?"

Collage trailed off, expecting me to get his point without actually saying what he wanted.

...

I levitated a M1500 off my desk, one that had the Security logo painted on the back. "Collage, do you know what this is?"

He looked to me, confused. "It's a Pipbuck...?"

"Yes. It's a Pipbuck containing my to-do list, all of the things I have to deal with. Do you know where your problems rank on this?" He opened his mouth to answer, and I cut him off. "They're not on the list. Your dick problems aren't my problems, Collage. I'm your boss, not your wingmare, and I have enough problems with ponies banging their coworkers."

"I didn't mention names, how did you..." Collage frowned, leaning forwards.

"You like Ivory. You're not very discrete about it. She's a clever mare, I'm sure she's figured it out."

He frowned, speaking slowly. "...what do you mean, 'enough problems with ponies banging their coworkers'...?" His frown turned to a sly smirk.

"That's really none of your business." I glanced to my desk, brushing some dust off the corner with my magic, then back up to Collage. "If you have a serious problem, someone giving you trouble, concerns if you want a transfer, something you're worried about, I'm always here to listen. But if you're just looking for someone to help you bang your coworker, go talk to someone else."

"So, who else is banging their coworkers, Captain?" Collage smirked mischievously.

I frowned, feeling my cheeks flush at his question, and shifted, glad my coat hid that. "That is between the two of them and nopony else."

Collage smirked. "Oh, okay..." He leaned back in his chair on two legs slowly, crossing his hind hooves on my desk.

"Do you have a question I can actually answer?"

"Would those two be you and Dash?" His hooves knocked one of my Pipbucks onto the floor.

"No." I picked up the Pipbuck. "Go to sleep. We've got a busy week ahead of us." I rose to my hooves, groaning.

"Ah. I see..." His smirk reminded me of Dashie's - obnoxiously smug, except with none of the gentle teasing Dashie always had.

"Please leave. I'd like to get some sleep and you're stopping me from doing that."

"Oh, alright..." He groaned, slowly pulling his hooves off my desk, knocking over a cup of quills in the process.

...

Damn it...

I picked up the quills and looked at him for a moment. He smirked at me, chair still leaning backwards.

I swung one of my hooves, kicking the chair out from under him. He squealed as he fell backwards to the floor, and I towered over him. "Get the fuck out of my office, Collage."

#

Leaving Security, I encountered Councilor Hex. I smiled to her politely as I walked past her, and she stopped.

"Captain, wait." I glanced back to her. "I would like to... apologize for my behavior in the past week. I've been somewhat unreasonable to you."

'Somewhat unreasonable.'

That was true, but I couldn't think of a diplomatic way to say so, so I simply nodded.

"This 'leaving the Stable' business has brought up some... unpleasant memories." She sighed, pausing for a moment nervously, taking a step closer. "Could I ask a... favor from you? To look into Lily Sunset's death? Please?"

I frowned, thinking about that.

I could tell her the truth - Range did murder her.

But that would... that might just destroy Security as I know it. Range would probably be exiled. The Scouts would be shut down.

But did Range do the right thing...?

She did murder the elected Overmare...

...

But... everything I've fought for up to now would be destroyed.

I can't.

"I have a lot on my plate presently, Councilor. Too much to even consider reopening an open-and-shut natural causes case. I'm sorry, but I can't."

"Thank you, anyways, Captain..."

#

Time unknown
Location unknown

The crimson pegasus groaned as he came to, looking around.

He found himself in a small room - a containment cell - hanging by his hooves from the ceiling, his wings bound across his flanks.

A purple unicorn hung across from him, her blue, striped mane in a style that had been elegant at one point, before it'd been dragged through the mud and city streets. A couple of other ponies hung around them. A yellow unicorn, her mane in a loose bun. Across from him, a lavender earth pony with somepony being flayed for a cutie mark.

The purple unicorn opened her eyes, looking to the pegasus in confusion.

The pegasus flashed her a charming smile. "Ah! You must be the Stable's new Overmare. I'm Crimson Nimbus, leader of the Crimson Raiders. It's a pleasure."

"Oh. It's you." Book Keeper scowled at him. "Hello, Crimson."

"I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, ma'am. You know me, yet I don't know you." Crimson looked to her in confusion.

"Book Keeper."

"Ahh, I remember you! You've grown." He paused, glancing around at their cell. "So, I don't suppose you know where we are, do you?"

The unicorn glared at Crimson for another moment, before mentally admitting that the pegasus had a point. She shook her head. "No, I don't."

He glanced up from her maroon eyes to the suppression ring around her horn. "Could you use your magic to free us?"

Keeper frowned, closing her eyes, brows furrowed in concentration for a long moment, before she shook her head. "I can't."

Crimson sighed lightly, turning his attention to the other ponies. The other unicorn spoke, glaring at him. "Raider. What kind of a scheme are you pulling?"

"You're... Insecure Resident, from the hospital, correct?" She nodded, scowling at him. "I'm not pulling anything, I assure you."

The lavender earth pony looked to Crimson with a suspicious frown. "You seem far too at ease here, Crimson."

"Hello, Splinter." Crimson nodded grimly. "Presently, there is nothing that we can do but stay alive, and I'm quite sure my daughters are busy looking for us at this exact moment."

"Do you know who did it?"

"Not at the moment. I'm sure we'll meet our captors soon enough." He narrowed his eyes angrily. "You know... I'm starting to think that flaying somepony is the solution." He gave Splinter a sly smirk.

Splinter gave Crimson a mirthful grin in return. "It usually is."

Keeper and Resident shared an uncomfortable look - Resident unpleasantly familiar with the concept of flaying, Keeper not specifically, but getting the subtext.

"It certainly leaves a more lasting impression than simply shooting them and burning the bodies..."

"Ah, but the trick is to keep them alive while you do it."

Crimson nodded.

To the great relief of the unicorns present, the door to the cell opened, and their captors entered.

Crimson turned to them as best he could, suspended from the ceiling by his hooves, and calmly addressed the first one inside. "If you could release the four of us, I can assure you that we will spare the lives of you and your families..."

Their captor approached him with a look of contempt, one of his hooves 'thunk'ing compared to the 'clop' of the rest of his hooves as he walked past him. "We'll see how long that bravado lasts after your wings have been plucked, Equestrian."

"Are you sure? Everypony deserves a second chance, after all." Crimson shifted, glancing at the leader. "You know who I represent..." A band of zebras, some ghouls and others still living, followed the first one in, some taking up guard positions, others studying the prisoners and talking amongst each other in a language unfamiliar to the ponies present.

"We are not Equestrians!" He spun, kicking Crimson in the face with the cybernetic hind leg. "We are not ponies." He spat the word, as if it were an insult. "We do not murder innocents!"

Crimson grunted as he was kicked. "Your funeral, then."

Book Keeper glared at him. "Don't murder innocents, my flank! You attacked a memorial celebration and murdered dozens of ponies!"

"That was one death. One death per pony. Not hundreds. Your kind has the blood of thousands of zebras, hundreds of deaths over and over, on your hooves." The prisoners shared a look. "Your kind toyed with us at the end of the war. After every battle, megaspells and munitions would rain from the sky, reviving those who had not yet died. Your kind would pick up their weapons and continue gunning us down. Almost as if it were... sport. We had nothing."

The prisoners shared a confused look.

He left as his zebras continued studying the prisoners, poking around and speaking in their language, and then left.

For a minute, there was nothing but the sound of everyone breathing and slowly blood dripping from Crimson's muzzle.

Crimson broke the ice. "My daughters better hurry the fuck up."

Everyone glanced to Crimson, and Resident spoke. "You're worried?"

"Not worried. Pissed. I need to go find and murder that stripe before he hurts anyone else. He's fuckin' crazy."

Author's Note

So... that happened.

Splinter belongs to Almanac, author of the fantastic story Letters to Celestia, following an earth pony from Stable 101 as he finds his place in the wasteland a couple of decades prior to Stable Scout and Kkat's story, shown through the eyes of lovable asshole Tome Tale. Splinter is a recurring character. Spoilers: she survives the events of LtC.

You should check it out!

Chapter 17 - Insecurity

Fallout Equestria: Stable Scout
Chapter 17
Insecurity

Elsewhere

Leaning out the window, I found myself noticing how pretty the view was. The water would kill you within hours if you went for a swim and the pink storm coming suggested that the lower levels would probably be flooding again. But the view was pretty, if you were into that kind of thing.

The stripe appeared out of nowhere, as he always did. “Greetings, Equestrian.”

I glanced over, not even concerned this time. It would be easy for him to push me out the window, but my death would bring him no success. “I assume you’ll push me one day, no?”

Pleasure, maybe, but no success.

“Of course not.” He looked at me impassively, standing where he always did, a corner that was usually dark. “A short fall to the rocks below is too swift a fate for your kind.”

“I see…” I rose at a carefully slow pace, walking to my desk. “Am I to assume you’re behind this latest excitement?” I turned my desk lamp on, shining directly on the corner he occupied.

He scowled as I turned the light on, but remained in place. “That is one possibility.”

That meant yes.

I settled down, resting my hooves on my desk. “And you're holding King Crimson?”

“That is one possibility.”

"I'd like a chance to talk to him. Before he meets his grisly fate, of course, or whatever it is you stripes do to your prisoners.” I picked up my Pipbuck model 2100, turning the radio on.

He looked to my Pipbuck with mild curiosity. “I cannot promise anything.”

“Well, if that were to happen, I'm sure I could consider our ‘arrangement’ good for the next few months.” I shrugged, tossing the M2100 back on my desk and waving a hoof as I sat back. “Otherwise, well… I’m sure you can imagine how my ponies would react to finding the Star Touched were hiding in the basement…”

“I see…” His irritation was clear as he spoke quietly, slowly, annunciating every syllable clearly. “I'll be in touch, Equestrian.”

“You know where I am, stripe.” I snorted as he disappeared.

He could want me dead all he wanted, but he knew he couldn’t touch me.

But… if he had Crimson... I could turn on them, then I would have Crimson…

That’s an idea.

That’s quite an interesting idea…

I rose, walking back to the window, overlooking Horseshoe Bay to the northeast and Baltimare proper to the north.

This needs more thought.

“Hey, Pull Tab...”

“What’ve you got for me, Hammer?”

#

“This is the last will and testament of Captain Firefly… if you’re listening to this, well… I’m probably dead. Well. Goodbye, everyone… I designate Rapid Dash as my executor. Should they… be unable to serve, then I designate Hot Range as alternate executor. To Dash, I leave…”

Captain Firefly

09:02
Tuesday

Ugh.

UGGGGHHH. So much to do, so little time.

I heard hoofsteps - too jaunty to be anyone but Dash - and looked up to see him walking past my office.

I sat up suddenly, sending a stack of Pipbuck model 1500s flying across my desk as I called his name, beckoning him in with a hoof.

“Sup, boss?” He poked his head in, leaning against the doorframe as I glanced to the mess, not even bothering to reorganize them again.

“Few things. I haven’t seen Cyclone. Can you track him down and tell him to give the captives an opportunity to join us?” I passed him a different stack of M1500s, these with the Security logo painted on the underside.

“Captives?” He frowned, settling down across from my organized chaos. “Are you... sure about that?”

I sighed and sat back. “Yes. They were pawns. I expect we should be able to motivate a few with revenge. If we convince enough, the rest will follow.”

Dash leaned forward, resting his hooves on the edge of my desk with a worried frown. “Are you sure we can trust them?”

“Well…” I dragged the word out. “We could always just round them up and shoot them.” I shrugged, waving a hoof blithely. “Ten mil is inexpensive, right?”

I saw that I got the expected reaction from Dash as he winced in disgust. “Uh, maybe we shouldn’t take a page from your father’s book…”

“Exactly.” I leaned forward. “We need something to do with them and this should leave everyone relatively happy.”

Dash leaned back, waving a hoof. “Provided everyone cooperates.”

I nodded. “Provided everyone cooperates, yes.” I called up the list on one of my M1500s. “I think we’ve got enough here to keep them in line.” I passed him the Pipbuck.

“Well, it looks good…” He spent a minute looking over the list, and shrugged. “Risky, relying on everything coming together just right, but it looks good.” He set the M1500 down and rose. “Anything else?”

“Uh, yeah.” I looked down at what I was about to say, to the Pipbuck that contained the recently recorded audio log of my own will. “Send out a memo for everyone who’s leaving to settle their affairs. Write a will, whatever.”

Dash glanced away with a haunted look. “Oh.”

I shifted, sitting up, resting my hooves on the edge of my desk and looking to him grimly. “I know…”

Dash looked up to me nervously. “That it?”

I nodded again and Dash left.

I sat back, once again reconsidering my life choices.

Could have been a mane stylist. Been nobody.

Perhaps it was better this way.

I thought about that for a long moment.

The Stable wouldn’t have been attacked, but… we wouldn’t have allies.

Better to face the future head on, instead of burying our heads in the sand and letting the future come to us.

Yes. It definitely was better this way.

#

10:54

I was leaving Security, passing the armory, when Weld waved a hoof in my direction, my Ironpony in his magic. “Hey, Captain.” I trotted over, entering the Armory.

The armory was even more disorganized than usual. Most of the racks were empty or nearly so. One of the shelves was resting on one of the central tables, propping up several carbines, and a couple cans of brass had been dumped on another table. One of the lights had burnt out, creating a dim spot in the center of the room. Weld’s assistant, Coil Spring, was digging through a pile of cases and cans in the corner, humming to herself merrily.

Weld lead me over to his desk in the far corner. “What’ve you got for me, Weld?”

“I fixed the Ironpony, ma’am,” he passed me the weapon to inspect, launching into a rundown of the repairs. “The extractor claw had broken clean off and gotten stuck in the action. So I field stripped it, replaced the extractor - it used a slightly modified IF-9 extractor, by the way - and cleaned it. The bolt and bolt carrier are in the white, so I’d like to refinish them at some point, but that’s a long process, so…” He shrugged. “I don’t think this was actually proofed at the factory.”

I nodded. “That would kind of make sense, Amaranth Thunder speculated it was a PR stunt…”

Weld frowned. “Pardon?” He took on a look of awe at the mention of my ancestor, the first Chief of Security of Stable 30.

“Oh, right. I, uh, found his office in Baltimare and listened to some of his audio logs.” I shrugged. “He mentioned getting a shipment of weapons from the Ironshod factory, speculating it was a PR stunt. It’s where I found the case.” I looked to the row of cases lined up on his desk, holding one up. It was entirely brass. “What’s this?”

“We were almost out of ten gauge rounds. I looked through what we had in the Armory, and found a can full of spent twenty mil cases. So we cut them down, fireformed them and reloaded them.” He gestured to the Ironpony. “It’s functioning fine now, obviously.”

He waved to Coil Spring. “Coil did most of the work.” Coil squeaked, banging her head on the shelf above her as she was named.

“Did you get some rest?” I set the Ironpony down, looking to Weld. He still looked tired.

Weld frowned, glancing aside. “A few hours. Three, maybe four?”

“A whole four?” I smiled at him.

“I... couldn’t sleep very well. I did try, though…” Weld settled down at his desk.

“Okay, okay… you’re done with the Ironpony?” Weld nodded tiredly. “Please get packed, you’re coming with us.”

“Wait, uh, what?” Weld sat up sharply, awake now.

I patted him on the side. “I don’t know the Raiders’ armorers, and you’re the only one I trust to do proper work on my weapons.”

“What?” He stood, going over to the tables in the middle, taking the Ironpony with him. “I’m no use out there. I’ve never been Outside! Or shot at!”

I followed him, looking to the Ironpony. “What did you do to that?”

He set the Ironpony down on the tables, neatly removing the two pins that held the upper and lower together. “I fixed it, what else?”

“No, I mean, how did you fix it?” I leaned over, watching him separate the halves. “Go over it again, more slowly, please...”

“I, um…” I waved a hoof, gesturing him to continue, and he slowly continued, looking to the field stripped weapon. “I… took it apart... made a new extractor for it…”

I glanced to the row of brass rounds. “And…?”

He followed my gaze back to his desk, before looking down to the table. “I found a can of spent twenty mil cases and turned them into ten gauge rounds…”

“Solid work.” I nodded. “Thank you. That’s why you’re coming. Nobody else here could have done that like you did. How did you even know twenty mil cases would fit ten gauge rounds?”

He frowned, clearly still uncomfortable and at a loss for any better excuses.

I patted him on the shoulder. “It’s not all bad Outside, Weld. Talk to Blitz-” I frowned as I remembered Blitz had... left. “Well, Blitz will be at the Raiders’ base. Until then, Ivory, or Cyclone.”

“It’s not just going Outside, it’s… what you’re doing.” I noticed his use of ‘you’ and not ‘we’.

I nodded tightly. “I know. It’s not good. But we have to do it. The Overmare’s counting on us, and the ponies of Baltimare, too.” I threw him a teasing, conspiratorial smirk. “Range told me, ‘let’s be bold’. Right?”

He nodded, not convinced, but giving in. “Yes, ma’am.”

I winced at his response. “Don’t forget to write a will.” I glanced around, noticing Weld’s collection of obscure, strange cartridge cases lining the Armory.

He stiffened. “Oh… yeah.”

“More a formality than anything else, really. We’ll be back to your strange brass in a week, you’ll see! Who else could possibly run this place like you do?”

Weld smiled a little. “Riiight… Okay.” It was a small, tense smile, but it was a real smile, and I could feel he’d relaxed a little.

“We’ll be stopping in Haven, so put together a list of what we need. See if you can get anything we don’t have any use for to trade, too…” I glanced over to one of the dark corners. “We’ve got some still sealed cases of weapons, right?”

“Yeah, we’ve got a case of IF-9’s, I think... Coil, c’mere.” He trotted over, waving his assistant over to move a couple of cases.

I was glad to hear Weld had relaxed, instead of just stiffly saying ‘yes, ma’am’. “I’ll leave this in your capable hooves, Weld… get some rest when you can, please.”

Weld grunted in response, in an affirmative way, I think, and I left the Armory.

Ivory was entering the security station, her mane wet from a shower. She was pulling it back into a bun, and hurriedly stepped out of my way, snapping a smart salute. “Captain!”

“Ivory, good, there you are.” I turned, heading for my office. “Come talk with me.”

“Uhh, right...” Ivory followed me stiffly.

I settled down at my desk, eying the pile of M1500s and organizing them. “At ease, Ivory… have a seat?” I gestured to the seat Dash had recently vacated.

She sat, still tense. “What’s up?”

I dug out a bottle of rum, one I’d borrowed from Range, and a pair of chipped coffee mugs Dash had procured during one of our previous operations, pouring out a small amount for both of us. “You drink?”

“I’ve had cider a few times…” She picked up the cup, looking to it curiously, swirling it around. “What’s this?”

“It’s rum.” I sat back, sipping the mug. “How are you doing?”

She frowned, trying her drink. “Ick, it’s so sweet.” She set it down on my desk, looking to me boldly. “Honestly…?” She glanced down to my desk uncomfortably. “Father is dead, Firefly, what else can I say?”

I nodded sympathetically. “Yeah… yeah. I know. I’m sorry…”

“What’s this all about?”

“I’m going to promote you and put you in charge of one of the teams.”

Ivory looked shocked. “Are you sure about that? I mean…” She frowned, thinking about it. “Okay, I guess. Sure.”

I frowned. “Okay, sure? That’s all?”

“I mean… who else are you going to put in charge of a third team? Blitz is gone.” She leaned back. “Cyclone? Cerulean ‘I’m so smart I have to be an asshole, so fuck all y’all’ Mend?” She waved a hoof in the air. “Mineral Sands?” She snorted.

I frowned at her as she spoke, resting my elbows on the edge of my desk, hooves cupped under my chin, and said nothing.

“I mean, uh…” Ivory looked apologetic at that. “Uh… Sorry?”

I glanced over, seeing Shine and Starlight through the window, exiting the station together. “Shine and Starlight both have more experience Outside than anyone else in the Stable…”

“Oh…” She nodded, glancing down, apathy changing to sadness. “I… see.”

“...But I don’t want to put them in charge of a team.” I sat back, waving a hoof. “They’re most useful working as an independent unit. Ivory, please… see the shrink.”

Wait. Did Database Error survive the attack? I called up the list of fatalities on my Pipbuck. I was glad to not see her name on the list.

Phew.

Ivory leaned back, picking up her drink, and closed her eyes, taking a long, deep breath.

“I just don’t know what to do, Firefly…” She looked to her drink, gave it a disgusted look, ears folded back, and set it back down on my desk. “What even is that? It’s so sweet, ew.”

“Fine, don’t drink it, then.” I picked her mug up and carefully poured it into mine.

She sat up, looking at me in amusement. “Are you serious?”

“Yes! It is delicious.” I paused, glancing to my drink as I set her mug back down. “And I think I could deal with being a little less sober right now.”

“Oh.” She frowned and sat back, staring at the bottle with a tired look. “Yeah… I… I think I could, too.” She levitated the bottle over, filling her mug up, and took a long drink.

After a moment, she squealed, “ew, ew, ew,” quickly shaking her head back and forth. “That’s so gross! I can feel my teeth melting!”

I sipped my drink, enjoying the warmth in my midsection, and said nothing, eyes closed.

After a few seconds, I took a deep breath and opened my mouth. “Ivory, I can’t help you with this, but… the shrink can. Please, go see her.”

“She didn’t know my father. Uh... I think?” Ivory shrugged. “You did.”

“I do know your father would be proud of what you’ve done, Ivory.” I leaned over, patting her on the shoulder. “I certainly am.”

Ivory smiled. “Thank you…”

She sipped her drink again, grumbling in disgust, and put it back down on my desk. “Was there… anything else you needed?”

“You don’t have to finish that if you don’t want to.” I shook my head. “Nope, just warning you I was going to promote you and put you in charge of a team. Are you sure you’re okay with it?”

She shrugged. “I’m not sure I’m ‘okay’ with it, but we don’t have much of a choice, do we?” She paused. “I’ll be fine, thank you.”

“Right, right… please, go see the shrink. I’m serious.” I leaned forward, looking to her with concern. “I’ll put you in priority for the queue.”

She nodded. “Okay, okay… I will.” She seemed genuine.

I smiled to her. “And get some rest, too.”

“So much to do, so little time…” Ivory sighed. “Good night, Captain.” She yawned.

I waved a hoof to her. “Sleep well!” She left, and I sat back, yawning myself as I transferred the rest of Ivory’s drink to mine.

Damn it.

I finished my drink, sealed the bottle of rum, picked up the Pipbuck containing my will and rose, sealing my office for the night. That done, I ducked into Range’s office, returning the half full bottle to Range’s office, before leaving the Security station. Heading for my living quarters, I noticed Rivets - Dashie’s brother - standing in a corner, ears flicking about. I approached him, resting my hoof on his side. “Rivets? Are you okay?”

He let out a strangled squeal and galloped down the hallway away from me.

…

I’ll take that as a no, then.

I made a note to talk to his mother and suggest he see the shrink.

I continued down the hall, reaching the entrance to the living quarters wing, and glanced down the hallway that would take me to my quarters… then over to the way that would take me to Range’s quarters in the bachelor’s wing.

I’d like to see her. But I don’t know if she’s busy… or sleeping.

I glanced to my Pipbuck.

13:25

She’s probably getting ready to sleep.

I thought about it for another moment, glancing to the left to my quarters, right towards Range’s, and back left toward my quarters again.

I may not have an opportunity like this until after the mission…

I then trotted to the right, knocking on the door to Range’s quarters.

“What is it?” Range’s muffled voice sounded tired. A moment later the door hissed open.

I looked over her. “I was wondering how you’re doing.” Range looking tired but alert, a towel around her neck, her mane wet.

She groaned and stepped aside. “Come in, I guess.”

I glanced around her quarters as I entered. As they’d always been, they were spartan, but lived in. Not a lot of personal items, though she had a few empty bottles of alcohol decorating a shelf. A pair of evil-looking, curved knives sat on a shelf all to their own. Reddish brown flecks decorated the blades.

“You know, I haven’t really asked. How are you doing, Fi?” She glanced to my mane. “You look like you could use some rest.”

“‘Some’.” I snickered, settling down on the couch. “Yes, I could use a lot of rest…”

Range levitated over a box and opened it, pulling a cigar out and offering the case to me. “What happened to your mane?”

I shook my head, declining a cigar, and glanced up, to where my mane should have been visible, then grinned brightly at her. “I got it cut short, just like my mentor and hero!”

She groaned, covering a smile. “No, Firefly, please… I’m not a good role model.” She settled down on a stool facing the couch. “You know what I’ve done.”

“I know what you’ve done… and I know why you did it.” I paused slightly before adding, “I don’t approve of what you did, but I understand why you did it and I can respect that.”

Range gave me a small, proud smile in lieu of a reply before turned to her cigar. Sharply cutting the end off, she inspected the cut and tapped it against the ashtray beside her. She pressed the tip of the cigar against her horn, rotating it gently, and it lit with a small puff of smoke.

I thought about what to say as she prepared her cigar. I ran a hoof against the healing scar on my neck. “A unicorn with a knife jumped me during the attack.”

She winced, running a hoof against one of the scars on her face, running vertically from her eyebrow above her left eye to her cheek. “Did I ever tell you how I got my scars?”

“No, you didn’t…” I shook my head. “Unicorn with knives?”

She grimaced around the cigar. “I got lucky.” She pointed to her left eye. “A millimeter deeper and I’d have worn an eye patch for the rest of my life. Fuckin’ unicorns and knives. Nearly killed me.” She grinned evilly, pointing to the shelf behind me. “I got the bitch, though.”

“Yar.” I grinned back at her. “The eye patch would have made you look very intimidating, especially with that cigar.”

She frowned, then grinned after a moment, and chuckled. Chuckles turned to laughter.

I grinned, chuckling with her.

After a few moments, the mood sobered, and I found myself glancing away. “So, um, speaking of nothing related at all…” Range frowned, confused. “I might not come home from this.” I levitated a M1500 out of my suit. “If I don’t come back…”

Her confusion grew as she looked to the Pipbuck. After a moment, her expression turned to one of understanding, silently mouthing ‘oh’, and she nodded grimly. “I see…” She set it on the table beside her.

“Keep the Scouts alive, Range.” I rose, approaching her, grinning. “Keep the movement alive.”

“Oh, it’s your group now, is it?” Range scowled at me. “After all the work I’ve put into this shitshow, since before you were born?” I tried to smile, but I think it just came out as a horrible grimace instead. “Honestly? I think you’ve earned it.” She smiled back at me. “Keep your end of the bargain up, and I think we’ll get through this just fine. I’ll do what I can on my end.”

“Plan an operation and rescue the Overmare in a week…” I sighed. “Celestia, Range! I’d need two weeks just to get everything ready! We’ve never worked with anyone on the surface, let alone ponies who were sniping at us just last week! We don’t even fucking know where they took her! This is going to be a fucking disaster! What the fuck am I going to do?”

Range said nothing for a long minute. “You done?”

I took a deep breath. “I… yes. Sorry.”

“Don’t be. Get it out here.” Range shook her head. “Keep a level head and keep your eyes open out there. You can’t afford to let your ponies see that. You panic, they get worried, everything falls apart.”

I took a deep breath. “I know, I know. I just…” I let out a frustrated sigh. “I can’t defy the laws of physics, Range. If she’s already dead, I can’t bring her back.”

“Bring back a body and a good story, then.” Range puffed on her cigar.

I sighed. “Right… I’m gonna go.” I waved a hoof. “Hey, send the Council a message, tell them I’m delaying leaving until tomorrow morning.”

“Yeah, alright. Get some rest. Oh! Don’t use the showers in your living block, the hot water’s out there.” She rose, coming over to hug me, and I returned the hug. “You come back now.”

I nodded again, not trusting myself to speak as I left. Range settled down on her couch, levitating a Pipbuck, the ashtray and the bottle of rum over as the door hissed shut behind me.

For a moment, I stood there outside her door, looking at the floor.

This operation was different. Before, we’d just been leaving to explore, to make allies.

This time?

We were going out for blood.

I shivered at that thought.

#

I entered my quarters to find my mother laying on our couch. She turned to look at me. “You’re leaving, aren’t you?”

I nodded. “We’ll be back in a week.”

She sighed sadly. “That’s what your father told me…”

…

“Oh…” I glanced around nervously.

She leaned over to hug me, and I started to take a step backwards as she wrapped her hooves around me. After a moment, I relaxed, leaning in to hug her back. She smelled faintly of cider. A bunch of emotions swirled around from that.

“Please… please don’t leave me…” Tears streamed down her cheeks. “You… you’ll leave and you won’t come back and I… I don’t know if I can take that… everyone leaves me…”

Uh…

“Fine.” I smiled. “Come with us, then.”

She looked at me, confused, ears pinned back. “What? I can’t...”

I grinned at her brightly. “Why not? Let’s be bold, mom! Think of what dad would say.”

Mom frowned at mention of dad. “I’m not fit for duty… I haven’t done anything in years!”

“I don’t know, you put up a pretty good fight on Sunday morning… but I think we’ve got enough fighters. I’m going to put Ivory in command of the second line ponies, and I think you would be a good second for her.”

Her expression changed from confusion to consideration. Her expression cleared for a moment, then she narrowed her eyes at me, bristling.

I thought I could sense some genuine anger, and I took a step back, remembering the last time I’d fought my mother… She spoke slowly. “You’re just like your father.”

“What?”

She smiled, her anger suddenly disappearing. “Your father was a silver tongued dog. He had an… infectious charisma.” Her smile faded, and she thought about it. “Okay… I… I don’t think I can trust myself to fight, but…”

“We’re leaving tomorrow morning, so… don’t take too long to decide?”

“Okay.”

She smiled, and I thought I could see a hint of who she’d once been. I hesitated before continuing. “You may not want to know this, but… Azure is in charge of where we’re going. At least, while Crimson is, uh, out, so…”

“Okay…” Her smile wavered. “You know… I knew he was going to leave me… when I married him. I knew it.”

“But you did it anyways.”

She nodded.

“Why…?”

She shrugged. “Because I was awestruck by him. I was some silly idiot, in love with someone way out of my league. He was hot. He was funny. And he paid me attention… made me feel wanted. It was fun while it lasted... Well, he got what he wanted from me, and he left me.”

“He does that, doesn’t he.”

Mom chuckled. After a moment, she leaned back, giving me a thinking look. “I… I know I can’t take back everything I did, but… I’m proud of what you’ve become.” Her look turned bitterly sad. “I wish I could say I had anything to do with it…”

She fell silent, lost in her thoughts. I knew the ‘kind’ thing would be to say, ‘no, that’s not true’, but… lying is wrong, so I’ve been told.

So I just I leaned in to hug her.

“I’m going to… get up and take a shower, or something. You look like you could use some rest.”

“Yep…” I yawned. “Oh, Mom, Range said to avoid the showers in our living block, the hot water’s out there or something…”

“I think a cold shower would probably do me some good…” Mom winced, before her face face lit up. “Range! Oh, yes, that’s right. I’ll go talk to her after!” She smiled at me, a teasing, sly smirk. “Do you want me to tuck you in?”

…

I thought about it.

I really did, for a moment, and I giggled.

“No thank you… g’night, Mom.”

#

07:25
Wednesday

Dash and several of the Scouts lead the prisoners - all had agreed to join us - to the surface, and prodded them into rough rows.

A few of them looked tempted to maybe try and run off, but one of them noticed the Steel Rangers present and that idea died down.

I surveyed the wastelanders standing in front of me. “Right. You’ve agreed to join us. Any questions?”

One of the wastelanders waved a hoof. “When we’re done, we’re free to go, right? You’ll let us go, no questions? Just… clarifying.”

I studied her. “What’s your name?” She was a well built unicorn, brown and beige, dressed in a mix of well worn military fatigues and wartime clothing. A bandage was wrapped around her hind leg.

She frowned. “Call me Taze."

“When this operation is concluded, you’ll be free to go, yes.” I nodded. “Additionally! We’ll be offering further employment for anyone who wishes to join us. If you join us, you’ll be compensated appropriately… simple caps if you like, but… we have prewar knowledge. Spells, rare supplies, that sort of thing.”

That got mixed reactions, but generally seemed to satisfy them.

‘Taze continued. “What exactly are we going to be doing, mare?”

“There’ll be a briefing to properly explain that shortly.” A couple of the wastelanders rolled their eyes at mention of ‘briefing’. “But the simple explanation is that we’re going to work with the Crimson Raiders to find who attacked us, murder the shit out of them, and in the process, rescue our leaders.”

Several ponies shared guarded looks at mention of the Crimson Raiders.

“And the Rangers?” Another wastelander tossed a wary look at the quartet of Rangers standing off to the side imposingly.

“We’ll be picking up allies as we go along, so it won’t just be us and the Raiders. The Rangers have offered their assistance.”

“Are you…” The wastelander looked to them nervously. “... sure we can trust them?”

I went to answer, only to be interrupted by the Senior Paladin as he answered. “Stable 30 brings trade to the region. The Stable’s destruction is of no benefit to us.”

Privately, I could think of a few reasons they might celebrate the Stable being abandoned, but I left that alone.

I looked to the wastelander. “Does that answer your question?”

They looked to the Ranger, before back to me. “Yeah, alright.”

“Good.” I gestured to Weld, who had been bringing up several crates of supplies. “Sergeant Weld will get you equipped. Most of your equipment is there. You’ll be working under Cyclone, with each element assigned to a Stable squad. There will be a briefing to tell you what we’re doing shortly.”

I gave the wastelanders five minutes to get equipped, before I hopped onto a rock, calling out. “Right, folks. Gather ‘round.” Stable ponies and wastelanders gathered into two groups facing me and the rock.

“We all know what we’re here for, so I’ll keep this short.” I glanced around tightly, resisting the urge to make a joke about not using maps. “We’re going to rescue the Overmare. We’re going to find out where they took her, we’re going to kill anyone who gets between us and the Overmare, and we’re going to bring her back home. All the while, not one of us is to get killed. Simple, right?” I glanced to the wastelanders. “Nobody gets killed.”

A few ponies chuckled tensely.

“Presently, we don’t know where they’ve taken her. So we’re going to work with the Crimson Raiders for this. They’ve also been attacked, and their leader was taken.”

Sharps raised her hoof.

“Yes?”

“The Overmare was wearing her Pipbuck, right? We should be able to track her through that.”

I smiled. My Pipbuck tracking class had paid off. “Nothing so far, but we might just be out of range. It’s possible they’re aware of that feature and have taken steps to counteract it, too.”

Sharps frowned.

“Good thinking, though. We’re gonna need a lot of that.” I looked around. “Anyone’s got any good ideas, you speak up.” Nobody said anything, so I continued. “We’ll be proceeding to the Crimson Raiders’ base through Haven. Once there, we’ll coordinate our operations, and I’ll be taking a team through Baltimare to pick up allies from the local population.”

Nobody said anything, so I continued, levitating a M2000 Pipbuck over. “There’s going to be some changes in team organization, but before that, promotions.”

I cleared my throat, delaying a moment to let that sink in. “Sergeant Ivory Charm, please step forward.”

“Ma’am!” She stepped forward and saluted.

I saluted her back. “Congratulations. Keep up what you’ve been doing…”

She smiled, her smile then fading to a sad look as she spoke quietly. “I… I wish Father were here to see this…”

…

I nodded solemnly. “We all do, Ivory… I know he’d be proud.”

I saluted her, she saluted me back, and as I stepped back, Cyclone started stomping his hooves, several other ponies joining in. I heard someone in the back cheering - Cast, I assumed.

“Specialist Cerulean Mend, Corporal Mineral Sands, Corporal Nimble Shine, Corporal Platinum Starlight.” Mend, Min, Shine, and Starlight stepped forward, saluting. Mend lagged behind, which I assumed was from inexperience rather than rudeness.

“You’ve all done well, and I’m incredibly proud of you.” I saluted them, they saluted back, Mend lagging behind less this time, and I glanced around to the rest of my ponies. “These ponies have been Outside, they’ve seen what it’s like. Look to them, follow their leads, keep your heads down and everyone should make it through okay.”

“Squad designation will be as follows: Team One will consist of Cerulean Mend, Swan Striker, Rolling Block and Samsiir, lead by myself.” Mend shared a look with Striker, who whispered something to Block, standing beside him. Mend leaned over to whisper something to the two of them, and Block frowned back at him. “Surface One will accompany them.” Stable ponies and wastelanders shared a look.

“Team Two will be Mineral Sands, Pepperbox, Nimble Shine and Platinum Starlight, lead by Lieutenant Dash.” Shine waved a hoof to Min, Min nodding back to her, smiling a little. “Surface Two will accompany them.”

“Team Three, Cyclone, Cast Collage, Sharps and Scarlet Paper, lead by Sergeant Charm.” Ivory looked around a little nervously at mention of ‘Sergeant Charm’, but otherwise said nothing. “Surface Three will accompany them.”

“Okay. Look.” I turned to the wastelanders. “We’re not dumb, overly sensitive Stable ponies - I’m not going to go around and make everyone share their name and two things about themselves…”

I grimaced, suppressing a memory of a school teacher who’d done that when I was young.

They’d been killed in the attack…

“It’s simple. You’re all adults. You didn’t come here with friendship and rainbows in mind, but from here on out, your actions dictate how we’ll treat you. Play nice, follow orders and ensure everything goes well, and everyone will get out of this with coats intact. Turn on us and you’ll be the first volunteers to clear a minefield!”

One of the wastelanders in the back called out, “Where the hell’re you gonna find a minefield in Baltimare?”

“I’ll make one, if I have to.” Many of the wastelanders shared looks, some worried, some angry, but nobody had anything further to say. “We’ll be leaving in twenty minutes. Dismissed.”

Range waved me over, and I trotted over, noticing she was with Councilors Hex, Sheets, Inertia and Filament. Ruby Blossom was skulking between Hex and Filament, and Inertia was looking around nervously, his wings spread.

Wonderful.

“Hello, Councilmares…” None of the civilians looked particularly comfortable. Councilor Filament was carefully avoiding looking upwards, ostensibly studying the mud caking her hooves.

Councilor Hex looked to me. “Are you sure you want to do this, Captain?”

Do I want to do this?

No, not really.

Do I have to do this?

Yes.

I absolutely had to do this, for the good of Stable 30.

“Yes.” I considered elaborating, but decided it would be better to not.

Councilor Inertia pulled his gaze from the ground up to me. “Do consider… your departure will leave the Stable vulnerable. If someone else comes…”

“Seal the Door, then, if you must.” For a moment, I wondered if telling the Council that would come back to bite us in the flank later…

Councilor Filament spoke up. “Very well. We’ll see you in a week, Captain.”

Fantastic.

Councilor Hex smiled to me. “Good luck, Captain!” I was pleased and a little surprised to hear she sounded genuine.

Councilor Sheets nodded, seconding Hex’s statement. “Please return safely, Firefly! We’ll be waiting.”

“Thank you, Councilor…”

“Excuse us for a moment, please…” I waved Range over, pulling her away from the Council. After we’d wandered out of earshot, I leaned in to speak to Range privately. “The thing we talked about yesterday? None of that while we’re out, please…”

She frowned, before catching what I was saying, nodding lightly. “Yeah, alright.”

I leaned in, giving her a serious look. “That’s not a promise, Range…”

She stared at me for a long moment, before chanting dully, “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

I stared at her for a moment, before chuckling.

Range gave me an impassive look. “Are you happy?”

“Yes. Absolutely.” I grinned at her.

She looked to my seriously. “Just make sure you bring the Overmare back.”

I shrugged, waving a hoof. “That’s the plan, boss.”

Range nodded again, and we fell silent, surveying the crowd around us. It was a pretty significant crowd - maybe a quarter of the Stable who weren’t injured were here, in addition to the Scouts and wasteland ponies who had joined us.

I noticed Dash talking to the wastelander couple he’d brought in, the pregnant mare he’d brought in from Haven and her partner. The two of them looked a little worse for wear, but still happy. Next to them, Rolling Block was talking intimately with an earth pony mare I’d seen him with before.

“Captain?” I looked over as Sergeant Gusty, Blitz’s mother, approached Range and I. “Sunbeam and I were wondering… could you… bring our Blitzy back?”

Urgh…

“I can’t promise anything, Sergeant… Blitz is an adult now. I can’t order her to come home, and even if I could, I’m not sure I want to…”

“Why not?”

“If I ask her nicely, she’ll just shrug it off, and if I press the issue...” I shook my head. “I’m sorry. I can’t promise anything, but I will talk to her.”

“But she is one of your ponies… you’re responsible for her actions. She did abandon her duties to the Stable, much like your father did…” Range winced at that.

I took a deep breath. “My father left because he felt he could do more good Outside than he could in the Stable. He has continued to defend the Stable since he left. Blitz… left for similar reasons, and I have no questions of her loyalty to the Stable. She’s just taken my father’s path.”

“The Stable has not been attacked… until now.” Gusty glanced to my mane rather pointedly.

I nodded. “My father’s troops were defending themselves while we were being attacked. As of right now, Blitz is coordinating with them. If this mission goes well, I expect she will visit, but… I don’t know if she’ll return permanently. I think she prefers being Outside.”

She sighed. “I… understand. Good luck out there, Captain.”

“We don’t need luck, we have plans!” I grinned brightly. “But thank you.”

“I think we should discuss defense plans, Sergeant, let’s talk.” Gusty and Range walked off, passing Mineral.

I looked to Min. She had a strange… confidence to her as she addressed her father, Warding Charm. The conversation around quieted enough so I could hear Min speaking to her father.

“This is my will, Father. If I don’t come home…” She blinked back tears. Her father embraced her. After a moment, they broke apart, and Min turned and approached someone, a colt about her age. The wind picked up, blowing towards them, and I couldn’t hear what was said, but after a short exchange, she kissed him quite passionately, one hoof wrapped around his neck.

I looked away to give her some privacy, approaching Dash’s mother, Stack Draft, who was talking with my mother. Stack Draft gave me a warm smile as I approached. “Hello, Firefly. How are you holding up?”

Honestly? Not well.

I gave her an easy smile back. “I’m doing quite well, thank you. Hi Mom.” I reached over to poke my mother on the shoulder with a smile.

“That’s good.” Stack Draft gave me a motherly look. “You ponies come back now.” She glanced to Dash, still talking with the wastelanders. “My Dash’ll take care of you. Just…” She broke off, worried.

“I know… I know. We’ll be back.” I smiled. “I have faith in my ponies. They’re good ponies. We’ll be home, don’t worry.” I glanced over to Dash. “That reminds me… I think Rivets should talk to the shrink…”

She nodded. “I’ve noticed… I’ll make sure he does. Thank you.”

“Captain.” I looked to see Warding Charm standing behind me.

“May I help you, Doctor?” I turned to face him, expecting another argument.

“I don’t know what you’ve done to my daughter, but…” He frowned, trailing off, a strange mix of discomfort, pride and worry decorating his face.

“I haven’t done anything to her. She volunteered to go Outside, and… when she needed to act, she acted swiftly and bravely.” I looked to her, in the middle of a conversation with the pony she’d kissed earlier.

“I know…” Warding looked over to her with a worried look. “Please, make sure she comes home?”

I turned to him with a serious look. “Do you want an honest answer or a comforting answer?”

He frowned back to me, speaking after a moment. “You can’t promise anything.”

“No, I can’t. I wish I could, but…” I shook my head. “Mineral is... maybe a little too brave, and I can’t promise she won’t do something heroic and stupid…” I paused, thinking about how I’d said that.

‘Heroic and stupid…’

Aren’t we all just heroes?

… Dashie was right. Damn it.

I cleared my throat. “But I’ll be damned if I don’t try to keep her from doing something too brave. I will do my hardest to make sure everyone comes home.”

“I… I see.” Warding’s face took on a hard look, before he sighed quietly. “Thank you…”

I glanced up to the sky, noting the dark clouds in the sky were colored with pink. I winced as I - unsuccessfully - attempted to suppress a reaction as my stomach did a backflip.

It was unusually dark for this time, and I wasn’t sure why.

Unknowns worried me…

I glanced over to Warding Charm, giving him a wry smile. “Nice weather, don’t you think?”

He looked up, pointing with a hoof. “Is it always this dark?”

“Usually not this late. The clouds usually aren’t that pink, either.” He gave me a sideways look, and I shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

“That seems like a good start for your mission. Very promising.” Was that a hint of sarcasm?

I think it may have been.

I smiled to him, then glanced to my Pipbuck.

07:56

“It’s time. Excuse me…” I glanced over my ponies.

“Good luck, Captain!” Warding waved a hoof at me.

“Thank you.” I smiled to him as I stepped away, raising my voice and calling out to everyone. “Five minutes!”

I glanced as my teams formed up. Team One forming up around me. Team Two, forming around Dash. Team Three, forming around Ivory. Their wasteland teams formed around their leaders, near the teams they’d been assigned.

Cyclone, Sands and Collage jumped up and down vigorously, adjusting their kit. Several of the Scouts followed suit.

A couple weeks ago, I’d left with Dash, Shine and Starlight. Now… this was a sizeable force, a couple dozen Stable ponies, bolstered by a similar number of surface ponies.

And a quartet of Steel Rangers, whatever exactly they were.

I shared a look with Taze, the brown unicorn in charge of Surface One, a couple of meters to my left. I don’t know if her expression could be considered a smile, but it was… friendly. Optimistic, maybe?

I’ll take that as a good sign.

Mend drew his revolver, loading it and tucking it back into his holster. Rolling Block adjusted a belt of eight mil rifle cartridges, loading one into his single-shot rifle.

Ivory approached me. “Team Three is ready, Captain.”

I caught Dash’s eye, and he waved a hoof over at me, then up.

I glanced to Taze, and she shrugged in noncommittal agreement.

The Steel Ranger’s leader looked to me impassively.

I looked down to my Pipbuck.

08:00

Perfect.

I waved a hoof up, then forward. “Move out!”

#

10:34

Haven had been attacked, but by now, they’d started cleaning things up. A half dozen bodies were strung up over the gate, including a green unicorn that looked suspiciously like the Mayor’s secretary, buzzing with flies. We were greeted at the gate by someone in a suit of power armor at the head of several of the militia bearing rifles and shotguns. We stepped inside, and the gate ground closed behind us.

The Steel Rangers’ leader stalked towards the suit of power armor furiously. “What is this? Who are you?”

The pony removed their helmet, revealing a purple mare with a long green mane pulled into a messy bun. The tip of her right ear was missing.

“Hello, Ivy.” She glanced to me, giving me a look I could almost mistake for a smile.

She turned to turn to face the Rangers, snapping a smart salute. “Hello, Senior Paladin!”

The Senior Paladin stepped in front of Ivy, not removing his helmet. “Who are you? Where did you get that armor?”

I glanced to the flank as Ivy spoke. Some wartime unit markings were barely visible.

“I’m Ivy. The Scouts helped us fight off a ghoul attack, and we salvaged this.” She looked to me. “You said they came from Deathcon?”

“Yes, that’s correct.” I gestured to Ivy’s flank. “They were wartime ponies, I suspect.”

“Then it is the property of the Ministry of Wartime Technology, and as such, belongs to the Steel Rangers. Remove it at once. We will take it.” Ivy’s eyes flared in outrage. I stepped in to speak… only to be cut off as the Steel Ranger leader looked at me. “This is Steel Ranger business; do not get involved, Scout.”

I frowned. “Haven is our ally; we’re already involved.”

“Of course you’ll engage in your hero act.” Condescension dripped from his words, and he continued, speaking as if he were reciting things that had been ingrained since birth. “The Steel Rangers exist to protect the wasteland from those who would misuse advanced technology. We maintain, repair and secure those items from those who would do themselves harm, or others, for the purpose of using it for the benefit of Equestria, when it is ready.” He shifted his glare to Ivy, a little passion slipping into his tone. “This wastelander does not know how to safely use that hardware. She will hurt herself at best, and her settlement at worst.”

Ivy grit her teeth, ears pinned back, and took a deep breath, speaking with quiet fury. “I am the sole survivor of the Hope Chapter of the Steel Rangers.” The ponies around her shared glances. “As such, I am intimately familiar with power armor operation and maintenance. And as I am a founding member of this settlement, under Codex Regulation Six-Four-Seven-Bravo, I am duty bound to protect it. This armor will allow me to do that, in lieu of your inability to do so.”

The Senior Paladin looked to her skeptically, but he seemed placated after she showed him a set of dogtags. “Very well. Please accompany me, Scribe. I wish to see what you’re capable of… to be sure Haven is safe under your care.” He paused, starting to move. “It would… put my concerns to rest.”

Ivy glanced from the Ranger to the townsponies, before nodding tightly.

He glanced over his shoulder. “I shall have to hear the tale of your chapter’s final moments later, of course.”

She stiffened, pausing mid-step, before she followed him deeper into Haven. “Of course, Senior Paladin.”

As she trotted off, I looked to her ponies, waving a hoof at the bodies swaying in the wind. “What’s up with them?”

One of the ponies, the beige unicorn who had first let me into Haven, glared at them. “Tumbler tried to stage a coup against the mayor yesterday morning. Bastard.”

I thought back, doing the math. “That’s some strange coincidence, that’s when we were attacked…”

A couple of the wastelanders shared looks.

“Your ponies helped a lot during the attack.” One of his ears was partially missing, the stump wrapped in a bandage, and there was some blood dried into his cheek. “My partner might not have made it if your ponies hadn’t… Thanks.”

Captain Frosty trotted up. “You ponies again, huh? What can I do?”

I cast a gaze at the bodies. “We’re putting together a strike force to get some revenge on these bastards. They took our Overmare, and…” I paused, suppressing a grimace. “There were a lot of casualties. We could use some volunteers.” I glanced the way Ivy had gone. “Power armor would always be useful, if you could spare Ivy...?”

Frosty nodded slowly, and shrugged. “That’s not really my choice, you’ll have to ask Ivy yourself. Sorry.” She turned, trotting back into Haven, and I followed her. “You ponies gonna be staying long?”

“I’ve got some business in Deathcon, but most of my ponies will be staying here to help you with the repair efforts. Should be a couple of hours or so. We’re headed into Baltimare to plan a rescue operation with the assistance of the Crimson Raiders - they were attacked as well. How’s the Mayor?”

Frosty twitched at the mention of the Crimson Raiders, but she said nothing about it. “He’s fine. A couple of your ponies went to see him just as Tumbler started his thing, so…”

I looked to her curiously. “I’d like to see the prisoners, if you took any…”

Frosty gave me a look of mild confusion. “Prisoners?”

“Did you take any…?” I looked around, noting similar looks of confusion from the rest of the wastelanders.

I guess not.

“Why would we…” Her look of confusion deepened.

One of the wastelanders with her chuckled. “Sure we did, boss, don’t you remember?” Everyone turned to the pony, confused, and he grinned, waving a hoof at the bodies. “Right up there!”

A few ponies looked sick, some gave him a disgusted look, some shook their heads, and everyone left, leaving me alone with the wastelander who’d spoken and Frosty. She shrugged and, after a moment, walked off herself.

“Y’all took prisoners?” The wastelander looked at me, curious. “Why?”

“We asked for their surrender, and they did.” I shrugged. “Bodies don’t tell us anything, and they can’t help fix what they’ve done.”

He whistled in amazement. “Honestly? I dunno if y’all are dumb as shit, or kind of brave heroes the wasteland needs. Well, good luck, Scout, you’re gonna need it. Everyone’s watching what you’re doing. Hope it don’t get your dumb asses killed…”

Thank you…?

I think?

#

11:05

I lead Team One to Deathcon to negotiate with the alicorns. Samsiir, the zebra, was taking point, checking for traps. Striker and Rolling Block were chatting quietly, taking up the rear, a rifle held in Block’s magic. To my right, a pace behind, Mend was chatting with Astral. I suspected we’d need an arcane sciences specialist for this.

I looked over the base, from the same spot we’d first observed it, forever ago.

Deathcon was a large military complex, spanning a couple of square kilometers. The north corner and the southern center featured balefire bomb craters. The west contained several hardened buildings surrounding a large, octagonal building, and to the east, balefire missile silos.

In short, the location hadn’t visibly changed all that much. Well, actually… it had. I spotted signs of some salvaging. The gap in the fence we’d entered through last time had been cleared out a bit, and, looking closely, I saw a faint trail that lead off in the direction of Haven.

Looks like clearing out the ghouls had cleared up some looting.

I lead the way to the crater, retracing my steps the way we’d come forever ago, and approached the crater, weapons down. I cast a voice amplification spell. “Attention, alicorns! We’ve come to negotiate.”

A moment later, we were surrounded by alicorns gathered in an imperfect circle, having appeared in a succession of magic flashes one by one, with an out of sync timing.

From the looks of it, these were the rogue alicorns.

I glanced to my team, waving their weapons down, and dispelled the voice spell as one of them spoke. “What is it?”

I took a moment to think, before smiling at them. “Stable 60. What did you want there?”

They all froze for a moment, and shared a look. Several of them started babbling, before being shushed by the one that talked. I guessed she was the leader.

She leaned forward intently, excited. “You... have it? The computer data?” They looked to my Pipbuck.

“It’s at our Stable. What did you want there?” Collage still had a copy of it on his Pipbuck, but I was going to keep that under wraps for now.

I staggered as I saw several different visions, all at once.

I tasted purple again.

Damn it.

I saw the Goddess, the mind of a mad mare who had been screwed by everything, before the war. I saw the life of other ponies, ponies who had been other ponies before they had become part of the Unity. A pony who had been a stallion. Another who had a family before she had been taken.

I saw a mind, all and one all at once. Something like the Goddess… but… not.

“What the hell was that?” I ran a hoof through my mane, looking to the apparent leader of the group. She was a green alicorn, wearing a worn and unbuttoned army jacket. A pair of dogtags hung from a chain around her neck, and a well-worn peaked cap bearing an Equestrian army crest sat carefully perched in her mane.

“I… apologise. We were excited. It is difficult to remember that most ponies are not as… mentally robust as we are.” She glared around, and a few of the alicorns looked ashamed. I nodded slowly, glancing around to my ponies. “Come with us… we will explain somewhere more private.”

“Very well…” The world closed around me sharply, just for a moment. I looked around as my Pipbuck started ticking gently.

I recognized this place… it was the Fancy Buck snack cake warehouse we’d encountered during our first excursion here.

The alicorn leader looked to the door sadly. “This is our private place.”

“I remember this place…” I glanced to the door, the one we’d breached last time we were here.

The alicorns glanced to me. “Come, come…” The one who had spoken led the way deeper into the storage room.

I trotted after her, glancing around. “This is… interesting…?”

Interesting was one way to describe it: it was a two hundred year old warehouse full of irradiated snack cakes that looked like it hadn’t been maintained in two hundred years.

“It is… ‘interesting’, yes.” The leader smiled at me, a look that suggested she knew what I was thinking… I wondered just how far into my mind these alicorns could reach.

She turned, pressing her horn against one of the wall panels. It made a clicking sound, slid backwards half a meter and moved aside, revealing a tunnel leading down.

…

Mend trotted over, drawing his revolver. “A secret tunnel to a secured command center, hidden in a store room full of snack cakes? Really? But why?”

“Wartime ponies and their secret tunnels…” I shrugged.

“Stable 60, Stable 30, Deathcon, where else?” Mend glanced around.

“There was the sewers, too, if those count. Mend, you’re in command until I return. Astral and I are going down with them.”

“Those don’t count, they’re for sewage, not ponies.” Mend frowned, but nodded. “We’ll be here, boss.”

Astral looked to me, clearly worried. I smiled to her encouragingly, and lead the way down into the tunnel after the alicorns.

Entering the tunnel felt the way that reminded me of the suppression ring from last week, and I grit my teeth as everything ‘closed in’ around me.

“So this is a magic suppression field…” I looked to Astral as she spoke, and she continued, glancing around. “This entire place must be enchanted to block unsanctioned magic.”

I thought about that for a moment. “It makes sense to keep it secret.”

Astral shook her head. “If somepony knew what to look for, they could easily discern its existence and location.”

The leader glanced back. “Yes. We were sent here to locate magical items for the Goddess. I was the first inside, and…” She paused. “Some of us did not survive.”

Astral sat down, closed her eyes, and she and the leader crossed horns. Astral made sounds as the two linked up their minds: confusion, understanding, awe.

As they did their horn lock, I looked down to my Pipbuck, which was freaking out and flickering. I tapped the screen with my hoof, and it stopped flickering long enough to inform me that I now had sixty-five thousand, five hundred and thirty-five cheese wheels in my saddlebags.

What the hay is a cheese wheel?

“Ah! Okay… I understand now.” I glanced to Astral as she spoke. “Wow. This is fascinating! I’d wish Tawny was here for this, this would be right up her alley, but…” she trailed off sadly, looking to me.

I frowned. “I assume you’re going to explain what you’re talking about, right?” She opened her mouth, and I stamped my hoof, wincing in pain, before elaborating. “In Equestrian, I mean.”

“Uh. Right.” She closed her mouth, thinking about that. “You know the Goddess?” I nodded, gesturing for her to continue. “Apparently, the Goddess…” She paused. “Short version. Right. It looks like they’re trying to… make something like the Goddess, but not. A…” She looked to the alicorn leader. “... A way to create an entity to serve as an anchor and mediator for their telepathic links, just like the Goddess... but… different? The Goddess is - I think I’m reading this correctly - lead by several different minds all melded together,” the alicorn leader nodded serenely, “but the ritual we have - I’ve looked over it - appears to use only one mind, which should be more stable… A gestalt.”

The alicorn leader nodded, looking pleasantly surprised. “Yes, exactly.”

I looked from the alicorn to Astral. “Can you even do that?”

“I think so.” She frowned, tossing her head. “This really is Tawny’s area of expertise, so I’d need to talk to her first, but I think we could…?”

The alicorn leader had been watching us, and I looked to her. She looked worried. “You don’t sound so confident…”

I shook my head. “She’s just downplaying herself. Astral is one of the brightest minds in our Stable.” I smiled to the alicorn leader. “Honestly, while I can’t guarantee that we can do it, I can guarantee that we’ll give it all we can. If anyone in Equestria can do it, I think it’s us.”

“What do you want… in exchange?” Fear crept into the edges of the alicorn’s expression, and I could feel them broadcasting a feeling of discomfort.

…

I spent a moment calming myself, projecting an air of confidence before speaking. “We’re putting together an alliance to deal with a group who’d attacked us and took our leader. Have you heard of the Star Touched?”

“They’re a clan of zebra ghouls who have spent the past two centuries harassing Equestrians in Baltimare. The Goddess is aware of their existence.” The leader took on a momentary look of contempt. “What exactly do you want from us?”

“We need assistance with this. More ponies is always better, especially alicorns who can teleport and cast shield barriers.” The alicorns shared looks as I spoke. “I’m not asking you to get into the fighting, not if you don’t want to, but ponies that can teleport effectively are… rare. We’ll still help even if you’re not willing to get involved, but… it would be deeply appreciated.”

“Ah…” The alicorn leader nodded. “Understand, Scout, that we are nothing like the Unity: we lack the focus and the fury of those directed by the Goddess, we are few and any one of us dying is terrible loss. Let us consider.”

She crossed horns with a couple of other alicorns with her.

I felt an odd sensation, like… I’d just entered a new chapter in my life, or something.

You know… this might just work…

A month ago, if someone had told me what I’d be doing here and now, I’d have declared them insane. Perhap suggested they see the shrink.

But right now…?

I glanced to Astral, deep in discussion with a couple of other alicorns.

A week ago, the idea of timid but brilliant Astral leaving the Stable would have been madness. As I looked, she giggled at something one of the alicorns had said.

A month ago, I thought the wasteland was nothing but illiterate savages, that needed to be… saved.

Saved from what?

‘Themselves, of course’, a sly voice spoke in the back of my head, ‘you were going to sweep in, guns blazing, and rescue Father, no?’

I sighed.

Damn it, Firefly.

Why are you such a dense idiot?

I stomped my hoof on the floor again, wincing at the spike of pain.

Why is it only now I’m realizing what a dense idiot I am? At the end of it all?

I glanced from the trio of alicorns, to Astral.

But this could work…

The Stable and the alicorns have so little in common… but we’re working together.

The Stable and Haven, other settlements… have more in common… who else could we bring into this?

We’d need the Baltimare Central Exchange. They’re not opposed to us. We could get them. They’d listen to us.

We could get the Raiders. Father has shown interest.

We could get the Rangers, too. There’s an in there… they might listen to us, too.

But is there enough time left…?

There doesn’t have to be. Not for me.

But for us...

Range, Ivory. Cyclone could help. He has the knowledge.

Ivory, under Range’s guidance, might be enough to get some groups together.

This could work…

This could fucking work.

My flanks started to itch, an intensely burning itch, and Astral looked at me suspiciously, one ear swivelling around.

The alicorns paused their private negotiations to stare at me, before stepping back from their horn lock. “Very well. We accept your offer, Scout.”

For some fleeting moment, I felt like I’d just missed something… life-changing?

No, not simply ‘life-changing.’ ‘Once in a lifetime.’

I wondered what it was, before putting it out of my mind. Later.

I turned to give the alicorns a broad smile. “That is… most excellent.”

#

11:35

I returned to Haven to find a pleasant surprise: Stable techs and Rangers were working together, fixing the northern wall. The Rangers were pulling a replacement section of wall up with their power armor, and a couple of Stable ponies were welding it in place.

The alicorns following me looked startled by the Rangers, and one of the Rangers shifted to bring their weapons to bear on the alicorns. “Alicorn!”

Oh, hell.

“Wait, no!” I stepped between the Ranger and the alicorns. “They’re with me.”

After a tense moment, the Ranger went back to work on the wall. The Stable ponies shared a look with the Rangers before going back to work.

Phew.

“Team Two, Team Three, this is Team One, we’ve returned to Haven, over.”

Min responded first, speaking quietly. “Team Two; Dash and I are with the Mayor.” I could hear the Mayor and Dash chatting in the background, discussing trade or something. I picked out ‘rum’, but couldn’t hear anything further over Min.

“How’s he doing?”

After a moment, she responded. “Alive and well?” She coughed into the mic.

“Excellent.” I winced as she coughed. "Cigars?”

“How did you...”

“Call it a hunch, Min. Team Three?”

Ivory responded quickly. “We’re in the Scout station. Weld and I thought we might want to leave some of the stuff we brought here to bolster the station’s defenses.” She paused. “If, uh, that’s okay with you, ma’am?”

“Good thinking, Ivory. Sergeant Helm, sitrep. How’s Haven?”

I could almost hear Chipped Helm shrugging through the radio. “It’s fine now, Captain. The transmitter is being set up now. Would have been useful two days ago...”

“I know…” I frowned, thinking about that. “Not sure radio would have helped, anyways. You seem to have fended pretty well. Casualties?”

“Night Stick was hit, but they’re stable now…” Helm clarified her statement after a moment. “Uh. Pun very much not intended.”

“Understood.” I chuckled grimly. “Firefly out.”

I headed out to the west gate, finding a small crowd of ponies watching Ivy and the leader of the Steel Ranger doing… something. One of Ivy’s hooves was poking out of the leg armor, and the armor was completely locked.

Several ponies looked over to myself and the alicorns with me, but nobody went for their weapons, returning to the spectacle at hoof.

I recognized the Haven resident I’d talked with earlier, and leaned in, speaking quietly. “What’s going on?”

“The tin can over there,” he nodded towards the Ranger’s leader, “rigged an AM pulse to freeze Ivy’s armor. He’s seeing if she can restart her suit from inside.”

“That…” I frowned. “Makes sense, I suppose.” I glanced over at the sound of Ivy swearing and bashing her hoof against the side of her armor repeatedly.

“She’s been doing that on and off for the past ten minutes… there’s been some betting going on.” He waved a hoof at Ivy. “You want in?”

I glanced over the crowd. “What’re the odds in her favor?”

As he began to answer, Ivy squeaked out excitedly, accompanied the sound of her falling over and swearing a little bit more.

“Well done, Scribe. You’ve proven your abilities adequately.” The Senior Paladin offered Ivy his hoof.

“Oh, well then. If you’ll excuse me, I have some caps to collect…” The unicorn trotted off excitedly, leaving me watching Ivy. “Terribly sorry, Stable…”

“It’s been a while since I’ve done that…” Ivy carefully climbed to her hooves.

“According to the field manual, you’re supposed to spread your forehooves before opening the armor.” The Senior Paladin’s entire demeanor had changed, going from arrogant to… charitable.

“Yes, I remember that now...” She looked down, sealing the side of her armor.

“Well… the suit is yours. Do check in with us at some point, though.” I thought I could almost hear a smile in the Senior Paladin’s voice.

“Thank you, sir…” Ivy stepped back, groaning and stretching, and I approached her as she pulled her helmet off. “What can I do for you, Scout?”

“I’d like to ask you to join my group. The attackers took our Overmare, and did the same to several other groups in Baltimare two nights ago.” I paused. “It’s not unlikely that these ponies were involved with the, uh, incident at Haven, too. We’re putting together an alliance to rescue our leaders… a pony with power armor would be incredibly welcome.”

Ivy frowned, flicking an ear back, the one with the missing tip. “What are you asking from me?”

“I’d like you to join us during the attack to retrieve the Overmare.”

“What’re you offering me for it?”

“I expected that the chance for revenge would interest you.”

She looked up and to the right, to her torn ear, a pained look crossing her face. “Revenge missions never end well.”

Fair.

I set about revising my strategy. “Don’t think of it as a revenge mission, then. Think of it as putting down a dangerous gang, for the protection of others in the future.”

“Hey, we want in!” Sky Chaser rushed over to us.

“What do you mean, ‘in’?” Ivy gave her a stern look.

“Your attack, or whatever.” She waved a hoof. “We want to help.”

“Who is your guardian?” I looked to Ivy, and she shrugged.

Sky scowled at me. “I am my own guardian, you dumbass!” I frowned at her, and she quickly backtracked. “I mean… um…? We just want to do something…” Her friend, Ivory Spark, limped over to us gingerly as she continued. “They attacked us! We can’t just let them… get away with that. Can we?” She turned to Ivy with a confrontational scowl. “What about all of that ‘protecting the weak’ crap you always talked about when we were young? Isn’t that what these Stable ponies are doing?”

Ivy took a slow breath, looking from Sky to Ivory, then back to me. “Alright… I’m in. When are we leaving?”

“Soon. I gotta hit up the gun store, we need more hardware.” I looked to my Pipbuck.

12:04

“An hour, two maybe.” I glanced to Ivy, lowering my voice. “You’re okay with them coming?”

“So long as they stay out of the fighting… yes.” She scowled at Sky. “Even if we tell her not to come, she’ll come along anyways. It’s better if we bring her so we can keep an eye on her.”

Sky snickered mischievously.

“Yeah, I know that feeling…” I thought back to the attack on the Stable, seeing Rivets fleeing from me yesterday morning, and I sighed.

I glanced to Sky, leaning down to be even with her, face-to-face. “Okay, Sky.” I glanced to Ivory, standing off to the side. “Ivory. Both of you. This is serious, and I expect you to follow my directions. First time you don’t, you guys are going back somewhere safe. If I tell you to run, you run. If I tell you to hide, you hide. Got it?”

Ivory and Sky both nodded seriously.

“Go get ready to leave, then.” The two of them scurried off, Sky giggling deviously.

I glanced over to see the Senior Paladin watching us impassively. He turned and walked off without a word.

Well.

Alright then.

I looked over to Ivy, and she shrugged. “We’ll meet you at the gate.”

#

I entered the gun store, trailed by Weld, and noticed that almost all of the weapons had been loaded. A general purpose machine gun was set up on a tripod facing the door, pointing above the door, which matched up with kicked up dirt and bloodstains outside the store.

Ick.

The floor was littered with links and machine gun brass. A stack of combat shotguns lay against the counter, bolts locked back, magazines loaded. Loaded magazines were piled on the counter. A foal sitting on the counter was scowling at Weld fiercely and holding a rifle, an oversized steel pot helmet on his head.

The merchant was chatting with a couple of locals, who were buying a box of shotgun shells. They left, and she looked to me.

“How much for the machine gun?” I glanced to it while Weld inspected it.

She shook her head. “S’not for sale. What can I get ya?” She’d picked up some bloody scratches, and an old military combat helmet sat askew on her head.

“I’m not sure about that. Everything’s for sale…” I paused, looking to her slyly. “It’s just a matter of finding the price, right?”

“Kay then!” The mare grinned back at me slyly. “Four thousand caps for the gun, another thousand for the tripod, two hundred for two spare barrels, plus two hundred per can of rounds.” She pointed to an ammo can on the counter. “If you buy it all at once, I’ll toss in the belt loader!”

I spent a moment considering her statement. I was sitting on five thousand caps, plus an unopened case of combat shotguns and various supplies I was sure could turn a handy profit to the right pony…

“Counteroffer: A thousand caps and a sealed case of IF-9 shotguns and magazines, and five thousand caps, in credit, from the Stable for the gun and accessories. Weld, could you get the shotguns?”

She frowned at that, surprised, and I levitated out ten one hundred cap strips, laying them out on the counter in front of her. She leaned down, counting the strips, ears swivelling around.

Weld returned with the case, prying it open with a crowbar.

“You know, hardware isn’t much use if I can’t sell it.” She inspected it, pulling one of the shotguns out and racking the bolt.

The sharp smell of packing grease floated out from the case, and I stepped back slightly.

“True.” I picked up one of the IF-9 magazines sitting on the counter, and the top shell popped out. “Factory sealed magazines, though...” She pulled one of the magazines out, loading a few shells into it.

“Yeah. Alright, done. What else do you need?” She set the shotgun and magazine atop the case.

I returned the shell to the magazine, setting it down carefully. “The Scouts are going to be passing through Haven a lot, so I’d like to suggest an arrangement - anything we acquire that we don’t need, we’ll funnel to you at fair prices, in exchange for fair prices for any hardware we need. I represent a Stable, we have resources…”

“You know… that sounds lucrative.” She smiled slowly. “One stipulation: the next machine gun you encounter, comes to me.”

“Deal. I have a list...” I glanced to Weld, and he levitated an M2000 out of his saddlebags, offering it to her.

She looked over it, nodding along. “I have most of this stuff… suppressors, though.” She shook her head. “Yeah, I don’t have any cans.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Steel, put that rifle down and start prepping this stuff. When you’re done with that, start clearing the weapons.” She slid the Pipbuck over to the foal on the counter before turning back to me. “Hold on, you’re that pony that bought that fucked up IF-9 last week, right?”

Steel rolled his eyes and made a face at her, but hopped off the counter, disappearing out back with the Pipbuck in his teeth.

The mare leaned against the counter, looking at me, pushing her helmet up with a hoof. “So, what happened to it? It fall apart? No refunds.”

I shrugged. “It got replaced…” I grinned, levitating my Ironpony out. “By this.”

“What the hell is that?” She frowned, leaning in to look at it closer.

I removed the mag, racked the action and passed it to her for inspection. “It’s an IF-88 Ironpony, an early prototype.”

“I’ve heard of… yeah, yeah.” She took it, looking over it. “I read an article in some wartime magazine about it. Early prototype? Ten gauge, right?” She snorted. “Good luck feeding it.”

Weld stepped in, grinning proudly. “I’ve been using fireformed and cut down twenty mil cases, actually,” he looked to my kit, “Captain, could you show…”

I cleared my throat. “We’re kind of busy right now, Weld. You can talk shop later. How many caps were you thinking?”

The merchant looked intrigued at Weld’s comments. “A thousand caps for the whole shipment, in addition to the thousand up front for the machine gun, and five thousand in credit. So… two thousand caps right now, five thousand in credit.”

“Deal.” I dug out a scroll, an official Stable document for an IOU. I dug out another ten, one hundred rings of caps and set them on the counter, and she set them and the thousand caps from earlier on the scale hanging behind her as I finished the IOU document.

She studied the scale for a moment, nodded, and swept the caps and scroll under the counter as she turned to face me again. “Pleasure doing business with you, Stable! Anything else I can do for you?” She grinned slyly, gesturing to the rack of cut down rifles. “I’ll toss one of the cut down rifles in for an extra fifty caps. It’s a steal!”

I glanced to the rack, then at the chaotic disorder surrounding me. “I can’t help but notice that you’ve unracked and loaded every single weapon in your store except those rifles…”

Weld took a step over to the rack, studying it with a look of awe and horror.

She cackled, grinning brightly. “Naw, they’re fiiine.”

“How long until this shipment will be ready?” I glanced to my Pipbuck. “I’m not hurrying you, but we are kind of in a hurry…”

“You’re not hurryin’ us, except you are.” I winced apologetically, and she snickered. “Hour, tops. Probably be quicker if we had more hooves.”

“Let’s see what we can do with that.” I stepped over to the door. “Samsiir, Block, get in here.” They entered the store, and I looked from Block to Weld as Block stumbled over some brass, slinging his rifle. “Mind the brass, Block. Weld, you’re in charge of getting this stuff prepped for transit.”

The merchant gave Samsiir a strange look, speaking to me. “Y’all have stripes in your Stable?”

I nodded. “Yeah, we do.”

She shrugged. “Well. Alright then.”

#

The next hour passed quickly. I checked in with the Mayor, received an ice-cold Sparkle Cola from the meat vendor in thanks, and spent a bit wandering the town in the company of Astral, one of the Arcane Sciences ponies from Haven and a dozen Stable and surface ponies.

The Arcane Science pony wasted no time pointing out all of the things they’d done. Plants - edible crops - were being grown, healthy ones in small amounts. Buildings had been erected, replacing some of the tents that had been there the last time I was there.

Eventually the weapons shipment was ready, and we met out by the west gate.

A dozen or so Haven residents had volunteered with Ivy, and their addition made the force more impressive.

Two dozen Stable ponies. About twice that many wastelanders. A group of alicons. A quartet of Steel Rangers…

This is some real firepower.

I glanced up as the wind started to pick up.

The Senior Paladin approached me. “We’ll return to our base and prepare. Send someone to retrieve us when you’re ready.”

Of course.

“Very well. We’ll see you then.” I glanced around to my ponies as the Rangers turned and left us. “Let’s move.”

#

Former Security Officer Pumpkin Blitz

17:13

I took a moment to study the arena. It was square, perhaps ten meters tall and ten wide, built from lengths of pipe welded together and covered with chain link fencing. A sturdy walkway ran along the side, about halfway up.

Serenity was standing on the walkway. "No fatalities or maiming, no magic, wings or weapons. No further rules.”

Joy.

My first attacker stepped forwards as two raiders finished binding my wings - a very large pony. He towered over me, a full head taller, and built like a draft horse.

I spun, bucking the pony in front of me, and he stepped back very slightly, grunting.

“My turn, newbie…” He tensed for an attack, and I hopped backwards.

Crap.

He stepped towards me, and I dove forwards, turning as I did, and grabbed the underside of his armor, crawling under him as he bit down on my tail. I kicked him in the jaw, and he let go. I bucked him between the hind legs as I kicked away from him. I heard him grunting, louder.

Some ponies cheered.

His return kick caught me in the chin as he collapsed behind me, and I tumbled away from him, rolling to my hooves as I spat some blood on the ground. I looked to the side as two ponies rushed me from behind, one on each side.

I ducked low on my hooves, throwing my hind leg out to trip the one on the right, and body slammed the one on the left, jabbing my forehoof into their barrel. The left one fell over, tripping over the first pony and the ponies dragging him out of the ring.

A unicorn approached me, a knife held in her magic. I sidestepped, noticing another pony approaching me from behind.

Background chatter picked up, some in Equestrian, some in another language I didn’t know.

I paced sideways, trying to simultaneously track the knife and both attackers.

I tossed a glance in Serenity’s direction. “I thought you said no weapons or magic?”

She shrugged. “Those rules only apply to you, newbie.”

I hopped sideways, keeping both attackers in sight. “That’s not very fair…”

Some of the spectators chuckled.

Well…

If that’s how it’s going to be.

I glanced up, surveying the arena…

Plenty of space to fly, if I could get my wings free…

I charged the unicorn, and she simply stepped aside, moving the knife where they’d been, in my path, with a bored look of disdain.

Good…

I darted past the knife, running it against the ropes binding my wings.

It didn’t cut all of the ropes, but at least one cut through, and I ‘tripped’, tumbling for a meter as I freed my wings from the ropes.

Distantly I heard Tawny yelling my name.

Freed, I threw myself into the air, spreading my wings.

One of Serenity’s subordinates stepped forward, yelling hotly, only to trail off as Serenity flew up to meet me.

I shifted into a hover a few meters from the chainlink roof of the arena, waiting to see what she was doing, but she rushed me, faster than I’d expected, and we tumbled in the air, grappling.

I rolled backwards, bucking with my hind legs. Serenity squeaked loudly as one of my hooves connected, flipping away from me.

For a moment, I was worried I might have to catch her, but then she recovered. She studied me as the two of us hovered three meters apart, wind blowing through our manes.

She rushed me, and I dropped to avoid her. She grabbed onto the chain links over the arena, and dropped. I slid out of the way, but she grabbed me on the way down, pulling both of us down a meter.

I swung a hoof at her as we connected, and she yelped again, but this time she held on.

She bit me!

The fuck!

I growled, punching her again, this time hitting her in the stomach.

She kicked away from me, hitting me in the stomach. A gust of wind pushed me into the wall hard enough to daze me, and I tumbled along the wall and fell to the ground.

I rolled over to find several Raiders looming over me.

“You ran from the fight.” Two of the Raiders stepped back as Serenity dropped to the ground in front of me, folding her wings. “Explain.”

“The fight was unfair.” A couple of spectators chuckled. I continued as she scowled at me. “There weren’t any weapons I could use, so I found a way to even the fight that wouldn’t get anyone killed.”

Serenity frowned. “By… rushing a unicorn levitating a knife?”

“I was hoping that she wouldn’t try to stab me, based on the ‘no fatalities’ rule.” I pulled my wings in tight against my flanks.

“A bold assumption.” Serenity curled her lip.

I nodded.

After a moment, Serenity turned and walked off, out of the arena, flicking me across the muzzle with her tail. “Goldie, Tin.” She approached a pair of ponies, both wearing what looked like lieutenant bars.

Serenity addressed the male, speaking in the same odd language I’d heard while fighting in the pit. I tuned it out, studying the two.

The male - Tin Wall - was an older, stern-looking earth pony, slate grey with a pale green mane with the everpresent red streaks. A well-formed beret sat atop his mane. He seemed frustrated by Serenity’s question.

The other pony - Golden Peony - was a very pretty pale yellow and pink unicorn, with her mane in a braid. She looked a few years older than I was, maybe around Firefly’s age. She spoke calmly, glancing to Lieutenant Wall.

I picked out a few words in Equestrian - Firefly’s name, my name, Stable, Tartarus.

Serenity looked to Lieutenant Peony. Lieutenant Peony looked to me, speaking. “Blitz - what role did you perform in the Stable team?”

“Uh, navigator, ma’am.” I shifted, glancing to the Raiders surrounding me.

“Thank you!” She smiled and turned back to Serenity and Lieutenant Wall, giving an impassioned little speech. Serenity seemed happy, Lieutenant Wall satisfied.

Serenity returned. “Well done, Blitz. You broke the letter of direct orders, while following the spirit of those orders. You need to work on sharing your experiences and working with others more directly. But well done.”

“Despite our name, we’re not just raiders or fighters. We’re trades ponies first and fighters second. We exist to serve and protect the ponies of Baltimare, whether or not they want it. We only strike in defense, but when we do, we strike until the attacker is incapable of further action. We fix problems, whether it’s with a wrench or a gun.” She offered me her hoof. “Do you accept these rules?”

“Uh, yes, ma’am!” I took her hoof.

She pulled me up to my hooves. “Good. Until this operation is over, you’ll be my personal assistant and advisor. Following that, you’ll be assigned a unit, provided you don’t fuck up... or get killed.”

“What about my partner?” I looked to Tawny. “She’s with me.”

Everyone looked to Tawny, and I was proud to see her not cower from the attention.

“She’ll have to work for her keep as well, but I’m sure there’s something she can do.” Serenity nodded and turned around, looking to the Raiders surrounding her. “Whadya think, Raiders?” She grinned, yelling. “Is this pony worthy of joining our ranks?”

The Raiders cheered, stomping their hooves in approval.

“Welcome to the Raiders, newbie.” She spoke quietly to me, one wing around me, a hoof pointed out at the surrounding Raiders. “That was a pretty good show. Keep it up and you’ll do just fine, Blitz.”

I heard the gate opening, and Serenity turned to face a runner as he galloped over. “Major! The Stable unit has arrived.” The runner was a kid, a unicorn, maybe in his early teens.

Tawny hugged me, and I wrapped a wing around her, hugging her back.

I trotted over to her, Tawny beside me. Serenity looked over to Lieutenant Wall, pointing a wing at Tawny. “Tin, take the civvie, find out what she’s good at and get the two of them some quarters.” Serenity looked to me. “Blitz! Goldie! On me.” She cast her gaze on the rest of everyone surrounding us. “Everyone else, return to your duties.”

Everyone saluted and filed away as Serenity turned, trotting off towards the gate at a fast clip, Lieutenant Peony following. I followed, galloping to catch up.

The Stable team had arrived, and they’d come in force. Most of the Stable Security department, and they’d picked up more ponies - surfacers it looked like. They even had a pony in a suit of power armor, but it didn’t look like Steel Rangers’ armor; the markings on the flanks and chest were way too worn. And some alicorns? I noticed Firefly’s mother surrendering ammo to the ponies at the gate, and quickly looked for my parents.

Fortunately, neither Mother or Father had come.

I recognized a few of the wastelanders as the ponies who’d attacked the Stable.

What the hell was Firefly thinking?

Ivory waved to me from the head of her own team. I raised a wing at her, smiling.

Firefly approached Serenity. “Where’s your Ops center?” Firefly had cut her mane, and she towered over Serenity, easily a head taller than the pegasus in front of her. Not that Serenity seemed any smaller, with her wings flared.

Serenity frowned, then turned, folding her wings. “This way. Blitz, with me.”

Firefly looked to me for a long moment, her expression unreadable as she met my eyes. She then smiled, a friendly but wary look. “Blitz.”

I smiled back to her lightly. “Captain Firefly.”

She then glanced over her shoulder, to Lieutenant Dash. “Dash, you’re in command. Coordinate with the Raiders. Sands, Starlight, Shine, on me.”

Serenity directed Lieutenant Peony to Lieutenant Dash, turned to Firefly, and gestured for us to follow, leading the way to the command center. Min, Nimble, Plat and an alicorn in some wartime officer gear followed Firefly.

#

The command center was full, ponies bustling about. Serenity, Firefly and the alicorn headed to the table at the center, joining General Azure and Matchlock.

Azure wasted no time in getting to the point. “Do you know where the attackers are hiding?”

Firefly shook her head. “I have a team on it. They should be reporting in by tomorrow or the day after. The Steel Rangers have agreed to support us.”

Matchlock glanced around, from Serenity to Firefly. “Are you sure these ‘Star Touched’ are to blame, though?”

Serenity looked from Matchlock to Firefly, then back to Matchlock. “It seems like a reasonable assessment, given what we’ve put together, sir. The time tables and mode of operation match up. The Stable found bodies linking them. I think there’s too much to be just coincidence. We’ll conduct recon of our own.”

Matchlock cast a look at Firefly, speaking to Serenity. “You’re willing to trust the word of these… underground dwellers? After your father was the only thing preventing you from hunting down and killing them last week?”

“That was then. This is now.” Serenity glared at Firefly for a moment, before looking to Matchlock. “Everypony gets a second chance, sir…”

There was definitely some history behind that comment that I didn’t get.

Matchlock frowned in irritation, but said nothing.

Firefly winced at that statement, and shook her head. “The pony who first suggested the Star Touched was Cyclone, the, uh…” She paused. “Ghoul from the police station?”

Azure nodded. “Yes, we know who he is. That’s fair, Captain.” He continued, looking at Serenity. “Major, have we received any word from the Second or Third Armies?”

“Not since last week, sir.” Serenity shook her head. “Last word we received was that Second is busy on a mission with the Southern Talons, and Third is still on a salvage patrol to the west. We’ve sent runners, but it could be a week before we get answers…” She trailed off, and Azure nodded, the room falling silent for a moment before moving on to numbers.

I tuned the conversation out, glancing to the Stable team next to me.

Nimble had lost a significant amount of weight, and she’d picked up several superficial cuts and bruises. Her mane was pulled back into a loose, messy bun, in sharp contrast to the clean style she’d used to wear it. “Hey, Nimble. You’ve lost some weight.”

Nimble nodded, glancing down at herself. “Rough couple of weeks.”

“You look good.” I grinned. “Tough. Sexy confidence.”

“Thanks, Blitz.” Nimble looked back to me, confident but curious. “Tawny with you?”

“Yeah. She’s getting us some quarters.” I glanced from Nimble to Min.

Min glanced away quickly, running a hoof against her muzzle, along the stripe running down her face. She’d brushed her bangs back, and a pair of pistols were slung across her chest. She’d picked up some heavy armor plates, and on closer inspection, her kit shifted around a lot less than it had last time.

I glanced to Platinum. “Hey, Plat.” She smiled to me wanly. “How’s the Stable doing?”

Plat sighed. “Not so great. Some of the attackers hit the orchards and burned down a bunch of the trees.” She looked calm and collected, but there was tension in her eyes.

“I knew there were still infiltrators…” I shook my head.

“Correct…” Plat glanced down, adjusting her rifle.

“She is coming…” The alicorn in the army hat spoke quietly, over the conversation. Everyone fell silent, confused, looking to her. A couple of unicorns cocked their heads, listening to something nopony else could hear.

I couldn’t, anyways, and I had excellent hearing. I looked to Nimble - the nearest Stable unicorn - and she shrugged.

A moment later, several alicorn drones teleported in. There was a half dozen alicorns in the center of the room, surrounding the table in the middle, intermingled with Firefly and the Raiders’ brass.

Many ponies scrambled for cover or weapons.

Several yelled or screamed.

I raised my beam rifle, hopping backwards as it charged with a high pitched whine.

Beside me, Min drew her weapon as I shifted my aim to the nearest alicorn.

Someone yelled to hold fire.

After a moment of nobody opening fire, I glanced down to my EFS.

There were no hostile pings. I lowered my weapon, slipping it back on to safe, and assessed the situation.

Min had drawn one of her pistols, and I raised a wing, covering her with it. “Min, put your weapon down. Your gun is empty, and they’re not attacking.”

Min stepped away from me, scowling, and reluctantly but carefully holstering her weapon, freezing as she looked up to see one of the drones staring at her with a singular, intense look.

I could sense the Goddess was pleased by our reactions. The drones weren’t smirking, but you could tell - their starry manes floated in a smug sort of way.

That may have been just how they always floated, though.

One of the drones stared at me, and I smirked back at it.

The Goddess waited a long, dramatic moment before speaking. “GREETINGS, PONIES OF BALTIMARE! THE GODDESS DEMANDS TO SEE THE SO-CALLED ‘CRIMSON ALICORN’.”

Azure spoke. “Who?”

“BY THE SUN, YOU PONIES ARE DIM.” Various ponies shared a look of confusion. “SURELY YOU MUST KNOW THE CRIMSON ALICORN. THE ONE WHO CALLS HIMSELF KING OF THIS MERRY BAND OF RAIDERS AND NE'ER-DO-WELLS.”

Serenity glanced around the drones, speaking to the closest. “You must mean my father…?”

“There’s a clan of zebras who have taken him.” Firefly stepped forward, and the drones all looked to her. “The Star Touched.”

The Goddess sneered. “WE ARE AWARE THEIR OF EXISTENCE.”

“I would like to… ask for your assistance, to rescue him. Please.”

“WHY SHOULD WE HELP YOU?”

“You need us.”

“PARDON?”

“You don’t have enough fighters to deal with everything going on in the rest of the wasteland, on top of this venture, as well. Let us help you.” The Goddess said nothing, but you could tell Firefly’s words had struck something with her. “We could be useful as cannon fodder, before you step in to rescue him.”

Firefly, what the fuck?

Many of the ponies watching shared uncomfortable looks. I shared one with Nimble, and she shrugged.

The Goddess considered that, all of them staring at Firefly in a creepy manner. “VERY WELL, STABLE PONY. WHERE IS HE BEING HELD? WE SHALL LIBERATE HIM.”

“We’re looking, but we haven’t located them yet.”

“I SUGGEST YOU CHANGE THAT. QUICKLY.” The Goddess stared at Firefly for a long moment. “WE SHALL CONDUCT OUR OWN SEARCH AND RETURN.” The Goddess scowled at everyone, particularly the few Raider zebras present, before looking to the alicorns, then Firefly. “I SEE YOU HAVE ACQUIRED SOME FRIENDS.”

“You asked us to observe them.” Firefly shrugged. “Things changed.”

The Goddess looked to her for a long moment, before teleporting off without a further word.

That was… interesting.

Everyone looked to Firefly, before Azure spoke, quietly but calmly, “Return to your duties, everyone.”

“Cannon fodder?” Serenity spoke furiously, hopping on the table. “What are you gonna do when the Goddess finds out my father isn’t an alicorn, Stable pony? Run to your shitty little concrete hole in the ground?”

Firefly cleared her throat, glancing to Serenity with a confident look. “The Goddess will be more receptive to ideas if she thinks she chose to do them, based on our suggestions, rather than if she was told to do them. If she thinks we’re assisting in her operation, as expendable pawns, well…” She fell silent, letting the room think over that, before continuing, quietly, intently. “Nobody here is expendable, but if the Goddess thinks of us that way…” She glanced about the room. “Finally, no. We’re not going to run and hide in the Stable if this goes south. We’re committed to the surface.” She paused again, glancing down. “We can’t just do that anymore, even if we wanted to.” She looked to Azure.

Serenity frowned, awed by that. “Okay, fine. I can’t argue with that logic, but cannon fodder?”

Firefly scowled at Serenity, but before she could respond, Matchlock interrupted them. “Major. Captain. Please. Major Serenity brings up a good point, but the Goddess brought up a more critical point: We don’t know where Crimson is. All the planning and arguing in the world won’t do us any good if we don’t know where we need to go.”

Firefly took a deep breath, before speaking again. “I believe I have an idea, actually. Our Overmare has a Pipbuck, and we should be able to track it. If we find the Overmare, we should find the rest of the prisoners.”

Azure nodded slowly. “Crimson has a Pipbuck, as well.” Azure looked from Serenity to Firefly. “These ponies are supposed to be tech savvy, Captain? They may have taken her and Crimson’s Pipbucks.”

Firefly nodded. “Unless they’ve taken the Pipbucks somewhere else, they should at least lead us to where they are, or to some tracks that will lead us to them. Exploring ‘maybes’ is pointless.”

“That seems solid, Captain.” Azure looked to Serenity. “Major, please take a squad and investigate the Pipbucks.”

“Major, I suggest you take Lieutenant Dash’s team with you… I’d like to take a squad of Raiders with my own team while I gather some allies around Baltimare.”

Serenity thought about that for a moment, before smiling. “Very well. You may take Lieutenant Peony’s team.”

Firefly glanced to her Pipbuck and nodded. “Excellent.”

“Blitz, let’s move.” Serenity glanced to me, turning and heading for the entrance.

“See ya later, Star, Shine.” I trotted over to Serenity, waving a wing at the Stable ponies.

As I turned to leave, I heard Azure saying something about “alicorn proofing the command center” and Firefly offering him some of her ponies to help with that.

#

An hour and a half later, Serenity and I ended up on the roof of the guardhouse atop the gate, overlooking the main courtyard. The Stable unit had been given some quarters.

The pony with power armor - someone from Haven, it turned out - had stripped out of her armor and was painting the flanks with Mend. A few Raider specialists were looking over the armor.

Ivory had gathered a small crowd, Stable ponies, Raiders, kids and even a few alicorns, watching her practice her teleporting. After a few teleports, she teleported herself out of her kit, bowing.

Several ponies cheered.

That’s… quite a bedroom trick there, Ive…

“So.” Serenity waved a hoof at the ponies in the courtyard as she spoke. “Tell me about the Stable.”

I looked over to Serenity as she spoke. “I… I can’t tell you anything about the Stable’s defenses…”

“I don’t give a shit about the Stable itself. If we wanted it, we could have taken it at any time during the past decade.” Serenity frowned, a look of contempt crossing her face. “Firefly. You seem to have a pretty high opinion of her. Why? There’s no fucking reason we shouldn’t have been able to catch you ponies last week.”

“Yeah, she’s made some bad decisions… she’s always idolized Crimson, at least the Crimson she knew before he ran off. I think she wanted to… show up, guns blazing, and rescue her father from whoever was holding him, so she could bring him home and have a nice, happy family again.”

Serenity frowned. “Well, this is kind of interesting for the history books, but I honestly don’t care. All I want out of this conversation is the answers to two questions: What is Firefly going to do, and what are you going to do if this goes south?”

“Oh, uh, okay. Lemme think…” I looked to Tawny and our eyes met; she waved a hoof in my direction, and I smiled back to her. She’d discarded her barding, and was still wearing the dress she’d been wearing for Crescent’s memorial. “Right…” I glanced back to Serenity. “I don’t know what Firefly is going to do, but I do know you can take her at her word. If she says she’s your friend, she’ll stick by that until something changes, and when something changes, you’ll know it.” I shrugged, waving a hoof. “Gunfire, enraged screaming, very dramatic unicorn kind of stuff.”

Serenity thought about that, grimacing. “Typical unicorn stuff.” She shrugged. “That’s what I was looking for, I guess. And you?”

“I don’t know…” I frowned, laying my head down on my hooves. “All I know is I’m not going back to the Stable. It’s not my home anymore, it’s just a concrete hole in the ground I came out of… if I’m not welcome here, I’ll find somewhere else with Tawny, but… not back to the Stable.”

Serenity put her hoof on my shoulder. “Blitz, so long as you don’t turn on us, you’ll always be welcome here.” I smiled. “You should talk to my father… I think that’s how he feels about it, too.”

I shifted, glancing down to the courtyard, then back to Serenity. “So, uh… if you don’t mind, what’s the story with Matchlock?”

Serenity sighed, closing her eyes. I studied her. She was probably a little smaller than me, but about my age. She had Firefly’s palette, but her eyes were a different color, and she wore her mane in a short, spiky style. Her barding was a little worn, but still well kept, some sort of wartime military armor, with the Equestrian military symbols replaced with the profile of a bloodred gear with nine cogs - the Stable door. A grenade pin dangled from one of her ears.

After a moment, she spoke, opening her eyes and looking to me. “When I was young, I asked my mom that question. She told me, ‘fear the old in a life where ponies die young.’” She frowned, playing with something on her kit. “I didn’t understand what she meant then, but I do now…” I looked to her, not sure what to say, and she continued. “He’s dangerous, he’s smart and he’s well-liked among his army. Dad can’t just kill him, and he knows that, but Celestia damn it…”

“He’s got a habit of doing his own operations?”

“Yes, all the armies are free to do their own operations.” Serenity waved a hoof. “They’re encouraged, actually. It’s good for us to be out there, helping ponies.” She glanced to me. “We don’t just hide out in our base and leave to murder ponies.” She waved off in the distance, toward one of the one-twenty-seven mil mounts. “Remember the destroyer I mentioned? The Pudding? That’s what we do. Someone found it run aground, and hired us to free it and help fix it.”

“You… fixed the ship?” I looked over to the gun, then back to her, curiously.

“We’re not just raiders or soldiers, remember?” She waved to the courtyard. “First Army, Second Platoon’s 2IC is a machinist, and half of her unit are mechanics of some type. They’re not… ship experts, but a turbine engine is a turbine engine, right?”

“Uhh, sure?” I shrugged.

“I dunno, I’m not a mechanic, that’s just what they told me.” She waved a hoof. “But the ship works, so...”

“Okay, so…” I leaned forward. “You only… occasionally... murder whole settlements?”

“Before last week…” Serenity frowned, thought about that, then shrugged. “The first and last time we did that was after someone tried to kidnap me.” She considered, chewing on her lip. “My mother was killed during the attempt, so...”

I yawned, stretching my wings. “Why would someone want to kidnap you?”

Serenity smiled to me, a look that says, ‘oh you simple idiot’ and so much more in a moment. “I am… the eldest daughter of King Crimson, the first Raider Princess and his favored daughter.”

“… oh. Right.” I sat up. “You’re a… Princess? Should I… bow or something?”

“Please don’t.” Serenity snickered softly. “Dad stopped calling us that after the attempt. That’s entirely dad’s phrasing, by the way, I hate it.” She fell silent, glancing over the courtyard, before speaking quietly, glancing over to me. “Matchlock was behind that, I know it.”

“He was…?”

“I don’t… know that.” She slammed her hoof on the roof below us. “Not conclusively. It’s just hearsay from siblings.” Serenity shook her head, and scowled angrily. “That’s why his head isn’t on a pike in front of the gate. He’s been doing more shit recently, getting bolder and bolder. Shame your ponies aren’t trustworthy enough to give evidence…” She shrugged. “Well, either way, we’ve got bigger problems right now.” She dug through her kit, pulling out a pouch and offering me a strip of something. “You hungry?”

I looked to it closely. “What is it?”

“Radigator jerky. It’s from that ‘gator last week.” She grinned. “It tried to eat you. What better than to turn around and eat it, eh?”

I looked to it, wary… what the hell. I shrugged, popping it into my mouth. It was tough, a little salty and a little sweet, with a bunch of spices I’d never tasted.

“Hey, this is pretty good.” I spoke, my mouth full of tough meat. “Kind of tough, though.” I coughed, spraying a little jerky on Serenity. “Uh, sorry.”

She gave me a look of disgust, wiping some jerky off her cheek. “Do you Stable ponies… usually talk with your mouths full?”

I hurriedly covered my mouth and swallowed before responding. “Uh, no, sorry, ma’am.”

“You may not want to do that out here...” Serenity rose to her hooves, tucking her jerky away. “Right, time to move. We’ve got things to do, places to be, ponies to find and murder.”

She threw me a savage grin, and I responded with one of my own as I followed her off the roof, spreading my wings.

#

Sergeant Cyclone

15:06
Wednesday

I paused as I entered the city square, a few blocks north of the Central Exchange.

During the war, this place had been bustling, ponies going every which way, everyone doing something.

Now?

It was dead. Dead and empty except for the souls of the ponies who had perished here when the bomb detonated.

I’d later learned, it had been inside the war memorial across from the city council hall, detonated in the early hours of the work day. Now the war memorial was an irradiated crater… I glanced to my Pipbuck as it started ticking harshly.

For anypony else, a few minutes of that would lead to a slow, painful death. For me? It was a… pleasant, warm feeling. Somepony had once compared it to drinking a coffee, or hot chocolate, just the perfect temperature. Revitalizing and comforting.

I glanced from my Pipbuck to the crater, before approaching the crater edge and kneeling, taking a moment to remember ponies who had died, both those whose shadows eternally painted the walls of the city square, and friends who had died during the war.

Time to go; I have things to do, to prevent my new friends from becoming dead, too.

I slipped into the sewers, following the tunnels almost on instinct, having gone this way so many times in the past two centuries.

“Greetings! Welcome to-” Chains approached me with the starry-eyed look he always greeted new ponies with.

“It’s just me, Chains, drop the crazy cultist act.” I patted him on the shoulder as I walked past him.

“Oh, it’s you, Cyclone. What brings you down here? It’s been...” Chains had been a prominent jeweler during the war. In the intervening two centuries, like most of us, he’d become a bit eccentric.

“A couple of decades, yeah. Sorry, no time to chit-chat, I’m here on business. I need to see Graff, is he here?”

“I’m here.” Former Baltimare police detective Donut Graffiti emerged from the shadows. He’d picked up an eye patch since I’d last seen him, and his suit had some more holes. Bullet holes, by the looks. “What do you need now?”

“I’m here to call in a favor.” I took a step towards him.

“I don’t owe you any favors, Cyclone.” Graffiti shook his head. “Not after New Reino.”

“Not me - Amaranth.”

Graffiti snarled, teeth bared. “I don’t owe him fucking anything. If it weren’t for him, I would have been the chief of police.”

“If it hadn’t been Amaranth, it would have been someone else. Baltimare PD had been outed as incredibly corrupt, and Image was going to do something.” As I spoke, ghouls - most of them wartime ponies who had taken shelter in the sewers - clustered around. “If it hadn’t been for him, you’d have died in that cell. Either way, it wouldn’t have lasted. The bombs fell a month later, remember?” I shook my head. “The head of Stable 30 is his great granddaughter. Do this and your debt to him is cleared.”

Graffiti thought about that, glancing around. “Yeah. Alright. What do you want?” I could tell he hadn’t been convinced by my argument, but by the looks of his followers.

“The Star Touched. Where are they?”

“The Star Touched?” Graffiti looked to me, confused. “Do they even exist?”

“Don’t bullshit me, Graff.” I glared at him. “You were in undercover investigations, you always know who’s talking to who.”

Citrine, the group’s sole crystal pony, looked to me, her ears twitching. “What’s going on, Cyclone?”

I turned to her. “They attacked Stable 30, the Crimson Raiders, and Princess knows who else. They took the Stable’s Overmare, King Crimson, and several other surface leaders.” I looked to the other ponies surrounding us, raising my voice slightly. “The Stable is putting together an alliance to rescue their leaders.”

“I wouldn’t mind getting back at them… they bombed Baltimare, didn’t they?”

“Yeah.” I nodded slowly, glancing around at the ponies surrounding me. I looked Cans in the eyes, getting a determined nod back. Cans had been a sound engineer at the radio station during the war, and was a prominent member of the ghouls.

Graffiti approached me, circling. “You’re starting to sound like you’re the Stable’s pet. Faithfully telling them where the bad ponies are…”

“They’re murderers and kidnappers, nothing more. Before the bombs, I’d be chasing them to put them behind bars. Now...” I shook my head. “I just want the stripes dead.” I waved a hoof off in the distance angrily. “Stable 30 wants the stripes dead. We all want the fuckin’ stripes dead. Right?”

“Why should we get involved with the surfacers’ problems?” He stepped around me, on my other side.

"Long term? They’ll help us if we help them. They’ll owe us one, and Stable 30 has the conscience to stick to it. Short term? The more guns pointed at the stripes, the better chance we all walk away in one piece.”

Graffiti hesitated for a moment, before nodding slowly. “Yeah…”

He took an awful long time to respond…

Hm. I wonder...

“Fine. We’ll look into it.”

Cans spoke up. “We want in on the attack, too!” She looked around, and the ponies surrounding us stepped in, giving out sounds of agreement.

“Well, Graff. Looks like you’re in.” I wrapped my hoof around his shoulder, grinning.

#

The zebra entered the small cell, worryingly boisterous to the prisoners.

“I have some good news, and I have some bad news.”

The Equestrians present shared a look, before the yellow unicorn snarled, “get on with it already.”

The raider sighed. Impatient unicorn mares.

“Well, if you insist… the good news is, you get to choose who goes first.” The four prisoners shared looks of concern at that vague pronouncement.

The Stable unicorn spoke, wary confusion coloring her tone. “Goes first for what, precisely?”

The undead zebra leered at her. “Ah, yes. Your parts will be used to help protect the world from the Deus Malicus. Your horn will be useful for hexes.” He turned to scowl at the pegasus. “Your feathers, too, will be useful. But only if they’re harvested while your heart still beats. That’s the bad news for you, of course. But it’s good for everyone else!”

The four ponies shared a look.

Shockingly, nopony was rushing to be first.

The pegasus spoke. “I’ll do it.” Everyone looked to him as the zebra trotted over to him.

“I expected you to say that, pegasus.” He walked past the pegasus, out of his line of sight, before kicking him in the side with his cybernetic leg with a sickening crunch. “I’m afraid not. It will hurt you more to see them die before you. You and your fucking winged kind, with your cursed airships.” The zebra trotted away, looking to the Stable unicorn. “Take her.”

His followers released her from her bonds, and she struggled, shrieking as she lashed out with her hind leg, kicking one of the zebras in the face hard enough to draw blood.

It was a good strike… but there was no follow-up to keep the others at bay, no further movement to free herself or her allies.

One of the zebras, a non ghoul, struck her with a baton at the base of her horn, and she yelped, going limp.

The door sealed behind the Overmare, and Crimson sighed, summing everyone’s thoughts up in a single word.

“Fuck.”

Author's Note

It's been a while. Over a year, in fact. Sorry about that, IRL issues happened. Family almost died. Life-changing realizations happened. Fun stuff.

Had planned to get this out for Christmas but delays happened. Merry late Christmas, maybe?

With this, StSc moves ever closer to completion. The next chapters should be shorter and faster to come.

Chapter 18 - Going Hot

Fallout Equestria: Stable Scout
Chapter 18
Going Hot

Corporal Nimble Shine

Ministry of Morale observation post overlooking the Aquastrian Embassy
Saturday
05:50

It’d taken three days to locate the captives. Three days’s worth of Scouts and Crimson Raiders pooling together their investigative capabilities, of prying scraps of intel from frightened and suspicious locals, of bribing caravan owners to extend the range of our search farther, and three days of dealing with Steel Rangers and the Unity alicorns’ reluctance to be of any help despite possessing the best scouting potential between the two of them.

At last, large thanks to a few lucky breaks, and Cyclone’s underground connections, we had been able to confirm our enemy’s base of operations - an extensive prewar network of sewer tunnels running under one of the least hospitable parts of Baltimare. Both the Crimson Raiders and the Steel Rangers avoided this place. It was a massive bizarrely designed building, which had at one point served as an embassy to an obscure sea pony nation, and now apparently had become a sort of black market bartering post and a hideout for lowlives so shifty and violent that not even area raider gangs would have them.

The Aquastrians, whom the embassy had been originally built to accommodate, were a sea-dwelling people, so the building’s underworks was said to be comprised of a lot of pipes, tunnels and reservoirs, all connected to the sewer system and the harbor. A pink storm had come through, covering the region in pink slime. Many of the underground waterways had become dangerously flooded.

We were in an upper level of a building overlooking the objective - the Aquastrian Embassy. This appeared to be a wartime observation point. Judging by the ominous posters of a violently pink old mare informing us that she was watching us forever, I suspected it had been a Ministry of Morale operation.

We’d settled in a few hours ago. A couple of wasteland volunteers were still ferrying some equipment up. The command post was a room over with Generals Matchlock and Azure, the alicorn leader and a few other important officials.

I glanced at the poster again.

I could swear her eyes were following me.

“Would someone please take that fuckin’ poster down?” I stepped over to Plat, who was looking at the building through a window, her new rifle deployed on a table beside the window. “See anything?”

She shrugged, stepping back quietly. “No change in the past five minutes since you last asked, Shine.”

A couple of griffons dropped through a hole in the ceiling. They’d requested to join the rescue operation. Their contract for protecting the hospital applied to the contract signer as well, apparently.

After everything had come in, Firefly and the Raider leaders had settled on two simultaneous attacks. Firefly would lead a force through the sewers to rescue the prisoners. As soon as the prisoners were located and rescued, Ivory and several of the ‘rogue’ alicorns would teleport the entire team back to a staging point a block over. Serenity would lead a force to attack the Embassy on the surface, to keep their eyes focused up. If reports about this area were correct, the enemy would occasionally retaliate against perceived threats to the Embassy, in their own cowardly ways, so the thinking behind Serenity’s attack was to coax them out from their underground tunnels, clearing the way for the rescue team.

The bulk of the Crimson Raider forces and most of the wastelander militia and mercenaries from the BCE, now all under the command of Azure, had been stationed across the area near all known sewer and maintenance tunnel access points, prepared to ambush whoever emerged from there after the shooting at the Embassy started.

Matchlock’s smaller force was currently standing guard at the HQ..

We couldn’t determine if the ponies in the Embassy weren’t part of the abduction, so it’d been decided to mark them as unknown. Serenity’s Raiders were aiming to make a lot of noise, primarily, rather than to kill anyone specifically. However, several officers, including General Matchlock and the Steel Rangers, had expressed a desire to be far more aggressive and to properly storm the location.

I assumed that it had something to do with politics between the Embassy and Raiders.

“One-One in position.” That was Firefly’s unit, going in through the sewers. A detachment of the wasteland “volunteers” rounded out her group, and some of the ghouls from the sewers to guide them.

“One-Three in position.” That was Ivory, securing Firefly’s exfiltration route. Another detachment of wasteland volunteers were with her.

“Two-One copies all. Two all in position.” Two was the Raiders under Major Serenity, Blitz and Lieutenant Dash’s force, One-Two. The Steel Rangers were nominally attached to her command, though most of us suspected they’d just do whatever they wanted. So long as they weren’t shooting at us, whatever they were doing was probably helpful.

An alicorn, a green in a ragged jacket, popped into the room next to me, speaking quietly. “Firefly says they have located the captives. They are going in.”

Off in the distance, I heard gunfire. Serenity’s Raiders were starting their diversion assault.

#

Captain Firefly

Under the Aquastrian Embassy
06:02

Even with the route scouted out in advance, and Cyclone’s friends guiding the team, navigating the murky underground had proven frustrating for One-One, with only the flickering unevenly spaced maintenance lights to push back the dark; most of the team were equipped with PipBucks and torches, but kept them turned off to avoid giving away our position. All things considered, however, I felt proud of how smoothly my Scouts had transitioned into moving in a single file through the cramped environment, while the wastelanders stumbled and walked into walls every now and again.

The guides had said there it was a five minute trot from the tunnel entrance to their destination, but with the entire team trying to be stealthy while carrying their combat gear and medical supplies, and avoiding stepping into puddles of unidentifiable goo and into piles of age-old debris and rusted wiring and junk, it felt like half an hour had passed before our slow pace had brought us to where the captives were. The tunnels smelled… wrong, somehow. Mold was growing on the walls, but they looked relatively sturdy and well built.

Wastelanders were maintaining security around us, and we’d settled next to the door that held the captives. I nodded as Ivory passed the message back, confirming everyone knew the captives were here. A message had come in a little earlier from the HQ: just as we’d expected, following the beginning of Serenity’s mock assault, the ambush teams had reported figures in stealth coats climbing out, followed by a prewar zebra ghouls; they’d attempted to capture a few for interrogation, but a fight had broken out, and now there were a dozen skirmishes going on topside between Azure’s forces and what I could only assume the ones responsible for taking the Overmare. Oh, and Crimson, too.

I’d been relieved to learn from the scouts that the prisoner area had been left lightly guarded, but with the fighting in progress outside, these few remaining guards would likely be wound up and twitchy. That ruled out any chance of negotiations - saving the captives took precedence.

“Ready SATS.” I looked around. “Do it, Samsiir.” I looked to Samsiir, and he bucked the door open.

Swan Striker, Rolling Block and I activated SATS as Samsiir rolled sideways, and moments and a brief cacophony of gunfire later, the two guards watching the captives were dead from several hits each.

One of the wastelanders on security whistled. “Damn, that SATS is pretty cool shit, eh?”

I nodded curtly, stepping inside over one of the bodies.

The captives were suspended from the ceiling by their hooves. Crimson, Doctor Rez from the hospital, Sheriff Splinter from the Central Exchange… and no Overmare.

“Well, you certainly took your time.” Crimson looked rough. Blood had dried to his muzzle, and the fur on his barrel was messed up.

I looked to the corners, confirming the room was clear. “Didn’t know where you were. We needed to do some detective work.”

Crimson glanced around, watching the ponies entering. “I was expecting my other adult daughter, but who am I to complain about a free rescue…?”

“Serenity’s topside, making a lot of noise.” I looked past him. “Where’s the Overmare?”

“What? You’re not going to even pull your poor father down before interrogating him?”

I released his restraints, and he fell to the floor roughly, making several undignified noises.

Block was helping Splinter down. “They took her, I’m afraid. Don’t know where.” She snickered as Crimson fell, along with a couple of the wastelanders with us.

I passed him a canteen and a couple of ration bars as I untied his wings. He nodded gratefully, washing the blood off of his face.

Rez stood up, stretching her legs. “They said they were going to… ‘harvest her parts’.” Samsiir shivered.

“Do you know where they took her?” I turned to face Rez.

Splinter shook her head. “Afraid not, Scout.”

We took a short break to feed the captives. While the Scouts and the wastelanders were splitting their attention between guarding the entrance and attending to the sore, hungry and dirty prisoners, I took the time to consolidate all available information on Book Keeper’s whereabouts.

The guides said they hadn’t had the time to explore the area enough to know of any other guarded holding areas nearby, nor did they have any idea where one might be located.

“Understood.” I nodded. “I need you to do a sweep of the area. Find where those other tunnels go. Make sure you’re not spotted. Don’t engage the enemy under any circumstances, just report back.” A couple of them saluted, one mocking, one sincere, and they left. I turned to Rez. “Doctor, are you alright?”

“I’m… fine, thank you.” Doctor Rez, groaned. “Thanks for coming for us, Stable.”

“Of course. We come back for our friends. You said they took the Overmare - when did this happen?”

“Well, we didn’t exactly have any clocks hanging on the wall to tell the time.” She narrowed her eyes. “Couldn’t have been more than a day ago, I think?”

“A day?” I nodded tightly.

That made things more complicated… and less likely to be successful.

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I truly am.” She glanced upwards, to where she’d been restrained, and took a step away. “We really should be getting out of here.”

I shook my head. “We’re not leaving without the Overmare. Or her body, if it comes to it.”

“I… see.” She didn’t, though. She didn’t know how critical returning with the Overmare, even just her body, was.

It also wasn’t her concern.

Disappointed, I turned to study the other prisoners. I wasn’t about to give up that easily. Samsiir was pacing alongside the edge of the room, I noticed, away from the main group huddled in the middle.

“Everything alright?” Taze asked, coming closer. Crimson limped over as well, still stretching his wings.

“It’s a refreshing feeling, you know - being excluded from a conversation for once,” Crimson rasped, “Thanks for introducing me to it.” Taze gave him a strange look. “So, was the good doctor any help?”

I looked to Crimson, considering my response, before deciding that nothing would annoy him the most. I raised my voice and glanced around at the rest of the former captives. “Did anypony notice anything specific about your captors? What was their routine? Have they mentioned other locations around here, other rooms?”

There was an awkward silence, broken up by the sound of Samsiir’s continued patrolling of the room’s perimeter. He was one of my most competent troopers, a hero of the fight for the Stable, and a pretty fun colt overall, but given who our enemy was, the sight of his striped coat moving around in the shadows was giving me the creeps.

Unsurprisingly, my father spoke first.

“No, our hosts were… peculiarly discreet. Violent, vicious, but admirably tight-lipped.”

“We’ve only ever seen a few,” Splinter said, looking at the ground, “There was a large one. He seemed to be in charge here, like a jailer. He had a metal leg.”

“The others seemed like common muscle, like these,” she poked one of the dead zebras with her hoof. Of course a security expert would be the most helpful of the bunch. She continued. “They’d come in twice a day to give us food...”

Crimson nodded in agreement.

“...They’d rough us up if we didn’t cooperate. Mostly the Raider here.”

“Only the big guy seemed to be able to speak Equestrian,” Rez offered, “He spoke in a different language to other… guards. Oh, and those of them that we’d gotten to observe closely were all ghouls.”

“What did he say to you?”

“Mostly poorly spoken verbal abuse,” the doctor shrugged, “Kept gloating we were next after they’d taken your friend away.”

“One thing that got me,” Splinter spoke again, “was they needed four grunts to haul that poor mare away. With more hiding in the shadows. It was like they were afraid she’d kick their flanks, or run away.” She shook her head.

Crimson smirked. “She sure put up a good fight.”

I nodded blithely at Crimson’s comment. “Not all Stable ponies are pushovers.” I glanced back to Splinter. “Did they file out the doors one by one?”

“Eh, no, I don’t think so. They stumbled out of here in one big mess as they carried her off. Why?”

“Well, if we’re looking for a way they could have gone,” Crimson butted in with a grin, “we would only be looking for a passage broad enough to allow a large ugly group to pass through. Nicely spotted! That’s my girl.”

Somehow, that remark made me hate Crimson more than all his villainy put together. I was about to say as much, when I heard someone calling me from the corner of the room.

“Captain! Over here!”

That was Samsiir, standing near the sole decently lit spot on a rusted metal wall. I trotted over, trailed by Crimson and Taze.

“What is it?”

“Look, Captain, it’s a little out there, so bear with me. See this pattern?“ he pointed at the wall.

I thought it was nothing but random lines on rusted metal at first, but as the extended hoof moved around, pointing out what Samsiir was talking about, I made out shapes of twisting spirals and circles.

I paused, studying it. “What am I looking at?”

“It’s just a picture I remember from an old book Dad used to show us when we were little. It was a bunch of scary stories…”

I cleared my throat impatiently.

“Yeah, sorry! But I was just about to - see, there was this dark cellar that a… it’s something like a Boogeymare, a really bad monster, would carry misbehaving colts and fillies away to this cellar, and it would keep them there, and then take one of them into the room upstairs to gobble them up, and all the blood would spill down onto the ones still alive through a grate…” He shuffled around and looked at the ceiling in the middle of the room.

“...Just like this.”

It was barely visible in the dim light, but there was thick-barred grate built into the ceiling. There was stuff oozing down in thick droplets.

“Oh, dear Celestia…”

“Yeah, so that pattern? It was the name of the Boogeymare, in, uh, the old language.” He looked to me. “It marked the creature’s lair, I think.”

I slowly turned and looked at my subordinate.

“And that was supposed to be a… little fillies’ story book?” Taze looked to him, concerned.

“Yeah, see, that was supposedly based on one of the ancient religious scrolls.” He shrugged. “Those ancient zebras were weird. But I’ve heard you and the doctor mare talking, and it had gotten me thinking back to that book, and then I stumbled upon that… glyph, I think they’re called? I wish I knew more about this stuff.”

I nodded. “Thanks, Private, that was very helpful.” I made a note to consider Samsiir for promotion.

“Alright, everyone!” I turned to face the rest of the force. “Break’s over, kit check, we’re moving out!” I trotted over into the middle of the room, looking up.

As I peered into the darkness, I could see interlocking bars and plates behind the grating, preventing anyone from seeing what was on the other side. Yet the fluid was still dribbling down through the cracks. If there was any truth to this crazy guess, anyone listening in the room above us must have heard the firefight down here quite well.

There was a commotion as our scouts stumbled inside the room. I debriefed them quickly: they complained that the place was a damn maze, with corridors and vents going in all directions, and they’d been too busy evading the random frantic Star Touched galloping about. They had noticed a wide tunnel leading upstairs, however.

That where we headed, as soon as everyone had finished their preparations. A short trip took us to a large door that, if my Pipbuck’s map was correct, should be above the room we’d been in.

“Same as last time, SATS. Watch your fire.” I looked to Samsiir. “Do it.”

Samsiir kicked the door open. There was a hail of bullets as several zebras inside opened fire.

I ducked as I felt my armor shrugging off several impacts. An energy weapon blast hit my injured leg, burning through. I gritted my teeth, suppressing a pained sound.

“Samsiir, on my mark, throw a flashbang.” I glanced to Taze. “Taze, pick a team to take the room when the flashbang goes off. We’ll cover you with SATS.”

Taze glanced around, calling several names. ”Screwdriver, Card, Clips. Repeater.” She nodded to me. A few wastelanders looked to her and back, readying weapons.

I looked to Samsiir and nodded. “Do it.”

“Flashbang out…” He dug out a flashbang and spun, bucking it into the room so that it detonated near the ceiling.

Taze growled at her ponies, and they rushed the room. She followed them in, head down, rifle up. Block and Striker peeked around the corner, firing with SATS.

Within a minute, the room was taken. Block and Samsiir entered the room trailing the wastelanders.

“Captain, the Overmare is hit!”

Oh shit.

Rez pushed past Block and I. “Move!”

I looked to Taze as I followed Rez over to the Overmare. “Set up a perimeter, we’ll hold here for a short time.”

Rez threw herself down next to the Overmare, murmuring to herself as she looked her over, pressing her hooves to the Overmare’s neck where she’d been hit. “Gunshot wound, no exit point. Pulse, bleeding seriously. Likely severed arteries, aspirating blood into the lungs.”

The Overmare coughed, spewing blood all over Rez.

She winced and yelled over her shoulder, “Get me a first aid kit!” and went back to the Overmare. “Wait. Is that all?” She leaned down, her horn lighting up. “Okay. Good.” The torrent of blood coming out of the wound slowed.

Block, the squad’s medic, opened a first aid kit and sat it beside Rez. She dug through the kit, pulling out a scalpel, looking over it. Judging it suitable, she made a small incision, removing the bullet from the Overmare. I glanced away as she dug a healing potion and some other things out.

Rez stepped back, taking a slow, deep breath, before she turned to me. “Okay, she’s stable. She was hit in the neck, which severed her jugular. I mended it, removed the projectile and healed the skin.”

I looked from the Overmare to Rez. “Can she move?”

Rez sighed, tail swishing violently. “I should tell you no, she shouldn’t be moving anywhere but a bed to rest for a week. She’s still weak. But yes, she can move. It would probably be best if someone carried her, however.” She looked down. “Oh, your leg. Sit, please…”

I sat, and she took a look at my leg. “Energy weapon strike, wound is cauterized… looks unpleasant, but you should recover fine.” She wrapped a length of bandage around the wound. “It might leave a scar, but I’m not a dermatologist.”

I snorted at her final statement. “Thank you.” I offered her a canteen and a clean rag. “You’ve got some blood…”

Rez took the canteen and rag, wetting the rag and wiping some of the blood off of her face. “I… thank you.” She looked around. “I don’t know how she survived this long…”

“What?” I looked to Rez, confused, and then looked around.

I realized that the items surrounding the Overmare weren’t just tools. There were also limbs, and a horn, all the same color as the Overmare.

One of them held several vats of liquid that I guessed may have been some sort of… preservation station.

...

I shivered and turned, looking to the Overmare as she sat up, violently coughing more blood. “Welcome back, Overmare. How are you feeling?”

She looked to me, tired and covered in blood, and cleared her throat before speaking hoarsely. “Something is missing.” She looked from one of the hooves on the table, then to one of her hooves, confused. “My Pipbuck...”

“Overmare?” I looked to her.

She shook her head, looking back to me, before slipping off the table and stretching. “I’m fine.”

I frowned, watching her. She seemed to be doing better than I’d expected. That worried me for a reason I couldn’t quite put my hoof on…

I made a note to have someone talk to her afterwards. “We’re going to hold here for a few. Block, see that the captives get fed.” I switched to the command comms. “Target secured. We’re leaving. Sitrep, One-Three? Over.”

One of the wastelanders spoke up. “That was too easy…”

Taze growled at them. “We’re not out of here yet. Keep your mouth shut and your eyes open.” She looked to me. “Back the way we came, Scout?”

I nodded and looked to Citrine.

#

Sergeant Ivory Charm

Sewers Checkpoint
06:35

“Target secured. We’re leaving. Sitrep, One-Three? Over.”

“Heard, One-One. Transmitting now.” I looked to one of the alicorns, a green coated one in a ragged, ill-fitting combat jacket. I’d nicknamed her Combat Jacket.

“I have heard.” Combat Jacket closed her eyes, teleporting off.

I was still awed by how elegant their teleporting was, how effortlessly they just appeared. “Exfil secure, over.”

We were holding position in a large underground room housing a some kind of a sewer terminal, with at least four maintenance corridors leading away from it, dozens of pipe mouths opening into the room were sticking out of the walls, water cascading down into narrow canals. Some prewar water treatment equipment was uselessly humming in the corner.

It didn’t smell as horrible as I would have expected, but the moisture was intense here, condensing on every surface, and making the protracted waiting a nightmare of sodden shuffling. According to the old city maps Cyclone’s friends had provided, this was the closest spot to the Embassy’s own separate waterway system that was also close enough to the surface and far enough from the anti-magical field the scouts had picked up nearer the supposed hideout of Overmare’s kidnappers. If I concentrated hard, I could just sense the guiding magic signatures of the reception crew at the chosen exfiltration destination - a nearby warehouse that had been hastily converted into a well-protected outpost.

I could guess at where Firefly and her team were, but I needed a clear comm line to her in order to properly home in when the time would come to get them out of the fire. If they got too deep into the magically-insulated tunnelworks, we would need to come get them personally, unless our new alicorn friends knew a trick for long-distance precision multi-person teleportation in an unknown subterranean environment, with your magic being actively disrupted, and avoid getting stuck in a wall. Not that getting out once we’d gotten together would be a piece of cake.

None beside me seemed to be the least frustrated at the seeming impossibility of our designated task, acting well at ease. Even the alicons appeared bored out of their heads.

At times like this, I really hated my usual need to determine all complicating factors for a problem at hoof.

I turned to look to Creaking "Flank" Coffin, the commander of Surface-Three. He was an interesting pony, with a truly epic peaked cap atop his head, a sword slung slung over one of his flanks. There’d been a small disagreement between a couple of the surfacers when one had attempted to claim his sword.

He looked over at me. “Did you hear…?”

“What?” I cocked an ear, listening. Cas and Sharps glanced around, looking to Flank in concern.

There was a sudden, sharp crack and a loud hiss off in the distance...

Everything exploded!

The roof collapsed!

I ducked, and a couple of massive stone bricks fell on either side of me.

I looked up, and a third stone block was coming straight at me.

I did the only thing I could think of.

I teleported.

Gunfire erupted around me, and I fell over as one of my hind legs screamed at me. I looked down, and my leg was bent in a way legs weren’t supposed to bend…

Uh.

Uhh…

I looked around and spotted Min ducked behind some rocks next to Sharps. “Min!” Sharps was firing bursts over the wall with a subgun.

Min ran over and dropped beside me, looking to my leg. She gasped. “Oh, no, no no no...”

Cas ran over to me. “Ivory!”

Min dug into her medical bag for a tourniquet, tying it around my upper leg, mumbling to herself frantically.

“Min, what’s wrong?” I squeaked as she yanked the tourniquet tight.

“I don’t know...”

I looked over at my leg. “What do you mean, you don’t know?”

“I don’t know if anything can fix your leg!”

…

Firefly was screaming in the radio, but I couldn’t quite… pick out the words.

I saw Min talking into my radio, and everything got blurry…

No, no, I… can’t.

Firefly’s words brought me back. “Come to us. Break out and come to us. One of the wartime ponies should be able to guide us to another exit.”

“Copy, One-One! Proceeding to you, over.” I glanced to Cas. “Cas, I need you to carry me.”

I gasped sharply and grit my teeth at the spike of pain as Cas picked me up.

Min dug through her bag. “Here, I’ll give you some painkillers...”

I nodded and raised my voice. “Pack up, we’re moving! We need to break through and get to One-One. This position is untenable!”

“We’re leaving? This position is defensible! We just shoot that way!” one of the wastelanders protested, rising.

“They fire another rocket down here and it’ll be our fuckin’ tomb!” I looked to the older surfacer who’d spoken, as did several others.

I nodded as he spoke. “We stay, we die! If you can’t walk, get someone to carry you!” I looked to Flank. “Surface-Three, you’re on point. We’ll be right behind you! On your go!”

Flank looked to me, worried, but nodded. “Ponies of Baltimare, we’re first!”

I leaned in to Cas, yelling in his ear over the gunfire. “We are following him!” I pointed to Flank. “When he moves, we move. Got it, Cas?”

He looked back, worried. “Ive…”

I nuzzled his neck. “I’m okay. We’ll get out of this in one piece. We gotta get Firefly out, then we can leave.”

“Okay…” He nodded, determined.

Flank looked up. “Five seconds!”

I glanced around, seeing everyone around us readying.

Flank galloped forward, screaming as he went, brandishing his revolver and sword. “Move, move, move! Forward!”

I hugged Cas around the neck tighter as he followed Flank, and around us the rest of the force moved out, firing as we went.

Then we were on them! They were zebras wearing mismatched kit. They’d set up a crew served missile launcher, and our rush had disrupted their reload.

Cas leaped over them, landing on the barrel of the weapon and hopping off, sending it spinning.

I hung on tightly, using SATS to shoot the zebra loading the launcher.

I looked forward to see Sharps fall, felled by one of the zebras brandishing an axe. The zebra turned to face Cas and I, raising her weapon.

I activated SATS and shot her attacker, watching them fall.

Then… we were through. I looked back, seeing the attackers were in disarray. A few shot in our direction, but none chased us.

I looked to my Pipbuck, following the repeater beacons Firefly had left along their path, and saw they’d gone left. “Left, go left! Left!”

I heard ponies behind us repeating my orders, and one of the Scouts yelling, “If you’re hearing this and not repeating it, you’re doing it wrong!”

Having left the scattered attackers behind, we followed the repeater beacons to Firefly. After some time, we came to a junction where they’d left repeaters on both ends.

I looked to my Pipbuck, tracking Firefly’s Pipbuck. I got a faint signal to the right. “This way…”

We continued, following the repeater beacons, rounding a corner.

Someone shot at us as we passed the corner.

“Back!” I grabbed the tail of the pony in front of us, one of the surfacers, dragging him back.

I looked to my Pipbuck, seeing no hostiles on the EFS.

Were they… I leaned forward, yelling around the corner. “Princess Celestia!”

… please say Princess Cadance.

The gunfire slowed, then stopped.

I could hear ponies whispering frantically, and after a moment someone yelled back. “We’re friendly!”

Someone else, Swan Striker, called out. “Princess Cadance!”

Phew…

I glanced back, before poking my head around the corner.

Nopony shot at me.

“Okay, forward…” I gestured around the corner.

Cas looked back. “Jumpy lot, aren’t they?”

I shushed him with a glare.

#

Firefly and her force, with the Overmare and other captives, had bunkered down in a room that had held the Overmare. It smelled horrifying, and just felt… unnatural.

The wasteland doctor, Rez, took a look at my leg. She shook her head sadly and tied a sling around it, holding it against my barrel.

We moved out, and Firefly glanced to Citrine, our wasteland guide, as she stopped. “Where to?”

She turned, going down the tunnel to our left. “This way.”

She then stopped, looking down the hallway thoughtfully. “Ah.”

“What?” Firefly leaned around her, holding a lit flare up. “Oh. I see.”

Citrine shook her head. “That path lead to the other exit...”

Cas stepped past Firefly, looking, and I saw that the tunnel was flooded with pink water.

He shook his head. “It’s just water, right?” He looked from Firefly to Citrine. “Who’s up for a swim?”

I opened my mouth to point out that Cas - and most of the Stable ponies here - couldn’t swim, but Citrine shook her head and cut me off. “No. It’d kill you in a few minutes.”

Cas looked to her, confused, but Firefly interrupted him before he could start asking questions. “Are there any other possible exits, Citrine?”

She shook her head again. “None down here that aren’t flooded or collapsed that I am aware of.”

“That you’re aware of?” Firefly looked to Citrine, curious. “Down here?”

Citrine shrugged. “Wartime planners had a thing for secret tunnels in high value installations… I worked here, but I’m not aware of any down here. Upstairs, though…” She looked up towards the ceiling.

Crimson pointed up with a wing. “Seems we’re going up, then.”

I looked from Crimson to Firefly as she spoke. “Towards the ponies that tried to kill us?”

“They’re mostly decent ponies.” Crimson stepped over. “Better than the ones that tried to cut us up.” He paused, furious, before taking a breath and speaking more quietly. “They’ll negotiate with us. Failing that...” He nodded to Citrine. “She could find us a path?”

Citrine shrugged. “Possible.”

Rez frowned. “They’ll negotiate with you, at gunpoint, maybe.”

Crimson looked to her, confused. “...yes? Is that not what I said?”

Rez shook her head in disgust and turned away.

I drifted off for a moment, I think, but was snapped back into focus by an incoherent scream and several gunshots. I looked up to see Firefly collapse.

Min rushed towards Firefly, turned and kicked seemingly at nothing. There was a sound of hooves hitting something soft, a pained cry, and someone appeared out of thin air next to Min and collapsed beside the Captain.

It was a zebra under a cloak. She was covered in tattoos, her fur cut in strange, mystical patterns.

Rez tended to Firefly, and she came to quickly, groaning. “What happened?”

“Stripes found us.” Crimson kicked her body. “She hit you with with a pipe.”

Firefly winced, rubbing her horn. She squealed sharply.

Rez looked to it with a worried frown. “Oh no… horn injuries are serious. I need to look at it.”

Firefly shook her head. “No time. Tape it up, we need to move.”

Rez narrowed her eyes in irritation and nodded. As Rez taped Firefly up, I noticed Min tucking a stealth cloak into her barding.

We kept moving and entered a T junction. There were Star Touched in the two opposing exits. A single zebra blocked each hallway.

But with their cloaks there might be a hundred all around.

One of them stepped out from under a cloak. “There you are, Star Maiden.” He had a metal replacement hind leg.

Star Maiden?

Firefly stepped forward. “What do you want?”

“We must discuss matters.” He approached her cordially, like an old friend, lit by the harsh, pale red lighting of the flare in Firefly’s magic.

She stepped back, raising the Ironpony and putting it between them. “Pardon?”

“Surely, you know.” He paused, looking to her in earnest. “The very world we live in is in danger. The time to act is coming. We must prepare.”

What the fuck…?

“Explain.” Firefly stepped sideways, away from him.

We raised our weapons, I levitating my subgun from Cas’s back. Block settled down, resting his rifle along Min’s back.

“The streams of fate are shifting, Maiden. Old enemies are made friends, and friends turn on each other to survive what’s coming. The Black Book rediscovered, only to be lost again. The false Goddess shall die, and a new god will rise from the grey, the red and the autumn gold.”

Firefly gave him a confused look.

The stripe waved a hoof, pointing to the Overmare. “You come here for our sacrifices, but you are worth more to us than their mangy hides - take them with you as a token of our regard!”

That sounded like he was… letting us go?

“You’re letting us go?” Firefly shifted.

“All for a price, Equestrian! You will be leaving this holy place alone, you and your rust-covered mongrel cutthroats outside. We leave you alone. Until the time when we will need your eyes and weapons to carry our will outside. ”

An alliance? With us? After everything they’ve done?

I snorted, and the Overmare cast a look in my direction.

Firefly seemed to share my opinion.

The stripe continued. “Think what you will, Maiden. You will return to us, when the time is right… you will require our assistance in the near future, and us, yours. Do not die in the meantime.”

“Oh, I see…” Firefly grinned, stepping closer to the zebra. “You got nothin’!” She stabbed the zebra in the eye with the lit end of the flare. “Send it, Block!” She dropped to the ground as Block shot the leader through the chest.

“Fire forward, run!” Firefly raised the Ironpony from her position on the ground, dumping the magazine into the leader as he fell to the ground. “Go right! Right!”

I opened fire and heard several impacts, unsure of what I’d hit or how effective my shots had been. Firefly rolled to her hooves and galloped down the hallway to the right, running into something.

She tumbled to the ground, and fired down the hallway.

Crimson paused to pull her to her hooves as Cas lead me past her. “On your hooves, mare!”

We ran around a corner, and found ourselves face-to-face with a group of wastelanders, weapons up. I almost fell off of Cas as he stopped suddenly, raising my subgun.

Crimson darted forward through their ranks, approaching one in the second line. “Hammer! Good to see you. The Star Touched are behind us.”

Gunfire and angry screaming came from behind us, punctuating his words.

Hammer nodded and the wastelanders parted to let us through. “Don’t go too far, Crimson.”

We kept running, chased by gunfire and sounds of a vicious fight. It wasn’t long before we slowed, finding a room to bunker down in.

“What’s the plan, boss?” I looked to Firefly.

Firefly sighed. “Plan B.”

“Oh, right…” I looked around. “The alicorns left us…?”

Firefly turned to face me. “Handle it, Ivory. You can do it.”

“I don’t know…” I gritted my teeth, feeling around. “The anti-teleportation enchantment seems to be weak in this room.”

I… should be able to…?

I had to…

I got this.

Firefly nodded. “Right. Everyone, hold still. Sergeant, when you’re ready...”

“Right…” I closed my eyes, concentrating on the staging point we’d set up behind our lines.

#

Captain Firefly

Under the Aquastrian Embassy
07:54

Ivory teleported out, as did several Scouts and most of the wastelanders.

I waited a moment, to see if Ivory was coming back, or I was just being delayed.

Ivory didn’t return.

Nor did any alicorns.

I looked around. Min, Scarlet Paper, the Overmare and the other captives remained. A few of the wastelanders remained, too.

Min frowned, looking to Scarlet. “Um…”

Crimson looked around and cleared his throat.

Splinter frowned. “This was your escape plan?”

I shook my head, thinking. “This was the backup plan.” I waved a hoof, suppressing a wince as I shifted my weight to my injured leg. “There should have been alicorns to assist Ivory.”

Crimson looked to me, amused. “You convinced alicorns to help you?”

“Yes, but that’s not important right now…” I looked back to Crimson. “I’m open to suggestions…” I looked around to those surrounding us.

Ponies outside banged on the door. “Open the fuckin’ door and come out! Empty mouths and saddles!”

I looked to Crimson, speaking quietly. “Do you think they’ll kill us if we comply?”

Crimson shook his head, speaking quietly. “Not if they’ve any brains. Pull Tab ain’t stupid, nor is his second in command. I die, Raiders sweep in and kill everyone, everyone loses.”

He approached the door, raising his voice. “I’m Crimson Nimbus. With me is the Stable Scout, the head of the central exchange and the pony that runs the hospital. Go get Hammer and we’ll talk. I’m not negotiating with grunts. Tell her Crimson and the Scout want to speak with her.”

One of them outside spoke, loud enough for us to hear. “I say we just toss some frags in, tell Hammer they were dead when we found ‘em.”

I readied my TK in case they tried anything, wincing as my horn sparkled.

Crimson snarled, head extended. “You remember Celestial Midtown? If you kill me, the Raiders will burn this fuckin’ place to the waterline! Nobody wins! Go get your boss and then we’ll talk.” He snorted, then looked to me and my horn.

I nodded.

Pull Tab or Hammer might not be stupid, but their grunts…

A couple ponies moved away, but we could hear others moving around on the other side of the door. I drifted over to Crimson, speaking quietly. “You think this will work?”

“I think Pull Tab’s not been level with his ponies about what’s going on down below.” He nodded. “Assuming everyone’s rational, yeah, I think we’ll make it through this fine.”

I thought about that. “Assuming rational actors is a big assumption.”

He nodded grimly. “Plan B: can we expect anything from your alicorns?”

“Plan Bravo? I think we’re on Plan Foxtrot or something at this point.” He frowned, and I shrugged. “No clue. They panicked and fled when the tunnel collapsed.”

“That sounds like the Goddess all right…” He shrugged. “How did you even…?”

I opened my mouth to tell him about the ‘Crimson Alicorn,’ but I was interrupted as Hammer called through the door. “I’m here. What do you want, Crimson?”

Crimson sidled over to the door casually, speaking through it. “Did Pull Tab tell you about the Star Touched in the sewers?”

…

Hammer took a moment to respond, speaking coolly. “That’s none of your business, Raider. What do you want?”

He shot me a look, nodding slightly, confidently, mouthing ‘good shit’.

I spoke. “I’m the Stable Scout. We were here to rescue the captives they took, including our Overmare.” I looked to Overmare Keeper. “The ones who took our Overmare have made enemies of everyone in Baltimare. Let us leave and I can assure you that nobody will think you helped them.”

Silence greeted me for a moment.

Crimson nodded approvingly.

I felt a confusing mix of disgust and pride at his approval.

“Unfortunately, that’s not my call to make. Pull Tab wants to speak to you. Toss your weapons out, and we’ll not kill you. You have my word.”

I glanced to Crimson. “Can we trust them?”

He nodded, speaking quietly. “They can’t kill us, we’ve got them at gunpoint. They know that.”

“You’re thinking we tell ‘em to fuck off until they agree to let us leave unmolested?” I looked back to the door.

He shook his head. “Let’s play their game for now. In the words of Ministry Mare Sparkle… ‘friendship is magic’.”

“You’re saying we’ve got them right where we want them?” I looked from the door back to him.

“Exactly!” Crimson nodded sharply, raising his voice. “Very well, we accept. We’ll give you our weapons.”

I frowned as he spoke for all of us.

I was going to agree with him, but I’d have preferred if he’d talked about it first.

Min looked to me in shock, beginning to protest. “Captain?”

I cut her off before she could start. “You heard the pony.” I suited words to action by unslinging the Ironpony and unloading it.

#

Ministry of Morale observation post overlooking the Aquastrian Embassy
08:15

Blitz sailed through a hole in the front of the building, coughing at all the dust as she dropped to her hooves. She flapped her wings, blowing much of the dust out of the hole.

She then hurried to pull fallen debris off of one of the ponies of Surface Two on the ground. “Who’s in command here?”

Someone in the corner coughed, crawling to their hooves. “If you’re asking that question, it’s probably you!”

Blitz hopped back, pulling them to their hooves. “Fuck!”

Shine poked her head out from under some rubble. “Me! I’m here! I’m in command!” She coughed, crawling out. “What the fuck just happened? Sitrep!”

Blitz passed through, moving to the next room as one of the ponies of Surface Two answered her call for information.

The other room, the Raider command center, was also a mess.

Blitz keyed her radio. “Medic to command center, mass cas!” She approached General Azure, pulling some debris from him. “General?”

“I’m here…” General Azure crawled out from under debris, falling over as he tried to stand.

General Matchlock approached Azure. “Azure, you’re injured… I’ll take command.” He then turned to Blitz. “Blitz. Go get Major Serenity.”

“Aye, sir.” Blitz turned, hurrying to get Serenity.

Serenity was in a building overlooking the Embassy. The Raiders had pulled back and were licking their wounds.

Blitz approached Serenity. “Major, General Matchlock needs to speak to you.”

Serenity nodded. “Why didn’t he just use the comms?”

Blitz shrugged. “He didn’t say. I didn’t ask.”

“Right… Understood.” Serenity looked across the room. “Peony! Matchlock needs me. You’re in command.”

Peony, a bandage covering half of her face and neck, turned to look at Serenity with her one good eye and waved a hoof. “Heard, Major!”

Blitz took to the sky behind Serenity. Once they were out of earshot of her troops, Blitz called to Serenity. “Hey, Major. You think Matchlock’s up to something?”

Serenity glanced over. “Matchlock is always up to something. Don’t know if he’s doing something now.”

“Now might be a good time for him to pull something.”

“I know, Blitz.”

Author's Note

It's been a while. StSc progresses towards the end, slowly but surely. Only a few more chapters to go...

Happy holidays, merry New Year everyone. May the next year be more productive than the last!