In the year of 2552, pony kind has achieved the power to spread all over the galaxy and beyond, stablishing colonies on the formerly unchartered planets. The last option and strategy of The Princesses to save everypony was successful, but the war wasn't over. Just decades before of the great schism, where loyal ponies followed Equestria's rulers into the vast nothingness and abandoned their home planet, a hostile alien race self-styled as "The Covenant" declared that ponies were an offense to their pagan gods, and so, they began the war against Equestria.
The Equestrian Guard was badly outnumbered, and colossal armies rose from the formerly peaceful and cheerful Equestrian inhabitants. They fighted against the alien hordes, using old and new unicorn magic, earth pony engineering, and pegasi flight and climate control; and an arsenal of brand new weaponry, born from despair and need: guns. Earth ponies -again- brought the first small tongue fired pistols, chambered in cheap, basic almost homemade ammunition.
Enemies' magic shield -later investigated and renamed as "energy shields" in the post schism Equestrian Arcane Science argot- took too many hits from the poorly "crafted" guns to break. And so, ponies' first attempt at war ended in a bloodbath, defeat, and a great portion of Equestria lost to the enemy. It was untill the situation reached critical levels when Equestrian Government, The Princesses and a group of wisely selected ponies -the then called "Main 6" being part of it- created and conducted a great war council that would set the bases of the future United Equestrian Space Command, and with research, equip ponies with militar grade weaponry, armor, technology, magic and finally: Intergalactic Spaceship Colonies.
Earth ponies gave Equestria her guns, ground vehicles and explosives, Unicorn scientists and magic researchers gave Equestria her combat net, radar, data flux and manipulation, and the first rudimentary HUDs and soldiers intelligent combat systems. Pegasi couldn't do more in the short term than unleash nature's fury into the enemy troops, developing the first nuclear and massive destruction weapons along with earth and unicorn researchers. But, in the end, they were vital for the future of Equestria: The spaceship's design, science and building was their gift to Equestria. With earth ponies' materials, and unicorn assisting, they built the giant steel arks that would hold the future of the species.
And since then, they became UESC's spaceships captains and pilots, as the earth ponies became vital specialists at engineering, mechanics, maintenance and ambient keepers, while unicorns, with their telekinesis gift became elite soldiers with the very same spell matrices and software they had created. Once the Earth was lost and destroyed, and ponies scaped on their steel arks, they sought for a new planet to live on. The Covenant, arrogant by the victory and Earth's total annihilation, didn't pursue, leaving the "pathetic" survivors to their fate.
It is an UESC legend that one of the Main 6, Rainbow Dash herself, commanded and flew the first ship that made it out of the atmosphere, through the enemy lines, to the uncertain future. Her friends were scattered on the rest of the vast fleet. Twilight Sparkle became the lead investigator and combat magic science developer, Fluttershy became the leader and founder of the -still- main medicines and hospitals company, Applejack created and ran the artificial crops and food industries along with ship's maintenance. Rarity helped Applejack and eventually created the "Internal Fashion Industry", controlling clothing, furniture and all the things that made the colonies look like homes and military bases, and finally, Pinkie Pie suppresed crime and chaos by creating the "Princesses' Fun and Order Industry".
Their friendship survived. They visited each other or in groups periodicall, using the fleet's smaller civilian units to travel from one ship to another. The giant steel combat colony ships never parted ways while they lived... and the new home planet was found. The immortal Princesses kept leading their people, old and new ones, honoring those who had died decades and then centuries ago, found a new planet for ponies to grow and prosper.
It was again, a matter of time before ponies parted, this time peacefully, as the Princesses and most part of the fleet left Hope -the second home planet- towards the unknown. Seeking to give their kind protection against The Covenant by spreading across the galaxy and beyond. They kept growing and expanding the colonies, improving their former creations and producing new ones untill ponies became a true hegemonic, intergalactic power. The UESC in all its splendor.
It was untill then, years ago since the ships had stopped searching and traveled between colonies instead, when new spaceships, armory and weaponry were produced, when The Princesses were happy with their people's safety that The Covenant found pony kind once more. Once again, they attacked, like hundreds of years ago, searching for UESC's total destruction. But this time, ponies had become experts at combat, this time they had bases and colonies all over the galaxy, this time they had billions of soldiers to recruit; and this time, they had THE guns... They were ready.
The Covenant's first attack was small, underestimating their now powerful enemy, they launched a full attack on pony forces; being held back, and finally destroyed on space ship to ship combat. Their invasion to colonies and ship internal colonies failed, being butchered by pony soldiers with the last generation combat hi-tech uniforms and HUDs, better military grade guns, and a new trick: stolen and reverse engineered Covenant magical armor energy shields.
The Princesses themselves were the key to create the first pony Personal Magical Anti Damage Resistance Shield, or PMRS for short. Their benign magic gave it the final improvement unicorn researchers and scientists needed to create a magical rechargeable resistance shield integrated in the soldier's combat armor, or suit. That was when the phrase "May The Princesses protect you" became the literal and main thought of every soldier sent to battle. The second war continued ship to ship and with small invasion battles, untill The princesses, and ponies decided to take the offensive.
On a secret operation without precedent, a new armored suit was developed by each UESC researcher and engineer. Guns were improved and adapted to sneaky, urban combat; new weapons that finally took their place were invented, the armored suit was created and the first personal orbital drop pods were created. A special individual landing pod designed to land on every ambient and conditions, the armor suit was designed to maximize the operative's survival to injuries or dangerous ambient conditions.
On the first infantry mission ever since the war on the ponies homeplanet, the units against the Covenant flawlessly succeeded and then, they returned to home as heroes. That was when the ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Troopers), ponies', Equestria's and the UESC's new hope was born.
ODSTs were selected by many criteria since childhood. Uncommon speed, strenght, inteligence, magical hability, strategic thought, endurance, courage, willpower and many more were the virtues searched by the government along with the most important: Magic, Honesty, Loyalty, Kindness, Generosity, and Laughter. All the candidates were volunteers, wich meant that either they started with the programm since they were small colts and fillies, or they were veteran soldiers that chose to join the programm as volunteers. The gender or age didn't matter, only the mental and physical abilities.
As the second war ended, ODSTs number decreased to leave only the necessary number required for a basic number of reserve troops, wich helped with minor tasks and protection along with the soldiers from time to time. The main UESC's fleet, long ago divided, fragmented again on recon and exploration permanent groups. Forming complete colonies with a bunch of multi purposse ships.
The Princesses' ship, the flagship of the fleet, stayed as the center of the force. It remained as a recon ship, it was too risky to expose them to capture or harm tho, so it limited to wander the space, hidden, commanding the fleet at distance and occasionally, with a heavy but not suspicious escort, Equestria's rulers traveled to the rest of the Colonies, bringing hope and faith. A third war was upon the UESC, and ODSTs and soldiers were being prepared again.
It was in one of the ships of the Princesses' recon group and main ODST operations centers where our protagonist mare was born. Just another unicorn filly of the new generations. She never had a specially strong or pronounced virtue, and her presence on the ship was like any other filly: noted, but not relevant untill the Government laid its eye on her. As they continued to track her, she got her cutie mark on... peculiar circumstances, and they finally considered her to enter to the ODST programm.
She never expected what was coming...
Her magic, honesty, loyalty, kindness, laughter and generosity, along with the rest of the above mentioned virtues would be tested and her life would give a radical change as her life, and the ones of other fellow ponies would be put at risk on one of the most important ever missions for the war.
1. A funeral for the old-fashioned.
It was another of those days... or nights, depending on how the environmental regulator of the ships calculated what should be. The recon group's flagship moved quietly and calmly in the vast blackness of space, surrounded by the rest of it's recon escort and multipurpose ships; several small transport ships flew constantly between ships, taking passengers to visit friends, family, or addressing important issues.
All the ships were silvery opaque, and they had the UESC logo on the sides: a "holographic" styled design, all in black or blue depending on the etching or projecting surface displaying an abstract profile image of The Princesses, Princess Celestia on the bottom while Princess Luna's upper breast, neck and head shape was slightly displaced to the right, allowing both of their images to be visible, and both of the alicorn Princesses had their wings fully opened while they protected the planet that used to be "Earth" under their watchful eye, a waving ribbon surrounded the Earth by it's horizontal middle displaying the acronym "UESC" on big letters.
No light reflected on the ship's surface, because there was no light source nearby. Only the deep space. All the ships' population and crew was busy with a major event, something that involved all the ships participation, and hence, stopped all routine and ordinary tasks. Everypony was attentive to the news, from all oficial source, about progress and completion of events.
On the fleet's flag ship, the "New Equestria", where the immortal alicorn Princesses had their home, the center of these peculiar events developed. People moved with restless spirits, waiting for the end of this uncommon event, always talking and gossiping about the implications and how the final ceremony and the culmination would be. Because, it wasn't just another formal ceremony honoring a specific day of pony kind's history, it was about the last goodbye to one last piece of that history that had survived over time.
The event for which everypony was tense was the funeral of one of the last elite retired ODSTs from the second war.
But it wasn't just another ODST, he was THE ODST. Crimson Haze! The second war's hero, the one that guided ODST squads and even soldier armies to victory in the battles against The Covenant, first in the ship to ship invasion, and then in the first infantry operation and those that followed it. He became a hero, a symbol that The Princesses encouraged to raise the moral of their people, every soldier wished and tried to be like him. Brave, decided, efficient, strong and loyal, putting the UESC above himself.
And now, after a normal life cycle, he was dead. His old stallion body resting on a special chamber of the ship before it could have it's everlasting rest, while an elite 4 ODSTs specially selected squad guarded his corpse, waiting for the formal public ceremony that would take place, with his body present as the ponies, a few old mares and stallions and thousands of young fans gave him a last farewell with honor. The Princesses themselves would precede the ceremony.
It was 24 hours before the main event that i found myself lying down on my bunk bed, the hangover from yesterday night's party fresh on my mouth and reverberating in my head. I groaned, folding my legs as i laid on my side... I really didn't want to get up! I looked around with a grimace, but all what i saw was black darkness. As an aspirant ODST mare, i had my own room where most of the recruits would have common bedrooms and no intimacy. It helped me not to think about the future, in which most of my life would be in the service of the UESC. Still, i was a volunteer.
With that last words fresh on my mind, i rolled to my left and then grunted one more time before reaching a hoof out from the bed. I watched-- felt it shake slightly before i placed it on the steel floor. I then put 1, 2, and then 3 more down before i could stand-- fell to my stomach on the ground with a thud and a loud groan. Great! I had non military stuff to do today and i was suffering a hangover! What else? Oh yeah, I had shot Pumpkins on the last training simulation session, and he was still mad at me. I swear! , he ran right in front of my paintball gun while i was aiming to the enemy! Still, it was a modified reglamentary M7S/Caseless SMG, just made it fire non lethal paint balls. The impact had grounded him as i shot a burst of bullets, and then he came towards me, all pissed off and covered with orange paint.
Pffff, ironies. That color matched perfectly with his coat!
In the end, the problem was listed as lack of professionalismon his part, and his record suffered a splotch "because of me"; he has not spoken to me since, and always avoided being in the same place with me, lifting his muzzle in the air with a dismissive gesture as soon as he saw me, and then quickly leaving the room among with his crew of follower-- friends. I just sighed and continued with my business everytime, heedless of his pride, having much more important things to do. Like right now!
"Enough inner conversation, Baccs!" I thought to myself while finally gathering all my determination to stand up. I still felt a bit shaky, but i slowly walked to the lights switch, hooves slightly clopping against the metal floor. I couldn't see it! So i had to do this by hoof. One loud expletive and a sore knee later, i reached for the switch with my teeth and pulled it, the room came to life with the familiar white glowing ceiling lamps i knew from a lifetime. I let out a sigh of relief before examining my "wound" , yup, something i could "treat" even with my (lack of) medical skill.
If the light of all the lamps in the ship wasn't so smooth, i would be blinking and hiding my eyes from the shine,moaning with pain... And not just because of my hangover.
Maybe the bruise wasn't that bad, but i put a bandage around it anyway. After doing so, i trotted to the mirror and stared at the same reflex i had seen for years. A vigorous, with a specially muscular jutting out chest, strong legs, and sculpted figure, tall unicorn mare. The body shape contrasted with my face and age. I was young, a filly who had recently reached her major age, and i had freckles on my nose and cheeks. And to make it even more interesting, i was "special"...because i was an albino mare.
I wasn't a typical case tho. My coat wasn't colorless, or what ponies tended to qualify as "pure white", but an extremely light red color; so light that it was actually a "pink" color, almost white if not watched carefully. My mane and tail followed the same color scheme, being of that single color as well, without any streak or tuft that stained my single color body.
My eyes on the other hoof, were a deep, "neon" bright red. They always shone even if the lights were on, like right now, and were like two neon signs in the dark. The new people i met always tended to notice them at the same time than my (lack of) color. It only made it more shocking; that's why tended to be a bit antisocial, only the small ammount that you would expect from someone like me.
And my eyes were hypersensitive to light, as all eyes of the people with my... condition. The smooth, gentle light of the ship's lamps wasn't a problem, but if wanted to watch through the massive armored windows of the ship towards a natural source of light in deep space, or the light of a sun or another natural light source more intense than this lamps, even on the combat simulations all the ODST in training like me made, i would need to use a pair of good sunglasses, or the opaque face occultation system on my helmet's VISR system. Hell, my friends used to joke about me having laser sights coming out of them to point at my enemy!
Anyway, i just spent some seconds looking at my reflex, brushing my mane then, just to be presentable and took care of the rest of stuff before trotting out, i put on a white ODST t-shirt, and stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind me. All of that with the help of my extremely pale "pink" and red magic. It looked the same color as my coat on the first bigger glow, with a smaller bright glow as intense as my eyes color wrapping it.
"And, that is not all that had caused me problems" I thought while trotting now to the end of the steel hallway, with one or two words for random acquaintances. My very cutie mark had been a problem when I got it. I mean, i love my cutie mark! but... the circumstances around it and the meaning was something that I wasn't emotionally but yes mentally prepared to live. As I trotted to the small ODSTs steel room where I would report to the daily review, I recalled the time when i got my cutie mark.
I was just a small filly then, still lived with Mom, and Dad. Even at that age, I was... weird. Or different. Instead of having fun with arcano tech things or software and magic -even if i liked it, but that wasn't my favorite thing to do- like a unicorn filly was supposed to be, I had fun accompanying Dad to work. Because, he was an Earth pony, and the head of his section of engineers. They spent most of their time working in the lower or unseen levels of the ship when they weren't at the workshops. That's when i met my first love: science. Even if Dad and his people focused in pipes, mazes of wires, or nuclear-reverse magic cells, i payed my whole attention while they worked. On the undeground levels, my eyes felt even better.
It was odd to see a unicorn filly down there, interested in mostly earth pony stuff. Under Dad's teaching, i quickly learnt about it all, from the simple things to the complex tasks. My telekinesis allowed me to be slightly more accurate when handling small components, and with time, my body manifested earth pony genes by becoming sturdy and vigorized. I could give a powerful buck like an earth pony and i knew magic like a unicorn! Of course, i hadn't studied a great part on spells, and i didn't had the habbility with my hooves an earth pony had, so that left me in the mid zone of pros and cons.
Mom had been ok with it as long as i kept studying enough to be a normal unicorn, no more, no less. And so i did. When all that was behind me, i finally started what all fillies have to face, eventually. The quest for my cutie mark.
Despite all the stuff i did with Dad, and the fact that it was my favorite time of the days, it hadn't showed up on my flanks. I was starting to worry because, if more time passed, i would be always mocked and pointed in the crowd as a blank and that insult would be added to the other nicknames the bullies already gave me: "Vampire, strawberry foam, slug, grub..."; the fear even stole the sleep from me sometimes and i went to my activities with red, puffy eyes. It had been a very dark time for me while it lasted, maybe even worse than many other fillies... But at the end, the storm passed... not without a last hurricane.
It was a gloomy, rainy day. Because, even with artificial weather, the computers had to make us feel desolate from time to time! I was, still a filly, trotting down to the workshops from a maintenance tunnel, accustomed at the slight inclination of them, and the sparking wires on the sides. Since Dad was sick in home, i had come here to tend to his tasks, it was a slack time of the year by then for maintenance, so i kept a calm and normal pace. Only the ponies on his section knew about me... since a unicorn filly down here was ilegal, not by my horn, but because of my age. Something about risks and things like that.
Before i could get to the wide armored door of the workshops, i heard a panic scream followed by a chaotic machinery growl, i galloped the rest of my way then and put Dad's password on the holographic tactile pad using my telekinetical magic, and then as the door opened i squeezed inside and looked around me. I recalled that i stood there, gaping as a swear formed in my mind. "Bloody rivets of Luna's rape..." Before me, i could see one of the maintenance employees, she had been working below a machine, supported by metal reinforced special wire and a special platform that rose the thing above her.
But... something had failed and now she was being crushed below the massive metal structure that looked like a motor. The wire that had once connected the machine to a holographic terminal was now free and sparking wildly, broken by the half. I gasped as i ran to her, vainly tapping with my hooves and telekineticaly pushing the holographic keys to lift the platform once again! But as i did that, she called for me, screaming for help and remarking the futility of my attempt at the terminal. I grunted and then scooted to her, leaping a thick, fallen hose.
Once i was close enough, i saw her wet herself in panic, and i cried out as one of the sparking wires lashed close to me, i heard a thick buzz as some of my coat was burned, but the sound and feeling startled me more than it hurt me. I moved to the side before trying to use my telekinesis to shove the platform up! ... but it was, once again in vain. I couldn't lift something this heavy! I felt sweat break across my temples as i released the object, huffing and panting, i could see the platform slowly giving down even further to the weight, and i could see the mare's lower half being slowly crushed below it...
No. I wasn't letting this happen!
With a determined, narrowed eyes look, i charged forward... towards the edge of the platform. I rammed it with my body and heard a PANG, as it moved...just a bit, and it made the wires lash even closer to me as i gasped but continued with my charges, slowly pushing it upwards. My side and shoulder felt sore, then gave a sickly POP!, and started to bleed a bit as i went, i could hear the mare shrieking, both of fear and pain, and now pleading for me stop hurting myself. Psssh, i rolled my eyes. Or i think i did. If only i had precision tools nearby...
After some attempts, and with the wires now lashing closer than ever, i growled in frustration and finally turned around, calculating with the precision of knowing the instruments here gave before giving the steel platform a buck with all the hate and strenght i could muster -as a filly- and heard it finally rose with an ear splitting metalic shriek. Somehow, my determination and anger towards the bloody equipment eased my pain insomuch that i couldn't feel it, even if my left shoulder and foreleg were displaced backwards in a very unusual angle.
I was starting to lower towards the injured mare, hearing her assuring me that she was ok, only a bit shocked and bruised when a last sparking wire unleashed from the holders with all the lashes, and then came down to struck me.
I felt pain erupting through me! My body stiffened so suddenly that i bit my tongue, and tasted blood. I felt my right foreleg and left hindleg stiffen too while my other two limbs started with seizures, i had only been touched a couple of seconds by the wire, and i collapsed on my side, or should i say, violently slumbed to my side as i still trembled and shook thrashing wildly with my hind legs as i lost consciousness.
I woke up in my hospital bed. I looked around, and found a bunch of ponies looking back at me, and i felt alarmed. I saw Mom, Dad, some doctors, and somepony i hadn't seen before. He wore a black and grey uniform of the UESC, with no insignia. The room was an immaculate white, including bed sheets, and pillows. I looked to myself only for a second or two, and saw my body in vandages. I lowered my head and felt tears coming to my eyes, i was still a filly after all, and the pain and distress was clear in my memory. My parents stepped forward and embraced me, while i wept on their breast.
A glass of water and some comforting later, i found myself looking at the UESC pony. He was a pale green pegasus stallion with a deep black mane, and as i looked at him, he returned my gaze with a smile. A smile that i found warm, yet a bit distant. He stepped closer while my parents stood at his side, his voice was deep and resounding. "Hello, brave filly... Baccarat. That's your name, isn't it?" I nodded as i took him in, confused. Why was he here? Why my parents looked at him with confidence even if he was a stranger? What was going on?
"It is a really interesting name..." He said adressing either my parents or me. "What does it mean?" He simply asked then, turning to look to them as i made a perplexed face.
My parents just smiled and Mom talked first, her coat was a deep navy blue color, her mane and tail being completely pink. "Well, almost everypony thinks it is 'Baccarat' like that gambling card game... and maybe my husband still thinks about it in that way. But no. We put her that name because we were thinking on the baccarat rose variant. Particularly on the ones that are that dark crimson color... They are my favorite flowers, really expensive when bought at the artificial crops. The name fits perfecly for our 'little flower'" She smiled then nuzzled me, while i gave a weak smile back and saw Dad smiling while the UESC pony considered the answer.
"Good. All the ponies knew what happened underground... The fact that a unicorn filly was involved would normally be a lurid affair, but, since she did what she did... The Princesses, and the 'Fun' council seem to be willing to consider their decision" Dad simply sighed and stepped forward. The laws were clear, and anypony that took a filly or colt to the "dangerous" underground zones would be punished with isolation, or suplementary work. That was, if nopony resulted hurt. If somepony was harmed... well... laws cold be really severe.
"I know that i broke the rules by taking her down with me to work..." He spoke with his calm voice, not so deep like the light green coated stallion, but far more educated and still, kinda deep, his coat was a dark brown color while his mane and tail were an immaculate white. "But i know that she will be... or even already is more skilled than i am! The only reason she didn't release that mare faster was because she was too alarmed to use her telekinesis properly, or to use tools. She is just a filly after all. And i i hadn't showed her how, and where, she probably never could have saved Bolts" He said referring to that mare, that now i recalled had grey coat and darker gray mane and tail.
The pegasus stallion pondered those words for a long while, before giving a faint smile, sitting down. "Well... I would like to speak to her, in private" He added.
The doctors looked at him with worry, while my parents just gave me reassuring glances. "But!, she just woke up from a massive trauma! Her body has several scars and wounds that need medical attention, not to mention the fact that she was ELECTROCUTED" A cherry red nurse mare with white mane and tail with a cutie mark of an aspirin adressed him, alarmed. He just rolled his eyes and looked at her with an annnoyed face. She took some steps back along with the rest of the medical crew, before dissapearing behind the door on the other side of the room. My parents smiled and left through the main door , leaving the pegasus UESC stallion and I alone.
I was looking up to my bed's head, holographic monitors showing my vital signs and status. I telekinetically lifted the sheets a bit and winced. Most of my body was covered with healing bandages, and i saw a tube of bio-gel on the night table next to me, it looked like it had been recently used. I looked back to the UESC pony once more, meeting his gaze.
"Founding you after all that chaos wasn't difficult, specialy because of your... peculiar albino condition" With a kind smile "I just have some questions for you, i promise" He said on a reassuring tone, stepping closer untill being at the very side of my bed, i looked up at him, a bit intimidated. "My name is Leaf Blade, pleased to meet you Baccarat. And my questions are simple" He said before breathing and speaking with a firm tone. "Why did you go with your father to his work? And, why did you saved Bolts... at the price you paid?"
I looked at him, confused. My mind didn't feel too good for interrogation, but i struggled and thought before finally answering, some minutes later. "I was nothing special at magic, just a filly who studied the very same books others did. Hoping to have a different result by doing always the same procedures..." I started, quoting a phrase from a very famous pony scientist from hundreds of years ago. "And then, i found myself deeply interested in the world around me. I saw everything around me working like a system, and i wanted to know it better. That's why i started going with Dad... to learn how to know that world better, and finally ended with the science and engineering as talents" I said, looking at him.
"That way, i learned about earth ponies vision of the world and complemented my unicorn sight of it. With that knowledge i started helping people around me, and i felt very good doing so." I sighed then and answered to his second question. "And, about that mare... I don't know. I just simply did. When i found her down there, helpless and in pain... something... set off inside me... I couldn't leave her there, and i couldn't just wait for help to come. So i started to use my own scarce resources to help her, and ended forcing the trap with my physical strenght in my determination... or rage. I just... couldn't ... let her... suffer... let... anypony on this ship die. Because without them, the system would be incomplete."
I saw him staring at me with an almost gaping face. He had expected a filly like answer, like a filly should answer. But instead, he found himself listening at very adult words, with meaning. He scanned me before flapping his wings once, nervously. "Wow... are you sure you're really a filly?"
"Are you sure you're really a pegasus?" I asked him back, while rising a brow. He just snorted and looked to the side then, pondering what he had heard and my recent words, ignoring my obviously philosophical rhetoric. Finally, the pale green stallion looked to the side with a sigh. "Ok... You're in. If you want to..."
I'm inside what now?
He cleared his throat before elaborating. "I'm Sgt. Leaf Blade, current head of the government's ODST recruiting public force. I heard about you and passed the report to the high command, wich authorized me to come here and have an interview with you. Dig on your thoughts and person, to see if you really were worth of it..." He smiled then. "And i must gladly inform you that you have succeeded."
I felt myself stiffen once again, and not because an electric current. ODST recruiting force!? What? How?... Old world's cursed core!!! I took a look at the stallion, and his plain grey and black uniform barding, with no medals. I was the one gaping now as he chuckled, roles inverted. "Oh yes. We still have to find an explanation for your ingress to the long term training programm. But with the support from the government, i'm sure it will be... how do you say it? Easy peasy?" I snorted and rolled my eyes a bit as he flapped his wings once more, drawing my attention.
"BUT." He intoned with a serious, warning tone that made me remember his authority, and my place here. "You must remember, that if you agree... you will gradually resign a great part of your life to the UESC, New Equestria, Equestria -wherever it is now- , pony kind and The Princesses themselves. You will still see your parents even when you become an ODST, but... maybe you would be destined to a long mission on a desolated planet? Not getting to see them for weeks... months... same about friends and this ship, or any other ship you could call home." His words made me cringe, but then, he softened the blow.
"But, there is always a good side. In exchange for your heroism and dedication, your parents will benefit with excellent early retirement, free health care, and much more. And, the pride of having a daughter at the Helljumpers is a good enough benefit itself" He chuckled, sitting down as he adressed me, looking at the clock on the wall behind me. "You have 3 days to think about it. On the second day, you will be sent home, and then you could discuss your desicion with your family." He said as he smiled and turned, i could see his side now as he turned his head to look at me. "You're more than just a filly... I have heard it, and felt it while being here with you... Your mind is lucid and precocious, your body is strong and different... Your albino condition is only the icing on the cupcake. Don't let them influence you, this is your call." He simply said and then trotted out of the room, as the steel door slid open, i heard some words, and then had my parents and the doctors back.
I looked at my parents, and they looked back at me. They knew. And now i knew what they knew. We knew. I let them embrace me and felt their warm fondness... and for the second-- third time that day, i wept.
... 'because, I was just a filly'.
On the present day, as i walked to the elevator that would take me into the room i was supposed to have my review, i smiled. I had seen Mom and Dad a week ago. They were perfectly healthy, and they were happy about me. Proud. Of course they had aged a bit, but they looked almost the same like back when i was in that hospital bed. I had changed since then, became taller, stronger, and much more muscular. Both from my overstimulated earth pony genes and my daily routine of training and hurt. Okay... maybe not "daily hurt" I was being dramatic. But , still i felt like i got a new ache or scar after the training sessions when we had them.
Speaking about aches and scars, the incident of my fillyhood with the wires and the electroshock had left me some scars, despite the healing vandages and the bio-gel the medic ponies applied. They were mostly on the hooves i had felt stiffen, and some of them on my flanks. One long and incarnated pale line , instead of the multiple streaks the others were, drawn on my neck too. They did nothing to change my color scheme.
Some doctors gossiped on my tail that i was so buff only because the electricity had affected something on me, like genes. That's where i heard the phrase 'overstimulated earth pony genes' for the first time. I just neighed and snorted each time i heard that from them and not from my already accustomed to expletives mind. "As if genes could be affected by the alternating current" I thought aloud for myself with a disdainful snort. That night, the one i went home and had all those vandages removed, i discovered two things: my new, very own set of scars... sigh... and something really special waiting for me, now visible for everyone on my flanks!
My cutie mark was there! I don't know , neither the doctors do, when it appeared. Maybe after saving Bolts? The ones who wrapped me into vandages and mummified me had thought that i was an already marked filly then. Anyway, i was shocked, and crying from happiness, same than my parents as we looked at it.
I think that saving Bolts made my cutie mark appear: It had no background color, being directly on my pale flanks, presenting the vague and indistinct shape of an earth pony rearing up, all of it was just the lines and the form of the pony, no mane or tale, and all of it was painted on dark grey, no features in its face, or other places. In the back, spine or "loin" of the pony was a gear, a large gearwheel, or cogwheel, directly jutting out of its form, like if it had it fusioned to its body, and only half of the wheel could be seen. The arrangement was completed by an intense yellow thunderbolt about to stroke the cogwheel fusioned to the pony's back.
For me, it was the mark of the first pony i ever saved, and also represented my talent for science and engineering, wich would aloud me to help my squad partners and friends in the battle, and the ones i had on the colonies, and keep them all safe. No more, no less.
I was in mid of a deep questioning of my own cutie mark appeareance when i found myself almost face to face with a smaller mare -Okay, all the mares were smaller than me in size, but still...- ehem, smaller in age mare, looking at me with a smile. "Hiya stallion-mare!" I looked at her, not taking any offense by the nickname, i was truly, as big as a stallion, and maybe even buffer. Explained why i didn't get any attention from guys, not that i cared for that tho! I was fine with mares, oh so fine with mares, in one word: almost gay.
I smiled a bit as i looked down at Bubbles, a pegasus mare, with white coat and navy blue mane and tail. She had three soap bubbles as cutie mark, because she spent her fillyhood at home, cleaning everything and making everything look nice, because that was her talent: Order. She eyed me with that joyful personality of hers, before noticing my vandage, she gasped and looked up at me again in worry. "Oh Baccs!" she gasped, using a name i personally aproved to be used by friends this time. "Let me take a look" I smiled and nodded, rising my formerly bruised leg. She wasn't a medic, but she knew her way around medicical stuff better than i did.
I smiled even more and felt a warm sensation set on my heart as she carefully examined it and adjusted the vandage to a very exact angle and position, the one everyone would tell it was the 'perfect' way to put a vandage on, even if the wound or bruise had been long ago gone. I knew she had been trying to get my attention. I wasn't a mare with a special somepony, so i was 'free' to choose whoever i wanted. I didn't have a bunch of mares behind me, or a club of fans! I just had one or two, maybe three mares chasing me. Trying to choose one was a decision i prefered to postpone. Each one of them had pros and cons... but none of them were as kind and careful as Bubbles was.
I returned to myself from deep paths of thought in time to hear Bubbles say something with her soft slightly high-pitched voice, didn't sound like a squirrel! She just had a more childlike tone. "...let me tend to your wounds if you needed it!" she smiled at me and i understood the general meaning of her offer, i smiled and nodded once before leaning towards her. I really hadn't pretended to lean towards her. Just lean forward to check my leg, but as i did so, she took one or two steps forward, not noticing my motion, and then my horn came down to softly touch her temple, we looked at each other, faces oh so close now as i felt myself blush most notably by my paleness, she went from white to pink as we both stared at each other's eyes. Neon and bright red met soft navy blue.
We were going to kiss! ... And then Thistle and her gang came around the corner of the end of the hallway next to the elevators. They were bad, annoying mares. And their lider was Thistle, an earth pony mare of a sick yellow color with dirt colored mane and tail, she and her gang passed casually beside us, and then they sang aloud, encouraged by their leader: "Stupid clumsy Bubbles and Baccs the stallion-mare sitting on an apple tree, they KISS, K-I-S-S, yuck!" my gaze fell a bit to Bubbles, she had passed from pink to white and now was looking at those monsters... afraid. She lowered her face in shame, not for us... or whatever this would have been, but because she didn't like those ponies, and because she couldn't fight back.
I growled low and threatening, causing a shocked look from Bubbles as she shot her head up to look at me, while the gang with their nasty leader turned back, quite alarmed. Thistle looked back with a nervous, smug grin. "Oh come on Baccs... you know we were just kiddin'... right? " She finished quite pathetically as she looked up at me as i made my way trotting to be in front of her. The rest of her gang cringed back in awe.
I smirked, dude! , i could be really wicked when i wanted to be, and my size and appearence added to the imposing of my prescence, as if i were some kind of ghost with glowing, red eyes. "How about we go to the apple tree instead? Just we both, and then i'll hang you from it by the neck with steel wire... Huh? How does it sound? A pretty breath taking experience?" I just rose a brow and leaned now dangerously towards her, smirk replaced by a flat glare of anger. She eeped, and then squeaked, ears flat as she transformed into a pony tortilla. She was so close to the floor, so pressed herself she was against it, that i swore that i saw her become bidimensional. I snorted then and stomped my hoof hard on the floor.
Just like that, and less than two seconds before all of them had scattered, fled away in chaos as i couldn't held back my laughter. I turned and saw Bubbles gaze upon me. She looked... scared. I tilted my head and then, before even trying to walk to her, cautiosly asked. "Hey, Bubbles... is everything ok?" She shook her head hard and squeaked too. I tilted my head and rose a leg to walk closer, but was surprised by her words.
"D-don't... !!! You're... you're one scary... baleful mare." It was like a hammer striking down on me. I felt my legs shake and wobble a bit and then steady, as i looked at her, a pained grimace on my features.
"I just wanted... to protect you." I said evenly and in pain. "Just like i want to protect anyone else in this ship..." I saw her shock face and continued, the ache on my heart didn't lighten. "Did you really think i could kill her? I mean, hurt her yes, and not badly. But KILL another resident from this world? OUR world? That is just ilogic." I snorted and then felt the urge to cry, i held my tears back and gritted my teeth. "If someone of them was dead, missing, the system would be incomplete, with that part missing." I looked down at the young adult mare in front of me. We were just young adults! Just finished adolescence, and now we had to live with this stuff everyday.
She wept and gasped then as she rushed flying towards me and threw her forelegs around my strong shape. It took a little effort, and she wasn't able to hug all of my chest, but she hugged. I held her and let her wept, silent as she gasped against my shoulder. I knew this would happen... but not like this! And not with me! i knew Bubbles was a bit fragile, that she tended to make quick conclusions and opinions, and latter she would be sorry for them when she recognized the falsehood behind them.
If a false intimidation show for a bad mare made her feel like this, no matter how harsh i've been when making Thistle flee, i would have to be careful with my behaviour when being with her. When you combine smart-ass, nerd, coarse, muscular mare, it did not sound promising. I still had my "loyalty" ... but that was something common nowadays with the UESC and all that shi-- stuff.
We parted ways then, as i promised to call her to have a small dinner or food at my place when i was free from duty and while she enjoyed her own free time. Because tomorrow... we would have to be there. I stepped into the elevator and for the first time, saw a panoramic view over one of the largerst places in the ship. The "New Canterlot", this flagship, had several huge, giant, auditoriums. But the one i was watching could hold all the population of this ship. Everypony else should have to watch it through T.V. I felt sorry for Mom and Dad. Through the reinforced glass of the elevator back door, i could see everything.
Ponies gathering the necesary stuff like seats, and setting the small decoration the "funeral" and mourning demanded. I could see everypony galloping and trotting around, using their telequinesis, hooves or pinions to organize everything. We, the ODST recruits, had our special place in the main event. RIGHT AT THE FRONT.
I wailed as i considered the idea of myself wearing the formal uniform with the reglamentary ornament sheathed saber, sitting at the front rows , and with amplification screens taking my image and the image of the rest of my companions to amplify it for everyone to see. Unfortunately, they were going to divide us by gender. That meant, mares on one side, stallions at the other. That left me and my size to be exposed among the rest of my normal female companions... I really hated that idea. As the elevator had gilded me almost all the way to my destination, i finally spot it.
There it was! Ready for tomorrow: Crimson Haze's body. He was lying on his back, forehooves folded over his chest while the hind hooves were relaxed and fully stretched. Now, even after death, he had that brave look on his face. He was a pure red coated stallion with orange mane and tail. He looked like 100 years old! All dry and saggy from all places, and his mane and tail were a light white tone now, still preserving some of the orange, a ghost from the original color.
They had put him inside a special coffin, it was made from reinforced translucid materials, so Crimson Haze was still visible on his final glory. He would rest there untill ponies gave him the last goodbye. At the corners of the coffin, two for the head , two for the hindhooves, four elite ODSTs stood guard. They had their Caseless M7S smgs with the silenced muzzle pointed up and butt to the ground, they were two unicorns, one earth pony, and one pegasus. They had the full armor and the visors of their helmets were opaque, and consealed their features, hiding their identity. Each of them had a mourn ribbon in their shoulder, a black ribbon, as all of us would have to wear it tomorrow. I looked to the four ODSTs in a mix of awe, and joy.
Soon, soon i would be like them... Soon, i would have my first REAL mission... and finally be assigned to a squad, with more recruits. As the elevator door opened and i stepped forward, i found myself thinking: "One old stallion dies, a young mare steps in. A new chance to the youth, a funeral for the old-fashioned..."
I shook my head and then entered to the reviews room.
