Fallout Equestria: Renegades

"He who controls others may be powerful,
but he who has mastered himself is mightier still."
-Lao Tzu.

"Hey out there in Cascadia, this is your friend Refuge coming at you with the latest news," a voice said over the radio as I yawned a little and stretched out. I was in the quarters I shared with my mother in the Steel Ranger base in Port Crescent. I could hear the sound of the mare's voice from the radio in the main room. "We've got a lot to talk about this morning, and not a lot of time to go over it all. First off, we've got some new reports out of Haven of Raiders from the Crossbones gang causing trouble for them again. Militia Commander Cold Steel says that they've been doing what they can to hold off these Raiders, but there is always the concern of them being overwhelmed."

I sighed a little, more Reports of Raider attacks, that was all that seemed to be coming out of Seaddle these days. Refuge was some DJ that was based out of the city, not a lot was known about her beyond that. I had to admit, I wondered about her sometimes.

There were more than a few rumors going around, especially since she was rarely seen outside of her studio. But the Elder didn't want anypony leaving unless it was on a mission so I figured I probably wouldn't get any answers anytime soon. I looked in the old mirror in my room, a pair of blue eyes stared back at me I smiled a little at the familiar sight of my reflection as the blue Unicorn mare stared back at me.

"Come on Nova, you don't want to keep the trainers waiting, do you?" Rose asked as she knocked on the door. "You don't need to be late again because you were staring at yourself in the mirror."

"Sorry mom," I said as I slid into my training gear. I was still undergoing my training to become part of the Steel Rangers, despite being a Unicorn I had been undergoing Knight training like my mother before me. My training was almost done and I was going to be made a full Initiate soon, which would be the next step before I became a Knight. "I'm coming."

I headed out of the room to where my mother was waiting in the main living area. She was already getting her armor together and sliding it on as she gave me a smile.

"Hey Nova, how'd you sleep?"

"Okay I guess," I said with a shrug as she finished slipping in her foreleg armor. "I swear I heard explosions and gunfire last night though."

"Yes, apparently Applejack's Rangers launched another attack against the base last night," Rose answered as she brushed off her helmet for a moment. She had been promoted to Crusader not long ago and the familiar markings of it on her armor. "The Elder wants me to take my squad out and investigate the treeline."

"How did they even get here?" I asked. "Isn't Port Crescent the only still functioning Harbor for miles on this side of the bay?"

"We're not sure, they might have landed to the North or there's something we don't know about," Rose said with a shrug. "The attacks have been getting more frequent too. The Elder and Star Paladin Haze are increasing patrols all over the Port. But given the wildlife to the north, there's not a lot we can do about the rest of the island."

"Yeah..." I said quietly as she fit her helmet over her head. "I'm guessing breakfast is out of the question."

"Just because you're this close to graduation doesn't mean you can slack off," Rose chuckled as she shook her head a little bit. "Besides, Paladin Topaz says you're doing a good job with your training. You don't want to ruin it now by slacking off, do you?"

"I guess not," I replied as I levitated a brush up and ran it through my short mane. "Guess I'll go to the commissary after morning training then."

"Hey, look on the bright side, you're almost ready for your first mission," Rose said with a soft smile. "I remember my first mission you know. Trust me, whatever they have planned for you can't be worse than that."

"Yeah," I said and gave my mom a quick hug. "I'll see you this evening then?"

"I'll be waiting," mom said as we headed out together before parting ways.

00000

"Trainees, you are all here because of all the sorry excuses for ponies that have come through here, you are the best of the best," Paladin Topaz, a tall stallion dressed in his Power Armor said as he stood before me and the other trainees. "Each of you has shown skills that prove you to be worthy of becoming Knights in the service of the Ministry of Wartime Technology. But this is where things really come down to the wire, each of you is to run the training course this morning. Your best times will determine your score. Only the best of you will be allowed to go on tomorrow's mission and those that make it out of that alive will take the next step and become full members of the Steel Rangers."

"Yeah, as long as Nova doesn't cheat by using her magic," I heard one of the other Trainees mutter as my ears pivoted towards them. I was about to say something when Paladin Topaz glared at the trainee who had said that.

"Trainee Nova has never cheated as you say," Topaz snapped. "Just because she is a Unicorn doesn't mean she shouldn't use her magic to her advantage. In battle, you must use every asset at your disposal. And in battle, when you're relying on the pony next to you, you shouldn't care if they're a Unicorn or an Earth Pony, Trainee Mango. If you have any problems with her or any other Trainee, you should say it now."

"No sir," Mango said with a gulp as she tried not to look into the helmet of the Paladin.

"Trainee Nova," Topaz continued as he walked in front of me. "Do you have any intention of using your magic to cheat?"

"No sir," I answered honestly.

"You're not going to use any fancy teleportation techniques or something, are you?" He asked as he stared me down. Even with the helmet, I could feel the intensity of the Paladin's glare.

"No sir," I answered quickly.

"There, I believe we should all be satisfied," Topaz said as he walked back in front of the group and stared us all down. "Trainees, I want you all to carry out your duties today with distinction. The Elder will be watching today in order to make sure that you are all ready for your duty as part of the Steel Rangers. Now, since you didn't trust your fellow trainee, Mango you will be the first on the course."

Mango grumbled as she headed towards the training course. I couldn't help but chuckle a little, the Earth Pony trainee had one of the worst times on the course.

I waited as more of the trainees went through the course. Finally, Topaz looked up and glanced at me with a nod, it was my turn to run the course. I moved to the starting line and took a deep breath, this wasn't my first time running the course, but somehow it felt like the most nerve-racking.

I had long ago decided to do everything I could to prove that I was worthy of being here alongside my Earth Pony Comrades. So it often hurt when they acted like I was something special just because I happened to be a Unicorn. So, I was going to make sure that they had no doubt in their minds that I was able to be just like them.

I took a deep breath as I started the course. The first part required perfect balance as I made my way across a wooden beam. I gulped a little as I made my way across the beam, I was trying not to show my nervousness as I slowly made my way across the beam.

I managed to get across the beam and let out a sigh of relief as I ran for the next part of the course. I had to crawl under the barbed wire in the mud and water. I tried not to think about that, we were still on the edge of the effects of the Gardens of Equestria Megaspell so there was probably radiation in the water as I made my way through it and headed up onto the ground as I headed for the next obstacle.

I glanced back towards the gathered ponies who were watching me run the course. I could see the familiar dark brown coat of Elder Mandrake as he watched the trainees running the course. I turned my attention back to the course and grabbed the rope that was supposed to swing me across the water this time and started to swing...

Before the rope broke and I went crashing down into the water below. I struggled to get to my hooves as I heard laughter from the gathered ponies. I groaned as I climbed out of the water and ran for the next obstacle, but that had thrown me off. I didn't want to look bad in front of the others though as I continued the training course.

That drop had messed me up, but I still managed to finish it in good time as I ran up the stairs and reached the goal, breathing heavily. I finally made my way down the ladder and headed back to the gathered ponies as Paladin Topaz eyed me and went back to taking notes.

Ugh, he had no doubt seen what happened on the rope swing. And Elder Mandrake had been watching too, that had no doubt cost me points. I just took a step back and tried not to make eye contact with anypony as we waited for the rest of the trainees to finish the course.

Finally as the last of them finished we were all lined up as Paladin Topaz walked around and looked at each of us in turn. He finally held up the clipboard he had been writing on and nodded. "Trainees Hazel, Torpid, Ivy, Xander, Tumbleweed, and..."

I closed my eyes, there was no way that I had made the top 6. I had screwed up too badly, I could just feel the smug look that Mango probably had on her face right now. I was never going to hear the end of this and Rose was going to be so disappointed in me when she found out.

"Nova," Topaz finished. "You will all be participating in the upcoming mission under the direction of High Paladin Knives. Everypony else will be allowed to retake the exam in 3 months and..."

"WHAT?" Mango shouted. "There's no way I had a lower time than that horn head!"

"Yes, but you showed poor sportsmanship and openly mocked Trainee Nova before the session started," Topaz countered without even batting an eye. "Not to mention you had Trainee Buckeye sabotage the rope swing in order to throw her off."

"But..." Mango started to say as Buckeye's eyes went wide.

"But nothing, the rope was firm and we could see the trainee despite his best efforts to hide the fact from us," Topaz said as he eyed Mango. "Trainee Nova was able to complete the course in enough time regardless. However, you two have been disqualified as a result. You will be unable to attempt to graduate again for at least another year. All who did not pass are dismissed."

The other trainees walked off grumbling a bit as they did. I swear I saw Mango and Buckeye shooting me looks as I moved in closer with the other five trainees who all looked a little more confident now.

"Trainees, you've all shown exemplary skill to reach this point," Topaz said as he walked in front of us. "You have all shown the skills that would make you worthy of bearing the title of Steel Ranger. You still have one more trial ahead of you however and Elder Mandrake will now speak to you about our upcoming mission."

A few of us whispered amongst ourselves as the old Earth Pony stallion stepped forward. Elder Mandrake was dressed in an ornate outfit and looked over all of us for a moment as his eyes fell on me for a moment. I gulped a little as I waited for him to start speaking.

"I have to say, I am impressed with all of you," Mandrake said as he stood before us. "You have all completed your training with honor and dignity. Despite the challenges you face from either your own shortcomings or from others that decided to get in your way..."

He glanced at me when he said that and gave me a slight nod.

"You have managed to overcome them and prove your worth. You are the future of the Steel Rangers each and every one of you. However, things are not that simple in Cascadia. There will always be ponies that try and take things from us, Raider ponies that have no soul or understanding of anything beyond the barrel of a gun. Settlers that believe that all they need is to get by, survival is more than just getting by in the Wasteland after all. And there is still Applejack's Rangers. Once more last night they brazenly attacked our forces here in Port Crescent. But they are not your mission this time, perhaps someday we will be able to take the fight to those heretics and prove that the way of Steel is superior."

"Hear, hear!" One of the other trainees said.

"Well said Elder!"

"Thank you, Trainees," Mandrake said as he waved his hoof for a moment. "The fact of the matter is that we must remain vigilant at all times. That is why you have all been chosen for this operation. We have uncovered intel pointing towards there being another port on the north side of Braybridge island. We had believed it to be cleared out, but it seems that it is now in use once more. We suspect that it belongs to one of the accursed Raider gangs that call Seaddle their home. Perhaps even they struck a deal with Applejack's Rangers and allowed them safe passage onto the Island. We are to retake the port for the Steel Rangers and ensure that it is never used against us again. High Paladin Knives will lead your mission along with more members of the contingent. I do not expect all of you to come back alive."

I gulped a little at that and looked at the other Trainees. They suddenly looked as nervous as I felt, but they were trying much harder to hide it from the Elder. I looked back at him for a moment and nodded slightly to myself, I wasn't going to let him down.

"Those who return will be given full membership in the Steel Rangers as an Initiate," Mandrake continued. "From there, your training will continue, but you will be awarded privileges that you did not have before. Your mission is in two days, prepare yourselves for it. Are there any questions?"

There were none so he dismissed us after a long moment. I walked off, only briefly glancing back to see that Mandrake and Topaz were talking in silence. While I wondered what they were talking about, I pushed it to the back of my mind.

For now, all I wanted to do was get some food in me at the commissary as my stomach growled a little.

00000

I silently moved through the line as the cooks placed food on a plate and gave it to me. There wasn't much to go around so it was just rations as I levitated it over to a table on the far end of the commissary. I started to eat before I felt a hoof on my shoulder and nearly jumped.

"Whoah, chill, it's just me," a mare's voice said and I chuckled as I turned to see the Unicorn standing there. She was a tan furred Unicorn with a dark brown mane and she gave me a smile.

"Sorry Cocoa, I've just been a little nervous ever since the training thing," I said as I gave the Unicorn a slight smile. Cocoa was part of the Scribe training, what Unicorns were usually assigned to, and she had been my best friend since I was a filly.

"Oh yeah, I heard about what Mango and Buckeye pulled on you," Cocoa said with a frown. "I'm amazed they didn't just throw them out altogether."

"I guess they need more Steel Rangers with everything that's going on," I reminded her. "Besides, Mango comes from one of the old families. I guess it wouldn't have looked good to throw her out of the Steel Rangers."

"I still don't like it," Cocoa said with a shake of her head. "We should get back at them somehow."

"Oh great, not another one of your crazy revenge schemes," I said with a groan.

"No, no, this will be perfect," Cocoa said quickly. "Come on, they tried to sabotage your chances of getting into the Steel Rangers, don't you want some revenge?"

"Maybe, but they're already in trouble with Paladin Topaz," I reminded her. "Besides, if I do anything they'll automatically suspect me."

“Not if I take care of it while you have an alibi,” Cocoa suggested. “Come on, it’ll be harmless. There’s no way they’ll trace it back to you and you’re practically an Initiate already. After what she did you deserve some sort of revenge.”

“Fine, but don’t tell me what you’re doing, I want plausible deniability,” I told her with a groan. “If you get me into trouble by doing this, I’m taking you down with me, got it?”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t worry, you won’t get in trouble,” Cocoa dismissed. “So, you’ve got your first mission coming up, huh? Well, good luck, something tells me you’re going to need it. Just promise me that you’ll be careful, okay?”

"I will," I said as I took a bite of my food and gave her a soft smile. "I don't think you or Rose would forgive me if I wasn't careful anyway. I'll be careful, I promise."

"Good," Cocoa said with a smile as she started eating too. "Really, if you ask me, she's probably jealous."

"Jealous? Of me?" I asked as I glanced at Cocoa. "What exactly would suggest that? Why would she even be jealous of me?"

"I dunno maybe because you're a Unicorn," Cocoa said with a shrug. "Maybe because you sometimes get special treatment from the others. Maybe because you're just better than she is."

"Me being a Unicorn has nothing to do with me being good at anything," I countered. "And I don't get any more special treatment than any of the other Trainees.

"Then she's probably just mad that some Unicorn is better than an Earth Pony," Cocoa shrugged. "It's to be expected, you wouldn't know given you don't come from a Unicorn family. The Earth Ponies don't exactly like the idea of Unicorns being part of the Knights. I mean, you'll notice that the Power Armor is built for Earth Ponies, not Unicorns or Pegasi. So if you ask me she's probably mad that some Unicorn is showing her up."

Earth Pony superiority, it wasn't the first time I had heard about something like that. I knew that it had been hard for Rose to actually convince the Elder to actually let me undergo the training. I had always wanted to follow in her hoofsteps growing up.

Maybe I really did get some special treatment in that regard, but I had more than proven myself worthy of being a Knight by now. At least I hoped I had.

"Yeah, I guess that makes more sense than anything else," I finally admitted as I took another bite of my rations. "I don't like it though. I'm not trying to set myself apart from any of the other Trainees."

"Well, there's not really much else we can do about it," Cocoa said with a shrug. "So, what are we going to do now?"

"I think I'll go to the shooting range later," I replied after a moment. "I need to be ready for my first mission anyway. My aim is a bit off-center sometimes. So I should probably get some practice in before I have to actually put anypony's lives on the line."

"Yeah, probably a good idea," Cocoa agreed. "Just be careful, okay? I don't think they're done with you at this point. They're probably going to go after you at the first chance they get."

"I'll be careful," I said with a nod. "I don't trust them either, but I can't let myself be consumed by fear. It wasn't even my fault, she probably would've beaten me if she hadn't cheated."

"Yeah, but that doesn't matter now," Cocoa said. "Just be careful."

"I will," I said as I went back to eating my rations and gave her a slight smile. "Thanks for looking out for me, Cocoa. I'm lucky to have a friend like you."

"Yeah, well Unicorns gotta stick together in the Steel Rangers," Cocoa replied. "And plus you're my best friend. It's my job to look out for you."

"Thanks," I said with a slight nod as I went back to eating.

I was just happy that I had such a good friend. In a world like we lived in that was a rare thing to have indeed. I smiled a little and finished eating as I gave her a quick hug.

"I'll talk to you later, okay? I should get some practice in like I said," I said and Cocoa nodded a little as I headed out of the commissary.

00000

I fired a few shots into the target on the other side of the gun range and frowned a little as I eyed the targets. I still wasn't very good at actually centering my shots, most of them were a bit off-center and some had outright missed the target. I groaned a little as I reached for another clip.

"Well, well the horn head still can't get a clean shot off I see," a voice said from behind me. I groaned a little as I realized that it was Mango again.

"Hello Mango," I said as I slammed the new clip into my rifle and lined up the sights on the target again. "How about you and your boyfriend go and bug somepony else? I'm busy getting ready for the mission."

"Hey, you didn't earn your place on that team!" Mango snapped as I ignored her, firing several shots at the target again. "Hey, don't ignore me!"

"Why shouldn't I?" I asked without even looking at her as I lined up another shot and fired, flinching a little as it went to the side. "I earned my place in the mission, you tried to get ahead by cheating. You only cheated yourself."

"SHUT UP!" Mango shouted. "YOU CHEATED BY USING YOUR STUPID UNICORN MAGIC! ADMIT IT, IT'S THE ONLY WAY A STUPID HORN HEAD PONY LIKE YOU COULD'VE DONE THAT!"

I sighed a little as I lowered my rifle. This was not what I needed right now I took a deep breath and closed my eyes as I tried not to think about the pony behind me. Mango was a jerk and I was not going to give her the satisfaction of responding to her.

"Excuse me, but I'm a little busy right now, maybe you should come back later when nopony is here for you to scream at," I said as I fired several shots into the target again. "Because right now the hot air in this place is getting unbearable."

I was about to replace the clip again when I felt a sharp pain as something hit me in the back of the head. I stumbled forward a bit as the rifle clattered to the ground and turned around quickly to see Mango standing there with fire in her eyes.

"You really want to do this?" I asked with a growl as I started to walk away. I was going to have a word with the knight in charge of the shooting range. "Your parents must be so proud of you if you're going to harass a fellow Trainee like this. Leave me alone or I'll make sure that Paladin Topaz knows about this."

"You know what, I don't care at this point, you already ruined my life!" Mango shouted as she ran forward and swung her hoof at me and caught me across the muzzle. I rubbed it a little as I turned around quickly and punched her hard, sending her sprawling back in surprise.

"I'm not taking your crap anymore, don't you dare lay another hoof on me," I said as I shook my hoof a little. "Right now you've got a chance to graduate next year. I wouldn't ruin that chance if I were you."

I dodged another swing of the hoof from the mare and pushed her back. She growled and was about to jump at me when an armored figure pushed in between us and stared us down.

"Both of you, cut it out," the familiar voice of my mother said as she held us apart. "Trainees Nova and Mango, this behavior is not becoming of Steel Rangers. Nova, I am ashamed of you right now."

"But mom, she..." I started to explain.

"Right now it's Crusader Rose, not mom," she snapped at me. Clearly, she was disappointed in me as she stared me down from behind the helmet. "Trainees, I want you to calmly explain what happened and then I will decide what to do with the two of you."

The two of us quickly started talking at the same time. Rose groaned and facehooved as she shouted, "I said calmly explain what happened. This is not calmly. Trainee Mango, you first."

"But Crusader..." I started to say.

"She will explain her case first, no exceptions," Rose interrupted.

"Ma'am, I was simply coming to the shooting range in order to practice my shooting after running the course again to prepare for next year," Mango explained. "Trainee Nova was apparently mad about something that happened earlier and attacked me!"

"Alright Nova, now it's your turn," Rose said as she looked back at me.

"I was here doing weapons training when she came in and started harassing me," I explained. "Then when I tried to leave she assaulted me. I was only defending myself against her, nothing more. She's just mad because she was caught cheating during the training course earlier."

"What? I don't..." Mango started to say.

"Don't even bother, Paladin Topaz told me what happened this morning," Rose said. "And given the evidence, I'm inclined to believe Trainee Nova."

"WHAT? YOU'RE JUST SIDING WITH THAT STUPID..." Mango started to shout before she realized what she was saying. "Uh, I mean, she's, uh..."

"I'm taking you back to talk with your parents," Rose said sternly as she grabbed Mango's foreleg and looked back at me. "Continue your training, Trainee Nova. You wouldn't want to be unprepared, would you?"

I nodded as Rose pulled her away and I went back to the shooting range. I secured another clip into my rifle and lined it up on the target across the range and fired several shots into it.

00000

"You and Trainee Mango are still not getting along I see," Rose said as I walked into our quarters that evening.

"You could say that," I sighed as I fell onto a chair and laid back on it and looked up at the ceiling for a moment. "She had Buckeye try to sabotage my run earlier. Then she attacks me when I was just doing some training, I don't even know why she hates me so much."

"You know how the old families are," Rose sighed as she shook her head a little. "With everything that's been going on the Rangers have had to be less selective about who they let in. A lot of the old families aren't happy about that, especially with the inclusion of Unicorns into the Knights."

"There are going to be more?" I asked.

"They're talking about it at least, but right now you're the only one," Rose shrugged. "It's more a desperation play really. With Applejack's Rangers scooping up our members every so often, Mandrake has to make some hard decisions."

"I've never actually even used my magic to try and get ahead of them," I commented as I leaned on my hoof a little."That seems to be what she keeps trying to accuse me of doing."

"I know," Rose said. "Everypony knows that really. We know you wouldn't actually cheat at the training sessions. Elder Mandrake believes that you show a lot of potential as well. Honestly, I'm proud that you wanted to follow in my hoofsteps and are doing your best. Even if I can't always do everything to help with your training."

I nodded a little at that. Since my mother was an Earth Pony I had been trained by some of the best Scribes in the Seaddle Contingent of the Steel Rangers in how to use my magic. They had been surprised to learn that I had wanted to become a Knight, but they had done what they could.

And here I was on the verge of actually becoming an Initiate. With everything that was going on, I just had to hope that I wasn't going to screw this up on the last mission somehow. I nodded a little and gave Rose a slight smile.

"You've done everything you could, and I appreciate that. You've done way more than enough for me at this point."

"I'm your mom, it's my job to take care of you," Rose said as she hugged me tightly for a moment. "And I'm proud of you for getting this far. Come on, the curfew is coming up so you should probably get ready for bed. You've still got a lot of preparation to do in order to get ready."

"Yeah, I know," I said as I headed back to my bedroom. I removed my outfit and looked at myself in the mirror again for a moment and took a deep breath.

This was it, with everything that was going on I was almost done with my training. I had been working towards this practically my whole life and here I was finally on the verge of it. Being an Initiate was only part of it of course but at the moment it was the closest step to becoming a full Knight.

I smiled a little and laid back on my bed. It was hard to believe that I wasn't going to be sleeping in here much longer. For now, I just had to make sure that I was actually ready for this.

And somehow, the possibility of not being ready scared me more than anything.

00000

A few days later we had been taken along Route 305 through Braybridge Island. We had set up camp before the assault was to begin in the overgrown wildlife preserve near the target. We were all in the main tent where Paladins Topaz and Knives were overseeing the briefing.

"Alright, our target is the remains of Port Macintosh on the north end of the island," Paladin Knives instructed as he pointed at the point on the northern end of the island map. "Until recently we believed that the port had been overrun by sea creatures, apparently we were incorrect."

"Our Recon units report that the port has been captured by members of the Sons of the Blood Moon," Topaz continued as he nodded to Knives. "They are a dangerous Raider gang from across the bay. We don't know why they moved across the water to Braybridge Island or if they are associated with Applejack's Rangers. However, given this is the only other point on the island that they could have arrived at, our mission is to capture and hold the port to keep them from coming after us again."

"The Sons are all holed up in the outer part of the port," Knives added. "Trainees, you will each be assigned to a Crusader and their unit. Your missions will depend on which Unit you are assigned to. Anypony in the port is considered an enemy combatant or a collaborator. Civilians are not a top priority. We need to take this port in order to maintain our position on the island."

I flinched a little at that, civilians weren't a priority? I had always heard that we were supposed to get the civilians out if at all possible, it was odd but there wasn't much I could do other than obey orders.

"Everypony, you are to get your gear together and make sure that you have enough ammo," Knives continued. "This is the best chance we have at stopping the Sons from taking this island. This is our island, and we're not going to let anypony take it from us."

"You're all dismissed, report to your Crusaders and be ready," Topaz finished. "We attack Port Macintosh at dawn. You all have your assignments, dismissed!"

I glanced at the other five trainees for a moment they all shrugged and we headed out of the tent together. I walked over towards where Crusader Kale was standing as she looked over the troops assigned to her. She glanced over at me and sighed a little as she turned her attention to me.

"Trainee Nova, reporting for duty ma'am," I said quickly.

"Trainee, you may have been assigned to us, but that doesn't entirely mean that we have to like it," Kale said as she eyed me from behind her helmet. "This is an important mission for the Steel Rangers, and we do not particularly want to foalsit a Trainee."

"Ma'am, I..." I started to say.

"Let me guess, you're still green aren't you?" Kale asked and I nodded a little. She glanced back towards the Knights for a moment and then back at me. "Well, unfortunately, we don't have much of a choice, do we? Our part of the operation is to attack their boats that are in the harbor. The Raiders cannot be allowed to escape and get reinforcements from their allies across the bay. You will be provided with a weapon and explosives to help deal with the Raider's watercraft. You are not to get in the way or slow us down. Do you understand your mission, Trainee?"

"Yes, ma'am!" I said as I snapped to attention. "I will not get in the way, ma'am."

"Make sure that you don't," Kale finished as she looked back at the other Knights. "You are all dismissed, rest up and be ready for the mission tomorrow. Trainee, you're to stay with Knights Violet and Bark tonight. Make sure you're ready in the morning."

I nodded as the two Knights lead me to one of the tents. I gulped a little as I looked at the Knights. What would they even think about this? Kale didn't exactly seem to like having to deal with me, would her Knights think the same?

"So, you're the Unicorn who wants to become a Knight, hmm?" One of the Knights asked as she removed her armor. She had a dark purple coat with a light purple and pink mane.

"Uh, yeah, that's me," I said as I headed over towards my bedding.

"I think she's a bit nervous," Bark said as he removed his own armor. He had a dark brown coat with a black mane and tail that he shook free. "Look, Nova, right? Don't worry about what the Crusader was saying out there. She's usually a lot friendlier, but the last few times we went out with trainees they all died on their missions."

Okay, that really didn't make me feel much better. Though That did at least make more sense if she didn't like having to lose trainees.

"You shouldn't scare her like that," Violet said. "Really Nova, just because they died doesn't mean you will too. Really, I think you should be fine as long as you keep your cool. There are a lot of things that can get you killed in an operation like this, but you're not going to be alone. You've got all of us backing you up, remember that okay?"

"Okay," I said with a soft smile as I laid back on my bedding. "I'll do my best as well. I guess I'm just afraid that I'll screw it up somehow, I'm sure you don't feel that way."

"Are you kidding? We're all afraid of messing up," Bark said. "There are lives on the line as long as we're going out on these missions. What you have to remember is that you aren't out there alone. Your squad will be backing you up the whole time you're out there, and that includes us. Crusader Kale may be a bit angry, but she's still going to do whatever she can to keep you alive too."

"Yeah, that does make me feel a little better," I sighed with relief. "Thank you, both of you."

"You're welcome, now get some sleep," Violet said as I laid back on the bedding and closed my eyes.

00000

Dawn.

Or to be more specific, it was a little bit before dawn. We were getting set up in order to prepare for the coming assault. I had been outfitted with an assault rifle that was secured to a holster on my saddles. I could see a set of boats that looked like they had been fishing or passenger boats before the war in the bay. I could barely make them up as I glanced back towards the sky.

The plan was to have the main force attack the bay from a direction that would put the sun behind them just as dawn broke. We'd have to move fast and take out the boats in any way possible in the confusion and then join the fight with the Raiders.

I glanced over at Violet who gave me a nod as I secured my rifle again and took a deep breath as I looked down at the nearest boat. My job was to set P-4 Charges on the hull of one of the ships so we could detonate them later. Now it was just a matter of waiting for the attack to begin.

I didn't have to wait long as the light of the sun came up over the hill. There was the sound of gunfire and explosions as the Rangers attacked the Raiders. I looked over at the others and got the nod to go as we headed towards the boats quickly and silently.

The chaos from the battle had already started. I could hear the sound of ponies heading our way. I raised my rifle out of the holster and fired several shots on it as I approached the hull of the boat I had been assigned to. I quickly levitated the P-4 out of my bag and attached it to the hull of the boat when my ears twitched a little, I could've sworn I heard something coming from inside the boat.

I finished securing the P-4 and headed over to the gangplank that lead up to the deck of the boat. Holding my rifle, I found the door that lead into the inside of the ship and pushed it open as quietly as I could and headed inside. I could hear some muttered voices from one of the small rooms inside and pressed up against the wall as I tried to make out what they were saying.

"I told you this job was a bad idea... now they're attacking us," one of the voices said. "This is all your fault!"

"I know, I know, but the caps were too good, we need to get out of here before they target the ships," a gruff voice replied. "It may already be too late, I swear I heard somepony on the deck above."

"This is your fault, you brought them down on us by taking that stupid job," the first voice said. "I'm getting us out of here, maybe we can get out of here before they try something."

I blinked a little, what were they talking about? We had been attacked by Applejack's Rangers, right? What were these Raiders even talking about? Something about this was weird, I needed answers and fast.

The two Raiders came out, one of them was a Unicorn and the other was an Earth Pony. I quickly levitated my rifle up and aimed it at the two of them. "Hold it right there!"

"I told you I heard somepony up there," the gruff stallion muttered. "Might as well get it over with. Might as well shoot us now."

"No," I said as I grabbed their weapons and threw them off to the side. "What were you talking about in there? What kind of job were you hired for?"

"Your bosses aren't exactly keeping you in the know, are they?" The Gruff stallion asked as he glared at me for a moment before chuckling a little. "There's so much that you don't know."

"Then enlighten me," I said as I held my rifle at the two of them. "Tell me everything you know. We were told Applejack's Rangers attacked the port, what really happened?"

"Oh, you poor deluded foal," the stallion sighed with a shake of his head. "You're being lied to. Everything you know is being manipulated by..."

He was cut off by two quick gunshots as the two Raider stallions fell to the ground dead with bullet holes in their heads. I blinked a little, what had just happened? I reached for my gun as I spun around and saw Crusader Kale standing there.

"What was that about? They were about to tell me something important!" I shouted at her.

"No, they weren't, he was distracting you while his buddy was preparing to kill you," Kale said and nodded to a weapon by the second stallion's side where a knife was laying. "You didn't properly check your targets, Trainee. You're lucky to be alive."

"But he..." I started to say.

"Don't believe a word he said, these Raiders would say anything," Kale said as she checked the corpses for weapons and ammo before taking them out and tossing me some ammunition. "Get off the boat, we need to blow this thing. It's the last one left at this point and the Raiders are on the run."

"Yes ma'am," I said as I followed her out of the boat's interior. I trotted away from it for a moment before hitting the button on the detonator and explosions racked the hull of the boat where we had just been.

I looked back at the burning hulk of the boat for a moment. What had he meant? They had been talking about that before they even knew I was here, so was he actually lying? I didn't like this, it felt like there were more and more unanswered questions about what really was going on.

I glanced at Kale who was getting everything straightened up. There were still sounds of gunfire and explosions, but they seemed to be moving away towards the ruined bridge that once went across the water to the mainland. Something about all of this felt so off to me. There were certainly signs of there being Raiders, that was not in question, but somehow this just felt weird.

"Trainee, we're doing a building to building search of the port," Kale said. "You're to go with Knight Violet to investigate the north end of the town. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am," I said with a slight nod as I went to meet up with the Knight.

00000

We made our way through the northern part of the town that made up the port. I took a deep breath as I checked to make sure my weapon was secure. So far we had been lucky, there wasn't anypony in these buildings, at least as far as I could tell as we moved towards the last two houses on the old street.

"Trainee, let's split up from here," Violet said. "The others should have driven the Raiders out anyway. I'll meet up with you out here in 10, okay?"

"Okay," I replied as I headed to one of the houses and listened for a moment. It was quiet as I pushed the door open as quietly as possible with the rifle held tight in my telekinetic grip.

For a moment it seemed like everything was quiet. I was about to head back out when I heard quiet voices coming from upstairs. I checked my ammo for a moment and quietly made my way up the stairs as I tried to figure out what they were saying.

"Need... to... out..." One voice said quietly, I could barely make out the words as I pressed up against the wall.

"We can't, the boss would be mad if we didn't secure the merchandise," a second voice grumbled. "Besides, those blasted Rangers are all chasing the Sons off of the island. We need to get these out of here before they realize what else is going on."

And after that I heard a light whimpering, I narrowed my eyes a little at that. If these weren't Raiders and based on what they were saying, they were most likely Slavers. They actually thought they were going to get away with this. If they had any ponies there, I needed to get them to safety.

I raised my rifle and kicked the door open as I quickly put bullets into the two Slavers, catching them completely off guard. They were dressed in rough leather armor and crumpled before they could even try and fight back. I let out a sigh of relief as I looked around for whoever they had been holding.

"We're over here!" A voice said from the closet nearby. I blinked a little and headed over and opened the door to reveal two mares and a filly crouched in the closet. They looked scared more than anything as I stood there in my Steel Ranger Trainee uniform and holding a rifle.

"Come on, you're safe now," I said as I gestured for the three of them to come out quickly. "We'll get you out of here, I promise."

"Please, let us go..." one of the mares said softly. "You don't have to tell your superiors you found us here. Just let us go!"

"Wait, what?" I asked as I blinked a little in confusion. "We're just here for the Raiders, we're not going to hurt any of you."

"Yeah right, we've heard about what the Steel Rangers do to Ponies, civilian or Raider," the second mare said as she held the filly carefully. "Please, just let us go."

I blinked a little in confusion as I looked at them and then back downstairs for a moment. There was no way they'd actually know if I had found anypony in the House. I thought back to what our orders were, anypony in the town was to be considered a hostile. But these ponies were innocents and had been held by Slavers at that. Could I really kill them or even turn them over to the other Rangers?

I took a deep breath and nodded a little as I checked them over. "Alright, there should be a way out the back. Head south, stay away from the road and you should be safe. Be careful, okay?"

"Thank you, Celestia bless you," one of the mares said quickly as the three of them started down the stairs with me close behind.

I took a deep breath as I watched them go through the door leading out the back. I just had to hope that they were going to be okay as I headed for the front door and re-secured my rifle. I didn't know if what they had said was true, but right now I didn't want to risk it.

I was about to get my answer as I exited the building and heard the sound of gunfire coming from down the street. I glanced up the street and stopped when I realized that more of the Steel Rangers were standing over several bodies that looked like they might've been ordinary Wastelanders or slaves.

I tried to look away at that. Maybe there was something I was missing, but somehow I wasn't sure, I hated not knowing what was going on.

Something about all of this felt so, wrong. This whole attack had given me way too much to think about, and I didn't like it. I was definitely not going to tell them what had happened in the house, just in case

00000

"So, how'd it go?" Rose asked as I laid on the couch in our quarters back in Port Crescent. "Crusader Kale seemed to be happy with your progress."

"Yeah, I did the best I could out there," I said and sighed a little. How was I going to explain what happened while I was in Port Macintosh to her? Would she even believe me? Was it possible that it was all a lie? "Look, uh, mom..."

"Yes, Nova?" She asked. I couldn't even make eye contact with her right now. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

“Honestly, I don’t know, I saw and heard some stuff while I was in Port Macintosh,” I replied with a shake of my head. “I honestly don’t know what to think about all of that. I haven’t actually been in anything like that before, you know?”

“Yeah, I know,” Rose replied as she placed her hoof on me gently. “You’re going to be okay, Nova. The first mission is always the hardest. Things will get better as you go, I promise.”

“Yeah, I hope so,” I sighed as I closed my eyes. “Mom… I honestly don’t know what to think anymore. What are we even doing out here?”

“Honestly, I don’t know, I saw and heard some stuff while I was in Port Macintosh,” I replied with a shake of my head. “I honestly don’t know what to think about all of that. I haven’t actually been in anything like that before, you know?”

“Yeah, I know,” Rose replied as she placed her hoof on me gently. “You’re going to be okay, Nova. The first mission is always the hardest. Things will get better as you go, I promise.”

“Yeah, I hope so,” I sighed as I closed my eyes. “Mom… I honestly don’t know what to think anymore. What are we even doing out here?”

"What do you mean?"

"I honestly don't know," I said and rolled over to face the couch. "I've got a lot to think about right now. I'll talk to you about it tomorrow, maybe."

"Okay, just let me know if you want to talk to me," Rose said as I closed my eyes. I smiled a little as I felt Rose pull a blanket over me.

I had to admit that this felt really nice. I still had to figure out exactly what had happened earlier and what I was going to do for now. Tomorrow me and the other trainees who had passed would graduate and become full Initiates in the Steel Rangers.

With everything that had happened, I had a lot to think about and figure out going forward.

"I love you mom," I said softly as I heard here walking towards her room.

"I love you too, Nova," Rose said as she opened the door and went into her bedroom.

I just hoped that everything really was going to be fine. I closed my eyes again and drifted off to sleep.

00000

The next day we were out on the parade grounds of the base in Port Crescent. Out of the six of us that had finished our training, only 4 of us made it through the mission. I took a deep breath as I took my spot and looked out at the crowd where Rose was watching.

She smiled a little as she gave me a nod. I stood at attention with the other trainees and glanced at them for a moment. They looked a lot more confident than I felt, but I tried to put on a brave face as Elder Mandrake made his way down the Parade Grounds and stepped onto the stage in his full robes.

"Welcome, all of you to the full induction of our latest trainees into the Sacred Brotherhood of the Steel Rangers," Mandrake said as he spoke to the crowd."These brave mares and stallions have overcome the odds and proven themselves to be worthy of joining us. But things continue to be difficult for us. The recent attacks by Applejack's Rangers only prove that they are cowards who fail to truly comprehend the truth. That the Steel Rangers are the true heirs to our founder's will. We are the only thing that truly stands between this world and total chaos. Trainees, you must all steel yourselves, dark times are ahead of us as the vile enemies of the true way stand in our way. We will not fail, we must prevail in order to preserve our way of life against those that would destroy it. You will be the first line of defense against Chaos. Equestria has been destroyed, and we the Steel Rangers are those who will ensure that it has a future. I welcome you all to the Steel Rangers, bring honor and distinction to that title."

Four Scribes came out of the crowd, each of them was holding a PipBuck. Cocoa gave me a smile as she held mine out to me and I took it.

"These PipBucks will mark your first step towards becoming full-fledged Knights," Mandrake continued. "Use them well and use them to get used to the Eyes Forward Sparkle system."

I fitted the PipBuck onto my leg and blinked a little as the Eyes Forward Sparkle form over my vision. The compass appeared over the bottom of my vision as I looked around, taking in everything as I did. This felt weird, but I quickly got used to it as I checked my PipBuck’s screen and letters and numbers came across it.

S: 5
P: 7
E: 4
C: 3
I: 6
A: 3
L: 2

I noticed that the others were checking it too as I scanned over the crowd curiously for a moment. Suddenly a red bar flashed on my EFS and I blinked a little in surprise. I switched to SATS quickly and scanned the crowd with it before my eyes fell on one stallion in the crowd that was pushing through and levitating out a pistol slowly.

“GET DOWN!” I shouted as I jumped forward and caught Elder Mandrake in mid sentence as the would be assassin fired a shot over our heads.

“Get him!” A voice said from the crowd as the gathered ponies grabbed the stallion. The Elite Guard filed their way in quickly, helping us up as they pulled Mandrake to safety. I glanced back at the crowd and caught the eye of the assassin who was struggling against the ponies that were holding him.

As this happened, I got the feeling that my life was never going to be the same again.

LEVEL UP!

Perk Received: Steel Sister.
Details: You’ve completed your training as a member of the Steel Rangers and become a full Initiate. What this means for your future is yet to be seen. You get a +5 to heavy weapons and repair.