Equestria: New Dawn

by Pyramusandthisbe117

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3

Prologue

MEMORANDUM FOR: Princess Luna

Co-ruler of Equestria

SUBJECT: After Action Report – Princess Celestia

Visit to Canterlot – 21 April 2012

PURPOSE: This memo provides a strategic and operational assessment of security operations in and around the Capitol of Canterlot and the surrounding country-side.
SOURCES:

A. SENIOR MILITARY OFFICIAL(S):

Capt. Shining Armor, Commander, Royal Guard

As we already know, the Changeling threat in Canterlot has been temporarily eliminated thanks to the valiant efforts of Capt. Shining Armor, Princess Cadance along with Twilight Sparkle and her friends. However, such a victory is a small one that has come at a high cost. The realization that the enemy infiltrated that deep into Canterlot despite such high security measures is not a pleasant one.

LTC. Boulder has already been engaged by these forces and certainly has vital information Equestria needs. While his warning did arrive a day after the incident in question, I believe that it is time we allow him and troops asylum to assist us in this fight. Our forces simply do not have the capabilities and know-how to counter this threat.

In the light of recent events, the Canterlot Royal Guard cannot be trusted to protect Equestria in its entirety. Such tasks will now be delegated by the soon to be Cmdr. Boulder to respective branches and units upon his arrival in Canterlot.

Chapter 1

“In the light of recent events, the Canterlot Royal Guard cannot be trusted to protect Equestria in its entirety. Such tasks will now be delegated by Cmdr. Boulder to respective branches and units.”

-Memo from Princess Celestia to Princess Luna

●●●

“Evening ma’am. Looking very sharp if I might say so myself.”

“Enough with the pleasantries Commander, let’s just get right down to business. We’ve already seen the capabilities of these Changelings and I have no intention of letting this happen again. The very idea that they were even able to infiltrate this deep into our territory! It troubles me greatly.”

“Yes ma’am, I take it that things have escalated rather quickly.”

“Indeed. Commander, I am authorizing you to take full control of the situation, so there will be no need to do any of your sales pitch. Whatever resources you need, I’ll get them for you. We need to stop this threat at all costs.”

“I understand. I’ll be changing a few things around here in that case. Oh, and ma’am?”

“Yes, Boulder? What is it?”

“There’s something I’ll need that you’re going to have to authorize. Something that some ponies may not find at all pleasant. I need you to authorize New Dawn Protocol.”

“You realize that what you’re asking me is something that is in violation of multiple ethical codes currently in place here in Equestria.”

“Do you want to win this or not, Celestia? You know as much as I do that we need a quick and certain victory against the Changelings. A standing military will take a bit to mobilize. We can’t afford to wait too long before striking back at the enemy. We need something to show the ponies here that we in fact CAN defend ourselves.”

“I’m not sure I like the idea. I could have you arrested for this.”

“Lock me away and you lose this war, Celestia. We both know that! So what will it be?”

“Damnit, Boulder!”

“I’ll assemble my Staff shop and get to work on recruiting for the services. And Celestia?”

“I’m not in the mood to talk with a despicable pony such as yourself!”

“It’s good to be working here again.”

●●●

The door slammed shut behind Shining Armor as he walked back into his house. Damnit! He thought to himself. Those hinges needed some adjusting and his schedule ever since the wedding and the attack by the Changelings hadn’t really allowed for any down time. It didn’t seem like Cadance was home. Usually she greeted him after his shift was over. “Cadance?” Shining Armor called out, “You home?” No answer, strange. “Hello? Cadance?”

“I’m in the kitchen, Shining.” Oh thank Celestia, these late night shifts must be getting to me, Shining Armor thought. “There’s a strange stallion here to see you, says his name is Rough Boulder?” Oh fuck. Not this guy again. Shining Armor quickly trotted over to the kitchen where he saw Cadance looking rather confused and him. A towering stallion to say the least, matching Twily’s friend’s brother. What was his name? Big something, Big Apple? No, something like that though.

“Good to see you, Shining” the stallion said with a disturbing smirk plastered on his face. “It’s been a while.”

Shining gritted his teeth and snorted.

“Boulder! I thought the Princess exiled you. And what the fuck are you doing in my house!” Boulder laughed. That laugh, thought Shining, something was off with this stallion.

“Now, now Captain. No need to start throwing expletives around, somepony’s feelings might get hurt.” The stallion chuckled to himself. Taking a large step towards Shining, Boulder’s gaze abruptly changed from disturbing to very serious. “Look here…Captain,” he said, spitting the word out as if it had a poor taste in his mouth, “As of tonight, I am now in charge of all Equestrian military forces, including the Royal Guard.”

“What!” cried out Shining, his outburst startling Cadance. “The Princess would never allow somepony like you to be put in charge of anything, let alone a military force! Besides, Equestria hasn’t had a standing military since you led the Separatist movement!” Boulder looked cross at the mention of that.

“Listen here, you foal!” hissed Boulder. Shining fell silent. “You and your fellow idiots in the Canterlot Royal Guard are nothing more than figureheads who are mere slaves to the beck and call of whatever ‘Master’ Celestia asks of you!”

“How dare you address the Princess like that!” sputtered Shining. “We protect and…” Boulder waved his hoof in annoyance.

“Spare me the propaganda they tell you at Guard training, Shining. If you want to keep the Canterlot Royal Guard and not see it disbanded, you’ll listen to me and do whatever I ask of you. Do I make myself clear?” growled Boulder. He looked at Shining’s shocked face. Boulder smiled to himself.

“Dis…disbanded?” stammered Shining. How could this be possible he thought. This traitorous stallion was supposedly in charge of all military forces and operations in Equestria thanks to Celestia and was now telling him, Shining; Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard, that the famed and elite unit would now be disbanded? What the hell was going on?

“No thanks to the tactical brilliance and sound security that the Royal Guard provided, it’s no wonder that the Changelings were able to break through such weak defenses.” Boulder continued, “Hell, I’m amazed that you all managed to save yourselves along with the capitol! So it’s no surprise that currently, both Celestia and Luna are shall we say, concerned with the recent performance of the Royal Guard. In fact, I’d go as far to say that the Home Guard would’ve had a better plan of action for such a catastrophic event!” Each statement slammed into Shining like a blow to the chest. He knew it was true. Shining didn’t doubt that the Princesses were disappointed with how the Royal Guard responded to the threat. He had also made the mistake of significantly reducing the number of Guards on station during the night, when the Changelings had amassed themselves outside protection spell. Shining cringed, damn twenty-twenty hindsight!

“You’re right, Boulder.” Shining glumly stated, “Mistakes were made.” He picked his head up and looked at the menacing stallion in the eyes before saying “But the Royal Guard has full intention of learning from said mistakes and improving what was once weak!” Boulder’s face remained void of any emotion before breaking out into laughter again.

“This is why I like you, Shining!” said the still chuckling stallion. “Resilient in the face of danger. Don’t see many ponies with that quality these days.” Did Boulder just compliment him, thought Shining. “Here’s the deal, Captain. I’ll leave the Canterlot Royal Guard alone.”

“What’s the catch?” instinctively asked Shining Armor. Something was off here.

Boulder wagged a hoof at him, “So impatient! Well since you insist, the catch is that in order for the Royal Guard to remain a unit, I’ll need eight of your best mares and stallions. After all, your unit does claim itself to be elite. You will also now no longer be in charge of protecting the cities and towns. The Home Guard will be responsible for such areas. Your new area of jurisdiction will now be the Palace of Canterlot.” Boulder shot a glancing look at Shining Armor. “Do we have a deal?” Shining sighed heavily. He was trapped. He couldn’t afford to have the unit disbanded. All of them had earned the right to be called a Royal Guard. Shining knew that he couldn’t let them down. They were the protectors of the Princesses, a noble and respectable position.

“Agreed” said Shining, his voice shaking with pent up anger.

“Fantastic, then!” Boulder said, his face beaming with delight. “Well then, Captain…I’ll be leaving you to attend to your mare. I expect that roster no later than zero nine thirty tomorrow morning. I want you to deliver it yourself, we have a bit more to discuss in private. Understood?”

“Yes, Boulder.” Shining was fighting the urge to kick the stallion’s smug face in.

“Captain? It’s Commander Boulder now.” He smirked one last time before trotting out of the front door.

“Shining? What’s going on? Is everything alright?” Cadance asked with concern. Shining stepped over and nuzzled her mane.

“I don’t know, Cadance. But what I do know is that something big is about to happen.”

●●●

“Thank you for coming to see me Twily,” sighed Shining Armor, “Things have gotten kind of crazy since the wedding.” Shining Armor was pacing around the palace room. Twilight stood silently and watched her brother, analyzing the situation. He was clearly distressed over something, and figured that it was going to be in the best interest to let him continue talking without her usual lecturing.

“Hey, I’ll always be here for you B.B.B.F.F.” said Twilight, “What’s going on?” Shining Armor stopped his pacing and looked at his younger sister.

“They’re repurposing the Royal Guard! We are no longer the defenders of Equestria!” he spat. “And worst of all, Rough Boulder is back at the request of the Princess!”

“Rough boulder?” Twilight asked, “as in Lieutenant Colonel Boulder of the Separatist movement? I thought the Princess had him exiled?”

“That’s what I thought too!” exclaimed Shining. “But she brought that traitor back here! I don’t understand why, that stallion can’t be trusted.” Shining Armor resumed his anxious pacing once again. Twilight furrowed her brow in thought. The Princess must have a reason for bringing back this stallion. Something must have happened for him to return to Equestria. After all, he was a brilliant military tactician. Brutal, but effective with minimum loss to his troops. That proved to be an effective bargaining chip when Boulder led that attempted coup that was eventually stopped, thanks to the sheer number of the Royal Guard called in to that fiasco. That’s why the Princess let him and his loyalists go into exile instead of imprisoning them, because of how hard they fought. She couldn’t let just a mind like that waste away in a dungeon. If he was back, then that incident with the Changelings must be more serious than anypony could have imagined.

“Shining! I think I know why the Princesses’ allowed him to return!” Shining Armor turned and looked at his younger sister with a grim stare. Twilight continued, “that Changeling attack on Canterlot, the day of the wedding. It must not have been just an isolated event, there might have been more that we haven’t heard about yet. This could be bigger than what we thought it was initially!”

Shining lowered his gaze “I know Twily, that’s what I’m starting to believe.”

“Then, why did you call me out here when you already believe that’s the case?” Twilight inquired her brother, curiosity in her tone.

“I needed someone who could confirm my suspicions for me, is all.” Shining Armor said. “Listen Twily, if Boulder is back here in Equestria, we are looking at the brink of an all out war with the Changelings. I need to deliver a message to Boulder himself in a little bit. And I need you to see Princess Celestia to see if perhaps you and your friends can provide any sort of services to aid in the preparations for the war effort if it turns out to be that way.” Twilight frowned, war effort? That wasn’t the sort of thing her friends and herself were keen on. Shining noticed her obvious discomfort. “Twily. You have to do this for me. You saw first hoof how much of a threat the Changelings pose. Boulder can only do so much on the battlefield. We need someponies like you and your friends back here leading the effort on the home front.”

“Fine, I’ll talk to the Princess” said Twilight with a heavy heart, “but I can’t guarantee that all of my friends will help during this time.”

“We’ll take what we can get for now, Twily” Shining hugged his younger sister. “Thanks, kid.”

●●●

Boulder was sitting in a chair in the dark staff room. A few ponies in uniform were busy analyzing the latest intelligence reports on the Changeling threat. Others were talking amongst themselves in hushed tones. All eyes turned and looked at Shining Armor as he entered the room. All eyes except Boulder’s. “Look who decided to show up?” the stallion said flatly. “It’s zero nine thirty-five. You’re late, Captain.”

“My apologies Commander,” Shining said, anger in his words. “I had to…”

“Talk to your sister? Twilight Sparkle? Or should I say, Twily?” Boulder turned to face Shining Armor. What? How did he know? Boulder looked at Shining’s surprised expression. “Don’t be so shocked, Captain. I got eyes and ears everywhere. Not that I mind you talking to your sister, but the next time you decide to discuss Tier-One classified material with a civilian I’d suggest clearing it with me first.” Boulder hopped off the chair and walked over to one of the analysts’ maps, brushing him aside. The stallion motioned for Shining to come over. Hesitantly, Shining obliged with Boulder’s request. “Listen, Shining. I know you don’t like me and you know that I don’t like you either. So let’s put our differences aside for now and focus on the objective. Can you do that, Captain?” There was no mocking tone in his voice this time, Shining noticed.

“Yes, sir. I believe I can.” Boulder grinned.

“Great, Shining! Welcome to the team.” What? What team, thought Shining.

“Sir? I don’t…” started Shining Armor.

“Oh, I believe I may have left that part out when you agreed to our little deal. You see Shining, you’ll not only be moonlighting as a Captain of the Royal Guard.” Boulder leaned closer to Shining, whispering, “But you’ll also be working for me as an advisor and fellow tactician.” Shining Armor stared at the stallion. Was he serious? One of the most brilliant tactical minds in the history of Equestria was looking for his help? “And I believe now is a good time to discuss with you as to why I am back here in Equestria.” Shining held his breath. “I want everypony outside of the staff room now. You will resume your duties in five minutes. I need to speak with the Captain in private. All the ponies in the room hurriedly got out of there in what appeared to be a matter of mere seconds.

Impressed, Shining Armor turned to Boulder “Well disciplined troops you got here, sir.” Boulder simply shrugged.

“They do as they’re told.” he casually said. “Now listen closely, Shining. I couldn’t help but over-hear your little discussion with your sister Twilight.” Shining mentally braced himself for the verbal attack that never came. “It’s true, the situation is far bigger than anypony could have imagined. The Changelings are a very real and present threat to the security of Equestria. I’ve witnessed first hoof what these things are capable of.”

“Witnessed, sir?”

Boulder’s gaze looked distant. “My troopers made first contact with these things. We lost all communications with our forward recon teams that were investigating some rather unusual IR signatures two klicks north of our location. We picked up some garbled transmissions, but nothing more. I scrambled a recovery team to find out what happened. That was when they hit us. I lost over four hundred mares and stallions that day, Shining. Fucking things got into our area of operations. Literally sitting in front of us! Those of us that survived, barely escaped.” The stallion stopped to clear his throat and looked away from Shining Armor. “Those ponies that you saw here in the staff room? That’s all that’s left of my troopers.”

Disbelief struck Shining yet again. This wasn’t possible. Wiped out? Shining had fought for the Royal Guard during the Separatist incident and knew that the troopers loyal to Boulder were among the most highly skilled ponies he had ever fought. The fact that his unit managed to even end the uprising was a miracle in and of itself. Boulder slammed his hoof down on the table with a crash.

“And I’ll be damned if I let the same fate happen to my homeland!” Boulder roared with ferocity, his breathing becoming heavy. The stallion sharply took a deep breath and calmed himself. “The Princesses heard of my defeat in the mountains of Equestria. That is why they asked you Shining to use that fancy protection spell of yours. The fact that you and your mare Cadance managed to repel the attack with that strange magic is a miracle. From what my intelligence has gathered, the failure to capture the capitol of Equestria has thrown the Changeling operations into disarray.”

“So they thought that once they eliminated the threat your forces presented, Canterlot would fall quickly? Guess they were wrong, huh?”

“It appears so, Captain. What we need now is a clear victory, whether it’s small or large. It doesn’t matter, keep the moral up in Equestria and we can keep up the fight. I intend to use the chaos the recent loss has inflicted on the Changeling forces to eliminate one of the hydra’s heads so to speak.” Boulder turned to Shining. “Now did you bring me that roster?” Shining Armor pulled it out of his standard issue saddlebag and tossed it to Boulder.

“When you speak of eliminating, I assume you mean an assassination?” inquired Shining.

“I’d like to think of this as more along the lines of pest control,” said Boulder as he looked over the eight names on the roster. “Tell these mares and stallions that they will no longer answer to either of the Princesses, but instead to myself and you, Captain. You are all now part of 1st SPRD-Delta, the first and only Tier-One level special operations unit in all of Equestria.” Boulder extended his hoof to shake Shining’s. “Welcome to Task Force 19.”

●●●

The mares and stallions of the Royal Guard 3rd Company, 2nd Platoon stood at attention for what seemed to be an eternity. Some, including Storm Chaser were becoming increasingly bored with the wait. “Sweet Celestia, what the fuck is taking the Captain so damn long today? It ain’t like him” muttered Storm Chaser to her battle buddy, Gunner Strong.

“He’ll get here when he gets here, Chaser.” Strong was a very compliant pony, “And besides, I like watching the new Lieutenant squirm.” Okay, compliant and capable of a somewhat twisted sense of humor, thought Chaser. After all her personality type was almost the opposite end of the spectrum, an aggressive Pegasus with not much of a sense of humor. The fact they got along was beyond her comprehension.

“PLATOON!” sounded off the Lieutenant. “ATTEN-SHUN!” All ponies present snapped to attention. Chaser’s eyes noticed movement near the far-side door. Captain Armor had just walked in. She watched with amusement as the new Lieutenant fumbled with his salute as the Captain shooed him away, much to the new stallion’s disappointment.

“AT EASE!” Thank Celestia that the Captain was not one for pointless formalities, thought Chaser. “Mares and stallions of the Fighting 3rd! I bear unfortunate news.” Somepony coughed nervously. “As of today, the Royal Guard will no longer be the acting military force of Equestria.” The room was deathly silent for a few seconds before everypony began clamoring, asking questions as loudly as he or she could.

“This is outrageous!”

“I’ve served over ten years in the Royal Guard!”

“Who the fuck authorized this?”

Chaser stood still in shock. How could this be happening? She looked at Strong. Silent, unmoving, no emotion, accepting. Just like usual. “SHUT THE FUCK UP!” roared the Captain. The room fell silent again. Captain Armor cleared his throat. “The Royal Guard’s primary objective will now be to protect solely the Palace and its surrounding gardens.”A few voices mumbled in disapproval. “Our nation is on the verge of war with a strong and powerful enemy. Some will stay as members of the Royal Guard. Many of you will be removed from your positions as Guards to train new recruits for the creation of standing military branches.” No pony said a word. War? In Equestria? That wasn’t possible!

“Celestia help us,” muttered Strong, waking Chaser from her disbelief.

“Will the following mares and stallions step forward when their name is called.” Continued the Captain. “Corporal Song, Sergeant Nova, Lance Corporal Strong, Private First Class Flare, Corporal Shadow, First Sergeant Prism, Private First Class Tumble” Chaser watched as her battle buddy hurriedly moved to the front of the platoon’s formation with the rest of the ponies whose names had been called. “Lance Corporal Chaser.” She froze as she heard her name called out. “Lance Corporal Chaser! I don’t give invitations twice.” The pegasus pony hurried to the front with the other seven.

“The rest of you! Return to the barracks! Further information will be disseminated from the Top to the Platoon level elements. The Lieutenant here will get any news he receives out to you as quickly as possible.” The new Lieutenant smiled nervously. “PLATOON! ATTEN-SHUN!” The room echoed with the sounds of hooves clacking together. “ON THE COMMAND OF ‘FALL OUT,’ ALL PERSONELL WILL REPORT BACK TO THE BARRACKS AND AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTION FROM TOP! FALL OUT!”

As the rest of the platoon was leaving the room, the Captain motioned to the eight ponies he had called up. “As for you eight, you will be leaving for Fort Astral tomorrow no later than zero six. You will no longer be reporting to either of the Princesses. Only pack what is necessary. The convoy will pick you up in front of the barracks. When you arrive at Fort Astral, your new commander will speak with you. Do I make myself clear?”

“HOOAH!” they replied.

The Captain smiled. “Good, now get out of here. You’ve got a long journey ahead of you.”

●●●

Chapter 2

“With the authorization of New Dawn Protocol, Equestria will be restoring its standing military along with defense industry capabilities. Additionally, the creation of Tier-One level special purpose forces will be established under the name of 1st SPRD-Delta, attached to Task Force 19. Information regarding this unit is strictly on a need to know basis. Any dissemination of material regarding either the Task Force or 1st SPRD-Delta will result in immediate ‘silencing’ of loose ends.”

-Memo from Cmdr. Boulder to Princess Celestia

CC: Princess Luna

●●●

To Twilight Sparkle,

It is with great sorrow that I am writing to you, Ms. Sparkle. Our nation is on the precipice of an all out war with a determined enemy that has shown no remorse for the recent attacks on Equestria. I understand that you are one of the leading experts behind the research of idiosyncratic science and magic, something the new Defense Ministry finds to be useful in protecting the soon-to-be protectors of Equestria.

I also happen to know that your brother, Capt. Shining Armor, may have inadvertently discussed classified material with you. While I understand that at the time, it was not known such information was off the record, I cannot allow for any ‘loose ends.’ It would be a shame to have to silence such a creative and gifted mind such as yours. But I am sure that we won’t have to resort to that.

I myself would like to meet with you in person to discuss what our military will need to give us the edge against the Changelings. You will have access to the newest and most advanced technologies along with the best scientific minds Equestria has to offer. Additionally, you will have the honor of leading a technological revolution as well as protecting the ponies of Equestria.

The meeting will take place in the Palace at Canterlot. You will not only be meeting with me, but both Princesses. Arrive no later than 2300 hours outside the main gate. A Royal Guard will escort you to the meeting location. Tell no one.

I know you will do what is right. ‘Quod alii vivere.’

Sincerely,

Equestrian Defense Force,

Cmdr. Rough Boulder

●●●

Twilight read over the letter. Was he threatening her? ‘Silencing such a creative and gifted mind?’ What in Celestia’s name was he suggesting? Killing her if she didn’t cooperate with his plans? No, that’d be ridiculous, Twilight, she thought to herself. There’s no way that Boulder would do something like that, would he? She wasn’t so confident about that idea. Twilight looked to her mentor. “Princess, what should I do? I’m not comfortable with the idea of creating technologies to help destroy lives.”

Princess Celestia sighed. “Twilight, perhaps you need some time to think about what the Commander is saying. I would suggest reading up on his history in the archives. There’s quite a large section dedicated to what he has done.”

“And how, exactly, does that help my present situation?” quipped Twilight with annoyance. Princess Celestia backed up in surprise. “I’m sorry Princess, I’m just a little stressed out after what my brother told me, and now this,” she said holding up the letter from Boulder.

“I understand,” replied the Princess. “But you have to think about it in terms of wartime, Twilight. This is no longer a simple threat posed by just one individual such as Discord or Nightmare Moon. We’re fighting an ideology, one that wishes to eliminate Equestria for good no matter the cost. You need to look at this in terms of saving our citizen’s lives. Quod alii vivere, so that others may live.”

Twilight looked out from the balcony overlooking the city. A mother was cradling her crying foal. Two fillies were playing in the street. A mare and stallion were sharing a meal together, seemingly lost in each other’s eyes with passion. “I think I understand what you mean, Princess,” said Twilight “But I need to find out more about the Commander before I help him. I’m not just going to jump hoof first into something I don’t want to be a part of.” Twilight trotted to the door.

“I’ll see you at the meeting, Twilight.” The door closed behind the Princess’ star student. Celestia sighed again. Times had certainly changed, she thought.

As Twilight hurried to the Royal Archives, she couldn’t help but think of what the Commander and the Princess had written and spoken, respectively. Quod alii vivere, so that others may live. Did that phrase suggest killing others so the ones you love may live? Or perhaps it meant to sacrifice one’s self for others? She pondered both interpretations for a while before deciding that it must be a combination of both, to be willing to kill or to sacrifice to protect those a pony loved.

Twilight arrived at the Royal Archives faster than she had anticipated. She trotted over to the archival index to search for anything on Commander Boulder, or as he was known in the past, Lieutenant Colonel Boulder. Taking a quick glance at the clock, she only had a few hours to read up on this pony. But she had studied more advanced materials other than the history of somepony, thought Twilight.

After writing down the locations of books on the subject of Boulder and the Separatist movement, Twilight trotted from shelf to shelf, gathering as many books as she could feasibly read on the subject. Collecting a little over twenty books and scrolls, Twilight sat down to read.

She scanned through each book. Almost none providing an unbiased view of the Commander, portraying him as an evil pony for trying to overthrow the Princesses. Not that Twilight disagreed from what he had written to her. Honestly, she thought, who goes around threatening ponies into helping them achieve a goal? Twilight scoffed. She was down to the last two scrolls. One in particular caught her attention, LTC. Boulder and the Separatist Movement; for the Greater Good. Perhaps this offered some different insight, she hoped.

While many consider the disgraced and former commander of the Royal Guard’s 1st Battalion to be an evil stallion. I myself, do not. Many who read this statement will most likely protest to great lengths but I urge you to not be like those other irrational ponies who do not think before they speak about a subject they have no real experience in.

I served on the Royal Guard under the command of Boulder as a Staff Officer and knew him to be a strong leader, compassionate and competent. Not a typical personality type associated with officers, as many of the enlisted Guards will tell you.

But I also knew the Lieutenant Colonel as a friend. Already I can hear someponies screaming out the word ‘bias,’ but after all those other books and scrolls on the subject are pretty well one sided too. But to continue, Boulder had a very difficult youth growing up in a poor family in the city of Canterlot where he was bullied to no end in school. One of the last to get his cutie mark in his class, he endured much harassment throughout his years. Boulder enlisted in the Royal Guard to help his family’s name become more than what they were currently. During his time at basic training, Boulder’s father, a veteran of the Royal Guard killed himself in a drunken stupor one night. His mother fell into a deep depression that she never came out of and eventually withered away. The commanding officer in charge of running recruit training never let Boulder see his family during this time.

Despite this terrible situation, Boulder never let his emotions show until after graduating basic. During a routine foot patrol through the city, his unit came across the district he used to live in. There, Boulder saw the poverty and despair he sought to escape not too long ago. To him, the Royalty and the privileged ponies of Canterlot lived in utter ignorance to the situation in their own city. He used to spend hours talking to me about how he had come up with a proposal in which the people could be represented and give their input to how things were being run. It was a fascinating concept, no doubt and I urged him to seek an audience with Princess Celestia. She never replied to his letters.

I assume Boulder must have been bitter about being brushed off like that. He had gone through enough of that through childhood and didn’t want to be pushed around anymore. He told me he wanted to make a difference as to how Equestria was run. He was going to change things, Boulder would say.

I felt truly sorry for my friend, knowing his situation and as to how the Princess has simply ignored a simple request to speak with her. But unbeknownst to myself or anypony else for that matter, Boulder began assembling a unit loyal to him. Separatists they called themselves. Their goal was to take the Canterlot Palace by force and hold the location until either the Royal Guard stood down or the Princess herself allowed for the policy changes for a representative rule by the ponies.

It was February 13th when Boulder’s plan was finally executed. His forces easily overpowered the unprepared Royal Guard protecting the Palace walls. They came storming into the operations room in the Palace, where I was at the time. Boulder asked for my help, but I couldn’t. I was too much of a coward to help my friend. When I declined his offer, he simply nodded and left the room while his troopers secured the rest of us loyal to the Princess.

Never had I seen such advanced military hardware that the ponies of the Separatists where using. Some were wearing an advanced weapons system suit called SUPER or something similar. Others were using strange vehicles that were equipped with heavy weapons of some sort that punched through the armor of those who tried to resist with force. Most were utilizing a bizarre armor that could take the majority of the damage our weapons would cause. Needless to say, the Royal Guard was up against a technologically superior and a far better trained opposing force.

The fact that the outcome turned out as it did, with the Royal Guard as the victor is simply a miracle. A new Lieutenant fresh out of Officer Candidate Training by the name of Shining Armor led the counter-attack against the Separatists. It was honestly an assault with no real planning behind it. The Royal Guard commanders were simply relying on sheer numbers to overwhelm the Separatist forces. As luck would have it, the ‘plan’ if a pony could call it that, worked. But militarily, it was a huge defeat for the Royal Guards. Many of their own in the counter-attack were killed with over 85 killed and an additional 126 wounded. The Separatists sustained only minimum casualties thanks to Boulder’s brilliant tactical planning, with 28 wounded, none killed. The single biggest cause for the defeat of the Separatist movement was that they ran out of ammunition.

After the Separatists surrendered to the Royal Guard, Princess Celestia herself came out of the panic room in her chambers to see the leader of this attempted coup. She was simply horrified at the violence that had taken place not too long ago but couldn’t help but notice how hard the ponies of the Separatist movement fought. Instead of imprisoning them, like many ponies at the time wished, she exiled them to the mountains of Equestria where they disappeared.

All of the violence and bloodshed, while seemingly unnecessary, was an acceptable part of Boulder’s plan. For the greater good of the people. That’s all he wanted, to make life better for those who lived like he used to. So that others may live.

Twilight looked once again at the clock; she had only a few minutes to get to the main gate. Using her magic, she rapidly placed the books and scrolls back on albeit, the wrong shelves. She trotted out of the archive with a new found yet odd respect for Boulder. “Quod alii vivere,” she muttered to herself as she galloped away from the archives.

●●●

“Thank you,” Twilight said to the Guard as he closed the door behind her. Or not I suppose, she thought.

“Have a seat Ms. Sparkle,” a voice in the room said. Twilight turned to see Princess Celestia, Luna and Commander Boulder sitting before her. “Have you made your decision? Will you help us? Will you help Equestria?” asked Boulder.

Twilight looked at the three faces staring at her, awaiting her response. The princesses looked hopeful. As for the Commander, she couldn’t see any sign of emotion. “I accept your offer, Commander.” The faces of the Princesses beamed with optimism, and if she wasn’t mistaken, a smile curled on the corner of the Commander’s mouth. “On one condition!”

Boulder raised his eyebrows. “Ms. Sparkle, I don’t believe that you’re in any position to be bargaining here.”

“I want the design blueprints to the equipment and weapons designs used during your assault on the Palace.”

The Commander looked slightly awkward now. He coughed nervously, “Uh, I don’t believe I’m presently at liberty to discuss such matters.”

“Commander Boulder, please! If we can mass produce the weapon, vehicle, and armor concepts that you and your soldiers used and perhaps improve on the current designs, we can get an edge on the Changelings!”

Glancing at the Princesses, Boulder asked “Do you really think you can improve on the design concepts, Ms. Sparkle?”

“Absolutely! With a little bit of time, I’m sure we can make the platforms at least twenty percent more efficient.”

He was now visibly smiling, observed Twilight. “If you can deliver what you promise, then you have yourself a deal, Ms. Sparkle.” Boulder stood up to shake her hoof. “Oh, and can I ask you one thing, Ms. Sparkle?”

“Of course!”

“I’ll get you those designs, but I need you to work on an IFF system for me.”

“A what, now?” inquired Twilight.

“Excuse me,” chuckled Boulder, “I guess I just assume everypony knows the military terms I use so frequently. I sometimes forget other ponies don’t know what I’m talking about. IFF is short for Identification Friend or Foe. I need you to find a way to create an IFF tab system for the soldiers that will be fighting. You know how the Changelings will adapt to look like somepony else and it can get confusing.” Twilight was beginning to understand where this was heading. “On the battlefield the last thing I want is accidental fratricide. If you can make it so that the IFF tabs are nearly impossible to replicate and are unique to the operator, it’ll make fighting these things much easier.”

Twilight nodded in agreement. “You have my word, Commander.”

“The Princesses will escort you to your new labs in Ponyville. Your co-workers will be arriving in the morning.” Boulder trotted out of the room.

Princess Luna asked Twilight using her normal speaking voice, “We were so worried that you wouldn’t take his offer. What changed your mind?”

“I did a little reading on his background, and kept an open mind” said Twilight as the three of them began to walk towards the door. “So that others may live.” Princess Celestia grinned.

●●●

“CHASER! GET OFF MY WALL!” screamed the Senior Drill Instructor. Chaser struggled to pull herself up. Just an hour into training and she was already getting smoked. “GET OFF THE WALL!” the Senior DI wasn’t letting up on her.

“AYE, SIR!” she screamed back. Chaser hauled herself up over the top of the obstacle. Thank Celestia, she thought. She felt a sharp pain in her chest as the Senior DI kicked her off the top as hard as he could. She hit the ground with a hard thud. What just happened?

“GET ON THE WALL, CHASER! I GOT ALL DAY, BABY! ALL DAY!” he screamed at her. Looking around her Chaser saw that the other ponies were having an equally difficult time. From what she could see, Nova was stuck on the log hurdles while Flare was still doing pushups with a DI’s hoof on his back. “WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, MAGGOT? GET UP THE WALL ALREADY! OR DO I HAVE TO COME DOWN THERE AND GET YOU MYSELF?!” She began climbing back up the wall and once she reached the top, again Chaser was kicked off by the Senior DI.

“What the hell…” muttered Chaser. She quickly got off her back and began climbing back up the obstacle. She stopped just shy of the top, glaring at him.

“YOU SCARED, BITCH?!” The DI spat in her face. With a loud roar, Chaser grabbed his hoof and pulled as hard as she could. The weathered stallion let out a surprised shout before hitting the deck below. Chaser pulled herself up to the top and beamed with glee. I did it! She thought, I beat the obstacle! She suddenly felt heavy breathing on the back of her mane. Chaser turned to see the DI glaring at her. Ah horse-feathers.

He grasped her by the mane and pulled her forward so they were eye to eye. “When I’m through with you,” he whispered, “You’re going to wish you were never born. A trip to hell will seem like a vacation.”

Chaser swallowed the lump in her throat nervously. “Uh, sorry ‘bout that sir.” He smiled dangerously.

“Oh you will be” he said before kicking her off the obstacle once more. By the time Chaser recovered from the fall, the Senior DI was already on the deck casually walking over to her. “Good work, by the way,” he said with a hushed tone before striking her with all his strength in the gut. The last thing Chaser saw as her world went black was him walking away.

●●●

As Twilight sauntered into the new lab, ‘amazed’ couldn’t even begin to describe as to how she felt at that moment. All of the best technologies of Equestria were now at her disposal, and soon the best minds as well. She smiled, and began to work on the Identification Friend or Foe system. This was going to be awesome.

Chapter 3

“With the creation of the new Special Purpose Reconnaissance (designated model number SPR-A2) Suit featuring the integrated Pony Tracker 16 programming, the new military forces of Equestria will have the capability to track troop movements and positions in real time, the ability to check weapon system status along with armor integrity. Laboratory analysis has shown that the SPR-A2 to be successful with an 82% pass rate in accordance with the Defense Ministry’s ‘Combat Effectiveness Tests.’

Currently, two effective designs have been produced. The standard A2 variant, along with the A3. The A3 model is currently still in the prototype phase and has not been as rigorously tested as its cousin. This particular variant of the SPR suit features all the capabilities of the A2 model as well as some new concepts. The tactical heads-up display also includes health monitoring of the operator and a self healing unit. This affectively allows the wearer to fully function in a combat scenario even in the event of being wounded. Weighing about eight pounds lighter than the A2 variant, the SPR-A3 is ideal for what it is designed for, stealth reconnaissance operations. Its lighter weight allows for higher maneuverability without sacrificing armor integrity for the wearer. This also allowed for the addition of a stealth unit, rendering the operator nearly invisible to the naked eye. A slight design flaw however, prevents the user from being fully ‘concealed’ while moving quickly. It is recommended that users only use this function while moving in a slow and controlled manner.

The IFF research ponies have also made a breakthrough. My colleagues who have been conducting tests on subjects 20-23 have discovered that Changelings are only capable of adapting their outward appearance, but not their fundamental molecular structure which remains intact. To counter the threat presented by the Changeling nature of shape-shifting, we have produced an IFF system unique to each pony. Simply put, the IFF system is able to identify between the genetic makeup of ponies and Changelings, outlining the shapes of ponies in blue and those of Changelings in red, significantly reducing the threat of friendly fire incidents. This particular technology has not been fully perfected as of current, but research is nearing completion.

As per your request Commander, I have shipped along with this letter, eight SPR-A3 suits. This is the first field test of this type of technology, so be aware that catastrophic system failure may occur. And if you can, try to bring the suits back in one piece. There’s a lot of expensive hardware in them.”

-Letter from Research Dept. Head: Twilight Sparkle to Cmdr. Boulder

●●●

Strong whistled as he marveled at the technology laid out before him. “Wow. Impressive, huh?” he asked his battle buddy. Chaser had to admit, these things were certainly impressive as they were menacing. And it was very cool seeing as this was the first new piece of equipment she had seen during their fourteen week training session.

“I’m gonna try mine out!” Chaser exclaimed with a little more excitement in her voice than she intended. After several minutes of struggle, Chaser finally donned the new armor. She heard Strong laugh.

“Looks a little bit big on you, Chaser!” he said, snickering at her. She did have to admit, the suit probably looked ridiculous on her. Everything was far too loose and flopping around with every step she took. Chaser heard a small ping as the suit unexpectedly activated itself.

“Welcome Lance Corporal Cloud Chaser, service number 6322590. Please stand still while the suit adjusts itself to your body frame. This should only take a few seconds.” Chaser was frightened, did her suit just talk to her? Within seconds, the armor that had been ill-fitting for Chaser was now altering itself. Strong watched, dumbfounded at what was unfolding before him. “Terribly sorry for the inconvenience, but I still have to do a final system scan.” Chaser knew the ponies that had been hoof-picked by the Commander to create the new technology were good, but this was intense! Not to mention bordering ‘creepy-town.’ The Heads Up Display winked to life inside her helmet visor. Chaser looked at Strong and a faint blue outline could be seen around his body along with his name, rank, service number along with health and armor status.

“Strong,” said Chaser trying to hide the excitement from her voice. “You gotta try this!” Without hesitation, her buddy began to suit up, filling out the armor much better than she had initially. She saw him twitch nervously when Strong’s suit began to automatically adjust itself to his body. A sharp crackle of static came through her helmet mounted communications unit.

“THIS IS AWESOME!” shouted Strong through her headset. Chaser winced as his voice came in booming through.

“Sweet Celestia, Strong! You don’t need to be so loud, I’d probably be able to hear a pin drop with this headset!” she scolded.

“Oh, sorry about that.” Strong looked down at his hooves. “But I mean, come on! Isn’t this amazing? I didn’t even think stuff was possible!” He began to ramble. Chaser face-hooved.

“Hey, I think they installed stealth units on some of them. Maybe we got those.” That ought to shut him up for a bit. Strong stopped talking and began to tear up the package the armored suits arrived in. Chaser laughed to herself. Too bad she couldn’t see his face. His eyes were probably popping out with excitement.

“SPR-A3” muttered Strong.

“What?” asked Chaser.

“It says here, SPR-A3. I wonder what that means. Kinda wish somepony from the labs could explain to us what that means.” Chaser couldn’t have agreed more. “In fact,” continued Strong, “I kinda wish somepony could explain to us how to use these contraptions to their fullest instead of just droppin’ ‘em off like they did.” Now that she thought about it, it certainly was odd. The package was just dropped off at her and Strong’s barracks room with no instruction. Now she was curious. Trotting over to where the package now laid, Chaser turned the box over. On it in large bold print were the words ‘DO NOT OPEN.’

“Uh oh,” she said.

“What is it?” asked Strong as he walked over. “Oh…shit.”

“Yeah.”

“Looks like you two opened your presents a little bit early? What are you, foals on Hearth’s Warming Eve?” said a gruff voice. Both ponies looked up and saw Commander Boulder standing before them.

“Sir,” began Strong. “We can explain!” The Commander began to laugh much to the confusion of both Strong and Chaser.

“It’s fine, you two weren’t the only ones” said Commander Boulder. “I was just coming here to tell you two to go to the Staff room. Managed to grab the tech who delivered these new toys so he can give all of us a briefing about the suits.”

“Trackin’ sir,” sounded off both ponies as they took off running for the Staff room. Boulder sighed. It had been a rough fourteen weeks for all of them. Every minute they trained, the enemy was growing stronger and regrouping. That idea had been bothering him for a while now. Boulder began to trot over to the Staff room. Hopefully that egg-head can explain how to use those damn suits, he thought. Once his ponies were efficient with them, they’d be unstoppable.

Boulder’s contemplations were interrupted by an enthusiastic “Morning sir!”

“The same to you Shining. How’s everything?”

“Good so far, been making sure that 4thCompany has been doing their duties around the Palace. They rather hate their new jobs. Not that I blame them. Babysitting a building sucks.”

“I understand,” said Boulder. “But we need to keep a small contingent there.”

“No argument here, sir. Hey, I think I saw Strong and Chaser running to the Staff room in some high-speed looking armor suits. Care to let me in on that?”

Boulder chuckled, “What I can tell you, Captain is that these suits are the most advanced pieces of hardware the Equestrian Defense Force has at its disposal. And the ponies that’ll be operating them are the most efficient and effective warfighters you’ll ever meet.”

“Good to know, and if I may sir. Who designed these?”

“Would you believe it if I said your sister?”

Shining Armor gave Boulder a shocked look. “Seriously, sir? You gotta be joking.”

“Negatory, Shining. She’s doing her part. Made some drastic improvements on the first concepts my techs had drawn up.” Boulder paused, “Your sister’s brain might just be a key factor in winning this war.

Shining nodded in agreement. “Roger, sir.”

“Now if you’ll excuse me, Captain. I have to head off to the Staff room. Figure I might as well know how those damn suits work. And if I recall, you have an operation to plan.”

“Take care, Commander,” said Shining as he trotted away to the war-room.

●●●

Shining opened the door to the Ops-Room, or as affectionately called by the few ponies who worked there, the ‘war-room.’ While the majority of the plans were being written up in the Staff-room, the real magic so to speak, happened here. “OFFICER ON DECK!” cried out a Sergeant. The whole room stood at attention. Shining gave a quick salute, he hated these formalities.

“Captain, if you could come over here sir, I think the newest intel report might be of use,” said a Corporal. Shining Armor walked over to where the young Corporal was.

“Alright, Corporal…BLUF(1)”

“Well, sir. It appears we may have the location of Queen Chrysalis, the leader of the element responsible for the attack on Canterlot.”

“Leader of the element?” inquired Shining. “But she’s a Queen, correct? Wouldn’t that make her…”

“One would think sir,” interrupted the Corporal. “But the Changelings aren’t exactly like us. There are multiple Queens from what our field intelligence teams are reporting. The queens are just the commanders of various combat elements. Think of them as our generals.”

“So who’s leading all the Changelings, then? If not the Queens, then who?”

The Corporal shook his head. “We have no idea, sir.” Shining Armor stomped his hoof in frustration.

“Okay, Corporal. So we at least have the location of one of their Queens. I’m thinking we take that bitch out. What’s the general consensus here?”

The Corporal laughed. “Sir, we couldn’t agree with ya more.”

Shining grinned. “If I could have everyone’s attention,” He called out rather loudly. All eyes in the war-room turned to him. “Get ready, ponies. We’re planning our first real Op(2).” Cheering erupted throughout the room, yup today was going to be a good day.

●●●

“..And that’s all there is to the suits,” chirped the tech with too much enthusiasm. “Can I go now, Commander? We got some new weapons we’re working on in the labs.”

Boulder sighed in annoyance. At least the teams now knew how to use these things. Too bad he missed the first part of the class, all this technology was far above his head. I must be getting too old for this, Boulder thought. “Alright, fine” he said gruffly. “And say hello to Ms. Sparkle for me.”

“Yes Commander,” stammered the mare as she backed out the door. Civilians, Boulder scoffed. His personal messenger beeped as a holographic image of Captain Armor came into view. The Captain’s sister never ceased to amaze him with the products she and her scientists could manufacture.

“Sir, we know where Queen Chrysalis is located,” said Shining’s holographic self.

A dangerous smile crept up on Boulder’s lips. “Good work, Captain. Looks like your Ops-room isn’t a waste of space after all.”

“Never, was Commander” spoke Shining with confidence. “My ponies are putting together an OPORD(3) as we speak.”

“I understand. I’ll keep the teams training until you’re ready.”

“Roger sir,” said Shining’s holographic image as it flickered and vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

Boulder turned to the team members. “ALRIGHT, LISTEN UP!” Silence enveloped the room as the ponies of 1st SPRD-Delta turned in his direction. “GET YOUR ASSES TO THE RANGE! We got some killin’ to do.”

●●●

“Damn! It’s hotter than Chaser’s temper in here,” the Captain joked. Almost all the team members laughed except Chaser, whose face was turning red with annoyance. “I’m just messing with you, Chaser” laughed the Captain. “Alright, now let’s get down to business. As we already know, the Changeling forces have been in disarray after their defeat in Canterlot. While we believed that this chaos would be prolonged, this is unfortunately not the case.”

Shining pointed to the map behind him. “Our intelligence shows that while there is still some confusion in the Changeling ranks, they are beginning to regroup and rearm for another offensive. In the mountains and near the plains, their forces are starting to mass. Understandably, we cannot allow for another attack to occur, which is why we need to hit the Changelings first.

Your objective is straightforward, ‘eliminate Queen Chrysalis with extreme prejudice.’ You will achieve this through superior technology, training, and weaponry. Here’s how it’s going to go down, take notes on this shit. Teams 1 and 2 will be inserting on the plains in the morning via aerial assets, where we have solid intel that Queen Chrysalis will be located here. The weather is going to be foggy tomorrow so use that to your advantage with the stealth features on your suits. You will be facing a highly motivated enemy force about company size. Keep in mind that although we did manage to push them back at Canterlot, their morale is still very high after the political victory of attacking our Capitol and the military victory at Commander Boulder’s former area of operations. These Changelings will search for and engage you if they find evidence of your presence. Most deadly course of action will be a full-blown fire fight, something we want to avoid. Remember that while you are all better trained and equipped than these fuckers, they still outnumber you 30-1. So only kill when absolutely necessary and keep it quiet. Your time on target will be no later than 0850 hours. There will be no other friendly forces in the area other than yourselves. We managed to acquire a few Manticore Gunships that will be on station to provide air support only once the target has been removed.

Since their forces have decided to regroup in the plains there will not be much cover or even terrain features until you reach their area of operations. In order for this operation to be successful, I need all of you to stay sharp. Keep your heads on a swivel, your HUD systems may be affected by the weather. This will also be the first time the new suits will be fielded, so do not become reliant on the fancy gadgets on them. Rely on the training Commander Boulder here gave you. Stay quiet and move quickly. The longer you stay there, the higher your chances of being caught are.

I’m going to turn it over now to the Commander to fill you in on some additional information you’re going to need to know in regards to their military structure,” finished Shining.

“Thank you, Captain” began Boulder. “So as you already know, Queen Chrysalis is the one responsible for leading the assault against Canterlot. But what you may not know is that she is not the leader of the Changelings. As a Queen she is essentially the commander of a unit, in this case a company sized element. We never would have discovered this if it weren’t for Corporal Lightning here.” The Op-Room stallion shrank from sight in slight embarrassment. The Commander continued his brief, “Sadly this also means that we still don’t know who is in command of the Changeling forces.”

“Are there any questions?” asked the Captain.

Sergeant Nova raised her hoof, “Do we have any ROE’s(4)?”

“There are no ROE’s. However this IS a deniable op(5). Keep that in mind. So as stated previously, stay hidden and move quickly with efficiency,” Shining replied quickly.

“Do you want us to gather intel from any Changelings we may happen to engage? And if so, what qualifies as ‘useful?’” asked PFC Tumble.

Commander Boulder stepped up to answer. “The usual, Tumble. Maps, communications equipment, or anything you can beat out of them. If you can manage to take one alive on your exfil out, we could seriously use the information it could have. But that is a secondary objective. Your primary concern is to take out the Queen.”

Strong inquired, “What weapons will we be operating with?”

“I was wondering if somepony was gonna ask about that,” chuckled Shining. “You will be using suppressed assault rifles and light machine guns as your primaries. Figure out who is going to be the overwatch team and which will be the assaulting element. The team on overwatch should be using magnifying optics and the assault element should be looking at either iron or red-dot sights. Make sure to be packing sub-sonic ammo. Don’t want to give away your position now do you?”

Chaser looked around, nopony else had their hand up or was asking anything more. “Sir,” she asked. “When do we leave?”

“You got one hour before your rides get here,” said the Captain. “Additional information will be sent to your suit HUDs, I recommend reading it on the flight out. It’s gonna be a long trip. Dismissed!” As the ponies of the two 1st SPRD-Delta teams began to file out of the Ops-room, Shining Armor muttered to himself “Make us proud.”

●●●

Shining Armor stepped into his little sister’s new labs. Looking around him there was so much technology in this place he didn’t even know where to begin to look. A few of the pony techs gave him strange and inquisitive looks. Didn’t look like they were used to having any sort of military presence here, he thought to himself.

“SHINING!” an excited voice pierced the monotonous tone of whirring and humming from the machines. Twilight came out of an adjacent room, running at her brother before enveloping him in a hug.

“Hey Twily, just wanted to see how you’re doing here? But seems that you’re making some real progress here.”

“Oh we’ve made more than just progress, Shining. We’ve ushered in a whole new era of knowledge. I hope that the Commander liked the new armor systems we sent him?”

Shining laughed quietly, “Oh yes, the ponies using them are really excited about them. Boulder likes them as well, but I think he’s in over his head about the new gear. Says it’s a wonder how these things work. Enough about work though. Have you been taking time off to see your friends?”

Twilight sighed, “Shining I’m not a little filly anymore. You don’t need to check up on me to see if I’m…”

“That’s not what I asked Twilight,” Interrupted Shining Armor. “Are you taking some time off?”

“Well,” began Twilight, “I got some help from Rarity on the application of camouflage on the suits.”

“Twily, come on. You need to take a break. Just hang out with your friends for a day or two. I’m sure your mind could use the relaxation.”

“How can you talk about relaxing?” cried Twilight. “We have a war on our hooves here and you want me to relax? I can’t relax! I’m in charge of creating the best equipment for our troops and you want me to relax?!”

Shining was taken aback by his sister’s sudden outburst. She definitely needed a break even if she didn’t think likewise. “As your superior officer and older brother Twilight, I’m ordering you to take the remainder of the day off as well as tomorrow,” he said with sternness in his voice.

Twilight stood there, stunned. He couldn’t order her like that, could he? Then again, she was working for the Commander, who her brother happened to be the right hand stallion of. Nuts, she thought. “Alright, Shining,” she said with her head hung in defeat. “I’ll take a few days off whether I like it or not.”

“You’ll leaving the labs in capable hooves Twily,” reassured her brother. “After all, you weren’t the only pony behind the new developments, right?”

“I guess so,” said Twilight. “Sometimes Shining, why can’t you be wrong?”

“Hey, it’s what I do” he said with a laugh. “And plus I’m sure your friends will be happy to see you.”

Twilight smiled, whether or not she agreed with his views, her brother always did mean the best for her. That’s all she could ever ask for. Plus it might be nice to catch up with her friends, she wondered what stories they would have to tell her.

●●●

-Authors’ Dictionary-

(1) BLUF: Bottom Line Up Front, to prevent whatever is being said or written from being too long or wordy

(2) Op: Operation (Op) is the coordinated military actions of the state in response to a developing situation

(3) OPORD: An Operations Order (OPORD), is an executable plan that directs a unit to conduct a military operation

(4) ROE: Rules of Engagement (ROE) refers to those responses that are permitted in the employment of military personnel during operations or in the course of their duties

(5) Deniable Op: The withholding of information from senior officials in order to protect them from repercussions in the event that illegal or unpopular activities by 1st SPRD-Delta became public knowledge.