Quality

April 15

Espress skipped as they walked to their temporary room aboard the Tide. The scent of debauchery had barely subsided as they descended another deck below to the officer's quarters. Nami was escorting them, mouthing off instructions left by Captain Ark, while Sofia, Mez and Mayfix trotted silently. Espress was not particularly listening to Nami, leaving her superior to internalize the prerogative.

“The captain has granted you full access to the Tide's facilities, ma'am. This includes our navigation and armory, so you shouldn't have any trouble getting what you need,” Nami passed by a door wide open to the scene of a young couple making out, to which Espress whistled. Nami closed the hatch promptly and continued walking. “And if you get lost, it's always best to ask for directions. Most of the crew here have been around for a long time, so they know the ship inside out.”

They stopped in front of the door of one of the officer's quarters, a hatch that looked unremarkably similar to every other door on the ship. “Here we are, ma'am! The quarters are currently unoccupied but we sometimes use them as break rooms from time to time. If you need anything cleaned, just grab any sailor you see. I doubt they'll go against the orders of a seahorse Lieutenant.”

“And what about a seahorse Sergeant?” Espress asked pensively, to which Nami simply smiled.

“Thank you, miss Nami,” Sofia said before Nami could reply. “We'll navigate the ship ourselves from now.”

“Of course, ma'am,” Nami bowed and turned away, disappearing into the corridors of the ship.

“Right,” Sofia said and turned to Mez and Mayfix. “You two will take this room, ours will be next door. At 1400 you shall be present above deck, at the landing pad for autochariots. “

The lieutenant glazed at Mayfix, who seemed lost in thought. “And please dress appropriately.”

“Hmm? Oh... y-yes ma'am,” Mayfix stuttered.

Espress stretched and swiftly hopped to the bed of their quarters, climbing up a small metal ladder. “I'm top bunk!”

Sofie did not seem to care either way, as she was trapped in a perturbed expression the entire time they spent to their room.

“Even on a warship,” Sofia huffed, sitting on the side of the lower bunk. “A beaurocrat finds a way to hinder us.”

“She's an engineer,” Espress corrected, giggling.

“Does it matter? Her function is similar to a beaurocrat, a nuisance that constantly gets in the way.”

Espress snickered, her superior's minimal patience for the things that exasperated her being a constant source of comic material for the mocha pony.

Espress peeked from the side of the top bed and punctuated her words with a smile. “It's not like it'll be drastically different from what we normally have to deal with. We have rookies around us all the time, it's just that they never stick around for long.”

“That's because they have no idea what they're doing and we're never aware of that, Espress,” Sofia explained. “In this case, we know fully that she's untrained and unprepared. If she gets killed, that's an unfavorable mark to the Seahorse Division.”

Espress lazily flopped on her bunk, wearing only her shirt. “You heard the captain. both of them. We don’t exist anymore, so anything that happens is pretty much off the books.”

Sofia thought for a moment. “That’s the case, it seems. That doesn't change the fact that ifshe does get killed the mission is very much over. I don't suppose you know how to disable a bomb,” she asked quizzically.

“I am the bomb,” Espress grinned and hugged her pillow. Her superior always seemed to prioritize the success of the mission above anything else, including her team. She knew that all too well about her, and so she figured out pretty quickly that she had to fend for herself.

When Espress first joined Sofia, it was on a cool October evening. She had always never taken any authority seriously, which hey superiors from the police department found rather problematic. It was a miracle she never incurred a mark on her disciplinary record.

On her first day as a seahorse, Espress made it clear her stance on authority, laughing at the Sofia's overly formal intonation. Staff Sergeant Sofia obviously was not too too fond of such, and in turn she threatened to report her for insubordination.

Their mission was to dislodge a pirate vessel prowling the North Seas. There was fighting of course, but by utilizing both their talents they were able to complete their mission, with both ponies being able to hold her ground against overwhelming odds. Sofia, probably impressed at the rookie, decided not to report her. It was rare to find a pony as reliable and as skilled as Espress, it would have been a shame to relieve that kind of dependency.

They were very different ponies, but they made a great team.

“We should get ready,” Sofia instructed, getting up on all fours from her bunk with a sigh.

“But it’s too hot outside!” Espress lamented. “ I just wanna take a nap.”

“There’s no time for that,” the beige unicorn said, before looking at the watch on the wall. It was one in the afternoon. “ Not for you, at least.”

“Darn it,” Espress said. The life of a seahorse, despite its dangerous nature, is a relaxed one. Based on her experiences, for every day on the field, she got what essentially amounted to a week off. It was a high risk high reward lifestyle. No problem for her, it was a lifestyle she grew up with, being a young unhinged mare in Hooflyn.

That did not stop her from falling asleep on the job from time to time.

“Now get dressed, Espress,” Sofia ordered. She had earlier replaced her delft blue uniform with a jumpsuit provided the Tide, opting for clothing that did not heat up as much, especially since they were inside what could be described as a giant sardine can for ponies. “We have twice as much work to do of we’re to succeed in this mission.”

Espress groaned and crawled into her jumpsuit, not bothering to fasten any of the belts that wrapped around her body. Any hopes of sleeping this one out was abolished.

The two walked out of their room and immediately the air was replaced by the familiar and sensual aroma of weed that had clung to the ship like a fresh coat of paint. She did not mind that all that much, what bothered her was the heat. Already the warm air made Espress reconsider switching to a uniform with less fabric, or just use nothing altogether. She heard in most parts of the world ponies did not even wear clothes. It was a Canterlot thing for some reason.

“So, where to, Sofie?” Espress asked, wiggling into the fabric of her suit.

“First stop, we have to visit the Radar and Communications Officer on the bridge. He or she will hand us the obtained manifest of the cargo ship where the target is contained. Then give us the ship’s bearing and route.” Sofia grimaced and leaned into the condensated walls of the ship as a troupe of sailors hurried past. What was so important that they were rushing, the lieutenant had no idea.

“Then we visit the Quartermaster of this ship. I doubt Captain Sound will send us our equipment now, so we’ll have to make use of what The Tide has.”

“Gun shopping! Just what I like,” Espress glowed. “I hope they have a spare hoofwatch lying around.”

Sofia could remember enough to retrace their steps when they first came in, climbing the narrow stairs back to the upper decks. Meanwhile, Espress continued snooping around, peeking into any doors left open. The ship was a bustling menagerie of colors and cigars, not one room did they fail to spot a pony who seemed like they were having a good time. A space contained a few mares in a state of gossip, another actually contained an arcade machine.

“You still think this ship’s a giant sailing pub?” Espress asked her lieutenant, walking past open doors full of napping ponies. “Seems fine. I can at least see where the captain’s coming from.”

“I don't,” Sofia spoke critically. “His leadership has no direction at all, just content with keeping the ship pacified under his tenure until they’re eventually called back to port. For all the crew is even aware of, the ship is paddling straight into pirate waters out of boredom.”

“As if you wouldn't get bored to death yourself,” Espress said slyly.

“If I did, I would not resort to snorting and drinking,” Sofia hissed. “But clearly for you, being under the influence most of your time awake, it would be as if you didn't have a choice but to get drunk. The ponies here obviously have that luxury.”

Espress pouted her lips and huffed. “That’s stretching it. If that were true they'd have beached this ship before they realized that it was even out the dock. But here it is.”

“Patronize the crew all you want. I just want to get out of here as soon as possible,” Sofia did not bother scooching aside for a group of sailors coming towards the end, shoving past and forcing them to move for her. Espress tiptoed behind.

Reaching the bridge atop the superstructure, they were greeted by a panoramic view of the ocean and the deck below. Espress could see that a few kilometers behind the Tide were two escort destroyers, indicating to the entire crew that they were now entering international waters. The laws of Canterlot no longer applied around these parts, only the laws of the ocean. Unfortunately, there were none.

“Seahorse on deck,” An officer announced, a few ponies glancing briefly from their seats at two new entrances, before promptly returning to their designated tasks?.

“That means you, Sofie!” Espress said. “See you back at the room.”

Just as she was leaving, the door of the bridge promptly closed in on the sergeant, an inch from her snout. Espress turned back towards Sofia and stuck her tongue out.

“Ah, ocean dwellers! Welcome,” Captain Ark greeted them from the center of the bridge. The space wasn't anything impressive, but there was enough room to to be able to turn their heads without a face pressed on metal. “the breeze is cool this afternoon.”

“That would be the air conditioning, sir,” Sofia pointed out. “But refreshing, regardless.”

“Of course, man!” The captain replied, opting this time for a clumsy Jamaicolt accent. “de weathah’s always fine in de Tide!”

Espress grinned at Captain Ark and trotted around the deck, eyeing the various consoles whose functions she could not be bothered to guess. Beside the captain was another officer, a red coated mare with lightning yellow mane. Espress was about to ask, but the captain did the honors.

“Lieutenant Sofia, this is my Executive Officer, Lieutenant Rosy Faux. Say hello to each other!”

Lieutenant Rosy merely saluted professionally and said in a rather bored intonation, “Welcome to the Tide, ma'am.”

Espress observed the XO briefly. She wore the same tired expression Sofie had most of the time. She even looked as though she had never cracked a smile. Maybe it was something that happens to somepony when they become a lieutenant.

Sofia saluted back and stood virtuously in front of the captain. “We're here to see the Radar and Communications Officer, sir. Just as you suggested.”

“Mmm, Masta Seagraves is a fright’nin beasty, I tell ya. Dey say he nevah leaves his station. At least, no one’s seem him do so yet. He’s vigilant and unflinchin, always on de alert,” The captain spoke ominously as if he feared the officer, though like everything else it could all be just an act. “He be da beasty ya lookin’ for.”

“The Radar officer is over at end of the bridge, ma'am,” Lieutenant Rosy pointed at the front of the room, where all the systems necessary for navigating the ocean was located. Here sat a light blue unicorn stallion with a dusty sand mane. He barely moved in his seat, even his breathing did not register to Espress’ vision as she approached him.

“Hey there!” Espress quipped, standing beside the blank pony, his blue-eyed gaze glued at his console. It was a bunch of meters and dials, but most prominently was a radial console that constituted the radar system of the ship.

The radial indicated a hundred nautical mile radius around the Tide. A scanner would sweep around the area every second. If a vessel was detected within the radius, the scanner would ping the target on the console, determining its bearing, speed and size in a matter of moments. This allows the Tide to assess threats long before they reach the carrier.

“Good Afternoon, ma’am,” Seagraves greeted, his eyes still fixed to the green-hued screen. “What can I do for you?”

“Afternoon, officer,” Sofia appeared opposite where Espress stood. The stallion barely took notice. “You have the manifest and location of a cargo ship that you’ve been tracking. It would be appreciated if you disclose all information regarding this subject.”

“I’d would like the appreciation, ma’am,” His voice was soft and glossy, like he was whispering his sentences, careful that nopony else hears him. With his magic he opened a cabinet below his console and brought out a clipboard.

“The target is a small continental cargo ship registered to the country of Britame, christened as The Period. It left the Port of Baltimare, Canterlot at 0431 hours today. It will arrive at approximately 2200 hours two days from now, at the Port of Haymouth, Britame.”

Sofia scanned the list hoofed to her. Most if the cargo was unremarkable, perishables and provisions and all. But just as Captain Ark had said, amongst the containers is a package from the Hoofgang Company, listed as classified.

“How sure are you that this falsely labeled container is our target?” Sofia asked. “Forgive us, but we're not entirely certain how one could find a weapon with radiation.”

“Because the company is located in Germaneigh, ma’am,” Seagraves barely bothered to look at the lieutenant, something she found rather rude. “It makes no sense to send it to Canterlot then ship it from here, especially since a lot of countries are thinking about closing their borders on us. Of course that probably won't stop them from stirring the pot of they found out a package that they think belongs to them had been tampered with.”

“That’s not much of a guarantee, officer. Has no pony actually seen the weapon loaded into the container?”

“No.” Seagraves said flatly, turning a knob on the console idly. A small red bulb began to flash periodically, before he turned the knob back and the flashing finished.

“We’ll know it when we see it, Sofie,” Espress waved her hoof at her superior. “Won't be the first time we counted on luck in a mission.”

“Frankly, I'm getting tired of counting on luck, sergeant,” Sofia confided. There wasn't much of a choice at the moment. Time was relatively short. Doubtless anypony, even her, would bother trying to check every single container that was on a call ship currently sailing the ocean. She returned her attention to Seagraves, who was still staring blankly at the console. “Where is the ship located?”

“The Period is currently 300 miles from us, bearing 46 degrees due northeast. The ship is maintaining steady distance up until 100 miles, but there seems to be some discrepancies with its route.”

“What discrepancies?” Sofia asked hastily.

“Based on its current course, it's drifting, no, sailing towards hostile waters, near an iceberg field that is known to be a hunting ground for giant orcas.”

“Probably trying to stay out of your radar,” Sofia assumed.

“Probably, ma'am,” Seagraves partially agreed. “it'll reach the area tomorrow, around 2000 hours.”

Espress pursed her lips.“So what's our window, Sofie?

“Tomorrow, afternoon. If we reach the ship before it enters the area, we’ll have a better chance of finish the mission before anything unexpected happens. Actually, Let's face it, it's going to get attacked by orcas, that much is expected.”

“The Tide’ll follow its course and remain some distance from the area, but we can't enter it. It's really odd that they would go there, given their sensitive cargo,” Seagraves pushed a button and the radar console began flickering for a few moments, before it returned to its natural state.

“It appears our job has been made harder. If pirates spot the ship, no doubt there'll be hostilities,” Sofia commented.

“This bomb must be really valuable if whoever stole it is willing for it to fall to pirates rather than be returned,” Espress idly reached for a button on the console, but Seagraves swatted her hoof away instinctively.

“Still, our engagement should remain stealthy,” The beige unicorn turned to Espress. “Understood?”

“Yeah, sure,” Espress replied dismissively.

“Captain leaving the deck,” An officer announced over the bridge, and in a second the skipper disappeared.

“Hmm, there he goes,” Seagraves commented. “Of to another round of debauchery I assume.”

“Captain does that a lot, just get off work to do some drinking?” Espress asked.

“Oh, no. He doesn't actually smoke or drink any of the vices he orders to the ship. And neither do I, if you're curious,” Seagraves replied, to which Espress gave a look of surprise to. It was unusual to find anypony in the Navy who did not drink. She remembered even Sofie nipped her rum from time to time.

“So it seems he’s doing a decent job as captain, just a shepherd to the sheep?” Sofia commented.

“I dunno. Most of the crew enjoy him, but like a dog on a leash, I think they just like him because he gives them treats and such. The old guys love him because they were tired of previous captain and their overly-strict policies. The newer officers like our XO, think he's tainting our Naval Tradition, and could get the Navy in hot water if the true state of the Tide was discovered by the public.”

Espress looked at Sofia, who was nodding idly. Of course she'd think the same. Public opinion on the Navy had been declining steadily for years, she could see how news that the seas were defended by a ship fueled by alcohol would not go over well with the ordinary taxpayer.

Still, Espress thought, what works works.

“Then why hasn't this situation been made aware by the Naval Council yet,” Sofie asked, always one to take the authoritative approach.

“That tried, ma'am, the XO especially. They sent incident report after incident report of intoxicated sailors falling overboard, crew members overdosing. I think the Naval Council is quite aware of the sister of the ship, But with the growing crisis on the West, they thought it best to ignore the Tide for as long as possible. It’s not like it killed anypony. So far.”

“So far,” Sofia repeated.

“I doubt it's that bad,” Espress said. “It's working, at least. The Tide hasn't gone rogue yet, and regardless of whether or not the crew is capable of fighting or not, I'd rather have as many warships on my side as possible.”

Sofie gazed at her with abject scrutiny. “Is that really the best excuse the captain has? Better them than him?”

“It's a bandage, Sofie,” Espress threw back. “ Can't expect every solution to be a win-win for everypony.”

“Yeah, taking the easy way out,” Sofie snarked. “That may be how it's done, but it's not how it should be done.”

“That’s all I have on the ship in question, Lieutenant,” Seagraves interjected.

“Right,” Sofie responded. Espress huffed and simply let the topic to, she was not one to let talk sour her day. “We’ll be taking this manifest, officer. And thank you for your cooperation,” Sofia said.

“No need to thank me. My cooperation is mandatory after all. Oh, before you leave,” As they turned away, Seagraves levitated a small, bulky box from his cabinet. It had dials and buttons on it, a metal antennae commonly seen on radios, as well as a length of leather used to secure it to a user.

Seagraves hoofed the box with his magic. “This is a black box. It's a portable radio specifically channeled to the communications of the ship. Once you're out there, you can contact the Tide provided it's powered sufficiently and within a hundred miles.”

Espress snatched the device midair before Sofia could even grasp it with her own spell. Rotating the device on her hoof, she marveled. “This is a radio? Gee, technology’s getting smaller each day.”

“Yeah,” Seagraves agreed, returning to his radar watching. “I hear soon we'll be seeing pocket-sized telephones.”

“I can imagine that,” Espress said, poking the device carelessly.

“Not that you'll need it, but it was taking up space and collecting dust in the cabinet,” Seagraves admitted. “I hope you'll find some use out of it.”

“Hey, I'll make sure we will!” Espress replied, wrapping the leather strap of the radio around her barrel.

If the bridge were anything considered spacious, the armory would have made a mockery of such a claim.

“Look at this,” Espress awed. the armory was just beside the main hangar, below the runway. This allowed for a significantly higher ceiling than of any space within this level, and whoever designed the armory took full advantage of the fact.

The armory was a miniature warehouse, it's bare walls painted a sterile white. There were no loose pipes or loitering sailors around, an uncommon sight aboard the ship.

Above their heads were a number of shields, armor and helmets put on display like that of a market stand. Shelves, each with a proper source of light atop it, lined the space neatly. These shelves, in turn were full of weaponry of a staggering quantity. The place was lit well with white light and the air clean of smoke and dust. It would not be farfetched to say that the guns were better maintained than the crew who were trained to use them.

“I wanna live here, Sofie,” Espress said softly. It was the equivalent of a trip to the candy store a mare like her. And like a filly in a candy store, she started poking her nose at every shelf in reach. The lieutenant merely glanced at her and looked around for the curator of the collection.

“Go ahead!” An earth pony mare said as she stepped in front of them through the cover of stacked shelves. “I pretty much do live here and believe me, there's plenty of room.”

Sofia did not need to look for long. “Nice place, if I may say.”

“Thanks! I'm the armorer, Officer Katashin!” The chiffon coated mare of bubblegum pink mane gleefully saluted the seahorses. Sofia saluted back. Espress could not, having disappeared behind the jungle of shelves.

“Nice collection, even!” Espress hollered from somewhere in the room, followed by the subtle sounds of firehooves being handled.

“Thank you too! But it's not mine, as much as I want it to be,” Katashin turned and walked down a hall lined with shelves.

“Impressive nonetheless, officer,” Sofia complimented, trailing the officer close behind. “Is your armory this regularly well-stocked?”

“The ship has a population of around three thousand sailors. This armory contains enough ordnance to arm about half of them.” the armorer stopped in front of a counter, going around it and taking her spot behind the table made of treated wood. “It wasn’t this much before. But ever since the number of mutinies have been rising, Captain Ark decided to augment his contingencies.”

Espress continued walking down the aisles of the armory, glazing her eyes at the beauty of polished machinery. There were a lot of guns she recognized, but even more that she did not. Either way, having a chance to try out any if them would surely make this a memorable mission.

“Captain Ark sent word that I'll be helping a seahorse unit for a super secret mission. I have to say that I'm honored, ma'am. It's not everyday that I get to do my favorite part of the job aboard the Tide. If nothing else, my guns will finally get to see some action other than target practice.”

“We’ll be certain not to disappoint,” Sofia casually replied.

“So, what can I get you?” The armorer asked. She carefully lifted a rifle that was laying on the counter, cradling it protectively. Dusting the weapon off delicately with the fur of her hoof, she returned the rifle to its rack behind the counter.

“Seeing as our target is a small civilian ship, what do you have in the way of silenced firehooves?”

Katashin smiled and pulled out from below the counter a catalogue. “This book lists every item on the armory inventory. It keeps track of every little thing that goes in and out this room. Can’t be too careful these days. If even one firehoof goes loose on the ship, that's an immediate lockdown waiting to happen.”

She opened the book, showcasing an image of a gun on every page, and further highlighting the intricacies of managing a weapon collection of this size.

Espress appeared behind Sofia and leaned into the counter, her hooves on her cheek. “Oh, that's cool!”

“Since your party is going to be on a civilian cargo ship, what we need to get you is a silenced subsonic weapon, perfect for stealthy, close quarters combat,” Katashin flipped the book through a few pages before stopping. She traced her hoof down along the length of the paper and tapped.

“Looks like we have in stock, an Orchard Industries AJ-01 Rifle, silenced,” She turned the book around and showed Sofia the gun. “This model fires rounds traveling at only 320 meters per second, effective only at unarmored personnel at close ranges.”

The armorer walked from her counter and proceeded to a shelf just paces ahead. Sofia followed again, noting the variety of firehooves in the room and wondered if this would have been a factor in the budget problem of the Navy, spending on contingencies like this.

“Here it is!” Katashin stood on her hind legs to reach for the top of a shelf, retrieving the gun. Grasping it firmly, she tugged it down. The rifle was of a blue gray matte finish, dusted and cleaned lovingly like a prized treasure. And under the white light, it glistened just like one.

As if on cue, Espress once again interjected and took the gun just as the officer was hoofing it to Sofia, much to the lieutenant's chagrin. The firehoof was of medium length, the barrel was of carbine model and chambered in hollow point.

They were not expecting any serious resistance, and any would probably be just unarmored security. This would do the job just fine.

“We’ll take it!” Espress exclaimed, fiddling the gun like a curious cat.

“We’ll need three units, spare magazines for all of it,” Sofia instructed.

“Don't you think we should get Mayfix something to use too?” Espress suggested.

“Now why would we want to do that? She's inexperienced, clumsy and clearly susceptible to panic. Hoofing her a rifle is just inviting trouble.”

“Just get her one. Besides, is not like we're expecting any resistance,” Espress said. “No harm in lending the comforting feeling of a gun on your hoof.”

“We'll be right there with her, in case you forgot that part of this mission. She’ll be under our supervision,” Sofia justified.

“I think you suddenly forgot that ponies tend to get hurt around us, you know,” Espress remarked. Obviously she was well aware of her superior's carefree stance on crew safely, but even this was a little bit too neglectful.

“Seahorses getting hurt, surprising. As if that isn't part of the job,”Sofia snarked. Espress puffed dismissively, leaving the matter for the lieutenant to muse at. Typical of her to put the mission ahead of anything else, which may seem hypocritical of her, given her similarly reckless nature during her time as a cop, but Espress thought she would never willingly put somepony's life at risk just to catch the bad guy.

“I know it sounds oxymoronic, but it's safer if everypony is armed,” Espress added.

Sofia picked up a rifle from the shelf and inspected it with her magic, noting the cleanliness and intricacy of the machine that requires no enchantments to operate. She looked at Katashin and sighed, “Fine. We'll also need four hoofguns, peashooter model.”

“Of course!” The armorer said, skipping cheerfully. “Sorry, I don't get many customers. Meet me back at the counter!”

Espress simply smiled at Sofia, who nodded pensively and turned to follow the officer. Despite knowing how cold Sofie could be, there was still some flicker of earnest care in there.

Espress’ relationship with her superior was a special type of mutual. Espress looked up to her as a capable but flawed leader, the lieutenant focused on the completion of a mission and almost nothing else. While the ethics on which their missions are accomplished are borderline questionable, they are undeniably effective, and even Espress could see herself in Sofia's hooves making the same decisions she made.

Sofia on the other hoof, merely tolerated Espress, and given the sergeant’s better fighting skill, would sometimes learn something from her as a sort of reward for patience.

The relationship ultimately, wasn't tenuous. Rather it was a friendship in formality. At least Espress saw it that way.

Espress and Sofia returned to the counter, finding the armorer packaging the ordnance diligently.

“Don't lose them!” Katashin quipped. She had finished releasing the equipment to the lieutenant, carefully placing each firehoof in its own gray, cushioned and gem-locked briefcase.

"Well, seems I finally figured out where the budget went,” Sofia remarked, observing the manicured machinery that clearly cost a lot to maintain, though that could just be attributed to Katashin's apparent meticulousness in keeping her collection clean.

“Nah, all Orchard Industries shipments come in these cases. Pretty cool, right?”

“Sure, but no way am I carrying all that,” Espress said, shifting the radio she was holstering onto her back.

“I’ll have to agree,” Sofia agreed. “Have this delivered to the main deck tomorrow, 1800 hours.”

“I can do that!” Katashin said in guarantee, levitating their order under the counter. The rest of the ship may be sluggish from all the dope, but at the very least arming the crew would not be a problem, thanks in part due to Katashin efficiency of the.

“Time to head on deck then?” Espress chirped.

“Assuming our team hasn’t fallen overboard yet,” Sofia said.

“Mez is a pegasus, I keep reminding you that!” Espress snickered again. “Oh, and Mayfix is an engineer, in case you forgot that too.”

Sofia huffed. “Receptionist. Rookie. so far the one title that have yet to earn are seahorses, so unfortunately I remain doubtful of our success on this mission. Remind me of that instead.”

“Sure,” Espress guffawed and trotted out the armory, unflinched by the lieutenant's sarcasm. As they left, Katashin cheerfully waved goodbye.

“Thank you for your business,” the chiffon mare said. “Tell your friends about me! Seriously, it get really boring in here!”