Chapter 1: Anything but Routine

I know this sounds cliché, but I think I want to be a hero. A little filly became a hero twenty years ago, and she was about my age when she became one. Her influence was so significant, she’s even inscribed into Ranger history. She was partly responsible for helping Elder Steelhooves return the Rangers to what they were meant to do. Serve and protect the creatures of Equestria, be it clearing out raiders, radgators, or whatever else lurks in the Wasteland. So instead, despite all my hard work and practically killing myself to get into the physical shape demanded of a Ranger, I got sent here. Fetlock wasn’t the NCR heartland, and the occasional raiding party or slavers would show up. But, of course, they avoided the Outpost like the plague. Smart of them, at least as smart as a raider pony can get. We got a lot of trading caravans passing through here on I-15 to Manehattan. Normally, NCR would haul this stuff by train, but Raiders repeatedly hit those and destroyed railroad lines.

It’s crazy to think about it, but in a world of technological advances, hoof power was still the best way to move from point A to B, relatively unmolested. Point A is Manehattan, Friendship City, and Tenpony Tower, and point B is Junction Town. Of course, this meant this was the best-guarded road. So raiders didn’t dare attack the I-15. Instead, they picked on prospectors, and caravans thinking they could avoid NCR tolls by avoiding the highway. Those creatures often had to rely on hired guns or a Ranger patrol to help them out. Too bad I was never one of those patrols. My skills deemed me best parked behind a desk operating the radio. I filed reports, conveyed orders from Baseplate, and fiddled with whatever the patrolling Rangers needed. At the best of times, I was a glorified desk clerk, a spare scribe during the worsts. Again, not that this post warranted worst times. The most action I saw was missing our water delivery. Turns out the squad had a broken wagon wheel and had to haul the water on hoof.

“Valiant, you back from daydreaming?”

I blinked, the voice breaking my wandering thoughts. “Huh?” I looked from my desk to my fellow Ranger and Cyclone Squad leader. Flag, a tall pony with a dark orange coat and dark blue mane and yellow eyes. He smiled at me bemusedly, and I coughed into my hoof awkwardly. “Sorry, Crusader Flag, just Uhm, filing reports…and stuff.”

“Right,” he laughed and slid a holotape across my desk. “Here’s my report, kid,” Flag grinned, “and come on,” Flag tapped my shoulder with his hoof. “Your pops isn’t here; just call me Flag.” Flag chuckled and walked out of the room to remove his power armor, no doubt.

“Right!” I sighed, watching my senior walk away. “Right…” I tapped my hoof against the holotape, looking at my reflection on the dark computer monitor. Blue bored eyes stared at a blue earth stallion with a dark grey mane. Some Valiant Knight I was, what was the point of calling me that? My father, Star Paladin Heavy Arms, parked me here to die of boredom. Hard to live up to the name or the Knight’s helm and sword I got on my flanks battling paperwork! Well, whatever, I guess, might as well do my job.

I loaded the holotape onto the terminal.

MWT STEEL RANGER COMMUNICATION OPS TERMINAL

PASSWORD: ACTION

LOAD HOLOTAPE?: Y/N

Y

LOADING HOLOTAPE

Report 117: Crusader Flag Cyclone Squad

The reconnaissance team reported no activity around the DJPon3 station near Manehattan. On orders from Baseplate, Cyclone squad and Thunder squad moved in to secure the location and transmitter on the tower. The station is in great shape, the equipment is salvageable, and the antenna shows promise. Recommend additional support from Outpost Tacitus. Knight Valiant has shown to be an adept engineer; we could use him to restore the antenna. Furthermore, I recommend setting up a new outpost at the station. Its location and transmission expansion capabilities make it worth the effort.

A hoof reached out and closed my slacked jaw, “don’t let the flies in, kid.”

“Flag!” I looked at him excitedly.

“Yeah, I know,” He was outside his armor. So instead, he wore the body glove issued once upon a time to Steel Rangers by the MWT. His was orange and gray with unique metal contact points around the body designed to better interface with power armor. “I couldn’t stand watching you mope around anymore.” Flag trotted off, “I need a stiff drink; let me know what Baseplate says.” The door leading outside the comm room shut, and I was left with hope in my heart.

***

“You geared up, kid?” Flag clad in dark steel power armor with a heavy 50. Caliber machinegun and anti-material rifle at his flanks came up to me. Flag was always taller than me, but he was about the size of an alicorn in his power armor. Frankly, we all were when inside the finest in MWT armor. Speaking off, I hit the underside of my own set. The armor reared up like the old army recruitment posters; the armor backplates opened up and awaited its pilot. I climbed aboard as the armor sealed itself around me, plates closing and interlocking with magnetic locks.

INTERFACE BOOTUP

MWT STEEL RANGER OPS

AIR SCRUBBERS: NOMINAL

RADIATION SHIELDING: NOMINAL

WEAPONS SYSTEMS: NOMINAL

SELF-REPAIR UNIT: NOMINAL

SATS: ONLINE

EFS: ONLINE

WELCOME ABOARD RANGER

Hell yeah, now this is what I’m talking about. 6 inches of reinforced titanium composite armor plates. Gyro stabilizers, motor servos, and piston strength boosters. I could haul a tank inside this thing, and if old records inside our crusader mainframe were to be believed, it’s been done. At either side of my flanks hung M-134 miniguns firing at 6000 rpm’s each. Though I thank the Equestrian engineers who added a switch to lower it to 2000 rpm. Ammunition was scarce enough before the NCR, ponykind is only now restarting the wheels of progress. Besides, scribes would be very mad at me for wasting too much ammo on poorly armored raiders anyway. So with a deep breath, I looked towards Flag and the rest of Cyclone squad. “I was born for this Flag.”

“Glad to hear it, now don’t be getting gun-ho on me, kid. Sites clear don’t expect trouble.” Flag threw a hoof forward, and everypony filed behind him.

The road to the station was uneventful; the cracked road was riddled with rusted-out wagons. Some with the skeletons of pullers still attached to them, others motorized and raided for their spark batteries. The buildings had cracked walls, and some were outright destroyed, either by the megaspells or time. The only thing ponies like Flag, who lived before the Light Bringer, could call different was the lack of ambient radiation. Well, at least when it concerned the surface. But, unfortunately, waters around Manehattan were still very much irradiated. Well, it depended on who you asked about its fortune. Ghoul ponies needed the stuff to not go zombie or die, for that matter.

Well, it didn’t matter right now; I was out of the Outpost, and I was gonna see some action! Maybe, Flag did say the area was secured. I felt myself deflate a little at the prospect, but hey, at least I got to stretch my legs. “Unknown contacts on EFS, baring 113, a hundred meters.” Flag’s voice snapped me from my thoughts. Everypony halted, and I looked at the compass. Sure enough, a cluster of green dots was ahead of us.

“How are we playing this boss?” A knight spoke up.

“Valiant,” Flag’s helm turned to me.

“Sir!” I straightened, ready for anything!

“Take point, everypony fan out and cover Valiant.” Flag ordered, and everypony dispersed, taking their own routes to the station. Okay, maybe I wasn’t ready for anything.

“Are you sure about this Flag?” I opened my helmet, looking at him.

He returned the favor, the helm split at the “mouth,” making it look like the armor had eaten us. “They aren’t raiders, were too far away from I-15, and traders don’t venture this far out.”

“So shouldn’t you talk to them?” I raised a brow; my quivering voice betrayed my nervousness.

“Nah, I want to see what you can do.” Flag closed his helmet; turning from me, he scanned our destination. “There,” he pointed a hoof at a roof overlooking Djpon3 station. “If things go south, the squad will attack from all sides, and I’ll provide sniper support.” Flag tapped the barrel of his anti-material rifle to emphasize his point. “This is test one, kid. You got this!” Flag broke into a trot and left me alone before I could respond.

Well, here goes everything, I guess. I trotted towards the station; suddenly, the prospect of action didn’t seem as appealing. It took a few minutes to arrive, all the while psyching myself up. Come on, I can do this, the first test…wait! Flag didn’t even tell me what I’m supposed to be testing! Agh, I shook my head and just trotted on. I arrived just a few meters from the destination, I didn’t immediately barrel in full force. Instead, I peeked the corner around an adjacent building. Sure enough, I could see several armed ponies patrolling the perimeter just across the street. You know, now that I think about it, I must look pronounced, big hulking armored pony trying to be sneaky.

“Hah, you look ridiculous.” Flag snorted a laugh over the radio. “I’m in position; you seeing what I’m seeing?”

“Yeah…NCR troopers.” Great, but hey, at least this wasn’t going to turn into a shootout…I hope. I stepped from my hiding spot and trotted over to the troopers. In hindsight, I maybe should have said something.

“Heavy hitter hit the deck!” An earth pony mare shouted and ducked for the nearest cover. They all did, and they scrambled, aiming their assault rifles at me. Yeah, heavily armed silent individual stalking towards them? Bad first impression.

“Hey, hey!” I sat on my haunches and raised my hooves, showing I meant no harm. “I’m a Ranger; I’m not your enemy!”

Thankfully the troopers didn’t immediately fire on me, “Identify yourself!”

“Valiant Knight Applejack’s Rangers!” I even opened my helmet, smiling at them in what I hope was a reassuring smile.

“What’s a Ranger doing here by himself, huh?” The mare questioned with narrowed eyes.

“I…well,” I closed my helmet and got back to my hooves. The troopers immediately aimed down their sights at me. “Flag?” I closed off external audio speaking to Flag.

“Should I tell them it’s not just me?” I resisted the urge to look in Flags’ direction.

“Should you?” Flag responded.

Gee, thanks for the insightful advice. “Well, this radio station was scouted out by us already. We were coming here to set up camp, sort of speak.”

“I don’t buy it; you Rangers are supposed to stay in Manehattan, not expand.” The mare accused.

“We already have an outpost on I-15. So fetlock is well within our rights to build on!” I narrowed my eyes, not that they could see it behind my helmet.

“Yeah, right, like I’d believe a no-good traitor!” the mare barked back.

“Traitor!?” I stomped a hoof forward. Hard. The pavement cracked from the force. “Because we refused to bully everypony into your NCR? We were never part of your army!” Gah, why were these ponies so…dense!

“Things look tense down there kid, remember who your dealing with,” Flag chimed in.

Right…de-escalate; I seriously don’t need to be known as the pony who started a Ranger NCR war. “Look, I demand to speak to your superior officer. This is a Ranger outpost.” I stood tall, using my height advantage to intimidate them.

Some of the troopers faltered, but the mare barely looked phased. “There are ten other ponies inside, and I’ll be damned if I let a traitor intimidate me! So whose gonna make me move tin-pony?” Seriously? I mean, those rifles would scratch the paint at most; maybe they had an anti-material rifle. But by the way her allies were shaking in their helmets? Not likely.

“Rangers are never alone,” I stated and stomped a hoof. Flag showed himself; he jumped down from the two-storied building. He landed, cracking the pavement. The rest of Cyclone squad stepped out from their hiding places surrounding them. “Now, your superior officer, if you please.”

She opened her muzzle, but one of her soldiers scrambled from his cover into the building. “Hey, Toast!” She yelled after him but made no move to follow him. “Bah, coward cowing down to traitors.” She spat on the floor and stepped into the station. The rest of the troopers slung their rifles and stood awkwardly before us.

Once again, I shut off external audio. “Flag, have things really gotten this bad between us and the NCR?”

“Well,” Flag turned his head to one of the troopers. An orange unicorn, he jumped at the sudden attention. His brown eyes darted left and right before he offered an awkward smile, and he bolted into the station. “Civilians are mixed about us. Our biggest supporters are the small communities. The fringes of NCR that more or less deal with the less….friendly NCR intentions.” Flag gestured a hoof to the troopers. They kept their hooves on their weapon straps, eyes full of mistrust. “Everypony else that is an NCR diehard more or less see us as traitors. You know after the whole Fillydelphia incident.”

“Traitors to what? We were never part of the NCR regulars.” I sighed.

“Trust me, kid, that doesn’t register to most NCR diehards. No creature in the NCR wants to think their” - Flag made quotation marks with his hooves- “hero endorsed NCR is wrong and capable of losing.” The remaining ponies saw Flags display and looked at one another, confused.

“Flag, were you at Fillydelphia when it all went down?” I looked towards him.

His expressionless helmet looked at mine, and I wondered what he was thinking. “Both times, kid, I was there both times.”

Before I could ask Flag about it, the door to the station opened up, and an NCR officer walked out. He wore the standard NCR armor. Combat armor over digital camo designed for urban warfare. Instead of the helmet, he wore a dark green barrette with his rank on it. He was a white Stallion with an equally white mane like snow. “Forgive the confrontation with my troops; they’re fresh off Bootcamp and don’t yet know how things work here on Manehattan.”

Flag nodded in my direction, and I opened my helmet. “That’s alright; tensions were high.” I coughed and gestured towards the station. “Our team had previously run recon on this site. If you’d please, we’d like to get inside and work on setting up camp.”

“Well, that’s the problem. I need to run it by my superiors. If they say otherwise…” the officer left the implication hanging.

“Right,” I nodded and gestured towards him. “Please contact your superiors.”

A mare trotted up behind the officer. She was young, definitely younger than me. That said something, considering how the helmet looked more like a bowl over her head. She skidded to a stop and put a hoof to her helmet, steadying the wobbly thing. “Radio’s ready, sir!” she squeaked.

“Thank you, Sugar Cane,” he smiled at the filly and grabbed the radio receiver on the radio pack she was hauling. Now that I thought about it, the officer himself looked well past his prime.

I shifted my gaze to Flag, closing my helmet. “She’s just a kid,” I muttered privately.

“NCR is still recovering from Fillydelphia; they lost a lot of good creatures.” Flag said darkly.

“But that was two years ago….” I watched the beaming filly looking at the officer as he muttered into the receiver.

“Replenishing an army takes time, resources, and experienced soldiers to train that army. Unfortunately, NCR lost a lot of all of those.” Flag nodded towards the young filly.

“The big wigs running the show don’t want Fillydelphia or anypony for that matter to see them as weaker. So regulations on what constitutes a fully trained soldier are rather lax these days. As well as the age requirements.”

“Understood, will relay, over and out.” The old officer sighed, looking rather relieved. “Command said to clear out, so we’re moving out. Sugar Cane, get inside and tell everypony were moving out.”

“Right!’ She excitedly hopped-quite literally- to it, helmet bouncing up before landing on her head again. With our negotiations over and done, the troopers left on their merry way. Though not before a few nasty stares from that one mare I argued with.

***

Okay, camp set, sort off, really we just secured the perimeter, and I was let loose inside. Alright, time to do what I do best. I started downstairs; thankfully, the stairs were all concrete. Wooden stairs, particularly ones aged two hundred years, would not support power armor. I turned my headlamp on and searched the lower levels. I found the evidence lockers, and wasteland survival training kicked in, and I raided it for anything of value. Some old boxes of ammunition and rusted weapons were all that remained. Oh, and drugs long since returned to dust. Next, I found the police lockers. I found much of the same, well, except for the drugs. I did find some weapons in need of refurbishing, but I could probably salvage them. Finally, after hitting the lockup and a small office, I found what I needed. A room with a faded label reading maintenance.

The door was locked; I suppose I could pick the lock. But I was also a walking Warmachine; I drew a forehoof and punched the door, breaking it off its hinges. “Hey, we need this place in one piece kid, take it easy down there.” Flag came over the radio.

“Sorry, locked door.” I grinned sheepishly and went into maintenance. The generators were rusted and broken, all except for one. I trudged to it and shined my light on it. Circuits were still in working order, gears weren’t rusted solid, and the spark battery was still in place. I grinned and hit the big red button on the generator. The old machine groaned to life, and the lights flickered on. Alright, step one is complete. I made my way upstairs to the comm room to check on the equipment. Lucky for me, most of the equipment had Hoof-Tek logos on them. A company under the MWT, and one that built their stuff to last! Thank Luna and her overblown military budget! This made my job considerably easier.

I gave each terminal a once over, no security protocols were in effect. This means the ponies here left in quite a hurry. I suppose the end of all life would make a pony ignore protocols. I connected the terminals to the I-15 Outpost. Alright, just had to test the connection. I parked myself by the main coms terminal and contacted the Outpost. “Outpost Tacitus, this is Cyclone squad; come in.”

“W-bzzt- re-bzzt- cl-bzzt-” The signal was way too gargled. Well, guess the next logical step is the antenna. So I did a quick trudge up to the roof, though not before making sure I linked my short-burst to the coms terminal. The antenna looked to be in decent condition, nothing a little polishing couldn’t fix. I checked the fusebox and found some cut wires. Easy fix, I exited my armor and grabbed the tape from my saddlebag. One patchwork later, and the antenna was operational. I entered my armor and tried again. “Outpost Tacitus, this is Cyclone squad, please respond.”

“Tacitus here, signal strength 4.”

Hot dog! “Understood Tacitus, the transmitter is operational. Let Baseplate know they can send forces when ready.” I made my way back down to the coms room. I opened the door to find Flag and a few other Knights crowded over a terminal.

“Kid!” Flag turned from his place and waved a hoof over. I trotted in his direction and opened my helmet. He shooed everypony away and jabbed a hoof at the terminal, “look at this, you have anything to do with this?”

I raised a brow and read over the terminal.

MWT SPECIAL OPERATIONS EMERGENCY TRANSMISSION

THREAT LEVEL: SABER 1

STEEL RANGER ENCRYPTION PROTOCOL CRIMSON TACET

“No, I did not, but how long has this message been playing?” I checked the date and time; it was only a few weeks old.

“You think Baseplate sent this?” Flag asked.

“No…we’d have known the encryption protocol if it were,” I muttered and looked at the terminal.

“This is beyond my expertise. Can you open it?” Flag sat on his haunches.

“I…” I tapped my hooves on the terminal. Basic hacking attempts would be useless. I’d have to actually guess the proper encryption. “I can’t hack it, but maybe if I do a little research, I can open it.” I sat on my haunches as well, looking at Flag.

“Alright, I’ll report to Baseplate; you get working on that.” Flag got up and signaled everypony else to follow him.

“Alright, it’s just you and me, super-secret message.” I exited my armor for comfort, parking it next to the desk. I connected the terminal to Baseplate and used our massive database to gather information. I tapped away at the keys, looking over old MWT procedures and terminology data. I also looked at Important coded messages, methods on intelligence reports, and inter-ministry communication procedures.

Despite my want for adventure, I was a nerdy pony at heart. Learning about the old world had become a hobby of mine. I had only tapped the surface of our mountains of data compiled in the crusader mainframe at Stable 29, or Baseplate as we called it out in the field. There was hardly any time to indulge between training and my duties. Now I was actually diving in for the sake of my responsibilities! Though I had to temper myself to not divert from relevant information about the task at hand. Speaking of that task, all my research led down to the impossible. I mean, it just had to be impossible; Saber was the code word for Ministry Mare Applejack. But what the hell? Maybe somepony used one of her personal terminals. Plenty of terminals survived to this day; the problem was there was no way in hell anypony would know to about Crimson Tacet encryption protocols. Though there was no direct information stating it, Crimson Tacet was Ministry Mare Applejacks personal encryption protocol.

I rubbed my eyes and yawned, only just now noticing night had crept upon us. “Man, when I get into it, I get into it.” I laughed and rested my head against my hoof. This couldn’t be right. The idea of it all was ludicrous. How could somepony who’s been dead for 200 plus years send us an emergency transmission? The answer had to be something else! I tapped my hoof against the desk. My old mentor, Head Scribe Scribbles, once said. ‘once you eliminate all possible possibilities, sometimes the impossible one is the answer.’ Alright, let’s hypothetically say this message was from Ministry Mare Applejack. Unfortunately, MWT wasn’t in the habit of recording encryption. Okay, I had to think like the mare to crack the encryption. Or go through as much of her data as possible to find a pattern.

I rubbed my eyes, squinting as light filtered through the windows. Looks like I pulled an all-nighter on this one. But I think it was worth it because I found the encryption! Well, I was at least 99% sure I found it anyways. I tapped at the keys and brought back the message. As if on cue, Flag trotted inside clad in his armor. I heard the soft hiss of the helmet opening up as he walked up to me. “Kid? Have you been up all night?”

“Oh yeah,” I yawned, then wiped my face with my foreleg. “But I got it, Flag, I got the decryption!” I opened the message and entered the encryption.

MWT SPECIAL OPERATIONS EMERGENCY TRANSMISSION

THREAT LEVEL: SABER 1

STEEL RANGER ENCRYPTION PROTOCOL CRIMSON TACET

PASSWORD: APPLEBLOOM SMITH-APPLE MACINTOSH APPLESEED

There was a crackling sound, and the message played.

This ain’t right, not one bit; I’m sorry it came to this, to make you choose a side. But I reckon we ain’t got many choices, not before them fellers break through our defenses. We need reinforcements at the Crystal Empire. I’m putting the uh, what’s the blasted word? Co-or-di-nates? Oh, crab apples, just don come and help us out! I need Steel Rangers, and I need em yesterday!

No way, this had to be some kind of mistake, a prank, or something! Exactly one week ago, Ministry Mare Applejack requested reinforcements. I scrunched my face reading the coordinates. “What the heck is the Crystal Empire?” I looked to Flag; he in turn shrugged.

“Okay, everypony grab your gear, were heading straight for Baseplate.” Flag said with a seriousness I never thought possible from him.

***

Ho boy, I wasn’t in trouble, but I somehow still felt in trouble. I felt like a young colt sent to the principal’s office for some mischief or other. I sat on a chair outside Elder Sharp Sides office, or what used to be the Overmares office. The drab rusted walls proved little comfort as I fiddled with my hooves. I had put Applejack’s message in a holotape, and Flag had me present it to Elder Sharp Sides. She immediately called the Landsraad, a council of the five Star Paladins of the order. Finally, after two days of deliberation, some kind of decision had been made. I could only imagine I was here to be made privy to said decision.

“Knight,” my father stirred me from my thoughts. He stood between me and the entrance to Elder Sharp Side’s office. He was an intimidating stallion, to say the least. Everypony called me his spitting image, only I felt like a runt compared to him. He was tall, even taller inside his power armor, costumed tailored for his more oversized frame. His coat was darker than mine, his eyes a dark silver that betrayed no emotion. He kept his onyx black hair cropped short and swept back. The only thing showing his age was a white streak on each hair side by the ears.

“Sir!” I stood at attention and gave a crisp salute, hoof to the side of my head just above the forehead.

“At ease, Knight, come in; we have much to discuss.” He stepped aside, and I trotted inside. Elder Sharp Sides was behind her desk. She was looking at her terminal, a beige earth pony with light green eyes and a grey mane from age in a long braid over her shoulder. I stood at attention before her, but she had yet to acknowledge me. My father stood by the door at attention as well.

I looked around the room to pass the time while the Elder finished whatever she was reading. The room had been utterly remodeled from the original standard Stable-Tec design. Scribes had repainted the walls maroon, and all Stable-Tec paraphernalia was removed. Instead, it was replaced by old army recruitment posters and other knick-knacks placed there personally by the Elder. She was a big fan of Princess Celestia by the looks of all the posters featuring her prominently.

“Valiant Knight,” The Elders voice brought me back to reality.

I offered her a crisp salute, “mam.”

“At ease, Knight, I brought you here to discuss what we were planning to do with the message you recovered.” Elder Sharp Sides left her desk, trotting around to stand before me. She wore the black body glove issued to Power Armor wearers; over it, she wore a dark red cloak with a broach made in our insignia. “No doubt you have questions, especially why we called you here individually. Don’t worry, I will answer all these questions.”

The Elder trotted around me, sizing me up, and for my part, I was proud of myself for not fidgeting. “You see, after further research, we have come to a conclusion whatever pony sent this transmission has access to the technology of our level or above. They also knew security protocols only known to the Ministry Mare herself.” She sighed, stopping before me. “Frankly, we have a far-reaching theory at most and an absolutely incredulous one at most. Either we’re dealing with a runaway Steel Ranger Chapter who’s trying to defect to our side. Or our Ministry Mare herself survived for 200 years and sent us a message for help. Her words, frankly feel like she might be under attack by a Steel Ranger Chapter.” She raised a hoof seeing the question burning to get out.

“I don’t believe it’s her; it couldn’t possibly be. The voice matches our records, but our records also have her living out her life in stable 2. As things stand, we cannot afford to ignore this. Frankly, the chapter is at a crossroads. I read your report on the situation at our newest Outpost.” Elder Sharp Sides frowned. “If things escalated any further…” the implication was the same as my previous one. We couldn’t afford a war right now, not with the NCR.

“As such, we have chosen on a bold plan, should the worst come to pass. Call it a contingency, if you will.” The Elder sat on her haunches and cleared her throat. “In the event, we engage in total war with the NCR, our chapter will not survive. The NCR will make sure to make an example of us for Fillydelphia. They’ve been looking for an excuse to get rid of us for years now. So we will be splitting our chapter into two. Half our forces and personnel will be leaving Stable 29 in an expedition to this Crystal Empire. If our records are believed, we would be far enough from the NCR to truly settle ourselves. But, should the worst happen here?” The Elder sighed, “On the chance, this Stable is threatened, we cannot allow the NCR to have our Crusader mainframe.” Her eyes shone with determination and something inkling to tiredness. “I will execute Damocles protocols. The Stables reactor will be overloaded and destroy everything within a 3-mile radius.”

“Elder, no!” I lifted my hoof, unsure how to take this.

She raised her own, stopping me from speaking further, “this is the last resort. I assure you I will do everything in my power to avoid this.” She shook her head, looking down. “Before it ever gets to that, we have a considerable civilian population here. Family of our personnel, traders, and what have you. As such, we have decided to execute this plan in three phases.” She stood up and trotted behind her desk. She tapped away at her terminal, and the lights dimmed. A projector lowered from the ceiling, and a screen dropped behind me. I stepped aside and sat on my haunches, watching the screen light up with images.

OPERATION EXODUS

An apt name, but it did not settle the feeling at the pit of my stomach. Elder Sharp Sides cleared her throat and gestured at the screen. “Phase 1: special reconnaissance units will be dispatched north to the Crystal Empire. Recon units will consist of several squads; upon reaching The Crystal Empire, Recon units are to report a go or no go on Phase 2.” She clicked on the terminal and showed the next part of the plan. “Half of our forces and personnel will undertake the trek north to establish a permanent base of operations, dubbed Base November. Recon teams are to be on the lookout for suitable areas.” She tapped at her keys once more to show a different plan being implemented. A sub-plan, if you will.

OPERATION HOMETOWN

“As stated previously, we have a large civilian population here at the Stable. Therefore, this sub-operation will be implemented by auxiliary units. Upon safe escort from Manehattan, our civilian population will disperse to any settlement of their choosing. We will be providing a list of Ranger-friendly settlements.” The Elder frowned; she wasn’t pleased about bringing in outside help.

“Elder… I know we aren’t Steel Rangers, but outsiders to deal with our family and friends?” I sat on my haunches, scuffing at the metal ground. The idea I had to entrust my mother’s safety to outsiders didn’t sit right with me.

“Not entirely. I will have our personnel, strickly volunteers of our… seasoned Rangers, to help with the escort.” The way she looked off to the side like that made me realize what she meant. Our older Knights facing retirement. “They will protect everyponie’s families, along with a company of Talon Mercenaries who have agreed to take on the job.”

“Elder…” I began, but she went on over me.

“The relationship between NCR and mercenaries has long since turned antagonistic. Griffons building a nation with ponies? Let’s just say Fillydelphia had its fair share of influx with Talon company mercs after the NCR accord was signed.” Elder Sharp Sides let out a bitter chuckle. “Being unfriendly to the NCR is only a happy coincidence. The fact the Talons never break a contract is what interests me most.” She tapped the keys again, switching back to Operation Exodus. “If all conditions are met, we can begin Phase 3. It will take time, but our Scribes are already working on it. Were scouring any Stable-Tec ruins left, and long since decommissioned Stables. If they are successful, we will dismantle our Crusader Mainframe and move it up to Base November. After which, Talon Mercenaries will be contacted to march the Civilians to Base November.” The Elder switched to the next slide, “if not, we will cuttle the Stable and destroy the Crusader Mainframe.” She tapped the terminal, and it switched to the next Phase.

OPERATION EXODUS [CLASSIFIED]

“This final briefing is for your eyes only, yours and the scout team leaders.” The Elders’ voice turned dark and foreboding. “NCR expansion cannot be left unchecked. Scout teams are to scout and establish Ranger-friendly relations with all settlements outside NCR reach. Assuming all Phases are completed, we will be executing this.” The Elder tapped at her terminal again.

EQUESTRIA RESURRECTION

“We will unify all settlements under the old banner of Equestria and oppose the NCR directly. This final plan will be years in the making, but it’s something the Landsraad and I have discussed at length since Phillydelphia. Unfortunately, it has become clear, the NCR will fall prey to the same ideas that nearly ended the world. Therefore, we must create an alternative, details regarding this will be revealed later to you.” The Elder tapped her terminal one more time before the projector turned off, the lights turned on, and she trotted back around her desk to me.

“Valiant, time is of the essence, and sadly we could not train you as extensively as I wished.” The Elder placed a hoof on my shoulder. “You remember the test administered by Crusader Flag?”

“Yes, mam, though he didn’t elaborate on its purpose.” I narrowed my eyes.

“Put simply, the arrival of this message accelerated our plans. Operation Exodus wasn’t just something we came up with within a few days. We had been planning for well over a year now. For that purpose, we began an initiative for a new type of Ranger.” The Elder smiled, nodding to my father. He stepped aside and let the door to her office open. Flag stepped in in his usual body glove and smirked lazily at me.

“Given our increased scrutiny by the NCR, we needed a way to maneuver without being monitored.” Elder Sharp Sides stood tall and proudly, “we are beacons of the Wasteland and a promise to old-world values of freedom and friendship. We do not rule, and we do not interfere with internal affairs. But, individuals can certainly involve themselves with internal affairs.” The Elder smirked, and Flag next to me nudged me knowingly. “To that end, the Landsraad and I have created the Outcast Ranger initiative.” Elder Sharp Sides threw her hoof out dramatically. “Outcasts are publicly denounced by the order, but in reality, they work behind the scenes to further our cause. We need individuals who don’t fit into the typical Ranger profile for the ruse to work.”

“That’s why I was testing you, kid,” Flag shrugged and tapped my shoulder. “I needed to see how you interacted with anybody outside the order. It got a little heated, but you were able to control the situation.”

“Precisely,” Elder Sharp Sides clopped her hooves together. “For lack of better wording, you are to act as a spy for the order. Missions will be given to you via encrypted transmission. Don’t worry, in the years since Fillydelphia, we have already deployed several agents.” Elder Sharp Sides scratched under her chin and smiled proudly to herself. “Should you encounter another Agent, there will be a challenge and a counter. What goes well with apple pie?” Elder Sharp Sides grinned, “Zap-Apple Jam.”

Okay, a bit on the nose, I’d say, but then again, what’s the luck I’d run into anypony who knew what that was? “I understand, Elder, but am I really qualified for this?”

“Sadly, we cannot afford any more delays,” she sighed, trotting up to Flag and me. “Crusader Flag believes you have what it takes, so you will have to learn on the field. It’s not ideal, but time is no longer our ally.” The Elder nodded solemnly.

“Flag, er, Crusader Flag, you recommended me?” I made sure to collect myself, breaking protocol before the Elder and my father was asking for trouble.

“Actually, I did.” My father spoke up from the door.

I opened my mouth but closed it just as quickly, unsure of what to say. Elder Sharp Sides nodded to my father then looked towards me again. “Now, I know we dumped a lot on you, Knight. Do you have any questions?”

Thousands, but none appropriate at an official briefing. “No, mam, I understand our situation and will do what I can for the Order!” I saluted her, trying to settle my conflicted feelings.

“Good, have the rest of the day, soldier, get your affairs in order and report to the armory at 0600 tomorrow for final briefing.” The Elder saluted back, and I left her office, sparing one final glance at everypony. My father nodded to me before the Elders door closed behind me.

Alone, just myself and the low hum of the lights. I sat on my haunches and slapped my hooves against my face. Nope, not a dream, everything that happened today was real. I stood back up and walked off. I had no destination. I just didn’t feel like sitting in one place. I think some ponies had said hi to me; I wasn’t sure at this point. But, this was what I wanted, wasn’t it? I got to leave on an adventure, help ponies, and be a hero! I heard a saying in old Equestria about dogs that chase wagons. If they ever caught the wagons, they wouldn’t know what to do with it.

Well, I got the wagon. What now Valiant? I heard a door hiss open, and I almost bumped into somepony. I looked up, noticing my mother, a unicorn with a light grey coat and golden mane and gentle blue eyes. “Oh, Valiant, I was going to go find you.” I guess I subconsciously made my way home.

“Hey, mom, uhm, has anypony said anything to you?” I scratched my foreleg with my other hoof.

She let out a tired breath and stepped aside, “come on, let’s talk.”

“so,” I moved my apple around on my plate. “You know about Exodus then.” I couldn’t look at her; I felt I might lose any nerve I had.

“When you’re the wife of a Star Paladin…” my mother chuckled. “I also know a little about your role in this.” My mother crossed her hooves before her on the table. “Son, I know this is new and different from what you were expecting. But remember what you said to me when you were a young colt watching your father marching with the Rangers?”

My ears perked up, and I looked at my mother, and I couldn’t help but crack a smile. It’s hard to forget. She had levitated me above everypony so I could see all the Rangers march through the streets of Manehattan. “I want to be like dad. I want to be a hero!”

“You’ve worked hard since then to be a Knight; despite my feelings on the matter, I always believed in you, son. You’re a good pony, and I know you’ll make me and your father proud. So don’t let insecurity get to you now.” My mother winked at me and levitated an apple to her mouth to bite on.

“yeah,” I laughed a little, “I guess I’m just being silly. This is my chance; I will be a hero, mom!” I grabbed my apple and took a bite off it. “I’ll sho’l em!”

“Hey, no talking with your mouth full.” My mother turned her nose up at me, smiling. “How do you spect to get a special somepony acting like a pig?”

I choked on my apple and pounded my hoof against my chest, “m-mom!” I felt my face heat up.

She laughed, and I couldn’t help it, I laughed too, and suddenly my worries seemed distant. I was gonna miss this, miss mom and Stable 29. This place, however dreary it could get at times, was home.

***

0600, right on time, I walked into the armory. Waiting for me was Flag and, “Strider!” I galloped to my friend’s side and clopped hooves with him. “You’re back!” Strider was my best and only friend, really. He was slim and taller than me, with a light grey coat, dark brown mane, and sharp silver eyes.

Strider smiled, bumping his shoulder against mine, “yeah, I got in late last night.”

“How was patroling outside Manehattan?” I pushed him away playfully with a smirk.

“Wasteland, scavs, raiders, and whatever unholy creature still calls this place home.” Flag shrugged, “you know, the usual.” He cocked his head and grinned, “though I hear you’ll find about that soon enough.”

“Oh, you heard, huh.” I knickered and frowned, so much for a secret task force if every pony knew. But, then again I just assumed it was confidential.

“well, wouldn’t be a good squad mate if I didn’t know, now would I?” Strider winked and turned to attention when my father and Elder Sharp Sides walked in. “Attention, Knights!”

We all stood stiffly at attention, and Elder Sharp Sides gave us a once over. She nodded and gestured to the still open armory door. One more pony, a unicorn mare, had light green, almost yellow coat and a blonde mane with pink eyes. She trotted in and stood quickly at attention with us. Elder Sharp Sides nodded in her direction and began the briefing. “Listen up, everypony, because this is your final briefing before deployment. You four Rangers will form reconnaissance squad Saber.” I almost laughed at the irony. But wait, what? Strider and I got to be in a squad together? My luck must be really holding out. I got to go on an adventure with my best friend! With the added bonus of Flag, his easy-going attitude gelled well with my admittedly straight-laced one. The unicorn mare, on the other hand, I knew nothing about.

“Your mission should be clear; how you get there is entirely up to you.” Elder Sharp Sides nodded.

“To us?” I don’t think I have ever had any assignment where I wasn’t explicitly told what they wanted me to do.

“Correct, if small groups of supposedly exiled ponies start taking specific routes at the same time, that would be suspicious. So each squad will be departing at random intervals as the week passes.” Elder Sharp Sides pointed a hoof at us, “you will be the first squad.”

“Understood,” I nodded towards her.

“What about equipment, Elder?” Strider turned his head to the Elder from my left.

“That’s the reason we’re here in the armory; we will give you enough supplies to make it seem like we’re exiling you with just enough to get you out of manehattan.” Elder Sharp Sides waved her hoof at everything we had gathered over the years. “What you take with you is entirely up to you. Keep in mind you’ll have to lug all this around without power armor.”

“Wait, no power armor?” The unicorn mare’s ears flattened against her head, and she almost sounded…betrayed?

The Elder’s jaw tightened, “I can hardly call it exile if we allow you to walk out of here in full power armor. Besides, without proper support up keeping the armor would be difficult.” Frankly, I wasn’t comforted by the thought. Not being a walking tank sure made me feel less enthusiastic about this adventure.

“Now, gear up; you have two hours before you have to depart.” Elder Sharp Sides looked us over once more, her gaze lingering on the mysterious unicorn. “Make me proud,” she quickly broke her eye contact with the unicorn, “all of you.” The Elder trotted off, leaving us with my father.

“Flag, a word before you leave,” my father, as always short and to the point, nodded to Flag. I was hesitant to call them friends; heck, I wasn’t sure Flag was my friend. He was always around when I was growing up, though. My father always said he had to keep him out of trouble. Flag would laugh it up, telling my father was just too stuffy for his own good.

“Yeah,” Flag and my father shared a look, one I couldn’t decipher before my father left, shutting the armory door behind him. “Alright, kiddies, get geared up. Over the years, we’ve accumulated odds and ends. Remember, the goal is to not look like a Ranger.” Flag trotted between some weapon racks and disappeared. Strider tapped my shoulder and did the same. Guess it’s just the newcomer and me.

I looked at her, she looked back, and we quickly looked away. Well, this was off to a great start. “So, what’s your name?” There we go, Valiant, basics of socializing!

“Oh, uhm, Lemon.” She smiled shyly, rubbing her foreleg with her hoof.

“I’m Valiant. Nice to meet you.” I stretched my hoof out to shake hers.

“I know, you’re the pony who deciphered the message from Ministry Mare Applejack.” She shook my hoof, and the awkwardness ebbed away a little.

“Yeah, not how I’d want to be remembered, but hey can’t always choose what people decide to remember you for, can we?” I grinned sheepishly at her.

Lemon’s ears drooped a little, but she smiled back nonetheless. “You’re right about that, well let’s get ready!” Lemon stood up and went to look the armors over. First thing first, I went to look at the armor. Lemon was halfway in a chest, digging through it. Huh, her cutiemark was a rocket with an explosion in the background. Wait, I’m staring at my squadmate’s ass. I blushed and shook my head, trying to forget the cute way she wiggled her bottom as she dug into the chest. Agh, stop it, stupid hormones!

I trotted past her fast and looked at the clothes. There was a lot to choose from, and I had to think about durability and usefulness in the field. Oh, the body glove. I looked over the selection and picked a sleek black one. I unzipped it and got in it right away. It was a snug fit; I kicked my back legs and adjusted the suit, pulling on my hind legs. It definitely grabbed everything! Thankfully, the material for these things was meant to shape to the user’s body. So after a few minutes, it felt just right. I looked back to where Lemon was, but she was long gone. I trotted to a nearby rack and looked at the armor. If I was gonna go out there without power armor, I had to use the next best thing. Combat armor, easy to maintain and modular. I found a decent dark green combat armor barding. I undid the straps at the side, slipped it over my head, and strapped it back up around my chest. Next, I grabbed leg armor that slipped over my hooves, protecting my legs for added measure. Finally, I found some saddlebags and slipped them over my back, so they rested comfortably around my flanks. I padded myself over, satisfied with my choice in armor.

I looked to the weapon racks; Strider checked a carbine rifle over, and Flag was still nowhere to be seen. Lemon herself was looking over a double-barreled shotgun, breaking it and examining the barrels. I took a step forward, but something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. By the clothes, I saw a desperado hat and a poncho. The hat was in excellent condition with a silver star on it. The poncho was tattered at the ends, providing good sun protection. Yeah, that’s right, very useful items… oh, alright, I thought they looked cool! I slipped the poncho on, and it covered my armor and saddlebags. I slipped on the desperado hat and tied the strings at the bottom to keep it from blowing off me in case of harsh winds. I tipped the hat back, and it slid down my neck, resting against my back comfortably.

I trotted to the weapon racks and gave them a good once over. Truth be told, I wasn’t exactly the best shot in the Wasteland. But in my defense, miniguns hardly need precision aiming. I needed something that didn’t kick too hard but still dealt a mean kick to a raider. Carbine rifles, sniper rifles, hoofguns, oh! I trotted to the energy weapons and picked me out an energy rifle. I sat on my haunches and checked its sights, resting the butt against my shoulder and aiming down it. Not bad, not bad at all. Its weight was comfortable to bear, and the kickback was almost none-existing.

I looked at the rack and grabbed a holster for it. I removed my hat and poncho and properly strapped the rifle to my right side. Being ambidextrous was great. I grabbed an energy pistol for similar reasons and strapped it to my left side. The rifle barely stuck out against the fabric with the poncho over it. I also picked up a combat knife and slipped it on my right hind leg between the vambrace. Alright, weapons set, equipment set, just gotta wait for everypony and then set out to get supplies for the road. Oh, and ammunition too. I face hoofed and trudged to the ammo boxes and stocked up on plenty of magical energy cells. I walked into the center of the room and found everypony ready for me.

Flag wore his usual orange and gray body glove. In addition, he donned his own set of leather armor with a bandoleer around his torso. Finally, he wore similar leather vambraces around his legs to my metal ones. For his weapons, a sniper rifle and a 10mm submachine gun. “I’m gonna miss ol Shiela,” Flag sighed dramatically.

“You have a special somepony Flag?” I was utterly surprised, if not a bit confused by her name.

“I think he’s talking about his Anti-material rifle Valiant,” Strider chuckled.

“Oh,” I rolled my eyes, and Flag only laughed.

Strider’s outfit was relatively simple. He donned a simple white shirt and leather jacket. Inside the opened jacket, he wore combat armor similar to mine. He had indeed chosen a carbine rifle with ACOG scope and forward hoof grip. He also had a 9mm hoof gun with him.

Lemon…whoa. I couldn’t come up with anything else to say about her. Lemon donned a dark green bodysuit. She was armored from chest to hoof in combat armor. Shoulder armor, thigh armor on her hind legs, plus the vambraces. She had a knife, though I hesitated to call it that, strapped on her right foreleg, the damn thing was almost as big as a machete. It had a hoof ring with studs meant to knock a pony’s lights out before skewering them. She also had a pump-action maud 500 shotgun. To top it off, she had a grenade launcher with a three-grenade magazine slung opposite of the shotgun. I think it was fair to say Lemon liked to take things…close and personal, or blown to bits if she couldn’t close the distance.

“What?” Lemon looked down at her self curious. “Did I miss something?”

“N-no,” I stammered before coughing into my hoof. “Just didn’t peg you like a close and personal type.” I shrugged.

“Well, my mother was an earth mare and my father a unicorn scribe. Guess I got more from my mom than she thought.” Lemon blushed and shyly rubbed her foreleg with her hoof. A rather intriguing juxtaposition with her walking tank appearance.

“Alright, you okay with our equipment, kid?” Flag asked me.

“Why are you asking me?” I raised a brow.

“Oh right, I was supposed to tell you this yesterday! Sorry completely forgot about it.” Flag bonked his head with his hoof. “You’re squad lead on this mission; I’ll be your secondary and help you along to train you as we go.”

“What?” I can’t believe Flag just totally forgot about this. I would have…well, I would have probably worried about it all night. Damn, why do I get the feeling Flag did this on purpose. I gave him a suspicious look, “you didn’t tell me on purpose didn’t you Flag?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, kid,” Flag chortled to himself and walked to the armory door.

“So, any last changes or?” Flag opened the door.

“No, I think everypony is comfortable with what they chose, and it’s very evenly spread out.” At least I hope so, damn it felt weird having somepony rely on my judgment.

***

Where the hell was Flag? One minute we were all supplying for the trip, then he disappeared from us. So I decided to go to the Elders office and ask her. The door to her office was open, and I heard Flag’s voice. “I got it; you worry too much.”

“It’s important, I wish I could do it, but my face is too recognizable.” Dad?

“He’ll be fine,” Flag sighed exasperatedly. “He’s a smart kid.”

“What about,” my father started.

Flag quickly interrupted again, “both of them will be fine, they’ll have each other, and I’ll watch all three of them.” Then, I heard a metal clank; maybe Flag touched my father.

“Keep them safe. I can only trust you, my friend.” My father’s voice was low and raspy.

“I’ll keep all of them safe.” Flag insisted, with an emphasis on the all. No more words were exchanged, and I quietly made my exit. I don’t think I was meant to hear that.

A few minutes later, Flag found us at the Stable Exit. Elder Sharp Sides was there, and my father joined us soon after. The Elder moved to the control panel and opened the Stable. Then, we marched out to the area we had claimed as ours. A makeshift perimeter fence had been built with scrap metal to make walls, towers, and ramparts guarded at all times. We were guided to a small stage where Rangers and civilians were gathered. The four of us stepped up to the stage, and the Elder stepped up in front of us. “Attention, Everypony, As most of you know me, I am Elder Sharp Sides, and I lead the Applejack Rangers.” She looked at everypony as they muttered among themselves.

“Our ways are clear, and our ideals absolute.” Elder Sharp Sides sighed dramatically. “As such, we gather here because these four Ponies cannot uphold our ideals and have failed in their duty as Rangers.” Elder Sharp Sides spared us a withering glance, and I almost thought this was an actual expulsion ceremony. “As per our traditions, anypony who fails to uphold our tenants shall be exiled, granted only what supplies they can carry. As of the moment, these ponies step out of the compound gates; they are no longer under the protection of the order.”

The doors east of us opened up, and Knights fully clad in power armor lined up the path. “These ponies are now outcasts, and should they threaten the peace of ponykind, they will be dealt with as mercilessly as any other raider.” Elder Sharp Sides banged her hoof on the stage to make her point. “Now, their families may have one last moment before they are forever exiled.” The Elder stepped aside, and only my father and mother stepped up to the stage. A fair bit of murmuring rose from this fact. Then, with tears brimming in her eyes, my mother threw her hoofs around me and hugged me tightly. I wasn’t sure if she was acting, but I hugged her back with all my might. “Here,” she sniffled and stepped back from me. She opened a saddlebag with a golden glow of her magic and floated over a neatly folded heavy brown coat. “ In case the place you’re going to is cold.” My mother swiped at the tears with her foreleg. “It used to be your fathers,” she hugged me again and kissed my cheek, and whispered near my ear. “Your father loves you very much; there’s a holotape for you and a little something from me in the jacket.” My mother stepped back, and my father stepped up before me.

Being glared down on by Star Paladin Heavy Arms was enough to make a pony faint. So I counted myself lucky that I was still standing. “You’re no son of mine,” he seethed. I felt my stomach drop and tears pricked at my eyes. I looked down, and my father stepped to Flag next to me. I looked at my mother, but she looked away with watery eyes. I stuffed my new jacket into my saddlebags and stood back at attention.

“I should have never brought you in here,” My father growled at Flag, then fast as lightning, surprising for a pony in power armor. My father backhoofed Flag, who tumbled on the ground. Everypony gasped, shocked. Flag spat blood on the ground and stood back up, wiping his muzzle. He refused to make eye contact with my father. My father stopped briefly by Strider, his jaw tightened, but he said nothing. Instead, he trotted off, ignoring Lemon completely. My mother followed after but not before a sob escaped her, and she galloped back into the Stable.

“outcasts, as a final punishment, I strip you of all honors and rank within the Rangers. Now leave this compound and never return.” The Elder threw her hoof at the gates. I swallowed and walked off to the exit. I looked back and saw Lemon look at the Elder before she trotted up to catch up to us. We stepped outside, and the doors to the only home I ever knew closed.

“Come on, everypony, this isn’t home anymore.” I turned my back on Stable 29 with mixed feelings and hope for adventure.

***

Level up 1

Perks: Wild Wasteland: The Wasteland is an unforgiving, brutal, and weirdly silly place. Unique encounters across the Wasteland.

Computer Whizz: Ponies say you make love to terminals, each keystroke is masterful, and each hack successful. You are the computer’s master. The computer that’s locked is just another naughty terminal that needs your hooves’ attention…you technophile. Terminals are easier to hack.

Author's Note

Okay, Everyone, this is my official re-write for my Fallout Equestria fic, look forward to more chapters and new art!