Fallout: Equestria - The Storm

Chapter 1: The Commodore

***** ***** *****

Thunder cracked through the rainy night, the deafening sound only briefly muffling the screams, gunshots, and sizzling energy bolts ripping through the soggy streets of Klugetown. Hulking ghoulified beasts, adorned in black armor sporting an insignia of two teal lightning bolts, dragged the various denizens of the ramshackle buildings out into the mud. I scanned each of their terrified faces. None matched the description our caravans had given us. With a wave of my claws, my troops lowered their weapons from the captives’ heads and instead placed their wrists in shackles. Plenty of time to interrogate them later if our target has managed to slip away. Which was doubtful, considering we had airships watching the town borders. My attention was drawn to an approaching subordinate.

“Commodore!” she called out through the rain. Storms were common across our King’s territory, but tonight was particularly ghastly. While that was good for our lightning-powered ships, I wasn’t enjoying the downpour. Lieutenant Spinella’s dark pink mane was soaked down the side of her slate head, an amusing sight considering how neat and proper she preferred to keep it. I turned to face the hippogriff mare properly, absentmindedly marveling for a moment how difficult it was to distinguish her black beak, hooves, and claws from her armor.

“Commodore Rosegold,” she continued as she halted and gave a brief salute. “We have Shearstripe in custody at the town square.”

“Finally,” I uttered with mirthless relief. “Raiding bastard’s harassed our supply chains for long enough. Time to put this to rest and head home, eh?”

She gave me a tired smile. This operation was the last of several across the past three months to end bandit attacks on our northern caravans. We both looked forward to some well-earned shore leave. As we trotted to the town square, I gave the situation some thought. After leave, would I be sent to our campaign against the dragons? After all, securing our supply lines was done towards that end. Surely I’d earned a station sufficiently far from the bulk of the fighting.

*****

In the center of the square, a dozen of my troops had separated a single captive from the others. A large yet ragged, tiger-like biped sneered at me as I approached. Oh yes, he fit the description.

“Shearstripe.” I unfurled a warrant from one of my armor’s storage compartments. “Wanted for treason against his Majesty, disruption of war assets belonging to his Majesty’s Navy,” I folded and returned the long, boring document, having no intention to read out its entirety “and for making us work in the rain.” The troops around me gave a cruel chuckle. “I have been given authority by our King to render your sentence upon your capture.” I leaned close and grasped the cat’s chin between my claws. “The severity of which will depend entirely on whether you disclose the location of the supplies you’ve stolen.”

The bandit snarled. “Our people need those supplies! They’re starving!”

A small, cold smile creased my lips beyond the edges of my beak. “Are they, now?” I raised my hand and snapped my claws. My troops raised their weapons, Shearstripe struggled and let out a shriek, and after a cacophony of laser fire a half dozen captives fell dead.

“I doubt they’re starving any longer,” I glared down at the now incoherent Shearstripe. “Now, the location of the suppl-” My words were cut off by the sensation of fresh saliva striking me between the eyes. I paused and took a moment to wipe the spit from my face, all the while my troops thrashed my offender into submission. “I’ll consider that your final answer.”

Reaching under my wing, I unlatched and drew my laser repeater from its holster. It differed from the standard model of lever-charged crank-powered laser rifles carried by most troops, as it has had its stock removed and its barrel replaced with a beam splitter. With a practiced motion I operated the lever one-handed, energy-generating turbines spinning up and causing a crackling hum to emanate from the weapon. My beastly subordinates lifted the beaten striped cat back on to his knees as I took aim at his skull. “No matter if you won’t tell us. With you out of the picture, we’ll replenish quickly enough.”

Shearstripe growled, “Others will-!” and he went silent as his head recoiled, perforated by five cauterized holes. I holstered my weapon as his corpse dropped into the wet ground. With a signal, my forces made their way back to the airships with our remaining prisoners.

*****

The airship’s officer’s quarters weren’t quite as spacious as my office at Fort Aris, but were no less accommodating. Entering from one side of the main U-shaped room, a panoramic window enveloped a central finely crafted desk and chair. A comfortable nest-shaped bed was tucked into an alcove accessible through a door adjacent to the one I entered from. From there, I entered a personal bathroom, which was equipped with lockers, a mirror and sink, plenty of grooming equipment and cleansing lotions, a step-in shower, and a tub with massaging jets. It’d be several hours before we got home, so I’d best get comfortable and rest.

I removed my armor, starting with the somewhat bulky braces on my forearms that could act as shields or blunt weapons. With them off, I could tuck in my wings and squirm out of the cuirass. The impressively crafted assortment of ultracite alloy plates offered ample protection to my entire torso, while remaining surprisingly light and flexible. The material was mildly radioactive, but that was no concern for my people.

When balefire radiation swept across Equestria and its surrounding neighbors over two centuries ago, our King sacrificed his flesh to grant our people immunity. The warm glow was even slightly beneficial to us, helping us heal faster. We aren’t ghouls, however, we weren’t granted immortality. We are born, we grow old, and we die.

Slipping off the tight barding that acted as a base layer, I fully exposed my sweat-matted, battered hide. My coat and wings were a light champagne, accented by white undersides. My claws, hooves, and beak were dark gold. Running my talons through my feathery mane did little to fix it, the assortment of wine reds refusing to cooperate until cleaned. A sigh of contempt escaped my beak as I locked a snowy gaze with my own reflection. What looked like a skinny peasant stared back. Had I really lost this much weight during the past three months? My ribs haven’t been this visible since before I enlisted.

That was, what, fifteen years ago? The day after my sixteenth birthday. And already Commodore. Maybe even Rear Admiral with this operation successfully wrapped up. No, that was far too optimistic. Reaching that rank before the age of forty was nearly impossible. I’d need an entire resume of leading large operations like this to even be considered for the Admiralty Board.

There was a knock on my door just as I was about to get a hot shower started. “Rosegold?” I recognized Spinella’s soft voice.

“Come in,” I replied expectantly, and soon heard her enter and make her way to me. She’d gotten her armor off as well, only wearing the tight base layer, and she looked at me with a sly grin.

It was only natural we’d get a headstart on shore leave. We earned it. She and I helped each other wash, among other things, and eventually made our way to my bed. These kinds of relationships were incredibly common between superiors and subordinates. Just another way of gaining favor. I’d certainly spent my fair share of time in a superior officer’s bed, or in their shower, or under their desk. Relationships between equals were the odd ones, few and far between. After all, what was there to gain from that?

Tonight, however, was much more about relieving stress than about one of my Lieutenants looking for a promotion. Not that she didn’t deserve the rank of Captain. Spinella was certainly capable of handling it. I just wasn’t sure I wanted her that close to being a potential rival.

*****

The chirping of my nightstand intercom woke me, a stray beam of sunlight stretching across my bed. Spinella, who had her head on my chest, groaned awake as well. I stretched a talon to tap the intercom’s interface.

“Commodore Rosegold, we are nearing Fort Aris. ETA thirty minutes.”

“Acknowledged, helmsman.” I did my best to mask the tiredness in my voice and maintain some professionalism. My Lieutenant and I did not get as much actual rest as we should have.

After a very quick shower, I slipped into a smart uniform and neatened my mane. Spinella slunk off to her quarters to do the same. The lightweight fabric offered no protection, but there was hardly any cause for anyone other than a guard to wear armor at Fort Aris. The handsome garment, black with a purple hue and a teal trim, was adorned with our King’s insignia, as well as bars denoting my rank. The Fort came into view through my large window as I fiddled with the jacket’s tight collar.

Aris was an impressive sight, concrete, steel, and dark ultracite alloy taming the wilderness around it. The fort was built from an ancient Hippogriffia palace, though I had no idea what it looked like originally. Likely very run down from our savage ancestor’s neglect. The layers of fortified walls bristled with gun emplacements of various sizes. They hadn’t been used in decades aside from ceremonial displays, but were kept in peak condition in case of surprise attacks. Equestria hosted a few threats that could, potentially, reach us from across the ocean. Griffon mercs, the Pegasi Enclave, and the dragons we were currently campaigning against.

The latter was both the most and least likely. The scaled beasts certainly had a motive to assault us, but were far from having the capacity. Enclave pegasi had been exterminating them from the north, though their progress has been slow. Their resources had been limited ever since some sort of botched attempt to take over Equestria’s surface twelve years ago, which resulted in their weather control systems being compromised. By a stable dweller, of all things. A good lesson in never underestimating a rogue element.

Our purpose in the Dragon Lands was conquest. We’ve been taking most dragons captive, primarily the younger ones. Full grown dragons were put down, far too costly to keep prisoner. Our King intends to assimilate them, though I can’t possibly imagine how he intends to tame such beasts. Of course, I don’t doubt he has a plan. Upon success, it will certainly be worth the effort. Having dragons in our ranks would secure our position as Equestria’s strongest military power, rather than just a rival to the Enclave or New Canterlot Republic.

Not to mention the territory of the Dragon Lands itself. That was the real goal. All that volcanically fertile farmland, being wasted by a carnivorous species. That would practically eliminate our dependency on trade with Equestrian farms. It was only recently viable, thanks to some sort of rad-and-taint-cleansing Mega Spell. The effects of which did not reach our islands, which was disappointing, but not without silver lining. Equestria was apparently home to a number of sapient ghouls, who relied on irradiated water to get by. Our situation made us quite capable of exporting ‘Aqua Pura’ to these ghouls in exchange for food.

Spending most of my career keeping this trade secure has earned me a reputation among the Admiralty as a glorified caravan guard. Other officers who had been fighting dragons and the like bore some resentment towards me for having such an easy assignment. They could not, however, deny how vital it was. If I didn’t do my job, they couldn’t do theirs. Starving troops are bad at fighting dragons.

*****

Departing my ship, I was surprised to see a pair of Admirals waiting for me. I quickly snapped to attention and saluted.

“At ease, Commodore,” the first responded with his gruff voice. Wavestone was the eldest member of the Admiralty, and oversaw fleet organization as a whole. His once brilliant azure mane streaked with aged gray, complimenting his silver and stone coat. Pale blue eyes held the wisdom of his age as he evaluated me.

“Three months in Bone Dry Desert took its toll, it seems,” he continued. I guess I couldn’t quite hide my emaciated state. The younger Admiral beside him, Novabeam, remained quiet. Her coat, wings, and extremities were pure white, and she had a radiant gold and lavender mane. She could be mistaken for an angel if it weren’t for her blood-red eyes. Fitting, for the mare who oversaw weapons research, development, and production.

“I’m quite alright, sir. Just in need of some R&R.” I relaxed somewhat, but remained at parade rest. “Once I’m finished with debrief and have submitted my reports, of course.”

“Your Lieutenant will handle those. Something has come up that requires your immediate attention,” Novabeam finally spoke. “Your shore leave will have to be postponed. Our King has selected you specifically for… an unusual task.”

I blinked in shock. Normally I’d be upset to receive a new assignment so soon, but to be personally requested by the Storm King? What could possibly be going on? The way Novabeam’s tone shifted towards the end of her sentence didn’t inspire confidence. Whatever this was about, it had her just as confused as it had me.

“We’ll bring you up to speed in my office,” Wavestone elaborated. “I’ve no doubt this situation is perplexing to all of us. It will be better discussed in private.”

*****

Being the senior Admiral, Wavestone’s office radiated prestige. It was built at Aris’s peak, floor-to-very-high-ceiling windows wrapped completely around the large, circular room. The view was stunning, our entire domain could be seen from here. The southern tip of Equestria’s mainland, where I’d been throughout my last mission, was visible to the north. The dark, stormy, mountainous islands home to our King’s palace were far to the west. The Dragon Lands were barely visible to the east.

The center of the office had a large circular table, which was adorned with a holographic tactical display, with enough seats for all of the Admiralty along with their immediate subordinates. Closer to the windows were various terminal banks, bookshelves, and a smaller desk, where the old hippogriff stallion was headed. Wavestone waved a claw at me as he sat down. At the Admiral’s prompt, I took a seat across from him. Novabeam took the seat beside me.

“Our King is after an artifact,” Wavestone began, “or rather, the pieces of one. Some sort of magical ‘Pearl.’ Queen Novo, before her defeat, shattered it and had her daughter Skystar take the pieces into Equestria two hundred years ago. With balefire erupting across the territory, it was nigh impossible to pursue her.”

“What exactly is it?” I asked, glancing towards Novabeam, wondering how she was involved. “Some sort of weapon?”

“That is… unclear,” the mare responded. “Our King insisted it was quite vital for our conquest of the dragons. He is being abnormally enigmatic about the details. Considering Novo sent her heir to certain death to keep it away from him, it must be powerful.”

“To be honest,” Wavestone rubbed his wrinkled forehead, “we have little to go on. We don’t know how many pieces there are, or any clue where exactly they could be hidden. We do, however, have a place for you to start. One agent was sent after Skystar immediately after she fled. A unicorn named Tempest Shadow.” Our King once employed ponies? “We know her insertion point, and a handful of locations she searched before contact was lost. It is assumed she succumbed to radiation poisoning.”

“Why wait so long to resume the search?” I pondered out loud.

Novabeam answered me, “Until now, it wasn’t an immediate priority. Hippogriffia was secure, and the focus of our King’s efforts turned towards strengthening and civilizing us.”

Wavestone elaborated on how I’d find the pieces. “According to our King, once you find one piece, it should have a magical connection to the others, leading you to them. The more you find, the easier it will become to find the rest.”

I took this moment to segway to a question that had been eating me. “Why was I chosen for this? I know I have experience dealing with Equestria through our caravans, but numerous scouts have ventured far further inland than I have. Why not send them?” Both Admirals furrowed their brows. They didn’t know.

“It’s… extremely peculiar,” Wavestone admitted. “But it is not our place to question the Storm King.”

“Well,” I started, “having the Vetera with me should deter wasteland meddlers.”

The Admirals winced, and Wavestone cleared his throat. “About that. Our King has ordered that you go alone.”

*****

I felt numb as I was waiting in the armory. Some technicians were modifying my armor and lever-charged laser shotgun, repainting them in neutral colors and adding artificial wear-and-tear. Simple clothes were packed into rough-looking saddle bags, along with basic food, water, and healing items. I was to make no mention of my rank or affiliations to Equestria’s locals. I was ‘just a wanderer.’

The goal was to keep this operation clandestine, attracting as little attention as possible. Apparently, our King took notice of the Enclave’s efforts a decade ago and concluded that overt displays of power were ineffective at deterring interference. I suppose it made sense. Who’d notice one hippogriff going on a scavenger hunt? On the other claw, I’d be extremely vulnerable if I did catch unwanted attention. An indignant huff escaped my beak.

These kinds of risks were meant for lower ranks, not a Commodore. But what could I do? Defy the Storm King? He chose me for a reason, even if no one but him understood why.

The last piece of equipment I was given ran somewhat counter the whole ‘go unnoticed’ strategy. A PipBuck. An old one, scavenged by our scouts from Stable-Tec a few years back. It had been thoroughly refurbished to like-new condition, and tweaked extensively to be compatible with hippogriff physiology. I had to forego my left arm brace to equip it, but by all accounts these things were nearly as tough. And the utility was admittedly hard to pass up. Navigation, inventory management, radio, a universal terminal interface, status of vitals… I frowned as its EFS immediately notified me that I was suffering from minor exhaustion and hunger.

Three hours of sleep and a skipped breakfast will do that. No need to tell me, you pedantic little machine. I had plenty of time to eat and sleep on the airship ride to our border. It also read that my head wasn’t at full health? That had to be a glitch. I felt fine.

I also had time to practice another important function. SATS. Stable-Tec Arcane Targeting Spell. Honestly, this spell matrix was an astonishing feat of pony magic. It allowed its user to practically stop time and que up attacks, with a calculated readout of success probability. If we could reverse-engineer this and integrate into armor for all of our troops… If I knew Novabeam, this was probably in the works. With everything equipped and packed, I made my way to the landing platforms.

The airship waiting for me was much smaller than the warship I was used to. It was just a transport, capable of carrying only a few people. Spinella was waiting beside it, along with some of my other officers, to see me off. They gave me a salute. I returned it. My Lieutenant also gave a smirk, since she’d be the acting commanding officer of my battalion while I was away. She was promised the rank of Captain upon my success… or failure. I felt a moment of hesitation, then trotted into the ship.

*****

I was expected to travel by wing, or any inventive wasteland method I came across, once I was brought to the border. As such, my mission was given a significant window of six months. There was no telling how far and wide these Pearl fragments were spread, so I could end up crossing the entire husk of a nation more than once in my search. That meant it would be beneficial to get on good terms with as many settlements as possible. Having plenty of places I could rest or trade would be vital. Sure, I wanted the mission completed as quickly as possible, but this would undoubtedly take a long time.

Maybe this task wouldn’t be as harrowing as I imagined. Had it been a decade earlier, it would have been a suicide mission, but the remains of Equestria were healing. Reports say the wasteland has stabilized significantly since then, but things weren’t perfect. Bands of raiders and slavers still cropped up. There were still dangerous mutant creatures. Anything could happen in the open wastes. Still, it was much safer than before. This was doable.

With my doubts tucked away, I took some time to remedy my physical health. Arriving at the wasteland with sunken eyes and a growling belly would help sell the illusion of a wandering waster, but I’d rather begin my journey at full strength. My meal was uneventful, basic rations consumed alone as the transport’s small crew was busy at their stations. Curious, I checked my PipBuck, and it read that I was no longer hungry or thirsty. How it could tell was beyond me. I knew how to operate arcane devices, but I hadn’t the slightest clue how they worked. The device still demanded I get some rest, and I felt obliged to cooperate. Transports had meager bedding, but I managed. It was likely to be my last chance to get proper rest somewhere clean for the next few months. I’d best not waste it.

***** ***** *****

Footnote:
Welcome to Level 2!

Perk added: Lone Wanderer! Who needs troops, anyway? When adventuring without allies, you take 15% less damage and carry weight increases by 50.

Author's Note

This is my first foray into creative writing in years, so please be gentle with any constructive criticism.