Relief for Cause

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“No,” Boss’ voice growled over the comlink, “If you’re home free then put some distance between you and that town. You’ve all probably caused more than enough damage already.”

“Roger that,” Holey replied, holstering his sidearm and looking down at himself, “Let me just get this stupid gunk off of me. Spotter let me see your knife, mine’s stuck somewhere under all this shit.”

Spotter nodded, drawing the weapon in question and handing it over. Holey looked over the large green mess of gunk on him, wondering about the best way to deal with it, knife poised and ready.

A silence had fallen over the village, the ceased reports of gunfire heralding the battle’s end. Around town, ponies that hadn’t been captured started to poke their heads from their hiding places, coming out into the open with worried looks set on the skies.

“Are they all gone?” Derpy asked, looking towards the sky fearfully.

Spotter glanced at the pegasus, “Where’s a damn translator when you need one,” he muttered, keeping an eye on things outside the alleyway, rifle clenched tightly, but lowered.

“What?” Boss asked.

“Nothing,” Spotter replied, “that pegasus from earlier keeps saying stuff like I should know what it means.”

“Mommy,” Derpy felt a poke at her leg, she looked down at Dinky, who stared at her with scared eyes, “Who are they?” she pointed a hoof at the two humans.

“I think they’re called hue-mans,” Derpy replied, Spotter spared her another glance as he heard her say the last word, “I think it’s safe now,” she continued, “Stay close to mommy, okay?”

Dinky gave a nod and Derpy got to her hooves, poking her head out into the street and looking both ways before she headed out from cover, daughter in tow.

Confirming that the changelings were gone, ponies were now out in the streets, unsticking friends and family from their entrapments while cautiously avoiding the few remaining changelings, all of which were (obviously) dead.

In the post-battle quiet, voices began to speak up, calling out for loved ones and wondering at what had just taken place.

“What was all that loud noise?”

“Are...are they...d-dead?”

“Where did they all go? Why did they all go?”

“Who were those things that scared them off?”

Holey grumbled quietly to himself, cutting at the goop and chucking a piece on the ground as he removed it from his armor. The stuff was thick, heavily elastic, and adhesive as hell. But it wasn’t anything a sharp knife couldn’t cut through with at least a degree of efficiency.

“Boo!” Snipes said, Spotter flinching as Snipes came around from the back of the house behind them.

“What the fuck was that all about!” Spotter snapped, turning with a glower to Snipes.

“Just trying to startle you, I was gonna say ‘hey,’ but...”

“No, breaking ROE! What the fuck, man?” Spotter interrupted, “You’re fucking lucky those things don’t have anything that can punch through armor or Holey’d be in a bigger mess than he is now!”

Snipes shrugged, a smile on his face, “I felt it was our best course of action,” he gestured towards the street with a hand, “Win the people’s hearts and minds, get them to tell us where the badguys planted their IEDs and all that. Besides, they didn’t have armor-penetrating goop, all’s well that ends well.”

“That’s not your call,” Boss growled, “I gave you an order and you disobeyed it!”

“With all due respect to your orders, sir,” Snipes replied, “I don’t think that the gravity of our situation has grounded you yet. We’re stuck on another planet and we need to make friends, get connections and all that stuff if we want to survive.”

“Bullshit, we’re on another planet!” Boss growled back, “Someone’s fucking with a simulator. Whether you agree with them or not, you will follow my orders in the future, got it?”

“Oh, well do explain then why Harbingers are doing a sim! You know as well as I do that Harbingers don’t do sims outside of standard combat training!” Snipes retorted, ignoring Boss’ question.

Silence replied.

“I hate to play devil’s advocate, but Snipes has a point there,” Redneck reasoned.

“Well then maybe someone’s just messing with us,” Boss reasoned, though his previously steadfast conviction now bore a small crack, “They hooked us up and are playing with us, trying to see what we do when they pull some crazy world outta their asses...I still asked you a question, private, and I expect it answered.”

“What was the question again?” Snipes asked innocently. Spotter rolled his eyes as he kept an eye on things out in the open.

“I asked you if you understood that any future order that I give is not to be disobeyed. Are we clear on that point?”

“Not necessarily, no,” Snipes replied, both Holey and Spotter froze as they turned to stare at him, “With all due respect, sergeant we’re in way over our heads here, and I don’t think that you’re getting the gravity of the situation.”

A deathly silence fell.

“Care to run that by me just one more time?” Boss asked, voice a dead sort of calm.

“Okay! I think that everyone needs to shut up and chill the hell out!” Redneck interrupted. Boss began to say something, but was cut off, “Granted, Snipes, we are all in way over our heads with this mess, but if not Boss, then who do you expect to take in the reins and lead this group? At the end of the day, someone has to sit at the head of the table, so who?”

Snipes opened his mouth to reply, but never got the chance.

A massive blast of light and sound exploded from somewhere in the heart of the town. Shadows splayed out across the ground as a massive pink shockwave raced outwards from the sound of the explosion, passing through everything like a ghost.

The three soldiers flinched, but the wave just passed harmlessly over them, continuing onwards and stopping just outside the town.

“What the hell?” Spotter hissed, inching closer to the edge of the house to get a peek.

“What, what now?” Boss grumbled, a hint of worry coloring his tone.

“Chto za khren?” Holey wondered aloud, holding his arms away from himself, his body now freed entirely of the green goop from earlier.

“Whoa,” Snipes commented, “Geez, Holes, your smell must’ve scared all that green stuff off.”

“What are you...” Spotter started to ask, going silent when he spotted Holey. His head snapped back around to the town, where it seemed all the ponies were also free of their entrapments.

“Are you guys okay? What the hell was that big pink bubble?” Boss inquired, a hint of worry in his tone.

“Pink bubble?” Holey asked, handing the knife back to Spotter and checking his rifle.

“Whatever it was, Holey and all our colorful friends here are free of their flubber attacks,” Snipes said, “But I haven’t the first clue what in the name of hell it was.”

“Looks like our ‘colorful friends’ are on the move,” Spotter pointed out as the ponies began heading towards the epicenter of the blast, “Let’s get out of here while they’re distracted.”

“Yes, meet up with the rest of us, one of you activate your suit identifier so I can see where you guys are.”

“Roger,” Spotter said. He reached into a pouch and pulled out an antenna. He extended it with a series of snaps and then snapped it into place on his comlink’s earbud. A small red dot appeared on his HUD, in the corner of his vision, “Online,” Spotter reported.

“I see you,” Boss replied, “That waypoint on your guy’s HUDs should be up to date on where we are. We meet up and go from there.”

“Boss, where are you guys at?” Snipes asked as he followed Spotter and Holey away from the town. The two checked around the corners of the buildings they were hiding between and then moved forwards.

“Look at your HUD, there should be a waypoint on your...”

“No, I mean where are you guys waiting for us? What’s the terrain like and all that?” Snipes corrected, glancing back at the town as he jogged away.

“Rolling plains, why? You suggesting that we move to a different location?” Boss inquired, still angry.

“With all due respect, sir, not all the locals here are going to be friendly anymore. I’d personally feel more safe under the cover of some of the trees due West of the village,” Snipes said, looking West to the tree line he was talking about. The other two with him also looked in that direction, spotting where he was looking.

“He’s got a point,” Redneck admitted with some resentment.

“Thank you, Reddy,” Snipes said.

Boss was quiet on the other end, considering. The trio could almost imagine him give the sky above a cautious glance.

“Fine, just to play it safe we’ll get to a more covered position, head there and we’ll follow Spotter’s suit ID.”

“Roger that,” Spotter said, changing course and aiming for the treeline.

“But if those things that you pissed off come, Snipes. We’re leaving you to them, you got that?” Boss growled.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Snipes muttered, tone suddenly dark for a fraction of an instant.

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(A few minutes later...)

“Damn,” Snipes muttered, lowering his rangefinder from his gaze, “Can’t see anything in the town from here.”

“Why does that matter?” Holey asked, continuously scanning the perimeter of a small clearing they’d found, “It’s not like you’re shooting anything else any time soon.”

“I’m bored,” Snipes shrugged.

“Well you won’t be for much longer,” Redneck replied via comlink.

There was a crashing of bushes and the three soldiers spun around, zeroing in on the cause of the noise. The other four team members approached through the brush.

“Ah, great!” Snipes said with a smile, “Now we can be one big happy family again!”

“Can it,” Boss growled, glaring daggers through his helmet’s goggles, “Everyone listen up! Spotter, Holey, Dice, and Redneck, you’re Perimeter. Call out if you see anything coming our way,” his eyes stabbed back at Snipes, “original ROE stands.

“Snipes, you’re staying the fuck where I can see you, Pike get to work on that black box. Everyone activate your suit IDs, if no one’s come looking to see what Spotter is then the locals are low tech.

“Perimeter, don’t get too far away, I want you close enough that we can get out quick in case the shit hits the fan...” his eyes lashed out at Snipes, “...again.”

A cacophony of, “Roger.”s replied, the four soldiers working the perimeter turned to leave, activating their suit IDs as they went. Pike pulled their plane’s black box out of his pack and got to work on it.

And then the shit hit the fan...again.

With a discharge of energy, a mass of unicorn Royal Guards, all in full armor, teleported into a circle around the seven men. The whole lot of them looked ready for a fight, faces contorted into snarls, teeth bared and horns aimed.

“Fuck!”

“Contact!”

“What the shit!”

Everyone but Boss immediately went into combat mode, weapons raised and targets found, their trigger fingers growing itchy.

“Hold fire! Hold fire!” Boss yelled frantically, “Lower weapons! Now!”

Everyone gave him a quick, cautious glance, but did as they were told. Almost everyone.

“Snipes, lower it, now,” Boss growled when Snipes refused to lower his sidearm, “That was a fucking order.”

The sniper hesitated for a moment, glancing from Boss to the Guards, but then complied.

The small clearing grew silent as a graveyard as one of the ponies stepped forwards from the group.

The humans all turned towards her, a range of everything from nervous to awed looks on their faces as she trotted slowly forwards, eyeing the humans with an unreadable frown. A set of yards away, she stopped, gaze scanning over them before settling on Boss.

“I am Princess Celestia of Equestria, who are you?” Celestia inquired in Equestrian.

The humans remained silent for a moment.

“Ugh,” Spotter groaned, coming up next to Boss and sliding his weapon over his back. He readied his hands. “We...” he began, gesturing to himself and his comrades, “....don’t speak...” he held his hands first over his ears, then mouth, “...your language,” he gestured towards Celestia.

Celestia looked puzzled for a moment, glancing over the humans once more before a look of understanding crossed her features.

She closed her eyes and raised her head, her horn starting to glow.

“It looks like we won’t be needing to ask them to ‘take us to their leader’ after all,” Snipes mused as Celestia grew still.

The soldiers eyed the Royal Guards again, noticing the fact that they’d seen recent battle if the way they looked said anything.

The Guards were bruised and battered, they ranged from having mere fatigue to a being near their collapsing point. Many of them sported small globs of green across their fur and dented armor. A lot of them also sported dirty bandages or spots of dried blood across their bodies, all testament to a heated battle.

What are you creatures? I cannot say that I have ever seen anything quite like you.

The voice punctuated each of the soldier’s minds, the tone curious and precautious.

Snipes hit his head with a hand, “Well great,” he muttered, “and just when I thought I’d be able to keep my sanity here just a little bit longer.”

“Bloody hell,” Dice muttered, the rest of the team also alarmed at the newfound voices in their heads.

The Royal Guards glanced from the soldiers that they were surrounding to Celestia, curious as well.

Celestia’s calm expression grew into a frown, her eyes still closed and her horn aglow with magical light.

You haven’t lost your sanity...creature.

We share a language barrier of tongues, but all creatures speak the same language in their thoughts. You need not think, I will be able to discern your thoughts if you speak.

“I’m not the only one hearing this,” Redneck began, looking to his fellows, “am I?”

“I don’t think so,” Boss replied, eyeing the ring of Royal Guards.

“Wait, so what’s doing this, then?” Spotter asked, gesturing to the ponies, “Is it one of them?”

“No, it’s me, Snipes. I’m the one doing it,” Snipes replied, “I’m using my powers of mindfuckery to screw with all of you.”

Yes. I am Princess Celestia of Equestria...the largest of the ponies who stand before you.

Celestia replied in her thought-speech, her face and tone taking a confused edge at Snipes’ comment with a hint of impatience.

I ask again, what are you creatures? I do not believe that you are native to this land.

The soldiers looked among themselves, unsure as to who should be the one to communicate. Having been the one who originally informed the Princess, Spotter took the stand.

“We’re, uh, we call ourselves humans...” he began awkwardly. Not entirely sure what else to say, he trailed off.

Humans..?

Celestia began, only to have one of the guard clear his throat noisily as he trotted to her side.

“Not to intrude on your conversation, Princess,” he began. The light faded from Celestia’s horn and she opened her eyes, looking down at the smaller equine, “but Canterlot is still under siege, we should be returning there as soon as possible to expel the remaining Changelings and reinforce Captain Shining Armor’s forces.”

Celestia gave a nod, “Prepare the teleport specialists for a jump back to Canterlot, then. I need but a moment longer to speak with these humans.”

The guard gave a nod, turning and ordering the group’s teleport specialists to get ready. Celestia turned back to the humans.

I apologize, but I don’t have much time to stand on ceremony. I may not entirely...agree with your methods, but I must ask for your help...

“No,” Boss cut in, “I apologize, but this isn’t our battle,” his eyes slid towards Snipes for an instant, “us eliminating whatever those things are was an accident, it was unintentional. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to deal with your own problems, let us deal with ours.”

“Actually, that was intentional,” Snipes spoke up, Boss spun towards the sniper, “Glad I could...”

Boss’ fist interrupted Snipes as it impacted his jaw, knocking the other man to the ground.

“Goddamnit, Snipes! I’ve had it with all of your fucking shit!” Boss yelled, raising his weapon as Snipes pushed himself to a seated position, rubbing his jaw.

The Guards, who had gone out of combat mode, instantly hopped back into it, the human soldiers returned the gesture in an instant, weapons raised and trigger fingers at the ready.

Boss ignored it as he turned his weapon on Snipes, face laced with rage. Celestia blinked in confusion at the sudden change, lighting her horn up to speak again, but was beat to it by one of the humans.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Redneck exclaimed. Boss spared him a sidelong glance, “Boss,” Redneck continued, setting his weapon down and showing his superior his hands so as not to provoke him further, “Not to sound like our friend here,” Redneck said, approaching slowly and jerking his head towards Snipes, “but I think you’re jumping the gun on this one,” he set his hand on the top of Boss’ rifle, pushing the weapon’s barrel away from Snipes, “I don’t like that asshole any more than you do, but we need to all keep our cool and carry on, sir. That means not shooting Snipes, okay?”

Boss glared from Redneck to the still downed Snipes, and back, “Fine,” he growled, then let out a breath, “No, you’re right.”

“Though if I may speak my mind, I think that we should be helping these creatures. Even if it just means standing around and being a deterrent,” Redneck added.

Boss’ glare returned, now focused on his second-in-command, “Fuck! Not you too, damnit!”

“Sir, if we’re right, and this is a sim, then think about it for a second,” Redneck tried.

“I have, Redneck. We’re supposed to keep out of these creature’s conflict, whatever’s on this black box...” he gestured to Pike and the black box he was holding, “...is what we need to be focusing on. These creatures are a distraction, JSOC wouldn’t want us deviating from our mission, so I won’t.”

“Boss is right,” Spotter added, nodding, “I disagree that this is a simulator gone wrong, but this isn’t our fight. We really need to get to know what’s going on before we make a decision on what to do.”

“No, both of you are wrong,” Snipes countered as he continued to stay where he’d been knocked, he looked at Redneck and amended, “Well besides Reddy here, of course.”

Redneck gave a small nod.

“One, this isn’t a sim, two, these guys are obviously the good guys!” Snipes gestured to the Guards and princess around them, “We’re fucked here and these guys can help unfuck us. They’ve got food, shelter, a place where we can set up and get a real game plan going. We scratch their ass, they scratch ours.”

Isn’t the terminology supposed to be ‘back’?

Celestia inquired with another confused frown.

“If you want to be unoriginal,” Snipes replied.

“Yeah, well one, this isn’t a democracy and two, even if it was, you idiots are the minority,” Boss growled.

“You want to put that second point to a test?” Snipes challenged, “Spots and you aren’t on Red’s and my bandwagon, but who is?”

“That doesn’t matter,” Boss growled, fingers clamping down on his rifle.

“Dice?” Snipes asked, “Who’s bandwagon are you on?”

“Sorry to disappoint, mate,” Dice replied, “but I’m not on yours. Whatever’s going on here, sim or not, it’s way over our heads and we’re way out of our element. Maybe we should help these...ponies,” he gestured blindly to Celestia, not breaking eye contact with Redneck and Snipes, “but at this point in time, and in the foreseeable future, we need to make like the Swiss and stay out of the way of the big dogs,” Dice finished, walking over to stand beside Boss, Spotter, and Pike.

Snipes gave an annoyed frown, while a hint of a smile broke through the surface of rage on Boss’ face.

“Pike?” Boss asked, not taking his glare off of the two rebels.

Pike glanced from Boss to Snipes and back, his shoulders slumped as he let out a sigh, “Look, sir. In all reality, I don’t know half of what I’m doing here,” he gestured to the black box, “It’s a long shot, but maybe these creatures can help us. Technologically advanced or not, a few extra helping hands would make getting this info off much easier.

“If you say that the info on this is key to finding out what the hell’s going on, then, no pun intended, but, I say not to look a gift horse in the mouth.”

Snipes looked to Boss, a smile on his face as Pike walked, with an uncomfortable look on his face, over to Redneck and Snipes.

Holey, who stood in the middle of the two groups, looked from one to the other.

“Govno,” he grumbled.

Boss gave a growl, “Holey?” he asked.

“Why’d you have to pick me last?” he muttered under his breath, looking over both groups. All six of his comrades, plus most of the ponies, were staring at him, making him feel like a comedian before an unpleasable crowd at a stand-up show.

Boss glared with an angry look, as if telling the soldier to step over to his side. Snipes gave him a thin, knowing smile, like he already knew how this was going to end. Redneck stared with a cautious look, as if he might be afraid of his fellow going to the other side. Spotter had his arms crossed, like he knew he was right, and expected Holey to know the same. Pike just looked plain uncomfortable, he shifted the black box in his grip and rubbed the back of his neck. Dice stared with an unreadable expression, though his seemed to tell Holey that, at the end of the day, the decision was his to make, he didn’t much care what side Holey picked.

Holey gave an annoyed moan, not happy to be the last player picked for a game.

“The way I see it, Boss, sim or not, we’ve got some pretty powerful enemies right now, but no allies to back us up when the shit hits the fan again,” he gestured to Celestia, looking at her for a second, and she at him, “these guys look like some pretty good allies to me, and my gut tells me that I’m not wrong when I say that Snipes and Redneck are right,” he stepped over to their group, increasing the count to four, “sorry, sir.”

“Sorry, my fuckin ass!” Boss spat.

“It’s not our fight!” Spotter added.

“It is now, Spots,” Snipes replied.

Spotter turned to the Sniper, “Yeah, only because you went and fucking broke the ROE, asshole!”

Snipes gave a shrug.

So you three won’t be joining us, then?

“That would be accurate,” Snipes nodded.

“No it would not, Snipes!” Boss growled, taking an angry step forwards, “None of you are going anywhere until I give the order!”

“Boss, calm down,” Redneck started, “Just be quiet and think about this for a second...”

“No, you will follow my orders!” Boss cut in, raising his rifle, a sudden tenseness spilled into the air. None of the other soldiers raised their weapons, but, for the most part, they weren’t far away from doing it, “Or I’ll disqualify you from this sim the hard way.”

Redneck’s brow knitted in anger, “Alright, that’s it! I’m enacting a relief for cause on the grounds of threatening two of your men, now with excessive force and acting erratically in the face of a stressful situation! I’m taking command of Harbinger team!”

“Princess, we need to leave, now!” the Guard from earlier growled, glaring at the humans.

The princess nodded, “Include those four in the spell, cast when ready.”

“You heard her!” the Guard yelled, “everypony prepare yourself, we’re jumping into a hot zone!”

“Over my dead body, you are,” Boss growled, “You four will stand down imm...”

There was a massive blast of light and sound, the forest around them coming alive as the discharge of energy sent leaves and other debris in every direction, the trees’ limbs flailing as if in fear of the teleport spell. The three soldiers were forced to cover their eyes until the debris settled.

Boss was the first to uncover his face.

The ponies and the four rebellious Harbinger team members were gone.

Author's Note

Ugh, sorry about taking so goddamn long. Shit hit fans and I didn't get much time to devote to ponies, but I've finally pushed this one out, and should be getting back on track now that the fans have been cleaned of their shits. Anyways, here's the word thingies.

-IEDs: Improvised Explosive Devices. Explosives designed specially to do special things like punch through armor or look like roadside garbage to be harder to find. The reference to them being made is a joke pointed at the war in the Middle East.

-"Chto za khren?" (Что за хрень?): Russian, according to Google Translator, it means: "What the fuck?"

-Relief for Cause: From what I know, if someone up the chain of the command is showing themselves to be unfit for duty, you give them a relief for cause, essentially kicking them out of the chain of command.