//------------------------------// // Try Try Again // Story: Phoenix Down // by GJT_Productions //------------------------------// "YOU EVER COME IN HERE WITH THAT INTERVIEW NONSENSE AGAIN AND I'LL COURT-MARTIAL YOU! NOW GET OUT OF MY OFFICE!" Guard Upper Class Lyacon and Guard Lower Class Petronius wince as their senior officer, Lieutenant Troilus, stumbles out of Captain of the Guard Gibraltar's office in a hurry. Both the explosive blast of words from the Captain of the Guard and Troilus' mortified expression indicate the mission had not gone well at all. "I guess that's not an option, sir..." Lyacon comments with serious understatement as Troilus tries to straighten his dress uniform. "The only question is what do we do next?" Petronius adds. "Well, we can't talk about anything out here. Let's find some place more private for that." Troilus answers in a hushed tone... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A little later, after the group had reassembled at the end of a dead-end castle hallway, Petronius posted at watch to prevent the other two unicorn conspirators from being surprised by unexpected visitors, Troilus and Lyacon feel enough at ease to plan out the next move in the interviews, Lyacon speaking first: "So I guess interviewing Captain Gibraltar is completely out of the question?" "Indeed. And I have to assume that Lieutenant Captain Fidelitas is not going to be available either, blinded as he is by being too close to Celestia's favorite." "Then who are you going to try to interview? If the Captain discovers..." "There's one more I can try, Lyacon. Hopefully, we can crack him easily, he doesn't look like the type to put up a stiff fight anyways. But I need to know if you heard back anything from Buck Withers." "Negative, sir. He says to be patient because the duty schedules for the Grand Galloping Gala haven't been released yet." "Pfft, that's a lie! I am sure Celestia plans out something special for Shining Armor and Princess Cadance, what else explains why they've never shown up at the Gala?! We just wasted our time with that mud pony..." "At least we won't have to shoot him up with the Poison-X. And speaking of which..." "You got a report from Neighsay for the alternative candidates for the Chancellorship?" "Yes, sir." "Well, you might as well lay it on me." "None of the alternative candidates have responded to the threatening mail we sent out." "Hmph, we'll have to apply more direct measures then..." "Brewing up another batch of the Poison-X?" "You'd better believe it, Lyacon. Now come on, we're wasting our time just standing around here..." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MEANWHILE, IN CAPTAIN GIBRALTAR'S OFFICE... The Canterlot Guard Captain was fuming, appalled and irritated by the nerve Lieutenant Troilus had shown in his attempt at getting an "interview" to head off the coming board of inquiry concerning the stadium riot. Technically, Troilus had not broken any military protocols with his request, so there wasn't grounds for discipline, but the arrogance he had shown was enough to ensure trouble in the future. Spread out on the desk were all signs of another out-of-control conspiracy playing out before him. On the left side of the desk, a tabloid list of all pegasi Lieutenants (and a few other notable ones of lower rank, like Guard Upper Class Flash Sentry) serving in the Palace Guard that were to be "heckled, jeered and spat upon as traitors at heart". In the center, a toxicology report on ex-EEA Chancellor Trailblazer's death, the final conclusion it being from "an unknown and unidentified poisonous substance". Off to the right side, a cut out of an "editorial" article from Acting EEA Chancellor Neighsay in the Canterlot Daily newspaper, raging that the Wonderbolts deserved everything that had happened to them and that Princess Celestia was "a complete fool" for putting Lieutenant Captain Shining Armor to try to protect them. It was all enough to make his head spin. At least with the Agents of Chaos there was a straightforward path to follow once that path was found, but this conspiracy seemed to be a multi-headed hydra that would critically split attention and resources to address. He lets out a low moan, leaning back in his chair nearly enough to fall over backwards. When Gibraltar recovers from that surprise, he gives a weary look up to the ceiling of the office and moans out, not for the first or last time: "What in all Equestria is going on here?!?"