Roarke's copper lenses extended to their full length, magnifying the metal cannon in front of her. She peered right at the barrel of the miniature weapon, tilting her face as close to the instrument as she could. A bead of sweat rolled down her brown forehead as she reached towards a nearby table, grabbed a screwderiver, then planted it between her teeth. She tilted her head at such an angle so as to tweak a bolt or two holding the cylindrical metal frame apart.
Once she was done, she spat the screwdriver back onto the table, hoisted the cannon up, and pivoted it around to face the broad lower space of the Noble Jury's hangar. A pyramid of empty soup cans sat—stacked atop a metal crate towards the closed rear doors of the vessel. Propping the cannon against a pile of cargo, Roarke shoved a large metal ball bearing down into the throat of the weapon, stuffed it in tight with a rod, and ran her hoof towards the crystalline triggering mechanism. Taking a deep breath, she pistoned her left lens back and her right one out, "squinting" down the sight of the cannon.
She fired.
Phtooom!
The ball bearing flew violently... and overflew the soup cans.
Roarke hissed, wincing.
Clank!—Clank!—Clank!—Clank! The projectile pinballed all around the interior of the Jury's hangar, knocking crates over and showering sparks everywhere.
Rainbow Dash opened the door to the stairwell and emerged along the hangar's upper level. Crackkk! The red-hot projectile embedded into the doorframe just inches above her head. After two seconds, as the pegasus' prismatic mane was still settling, she calmly peaked over the edge of the upper floor's railing and said, "You know, you could have tried that waaaaaaaay back at Searo's Hold and have saved yourself the trouble."
Roarke's nostrils flared. She stared down at the metal bulkheads and grumbled, "I'd be lying if I said that the thought didn't tempt me at the time."
"Yeah, well, I'd be lying if I said that I thought you'd be lying about being tempted at the—" Thud! The ball landed to the floor behind Rainbow. She jumped, looked at it, and then glanced back over the railing. "—time." She cleared her throat. "What's with the potato launcher? I thought you were trying to rebuild your arsenal."
"Mmmmmf..." Roarke tossed the cannon into a pile of metal garbage. "I was. Thanks," she spat.
"Y'know..." With an air-whistling swoosh, Rainbow Dash glided down and stood besides Roarke on the bottom level. "Props says that Collins and the ponies of Archer Point have a bunch of scrap metal lying around doing nothing. Maybe you could use that to... I dunno... weld yourself a new stick to put up your butt." She smiled.
"I've been woefully teethless ever since I risked neck and spine to keep you and your friends alive in that damn floating mountain," Roarke grumbled. She slumped down in front of a work bench and fussled with a bunch of metal wires, attempting to sew together a bandolier of frag grenades. "I don't appreciate you making light of it."
"And you know that the rest of the Jury and I appreciate all of the sweat and blood you put into—well—giving us all more time to sweat and bleed." Rainbow Dash smiled nervously. "Would it hurt you to pretend that the whole debacle with Seclorum, Lasairfion and Nevlamas was a victory? Because... y'know... it kind of sort of was."
"Was it really?" Roarke's lenses pistoned inward as she glared over her shoulder. "Thousands of your friends' precious breeders died, and then there was the revelation of the creatures in disguise."
"Yeah, well..." Rainbow Dash shrugged. "An old friend of mine used to have this really wicked cool saying. Ahem..." She smiled rosily. "'Don't sweat the small stuff, sugarcube. It may be two trots back, but that's all the reason to make four trots forward.'"
"Sounds like you had a really lame friend," Roarke grunted.
Rainbow bit her lip. Hard. After a few seconds, she breathed, "No, she was really..." A sigh. "Really special." She glanced over with soft ruby eyes. "And so are you."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah." Rainbow's teeth showed. "Because I totally just did not kick your skull in for saying that about my other special friend."
Roarke slowly, calmly turned to stare at Rainbow.
Rainbow's brow stopped furrowing. "How come you only ever seem interested in what I have to say when it's laced with a veiled threat?"
Roarke sighed, then turned back to her wires and tools. "Did you come here to guilt-trip me into seeing some sunlight?"
"Actualllllly... it's night now."
"Super," Roarke droned. "Time to fraternize with your moon queen again?"
"Erm. No. It's not... wait." Rainbow stared at the bulkheads, eyes crooked. She shook her muzzle. "Ahem. No. That's not for a good few weeks, at least."
"Then what's the big deal?"
"You're a valuable member of this team, Roarke. And though a major battle may be over, we're not through the woods yet. We'd like you to get off the bench for once and help us with the rest of the game plan."
"You're pathetic when you resort to analogies."
"Well, fine then! I'll give it to you straight!" Rainbow reached in and rudely brushed the tools out from under Roarke's touch. She frowned. "Get your stinkin' flank out of this hangar before I kick it out."
Roarke fumed, but calmed herself in time to drone, "What for?"
"The Jury is having a little talk."
"I've already told everypony," Roarke grumbled. "I'm not in the mood to talk to happy-go-lucky tradesponies."
"Actually... this meeting isn't being held in town," Rainbow said, fidgeting. "It's being held on the top deck."
Rainboarke is sailing strong.
It's subtle, but there was a very long time that passed before Rainbow even considered talking about said special friend. It is remarkable on more than one level that she remained calm throughout.
Okay. Filler. As long as something interesting comes up next.
Oooooooooooh...*cringe* Ouch...I can't believe that just happened...
I like how Roarke counts the deaths of the "breeders" as a loss. She's sure come a long way.
Don't insult Applejack
I'd enter Roarke's hole
Roarke Hole.
Man, that sounds attractive.
And I doubt Roarke is gonna care much about Kera and her situation. Unless the meeting is about something else entirely, in which case, whatever.
I kind of want to see Roarke master jury-rigged, improvised weapons now.
Get it? Jury rigged? Because she's on... nevermind.
Wonder what kind of crazy multiple use weapons Props, Rourke and Pilate working together could come upwith?
Morphable Rune Cannon?
If you know Ian M Banks Culture series, Special Circumstances Operatives, Im thinking of the Tooth Gun, except maybe not quite as advanced. To do that would take Twilight.
Hmm, crew meeting on deck, instead of in town.
Maybe there might be a hint of a sniff of eggs?
I've heard about the dreaded Roarke hole. They say once you've crossed the event horizon, not even character development can escape it.
Rainboarke fuel.
Yay, bonding time!
Now let's get that Rainboarke ship sailing.
~Basso
really means something that rainbow didn't go off on roarke for that comment.
Well, that answered my moon question from a couple chapters back. Stay classy Roarke.
The tenderest touch leaves the darkest of marks
And the kindest of kisses breaks the hardest of hearts.
It's happening.
Screw Loose now has a Ph.D. in theoretical mathematics.
Insulting Applejack = death
unless RD likes u
Twu
i190.photobucket.com/albums/z35/royone_bucket/Princess%20Bride/mawwiage.jpg
Now get your sorry flank out of the hold and up on deck.
3842763
Yes! I was hoping someone else had picked up on the new mathematical tool! Where can I get me one of these 'Screwderivers'?
This is Australia...
IIIIIt's Dashie's evaluation time!
Come on, Roarke...don't say that stuff about AJ. Then again, it's shipping...I guess I don't mind too much. Still, go easy. These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
Although I haven't said anything about it for a while, I do still need to say I don't really like the shipping in this story.
-Spirit
Roarke, you moody motherbucker. Hopefully this meeting will solve this problem.
"Special" friend
"Special"
"SPECIAL"
[intense eyebrow wiggling]
5964389 img1.derpicdn.net/img/2013/3/23/277023/thumb.gif
5964389 you're special. <3
Time for a talk.
Ship is leaving port, Captain!
"So who is invited to this meeting?"
"Well, me and you, and this bottle of cider."
Oh boy, Rainbow Dash may appreciate you, but you better never make that kind of remark about her old friends. Ever.