20.5: Meet the Troops
Hushed voices murmured amongst themselves as Captain Rourke finished her presentation on the chalkboard. The briefing room was filled with over a dozen Equestrian captains from the various ships in the fleet along with Princess Luna as acting admiral. Rourke stood at the head of the briefing room with her eyes dancing between Cadista and Luna at the inquiries she knew were coming. “Any questions?” she directed at everyone.
Princess Luna bore a sour face, complete with an intense scowl, one she had been wearing since half way through the briefing. It was a look shared by many in the room, outside of Cadista. “I don’t like the idea of the Steamrunner going off alone like this. You said it yourself, the new cloaking field isn’t perfect.”
Cadista felt personal betrayal resurge towards Kreesus at the mention of her once plentiful crystals. “We’ve had an issue with our admittedly limited production capability. We couldn’t have known for sure if the ship’s size would become an issue with the cloaking field. We had to abridge the shakedown cruise after all.”
“One can hardly blame you for that, Regent Cadista,” Luna said with an almost reluctant tone at such a lowly title for her. “What if the weather changes and the skies turn clear?”
“No plan is perfect, your highness,” Cadista replied with a polite yet firm tone. “Yet it is the best one we have. Polybia’s swarm is simply too large compared to our own to spread it out enough to have a traditional campaign. Not to mention that Chrysalis’ scouts have detected a near constant stream of new drones coming from the southern hive.”
“I don’t like basing our plan of attack on a traitor and the intelligence of a duplicitous queen,” one of the more senior pony officers called out. Cadista and Rourke’s eyes fell upon the bulldozer of an earth pony with the name Spear Point on his uniform. “I am no stranger to suicide missions, both running and ordering them, but the risk of detection is far too great.”
“I firmly stand by my queens, Admiral,” Rourke replied with steel matching Cadista. “Time is of the essence. I fear with Equestria starting to turn more of its industry and marepower towards the war effort, Polybia, in her mental instability, might unleash something truly devastating.”
It amazes me how far Twilight and Rainbow Dash have come as rulers to abide such a terrible risk. Luna tsked at the whole thing, but wasn’t about to argue further. I can’t imagine what they are going through giving such an order to their own children. “If this is going to work, we need to maximize our chances. I’m going with you.”
Rourke was stunned, along with a few of the pony officers. The others, Cadista included, fully expected it out of Luna. “Your company will be much appreciated, your highness.”
Those ponies who were not expecting it started clamoring about her safety with a pegasus commander being heard by all. “It’s dangerous enough for you being in the vanguard as it is, Princess. Surely-”
“I am not here as just a symbol, Commander Flash,” Luna rebuked harshly, cowing the officer back into his seat. Luna took to her hooves and made it a point to stare at each officer in the eyes, to convey what her words could not. “I am here to lend my strength to our friends and allies. My strength does not lay in commanding ships and cunning naval maneuvers.” She turned to the pony admiral. “I would be deferring to you far too often if I remained here.” She resumed her attention on the rest of the crowd. “My place on the battlefield is in the thick of it with the common soldier, and that is where I shall be.
“I will be trusting all of you to play to your strengths as well, for it is through that, that we shall find victory over Polybia and Grogar.”
A brief silence amidst the officers revealed that they knew she brooked no further argument. Shortly, a pale yellow pegasus mare in a skin tight blue uniform stood up. “Then let me and a squad of my best Wonderbolts accompany you.”
“Very well, Captain Sky Flurry, but only the best. Polybia will be suspicious if all of your fliers are absent from patrols.”
Rourke spoke out before any more volunteers could come forward to stand with the princess. “The Steamrunner is already above maximum capacity in our troop quarters. We can only take on a hoofful more.”
The announcement brought about many scowls and hard, yet professional glowers. Luna decided to let the officers brood on their own time. “Flurry, you depart within the hour. The rest of you, get a rotation drawn up for our magi. We have a rogue queen to kill.”
Shortly thereafter, the fleet of seventeen Equestrian warships and the Steamrunner entered a massive cloud bank a few miles south of the ruins of Stripped Gear. Once the fleet was obscured, the Steamrunner broke away while magi on the remaining ships fabricated an enormous doppelganger of the changeling cruiser in its place.
The Steamrunner extended several crystal bound arms around the hull before shimmering into obscurity. However, it was all too easy for the pony observers to spot the rippling air and roiling cloud at the ship’s passage.
The Equestrian admiral puffed heavily on his cigar as worry threatened to compromise his ability to command. I pray those imperfections are unnoticeable at a distance.
Princess Luna was quick to depart the queen’s quarters she was given (in the absence of Twilight and Rainbow Dash), and set out to inspect the troops as it were. Escorting the princess through the halls were two drones being puppeted by their queens.
Twilight was beside herself with worry while Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but to admire the princess’ commitment. “I hope you like my room,” Rainbow said with slight amusement. “Not the best accommodations I admit, but…”
With a thin smile on a hard face, Luna hummed at her. “It is spartan, cramped, and to the point,” she said with an approving tone. “Although I suspect the large bed is put to more use than sleeping, given its owner.”
All Rainbow did in response was to shrug shamelessly. “What can I say, I enjoy my royal duty.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. I swear, sometimes I wonder whether Rainbow influenced Aegis or the other way around. “My apologies, Princess. I was the one who ordered the shipwrights to minimize our quarters so we could accommodate more marines.”
“Nonsense,” Luna declared sternly, catching Twilight off guard. “The last time I was in a real war, I slept in a tent along with every other soldier. It gave me the clarity I feel many generals and… admirals these days forget. I only allowed myself a larger tent for the war table, and nothing else.”
“Hear, hear,” Rainbow Dash cheered. “Makes the luxury of home all the better I say.”
The group was passing through the midline of the ship, closing in on the barracks. The conversation had lapsed enough for Luna to change topics. “How fares your side of battle?”
“Badly,” Twilight stated flatly, sapping the joy out of her sister. “Polybia sent twenty thousand after us. We’ve been able to keep our distance, but it will be difficult to spare a squadron to assist in Kreesus’ defense.”
Not that she shouldn’t be left to rot, Rainbow fumed heatedly to herself. “I’m not worried about that traitor. She’s using the ley line under her hive to conjure up a heavy mana storm around the peak and harden the mountain stone itself. Polybia will have to fight the storm and climb rather than fly. She can hold out indefinitely.”
“It’s why she’s lasted this long in the war, even though she’s been surrounded by enemies for centuries.”
A Jevruun Vrunningee passing along the ceiling brought Luna’s focus on where they were, and the warriors she wanted to see for herself. Especially that bunch of terrorists.
It was not long before Luna and the two queens passed through the final bulkhead and into the forward most part of the marines’ quarters. Luna found herself in the same chamber that Aegis had fought the PCE, only now it was prepared to carry the host of marines within. The large open space in the center had been closed off by removable flooring to allow more bunks and lights. The bunks were two a piece, with enough room for each marine’s equipment.
The marines themselves were standing at attention by their beds, awaiting inspection. The narrow confines made it difficult for each marine to stand in a line while giving the royals enough space to move through, so only half of their number were present.
The closest marine, a lieutenant if Luna guessed correctly clicked his hooves at the royals’ entry. “Royalty on deck!”
All conversation both physical and over the Link died in an instant with every marine snapping to attention. Rainbow Dash took immense pride, smiling broadly, at the display of military bearing. While Twilight would have liked to avoid physical conflict, she too was impressed by the professionalism of her children.
Luna remained stoic however, falling into old habits she had half expected to be forgotten. After quietly nodding to the changeling officer, she walked deliberately slow down the narrow path to do a proper inspection. Good. There’s none of that softness I’ve seen all too prevalent in the Equestrian naval staff.
The first few dozen marines Luna, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash observed were all changelings wearing their drab blue or purple uniforms. Each drone wore the opposite color of their fur. A statement of unity perhaps? Luna mused inquisitively.
Held aloft in their magic was each marine’s weapon of choice, ranging from short swords and shields, to a specially designed short barreled carbine with gas-based flame throwers being just as common. The latter being without fuel at the moment.
Luna’s focus however quickly shifted to the spattering of sphinxes interspersed throughout the rows upon rows of changelings. Both queens quickly picked up on the curious look upon Luna’s face, but wordlessly decided to ask her about it later.
However their patience was not needed when Luna came upon a grecian tom with an NCO rank upon his shoulder. “Yelger Vonbukin… You’re one of the Psykera who’ve joined the PR navy I’ve heard whispers about.”
“It is an honor to serve the sister-queens, your highness,” he said with professional pride.
Luna revealed nothing through her calm mask. “How far does that honor go, I wonder.”
Without a second’s hesitation he replied, “I would march on Gilandrus City itself, if asked.”
Luna only hummed at the statement, keeping her own council. “Let us hope it never comes to that.”
“I concur,” Twilight replied evenly as she followed after Luna. Rainbow Dash lingered behind just long enough to convey her approval with a curt nod towards the NCO.
The inspection proceeded at a careful pace. With the Steamrunner now off on its own, and no signs of Polybia, the trio of royals wanted to be sure there were no possible snares. Save for one.
Located in the far stern-port side section of the barrack, and guarded by other marines, was a large group of former PCE ponies who were more than willing to keep to themselves. “I’m surprised they’re even allowed to remain armed on your ship.”
“They wouldn’t be if they hadn’t submitted to a geas,” Twilight Sparkle replied sourly, and loudly enough for the closest PCE to overhear.
Unlike the marines, some of the PCE ponies had lost any sort of discipline that may once have had. Clothes, weapons, and kit were strewn about as if it were a child’s dirty room. The closest PCE pony, a unicorn mare with a scar across her snout perked an ear at the insult. She and several others quickly spotted Luna but ignored the two drones. She quickly bowed and barked at the others to do the same.
“Your highness, Regiment Commander Sea Breeze at your service. I half expected our little penance regiment would be forgotten once we left Equestria.”
Luna briefly glanced at the puppets, and noticed their eyes were back to that of normal drones. They still do not want others to know of that ability do they? Playing ignorant of the queens’ presence, Luna focused entirely on the former PCE. “Believe me when I say this: the crowns will not forget what you have done. Both past… and present.
“If any of you wish to journey to the Elysian Fields when your time on this plane ends, then act out of honor and penance. Not just so some of you can escape prison and execution.”
“You need not fear our sincerity, your highness,” Sea Breeze proclaimed.
In disjointed unity, the rest of the PCE came to some semblance of attention. “We offer our lives for the preservation of Equestria and the princesses!”
Twilight, Rainbow, and just about every other changeling who heard the declaration internally scoffed or jeered that them. They’re only here because they’ll finally get a chance to kill changelings with the princesses’ blessing, Rainbow growled to herself.
Luna quickly picked up on the growing friction surrounding her. I hope this idea of yours doesn’t backfire on us all, Tia. “I trust all of you, both pony and changeling alike, to keep the peace. There is an enemy to direct such energies toward.”
Twilight mentally prodded her sister. <She’s right about that. Plus I don’t want you abusing the geas keeping them complacent.>
<I’m not about to stoop to their level, Twilight,> Rainbow hissed back, grumbling that it needed to be said at all. <But they’re going in the meatgrinder first. Let that be their penitence.>
Rainbow Dash withdrew from her puppet while casting her focus on the air battle that would soon resume in earnest. This unfortunately forced the poor drone to race away to find some privacy from the ponies and sphinxes before the after effects became uncontrollable.
Twilight bid Luna goodbye for the time being, but only departed her puppet after the drone was away from public. What strange bedfellows we’ve accumulated. That geas doesn’t stop them from fleeing. I hope they don’t flee at the first sign of what actually hostile changelings are like.
While the fate of the Streamrunner and its crew weighed heavily upon her, Twilight’s mind couldn’t shake a troubling conundrum. Everypony is so fixated on the numbers Polybia is showing, but where exactly did she get them all from?
With the focus of her mind back in her body, Twilight sat back in her throne on the carrier’s bridge, pondering the mystery. Yet there was one person who did have an inkling.
Back on the Streamrunner, Cadista was also lost in thought upon her bunk. She was fortunate enough to have a personal, albeit tiny, room. Dearly wishing she had even a lone piece of charcoal and a canvas, instead she poured through her oldest memories. Memories almost as ancient as her race itself, and as dark as the abyss Polybia had perched herself so precariously upon.
The numbers simply don’t add up. It’s too many drones for one queen, and as far as Chrysalis’ intelligence says, only a tenth of those drones are undead. The old, best long forgotten aspect of every living queen today doggedly refused to leave Cadista’s mind. Could we have been fighting nothing but enhanced drones made to look like Polybia? If the dark magic of Grogar has been rotting her mind for the better part of four years… No. Cadista shot up into a sitting position to grab the glass of water nearby.
She chugged the entire glass in one go, her mind reeling at the prospect. Could she have really gone to such lengths as to- Cadista shuddered heavily at the dark thought. The memory was old, far too old for her to get any real context on it, save that it was heavily tainted with disgust, heresy, and unbound contempt. Once you eliminate the impossible, the only thing left, no matter how inconceivable… is the truth.
Polybia must have awakened the Sa'rook Shol'va within her real body.
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so they are going to be the cannon fodder? ok sounds good to me.
this sounds like an oh shit moment but im not totally sure whether i should shout that or not.
Nice side chapter. And nice to see the PCE repentia squads.
Traitors will be first in to the meat grinder!
And Cadista have almost figured out what's going on. Wont she be shocked.
Hope the next chapet comes soon
It could be worse, Pinkie's cake could be so good that it burned your taste buds so all food taste like @$&#.
Suuure. Translate everything except the important bit.
7177040
Yeah, it feels like it's meant to be a cliffhanger with the way it's written, and we're definitely meant to feel the weight of it... but we don't have any information, just that Cadista considers it morally wrong on several levels. So is necrophilia, it doesn't really give us a sense of the scale of what she did is. We should have had more musing or else a name that gave us something to work from- instead of random syllables, give us some African language translation that gives a vague idea of what they're talking about. There's a reason anime special abilities/attacks always have names that literally translate to what's going on.
7177391
I don't know man, it feels like we should already know exactly what Cadista's talking about, namingly the whole turning a queen into a more buggy egg factory. Think about it, everypony in the chapter, Cadista included, wonders how Polybia got the numbers.
I think Polybia even mentioned a while ago that even she didn't know about or barely remembered the egg factory ability. Plus, since we all know how egg happy Aegis and Twi can be, not once have any of them mentioned this ability before. Soooo, it is logical to assume that egg factory was, as Cadista put it, a major taboo that was long forgotten.
I mean, it's almost as easy as 2 + 2 here man, this ain't exactly the kinda story that hides things from the readers very well, but somewhat between the characters.
Which tells us absolutely nothing but hypes us up anyway.
Good job there, sir.
Madam.
Whatever the fuck you are.
Did anyone else suddenly think of Stargate with the mention of Shol'va?
7177646 stop reading my mind!
7177619
7177486
well, I am pretty sure she refers to what Poli did to Yeelindrus. Just instead of doing it to her, Cadi thinks she did it to herself.
(Chap. 18)
matches pretty good with Cadista's emotional response to her thought.
7177646 does sound like a Stargateish term
Who else imagines that Captain Rourke sounds like Ricardo Montalbán?
Ever see pictures of a queen termite? I thinking something like that.
7178031 It certainly helps that it's spelled the exact same way as the Goa'uld word for "traitor" (usually used by the System Lords in reference to Teal'c ).
i was expecting a higher percentage...
7177486
different words for it, and it still doesn't explain how she's controlling all of them, so... I think it's something different
7178331 It probably will rise once plenty of Polybia's living drones die for the first time, and then get back up.
7178029
I think this change may have made Poli infertile herself, from the piececs we've seem and been told I think she has moved out from being a "queen" type into an "overmind".
Her real body is probably immobile and hidden somewhere while she puppets either other queens or modified drones that look like her.
If she dies by carrier ram I'm calling starcraft inspiration to this story.
7178849
I told you it's not peanut butter, it's lemon juice.
Glad to see some are still pondering on the elephant in the room.
Keep going! ;)
"poured through" should be "pored through", unless her memories are literally liquid!
Sa'rook Shol'va? Dafuq is that? I may be a little rusty with this story, but I don't remember a mentioning of Sa'rook Shol'va anywhere.
Bomb collars, lasguns, and a Commissar with the boom-boom switch. PCE Penal Legion reporting to die for the Emperor's forgiveness!
So, we learn something about unimportant stuff, and nothing about very important stuff. Sounds par for the course. Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work. Deus tecum.
It reminds me of what Lynne Truss states in Eats, Shoots, and Leaves:
Welp, that’s harsher than I remember it.
Hear, hear (as in ‘Hear what (s)he has to say’)
7179561 I didn’t believe you at first, but then I looked it up. Huh, the more you know.
—
Ooh, teasing new changeling words? Hype.
Oh, and I also noticed that the Author’s Note is a bit different this time.
7178867 Plot twist: Polybia, with quadcopters, sprinkles lemon juice all over Phoenix’s Roost. Wipes out entire ’ling population.
7179895
It hasn't.
Although there was a word that I forgot. That's a forbidden technique to use on a Queen that forces them to shoot out mountains of eggs, and it was used on one of Chryssy's sisters (forget her name. Y something).
7183258
Yeelandrus, or something.
7183263
Yes that's it. The angry dumb one w/ green chitin.
As for the Sa'rook Shol'va, I bet one cupcake it's a form of Changeling Super Sayjin. That'd be awesome.
7183593
I can appreciate the fact that the changelings seem to have the same literature as we do in this world, or at least an equivalent.
"Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how inconceivable, must be the truth."
I thought it was more likely she took some (formerly) dead queens and reanimated their bodies into mindless egg factories subservient to herself. Maybe she even killed herself a few times to use her own bodies. But I guess we'll have to see what this new lore based McGuffin is and how that plays out.
7177646
It's not like it's something new for LAP. The Jevruun Vrunningee are a play on the Yo Way Yo song from Lexx.
Vairyo, A O
A Hom Va Ya Ray
Vairyo, A Ray
Jerhume Brunnen G
Translated:
Fighters of the Fight
For their home and their heart
We fighters will win or die
Forever we are Brunnen G
(One of the main characters, Kai, is the last of the Brunnen G race.)
7192008 Yeah, I immediately placed that as sounding like Kai's song when it was first brought up, since I did watch Lexx when it was first on. Good song too: definitely has the feel of warriors marching off to fight that they know they can't win, but going anyway.
82b2ee4c-a-62cb3a1a-s-sites.googlegroups.com/site/n8thegr83008/home/dicktater.png?attachauth=ANoY7coU_19ArxH-yMtzjHfOqncxIMji8Btn1WeZ9MBMrF7HLaNGjq6lPkMVDt0U0zWwrk0sAdgmRxCKgQTs_tbYg1Em_trzE4xsX-24AEeUtQs_K6PO2sR7BaqfEsUNnXhF_WjgNjR0wC6_XEtb8m2xJHQg_Fm2XGGjfH_08lb0Xp8Bz64hbM8tvCxFpKeOlCp2uMnAw5Sj4K4A9Js49psxutrc2LohiA%3D%3D&attredirects=0
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ZOMG Finish the story before I detonate! I really want to finish this series, but I can't until you finish writing it!
-Chessie
7292048 has been one month I start to worry
7292048
7304211
I'm not dead, I'm just working on a different fic for now. I'll be back to writing the Reformation by the end of the month.
I did it! I'm finally up to date with the story! What a crazy ride!
What are the requirements/commands of the geass placed on the PCE?
so I did bookshelf with all the stories where the queen is the mother of the hive and I wondered if I missed any or if I have all. what do you think? http://www.fimfiction.net/bookshelf/851658/queen-mother-of-the-hives
helo 7304243 I know you're working on another story but wanted to know when you come back to this story. not that I want rush you. I'm just curious
helo 7304243 so I created my insignia of my hive, what do you think?
7304243 for all my friends I have this question. so this confirms that the hive of a changelings works like a bee hive?
7:38
7304243
Long month.
7497815
Not quite.
Actually that's not really like a bug hive at all. I mean sure she has tons of eggs, and you do have the weird pulsating mass of eggs.
But the eggs are stored in cells, nor is it mostly wax. Rather it's mostly stone, and eggs not in the centralized sac, laying where ever. Although I do have to say that I dislike how the show did baby Lings.