Brigadier Hammer’s briefing had been… brief. We were going to mobilize and march right across the border into Rindaire. Intelligence had let us know that the Sudramoar were not well entrenched beyond it and there was further opportunity to move fast. That is where all the grassland was. Tactically speaking, that was a horrible spot to hold your ground.
The area we’d be attacking soon wasn’t much better for them but, for whatever reason, they’d decided to try and delay us at the border. It was likely just due to the emotional and political significance. It is hard to claim ownership of a territory you don’t fully control.
With any luck, King Ranald and King Kronson would agree to just call it quits and split the place. Of course, that was about as likely as me turning into an alicorn. I wasn’t willing to lose an important part of myself and I suspected King Ranald felt the same.
Captain Brynja poked her head into my tent. “Zir, it iz time.”
“Yeah, alright.”
I got up and started to pull my uniform jacket back on. It caught on the wing brace and my temper flared. I ripped the jacket free and threw it onto the bed. “Stupid,” I hissed before taking a deep breath. Keep it together, Silent.
After regaining my composure, I trotted out of the tent to find over a hundred pegasi and gryphons waiting for me. The moment I appeared, they all fell deathly silent and stood to attention.
“Major Knight, these are the ones that wish to try,” Clement Knight said from off to the side.
“Very good, Sergeant Major.” I turned to the crowd and looked them over. There was a wide range of soldiers. All different armor, too: Equestrian Army, Nordanver Army, Royal Guards, and even some others that I didn’t recognize. Sellswords, most likely.
It didn’t matter where they’d come from; we had to shake out the best. They would be needed soon. I fixed my gaze past them and hardened it. “You are here because you’re under the impression that you can be a Black Dragoon. Perhaps you can. We are in the unenviable position of needing nine.
“This will be the largest bout of recruitment we’ve done since our inception. We don’t have much time to do it, either. We’ll be skipping the pleasantries and getting right into the hardest parts. Consider that a moment.
“Nine dragoons gone. Even we bleed but we will not shy away from our duty. We are the tip of the lance. This is not a company for the foolish, the easily terrified, or the glory seeker. Soon we’ll fly into the talons of our enemy once more and I need to know whoever I pick will be ready.”
I held up a small leather pouch. “Contained within this is what is most sacred to us. Rings from the chainmail of the dragoons who’s positions you dare to take. If you succeed here, you will receive one. Sergeant Major.”
“Yes, sir! Listen up! As the major said, we don’t have time for any foolishness. Get harnessed up. If you can’t use a lance kit, you can’t be a lancer. The first test is simple. Get the kit on by yourself, load your lance, and skewer three moving targets. If you miss even a single one, you’re out. You have sixty seconds to get in the air. GO!”
The scramble began immediately. Some of those that were in attendance were ready for it. Others were taken by total surprise. Being ambushed was part of the game, though. Captain Brynja and I stood there watching, trying to figure out who was the fastest and most collected.
We’d also deployed some of our dragoons to do similar snooping. They knew what it took to wear our armor. The others were hiding above with the targets. An assortment of large, medium, and small rings. You could learn a lot about someone by what they went after. Did I want someone that went after three large rings and got them or someone that hit two smalls but missed a third?
Missing one target wasn’t actually the end but they needed to think it was. We also had another surprise for them. One that tickled my sense of humor.
“Five seconds!” Clement Knight shouted.
Pegasi and gryphon alike fumbled with their harnesses and lances. A few were already strapped in and flying. Those would be worth watching. Although you could never tell until all of the results were in.
“Time!” Clement called.
On cue, rings started falling from the heavens. There was no warning, no instruction; just a sky full of targets. In addition to the rings, my chosen surprise also arrived: melons. Hitting a melon was a lot easier than hitting a ring but they exploded and made the situation a bit stickier.
“We muzt find nine like thiz?” Captain Brynja whispered to me.
The sky above us was a scene of pandemonium. Ponies and gryphons were colliding into each other and there were a few extremely near misses with lances. Thankfully, these were capped. A few were actually hitting the rings and there were exploding melons everywhere.
“It isn’t ideal, but we can’t go into this next operation short. We’ll just put them in the back so they can learn the role.”
“Agreed. We bez—” Directly above us, a melon was obliterated, showering us in juice, flesh, and rind. Brynja’s feathers ruffled and then bristled. “Thiz iz chaoz.”
Idly, I wiped melon off of my face. “Yup.”
The last ring fell and Clement Knight shouted, “That’s time! Everyone fall in, lances high.”
The group did so. Some of them had never even gotten off the ground. They just couldn’t work the lance kit under pressure or at all. There would be no place for them.
“At your leisure, sir.”
Captain Brynja and I started at the right of the formation and started working our way down. We reached one pegasus that was still struggling with his harness kit. I patted him on the shoulder. “No shame, son. Maybe next time. Fall out.”
His head hung but he did as I’d asked. There were a few more to dismiss like that. Plus others with completely empty lances.
Towards the end of the line, I came across a big, gray pegasus. His lance had two medium and one large ring on it. “You look familiar…” I said.
“We’ve never served together, sir.”
“I’m not so sure…” Large, grey coat, long brown mane. Then it hit me. “You were on the Happiness. You helped me pull ponies out of the smoke.”
The stallion shifted uncomfortably. I didn’t blame him. I tried not to think about that day, either. “Yes, sir.”
“Name?”
“Gaea Shield.”
“You’re moving on to the next round. Don’t let me down.”
“Yes, sir!”
Out of the original hundred-plus, only about thirty had managed to do enough in the first round to impress us. The rest had been dismissed.
“Sergeant Major, go ahead and get the endurance test started. I’ll be in my tent.”
“Yes, sir! Congratulations on making it this far, soldiers. Do you see that hill over there?” He was pointing way in the distance. “We’re going to bind your wings and you’re going to gallop there. When you arrive, you’ll find bags of sand. You’re going to pick up as many as you think you can handle and fly them back here.”
Clement was a devious pony. I just shook my head and ducked back into the tent. It was awfully quiet without Tumble or Reggie. Both had been sent home for wounds. Nothing fatal or debilitating. Just enough for us to make excuses. Reggie was struggling with the loss of his soldiers too much.
To quote him, he just couldn’t be as cold as me. That one still stung. I sat at my wobbly desk and pulled out a stack of letters and a couple of small packages I hadn’t addressed yet. Crystal was always my priority.
I had three from my mother, the last of which arrived when I was in the hospital. Then there were two from Winterspear. The packages were interesting and contained the usual stuff. A little candy, some magazines, and other things of that nature. I just gave those to my dragoons.
The latest one was from Runic, though. I pulled it open. It was a vial of blue liquid and white liquid that didn’t mix. There was a note.
Silent Knight
I heard you were injured again. Don’t do that. Nopony else likes Airship Armada as much as you and it isn’t as fun without you. I’m working hard to make things safer for you and Val. The Ministry seems to like my work. I’ve kept it all defensive. Hope the new helmet was right. Be sure to shake the potion up and drink it. I’ll send more. It is tough to make but I made it for you the last time.
Runic
I turned the potion over a bit and studied it. This was the mending mix he’d developed because of the last time I was here. I wasn’t sure if it actually worked, but it made us both feel better.
“Alright, Runic, just don’t turn me into something weird.” I shook the potion up and then drank it. It tasted like blueberries and… vinegar? Yuck!
After an hour I wasn’t dead, so I considered that a victory. All of my responses to letters seemed to be coherent so I trotted back out.
“Anyone back yet?”
“No, sir,” Clement replied.
“Do I look normal?”
The old stallion’s ear flicked and he peered at me as if I were daft. “Other than asking that question, yes, sir.”
“Aces,” I said before falling silent.
Then we stood there. Side by side in awkward silence. Minutes just crept by at a snail’s pace.
“So… do you think you’ll remain in the Army once this is over?” Clement asked out of nowhere.
Was that his version of small talk? I shook my head. “No chance of that. I’m going to finish this job, finish it right, and then give it to somepony else.”
“Ah…” He shifted. “How about the Guard?”
I blinked. What was this about? “I guess… maybe. It isn’t like Stratus prepared me to do anything else. Although, my wife is pretty successful. Maybe I’ll just lounge by a pool and let her take care of me.”
Clement snorted.
“What? You don’t approve?”
“Listen, son—sir. If you can do that and be happy, more power to you. But you’re not the lounging type. You’re not the killing type either… but you’re not the lounging type. I just want you to start thinking about what you’re going to do after this is all. Be prepared.”
“Sergeant Major, we’ve got a long way to go before we start thinking about home.”
He shook his head. “No, sir. I believe thinking about home and what you’re going to do when you get there is exactly what you should be doing. Look, I’ve never been in a war like this. No pony before us has in modern history. Those last two were nothing by comparison. Add them together and multiply by two and we still fall short.”
That certainly seemed true. We’d studied Stratus’s war in the academy. Less ponies were killed in the whole of it than in the first month of fighting here.
Clement went on, “This… this is something new. Something atrocious. Something that will probably never happen again. At least not to ponies. So you need to think about how you come out of it, alright? You can’t let yourself believe that this is what was expected of us.”
I shifted to face him. He was being earnest. He was actually trying to help? “Us?” Was all I could manage.
“Knights! Ponies! Pegasi! Even gryphons. There is something wrong here, son. Call it instinct, call it an old pony being crazy, but this is not normal. Not that war is, but I guess, having been here, we’ve never actually been to war before. Just bloody squabbles.”
“I see. So… it was never this bad for you and Stratus?”
The old stallion practically growled, “Dad. Just say Dad! Or at least Father.”
“What?”
Clement grabbed me by the collar of my jacket and pulled me in close. “He was your father. It is disrespectful for you to refer to him by name as if he is some pony not of our blood. You only call him Stratus. Not Stratus Knight, not Dad, not Father. Just like you don’t call me Grandfather.”
What was going on? Clement was all over the map. First helpful, now angry. I wanted to be angry too but I couldn’t. I set a forehoof on his and said softly, “I’m sorry. He was a terrible father. That isn’t going to change, but you were a terrible grandfather… were. I’m starting to see ponies can change, though, Grandpa.”
The grey stallion let me go and pushed my hoof aside. “Don’t patronize me.”
“I’m not. I’m genuinely grateful that you’re here. I’m not going to call you Grandfather, though. It is Grandpa or nothing.”
“Grandpa makes me sound old. It isn’t dignified.”
I draped my good wing over his back and nodded. “It makes you sound approachable. Just think, with a little luck, I’ll have some foals and they can call you Great-Grandpa. Or Great-Grampy. Who knows! My wife is a unicorn. Perhaps they have even softer, fluffier terms for their elders. Like Gamgam.”
“Boy, you’re just trying to upset me now.”
“I am… but only because I’m starting to warm to you. So… thanks for being here.”
Clement looked over at me and glared. When he saw I was serious, he blinked and then just nodded. “Alright. Well… I… Just think about getting home. I need to go do stuff.” He pulled away and trotted off.
Knight family emotions. At least that part hadn’t changed much. Still, there was a lot to think about. I took soldier’s instincts very seriously and Clem had been around a long time. Perhaps I should start taking his advice.
☾
“Would you quit squirming,” Clement Knight said to me as he tried to buckle my wing armor on.
“I’m sorry, but it doesn’t feel right.”
“Of course it doesn’t! Your wing is broken. You’ve got a brace on it. Now, sir, with all due respect, stop moving or I’m going to render you unconscious, dress you, and revive you.”
“You have an awfully inflated sense of your combat abilities.”
Clement tugged one of the straps tight, forcing the wind out of my belly. “Wisdom and experience trumps brawn. Don’t ever forget that. You’re big, Silent, bigger than me, bigger than your father, but you still have a lot of years to learn things.”
He went back to fussing over my wing before finally getting it right. “Alright, you’re done, sir. Let’s go stand in the rear and feel like cowards while Captain Brynja does all of the work.”
“Right,” I replied before slipping my helmet on and snapping it in place.
We walked out of my tent to where the unit waited in formation. Our nine new recruits were scattered throughout so that they could learn. I’d never met any of them prior other than Gaea Shield. That was alright. It was probably easier that way.
“Alright, everyone, today is the big day, we’re going back into Rindaire. This mission is about sending a message to King Kronson: you’re not getting your way anymore. We took everything you could throw at us and you failed. We’re coming for you!”
My dragoons cheered at that sentiment. Life was easier when you were moving forwards. We’d backslid far too much. I paused a moment for dramatic effect before pushing on.
“For this battle, Brigadier Hammer expects us to maintain flight superiority. He wants us to keep our sisters and brothers on the ground safe. Stay with our line, do not chase beyond it, but if some Sudramoar skirmisher crosses over, usher her over to the next life. Make yourself big, make yourself obvious, and make yourself visible. Why do we do that?”
“Because we’re the black dragoons!” they shouted.
“And what does that mean?”
“We are to be feared!”
“I couldn’t have said it better myself. Terrify our enemy. Captain Brynja, they’re all yours.”
“Yez, zir!” she replied before flapping her wings and taking off with ease. A twinge of jealously ran through me. “Come, dragoonz, let uz zhow our enemy zee way home.”
As my dragoons flew off my wings quivered. I could fly with the brace. Slowly… low… without armor. No, I could fly! I was Dread Knight! My wings flared but I found a hoof on my shoulder.
It was Clement. He just shook his head.
Carefully, I tucked my wings back in. We trotted together towards where Brigadier Hammer would be with his staff. Today, we had to watch the battle from a distance. Unless the enemy broke through. That could always happen.
It wasn’t too long before we were with the command group, perched on a knoll. Brigadier Hammer nodded at me but quickly went back to issuing commands.
“So… what do we do exactly?” I whispered to Clement.
He whispered back, “Stand here and look inspiring. Stay out of the way. If the enemy gets close, secure the brigadier’s retreat. Otherwise, watch in horror while wishing you were down there.”
“Great, thanks, Grandpa.”
“I regret talking to you,” he said flatly. He didn’t mean it. I could see it in his eyes. They were worn and tired, but there was some pride or similar positive emotion there. Clem, at this point of his life, would have made a decent father. Shame it took that long.
“Start the drums and sound the attack,” Brigadier Hammer ordered and his staff obeyed.
In front of us, the brigade started moving forwards, unicorn barriers sprang up sporadically, and flying units spread out overhead. I wanted to be out there with them, but at least this would help me keep my promise to Crystal. That was my silver lining.
Clement Knight pointed. “Engagement in the middle.”
My eyes found what he saw. “I see it. What is that they’re hiding behind?”
“Woven barriers. Not much good. What are they thinking? This is a terrible place to make a stand.”
I nodded. “Agreed. I guess it is all about the sho—”
All along the woven barriers, just as our first rank of troops crossed past them, the ground erupted in fire. Sudden, bright red fire that seemed to have sprung upwards. There were cries of pain and surprise that reached even us.
“By Celestia, what fresh abomination is this?!” Brigadier Hammer shouted.
Every day the war gets more grueling and shows it's fangs with more new traps, here's to hoping you wipe out every single one of your enemies Knight.
They used Flame barrier! It's...effective?
Now get some ranged weapons in there.
Land mines. No wonder they fought here. It's a killing ground with no cover and a very demoralized attacker who has no idea what is going on, but knows to move forward is death.
Just when you want to count out the Sudramoar, they spring some fresh surprise. Can't wait for the full explanation, though I won't speculate.
Gamgam Clemmy, I can see Silent insisting on it while Crystal shakes her head and Clement glowers. That has to happen.
Spraying a bunch of superior officers in watermelon innards. Lucky for whoever that lancer was that they weren't spotted and made to run laps until the end of the war just on principle.
Crap. Bobie traps. And Clement might be on to something.
Really, Clement? It took you so long to point that out to him?
:whistles in awe, watching through his opera glasses, once again enjoying the battle from a safe vantage point:
My word, they have brought us a show today, my friends! Who knew that Kronson would construct himself a Pyrodraulic Dynamo™? Encore! Encore!
Welcome to WWI landmine spam, Equestria. It...never really stops, even in peacetime.
Jeez.
Hey, you know what would be really useful right here? A doomsday device!
Know what I'll bet Crystal Wishes is not building back at home? A doomsday device!
Get with the program, mare! If the world isn't ending by the time the next chapter starts, I'll... well, I don't know what I'll do, but it's not going to be pleasant! Or very tasteful!
fucking landmines man, WWI all over again
I like this a lot, keep going!
This chapter was pretty simple but it gave me some good laughs and it was also really cool regardless
Should I be the one to mention that Equestria apparently has cybernetic replacements for wings?
Extra happy this chapter... my gaea is here
Every time I see you update this story I get worried. Seriously. Every time. Because I KNEW that some new fresh hell was going to be revealed in some form, dammit. When will this war end???
I want my Crystal and Silent back together!
Waiting for the day that several dozen dragons show up.
"This ends now. You-" points at Sudramoar forces, "-go back to your king. You-" points at Nordanver forces, "-stay here. You-" points at pony forces, "return to your princesses."
Nobody moves. They're too stunned.
"You have two hours to comply before dragon kind begins razing anything that looks like a weapon."
Ah well... A man can dream.
Fire mines, that's just gruesome.
Also, it seems like the ponies fell into the exact same trap they just used against the Sudramoar forces: complacency. Yes, the defenses look flimsy, but that's no reason to hit them head on - keep the enemy guessing at all times, even and especially when the situation looks like a sure thing. Hell, The Black Dragoons would be perfect for this kind of thing. Have them present at a location so Sudramoar moves to counter - let them be seen trying not to be seen - and then have a whole different attack somewhere else be the main push.
7240734 This comment ignores that landmines or whatever the gryphons used literally weren't a thing as far as ponies knew in this universe. It'd be a hell of a trick to account for a weapon they didn't know even existed, though. It'd require an incredible level of foresight that bordered on a macro level Mary Sue/Gary Stu-ing of the Equestrian Army since they had utterly no reason or prior knowledge that would've made them think "watch for exploding ground."
It was a matter of time before the enemy brings out the landmines. It wouldn't be a war without them. I just hope the enemy don't drop a yellow liquid that can burn a being's flesh off their bones or create spike pits.
Land mines? With napalm?
Deus tecum.
Finally! Its about time that Silent started calling him "Grandpa." Which also proves that I was right: this story would ultimately lead to those two growing closer together between grandfather and grandson.
7240793
You, and everyone else apparently, is reading far, far too much into my comment. I'm not saying they should have expected landmines, I'm saying they should have expected the unexpected and second-guessed the obvious option. (For example, the Sudramoar could have gone with the classic "let the middle slow them down with a delaying retreat action while the main force swings wide for a flank attack".)
Perhaps the ponies would have encountered similar traps along the entire front, but the key is to never let the enemy dictate your actions. The ponies did just that when, as it sounds by the way things were written, they marched right forward to this, the obvious battlefield (Silent even calls it a terrible spot for the Sudramoar to dig in).
Also, "landmines" is a bad mis-assumption. Anzel didn't write "explosions", he wrote "red fire." The ponies have experience with explosions, so this isn't that (unless Anzel made a small descriptive mistake). Maybe swaths of oil, maybe alchemy mixtures, but my first impression was lines of something highly flammable rather than actual explosives (though I admit that's an assumption so far).
Clement Knight has a point. He may be older, a little smaller and weaker than Silent Knight, but he has what SK doesn't just yet. Intuition and wisdom. SK may have to come to him for tactical advice a little bit more. Clement had a hunch that something was wrong, and that hunch turned out to be correct. It was just too easy. I'm surprised the Equestrian generals didn't sense the shenanigans when they chased the Sudramoar into an open field.
On another note, we are gradually seeing that, while the Sudramoar griffons lack magical abilities, they more than excel in technological advancements. I'm curious what they may have next up their sleeves if this war keeps going this way. What's next? Cluster bombs? Daisy cutters? I fear for the Dragoons if the Sudramoar develop anti aircraft type weapons.
I...I still don't get it
Ponies don't have a need for technology when they have magic, so it makes sense that in a time of war the Gryphons would develop more devastating offensive methods that seem like "abominations". It's been the same in our wars.
7241029 Two things:
1) Try reading my comment again. I said "landmines or whatever it was the gryphons used."
2) If it's a terrible place to dig in, why the shit is that the obvious battlefield? That is not how military strategy works in the slightest. You're armchair generaling this really hard dude.
Hmmm, explody things. Nothing screws with peoples heads like explody things. And their arms, and legs; but surprisingly not so often killing them. Welcome to proper psychological warfare Equestria, too bad there's no going back.
Clement is right, Silent would go bonkers if he were to just lounge about all day.
Anyway, land mines...this is going to be horrifyingly ugly, isn't it? I'm starting to wonder what it will be like for Equestria's mental health services when the war ends. They'll probably be overwhelmed for years to come.
Well played Sudroamar. My hat is off to you. Give the ponies hell.
Ok...I'm really...most times...it's a new kind of hell when you update now...I... think I prefer my fluffy...
7241045
With regard to #1: I did read and note that. But everyone else is mentioning land mines, and your original comment leaned heavily in that direction with the commentary about "exploding ground," so it seemed to me that was the obvious assumption.
With regard to #2:
Because, as an obviously terrible place to dig in, it's also an obvious weak point, which makes it a tempting target for an enemy and the obvious battlefield. That kind of obviousness is suspicious to me in the absense of certain kinds of intel.
And you're getting awfully vitriolic over my criticism of a character's (the brigadier) strategic decisions.
7241443 What's funny about that is it's not at all how military strategy works. A weak place in a point to dig in is not the place defenders try to funnel attackers. A weak place in a point to dig in is where defenders try their absolute best to avoid, and usually set something up WAY back in case an attacker spots it and utilizes it. Going by the "weak point is a sign of obvious battlefield" logic, one would have to be on the lookout for attackers. And, considering that ponies could not possibly have had any idea about the ground suddenly spouting fire, they were watching for attackers in forms they knew of—namely, not whatever just happened. Because that would be well outside the realm of what they thought possible. Hell, you don't see a WW1 historian saying "well, the nations should've known that modern, industrialized warfare would lead to a long, drawn out war with more deaths than ever imagined" because, in the context of history, that ignores the mindset of the time. Put here, one can't say "the ponies should've known the gryphons set pseudo landmines" because they had no idea they even existed, as demonstrated by the Brigadier's shock and horror.
And since you're going to be pedantic about it: yes, I did call them landmines because, until more information is given, that is the nearest equivalent. Ponies stepped on the ground they thought was safe. The ground that really wasn't safe blew up. Ponies scream in shock and pain. Ponies are taken off guard. Close enough to landmines to be called such until they're actually named, if only because they share similar design.
Frankly, it's less vitriol, more me pointing out that your commenting ignores quite a bit of what is going on within the fic, because that gives context as to why the ponies would think going through that weak point would be fine. Namely, that in wars prior, such a strategy would be safe because there was no such threat to an army marching through like that, or, at least not one as seen in this chapter. Now? Now is when they'll start wondering about those perceived weak points, which is what will force their strategy to evolve.
In short, this is not the ponies having an oversight of strategy, it's them relying on a strategy that is, as of right now, out of date. It works quite well given that Anzel has stated he was going to model this (somewhat) after WW1, in that countries got dragged into a long war and saw combat develop far beyond what they thought capable, and in ways that utterly horrified a generation.
7241490
I spent a long while parsing this section back and forth in my head, trying to make sense of it in light of our ongoing argument. You seem to be arguing that a weak point is not a place to potentially lay a trap/funnel attackers... Isn't that exactly what the Sudramoar just did? And hence why I was so critical of the Equestrian's frontal assault choice?
Exactly. I don't trust something that looks too obvious, and I'm critical of the Equestrians for falling for it.
And I never expected them to preemptively expect landmines specifically. I had hoped they would expect a trap in what is apparently a glaring flaw (to Silent) in the Sudramoar defensive strategy.
Unless that's a spoiler from Anzel, you don't know that yet.
"why the shit is that the obvious battlefield?"
And, to a lesser extent:
"You're armchair generaling this really hard dude."
"And since you're going to be pedantic about it" (I question your use of that word here, but okay)
I expect that, and accept it, though not because "this is the strategy that's always worked for them," but because, as both stories have stated, there have been no "real" wars like this in... we don't know how long. Ponies' strategies are inadequate in part because there is little experience behind them.
And now I'm wondering how strongly this particular brigade relies on their supposedly more experienced allies for strategy support.
damn
Heh, I should get Husband-San in on this little argument, he would have a ball :P
Foglass cannons.... nasty IED. I have to say the gryphons actually got them with this trap. And Its interesting but good to see Silent and Clement becoming more family like, though I use the term loosely. And I would love to see someone call Clement Gamgam that would be hilarious. I can understand the reservations of Silent about being behind, and I am curious to see what potion Runic has came up with.
7240169 -Sips my wine and listens to the cries- I have to say, I didnt expect them to do that. My money is on Foglass cannons or landmines. Good psychological weapons but I feel the the gryphons farced it. they should have waited till they were closer, or make the barriers be bait, with the incendiaries buried a good pace out front of them so that they would go off in the middle of the formation. -grins- Noone ever expects an attack from the middle.
They really can't catch a break, can they. Great chapter as always
I'm going to basically ignore the military debate going on in the comments. If you want to discuss it further I put up a blog post.
7242739 This is true. Of course it is war! Like the Seals say, the only easy day was yesterday.
7242326 There is a little Knight/Knight bonding for sure. Two very different ponies coming together a bit.
7242312 I'm awful with the cliffhangers, I know ;) Hopefully you'll enjoy the outcome!
7241915 Oh my! Well, I'm certain he'd have a lot of useful insight given his experiences :D
7241865 A fair response ;D
7241361 There was a little bit of fluff in there. Clement and Silent got on well! Unfortunately the setting is still a war. Battles and such will happen until the end >_<
7241339 Turncoat!
7241278 I dunno... a hot unicorn wife who makes a lot of money. He might be able to do it!
7241081 Indeed >_<
7241043 Aces! Its a term! And yeah, don't necessarily need and/or haven't had the thought to develope.
7241039 They're doing what they can to get an advantage, that is for sure!
7241008 Grandpa! IT is a thing. Or gamgam.
7240968 Well, fire at least! A lot of fire!
7240832 Mustard gas? I'm not that evil. Or am I!
7240631 Fire, in general, is not a fun thing to find all around you!
7240574 What a different story that would be!
7240573 Ah keeping you on edge, mission accomplished! That is actually one of the feelings I'm shooting for. Kind of like being in the war and not knowing when the next assault might happen.
7240486 Yes indeed!
7240483 That is true... for an AU in the canon. Which this is an AU of. Soooo!
7240413 Thank you! I'm trying to keep it going and interesting.
7240391 That is fair :D
7240281 A doomsday device that once triggered cannot be stopped!
7240276 Well, fire at least! ;D
7240169 Well, I think Clement had to get a feel for what this was compared to his past experiences.
7240157 Truly!
7240154 Explanations... feh, have you met me? What ELSE would you do with melons.
7240136 Or something similar ;) Certainly a sound strategy.
7240133 Pokemon!
7240128 Oh my! Quite brutal there ;D
7242853
...*sigh* Well...at least this story isn't TOO nightmare-inducing for me...yet...
Dictionary definition of "cliffhanger", damn. They really got the Dragoons with that one. ...On a positive note, it's nice to see Clement and Silent kinda warming up. Go them. c:
7242853 Sooooo.... What? What does that mean? Are we going to get RoboKnight?
7243015 Should I be the one to mention:
1) This is an AU of the main timeline as seen in the show, from which we diverge and ignore the canon of past season two or three, somewhere in there.
2) You are talking about something seen in an AU of the main show, so it is two universes apart. I don't think we've seen that cybernetic technology in the main show, so it's pretty far removed from us.
3) As far as I'm aware, the cybernetic wing was seen on one pony. We don't know if it was a prototype or if it was a standard practice. We don't know the circumstances. Like, did it require the loss of the whole original wing? My parents' dog had a broken leg that didn't set quite right. They're probably not going to have it surgically removed entirely to have it replaced with some kind of cybernetic or synthetic substitute.
4) That AU was set in a war-torn Equestria. Not an ocean away, but a war that involved the whole of Equestria and had widespread effects across the land, as seen by Applejack. Militaristic advances, and advances in medical science related to war injuries, are likely far ahead of where our more peaceful Equestria is.
I'm not really good at math, so I'll leave that up to you.
Foreshadowing!
Oh crap, the black smoke corruption? Seems like a likely connection.
As far as Knight family stallions go, that was a good talk.
Aww hell. Alchemical land mines, I'm guessing?
7242853
Every war has its share of traitors. I am but the first and I won't be the last.
And as always, Sudroamar prevails!
7242853 actually that was a reference to a certain tactic used in a certain war that is said to be brutal.
Two chapters to review. I've been easily distracted lately...
Anyway, we open up with Silent continuing his recovery. We get to see that there are things he sucks at, so it's not like he is super awesome at everything, until we get a visit from his old friends and Luna. As much as it's nice to see a glimpse of his other friends now and then, it's Luna who had the main focus in this scene. Her concern for him is quite touching and I love reading about is. It is obvious that she loves him, in a platonic sense. And, she is very protective of him. That makes me wonder if Luna won't end up doing something stupid in order to protect Silent. Luna can get a bit irrational at times.
An injured wing, huh? That must suck. It might sound weird, but I have this ... fascination with heroes ending up with the Dented Iron deal. Not that I like to see them suffer. It's more like a confirmation, a mark, if you will, that he has been through some serious crap. It makes the opposition more real, more dangerous. And I will always prefer a hero who walks away form the battle injured than someone going through hell without a scratch. After all, a hero's strength is determined by the opposition. If the hero was "marked" by the enemy, you know things were serious.
Moving on. Is it just me or does it look like the ponies are doing all of the fighting? Granted, considering the circumstances and the nature of the story, it makes sense for everything to focus on the pony side of things. However, a bit more information about ho allied gryphons are doing would be appreciated. You could have a scene with some ponies discussing rumors about events on the allied gryphon front. Or, have one of the new dragoons be a transfer from another front and have him drop some info during one of the peaceful parts of the story. You know, just give us a bit of perspective.
I have to say, that's a pretty interesting way of selecting new recruits. A bit silly, but, as always, there is reason behind the supposed silliness. Part of what makes special forces "special" is their ability to deal with unusual situations.
Awww, turns out Clement isn't made entirely of iron after all. Who would have known? Makes you think twice about the characters, since not everyone is what they seem at first. Nice to see Silent and Clement forming a bond. Sure, it's not what we usually expect to see between a grandson and a grandfather, but, considering the circumstances... Though, if you look at it from a different perspective, it could be an indication of just how horrible this war is. If such bitter ponies are becoming close, there must be one hell of a reason for it. Though I have to wonder if Clement won't end up like all those guys you see in action movies. You know, the guy who shows the main hero a picture of his wife/girlfriend just before the main attack. Yeah, I am a bit worried.
What do you know, it turns out the enemy did have something nasty prepared for them. Barbed wire and landmines. Throw in some machine guns and poisoned gas, maybe a trench or two and you will have WW1 in all it's glory and all its horror. I guess it's a good thing Silent was injured, thus unable to fight. Then again, knowing him, there will certainly be a lot of angst due to losing his soldiers.
Time will tell.
Well, i just finished a 3 day marathon to read this series, and i have to say i'm impressed.
I'm kind of expecting that potion to heal his wing in the end.
And i also wonder, just how far along is Silent in the knight books? And is there any chance of him officially being knighted? Because his role at this point is essentially elite heavy shock cavalry, and in medieval times those where typically knights. And having a official "Lunar Knight" or "Knight of the Moon" on their side and it being the at this point probably legendary Dread Knight would be a good PR stunt if nothing else. And as Sombra is probably at least has a input on that and he's from a far older society he could think of it.
And i also wonder, what would Stratus think of his son? He was against him being a commissioned officer. Would he have changed his mind and been proud when he heard of his exploits?
And as sad as it is to say, this war will have one good side effect. About as solid of a alliance as you can get between Equestria and the northern griffons.
Also, this line. You use her. At first i was confused, because usually male is the default form when talking like this. Then i realised it's a very subtle and neat reference to the more mare centric society they are from, which would probably make the female form default. I like it. Most authors wouldn't think of it.
So, they still haven't learned, when an enemy is going out of their way to fight in a situation that's tactically unfavorable to them should be an immediate red flag. My Ackbar Alarm was going off by paragraph two, and when Clement Knight said 'that was a terrible place to make a stand' I was saying 'fall back, fall back, fall back!' Guess we humans just have the advantage of being so saturated with war that even civilians like me can see a trap from a mile off.
I have so many things to say .... and I cannot construct a sane comment. I will come for you soon enough, Anzel. :P
7250266 A frightening prospect! ;)
7248950 I think that is a fair statement, yes. We, even in civilian life, have a lot of access to war and strategy.
7245287 Welcome to the front! Glad you're caught up and I'm flattered you did it so fast! Those are a lot of great questions! We'll certainly have the answers to some of them.
And yes, when I remember to do it I try to make the static pronoun female-centric.
7244675 I can see your point. Always better to know that damage can happen vs a two hour fist fight that sees the hero walk away fine.
I'm glad I put some ideas in there about Clement! He is growing a bit.
7243670 Ah!
7243283 LOL ;)
7243208 Foreshadowing indeed! Sort of! And yes, for those two that is totally a long talk.
7242980 That is how I do!
Okay, finally back to reading this and am going to get caught up by Sunday... also, I can't decide if I'm drawing more parallels to WWI or WWII here... either way, the thought is terrifying. And Silent's head is still a scary place...