Chapter Six: Realpolitik
By: Za Raapini
Royal Quarter, Canterlot
Minister Boulder was miffed. Two hundred clearly hostile creatures had invaded their land, and the official royal decree was to open diplomatic channels with them. This was not a time for talking; this was a time for action!
Boulder had been waiting for almost two decades to become useful, and when the opportunity had finally presented itself, he had been shot down in favor of using words instead of weapons. Preposterous!
The humans were up to something. Why had they come here in such a spectacular fashion? They seemed more than willing to fight a war to get what they wanted, and he suspected warfare was the norm back in their world. No one developed items like they had brought with them unless they were intent on using them.
While walking back to his apartment in downtown Canterlot, he decided to stop by one of the bars on the way home. It was a favorite of the Royal Guard and the Palace Defense team, and he had yet to have had an opportunity to discuss the day’s events with them.
Walking up to the door, he looked up and saw the name of the establishment, one that never failed to make him quietly proud to be the Minister of Defense: The Sword and the Shield.
It was jam-packed this evening, and despite the heavy flow of foot-traffic, nobody appeared to be all that drunk. There was a dull rumble of conversation that emanated from the main floor, one that failed to cease upon realizing there was a new patron in the bar. Boulder went up to one of the bartenders and ordered a wheat beer. No sense getting something he couldn’t nurse while talking to people. Hopefully someone would come up to him and begin talking; he hated the idea of barging into a group of ponies while they were enjoying each other’s company.
He didn’t have to wait long. In a matter of moments, Bow-Tie, captain of Palace Defense, had ambled up to him. He hadn’t even changed out of his royal armor. Wasn’t there some sort of ruling against that?
“Evening Minister. Curious day, wasn’t it?” was the opening salvo in the conversation. Despite what a lot of people thought, Captain Bow-Tie was a good pony, sturdy, loyal, dependable. Most importantly to Boulder’s needs, he was malleable.
“One could say that again. Tell me, what was your reaction upon hearing the news?” Boulder said back to him. He had to guide this conversation carefully, because if he acted with haste, there was a very real chance Bow-Tie would not be on board with Boulder’s plans. And Boulder needed everypony he could muster.
“Shock, I guess. I mean, how does one react to startling new creatures suddenly appearing in our realm? In the town that houses the Elements of Harmony no less? And the guidance we received from our leadership wasn’t the most inspiring. Instead of responding with force, we responded with weak-hoofed plans to talk this out. Where is the Princess who responded to the return of Discord with aggression? Where is the Princess whose first inclination during the Changeling Affair was to fight?”
“Yes, I understand what you mean fully. Words will not have an effect on these humans if things begin to get too severe. And I can’t help but wonder if there’s something deeper going on here. I was there, you see. Once we realized the full severity of the crisis, I was called in to help with the proceedings. I tell you, I’ve traveled the land much in my life, and never have I seen such blank, expressionless faces. As if they couldn’t comprehend the idea of excitement. Quite astonishing, really,” Boulder said, taking a swig of his drink. Glancing around the room, he realized something that he hadn’t noticed yet.
Bow-Tie was not the only pony still clad in his armor.
Everypony was still wearing theirs. As if they expected one of the helicopters to swoop overhead at any minute and disgorge the terrible soldiers that had been riding inside.
Seeing the surprised expression on Boulder’s face, Bow-Tie began talking.
“Weird, isn’t it? Seeing this many ponies in their armor. Kinda reminds you of the stories they tell fillies about the days of old, back when the words ‘war’ and ‘battle’ still meant something.”
“What do you mean still?” Boulder asked. He too felt the same way, but was curious to hear Bow-Tie elaborate on the subject.
“Oh come off it Minister. Surely you see it as well as I do. We as a kingdom have been at peace for so long it borders on the ridiculous. Incidents still pop up here and there, but nopony knows how to respond because they’ve never had to deal with anything beyond stubbing their hoof while walking to the damn ice cream parlor. It’s repugnant, and it is things like this that threaten our way of life more than anything else.”
Boulder smiled inwardly, for at that point he realized that there would be no need for molding; Bow-Tie was already on the same page. He took another drink and indicated for him to continue.
“When you hear stories, about the old days, back when Equestria was just getting off the ground, ponies had to fight for their right to survival! There was no talking, there was no quarter, and there was only war. Brutal and hate-filled, but necessary all at the same time. Point is, we’ve gotten soft over the past one thousand years. When bad things happen now, people just expect the Royal Sisters or the Elements to deal with it. With Discord, how many people sat huddled in fear just expecting Princess Celestia and Princess Luna to just magic everything back to normal, or failing that let the Elements deal with it?
“When the Changelings invaded, let me reiterate, invaded Canterlot, what did our kinsponies do when being attacked? Respond with equal measures of violence, trying to incapacitate the foe? No, of course not. Once again, they looked to a small group to solve all their problems. What’s our backup if they fail? What’s the plan ‘b’?” Bow-Tie said. It felt good to have this type of conversation with a pony who cared. He had tried discussing this matter at length with his friends in the Defense team, but when they realized he was being serious they less than politely told him to stop.
Nopony wanted to admit that war was a fundamental part of existence. Just because it hadn’t happened in so long did not mean it wouldn’t ever.
Meanwhile, Boulder was struck at how Bow-Tie was talking. Here was a pony who could be more than a potential foot soldier, this was a pony with ally potential. Boulder decided to test the waters, and play Discord’s advocate for a minute.
“Why would there need to be a plan ‘b’? We have princesses who manipulate the sun and the moon. We have the Elements of Harmony. Why should anypony need to concern themselves with fighting, when it is so painfully obvious that those eight figures will be able to accomplish anything we need them to?”
“You are more than a fool if you really believe that. Wars are not won by an especially small group of skilled warriors. Wars are won and lost by the will of the people to fight. They are won by setting course down an inexorable march towards victory. They are won by trampling the enemy to dust, either through superior numbers, technology, or both. What is the use of a group of fighters so small that they would not make up a single rank in one of the old Legions?” Bow-Tie said.
“But they are the most powerful beings in the land. What chance do normal ponies have if they cannot stop the threat?” Boulder responded in kind.
“Maybe normal ponies wouldn’t stand a chance. Not at first. Maybe not ever. But there is not even enough ponies willing to be guards for the palace, for our Royal Patronages themselves, to form a full battle company. Look around you. This is almost seventy five percent of the total number of ponies we have that have answered the call to serve something greater than themselves. There is no drive anymore, there is no passion for serving the greater good, of being part of something.
“Nopony even wants to fight anymore. Not because fighting has gone away, but because they expect everyone else to deal with their problems. Not once during the fighting that day did anypony other than the Guard even attempt to do something.
And why would they? Even retired Guardsponies stood by idly and let the invasion occur! We cannot continue as a country if this apathetic attitude keeps up!” Bow-Tie finished with a shout.
“Let me let you in on something. There is an old quote floating around, one that never fails to embolden my spirit when I am down and see the sad state that Equestria has fallen into. This was a call and response from the days of the Legions, before the princesses had come about and ushered in the age of peace we know now. It goes like this:
Without the Dark, there can be no Light,
We have purpose
Without the Lie, there can be no Truth,
We have purpose
Without the War, there can be no Victory,
We have purpose
Without the Death, there can be no sacrifice,
We have purpose
Without the Hope there can be no Future,
We have purpose
Without the Loyalty there can be no one Legion,
We have purpose
Without the King, there is nothing,...
And we would have no purpose
You see? The ponies of old knew how things were to be conducted. They knew the purpose of their existence. There were there to fight, and win.”
Boulder was impressed. Bow-Tie always came off to other ponies as a hopeless moron at best, but there was certainly more than met the eye here.
Boulder too knew of that quote. It was the most common call-and-response used by the Legions in the days of the King, before the Royal Sisters had even been born. It served to illustrate the importance of what they were doing, because they were doing more than winning battles. They were forging a nation.
“It is well that we share a common love for studying the past, Bow-Tie. Because I feel we might have to use it to reshape the future. Meet me here next week. I will have something to give to you,” Boulder said. It would be dark days ahead indeed for Equestria, but in their wake would be a glorious future, with a nation that stood above all as the supreme rulers of the world. It would be a nation that would respond to distress and violence with discipline and force. Most importantly, it would be a nation that would be able to properly defend itself against all enemies- foreign, domestic, and inter-dimensional.
“Very well Minister. I am off to enjoy the rest of my night. Take care my friend. The lamps are going out all over Equestria,” Bow-Tie said as he walked way.
Boulder finished his beer and exited the bar. This had been a most enlightening night indeed.
Royal Palace, Canterlot
Celestia crawled into bed, exhausted from the day’s affairs. Luna seemed to have recovered well at least; she was definitely in a much brighter mood than she had been earlier. Sleep was a simply wonderful medicine. The Sun Princess hoped that soon she too would be receiving its powerful remedies.
As she lay in bed, she reflected on the events of the day. She wondered whether or not opening lines of communication with the humans had been a good idea. At the time, seeing what their machines were capable of, she had decided to err on the side of not getting her subjects killed. That they had agreed to talk should be considered at least a minor victory.
She was still mildly off-put by how disinterested Picante had seemed during the meeting. He had appeared to be forcing himself to pay attention, and while he had a sharp tongue, and what seemed to be a genuinely decent personality, she could tell that he had yearned to be someplace else.
Truth be told, the meeting hadn’t really been all that well-thought out. She had just hoped to assuage her subjects’ fears by showing they could talk to these people. While they had acted aggressively, nopony had been killed, so there was that at least.
Looking back on it that was nothing short of a miracle. So many things could have gone wrong. Somepony could have gotten the idea to try to fight them, which, given the Major’s words, would have resulted in them launching a full-scale assault. He had tried to explain to her the concept behind his maneuvers, why they had cleared the houses, why they had relied on what he referred to as ‘shock and awe’ tactics.
He had tried to explain to her these things, and while she heard the words, all that came into her head was the knowledge that the man that sat in front of her had made a living out of killing other members of his species. The concept shouldn’t seem that foreign to her; it was not long after the Legions had finished their work that she had been born.
It was not like Equestria had never had wars; however, they were so far removed from the lives of ponies today that their stories had passed into legend. They had lost all their impact and meaning on the lives of her subjects, and herself.
With a heavy sigh, Celestia got up out of bed. She knew that sleep was now a fleeting memory that would not come back tonight.
It was time to head down to the Royal Library. The stories of the Legions would need to be brushed upon if she would have any hope of properly communicating with such a warlike species.
//Error: Location Unknown//
“It is as you predicted. Trust is nowhere to be found, and suspicion runs rampant amongst the Equestrians.”
“Just as planned.”
A/N: Aaand that makes six. I’ll be honest, this chapter could have gone about nine different directions. Hell, the first three versions featured the party in Ponyville as the main setting. But then I got to thinking, ‘for a MLP fic, there hasn’t been a whole lot of pony.’ So, pony. Hope you guys don’t mind the dialogue; this chapter did not lend itself well to action, and I also hope you guys enjoy Minister Boulder and Captain Bow-Tie. Get used to those two, you’ll be seeing them a lot. Bonus points for anyone who knows where the quote comes from. It’s been slightly edited for context’s sake. As always, if you have any of the following: Comments, questions, concerns, saved rounds, inquiries, bitches, gripes, moans, groans, complaints, hate mail, fan mail, correspondence or a happy thought, you know what to do. This is Za Raapini saying, ‘Stay classy.’ Thought for the day: Knowledge is power; guard it well.
This certainly is getting exciting the more chapters are getting added one after another that shows a bit here of what others really think about the situation with Humanity entering Equestria along with individuals like Boulder with Bow-Tie maybe having the catalyst in bringing Chaos into the ones Peaceful Land. But then again I'm making such assumption on just this basis that could be wrong in the long since I've seen such Characters with good intention being the ones who would cause the inevitable down through the middle of everything.
Still I demand more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL
I can't get this image out of my head with the Cliffhanger rolled in the last, in-part I keep imaging this two would be the mysterious voices they might belong to along with the whole “Just as planned.”(40K Fan) was said.e621.net/data/sample/e3/af/e3afabfe65a51a4a77b6a520b6cce67c.jpg?1331707303
and the plot thickens :D
Oh Jesus, those guards have no idea how bucked they are. Nothing but nothing can withstand the force of a nuclear bomb. If defeat was even a possibility for the Humans they would use one more willingly than if it was on their won planet because they wouldn't have to deal with the fallout. besides, a few tanks and a company of soldiers could easily wipe the planet clean of any sort of civilization. lets hope those morons don't try a coup then get on the wrong side of the human race.
772511 Fair point. I just like the idea of an international task force vice unilateral action. But you are correct in that they did not have to share the knowledge with anyone. Stay classy.
772434 That, and Celestia wont be on their side. They...somethinged first! The humans reacted the way they were trained to!
You see, this is the problem with countries around the world today. You have those people up in high positions that say, "hey, there's someone out there that we think threaten our beliefs and peace! We need to form secret army, take over country, and then start war with them!". Take North Korea for example: (more of an opinion, actually) It keeps building up it's military and diverting their money to military budgets, rather than on food (and housing) for it's people who are starving. Then we have the middle-east, who are having a "lol, if we getz nuca-lear powahz, peoplz well respectz us!" (another opinion again, so don't take it too seriously) philosophy, when they don't realize that the oil reserves they have will last them for a decent 30 or so years. By then, who knows what kind of technology will have been discovered? More efficient solar panels? A tessaract (reference to The Avengers, or more specifically: Marvel comics)? Our technology moves at such a fast rate, it's insane.
However, what this Minister Boulder is doing is just plain moronic. They'd have no chance against the might of not only one country, but all the main countries from our dimension. Granted, it might take a decade or so, and he'd probably be living in plain sight.
The quote you added actually sounds very similar to the Code of the Sith used in Star Wars, just with more added and of course, heavily edited:
Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me.
Maybe its a cross between the Sith Code and the Soldier's Creed? Heck if I know-- I'm just tossing out ideas because I'm bored.
MOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR
Oh god. If they start a war with the humans... oh man...
The war would be over SO fast.
Crossbows + Cannons + Pegasi dropping things = Probably bad news.
Assault Rifles + Tanks + Air vehicles holding a weapon that could instantly demolish a city = Well fuck.
Frankly, I don't see why Celestia hasn't given this Boulder something to do instead of letting him loose-cannon around. She has to know that he wants to start something and tasking him on figuring out defensive plans or looking up ancient kill spells or something would at least keep him busy and out of trouble while she's busy negotiating. Idle hooves are Discord's playground, after all.
772596 I'm digging the pic. I'm seriously hoping that the comments morph into a sort of image board, because people keep dropping some seriously awesome stuff in here. Stay classy.
773530 I'm a big proponent of natural gas, mainly because it would mean a shit-ton more jobs in Alaska for the next fifty years. But technology is a frightening thing; my thirty dollar TI-35 has more computing power than the Apollo 11 spacecraft. Stay classy.
773877 I have actually seen that quote before, and while it is awesome, it was not the one used. It's from a fluff piece for Warhammer 40,000. It's a call and response for the Adeptus Astartes...the Angels of Death...the Spess Mehreens. Stay classy.
773940 Working on it. Gear turn in today, so that's going to be a pain in the dick. I'll try and get another one up soon. Should have tomorrow off. Stay classy.
774091 Well, let's not forget that pegasi are incredibly agile; it's not a stretch for them to be able to fly around, attach some sort of explosive to a jet, and then fly off. Also, Rainbow Dash has proven consistently that she is a force to be reckoned with, either when she's crashing or unleashing a Hellzone Grenade on a barn (my only explanation for what happened there in "Lesson Zero"). Keep your eyes open, and your head on a swivel. Stay classy.
774106 Who says she hasn't done those things? Thought for the day: Heresy grows from idleness. Stay classy.
772308 *shudder* the Lord of Change, and the reality-warper that is Discord...bro-fisting. I'm not sure even the Grey Knights in all their OP 5th Ed Codex cheese could stop that. Pretty sweet pic though. Stay classy.
774328
My TI-89 could launch a nuclear warhead. Yeah, I totally made that up. xD
774715 I dunno. The TI-89, when programmed correctly, will no shit do calculus for you. Not a stretch to imagine in my mind...
774795
I rarely use calculators (as I'm going into my Sophomore year, which is Algebra II), but when I do, it's for a good reason. Like taking over the world and Quantum physics. (I totally made those 2 up)
774328
Although they are more agile than fighter jets, it wouldn't take long for them to be destroyed. Fire-and-forget missiles might not work, because Pegasi aren't automatically targets, but the machine guns that fire rounds that can go practically infinitely faster them will.
775202 Time for some mathhammer: The M61 Vulcan, the primary rotary cannon on most interceptor planes, fires at a rate of roughly 6,000 rounds per minute, with a muzzle velocity of roughly 3,450 feet per second. We'll say Rainbow can flat out at 1,350 miles per hour, pre-Sonic Rainboom, which doubles her speed. So Rainbow has the edge there; she would simply be able to out-fly the shells being fired from the Vulcan, because while the round is exiting the barrel at close to 2,300 miles per hour, we have to take into account that that is just muzzle velocity; it will experience a decline the longer it is out of the barrel, not to mention things like atmospheric effects and wind speed.
Not only that, but the Vulcan isn't known for its sharpshooting abilities; it was designed to hit things like MiGs, not ponies; not only that, but it fires in anywhere from a 3 to 50 round burst, and of the rounds fired not may are expected to hit their target.
So if the pegasi could come up with an adequate way to eliminate fighters the airspace would be contested for a long while, at least in the realms of 2000 to 25000 MSL. Anything above that it's likely the air would be too thin for the ponies to be able to breathe, so attacking strategic level bombers like the B-52, B-2, and B-1B would be a tough draw.
I could go on all day. I love having these types of discussions. Makes the days so much more awesome!
bratishka.ru/archiv/2008/10/images/2008100103.jpg
Looking good, please continue.
/me wants more cool planes, like Tu-22 Blackjack and PAK-FA. Just to increase concentration of awesome.
Oh who am I kiddin', just do what you are doing I'm sure that you gonna do this right. :)
778241 I wouldn't really say it was excessive. Clearing buildings is SOP in a MOUT situation, especially in an unfamiliar environment. Also, from a strategic standpoint, it's better to scout everything out before sending in guys who wear suits. It's a fair point though. Stay classy.
The Guards not doing anything during the Changeling Invasion? Ha ha, I'm pretty sure there was loads of off-screen fighting. (Sure there were lots of citizens being chased, but that was probably because they were outnumbered. I'm sure there were lots of Guards giving a quick one across the jaw outside the Palace Grounds.)
If Minister Boulder is planning to investigate rather than force a battle, then I don't disagree with him. If he's planning to send a spy to see how deep the rabbit hole goes, then I don't blame him. Besides, isn't one of the best ways to fight a war is to get as much information about the enemy as possible? Lots of battles have been lost due to a lack of planning such as Hitler's failure to invade Russia's capital due to the cold wiping out his troops.
Nevertheless, I hope Celestia talks to him to fix the strained relationship. I don't mean her nagging him, just letting him know that he will be needed if things go bad. After all, there's lots of hostile forces that would love to take advantage of the planet.
Here's hoping in the end that The Allied Forces (USA and whoever is allied with them) combine with The Royal Guard to stand their ground any enemy that wants to take advantage of that portal!
Of course, that's me being idealistic for a win-win situation and that Minster Boulder doesn't fall for the "with us or against us" adage.
778241
A valid point, but if you were a suit (diplomat,) would you want to go into unknown territory without your most elite military squads checking it out? Who knows what you could find? A more advanced civilization, cannibals, etc.
Liking this so far It's good seeing a human fic where there don't start killing things or get super friendly straight away.
Only a few fics I've read strike that balance. While it may not stay that way, their first contact was pretty well done.
And the cliff hanger just makes me even more into this. Keep it up
the quiote comes from WH40K, my brother, only edited from the astartes version
Without the Dark, there can be no Light,
We have purpose
Without the Lie, there can be no Truth,
We have purpose
Without the War, there can be no Victory,
We have purpose
Without the Death, there can be no sacrifice,
We have purpose
Without the Hope there can be no Future,
We have purpose
Without the Loyalty there can be no one chapter,
We have purpose
Without the Emperor, there is nothing,...
And we would have no purpose
Blargh. I've been slacking off lately guys. My deepest apologies. Never fear. Chapter 7 is now going smoothly and will likely be up later tonight. To everyone who's been reading and enjoying, you have my thanks. As always folks, stay classy.
Za Raapini
I just realized that the ponies have no purpose! They have no king!
"Just as Planed" oy someone call Xanatos, Kane and Vetinary someone stealing their thing
"Just as planned"? Follower of Tzeentch! These men must be careful as to where they tread
the character boulder reminds me of a bunch of history students i was talking to. they seem to know everything about war, except for what it was ACTUALLY like, how it felt. ignorance makes fools into braves. Now, as for the story itself. I am liking the different approach it is taking where there isn't just boom boom bang everywhere. You have quite a fluid writing style, each sentence flowing quite nicely. I also admire your character building ability. Even though i really hate boulders character, that just goes to show how you have been able to flesh him out into the story. a solid 7.5/10 so far