Know the Drill
“We're making headway, sir!” shouted an enforcer over the deafening buzz of iron-wrought mana drills. The rigged devices hung in a tight circle, nestled within an abandoned intersection of Blue Nova's industrial district. Uniformed stallions telekinetically controlled the devices, guiding their rotating blades through the steaming concrete as they gradually bore through to the chambers below. “According to the old city schematics, we should be breaking through to a junction of underground aqueducts. The targets are bound to be in one of the adjacent corridors!”
“Well done, lieutenant!” Shell shouted back. He stood on the sidewalk, gazing past the manadrills to where a line of curious citizens had been forced to stand at a cautious distance. They craned their necks and watched with mute curiosity. “When you get a chance, see if you can get your subordinates to extend the perimeter by another block. I don't appreciate how close the locals are being allowed to congregate around our work here.”
“I will do the best I can with the forces available to me, sir!” the pony shouted back. “We're stretched really thin as it is!”
“That's because I need the blockade to remain in the air around Blue Nova!” Shell exclaimed as he paced around the loud drills. “We need to keep a good eye on who's going in and who's coming out of the maretropolis!”
“A suggestion, sir...” The pony spoke up. “If we could simply make contact with the Council of Ledo, they could send us reinforcements and order an early curfew for all of the citizens of this city!”
“No!” Shell growled, his scarred face grimacing. “Out of the question! You would do well to stick with the task given to you and that alone, soldier!”
The lieutenant blinked, but ultimately saluted with a deadpan expression. “Sir, yes, sir! Understood, s-sir...”
Just then, the air roared from the sound of a hovercraft lowering. Shell and multiple other enforcers glanced up.
Enforcer Evans dismounted from a glider and galloped up towards him. He saluted and breathlessly exclaimed, “Prime Enforcer Shell, sir! There's been a discovery east of here!”
Shell's one good eye narrowed. “What kind of discovery...?”
“Multiple wingponies have been orbiting the city perimeter, scanning the landscape for any sign of traffic coming in or out, just like you commanded, sir,” Evans said. “Due east, a noticeably strange detail was found about two miles out.”
“Was it our target?” Shell exclaimed. “Has the pegasus returned?”
“Sadly no, sir, but we did notice an artificial structure cleverly hidden within the eastern slope of a grassy knoll.” Evan's brow furrowed as he said, “It appears to be a door of sorts, sir. A very large door, like something befitting an enormous compartment. In fact, I had multiple enforcers scan the local topography. There appears to be a sizably large underground chamber situated due east, directly beneath this sealed structure.”
Shell took a deep breath. He exchanged glances with the lieutenant, then squinted at Evans again. “Did anypony try opening this entrance?”
“We had no luck, sir. The structure is incredibly thick, like the bulwark to a Xonan hideout.”
“Blessed spark!” the lieutenant gasped. “You don't mean to suggest—”
“Please ignore the enforcer's hyperbole, lieutenant,” Shell droned, waving a metal cast. “I suspect the truth is far more predictable. There is something very, very unsettling about this city, and I suspect Nightshade is at the very heart of it.”
“About Nightshade, sir,” Evans said. “Many of our fellow enforcers have tried contacting her, as you requested. There's been no response. Furthermore, a guard or two in her employ spoke of her airship having left the vicinity of Blue Nova nearly twelve hours ago.”
Shell's brow furrowed. “And this somehow managed to slip past our blockade?!”
“We've been trying to get a firm count of the zeppelins still moored within the city limits to verify whether or not this claim is true,” said Evans.
“This is what I mean!” the lieutenant exclaimed. “If we simply had more reinforcements, then I truly believe something like this wouldn't happen!”
“Enough!” Shell growled. “We are not approaching the Council! We are alone in this hunt! We always have been! The target and her companions are my responsibility! If this wasn't the case, the powers that be in Ledo's upper echelon would not have tasked me with ensuring the Confederacy's security!”
Just then, an explosion of steam and dust lit up within the center of the multiple manadrills. Enforcers lifted the machines as they shouted over the bedlam. “We've broken through! We've broken through!”
“The old city sewers are accessible, sir!”
Shell nodded slowly, then peered over at Evans. “Enforcer, here are your orders.” He pointed. “You are to take to the skies and collect a contingent of our largest zeppelins. Position them east while ordering the managlider squadrons to maintain their patrol along the north, west, and south ends of Blue Nova. Then, once you have your armada in position, lay siege to this... 'entrance,' until you have exposed the chamber within. Investigate, and keep me updated the whole time via sound stones. If you meet any resistance whatsoever from the interior to this hidden domain, I want you to answer them with all of the ordinance at your disposal. Do I make myself clear?”
“Sir...” The lieutenant gawked at that last order. “But... wh-what if it's just citizens or factory workers down there?”
Shell glared past him and spoke closely to Evans. “Do I make myself clear?”
Evans gulped and nodeed. “Perfectly, sir. I shall execute your orders as commanded.”
“As well as you should.” Shell trotted coldly past the lieutenant, causing the stallion to shudder. “I'm counting on you, enforcer. If Nightshade is indeed keeping a secret base down there, we mustn't allow her to stage a hasty retreat from this city, not until she has answered for her illicit activities.”
“Sir, could...” Evans shifted where he stood. “Could the sewers somehow be connected to this chamber we've discovered? Could that be where the zebra with the manasphere has gone?”
“That's what I intend to find out.” Shell levitated a pair of manarifles and loaded them with crystal ammo. A company of soldiers flocked around him and the fresh holes made in the street. “Form your blockade. Mind the door. If worse comes to worse, I'll at least be flushing our targets towards you.” He strapped the weapons to his uniform and motioned the ponies to follow him. “One way or another, our targets shall discover that there is no escape. Now, let's move.”
Shell dropped down into the corridors below, and several armed soldiers followed with him.
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Makes sense there's another nearby, Nightshade had to get the flame from somewhere. I wonder who she got to dig it up for her, considering Shell had all those slaves at his disposal.
Bucking Shell, why does he have to be the leader to a large force of soldiers and military experts? Why couldn't he just be an average McMuffin?
Oh snapperdoodles.
Any time now, Dash.
2945708
I believe the description indicates the previously mentioned "hanger," not a second source of flame.
2945803
Wow,with how Shell has his little group of soldiers positioned,their might be no escape for our heroes...unless a certain Pegasus comes into play.
Shell meets "foggy" Belle... There's a thought.
Another clash of good and evil (Or evil under the belief they are good)? This should play out well.
here's a thought... has Shell gone renegade? He's almost violently against contacting the council.
Belle is going to have a hard time getting out of the city...
Okay, Belle is long gone by now, possibly even ran into Dash and the others by now...
I just realised that Roarke can tell or show that pilate is still alive, at least that his mana sphere is still roaming.
2945712
Because then he wouldn't be even nearly the villain that we love to hate.
A blockade, huh? Guess that makes sense, from Shell's strategic point of view. That ought to make Dash's
gloriousarrival at Blue Shelf a little more problematic, though I'm not sure how well zeppelins and managliders will fare against Roarke's ship. Methinks the hangar will be the site of the final showdown. We're getting nearer to the 200-mark, after all, and that's where things seem to be converging. Ought to be interesting.Things are building, tensions are rising, and everything is going towards floyden's beloved =P
Dash, Crimson, Roarke, Tweak and Imre are on their way there with Roarke's craft.
Josho and Eagle Eye are heading there with a stolen craft.
Belle, Kera and the other Xona foals are heading...also probably there? with their craft.
And then Pilate and company are going to ride on a craft to get away?
This is going to be one heck of a fireworks display~
Shell is probably the best villain ever written into a fanfic. He is not one dimensional or sadistic or evil. He is a hard, dedicated pony with an unbreakable will. The only reason we are not supposed to like him is because he doesn't know/understand the things we the readers believe he should understand.
Both Dash and Shell have done unspeakably violent things, but Rainbow's reasons are 'good' and Shell's reasons are 'bad'.
Ah, the tragic tale of the military commander who followed orders too closely. Yeah, the council would've been pissed at him if he had to order back-up. But they would've done it (as I see, considering they were on the rationale of "Get her at any cost, dead or alive."), and once he had her securely captured, they would have praised him and hailed him for his excellent commanding. Instead, Blue Nova will most likely explode and burn (or at least parts of it), ponies will die, and he will fail.
Oh, finally. Looks like Shell's getting back into the action.
It strikes me as odd that Shell refuses to call for backup.
It is also odd that the government has been absent from the story as a whole.
2950062
He probably fears that the Council will replace him, as he has not produced results, or will call off the operation entirely. Either way, he loses his advantages of numbers and technology. He knows Dash can beat him one-on-one, so he can't afford to give those away.
2950534
What if Shell is not within his orders? What if he has taken his power too far and is starting to realize it.
Either come clean or cover your ass.
2950534>>2946164>>2950062
I think there was a section somewhere around the lines of "don't come back unless you have something to show for it." And Shell doesn't have his bloody wings within his grasp yet.
Shell continues to be a great antagonist. He's not evil in the sense of a supervillain- he won't go around city streets butchering civilians for giggles. However, if they get in the way, they pay the price. He's hard, dedicated to serving his duty, and he refuses to let anything stop him- and yet, he's not a bad commander, like Darth Vader turned out to be. He doesn't just throw his forces at the enemy with no regard for the lives of the men under him, he has some compassion for them- we saw prime example of this some chapters ago when he pulled the two managlider pilots out of the gas. The only thing possibly standing in his path to victory right now is his own sense of honor- he won't go to the Council for help, which could easily end this chase at Blue Nova. The party of heroes could not possibly escape the might of the entire Ledomaritan military, and Shell has to know this this, but he refuses to go to them for help because it means he has failed, and failure means death or total dishonor for him. He would rather die in the line of duty trying to stop Dash than live and fail- he follows the philosophy of the ancient Spartans. He will either go home with his shield, or on it. And soon, from the looks of things. If the other two stories in this series are anything to go by, there are only 42 chapters remaining. Considering the amount of time each chapter usually covers (save for time gaps due to unconsciousness, the character being asleep, or travel), this places the final confrontation at the Nightshade hangar (and thus, the end of Innavedr) reasonably near. All that is left now is to see if Shell will be able to triumph over Rainbow Dash and company, or if they will slip free and continue east as one reunited party- I can't imagine any of the current cast of 'heroes' sticking around in the Confederacy, so it would at least make sense for them to come along with Dash, or at least head east with her until they have found somewhere to lay low. And, if Dash succeeds, what will happen to Shell? Will he die in the attempt to stop Dash, knowing there would be no return for him at that point, or will he be left to the mercy of the Council?
Belle should be the one to finish him.
It's only right.
Shell's too much of a badass to outright hate.
"Sir, I think you've gone mad with power."
"Of course I've gone mad with power! Have you ever tried going mad without power? It's no fun, no one listens to you. ''
Shell, y u no call for backup?
IIIIIt's Dashie's evaluation time!
Well, Shell's being a dick. Nothing new. But what's this about a metal door? It could be an entrance to Nightshade's fortress, but we can't know for sure. Machine World entrances aren't this close to the surface either...These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
Let's get this dance going, then.
A chapter with that title not involving Tweak? UNACCEPTABLE!!
I also strongly disagree with the general opinion of Shell just following orders. To me all this looks like he's in a hunting frenzy. Rainbow struck him down and humiliated him; remember that he's prideful and very fond of his rigorousness. I suspect that he has long overstepped any boundaries the Council would have given him. That would also be the reason why he doesn't want them involved - not only does he know that they'd disapprove, they'd meddle with his hunt, stealing his prey.
Immediately thought of a hobbit hole. Leave Bilbo alone, dang it! He's a nice quiet, respectable hobbit - at least until Gandalf comes to visit, anyway.
In more relevant news, I think Shell's slipping a bit. He's so focused on getting revenge on Dash (and cloaking his obsession in what started out as his primary and sole motive for capturing her, his duty to the nation) that he's disregarding solid advice. Not that Shell was ever one to answer to others in the first place, but proving himself is now even more vital to him than achieving his goal more easily with outside help.
There's one heck of a mess looming out on the horizon, at any rate.
Shell is still a great villain.
-Spirit
P.S. Much contradictory.
Shell really is trying hard.
Yes, the meeting of groups is about to take place! The new group will gang up together once more (plus Floydien), and then the rest will come in by air.
Haha! The precursor battle will happen soon enough, and then we'll sail right into the final arc!
Shell you going crazy
.
I suspect Dash will show up just as the others take off from the bunker.
4414426
That's because he knows how to use resurcs efficiently. No matter how few he may have
Since when does
ShepherdShell care about "danger close."