Finally getting there on new Firefly chapter... · 8:13pm Jun 23rd, 2021
7500 words down, with likely another ~2500 words to go as work has eased a bit if not entirely relented. Unfortunately, just writing the draft it isn’t enough; this will require some graphics before it’s called ready to go. But it should be going to prereaders this weekend, at least. I’ve given the first half of it to Silentwoodfire and AJ_Aficionado, who have given it their thumbs-up thus far. The chapter will be almost entirely about the Battle of Harness Hill, and thus will be titled that as well. Expect a sharp plunge into battle and a breakneck pace on this chapter.
In the meantime, you folks have been more than patient, waiting since January for a new installment. So have a teaser, told from the perspective of Rock Biter:
Equestrian Army Encampment
Rear Gate
Twelve miles southwest of Maresk, astride the road to Detrot
September 4th, 1139 AC
2025 hours
Methinks pulling the regiment into march order took far more time than I would have liked.
A properly disciplined and practiced regiment should have been able to break camp and fall into march formation in under two minutes, but it took us nearly ten to get everypony together and in proper order, with squads of unicorn archers spaced so they could cover the bulk of us with spells and arrows if needs be. I further ordered them to slap soundproofing and shroud spells over us in hopes that might get us a little closer to the Hilltop village before being detected.
Nevertheless, ‘twas with no little trepidation we departed our camp, though not before one unicorn orderly from brigade reached me, ordering me to stay put and warning they would relieve me of command if I didn’t.
As my soldiers watched, I tore up the missive and threw it to the ground before the startled mare, telling her to inform her superiors that I was not going to obey any order that resulted in our destruction. “You may tell the great and illustrious Brigadier General Bambi”--that was our nickname for Bamboo Blade, our newly promoted and rather abrasive brigade commander, which a moniker she roundly despised and punished any who used it--”that she may relieve and court-martial me later… after I have retaken the Hill and she has retreated down it!”
My actions resulted in cheers and laughs from our otherwise anxious troops, which ‘tis certain were heartening; I even caught a nod of approval from Gleaming Gladius before she went to the head of her column. “Comrades! For Princess and province! For our friends and families! And to save our brothers and sisters in arms at Maresk! Forward!” I ordered in what I hoped was a tone of inspiration and confidence as we left camp, leaving our lines and the befuddled orderly behind.
* * * * *
Two minutes out from the cover of friendly lines and suddenly feeling far more exposed, I ordered us to increase the pace to double-quick at least as far as the coming crossroads, allowing us to cover more than half a mile a minute and close the distance to Harness Hill quickly.
‘Twas a pace the earth ponies would have no problems with, but the unicorns might if we sustained it for very long--a lesson I had initially learned the hard way back during Phoenix Fire, when we got repeatedly stalled because the stamina-poor unicorns could not keep up with the earth ponies at a time when speed of advance was crucial. The result was costly and repeated delays that were compounded by failures to communicate properly with Corps forces, causing them to get strung out ahead of us and not be reinforced in time.
‘Twould not be the case here if I could help it, as I knew earth ponies alone could not win this fight. The order was passed along by communication crystals, and half a minute later, the call went out from battalion to regiment to company commanders.
”At the double-quick! March!” their respective COs called out in rough chorus at a final signal from my gem, and our pace instantly doubled their speed at the cost of losing some of the coherence of our march formation. But it could be quickly regained, and I wanted to close with our enemy quickly before they could see us despite our shrouds and launch an air strike on us.
If they did, we could be scattered and slaughtered by Imperial soldiers raining down explosive arrows from above--there was little cover in the semi-arid grasslands that ringed the dry seabeds short of digging fresh trenches, and unicorn shields would only last so long against sustained bombardment—never mind what would happen if gryphon mages suddenly appeared.
Speaking of whom, ‘twas also a definite danger that the gryphon mages in Harness Hill might detect the magical emissions of our communications crystals, so their use would have to be minimized as we got closer.
All this ran through my mind just as the lead battalion of Gleaming Gladius, consisting of three understrength companies—we were far from our proscribed wartime strength of one thousand ponies; according to the last muster we had just over seven hundred--reached the crossroads to a sudden eruption of fighting I could see from the next battalion to the rear; I heard a series of booms and battle cries followed by flares shooting into the air.
I had just started grabbing for the command crystal on my belt when it vibrated and glowed. “Sir! Beg to report!” First Lieutenant Gleaming Gladius called out through her linked gem.
“What happened, Lieutenant?” I asked, though I feared I already knew.
“My lead company ran right into a gryphon Turma at the crossroads! We stumbled over some explosive gems they had strewn to protect them whilst they were digging in! We scattered them, killing six, but they got a dozen of us and fired off those warning flares! ‘Tis certain they know we’re coming, sir!” she told me heatedly and angrily; I could hear the accusing tone in her voice. “Methinks we should turn back now and try to get back to friendly lines! If we continue on, ‘tis certain they’ll rain death down on us from above!”
I’ll target a Sunday release, but the need for battle graphics mean that this date may slip. If it does, I’ll let folks know.
Yes, I started the attack early, but I also ended it early. ROOCCCCCKKKKK BITTTEEERRRR
"If you know neither yourself or your enemy, you will succumb in every battle" Good to know at least one Pony was paying attention
Good tease! Can't wait for the rest of it!
5540408
That’s our pony! And to be fair, he was AJ_Aficionado’s creation.
Well, as you now know, he had the truth of that lesson driven home to in the first battle by not fully knowing his enemy, but he’ll get there sooner rather than later at this point.
Thanks! Hope the finished product was to your liking.