The racket of my skull banging against solid steel echoed louder than expected, after having seized Silver's attention from out of the blue where he raced to my berthing see what was going on. Somehow, he already had a hunch of what the source of it was.
"Star, stop that!" he yelled emphatically, dropping to my side and easing me upright after nearly falling flat to the floor. "Are you alright?"
I brought a hoof up to my temple and held it there, blinking slowly, moving my gaze over and taking note of the worry all over his face. "I-it's just a little bit of blood. I am fine, Silver..."
"A little bit is an understatement, Star! What the hell is your problem?!" he jumped ahead suddenly and clutched my shoulders, locking his gaze with mine forcibly. "What's gotten into you?!" My body trembled with fear. I was on the verge of breaking down, and he could see that. Silver let himself ease up some, getting out of my face. "Star, are you okay?"
Deep down, I was far from okay. There was no use in masking the repression now that it virtually showed off in vibrant color. Yet I could not muster the courage to fully speak my mind. Slowly, my head begun to shake, ears pinning back. "No, Silver, I'm... not okay. Not in that context."
"Duly noted," he continued his focus solely on me. "What was that all about, man? You can tell me. Is it something personal? Is it, uh..." he paused to ponder. "Is it Ray?"
My gaze shifted up to his. I shook my head firmly this time. "No... no, no. We are fine, actually. But, it... it vaguely involves him."
"Then what is it, Star?" he grabbed a cloth, gently pressing it to my forehead. I winced and jerked back immediately. The material against the exposed bruise immensely burned and stung all at the same time.
"I... just... I can't take it, Silver. I can't stand the lingering fear that I might wake up and we all get blown out of the water by those abominable excuses of ponies. It's just too much to handle."
"The submarine?" I nodded. "The other ships?" Again, I nodded. "I get you. Everypony's on edge because of it. Are we still on a threat condition?"
"I don't know..." I groaned, leaning against the side of a rack and lowering my hooves to my sides. "I don't... want to know."
Silver's mouth curled into a brooding lower. "I'm sorry I couldn't be around to help you, Star. I truly am."
For some unexplainable reason, a smile then sprouted from ear to ear. The state of disarray I was in from essentially inflicting a concussion on myself critically addled my comprehension, thus compelling me to lose partial control over my emotions in front of Silver. "You didn't do anything wrong, heheh... heh..."
He goggled with consternation, rising to his hooves and tugging me carefully up along with him. "Come on, Star, you're going to sickbay."
I swatted at him to let go. Silver released his gentle grip on my shoulders rather instantly. "I'll be fine. Is not that bad," I slurred.
"Look at yourself, you idiot! You're turning delusional! Come on, we are going to get you help!" he snarled, snatching my collar and dragging me towards the door.
"Grrr, god damn it, I'm fine!" I snapped, wrenching free of his grasp and smacking his hoof away a second time, scowling incandescently. "Leave it be! I'll be fine, I just need to lay down!"
"Star!" he retorted, livid. "What if you have dain bramage?!"
My head cocked, squinting at him. "Are you sure it is me who has it?"
Silver's irides expanded in realization, shaking his head rapidly. "Th-that was... just a test, and you passed. That's beside the point. You need medical attention, now! You hit yourself hard enough to crack your head open, you are saying shit you don't even understand or know that you are saying, and that is solid enough proof for me!"
He just does not give up, groused my muddled conscience. For a third time, I slapped his hoof, this time before he managed to grab my blouse again. I held it until he set it down, glaring resolutely right back at me.
Both brows knitted in my own hoof after dipping my head into it and exhaling deeply. Even with my eyes closed, the world spun, nauseously churning my stomach a bit. "Look, I... I am fine. I'm going to lay down, and everything will be all right. I need to sleep, anyhow."
The unicorn's glower went unyielding. His voice moderately roughened when he said, "I can't lose you too because you refuse to be cooperative! I can't bear to lose another friend to something so damn stupid!"
Every ounce of blood in my veins spilled out through the cut his words produced, causing me to shrink back. Annoyance previously shown toward Silver subsided in that instance. I felt my heart shatter seeing his magenta irides glass over with accumulating tears. We both went dead silent with the only noise in the passageway being a faint rumble emit from below deck.
"Why... for the love of Luna... must you be so damned stubborn?!" he wept, ears pinning. "You remind me... too much! Of him!"
I blinked a couple of times, cocking my head, having no clue who he was talking about. "I remind you of who?"
Silver clenched his teeth, voicing with a lowered tone, "Who do you reckon?" dipping his chin slightly.
I mused in silence for a few moments. Genuinely I had no proper guess as to who he was referencing to. The vagueness of his assertion left me puzzled, shrugging my shoulders in response. It made him gape lightly in disbelief.
"Really... you do not know who I am talking about? Did you forget that easily?" he practically whispered.
No... he couldn't have been talking about him. Could he? "Is that how you remember him?"
"Not Solar," he shook his head, softening his countenance. "Someone else we know."
I blinked again. "Anchorage?" narrowing my eyes shadily. "He is the prince of stubborn. Don't compare me to him in that aspect."
"I am." Silver firmly nodded, glaring faintly again. "He is who you are turning into, and it concerns the hell out of me."
"And what about you? Three weeks at sea and this is only the second time I have seen you, how am I the stubborn one when you have been intentionally avoiding your friends?" I gently shoved my hoof into his chest, backing him up a step.
He knew I had a point right there. The look on his face said it; the guilt standing out more prominently along with his head tucking into his neck in shame. In the form of an exhale, Silver confessed, "You win," rubbing along his hoof softly and holding his ears down. He sighed again, adding, "But, please, don't kill yourself over stress. Even if I'm not around, you have Ash, Night, and Anchor to talk to."
"I know." I nodded gently, wincing as my headache returned. "I'm sorry."
"Me, too." Silver bobbed in return. "I promise, I will make an effort to say hello more. It is wrong of me to steer myself away like I have."
"You are busy, I understand that much. Everypony here is, especially with all of... this," I waved my hoof around generally. "Don't neglect your duties because you feel the need to check up on me or the others every single day, you hear?"
He nodded in understanding. "I hear you, Star. You know I'm still paranoid after the fact."
I could see that. In all honesty, so was I. Since Solar Wave's funeral, I have prayed and vowed to prevent losing anypony else. Even now there was still retribution to be had for his death, his life that he so willingly gave up to save our lives. I could understand Silver's apprehensiveness, primarily after that outburst of mine.
"Same here, Silver. Same here," I gave a faint yet reassuring smile, blinking somewhat tiredly. "I'll—"
"Hey there, Star."
My muscles stiffened lightly when the voice spoke, ears standing attentively on my head. I glanced over my shoulder, blinking, head cocking to the side in mild bewilderment as I briefly studied the sailor who had walked up from behind in the passageway. "Can I help you?" I asked.
The earth pony stallion, arctic-blue in color and stocky in build, swished his tail slowly and had a faint grin on his muzzle. "Of course you can. You see, I have a... small problem going on, and you seem like the right stallion to help me out."
I narrowed my eyes onto the sailor, taking note of his silver collar insignias—a single downward-pointing arrow beneath crossing anchors and the Navy avian, the rank of petty officer third class. My gaze lifted to meet his as I turned to face him. "What do you need?" Then, my eyes grew wide in revelation. "...And, how do you know my name?"
He smiled, which took a vaguely lascivious twist to it. "Oh, you know, it goes around, especially when we're all sharing a boat. You are a radarpony, no? That isn't exactly a secret, so, everypony sort of learns each others' rates underway."
That came across as peculiar. Virtually everything about this sailor did. I looked at his name tag, "Rondache?" that sounded awfully familiar. I glanced back up at him, scrutinizing with suspicion. "All right. What's up?"
The stallion's sage irides darted around me to Silver for a split second, then back. His expression riddled with notion, one I was skeptical to make out. I locked stares with Rondache, oblivious to his hoof sliding unobtrusively to his pant pocket below his belt. Silver, however, carefully followed the limb with his eyes. He watched as it tugged free the corner of a white cloth, holding it there.
"You know... Corporal..." Rondache's voice lowered to a near whisper. "You're resourceful. I like that. Your coltfriend is lucky to have a stallion like you."
My eyes shot wide open. How does he know about Ray?
Then it struck me.
"Y-you—"
His hoof emerged from his pocket and threw towards my muzzle, the cloth held tight in it. I threw my head back slightly out of reflex in hopes of dodging, yet I was too slow. But, his hoof never reached. In the blink of an eye, it held frozen, inches from my face. Rondache was grunting in effort, his arm trembling in a struggle to shatter the garnet aura cast that encased it.
Eyes enlarging in confoundment, I flicked them directly at Silver, who lowered himself into a defensive stance, horn illuminated with an identical sanguine emanation that trapped the sailor's burly hoof. He groaned in the fight to hold him still, only momentarily wavering his fixate on Rondache to look at me. Silver threw his head to the side, by which an audible snap emit from the immobilized ligament that had the muscular stallion howling with pain and falling to his haunches.
Rondache impulsively loosened his grip on the cloth and grasped his hoof instead, which now deformed disproportionately. The bone itself visibly prodded the skin beneath with a bulging lump where it had nauseatingly contorted at the tendon. His bloodcurdling screams persisted, quickly turning to shouts of fear as he was pulled up into the air by his broken hoof. He kicked his legs in attempt to free himself, only to be launched to my and Silver's immediate left forcefully.
Crashes shook the passageway as the stallion soared, demolishing through the bulkheads of five individual compartments before coming to a rest clear on the opposite side of the ship, leaving an indentation the size of his body in the farther bulkhead of another passageway. The steel that each bulkhead separating the compartments consisted of peeled inward, as if a stallion-sized bullet had shot through each of the bulkheads without losing momentum, and in the jagged apertures, in each affected compartment emerged countless stupefied sailors, staring through them in confusion and shock at both myself and Silver, who panted and shuddered heavily with weakness.
My jaw fully gaped, realizing only moments later what had happened. I turned slowly toward the beige unicorn, whose flanks dropped flat to the floor, trembling, along with his ears that pinned smoothly to his head as the garnet luster veiling his horn progressively evanesced into nothing. Magenta cores of the enervated pony rose, converging with the crimson of my own. In them flickered a furious flame that burned on, steadfast in nature and minatory concerning Rondache, whom now had other sailors scrambling to his aid.
Looking down at the floor, toward my hooves, there upside down sat Rondache's cover, having fallen off his head by the force of his body being so swiftly thrown sideways. For some time, I focused on it solely, sharing the other sailors' amazement while trying to wrap my mind around all I had witnessed moments prior.
***
A hoof knocked twice firmly on the door, the plaque just above eye level on it imposing polished gold and read 'Capt. Shadow'. Reading over the engrave had the beige unicorn's body stiff, draughting a clog in his throat after the superior within ushered him inside.
He went to take the doorknob in his hoof, only for it to be pulled away as the door opened by another sailor stood inside it, who commanded, "March."
Silver entered at a nonchalant pace, head high and spine straight. He came to a halt before the captain's desk. Behind him, the sailor closed the door, then uttered, "One step back." With that, Silver drew back one step and stood at attention. "Uncover!" he reached up, removing his eight-point cover and holding it near his chest.
Anyone present could have noticed the faint tremble he had to his stance, struggling to hold his posture in the face of not just the captain, but his chief, and two other master chiefs of two respective divisions as well—one a pegasus and the other a unicorn. Then, of course, to his right, Rondache, whose arm was in a cast and eyes narrowed like daggers onto Silver.
"State your name and rank, sailor," instructed one of the master chiefs, tone even.
"Silver Edge, Petty Officer Third Class, sir," he responded without hesitation.
"That's Master Chief to you," groused the higher-ranking pony.
"Y-yes, Master Chief," Silver stuttered and nodded once, his ear briefly losing its perk.
"Petty Officer, you are found guilty of assaulting and injuring your fellow sailor, Petty Officer Third Class Rondache. Do you admit to these charges?" the master chief questioned.
"Yes, Master Chief."
"That's what I would say," his eyes narrowed onto Silver.
"God damn it, Petty Officer, what in the fuck were you thinking?!—"
Shadow raised his hoof, motioning for Silver's chief to restrain himself. He then placed his hooves together, suspended up on elbows, eyeballing the beige unicorn before him carefully. "Petty Officer, I will give you a minute precisely to explain your case before we discuss punishment."
Everypony honed in on the unicorn, studying him as a silence fell upon Shadow's quarters. From off to the side I watched Silver silently sputter in his own mind and stumble over the words before they could come out. Judging by how his ears had begun to lower, it hit me that he was about to lie in order to accept the punishment. Standing in the presence of four superiors hampered his ability to vocalize his defense. But he had my back in that hallway, so here I had his.
"Captain, if I may interject," I rose from my chair. All eyes fixated on me, a powerful sense that had me understanding Silver's reluctance. "As a witness of the incident, I believe it is in my best interest to defend the petty officer."
"Which one, Corporal?" Shadow furrowed an eyebrow.
"Petty Officer Silver Edge," I said, unflinchingly making eye contact with the captain.
He reclined into his chair. "All right, let us hear it."
My mouth parted to speak, but was cut off before I could. "Now, hold on. The corporal has nothing to do with this, sit down!"
Shadow shot a look at Rondache, one that ordered him to stand down. "I recall granting Corporal Star Shooter to speak, not you, Petty Officer." He then nodded at me to continue.
I returned the nod, clearing my throat. "What Petty Officer Silver Edge did was merely out of defense, Captain," noting the beige unicorn dart his eyes over to me in that instance. "He was protecting from an effort by Petty Officer Rondache to nefariously stun me."
"I did not!" Rondache snapped, stomping angrily, only to amass a set of four glares from all of the superiors, as well as Silver and I.
"Do you have any proof to support your accusations, Corporal?" inquired Shadow.
Oh, shit. Other than out of mere memory, which couldn't be tapped regardless, there really was no evidence present, or none that I could think of straightaway. Now my career was on the line, and possibly my freedom, too. I looked over at Silver, watching his face light up and gasp audibly, causing my ears to stand. He had something up his sleeve.
Silver blinked a couple of times, before his horn ignited in a ruby-garnet hue, which caused Rondache to wince and take a step back out of instinct. From his breast pocket, Silver's magic produced a small plastic bag encasing a white cloth, levitating it closer to the seated officers for them to examine it.
As if any misgivings had suddenly vanished, Silver proceeded to continue for me. "Petty Officer Rondache attempted to use this cloth by pressing it to Star's muzzle, Captain, Master Chiefs. From a safe distance I recognized its scent as chloroform, which he doused the cloth in, planning to knock Star unconscious."
From there, I took the helm once more. Now we had a solid defense. "Added to that..." I paused briefly, nose unobtrusively wrinkling. "On our previous deployment, sirs, he performed a similar successful act to sexually assault me in my berthing."
"Holy shit..." Silver mouthed silently, staring at me in utter shock now. Him and the superiors all did, slowly turning toward Rondache, who reared into the wall and was shaking his head in denial.
"Is this true?" the master chief queried, backed by a hardened scowl replacing the appall formerly on his face.
"N-no! Corporal Star Shooter is biased! He has no proof!" Rondache countered.
"Then what the hell is this, Petty Officer?" Shadow stood up, pressing a hoof on the edge of his desk and taking the small bag in the other, sharpening his fix on the patently nervous earth pony. "I would say that is plenty enough proof."
"W-well..." Rondache dashed his eyes around, setting upon Silver. "That doesn't make it justifiable to launch me through five fucking walls!"
The captain's hooves slammed onto the desk surface, rattling it. "So you admit to sexually assaulting Corporal Star Shooter?"
Rondache's mouth snapped shut, muzzle scrunching with wide eyes. He knew there was no return from this point, everypony present could see that realization in his eyes. Taking in a deep breath, Rondache eased his muscles and swiveled his ears. "Yes, Captain."
Equally piercing scowls fixed on the arctic-blue earth stallion. A combined heat permeated the small room with the fury that blazed within the essences of every superior. It melted the ice that his coat and stance comprised of, shedding the innocent guise he exhibited in a now-defeat.
Breaking the silence, the pegasus master chief spoke up to interrogate, "Do you have anything to say for yourself, Petty Officer? Anything?"
Following a quiet moment, Rondache gave a gentle shake of his head. "No, Master Chief."
Shadow's eyes shifted over to the vermilion unicorn master chief, nodding once to him. The magical appendage on his head ignited in a chambré cobalt and took hold of the silver ribbon devices on Rondache's tidily-maintained lapel. With limited energetic output embed into the spell, everypony watched sharply as both patches peeled effortlessly from his uniform, levitated before his very eyes, and evaporating into dust.
Most would expect a far less-collected reaction in response to having one's devices removed, leaving them without rank and essentially discharging them on the spot. However, Rondache kept his composure and allowed it to happen without so much as flinching.
"As of this very moment, you are a civilian aboard this ship. You shall be court-martialed as early as the day after we make port on the 3rd. Is that understood?" Shadow coldly decreed.
"Yes, Captain," answered Rondache, acquiescent of what was now in store for him. The slightest of frowns crossed his muzzle, his eyes briefly darting toward Silver and I. "I will see my way out, Captain."
"That will not be necessary, Rondache. We shelter lovely accommodations for disgusting ponies of your kind." Shadow stood up, looking around him to the sailor stood by the door. Nodding to him, the sailor came up behind Rondache and grabbed his shoulder, beginning to pull him out of Shadow's quarters.
"Wh- hey! Hey! Get your hooves off of me!" Rondache yelped, thrashing around. Another sailor rushed in to help, dragging the broken-hooved stallion out and closing the door behind them. We simply watched from the side, Silver and I both surprised and overall thankful. With my lips, I mouthed inaudibly, "good riddance".
Then, the focus shifted to Silver once more.
"Now, of course, with this information we now understand your reasoning," Shadow began. "That said, neither of you are exempt from punishment."
I exchanged glances with the beige unicorn beside me. The looks we gave each other were their own conversation. I shook my head while Silver nodded his. "Captain," he spoke up, "if I may intervene, I would like to take Corporal Star Shooter's end of the penalty."
"Must I question why, Petty Officer?" Shadow cocked his head, hooves together inches in front of his mouth. The chiefs beside him accompanied his curiosity.
"Because Corporal Star Shooter is innocent, sir." Silver attested, stiffening his posture. "Barring former Petty Officer Rondache's intentions, he was not involved with the incident outside of Berthing 3B. He in no way laid hooves on former Petty Officer Rondache, it was I who picked up and forced him through six bulkheads of five leisure rooms."
Each of the superiors almost seemed individually dumbfounded by Silver's precipitous and stoic intervention, nevertheless they maintained undivided attention to listen to what he had to say.
"I cannot let Corporal Shooter be punished for a crime he did not commit, and I accept what ever justice is deemed necessary," he concluded, unwavering in eye contact with each of the higher-ranking stallions before him.
I threw Silver a look that asked, what the fuck are you doing? Arguably, he was correct; I hadn't touched Rondache, only he did. That doesn't justify it as the best course of action, to take the full brunt of it from Shadow and, likely later on, his chief. It just is not fair. Though, I suppose, that's life.
After an uneasy, minute-long silence, Shadow gestured in acknowledgement, back adjusting to lean forward over his desk, hooves placed together on it. "Very well. We shall discuss your full punishment later. By no means will you be discharged alongside Rondache; however, somebody must make up for the damage caused, and likeliness is your pay will be cut in half, or more. Your chief will inform you when our minds are made."
Silver nodded in affirmation, determined of his choice and pitiless for the possible consequences. It goes without saying that I am greatly indebted to him as of this moment forward, and I harbored immense empathy for the stallion as a result. "Yes, Captain."
The nod was returned by Shadow, who waved his hoof. "You are dismissed, sailor."
"Yes, sir." The two exchanged a short salute, before Silver re-covered and nonchalantly made his way out. Our eyes followed the beige unicorn as he exited the quarters, before Shadow turned to the three chiefs.
"You three, as well. I would like a minute with Corporal Shooter," he uttered. Nodding, the chiefs stood and filed out behind Silver. He waited until the enlisted ranks had left until he and I were alone, concentrating solely on me now and proceeded to ask in an easygoing manner, "So, how are you doing?"
My brow arched faintly, hardly unnoticeable to him at the casual nature of the question. "Could be better, sir," I answered, retaining a short and honest response.
Shadow waved a hoof. "Drop the formality, it's just us two." I conceded, smiling faintly and looking down at my twiddling hooves. "The feelings are mutual, Star. Plenty of stress going around to feed the whole changeling race three times over were that what they consume."
"Right?" I laughed lowly, gently tapping my hooves together. "I think I am handling all right, though."
"I would hope so. The blood on those bandages looks nasty," he remarked, taking note of the discernible patch covering the majority of my forehead.
My eyeballs looked up, even though they were unable to physically catch a glimpse of the gauze pad that was taped on without a mirror. "Yeah."
Shadow bantered affably, "What did you do to earn that patch, Marine?" mustering a chuckle under his grin.
Keep it vague, Star. "I... uh, hit my head on something when I tripped." That'll work.
"On what, a bulkhead?" he again joked, but with a mildly-heartfelt edge to his tone.
I shrugged. "Something like that. I need to change the bandage at some point."
Fourteen hours had passed since that outburst, as well as the incident that followed minutes after. It took me until this morning to persuade myself enough to have the bruising examined when the migraines prolonged. To my relief, it had subsided with the aid of some light painkillers from a little convenience store some corridors down from Shadow's quarters, but, he did not need to know what was going on.
"I am inclined to agree," he started. "Not good if you wind up with an infection on what ever that is covering."
I shook my head, faintly chuckling in agreement. "Heh, not at all."
An indistinct frown then appeared on Shadow's face. "So, what's up? I can see you're bagging something, other than your eyelids."
My gaze lifted, temporarily locking with Shadow's, before I stared off toward the wall, shaking my head. "Just concerned about those ships, worried about Silver. It's a deadly concoction of the two. But I can tell above all else that Silver is not dealing too well."
Shadow nodded in recognition, placing both hooves on his desk, stretching his back and shoulders to ease the strain in them from sitting in one spot for a time. "I noticed that, too. Like Arc told me, the posture tells you everything," he commented, standing up and stepping up to the porthole and looking out to the waves placidly bobbing below it, unmoving by the ship's discernible lack of motion through the water.
"The colt received the training of a Marine and became a sailor instead. On a personal level I agree with his decision to make the switch, but he has entered a whole different ball game from what it used to be for him. It won't be easy for him one bit, that's why those who pick their branches tend to stick with them. He's gotta learn new morals, new rules, a new way of life, and get comfortable with all new ponies." He looked right at me. "That right there is a culture shock."
"I presume he knew in advance what he is going up against. Silver is a smart stallion. If he had any inkling of what he'd gotten himself into from the start, surely he saw this coming. I hope so, at least," I muttered at the end.
"He is lucky to have slipped into the Marines when he did. Had it been vice versa and he were switching to the Marines, he would be in basic all over again as we speak. You ponies have a tougher training regiment than the Navy does, and a far different demeanor. The Marines wouldn't let him make the transfer without preparing him."
"Yeah," I agreed, "That is true," stare lowering to the floor and releasing a shallow sigh. "Just wish I didn't overlook it back then. He would have been a proud sailor from the start, and... he would not have gone through what he did back in December."
Shadow nodded again, this time in concurrence. "I think we all lost a piece of our selves that day, Star. We couldn't get much done in terms of combat other than instruct some jets that flew in from their station out west. I caught wind of you missing in action and went in with the lieutenant to track you down and bring you home. T'was a bit of a surprise to me when you declined and ran toward the fight again."
Once more, a small smile crept across my muzzle. "You know us Marines. First to the fight, last to leave. Can't hold that title and be proud of myself knowing I ran away from the chaos."
The greenish-grey stallion descended into his office chair, repaying a genuine simper. "You live by that standard quite well, I must say."
"Thank you." I nodded. Then, my earnest smile curled into a frown. "May I ask you something?"
He nodded his head yes. "Of course, Star. You can ask me anything as a friend of mine," gesturing and cordially smiling.
"Not as a friend, Shadow," I asserted.
The stallion then blinked, puzzled. "What is it, then? Work related?"
I nodded slowly. For a couple of moments I stared at him questionably. "Are you comfortable with me as your radarpony?"
His head cocked, expression further collecting with bewilderment. "Of course. You fill the position quite nicely, actually. Very rarely do Marines perform the duties of a sailor, you know that already."
"But is it within Navy regulations?" I continued the query, doubtful in my attitude.
"Come again?"
I yielded him a somewhat grave look. "If you assigned me this rate simply for a friend favor and not based on actual guidelines and regulations, I would like to retract my agreement."
His eyes narrowed, attempting to piece together what I meant on his own. "Do you not enjoy your rate?"
"Negative. In fact, I really could not have asked for a more laid-back rate."
"Then what it is it you are attempting to convey?" he asked, perplexed once more.
"I feel as though this job is not for somepony like myself. Not because I do not enjoy it, but for the fact that I am a Marine performing the duties of a pony from another branch beyond my jurisdiction."
Shadow's brow arched in bemusement, assuming this meant something else. "Star, are you quitting on me?"
I shook my head. "No, Shadow, but something to me just does not feel right about this. Believe me, I am grateful to know you beforehand and you reserve this job for me, I really am, but there is bound to be backlash from your superiors."
"My superiors are in Canterlot, Star, and the respective duties of my entire crew are quite honestly none of their business unless they do something wrong or something happens to my ship. That is why Arc Nobis was my Marine-boatswain, so to speak." Shadow reclined, sighing. "It doesn't feel right."
I knew he would agree at some point. "You see how I feel?"
"Not that. I meant not having the second lieutenant along with us. Our previous deployment marked the first he could not come due to reasons above your pay grade. It feels even less right knowing he is under house arrest now."
I could see now that he grew uncomfortable and decided to switch the topic abruptly. "I understand. And you are right. Frankly, learning it to be him that night had me all sorts of screwed up."
"Of course it did. You went virtually face to face with him, Star. He could have killed you if it weren't for your fast thinking."
"Thank you, but... I wouldn't precisely call that reassuring," I looked up slowly to face him. "Shadow, why did he snap that evening? Did it have something to do with him being allocated to shore-side?"
"Where did you hear that?" his tone took a grim edge to it.
"Nowhere in particular. But it is a question Lemoore and I are asking, if it is something that is not strictly classified and does not affect our trades in any manner."
Shadow narrowed his eyes, then straightened his spine. "There was an incident that involved him four years ago, a bad one. It occurred on a covert mission in Foscovia under the cover of night, and around then he was fairly new in his rank to the Lunar Marine Corps. I'm afraid I don't have all of the details behind it, but... what I do know is, it fucked with Nobis beyond repair."
"Is that why he went rogue that night?" I gawked, now with wide-eyes of curiosity. The pieces were falling into place a month after the fact.
He affirmed slowly. "I assume so. You see, he suffers from multiple personality disorder. He's kept a clean slate for some time, up until recently as we both understand. He has some control over his mind, although..." Shadow trailed off, pausing for a few moments. "He cannot tolerate the total dark. Not while awake, anyhow, or else his alt-persona shows; a cold-blooded, murderous entity with a lust for death to anyone in his sights because it sees everypony as an enemy."
"The concept as well as him is fairly unpredictable. Although, I am positive it was not the Nobis I call my friend who spilled all that blood. He wouldn't unless he is absolutely forced to, and even then he must restrain himself to prevent it from taking over." He glanced off to the left, shaking his head slowly. "But the blackout triggered it."
"You know, all the justice department has to do is dig deeper, and they will have reason to reinstate his original sentence."
"Execution?" I blinked. The nod received was slow and somber.
"Or life in prison. Knowing him he might spill the beans just to let it happen. That way he won't be putting any ponies' lives in danger. Of course, they will probably label him delusional and simply extend his current sentence," an exhale rolled out of his nose. "When we make port, I'll try and check on him if I am allowed."
I concurred. "That sounds like a good idea. Will they let you?"
"I would hope so," he chuckled, "I may be a captain, but that ain't shit off-base."
Shrugging, I grinned. "You never know."
Shadow gently rocked in his chair. "Hah! I wish."
For a minute or so, the two of us just glanced around in silence. My hooves fidgeted quietly while I focused on them, neglecting to notice him glance in my direction, a frown once more pursing his mouth. He said suddenly, "Star, I have not been telling the whole truth about why we are out here."
My gaze lifted rather quickly, locking with his. "Huh?"
Just then, before he could respond, the door swiveled open, and Shadow shifted his attention toward it. From my angle, I couldn't see who it was until he came to a halt before the desk, where he clicked his hooves together and stiffened at attention. He reached up to remove his cover.
"Senior Chief," Shadow said. "At ease."
"Captain." Tacimo dipped his head slightly in a half-nod, relaxing his posture, cover held over his chest. He glanced over in my direction, blinking once. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting anything?"
Shadow shook his head, as did I. He kind of was, but I chose to let it slide. "Not at all. What do you need?"
The senior chief grew notably tense at that moment. He went silent, before he reached up to the lapel of his uniform and fumbled gently for a couple of long seconds, before...
RIP
Tacimo's hoof gently slapped onto the wooden surface, pulling it off, revealing to have torn off his gold anchor devices. Shadow's eyes grew wide as saucers, lifting his gaze to meet the senior chief's.
"As soon as we get back to port, Captain, I quit," Tacimo declared, tone dead with seriousness and eyes narrowly fixated on the captain opposite of him. "I'm sorry, skip."
Shadow's focus shifted between Tacimo and his devices, now placed atop the spotless surface nearer Tacimo's side of the desk. A look of confoundment dominated Shadow's mien, and his jaw hung slack. His tongue staggered over words that never articulated in time before the now-former senior chief gave one final, tearful salute, then turned and advanced to the door, closing it slowly and quietly in his wake.
Having propped himself up from his chair without completely standing up, Shadow descended, taking some pressure with his hooves off of the edge of his desk when he lolled back, rocking ever so gently with a hoof pressed to his chin in a muse.
First, one of his sailors is to be court-martialed, followed by Silver accepting full punishment for his injury, and now the senior chief turned over his devices. I cannot imagine the turmoil going through Shadow's head right about now.
While he zoned out in silence off at the far wall, I calmly got up from my seat. I figured in that very instance that he needed some time alone to process all that is happening at once. Without bothering him, I showed myself out to leave him to his thoughts.