//------------------------------// // Promotion // Story: A Just Cause // by GJT_Productions //------------------------------// "All presented and accounted for?" "Sir, yes sir!" "At attention for the morning briefing!" "Sir, yes sir!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The shouts of the assembled members of the E.U.P. Guard squads boomed across an arid plain touched by a recently-risen sun, causing the ex-Hornpoint prisoners to shrink back further against the rock behind them. The semi-circular nature of the rock prevented the unicorn prisoners from easily sneaking out behind the assembled Guard members that were about to be addressed by their commander, Lieutenant Captain Shining Armor. On the left, the column lead by Lieutenant Vanguard was lined up from highest seniority to lowest, while on the right was Guard Upper Classes Excelsior and Flash Sentry side-by-side, the only two left of Lieutenant Vigil's column which had been mostly killed off in an ambush while scouting the previous night. "Let's get right to business, we have a full day ahead of us." Shining Armor addresses. "As you may be aware, last night Lieutenant Vanguard brought up a concern about the prisoner management hampering our ability to continue this operation, particularly in the light of the loss of Lieutenant Vigil and most of his squadron. However, I am not about to return to Canterlot without Troilus or Prince Blueblood, nor am I intending to order Lieutenant Vanguard to shepherd the prisoners back to Canterlot on his own. I have a different idea in mind." Shining Armor pauses long enough to let his words sink in, causing a bit of a buzz in the prisoners in the back, before continuing: "I am about to do something unprecedented in the long history of the E.U.P. Guard. Griffons have served in the Guard before, but never above the rank of Upper Class. Today, that is going to change. I am giving Guard Upper Class Excelsior a field commission as a Lieutenant, for the duration of this mission, specifically to manage the prisoners we have in our custody." The prisoners in question begin buzzing intensely, and even the assembled Guards begin exchanging looks at both each other and the stunned griffon Excelsior, who is left completely flabbergasted by what has just happened. Shining Armor gives a warning stamp of both forehooves together on the ground, which prompts the return of the group to an at-attention stance. "That being said, there is another thing I need to do. Please move aside so that I can speak to the prisoners directly." Shining Armor adds. The group, not exactly sure of what else to do, does as commanded, Lieutenant Vanguard's squad to one side and Excelsior with Flash Sentry to the other... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shining Armor steps between them, the prisoners again shrinking back as he approaches. Petronius, now officially stripped of his Guard Lower Class ranking but still considered the leader of the Hornpoint survivors, attempts to stand up as the representative of the group. Shining can see the haunting shame and mortification in the eyes still - perhaps Petronius was deceived as much as the rest of the prisoners, and he should not be punished as harshly as Troilus will be? "What is it you want of us... sir?" Petronius asks cautiously, acting as if he was compelled to speak for the other prisoners. "You and the others will be under the command of the griffon, as civilians. That is not to be objected or argued about, Petronius." Shining Armor answers, stopping in front of the former subordinate as he does so. "But you and the other prisoners can be useful as sources of labor. I am acting on behalf of the alicorns - mercy is what they would want me to give, and if you are cooperative for the rest of this mission maybe Princess Celestia can be persuaded to spare your lives when we return to Canterlot. Is that understood?" "Ye... yes, sir. We understand... sir." Petronius replies, uneasily looking back and forth between the glaring Shining Armor and the other prisoners huddled behind him. He, and in fact all the prisoners, knew they were not going to get better terms from Shining than had what just been offered. "Very good. Lieutenant Vanguard, beside me please!" Shining Armor barks out, and the unicorn Lieutenant rushes up beside his commander mere moments later. "Yes, sir?" Vanguard naturally asks. "I would like you to help Excelsior take our spare rope and help form the prisoners into a chain-gang." Shining Armor orders. "Horn rings are to remain on the prisoners unless I explicitly approve a request to remove them. Understood?" "Yes, sir." Vanguard answers with a salute. "We'll take the prisoners with us as spare labor. As soon as the chain-gang is formed, we will cautiously proceed north toward Fort Beta." "Yes, sir." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Working together, Lieutenant Vanguard and Acting Lieutenant Excelsior were able to improvise a chain connection for the prisoners by tying lengths of rope between prisoners, going as a loop around the body of one prisoner to one of the forelegs of the prisoner behind them. The head of the line was the ex-Guard Petronius, who would march directly behind Excelsior and Flash Sentry on the trip north. The group proceeds north cautiously under the rising sun once the chain gang is completed, Shining Armor again at the head of the formation, constantly on the lookout for pegasi flying above that could be acting as rebel spies. Still, the lack of smoke coming from the north suggests the rebels are not there now, regardless of whatever happened the previous night. The damaged Fort Beta appears on the horizon, its stone walls cracked and weathered due to exposure to the elements. Shining Armor notes there are no wisps of smoke or flags flying from that direction, or any other signs of occupation for that matter. He was still puzzling over the sight of the fort when a pony prisoner spots what seems to be a dead pegasus in a shallow crater just off the rugged path. "Halt. Vanguard, come with me." Shining Armor orders, stopping the march and quickly peeling off in the direction of the crater. Vanguard has to move double-time to catch up with his commanding officer. Shining Armor stops at the edge of the crater, confirming that one of Lieutenant Vigil's former squad members is lying dead inside. Medium-sized cracks radiate away from the edge of the crater, but Shining is surprised by the lack of gore or bleeding around the dead body. "It doesn't look like he was dive-bombed, sir." Lieutenant Vanguard comments in a puzzled tone. "Based on the shape of the crater and lack of gory stuff, sir, they look like giant rocks were dropped on top of them." "That doesn't make any sense, Lieutenant!" Shining Armor immediately counters. "Where would the rebels find the labor to carry those rocks, never mind using them effectively like this?! Nothing about what we're seeing here makes any sense!" "Maybe so, sir, but I fully expect there to be more craters around if we were to scout out the area." Vanguard suggests. "And I recommend we do that before we proceed on, even at risk of our activity being discovered." Shining Armor had to admit the Lieutenant had a point - honor, if nothing else, dictated that the dead of Lieutenant Vigil and his squad needed to be accounted for and buried with appropriate respect. He realized though, it would take through lunch and much of the afternoon to accomplish this process, and that another day might be lost in hunting for Prince Blueblood and Troilus. "Lieutenant, pair up one of your squad members with the prisoners under Excelsior. We'll search the immediate area in pairs, then bury any dead we find." Shining Armor orders, starting back toward the rugged northward path as he does so. "Yes, sir!" Vanguard answers, starting to follow his commanding officer back as he does so... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upon returning to the main line, Lieutenant Vanguard immediately begins implementing Shining Armor's orders, temporarily undoing the chaining by untying the knots of the ropes between each prisoner without removing the rope around the body. He then began assigning partners to scout in one direction for a quarter-mile, reporting back upon discovery of any body or suspicious cratering. The sun is near the peak of its ascent when the partners begin spreading out in their assigned directions. Left alone on the open plain, Shining Armor set up a shield bubble around himself - both to protect from surprise attacks and provide a point of reference for the search parties - and takes a light lunch as the scouting partners begin their work. He is grateful for the fact that much of Vanguard's command are personal friends of his - Gaffer, 8-Bit, Spearhead and Buck Withers - and even those that weren't had given no reason to not be untrustworthy. "Friendship. Amicitia. That's what's holding everything together, what will keep this society together." Shining Armor affirms to himself. The group lead by his sister Twilight Sparkle was a sterling example of what society could be, but it did not yet have the "weight" to fight against the "confusio" magic itself. So, he knew, he and his own friends had to do that fighting themselves...