//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5 
// Story: From Allies to Enemies: The Best Medicine for an Abrupt Invasion (FAtE) 
// by DaBeejees 
//------------------------------//

	Three days after the Princess' speech, recruiting officially began. I swear, if it weren't for the Griffonite Empire's religious code of honor, we'd already be done for; they're actually just camping outside of the border until we have an army ready! Personally, I'm definitely one who follows a strict code of honor, but this is pushing it!!! *Sigh* Well anyway, we were surprised that on the very first day we had an overwhelming turn-out, including a number of our friends from around Equestria, some of whom we instantly gave higher ranks (as well as some other ponies we were impressed with), but only those who we had unanimously voted to do so, based upon their performance during the recruiting tryouts, as well as how well we believed would function as leaders:

--1st Lieutenant (1LT/1st Lt.) Macintosh Apple

--1st Lieutenant (1LT/1st Lt.) Redheart

--1st Lieutenant (1LT/1st Lt.) Spitfire

--2nd Lieutenant (2LT/2nd Lt.) Soarin'

--1st Lieutenant (1LT/1st Lt.) Lyra

--1st Lieutenant (1LT/1st Lt.) Bon Bon

--2nd Lieutenant (2LT/2nd Lt.) Derpy Hooves

--Chief Warrant Officer 5 (CW5/Chief Warrant Officer 5/"Chief") Gilda

A/N: Warrant Officers are unique, and the only thing you really have to know for the purposes of this story -- at least at this point -- is that they're specialist officers.

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Gilda -- despite being a griffon herself -- had vowed to protect Equestria -- where she had been born and raised. She was given the her rank and became the only other individual -- besides myself -- in my corps when we were given the all-clear by Col. Sparkle after she had performed numerous mind-reading spells on her, and finding nothing suspicious.

Even though Gilda was so far the only other...well, 'pony', I guess, in my corps, it was determined that my corps would work often with Maj. Pie's', primarily because we felt that I would often need to request the services of her Specialist forces, so instead of doing recruiting for my corps -- since my corps is somewhat 'specialist' itself, and thus doesn't simply recruit anypony -- Chief Gilda and I were assigned to assist Maj. Pie with hers, as well as become familiar with her subordinates, as we would be in a lot of contact with them, as well.

Chief Gilda and I were sitting off to the side as Maj. Pie was addressing her newest recruits, setting the stage before she would be passing them off to me, so I could talk to them about my corps, how the two would be working together, etc., while Maj. Pie would then move on to start addressing the next group of recruits.

"Alrighties, privaties! My name is Major Pinkie Pie, but you will refer to me as either Major, Major Pie, or m'am!..."

"Chief, nudge me when we're up." I said, closing my eyes as I did.

Chief Gilda chuckled. "Zonin' her out, sir?"

I open a lone eye to look at her. "I was actually going to think over what I'm going to be saying, but that's a valid point as well."

Before I could even close my eye again, Chief Gilda nudged me. "Sir..."

I groan as I stand up. "Didn't take 'er long, did it?"

Chief Gilda chuckled again. "Not at all, sir."

When I first looked at the regiment of recruits after I had made my way to the front, I noticed that a good number of them each had a hoof raised...

I let out a deep sigh before I began addressing them. "Really? I just got up here and at least half of you already have questions?"

"Sir, I would believe that they're about me."

"It would make sense, but we can't jump to any conclusions. Would you like me to ask them?"

"Yes sir."

I nod and take a couple steps forward. "Alright, before I even introduce myself, if you have a question not regarding Chief Warrant Officer Gilda here, keep your hoof up."

I turn and look back behind me when I saw every hoof go down. "Good call, Chief. Would you like to take it?"

"Absolutely, sir." Chief Gilda responded as we switched places.

"Alright. As you heard my superior officer say, I'm Chief Warrant Officer Gilda, but you can refer to me either as m'am, Chief -- which for some reason is often used to refer to all Warrant Officers, such as myself -- or Chief Gilda. Also, you could also probably tell that I'm a griffon. You might be thinking, 'aren't we supposed to be fighting the griffons?' Well, that is not the case -- this war is against the Griffonite Empire, not against griffons in general. As for myself, Equestria is my home; I was born and raised here, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Even if my 'homeland' is the Griffonite Empire, that doesn't make it my actual home. Again, my home is Equestria, which is why I'm fighting to protect it. Sir?"

I walked up to join Chief Gilda. "You memorize that, Chief?"

"Damn right I did, sir."

I laugh as I turn back to adress the recruits again. "Now, I would actually like to quickly emphasize one of the points that Chief Gilda made: this war is against the Griffonite Empire, not griffons as a whole. I would like you all to remember that. Moving on, I believe that it's finally about time I introduce myself. I am Lieutenant Colonel Briar, and you may call me a variety of things, including 'Lute,' 'Lutie,' 'Luke,' 'Kernie,' or any other witty nickname you can derive from 'Lieutenant Colonel', as I honestly don't give a damn. However, it might be simpler just to call me 'sir'." 

I heard a number of laughs from the recruits. 

"Okay, good, some of you did laugh. Anyway, as you might have heard during the Princess' speech several days ago, I also have a 'Combat-Brevet' of Brigadier General. What does that mean? Well, let me break it down. A 'brevet' is a temporary promotion to a higher rank, which usually given when an officer needs to be of a higher rank for a particular operation, and the like. Thus, a 'Combat-Brevet', is a brevet given whenever combat is involved."

I take some time to take a quick breather, before continuing. 

"To sum it all up, whenever any combat occurs -- with the enemy, that is -- my rank is automatically brevetted from Lieutenant Colonel to Brigadier General, thus making me the highest-ranking officer in the field. Outside of combat, I only have to answer to my lone superior, Col. Sparkle, with the exception of the Princesses, of course." 

I let out a deep sigh, resulting in a couple chuckles from the recruits. 

"If you think this was bad, I have to do this several more times after all of you."

More laughs.

"Moving on, I would like to talk about what I'm here to talk to you all about in the first place. I would like to talk to you about how my corps -- the Tactical Operations and Stategic Warfare Corps -- will be directly working with Maj. Pie's Special Forces Division of her Light Infantry and Special Forces Corps, especially the Scout Brigade, which by the way is led by Chief Warrant Officer Gilda. The reason why we're working with the Special Forces Division is because...well, for tactical and strategic reasons."

Laughs again.

"Well, that and perhaps the fact that Chief Gilda and I are so far the only ones in the Tactical Operations and Strategic Warfare Corps, and we might feel a bit lonely at times."

More laughs, and then a short awkward silence, before Chief Gilda broke it with a question to me.

"Sir? Is that really all?"

"Surprisingly, but fortunately, yes, it is; we do have to do this several more times, remember?"

Yet more laughs; I was really glad that these recruits were letting humor get to them, as I had feared that many of them wouldn't.

"Oh, and here comes Maj. Pie."

Maj. Pie made her way onto the makeshift stage we had been on, and I started and ended our salute. I then greeted her loud enough for the recruits to hear.

"Thank Celestia you're the Element of Laughter, Maj. Pie. If you weren't, I doubt that I would have gotten any of the laughs I got from your recruits, even the ones that were at actual jokes!"

Many more laughs from the recruits, and Maj. Pie smiled widely. "I've trained them well, sir!"

Maj. Pie then turned back to her recruits and ordered them to follow 1st Lt. Bon Bon, while Chief Gilda and I made our ways back off the stage to wait to do all of this over again with Maj. Pie's next batch of recruits.