//------------------------------//
// Terrorists 
// Story: Welcome to the Frontier 
// by Sleep Sonata 
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	My head felt like it was about to explode. I tried to open my eyes, but that just made the pain unbearable. When I finally forced myself to look around, my vision was still to blurry to make out anything but outlines of objects, and even then I couldn’t tell what was what. I tried to move my hooves to rub my head, but I couldn’t get them to budge more than an inch. It was then I felt the ropes, and realized I was bound.
The shock of my situation jolted awake. I was captured by the Militia! This was bad. They knew I was a pilot, the jump kit was a dead give away. They weren’t going to be nice when it came to interrogating me. But I was just a trainee, I didn’t know anything that they didn’t. Maybe they wouldn’t even bother interrogating me.
I panicked. I had to escape, get out of these restraints. I tried to wiggle my body to loosen the knots, but then a horrendous pain erupted from my leg. I’d forgotten in my distress that I had been shot. Even if I was somehow able to break free, I wouldn’t get very far.
As I struggled in vain, I heard the high pitched creak of a steel door opening, and a light came in through the doorway. When the lights came on, I was able to get a better look at the room I was in. Its was a filthy sty of a room. There was a single incandescent bulb hanging over a metal table, which sat directly in front of me. There was another chair opposite me, supposedly for whoever had just stepped in. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something else against the wall; a tub.
Before I could examine my surroundings anymore, a mare in a Militia ‘uniform’ sat down in front of me. She was of a gruff, but slender build, no taller than myself. Her coat was beige, contrasting the jet black mane which hung to her left. “Hurts, doesn’t it?” I could only let out a grunt as I struggled to make myself comfortable in by restraints. I wasn’t going anywhere, so I might as well settle down.
“The IMC launched an assault on an independent village yesterday. Why?”
“Assault?”
“Hm. Well you can’t exactly deny being there. There was an entire division sent into that village, along with your squad of pilots. The inhabitants would’ve all been wiped out had we not intervened. What I want know, and what would be in your best interest to tell me, is why the IMC attacked to begin with.”
At this point, I was actually confused. We were just doing a training mission at an outpost, plain and simple. We weren’t attacking anyone, certainly not civilians. “What the hell are you talking about? That wasn’t a village.”
Without warning, the mare lifted the table up, and threw it to my right, slamming it against the wall. She grabbed by wounded leg, and began to squeeze until it bled through the bandages. I cried out, but her expression did not change. “I don’t think you understood me. Why did the IMC attack that village. What interests did they have there?”
I kept screaming until I felt her grip loosen enough for me to be coherent, but I still wouldn’t change my answer. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about! That was a training outpost!” Obviously that was the wrong answer. She grabbed me by the mane, and hauled me over to the tub I’d noticed before. She forced my head down into the tub, which I’d only just realized was full of water. In my panic, I tried to breath in, only to get a lung full of fluid. After a few seconds, she hoisted me out of the tub, as I gasped for air. 
“Why did you attack the village!”
I didn’t even get to respond before she shoved me back into the tub. She held me under for a lot long, to the point where I began to run out of breath. “Quit lying! That village had no military significance. Why did you bastards attack it!”
“That’s enough Amber!” I turned to the door, and saw another mare in uniform. “You are dismissed.” The pony that had been drowning me threw my head down towards the tub, and walked swiftly out of the room, saluting this new pony as she left. “Please forgive Lieutenant Streak. She has somewhat of a bias towards the IMC.”
I didn’t know how to react to her. Her tone seemed…friendly. I wasn’t going to fall for this good cop, bad cop crap. I was still not going to say a word. She put me back in my chair, repositioned the table, and sat down across from me. Her blue coat and blonde mane matched her more calm demeanor.
“You said that that wasn’t a village, but a training outpost. Is that what you were told?” This shocked me even more that the water boarding did. Did she believe me? “That village was an independent settlement. The inhabitants didn’t even want us hanging around there. I guess that changed after yesterday. Tell me though, why did you go to that village, or outpost?”
I answered. What did I have to lose? “It was a training mission. We thought it was a training outpost. We were supposed to get some hard drive and get out. But it was supposed to be simulated with spectres.”
This revelation seemed to surprise my interrogator. “Training mission? You haven’t been commissioned as pilots?”
“No. My squad just got here from the core. This was our second mission.”
She simply stared aghast at me. I stared back at her. I finally started to wonder, “You said this place was attacked?”
“By a spectre division, yes, along with your squad. We got there in time to evacuate the village.”
“I think our commanders would’ve told us if we were actually going into combat.”
“Well obviously they didn’t.” Her tone came across as rather condescending. “I guess we’re done with our interrogation for today. You’ll be kept here until we can transfer you somewhere from our front lines.”
“Why are you telling me this?” I was a little weirded out as to why I was being treated so fairly. I’d always heard that the militia would extract any info they could from pilots, then execute them. “I don’t have anything else to give you.”
“We’re not the savages your employer would have you believe.” She replied with a chuckle. “What reason would have to kill you?”
“So that I don’t kill you?” It seemed like the obvious answer.
“Share with me exactly how you plan to do that in your present condition.” With a bullet wound to one of my legs, she had a point. I was pretty useless as a soldier. “Uh huh. You see, the militia exists because the IMC doesn’t value individual life. Why would we exist if we were exactly like them?”
“Well, I’m not going to argue with being alive.” Now I was beginning to sound more jovial, until I winced in pain once more. She seemed to notice this.
“Actually, you should be sent to the infirmary. They’ll get you new bandages. Gangrene is the last thing we need around here.” As she stood up to leave, I finally noticed the dog tags hanging from her neck. The Militia couldn’t possible have the resources to issue those to everyone. I thought about calling out to ask about them, but she had departed, and two more ponies came into the room with a gurney. After strapping me in, I was carried out of the room. Apparently they didn’t trust me as much as that other mare did.
Then it hit me, I never found out who she was.





For a field hospital, the militia made it seem especially permanent. The beds were actual beds, not cots, and the curtains were actually made into the ceiling. Not only were the amenities above par, but I could tell they had a substantial blood bank near there, and any drugs they’d need for emergency operations. With facilities like this, it was no wonder we never seemed to be able to kill them.
I was the only one in the ward that I could tell. I didn’t hear any pony else talking or moving around except for the nurses. Listening was all I could do at that point; they’d strapped me down to the bed and drew the curtains around me. There wasn’t really much to look at other than the ceiling.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the curtains being drawn open. I lifted my head to see who it was, and it was the pony who was initially interrogating me. “Come back to finish your water boarding?”
“I wish. But Corona said you have nothing left to tell us. Not quite sure if I believe that, but I’ll go among with her.” That must’ve been the other pony who interrogated me. “Names Amber Streak. I didn’t stick around to listen, so I want to hear from you exactly why you did attack that village.”
She wasn’t as aggressive this time. I thought it would be worth repeating my story to her. “It was just a training mission for us.”
“Is it standard IMC training to kill civilians?”
“No! We were told it was a deserted outpost. We were only supposed to fight Spectres.” Rather than bash my head against the wall, Amber just looked away, trying to piece together our stories. “Huh. So you’re not even a commissioned pilot yet?”
“No.”
“I just don’t get it. There were civilians there. We evacuated all of them. I knew the IMC were aggressive, but that’s a new low.” That comment kind of hit me a little personally.
“Hey! I would never kill any pony who didn’t deserve it. I don’t want to see the frontier plague by vigilantism and terrorists.” Apparently I’d returned the feeling in kind.
“I’d rather be die free than live a slave to some corporate boss from the core. How can you live that way?” It seemed rather strange to ask me that. Life in the core was nice. Sure we had limits to what we could do, but it was so everyone could be safe.
“I’d rather not die to some random raid than live in squalor. How can you live this way, waging war all the time?”
“You think we enjoy fighting you? I’d rather be at home with my brothers, just making a living on a farm.”
It seemed an easy enough choice. “So go do it.”
“My brothers are dead. They were killed by the IMC for not selling our crop.” I’d never heard of anything like that happening. I couldn’t think of anything to say to her. “That’s why I can’t.” 
“I’d never heard of anything like that happening. I can’t think of anyone I know actually killing for food.”
“Well, what do you think they send you out here for? All the IMC wants is whatever’s in the ground.” Where was she getting her ideas? I had to defend myself.
“We’re here to protect the frontier and keep the peace. I can’t believe you’d think so little of us, after all we’ve done to keep this place safe.” I expected her to snap back with some angry retort, but she look back at me quizzically. 
“Really? Is that what you think?” Well, yes. It is, and I nodded to confirm it. Amber didn’t say anything after that. She simply walked out of the infirmary, leaving me alone to think on the conversation I’d just had. I couldn’t believe she had such a low opinion of the entity that gave this place any semblance of order. Then again, she’d lost her family to the IMC, but I still had a hard time believing that. I couldn’t imagine a situation when any respectable soldier would do something so cruel. That’s not what we were out here for. 
I decided to take a nap and think on it later. I still wasn’t sure if they’d execute me or not, so a little rest couldn’t possible hurt.