//------------------------------// // Thunder Run // Story: The Abduction of Luna // by 97xxfastbike //------------------------------// The smug look on his Lieutenant’s face caused Thunder to jerk his hoof to a stop like it had reached the abrupt end of a tether. His was just short of making contact with his immediate officer’s chin. It was only then that Corporal Thunder Run realized that Lt. Catapract had been deliberately provoking him. And he had come so close to falling for the trap! “As I was, Sir.” Thunder lowered himself back down to the ground, but refused to lower his fierce glare. Everything that had annoyed him this past week, he now realized was all done to make him lose his temper and assault an officer. Every mindless detail, every order and counter-order, every oblique comment. They were all designed to goad him into doing exactly what he had almost done. Fortunately, he had figured out Cataphract’s intentions in the final second, and having done so, he had also saved his career. Now he just had to regain his EUP military bearing. “I’ll consider your recommendations and I’ll have this area cleared by tomorrow, Sir.” “Oh, I wouldn't worry about that detail now.” The voice came from behind, startling him. It was Lt. Brier, and he walked out of the shadows and into the lone lighted area of the storage hangar with him and Cataphract. “Corporal Run, I’m placing you under arrest for assaulting an officer.” Brier said, wearing the same Machiavellian grin as Cataphract. “What? You can’t, I never touched him!” Thunder protested. “Yes you did, Corporal. You hoofed me right in the face, on my left cheek. Lt. Brier, luckily, happened to walk in just in time to see it and to pry you off of me before you could follow up with another blow.” Cataphract said with a nod to the other officer, “Isn’t that correct, Lieutenant?” “Yes, that’s exactly what I saw, He came up and hit you just like this.” Brier reared and threw a right cross to Cataphract’s left cheek, knocking him to the floor. Thunder stared in shock, agape at what he had just witnessed. Brier whipped around to face Thunder, his face twisted in hate. “This is what happens to non-coms who make a point of embarrassing their immediate officers, Corporal! Nopony is going to believe your story. You are already convicted, and you are already dishonorably discharged!” Thunder felt his blood boil. “You two would sink to perjury to get rid of a lowly non-com? Am I that much of a threat to your ego? You two are truly pathetic! If you had learned how to properly word an order, I couldn't have taken the actions I did to have your Quonset hut scrapped and recycled. And I didn't try to embarrass Lt. Cataphract, I just stepped out of the way so he could do it himself. You are your own worst enemy. I’m just the mirror that shows you your ugly face, warts and all!” Brier’s hooves closed on Thunder’s throat. “You little prick! You keep talking and you aren't going to the brig, you’re gonna go to the infirmary and face the additional charge of resisting arrest!” A door slammed open, echoing loudly through the dark hanger. “Hello? This is Equestrian Enforcer Sergeant Waters, I’m responding to a call about an assault.” At the sound of the EUP policeman’s arrival, Brier let go of Thunder and began to help Cataphract stand - rather unsteadily - to his hooves. “Yes! Over here, Sergeant! I witnessed Corporal Run here assault Lieutenant Cataphract and I detained him and then placed the call for help.” “That’s a lie! I never touched him!” Thunder was immediately seized by the EUP Enforcers and dragged away. Lieutenants Cataphract and Brier stood under that solitary tent of light created by the solitary light fixture and laughed a maniacal laugh that built upon itself and surrounded him as he was pulled further and further into the blackness. “None of it is true! They planned this to get rid of me. I never touched either of them!” Thunder next felt himself hurled like a Frisbee. He plummeted, flailing his legs and falling despite his wings furiously beating the air to counter his descent. He was being sucked into an abyss that he had no hope of escaping. “Help!” was all he could scream now as he continued to fall, “Help me!” He screamed again as he tumbled. The ground suddenly came into view, but he hit it before he could even draw his next breath. Thunder jolted awake with his heart racing in his chest. He felt anew all the righteous indignation that had coursed through him at the injustice he had suffered at his arrest and trial. Now, as then, he craved retaliation like a suffocating pony craves air. He looked over at Luna, who was lying on her belly with all her limbs under her, and illuminated by a cone of indigo light from her horn. There was a similarity to how she looked right now and to those Lieutenants in his dream that he hated, relaxed and contented under a lonely glow. He wanted answers. And now, he was willing to risk everything to get the information he desired. He stood and walked up to Luna. “Are you comfortable, your Highness?” “We are as comfortable as our circumstances allow.” Luna said without facing him. “Anything I can get you?” He whispered through clenched teeth. “We would like our water bucket refilled, if you would be so inclined.” Luna managed to sound noble in spite of her helplessness. She made it sound like he was serving her willingly, and she wasn't dependent on him at all. “I’m not your servant, Princess,” He sneered at her stoicism. If only she was an earth pony, like those two lying jerk lieutenants. He would love to yank her chains and make her scream in pain. But he wouldn't. No winged pony had ever knowingly wronged him. Or had they? Luna remained silent and still. If she had been on her own bed in the Palace, He couldn't imagine her looking any different. Even though he knew he was exposing himself, he decided to discover for certain whether or not Luna had been responsible for his appeal’s rejection. “Did you have any part in the review of appeals from the EUP military courts, Princess?” He asked. “We did indeed,” Luna responded, “but inquiries about a specific case will reveal your identity.” “So what? I don’t care. Go chase after Corporal Thunder Run all you want after we let you go. I just want to know if all the stuff he said about being framed was true.” Thunder hoped that his cavalier treatment of his real identity might cause her to doubt his very real connection. After all, he could be intimately familiar with the case and trying to place blame. How would she know any differently? “So you want to know about Lieutenants Cataphract and Brier verses Corporal Run. Charges were one count of assault on an officer and… three counts of conduct unbecoming. The counter-charge filed by Corporal Run was conspiracy.” Luna finally turned her head to acknowledge her inquisitor. “Have I recalled that correctly?” “Yeah, that sounds about right.” Thunder responded after a pause like he had to recall the information himself. Luna smiled. “What is it you wish to know?” Luna’s smile wasn't missed by Thunder. He shuddered with misgivings, but it was too late to back out now. But maybe he could still plant a seed of doubt in her mind. “What convinced you that the conspiracy counter-charge against Lieutenants Cataphract and Brier was…” Thunder paused and racked his brain for proper legal terms that sounded emotionally removed. “...invented and not factual?” Luna raised her head like she was staring at the ceiling. When she spoke next, she had the hesitancy of somepony working to accurately recall specific information. “While on the surface, the case could have been considered one pony’s word against another… There were two officers whose stories corroborated, and you had no witnesses to your innocence. On that alone, a military court can find you guilty.” “Corporal Run had no witnesses to call, Princess.” Thunder corrected. Luna smiled. “Yes. It is as you say.” “So do you also take an officer’s word over an enlisted pony?” He pressed. Luna continued as before. “The EUP assumes an officer’s word is more reliable, but this case had two officers, and the defense was unable to find any inconsistencies in their testimony to cause reasonable doubt.” Luna turned to face Thunder. “Do you have any new evidence or testimony that would cause reasonable doubt?” Thunder swallowed his resentment. He had to remove emotion if Luna was to have any misgivings about his identity. “I think that the counter-charge of conspiracy should have made the testimony of the two officers the same as one. After all, they had time to plan the situation and agree on a story that would hold up under cross-examination. So, the question I have for you is still: Do you hold an officer’s word over an enlisted pony’s? Because that was the only factor that you – as a Princess considering that appeal – could have used to decide that this case was unworthy of a re-trial.” Thunder caught himself leaning forward as he made his case and forced himself to relax and stand up straight. “Am I right? Because I don’t see any other reason for you to deny a retrial. So, you must be an elitist who thinks that officers with University degrees don’t lie, but enlisted ponies without higher education are too stupid to be trustworthy.” Thunder allowed a self-satisfied smirk to crease his cheek as he drew his conclusion. “Or, maybe you are a blind devotee of the officer corps and too timid to reverse a court’s decision for fear of upsetting some Colonel’s darling prospect?” Princess Luna could have been made of purple marble for all the reaction she showed. “Well, what do have you to say? Are you too scared to answer me, you elitist, Palace-squatter?” “Hmmm, oh my, you are correct,” Luna deadpanned, “We lie prostrate before your irrefutable and flawless logic and its inevitable conclusion. We are ashamed of the gross injustice visited upon you and of our elitist arrogance. We do now timidly beg for your forgiveness and ask thee to slay us so that, in death, we may finally find release from our intense burden of guilt and shame.” By the time she finished speaking her sarcasm could cut crystal. Thunder fumed. “Don’t mock me if you have no answer to my question, you uppity, traitorous, royal figurehead! I demand you answer me. Why did you dismiss the appeal if you do truly judge every pony to have equal voice and equal standing under the law?” Luna stood so suddenly that Thunder stumbled backwards in shock. “Indeed! Thou, doth presume to accuse us of arrogance, sedition, and injustice? Thou hypocrite!” Luna’s horn blazed brightly with indigo flame and a luminescent smoke that spiraled into the null orbs. Every silver rune glowed violet-white and smoldered in their engravings of her chains. “Thou insolent whelp! We do indeed consider every pony’s word as equal regardless of their status or position. However, if there be found evidence or testimony by an impartial party to the support or detriment of the character of one of the claimants, then should not that impartial pony’s word be considered?” Thunder felt cold stone on his backside, he was pressed against the wall, as far as he could be from Luna without fleeing from her presence. “Wha, what do you-“ Luna didn't bother to wait for him to respond. “We did command interviews and order depositions taken of thy peers.” Luna snarled and stamped her hoof. “Character. Witnesses. And among them an agreement was seen. That thee did seek to humiliate Lieutenants Cataphract and Brier on previous occasions though acts of commission or omission. Thou was even reported to boast of thy connection to their humiliation. In conclusion, we did investigate and deny thy appeal because thine own peers did confess that thee did seem to have a personal grievance or vendetta against Lieutenants Cataphract and Brier. Thine own did testify against thee of thy previous actions. That is what condemned thee. Not any bias or negligence from the throne!” Luna’s magic dimmed at once and she swooned, suddenly impotent. She knelt down on her belly and gasped for air. “Thou was found guilty, and there was nothing found to bolster your case or to create reasonable doubt. What have thee to say now?” She laid her muzzle down on her mat, exhausted. Thunder sighed in relief at seeing Luna once again successfully contained by the magic restraints. Although, he had no relief knowing that he had lost all rights to his self-righteous fury. Princess Luna had made it clear that she had carefully considered his appeal, and that her denial of a retrial was reasonable and evidence-based. He had no cause directly against her now. All that he had left, was the indignation of an innocent falsely accused and convicted, but through no fault of the legal process. He looked around to see everypony still sleeping soundly, despite the intensely heated – albeit whispered – exchange he had with Luna. He walked back up to where Luna laid, whose only response to his approach was to swivel her ears toward him. He picked up her water bucket, refilled it from the barrel, and lay it within her reach. “I know for a fact that Corporal Run was innocent of the charge of assault on an officer,” He said, kneeling in front of his Princess. “But I was wrong about you. Please forgive my ignorant accusations, Princess. I am truly ashamed and sorry.” “Then release me.” Luna responded without bothering to raise her head. Thunder winced. “I – I can’t.” “Then your apology is worthless.” “The others,” Thunder grasped for the means to absolve himself of any responsibility for freeing her immediately, “they still have cause against you or the palace. Don’t they?” “That you must investigate and decide for yourself.” Luna rolled on her side to lie completely stretched out on her mat. “We do hope that your ability to investigate and deduce are improved since you built your case against us. Otherwise, we will surely remain unjustly convicted and in our bonds.” Thunder stood. Luna appeared to be trying to sleep. He stepped back onto his mat and laid down, never taking his eyes off the Princess before him. He felt like he had just flown a hundred furlongs against the wind, but thinking too much did that to him. As he looked around at his sleeping teammates, he suddenly felt trapped. If it were solely up to him, he would release Princess Luna now, and suffer whatever her wrath thought proper. But he was locked in on this course with his teammates. They had all shared their grievances. They couldn't all be as wrong as he was, could they? He dropped his head onto his pillow and hoped that the ransom would be paid tomorrow. He now had serious doubts about his own plans for escape afterward, and about his commitment to see this abduction through to the end.