//------------------------------// // Act 3 Part 11 - When We Were Soldiers // Story: I Against I, Me Against You // by Flynt Coal //------------------------------// Tray full of food, the new recruit looked out at the mess hall with trepidation. He had certainly been surprised when he found out he had been accepted into this experimental “Freelancer” program. He had been so sure his interview with the man calling himself the Counselor had gone poorly, given the way he had brought up a couple of his… less than collected moments from his military career and even his childhood. Nevertheless, here he stood. His initial enthusiasm for being part of the project was forgotten under the awkwardness of being the new guy. Looking around at the full mess hall in front of him, the new recruit saw the tables on one half dominated by men and women in gray armor, and another half filled with eating soldiers in much more diverse, colorful armor. Amidst all of it, he did not see a single place for him to sit. At least until a pale yellow arm waved him over. “Hey! New guy!” the man said, scooting over to make a place for him to sit. Thankful to be spared the awkwardness of having to approach a table and ask for a seat, the recruit walked over and sat down with his tray, not sure whether he wanted to start with his banana or one of his apples. “So, you’re the fresh meat, huh?” the woman across from him said with a predatory grin. She wore orchid armor with green trim. A mop of pale blond hair tipped with purple that was definitely not cut to regulation hung in front of her dark brown eyes. “Guess they needed someone new to be the bullet sponge after Georgia….” “Don’t scare the kid, South,” chided the man sitting beside her. His violet armor with green trim was nearly identical to hers. His own hair was an identical pale blond, but where his differed was that his was cut to regs. “Sorry about her. My baby sis isn’t exactly the easiest to get along with if you haven’t known her all your life.” At the use of the term “baby sis”, the woman called South directed a death glare at the man beside her, before realizing it wasn’t getting her anywhere and returning to her lunch with a grumpy sulk. “I’m North Dakota and well, you’ve already been introduced to my twin sister, South Dakota,” the man continued. “What’s your name?” The recruit swallowed the bite of apple he’d been chewing on and answered, “I’m Dav…” before remembering he was supposed to go by his codename and amending, “er… I’m Washington.” “Washington?” the man wearing yellow armor with gray trim asked, giving a disappointed sigh. “Aw man, I wanted Washington.” “Right, and the handsome devil beside you is New York,” North said. “Just York is fine,” said the man in question. His features were admittedly handsome, Washington had to admit, and his brown hair was cut to regulation as well. North then went on to introduce the rest of the Freelancers at the table. Beside the Dakota twins was Wyoming, who wore white armor and an expertly groomed black mustache. He spoke to Washington with a condescending British accent. Beside him sat Florida, who wore blue armor and was eating what appeared to be a Kraft Dinner with what Washington assumed was some sort of fancy dijon ketchup. He greeted Washington with disarmingly pleasant tones. Beside York across from Wyoming was Connecticut, a pretty woman in brown armor who, apart from insisting to go by CT, was incredibly quiet. Lastly, a dopey man called Utah sat beside her wearing platinum armor. The rest of the meal passed by relatively quietly, with the other Freelancers around the table cracking jokes and telling stories from previous assignments. It was as Washington was finishing up that he mentioned he would soon be heading to a debriefing for his first assignment. “No shit, they already have you going on a mission?” York asked. “They’re just tossing them into the deep end without any floaties now, aren’t they?” Wyoming mused. “I’m not too worried. I’m just shadowing one of you more experienced Freelancers on a simple hit and run,” Washington said, more trying to reassure himself than the others. “It shouldn’t be too hard, right?” “That depends. Who’s your partner?” York asked. “Oh yeah,” Washington said as he stood to throw away the remains of his meal. He had been meaning to ask about this. “Do any of you know who Agent Maine is?” Each of the other Freelancers at the table immediately stopped what they were doing to look at him with mixed expressions of shock and pity. Washington just looked around at all of their uneasy faces. “Uh… am I missing something? It looked like time just froze for a sec there!” “Well, don’t look at me!” Wyoming said. York ignored him, looking at Washington sympathetically. “You poor bastard.” South snickered. “Dibs on his stuff.” “South…” her brother warned. “I don’t get it. Should I be concerned? What’s wrong with Maine?” Washington asked. “That’s... kind of a loaded question,” CT said carefully. “Ah, speak of the devil,” Wyoming said with a grin. “Now’s your chance to find out, mate!” Before he could ask what the Englishman meant, Washington realized someone was standing behind him. Turning around, the new recruit’s eyes widened when he found himself facing a wall of white armor with brown shoulder pads. With barely concealed trembling, Washington looked up at the other man who was almost a head taller than he was. Maine’s face was hard and stony. He sported a shaved head and a big nasty scar running horizontally across his face over his nose. He glared down at Washington with a look somewhere between disinterest and disgust. It was only after a few failed attempts at speech that Washington was finally able to squeak out a word, “H-hi!” Maine grunted in disapproval, shoving Washington as he made his way to the exit. Washington wasn’t prepared for the sheer force of it and stumbled backwards onto the table. York and South laughed their asses off while Wyoming gave an amused chuckle. North just tried his best to give Washington a reassuring look. Washington swallowed nervously. “I’m going to die, aren’t I?” With a shake of his head, Washington dispelled the memories from his mind. It was strange, recent conversations with the group of ponies and sim troopers over the last few days had been triggering all sorts of feelings of nostalgia within him. It was thus that he found himself feeling oddly depressed when he had explained the reasoning behind his actions to Celestia and the others, and she had politely told him to fuck off. At first, Washington told himself he was only disappointed he would have a harder time completing his objective without their support as he trudged through the snow, putting the shining capital of the Crystal Empire behind him. Deep down, he knew that wasn’t the real reason for his morose mood. After all, he was about to go through with his plan anyway. Washington put a finger to the side of his helmet and opened a secure channel. “This is Recovery One, going for Command. Come in, Command.” It was a few moments later when he heard a dull female voice answer him. “This is Command. Go ahead, Recovery One.” “Command, my cover within the enemy has been compromised.” At this point, it was no longer a lie. “I require immediate extraction.” “Copy that, Recovery One. Stand by.” Washington stood patiently in the cold as the woman at Command conferred with her superiors. As he continued to wait, Washington grew more worried. It shouldn’t be taking them this long to approve of extraction. “That’s a negative on the extraction, Recovery One,” the woman at Command said when she returned. Washington gritted his teeth. “Say again, Command? I repeat: My cover within enemy ranks has been blown.”   “We copy, Recovery One. But we need you to remain planetside. Continue to monitor the enemy from a distance and report on their movements. Understood?” Washington’s heart began to race. “With all due respect, Command, there’s very little I can accomplish from the ground with my cover compromised.” “Sorry, Recovery One. But these orders come from the Director himself,” Command said, and it was undeniable what was really going on. “Understood?” Sighing, Washington spoke into his mic. “Understood, Command. Recovery One out.” It was easy enough for Washington to read between the lines: They didn’t trust him. Just like Celestia and the others didn’t trust him. Somehow, Washington had found himself an outsider to both sides of this conflict, and with a trembling sigh, he realized it hurt more than he had anticipated. “She means we’re your friends now, Washingtub!” Caboose exclaimed. Applejack gave an amused chuckle. “I guess that’s one way of sayin’ what I was gettin’ at.” At the distant sound of a whistle blowing, Washington turned around to see a fancy white train with blue and gold streaks traveling along the tracks in the distance, heading south away from the Crystal Empire. He had a pretty good idea of exactly who was on board. So, with a heavy heart, Washington made to follow them discreetly, deciding that it was ultimately time to prove his loyalty. To one side or the other. They found the trench before they found what made it. It was all Rarity could do not to gasp. The width of the trench was greater than that of the largest buildings in Manehattan. She followed it along with Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, each of them struck silent by the way the trench carved through trees and boulders alike until finally ending at the hull of the massive ship. A squad of soldiers in gold barding were already on site establishing a perimeter around the huge vessel under the light of the moon. “Halt!” ordered one of the soldiers, approaching the five mares with a pair of his own. “No civilians beyond this point. I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to turn around.” Rarity was ready to put on the charm when a warm maternal voice spoke up in her stead. “It’s alright, Major,” Princess Celestia said as she swooped down and landed beside them, looking regal as ever. “These five are with me. They have experience with… extraterrestrial affairs.” With an understanding nod, the major and his soldiers stepped aside and allowed the princess and the five ponies to pass. “So, what’s going on, Princess?” Rainbow Dash asked, glancing at the side of the ship as they walked along. “Is that… the Freelancer flagship? Is Twilight in there?” “No, I don’t think so,” Celestia said, indicating with a jerk of her head to something high up on the hull beside them. Rarity and the others all looked up and found the words “Staff of Charon” printed across the hull in big bold white letters. It didn’t take long for Rarity to remember where she recognized that name from, and her heart plummeted in her chest as she did her best not to swallow too audibly. “We should check for survivors,” Celestia continued. “Perhaps one of them might give us some insight into what happened.” It didn’t take long for the group of ponies to reach the end of the rear section of the ship, which they soon discovered was the only part of it still for the most part intact. The rest of the Staff of Charon lay strewn about the the field going on as far as the eye could see. Rarity tried not to be sick as she realized there may not be any survivors to find. “If any of you wish to turn back now, I’ll understand,” Celestia told them. “What we find will not be pretty.” The five friends looked at the princess with conviction, each of them remaining firmly in place. “I’ll start checking around the front of the ship,” Rainbow Dash said, answering Celestia in her own way. “Any of you wanna help?” “Ooh! Pick me! Pick me!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, waving her hoof in the air. Fluttershy merely nodded quietly, and together the three of them made their way to the nose of the ship. Rarity and Applejack started looking through the rubble together while Princess Celestia rallied more soldiers to assist with the effort. Rarity wasn’t sure how much time they spent searching the remains of the ship and finding nothing but the remains of its passengers. Wasn’t sure when she had become numb to all of the destruction and death. The sound of agonized moans echoing through the debris field gave the two mares new drive as they rushed to the source together. Rarity stopped in her tracks when she saw him: the man in brown powered armor with white trim wearing a similarly colored helmet resembling a grim, stony face. He was pinned to the ground beneath a huge metal object, lamely struggling to move it. Rarity studied him impassively for a few moments, unsure of what to do. If I am numb to such horrible things, it’s because of you! She knew he had more than earned his suffering, but the longer she stood there watching, the more she realized what it was she was actually doing. No, I can’t let myself become like this. Like him. “WE FOUND SOMEONE!” Rarity shouted to the other ponies searching the debris around her. “HE’S STILL ALIVE, WE CAN STILL SAVE HIM IF WE HURRY!” She saw a few soldiers drop what they were doing and begin making their way through the ruined ship towards them, but she knew there was more she could do. Rarity raced forward and grabbed the man by the arms, before enveloping the big piece of metal holding him down in her magic. With a strained grunt, Rarity lifted the heavy piece of debris with her magic as she tried to drag the man out from beneath it, but to no avail. Her talent for telekinesis was for fine control of many small things, not brute force. “Applejack, would you be a dear?” she asked, gesturing to the debris she was trying to lift with a tilt of her head. The farmpony nodded, and rushed forward. Applejack crouched under the big metal piece using what little room had been provided by Rarity’s own attempt at lifting it. Legs shaking, Applejack stood, using her strong earth pony back to lift the metal debris right off of the brown armored man, allowing Rarity to drag him out from underneath it. Her muscles burned and her breaths came quickly but Rarity didn’t stop until the man who called himself CT was safely out from underneath the rubble. By that point, a few soldiers had made it over and all took hold of the metal debris to keep it from crushing Applejack. Reassured that her friend would be okay, Rarity looked down at the man at her hooves. A pool of blood was growing beneath him, oozing out through the bottom of a few holes in his stomach. He only had one leg, and another glance at the debris he had been trapped under confirmed the presence of sharp jagged metal tipped with blood sticking out near the bottom. CT turned over on the ground as he coughed long and painfully, and Rarity quickly removed the helmet from his head to give him some breathing room. It was only then that the man looked up at her. His face was as bruised and disheveled as it had been when they last met, but now a trail of blood was seeping out of his mouth, and his eyes seemed cloudy and distant. Nevertheless, they lit up with recognition when he saw her. “P… protègè?” he asked. “No, don’t talk,” Rarity calmly ordered. “Just rest.” Rarity heard hoofsteps behind her and saw the Insurrectionist leader look up past her. “So…” the Leader coughed. “Y-you must be Princess Celestia.” Sure enough, when Rarity turned, the tall white alicorn was looking down over her shoulder, studying the man carefully. “Connie’s told me all about you,” the Leader continued as an earth pony medic approached. “She thought you were involved in the Director’s experiments… right up until she spoke with you for the last time.” “What happened?” Celestia asked, looking around at the debris as the medic got to work on patching the Leader up. The Leader gave a weak grin. “Got my ass kicked.” He grunted in pain as the medical pony started filling his wounds with gauze. Rarity wasn’t sure whether it would be enough. He was getting paler by the moment. “The Director was ready for me. They were on us as soon as we came out of slipspace… but we gave as good as we got! We crippled ‘em good. Did enough damage to force them into the atmosphere. Last I saw they were headed toward the southwestern hemisphere.” The Leader shifted uncomfortably and winced as the medic kept working on him. “Looks like it’s up to you to finish it now. It’s finally almost over.” The Leader’s eyes then drifted back towards Rarity, and a guilty look crossed his face. “For what it’s worth… I want you to know that I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what I put you through. I’m sorry… that I hurt so many people. I’m sorry for a lot of things. But mostly, I’m sorry I waited until now to finally let things go. “Looks like I’ll be seeing Connie again soon. I just hope she can forgive me for all the things I’ve done in her name….” The statement made Rarity curious. “So, why did you take CT’s name as your own?” After a few moments of silence, the Leader answered, “Because memory is the key. It defines who we are. Because after we’re gone, what else are we but memories? I thought that if I beat Project Freelancer under her name… I… I just didn’t want her to be remembered as a failure.” Rarity could only stand in silence with Applejack and Celestia as the Leader’s breathing became harsher and more erratic despite the medic’s ministrations. The Leader closed his eyes as his breathing slowed, and he began mumbling deliriously. Rarity couldn’t understand what he was saying, but she caught a few words. “Next time we meet it’s forever….” Rainbow Dash wasn’t sure how long they’d spent searching through the spaceship rubble in the dark. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy had both been relatively quiet as they searched. Rainbow had almost been ready to give up on finding anyone when a pile of debris suddenly groaned as it shifted. “Whuzzat?” Pinkie Pie asked, rapidly sniffing the air as if forgetting for a moment that she was, in fact, not a dog. For a moment, Rainbow wasn’t sure whether it meant there was a person buried beneath desperately trying to get out or whether the pile was merely unstable. It was when the pile shifted again that she started to realize it probably wasn’t incidental. “I think there’s someone trapped under there!” she exclaimed. “Pinkie, go get help!” With an almost comically serious salute, the pink pony darted away to do exactly that. Fluttershy was on the move immediately, approaching the pile of metal debris to call down gently to whoever was trapped beneath. “It’s okay, don’t be scared. We’re going to get you out of there,” she said reassuringly. “Just don’t move around too much, or you might shift the debris and make it harder to get AUGH!” Fluttershy shrieked as a huge armored hand punched through the pile of rubble. The little yellow pegasus scrambled away until she was beside Rainbow Dash, trembling fearfully as the white armored hand gripped a jagged piece of metal and the thing beneath began to pull itself out. It let out a low distorted growl, and Rainbow’s heart sank into a deep cold pit in her chest as her eyes grew wide. “You can’t be serious...” she muttered hoarsely as the Meta emerged from the jagged pile like a demon crawling from the mouth of Tartarus itself.   Rainbow tried to run, tried to call out for help, but she couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. She could only stare in a shocked stupor as the towering figure looked over at her through a faceless domed helmet. Before it could do anything else, it let out a pained grunt and flinched as sparks shot out of its armor. Then Rainbow Dash heard the sound of many approaching hoofsteps led by Pinkie Pie’s all too familiar high-pitched voice. With more tiny sparks of electricity dancing over its body, the Meta let out an aggravated snarl before taking off in the other direction, moving faster than something that big had any right to move. Her heart racing, Rainbow Dash turned to look at Fluttershy to make sure she was okay. The butter yellow pegasus responded the only way she knew how: Her eyes rolled back and she passed out onto the ground. “The Meta’s here?!” Applejack exclaimed when they had all regrouped just beyond the derelict Staff of Charon. “Yeah, I literally just said that,” Rainbow Dash deadpanned. Rarity, who was busy fanning a still unconscious Fluttershy, asked, “But are you sure you really saw it?” That was when Fluttershy’s eyes shot wide open, nodding at Rarity with a shell-shocked expression. “Um… we’re pretty sure.” Rainbow Dash looked up at Princess Celestia, who was quietly listening the whole time. “So, what do we do?” “Yeah!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, hopping in place. “I don’t think I have any cakes that say ‘We’re sorry you lost your A.I.s, please don’t try to kill us again!’” After careful consideration, Celestia said, “We do nothing… for now.” “Uh, beggin’ yer pardon, Yer Majesty, but are you seriously suggestin’ we jus’ let that monster run around Equestria unchecked?” Applejack asked. “We already hit it with the Elements of Harmony…” Fluttershy suddenly remembered. “That’s right, and the fact that the Meta wasn’t turned to stone means there’s still hope for the man it used to be,” Celestia said with confidence. “Besides, if what Wash… if what I’ve been told is true, the Meta should be far less dangerous now without its A.I.s. I will nevertheless inform my soldiers to stay alert, but right now we have more pressing matters.” Rarity’s ears suddenly perked up. “Ooh, that’s right! CT told us that he managed to cripple the Director’s ship!” “What? He’s here too?!” Rainbow Dash asked with a groan. Rarity’s eyes fell, a grim tone entering her sophisticated voice. “Well… not anymore.” “What’s important is that we’ve been given a brief window of opportunity,” Celestia stated. “The Mother of Invention is somewhere in Equestria right now, and if we can find it before the Director can have it repaired, we may actually have a real shot at storming it. I’ve already sent scouts out searching for it. With a vessel that size, it’ll only be a matter of time before we find it.” Rainbow Dash grinned. “Great! So what’s the plan, Princess?” Tex’s spectral visage appeared to answer the question. “Even if it is heavily damaged, the Mother of Invention is still likely flight-capable. How about you guys check in to see how the Reds and Blues are coming along with their repairs to that Pelican?” Fluttershy and Applejack exchanged a knowing glance. “Yeah, um… about that…” Fluttershy started. “We… might have a teensy little problem….” The five ponies, their princess, and Spike arrived at the crash site within Applejack’s orchard to the sight of Church’s tiny hologram bickering with the rest of the Reds and Blues. In the darkness, the little A.I. seemed to illuminate everything in a dim blue glow. “Ah, finally!” Church said when he saw the group of ponies coming. “Maybe you guys can talk some sense into these idiots.” Fluttershy and Applejack had explained the situation to the others: The Reds were fixing the ship they used to get to Equestria in the first place, but weren’t planning on using it to storm the Director’s flagship. Instead, they were hooking up Wyoming’s helmet to the ship’s computer just like Tex had done with the very first ship that crashed in Dodge City. Except they were using it to return to their own planet. According to Rarity and Spike, Tucker had expressed a similar desire to leave. “Gentlemen,” Rarity started, bouncing her mane as she prepared to put on the charm. “I know you have your hearts set on using this ship to go home, but it’s also our only chance to save our friend. Don’t you think you could find it in your heart to let us use it?” “Yeah, and while you’re at it, maybe you could help us?” Rainbow Dash said, being far less diplomatic. “Y’know, like you’ve been doing the entire time up to this point?” “Funny you should say that, missy. Because as I seem to recall, we’ve been helpin’ you under duress this whole time,” Sarge said. “And what did we get fer it? Diddly squat!” “Oh, I can tell you one thing I got out of it,” Tucker said, gesturing to his arm in a sling. “A fucking broken arm!” “No respect!” Donut added. “I lost my robot, and my cyborg soldier!” Sarge exclaimed, gesturing to Grif and Donut. “Now I’m stuck with these two fleshbags!” “Oh yeah, and I lost my fucking best friend!” Grif said, immediately silencing any rebuttal the ponies were about to make. His fists were curled, and they noticed he was trembling. “T-thanks a lot, assholes!” “Oh, Grif…” Fluttershy gasped, moving forward in an instant to comfort him, but Grif raised an arm. “Oh, just stop! You’re not my sister, okay?! She’s dead too, in case you forgot!” Fluttershy whimpered and took a step back, and the two ponies with little sisters of their own exchanged nervous frowns. “Oh, boo-fuckin’-hoo, Grif. Way to make this all about you, as usual!” Church exclaimed bitterly. “Wow. Fuck you very much!” Grif shouted back, raising a middle finger at the A.I. for good measure. “Grif, please…” Fluttershy tried, only to be met with Grif’s other middle finger. “See how convenient this is, Sarge?” the orange soldier asked, still holding up both middle fingers. “I almost lost my ability to do this!” The others were a little confused by Grif’s statement, but taking a closer look at his right hand indicated to some of them that he was missing a finger right beside the one he had raised. “Caboosey?” Pinkie Pie spoke up as Grif continued arguing with Church, taking a step toward the Blue who had been very quiet up until that point. “Do you really just wanna… go? Without even a goodbye party?” “I don’t know…” Caboose said in a surprisingly somber tone. “Are we still on a friendship break?” “Friendship break? I…” Pinkie paused as she thought, and the others could swear they could see a “loading…” bar briefly appear in her eyes. “Oooh… is this about how we had an argument before we left on our mission and when we finally got back I sent you away?” Caboose nodded. “Well, I’m not maddy-waddy at you if that’s what you’re worried about! If anything I was saddy-waddy about Twilight and wanted to be alone for a while so my frownyness wouldn’t affect anypony else. But we’re still friends!” With nervous energy, Caboose looked back and forth between Tucker, Church, and Pinkie Pie, inexplicably humming that game show tune again. At the same time, Rarity looked at Tucker. “You know, I really thought you were a good person despite how you carry yourself,” she said. “Yeah, well if not wanting to risk my life for someone I barely know makes me a bad person, I guess I’m fucking Kim Jong Hitler,” Tucker deadpanned. “Tell me this, l’il ladies,” Sarge said, standing tall with his shotgun and addressing each of the ponies present. “If any of us were in the same position as yer buddy Twifight Spackle, would you help us if it meant riskin’ yer life? If it meant possibly dyin’?” A few seconds passed, and none of the ponies found that they could answer. “Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Sarge grunted. Meanwhile, Grif continued arguing with Church and the other ponies. “And another thing!” Grif shouted. “Isn’t it a little ironic for you to say that I’m being selfish?” “Well, I think it would be ironic if…” Donut started. “Don’t start this conversation again!” Grif interrupted. “Yeah, I get it. I can be a self-centered asshole a lot of the time, but at least I’ve changed a little bit!” Church turned to address all of the Reds and Blues around him, his hologram flickering unsteadily as his indignant anger rose. “Each and every one of you are the exact same selfish, lazy, pathetic morons I’ve always known! A very dear friend of mine needs my help and all you assholes want to do is give up and go home!? I may not have known Twilight for very long, but she’s been a way better friend to me in the few weeks I’ve known her than any of you have been in all the years I’ve known you! “So you know what?! FINE! LEAVE! We’re better off without you cockbites, anyway!” The silence that followed was devastating. Even Caboose was speechless. No longer able to remain silent, Celestia let out a weary sigh. She had hoped that the group of friends would be able to work everything out themselves, but then she remembered that the group of Red and Blue soldiers before her weren’t like her little ponies. They were so vastly different; the very antithesis of friendship and harmony. Maybe this was for the best. “Although his words were harsh, perhaps Church is right,” Celestia said calmly, looking at each of the Reds and Blues in turn. She was unable to hide the disappointment she felt. “You all are under no obligation to help us if you truly don’t want to. You wish to leave? We won’t stop you.” “Finally! A pony that’s actually reasonable. What are the fucking chances?” Tucker deadpanned as he reached back behind his helmet and removed the chip holding Church from his A.I. slot, tossing it to Celestia who caught it in her magic aura. “But… didn’t you say we need that ship to save Twilight?” Spike asked, looking up at Celestia with a nervous frown. When the rest of her ponies did the same, Celestia said, “Now that the Mother of Invention is no longer beyond our atmosphere, we don’t necessarily need a space-faring vessel to board them.” Celestia turned to leave. “If you’re all done here, come with me. We’re departing for Cloudsdale,” she said, before looking back at the colorful human soldiers all standing around the ship. “If you change your mind, you can always come find us. It’s never too late to help your friends.” Stumbling his way through the trees and the darkness, Washington kept pressing forward towards his best approximation of the crash site. By his best guess, he was still a couple of miles out from Ponyville when he saw the massive ship burst through the clouds and crash in the distance. He didn’t even have a real plan once he reached the wreckage. For the first time since joining Project Freelancer, Washington was just making it up as he went. A red dot appeared on the edges of his HUD’s motion tracker, and when he turned to look, Washington caught a glimpse of a familiar large figure moving through the darkness between trees. Keeping his head low, Washington turned to follow. It wasn’t long before Washington caught up with the armored figure. The Meta stood leaning against a tree, hunched over as it clutched its side. Electricity sparked along his armor, and Washington could hear the man’s labored breathing. Seeing him now, Washington couldn’t help but think of a wounded animal. This would be his best chance to take the Meta out and eliminate its threat once and for all. Washington raised his rifle and in response, the Meta’s domed helmet tilted up to look at him. But nothing happened. The large man only stood, studying Washington silently. Waiting for the inevitable. And yet, Washington found himself unable to pull the trigger. He remembered seeing Maine this helpless before. Each of the other Freelancers hung on his every word as Washington paced around the crew lounge, regaling them with the tale of his first mission as a Freelancer. “...and sure enough, there was Maine, lying at the bottom of the dry waterway,” Washington said. “I thought he was dead at first, but then I saw his helmet turn to look at me.” Pantomiming riding a motorcycle and sharply turning his body, Washington continued, “So I immediately turned my Mongoose around and jumped down to get him. I had to act fast, because enemy troops were pouring into the waterway. I was just lifting Maine onto the back of the Mongoose when I heard the explosion….” “Explosion?” North asked, looking at the new Freelancer curiously. “Yeah, apparently someone had planted explosives on the bridge above,” Washington explained. In his debriefing after the mission, the Director had explained that the blast was the work of the Insurrection, though it didn’t make much sense to Washington. The bridge’s destruction had ended up cutting off the enemy’s ground forces from their pursuit. Washington had briefly considered the notion that Project Freelancer was behind the blast, but dismissed it as impossible. Not only were there too many civilians around for such a strategy to be safe, but all of the program’s agents were either on board the Mother of Invention or on other missions. Unless the Director had some other high level operative secretly covering their tracks, the idea that Project Freelancer was behind the blast was ridiculous. “Anyway, just as I had Maine on the back of the Mongoose, he leaned forward and barely managed to whisper….” “Wait, Maine talked?!” South asked, giving Washington a skeptical look. “Yeah, I figured he’s a pretty quiet guy, but he still talks.” “Not to any of us,” York said. “The only person I’ve heard him say a word to is Carolina.” “What did he say?” asked North, and Washington noticed the other Freelancers in the room were all leaning forward, eager to know. “He said… ‘Ford,’” Washington answered. The other Freelancers all looked at him with confusion. “Yeah, I was pretty confused too… until I looked up and saw the car flying off the bridge right towards us,” Washington went on. “Sure enough… it was a white Ford.” The amused chuckles from his captive audience was all Washington needed to continue his animated retelling. “Without even thinking I gunned it forward, the enemy hot on our heels. I knew we had to get past that bridge before the whole thing came down and either crushed us to death, or cornered us. Rubble and more cars were coming down all around us, it was total chaos! But I wasn’t worried...” Washington didn’t mention the fact that he had been screaming in sheer panic the entire time. “I wasn’t worried because I knew to swerve and dodge every time Maine said: ‘Buick.’ ‘Honda.’ ‘Genet.’” “Wow. Sounds like every car in the world wants you dead,” York snarked. “Yeah, cars really seem to hate me,” Washington said. “Anyway, we made it through right as the whole bridge came down. The enemy soldiers? Not so lucky.” North chuckled. “Well, I can’t think of a more fitting way to welcome you to the team.” Just then, South’s eyes briefly flicked past Washington and a shit eating grin spread across her face. “Hey, Wash. Was it difficult lifting Maine onto the Mongoose?” “Yeah, actually. The guy’s heavy. Like… really heavy. I mean, I know he’s a big guy and all, but I can’t help but wonder if he can stand to lose a few pounds!” At that, South and York started snickering while North just sighed and shook his head, placing a hand over his face. “What’s so…?” Washington started before it dawned on him. “Oh no.” Washington turned around and saw the imposing figure of Maine taking up the entire door frame. His hands behind his back, Maine’s face was the same unreadable stone mask it had been when they first met, his glare directed straight at Washington. “Oh, uh… hey buddy! Heh heh…” Washington stammered, rubbing the back of his neck. “You know I didn’t mean any of that stuff about… you needing to lose weight. Because you don’t! I mean, no more than the rest of us, there’s always room for improvement after all, right? But, y’know… I-I never meant to say you were fat… or anything like that. You’re noooot….” “Smooth…” York muttered. Maine took a step into the room, and Washington couldn’t help but flinch back slightly. The big man glared at Washington for a few moments longer before traces of a mischievous grin appeared on his stony face. “Chrysler,” he said. “Whuh…?” Washington asked before Maine suddenly whipped something at him. “Augh!” Desperately covering his face, the small object hit his arm and fell to the floor. Washington looked at it and saw that it was a tiny plastic car. “Nissan.” Maine whipped another toy car at him, causing Washington to stumble back. “Genet. Volkswagen. Plymouth. Buick.” Before Washington knew it, he was on the floor with tiny bruises and toy cars strewn all around him. South and York were both laughing their asses off as Maine left and North walked over to Washington to offer him a hand. “I think he likes you,” said North as he pulled Washington to his feet. “Oh really?” Washington asked sardonically, rubbing his sore arms. “How do you figure?” “Well…” York said, wiping the mirthful tears from his eyes. “I’ve never seen Maine share his toy car collection with anyone before.” At that moment, Washington found he couldn’t keep himself from laughing too. “You should consider yourself lucky, Wash,” South said. “A guy like Maine is a good friend to have around….” The rising sun cast Cloudsdale in an orange light, seeming to illuminate the fluffy clouds at their feet. Rarity suppressed a yawn as she crossed the Wonderbolts’ facility grounds with Spike and her pony friends in tow, passing pegasi in blue and yellow flight suits as they ran drills. Upon arrival in Cloudsdale, Celestia had given them quarters on base at the Wonderbolts’ central headquarters to rest until scouts reported back on the whereabouts of the Freelancer flagship. The six of them had gotten a few short hours of uneasy rest before a Wonderbolts Junior NCO roused them and led them across the grounds after they grabbed a quick breakfast. Soon they arrived at an airship hangar filled with over a dozen ponies in Wonderbolts uniforms. All of them were making preparations to a sleek airship held aloft by a balloon emblazoned with the Wonderbolts colors, while many more ponies in military barding boarded using the gangplanks. “Oh. My. Gosh!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, looking up at the airship filling the hangar. “That’s the ESS Blue Thunder!” Uncomprehending stares were the others’ answer. “The Wonderbolts’ flagship? The one they used to take on all of their tours?” “Before the cost of maintenance and upkeep ultimately led to it being left here unused barring… unique circumstances.” At the sound of the raspy voice, the group turned around to see Princess Celestia and Luna accompanied by a yellow pegasus with an orange mane and tail wearing a decorated blue officer’s uniform. “Eeeek Spitfire!” Rainbow exclaimed, nearly choking on her own spit. “Well, if it isn’t the pony that saved our lives,” Spitfire said, grinning at a nearly swooning Rainbow Dash. “Pleasure to see you again. I hope to see you at Wonderbolt Academy next semester.” “Oh, hehehe… yeah…” Rainbow blushed,  before taking a moment to consider what the Wonderbolts captain had previously said. “Wait, are we… taking the Blue Thunder?” Applejack, meanwhile, directed her gaze to Princess Celestia instead. “So, I reckon this means you figured out where the enemy’s ship is?” Celestia nodded while Luna stepped forward to answer. “Pegasi scouts encountered what they described as a massive metal monster above the volcanic wasteland south of the Badlands.” At that moment, Tex’s avatar appeared beside them along with Church. “If I had to guess, I’d say the Director is trying to use the volcanic ash as cover.” “Which is why we have ponies continually watching them and updating us on their movements,” Spitfire said. “What’s more concerning is that they’re right in the middle of dragon territory,” said Celestia warily. “It wouldn’t be wise for us to send an entire fleet of our airships within their borders, lest we risk open retaliation.” “True, but we only need one ship to get us aboard the Director’s flagship, yes?” Rarity asked. “Yes, but if the Mother of Invention’s weapon systems are still operational, getting a single ship close enough to board them’s going to be tricky,” Tex stated. “Leave that to Alpha and I,” Celestia said with confidence. “I don’t think anyone knows how the Director thinks better than us.” “Then let us delay no longer!” Luna declared giving a grand gesture to the gangplanks leading to the decks of the Blue Thunder. “Onward!” As the group made to board the airship, Rarity became acutely aware of the sleepy dragon on her back and stopped. A fearful lump formed in her throat as she thought about what they would find once they finally reached their friend. Her hesitation did not go unnoticed by the scaly passenger. “Huh…? Rarity? Why are we stopping?” Spike asked. “Aren’t we going aboard?” With a sigh, Rarity picked up Spike in her magic and lifted him off her back, gently setting him down. “I’m sorry Spike, but… no.” “What do you mean?” Rarity looked around until she spotted the NCO that had led them here, and waved him over. “Would you be a gentlecolt and escort this one back to our quarters?” Spike looked at her, aghast, “What?! But… I’m coming to help Twilight too!” “I’m sorry Spike, but I can’t in good conscience allow you to accompany us.” “Why not?!” Rarity tried not to let the fear she was feeling show as she thought of a good lie. “Because… this mission is too dangerous for a baby dragon.” Technically, it wasn’t a lie. But it wasn’t the reason Rarity wanted him to stay. In truth, Rarity was afraid to go on this mission herself. Not necessarily because it would be dangerous, but because of what Celestia had said those monsters at Project Freelancer were doing to poor Twilight. When they finally found her, Rarity knew it wasn’t going to be pretty. There was no reason for sweet innocent Spike to have to see Twilight like… like…. “Rarity? Are you... crying?” Wiping her eyes, Rarity sniffed. “Please… just do as I say, Spikey-wikey.” “But... I’m her Number One Assistant!” Spike continued to protest. “She needs me, I-I have to be there for her!” “And you will! But right now, she needs you here safely out of harm’s way. Just... wait here until we get back. Please?” Spike folded his arms and sulked. “Why do I get the feeling I’ve had this conversation before?” Rarity then remembered the conversation he and Twilight had before the six of them had left on their journey to Repertum what felt like ages ago. “Exactly. Don’t you think if Twilight were here, she would want you to stay behind as well?” Rarity asked, guilt rising in her chest for using such a manipulative ploy. “Please, Spike. If not for me, can’t you do it for Twilight?” Looking at the little dragon, Rarity could tell Spike wanted to argue the point. Instead, the drake merely looked down at his feet, a glum inflection entering his voice. “Fine….” “Thank you,” Rarity said, giving Spike a quick hug. As Spike began following the NCO out of the hangar, Church turned away and found himself looking at the space by the Princesses that Tex’s avatar had been occupying. There was something that’d been on his mind ever since he regrouped with the others and found that Tex was once again helping them. The conversation between Rarity and the little dragon kid only convinced him further of what he had to do next. “Hey, Tex? You there?” The holographic black-suited figure immediately appeared before him. “I’m here, Church. What’s up?" Church let go of his holographic sniper rifle, allowing its image to vanish into a thousand tiny pixels as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, so… I’ve been thinking…. Maybe you shouldn’t come with us on this mission.” “Oh yeah? Why’s that? Am I cramping your style?” Tex snarked. “No no, it’s just… you’ve got no reason to help us. I mean, you and Twilight aren’t exactly friends.” “True, but I do have a vested interest in taking down the Director,” Tex said, putting her hands on her hips and giving the other A.I. a meaningful look. “Unless... there’s another reason you don’t want me to come along?” Church fidgeted his avatar nervously. “Uh… not that I can think of….” “Really? You sure it doesn’t have anything to do with my condition?” “Your… condition?” With a loud gasp, Pinkie Pie’s poofy head suddenly emerged between the two of them. “You’re having a baby?! I knew it! Aw, an A.I. baby will be sooo cute! I need to get to work on the shower.” “Pinkie, this is a private conversation,” Church said, sparing the pink pony a bemused glance. “Hey, look. I think Rainbow Dash needs a hug, or something. Why don’t you go help with that?” With a comical salute, Pinkie declared. “I’m on it!” Pinkie Pie disappeared, and a second later, the two constructs heard Rainbow’s voice shout, “Augh! Pinkie, get off me!” “Anyway, what were we talking about?” Church asked. “You didn’t want me to come along because of the condition of my existence?” Tex said, giving Church a knowing look. “You know, the fact that everything I touch is doomed to failure?” Church felt a sensation like a pit opening up in his stomach. “Wait, you know about that?” “I’ve had CT’s data for years, remember? I’ve been sitting on that information long enough that I put two and two together,” Tex sighed, and her tone sounded less harsh than it usually did. “At first, I thought it was complete bullshit. There was no way someone else’s damn memory of me could control my entire destiny! But all of those failed attempts to save you started to add up. And when we lost Epsilon during our raid of Command after coming so close… I knew for certain.” “That was why you disappeared after we got back to Equestria,” Church realized. Tex nodded. “But you know me, Church. I can’t just sit idly by while others fight my battles for me.” “Even if you’re risking our mission’s failure with your mere presence?” It was a half-second before Tex responded. Another person may not have even noticed, but to an A.I., she might as well have taken a full minute. “Hey, the mission to save Canterlot went well even with my intervention,” Tex said. “Though, that was entirely due to the efforts of the others. If I had been the one calling the shots… who knows what might have happened?” “Well…” Church started. “Guess sometimes the best thing you can do is have faith.” After another pregnant half-pause, Tex’s response was quiet, filled with a melancholy so unlike her usual countenance. “You made me this way, y’know.” “Well… technically the Director made you like this,” Church argued. Tex shook her head. “No. The Director only made you. He may have filled you with memories of me, but you’re the one who took them and brought me to life.” Tex looked down and studied her own transparent black hands as if seeing them for the first time. “You resurrected a ghost from the past that was better off dead: A broken shadow of a dead woman.” Tex’s avatar grew smaller, and Church’s stomach twisted into knots. He had never seen the woman he loved this vulnerable before. “Church… I-I’m an abomination!” Church was by her side in an instant. “Hey, don’t say that, okay?” he reassured her. Even so, he found himself unable to tell her that she was wrong. With a quick glance, Church saw that the ship was beginning to leave. “Look, we’ll talk about this later, alright? Right now, we have a mission to focus on.” “Yeah, you’re right,” Tex said, a little of her old self starting to show again. “Guess there’s a first time for everything!” As the Blue Thunder made its final preparations to disembark, no one noticed the Wonderbolts Junior NCO looking around frantically for the baby dragon he was supposed to be leading away. Nor did one of the Blue Thunder’s crew ponies notice that the last barrel of gunpowder he loaded aboard the ship weighed differently than it should have. Nor did he hear the young male voice mutter within. “Sorry, Rarity. Not this time….” After less than a couple of short hours of flight, Princess Celestia found herself on the command bridge of the Blue Thunder. Captain Spitfire was at the helm beside her, with Princess Luna. Twilight’s five friends stood just behind her, silently watching with bated breath. The air about the bridge was one of unease, the command crew murmuring quietly to each other as each pony worked to keep the airship afloat. It was easy to see what had the ponies on the bridge so on edge. Jagged mountains oozing fiery rivers passed below out the windows. A cloudy layer of ash covered the sky as heat lightning flashed silently. Distant rumbles sounded over the airship’s engine, and Celestia wasn’t sure whether it was thunder or one of the nearby volcanoes. The source of the command crew’s unease sat in the center of the main viewport. The massive frame of the Mother of Invention floated ominously above. One of the ensigns gave a low whistle. “Look at the size of it….” A harsh reprimand from Spitfire put the stallion back on track. It was a few moments later when the distant behemoth began to turn towards them, and Celestia could sense the growing fear in the mares and stallions on the bridge. “That can’t be good…” Spitfire muttered before turning to Celestia. “Looks like they’re moving to engage us… I think. Which end of that thing’s even the front?” Celestia didn’t respond. She merely gazed out the viewport at the distant form of the Mother of Invention, readying herself for the coming conversation. “Looks like it’s now or never, Princess,” Alpha said as his hologram appeared at her side. Celestia closed her eyes and took a breath. “Okay…” she said, opening her eyes and looking over to the pony operating the radio. “Let’s negotiate.” She nodded to the radio operator, who responded in kind before he went to work. I only hope I can make him see reason, Celestia thought. But she didn’t hold her breath. The Mother of Invention’s command crew noticeably stiffened as the Director passed on his way to the helm. Whether this was due to his mere presence or lingering tension from the recent battle with the Staff of Charon, Dr. Church couldn’t say. The Counselor waited for him at the end of the walkway leading to the helm, with Captain Donovan just off to the side. The Recovery Agent’s helmet was tucked beneath his arm. Donovan stared ahead with a hard look on his stubble-covered face. “Report, Counselor. Are they still on the approach?” the Director asked. With a respectful nod, the Counselor replied, “Our scopes are still picking up a single Equestrian airship closing in at full speed.” The Counselor paused, allowing traces of a smug grin to fleetingly form across his face as he amended, “Well, full speed by their standards.” The Director frowned. While they were still repairing the heavier damage from their battle with the Staff of Charon, the Mother of Invention’s MAC cannon should still be able to swat the Equestrian ship out of the sky like a fly, regardless of any magical shields or enchantments they had in place. Either the crew of this particular vessel did not comprehend what they were dealing with, or the Equestrians were more bold than the Director thought. “How adorable,” Donovan mused. “The little ponies want to play war with us.” The Director pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Then it’s a real pity I don’t have time for games,” he said before glancing up to address the shipboard A.I. “FILSS, move us into attack position.” “Yes, Director,” the A.I. responded cheerfully, and the volcanic wasteland beyond the ship’s viewport shifted as the Mother of Invention turned. In short order, the Equestrian airship was in the center of the viewport, its bright blues and yellows providing a stark contrast to the gray mountains and ash around them. “Target locked,” FILSS reported. One word from him would be all it took to see the other ship destroyed along with all of its occupants. It seemed almost like poor sportsmanship to do it, considering the pony airship didn’t stand a fighting chance even with the Mother of Invention in such a crippled state. Dr. Church didn’t understand what Celestia hoped to gain by sending a single ship against him, but if she wanted to send all of those aboard to their deaths, then so be it. He’d already warned her once against interfering with him, and she’d somehow evaded learning her lesson when she last tested his resolve. This time she would not be so fortunate. The Director glared hard at the approaching airship as he gave FILSS the order. “Fi….” “Sir?” the voice of one of the ensigns unintentionally cut the Director off. “We’re picking up some kind of signal coming from the alien airship. I… I think they’re trying to hail us, sir.” The Director leaned back and stroked his goatee as Donovan and the Counselor looked at him expectantly. “Well, I suppose it would be discourteous to obliterate them without first hearing what they have to say,” he said, nodding to the woman operating the communications console. “Patch them through.” The self-assured grin the Director wore quickly disappeared when he heard the warm, motherly voice on the other end. “Church?” Princess Celestia asked, her voice laced with concern. “Church, I know you can hear me. Please, I just want to talk.” Taking a moment to collect the myriad of thoughts suddenly warring in his mind, the Director held down the transmitter on the holographic console in front of him. “Well, Princess. What an unexpected surprise,” he said sardonically. “I’m sorry to disappoint, but I’m afraid I don’t have time for idle chatter. I advise you turn around and leave while you can. Do not think for a moment that I will hesitate to destroy that ship just because you are aboard.” “The Leonard Church I knew wouldn’t do that,” Celestia replied. “Make no mistake, Celestia. It is my duty to protect all of Project Freelancer’s assets from those who believe themselves entitled to them.” “And it’s my duty to protect Equestria’s citizens from those who would do them harm,” Celestia’s voice was unwavering. “You’ve hurt many innocent ponies in your campaign here, but it isn’t too late! You can still stop this now.” The Director shook his head. “I’ve come too far to stop now, Princess. I’m too close to finally achieving my goal….” When Celestia replied, her voice took on an edge of great sadness. Does she still take pity on me even after all that has happened? the Director wondered. How ludicrously sentimental! “I know how badly you want to see her again, Church. I really do. But I’m begging you. Please, stop this madness. It isn’t worth all of the innocent lives that will be destroyed.” The raw compassion in Celestia’s voice only made the Director’s hands curl into fists, and he felt a hot anger he hadn’t felt in years begin to boil to the surface. “That’s easy enough for you to say, Princess. You already got everything you ever wanted! You already got your beloved sister back!” When Princess Celestia didn’t respond right away, Dr. Church thought he’d finally managed to shut her up. “And what if you were to get everything you ever wanted?” Celestia finally asked. “Do you really think she would approve? If Allison knew the lengths you went to bring her back, do you really think she would be anything but ashamed?” Dr. Church slammed his fists on the rail in front of him, ignoring the pain as he leaned forward and screamed, “How dare you try to use Allison against me!? YOU DID NOT KNOW HER!!!” Beside him, Captain Donovan and the Counselor exchanged an uneasy look. With a sigh of resignation, Celestia responded, “You’re right, Church. I never knew Allison… but I know someone who did.” “Hey there, buddy!” The Director took a shocked step backwards when a holographic figure wearing the cobalt blue Mark VI variant MJOLNIR armor of his sim troopers suddenly appeared in the air in front of him, and all at once the Director realized what exactly had happened. “Alpha?!” “Yup. Thanks for opening the radio channel with us. Made getting into your systems a breeze!” the A.I. stated cockily. By all appearances, the A.I. that the Director had personally broken was now before him looking just like he had in the old days. But how could that be possible? Alpha turned his holographic head to glance at the Equestrian airship as it drew ever closer. “And thanks for keeping him preoccupied for a few moments, Princess. Made my job here way more manageable.” “What did you do…?” the Director growled. “Oh c’mon, where would the mystery be if I just told you?” Alpha taunted. Trembling furiously, the Director addressed the other A.I. in the ship’s systems. “FILSS, activate Protocol: Trojan Horse.” With some satisfaction, the Director could almost imagine the look of growing concern on Alpha’s faceless avatar as he looked around. “Well, crap. That can’t be good…” he said before his holographic image flickered and went out. He may be a Smart A.I., but he’s no match for the measures I have in place for just such a breach. Collecting himself, the Director ordered the line to the Equestrian ship to be cut and asked, “FILSS, what’s the damage?” “The foreign construct has taken control of our weapons systems, disabled numerous onboard security measures, and has opened hangar bay doors one through twelve.” “Clearing the way for a boarding party, it would seem.” The Director turned and began addressing his crew, “Launch all Longswords! FILSS, get to work on regaining control of our systems.” “Yes, Director.” The Director turned to the Recovery Agent beside the Counselor next. “Captain Donovan, gather your men and position a squad by each open hangar bay.” With a salute, Donovan put on his helmet and beat a hasty exit to attend his task. The Director looked around, ready to give his next set of orders, only to find the mare he wanted conspicuously absent. “Where the hell is Sunset Shimmer?! If her mercenaries are ready, they need to assist us in this matter!” “I’ll send someone to find her, sir,” the Counselor reassured him, before waving over the nearest Recovery Agent to do just that. With no further orders to give, the Director turned back to gaze out the command bridge’s main viewport and watched as a few squadrons of his Longsword starfighters began to converge on the rapidly approaching airship. Giving the ship a cold hard glare, he tried not to think of the recent conversation with the Princess, and the things she’d said. “You haven’t won yet….”