“It’s not your fault, Morning,” said Twilight Sparkle gently.
Morning Star did not meet her eyes. “It feels like it, ma’am. I lost twenty soldiers!”
“Put it out of your head,” said Warding Ember gruffly, bent over the map table. “You weren’t to know Firebolt would turn traitor. If anything, the whole thing reflects well on you.”
Morning Star stayed slumped in his campaign chair. He looked miserably out of the flap of the staff tent to the snow billowing in the night. Warding Ember and Princess Twilight had returned not twenty minutes after Firebolt and her regiment had rampaged through the camp and up the valley to Parliamentarian lines. They had found twenty soldiers dead, another fifteen being triaged in the medical tents, and three tent lines burned to the ground as he had staggered around in the middle of it all. He had babbled out an explanation to Warding Ember before the General had sent him to the medics and taken over the situation. Now he sat here with bruised ribs while a traitor had slipped through his hooves.
“The important thing is that you rest and heal,” continued Warding Ember. “You’ve done good work here. Your training programme and contingency planning are excellent. Until you get better, the staff and I can take over and continue what you’ve started.”
“It’s not enough, sir.” Morning Star heaved himself out of his chair, every breath sending a lance of pain through his ribs. “I request permission to go after Firebolt, sir.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Colonel!” said Warding Ember incredulously. “You’re barely healed! And Firebolt is long gone. If you want revenge, you can get it on the field of battle.”
“Sir, Firebolt persuaded an entire regiment to desert!” protested Morning Star, pain flaring through his ribs. “Blueblood and Neigh will shower them with gold, promotions, whatever they want, and they will make sure our soldiers see that! Well over half our army here is Ponyville ponies, and right now all they can think about is how cold it is, how hungry they are, and how their families are in enemy territory. They will see Firebolt’s regiment, warm and rich, and they will go to join them. I have to stop that!”
“Someone will stop it,” said Warding Ember sternly. “But not you. I’ve told you before, you’re needed here. We’ll put together a flying column, but we’ll have to vet the members carefully. If you’re right, then there’s only certain ponies we can trust…”
***
“Surely you’re joking, Your Highness?” said Warding Ember with a pained expression on his face.
One hour later, Twilight Sparkle stood grinning in front of Ember’s campaign desk. Behind her were Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rarity. At her left was Spike, and at her right was her bodyguard, Captain Summer Set, who didn’t dare meet Ember’s eyes. All of them were wearing fully-loaded packs and their greatcoats.
“Not at all, General,” said Twilight gleefully.
“You want me to send you, a Princess of the Realm, behind enemy lines, unsupported, after a traitor who has already demonstrated willingness to kill for her new cause?” He gave Morning Star a stunned glance. “I will not allow it.”
“Actually sir,” said Morning Star slowly. “The more I think about it, the more it makes sense.”
“Sir,” began Summer Set desperately. “I pleaded with Her Highness, but…”
“All seven of us fulfil your criteria for a mission to go after Firebolt,” interrupted Twilight. “We have no incentive to defect: if anything it would be more dangerous for us. We have two trained soldiers, two high-level Unicorns, and three of us can fly.”
“It’s insane!” snapped Warding Ember. “The second you run into an enemy patrol…”
“The Princess can teleport them out of there,” completed Morning Star.
Warding Ember stared at them aghast. He was not a stallion used to having his sentences finished for him. Nor was he used to untrained subordinates coming to him with ludicrous plans. “Star,” he growled. “If you’re trying to get revenge-by-proxy…”
“Firebolt has to face justice,” said Twilight firmly. “We’ll travel only by night, following the edges of the valley. Applejack knows the White Tail Woods, and Fluttershy knows the Everfree. We’ll have Spike with us so we can relay you intelligence. Once we find Firebolt, we’ll watch her night and day until we get an idea of her schedule, then I’ll teleport in when we know she’s alone, grab her and teleport out.”
“If we’re gonna go, we need to go now, sir,” said Rainbow Dash. “Before the trail goes cold and word can get out.”
Twilight saw Warding Ember’s jaw working as he tried to find gaps in the plan. She knew it was incredibly risky, but a risk was something you could recover from and risk was part of war. Twilight Sparkle was sick of sitting in on staff meetings and not saying anything, sick of being the camp ornament, sick of smiling and waving. She wanted to do something, and venturing out alone with her friends after a villain was something she knew how to do.
After a moment, Warding Ember sighed. “I’ve been in the Royal Guard too long to think I can dissuade a Princess who’s really got something into her head. Fine, I’m approving this mission, but…” His jaw hardened into a grim line. “Summer Set is going with you, and I want absolutely no heroics. If you ever come under contact you teleport out of there. Sir Spike, I expect a report from you at the end of every day. Set, Dash, Applejack, since you three have the most military experience, the Princess’ life is in your hooves. If at any point any of you judges the mission to be too dangerous, you’re to return her to here by any means necessary.”
“Understood, sir,” said Summer Set.
“All right girls!” Twilight’s horn glowed to adjust the straps of her pack. “Move out!”
“You’re going now?” Morning Star asked, surprised at the suddenness of it all.
“Time waits for no mare, Colonel,” said Twilight, grinning. “And we have a traitor and a murderer to catch.”