Operation Shield

by GJT_Productions

The Big Show

"Lieutenant Crispin, do you feel sufficiently capable of taking over operations in Ponyville and continuing construction without my presence here being necessary?"

"Yes Lieutenant Captain, I do."

"Good. Lieutenant Steelwing will return to Canterlot with myself. You will have command for the duration of remaining construction for the outpost, and will soon receive receipt to take permanent command of operations in Ponyville once construction is complete. Understood?"

"Yes sir!"

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Such was the conversation Lieutenant Captain Fidelitas had during that day's morning. Now, late in the afternoon on the train back to Canterlot, he was using ink and quillpen to write out his report to the Captain of the Guard in Canterlot.

His work is interrupted by a series of surprised gasps and low buzz around him, the eyes of fellow passengers all turning to see out one side of the train heading in the direction of the gleaming castle and city on the mountain in front of them.

"Lieutenant, what's going on?" Fidelitas asks Steelwing, who is sitting across the aisle in the same car from him.

"Sir, I think you want to take a look at this!" Steelwing exclaims in a stunned tone, jaw falling agape afterward.

Fidelitas moves to beside the Lieutenant and quickly spots what has the attention of the entire train - a magenta-colored bubble slowly enclosing all of Canterlot and its castle! The buzz grows as the bubble completely encloses the city, turning to confused quiet speculation as the train travels onward.

"Who and what would be able to create that kind of shield over the whole city?!" Fidelitas exclaims to Steelwing in surprise.

"It does not match the magic of any alicorn, sir. In fact, I think it's from..." Steelwing speculates.

"I just realized the same thing you did. And I'll be a donkey's uncle if it is!" Fidelitas exclaims again, joining most of the train manifest in slack-jawed shock...

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MEANWHILE IN CANTERLOT...

There was scattered stomping applause of hooves around Lieutenant Captain Aten as the forcefield of Lieutenant Captain Shining Armor closes around the city. He is slack-jawed in mortified shock, as is the Lieutenants escorting him, as he never expected in a million years what he was witnessing now! Up on the balcony above the plaza, Shining Armor buckles after the effort but remains standing, and Aten's temper flares up as both Princess Luna and Princess Cadance give him congratulatory kisses. Anything else is lost to the roar of the pleased crowd that had come out to watch the spectacle.

"Why I oughta... let me at 'im!" one of the escorting Lieutenants says, flaring wings open, but one of Aten's forelegs shoots up in front of him.

"No, Lieutenant. Not with the princesses around." Aten cautions as the confused Lieutenant looks over at him. "The Wonderbolts will test the strength of the shield. If it holds, we'll take our licks and go on. He'll slip up sometime, and we need to be ready when he does."

"Yes, sir." the Lieutenant replies as he watches a half-dozen Wonderbolts swoop down to test the strength of the shield...

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ABOVE CANTERLOT...

"Soarin', do you have those performance reports?!" Captain Spitfire shouts as she sits in her Canterlot office, located in the pegasi colony above Canterlot.

"Coming, coming!" Soarin' answers, hastily moving while trying to balance a stack of papers on the top of his head. He enters the office and takes no time getting the papers over to Spitfire's desk, whereupon she starts looking them over.

Very quickly, however, she is interrupted by a knock at the door. Soarin' turns to look in that direction and Spitfire puts down the papers in exasperation before telling the knocker to come in.

"Sorry to bother you, ma'am, but there's something you really ought to see taking place below us." the knocker, Wonderbolt Blaze, states.

Soarin' and Spitfire exchange glances before Spitfire gives her reply: "Is it a big emergency, Blaze?"

"Considering Misty Fly just launched half the squad without authorization, I would say yes ma'am." Blaze answers, and again Soarin' and Spitfire exchange glances.

"Take us out to see it, then." Spitfire affirms, and she gets up from her desk to follow both Blaze and Soarin' out of the office.

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It did not take long for Spitfire to see Misty Fly leading some Wonderbolts trying - and failing - to break the shield bubble Shining Armor had put around Canterlot. It did not take much longer for Spitfire to order an immediate recall and demand from Misty Fly what exactly was going on.

"It's very simple, ma'am. Something happened while you were in Cloudsdale yesterday." Misty Fly explains, next showing a copy of the poster which precipitated the shield being formed around Canterlot, along with a (later revealed to be forged) censure notice from Princess Celestia addressed to Captain Spitfire for "supporting subversive and unpatriotic activity". As soon as Spitfire saw those two things, she hit the metaphorical roof, rightly guessing that Lieutenant Captain Aten had tried to frame her as supporting his "dare" to Shining Armor.

"Misty Fly, you and all those that launched with you have received strikes for not informing me of this as soon as you discovered it!" Spitfire exclaimed, her mane now looking it would literally becomes flaming and her eyes filled with fire.

"Yes ma'am, sorry ma'am." Misty Fly meekly replies, not seeing any other reasonable response.

"That pegasus stallion has made a fool of me for the last time! I will deal with him myself tomorrow!" the Wonderbolt Captain continues in her indignant rage...

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"There you are! What do you have to say for yourself, Lieutenant Captain?!" Spitfire exclaimed after storming past the guard into Aten's office the following morning.

"What do I have to say for myself, Captain?" Aten answers, speaking a calm, amused manner at Spitfire's rage. "Why it's very simple, Captain. You are being untrue to your word and honor as a pegasus officer of the Royal Guard."

"WHAT?!?" Spitfire shouts at Royal Canterlot Voice level, startling everypony else in earshot except Aten, who remains unphased.

"Is your memory so short, Captain? You gave a rousing speech to the Wonderbolts under your command while the 'Eternal Night' threatened all of Equestria, and now you intend to break that oath in private by allying with Shining Armor." Aten replies in condescending tone.

Spitfire remains fuming in silence as Aten now throws her words like flaming arrows: "'We shall not flag or fail! We shall go on to the end! We shall defend our kingdom against Nightmare Moon, whatever the cost may be! We shall fight in the clouds, we shall fight on the walls of Canterlot, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills! And we will never surrender to the Nightmare!' Now you have the nerve to come into my office and tell me I'm disloyal, you bucking hypocritical colt of a mule! I ought to turn you in for turning traitor, Captain!"

At this Spitfire had enough and immediately launched into a pounce toward Aten, who dodged out of the way as he was expecting her attack. The Wonderbolt Captain goes skidding across the office floor - she stops, turns to look Aten and takes a smash in the face from one of Aten's forehooves. She tries to pull him down to the floor, leading to the pair rolling around the office, knocking items off shelves and desks as they do. Aten pins her, hits her with a few more blows, then shoves her away.

Spitfire slowly gets back on her hooves, battered, bruised and as enraged as a charging bull. She yells at the top of her lungs as she charges Aten again, but Aten had prepared for this too and as she leaps both rear legs go up in a bucking kick. Spitfire feels the air go out of her lungs as the impact throws her clear across the office, ramming her hard against a set of file cabinets.

The Wonderbolt Captain's world goes blurry for a brief moment, and her head throbs with pain. Both legs and wings are splayed open, and she desperately tries to will them to move as the cabinets creek behind her and start tilting forward. Before she can react, the cabinets crash down, pinning her underneath their weight.

"Word of advice, Captain: Stick to your pretty little airshows and stay out of Canterlot politics. It will only get worse for you if you don't." Aten replies in smug condescension as Spitfire struggles to get the cabinets off of her.

Aten exits the office, motioning the guards to follow her and leave Spitfire to get herself out of the situation. To Aten, it didn't really matter that Shining had beaten his "dare", nor that Fidelitas had succeeded in his "Operation Shield". Spitfire's cries for help were music to his ears, as now his previous defeats had been avenged and she was rendered impotent in terms of political influence. It was all a part of his master plan, one he was eager to execute soon...

Comments

[Iron Comet]

Feels too short. But a good story none the less. I hope Aten gets what's coming to him soon though.

[Noctus Umbra]

"Why it's very simple, Captain. You are being untrue to your word and honor as a pegasus officer of the Royal Guard."
...
And we will never surrender to the Nightmare!' Now you have the nerve to come into my office and tell me I'm disloyal, you bucking hypocritical colt of a mule! I ought to turn you in for turning traitor, Captain!"

Congratulation day! You have just provided enough iron-clad evidence to evict you from the guard. Slander of the royal person is rated as high treason which, of course, is punishable by death or at the very least banishment.

[GJT_Productions]

7062959 Trust me, if it wasn't for Aten knowing "the secret of the statue garden" (three guesses what that is ) he would've been banished a LONG time ago.