Interlude #3, Part 1: The IS-2 Incident
’Tis time, by approbation of both Fell Flight and Blindside, to tell the tragic tale of Thunderbolt and the incident that led to his earning the Dove of Fidelity and eventually leaving the Corps.
He is far from the only pony involved in the tale, to be certain, but ’tis an enormous part of his legacy, much as he regretted it. Unfortunately, unlike our previous interludes, this tale cannot be told directly by the pony most affected by it.
For there are no living witnesses to what happened that day. All we have to go on are Thunderbolt’s testimony, and that of the Army troops who arrived too late to help. Thus, this chapter will consist of declassified intelligence analyses, operational orders, after-action reports, and a written journal entry from then-Captain Fairweather.
We thank Our Princess for declassifying these documents, and I in turn thank Fell Flight and Blindside for helping me comb through the voluminous archives regarding this incident to piece together this recounting of events in a coherent fashion. Methinks I know how hard this was on the two of you for what it revealed, much of which shocked me as well. But ’tis also certain he would have been very proud of you both for all you accomplished and became.
The IS-2 Incident: Classified GREATEST SECRET
Declassified by order of Princess Celestia: August 9th, 1167 AE
Timeframe:
November 1st—November 25th, 1127 AE, nearly twelve years before start of Pony/Gryphon war.
Order of Battle—Equestrian Aerial Corps
Excerpt from Equestrian Aerial Corps Weekly Readiness Report of November 1st, 1127 AE
Outpost Beta:
3rd battalion, 1st brigade, 5th Corps Division, mustering nearly 260 pegasi and a small unicorn healer contingent. Numbers were briefly increased in October to compensate for Army reductions due to harvest season, but are falling back to nominal levels now.
Commanding officer: First Lieutenant Squall Line
Executive officer: Second Lieutenant Thunderbolt
Readiness: Excellent
Comments from 5th Division Command:
There are some reports of friction between the commander and his second. There is also a potentially disturbing amount of officer/enlisted fraternization happening within the outpost’s ranks.
Order of Battle—Equestrian Army
Excerpt from Equestrian Army Monthly Readiness Report of November 1st, 1127 AE
Army Outpost Orange
3rd regiment, 4th division, 1st Corps, mustering 502 officers and mares.
Location: As is typical for Equestrian defensive doctrine, Army border installations are located between and slightly in back of Aerial Corps Outposts in order to backstop them and provide a degree of coverage in between them, as well as a ready reserve to respond to enemy incursions. Thus, Outpost Orange is placed roughly midway between Aerial Corps outposts Beta and Alpha and set back ten miles from the border, responsible for reinforcing any towns and villages in its area of operations that come under attack.
Commanding officer: Colonel Plowshares
Executive officer: Major Rock Biter
Readiness: Fair, but improving.
Comments from Army 1st Corps command:
The Outpost is regaining numbers and training levels after losing half its earth ponies for the customary two-week harvest period in the latter half of October, during which time the Aerial Corps compensates by surging in additional pegasi to Outposts Alpha and Beta. Some concerns about unicorn training levels persist and earth pony mares report a shortage of crossbow bolts.
Order of Battle—Gryphon Regular Forces
excerpted from Army intelligence report of October 12th, 1127 AE
Black Hawk Base
“Black Hawk Base, opposite Outpost Beta, is responsible for a twenty-league stretch of border to either side of it. As reported by the EIS, ’tis currently the home base of the 6th Talon legion, supported by a mixed Knight century with at least a dozen mages attached. This sector of the border is sparsely populated by both sides, but there are a half-dozen small towns and villages in the region of note, as well as copious farmland in this less arid area…”
“As per gryphon defensive doctrine, the Talons are not concentrated on the border, but garrison all settlements and critical points. Only a cohort is typically stationed at Black Hawk base. In the event of an attack, they could concentrate their forces quickly on the endangered area, however, and frequently practice doing so. Their forces are numerous enough to have offensive capability as well, though ’twould be very difficult for them to mass sufficient numbers for an attack without being seen.”
Commanding Officer of Gryphon Border Forces:
(excerpted from EIS Imperial Personnel Dossier #2452)
“Having been in her post for the past three years, Legate Kamilya Ampok is a respected commander known affectionately to her forces as ‘The Lioness’, not just for her imposing appearance and combat prowess but her sense of honor and fair play.
“An Earth Gryphon, she is of noble blood and underwent rigorous training in preparation for her military service, quickly rising through the ranks. Though possessing a crippled wing she sustained in battle with the Elder Rams some years earlier and cannot fly very fast or far, she is still a potent fighter and remains in command by virtue of the fact she has won several duels despite her handicap.
“She is not afraid to buck protocol; her idea of a parley consists of two commanders sitting down to dinner and discussion on a small island deep in the border canyon river with nothing else but food, drink, and a few trusted advisors. For the genuine respect she shows Equestrian forces and her efforts to keep the peace—raider activity is down sharply under her tenure as border commander—she is well-liked by her pony counterparts…”
Readiness State of Gryphon Border Forces:
(excerpted from Equestrian Aerial Corps intelligence report of October 12th, 1127 AE)
“Readiness levels of the gryphon frontier forces are very high. Legate Ampok trains her five border legions constantly and is normally quick to spot any issues with her defenses. We have never engaged her forces directly, but to do so would be considered extremely inadvisable…”
Order of Battle—Gryphon Irregular Forces:
Excerpted from EIS Intelligence Estimate #332, September 2nd, 1127 AE
“… At least three raider groups are known to operate in the Delmareva area, including the Lucavi, Khamja, and Ryomoku groups. Of the three, the Lucavi has by far the most members and is considered the most dangerous; the other two tend to fight each other far more than us…”
“Lucavi numbers are estimated at upwards of six hundred soldiers who take pride in their toughness to the point that upon induction into the group, individual members have the Lucavi group seal branded into their flanks in direct mockery of pony cutie marks. An exceptionally large raider group, they are supplied and supported by a surprisingly extensive criminal network that includes extortion and protection rackets under the leadership of Mistress Altima, a former Owl intelligence officer who apparently used her office for illegal personal gain.
“She believes herself untouchable, and not without cause: ’tis believed part of the reason she survived what is normally a capital offense was that she used her intelligence assets to amass blackmail material against high-ranking members of the Imperial government and military, who thus tolerate her activities even when she is carving out her own private empire within the confines of the real one…”
“Very intelligent, ruthless and dangerous, and said by some to be verging on sociopathic, Mistress Altima has at least two large towns plus several smaller ones under her thrall and controls a lucrative black market in crystal and weapons trade throughout the province. Her soldiers are well-equipped and far better trained than the raider norm; her commanders include several ex-Knights and at least one former Raven…”
“Black Lance recon reports indicate that her group is increasingly unpopular with gryphon civilians, as they tend to harass and steal from them, ruling the towns they control as private fiefdoms. Despite complaints, the Empire has taken no action against them, perchance hoping to retain their use against us… or perchance she simply holds too much incriminating information over them.”
Final Report on IS-2 Incident
Prepared by Captain Fairweather
Commanding Officer, 5th Division, Equestrian Aerial Corps
December 18th, 1127 AE.
Prelude:
On October 12th, 1127 AE (Anno Celestae), a group of nearly one hundred fifty earth pony pioneers belonging to four extended families established a series of new settlements against explicit advice in the fertile marshes near the exit of the border canyon, where arid terrain turns into tidewater as rainfall from coastal storms allow swamps and grasslands to exist.
This action was immediately protested at parley by the Gryphons, who made clear their belief that the settlements were in violation of existing agreements regarding disposition of land and ‘agricultural resources’ in the area. They pointed to the unofficial agreement of 1108 AE, which had never been ratified by the High Council as it had been presented under some duress, stating that the tidewater area west of the Delamare river was ceded to them.
After some discussion, ’twas decided that, as their presence was provocative and might potentially lead to a destabilization of a presently peaceful border, the settlements would have to be disbanded. But the four families refused to leave, stating that ‘they needed no permission to farm anywhere’ and made clear they would sell their crops to gryphons or ponies alike. They called their three colonies the “Inland Shores” and stated ‘they were meant to foster peace and understanding’ between the two sides, apparently believing that Equestrian intransigence was the only reason it did not exist.
Even when told the gryphons found their presence provocative, they refused to leave, stating they were peaceful ponies who did not believe the tales of gryphon atrocities. The three colonies were then unofficially referred to as IS-1, IS-2 and IS-3 on military maps, and more derisively by Corps soldiers as the “Idiot Settlements.”
Summary of Events:
Harassment of the settlements began immediately by various raider groups, likely prodded by the Office of Owls, though their role was never proven. These included thefts of supplies and equipment and later escalated to acts of intimidation and at least one kidnapping for ransom.
Despite this, the families refused repeated offers of relocation and protection, claiming that ’twas the pony military presence that was provoking the gryphons and any garrison would only make things worse. The mayor of IS-2 even went so far as to claim that, “Should the gryphons become aggressive, we will simply speak to them of kindness and offer compromise, extending our hooves in friendship.”
In the end, ‘twas only when a direct threat was leveled against the settlements by the Lucavi raider group to ‘burn them to the ground’ that they consented to even the emplacement of intrusion detection sensors whose triggering would earn an immediate Corps response.
Despite this, First Lieutenant Squall Line, the then-commanding officer of Outpost Beta, decided that the sensors were not enough, as it would take nearly an hour for troops from Beta to arrive. Believing a protective force was necessary, on November 3rd, he dispatched a platoon of three squads to the forwardmost colony, IS-2, in the belief that simply having soldiers there made an attack less likely. However, to placate the pacifistic colonists, he ordered them to leave their wingblades and other weapons behind, over the vociferous protests of his first officer, Second Lieutenant Thunderbolt…
After-action report prepared by Major Rock Biter
Received by Equestrian Army HQ on November 5th, 1127 AE
At 1420 hours on November 4th, whilst on training maneuvers with my company north of Outpost Orange, we received word from base that the intrusion-detection enchantments around the IS-2 settlement had been triggered by numerous sources. Fearing the worst, given the local garrison was unarmed per orders of Corps Lieutenant Squall Line, I abandoned our exercise and made immediately for the settlement, leading my two platoons personally. We also received word that Outpost Beta was dispatching reinforcements as well, but given our considerably closer proximity, we arrived first.
We came upon a scene I can only describe as directly from Tartarus: burning buildings and slaughtered ponies, blood and severed limbs everywhere. Whether stallions, mares, or foals, none were spared the blade. The colony was gone, as were its defenders; I further regret to report we found the remains of the defending Aerial Corps platoon amongst the dead. I can at least report that ’tis quite apparent they fought to the death to defend the town despite their lack of weapons; I might even go so far to say that despite not being an Equestrian Army unit, the Diamond Defender award be given them posthumously for what is certain to have been a desperate last stand.
Once a perimeter was established and the ruins of the colony secured, searches revealed a single onsite survivor among the Corps troops; we found Sergeant Virga Veil alive underneath a pile of debris, but he was severely wounded with multiple sword and arrow wounds as well as a missing wing. Our unicorn medics attended him, but his prognosis, regrettably, is poor. As he remains in a coma at this time, we have been unable to get any information out of him, and with each day that passes, ’tis considered more and more unlikely that he will ever wake up.
’Twas little doubt as to who was responsible for the attack, as we found a scimitar stabbed through the village flag as it lay on the ground in what had been the town square. The scimitar’s hilt was adorned with the circular blue seal of the Lucavi raider group, which was revealed when we removed the scroll on top of the hilt. The following message was found within, written in Equish:
The Equestrian invaders have met their fate, and pathetically easy were they to slay. Let this be a warning to all ponies to leave gryphon lands or die. Long live the Empire!
’Twas signed by the Mistress of the group, Altima, who said also that she would toast her victory with the blood of a soldier she had personally slain, promising her forces would be feasting on the bodies of dead ponies that night. She further mocked us by claiming that she was untouchable and, forty miles behind a full Talon legion as she was, we would not dare come after them for it. True to her word, of the nearly hundred civilians and soldiers present at the settlement, nearly twenty bodies were missing, and of those who remained, ’twas further apparent that some had been tortured before they were slain.
’Twas then we heard the distant cry of a foal, and immediately sought its source. We found it a quarter mile from the village in a small alcove, in the form of a single crying infant filly guarded by a second survivor—a wild-eyed Corps Lieutenant bearing multiple wounds and a bloodied gryphon blade in his mouth. After considerable coaxing—for all he had been through, he simply did not believe we were friendly at first—he identified himself as Second Lieutenant Thunderbolt, first officer of Outpost Beta and commander of the Aerial Corps detachment.
He would not give up the foal, which turned out to be the sole survivor among the civilians, believing he alone could protect her. Fearful of his reaction were she to be taken from him—he claimed he had slain six raiders before being forced to flee when there was nothing left to defend—we allowed him to return her personally to our outpost, whereupon he ensured she was seen by healers and then collapsed from pain and exhaustion. He remains in our infirmary at present time.
I wish it known here and now that for as clinical as this report may seem, none who saw that scene were unaffected, myself included. The carnage was indescribable and the savagery shown beyond all reason and comprehension; many of my mares broke down and sobbed at the sight. But duty called; we immediately garrisoned the remaining two settlements with reinforced platoons over their heated protests, bringing the village elders to visit their sister colony to prove what had happened.
Refusing to accept the obvious, they then tried to blame us for it, claiming ’twas only our presence here that invited the attack. In this, I must in part agree—putting an unarmed Corps platoon as a deterrent there may have dissuaded Talons from launching an attack, but not a raider group who saw an easy target and a chance to avenge earlier losses to Corps forces. Whatever their actual orders, they quickly escalated from harassment to massacre when they realized our soldiers were defenseless, and the one who ordered such an arrangement must bear the blame.
To the Commanding General and My Princess herself if she should read this, I speak for not just myself but my entire regiment when I say this attack CANNOT go unpunished. ’Twas an act of war to say nothing of basest savagery, and one that must be answered in kind. My forces stand ready and eager to avenge this atrocity, though we cannot do so alone. We will require Corps support and considerable reinforcement before we dare cross the border, but will train constantly to do so.
Signed,
Major Rock Biter,
Equestrian Army
Executive Officer, Outpost Orange
After-action report prepared by Second Lieutenant Thunderbolt
Received via EIS secure communique November 6th, 1127 AE
Having awakened to the news that, no, my most recent memories were not, in fact, merely horrible nightmares, I have been debriefed by EIS agents as well as Corps Command. They have asked me to prepare a report of my perspective on what is now being called the ‘IS-2 Incident’, which is a horribly bland term for such barbarity as I have witnessed. I have further been told to ‘keep my emotions in check’ whilst writing this report. Having given this advice due consideration, I have decided to ignore it. ’Tis certain I cannot keep my bias, my emotions, from influencing my perspective, given my personal involvement in the entire affair. As such, what follows is my true, unfettered feelings on the matter.
To begin, I would say that my superior, First Lieutenant Squall Line, must have earned his position through some well-placed friends in the Corps. He certainly lacks the tactical acumen of a true commander. Sending three unarmed squads of ponies to guard a settlement in disputed territory was, to put it mildly, an extremely foalish action, one both myself and our training officer, Sergeant First Class Windshear, counseled against.
To his credit, Windshear offered to lead the detachment. Perchance he would have been the better choice as ‘tis certain he was more versed in hoof-to-hoof warfare, having regularly bested everypony on base in unarmed spars, including myself and Squall Line. But I insisted on it being me, deciding that I owed it to my soldiers to be there even in the face of such folly. Perchance, had Windshear been there, the raiders would have paid a higher price. But in the end, ’tis certain not even he could have stood against such an overwhelming force, and I fear the outcome would not have been altered...
In summary, First Lieutenant Squall Line’s actions were those of a foal of the first order. He sent an inadequate force into an indefensible location, in the belief that our presence alone would dissuade enemy action. The lie of that was proven quickly, as I must with great sorrow report the loss of my entire command and the colony we were defending. Such a small and unarmed force only made it an even more tempting target, as I repeatedly warned him. The raiders, arriving in the settlement mere moments after the sensors were tripped, set to work with brutal efficiency; they had timed their attack well, as many ponies were enjoying the mild weather outside, and several were in the settlement’s ‘town square’, for lack of a better term. They knew we were unarmed, and that ’twould be, to borrow a gryphon phrase, ‘like spearing fish in a barrel’.
Despite their lack of wingblades, my forces fought valiantly as best they could with whatever improvised weapons were available. Heroically they fought, taking down nearly a score of raiders with their bare hooves… and heroically they were butchered like so many gryphon game animals, outnumbered nearly five to one. I could not save them, but twice my mare soldiers saved me by throwing themselves in front of crossbows and spears as if I was somehow worth sparing.
In the space of ten minutes I was forced to watch the destruction of my entire command—including the mares I had proposed to herd but a week earlier—and know that I was helpless to prevent it no matter how many raiders I killed. In the end, out of the entire colony I was charged with guarding but given no means to protect, all I could save was myself and a single foal. And in the end, I can forgive neither the gryphons or the one whose idiotic orders allowed this atrocity to occur!
As First Lieutenant Squall Line has proven himself unfit for command with such an egregious error of judgement, I request he be immediately relieved and command of Outpost Beta transferred to me. I further request the chance to lead the retaliatory strikes, should they be so ordered. As nearly one hundred ponies now lie dead, ’twould be folly not to!
Signed,
Second Lieutenant Thunderbolt
Equestrian Aerial Corps
First Officer, Outpost Beta
Personal appeal to Princess Celestia as written by First Lieutenant Squall Line
Received in Canterlot on November 6th, 1127 AE:
My Princess:
On reviewing the report written by Second Lieutenant Thunderbolt, I feel I must add my own perspective to this tragic and terrible affair. I beg for your indulgence and to hear me out.
I will not, for now, respond to Thunderbolt’s assault on my competency and character, as I can only imagine the pain he feels. So let me simply say I freely acknowledge my severe lapse in judgement and the loss of life it caused. I knew all the ponies I sent into harm’s way, and I will bare the pain of their loss as well as the certainty that I sent them to their deaths until my own dying day. But my reasons at the time seemed sound, and I would remind My Princess that the colonists themselves made it very difficult to defend them.
The presence of intrusion detection enchantments was not, in my view, sufficient to their defense as neither we nor the Army regiment at Outpost Orange could respond in time to an attack given their proximity to the gryphons, yet they also refused to allow armed Corps soldiers within twenty miles of their homes. Thus, I attempted an admittedly imperfect compromise, and I respectfully point out ’twas one that the settlement elders did agree to—sending unarmed soldiers.
Despite Thunderbolt’s objections, ’twas my belief and hope that their mere presence would be sufficient deterrent, given that gryphon soldiers and leadership find no honor in attacking defenseless ponies and doing so would mark a dangerous escalation for the gryphon side—one I still believe they did not want. The fatal flaw in that logic, which I now only too ruefully acknowledge, is that though the Talons may behave rationally and with restraint under Legate Ampok, raider groups such as the Lucavi led by such savages as Mistress Altima are not constrained by such concepts as duty and honor.
If I could take back my order, I would. If I could have died there in their place, I would. I have neither slept nor eaten since word of the attack broke, and I know I have earned Thunderbolt’s undying enmity for it. And, ’tis certain, that of my own rank-and-file.
I made a terrible mistake; one I must answer for. But I beg you, My Princess—do not relieve me of my command now, or I cannot even begin to make amends for what happened. For the sake of my own wounded soul, please let me lead the retaliatory strikes and risk my life in combat, so I may at least in some small way atone. In so doing, I will accept both the judgement of battle and any you may pass on me yourself should I survive it.
Your servant,
First Lieutenant Squall Line
Equestrian Aerial Corps
Commanding Officer, Outpost Beta
Celestial General Order #2107
Issued by Princess Celestia November 7th, 1127 AE
To the officers and soldiers of the Equestrian Military:
’Tis with great sorrow that I acknowledge the attack on the Inland Shores earth pony colony, and the terrible loss of life that accompanied it. ’Tis with equal regret that I now direct the Equestrian Armed Forces to ready themselves for retaliation, up to and including incursions into gryphon territory. The goal of these operations will be the elimination of the raider threat to the remaining settlements by the total destruction of the Lucavi group, killing their members and destroying their bases.
However, in planning these operations, I must also urge caution, and direct that we first make our grievances known to the gryphon high command in hopes of reaching a settlement. As an attack of this magnitude far exceeds typical raider bounds, ’twould seem likely that this was neither authorized nor condoned by the gryphon military or even the Office of Owls. This being the case, ’tis possible they may be willing to accommodate us in some form.
Regardless of their answer, I order the Army and Aerial Corps to immediately stage additional forces into the area for a corps-scale offensive, calling up reserves and redeploying forces as needed. Planning and training is to commence immediately, with a goal of being ready to launch operations within one week of acknowledgement. Rules of Engagement will be finalized as battle plans are drawn, but the broad outlines are as follows:
- The Army and Aerial Corps WILL cooperate and coordinate their operations. By my order, there will be no interservice squabbling as has marked such affairs in the past, or commanders will be relieved.
- Gryphon civilians are not to be targeted under ANY circumstances. Every effort will be made to protect them; any soldiers who attack them will be severely punished.
- If at all possible, the Imperial military is NOT to be engaged. If this is not possible, every effort will be made to minimize contact and their casualties.
- Operations are to be concluded as quickly as possible. For the longer they proceed and the longer we stay in Gryphon territory, the more the border will be destabilized and the risk of open war grows.
- Once operations are complete, every effort is to be made to convince the colonists to relocate. If they do not, I will visit them and make the appeal personally.
In regards to the requests made by Second Lieutenant Thunderbolt and First Lieutenant Squall Line, permission to lead portions of the retaliatory strikes is granted at the discretion of Captain Fairweather. However, the request to cede First Lieutenant Squall Line’s command to Second Lieutenant Thunderbolt is not. There will be an investigation into the former’s actions and motivations, but for now, recriminations can wait. The threat of the Lucavi group supersedes personal grievances within our armed forces, and I expect all involved to conduct themselves properly and professionally.
Signed,
Princess Celestia Daybringer,
Diarch of Equestria
Canterlot
Results of Gryphon/Pony Parley
The following is the verbatim exchange during the Pony/Gryphon parley of November 9th as remembered by Captain Fairweather, recorded in her personal journal upon return with the help of a memory recall spell cast by a unicorn healer. They were made part of the operational record but sealed along with the rest of the IS-2 incident documentation until recently declassified.
“Greetings, Captain,” Legate Kamilya Ampok saluted me in the gryphon manner, then placed a large rum jug down on the table. “I have brought your favorite brand.” A large earth gryphon eagless, she was backed by two aides, both smaller sky gryphon females, the hindquarters of the first baring the rosettes of a serval and the second, an ocelot. Also present was a single male earth gryphon mage with tiger stripes and stave, even bigger than she was. As their commander approached me, he cast a privacy spell, ensuring that nothing could be heard outside of it; our conversation would be for each other’s ears alone.
“As have I,” I replied with a salute of my own, opening the package of breads and pastries to show her as the Army unicorn from the Gamma regiment cast the same spell from our side, thus ensuring that neither side could eavesdrop or record the events through magical chicanery. As she had volunteered, ’twouldn’t have surprised in the least if she was an EIS agent, but methinks I didn’t care much at that point. “I believe the Valencia oranges and yeast rolls are your favorites?”
“Indeed they are. I thank you for remembering,” she said as the table was quickly set before us and then our aides withdrew outside the privacy bubbles. Unlike the overwrought parleys that previous gryphon commanders demanded, she prefered face-to-face meetings of a far more personal and civilized kind: a shared meal. She brought the meat and alcohol, we brought the breads, fruits and vegetables. I was sad to say that over time she had rather addicted me to the former.
As was customary, our aides watched but did not listen from a short distance away. Occasionally, they were allowed to hear or the table was set for all, but this time, ’twas just the two of us. “To business, then…” she began as she broke the neck of the bottle as the means of opening it past its steel seal—we really did need to teach the gryphons about corks, I had the idle thought—and poured us both a drink in the wide goblets the gryphons favored, ones that their beaks could easily drink from. “I believe you have some matters to discuss?”
A prize understatement indeed, I thought. In any event, I did not waste much time with pleasantries. “Would that it were kind business and the matters were idle ones, Legate,” I told her, not immediately partaking in either her food or drink. “You know full well of the raider attack and massacre of the pony colony in the Delmareva marshlands south of your Black Hawk Base. That nearly one hundred ponies are dead and their bodies defiled, including a Corps platoon nearly wiped out to the last soldier, is not something we can ignore,” I tossed the scimitar adorned with the Lucavi group’s seal on the table, still stained with pony blood, then showed her the note that had been found on the hilt; I took some satisfaction in seeing her eyes narrow and beak tighten.
“Here is your proof of what happened, Legate. Disputed territory or no, we will retaliate just as you wouldst were our positions reversed, so you may consider this an official warning to stand down your Talon legions and not interfere. We do not hold you or your soldiers accountable, and we have no wish to fight your forces, but we will if we must. The Lucavi group will face justice… one way or another,” I informed her as I began to eat. ’Twould be an insult to not partake of her hospitality, after all, particularly since I wanted her support… or at least a promise she would keep her forces from interfering, or we would be facing a far more difficult affair.
She did not immediately meet my eyes as she cut into the meat on her plate, a thick cut of some kind of game bird. “Methinks I would be angry too, should such a thing have happened. And demand vengeance for it,” she agreed at some length, then raised her eyes to mine. Anger smoldered in them, but not, I knew from long experience with her, directed at me. “But officially, we deny any knowledge of that group’s operations, or that this so-called massacre ever occurred,” she recited the standard gryphon boilerplate when presented with evidence of raider atrocities, though she clearly hated it, grating it out through a clenched beak.
“And unofficially…?” I prompted, sensing there was more she wished to say.
She closed her eyes briefly, and opened them again, her talons drumming as she studied the blade and note. “Unofficially, methinks I would be as outraged as you by the events you describe, and would see them brutally punished… were I allowed to.” Her expression went impassive but her wings twitched in anger for a moment. “Unofficially, methinks that if the choice were mine, I would happily do the job for you and present their heads on spikes to you afterwards, as is the proper treatment for traitors, sparing only Mistress Altima herself so that you may dispose of her as you see fit.”
“I see…” I stared at her for a moment, considering both what she was saying and what she might wish to say. “And if these events had transpired, would there be some reason why you are not?”
She arched an eyeridge at me. “Hypothetically speaking, of course?”
“Of course,” I answered evenly, cutting off and eating another piece of meat, curious again how they had seasoned it to make it so enticing, even to a pony palate.
“Very well, then.” Her blue eyes narrowed and she again tapped her talons on the stone table in front of me, idly nibbling on a dinner roll with her beak. “Hypothetically speaking, in such a… curious circumstance as you describe, I might say that they were in the employ of the Office of Owls, but in fact far exceeded their instructions and authority. I might also say that the Owls are furious with them; that according to such sources within their ranks as I could not possibly have, the Lucavi group was paid to conduct simple reconnaissance and some minor harassment on your settlement, not engage in wholesale destruction and slaughter of innocents as might provoke pony rage.”
Her eyes narrowed further before continuing. “I would go on to say that by engaging in such egregious and outrageous conduct against peaceful ponies, even on disputed territory, they have dishonored themselves and the very Empire that employed them. Nor could I say that this is a one-time incident—that as they have grown ever-more violent and out of control over the past few months, they are now threatening not just the Equestrian frontier but a large swath of territory within our own borders, terrorizing and extorting our own towns and farms, demanding tribute and ‘protection fees’ whilst murdering those who do not comply,” she informed me. “As such, they are now but a liability best expunged, and neither I nor any soldiers under my command would shed tears for their loss… or lift a talon in their defense.” She arched an eyeridge at me, leaving me little doubt as to what she was so carefully telling me.
“In such curious circumstance, then, why wouldst you not do the expunging yourself?” I had to know as I took my first drink of their rum, and found it as deliciously strong and sweetly flavored as ever. “If matters were as you say, ’twould seem to me that they are now as much a danger to your side as to ours.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Because ’twould seem Mistress Altima is considered untouchable due to the incriminating information she holds over many. Because even outside of her influence, there might be officers whose authority exceeds mine who would say that to take action against her would be tantamount to an admission of guilt. That in the end, ’twas the fault of the ponies for establishing an illegal colony there in the first place. That to crack down on the Lucavi group in the face of such provocations would be showing weakness to a race of herbivores who deserves neither honor nor respect. And thus, we should tolerate her deprivations, increasingly intolerable though they are,” she said in disgust, bringing down her goblet with a little more force than necessary, causing some liquid to slop out when it hit the stone table.
“Needless to say, I am not such an officer, nor are any who serve under me. Nevertheless, ’tis certain I would not be allowed to take any action against them, but would be instead ordered to defend Imperial lands and retaliate for any Equestrian incursion into our territory. Particularly one in supposed response to an incident that never occurred.”
I sighed and nodded. ’Twas no less an answer than I expected, but still one I had hoped not to hear. “I see. Then ’twould appear I have wasted my time,” I told her in some disgust, getting up to leave and leaving a half-eaten meal behind. “Do what you must, Legate, as will I,” I told her, flaring my wings to depart and fully expecting I would be facing her forces in battle within a week.
“However…” she called me back before I could take flight. “However. By curious coincidence, there is a troop rotation scheduled in that area shortly,” she noted, idly cutting off another piece of meat. “As I find their readiness suspect and procedures sloppy, the current Talon legion on duty out of Black Hawk Base is being pulled back from the border and reassigned to Cirrus Cassada for further training. And it appears that due to a sudden and unforeseen outbreak of feather flu, there is to be a slight… delay… in the arrival of the replacement legion.” She arched an eyeridge at me once again.
“I see.” I nodded my understanding, turning fractionally back to face her, studying her suddenly impassive features closely. “Then ’tis fair to say that border security may be unusually… lax in that area?”
Instead of answering directly, the Tribute popped another piece of meat into her maw and replied like she was reciting a report to her superiors. “I further regret that due to being overtaxed by rampant sickness within our ranks, our mages have been on constant healer duty and thus have not been able to keep the intrusion detection enchantments properly powered along a twelve-league stretch of border.”
She passed me a marked map showing a gap nearly thirty miles to the southeast of Beta, then plucked an orange from my basket and began to peel it with a talon. “’Tis truly an unforgivable oversight which you may be assured I will quite vigorously investigate… once it has been discovered, that is.” She closed her eyes. “Unfortunately, with such difficulties as we face with the current changing of the guard, ’tis unlikely to be detected right away.”
“Truly?” I asked in mild tones, sitting back down at the table and helping myself to more meat, her hospitality suddenly far more welcome. “Methinks ’tis quite uncharacteristic of one so meticulous as you, Legate.”
“Yes. And ’tis likely I shall face disciplinary action for it,” she admitted with another gulp from her goblet, a bare moment of worry crossing her face as she topped mine off as well. I could certainly appreciate the bind she was in, and how far she was sticking her neck out to help us. If her actions were discovered, she could face execution for treason, but despite that she was placing her personal honor and disgust at what had happened above her given instructions, offering us aid when precious few gryphons would.
“Understand once again, Captain, that ’tis unthinkable for me not to obey my orders. But if, by some strange chance, this were not so, I could guarantee no more than a five-day window to conduct such operations as one might assume would be contemplated,” she told me carefully.
“In such an unlikely instance, such time would be sufficient,” I answered with equal care, a gleam growing in my eyes. “And were we to take advantage of such… fortuitous circumstances as you describe, what more might we need to know?”
“I would tell you to strike swift and sure. I would also warn you to complete those operations as quickly and surgically as possible, and be gone without a trace of your presence by the end. I would say to be mindful of civilians who hate the Lucavi as much as you and to take great care to not harm them, giving the Empire as little reason as possible to retaliate when your actions—and mine—are discovered,” she outlined, to which I nodded.
“If I were inclined to aid your efforts, ’tis certain I would also present you with all the information I could gather on the Lucavi group’s bases and members,” she then told me, passing me a series of scrolls out of her bag tied with twine, which I quickly stowed in my own pack, “And further trust you to dispose of such sensitive information immediately once it has been utilized… for both our sakes?” She arched an eyeridge once more.
“Had you given me such a thing, be assured that ‘twould never see the light of day,” I promised her, glancing back at my watching aides, “nor would there be any mention of such aid in official reports, though you may also be assured such aid would be appreciated. And perchance one day, reciprocated.”
“You can thank me by removing the remaining settlements, thus giving me something to show my superiors,” she told me bluntly. “Such would go far in preserving peace afterwards. And perchance my own hide,” she finished, raising my respect for her even further by virtue of the fact that she clearly did not expect to go unpunished, and knew well what retribution likely awaited her.
“I will do what I can,” I promised her as I finished off my goblet of spirits, and meant it. “Thank you for the rum, and be well, Legate. Your honor is noted and your candor appreciated. And if the worst should happen, be assured you and your staff may find refuge with us.” This time, I saluted her first.
“You will forgive me for hoping we do not have to avail ourselves of that offer.” The Legate returned my salute with a wan grin. “Nevertheless, ’tis appreciated as well. Understand that officially, this meeting never happened and any detected border incursion will be met with all the force we can muster, Captain. But unofficially…?”
She paused as her smile turned thin and predatory. “Unofficially, you may send Mistress Altima and the entire Lucavi group to face the judgment of their ancestors with my blessings…”
Equestrian Joint Military Council Dispatch #8823—Operation Phoenix Fire
Received by Princess Celestia November 16, 1127 AE
My Princess:
Planning and preliminary staging for Operation Phoenix Fire is complete, the details of which are contained in subsequent pages of this report.
In summary, the operation will consist of a three-division offensive: a reinforced Aerial Corps brigade from the 5th division will cross the border in concert with the entirety of the Equestrian Army’s 4th division with the goal of annihilating the Lucavi Raider Group, killing its members and destroying its bases of operations. They will be backed by the Army’s 3rd Division with additional Corps battalions in reserve as well.
All remaining Aerial Corps 5th Division forces will stand to along the border for the duration of the operation to guard against retaliation, each outpost heavily reinforced by two additional Corps battalions from the 1st and 3rd divisions. The Equestrian Army will likewise surge troops into the area to backstop the border defenses, doubling and occasionally tripling their presence in towns and bases. We have not yet carried out the bulk of these troop movements as to not alert the gryphons, but forces are on alert for immediate deployment. With sufficient naval transports available, they can be placed within twelve hours.
The main attack will be preceded by insertions of Black Lance Teams two, three, six, and seven, who will disable defenses and reconnoiter the objectives, identifying raider troop concentrations and high value targets for Corps and Army exploitation, as well as providing early warning of raider movements or if the Talons should suddenly appear. Zero hour for Army and Aerial Corps forces to cross the border will be 6am on November 18th, 1127 AE and as presently projected, operations will conclude and gryphon territory evacuated by 6pm November 21st.
These dates have been chosen to coincide with the promised outage of Imperial frontier defenses and withdrawal of the 6th Talon Legion; whether the destruction of the Lucavi group has been accomplished by then or not, I think My Princess will agree that the longer we stay, the more we risk gryphon wrath and the descent of multiple Talon legions on our invading force.
We have also secured a small number of naval transports for the purpose of rapidly shifting Army troops between critical points, though I respectfully declined Admiral Coral Torch’s offer of using two naval airships based in Baltimare. As their readiness is poor, they are in no shape for such operations and regardless, their appearance over gryphon territory might be taken by the Empire as a dangerous escalation.
Overall command of this operation is being given to Major General Avalanche of the Equestrian Army, as the bulk of the forces being used come from his 4th division, with Captain Fairweather as his deputy commanding the Corps contingent. Coordination has been arranged between the services, though methinks it best the Army and Aerial Corps have discreet areas of responsibility wherever possible, as we simply have not had sufficient time to practice joint operations.
Regardless, both commanders have agreed to follow this chain of command and impress upon their individual units and soldiers that they are to work together and not succumb to inter-service rivalries that have plagued such operations in the past…
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Tldr; Don't be a cuck.
federalism.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341bf6e653ef01b8d13e06bf970c-pi
Wait, isn't the friction a key part of the officer/enlisted fraternization?
kappit.com/img/pics/201602_1041_gedie_sm.jpg
So she's not not completely impractical. Wonderful.
The Khamja don't take kindly to weaboos in their ranks.
"This will show you who's boss ponies! (sizzle) OHHH GOD IT HURTS!" Honestly, from where I'm looking, it seems more like crippling inferiority complex than anything else. I mean sure, ponies are better than you but this is overcompensating a bit.
Because they are idiots. These ponies... are idiots!
And surely no one in their right mind would want to build in a region claimed by people who are so hostile they'd violate the rules of war to secure an agreement?
The ponies here are idiots...
This is literally what anarcho-capitalists believe.
Because the agreement that stated the land belonged to the griffins was more like a guideline than an actual agreement.
The ponies here are idiots...
Even the story is taking my side now! Welcome to the Dissident Right.
Literally Western Europe. Unbelievable.
Much credit to Firesight for having these fools die in the end and thus prevent their cuck genes from poisoning ponykind. Alas, as is in real life, good people must die for Angela Merkel's mistakes. I mean, the ponies mistakes. Actually, the Europeans are even stupider than the ponies here, but I'm getting off track.
I can't escape the notion that some ignorant, if decent enough folk, think this is farfetched or maybe old Firesight is going out of his way to make a political point. No, that would be me here.
Actually, none of this is farfetched at all. U.S. Military personnel have this crap pushed on them all the time, like those guys who were given the unenviable task of training the Afghanistan forces after the invasion of that country and overthrow of Taliban rule, only to get shot by those honorary freedom lovers. Many good soldiers have died from stupid RoE's (rules of engagement) to cover some politicians' ass.
There's my OC! I didn't write him here though. This is a usual Firesight/Leo Archon number. I'll probably write him some later.
I think I might be trapped in Silent Hill. And by Silent Hill I mean Fallout Equestria.
I like this order; it's vague enough that I can find all manner of ways around it.
I personally find this hard to swallow, as you're essentially sending the most odious elements of your society to perform a function a handful of trained, disciplined scouts could perform -- large in number, low on IQ, and high on alcohol, weaponry, body oder and enough ponys on meathooks to put a raider in Fallout Equestria to shame. Bad plan. Many such cases. To what role Kamilya actually played in all this is unknowable, but at the very least the bastards responsible will get what's coming to them.
That's more like it! Suck it, pacifist cucks!
I dunno, I see roses on the graves for the massive number of pony dead we got this chapter. (sigh) But I get what you mean. This was a depressing read. A very rough sit. And yet not even half as bad as the grinding futility of the Enclave Saga chapters of Fallout Equestria. Ugh... looking forward to the war starting so we can finally resolve the unbearable, and ultimately unsustainable "peace" the ponies find themselves in. No matter how good counterattacking the griffins might feel, it's not bringing back the dead, idiots though they are. Raiders, gangsters, and all manner of feculent and odious vermin like these griffin raiders have no value, no reason to live. Their victims could have made something of there lives, but were tragically wasted. There is no triumph in killing such creatures as there is no triumph in bombing some rat-hole third-world country to kill some guy in a forsaken shack the unibomber wouldn't even touch. Surely no civilization would openly accept such an existence as mundane and ordinary... right?
Not a civilization that has any balls.
It's kinda funny how this is related to Turnabout Storm. At least the written version. I nearly forget that sometimes.
Interest piqued.
Seriously you've got some of the greatest ideas for your fiction. Writing this in the form of a multiple first person perspective with the addition of relevant information interjected now and again like this allow you to forgo details which a character wouldn't really be thinking when the reader has to know them in order for the story to make sense. I love how intricate you are about military ranks and protocol in this alternate reality of yours.
Thank you so much for the quick update. Even if these kind of chapters doesn't advance the storyline, they show how much effort and thought you put into this story. It's a very good highlight to the miserable day many of us endured yesterday.
It's a good thing there are some Gryphons that honestly hate what some of these raiders have done...
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Indeed it is. This story is heavily referenced in its M-rated parent story, The Lawyer and The Unicorn, which also includes several notable guest appearances by Firefly via channeling/other means. This chapter, by the way, contains several Ace Attorney references, including one to a very well-done fan case called Operation: Turnabout where Phoenix Wright is voiced by friend and prereader TheGoldCrow just as he did in Turnabout Storm. I'll leave that one for you to discover, but the title of "IS-2 Incident" is actually also a bit of an Ace Attorney reference given the propensity in the games to refer to past cases by police identification numbers that follow a similar format.
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Good! Hope I can sustain it...
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Thank you very much!!!
This is my favorite story to work on. And yes, I think about it constantly even when I'm not writing for it.
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There are more than a few as it turns out. I haven't quite decided on Legate Ampok's fate after this, but I do promise she will be heard from again in the present time...
You've just remembered me why I LOVE this story.
Still, I don't think Legate Ampok is acting alone. I'm sure a lot of high-ranking gryphon officers wish to get rid of Altima's compromising material.
This is what happen when you know too much.
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No-so-fun fact--under the Obama administration's campaign to stamp out all forms of religious and patriotic expression in the military in the name of combating in-the-ranks extremism, they said 'don't tread on me' was an example of an extremist slogan. In other cases, HOAs and cities banned the flag, such as New Rochelle, NY. For dissent is only the highest form of patriotism under a GOP president.
You should have seen the anti-sexual harassment and fraternization videos we had to watch back in my ROTC days in the early 90s. Fraternization was strictly forbidden between anyone but closely ranked individuals and even then there were limits. It was said to be contrary, not without reason, to good order and discipline, though I think it happened more than anyone cared to admit. People are people first, not soldiers or sailors when it came down to it.
Far from it. She's driven and has a very strong sense of duty and honor, just as the character from my anthro novel I drew her from. And just like that character, she also goes both ways and is probably in a relationship with one or more her aides. They also reference characters in my anthro romance novel, her fellow instructors at a recently species-integrated high-school.
I see you've played the games! I haven't past the Super NES ones...
Also impractical, because you're making it very easy to identify your members, which will be a severe liability in case the Empire decides to crack down on you or the villages you control turn on you. You're also putting a bullseye on your butt in the aftermath of a massacre of pony villagers when you have the better part of two divisions coming for you.
Idiots or Idealists. But I repeat myself.
Well, you could say the same for the Mormons in
DeseretUtah. That was about as inhospitable land as you can imagine, between the bad weather, the salt flats, the near-desert conditions and the hostile Indian tribes. And yet, they made it work and turned it into their promised land. I've been to Salt Lake City. Beautiful and thriving place now.Of course, the Mormons believed they were being called there by God. This bunch? They're doing it in part to stick a hoof in the eye of collective pony society which they hold responsible for various ills. It's basically a vanity exercise. Virtue signaling. Sound familiar? They simply cannot fathom that the world could be different than what they believe or the gryphons could be as they were told, and by the sun that Celestia claims to move, they're going to prove it and show a new path forward.
That's almost an oxymoron! Or if you prefer, just a moron.
Never ratified, but never challenged because the ponies knew that area was difficult to defend given dangerously close proximity to the gryphons and not worth that much anyway. You also note the gryphons didn't do anything with it. Why would you want to settle in a swamp?
But will never, ever admit it because that means admitting their entire worldview is wrong. Again, sound familiar?
Cool! Where's my paycheck? And do I have to bring donuts or something to the meetings?
They're much further down the globalist track than we are, yes. One can only hope the populist revolt spreads there too.
I'm not above making political points in my writing, though I tend to make them subtle or do them by allegory, letting my characters speak for me. But it is true I think attitudes and orders like this are incredibly idiotic. People go on and on about how we musn't 'provoke' people and must 'respect' cultures yet somehow that respect is never reciprocated nor required to be. That's where modern liberalism went off the rails; this insane idea that all cultures are equal and none are superior, that we have to tear down our own to answer for historical sins. Bullshit. These people believe if you just show restraint and accommodation all will be well. When you're talking about an aggressive culture, that's seen a weakness, not strength, and they refuse to understand that.
All true, unfortunately, though it bears noting that there were plenty of Afghans who supported us after the deprivations of the Taliban, who even banned kite-flying and music as un-Islamic. Regardless, the Obama administration did its level best to turn our military from real warriors to the social justice kind, trying to make it more politically correct. Save us, Mad Dog Mattis! With such an un-PC name as that, Patton must be smiling from somewhere...
You definitely will! And I'm sure will have a blast doing so...
The story that haunts mine even without me having read it...
Well, in fairness, they really DON'T want to engage the Talons, since a) they'd be outnumbered and b) they're good soldiers. I think some of it is unavoidable, however, particularly if Mistress Altima has some military units or commanders under her influence...
The meathooks weren't part of the plan, and the reason they use raiders is the old cliche of plausible deniability; they can't be traced back to the gryphon government or military. It's just a few criminals doing this, you see, and we can't be everywhere to stop them. If you send trained soldiers to do the job, yes, there's a much lesser chance things will go wrong, but if they do anyway, and one or more should be captured (or even their bodies left behind), then guess what? There's now hell to pay because the ponies now have proof this operation was a sanctioned one. That's what happened with the Ravens.
It's a fine line to walk. On the one hand, you want to keep up pressure on the ponies but not provoke them so much they're retaliate. This one went way over the line, and the gryphons know it. At this point they're not actually planning an invasion; they're just chipping away at the edges of Equestria and playing a long game. You go to war now with more limited numbers, you won't get very far and in the final analysis, you're still at the end of a very long supply chain.
But violence doesn't solve anything! Unless, of course, you're leftist protestors screaming about Trump's election or even a gay conservative speaker, in which case you act like fascists, rioting, breaking and burning things all in the name of fighting fascism. And these people wonder how Trump got elected...
Apologies if it gave you flashbacks. The essence of this story will be that there will be plenty of high and low moments, happy and depressing chapters, moments of glory and moments of sheer savagery but I'll try very hard to balance them. This is NOT wall-to-wall horror as you've told me FoE is. But this chapter was one of the down ones, and the next one will certainly have some of it too.
It does strike me that for a war story, it's taking about thirty chapters to get to the actual war. And yet, that setup period is necessary to introduce all the characters and really set the stage. This would be much less powerful if we just went into the war without understanding the backstory or main players.
They had some value to their Owl handlers and later Consul Gaius for doing their dirty work, but otherwise...? Well, I Guess you could say they're where dispossessed gryphons like Gavian end up. They are gangs; they provide a sanctuary and sense of identity for those who have none. Who are raiders? A mixture of criminals, failed soldiers, orphans and other tragic tales. Refuse of a society that demands warrior virtue they couldn't or wouldn't meet. Some are much worse than others; some are almost tolerable. You may actually see a couple of the latter in due course. Raiders will not disappear during the war. In fact... well, I'll tell you this idea separately.
Ours still does if it elected Donald Trump! Or at least, enough people with (figurative) balls remained...
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Indeed. Stay tuned. And thank you!
man,it sure took awhile to clear time in my schedule to read the previous chapter and this,but it was worth the wait.
it's always a pleasure to sit back,relax,and enjoy some firefly/LaU/FSS/other,
writerscontent creators like you are the spine of the fandom,fireside will sail,and your FO:E echoes will always add humor to the comments,and of course,detail is everything in everythingforgive my rambling,i'm drunk
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WARNING: THE FOLLOWING POST INVOLVES US POLITICS. PLEASE SKIP THIS IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED. APOLOGIES FOR ANY WHO DID NOT SEE THIS WARNING OR ARE BOTHERED BY THE FACT THAT THEY NEED TO SCROLL.
Well, considering this is still a pony site, I'm going to try to debate while at the same time trying not to provoke any unnecessary aggression. Sorry for being a cuck if you will. (As a side note, I'd appreciate a more detailed explanation as to what a cuck is. I know what it roughly means, but it would help if I'd know what many Trump supporters blanket label liberals (so me possibly (not quite sure what they exactly mean by liberals in that context)) as) (Hooray for nested parentheses.)
First, yes those settlements are idiotic. Not necessarily because of pacifism though, but because they've decided to provoke an enemy combined with pacifism. As Machiavelli said, if you must wound an enemy, do so in a way that he cannot retaliate. Either don't provoke the enemy or destroy them outright. This is like attempting to live next to a wild bear cave. Either kill the bear or don't live there. Either is fine, living there without killing the bear is downright idiotic.
Secondly, the populist movement has little to no chance in most countries in Europe. First off, Europe is extremely dependent on inter-country trade. Raw nationalism just doesn't really work here. Additionally, Patriotism also isn't nearly as strong as far as I know. From what I can tell, the dominant mindset (among people) is mainly that lives are equally important regardless of where they are. This means that while preventing refugees from entering Europe will inevitably somewhat diminish quality of life, possibly even let a few terrorists in, not letting them in means condemning most of them to die.
This means that unless terrorism actually causes a statistically significant amount of deaths, most (or many at least, I didn't conduct any polls personally) people won't be in favor of preventing all refugees from entering outright. Populism won't succeed because the government actually does represent most people's interests in some form. Germany has 5 major political parties, and interestingly enough Angela Merkel is a member of one of the two centre-right leaning of those parties, the other three being either centre-left or left. There is no nationalist movement in Germany to speak of, although many do agree that less refugees should be accepted. I won't speak for any other countries as I don't know them that well, but Germany is still the dominant economic power in the EU.
Thirdly, I didn't see any connection between the idiotic settlements in your story and Western Europe at all. The countries here still all have armies, although not nearly as big (relative to population and GDP and so on) as the US, and at least some are indeed active in the middle east. Could be bias from living in Europe. Could be that you're biased for not living in Europe. Numbers don't tell a clear story in this case, so I'm just going to assume we both have incomplete information; I'll continue believing what I do as long as I don't have whatever information you seem to have.
Lastly, I don't even specifically hate Trump's policies in general. Sure I might be somewhat more in favor of a more socialist approach, but I consider the general sentiments a valid stance. Prioritizing your own nation is a very valid stance to take.
What I am worried about is the method of implementation. Preventing illegal refugees is definitely something that should be done, but I don't believe a concrete wall is going to be very cost efficient. That wall is going to be expensive, and it's arguably not going to be that much more effective than a smaller wall to stop vehicles behind a fence. In either case, people are going to get across unless you have border guards. And in either case, if there are border guards, you can stop them. A wall will slow them down more, I'll give you that, but I doubt the slowdown would be worth 10 billion dollars.
And that's just the American economy that might suffer. The most important thing I'm worried about is that he either does not believe in climate change or believes it's not a big deal. While climate change almost certainly won't influence anyone that much until at the very earliest even in the absolute worst case estimates at maybe the 2060s-2080s, that still could have an impact on me and quite likely will have an impact on my children if I ever have any. If for example the gulf stream halts or changes all of Europe will be utterly fucked. While it's most definitely not certain whether the gulf stream will halt, even a small chance is something extremely worrisome as if it does halt most of Europe will likely adapt a climate similar to that of southern Scandinavia or southern Russia.
A final point towards perspective: from many European's point of view, Americans are gradually ceasing to qualify as a first world country. Extremely expensive high level education, no universal healthcare, massive amounts of imprisonments, and so on and so forth. Essentially, don't be too certain of your own stance. I am not one of them, although I personally consider both your political parties and your political system... disappointing to say the least. First past the post is never a good idea. While I dislike many things that Trump has stated, I'm not going to dismiss anything he will state outright, and I do at least try to understand the other side's views. If you do so, and still believe whatever you believe, then good. We have different information available to us. I won't judge you for having the stance you have if you in fact have a good reason to do so.
Edit: I see this has already received two downvotes and yet no answers. A shame that it seems that for all the accusations of the opposition being absolutely certain that they're right, neither side seems willing to actually talk or consider the stances of the others.
RANT OVER, YOU CAN STOP SCROLLING NOW.
Kamilya Ampok is certainly the equal if not better than Layan Kaval when it comes to honour and intelligence. I hope she will survive the war. The Lucavi raiders work like a criminal organization and I doubt that similarities between Altima and mafia dons is coincidental.
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Indeed she is. her inspiration, by the way, was the protagonist of my anthro novel; a lioness by the name of Kamilya Kampo. The gryphon version of her has the same basic personality and background.
I recognize the EIS has made a decision. But given that it is a stupid-ass decision, I have elected to ignore it.
Legate Ampok is all kinds of amazing and I need more of her in my life.
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Well said. If anything, Thunderbolt's being too polite here.
She seems to be a very popular character with many. She will be brought back eventually. As I said in other comments and the Author's Notes, she's actually based on the protagonist of my anthro novel; a lioness named Kamilya Kampo.
Gawd. Why Fan Fic Celestia always better than the TV show one. How about we ditch that bitch and put Firefly's Celestia as Princess in the recent My Little Pony movie.
I'm pretty sure that Celestia would bury her horn in Storm King's stomach.
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You said it, brother!
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That would be my fondest wish. I am second to none in my despising how the show writers utterly destroyed Celly's character over the course of the final few seasons.
I will say without any humility that my Celestia is how she should be--kind and compassionate, but also possessing the great wisdom and power that her long life and Alicorn status grants her. She's battle-weary and very slow to rile after so many wars fought with Nightmare Moon and despots like King Sombra over the centuries, preferring not to involve herself in day to day affairs or minor military matters. But provoke her by endangering her ponies on a mass scale? Then God help you.
If my grandest plans to come to pass, you'll get to see it happen.
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All of the legacy characters fell by the wayside as the writers poured their energies into the newer ones but no character suffered as badly as Princess Celestia. Especially in season 9.
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Season 9: Proof that no matter how bad things get, they can always be so much worse.
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You said it. Reduce her--and Luna--to useless figureheads who couldn't even wipe their own butts without help? Are you freakin' kidding me? That is NOT what they were portrayed as to start. And reducing their powers to just a fucking tiara they then give to Twilight destroys them as useful or interesting characters. That was a crime against canon and character development, and this version of Celly should come down and smite the writers for it.
I'm now very fearful that G5 is going to be that proof.
It doesn't look promising thus far.
How did this highly incompetence ever reached General... I doubt Equestria can stand with that degree of incompetence
The Empire is very flawed, the Griffons far less so...
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The answer is that he’s in fact not incompetent, but as deeply scarred as Thunderbolt over what happened here.
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The same can be said for a lot of modern societies, including ours right now.
I kinda skipped this chapter?
I wasn't sure really what was going on, and I wasn't sure who anyone was because I suck at names. So I was pretty lost. That's no fault of the writing, it's just how my brain works. The sudden change was jarring and I'm not really able to process it. I'll bug my friend who recommended the story to me to explain it, in case I missed anything important
I'm sorry
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I’m sorry as well for not responding to your comments earlier! I do greatly appreciate the feedback you’ve been giving thus far, and I promise to reply to all your comments soon. But I wanted to reply to this one now.
Sorry to hear.
This and the following chapter are two of my favorite chapters of the entire story.
I see. In that case, let me try to explain what’s happening and hopefully it will become understandable.
First and foremost, remember that this story is introducing not just Firefly, but all the original Bolt Knights (who will later be called the Wonderbolts), who Firefly meets in the course of her pre-war journey. Just as you’ve seen interlude chapters before for Blindside and Fell Flight that told their backstory, this interlude is telling the backstory of Thunderbolt.
You may recall from Fell Flight’s three interlude chapters that Thunderbolt was Fell Flight’s mentor and figured prominently in getting her into the Aerial Corps? You may also recall that he lost his temper and absolutely blew up at Fell Flight in her first interlude chapter, where you learn he was a veteran soldier who lost most of those he served with?
Well, these two interlude chapters describe that horrible day he lost his friends and its aftermath, including the large-scale pony retaliation against the raider group responsible that followed. It takes place ten years before the main story line, so most of the characters you see mentioned here haven’t appeared before.
Unfortunately, Thunderbolt is dead by now—remember that this story is being written by Firefly nearly thirty years after the events of the pony/gryphon war—so he can’t tell his own tale. It can only be done through the recollections of those who served with him or around him. And that, in turn, is the reason for the odd format I’m using here.
The attack in which he lost his friends (which is called the IS-2 incident) and the retaliatory military operation that followed are being told through various military reports written at the time regarding them. The first few set the scene by explaining the setting and situation at that point in time, including introducing various figures in command on both sides and exactly what led to the atrocity in question.
After that, you get after-action reports describing the carnage, and even the gryphon perspective told through the eyes of an Aerial Corps commander who attends a private parley with his gryphon counterpart. You also hear from Princess Celestia as she orders an attack and sets its objectives. The chapter ends with the ponies poised to invade gryphon lands. And the next chapter describes that invasion directly.
Hope that helps! Though looking at this now, I’ll see if I can give it an editing pass later to clean up the formatting a bit.
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More editing is usually good, but in my case, it's unlikely to help. It was just a very sudden and unexpected change, and my brain doesn't really like those so it just nopes.
I didn't remember his name. Now, this makes a bit more sense.
OHHHHH, it's what happened back then! That makes sense. I thought this was taking place just months before the war, which left me all the more confused. This makes more sense now, I see where I misunderstood it