1. Welcome to Nordanver
Nordanver. Why had I come back to Nordanver? This was where everything had changed. This was where things had started to go wrong for Equestria. It was here that I’d been ambushed and my ponies had been killed, all in an attempt to assassinate Princess Luna. It was here where my life had started to go off the rails.
Now I was back. It had been a miracle that I’d survived the first time. Not just physically, either, but mentally and emotionally. Was I ready for this again? Probably not. Despite that, when the crowns required warriors, I did what every Knight before me had done: I answered the call. I was here to help the Nordanver gryphons protect their kingdom and expel the forces of their southern neighbors, Sudramoar.
That is the core of the Knight family values. When Equestria called upon its warriors, as rare as that was, we answered whether we wanted to or not. I was not ready but I had too big of a stake in this to let other ponies fight for me.
From my vantage on the deck of the TMS Honor, the entire northern kingdom looked peaceful and calm. We were, after all, currently far from the front. General Ironhoof and his staff would begin meeting with King Ranald today to formulate a plan.
“Deep in thought, Silent Knight?” the general’s voice came from my side. He was tall, stocky, and had a pristinely maintained coat. He had his signature flat-top mane, but its famous jet black color had faded to almost all gray at this point. His coat had, too, but he still looked as fit as any young pony I knew.
“Yes, sir. I never thought I’d see this place again,” I replied.
“That is the way it is. I hoped I’d never see Sudramoar again but that is how it is. We’ll do it right this time, though. No half steps, no restrictions, and no leaving those we can't trust at our back.”
The general was speaking about the last war and make no mistake, it had been a war even if we called it a peacekeeping operation. At the request of King Kronson of Sudramoar, ponies had been dispatched to protect his citizens while he fought it out with King Alfwer of Austveger.
Things had quickly turned bad with both the ponies and gryphon civilians caught in the middle. Our 'allies' from Sudramoar fell into attacking us alongside the Austveger gryphons. That was my father’s war. That had led to turning him into a cold and distant parent who let his hoof do the talking as he trained me to be a soldier.
This war, however, was mine. What would it do to me? How would I approach my foals? Assuming I ever had the opportunity to have any with Crystal Wishes.
“I understand, sir,” I replied absently.
Off to the north, the TMS Harmony slowly pulled into position above the city of Margull. She was beautiful even after being loaded full of royal guards and supplies. Truly the most amazing ship ever to sail the skies.
“It's wrong,” the general said softly.
“Sir?”
“To turn a vessel like that, with her entitlement, into a warship. It's wrong. There is nothing harmonious about war. If we’d had more time, I’d have insisted we not use it, but that is the nature of conflict. Foolish kings never wait for my convenience.”
“That they don’t, sir.”
He nodded and then turned his attention to Clement Knight. “Sergeant Major, see that our chariots are ready. I want the headquarters off this ship and set up before my first meeting with King Ranald.”
“Yes, sir!” Clement replied before tending to his duties.
During my life, I had not spent much time with my father’s father. My mother hated him and didn’t want him around Winterspear and me. It had been a shock to find out we’d be serving together. A shock and an embarrassment. Our first words to each other were not kind.
To be fair, Stratus Knight hadn’t really liked him much, either, and I’m sure they shared many unkind words, too. Perhaps sour relationships with our fathers was the nature of this family.
And yet, while my father had died in an accident caused by his own foolishness, here was Clement Knight, Sergeant Major, Senior NCO to General Ironhoof, serving in the same unit as his grandson. We’d kept it all professional since exchanging those tense words. That was for the best.
Clement Knight had given up his wife, his family, and everything else for the Equestrian Army. He was the model soldier. Good for him... and good for me that I’d figured out that wasn’t what I wanted in life.
“Captain Knight,” the general said, using my rank. That meant orders were coming. He always switched back and forth between Silent and Captain depending on whether it was a military matter or just personal.
“Yes, sir?”
“I want you to go over the topographic maps for the Rindaire Province. You’re going to be my expert there. If we’re going to help the Nordanver army, we’re going to need to see every angle and know every surprise. If there is a cave, stream, footpath, or rabbithole, I want you to know it. Am I clear?”
“Crystal, sir!”
He nodded. “Then get to it as soon as we’re surface side. I’ve had my fill of clouds. I’ll leave it to you pegasi.”
“Yes, sir.”
Topographic maps were something I understood very well. They were important even in a battle where both sides' soldiers could all fly. Fighting was exhausting. So was flying with a full battle kit. Flying and fighting while in a battle kit was triply so. Whether soldiers had wings or not, a lot of battles actually take place on the ground.
I excused myself and leapt off the deck of the Honor. There was no sense taking a spot on a chariot. I’d just fly down to the surface and help prep the headquarters. The closer I got, however, the more my right forehoof trembled. I’d been to this city before. Twice, actually, although the second time I was so near death I’d been oblivious to it.
Nordanver. Why had I come back to Nordanver?
☾
King Ranald had offered us a hall for our headquarters. This would be central command until we were ready to move south. It wasn’t bad as far as locations go. It was near the palace, dry, and large enough to get the work done.
I stood off to the side going over topographic maps while the enlisted ponies moved everything in and started to get set up. It almost seemed like a waste but, then again, maybe not. The Royal Guard could take over once we moved out.
“No, over there! Do I have to do it myself?” I heard Clement Knight order sternly.
“No, Sergeant Major!” some poor pony replied in fear.
I didn’t pay them much mind. My thoughts were focused on Rindaire. It was an ugly place to fight. The ground was rocky, there were lots of places to hide, and the foothills provided ample defensive positions. It wouldn’t be easy to dislodge a dug-in defender.
That is, most likely, why King Kronson had executed his plan the way he did. He’d caught the Nordanver gryphons by surprise and unprepared. Plus, he’d used overwhelming force to do so. Then his generals had started to build up their position there before they advanced north. It was a sound strategy.
I guess they hadn’t anticipated our involvement, but what can you do? Sometimes your assassin fails to kill the alicorn target. Live and learn.
“Captain?” Clement Knight asked, looking over my shoulder.
“Yes, Sergeant Major?”
“If you’d prefer to sit, I’ve got your desk step up already,” he said, his tone flat.
I turned to him and then looked into the room. Sure enough, there were two stations ready: General Ironhoof’s and mine. “Thanks, Sergeant Major. I’ll use the desk but I prefer to stand. Give the chair to somepony who needs it.”
“Yes, sir!”
I rolled up my maps and carried them over to the desk only to spread them out again. North of Rindaire was mostly plains and at a lower elevation. Not an ideal place to base an attack from.
“Sergeant Major, where is my desk?” a voice called from the back of the hall and I turned to look.
It was Colonel Hammer. Lightning Hammer. Yes, his parents had actually named him that. Both were royal guards and he came from an extremely long line just like me.
Colonel Hammer was the headquarters battalion commander and, from what I understood, one seriously powerful unicorn. He was the one that had relieved us in Canterlot when the cockatrices had attacked.
His coat was as black as night, his mane was yellow, and he had piercing amber eyes. Most ponies gave him a wide berth because, while polite, he was a no-nonsense officer.
“You’re next, Colonel. We’ve got the general and the tactician set up. I suspected you’d be with the brigadiers.”
“You suspected right. I’ll share Silent Knight’s desk until you’re done. Make it quick, though. I didn’t like some of what I heard and I have orders to write and have the general sign off on.”
“Yes, sir!”
My grandfather motioned at several ponies. “You heard the colonel! Get his desk set up now!”
They scrambled to do so.
When the colonel came over, I stood at attention and he waved a hoof. “Don’t do that. I accept that you respect me. I respect you. We’re good. I see you’re already at work. How does it look?”
“Bad. Really bad.”
“Yeah? Fill me in.”
I briefed him on the situation. The hills, the rocks, the hardpoints, the surrounding area. All of it. He stood there, unmoving. When I finished, he shook his head. “Better them than us. I want a written report immediately. We’ll need to present it to the boss and the feather commander.”
Feather commander. I snorted softly. Evidently, Lighting Hammer didn’t like gryphons that much, either, but that was no surprise, really. His parents had been in the last war, too. “Yes, sir.”
“Good. We’ll need to move on this quick before the bas—”
The door opened and a gaggle of ponies marched in. They were following General Ironhoof. “Sergeant Major!”
“You’re up front, sir!” Clement Knight responded.
The general made his way towards his desk. “Good. All of the rest of you, find a spot. We’re going to do this quick before heading over to meet with King Ranald.”
The ponies that were in the general’s wake were mostly known to me. There were the various members of the military headquarters staff, what looked to be some civilian ponies who were probably right out of the palace, and a third group that lingered around a very familiar pony: Val.
Ironhoof continued, “Listen up, everypony. I’m sorry to welcome you here to Margull, but this is going to be our home for a while. You’re all professionals and I know I don’t need to tell you that but sometimes it is nice to hear. For most of us, this isn’t our first rodeo. For some, it is.
“In either case, we’re going to get the job done right. Now we don’t have a lot of time. We know the Sudramoar are building up their defenses and massing for an attack. Our allies want to launch a preemptive strike. We’ll support their war effort as best we can. That means we offer them the best intelligence, advice, and data we can.
“You are all the tip of this spear. Everypony in this room is going to play a far greater part than I can impress upon you. I need you at your best. Make me proud. Before we go, though, I want to go around the room.”
The general pointed at what looked to be the lead civilian pony. “This is Ambassador Freehoof. She will be representing Equestria during this time. We’ll be keeping her in the loop with most everything we do.”
He then turned and pointed to Val. “This is deputy director Maya of the Equestrian Intelligence Service, Nordanver division. She’ll be working with our intelligence section.
“We can all get to know each other later, but these are the players. You’ll all have desks somewhere in here. Alright, ponies, we have a meeting in one hour. I need all of your reports and any information you have on my desk in half that time. Get to it!”
Controlled chaos followed. We started writing reports, consolidating data, and putting it all together. The general was tough but it all had a purpose. Do the job right the first time to minimize the risks and losses. I could get behind that.
☾
Margull Castle was familiar to me. I’d lived there for a few weeks during our diplomatic mission. The tone inside its walls was quite different this time, however. There was no jubilation or excitement over seeing ponies. It was all business.
King Ranald was hunched over a map with his military staff surrounding him. General Ironhoof and the rest of us were opposite of them. This was their kingdom and their war. We were just there to provide support. As such, most of our assistance, thus far, had been logistical.
“It seems clear to me Kronson does not intend to be satisfied with what he has gained. It is far more likely that he will advance further north. General Ironhoof, is that what you believe as well?” King Ranald asked.
“Yes, Your Majesty. From the information our intelligence services have reported, the Sudramoar gryphons are fortifying and massing. They’re also expelling or interning non-gryphons. That is going to make getting any information through our channels more difficult.
“Additionally, I’ve had one of my tacticians looking over the province and terrain. They are greatly advantaged where they are. Our recommendation is to either move fast or pull back. We fee—”
“Pull back?” a brown-feathered gryphon in a very exaggerated uniform cut in. “You want us to pull back and give up more of our sovereignty? Absolutely not! We will wipe the filth from our lands.”
So, moving fast was the plan.
King Ranald waved a claw. “Forgive us, General Ironhoof. We are very passionate about this and sometimes speak out of turn.” He then shot the uniformed gryphon a look. “Field Marshal Skye is most eager to see this conflicted ended. As am I. I believe we have enough to start. What is the status on your forces?” His eyes briefly flicked to me before returning to the general.
“The Equestrian Army is here and ready to go. I’ve already deployed most of them south to provide a buffer. They have stopped well north of Rindaire and set up in a favorable position. It is unlikely your enemies will be able to come that far.
“Royal guards continue to come in shiploads at a time. There is a receiving facility that is coordinating their stations. That will obviously be something that will take a lot of time as we’re pulling individuals and creating new organizations. Commander Tsunami is in charge of that effort and there are few ponies better.”
“Very good. Thank you, General. I think for now that will be all. If you could spare him, I would like to have a word with Silent Knight. He is known to me,” King Ranald said.
General Ironhoof nodded. “He is at your service, sir. Everypony else, come along. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
The general and his staff marched out and off to work. I lingered behind, wondering what this was going to be about. I was known to the king. I’d walked behind him on Princess Luna’s security detail. However, we had not spoken together.
“Leave us,” King Ranald said, waving his ministers and generals out. Once they were gone, he looked me over. “I am surprised to see you here. You are Princess Luna’s bodyguard, are you not?”
“I was, Your Majesty. Now I work for General Ironhoof’s headquarters.”
He nodded. “I see. It is a shame that you no longer walk behind her. I know how devastating it can be to lose a good bodyguard. You knew Alton, after all. He and I were close.”
My coat bristled slightly as the gryphon’s face flashed in my mind. “Yes, sir. I would say I called him friend. We bonded quickly in our short time together. His death angered me greatly.”
Greatly was probably an understatement. Alton’s death, in addition to the loss of my ponies, had set me on a path of retribution. A path that had led me here.
A grave look crossed the gryphon king’s face. “Yes, I felt a great deal of anger and grief. Grief for him and for my kingdom. That such a thing could happen here is inexcusable. It was difficult to explain to the families of the gryphons that were lost how their loved ones were killed by supposed allies.”
“The letters to the families of our ponies were difficult, too. I empathize with you, Your Majesty.”
“Indeed. We will have many more letters to write before this is over.” He reached into his robe and produced a pendant. It was simple. Nothing more than a strand of some sort of fiber looped through a hole in a grey stone.
“This was Alton’s. A gift from his father to him when he became a soldier. You see, he came from a family of poor, unsuccessful farmers. Despite that, he grew strong, learned what he could, and managed to join our military. This was all his father could give him when he left. I want you to have it.” He offered it to me.
“Majesty?” I reached out, my hoof shaking slightly. This was a memory. This was a treasure. What business did I have with it?
“He’d have wanted you to have it. Alton always appreciated other soldiers and I’ve never been one. You are, though. Now you come to fight for my people.” He set the pendant into my hoof.
I brought the pendant to my chest and held it tightly. “Thank you, sir. Alton’s family… how are they now?”
“They will never want for anything again,” he said, turning towards the door. “I have duties to attend. Thank you for coming to save my kingdom.”
“I could do nothing else, sir. Thank you once more.”
He turned and left me alone in the room. What else could I do? Alton flew up to do recon and was killed. It could have been me. Then I’d gone after Alastair. What a mess. I slipped the pendant into the small pouch under my armor.
It was time to get to work. Do the job, focus on the tasks before me, and get home to my wife.
☾
What a long day. I’d had long days as a royal guard but my heart had been in that. Now it wasn’t. Sure, I was committed but a piece of me was waiting back home, worried. It was time to sit down and send her a letter.
I settled a blank sheet of paper out on my desk and started to write.
Dear Crystal Wishes
I—
“Sir,” Clement Knight’s voice said,
Of course. I looked up. “Yes, Sergeant Major?”
“Working late?”
“No, I’m trying to write a letter to my wife. What do you need?”
“The scouts brought some new information for you. Evidently, there was a pretty bad flood a month or so back and the maps don’t reflect it.” He offered me the stack of documents.
I peered at him. “You brought these yourself? This late at night?” That was most certainly not the duty of the sergeant major.
Clement Knight shifted. “Yes, sir. I assumed you were the sort to work late. You could have spent all night working on bad data. That would be a waste.”
I nodded. “Thank you, Sergeant Major, you’re right. That could have happened. Dismissed.”
He stiffened briefly to attention and walked away. My focus turned back to the letter.
I’m sorry that I didn’t get to write you sooner. As you probably surmised we are—
“Sir?”
“Yes, Sergeant Major? What is it?”
He was back at my desk. He stood there a moment as if making up his mind about something. Finally, he said, “Was Stratus Knight treated with respect afterwards?”
What? I set my pencil down. “He was treated with dignity. His wishes were respected and I personally returned him to the wind and sky from which he was born.”
Clement nodded. “Good… good… thank you.” He turned and walked off.
I’d never heard of my grandfather express any interest in sentiment before. According to my mother, he was even more extreme than Stratus. I guess we Knights have been mellowing over the generations, although the idea of Stratus being mellow was laughable. I would have hated to see my great-grandfather if that was the case.
Back to my letter.
As you probably surmised we are extremely busy helping the gryphons prepare for the upcoming battles. Our forces have been deployed south but not into the province in conflict. I am personally with the headquarters unit that is far from the front.
It is not what I expected for a war but it eases the guilt I feel over what I’ve done to you and our relationship. I have not treated you wit—
“Sir?”
I took a soft breath and hid my irritation. “Yes, Sergeant Major?”
“I understand that you don’t have any fondness and familiarity toward me,” he said.
My brow arched and I set my pencil down to meet his gaze. He looked determined. A good war face plastered on. There was something off, though. Perhaps doubt? Good soldiers can always see when it is faked for the sake of morale.
“Yes?” How was I supposed to answer that? It was true. I didn’t know him, I didn’t care for him. He just reminded me of Stratus and I still had unresolved anger there.
“As is fair. I have no other family. My son is dead. You are my grandson whether you like it or not. My wish is that when I leave this world, you show me the same dignity and respect you showed your father. Will you do that for me?”
My ears folded back. This was not a conversation I was expecting to have. I disliked him, sure, but I wouldn’t deny him a wish. A soldier’s last request. “I give you my word, Clement, that I’ll do so. Exactly as you wish and exactly as I did for Stratus. One soldier for another. Blood for blood.”
Blood, but not family. Family cared about each other. Clement and I shared blood, but that was about it. He cared about the Army. But I could do as he asked. Everypony should have their last wish.
“Good. Thank you, Son… sir. I’ll leave you to your letter.”
“You’re welcome.”
I waited this time. He got halfway across the room and it looked like he might actually leave. Emotion suddenly swelled inside me. He just wanted to know somepony cared enough to see to him after he departed. I couldn’t be so cold. I was a different kind of Knight.
“Sergeant Major,” I called.
“Yes, sir?” he asked, looking back.
“Try not to leave this world any time soon. I don’t think the general would approve and I am not interested in a new sergeant major that doesn’t know how to do your job.”
Clement Knight nodded sternly. “Yes, sir. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thank you, dismissed,” I replied.
Clement left and I turned back to my letter.
I balled it up and threw it away. It was time to start over.
My beloved Crystal Wishes
Welcome to Trials of a Royal Guard, the final story in the "of a Royal Guard" trilogy. I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to share this with you all. We've got a lot of ground cover and will be doing so in three major arcs.
If you are enjoying this story, please consider taking a look at Crystal and my's website QuillnBlade.com for extra content such as mini stories, an Ask Us form to submit questions, responses to said questions, and special rewards for the awesome folks who support our Patreon.
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Eeeeeeee! I've been waiting for this!!
YES!!!! !ITS OUT!!! now to read it after classes.
Hahahaha! Oh, yeah! SK is back, baby.
Loving the Cover art for this.
6984211 Me too. The break did me a lot of good and the stories direction is going to be a heck of a lot of fun!
6985487 On leap day no less! I'm thrilled to be back =D
6985524 Yes he is! Serious business time.
6985553 Me too. I'm thrilled with how it came out.
A promising start. I love how much effort and care has been put into this story and this chapter is indicative of that same level of dedication. The road ahead to end the war and re-establich peace looks to be a rocky, winding one and, with you at the helm, I wouldn't have it any other way.
To speak of things I didn't expect... First was that King Ranald would take the time to share a moment with SK. Alton was a favorite of mine as well so this bit meant a lot to me and much more to SK. Second, Clement's request. I'm interested to see if this relationship gets into deeper personal waters.
Thank you for this continuation, and the best of wishes as you continue on leading this journey.
6985563 Thank you for the kind words AAM! I really do appreciate them. I wanted Alton to matter more too. That is probably a tweak I'll make in Secrets in the 2E. Bringing him back in and showing a bit of the king was important to me. There will certainly be a different tone in this story and I wanted to set it off right! Thanks again ^_^
I'm not sure if I'll like the war thing Anzel but I promise I will not be biased by it and simply follow the story of my favorite characters and their fight to do good.
Damn, so much Military stuff!
It's JOHN CENA... oh, wait. It's 'just' Silent Knight.
I've been waiting for this sequel to come out, I expect great things from it so you'd better deliver, Anzel!
Also, like number 42! Woohoo!
6985589 Don't worry, I think if you liked Memoirs and Secrets you'll like this story too even if War Tales aren't necessarily your thing. There is going to be something for everyone!
6985619 We've got to kick off a war ;)
6985637 Very different people!
6985649 I'll do mah best! I'm going to be working this one less like a serial and more like a complete story anyway so I think we'll see some great results.
Well this is a very nice setting to begin this story! Not more than one chapter in and Silent Knight is already deployed and working with a relative that he does not really appreciate. Plenty of action and drama to follow of that I am sure. This story is gonna be an interesting ride.
lovepirate77.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/img_0991.jpg
that cover art is epic! I've been practically vibrating in anticipation for this!
Eeeeee! It's here at last! SK is back! Can't say I'm eager to see the war...but I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where this story takes us! This is gonna be a heck of a journey!
Congrats on having this and Secrets of a Royal Guard in the feature box at the same time!
I think I'm going to save reading quill and blade stories for the break. This is going to be a hectic two weeks, and I'm going to need something to relax with after it, not to mention I barely have time to read. See you on the 13th!
glad to see SK back :)
Well, this series is an institution now, isn't it? Congratulations on that.
Following.
6985650 Okay, I Got throught the chapter. At first I misread "Cement Knight" and lol'd At the level of army blockhead It would be.
And we have a war of Nordling Griffons defending against Arabic Griffons. Or so I imagine their colour palette so by an ignorant judging their names.
6985729 I'm guessing it's just 'North Griffon-Land' and 'South Griffon-Land' in griffon.
Awesome start to what I know will be an AWESOME story. I am very excited for more.
We meet again, Silent Knight...
SK's got the right idea to not be like his (grand)father, it's so good to see his growth as a character in that regard.
I fear that it will only go downhill from here, this is a war afterall. Nonetheless I'm excited.
Huzzah! Let there be much prasie for thee.
6985679 Indeed. I thought Clement would a nice early hook. Plus it was planned and hinted at all along. If anyone wants extra credit go look at the funeral and the wedding. It is alluded to that he is missing in both :D
6985682 Thank you! I agree. I was really pleased with the outcome. Magica is fantastic!
6985691 I'm glad to welcome you back. Stick with me ;) I promise this isn't just a "war story." There just happens to be a war going on.
6985703 Thank you kindly =D
6985709 I understand. There will be a decent build up by then. You'll be missed.
6985712 Oh there may be some fighting for sure!
6985723 Well, it has been well-received thanks to the fans. I'm not sure it is an institution but I'm glad it is something folks appreciate. Welcome :)
6985729 Indeed I did. It is a little classier that way. Easier for folks to work with going forward.
6985744 Not really my intent to assign real world correlations to Europe/Africa here.
6985777 Thank you very much :D I hoped to start strong and stay that way. Chapter two is pretty fun I'd say.
6985789 Indeed you do! This Silent Knight knows what he wants too :D
6985849 Yes, it seems he might finally have his goals figured out. Now we just have to see how he gets to them!
6985851 Thank you very much ^_^
6985859 I learned It the painful way ^^'
6985859
Does he know? Let him prove it.
6985859
I think you might have been to subtle about Clement at the wedding. I may have missed it but the only thing I found that I think could hint is this line:
On my initial read-through I discarded it as important and thought it was some security measure because the same two empty spots are left between Princess Celestia and the ponies in the next row. Two empty seats are also mentioned a third time elsewhere soon after.
That line amused me far more than it should. Was it intentional?
6985955 Yes it was ;D
6985938 Certainly likely. I wanted it to be more of a retrospect thing than an in the moment. The one at the funeral was far more obvious.
6985911 And prove it he shall!
So it begins.
6985967
Was that it? The next line made it seem that it was the total lack of anyone showing up that was sad, not someone specific missing. I think you have to much
MayaVal in you or I am simply terrible at reading subtext.This may be personal, but do you actually know anyone with personal soldier experience to help give you ideas for this kind of writing? Just asking since my best friend's brother has served and in fact he's being deployed again this Thursday to Cuba.
6986000 Indeed it does! There is going to be a lot for us to see ^_^
6986017 I was referring to this:
6986031 Well, I have my half decade of military contractor experience that occurred during the Iraq/Afghan wars. The fact I grew up in a military town, worked on a base, and such. Then there is my one buddy who suffered from PTSD or other that had a humvee blown out from under him. I feel reasonably comfortable writing this kind of story.
Clement's gonna die. The only question is how many days away from retirement is he?
6985859
I will. I've been with SK since the late beginning/early middle of Memoirs...I'm NOT about to leave now!
6986059
How was your existence as a contractor?
What does the military need/want contractors for anyhow?
6986094 It was some of the best, most rewarding work of my life. I loved it. The only downside was that I traveled for 4-6 months at a time and sometimes with only a few days notice. That is the nature of the beast though.
I'm not exactly sure how to answer what the military would need contracts for. If you're unfamiliar, the US military uses scores upon scores of contractors and we do almost everything from serving food in the chow hall, to communications, to combat roles. If the leadership feels something will be cheaper/easier privatized they hire contractors to do it. In my case, I worked in a specialized kind of communications that they didn't have a lot of experts for AND (and this is important) I could be trusted. It led to interesting work.
6986090 Huzzah! I'm glad =D Your presence would be missed.
6986084 He's only 3.5 minutes away from retirement!
6986112
Should I feel flattered you'd miss my presence? From the moment I saw Memoirs in the feature box, I was hooked. No turning back for me! I've come this far, might as well finish the journey.
Not quite what SK expected, but it works. Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work. Deus tecum.
Congrats on the launch, Anzel. I don't think there is any doubt it will be successful.
Great start! So, like SK said, we're back to zero. Almost. His relationship with his grandfather is interesting. It's like he only heard about him and is forming a relationship with him like with any other stranger he just met. Except, it's military style relationship. I'm looking forward to a short(it's war after all) but probably interesting conversation between SK and Val. Keep it up
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And, yeah, cover art is pretty awesome
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His right wing, though. Has internet corrupted me too much?!
Thus begins a new chapter in Silent's life...
I have to say, I kind of like seeing what is more or less a warfic from this perspective. Most stories of this nature tend to focus on the action and emphasizes the bloody bits. Few, if any, show the logistics and planning side. It's a wonderfully new perspective. Granted, we are only at the very first chapter of this story and I have no doubt that Silent will see plenty of fighting up close, but I believe this story will be more about brains than muscles.
Still, I am certain that Silent will come face to face with King Kronson. After all, Silent did kill his son, so that's way too good of a storyline to ignore.
Thing is, I have a bad feeling about Silent and his grandfather, Clement. All his life Silent has resented his father and grandfather for not caring about their families. He is fully determined to be a much better father to his kids. However, life rarely works out that way. What if this war turns nasty and Silent realizes what his father and grandfather really went through? What will happen if (when) he understands why they became such distant ponies? It could happen. Although I doubt Silent will change for the worse. He might get a new perspective on things but with all the friends around him as well as his wife, Crystal, Silent will remain the pony we all know and love.
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Yep, I just don't do the subtext. Even going back through and looking specifically for what it could be I passed that over as Winterspear/Silent Knight being in a different city than Wallflower and Winterspear/Silent Knight not bunking together anymore.
Give me flashing billboards.
But there's one pressing question everyone's forgetting!
When will the Displaced character show up and god-mode everyone?
On another note... this is... quite good writing. I just don't think it'll be my thing. It's too grim for Pony. This feels more in line with a world similar to "The Last Unicorn" than one of pastel ponies with butt stamps.
I cannot see any pink ponies in this world.
Let's do this... LeeeeeRoy Jenkinnnnns!