Ranger
Chapter 54: Rookies
By Wanderer D
"Alright team," Bradford's face appeared on the Skyranger's screen, right next to a map of the area they were headed to. "This is a run-of-the-mill mission. We are rescuing an ADVENT VIP who has decided to join our cause. As he reached out secretively, ADVENT is unaware of our presence.
"Your mission is to ambush the van transporting the VIP with the documents to the airfield. There are no ADVENT strongholds nearby and the area is mostly civilian, so keep your heads down and remain in concealment at all times until absolutely necessary.
"Once you have secured the VIP, clear the area and call in the Skyranger."
Twilight couldn't help it. She rocked back and forth, glancing nervously at the others. It had been… a month now, since she had last been inside a Skyranger? And this time she wasn't moving away from trouble… but towards it.
Had this really been a good idea? She looked down at herself. She was wearing one of the basic XCOM armors everyone had used. She had raised a fuss when offered something slightly better outside of ear-reach from her team. Now… now she was having second thoughts about that.
She was a lab-rat! An egg-head! A book-worm! A noun-noun! Not… a soldier. She had griped about the possibility of taking a life whenever she talked to Sunset about how callous the other unicorn was when killing. It still sickened her, even if it was something as vicious and mindless as a chryssalid. She had written home about how she didn't get the need to go out and kill.
And now she was in the air, going towards combat. What… what would Celestia think? She was sure that Shining and Luna would understand, but… What would her friends think?
Maybe Applejack and Rainbow Dash would understand… maybe even Rarity… but how would she face Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie? She wasn't defending herself this time. She had knowingly picked up her rifle—the same one she had been practicing with—dressed up in armor and joined her troop to go fight aliens.
And she was an alien! What if they found out?! What if they decided to shoot her?
"Not having second thoughts, are we?"
Twilight's head snapped to Alejandra, who did nothing to hide that knowing grin of hers.
"Nah," Monique said, waving her hand dismissively. "The Princess of Friendship wouldn't have second thoughts."
Ndlovu chuckled. "I wouldn't expect Twilight to back down, not after she tied herself up with her own words as well as any leopard Anansi would spin his web around."
"Isn't that the spider?" Just Kevin asked. "The trickster?"
"That'd be the one," Ndlovu said, nodding. "I'm surprised you would know about it, so far from my homeland, and in an age of the past being mostly buried."
"Hey, my grandfather was into world mythology, even wrote a book about it, before the war," Just Kevin replied with a shrug. "They might have destroyed most copies, but he still remembered the stories well enough to tell them to entertain me and other kids."
Ndlovu laughed, loud and as strong as ever. "Your grandfather was a true storyteller then," he nodded at Kevin. "The people of this world will owe him and others like him, much."
"Not as much as we owe the Princess of Friendship for ditching the lab to help us out!" Galahad laughed.
Twilight sighed.
Galahad shook his head, still smiling, and patted her armored knee. "Don't worry, duckie, you did the right thing. We're all proud of being in the same team."
o.0.o Earlier that Day o.0.o
"Hello, duckies," Galahad said as he walked into the training room. "It's time for your last lesson before you get sent on missions, there's plenty to go over, especially since the developments from our visit to old HQ a couple of days ago, and the glorious return of good ol' miss Durand."
He sat down at the desk, and crossed his arms. "But let's talk about your upcoming chance to get out there for real. How do you feel about it?"
Monique Berger was about to respond when they all heard a commotion outside.
"You can't be serious!"
"I said, no, Twilight, I think a word consisting of two letters, and a very definitive meaning should not pose such a challenging concept to understand!"
"I don't care! I've been through all this training, seen all of what I can do, learned to shoot, treat emergency wounds, seek cover, drag myself through the mud and what everyone else here does and you want me to just stay back here?!"
"Yes! It's my mission to make sure you don't get killed!"
Galahad blinked. "What the…"
"No-one made it your mission once you got me here!"
"What do you want me to tell Pr—everyone if something happens to you? What if your entire research field has to be postponed because you got shot in the head?"
"Tell them I did the right thing!" Twilight responded after a brief moment of hesitation. "I'm the Princess of Friendship, Sunset, I can't just… sit here!"
Alejandra and Ndlovu traded amused glances.
"Look, your place is in the lab with Tygan or Shen, not out there, getting shot. The point of the training was strictly so that you wouldn't do something stupid. And now you're doing it!"
"It's not stupid to risk your life for your friends! We've trained, bled, and sweat together, Sunset, you can't expect me to just watch them go off on missions without me!"
Just Kevin and Michael made to stand, but Galahad shook his head. His gaze turned to the closed door, behind which the argument continued.
"You saw what happened during the last mission. Jane got shot through by goddamned plasma! It's a miracle she's still alive!" They could hear Sunset pacing heavily outside the room. "I should order you to stay."
"Are you going to?" Twilight asked. "Would you stay if your team had to go risk their lives on a mission?!"
"Yes! If those are my orders, I would have to trust them to do so! Why do you think Mox and Elena didn't go with me and Jane? It's not because they didn't want to!"
"But what if you weren't ordered not to go, but someone is too worried about you and just wants to stop you because they're worried?"
There was a pause.
"Are you going to order me not to go?" Twilight insisted. "Because if you're not, or any other officer isn't, I'm going."
Another pause.
Sunset barked a laugh. "You stupid, insufferable jerk, I'm so fucking proud of you right now that I don't know if I should punch you, slap you, or hug you."
"Language! I think—"
Slap! Everyone in the room winced. A scuffle. "Ouch! Why did you slap me?! Oof! W-why did you punch me?!"
"Come here," Sunset's voice said and they could hear the following, sudden, but less violent 'oof' from Twilight. "I just couldn't make my mind, so it's all three, you idiot nerd."
"Oww! A nuggie?! Really?!"
"Seriously. I'm proud of you. And just so you know, if anyone in there messes up and you die for it, I will skin them alive. And then I will get creative."
"Why would you tell me that?"
"No reason, now go in."
They heard Sunset's steps as she walked away from the room, and a few seconds later, the door hissed open. Twilight stepped in, a bit more frazzled than usual and rubbing her cheek. She stopped, looking at everyone in the room. "Um… what?"
That's when Monique started clapping. "Well said, Princess!"
"And that," Galahad laughed. "Is how you earn a nickname."
o.0.o Present Time o.0.o
Twilight covered her face and groaned.
"Hey," Alejandra spoke up. "We're all nervous, but our mission is not that hard. Come on."
"I know," Twilight said with a sigh. "I'm just… not used to this."
"We went through the training together," Just Kevin pointed out. "You passed every test… even if at the beginning you were running out of breath fairly quickly."
"They're right," Galahad spoke up. "You and your mates didn't go through Navy SEAL training exactly, but it wasn't a walk in the park either. The skills you have learned have set you all to be effective rookies… you are now eligible to go on missions and this one is a test of mettle as well as your skills. Other teams will look into this mission and decide if they want any of your on their own."
"Or… we're all expendable and this mission isn't that important, so it doesn't matter how it goes," Monique said.
"That's not true," Galahad said, sparing a moment to match eyes with each of them. "None of us is expendable. XCOM has very select few who stay and fight… the few that dare go back, stand tall and fight. Not everyone is ready for this. And less return willingly… missions like these are just an example of how much we need to do now."
Twilight nodded, her thoughts going back to just before the mission.
o.0.o Earlier that Day o.0.o
"Look at you, all geared up," Sunset said shaking her head and sitting next to Twilight. "Are you.. sure you want to do this? There's really no going back, Twilight."
Twilight sighed. "I don't want to kill… but the thought of my team going without me… it's just…" She trailed off, looking down at the rifle, and wondering when it had started to look so right in her hands.
"I understand." Sunset wrapped an arm around the younger woman. "And… they're all around your age, right? Real rookies… just hit their twenties."
Twilight nodded.
With a sigh, Sunset shook her head and leaned back, staring up. "You wouldn't be the only one that sends friends to battle and waits for them to return, Twilight. Many here have slowly made relationships… soldiers, engineers, scientists… they're all human, some of them are okay on their own, some others seek companionship. And some… have to see people that they care for go on missions. No one thinks any less of them. Your job is very important, Twilight."
"Are you saying that my life has more value than theirs?" Twilight asked a bit bitterly.
"Yes."
Twilight's head snapped around, and she stared at Sunset in utter disbelief. "What?! But—"
"Not in the sense you're thinking, Twilight. You can argue that the value of a life on it's essential pure form is impossible to measure, and I would agree," Sunset said, shaking her head, "but that is not the case here. In a very real, quantitative, objective, reckoning of the facts… when you became a Princess, your life was immediately more important overall than that of a guard.
"When you became a VIP here, your life was more important than mine. When you became the lead scientist of a specific form of research that can turn the war? You objectively became more important than all of us soldiers.
"And that is not counting the fact that you are a leader from another dimension of unknown capabilities and the rightful bearer of a powerful magical artifact that is so strong, attempting to study it without your presence is bound to erase a large area of the planet."
"But…" Twilight's eyes were shimmering with tears, "that's unfair! All life should be valued equally!"
Sunset shook her head. "Life is not fair, Twilight. Leaders are elected, scientists and engineers endorsed… because they can lead, discover and create… in that way, they open up the future for others. I'm not there yet… I plan to be. I'm working my way up—"
"You could be a scientist!" Twilight snapped.
"I'm not." Sunset replied, eyes level. "And yet the sad truth is that if my team is lost, or I died, it would impact the alliances we have with the other factions, in contrast with what say, Deadwood's death would do. I don't like it, but it's the truth." She sighed, turning to look at Twilight. "My point is… that as much as you're doing the right thing… the thing that anyone would do for their brothers and sisters in arms, and which makes all of us soldiers proud of you… losing you would affect much more the world than losing anyone else in that mission."
"It's not right."
"It's still true."
"I'm still going."
"I know."
o.0.o Present Time o.0.o
"Alright, duckies! Get ready!"
Galahad's shout returned Twilight to the present, and she checked her weapon and ammo once more.
"In a few moments we'll be dropped by in the clear area that the Skyranger found for us. We should be out of sight of both civilians and ADVENT. We'll endeavor to keep it that way, understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
Galahad nodded. "That means: you follow the orders. The only time you disobey an order from me, is if the Commander tells you otherwise, understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
"We move carefully. Cover-to-cover. By the book. No shenanigans. I give the order, you follow. I say jump, you read my mind and jump as high as I goddamned want, understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Colonel," the pilot called. "We're here."
The lights turned off and the red, warning lights came on. They could feel the Skyranger slow down to a hover. The back ramp opened, letting the ropes uncoil.
"Go, go, go!" Galahad ordered, and they were all suddenly moving.
Twilight felt her heart accelerate, as her body responded. They had done several practice jumps already and this was the same. A quick sprint, keeping her eyes on her rope. Her feet left ramp… she was flying for a second… her hands grasped the rope, her leg wrapped around it as she slid down in a controlled fall.
She hated to admit it, but it was exhilarating. A few seconds later, she was landing on the roof of a building, her rifle up and scanning the area as she had been trained.
"Central," Galahad called in as they all crouched together, "we are in the AO."
"Understood. Galahad, you're in command.
As the others shuffled around and took positions to scan around without giving their positions away, Twilight looked around the city and wondered at how much things had changed, and how far she still had to go.
o.0.o End Chapter 54 o.0.o
8842673
Checking the publication dates for every chapter so far, the author has never done 2 chapters a day.
Don't get greedy :)
8842680
I'm not.
The first kill is never easy, nerverless the first deployment. The journal of the 501st shows this well
I’d have her equipped with non-lethal weapons or given a support role like spotter from a safe distance but still, I know Twilight can do this.
.....HOW?! I just finished chapter 53. and you had 54 up......
You are a machine.... an Alien Machine, binding us to our computers to make sure we don't get in your way, while you take over the world......
8842683
A few days ago he did two chapters in less 24 hours in over a week and that is the same time i started reading this.
8842687
Considerring this fandom i should'nt either but still do.
8842736
Fair enough.
8842733
I believe that double upload was to make up for missing a day of uploading. Wanderer D has said that the upload schedule for this story is 1 chapter a day, unless specified otherwise in a blog post or Author's Notes.
8842749
Thanks for telling me, and i might just be a naive fool who expected to much of his fellow humans without taking a look at himself and realising he was reinforcing the meme too.
Knowing Sunset, knowing Celestia and the role Twilight plays in both inter-dimensional diplomacy and that the big honking potential bomb that is the Element of Magic is bound to her? No way would they let her go on missions. Rough training to get her up to speed? Sure. Anything past that? Not on your life.
Her desires in this instance are far less important than keeping her available as a research resource, a tactical resource in case they learn to harness the EoM, and simply diplomatic to prevent Equestria/Celestia from having problems... granted I don't know if that 3rd one is really considered.
And then things inevitably get pear shaped and Twilight has to blow up a Gatekeeper by overloading it with magic the moment it tries to fire a psy beam of beammy death.
Then they rediscover what Madoka meant by "Friendship". It was Madoka, right?
Let me guess. The VIP is this worlds Twilight Sparkle.
A bit of soul searching to keep you off balanced before your first kill. Oh dear, everyone's going to need some serious r and r when possible...
Keep going! ;)
Please tell me Twilight is going to be using the Element of Magic like a Psi-Amp. The moment I imagined her going into the field that's what I pictured and I had no idea how much I wanted it.
I never doubt Twilight's courage, but she's no soldier, by her origin and nature she hasn't got what it takes to kill and even so she does end up killing someone, this will leave her with serious trauma.
Sure back in Equestria she has saved the world multiple times, but she never had to use lethal force to do it and the closest she had been to was against Tirek who angered her while she was wielding all Alicorn magic within her.
Guys i know how to beat the aliens.
Just let any of the psionic aliens grope either Sunset or Twilight and watch there head explode. It's a perfect plan.
8842841
I doubt they would let her carry it into battle for the risk of it falling into the hands of the enemy.
And this is how Twilight 'Friendship' Sparkle got her name.
Meh, I'd rate her entire Team Four Stars.
8842793
I actually have a suspicion it is Rarity, since it was already alluded to that she was with Advent.
8842923
But she is having her selvimposed ilussion.
And i just want them stand there in the middle of the battlefield staring at each other and someone just says "akwerd".
8842917
I get the feeling the nicname she is getting is Twilight 'Princess' Sparkle
8842841
It could happen, if Sunset or Twi is out on a mission (not infiltration) that goes sideways the other may on impulse grab the crown so that they can teleport down there.
AUGH! waiting for the next chapter will be torture!
8842880
Actually the notion that she'd be incapable and/or would suffer trauma is pure fanon. Arad certainly played that one up to an extreme degree. And the show is rated E so it's never come up, but...
She didn't bat an eye when Sombra exploded. And nopony, including her, gave a crap to check on any changelings after the battle in Canterlot. Did they all survive the spell that blasted them out of Canterlot? Who cares?! Party like the end of Caddyshack!
True, that's different than personally killing. But most people who go to war for the first time haven't killed before. Some can't handle it, others hate it but recognize the necessity. I think, after some time to cope, she'll be in the second category. She's already thinking about who would and wouldn't understand it, implying that she already does.
twilight ends up a ranger, thats my theroy.
8843004
Oh most likely. But let's just say that TFS can also be her alternative nickname. And I also just wanted to make a reference pun.
8843548
Good way to Dodge! the issue.
Is it bad that I really want the warlock to show up, spout some stuff about the Elders and a few threats, and then try to mind control Twi?
And immediately his head explodes.
It would be the greatest anticlimactic moment ever.
And there would still be two Chosen to ominously plot and maneuver in the background, now far more cautious.
8842909 8842793 Either of these would be delightful. Cadence or Shining Armor would also be wonderfully awkward as well since we have had no indication of their status, leaving them open as possibilities. Or it's an OC. Or an outright trap.
So, about the time Twilight and crew made the drop, "At the Gala" started playing on spotify... party time.
8843498
I think she is gonna specialist combat medic.
I can see Twilight willing to fight for Xcom. Rainbow Dash may be the one of the 6 most willing to throw down, but Twilight is by no means reserved against combat if she believes friendship is off the table. This is doubly so if she believes the cause is just.
Now, as for her to be fighting instead of being a scientist when there is now a whole new world’s full of advances to study it’s.... still believable that she would soldier up. I suspect that Twilight would end up feeling like a leech or next to useless in Xcom’s labs when focus has to go away from magic. Equestria is a preindustrial civilization that has most of its machines, the few they have, are run on magic. That same magitech is currently next to useless on Earth, and then her troubles are compounded by all the catching up she’d have to do on earth comparatively highly advanced technology, let alone alien tech.
So ultimately, Twilight would end up spending all of her time reading. A fitting activity for T Sparks to be sure, except for the fighting and dying for a noble cause all around her and even she can’t overcome that scientific gap on a world mostly devoid of magic in a short enough amount of time before she’d go mad from feeling like she was a burden. So, with her feeling inadequate in the lab, it’s perfectly natural for her to gravitate towards her other not quite so underused talent: combat.
And as observed, she can get into the field after a month’s training. If it took Twiggles her whole life up to this point to be a top tier mage and equestrian researcher, she’s not to be on Tygan’s general staff for a good long time if she only went the scientist route.
Let’s just hope her first mission doesn’t end with her on a stretcher.
Edit: also I would love to see Twi using the Element as a psi amp. That would be so much icing on this already delightful cake of a story.
8843498
8843782
You are both wrong.
She will be the secret "Mage" class.
8843782
i could see that and thats the most obvious choice, however they already have a specialist in jane and i feel twilight may find the distance between her and her target comforting.
argh just realized i put ranger i meant sharpshooter.
8843862
Combining magic and psionics without her head exploding.
8843904
I was thinking "faction soldier"
Twilight "Princess" Sparkel
tree: corpral: Sargent:
Pony tribe: Unicorn aspect, ?
EoH: Eo Magic, ?
Alicorn: Transcendens, ?
Xcom: Nan , ?
Unicon aspect:
Grants acces to a Mana pool and active magic.
Element of Magic:
Enhances all magic traits and abiletys.
Transcendens:
Grants acces to the basic traits of the other tribes
Cant think of any Sargent or higer teir abiletys yet.
Any sugestiens?
8843941
friendship speech. bores enemies to death.
8843941
i'll find more later
Given Sunset's reservations I'm surprised she didn't strongarm Twilight into reporting her decision to Celestia.
My guess while reading for the VIP was Rarity, but looking forward to finding out. I really liked this chapter. The interplay between Twilight and... well basically everyone was both hilarious and heartwarming. Sunset gets top vote there, especially for the 'skin them, then get creative' 'why would you tell me that?' exchange. Priceless. ...Naturally I assume several of them are about to die. Ah well.
I got to thinking about Twilight's role in this. I'm happy she's going out there. Black_Knight made a fair point in his comment, even if I don't agree with it, but if she went the route of 'I cannot kill no matter what' we'd have her character arc being a less in focus rehash of Stardust. Now, there's worse things... but there's also better things, and I think this could be one of them.
Now, in universe? Why would they (they being XCOM) allow this? Thinking about that... well, the same reason they allow Sunset. They're both brilliant, and could contribute to a new branch of development in scientific research. Twilight fell into that quicker than Sunset because her abilities were more out in the open when she arrived than Sunset's. Still, they could both be doing R&D instead of risking the loss (or even theft via abduction, which Sunset has already flirted with once) of those abilities on the battlefield. So, why allow it? Because those abilities are so unique as to be useful on the battlefield, moreso than the lab. XCOM has many geniuses who can continue the work Tygan and Twilight have started, if the worst happens. They don't have a bunch of magic users they can throw out to train up towards countering enemy psions. A battle hardened Twilight Sparkle would be a major asset, moreso than just scientist Twilight Sparkle.
8843594
Well this is XCOM, and the mission has been setup as a milk run...
Did you know that the "leader" aliens and the "choosen" can appear in the same mission, we don't have a confirmed KIA on the Muton leader yet either...
Even with the Warlock fail and wounded as the muton is, it'd still be a very hard fight for the squad of rookies.
Twilight. Twilight, this is a terrible idea. Go back. GO BACK DAMMIT.
Also seems a bit hypocritical of her to be rambling about all life being treated equal when we all know she would lay down her own life in a heartbeat if Celestia told her to.
Twilight, you are being a silly noun-noun. But you made your bed, so now you have to provide overwatch for it.
And in a remote village in Equestria, one mare felt a strange sense of irony without knowing why...
Wonderfully tense point to end things. Here's hoping this doesn't get too pear-shaped.
8844226
yeah no thats happened to me before nearly cried then lost a good soldier but took that fucking queen down with his sacrifice but thats xcom.
8843941
Rainbow laser cannon.
You need a squad of six and the element of magic but it purifies every single enemy into being your ally.
8844451
Starlight: What the fuck was that? And why do i feel the need to start writing apology speeches?
Well that training was a clear failure.
Sunset ain't wrong.
I am downright shocked that either Bradford or the Commander didn't outright order her not to go.
Just...no. Tygan and the Commander do not get thrown into random missions for the exact same reasons Twilight should not be allowed to set foot outside the Avenger unless they need her to conduct some field study on the portal or something.
Twilight, that training was so you could have some chance of survival if the base ever came under attack, or you absolutely had to be in the field for research. So you'd be in good enough shape to run the hell away, mount a fighting retreat, and hopefully not slowdown too much whatever team of soldiers whose job it is to extract you as the VIP you are. If you find yourself in a combat role, something has already gone disastrously wrong.
*Makes amused face*
A... "noun-noun"?
8844219
I've been impressed with your comments all through the fic, Sun-Sage, but this one is particularly insightful. I was surprised to see Twilight wanting to go out and surprised to see Bradford letting her go, but you make sensible points from both Watsonian and Doylist points of view.
And she's been there for a month? Well, she is a fast learner I suppose ...
make up my mind
Now, to see how they're gonna do, what will go wrong and who they're here to rescue ...
Mr.Popo: Your all going to die. *smiles* Especially you
looks at just kevin