Obscurity and Clarity, Chapter 2: State of Emergency
Staff Sergeant Jacinta Petals sat across from Zip in her oversized sweater; she’d been trying to settle in for the night, after all. Zip had managed to convince her to go to a sweets shop near her barracks. Seeing her weep, he decided he couldn’t kick the can; they had to talk… about whatever it was.
Jacinta stared into her mug of cocoa, alongside a few macaroons, “Thanks for the cocoa, Lieutenant… I’m… sorry you had to come across me like that.”
Zip stirred his own cocoa; he had little appetite for anything else, but the cocoa tasted great, and it was welcome warmth after being outside, “I’m sorry your night off you’d been looking forward to was tossed up. I know you really wanted it.”
She sniffled. Zip didn’t want to beat around the bush, but he didn’t want to jump in without testing the waters. He’d try to coax it out of her, at least. But as with finding her, he didn’t have to poke around much.
“Sir… I’m really worried about Amethyst.”
This shot down one or two ideas he’d had bouncing around in his mind but got the ball rolling, “Yes?”
“She’s been… strange the last week. She’s not been sleeping all that well, and she’s kind of distant… Then about an hour ago, she just… blew up at me… Has she been odd around you?”
Sure, she’d been odd the last couple weeks; she’d treated him just a little differently since the night of the ball. But it didn’t strike him anything was wrong until she’d bolted from the restaurant. Hating that he held back so much from Jacinta, he decided it wasn’t anything for his staff sergeant to worry about... Still, the thought of Sgt. Amethyst Flare losing control towards Jacinta wasn’t a pleasant thing to picture.
“She seemed a little ill when we went into town today but beyond that… nothing unusual. If you’re that worried… Amethyst is just a pony… even she can get upset if she’s feeling a little off.”
Jacinta appeared to choose her next words carefully, “You… may find this hard to believe, but… Amethyst… I think she’s been watching my dreams.”
This came as no surprise to Zip, but he tried to relax and blow off her concerns, “That happens with her sometimes... whether she means for it to happen or not. You know she sometimes sleeps in the office just for that reason. I wouldn’t worry about it too much.”
He was shitting her big time about this and not enjoying it one bit; he felt it best for Jacinta to abandon this line of thinking, and he was willing to go to lengths to see that happen. It would only be painful for her.
But she wasn’t having it, whether she was aware of his ploy or not; it came out strangled, “Sir… She saw something that hurt her… I… dreamed about a filly last night… my filly… or rather… the one I may have someday.”
Understanding dawned in Zip’s mind. Something like that might give Amethyst some issue. Still, he didn’t want Jacinta to agonize over this; it wouldn’t go anywhere pleasant. He continued to try to steer her away.
“Jacinta… we both know Amethyst might be troubled by such a thing, but don’t blame yourself. We aren’t exactly in control of our dreams…”
She looked up, her eyes running again, “The filly… I called her ‘Rho’… I… held her and sang to her… ‘my little Rho… Mommy loves you…’ And what’s more… you were there.”
Zip’s mind blanked out for a few seconds; his ears began to ring. This could not be happening… Was she…?
“I don’t know if it’s the dreams I’ve been having or if it’s… something else… that has Amethyst so tied up,” she struggled to say. “I don’t know… I truly don’t know… if Amethyst has a thing for you, but… she might. And me… I’m confused.”
Zip had been trying to keep these thoughts out of his mind for more than a week. But they were always there, standing like somepony in the corner of the eye, desperately screaming for attention but so quietly it sounded like a far-off hum. It set his mind spinning.
Unsurprisingly, Jacinta had more to say. Red crept into her face.
“Amethyst was really upset tonight… She… told me some things. Since the night of the ball, she’d told me again and again I didn’t do anything stupid… anything I’d regret. But tonight… she told me I… forced a kiss on you in the park.”
Zip wanted to escape, but something kept him in his seat. The ringing in his ears intensified, but it didn’t distract him from the matter at hoof.
“I can see why you kept quiet about it… It… was wrong of me, and you were such a gentlecolt to let it pass. Knowing that, it makes sense… why you’ve been just a little distant the last couple weeks… But I think I know why I did it.”
Zip’s desire to bolt increased… Something was coming.
She could not be called disingenuous, “We’ve become friends, sir… It wasn’t something I really set out to do, but it just happened; I’m so glad for it. And now… I can’t help it. I… I think I like you, sir! I don’t know when it happened, but…”
Zip’s mind, on a little trip to “get-me-the-fuck-outta-here” land, reeled once more. He was physically unable to respond to her.
Jacinta, unaware of his mental gymnastics giving him whiplash, didn’t let up, “It’s wrong… considering our relationship… But really, I think… I do, Lieutenant… And I’m not sure what to do about it.”
Zip felt all the fur on his body stand on end; an unpleasant warmth, overwhelming in its quality, rushed through him. He was reminded of that one time he’d gotten a little drunk, after Lt. Hoop had poured five bottles of hard liquor down his open gullet.
This had gone from innocuous to gonzo really fast. She looked at him with earnest eyes, little to no expectation in them; she’d just said what was on her mind. Despite her little smile, Zip was still staggered.
Affording him a yielding expression, her voice came softly, “Lieutenant-”
Anything she may have said was drowned out by a loud siren; this wasn’t good. Abandoning their thoughts, the two rushed outside; the noise increased.
A magically magnified voice blared throughout Vanhoover, “All military personnel and applicable staff: report to your commanders immediately. Repeat… All military personnel and applicable staff: report to your commanders immediately.”
The message continued, quite audible over the siren. Zip and Jacinta barely hesitated. Their meeting eyes told the other this would wait, whatever was going on. They galloped to company headquarters.
This had yet to happen for real, but they’d run the drill a few times. Normal procedure, unless the port was literally under direct attack, was to go assemble at company headquarters. Zip prayed this was just a drill.
It was 22:30 by the time Zip and Jacinta made it to their destination. The area was brightly lit up, and about 100 ponies had shown up so far, others continuing to trickle in. Seeing Lt. Treehorn and 1st Platoon’s sergeant trying to gain some semblance of order, Zip directed his own charge.
“3rd Platoon! Assemble by squad! Behind your team leaders. Go!” he was surprised by the commanding bellow that came out of his own mouth.
They moved quickly. Most of them were there, but he saw a few gaps. The most notable of the gaps was Amethyst’s absence; Cpl. Aster Yellows and Cpl. Lily Hawk stood there in front of their squad. As Zip had feared, 1st Squad looked rather inebriated. He regretted giving them a drinking party, but this kind of shit was never predictable. Spc. Silver Duster appeared the only sober one of the bunch.
Other than 1st Squad, still in their uniforms, everypony of his was in civilian dress and even nightclothes. The orders were “report immediately”, and that was to be taken literally. Thankfully, most had grabbed warm clothing; it had gotten rather frigid over the last couple hours. The platoon continued to fall in.
Zip heard a clippity-clop coming their way; Amethyst came barreling towards them, immediately taking up her position at the head of her squad.
Zip would never forget the look in her face as long as he lived: gone was the worry he’d seen earlier in the day, replaced with a quiet determination and seriousness he’d yet to see in her, her eyes steely and cold.
She acknowledged him with a firm nod; he knew then and there she was with him and ready for whatever the Hell this was. He saw the same in Jacinta; the other mare he relied on most was ready. They were both good soldiers.
The last three members of his platoon showed up: Pvt. Blood Sapphire and Pvt. Linseed Oil were trotting, supporting Pvt. Birch between them. Zip couldn’t help but smile at the purpose in Pvt. Birch’s eyes as he stumped along; the stallion had never complained or made any excuses, always willing to lend a hoof or do what the platoon needed… what he needed of him.
Zip then felt a pride unlike any he’d known in his nine weeks he’d spent in Port. This was his platoon… these were his ponies… and he felt glad to have all of them behind him. It almost brought tears.
Unable to think of anything else constructive to say, he called out to them, “At ease. Rest. Just stay put until we find out what’s going on.”
Some of them sat down, notably 1st Squad. Seeing them nodding off wasn’t heartening. But he’d only bought the ale… They’re the ones that emptied the keg. Rather it was to be expected or not, Amethyst approached Zip and Jacinta.
Her steely resolve let up a moment as she addressed them, “Lieutenant… Jacinta… I’m sorry… Lieutenant, I’m sorry for making a scene at lunch… you were only trying to enjoy our time we were afforded.”
She turned to Jacinta, her resolve further falling, “Jacinta… I’m so sorry… that was awful, what I said… Me freaking out… it’s on me… You don’t need any of that… Please… I want to talk about things when we have the luxury of time.”
Jacinta put a hoof on her shoulder, “It’s okay, Amethyst… You’re right… we can discuss things later.”
Amethyst gave a tiny, but meaningful, smile as she hugged Jacinta, “Okay.”
The unicorn turned to Zip, giving him a little smirk and nod before returning to ranks, where she sat with her squad. Her moment of “weakness” was gone, and she looked prepared.
Zip admitted he felt better; there was still the mess to deal with amongst the three of them, but for now the air was clear enough.
Just as Zip began to think more about why they were called out, the company headquarters doors opened. Cpt. Stone Rig trotted out, followed by his staff, looking frightened. Zip’s sinking feeling, there since they’d dealt with the navy ship that morning, plunged his stomach down closer to his balls… Now he was getting a little scared.
He barked to his platoon, “3rd Platoon! Attention!”
They stood at once. 1st and 2nd Platoon followed suit.
Zip stood beside Jacinta, before their platoon, awaiting whatever the captain had to say.
He cleared his throat; lighting up his horn, his voice was magically amplified, “Northwest Equestria has declared a state-of-emergency. Details will emerge tomorrow, but the division has begun to assemble; over the next week, they will begin to arrive. In the meantime, you are all to secure your docks, your implements, and your storage facilities. Guards will be assigned to each facility beginning tonight. Martial law has been imposed to combat potential city-wide panic.
“Beginning in two or three days, the city is to initiate an evacuation plan of non-essential personnel. Emergency preparations will commence to move material goods out of the city and the surrounding areas, bound for the inland.
“Platoon leaders! Stand by for duties.”
The captain looked disheveled as he consulted his staff.
Zip’s balls pulled up into his body; he was good and scared alright. Glancing to the side, Jacinta’s jaw was tight… She was trembling. Looking to his platoon, they looked more than a little frightened… even Amethyst.
But the lieutenant took a deep breath and let it out; his breath clouded in the chill. They didn’t even know what was going on yet; there was no reason to despair.
A company staffer approached Zip, “Lt. Jetscream… I have your platoon’s duties: you are to secure Warehouse #1, in addition to your docks and equipment. Do so at once.”
The staffer ran off to Lt. Treehorn, who looked like he’d already crapped his pants.
Zip turned to his platoon; he was surprised by how calm he now was, “Everypony listen and listen well. Apart from Sgt. Flare and Spc. Duster, 1st Squad is to turn in for the night. Go to bed and rest well. We’ll need you in the morning. Go now; that’s an order. Report to your dock at 07:00.”
There was no need for apologizing; nopony in 1st Squad had anything to feel guilty about. All of them shivering, Cpls. Aster Yellows and Lily Hawk marshaled their teams and began to meander away.
Zip continued, “Sgt. Flare! Cpl. Painter!”
They stepped forward, “Yessir.”
“I want you two to go secure Warehouse #1. Choose five ponies, not squad or team leaders, to go along with you… Your choice… Spc. Duster!”
The little clerk stepped forward, “Sir?”
“Go along with them. Choose two ponies to bring with you. I want you to take full inventory of the warehouse by morning.”
She nodded, “Yessir.”
Zip turned to Pvt. Birch, “I hate to have to make you, but you go along with Spc. Duster. She could use your help.”
“I understand, sir.”
Zip felt confident, “Good. None of you are to travel to the warehouse alone. You will wait until your group has been assembled.”
He walked along before his unit, “Now… We’ll be stretched a little thin tonight, but we can manage. SSgt. Petals!”
“Yes, Lieutenant?”
“I want you to take Dock #4. Choose six or seven ponies from the other squads to secure it. Make sure you take Spc. Porter.”
“Understood.”
Feeling a greater confidence, he had a few more things to say, “Everypony else, report to your docks once the warehouse and Dock #1 details have been filled. You’ll all be short a few ponies, but we’ll make do tonight.”
He was given a resounding “yessir” in response.
Zip smiled, turning to a certain Earth pony, “And Spc. Wire… you’re with me. We’ll be running supplies. Hope you’re up for some exercise tonight.”
She didn’t look happy but showed sureness, “Yessir.”
Zip strode easily before his platoon, “Good… you all have your assignments for the night. Carry out your orders! None of you are under any circumstances to travel alone! Concentrate on the moment… Things will be clearer in the morning.”
With that, they spread out to do what was required of them.
The sun rose late in the autumn, and the morning wasn’t exactly bright; a heavy fog had overtaken the city. Things were eerily quiet as the port was safeguarded. Frost had formed on the grass, windows, and implements.
Zip’s legs hurt; he’d been pulling along a wagon, playing gofer for his platoon. The only plus was he wasn’t cold. Trip was never far from him, lending a hoof and supplying the skull sweat to complement his tugging the supply cart. Zip was glad to have her along; she was probably the best administrative-type in the platoon besides Jacinta and Silver, and their talents had been needed elsewhere. Much of the night had consisted of running food, water, and tools where they needed to go… and blankets—lots and lots of blankets.
All the scrambling around kept his mind off whatever was going on, but as the port began to resemble a military base rather than a center of commerce, the end of their means would be made clear. Military police, plentiful but not apparent in the city, were everywhere now. Civilians had been confined to their homes for the time being.
Reaching Dock #4 around 06:45, Zip was relieved to see his 1st Squad arriving at their post. All of them looked sober, rested, toasty-warm, and ready… all of which was good because there was no telling what the day held.
He called out to all the ponies at the dock, “Great job, everypony! Things are looking pretty good up and down the port. SSgt. Petals… everypony… thank you for your work. Report to your own docks. We’ll be bringing by some breakfast at 08:00. Trip, you’re staying with me for now.”
Everypony went where they had to.
Jacinta approached Zip, “We’ve had no problems, sir. About all there is to do now is consult the ponies at the warehouse and resupply a few things out here.”
Zip nodded, “That’s the same boat everypony else is in, too. They’re just about to finish up at the warehouse… It took longer than expected, but they've been rearranging in there. Fill in Cpls. Yellows and Hawk with what they need to do… Then you’re with me.”
“Yes, sir.”
Zip took a moment to sit down, nothing else pressing at the moment. Trip sat beside him.
The little mare sighed, “I’ve never seen anything like this happen before… I’m a little worried, Lieutenant.”
He was too, but, “Don’t fret, Trip. Like I said, we do our duty. We’ll figure everything else out later.”
Zip could say such things all he wanted, but his confidence was beginning to wane as he had more time to think about things. There had to be something wrong with him… he recalled being scared out of his mind, but determined, when he led the dragon to its doom all those months ago. He'd been pretty solid then, and he was feeling fairly solid at the moment. Whether it was bluster or genuine poise, he’d been able to show his platoon a strong, but friendly, face. Dealing with mares on the other hoof… he still felt like a frightened kid.
He laughed at the thought without being aware of it.
Trip entered his view, “Sir? What’s so funny?”
Recognizing the trepidation in her eyes, he patted her shoulder with a hoof, giving her a wry smile, “Nothing, really… It’s just you never do get used to this kind of thing.”
By the time Zip, Jacinta, and Trip arrived at Warehouse #1, they’d finished inventory; all was secure.
Private Birch was sitting alongside Silver, the two of them checking a list and consulting the associated paperwork. A few ponies were stationed around the building, keeping watch. Amethyst was sitting with the rest of them, taking a short rest.
The unicorn stood, “All’s good in Warehouse #1, sir. Know anything else?”
Zip shook his head, “Other than they’re feeding us come 08:00, nothing yet. Your squad’s back, bright-eyed and ready to work.”
Amethyst grinned, “I can’t imagine you’d pull Jacinta away if they weren’t. Would you like me to get back to them?”
“Sure. See that they earn that rest I gave them last night. I’ll be delivering chow soon. If we learn anything new, you’ll hear about it.”
She nodded, “Sounds good.”
Amethyst took off.
Silver looked up from the documents she was checking, “It was a real mess in there, Lieutenant… right in the middle of reorganizing. We left everything as it was, but we got it.”
“Good,” Zip replied. “It’s not our place to toss it up. No point in putting everything away if we’re just out-loading it.”
For a while, they just milled about. Zip left Jacinta at the warehouse while he and Trip ran to the kitchens and then delivered breakfast. The food was hot, if plain, and abundant, and very much appreciated by the hungry ponies in the cold damp. Nothing new was known about the situation. With nothing else to do now other than wait for further orders, they relaxed and enjoyed their morning chow.
They remained on alert until 12:00, when they received word to relieve those they could. Things were at least calming down for the moment. Zip kept 1st Squad, minus Amethyst and Silver, on and sent one of the teams to another dock. He asked for volunteers to manage the last two docks and watch the warehouse while some rested. They’d switch out sometime in the late afternoon.
So, the waiting game ensued. Zip found himself delivering afternoon chow. The military police allowed civilians outside, but non-essential personnel were strictly forbidden from entering the port. It was peaceful, if nippy, that afternoon, with a pleasant bit of sun that had burned off the morning fog.
Zip was dozing at Warehouse #1 around 16:00 when he felt a gentle hoof on his shoulder.
Jacinta’s peculiar eyes greeted his, “Lieutenant… Cpt. Weaver’s called a meeting. He wants you to bring along a staff.”
Zip nodded; the choice wasn’t hard. He’d bring his staff, minus Pvt. Birch, replacing him with Amethyst. He knew Pvt. Birch would be willing, but he’d been tirelessly staggering around on three legs, all night and all day, doing all that was needed of him and much more. Zip was thankful and would see him rest, even if he had to force him to do so.
The rest had at least napped a few hours that day and were fresh for whatever they were about to hear. Anyway, Jacinta, Amethyst, and Silver were the ones he wanted there when the news broke.
Zip found himself at a large table among his chosen staff; the rest of the officers in the battalion and their staff were seated as well. Zip had never been in the big meeting room of battalion headquarters. He knew the meeting would be of great importance, whatever was about to happen.
Captain Basket Weaver sat at the head of the table, looking self-assured; alongside him were his three lieutenants and their platoon sergeants, as well as his battalion level staff. Cpt. Stone Rig, looking ill, and Cpt. Jalapeño Jelly, looking surly, sat on either side of the table, loosely surrounded by their own units. All of them looked as if they’d rather be anywhere else in time or space.
Zip quickly noticed he was the only platoon officer to bring staff that weren’t all platoon sergeants, much less three of them.
The big crystal ball in the center of the table was a familiar thing to Zip; most military entities had one and, in this case, they were about to have an audience with Gen. Fiddler Dream. He’d never even met anypony, of consequence, higher on the rungs of the 4th Equestrian Army than Lt. Col. Red Spud. The general was the general of the 4th Army.
Nopony said a word. Zip noted a tension in the air he could practically feel closing in on hm. Looking towards Jacinta and Amethyst, they kept their composure but looked more nervous than he’d likely seen either of them. Silver felt like she looked to most ponies… young and inexperienced. Zip was plenty shaken, and he may have been the calmest in the room... other than their acting battalion commander; it was impossible to know.
They were going to war… maybe. That was in the forefront of everypony’s mind.
The deafening silence was cracked by the hum of the crystal ball.
Captain Basket Weaver stood, “Officer present. Stand. Salute.”
They all stood and saluted as the general showed up, projecting a corporeal form from within the glass; he saluted in return, “At ease. Be seated.”
They all sat. The general slowly swiveled his head, his own staff visible beside him.
“I see you’ve assembled the whole of your battalion command, Captain.”
Captain Basket Weaver nodded nonchalantly, “I trust these ponies; they need to know what we’re up against as much as I do.”
The general didn’t seem pleased but wasn’t about to order everypony out, “Very well.”
The captain lounged at the head of the table. Zip was wowed by his imperturbability… That’s how impressive it was; he needed a big word for it.
The general cleared his throat, “Captain Weaver: I appreciate the work you’ve done with the battalion. The loss of Lt. Col. Spud was unfortunate… But as you surely know, this isn’t a friendly call.
“I regret to inform all of you the Equestrian Western Navy has in the last week engaged, having been attacked by, a large Centauri Navy fleet.”
Zip’s blood ran cold a moment; the centaurs hadn’t attacked Equestrian forces, much less Equestria, in hundreds of years. The room was staggered by this news and remained silent a moment, allowing the general to continue.
The general turned, addressing all of them, “Ships on routine patrol were caught unaware in the night and suffered numerous casualties before sailing towards the continent. Our navy is spread so far and thin on the western side of Equestria, our ships are still moving to reinforce the line. Our estimates put the number of ships in the Centauri naval force at several hundred to more than one thousand ships; the weather is making any estimation difficult.
“Our casualties have been heavy, including a schooner whose crew accidentally set it on fire after a routine resupply in Vanhoover; it sank last night, days before before a chance of joining the battle.”
Zip’s eyes darted towards Amethyst; she looked collecte,d but he could see some understanding dawning in her eyes. Now glad he brought her along, and he would ask her later.
“The scout ships were heavily damaged. The remaining crews, traveling with a contingent of warships, will be arriving in Port within the week. The injured are to be treated and evacuated with all civilians, once logistics for the dispersal of our food supply and other goods is established. It's only a matter of time before the Centauri Navy lands on our shores.”
Captain Stone Rig couldn’t hold back, “Why attack now?! We’re about to enter winter! Why would they attack, knowing they were moving into that?!”
The room was stunned at the inept Captain’s outburst; many of them knew the answer, even if they weren’t consciously aware of it. Again and again in history, militaries had made the grave error of advancing into seasonally cold places in the worst time to do so… when it got cold. In this case, it would work to the Centauri Kingdom’s benefit.
The general calmly stated (easy for him, being in Canterlot), “They know this is the best time to attack. Our forces are spread thin in western Equestria; that's our worst kept secret internationally. Our navy cannot stop them; in a matter of days our navy will be unable to stall their advance and will either be forced to retreat to the coast as they fight or face destruction.
“But direr is this: Vanhoover handles one-quarter of Equestria’s food supply on a yearly basis. And we’re still harvesting across the continent. All supply ships bound for Port have been diverted south to other distribution hubs, but the stores in Vanhoover and the adjacent lands contain, relying on the estimation provided this morning, roughly one-seventh of Equestria’s current food supply.
“Our supply and logistics system, running under the assumption we have the whole winter and spring to trickle out food and goods to the northern continent, was not created to handle what we face. The 2nd Division is assembled and is on its way; they are the only ones within reach of you. But even with their numbers, it may be only weeks before we must abandon the city. It will fall.”
This was a hard truth to swallow; not only would the city fall, but if they were unable to relocate much of the foodstuffs in their possession… northern Equestria would starve that winter. They had weeks to accomplish what typically took six months.
Captain Basket Weaver, well known for speaking his mind, coolly stated, “So it’s war, then… We have less than a month to empty our stores, as the Centauri Navy bears down on our beaches, before we burn the city and retreat south like Hell…”
The general knew of the captain’s inclination and wasn’t overly offended, “Yes, Captain. Their navy will be able to deploy ground troops within a few weeks... if our high-end estimates of their numbers are accurate.”
The captain leaned back in his chair, still displaying his great level-headedness, “Those monkey carcasses growing where a head should be didn’t come all the way here to just try and starve half the continent to death. Once we set a match to Port... they’re going to salvage what they can from the ashes and advance, right between the Galloping Gorge and the Foal Mountains, straight to Canterlot. All that’s between is prairie... and a lot of towns and a lot of farms with a lot of civilians. Evacuating the swath of land before those freaks move through won't be easy, but we at least have the time.
“The approaching winter is immaterial to the centaurs; they’ll likley be through Port and bearing down on the south before we see a speck of actual snow flying. And we’ll be running ahead of them, unless they manage to kill us all first. And we will be running, once we can’t hold them in the northwest any longer; the division can’t stand and face that in the open. They'll be able to harass us from behind for a long time. Have the eggheads in tactics figured out how long it’ll be before the 4th Army can finish assembling and join up with us?”
The general didn’t have an agreeable answer; he tried to explain his way around it, “The 4th Army won’t be joining you. You’ll be coming to it. We will engage them northwest of Canterlot; we will rely on the geography and fortify the land to give us a topographical advantage. The air force will attempt to slow them down and-”
“Sir!” Cpt. Basket Weaver barked. “How long before the 4th Army is ready to fight?”
Zip and the rest were shocked a captain would snap at a general, but what were they going to do? Hang him? Death was already knocking on the door.
The general considered the leering captain; there was no point in giving him the runaround, “It will be three months. You must stall them for three months. We cannot defeat them in the open… you must know that. Three months… That is the time it will take to prepare our defenses. Near Canterlot, we'd also have the benefit of our other military resources... the 1st and 2nd Army, the air force, and the marines. All we'd manage in the open is to harass them.”
A chill fell upon the room, felt by one and all. The division consisted of less than 3,000 ponies; they were expected to stall a force of untold size… all while being chased to Canterlot. During this whole exchange, most of them just sat numb.
But if Cpt. Basket Weaver was afraid, he didn’t show it much, “Understood, General. I take it you’ve assembled a war council?”
“Yes, Captain. We’re about to start. The division heads of 'Clementine' Corps are being raised as well as all the corps heads.”
The captain stood up, “Let us pull in a few more crystal balls. We can get multiple channels raised and hold the discussion right here. I think we can agree there’s no point in hiding anything; my battalion stays.”
This really appeared to tick off the general, but what was he going to do? Hanging the captain was probably out of the question; nopony else, immediately available, could keep Port under control while they floundered their way through the mess. The stallion had been given domain over Port for a good reason. And they could always string him up later, if they saw fit.
“Very well, Captain.”
Taking a few minutes to set up communications and call in some chow from the kitchens, as well as bringing into the fold the mayor and city council, “Wild Rice” Battalion sat down, and the 4th Equestrian Army began planning its emptying of Vanhoover… all its ponies and all the goods they’d be able to manage.
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Ok, that is a great start to the action.
But they really have a hard situation to settle, evac a whole Portcity in that short amount of time and preparing defenses, in multiple layers.... just to retreat slowly back near the Capital... Doesn't really look like that much of a good plan at first glance. Well better than just throwing wave after wave of soldiers at the enemy and let them die right?
Thank you for the new chapter and your hard work. On your storys and out in the fields.
as always, have a piece of Baumkuchen, chocolate cake, tea, coffee and some beer.
8953485
There's a little more to their "escape" plan. They have a pretty sorry defense system in place, but they have a plan.
8954826
we all know what happens with plans the moment one has contact with the enemy, right?
There was just that one time when... oh wait, that one was the shortest run in our ShadowRun history.(and the one with the third most laughs)
Ok I had a good plan that worked back in my active BattleTech time, but it was simple: bring that unkwon mech in front of me down!(and I only lost all my armor and save for two, every weapon on my Hunchback!)
....Well, it seems they might have a chance that plan works....maybe.
Anyway, enjoy the day, as I'll enjoy the evening with a nice cold drink, in my case for once no alcohol. But hey, get yourself something nice during the day!
Instead of "Hell Breaks loose" the chapter should have be called, "Taking inventory, With prejudice!" That's basically all this chapter boils down to, taking inventory on high alert. I liked the ending meeting where they talked about the war, but the rest felt a bit drown out and unneeded, not counting the opening part with Zip and other pony.
A title like "Hell Breaks loose" should be reserved for when... you know, hell breaks loose. Like the opening battle for Zip and the others. The title just left me expecting more.
8956683
Maybe. Part of some military stories is the boring quiet before trouble pops up and not knowing what's going on much of the time.
8956683
Gave it a better name. Shoulda given it the name to begin with.
8956874
State of Emergency is a much more fitting name.
8957547
I've actually gotten a bit of good advice from you in the past. Sometimes all it takes is a different set of eyes to see how off something might be.
Hell will break loose, but the chapter in which it happens has a much more innocuous name.