A 14th Century Supplement in Celestia's Court

by Antiquarian

Light Horse (Lore)

The 3^rd Expeditionary Regiment, also known as the 3^rd Equestrian Light Horse or, more commonly, as the ‘Black Cav’ is one of the oldest and most prestigious units in Equestrian history, and at their inception represented a major evolution in their combat doctrine.

They trace their origins to the early days of Equestria, before the armed forces of the young kingdom had been formally unified under the Combined Forces (the precursor to the EUP Guard). In those days, the disparate Tribes seldom formed united companies of fighting ponies. However, invasions by griffons in the east and minotaurs in the southwest forced the young realm to adapt if they wanted to survive.

Chief architect of this new military doctrine was Lord Rook of House Battlement. Rook, a unicorn, was one of the first Equestrians to truly adopt the idea of combined arms warfare – integrating the various skills of all three Tribes into one cohesive fighting force. He envisioned the creating Light and Heavy Companies of soldiers comprised of specialist warriors with intertwined skillsets intended for fast, elite troops which could outfight and outmaneuver larger enemy forces.

Opposition to the idea was fierce, and Rook barely managed to secure enough support to attempt his idea. Even then, he was given little funding and forced to rely entirely on recruiting volunteers. Most of his volunteers were earth ponies, who up to that point were often sidelined by the more established militaries of the unicorns and pegasi.

Nevertheless, Rook managed to assemble three Light Companies – mostly built around a core of fast earth pony chargers with pegasi support – and one Heavy Company – built around a core of unicorn knights and pegasi lancers.

Rook emphasized unit cohesion and precision maneuvers; he drilled his ponies relentlessly, tolerating no squabbles or rivalries between the Tribes but enforcing discipline with an iron hoof. Those who would not conform were dismissed.

By the time he was done, all four companies were understrength, but they were the most highly-trained and professional troops the young country had ever seen.

They first saw action against the numerically superior minotaurs at the Battle of Bull Gulch. Though most of the other Equestrian units were driven from the field, Rook’s troops fought with such vigor that they stopped the minotaur advance cold, allowing other Equestrian forces to rally for a successful counter-attack. Rook’s companies were such ferocious fighters that the minotaurs mistook them for horses, leading to widespread rumors of “Equestrian Horses.”

The name stuck, and the surviving companies were reorganized as the First, Second, and Third Light Horse, with the Heavy Company divided to provide a formation of shock troops to each.

Additional units were created according to Rook’s template over the following decades, and Equestria emerged as a dominant power in the region. The Tribes became more integrated, and a genuine Equestrian culture was emerging as a unified entity rather than a mere alliance of separate entities.

However, the good times were not to last. Follies of passion intruded, and a misguided noble attempted to create a love potion to win the heart of another.

The Love Poison brought Equestria to its knees. By the foolishness of one stallion, the monarchy was laid low by the Poison, which left the royal couple so immersed in each other that they could not rule. The Line of Royals failed, and the coming of the Great Dragon Vulcanus devastated the realm. The Dragon’s Desolation was but the harbinger of things to come. In the wake of the disaster, many great Houses vied for control of the government. Prominent members of the Tribes turned on each other, and Equestria descended into violence.

The Succession Wars had begun.

Decades of bloodshed followed as faction after faction attempted to seize control. So much evil was done that many of the soldiery despaired of the dream of a unified Equestria. Seeking to preserve what they believed was the true legacy of the realm, many left, setting off for distant lands and leaving Equestria to its fate.

But the Third Equestrian Light Horse would not abandon their home. They would fight to preserve the ideals their ancestors had bled and died for. Donning black in mourning for what had been lost, they began their mission of reunification. They vowed to keep the dream of Equestria alive, no matter the personal cost.

In following that vow, they sought to serve Houses who would uphold that cause. Time and time again, they were disappointed, as leaders turned to petty vengeance and brutal measures. The Third Light Horse were forced into a sort of mercenary existence, changing their masters as they sought to find leaders of virtue who would live by the old ideals of Equestria.

Their enemies pejoratively called them “Black Sheep,” but the innocent folk whom they defended called them the “Black Cavalry” – heroes who rode to the rescue regardless of the danger. They took as their banner a white flag with three black figures – an earth pony, a unicorn, and a pegasus – rampant and proud, encircled by a black circle for unity.

Throughout decades of misery, the “Black Cav” held onto their righteous code in the face of betrayal, murder, and death. Their devotion would eventually be rewarded, and they would finally find leaders worthy of their service.

In what would later be called the Restoration Era, many great heroes of Equestria – including Starswhirl, the Pillars, and the Council of Stewards – began the exhaustive process of building a truly unified government once more. Many flocked to their banner, including the Black Cav. A long series of carefully negotiated Accords ultimately culminated in the Diarchal Accords, which set Celestia and Luna on the Throne, ending the Succession Wars and ushering in the First Golden Age and the Era of the Two Sisters.

Ever at the command of the Diarchy, the Black Cav would serve them through many trials – the Crystal War; the Age of Discord and the Chaos March; the War of the Western Wastes. Though they were in the process of rebuilding during the War of the Shades, elements of their number joined the Sisters’ expedition and fought alongside them in the final battle.

It was after the coming of Nightmare Moon and Luna’s Fall that one of their greatest feats was done. The loss of Luna had left many – both foreign and domestic – believing that Celestia was weak and Equestria vulnerable. To deal with these threats, much of the Black Cav was dispersed throughout Equestria in the years that followed, maintaining peace and driving off aggressors. A single battlion – the 19^th, also known as Striker’s Stallions – was ultimately stationed in Canterlot so they could replace their losses after recent deployment to the border.

What was supposed to be a time of rest and replenishment became a nightmare when the Sangbleu Rebellion began. Celestia herself was away with much of the army at a peace conference with the Maretonians. Of all the troops in Canterlot, few were loyal to Celestia, and the veteran 19^th, understrength though it was, was the largest and most experienced force among them.

In the bitter fighting that followed, Striker’s Stallions refused every call for surrender. Their light troops held the line against the heavy infantry and pegasi of the Sangbleu Rebellion, fighting to the last pony. Striker himself died leading a desperate sally which enabled the other Loyalist forces to secure themselves in the Citadel. The 19^th Battalion was wiped out, but they bought enough time for reinforcements lead by Clover the Last to arrive and shatter the Sangbleu forces. By their sacrifice, the city was saved.

Successive generations of the 3^rd Equestrian Light Horse have continued to live up to the legacy of their forebears. They served with the EVF and later the REF in defending the Konik-Griffuanian Commonwealth, and have fought in almost every major REF action since. Few other units can claim to have a tradition of such distinction.

For all their many honors, however, the Black Cav never forgets the price they’ve paid. When the 3^rd Equestrian Light Horse marches in parade, there is always a large gap in their lines, occupied by a single pony who carries the 19^th Battalion’s colors. Their black-and-white banner flies forever at half mast wherever they are deployed.

Perhaps the unit’s ethos is best exemplified in their motto, “Dum Spiramus Tuebimur.”

“While we breathe, we shall defend.”

Author's Note:

As I mentioned in “Thinning the Herd,” the 3^rd Expeditionary Regiment – also known as the 3^rd Equestrian Light Horse and the “Black Cav” – to which Song and the others belong is a not-at-all-subtle reference to the Eridani Light Horse (formerly 3^rd Regimental Combat Team) from the Battletech universe. They feature prominently in Mechwarrior 3.

The Eridani Light Horse are one of my favorite fictional military units – their whole schtick is basically “even if all the nations around us forsake justice and spit on all things good and righteous, we will still conduct ourselves with honor, integrity, and virtue, even if we die doing it.”

Throughout centuries of constant, griding war, the Eridani Light Horse never lost their morality. The Equestrian “Black Cav” have a similarly proud heritage, though fortunately they didn’t have to struggle nearly as much to find a nation worthy of them. (Seriously, if you think the 3^rd Equestrian saw some crap, it’s nothing compared to what the Eridani Light Horse went through).

The motto “Dum Spiramus Tuebimur” is the motto of the real-world 133^rd Artillery Regiment (United States Army National Guard, Texas). I came across the motto years ago and was always moved by its meaning. It seemed fitting for the Black Cav.

Comments

[WanderingPony]

Succession Wars

That sounds famili-

Eridani Light Horse

Very familiar. Of course, eventually it was that rarity that ended up with them being devoured first as a genetic treasure trove by Goliath Scorpion (and thence mostly destroyed by the Society) and finally obliterated in front of the barbarous Jade Falcons (who, in the end still managed to come in second place in the race to be ilClan, and in a supreme fit of irony, became the ilClan's honor guard after being purged of their Mongol Doctrine leadership and adherents.). Sand in a sea of chaos, eventually washed away into the tides. Equestria lends better odds to the moral, at least and a Princess is far harder to kill than a First Lord.

[Venerable Ro]

So what do they do when something else happens that would require the flag be lowered to half mast? Put it at quarter mast, or leave it where it be?

[FanOfMostEverything]

Fascinating tidbit. The reference was completely lost on me, but that didn't lessen the impact one iota.

[alexandria2k]

Sangbleu = Blue Blood???

[Antiquarian]

10843781
Second flagpole for the Equestrian flag. (Eridani had a second flagpole that was barren, because the Star League which they served was dissolved, and after that they became mercenaries; Black Cav is luckier than that).

[Antiquarian]

10843530
I'm so sad that Eridani got hosed like that. Personally, I hope that the planet where their families were located still had at least a few Mechwarriors guarding it (as happened at different times historically) so that at least some of the unit could survive. They could then have an arc about the Light Horse rebuilding from near extinction, maybe even having some older warriors (like the cast of Mechwarrior 3, who survived things they shouldn't have survived to a degree remarkable even by Eridani standards) forming the core of the new regiments.

The name for the book/trilogy even writes itself: Dark Horse, which would be poetic on at least three different levels (the comeback from an underdog, the flag, and the name Light Horse). We'll see what happens. Either way, that's my headcanon.

[Bugsydor]

A beautiful and tragic history. The gapped formation brought a tear to my eye.

[BirdsBooksBrownies]

10843923
Makes sense to me, going by his canon personality, it's not much of a stretch to imagine his less witless ancestors being involved in revolts and possibly movements for secession away from the common rabble.

[Baineblade]

.... And here I am, just a simple Merc tryin' to survive along the periphery. But yeah, Eridani Light Horse are a great Battletech unit! Even if I am a bigger fan of the Wolf's Dragoons. >.>;

[Antiquarian]

11164092
I think the Dragoons' biggest contribution to Battletech was the Annihilator. Or, as I call it, an adult Urbanmech.

[Baineblade]

11166454
I'm too much of a Marauder Pilot myself. (Hell my Primary lance is literally 2 Marauders, a Marauder II, and a Nightstar.) But yeah, the Annihilator is a beast in and of itself. I normally have one leading my Heavy support lance.

[Yutah123]

Reading additions like these, I'm very tempted for a full list of notable Equestrian units, in all their glory and misery, their highest and lowest.

Is that perhaps too much to ask?