Chapter 6 - An Exercise in Trust
“Well, that could have gone better,” Oakheart said, letting out a heavy sigh. “Are you okay?”
Flurry cricked her neck and wiped away a dribble of blood from her lip with a fetlock. “Oh, this is nothing. It’ll take more than that little love tap to hurt me.”
He nodded. “I was hoping we’d have more time before something like this happened.”
“There are always fools willing to die for their Emperor,” Flurry muttered, a hard edge slipping into her voice. “The pegasi are a proud tribe; they don’t like being reminded of their past failings.”
“I must admit, I didn’t think you’d back down,” he said. “I certainly appreciate your…” He looked down to the crumpled weapons on the floor. “Restraint."
"I'm not what you think I am, captain," she replied softly.
“What is this Mulberry Ridge she was talking about?” he asked. “I’ve never heard of it.”
“I expect you wouldn’t,” Flurry said. “You fleet types never did pay much attention to us ground pounders.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I must admit, I never quite believed it when your file said that you had enlisted in the Alliance infantry.”
“Best place I could do the most good,” she said. “I didn’t really fit in with how the Alliance fleet liked to do things.”
He gave a wry smile. “I can imagine. So you were there at Mulberry?”
Flurry felt a shudder pass through her as memories resurfaced. Bad memories. “Yeah, I was there.”
“What happened?”
“What do you think happened?” she snapped, her wings bristling as her temper flared. “We fought and a lot of good ponies died on both sides, just another pointless bloodbath amongst thousands. If you’re so interested in it, punch it up on your computer.”
Flurry let out an angry snort, though as quickly as it had come, a realization tempered her feelings. “I’m sorry. I forgot you fought in the war as well. Being an alicorn messes with your perception of time.”
He smiled softly. “I understand, I think.”
A reluctant sigh escaped from her muzzle as she recalled the event. “Our company was assigned to protect the ridgeline overlooking the local spaceport. The ridge was the lynchpin in the defense of Rosefall city and the Republic knew it. I was running air cover and medevac for the wounded at the time. Things were bleak, but we were holding our own.”
Flurry grimaced as the memories came flooding back. “And then the pegasi sent their infantry in.
“They just kept coming at us in waves, hundreds at a time, and we mowed them down over and over again. When the ammunition ran out, we fought them hoof to hoof with whatever we could find.” She swallowed, shaking her head. “By the end, over two thousand ponies were dead and my company had only twenty still standing.”
“Bloody ground,” Oakheart remarked solemnly.
“It’s where I picked up that damn nickname,” she muttered.
“Last Shadow?”
Flurry nodded, a sad smile playing on her lips. “It’s funny, for a while I kept the name, thought it was cool. I figured if they were afraid of me, they would stop trying to fight me.”
“And did it work?” Oakheart asked.
“No,” she said sadly. “Just painted a big target on my head. The more that came looking for glory, the more I had to kill.” She closed her eyes. “I felt like I was losing a part of myself to that name with every life I was forced to take.”
In her mind, she could see the mangled bodies of pegasi piled high beneath her blood-soaked hooves. She could still feel the pull of battle, the exhilarating feeling that no drink or drug could replicate.
Flurry shuddered, trying to shake off the sensation. “Wasn’t helped by the Alliance press proclaiming it all over the networks. I’m surprised you never heard of it.”
“My deployments meant I rarely had the time to catch much news, and even then, I barely paid much attention to them,” Oakheart replied, his gaze seeming distant. “We had our own battles to fight.”
“So, what now?” she asked, eager to change the subject.
“This could complicate things for us,” he pondered. “We’ll need their fighters if we’re going to pull this off, and the lieutenant made it abundantly clear that we’ll get no help from her. This will damage our chances.”
“Just what are blackwings doing on Harmony anyway? You know what they are, right?” she asked, feeling her anger return.
“Of course,” Oakheart snapped. “Believe me, Ms. Flurry, relying on slaves is not what Harmony stands for. The Director was furious when they arrived here from the Republic. Instead of trained military pilots, we received green youngsters serving a bunch of mercenaries.”
“Are you doing anything about it?”
“The Director is on Caelum right now, trying to get the situation straightened out,” he assured, though he seemed pensive. “Unfortunately, until it’s sorted, this is what we have to work with.”
“So let’s get down there and get things moving. Nyx doesn’t have time for any of this,” Flurry urged, trotting towards the door.
“Wait,” he called, trotting quickly to catch her. “The last thing we need is you going down there and stirring up more trouble.”
Her wings bristled. “Just take me to this Merry Weather, and I’ll have a word with him.”
Maybe break a few bones.
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” he said, standing between Flurry and the door. “This is Harmony business, so let me handle the negotiations with Merry Weather.”
“Negotiations,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes.
“Yes, negotiations,” Oakheart repeated. “The situation is delicate, and we do not need you barging in there and making demands.”
Flurry was surprised when she felt Oakheart's hoof on her shoulder.
“I know this is frustrating, believe me, but we have to be patient,” he said. “A confrontation is only going to slow things further, and delays are the last thing Captain Nyx needs right now.”
Whammy’s head bobbed to the side, making Flurry give him a narrow-eyed look.
Great, now they’re ganging up on me, she thought irritably.
“Okay, fine,” she said with a huff. “But this doesn’t help us with Swan Song.”
“I’m sure Merry Weather can find a replacement for her,” Oak suggested.”The other squadron leaders seem capable in her stead.”
“It’s not that simple,” she said with a shake of her head. “She’s the highest-ranking pilot, right?”
Oakheart nodded.
“That means she’s likely the head of their aerie as well,” Flurry surmised. “If we force her replacement, her fellow pilots will close ranks and you can forget them taking orders from you.”
Oakheart eyed her carefully. “You have a suggestion?”
“You deal with Merry Weather, and I’ll deal with Swan Song,” she said. “This is between me and her. If I do this alone, then it won’t reflect badly on you.”
Oakheart gave her a hard frown.
“Just to talk, I promise,” she assured. “Pegasus pride and duty aren’t enough to explain that kind of suicidal behavior, so I’ll need to get to the bottom of it.”
“How can you be so sure?”
Flurry looked to him with a sad smile. “Just a feeling.”
Oakheart gave her a quizzical look. “You continue to be full of surprises, Ms. Flurry.”
“I know pegasi, captain,” she said with a confident smile, fluffing her wings in emphasis. “They’re as much a part of my heritage as your tribe is. That, and I spent a few centuries in the Imperial Court of the Republic. I know how they think."
The earth pony pondered for a moment before nodding. “Good, we have a plan. I’ll contact Merry and get things moving. Before that, there is something we need to take care of.”
Oakheart opened the door and led her outside, where the two security ponies were regarding her anxiously.
“Where are we going?” Flurry asked as they made haste towards the elevators.
“To Security. In light of the information you provided, we need to discuss the situation with our security chief,” he replied.
“Great, a police station—just where I’d like to be right now,” she huffed.
“We won’t be there long,” he assured. “If we’re beefing up the escort for the Orion, I’d like some of our MAWS units to come along with us. Just in case she has been boarded and we need to clear unwanted guests.”
The doors to the elevator hissed open, and they quickly stepped inside.
“Good to hear,” she agreed as the elevator shuddered into motion. “How good are they? Syndicate mercs are no pushovers, you know.”
“We have some of the most well-trained personnel anywhere,” Oakheart replied.
“No offense, but they haven’t exactly impressed me so far,” Flurry grumbled.
“In their defence, alicorns aren’t exactly covered in basic training,” he said, eyeing her pointedly.
Flurry let out an awkward cough and looked away. She hadn’t exactly planned on having that confrontation. It had just kinda happened.
The whole situation was so frustrating. She just wanted to leave and find her cousin, and not be stuck here trying to curry favour. The scenario kept spinning about in her head, only to come crashing to the same irritating conclusion each time: she needed these ponies.
She looked back to Oakheart, who was tapping something on his holo-brace. She tried to gauge what was going on in his head. Deep down, that niggling distrust just wouldn’t go away. At any moment, he could turn on her and have the whole station come down on her head. Also, there was the question of what was to happen if they were successful. Just how long would their little truce last?
“I’ve been trying to contact Merry for the past few hours. Your arrival should have stirred him from that hovel he likes to wallow in,” Oakheart grumbled.
A ping interrupted his lament as the elevator doors slid open, revealing a surprisingly roomy foyer.
Flurry had seen her fair share of police stations over the years, and she found herself pleasantly surprised. Most colonial stations felt more like a military stockade, as opposed to a civic center that ponies would actually want to go to. Small trees lined the waiting area and several fountains filled the room with the gentle tinkle of running water. Several rows of chairs lined the foyer, all leading up to a wide desk where several receptionist golems stood, patiently waiting for the public. Above the main desk, hovered a glowing holographic sign, reading ‘Harmony Security’ along with the symbol she’d seen in Oakheart’s office.
Oak and Flurry quickly passed by the main desk and headed into the atrium beyond. It was far larger than she had been expecting, divided into several floors linked by elevator tubes. The thoroughfare was cluttered with equipment pallets surrounded by work ponies working around open floor panels.
The light chatter of a dozen different accents danced around the room. Flurry could make out a lot of them, but even she had trouble discerning them all. Thankfully, their passage had gone by mostly unnoticed, with only a few stopping to gawp at her as she passed.
Oakheart quickly led her out of the atrium and headed towards the central booking and processing area. Like the atrium, the corridors and interview rooms were mostly unfinished and still under construction. They eventually arrived at a large desk, mostly draped in plastic wrap, with a bored-looking unicorn stallion sitting behind it.
A pair of gruff earth ponies sat on benches nearby, their forelegs locked in hoofcuffs while they were being watched by an earth pony mare and pegasus stallion. The stallion had two rusks for a cutiemark, a rare sight amongst the blank flanks of the colonial ponies.
The pair straightened as Oak and Flurry approached, the mare’s eyes widening while the stallion had paled considerably.
“Check it out, Rusk, that’s Flurry Heart!” the mare gestured to her colleague.
“Not now, Ivy,” the pegasus replied, giving a stiff salute to Oakheart as they approached. “Sir, umm ma’am.”
“Detective Rusk,” Oakheart acknowledged, returning the salute. “Is the chief in his office?”
“Yes, sir, he’s been bouncing off the walls since…” the pegasus cringed, his eyes darting to Flurry. “Since our guest arrived.”
His companion stifled a chuckle, earning a glare from the pegasus.
“I’d best get to him before he hurts himself. Thank you, detective,” Oakheart said, giving him a salute before they continued on their way.
As they moved away, the mare burst into laughter. “You should have seen your face!”
“Oh shut up.”
Flurry chuckled to herself and looked to Oakheart. “You have many ponies from Equus here?”
“We’ve ponies from everywhere, though we’re thankful to have so many volunteers from Equus in the crew,” he replied.
Her brow furrowed. “The ponies of Equus have always been generous. Too bad the same can’t be said about their leaders.”
Oakheart wisely chose to stay silent and led her into the offices beyond. There were rows of desks, some with ponies busy tapping away at their terminals, though most were empty. Flurry couldn’t help but feel a hint of nostalgia at the smell of days-old coffee and doughnuts.
The good old days.
They passed by the rows, barely getting any acknowledgment from the busy ponies as they headed towards a closed-off area at the back of the room. The door was labeled ‘Chief Flintlock’ making Flurry pause.
“It couldn’t be…” she mused.
Oakheart opened the door, revealing a darkened room lined with security monitors, showing various locations around the station. Flurry’s eyes had to adjust to the lower light in the room before she could make out the figure sitting behind a desk.
“The moment I heard you arrived, I had a feeling you’d end up at my door,” a familiar voice called.
Flurry’s eyes widened as she stepped inside. “Flinty, is that you?”
“The one and only.”
Standing up from his desk was an older thestral in his late forties, his slate-grey coat and dark-grey mane now dulled with age and silvery hairs. He wore the same blue uniform as everypony else, only marked with a green stripe on his shoulders.
As he eyed her, a wide grin formed, revealing a set of vicious fangs that were a hallmark of his secretive tribe.
His face was weather-beaten and scarred in places, a lingering mark of his eventful life. One of his long ears had a nick cut out of it, and his leathery wings had a few holes in their membranes.
Even so, the warm amber of his eyes sparkled with the fire she always admired, those slitted pupils now wide with happiness.
Flurry didn’t say anything, she simply closed the distance and pulled the old bat pony into a bone-crunching hug.
“It’s good to see you’re still a master at causin’ trouble, you old firecracker,” he said with a laugh.
“Who are you calling old? You wrinkly coot,” Flurry said, finally releasing him from her hug.
Questions flooded her mind as she looked upon her friend—so many, she wasn’t sure where to start.
“And there’s Whammy,” Flint grinned, bopping the plushies eyes. “Wouldn’t be the same without him. Still trying to keep her out of trouble, I see?”
“Trying and failing,” Flurry chuckled. “He’s happy to see you too.”
The middle-aged thestral let out a laugh but was interrupted by Oakheart clearing his throat. He turned and straightened, giving the earth pony a salute. “Sorry, captain,” he said, giving an awkward cough. “Caught up in the moment.”
“Quite all right, Chief,” Oakheart said with a bemused smile. “Today has been a day for surprises. So how do you two know each other?”
“Oh, the princess and I go way back,” Flintlock said with an easy smile. “We served together during the war, Major Cornfield’s Reapers. Pulled my flank out of a lot of rough spots.”
Flurry let out a chuckle. “Only because you were such a hothead.”
“Just followin’ your lead, princess.”
“Well, this makes things easier,” Oakheart said. “Speaking of which, I’ve got a job for you, Chief.”
“I’ve been hearing rumours of some big op coming up,” Flint commented, his ears swivelling forward. “I assume it has got something to do with galaxy’s-most-wanted over here?”
“Somewhat. I need you to select twenty of your best, full weapons loadout. They’ll need to be EVA certified and prepped for zero-g combat. We have a possible assault and hostage rescue on our hooves,” Oakheart replied.
“Who are we going up against?”
“Syndicate, I think,” Flurry added quickly, earning an annoyed glance from Oak.
The grizzled thestral rubbed his chin, his frown creasing his brow. “That means changelings or mercs for sure. Numbers?”
“If they match the troop complement of an Elderberry class, a hundred, possibly one-fifty,” Oak stated. “Will that be a problem, Chief?”
Flintlock sat on his haunches. “My boys can handle mercs, but we have a problem. Our shuttles are currently being shipped over in pieces from the Hyperion.”
Flurry could see the gears turning in the old thestral’s head before he spoke. “You’re still flying the Dream, right?”
“Of course,” she replied.
“Great! Problem solved. Feel like jumping some ground pounders across space?” Flint suggested.
“I think I can manage that,” Flurry said with a grin.
Oakheart frowned and slowly rubbed his temples, an exasperated grumble dying in his throat.
“Come on, captain,” she insisted. “My ship is right here. I know you’ve been trying to figure out what to do with me. This is it.”
“I’ve got ponies with experience of operating from the Dream. And she’s a damn sight better than anything we’ll get from the Alliance,” Flint added.
Oakheart let out a resigned sigh, like a father being persuaded by his children to go to a theme park. “Okay, fine.”
“Great! Just like old times,” Flurry grinned, fluffing her wings.
“On one condition,” Oakheart said, bringing her enthusiasm crashing to a halt.
“Call it the price of admission,” he said, allowing her to exit the door before him.
This doesn’t sound good at all.
<=======ooO Ooo=======>
“No,” Flurry said flatly, her voice echoing in the vast empty space of the hangar.
“If you want to come on this mission, then you’re going to have to,” Oakheart replied coolly.
Behind him, a crew of technicians and golems waited anxiously like a flock of vultures looking for their next meal. They all shied away and tried to hide behind Oak as Flurry’s angry gaze fell upon them.
“We’re wasting enough time already, and you want to dismantle my ship!” she yelled before taking a calming breath. She then rubbed her temples, stifling the mother of all tirades. “Look, I think I’ve been extremely patient with the way you do things here. But this is too much.”
“Just a quick service,” Oakheart assured. “While we’re waiting for Merry Weather to respond, we might as well make the best use of our time. Merry Weather is deliberately dragging his hooves to make us act rashly, so any mistake will cost us in the long run. Once we have his cooperation, we will have to move fast, and I don’t want your ship impeding that.”
“The Dream is ready to go whenever you are.”
“I don’t like unknowns,” he said, holding her gaze. “And you and your ship are a cornucopia of unknowns to me. If you’re going to come with us, I want to be sure your ship isn’t going to be a liability.”
“The Dream is perfectly fine, peak efficiency,” she huffed. “It doesn’t need your ponies putting their hoofmarks all over it.”
“You’ll forgive me if I’m a bit skeptical,” he retorted.
His eyes drifted to the long line of frayed tether cable, trailing along the deck and up to the broken remains of the Dream’s harpoon launcher.
Flurry scowled, letting out an unladylike grumble, not helped by Whammy’s mirth over the situation. The plushie’s googly eyes hadn’t stopped moving since they got here.
“This isn’t funny, Whammy,” she hissed.
Oakheart’s eyebrow raised as he looked to the plushie before shaking his confusion off.
“I’m not asking for this out of spite, Ms. Flurry,” he said. “My crew’s lives are important to me. If I’m sending them into combat, I want to give them the best I can offer. Their safety is paramount, as is yours.”
His voice carried an earnestness that only served to irritate Flurry further, mostly because she knew that he was right. If their roles had been reversed, she wouldn’t want a ship that she couldn’t rely on, flying with her into a combat situation. That had bitten her in the flank too many times in the past, and she wasn’t inclined for a repeat.
“Alright, fine,” she conceded with a sigh. “You win. Just give her a buff and polish would ya?”
Ambrosia is going to kill me. The thought of the changeling’s reaction made her cringe.
“Great. Now if you would, please?” he said, gesturing to the thaumatic field currently enveloping the Fleeting Dream. “My crew chief would appreciate being able to work without being electrocuted.”
Flurry gave him a dirty look before turning to her holo-brace. “Retract defensive measures.”
“Affirmative, defensive measures have ceased,” came the reply, and the field enshrouding the Dream fizzled away, leaving the ship naked and vulnerable.
“Alright, let’s get a look at this baby!” an older, grizzled pegasus yelled from behind her, striding purposefully forward towards the ship. His boldness seemed to encourage the other service ponies, and several rushed forward to join their comrade.
Flurry couldn’t help but feel an anxiety grip her heart as the crew chief fluttered onto the Dream’s starboard wing. These were strangers, after all, and she didn’t like the idea of them picking over her baby’s hull, looking for faults. She resisted the urge to hover over the work ponies and manage them herself.
“Can you tell them to be careful with her,” Flurry asked, feeling heat rush to her cheeks at the quietness in her voice.
Oakheart gave her an amused smile. “I wouldn’t worry, Chief Ratchet is one of the best. He’ll treat your ship with the utmost care.”
A loud clang from above one of the Dream’s wings made Flurry wince, and she gave a sheepish pegasus technician a death glare.
<=======ooO Ooo=======>
Twenty minutes later, Flurry peered anxiously towards Oakheart and Chief Ratchet as the pegasus delivered his report. They were standing close to one of the Dream’s landing legs, far enough away that she couldn’t hear them. She felt like a parent, waiting for the doctor to be finished talking about her foal.
Oakheart’s expression was a deep frown, which only added to her anxiety. She wasn’t entirely sure why she was anxious at all, Oakheart’s concerns, while valid, did not really affect her participation. She could leave any time she wanted, simply go to Nyx and fight it out with her. The fact was, she had made a promise—a commitment to help these ponies get to the Orion.
Flurry shook her head at the thought. The idea of relying on other ponies once again felt strange to her. In her mind, she kept going over possible tricks or traps they might be planning against her. Even now, she was imagining Ratchet’s ponies sabotaging her ship or planting something to screw her over.
She shuddered and tried to dismiss these feelings. If they were going into combat together, she was going to have to trust these ponies implicitly. They would be relying on her as much as she was on them.
Flurry hadn’t had this feeling since the war.
Within minutes of Oakheart’s little gang of vultures descending upon the Dream, Flintlock arrived, approaching the quite-anxious Flurry. She briefly wondered if Oak had deliberately sent him here to keep her from interfering with the maintenance effort.
“Don’t worry, princess,” Flintlock said, giving her a pat on her shoulder. “The captain is a good stallion; he won’t let you down.”
Flurry gave an exaggerated shrug, putting on a flippant tone. “Pffft, why would I care about what he thinks? He's got a stick so far up his ass, I'm surprised he doesn't need someone to work it so he can speak.”
Flint chuckled. “Deny it all you want, but he’s impressed you, I can tell.”
She felt a little heat creep into her cheeks. “He’s certainly different from the other officers I’ve run into lately.”
“You’ll find he’s not your average Alliance officer—that stick has got some play in it,” Flintlock said before his expression hardened. “Speaking of, what happened to you? Last I heard, you punched out an admiral and went AWOL.”
Her ears flattened as she looked away from him. “Bombing civilians in their homes didn’t exactly sit well with me.”
“Right,” he said slowly. “So that made you decide to become the galaxy’s most-wanted?”
“It helped a bit in that regard, yeah,” she replied with a sly smile, which faded as she noticed his sad expression. She looked away again, shaking her head. “I couldn’t put my faith in the Alliance anymore, or anypony for that matter. Everything was just so broken.”
He stayed quiet, a soft frown on his face that made her feel uncomfortable.
“So, what about you? How did you end up here?” she asked, eager to change the subject.
Flint took the hint and let out a sigh. “Me? I’ve always been a cop, even before the war. It’s all I know. This place seemed like a fresh start, away from all the crap going on in the core worlds.”
He straightened. “Besides, I like the idea of this place. Ponies working together for something greater—it’s a nice dream.”
“You always were a romantic,” she chuckled. “Speaking of, are you still together with Peanut?”
He gave a proud smile. “Still going strong, we had our fifth foal a year ago.”
“Five now!?” she exclaimed with a grin. “I’m happy for you, my friend.”
“Thanks, if you hang around long enough, maybe I can introduce you.”
“I’d like that.”
He smiled at her before his attention was drawn away. “Ah, here come our reinforcements.”
Flurry turned to a troop of burly earth ponies and zebra's arriving on a cargo elevator. They were standing around a large trolley loaded with body armour, weapons, and other gear. It was an odd mixture of old hardened veterans, with stares that could cut through steel, and young recruits that followed behind them like a trail of ducklings. She frowned as she saw a kirin mare amongst them, a rare sight out here.
“Princess, I’d like to introduce you to Harmony’s Magic and Weapons Squad,” Flint said, gesturing to the gathered ponies.
“Is that who I think it is?” the kirin asked, but was soon hushed by the others.
They all gathered in a line before the thestral, stomping a hoof to attention as they did so.
“Alright, fillies and colts, listen up! I know some of you are itching for some excitement, and it looks like you got your wish!” Flintlock announced. “We have a potential pirate invasion on our hooves, so I want to see your game faces for this one.”
There were uncertain murmurs from the gathered squad.
“Finally, some action!” the kirin exclaimed with a hoof pump.
“Shh,” somepony said.
“This might involve some EVA work, which is why Princess Flurry Heart has generously offered her ship to haul your sorry flanks there and back,” Flint said.
“Ummm, sir, aren’t we supposed to be arresting her?” came a timid voice from one of the younger recruits.
“The princess is a guest of Harmony for this operation, so I want you all to be on your best behaviour while you’re aboard her ship,” he said. “I’m looking at you, Fire Hawk.”
“What did I do?!” the kirin exclaimed.
“What didn’t you do,” an earth pony mare chided, earning chuckles from the others.
“All right, that’s enough,” Flint ordered. “Let’s get this equipment stowed, no lollygagging!”
“Or I’ll set Whammy on you,” Flurry warned, with a vicious grin. “He loves fresh pony.”
They all swallowed nervously, the younger marines paling visibly as they came to their own conclusions on what ‘Whammy’ was.
Flintlock cast a glance to her, concealing his obvious mirth before looking to his squads. “Let’s get to work! Now, princess, would you do the honours?”
Flurry grinned and tapped on her holo-brace.
With a slight groan, the loading ramp of the Dream slid open. At that moment, she was glad Whammy had gotten her to move those cargo crates somewhere out of sight. That would have been super awkward.
“Alright, I want this gear prepped within the hour,” Flintlock barked. “You’ll be getting your briefing in transit, understood?”
“Yes sir!” they roared in response, their shout echoing through the hangar bay.
“Good, now get to it!”
“Oh, and try to keep to the cargo bay. Whammy gets cranky if strangers go wandering around,” Flurry warned, managing to keep a straight face as she did so. “I wouldn’t want any of you disappearing on your first trip aboard the Dream.”
Even the older ponies gave an earnest nod at the warning, which only added to her high spirits. It brought her a feeling of nostalgia as she watched them work—the banter that went between them, good-natured insults, and Flintlock at the heart of it all.
“You enjoyed that,” Flintlock said, once he was out of earshot of his squad.
“Give a girl her pleasures,” Flurry said with a wink.
They both caught Oakheart coming towards them and straightened. He wore a heavy frown on his face as he approached, his tail flicking slightly as he walked. Flurry was beginning to wonder if that frown was a permanent feature or simply a reaction to her presence. Either way, it brought a small smile to her face.
“Are we good?” she asked.
“So it would seem. Despite appearances, your ship is in adequate condition for our needs,” he said.
Adequate? I’m going to have words with that mechanic, she silently fumed.
“I’ve ordered Chief Ratchet to do as much as he can in the time we have to fix any issues he’s found,” he continued. “A bit of a rush job, but we’re short on time.”
“So, are there any more conditions I need to be aware of?” she asked warily.
“None,” Oakheart said flatly. “Making sure your ship was ready for the mission was the priority.”
Flurry blinked, feeling a little out of sorts by his answer. She had been expecting some more strings attached to this ‘help’ but none were forthcoming. “Thanks, I guess, but why the sour face? I thought you’d be happy things were going to plan.”
“Lord Merry Weather has finally deigned to grant me an audience,” he said, his expression souring further. “And Lieutenant Swan Song is with him.”
“Then I’m coming with you,” she said. “They’re already together, so there’s no point in us splitting up.”
“I’d still prefer you wait here until I’ve given my proposal to Merry Weather,” he replied firmly. “Remember, you didn’t want to rock the boat, making it look like we’re working together.”
Flurry let out an indignant snort. “They already know I’m here, captain. If they see I’m not out to spill blood, it might calm things down.”
“Or make things worse.”
“It’s a little late for that, captain. If I can get a chance to talk to Swan in private, I might be able to get to the root of her attitude and get the mission back on track. You need to trust me,” she said, giving him a pointed look.
He let out a heavy sigh. “I see your point. But you follow my lead in there. You’re just an observer.”
“Then lead the way, captain,” she said with a grin.
“I’ll go and get the riot gear,” Flintlock remarked with a grimace.
Oakheart gave him a hard look. “Don’t joke about that.”
“Who said I was joking?”
<=======ooO Ooo=======>
The goblet of wine slammed into Swan Song’s head before skidding across the floor of Merry Weather’s court.
She had just finished recounting her encounter with Flurry Heart, and Merry Weather had sat there like a kettle slowly building up steam.
His reaction was predictable.
“Incompetents!” the stallion roared, his wings flaring as he rose up to stand on his cloud. The mares at his hooves shrank in fear as the stallion raged.
Swan Song knelt low, her wings outstretched, staring at the floor and trying to ignore the throbbing pain in her skull. The cherry-scented wine trickled down her mane and face, blurring her vision and burning in her eyes.
“You! You come skulking back here with your tails between your legs?!” Merry Weather snorted. “All that bravado that you’d take her or die trying, and you ended up being just as cowardly as the rest of your filthy, traitorous family!”
Swan clenched her teeth and fought back the anger building in her gut.
“My lord,” Blitz said from beside her. “There was nothing the lieutenant could have done. Last Shadow was just too strong. She subdued us both as well as the security detail guarding her before they could even get a shot off.”
Swan cringed at the memory of it, shame twisting like a tendril inside her. That abomination in the guise of a pony, the light rippling from that monstrous horn on her head, that fierce anger burning in those opal eyes. She could have killed them all in an instant if she had wanted to.
Her thoughts had raged like a storm-tossed sea as they limped back to report their encounter. Even now, with Merry Weather’s wrath hovering over her, the question lingered in her mind.
Why? When you killed so many others. Why let me live?
“Be silent, welp,” Merry snorted before sending a silent order to Blitz’s enchantment, triggering a jolt of electricity that erupted from his wings. Blitz cried out, writhing in agony for a few seconds before Merry relented.
Blitz lay crumpled on the ground, the stench of ozone wafting up from his twitching body. He then struggled to his hooves and knelt before their tormentor once more.
“Please, my lord,” Swan begged, raising her head to look Merry in the eye. “We had no choice. Flurry Heart was a guest of Harmony. I… I tried to convince them, but they wouldn’t listen to me. I was only thinking—”
Merry Weather raised a hoof to silence her.
“Tell me something, my dear,” Merry Weather began, his eyes like a hawk that had just spotted a rabbit. “Have I not been lenient with you? Did I not raise you above the filth I found you in? Brought you above your station as one of my most trusted lieutenants?”
Her ears flattened and she looked away. “Yes, my lord.”
“Did I not love you?”
You don’t love anypony but yourself, she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. You don’t even know what love is!
“Yes, my lord,” she said simply.
He hopped down from his cloud and moved swiftly to her, slapping a hoof across her face in one swift motion. She fell to the floor and could only look up at him as he loomed over her.
“Then why do you seek to shame me?! You are a pegasus of the Republic, my property! You chose the dirt ponies and horn heads over your vows to the Emperor!” he hissed.
“No! I—”
She felt her cheek swelling, and her eyes swam with tears as she tried to regain her posture. Then, a hoof savagely slammed into her gut, knocking the wind out of her and sending her sprawling onto the deck. As she struggled to her hooves, Merry pressed down on her back, grinding the edge of his hoof into the tender flesh between her wings.
Blitz made a move to stop him, but she met his gaze and she mouthed a ‘no’ through clenched teeth. His eyes pleaded silently at her, his ears alert and his weary body tensing to leap to her defence.
No. This was her mistake and her punishment. She wouldn’t let him get himself hurt on her behalf.
Swan held his gaze until he relented, his body sinking to the ground with a desperate snort.
She managed to give him a small nod of thanks.
“You blackwings are all the same. You won’t even die when you’re supposed to,” Merry continued, pressing his hoof down before trotting back to his cloud. He wiped his hoof on the robes of one of his attendants before letting out a heavy sigh. “And now I have that dirt pony coming here to foul this place with his filthy peasant stench.”
He paced from side to side for a moment, his wings fluttering as he pondered.
Then, to her surprise, Merry Weather began to laugh. “Still, you did bring me a particularly delicious piece of information. The Orion, eh?” His voice drifted off for a moment before he smiled. “Perhaps I can salvage something from this debacle after all.”
Curse her heart for allowing a tiny sliver of hope to enter her mind. Perhaps she and Blitz could still get out of this somehow.
“But that still leaves the question of your failure, my dear,” he said, looking to her. “This simply cannot go unpunished. What kind of message would it send to the others of my aerie?”
Her ears flattened as that tiny spark of hope was snuffed out. “I will accept any punishment you deem necessary, my lord. All I ask is that you spare my wingmate, as he was only obeying my orders.”
Merry smiled softly. “In honour of your service, I will grant your request, my dear.” He then turned to Blitz. “You may go.”
“May I remain here and wait for my flight leader, my lord?” Blitz asked.
A sinister glint flashed in Merry’s eye and his smile widened. “You may, as it is not a proper punishment without an audience. The same goes for the rest of you blackwing filth.”
There were a few chuckles from his cronies, many of whom were gathering to watch the spectacle like vultures over a carcass.
He cleared his throat. “Lieutenant Swan Song, for the crime of cowardice in the face of the enemy, I hereby strip you of your rank and the privileges bestowed upon you. Your flight status has been revoked, you will no longer hold any position within the aerie, nor will they associate with you. Your shame will add to that of your traitorous line.”
Swan Song’s eyes widened in horror, and she staggered to her hooves. She felt like somepony had just torn her wings off.
There were audible gasps from a few of Merry’s servants, though these were quickly silenced.
Merry smiled, looking to Blitz. “Consider this a promotion.”
In a daze, Swan staggered forward towards Merry. “Please, my lord. I can still fight. Don’t… don’t take my aerie from me.”
She knew it was a mistake. Appealing to this pony’s better nature was impossible.
Merry’s eyes narrowed. “A soldier who cannot die when commanded to is useless to me. Useless things get replaced.”
He stepped forward, tilting her head with the tip of an extended wing. “And your aerie? They are mine to do with as I please.” He let out a sad sigh. “It seems I have indulged you too much. I fear a lesson is required, so I impress on you my disappointment.”
He pulled his wing away, and with the slightest movement, activated the enchantment in her wings.
Pain blossomed from every muscle as electricity pulsed through her body. She screamed in agony, falling to the floor and writhing in pain while everypony watched.
Merry had a terrible look of euphoria on his face, his eyes half-closed as he watched. It was the same expression he wore when she had first entered his service. Her age had not stopped him then, and nothing was stopping him now.
Swan caught laughter over the crackle of the enchantment as grinning faces spun around her in a dizzying blur of motion. Nopony stopped him, why would they? The ponies of her aerie knew better than to resist by now.
She wasn’t sure how long he chose to torment her, probably only a minute or so, before the agony ceased.
Swan lay there, gasping for breath, her muscles still painfully clenched and the stench of scorched fur now permeating the room.
Merry then knelt down, reaching a foreleg to her and gently stroked her mane. “Do not fear, my little Swan. I will not abandon you,” he whispered, almost lovingly into her ear. “Things will be like they were before. You will be my toy once again. Oh, the fun we’ll have together! We will make these dreary corridors sing with your cries of passion!”
His eyes shone with dark intent as his wicked imagination ran ahead of itself.
Her body wouldn’t obey. She wanted to struggle, to run, to do something. Instead, she just lay still, trying to shut out his presence.
“I’m surprised I hadn’t thought of this sooner,” he purred. “You always were my favourite. Honestly, you were wasted as a pilot, especially when you have so many wonderful attributes.”
He rose to his hooves once more, looking to Blitz. “You, whatever your name is, get her out of my sight. I will attend to her later. And somepony do something about this smell! I want things to be perfect when the dirt pony comes to visit.”
Swan tried to get to her hooves, but her muscles refused to cooperate and ached from the exertion. She let out a frustrated snort at her wobbling legs as she tried and failed to even sit up straight.
Suddenly, she felt something grasp her, and she tried to struggle away.
“It’s okay, Swan, it’s me, it’s Blitz. I’ve got you,” he said softly.
She swallowed and tried to speak, but no words came forth as he hefted her onto his back.
As she lay draped across his back, Blitz barged past the crowd that had gathered. Their sniggers and backhoofed comments blended into a terrible drone. Outlines of ponies merged into a confusing blur. The only thing she had that she could trust was the sensation of Blitz’s soft fur.
Her grip tightened on him.
Swan felt a terrible hollowness form inside her like her guts had been torn from her body, leaving an empty, broken shell. Tears blurred her eyes, but she would not give them the satisfaction of letting them fall.
They were halfway down the corridor outside when the dam she was so desperately shoring up began to crumble. A tiny sob escaped her lips as her last emotional bulwark fell and she wept.
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I need more!
A few more glimpses of Flurry's past, some questions answered, and more raised. Oh, and
Merry.
Curious to learn what's behind this. Considering how important cutie marks could be, I'd imagine the colonial ponies might not be very happy about this state of affairs.
Wonder if Celestia and Luna are still at the helm, and what Flurry thinks they should have done. Management of far-flung colonies is probably not an easy task by any means.
Guessing there's another character from the cover art.
Interesting to see that Flurry isn't the only pony treating Whammy as a sentient being.
inb4 it turns out Whammy has been possessed by a malevolent entity that has been subtly influencing Flurry to its own ends.
And then Ambrosia finds something, Flurry gets mad at Oakheart, and it turns out said thingimajigger had been planted a long time ago.
Hopefully those pegasi on the maintenance team don't get any ideas. This could be a good time to exact revenge on Last Shadow.
Yikes, that's definitely not cool. Wonder if that was a result of a change after the war, or whether the pegasi bad enough that Flurry chose to side with the Alliance.
It's certainly a convenient justification for becoming a pirate. No need for guilt when everyone is the bad guy, although that's probably a gross oversimplification. Based on Flint's description of the core worlds, though, seems that opinion is not entirely unfounded.
Of course the kirin is the talkative one
And yet another cover art character?
Aaaand the chance of a backstab just went up. I get the feeling that Merry might know a bit more than he lets on about what's special about that ship. Or maybe he's just looking to make himself look good.
Another push towards Swan and Flurry teaming up, albeit possibly after Flurry deals with another attack from Swan. Swan has less and less to lose by teaming up but might also be quite upset with Flurry for her demotion.
I'm also definitely not liking the implications of what Merry has in mind for Swan. Curious to see how Oakheart and Flurry's meeting with him is going to go, especially since Flurry intends to talk to Swan one-on-one. I wouldn't put it past Merry to try to capture Flurry given his numerical advantage, too.
10214076
Sentient.
Sapient.
See, it's this kinda thing that makes one turn to the Blood God. While Merry's skull has no value and would would just be smashed into itty bitty pieces. His blood would still suffice. Tainted as it is. Blood for the blood God.
10214157
10214147
Neither of which ought to apply to a plushie.
Consensus among most characters is that Flurry has simply gone mad from the centuries of stress. Her friend Flintlock humors her by playing along.
10214324
What? No, that wasn't my point. Oberth Effect just abused the word "sentient".
And now there's just one unknown character in the cover art
...y'know, the last character that embroiled such a rage within me was Chainlink Shackles. Now I can add "Merry" Weather to the list of fictional characters I'd like to see run through by the Doom Slayer's Crucible.
Well done.
Now we have some backstory on Flurry during the war and uh... Swan's early service to Merry Weather. That's something Flurry would certainly be pissed off about. Though with Swan out of the picture, it looks like the opportunities for interaction between the two are dwindling. But with Swan firmly in Flurry's thoughts, it won't be long before Flurry will get involved and help.
I'm guessing this was the same battle Swan witnessed as a child. Perception is everything. A slaughter or a desperate defense? Both are true.
To be immortal...
All to save Nyx. After that's done you can check over what they've done. Make sure they didn't add a tracker or a bomb or something. Break what they fixed and she'll be good to go.
Maybe her nostalgia for friendship will make her form her own pirate crew after all of this is over. Then again honor among thieves.
Quite literally the most evil pony in the galaxy. One I'm sure Flurry won't suffer to live.
Now I'm quite interested in seeing the full wrath of an alicorn focused on a pony body.
10214076
I think the only cover art characters left to appear are (Director?) Twilight and cosmic dragon thingy?
10214157
The same wouldn't be said of she who thirsts but you'd have to be quite insane to want to go to her parties.
10214324
If it's the one little thing keeping her from absolutely murdering the entire room then yup, Whammy would be our friend too.
10214550
thanks! Merry is a real piece of work
Swan's been completely stripped of rank, eh?
Okay...
...So how long until THAT decision gets completely and utterly reversed?
Until Flurry walks into Merry's little...domain...and demands it? I was half expecting Flurry to arrive during the middle of all of that and do something...rash. Because we might only be six chapters into this, but I can already tell, Flurry's the sort to do something rash in situations such as this. And once she finds out about this...because she absolutely will, there's no way they can strike a deal with Merry without this subject coming up, and I'm sure Merry's going to try and brag about it because he's just that much of a dumb-dumb...
Besides, Flurry's looking for a way to win Swan's favor, right? That'd be a good way to do it, and let's be honest...we all want to see Merry brought down a peg or a thousand at this point.
10214353
Actually, I'm not so sure it really matters--the way Flurry treats and thinks of Whammy seems to suggest that both terms are applicable to him, at least in Flurry's mind. Further, the story hasn't really portrayed Whammy in enough detail to be truly sure which might really apply anyway, beyond implying that it might (emphasis on that might) just be that, whatever she thinks Whammy to be, it's all just in Flurry's head (at which point he could be whichever Flurry wants him to be if not both, and then it's a moot argument anyway).
10214147
I'm inclined to agree with Scyphi here and say that "sentient" might not be outright wrong. "Sapient" does seem like a better word to use in this situation, though.
10214558
Oh, you sweet summer child.
10214604
10214680
Eh, true. They are both technically applicable. I'm just used to people thinking that "sentient" means intelligent. All animals are sentient. But I wouldn't call a beetle sapient.
10214830
The disease eats at their once noble bones.
10214604
When Flurry finds outs, a pony is most certainly going to die. Any single pony can be replaced. Someone can take Merry's.
10214702
Some things need saying.
I could have also said he's "the scummiest scum whose ever scummed" or the "meanest pony in the station". Both are equally applicable. Both are understatements.
10214713
Not every animal is sentient.
10214830
I don't know... you gotta give credit to our Democratic People's Republics of the world.
10214830
To be perfectly fair, though, what really went wrong with communism was that it was used as an excuse to establish single-party politics, allowing the select few to ultimately seize absolute control of a country without allowing for much of any opposition. And as the saying goes...absolute power corrupts absolutely.
It'd actually be an interesting historical thought experiment to contemplate if communism on whole might have turned out differently if it had allowed multi-party politics and thereby a system of checks and balances...probably not, considering communism had other flaws to its manner of function...but still, intriguing to contemplate.
10214862
I'm not saying that he is not a monster. I'm saying that he is not even close to being the worst the galaxy has to offer.
Wot? Yes they are. What makes you think they are not?
Allow me to show you the door, Merry Weather. It's the one labelled "airlock", and it has an absolutely beautiful view of the stars.
10214924
I guess. That cosmic dragon thingy on the cover art looks pretty evil.
Sponges, corals, bivalves, jellyfish, hydrozoans and more. There are many. They don't perceive anything at all and react to stimuli in an automated fashion. Not sentient by the usual definition of mental perception and hard decision-making.
10214924
Corals, sponges, anemones, etc.
10214991
10214992
Oh, right. I forgot about those. Although, I still think they might be sentient in some form. Maybe.
I haven't seen a character that I hate with every possible fiber and spirit of my being in a long time. Good job, Merry!
10214830
I'd like to point you to the Centauri Republic in the rather awesome sci fi show "Babylon 5".
They even have an emperor, though it is not called an empire for some reason.
Had a friend recommend this, and holy Emperor does it not disappoint!
10214713
Yep, and that would be my mistake. It’s certainly something I’ll try to keep in mind from here on out. Thanks for pointing that out!
I wait patiently for the chapter where Flurry beats his stallion to death
10226436
Death is too good for this disgusting slime that pretends to be a pony.