Update... The best time of day!

"By the way, Private, I was wondering about your--"

Private Featherhooves puffed out her creamy-white chest.

Why did Featherhooves get demoted?

If griffons are based on russians, she probably wouldn't be upset. "It's better to have a daughter who is a prostitute, than son who is a yefreitor", as saying goes.

10560185
It is common to refer to or address a Private First Class as simply Private. You’ll note that Ebonshield is frequently referred to as simply Sergeant instead of always “Sergeant First Class”.

Mostly I do this because otherwise it’s a real mouthful, even just in text.

Anonymous' expression softened. "Gauging someone's reaction is a difficult[1]black art, Corporal, especially in intimidating circumstances. We had him surrounded by three armed ponies; a tall alien, too. Even an innocent pony might have felt guilty in that scenario."

[1] missing space

It'd be funny if Anon was actually serious, and the big project he's working on is this massive artillery battery designed to shoot ponies beyond orbit.

Gonna laugh is Kilfeather comes in with his back half in a wagon and his wings propped up in casts. And I figured the smith would be minotaur. Although I guess it could be a yak or cow. Or maybe all three running a forge together. That would make for interesting stories.

10560211
Whoops. Fixed!

10560205
Thanks for clarification! In my experience (mandatory service in russian army - not much, but still) you always address to higher ranking personnel by their full rank, even if it is mouthful, like starshiy/mladshiy sergeant. Except, for some stupid reason, lieutenant colonel, who you can call colonel. But maybe it varies from regiment to regiment, I don't know.

Anonymous trying to give the benefit of the doubt, and really gettting faced up with defrauding adrenaline junkies?

Sorry Flight, the doorway is full?

Wonder if Bronzehorn is related to Burleigh and Stongintharm?

Do I detect influences from Good Trooper Gilda in here with those Griffon auxiliary troops?

10560261
Chronologically, I believe the Mi Amore Cadenza's Auxiliaries were introduced to the story some time around mid-2018, possibly earlier.

Killfeather probably going to try either blackmail or intimidation.
Shut it down Anon

Well, looks like our armorer may just be a minotaur. Good -- that means he or she should already have practical experience outfitting bipeds.

10560230
In the US Army, according to regulation AR 600-20, Privates and Privates First Class are addressed as simply "Private". All sergeants lower than First Sergeant are addressed simply as "Sergeant".

https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN30132-AR_600-20-001-WEB-2.pdf (see pages 5-6)

That said at least when *greeting* a Sergeant it can be courteous to use their full rank, and the Marines require this (they also have some special abbreviations, i.e., gunnery sergeant -> gunny, master gunnery sergeant -> master guns). Such as for example in https://terminallance.com/2010/03/02/terminal-lance-17-the-stare/

10559794
The FAQ will of course answer your questions about the various references in the text: https://pastebin.com/QH8Mwutm

6. Gag List
...
Newcastle-Upon-Mare
Nogent-sure-Marne, the town with the closest French Foreign Legion fort (Fort de Nogent) to Paris.

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza's Regiment of Auxiliaries
The name refers to Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Regiment. In form, however, it is the French Foreign Legion.

10560269 10560320
Is that a Turn reference I spot there?

Anon can give AJ a run for her money, he clearly knows how to smell a rat

Whether it's you or your editors that suggest the music in this story, ya'll have good taste in your music.

10560515
Every piece is chosen by TheManFromAnotherTime, and I agree!

I find myself looking forward to reading this story everyday. It's Chapters like this that reward that me. I just love the world building in this chapter. In any other story, but this one, I'd like Artemis Sparkshower to take that commission and help out Princess-Cadenza's Regiment.

Of all the groups to try and headhunt from VIP this one I didn’t expect.

I’m noticing a theme of many a pony getting a rather human name.

Something just occurred to me. And I don't know if it was mentioned before. But, isn't the only "Engineer" known to ponies a train conductor?

Have they pointed this out? Or is the the term "Engineer" just not well established yet from a technological standpoint?

Nice chapter, I hope we see more of fetherhooves

You're kidding... bitsmount got away with it? Do Celestia and Luna never ask for proof and evidence ? Didn't they even consider consulting with 'non or looking through paperwork to see who approved the timber?

I was expecting phoenix wright level mind games. And instead we get the I'm so sorry song.
Bleh, this better come back to bite somepony down the line...

10560606
On a train, the engineer is the guy operating the engine. Conductors deal with passengers.

In our world the word 'engineer' predates the steam engine (and trains) by several centuries. There's no reason to think otherwise in Equestria, until stated otherwise.

10560658
well he did get a bite from a Vampire so... there is that.

Plus he was clearly dealing with some form of dark magic elixir, if that was made public, it would be the end of him

Forgot to comment before, but BRONZE for armour? That must be a bitch and a half to bear. Unless it's enchanted to be light as heck Anon would be hard pressed to be able to move for more than five minutes in it.

I wonder, is steel in his innovation list? Or do the ponies refrain from iron for other reasons?

10560658
Indeed. And consider... this can’t be the first time in a thousand years that someone has tried to trick the princesses with this method. Or even the hundredth. And with all the time in the world for the truth to later come to light, said princesses have to be aware of its possibility, at least.

Imagine for a moment that they have countermeasures so it doesn’t actually work on them anymore. But they pretend to be fooled anyway while getting the real info behind the scenes, all to let the idjit trying to get away with something hang himself from the flagpole via his own socks.

10560606
10560686
I am not entirely sure how the 'technologies' and technological advancements in the Equestria of the story compare to that of the show, but I am guessing in here most advanced technology compared to the one we have today such as everyday appliances and the like is actually magical in nature and is based on unicorn enchantments rather than actual mechanical components.

Are the train ponies actually called engineers by anyone in the show? Are they even talked to? Does the Friendship Express locomotive even have an 'engine' of any kind, or is it closer to a complex Unicorn enchantment that the 'engineer' simply manipulates using manual (hoofal?) to control the train, but is incapable of maintaining it?

10560658
There really isn’t a paper trail pointing to one or the other of Bitsmount or Songwell as the one ultimately responsible for encouraging dangerously insufficient levels of mine supports. The lying they did is about reframing that as not the criminal conspiracy which it was but merely “aggressive quotas” and “ignorance of consequences”.

The situation at that mine is partially based on the situation at the Montsou (literally “mount-penny”, hence “Bitsmount” in this story) coal mine in Émile Zola’s novel “Germinal”. There, the mine owner paid the miners purely for the rock they hauled out, and charged them for the wood brought in, so it was in the miners’ own short-term financial interest to take risks and perform insufficient shoring. The novel ends with a mine collapse, although this was engineered by a revolutionary to spark an uprising.

See https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/germinal-1994 for a summary of the excellent 90s film adaptation which I recommend.

10560658
10560758
I understand both of your frustration, but I ask you: Exactly what would have any of that demonstrated?

Looking through paperwork would've merely shown that it was Songwell who approved the smaller shipments of timber and their inappropriate application as he was the teamster of the mine and Bitsmount was merely the owner making a living off of it. Proving that the result of the mine's irregular safety standards are the result of Bitsmounts willful negligence and Songwell's obedience to his boss' plan rather than Songwell's idea as a fruit of Bitsmounts pressure to increase the mine's revenue would be extremely hard without a willing confession from either of them or one extracted magically through the Princesses' 'Presence'.

Bitsmount would be an entirely new level of fool to sign what he knew would be absolute proof of him mismanaging his mine when he could have Songwell do it for him and later claim lack of knowledge of it.

Either way, the Royal Engineer did not come out empty-handed. It was his initial plan to bring Bitsmount to justice for his misdeeds, yes, but the real reason for it was to make an example of him for everyone else to see that regulations would now need to be followed to the law's letter or else, and he managed to do so. He was able to bring to light the mine's failure to follow regulations, even if the more damning deed of doing so willfully couldn't be proven. Bitsmount and Songwell were still found guilty but of the lesser crimes of being a demanding boss and a frustrated teamster.

Either way, I assure you this isn't the last we'll see of this pair of miscreants or the 'Familia in Magicae'.

Nice

10560218
"I was telling Luna about Humanities Space Program, and she was interested in the idea.
We need a test subject, and since you've so kindly volunteered, here's your Crash Helmet.
Good Luck!"

The linked song is actually quite beautiful, even if I really don't understand a word... I was always more partial to this one,

I wonder if Artemis will talk to Anonymous about the situation at Princess-Cadenza's. I would bet bits to dollars that the princesses haven't any idea how bad things are. Officers are quite good at hiding shortcoming that might make them look bad, even if its not their fault.

Suggested interlude music: Red Army Choir - 'Korobeiniki' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krJR0b1Wgrg

https://media.tenor.com/images/e877ac5772a22d8b39d8cfb114bf864c/tenor.gif

10560529
I agree. I would love a spin-off with Artemis in the Princess Cadenzas

1i grew up listening to Red Army Choir! I still find myself mumbling the chorus from Bella ciao

Bismarck event get pushed high than get resolved off screen... I feel like someone let see a entire series like DBZ and the bossfight is taken out every time! Cruel...

Anon got some fun out of that poor Private! Than again one could say he told Killfeather indirectly how close he is to Celestia that hes allowed to use the Sun herself to dispose guys like him...

Damn fine worldbuilding and character development

Cadance military extension/ precurser to Twilights Sparkes Friendship school ?!

10560219
I doubt it... He performed many other fights on another bridge. Most likely without getting another hit in, what is good because hes still a mess since the totem reduced his lethal spear rain into a brutal pounding of the 'not fun' kind.
10560282
Only if hes stupid enough to not have realised that he literally could pay with his life after the shit he pulled.
I think he tries to pulls a Bismarck on Anon.
This time i dont want to hype it since i get blueballed on a off screen event
10560293
Besides they are muscle up as fuck! They make perfect blacksmiths
10560388
Normaly i would hype it but the Blueball off screen Bismarck thing was to brutal to hope for a better outcome

10560529
Maybe in a decade or two. This treat of a mare would be more important helping Anons goal. Twilights school will have the same or even higher effect than our armored scout helping the legion out.
10560548
Neat. Thanks for this video
10560574
Coincident
10560606
What about bridge designers and stuff? Cant be all Architects... Or am i wrong
10560630
After that character personaly get polished? I really hope so to!
10560658
Yep... Hardest story blueballs i received all year... 2020 is indeed a unforgiving mistress

10560758
Probably to rare that the vigilants wears off... A guard on high alert is faster exhausted than one on a normal day. One reason one should follow death threats and assasination attempts after giving the target time to exasted him/herself and strike once alertness has dulled amd it's easyer to strike.
10560781
Still... This event was hyped up and resolved off screen Story blue balled of the finest ,cruelest order
10560783
I hope the pay of is worth the event story blue balls we suffered
10560854
F-U-N
10560901
Now that a idea onces she has more years of service and some combat experience more on her belt.

--
Bismarck is only the tip of the icemounten under the water but damn... If this ever will get resolved it could chance Equestria very strongly. I dont doubt ponys in high places support this to get there way when the leaders are not willing to follow there... Expectations.

10561136
That's what subordinates are for.

Instant promotion to First Lieutenant... This is a huge opportunity for Sparkshower.

"Cyka blyat" - should be "Suka blyat" for more realistic pronunciation.

10561206
I get what you're saying, but it's literally spelled cyka. You don't spell things phonetically just because it's easier.

She turned in the air, heading towards the village, and Artemsi followed right along, flying echelon right.

grammar mistake

And now the major was pointing in her direction, shouting something about 'wanting plots' to his staff sergeant.

Sounds like Specialist Sparkshower was about three seconds from finding herself flying rubber Diamond Dog scat out of Kludgetown...

10561239
Well thank you for educating me how to write "bitch" in my own language, but as far as i seen in this story russian was used in transliteration and not to imitate cyrillic. "Сука" sounds and translit to "Suka". Otherwise in readin comprehensive "Cyka" would sound like "Kika" which isn't a russian word or an urban cuss as far as i am aware.