The Price of Amber

by De Writer

Chapter 8

There were two doors to the comfortably appointed conference room separated by a short hallway. Arianne explained as she conducted her guests in, “The outer door must be shut and locked from the inside before the inner door to the secure room can be unlocked. If the outer door moves after we have gone in, we will receive an alarm.”

With us all seated about the table, Arianne wanted to know, “Princess Luna, you have ordered this meeting. Will you please tell us the reason for it?”

“With pleasure, Countess Arianne. My Agent, Dawn Fire, is a very perceptive pony. He saw a news report in the Canterlot Crier that set a train of thought in motion. He reported it to me at a breakfast conference some time ago but after your invasion of Prance was well underway.

“As a result, I have ordered some very secret tests done and may include units using Dawn Fire's idea into Our armed services. The way that you move forces leads me to think that he has sussed out a secret of your success against the armies of Prance.”

Arianne tilted her head and carefully regarded Dawn Fire. “Would you tell us what it is that you have sorted out, my lord Dawn Fire?”

He chuckled, “I have read a whole bunch of treatises and several books by reputable generals, not all Equestrians on the military uses of teleportation. Basically they all agree. It is functionally useless for any tactical or strategic situation. About the only thing that they have found is single ponies infiltrating past guards on camps. Even that is known to be unreliable.

“I think that I have found a way to use it very efficiently for both troop and weapons transport, supply and reconnaissance. And do so with great secrecy.”

Countess Arianne asked, “And where would any leader find as many unicorns well trained in a difficult art like teleportation?”

Dawn Fire snorted, “You don't. The thing that makes it difficult and dangerous is simple. When one teleports, the natural tendency is to take a volume around the unicorn with them. On a long jump that can be a sphere of several meters diameter. Even a short jump will take along some besides the unicorn. But I am not telling you anything new. I think that you are using that large volume that moves with a unicorn that has only enough training to actually make a T-jump.”

Celestia's ears perked up! “How can you use a T-jump that drags along several tonnes of unwanted dirt, worms, rocks and maybe parts of trees?”

Dawn Fire shrugged, “It is called cooperation. I saw a news story printed in the Canterlot Crier where daring pegassi in flying hazmat gear rescued earth ponies and unicorns trapped on the roof of a burning building. It took four of the pegassi with a transport net to carry two ponies at a time from the rooftop.

“My idea is that four pegassi without that burden of hazmat suits, could fairly easily lift a unicorn and a pony's weight of weapons and ammo. The unicorn does not need to learn how to restrict the volume of his T-jump. In fact, quite the reverse. The pegassi lift him and the cargo up well clear of taking unwanted stuff along and the unicorn should be able to T-jump the whole group several kilometers at least. Maybe up to five. If they are going a long distance, they stay airborn and as fast as the unicorn can get his next jump target, they are gone.

“When they get to the planned target, the pegassi glide in for silence and land. They unload the weapons and ammo and two stay as strike troops. The other two fly the unicorn up to jumping altitude and they go back the same way that they came and get another load and two more pegassi. If it is just troops, the procedure is the same but the load is another pony in war kit.”

Arianne sucked in her cheeks and nodded slowly. “Very nearly exactly what I am doing, yes. Is this conference to verify that or would Your Highnesses like full details? He mentioned reconnaissance and I would have his ideas on that first, if it is alright.”

Princess Luna nodded, “It is both. I wanted to share this with you and to learn from you. Later after things have settled down, I would like to have your veterans who know the ins and outs of the method to provide some units of our army with training in its use. It will be kept a secret for as long as we can.”

Arianne smiled at Dawn Fire as she explained, we have a modest padded wicker bed for the unicorn's comfort. Our loads are on lightweight skid pallets that the two lead pegassi are harnessed to before they go. When they land, they simply drop the net and pull the pallet off it. The back two are rigged to the front corners of the net as well as the back. When they take off, the unicorn on his flight pad is automatically kept level if the pegassi have proper training in flight coordination. That actually takes longer than training the unicorns for this kind of T-jumping.

“Recon is a weak point with us. We use a team of three, two pegassi and a unicorn. The unicorn jumps them and makes sketch maps as they go. They are in possible sight from the ground for too long. It works but I wish that there was a better way.”

Dawn Fire smiled back at her. “There is. It uses your team of three but the unicorn carries a Magic Net mirror.”

Arianne nodded, “We tried that but the field of view is too narrow.”

Dawn Fire agreed, “It would be if the mirror was all that you used. The University in Canterlot has a really fun set of lab curiosities. Where most lenses focus things, like a telescope, meaning getting a lot of light but only a small field of view, they have lenses and the rules for making them that take in very wide fields of view that they focus on a ground glass screen. I got a set of those and put them in front of a mirror like any pony carries in their saddlebag. I had to borrow the meter square mirror but it got the picture that the small mirror was sending.

“Princess Luna told me that it might be of interest, so I brought a copy of what I got. To get the image, just lay a sheet of paper on the big mirror and use contagion magic to transfer the picture. Only takes a few seconds per picture.” He reached into his saddlebag and produced a folded up paper.

Arianne stared at it. She took out a magnifying glass and stared more. “How long did this take to make?”

“About ten minutes. I gave the small mirror to pegasus who flew it over Tailswitch. I used the mirror to tell him where I wanted him to be and copied the picture by non Equine contagion magic. Then he brought it back.”

Arianne put a hoof solidly on the table. “I need those lenses! Please get them for me.”

Luna pushed the paper over to Celestia and said, “See why I was keeping nosy nobles away from Dawn Fire?”

“Have you had any other ideas along these lines Dawn Fire?”

He pulled a face with sucked in cheeks and said, “Well, yes. It is kind of insensitive to mention here, though. Bombs.”

Arianne went still. After a moment she took a deep breath and said, “No, Dawn Fire, it is not insensitive. What is needed most in any war is to save the lives of our troops. Tell me of these bombs. How are they different from what Prance used to burn the castle, barracks and armory last Hearthwarming?”

“Very well, your Ladyship. First, the ones used in General Falshort's attack were small. For some reason, the pegassi of Prance are quite large as pegassi go. From what I was able to find, they have the same basic amount of flight magic as our smaller Equestrian pegassi. There is not enough flight magic left to manage weather control. They buy it from Cloudsdale. Their wing spread makes cooperation in lifting difficult. They can't lift as much either. On average, only about fifteen kilograms. Their bombs were of that size.

“Our pegassi can lift a lot more and cooperate to lift really large loads. Start with your usual team of five. They can lift a unicorn to teleport them and about 275 kilograms besides. Bombs of any size up to that weight can be made. Fasten them to the underside of the carrying net with quick release knots.

“Even if they are seen, pegassi can not get up to their altitude before they drop the bombs and teleport away. Unicorns magic can only reach up about 300 meters tops. If the falling weapon weighs from fifty kilograms on up, no unicorn on the Equestrian world can deflect it from its fall.”

Arianne had a hoof over her forelock and was shaking with sobs. “I thank you master Dawn Fire. It is hard to think of these things, it is true. They are also necessary.

“Let us all repair to the Great Hall, where dinner awaits us.”

We left the secure room, it being necessary to lock the inner door before the outer one could be unlocked from the inside. In the hallway outside, Arianne said, “I must go to my apartments and there change to my proper Robes of State. I will join you for the processional.”

As she was turning to go, she paused and asked, “Knowing his importance to you, though at the time I knew not why, I did have the High Table seating the same as last feast, that Dawn Fire be between your Highnesses. If that is no longer satisfactory, I can have him put wheresoever you wish it.”

Celestia chuckled happily as she responded, “It will be most satisfactory, Corbiestep. We shall enjoy it immensely.”

As she trotted away, she giggled, “Good! So will I!”

As predicted, the Processional caused a stir of very unhappy nobles! As it was her castle, Arianne led it off paired with King Leiuee. Celestia and Luna followed. Dawn Fire was placed by himself just behind the Princesses. The Dukes of both lands followed, paired, one of Equestria to one of Prance. Their noble mares followed, except for those cases where the holder of the title was the mare! Then it was their consorts who followed. Bringing up the very end of the Processional, by the joint Royal Orders of the Princesses and King Leiuee, were Duke Grabaland paired to General Falshort!

Grabaland was already a bit into his cups, and literally rubbing his side against the General's uniform saddle bag. As they were seating themselves, Grabaland got a puzzled look, his brow furrowing and sweating profusely. He tried to get a breath. Almost to his place of disgrace, he collapsed!

The whole hall looked on in horrified interest! Arianne called out, “Surgeons! Attend to the Duke!”

Luna literally leaped across the High Table and sprinted to the fallen Grabaland! Skidding to a stop, she had him in her magic! Careful not to touch him except by magic, she conducted a swift evaluation of the corpse.

She called out, “Nopony eat or drink anything at all. Grabaland has been poisoned!

From her Royal Robes, she produced a small case. Open, it held many small vials. Judiciously, she selected one. Its stopper had a small glass rod attached. A minute drop of the contents was applied to Grabaland's nostrils. The result was a slowly spreading ring of pale red.

She applied a second minute bit to his tongue. Nothing happened at all.

Her magic lifted him up as if he were standing. His side that had been facing the General had visible corruption. His robe showed some damage.

The Princess' magic took the General before he could flee! A touch of the tiny glass rod to his saddle bag produced a spreading red stain that smoked slightly.

Princess Luna, holding the struggling General effortlessly, in spite of his attempts to use the magic of his horn, called out, “Guards! Horncap the General but do not touch him! Use magic only! Grabaland leaned against that saddle bag and died of it! There is a potion of Death Angel Aminita in that bag and it has leaked some. It may have been used to poison a cup or plate, as no food has been brought out yet!

Sturdy unicorn guard ponies came out. The General's struggles were in vain. With Princess Luna assisting them, he was horncapped and in manacles in short order.

Princess Luna quietly strolled up to the High Table. She paused and turned back. In the U shape of the banquet tables was a small table set for two. Countess Arianne and King Leiuee. Applying tiny amounts of her test potion to the cups showed both to be poisoned. There was none on the rest of the service.

Trying the High Table found no further poison.

General Falshort was screaming for mercy! “Get that bag off of me! The bottle has leaked! Save me!”

Taking her time, and leading King Leiuee and Arianne, Countess Corbiestep, Princess Luna paused to inquire of the restrained General, “Please tell me WHY we should save you? The Gryphon Empire, at the southern end of the Sunset Mountains call poison the Coward's Weapon. They are right.

“When this filly, only an heir apparent, due to your cowardly attack without a Declaration of War, beat back your invasion on Hearthwarming, you abandoned your troops and ran, allowing her to capture hundreds of them.

“You next tried to infiltrate an invading force. You supplied the plan but were afraid to lead them. She caught them too. She came to Our Court in Canterlot with gold filled pay chests that she captured as well. That was when, in open Court, War was Declared,

“Your next attack was to be an invasion through four passes into Equestria. Arianne, with a lawful war declared, struck first by two days and drove you out of THREE PROVINCES.

“You did lead the Highfold Road counter attack. When the big railroad guns opened up on your troops, you fled the field again, leading to a rout.

“You devised General Triard's attempt to cut Arianne's conquest into two. She captured the whole six thousand pony army and all of its munitions.

“She found out about your Notes of Payment fraud scheme that you had with a few other nobles to effectively steal the three provinces from your own nation by bankruptcies and foreclosures. She defeated that scheme too.

“Now, at the last, returning the conquered lands as she promised to do, you have tried to assassinate both her and your King. That plan has also miscarried.

“Our Warrior Countess and your King will share that vintage and meal as friends, just as she hoped to do. You will not have to see it happen though.”

“Princess! You can't just stand there and let me die! You must save me!”

Arianne turned to King Leiuee and asked curiously, “Can you think of a single reason to spare his life from this poison that he meant for us?”

King Leiuee shrugged. “I can think of one, yes. I would prefer to see him publicly hanged and gutted. That is really not reason enough to save him from his own poison, though.”

The General's struggles took on a less coordinated aspect. He started to have difficulty drawing breath. He shut his eyes to keep from seeing those watching him die. His breath slid out in an impossibly long sigh as his heart beat its last.

All returned to the interrupted feast of friendship.