Warhawk

by Moonatik

5- Condemnation

10:17 - 21/08/1003 - Whinnyapolis, Manesbury

Heavy saddlebags stuffed with documents weighing on her side, Selenite burst into the planning room. Hawkrich was already there, seated at a table before a collection of documents. The room itself was dim, only the wall maps detailing the state of the frontline being well illuminated. Despite the lack of light, Selenite could see perfectly well, and she could easily match Hawkrich’s glare that pierced through the dark.

“General.” Hawkrich glared at Selenite.

“Warmaster.” Selenite glared back.

Doing her best to ignore him, Selenite put her bags onto the nearest table to prepare what she intended to present to Nightmare Moon. Though oddly enough, all the tables were higher than any she’d previously seen in the manor, so much so that she had to pull up a chair and partly stand on it just to reach.

As she gathered the documents from her bag, she felt an indistinct presence looming over her. She brought her eyes up to Hawkrich and caught a glimpse of him watching her. He pulled his eyes in another direction right as Selenite noticed. For a moment Selenite returned to her work, but upon bringing her eyes up again, she found Hawkrich’s gaze had fixed on her again, only to be quickly torn away.

Frankly, it was too distracting. She looked up at Hawkrich and saw him look away. Instead of returning to her work, Selenite didn’t take her eyes off of him until he would at least acknowledge her. After a moment he looked back. Yet neither of them dared speak. Silent tension hung over them like a pack of vultures.

The double doors burst open with a crash. “We are so fucking back!” announced Nightmare Moon as she proudly marched into the room, her head held high and wings spread wide.

The tension snapped like elastic as both Selenite and Hawkrich turned, staring at their Empress with their jaws hanging low. “Your Highness?” said Selenite.

“Contemporary profanity is so much fun to say!” Nightmare Moon cackled.

While the Empress marched to a map on the wall, both Selenite and Hawkrich took another glance at each other. While Nightmare Moon's new…colourful vocabulary had shocked the two, it didn’t clear the air between them, not entirely. Both got up and moved to better speak with Nightmare Moon.

“Put your attention here!” Nightmare Moon pointed to a spot on the map. “I have devised a plan to attack this site!”

Hawkrich’s mouth twitched into a proud grin. “An excellent plan, My Empress. I shall follow it to the letter,” he said, putting a hoof to his chest.

“I haven’t told you what the plan is yet, Warmaster.”

Hawkrich blinked. “Of course. Explain away.”

At the centre of the table, Nightmare Moon unfurled a more detailed map of the spot she specified. The topography showed a row of hills cutting between mostly flat plains, with markings on the north side of the map showing the estimated location of Sombra’s units and similar markings on the south for Lunar units.

Nightmare Moon pointed to a marking on the north edge of the map. “This is the conversion camp.” She moved her hoof south of the hills. “Our forces are here. Between us and the camp, a heavily entrenched enemy presence.” Nightmare Moon motioned to the various markings used to represent Sombra’s units.

“On the night of the attack, we will begin by sending Selenite’s snipers to proceed through gaps in the line to get good shots at commanders.” Using her magic, Nightmare Moon pencilled in some arrows from the Lunar side to various points on the map before them.

“Once the snipers engage the enemy we will begin an artillery barrage to attract the attention of the bulk of their forces, whilst throwing down a smokescreen to give cover as our forces advance to better positions. Then,” she paused to snicker, “I will strike.” Leaning over the map, she struck her hoof against it.

“Above the battlefield I will cast a jamming spell to disrupt the control that Sombra’s magic has over his soldiers.” A small circle of magic appeared on the map, right at the point of Nightmare Moon’s hoof. “If executed well, this will disintegrate the force entirely, but should at least provide enough of a disruption for our soldiers to advance and liberate the camp.”

Hawkrich nodded his head. “Excellent. Nothing to add, Your Highness.”

Nightmare Moon shot Hawkrich a barely concealed sneer. “There is the matter of where best I should position myself for the spell. Your input is requested.”

Selenite stepped forward. “About that-”

“Sombra’s forces are concentrated around the gap on the far side of the hills.” Hawkrich interrupted, marching in front of Selenite and throwing a wing out towards the map to point to the spot. “Over this location, at whatever altitude best suits you, you will have maximum coverage over the greatest number of enemy units.”

Nightmare Moon blinked. “Are you sure, Warmaster?”

“Yes.” Hawkrich smirked. “In any case, they’d have no choice but to pass through the gap if they engaged, the hills on their side are much too steep for an onhooves advance,” Hawkrich added.

A hoof to her chin, Nightmare Moon smirked “Well, I suppose that settles-”

“Your Highness?” Selenite said, not intending to interrupt but doing so anyway. Nightmare Moon turned her glare to Selenite, an eyebrow raised. Hawkrich snapped his head in her direction, his face twitching to resist turning into a scowl. “There’s more to consider about this position.”

“What is it, General?” said Nightmare Moon.

Selenite dropped a folder on the table and opened it. “Our scouts have identified numerous anti-aircraft batteries of Equestrian design, either the platforms themselves were stolen or reversed engineered from captured guns. It seems like the bulk of their anti-aircraft equipment has been spaced amongst this part of the front, covering as much sky as possible.”

“Ha!” Nightmare Moon laughed. “I’ve taken many anti-aircraft rounds to the face and come away with no injuries to speak of. They pose no threat to me.”

“My Empress, they’re counting on you believing that,” Selenite said. “Turn to page eight.”

Nightmare Moon’s pleased grin remained as it was while she flipped through the documents. Until she got to the page Selenite specified, and her lips curled down.

“They aren’t just using regular anti-aircraft rounds,” said Selenite. “These specific units have been seen using enchanted obsidian rounds.”

Then Selenite was hit with a sight she’d never thought she’d see. Nightmare Moon’s confidence wavered. The Empress’s breathing got steadily heavier and her chest tightened up as she took a step back from the table, eyes fixed on the documents. Even before the invention of firearms, enchanted obsidian struck fear into the hearts of warriors across the land, mortal and immortal alike. A single small projectile could turn any organic being to frozen, fragile crystal on impact, rendering them no more resilient and no more animate than glass. Even immortals. Even alicorns.

Nightmare Moon’s gaze rapidly switched between the documents and the two ponies in the room. She gulped, and brought her head up. “In that case…” Nightmare Moon’s voice was hardly higher than a murmur. “This plan will need to be reconsidered.”

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me!” Hawkrich sneered, glowering at Selenite.

“W-Warmaster?” Selenite stammered.

“Why are you so immature?” All hints of sophistication were gone from Hawkrich’s voice, he was practically shrieking. “Even to the Empress herself, you’re sowing doubt and failing to be even remotely deferential to higher authority! Have you no respect for the chain of command?”

Selenite nearly hit back, a dozen retorts rapidly amassed at the tip of her tongue, ready to charge forth into the rhetorical battlefield. Instead, she grit her teeth and sucked in a breath through her nostrils. “Your Highness,” she slowly turned to Nightmare Moon. “This is something I wished to discuss with you in private, but the matter has-”

“Did you know about this, Warmaster?” Nightmare Moon hissed. Staring daggers into Hawkrich and paying no heed to Selenite.

“Her insolence? Oh, more than-” Hawkrich froze when he made eye contact with Nightmare Moon, his jaw snapping shut. “What do you mean?” he said meekly. “Your Highness,” he added, much too late not to be noticed.

“The enchanted obsidian,” Nightmare Moon repeated. Her voice was clear and biting, like frigid arctic air. “Did you know about it?”

Hawkrich’s eyes went wide as sauceplates while his pupils shrunk to pinpricks. “I… I believe- believed-” He shuffled back, then froze. Finally, he squeaked out, “Yes. I knew about it.”

Suddenly Hawkrich was hoisted into the air, his neck wrapped in a turquoise glow. He gasped, clutching his throat. Selenite jumped back. Nightmare Moon bared her fangs and dragged Hawkrich towards her through the air. The Empress was so close that Hawkrich could likely feel her hot breath blowing against his face.

“You knew of this danger, yet you said nothing?” Nightmare Moon seethed.

“I-” Hawkrich gasped. The words were catching in his throat, along with his breath. “I- I didn’t want to contest your authority!”

“So you concealed crucial information?” Lightning crackled in Nightmare Moon’s horn. “You- You’re fortunate I haven’t petrified you on the spot!”

“I-I-I didn’t mean-”

Nightmare didn’t wait for Hawkrich to finish before ripping his rank badge clean off of his uniform.

“Eek!” Hawkrich shrieked. “B-but-” Nightmare Moon threw him to the ground, cutting him off. He rolled onto his back and pushed himself away.

“You are stripped of your office, reduced to the rank of General, and relieved of all your commands! You will not show yourself before me unless and until you are personally summoned!” Nightmare Moon barked. “Have I made myself clear?”

“Yes, yes you have!” he panted, shielding his face with his wings.

Nightmare narrowed her eyes. “Then why are you still here?”

Hawkrich tripped over himself trying to get up, landing on his back. He opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. Frantically he beat his wings and got to his hooves. He scampered out of the chamber without another word.

Throughout the whole ordeal Selenite was frozen on the spot, only now realising she was hyperventilating Even her wings were hanging limp. She was only pulled out of it when she felt a tug on her uniform, right where her rank badge was.

Blinking, she shook her head and folded her wings. She saw Nightmare Moon glaring down at her, calmer but still stewing, levitating a rank badge away from her chest. A rank badge for a General.

At the same time she felt something else being pressed into her chest. She looked down, and immediately took a step back. Hawkrich’s rank badge. The one and only Warmaster’s rank badge. On her chest.

“Huh?” Selenite stepped back. “Your Highness? Is this-”

“You are my Warmaster now. I’d be dismayed if you managed to disappoint me, as my reference point for Warmasters is low.”

Selenite looked up at Nightmare Moon. “I- I don’t-” Her breaths came in rapid bursts. Her wings flinched and fluttered. It was like a tornado was whipping around inside of her. “I’m more grateful than I can possibly describe in words, but- I- I don’t know if I have the experience needed to be Warmaster- the Warmaster. It’s- It’s more responsibility than I-”

“Are you contradicting me?”

“Wuh?” Selenite tensed up. “Well- I don’t know if this is the right choice, so, yes!” She blinked a few more times. “Your Highness,” she hastily added.

Nightmare Moon held her chin up and blew air out of her nostrils. “Then you have more courage than every other potential candidate for this position. You are qualified.”

That- Made sense. Didn’t it? Selenite stood frozen. Her mouth was wide open, but no words were coming out, only rushing breaths halfway between gasps and laughs.

“Now get over yourself.” With a flex of her wings, Nightmare Moon turned back to the planning papers. “There are war plans to revise.”

Time seemed to stand still for a moment. Could she do it? Hawkrich wasn’t wrong about Selenite being young and inexperienced, even if he’d said in the worst way possible. There were already questions, questions she was asking herself, whether she’d be able to take on the responsibilities of a General at her age. But she still did it. Did it well enough to not just climb the ladder, but fly up.

Selenite sucked in a deep breath, counted to four, and breathed out. “Yes, My Empress,” she said without a hint of hesitation. Without an audible hint, at least.

She… She could do it. She’d have to do it.

Comments

[soundtea]

Easy to see why he got tossed out in the end aside from the whole “basically sending Moon to her death”. Nightmare Moon wants someone in the end with the backbone to tell her to her face “Your plan sucks and here’s why.”

[ironwall]

We are so fucking back!

I will say, it was one of really last things to hear from mouth of Nightmare Moon>

11910669
What he did could and would be called highest level treason in most of situations. He is gigalucky, that he still is a General, as in most of cases, it would end with him becoming Private, or getting executed for insane incompetence.

[Triglavian1]

The right mare at the right place.

[Comma Typer]

It makes much sense in hindsight, but I didn't see it until now: Nightmare Moon wants advisors with spines. That's actually encouraging to see, wrath of Nightmare Moon aside. It's easy for people like me to overthink about asking questions and making it sound like that we intend to overthrow an established order when, really, there's just concerns that need to be answered. Intentionally or not, you've made Selenite an inspirational figure here, at least for me.