The Price of Citizenship

by Colgate is best pony

Starswirl

ECY 1008.3
Celestium

The cargo ship lurched to a stop, and Applejack was the first to unbuckle and rush towards the toilet. Her second foray through sub-space hardly went better than her first, although this time she was aware enough to make it to the head before spewing her lunch throughout the zero-g environment of the cabin.

She finished hurling into the vacuum sealed toilet and washed out her mouth, pausing to look at herself in the mirror for a second. Her mane tie having come loose at some point during the journey, allowing the blonde locks to float freely through the confined bathroom. Unfortunately, the chaos of once again being in constant free fall got to Applejack’s stomach again, and she kneeled back in front of the toilet.

It wasn’t as if the last few weeks weren’t enough to make her vomit in the first place, she thought, grimacing between wretches.

It was four weeks after the incident on the Hill. Once Focus’ transport had taken off, making the trek that would take First Platoon all night in an hour, she’d tried to keep a brave face, but it was no use. The tears came, soft at first, but then harder than she’d be able to hide. Her fellow soldiers, punished for her idiocy, comforted her as good friends would, but it was a hollow comfort, the kind Applejack would use when Apple Bloom nearly poisoned Big Mac and Cherilee. I’m not mad at you. But you still screwed up. And I’m mad at that.

----

Half way down the glacier, Second Platoon joined First out of either solidarity, pity or some sort of unspoken code of sportsmanship. After learning who had designed the plan that beat them, the soldiers of course paid Applejack their compliments, but it hardly made her feel any better. The remainder of the trip was made in silence. On her previous two treks back to camp from this area, songs had been sung, conversations held, pride showcased. Nobody really felt in the mood this time. Upon their return, they were warned not to speak of the incident to anypony- which of course meant that the entire camp would know what had happened in an hour. Applejack didn’t care. She ate, exercised and trained as a shell of her self for that day, and the next few. Falling into a depression, she became feverish and weak, and was given a day to remain in bed and recuperate. It didn’t help, as the inactivity made her feel more worthless than she’d felt in a long, long time. It was around this time that she had made up her mind that she didn’t have what it took to make it into the infantry or the Federal Service.

Applejack had always, in the back of her mind, had doubts about how far she could have gone in the infantry. Ponies dropped out every day, it seemed, and there was no real penalty attached to doing so. Dropouts forfeited half of their accumulated pay, but no fines or penalties were assessed besides, and Applejack knew that, while annoying, the hit to her finances wouldn’t have hurt too much. She’d dealt with worse shortfalls on the farm, for sure.

What really hurt a drop out, however, was the permanence of their decision. Unless there was a medical excuse attached to it, a “Discharge- Service Incomplete” could really hurt a pony down the line. Some, like Big Mac, would see the DSI as a mark of honor, telling everyone that the bearer had stood up to the Equestrian Service bullies and refused to play their game. More ponies, however, would see it as a horrible smear on one’s record, telling everyone that the pony was either a quitter or had been kicked out. It wasn’t exactly a dishonorable discharge, but it came close.

At first, Applejack guaranteed herself that she wouldn’t shame her family's name with such a black mark, but as her condition worsened, that transport back to Canterlot looked better and better each morning. After the Hill fiasco, it looked downright welcoming.

She was on her way towards what the recruits had taken to calling washout lane when Lt. Focus called her into his tent.

----

Shaking the water she’d splashed on her face off, Applejack finally exited the head, contorting her body towards the cargo compartment her platoon had been living out of for the last two weeks. Space was precious in the Celestial Navy, and an Artillery Support Battalion fresh out of boot rated no higher than a converted cargo hauler for their first deployment. They’d been told that reassignments would push individual companies where they were needed, and, as a result, split them all over the fleet, but Applejack doubted it. From what she gathered, most veteran units would prefer to fight shorthanded than with soldiers as green as those in her company were.

The compartment was empty, as Applejack had suspected it would be. She barely wanted to be in it anymore herself, but through it lay the only ladder to any other deck. The voyage from Home to First Fleet Headquarters at Celestium took two weeks of sub-space and faster than light drive travel, meaning it was too short for any drug induced hibernation spells but long enough to drive the recruits somewhat crazy. Lt. Beam tried to keep things interesting with daily, zero-g fitness routines and the like, but the cramped quarters prevented anything useful from happening while the recruits, most of whom had never left Home before, figured out how to live without gravity. The two sub-space jumps they’d made hadn’t made matters any easier. Applejack was barely able to keep down the vitamin supplements they force fed ponies to prevent bone decay.

She reached the ladder and pulled herself up, towards the crew deck. She had never seen a ladder until this one, actually- the design wasn’t very conducive to a four legged being such as herself. However, in zero gravity, she was able to use her forehooves to pull herself along, her bottom half floating freely below her. The freighter, three hundred meters long, was remarkably manned by just twelve, and the crew of Venture Gambit, all civilians, had graciously allowed their facilities- showers, entertainment systems and vitamin-d beds- to be used by the troops on a platoon by platoon basis. It wasn’t her platoons turn to use the facilities, she knew, but Applejack had her sights set on another feature of the deck.

Reaching the habitat level, she disembarked from the ladder, grabbed a hoof hold, and spun herself into the corridor. Two weeks had been enough to somewhat master maneuvering in the zero gravity environment, and with each push off of a wall, Applejack felt more and more like a Pegasus. She’d even attempted a Rainbow Dash style roll once, but had smashed her head into a bulkhead, leaving a dent in both. Once the room had stopped spinning, she resolved to emulate Fluttershy for the remainder of the trip instead.

The corridor was empty, which suited Applejack just fine. It wasn’t as if she didn’t like her compatriots, but sometimes, solitude was better than any amount of inane conversation. She rounded a corner via a hoof hold, and reached her destination.

The observation room was sealed during hyperspace and faster than light travel, but with the ship now in orbit, it had opened and was currently empty. Grasping the hoof hold, Applejack finally got a close up look of another world. And after two seconds, the view convinced her that the previous ten weeks had indeed been worth the trouble.

----

“Apple! In my office!”

Applejack sighed and dropped her head even lower than she’d been carrying it. She knew that passing Focus’ tent would have been a mistake, but it was the quickest way to the base command center. Knowing that she was on her way out, it was tempting to blow him off or even to give him a piece of her mind, but she thought better of it, as she didn’t want to ruin things even more by flirting with a dishonorable discharge. She passed through the flaps into Focus’ living quarters. He motioned for her to sit on his bed, which was immaculately made, giving her the suspicion that he didn’t sleep on it at all (a common occurrence in the early stages of camp, before ponies knew how to properly make a bed). She noticed that the rest of the room was Twilight-level spotless, though, and reasoned that he probably slept in a hotel off base, leaving this room as a reminder of his presence and using it to bully trainees. She sat on the bed and stared at the Lieutenant.

“Have a nice walk back?”

“Yes, sir.” She wasn’t going to play his games, and answered without emotion.

“Where you off to now? Doesn’t Easy Company have PT in a few minutes?”

“Just taking a stroll, sir.”

He nodded, and lay back in his chair, hooves coming to a rest upon the desk separating them.

“So you want to know what I want with you, I suppose.”

“I wouldn’t mind, sir.”

Applejack was expecting him to take a deep breath and start some sort of diatribe against her, possibly after he lit up a cigar. He spoke, emotionless, not looking at her.

“We’re going to war, Apple, and we’re going to lose.”

Applejack had certainly not expected that. At this point in her training, the war’s inevitability had become a certainty, so the first part was not a surprise. The second, however, was, considering that it could be considered treason to voice such a concern as a fact the way he did. Wary of a trap, Applejack wanted to say nothing, but her curiosity got the better of her.

“How do you figure, sir?”

“Because I’m supposed to punish trainees that actually have the brains to figure things out for themselves and promote the ones that might as well be changelings with army hats on.”

Confused, Applejack just stared at the stallion. He continued.

“Your play on the Hill was the best idea we’ve seen here at Frost Hoof. We watched the whole thing from here, betting included. I didn’t wager, before you ask. When it was over, we had no idea what to do with you. That’s why it took so long to get any recovery craft out there to pick you up. Arguing amongst ourselves. Some wanted you discharged, others promoted. We had to call above the pay grade of anyone here to get a recommendation. That took two hours. It took another to find that little "regulation" in the handbook.”

He finished, and looked at her expectantly, but she had no words.

“I’ve been particularly hard on you, Applejack, and I know that. And when you leave this tent, I will continue to be. But it is all for a reason. Trust me. Let me show you something.” He stood and walked towards his hoof locker. “Do you know what a Shadowbolt is?”

Applejack recoiled instantly at the mention of the term. Focus raised a hoof, chuckling.

“Relax, Apple. I guess you’ve heard of us. But not the whole story, I suppose.” He reached into the locker and withdrew a small ornament, passing it to Applejack. She held the pitch black crescent moon with reverence.

“The Shadowbolts are Princess Luna’s personal. . . problem solvers. Yes, we do much, much, more than those silly Wonderbolts are even capable of. No, we don’t kidnap, torture or conduct any of the idiocy that The Equestrian Enquirer says we do. But what we do, we do incredibly well. And part of what we do is to identify the talent that will save the Pony race. I’ve been watching you for some time, Apple. Your tests show a lot more than you realize, you understand?”

Applejack finally caught herself and forced out a response. “But my tests were nothing special... heck, two of them weren’t anything special at all!”

“Oh, of course, your intelligence test was almost on idiot level. But it was the mental exam I considered. Not me personally, you understand, but a very. . .sensitive unicorn friend of mine. She was able to read you like a map. But I didn’t need her. We both saw it. You question everything, like the Element of Honesty should, you know, and try to figure it out for yourself. As a result, you are far more valuable to this war than any regiment of Earth Ponies could ever be. And so I picked you to follow and ensure that you’d make it through boot, and beyond, so that, when you're ready, the high-ups can use you. You, and people like you with actual brains in their heads are what will win us this war. Someday, we might need some ridiculous ploy that only you could think of to win this thing. Understand?”

Applejack nodded, taking it all in. Focus grabbed the medallion and threw it back in his locker.

“Good. Just don’t forget that, and don’t forget who really pulls the strings around here, and you’ll be fine. Now, you’re late for PE. And for that, you get to do double PE. Get out.”

----

Applejack stumbled back into focus as Cracker Barrel floated into the room. The mare silently grabbed a hold next to Applejack, and the two stood in silence for a bit, watching Celestium spin below them. After a few minutes, the cargo ship appeared to round the horizon of the planet, and the First Fleet, in all of its glory, drifted slowly by.

The two former farmers looked on in awe. The Venture Gambit may have looked immense when they had boarded two weeks earlier, but it was a minnow compared to the might of the Celestial Navy’s toys. Accentuating that point was the dreadnaught Celestia, which, going on size alone, could probably only be bested by its namesake. Six kilometers long, the purely white vessel hung in orbit around Celestium with a powerful mixture of grace and purpose, the sweeping, gentle curves of its exterior coming to a point at its forward beam cannons. It looked somewhat like a diving pegasus, with two FTL drive nacelles jutted off the rear of the ship like two wings tucked inwards. The command tower, longer than the Venture Gambit and then some, fell back at an angle off of the top of the vessel, adding to the impression that the vessel was moving very, very fast. A closer inspection revealed scores of smaller gun emplacements dotting the exterior, turning what looked like a deftly smooth hull into a forest of prickly add-ons. Applejack was glad to see them, however, as she was sure that the four thousand souls on board the flagship needed each and every one of them.

Just as it had appeared, Celestia gave way as the freighter overtook it. In its place appeared the hundreds of vessels making up the First Fleet. The Fleet consisted of 76 capital ships, with scores of support ships, victuallers, fuel haulers and frigates running various errands throughout the area. Venture Gambit passed fairly close the the carrier Hurricane, which Applejack knew served as home for Manticore Squadron. Indeed, the carrier’s hangar was open, allowing a wing of fighters to exit and begin their patrols. Trying to avoid thinking about Rainbow Dash, Applejack tilted her head away from the vessel.

The freighter continued to weave throughout the fleet, looking for a larger ship to latch onto and divulge its cargo. The cruisers Everfree and Manehattan passed along, and Venture Gambit snuck in between the two masses, revealing a third, similar vessel. Before Applejack could get a good look at it, the freighter turned to face the craft, and docking tendrils extended from both ships. As the two vessels converged, Applejack could see the writing on what she was sure was her new home.

"EC Starswirl the Bearded CN-1313"

Laughing at the irony of the her placement, Applejack motioned to Barrel that they should head back down to their quarters to prepare for departure. Time, after all, was still bits, even in the Service. The two mares pulled themselves down the ladder tube, and were met in the cargo container by the rest of their already assembled platoon. Focus was with them.

“Glad you two could join us. Do your pals a favor and carry their stuff on board Starswirl, will you?”

----

Two weeks more had passed aboard Starswirl the Bearded before the Fleet jumped from Celestium towards destinations unknown, at least to the infantry it was carrying. The heavy cruiser, a kilometer long, was normally crewed by eight hundred ponies. It had most of its weaponry and hangar space removed or converted into living space for transporting infantry units. Unfortunately, no amount of alterations could have prepared it to carry two entire brigades, forcing Applejack to share the space with nearly six thousand other ponies.

The event precipitating these cramped arrangements occurred a few days after Cadenza’s Spear had arrived on board Starswirl. Laser Focus’ prediction had indeed come true, and he delivered the news in the same somber, flat tone he had reprimanded Applejack with on the Hill. He read from a prepared statement.

“At 2200 yesterday, Antaran units destroyed our colony at Elysian Fields. Equestrian Command, with the blessing and support of the Princesses, voted unanimously to mobilize for war. The First Fleet will be leaving Celestium within the week, destination to be announced. Due to operational security fears, all shore leaves are cancelled and all correspondences will be withheld indefinitely. Instructions from your Regimental commanders will follow shortly. Celestia and Luna help us all.”

That last bit scared Applejack. On the one hoof, she had seen Celestia in action, and had to say she was hardly impressed. On the other one, part of the whole point of the Equestrian Service was ponies aiding the Princesses, not the other way around. In fact, she wondered, if it were that easy, what were they doing out here in the first place?

She didn’t have time to dwell on it, however, as within hours of the announcement, the First Fleet was being mobilized for action. Cadenza’s Spear was joined by the 115th “Blueblood’s Fist” Mobile Infantry brigade. MI ponies had probably the worst lot out of any assignment- they were the first in an hostile area, launched from space in special drop pods and armor, and often overwhelmingly outnumbered or surrounded. Their job was to secure landing spaces for everyone coming behind, a job only groups as well trained as they could; MI troopers were all volunteers, and their training course was twice as long as any other unit. Applejack admired them. Most were male, and a few would have been absolute hunks if they didn’t look like snapping necks was the only thing capable of making them happy. Applejack doubted that even Pinkie could crack smiles on their sculpted faces.

What bothered Applejack the most, however, was that the state of emergency prevented her from writing letters. Combine that with the two weeks she’d spent in FTL drive, and Apple Bloom would have not gotten a letter, or an explanation, in at least a month. She knew that her younger sister could handle herself by now, but it hurt all the same. Applejack tried not to think about all of the crazy ideas about her sudden absence that her sister’s friends would come up with. “Cutie Mark Crusader Interstellar Rescuers” was not something she wanted to deal with.

Two days after the alert, the First Fleet was on the move. A video message from Admiral Chessmaster was played to the fleet, complete with a whole bunch of messages about “duty” and “honor”. Applejack tuned him out; it was the same as boot camp- useless words without action. She tuned back in when a very familiar pair of faces flashed on screen.

A white unicorn stallion stepped forward, his blue mane being brushed aside as he spoke.

“Greetings, warriors of Equestria,” said Shining Armor in an unfamiliar, deep voice. He wore four stars on his lapel- one less than Chessmaster.

“Today we begin the quest to defend Ponydom from the Antaran threat, and to eliminate the danger to our civilization once and for all. The Princess and I,” he said, indicating the pink alicorn to his side, “have full confidence in your abilities, and will do all we can to support your efforts. That said, we don’t need any heroes in this war. Heroes more often than not get themselves killed. No, we need soldiers and sailors that will do their jobs and stick to the plan. You have a duty to yourselves, to your comrades, and to all of Ponydom to get back home safely. Understood?” He of course was speaking into a camera, but Applejack was sure that the assuring way in which he said it (if she came away believing him, despite knowing that he was putting on a show of being regal, then she wagered that the rest of the fleet would buy it easily) resulted in a chorus of resounding “oohas!” around the galaxy.

Back on the screen, Shining Armor nodded and then disappeared. A model of the galaxy replaced him, with most of the Equestrian Colonies highlighted in blue. Antaran territory appeared in a menacing red.

“Now, this operation is going to be simple and, ideally, over quickly. The First Fleet, at Celestium (which was unmarked on the map, as only a very select few actually knew where it was anyway) will sweep in to Antaran territory from Galactic North, engaging any fleet they encounter, but bypassing any Antaran target until they reach Antara. The Second Fleet is going to punch through the neutral zone at New Fillydelphia and head for Antara as well. The new Fourth Fleet, with Harmony bearing the flag, will occupy the Antaran reinforcements in the Orion sector, and the Third Fleet will remain behind in reserve.”

Shining Armor returned to the screen.“We anticipate that, seeing our thrust upon their home world, the Antarans will give ground to engage a pitched fleet battle with their orbital defense network in play. Your individual superiors will give you more info about unit specific instructions as we near our destination. Now, Princess Cadence will address you all. Best of luck to you all, and I will see you at Antara.”

He stepped aside, and Cadence took his place, to a cheer from the members of the Spear that were watching. Her presence, even on a view screen light years away, was comforting.

“Warriors, Equestrians, friends, I bid you good day. I especially want to acknowledge and thank the members of our griffin, dog, buffalo and zebra ranks. Together, you all make up the greatest fighting force in history, and the best hope for a peaceful future on Home and throughout the galaxy. As my husband said, you are all already heroes, and there is no need to go doing anything rash for any reason. Just do your jobs, and take care of each other. The love of brothers ans sisters in arms is one of the most powerful forces in the galaxy. Use it. Feel it inside you each step of the way. Also feel the love from thousands of light years away coming from me, the Princesses, and every soul living under the Equestrian Flag. Together, we will pierce the darkness of our times and assure that that love can spread, in peace and harmony, to every corner of the galaxy. Good luck. I await the return of each of you.” She finished with a smile, and the screen went black. The entire auditorium cheered, including Applejack.

----

Once again, Applejack awoke to see Laser Focus looking down on her through the Cryo tube glass. She thought that they’d outgrown this particular ritual. She tried to move, but realized that her body was still tied down. And heavily sedated, judging by how the room was spinning. Focus released her from the restraints and said he’d be back when she was awake.

It took about an hour to completely gain all of her senses again. Looking about, she saw that nopony else had been released from their drug induced slumber. Curious, she pushed herself towards the exit and into the hallway, where a note was taped to the door, pointing her down the hall. She made a right, and threw herself along until she was grabbed and pulled into a small room.

Focus joined her, hovering awkwardly on the ceiling. Applejack oriented herself so it became the floor.

“Sorry to wake you. I don’t have much time here, so I’m going to dispense with my usual pleasantries. You’ve been under for a month, we are about a week from Antara, and we’re walking into a trap. We haven’t seen an Antaran ship in weeks. EqCom thinks they're running back to defend the home world, but I don’t think so. Something is up their sleeve. Figuratively, of course. Understand?”

Applejack nodded, still a little drowsy.

“Now, tomorrow, our plan of battle is going to be filtered down to you through hypno suggestion. Anyone who gets a week of that drummed into their subconscious will know our part of the plan inside and out. I need you to know it better than that, and to be able to analyze it. Find what is wrong, what we can do better, where the weak points are. I already know a few, but a second pair of eyes won’t hurt. Unfortunately, I had to steal this,” he said, thrusting a data cube in her hoof, “and even I’m not supposed to be awake right now. Don’t ask how I am. You are even less allowed to be awake, but with just a week left, they won’t put you back to sleep. Go back to your bed, lay for a while, then hit the ‘I woke up too early’ button. You’ll have a week to figure things out. Understand?”

She nodded again.

“Good. Now get going before they notice you. See you on Antara.”

He pushed out of the room and was gone. She considered the cube and sighed.

“This certainly is not getting any easier, is it?”

Author's Note:

Sorry this one took so much longer. I'm now writing from wintry London. Saturday was a nightmare, as I had to wait even longer for new pony than I normally had to. Oh well. This chapter hopefully makes sense and sets the stage for the rest of this whole thing. Next chapter will have action, I promise. And ponies being ripped apart, of course.

As we go along, expect more time between updates, as I'm largely back to doing school stuff. As always, any feedback is appreciated.

Comments

[totallynotabrony]

Once, you referred to it as Cadenza's Fist

Also, two errors in quick succession:
Time, after all, was still bits, even in the Service. The two mares pulled themselves down the ladder tube, and were met in the cargo container by the rest of their already assembled platoon. Focus was with them.
“Glad you too could join us. Do your pals a favor and carry their stuff onboard Starswirl, will you?”

I thought the chapter was slightly difficult to understand, skipping back and forth between ground and ship without clear explanation.

I do love some good space navy, though.

[Colgate is best pony]

2009240 Thanks for catching those, should be fixed now. Re the time shifting, I wanted to break it up a bit, but I can see your point. Sorry.
Thanks for sticking with it!

[totallynotabrony]

2010086 Like I said:

SPACE NAVY