January 15, Modern Era Year 4

2247 Hours

The House of Congress

Canterlot, Equestria

Shining Armor marched down the cavernous corridors of the House of Congress, each hoof step echoing around him. It was as if he were inside a cave. Fitting considering the creatures that inhabited these halls. His own internal joke made him smirk, though it was short-lived. He had little to smile about these days. The search for Cadance had been called off. The politicians had deemed it ‘an impossible feat’ after weeks of fruitless searching. They were convinced Cadance was no longer in Equestria and were more willing to wait for ransom demands than continue to run their defenses ragged. The soldiers were tired and demoralized. They had worked their flanks off for many sleepless days and nights with nothing to show for it, save for a few bodies of their own brothers. And if life hadn’t thrown enough sand in his face, the Canterlot doctors had taken away all hope for recovery. An eyepatch hung over his wounded eye, where he knew it would remain for the rest of his life.

Shining had to admit that he was disheartened as well. No, that was wrong. He was torn up. He felt like somepony had reached inside of him and scooped every last trace of hope out of his heart. He was the only one still pushing the searches, despite his injuries. He was the only one that hadn’t stopped. He knew better than to wait. A ransom was never coming. Demands would not be made. Cadance was never coming back on her own. They needed to act or the next time they saw the princess would be when they dug her out of a shallow grave, but the bureaucrats had given up.

All except for one.

That’s how Shining found himself wandering through the dark corridors of the Congress building now. He had been summoned to the Minister’s office well after everypony else had gone home for the night. Shining turned his nose up at the dense shadows and empty corridors. The entire scenario smelled like either a bad spy drama or a cheap trap.

Shining’s hooves moved on memory. He had been to the Minister of Defense’s office before on several occasions. He had to keep him up to date on troop stations and movements, training regiments, and the like. The minister had always come across as a mild-mannered pony from his experiences with the stallion. He was unremarkable, which was striking for a politician. He didn’t try to smooth talk his way into Shining’s good graces or act like he knew better than anypony else. He did his job and let Shining do his.

So why is he calling me to his office in the middle of the night?

The door to Cause’s office came into sight, cloaked in darkness. Shining didn’t bother knocking on the door. Nopony would be inside to be disturbed anyway. He pushed it open and stepped into the reception area. The secretary’s desk was abandoned, yet the room was alight, the light from the overhead bulbs deafening in the silence. Taking his time striding across the floor, he opened the next door, and stopped in the doorway.

Just Cause sat behind his desk in the same fashion Shining always found the pony in. Standing before him, however, was Fleethoof, his back turned to Shining. Fleethoof turned around when he heard the door open and the stallions’ eyes met for one tense second. He stared at the patch covering Shining’s eye with a grimace of guilt and turned away.

“Captain Armor, thank you for joining us,” Minister Cause said, beckoning him inward with a wave of his hoof. “Please, come in.”

Shining lingered in the door for a moment longer. His eye shifted between Cause’s inviting gesture and Fleethoof’s cold shoulder. Keeping his gaze trained on Fleethoof’s back, he shut the door with a soft click and sauntered up to sit at the other end of the desk. Fleethoof didn’t stray his gaze from Just Cause, almost deliberately avoiding making eye contact with Shining more than he had to.

“What’s going on, Minister?” Shining asked, an air of apprehension in his voice.

Just Cause folded his hooves across the desk and leaned across toward his guests. “We’re here to discuss the possibility of getting Princess Cadenza back.”

Shining Armor’s head shot up in the blink of an eye. Beside him, he saw Fleethoof’s wings give a subtle ruffle.

“What are you talking about, sir? The searches have all but ended.”

“And for good reason,” Just Cause interjected. “You’ve been running your soldiers—Equestria’s armed forces—ragged in this goose chase. You’re no closer to finding the princess than when you started; in fact, you’re further away. You’ve sustained a grievous injury, and to be quite frank, I don’t think you’re in any condition to be going vigilante on your own.”

Shining shook his head. “Minister, I wasn’t—”

“Please don’t insult my intelligence and your lying capabilities by saying you didn’t entertain the thought.” His words shut Shining up on the spot. “Your actions and intentions, while noble, are self-destructive to yourself and to the nation. You should know better than that as Captain of the Guard.”

“Is that why you brought me in here?” snapped Shining with an edge of irritation to his hard voice. His brow narrowed and it took all his self-control to keep still in his seat. “To berate me and tell me I’m useless?”

“I did not call you here to insult you, Captain. I’m here to recruit you.”

It took Shining’s mind a full minute to comprehend the minister’s words. “What are you talking about?”

“There is a program my department has drafted up called Operation Black Wraith.”

“I’ve never heard of it.”

“That’s because it’s highly classified and top secret, even from you, Captain.” Just Cause stood from his seat and approached a small safe in the corner of the office. He opened it and produced a black folder from within, a ghostly white pony head adorning the cover. “The only ponies aware of this are Princess Luna and myself.”

“What is Black Wraith?” Fleethoof asked, reading Shining’s mind without missing a beat.

“Black Wraith is a contingency plan, Captain Fleethoof, to be used only in the most dire of circumstances in the protection of Equestria and its Royal Family,” Just Cause said while opening the folder and handing two sheets of paper to each stallion. “I cannot explain too much about it until you agree to it. I need both of you to sign these. Catch-22, I understand… However, I can tell you that it will permit you to search, locate, and recover Princess Cadenza without fear of international incidents or legality.” He paused and glanced between the two faces. “Both of you.”

“Minister, this is… highly irregular,” Shining said, glancing over the waiver Just Cause placed in front of him.

“It is, Captain Armor. Everything these past few weeks has been highly irregular.”

“Fuck it,” muttered Fleethoof. He snapped up a quill and was quick to scrawl his signature across the paper.

Shining stared at the paper clenched in his hooves. The edges crumpled in his uneasy grip. Everything about this felt off. He was signing up for Celestia-knows-what based on blind trust. It didn’t sit right in the pit of his gut and his hesitation showed it.

“I can understand your reluctance, Captain Armor, especially when you are a pony of such admirable tenacity to following protocol,” Just Cause said as if reading his mind, “but I assure you, this is our best course of action for rescuing the princess. Every day we waste is another day we get closer to losing her forever. I would not ask this of you if I were sure there were another way.”

“I don’t even know what you’re asking of me,” Shining retorted.

“I am asking you to take a leap of faith for Cadance.” Just Cause’s face remained as stolid as stone. “But if this makes you uncomfortable, I can always ask another officer. I merely require any two captains, and I wanted you as my first choice.”

Shining released a heavy exhale through his nostrils and set the paper down. His lips pulled together into a tight line while he leered at the face of the innocuous paper. His hoof rapped against the edge of the desk with a gentle clop-clop.

“Just sign it, Shining.” Fleethoof turned to him at last. The first look Shining saw on his friend’s face was the impatient glower. “I’m not gonna wait around for you to debate yourself when Cadance is somewhere out there waiting for help, so get over it or get out.”

Shining Armor met his gaze with a biting look of indignity. Fleethoof didn’t back down; he held his eyes with the smoldering look until Shining caved. The unicorn snorted and picked up the quill in his telekinesis, letting the tip hover not even an inch above the paper’s surface. He swallowed a breath and signed his name.

“Thank you, gentlecolts,” Just Cause said and gathered the papers back into the folder.

“All right, I’m playing ball. Now tell me what this is all about.”

“Very well, Captain Armor. If it will make you feel better—”

“It won’t,” he snapped.

“—I will tell you.” The minister cast an indifferent look in his direction. “Black Wraith is a black operation. None of this will be on any official record, nor will it be tied to the Equestrian government. The program calls for a preassembled list of some of the finest operators from various branches of the Equestrian Armed Forces, led by two team leaders to split the duties and command, and keep enemies from targeting one head pony. That would be you two. Under Black Wraith, the operators are permitted to conduct otherwise questionable operations in the pursuit of protecting Equestrian interests, namely recovering Princess Cadenza. In short, this team will operate much like how yours does, Captain Fleethoof, but since we lack the time and means to train several new soldiers to your standards, this is an expedited emergency protocol that has the same function.”

Fleethoof raised a curious brow. “‘Questionable operations’? Does this mean this is illegal?”

“Let me put it to you this way, Captain Fleethoof… If any of our allies found out our government was behind this, we would probably have an international catastrophe on our hooves,” Just Cause said with a trace of a smirk on his muzzle. “However, Black Wraith is intended to permit you to operate under my direct control on international soil. So long as you fly under the radar and don’t shoot any of our friends, you should have no issues moving at your own discretion.”

“So what exactly are we doing?”

“Finding Princess Cadenza and the individuals responsible for this calamity by any and all means necessary.” There was a pause in the minister’s words. “And hunting down that dog Alaric.”

Both Fleethoof’s and Shining Armor’s heads shot up at the mention of the griffon tyrant. Fleethoof’s jaw set solid. The corner of his mouth twitched to fight a grimace.

“I will provide you and your ponies with whatever equipment you need to complete this task. Guns, explosives, helicopters, automobiles, fake IDs—”

“Auto-whats?” interrupted Fleethoof.

“Automatic land vehicles, Captain Fleethoof. Germaney’s latest and greatest feat in engineering and a gift to the world,” Just Cause explained in as passive a voice as he could muster. “Have you ever seen a parade float? It operates on the same principles, but burns on magical energy our scientists were able to harness. Made of metal, better to handle impacts and incoming fire. Much faster and safer than carriages.”

Fleethoof’s expression twisted into an infuriated sneer. “You mean we had a better way of getting around and we didn’t use it to protect the princesses? Could this have all been avoided?”

Just Cause ran his tongue over his lips while he considered Fleethoof’s prospect. “Perhaps. But these vehicles are still in the prototype phase in Equestria. Our stock only supplies the military and private buyers right now. Once we were certain of their capabilities, we were going to release them to the public and to the Royal Family. Unfortunately, this little incident came up before testing was finished. After this, however, we will begin immediate mass production.

“But let me give you this warning now: if you two screw up, there is no retry. There are no second chances. I will do my best to protect you, but there is a very real chance you will most likely spend the rest of your days in an international prison waiting to be executed for espionage,” Just Cause said with a firm tone. His eyes flickered back and forth between the stallions. “That is why I need you two to behave and play nicely with one another. After your little incident in front of the princesses, I had my doubts about your ‘friendship,’ but now I have no choice. So tell me: can I trust you two to cooperate or shall I begin looking for two other ponies to lead this team?”

Neither Shining nor Fleethoof spoke. Both ponies stood like statues, eyes fixated and focused on him. Just Cause looked between their faces. They looked as if they were doing their best to avoid stealing glimpses at the other. His mouth pursed into a fine line. He had no time for these childish games.

“Can you two work together?” Silence. “Answer me.”

“Yes, sir,” both ponies responded in the same breath.

Just Cause dipped his head in a subtle nod. “That’s better. Then if it’s all right with you two, I would like to get to work right away. Seek me out in the Department of Defense tomorrow and we’ll go over your roster, a plan of action, our intel, the whole nine yards. The less time we spend sitting around, the better. Any objections?” Fleethoof and Shining Armor didn’t say a word. “Get some sleep, gentlecolts. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.”

No sooner had the minister finished speaking, Fleethoof had turned on his heels and marched out of the office. Shining Armor lingered a second longer, then followed his compatriot out into the expansive hallways of the Congress building. He followed behind Fleethoof, leaving a few steps’ worth of distance between them as they walked in the dark and the moonlight. If Fleethoof heard him, the pegasus didn’t show any signs of acknowledgement.

“Fleet,” Shining called out to him. Fleethoof’s ear twitched backward, but he did nothing otherwise. “Fleethoof. Hey, wait up!”

Shining galloped to catch up to the retreating pony. Fleethoof’s eyes stayed straight forward, following the corridors with practiced steps. Shining took a deep breath and ran through his apology in his head once more.

“Look, I… uh, I know we haven’t really talked since the… y’know, the whole incident back in December. I know, I’ve been busy trying to find Cadance, and you’ve been on the sides, but still…” Shining saw Fleethoof’s shoulders tense up and his brow narrow a touch. Okay, Shiny, go for the gold, he thought. “I just wanted to let you know I’m not mad or anything anymore. I mean, look at what those griffons did to me. I didn’t realize how tough they were. They sure as hell aren’t the same pushovers from the war. I guess that’s karma, or something. Heh.”

Fleethoof was dead silent. His jaw quivered like he was biting his tongue, forcing himself to remain quiet. It was more than irritating to Shining. He sighed. He had to get Fleethoof back on his side if they were going to get anywhere with this new team. It was now or never.

“Hey, did you hear me? I said it doesn’t matter that you lost Cadance—”

Before Shining could finish his sentence, he was slammed into the far wall and lifted off the ground. The force holding him kept him pinned in the air. Shining gasped and stared down at the pair of red hooves pressed so hard to his chest he couldn’t breathe. He followed those hooves up to the smoldering glare of Fleethoof, the pegasus baring his teeth while he gnashed them together like a Timberwolf.

“Don’t you think I know what I’ve done, Shining?!” Fleethoof snarled in the darkness, snorting under his breath. “Don’t you think I’ve lived that day over and over and over in my mind, asking myself what I could have done differently? What fucking difference I could have made?! Maybe if I was a second faster, or maybe if I took a shot, or didn’t take a shot. It’s all I’ve done for the past three weeks, and I do not need you reminding me. I fucked up. I fucked up and Cadance is gone. I don’t need a reminder, or an excuse, or my best friend getting angry and hurt because of me!”

Shining struggled against Fleethoof’s hold on him, his hooves kicking in the air for freedom. His eyes narrowed in return and he pushed back against him. “I wasn’t trying to blame you!”

“Like hell you weren’t! You’ve done nothing but blame me from the moment I set hoof in Canterlot! Why don’t you just say you wished I’d been killed instead of Cadance getting taken? Go on, say it!”

“It’s not like that, Fleet,” Shining growled through gritted teeth. “Let me go!”

“Bullshit. It’s all it’s been to you! ‘You fucked up’, ‘You lost Cadance’, ‘How did you fail so badly?’. And all you’ve done is beat me down when you haven’t done any better than I did!” Fleethoof seethed.

Shining Armor blinked through the stupor. “Me?! What the hell did I do?!”

“How about getting those Marines killed for nothing? You wanna talk about expecting ambushes? Then tell me what the fuck happened out in those woods. You were reckless, Shining. You can say whatever the hell you want about me, but you are no better than me!”

Fleethoof saw Shining’s jaw tremble as he bit down harder. He was really struggling to control himself. Shining’s eyes narrowed to slits and his tail flicked with agitation against the wall.

A rose-colored light glowing from his horn began to build, making Fleethoof wonder what sort of spell the unicorn was charging up. “Let me go before I beat your face.”

Fleethoof released a few more heavy breaths to vent his anger before letting his grip relax for fear of taking a swing at Shining. His muscles loosened until he had set the unicorn on the floor again. The stallions stood in the dark hallways, glaring daggers at one another from a space no more than a few inches. Fleethoof wanted to lash out, to release his pent up frustration with himself, with Shining, and with Alaric.

Instead, he settled on a sharp turn and walking away. He didn’t look back at Shining again, too afraid he’d still see the loathing look in his friend’s eyes—eye, he reminded himself in grim thought—if he could still call him a friend when all of this was said and done. Fleethoof didn’t care. It didn’t matter if Shining Armor never spoke to him again after this so long as they got Cadance back safe. Doing his best to keep from quivering with anger on each step, Fleethoof made his way out into the cold streets and back home. If Just Cause was speaking the truth, he would finally have a way to set things right again, and he wasn’t about to let anything, even Shining, get in his way.

January 22, Modern Era Year 4

0759 Hours

Department of Defense and Homeland Security

Canterlot, Equestria

The base of operations for Black Wraith was much more clandestine than Fleethoof had anticipated. When he arrived at the Department of Defense, an agent in a suit greeted him at the front doors and promptly led him through the maze of corridors to the elevators. Another agent stood before the closed doors with Midnight Dasher in tow. He exchanged a look with the bewildered Thestral as they stepped into the elevator. The agents unlocked a small panel on the elevator’s controls and pressed a hidden button within. The doors shut and the car descended.

Midnight shifted her weight away from the stiff agents and closer toward Fleethoof. “What are we doing here, Fleet?” she asked. He could sense the trepidation in her voice.

“You’ll see.”

He did his best to ignore the prying look of the mare beside him. He knew the only way Midnight would be here was if she accepted the Black Wraith offer. However, part of his agreement with Just Cause was an oath of silence. Neither he nor Shining Armor could discuss any of the details with the new Black Wraith operators until the minister had told them otherwise.

The elevator doors opened to a bright white corridor. A few ponies scurried between rooms, carrying mountains of paperwork and reports with them. The agents led Fleethoof and Midnight down the hall to somewhere else in the building. Fleethoof couldn’t even guess which basement level they had ended up in. The ponies followed their guides past door after door, unable to peer into them through the frosted glass windows. Everything about this place screamed top secret.

When they reached the end of the hallway, the group stood before a set of heavy-looking metal doors. The agents took positions on either side and opened the doors for the ponies, permitting them entrance. Fleethoof and Midnight stepped into the immense room. A group of ponies, many Fleethoof recognized as his own team, stood around a large terminal in the center of the room, various documents strewn across its surface while projections of maps hovered like magic over them. The far wall was made up of monitors displaying every major city in the world. Machines hummed and whirred with electrical life all around them.

“What is all this?” Midnight asked.

Fleethoof said nothing. Across the room, Shining Armor lifted his head from the group of ponies and waved them over.

“About time. Thought you two got lost.”

Fleethoof took painstaking measures to avoid looking at Shining. “What is this place?”

“This would be my contribution to our military’s R&D,” Just Cause spoke up from across the room. He approached the gathered ponies with several folders floating beside him. “Magical projection of crucial pieces of information, such as building schematics, weapon blueprints, photographs and records… you name it.”

Fleethoof waved a hoof through the projections, watching them stutter and wave in midair as if he had dispersed a cloud of steam. “You developed this?”

“Me? Oh, Goddess, no. That would be a team of very clever unicorns. I don’t know how any of this works. All I know is that it does.”

“Everypony, this is Captain Fleethoof and Corporal Midnight Dasher, the last two you need to know,” Shining introduced to the others around the projector terminal. “Captain Fleethoof, these are my ponies: Sergeant Fire Wave of the Marines—”

“We’ve met,” Fleethoof interjected, leaning across the way to shake hooves with his old acquaintance. “Pleasure to see you again, Sergeant.”

The Marine gave a curt nod of his head. “Likewise, sir.”

“Staff Sergeant Rook and Sergeant Major Centurion,” continued Shining, moving to two gruff-looking stallions in matching desert print uniforms. “They’re on loan to us from the Equestrian Rangers.”

Fleethoof raised a brow. “From Zavros?”

“Like we’d be from anywhere else,” Rook muttered.

“How’s it going over there?”

“Oh, you know, same old… Ponies gettin’ killed, mass genocide everywhere you look, no news coverage back home, not a flyin’ fuck given…” Centurion snorted under his breath, then added a snide, “thanks for askin’.”

Shining stepped up to the last pony in line, the mare smiling at the Captain of the Guard, then at Fleethoof. “And last but not least, Master Sergeant Raptor of the Air Force.”

“Wonderbolts Reserves,” she amended, then reached across to shake the captain’s hoof. “I’ve heard good things about you from Lieutenant Spitfire, sir.”

“Good things?” Fleethoof laughed to himself. “If they’re coming from Spitfire, then I know that can’t be true.”

“I’ve taken the liberty of introducing the rest of your team while we waited for you, Captain Fleethoof. Time is of the essence, after all,” Just Cause said. He levitated each of the folders to the ponies around the projector. “Now, you all know why I’ve summoned you here. You’ve all been briefed on Black Wraith and have volunteered to stay its course in the interests of Equestria.”

“Yeah, we know. Get on with it,” Rook groaned.

“From this moment on, in order to protect your identities, all official documents and briefings will refer to you as ‘Phantoms’. You will become that: ghosts. Specters of Equestria that your enemies will come to dread and fear. You cannot be stopped, you cannot be contained, and you cannot be defeated. I know I’ve given you carte blanche on how you conduct your missions, but bear in mind, you are not permitted to disobey my direct orders. Do I make myself clear?”

Murmurs of agreement ran through the group.

“Good. Remember to work together as a team. You will play nicely with one another, regardless of race, rank, gender, and personal history.”—He fixed Fleethoof and Shining Armor with a hard gaze—“There are no lone wolves or solitary heroes in Black Wraith. Listen to your team leaders, and above all else, watch each other’s backs.” Just Cause’s horn glowed as he manipulated the projections. The images shifted until Cadance and Alaric were both displayed side-by-side. “We all know this is about these two: Princess Cadenza and Alaric Dawnbreaker. We still have not located the princess, and we believe the individual that perpetrated her abduction is Alaric. Many of you remember him as the former leader of the Griffon Kingdom.”

“Get on with it!” Rook’s second interruption earned him a swift smack upside the back of his head from Centurion.

“We’ve exhausted all possible leads on either of them,” Shining said with a sigh of defeat. “Unless there’s some magical piece of intel we’ve missed, we’ve got nothing.”

“No, Captain Armor, I’m afraid you’re right. We have no idea where in the world they are.”

Just Cause’s news did little to help soften the somber mood in the room. Fleethoof watched Shining Armor’s shoulders slump as he leaned against the projector. He was losing hope. He had to admit that he felt the walls closing in on him too. Each second slipping by felt like a smack to the face, mocking him and reminding him of what he was losing.

“What we do have is an idea of where to start.”

Shining Armor’s ears pricked up atop his skull. Fleethoof lifted his head to meet the minister’s conniving eyes. “We know where information on Alaric is?”

“We do,” Just Cause said with a curt tip of his head. “Since we’ve had no luck getting access to the griffons’ private archives, we’ve had to settle for the second best paper trail to Alaric.”

“Which is…?” Fleethoof held his breath, waiting for the rub.

“The Tail Aviv Archives.”

There it was. He knew there had to be some Goddess-awful catch for there to be such a prominent ray of sunshine. It seemed like nopony else knew how to take the revelation either. Shining Armor looked shell-shocked. Half of his team was staring in disbelief at the minister, as if the stallion had just proposed they sacrifice their firstborn foals in a pagan ritual. The Rangers were laughing.

“The Re'emian Archives?” Centurion repeated between chuckles. “Now I know you’ve gotta be pullin’ my leg.”

“I assure you, Sergeant, I am quite serious.”

“Then you’re outta your fuckin’ mind. The Re'emians are our own allies, stained as that friendship may be, plus they’re at war right now. Those archives are gonna be locked up tighter than a clam with lockjaw. Not to mention they’re bein’ run by the Mossad.”

“Will the Re'emians not share that information with us willingly?” asked Shining.

Just Cause shook his head. “Alaric is not wanted for any crimes in Re'em. He and the griffons are still friends of the nation—much closer to them than we are. I tried to reason with Director Adonai, but he refused to provide us with the rope to hang Alaric. They do not want to be involved at all.”

“Fuck that!” Sharp Shot scoffed. “They’re involved by association!”

“Yeah, cause that’s gonna hold up reeeal nice in a tribunal…” Rook muttered.

Just Cause sighed. “Look, I understand your reluctance. I know this may seem difficult—”

“It looks like outright suicide to me,” interjected Centurion.

“Let him talk.” Fleethoof steeled his gaze on Centurion, staring off with the Ranger for a moment before giving a look to Just Cause to continue.

“I know this may seem difficult, but I wouldn’t have summoned you all if I didn’t have the utmost faith in your ability to complete the job.”

“But… infiltrating the Mossad Headquarters?” Raptor asked. “It’s never been done. It’s impossible.”

“It’s not impossible. It just requires a certain amount of preparation and finesse.”

Raptor didn’t seem convinced. “It seems impossible to me…”

“I can do it.”

All eyes turned to Fleethoof when he spoke. He nodded and turned his eyes to his team with a confident glean in them. “My team can handle it.”

“Ha! Seven ponies against the entire Mossad?” Rook looked on the verge of laughter. “You’ll all be dead before daybreak.”

“No, they won’t, because we’re going too,” Shining Armor said. Rook and Centurion exchanged a look; a silent conversation passed between their eyes. “Something you want to share, Centurion?”

“With all due respect, Shinin’, this is a piss poor deal.” He gave a forlorn shake of his head. “I know you mean well, tryin’ to get the princess back, but trust me. Rook and I have seen nothin’ but death over in Zavros, and I know when we’re walkin’ into a trap. This has bad news written all over it.”

Shining looked completely unfazed by the sergeant’s concerns. “You took an oath to protect Equestria and its leaders, Centurion—no exceptions. And it’s more than that. You were with me in Asgard. You remember what it was like fighting Alaric and his fanatics. Now’s our chance to hunt him down and end it all. Or have you forgiven all the pain and suffering he caused already?”

Centurion snorted, an indignant look on his face. “You know damn well it ain’t like that, Shinin’.” He paused, seeming to collect his thoughts. “I have ponies dependin’ on me comin’ back to Fetlock. I can’t be runnin’ around like a damn fool chasing ghosts to find a princess we’ve already lost.”

“And I have the entire Royal Guard relying on me. I’m still going.”

Shining Armor and Centurion held each other’s gazes for the longest time. The room was kept from silence by the humming of the computer terminals alone. It was Centurion who gave in first, turning his gaze down to the floor with another shake of his head that tousled his navy blue mane.

“Dammit if you aren’t the most persistent son of a bitch, Shinin’…” Centurion laughed, and then sighed. He lifted his head a fraction of an inch to glance across the table at his captain. “All right, you win. We’re in.”

Rook looked gobsmacked. “Cent, you can’t be serious.”

“We’re already here, Rookie. Might as well make ourselves useful.”

“I’m down for fucking up the Mossad,” Fire Wave pitched in. “Not in the Marines to shy from a challenge.”

All eyes turned to Raptor last. The mare rubbed her foreleg and rolled her eyes. “Wow, the peer pressure is real. I guess if everypony else is doing it, I should do my part, too.”

“Thank you,” Shining said with a smile. “All right, Minister. That’s a dozen ponies. So what’s the mission?”

Just Cause took a few moments to work the computer terminal. Before their eyes, the hologram shifted to create a three-dimensional projection of the Mossad Headquarters. A section in the middle of the building was highlighted with a bright blue glow.

“This operation, codenamed Operation Phoenix, is a straight hit on the archives. As Sergeant Raptor pointed out, the archives are housed in the Mossad Headquarters. That means you won’t be dealing with your run-of-the-mill soldiers protecting them. Mossad agents are renown for their brutal efficiency at subduing and eliminating threats. In a metaphor, you’ll be trying to steal honey from hornets.”

“Hornets don’t make hon—ow!” Sharp Shot was quieted by a well-placed smack on the head by Fleethoof.

“The archives are all electronic now, which means that you’ll have to infiltrate the archives, hack the mainframe, and find the information you’re looking for. Anything pertaining to Alaric Dawnbreaker is fair game.”

“How are we going to hack a computer like that?” Midnight asked. “They’ve probably got a ton of security on it.”

“We’ve created a special backdoor virus designed specifically for cracking encryptions and passwords when installed on a computer.” Just Cause levitated an optical disc over to Midnight. “You will have to disable the system’s firewall remotely, but after that, simply put this disc in and the program will do all the legwork getting you in. Imagine it like a digital lock pick, if you will.”

Midnight squealed with delight and took the disc with a ‘mine!’. Valiant raised his hoof. “Do we know the Re'emians have any relevant info on Alaric before we go burning this bridge?”

The minister puckered his lips and shook his head. “No, we do not. But we know Alaric has served with them in the past and they are on friendly terms with the griffons. They may still have records on his contacts, friends, hideouts… If we have any chance at finding a clue—even the slightest, most minuscule hint—we have to take it. Otherwise, we’re walking blind in the dark.” Just Cause waited a moment to let the information sink in, reading the expressions of the ponies around him. None of them looked too happy. “Ready for the catch? While you’re in there, under no circumstances are you permitted to kill any Mossad agents.”

All at once, everypony began to voice their disapproval. Everypony looked visibly distressed at the restriction. Just Cause held up his hoof to quiet them before adding, “In fact, you aren’t permitted to bring any weaponry on this op.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Rook hissed. “I’d rather give up my left leg than my gun.”

Midnight Dasher asked, “No weapons? What if they start shooting at us?”

“Then duck, or avoid being seen in the first place.” Just Cause didn’t bat an eyelash while he spoke with cool detachment. “It’s one thing to be breaking into a government facility and stealing from a nation we’re supposed to be friends with, but murdering their agents is a different business. You are free to subdue the agents as you see fit and bring any nonlethal equipment as necessary, but there are to be no casualties. None. If you get caught, the mission is scrubbed. Try to escape with whatever you have. If you can’t, surrender, and I will do my best to get them to turn you loose. However, if you do get caught, it’s game over. We’ll have no intel and no leads to track Alaric down with. Do I make myself clear?”

Nopony spoke or moved. The sour grimaces on their faces told Just Cause all he needed to know.

“Where do we go if we get caught” asked Fleethoof, “or when we complete the mission?”

“In both eventualities, either the Equestrian embassy or local FOB will work. Once there, get in touch with me and I’ll have you home as fast as I can.” Just Cause shut down the holograms and folded his hooves on the terminal. “I know this is less than ideal for you ponies. I know this isn’t the sort of thing you’re used to—”He stopped himself and glanced over at the group of ponies in matching black uniforms. “—Most of you aren’t used to. If I had another alternative, I would take it. But I don’t, and neither do you, and neither does Equestria.”

Just Cause paused to take a breath. In that moment, Fleethoof decided to voice a question that had been gnawing at his mind. “Why are you doing this? Being so hooves-on in this kind of work.” He stared into the cyan eyes of the minister across the terminal. “Why take a risk that could ruin your career?”

A smirk twisted at the edge of Just Cause’s mouth. Fleethoof couldn’t decide if it put him off or not. “Because, like you, I took an oath to do whatever I can to better Equestria. If my job wants me to sit on my hooves and do nothing, then I don’t want this career regardless. This is me doing just that. It might be unethical, even illegal, but if I don’t, how can I say I did all I could when I knew in my heart that I didn’t?”

The minister’s words had left Fleethoof in a confusing state of bewilderment. He hadn’t expected such a patriotic response from the stallion. He had expected the typical spiel of a politician, the lies and sweet nothings they spewed to get elected and then do everything but what they said. Just Cause didn’t mince words. He didn’t make promises. He told things the way they were and let the chips fall where they may.

Fleethoof couldn’t decide if he liked or resented the minister for his outlandish manner. On the one hoof, he let him do his work as he saw fit. On the other, Fleethoof couldn’t get a read on him. He knew how to see through the façade of every other representative or senator or whatever—but not Just Cause. It perturbed him not having the upper hoof in their relationship.

“If there’s no other questions, I’ll let you ponies discuss your gear and plan. There’s a train leaving for Tail Aviv at one with a private car reserved for a wealthy anonymous benefactor. I suggest you not miss it,” Just Cause said and made his way out of the room. “Good luck, Phantoms. Make me proud.”