Thursday
0830

"Thank you for coming, everypony." I turned to cast a map spell on the wall behind me. "Operation Baltimare is now a Stable Scout operation, and you're all taking part." I looked to the map. "This is the city of Baltimare, about a day's trot to the northeast." A blue circle appeared around the prewar hospital. "This is Redheart General Hospital. Intel says that it's been occupied and reactivated, and our next mission is to open a dialogue with the ponies occupying it."

I glanced around at the ponies present.

Crescent Spark, eager and ready.

Mineral Sands, curiosity but wariness visible in her maroon eyes.

Ivory Charm, pulling her mane back into a bun.

Cast Collage, looking around in discomfort.

Pumpkin Blitz, looking around alertly as she brushed a wing through her short, spiky mane.

Cerulean Mend, yawning.

Dashie, sprawled out across two seats, missing nothing.

Cyclone sitting at attention, looking to me.

"Questions?"

"Yea, I got one." Cerulean waved a hoof in the air. "What am I doing here?"

"You're coming along to inspect the capabilities of Redheart General and tell me what they need and what we can offer them."

"Like hell I'm leaving the Stable with you again." Cerulean rose. "Miss Sands is an excellent doctor, you'll be fine." He waved a hoof in Sands' direction and turned and trotted off.

"Very well, Doctor." After the door closed behind Cerulean, I coughed and looked to the rest of the ponies present. "Is there anyone else that would rather stay in the Stable?"

Everyone shared a look. Pumpkin raised a wing. "I think I speak for everyone when I say, we're with you, Captain." Charm grinned.

"Good. Questions about the mission?"

Sands spoke up with a glance towards the door, scrunching her muzzle in confusion. "What was his problem?"

"He disagreed with some of my decisions during our last mission." Pumpkin snickered quietly. "Did you say something, Blitz?"

Pumpkin sobered up. "No, ma'am."

"Good. Questions?" There we none. "We deploy at 1030. Meet back here no later than 1000. Dismissed!" Dashie hoofed out a stack of M2500s to the team as they filed out.

Cerulean trotted into the Security station. "Hey, Firefly. It's time for your check up."

"Cerulean, you suck at this doctor stuff." I looked up from my M2500 to see who it was.

"Sorry?" Cerulean looked... hurt? "I need to make sure your leg is healing properly."

"Oh, okay." I snickered. "You don't need to come up with excuses to make me take my clothes off, Cerulean."

He gave me a blank expression in return. "I don't see that being an issue."

"Okay, okay." I smirked at him. "Briefing room?"

"Sure." Cerulean frowned, deadpan, and trotted to the briefing room. "Lay down on the floor so I can look at your leg."

I nodded, laying down on the floor and tugging my barding up to my shoulder. "Thought you didn't like me, Cerulean."

"I have no clue what you've been smoking, but I never said that." He prodded my leg a few times. "Even if I didn't, I'd still be here to check on your leg."

"Sure implied it."

"I never 'imply' anything. If I didn't like you, I'd tell you I didn't like you."

"So, you're saying you don't like me, but you don't hate me?"

"Look, shut up. I don't dislike you." Cerulean rose to his hooves. "All done. Your leg is healing fine."

"Oooh, touchy. You don't dislike me." I smirked at him.

"Seriously, Firefly? Be professional. Pretend you're an adult." He leaned in a little closer, smirking. "I don't dislike you because you're not fun."

Hey!

"I can be fun!" I glared at him.

"Oh yeah? I don't believe you."

"Oh really?" I smirked and rose to my hooves. "Not fun, huh?"

"Nope." Cerulean smirked back at me.

"Oh yeah?" I leaned in, just a little closer.

...

And then I kissed him.

...

Someone cleared their throat.

I recognized that sound.

Celestia damn it.

I opened my eyes and glanced over to the door at the voice. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Again with the....

I took a step back from Cerulean and wiped my muzzle on my hoof. "Hello, Pumpkin."

"I think you were better off with the faucet, personally." That fuckin' grin....

"Can it, Blitz." I glared at her, tugging my barding back down.

"Yes, ma'am!" She saluted, turned and trotted off. "Got some lipstick on your face, Mend." She gestured to her cheek with a wing.

"What was that about...?" Cerulean looked confused, rubbing his cheek with his hoof.

"You don't have any lipstick on your face, Cerulean." He stopped wiping his cheek and glared at the door Pumpkin had disappeared through. "So you said my leg was healed?"

"No, that's not what I said. It's healing up nicely, though. Have Miss Sands take a look at it tomorrow or whatever."

"Sure thing, Doc." I saluted him.

Cerulean looked to me for a long moment, his expression impenetrable, ears folded back. "I'm... going now." He turned and trotted off.

1000 found my troops at the briefing room. I looked around. "Good. Everypony read the briefing given to you?" Everyone said they had. "Any questions?"

Spark waved a hoof in the air. "Your report mentioned that we'll be heading to Redheart General via stopovers at FOB Haven and the Baltimare Central Exchange. What's that?"

"Good question. FOB Haven is an outpost we set up in the town of Haven." I turned and highlighted Haven on the map. "As for BCE? Cyclone knows the area better than I do. Cyclone?" I looked to him.

"Baltimare Central Exchange is a trading hub centered around what was known as the "Inner Harbor" of Baltimare, the tourist areas."

"Tourist?" Charm looked confused. I was curious, too.

"Ah." Cyclone frowned, thinking. "It's where ponies who didn't live in Baltimare visited, usually for... large meetings. Baltimare was a nice city to be, inside of those small areas."

"And if you were outside of those areas?"

"Well, let's just say that prewar Baltimare was the source of some of those legends about what happens to ponies who are outside after dark."

"Nice place." Dashie smirked.

"Really, it was, at times." Cyclone sounded sincere, and he sighed. "Any other questions?"

Charm raised her hoof. "One for Captain Firefly, actually. Who are we escorting to FOB Haven?"

"They're some Arcane Sciences ponies. They're going to set up a school there and help with the local agriculture. Stable 30 will save the wasteland and all that crap." I waved a hoof. "You know. Next?"

Collage cleared his throat and spoke up. "What kind of hostiles, if any?"

I looked to Cyclone, and he answered. "Honestly, I don't know. It's been a few years since I was around there, and a lot can change in that time, especially with the Crimson Raiders."

"The report mentioned the Crimson Raiders... were peace keepers or something?" Spark spoke up.

"Basically." Cyclone nodded. "They're the largest power in the area, and they tend to keep the smaller gang wars from getting out of control." Cyclone thought. "Well, there's the Steel Rangers, but I don't actually know if they're as dangerous as they like to think they are. Disgraceful."

"Right...." I coughed. "Back to business, folks. Any further questions?"

Sands raised a hoof, addressing Cyclone directly. "What can you tell me about the hospital?"

"Well, it's a prewar hospital." Sands frowned as Cyclone stated the bluntly obvious. "Ponies have occupied it, fixed it up somewhat and are now offering medical assistance to ponies. For caps, of course. It stands to reason that trading for medical supplies would be something that interests them. Thus, our mission."

I picked up where Cyclone had left off. "The purpose of Operation Baltimare is to protect the Stable via creating alliances with the major powers in the area. Securing an alliance with the local hospital would benefit all parties, both those involved in the deal and otherwise." I glanced around at my ponies. "Any further questions?" There were none. "Dash and I are Team One." I gestured to Pumpkin and Cyclone. "Blitz and Cyclone, Team Two. Spark and Sands, Team Three, Charm and Collage, Team Four. Lets get dressed, folks."

I lead the way across to the Armory, and found a small mob of ponies loitering around the station, others visible outside. I raised my voice, speaking over the sound of quiet chatter. "What seems to be the problem, ponies?" Nopony seemed interested in answering. "Well?"

Aura Cinnamon spoke up from the midst of a group. "We're here to see you off, Firefly."

"All of you?" I glanced around the crowd.

"Well... yeah."

I glanced to my Pipbuck. 1015. "I can't argue with that...." I looked to the Armory. "But we need to get dressed first." I took a step towards the locker room doors, and the crowd parted.

"Mornin', Weld." Weld was, as usual, working on a weapon. A pair of IF-9s were field stripped on his workbench.

He looked up as we entered. "Another mission Outside, Captain?"

"Yep!" I grinned at him, and he frowned in concern. "We'll be fine, Weld."

Five minutes later saw all of us dressed. As Cyclone finished, he started jumping up and down. "What are you doing, Cyclone?"

"Making sure my kit won't move. Sure would suck to lose something on the move, don't you think?"

"Makes sense." I turned to the rest of the group. "Jump test, ponies."

"Captain?" Sands looked to me curiously.

"You heard me." She shared a look with Collage, and they shrugged, jumping up and down halfheartedly.

Dashie had his beltgun and quad power hooves, plus the standard heavy armor plates. Everyone else had light armor and saddlebags, and a helmet or boonie hats. Sands had an IF-18 revolver, Spark had an IF-9 shotgun. Ivory had an IF-44 subgun, and Collage had another IF-18. Pumpkin had her beam rifle, and Cyclone had another IF-44. I had my IF-9 I'd picked up from the police station and my IF-21 pistols. Sands also had a spare belt of shells for Dashie's beltgun.

I settled my helmet on, adjusted my headset and switched over to my comms. "Comms check, folks. We good?"

Dashie nodded, grinning. "We good, boss."

I shifted to Team 1 personal comms. "What, no odds on Range shitting a brick this time?"

Dashie smirked after a moment. "I dunno, you gonna tell me about your plans to curl up in the shower and masturbate tonight?"

"No, I did that this morning, actually. You know how I like to be prepared." I raised my voice to cut off any response from Dashie, earning a sour look from him. "We ready? Let's move." I lead the way out of Security to the Door, and the crowd followed us.

Shit, that's gotta be at least fifty ponies.

1025. "Five minutes. Kit check, kit check. Anything you wanna take with you, get it now. We're not comin' back for your one-of-a-kind whatever."

Spark was immediately embraced by a mare of similar palette I would venture a guess was her mother.

Sands was deep in conversation about two ponies I presumed were her parents, a pair of arcane science egghead types I'd seen around, but never actually met.

Charm was talking with her father, Amber Rhyme. It was not a happy discussion. Collage was a polite distance away.

Pumpkin and Tawny were talking together in a private corner.

I trotted over to the group of Arcane Sciences ponies. "Are your ponies ready?"

"We are, Captain." There were three of them, dressed in light Stable suits with saddlebags slung over their flanks.

"You three may want some armor. It's rough out there."

The leader shook his head. "We don't need armor. We're teachers, not fighters."

"Raiders out there won't care whether you're a teacher or not."

"I think we'll be fine, Captain. We're going to Haven. It's a civilized town, right?" The unicorn paused, looking to me. "Besides, it is your job to protect us."

"It would make my job much easier if you would take some steps to protect yourselves."

"Of course, Captain." He gave me a polite smile, and they shared a glance when they thought I wasn't looking.

I know, I know - stupid, paranoid Security pony. Can't do her damn job.

Fucking civies.

"It's your call...." Cerulean caught my eye from the edge of the crowd. "If you'll excuse me, ponies." I stepped over to him. "Yes?"

He looked around a little nervously, before speaking quietly. "Did you mean what you said?" I raised an eyebrow at him. "About being my friend?"

"Yes." I nodded. "When I say something like that, I generally mean it." He nodded, looking a little dazed. "Doc? You okay?"

"Um... yes." He paused, looking around, before returning to me. "Did that kiss mean anything?"

"Uh, no." I shook my head. "You're my friend, that's all. Besides..." I glanced over my shoulder to Range, chatting with the Overmare. "Range would shit a brick if she caught us boning." I threw him a grin.

Cerulean returned the grin with a snicker. "You're too young for me, anyways."

Hey!

I'm not- Wait.

That was a compliment.

Wasn't it?

I nodded. "I'm gonna leave that one alone." He leaned over and awkwardly hugged me.

...

"What is it with old ponies hugging me without asking?" Cerulean looked genuinely confused at that. "Never mind. You staying here?" I paused as he looked confused. "I'd feel better with you watching my flanks out there." Cerulean shuddered.

Not like that.

He frowned - a look of potentially genuinely reconsidering my question - before shaking his head and glancing over to Sapphire, who was walking over to join Range and the Overmare. "Someone has to keep an eye on your mother, don't you think?"

I followed his gaze to her, looking back to him as his gaze softened. Ahh, right. "Okay, Cerulean." I glanced to my Pipbuck. 1028. I walked over to join my mother, Range and the Overmare.

"Good luck, Captain." Overmare Keeper smiled to me.

"Luck is for those who have no plans." I tossed her a confident grin in return. "We'll be back in a few days, Overmare."

"You better." Range groaned to me, stretching. "I'll never hear the end of it from the Council if you don't." She looked to me. "Oh, I'll be sad if you don't, too."

"I feel so loved, Range." She grinned back, and I looked over to my mother. My mother smiled and leaned over to hug me. I leaned into the hug, and kissed her on the cheek. "Gotta go, mother. Be back in a few days."

I stepped from the hug and cleared my throat loudly. "Security!" Everyone fell silent and looked to me. "We ready?" I glanced to my troops. They looked back with various signs of agreement. "Let's move."

"Welcome to the Outside, ponies." I lead the way past the wire. "Please don't look up."

Charm, Sands and one of the eggheads looked up.

Of course.

The egghead threw up.

Wonderful.

Charm grinned brightly in awe. "Wow! It's so... open!" Yes... yes it is. I calmly kept my eyes on the muddy path under me.

"Hey, Captain, that's the sun, right?" Collage looked up, pointing off towards the light in the sky, hidden behind clouds.

Cyclone looked to Collage like he'd grown an extra set of hooves. Considering the wasteland, that might not be so weird for him.... "Yes. That is the sun."

Two hours of brisk trotting took us to FOB Haven. I was almost getting familiar with the path there.

"We're making good time, folks."

We headed in to Security and checked in.

Sergeant Chipped Helm, the head of the garrison at FOB Haven, saluted. "Captain, I was thinking - if we could set up a communications signal booster here, we could keep in radio contact with the Stable, rather than having to rely on your teams carrying messages. What if we were attacked?"

"That's a good idea. I like it." I nodded. "You know the Council, write up a proposal, blah blah blah."

She sighed. "Of course, Captain...."

"I know, I know. It's a pain in the flank for us." I glanced over to the eggheads with us. "These eggheads are now part of your group. They've volunteered to help with the farming here, and one of them is going to host a school."

"Ah...." All eyes turned to them. The leader, the one who had declined armor, gave me a dirty look.

I gave him a sweet smile in return, then continued after a moment. "Also, you should know - you're now part of Stable Scout, rather than Stable Security. If any of you want a transfer back to the Stable, I'll make it happen." I glanced around.

The five ponies occupying FOB Haven sat around the station, looking at me. One of them spoke up. "So, Captain... what is this 'Stable Scout' group?"

"I suggested that ponies operating outside of the Stable - you know, like you ponies - should have their own group, separate from Stable Security. The Council approved it."

Night Stick spoke up. "And you named it after what the Mayor calls you...?"

Clever.

"The main duty of the Stable Scout is intelligence gathering, after all."

"And the Mayor calls you that."

"Yes." I nodded. "Congrats - you're now all Stable Scouts." I glanced to Sergeant Helm. "By the way, Sergeant, I'd prefer if you kept at least one Stable 30 member on the walls at all times."

"Of course, Captain...."

"So! Tell me - how are the local militia?"

"They're not bad. Over all they're more experienced than us, but with less formal training. Their discipline is really lacking. They're workable, I think. Captain Frosty is trustworthy." Sergeant Helm chewed on her lip. "The rest of her troops, well...." She shrugged. "I wouldn't trust any of them to watch my flanks, to be honest."

"Understandable. Keep up what you're doing - you're doing good work out here."

"Thank you, Captain...."

I turned to my ponies. "Dash, take Team Three. Check out the Marketplace, see if there's anything we could use. Team Four, stay here. Keep them updated on whatever gossip they want. Team Two, on me. Meet up back here in thirty mikes. Questions?"

Next, I headed to the Mayor's office. His secretary threw me a nasty look, but waved me in. "Hello, Mayor."

"Scout! So good to see you! Take a seat!" He waved towards the cushions.

"And you, Mayor." I smiled. "I can't, I'm afraid. But I came in to tell you that I brought some ponies to help with your farming. Someone to set up a school, and someone else to help with structural engineering. If you don't mind me saying so, some of those buildings look like they could use some help."

"What brought this on?"

"Well, they volunteered, actually. Like I said, we want to help Haven, and my superiors felt that this would be a benefit to all involved."

"Mmm, that is wonderful!"

"I thought so, too." I smiled to the Mayor. "I have one question, though...." He looked to me. "Why didn't you mention the Crimson Raiders the last time we talked?"

"I assumed you knew." His brows came together, and he frowned. "How could you not? Aren't the Crimson Raiders working for the Stable?"

"Ah." I shook my head. "Daft Stable pony, remember?" I smiled to him and glanced down to my Pipbuck. "We have to get moving, I'm afraid, Mayor, but I just wanted to check in with you. Thank you very much for your time!" I bowed out and made a quick exit to go link up with Dashie.

A half hour later found the rest of us back at the Security station. "We all ready?"

"All ready here, Captain!" Spark saluted.

"No, no saluting." Cyclone shook his head. "Saluting out here gets squad leaders shot."

I looked to Cyclone, then nodded. "That makes sense, Sergeant. No saluting out here, ponies. I'd like to avoid getting shot, if you don't mind."

Spark flushed. "Uh, sorry, ma'am...."

"Don't worry about it. You didn't know, and now you do." I glanced around to my troops. "We ready? Let's move."

It was mid afternoon by the time we reached the outskirts of Baltimare, and I turned on the radio to listen. "And so, we have some neeeeews from the rest of the hellhole they call Equestria. In this instance, apparently, a small army of slavers from Fillydelphia are busy sieging Tenpony Tower." Lunar Note paused for a moment. "Honestly? I don't know who to dislike in this. On one hoof, slavers, and fuck everything about slavers. But on another hoof, Tenpony Tower are kind of dicks. But on the third hoof, they're okay dicks, I guess. And on the fourth hoof? ... Yeeeah, I got nothin'. Maybe the Stable Dweller will go fuck 'em up, cause last I heard she was up in that area. Then again, I'd also heard rumors that she's comin' up towards Baltimare from the south. Aaaaand that's all for Baltimare News Weekly, folks. Have some music." A fast drum and bass beat came from my Pipbuck as Lunar Note spoke in a deadpan tone. "It's not rock, it's not electronic, it's... rocktronic. What does that mean? Bugger if I know. Enjoy."

"The Stable Dweller is coming here?"

Dashie shook his head. "I'll believe it when I see her."

Cyclone frowned. "I'm not sure that's a good thing."

"Oh?" I looked to Cyclone. "Why not?"

"Didn't you hear about Bucklyn Cross? Arbu?"

"I may have missed that. What happened?"

"This is all just rumors and hearsay, but apparently the Stable Dweller attacked both the town of Arbu and the Steel Rangers base at Bucklyn Cross."

"Massacred...?"

Dashie shook his head. "I dunno, that sounds pretty sketchy. Why would she do that?"

Cyclone shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first 'hero' I've seen to go bad." He glanced to me seriously. "You're not planning to massacre any settlements, are you?"

Why would I...? I shook my head. "Not planning to."

"We don't actually know that she did that, though." Dashie looked over. "What if this is just the beginning of some horrible evil monster's reign of terror?"

I looked to him for a long moment.

He kept his serious expression.

"Are you serious?"

"We don't know anything more than rumors at this point." Dashie shrugged. "It's just as likely some monster as it is the Stable Dweller going bad."

"Yeah, okay, you're right." I glanced to Dashie.

"I think we're being watched, boss."

I glanced to Dashie, then down to my EFS. "Not a whole lot we can do about it, I think."

"Sure we could. Take longer, roundabout routes. Go underground, maybe."

"We could turn around and go home." Collage called out from the back.

"Yeah, I don't see that happening." I shook my head.

"So...." I sidled over to Dashie.

"I dislike it when you use that tone." He frowned at me.

"Why do you sleep around so much?" I glanced around with a smirk. "I don't see any potentially interrupting radroaches here, do you?"

"Tempting fate, that." Dashie smirked back to me.

"That was one nice dodge. Seriously, though."

"I plead the fifth."

"This isn't an interrogation and you're not under arrest, so that doesn't work here."

"If this isn't an interrogation and I'm not under arrest, then there's no contempt of court. So! Go suck a cock." Dashie threw me an obnoxious smirk.

"Classy, Dashie."

He sighed and leaned in with a look of genuine... worry? "This is not a road you want to go down, Firefly." I stuck my lower lip out at him, and he sighed. "I... like you."

Wait.... "You mean..." I glanced to him, and then down to me. "You..." Back to him. "Me...?" Over to me again. "Us?"

He nodded. "Yes."

Oh.

I looked away from him. This is definitely not something I have the time for.

I turned and stepped away from him, seeing what Spark and Sands were discussing.

LOCATION DISCOVERED: BALTIMARE - CENTRAL EXCHANGE

Another hour trot took us to our first objective, the Baltimare Central Exchange.

"You don't look like Crimson Raiders." The pony at the gate looked at us. "State your business."

"That's good - we're not." I stepped forward. "We're passing through, stopping here to pick up some supplies."

"Very well. Don't cause any trouble." He turned to write, before looking back to us. "Hey, are you the Stable ponies that mare on the radio's been babbling on about?"

"Captain Firefly, Scout of Stable 30, at your service." I bowed grandly.

"Uh huh. Okay." He crossed something out and rewrote it. "You should check in with Splinter - she's our head of security. She likes to meet any new groups entering her home. She's in the building just past the gate."

"Of course we would."

The guard glanced around at us as the gate opened, and he stepped aside after a moment. "Ah, hello Cyclone. Didn't recognize you under all that barding."

"Evenin', Jaywalker."

I glanced over as we entered the Central Exchange. "You know him?"

"Not exactly, not really. Living for two hundred years tends to make you a bit of a celebrity, though."

"Fair enough." I glanced forward. The Central Exchange seemed to follow one street - Prance Street. To the south was the main Market. Forward, to the west, seemed to be the rest of the settlement, a bunch of repurposed buildings. A couple questions directed us to an office on the second floor overlooking the main entrance we'd just come through.

"So. What brings a team of security from a Stable a day's trot outside of the city to my village?" She was a older lavender earth pony with violet mane, dressed in light, stitched barding. A picture sat on her desk - clearly a younger Splinter, hugging two stallions. On her right was a blue earth pony with a pair of glasses, a grumpy look and a prosthetic on his right forehoof. On her left was a grey unicorn wearing an aviator's cap. They looked... happy.

I cleared my throat before launching into my pitch. "Stable 30 is moving out into the wasteland, and we're seeking allies for the long run. Today, this is just a step along the way to our objective." I paused, glancing around her office. "You know, I'm sure there is something that the Baltimare Central Exchange could use that perhaps Stable 30 could supply?"

"This is the largest trading hub inside Baltimare." The mare shook her head. "If we can't find something, it can't be found in this world." She rose, walking over to the window overlooking the entrance.

Interesting phrasing. "The Stable does have information and technology from prewar times, you know...."

She thought about it. "Perhaps. See me before you leave."

"Will do." I followed her over to the window, looking out. "So, where would you suggest we go?" She looked over curiously. "We're taking a rest here."

"The Hard Rock Cafe has good food." She looked over me critically. "I suppose barding isn't something you need. The Marketplace has plenty of supplies for trade, though I can't imagine you Stable ponies would have need anything."

"Strangely enough, the Stable isn't big on producing non-essentials. I'm sure my troops would love the chance to buy what they can't find at home." I bowed to her. "Thank you for your assistance, ma'am."

I glanced around the marketplace, checked the time, then over to my troops. "It's 1603. Half hour of trading, then we rendezvous at the Hard Rock Cafe for a meal at 1630. Stay in groups, don't wander off alone, keep in contact. Questions?"

My troops looked around, before Spark lead Sands off into the marketplace with a grin. "Let's go get some stuff, Min!" Charm lead Collage off on another direction.

I glanced to the rest of my troops. "Dash, Blitz? Cyclone?"

Dashie shrugged. "I'm with you, boss."

Pumpkin glanced around, then nodded.

"I could show you around, if you like. I've been here a few times."

Dashie tossed Cyclone one of his lopsided smirks. "Only a few, huh?"

"Yeah, only a few." Cyclone shrugged. "Over the past few months, anyways." He grinned back at Dashie. "What is it you're looking for, Firefly?"

"Just give me a quick tour?"

"Sure." Cyclone nodded and lead the way along Prance Street. A Crimson Raider patrol strolled past us, and I gave them a wide berth. "Marketplace is that way. The buildings surrounding it are part of it, housing upscale, more permanent shops, all with a theme. Weapons, barding, general supplies, ectera ectera. If you're looking for anything, you can probably find it here." He gestured to the opposite side. "Inner Harbor. Don't go for a swim."

"Radiation?" Pumpkin hovered above us, looking over to the water.

"Among other things, yes. I think two hundred years may have cleared the sewage, but...." He shook his head. "Just don't. I don't know what sorcery they use to clean the fish living in there, but it's pretty good. Just don't think about it too hard."

"Ewww." Pumpkin shook her head. "What's that?" She pointed a hoof out into the harbor towards a half-sunken structure.

"HMS Neighvarro. It was a coal freighter in prewar times. Now it's a shelter if BCE ever gets attacked. Very defensible."

I glanced over to it. "Bet that makes taking a Stable look like taking cupcakes from a foal."

"Bingo." Cyclone nodded and gestured up Prance Street. "Several inns, including the Hard Rock Cafe. Excellent food, good rooms. A lot of meat." He glances over to us. "That's not going to be an issue, is it?"

"Eww, meat." I shook my head. "I'd rather starve than eat another living critter."

Cyclone smirked. "Oh you poor, poor Stable pony."

Dashie shook his head. "We've done this before, Cyclone, you're wasting your time."

"Ah." Cyclone frowned.

Dashie snickered and pointed a hoof at a lopsided street sign. "Hey, Pumpkin, look, it's your street!"

S Gay Street.

Pumpkin flushed a little. "Ah. Ha ha. Very funny, Lieutenant."

"Did... did you really just...?" I looked to Dashie in concern.

Cyclone provided an excellent distraction. "If we head up the next street, there's a museum that's been restored." He pointed up the street.

I shook my head. "We're not on a sightseeing tour, Sergeant."

"Oh, right...." He frowned sadly.

We continued on down the street, and looped back to the marketplace, browsing. I spotted a weapon at a trading booth. A weapon with a very, very familiar profile.

"Is... is that a...?"

"Captain?" Pumpkin looked to me in concern.

I shook my head and trotted over to it.

Sure looks like an IF-88 Ironpony.

The proprietor greeted me. "Ah! Welcome, welcome! I am Avarice, and my associates manufacture fine weapons and tools of all kinds! All focusing on the field of killing!" I ignored her for the moment, focusing on the IF-88. "I see you've seen our most prestigious weapon - the Ironshod Firearms model 88 Ironpony." She paused for a moment while I continued ignoring her. "One thousand caps."

...

I'm thinking about it....

"I'd like to see it." I looked up to her finally. She was an offensively pink earth pony with a styled blonde mane.

"If you break it, you're going to have to pay for it... Do you still want to see it?"

"If it's worth what you're offering, I'll give you your money. If it's not, I'm going to walk away. Yes, I'd like to see it."

"Ah... well. If you insist. Remember - you break it, you buy it!"

Uh huh.

She slid the box over and opened it slowly. Very dramatically.

...

"This... is not an IF-88."

It was a pathetic mockery of an IF-88.

Poorly manufactured with crude hoof tools. Tool marks were visible everywhere. The worst kind of earth pony manufacturing.

I levitated it out. "What the fuck is this?" I looked up to her.

The box it was stored in looked legitimate, though. Probably worth more than the weapon it contained.

"How dare you." Very good mock offense. "This is an IF-88!"

I could list off a dozen reasons it's not, but in the end, it just doesn't matter.

I held it muzzle up and racked the bolt, and then I realized... it was a single-shot weapon. The magazine was just decoration. A twelve gauge shell ejected into my face. "I'll give you fifty caps and..." I dug through my saddlebag, discretely tucking the shell away. "Three Fancy Buck Snack Cakes. For the gun and the case."

"I am insulted, Stable pony!" She tried to take it from me, and I pulled it back, instinctively raising it for a buttstroke before lowering it. "What could you possibly know about guns?"

"Well, for a start, you don't look down the muzzle!" I raised it back to muzzle up. "I am the Chief of Field Operations and head of the Scouts of Stable 30." I glanced over my shoulder at Pumpkin, Dashie and Cyclone, watching this... debacle with amusement. "I find it unlikely you'll ever find anyone with a shred of interest in this." I set the IFaux-88 back in the case. "Fifty caps and the cakes is my final offer." My Pipbuck ticked softly as I set the cakes on her table. "Take it or I walk."

She scowled at me.

Dashie looked to me in concern and looked at it. "You paid money for this?" He paused, looking to it again. "On purpose...?"

"I did, Lieutenant." I looked to my Pipbuck, shifting my radio to the squad frequency. "Team Three, Team One. Report." I groaned, tucking the IFaux-88 and display case in my saddlebags.

"Team One, Team Three. Min and I are in the general store." Spark answered. "What's up, Captain?"

"Just conned a gun dealer into selling me a junk shotgun." I hopped in place, testing how the IFaux-88 shifted my saddlebags, and shifted a couple things around.

"Captain...?"

"Never mind, Spark." I glanced to my Pipbuck to get the time. "Team Four?"

...

"Team Four, report!"

Collage answered after a moment. "We're in a clothing shop. Iv's getting a dress."

"What took you so long to respond?"

"Oops."

Oops. Oops?

"Oops?" I sighed. "Meet at the Hard Rock Cafe in fifteen minutes."

1640 found us seated outside the Hard Rock Cafe, overlooking the water. I'd walked to the edge to look out over the water, and my Pipbuck had started ticking. Hot.

We'd occupied two tables, and by now were eating wasteland fare. If nothing else, it was hot, and that was a plus over hard apples and water. Actually, this was pretty good.

"You know, this is kind of nice." I looked to Dashie curiously as he continued. "Sitting here, enjoying food. Almost like we're not soldiers...."

"Yeah, except we actually are soldiers." I sipped my drink, glancing around.

"Wow. Way to kill the mood, boss." Dashie groaned and went back to eating with a disgruntled expression.

Cyclone, on my other side, spoke up. "Captain, I think we should follow Prance Street northeast to Broadway. From there, it's a straight shot to the hospital."

I glanced down to my Pipbuck, calling up the map. "Why not go up East Fayette Street to Broadway?"

"No, East Fayett-"

!

Cyclone broke off at the sound of gunfire, and I dove under the table. My ponies followed, ducking down around me. "We need better cover, Captain." Yeah, tables aren't very good at stopping bullets, I know this Cyclone.

"Where's it coming from?" A round hit the ground beside me, and flying stone chips cut a line across my cheek.

Shit!

Pumpkin crawled over to another table as I retrieved my helmet and shield. "Not at us, Captain. Bunch of wasters fighting some alicorns!"

"Should we get involved?" Dashie looked over.

I shook my head, peeking around the table after pulling my visor down. "Probably should let local security handle it."

It was a group of wastelanders with some decent weapons, a couple of rifles, dug in behind some light cover. They were firing at a group of alicorns, who were hidden in a shield bubble by a green one in the middle. Their weapons weren't being effective.

Note to self: intermediate or battle rifle caliber weapons aren't effective against alicorn shield barriers.

Suddenly, they all disappeared - alicorns and all - in a pair of flashes. "Somepony please tell me what the hell just happened." I poked my head out farther, looking around. "Anyone?" Several Crimson Raider patrols were converging on the site.

Charm glanced over. "The alicorns just teleported them away...."

"How do you know?" I looked to her curiously. All the gunfire died.

She looked down to her flank, then sighed. "Right, barding." She looked up. "Teleporting is my special talent, ma'am." She frowned. "Not a very elegant teleport, either...."

"Ah, yes." I nodded. "Okay." I rose to my hooves, looking around.

"Seems clear, boss."

I glanced to Dashie, then nodded. "Back to eating?"

Dashie trotted over as Charm set the chairs back up. "You're hurt, Firefly...."

I realized my cheek was bleeding. "It's nothing." I shook my head, looking around as I applied pressure to it.

After our meal, around 1700, we set out. I headed up to Splinter's office and entered.

She looked up. "Yes?"

"You requested that I see you before we left?"

"Ah. Yes." She glanced to my barding. "Stable 30, yes. Firefly, correct?" I nodded, and she picked up a sheet of paper. "Here's a list of the things we're looking for."

I looked to the list. "A water talisman?" I frowned.

"A water talisman would be great if you could provide us with one. We have to clean water from the harbor, and that's difficult. A water talisman would go a long way towards making the Central Exchange a better place."

I nodded. "I don't know if we even have any spares in the Stable. I'll convey it to my superiors, but I can't promise anything."

She smiled thinly. "I won't hold my breath, Scout."

"I know, I know." I considered. "The Steel Rangers might have one...."

"Oh yes, I'm sure they'll give you one if you ask them politely." Thick sarcasm tinted her voice.

"Of course they would." I smiled to her. "I've met the leader. Nice pony. Very generous."

She narrowed her eyes at me.

I held the joke for just another moment before I shook my head. "I'm kidding, no, he isn't, no, they won't, you're right. But you of all ponies should know that everything is for sale. It's just a matter of finding the right price, right?"

She considered, then shook her head. "I'm not getting involved in this. Find me a water talisman. I don't care where it comes from, as long as the Steel Rangers don't come knocking on my door to steal it."

"Of course. I'll look into it."

"Right." She went back to her desk, and I took the hint, turning and leaving, meeting up with my troops at the gate.

"We ready?" I looked around.

"Aye, Captain." Pumpkin nodded.

We slipped out the gate and continued on towards Redheart General.

A few hours passed, before Dashie held up his hoof. "Hold." We froze, looking around. "Listen."

Distant pops.

"Gunfire?"

Dashie nodded. I glanced to Pumpkin. "Blitz. Scout."

"Aye." She hopped up into the air and hovered for a moment, looking around before flapping off in the direction.

I gestured at her. "Follow her." I suited words to action by turning and following her on the ground.

"Remind me, Captain, why are we going towards the gunfire? Isn't that, uh, dangerous?" Collage spoke up.

"That's our job, Collage."

He made an face. "What are we going to do there, exactly?"

"We're going to see what's going on. And if it's raiders attacking a village or something we can help them with, we're going to help them."

"Ah."

"Team One, Team Two. Eyes on, over." Pumpkin broke in on the radio.

"Copy. Sitrep?"

"Raiders attacking a settlement. Two dozen, maybe more."

"What kind of raiders?"

"Not Crimson's. This is...." She trailed off, uneasy. "This is an attack, Captain, not a fight."

"Copy. Where are you?"

"Third floor of a building on..." She paused for a moment. "Fleet Street."

"Copy, we're coming to you. Keep us posted. Out." I glanced around, down to my Pipbuck, then back up. "This way. Dash, point."

Cyclone shook his head, glancing around. "That's the bad part of town, Captain...."

I glanced to him with a smirk. "There are good parts of town?"

Dashie prowled that way, and five minutes later took us to observing the attack from a building.

LOCATION DISCOVERED: BALTIMARE - FLEET STREET SETTLEMENT

Our target was a small village, a couple of buildings surrounded by walls. The walls had been breached on two sides, and at least two dozen ponies were busy... raiding. The distant pops of gunfire had settled down.

"Wow...."

"That is a lot of ponies...." Collage glanced down into the clearing.

"So, what's the plan, Captain?" Spark looked to me intently, and the rest of the team followed suit.

I spent a long moment thinking. We can't attack them. That's too many ponies down there.

Surely Security would find a way to save them, but....

I'm not Security.

"We hold position and watch." I shook my head.

"What? We're just going to sit by and watch while these raiders attack this town?" Spark glared at me.

"Yes, Spark. We're not going to get involved in this." Captain FF's expression hardened.

"Didn't you just say that was what we were here to do? Get involved?"

"If we go in there guns blazing, we're not going to be trotting out of this one alive." She shook her head. "There's nothing we can do."

"Captain." Trooper PB raised a wing, pointing off to an adjacent building. "Those look like Crimson Raiders." I levitated my binoculars over and looked over.

A half dozen ponies, sitting on the second floor. Combat barding, red streaks in their cropped manes. Three of them seemed to be surrounding a fourth, a goat with some cybernetic implants. Two others were watching their backs.

"So that's what they look like?"

"Yeah." Lieutenant RD nodded, turning to Captain FF. "Sooo... what are they doin' here, boss?"

"That is a good question...." Captain FF's tone cooled as she trailed off.

Trooper IC lowered her binoculars, looking around. "Maybe they're waiting for reinforcements?"

Trooper PB shook her head. "Those sure aren't." She gestured angrily into the center of the settlement, where another quartet of Raiders were busy sorting through the pile of supplies that the non-uniformed raiders were bringing out.

Sergeant CC, the ghoul, spoke up. "This is assuming that they're all working together. They could be two separate groups."

A couple of townsponies made a rush for some raiders, brandishing weapons....

CRACK!

One of them fell dead.

Another crack, and a moment later, the other fell dead at the hooves of one of the Crimson Raiders.

Captain FF shot up. "Blitz, where did that come from?"

"I'm looking, I'm looking - there!" Trooper PB waved her hoof at another building opposite. "Half right, fifth floor, the hole near the middle. Sniper team."

I followed her hoof up to the hole. A green earth pony mare with a violently pink and dark red mane, cropped short and neatly slicked back, was laying next to a sniper rifle. Laying next to her was a dark blue unicorn stallion, with a dark green and red mane, cut similarly short, but greasy and spiky. Both of them were dressed in light barding.

"Do they see us?" FF glanced over to PB.

"If they can, they're ignoring us." PB shook her head.

"Right." Captain FF looked around. "Team Three, Team Four. Back out, secure our exfil route. Team One, Team Two, keep observing. We're going to see how this plays out."

We set out two hours later, after the settlement had been abandoned by the raiders and the fading light had made further observation useless.

Captain FF glanced around as we stood in the first floor of the building we'd watched from. "I'd like to push to RHG tonight, if possible. Questions?"

I glanced to Min. She shrugged. "No, ma'am."

"Good. Blitz, point. Team Four, rear. Move out." Trooper PB slipped out of the building, flapping down the street. The rest of us followed her out, looking around nervously.

A half hour of trotting took us to a blocked off street, a half dozen ponies standing by the improvised walls halfway down the street.

We holed up up in a building overlooking the walls. It was made of grey stone, and the top half was covered in green shingles. Or at least, it had been, two hundred years ago. A sign by the door proclaimed it was the 'Baltimare Cutie Mark Museum'. Prewar ponies were weird, all right.

"What's the plan, Captain?" I looked to her as Trooper PB observed the walls from a window. We had a narrow view on the road block from a partially collapsed brick building.

"We could backtrack and find another way around." Lieutenant RD stepped over next to Trooper PB, looking down the street.

"That could take hours, Dash." Captain FF shook her head. "Cyclone?" She looked to the ghoul.

Sergeant CC shrugged. "Chances are good they're not going to attack us."

Captain FF looked to him in skeptical amusement. "Chances are good?"

"Attacking ponies is a good way to draw the ire of the Crimson Raiders, and nopony wants to draw the ire of the Crimson Raiders."

"That make sense." Captain FF nodded. "Well, onwards and upwards, right?" Sergeant CC grinned.

LOCATION DISCOVERED: BALTIMARE - TOLL BOOTH ON EASTERN AVE

"Halt! There's a toll of a thousand caps to pass through!"

A thousand caps? I glanced around to the rest of the unit. Do we even have that many caps? A few other ponies stepped into view in the buildings overlooking the street.

Captain FF stepped forward to speak. "A thousand caps? You must be joking." Two of them raised their weapons. "Do ponies routinely wander Baltimare with a thousand caps in their saddlebags?"

"It's a toll, Stable. Pony up or begone."

"What's to stop us from just going around?"

"Nothin' really, but this is the only safe path to the eastern half of Baltimare for miles." The waster smirked. "You're free to try the sewers, if you're feelin' cheap. But that's ferals territory. I hear they like Stable pony best."

Captain FF considered, glancing around at the troops watching us before speaking. "You've heard of the Stable Dweller, and the Security Mare, yes?"

One of the wasters nodded, two of them sharing a look. "What's your point, mare?"

She continued after a moment. "The Stable Dweller has slain a dragon. The Security Mare has blown up a battleship. Both of these are a single Stable pony. Do you really want to see what a squad of Stable ponies can do?" The three wastelanders shared a look. "We'll offer you twenty caps per pony...." She glanced over to us. "For a total of one hundred and sixty caps for the whole team. Is that acceptable?"

The ponies shared a look, and a couple leaned over to talk privately. "Forty. Forty caps per pony." The leader waved a weapon in our direction.

Ugh.

Captain FF considered for a moment. "Very well." She levitated out the caps, and they stepped aside to let us pass.

A few minutes later, Sergeant CC spoke up. "I'm surprised they gave in so quickly. I was expecting them to demand at least fifty caps per pony."

Min glanced to CC. "I don't know if we could have made it through that if that had turned violent."

Captain FF glanced back. "We wouldn't have to fight them, just get past them."

Trooper IC spoke up. "What if they'd pursued us to get their money?"

"You may have a point there." Sergeant CC glanced to Captain FF, seeing her response.

"Well, we keep running. They can't hurt us if they can't catch us, right? Either way, they'd open fire first, so I think we'd be justified in defending ourselves."

"I dunno, boss." Lieutenant RD spoke up. "We did kind of go there and demand our own way. We would have then screwed them over when they refused to change their offer."

Captain FF tossed an annoyed glare over her shoulder at Lieutenant RD, and he smirked at her. "Let's keep moving."

A few hours later, we came to a two-way intersection, one street meeting the one we were walking down to our left and continuing to the east. It was past 2300, and we'd left streets with functional lights a couple hours ago. Captain FF had given the order to go dark, the only illumination natural sources - like the moon that nopony could really see - or Trooper PB's Pipbuck, when she needed to use it to navigate. PB didn't seem to need to use it very often. The occasional flashes of her bright orange coat I saw told me that she had no troubles navigating through the streets in darkness.

Maybe pegasi have some sort of echolocation, like bats?

I turned my eyes to the intersection ahead of us. Broadway, the street we'd been on for a couple of hours, was really two parallel streets with trees and sidewalks between them. Broken down brick apartment buildings lined the outside of the streets. My Pipbuck said we were approaching East Baltimare street, which was the street that cut across Broadway. A sky bus lay flipped over across the right side, blocking us from moving east. Off in the distance to the north, a single light post glowed, a lone beacon in the darkness. A dress store sat in the north east corner of the intersection, pale moonlight shining off of shards of broken windows. A mannequin in a tattered pink dress lay on its side. On the southern, closest side of the intersection across from the dress shop, lay a liquor store. Behind the barred, broken windows, a sign still proudly announced that they sold Captain Lyra's Spiced Rum.

Somehow I doubt they still sell it, but they might have some still.... I spotted a hole in the bars over one window, and noticed it looked like it'd been cut. Probably not any longer. I opened my mouth to ask Lieutenant RD if he wanted to go check it out, when he spoke.

"We're still being watched...." Lieutenant RD glanced around, scanning the walls of the apartment buildings surrounding us.

"Yeah, I think so, too." Trooper PB nodded and hopped into the air. "This damn EFS gives me just enough to make me paranoid."

"What do you mean, PB?" I levitated my Pipbuck ou-

Author's Notes:

Oh, well.

Okay.

So that happened.

What's just happened? Find out in Fallout Equestria: Stable Scout chapter 12 - Contact!

e: revised on 09.05.16