It was midday. The siege camp around Benn was built. Starlight stood in her tent, clad in her armor, which Imperator rubbed down with a silk cloth dipped in liquid polish. She was fighting Snakefang today, and she wanted to look her best for it. Not that the life-or-death nature of it didn't occur to her – indeed, it left her jittery whenever it came to mind – but there was something strangely empowering about keeping her battle attire clean and in good order, and in any case, it was more pleasant to think about.

Her plates already glistened in the light peering from the tent's open flaps; the last rubs were made on her inner thighs. And once that was finished, Imperator set the magically held cloth on a nearby table and began walking in circles around Starlight, hunting for any leftover blemishes or stains.

“I still do not know why you insist that I do this,” Imperator said. “I am not accustomed to this sort of work.”

“You're the only one I trust to do this. Having anyone else do it just doesn't sit right with me.”

He stood behind her and magically lifted her tail up and to the side with his magic to check the haunches, crotch, and back legs. “You were never one to care much for personal space.”

“I just feel better this way. And even if my personal boundaries are small, I still have them.”

“Ah. I see.” He released her tail, letting it fall back down, then went on to inspect the back, belly, and sides.

“And besides. I like your attention to detail. You keep everything neat and tidy, just like I like it.”

“A slave would do just as well. All you have to do is beat it if it is doing poorly.”

Starlight groaned. “Again with the slaves. I just like spending time with you, okay? Is that so wrong? I spend so much time alone, studying. And you're always either doing army stuff, playing chess with Checkmate, or helping Checkmate with your speech. I just wanted to be with you for a while.”

After checking her front legs and chest, he made eye contact with her. “You could have just said so without having me do slave work.”

“Hmph. Well, excuse me if I'm not an expert on slaver etiquette. I thought this would be a good way to spend time together.”

“Hm. You know, that was the only reason why I agreed to doing this in the first place.”

Starlight smiled. “You like spending time with me, too?”

“I do. So, how are your studies going?”

“They're going great! In fact, I think I've made a breakthrough.”

“A breakthrough? Already?”

She nodded. “Yep. I think I know how to fix a lobotomized brain now.”

“…you can't be serious.”

“I am. The only problem left is doing it on a massive scale.”

“Have you tried it on any live specimen?”

She shook her head. “No, I haven't. It's all been theoretical so far, but I've been wanting to give the honor of 'first de-lobotomized pony' to Sucker Pop.”

“I will believe it when I see it.”

“Oh, come on! Why do you have to be so cynical all the time?”

“Cynicism is the best defense against disappointment.”

“When have I ever disappointed you?”

“There is a first time for everything.” He paused. “And you still have Snakefang to worry about.”

Starlight shook in her armor; her chest got heavy. “Yeah.”

There was a moment of silence. “I sense fear in you, Starlight.”

A shaky breath came from Starlight. “Yeah. I am a bit scared.” Her gaze drew down to the ground, and after a quiet moment, she looked back up to Imperator. “When you were about to fight Princess Twilight. Were you scared at all then?”

“My dear. I have been facing these situations for almost a century. The constant risk of death has become a banality for me by this point. That said, I do understand your concerns.”

“Really?”

“I never told you what made the Academy consider me worthy of elite training. Perhaps it is time I did.” He cleared his throat. “It is true that I was included in the First Cohort after my first kill, and upon receiving my mark. But what I did not tell you was that it was no mere sparring session.” He paused. “Not long before my fight, I was caught stealing bread from my Centurion. Now, this Centurion had a child of his own in the Academy. He was several years older than myself and was included in the First Cohort program. The Centurion, none to pleased with my theft, had decided that the best way to salve his anger would be to watch his own son kill me in single combat. Needless to say, I and everyone else had practically considered me dead by that point. But still, I fought, and I arose victorious.”

“Well, how did you beat him? Support from your friends? Some powerful magic? Believing in yourself?”

“No. None of those.”

“Then what?”

“Fighting dirty. Employing cheap, dishonest tricks to dispatch a more orthodox opponent.”

Starlight chuckled. “Wait. You fought dirty?”

“Yes. I fought dirty.”

“But what about honor? Professionalism? Warrior's code? All that stuff? Aren't you Imperials all about honor?”

“Never. That is just something we tell the barbarians. The truth is that we not only tolerate, but encourage dirty fighting among our ranks. A custom set by Planetvoid, himself. We just pay lip service to honor and the warrior's code because it gives us a sort of prestigious grandiosity to foreigners, and it makes our cheap tricks all the more unexpected, thus all the more effective.”

“But that doesn't stop you from disparaging others for fighting dirty.”

“Most certainly not.”

“So… You're all hypocrites. Every last one of you.”

“Precisely.”

“Well, no wonder you didn't care that I kept my cutie mark!”

“You mean back when we first met?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I do.”

“Well, it was not just that. It was also because I could tell straight away that you were better than the worthless simpletons who put you in charge, thus deserved to be held to a more privileged standard.”

Starlight giggled. “Yeah. They are worthless, aren't they?”

“Indeed they are.”

“And would that also be why you didn't even bother trying to tell them about it?”

“That is part of it. The main reason, however, was that if I had directly accused you without evidence, then you would have flatly denied it, even if it was just between us.”

“But wait. You did accuse me of it.”

“Not directly. I just alluded to it. You were the one who made that connection, just as I had intended.”

“And if I didn't make that connection?”

“Then I would have considered you a moron and not worth my time.”

“And if the others were watching?”

“Then your overly defensive reaction would likely have been enough to arouse suspicion, and I would have had plausible deniability to keep you from accusing me of libel. One of the oldest tricks in the book, really.”

“You're quite the manipulative bastard aren't you?”

Imperator gave Starlight a playful poke in the chest. “You would know.”

“Oh, I'm so glad I had you come here and do this for me.”

“I am curious. Do you have… a family?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I told you about my dad. I don't know about my mom. I have a sister, too.”

“Hm. No husband? No children?”

She shook her head. “No.”

He tilted his head. “Is that so? An outstanding mare like you, thirty and still unwed? Would you be a widow by any chance?”

“No. I just never got around to it. I had my studies, I had Our Town… it seemed like a waste of time.”

“I had a wife.”

Starlight was taken aback. “What? Really?”

“Well, of course. Two, in fact. I had also four children.”

“You're a dad, too!?”

He nodded. “Three sons. One daughter. The sons are dead, but perhaps I will introduce you to my daughter one of these days.”

“What about your parents?”

“Dead.”

“Brothers or sisters?”

“I haven't the faintest clue.”

“Well, what made you ask me if I was married? Are… are you suggesting…”

“I am. A mare as excellent as you should not be thirty and unwed. And of course, I believe myself to be the prime candidate for a myriad of reasons. Would you agree?”

Starlight put a hoof to her armored chin, feigning thought, then nodded. “You know what? Yes. I would.”

“Very good. Now, if my research into the matter was accurate, then it would befit Equestrian custom for me to present a ring to you right about now. I know how much you like shiny things.”

Imperator lit his horn, and after a short while, Starlight noticed a large gold and satin jewelry box come into her sight from the side. As it was presented to her, she awaited what was within. Then, the box snapped open. Inside the box, she saw a behemoth of white, glimmering diamond. It was perched atop a golden ring that was thick and polished so finely that it reflected the sun's peering rays. Starlight gasped, and locked her gaze onto the ring. It left her mesmerized, grinning a toothy grin stretching as wide as could be.

“This is indeed a strange custom,” Imperator said. “It would be impossible to adorn oneself with this thing. A display piece, I suppose. But, anyway.” He cleared his throat. “Starlight Glimmer, will you make me the luckiest stallion in the world and give me your hoof in marriage?”

After staring at the ring for some time in giddy excitement, she looked back up to Imperator and answered him. “Yes! Yes, I will!”

“Very, very, very good. Now, please try not to get killed in your duel. A corpse would make a rather sub-par wife.”

“Yeah. That's true.” She glanced down at her armor. “So how's everything look back there? All spic and span?”

“All spic and span, dear.”

“Excellent!” She took a deep breath and made her way out of the tent. “Let's get this over with, then. The sooner I get to see Snakefang choke on his own blood, the better.”

Benn's walls were a soulless stack of gray stone blocks, with towers and a gatehouse as blandly square as the blocks, themselves. Those who stood guard atop those walls looked down on Starlight with cold indifference as she stood in front of the city gates, waiting for Snakefang to emerge. Imperator was a stone's throw behind her, and just behind him, ranks of rock centaurs awaited their next command.

It was a while before the sound of legionaries marching in lockstep echoed from behind the gates. Starlight felt her heart kicking against her ribs. Her breathing grew heavy. The time had come. Soon after the marching ceased, the iron grate rose, and the doors behind it were pulled open. The rattling of chains and a cloud of dust kicked up by the doors filled the air. Once the gates were open, the marching continued. Snakefang marched ahead of his First Cohort towards Starlight. Once he was some distance outside of the city, he stopped, and his First Cohort's six Centuries formed a single line behind Snakefang in mechanical lockstep. Once they were done, they stood still and silent. Even their Centurions, who wore devil's horns on their helms and white capes on their backs, stayed quiet.

After a brief stand-off, Snakefang was the first to speak. “You've gotten a lot farther than you should have.”

“I did. And I'll go even farther after I'm done with you.”

“Hah! I think not. Your ride's over, barbarian. Time to die.” He chuckled. “I suggest you pray to your pathetic sun-goddess now. You won't get a second go.”

“I don't need any god's help to wipe the floor with you.”

“I eat Equestrians like you for a midday snack. Literally. You have no chance.”

“I'm not like most Equestrians,” she boasted. “I am a prodigy and a revolutionary.”

Snakefang ripped out a snort. “You are a swine.”

“Oh, really? Well, who's the one here who's snorting like one?”

“Bah! Well, how does it feel knowing that I sent my Legions to slaughter your country-folk like pigs right behind you? That the way south is destroyed, and you couldn't save them even if you wanted to?”

Starlight let out a great, malevolent laugh. “That was exactly what we wanted you to do, you stupid idiot!”

Snakefang took a quick step back in surprise. Even from a distance, Starlight could see the shock in his eyes. “What!? WHY!?”

She grinned wide; the chance to brag about her plan's success to her foe filled her with a manic thrill. “I don't care the slightest bit about them or their lives. They served their purpose. They were only ever meant to be bait, and you fell for it hook, line, and sinker.”

“But… but the mass deaths! The meteor from the sky! GOD IS ON OUR SIDE! WE ARE HIS CHOSEN!”

“Your god doesn't give two rat's asses about you, idiot. In fact, it was your god who gave me these.” She unfolded her wings, letting Snakefang look upon them with wonder before folding them back in. “We sent in Bright to make you think that we were going to betray you by offering you a ceasefire that we knew you'd think was a ruse, so that you'd send everything you could against Luna. We told Luna that the River Styx was safe to drink from, only to pour poison downstream to make her a juicier target, just for good measure. Then, we took your dead daddy's dumb little staff and used it to blow up the bridge so your army would be trapped on the other side!” She laughed again. “We played both you and Luna like a fiddle. Now, Luna won't have any say in what we do once this war is over, and you won't have any say in anything at all.”

Snakefang began fuming with anger. “You.. you… you are a vile, evil, insane, conniving, treacherous, backstabbing, dishonorable witch!”

“I am not vile. I'm beautiful, and everyone with half a brain in their head knows it. You're just jealous.”

The veins in Snakefang's eyes popped, his horn roared with green fire, and spittle foam oozed from the air slits of his helm as he snarled like a rabid wolf. In a seething anger, and at the top of his lungs, he bellowed, “YOU WON'T BE SO PRETTY WHEN YOUR FACE IS BURNED TO ASHES!”

Starlight was engulfed in green fire. She watched it whoosh past her eye and air holes, making her sweat in the intense heat. Quickly, she lit her horn, and launched a flurry of magic missiles through the blaze directly at Snakefang. The fire faded away as Snakefang was forced to defend himself with shields just large enough to block each one. Starlight was shocked at Snakefang's unnatural dexterity and focus, and stopped. Snakefang then charged directly at Starlight, showering her in his own missile flurry. Starlight covered herself from the front with a flat shield. As she watched each missile burst in sparks upon collision, she chuckled at how foolish she'd been in the past for thinking a round bubble was needed for everything.

Starlight lit her horn again, and disappeared in a flash of greenish-blue light, then reappeared some distance away to Snakefang's left side. It was then that Starlight performed one of her new tricks: small, concentrated, piercing magical bolts that hit their targets in the blink of an eye. Snakefang blocked them as he turned around and charged at her. She could only fire one every few seconds, but thanks to her training, each bolt flew straight and true. Snakefang's shield began to flicker, so he set magical protection aside for the moment, ducking and dodging from the bolts instead. Starlight was amazed at how quick he was, and missed her mark once. Snakefang seized the initiative, launching a blizzard of cutting spells at her. She protected herself again with a frontal shield, but she grew tired as the barrage made her own energy falter.

Snakefang was in close. Starlight could see the bloodshot whites of Snakefang's eyes. She focused on those eyes, and with magic, she grabbed a clump of sand from the ground and threw it in them. While Snakefang was distracted with getting it out, Starlight leaped at him and raised a hoof up for a grand punch, augmented by magic. But Snakefang made a stride to his right, and Starlight's hoof smashed the ground, making the earth shake. Snakefang lunged at her, collided with her, and pinned her to the ground. Starlight was now on her side with her head and legs fixed in place by Snakefang's green aura. She tried to jerk her head and legs about, but they wouldn't budge. Snakefang raised up his hoof and bashed her in the side of the head, again and again and again. Starlight's helm kept her skull intact, but the assault still left her with a blistering headache and ears bombarded with the clanging of metal. She lit her horn, putting all the energy she could into breaking that bond. It was hard, and Starlight felt her consciousness slipping away with each blow at her head. This might have been the end. But in her desperation, she found untapped strength. She shattered Snakefang's hold on her, and rolled on her back. With a hoof, she made a magic-aided strike at Snakefang's head. Snakefang was blown back, and Starlight squeezed out a teleportation spell to distance herself from Snakefang.

After she was back on her hooves and a fair distance away from Snakefang, she took a breather. She regained lucidity and strength with each new breath. She tasted blood in her mouth, so she spat it out. Gold, silky ichor sprayed out from her helm's air slits to the ground. Snakefang got back up on his hooves and spat out his own red blood. They continued fighting.

Snakefang launched another flurry of cutting spells at Starlight. Starlight made a frontal shield. As Starlight's shield was pummeled with cutting spells, she felt her energy fade. She looked to a spot right beside Snakefang, cocked her rear legs up to buck, then disappeared in a flash of light. After reappearing beside Snakefang, she unleashed her kick. Snakefang ducked, and engulfed Starlight in green fire before tackling her, making her fall down on her side. Snakefang stopped the fire, then raised a hoof and punched Starlight in the chest. She felt the air in her lungs pushed out, and pain piercing through, but her chest-plate kept her ribs intact. Snakefang's hoof was raised up for another strike, but Starlight rolled out of the way, bolting back up on her hooves while Snakefang's hoof hit the ground, and lighting her horn to attack. A great hail of missiles assaulted Snakefang from up close, and although he blocked most of it, a few hits were made in his chest and legs, leaving charred and blackened holes in his armor, through his skin, into his immense muscles. Snakefang, in a last ditch effort, made another lunge at Starlight. But Starlight leapt left and cocked her legs back, then made a mighty magic-aided buck aimed at his head. Her right leg missed, but her left leg hit dead center in Snakefang's horn, snapping the appendage off from its base and shattering the attached viper to pieces. The horn now dangled by a shred of torn metal from Snakefang's helm. Blood gushed from the severed artery. Snakefang fell down on his side. He was left jerking and flailing wildly on the ground, gargling on his own foaming spittle, his eyes rolled back so that only bloodshot whites were visible.

Starlight lit her horn one last time, and ripped Snakefang's mark from his flank, through his armor. It was an image of a viper digging its fangs into a helpless rat. Starlight grinned with sadistic glee, and split one of its atoms, causing an implosion that tore the fabric of the Mundane and formed a vacuum that sucked Snakefang into the fringes of Tartarus where neither light nor sound could travel, yet mammals could breathe, if only barely. There, Snakefang would drift for eternity in a black, empty, freezing abyss from which there was no escape, blind and deaf while suffering a violent and unending seizure.

Starlight then closed the rift and looked up to the legionaries on the walls, who were watching the whole time. A rush of excitement shook her to the bone. Some of the legionaries had gaped mouths, some were muttering to each other, and a few smiled, just happy for the entertainment.

A flash of gold appeared beside Starlight. She looked to it, and saw Imperator walking up to her. Once he was close, he slid a forehoof underneath hers and lifted up her foreleg.

With Starlight's foreleg held in the air, Imperator looked up to the walls to shout, “Victor!”

After “victor” was done echoing through the air, the air loomed with silence.

Then, one of the First Cohort Centurions broke the silence when he started chanting, “Glimmer! Glimmer! Glimmer! Glimmer!”

That Centurion was first joined by his entire Century. Then, the entire First Cohort. Then, the entire Second Legion. The chanting boomed from the walls, adding to Starlight's excitement. Her foreleg was let back down. Starlight lifted up her visor and tapped Imperator on his neck so he could see the enormous smile on her face. Once he looked to her, he lifted his own visor and showed her his own smile, smaller but no less joyous. Starlight looked into his eyes, kissed him on the lips, then put her visor back down.

The chanting stopped. Imperator put his own visor back down, then turned to address his old Legion. “Centurions of the First Cohort. Form a single line in front of me. Double time.”

The Centurions did as he commanded, leaving gaps in their Centuries' formations and standing side by side to be addressed.

Imperator walked up directly in front of the Centurion on the far left, looked him in his steel blue eyes, and spoke. “You. You are the one who started the applause?”

“Yes, sir,” he replied.

“And did you, by any chance, like Snakefang?”

“No, sir.”

“Why not?”

“He performed his duties in a slovenly manner unbecoming of an Imperial Wärmarschal and indulged himself in various sorts of vile degeneracy, sir.”

Imperator nodded. “Rest assured that I will make a far superior Wärmarschal. Now, what is your name, Centurion?”

“My name is Freezing Sword, sir.”

“How would you like to be Legate Freezing Sword?”

“I would very much like that, sir!”

“Very good. Looks like I have two dubbings to perform now. Bow your head, Centurion.”

The Centurion did as commanded.

Imperator looked down at the Centurion to speak. “By my power and authority as Wärmarschal of the Third Reich, I bestow upon you the rank of Legate. The Second Legion is now yours to command. May you lead him to victory and glory on the battlefield. May you be an example for your Legion to follow, brave, strong, fearless, and deadly. May you bestow pain, terror, and despair to all those who would oppose the Third Reich, and may you keep your legionaries well disciplined so they may do the same. Arise, Sir Freezing Sword, Legate of the Second Legion.” He tapped the Centurion's withers with his horn. “Duty. Honor. Courage. Everlasting loyalty.”

Legate Freezing Sword then lifted his head. “Those who oppose equality will fear our wrath, sir.” He saluted Imperator. Imperator returned the salute.

Imperator took a few steps back to address the Centurions once again. “All of you. Return to your Centuries. Legate Sword is your commander now. He is to answer to me, and you are to answer to him. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir!” they said in unison.

“Then you are dismissed.”

The Centurions saluted him with a “Sir!” then did as they were told.

Starlight walked up to Imperator and asked, “Wait, so, they're completely on our side now?”

“Correct,” he replied.

“Well, that was easy.”

“I was not the only one who wanted change, it seems.”

“I thought you were going to do a speech.”

“No. That is intended for another time.”

“Okay. So, who's getting the second dubbing?”

“You.”

She chuckled and put a hoof to her chest. “Me?”

“Yes. You. Now, bow your head, if you please.”

Starlight chuckled again, then bowed her head. “Okay.”

Imperator looked down to Starlight. “By my power and authority as Wärmarschal of the Third Reich, I bestow upon you the title of honorary Imperial, for you have demonstrated worth far beyond the lowly barbarian. May you long find joy and comfort in life. May you long have luck and success in all your ambitions. May you live long, eat well, and sleep soundly. And may you find ample pleasure in watching your enemies scream and wail as they suffer anguish in unthinkable measure. Arise, Madam Starlight Glimmer, honorary Imperial.” He tapped Starlight's withers with his horn. “Duty. Honor. Courage. Everlasting loyalty.”

After lifting her head back up, she said, “So, what about the city?”

“It is ours now.”

“Surrender?”

“No. Defection.”

Starlight raised an eyebrow. “Defection? You mean it's not just this Legion that's defecting to us, but the whole city, too?”

“Correct. The Secret Service is on our side, and they have seized the city's citadel.”

“What? The Secret Service? You mean their spy slash secret police force? That Secret Service?”

“Yes. The very same.”

Starlight let out an airy chuckle. “Well, that's great, bu-… but why?”

“The Grand Dragon – the head – of the Secret Service has taken a liking to us, and she sees us as a better alternative to the Kaiser. But she wanted to wait and see if you would be successful in your duel before she decided for sure. And clearly, you were successful.”

“Wait. She?”

“Yes. The Secret Service is an all-female organization.”

“Why didn't you tell me this before?”

“It never came up.” He paused. “She waits for us in the mayor's office. I would suggest you change into your civilian regalia.”

“Why? What's wrong with this?”

“It is dented in the head and chest. And it is stained with your ichor.”

“Oh! Right. Wouldn't want to make a bad first impression, after all. Where will you be?”

“I will be examining the citadel's other main rooms. Armory, dungeon, et cetera. And I will be bringing Miss Master with me.”

Starlight nodded. “Okay. And I'll meet you, her and the Grand Dragon in the mayor's office. At, say, in the evening?”

“Evening is satisfactory.”

Starlight started her way back to the camp to change her clothes. “And I'll bring Sucker Pop with me. I want you, Checkmate, and the Grand Dragon to all see her glorious transformation.”

Imperator followed Starlight; he needed to go to the camp to get Checkmate. “I look forward to it.”

Sgt. Lightning Dust surely had the most powerful wings in the world by now. She was on her hundredth one-winged wing pushup in one of her sets of two-hundred. Exercise kept the bad thoughts away, and kept her from dwelling on the dank, rat-infested jail cell, which she was locked into by rusty iron bars. Her cell was no different from Pvt. Rainbow Dash's, or any of her other squadmates' cells, but she was still given special meals that gave her the energy to do this.

Poor Pvt. Dash. She was in the cell in front of Sgt. Dust's cell. Her body was so withered away that her ribs could be seen at a casual glance. All she ever did was lay in fetal position, huddled in a corner with her crippling trauma, only alive because the guards force-fed her.

Half of the squad was missing, tortured to death by Snakefang for no reason other than his own entertainment. Ever since her first “date” with Snakefang, Sgt. Dust had been demoted from “pet” to “toy”. It drove her ever deeper into her exercise-driven escapism. But let's look on the bright side. He made an excellent coach.

At pushup number one-hundred-thirty-three, Sgt. Dust heard strange sounds from down the hall. The sound of hoofsteps, and two unusual voices. One was a cold, soft-spoken female voice with a weird foreign accent. The other was a booming Imperial voice that rumbled so deep, deep even by Imperial standards, that it hurt her eardrums.

She stopped her exercise and peered down the hall to check what was going on. The first thing she saw was a giant alicorn, clad in a bulky suit of white armor with a cape of shimmering gold, a saber-toothed skull for a head with golden glass plates for eyes, and a plume of fire.

Next to him walked a blue unicorn who wore a toga as gray as her eyes, and a bronze crown of thorny branches on her head. Sgt. Dust heard about those crowns. Only important Wastelanders wore those. She decided that whatever conversation they were having, it was worth eavesdropping on.

“… she says she will fix her brain,” the alicorn said.

“The retard?”

The alicorn nodded. “Yes. The retard.”

“But wasn't her lobotomy botched to begin with?”

“It was.”

The unicorn sighed. “I'm really, really skeptical.”

“And I as well, Miss Master. But Miss Glimmer has a knack for pleasant surprises. She may yet have the bite to go with her bark.”

“What? So you wouldn't be surprised?”

“Oh, of course I would be surprised. Such an act would be miraculous even for her. But then, her exceeding my expectations is, in and of itself, becoming an expectation…”

The two eventually got close to Sgt. Dust. They stopped their conversation and looked at her as they walked in front of her cell and turned to her. The two stared at her with their unfeeling gazes. Sgt. Dust found the unicorn, in particular, to be disconcerting.

“This one looks traumatized,” the unicorn said.

“Hm.”

“She looks well-fed for an Imperial prisoner.”

“That she does. Can you tell us your name, prisoner?”

Sgt. Dust didn't respond.

“We do not seek to hurt you, child,” the alicorn said. “We wish to set you free and return you to your home.”

Sgt. Dust meekly asked, “Why?”

“As a sign of good faith to the Equestrians,” the unicorn replied. “You do us no good rotting in this dungeon, and you wouldn't do us any good dead, either. This way, everyone benefits.”

“Well… what happened to Sna-… Snaaay…”

“Snakefang?” the alicorn asked.

Sgt. Dust nodded.

“Snakefang has been brought to justice. You need not ever worry about him again.”

“Wait… so… he's dead?”

“Worse.”

Sgt. Dust breathed in deeply, and let out a long sigh of relief as she got up on her hooves and grinned, as if she, herself, was the one who did it. “Thanks. I hated that bastard.”

“What did he do to you, anyway?”

Her smile went away. “He… well, he… y'know… forced… himself… on… me.”

The alicorn nodded. “I see. He did have a thing for good-looking young pegasi. Now, your name, please.”

“Lightning Dust.”

“It is a pleasure meeting you, Lightning Dust. You may call me Imperator. This mare next to me is Checkmate Master.”

Checkmate put on a polite smile. “Hello there, Lightning Dust.”

“Yeah, ditto. Look, big guy. Can I tell you something?”

“Of course,” Imperator said.

“I don't wanna go back home.”

“You don't? Why not?”

Sgt. Dust sighed. “Well, y'know. I got my dreams crushed back home. Wanted to be a Wonderbolt. That didn't pan out because of a certain cunt named Rainbow Dash.”

“Rainbow Dash?”

“Yeah. You know her?”

“We have met once or twice.”

Sgt. Dust winced. “Alright. Well, anyway, after I was kicked out of the Wonderbolts, I joined the Mobile Infantry. Made it to sergeant. Then the war happened. Got sent to ambush Snakefang. The bastard was a lot tougher than we thought he was. My CO wanted us to commit suicide on him. So I killed my CO, bastard took me prisoner, and here we are.”

“I see. So sending you back would mean execution or a prison sentence for you.”

She sighed. “Yeah.”

“Well, what would you have us do with you instead?”

“I wanna work for you.”

“Hm. You would work for me?”

“Yes. I would.”

“You betrayed your own chain of command once. Why should I think you would not do it again?”

“To tell you the truth, the MI blows. And I'd do you better as more of a freelance agent.”

“And what skill set do you have to offer in that regard?”

Sgt. Dust scoffed, then smiled. “Are you kidding me? Just take a look at these babies!” She extended her wings. Her strong, powerful wings. Checkmate raised her eyebrows, and her mouth went slightly agape. “I'm not finished, either.” She presented her flank to them, and flexed her rippling legs, withers, and glutes. “Boom! Look at that, baby. How's that for a skill set?”

“I must say,” Imperator said, “your physique is remarkable. Like an Imperial with wings. And you are a leader of a squad, so I assume you have experience and at least a modicum of leadership skill.”

Sgt. Dust chuckled. “You know how good I was? I could talk smack to my immediate CO's, and because I was so good, their immediate CO's told them to shut their mouths and take it.”

“That speaks well of your soldiering prowess, sure, but it speaks poorly of your ability to handle authority. And one thing I will never tolerate in my armed forces is insubordination.”

“Look, are you gonna give me stupid lectures on how hurting civilians is wrong? Or how it's my moral duty to share rations with starving brats? Or how I should accept being bossed around by prissy little fillies because they went to college?”

“Of course not. I run an army, not a daycare center.”

“Then I think we'll get along just fine.”

“Hmm… well, I do need an errand boy. Of course, an errand girl would work just as well, especially one with your particular features…” He was silent for a moment. “Very well. You will be my personal agent, outside the regular military hierarchy. You will be given fair amount of autonomy, and you will have your own squad of high-quality pegasus soldiers – real soldiers, no soft-hearted wannabes – at your behest. You and they will be equipped with only the best arms and armor, and you will only be restricted insofar as it is essential. And in return, I will give you a lavish paycheck, and outstanding benefits. Do we have a deal, Miss Dust?”

Lightning Dust laughed, then smiled wide. “You kidding me? Just stop calling me 'Miss' and it'll be a dream come true!”

Imperator nodded. “I am glad we could come to an agreement, Lightning Dust.”

“Alright, awesome! Now, just get the keys and lemme out of here, would you?”

Imperator's horn charged up. “Keys are not necessary.” His horn launched a piercing bolt at the door's rusted lock. The lock was shattered into pieces, and the door swung open from the shock. “These doors are rusty, anyway. I would like them replaced.”

Lightning Dust laughed again. “Man, you are so cool!”

“Mmm. Come with me now, child. I will free the other prisoners now, and prepare them for their return to Equestria. Then, I will introduce you to my dearest Starlight Glimmer.”

“Starlight Glimmer? Who's that?”

“Leader and founder of the cause.”

“What cause would that be?”

“A ruthless, militaristic, dogmatic, totalitarian dictatorship that seeks to stamp out free will the world over, unifying and assimilating all of ponykind into a single-minded collective by brainwashing and brute force, and purging all that cannot be assimilated in holy fire. Interested?”

“Woah. That is wicked.” She grinned devilishly. “Count me in.”

“Good. Now, as a sign of good faith to you, I will let you decide the fate of your old squadmates.”

“Rainbow Dash is one of them. She's right there.” Lightning Dust pointed to the cell in front of her, where Rainbow Dash laid catatonic in fetal position. “I don't care about the others, but there's something I want done with her.”

“Killed?”

“No. Worse.”

“You will have to be more specific.”

“Alright.” Lightning Dust swaggered out of her cell, between Checkmate and Imperator, then looked at Rainbow Dash, letting mirth swell within her. Checkmate and Imperator turned around, then also looked at Rainbow Dash.

“I remember her being a little more spry,” Imperator said.

“Eh. She was all yap. Now, I want you to tear off her wings. Then, I want you to sear the wounds shut. Then, I want you to send her back home with the others.”

“Consider it done.”

Imperator charged his horn, then blasted the lock on Rainbow Dash's cell. The door swung open, and as Lightning Dust followed Imperator into the cell, Rainbow Dash was lifted up in a golden aura to face the two.

Rainbow Dash looked up at Imperator, and her eyes grew wide. “Wh-… wh-… you?”

“Ah. So you do remember me.”

“You… you a-… and that other one. You started this war.”

“We did.”

“Y-you told us you were our friends.”

“We lied.”

With that, Rainbow Dash's wings were ripped from their sockets with the snapping of ligaments, followed by Rainbow Dash's screams, and they were thrown into one corner of the room. Rainbow Dash cried as blood gushed from the open wounds in her back. She was then pinned to the ground. Imperator lifted a forehoof in front of his face and burned it with fire from his own horn. Once the plate glowed red, Imperator magically pinched the first wound shut and pressed his hoof on it, making Rainbow Dash wail and shake as smoke raised up from the searing flesh. The wound was closed shut in a horseshoe-shaped burn scar. Imperator raised his hoof in front of his face once more, and reapplied the heat. He then pressed it on the second wound, making Rainbow Dash scream in pain once again. Once he was finished, Imperator took his red-hot hoof off Rainbow Dash's back, and cooled it with a chilly blue mist from his horn. The open wounds were now gone; burn scars had taken their place.

Finally, Rainbow Dash was released from Imperator's magical grip, and Imperator snapped his gaze to the wings, themselves. He unleashed fire on them. Rainbow Dash watched in horror as they were burned to ashes in front of her. Once finished, Imperator turned away, walking out of the cell and out of the dungeon, motioning Lightning Dust to do the same. Lightning and Checkmate followed Imperator out, all the while listening to Rainbow's sobs echoing through the hall.

Lightning Dust chuckled. “Well, that's one way to serve up hot wings.”

Starlight waited in front of the marble double-door, with Sucker Pop standing next to her. The marechild hummed a happy tune to herself. It was a tune unfamiliar to Starlight, so she couldn't join in, but she listened intently. Here, Starlight stood, certain that this would be Sucker Pop's last day of being a hapless marechild.

Hoofsteps echoed down the hall behind Starlight. She looked down the hall. Imperator had just turned around the corner, with Checkmate to his right, and some scrappy-looking teal pegasus mare to his left. Starlight walked up to the trio, curious about this strange mare, with Sucker Pop following beside her. Once they were close, the pegasus looked up to Imperator to speak.

“So, this is her? This is Starlight Glimmer?” She spoke with an Equestrian accent.

“Correct,” he replied. He looked to Starlight, then patted the pegasus on the back. “This is Lightning Dust. She works for us now.”

Starlight smirked. “Oh, does she?”

“She does. As my own personal assistant. Do introduce yourself.”

Starlight drew her gaze to Lightning Dust. “So, he's decided to get himself an errand girl. And just how are you this fine day?”

“Pretty good. The big guy tells me you're the one who did Snakefang in. Is that true?”

“It is.” Starlight stuck her chest out and smiled wider. “I beat the Empire's top general in a duel, fair and square.”

“Aww, man! That is so badass! I can't thank you enough. He did some really bad things to me a whole bunch of times. Whatever you did to him, I hope it was painful.”

“Oh, trust me. It was. So, tell me. Are you in this for the cause, or a paycheck?”

“I was promised a big paycheck. But you guys did me some huge favors, and to be honest, I'm kinda grateful. I dunno much about your cause. I was never really that into causes. But the job sounds nice, the pay looks good, and my boss is an alicorn super-soldier in really cool armor who'll let me do pretty much whatever I want. It's safe to say I'm feeling pretty loyal.”

“Mhm.” She looked back to Imperator. “She's quite the mercenary. You sure you want her as a personal aide?”

“Oh, of course, there will have to be some trust-building before I have her do anything important. Just to get a feel for her. I can always let her go if she proves too unscrupulous.”

Lightning Dust looked up to Imperator. “How do you mean, 'let go'?”

“I mean fired,” he replied. “Literally, if I feel like it. So I suggest you work within your already generous bounds.”

A gulp of spit went down Lightning Dust's throat, and her lips pursed. “What? Isn't that illegal or something?”

“You are not bound by regular military protocol. That means, in respect to you, neither am I.”

Starlight tensed one corner of her mouth. “I don't know about this. Seems too sketchy to me. Just what do you plan on doing with her, anyway?”

He replied, “Small-scale operations. Seizing important objects, eliminating important targets, et cetera.”

“Are you sure you need a mercenary?”

“Bounty hunters are very useful,” Checkmate interjected. “I know I've made some good use of them, myself, in the past. They're a great way to silence someone without leaving direct links to yourself. Someone quick and fast like her can snuff a target real quick and leave him dead before anyone's the wiser.”

“Hm. Interesting.”

Imperator said, “Threats from within our realm are just as, if not more dangerous than threats from without. A mercenary bound only by personal contract will ensure that such threats are easily dealt with. Additionally, the bureaucratic nature of formal government organizations is easily bypassed with such an agent. Ah, that reminds me.” He looked to Lightning Dust. “We will need to discuss a formal contract, for your signature. I would like the terms of our agreement codified in print. I would not wish to punish you for violating expectations that have not been made clear to you.”

Lightning Dust sighed. “Fair enough. Can't have everything, I guess.” She smirked. “Still a pretty awesome deal.”

“Enough waiting,” Starlight said. She pointed to the double-door. “The Grand Dragon is behind those doors, and I want to meet her.”

Imperator gestured to the door. “By all means, dear. Open it.”

Starlight whipped herself around to face the double-door. With a magical push, she flung the doors open. There, she saw the Grand Dragon, a sky-blue, Imperial mare, looking at her with red eyes, leaning back on a silver throne with her front hooves at the back of her head, and her back legs crossed, resting on a slave's back. She was dressed in a blue satin robe with golden lining; her pointed hood was laid on one of the throne's armrests. The Grand Dragon looked at her with confident red eyes, and a smirk so pointedly, infuriatingly smug, that she couldn't help but admire it. Starlight thought that perhaps this was something she could emulate in the future.

The Grand Dragon touched the tips of her front hooves together over her chest. “Hello there, Starlight. I was wondering when I'd see you again.”

“I'm sorry,” Starlight said. “Who are you?”

“You don't recognize me?” She kicked the slave in front of her out of the way, sending him falling to the ground, then stood up and walked up to Starlight. “You don't recognize that mare from Brustworth who told you about the Fireball Races?”

Starlight pieced it together. She started to recognize that gruff cadence, those fiery red eyes, and the cool coat that contrasted with them. The surprise left her speechless for a moment. She muttered, “Shattered Bones.”

“There you are! Shattered Bones. Grand Dragon of the Secret Service, who happened to be on vacation in her own hometown, which was the only reason why she lowered herself to speak with the lowly barbarian tourist and her moronic servant in the first place. By the way, what happened to him?”

Starlight hesitated. “I'm not really sure.”

“That was a rhetorical question.” She turned her head to the left side and shouted, “Unleash the package!”

Starlight and the rest of her party looked to the side. There, a white-cloaked Secret Service agent magically held a wooden rectangular box roughly the size of a regular stallion, kept shut by latches. The latches were undone, and the box's contents were dumped on the ground. A unicorn stallion's dried husk of a body laid there, rotten well beyond the point of emitting stench. Starlight noticed a faint image on its flank. It was an equal mark.

“I forget,” Imperator said, “what was his name again?”

“Party Favor,” Starlight replied.

“Ah. Right.” Imperator looked to Shattered Bones. “So, was he dead when you found him, or did you kill him?”

“Dead when we found him,” Bones replied. “Why do you ask?”

“I ask because Miss Glimmer was not completely convinced when I told her of his death. Not even when I explained to her how unlikely it was that he survived the fall.”

“You'd be surprised how survivable hundred story drops can be,” Starlight said.

“She's right, you know,” Bones said. “I get why you didn't check to make sure – because you really couldn't – but still, deep chasms make surprisingly poor deathtraps.”

“I will be honest,” Imperator said, “I really did not care too much about killing him. He was not important. I would have simply ripped his head off if he were. I just wanted to make things a bit more interesting.”

“Speaking of interesting… in Cordelphi, you told one of my agents that you think I might be your daughter. Is this true?”

“It is,” he replied.

“What!?” Starlight and Checkmate exclaimed in unison. They looked at each other. Checkmate's eyes were wide, and so were Starlight's. As far as they knew, it was entirely out of nowhere.

“You know,” Bones said, “I have a stepfather. I was told that my real father died. You would not be a deserter, would you?”

“I am afraid so. But I did redeem myself.”

Bones scowled. “You did, did you? Then how are you still alive?”

“I was resurrected.” He pointed to Starlight. “She is a witness. You need not take my word for it.”

“Hm.” Bones looked to Starlight. “Is it true?”

Starlight nodded. “It is. He dueled Princess Twilight Sparkle on the peak of Mount Athon, then died of his injuries after he won.” She waved a hoof whimsically. “Then, he was brought back to life before my own eyes. His coat turned white, his eyes turned gold, and his wrinkles vanished.”

“Now, what was he doing fighting the child-princess?”

Starlight tapped her own chest with a hoof. “He was protecting me. This was shortly before we were ascended to alicornhood.”

“Mmm. And who was it that rose the dead and made you two alicorns?”

“Your own god.”

Bones took a quiet moment of contemplation, then drew a deep breath and looked up to the heavens. Afterwards, she looked back to Starlight. “The last time God ever raised the dead was in the First Reich's war against the Diarchs. And the last time He ascended a mere mortal to alicornhood was when He made Planetvoid His prophet in the Wasteland at the founding of the Second Reich. If what you say is true, the-” She hesitated. “Then this is no petty war of conquest. This is the birth of a true Third Reich!” She snapped her gaze to Imperator. “Now I must know if I am your daughter. If that is true, then you can make me an alicorn.” She grinned. “I will be a goddess!”

“Now hold on,” Imperator said. “What makes you being my daughter a prerequisite for me granting you alicornhood? And even if it is, why would I want to grant it to you?”

“Well,” Starlight interjected, “I happen to know quite a bit about alicorn lore. I think I get where she's coming from.”

“Very well then,” Imperator said, “do enlighten us.”

“Alright. But I want that corpse out of here, first. It's unsightly.”

Bones looked to the left side and commanded, “Remove the package.” She watched the secret agent magically lift the corpse back up, stuff it back in the box, then latch the box shut.

The secret agent levitated the box up. “Where do you want it, Grand Dragon?”

“In the landfill.”

The secret agent saluted the Grand Dragon, then carried the box with her out of the room, through the double-door entrance.

“Anyway,” Starlight began. “There are three ways an alicorn can be created. The first is for a mortal to be given ascension by a god, or an extremely powerful magical artifact. The second is biologically, either by an alicorn mating pair or by a female alicorn paired with a very powerful male unicorn, although the latter only has about a one in four chance of producing an alicorn. The third is for an alicorn to give ascension to a mortal, but this is unstable, produces a relatively weak alicorn even when it works, and can only be done once in a very long while. But here's the interesting part: The closer the mortal subject is to the alicorn by blood, the more stable the process, the more powerful the alicorn is likely to become, and the less time the other alicorn has to wait to do it again.”

“I see,” Imperator said. “But how do you explain Cadence and Sparkle being ascended within fifty years?”

Starlight shrugged. “I don't know.”

“Very well then.” He looked to Bones. “So, do you have a blood test ready?”

“I do,” she replied. At her horn's glow, she drew a slip of orange paper from a fold in her robe. “You know how this works, don't you?”

“The two blood samples go on top of the paper. The paper is lit on fire. Blue fire means they are related, any other color means not.”

“Pretty much. So, you have a knife with you?”

“I am afraid not.”

Bones drew two shiny, razor-sharp knives out from her robe. “You may borrow one of mine.”

“Very well.”

They exchanged magical grips on one of the knives. Imperator then undid the armor on one of his front legs, letting the pieces fall to the ground, revealing the flesh and blood appendage. Bones and Imperator then stretched out their front legs, and held the edges of their blades onto them. With one swift stroke, the two cut themselves, letting blood and ichor spill on the ground in small, steady streams. Bones then moved the paper, first under her own stream, then under Imperator's, then into the fiery plume on Imperator's helm. Once it was alight, Bones retracted it from the plume, and watched as it was consumed in azure flame. Bones looked at the flame with a serene smile.

She looked up at him, and whispered, “Father.”

“My child. My daughter, Grand Dragon of the Secret Service. And at such a young age. I am deeply proud of you.”

She was quiet for a moment, and a single tear welled from one of her eyes. As the tear ran down her face, she took a deep breath that shook with joy. “I… I always thought you'd be. I always wanted to make you proud despite thinking you were… dead.”

“I am alive now, my child. Now, hold your tongue for one moment. I wish to see you with my own eyes.” He lifted up his visor, then he smiled, and looked into her eyes. “You are beautiful. Prime Imperial stock.”

“I know, father.”

“While I was away, I was exposed to many xenos customs. There is one I would like to share with you. A gesture of affection.”

“I'd like to see it.”

Imperator set his knife aside on the ground and walked up close to his daughter. “Stand on your hind legs and embrace me with your front legs.”

Bones hesitated at first, but then dropped her knife, stood herself up, and embraced her father, who wrapped his unarmored front leg around her, running it up and down her back all the while.

“This feels good,” Bones said. She rubbed her cheek against her father's neck.

“They call it a 'hug'. Miss Glimmer taught it to me.”

“I'm glad she did.”

They held each other for a good long time. Bones closed her eyes, holding her dad tighter and tighter. Eventually, her dad kissed her on the cheek, and they broke the hug.

“That was really sweet,” Starlight said.

Imperator extended his unarmored leg, which no longer bled, then lit his horn, lifting the pieces of leg armor off the ground and cladding the appendage back into it. He then put it back down, closed his visor, and looked to Starlight. “We only have you to thank, dear. Now, I believe there is one more thing for us to do.”

“What about my alicornhood?” Bones asked.

“We will discuss it later,” Imperator replied. He looked to Starlight. “I would like to see you repair the marechild's brain.”

Starlight nodded. “Alright.” She looked over to Sucker Pop. “You ready to have your old mind back, sweetie?”

Sucker Pop gasped, then let out a shrill shriek with a big smile on her face. “Yes, mommy! I want it back! Mommy give it back!”

“Okay. Now, just close your eyes, and think happy thoughts.”

Sucker Pop did as she was told. Starlight lit her horn, and touched the tip of it on Sucker Pop's head, and it now glowed with greenish-blue light. Vibrations emanated from the point where her horn touched. The buzzing sound of brain matter being restored filled the air. Once Starlight felt that her task was done, she unlit her horn and withdrew it.

Starlight leaned her head close to Sucker Pop's ear to whisper. “Open your eyes now, sweetie.”

Sucker Pop slowly opened her eyes, then blinked several times. Then, she looked around the room. Her right eye was no longer crooked. It now moved in synthesis with the other eye. Sucker Pop's breathing grew shallow and rapid, and she grinned a wide grin.

“My eye! It works! I can see depth! It… it's so wonderful. And… and I remember words to songs. And I don't talk like a baby anymore. And I can do basic algebra in my head!” She looked to Starlight with tears in her eyes. “Oh, thank you, Starlight! Thank you.”

Starlight looked around at the others in the room. Everyone looked at her with jaws dropped, and eyes as wide as plates, possibly except for Imperator, whose helm covered his face.

Sucker Pop continued. “I owe my life to you, Starlight! How can I ever repay you?”

Starlight looked at Imperator with a smug smirk. “Well, Mister Cynical. Looks like you were wrong. What do you have to say now?”

Imperator hesitated. “What do I have to say?” He looked at her silently. “I do not know what to say.”

Starlight chuckled. “Say, 'Starlight, you are the smartest, cutest, all-around best pony in the whole world, and I love you.'”

“Oh, come now. This moment is already saccharine enough without me getting all sappy with you. I am already getting nauseated as it is.”

Lightning Dust gagged. “Me, too!”

“Me three,” Checkmate added.

Starlight scoffed. “Fine. Go ahead. Be a bunch of stiffs. I'm going to spend some quality time with Sucker Pop.”

“Before you go,” Imperator said, “I must tell you something.”

“Really? Like what?”

“It is about my battle-brothers' and battle-sisters' marks. I would ask you to leave them alone.”

“And why should I?”

“I have boiled it down to two reasons. Will you listen?”

Starlight sighed and rolled her eyes. “Fine. Only because it's you.”

“Very well. Here is the first reason. We are a race born and bred for war and violence. And as such, the cosmos grant us marks that reflect this purpose. If you were to take that away, then you would be putting a damper on our ability to enforce equality both without and within the Commonwealth.”

Starlight nodded. “Okay. What else?”

“The second reason is that even if you were to take away their marks, their very physiologies would prevent them from being truly equal. They would still be easily distinguishable from the others at a glance, and their physical and mental attributes would still remain strongly different. You would have to slaughter them wholesale, which would be nearly impossible even with their marks removed, and utterly unpragmatic. And since the highest echelons of government are already keeping their marks for pragmatism's sake, any argument for ideological purity would be moot.”

“That's a good point. Hmm… you know what? Fine. I'll leave them alone. But only on one condition.”

“Name it.”

“I want their existence to be conspicuous.”

“Please elaborate.”

“You have the Secret Service here, right? Well, I want your folks to be a literal secret service. I want their existence to be hidden. Knowledge of their existence should be restricted on a need-to-know basis. I can definitely see how useful they are for keeping our rules enforced and our armies effective, but I also can't let the masses know that there's an entire race of ponies within our Commonwealth that's keeping their cutie marks. You're the only Imperial I want known to the public, and even then, I don't want you publicly identified as such.”

“Because my alicornhood makes any physiological difference moot.”

She nodded again. “Right. And…” She gave him a playful nudge. “I'd hate to have to go to social-political gatherings without you. Going to those things alone looks terrible. And I'll be frank here. Having a big, burly guy like you – not to mention the only male alicorn in the known world – with me will make all the other mares jealous.” She chuckled fiendishly. “Yeah, let them feel not-so-special for once. See how they like it.”

“Is my appearance really that exceptional?”

“Well, you know, compared to Wasteland stallions, Equestrian stallions are rather… how to put this… effete. Probably has a lot to do with how much this place sucks. That goes triple for Imperial stallions.”

“Ah. I see.”

“So, your guys get to keep their cutie marks, but they have to be kept out of sight. We'll put them in really tall buildings with tinted windows so they can feel important. Do we have a deal?”

“An excellent deal. I accept.”

“But wait,” Bones interjected. “If I am made an alicorn, will you let me be known to the public, too?”

Starlight put a hoof on her chin in thought. “Hm. You know what? I will. But only if you're made an alicorn. So I suggest you make a good impression on your dad here.”

Bones put on a beaming smile. “Oh, of course I will!” She embraced him in another hug. “I love him already.”

“Okay, then. I'll see you, Bones, when we move out in the morning. And I'll see you, Wanderer, in the mayoral bedchamber at bedtime.” She turned around to the double-door and started her way out, motioning Sucker Pop to follow her. “Come with me, sweetie. I'd like to get a feel for what's really in that noggin of yours.”

Sucker Pop rushed up beside Starlight. “Yes, Starlight. Anything for you!” Next Chapter: Chapter 25 Estimated time remaining: 39 Minutes