"Smart Cookie!" I called out in greeting.

I had just left Stygian, perhaps two trenches ago. The... Breakfast spot? Surrender point? I'll work on the name. The outcropping was close by.

I could see Smart Cookie inside one of the underground rooms, sitting on a hunk of log and illuminated by a lantern.

"Luna!" she greeted with a smile, waving her hoof with a 'come here' gesture.

I obliged and entered the dugout.

Smart Cookie wasn't alone. Pansy, Clover, Short List, Gold Note, and an Earth Pony whose name I didn't know were present. The unknown Earth Pony had an unrolled scroll set on the flat end of a barrel. On it were scribbles that I couldn't immediately make sense of.

"Luna, this is Known Edge. A cartographer." Cookie introduced. "Known Edge, General Luna."

"A pleasure." I nodded.

"Likewise General." he bowed slightly.

"I have several things to bring up, but something tells me you've got more important things to say." I sat on the ground near Cookie.

"I'm... Not sure if it's more important, but we're delegating all the bunker rooms we have." Clover replied. "We had Known perform a survey and map out all of the trenches we have."

"Excellent. I approve." I nodded. "Did you need any input from me?"

"No, but we figured you'd like to observe." Gold Note responded.

"Ordinarily you'd be right." I nodded. "But I have several things that need addressing. Will you still be here in about an hour?"

"Should be." Pansy nodded.

"Great. I'll be back then." I stood back up and let them continue their work.

I trotted through the dugout and left on the opposite side, passing a group of Ponies as they carried a few bags of what looked like grain.

Short List was no longer an option so who could- Ah!

"Captain Rock Garden!" I called out. The steel plated mare looked up from her discussion with a subordinate.

"General." she greeted with a slight bow, before turning to the stallion she was speaking with. "Return to me when you're done." She turned back to me. "What can I help you with General?"

"Would you happen to know where my banners are kept?" I asked.

"Oh... I think so." Rock Garden hesitantly replied.

"Good. I'd like them put up during the night." I nodded.

"Uh... General? Are you sure that's a good idea? I'm not sure the Ponies will like fighting under a banner with the Moon..." Rock Garden put forward.

"I recognize that possibility." I nodded again. "However, as much as our Ponies don't like it, imagine just how damaging they would be to Pegasopolis' morale when they see it in the morning."

"I'll... I'll pass the word on." she nervously agreed.

"Thank you. Would you happen to know of anypony who needs to talk to me?" I asked.

"I think Gold Note wanted to talk to you, but you just came from that direction." the Captain commented.

"Yes I spoke with him. And unless you've seen Comet within the last few minutes I'll probably be heading back to him."

"I have not." Rock Garden shook her head.

"Alright then. I'll be in that meeting for the time being then. Thank you for your time." I stated, letting the mare return to her duties.

It may have been a small thing, that most probably wouldn't have gone out of their way to do. But flying the Moon banners directly after we stopped the city from escaping? Oh that was definitely a message they'd listen to.

And the sooner they gave in the happier everypony would be.

I turned back and reentered the dugout.

It was no surprise when the group looked at me with confusion as I sat down again.

It had barely been a minute since I left.

"I need to wait for somepony. Until then I can listen in." I said, gesturing for them to continue.

"Er... Right." Gold Note hesitantly continued. "So if we were to make this bunker into a barracks-"

Captain Comet Trail chose that moment to fly through the entrance I had originally entered through.

"General? Are you free right now?" he asked.

So much for me trying to attend this meeting.

I sighed.

"Have you guys set aside an office or something for me yet?" I asked the group.

"Oh! Uh..." Clover looked over the map. "Will this room do fine?" she pointed at the map still set on the barrel.

"Is that near here? I'd like to be close to that outcropping on the shore if possible." I asked, leaning over to examine the map.

"Yes. It should be right through there." Cookie pointed deeper into the dugout we were in. It was barely noticeable, but the occasional light of another lantern would illuminate another doorway, revealing more rooms hidden beneath the soil.

I memorized the room Clover had pointed at and figured the fastest route to it from where I thought we were currently.

"Then it should do excellently." I nodded. "Captain? If you'd follow me, I'd rather have this discussion in private."

"Yes Ma'am." he saluted, landing on the floor.

"I'll try to return when I'm done." I said to the group. They nodded and went back to their discussion.

I lit my horn and wandered into the maze like structure the army had built within the past day.

While it was clearly unfinished, I could already see hooks in the boards above where lanterns were meant to be hung. We would pass Ponies occasionally, wedging stout timbers between the floor and ceiling, making pillars and support structures. One team we crossed, was busy modifying the ceiling, making an chimney for air or fire. I wasn't sure which quite yet. But finally, I lead us to the room I thought Clover had gave me.

It wasn't a large room, but it wasn't small either. Enough room for me to set up a cot or bedroll, maybe a spare crate as a planning table, with some room to spare so I could hold meetings to run the siege as we finally settled into routine.

I would have to inquire about getting some sort of door however.

"I'd offer a chair, but I haven't gotten the chance to get any yet." I commented, hoping to lighten the mood.

"I'll let it slide General." Comet replied. "So what did you want to discuss?"

"Several things." I started, sitting on my haunches so I faced the door and Comet at the same time. "First and foremost, I'd like to apologize. Let me finish." I waved down the interruption he clearly wanted to interject with. "You know at Casúrdomhain we had a spy in our midst. But I wasn't sure if the same was true here under Pegasopolis."

"... You suspected me." Comet concluded.

"I did." I nodded. "But the actions the Pegasi took today tell me otherwise. If any of you were a spy, it would've been foals play to let Pegasopolis escape. Clearly none of our methods of stopping the city were working, despite our efforts. But all of you stopped that, putting an end to my doubts." I put a hoof to my chest and bowed slightly. "So I humbly offer my apology for distrusting you."

"I... I can understand where you're coming from." Comet sighed. "I accept your apology in the spirit in which it is given."

"Thank you. With that out of the way, that brings me to my second reason for asking you here. I've been under utilizing the Pegasi, relying more on Earth Pony seige engines and Unicorn magic to win the day. If this United tribe idea is ever going to work, we all need to work together equally. So if you have any suggestions in which I can better lead this army, I'm willing to listen."

"I'll have to give it some thought. Though I can understand why you've been keeping us grounded, especially during the assaults."

"Thank you. That leads me to my final note; It occurred to me while Pegasopolis was trying to escape, that I have no idea how the city is built and where its weak points are. I don't want to destroy the city utterly, but if we can cripple it in anyway we can it'll make our lives easier until they surrender. Yes I know what I'm asking, you probably grew up in Pegasopolis. But I cannot stress enough how much I'm trying to save all the lives I can, on both sides. If you could get to me details of how to stop the cities weapons and movement, we can end this fight all the earlier."

"I understand." Comet nodded. "I was there when the Windegos attacked, I only survived because I happened to see the bright firelight from above. I know why my homeland needs to surrender."

"Thank you." I sighed in relief.

That could've gone a lot worse. If Comet was being truthful, and I suspected he was, he was firmly on our side.

"Now, do you have anything you'd like to add?" I continued.

"Not yet, I'll get back to you about Pegasi strategies and some diagrams drawn up for you to study." the stallion replied.

"Excellent. I look forward to those conversations. Until then, dismissed."

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