Olive Pit walked down the line, passing his soldiers. They all were tired. Exhausted. The training had worn on them more than Olive Pit had expected. It had been three years since any of them had been in training and pushed like this. Unacceptable.

The training was wearing on him as well, but he was not done yet. Leading a combat training session with no supporting sergeant was difficult. Lieutenant Razzleberry was doing all he could to take the stress of command off of Olive Pit.

“Alright Unit 0,” Olive Pit said starting things. “You have been working alongside the selected Units, showing you have the skills of a combat medic. Now, we are going to be transferring this to the evening and night.”

“Excuse my interruption Lieutenant,” Arrow said landing. “I just got off the phone with my sister. It seems like she is the officer in charge of helping a Lieutenant Deke get off his probation after problems with his training.”

“Deke?” Olive Pit smiled, but with an eyebrow raised.

“Yes Sir,” Arrow replied. “I don’t know when, but they will be coming soon, because of my engagement.”

Olive Pit laughed. “It will be good to see him! Thank you Lieutenant. But I think you have a post to get to and I have an army to assault that post.”

Arrow took off without a word and turned towards the city that they had built for Black Barrack. It was crucial to their combat training exercises and Olive Pit was sure that it would be used more in routine exercises for the Units stationed here.

“Alight,” Olive Pit said returning his focus on Unit 0. “Back to it. We have been doing immediate care for a variety of injuries. But now you will have to work to get injured back and off the front lines when possible. You can’t just patch them up and leave them, like in a regular battle. There is nopegasus to pick them up and take them back to a M.A.S.H. Unit. That will mean they will die, unable to move or defend themselves. I would bring some folding stretchers.”

“Another new element. You have been training with six Units. Now it is time to actually deploy with them like you would with a company. Assignments are:

Staff Sergeant Morning Thunder and Sergeant Bright Starr , you will be with Unit 13.

Staff Sergeant Spring Moon and Sergeant Star Hooves, Unit 15.

Staff Sergeant Summer Bolt and Sergeant Black Burn, Unit 31.

First Sergeant Moonlit Charge and Sergeant Gemmed Fortune, Unit 50.

Sergeant Major Willow and Sergeant Flawless Topaz, Unit 68

First Sergeant Morning Spark, you will be with me and Unit 92.

“Fall out and deploy with our assigned units. Their officer will give final instructions on the mission.”

Olive Pit fell headed to the 92. The others were disorganized and took way to long to team up and head to their assigned units, except for Morning Spark. Morning Spark was rushing to grab what they needed.

“Captain,” Olive Pit said as he reached Unit 92. “My other soldier will be right here. As soon as he is, we are ready to proceed. I hope that we are not holding you up.”

“I’m here!” Morning Spark panted. “All geared up Sir. Sorry Sir.”

“No need to apologize First Sergeant,” 92 Captain said. “We knew you had to grab some final gear.”

Olive Pit picked up his bags. Morning Spark took a few deep breaths. He didn’t realize that Olive Pit had already gotten gear and had it waiting for him at Unit 92. He had grabbed gear for both of them.

“Now that we all are here,” 92 Captain began. “Our objective is to take out an outpost before it is able to react and send reinforcements to the main battle. Diamond formation with the field medics at the rear. We need to protect them in flight. We are facing a large force who’s numbers are not completely known.”

They set their formation and trotted off into a take off. Morning Spark was out of sync, but he made it and adjusted into the formation. He fell back a bit as the formation picked up speed. They were forced to slow down to stay together.

“Shit!” 92 Captain swore.

Gunfire erupted off to their side. They were behind. One team broke off and sped ahead, rushing to intercept and stop reinforcements through distraction. When the main group finally touched down, they knew one was hit and the other pinned. The other team dashed off to flank and draw fire.

“First Sergeant, get to them an patch her up!” 92 Captain ordered.

“Alone!”

“You are a combat medic, are you not?”

“Right,” Morning Spark stuttered as he rushed off.

Olive Pit followed the Captain. They enemy was prepared for them. 92 Captain went down. Olive Pit was able to snag him as it happened and pull him into cover. Their vests had a special slot. When a hit was registered, it slid out a randomized wound.

It was a simple flesh wound. Olive Pit had it patched up in seconds and then they both were up and in the battle. They whole Unit was pinned quickly. 92 Captain was able to get them organized into a group for their final stand.

Olive Pit took a hit. His card read a bullet to the head, but survivable and in able to stay active. One of the others took three hits at the same time. The vest registered them all and slid out a black skull marking death.

Orders were called for retreat and Unit 92 tried to break free. Olive Pit was pinned with their dead comrade. Morning Spark was in a position to be able to lay down cover fire. He froze and dashed away after the others. Olive Pit never had the chance to try and make it on his own.

The exercise was over and they flew back to reset for the next one. Olive Pit didn’t say a word. There was no point. Morning Spark knew what choices he had made.

Razzleberry called over the officers of Unit 13, Unit 15 and Unit 92. Olive Pit joined them. They approached the tactical table where the map was laid out. There were unit pieces on the map.

“Your next assignment is to head in on hoof to here,” Razzleberry said as he moved their unit pieces. “We need you to take and hold this position. While they converge on you, Unit 31, Unit 50 and Unit 66 will come in and strike fast and hard as many times as they need to.”

“Concerns?”

“I do,” 13 Lieutenant said. “Our medics dragged us down and I lost two because of them.”

“Not just you,” 92 Captain stated. “One of ours caused the death of Lieutenant Olive Pit and the loss of both their bodies.”

Razzleberry sighed. “Show them what it means to see combat. They have to learn to handle the balance. That is what this is for.”

“Yes Sir!” They all said, falling out.

“Lieutenant,” 13 Lieutenant said. “I hope you are able to shape them up.”

“They will,” Olive Pit replied. “I have a few tricks up my sleeve.”

Unit 15 took lead. They stayed together. Again, the team was slowed down by Unit 0. Olive Pit was trying to keep his cool. Spring Moon was at the rear when he tripped. Olive Pit growled as he dashed back to him.

“My shoulder,” Spring Moon groaned. He moved his hoof revealing blood.

“GO!” Olive Pit ordered the Units. “I’ll patch him up and get things rolling.”

Olive Pit pulled out a patch kit designed for longer surface cuts. He ripped it open, swabbed the cut with iodine and popped open the stitch kit.

“Wait, it’s dark!” Spring Moon yelped. “You can’t see. And you haven’t given me any anesthetic.”

“I got this,” Olive Pit said rolling his eyes.

Olive Pit didn’t give him a chance to reply as he pushed the curved needle into the flesh around the wound and sewed it together. Spring Moon was groaning in tears. Olive Pit finished with another wipe down to remove the blood and sterilize the wound and then a bandage over it for good measure.

“Let’s go,” Olive Pit said pulling him to his hooves.

“Wait, not back?” Spring Moon asked horrified. “I just got five stitches.”

“So?” Olive Pit asked. “It’s not going to kill you and we have a job to do. Or will you let pegasi die in battle because you got a few stitches and can’t patch them up?”

Olive Pit just walked away. Spring Moon took longer than he should have to begin to chase down Olive Pit.

They were almost at their destination when the sound of combat opened up. It was a lucky break that they were behind. A small team had tried to flank, giving their backs to Olive Pit and Spring Moon. Olive Pit shot them, leaving Spring Moon, again, under performing.

It wasn’t long before their group was taking hits. Beset from all directions, even the air, the Units put up a good fight, but losing. Combat was happening in other areas, but it wasn’t drawing them away.

Olive Pit ended up directing his medics while covering a member of Unit 15 who was in trouble. The member was hit and Olive Pit crawled over to her. The card given said it was three bullets to the chest.

He did what he could, but time ran out. If he wasn’t under so much fire, he could have gotten his head up a bit more and a better position. Olive Pit decided to screw the enemy pressing on their defenses and slung her over his back. He dashed further into their defenses, making it safely. He gently put her down.

Morning Thunder got hit, requiring Olive Pit’s attention. It was a simple wound to bind, but it put him out of the fight.

“Sorry,” Morning Thunder said.

“Save it,” Olive Pit replied. “If it was your fault, I don’t want to know. I am taking it as something unavoidable.”

The enemy was able to collapse a flank and take out Bright Starr and Sprint Moon who were tending to two others. It was a slow lose after that, but they eventually hit Olive Pit and cleaned them all out.

“Damn it!” Olive Pit swore as they walked back. “That was a shitty performance on all fronts.”

“We are doing out best,” Bright Starr pleaded.

“I meant the other Units,” Olive Pit growled.

“It was,” 92 Captain chuckled. “I think Colonel Nova gave the execution order and wanted us knocked out, ignoring the combat medic side of things. But, Unit 0 needs to relearn the combat side of being a Combat Medic.”

Star Hooves fought back. “We learned to patch people up, not shoot them.”

“You can’t patch a soldier up if the defenses can’t be held. The enemy will off both of you.”

“Come on Lieutenant,” Bright Starr begged. “Make them see reason.”

“Or,” Olive Pit halted. “You guys could try to focus a bit more on the combat side of things. These are not platoons of 40 soldiers. Sometimes, you will be the flank. Sometimes you need to make sure to shoot the enemy before he shoots your guys.”

Olive Pit shut down any more conversation about medics. The Units knew not to push it. Unit 0 didn’t.

Olive Pit headed immediately to Razzleberry.

“Tough one,” Razzleberry said shaking his head. “Unit 31 was wiped out as they landed. 68 toppled right after. You held out a lot longer than expected. But that is not what is bothering you.”

Olive Pit sighed. “They are timid. Afraid to shoot. Its front line combat. We were taught to shoot our way to our next patient. And to make sure to stay alive long enough to patch your guys up.”

“Well, they can’t relearn it any better way than they are now,” Razzleberry replied.

“Spring Moon fell and somehow gave himself a nice gash. I think it was a connector for his vest. I had to stitch him up.”

“In combat?”

“In route. I scared the crap out of him because I didn’t use a light or give any pain meds. I learned to work in the dark. We all did. That training hasn’t changed. If he can’t see, okay. But he should trust me on that. Besides, its not that dark out.”

Razzleberry chuckled. “And you wanted to convey combat by not giving him pain meds.”

“Yeah, I could have taken the extra five minutes to numb the area up. But I figured it was the best way to remind him what combat medics have to do for their patients. Most don’t get any pain treatment.”

Razzleberry nodded his head in understanding. He shrugged after another moment.

“Colonel Nova is cooking something up. I don’t have any idea what. He called off the third exercise so he can replace it with whatever he is devising.”

“Interesting,” Olive Pit yawned. “It is really late to make a change.”

“Not unlike him,” Razzleberry chuckled. “Even when he was a retired captain, he had a lot of weight and things changed at odd times.”

The the field phone rang. Razzleberry picked it up.

“Alright Lieutenant,” Nova said. “I am stationing my side along the central line. Your job, assault it and win. From the ground. Unit 41 will be playing the watch dog this time around and make sure you all stay down.”

“That sounds better,” Olive Pit said. “It should give Unit 0 a much better, realistic exercise. For the basics. Not for Aerial Combat Tactics.”

“Yes it will,” Nova replied. “31 messing up like that is a problem I will be dealing with. A Scout Unit can not afford those mistakes. Especially in casual mode like this.”

Nova hung up and Razzleberry gathered the commanders. It was a simple strategy. Two strong flanks with a weak center. The goal was to have the enemy push into the weak spot, allowing your troops to surround them and finish them off.

Unit 0 had gathered together to discuss how things had been going. They all were experiencing the same frustration about the other Units expecting them to be ‘elite’ combatants.

Olive Pit had remembered bits and pieces of the battlefield, but the center he knew by heart. They had fought for it enough times. 92 was on the left side. It was a stalemate along their lines. They were hitting the odd soldier or two and not taking hits. Their opponents had more troops, negating the hits.

Things finally changed when the left flank was able to overwhelm their resistance. Most of the soldiers had taken hits and been patched up. The fact that most received minor wounds was the reason they won.

Among the few casualties were Bright Starr and Flawless Topaz. Bright Starr had gone down protecting a patient. Flawless Topaz had tried to dash to the aid of two others who had been hit and pinned in another building. She didn’t know that there an enemy soldier had slipped in through a window on the other side and was hit. Her vest marked her as an immediate casualty.

Olive Pit dismissed them as soon as the exercise was finished. They would meet up at 1000 for a review. Olive Pit was helping to pack the extra stuff back out. With all the hooves pitching in it took no time at all.

The Unit Commanders had spent that time writing up reviews and reports. It was a poor performance. Under the baseline that Basic Training and Combat Medical School had set. They were slow to move, slower to react, timid, clueless and had no endurance.

Olive Pit was done with the reports right before breakfast. There was no sleep for him. He grabbed some food and tried to figure out how to proceed.

When 1000 came around, half of Unit 0 was still asleep. Olive Pit sent Black Burn to wake the others up. They were in poor shape when it came to disciple as well. Olive Pit was not sure how to deal with their uniforms. He needed them physically in shape. That was more important.

“For never doing this, good job,” Olive Pit said. “You still have to shape up on your skills. Tomorrow morning, back on the schedule on the wall. I will be preparing for the upcoming Basic Training and the next step in your development as Unit 0.”

There was so much more Olive Pit wanted to say. So much more he should say on individual performance, tactics, fitness and more. But he was defeated. For now.

“Spend the time you are not on duty preparing. Get yourselves back into shape and prepared to carry out your duties. Dismissed.”

“Lieutenant,” Spring Moon said.

“Yes?” Olive Pit replied.

“I wanted to say that your stitches last night were perfect. I have never seen better. And you did it in the dark. I am really impressed.”

“Why?” Olive Pit asked.

“You did it in the dark really fast.”

“It’s stitches,” Olive Pit shrugged. “I know you were trained to master stitches in CMS. Dark or not, they are easy. It isn’t something to be impressed about.”

Olive Pit left and headed to his office. He didn’t want to mess up his sleep schedule by going to bed before lunch. Even a nap could turn disastrous if he overslept.

“Well, how hard did you give it to them?” Razzleberry asked approaching his desk.

“I didn’t,” Olive Pit sighed. “I didn’t have it in me to rip them to shreds for everything they need to fix. They are far from ready as combat medics.”

“You can’t give up,” Razzleberry stated. “You have to. It’s your job to whip them into shape.”

“They can’t even assemble on time,” Olive Pit stated. “I can’t go all drill sergeant on them alone. Not yet. When the transfers arrive, it should give me enough traction to do it. But right now…”

Razzleberry let the sentence go unfinished for a while.

“Look, I am here for you. But I know you can do this. I know your confidence will be back soon and you will surprise everypegasus.”

“Thanks,” Olive Pit smiled.

“Come on, lets grab lunch and then we both have to prepare for training. I have recruit profiles to comb through in preparation.”

“How do they look?”

“Unimpressive so far. Across the board. The top ten easily stand out. But even they are sub par. They have no real competition so they are not striving to be their absolute best.”

“You guys have no idea how much that Autumn Leaf pushed you. He didn’t mean to. It wasn’t planned. He pissed everypegasus off. The only upside of his time here was that he was always watching you and it meant you felt you could not slack off. It gave your Barrack the boost it needed.”

Next Chapter: Chapter 61 - Fourth Conclave Estimated time remaining: 2 Hours, 11 Minutes