Olive Pit is finally in full control of Unit 0 and they have made a dramatic improvement. They are a real unit again, and they proudly earned their silver medic wings. Olive Pit is working to improve Unit 0s training to better encompass the wide breath of injuries they will have to treat compared to their non silver winged medic Brothers. There will be no nearby Field Hospitals to evacuate ACU soldiers to.

Marble Falls is now Colonel over the Aerial Combat Zone of Fort Wind. That includes training the recruits and the rest of the activities at the Squad Barracks. She is being tailored to replace General Red River when his eventual retirement does happen. He wants to ensure that a teacher took over for him. The Council is pleased because she will pass on her knowledge of below to the new recruits. She can still be a Wonderbolt and General over Fort Wind and all of the Basic Training for recruits. Her duties as Captain of Squad 12 are not being set aside either.

Cardinal Spitfire has matured into a strong, assertive Wonderbolt who knows when to strike, when not to, and is tactful. She is one of the best when it comes to flying and is working to help create new ways for the Aerial Combat Battalion to deploy itself. Her initiative, ability to problem solve, leadership, and inspirational hope means She will be getting her own command soon enough.

Golden Dawn has gone from hot headed NCO light trooper to focused Aerial Combat Battalion Officer. She rocks an Applesnack submachine gun, off the battle saddle, and will continue to use it. Her special somepegaus, Shining Ire, has moved into Wind Hamlet. Golden Dawn has also found out her squadmate and friend, Vengeful Blade, is her younger brother. Her family won the right to not abort the pregnancy, but he was taken without them even being able to see him to a family for adoption. It is rare that a third adoption seal is broken.

Gunmetal has been outfitting the ACBs new Quartermaster skillfully and is assisting in developing new delivery systems for dropping troops from the 3rd Fleet's Corvettes.

Arrow is married to Dipper and creating a new role for special ACUs. Heavier shock units that drop in hot and fast during longer engagements for the ACUs, as direct support and close air support.

The 3rd Fleet is receiving new ships to expand their new directive as the defense fleet. The Buttercup earned them that right. And the training with the Arial Combat Battalion is bolstering their usefulness and will secure more ships for their fleets as the years unfold.

Ruby Snow is now Admiral over the 3rs Fleet and the previous Admiral, Purple Breeze, is now in the 2nd Fleet, as Vice Admiral and second in Command of the 2nd Fleet.

Deke is Commander and First Mate on the Buttercup. The ship is repaired and so is he. Deke is forced to wear glasses from his injuries, but his hearing has been repaired. His brains and skill saved many lives from that storm, at the expense of four of his crew.

Deke has become an officer that many Pegasi would jump to fly under. And now he has the responsibility to train new wings and help expand the tactics of the 3rd Fleet. It won't be long before the former trash king has a ship of his own. He has proven his worth is greater than any blood line.

The change in uniforms and ranks is complete. The 3rd Fleet and Aerial Combat Battalions have expanded the lower officer ranks so they can better gauge officers and reward their years of service. The ACBs have new uniforms, including the Blue Berets, that reflect their expanded ranking system. They not only look new and shiny, they have expanded their numbers and are continuing to. The new tactics they are employing with the 3rd Fleet will require a large Battalion. But their requirements for soldier's skill and personal standing will never drop.

Life has gone on as normal despite the betrayal. Cardinal Spitfire did get a response message to Shadow Flare in Rainbow Dash's cave. A better message was later left in the cave. Sword and Shield delivered another message to the occupants of Rosemary, regular ponies and unicorns struggling to survive in the wasteland. Cardinal Spitfire would have gone to the cave earlier, but she could not because she was training Unit 0 in Aerial Combat School. And the long winter's ice would have stopped her as well.

Shadow Flare was not at Rosemary. The ponies below were considered unreliable sources, but they stated that he had left them Rosemary while he went to settle some debts. And that it was just him. Two ponies had been saved by the Inquisitors, but Nor'easter was not one of the three they met. And then when Shadow left them Rosemary, Thunder and Slice were nowhere to be found.

More was reveled later with the Council and others in attendance. Honey Bee had been confirmed to be covering up something and falsely reported the timing on reports. He had passed a message on for Shadow Flare to Nova on crucial information that answered whether or not he had been shot at on one of his missions. That happened after their official disappearance.

But it was discovered just how much had been covered up on multiple sides. Nova had withheld information from the Scouting missions done years before. Whole missions went unreported because the Council did not approve of Scout Command's ideology on how to map below. It was not deemed crucial information that they hid. But they also uncovered weapons and technology in their missions, including the very Applesnack gun Golden Dawn uses.

Scout Command is rebooted with Nova as their general and the recon teams are being recreated once again. This time there will be no secrets and lies. They have learned from the past and the ones who have hidden things in the previous missions are ensuring they no longer will be able to.

Honey Bee's punishment has been served. He took the beating from Cardinal Spitfire, he fears her, and he had lost promotions because of the information passed around while the generals and admirals were at Fort Wind, for the uniform and rank changes to the 3rd Fleet and ACBs. Honey Bee is connected to a powerful family, and anything more would rip the Enclave apart. He has learned his lesson, that is what matters.

That and getting any Inquisitors alive back.

Book 4 details the Inquisitors survival below and what happens to Shadow Flare.