War
Chapter 1: I (Old)
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Chapter 1.
“Six weeks, six weeks they told us!” said a purple and white-maned (with not-so-subtle purple streaks in it) unicorn mare.
“Calm down Vesper,” said a royal blue unicorn with a jet-black mane and tail.
“I know Brandywine, I know… it’s just frustrating how we were all told ‘Oh, it will be a quick in and out, six weeks and they’ll be begging for a cease-fire,’ and yet here we are eight weeks into this, and we haven’t made anywhere near the kind of progress we were told we would make,” I replied, “It’s just that things really haven’t gone well lately,”
“Tell me about it,” Brandywine began, “What with the assignation of Princess Twilight Sparkle, the transfer and conversion of our squad into a company in this newly formed ‘army’ and the introduction of these weapons that can’t hit the broad side of a barn,”.
“Yeah, the Coltchester Mark I ‘Black Berry'*, ‘weapon of the future’,” I said making quotation marks in the air with my hooves, “but it ain’t worth shit compared to a skilled archer with a crossbow or even a skilled swordspony, so I really have to doubt that statement,” I finished.
*Crack*
“Who’s there?” I said at the sound of a stick breaking from the tree line off to my left, swinging my gun in my magic to point at said tree line.
“It’s just me!” called a light green earth pony mare with a purple mane and tail as she emerged from the trees, quickly snapping into a salute at the sight of us.
“Oh, hey Turnip,” I said, lowering my gun and returning her salute. “So, what did you see?” I asked this because she had just gone on the battalion's daily reconnaissance run for the forward operating base.
“Nothing out of the ordinary, they were just milling about as they have been,” she replied.
“Alright then, make sure to go ahead and report it to the commanding officer,” I said in response as I let her past me and head into the FOB.
A few hours later, we had been all summoned to the assembly area next to the flagpole by the base’s CO, Captain Cloverleaf, an experienced earth pony stallion who had previously been in the Royal Guard for 20 odd-something years before being transferred into the 1st. SID** and given command of 1st. Battalion.
“Attention everypony, I know that most of you are probably not very happy with how long this fighting has been going on for,” the captain began, “but I have received orders that tomorrow at 0800 we are going to launch an assault on the Rebels encampment to try and finally push them back further west," a collective ring of cheers could be heard at the news of us possibly, finally pushing the rebels back. "1st. Lt. Vesper Radiance I want you and 1st. Lt. Ice Box to take 1st. Company and lead a direct assault on the rebel's camp, 1st. Lt. Brandywine will flank the camp with 3rd. Platoon, meanwhile 1st. Lt. Hot Plate and 4th. Platoon will stay here and guard the FOB,”. A few grumbles of complaint could be heard at this, but nothing was said otherwise. “Aside from that, I have nothing else of importance to say, so make sure to rest up well for tomorrow, dismissed,” he finished.
A little while after that, we all headed over to the chow line to partake in the most important ritual of the day; dinner, which today consisted of hot potato and cabbage soup and hardtack, a delicious biscuit-like concoction made using; flour, water and a pinch of salt, making it into something that I swear would outlast the princesses themselves.
“So, what do you think of the cook’s choices tonight, Vesper?” asked Ice Box as she sat down next to me at the table that I had picked out.
“That they are once again trying to kill us,” I replied sarcastically to the light grey unicorn mare with a grey mane and tail who I had known since I had first joined the guard.
“At least it isn’t that carrot stew again,” Hot Plate, a light grey unicorn stallion with a grey mane and tail, who was Ice Box’s twin brother and also somepony who I had known since joining the guard remarked as he joined us at the table.
“I think it’s just the fact that somepony ‘accidentally’ dumped the entire container of Tabuckso hot sauce into the stew pot when no pony was looking,” stated Brandywine (who I might add, was another friend of mine from the guard) as he too joined us at my table. After a few minutes of relative silence, I decided to ask the question on everypony’s mind.
“So, what do you guys think of the attack tomorrow?” I asked, trying to chew on my hardtack.
“I’m excited to finally try and push those bastards back like we were promised!” exclaimed Hot Plate, slamming his hoof on the table for emphasis and getting a few looks for it.
“I agree with my brother, Vesper,” added Ice Box, “It would be nice to finally make some forward progress,” she finished.
“I couldn't have said it better myself, Ice,” said Brandywine.
"Thanks, Brandy," replied Ice Box.
Later that evening after finishing dinner and having washed up, I decided to review a map of the soon to be battlefield in my tent, making note of all of the small hills and other deformities in the terrain and how our battle lines would match them. While doing this, I couldn’t help but scratch this constant itch in my left fetlock at the thought of how the rebels might react to our planned attack. Putting the maps and my uniform away, I decided to not worry about it for the time being and instead focus on sleep.
“Welp, tomorrow’s sure going to be exciting,” I thought to myself as I laid down on my cot, closing my eyes and letting the world of dreams take me.