The Princess of Military Supremacy (Closed- REA/Guard Officers)

[SteelEagle]

                                                                       


Equestria was a land of peace and harmony, its values bare for all to see. It saw only the best n every creature and nation and would never be accused of being an aggressor. It sought diplomacy where others sought war. It sought friendship where others sought strife. These things would never, ever change about Equestria or Equestrians for that matter. But Twilight had seen enough to understand that there were threats big and small and relying on a small group of heroines to handle everything was a recipe for disaster. She had other tools at her disposal. Equestria had other protectors she could empower. And so today she was holding a meeting with various branches of the armed forces to see what they could do to improve the nation's security, from an organizational, technological, philosophical, and activity standpoint.

The Twilight Guard was invited, of course. They were her personal guard and would need to be kept fully aware of anything that was going to change how they did their jobs with her. The Solar Guard would have to show up, of course. They were what ponies thought of as the Royal Guard and while their role was about to change, the prestige and honor of their position was without question. The Lunar Guard was too small to warrant a direct invitation to the meeting as they were technically within the rolls of the Royal Guard, now Solar Guard. This would account for the Royal Guard collection and while they were the faces of Equestrian security that could not be denied, they were far from the only ones. The invitation list continued.

The Royal Equestrian Army was the most important invitation of all, as Twilight looked over the world map and understood the dangers and threats that lay beyond the borders of Equestria. While the Guards were there to protect the royal line and duties similar at best to those, it was the REA that was tasked with protecting the national integrity of Equestria. While a great many things were due for a change it was they that would see the lion's share of it all. The Royal Equestrian Navy had been allowed to wallow in its misery for untold generations. It looked impressive on paper but it suffered from a vast number of faults. They would have to show up and be given the sort of resources needed to remake them to answer the threats they faced on the seas and in the skies.

The meeting took place a week after the coronation, when the very last of the long-form guests and gifts had been opened, when the tales and the fables of the disaster that was the ceremony, had finally subsided. The coasts had been clear for the ships long left to rot ashore to come home and once more refitted to stand the test of time. The room they gathered in was not technically in the castle, however. Instead, when the castle had been rebuilt, Twilight had an idea. A complex was built in the mountains themselves with hidden paths through the castle. The complex itself was a defensive redoubt built into the mountain with the capability to house thousands and continue the functioning of civil government. Should everything else fall, this area could be protected and defended for years and had enough space for most of the city's residents.

It was in one of the many rooms near the front of this complex that the meeting would take place, with a view over the city outside. It was a one-way mirror rock. It looked like a normal part of the mountain to most of the city's residents but it was a window from which Twilight could gaze out in safety. She didn't plan on using this complex much but considering she had designed it she wanted to make sure everything worked. She wanted desperately to ensure everycreature's safety, not only through this complex but through the reformations they would discuss today. A better, safer Equestria for all was one of her most important duties.

She turned away from the city and took her seat at the head of a large table. Each chair at it was given a full folder of information about today's topic and a glass of water- to be refilled by two castle workers who were going to filter in and out. Twilight sighed, waiting for the others to show. A less desirable task she could scarcely imagine. A more important one she could hardly fathom.

[Bellosh]

 

“Twilight’s Equestria”. It was a phrase General Pummel and all other ponies were going to hear now more than ever with the retirement of Princesses Celestia and Luna. Amongst most members of the general public, Princess Twilight Sparkle was viewed as essentially an Avatar of the Magic of Friendship... and not much else. Fewer still knew enough of their sovereign ruler to understand that she once studied the art of sorcery under Celestia’s wing.

And then there was an especially select few who saw that beneath the facade of a sometimes-awkward protege lurked a deeply technocratic mind who had been obsessed with the inner workings of Equestrian bureaucracy and martial matters ever since her ascension. That was the sort of Princess Twilight that Gen. Pummel knew best; the Twilight who had championed such endeavors as Task Force Suntrot and the Twilight Guard. Not a week went by since Twilight assumed the Throne, and already she was well on her way to laying the foundation of paradigm-shifting reforms.

Long time ago, the mountain upon which Canterlot stood was mined by greedy unicorns for its priceless gems. The Crystal Mines had been largely forgotten by ponykind up until Queen Chrysalis realized they made the perfect prison for her enemies. After the First Changeling Invasion, various proposals started floating through REA leadership over plans to retrofit the Mines into an emergency command bunker and civilian shelter in the event of another attack. Such plans never went anywhere... that was, until today.

Everything in the newly designated Alternate Royal Command Center looked rough around the edges, but even so, Pummel was astounded by the fast progress the subterranean excavations made so far. True, there were far too many civilian contractors around for his liking, but if the signs were any indication, the heavy reliance on that necessary evil would soon be a thing of the past. Just think: a properly funded Corps of Engineers!

When bidden to do so, the General cantered into the room and rendered the proper courteous salute to the new First Citizen of Equestria and Commander-in-Chief of the Pony Muster; “Ma’am…”

[Blueblood]

It was a long way from the Crystal Empire to Canterlot, but no distance was too far for Shining Armor when his LSBFF needed his help.  Not only was his input valuable, as an experienced military officer currently in charge of the Crystal Guard, but having ascended some years earlier to the throne of the Crystal Empire alongside his wife Princess Cadence, he'd found himself in the same situation as Princess Twilight.  If anything, having to get a military force that was 1,000 years behind the times up to date was an even more extreme case, thus he hoped that his experience could benefit his sister and fellow officers.

 

He entered the caves with an eye of appreciation, though he was somewhat grateful now that Cadence was staying behind.  These caves did not have the best memories for her, and even their new furbishings would probably trigger unpleasant recollections.  He was dressed in uniform, carrying two large manila folders in his magical wake as he passed into the inner chamber.  He gave a salute to General Pummel, who at the time of his transfer out of the Equestrian Chain of command still outranked him, though their relative rank was now an issue of some debate.  Still, the old boy ought to be given some respect for his years of service, and Shining did appreciate the support he was showing to his sister's new regime.

 

"Good Morning, Twilight."  He greeted the new Princess with a smile, though he forewent her usual nickname with him.  This was still technically official business, and though his new Royal Status permitted first-name address, according to protocol, he didn't want to push it further than that.  They were both here to do work, and it wouldn't do to invite accusations of nepotism through a careless word.

[SteelEagle]

                                                                                   


The first to arrive was General Pummel, one of Equestria's highest ranking officers and the perfect officer to head these reforms. "General, at ease. A pleasure to have your expertise here tonight," she replied with a smile, reserved as she was at this meeting it would be hard to not be happy about the greater good they were doing, partially thanks to him.
He was a controversial general in some quarters. He spoke with great passion about the need for Equestria to be better prepared militarily for the threats she faced. He sought to have a more aggressive defense of the nation in many ways, ways that some mistook for In a land that so loved their peace and had a distaste bordering on disgust with the idea of a larger military conflict or even a very aggressive defense. His words had been prophetic over the years and while some still thought him a bit doomsaying at times, Twilight knew better. His words were valuable, his insight unmatched. He was one of Equestria's longest serving military officers and one of her fiercest advocates. If she hadn't included him in these proceedings than she'd run the risk of them being perceived as flawed or not all that serious.

 

The next to arrive was her BBBFF and Prince of the Crystal Empire, Shining Armor. "Shining, thanks for coming. How is Cadance?" She asked, giving him a hug regardless of decorum.
Shining had been one of Equestria's best royal captains in its long history and yes, of course, she invited him because he was a family member who could be trusted to be honest and open-minded. But more than that he understood the dual realities of tactical and strategic military concerns paired with running a nation. The impacts that such decisions had on their citizens could be long-lasting and far reaching. Making the right decision for the nation militarily wasn't easy but you could boil it down to a fact-based system with clear superiority made evident through careful examination. But a nation was more than the facts on the ground, it was the will and heart of a nation that beat far away from any source of conflict, and all decisions made needed to take them into deep consideration. Nopony understood these dueling concerns better than her big brother best friend forever.
 

"Other attendees will arrive soon, I believe. I think Captain Fire Walker is still doing a security sweep. Please, take a seat," she said as she hovered over to the head and took hers, flipping her folder open magically. She coughed to clear her throat and started.
"This meeting is being held so we can better understand the needs of Equestria and the Crystal Empire from a military perspective and heading into the future how to support our . We will be discussing major reforms, new technologies, training programs, recruitment, rules of engagement, and how to better position the armed forces of our nation to better keep her safe. This meeting is not a call to action in response to any single threat, nor is it meant to plan any action incongruent with our dedication to the ideals of Harmony. General Pummel, you have the floor."

[Bellosh]

 

General Pummel was the first one biden to speak. “.....I think by now,” he stood up on all-fours; “We’ve all heard the same song and dance concerning our military’s prior inadequacies. While it is important to keep those in mind, it is also important to remember where our strengths lie..."

While the General talked, he slowly but purposefully made his way over to the world map mounted on the side wall. Grabbing a pointing stick, he began marking various locations as he conducted his briefing. “Thanks in no small part to Princess Twilight Sparkle’s own efforts,” Pummel acknowledged his superior with a nod; “Equestria now enjoys the most favorable strategic position it has experienced in all of its history. The dragons; they were yesterday’s terrors, but have become today’s allies. What was once a deserted tundra to our north is once more the dominion of the resurrected Crystal Empire, with some help from one of our very own.” Shining Armor too received a nod.

“And to their north, Yakyakistan stands firm as another reliable new ally. Over in the Badlands, the Hive of King Thorax is bringing stability to a land ravaged by barbarism. The Free City of Griffonstone pledges friendship with Equestria... as does the Realm of Mount Aris, with its own considerable military assets. In conjunction with the long-standing relationships Equestria maintains with Aquellia, Saddle Arabia, Neighpon, and Long Guo, our country doesn’t face the same number of external threats it did nearly a decade ago.

...Although Equestria’s ability to wield military force remains limited, by almost every other metric, I do not exaggerate when I state we ARE the most powerful nation in the history of civilization.”

General Pummel gave time for his morale-boosting words to sink in, setting aside the pointing stick as he began to methodically pace around the conference table. “For more than a thousand years, Princess Celestia guided ponykind and led us to where we are today. Her wisdom is beyond all question... but YET there was one line that — for reasons known only to herself — she never dared cross. For all the power Celestia possessed to protect ponies from harm, she always refused calls to use her power, or that of her armies, to intervene beyond our borders to stop threats before they grew too dangerous.

I don’t mean to disrespect the princess who earned the title of First Citizen a millennia ago, but it was a FACT that because Her Majesty maintained a purely defensive and reactionary posture throughout her entire reign, we had no choice but to sit and watch as Queen Chrysalis drained the love out of all the neighbors she could find. ...As the Armada of the Storm King was allowed to pillage and burn throughout the southern lands unchecked; conquering... destroying at will.”

Completing a circuit around the table, Pummel once again stopped by the map and grabbed the pointing stick. “As we enter a new era, the most important lesson we must adopt is that what happens over there... matters over here.” The General forcefully tapped Canterlot’s location on the map for emphasis; “We must accept that every fight is OUR FIGHT, and that we don’t have the luxury of sitting one out. Learning to synergize the philosophy of Harmony with the doctrines of modern warfare will be the difference between the continued prospering of our people... and utter destruction.”

General Pummel finally returned to where he had sat down, but continued to stand. “The time for isolationism is over,” the grim stallion firmly planted his forehooves on the table; “This is a time of heroes. A time of legends...

.....History is written by the victors,” Pummel proudly declared as he sat down on his chair at last; “...Let’s get to work.....”

[Blueblood]

Heh, trust Twily not to get too hung up on protocol.  Well, unless she'd just recently read a book on the subject.  Irregardless of all that that, Shining returned his little sister's hug.  "She's doing well, holding down the castle up North while I'm here."  As much as the stallion could enjoy informality, he didn't want it to get in the way of what they were doing here.  This was important to him, both on a professional and personal level.

 

He took a seat, noting the empty ones still remaining around the table.  Fire Walker's absence he could understand, duty waited for no meeting, but having no naval representation struck him as a little odd.  Probably for the best that they stick to general discussions right now, then.  Out of deference for seniority, Pummel was called to give his spiel first, which Shining listened to with interested eyes, but an otherwise neutral expression.  Nodding at the mention of the Crystal Empire, he remained silent through the General's case for a more... interventionist policy.

 

After the pegasus had concluded, Shining Armor began to speak his piece, partially in support, partially in counter-point.  "The initiative has always been a military asset, both at the strategic and tactical level.  However, taking it is not always a guarantee of victory.  Quite the opposite, in fact, if one lacks the proper preparations to keep it.  And, frankly, right now we do not."  Taking to his hooves, the unicorn walked over to the map Pummel had just left, picking up the pointer stick for himself.  "While our diplomatic relations have greatly improved in recent years, it's only with a few allies that we've negotiated anything like basing rights, and even in those cases, we have yet to have finished any bases.  Having no military installations beyond the Gallopagos represents a logistical limit to our ability to project power globally.  Frankly, we can't sustain foreign adventures with our current infrastructure, and it's going to take a couple of decade's worth of investment before we're in any position to do so.

 

"Furthermore," Shining struck the map where a thin black line was shown connecting the territory of the Crystal Empire to the rest of Equestria through the frozen wastelands, "Our ability to internally project power is far from ideal as well.  For instance, there's only one way to get reinforcements to the Crystal Empire in case a front opens up there, hardly fast enough for an emergency, and far too easy to cut off by a sustained attacker."  He spoke from experience in these matters, having born the brunt of not one, but two attacks, one raid and one infiltration.  "The situation on our western frontier is somewhat better, but the scattered, isolated settlements are a bit of a nightmare to patrol.  In many instances, we're reliant on good relations with Aquellia, as well as the support of their own desert units."

 

Setting down the stick, he turned to address the table.  "In short, I believe the General is broadly correct, in that taking a more active stance will prevent us from enduring surprise attacks on the homefront.  However, I am not sanguine about our current ability to do so, nor about the timeframe in which it will take for us to be able to.  That is to say, us meaning the REA and Royal Guard divisions.  I have some ideas as to how to take some initiative in this field while greater logistical support is built up, as well as how to free up domestic resources and relieve pressure on the home front to expedite these changes, but I'd like to save the details for when more heads are available to discuss them."

 

[SteelEagle]

                                                                                         

OOC- I was waiting for any other officers, but no more delays.
 

General Pummel was exactly the sort of stallion she wanted to lead off. The fact was he was known for his bold histrionics that could provide the proper tone setter for any discussions of the REA. He believed in its mission whole-heartedly and knew from experience what could be improved. That didn't mean she agreed with everything he proposed but it meant she was emboldened at the very least by the knowledge that she had lovers of Equestria herself in positions of power and influence outside of royalty. Not for her were the sycophant and wallflower. She wanted the best of the best and the most adoring of Equestria's suitors where they could serve best.
 

The gist of Pummel's speech was that they needed to be more interventionist. In previous centuries that would have been absurd from a diplomatic and moral standpoint. Now? Now it wasn't as absurd. Equestria's diplomatic reach was long and kept it well-insulated from a great many threats, but with strands of friendship and the bonds between cultures came additional outreach concerns. This world was not entirely peaceful and the more they looked outside the borders of Equestria herself, the more strands that connected them, the more those problemd did indeed become Equestrian problems.

Her brother could be relied on to be more cautious. That was part of being a Royal Guard after all- you protected someone, fretted over angles of attack and escape, concerned with the safeguarding of your charge. He was an excellent counterpoint in any debate, and his words ringed with the experience of a ruler of an isolated realm. His words spoke true. Equestria did not yet have the military preparations to fully support an overseas expedition. Their military was small and while parts it were well-funded and equipped, trained and experienced, the majority of the REA in particular were local support elements and little more. They lacked any true capability to project power externally.

And only a limited power to do so internally. The Crystal Empire was used as an example and a good one at that, but it wasn't the only one. Chunks of the nation were made difficult to access because of the Everfree forest, and the sparse population and great distance between settlements made the western frontier difficult to truly patrol against incoming threats.

"I broadly agree with you, General Pummel. We need to be able to respond to situations before they become problems for us here, as long as we can be crystal clear that the situation necessitates a response. No one here wants Equestria to become known for aggression and unwarranted warfare. However, we can all recognize the truth behind my brother's words. Our ability to do so is...less than ideal, to be charitable, and we can't even fully protect our own nation from internal threats. I have thoughts on this matter but both of you have indicated that you have suggestions, so I'd like to give the floor back to you," she replied as she looked around, letting out a sigh.
"I do wonder where everypony else is. The Twilight, Solar, and Lunar Guards and the REN-"

 

"Howdy!" came a familiar voice as the door opened. 
"Sorry 'bout bein' late, Twi. Captain Walker seems ta be tied up with somethin' so she sent me here as her representative, at least 'till she can get 'ere. Yer Highness, General Pummel- nice ta see ya!" Applejack said as she trotted in, her Twilight Guard armor glistening briefly in the outside before she took her seat next to her dear friend and Princess.

Twilight held her smile even. She was more than happy to see her friend, but this was a professional meeting. "Applejack, a pleasure. This is a formal meeting, so obey decorum."

Applejack nodded sharply. "Understood, Yer Majesty."
"General Pummel, Prince Shining Armor, please continue."

[Bellosh]

 

Shining Armor took a more pragmatic approach to his introductory remarks. Yes, General Pummel recognized the value of recognizing limitations where they existed, but it was also true that without a bold statement of purpose, the effort needed to address said limits would never materialize. Even in the face of impossible odds, the belief that a glimmer of victory can be snatched from the jaws of defeat was the essential ingredient for producing miracles, both tactical and strategic.

A herculean task laid before Princess Twilight and the military commanders assembled here today, but Pummel was bent on ensuring that everypony walked out with ambitious purpose and the will to see it though. It was what any true leader would do.

After silently nodding to the Twilight Guard representative Captain Walker sent in her stead, General Pummel got down to the first of his nitty gritty details; “As most of you are aware, I was appointed chairstallion of the Suntrot Commission, which was first set up to devise strategies and policies for REA reform in the wake of the First Changeling Invasion. The commission’s work is ongoing, but each of you has been provided a dossier that lays out our latest findings. You may now open these up..."

Pummel waited a moment for thick folders in front of each pony to be opened. “To begin, I would like to direct your attention to the report on recruitment levels and budgets across all services made by Mane’s Information Institute. While we are all keenly aware that Equestrian enlistment levels are rather low for a nation of our size and GDP, there are some... worrisome trends that merit further scrutiny.

Chief among these is the observation of where most of our recruits are actually coming from. To summarize, about 55% of our horsepower comes from areas designated as part of Equestria’s heartland... that is to say, the interior region between the Allacor and Eponnie Ranges. Another 25% hail from the Greater Stalliongrad region, which leaves just 20% for everywhere else COMBINED. Places which include most of our country’s most heavily populated urban centers, I should remind you.

This report — in conjunction with studies conducted by the Suntrot Commission and other think tanks — suggests that even if recruitment budgets are significantly increased, issues of systemic cultural disunity will persist. A nation is only as strong as the creatures willing to sacrifice for it... and Equestria cannot live up to its fullest potential if most of its citizens refuse to even contemplate the idea of giving back to the country that gives them freedom and harmony.....”

[Blueblood]

It was good to hear that Twilight's promptitude in calling this meeting was due to diligence, rather than any sense-destroying sense of urgency.  Shining Armor knew that addressing Equestria's security would be a long-term project, one suited to the projected lifespan of an alicorn, to be embarked on deliberately and with reason.  He was also therefore glad to see that Applejack was serving as the Twilight Guard representative.  Knowing her to be a family mare, he could trust her to think inter-generationally.

 

It was Pummel's turn to speak next.  Shining Armor, as a point of courtesy, produced his own copy of the dossier, though he had read it himself, and had even augmented it beforehand with notes and articles from his own research.  He had prepared... not quite a counterpoint, more like additional context.  In fact, his response this time would be an encouraging one, rather than one to temper the general's enthusiasm.

 

"I read that report when it first came.  Like my fellow officer, I found it troubling, but it also made me reflect on why I joined the Guard myself.  If I may speak honestly, it wasn't patriotism that motivated me, it was chivalry.  Ever since I was a colt, I had sought to live out a dream of being a protector, a knight in, well, shining armor.  But not so much for my country as my family, my home, my friends.  I'd always stood up and faced bullies and hardships for them, and becoming a guard was just another way to do so.  If anything, it wasn't the recruiting posters that brought me in, it was my bedtime stories.

 

"Which actually got me thinking, was I the only one?  I did a little research on my own time, and found a little-regarded article about the per-capita purchase of fairy tale books across Equestria.  And wouldn't you know it?"  He passed out copies of the article from his own folder to all present.  "You see the same differential between the heartland and the coast as you do in the recruitment numbers.  Not an exact mathematical match, and correlation isn't causation, but it's a darn funny coincidence.  But there's more.  You'll notice that Stalliongrad's numbers are as low as any city's, but when I did further digging, I found this-"  With a poof, he summoned a leather bound tome with a title embossed in gold lettering: 

 

Opowieści o Solidarności.

 

"Bedtime stories of what they call 'Solidarity.'  And they tend to be about electricians in overalls rather than knights in armor, but the stories are ultimately about the same thing; standing up for the weak against the strong, being willing to face hardships and sacrifice for your friends and comrades, and the victory of hope and friendship over despair and tyranny. 

"You're right enough about there being a cultural split, General, and I think we've found the origin.  After all, if ponies aren't learning at a young age to stand up for their friends, how much more will they be unable to do so for their country.  If I may speak honestly again, it's hard to do anything for the sake of 'Equestria.'  It's too big an abstraction, too impersonal.  Can you point to 'Equestria' anywhere?  Can you hold a whole country in your mind when things get tough?  I can't.  Even now.  In those times, I think of my wife and daughter at home.  The faces of my friends, and the crystal ponies that I've come to know by name, and the streets of the capital.  

"And you know, we didn't use to talk about 'giving back to our country.'  In all the ceremonial language of the military, we still swear to protect and serve the Princess.  And to be honest, I'd say a good ten percent of all the enlisted I ever had under me would cite that exact reason for their joining up.  I don't know if us abandoning that for more modern phrasing got us more or better soldiers.  Still, I can understand why that was done.  As we expand our borders, the Princesses are seen less often by the populace, especially around the fringes.  Thus, it's difficult for them to serve as a concrete image of the country as a whole." 

 

Shining Armor tread that last point lightly; General Pummel had throughout his whole career advocated for the modernization of Equestria's armed forces.  "To sum up, everything comes back down to the stories that our citizens grow up with and live in.  If we want, ultimately, to grow the quality, size, and diversity of our recruiting, we have to address it at the story level.  Fortunately, I think that we have a solution at hoof.

"The biggest criticism that fairy tales get these days is that they are unrealistic, old fashioned, not suitable as a model for modern times.  But, thanks to our new Princess Twilight,"  He smiled at his sister, "We have a new set of stories, ones undeniably relevant and modern, and she literally has a council of champions meeting around a round table!  Why shouldn't those tales be used to inspire dreams of heroism in places now under an enamel of cynicism?  What is more, we needn't address just the young colts and fillies...."

Here, he spread out the rest of his own manila folder on the table.  "I tried to think of a better name for my next idea than 'The Friendship Militia,' but it will do for now.  Not to monopolize the floor," He nodded again towards Pummel and Applejack, "I know I've gone on for some time.  But in brief, I am well aware that a company of six heroes does not National Defense make.  But what if... every town had six ponies like Twilight and her friends?  Every neighborhood, every city block?  What if no crisis in the entire country was more than one minute away from being addressed by ponies on the spot?"

[PyroBlaze]

Well, this was just great. Not only did he end up overworking himself yet again, but now he was late for perhaps the most important meeting in quite a while. At least that little power nap had done wonders for his energy levels. Now that he was here though he was stressing out again. How could he have been so careless as to be late for this?

 

As he approached the door, he slowed to a stop outside, catching the tail-end of someone’s words. Sounded like something about having quick first response teams in place. That was certainly important, they could at least prevent things from getting worse while more qualified ponies were en route, if not make things better. Anyways, he waited until that stallion was done before entering the room himself and saluting the three ponies. 
 

“My apologies, Princess. I was a tad caught-up in my work earlier.” He said, standing at attention as he gave a nod of greeting to the others. “General, Prince, nice to see you’re both here. You too, Ms. Applejack.”

[SteelEagle]

                                                                                                       

(OOC- This post will be broken up into multiple parts, marked by lines. These are all separate and major discussions Twilight will launch at points throughout the meeting. You may choose to tackle them in any order, at any time, one at a time or all at once.)

 

They were joined by a new officer, and one of the most important. Admiral Chaser of the Royal Equestrian Navy- a rank that wasn't bestowed upon an individual lightly. He had earned it in action and had thusly earned her respect. They all had- and it was their respect for her and this difficult process that would be tested in the coming hours and days. 
"Welcome, Admiral Chaser. Please take a seat! I have the following notes regarding what has transpired thus far, and you will find all relevant documentation at your seat," she said as a small collection of notes materialized next to his document folder(s). She was keeping track of every word that was being said, a spell cast on this room accurately transcribing every word that was said and dispensing physical copies upon request.

 

The matter at hand, recruitment. Applejack puffed her chest a little too proudly at the knowledge that the Heartland was pulling more than their fair share of the weight but Twilight was in the weeds when it came to the issue. Her brother rather poignantly laid out the moralistic and ethical quandaries that made such recruitment more difficult than they needed to be and she found herself agreeing with it.
"We can all see the recruitment numbers. Not only can we all see that the rates are significantly imbalanced, but we can also see the raw numbers aren't very good. Even if we maintained a purely defensive, reactionary stance we would require far more in the REA and REN than we have now. The Heartland Recruitment rate, as well as the rates near Stalliongrad, are actually approaching what we would want.To that end, I think we have part of the answer as to why that is," she said, nodding affirmatively towards her brother. 

 

"Tales of bravery, chivalry, and honest hard work in the name of something greater than yourself can inspire many and indeed I think you are right. I also think part of any effort should be reforging those narratives with a modern context in mind. We can easily spread the tales of what my friends and I have done. More importantly however, I would like to highlight the bravery of individual guardsponies and members of the REA and REN who fought bravely during the Changeling Invasions, Tirek Attack, and other major incidents. We can use this to promote the values we hold dear, and to that end, I can see the value in forming...Harmony Councils in cities and neighborhoods. If you would like to write the mechanics of the proposal up Shining, it is something we can do. I also think we can work with the entertainment industry to promote similar values through certain productions- we'll disclose such, obviously," she said as her folders started flipping to an appropriate page with a new part of the REA described, the Royal Equestrian Army Media Corp. In it was described a wide range of possible roles it could fulfill, estimated budgets and hierarchies, and potential liabilities.

 

"In addition, I have taken a look at other motivating factors. Take a look at the socio-economic breakdown of those who join our armed forces," she said as the center table lit up, revealing a magical graph that matched a page in the folder. It showed REA, REN, and Guard members broken up by financial stability when they joined among other factors. "Notice something very strange? The common misconception is that those who join the military aren't among the high-born but that isn't true. Nobility, high-class, and well-off families produce more members of the armed forces than any other economic bracket. Why is this?" She allowed for the pregnant pause to make the answer known before moving in for the kill.

 

"Pay and benefits are lacking in our armed forces. Those of even upper-middle class status and definitely those below face critical choices as they reach adulthood. They need to earn a living and support a family and often times membership in our Armed Forces is not something that looks all that appealing. Combine this with the values of chivalry and bravery not being well taught. Combine this with our armed forces having little or no real presence in society. What do you get? A stallion or mare who may very love and honor Equestria but doesn't even think about joining the REA, the REN, or the Guards.
I have looked at the national budget very closely, as well as our tax code. It is a shambling mess in both areas but I will be introducing a series of reforms and changes. The important element to discuss here is that we can enact a large pay raise. More than that we can offer small business loans, debt relief, college tuition, housing, and medical care to those that honor us with their service. I have worked on twelve different plans based upon this agenda and am still nailing down the exact financial specifics, but I think this is something we can do. I am also assuming with this plan a large boost in recruitment," she finished with a flair, opening up a large budgeting section. It was an organized mess of numbers that would likely require intense study, study she had done, but study that would be needed by others regardless. 

 

"Of course, this is just one discussion. We can boost our numbers in the long term. We can boost them in the short term. We can have the best and the brightest, the most well-compensated and those with the highest morale. But we still suffer from a number of critical faults. We will now go over them one at a time."
 

---------------------------------------------------

A map appeared in the middle of the table, and several pages in the folders were highlighted. Twilight took flight, hovering above the table and using a pointer to emphasize certain locations as she spoke.
"Our internal logistical supply lines are hampered, both to the Crystal Empire and inside of Equestria herself. The Everfree forest occupies a central location in Equestria and acts as a blocker to all north-south travel. The Great Nimbusgait Lakes have several routes north but most of them are small. Main travel is done over a large number of bridges on the Delamare, and another major route is through Roughrider Ridge. The Hasufel Mountains and the Stadia River in the east present some trouble logistically. The Bramble Ranges, Great Leota, Tartarus, Dragon Peaks- again, a lot of issues out west as well. The only areas in Equestria that could be reliably supported logistically currently is The Strand and The Foothills.
So, we need to find a way to improve our internal logistical situation. We must also open two new lines of supply to The Crystal Empire. There are many options, including the creation of new landmass in certain areas. Feel free to suggest anything, no matter how likely you think it is to be accomplished."
 

----------------------------------------------------

Many pages in the folders were devoted to a long and detailed examination of the equipment used by the Equestrian military. Almost every piece of gear was analyzed, studied, criticized, and broken down.
"We can have the mass and we can have the ability to supply them, but then we must ask ourselves what they are being armed with. Please check folder seven, a detailed accounting of our equipment and our lack thereof. Our weapons and armor are by and large well-maintained but are inferior to their counterparts in Saddle Arabia, Neighpon, and Long Guo, among others. To wit, too many reports of our spearpoints shattering against the armor and shields of the caribou or being turned aside by particularly strong chitin. Our engineers report a lack of gear and tools, siege equipment and field defense. The Navy has few blue water vessels and few airships that are comparable to our allies. The majority are certainly greatly inferior in durability, speed, reliability, offensive prowess, and projection.

We must overhaul our equipment from top to bottom. We will study what is used in Neighpon, Saddle Arabia, Maretonia, Long Guo and abroad while also seeking out solutions internally. It would be preferred for the solutions to come from within Equestria herself, but we shouldn't be too prideful. If the best solution is foreign, use it."

---------------------------------------------------------

"We can prepare them mentally, train them physically, motivate them emotionally, and arm them effectively. But then we must confront the fact that our current military structure is very inefficient. The REA lacks effective mobilization and force projection in a reliable manner. The Royal Guard can respond but is limited in scope and capability as well as mission profile. Our intelligence servives and special branches can also do so, but again they are limited. We are faced with three major obstacles to any successful engagement, then. One, the response time is too slow. Secondly, formations are created ad hoc. Third, they lack clear distinctions. We will remove these problems as follow."
 

The map appeared once more. This time, Equestria was split into eighteen different sections, each one with a number. Some of them were very large- such as the entire Painted Pinto Desert- or small, like a few in the Strand. As she spoke, figures would appear on the map.

"First, we divide the nation up into various military commands based on geographic and demographic need and requirement. These commands will be the responsibility of a named and numbered REA Army. This will allow armies to specialize in certain combats and for specialists to be deployed in the army formation that best suits them," She said. The Painted Pinto desert seemed to have more pegasi figures, and the army next to Canterlot had more unicorns. There were more figures next to armies in The Strand, as well.

"The lands that make up each army will include any number of towns and cities, each of which will be expected to produce a militia of agreeable numbers based on their population. These will supplement the REA in times of war and will be added to the REA army that is in charge of the Command," she said as a single figure appeared next to most towns, with two or more next to several cities. The map turned red in the Painted Pinto, and the militia figures moved to support the REA Army figures.
 
"Each REA Army must have a dedicated Quick Reaction Force that can respond to threats. This force will be ten percent of the standing REA Army. In order to prevent burnout and ensure a proper distribution of experience, this will be a rotating ten percent- so the same members of the army aren't always on the Force and others are not," she continued, as a smaller figure appeared next to each REA Army- the other figures getting a little smaller. This one was moving rapidly around their areas of responsibility.

---------------------------

The map was wiped clean. Next came the symbols of the Royal Equestrian uard, Lunar Guard, and Twilight Guard. The symbols would then fragment as she spoke, moving to different locations.
"The Guard must also undergo changes. All three will maintain their own ranks and disciplines, but there are now a great many guards for a very small number of royals who need guarding! The Twilight Guard will guard this Castle as well as the Castle of Friendship in Ponyville. The Celestial Guard and the Lunar Guard will be tasked with the protection of multiple sites of great importance to Equestrian security, from the Vaults and the Library to many other less...public places. Notably of course, all three will at times overlap.

Additionally, all three will form the Armies Twilight, Celestial, and Lunar, who are answerable only to me. They will a single overriding and important task: Probing, pacifying, and subduing the Everfree Forest so as to lessen the threat it poses to many Equestrian communities and to our national security. In addition, small elements will be used to make clear my will to field armies and fleets. All three will be used. There will be rotations in and out of course," Twilight said  as the symbols formed a barrier around the Everfree, probing and moving around from time to time.

-------------------------------------

"The REN has ten important commands, as laid out here. The four blue water commands and the six air commands. Each will be patrolled by a fleet. Seaddle, Roam, Manehattan, and Fillydelphia are the new homeports for the blue water fleets. Canterlot, Baltimare, Stalliongrad, Beakbreak City, and Cloudsdale- two in Cloudsdale- will be the homeports for our new major airship fleets. What is most important, however, is deciding what the composition of these fleets are and how we are going to use them. Admiral Chaser, your expertise in this matter is desperately needed," Twilight said, figures on and above the waves showing up as she spoke.

 

Then the map exploded with the figures from the various deployment maps being layered, revealing the protective barrier. REA Army commands, Guard protection and active operations, REN patrols, and civilian militias all working as one. Logistical lines new and old blazed bright, detailing where and where all the pieces fit.

 

"Once you layer these elements together, you will see what I see: An Equestria very well protected. Recruitment. Logistics. Equipment. Proper regions of responsibility and active patrolling. From our assembled forces we can form Task Forces- a project from a few years ago that proved useful- made up of Guards, REA, REN, and even skilled Civilian Militia that can handle threats and issues facing Equestria that fall short of war," she said as small elements of each moved to form these task forces, each and every figure seemingly having a role in the grand plan.
 

--------------------------------------

Twilight took a seat, looking more apprehensive now than before. She turned to the final few pages of her prepared folder.

"We must also accept that in times of war, we would be wise to institute several practices that we have found..uncouth, to say the least, in the pass. I trust you are all familiar on the eight-century long ban on Battlemages and Offensive Weather Control?" She said, allowing them to find the right page. Battlemages and OWC had been banned eight hundred and twelve years ago. It made sense- a Battlemage had access to lethal and dark magic the likes of which Equestria was anathema to, and rogue offensive weather control specialists could cause grand natural disasters in the nation. Scary stuff- and stuff she was willing to deal with.

"I am rescinding those bans. We will seek out those who can form a small and tightly controlled Battlemage Troop, as well as several pegasi squadrons who will be taught the ways and means of Offensive Weather Control. These are very potent, very dangerous assets. They will be tightly controlled. They will be used only when the situation is rather serious."

She took a deep breath
"Wow, that was a mouthful. Anypony want a drink?"

[Bellosh]

 

Shining Armor went on at some length about the value of fairy tales and chivalry, and how those were connected to the issue General Pummel raised of maintaining nation-wide solidarity. Although Pummel’s accent didn’t reflect it, he had been born and raised in Stalliongrad, and how the Crystal Prince described the regional culture definitely gelled with Pummel’s own foalhood memories. The question was then how to forge a shared national identity for Equestria; from Pummel’s perspective, Armor’s answer... made for sound crisis response policy, but did not actually address the fundamental problem they were trying to solve.

Gen. Pummel quickly nodded at Admiral Chaser as he entered the room, then he wasted no additional time in answering Prince Shining’s question; “Although I remain a firm believer in a clear divide between military and civilian institutions, I also see the value of cooperation between the military branches and civilian administrative officials in coordinating a shared national defense policy. I am aware that this school year, the School of Friendship initiated a pilot program geared at instructing students in defensive techniques against corrupted beings. Should that course be deemed successful enough to be expanded and permanently incorporated into Friendship curriculum, I advise working with Archchancellor Blueblood and the Friendship Ministry on expanding that course’s scope towards teaching students how to organize... civil defense squads as proposed by Prince Shining Armor.”

There; that was a much better name than “Friendship Militia”, which evoked images of militant bands not bound by any law. It's no accident that bigger cities tended to refer to their military reserve forces as a “Municipal Guard”; a more formalized designation.

With Shining Armor’s proposal given the due acknowledgement entitled to it, Pummel could now get into the real hay and potatoes... and the grizzled pegasus had the perfect segway into his pivot. “In addition, the EEA should be consulted on the matter of drafting a policy for providing every colt and filly in Equestria with an expanded, standardized knowledge of history and civics. As the Prince reminds us, it’s the stories we tell our kids that ultimately define the nation we live in... and the sad truth is that we can’t rely on parents to do the job! And how can they? Kingdom-wide, we only expect ponies to complete one year’s worth of compulsory kindergarten instruction, and then that’s it!!! You’re either off to a specialized school, or getting a job!”

Pummel questioned incredulously; “How do we expect schoolteachers to make each pony from Stalliongrad to Manehattan feel deep in their hearts that they belong to one country in less than a year? On top of everything else we mandate them to teach???”

The general calmly shook his head; “I spent much of my adolescence living in Aquellia as an exchange student — as a guest of House Razorclaw — and those griffons certainly didn’t believe in leaving matters like building national identity to chance! Heh..... there’s a reason why they address family matriarch Morianna Razorclaw as “Professor”: because she breathes down the neck of any Aquellian legislator foolish enough to suggest making cutbacks to compulsory education programs! So it’s no wonder that despite rampant cynicism across all levels of Aquellian society, they still manage to somehow find plenty of willing and able recruits for their armed forces every year.

.....Based on studies of foreign education systems compiled by our thinktank, we conservatively estimate that at bare minimum, it takes SEVEN years of compulsory education for a student to incorporate their country of residence as a core component of his or her self-identity. The trends indicate is that the greater background an adolescent creature has in social studies, the more they will engage in civic activities upon reaching adulthood... including military service.”

This policy conference was shaping up to be a very long meeting, indeed.....

[Blueblood]

Shining Armor was frankly relieved to see that his ideas about the source and solution to the REA's ponypower problem was being taken seriously.  It had been a bit of a cross-disciplinary research gamble, but doing his homework had paid off.  He nodded at the feedback of his suggestion, "Civil Defense Squads is a better name, and Harmony Councils would be the civilian activist equivalent, I'm guessing?  I don't think there's going to be a hard-and-fast line between the two, at first.  We don't want to kill any organic momentum this idea has through micromanagement of its organizing principles.  We also want to give them freedom to experiment, while keeping their efforts organizationally quarantined from our formal military, just in case they don't work out.  A one-way gate for innovation, as it were."

 

Already paper was coming out, as they worked out the details regarding this.  Shining agreed completely with Twilight about the increase in financial benefits, enough so to tune out long enough to greet Admiral Chaser.  "Good to see you, sir."

 

As was to be expected, General Pummel had his own ideas regarding solving the problem of national identity, which Shining dutifully noted.  Once he finished jotting it all down and looking at it, he frowned somewhat.  "So that's... what, a septupling of the General Education Budget, at least?  Add that to the increased pay and benefits- you have cleared these numbers against the treasury, right?  Do we have enough bits to pay for all of this?"  And that was just the beginning.  Equestria ran on hard currency, which made it an attractive place to do business in many ways, but it did mean that inflating the currency to pay for a high degree of spending was just not an option at this point.  "I know as far as the Crystal Empire is concerned, we certainly wouldn't, not without grants and donations from the south."

That was, more or less, the extent of his concerns.  Coming from a family valuing academic achievement so highly, seven years of schooling didn't seem at all excessive to him, as it might have to a pony from a different background...

 

___________

 

Next on the Agenda was Internal Logistics, a subject on which Shining Armor had already touched, and could speak on at length.  "Obviously, we're going to need to do a lot of public-private partnerships to establish these routes; they're just so capital-intensive we can't do them otherwise.  I know for the Crystal Empire, Swift Squall was willing to invest heavily in the creation of a new rail line, and had even floated the idea of a seaport.  Of course, the problem is, that constructing either means extensive work outside the hospitable magic field of the Empire, and in the case of the Seaport, in disputed territory.  One of the things our royal Crystaller, Sunburst, was working on was a manner of extending the bounds of the Empire in a kind of corridor, to allow easier traffic and rail construction.  As for the port... honestly, securing the Northern Shipping route is more in Admiral Chaser's wheelhouse; I don't see us making much progress there until the Whitescar Civil War is settled, and we can sweep the Raiders off the sea.  One of the Loyalist Clan leaders, Halvard, wrote to me offering Vakstyra partnership in constructing a seaport and keeping it ice-free in exchange for channeling trade through his clan, again, pending completion of the Civil War.

 

"I'm not so familiar with the problems down south, honestly.   Moving Manufacturing to the heartland while keeping our shipping ports in the Strand would automatically incentivize increased transport investment, but I'm not sure how you could direct that."

 

____________

 

On Equipment, Shining had a small file to hand over himself.  "Some of my own findings.  A lot of the Crystal Guard needed Equipment upgrades themselves, but in some cases, our Crystallurgy produced higher-quality products than Equestrian metallurgy, at least in terms of armored materials.  Especially magic-resistant equipment.  Trouble is, we just don't have that many Crystographers at that level of skill.  I've had some thoughts about mechanizing production, but that's likely to be some time in the future.

 

"Oh, and Jarl Sigrun gave us a sample of Askrwood.  Have you taken a look at it?  Fantastic stuff; if you built a ship out of it, it would just fly, and have a more durable hull than what we have rolling off the production lines currently.  But we're not going to get enough of it to do so until that Civil War is resolved..."

 

_________

 

Shining found he had less to say about either the spatial or organizational layout of the Military Forces, as technically the Crystal Guard was its own command in both.  Same with the Fleets in Air and Sea; honestly, Prince Blueblood could advise better than he could on that, civilian though he was.  

 

The last and final points, though, roused him from an agreeable and observant silence.  "I am familiar, yes.  Are you familiar with the loopholes that have existed about as long as the regulations?"  He asked his sister, and he would be honestly surprised if the answer was 'no.'  "It's true that we haven't had formal Battlemage or OWC units in that time, but that doesn't mean the capabilities have been lost.  Technically speaking, I'm a Battlemage, just not in the Dark School.  'Battlemage' simply is a class indicating the offensive or defensive capabilities of a unicorn's magic in a fight.  Many of the Magic Guild members also qualify; if you've ever seen the tier rankings in their 'practice duel' tournaments you'll be able to see which of them they are.   From time to time, they used to be sworn in as 'special constables' to deal with a particularly huge problem.

"Same with OWC.  Technically, we still kept a unit that was grandfathered in because they were Commander Hurricane's personal unit, way back in the founding.  We just cut their budget down to nothing, and they had to find alternative ways of funding, which they did by turning unorthodox weather control techniques into spectacle stunts."  He gave a little smirk towards General Pummel, whose feelings on the unit were well known.  "We know them as the 'Wonderbolts' today."

 

"In all seriousness,"  Shiny concluded, taking up Twilight on her offer of water, "We still have old remnants of both disciplines, though not to their full past strength, that we could mobilize fairly easily.  I don't think you'll find as much objection to either as you anticipate.  The regs were passed in a panic, but both were too useful to let go of entirely.  As for keeping control of both..."  He sighed.  "I mean, that comes back down to what I mentioned before.  A sword can hurt or protect; the question always is the heart of the pony wielding it."

[PyroBlaze]

Well, it seemed there was quite the volume of information to go over. He nodded to Twilight and the others as they offered return greetings, taking the seat offered to him to start looking through the provided information. At the same time, he listened to what was being said, waiting to see if there was any input he could add besides simple agreements and restatements. Perhaps the first came with the talk of opening new logistical lines to various points in Equestria. Or more specifically, Shining Armor’s input on the matter. 
 

“Well, one obvious solution, between locations equipped to handle them, is shipping using airships or regular ships. Likely making using of partnerships with civilians or companies, as Prince Armor said. As for a northern port to support the Crystal Empire, it seems to me that if we need to wait for the end of the caribou’s civil war, perhaps it would be best to provide our allies among the clans with support to speed things along. Anything useful to their efforts that we can spare will help end the conflict all the sooner, and therefore help us with our development efforts up north. And perhaps the promise of incoming aid would incentivize Halvard to clear the ports sooner, to cement their supply line.” He mused, mulling over the discussion on the topic. “Obviously the raiders would still be a possible problem, but one we can take precautions for.”

 

———————

 

Now it seemed the issue of equipment had the stand, and he agreed with what was being said, they needed to upgrade their equipment, even if that just meant incorporating a foreign design. 
 

“I shall see what my engineers can discover about making our vessels better, but some good candidates for foreign solutions would be anyone with a strong naval force, such as Neighpon or Mount Aris. It often seems to be the case that strong island countries have good naval forces.” The unicorn nodded to himself as he spoke. “Having less landmass to devote resources to tends to lead towards developing better ways of traversing what they are surrounded by. Water.” 
 

—————

 

The next topic that really got his gears turning was the issue of how to organize the various naval commands Twilight laid out for him. There were many ways to do it effectively, the question is which way was best for them to maximize their resources. 
 

“Well, there are multiple ways we could do this, the hard part is finding the right way. One of those ways would be to position most of our stronger vessels around the edge, the purpose being to stop the enemies from even getting to the more inland positions. Likewise, the more agile ships would be in the inner circles, able to deploy to the points in the ‘wall’ that need them most more easily. Of course, there would likely still be a standing mix at each, but there would be more of one kind than the other. Another option would be a more balanced mix at each point, leading to having comparable amounts of resistance at each stage but making them more likely to get through the earlier ones.” He stated simply, laying out what he was seeing as their options at this stage. He would probably be able to narrow down the options once he could really go over what he had to work with in conjunction with this plan that Twilight was laying out. 
 

—————

 

As the offer of water came, Wave Chaser nodded in agreement. He could use a drink. When he started hearing what Shining was saying about battlemages still being a thing, he nodded in agreement, his own magic activating as his water started to float around in vaguely sword-like shapes briefly. 
 

“Yes, battlemages will likely not be hard to find. It is relatively simple to turn elemental magic to the purpose of battle, especially the more naturally destructive elements such as fire, and judging by the roster of the Magic Guild, ponies proficient in elemental magic are less rare than one might think. Plus all the non-elemental magic that can be used for that purpose too.” He nodded, drinking some of the floating water as the rest returning to his glass and his magic faded. 

[Bellosh]

*OOC: Proper responses to those who've addressed Pummel's ideas so far will come after the next Twilight post, I promise.*

 

 

General Pummel had thoughts of his own concerning military procurement; “As far as I’m concerned, the civilian-run Municipal Guard forces have the right idea doing away with antiquated suits of armor. If you think our army will be winning the wars of tomorrow with phalanges and mass charges, think again. Our potential adversaries are either larger in number, better equipped, or are creatures of freakish strength. We can’t afford to get into straight fights with hostiles... so we need gear that will better enable us to fight differently.

.....And no other group knows how to fight differently better than the WRAITH insurgents.”

The pegasus grimly shook his head; “Say what you want about those poor dumb bastards... but they’re clever enough to understand that they’d get wiped out effortlessly if they ever tried attacking in equine waves. If you refer to the section on Battlefield Tactics in the Suntrot Commission Report, you’ll see how WRAITH combatants consistently employ suppressive fire, cover and concealment, and highly-coordinated maneuvers on a platoon level during skirmishes. In conjunction with their cutting-edge weaponry, that is how WRAITH has been able to punch far above its weight until now.

Based on the demonstrated effectiveness of Fire and Maneuver tactics, there is no reason why the Royal Equestrian Army couldn’t be trained and equipped to fight in the same manner. You’ll note the Suntrot Commission’s recommendations on new standard-issue equipment for our serviceponies, which meet the criteria of being both easily mass-produced, and maintainable with the bare minimum of tools.

The specifics are all in the report, but to keep it brief; over the next five to ten years, melee weaponry and armor suits should be gradually phased out in favor of gear more suited to ranged squad-to-squad combat. Camouflaged combat uniforms. Lamellar protection systems. Repeating crossbows. Bombs. Cannons. Rockets. The technology behind these are already available in Equestria! All the Princess has to do is give the word, and our nation’s factories can start chumming these out at a moment’s notice. And given enough time and resources, our domestic defense contractors will be able to adapt AND improve on existing magitech and steam-powered designs in use by foreign powers and WRAITH, allowing us to readily equip our troops with rotary magicannons, flamethrowers... armored crawlers.....

Equestria’s economic and industrial might is second-to-none. If we commit to a total modernization program today, our nation has the means to build an Arsenal of Harmony within the decade.....”

[SteelEagle]

                                                                                          

Education would play a role in any long-term development, and she had prepared some figures for that. "It will increase the General Education Budget from the Royal Treasury by two-hundred and eighty four percent. The rest can be covered by regional and local budgets. I have several taxation and budgetary measures in the works that could be used to help move this forward, though it will have to move at a slower pace. Adding a year of required schooling to the calendar for new students every three years would give us the budgetary depth to promote this without having to do anything too extreme. If the Crystal Empire moved to a similar model, the pace can be slowed to five years. With six additional years that would mean the plan would take twenty-five years to provide the Empire with the required funds and maintain a strict budgetary pace, if we were to propose it begins next year. That might seem like a long time but when you are discussing multi-generational education reform that would be a reasonable pace to keep," Twilight said as she made some notations in her documentation. As she did, the documents submitted to the other members of the meeting would update themselves. Important, as they discussed various changes.

 

She nodded to her brother and the good Admiral, who had struck it on the nose regarding their development of new logistical routes and opportunities. "You are both correct in assuming almost anything we do will require a public-private partnership. I have in the dossier several dozen corporations and concerns that may be approachable. These include contracts with several Saddle Arabian companies, who have already put forward a number of proposals. I am interested in what Sunburst has proposed regarding this corridor, as well as the location of this seaport that has been proposed. I am also going to deliver to you a report on the feasibility of raising the Aragonite Plains as a landmass to be used as a connective corridor. Beyond that, it is your nation now, Shining. Only you can truly say what is best for the Crystal Empire. What would you have us pursue?" She asked, always reminding herself that it was his nation and his people that would suffer and benefit from

 

He also brought up Crystal Metallurgy- an important avenue to pursue. And the Admiral mentioned Mount Aris and Neighpon, good choices all.  "Crystal Metallurgy has its ups and downs. It can produce gear of a higher quality on average. However, it is harder to make and requires materials of a greater scarcity. This does not mean we should not consider it a viable option, however. If a perfect solution existed then we would have used it, so it is one we must pursue. Admiral, you've dealt with the Hippogriff Navy. What qualities do you think their vessels bring to the blue water that we are lacking? Private corporations, foreign interests, no stone unturned. I am formulating design documents for those interested in submitting bids. All of your input will be appreciated," she said as she highlighted the associated forms. Important, because those interested in making gear for Equestria would need to follow the requests made in them.

 

As her mind wandered around the fertile grounds of possibility, the good General brought up...
"The Suntrot Commission?" Twilight smiled, though it was a smile bereft of joy. What a mess that had been. It had done a good job detailing several important facets of the Equestrian military that were weaker, but it gave far too much credence to the fighting style of WRAITH, giving it a near mythical mystique that was almost never borne out in actual combat. It also went hard on ideas for the future, whether or not they were actually feasible in reality. 
"That commission was...valuable in some ways, but some of its suggestions were a bit on the...absurd side. The materials needed to make the explosive elements of non-magical bombs, cannons, rockets, and associated weapons are found only in small deposits here, with major deposits in Saddle Arabia and Hesperia. The cost to import those materials in the amount needed to be militarily viable is excessive. Not to mention, those same materials are notoriously difficult to enchant, making them at most only slightly more effective than our currently used enchanted ballistas and hoof-to-hoof weapons. And most of the time, thanks to the versatility of enchantments used in ballistas, explosive ordinance is notably less effective. There is a reason the most advanced military forces on the planet, the Saddle Arabian Self-Defense Force and the military of Neighpon, do not use them as the main thrust of their arms. It isn't access or lack of know-how," she said with a weary expression. 

 

"As for small unit tactics, we need to keep ourselves oriented towards the threats we face. Changeling infiltrators are one thing but they attack in waves. Caribou war bands come in blocks. The chitin of a Changeling is at least partially resistant to crossbow bolts while Caribou are invariably very heavily armored. Skirmishing elements and long-range support are vital elements of our war strategy of course, but in almost every conflict we have seen recently and projected hoof-to-hoof combat remains the decisive engagement. Dealing with WRAITH terrorists is an element separate- at most, due to recent operations, they are barely above a criminal group and should be treated as such," she said, then shook her head. "Nonetheless, of all the things the Commission suggested I do think using repeated crossbows replace our standard ranged armaments works well."

 

A deep breath, and onto the topic that she was most afeared of. Most of them seemed nonplussed by the discussion. She would chalk it up to ignorance and seek to educate before going further

"I fear you...may not be fully aware of the old Battlemages, and why they were banned," she said as she shifted in her seat. Her horn lit up, and several documents revealed themselves. Unlike others, these were old- very old, and very well preserved. They detailed the ways and means of not just teaching the Battlemages, but forging them.

 

"As an example, we currently have ponies who specialize in ice magic, which can be turned to a weapon of war. We have ponies who can cast defensive powers such as shields. Many of us can use our magic and form beams. But note that these beams are invariably non-lethal. They can hurt, they can harm, but barring an accident they don't kill. A few may even be capable of dark magic, but few are the dark arts that are physically dangerous rather than manipulative," she said as her horn lit up, showing images of ponies using magic but invariably their enemy living through the attacks. As designed, of course- magic was always best when it was nonlethal. It was better that way. Purer.

 

"But what a Battlemage learns is more direct. And dark, in many ways. We are discussing opening up the past and rediscovering the old magical arts of Bás and Còmhrag.  Spells that stop an opponent's heart. Magical beams that pierce the flesh. The animation of combat golems. Separating body and self, annihilating the Id, summoning spectres of pure arcanic fury. Just the tip of the iceberg but...the reason it was banned was because a sufficiently powerful Battlemage is more dagerous than any hundreds of modern unicorns. Not because they are necessarily more powerful than others of a similar skill level, but because their training is focused on arcanic...destruction. The term Battlemage as used in the modern context simply refers to those who are trained to use their own magic in combat, but perhaps the darkest truth behind a Battlemage is that training them as such seems to have changed the way their magic functioned," she said as images of the various combat arts from the old text flashed, her voice dropping to a whisper as she started into the next phase.

 

"In the oldest of records, the Battlemages were unable to use the same spells as they used before they were trained in the new art. Something about arcane power being used the way they used it sees to have...altered their aetheric connection. They didn't resonate the way they did before. It was an unsettling experience for them as well, like something had been lost. We are therefore not just authorizing the use of a new school of magic. We are also dealing with the moral and ethical weights that their magical arts bring to the table, and we're asking of them something even more- we are changing who they are."
She allowed that to sit.

 

"Same with Offensive Weather Control. The Wonderbolts were among the last to have had such training, but even at the time of their formation the art was heavily modified. As an example- did you know that there has not been a death in Equestria due to a lightning strike for over nine-hundred years? Oh, ponies get struck by it all the time. Pegasi are built to withstand it, but the best weather specialist with the meanest grudge could whip up their meanest lightning storm and attack us with it. While it would hurt a lot, unless we sat here and took it for hours- maybe days for me- we would suffer no long term damage no matter the voltage. Do you know why this is?

Not to bore you too much, but in a very simple sense when the pegasi create the weather they charge the weather with their own aetheric essence. Their own magic. THis magic helps protect those the weather touches, while also helping speed the development of various process to promote growth and other elements. Offensive Weather Control reverses this. That lighting storm becomes not normal lightning, but arcing bolts of pure lethality. The rain turns acidic. Tornadoes of fire and silicia rage across the land. There are defensive abilities as well, but we need to have our eyes wide open as to what they are capable of. Just like the Battlemage however, those we train to do this will lose out their ability to perform normal weather control. 
I have made the decision to reauthorize both of these tools for our use, but we are asking a lot of those we select. We will have to weigh the moral and ethical considerations of those we recruit. It will cost them a  piece of themselves. But, should their skills ever be needed, it will cost nothing compared to everything they'll save."

[Bellosh]

 

Twilight Sparkle was a wonkish pony princess; truly she was. Unfortunately, she was letting the present status quo blind her to the future of warfare that was about to unfold. When the princess rattled down the list of deposits, General Pummel quickly added; “And Long Guo.” It would have had been egregious to leave out the civilization that had been the historic pioneer behind gunpowder weaponry, and which to this day remains the world’s largest manufacturer of civilian and military rocketry.

". . . There is a reason the most advanced military forces on the planet . . . do not use them as the main thrust of their arms. It isn't access or lack of know-how."

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” A new voice brimming with chilling smugness immediately interjected from the far end of the conference table from Princess Twilight. The earth pony mare speaking up sported a short stylishly-trimmed mane, a pair of half-tinted glasses, and a rather fashionable cravat. The credentials for this odd one out being here was that she was none other than Spyglass; Director of the Secret Monster Intelligence League of Equestria — or S.M.I.L.E. for short. S.M.I.L.E. was a civilian agency, but the intell it gathered abroad (and the other clandestine activities it conducted) gave S.M.I.L.E wide-ranging importance in national security affairs.

“From what we’ve gathered from our informants,” Director Spyglass coolly explained; “House Silverbeak of Aquellia is pouring vast sums of money into experimental weapons development. In fact, they’ve already produced numerous designs on par with WRAITH’s; in some cases... too eerily so. If there’s one thing about Aquellians... they’re a prideful nation, and they won’t rest until THEY can claim the unquestioned title of most advanced military. Their leadership is 100% committed to this goal, no matter the expense.

And so as Aquellia start equipping its forces with these weapons, other regional powers will inevitably feel they have no choice but to follow suit, or else risk getting muscled out of their spheres of influence... or outright losing territory. Our analysts believe that a decade from now, the designs pioneered today by WRAITH will become standard-issue in most militaries capable of projecting force on a regional scale.....”

When it became clear that Director Spyglass had finished speaking, Pummel moved swiftly to give his own rebuttal; “With all due respect Madam Princess, barely any resource exploration has even been done in the Painted Pinto Desert. The geologists we’ve consulted however are confident that there is every reason to expect that suitable deposits can be found, much as they’ve been located in other arid corners of the world. I assure you that scarcity won’t be an issue.

As for how cannons compare to ballistae, the simple fact is that a siege-grade cannon has five times the range of a bolt thrower and can fire its projectile at far greater speed, giving a round shot enough force to reduce any fortification to rubble without the need for enchantments. No heavy bolt enchantments have ever come close to replicating those results.

Now, if we then compare ballistae to lighter anti-personnel cannons... it is possible to create enchanted bolt varieties with superior range and accuracy to round shot. However, that comes with the trade-off of that projectile requiring a lot more horse-hours to make, which can ONLY be done with an artificing specialist. And the end result is a heavy bolt that can only hit one target at a time. A single round shot projectile meanwhile... can plow its way through multiple rank-and-file the way a bowling ball mows down pins; no magic required. And not only can a cannonball be made by literally anypony in a factory, but light cannons are far more mobile and easier to set up than equivalent bolt throwers.

Finally, we’ve seen WRAITH make effective use of small hoof-held cannons that can be readily carried into battle by a single pony. While even a mundane crossbow boasts superior range, accuracy, and rate of fire... a small cannonball fired at close-quarters can make mincemeat out of a heavily-armored combatant, regardless of where it hits. The same can’t be done with crossbow bolts without either exceptional aim, or costly enchantments.”

 

----------

 

On the matter of field tactics, Princess Twilight again betrayed her inherent tunnel vision. “Need I remind you,” Gen. Pummel countered as he sighed in frustration; “That the REASON rogue changelings and caribou attack en masse is because our over-reliance on antiquated and hard-to-manufacture weaponry allows them to get away with it. Give the Army and Navy a generous supply of cannons and rockets... and our opposition will start singing a different tune.

...You must also understand that if our troops depend solely on frontal assaults during offensive actions, we’ll suffer extensive casualties when taking the fight to the Enemy. That is something you MUST consider if you deploy your forces on an overseas intervention. When we fight over there for Freedom... it’s not just enough for us to have the bigger stick..... but we have to fight smarter than the other guy too. Because if we DON’T... it means a ton of brave stallions and mares won’t make it back Home, and your subjects will sour on everything we hope to accomplish here real fast.”

For one slight moment, Pummel’s eyes appeared downcast as if in a mournful mood, suggesting that even a gruff pegasus as he could show a vulnerable side; “...I ask a lot of the ponies who serve under my command. I would like to think that in return, we’d give them every tool we could — and all the know-how they'll need —  to ensure they return home to their families.....”

[Blueblood]

The Admiral's insights on the naval reforms showed his expertise, and Shining was happy to defer to Wave Chaser on that matter.  He also could see the lynchpin of Northern Security was a pacified Whitescar, though Shining himself was less sanguine about their options.  "That's a dicey situation diplomatically, though.  Obviously, we would favor the current High King and the continuation of his policy, but if our aid is obviously decisive in the conflict, that undermines his faction's long-term legitimacy.  The last thing we need right now is to be saddled with an unstable puppet government as an 'ally' to suck up resources and attention when both are needed for reforms."

There was also the question of just how helpful the REA would actually be under its current situation, but for the sake of preserving harmony, Shining Armor left the point unstated.  "In any case, Halvard was confident that the conflict would come to an end within the next year.  It would be worth sending attache's to monitor the situation; I will be sending one on behalf of the Crystal Empire myself."

 

Princess Twilight satisfied her brother's concerns regarding the budget constraints, though he was silently thankful that Equestria was not a republic.  Tax changes of that magnitude and timescale were just not feasible in a representative system, if the reports from the Aquellian parliament debates were any indication.  Though for all that, it seemed the major families tended to consistently get their way when presenting a united front...

Her outlining of what she meant by Battlemages and Offensive Weather Control, however, rather deepened his troubled expression.  Those practices were not discussed in detail during any war college courses, even; probably to prevent the imaginative or curious from being inspired to re-create these efforts.  And now, they were being brought back in an official capacity.  "When I was in officer's training, we had a guest lecturer point out that line of thinking as 'logical insanity.'  A perfectly reasonable line of argument that could lead to one doing insanely destructive things with a clear conscience.  To admit the principle that something intrinsically horrible is permissible to prevent something quantitatively worse is morally compromising from the start.  Implant that bit of code into anypony's head, and whatever moral fiber they come in with is functionally irrelevant."  He sighed, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his temples.  "Same with the whole business of war though, I suppose.  Just like with taking an interventionist stance, the first step we take down this road will take us further than we originally intend to go.

"I'm not prepared at this moment to register a formal protest or objection.  The potential tactical superiority offered is too great to leave on the table, if we intend to take a role of world leadership.  Not to mention, I quite understand, and to a certain extent share, the 'logically insane' perspective, just when it comes to the numbers.  But there's a certain risk of what's going to happen down the line when we ask certain ponies to do certain things, and then bring them home, expecting them to act as if nothing had changed.  We're not just deciding matters of tactics and organization now; we're deciding who we're going to become as a nation.  Not just what we'll be able to have and do, but whether we'll deserve it."

Having unburdened his conscience, Shining sat back again to drain his glass of water.  It was hard for a stallion, born into dreams of chivalry, and ruling a country still infused with it, to discuss fighting on these terms.  He knew too much to pick a hopeless fight against progress; 'moral victories' that proved ultimately hollow were no valid goal for a conscientious and dutiful officer.  But the place where this trajectory lead was though a shadowed path for all of them...

 

Somewhat tired by relieving his soul, he let the discussion of tactics and equipment play on for a while, only nodding at the SMILE representative in greeting.  Truth be told, the relationship between them was not warm, given the number of times Chrysalis had given the agency the runaround at his expense.  In the meantime, who were they pouring resources into monitoring?  Griffons, which didn't count as monsters in Shining's eyes, nor in the eyes of any but the most xenophobic of ponies... right?

The rumored connection between the higher echelons of griffon government and WRAITH was a long-standing bugaboo in the intelligence community, which Shining sometimes suspected was a diversionary tactic from being scrutinized too closely for internal compromises.  It seemed pretty clear to Shining that WRAITH had at least some insider knowledge at its top levels about Equestrian COINTEL, and who knew how frequently it was updated?

 

Returning to the conversation in progress, Shining Armor couldn't suppress a small smile.  It reminded him of days spent building wargaming armies with his buddies, arguing over specs and tactics after every update, with an eye to the metagame.  "It's worth pointing out, that I rarely ever see a game being won by a player copying the strategy his opponent started two turns before.

"In any case, we need to build our army to the objective first, and the meta second.  If our objective is global power projection, then our equipment has to be suited to mass-production, in order to supply all the ponypower in the field.  If we can get the resources for it, well and good, but there can be quite a time and money gap between 'confident predictions' and 'operating mines.'  On the whole, though, I wouldn't turn down a case of hoof-canons if they were offered for my troops.

"In matters of tactics, though, I'm less certain.  It seems to me that we'll have to counter these tactics as much as adopt them.  Blindly following the meta is not the play, as they used to say in my gaming club.  Honestly, I'd be more in favor of shock-and-awe; if we're going to be bringing back battlemages and offensive weather control, that's a unique feature to us, which we can refine as an edge over everyone else, as opposed to scrambling to catch up."

[PyroBlaze]

“Then perhaps a less direct method of aid. Supplies, or simply keeping a supply line open. We need not put troops on a battlefield to assist a war effort.” Wave Chaser responded to Shining, looking over to the fellow unicorn before his attention was directed back towards Twilight as she spoke. 
 

“Well, living underwater for as long as they have has taught them more of the natural dangers of the sea, and how to combat them. More resilient towards storms, maneuverability for reefs and ways to better detect them beforehand. Even sea creatures that are less than friendly, or perhaps just indifferent to any vessels in their path or wake.” He said in response, listing a few things he had noticed about the hippogriff ships. There were likely more improvements they could make, but that would take time. 
 

——————

 

As the discussion came back around to the battlemages, he listened intently to what the princess was saying. That made more sense as to why they had been banned in the first place. For now, he sat ruminating over what the others had said about them. Unable to use their previous magical abilities... that would make it very complicated if they were to live in normal society when unneeded. Relearning how to use magic in day-to-day life, especially at the point that they’d be old enough to join the military, let alone any restrictions to becoming a battlemage, seemed like an almost impossible task to him. Then again, perhaps that had something to do with his large workload limiting his free time...

 

——————

 

“Prince Armor is correct, copying the enemy is not the whole solution. If the tactics are superior, by all means take them and learn from them, but outright copying is usually not good. Especially since their tactics are likely geared towards fighting your tactics, so copying will not necessarily help much.” He nodded to Shining’s words. “It’s best to have your own tactics and adapt them to combat individual enemies.”

[Bellosh]

 

General Pummel was 100% behind both putting a spotlight on valorous serviceponies and vastly increasing the financial incentives of enlisting. While it was probable that individual reforms — in conjunction with changes to the education system — would have to be rolled out in waves over the course of the next decade, at least there would be the bits to see everything through. There wasn’t much Pummel felt like he needed to do to express his support other than nod at the appropriate moments.

----------

For what it was worth, the general believed that Prince Shining’s instincts on how to currently deal with the Whitescar Civil War were spot-on. There were other practical considerations to point out; “In any event, I do not advise initiating any offensive operations against caribou rebels until we’ve built up our forces to the point where they’re ready to take them on. Frankly, our soldiers aren’t at that level yet, as recent events have shown.....”

----------

Staying on message, Shining Armor reemphasized a general need for restraint concerning employing new tactics. Pummel saw the need to clarify one point; “Well obviously, our field commanders will have much latitude in choosing which tactical maneuver is best suited for a particular situation. There will be instances where equine waves are the only good option we got, but there will also be times when more flexible maneuvers are more prudent. Ideally, REA officers will be skilled at knowing when to use what.”

----------

Although infamous for his intense advocacy for military revitalization, there were certain ideas that General Pummel inherently distrusted. On top of that list were the resurrection of battlemancy and OWC; proposals which Princess Twilight championed, but didn’t fit neatly into Pummel’s vision of a modernized defense force. As demonstrated earlier, it had been the biggest policy divide between the two ponies.

Shining Armor didn’t seem so enthusiastic about the ramifications of his royal sister’s proposal; Pummel speculated he could have swung the other way too, given his advocacy for cultivating “hero units”. When the prince yielded the floor, Pummel added his thoughts; “This line of reform was also evaluated by the Suntrot Commission. Although we only have speculation to go on..... there is scattered, but convincing historical evidence, to suggest that those who underwent the process of Battle Empowerment developed, how do I put this..... psychiatric issues. In what few recorded documents our analysts were able to dig up about the actual battlemages and specialists themselves, nearly all of them exhibited signs of battle fatigue, an inability to adapt to civilian life, or the development of sociopathic tendencies.

.....And those are the ones who avoided becoming complete lunatics. While the number of known turncoat rogues is fairly small, even one is enough to do a lot of damage. The last time a bout of empowered insanity happened eight-hundred years ago, the turncoat battlemage wiped out a town and half a legion before being put down by Princess Celestia and every specialist she was able to muster. THAT... was why the Ban was put in place.”

The grizzled pegasus gave a long weary sigh; “.....All that being said, I am open to initiating an experimental trial program for reintroducing Battle Empowerment, as well as rigorous psychiatric evaluations of each candidate throughout the entire process. I should also stress that even in a best-case scenario where Empowerment can’t be linked to psychological changes, offensive specialists will be costly to train, and extremely hard to replace during a protracted conflict. 

Overall, it will be a more efficient — and less riskier use of our resources — to better condition all recruits during basic training to take lethal action towards the Enemy. It doesn’t take any hocus-pocus magic rituals to give a unicorn or pegasus a killer instinct. And by the way Madam Princess... whichever flunky from the Weather Service that fed you those lightning fatality statistics is full of bull. EVERYPONY who’s been through Basic or the Academy learns there’s no such thing as a non-lethal weapon or spell. I’d have every reason to suspect that the earliest weather overseers covered up fatal incidents to prevent interracial tensions from flaring up.....”

[Blueblood]

Shining Armor was grateful that his assessment of the Caribou situation was taken as valid.  The Admiral was even willing to back up his tactical assessment, to the point where General Pummel was willing to concede some flexibility.  "The simple fact of the matter is, we're not really going to know what works until we see it in action, and if we're actually the ones in that action... that's a bad time to learn what we got wrong.  It might not be a bad idea to use the opportunity offered by the Whitescar war to give the caribou some of the devices we were thinking about using.  They would know better than any of us what their equipment is actually weak to, and therefore whatever they want to get from us will give us a lot of information.  Having friends on the front lines can help us as we ramp up at home."

 

He was a Sparkle Family member, at the end of the day.  Shining wanted hard data before he committed to a conclusion, and a chance to get that without spending the lives of his own ponies to buy it was a bargain as far as he was concerned.  Tying two problems to the same solution was also attractively elegant, and it gave the Prince no small amount of satisfaction in seeing it.

 

General Pummel's objection to the Battlemage initiative and training was, in its own way, predictable.  Shining Armor didn't want to impugn any ulterior motive to the older pegasus, but the general was rather notorious for being prejudiced against ideas that didn't fall within his own, admittedly griffon-centric framework of 'modernization.'  Shining had run into that more than once in his Lieutenant days.  Nonetheless, he didn't find anything objectionable in Pummel's assessment at first.  There was, indeed, a very good reason that magic of that kind was banned, and they'd all do well to keep it in mind.

 

His counter-suggestion, however, struck a discordant note that caused Shining to grimace.  Some flaw in the logic that needed pointing out, civilly.  But the pegasus's final insinuation went far enough to draw up the Prince's hackles.  "Out of Line, General."  He barked out, in a clipped, commanding voice.  The sort of voice that Pummel was unlikely to have had directed at him for decades, for the simple reason of very often being the highest-ranked stallion in the room.  But, with his new Royal Position, that did put Shining Armor above him in the chain of command.  Not that the younger Prince would often pull rank, out of respect for seniority and experience.  But this couldn't stand.

"I was at the academy as well as you.  And what's more, an avid reader of mystery novels in my youth, of good and bad literary quality.  It's theoretically possible for a tea doily to be used lethally, but that doesn't affect the question of whether or not it ever was.  Certainly, it's not something that would happen accidentally.  I've studied the science, and Twilight's right.  Unless the pegasi deliberately set up a specific situation for a limited group of vulnerable ponies, it just wouldn't happen.  To insinuate hidden lethalities under the circumstances is slanderous, sir."

The issue was a sensitive one, for the Crystal Prince, at least.  Tribalism may be a dead dog as far as most of Equestria was concerned, but the Crystal Empire had not had 1,000 years of getting accustomed to non-Crystal ponies.  They weren't know for xenophobia, but careless remarks stood a greater chance of bringing it out.  The Prince had found himself nipping a few dicey situations in the bud, and was still on something of a high alert.

 

Of course, that did tie in to the larger issue.  "In fact, that brings up another point.  Equestria just doesn't have a lot of killers in it in any case; when you take out pie-throwers, we have one of the lowest rates of violent crime, even in the larger cities.  Murder is almost unheard of.  Frankly, quite a few psychologists looking over the old reports, and correlating them to countries such as Aquellia with higher rates, seem to conclude that making a pony comfortable with killing is more than half the trauma.  Simply giving them the means after, whether physical or magical, affects it by degree and not kind.  And I will concede your point, insofar as anything can be a weapon.  Goes back to my point of veteran integration; rogue battlemages are a nightmare, true.  Do we have any plans for when more ordinary killers go rogue?  Most of our municipal guards would be no more prepared for that than a battlemage, if I'm being frank."

[Bellosh]

 

Although hushed griping and water-cooler talk are far from being accurate sources of information, there was a grain of truth to the claims that General Pummel was indeed more griffon than pony. One of the more significant ways in which his outlook resembled those of a griffon involved a hefty dose of cynicism. Back when he was a foreign exchange student in Talonpolis, the pegasus picked up much of the Aquellian’s skeptical attitudes towards political and bureaucratic figures. And frankly, his cunning Razorclaw hosts seemed to love nothing better than gloat about the virtues of realpolitik, and bombarding the rabble with endless propaganda.

.....It was almost a miracle that Pummel made it into adulthood with an unshakable patriotic spirit and absolute loyalty to Princess Celestia.

Unfortunately, another of the general’s Aquellian-esque attributes was a vehement dislike of getting called out, so it was no surprise when Pummel’s face flushed upon Shining Armor telling him he was out of line. That unicorn may have married his way into royalty, but in Pummel’s eyes, Prince Shining would forever be a Captain of the Guard; a subordinate position required to show deference to the higher ranks.

Yet for all his internal lividness, Pummel was nothing if not a professional. Maintaining his cool as best as he could, the aging general responded with a succinct (if slightly ominous) counter; “Your Highness... you should know as well as anypony here that Equestrian history isn’t entirely sunshine and rainbows..... and that the Defense Forces and the Weather Service didn’t become the professional organizations they are today overnight. It took trial and error to get to where we are today, and we may have to endure more trial and error in the years to come.....”

----------

General Pummel’s face slightly convoluted again as Shining Armor expressed his latest concern. This time however, the grim pegasus got flustered because the topic of rogue veterans had never once been brought up by the Suntrot Commission, making it somewhat of a minor embarrassment that Pummel had no definitive recommendation to provide. All he could do was come up with a solution on the spot; “...Assuming our armed forces are sufficiently expanded, it would not then be unreasonable to expect that civilian law enforcement agencies and reserve forces will receive sufficient military backup if dealing with veterans that engage in criminal activities.....”