Bannhammer

The mare scampered off, but she would be back. This just left the pesky stallion with the over sized tooth pick. Martel was about to simply lash out with his hammer, but Dunder simply had to go and open his mouth. The purple stallion's pelt threatened to turn a deep shade of red as anger and rage boiled up deep inside of him. Who did he think he was, insulting his country and family like that? If he thought he could rile Martel up, get him so angry that he started to make mistakes, he was dead wrong. It was a common saying in Germaney, especially among the Mercenary families: 'Don't get angry, get even', and Martel planned to do just that. Oh, he was livid but only a rookie made the mistake of allowing his emotions to hinder him in battle. No, he'd only use his rage as fuel, making his swings twice as strong and twice as fast. He'd prove this pony wrong by having the last laugh. "Kameraden, you are a foal for saying those things. I was merely going to be teaching you a lesson, let you scamper away with only your pride hurt, but after I am done, you will not be scampering to anywhere!" His voice was low as the red rage faded from his pelt, giving way to an ominously serene attitude that could almost be mistaken for nonchalance, but hid a deep anger that was being contained. The mercenary turned around and reached out with both hooves, the attack leaning towards the right side of Dunder's head. It was a slow move, and could easily be dodged, but that was the point. He knew that the easiest way to avoid was the duck left, and opefully the pegasus would be focused on the two large hooves heading for him that he wouldn't notice the hammer speeding around from his left to meet his midsection. Simple misdirection was all it took.

Well well well, these ponies had some fight in them! The mare had managed to deflect his hammer, hopefully for her she could do the same once she was his target! The strangely dressed pony didn't hesitate, and he lunged at Martel with what seemed to be a giant toothpick. The Mercenary lowered his weight, moving his body low and basically crouching over his leg, allowing the rapier to scrape against the chains that protected him. While his armor offered impeccable protection for his front and sides, it merely draped over him and only covered down to a certain point, leaving his stomach wide open. Fortunately, as long as he didn't rear up, that area would be almost impossible to reach. Martel was a trained professional, he'd face crowds of ponies before. Though, to be honest, he'd never faced a pony with the specific skill set that Dunder had, nor had he faced a pony so determined as Argenta. Hopefully, he could smack them around at bit and make his point before things got out of hoof. "I would have let you run to lick your wounds, but now you are attacking me, and are fair game!" The large mercenary picked his hammer up and brought it back towards him, letting it hang over his back as he started to swing it again. Martel scowled and looked at the crowd of ponies. "If anypony else is wishing to join, then your life is forfeit as well!" To accentuate his point, Martel unleashed the hammer low, at ground level, but it rose up sharply as it approached Argenta. He kept his forelegs low and covered, in case mister poofy pants wished to try something again.

Martel blinked a few times, expecting to see his hammer smack into the mare, only to have her hoof smack him! He grit his teeth and put a free hoof to his cheek. She wanted him to follow her back to the station, after doing that? Well, like heck he was going to do anything she was going to say! "Frau, I respect your dedication, but now... there is no chance that I will be following you anywhere!" He prepared to take another swing at Argenta, but he was distracted by the meddlesome stallion. Not only did he seem committed to joining in, he actually looked like he was going to pull a weapon! If that wasn't enough, he insulted Martel's nation! That was the last straw. With a deep scowl, the mercenary turned and shouted at Dunder. "How dare you!? This is not your fight, and why should I be wasting my time with a puny pony like you? If you are wanting, I can take down both of you! I am not afraid of your weapons..." He grabbed at his tunic and tore it off, revealing a mass of chain maille underneath. Letting loose a loud war cry, the large stallion swung his hammer in a wide arc before launching it directly at Dunder.

Maximilian listened closely, even if he knew all of this stuff already. He'd read up on the history of the town before showing up for the first time, but he didn't mind hearing it all again. No matter how many times he heard the townsponies talk about Appleoosa, the Rockefilly found himself more and more impressed with their story. Braeburn addressed him briefly and the rich Unicorn nodded in agreement. "Of course, any attempts at expansion will only take place with the explicit blessing of the Buffalo themselves. I would never wish to jeopardize our relationship when we can merely talk it out." He nodded and went silent again, allowing Braeburn to continue on. Max made sure to note Miss Snowfall's attitude, and while she still seemed to be a bit reserved, he could tell that she was slowly growing more comfortable as time went on. Who knew what effect the sight of the orchards would have, if any, but Max could only hope and pray that the mare from Stalliongrad felt something about what she saw. The business stallion knew that poking and prying Snowfall wouldn't really get him anywhere, and in fact, the opposite approach was the best. By constantly pointing things out and trying to inspire her, he would surely push her away, or even cause her to think less of the town! Maximilian nodded his head quietly and committed himself to merely watching and waiting. If something needed to be said, he'd say it, other than that, he would allow the other ponies to show her around. Fortunately, there was something that would keep the Rockefilly occupied. As they walked, four in a row, Max made sure to be right next to Madame Bistro. He trotted alongside her, and nodded kindly as she raised her question to Braeburn. "While the Plateaus may not be suitable now, I'm sure we could find a way to engineer something up there. The location is impeccable, being so high up, I could see a luxury resort being built on top of one, with a beautiful view of the town, and the desert as well." Being a business stallion, Max seriously gave the idea some thought, becoming lost in numbers and hypothesis for a few moments before snapping back to reality. The farm pony had just urged them to try some apples, and while he may have been planning for some sort of awkward, or even romantic, mishaps, he would not be given that luxury. Max bowed his head and motioned with a hoof. "Ladies first, Madame Bistro, If the apple is as sweet as you, I'm sure it will be quite the treat."

The mare was tougher than he expected. She didn't flinch, not once, and she even had the guts to return his shove! This was going to be a lot of fun, even if it wouldn't last very long. Right before he could take a swing, A new pony showed up, a dressed up one at that. He spoke his piece, and... Martel couldn't help but burst out into laughter at the sight of the strangely dressed pony trying to mediate the situation. He didn't wear a crest of any sort, or even a uniform, either he was some cheap mercenary or just some do-gooder who had no idea what he was getting himself into. "Puny mare wishes to stop me, and now poofy pony is trying to intervene?" His booming laugh echoed throughout the narrow streets as Martel clutched at his chest. It was almost painfully funny to him. Why would anypony want to step into the middle of this? The mercenary's laugh died down into a low chuckle as he turned to face Dunder. "Anything can be solved without violence, but the decision is not mine to be making. If this mare would simply be letting me go, then all is well. If..." he moved his head to look at Argenta dead in the eyes. "she does NOT let me go, then I am afraid that violence will have to be the solution to our problem. If you are asking me, I think that you should be leaving, I would hate to mess up those cute ruffles on your mare-pants." The large pony scowled and swung his hammer a few more times, with the last one heading right for Argenta.

Martel simply rolled his eyes and continued forward, giving the guardsmare a shove out of the way with his large hammer. "I have a license, for Germaney at least, I guess I was just forgetting to check up with this stable of yours, Madchen." The large stallion stopped and pointed towards the emblem on his tunic. "Are you seeing this? The crest of the Von Starkhufs is the only license I am needing. Now, you will let me pass and you will let me do my job or there will be more to worry about than some puny carts!" With another snort, Martel purposefully swung his hammer near Argenta, but just a hair away from her muzzle. He had to admit, most ponies would have left by now, and the fact that she actually seemed determined to do something was impressive. However he couldn't just let one stubborn mare keep him from his paycheck. "Do not be testing me, I would hate to be smashing such a pretty pony" He smiled, trying to throw her off with his words as he once again started to trot away.

Some sort of guard approached, and Martel simply snorted dismissively. Yet another of his pet peeves, authority figures. The main reason that Martel loved being a hired hoof was because he could turn down any job he didn't like, whereas ponies in uniform had to do whatever they were told, even if they found it morally unappealing. If somepony wanted Martel to beat up somepony innocent, he could just say no and trot away, but a guard? They had no choice, and saying no could get them in serious trouble. The Mercenary had little respect for those that would willingly sign away their freedom, so he tried to keep the conversation short. "Allo, Kameraden, I am not coming from around here." He looked down his muzzle at the mare before him, she seemed serious, but what would she gain from stopping him other than wasted time and a black eye. "I am Mercenary in Germaney, my home. If you will be excusing me..." The large, purple stallion looked away, still on the lookout for his target, and lowered his voice. "I am not having time for distractions..." Martel gave his hammer a few swings behind him to accentuate his point, and purposefully knocked over a few nearby carts. If she tried anything, at least it would give him a few moments of entertainment before continuing on.

Another day, another contract. Unfortunately, this one just so happened to land Martel in a city he absolutely loathed. Compared to the average town in Germaney, Stalliongrad was a dirty, disgusting, sprawling, derelict, nasty town filled with terrible drink and starving masses. Martel Von Starkhuf didn't hate the ponies and gryphons that lived here, he found them rugged and charming, traits that he missed from his home. The city itself just elicited a nausea from the Stallion that left him on the threshold of retching every ten minutes or so. Why, out of all the places on the map, did his target choose to take refuge here? "Verdammt, Ich hasse das." he muttered to himself. The mercenary always followed the contract, no matter where it took them, if only his client hadn't offered so many bits... That was beside the point, all Martel wanted to focus on now was simply finding his target and taking care of them, then he could go home! The job was just to deliver a message, a very violent message with plenty of exclamation points and property damage. Well, the town certainly lived up to expectations. Martel found himself wandering a narrow street, lined with dirt and grime and even dirtier ponies. He tossed a couple bits there way and continued on, not giving them a second glance. Normally he'd be far friendlier, but he was on the clock. The large stallion reached a dead end in the alley and grunted in frustration. This was getting ridiculous, he was never going to find the pony he was looking for if he continued to play it safe. Darn the consequences, he needed to find this guy and SOON. Martel reached into his tunic and pulled out Zornstahl, his most prized possession that happened to be a massive hammer. He observed it in the dirty light, and after giving it a quick polish with his cloak to remove the thin layer of grime, he attached it to the end of his tail. The large mercenary gave it a few experimental swings before slamming it into a nearby wall, fracturing it and nearly smashing right through the thing. Smiling and filled with a sense of power, Martel left the dead end and let his hammer dangle behind him in plain sight. The pony he was looking had better watch out, he had a Von Starkhuf coming after him.

Man, what the heck happened? I can't believe I missed out on all this stuff. I honestly thought that the pony pirate project died off, and somehow it turns out you all turned it into something 20% cooler than it was before. If you are all willing to take me back after a long silence, I'd like to apply Martel Von Starkhuf for the position of Security Pony.

Maximilian sighed happily, the prospects for the day ahead shone brightly, and he couldn't help but feel a bit optimistic about what lay in store. Miss Snowfall seemed at least a tad more composed, Braeburn continued being his old self, Miss Lamare and Sheriff Silverstar were upbeat and informative as usual, and Madame Bistro was simply there in the first place. Now, it seemed, Max simply had to stick around and nudge the conversation in the right directions while making sure business got done. "Mister Braeburn, I think that would be a lovely idea. While we're on our way there... Sheriff, do you think you could shed some light on the history of our fair town? I don't think there's a better authority here than you..." The Rockefilly moved with the rest of the group, staying next to Madame Bistro as they trotted. He looked over his shoulder at the Apple family farmpony. He spoke in a low voice, quiet enough to be heard but nopony but his intended target. "Imagine, Braeburn, this orchard at double the size. If we can get Miss Snowfall's support, the sky is the limit for Apploosa. No pressure, but this is it." The wealthy stallion quickly went back to the mocha mare's side, his mind heavy with thoughts. Would the carrying capacity of the town increase enough to accommodate the new population? How much construction would be needed? Would the ponies of Appleoosa quickly look to Airships after a few years, or would they stick with rail? There were far too many questions for him to answer by himself, so he simply shrugged them off for now, deciding instead to concern himself with the matters at hoof. He still had a mare to impress, and he needed her to see exactly what he was after, Miss Snowfall was important as well.

Sucre herself fluffed up a bit as well, that sort of reaction ran in the family. The light blue mare set aside some freshly cooked treats and smiled widely at Cookie Sweets. "Well, the rest of my family sees fit to cook these thick, brutish lumps of batter that they absolutely drench in this disgusting goop they call maple syrup. Disgusted by such a sight, I sought to craft much more refined and tasty treats, meant not to curb one's appetite, but instead delight their palette and serve as a dessert for both body and soul..." She curtsied politely and stepped out from her stand. Sucre had prepared enough treats for a slight break in the action, the ponies in line would just have to deal with it. "It was my cousin's advertising that brought you here, you say? That's... interesting. Still, I'm glad you decided to sample my treats!" Sucre cursed under her breath. She just might have to admit that her cousin's less than delicate procedures may have actually worked. It wasn't easy for her to admit being wrong, and she decided to abstain from such concessions until absolutely forced to do so. The working mare turned to shoot a glare at her cousin. "You know, dear cousin, that I'm always looking for ponies smart enough to invest in me. I think Manehattan might be just the place. Especially if there are more ponies like Miss CookieSweets..." She paused and put a hoof to her chin. "What kind of food do you create, if you don't mind me asking?"

Finally, the fastest pegasus in the squad burst into the cave, panting for air and soaked with water. It had been about two weeks since he'd left in the first place. The ponies inside were doing ok, suffering from nothing more than boredom and a persistent case of the chills. Ace looked to the side, previously laying on his back and staring at the ceiling as he willed time to pass faster. He'd already re-read Vinyl's letters multiple times, and now the sight of his comrade put new hope into his heart. The pony in question fell over, gasping for air, having just completed a massive journey from the observation post all the way to the small cave where his squad was stationed. Concerned, the other members of the squad came to his aid, propping him up and providing him with what fresh water they had left. His saddlebags were taken from him and set aside, not of much concern at the moment to anypony but Ace. Tentatively reaching out with a hoof, Ace High waited until his fellow soldier was taken care of before opening the saddlebags and checking for anything inside. His heart caught in his throat when he noticed the extensive rain damage, any letter Vinyl had sent might have been ruined! It was when he noticed a long, metallic parcel that he could breath again. Fortunately, his comrade had placed something in a water resistant tube, he knew it was for him when he small the small label that read 'Ace'. The former stunt flyer grabbed the object in question and took it, before gently setting the bag itself next to its resting owner. Once all was well, Ace took some time for himself as he sat alone deep into the cave, shrugging off the frigid temperatures as he prepared to read something he'd waited two weeks for. Some familiar tears started to well in his eyes as the pony he loved danced in his mind once more. It seemed to be so fast, this rapid growth of the feelings between them, but he didn't care. All that mattered was that she cared about him. Without another moment's hesitation, he grabbed the tube and ripped it open, extracting the precious cargo within. To his surprise, a poster was inside! Well, within this cave, he didn't have anyplace to put it, so he just placed the gift back in the tube to keep it safe. The more important item was the small piece of paper, written upon with beautiful script by an even more beautiful pony. His eyes hungrily devoured each words, pausing only to wipe the few, erratic tears that would occasionally spring forth as he read her message. Once Ace had finished the fifth read through, he reached into his jacket for one of the last piece of parchment he owned, intent on getting a reply in as soon as possible. Dear Vinyl, I Your letter arrived safe and sound, I have Rain Cloud to thank for that. Since I'm still here in the cave, he was the one who got your letter to me from the base where you sent it. I just want you to know that I hate the delay as much as you do, every day I wait to talk to you hurts more than the last. The mission is going well, and we hope to only spend one to two more weeks out here before I'll be getting back to base, I might even get some time off to see you again! I'm a little worried, being stuck out here, no contact from anypony other than the one pony we send back to base. I know that if something happened, it would take weeks to find out, on both ends. I can only hope that all goes well, both for you and for me. But don't worry, I can handle myself, and I have ponies by my side I trust just as much as I trust you. We haven't seen eachother in a while, but I feel like you're always with me. Just as I am with you. Don't ever doubt yourself, if things seem to be bad, just know that I'd fly around Equestria to be there if you need me. You have a bright future, I know it, and just knowing that I could be a part of it means the world to me. Our future together is going to be great, and we both know that. All we need is to be patient, I'll be with you again soon enough. And in a few years I might even be able to retire! I can't imagine what my life will be like without the military, but when I know that you'll be there, I can only wait. Maybe we'll settle down in Hoofington, or Canterlot, or wherever we want! Maybe this it's pointless trying to guess what's going to happen, but I can't help it. Also, thank you for the poster, any gift I get from you is far more than I deserve. Simply knowing that you care about me and think about me is enough! Even here, in the deepest, darkest cave, I know that I'm on your mind. I don't know if you understand how much it means. I love you, and I trust you, but there is one thing I need to know. I feel like it wouldn't be fair to you if I went on like this without asking. I'm a military pony, my whole job is to protect, but in order to do that I have to be violent, willing to beat up anypony or anything that gets in my way or threatens the safety of Equestria. I've never killed anypony or anything, but I might have to. I knew that when I signed up, but I don't know if you've considered that. I don't want to lead you on, only for you to realize that you're with some thug. I would never forgive myself if I drove you away because of that. So Vinyl, I just want to know how you feel about that, I know you'll be honest. I hate to end my letter on that note, and I'm sorry that such a lovely thing has to ruined by such a question, but I hope you understand where I'm coming from. Keep on rocking, Vinyl, and I'll dress my best for when we get to the gala. Love, Ace High Ace sighed in relief, placing a small amount of herbs in his mouth as he wrapped the letter up neatly in an envelope. Another pony was being selected to go back to base, and Ace simply sat there, ready to give them one more thing to carry along. It was strange, he'd never been one to talk about his feelings. He silently worried about how she would respond to his question. To have a pony out there that would listen to what he had to say and be there for him when it all went wrong, it was something he'd never known before. Maybe he was just a thug in uniform, but at least there was one pony out there who decided he was worth something more.

The stallion in tailored khaki bowed his head for the mare from Stalliongrad. Maximilian knew exactly how she felt, being a young heir to a fortune and company with all of those expectations, heck, for all intents and purposes, they were exactly the same. So it didn't take much looking to find out how she was feeling. The Rockefilly could almost see himself in the white mare before him. He could practically taste the insecurity and apprehension radiating from her. Not even a year ago, Max would have pounced on that. Sharp words carefully crafted to chip away at her confidence, sentence by sentence he would destroy her until she was a sniveling pile of doubt. His years of cut throat business in Manehattan and a complete disregard for the common good would be his best assets. Of course, it would all be done with the greatest of caution, and nopony would be the wiser. When she was broken, the ponies of Appleoosa would lift her up and make her feel better than ever. Then she'd feel indebted to the town on such a personal level that she'd have no choice but to work with it. Yes, that is what he would have done, only a few months ago. But he was different now, there was no way he could bring himself to exploit somepony like that, especially not somepony who he could sympathize so well with. It was only a few years ago that he too had to deal with older ponies, good friends of his father, all staring at him and poised to tear him to shreds. Of course, Max asserted his dominance and was able to wrest control of his fortune away from the vultures who happened to call themselves family friends. Miss Snowfall knew how that was, there was no denying that, and even though she presented an opportunity almost too good to pass up, he did. Somewhat out of respect, somewhat out of kindness, mostly because he'd never be able to look at himself again if he so much as tried to hurt somepony like that. Those darker thoughts swam around his head for a few moments before being chased away by the arrival of more ponies. Max smiled warmly and slipped next to Miss Snowfall, speaking in a low but comforting voice in the sparse moments they had together. "I merely enlightened the stallion as to the difference in attitudes that we all share... I know you would have preferred to speak for yourself, but I didn't wish to stress you, not when you are our guest." He stomped his hoof loudly and called out to the new arrivals. "Ah, Mrs LaMare, Madame Bistro, Pleasure to see you all here, I hope it isn't too early... And sheriff Silverstar, I hope you don't mind being dragged out here from your duties, I know how seriously you take your work." Braeburn came as well, and of course he opened up a can of conversation and had no intention of closing it again. His words were far more controlled than before, and the removal of his Stetson was a welcome sight. Hopefully the businessmare would start to feel a little better about the town he called home. If this show of determination and struggle from the Appleoosans didn't impress her, Max honestly wasn't sure what would. The sight of a literal oasis in the middle of the desert was enough to convince him to stay, hopefully it could produce the same reaction in her. "Thank you for the treats, Braeburn. As for the questions, I will of course defer to our guest in those regards." Max stepped away from Miss Snowfall, letting her have the independence she probably desired, instead, he took his place next to Madame Bistro, intent on following Braeburn's advice to 'make his intentions known', "The honey isn't the only sweet thing in town..." he chuckled under his breath as he stood next to the mocha mare.

"Would somepony please be stopping that ringing?" the purple stallion grunted and put a hoof to his ear as he sat at the table. Martel's stomach had decided to take up gymnastics, and the last thing he needed at that moment was a god awful ringing in his ears. Fortunately, there was something to take his mind off of his currently hungover self, food! Mountains of the inn's grub lay on his plate, with a few empty ones lying off to the side. The newest dish was added to that collection posthaste as he gobbled down another batch of slop. It tasted horrible, but that wasn't the point. He put his plate down long enough to prod Radiant in the shoulder. "Eat, tiny pony, if you do not eat now, you will waste rations later. We cannot have little knight keeling over in battle because she did not eat slop." With that, he returned to his own business and gobbled down more food. After a short while, Martel took a sip of coffee, the only such pause in his eating before diving back in. Thankfully, the guttural gobbling and slurping ended soon enough. He raised his head up high and looked around. "Frau Cutlass, I am glad that you are paying for meal, but I do not know if it was worth your bits... In Germaney, we at least know what we are eating... this slop is like what army ponies eat. Not to be offending, but mercenaries have standards, at least." Martel shrugged his shoulders and went back to eating, the taste didn't matter, he just needed the calories and energy that the slop would provide. "I am hoping that Kapitän Novaya is having a plan for us... I am merely pony with hammer, I am good at killing ponies and tearing flesh, not thinking about how and when to do so."

Maximilian Rockefilly Jr stood in place, waiting for his expected company to join him. Their meeting place had been determined beforehoof. It was the spot where most ponies were treated to their first view of the orchards, on a small cliff that over looked the entire scene. It was impressive, to say the least, and the rising sun in the background highlighted the horizon and only served to increase the majesty of the moment. The unicorn idly scrapped his hoof on the ground, trying to pass the moments as he waited for somepony to show up. Their meeting yesterday went well, but not without its share of scares and potential mishaps. Fortunately, Maximilian and Braeburn had been able to sort out their small differences, and now the only task left was to thoroughly impress their guest, a very important pony. Miss Snowfall certainly showed herself to be open to new ideas, seeing how she'd handled herself last night, but he was still unsure as to what her final opinion of the frontier town would end up being. Max looked up, surveying the scene, and sighed deeply. This would either go very well, or it would crash and burn. His entire fortune rested on this, if Miss Snowfall or Miss Silverbeak pulled out, or if the project tanked, Max would have to do some very difficult things in order to keep himself from living on the streets. He was intent of making sure that didn't happen, it couldn't happen. The sound of hooves approaching snapped him from his thoughts, and the experienced business stallion quickly put on his best smile and turned to face whoever it was. "Glad you could make it..."

The Rockefilly returned her gesture, bowing low as she made her leave. "An absolute pleasure to meet you, and I do hope we meet again." Maximilian looked up and smiled at Silk before slowly turning around to face her employer. "Ah, Mr.Glitzen, I'm quite anxious to see more of your work, if they're as good as the samples I've seen, then I'm sure we can do business." Max bowed his head to the stallion before motioning with a hoof away from the dance floor. "Lead the way, good sir."

Sucre was still working as fast as she could, trying to keep up with the surprisingly long line. She had to admit, her cousin had a way with ponies, and this line had more ponies in it that she could expect to see in an entire day. Unfortunately, she would have to make an apology later. But not now, now was the time for cooking, for crafting delicious desserts! Her hair dangled over one shoulder, but was quickly batted aside as she bore down on the griddle. Each crepe was gently flipped over, and the toppings gracefully found their way onto the fluffy pastries. Soon, a dozen of them found there way to the hungry maws of the waiting ponies. Before she could place a few more dollops of batter onto the griddle, Sucre noticed her assertive cousin practically shoving some poor patron towards her. The working mare wasn't normally one for petty introductions, especially not while working. "Ma Cousine, I hope you are not planning on interrupting me while I am working!" Her tone lacked kindness, but mostly out of her intense focus on the job at hoof. Sucre precisely flipped her mane before focusing her gaze on the approaching mares. "Pardonnez-moi! If you would give me a few more moments, I will be with you shortly!" The sugar family pony waved a hoof dismissively at the others in line before turning to face the two again. She gingerly extended a hoof and smiled as best she could. "Salut, I am Sucre Bleu, did you like the... samples my cousin was passing out without my consent?"

The great, purple stallion continued to take massive gulps from his tankard as he observed the tavern around him. Things were going smoothly, and he found himself liking his comrades more and more. The small soldier was slowly coming around, and instead of seeing her as just another greenhorn he found himself quite enameled with the armored mare. The sergeant was still impressive, and the fact that this was her vacation drew a low whistle from the stallion as he raised his glass in a salute. "We will be saving our bits, maybe buy you a retirement gift?" The most intriguing of the group was definitely the swordmare. His suspicions remained, but Martel nodded solemnly as she spoke, deciding to give her a new chance after his first impressions. "Ah, Frau, I am feeling that we all need a little redemption, maybe we can all be helping each other towards that?" The hammer wielder placed his namesake on the table just as Radiant Steel fell over from her seat. Out of respect, he kept his mouth shut. As she retool her place, Martel offered a hard pat on the back. "That is why you should not be drinking Stallian drinks! They are focused on getting drunk, not on taste. In Germaney, we treat drink as something to be savored... Here, let me be showing you." Martel slammed a hoof on the table and shouted out, "ein Kirsch Bier!" Martel smiled contentedly and waited, soon a deep red beer was placed in front of Radiant Steel. "Very sweet, not strong at all, I think you will be liking it! Not like those brutish things that ponies from Stalliongrad call 'drinks'. No offense of course." Martel continued to drink, silently observing what was going on and hoping to gather a bit more information about his allies. He finished his drink and waited for a new one, always dreading the time in between beers. Once the table had settled down a bit, he let out a low sigh and rested his forelegs on the table. "Kameraden, I am understanding if you are... worried about serving with pony who sells his talents. You may be thinking that I am not loyal, that I would desert you all for money. I want you all to know that is not true. I have not signed a piece of paper, but I take Herr Valius' word as my promise. I will serve as best I can, and I will not hesitate to lay my life down for each and every one of you." With that, the mercenary took a swig of his fresh drink and simply sat there. That had to be said.

Max found himself silently thinking over Silk's words. She certainly had a way with words, and he understood exactly what she meant. The analogy of the cart made perfect sense to the business pony. The Rockefilly fidgeted with his suit's collar before looking back at the purple mare. "Well, if it's all the same, I'd take dancing any day." He smiled wide and continued on. "Trudging through business always leaves me unsatisfied, and you're right, it's the thought of these parties that helps keep me going. I think the memories of this one will be a huge help..." The stallion looked over at Glitzen and saw he was still talking to somepony else. "Well, Silk, we could be rude and interrupt, or stay and talk a while longer. It's up to you."

Ace shook his head, flicking the water off of his face so that he could read the letter one more time. Of course, of all the places they had to set up camp, it was in some blasted cave, a wet one at that. Fortunately, he kept the letter in the most safe place on his body, right in front of his heart under his jacket. It was about the fifth time he'd read through it, and each time made him only want to do it again. Part of Ace wished that he was a better writer, like Vinyl, so that he could properly express how he felt, but the knowledge that she had an inkling of what he meant was good enough for now. His thoughts continued to whirl around in his mind, and although it may not be the best place or time for it, Ace knew that he had to write something. His only emotional outlet was paper, and it felt a heck of a lot better than keeping everything to himself. The stallion weakly called out to some of the other ponies in the cave. "Hey, anypony got a quill? I gotta... write something down." Ace's writing habits were already well known, and a quill was quickly given to him. They all knew that Ace had somepony to write home to, and the present situation was a good a time as any. His squadmates went back to their own parts of the cave, shivering in the damp cold of a quickly approaching night. The aviator scooted close to the cave's opening, trying to get any light that he could to aid in his writing. Ace took a deep breath and pulled out the sole piece of parchment in his possession. Tentatively, the stallion began to write. Dear Vinyl, My letter might be short this time, seeing as how I'm in a cave somewhere near █████ but I still had to write something after reading what you had written. I'm really glad that you enjoyed the package I sent you. Those items did a lot for me, and I hope they do the same for you. I don't really have a lot where I am, but the memory of being with you and the knowledge that you care is more than enough. I know you worry about yourself, and what you're doing, but don't. You're an amazing mare that makes everypony around her happy merely by doing what she loves. No matter what you do later in life, you can count on me being there every step of the way. This might not always be simple, and it may not always be the same, but it will always be right. I don't know if it's because I'm here, in a cave, the light of the day fading and my own fate unsure, but I can't help but think about exactly what it is. Last time we met, I asked if we could be friends, but now, I think we've gone farther than that without caring about permission or procedure. Celestia willing, we'll see eachother again. Give me a few more years and I can retire, maybe go back to stunt flying in my free time. My full time occupation would be simply spending time with the pony I love, you. Maybe it all changed one night in my dreams, or maybe your letter opened my eyes, but I just have to write this down, make it official, and then shout it for everypony to know. I love you. Everything about you. I'm just some lunkhead soldier, not worth a second glance from a mare like you, yet you gave me a chance. Maybe it was chance that I stumbled into that club on that particular night, maybe it was fate. Whatever it was, It changed my life. If we never see each other again, I just want you to know that I love you with everything that I have. I signed up with the REA to fight for my country, but now, I fight for you. I protect Equestria because I know that at the end of the day, I'll be laying my life down for you. It will be harder to keep coming back, knowing that you'll be left behind while I go on more tours, but I'll leave with every memory of you hanging on my shoulders and protecting me better than any armor known to pony kind. I'm almost out of space on the parchment, and I have so much to say. We'll meet again and talk about this over some coffee, my treat. With love and so much more, Ace High. The stallion looked over his work, squinting in the evening light. The whole letter had just flowed out of him, with no editing or anything done to it. Part of him wanted to scale back his confession, but what if he didn't come back? She had to know how he felt, no matter what happened. Ace sighed and went back into the cave, gently slipping the letter into an envelope and addressing it before placing it in the saddle bags of the pony that would be going back to camp in the morning. If everything went smoothly, Vinyl would have the crudely written letter in a matter of days. Although getting her response while out in the field may be a bit more difficult. Content, the aviator rested his head on his folded up tunic, allowing himself to drift off with a certain pony dancing through his head.

Max snorted loudly at Braeburn's comments, he was a smart pony when it came to country living, but the last thing you want to do is lecture a business pony on their practices. Who was he to criticize the hardliner approach? It wasn't like anypony was telling him how to operate and run his apple orchards! Of course, such things weren't worth getting worked up over, and the larger picture at hoof was more important anyway. It was just a small annoyance. "Braeburn, business has no place for flirting or the like, it's a far cry from farm work, as I'm sure you know. However, there are far more pressing concerns than a lack of tact, most importantly, the issue of the dogs." Max shrugged off the blatant verbal attack, a little surprised by his words, but unwilling to apologize. The farm pony's words had hit home, and he only wanted to return the favor. He coughed lightly and changed the subject. "When it comes to the diamond dogs, I think we've said all that we can. Two plains clothed soldiers will be moving in, while I'll make sure the nearest outpost is on alert while we attempt negotiations. I'll meet personally with the buffalo, along with anypony else that wishes to join. In all honesty, I feel fairly confident about the next few weeks. Once construction is done here with the living quarters and other facilities, the staff will begin construction on the Appleoosa to Stalliongrad line, the most important of the two. Once that's done, or at least near completion, our attention will shift to the Rockwington to Appleoosa connection. Once those two are done, the Trans-Equestrian line will be complete, and we can then deal with any smaller lines that we wish to build, especially the ones out west." Maximilian cleared his throat and adjusted his jacket, he wasn't sure where things would go from there, hopefully they could retire for the night in a more civil fashion. "If we're all done here, I would like one more slice of pie before bed, Madame Bistro. Does anypony have any more concerns?"