The Shipment: 5

>A few days have passed since the redemption of the Governess’ sister
>Killian is back in the capital pseudo-hive city, under the care of both Guntram and the best of the native doctors
>In his place, Captain Krumen has sent two other Kriegers to assist in expanding the FOB and bolstering defenses around town

>Fellow engineer Sofia, one of the most recent additions to the shipment
>Fresh and curious, but with a knack in field repair and construction
>Your “ying to your yang” as Cadians put it, since you had a feat in explosives and sapping
>The other transfer was one you weren’t expecting:

>Watchmaster of the supplementary squad
>Verena
>Vreni, whenever she isn’t present

>An Emperor-damned veteran of two entire campaigns, one against the Archenemy, another against a race of xenos known as the Tau
>Leader of several notable assaults in those campaigns
>The only reason she wasn’t an officer was because she opted to stay as a Watchmaster, commanding in the thick of battle with her boots in the mud

>Being Senior Engineer and one of the most experienced members of the shipment were the only things keeping you from feeling very uneasy around her
>They were also the only things keeping her from ordering you to do everything, unlike Sofia

>This resulted in some conflict between you and the Watchmaster over who actually commands the Engineer
>Fortunately it ended last evening with a message from the captain himself
>Sofia is an Engineer, in your squad
>She is your charge whenever you’re around

>While Vreni agreed to this without any grudges, the new girl is practically your aide
>She’s kept to your right side all morning, under two arms’ length’s away

>The two of you are busy digging spider holes in a section of the outer perimeter
>The Watchmaster is at the FOB, busying herself by cleaning up logistics with the rest of the shipment

>The sun begins to rise as you complete covering the last hole
>As you look to the sunrise, you notice a…rainbow waterfall across the dirt road

>You look up and spot a-
>Is that a cloud house?

>The sound of a party noisemaker grabs your attention, and you watch Ms. Pie skip over to the low-hanging, puffy accommodation

>”Rise and shine, Rainbow Dash!
>It’s a brand new day, and we got a lot of pranking-“

>Something stops her
>You look up and spot

>NEW CONTACT

>You grab Sofia and jump into the new hole, hastily closing the grass door
>The two of you ready your shotguns, and you cautiously push the door up a crack

>Ms. Dash lands beside Ms. Pie
>”Gilda, this is my galpal, Pinkie Pie.”

>The new contact, “Gilda,” lands a ways away, looking away as (she?) casually greets Ms. Pie
>Another native?
>Looks a lot different from the others

>Ms. Dash confirms by saying how Gilda is a “griffon”
>Half eagle, half lion

>And full of spunk, if Gilda’s comment and the strange handshake meant anything
>She’s beginning to remind you slightly of the FNGs of the Elysians and Harakoni you met during the Grandos campaign
>Most of them didn’t survive their first drop

>Apparently, Gilda is a long-time friend of Ms. Dash, whom pressures her friend into doing a chant from the not-schola program they went to together

>Ms. Pie is impressed by this, much to the embarrassment of both the flyers
>The pink one then offers Gilda to join in pranking

>The griffon declines, saying she and Ms. Dash were to have flying session this morning
>They eventually leave, leaving Ms. Pie to blow on her noisemaker half-heartily

>You and Sofia look to each other, and she gestures quizzically towards Ms. Pie

>She’s had a soft spot for the native ever since the giant party thrown three days ago for all of you
>The party that the Watchmaster tried valiantly to stop
>Her efforts were futile, though

>Back to now, you were done with what you set out for
>Going back to the FOB would just end you up with another “suggestion” on outer defenses

>While you were all for getting a line up ASAP, experience has taught you that in circumstances like these, with no immediate, imposing threat, the redundant defenses can wait

>You nod to the younger engineer, and the two of you climb out of the spider hole

>The party native spots you two approaching, and her mood improves immediately
>She hops over to you

>”Hiya Anto, Sofii.
>Digging some hidey holes?”

>You nod, gesturing you had just finished, and then incline your head to her
>Her mood deflates slightly

>”Oh, I’m just waiting for Rainbow and Gilda to finish their flying-“
>She stops, and you can see the cogs turning
>You and Sofia wait patiently
>Trying to escape Ms. Pie’s plans was a waste of effort
>”Actually, I can use some help with a few things.”

>Later
>An elevated bed of strong elastics and springs
>Dozens of gas-filled balls made of latex tied together with string
>A flying contraption made of seemingly random items

>You’re not sure whether to be proud or embarrassed
>Probably proud since they all preform their function well

>Ms. Pie utilized all of them to come into contact with Ms. Dash and Ms. Gilda
>You and Sofia watch through binoculars as Ms. Pie is repeatedly rejected by Ms. Gilda
>Ms. Dash doesn’t seem to notice each time
>Ms. Pie tries one last time, using the contraption
>Ms. Gilda gives the native a pretty lengthy talk, acting aggressive

>You can’t hear the conversation, but it probably equated to “When I say ‘frak off,’ I mean frak off.”
>The griffon then makes Ms. Pie spin violently back down to the earth

>The two of you rush over, but Ms. Pie seems to be fine, albeit visibly distraught

>”W-why?”
>She looks at you, confusion on her face
>”Why is Gilda being such a meanie?”

>You shrug, but you have a few ideas on why Gilda’s being a bit of a Hündin


>Ms. Pie seeks the ground for guidance for a moment, before zipping towards town
>There is no way you’re catching up to her, so you and Sofia resign yourselves to returning to the FOB

>Once there, you descend into the underground, and walk into the communications room
>Verena is sitting at the modified vox caster, conversing with HQ via traditional morse code
>Something about the local fruit

>She turns to you, nods, then resumed plugging away at the straight key

>You approach, Sofia close behind, and the Watchmaster holds out her free hand
>You give her the report, and she looks it over

>Light perimeter defenses complete
>New contact, native,
>Designation: Griffon
>Flyer
>Likely carnivore
>Relationship with NOI (native of interest)
>Possible threat to NOI cohesion
>Shall investigate

>The Watchmaster nods in agreement, then hands you a sheet of her own

>It’s a requisitions list
>Groceries and advanced cooking instruments

>Verena hands you a large sack of planetary currency, courtesy of HQ, before returning to the conversation of local fruit

>Feeling good about getting off without an argument, you and Sofia quickly sling your shotguns over your backs and head into town

>Having mapped out the place, finding what you needed was only a matter of time
>Large pot
>Large pans
>A cauldron, which you have to rent a cart for
>Verena has also ordered a large amount of vegetables and even a few sweets
>You wonder what she’s planning

>As you browse through the farmer’s market, you notice Ms. Pie sitting near her sweets establishment
>She’s wallowing in whatever sweet concoction she was drinking
>You purchase the multiple stalks of “corn” Vreni needed, and walk over to the moping native

>She’s surprised to see you
>”Anto?
>Sofii?
>What are-oh.”
>She’s spotted the filled cart

>Sofia tilts her head at the native’s attitude, and the native lowers her head
>”Sorry, guys.
>I’m just being a jealous judgy judicare.”
>The two of you sit down on the ground next to her, not understanding
>”Maybe Gilda really isn’t a big grumpy mean meanie pants.”

>Doubt
>That’s not good

>Hearing flyers, the three of you look up to see Ms. Dash and Gilda fly overhead
>They touch down nearby, and Ms. Dash explains she has weather duties, so the griffon can “hang out”
>The NOI flies off, leaving Gilda to, without exaggeration, act like a juvenile hive worlder

>Frightening elders
>Petty theft
>Typical delinquency
>Ms. Pie reconsiders her assessment, stating that “Not only is she a mean meanie pants, she’s also a theif!”
>She still has some doubt, though, and you think you should tell Ms. Pie that the griffon’s not giving that apple back

>But then comes…Ms. Fluttershy, carefully leading a family of local wildlife
>You know where this is going
>The NOI backs up into Gilda, who promptly tells her she’s walking here
>The yellow native backs away, apologizing, only for the griffon to mock her

>You realize this is going to escalate
>You unsling your shotgun and prepare to stand
>You stop once you notice whose double timing it down the street
>Gilda further antagonizes Ms. Fluttershy, scattering the wildlife
>The shy native begins stuttering out a “but”, but the griffon won’t hear any of it
>She takes in a deep breath

>Only to yelp as something seizes her tail
>Rage begins to envelope the griffon, and she slowly turns her head
>”Who’s the dweeb who just grabbed my…“
>She looks up to the figure towering over her

>It’s the Watchmaster

>Silence
>All within sight is watching with intent
>You don’t know where you and Sofia got these bags of popped corn, but you’re holding them now and leaning forward

>Gilda is the first to speak up
>”Nice getup.
>What, this air too much for ya?”

>The Watchmaster continues to stare
>”So, ya gonna let go or what?”

>Verena only tightens her grip, causing the griffon to grit her teeth
>”So you wanna fight?”
>She doesn’t wait for an answer and twists around, talon extended

>The Krieger sidesteps the swipe, then yanks the griffon up by the tail, over her shoulder, and into the ground in front of you with a WHAM

>Gilda is on her back, dazed, and Verena simply walks to her side
>The Watchmaster plants her boot onto the griffon’s chest, before crouching so low her mask takes up Gilda’s entire field of view

>The delinquent looks back up
>You know she can see those ice blue eyes behind those darkened lenses
>That’s why there’s a tinge of fear in her’s

>The Krieger stands up, lifts her foot off Gilda, and points to where she came from
>The message was simple: “Leave.”

>Coughing, the griffon stands up on all fours
>”F-fine, I’m bailin’.
>All these ponies were driving me buggy anyway.”

>So she flies off, leaving you all to stare after her

>You look back to Verena, and she takes a deep, muffled breath, before looking over to the shaking Ms. Fluttershy

>The yellow native at first starts to back away again, but the Krieger only tilts her head
>Ms. Fluttershy eventually stops shaking, and whispers out a “Thank you.”

>The Watchmaster nods, assured, then spins around and marches towards you

>You and Sofia quickly stand

>The only thing the squad leader does, however, is hand you a note

>”Additional items: 3 buckets apples.
>Variety optional.”

>You look up, and the Watchmaster is already walking back to the FOB
>You watch as she goes out of sight

>”Wow…”
>You look down at Ms. Pie, her mouth agape

>”Now I…kinda feel bad for Gilda.”
>She shakes her head suddenly
>”Nonono, it doesn’t matter now.
>No one treats Fluttershy like that.
>NO ONE.”
>A determined look appears on her face
>”This still warrants extreme measures,
>/Pinkie Pie Style. /”

>You and Sofia look at each other apprehensively, knowing you’ll be somehow involved

()()()

>Sentry duty
>Out of all the roles of whatever scheme Ms. Pie is putting into motion, she tells you to watch over the premises as the party proceeds
>Sofia is outside the front door, being a “friendly bouncer” as the pink native put it
>From what you’ve seen, she just nods to all of the natives as they walk in, who are then greeted by Ms. Pie herself
>As you listen to the gathered NOIs, you come to the conclusion that this party was for Gilda

>You wonder what strange punishment Ms. Pie was thinking of when concocting this plan, of which she hasn’t told you any of it

>The appearance of Gilda brings you out of your thoughts, and you watch as the hostess greets the guest of honor
>They awkwardly shake, only for the griffon to be shocked by an immense amount of electricity
>You can honest-to-Emperor see her skeleton
>You commit the image to memory to sketch it later
>Surprisingly, the native survives, and Ms. Dash commends Ms. Pie on the attempted murder

>Gilda is introduced to the rest of the guests, and you shift your shotgun sling as the griffon warns her host
>Ms. Pie takes it in stride
>She then, over the course of a few minutes, subjects her guest to a constant string of “pranks”

>Spiced sweets
>Sabotaged drinking glasses
>Booby-trapped gifts that thankfully weren’t filled with explosives
>And a cake with candles that couldn’t be blown out
>You’d have to ask Ms. Pie for some of those, they might come in handy

>You watch as the native start devouring the cake, but Gilda grabs her hostess by the neck and pulls her behind the cake

>”Hey, I’m watchin’ you.
>Like a-“

>click
>Gilda doesn’t have to look up to know you’re right next to her, shotgun ready

>”Like a what?
>Like a griffon?”

>The native only growls, and you respond with inching a little closer

>Ms. Applejack’s announcement of a game makes Gilda quickly back off, and you relax your stance slightly
>But you’re watching

>The game was one you saw Killian preform on the night the corrupted psyker arrived
>Being the guest of honor, the griffon went first
>The rites of Pin the Tail on the Pony went accordingly, with Gilda blindfolded and spun wildly
>Ms. Pie instructs her guest to move straight ahead to pin the tail

>The griffon believes this was another prank, and walks the other way despite to her host’s insistence
>The guest’s reward is slipping on icing and crashing into the Cakes’ kitchen
>Gilda comes out with her coat and feathers…well, caked in cake ingredients, with the tail draped on her beak like a moustache worthy of a general

>The resulting comment and bout of laughter from the other guests brings the griffon over the edge
>With a roar, she--somehow—removes all of the icing on herself and lunges up into the air

>She berates the party, the guests, even you, calling you all the lamest bunch of “dweebs” she’s ever met
>She then singles out Ms. Pie, calling her out on those “weak” pranks
>After her fit of rage ends, she tells Ms. Dash they were bailing out

>The flyer doesn’t move
>”Come on, Rainbow Dash.
>I said, WE’RE LEAVING.”

>You see Sofia look inside, shotgun in her hands
>You raise your hand dismissively, rather eager to see the troublesome native go

>Instead, Ms. Dash speaks up

>”You know what, Gilda: /I/ was the one who set up those weak pranks at this party.”

>Wait-what?
>You play the events in your head, and it does make some sense, given Ms. Dash’s enthusiasm

>”W-what?”
>Gilda is dumbfounded
>She is certain Ms. Pie set all of this up to have the griffon make a fool of herself

>The hostess denies the claim, saying she thought a party would improve the native’s attitude, which obviously failed

>Ms. Dash then, for lack of a better word, scolds Gilda, saying that she never thought her old friend would treat her new ones with such disdain, finishing off with suggesting that Gilda should find some new friends

>Not wanting to feel defeated, the griffon insults her former friend, telling the flyer to call her when she becomes “cool” again
>The delinquent gives Sofia a glare, to which the engineer stares back, before she flies off
>You pray she doesn’t come back
>You have a feeling you’ll have enough trouble later on

>”Not, cool.” says Ms. Dash firmly, before apologizing to all present about bringing the griffon here

>In the end, all was forgiven, both Ms. Dash and Ms. Pie shocked each other, and the party resumed with more vigor

()()()

>You and Sofia walk back to the FOB as the sun set, having helped clean up
>Ms. Pie thanked the two of you for being there, and wanted you to pass on thanks to the Watchmaster for helping Ms. Fluttershy in the form of a cupcake

>As you walk with your shotgun on your back and the sweet in your gloved hand, you get a peculiar feeling

>Were you supposed to learn something from all of this?
>You give the question some thought, and your sight drifts to the descending star that’s painting the sky several shades of red

>Eventually, you come up with one:
>There are locals here that aren’t as well-receiving as the ones who have welcomed you
>Perhaps there are threats out there that aren’t wildlife
>If that’s the case, you’ll have the captain ask the Governess about it

>The sun disappears below the horizon when you and Sofia crawl down the muddy hole
>The Watchmaster is sitting by the telegraph, studying maps under candlelight

>She looks up to the two of you, surprisingly nods in greeting, and looks back down at the maps
>You figure now’s the best time and walk up to the desk, placing the cupcake by the Krieger
>She continues her study

>You mentally shrug, and turn to your fellow engineer
>She gestures she’ll stay awake to watch the perimeter, and you nod in thanks

>After a long, eventful day, you retire to the bunk to get some sleep before the next shift of digging holes