Fallout: Beyond Equestria 197: Black Rose (15, Conclusion)

[2016-10-05 13:17:12] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Previously...
[2016-10-05 13:17:31] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Noble_Heart ruffled her feathers slightly and contemplated this. She was not certain she liked this idea. But right now they did need the help. "We would like your assistance in finding a way to allow the S.P.P. towers to communicate with a radio broadcast and reception system in the dragon lands."
[2016-10-05 13:18:53] <Mare-Do-Well> 3...
[2016-10-05 13:19:08] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Noble_Heart shakes her head. "We cannot win this conflict with threats or megaspells. We must tell the zebras of Roam the truth. Show them what has happened to them. Ensure that we are always, always seen as the morally superior. That we are those asking for peace and not war. That we are those who are reasonable. Weapons, bombs, guns and threats?..."
[2016-10-05 13:19:27] <Mare-Do-Well> 3"...They cannot slay a nation. Only its people can slay a nation."
[2016-10-05 13:19:29] <Mare-Do-Well> 3...
[2016-10-05 13:21:33] <Mare-Do-Well> 3The shaman steps through.  "Step forward," he calls to CopyCat in Jadi.  "We shall see if the shadows hide in you."
[2016-10-05 13:21:55] <Mare-Do-Well> 3CopyCat pulls off her helmet, letting her aquamarine mane cascade down her shoulders and neck. "Ahh, that did it!" She aims a Winning™ smile at the guards... then at the shaman. "Oh-kay!" She steps forward.
[2016-10-05 13:22:04] <Mare-Do-Well> 3The zebra shaman opens a bag and dips a hoof in it.  When it withdraws it, his hoof is covered in a thick yellow oil.  He reaches up and smears the oil across CopyCat's face.
[2016-10-05 13:22:21] <Mare-Do-Well> 3CopyCat begins to glow.  The other zebras gasp.  The shaman steps back, looking grim.  "They are like the others," he says.  "They are not of the Empress, nor of Her Shadow Pony ally.  They are... displaced."
[2016-10-05 13:22:25] <Mare-Do-Well> 3...
[2016-10-05 13:23:05] <Mare-Do-Well> 3They pass by an open doorway to a communal lavoratory where mares and stallions alike take turns standing before sinks and mirrors, preening and making themselves presentable.  From the lack of uniforms, these are civilian citizens, but they tend to their appearance with the same pride and sensibilities as soldiers.
[2016-10-05 13:23:10] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Shatara blushes and tries not to think about the strange mares pushing past him in the tight spaces
[2016-10-05 13:23:15] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Get_Lost frowns "uhm... this place is... in bad need of help...."
[2016-10-05 13:23:22] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Golden_Dream bites her lip. She always saw these ponies as this overfunded evil force. Mockingly crisp and clean as if the dirt and grime of the world were too good for them. This... This was the kind of poverty she came from. "How long has it been this way?" She quietly wondered.
[2016-10-05 13:23:24] <Mare-Do-Well> 3...
[2016-10-05 13:24:10] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Bookwright thinks deeply. "I would rather do the job properly, but I guess we don't have the time. How about if we do it your way, but I set up the maneframes so they can be switched over to basic programs eventually?"
[2016-10-05 13:24:29] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Bookwright offers, "I'll write up some documentation so that the Enclave can write their own maneframe programs and eventually be able to fly this thing themselves, with an un-augmented pilot."
[2016-10-05 13:24:57] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Get_Lost nods.  "yeah sure, that's a good idea: so they won't need me once we are done and the ship will get further repairs. i like your idea"
[2016-10-05 13:25:08] <Mare-Do-Well> 3...
[2016-10-05 13:26:31] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Mitzi looks up to the three generals, really letting her voice carry again. "Yu will swear oath," she says firmly, "dat yu will not harm any uv Ur kind dat yu currently has enslaved. Eef Uh have dat oath frum yu, den Uh will swear dat not un drop uv Pegasus blood will be spilled while Ur kind eez beein released."
[2016-10-05 13:26:39] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Mitzi notes, "But Uh will have yur answer now. We have waited long enuff."
[2016-10-05 13:26:50] <Mare-Do-Well> 3General Typhoon says, "Because you are both right.  And so is she."  General Typhoon points a hoof at Mitzi.  "Perhaps the best course of action is to let them go.  One at a time.  But not without engineering assurances."
[2016-10-05 13:27:14] <Mare-Do-Well> 3General Typhoon then turns to Mitzi.  "You are in a bad position to make threats.  Calm yourself.  Learn to obey without being forced to."  General Debate winces.  Then asks more politely, "Mitzi, please don't start threatening war when we are so close to figuring out peace."
[2016-10-05 13:27:24] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Mitzi shakes her head. "Yu haff no right tu ask obedience. Uh am not makeen threats, Uh have not made un. Uh have simply stated wut must be, und wut might be. Eef yu must continue tu discuss, den yu will du so where Uh can hear eet."
[2016-10-05 13:27:30] <Mare-Do-Well> 3General Typhoon raises a hoof.  "No.  But we will be honorable and let you know the results."  She pauses.  "Would you accept..."  She pauses again and looks through some papers.  "...if Wind Weaver was present instead?"
[2016-10-05 13:27:38] <Mare-Do-Well> 3...
[2016-10-05 13:28:08] <Mare-Do-Well> 3CopyCat immediately sets to work prettying up the old storage room with Citrine Glow by her side. If Citrine wishes, she talks with the Crystal mare about what the Crystal Empire had been like when each of them was there last.
[2016-10-05 13:28:10] <Mare-Do-Well> 3...
[2016-10-05 13:28:43] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Mitzi nods, "Uh suppose eet eez true dat Uh du not know how yur ponee magic wurks. Tu admit wut Uh du not know eez no shame. Yur reliance on da despised un does shame yu, but Uh cannot single her out for da crime yu eez all guilty uv." She places a paw on Wind Weaver. "Dis Uh say now. Uh name Wind Weaver as uv Ur littur, und tu speak on Ur behalf."
[2016-10-05 13:29:02] <Mare-Do-Well> 3"Any insult, shame, ur harm dun tu her will be considered tu have been dun tu me." She smiles at the pegasus. "Uh lost a sistur unce. Uh never thought Uh'd gain a ponee as un, but eef yu accept, yu will always be welcum."
[2016-10-05 13:29:23] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Wind Weaver smiles hesitantly back.  "Thanks."
[2016-10-05 13:29:44] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Mitzi smiles. "Uh said Uh had obligation tu yu fur rescueen me. Dis eez da biggest honour Uh cud tink tu give a ponee." She raises a paw and knicks her palm with a claw, letting out enough blood to coat the pad. She then presses it to Wind Weaver's chest, leaving the pawmark there.
[2016-10-05 13:30:08] <Mare-Do-Well> 3...
[2016-10-05 13:30:11] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Get_Lost sends a mental message to copy, or at least tryes to: repairs are starting and they are going to be hard, rainbow dash needs to be contacted and she needs to speak to her.
[2016-10-05 13:30:23] <Mare-Do-Well> 3CopyCat goes stary-eyed as Get_Lost mind speaks at her, before blinking back to reality and announcing to the room, "O-kay!" When she receives stares of shock and surprise at having said that so loudly completely out of nowhere, she smiles sheepishly. "Um, O-kay! Let's turn this dusty of room into a palace! Yeah! Renovation, woo!..."
[2016-10-05 13:30:29] <Mare-Do-Well> 3CopyCat side-talks at Noble Heart through her forced smile, "Where'd Goldie run off to? Get needs to talk with MDW!"
[2016-10-05 13:30:31] <Mare-Do-Well> 3...
[2016-10-05 13:31:30] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Fallout: Beyond Equestria, Session One Hundred and Ninety-Seven: Black Rose (Part 15 - Conclusion) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fus5O8SxUoo
[2016-10-05 13:31:36] <Mare-Do-Well> 3--- Session Begins ---
[2016-10-05 13:31:44] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Three days later...
[2016-10-05 13:32:21] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Communications center...
[2016-10-05 13:35:32] <Mare-Do-Well> 3CopyCat and Golden_Dream observe as Noble_Heart, Cintrine Glow and the pegasus ponies make the final connections, establishing a line of communication through Final Echo, linking Citrine Glow's little radio station in the Dragonlands to the S.P.P. network in the New Canterlot Republic.
[2016-10-05 13:38:38] <Mare-Do-Well> 3The pegasi step back.  One edges her way out of the bunker room while the other looks to Noble_Heart.  "She's all yours."   Then he too trots out into the harsh snowstorm that batters at the numbers station.  With this many, including two alicorns, Final Echo is crowded even by Lunar Rising's standards.
[2016-10-05 13:39:42] * Golden_Dream grumbles and starts passing out plates. "Okay, here y'all go. Frozen Water Lamprey matelote in a red wine sauce with a sweet wildberry filling served with braised leeks. Fuckin' enjoy. This thing has /fucking barbs/, I ain't never been afraid for m' life while /fishin'/ before."
[2016-10-05 13:42:33] <Mare-Do-Well> 3The other ponies are all very appreciative of Golden_Dream's cooking expertise.  Citrine Glow, in fact, had never eaten fish before meeting Golden.
[2016-10-05 13:47:33] * Noble_Heart clears her throat, stepping up to the microphone as she levitates it from its resting place, flipping the switches to make contact with the New Canterlot Republic first. "This is Noble Heart of the Followers of the Apocalypse calling the New Canterlot Republic Communication Hub. Do you read me? Over." She paused, hopeful that their response would be swift, and not too
[2016-10-05 13:47:34] * Noble_Heart distressed.
[2016-10-05 13:47:57] * Bookwright hasn't had fish in so long he forgot what it tasted like.
[2016-10-05 13:49:00] * CopyCat is once again unable to stop herself from broadcasting her delight when Golden_Dream's cooking smothers her tongue with delicious flavor. By the end of the meal she is positively glowing.
[2016-10-05 13:51:02] * get_lost happily eats with the others, but keeps writing notes on paper "day... did you find RD?"
[2016-10-05 13:51:06] <get_lost> *say
[2016-10-05 13:57:10] <Mare-Do-Well> 3After a moment, there is a crackle, and a female voice responds, sounding surprised.  "Hello?  Hello!  This is Gretchen.  I hear you, Noble Heart.  How can I... we help the Followers?"
[2016-10-05 13:58:09] * Mare-Do-Well 3shimmers faintly into existence next to Get_Lost.  "She sure did."
[2016-10-05 13:58:27] * CopyCat looks snug and content, despite only wearing a set of trendy legwarmers in the frozen weather, thanks to her Shield of Warmingness! http://www.gocomics.com/heavenly-nostrils/2013/11/29#.UrIi-eLuUog
[2016-10-05 13:59:34] * get_lost "oh perfect, because i'm in need of you: do you remember those giant battlestations that needed three pegasi to flight and were meant as the front line command for any aerial offensive in the old times?"
[2016-10-05 14:01:29] * Noble_Heart smiles slightly at the response. "We are seeking to make contact with the Watcher. We have met someone in Our journey who wishes to speak to him about a matter of some importance." She had hopes that he would be awake, and receptive.
[2016-10-05 14:05:16] <Mare-Do-Well> 3"Right... Okay, hold on." There is a pause.  Then, "Wait, this is Noble Heart, you said?"
[2016-10-05 14:06:03] * Noble_Heart frowns slightly at the question. "Yes. We are Noble Heart. Is there cause for concern?"
[2016-10-05 14:08:16] <Mare-Do-Well> 3"No."  Then, "Maybe?"  Another pause, then Gretchen says, "You're on a list.  If you call, I'm supposed to patch you immediately to the Council.  Please hold."
[2016-10-05 14:09:32] * Noble_Heart sighed quietly. It seemed this would not be quite as simple as she had hoped. Though it would probably not be TOO much more complex. Hopefully. Maybe.
[2016-10-05 14:11:22] * CopyCat beams at the microphone. "I'm CopyCat! Does that help?" she chirps, perhaps a little overexcited given the elation of success after several days of trying to patch the communications networks together.
[2016-10-05 14:11:31] * Golden_Dream lowers her eyebrow. Oh, wonderful. Now they're all mixed up in politics. Fantastic, this call was going to take forever.
[2016-10-05 14:11:40] <Golden_Dream> (eyebrows, even!)
[2016-10-05 14:11:46] <Mare-Do-Well> 3There is a nearly two-minute wait.  Then a stallion's voice replaces Gretchen's.  "Hello?  Noble Heart?  Of the Crimson's Caravaners?"
[2016-10-05 14:14:08] * Noble_Heart picks up the microphone again. "Yes. This is Noble Heart. To whom are We speaking?"
[2016-10-05 14:19:34] <Mare-Do-Well> 3The voice responds, "This is Cottonseed, NCR Special Officer attached as head of Fluttershy's personal guard."
[2016-10-05 14:20:41] <Mare-Do-Well> 3The voice continues, "We have been appraised of a threat to the NCR, and specifically to Fluttershy... I am told in large part due to you and your friends.  Is this not correct?"
[2016-10-05 14:22:36] * Noble_Heart responds in turn. "We have found evidence that the current rulers of Roam, a hive of Changelings, is presently attempting an infiltration mission upon Equestrian soil. One of their spies is, or was, disguised as one Miss Ditzy Doo. We are certain of this, as We have seen the actual Miss Doo within the catacombs beneath Roam. Though she remains presently incarcerated, her
[2016-10-05 14:22:36] * Noble_Heart rescue is upon Our planned actions."
[2016-10-05 14:26:46] <Mare-Do-Well> 3"Thank you.  As a result of your warning, we have put extra security on Fluttershy and other influential voices of the Republic.  In addition, we are employing countermeasures to reveal disguised changelings.  We have already caught the one who intended to replace Fluttershy.  However, we were hoping you might know if we should suspect more than one?"
[2016-10-05 14:27:48] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Cottonseed adds, "I shall pass along the warning about the false Mrs. Doo.  We will make sure to have her in custody before she can do any further harm."
[2016-10-05 14:28:24] <Mare-Do-Well> 3The stallion's voice is one Golden_Dream recognizes.
[2016-10-05 14:31:39] * Noble_Heart contemplates that prospect. "We do not -know- of any additional threats beyond Mrs. Doo. However We also have imperfect information. Our exposure to the changelings here has been limited, and they have certainly been planning their actions against Equestria for some time. But thus far Our knowledge is that their actions directly against Equestria have been limited. Their
[2016-10-05 14:31:40] * Noble_Heart attempts to acquire complete air-control of the Zebra lands have been, at least temporarily, stymied and it may be some time before they are prepared to make a further offense against Equestria itself. We have intent to deal with the problem here to the best of Our ability in the near future, indeed this communication is a part of those attempts."
[2016-10-05 14:36:41] <Mare-Do-Well> 3"Thank you, Miss Heart.  Is there anything more you can tell us?"
[2016-10-05 14:37:13] * Get_Berry ponders "what if... different hives feed on different emotions?" poners a little more "nah"
[2016-10-05 14:38:35] <Mare-Do-Well> 3After a pause, Cottonseed adds, "Also, you should probably be aware that the New Canterlot Republic is in the process of attempting negotiations with Roam.  It is our hope that we can avoid any further aggression."
[2016-10-05 14:38:52] * CopyCat looks at Noble_Heart. "Should we let them know we've made contact with the NCR diplomatic mission? Oh, and maybe mention that the Enclave remnants are helping us?"
[2016-10-05 14:41:17] <Noble_Heart> "We have already made contact with the NCR diplomatic mission being funded by Golden Buckle, yes. We passed them on Our journey back towards Shattered Hoof Ridge. We are hopeful for their success, but do not believe it is likely to play out the way that those responsible might wish it." Noble Heart sighed quietly at that. "As of right now all We can tell you is that this breed of
[2016-10-05 14:41:17] <Noble_Heart> Changelings appear to feed upon the nationalistic love of the Zebras in Roam and the majority of their population appears to be innocent and mislead by their rulers. Merely pawns in the attempt of the Changelings to garner more power."
[2016-10-05 14:41:23] * Get_Berry offers "meh, skip the details, somepony could be spying"
[2016-10-05 14:41:50] * Get_Berry "oooor... tell them"
[2016-10-05 14:42:31] * Bookwright "I don't know what good spying on this conversation would do them."
[2016-10-05 14:44:34] <Mare-Do-Well> 3"Thank you."  Cottonseed considers a moment.  "Is there anything on your end that the N.C.R. can do to help?"
[2016-10-05 14:46:23] * Get_Berry offers "launche half a dozen megaspells on the X?"
[2016-10-05 14:46:54] * Noble_Heart frowns as she contemplates that. "We plead that you show restraint with your prisoners, and with any associated with their actions. Whatever else happens as a result of this, Equestria must not be the monsters the Changelings claim us to be. If we are, there is no hope that we may convince their populace of our righteousness and friendship." She paused a few moments. "We
[2016-10-05 14:46:55] * Noble_Heart would also like to negotiate the potential move of the Dragons into Equestrian soil, as well as give warning that there may soon be numerous Pegasus and Hellhound refugees returning to Equestria in the coming weeks."
[2016-10-05 14:51:04] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Cottonseed sounds shocked.  "Dragons?  How many?"
[2016-10-05 14:53:52] * Noble_Heart contemplates that a few moments. "All of them? From what We have gathered, there are not that many. A few hundred, perhaps? We are uncertain. That is what this communication was initially about. Establishing a line of contact between Watcher and the present ruler of the dragons, Dragon Lord Ember. She wished to discuss the prospect with him before any official action was
[2016-10-05 14:53:53] * Noble_Heart taken by either side."
[2016-10-05 14:59:37] <Mare-Do-Well> 3"A few... *hundred* dragons in Equestria?"  A stunned pause.  Then a worried voice, "What will they eat?"
[2016-10-05 15:01:54] * Noble_Heart sighed quietly. "Dragons largely persist on magical gems and similar substances, to Our understanding. Something Equestria has long had in abundance. They have stopped within Equestria in the past as part of their great migrations, it is merely that they have not migrated in centuries due to the war and subsequent destruction. Thus their current habitations are running low
[2016-10-05 15:01:54] * Noble_Heart on resources and they are seeking a new place to stay for some time." She rubbed her face with a forehoof. "We did not promise them anything, merely that We would attempt to establish communication and try to help broker some form of agreement."
[2016-10-05 15:04:08] * Golden_Dream feels the back of her neck prickle. The haunch between her shoulders stand up on end. The hate swirl in her heart. Her eyes narrowed to pinpricks. "Do y' know of a stallion named White Lightning?" She asked. She was trembling, deeply.
[2016-10-05 15:06:29] <Mare-Do-Well> 3"Okay.... no promises.  That's good.  And we definitely don't want to piss off the dragons."  The voice of Cottonseed is quiet for a while.  Then, shifting to Golden_Dream's question, "That name sounds familiar."
[2016-10-05 15:07:24] <Mare-Do-Well> 3There is a soft voice off-mic, and Cottonseed says, "One moment."
[2016-10-05 15:08:17] * Golden_Dream grits her teeth, bowing her head. She'd never looked this viscerally /angry/ before. "Oh, you trust me, friend. It's gonna sound real familiar when I get back."
[2016-10-05 15:08:54] * Noble_Heart looked down to Golden_Dream in some curiosity and confusion. This was concerning to say the least.
[2016-10-05 15:09:22] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Cottonseed's voice returns.  "Do you have anyone with you who is stilled in alchemy?"
[2016-10-05 15:10:31] * Noble_Heart raised an eyebrow at that. "We have some experience with alchemy, though not a great deal. But none of Our companions are Zebras if that is what you mean."
[2016-10-05 15:12:38] * Golden_Dream has to /leave the room, because she's so utterly upset that she's starting to feel faint/.
[2016-10-05 15:16:50] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Cottonseed speaks to someone off-mic, then says, "We do have something I can offer, if you have a way of making use of it."
[2016-10-05 15:17:01] * CopyCat pipes up, "Some members of our crew may have alchemy knowledge."
[2016-10-05 15:18:57] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Cottonseed explains, "There is an old zebra recipe for a magical body paint.  When painted on a person, the oil will reveal if they are a changeling in disguise."  He adds, "It is how we caught the changeling who intended to replace Fluttershy."
[2016-10-05 15:20:36] <Mare-Do-Well> 3"We could try to fly some samples to you, but that would take several days.  And the flight through Shattered Hoof Ridge is a hazardous one.  We wouldn't want to lose griffins in the attempt.  It would be easier if we could just send you the recipe and you had someone who could make it on-site."
[2016-10-05 15:21:29] * Noble_Heart lets out a quiet 'hrm'. "We will see what can be arranged. We have had contact with some of the Zebras beyond the border. WIth luck we may be able to get their help producing some. Thank you."
[2016-10-05 15:21:37] * Mitzi follows her nose as best she can, looking for where the pegasus ponies congrgated to eat. She was beginning to feel discouraged seeking conversation partners, but perhaps a place with a large number of ponies together at once might have better odds.
[2016-10-05 15:22:32] <Mitzi> [Redact]
[2016-10-05 15:23:50] <Mare-Do-Well> 3"Copy that.  I'll be back in touch with you within the hour with that recipe.  Cottonseed, out."
[2016-10-05 15:24:47] <Mare-Do-Well> 3There is a hiss.  Then Gretchen returns.  "Hello!  It's Gretchen again.  I'm still trying to get ahold of Watcher.  This... might take a while.  Is this station continuously manned on your end?"
[2016-10-05 15:27:45] * Golden_Dream paces around outside, eventually ramming her head against the wall and /screaming her lungs out/. GOD DAMN IT, COTTONSEED DOES NOT GET TO FORGET WHAT RUINED HER LIFE.
[2016-10-05 15:29:11] * Noble_Heart frowns. "We can arrange to wait for your time if necessary, yes. Though We are uncertain how long we will be remaining here precisely. Likely another day or two." She flattens her ears at the distant shouting. Her eye twitched slightly as she looked towards CopyCat, "Can you take this call? We need to deal with something else important." She offered the microphone to CopyCat
[2016-10-05 15:29:11] * Noble_Heart and moved towards the door.
[2016-10-05 15:31:25] <Mare-Do-Well> 3...
[2016-10-05 15:32:59] * CopyCat nods, taking the microphone and trying to strike up a conversation like a teenager shooting the breeze with a friend. She's quite capable of doing so even if the other side of the call becomes a stunned silence.
[2016-10-05 15:33:01] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Back at the city of Lunar Rising: Mitzi, Get Lost (Get_Berry), Shatara and Bookwright find themselves in an area called the Soko.
[2016-10-05 15:36:05] <Mare-Do-Well> 3The Soko was once a hanger bay, one of several aboard the Thunderhead.  But most of the sky-tanks, bomber wagons and other vehicles that had once called the hanger home were destroyed in the pegasus civil war.  Those that remain have been consolidated into the other hangers.  The Soko has been reinvented as the city's central marketplace.
[2016-10-05 15:39:00] * Mitzi towers above the ponies as she walks though the (relatively) crowded marketplace. She has taken to trimming her claws a little in an attempt to appear less threatening, although them being slightly shorter didn't really make them any less sharp.
[2016-10-05 15:39:40] * Get_Lost is taking a look around, probably in a pause during the fixing work. also, in a crowded place nopony will notice her talk to her ghost friend. "so, rainbow... what about that ride?"
[2016-10-05 15:40:03] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Scaffolding which once held armament racks or repair stations now stand in as shelves, load-bearing structures, or walls for neon signs for a maze of stalls and shops.  Collected cargo containers create enclosed storage rooms.  Cobbled piping and wiring hang from the ceiling, providing water and electricity.
[2016-10-05 15:40:29] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Placards advertise goods at prices set in quarter or half-rations.
[2016-10-05 15:41:58] * Bookwright sees a vast quantity of things he can't afford to barter for. He sighs as he takes it all in. "We have to take Golden Dream to see this place. She could probably trade us up a tank from one red paperclip in under an hour."
[2016-10-05 15:42:12] <Mare-Do-Well> 3The vast majority of the city's resources are strained, and what exists is communally shared under the orders of the General's Council.  But ponies still find wares to sell.
[2016-10-05 15:45:42] <Mare-Do-Well> 3To Bookwright's left, a pegasus mare with a paint brush cutie mark is selling her art from a stall made mostly of tattered yellow cloth and clouds.  To Mitzi's right, two brothers offer bins of scrap electronics scavenged from the massive ruins of the fallen S.P.P. tower.
[2016-10-05 15:47:13] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Ahead, warmth and seductive smells come from a cargo-container-turned-kitchen, where a family of pegasi sell cooked cat meat, apparently breeding the offspring of the previous generation's pets.  It is the only indication of animals they have seen.
[2016-10-05 15:48:27] * Mitzi blinks, having never smelled cat before. She lumbers over, curious.
[2016-10-05 15:50:56] <Mare-Do-Well> 3The pegasus at the counter cringes back from the hellhound and looks about in near panic.  The cook behind her turns to ask a question and eeks!
[2016-10-05 15:51:12] * Bookwright follows the gravitational pull of Mitzi's lumbering form. Also, the crowd disappears at her arm's length, so it's just easier to walk the same direction.
[2016-10-05 15:51:41] * Get_Lost also follows mitzi, but is not really focusing on her surroundings
[2016-10-05 15:52:04] * Mitzi sniffs the air, then pulls out a few of those tab things she'd been given. She points to the cooking cat meat. "Wut eez dat und how much?"
[2016-10-05 15:53:34] * Get_Lost has an idea! looks for some decent looking pony decorations: a hat, a jewel, something not too pricey, she wants to make a present!
[2016-10-05 15:54:27] <Mare-Do-Well> 3The mare stares, dumbfounded a moment.  The cook blinks.  "Sonica's giving her pets food chits now?" he whispers.
[2016-10-05 15:55:35] * Bookwright "Mitzi, please don't eviscerate the cook."
[2016-10-05 15:56:34] * Mitzi frowns. "Uh can see Ur wurk eez goeen tu be cut out fur me." She looks back to the server. "Uh'm my own hound tank yu, und Uh'm hungry, so please tell me wut dat eez yur cooking." She then adds. "Eet does smell gud."
[2016-10-05 15:56:45] <Mare-Do-Well> 3The counter mare stammers, "C-cat.  It's cat.  Tastiest you'll find anywhere in Lunar Rising, guaranteed!"  As she speaks, she seems to get back some confidence.  But she still looks pale.  "A quarter meal chit for two kitten legs.  A full meal chit for half a cat."
[2016-10-05 15:58:02] <Mare-Do-Well> 3The prices equate to notably less food, but the meals from the mess hall don't include any sort of meat.
[2016-10-05 15:58:25] * Bookwright "The last time I had roof rabbit it didn't agree with me. I think I'll pass."
[2016-10-05 15:59:59] * Mitzi nods. "Ponee fud eez too light most uv da time, Uh cud use sumteen more substantial." She was a big girl with a big appetite, so she passes four of the quarter chits over. She has to take a moment to count it out in her head though. Four of One Fourth equals one full.
[2016-10-05 16:00:52] * Get_Lost "i'm not really okay with eathing pets, but i understand the desperation... i just am not that desperate... yet..." sighs "maye things are changing for the better in the ear future, so... hang on"
[2016-10-05 16:01:14] * Get_Lost then goes on looking for a pretty gift for sonica
[2016-10-05 16:03:32] * Mitzi looks to Get_Lost, "Cats eez ponee pet?"
[2016-10-05 16:05:16] * Get_Lost "apparently, depends on how desperate you are... dogs are per too, to ponies? see the irony? we could be eating you, in a different place and time. so... uhm... don't think too much about it"
[2016-10-05 16:08:24] <Mare-Do-Well> 3The counter pony takes the chits, then turns to the cooked meats rack, were two full cats are turning on spits under a thermal unit.  She retrieves one of them, putting it on a tray, and wings it over to Mitzi.  "You do have to return the tray," she notes.  "Name please?"
[2016-10-05 16:08:46] * Bookwright wasn't, but then Get_Lost started talking about it and a look of increasing horror is is crossing his face.
[2016-10-05 16:09:24] * Mitzi nods. "Mitzi. Eet means beloved daughter, in ur langage. Wut's yurs?" It wasn't exactly subtle, but noting that the Hellhounds had a language and meanings might start to steer things in the right direction.
[2016-10-05 16:10:28] * Get_Lost tries again to go hunting for a decent-looking gift for a mare
[2016-10-05 16:10:51] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Looking somewhere other than at the cooked cats, Bookwright spots a popular trading counter where the younger brother of one of the engineers that they have been working with is selling booze brought in from the engineering still.
[2016-10-05 16:12:13] * Bookwright strides up. "A familiar face! I did wonder if /all/ of the alcohol was reserved for medical use."
[2016-10-05 16:15:55] <Mare-Do-Well> 3There are a few businesses that appear particularly popular, and it is little surprise that The Still is one of them.  Other popular vendors include the Water Merchants and a stall called Crystal Goods which is run by the group's neighbors from the Crystal Empire.
[2016-10-05 16:17:15] <Mare-Do-Well> 3In contrast to the other vendors who sell scraps of salvage or personal crafts, these stores offer an actual array of items -- imports from Equestria and the Crystal Empire respectively.
[2016-10-05 16:17:30] * Get_Lost ponders aloud "i could make a little fortune if i opened a medical shop here... the only problem is that medical care should come for free...."
[2016-10-05 16:18:38] * Bookwright "You could offer elective surgery, electric surgery, and prostheses?"
[2016-10-05 16:19:01] * Get_Lost then goes looking for some crafted nice item. something sweet "nah, i have battlestation surgery to perform today"
[2016-10-05 16:19:30] * Mitzi takes the half-cat and sniffs at it again. Not wanting to be rude, she takes the tray towards a seating area to eat.
[2016-10-05 16:23:36] <Mare-Do-Well> 3The engineer's little brother gives a wave.  Over the last several days, Get_Lost, Bookwright and Shatara have been able to make major headway in their efforts to restore flight to Lunar Rising.  And in the process, they have come to know the engineers on the West Engineering team, as well as some of their families.
[2016-10-05 16:29:08] * Bookwright "So... Do you take caps? Because I could do with a little liquor."
[2016-10-05 16:30:25] * Mitzi seats herself gingerly, not wanting to break the seat, and takes care as she starts to eat. She glances around to gauge the reactions of other pegasi. Thus far she was disappointed; Wind Weaver's assessment of many of them seeing her kind as little more than animals seemed accurate.
[2016-10-05 16:32:29] * CopyCat , at the radio station, sneezes as Mitzi takes her first bite.
[2016-10-05 16:33:17] <Mare-Do-Well> 3The engineer's brother shakes his head.  "But for you, I have a tall cup for free."  He smiles to Bookwright.  "How is it going?"
[2016-10-05 16:35:10] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Mitzi discovers that cat is a truly sweet and delicious meat!
[2016-10-05 16:35:56] * Mitzi gives a contented rumbling noise as she enjoys her meal. It was the most pleasant thing she'd encountered here thus far.
[2016-10-05 16:36:10] * Mitzi also tries not to drool too much
[2016-10-05 16:36:22] * Bookwright "Slowly, but surely. We don't really have time to do a proper job of it, so I'm writing a dead simple command set for the maneframes that should be easy for you folks to learn and use. It won't be nearly as good as the original design, but you'll be able to make your own simple instruction sets for automated flight, basic air defense, whatever."
[2016-10-05 16:36:44] * Get_Lost in the meantime tries to get shatara's and Bookwright attention "so guys. i'd like to make the fortress fly on a minimum operativity, then make it crash in a place where the pegasi could build a better settlement and then move on on whatever our schedule is"
[2016-10-05 16:38:56] * Bookwright takes his freebie and sips. "Mmm, goes down like batter acid. Thanks!" He then joins Get_Lost and Shatara.
[2016-10-05 16:39:55] * Bookwright "I... I don't want to do that. I want to leave this ship in flying condition. If we crash it, we're going to look really bad. And we need the help of these Enclave ponies."
[2016-10-05 16:40:15] * Get_Lost "see? i don't want the pegasi to kill anyone, not even themselves, giving them something that can move AND make a massacre. we could land the thing, then restore the weapons disabling the engine and tell them that only one thing can work at the same time?"
[2016-10-05 16:42:00] * Get_Lost "i don't think we need the help of the pegasi. i don't even think that we want it. we should infiltrate roam and act on our own like a covert squad, or something like that. surgically. the enclave would transform the whole thing into a lot of graves to be dug on both sides"
[2016-10-05 16:46:06] * Get_Lost "shatara? what do you think?"
[2016-10-05 16:46:56] * Bookwright covers a frown (poorly) with a sip of /extremely/ alcoholic alcohol. "I... I don't know."
[2016-10-05 16:48:09] * Get_Lost nods to bookie and waits for him to say something more, or to shatara to say something at all
[2016-10-05 16:49:59] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Wind Weaver is working her way through the Soko when she spots a contented-looking Mitzi and her friends.  With a few flaps of her wings, she moves to join them.
[2016-10-05 16:51:19] <Mare-Do-Well> 3"Mitzi," she says as she lands next to her hellhound friend.  "The General's Council has made a decision.  It's... good I think.  But there are parts you probably won't like."  She grimaces a little, then smiles.  "Still, it's probably the best we could hope for."
[2016-10-05 16:54:04] * Mitzi smiles and waves Wind Weaver over. She takes another bite out of her cat. "Uh've seen how tings are here. Dere best had bettur be gud enuff, or eet will wll make my wurk very hard. Uh did not come here tu negotiate, Uh came here to accept an admission uv guilt und start returning Ur kind tu dere rightful homes."
[2016-10-05 16:56:09] * Get_Lost since wind arrive, get drops the topic, but adds to bookie "in both cases, i want to hire a trusty pilot. i'm still trying to contact her"
[2016-10-05 16:56:34] * Mitzi sets her food down. "But befur dat, Uh shud probably explain more about dat." She points to the pawprint she left on Wind Weaver. "Uh kinda did eet een haste."
[2016-10-05 17:01:51] * Shatara is mostly trying not to think about the crowds and meals that he's a bit too genetically related to
[2016-10-05 17:03:18] * Bookwright "Er... Who?"
[2016-10-05 17:03:36] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Wind Weaver frowns.  "Well, I think you're getting that.  They're shutting down the program with an official statement rejecting it on strategic and ethical grounds.  General Debate is going to frame it as the sins of the previous Council."
[2016-10-05 17:04:46] * Mitzi nods. "Sins uv dere fathers. Uh cud make dat wurk Uh tink."
[2016-10-05 17:04:49] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Wind Weaver continues, "According to the statement, the deceased Generals of the previous Council started the program, and they have ended it."
[2016-10-05 17:05:09] * Get_Lost "ah... you know, that friend of us, the blue one... pale... looks like a ghost?"
[2016-10-05 17:05:35] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Wind Weaver looks at Mitzi's half-eaten cat and smiles.  "Those are good, aren't they.  Happy you found food here you like."
[2016-10-05 17:05:39] * Bookwright "Eh... Okay... how would that work, exactly? And for how long?"
[2016-10-05 17:06:41] * Shatara fidgets uncomfortably
[2016-10-05 17:07:00] * Mitzi chuckles and nods. "Uh'm surprised, but pleasantly so. Dis eez quite possibly da best ting Uh've tasted een a long while. Gud fud like dis might even help improve hellhound attitudes."
[2016-10-05 17:07:25] <Mare-Do-Well> 3"Anyway," she continues, "General Blockade pushed for expedition of the shutdown, insisting that if Lunar's Rising is going to travel, they shouldn't take any of the hellhounds with them.  So they are going to release all of them at once."
[2016-10-05 17:08:07] <Mare-Do-Well> 3"When the ship takes off, the hellhounds stay here, and their cages will be opened by remote signal," Wind Weaver explains.
[2016-10-05 17:09:09] * Get_Lost "she can... you know... she fits like a glove... and once she is in, she can... do like she's at home and... operate the commands throu that"
[2016-10-05 17:09:31] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Wind Weaver pauses, cocking her head.  "Hey, maybe you should see if you can buy some live cats.  Take them back to your home as breeding stock?"
[2016-10-05 17:09:33] * Get_Lost "it will work as long as needed to take the thing in a better place. the time we need to"
[2016-10-05 17:10:21] * Mitzi nods. "Dat eez a time saver." She frowns. "Uh will need tu see about gettin dem home." She rubs her chin with a paw. "Although addresseen dem all at unce wud be easier eef Uh have a bigger place." She then looks to Wind Weaver, "Yu said dere was two more on yur flyeen boat/. Dey bein left here also?"
[2016-10-05 17:10:53] * Get_Lost in the meantime, slips out a little, so she can speak a little more freely
[2016-10-05 17:11:12] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Wind Weaver nods.  "Doctor Sonica isn't happy about that, let me tell you."
[2016-10-05 17:11:33] <Mare-Do-Well> 3She then looks askance for a moment.  "There's something else though."
[2016-10-05 17:12:08] * Mitzi nods. "Gud. Despised un deserves tu feel shame und rejection." She tilts her head. "Wut ting?"
[2016-10-05 17:13:43] * Get_Lost once distant enough, lowers her voice and explains to batbirb and historian pone "she will possess me and operate the ship. she is the damn ministry and a pegasus and she is element of loyalty: she will decide where to take the ship and what to do with it. i thrust her judgement more than anypony else. these are her ponies, she should know what is better for them"
[2016-10-05 17:13:50] <Mare-Do-Well> 3"They don't trust that the hellhounds won't come after them and try to take revenge," Wind Weaver admits.  "Even General Debate isn't really convinced you can keep them from doing that... or that you really want to.  That's part of why they are leaving the hellhounds behind when the Thunderhead takes flight."
[2016-10-05 17:15:18] <Mare-Do-Well> 3"I don't think they are planning to come back here," she says.  "And they don't want to let the hellhounds know where we've gone.  Forget forging friendly relations; they don't even want you to know where they are."
[2016-10-05 17:16:00] * Mitzi nods. "Dey fear us, und rightly so. We eez skilled warriors, und many uv dem signed dere own death marks fur wut was dun to us. Uh personally wud not feel any shame eef Uh were tu kill Sonica. Uh admit Uh wuz hopeen tu make dem mark her as a criminal, not pawn eet off on dere predecessors."
[2016-10-05 17:18:32] * Get_Lost waits for a reply from her golleagues
[2016-10-05 17:18:39] <Get_Lost> *colleagues
[2016-10-05 17:18:50] <Mare-Do-Well> 3"But they don't expect it would take too long for really determined hellhounds to find them.  So they have tasked Doctor Sonica with altering the 'leash' control implants.  They got a bunch of sonic pylons from the Crystal Empire and they plan to make a fence.  If any hellhound gets close enough, the leash implant will kill them."
[2016-10-05 17:20:28] <Mare-Do-Well> 3"Doctor Sonica says she can make that work, and is very confident that the implants are tamper-proof.  Even a skilled cybersurgeon would probably set them off if she tried to remove them, much less digging it out of their heads with your claws."
[2016-10-05 17:21:15] * Mitzi frowns. "Uh suspect Uh can get dose impants out wit da help uv da Followers een time, but dese precautions will only make eet harder tu convince Ur kind not to persue justice as we see eet."
[2016-10-05 17:22:48] * Get_Lost "or... we could make the whole thing partially operative again and leave the decisions to the generals... may i add that i think that they took poor decisions so far?"
[2016-10-05 17:23:11] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Wind Weaver frowns.  Then puts a hoof on Mitzi.  "I believe in you.  If anyone can keep the hellhounds from pursuing violence and war, then it's you, Mitzi."  She smiles.  "That's why you deserve to be an Alpha."
[2016-10-05 17:23:36] * Bookwright "They probably see it more as insurance that your released brethren don't just find them and slaughter them. I agree it's not ideal, but it's workable. Live and let live is how the world runs, with one notable exception two hundred years ago."
[2016-10-05 17:24:51] * Mitzi notes, "Dere eez also dat dose without implants will not be deterred, und cud follow in spite uv dat. Dis fence ting eez a mistake, und Uh wud ask yu tu try und make dat clear tu yur Alphas. As fur leaveen dem alone, dat wud be agreeable, but only fur short term."
[2016-10-05 17:27:26] * Mitzi adds. "Eef we du not know where dey eez putteen dis fence, den we might hit eet without knowing, und da reason wud become clear why a hound suddenly died from nutheen."
[2016-10-05 17:27:57] * Mitzi adds, with a frown, "Und dat wud be no less murder den eef dey put all uv dem down demselves now."
[2016-10-05 17:33:59] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Wind Weaver sighs and stands up.  "There will never be peace if you keep threatening us, Mitzi.  You have to decide what you want, and what you will guide your people towards.  Justice, or peace?  Because you can't have both."
[2016-10-05 17:34:15] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Turning away, she huffs, "The Generals have a right to protect us from you, especially since you keep making it clear that you will rip us to shreds the first chance you get."
[2016-10-05 17:34:58] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Her breath hitches.  "What they did to you was WRONG.  But your... your attitude is not helping."
[2016-10-05 17:35:36] * Get_Lost turns towards the pegasus when her voice changes "uh?"
[2016-10-05 17:35:40] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Wind Weaver spreads her wings and flies off across the Soko.  Mitzi's keen ears can hear a sob.
[2016-10-05 17:36:00] * Mitzi sighs and shakes her head. "Uh have made no threats tu yu. Uh am only speakeen uv wut ur kind believes. Yur kind walls demselves off und makes defenses against threats dat dey invent in dere heads, und den by makeen dose threats real by-" she frowns as the pegasus flies off.
[2016-10-05 17:36:02] * Get_Lost "i wasa bit... focused elsewhere, what did i just miss?"
[2016-10-05 17:39:04] * Get_Lost listent to mitzi's half-reply to wind, is even more confused "are things going south?"
[2016-10-05 17:40:54] * Mitzi sighs and shakes her head. "Uh upset her... but Uh wuz only tryeen tu make her see dat her alphas wuz goeen tu make another mistake. Dey want tu shut demselves off frum everyun else, und while Uh can understand wanteen tu be left alone, dey eez da uns who made us a threat. Uh hav dun everyteen tryeen tu make dem du wut dey must to have peace, but dey seem tu tink we eez da uns who eez dangerous."
[2016-10-05 17:41:38] * Mitzi notes, "We are warriors, und we are dangerous tu Ur enemies, but dey eez da uns who keep brandeen us as dere enemies."
[2016-10-05 17:42:26] * Mitzi shakes her head and sets it in her paws. "Uh du not want to be dere enemies, but she tinks Uh'm threateneen her. Wut did Uh say dat was threat?"
[2016-10-05 17:43:28] * Get_Lost nods "everypony tends to see things her way, in the end... probably they are scared and misunderstad your words... also, i'm afraid that they see a lot of sutext that there isn't? inter-species diplomacy is... hard"
[2016-10-05 17:44:06] <Mare-Do-Well> 3...
[2016-10-05 17:44:17] <Mare-Do-Well> 3Final Echo communications center...
[2016-10-05 17:45:41] <Mare-Do-Well> 3CopyCat is monitoring the system, which has been silent for over an hour, when the voice of Cadence suddenly comes from the speakers.  "Hello?  Are the ponies of Crimson's Caravans available on this channel?"
[2016-10-05 17:46:16] * Mitzi nods and leans back, munching her cat as she thinks. She knew ponies didn't understand their ways but... had she been so focused on her kind's welfare that she had forgotten about trying to understand theirs?
[2016-10-05 17:50:44] * CopyCat humming jaunty tunes to herself as the radio suddenly chatters back to her. "Oh! Yes! Hello Doctor Amore, you are speaking with CopyCat right now and I shall call the others to join. How are you? Are you eating well? How did your date go? You simply must tell me all the latest gossip."
[2016-10-05 17:52:32] * CopyCat sends a quick mental message to Noble_Heart and Golden_Dream. ['There's activity on the radio. Doctor Amore is looking to speak with us.']
[2016-10-05 17:52:53] * Get_Lost "also, if we give them something else to think about for a while.. like, i dont' know... rebuilding a settlement, i'm pretty sure that it will give a decent setback to their other plans"
[2016-10-05 17:53:45] * Get_Lost "bookie, so: since birdcat here doesn't want to put his two cents is up to you and me. what. do. we. do?"
[2016-10-05 17:54:12] * Noble_Heart had spent the last hour doing her best to calm and comfort Golden Dream. With hugs, some kind words and some perhaps not entirely appreciated sarcasm at times. Doing her best to help her friend at least reach a point where 'bash head against wall while swearing' didn't seem like the ideal course of action. "It seems that there is a new conversation to be had. Shall we go
[2016-10-05 17:54:12] * Noble_Heart back inside where it's not so cold and hear what there is to hear?"
[2016-10-05 17:54:36] <Mare-Do-Well> 3"CopyCat!  You sound well.  It is so good to hear your voice," Doctor Amore responds.  "I heard your group was in Lunar Rising.  Is everypony all right?  And griffin... you had a griffin, I remember."
[2016-10-05 17:54:52] * Golden_Dream has been quiet for the last few... Well, while. She just trembled. Her eyes were shaking, and it hard to tell if she was terrified or furious.  "Yeah. Yeah." Her tone was low and hoarse.
[2016-10-05 17:54:57] <Mare-Do-Well> 3"Oh, and did Pink-E and your hellhound friend ever find you?"
[2016-10-05 17:56:12] * Noble_Heart gently placed a wing over Golden Dream, leading the smaller pony back inside to find out what was being talked about.
[2016-10-05 17:56:27] * Bookwright "I... I want them to be able to fly the ship. Eventually. I guess if Ar-Bee-Dee is the pilot and we can convince her to conspire with us to disable the ship after moving it to a place more suitable for living... But not permanently disable. I could get behind that kind of plan."
[2016-10-05 17:58:05] * Get_Lost "okay bookie. we land it and turn engines off and weapons on, but we try not to break anything. if you approve, then we ask RD her help"
[2016-10-05 18:01:09] * Bookwright "That's acceptable."
[2016-10-05 18:01:21] * Get_Lost nodnods
[2016-10-05 18:01:37] * Shatara doesn't really like the idea of breaking the ships wings.
[2016-10-05 18:02:03] * CopyCat smiles at the radio equipment as she replies, "We are all doing fine, thank you asking. Pink-E brought Mitzi back to us, and Mitzi has managed to negotiate with the Enclave high council to get the hellhounds in captivity released! We're all very proud of her... and I'm more than a little in awe."
[2016-10-05 18:03:53] * CopyCat nods to her two friends as they rejoin her in the station. "Golden_Dream and Noble_Heart are here too."
[2016-10-05 18:04:13] * Get_Lost reassures Shatara that nothing will be proken, at least not intentionally
[2016-10-05 18:05:06] <Mare-Do-Well> 3"That's great to hear!  My subjects really miss Pink-E here.  Especially Sweet-E.  And I'll bet Mitzi's dogs miss her too.  I'm happy you are all safe.  You should really visit again sometime.  We owe you... everything."
[2016-10-05 18:05:54] <Mare-Do-Well> 3"So, you really went to the zebra lands and back?  How was it?  Tell me everything!"
[2016-10-05 18:06:00] <Mare-Do-Well> 3--- End of Session ---