Quotes in My Brave Pony: Starfleet Nemesis:
Brain: The purpose of Project Sentinel is nothing more than the purpose of the Research Division as a whole: to project United Equestria from the challenges of a hostile dimensional universe.
Twilight: If the universe were truly dimensional then it would no longer be a universe. Uni meaning one, so multiple dimensions would necessitate a multiverse.
Twilight: If the universe were truly dimensional then it would no longer be a universe. Uni meaning one, so multiple dimensions would necessitate a multiverse.
“Spare me, my lord,” Celestia said sharply. “Spare me your justifications, spare me your fabrications. Be honest with me, if for the first time, and tell me why.”
“Why?” the Grand Ruler replied. “Better, surely, to ask why not? They are officers all, commissioned by myself, commissions that they sought with eagerness once. Why should they not, then, serve as officers? Would you have Applejack be spared to stay behind while other good ponies go off to war because she is your friend?”
He thought that he would have her for sure with that argument, but unfortunately his hopes were misplaced as Celestia answered him in a voice that echoed across the throne room. “I would sooner that no good ponies, nor any bad ones for that matter, should have to go to war for any cause. And what is our cause? What has Rangiveria done to anger us? Why are we sending young ponies out by the battalion to destroy the home of a people who have done us no wrong?”
“Our cause is just!” the Grand Ruler shouted.
“I hope so, for your sake, for if it is not just it will be a black thing for the monarch who led so many to a cruel fate to answer for the ends they met in an unjust cause,” Celestia said.
“I am no more responsible for the deaths of my soldiers than a father is responsible for the misfortunes of his children!” the Grand Ruler yelled, his face turning red as he leaned forward, while his hands gripped the arms of his throne so tight that it was painful to him.
Celestia’s gaze was still full of anger, but now even worse there was a hint of pity in it also. “I suspect that you do not believe a word of that.”
“Why?” the Grand Ruler replied. “Better, surely, to ask why not? They are officers all, commissioned by myself, commissions that they sought with eagerness once. Why should they not, then, serve as officers? Would you have Applejack be spared to stay behind while other good ponies go off to war because she is your friend?”
He thought that he would have her for sure with that argument, but unfortunately his hopes were misplaced as Celestia answered him in a voice that echoed across the throne room. “I would sooner that no good ponies, nor any bad ones for that matter, should have to go to war for any cause. And what is our cause? What has Rangiveria done to anger us? Why are we sending young ponies out by the battalion to destroy the home of a people who have done us no wrong?”
“Our cause is just!” the Grand Ruler shouted.
“I hope so, for your sake, for if it is not just it will be a black thing for the monarch who led so many to a cruel fate to answer for the ends they met in an unjust cause,” Celestia said.
“I am no more responsible for the deaths of my soldiers than a father is responsible for the misfortunes of his children!” the Grand Ruler yelled, his face turning red as he leaned forward, while his hands gripped the arms of his throne so tight that it was painful to him.
Celestia’s gaze was still full of anger, but now even worse there was a hint of pity in it also. “I suspect that you do not believe a word of that.”
Buddy shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not going to dinner with the lovebirds, but it's been a while since I saw Ilia so I figured I'd tag along for cocktails. I was hoping Artie could be my wingpony if I saw anything worth taking a shot at." Buddy looked towards the bar, where the enlisted personnel pursuing the white unicorn were now dealing with two other unicorns, one mint green and the other fluoride blue, who flanked the white like bodyguards. "I think I've seen that green one around New Ponyville. Cute, but I think she's a deviant; can't prove it, though.
"Don't you basically live with Applejack?" Lightning asked.
"I live on her property," Buddy corrected. "Can you imagine what it would be like trying to date her? 'Well good golly gosh I ain’t been so ridden so cow-tuckering hard since my cousin Goober and I was con-footling around in the barn one hootenanny.' I tell you, imagine Lightning, if I didn't have my own space I'd have to cut my ears off at that accent."
Lightning was barely aware of his hand clenching into a fist. "I don't think that's very funny, Major."
"Don't you basically live with Applejack?" Lightning asked.
"I live on her property," Buddy corrected. "Can you imagine what it would be like trying to date her? 'Well good golly gosh I ain’t been so ridden so cow-tuckering hard since my cousin Goober and I was con-footling around in the barn one hootenanny.' I tell you, imagine Lightning, if I didn't have my own space I'd have to cut my ears off at that accent."
Lightning was barely aware of his hand clenching into a fist. "I don't think that's very funny, Major."
She still wasn’t sure exactly why they had fought that war. She didn’t know what the Crystallites had really done to them. All she knew was that at time she’d believed all the stories about the monstrous, egotistical crystallites: how they used their beauty to seduce the minds of lesser creatures, how they stole gold and jewels and hoarded them for themselves, how they took over worlds to pillage of all their wealth. Like so many others, like all the young space ponies who had eagerly enlisted to fight this terrible menace, she’d been eager to get out there and do her part to keep the galaxy safe.
She’d been cock-a-whoop when the orders came for the Wonder Girls to ship out for Jemanite and take the fight directly to the Crystallites on their home planet. Dreams of glory had filled her every waking hour, and even intruded upon her sleep aboard the troop transport for good measure. She imagined wielding the purging fire of the uniforce against hordes of ravenous monsters bent on destruction and domination.
What she’d gotten was turning her uniforce upon defenceless villages, burning them to the ground while all around her Starfleet deployed its most powerful weapons against enemies who could hardly fight back, hammering them from the skies with their warships, burning a swathe across the planet as their fleet and armies converged upon the crystallite capital.
And she’d kept on doing it. Even though it made her sick, even though her dreams of glory had turned to nightmares that tormented her whenever she closed her eyes, even though she knew, she knew in her bones that what they were doing was wrong she had kept on doing it. Because she was a good soldier. Because duty, valour, sacrifice.
She didn’t even have the guts to ask the Grand Ruler to his face why they had to kill absolutely everybody in order to win the war. She’d just helped him to do it.
Gods forgive her.
She’d been cock-a-whoop when the orders came for the Wonder Girls to ship out for Jemanite and take the fight directly to the Crystallites on their home planet. Dreams of glory had filled her every waking hour, and even intruded upon her sleep aboard the troop transport for good measure. She imagined wielding the purging fire of the uniforce against hordes of ravenous monsters bent on destruction and domination.
What she’d gotten was turning her uniforce upon defenceless villages, burning them to the ground while all around her Starfleet deployed its most powerful weapons against enemies who could hardly fight back, hammering them from the skies with their warships, burning a swathe across the planet as their fleet and armies converged upon the crystallite capital.
And she’d kept on doing it. Even though it made her sick, even though her dreams of glory had turned to nightmares that tormented her whenever she closed her eyes, even though she knew, she knew in her bones that what they were doing was wrong she had kept on doing it. Because she was a good soldier. Because duty, valour, sacrifice.
She didn’t even have the guts to ask the Grand Ruler to his face why they had to kill absolutely everybody in order to win the war. She’d just helped him to do it.
Gods forgive her.
“Pull all guards out of sectors Red Delta and Orange Tango, and focus deployment around Blue Bravo and Blue Alpha, the main approaches to the inner sanctum.”
“But there’s nobody in the throne room right now-“
“Of course not, these cowards wouldn’t dare strike when His Majesty was present, but they may look to secure some sort of propaganda victory in his absence,” Cerise said, making it up as she went along but doing so pretty convincingly in her own opinion. “Besides, there’s nothing of value in Red Delta is there?”
“No, ma’am, there’s just Millstone and I can’t imagine even seditionists being interested in her. I’ll issue the orders now.”
“Good boy,” Cerise murmured. That should clear the path for Sunset Shimmer to get as far as Leilani’s (code-name Millstone amongst the guards) room in Red Delta section, and then from there they would have to go down again, through Orange Tango and then they should be able to cut through Orange X-ray before heading down another level to Green Charlie. “Now, aside from Blue floor the obvious place for some kind of propaganda effort would be His Majesty’s own chamber in Black Lima, so pull anyone you have in Green Charlie out redeploy them there.”
“But…if I pull the guards out from Green Charlie won’t that leave Waifu unprotected?”
“I’m sure the Queen will be perfectly safe, these primitives worship her after all.”
“I suppose so, Major, okay. I’ll issue the orders.”
Sunset’s voice came over the earpiece, dripping with acid. “Waifu. Princess Celestia’s code-name, Princess Celestia, is Waifu?”
“Everyone has a code name assigned to them by the guards if they spend enough time in the palace,” Cerise said.
“I know but waifu? I mean come on! Seriously, you people.”
“Do you want to know what you’re[sic] code-name is,” Cerise asked.
“I don’t know, do I?”
“Turbulence.”
“Huh. That’s actually pretty cool.”
“It’s not supposed to be a compliment.”
“But there’s nobody in the throne room right now-“
“Of course not, these cowards wouldn’t dare strike when His Majesty was present, but they may look to secure some sort of propaganda victory in his absence,” Cerise said, making it up as she went along but doing so pretty convincingly in her own opinion. “Besides, there’s nothing of value in Red Delta is there?”
“No, ma’am, there’s just Millstone and I can’t imagine even seditionists being interested in her. I’ll issue the orders now.”
“Good boy,” Cerise murmured. That should clear the path for Sunset Shimmer to get as far as Leilani’s (code-name Millstone amongst the guards) room in Red Delta section, and then from there they would have to go down again, through Orange Tango and then they should be able to cut through Orange X-ray before heading down another level to Green Charlie. “Now, aside from Blue floor the obvious place for some kind of propaganda effort would be His Majesty’s own chamber in Black Lima, so pull anyone you have in Green Charlie out redeploy them there.”
“But…if I pull the guards out from Green Charlie won’t that leave Waifu unprotected?”
“I’m sure the Queen will be perfectly safe, these primitives worship her after all.”
“I suppose so, Major, okay. I’ll issue the orders.”
Sunset’s voice came over the earpiece, dripping with acid. “Waifu. Princess Celestia’s code-name, Princess Celestia, is Waifu?”
“Everyone has a code name assigned to them by the guards if they spend enough time in the palace,” Cerise said.
“I know but waifu? I mean come on! Seriously, you people.”
“Do you want to know what you’re[sic] code-name is,” Cerise asked.
“I don’t know, do I?”
“Turbulence.”
“Huh. That’s actually pretty cool.”
“It’s not supposed to be a compliment.”
—By Luna's Light: Cerise Wonder
Lightning closed his eyes for a moment. “Starla…Starla, I have wronged you, and for that I’m sorry-“
“I don’t want your apology, I want my husband back!” Starla yelled, spittle flying out of her mouth. “I wanted the golden hero that I fell in love with, I want the warrior, I want the pony of unbridled strength who won my heart with his deeds of valour and unfaltering sense of duty.”
“Things change, Starla,” Lightning murmured.
“Why?” Starla demanded. “Why do they? Why must they? Why can’t things stay the way they are, if things are good? Or go back to the way they were when they were good? Why must things change when that change is for the worse?”
“Because the stallion that you loved is just a memory now,” Lightning said.
“I don’t want your apology, I want my husband back!” Starla yelled, spittle flying out of her mouth. “I wanted the golden hero that I fell in love with, I want the warrior, I want the pony of unbridled strength who won my heart with his deeds of valour and unfaltering sense of duty.”
“Things change, Starla,” Lightning murmured.
“Why?” Starla demanded. “Why do they? Why must they? Why can’t things stay the way they are, if things are good? Or go back to the way they were when they were good? Why must things change when that change is for the worse?”
“Because the stallion that you loved is just a memory now,” Lightning said.
