The Corps - Chapter 2

Featherlight Skydock Facility
Weather Corps HQ, Cloudsdale
4 Days Later


A warm breeze blew across the deck of the Indefatigable as it slowly edged forward, pushed along by several large pegasi from the air control office that kept watch over the skydocks. Dauntless closed his eyes briefly to indulge in the sensation of the summer wind ruffling his mane and tail, and then quietly sighed. It may get a bit hot now and then, but I will always prefer summer, he thought, though the enjoyment was soon tainted as he remembered one reason against the season. Damn 'canes, he grumbled to himself before opening his eyes again to look around.

The airship he rode on was on the small side, being barely larger than a private sky yacht. Unlike a private yacht, though, the Indefatigable's flush main deck was covered with the large housings for its four high-performance magic induction drive engines, the tanks of liquid rainbow that fueled them, and the pilot house – traditionally called a "bridge" even on such a small ship – built on top of the bow. These and the rigging for the propeller pods hanging off both side of the ship combined to make the main deck crowded even when no pony was standing on it. Now is was positively packed as ponies from the crew manned the railings, ready to secure the ship to the skydock she was being nudged towards. Further adding to this was Bravo squadron, who to a pony were ready to disembark and be done with the whole mission. Of course, being pegasi they could simply have flown off and landed on the dock, but the Corps was heavy with tradition, one of which was to wait until their ship had been properly secured before walking off via the gangplank.

Must be a holdover from when only earth ponies and unicorns ran airships, Dauntless reasoned, as he turned his head around to take in the view of the sky harbor. Like the other pegasi of Bravo squadron, he was lying down on top of one of the fuel tanks, which gave him a wonderful view of the many cloud pylons and quays that had been formed and reinforced by pegasus magic to retain their shape even in the fiercest winds. Permanently enchanted wood planking topped many of them; a necessity given how airship crews consisted mainly of non-fliers, and unicorns who knew the cloudwalking spell were rare and often too valuable to be wasted on such menial duty. Indeed, such was the case that even the buildings that the Weather Corps used were made out of wood, supported by special foundations that anchored them to Cloudsdale's immense cloud deck.

Dauntless let his eyes wander over to those buildings as the Indefatigable bumped against the dock, and the crew began throwing ropes to the dockworkers. I always wondered about this place while I was growing up, the gray stallion thought, bringing up memories of when he was a colt. The Corps' buildings always stuck out like a sore wing so much you could see them from anywhere on the east side. At least they stopped painting them white to try and match the clouds, that just made them look sad. Dauntless managed a small smile at the memory, and then shook his head a bit as he gazed at the cluster of structures he'd been mulling over. For all intents and purposes, they looked as if they had been lifted from the center of a small city or big town, and the wooden decking that filled the spaces between them had been covered with a light layer of soil and sod to complete the effect, though the pegasus knew that it was mainly for the benefit of the few earth ponies who became squeamish when their hooves didn't touch dirt every now and then.

Makes you wonder why they bothered joining the Corps in the first place? Dauntless pondered this as the airship's crew finished securing the lines holding the Indefatigable at bay. I mean, sure, we take anypony, and there's a lot of ground stations to run, but there's always the chance of being assigned to HQ or an airship.

His ruminations were cut off by a nudge in his side, and Dauntless glanced to the left to see Valorie giving him a look. "C'mon D, let's disembark and let the swabbies do their thing," she said, her voice on the quiet side. Then she stood up from her resting position and then fluttered her wings a bit to land on the main deck.

Dauntless glanced around and saw the rest of the squadron doing likewise, and so he too rose to a standing position. He took a moment to stretch every one of his six limbs carefully, allowing time for the other squadron members to land and organize into a line on the deck, and then shifted the saddlebags he wore a bit to make sure they were still secured. Only then did he flit through the air on a short flight that ended up with him at the back of the line just as the gangplank was run up from the dock. Once it was secure, the squadron commander started the fliers moving forward, up to the gangplank and then lead them down it to the dock. Once there the team arranged themselves into a row and then turned to stand side-by-side to face line-abreast towards a small group of ponies waiting for them.

One of the ponies in the small reception committee stepped forward at that. I'll never get used to how much he and Val look alike, Dauntless mused as the diminutive pegasus cleared his throat and began to speak. "Welcome home," the white pony said, his voice distinctive for its utter lack of accent, so much so that the lack of one often sounded like one to the uninformed. "Before anything else, I want you all to know that your actions against hurricane Orchid represent a point of pride and honor for the Corps. Because of your efforts, Orchid was downgraded to a bare minimum category one storm before landfall, and damage was far lighter than anypony could have hoped for.

"I know that this victory was not without cost," the red-maned pony added, and then paused to nod to the fliers. "But I hope you can take solace in the fact that what you accomplished, what your lost friend accomplished, saved billions of bits in damage and prevented any civilian loss of life. You are all heroes of Equestria, and you've done right by our nation.

"For now, though, there is some more work to be done. Bravo squadron is to report to building two following dismissal for post-mission debriefing."

And cocktails, Dauntless thought, the old Corps joke popping into his head before he could help himself. He surreptitiously bit his lower lip and prayed that nopony would notice the sudden change in his face as he quickly worked to clear his mind and suppress his mirth. A glance to his left showed that he wasn't the only pony who had unwittingly added the infamous line, as a couple pegasi were also working their faces in an effort to restrain laughter.

If the pony addressing them noticed this, he declined to respond to it. Instead, he turned his head and then nodded to the lieutenant commander in charge of Bravo. "Commander, your squadron is dismissed."

"Yes sir, admiral Zero," the gruff, green pegasus said, and saluted with a foreleg. He then turned  to face his squadron and took in a deep breath. "COMP'NEE, DISMISSED!" He bellowed, making several ponies in attendance wince.

For his part, Dauntless just sighed in mild relief that the formalities were over. I never liked such ceremony, it always feels so pompous, he thought before turning to trot towards the aforementioned building, eager to get the debriefing over with. Most of the other pegasi preferred to fly and immediately lifted off, but Dauntless liked to stretch his legs after being cooped up on an airship for so long, and so he walked along the wooden planking on top of the cloud dock. The sun was warm and its blazing rays beat down upon him like a masseuse who was all too familiar with its client, though the stallion actually managed a smile at the welcomed feeling of heat penetrating his coat and skin. And this is the other reason to walk, he mused to himself. This way I can relax a bit, forget my problems... For a while, anyway.

Dauntless sighed to himself at this, and then shook his head. I should get to the debriefing right away, then. Sooner I'm done with that, sooner I can go off duty; I feel like a drink.

        * * * *

The day passed into night, and then morning again came, finding Dauntless walking slowly through the dirt-topped wood streets of the Corps' base. His head was lowered, which let him keep the sun out of his bloodshot eyes. I think I overdid it a bit, the gray pegasus darkly mused, as he moved amidst the various ponies trotting about, all of them running errands and attending to the daily business that a bureaucratic military-like entity like the Weather Corps required to stay running. Next time, I leave before the tequila shots start getting passed around. Whiskey's good enough for me.

His ruminations were interrupted by a pegasus landing next to him, and a voice that was far too cheery, and far, far too loud for his current mood. "Dauntless! How are you?" The feminine voice asked, practically dripping with perverse enjoyment.

Dauntless froze as the first words left the other pony's lips, and he winced his eyes shut throughout her short greeting. Now, though, he opened his as and proceeded to turn his head to the side and gave the dark blue, fiery-maned pegasus who'd spoken the harshest glare he could muster. "It is more apparent to me now than ever," he said, straining between clenched teeth, "that your parents are psychics and so named you correctly, Hellcat."

The blue mare fluttered her eyelashes at him. "Awww, you say the sweetest things, Dauntless," Hellcat said, and then reached over with a hoof to briefly tousle the stallion's blue and white striped mane. "You know how to make a girl feel welcome and pretty," she added, and then tossed her head to get her long, braided mane to shift to the other side of her body.

"You are a plague upon ponykind," Dauntless returned, his voice still low.

"And you are hung over and don't mean that," Hellcat countered, still grinning. "After all, how could you condemn cute little me?" She asked, and then she closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side while still grinning.

"There is not enough alcohol in the world to make you look cute," Dauntless grunted, and then turned and began to walk away.

Unfortunately for his disposition, Hellcat followed. "Now I know you're just saying that," the mare pegasus said matter-of-factly. "So I won't immediately throw you off of Cloudsdale and do a victory dance over your grave."

Dauntless managed to roll his eyes at the other pony. "I can fly too, you know," he said, sardonically.

"Pfft, details," Hellcat said, while she paused in mid-stride to dismissively wave a hoof. "Besides, a bit of free flying might help you with that hangover."

"I'd settle for a vat of coffee and all the aspirin in Canterlot," Dauntless replied, as he turned off the street and walked towards the door of one of the big central buildings on the base. "Or at least the coffee. With lots of sugar."

"Did somepony say coffee?" A new voice spoke as soon as Dauntless and Hellcat came in from the street, and both ponies turned to the left to see Valorie walking towards them. She held two cups of steaming coffee balanced on outstretched wings, and she grinned when she saw Dauntless start to salivate. "Oh D, you never change, do you?" Val asked with a chuckle as she proffered one wing towards the stallion. "Always out of coffee at your apartment."

"That's because the stuff the stores in Cloudsdale carry is old stuff the snobs in Canterlot didn't buy," Dauntless protested, as he sat back on his haunches so he could take the offered cup in both forehooves. He paused then to blow on the coffee, and then took a short sip and made a pleased noise. "Say what you want about the Corps, at least they get the fresh stuff shipped in."

"Mhm," Hellcat nonverbally agreed, as she took the other cup Val carried and sipped at it. "You're going to spoil us, Val, being so cheerful and bearing coffee in the mornings," the blue pegasus observed, as she held the cup in one hoof.

"Just trying to help my friends, 'Cat" Val replied, her wide smile splitting her black muzzle. "Besides, I knew D was going to get himself hung over, so I came in early to make everypony a pick-me-up pot of coffee or ten."

"So glad to be predictable," Dauntless grumbled, somewhat sarcastically. Another sip of the coffee, though, seemed to perk him up, and he managed to stand up on three legs, while he used the fourth one to hold the beverage. "Anyway, let's get up to our floor and start the wild and wacky day of filling out paperwork," he added, and then started to walk off, carefully managing on three legs.

The two mares shared an amused look at Dauntless' sarcasm before they moved to join him. Val walked by his right, though Hellcat elected to fly and so hovered off the stallion's left side so she could hold her coffee with less concentration. Their path took them to the elevator sitting on one side of the lobby, where a young earth pony stood by a large walking wheel off to the side. "Hi!" He said, his voice a cheerful match for his yellow coat. "Which floor?" He asked, as he turned to climb into the wheel.

"Fifth," Dauntless replied as he walked onto the wooden platform, followed immediately by Hellcat.

Val, though, waited until her friends were past before shooting them a wink. "I'll catch up to you two later," she said, and then turned to the elevator worker as he began to walk, pushing the wheel around and engaging the gears and pulleys that started the elevator platform on its way up. "Wow, you're pretty strong," she said, politely smiling. "But aren't you nervous working in Cloudsdale?"

The young stallion puffed up a bit at the compliment, and just shook his head at the question. "Nah, it's no big deal," he said, as he continued to walk. "You just gotta get used to it is all."

Any further conversation was blocked by the elevator platform as it rose completely into the shaft, to which Dauntless let out a sigh of relief. "I swear, she's got more hormones than a bucket of teenagers."

Hellcat chuckled at that. "It looks like it. Though it seems she's robbing the cradle there with the new kid," she observed, in between sips of her coffee.

"Truthfully, I think she's just practicing," Dauntless said after a long sip of his own drink. "She needs to stay in top form if she wants to be able to swoop down and nab her prey when she goes to a party."

The blue mare gave Dauntless a sidelong look. "You must be feeling better if you've gone from idle curses to allusions of predation," she observed.

"Coffee helps," the gray stallion replied, and then shrugged as the elevator reached their floor and then stopped. Both ponies walked off of it then and into the hallway, with only a pause to lightly tug once on the call rope to let the operator know that it was ready to go back to the first floor. "It also helps finally having an elevator worker who can get the right floor, even when he's on the receiving end of Val's bedroom eyes."

Hellcat chuckled at that, and then fell silent for a moment as she and Dauntless continued on through the hallway, moving slower than normal as they both kept one hoof wrapped around their respective drinks. After a short time, however, she cleared her throat. "How bad was it, anyway?" She asked.

Dauntless stopped at that, not surprised by the question but rather the abruptness of it. He looked over to Hellcat and saw a concerned look on her face, to which he could only sigh as he gathered his thoughts. "Bad enough," he began, his voice low. "We lost Brewster. Did you know him?" Dauntless asked, with another glance to Hellcat, who shook her head. The stallion took this as his cue to continue. "Didn't know him that well myself, he was still kinda new. He seemed like a good guy, though, had a sense of humor." He paused at this, and then sighed. "His wingmate lost 'im in the clouds. We spent a good forty minutes looking for him, but we never found a trace.

"Alfa squadron had about as bad luck as us," Dauntless continued, recalling what he had learned from the other weather teams on board the Ark Royal while they waited for their carrier airships to clear the storm. "They lost a mare to a straight line wind gust that slapped her right out of the air. She hit the ocean and drowned before they could get to her. The Ark Royal found her body drifting a few days later, I heard.

"Charlie squadron got the least of it," the gray pegasus added, though he paused briefly to resume walking, which prompted Hellcat to follow. "Two casualties, both lightning strikes, but thank heavens they managed to limp out with help. They're supposed to make a full recovery."

Hellcat sighed morosely as the two reached a pair of doors set into the side of the hall and stopped moving. "I know hurricane fighting is always nasty, but that sounds terrible," she observed, as she shook her head sadly.

"Yeah," Dauntless replied, his voice still quiet. "Just like last time," he said, and then turned his head to gaze down the hall with unfocused eyes. "And the time before that."

A hoof touched his shoulder then, which brought him out of his aimless stare. Dauntless blinked his eyes clear and then turned to see a sympathetic look on Hellcat's face. "Everypony gets told the risks when they apply for the extreme conditions teams," she said, softly. "I know that doesn't make it easy, but you've got to remember they knew what they were getting in to. We all do."

Dauntless sighed again, and then nodded to his friend. "Yeah, I know," he said, a sad smile on his muzzle. "But it doesn't get easier, you know?"

"And it probably shouldn't," Hellcat replied, and then removed her hoof from the stallion's shoulder. "But it's better to remember them as heroes, rather than victims. They deserve no less."

"Yeah," Dauntless said, and then nodded again. "Thanks, 'Cat. You can be a downright decent pony when you put your mind to it."

"Just don't go spreading it around," Hellcat replied, with a chuckle. "Now, I should probably go get ready for my flight to Fillydelphia."

"Oh?" Dauntless asked, genuinely intrigued. "More troubleshooting?"

"Yeah. Apparently somepony down there thinks "it's always sunny in Fillydelphia" should be more than just an advertising slogan," Hellcat replied, rolling her eyes as she spoke. "The farmers around the city are screaming their heads off for rain and the local team can't get their stuff together." She paused at this, and then grinned evilly. "So I get to go bust some flanks and show 'em how a real weatherpony gets it done."

Dauntless had to laugh at that, brief though it was. "I pity the pegasus who has to have you riding herd over 'em," he said.

"So do I," Hellcat agreed. Then she turned and started walking off, though not without a glance back. "Take care, D."

"You too, 'Cat," Dauntless replied, and then waited for the dark blue pegasus to leave before he turned to face the doors. He squared his shoulders, ruffled his wings a bit before settling them down, and then walked up and nudged the swinging doors open with his muzzle.

Inside he had to blink a bit as one wall was made up almost entirely of glass windows that faced east, towards the rising sun, which flooded the large space with natural light. As soon as his eyes adjusted, though, Dauntless easily made out the rows of desks sitting near the entry doors, along with the cluster of couches at the far end of the room and the rows of filing cabinets along the opaque left wall. A number of pegasus ponies were already there, and several of them looked up and nodded to Dauntless as the gray stallion walked into the room and started to head for the desk that he used in between missions. Once there he sat down on the floor cushion most ponies preferred as a seat, and then set his coffee on the desk and surveyed the papers lying upon the furnishing. If I could go back in time and meet the pony who invented bureaucracy, I would strangle him, Dauntless thought, and then picked up his coffee again. He sipped it and used the moment to contemplate whether the papers dealing with his medical records or the form regarding his desire to bank his vacation time was the more pressing.

Fortunately, he was saved from such a decision when a pegasus wearing a badge identifying him as a messenger stepped into the room from the same doors Dauntless had just recently come through. "There a lieutenant Dauntless here?" The brown pony called out.

Haystacks, this is never good, Dauntless thought as he raised a foreleg high. "Over here," he called to the pony, who promptly came over. "What do ya got for me?"

"Just one thing, sir," the messenger pony said, and then turned his neck around to the right so he could dip his head into one of the paired saddlebags he wore. He shuffled around in the bag for a moment before bringing his head up, an envelope gripped between his teeth. Quickly enough he brought his head and neck back around and then deposited it on top of the desk. "Got anything for me?" The brown pegasus asked.

Dauntless shook his head. "No. Thanks for your time," he said, to which the messenger pony nodded, and then turned and walked off. Dauntless did not bother to watch him leave, though, but instead morosely stared at the official looking envelope. What sort of doom and gloom await me now? The gray pegasus pondered, before he finally shook his head and then reached forward with his forelegs to manipulate the missive. Hooves were not so useful for such a task, though, and it took the stallion several long moment to accomplish, during which he added the inventor of the envelope to the list of ponies he would violate causality to punish. Probably a unicorn, he mused as he finally got the letter inside to slip out. They just love over-complicating things with... His internal monologue died out then, as he opened the letter and read its simple contents:


Lieutenant Dauntless, Bravo Squadron, Extreme Conditions Division,

Report to my office today at 3 PM to discuss the results of your debriefing and your future disposition in the Corps. Please do not be late, you are not the only pony I need to speak with today.

-Admiral Zero, Administration


Haystacks, hailbait, and horse apples, Dauntless thought, as he reread the simple message again. What the hay did I do? I mean, sure, I got drunk last night, and maaayyybe I might have bucked that jerk with the dumbbell cutie mark straight through a wall, but he was asking for it and the bartender never got my name before I flew out of there!

He continued to run through his mind's eye desperately, trying to figure out what could have resulted in such a summons. So deep was his internal search that he didn't even notice a pony walk up until she had circled around behind him. "Hiya, D!" Valorie said, a bit louder than necessary since she stood right behind her friend.

Dauntless, already tense from the hangover and the letter, shot up with his wings like a rocket, while simultaneously letting out a yelp of shock. Unfortunately for him, while the ceilings in the room were high for pegasi to stretch their wings a bit with some light indoor flying, they were still low enough that the gray-coated pony slammed his head into the wood paneling, which cracked with an audible sound. Dauntless' yelp turned into a shout of pain, which was repeated when he fell back down to the floor as quickly as he left it, landing on his pillow seat with a muted 'thud'.

Val waited a moment to be sure Dauntless wouldn't keel over, and then chuckled. "Oh D, you're strung way too tight!" She said, cheerfully as she walked forward to come around the stallion's left side.

"Vicious, confounded female," Dauntless grunted towards Val, as he brought up his forelegs and rubbed their hooves against the bump on his head. "Thrice-damned be your spawn of the night!"

"Oooh," Val said, her eyes widening a bit in joy. "I must have gotten you good if you're using the ten-bit words!"

Dauntless could only growl at the other pegasus at that. Then he sighed briefly, and then lowered his head to rest on the desk and ignored the looks he was getting from the rest of the ponies in the room. "I hate to burst your bubble, Val, but it wasn't entirely you," he grumpily said.

"Huh?" Val asked, her expression dimming a bit. Dauntless didn't reply, but instead used a hoof to nudge the letter on his desk towards where the white and black pony stood. Val simply blinked in surprise at that, but she obediently looked down and quickly read the note. "Ah. What does Zero want with you?" She asked.

"That's what I've been trying to figure out," Dauntless heatedly said. A little too heatedly, the gray stallion thought, as the headache from impacting the ceiling joined forces with his hangover and proceeded to march on his center of rational thought. Complete with war drums, the injured stallion grimly mused. He put the idea to the side, though, and then cast an eye up at the white pony standing near him. "He's your cousin, do you have any idea what it's about?"

"First cousin once removed," Val sniffed, as if she had repeated it once too often. "And no, I don't. Being related doesn't mean I know what goes on in his head."

Dauntless sighed at that. "Alright, alright. M'sorry," he muttered, and then reached a hoof up to rub his head again. "Please tell me you have aspirin in your desk?"

"No. Sorry," Val replied, apologetically. "But since I made you jump I'll go out to the PX at lunch and get you some."

"Thanks, Val," Dauntless said, his tone grateful, and then sighed. It's going to be a long day.

        * * * *

Three in the afternoon came by all too quickly for Dauntless, despite how much time seemed to drag on as he tried to finish the after-action report that the wing commander demanded from every pony who had gone out on a mission. As if the debriefings weren't enough, the gray stallion griped, as he checked the timepiece hanging on the wall over the main doors. Quarter 'til, guess I should get going, he thought with some trepidation, and then stood. He caught Val giving him an encouraging wave, and Dauntless returned it with a timid one of his own before he turned and headed for the back of the room, and the second set of doors adoring the far wall.

He pushed through them easily, and quickly found himself in a short hallway facing another set of doors only a few paces ahead. Dauntless paused in this short hall to spread his wings and then inspect the feathers on them so as to be sure that his antics the night before and the rough morning just past hadn't disarrayed them. He saw a few that could use some straightening, but nothing that would seriously impede flight, and so the gray stallion turned and then headed for the outer set of doors. These were held shut by an actual latch, and a quick hoof press on the lever opened them up and allowed Dauntless to walk out.

The buildings of the Weather Corps Headquarters were, of course, of earth pony design, which meant that they lacked the wide, open windows that pegasi preferred in their cloud structures. Being fliers, pegasi naturally liked being able to take off straight from wherever they were and fly to where they wanted to go with a minimal amount of obstacles, which meant an enclosed wood structure irritated them. Naturally, the Corps sought to achieve a compromise, which is what Dauntless stood on as he closed the door behind him.

It was a simple platform, once again made out of wood, though here it was covered with a non-skid coating and painted with clear arrival and landing spots. Technically, we're supposed to follow the regs to the letter about that, Dauntless thought, as he looked through the air around him. But nopony bothers unless it's busy. With that rationalization, the pegasus unfurled his wings again and then leaped into the air. His wings flapped steadily, gaining some altitude before he leaned forward and accelerated. Dauntless didn't bother building up too much speed, though, as the main administration building was only next door, but its closest landing pad to where he wanted to go – and was authorized to land on – was on the opposite side of the building, necessitating a wide arc to circle around.

Not that I mind, though, the gray stallion thought, as he stopped flapping and just stretched his wings to either side in order to glide through the air through the second half of his turn. He took a moment to enjoy the view, glancing briefly off to his right at the forests and grassy plains that stretched to the north, framed by low foothills. On his left Dauntless saw the Corps' central base swing by, though it was a familiar sight and so he paid it little mind, for in front of him the stallion could see the sprawl of Cloudsdale, which was always striking with its mix of fluffy, unshaped clouds and Dorian clouditecture. Dauntless didn't spare much time looking around, however, as his flight was already near its end, and he quickly returned his focus to sticking his landing, which he did with the skill of a seasoned flier.

Once down, it was an easy matter to get into the main administration building and then proceed through the corridors and stairs until he got to the admiral's office. There he showed the letter to Zero's secretary, and then waited patiently to be called in. Dauntless noted three other pegasi in the waiting area with him, all sitting in chairs, and they all shared the same look he knew was on his face. We're all wondering "what did I do?" The gray stallion thought.

He didn't have to wait long before his name was called, and Dauntless wondered just why the other ponies were waiting for so long if their appointments weren't for some time? Or was Zeke holding them back because he wants me as an example? Those thoughts left his head, though, as he walked up to the doors leading to the inner office and then pushed through them.

Dauntless had to pause almost as soon as he was in the office, though, thanks to the natural light coming from the large windows that took up the entire far wall. As his eyes adjusted, the gray pegasus glanced out through the east-facing windows and caught a glimpse of the Halcyon Mountains in the distance, and amongst them the shining white jewel of Canterlot perched upon the side of the tallest peak. Really nice view, Dauntless thought as his vision finished adjusting, and he finally made out the austere office, which held little in the way of decoration outside of a potted palm frond in one corner, and a tiny tree perched upon the walnut wood desk that sat two thirds of the way across the room. Behind it, Dauntless saw that the red-maned white pegasus admiral was seated, waiting patiently. Once he saw that the new arrival had finally sorted himself out, Zero raised a foreleg. "Please sit, lieutenant," he said, and indicated a decent-sized cushion in front of the desk.

"Thank you, sir," Dauntless replied, and then crossed over and settled down on the indicated seat with his legs tucked beneath his body. Nice to see the guy doesn't do the usual management bullspit,the gray pony mused as he noted that the admiral had forgone using a bigger seat to make himself appear taller. Though granted, that would be hard to accomplish with such a small pony like Zeke.

Zero nodded as Dauntless got comfortable, and then spoke. "I'm glad to see you were as punctual as I asked. My time is in short supply today, as it is after every major storm event, so I appreciate your tact." Zero paused at that to give Dauntless a chance to reply, though the other pegasus simply gave the admiral a brief nod. "Of course, because of that lack of time, I will have to be brief and blunt."

Dauntless nodded again at that. "I see. I can't say I care for too much for that frilly language, myself, sir," he said.

"Good, then I shall not waste any more time," Zero began. "Simply put, lieutenant, you need a vacation."

A moment of silence followed that statement, as Dauntless blinked hard while his mind attempted to process it. "Sir? I'm not sure I follow you."

So much for brevity, Zero thought, while he stifled a sigh. "Are you aware, lieutenant, that the Corps employs some psychologists on base?" He asked, his tone one of practiced patience.

"I... was not entirely unaware, sir," Dauntless replied, somewhat cautiously as he thought he could see where this was going.

"Were you aware, then, that they routinely observe post-action debriefings to look for any indications of emotional problems in Corps personnel?" Zero asked, again sounding patient.

Dauntless frowned at the question, as he indeed remembered that there was always a two-way mirror in every debriefing room he'd ever been in. "Sir, if they have a problem with me-"

"They do," Zero interrupted, his voice firm. "And frankly, so do I," he added, and then reached a foreleg out to nudge a sheaf of collated papers on his desk, moving them until they were near the center of the main work area. "Your records show that you haven't taken any vacations or other leaves since your first hurricane mission three years ago. The fact that you lost your wingmate in that mission is also noted, as is the death of another squad member you knew well during your second hurricane mission.

"And now this last one against Orchid, there was another squadron loss," Zero continued. "These are not easy things to recover from, lieutenant. Trust me, I know," he added, and then paused to give a steady, hard look into Dauntless' eyes. "Yet while the rest of your squadron is taking some well-deserved leave, I have a note telling me that you have refused to take time off, just as you did after the last two hurricane busting missions." Zero shook his head at that. "I allowed it previously because I know that hard work can help a pony move past a difficult event in his or her life. But even the strongest and most resilient ponies need a break now and again, lieutenant. On this both the psyches and myself agree.

"Which brings me to the reason you're here," Zero said, and then nudged a new piece of paper from the side to the middle of his desk. "This is a recommendation from the psychologists that you be transferred to a non-active role in the Corps, should you refuse leave this time. They believe that you could become a danger to yourself and to others through emotional exhaustion, which would lead to distraction and botched missions." The white pegasus paused to let that sink in, and then continued once the perturbed look on Dauntless' face settled down. "I am inclined to accede.

"However, I am not unreasonable, nor do I wish to lose a talented flier with your record," Zero added. "So I called you here to give you a choice, lieutenant: either take a two-week leave, starting tomorrow, or I will have you transferred to the weather factory as a supervisor in snowflake production."

Dauntless tensed up at that, and then actively suppressed a shudder. No, not those losers! That place is career suicide! He thought, and then lightly gulped. "So... a two-week leave, then?" He tentatively asked.

"Minimum," Zero replied, evenly. "And it had better be somewhere away from here; if I see or hear of you being anywhere in Cloudsdale after tomorrow, then when you get back you won't be making snowflakes, you'll be counting them at the Grainland weather station." The diminutive pegasus lowered his head a bit to give Dauntless a hard look at that. "Am I clear, lieutenant?"

"As crystal, sir," Dauntless replied, the mere idea of being assigned to such a frozen waste enough to quell any protest.

"Excellent," Zero said, with a nod. "Then I shan't hold you here anymore, lieutenant," he added, and then stood.

Dauntless took that as his dismissal, and he stood as well. "Of course, sir. Thank you, sir," he said, automatically before he turned and walked towards the doors leading to the outer office.

Zero watched him go, and then sighed once the gray stallion was beyond the doors. I wish I did not have to do that, the white pegasus thought, as he turned to look out the windows behind his desk. It pains me to force such decisions, but I will not let good ponies destroy themselves because they feel too guilty to take time for themselves. It was a common problem for the Weather Corps, he knew. The types of ponies who would do this work, who are skilled for this work, are the same types who would work themselves to death if you let them.

His gaze drifted over the mountains, and then alighted on the distant, somewhat indistinct shape of Canterlot. Zero felt some of his concern drain away as he gazed at the bits of graceful architecture he could observe. Still, all the work we do is worth it, so long as we keep Equestria safe, he thought, and then turned back to sit at his desk. Now, if only I can keep the ponies in the Corps safe from themselves. With that, he pressed the little buzzer on his desk to let his secretary know he was ready for the next pony.