Celestia's Finest: Sunshine for Days

[Miltonian]

The Thunderbird comes in for a landing. Star doesn't show off, no flourishes this time. She lands the ship gently and carefully, still not sure how good their repairs will hold up. Yet it makes it to the ground without trouble.

A pony in heavy armor (made from scrap, but still) steps out of the building to greet them. "Alright. No sudden moves," he says in a gruff voice that is definitely not Night Sky, "I'm going to have to ask you to turn over any weapons before going in."

[DigoDragon]

Rose locks her weapons away in the Thunderbird, rather than come out with them. Best to look as peaceful as possible. Also, she rather not leave them with the "bouncer". Rose steps out and shows that she is unarmed.

[D.KnightSpider]

A great many things annoyed Sniper Scope and surrendering his weapon was one of them. Unfortunately, it was a necessary annoyance and that meant he needed to decide how to play this. He could follow Rose's lead and hide his weapons on the Thunderbird or he could make a show of good faith and demonstrate some of that Equestrian razzle-dazzle.

A momentary smirk passed over his lips. Sniper decided to play it straight. There was always the possibility that they'd need their weapons while on the inside. Further, he knew a few things about his gun that the 'bouncer' didn't.

"Fair 'nough." Sniper said as he disembarked. "As a friendly word of warning: don't mess with my equipment. It will only work for me. If you try to circumvent the protections, then it'll explode and take you with it."

He'd turn the sniper rifle and grenades over to the guard, but hold onto his hidden drug needle. Odds were that the pony wouldn't know what it was just by looking at it.

[Miltonian]

The bouncer nods and gingerly accepts Sniper's rifle but does not call for the needle. He can't recognize it at all. He waves him and Rose through. Star turns over her pistol and joins them. Then, he sizes up Love and Brazen in their power armor. "I don't...I don't know what to say to that," he says, "Turn over your weapons, please, and I'll try and search you best I can, I guess."

[Elbeyon]

Transparent armor, Love sticks to the ground, no sudden moves, and waits for her turn. When he reaches her, she says, "Heh. This is a little embarrassing. I can step out of my armor if a look through isn't good enough."

The embarrassing part?

Spoiler

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1 Laser Rifle w/ 4 grenade launchers
2 Aerosol grenades.
2 EMP grenades.
4 Liquid grenades
2 Different aerosol grenades
2 Tangler grenades
4 Aerosol 40mm shells
4 Tangler 40mm shells
5 Limputs
1 Long knife
1 Zap gloves (w/ hidden drug patch)
1 Mono Katana

Slowly, Love turns over her weapon and starts hoofing over various grenades on her rigging. Then, she gives him the 40mm shots and some flat cones (Limpets) from inside her saddlebags. She pulls a knife off her side, takes her zap gloves off her hoofs, and takes her katana off her side too. She reluctantly and carefully gives him her sword. "Careful!", she warns. "The blade is so thin it can cut through steel with ease. Don't underestimate its sharpness. It'll slide through metal."

Once all her weapons are gone, she'll consent to a search of her rigging and saddlebags. She really did turn over all her weapons.

Spoiler: OoC

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The hidden drug patch is suppose to be hidden. D: It's suppose to be thin/mass less enough to be transparent.

[DigoDragon]

"I wonder if it would be rude to take a picture of the guard's face?" she whispers to Sniper.

[Miltonian]

The guard looks at Love’s vast supply of weaponry and takes a few steps back. He does not spot Love’s patch, seemingly very satisfied with her compliance so far. “Thinking of starting a war?” he asks.

[Elbeyon]

"Heh." Love rubs the back of her armored neck. "No, this is my normal loadout. I like to keep my options open." She puts a hoof up in protest. "Four of those are fire extinguishers. The rest... Well, options are good." She gives him a smile. He doesn't need to know that every grenade is non-lethal. "I have a different set for war," she jokes.

[D.KnightSpider]

"I wonder if it would be rude to take a picture of the guard's face?" she whispers to Sniper.

Sniper's immediate reaction was a side-eye glance and a micro-frown. They were still doing this hushed whisper thing?

"When in doubt, ask." Sniper replied with a quiet tone and an equally subdued shrug.

[DigoDragon]

"When in doubt, ask." Sniper replied with a quiet tone and an equally subdued shrug.

"Nah, the moment's gone," Rose replies.

[Miltonian]

The stallion nods and turns to Brazen expectantly.

[userpay]

Brazen stares down the stallion for a moment before sighing. Given all that's been going on he didn't like giving up his weapons but if they wanted their meeting they had to play by their rules didn't they? Brazen divests himself of his shotgun and his carry unit and hands it over. "Like-wise these ain't toys."

Spoiler

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I've always imagined my saddlebags being more of a metal case I suppose. Anyway shotgun, ammo, grenades. The zap gloves are built into the power armor so not sure he'd even beable to tell those apart.

[Miltonian]

The stallion accepts Brazen's weapons and steps aside.

The five ponies enter into what passes for a well-furnished entry hall. The walls have most of the rust scoured away and very few water stains. The furniture has actual cushions and the receptionist desk has only a few iron bars blocking them from getting behind it. The mare seated there smiles at them. "Night Sky is broadcasting right now, but he will be out shortly."

A radio in the corner carries the live broadcast. Night Sky is going over some local reports of where raiders have been sighted and what areas to avoid.

[DigoDragon]

Night Sky is going over some local reports of where raiders have been sighted and what areas to avoid.

Rose will pay attention to the areas mentioned. Could be useful to know the lay of trouble spots when the EDF moves on to new ground.

"How long have you worked here?" Rose asks the receptionist.

[Miltonian]

"Since I was born," she says, looking up, "It's a family business."

[Elbeyon]

Love tips her head to the guard as he walks by him. "Have a good day. Watch out for that blade! I wasn't joking."

The entry hall is interesting. The curious mare walks and looks around. "Thank you," she says to the receptionist. She jokes, "The commute out her must be a shore." She gives her a big smile and sits down on one of the cushioned benches.

She opens her laptop, inserts a data drive, and makes all the final checks on the information that the group wants to give Night Sky.

[DigoDragon]

"Since I was born," she says, looking up, "It's a family business."

"Oh, that's actually quite neat. So what relation would that make Night Sky to you?" Rose asks.

[D.KnightSpider]

Sniper hesitated at the doorway. One ear was tuned to the conversation while an eye watched the bouncer. Questioning the bouncer's credentials might not have been appropriate a few moments ago, but there was no reason why Sniper couldn't make sure the bouncer didn't immediately head for the hills.

[Miltonian]

She laughs at Love's joke. "Oh yes. I have to walk all the way down here from my bed! You have no idea how comfortable that thing is."

"He's my second-cousin," she says, "By my grandfather."

Fortunately, the bouncer seems to not be bouncing but standing guard and doing his job.

[D.KnightSpider]

Sniper nodded to himself. Then he entered the building proper. It was a far cry from the duct tape and bailing wire that he'd k imagined. Then again, they were still on the outskirts of the Wasteland.

Sniper entered the general chit-chat to wile away the wait.

"In case you need introductions." He pointed to each of the ponies in turn. "Lts. Partial Charge (AKA Love), Rose Croix, Brazen Hoof, Sniper Scope of the Equestrian Defense Force. Our pilot, Star Chaser."

[DigoDragon]

Rose nods at being introduced. "We're new to the area and want to get acquainted. Like what kind of music do you play on this station, what's the good towns to visit that value ponies, where the trouble is to mess with. That sort of stuff."

[Elbeyon]

Love takes her hoof off her keyboard and waves. "I'm Love." To be polite, she asks, "What's your name?"

"Wow! That's a major family business." The laptop closes and makes its way back into her saddlebag. "Do you recognize a certain founding father? Heh. No pun intended."

[Miltonian]

She nods. "And I'm Lemon Lime. It's because of my mane and coat. I've never tasted either." She does have a green mane and yellow coat, though neither exactly scream lemon or lime. But then again, it's likely none of them have seen real fruit for a long time now.

"We play whatever we can get, though we make a lot of our own music too. Clear Sky, my grandfather, sang a lot of our songs, earth rest his soul, and we throw those on the turntable whenever we're feeling nostalgic. His are more melancholy, as a general rule, though our listeners have an ear for that lately."

"We're mostly descended from the original inhabitants of the vault you see here, not counting others who married in. The old government tried to keep advancing our science even after the land got scorched and used the vaults to run different experiments while they compiled the results. Well, that was the plan anyway. Fell apart real quick. They say Equestria found the main vault and trashed it."

[DigoDragon]

"Whatever you can find... hmm, how do you feel about rock-n-roll?" Rose pulls up her phone playlist for ZZ Trot; Sharp Dressed Colt, Legs, Luna Just Left Chicoltgo, Viva Las Pegasus, Mexicolt Blackbird... she shuffles a few songs on play to see if Lemon Lime is interested.

[D.KnightSpider]

"I can't speak to any main vault, the only trashing we've done lately is to the Co-Prosperity Initiative's big airship- the one assumed to be the Pacification Protocol." Sniper said.

He made a mental note to ask Happy about the extent of their fruit stores. A little goodwill gift wouldn't hurt relations if he could swing the Commander's approval.

That led into another idea that he filed away for later.

[Miltonian]

"Well, that would have been long before any of us were born," she says with amusement.

Rose's offer grabs her attention. She looks through the selection with wide eyes. "Oh. Oh my. I don't know what to say, but..." She taps the phone. "How do we get those to play on a record turntable?"

[DigoDragon]

"How do we get those to play on a record turntable?"

"Good question. I don't own any vinyl albums of them. Might find some records online but that's back home. Hmm... have any recording devices?"

[D.KnightSpider]

"That would be a question for our resident electronics genius."

Sniper looked to Love, giving her a cue.

[Elbeyon]

Love was off in her own little world rubbing her chin. "Are we at the base level? Does this place go any deeper?"

A bit surprised, she lights up to Scope, "Oh! I might be able to work out something. Do you have any recording equipment? I was planning to leave a computer here so we could more easily transfer video, holo back and forth between us. So, if you don't, I could work with the existing system more extensively to allow some music without a vinyl."

[Miltonian]

"We do have some recording devices, but no more blank discs," Lemon Lime answers, "But before I let you see it, you'll have to get permission from Night Skye. He is the boss around here and replacements aren’t exactly easy to come by.”

“Hey, we have at least two ponies skilled with tech,” Star says, “We won’t break anything.”

“Even still,” Lemon says firmly, “It’ll have to wait.”

“And now, some music,” the radio says. A soft musical score picks up, reminding the ponies of old times.

Lemon smiles. “Night Skye will see you now.”