Crimson blinked, recoiling in shock. “We’re what?”
Treetop looked up from a book. “Changelings? Did I hear you right, Colonel?”
“Yes,” Silvercrest said, exasperated. “I don’t care for anypony’s disposition on Changelings. We’re helping them get their hive back.”
“With odds of fifty to one? Sorry, ma’am, but it ain’t possible. I mean, it might be if we had some o’ the old guys, but we don’t. Silvercrest, over the course of this war, we lost Woodpecker and one of the twins, not to mention Bats, the Martian, Spaniard, Challenger, Knifeblade, Swordedge, Backstabber, Golden Sands, Silver Lining, and Eagleface.”
“I know, Treetop, I know. So we make do with what we have.”
“Is there even a plan?” Crimson asked.
“Not really, Warrant Dawn. However, I’ve been given full command of the force being sent, which amounts to almost ten thousand, counting us. The odds are better than you think, Treetop.”
“Ten to one, Colonel. Most of our guys are Changelings. Changelings, ma’am. Does anypony remember the Port Snowfall incident?” Treetop’s voice had a dangerous but subversive edge to it. Nopony agreed with him, so he explained. “One hundred sixteen years ago, the town of Port Snowfall on our northern border was visited by ponies that morphed every so often to become somepony new. Each time they did, they exploited the town at every opportunity. The king back then had to call in the army; it was getting so bad. The weird ponies were tracked as far as Emberforge Valley before they vanished completely, never to be heard from again. Emberforge Base was established afterward in case such an issue repeated itself, but it never did.”
Treetop put down the book and stood up. “Don’t you see? These are the same creatures that caused the Port Snowfall incident. I can’t trust them enough to work with them, much less fight alongside them.”
“Treetop, I understand your concern.” Silvercrest had taken on an authoritative tone. “But we are to work with them if we are to ever go home. So I suggest - no, scratch that, order - you to do so. Any problems will be dealt with swiftly and severely. Is that clear?”
“Yes, ma’am,” chorused the officers and NCOs.
“Good. You start in ten.”
----------------------
Crimson, Platinum, and Southern Lights were partnered with Princess Mirage and her bodyguard Pseudonym. The first five minutes were awkward, with each side bouncing around a greeting, until Mirage finally said, “Let’s just get on with it.”
“Right. Sorry.” Platinum said.
“No, it’s fine. I’m not supposed to go to the front line, so I asked to be put with somepony who wasn’t going there, either. You three are the ones Colonel Silvercrest mentioned?”
“Yes. I’m Crimson, the Unicorn to my right is Platinum, and the one to my left is South.” Crimson replied. “I do have one question, though. Who sent the lightning the other night?”
Mirage chuckled. “I did. It saved your lives.”
“Can’t argue with that.” Southern Lights said. “Judging by your status, we’re supposed to protect you from the Doms while our friends go in and take back your hive. Is that correct?”
“Yes. Pseudonym is more than capable, though.”
“Our commanders don’t seem to believe so.”
“It’s a trust thing, most likely. I heard about Port Snowfall.”
“Since we’re allied, I see no reason to keep referring to past doings and just get on with the now,” Platinum said. “And right now, we’re taking back your hive.”
--------------------
In the darkness of an Emberforge Hive prison cell, General Broken Limb walked around Queen Duplicate in a circle. While he did so, she refused to obey him. The guards holding her down with chains and a horn lock prevented her from doing much more, however.
“A Changeling Queen has not been seen in rightful Dominion territory for three thousand years. No matter the cost, our Kings have been obsessed with finding one since before you were born, most likely. You see, rumor has it that Changeling Queens bear the most beautiful of fillies when with a stallion.” Broken Limb continued walking as he talked.
“I wish I could tell you how false that is,” Duplicate snarled, “but it turns out that you rumor, according to my cousin Paradox to the far west, has been proved otherwise. You would be tested dearly to get the same result from me.”
“I’d love to try, but King Oddity would rather you be for him only.”
“Over my dead body.”
“Sadly, I can’t grant that request.”
Duplicate rolled her eyes. “As if you even wanted to,” she said, sarcasm thick in her voice.
“I could convince you to go on your own free will.”
“No, you can’t.”
“I have a strike team making its way through your escape tunnels that lead through Mount Emberforge. They will break into the Atlantean base and, if your daughter that we know is alive is there, will bring her back to me. If you do not agree with my terms, I will terminate her.”
“You wouldn’t dare murder a child!”
“She doesn’t seem constrained. In fact, it was her lightning mirage spell that prevented my artillery from destroying the Atlanteans while those ridiculous little brats escaped on a flying frigate.”
“Against my orders. I told her to vacate the area.”
Broken Limb actually laughed in spite of himself and his rank. “Doubtful. I will return when your daughter’s life is hanging by a thread.”
-----------------
Three wounded but alive Changeling guards, the ones who had stayed behind with Queen Duplicate, were in less pleasant chambers than their Queen’s. Two stayed in the corner while the third was interrogated relentlessly in a different room for any information regarding the Changeling Princess and her possible whereabouts. The former had already cracked, but the latter kept going. He would soon give in, however, as the Dominion interrogator used cruel and unusual ways of obtaining what he wanted.
Another few minutes, and the third guard was tossed into the cell like a rag doll.
“Captain! Did you give it to ‘em?” one asked.
“No,” the Captain weakly replied. “They almost got me, though. Another minute and I would’ve told them everything.” He coughed up a few drops of blood. “They…”
“You need not describe it, sir. We’re all witnesses.”
“If they come for me again, kill me. You can’t let them force it out of me.”
“Force what, sir?” the second asked.
The Captain hacked. “That the decoy worked. That the Queen isn’t in the Hive.”