After a few days, I had received word that Tarsus was finally back at the hive after months of absence. I quickly arranged a meeting with him. It was easy enough to find an open spot in my schedule to get a conversation in with him alone.
Which is why I was heading down to the Infiltrator Legion storage rooms.
‘He should be around here somewhere.’
I turned the corner and saw Tarsus sitting on the ground in the unused side room.
“Hey there, Tarsus.”
He shot up and stared at me. Now that he was facing me, I saw that there was a scar on his right eye, though the eye itself seemed undamaged.
“Prince Phasma? Is that you? You look….”
“Like a drone?”
“... good. You look good. Better than Chrysalis, at least.”
“Heh, yeah.”
I moved closer and we bumped hooves.
“So you can see a lot’s happened with me, but what’s it like being an infiltrator?”
“Oh, there was a lot more training after the expedition. Turns out that’s just to find the best candidates. There’s a lot of spells, techniques, and– err…. Other stuff. You know.”
“Uh, sure? So can I ask how you got that scar?”
“This? That’s quite the story…”
“I’ve got some time. Better make it short, though.”
“Alright. So no shit, there I was, surrounded by Direwolves–”
“A bit less short.”
He snorted, “Heh, okay. So long story short, me and Dorsal, my teacher, were on our way to the town of New Hoofington. We were going through a wooded area when we heard growls coming from trees to our right. It was light out, so being attacked on a pony road was something we weren’t expecting– we were disguised as pony merchants, you see.
“Anyways, these three massive white wolves jumped outta the shadows, right at us. Dorsal flung one away using a rubberized shield while I conjured up some spears planted into the ground in front of me. Didn’t stop the beast from getting in a good lick, though. If it was any closer, I’d have lost the eye and would have to come all the way back here to get put in a healing pod to grow a replacement.
“Back to the story, the other two tried to retreat to pounce again. Dorsal, quick on his hooves, casted a fireball at each of em, interrupting their feral plotting. Next, he casted a flash spell to stun them after warning me. They tried running away blind, but that just meant they couldn’t dodge the ice spears we threw at them. Bam and bam, they both go down. Scariest fifteen seconds of my life, I tell ya.”
“That started and ended quite abruptly.”
“What did you expect? Life as an infiltrator is long periods of boredom, mostly walking or talking with ponies, with brief moments of excitement. If the fight was long and drawn out, the wolves would have won with us exhausting ourselves quickly. And you told me to make the story short!”
“You got me there. Still, that’s a great story, I bet you can’t wait to tell it a million times to anyone who’ll listen.”
“Ha! You got it in one. So now it’s my turn to ask, why do you look like a drone?”
I shrugged.
“The mystery of life. I might get my looks from my anonymous father. Or, more likely, a dash of experimentation on my mother’s part. Unsanctioned medical experiments on eggs, and all that.”
He blinked. “Sounds like you’ve got quite the story to tell.”
I looked around the room. Still empty, and there were no open doorways where an eavesdropper could listen through.
“Alright, but I’ll have to keep it short as well. So no shit, there I was, with the vault opened–”
“Wait, with what opened?”
As I regaled the grand tale of me telling Oestridae to stick a doorstop in the biggest doorway in the hive, Tarsus seemed a bit confused throughout the entire story.
His silence ended after a moment’s thought when I finished the story.
“Phasma… you broke into the Queen’s vault?”
“It’s the hive’s vault. She didn’t make it. And besides, you have nothing to say on the whole ‘she murdered my siblings’ thing?”
“Phasma, you know as well as I that they probably revolted just before their death.”
‘I didn’t tell him that.’
“Huh? Where’s this coming from?”
Tarsus looked around the empty room.
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“Even if they did, who’s to say that Chrysalis won’t do away with me once we defeat Equestria?”
“I suppose you might be right.”
“Yeah, I am. Oh, the First Fang! I got everyone together again, you can meet everyone else at the same time!”
Tarsus smiled, “That sounds great! Where are we meeting up at?”
“Well, it’s too late today and I’m busy tomorrow with a meeting with the top brass of the Swarm, but you and the rest of the gang can hang out while I’m in the meeting. Everyone but Lacewing will be waiting around, so all you’ll need to do is get her and pick a hangout spot. Oest’s room is a convenient enough choice.”
“I can do that. Lace works in the Greencave, right?”
“Mhmm.”
“Sounds like a plan. Catch you around?”
“You know it.”
It was not too late to meet with Coxa tonight. In fact, before he turned in for the day, I had told him to meet with me and Oestridae down to the base of the hive at a specific point in a certain hallway.
Thorax was busy hanging out with his brother, which was fine. We’d catch him up on this little operation of ours later.
“So fellas,” Coxa said as he walked up to us, “Is there a reason why you wanted to see me in this side hall at ground level?”
I pointed to an inconspicuous wall. “That.”
“Yes, that’s a wall Phasma. You’ve seen them all your life.”
“It’s not a wall.”
Oest shook his head.
Coxa turned around and pressed a hoof to it.
“This is definitely a wall.”
“Move your hoof down a bit and to the left. Yes, right there. Now push.”
Coxa’s hoof sunk into the wall. With a soft click, a small portion of the wall swung open to the outside. Not much green light from inside spilled out into the cold, dark night, leaving the area beyond the opening pitch black.
“That’s not supposed to happen.”
“No it is not. Some inspectors found out that some ling put that secret door there. Why? Who knows. Only thing that matters is that they reported it to me directly and I told them I would get it fixed, and that telling others of the possibility of alternative exits puts the hive potentially in danger.”
“So… There’s a secret door in our hive. Now what?”
“Now I tell you two about a little plan I came up with. It’s a contingency, just in case one or more of us needs to… make themselves scarce.”
“You don’t really need a plan to use a secret door, Phasma.”
“What’s beyond the door? Sure as hell doesn’t look like a lush forest to me.”
“I can’t see shit, but I do get what you’re saying. You’ve got an idea to somehow survive the Badlands?”
I nodded. “Oest here will save our chitin.”
Our mute companion delivered his grand speech, “Me?”
“No, the other Oest– yes, you. What you’re going to do is covertly ferry out some pots of diluted love to a secure spot, close to the hive, and in the direction of Equestria. Then, if one of us gets banished, we use that cache to get enough food supplies to make it to ponies, where we can get more love. Simple, yeah?”
“Oh yeah,” Coxa began, “All we gotta do is somehow steal love from the most secure storage rooms in the hive, find a secret spot that’s still recognizable, fill it with love during a massive food shortage, then keep it stocked. All the while remaining undetected.”
“Glad you’ve already got a plan, Coxa. I’ll leave this matter in your hooves. Oest can ferry the stuff out after you’ve gotten it. And don’t forget we have the Lodge members to call on for help. Just try to convince them that you aren’t stealing food for yourself.”
“Wha– hey! No! This is your stupid idea, you see it through!”
I was already starting to walk away. There’s a soft bed waiting for me on the other side of the hive. The very top, to be specific.
“I did the impossible already and broke into the you-know-what. Your turn.”
I heard a groan behind me, causing me to stop and turn around.
“Listen, Coxa. I’m kinda up to my nose in shit I gotta do right now. Can you please handle this for me? I don’t have the time at all to do this, and I’m worried about our survival.”
“Yeah yeah, I can do this. Though I might, uh, lose a pot of love on the way.”
“As long as you don’t jeopardize the amount needed to survive the trip to Equestria, fine. Be careful, and don’t get caught.”
“Easier said than done.”
The next day, my briefing with the generals ended earlier than expected, leaving me with some spare time in the afternoon.
As it turns out, the gel mixture that can be used in armor is a bit tricky to make. We will only be able to make enough armor for officers out of it, and that risks highlighting our commanders for the enemy to target. Instead, it will be produced for the Infiltrators, who will store it in caches on-site for operations that are intended to go loud.
Still, that’s a boon that I was happy to take.
‘Now, I did suggest to Tarsus that Oestridae’s room is a good spot. I’ll check there first for the gang.’
When I arrived at Oest’s room, I couldn’t hear anything through the door. I knocked anyways, just in case.
Surprisingly, after a moment Oest opened the door. Looking past him, I saw the rest of the First Fang sitting around.
“Hello Oest.”
“Phas?” Thorax called from behind him. “You’re here!”
I waved to the group, “My meeting got out early.”
“Come in,” Oest said, stepping aside.
I took the invitation and entered Oest’s crowded hab. They had pulled in some chairs from somewhere and arranged them in a circle around Oest’s desks pulled out into the middle of the room.
The other members said hi and I returned their greetings, but I was distracted by the objects sitting in the middle of the room.
There were flasks on the table.
“What’s that?”
Lacewing giggled, “Sprout!”
“I’ll ask again, what’s that?”
“Sprout!”
“It’s a drink. Made from some sugary mushrooms they got down in Greencave.”
“Thanks Coxa. And by drink, you mean…”
“Sprout!”
“... She’s drunk, isn’t she?”
Thorax sighed, “I told her to pace herself but now she’s eight flasks in.”
‘Lacewing is a party animal? They do say it’s usually the quiet ones you have to look out for, I wonder what Oest is into. Actually, I don’t wonder. I don’t want to know at all.’
Coxa pushed a flask into my hooves as I took a seat.
“Drink.”
“Err, I’ve never had alcohol.”
“Yeah we figured that, given that you’re only half a year old.”
‘Oh right. I meant ever, but they wouldn’t know that.’
I stared at my cup. It had a foamy blue liquid inside.
‘That does not inspire confidence. I think I’ll pass.’
“I still have things to do today, how would the Queen react if I showed up drunk?”
The gang laughed at the mental image.
“I imagine she’d be very confused,” Coxa chuckled.
“Don’t be such a stick in the mud, Phasma!”
“Lacewing you’re drunk at four in the afternoon. Have you even ever had this stuff before? Weren’t you a nymph up till the expedition?”
I was still staring into the opened cup. There was something else. Something lurking at the edge of my memory...
“Ah may have had a cup… or three. What? It gets boring down in Green with nothin to do!”
‘H-hand it over, bud!’
I took a deep breath. “I think I’ll pass,” I said while putting the flask back, putting emphasis in my tone to make sure my voice didn’t waver.
“I don’t blame you, Phas. I’m not a fan of the stuff either.”
While slowing my breathing, I did see that Thorax was without a cup.
‘As straight-laced as a Boy Scout. Ah, how long has it been since I last saw anything human?’
Coxa leaned in towards me, “C’mon Phasma! You never relax, this’ll do you some good. Hell, right now you look as wound up as… as something that makes this metaphor make sense!”
I didn’t respond, I was lost in reflection.
“You don’t have to be drunk to hang out with friends,” Thorax said in my stead.
I brought my attention back to the conversation and decided to change the subject, “You ever had pony drinks, Tarsus?”
Tarsus was leaning back in his chair, silently watching our argument up till this point. Being put in the spotlight, he sat upright and tapped his chin.
“Once. Infiltrators try to avoid being drunk, for obvious reasons. But yeah, I’ve had Griffish pale lager and a glass of cheap Canterlot wine. They were... interesting.”
Lacewing ‘ooh’ed. “Where d’ja have ‘em?”
“After I arrived at New Hoofington. Infiltrator Dorsal got ‘em to celebrate my trophy.”
I nodded, as did the rest of the gang.
‘Tarsus must’ve already told them about the scar. Not surprising, it was one of my first questions when I saw him.’
I stifled a yawn and Thorax asked, “Did you read any pony books?”
“No. No time, and it’s against our teachings. We infiltrators are supposed to know some titles, but actually reading them is considered improper.”
“Aww. No chance of getting me one, then?”
Tarsus glared at Thorax. “As Phasma already knows, there’s severe punishments for possession of most books. I’m not going to break the rules to put you in danger, Thorax.”
“Oh.”
“Termite, get back!”
‘What?’
I looked around my study. There was no one here, just my empty office. I had returned for the night after combat practice to finish a few forms before turning in.
Still, I had heard a voice. Scanning the room, I saw nothing out of the ordinary.
Coxa’s desk on my right, the door straight ahead, God-Splitter leaned up against a hive-gel cabinet on the left. Behind me, there was nothing but an empty chair up against the wall.
I looked back at the door. It was closed, and thick enough that most sound does not pass through it.
‘Is Chrysalis yelling at a changeling?’
I got up and went over to the door.
Pulling it open, I was greeted by an empty hallway. Checking the throne room, yielded roughly the same results, though the Praetorian on duty nodded to me. I checked her study, but Chrysalis wasn’t there.
‘Huh.’