//------------------------------//
// The Gambit 
// Story: Second Chance: Darkest Hour 
// by Subject 19 
//------------------------------//

Matthew Harris and the royal sisters were in the throne room of the Crystal Palace, where Princess Cadence sat at her throne. Matthew was explaining what had happened to Canterlot and who was responsible for the attack. Unfortunately for him, Captain Spitfire and the Elements of Harmony were nowhere to be found. Celestia and Luna tried reassuring the commander that they were just taking more time to get to the empire. Harris however, did not share their optimism. All Matthew could do was simply wait until scouts throughout Equestria reported to him.
Just as Matthew finished explaining the situation to the pink princess, a familiar golden pegasus burst into the large room.
"Spitfire, did you get Twilight and her friends here?" Matthew immediately questioned.
"Yes sir, they're all here," Spitfire answered.
"What the hell took you so long?"
"The attack wasn't just on Canterlot, it was on all of Equestria," the fiery colored mare regrettably informed, keeping her voice down to a whisper. "I managed to get some information from our scouts on the way here."
"And they all reported similar attacks throughout the major cities," Matthew finished.
"Yes sir."
"Fuck," Matthew muttered. "What's the status of our forces stationed in the attacked cities?"
"All of them were annihilated. All we have is what we've got here, sir."
Matthew sighed. "Have General Strike meet me outside the castle gates immediately, I'm just about done here."
"Right away," Spitfire replied before leaving the room.
"Care to explain what Spitfire had to say, Matthew?" Princess Celestia inquired.
"I have good news and bad news. The good news is that Twilight Sparkle and her five friends have made here to the empire. The bad news is that we have lost all of Equestria to our enemy." Matthew's gaze fell along with everypony else's in the room. "All of our military forces across the kingdom were decimated by Star Swirl's attack."
Luna was the first to speak after having let the situation truly set in. "What's our next move?"
"We get the soldiers we have ready for what is likely to be a suicide mission to retake the kingdom."



General Swift Strike was smoking a cigar just outside the castle's main gate, waiting for his black and gray superior. Swift was one of the very few ponies that Matthew considered to be his friend and, consequently, the two of them knew each other very well. When he finally spotted Harris, he recognized his frown immediately. It was a look of defeat, one he had only seen once before.
"Walk with me," Matthew ordered emotionlessly.
Swift complied and began walking alongside Harris. "Spit said you wanted to talk to me, so what do you need?"
"I need a platoon from 1st Army to collect the CHECKMATE weapons from the Challenger and bring them here to the Crystal Empire," the black maned stallion answered without hesitation.
"You want me to send five hundred of my soldiers to go get your little toys?"
"No, I'm telling you that you're going to have them do this," Matthew quickly retorted. "If we want any chance of winning this war, then those weapons are key. CHECKMATE has the potential to give us the advantage we need over Star Swirl to get Equestrian back."
Swift Strike let out a heavy sigh. "But even with these weapons, we still won't stand a chance against Star Swirl's forces. We need more soldiers."
"Believe me, Strike, that much is abundantly clear. But where would we even find more soldiers?"
"I know this is a long shot, but what if we got the help of the Changelings? Think about it, with them, we would be able to get behind enemy lines and be able to know Star Swirl's next move before he makes it."
Matthew stopped walking and remained silent for a few moments, giving the idea serious thought. "You make a good point, but the problem is that the Changelings live to deceive. I'll need more time to come to a decision. Besides, I want to see if any of our allies are capable of assisting us before I go signing a deal with the devil."
"Fair enough. I'll go and send 3rd Platoon to retrieve your precious weapons," Strike finished before walking away from his commander.



Matthew, Celestia and Luna were in the dining hall of the Crystal Palace. Although Matthew hated the mere notion of asking an enemy for help, he knew that it was his best option since Equestria's allies were incapable of providing adequate support for a counter attack.
"So what did you want to talk to us about, Matthew?" the white solar goddess asked.
"As I'm sure you're both aware, our allies are not prepared to help us, nor is it likely they will be willing to. That is why I think we require the help of the Changelings."
"Are you insane?" Celestia shouted. "They tried to kill us and you want to ask for their help?"
"Chrysalis's hive is dying. They'll be willing to do anything to survive, even if it means helping us," Matthew explained to the royal sisters. "We'll promise them whatever, then when we're done with Star Swirl and the Changelings are all in one place, we'll kill them."
"If we do seek the Changelings help, Matthew, we will not stoop to their level of deception," Luna said with a very visible frown.
"Fine," Harris grunted. "I'll make an honest deal with the bastards."
"How many soldiers will you be taking with you?" Celestia questioned.
A small grin formed on Matthew's face. "None. If we want to earn their trust, we need to show Chrysalis and her hive that we are willing to trust them. And before you ask, the answer is yes I'm sure about this. Besides, we need to keep what's left of our army together as much as we can until we're ready to retaliate. I should be back in two or three days after I leave. If I'm not back by then, send some soldiers to find me and kill the Changelings."
"What will you do if Chrysalis refuses to help us?" Luna curiously asked Matthew.
"Then I'll kill her like the bug she is," Matthew darkly answered. "However, it is clear that Chrysalis will do whatever it takes to save her subjects. Her actions in Canterlot is proof of that. I'm confident she'll be willing to help us if it means they won't starve to death."
Without saying another word, the gray and black commander left the room. When Matthew was out of the dining room, he saw that Swift Strike was standing right in front of him.
“How much did you hear?” Matthew asked with an annoyed sigh.
“Everything,” Strike answered without a moment’s hesitation. He gave his superior a stern look. “Going there alone is pure suicide.”
“If she values her life and that of her hive’s, she’ll cooperate. If I’m not back in three days, you are to kill every Changeling in that fucking hive.”
A soft grin formed on Strike’s muzzle. “As you wish.”