A Routine Checkup [PM for invite]

[Tiktaalik]

It had been a fairly typical day in Stalliongrad's Kuznitza District and now it seemed like the night would be the same. Even though many ponies and other residents had gone home to sleep, plenty of factories were still lit up, churning along into the night. Though the streets and skies were far emptier at this hour, there was one honey-colored pegasus flying around like he had somewhere to go, though he wasn't on his way to any of factories. Or, any of the operational ones, anyways. He flew up to the window of a fairly run-down, abandoned factory, peeking in. Or...attempting to for a short moment, but it was too covered in soot to see anything, and too dark inside anyhow. This spookiness didn't deter him, though--any more than the 'no trespassing' signs--and he pushed the creaky window open, flying inside, making sure to close it behind him.

This pegasus certainly didn't look like the type to be snooping around a place like this. He certainly didn't look rough or delinquent in the slightest--and anyone who'd met him knew for certain he wasn't--yet here he was. Somehow...a soft green glow started near his forehead, illuminating the inside a bit. He took a moment to eye the left-behind machinery and such curiously. He had to admit, ponies' industry was...impressive. Not that ponies were the only ones here. He was surprised to see just how many species worked together towards common goals in this place. Though, back home things were even more efficient--and not driven by something so shallow as money.

After poking around a bit, he chose a spot with less junk and glass and whatnot than usual, and sat down, like he was waiting for something. It certainly wasn't any less cold in here...but at least there was no wind. And, he had scarf for himself, which he re-wrapped in an attempt to get some extra warmth our of it, shuddering a bit. One thing he certainly did not like about operating here so far was the cold. 'Where are they...', he thought to himself, eager to get someplace warm.

[Bellosh]

Someone was going to pay for recommending this location! According to Snively’s scouts, this abandoned factory in Stalliongrad would be the perfect place for changelings to conduct a covert rendezvous. There was little chance that someone could get lost heading to a landmark as obvious as a factory, and in a worst-case scenario, it’d take little effort for the shapeshifting to come up with a cover story to interloping ponies. It’s too bad though that the bureaucrat’s underlings couldn’t have picked a settlement in a warmer climate.

To his good fortune though, Snively had once obtained a beat-up winter coat as part of a bribe from one of his other “fellow” changelings. Suitably warm, the diminutively sized bug waited upstairs in what had once been an office for his contact to arrive; the room was filled with cobwebs and dust, but at least the wind chill wasn’t so bad upstairs. Tonight, Snively would be meeting with one of the Hive’s undercover agents, a drone by the name of Figment. For at least a year now, this drone used his powers of disguise in an attempt to collect love for the Hive without another risky invasion. Snively however never really believed that Figment’s plan was anything but a waste of time; this evening, he’d find out for sure.

As Celestia’s sun set on Stalliongrad, the gray changeling realized to his annoyance that his contact was thirty minutes late. BAH, typical! Yet before Snively became more disgruntled, a sudden sound from the factory ground floor below made the changeling jerk up in alarm. Silently sneaking out onto an overlooking industrial catwalk, the Hive bureaucrat saw a pegasus matching the description of Figment’s cover identity waiting there. Trepidation replaced with boldness, Snively didn't bother with a disguise as he glared and shouted out in his trademark nasally-authoritative voice; “You’re late Figment, get up here now!!! The Hive of Her Magnificence doesn’t have all night for you to dilly-dally!

[Tiktaalik]

The fact that he was no longer moving around didn't really hep his cold situation, and now Figment was shivering severely, sulking a bit. He'd been nearly in the middle of 'befriending' a pony, and could have been feeding even more at the moment! He was aware meetings like this were needed for the good of the Hive, but...it was a bit less convenient than he'd like. Plus, it seemed like whoever he was meeting with was late.

...Or, he could be late, he thought, as he suddenly heard a grating voice scolding him from above. He just barely refrained from placing a hoof to one of his temples. 'It's going to be one of those meetings...' Even though his loyalty to the Queen and her Hive was absolute, it irritated him when changelings picked at each other this way. They were supposed to be better than that! He'd give this one the benefit of the doubt, as always, for now. Maybe they were just grumpy because of the cold. Whatever the case, he let his disguise burn away and flew up to the other's level, saluting in a serious and professional manner as he landed. "Apologies... I was dealing with a pony. They kept insisting I stay the night with them..."

[Bellosh]

Snively sighed when he heard Figment’s excuse for being late. One thing the hiveling detested about letting undercover drones collect love was that in order to do so, they needed to get... *shudder* close to those fleabags. Not just close proximity-wise, but associating with them too… and trying to fool the pony into befriending them. It didn’t take too many brain cells for a bureaucratic changeling like Snively to figure out that if an operative of Queen Chrysalis wasn’t careful enough, his or her loyalties could become... treasonously clouded.

But Snively would make every effort to make sure Figment wasn’t lost to the Hive. “Well, follow me into the office then,” the higher-up grumbled as he walked back into the room; “There are many matters to discuss. The Hive needs to know how effective your love collecting efforts are.” Now back inside the dilapidated office, Snively turned back towards Figment with a sneering predatory stare; “And whether or not your abilities are best served back home in Her Majesty’s kingdom. I’d hate to find out that I’ve wasted my time coming here to this no-good pony factory.....”

[Tiktaalik]

At least he didn't get nagged at for making an excuse--a very reasonable excuse, in his mind. Nodding, he followed the other changeling into the office. Seemed appropriate... Figment listened intently as Snively spoke to him--disregarding all of the sneering and whatnot--, confident that his results would be satisfactory. Mostly because he'd had a good passed few days...but his loyalty implored him to stay as honest as possible. "Well, I haven't starved, so it's possible to survive like this, obviously. Thriving...can be a bit harder. Definitely not as easy as replacing someone. Or as fast, anyways... I have to earn their trust from scratch.", he explained. "It can work, though. And if it doesn't work out, you can just move on without any suspicion. Plus...you can be whoever you want."

He lifted one end of his scarf, eying it for a moment as he went on. "As for this place...the residents can seem rough around the edges, but there's potential. It didn't take long at all for one of them to see I was cold and offer me their scarf without me even doing anything. The same one who wanted me to stay at their home..." Figment couldn't help but think of how much he'd rather be there than in some junky, cold factory. He looked back to the other changeling. "They're also mostly simple factory workers in this district--I wouldn't expect any annoyingly clever ones here, either." Hopefully, Snively would be fair with him. There was no reason he could see to be sent back to the Hive. Spying like this was his specialty, and the only thing he'd ever done.

[Bellosh]

"Well, I haven't starved, so it's possible to survive like this, obviously. Thriving...can be a bit harder. Definitely not as easy as replacing someone. Or as fast, anyways... I have to earn their trust from scratch. It can work, though. And if it doesn't work out, you can just move on without any suspicion. Plus...you can be whoever you want."

If non-royal changeling eyes had irises, then Snively's would be rolling right now. He wasn't interested in hearing about the nitty-gritty of what Figment’s task entailed; the higher-up only wanted results! So what if the operative could survive on his own; how would the Hive benefit from it? After subtly shaking his head, Snively saw fit to get right to the point; “Well since it looks like you’re doing very well for yourself drone, I’m correct in guessing that you have plenty of substance for your fellow changelings back home, am I right? I’d sure they’d like to hear some good news too.” Whatever Figment said, it had better impress…

"As for this place...the residents can seem rough around the edges, but there's potential. It didn't take long at all for one of them to see I was cold and offer me their scarf without me even doing anything. The same one who wanted me to stay at their home... They're also mostly simple factory workers in this district--I wouldn't expect any annoyingly clever ones here, either."

So Figment had intelligence on the ponies too, eh? It was nice to know that Stalliongrad was just as suitable a feeding ground as any other place in Equestria, but so far, no other exception to the rule had revealed itself either. As far as Snively was concerned, Figment’s bit of information was essentially useless. But the diminutively-sized changeling would give the undercover operative a chance to prove himself a useful spy; “And what of their armies, Figment? What sort of defenses could impede large-scale harvests in this region? How much resistance should we anticipate?” Figment would be a most useless spy indeed if the drone managed to neglect gathering even the most basic intelligence on local military capabilities.....

[Tiktaalik]

He sulked a bit at the response he got. Obviously this cushy bureaucrat had no interest in all of the fine details and work that spies actually went through. Figment wondered if Snivley had ever even attempted any basic espionage. This information was important, too..! Though, he mentally admitted that he had been a bit self-centered with his report. He'd spent so long working by himself, it was almost natural by now to only think of his own needs... Still, Figment attempted to remain civil, nodding. "Right... I'm not just doing well for myself. You'll see. Take all the love you want.", he offered confidently. As for what, exactly, he had to offer, it would probably be an 'above average' amount of love, but nothing spectacular. 'Just leave me with something.', he hoped silently. Working while famished could really cloud his judgement...

Figment's eyes widened slightly at the second line of questioning. Well, that certainly sounded like it contradicted his entire personal goal of safety and subtlety. He hesitated briefly, before continuing. "Well...the residents here aren't as generally soft as the wealthy ponies of Canterlot. At least, not in areas like this. And even in the richer areas, I'm fairly sure that there are plenty of private guards--not always ponies--along with regular, military ones. Stalliongrad as a whole is very diverse...nearly every species in some amount lives or works here." He paused for a moment, think of how to carefully word the next bit... "The kind of resistance here would be...not ideal. It's a well-rounded population, with no obvious weaknesses. It would be better to take a less aggressive approach, unless the Hive were at full strength. But...that's just one drone's opinion..."

Figment may have been biased towards his own subtle methods, but...he'd truly rather not see his fellow changelings get pummeled again. Along with himself. Unless Chrysalis had some kind of trick in mind that could take a whole city easily. He certainly wouldn't be surprised. No one in the entirety of the world was as clever and cunning as her! That Canterlot mess was just a fluke...

[Bellosh]

"Right... I'm not just doing well for myself. You'll see. Take all the love you want."

Snively duly noted Figment’s offer; “In due time; once we’ve taken care of other matters.” Besides, it wouldn’t do to leave the infiltrator too drained from a love extraction to continue the debriefing. And so the higher-up shifted the direction of the conversation towards intelligence gathered about the city of Stalliongrad around them.

"Well...the residents here aren't as generally soft as the wealthy ponies of Canterlot. At least, not in areas like this. And even in the richer areas, I'm fairly sure that there are plenty of private guards--not always ponies--along with regular, military ones. Stalliongrad as a whole is very diverse...nearly every species in some amount lives or works here. The kind of resistance here would be...not ideal. It's a well-rounded population, with no obvious weaknesses. It would be better to take a less aggressive approach, unless the Hive were at full strength. But...that's just one drone's opinion..."

The bureaucrat thought this information from the spy to be highly curious. Little ole’ Snively stayed behind at the Hive when Queen Chrysalis and many of her faithful subjects sacked Canterlot, so he wasn’t there to experience their “banishment” firsthoof. But being a changeling of high rank, Snively was privy to the fact that despite the increased defense for that vomit-inducing royal wedding, organized resistance from the Royal Guard collapsed within minutes. Assuming the ponies who guarded Stalliongrad were of that same caliber, the arrogant drone didn’t expect much from these people too.

“That’s for our most honorable ruler to decide,” Snively sharply reminded the operative, not wanting Figment to forget which changeling was in charge around here; “Only Her Majesty, Queen Chrysalis, has the wisdom and foresight to decide on how to proceed with mass-harvests in Stalliongrad. I’ll… make sure to note your findings however in my report to the Queen.” If the shorter drone noted one drawback about this northern city, it would be the fact that it was infested with more than just ponies. Equines contained the highest levels of love among all species known to the shapeshifting; therefore, a population containing significant numbers of non-ponies would drastically reduce the qualities of harvests.

While on the subject of harvesting; “And with that, now is the appropriate time to begin the love extraction. Don’t you dare move while the process is underway, drone.” A green spark spouted forth from Snively’s bent horn, charging up as it prepared to take from Figment what would nourish the Hive.....

[Tiktaalik]

While Snivley might've been leery at changelings like himself, Figment had a similar feeling towards the ones like Snivley--though, he'd never let it interfere with his duty, of course. It was one thing to scheme against and/or exploit other creatures, but his type seemed like they schemed against and exploited other changelings... Not to mention gumming up the Hive with all their red tape and metaphorical hoops. He sometimes questioned just how much of that apparent nonsense was actually the Queen's will. Most of them were, in a term he'd heard ponies say, merely 'jerks', in his mind. At least not many had a voice like this one, though...

He wasn't really sure if it was his grating voice, the words, or some mixture of both, but Figment's nerve started showing a bit, narrowing his eyes slightly. "I'm aware... I'm allowed to have my own perspective, though. However, I doubt she'd approve of you acting so antagonistic. We're supposed to be on the same side, sir.", he said in a considerably less relaxed and subservient tone than before. "But...yes. I trust you'll pass on my information as I said it." Figment was more concerned with accuracy than he was of possibly being slandered by some screechy bureaucrat, though.

He quickly recomposed himself when the time to pass on love came. "Of course...", he said, fully expecting to be left with nearly nothing. But he wasn't about to give Snively any satisfaction of him apologizing or groveling. Figment knew he was good at his job, and didn't deserve to be bullied by the likes of him.

[Bellosh]

"I'm aware... I'm allowed to have my own perspective, though. However, I doubt she'd approve of you acting so antagonistic. We're supposed to be on the same side, sir. But...yes. I trust you'll pass on my information as I said it."

The gray insect-like equine let off a rather ear-piercing “Hmmmmmmmmm” as his face squinched up in total annoyance. Who was this mere underling to dare assume what Her Supreme Excellency approved or not approved of? Before he arrived in Stalliongrad, Snively had no developed opinions on Figment other than that his mission might not have been the wisest course of action. Judging by this drone’s boldness however, the truth about Figment’s character became all too clear to Snively; that the spy meant to backstab and supplant him somehow!

What was absolutely clear to the smaller changeling was that Figment’s access to the Queen should be curtailed at all costs; that the spy should never earn the favor of Chrysalis, the most majestic of all rulers. To do that, Snively guessed that the easiest method to keep the other drone away was to keep him far away in Equestria. Paradoxically however, the bureaucrat would then have to argue that whatever Figment was accomplishing was of such vital importance that he wouldn’t be able to return for a long time… a very long time. Enough time for Figment to be conveniently “forgotten” by all his fellow changelings. Yes… yes..... that spy would never be able to interfere with Snively’s plans now! Snively oh so wanted to cackle out loud now...

"Of course..."

First though, the love extraction! Unleashing his love-draining magic, Snively’s green aura connected with Figment’s body as the higher-up began collecting substance. As Snively preformed the extraction, an eerie glow and the sound of nasty crackling filled the entire room, which could easily be seen from the factory floor downstairs. With each molecule of love gained, Snively felt himself growing stronger and stronger, if only by a little bit or so.

Based on what Snively could feel from within the spy, the bureaucrat judged that the undercover changeling had collected barely enough love to adequately nourish maybe… a tenth of the Hive for one month? Bleh; there was no way Figment’s harvesting plan could have a meaningful impact unless Queen Chrysalis authorized many more operatives to infiltrate Equestria. Based on how much risk a single changeling bore if they worked alone, it may not be a practical solution for harvesting for a large changeling kingdom at all.

But that was a dilemma to be solved in the future. Once Snively sensed that Figment was down to approximately a half-week’s supply of nourishment, he severed the connection to the drone. After the smaller drone severed the link, he gave the other a moment to recuperate from the extraction process if he needed to.....

[Pony_Sage]

“If the weather holds out, this might actually be a relatively relaxing two week’s leave.” Veracity thought to herself as the roan mare walked down the streets of the Kuznitza District of Stalliongrad. The night was fairly typical of the Northern City; the air was cold and crisp usually stinging the lungs if you took a deep enough breath. Veracity had been putting the ‘Moral Constraints’ through its paces for the past few weeks, part of the recertification process, and after a set of rather strenuous war games culminating in a live fire test that went smashingly she requested a short shore leave. The brass of the K.O.G. seemed to think that it was a good idea as well, plus the new first mate had arrived a few days before and he could be trusted to take care of the ship for two weeks. ‘It’s not like they are going to sail without me, the recertification inspection will take at least two weeks, if not longer. Plus it will give Martel bonding time with the crew.’ Veracity thought to herself as she paused next to an old abandoned factory.

The mare dug in her uniform’s pockets and fished out a soft pack of Lucky Bucks cigarettes, she took one in her mouth and then proceed to light it. The acrid smoke stung her lungs slightly, but the flavour couldn't be beat. As she gave it the first few puffs to get it going she surveyed her surroundings. Upon looking up at the factory’s uppermost set of windows she noticed an odd sight that caused her to pause for a moment. There hovered a little pegasus, smooshing his face up against the sooty glass and trying to get a better look inside of the dilapidated propellor factory. The pegasus was a light brown colour with a darker brown mane and a slightly less than average physique. He surely didn’t look like the type to be snooping around at night, this was odd.

Veracity stood in the shadows for a while watching the pegasus inspect the windows looking for something but then an odd thing occured. From what she could make out in the murky darkness, a soft green light aided him in opening the window and he flew inside.

‘Well now ...’ Veracity thought to herself as she dropped the cigarette and crushed it out with her hoof.

“Tonight might just get interesting after all.” The officer mumbled as she spread her above average size wings and adjusted the feathers for flight. She also tightened the strap on her rapier and undid the small piece of leather cord that she used to hold her rapier in it’s scabbard.

Veracity’s wings took one downstroke and she was airborne, aloft on the cool breeze. She quietly flew over to the window where the pony had been looking in and observed the scene herself. Being that she was in an official uniform it was unlikely that anypony would mistake her for a would be trespasser. She spied the little pegasus, he was just sitting down in the factory all alone.

‘Why is he just sitting there? Maybe he is waiting for someone, I best wait to see what they are up to.’ Veracity thought, quietly flapping in place.

Shortly a small, what looked to be unicorn appeared on a gantry and yelled something that she couldn’t make out at the pegasus. The two spoke briefly, again veracity couldn’t make out what they were saying, then the pegasus flew up to the foreman’s office and they closed the door.

This was Veracity’s chance, she stealthily slunk into factory through the now open window and perched up in the rafters. Now it was impossible for her to hear what was going on, but with the very slight light in the office she was able to make out general shapes and locations of the ponies relative to each other. As they spoke she gently walked across the rafters so that she was in a more opportune location to see the pair and maybe discern what exactly was going on. From this new angle she could make out every third word or so. Apparently they were speaking of how nice the ponies were who lived here or some such. Then something about the military. She got the impression that the smaller outline was the boss and the one, that she assumed was a pegasus, was an underling.

Then something very strange happened, yet again. This time it was far more obvious than the last however. An eerie green glow and what sounded like crackling sparks seemed to fill the entire office, and a portion of the factory floor below. Veracity remained perched on her rafter for a few more moments until the crackling died down. In the eerie green light she could see the two figures more clearly. They had odd shapes, translucent wings, odd holes in their legs, and ragged horns.

‘These, things, must be the changelings that attacked Canterlot a while back. Odd, I’ve only heard about them by rough description but from what I’ve heard they usually operate in larger numbers. Oh well, time to go to work!’ Veracity thought to herself as she drew her rapier.

She hopped off of the rafter and pulled her wings in; to dive and pick up some speed first. She would need all the speed that she could muster for the stunt that she was going to pull off. As she neared the floor the practiced mare flared her wings open and caught the air, rocketing up towards the office windows. She pumped hard with her wings, squeezing every last ounce of speed that she could out of them. She pulled her wings in again and reached forward with her hooves as she neared the window. She felt the glass break into tiny little shards,

‘Safety glass, thank Luna.’ She thought to herself.

As she burst through the window into the small office she flared her wings again, not only to stop but to look bigger than she actually was; more intimidating. There she stood with her front legs crossed, rapier in her mouth, and wings open wide as the glass fell all around her.

She managed to shout, “Stalliongrad Sky Marshall, cease and desist all activities. You are under arrest by the order of the K.O.G.!!” Hopefully these changelings wouldn't put up too much of a fight, this was her vacation after all.

[Tiktaalik]

Figment gave Snively an entirely unimpressed look at his reaction to displaying any sort of backbone. He had hoped the other changeling would understand what he was saying--that they should work together harmoniously rather than with all of this...negativity. It seemed it went way over his head, though, and now Figment figured he would surely be reported in a bad light. It was worth a try, though. Maybe it'd make Snively think twice before bullying another drone. He was oblivious to just how paranoid and vindictive the other changeling was, in reality...or he might've regretted it a bit.

And then came one of his less favorite parts. He was happy to give the changelings back home something to feed on, but the process itself wasn't exactly pleasant. He often wondered if this is what ponies felt whenever he fed off of them... Not that it mattered--their discomfort was irrelevant to the Hive's survival. As the love he'd gathered was transferred, Figment's entire body drooped very slightly, looking progressively more, well, drained. When it was done, he shook his head lightly, and sat down. Fortunately, he was left with at least something he could work with. He'd just have to go back to the pony he'd got the scarf from...

Before he could respond further, one of the most unpleasant series of sounds and commotion he could imagine occurred all at once. He hadn't even fully recovered from being drained yet, and her just stared in shock at the pegasus who'd literally burst in. He...must've been followed. Or something. Snively would likely never let him hear the end if this... But that wasn't important now. Thoughts raced through his somewhat groggy mind, trying to think of a way out. At least she'd been polite enough to not just cut them both down... Figment hopped between the smaller changeling and the pegasus, attempting to seem like he was still at full strength, hissing and glowing his horn threateningly. He might have not been overly fond of Snively, but he'd wouldn't let any harm come to him.

"You're outnumbered..! Leave and forget you saw anything, and you won't get hurt." He very much doubted she was going to just leave, though. He hoped Snively at least knew how to cast some kind of combat magic...or something. Figment wasn't the best fighter even in ideal conditions, and this was certainly not ideal. He might not have much of a choice, though... Especially if Snively simply bailed on him. At least only one of them would get pummeled...or run through, in that case, though...

[Bellosh]

“Stalliongrad Sky Marshall, cease and desist all activities. You are under arrest by the order of the K.O.G.!!”

NOOO! IMPOSSIBLE! The two changelings have been caught in the act, and by a pegasus officer no less! Oh Chrysalis, Snively was dooooooooomed!!! Why didn’t he pick a meeting place with an alternate escape route, lamented the poor Snively. Terror gripping his heart, the smaller of the two drones shrieked in fright and ducked behind Figment, figuring the operative could at least serve as a shield of sorts. And while Figment instantly opted for a show of force, Snively instead cowardly ducked his head and shook throughout the entirety of his rotten body. There seemed no escape for the lowly bureaucrat now…

"You're outnumbered..! Leave and forget you saw anything, and you won't get hurt."

With that simple act of defiance from Figment however, some common sense finally managed to penetrate Snively’s brick-headed mind. That pegasus may have a sword on her, but the bug-like equine has just finished feasting on a substantial amount of love. Sure, Snively never bothered to practice self-defense spells all that much given that he hardly ever needed to leave the comforts of the Hive, but the small fry suddenly felt confident in his ability to take on the pony himself. Furthermore, Figment was now in a far weaker state than Snively… should the bureaucrat need to make a run for it, the other changeling would be the one left behind… and the one who’d get captured. That’s how things worked in the wild after all; the fittest survive and the weak perish… and Snively was the stronger of the two.

Yet regardless of Snively’s rekindled hope, he remained a snivelling coward at heart even in this most dire of situations. Maybe the gray drone could intimidate the hostile soldier into letting them go? Gathering his wits, Snively boldly flew up into the air (while keeping Figment in between himself and the pony) and made a massive show of acting indignant. “How DARE you threaten us, fleabag!” the changeling furiously pointed at the soldier, his voice blasting with as much nasally authority as Snively could muster; “We have the right to go anywhere we please in this horrid country of yours. If you imprison the two of us, then rest assured you, and your loved ones, will suffer the consequences.....”

[Pony_Sage]

'Looks like they want to do this that hard way.' Veracity thought to herself as the somewhat droopy looking changeling jumped in front of the cowering one. She assessed the situation. Neither of these changelings seemed to pose a large threat. The changeling that was directly in front of her seemed to be rather drained and droopy from the feeding that had just occurred. Although he was much more fit than the one that is behind him. The cowering changeling had the physique of a desk chair jockey, and apparently the spine to boot.

'The one in the back is probably some sort of bureaucrat checking up on how the other is doing, I mean look at that flank. I guess someponies need more cushioning when they sit on a hard chair every day. The one in the front though, he seems to be more competent, I would guess he is an infiltrator sort. Sent to suss out our defenses and procedures. He might be a little bit of trouble, those types always like to run.' Veracity thought to herself as the droopy changeling began to yell at her.

"You're outnumbered..! Leave and forget you saw anything, and you won't get hurt." He shouted at her.

'HA, now that is funny!' The military mare thought to herself as she let out a small chuckle. 'I've had more intimidating bowls of porridge from the mess hall. The one in the front even looks as though he as the flu. That energy draining must take a lot out of somepony.' Her train of thought continued.

The cowering changeling seemed to be invigorated by the display from the one that was protecting him and popped his head up to say something to her as well.

“How DARE you threaten us, fleabag! We have the right to go anywhere we please in this horrid country of yours. If you imprison the two of us, then rest assured you, and your loved ones, will suffer the consequences.....”

'Threatening an officer of the V.S.S. Tisk tisk.' She thought with a smile.

Veracity lowered her wings and slid her rapier back into its scabbard, these changelings didn't seem like too much of a threat to the very well trained mare. After all, she had gone up against numerous sky pirates before and they were much more competent than these louts. She puffed up her chest, making sure that they could see not only her rank insignia, but also the commendations and medals that she had won over he long career. She then began to speak, “I don't care who you THINK that you are. You are trespassing on VSS property. An offense punishable by either a month in the brig, or four-hundred hours community service. Threatening a duly appointed Officer of the VSS on the other hoof, that's a different story. If you stand down and come with me I will let your moment of, let's call it indiscretion, go. However if you resist, I will be sure that the judge throws the book at you.” She spoke with the authority that only comes with years of practice and service; her icy blue eyes boring into the bureaucrat's own sickly green eyes. Her nerves tingled, ready to move in an instant if these two decided to either bolt or pick a fight with her.

[Tiktaalik]

Figment had to use a great deal of his willpower to refrain from planting a hoof firmly to his face at Snively's immediate cowering. He''d be hoping that he would have at least some bite to go along with his bark. Or...screech. His mind began to race with possible ways out of this mess. His thinking was interrupted, though, by Snively's nasally threats from close behind him. Well...at least he was doing something, though it was a bit late. As he expected, the pegasus wasn't intimidated in the least. "You know, bluffing works better if you don't cower immediately prior to it...", he grumbled quietly at the other changeling.

So, getting the officer to leave didn't seem to be an option. He didn't have much faith in Snively's fighting ability, either. Or his own, for that matter...but, he'd at least be able to shoot her with a spell or something if he had a bit more energy. If only she'd busted in a moment earlier... Thinking on 'if's wouldn't help, though. He wouldn't survive a month in prison. However...he wondered how easy it would be to just disguise himself and slip away while doing 'community service'. Risky, but better than the alternative, if they couldn't escape or fight their way out. Or...maybe neither. He let his expression soften considerably.

"Please just let us leave...we were only here because there's no other place for us to be, well...us. We're just trying to survive, y'know..." It wasn't often that Figment put on an act as himself, but he was just as good as when undercover. Hopefully Snively would play along..and not mess it up. "A month in jail would kill us! I don't think we'd get much love cleaning up trash or whatever either... I'm sorry, okay? Can't you let let us off with a warning? We'll find someplace else..."

[Bellosh]

"You know, bluffing works better if you don't cower immediately prior to it..."

Sounds like a certain annoying changeling didn’t know when to hold his tongue. “Silence, drone!” Snively harshly whispered to Figment; “Never argue to a superior in front of the Enemy!” As the smaller insectoid equine feared, the uniformed pegasus mare saw Figment’s smartalec attitude as a window of opportunity to threaten the two changelings with imprisonment and what sounded like a twisted euphemism for slave labor. There was no way Snively would accept the soldier’s offer; undoubtedly it was a trick to loosen his guard enough so that he could be more easily captured. It’s what the backstabber would be doing in the soldier’s position, after all.

"Please just let us leave...we were only here because there's no other place for us to be, well...us. We're just trying to survive, y'know... A month in jail would kill us! I don't think we'd get much love cleaning up trash or whatever either... I'm sorry, okay? Can't you let let us off with a warning? We'll find someplace else..."

Oh boy, Figment was one to talk about cowering. Did this idiot actually believe the guard would fall for such a blatantly phony act? As Snively understood ponies, if they’d actually accept the changeling species as one worthy of unmolested existence, then changelings wouldn’t have need for their shape-shifting abilities in the first place. No; the only things ponies took seriously are violence, and the threat of violence. For Equestrians were at heart peace-loving cowards, and would never dare put themselves and their loved ones in danger.

Working from this understanding of pony society, Snively backed up Figment’s pleas with the threat of retaliation. “Indeed, our special needs would ensure our doom if you locked us in a dungeon,” the airborne diminutively-sized changeling commented, looking away from the uniformed mare as if he knew something that she didn’t; “In case you didn’t know, my colleague and I follow the rule of a most benevolent monarch; Chrysalis the Magnificent. Our Queen loves each of her subjects as if they were her own children… and to move Tartarus and Earth to defend... or avenge her children.”

~Chrysalis would fight tooth and nail to save us two..... w-w-would she?~

When Snively turned his head back to face the Enemy, he did so with a devilish smile on his face. Surely now that he had the mare’s attention, the bureaucrat could now exploit ponykind’s general lack of knowledge about Queen Chrysalis and her Hive to make sinister threats of his own. “Should we wither away under your cruel captivity, Queen Chrysalis will undoubtedly be… eh heh heh heh heh… very upset. She will bring a GRAND well-armed host of our strongest warriors to Stalliongrad… and She will decimate everything without mercy!”

“You thought Canterlot was the greatest demonstration of our power?” Snively bluffed further, taking comfort in the maxim that all warfare is ultimately based on deception; “Our armies will burn Stalliongrad to the ground to enact vengeance! You will become our slaves! Your spouses, friends, and elders will be our slaves! And your children...” the smaller changeling took a moment to cackle menacingly; “Heh heh heh..... the love you give them will make excellent morsels for us all… heh heh heh ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.....”

With that unpleasant nastiness out of way, now was the mare’s chance to “prevent” such a ghastly fate for her people. For the last part of his bluff, the conniving bureaucrat hovered off in such a way that Figment was closer to the door… and to the Enemy’s possible assault. “Of course, we are all civilized equines,” Snively now attempted to act innocently; “You’d never allow things to ever come to that, would you?” Now for the grand finale thought the smirking changeling; “Lay down your weapon and stand aside… and your city will be spared the wrath of Her Supreme Majesty. Or feel free to commit an act of war on the entire changeling species. The choice… is up to you.”

[Pony_Sage]

‘So the annoying one is the superior and the rather pathetic looking one is the underling. I honestly don’t think that two changelings could do any amount of damage in stalliongrad, but better safe than sorry.’ The mare thought to herself as she stood as stationary as a statue and not batting an eye at the argument between the two. The closer changeling, the one who was considerably less shrill, had a sudden shift in emotion. His countenance became softer and more earnest in its appearance.

"Please just let us leave...we were only here because there's no other place for us to be, well...us. We're just trying to survive, y'know... A month in jail would kill us! I don't think we'd get much love cleaning up trash or whatever either... I'm sorry, okay? Can't you let let us off with a warning? We'll find someplace else..."

‘Well, I ...’ Veracity’s mind raced. Sometimes the mare got caught up in the moment so much so that she lost sight of the bigger picture. ‘... The only place that they can be themselves … How is that fair? Isn’t one of the core Celestial Tenants; Love and Compassion?’ Veracity wore a strange look upon her face as she pondered the implications.

‘They attacked Canterlot, and were planning on subjugating ponykind so that they could feed off of us. They tend to kidnap ponies and assume their place and harvest our love and compassion. But, why then could we not live in harmony? If we as a race of Ponies, truly believe in tolerance and friendship, why do they have to subjugate us?Why can they not live along side of us, and gain their sustenance that way? Would that be wrong? Do they need more than the average pony can give? I … I am at a loss ...’ For the first time in many many years, the military mare was stumped. This little sick looking, for lack of a better word, leech just confounded her.

However this brief moment of quiet contemplation was immediately interrupted by the grating voice of the hovering changeling. His idle threats were slowly getting on the mare’s last nerve, his voice didn’t help either. Her eyes locked onto his, almost boring a hole straight through his skull. Her head followed his every bob and movement just as an owl watches a mouse. ‘If they attack, I don’t have to worry about the drained one. Minimal threat at best. Main objective, Superior officer. Information, valuable. Bartering chip, valuable. Assessment, capture at all costs.’ She thought as her mind fell back into her training days. What was about to follow would be the most biting and terrifying speech that she could muster.

“Shut your mouth, you annoying proletariat. If my wilderness training serves me well, the queen bee doesn’t sacrifice her entire hive to rescue two …” At this point she took a step forward with a resounding noise on the floorboards.

-THUMP-

“Insignificant ..” She took another step forward as her voice began to seethe.

-THUMP-

“Powerless …” She was slowly approaching, throwing her presence at the two trespassers.

-THUMP-

“ … Little worker bees like yourselves …” She was only a few feet from the two now. She spoke with such presence and power that one would think that she filled the entire room and mountains would quake for fear of her wrath.

“... After all, that’s all you are. Little worker bees. Expendable. Simply cogs in the machine of the hive. Replaceable. Why would she care if you two were locked away and left to rot in the gulags? There are always more.” At this point the two of them could most likely feel her hot breath on their faces as she slowly crept closer, her monologue continuing.

“How insecure you must feel. Knowing that your life, your being, can be thrown away like a half eaten apple. Discarded and forgotten. And who would blame her? No one. After all, she is the almighty and powerful Hive Queen Chrysalis. Who are YOU to question her decisions? Two little worker drones? Pfah!” Veracity was taking a small amount of pleasure in verbally demeaning these two. Especially the one with the cheesegrater lodged where his voice box should be. She wanted to beat these two down, not physically but mentally. She wanted them to question their beliefs, their core being.

“Even if your Queen Chrysalis noticed that you were gone, and IF she sent the entire hive after. Two. Little. Worker drones. What would that amount to? This is Stalliongrad! The Jewel of the North! We etched this city out of the cold and foreboding white. We have stood since before the Celestial Sisters rose to power, and we will stand long afterwards. We are the bastion of hope in the North. We exemplify the pony spirit. With iron and steel we created all that you see before you. With sweat and blood we made buildings that scrape the very heavens above.” Veracity was letting her heavy Stallion accent slip into her speech to give it more impact.

“And you, with your little enclave of parasites think that you can even stand against the might and determination of the Vooruzhennye sily Stalliongrad?! We have airships! We have ponies and griffins, and all other myriad of species willing to fight and die to protect Stalliongrad from the likes of you! Most of all, we have the determination to win, no matter the cost.” Veracity’s voice had raised during the last speech, she was now sounding like a professional orator inciting the troops to war.

“I’ve had enough of you pathetic prattle. I have half a mind to cut you down where you stand, and bring you back to your beloved hive, strapped to the bow of my ship. Be glad that, that, isn’t the pony way. Be glad that I swore an oath to protect life, no matter it’s form. To protect the small and meek from the trodding heels of oppression. That oath even extends to the likes of you.” The mare spoke with power, but less so than before. She was presenting an almost accepting and understanding side now.

“Stand down. If you stand down and come with me I will make sure that no harm befalls you. You won’t be deprived of sustenance nor will you be mistreated. You will be convicted as trespassers; you will be questioned and interrogated; you will answer these questions to the best of your ability; then you will be deported back to your hive aboard my ship. You have my word as a Captain, and you have my word as a pony, that you will not be harmed.” Veracity was harsh but earnest in this statement. She would do all that was within her considerable powers to make sure these two interlopers were returned from whence they came.

“From the Captain of the ‘Moral Constraints’ [ROV] of the VSS. Please. Stand. Down. I don’t want to have to do this the hard way.” Her powerful voice had become a hint softer and more welcoming at this point. However there was still strength in her words, a power of will that could not be denied. A feeling that if this mare were to be fighting for you, you would have a powerful ally. But if she was fighting against you? Heaven and Equestria would hold no place where you could hide.At this point if her tactful maneuvering had gone to plan, the mare had distracted both of the changelings from the fact that she was backing them into a corner. She stood in front of the two, wings held wide. Not in a threatening manner as before, but a welcoming manner. As if to welcome them onto her ship and accept them for who they were.

[Tiktaalik]

Figment felt a great sense of relief as his act appeared to have the desired effect on the pegasus, causing her to hesitate for a moment. Not that what he'd said was untrue, necessarily--really, there weren't many creatures in the world that would tolerate changelings. However...that plan was blown to pieces when Snively began to literally threaten war upon Stalliongrad, in what might have been an effective bluff; against a more soft-minded pony. This one obviously wasn't. 'Nononono! Shut up, you squeaky ingrate!', he thought frantically. He watched in borderline horror like he was witnessing a train-wreck as the other changeling squawked on and on, digging a hole even he couldn't get them out of now.

Sure enough, the pegasus became riled. Snively might as well have thrown a box on TNT into the fire. Though Figment slowly backed away as the imposing pegasus approached them, his nerves were getting stuck upon as well. He weathered her entire collection of threats and...words regarding his Queen. If he was in fighting condition, he would have blasted her for speaking that way about her! He almost hoped Snively would, if he wasn't so convinced he'd just mess it up. Despite his huge disadvantage, and fear, he spoke up defensively. "...Don't talk about Queen Chrysalis that way..! You don't know her. She does care about all of us. Even the weakest hive workers...we're all a family." Though Figment was upset, he seemed less angry and more like he was merely correcting this ignorant pony. Though, he'd make no comment on whether or not the Hive could actually take Stalliongrad in a fight.

"But...she can't babysit us all. Drones outside the Hive know we might not come back...", he added a bit gravely, glancing to Snively briefly...as if to check his reaction and truly how loyal he was. Figment was very much tempted to just leave him to his own devices and give up on trying to cover his blundering. But...even if Snively hated him, and might as well have been a saboteur, he was still part of the Hive. A part he didn't see eye to eye with very often, but still... Figment took a moment to to compose himself, taking a breath and letting out a small sigh. "Just...calm down. Don't be so hard on him. He's just scared. We both have good reason to be.", he said, eying her with more and more suspicion as she kept on talking. He knew they were pretty much at her mercy, but what kind of awful arrangement was that?!

He frowned at her 'offer', thought tried to look more wary and concerned for their survival than displeased. "Interrogation is the 'easy' way...huh? And...who, exactly, is going to give us any sort of affection?" Snively certainly didn't need any love right away...but he did. The interrogation part really didn't concern him much. He'd just give false information. However...he was worried at how Snively would handle it, unless he'd actually listen to his coaching attempts. There was only so much he could do on his end to protect the other changeling in this situation. This was assuming he didn't just start panicking and attack or something...

[Bellosh]

EEEEP! Snively let off a pathetic squeal as the Enemy stomped forward, giving off such a fury the likes of which the bumbling idiot never thought possible with a pony. Even though the uniformed mare had no possible way of knowing anything about the real Queen Chrysalis, it turned out that whatever fear the soldier might have had in her body paled beyond comparison to the amount festering within Snively. If there was one thing in the world that filled the mustache-twirling changeling with terror beyond imagination, it would be risking the displeasure of his Mistress. Surely the Queen would be most infuriated if one of the Hive’s top administrators carelessly got outwitted by a single pony! And even if Chrysalis saw extraordinary value in Snively’s talents now, numerous other rivals would crawl out of the woodwork like termites to take over his position and cast him into the realm of immaterial.

Blessed with the voice of Command, the enemy soldier’s words made the hovering changeling recoil backwards. Far from being intimidated, the dark roan pegasus weaved such a vision of the infallible might and splendor of Stalliongrad that made even Snively doubt the natural superiority of the Changeling Kingdom. Had the pony continued on in such a bold fashion, the smaller and fainter-hearted of the two insectoid equines might have ended up weeping on the floor begging to be accepted into the fold of Equestria.

But then the Enemy made a grave mistake; she started propagandizing about the peace-loving merciful nature of ponykind. All at once, Snively remembered that for all their bluster and saber rattling, ponies would always be at heart the more cowardly species; the livestock that nourished the superior changeling horde. Just like that, the bureaucrat’s anxiety evaporated away like water on a hot summer’s day, and his mind rushed to brew how he could make his great escape from the nets of Stalliongrad.

"But...she can't babysit us all. Drones outside the Hive know we might not come back... Just...calm down. Don't be so hard on him. He's just scared. We both have good reason to be."

Snively growled and showed his fangs on reflex as he fumed over Figment’s words. As a top-ranked bureaucrat, the gray changeling had every expectation of returning to the Hive safe and sound, and he took every precaution to make sure nobody noticed his clandestine actions. Figment… he was the one responsible for causing this catastrophe. HE wasn’t the one careful enough to check for bystanders before breaking into the factory. BAH! Snively would rot in Tartarus before letting himself be foiled by the likes of Figment! That spy; he should be the one to suffer for his mistake!!!

Figment however had one last duty to perform before meeting his doom; to enable the escape of the changeling who thought himself as the most prized servant of Queen Chrysalis. Snively and Figment might have been backed up against a wall, but that also meant the brick-headed soldier wasn’t blocking the way out either. Now all that Snively needed to accomplish was remind Figment of harsh, cold reality... and Snively’s freedom was all but assured. “I hate to concur with my... colleague,” the changeling sneered as he arrogantly craned his neck up high; “But the fact remains that if we surrender... we’ll sadly perish.” Glaring into the mare’s light blue eyes, Snively added mock concern to his know-it-all voice as he claimed; “If you refuse to honor your oath to protect all life, us poor changelings,” here he turned to Figment; “Will have to fight for our survival.....”

[Pony_Sage]

Veracity took the time, as the two changelings were trying to intimidate her further, to edge around them so that they would be truly in the corner that she had backed them into previously. ‘These two are exceptionally dense, either that or stupidly brave. I can’t decide which.’ The seasoned veteran thought to herself as the paper pushing changeling started up his threats again. He was trying to twist her words around; trying to make her feel like the badpony here. Unfortunately for him Veracity knew that she had the law and justice on her side. Her moral compass always pointed North, when it came to the good of Ponykind. From the reports that she had managed to read about the Canterlot incident, these parasites had not only assaulted the Her Majesty Celestia, but they had full out invaded Canterlot with the sole purpose of conquering all of Equestria. After that incident, the changeling race had been banished from the Celestial Kingdom. For all intents and purposes these two changelings were not only trespassers but enemies of the Empire. It was Veracity’s duty to apprehend them at all costs.

‘I offer them a ticket out of here, a free ride back to their hive. And they refuse it. They baulk at my offer of compassion and understanding. Well then, that seems to answer my question, they are just dense.’ The mare thought as she rolled her eyes. ‘Capturing them alive is the best option, they are of more value that way, so I may have to forego the sword this evening in favor of my hooves.’

In this encounter, the mare had the upper hoof. Not only had she backed them into a corner, but she had decades of combat training, conditioning, and even real combat on her side. These two seemed young and inexperienced when it came to the ways of conflict. Veracity had most of the fight already planned out in her head before she began to speak.

“The hard way it is.” Veracity mumbled before she began to roar. “I’ve had ENOUGH you insolent little parasites! I offer you a get out of jail free card. I offer you understanding and compassion and you rebuke it. Not a wise move you insignificant little specs. ‘Fight for our survival...’ Now that’s cute. While you fight for your selfish needs, I fight for the entirety of Ponykind. I fight for Stalliongrad, for all the ponies that your kind would oppress given the chance, I fight for all of Equestria and the Celestial Empire. Most importantly, I fight for Her Majesty.”

The mare seemed to be gaining steam in her speech again, an almost sickening glint could be seen in her eye. She knew what was coming, this was the fun part. She flared her wings again, to their full extent, as her voice continued to rise in volume and fervor.

“Your ‘strength’ is but an accident, owed only to the weakness of others! I tread the path of Righteousness! Though it be paved with broken glass, I shall walk it barehooved; though it crosses rivers of fire, I will pass over them; though it wanders wide, the light of the Empress guides my step! You and your kind shun the Empress’ loving light, and in time you hate that which you often fear. Her light is merciful and kind; warm and welcoming. That light is not for you, not for your kind. You are insects that scatter in the starkness of Her luminosity! Her compassion and mercy you shall not feel, nor mine; for nothing emboldens treachery so much as mercy.”

By the end of her monologue, her voice had reached a fervor unmatched by any orator. She believed in her cause with every fiber of her being. She understood what was expected of her, she was willing to give everything that she had to live up to the standard that she set for herself, to live up to her life's purposes. She would die if she had to to protect those that could not protect themselves. At this point she had gone quiet. A smile slinked across her muzzle as all that could be heard was the breathing of the three in that room. She narrowed her eyes and shifted her weight, posing herself for the attack. She took a breath, all emotion and fervor now lost to the calm of the moment.

“The ending is nearer than you think, and it is already written. All that we have left to choose is the correct moment to begin.” The mare’s words hung in the air as they escaped her lips. The sickening glint in her eye bored straight into the bureaucrat's soul.

[Tiktaalik]

Figment's patience with Snively was finally beginning to wear extremely thin, though he wondered if it was possibly too late. He wasn't even being subtle about throwing him under the carriage! He didn't think he'd ever meet another changeling who could be so cruel...and selfish--a quality that no member of the hive should have, in his idealistic mind. "'We'? 'Us'? Really...sir?" He hissed, almost disregarding the pegasus for the moment. If he was going to get beat to a pulp, he at least wanted to give him a piece of his mind. "...Because I think you mean me only, while you retreat, right? You don't have the right to throw any hivemate's life away like that... You're just...a deserter. And...disloyal!" Figment's wings jittered and buzzed quietly in irritation. "I'm nothing like you, though! I'll protect you no matter what, because that's what a member of the Hive does, even if you don't deserve it. I don't think you know that, though. I hope you'll at least remember it after this..."

Figment had serious doubts that anything he said would get through to Snively by this point. And this pegasus certainly couldn't appreciate how the Hive operated. He wasn't really sure who he might've been speaking at. Maybe the pony's habit of giving speeches had just been contagious. Or, maybe it was just the vain hope that Snively would feel some kind of remorse or regret if he became a casualty here, largely due to his actions. He finally glanced back at the pony, seeing that she'd now lost her temper, thanks to his fellow changeling...

"And you...pony. I never 'rebuked' anything. I just asked for one detail...which you didn't answer. How can I trust you..? I've never heard of a pony making such an offer regarding a changeling...you all seem to hate or fear us... But, I don't hate any of you. I have no malice towards anyone unless they threaten the Hive..." At this point, he'd decided to just cut Snively out of his statements, only speaking for himself. Though Figment would still defend him in a physical altercation, there was no bailing out of what he'd gotten himself into. He actually hoped Snively made a run for it, so he'd stop riling this pony. As she went on, and on, he couldn't even bear to respond to her raving. It certainly sounded like there was no stopping her now...unless, she was just trying to intimidate them. She didn't have her sword drawn, after all... Either way, he couldn't possibly win a fight with her. He might not even have the energy to cover Snively's likely retreat. He still had his silver tongue, though. As long as he had something, he wouldn't just give up.

Figment somehow managed to regain some composure, gently lifting one end of his scarf, eying it as if in thought. "Earth pony...charcoal coat...average build. A factory worker, in this district. Low income, lives alone in a small apartment." He spoke, like he was reading through notes. "Doesn't appear to have contact with family, or many acquaintances, despite friendly nature. Lonely." He then looked back to the pegasus. "He likes me, though. He likes my company. He's happy to have someone to talk to. I told him I'd be back...you know." He made sure to keep out any details that would possibly allow her to go inform this pony or console him, in case his new friend ended up never coming back. This all might have been too late, though, as he saw the look in the pony's eyes; she seemed...almost deranged, and she had a certain imposing presence to her again. He'd never seen a pony behave this way... If she was attempting to unnerve him, it was working.

He began visibly trembling, from fear, or nervousness, or anger...he wasn't even sure--his mind was racing too fast, and he could feel his little changeling heart beating away like crazy. His somewhat cool tone an demeanor rapidly began to fall to pieces as he continued, his voice shaking and his sentences slightly disjointed. "And...because of you...he's going to be left alone in the cold, waiting, minus a scarf...right? All the ponies who I've ever made friends with or helped...they'll never see me again...because this situation is too far gone, and you're going to run me through...isn't that right?" And, faced with the thought of death, he snapped a bit. "Then, come on already! Yes, beat up on the changeling that's got nothing left! Go brag about it, even. I can't even fight back..." ...Which wasn't entirely true; hardly anything he says while talking to ponies ever was. He felt like he had one good spell bolt left in him...though he wasn't sure how to use it just yet. Figment simply stood his ground, bracing himself for whatever might happen to him.

[Bellosh]

Once again, the short equine-shaped parasite found himself taken aback by another angry rant from the uniformed pony. But Snively would not be cowed this time; neverending ramblings about righteousness and light did not do a very good job of intimidating the easily intimidated changeling. In fact, the bureaucrat considered laughing in the mare’s face at points had she not been armed with the only weapon in the room. But the Enemy was right about one thing; the end was coming near, and a devilishly-smirking Snively would see to that.

That was, if Figment had bothered cooperating instead of utterly trying to backstab Snively and leave him to rot alone in a Equestrian dungeon. DISLOYAL? Who was Snively but the most LOYAL servant of Queen Chrysalis? The NERVE of that dimwitted drone to accuse Snively of treason!!! It sounded like Figment needed a reminder that he was the one skating close to desertion! Figment needed to know above all else that his fate depended upon that of Snively’s.

Turning all his attention to the operative once he had finished another pathetic speech of his own, Snively gripped Figment’s head with two hooves as the hovering bug fiercely gave the bigger changeling a piece of proper changeling orthodoxy. “Now you listen here, drone!” hissed the hate-filled bureaucrat, not caring to lower his voice since the Enemy was right on top of them anyway; “If you're done with those boo-hoo sob stories, maybe you need to be reminded that I’m more important to our Kingdom than you can possibly imagine. Should I be captured thanks to your disloyalty, the Enemy will torture out of me every secret I know, and they’ll surely use that information to destroy our Hive, down to the last grub! If you don’t want to live with the guilt of the annihilation of our entire race,” Snively angrily pointed a foreleg at the uniformed pegasus; “You’ll attack that soldier NOWWWWWW!” For someone who mere minutes prior described his Hive as a vast warmongering horde, Snively sure could sure make his realm sound utterly helpless too if it suited his purposes.....

[Pony_Sage]

‘Ah, a chink in the armour. This is exactly what I wanted.’ The imposing mare thought to herself without a trace of her satisfaction ever reaching her face. Instead she lowered her wings and put on a beautifully welcoming and warm smile, not something that anypony was oft to see on her. From this point forward she locked eyes with Figment, she was speaking to him and not to anypony else. The stare was not one of contempt or hatred, but of caring and compassion.

“I think he does mean you, little one. How could be he so selfish. I thought that what any changeling wanted was the good of the hive. I am sure that the hive, and the Queen, would miss a spy and a bureaucrat.” Veracity spoke in a modulated tone, conveying understanding and empathy. “He thinks he is above you, little one. Better than you. How dare he put himself before the good of the hive.” --Tisk tisk tisk-- Her tongue clicked as she shook her head.

Veracity was hoping against hope that this wouldn’t come to blows. She was not one to show her kind or caring side, ever. Being a battle hardened military mare, this was a rarity for her. However, tactics were tactics and this seemed like the best one at the time being.

“You’re right, you're nothing like him. You have friends, you have helped ponies. You even do the right thing when he throws you under the carriage and uses you as a footstool. How admirable, how honourable.” She smiled again between her sentences, she was trying her hardest to win this little changeling over.

“The thing of it is, he won’t remember your honourable actions at this juncture. That disloyal changeling doesn’t care about the good of the hive. You said it yourself, members of the hive protect each other and the hive as a whole. By threatening the ponies of Stalliongrad and the Celestial Empire as a whole, he is threatening your hive! He did just say that the annihilation of your entire race would follow if an all out war were to take place.” Veracity was adept at this sort of subterfuge, twisting people’s words to suit her needs. The key was to use exactly what they said, but change the meaning by applying it to different circumstances.

“Would you allow one changeling to endanger the lives of countless others? By his hostile and blatantly self serving actions, he would doom your entire race. Even the grubs. You said that you don’t hold malice towards anyone, unless they threaten the hive. I do not threaten your hive, little one. I want to bring you back to your hive, to your Queen. This changeling however seems to threaten your hive, if you remember what he said before. He threatens the order, the livelihood, and most of all the honour and loyalty of every changeling that is linked to that hive.” Veracity knew that this changeling must be getting tired of speeches, but she had a point to make. Hopefully he would listen and understand what she was trying to do.

“Now, little one, you know that ponies don’t often hate or fear others. We try our hardest to accept them and help them along their paths in life. I believe you witnessed an example of that in your journeys, no? That charcoal factory working earth pony. He took you in when you looked cold. He gave you his scarf. He probably even shared his small dinner with you. That is what being a pony is all about. Caring for others as you would care for your own. It matters not what race or conviction, what matters is what you are on the inside. It’s not because of me that you won’t see him again. I promised that I would help you along your path through the judicial system. It’s the other changeling that seems to want this to end badly.” Veracity’s mind was racing to think of how to impress upon this tired looking changeling that she meant him no harm and that cooperation would be the best way for everyone.

“If you remember my previous offer it still stands. I will help you, and I promise on my pinion feathers that you won’t be harmed in any way. If I remember correctly from my readings of the law. There might even be a way for you to petition for political asylum in our Empire. Of course you would have to prove that you meant us no harm, but I don’t think that you honestly mean to harm anypony. I see that deep down you are good. And, for all my bluster I honestly don’t want to hurt you. It’s not something that I would enjoy. All ponies have a special talent, I bet you know this. Well mine is my drive to protect those who cannot protect themselves. I am the shield of the downtrodden and the sword of the weak. Not to be mean, but you seem more than a little downtrodden at the moment, and I couldn’t help but notice that the other one took most of your energy from you not too long ago.” Veracity did mean every word that she had just said; she wasn’t one to hurt anypony needlessly. After all, she hadn’t lied about her special talent.

“I reiterate. I don’t want to hurt you. I want to help you out here. Just because you are different from me doesn’t mean that I preclude you from my oath to protect all life. If you wouldn’t mind, I would greatly appreciate it if you came with me so that I could help you along with your journey through our land …” Veracity wore a puzzled expression upon her face for a moment. “... You know what. I never caught your name. I’m Captain Veracity of the VSS. And I am pleased to meet one of your kind. I am truly sorry about the conditions of our meeting however.” Veracity stuck her hoof out in a very non threatening manner indicative of a hoof shake. Her wings were presented forwards and low to the ground in a welcoming, almost hug like posture, and she wore a concerned and yet understanding smile upon her muzzle. She truly hoped that this worked out.

[Tiktaalik]

Though Figment was well aware he was likely pushing Snively's buttons, he was caught a bit off-guard by just how volatile of a reaction he got, blinking in surprise when his head was grabbed. His sad words at the pegasus hadn't been entirely insincere, but he was trying desperately to appeal to this pony's sympathetic side...something this bureaucrat couldn't seem to understand. Figment wasn't about to spell it all out for him and ruin the effect, either. As far as he was concerned, Snively was no longer in his 'loop'--his attempts at getting him to cooperate just made things worse and worse. From this point on, Figment's plans were his own. "Your loose lips, if you get captured, aren't my fault." He gave Snively a look before grumbling quietly. "You should have just played along with me..."

He squirmed his way out of Snively's grasp. "I don't think that order is tactically sound. Out here...I know better." He figured there was no saving himself from any smearing or slandering on Snively's part by now, so he might as well do whatever to save both their hides, no matter how much it rattled his cage.

With that, he turned back to the pegasus, seeing that his plea for some sympathy worked. Almost...too well. For a very brief moment, he eyed her suspiciously. Surely, she was playing at something, trying to manipulate him--that was his job! He'd never had a pony try and use it against him. Well, at least she knew how to play the game, unlike Snively. He still couldn't help but appear unmoved by her commentary on his 'ally', however, instead putting a mental hoof to his face. "Don't take anything he says too seriously..." The last thing Figment would like if for Snively's blustering to be interpreted as an act of war or...something. He was still learning how this city operated. Obviously, considering this pegasus' strange new attitude towards him--if it was the truth.

"Well of course your kind is caring...and full of love. It's why we can't just leave you all be. But...it's not me they're friendly with. If any of them ever knew what I was, they'd hate me." Despite this pegasus' apparent acceptance of him, he just couldn't seem to believe any pony--or non changeling, for that matter, could ever tolerate him or the rest of his kind. It was such a foreign concept to him. Surely...this was just all some ruse to get him to... Well, he wasn't sure what. But she was up to something that wasn't entirely in his best interest, he was positive of that..!

Whatever the case, at least she was claiming that the offer to end this quietly was still there, though he knew Snively would never go along with it. At least in it's current form. He decided to just keep listening quietly to her every word for now, though, trying to look pitiful and bewildered enough that she might notice and feel more sorry for him. Upon seeing her offer a hoof to him, there was some very genuine hesitation and wariness. Would she just grab him and pin him to the ground the moment he reached out? Or some other attack? It didn't really matter in the end--he was at her mercy. It was better than following Snively's thoughtless order, at any rate. "...I don't have much choice. But...could you only take me in? And let my friend go..?", he finally replied, cautiously extending his own hood for the shake, almost on the verge of trembling again. "...And I'm Figment."

[Bellosh]

"Your loose lips, if you get captured, aren't my fault. You should have just played along with me... I don't think that order is tactically sound. Out here...I know better."

Snively’s situation did not improve in the slightly, for the slippery Figment’s backbone remained firm. Faced with such resoluteness, the bureaucrat knew not how to boss around the other drone more without alerting the Enemy to further discord. In resignation, Snively sighed, but not without glaring at the lower-rank operative. Figment would definitely pay for his treachery, and Snively would see to it whatever it took.

But now another threat reemerged; the threatening soldier once again took to her cherished pastime of giving long rants. This time however, the pegasus aimed her poisonous words at Snively; to discredit him in every way possible. The smaller of the two drones knew better than to stay passive this time around; the pony’s lies and deceit couldn’t do unanswered! Finally tiring of hovering, the decayed equine set down on the ground to begin countering the Enemy’s barbs; to interrupt the opposing force and talk over the hostile soldier constantly and relentlessly.

"...That disloyal changeling doesn’t care about the good of the hive..."

“I've done more to serve the Honorable Queen Chrysalis more than any other of her faithful servants!”

"...By threatening the ponies of Stalliongrad and the Celestial Empire as a whole, he is threatening your hive! He did just say that the annihilation of your entire race would follow if an all out war were to take place...”

“Even if I have made no threats, you still wish for the world to be rid of our kind. Be honest and admit it!”

"...By his hostile and blatantly self serving actions, he would doom your entire race. Even the grubs...”

“Please… you ponies would invent any sort of excuse to doom us all. Standard Equestrian trick…”

"...He threatens the order, the livelihood, and most of all the honour and loyalty of every changeling that is linked to that hive...”

“So Princess Celestia would go to war over mere words? HA! If she actually was a warmonger like that, she’d be a petty ruler, would she not? At least WE fight for the honorable cause of survival!”

Snively ceased the sniping after a while; partially because the Enemy changed the subject back to mindlessly repeating the virtues of pony society. Too bad for changelings that they had no place in this enlightened Equestria order, no matter how many comforting lies the uniformed pegasus seduced Figment went. However, it also began to dawn on the high-ranking minon that the pony’s ramblings were intended to stall for time; to distract the two changelings with apparently friendly conversation before her allies arrived to capture them. And of course, the Enemy would renege on her promises at that fateful moment; it’s what Snively would do in her position, anyway. He couldn't afford to take any more chances with this devious opponent.

"...I don't have much choice. But...could you only take me in? And let my friend go..?"

Perhaps Figment wasn’t very bright at all, or that Snively didn’t understand the concept of sacrificing one’s self for the well-being of others. All the same, the bureaucrat also lacked the desire to fight, and he’d gladly take this moment to steal his "get out of jail free" card. Understanding that ponies are naturally cowards who'd bargain for peace no matter the cost to their dignity, and writing off Figment's proposal as a failed idea, Snively now saw fit to selectively use the truth to snatch freedom from the jaws of oppression; "I can vouch for my colleague's sincerity Captain," the bug-like equine seemed to sincerely start out with his offer to Cpt. Veracity; "In fact, the very reason Figment came to your city was to devise a method to collect substance for his kind without need of other... unsavory methods." It paid to remind the uniformed officer that there were worse ways for changelings to find nourishment for themselves.

"Even though I doubted him at first, I can personally attest that Figment's plan can work if implemented on a larger scale. However, my most gracious Mistress cannot agree to do so unless I'm able to deliver my report to her... personally. If you immediately let me go on my way Captain, I will forget that this... unpleasantness ever occurred, and our two species can come closer towards achieving everlasting peace. As a loyal defender of your realm, it would be foolish to let this chance slip through your hooves."

Anybody who knew Snively's true personality would know that he unrepentantly lied through his pointed fangs. Figment's proposal lied dead in the water as far as the sniveling minion was concerned; once Snively got back to the Hive, he'd fight tooth and nail to discredit the operative in Queen Chrsyalis's eyes. And then the bureaucrat would even help orchestrate continued plots against Equestria, as personal revenge for the humiliation Veracity imposed along with her threats. But Snively felt supreme confidence that the captain lacked the guts to challenge him now, for he knew that ponykind in general couldn't bear the thought of rejecting offers of reconciliation from anyone. Even from those who only moments before hurled threats and accusations their way, but ponies were naive like that....