Spiral Knights-Equis Command

As the ponies and the knights headed to the armory, Corrus turned and looked over at Shining.

"What's your combat strength?" he asked the stallion.

"We only have about a thousand guards." Shining said. "We haven't had a war in thousands of years."

"Alright." Corrus said. Get them armed and armored as heavily as possible. The Gremlins like to hit fast and flee before striking again, so make sure they are prepared for close quarters combat. They have various kinds of weaponry, including staves that can heal their kind. Their constructs are brutal and know no mercy, so prioritize them."

"Got it." Shining said. "What kind of weapons do they have?"

"Mostly blunt force." Halvir replied. "Thwackers use large wrenches, perfect for breaking bones. Igniters have flamethrowers, which are basically fire shooters. Demos prefer timed explosives. Their constructs range from Scuttlebots to Bolt Knights. The Bolt Knights are well-programmed in combat strategy. Thing is, their head is the weak point. Take that out, they drop like a fly to a swatter."

Shining nodded as they entered the armory, where a platoon of Crystal Guards, armored and ready, awaited them.

"Guards, Thorax the Changeling has alerted us to a hostile invasion in the Changeling hives. We are moving in to support them. You all know how I felt about them, but that doesn't matter now. The forces we are facing are well-trained, with war machines for backup. Rely on your training, and we'll be good. Corrus?"

Corrus nodded and stepped forward.

"The invading Gremlins have managed to secure a large portion of the hive. From what Thorax told us, they are at the breaking point. You Crystal guards are going to support the Changeling lines while my squad goes in to eliminate the Gremlin Commander. Know that these beings will do everything in their power to defeat you. Respond in kind." Corrus said. "Let's get a move on!"

"You heard him!" Shining yelled. "Move out!'

As the guards embarked for the hive, Shining looked over at Cadance.

"Cady, will you stay here?" he asked. "I need you to take care of things while we're gone."

Cadance nodded reluctantly and headed out with Twilight and the rest of the Elements.

"Know where we are headed?" Corrus asked.

"Stand ready." Shining said ."I'm teleporting us in."

As they disappeared in a flash, Cadance, Twilight, and Thorax stood on the Crystal Palace's balcony.

"Think they'll be alright?" Twilight asked.

"They won't fail." Cadance replied.

"If they do fail…" Thorax said. "It would mean the hive's extinction."

=======================

As the group appeared outside the hive, Corrus growled at the all-too familiar sound of Bolt Knights on the move. as the ponies nodded and rushed into the hive, the sounds of battle could be heard from up ahead. Then, the bodies of dead Changelings began to appear, and in greater numbers.

"Incoming!" Shining said. Then, a Warrior Drone appeared in front of them.

"Ponies?" he asked.

"We came to help." Shining said. The Warrior Drone nodded and agreed to escort them to Chrysalis. As they raced through the hive, Corrus asked the drone how many had fallen.

"Quite a bit…" the Warrior Drone said. "The invaders have wiped out half of our Warriors."

"Do you know where the commander is located?" Corrus asked.

"Yes, but he is heavily guarded." The Warrior replied.

"My squad and I can take him out. Get some of your fighting units together and link up with us." Corrus said as they entered the main area of the hive. A large barrier of raised hive material protected a large, but steadily decreasing number of Changelings from a massive group of Gremlins and Constructs below. As the ponies rushed to the front, Chrysalis turned and smiled at the sight of Shining's forces.

"You got my message." she said simply.

"We did." Shining replied. "When this is over...we need to chat."

"Indeed." she replied. "We are losing numbers fast."

"Gather your best and send them with us." Corrus said, stepping forward. "We can move in and disrupt their chain of command. Then, push the attack."

Chrysalis growled.

"And why should I do that?"

"Because we actually know to fight them." Halvir said, stepping forward. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend, am I correct?"

Chrysalis slowly nodded.

"I want every drone I send back alive."

Corrus nodded.

"Count on it. Pick your best."

"Zazz!" she yelled. A large warrior drone appeared and bowed.

"Gather two squads and go with them." Chrysalis ordered. "Do whatever they ask."

"As you command." Zazz said. Soon, twenty changeling warriors were in front of the knights, armed and ready.

"Zazz, take us to the Gremlin command center. We'll handle things from there." Corrus said.

Zazz nodded and took the lead, taking the knights down a sub-tunnel. As Shining's forces reinforced the line, the Changelings seemed to be inspired from their presence. They fought harder, and they started to drive the Gremlins away from the barrier. Shining shot a Gremlin Thwacker down with a magic pulse and turned to look at Chrysalis, who was scrapping Scuttlebots with beams of magic. Soon, three Demos planted explosives on the barrier, and detonated them. A large, gaping hole was soon filled by Gremlins, and Chrysalis roared. The Changelings took on a charge, and soon, melee combat broke out. Chrysalis and Shining went back-to-back, against a group of Thwackers. They grinned, and several pulses of magic later, the Gremlins lay dead.

"Nice shooting!" Shining yelled, smacking away a Gremlin that got too close.

"You seem to admire my battle prowess." Chrysalis said. "Know I have lived for far longer than you, and I have seen many battles over territory with other hives. I am no stranger to warfare."

"That explains the wedding." Shining said.

"Indeed." Chrysalis said. "If we make it out of this alive, I just might settle for peace."

"If we make it out, that is." Shining replied, noticing a large sub-wave of Gremlins approaching. The two groups sent up a battle cry and charged.