God Bless the USA

Queen Chrysalis stands above the changelings that'd managed to be gathered for the operation of saving her daughter. Only a meager 1400 healthy volunteers had been scraped together, the others either too injured or too fearful to go back into a potentially dangerous combat situation after the failed invasion of Equestria. Chrysalis wanted to feel angry, or spiteful towards her subjects that refused to fight, but in the end she couldn't blame them for not wanting to be spent back into a potentially bloody meat grinder once more. She sighs, looking over the small sea of black chitin and blue eyes as her subjects stare up at her, waiting for her to begin her speech.

"My loyal subjects, just a few hours ago I was informed that a band of creatures had stolen my only surviving daughter right out from under her protections noses. They have dared to setup a meager encampment so close to the entrance of our hive, most likely seeking to prey on perceived weakness after the... setback in Equestria. I cannot blame those of you who do not wish to join the assault on their encampment, we have lost so much in the past few months that we had to abandon most of our lands to retreat to this main hive, but I implore those of you who can fight, to help me get my daughter and your beloved princess back. Let us show to these creatures, and by extent the rest of the world that the Changeling Kingdom will not simply roll over and quietly die."

She was met by silence for a few moments, her nervousness building up as the anxiety that her only remaining subjects may deny her and set out on their own, before the sound of one changeling stamping their hooves on their ground became two, and from two became many. Her subjects at the very least still stood with her, against her better judgement she let out a small genuine smile. One she hadn't worn on her muzzle for a very, very long time.

She steps down from the makeshift podium that had been hastily assembled noticing that the soldiers that had been gathered were already starting to mobilize into formations and beginning to setup into a marching order. After a quick count she estimated there were at least seven-hundred actual soldiers that had mobilized and surprisingly around one thousand other drones of various castes who had volunteered to take the place of dead, or extremely injured soldiers.

As she trots to the main entrance of the hive she notices her small remaining troop of around twelve royal guards fall into formation behind her, only the most veteran of them having survived the slaughter in Canterlot. Another small smile graces her muzzle as she spots a familiar face fall into formation. A grizzled old changeling by the name of Colonel Trimmel who had served in her royal guard for around three dozen years. Though he was getting extremely long in his years, it warned her heart to see him, out of all the changelings in her hive, retain loyalty to her.

The old changeling would look up at her, noticing her staring. "My queen," he'd utter, bowing to her.

Chrysalis would gesture for him to rise, smiling softly at him. "You know you do not need to bow to me old friend, you have earned that right ten times over in your service,"

He'd smirk at her and rise saying "I know my queen, but I am a changeling of habit, and habits are extremely hard to break,"

The rest of the walk continued in silence, until she arrives at the main entrance of the hive. The small army she had gathered having already arrived and were simply awaiting her order. "Let us go defend our territory my subjects," she announces, trotting out of the entrance and heading towards the creatures encampment, followed by her army.

Badlands, Marine Expeditionary Force's Encampment

Sergeant Stuart yawns, staring out across the empty forty yard stretch of beach to the front of the encampment, he'd been standing on watch with the rest of his squad for the past hour after the small bug-horse thing had been found and taken to the Captain's tent. In the back of his mind he'd been wondering about the small thing, but in the end it faded to the back of his thoughts and his duty took up at the forefront of his mind.

"Hey 'Sarge, sorry it took my so long, after I dropped the little tyke off at the Captain's tent the LT had me run a few errands for him," Hartman says, approaching the Stuart and the rest of the squad from the rear.

"It's alright son, there's a lot that needs to be done to get this place fully up and running as a FOB," Stuart would respond, sparing a glance at the man before returning to his watch.

"Sergeant, movement up front!" one of the other men on watch shouts, instantly drawing Stuart's and Hartman's attention as several of the insectoid looking equines start coming out of the brush at the edge of the beach.

"Mother of god how many of them are there?!" One man shouts, as more and more of the bug-horses seem to emerge from the brush creating a miniature sea of black and blue as they slowly surround the entire encampment.

"Shit, Hartman go tell the Captain Fitz what's going on, I'll try to keep things from going hot as long as possible here, though I'm not sure if that'll work so well!" Stuart shouts, gesturing the younger man towards the Captain's tent, as several dozen marines start rushing towards the makeshift sandbag barricades that'd be set up.

Eight men manned the four mounted M2HB heavy machine guns that'd been setup on the makeshift wooden towers. Four men manned the two M252 Mortars that'd been setup towards the middle of the encampment. After a few minutes, no more of the insectoid equines seemed to be coming out of the brush, though there were still too many to count properly. Over three hundred marines had manned the barricades with the fleet starting to send reinforcements after they received several distressed radio calls, the reinforcements included the availability of naval bombardment from the Missile Cruiser and Destroyers in the fleet.

While this was happening Hartman had just managed to reach Captain Fitzgeralds tent, bursting in and startling both the Captain and the young Princess Nymph the later of which let out a startled yelp and bolted underneath the map table in the center of the tent.

"What is the meaning of this interruption Corporal?!" the Captain would shout, annoyance plastered across his face.

"Apologies Captain, but we have a small army of unknowns approaching the FOB and Sergeant Stuart sent me to inform you," Hartman would say after snapping to attention.

Fitz would ponder the information he had received for a moment, before his posture relaxed and he salutes the man back. "Alright then son, at ease. You did the right thing informing me of this, now get back to Stuart I have a feeling he'll need every man at his disposal,"

"Aye Sir!" Hartman would shout, before scrambling out of the tent and back towards the barricades.

Fitzgerald would call out to the changeling filly that had during their conversation come out from under the map table, recognizing the man who had given her the candy earlier. "Hey sweetie, if you could come with me for a minute I think I may need your help if the people Hartman were talkin' about are who I think they are,"

Nymph would slowly nod at the man, understanding what he was referring to following him as he exited the tent and started walking towards the barricades. She'd shy away from the other soldiers who would glance at her for a moment before returning to their duties, practically stuck to Fitzgerald's leg the entire trip.

As the Captain arrives at the barricades he'd let out a low impressed whistle at the small army of changelings that he saw arrayed in front of him, though he'd let out a startled gasp and a shout of

"Shit, WAIT!" as Nymph bolts in front of the barricades with an excited cry of 'Mommy,' rushing towards a much larger changeling, that unlike the others had a green mane like the princess. Chrysalis would let out a small gasp as she spots the tiny ecstatic nymph rushing towards her, a large sigh of relief escaping her muzzle as she starts running towards her daughter.

BANG!

"Mommy? MOMMY?! MOMMY!"