“We were over extended, understaffed, under equipped, and under prepared. A post-war Equestria was almost as dangerous as an Equestria at war.”

“And how did you solve that?” The interviewing pony, a young cream coloured unicorn held a pen over a clipboard with her magic, and sat back in her lounger.

Jachs’s chitinous black hooves placed themselves in a triangle shape as he closed his eyes in thought. “It wasn’t easy. Eventually, though, it got routine. When you’re constantly expecting a sniper’s bullet in the head it even starts to feel normal after a while. Not a good normal, mind, but normal.” Jachs shakily lifted a whiskey up to his lips with his own greenish magicks and downed it in one gulp. “I don’t know how I would have survived without my friends.”

“Friends, Generalmajor?” The interviewer questioned, adjusting her glasses.

Jachs returned a wry smile. “Of course. You didn’t think changelings were such heartless monsters that we didn't have friends, did you?” He prodded cheekily, causing the unicorn to fidget.

“I only meant-” She started, but he cut her off.

“It’s okay. I’m teasing you.” He dismissed her concern with a wave of a hoof and a wry, charismatic smile.

The mare sighed apologetically before continuing. “Why don’t you start off with an account of the first days of the occupation?”

The general-major nodded. “I suppose- eh let’s start, actually- let’s start when I met my oberstleutnant.”

-From “Memoirs Of A Changed Changeling” by Herr Jachs, Canterlot press, Equestrian Protectorate, 1,045.

Jachs’ hooves rubbed solemnly into his temples- the castle of Canterlot was large, but its throne more so and its responsibilities somehow even grander than its size. He thumbed through logistics and occupation reports with increasing anxiety. Resistance cells were innumerable and growing bolder by the day, the fighting in Canterlot wasn’t even over yet--and the news of Equestrian capitulation had done little to dissuade the fighting spirits of the holdouts left in Canterlot.

Worse-- Queen Chrysalis was planning to visit and hold one hell of a victory parade, and she expected all to be in attendance. Jachs stared at the report bearing the Vesalipolis seal on his desk with green eyes of despair. On his third day of no sleep and still yet the world had more to throw at him.

“Generalmajor!” Jachs glanced up at the ‘ling in officer’s dress who made her way into his office. Smaller than he with trademark pupil-less eyes of a changeling, deep purple. Like the endless velvet bliss of Celestia’s bedchamber he’d been eying with increasing envy since he first glanced into it. He tried to smile but the fatigue burned in his eyes, he could only grimace.

“Come in, come in.” He disarmingly waved her in.

“We just got news- a victory parade, general-major?” She asked quizzically. “Isn’t it a little…dangerous, for the queen to be in enemy territory so soon?”

Jachs thought about lying to the young officer, he really did. Perhaps he would have if the mental power to form one didn’t take so much effort. “Yes.” He responded, curtly. “It’s dangerous. Stupid. Careless. Needlessly cruel-- and worthless in the grand scheme of things. A royal horn-measuring contest with the opponent a princess who's already fled to New Mareland!” With those words it felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. Jachs held the form in his hoof-- this was going to happen, and there was nothing they could do about it. He could only brace himself for what was coming.

Sensing his defeatism, and with a welcome if surprising inflection of concern in her voice, the officer-- an Oberstleutnant, spoke. “Well- you’re the one in charge of the actual planning of the parade, right?” Jachs, still reeling from his outburst and the pounding headache he just gave himself, could only nod. “Why don’t you…dial things back a bit?” She suggested. “Maybe we keep her on a small, easily defendable street- nix the pony POW parade and have our own guards parade instead? With the queen’s guard we’ll have enough changelings to put one of us in every window. No one will even get a chance at her. She might be mad the crowd is smaller but she won’t die.”

Jachs smiled. For the first time in days, he allowed himself a smile. “Angering the queen isn’t something I’m particularly interested in…but damnit oberstleutnant that…that would work. With the sheer numbers, we could…” Jachs trailed off in thought. Back with his old jaeger team, a infantry-lead blitzkrieg was always the key to success. Perhaps they could pull off something similar here. A grand show of force. And-- showing off the tactic that won them the war in a victory parade had a bit of poetic justice to it too. “Well done, Oberstleutnant…Alcippe?” Jachs responded, finally reading her nametag.

The changeling smiled happily. “Would you like some help planning it?” She returned. Whether she noticed his fatigue or not she did not say.

“It would be very welcome,” Jachs smiled, directing her to pull up a chair to his desk. His own office was small and cramped- and they often had to reach over one another to reach this paper or that pencil. Not that either ‘ling particularly minded.

Jachs sat in his tiny office, his hooves resting on his desk in quiet contemplation. He could still hear the fanfare of the parade beyond the walls. The music; the cheering from changeling soldiers, the 21-gun salute in honor of the Queen, the flyover from the most decorated changeling airkorp aces. He knew it would not be enough. He suspected Chrysalis would have some choice words for him after this. He was correct.

As the cheering died down, he could hear heavy jackbooted hoofsteps upon the castle floor outside. Queen’s guard. Here it comes.

With a violent kick the door was thrown open well off its hinges, and in walked the glaring green eyes of the Changeling Queen flanked by several of her fanatical guards. Jachs knew better than to complain about the door. “What the hell was that, Generalmajor!?” She stared down her nose at the changeling beneath her. “Where were my POWs? Where were my pony supporters? What happened to them swearing themselves to my service-- where was ANYTHING I asked for!?” Jachs would have been afraid, but staring death in the eyes every day? The wrath of the queen was just one more gun pointed at his head.

“I’m sorry,” he responded curtly and diplomatically. “We couldn’t chance it- not with so many in the harmonic resistance still operating in Canterlot. For your safety, we had to-” Chrysalis cut him off.

“Are you telling me the changeling military machine is afraid of a bunch of weakened, cowed little ponies? You want me to hide from the people we subjugated, from the country I already BEAT!?” She bared her fangs, and just for a second Jachs saw himself reflected in her teeth. His own green eyes, shining in the royal, perfectly whitened teeth of the changeling queen. Just one more gun to his head.

“Please, Queen Chrysalis.” He returned, being especially careful with his wording. ”Everyone here, changeling and pony, knows who their rightful queen is. But all it takes is one pony with one rifle and one lucky shot, and everything you’ve worked for is over. Everything the hegemony has worked for. Everything I have worked for.”

Chrysalis’s nostrils flared in anger, but Jachs saw her fierce expression fall a little. “...Point taken, Generalmajor.” She returned. She stared into his eyes for a moment longer, something unreadable on her expression, as if she wanted to say something but did not, and turned to leave. Just as relief was beginning to wash over his shoulders, Chrysalis glanced over hers. “One more thing.” She began. “Who was in charge of the security for the parade?”

“That would be kommandant-”

She jumped down his throat before he finished. “Fire him. If you’re that worried about my safety he’s clearly useless.” With that, she and her guard marched from the office and back into the throne room. A photo op, Jachs reckoned. The queen herself in Celestia’s old throne.

Only once she had well and truly left the building and was miles away on the changeling royal airship back to Vesalipolis did Generalmajor Jachs finally let himself exhale and fall back into his office chair. “Oberstleutnant!” He called, and within moments Alcippe was in the door. She already had a fresh bottle of apple-whiskey in hoof. “Give me that. The whole bottle.” Smiling, she handed it off to him, her own magic giving way to his, and watched as her commanding officer downed half a bottle of whiskey in one long, long chug. He slammed it down on the desk, and have an exhaustive sigh.

“Was that celebration drinking or anxiety drinking?” She asked, a twinge of nerves in her voice.

“She agreed that the measures we took were necessary.” He chuckled with relief, stretching his hooves skyward with absolute relief.

”Celebration then?”

“Celebration.”

The pair shared a smile as Jachs dipped a hoof into his desk and withdrew his own personal favorite vintage. A bottle, scarlet red, of Stalliongradian vodka. He poured two shotglasses- one for him, and one for her. Alcippe took the cue to sit at the other side of his desk, and the pair magically lifted each other’s glass, and clinked them together.

”To a future…a little bit more stable than this one.” Jachs spoke, downing his in one swift swig.

“To a future a little bit more stable than this one!” Alcippe heartily returned, gratefully downing hers as well.

“You know this is just the start, Alcippe.” The Generalmajor’s tone shifted as he spoke. “The resistance-- these ponies are stubborn. Even though Equestria’s surrendered, her citizens still want to fight for her. They will keep going until they physically can’t fight anymore. It doesn’t matter what odds they’re up against, it doesn’t matter how much we throw at them-- they’ll keep going and the whole time they’ll call themselves heroes for doing it.”

“I know.” Alcippe flipped her glass around with her magic, looking very interested in the shape of it for a time. “You kind of have to admire them for that.” Jachs arched an eyeridge. “The…ponies’ fighting spirit, their loyalty-- their love for each other. It makes them a really tough nut to crack.” She continued thoughtfully. “That idea of harmony they have-- it really does sound good on paper. The more we press them on the occupation, the more they’ll just idolize their memories of the old times and fight harder to bring it back.”

“Yes…Alcippe, that’s exactly right.” Jachs was double-surprised. Both for her willingness to speak so candidly, and for her being entirely, by his reckoning, correct. “Pardon me- not to sound so shocked, I just didn’t expect anyone else to share my own views on the subject.” Jachs crossed his forehooves over one another, and leaned into his desk. “Most 'lings here have, I’m sure you’ve noticed, can be…zealous, in their interpretation of Vesalipolis’s command. I’m glad you’re one to think for yourself.” The Generalmajor doffed his cap in respect, sliding the brim up from where his horn is tucked into the little hole specifically made for it.

“I’m only speaking what I believe to be true.” Alcippe responded, her hoof dipping behind her neck to shyly scratch it. A small flush adorned her cheek as the weight of her commander’s praise pressed upon her.

“I admire soldiers who speak their mind.” Jachs responded respectfully, pouring another shot of vodka into her glass. “It certainly would be easier if we focused on reconstruction-- and integrating these ponies into the hive instead of punishing them for their part in a war we already won.”

Alcippe took her glass and knocked it back, shaking her head with the effects. “Strong?” Jachs grinned. Alcippe waved her hoof back and forth noncommittal. “If we’re going to administer this entire province- from Canterlot, Ponyville, Cloudsdale and all the way up to the Vanhoover-Acornage line we can’t do it with a firm hoof or we’ll be the monsters their propaganda made us out to be.” Jachs continued. “Oberstleutnant, I need ‘lings like you around I can count on. Can I count on you to help me?”

Still reeling from the vodka, Alcippe lifted a hoof to her chest- which now felt like it was on fire with Stalliongradian liquor, and tried to return a nod. “Yes, you can.” When she spoke her voice was scratchy with the burn of the liquid in her throat.

“Thank you, Alcippe. Go get some water.” He chuckled, taking her glass back from her. Filling it, and his to the brim, and downing both. She nodded, and went to leave- a little quicker than perhaps would be proper.

Jachs tapped a hoof against his desk in thought. That ‘ling was going places.

Author's Note

Disclaimer: not my characters, not my story

This story is based on the 'Pax Chrysalia' storyline from the EAW mod's changeling lands ending. It is simply a passion project to patch some holes in the story and bring about a more satisfying (in my opinion) ending. It is not a replacement to playing the game and in fact I recommend you to.