The Changing of the Guard

The chalkboard’s wheels emitted a deafening creak as it was rolled to the front of the room. When it finally came to a halt, most of the attendees heaved sighs of relief. The griffin at the head of the table flipped the chalkboard over to reveal an intricate and detailed map of the eastern Equestrian seaboard. The same griffin then gripped with his massive talon a long wooden pointer from the tray, the tip of which he sharply slammed against the northeast quadrant of the map.

“Manehattan,” the griffin began, circling the island with the pointer, “The hub through which more than one third of all Equestrian commerce passes. If we are able to capture and hold it, the operation will be quick and painless. If we capture it, the rest of the mainland should fall in short order. Now, you all know your assignments. I’d like a status report on preparations from each of you, beginning with General Flavius. General, what is your status?”

“Commander Canisius, the First Airborne Division is ready for deployment,” Flavius started, standing up and making his way over toward the map. He picked up the pointer and pointed at Manehattan. “Our first targets are the main bridges, tunnels and supply lines to the Island. After our initial pass, we will proceed west toward the inland hamlet known as Hollow Shades where our forces will land and assume control of the town.”

“Hollow Shades is lightly defended,” Canisius said. “The Second Armored Division is more than capable of assuming control without the First Airborne’s assistance. I want the First Airborne to rendezvous with the Second Airborne at an agreed-upon location in the Foal Mountain Range and coordinate a secondary bombing mission in Canterlot.”

“That mountain range is awfully treacherous, sir. Are you sure the divisions will be able to hold out should something go wrong?” asked Flavius.

“It’s the middle of summer, general, they’re sure to be fine. Is there anything else you wish to report?” asked the commander.

“No, sir,” answered Flavius.

“Very well, then,” Canisius said, gesturing towards Flavius’ empty chair. The general walked away from the map and resumed his seat. “General Dante! Your status report, please!”

“Yes, sir!” Dante stood up from his chair and walked over towards the map. “The First Armored Division will, as you mentioned before, land at the Port of Manehattan following the First Airborne’s initial bombing run. After easily defeating any local authorities, our Infantry and Archer Brigades will each proceed to, as you mentioned, the small town of Hollow Shades, where we will--”

“Split them up,” Canisius interrupted.

“Um... I’m sorry, sir?” Dante asked.

“Split the Infantry and Archer Brigades in half. Send one half to take Hollow Shades and the other half to meet up with the Fourth Armored in Fillydelphia. Are you able to do that?”

General Dante was silent for a few seconds. “Um...Uh... yes, sir. Absolutely,” he finally replied.

“Very well. Anything else to report?”

“No, sir,” Flavius said, walking back to his seat.

“Then, let us move on. General Anglicus!”

“Yes, sir!” Anglicus replied, standing up.

“Your status report, please.”

Anglicus stood up, but did not walk over toward the chalkboard map. “Sir, the Second Armored Division will dock at the Port of Manehattan at the same time as the First Armored Division. After the capture of the city from local authorities, the Second Armored will remain stationed on the island in order to fortify the city and suppress any local revolt against our presence. I shall oversee the administration of post-liberation Manehattan in my capacity as the division’s lead general.”

“Very well. Anything else to report?” Canisius asked.

“No, sir,” Anglicus said, sitting back down.

“Moving on! General Gaius!”

“Sir!”

“Status report!” the commander shouted.

Gaius followed Anglicus’ lead in merely standing in place upon being called. “Sir, the Second Airborne is to strike its primary targets in Fillydelphia: any and all roads, bridges, railways, and tunnels into and out of the city. After initial strikes, we will rendezvous with the First Airborne within the Foal Mountain Range, after which--”

“Add a secondary strike in Ponyville, general.” Canisius interrupted, “After that, fall back to the rendezvous point and make Canterlot your tertiary strike point.”

“Yes, sir!”

Canisius’ attention was diverted by one of his other generals near the other end of the table, who had heaved a very loud sigh and was now shaking his head rather adamantly.

“Do you have something to say, General Scythia?” Canisius asked the gesticulating general.

Scythia looked up to find the rest of the room glaring at him. “Oh... um... no, sir,” was all he said.

“Come, now! Obviously there’s something you wish to say about the operation.”

“Well... actually, there is, commander,” Scythia began, “I believe you’re spreading the divisions too thin. I mean... what purpose does the additional bombing campaign in Ponyville serve, exactly? Moreover, what’s to guarantee that the First and Second Airborne Divisions won’t be stranded in the Foal Mountain Range for days, if not weeks should the Royal Guard mobilize in time to prevent any further advancement?”

“Scythia, you and I have been over this countless times: The Royal Guard will not mobilize in time to prevent out advance!” Canisius reassured Scythia.

“We have to be prepared for every contingency, though!” Scythia warned. “If by some miraculous turn of events, Shining Armor manages to mobilize the Royal Guard to a state of battle readiness in a matter of hours, the entire operation will be--”

“The Royal Guard, Scythia, will be wholly focused on maintaining security for the Princess’s coronation ceremony in Canterlot! It presents a once-in-a-millenium opportunity for such an operation to work! The only resistance we should encounter until we reach well into the mainland are local security forces, which we will be able to defeat handily.”

“Commander, why not play it safe?” Scythia contended, “Why risk so many good, young griffins for such an expansive, widespread operation when we are not even positive it will succeed?”

“Again, it will take a considerable amount of time for the Royal Guard to properly mobilize. By the time their forces are ready for battle and deployment, we will have overcome any natural obstacles and will have reached so far inland that the Princess will have no choice but to surrender, in order to avoid a slaughter. It will be a brief operation with minimal casualties on either side, and will allow the Griffon Nation to finally reclaim the land which is rightfully ours.”

Scythia sat back down, avoiding the gaze of his commander.

“I don’t believe I have to remind you all of the symbolic importance of this mission holds for all griffinkind. What this coronation is is the opportunity this nation has been waiting for for more than a thousand years!” Canisius leaned forward and slammed the table in rhythm with the final three syllables. “The opportunity to, at last, catch the enemy off-guard. Most if not all of us in this room can trace our ancestry back to the Night of the Three Butchers, and now we finally have, in our talons, the opportunity to avenge them along with all of the victims of that act of Equestrian savagery!”

Many of the generals in the room nodded their heads affirmatively. A few gave muffled war cries. Canisius took a deep breath before speaking up again.

“Now, before we return to status reports, are there anymore concerns that need to be voiced?” Canisius asked, surveying his seated generals. General Flavius raised his talon.

“Yes, general?”

“There has been one certain aspect of this operation to which I have wanted to receive an answer,” Flavius began. “Ambassador Tyana. She’s attending the coronation ceremony in Canterlot with a delegation, correct?”

Canisius nodded. “That is correct, general.”

“Has she... been informed of the operation?” Flavius asked.

Canisius sighed. “It... was decided that, for the sake of confidentiality, the operation could not be revealed to any member of the Griffon diplomatic mission to Equestria.”

A concerned buzz swept through the room. Over the murmuring, General Flavius spoke up again.

“Then, commander... why not have her and the delegation simply pull out of attending the ceremony?” he asked. The others fell silent, awaiting a response from their commander.

Canisius turned around to face the chalkboard and exhaled deeply again. “You and I both know that that’s simply not an option, general. Recalling the delegation at this stage would... raise suspicions. Ambassador Tyana and her delegation will simply be... casualties of necessity.”

For a moment, no one dared say anything. Finally, another general spoke up.

“But...sir, Ambassador Tyana is--”

“I am fully aware...” Canisius began, turning back around to face his generals, “of what the ambassador is, general! And I am fully aware of what faces her and the rest of the delegation once this operation is underway. You do not... have to remind me!”

Again, silence fell over the room. Most of the generals averted their gaze from their commander. This time, Canisius broke the silence.

“Allow this revelation to serve as a reminder to all of you... that some of us have sacrificed a great deal... in order to ensure the integrity and success of this operation.” Canisius turned to look at Scythia, who was looking straight down at the floor. “And let it serve as a reminder to some of you... that I will go to any and all lengths possible... to ensure complete... and total... victory.”

Again, complete and total silence. Canisius did not wait long before breaking it once again, but not before taking advantage of his generals’ averted stares to surreptitiously wipe a tear from one of his eyes.

“In three day’s time... Equestria shall be retaken by its rightful inheritors. Now, next status report!”