Crow Shanks almost blacked out as his head slammed into the concrete wall. He was down in the basement of his butcher shop. The male griffin slid to floor with groan. His collision with the wall had been instigated by one of Chrysalis’s own enforcers. The griffin shook his head as he slowly got back up to his hands and knees. He coughed a couple of times. The 3 other figures in the room silently towered over him on the floor. Finally he spoke.

“I swear! I don’t know why the fucking cops knew ta intercept yer shipment last night! Damn it why would do it? I took as big of a soaking as ya did on it!”

Chrysalis stepped forward and glared down at the old griffin. “Crow Shanks. You stupid pigeon! You dimwitted, senile collection of feathers. The money is not the problem. Deals go bad sometimes. That’s danger of enterprises like this. What I can’t afford is having one of my best lieutenants captured by the RESF! WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT HAS HAPPENED!” Roared the queen.

The queen of the changelings started pacing back and forth in front of the griffin. Her muscle just stood there and loomed ominously. The queen pinch her brow. “Now! I am confident 7228B won’t willing compromise me or the hive. I raised him better than that! However! That doesn’t mean the Royal Sisters or Celestia’s damn protege Twilight won’t figure out someway to get inside their head. I keep my various business enterprises compartmentalized just for contingencies like this, but 7228B was part of my inner swarm. So they know more than most drones! Now at least a dozen other enterprises are potentially jeopardized due to their capture!”

Crow Shanks sat up and leaned against cold concrete wall. “Yeah! Yeah I get it! Yer worried about him squealing ta cops! But why are ya taking it out me?! I said I don’t know how cops knew….”

The griffin’s voice tapered off as Chrysalis conjured a small image of young female griffin in her right hand. “Look familiar? Know her Crow. Hmm. Yes. Yes she look familiar to you doesn’t she. You took her to the Opal Waves 3 nights ago. A night club I own. Didn’t know that fact Crow? Surprise! You 2 had a grand time. You ate, you drank, you talked and talked.”

Chrysalis clenched her right hand into a fist and the illusion vanished. “You told her you were some hotshot griffin who was so smart. You impressed her with how wily of an operator you were. All so you could get her back in your nest.”

The changeling growled. “She was an informant for the Ft. Trotterdale Police. The next morning she literally waltzed into the central precinct with a pretty story for the police. Then last night my shipment got raided! I dealt with her before coming over here today. She’s providing sustenance for the alligators as we speak. Now I just need to decide what other wildlife around here needs feeding.”

Crow Shanks swallowed and started frantically looking back and forth a the 3 changelings. One of Chrysalis enforcers spoke up. “Your Majesty. Do you want us to finish him for you?”

Chrysalis’s horn flared and a silence bubble engulfed the basement. She shook her head.

“No. I’ll do it myself.” In one quick motion she drew her pistol and fired 8 rounds of 9mm JHP into the griffin’s head and torso.

Chrysalis reholstered her pistol and looked back her 2 enforcers. “I will leave it to your discretion to clean this up.” She casually gestured at the fresh corpse. “And please dispose of this rotten piece of meat.”

The 2 enforcers nodded their heads. “Of course your Majesty!”

A moment from my Royal Equestria Security Forces (RESF) dreamscape. In several previous postings we’ve seen the RESF personnel dealing either directly or indirectly with the activities of changelings who are still loyal and serve Queen Chrysalis.