both the changeling kingdom and the crystal empire have refused the TUPES union's offer for a peace negotiation, believing that it is meant to be a trick into making them become a puppet of the TUPES union. meanwhile changeling and crystal forces in a shared front between them have dug trenches to attempt to engage the enemy in trench warfare. also meanwhile king thorax has begun to authorize changeling operatives to disguise as TUPES union soldiers and agents, in order to possibly infiltrate the TUPES union and spy on them in order to try to figure out what they are trying to do.