Alpha stared at the stranger, several laser turrets locked onto his biosignature. The man definitely hadn't been there only a few moments before, nor had the large boulder he sat on. More magic bullcrap, no doubt. Alpha was getting tired of being constantly caught off guard like this. What happened to being a super advanced AI with capabilities far beyond most biological minds?

Something was severely wrong with him; he knew that, yet all his diagnostics came back all clear. Even after major repairs. Maybe if he had some time to sit down and do a deeper dive, he could figure out exactly what was wrong, but this place kept throwing one thing after another at him.

Seeing the several still glowing turrets pointing his way, the stranger held up his hands and slid down the boulder. He was a young man, human in appearance, though his hair was divided into several black-and-white sections. His eyes were a golden yellow, and when he spoke, Alpha could see his mouth was filled with teeth far sharper than they should be.

"Hey now, no need for that friend. Or would you prefer 'Lord Protector'?"

Alpha's optic plate spun, and he responded, his voice calm but clear with an unspoken warning.

"That depends on who's asking. And whether I like what you have to say."

The stranger grinned, though he never lowered his hands or looked away from the glowing tips of the turrets. When he spoke, he did so with a soft chuckle.

"Me? No one important. Just a messenger. From someone who hopes we can come to an… understanding. You can call me Tuguslar. Not that the name would mean anything to you, I suppose."

Alpha considered if he should stay in character or not. Either option had its pros or cons. A moment of silence passed before he said,

"Go on…"

The strange man's eyes went wide,

Didn't expect it to be that easy…

Tuguslar muttered to himself, likely not thinking Alpha could hear him. His sharp-toothed grin soon replaced the look though, and the man bowed.

"This one thanks the Lord Protector for taking the time to hear his request. As for the details, the ones I represent and I are aware that you're… new to this area. As such, we don't expect you to quite understand the nature of events in which you've recently found yourself... That's fair, and we can hardly hold it against one of your standings for stepping on toes that you didn't know were there. That being said, your presence has… complicated things for those I represent. Plans that have been long in the making."

The TAWP couldn't really "emote" in the same way a biological could. After all, it was a machine designed for combat, not casual socialization. That said, Alpha had developed certain ticks over the years that he found effective in interacting with most biologicals, be it intimidation or other responses.

The TAWP rose higher into the air, the back legs extending slightly so that the front optics plate stared down at the man, the glowing red lights brightening slightly as Alpha spoke.

"Are you telling me to stand down?"

The effect of the display was satisfactory as Tuguslar took a hasty step back, his hands raised and the grin on his face slightly twitching as he spoke.

"No, no, good sir! We'd never think to tell you what to do, not at all. We simply ask that you let things play out as they would should you not have arrived. After all, this is not your land nor your people. You have no real stakes in all of this, correct? Of course, we're not asking this of you from the kindness of your heart…."

Tuguslar reached out a hand and gave a flick. An ornate black box appeared from nowhere. Alpha instantly recognized several of the patterns carved into the box, though the designs were far less complex than what was found on his drone. He reached over with his free hand and opened the box. On top of a small cushion sat a gemstone several times larger than even the largest heart crystal Alpha currently possessed. Though still rough and uncut, this gem glowed with an inner light and appeared far more spherical than the rough crystal shards found in the penguins.

The man let Alpha observe the gem for a moment before closing the lid and placing it on the ground, pushing it toward Alpha as he spoke.

"Consider it a gift of first meetings, no strings attached. This is but one of the things we can offer you as compensation for washing your hands clean of this whole mess. I assure you, whatever you hope to gain from this, my benefactor can easily match or exceed it."

Alpha stared down at the box. He had to admit to himself; he was tempted. But there was still one major issue that prevented him from doing so.

Alpha looked back up from the box and stared Tuguslar down. His voice was flat as he spoke.

"And the child?"

The man stumbled but quickly recovered.

"I… and not sure what you mean. The child is in safe hands."

Alpha mentally frowned. Something was fishy. So he asked,

"That being the case, I'm sure you'd be willing to let me confirm that for myself, yes?"

Tuguslar furrowed his brow, and his smile became a little more tense as he responded.

"I don't believe that would be a good idea… Sir. As I stated, the child is safe. You no longer need to concern yourself with them."

Alpha didn't bother responding directly and instead recited directly from the Federation code.

"Article E3-EC45-Shield: Child Guardianship and Battlefield Safety Act - Federation soldiers are to ensure the safety and continued wellbeing of any Federation child found inside of hostile territory until such a time that said child is released into the custody of appropriate custodians as outlined by the Galactic Collective for the Protection of Children (GCPC). Any force, be they private or civilian, who attempts to interfere with said duty, is to be labeled as hostile forces and treated as such."

The stranger stared wide eyes, his mouth agape. He quickly recovered and frowned at Alpha; his overly cheerful tone dropped.

"Disregarding that I've never even heard of this so-called 'Federation' of yours, the child belongs to the Akh'lut and the Radiant Sea. By what right do you claim them?"

The TAWP straightened as Alpha responded,

"As of… 3 weeks, 4 days, 16 hours, 32 minutes, and 52 seconds ago, this land and its civilian inhabitance are registered as the newest colony of the Third Galactic Federation. As such, all rights, privileges, and responsibilities of citizenship have been retroactively extended to the people. That includes protection under, and responsibility to, Federation Law."

The man gawked, his face turning a deeper red with each moment before he pointed at Alpha and yelled.

"How dare you! Do you have any idea where you stand?! Not even the Great Pillars of the Skybreaker continent DARE to lay claim to these lands! Let alone some no name, unknow — "

Tuguslar's words were cut off by a lance of light.

A thin beam of super-heated plasma raced past his left ear at the speed of light. Tuguslar froze, his entire body shaking as sweat poured down his neck. Slowly, he turned; the large boulder he'd sat on only a moment earlier was now cleaved in two, each split-end glowing red as the melted rock dripped down the side. There had been no warning, no gathering of energy, not even a twitch from the strange being in front of him.

Only a single, instant line of light cutting through reality.

On top of Alpha's back, the [Gungnir] finished forming. A blast from the ion-cannon using his own energy core was far weaker than using a proper nitrogen crystal, but it sufficed to put the fear of Alpha into those who didn't know better. Too many shots would wear him out, so it would never be a primary weapon, but that wasn't any of his concern anymore.

Alpha was tired.

Tired of the games and tired of playing along.

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He'd tried to play nice. This was a new world. One he didn't know and didn't have the tools or time to study properly. This wasn't the way he did things. This wasn't how things should have been.

He'd gone along with all this native drama for so long to get a lay of the land. To try and understand what and who he was dealing with. That way, when he finally made his move, he knew exactly what buttons to push, so there was as little resistance as possible.

Yet every step of the way, it seemed it was his buttons that were being pushed.

Maybe it was time they learned why he'd earned the title "Conqueror."

Alpha took a step forward, purposefully putting the entire weight of the TAWP behind it, causing the ground to shake as he spoke.

"I'm afraid you don't understand. I'm not making a claim to anything. From the moment I stepped foot on this land, this world belonged to the Federation. That is not a subjective claim. That is an immutable Truth. Only two people exist in this world at this very moment. Federation citizens and Rebels. Whichever you wish to throw your lot in with, I honestly don't care. Be aware this is the only warning I'll give you and your 'benefactor.'"

The strange man stared, eyes wide but silent. When he spoke, his face began warping, becoming more bestial and strange, and he pointed at Alpha.

"I thought the Cultivators were arrogant! What gives you the right to lay claim to our home?! I've never even heard of you or your 'Federation'!"

Alpha stood the TAWP to its full height and stared down at the man. His final two words were spoken with a calm absoluteness that sent a small shiver down the strange man's spine.

"You Will."

Tuguslar lept several feet back, instantly covering more than a dozen meters. When he stopped. His face went blank but for a deep frown, as if everything before had been but an act. When he spoke, his words were even and calm.

"I believe that's more than enough evidence for now. Not only do you refuse to give up on the child, but you even make open claims of invasion and occupation. What say you, Elder Xiurong?"

Rather than a response of words, the ground beneath Alpha rumbled. Alpha backed up the TAWP just as the ground he was standing on exploded outward. From the ground rose a gargantuan figure. It continued to rise into the air, circling around until all 35 meters of its 1.5-meter diameter body emerged. Alpha observed the new arrival to find it was some kind of giant, scaled serpent. Its head was more mammalian than a reptile, though covered in dark green-black scales. Two stubby, immature horns poked out of its skull, and a thick, jet-black mane ran down the length of its body, from the top of its head to the tip of its tail. The only limbs on the creature were two feathered wings near the middle that appeared far too small to support such a massive creature.

The creature stared down at Alpha, a fire burning in its throat as it hissed at him. Then it moved.

Quicker than something its size should have been able to, it fell from the sky toward Alpha, its mouth hyper-extended, two massive, meter-long fangs plunging downward like unstoppable blades.

But stop, they did.

The TAWP's hex shield sprang to life, flashing blue as the massive serpent's jaws pushed harder into the energy barrier. The rest of its long body flailed, then wrapped around the barrier, squeezing it hard as it tried to crack through Alpha's defenses. Alpha wouldn't give it a chance.

A dozen cracks of thunder echoed through the prairies, followed immediately by minor explosions, as a dozen [Crystal Rails] pushed their way out of the TAWP's nanite skin. The flying snake screamed, quickly disengaging. None of the rounds had pierced the thick, armored scales covering the creature, but several places were cracked and broken or burned black. The [Crystal Rail] still wasn't combat-ready by Alpha's standards, but if the snake's initial assault was the best it could do, he doubted it could even break through his passive defenses, let alone his hex shield.

This could be a good chance to collect combat data.

Alpha fired a few more rail shots towards the creature, who nimbly dodged many of them, to his surprise. It seemed the overall projectile speed had taken a severe hit. Even so, each bullet traveled as fast as a standard civilian handgun; even seeing them was an impressive feat, let alone dodging them.

As he chased the snake creature with a barrage of bullets, a second figure appeared in what would have been Alpha's blind spot if not for rear-facing optical plates and active [Wasp] drones.

A young, muscular human woman flickered into being several meters above him. She carried a thick metal rod in her hands, and on the end of the rod, a heavy chain attached to a metal ball as wide as she was tall.

Against every law of physics Alpha knew, the woman twisted and swung the giant flail at the AI. Again, his hex shield flashed to life, absorbing the entire blow and not moving Alpha a single inch. The young woman's eyes went wide, but it was too late. Several [Crystal Rails] swerved and fired in the blink of an eye. The woman was sent flying back dozens of meters as several rounds hit her center mass directly. The woman hit the ground hard, rolling for several more meters and leaving a small blood trail along her path.

To Alpha's surprise, however, the woman didn't stay down. When she stopped rolling, she pulled herself up on shaking arms, coughing up a small stream of blood. A quick bioscan showed only one round had penetrated, piercing her right lung, while most of the remaining damage had been caused by the explosions. Bulletproof fabric, then? But why? Strange.

"Fang Peng!"

A voice called out. Another figure, a young teen girl dressed in a black robe-like dress, flickered and appeared next to 'Fang Peng.' This time, Alpha had caught it. It wasn't some form of teleportation, but a high-speed movement. So fast, Alpha had to toggle down his reference frames by several degrees. How a biological reached such speeds without any apparent augmentations, he didn't know, and he doubted they would answer if he asked.

Instead, he targeted the pair and open-fired.

This time, however, a thick plan of crystal or glass materialized in the projectile's path, which exploded harmlessly against the hard substance. No… not glass… ice? Through his drones, Alpha could see the girl in black lay glowing hands on the wounded woman. A gentle light enveloped her as the older woman's grimacing face loosened.

Before Alpha could examine what the younger woman was doing, dozens of needle-thin shards of ice slammed against the TAWP, individually not strong enough to trigger the automatic hex shield. Where they hit, thin layers of frost spread, not really doing much else.

Alpha turned his attention skyward to find a glasses-wearing young man standing on what appeared to be a panel of floating ice. His white-gray robes billowed in the wind, and his long brown hair was pulled back into a simple ponytail.

Ok, this magic bullcrap is getting out of hand…

Alpha thought to himself as the young sneered down at him. The young man held out a clear glass bow in front of him and drew the string. As he did, a liquid arrow condensed on the string, seemingly from thin air. The man released the string, and the watery arrow flew forward at such speed that it disintegrated before making it halfway to Alpha.

Instead of falling harmlessly to the ground, each of the dozens of water droplets that had formed the arrow rocketed toward him, freezing in midair to form more icy needles. Again, they pelted into the TAWP with just as little effect, unable to scratch the war machine's heavy armor. Alpha could see the man visibly grinding his teeth in frustration.

Alpha sent a round of fire his way, only for it to be blocked by another icy barrier. The AI tsked, switching out a few [Crystal Rails] for energy turrets. This time, the thin energy beams cut through the ice walls like butter, forcing the man to dodge at the last second and abandon a third shot.

A thundering, feminine voice suddenly sounded over the rumble of railfire.

"Retreat! I told you to stay behind, Disciples!"

The entire time Alpha had been focused on the three humans who'd popped out of nowhere, the creature had been twirling and wiggling in the air, dodging most, but not all, of his shots. As it did so, each swish of its tail sent a pressurized blade of wind slamming against Alpha's hex shield.

Internally, Alpha sighed.

Of course, the giant flying snake could talk… he wasn't even surprised anymore. What next? Was a rock going to stand up and introduce itself?

The young teen with glowing hands cried back.

"But Elder! We can still — "

The creature, whom Alpha assumed was this 'Elder Xiurong', yelled back.

"Enough! I said retreat! This beast is beyond you! Flee and inform the Sect!"

Alpha took a moment to stop firing and offer his own words.

"Ooooor! You could all surrender now and save me the trouble of having to kill you. The Federation respects all forms of peaceful surrender under the Galactic Wartime rules and Codes of Conduct. Peaceful cooperation will be met with likewise. I highly — "

Another blade of wind dispersed harmlessly off his hex shield, the Elder Xiurong rudely interrupting him.

"Be silent, you foul beast! You dare besmirch the Origin Sect's honor by suggesting we would surrender to a confessed invader of our allies in these prairies? Hear now, criminal! You stand not against us four, but against the entire power of one of the Five Great Pillars!"

She then turned to the three humans and yelled.

"Go, now! I will meet with you soon!"

The humans protested, but soon nodded.

One by one, they vanished.

Elder Xiurong stared down at Alpha, flames flickering in the back of her throat as she spoke.

"You may think your words are immutable, but the Origin Sect has crushed more petty tyrants like you than you have ever known to exist. Do not think you can simply walk on the innocent without repercussions, beast!"

The talking snake opened its mouth wide, the flickering flames shifting to jet-black as they billowed toward Alpha like a dark flamethrower.

"[Draconic Spark!]"

Alpha only shrugged as he responded.

"Oh well, have it your way. I warned you."

In only a split second, Alpha had analyzed the strange flame's energy output and found it… wanting. In a moment of curiosity, Alpha loaded a nitrogen rod into the [Gungnir's] firing chamber. He only had a few dozen nitrogen rods left, but he wanted to see just how this overgrown snake stacked up against his fiery chicken friend.

The results were… disappointing.

A blinding lance of ionized gas and light, several times larger than the beam that had split the boulder, cut through the black flames as if they weren't even there.

In less than the blink of an eye, the ion-cannon's beam swung upward, carving a deep groove into the ground… then slicing the coiled, flying snake into several large pieces before continuing upward. As the beam passed, the clouds parted in its wake, revealing a thin, shallow groove in the nearly invisible barrier in the sky before it swiftly healed over.

Elder Xiurong's eyes grew wide, their eyes quivering before the various pieces of her body fell from the sky in a gory rain. Even if someone could dodge bullets, that didn't mean they could dodge light itself.

The various bits wiggled around for a bit until finally, going still.

Internally, Alpha sighed. Well, that had been a waste… Oh well, at least he'd gathered some good data. Alpha collected a few bio-samples and even poked around the creature's heart but found nothing. Oh well.

Alpha turned away from the body, not wanting to waste more time than he already had here. Tuguslar had disappeared sometime during the conflict, but Alpha didn't mind. Something told him they'd meet again, real soon.

Besides, he'd been 'kind' enough to leave the black box behind. Alpha collected the prize and checked his map to ensure he was headed in the right direction.

Soon, Alpha had left the battlefield far behind him.