ROB stared at the hologram before hir. Then they sighed.

It seemed that someone was indeed mas with hir test subject, and was pushing them toward some special agenda. Given the omnipresence of these strange machines in hir pawn's visions, it was likely that he was being directed toward fighting them. Well, he didn't doubt that her pawn would defeat them, but ROB would not tolerate this interference with hir plans.

"Um, your highness, do you need anything?" asked a rather soft voice.

ROB quickly turned toward the voice, revealing two figures: one was a red haired teen, with blue eyes and freckles. He was wearing a form fitting black suit, with a couple of cyan highlights attached to it.

As for the other figure, well, it was, quite simply, a monster: it was a cross of traits of both reptiles and insects, and could be said to resemble a tyrannid genestealer, though it was most assuredly NOT one of them. It had a black carapace, with maroon stripes adding in some color to its otherwise austere skin. It's six gold eyes focused on ROB's androgynous figure.

"Ah, Elling, Mortarax, how nice of you to join me. Now that you ask about it, yes, I do need help. It seems that we have an interloper interfering with our plans."

"Shall I eliminate them for you, your excellency?" inquired Mortarax in a deep, menacing voice. As he did so, he materialzed a pair of swords in two of his hands. The claws in his free hands began to glow with a pail green light, eager to cut through flesh and metal.

"I know not who they are, so we must wait," intoned ROB, "but when we learn who they are, we will-"

"Do what?" inquired a new, ethereal voice.

The minute they herd the voice, ROB, Elling and Mortarax went stiif, before turning toward the voice's source.

Before them was a golden, ethereal being. Just like ROB, it wore a mask that obscured its face, but its attire made it clear this being was male. His mask, however, more closely resembled a monster than ROB's.

"Um, well, sir, I-" stuttered ROB, voice breaking and, at times, shifting to just a single voice, either masculine or feminine, rather than the voice of the legion that it normally was.

After a moment of stuttering, though, ROB at last regained their composure and spoke.

"I believe someone is... interefering with my plans for the commander. I've informed Elling and Mortarax that, should we locate these interlopers, I want them dealt with. Harshely."

"Ah, I see. Very well. Carry on."

"Of course, my lord-"

"And remember, you are not the only one watching this commander," he continued, slowly walking toward, and then past ROB. As he turned around to walk back, he placed a hand on hir back, eliciting a flinch from the Random Omnipotent Being.

"And while I will allow you some freedom with your... puppet, should you push him too far, know that I will exact retribution against you."

Returning to where he had started is walk, the golden being turned so that he was eye to eye with ROB.

"Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear?"

"Y-y-y-Yes, sir."

"Good."

With that, the golden figure disintegrated into light.

ROB soon let out a sigh.

"Man, that guy is scary."

"Agreed," replied Mortarax.

Elling, however, was silent, which was rather odd. Normally, he was a gibbering mess whenever the golden one visited.

Turning toward him, ROB and Mortarax were surprised to see him stiff. Confused, ROB waved a hand in front of him, which elicited no reaction from the boy.

Sighing, ROB walked up to Elling and rapped her arms around him in an embrace. At first, nothing happened, but then, gradually, the boy began to return to reality. Once he noticed what was happening, he gently pried himself free of ROB.

"My lord, I'm so that happened again-"

"Stop it. You have every reason to be scared of him, and I don't blame you," replied ROB in a soft feminine voice.

"Uh-uh-uh-uh thank you."

"You're welcome."

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At Flame's homeworld...

Malak squinted as his eyes began to adjust to the light of this new world.

He and his friends had been among those that had flocked to join the machine that had saved them from the darkspore. They had been surprised to discover that the machine was actually controlled by an organic being, but that had also offered him the chance to thank that being in person.

With that revelation had come another: this being was the leader of a federation of other sentient beings, who had decided of their own free will to help the crogenitor resistance. Now that it had won that battle, it was departing: it wished, in its own words, to face other evils and help save others in danger, so now, it was only natural that it left.

Before it could, though, Malak had asked it if he could join the being on its travels. The being had helped him save his homeworld, a debt he could never truly repay, but this would be a start. The being, which called itself Commander Flame, had, after some deliberation, acquiesced, and let him and his friends join it on its new adventures.

And now, looking upon a strange city, under an alien sun, Malak new that it would be a difficult journey, but one he wanted to see to its conclusion.

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AN: read and Review. This is Flameal15k signing off.