"You think the Commander had too easy a time beating up the XADA?" questioned Tau.

"Perhaps," noted Zeta, "but that just means he's in for a pounding in the next universe he visits. Fate worsk that way, does it not?"

"Fate is what we make," retorted Celempheros, "but the universe does have a tendency to let those who it intends to put through the ringer enjoy some peace, if only for a moment."

"I know. So, what now?"

"Now? We watch, and wait, to see what happens next."

"...Bet you fifty orokin ducats he goes to a fantasy universe," offered Zeta."

"One hundred that it's low fantasy," counted the OverROB.

XXXXXX

Through the vast space between space, the probes journeyed onwards, each looking for a universe to prepare. The master had made very specific instructions as to what was to happen when they arrived at a new universe - search for traces of the Progenitor's Anti-Commander Forces, then begin altering their arrival point such that the commander would enter this universe with a base already prepared.

Additionally, unknown to the Progenitors, the Commander had also instructed them to search for signals similar to the ones emitted by the artifacts they had encountered so far, in the hopes of trying to find out what exactly had built them.

Rather worryingly, such a signal was showing up right now, and it was getting very clos-

Suddenly, something huge collided with one of the probes, sending it hurlting into the void between universes. Hastily correcting its course, the probe in question began to jink and swerve, trying to shake off whatever had collided with it, as the entity now seemed to be hunting the machine. The rest scattered, trying to avoid being caught.

When it became apparent that the probe could not shake its pursuer, though, a new strategy was tried. Examining the pulls each universe's gravity exerted, the probe began to form a plan. When it found a promising universe, the probe charged toward it, with its assailant following it, ready to go in for the kill. Just as it was within reach of its quarry, though, the hunter lost its target when the probe opened a portal in front of it, whilst another opened behind the entity, directed toward a different universe. As the probe vanished, the entity screamed in anger, before rage turned to fear as it realized where it was heading.

The universe it had been steered toward was dying, slowly collapsing into a super dense mass, ready to begin anew. And unfortunately for the entity, it could not escape the mass's pull.

Within moments, the large mass reduced the eldritch horror to a fine paste, which was soon reduced to a particle no bigger than a piece of dust.

Taking a moment to indulge in the death of its attacker, the probe then calmed as it approached its new destination.

The calm quickly changed to confusion when the machine landed, only to find itself in a middle of a battle. Around it, several beings were exchanging projectile fire with one another.

A quick examination revealed one side to be composed of humans, whilst the other was composed of robots.

Great, a robot war. That instantly made negotiations with the humans difficult.

As the probe began to move, ignoring the battle and gunfire around it, the machine was suddenly surprised when a spiderlike robot leaped on it. Reflexively, the probe slammed an armored limb into the robot, quickly taking it offline. Before the computer aboard the spiderbot shut down, though, the probe hacked into the machine, attempting to learn what it was.

All the probe got was a name. But that name was more than enough.

FAS-ACA3 Scarab

...Oh, it was that universe.

XXXXX

"Should more effort have been devoted to killing the probe?"

"Patience, Hunhow. One warrior lost hardly makes a difference in the grand strategy we have planned. We will have future occasions to wreak havoc on the Commander. We can afford a slip-up at the moment."

XXXXXXXX

From the admittedly well kept prison chamber she rested within, the Worm sighed. Truly this wasn't the worst outcome surrendering could have offered.

She and her sister had, as expected, been incarcerated following their admittance of defeat to the one known as Flame. Now, the Grineer would no longer be conquerors, but builders, as they were before. The queens had managed to retain a measure of power by conceding, but it was nowhere near what they had originally possessed. And of course, they were still stuck on this boring world.

Some miles away, Ballas was also confined, but his skills made his imprisonment more...open then theirs. Ballas had been given a relatively mild sentence, if only because he was still valuable as a scientist. In echange for his assistance with future warframe developments, he would have a great deal of freedom to act on his own...of course, he was still being watched - the Tenno still had some issues with him, after all.

Sighing, the worm watched as her sister order the guards to get to work outside. Snow had fallen around their 'palace' and needed to be cleaned lest it ruin the beauty of their gilded cage. As for the guards, the Commander had let the queens keep them, primarily to ensure those who did not agree with how to twins had been punished could not seek retribution against them.

As the Worm moved her hand over her head, though, she felt a smile forming as her fingers felt through her hair. As a gift for tennobaum, and in acknowledgement of their good behavior, the Commander had rewarded them with new bodies based upon their old ones. It appeared the Tenno had stored their DNA within the Repository, allowing the Commander to grow new ones for them to live in. These ones, however, would many, many centuries - long enough to see their terms of incarceration served to completion.

….Perhaps this wasn't too bad.

….Well, at least when the giant green blob was trying to talk to them. It's weird psychic powers just gave the Twins headaches.

XXXXXXX

AN: Hey, the queens surrendered! Got to give them some concessions for knowing when to fold!

So, Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!