A/N- Well, here it is, the next chapter. Hope you like it.

I may have to disregard my statement in the last chapters A/N about how there would be a lack of seriousness, drama, and big plot points. The more I work on this story the more it changes shape into something else. It's evolving from my original concept, and I hope it's for the better.

Again, if you have a scene or an idea for something you think would be interesting to add to the story, then feel free to message me or leave the idea in a review.

For example; should I give Ratchet Aura and Semblance? And if so, what would his Semblance be?

Be sure to leave a review.

Disclaimer- I OWN NOTHING!

(-)

Ozpin was not one for letting his emotions control him. He was always calm and collected. So it was much to Glynda's surprise when she saw her boss impatiently tapping his foot against the floor of the bullhead they were riding in.

"Sir, are you alright?"

"I've been better Glynda. A development such as this is completely unprecedented. Never had we ever thought that we were anything more than alone in this universe. And yet now we have extraterrestrial visitors here on Remnant." he said with concern in his voice. "An advanced alien race who's allegiance to us has yet to be determined. We must hurry and solidify an alliance with these people before she makes contact with them. We cannot allow them to fall into her graces."

Glynda was well aware of whom he was referring too. So she understood his concerns.

"Aside from that, you saw what he looked like right?"

"Yes. Almost like a faunus."

"Exactly. We must not allow the White Fang to sink their teeth into them either. Or allow prior prejudices to cause them to scorn us." explained Ozpin.

"I see. This is a very tenuous situation."

"Exactly. And the council will no doubt have their own way of going about handling them. We have to be the first ones to form an alliance with our guests. For the sake of Remnant." Ozpin said resolutely.

"I agree. It is easy to imagine the council botching things up. Or worse yet, trying to hand our guests over to Atlas. I'm sure their scientists would kill for just a piece of scrap of their technology." Glynda said in agreement.

"Yes. We must make it so that they understand our intentions. Every move we make must be calculated. If we make a single misstep we could gain their ire, and with it, our destruction."

Ozpin could hear the sound of the engines slowing down. No doubt they had arrived at the town of Mittly. The hatch doors opened up to reveal the damaged town. Mittly had received quite a few scars from the Grimm attack, but the death count was relatively low thanks to the intervention of Ratchet and his forces.

Ozpin looked to the sky to see a sleek fighter plane of some sort whiz by on patrol.

"Professor!" he heard a voice call out.

Returning his gaze to ground level, he saw team RWBY rapidly approaching him.

"Ah, nice to see you team RWBY. Would you be able to lead us to our guests?"

"Yes sir! Right this way!" Ruby said as she led the two teachers deeper into the town.

"Can you tell us what our guests have been up to since their arrival?" Ozpin asked.

"Yes. They've mainly been tending to the wounded with some special type of medicine called 'nanotech', as well as setting up defenses in case the Grimm return." Ruby answered.

"I see. So they are showing no hostility towards us?"

"Not at all." Ruby confirmed. "Though it is worth mentioning that Ratchet is the only non-robot in town."

"They only sent robots?"

"Yeah, but they're nothing like what Atlas makes. They seem to have full sentience. They act and talk like normal people and even show a range of emotions. Yang actually held a conversation with one of them and they exchanged jokes." Ruby informed.

"Is this true miss Xiao-Long?" Glynda asked.

"Yep. The guy actually had some funny jokes to tell." Yang said as she put her hands behind her head.

Ozpin took note of this new information. For them to have robots that were so advanced that they have full sentience. If the minds of the robots were indistinguishable from man, then where does the machine end and life begin? Yet another headache for Ozpin to worry about. And another thing that Atlas will want to get their hands on. Things were shaping up to be a political nightmare. But right now Ozpin needed to make sure that Vale was the Kingdom that the aliens choose to have dealings with. Atlas will try to take advantage of them too much, Vacuo is filled with criminals, and Mistral... well... Ozpin wasn't too sure about Mistral. It was the obvious second choice, but Ozpin was getting concerned about headmaster Lionheart's choices as of late.

Ozpin was engrossed in his own musings as they continued towards the town's center. When they finally arrived they found Ratchet talking with several of the robots before he sent them off to do something else. The wizened headmaster took stock of the individual in front of him. He was not the tallest person, only slightly taller than Ruby, but he was built equally lithe and muscular. Ozpin could tell by looking into his eyes that he was a strong individual who had seen many battles and come out on top.

"Ah, you must be the Professor Ozpin that Ruby has been telling me about." Ratchet said as he stood with his back straight and head raised, trying to look as dignified as possible. "My name is Ratchet. I am the commander of the First Contact Recon Force or FCRF, and captain of the starship Dragon." he said as he held out his hand.

Ozpin took one hand off of his cane and took Ratchet's hand to shake it. "Professor Ozpin. Headmaster of Beacon Academy, the premiere Huntsman and Huntress training school in all the Kingdom of Vale."

"You train Hunters?" Ratchet asked as he shook hands.

Ozpin noted the firm grip that Ratchet had. He was stronger than he looked. "Huntsman and Huntresses are the defenders of our planet. They are the first line of defense against the creatures of Darkness known as Grimm. The beasts that were attacking this town." explained Ozpin as the two released their grip. "Which you also have my thanks for coming to its aid."

Ratchet waved the headmaster off. "It was nothing. We just so happened to pick up the distress signal while we were in orbit."

"Regardless, if it wasn't for your intervention then I fear many more lives would have been lost. By the way, it seems that your medics are taking good care of the citizens." noted Ozpin.

"But of course. Our ship is fully stocked with the latest in medicine and nanotechnology." answered Ratchet.

"Nanotechnology?"

Ratchet walked over to one of the nearby supply crates, reached in, and pulled out a small blue syringe. He held it up in front of the group. "Nanotechnology, or more commonly referred to as nanotech, is a technology that consists of nanomites, or nanobots, living in many living organisms, robots, and other technology such as weapons. Nanomites repair the being that they are inside of on a cellular level. But can also be used for upgrading weaponry." he explained as he pulled off one of his gloves. "You there, can I borrow your blade?" Ratchet asked as he pointed to Blake.

The girl in question hesitantly handed over Gambol Shroud to Ratchet.

"Observe." Ratchet said as he dragged the blade across his palm, leaving a small gash. He winced in slight pain as he handed the weapon back to Blake, before stabbing the syringe into his wrist. Pushing down the plunger, he injected some of the syringes contents into his body. And after a few short moments, Ozpin and Glynda stared in awe as the wound sewed itself back together, not even leaving a scar. It was similar to the healing properties of Aura, but didn't require the user to have their Aura unlocked for it to take effect. That and Aura healing would cease when ones Aura level runs low.

"As you can see, nanotech is one of the pinnacle of the universes technologies. It is both versatile and effective. But enough of that for now. Just know that we are taking care of the survivors as best we can." Ratchet said as he slipped his glove back on.

"Interesting." mused Ozpin. "Now, I hope you don't mind if I get down to brass tacks, but would you mind telling us why you've come to our planet? I hope it's not to enslave us."

"That would be in violation of galactic law 7-25-R." came a voice.

The group turned to see a small green eyed robot approaching them from behind Ratchet.

"Ah, done already Clank?"

"Indeed. We have finished initial treatment of all the wounded and the defense systems are now online. The town should be safe from further attack should we leave." the diminutive robot answered.

"And who might this be?" asked Glynda.

"This is Clank. He's my best bud and second in command." answered Ratchet.

"A pleasure to meet you." Clank said with a slight bow.

"Nice to meet you as well. I'm Professor Ozpin, and this is my assistant Glynda Goodwitch." he said as he gestured to Glynda. "But back on topic. What brings you to our planet?" Ozpin directed the question towards Ratchet.

"We are simply here on an expedition to explore a newly discovered galaxy. Part of our assignment is to make contact with any sentient life we are able to find. Your planet happened to be the only one with a communication signal that escaped the atmosphere for us to find. So seeing as how we have made contact with you, we wish to learn all there is to know about your planet and culture before setting up treaties and trade agreements. And within the next few years, your planet will become the base of this galaxies galactic government." answered Ratchet.

Ozpin couldn't believe his ears. "I'm sorry, but what did you just say?"

"We wish to help elevate your people to a higher status should you so desire, in order for you to be the base of this galaxies new government. You see, it is both a quest for knowledge for us, as well as a quest to form the building blocks for future trading between our galaxies." explained Clank.

"So I take it you want to setup an embassy on our planet?"

"That would be ideal. We already have an ambassador on board the Dragon who is waiting for me to make contact with your government."

"I see." nodded Ozpin. "Well, I would be happy to help you setup a temporary embassy at my Academy until things can settle down. Would that be acceptable?"

"I'm sure that will work for the time being. I take it you also hold a position in your planet's government?"

"Indeed. Being the headmaster of one of the 4 great Huntsman Academies gives me quite a bit of influence in the council. But my influence is mainly restricted to my Kingdom."

"Well then, seeing as how everything is settled here, why don't we head to this 'Academy' of yours." suggested Ratchet.

"You may follow our bullhead, our ship, to the Academy. Can your ship hover in the air, or does it need a place to land?" asked Ozpin.

"It can hover without a problem. Just let me get everyone back on board the Dragon before you leave." Ratchet said as he gave a nod and left. "All right Rangers! We're packing it up! I want everyone back on the dropship in 5 minutes!"

"Well... this will certainly be interesting." mused Glynda.

(-)

Team RWBY looked out the side of the bullhead's open hatch at the massive space ship that was flying through the air alongside them. The 'Dragon' as Ratchet called it, was an immense, sleek ship that was primarily bright red in color with accents of gunmetal gray. Ruby Rose was gushing over the cannons that were mounted all over the ship, including the two massive one that were mounted under the nose.

"DO YOU SEE THE SIZE OF THOSE THINGS?! THEY'RE BIGGER THAN OUR HOUSE YANG!" Ruby shouted as she violently shook her sister back and forth. "And that's just the ships weaponry! Imagine what kind of alien tech they have on board! You saw the shotgun Ratchet used! That must just be the tip of the iceberg! I bet they have guns that shoot fire! Guns that shoot ice! Guns that shoot acid! Guns that shoot lightning! Guns that chop things up! Guns that disintegrate people! Guns that shrink people! Guns that turn people into sheep! Automatic rocket launchers! Shotgun grenade launchers! Energy blades! Plasma whips! Cluster bomb launchers! Railguns! THE LIST GOES OOOOOOONNNNN!"

"Calm down sis, you're making me sick!" shouted Yang.

"Ah! Sorry." Ruby apologized as she released her sister. "It's just that I'm so excited. I want to see all the crazy different weapons they have." she squealed.

"Don't worry Rubes. I'm sure that mister Ratchet will be nice enough to show you some of his weaponry at some point."

"You really think so?!" Ruby asked with stars in her eyes.

"I hope so." Yang muttered quietly. "I mean, of course he will!"

"Hooray!" Ruby cheered as Yang sat back down next to her partner.

"Is that what you have to deal with on a regular basis?" Blake asked.

"Hahh, not nearly that bad." sighed Yang.

The bullhead began its landing sequence as it arrived at Beacon's landing pads. And high in the sky above, the Dragon hovered over the Academy.

Countless student rushed outside of the campus and gazed upwards at the huge ship that was now parked right on top of Beacon.

"What the hell is that?"

"Some kind of new Atlas ship?"

"No way they were able to build that!"

Ozpin departed his bullhead and waited patiently at the landing pad for one of the Dragon's dropship to descend with their ambassador. It didn't take long.

More and more students crowded around the landing pad as the dropship got closer. As the ship touched down the hatch opened up and the ramp dropped. Inside the ship were half a dozen robots alongside Ratchet, and another extraterrestrial being of some sort that appeared to be female. She was roughly the same hieght as Ratchet and wore a purple uniform of sorts that was decorated with medals and such. No doubt the ambassador.

She was escorted out of the ship by Ratchet and the robots and approached Ozpin. The murmurs of the crowd growing ever louder as more and more students caught sight of the guests. Scrolls were taken out and began taking pictures and recording videos of them.

"Professor Ozpin." the woman acknowledged him with a nod. "Or do you prefer Headmaster?" the female asked the man in question.

"Just Ozpin is fine." he replied. "And this is my assistant Glynda Goodwitch." he gestured to Glynda. "I take it that you are the ambassador of whom Ratchet spoke of?"

"That is correct." the female responded. "My name is Sasha Phyronix. You may refer to me by either name."

"Well, nice to meet you miss Phyronix." Ozpin said as he held out his hand. "Allow me to officially welcome you and your crew to Remnant."

Sasha took his hand in hers and gave it a shake. "My captain here informs me that you can setup a temporary embassy for us here."

"Why yes. For the time being Beacon Academy can play host to you. You may keep your ship docked overhead for as long as you want. In fact, I would prefer it if you kept it here for the time being until we are able to get this initial mess sorted out. Can't have an alien ship lingering around the city with people unaware of what it is." Ozpin explained.

Sasha nodded. "Agreed. I'd imagine it would cause quite a commotion."

"Unfortunately, I fear that within the next hour word will spread of... your... arrival..." Ozpin slowly trailed off as he cast his gaze skyward.

Sasha and Ratchet's gaze followed his to see one of the Dragon's star fighters making its way towards them.

"This is Ratchet to the Dragon. Who the hell is in that fighter? We said we were going down here alone."

"My apologies sir. We tried to stop him, but his pet held us back."

"Pet? Ah crap. Not him." groaned Ratchet.

The fighter landed and out popped a large man in a green spandex suit.

"Qwark..." Ratchet grumbled.

"Greeting citizens of planet... Uhm... What's this planet called again? Bah! Never mind. I am the great Captain Qwaaaark!" the green eyesore shouted as he began posing and flexing his muscles. "For those of you who don't know who I am, I'm the greatest hero the universe has ever seen! Single file line for autographs!"

"None of them know who you are you green dunce! Why would they want your autograph?!" yelled Ratchet.

"Hah! Anyone can appreciate my greatness even if they don't know who I am! After all, the blinding light of my heroic aura radiates even greater than the suns themselves! No one can resist the allure of my nerves of steel, iron hard abs, and massive guns!" he shouted as he began flexing his muscles.

Ratchet groaned loudly as he face palmed, Sasha began rubbing her temples, and the robots sighed in exasperation.

Meanwhile the people of Remnant had no idea what to make of this. Half of them were still stuck on the whole 'alien' bit, and the rest were unsure of how they should react to Qwark.

Ozpin, being the first to recover, interrupted Qwark's grandstanding. "I'm sorry sir, but who are you?"

"As I said before, I am the greatest hero in the universe!" Qwark boasted.

"Was." Ratchet corrected.

"My magnetic personality-"

"Annoying."

"- god-like strength-"

"Weak as a Terachnoid with brittle bone disease."

"- sharp mind-"

"Dull as a hundred year old knife."

"- and limitless potential-"

"Limited."

"- made me the obvious choice for this expedition! So the Solana government all but begged me to tag along!" Qwark finished with his signature smile.

"He was a stowaway."

Ozpin was beginning to get an idea of the situation. Especially with Ratchet's cut-ins, which Qwark either failed to notice or didn't seem to mind. "Well, nice to meet you mister Qwark."

"Please, mister Qwark was my father! Call me Captain Qwark!"

Ozpin could hear Glynda sigh behind him. It was clear the man in front of him was going to be a headache unlike any other.

"Why are you here Qwark? You're not the ambassador or a member of the security detail." Ratchet spoke as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Just getting to know the locals my good boy!" Qwark said as he patted Ratchet on the shoulder. "You know, fostering healthy relationships and such."

"Except the relationships you make will be sickly instead." Ratchet deadpanned. He doubted that Qwark could find anyone on Remnant that would be able to stand his presence for more than 10 seconds. "Qwark, please go back to the ship. At least until things settle down."

"Why Ratchet, don't you know that things never settle down when I'm around? I'm just too impressive to be ignored! This planet's people will flock to my presence out of pure instinct. I thought I was doing you a kindness by coming down here. At least then they wouldn't overwhelm the Dragon." reasoned Qwark.

"I'll give you till the count of 3 to get back in that fighter and head back to the ship." Ratchet issued his ultimatum.

"Nonsense!"

"One." the Lightning Ravager materialized in Ratchet's hand.

"We both know that you'll miss me so much that it will take less then an hour for you to come back and get me."

"Two." Ratchet raised the weapon up.

"The people deserve my presence. If you starve them of me, then they will surely riot."

"Three."

"Besides, I challenge you to try and force-"

Ratchet's arm snapped down and the tip of the weapon struck Qwark in the side.

"DTW#&SDF^&TU(#!SYH^RUTRD%WTW$*%RFQWRE!" Qwark lit up like a light bulb and spasmed about as a powerful jolt of electricity discharged into his body. Fortunately Ratchet had set it to stun.

Once Qwark's unconscious body fell to the ground in an undignified heap, Ratchet dismissed the weapon. "You there." he addressed one of the robots. "Take him back to the ship and put him in a holding cell. And make sure his pet is subdued as well. I don't want him breaking out with its help."

"Yes sir!" the robot saluted.

"When he wakes up, tell him if he's on good behavior then I'll think about letting him back on the surface... with an escort."

The onlookers watched as the robot hauled the unconscious body of Qwark back into the fighter before taking off again.

"Should've done that from the start. This is what I get for being soft on him." muttered Ratchet.

"Oh cheer up. It could've been worse." said Sasha.

"I know. Which makes it all the more concerning."

"Well, now that our 'interruption' has been taken care of, where were we?"

Ozpin took a moment to process recent events. It was clear to him that Qwark was just as much of a nuisance to Ratchet and company as he seemed. Seeing Ratchet resort to such methods of subjugation so quickly was cause for concern, but it seemed like there was a prior history between the two of them that called for such actions. So Ozpin chose to let it go and return to the task at hand. "I believe I was saying that soon Remnant will be abuzz with the news of your arrival." spoke Ozpin.

"Ah yes. The standard first contact response." nodded Sasha. "If you would be so kind as to setup a press conference then we would be happy to address the masses concerning our presence. But for the time being I suppose that can wait. Right now I would like a brief overview of your planet and its people. In exchange I will personally answer any questions that you have concerning us, so long as it isn't about any classified information."

"That would be acceptable. Would you care to follow me to my office?" offered Ozpin.

"After you sir." responded Sasha.

"You three, stay here and guard the ship." Ratchet spoke as he pointed at three of the robots. "You two are with me." he addressed the remaining two.

The crowd slowly parted as Ozpin made his way down the walkway towards Beacon, with Glynda following close behind. He could hear the heavy steps of the robots behind him as they stayed in-step with Ratchet and Sasha.

It was at this time that the reality of the situation finally set in. Hard. An uproarious commotion erupted in the courtyard courtesy of the student body. People were pushing and shoving to get a look at the extraterrestrial beings. Calls were made to everyone from family to news reporters by way of scroll. The local CCT tower would soon be overwhelmed by the sheer influx of calls being made.

(-)

"Well, I welcome you to my office." Ozpin spoke as the group exited the elevator. Hew made his way over to his desk where he took a seat. "Can I offer you any drinks? I'm not sure if we have any similar drinks to what you are used to, but there's always hoping."

"Hmm, do you have any tea?" asked Sasha as she took a seat in one of the chairs opposite the desk. Ratchet and the two robots stood at attention behind her.

"As a matter of fact we do. What about you Ratchet?"

"Coffee please." he answered.

"Very well. Glynda, if you would be so kind as to get our guests some refreshments."

"As you wish sir." she said with a bow before heading into the adjacent room.

"So, what can I do for you, our most esteemed guests?" asked Ozpin as he steepled his fingers.

"Just a basic overview of your planet will do for now. Information on the local population, wildlife, and politics for example."

"Well, as I said before, our planet is known as Remnant. We play host to two sapient species. Humans, people like me, make up the majority of the population. The second species is known as faunus. They are similar to humans, although they exhibit particular animal-like traits. They often have additional appendages in the form of extra ears or even a tail. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that you yourself are literally covered in fur, you could probably pass as a faunus."

"I see." nodded Sasha.

"And that is where we might have a slight problem." Ozpin spoke sadly.

"How so?" asked Ratchet.

"You see, faunus kind are discriminated against by the humans, as most see them as 'more beast than man'. I myself am not one to judge others based on appearance, but the same cannot be said for everyone else. You may have to deal with some opposition following the official announcement of your arrival."

Ratchet grumbled in annoyance. Being that the universe was so large and filled with so many different species, it was hard to truly find racism as there were too many species to keep track of. And even then each species could have different races amongst themselves. In the end, only the truly notorious species were treated differently.

"We shall keep that in mind. But I'm sure that your people will come to understand we are something completely different. Although whether that is good or bad will have to be seen."

"Why exactly are faunus discriminated against anyway?" asked Ratchet.

"Well, as I said, it's because of their animal-like traits. Humans tend to think of them as less because of it. The faunus were displeased with their treatment at the hands of the humans, and as such it resulted in the Great War. After the war ended, faunus were given equal rights long with their very own continent. However while some saw this gift as fair and just, others saw it for what it really was. A way to confine all faunus to a single location away from man. In recent history, humans began countermanding the equal rights won by the Faunus in the Great War. This is what began the Faunus Rights Revolution." explained Ozpin. "And that's were things got a little complicated."

Glynda finally returned with drinks and handed them to Sasha and Ratchet.

"While the faunus were no longer confined to their continent, Menagerie, they were still discriminated against. Shops refusing to serve them is just one example. Along with them being unable to be a part of mainstream politics."

"So we'll have to deal with a bunch of racist assholes." Ratchet stated bluntly.

"That is a crude way to put it, but yes. But I'm afraid that's not the end of it. There is also the White Fang."

"White Fang?"

Ozpin pushed up his glasses with his fingers before turning his expression serious. "The White Fang; originally a peaceful faunus activist organization, it has turned into a terrorist organization that seeks to topple human society and put a faunus-ruled dominion in its place with humanity enslaved. I fear they too will have their own personal opinion regarding you. Although I have no idea what it might be. They might even seek to recruit you to their cause given your appearance. But do not be fooled by them. Even though there are faunus amongst them that seek to end things peacefully, the majority of the White Fang is filled with killers. Many have died, both human and faunus, at their hands. They care not whether they are innocent or not, they simply crush all in their way."

"We shall keep that in mind. But I can assure you, if they truly are terrorists then I can safely say that we will not be involving ourselves with them. Regardless of what their goals are, we do not condone the killing of innocents. If anything we shall provide aid in apprehending them in order to bring about a peaceful resolution." affirmed Sasha.

"You have my thanks miss Phyronix." nodded Ozpin. "Now, on to another topic. I'm sure you have been informed of the creatures that Ratchet and his men encountered in the town of Mittly."

"Yes. Quite the dangerous looking beasts aren't they?"

"You don't know the half of it. They are called Grimm. Creatures born of darkness whose only goal in life is the eradication of all of human and faunus-kind. They have been roaming Remnant for as long as time itself, spreading death and destruction. They serve no purpose other than to kill. We know not where they come from, why they are so driven to kill us, nor do we know exactly what they are. They are simply death incarnate."

"Hmm, so they are not just normal wildlife?"

"I'm afraid not. They are soulless creatures that need neither rest nor sustenance. They live to kill, and kill they will. Unlike other animals that play their part in the ecosystem, Grimm are an anomaly. The biggest threat to our existence has always been them. It is why we founded the Huntsmen academies."

"Well then, if they are as big of a threat as you say they are, then I suppose we could lend a hand in dealing with them. It would only be the proper thing to do seeing as how we will be forming an alliance with your planet. I'm sure that our advanced technology can help us to better understand the beasts."

"Excellent. You have no idea how much that means to us as a planet."

"Now, I would like to know about this planets politics and military. Do you have a monarchy? Democracy?" asked Sasha.

"That is a little bit difficult to explain." Ozpin said as he took a sip from his mug. "There are 5 main outposts of civilization on Remnant. There are the 4 Kingdoms, Vale, Vacuo, Atlas, and Mistral, as well as the continent of Menagerie which is separate from them. Each of the Kingdoms has their own governing council that sees to the needs of its people. The councils control the day-to-day running of the Kingdoms and make policy decisions. The Huntsmen academies are separate from the government but still work under the authority of the governing council, which have some influence over the appointments to the headmaster of the academy. So in other words I work directly under the council of Vale, the Kingdom you are currently in. While we do have a military, most Kingdoms only call upon them when necessary, as the security and safety of the Kingdoms is mostly upheld by the Huntsmen and Huntresses. However there is a caveat to that. Atlas is distinct to the other three Kingdoms, in that the Academy, military, and government all exist as a single institution."

The group continued to talk at length about things in general. All information that Sasha would make use of in her dealings with these 'councils'.

Meanwhile...

Back down at the landing pad, the 3 Galactic Rangers that were stationed there were currently doing there best to ignore the commotion that was building up courtesy of the humans that were gathered around them. Half of the group had dispersed, but only to follow Sasha and her group, whilst the rest remained at the landing pad, their curious eyes glued to the Rangers and their dropship.

Alpha 1, or Alphonse as he was better known, was the one in charge since he was ranked sergeant. Standing next to him were two privates. Alpha 7, Andrew, and Alpha 8, Alex. Should shit go down he knew he could count on the two of them. But right now the only form of trouble was the incessant pestering from the locals who were getting too close to the dropship for comfort. Alphonse was tempted to fire a warning shot to get the group to disperse, but he knew that would only end badly. So he and his squadmates simply stood in stoic silence.

"Hey, don't touch that!" shouted someone from the crowd.

Alphonse turned to see that one of the humans had worked his way around and was poking the side of the dropship with his finger.

"Why not?" the boy asked. He was dressed in the same uniform that was shared amongst most of the present humans, save for a few older looking ones that wore different outfits. Alphonse had been informed that this was a school of some sort, so he figured they must have been the teachers.

"Because you don't know what it is! What if you hit the self-destruct button?!" screeched the girl.

"Please refrain from touching the dropship." stated Alphonse. "Although there isn't a self-destruct button, we may need to take off at a moments notice and we wouldn't want you to get hurt."

"Whoa! The robot talked!" shouted someone.

"Calm down. It was probably just a programmed response." said another.

"Yeah, I've heard that Atlas robots are capable of limited conversation. They must be like that."

Soon enough a small argument broke out over the Rangers and whether or not they were sentient.

Alphonse huffed in annoyance at how the humans constantly referred to them as 'things'. Though they were robots, they were still considered people. At least back where they're from. Here might be another story entirely. From the sound of things this planet had yet to create robots that were on par with them.

"Bunch'a ignorant fools if you ask me." muttered Alex.

"Kind of want to set 'em straight, eh sarge?" asked Andrew.

The sergeant shook his head. "No. Keep contact with the locals to a minimum. Until we officially announce our presence we are treading on thin ice. And we will continue to do so even after the fact."

"Whatever you say sarge."

"Excuse me! Coming through!" came the voice of a girl as she made her way through the crowd. With some nudging and light shoves, the girl eventually made her way to the Rangers. She was a petite little thing, wearing a red and black dress. A boxy weapon of some sort was attached to her back. Following the red clad girl through the hole in the crowd were three others. One with blonde hair, one with black hair, and one with white hair.

"Calm down Ruby." the blonde advised. "You're going to have a heart attack at this rate."

However 'Ruby' was having none of it. She immediately ran up to Alphonse and began studying him with a critical eye. "Hmm, much more armored than the standard Atlas robot, arm has a built in cannon of some sort, lack of a clip suggests the possibility of non-ballistic munitions. Unless of course the ammo feed system is built inside. But even then the barrel is to wide for small caliber projectiles." the girl rattled off as she darted around Alphonse and his squad. "Plus the red paint job is totally cool!" she finished with stars in her eyes.

"Err... Can I... help you?" asked Alphonse.

"Oh! No. Well maybe. I was just admiring the technology of your arm cannon." the girl said as she pointed at Alphonse's weapon. "Could you possibly tell me about it?"

If he had a brow then Alphonse would have raised it. "You... want me to tell you about my weapon?"

"Yes!" the girl said excitedly. "You see, I'm a bit of a weapon aficionado."

"Fanatic." spoke the white haired girl.

"So I have a keen interest in weapons. And yours are from outer space!" the red girl finished with a jump.

"I see... So you want to know how it works eh?"

The girl nodded vigorously in response.

"Well, I hate to disappoint you, but unless I get the clearance from my superiors, then I am required to keep quiet about our weaponry. We don't want such dangerous knowledge to fall into the wrong hands now do we?" Alphonse asked as he reached out and ruffled the girls hair.

The girl struggled out of his grasp and quickly tried to fix her hair. She was obviously disappointed that she couldn't learn anything about the Ranger's arm blasters. "I understand." she relented. "But!" she added as she looked back up, eyes filled with determination. "If you do get permission, promise that you will tell me!"

Alphonse chuckled at the girls enthusiasm. "Perhaps. I can't promise that we'll meet again. I may be stationed back on our ship for the duration of our stay. But if the chance presents itself and I have the time, I'd be willing to indulge your curiosity."

The girl beamed and cheered. "Hooray!"

"Still, I'm sure you'd rather hear about our weapons from our ships weapon's experts, instead of from a simple soldier."

"That. Would. Be. Awesome."

"Still can't make a promise that you'll get to meet them though."

"Okay sis, you heard the guy. He can't tell you about their weapons. So can we go now?" the blonde said as she put a hand on the red clad girls shoulder.

The girl sighed in resignation. "Fine. But as soon as they get permission to tell us I'll be coming back." she said in a tone that left no room for an argument otherwise.

And thus the four girls disappeared back into the crowd.

"Well, that just happened." said Alex.