Moon shook off the weird vision she'd just had. What was that? She looked back at Turtle who had somehow disappeared in the moments since they'd noticed each other. Maybe he knows what that was about? He was in the vision... but who was that scavenger? Why is she referring to a scavenger as a who? Was it even a scavenger?

Commander Hawkiv was the name she was told. So it wasn't a scavenger. Then what was it? It was a soldier, based on the huge battle.

"It's time to go," her mother said, pushing her closer to the mass of dragons with her wing.

"No!" Moon whispered. "Just a little longer? Please?"

"Sorry, but I can't," her mother answered. "Go on, you'll be fine. Remember: Stay secret. Stay hidden. Stay safe." With that, Moon was on her own, watching her mother become a tiny little dot in the sky. She took a deep breath. This was it. This was when she'd throw everything else behind her and finally meet new dragons.

She took another deep breath, stepping out into the light.

-----<-->-----

Something was happening.

What looked like a metal scavenger nearly as tall as a dragon was giving a speech on the entrance of the main hall. "They desire nothing," it was saying, "more than to enslave you all. To strip you from the world you hold so dearly. They deceive you with the name 'United Star Systems' to make you think you walk into a paradise then put you in shackles and make you work in a forge. We R-47 Assimilators wish only to help you, to enhance you and allow you to prosper as a civilization."

Don't listen to it, Darkstalker told Moon. she felt a layer of desperation.

You just don't want dragons to ignore you, she told him.

No, I- alright, fine. But please don't.

"What do you want in return," one of the students yelled out.

"Nothing," it said. The students talked amongst themselves. "We will give you anything you want for-" It froze. It was looking at something no-one else could. Moon felt a new, non-dragon mind.

In an instant, the scavenger burst to pieces. It's bodiless legs fell to the ground with a cang as metal crashed on the walls of the cave and it's head hit the floor. The students simply looked on in shock.

Then, the non-dragon mind landed on the ground in front of them, putting it's shotgun at it's waist. That's when it hit her.

This was the thing from her vision.

"What did you do?" one of the students asked.

"Saved you," it said. "I am-"

"Are you a part of that 'United Star Systems' he was talking about?" another one asked as Moon began to back up. "You're here to enslave us?"

Anger spiraled from his mind. "Lies and deception. We took down slavers. The R-47 Assimilators said that to try and make you 'willingly' become a part of their mainframe. You should be thanking us."

"Really?" Icicle snapped at him. "We, the most superior species on this planet, should be thanking big scavengers for killing something that was only trying to help us? You're absurd." She stood at her full height, towering over him - but neither he nor his friends who had just landed looked or felt afraid. "IceWings could beat your army any day, no matter the numbers. We are superior to you, and you will not-" she lunged at him, but he knocked her claw away, darted forward and punched Icicle in the snout, making her jump backwards and grip the wound.

"You broke my nose!" Icicle said after a moment.

"And I'll break a lot more," Hawkiv told her. "Stay out of my way."

"I'm a member of the royal family, you can't hurt me just because you want to! Or at all, for that matter!"

"The Union Soldier Law: Abuse and Threats. In the case of physical abuse and slash or threats, punishment is given out by the victim. It's not just me, it's Union law." With that he stalked away, leaving the crowd and the bleeding princess behind him.

The others were all different, with different minds and weapons and probably names. One was brutish and blood-hungry, while another was whip-smart and watching the brute. One sat down at the entrance, thinking about retirement, while another was eager and watched the skies carefully.

The adults had come by now, probably having heard the commotion. "What's going on here?" Tsunami asked. The smart one was the first to respond.

"Sorry for the commotion," he said. "My name is Anomaly. Commander Hawkiv had us come here. We're here to-"

The brutish one interrupted him, trying to attack Tsunami. "Kill!" it said, pouncing at her, but she easily dodged and got into an attack position.

"Driik!" Anomaly yelled, getting between Driik and Tsunami. "We are here to study a psychic anomaly, not to kill innocent beings that come from a new species that might become a new chapter of Gene Warriors." Moon panicked as she realized she was probably the anomaly.

"Get out of my way," Driik snapped, taking a threatening step towards Tsunami. "Or you'll join her." He suddenly pounced again, but Anomaly stopped him, grabbing his leg and throwing him to the ground. With lightning speed, Driik got back up and started attacking Anomaly. They fought for minutes, unnatural strength and speed showing with each attack as their other siblings watched with the dragons.

Then Hawkiv came in. He kicked Driik over, and as he got on his back, Hawkiv stepped on the shield embedded into his armour, threatening him with a large scavenger claw he had mounted on his right arm. "Driik, you're a Gene Warrior for Union's sake. Now act like one."

With a grunt, he knocked Hawkiv's claw away, but it barely moved. "Don't make me fight you, brother."

Silence.

Driik snorted, getting up as Hawkiv stepped away. "Anomaly, start getting on that anomaly. Driik, Trarv, and Preicco, guard the entrance. Everyone else, map out the caves."