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I can't decide if this happens in the far future of my AU Timeline or if this is me just having a little fun with a stand alone story.  There will be further updates on this story as it goes along and it will explain why they are no longer on Syberia.

Hope you enjoy feel free to comment.

"Our recent Deep Space Exploration encountered what is possibly the strangest and greatest discovery in human existence Hyper Advanced drones and possibly sentient AI.  From what we can gather they are refugees and they are willing to help us.  For their own goals they are looking for the rest of their "people" and their "Creators" who we believe was the Original SLDF."

Head Researcher Richard Poole
New Olympica Office, Interstellar Expeditions

Planet Zebra
Deep Periphery

   The Interstellar Expeditions had been scouting the periphery for months searching for further signs of life and settlement beyond the Marian Hegemony's periphery region.  They had entered this system and detected a power signature on an ice planet far from the system's sun as they had closed on the planet they had seen that volcanic eruptions in the ice had caused black streaks in the white snow earning the world the name “Zebra.”

   For weeks they had scanned the planet from orbit however with the constant volcanic activity securing a lock on the signal had been difficult.  Eventually tired of the orbital passes Expedition Leader Charlotte Vickers had decided to take their best guess and land on the planet.  With their lance of BattleMechs escorting their hovercraft and tracked vehicles they made a slow progress over the ice continuing to scan for signs of the power signature because of the volcanic activity the air was breathable but thick meaning everyone needed to carry oxygen.  After four days on the surface they had found a signature that they could lock onto buried nearly forty metres below the snow and ice.  Even with the BattleMechs assisting them the digging had taken hours and in the end all they had found was a large side wall of what looked like a DropShip.  Amazingly even buried as it was power had remained active on enough systems to provide them with a traceable signature.

   It had taken another two months for them to excavate the DropShip which appeared to be some type of massive DropShip.  Looking at the vessel's remains it appeared that the craft had landed but toppled onto its side crushing much of the systems and cargo completely.  Of the cargo they could make out at least three were of BattleMech designs that no-one on the expedition recognized it was even possible that they were drone BattleMechs.  What this advanced technology was doing on a DropShip all the way out here in the periphery no-one could answer deepening the mystery.  Charlotte Vickers had gone over her expedition time but she didn't care she wanted to know what had happened here stepping out her tent she wrapped her thick protective jacket around her shielding her body from the cold wind why anyone would land on this planet was a mystery to her it was desolate, lifeless.  She looked over at the research team working on the found wreck looking for clues one of the Security BattleMechs a thirty-five ton Night Hawk stood watching the empty plains she had no idea what the MechWarrior was looking for but at least he'd be warm in his sealed cockpit.  She was about to take a step clear of her tent when there was a crack that filled the air, it was like a noise she had never heard before a strange “whirling” that sounded like it was closing on them, moments later a flash of light blossomed from the right leg of their sentry Mech and down it went in a crumpled heap its leg completely gone by the impact.  Before the pilot or anyone else could act a massive BattleMech waded out of the snow storm stepping on the chest of the downed Mech pinning it down its large cannon now pointed at the research team while in its other hand a massive BattleMech sized ax.  Through the wind and snow she could hear the strange, almost electronic voice speak “I am Primus Optimal, I wish to speak to your leader, I will not harm you if you comply with my request.”  It said, not its pilot or at least it didn't seem to be, instead the Mech itself was making this demand.  Despite her disbelief at what she was experiencing Charlotte steeled herself against the weather and strode the short distance from her tent to the wreck site.

   â€œI am Charlotte Vickers, I am in charge of this operation!  What is the meaning of this attack?” she shouted over the wind the massive Mech's head seemed to turn towards her and “look” straight at her.

   â€œA precaution I meant no harm, your pilot was not harmed, this was our ship, this IS our planet, you are not welcome here.”  The voice said defiantly

   â€œWe are explorers we detected a powerful signature from orbit we thought there was a human settlement here?”

   â€œNot to my knowledge” the Mech admitted “your frail bodies cannot survive in this environment over a long time.” The Mech replied confirming her suspicions whoever had crashed here their BattleMechs were some type of drone, a very advanced drone.

   â€œThen how are you here?”

   â€œWhen our ship ran into difficulties we attempted to land on this planet in hopes we could fix the problem and acquire more fuel during our landing sequence ash from one of the volcanoes was sucked into the DropShip's intake systems it caused one of our engines to fail and for three of us to be killed.”

   â€œUs?  You mean the wrecked drone Mechs?”

   â€œThey were not drones!”  The Mech replied angrily pushing down further on the BattleMech at its feet anger?  Charlotte wondered astonished by what she was seeing.  “They were citizens of the Autonomous Barony of Primus and they were my allies.”  He, “it,” replied she didn't know how to describe this Mech.

   â€œI'm sorry for your loss” Charlotte said barely believing the words as she spoke them “are you alone here?  We mean you no harm” she promised the Mech.

   â€œYou will follow and I will show you” he said the massive BattleMech then lifted its foot off the Night Hawk although both the large cannon and the axe were still in striking distance if the pilot tried anything.

   Charlotte did not waste time signalling to several members of her team they headed over to one of their three Winter Hawk hovercraft.  One of the other Mechs moved clear of their DropShip as they turned to follow Primus Optimal.  “We are ready to follow” she said into the radio “some of us must remain to... recover the downed pilot and his machine” she said quickly covering the reason.

   â€œThat is fine you do not all need to come, we have enough eyes to see what they will be doing” Primus Optimal replied over the same channel before turning into the snow storm.

   â€œFollow him” Charlotte commanded this was the find of her career she wasn't about to let it go.  They seemed to follow the Mech for hours through the snow avoiding lava flows from active volcanic areas as they went.  Finally they stopped in front of a large cave entrance covered by a large door after a few moments the door opened revealing a passageway underground.

   â€œMoment of truth, we can go home boss” Reginald Martin said from the controls

   â€œFollow him” she said repeating her first order “I want answers.”

   â€œInto the belly of the beast we go.”  He said gunning the engines of the Winterhawk taking them underground behind the drone Mech.  As they entered the cave the doors slid closed behind them sealing them in.