"Craig, I can't. Craig our contract is complete." Before Craig could react he was pulled into the portal as I exited his helmet.

One of the Lopez bots ran in carrying my armor. I ran into it and jumped onto the floor.

"Language change English."

"What? Don't like the language?" He asks, offended. I put my hands up defensively, before lowering them and walking towards the side entrance and turning towards the cockpit. It's hard to believe such a small ship could have all this space.

"Destination: Canterlot Castle"

"Accepted. Destination Changed. Director, I am also able to use mechanical armor. Do you require a second in command?"

"Indeed." I reply after mulling it over for a second.

2 minutes later...

We touch down in the gardens, blowing back a bunch of guards. The hatch opens and an elite general steps out. That is in fact Virgil. "Nice choice. Intimidating as fuck." She just nods and orders a dozen of the lopezes to guard the pelican and use lethal force if any guards try to get in.

The rest of the lopezes follow behind us, all carrying shotguns and energy swords. Virgil has a storm rifle, a plasma launcher, two plasma pistols, and an energy sword.

I'm holding my gravity hammer to intimidate, I also have my energy sword, sniper rifle, and incineration cannon.

The guards look at us wide-eyed and shakily try to block our path. "We are supposed to be here. Move out of the way unless you want to lose your jobs and end up in a world of pain." Virgil states bluntly, causing them to give us a wide berth.

We enter the Castle and keep walking, meanwhile scaring many ponies and diplomats in our sights as finally make it to the throne room. The door guards shit themselves at the sight of us. I motion with my head for them to open the doors but they don't move.

I sigh. "We have to do everything ourselves." I try to push the door but it doesn't budge. I try pulling with the same results. Finally I have enough and kick the door in, revealing startled nobles who look at us with wide eyes. Celestia looks surprised at the sight of us. "Mission Accomplished. You don't have to worry about a parasite which can take over an entire Galaxy by itself by assimilation of biomass. The ships were mostly empty except for that hive."

Most of the ponies shudder at that. "What is that next to you?" Celestia asks.

"Did you even bother to ask me?" Virgil scoffs, getting a hateful glare from one pony.

"I saw that giant explosion in the sky. It is amazing yet terrifying you are capable of such a feat by yourself." She shudders at the implications.

I decide not to reveal that it was in fact not me who caused that much destruction.

"Then don't get on my bad side and I won't get on yours." She rolls her eyes.

"Have you decided where your protectorate will be?"

"San Palomino Desert." I state simply.

"Very well. Let it be so. You may leave now, and take your army with you." She says with a wink. I don't even bother responding before I aboutface and walk out the kicked in door, the Lopez army and virgil following behind me.

"Halt!" Six squads of guards block our path. "By order of Prince Blueblood you are under arrest. Drop your weapons!"

"Okay." I prime a frag grenade and throw it straight at them. Or I would have if I had one. "How about no." I smash my gravity hammer on the ground, flinging the guards like ragdolls out the window.

"I hate that idiot." Lopez 7 complains.

"You're not the only one." Lopez 9,13,19,27 and Virgil comment.

Princess Celestia teleports in our path and says, "Why did I find thirteen unconscious guards?" She asks angrily, glaring at me in particular. "And don't try to lie either, because I know it was you who did this."

"Blueblood tried to arrest us." Her faces loses its anger and she sighs.

"Of course he did." She teleports away.

I look at Virgil in confusion but she just shrugs. "Is there a way to make a flamethrower attachment like designation sharkface?"

"I could... but it might not end well."

"By the way," I add, "Where did you get the Sangheili General?"

"Biochamber Section of the pelican."

"How did you get it to be big bigger on the inside?" I wonder.

"You don't know?" She asks in confusion.

"Nope."

Virgil goes into a really convoluted explanation that I wouldn't understand at all normally, but since I'm an AI well... let's just say holy shit.

“Well, I’m never going to look at that pelican the same way again.” I remark.

“If you did, I would be disappointed.” Virgil laughs as we arrive at the pelican.

20 minutes later

I exit the pelican and see a sign that says “Welcome to the San Palomino Desert.”

“Not anymore.” I snap the sign in half with my energy sword. “Welcome to Facility Zulu.” I turn around and regard Virgil.

“Yes Director?”

“This Project is no longer called Freelancer. It shall be called Project Overlord.”

“Yes Director.”

The rest of the AI fragments look at me in confusion inside my mind. “Dr. Leonard Church betrayed us. We are starting over.” They accept this.

"Lopez." All the Lopez bots look at me. "Gather resources from the pelican and build according to UNSC Firebase schematics. I'll help you on the way." I turn back towards Virgil. "Virgil, create protocol A215123-93. Terms, director-only."