Two pairs of wide eyes stared at each other. One other pair watched on the side.

“I want to be a princess.”

“The native says that she needs to rule the world,” the Psychic Translator said.

The Outsider Commander’s eyes bulged as he thought about it. “A usurped queen, it seems. What a pleasant coincidence. If we help her retake her empire, it will be easier to keep control of this world.”

“Commander is wise,” the Psychic Translator said.

The Commander nodded.

“Ask the queen her name.”

The translator asked the Human Girl the question, then relayed the Human Girl’s answer to the Commander. “Her name is Cinderella.”

“Cinderella, huh. What a strange name. It’s a fresh experience every time I visit a new planet,” the Commander said. “Psychic Translator, how much of the local language have you assimilated? Can you vocalize it yet?”

“Not yet. I must converse a while longer before I become fluent,” the Psychic Translator said.

“In that case, let us start the invasion… no, the liberation by pressuring the natives in this area in a show of force. Send the foot soldiers and let them secure the region for our ship to land.”

“Immediately, Commander.”

The Psychic Translator relayed the Commander’s orders to the mothership. Soon, platoons of Outsider Infantry beamed down from the invisible transport ship hovering above.

After watching the Outsider soldiers deploy with wide eyes, the Human Girl turned to the Psychic Translator. “I want to go home now. Mom is waiting.”

“Cinderella wishes to return home and meet the Imperial Mother,” the Psychic Translator said.

“Permitted. Attach an escort. Go with them. More conversation will help you assimilate faster.”

“Orders received, Commander,” the Psychic Translator said. Beckoning to a waiting platoon of Outsider Infantry, they followed the Human Girl until they turned disappeared around a corner.

Soon, conflict broke out.

The well trained Outsider Infantry were merciless. With armor impervious to the small arms fire of native weaponry, they rolled over the opposition. Soon, a perimeter was secured.

Several transport ships landed near the native settlement and uncloaked.

Outsider Armor flew out, hovering a foot above the ground. Outsider Jets took to the skies one by one, flying in formation. After releasing the cargo, the transport ships themselves transformed into two kinds large mobile cannons with muzzle widths the size of elephants, protected until the instant of firing by force fields.

These were the dreaded Outsider Artillery, Energy, and Scatter shift.

A few minutes after the vanguard forces completed deployment, the Outsider Commander received a transmission from the overseeing Mothership.

“Zzzzt... Weak interference detected… zzzt… Pop. Interference nullified. Report: Fifteen nearby enemy bases deploying forces.

“All fifteen military installments along with four hundred and thirty-seven more idle installments within Artillery strike range.

“Enemy surveillance satellites destroyed.

“All military installments on the planet has been marked, all within Mothership strike range. Over.”

The Commander nodded, satisfied. He expected no less from a force as marvelous as theirs. Another transmission followed the first.

“Report: All enemy communications satellite are under control. Ready to broadcast.”

“Excellent. Broadcast when Psychic Translator returns.”

—

“Mom, look, I brought friends back!” Aisha shouted as she opened the door. She didn’t even look at the aliens behind her.

“Oh? Whose house are they from?”

“I don’t know! But they said that they’ll help me be a princess!”

“That’s nice, Aisha. There are cookies on the table,” Aisha’s mom called from the kitchen.

Aisha ran toward the kitchen table. She pulled back her sleeves and shoved a chocolate chip cookie to her mouth. Then her mother screamed.

“Who- who are you people!” her mother screeched, pointing at her new friends.

“They’re my new friends! That one is Psychic Translator, and the others call themselves Outsider Infantry!” Aisha introduced excitedly but tinged with fright.

Her mother kept screaming. Then came the gunfire that knocked her back into sanity. “Guns!”

Psychic Translator came forward. After a while, he bowed like the prince in storybooks. “Good day, Imperial Mother. We have come to help retake Empress Cinderella’s empire for her. Rest assured.”

“Huh?” her mother said, incredulous. “What do you—”

“Don’t worry, you don’t have to do a thing. Everything has been arranged,” Psychic Translator said. “Your empire will be returned to you in three days without fail.”

“I think you’re misunderstanding—.”

“This is something that benefits both of us. I hope that you and Cinderella will be cooperative when it comes to establishing diplomatic ties with our home planet.”

“H-home planet?”

“Indeed. I will be back in three days, Empress, Imperial Mother,” the Psychic Translator said, nodding to Aisha and her mother in turn. The Outsider Infantry saluted simultaneously and left with Aisha pleased with herself, and Aisha’s mother stunned.

—

“Greetings, natives of Earth. Cease your futile resistance! Your rightful ruler, Empress Cinderella, has returned to take her throne!” the radio blared.

“What the fuck is wrong with this damn thing!” the admiral shouted, smacking the machine.

“Is this a joke?” the housewife asked, and then laughed. Then she tried to switch back to the channel she was watching, but couldn’t. Everything was the same, with a man in an alien costume giving an ultimatum.

“Sir… we’ve lost all contact with the forces we deployed…” the sergeant said, quaking in his boots.

The general he was reporting seemed to want to destroy his own jaw, gritting his teeth in rage. “Call headquarters! No, not the satellite phone, you dolt! That doesn’t work anymore! Use the landline!”

“Shit shit shit shit shit.”

“....” Burning wrecks of the intact tanks crackled their engines cooked. Other tanks weren’t so lucky as they were struck by a bolt of blue light that exploded in a perfect sphere dozens of meters across. Everything within turned to dust.

What that did not destroy was finished off by a radiant barrage of orange fireballs. The fireballs exploded in the sky, breaking up into hundreds of smaller missiles. It struck an apocalyptic scenery the moment they hit the ground.

A lone infantry soldier laid where he had lost his balance when the missiles first carpeted the ground. He didn’t know who else was alive, nor did he care.

—

Did it really matter who ruled Earth? An unknown little girl or the self-proclaimed Outsider aliens that had defeated them? Better the human than the foreigners.

All resistance saved for token local forces ceased.

The Outsider Commander smiled as he listened to the report.

“Psychic Translator. Your idea is indeed marvelous, to install a native whelp as the ruler of the world. What honor do the natives have left? This shall make a great joke to tell back home.”