So y’all are fine with killing other Xenos, but then some Humans do the same thing to other Humans and it’s suddenly immoral? At least we’re consistent with our genocidal policies. -- Anon Guest
[AN: I do not condone genocide of any kind btw]
The war was over, for certain. Not because any side had won, but because there was little fight with, or even over. Most of the contested territory was radioactive, no longer fertile, and, in fact, hostile to all forms of known life. Declaring victory was most definitely a moot point. Nevertheless, the Antipathy insisted on trying.
"We are the pure and most high. Blessed by the One Highest Power. Of course our supremacy will rise to shine our glory on the known universe." High Faluter Nazpurs still held his head high despite the heavy restraints on his person. "We will never surrender. Especially not to adulterated mutant monkeys like yourself."
On the side of the "adulterated mutant monkeys", Negotiator Human Tan bit his tongue and thought of something more diplomatic to say than, Big talk from a man with two junked warships to his name. "We're not negotiating your surrender. We're negotiating your species' survival."
"I beg your pardon."
Then beg. No. "You have two warships barely capable of kliks[1] per hour in movement. Your conquered territory will be radioactive for millennia and the only reason you still have it is that nobody else wants it. You have zero square units of land capable of growing food for your people. Zero installations built for the accommodation of crops. You have a week, maximum before your 'pure people' start to starve. You either disarm all your defensive drones... or die out."
"How dare you, the Omnipresence will provide! The Antipathy will rise again and prove to you all that we are superior. Shortly before we crush your skulls of course."
"Of course," Negotiator Tan sprained something keeping a neutral face. "Just a question... How will the Omnipresence provide? Your people are already eating vermin and recycling waste-water in - I might note - insufficient and unreliable filtration systems. Disease is already rampant among your surviving people. Over seventy percent are suffering from nutritional deficiencies. The question is not whether we can help, but whether you will let us."
"We have seen enough of your help, you disgusting xeno. We have seen your Pax Humanis."
"That was to stop you from harming others. Now we have? Letting the rest of you die is crime by neglect. Do you understand what we're trying to tell you? You've lost. You have nothing. If the Omnipresence is going to provide for you, it's going to be through our hands."
"Blasphemy! We will never surrender! We are the blessed!"
Negotiator Tan sighed and gestured for the guards to escort Nazpurs back to his ruined vessel. Then he called the CRC. "I tried. We have a week to try and disarm those flakking defense drones."
[1] Klik - Galactic Alliance slang for one thousand Standard Distance Units. Roughly equivalent to a kilometer.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / dclipart]
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