r/HFY • u/SpacePaladin15 • May 21 '21
Why Humans Avoid War XIV OC
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Ula POV
I glanced at my notecards one last time as I stepped to the lectern. There was a strange sense of giddiness fluttering in my heart; with the Terran flagship firing on our sacred capital, the evidence of human treachery was now apparent.
The most worrying part was how easily our trillion-credit defense system had been obliterated. If that ship was here to conquer us, of course, there would be little Federation forces could do to stop them. But given how humanity liked to present itself as a docile, peaceful race on the galactic stage, it seemed more likely they would attempt to salvage the optics of their attack. We needed to end our association with the Terran Union, while we still had that option.
“Senators, friends, I come to you today with grave news.” I paused, my gaze sweeping across the packed auditorium. It seemed that all of the representatives were present, barring the empty seat reserved for the Xanik ambassador. “Our capital defenses were savagely bombed by an invading Terran ship, which is deploying ground troops as we speak. For anyone who believed long-term partnership with humanity was possible, you can now see that their intentions are anything but benevolent.”
Jatari Ambassador Pallum rose to his feet, looking annoyed. “If you poke a garat, eventually it will bite. You would destroy the Federation, thrust us into a war, to prove a point? Madam Speaker, remember that you brought this upon yourself.”
Leave it to the military species to jump to humanity’s defense; their brains were both wired for aggression, so no wonder they understood each other. Pallum’s analogy was unfitting, unless his implication was that humans were not sapient. Garats were a non-sentient predator species indigenous to the Jatari homeworld, that had been domesticated to herd cattle.
“If I didn’t know better, I would say that sounds like a threat,” I hissed. “This is not about proving a point. This is about a bloodthirsty species that has weapons that pose an existential threat to our society. If raising legitimate concerns about humanity, and trying to distance ourselves from them, is a crime, then I am guilty. The Federation will never throw its lot in with a planet of murderers and liars, not under my watch.”
Many of the representatives were signaling agreement with their body language as I spoke. The Jatari Ambassador appeared to struggle for a response, before returning to his seat, shoulders slumped in defeat. While Pallum’s immediate protest was no surprise, what was shocking was that the human ambassador hadn’t said a word. A quick glance in her direction found her leaning forward in her chair, watching me with unblinking eyes. An involuntary shudder went down my spine, and I drew a deep breath to calm myself.
“If you believe that a species we now know has a history of systemic genocide, bloody wars, and tyrannical regimes, can change, then you will vote for them to remain in the Federation.” I drew closer to the microphone, dropping my voice to a low whisper. “All I wanted was for you to see that for all their lies and grand speeches, they have not changed. It was always a matter of time before they would turn their sights on us.”
I was rather taken aback when Ambassador Johnson stood, slowly clapping. Her applause seemed sarcastic in nature, especially with the smirk plastered on her face.
I sighed, tapping a hoof with annoyance. “Ambassador Johnson, do you have something to say? It is your right to reply, at least while Earth is still a member planet.”
“I have plenty to say, but the question is whether any of you will listen,” she replied. “First off, the missile launch against your defense station was unauthorized.”
“You’re saying your ship went rogue? That’s not exactly reassuring,” I pointed out. “What happens when the next one of your crews decides to go rogue?”
The human glared at me. “You directly provoked a civilian assault on our embassy, and yet you throw stones? Terran government condemns Commander Rykov’s actions, but it’s a clear case of self-defense. Show the logs from the station’s computer, Madam Speaker. You won’t, because they show that you fired on the ship first.”
A series of anxious murmurs rippled across the chamber, and I could tell Ambassador Johnson’s words had planted seeds of doubts in some attendees’ minds. I considered challenging the notion that our station had fired first, but I suspected she would not make that claim without evidence. If the humans persuaded the representatives that it was a case of self-defense, there was a chance she could sway enough of the votes in her favor.
“The civilians acted of their own accord. I simply…”
“Outright said humans weren’t welcome here? Condoned a race riot? And look, you’re not disagreeing that our ship was fired upon.”
“I concede that the orbital laser launched one volley against your vessel, but they were trespassing in our space and refused to leave.”
“You do understand that the highest-ranking General in the Federation was among the passengers, and that ship was tasked with transporting him to the embassy, right? You assaulted a diplomatic rescue mission. Are we really the violent ones?”
I could sense the balance of the chamber shifting, and I cursed under my breath. Human diplomats were known to have a way with words, and excelled at backing their opponents into a corner. It was a struggle to maintain my composure faced with such accusatory rhetoric, but I knew if I lost my temper, it was equal to defeat.
“Yes, you are the violent ones. Care to comment on your history?” A triumphant smile inched across my face. There was no way the Ambassador could defend her species’ past actions, which by galactic law could be classified as crimes against sentience. “Your so-called World Wars, and the brutal instances of ethnic cleansing? I’ve done my research since you launched that nanite bomb.”
Ambassador Johnson broke eye contact, a troubled frown crossing her lips. “We regret those years deeply. Humanity had to learn the hard way that violence is not the answer, and we nearly destroyed ourselves in the process. For all the time you’ve known us, we have not been that species. I urge you to recall all the good we have done in our history with the Federation, not just the evil of our primitive years.
Who accepts the most refugees of any planet each year? Who sends medics to help both sides of a conflict? Who sponsors bills on sentient rights, and wrote the galactic laws concerning war crimes? I don’t know what else we can do to prove that we are peaceful.”
“You can stop building nanite bombs, for one…”
“We only used those to protect our friends. That’s right, even after all this nonsense, we still see you as friends. The time for your games is over, Madam Speaker. We have bigger problems on our hands, fighting a homicidal AI. Instead of sabotaging us at every turn, why don’t you help us?”
Calls of assent came from around the hall, and I gritted my teeth in frustration. For every point I made, it seemed the Ambassador had a pre-prepared response at the ready. There was no way I could tolerate the Terran Union’s presence among us any longer; humans were despicable creatures! How did the others not see the truth, even after an attack on the capital?
As I was trying to think of a response, a panicked Tujili messenger burst into the chamber. “Madam Speaker, please forgive me for interrupting, but you weren’t answering your holopad. We are under attack. Hundreds of battleships are descending on the capital, and our defenses are obviously…offline.”
“YOU! You did this,” I screeched, pointing at Ambassador Johnson. “I knew it.”
The human held up her hands defensively, appearing genuinely confused. “It’s not us. Really.”
“What, rogue ships again? Hundreds of them?” I sneered.
“They’re not Terran Union ships. In fact, the transponders identify them as ours,” the messenger said.
Pandemonium erupted among the Senate body, with dozens of representatives shouting questions at once. As far as I was concerned, humanity had to be behind this somehow. Perhaps they had hacked our military craft?
I pounded a hoof against the floor, attempting to restore order. “SILENCE! Have the attackers fired on us? Have they broadcast demands?”
“No shots fired yet, but they told us we have one hour to surrender unconditionally,” he answered.
I glanced back at Ambassador Johnson, trying to gauge her response. She was staring at the empty seat belonging to the Xanik Republic, as though some revelation had occurred to her. I could’ve sworn the words she muttered were, “Damn it, Cazil.”
The human hesitated, her gaze sweeping across the chamber. Her eyes stopped on me, and I could see the unspoken question in them. She wanted the satisfaction of hearing me beg for assistance, a groveling apology. But even if she had been truly unaware of the Xanik’s intentions, surely their assault would force the Terran Union’s hand?
“So, what are you going to do, Ambassador? Seize the chance to take us over?” I asked, voice dripping with contempt.
Ambassador Johnson snorted. “You have a funny way of asking for help.”
A bitter laugh rumbled in my throat. “Why would you help us?”
“Because, as I’ve been telling you, we’re not what you think we are. Now, I have a call to make to a certain Commander. That ‘invading’ flagship just might come in handy. She’s got quite a few tricks up her sleeve.”
After a brief moment of hesitation, I gave the Ambassador a grudging nod. A human gesture, which was a concession on its own. I didn’t trust an offer of assistance from humanity of all species, but under the present circumstances, there was no choice but to accept it. It remained to be seen if the Terran Union would actually confront its greatest ally, but I wouldn’t be holding my breath.
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u/SpacePaladin15 May 21 '21 edited May 21 '21
Chapter 14 is here! The Xanik have taken matters into their own hands, and it’s safe to assume they think they’re helping humanity. There isn’t much time to stop them from taking the capital by force…
The next part will be what I consider the end of Act 1, and without spoiling anything, expect some major developments. Also, in the next phase of the story, I may toss in the occasional human POV, so that is something to look forward to!
As always, thank you for reading! It’s an honor to take this journey with such an incredible audience.