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The original was posted on /r/hfy by /u/cmsinned on 2024-09-07 02:57:45+00:00.

The war had raged between the Universal Galactic Cooperative and the Kav’nir empire for five years. The UGC had managed to push the Kav’nir back to their own system at great cost to its numerous members. Save one. The Terrans. They had abstained from entering the war citing the UGC’s continued refusal of a Terran representative to have a seat on the council. The UGC had discounted the Terrans for the war effort anyway. Theirs was a small system with only one habitable planet.

Although the blockade of the Kav’nir Empire currently held, it was beginning to crack. The Kav’nir reproduced at an unbelievable rate and their warrior class reached full maturity in just a few weeks. The Kav’nir, having been pushed to the wall, began pushing back.

The UGC just couldn’t reinforce their armadas as quickly as the Kav’nir. Within weeks the blockade would be broken and, with the UGC’s military might depleted, the Kav’nir’s retribution would be swift and merciless.

It was at this point that the UGC council beings began receiving pleas from their home world’s leaders. Every one of them demanding a resolution. The council had immediately called for an emergency session. Hours of arguing had produced no viable outcomes for the UGC until a soft voice spoke into a sudden lull in the furor.

“What about the Terrans?” The small Jellabian council being inquired.

For a moment not a sound was heard in the council chamber. Then the council beings burst into raucous laughter. The Jellabian smiled wanly as he waited for his fellow council beings mirth to subside.

“What do we know of the Terrans? Truly?” The Jellabian council being began again. “We are on good terms with them, we trade with them, and they’ve never dealt with any of our races in a deceitful manner, to my knowledge. I, myself, am on friendly terms with the Terran World Leader. A most respectable man.”

Council being Tabor of the Ikosta system spoke up, “Although they do not seek to expand their territory, nor do they reproduce as rapidly as the Kav’nir, they are constantly at war among themselves. They act like unruly children.”

“This abhorrent behavior against their own kind is why we have continually denied the Terrans a seat on the council. Perhaps one day they will reach a level of maturity where they will quit killing their own people and work together to take their place among the stars.” The Ferik council being added, his furry jowls wagging beneath his shaking head of negation.

The Jellabian steepled his eighteen fingers before his flat, orange skinned face. “Perhaps we should treat them as the young adults of our own houses.” He said, glancing around the chamber with his green, cat-like eyes.

“What do you mean?” The Churvin council being asked, his tentacled head cocked inquisitively.

“Offer them a seat on the council. Give them more responsibility and let them see that it’s time to mature and join the grown ups,” the Jellabian answered.

The council chamber erupted again and the Jellabian sat back and sighed. When the noise finally died down the Jellabian spoke again. “We are losing the war. The blockade will not contain the Kav’nir for much longer. What do we have to lose?”

“If the Terrans prove successful in assisting us, we could always rescind the offer after the war. What could they do?” Council being Qarn interjected to the agreeing nods of the rest of the council.

The chamber was quiet for several minutes until a voice spoke into the silence. “Seconded.”

A moment later a third voice rang out. “Third.”

And, so, the motion by the Jellabian council being carried.

Council Speaker Loosha, of the Hiff system looked at the Jellabian. “Council being Shtaz, would you extend the offer to the Terrans since you know their leader?”

“It would be my honor, Council Speaker,” Shtaz replied.

The Jellabian tapped on his data pad and the large council view screen on the wall lit up showing a signal connection attempt. After a few moments a smiling human appeared on the view screen.

“Council being, Shtaz! So good to hear from you. Did you get the Alaskan crab I shipped for your daughter’s wedding? I’m sorry I couldn’t attend.”

“I received them, World Leader, they were delicious. Thank you! But I fear my call is a matter of system politics.” Shtaz replied.

“Of course,” the Terran Leader replied. “How can I be of service?”

“Sir. The council has agreed to extend your world a seat on the council if the Terrans will agree to join the war effort against the Kav’nir,” the Jellabian replied.

“We accept. What is the current status of the war?” The Terran leader asked.

Council being Shtaz outlined the current situation and what the UGC was up against. The Terran leader asked for a moment and muted the communication. On the view screen, he could be seen having a discussion with an obvious military man, his uniform was adorned with medals. The Terran World Leader finished his conversation and reopened the com. “Three days. Well send our best.” Was all he said before closing the com completely.

Four days later, the Kav’nir formally surrendered to the UGC. The council and the empires of the UGC were aghast. It took another four days before footage of the battle was made available to the council from the military.

As the council watched the footage on the large view screen, a small, black ship entered the Kav’nir system above the home planet. The markings on the ship was recognized as belonging to the Terran Space Marine Corps branch of their military. The screen split and the other half of the screen showed a Marine in its large, heavy battle armor. The council members watched as the Marine performed a wide broadcast to the Kav’nir and politely asked for their surrender. The Marine was refused.

Two minutes later the ship rotated to face the Kav’nir home World and a drop pod blasted from the bow of the ship and rocketed towards the planet. It’s speed was such that planetary defense systems were unable to track or target the small pod.

Entering the atmosphere, the pod broke apart, and a solitary Marine could be seen falling amongst the numerous pieces of the pod that were slowly spreading away from the warrior. As the numerous pieces impacted upon the outskirts of the Kav’nir Capitol, they detonated and destroyed everything around their ground zero. The Marine touched down in the center of the Capitol and began making its way towards the palace.

The Marine carried death wherever it went. Entering and exiting buildings leaving destruction in its wake. The Kav’nir House of Justice fell. The House of War followed. Thousands upon thousands of Kav’nir military and civilians, young and old, littered the streets. The gutters of the city literally overflowed with blood from the dead and dying. The Marine raged among the populace and left nothing standing behind it.

The warrior entered the palace the next morning and a half hour later the Kav’nir Emperor’s wife appeared on the screen to formally surrender; two of her children clinging to her legs. In the background, the bodies of the palace staff, the royal guard, the Emperor, and the rest of the royal children lay in macabre scenes of death. Her surrender was formally accepted by the UGC military and they began landing troops for the transfer of power.

The Terran ship was seen touching down in the palace gardens and the council members watched in horror as the Marine made its way across the garden in blood and gore smeared armor. The Marine paused, looked around, and entered the ship. It lifted moments later, rocketed out of the atmosphere, and returned to Earth. There was total silence in the council chamber. Every mouth of every council being stood open.

Finally, the Council Speaker said, “One man did all that damage. One man slaughtered all those Kav’nir. One man from Terra.” His eyes never left the view screen as it continued to play scenes from all over the devastated Capitol. “One man.” He whispered.

The Jellabian had been reading the accompanying report and shakily cleared his throat. “Your pardon, Speaker, but it was one female Terran that did all that.”

The Speaker’s head snapped around to stare at the Jellabian in amazement. “A female? A Terran woman? But… they’re so small!”

"According to the report, the Terrans sent a husband and wife strike team but the female was in the middle of something called her menstrual cycle. The husband refused to do the drop with his spouse and stated that, ‘He wasn’t dropping anywhere with that psycho while she was carrying munitions.’ And he stayed aboard the drop ship. So, she went alone.

“Black holes in dark space,” the Council Speaker said. “What are we going to do with this knowledge of their military might?”

The Jellabian stared seriously at the Speaker. “I would suggest that we don’t rescind the offer of a seat on the council. Imagine if we angered them and they sent two?”

~Chad Sinned