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The original was posted on /r/hfy by /u/FarmWhich4275 on 2024-10-17 11:48:35+00:00.

Galactic warfare is defined by the ebb and sway of tech, honor and tactics. Well… it WAS. Nobody really cares about how humanity was first found, conflicting reports abound as many empires took credit for First Contact.

The Juhai claimed that they had an expeditionary team find one of their mining ships. In the same way the Juhai carry on, they tell the tall tale of how they ‘won the humans trust’ in a game of light play, using the spotlights on their craft to convey messages. The Shamandi told the tall tale of how one of their military scouting units encountered a human battleship, and amused the humans by using their formation dance to entertain them and getting an invite to the ship to negotiate.

The Moroi claimed a tall tale of heroic victory where a military battlegroup encountered a group of human ships and with a volley of warning fire, drove them off and laid claim to the star system. The humans attempted negotiation, only to receive another show of force, leaving the system. The Cassanai told their variation of events, of how they ‘bravely’ held off a human invasion force on a colony world but ultimately had to retreat, leaving the world to them.

The truth of course is very different, but the tall tales and silly stories told by various empires for the sake of ego or politics painted a huge target on the new denizens of the galaxy. Humanity was seen as a joke, potential prey, slave cattle or another enemy to subjugate or destroy. And within months of their initial encounter, humanity came under attack.

Unfortunately for their would-be conquerors, humanity seemed to be freaks of nature of the worst kind. A trick by the gods? An abnormal mutation? The physical manifestation of eldritch demons? Who knew, really. Everyone in the galaxy remembers that day. The Day Of Ignorance. The Day Of Heresy. The day of Madness. The Day Of ‘Meh’.

This was basically a Moroi Invasion fleet, attempting to take a human colony world. Standard procedure, standard fleet. They entered the star system, broadcasted a glorious message of conquest and domination and were promptly… Ignored.

Humans blocked their radio transmissions and carried on as normal. The Moroi of course decided to open fire on the nearest human warship. Only to have that human warship completely ignore the attack. An assault with a mixture of plasma and laser fire that would have turned any ship of any size into a puff of superheated slag, was just ignored. The entire fleet directed its weapons to the planet, only to notice their planet-killing superweapons simply dissipated harmlessly against the planet’s shield.

What happened after that is… unknown. The Moroi said that humans launched a vicious assault that they barely escaped with their lives. The humans say they just minded their own business until ‘the whiny bitches buggered off’ when they got too bored. Either way the Moroi fleet returned with minor damage and several ship losses, and the humans reported no casualties or even damaged paint.

The Shamandi engaged humanity as well, this time using a cloaked Scout Fleet that managed to engage deep into human territory. A strike intended to hit a planet, steal some slaves, retreat and hold hostages. Usual tactic for the Shamandi. This assault failed as the planet’s shield was online and the ship disintegrated against it. Records show the humans, thinking ‘no sapients would be that stupid’ failed to see the cloaked ships attempting to attack them and were not aware of the attacks. Well that is until Shamandi warships were spotted, boarded and their records seized.

Dozens more incidents like this arose across the next Galactic Year, and every time there is a common occurrence: Humanity has shield technology on basically everything they own. And that shield technology is always potent enough to render any assault effectively nothing more than a waste of time, ammunition and energy. This same cycle occurred at nearly every juncture and every attempt. fleets the size and composition of every kind that would send horrified shocks through them would head to human space.

These fleets would launch an assault that under any other circumstance would result in an overwhelming victory. But in this case, it wouldn’t even scratch the paint. Thousands of warships of dreadnought, battleship and battlecruiser size would fire in concert, a move that would vaporize entire planets normally, would now dissipate and be little more than a pointless waste of effort and energy. Humanity, once a strange curiosity and potential conquest, had become a massive embarrassment for the warmongers of the galaxy.

My Emperor, Saraniis the XVI of Ulm Clan was the only one who noticed how severe a threat they are. Humans are an oddity and a joke for the galaxy because of one simple fact: They are the only species in the galaxy of thousands who have never endured a Unification event of any kind. Humans have their own factions and are at a state of constant war with each other. Though human space carries across thousands of systems, barely a hundred of those systems are at any one point under the control of any one faction. Humans are in a constant state of war with each other.

This explains their technological prowess with their shields. They are in a constant state of tech evolution due to their infighting. Under normal circumstances that would basically be an open invitation from other races to walk in the front door and help themselves to what isn’t glued to the floor. Due to their ridiculous shield tech, the door is effectively welded shut while there is an active domestic assault taking place in the room, which everyone seems to be okay with for some reason.

The Emperor decided that we as a nation would take a different path when it came to humans. Their borders were rapidly expanding and encroaching on our territory at the edge of the galaxy. It was starting to become rather scary how many human ships our border patrols were turning away from our borders. Of course all these ships would apologize for being there and promptly leave when asked to, but it was only a matter of time before one would show up and say ‘nah. mine now’ Or some variant of it.

Our weapons tech was nowhere near potent enough to take them down or even scratch the paint, so if they encroached on our territory, they would be effectively unstoppable. So we were effectively at an impasse. Soi here we were, five long years, human years at least, after First Contact with the Juhai, standing with a small warship fleet on the outskirts of a human star system. My emperor sat in the Captain’s chair on the bridge, choosing to forego the usual flagship and gildings in exchange for a show of humility. I still had no idea what his intentions were. But one would be an idiot for ignoring his orders.

“My Emperor… We are in range of human radio communications. We are already intercepting transmissions. They have known we were coming apparently. Shields are already operational.” The First Officer said.

“I predicted as much. Open a radio channel, and bring us close to the human starbase in the system.” He commanded.

“Yes My Lord.” I replied and did as commanded. I looked up at him and nodded as the order was carried out.

We quickly moved at sublight speeds and arrived near the starbase, what looked like a bustling trade hub of some kind. The Emperor began a broadcast.

“To any human who hears this message. I am Emperor Saraniis the XVI of Ulm Clan and I have a message from the Saranai Imperium. I am not here to supply an ultimatum or declare war. I would simply like to talk to you about something. May we please come in and talk in person?”

All of us had a ‘double take’ as humans would call it and wondered what the hell he was up to.

A response was heard immediately. “I am Admiral Navarro Quinn. Proceed to Bay forteen through twenty eight, they are indicated by yellow flashing lights. Please watch your step.”

The Emperor nodded at us and snapped his long pink fingers. We wordlessly carried out his orders and our entire fleet docked with the station. The Emperor, along with myself and several guards, walked out the ship and into the station where a swarm of eyes and heavily armed soldiers were waiting for us.

The human Admiral was waiting there along with his own contingent of officers. “Welcome to Atlantis Station. What can I do for you?”

“I am receiving repeated reports of your human ships, scout fleets and mining vessels encroaching on our border to the southeast of your space. I have gotten many reports from my own ships about your technological prowess, especially how your shields make you basically invulnerable. I am here in person to make some… Requests.” The emperor spoke calmly and stoically.

“Ah… Well we have already sent out messages and put navigation beacons to warn ships away from your borders. But some people just don’t listen I guess. We will start installing trade tariffs on trespassers if you like.” The human Admiral replied, seemingly genuinely earnest.

“Hm. What about the reports of your ships appearing above homeworlds? Ours was encroached on a few months ago.” The Emperor said.

“Uhhhh. What did those ships look like? Were they like… uhh… That one?” The admiral said, pointing to a screen display nearby showing a strange looking warship with a scarlet red and gold paint scheme.

“Yes that one.”

"Erm… Well those ships belong to a sort of religious sect that exists in human space. Nobo…

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