Subject: Ship-Head Uleena

Species: Urakari

Description: Reptilian humanoid, no tail. 5'3" (1.6 m) avg height. 135 lbs (61 kg) avg weight. 105 year life expectancy.

Ship: RSV Lowelana {Fights with Honor}

Location: Zlimurse {Center of the Universe}

"I am glad that your offer of aid wasn't as hollow as some among us had feared, Captain Reynolds," Ambassador Ini said as she took her seat. "Your ships are quite formidable."

"Yes, they are," Grint agreed. "That battle would have taken us a week to sort out, and it would have been a close thing. Good weapons, good ships, good food, you seem to have it all worked out."

"Your appreciation is appreciated in turn," Captain Reynolds said with a smile.

Whether he was smiling at the wordplay or the compliments was unclear, but the battle had indeed finished rather abruptly. The Omni-Union warped in and began trading fire with the defense forces. Before any ships were significantly damaged, the United System's eighth fleet jumped in and immediately began picking apart the OU forces.

Saying that they never stood a chance doesn't feel like the proper way to describe the wholesale dismantling of the OU fleet I had witnessed. It was like watching a group of adults expertly disarm a rowdy group of hatchlings using martial arts techniques. The sense of unease towards the humans that had formed a constant pit in my stomach grew a little bit.

"Yes, very impressive. Now, regarding this offensive action you plan on taking," Lorix said. "What percentage of our forces will it be necessary for us to commit?"

"As many ships as possible," Reynolds answered, his grin fading. "Preferably all that are capable of combat."

Lorix visibly winced, "That's..."

"That's what was in the agreement," Ini interrupted. "And it will be honored. We have ten million ships that are combat worthy."

The aliens shared a look amongst each other, and judging from their expressions Lorix was alone in whatever opinion she held. She faltered for a moment, but then a grim look of determination spread across her features. I noted with amusement how nearly universal that particular facial expression seems to be. On everything that has a face, at least.

"If we send all of our forces to attack, we will not have any forces that can defend," she said evenly. "It would seem unwise to send everything we have."

"It does seem to be an all or nothing gamble," Tiorn replied. "However, we are honor-bound. I know you read the terms and agreed with them just as the rest of us did."

"It's unsightly to try to renegotiate an agreement when it comes time for us to fulfill it, Lorix. Especially after we've already benefited," Grint added.

"The agreement seems to be under the impression that the Omni-Union will cease their attacks once the offensive begins. What if that isn't the case? They have a massive armada, they can easily defend against our attacks and counterattack simultaneously," she pointed out. "Only a fool would set out to attack their enemy at the expense of their home."

"Lorix, enough," Ini said, her expression growing harsh.

Lorix visibly deflated in such a way that it brought recollection of a hatchling scolded by a guardian. A silence began to settle over the room, but Captain Reynolds held up his hands gently to stave it off.

"It isn't unheard of to want to renegotiate an agreement for more equitable terms," Reynolds said calmly. "While we are convinced that the Omni-Union will meet our offensive full-force, Lorix is correct in that it may be prudent to allow for the possibility of a counterattack. However, the force that is sent on the offensive will be outnumbered. The more ships left on the defensive, the more outnumbered that force will be. The odds of eradication go up for each ship left behind."

Silence finally won out and settled over the room as we digested what Reynolds had said. The better the defense, the worse the offense. The better the offense, the worse the defense. The classic conundrum of force distribution. Getting it right was dependent on proper intelligence and a massive amount of luck. But...

"Why not have a portion of eighth fleet defend the system?" I asked.

The United Systems is looking for more ships to occupy the OU forces, and the Ynorinca has around ten million left. Sparing two and a half million to free up those ten million wouldn't be a bad plan. All eyes turned to me. Most of the faces that belonged to those eyes wore thoughtful expressions, the only exception being Lorix. She seemed flabbergasted by the suggestion.

"That would solve the issue of defense as well as allow us to maintain the agreement as written," Tiorn said.

"An insightful suggestion," Grint acknowledged with a grin.

"No!" Lorix nearly shouted. "Having strangers defend our worlds while we embark upon a fool's errand? How can we even entertain such a suggestion without choking upon our ancestor's ashes? If we cannot defend our worlds ourselves, we do not deserve to stride upon their soil! What..."

Lorix's tirade stopped abruptly as her eyes met Ini's. I had considered Ini's previous expression to be harsh, but I was unprepared for how utterly mistaken I was. Her lips retracted in what a human would call a snarl, fully demonstrating teeth capable of brutally rending flesh and crushing bone. Her eyes were wide and locked in on Lorix, seemingly unaware of anything else in the room. Like a furious predator staring down the cause of its anger. Lorix and I simultaneously swallowed nervously.

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"Enough, Ambassador Lorix. I will not repeat myself again," Ini said, nearly growling.

"Yes ma'am," Lorix said as she averted her gaze.

Ini's expression softened and she took a moment to collect herself.

"If the United Systems is willing to spare a portion of eighth fleet to defend our system, I believe that will quell our concerns," she said calmly.

"Understood," Reynolds replied, trying not to look amused. "I'll see what we can do. Omega?"

"What can I do for you, Captain?" Omega asked as his avatar appeared in the center of the table.

"I take it you've been paying attention?"

"Yes, there isn't much else for me to do with Tim aboard. He's quite efficient with his tasks," Omega answered.

"Thanks!" Tim's voice rang out.

"Right," Reynolds smiled slightly. "I would like you to arrange for a quarter of eighth fleet to remain in-system. Oh, how are the Gungnir-Class coming along?"

"Their production is currently ahead of schedule, but there have been some wrinkles that need ironed out."

"Have they been field tested yet?"

"Hmm." Omega replied while tapping his chin. "That information isn't yet public, but it's also not classified. I'm met with a conundrum."

"Well, for the information to exist at all the field test had to occur," Reynolds grinned. "Did it work? If the results aren't classified, it's your choice whether or not to answer."

"I suppose it is," Omega said. "Yes, a field test has been performed. The USSS Doom and the USSS Igranvon engaged a Mobile Prime Platform in Pinurm 3, and successfully destroyed it."

"Excellent!" Reynolds smiled brightly.

"However..."

"Ah."

"There were engineering issues identified with the redesign that resulted in the USSS Doom coming close to losing its shield during the fight. Given the amount and quality of fire from the enemy, they were mere seconds away from critical damage. Cyberwarfare countermeasures were able to redirect the enemy's focus, and this has been judged as the deciding factor in the destruction of the MPP."

"So the field test was only partially successful. I understand. Will resolving the engineering issues potentially result in a more successful deployment?"

"Yes, captain."

"Then I'd like to request a Gungnir-Class dreadnought be deployed to this system as well."

"A quarter of eighth fleet and a Gungnir-Class dreadnought. Would you like fries with that?" Omega asked.

"Oh, chips would be lovely. I'm afraid I forgot to take lunch today," Reynolds grinned.

"I'd like some too," Grint added innocently, then leaned toward Tiorn. "Those are delicious."

"I'm allergic," Tiorn made a dismissive gesture.

"I'll see what I can do, Captain," Omega said without a single ounce of humor in its tone.

Omega's avatar disappeared and the air of glibness followed it. As seriousness settled back into the room, Lorix shuffled nervously under Ini's watchful eyes. This was not lost on Grint or Tiorn, who seemed unsure of whether or not they should speak.

"Excuse me, captain," Tiorn said, breaking the silence.

"Yes?" Reynolds asked.

"What exactly is a dreadnought?"

"Ah, yes, I suppose you'd like to know since it will be defending your system," Reynolds replied. "A dreadnought is the largest class of ship that we have. Until very recently, we only had one dreadnought. The USSS Nidhogg."

Reynolds took a moment to study the faces of the aliens. Their interest was apparent, and he seemed pleased with this. I had wondered why the briefing materials seemed to be overly focused on the Omni-Union. Now I suspect it's because Captain Reynolds wanted to get their reaction first hand.

"The Nidhogg is too powerful to be used against the Omni-Union, however. Since the OU invaded Sol, humanity's cradle system, our scientists and engineers have been working on a dreadnought that can go one on one with a Mobile Prime Platform. The result of this massive effort is the Gungnir-Class dreadnought, which can fire a weapon of mass destruction into the center of an MPP. And about half-way to the core of a normal planet, for that matter. The WMD then detonates, causing the total destruction of the astronomical body."

Shocked expressions all around, with the exception of myself and Captain Reynolds. I'd already read all the materials on the Nidhogg and Project Gungnir, so I wasn't nearly as taken aback. Instead of being shocked, I simply waited for them to notice what Captain Reynolds had said. His informational speech had included a tiny bit of information that if interpreted a certain way, made for a slight threat.

However, knowing Reynolds as I do, I'm guessing he included it in the hopes that a certain question would be asked. A question that would allow him to explain the threat in full while continuing to appear as if he's simply granting them information. I didn't have to wait long for my suspicions to be confirmed.

"Pardon, did you say that the Nidhogg is too powerful to be used against the Omni-Union?" Grint asked, falling directly into Reynolds' trap. "How can it be more powerful than something that can destroy a planet?"

"Why, the USSS Nidhogg can destroy solar systems, of course. Its primary armament causes the target star to go supernova," he answered with a barely stifled grin.

The shocked expressions intensified. I felt the need to interject.

"The United Systems has faced xenocidal opposition in the past, and because of this they created the USSS Nidhogg as a deterrent against xenocidal warfare," I added.

"Well, we definitely won't be trying to eradicate the United Systems, that's for sure," Grint replied, his shock still apparent on his face.

"Has the Nidhogg ever seen use?" Ini asked with a very tactful tone.

"Only once, against the Omni-Union. Our intelligence suggests that it was able to eradicate a large fleet and five Mobile Prime Platforms," Reynolds said. "Its primary weapon has never been used against organics."

"What sort of secondary weapons does it have?" Lorix asked, her gumption beginning to return.

"The same Magnetic Acceleration Cannons that are in use aboard our battleships. The dreadnoughts have more of these MACs than the battleships do, though, as well as better shielding and armor. Because of this, the Nidhogg has been used to destroy orbital fortresses in times of conflict."

"Pardon me, ship-head Uleena," Tiorn looked at me. "Does the Republic have an answer for these ships?"

"No, which is why the United Systems is leading the offensive," I answered. "The Republic has never faced a xenocidal opponent before the Omni-Union. Thankfully, we have been able to keep the OU out of our colonized systems, so we weren't even aware that they were xenocidal."

"The materials you gave us said the Republic has two-hundred and fifty million ships. What kind of opponents have you faced to justify a military that size?"

"Ourselves, mainly. Our military doubles as our police. And due to agreements made at the start of the Republic, whenever one species needs to add more ships to cover shipping lanes, every other species does so as well. This is to make certain that nobody tries anything foolish."

"I see..." Tiorn nodded as Captain Wong entered the room holding two containers.

We all looked at the somewhat disheveled captain with expressions of confusion and surprise. He also looked confused, and raised the containers slightly as if they explained something.

"I was told to bring these here. Tim said it was mission critical," Wong explained, slightly winded. "I made it here as fast as I could."

Captain Reynolds couldn't help but grin as he stood from his chair and took the containers from Wong. He set one down in front of his seat and extended the other across the table to Grint.

"Here are your chips, ambassador," he said as Grint took the box.

Captain Wong's expression fell as he realized what had happened. It took me a moment to realize that he had been tricked into delivering food, a task far beneath his station. Wong performed a movement known as an about-face and began to leave the room.

"Fuckin' Tim," he muttered as he left.