“An opponent who doesn’t care for his own life is the most dangerous foe you will ever encounter. To learn how to fight such enemies is crucially important. The ones who are simply brave have to be taught how to fear. The stupid ones have to be educated, and those without reason to live have to be given one.”

-Levvi Batlin

***Outer Rim***

***Levvi Batlin***

“I still don't think that this is a good idea. I am a scientist, not a diplomatic envoy. Neither are you for what it matters. You are the General of the joined forces. The both of us should be at our posts in HQ, safe behind the lines.” Ouluk’s eyes wander desperately back and forth between me and the large screen in front of us. Then it seems like he has an idea, a way to change my mind. “What would the new colony do without you...”

Ouluk, the little man, keeps on rambling and I sigh in indignation, not really listening to him.

During the months and years of this journey, I had plenty of time to get to know my core-personnel as well as my closest friends. Ouluk is a genius, a man of his craft. But he is also manipulative, vengeful, and a coward. Now, that doesn’t mean that he isn’t useful. It just follows that his character has to be handled carefully.

So when I enlisted him to join me on this venture, he naturally tried – and is still trying – to wriggle himself out of his responsibilities. I am willing to ignore his insubordination to a certain degree, but there is a limit to my patience.

Looking down, I pin him with my best gaze, trying to convey that there is no way he will get out of this. Especially not now that we are already sitting in a shuttle, heading towards one of the Demon's largest colony ships.

“You are the person with the most expertise regarding humans. You are also the one with the best qualification to judge whether these Demons are mutated Humans or not. You are also quite knowledgeable regarding human nano-tech. You are the single-most essential person on this mission because it’s your judgement on which I will base my decisions.”

The little man deflates with every word I deliver, but I am far from done.

“Your results will decide how we deal with the demons. Whether we will try to work around them, go to war, or work with them, it lies in your capable hands.” I snort, well aware that I am probably laying it on too thick. “It isn't necessary for you to interact with the demons directly. For that, we have the ambassador, but you have to observe the proceedings and share your thoughts with me. It also wouldn’t hurt if you analyse some samples with the provided equipment. Cramping all that tech into a suitcase-sized mobile laboratory isn’t cheap.”

I return my attention to the large screen which spans the entire wall in front of us. The shuttle is a large, oval lander. It's cargo area – the room we are currently standing in – can easily hold up to fifty passengers, which is why we chose the shuttle for our delegation with a headcount of thirty people.

The shuttle is also one of the older models, so even if the demons take the whole diplomatic mission captive they won’t get their hands on any technology from the core-worlds.

The demon colony-ship is a refurbished asteroid, approximately twenty-five kilometres in size. It looks like a deformed sphere and the surface is speckled with machinery and structures. The whole thing is a mobile fortress, able to deploy enough weaponry to dust a dozen smaller ships in mere seconds, should anyone be stupid enough to enter their weapon range.

It’s hard to believe the story the Demons gave us about their culture. To think that their whole civilisation is stowed away on asteroids like this one is preposterous. Why don’t they colonize planets? It’s much easier than carving out a permanent home in space. Though, I have to admit that it seems to work for them.

Better not to judge their behavioural quirks before I’ve seen their living conditions. The crusader fleet also spent over a decade in transition, just to get here. Maybe they are simply searching for an interesting star-cluster with no troublesome neighbours or competition.

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“I still don't understand why you treat these barbarians so differently. Any other intelligent species would be conquered and pressed into cooperation. Just like it was done with the Prip.”

I sigh. “Quite true, but the circumstances force me to change our normal proceedings. First, the demons are technologically advanced. Their weaponry is behind ours in some cases, but that adaptive armour is superior to everything we have. You yourself said that you can't even begin to fathom how they layered the diamond-structure according to their wishes. Only nano-tech would be able to do that. Hence, you are here to solve the puzzle.

“Then there is the issue that the Demons are currently holding the Cyber in check. They couldn't keep them completely from increasing their numbers and taking over dozens of systems, but they are at least inhibiting the Cyber’s ability to do as they please. If I start a campaign against the Demons, I would remove an obstacle that impedes someone who was clearly proven to utilize forbidden technology.”

The Cyber ship which we got for study was more than enough proof that the humans are out here. Maybe they are even the Cybers themselves. At the very least, the Cyber must have encountered the Humans at some point.

We only got a dead husk of a ship, but inside it were the remains of several drone-like creatures of various forms and sizes. Ouluk and his men had a field day inspecting every millimetre of the vessel. In the end, they gave it a high probability that the foreign ship was the likely result of human technology. The nanotech was mutated, as it is often the case, but Ouluk found enough similarities with the original strain that he gave himself a high certainty of being correct.

According to his explanations, human nano-tech isn't simply self-replicating nano-machines, but a whole set of building blocks which are able to combine in a multitude of ways, almost like DNA. This allows for maximum adaptability and, unfortunately, makes it hard to tell for certain that an identified nano-particle is indeed of human origin.

What is so easily called nano-tech, are in truth a whole range of technologies which work together in order to achieve a greater goal. The humans didn't just use their technology, they fused with it. There are the aforementioned nano-particles, which combine into nano-machines to fulfil various functions. But the humans didn't stop there.

They seemingly know no restraints and utilized even viruses and bacteria to change their DNA. Apparently, there are nano-particles which are designed to create these viruses, while some of the viruses can reprogram human cells to produce nano-particles. It's an interlocking system of several techniques to ensure almost absolute control over the micro-cosmos.

I shiver at the thought that the humans could ever decide to create some sort of plague to wipe the galaxy clean of any competition, something that's certainly within their capabilities. And that's why they must be stopped before it's too late.

“What else?” Ouluk asks.

His words cause me to realize that I drifted off into my thoughts. Straightening, I continue. “The Demons are nomads who are scouring the outskirts of the galaxy in search of resources after they destroyed their old homeworld. According to what our xeno-specialists learned from our interactions with them, they are aggressive and highly competitive. Barbaric even.

“Handling them in the wrong way could cause them to react very badly to our presence, as they clearly lack a sense of self-preservation. We watched several of their fleet engagements with the Cyber, in which they showed only marginally more survival instinct than the robots. Their pilots are taking unnecessary risks, or sacrifice their ships and themselves given a chance. They fight as if lives don't matter to them. What they are interested in are resources and their overall tactical goal. Combined with what we know about their culture, should we offend them, they would probably try to fight us and the Cyber at the same time.”

I shrug. “While I don't particularly care about these savages, I think that it would be better if they turn their resources against the Cyber instead of us. Though, we have to make sure that the Demons aren't the greater threat.”

“I’ve studied the Cyber-ship. They are clearly relying on artificial intelligences,” Ouluk informs me. “Do you think that the humans are trying to play a card game with us, dealing themselves two hands of cards, while giving us just one?”

It takes me a few moments to understand Ouluk’s words. We aren’t of the same race, so there are bound to be some translation issues, but I think that I understand what he tried to say. “It’s possible. That’s why I need you with the team.”

The little alien frowns, looking up at me. “So, why you? You explained why I have to go, but not why you are on this mission.”

“That’s thanks to our Xeno-psychologists. They think that our chances for a successful diplomatic mission are drastically increased if we negotiate from leader to leader. As I already explained, the Demons don’t care much for individual lives. If we don’t show up with someone who is in charge, they won’t give this mission the interest we need. And we need them to take us seriously. Our best bet was for me to join the mission. Don’t worry. I’ve already made preparations for the eventuality of my death.”

Now Ouluk looks outright alarmed. “You prepared for your death?”

“Of course!” I wave a hand at the screen in front of us. The colony-ship grew in size during our approach and is now filling the entire screen. A large hangar bay is looming darkly in front of us, its serrated gates open slowly, seeming like the opening maw of some predatory animal.

The Demons certainly have a flair for the dramatic...

“This whole mission is highly risky,” I elaborate. “There is no guarantee of coming back. That’s why I’ve designated a replacement for me and impregnated a few willing females. One has to make sure that there is someone who continues the crusade.”

The shuttle slows down, and the hangar’s doors close behind us.

Frowning, I realize that Ouluk started to hyperventilate. Apparently, there are still some things about the little man which I can’t predict.