{"id":2754,"date":"2024-02-10T21:11:07","date_gmt":"2024-02-11T03:11:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=2754"},"modified":"2024-02-10T21:11:07","modified_gmt":"2024-02-11T03:11:07","slug":"the-humans-are-coming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=2754","title":{"rendered":"The Humans Are Coming"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Humans Are Coming<\/span><\/h2>\n

by AJ Marks<\/span><\/p>\n

Kleek walked into the room and paused, he looked hesitant to enter before another higher ranking person saw him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, what are you doing? Do you have something to report to the First Lord or not?\u201d one asked, giving a flash of his mandibles showing annoyance. There were many things to do. \u201cWe have a schedule to keep in our conquests, do you have a report?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, yes,\u201d Kleek replied back in a squeaky voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s hear it,\u201d the First Lord said from where he sat in the middle of the large room.<\/p>\n

All around him people were working on battles, updates of conquered planets, new places to invade and this youngling who barely had a mandible was cowering in fear over giving a simple report.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat group are you watching,\u201d the First Prime said, moving over before the First Lord got to annoyed and started ripping the poor youngling apart for his hesitation. The youngling would have to learn to stand up, or he would be fed to the crathalors.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, Th-the Red Pincers,\u201d Kleek replied finally getting over his hesitation, but still looked highly uncomfortable.<\/p>\n

\u201cRed Pincers?\u201d the First Lord said looking over at his First Prime.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are responsible for one of the arms of the galaxy, sparsely populated and not much worth I\u2019m afraid,\u201d the First Prime replied back after looking at his tablet for the information.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t tell me they found something?\u201d the First Lord asked sounding surprised.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd a bit more,\u201d Kleek said meekly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d the First Prime said, thinking this youngling must really not value his life, or the First Lord\u2019s time. \u201cCan\u2019t you tell there are more important things going on than us waiting on you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI-I apologize my lord,\u201d Kleet said, now starting to shake. \u201cIt\u2019s just, well\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSpeak up, we can\u2019t hear you,\u201d the First Lord said, now standing up and moving towards the youngling. Everyone now was watching what was going on.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve lost contact with the Red Pincer fleet,\u201d Kleek finally said in a squeak looking at the floor. He couldn\u2019t dare to look at the First Lord or First Prime. Such news was unimaginable and he cursed his commander at ordering him to give this information.<\/p>\n

\u201cLost contact?\u201d the First Prime repeated before glancing at the youngling for more information.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUm,\u201d here Kleek hesitated again unsure how the news would be interpreted. \u201cThe Third Prime of the fleet contacted us that he discovered a new planet which showed promise. It was inhabited by an undiscovered race.\u201d<\/p>\n

The room waited to hear what came next.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Third Prime was ordered to go ahead and begin a conquest,\u201d Kleek said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI assume you\u2019re not wanting permission to do what you\u2019re ordered to do,\u201d the First Lord said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo sir,\u201d Kleek said quickly. \u201cThe fleet approached as per normal procedures, sending out the normal broadcasts in all known languages. Then invading the planet. The reports came back, different.\u201dAt this he held up his tablet activating it. A holo image of the Third Prime appeared.<\/p>\n

\u201cReport on the latest conquest of this planet. Its rich in minerals, sparsely populated. I assumed it was a mining colony for a new race, they are called, humans. They appear unassuming, small, bipedal, no natural armor. Conquest should be simple,\u201d the Third Prime said in a recorded message.<\/p>\n

Kleek looked at the others, the First Lord showed annoyance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe planet was taken, but these humans put up stronger resistance than anticipated. Losses were ten percent higher than expected.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTen percent?\u201d the First Prime replied. Even the First Lord seemed taken back. As Kleek continued on.\u201cYes, most losses were suffered on the planet\u2019s surface. The humans used tactics we had never seen before. Explosives rigged to go off if you stepped on it, entering a building could result in a weapon coming at you, either blade or blunt. They learned quickly blunt weapons did more damage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow does that explain the loss of communications of the fleet?\u201d the First Prime asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter subjection of the planet the fleet moved on to the next planet of these humans,\u201d Kleek said. \u201cThe Third Prime overruling our council here to wait for reinforcements. He felt speed would be better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReinforcements for a backwards race?\u201d the First Lord asked, almost sounding disgusted by the notion.Kleek had thought of these humans like that at first, but now, he did not.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fleet moved onto the next target, and there, well, this is the last communications we received from the fleet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once more the holo image of the Third Prime appeared, but this time there was chaos around him, he appeared injured.<\/p>\n

\u201cCommunications says this message should get out,\u201d he said, taking a wheezing breath, his mandible cradled in his other arm, injured.<\/p>\n

Behind him a support beam fell causing him to turn before looking back before back at the screen.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe won\u2019t last much longer, FTL engines destroyed. I thought these humans would be easy, that the intel was wrong. That they are a fractured race, easy to pick apart for the glory of the empire.\u201d<\/p>\n

He stumbled as his ship was hit again, reports of another ship of the fleet was destroyed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are monsters. If this message gets out, beware the humans.\u201d<\/p>\n

With this the message ended.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that it?\u201d the First Lord said. \u201cA Third Prime commander is scared of a fledgling FTL race with a few colonies? What was he babbling about a report and intel?”<\/p>\n

The reprimand stung, but the First Lord didn\u2019t understand.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight after this we lost all contact with those on the planet we had taken. The last message was a warfleet has appeared then nothing. It was the last contact we\u2019ve received of the Red Pincer fleet,\u201d Kleek said. \u201cWe then went through the intel we gathered.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd?\u201d the First Prime asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it appears humans are highly adept at warfare,\u201d Kleek said. \u201cThat they\u2019ve been fighting themselves for tens of thousands of cycles, from primitive sticks to vast warfleets. We thought, they were fractured, but we didn\u2019t understand they unite against a common foe. And we have become that foe.\u201d<\/p>\n

The First Lord thought about this before speaking<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat fleets are nearby which can be diverted?\u201d the First Lord asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cRed Star sir, but it is wise to send such an important fleet against this group?\u201d the First Prime asked. The Red Fleet was one of the six major fleets, used against strong targets. \u201cSurely they are still a fledgling race, new to FTL.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must send these humans a message, let them know who are the masters of war,\u201d the First Lord said, looking over at the group which controlled the Red Fleet.<\/p>\n

\u201cSir, I can have the\u2026\u201d the Second Prime of the Red Star fleet\u2019s voice trailed off as he got some new information.<\/p>\n

He paused looking down at a communication coming in on his screen. Suddenly he looked over nervous.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m afraid we have a problem, the Red Star fleet is currently under attack by a massive fleet calling themselves humans, they say numbers in the thousands, ships easily a match for our own, the fleet is being overrun.\u201d<\/p>\n

The words echoed through a now quiet room before another Second Prime spoke up, their fleets were encountering massive humans fleets as well.<\/p>\n

It was as Kleek feared.<\/p>\n

The humans were coming.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Humans Are Coming by AJ Marks Kleek walked into the room and paused, he looked hesitant to enter before another higher ranking person saw him. \u201cWell, what are you doing? Do you have something to report to the First Lord or not?\u201d one asked, giving a flash of his mandibles showing annoyance. There were […]
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