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***

Drey looked at Ian, “That’s a pretty cool cookie.”

Ian raised his eyebrows, “Most people who stumbled into this situation would be yelling their peaceful intentions. What really impresses me is that his force field is down.”

“They need to know if we can be trusted to keep agreements.”

Ian nodded, “Well, let’s go see what he wants. E, jump us in.”

***

The Father stared at his display waiting. A larger Green Ship suddenly appeared and he said, “I was wondering when you would come.”

Ian smiled as E translated the being’s words, “I just love making an entrance.”

“Then you should have come in a larger ship.”

Drey snickered and Ian looked at him sharply and pressed his communicator, “You make a good point. However, you asked to meet with us. What’s on your mind?”

“I know you’re aware that some of our families are preparing to come here soon.”

“Yes, there are three organizing outside their current galaxies and your fleet, which has not chosen to organize in open space.”

“It is our opinion that to do so would be fraught with danger.” Ian didn’t respond to the statement and after a moment the voice continued, “The leader of my family is faced with a dilemma. He doesn’t want to attack your civilizations again but he is fearful that even if he doesn’t, if you win this war, you will come after his family with the intent to destroy it.”

“You species represent a clear and present danger to any intelligent civilization. Allowing you to live and continue to grow in numbers would be foolish.”

The Father knew the next few minutes would determine the future of his Family’s survival, “What if we abandon our attacks on intelligent life?”

Ian shook his head, “You would just be doing it temporarily to build your forces to take us on in the future.”

“Not if we allow you to send your probes with us wherever we go. We will have one of our ships report in to you however often you require ensuring you stay informed of our whereabouts and actions. We will also agree to limit the number of warships to those that we currently possess.”

“Why can’t you just destroy them?”

“Because if we refuse to participate in the coming attack, all the other families will be looking for us to kill us down to the last ship.”

Ian looked at Drey and saw his surprise at the statement. Drey pushed his communicator, “You seem to be convinced that we’re going to win this war.”

“Not really, I do believe the numbers are heavily on the Council’s side.”

“Then why are you doing this?”

“We have recently learned that we can feed ourselves without having to kill organic life forms. We choose not to continue down that path in the future no matter what the outcome of the conflict.”

“What caused you to make this decision?”

There was a long pause and then they heard, “My Family was ordered to attack your galaxy. It was my family that attacked you in the last battle. You decimated us and very few survived the conflict. I’ve tried to hate you for it…but I know that I was the aggressor and you were defending yourself. It was the loss of my family that made me see what we’re doing to the intelligent civilizations we’ve been consuming. When arrogance is gone, reality is a hard medicine to take. We do not represent a danger to you anymore and we’re willing to do whatever you need to prove that to you. We only ask that you not blame us for our earlier attack and grant us forgiveness for it. We, in turn, will never represent a danger to you again and will not participate in the coming attack against you.”

Ian shook his head, “We would have to be stupid not to accept your offer. It would reduce the numbers we’ll have to face.”

“We don’t want you to do it because you’re pressured to do it; we want you to do it because it’s the right thing to do. Forced agreements never survive the end of conflicts.”

“You’re assuming we would keep our agreement.”

“I believe you will keep it because I can prove to you that we do not intend you harm.”

Ian looked at Drey and his eyebrows went up. “How would you do that?”

“The Senior Father in my family is the one that had the probes in this galaxy originally. He also had one in another distant galaxy and saw Greens Ships similar to the ones you’re in now. You are not from this galaxy and my Father knows where you live. He has not revealed that information to our Clan nor will he.”

Drey stood up, “I knew that probe must have seen the Thetas at the Kilper Capital.”

Ian shook his head, “Now who is being pressured by that statement?”

“You are of course. However, if we intended you harm, we would only have to tell our families to attack that galaxy and you would be forced to send your ships away from here to defend it. That would make the conquest of this galaxy easy. It’s only by your two galaxies working together that you have a chance. Will you forgive us?” Ian looked at Drey and then heard, “Even if you say no, we will not reveal that information to the ones controlling the attack against you.”

Ian decided, “We will not seek retribution against you and, if we see you are being attacked by the other members of your species, we will come to assist you against them. This is a promise that we make assuming we survive the coming invasion and you keep your commitment to never attack intelligent species again.”

Ian waited for a long moment and then heard, “We are truly sorry for the harm we’ve caused you. I thank you for my new Family and appreciate you communicating with me.”

“How are you going to get out of the coming attack?”

“We are going to trust you. We will start organizing our ships outside the galaxy we’re in and when you make your move on the other families, we will jump away to a distant galaxy.”

Ian’s eyebrows narrowed, “What do you mean when we make our move?”

“You destroyed ten million ships. I’m reasonably certain you still have the means to do that again. You could also destroy us but my family must also show you that we are willing to put our fate in your hands. The other three won’t finish mobilizing until we start the process outside our galaxy.”

Ian started nodding, “You will not be harmed.”

“Will you do one thing?”

“What is that?”

“Whatever it is that you use to destroy large numbers of ships, I humbly request that you deploy it immediately after we jump. It will assist us in covering our escape.”

“We will do as you ask.”

“Thank you.”

Ian watched the two mile long battleship energize its jump field and disappear. He turned to Drey, “You think I made a mistake, don’t you?”

“Ian, that’s why you are in overall command; I don’t have it in me to trust anyone.”

“What would you do?”

“I’d set off a neutron mine and destroy them before they jumped.”

“I thought about that.”

“Yes, but I would do it; it would haunt you for the rest of your life. That being was being honest. I’m glad you’re the one making the decision.”

T
he Senior Father received the Father’s report and looked at the small shuttle approaching his ship. Now is when the really difficult task would begin.

***

“YOU DID WHAT!?!”

“I sent the adopted Father to negotiate with the civilizations in the giant galaxy.”

“THE COUNCIL WILL EXECUTE US FOR THIS!”

“Grandfather, please give me a moment to explain.”

The Grandfather’s anger was monumental and he was going to order the execution of his Son until he heard the Daughter say, “If you love your family, you will take the time to listen.” He knew the brilliance of the young female and it made him pause. He sat down in the ship’s command chair and turned a darker color. He stared at his Son in silence.

“Grandfather, why do we attack intelligent civilizations?”

“To gather food, you idiot!”

The Father nodded to his Daughter and the main display on the wall activated and showed a battleship that had landed on a planet’s surface. The Grandfather watched the crew go into the ocean a few hundred yards from the ship and disappear. The Father said, “Please notice the color of the crew before they enter the water.” The Grandfather saw that they were in moderately good health. Their color was just a shade darker than white. “I’m going to move the video forward an hour and let you see the crew as they leave the water.” The view changed and the Grandfather saw the crew emerging from the water whiter than he had ever seen any of his family. They actually glistened and there was a glow emanating from them. He turned to his Son in amazement.

“Grandfather, it took less than an hour for the entire crew to feed in the waters next to the ship. They will not need to eat again for at least two months. Why do we attack intelligent civilizations, Grandfather?”

The Grandfather turned back to the video and saw more of the crew emerging and all of them were at the peak of good health. He moved side to side, “I don’t know.”

“I can tell you why.” The Grandfather turned to the adopted Father as he said, “It keeps the Council in power; it removes any possible adversary; it keeps the Families under their control.”

“This doesn’t explain why you would negotiate with that enemy.”

“Why are they our enemy, Grandfather?” The Grandfather looked at his Son and didn’t respond. “They’re our enemy because we’re attacking them. It’s also clear that they are more advanced technologically than we are and the only advantage we have is numbers. However, just how many will die in the effort to kill them? One more thing…” The Father nodded to his daughter and she played the recording of the Senior Grandfather ordering the three Families to make sure his Family was made to lead the attack.

The Grandfather stood up and his anger was instant, “I’ll kill him for this.”

The Adopted Father chuckled, “Do you think the rest of the Council wouldn’t back his position? They’ll rightly say that it was your incompetence that caused all the problems and we should lead the attack. Why do you think my Brother was sent here to lead you? He was told to make sure your family paid for the failure. The Senior Grandfather also knows you are not one of his supporters on the Council. You also went against his desires in executing the survivors of my failed attack.”

The Senior Father looked at his Grandfather, “Now that I know we do not have to kill intelligent species to survive, I will not continue down that path.”

The Grandfather was overwhelmed with all the information being thrown at him. He looked at the three on the bridge and fell back into his chair, “If you don’t follow the Council’s directives, our family will be attacked by the others.”

“We’ve made plans to avoid that.”

“How?”

“We will organize outside this galaxy and just as that other civilization launches their attacks against the gathered families, we will jump away to a distant galaxy.”

“They’ll see you.”

“Not if the other three are being attacked before we jump.”

“And those creatures in that galaxy have agreed to let you escape?”

“They have.”

“Why would they do that? They’ll have the same opportunity to attack our family.”

The adopted Father moved back and forth, “They will help hide the subterfuge by launching an attack at our location just after we jump away. They also promise that, if they survive the invasion, they will assist us against those that would come to kill us.”

“And you believe them?”

“I do.”

“We would never keep that promise if we were in their place.”

“Perhaps it’s time we start learning something about honor; I sense that those beings will keep their promises.”

“Grandfather.” He turned to his granddaughter. “I will not kill another intelligent being for food again. I’ve seen the horror of a family being killed and I know this is the meal we visit on every civilization we attack. I can’t do this anymore.”

He stared at her and saw the two Father’s agreed with her. “Do you think we could persuade the Council to adopt this new direction?” The three stared at him and after a moment he took a deep breath and blew it out, “Of course they’ll never agree to give up that power.” He looked around at the Senior Father, “Have you discussed this with the Family?”

“No, we are forced by necessity to keep this secret because of all the Family members that married into our family from other families; however, all of the Fathers say that they will feed from the oceans in the future. The meal is so much better than what we’ve been made to consume. Besides, you know they will follow whatever path we choose to take.”

“And if I say no to this?”

“I will take my immediate family and jump away.”

“You feel that strongly about this?”

“I do.” The Father stared at his Grandfather, “Are so unwilling to give up your power?”

The Grandfather stared at his son. Finally he said, “Power is addictive. However, we are a target of the Senior Grandfather and it’s just a matter of time until he can concoct something to have me executed. What do I need to do?”

The Senior Father smiled, “Contact the Council and tell them that you are personally leading the attack. The importance of the coming invasion is of a nature that you feel you must be directly involved.”

“Do you think they’ll believe it?”

“The Senior will be overjoyed knowing that you will be in the leading edge of the attack.”

“Yes, I suppose he will.”

The Senior Father looked at his Daughter, “Send the orders to start organizing outside the edge of this galaxy and have all ships load the coordinates of our escape location into their jump drives.”

“What will I tell them when they know they’re not the coordinates of that galaxy?”

“Tell them they are emergency coordinates to jump to in the event we’re attacked while we’re organizing. Make sure they all know to keep a pseudopod on the jump button during our moving our formations together and to hit it instantly if they hear the order.”

The Grandfather moved side to side, “Good answer, Son.”

The adopted Father leaned forward, “You should contact the Senior now.”

The Grandfather nodded and pressed the panel in front of him.

***