Humanity: Fuck Yeah!

The Invasion of Earx

It was almost clever, demonstrative of the kind of low-cunning common among non-starfaring sapients. The Earxlings, lacking shield technology themselves, didn't realize that such an effort would be entirely wasted on the Vavax. It wouldn't stop her Enroachmentskiffs.

"I feel duty bound at this moment to remind-" Journeyman Keeper of Decorum Mavavo began.

"Yes," snarled the Fleet Conductor. "I am aware of the protections afforded a class three biosphere under galactic law. They have been enumerated to me over and over by a particular irritant of mine over the course of a very long voyage."

"I have a duty," said the Keeper of Decorum, bristling.

"Consider it expunged," replied the Fleet Conductor. "I will not demean myself to explain my invasion plan to you but it has taken into account your constant whining."

It wasn't her plan. Not really. It was standard operating procedure for dealing with a sub K0.5 civilization inhabiting a class three or better biosphere. It had been contained in the first databurst she had received at the war academy.

First she had to crush all initial orbital resistance with overwhelming force. This part was nearly complete. Next she would subdue the populace with warfooted compliance drones, subvert their leaders, and communicate through them to the populace what the new status quo would be as tributaries of Vavax. Finally any remaining pockets of resistance would be crushed brutally to set an example.

It was a plan of action that had been used to absorb hundreds of alien worlds. She had altered it only slightly to take into account the peculiarities of Earx.

* * *

Megaclick 2

While a complex web of laws and treaties protected the biosphere of Earx, as sapients the Earxlings themselves were entirely at the mercy of the Vavax.

The Enroachmentskiffs had easily pushed through the wreckage in Earx orbit and began their task of distributing warfooted compliance drones across the various population centers. Earxlings helpfully clustered together very densely with made this task unusually easy.

The drones were specifically programmed not to fight unless attacked first. This would keep the damage they would do to the biosphere to an absolute minimum. Instead their task was to spray out clouds of nanocompilers into the air where they would saturate the bodily fluids of the weak-skinned Earxlings.

Once an Earxling had been infected with the nanocompilers they could be killed remotely. They could also be made to experience pain. This would ensure compliance with the New Planetary Order.

Naturally the nanocompilers would only target sapients so as not to violate the rights of the local biosphere.

The drones had been deployed now for the better part of a megaclick. That should have been more than enough time for them to do their work.

Master Dronefather Rinrovu approached the tall, imposing command throne atop which sat Mistress Fleet Conductor Vaxzin while all around her hexagonal holographic screens buzzed like insects.

"Master Dronefather," said the Fleet Conductor, in acknowledgment. "Do you have something to report?"

"I-I do Mistress Fleet Conductor," the Dronefather stammered. "We continue to encounter difficulties in engaging the drone campaign."

The Fleet Conductor preened her pedipalps.

"Get to the point," she hissed. "What are these 'difficulties'?"

"T-There has been an... un-unusual phenomenon. A non-trivial percentage of the Earxling population has had a-an unusual reaction to the nanocompilers. It seems rather than being pacified into submission by the looming prospect of death it has the opposite effect. Many of the Earxlings react to the news that they have been dosed by becoming suicidally reckless warriors without regard for their own personal safety. They have been frighteningly effective at striking back at us considering our ability to kill them at a distance."