After the initial panic, the fleet commander quickly regained his composure. Calmly, he ordered the ship's AI:
"Transmit to frontier command. Inform them we may encounter the Aeldari, and tell them to prepare to 'fish us out.'"
Here, "fishing out" did not mean direct rescue. The Human Federation's borders spanned light-years, and this patrol fleet was far from headquarters. Reinforcements would take days to arrive.
Instead, "fishing out" meant preparing fresh clone bodies in case the fleet was destroyed.
In the modern Federation, the death of the body was a trivial matter. As long as the soul remained intact, resurrection was routine—assembly-line work requiring little effort.
This was why battles with most alien species felt like child's play: casualties were almost irrelevant.
But this only applied to weaker civilizations.
The Aeldari possessed weapons that could strike directly at the soul. One mistake, and temporary death could become permanent.
The commander's face remained steady, but his thoughts betrayed unease:
"Let's hope they don't have too many soul-rending weapons…"
Sacrificing oneself for the Federation was honorable, but at only six hundred years old, he still wished to live much longer.
---
Minutes later, dozens of warp signatures flared into existence.
Thirty-odd warships materialized before the Federation fleet, their hulls gleaming in patterns of gold and green.
Numerically, the Federation had more than triple their ships.
Relief flickered through the commander's chest. Clearly, this wasn't a full-scale invasion. Perhaps the Aeldari's arrival here wasn't even intentional.
He opened his mouth to issue orders—only to be interrupted.
[Incoming quantum transmission from Earth Headquarters]
Unlike in the early days of space travel, when distance meant silence, quantum communication now allowed instant contact across tens of thousands of light-years.
The message bore a special mark: it came directly from the Federation's ruling council.
The commander dared not hesitate.
"Put it through."
A moment later, several holographic figures appeared beside him.
"Should we withdraw?"
"No—let's fight them!"
"I've been waiting for this chance…"
Their voices overlapped in heated debate.
The commander recognized them instantly. They were the highest-ranking leaders of the Federation. He opened his mouth, then wisely stayed silent.
---
On the other side, the Aeldari fleet was equally surprised.
They had simply chosen a random jump point, only to land directly in front of a human patrol fleet. The odds of such coincidence were lower than winning the lottery in Old Earth's time.
This Aeldari fleet was no rogue band like the one humanity had encountered centuries ago. It was an official scouting detachment of the regular military, tasked with surveying civilizations across the galaxy.
Their commander, a strikingly beautiful woman, studied the scans with mild surprise.
Though she could only detect fragments of data, it was enough to gauge the enemy's strength.
A high-level civilization.
Such powers were rare, even across the galaxy.
Only one stood higher—the Aeldari themselves, the sole top-tier civilization of the Milky Way.
She touched her chin thoughtfully.
"Not bad. When did this civilization crawl out of the dark?"
But arrogance was woven into her very being. As one of the galaxy's eternal rulers, she still regarded the humans as beneath her.
So, after a moment's thought, she transmitted her demand:
"We are the Aeldari. Swear fealty to us, now."
It was not even an outrageous command—just submission.
The humans, receiving the message, looked at each other in confusion. For most, the name Aeldari meant little.
But in the Federation's capital, the leaders who had been arguing fell into tense silence.
That tone of contempt—the raw arrogance—was intolerable.
Ever since the humiliations of millennia past, humanity had dreamed of standing tall before the Aeldari.
And now, after centuries of growth, they were still treated as insignificant?
Even the leaders who had opposed conflict clenched their jaws in anger.
At last, they exchanged looks and came to agreement.
The President of the Human Federation turned to the fleet commander and gave his order:
"Commander Colt. You know what the Aeldari are. This is the first time in thousands of years that our civilizations meet face-to-face. I only ask one thing: do not disgrace humanity. As for the rest—decide as you see fit."
The meaning was clear.
"Yes, sir. I understand!"
Do not disgrace humanity meant one thing above all: they could not submit.
Decide as you see fit meant rejecting the demand, then responding as the situation required.
Colt straightened, and his reply was firm, his tone ringing with steel:
"This is the sovereign territory of the Human Federation! We are the fleet of the Human Federation! You have no authority to demand our submission. Leave immediately!"
_____
T/N:
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