Admiral Sarah Chenn stood on the bridge of the Earth's ship defiance, staring out through the massive window at the alien fleet waiting in the darkness of space. We show them what humans really are, Chenn replied. The aliens had never seen the real human military, never witnessed the depth of human strategy, and never learned what centuries of war had taught mankind. Chenn opened a broadcast to every human ship in the system. In 30 minutes, Chenn said, we'll send our final message to the Galactic Confederation.

Admiral Sarah Chenn stood on the bridge of the Earth's ship defiance, staring out through the massive window at the alien fleet waiting in the darkness of space. We show them what humans really are, Chenn replied. The aliens had never seen the real human military, never witnessed the depth of human strategy, and never learned what centuries of war had taught mankind. Chenn opened a broadcast to every human ship in the system. In 30 minutes, Chenn said, we'll send our final message to the Galactic Confederation.

Admiral Sarah Chenn stood on the bridge of the Earth's ship defiance, staring out through the massive window at the alien fleet waiting in the darkness of space. We show them what humans really are, Chenn replied. The aliens had never seen the real human military, never witnessed the depth of human strategy, and never learned what centuries of war had taught mankind. Chenn opened a broadcast to every human ship in the system. In 30 minutes, Chenn said, we'll send our final message to the Galactic Confederation.

When the Mac shared their fusion drive, human engineers made it 30% more efficient in just six months. They said humans adapted too quickly, thought too fast, and didn't follow established rules. Sarah looked around the chamber one last time memorizing every face that voted against humanity. As the human delegation was escorted out, Sarah noticed Admiral Rivera wasn't angry anymore. As their ship left the council station behind, Sarah looked out at the vast structure that had once been their home among the stars.

When the Mac shared their fusion drive, human engineers made it 30% more efficient in just six months. They said humans adapted too quickly, thought too fast, and didn't follow established rules. Sarah looked around the chamber one last time memorizing every face that voted against humanity. As the human delegation was escorted out, Sarah noticed Admiral Rivera wasn't angry anymore. As their ship left the council station behind, Sarah looked out at the vast structure that had once been their home among the stars.

When the Mac shared their fusion drive, human engineers made it 30% more efficient in just six months. They said humans adapted too quickly, thought too fast, and didn't follow established rules. Sarah looked around the chamber one last time memorizing every face that voted against humanity. As the human delegation was escorted out, Sarah noticed Admiral Rivera wasn't angry anymore. As their ship left the council station behind, Sarah looked out at the vast structure that had once been their home among the stars.

When the Mac shared their fusion drive, human engineers made it 30% more efficient in just six months. They said humans adapted too quickly, thought too fast, and didn't follow established rules. Sarah looked around the chamber one last time memorizing every face that voted against humanity. As the human delegation was escorted out, Sarah noticed Admiral Rivera wasn't angry anymore. As their ship left the council station behind, Sarah looked out at the vast structure that had once been their home among the stars.

They are primitive, Zixar said confidently, his long tentacles waving toward the holographic image of Earth, but their bodies are strong, their emotions make them easy to control, they will serve well. The entire chamber broke into applause, every alien race from the crystal-bodied Quarrat to the gaseous netherim voted in favor. In less than a year humans were spread across 47 star systems, working in mines on construction sites and in alien factories. They thought emotions made humans weak, never realizing that emotion was the very thing that made them dangerous. Humans learned fast how to fly alien ships, hack alien systems and turn their captors' technology into weapons.

They are primitive, Zixar said confidently, his long tentacles waving toward the holographic image of Earth, but their bodies are strong, their emotions make them easy to control, they will serve well. The entire chamber broke into applause, every alien race from the crystal-bodied Quarrat to the gaseous netherim voted in favor. In less than a year humans were spread across 47 star systems, working in mines on construction sites and in alien factories. They thought emotions made humans weak, never realizing that emotion was the very thing that made them dangerous. Humans learned fast how to fly alien ships, hack alien systems and turn their captors' technology into weapons.

Every ship, every signal, every planet within the galactic core obeyed their authority. Commander Rex Voron sat aboard his flagships' aphorian as it drifted through the quiet edges of Imperial space. No transponder, no data, no warp trail. Rex watched in disbelief as the object flashed across the void and disappeared behind a nearby moon faster than anything the Empire had ever recorded. Its hull swallowed light, stars bending around its edges, ancient markings glowed faintly across its black surface.