"Is this the standard L.E.G.I.O.N. protocol for dealing with such people?"
"It's a fairly unique situation, but where I'm from it's fairly common to give generous terms to people who surrender promptly. The absolute last thing we want is anyone voluntarily signing up with the Reach. Please ask your shipping companies to generate loss estimates and we'll add it to their reparations bill."
A bill that is going to be quite long by the time they're done, methinks. Let's hope this doesn't turn out like Germany after World War I...
That gets a more confident nods.
"That will present no trouble at all. Are they presently in debt-bondage, then?"
That means working off their debts via serfdom, going by the context. Not all that different to what the actual deal is, but...
That's… Um.
Putting entire species in bondage is something I'm a little uncomfortable about. I mean, the Clickers were perfectly happy to put themselves in bondage to the Maltusians and feudal relationships don't have to be abusive. Even with the element of choice removed. But I'm not… Enslaving a species here, I'm…
...Trying to be the good guy here, right? This situation might look a lot like the Reach's modus operandi for more resistant races, to outsiders... I can see someone getting the wrong idea.
Forcing them to fight a war, yes. And compelling them to hand over a large portion of their industrial output. But they'd be fighting wars anyway and this way they're working towards a point where they can stop. And it's not permanent. Once the war's over they can quit L.E.G.I.O.N. without penalty-. I should make that explicit.
But binding future generations financially… That's pretty much what a national debt is, isn't it? And future generations of tax payers would be covering that
But, As I said, they might not enjoy knowing it's hanging over their heads. Could lead to some bad feelings down the line.
"No, they merely have an obligation to pay off their debts. I don't believe that a bailiff force will be necessary."
The space version of the French force that occupied the Ruhr in the nineteen twenties. Actually quite common in instances of interstellar warfare in places where faster than light travel is available but not commonplace. Actually occupying a species' homeworld isn't really practical, as any occupiers are inevitably going to be outnumbered millions to one and the presence of an obviously alien species acts as an incitement to rebellion. So the victor in the war generally extracts material wealth at a cost to the local economy.
With the threat of sending a fleet used as the stick to make sure they keep paying up. Again, not a situation unfamiliar to humanity, depressingly.
"You don't think that watching them is necessary?"
"No, obviously we're going to watch them. And makes sure that they're holding up their end of the bargain."
Admittedly, not quite as obvious as having a fleet hanging over their heads, but still...
"That sounds like their in debt-bondage and you're installing a bailiff force, but calling them something different."
"There's a subtle difference, and I think it pays to reinforce the idea that we're not forming this alliance to conquer everyone else and enslave them."
That's the
Reach's thing. I guess the PR game is not an easy one on an
interstellar field.
"I suppose that is a sound strategy. Though I admit, I'm curious as to what it means for our eventual conquest of the Reach. We will be gaining some form of remuneration from them, won't we?"
Given all the
feelings involved in NEMO's forces, that would entail there being enough of the core Reach species being left to repay them.
"I'm.. not really the person to talk to about that. Clarissi Dox and the Maltusians are responsible for long term strategy. I know that thee plan for the Reach's serfs is to remove their programming and restore refugee populations, but I haven't been involved in the discussions on what to do with worlds that the Reach has settled. I imagine that the benefit you receive is more likely to be in the form of released technology rather than raw materials. I honestly think that the Reach are too dangerous to let them retain enough infrastructure to pay any creditors, but if you really want an answer I can only suggest that you submit an enquiry to Clarissi Dox. Or.. discuss the matter with other L.E.G.I.O.N. affiliates. If enough leaders present a formal plan, you're more likely to make it policy."
Ah, passing the buck. A little petty, but given how annoying Dox can be sometimes, a little irritation is good for him...
Another nod. "That's reasonable. I just wanted some reassurance that we weren't going to be left out in favour of the Maltusians."
"Maltusians aren't interested in building an empire. If they were, they'd already have one."
Having phenomenal metaphysical power as a racial trait makes that so much easier...
"I've heard that argument, but… Does it not seem strange to you?"
"Does what not seem strange?"
Ah, the alien perspective. This is why NEMO isn't just Maltusian-led. Never know
what new ideas someone else will bring to the table...
"The foreign policy of Khrosh has been one of peaceful engagement and trade for as long as we've had contact with other species. We haven't always succeeded, no, but all in all I think that we've been good neighbours and I think that our neighbours would agree. But very few of our people live on other worlds, and there are few members of other species on our world. How many intelligent species does your world have?"
"Including AIs?" He nods. "Three main ones, and representatives of maybe fifty in total, mostly native. And there's another inhabited planet in our system with its own native species."
And the representative has a moment of "
what." Earth Bullshit
tm, baby.
"Then I suppose that it's only natural that you wouldn't think about it. The 'Clickers' are a tributary species. That's not strange. But what is strange is how the Maltusians integrate other species into their social structures. Even their key organisations: the Lantern Corps, the Darkstars and L.E.G.I.O.N.. They don't even have their own species command those organisations. That struck me as strange the moment I heard about it, and… Some people are concerned that they might use this war with the Reach to integrate their allies into a unified structure."
Because Maltusians follow more
intellectual pursuits. And ruling subjects gets in the way of that...
"Even if they did, you yourself spotted that they don't try to control their organisations directly. If a lot of L.E.G.I.O.N. members decide to remain in a mutual defence pact after the Reach is defeated, if to make that easier they standardise their training and equipment… What of it?"
"A mutual defence pact? Little or nothing, as long as that's as far as it goes."
Anything that makes the galaxy a more peaceful place, I suppose.
"The Green Lantern Corps has been going for millions of years and haven't occupied anyone else's territory. Even amongst their most devoted followers there's little call for the Guardians to take over the galaxy, even for its own good."
Last time a group of Lanternists suggested it, the reply was that they barely had time to run the Green Lantern Corps and certainly didn't have time to administer the galaxy. Of course, that… Particular drawback doesn't really apply to the far more numerous Maltusians, and… Might not apply to the slightly more numerous Controllers. But I don't need to emphasise that point right now.
No, let's not dilute the message with digressions.The less said about some Controllers' preference for large-scale destruction, the better.
"I'll take that under advisement. And I do see the wisdom of L.E.G.I.O.N. affiliates being a little more vocal in our feedback."
"Thank you for your time, Exarch."
"Farewell, Illustres."
I hope that was the last such talk he's had to give. That must have been boring as hell.
The image shuts down. Right, that's the last of the local leaders to be notified. I look around the system and note the Leentniar ships doing their due diligence around each of the planetoids.
"Illustres to Lantern Gozzi. Anything anomalous to report?"
Nothing exploding right now? No invading planet-eaters? Huh. My plot-sense is usually never this off...
No, nothing. The Leentniar are completing their survey as fast as their sensors allow them to. I have a protocol question.
"Ask away."
"Are you referred to as 'Illustres' without a name qualified because you are the only Lantern with that rank, or is using names a taboo in your culture?"
Ah, did she not check his personal files first thing? Because I would assume the name thing would be noted there.
"You should know enough about human culture-."
"You don't come from the Earth of this universe."
Lady has a point. Some Earths are particularly divergent (that one pre-crisis world Lady Quark came from, for example...) but not that bad in OL's case.
"It's not a taboo, I'm literally incapable of saying it. Or thinking about it too hard. My name should be in the file; you can use it if you want."
"Your first name is in the file; I know that in your culture-."
Huh, if she going to work out his last name, then? I can see it being an interesting mental diversion for idle moments, much as it was here in the threads.
A Leentniar squadron turn away from the asteroid they were scanning and warp out of the system.
"Illustres to Leentniar ambassador. What-?"
"Our central fleet is under attack by the Reach. Please, save us."
...Well, I suppose that counts as
something exploding...
