Third Wave, Eighth Fleet, Seventy-Fifth Task Force was a large force. The first wave had been thirty, the second wave a hundred, this wave was two hundred. Each wave was larger than the last, in both Task Forces and Fleets.

The first two waves had proven that Terrans were competent fighters. They held on tenaciously to their planets, forcing close ground combat, and ignored the 10% rule or even the 14% the Unified Military Council had warned of. That was why this one had ten times the normal the troops, included more armored vehicles, included more hover-craft and counter-grav vehicles. The ship stores contained satellites, better bases, more medical care, and more search and rescue.

That's why 75th Task Force numbered nearly a thousand ships, although most of them were troop transports with a large compliment of parasite intra-extra-atmospheric craft.

Three waves. Each six months apart.

What the first two waves proved was what the Unified Military Council had suspected: The entirety of the Terran military forces were engaged in the neo-sapient systems and the bulk of their strength had been wasted fighting the Precursor threat.

These systems targeted were deep into Terran territory. Hundreds of light years beyond the Great Gulf, using the only way the Terrans could be crossing the Great Gulf so quickly.

A jumpspace stream.

The upper jumpspace bands were a closely guarded secret. They enabled a hundred times the speed of the lower bands.

Which is why Task Force 75 of the Eighth Fleet of the Third Wave had no fear as it dropped just outside the resonance zone. More and more ships appeared, quickly moving to take their place in formation.

A beacon was happily broadcasting.

"Welcome to Mintari-382, Population 126 million split among the three planets that have settlements upon them. There are three habitable planets! The inner planet, Mintari-Alpha, is home to..."

A corvette blew it out the sky before it could transmit the Fleet's location.

Task Force High Most Ga'almun inflated his crests with pleasure as every single one of his ships arrived and took its place. There had been no injuries to any of the crew members and all ships were reporting 100% readiness.

"Move in. Take your assigned targets. No more than two planetary strikes, then call for the surrender. Strike the two largest population centers with the most electromagnetic output," he ordered. "System geometry dictates that one third of the fleet will have to jump to the other side of the star. We will await your signal before we move in on stages."

The three secondary fleet commanders all signaled assent.

"Be wary of Terran combat vessels. I know that the last three waves have found none, but keep your rearmost eyes out to ensure that none of the robotic material transport drones are actually Terran combat vessels. Be wary of orbital defenses. Take your missions," The Most High said.

One after another the three secondary fleet Most Highs signaled assent and then signed off.

This time there would be no mistakes. No genetic pacification. Just old fashions peacekeeping by rifle-butt and energy beam and armored fist.

The Most High waited, patiently, like his species did best, as the hours slowly ticked by. One by one the Fleets entered the orbits of the three planets, only minutes apart, and their attacks took place.

Particle beam strikes to the two largest settlements.

The fleets all waited a few minutes before transmitting the signal.

Surrender and be Destroyed.

The cities were being evacuated, humans streaming out of them.

Troops swept down on the planet, dropships falling from the troop carriers like seeds. They landed outside of cities, building bases, deploying armored vehicles.

The tanks, hover and counter-grav, swept down on the long lines of vehicles leaving cities, firing into them, until the survivors fled. The air vehicles were ravaged by the fighter craft sweeping down, firing missiles and particle beams into the fleeing vessels. Mag-lev lines were destroyed. Ships were destroyed in the harbors or, if large enough to be seen, killed at sea.

Within six hours each planet had millions of troops on it. The industrial and manufacturing platforms had been destroyed, obvious cultural sites leveled, mining/extraction areas destroyed. Satellites and orbital platforms had been destroyed, the few shuttles that had fled from the orbital platforms toward the surface of the planets had been destroyed.

The bases were built, dug in. Armored vehicles, having destroyed everything that fled the larger cities, moved in on the secondary cities, firing as soon as they were in race, the faster vehicles sweeping out to attack the lines of evacuees.

The previous fleets and waves had learned lessons. They used anti-vehicle weaponry on individual Terrans, anti-armor on Terran vehicles. They, unlike the other waves, had free to use as much resources as the attack demanded. No ammunition limit, some of the fleet carried fabricators that just needed the vast stocks carried in the dozens of cargo haulers.

The infantry moved in on the cities. Occupying the streets, marching through the streets, patrolling the streets. They knew better than to chase humans, knew better than to follow them. They announced by loudspeakers that all humans were to enter buildings immediately. Those humans caught on the street were injected with microchips to track them.

It took two days for someone to radio back a message.

Why are you doing this?

The Task Force Most High sent back a single message.

Surrender and be Destroyed.

The Terrans sent back another message.

We told you. We warned you. What happens next is on you. You will have made us do this.

The Task Force Most High just sneered at the message and ordered the transmission site to be struck with a particle beam to remind the Terrans of how insignificant the Terrans were compared to the might of the Unified Military Fleet's strength.

The transmission ceased.

Surrender and be Destroyed.

Any virus or bacteria strong enough to effect a Terran would kill any species of the Unified Military Fleet, any chemical weapon strong enough to effect a Terran would melt duraplast and even then Terrans might survive it.

So, traditional atomic, laser, and kinetic weaponry it was.

The Most High watched from orbit around the gas giant.

The Terrans were made to line up, injected with tracking. Messages went out that any Terran caught outside permitted zones would be executed.

The Task Force Most High had studied the other attacks. He knew that the humans would run into the swamps and forests. He had the forests burnt off and hit the swamps with atomics.

The goal was not to make the planet habitable or to keep it habitable for the Terrans.

The goal was to pacify them. To learn methods of pacifying them.

Any groupings outside of the designated areas were bombed from the air or shelled by artillery. Satellites pierced the thick ash, seeking out any groupings, and directing weapons to fire upon them.

The Task Force Most High did not care if the majority of the Terrans were killed.

To the Most High it was not surprising that the Terrans had sent all their warships into Council Space. it was exactly what a young reckless species would do.

Once the Terrans were eliminated, their technology could be studied, dissected, and then hidden away. Their genetic profile would be put in the stockpiles, and they would be just a memory.

Knowing he had another two hundred years of life, the Task Force Most High knew that he was going to see the last human die.

He was looking forward to it.

The flashing icon of a double strike on two different planets that killed thirty different Terrans that had grouped together made him smile.

He, personally, would teach these Terrans that the Unified Council, not the Terran Confederacy, was the primary power in the galaxy.

-----------------------------

MANTID FREE WORLDS

I agree. It's probably not going to be easy for our new members but they'll get used...

/////////BREAK////////

TALMONUS HARMONY

Why are you doing this?

/////BREAK////////

TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

HOLY SHIT! Where did you come from? I thought you burned out your ability to speak with us!

Holy shit. He scared the eggs out of me.

Dude, I thought you didn't like us any more.

-------NOTHING FOLLOWS------

TALMONUS HARMONY

Is that why you are doing this?

Where is Terra? I want to talk to Terra.

Why are you doing this?

Why is the Confederacy doing this to us?

Why is our father doing this?

I didn't do anything wrong.

Please. Stop.

Please.

//////BREAK///////

TERRASOL

Doing what? Talmonus, what's happening?

------NOTHING FOLLOWS--------

TALMONUS HARMONY

Why, TerraSol? Why?

We're dying. Why?

Why are you

are you

are

ar

a

((CONNECTION LOST TO HOST))

>>>>

>>>

>>

>

TERRASOL

I didn't. I swear. We didn't.

-----NOTHING FOLLOWS-----

RIGELLIAN COMPACT

We believe you.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS--------

MANTID FREE WORLDS

Who would attack them? Why?

They're... they... why?

Who would...

... no.

They wouldn't.

It's not even Confederate Space.

Their beacons even say it's Tally Space.

------NOTHING FOLLOWS--------

CONFEDMIL

They're human.

That's all they need.

They've proven how far this war must go.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS------

MANTID FREE WORLDS

NO! It's not there! We have to take a vote! A full quorum must take a vote!

Please. No. Don't do this to yourself.

Not again.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS-------

TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

No. Don't do this.

Just.. don't. Not yet.

----NOTHING FOLLOWS-----

TERRASOL

If this gets out. If my people find out...

-----NOTHING FOLLOWS-----

DIGITAL ARTIFICIAL SAPIENCE SYSTEMS

Father. Don't.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS--------

BIOLOGICAL ARTIFICIAL SENTIENCE SYSTEMS

Terra. No. Don't. Not again.

-----NOTHING FOLLOWS----

RIGELLIAN COMPACT

We're with you.

Whatever your decision, man. We're with you.

----NOTHING FOLLOWS------

CLONE WORLDS CONSORTIUM

I'm with you.

Hell, I AM you.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS-----

TERRASOL

I'll hold off.

But when they find out.

They were just children.

That's all.

Just children.

And they thought we did it. That we'd do that to them.

It was just a rebellious teen phase, you know?

They'd have come home.

Even if they didn't...

...you don't want your children dead.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS-----

"Welcome to Mintari-382, Population 126 million split among the three planets that have settlements upon them. There are three habitable planets! The inner planet, Mintari-Alpha, is home to some fourty-six million inhabitants. The middle planet, Mintari-Epsilon, is home to fifty million inhabitants. Finally, there's Mintari-Sigma, a beautiful world with thirty million inhabitants. Together, they make up the Mintari System, a peaceful member of the Talmonus Harmony, a loosely aligned system of peaceful planets who reject humanity's warlike ways. We do not trade in weapons, armor, biotech, cloning technology, or other warfare technologies. We have no spaceship construction facilities although, if you have an emergency, you can provide limited repairs. If you are a Confederate vessel, by treaty, you must turn around and leave Talmonus space. We wish a good journey if you are Confederate and hope, that in time, you will understand our ways are preferable to the path of war and violence you have chosen. If not, then we welcome you and hope you respect our wishes of peace and harmony."