"My lord" Gyrod said greeting Turraski in the great command deck of the massive reptilian mother ship "the Fire Flower's hoplites have retreated across the eastern continent of Umbramontis. Shall we return them back to the fleet?" Turraski let off a long, angry growl.

"Yes" Turraski growled back at hearing the news. "I think it's time we shortened the leash on our new Fire Flower friends. It's time for Strigwire to demonstrate to us that his special plasma weapons can hold up his end of the bargain in a real battle. We will regroup our forces for a more aggressive campaign against the humans in the crescent, and instruct Strigwire to have his Xenon vessels ready for any orbital support that the humans might get from the armada."

"My lord, Strigwire apparently has a pretty significant operation ongoing on the planet Zenithala. The number of hoplites they have are pretty substantial. I strongly suspect the Fire Flower's forces are much larger than Strigwire has let on. I strongly suggest we use caution in dealing with them."

"Apparently are not large enough to take down some backwater human fortification."

"The force with which they attacked with was larger than what Strigwire promised us. The humans were apparently more thoroughly-armed than we thought."

"All the more reason why we need to act swiftly and aggressively. This is not a time for a war of attrition or intimidation. The elven armada is getting stronger by the week. Inform the Fire Flower leaders on the surface of the planet that we are taking over command of the operation." Just then, a beeping sound echoed throughout the entire room.

"An entangled line straight from the royal palace" Turraski said with a grin on his face. "I wonder what this could be about." Turraski pushed a button on a panel that was near to where he was standing. A handsome, bald-headed elf's face appeared on the gigantic screen.

"Lord Turraski" the elf said. "I heard about your little stumble at the hand of the makeshift human army at Umbramontis. Tough break."

"I didn't open the line for you to gloat, Azari. If you've got anything that's not a waste of my time, give it to me" Turraski barked.

"I've got a little quid pro quo for you, my lord" Azari said.

"Well, let's hear about it" Turraski asked with a chortle.

"The humaness Ava Baxter is headed for an all but certain victory in the outworld election. I can make this little problem of yours go away. We've got enough on her laundering of money and weapons to lock her away or banish for from the sector and nullify her candidacy."

"Oh how thoughtful" Turraski chuckled. "And what do I have to give you in exchange for cleaning up your mess?"

"Perhaps your understanding of this situation is limited, my lord. Allow me to explain it to you. At this point the election is all but a sunk cost for us. Baxter is not nearly as big of a problem for us as she is for you. If she wins she will fortify all the crescent planets. It could make removing the humans from these settlements impossible. But if the current governor wins another term we begin the mandatory evacuation process right after the vote counts are certified." Turraski narrowed his eyes, taking in what Azari said.

"Okay " Turraski said softly. "And what do I have to give you In return" Turraski inquired.

"We want you to remove your hoplites from Zenithala and give us any humans that you have captured there." Turraski for one moment just stood staring at Azari, before his face turned to a scowl.

"We will not need your help cleaning out the crescent" Turraski declared. "We will do it ourselves, and I would advise you against getting in our way."

"Typical reptile" Azari barked. "You'd rather show dominance and fight than cooperate. You will regret this." Azari's face disappeared from the screen as the line is terminated.

"Gyrod, begin mobilizing our forces, and tell Strigwire to have his xenon vessels ready. We're going to make a large and decisive strike." Turraski growled walking out of the room.