Why Humans Avoid War

Ula POV

I glanced at my notecards one last time as I stepped to the lectern. There was a strange sense of giddiness fluttering in my heart; with the Terran flagship firing on our sacred capital, the evidence of human treachery was now apparent.

The most worrying part was how easily our trillion-credit defense system had been obliterated. If that ship was here to conquer us, of course, there would be little Federation forces could do to stop them. But given how humanity liked to present itself as a docile, peaceful race on the galactic stage, it seemed more likely they would attempt to salvage the optics of their attack. We needed to end our association with the Terran Union, while we still had that option.

"Senators, friends, I come to you today with grave news." I paused, my gaze sweeping across the packed auditorium. It seemed that all of the representatives were present, barring the empty seat reserved for the Xanik ambassador. "Our capital defenses were savagely bombed by an invading Terran ship, which is deploying ground troops as we speak. For anyone who believed long-term partnership with humanity was possible, you can now see that their intentions are anything but benevolent."

Jatari Ambassador Pallum rose to his feet, looking annoyed. "If you poke a garat, eventually it will bite. You would destroy the Federation, thrust us into a war, to prove a point? Madam Speaker, remember that you brought this upon yourself."

Leave it to the military species to jump to humanity's defense; their brains were both wired for aggression, so no wonder they understood each other. Pallum's analogy was unfitting, unless his implication was that humans were not sapient. Garats were a non-sentient predator species indigenous to the Jatari homeworld, that had been domesticated to herd cattle.

"If I didn't know better, I would say that sounds like a threat," I hissed. "This is not about proving a point. This is about a bloodthirsty species that has weapons that pose an existential threat to our society. If raising legitimate concerns about humanity, and trying to distance ourselves from them, is a crime, then I am guilty. The Federation will never throw its lot in with a planet of murderers and liars, not under my watch."

Many of the representatives were signaling agreement with their body language as I spoke. The Jatari Ambassador appeared to struggle for a response, before returning to his seat, shoulders slumped in defeat. While Pallum's immediate protest was no surprise, what was shocking was that the human ambassador hadn't said a word. A quick glance in her direction found her leaning forward in her chair, watching me with unblinking eyes. An involuntary shudder went down my spine, and I drew a deep breath to calm myself.

"If you believe that a species we now know has a history of systemic genocide, bloody wars, and tyrannical regimes, can change, then you will vote for them to remain in the Federation." I drew closer to the microphone, dropping my voice to a low whisper. "All I wanted was for you to see that for all their lies and grand speeches, they have not changed. It was always a matter of time before they would turn their sights on us."

I was rather taken aback when Ambassador Johnson stood, slowly clapping. Her applause seemed sarcastic in nature, especially with the smirk plastered on her face.

I sighed, tapping a hoof with annoyance. "Ambassador Johnson, do you have something to say? It is your right to reply, at least while Earth is still a member planet."

"I have plenty to say, but the question is whether any of you will listen," she replied. "First off, the missile launch against your defense station was unauthorized."

"You're saying your ship went rogue? That's not exactly reassuring," I pointed out. "What happens when the next one of your crews decides to go rogue?"

The human glared at me. "You directly provoked a civilian assault on our embassy, and yet you throw stones? Terran government condemns Commander Rykov's actions, but it's a clear case of self-defense. Show the logs from the station's computer, Madam Speaker. You won't, because they show that you fired on the ship first."