Challenge #01411-C316: Hammer of Peace

"There's no need to fear, I come in peace,"

"Well first of all, everything you just said is a lie,"

"And second of all?"

"You're not what I'm afraid of." -- OohLookShiny

Clair the Mercenary took shelter beside the Phemeropt behind the boulder. "I know there was a distress call," she said. "Your colony is in danger and we don't know why."

"Erinacs," whispered the Havenworlder. "They've eaten all of our scouts."

"Ah," Clair stood up and got on the comms. "We got some cogniphagic spikies running loose. Let's negotiate with prejudice, friends." To the Phemeropt, she said, "Get out word to your people to seek shelter. Things are going to get loud."

Clair and her unit put a perimeter around the Phemeropt base, and held the line for two hours, giving the fragile insectoids plenty of time to evacuate into the more robust human-made shelters.

And then... they unleashed a bucket of hell on the Erinacs.

Surrender happened less than an hour after that, and then Clair's unit signed off to allow the negotiators to hammer out some peace. And nobody could hammer like humans.

Clair let the Phemeropts out into the slightly smoky air and announced the all clear. "They're pacified, now," she said. "Whoever's best at negotiating? You'd best step forward. I'll be your bodyguard."

Thrrk, the very Phemeropt she'd met at the start of it, stepped forward. "I have been nominated."

Clair couldn't help but smile. "I love it when things come full circle."

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