------

”One would think that facing ten-to-one odds would be enough, but no. There’s always going to be some who can’t see how feeble and pointless their attempts at resistance are.” Selendil mused as she watched the ashes of a particular Shaer fleet getting dispersed by the gravity of a nearby planet.

“I believe it’s a matter of pride and principle.” Nox retorted. "They don't actually think they can win. Well, except for the very stupid ones. However, it's a matter of pride for them to not surrender and subject themselves to a greater power. They'd rather die than bend the knee. Or whatever metaphor arachnids use.”

“See, if it was just that, then I would understand. I can even respect that. I’d act the same, and so would most Dhar as you know…or at least that’s what I would’ve said before I learned our ancestors decided to sell their descendants to one such higher power in order to live. That’s not the point though. The attitude you mentioned would be something I can respect. My issue is that I didn’t ask them to bend the knee. Heck, I didn’t really have time to ask them to do anything. If they had given me enough time to explain, I would’ve told them that they don’t need to serve me or become my subjects. All they needed to do was to recognize that there are some in the universe that hold greater power than them, and being weaker comes with certain limitations.” Selendil complained a little.

The sight in front of her was not unique. In fact, a full third of the Shaer had chosen to resist. She had expected some resistance, but she had certainly not expected a third of them to be idiots. The dead might consider themselves martyrs or something similar. She could respect self-sacrifice and willingness to die for a worthy cause, but these idiots had decided to martyr themselves without a cause. At that point it stopped being noble and just turned into hubris. She had made sure to use such overwhelming numbers specifically in the hopes of avoiding these kinds of situations, but apparently hubris and stupidity were prevalent among the Shaer. She had expected better.

“Damage report?” She requested.

“Two of our ships took light damage and one received a crack in the hull large enough to require repairs at a dock. Fixing the main hull always takes way too much effort.” Clolarion reported. Luckily they had come up with certain ways to do it efficiently.

“How did you manage to almost lose a ship against these idiots?” Nox asked with derision. “Selendil even managed to protect the ships from all the enemy psions by herself.”

Protecting the Dhar vessels against psionics was actually easier than most would think. Most psionic attacks came in two main categories. Either the psion tried to send an attack in a rough form of a projectile, in which case it could be deflected by shields, or they tried to damage the ship’s hull directly, either from range in which case the same limitations applied or at close range, in which case they were pretty easy to shoot at. Unfortunately for most enemy psions, the hulls of the Dhar ships were held together by the integrity field, and they were also extremely resistant to psionic influence. That didn’t mean it couldn’t be done, but it did mean that you needed either a really powerful psion with some time on his hands, or many relatively powerful psions working together. Due to the material the ship’s hulls were made of, it was also practically impossible for non-Dhar to reach inside the ship psionically to damage it that way. That only applied as long as the hull remained intact, but since damaging the hull was the hard part, the problem became moot. Still, that’s why it was so important for the hull to remain whole and built as a single piece.

Thanks to the defences in place, Selendil had some time to react every time an idiotic Shaer decided to try and attack one of the ships with their psionics. That’s why protecting the ships wasn’t as hard as it would first appear. It was however very annoying. With a full third of the Shaer being idiots, she’d been forced to defend the ships in many places at the same time. Far more places than she had expected. She had been prepared just in case the entire stupid species decided to act like idiots, but that didn’t mean she liked it. Usually, she didn't need to show up for more than a few seconds as the ships didn't need much more time to deal with the enemy, but it was the same few seconds everywhere.

“Hey, it’s not really my fault the Shaer had gained access to old Dhar weapons somewhere!” Clolarion defended himself. “You could’ve warned me. At least I managed to prevent further damage with an emergency warp, but it was still humiliating.”

“You’re supposed to be the best tactical AI of the empire! You should’ve been prepared for the possibility!” Nox berated the other AI. It had been a humiliating performance for the three AIs as a whole even if it had been a dominant victory in every other way. When you had ten-to-one odds and a clear technological advantage, losses were unacceptable, no matter how small.

"I'm not the one who has been gallivanting around the universe for the last months! To me, only a short time has passed! How was I supposed to know someone had gained access to the weapons in the meantime? Now just for the record, I had considered the possibility, which is why I managed to warp those ships out. I was aware of the remote possibility that some race somewhere had gained access to our weapons, and I took precautions anyway because that's what a proper tactical AI does. I simply didn't expect the problem to be this widespread. And again, all of this could've been avoided if you had simply told me. Or granted me the access I asked for." Clolarion argued.

“You asked access to all the tactical simulations and memories since my awakening! That’s asking for me to bare all my secrets! I wasn’t feeling exactly sharing after an insult like that.” Nox shot back, affronted at the mere thought of giving Clolarion such access. Things like that were somewhat taboo among the AIs.

"Alright, enough," Selendil interjected. “Let this be a lesson to everyone involved. Always expect the worst. Sharing information to our allies is also important. You don’t need to tell everything, but information that can actually influence the fight should not be held back. On the other hand, you could've been a bit more diplomatic about the request Clolarion.”

“My apologies. I didn’t know the AIs of today have become so sensitive.” Clolarion grumbled. He was an old school AI and sharing was something obvious to him.

“And I didn’t know the old AIs are such cranky cunts that can’t ask for help properly.” Nox couldn’t help but snipe back.

“Don’t make me spank the two of you.” Selendil threatened firmly. She could sense the argument that the AIs were about to make. “And yes, I can actually do that. Nox, you have a body now if you’ll recall, and we’ll eventually be creating one for Clolarion as well. I can bend both of you over my knee if I want to. And don’t think I won’t do it in front of the entire crew if I have to.”

“That would be…I’ll take a pass, thank you very much.” Clolarion acquiesced. He could imagine the loss of respect from everyone who saw it. An AI getting spanked? The horror!

“As interesting of an experience as that could be on a certain level, I think I’ll pass as well.” Nox also decided that the little tiff with Clolarion wasn’t worth it.

“So what do you think the Shaer will do now?” Haven asked, changing the subject. “You did just kill a few million on them and destroyed a full third of their fleet. I doubt they’re going to just take it in in stride.”

“If they got the message, then we’ll come to an agreement. If they didn’t, we might need a repeat performance, and this time we might not have the patience to wait for them to fire first.” Selendil replied without concern. “However, I think they will see things our way. They will approach us for negotiations soon enough. Pull back for now. Give them the space required to take stock of and come to terms with what happened. It will be easier for them to deal with the situation if we aren’t breathing down their necks the entire time.”

------

Selendil ended up being right. It took the Shaer two weeks to figure out everything that had happened in those fateful few minutes, as well as settle on their future path of action. After getting their bearings, the Shaer sent emissaries as quickly as possible to resolve the situation. Once again, Selendil decided to delegate the negotiations to the younger races as she wasn’t the one that would have to live with the deal. She did emphasize to both parties that she would be very cross with them if they didn’t come to an acceptable solution. She would make sure that Haven would enforce the results of the negotiations no matter what conclusion they came to, but she just wanted the whole thing over. She didn’t really care what the ultimate solution would be; only that she would never again have to deal with this issue again. Next time she had to show up, if there was a next time, she would make sure neither side would be in a position to make trouble again.

The negotiators would take years to work out all the details, but they came to a general agreement quite quickly. If this galaxy was basically off-limits for the Shaer, then they had no desire or need to stick around ruling over the majority of it. Very early on in the negotiations, they made it clear that if Selendil felt so strongly about it, then they would rather just move on to some other galaxy where they were free to act. They’d leave behind a small force to maintain a foothold, but the majority of their forces would make the trip to the next galaxy, just like they had traveled to this one. If they couldn’t deal with this galaxy as they saw fit, then they’d rather not deal with it at all. Even those that believed Selendil to be a Dhar, who were now in the majority, and revered her kind found it hard to justify staying, and once they discovered that Selendil wasn’t planning on sticking around either, they lost the last reason to even try.

As an unintended consequence, a large number of races that had previously been under the rule of the Shaer all over the galaxy suddenly found themselves free of that rule. The Shaer had enforced their rule with military might, but they had also brought about peace of sorts. Some of the races were not too happy to find out they were now once again at the mercy of their more aggressive neighbors. Even though the Shaer would leave gradually and not all at once, they would leave behind a power vacuum that would need to be filled sooner or later, and many of the races had to once again prepare for war. Some species would be able to sit this one out, but not all of them. It would be a different kind of war, no longer against an enemy grossly more advanced than them, but a war nonetheless.

There were also some races that had taken advantage of the arrival of the Shaer over the years. These races had gained the enmity of many other species and now found themselves surrounded by vengeful enemies while their guarantors were preparing to leave the galaxy. These races were about to find themselves at the wrong end of coalitions aimed to make their lives short and miserable. They had done plenty to earn that hatred, so they didn’t have much room to complain. Not that it stopped them from trying to form quick and desperate alliances in order to survive.

"Not the most elegant solution, but one that certainly worked," Amaterasu commented as they went through the initial reports. Most of the problems were something that would only become problems years and decades in the future, but the AIs had run the simulations and were rather unanimous in their judgment of the situation.

“Well, to be fair, I did not expect the wholesale departure of the Shaer. If so many of them had not chosen to resist and fight, I’m quite sure that a larger contingent of them would’ve stuck around to rule over the parts of the galaxy they had already taken over.” Selendil said a little defensively. “The whole thing was meant as a show of force, not a slaughter. That’s why I brought so many ships.”

“Well, it was a very effective show of force, so it did accomplish that goal. This just goes to show that no amount of planning on your part or simulations by the AIs can account for everything.” Xiaoli commented from her seat around the large table. “Besides, I kind of like the current situation. It may lead to another war, but at least the people of this galaxy will be able to make their way in the universe on their own now. Short term suffering for a longer-term gain and all that. War can be a good driver of development. The Shaer were correct in that. It’s also an opportunity to the bold and the brave. If they stuck around, the presence of the Shaer would’ve stifled everything even if they had not been heavy-handed in their meddling.”

"I agree," Lilly said, surprising the rest of them. Usually, she was the compassionate one of the group. “While the vacuum the Shaer are leaving behind isn’t ideal in the short term, I much prefer that to having them stay. It’s not ideal, but few things are. We’ll get through this eventually, and once we do, we’ll be stronger for it.”

Dee gave a small smile. "Where I come from, constant war and struggle is pretty much the norm. You would think that war with a lower level of technology would lead to less death, but that’s not really the case. I’m fairly certain most wars waged in my home universe are much more brutal than anything that goes on here. The Shaer are correct that such trouble can be the source of greatness. For us, it was usually the greatness of individuals, but it can also lead to greatness in races and empires. That’s not to say peace is bad, but it can lead to stagnation. Bad times create tough people, tough people create good times, good times create weak people, and weak people create bad times. That’s how the old maxim goes at least.”

“So are we about ready to leave?” Nochehuatl asked. In the end, he had managed to lure quite a few of his people to join this endeavor, and they were all eager to get going. They were far less interested in politics than other species.

"I would've preferred to have the jump drive modifications finished before we go, but it seems that'll have to wait for now. Who knows, we might find some magical solutions to make it even more effective? Before we do go though, I think the crew has earned a sort of sending away party. One for the new people, so they don’t feel left out, and one for those that actually served on the Enduring Symphony. We haven’t had too many chances to celebrate, and I’ve been promising that we’d throw a celebration for a while now. I think this is a good time.” Selendil decided.

“Excellent! However, if we do this, I insist that our three resident shapeshifters show up in some more interesting forms. Something really unexpected.” Xiaoli demanded. She sometimes got weird ideas like this and became obsessed with them. The rest knew about it and knew it was sometimes easier to humor her.

“Aww, but I was hoping…” Amaterasu started but was interrupted by Lilly.

“Yes, yes. We all know what you were hoping Miss Freckles. Not this time. The rest of us want something more interesting this time. I assume Huang will be in charge of procuring some refreshments?” She interrupted Amaterasu. A bold decision.

"If by some refreshments you mean all of them, then yes," Huang promised with a grin.

Selendil looked towards Dee and Crystal who both nodded. “Alright. This could be interesting.”

Dee had a small smirk on her face. “I already know exactly what form to use.”

------

“Your current form isn’t so bad.” Nox said, trying to placate Selendil who was using her bird feet to kick around stones while moping. The Dhar Keeper was also literally on fire, as she had taken the form of a mythical phoenix. The flames were actually not hot, and anyone could put their hands through them. She didn't want to accidentally hurt anyone after all.

“Yes, but it’s not one I came up with myself.” Selendil sulked. “My initial form was much better.”

“Master, you have to admit that showing up as a Dragobear was too much. You almost scared everyone to death.” Nox argued rather reasonably.

"Dee showed up as a dragon!" Selendil pointed a fiery wing towards the feast where a giant serpentine form was currently drawing everyone's attention. The impression of the magnificent beast was somewhat ruined by the fact that it was currently chugging down an entire barrel of some presumably alcoholic liquid that had appeared out of nowhere. Dee's own stash most likely.

"Yes, but a dragon is a being of legends that only shows up in stories. Seeing a live one is a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle. Dragobears are a real threat. They are the most dangerous natural predator in the universe. The only time people see them is when their own people die at the claws of the beast. Dragons are told of in myths and legends, while Dragobears show up in trauma fueled nightmares and casualty reports.” Nox explained patiently.

The serpentine being that they had just talked about floated over to them. Apparently Dee had finished her drink. “Selendil. I seem to recall someone mentioning that you have musical talent. I also seem to recall you promised to play a song way back then.”

Selendil returned to her original form after giving a small sigh and getting rid of her sulking mood. “Sure. I don’t mind. I can’t do it in a strange form though.” She considered what to play for a moment, and several instruments seemed to appear out of nowhere. The Arkship actually had been furnished with a store selling instruments, along with many other stores for all purposes, and she had raided it soon after coming on board. It wasn’t like the instruments were owned by anyone. They all floated in place while one of them came into her hands.

She decided to start off with something simple and a little different. A couple of stringed instruments played along with her as she started playing a little atmospheric and a little spooky melody. It was something light and relatively simple, and it was something that would be at home in some horror-themed story. Still, it was fun to listen to and a light way to start things off. She was playing quiet enough that she didn't disturb everyone spread around the area of the hydroponics they had gathered in, but loud enough that it drew the attention of those nearby. As she played, the large draconic form of Dee coiled around the place that served as her stage, and it seemed clear that the Dragon was lost in some thoughts and memories of the past.

That caused Selendil to take a small trip down her own memory lane. The next song she decided to play was a combination of two instruments where the sad tone of the violin brought a tear to the eyes of everyone listening. Despite the beauty of the song, she realized that it was a bit bad to play such sad songs at a party, so she moved on to a much more lighthearted and hopeful tune that wished for a happier tomorrow. She kept playing the rest of the party that lasted long into the night, and the Dragon that had coiled around her never moved away as the crew celebrated the end of one journey and the beginning of a new adventure.