One fleet of ships, was manned by humans, dwarves, gnomes and elves was surrounded another fleet, an alien fleet. A gleaming gray-blue fleet of metal squids and metals whales, their number exceeding a hundred times that of the Askran fleet, with each and every single vessel controlled by a networked intelligence.

Stunned, believing that they were the sole space-bound power in their solar the Askran’s were left unsure of what to do. The sheer amount of ships on their screen standing as a stark revelation of how wrong they were. The commander of the Askran fleet sent out a hailing signal.

“Greetings this is, Commander Goldflint of the Unified Askran Flint, what is your designation?”

Then a response came from the Emblan fleet. It came as a cacophony of languages, that eventually resolved to one that sounded a lot like the language that had been spoken on the broadcasted radio signals that early Askr had sent out during a time before the gods rushed their progress and pushed them into a space-faring age.

“This is the Oedheim fleet. You are trespassing in Emblan Star Space. Please, explain your reason for doing so.”

It was a tete-a-tete of “who are you, we are *blank*,” followed by “who are you, we are *blank*.”

Eventually, because they had their gods behind them, and because they’d never been in the weaker position before, and thus were unable to recognize the full scope of the danger in which they found themselves.

Some unwise, but well meaning soul, asked if the Emblan or Oedheim Clan Fleet, would “please, step aside and surrender” as their world was now under the benevolent rule of the Askran heavens.

The Oedheim Fleet declined. The Askran fleet insisted. Thus the Oedheim fleet had to decline again, this time with use of fusion torpedoes, and anti-matter rays.

*************************************************************************************************************

“Eddy is something wrong?” said Vanessa.

“Hmm? Oh, no. I just ran into some pushy weirdoes the other day, and it’s still kind of bothering me is all.” said Edwin.

It was Thursday. Yesterday was Wednesday, before that was Tuesday, and on Tuesday, Edwin’s fleet had a run in with those unknown weirdoes from Askr.

He wasn’t sure which annoyed him more, the fact that they’d thought they could flying in and go all “western-imperialist” on his homeworld, or the fact that the divine protection on their ships had been enough to hide them from his sensors for so long, or the fact he’d been being so lax in his protection of his homeworld that either of those two things had mattered.

With the only thing that saved the day on Tuesday, being his technological superiority compared to the Askran fleet.

He’d probably sensed them and just taken them for the tools or installations of Askr’s gods. Leaving them be, because his history with the gods had been less that pleasant. His fleet had only responded because having that many divine presences fly so close to his old world had trigger an alarm protocol.

He’d learned from this lesson though, and was now paying closer attention to absolutely everything within the range of his ships’ sensors.

Their attack on his dominion had roused a bit of his Nemesis indoctrination, awakening a little voice in his head that said that called for the total eradication of all and any would-be nest-thieves.

He’d barely managed to throttle it back, by placating his extreme xenocidal impulse with some petty revenge. He answered the Askran’s attempt to conquer his world going all “war of the worlds” on Askr.

Flying a detachment of his fleet into their star space to wipe out any ships they might have left on or around their world and then blowing up all any aeronautics and time-space tech facilities that they had in that world. Sending down droids to erase any digital or hard copy records of this technology. Effectively grounding the little blue-green world for the foreseeable future.

The equivalent of disassembling the car of someone who’d tried to run you off the road. Then going to their house blowing up any cars or bikes they might have had in the driveway. Then following that up by demolishing their local dmv, drivers' schools and car manufacturing plants, to assure they could never buy or build another car, or even learn to drive again.

Just in case they somehow managed to get around this, he’d left an even bigger detachment of ships in their half of the solar system just in case they or their gods tried to go for a second round.

A detachment that would self-replicate and expand just like the rest of his fleet was expanding. Eventually taking over the nearby uninhabited planets and moons and surrounding the little world with an ever watchful foe.

Vanessa squeezed Edwin’s arm bringing him back to the present.

“Well, you know, how it is...pushy folk are everywhere. Now come on, let’s get this whole transcendence-process thing going before Egon and dad bust a blood vessel.” said Vanessa. Smiling at her husband.

Edwin blinked and smiled back, looking over at where his family stood, backed by over two hundred of their most loyal men and women. It was a hundred people more than the initial number he’d discussed but still manageable for the resources he had on hand.

Edwin smiled and gave his wife a kiss. The two of them blushing as they realized that their display had been seen by the two senior vis-Oddmunds, Jarek and Olivia, who stood nearby smiling as they watched the two talk amongst themselves.

“Come on, let’s go become immortals.”