Far off in the reaches of the Universe itself, the assembled might of the Irken Armada surrounded and protected their mother craft, the infamous Massive. Thousands of Spittle Runners and Shuvvers flitted about the gargantuan bulk of the fleet destroyer, while the slower Ring Cutters and Viral Tankers glided close alongside, taking shelter from the great hull of the Irken flagship.

Aboard the Massive, the Almighty Tallest of the Irken Empire were trying to make sense of a message sent by an outpost on the very periphery of the Irkens' iron fist. The message, a distress signal sent out by a technician whose squeedlyspooch laid in a mangled heap on the floor millions of parsecs away, was short and to the point:

"Emergency signal activated 0352 hours. Irken outpost on Boodie Nen under attack by alien organisms. Unable to identify attackers. Request for assistance required immediately!" A complete memory dump and purge of the outpost's central core revealed impossible creatures to be the source of the attack. The security cameras showed gunmetal grey crabs ripping apart computer systems and attacking Irkens. Some of the Irkens were bloated, their eyes dull with death. Amongst it all, creatures with fearsome faces and serpentine bodies fired plasma bolts at anything and anybody that was Irken in nature. It was too late for the outpost, and the Empire knew it.

Minutes after the Irken distress signal was received, the computer beeped once more. A technician spoke without turning from his station. "Incoming transmission from an unknown source." Red stared at the view screen, his red eyes burning with fury. The view screen revealed a strange creature. It looked like it possessed a human's frame, but the entire body was cloaked by a saffron robe and cowl. The creature's bright white eyes stared intently at the Irken dictators, hatred and disgust all too clear in the colourless slits.

Red spoke first, as he was wont to do when another race made a transmission. "Identify yourself!" he commanded.

The creature seemed to regard the Irken contemptuously before speaking. When it did, it had the hollow tone of death to it. "I am Torsan Ellery, Emperor of the Great Nanex Imperiuum. You, my dear Irken Tallest, are the first of many conquests I intend to make during my rule.

The assault upon your pitiful military installation went smoothly, as I intended for it to happen. Expect no quarter to be given, my dear Irken Tallest." Red's eye twitched every time the creature referred to him as dear.

"Your empire shall crumble before the assembled might of my Imperial Armada, as so many others have. Three of your Invaders have already fallen to my people, and I fully expect the others to follow suit." Tor seemed to grin, though with the cowl about his head, the crimson eyed Tallest couldn't be sure.

"You may make your move as you please, my dear Irken Tallest, but remember that any move you make shall surely be your very last. I bid you farewell, and expect to meet you soon enough, my dear Irken Tallest..." Tor gestured, and a pale withered hand poked out from beneath the robe. It seemed like a monumental effort for the alien emperor to move his hand, but move it did, and the transmission line was cut.

For once in his long life and rule as an Almighty Tallest of the Irken Empire, Red feared...