0742 Hours 14 April 2430
Rasalhague Station, Rasalhague System, Commonwealth of Man
Deck C4 Sublevel J87
Compartment 5
"Allow me to make this all quite clear."
Anya Beauclair, Grand Marshal and Imperatrix of the Commonwealth of Man, stared across the negotiating table at the three alien representatives.
"This is not a negotiation. I am perfectly aware of my nation's reputation among the other species of the galaxy. You made us pariahs over the last two centuries, you denounced us as a rogue state, and on two occasions over that time incited coalitions of your fellow xenos to attack us. You did, at least, have sense enough to realize after the second one was crushed like the first that trying a third time would be futile."
The bird-like creature in the center of the three, the Khempla (Khampla? Khomploo? Why was she even bothering?) flared the feathers atop its head and made a sort of angry chirruping sound. The translator in front of her followed a second later. "The Khemplar Polity at no point made an attempt to incite galactic war, with you or anyone else. We were and are a peace loving people. We merely-,"
"-had your delegates to the so-called "Galactic Community" give multiple speeches denouncing us as a threat to peace merely because we refused to let other species have a say in our internal affairs by joining that farcical community, and provided funding to the nations that did attack us. I was a young girl at the time, but I still remember it clearly. Do not take me for a fool, xeno. You will regret it. Now, and in the future."
She narrowed her eyes as she looked at the creatures. "You despise my nation, xenos, almost as much as we despise you. And so I say again, this is not a negotiation, because you would not engage with us if you believed you had any alternative. You have no leverage here. I will tell you on what terms your refugees will be allowed to settle in the Commonwealth of Man. You will screech at me, Klomplax-,"
"It is Khemplar, human, as you know perfectly well!"
"Do not presume to interrupt me again, Klamplee. You will screech at me, and this Glebsig jellyball will gurgle, but you will accept whatever demands I choose to make as the price to gain the shield of my fleets. If you do not, you will be devoured by the Swarm, and you know it. So now, perhaps, we can move on to the actual terms, unless you wish to waste your breath?"
The Khoompla, apparently, did wish to do that. "If you believe that you can simply scare me into selling my people into slavery, human, you are sorely mistaken. We have fallen far in our current circumstances, but not so far as that!"
"The appropriate forms of address for me are Grand Marshal or Imperatrix. It would behoove you to remember them, particularly given the fact that I am about to become your ruler and failure to show me proper respect will have consequences. And you are quite fortunate that I do not in fact intend to enslave any of you. Because if I did intend that, you would still accept, your idiotic bluster notwithstanding. Your entire species now consists of the contents of a few hundred merchantmen caught in no mans land between two of the mightiest war fleets this galaxy has ever known. As I have stated, you will submit to my Commonwealth, or you will be devoured by the Scourge. You know this, and I grow tired of you pretending that you do not."
She looked at them again.
The Zu-Lokkan, resembling a giant chameleon of old Earth, whose species had been renowned as the creators of the finest (non-Commonwealth of course) robotics in the galaxy. They had actively deployed those robots against the Commonwealth in both the First and Second Coalition Wars.
The obnoxious Kamquee, essentially an overgrown Earth parrot (Earth had been on her mind quite often over the last few years), and no more prone to speaking sense.
The floating jellyball, the Glebsig, who alone of the three xenos could legitimately claim to represent a peaceful people, yet was by far the most physically repulsive.
She did not allow them a chance to interrupt her again; doing so would be not only pointless, but outright counterproductive and damaging to the authority she needed to begin to exert over these creatures.
"Commonwealth space contains several dozen planets that are considered theoretically habitable by our scientists, yet are disagreeable enough to humans that we have yet to engage in any formal, large scale colonization of any of them. Of these, perhaps ten do not have any human presence whatsoever. We have already selected three of these planets, one for each of your species," she tapped a few buttons on the pad in front of her, sending details of the relevant planet to the respective representative, "which your refugees will be given to settle upon."
She leaned back in her chair and steepled her fingers in front of her. "These planets will be yours in perpetuity. You will be allowed to import any materials from Commonwealth space that you deem necessary to build your dwellings on them, and no restrictions will be placed on your domestic manufacturing of any kind, save that you will not produce any weaponry larger than small arms. Further, no human will be allowed to live on these planets. They will belong to your people alone, within our empire."
"However. While no human will be permitted to dwell on your planets, neither will any of your species be allowed to permanently reside anywhere that is not an officially sanctioned planet or orbital station. Should your people wish to do business on human worlds, they will need to obtain proper documentation before beginning their trip, with three exceptions. Not one nonhuman will be allowed to set foot on Aurora or Dawnlight; if one of your people wish to do business on those worlds, they will be restricted to the orbital stations. And no nonhuman will be allowed to enter the Deneb system, under severe penalty. Unity is for humanity alone."
"Is that truly how you would treat citizens of your nation, Imperatrix?" the Glebsig gurgled, furling a fleshy tentacle in front of itself. Anya wouldn't have even known the sound was speech if it wasn't for the translator.
"You will not be citizens. You will be residents. Residents with legal protection of life, limb, and property, worlds to call your own, and the right to expect protection from the Commonwealth Army and Navy, which is the most important thing for you right now, is it not? But full citizenship in the Commonwealth of Man belongs to the species that built it."
"One might say that our people will have a part in building it too, from now on," the Glebsig replied through the translator. She noted with approval that it had tacitly admitted that it would accept the terms. "You will levy taxes on us, will you not?"
"Naturally. They will be roughly similar to the taxes levied upon humans in the equivalent income brackets, you need not fear of any extra financial burden. But understand that these are merely part of the price you pay for the privilege of living in our space. They do not make you our equals."
"Finally, although this situation will not likely arise for centuries yet, if and when you populate your given planets to the point that new ones will be needed, your local governments will inform the national administration, and inspectors will be sent to confirm that this is the case. If so, a new planet will be selected for your colonists. You need not fear; the other planets suitable for your species that you are not settling on today will be set aside for this purpose, as will any similar ones the Commonwealth conquers or discovers in the future."
She tapped the datapad again, sending a written version of what she had just outlined to the xeno representatives. "These are the most salient parts of your agreement. Further details will be arranged by our administrators in the weeks and months to come… but for now, you may take this, or you may leave."
They took it. Grand Marshal Anya Beauclair watched as each of the alien representatives, first the Glebsig, then the Zu-Lokkan, then lastly the Kumquat, pressed the button on their datapads indicating their acceptance of the terms.
She wasn't at all surprised.
After all, they had no choice.