you want to know why we lost the war the grizzled Cur veterans mandibles clicked in agitation as he nursed his drink I'll tell you why we lost we never stood a chance against those psychotic primates the young journalist leaned forward her antenna twitching with interest she'd heard rumors about the infamous human cther conflict but firsthand accounts were rare most veterans preferred to forget but surely the Empire's military superiority she began military superiority the veteran laughed a harsh chittering sound let me explain something about humans in Warfare you think you understand violence you think you understand
combat you don't know he took another long drink compound eyes reflecting the dim light of the space station bar here's what you need to understand about humans they turned Warfare into an art form long before they ever left their gravity well while we were perfecting plasma weapons and energy Shields you know what they were doing they were finding increasingly creative ways to kill each other with pieces of sharpened metal and refined explosives but that's so primitive the journalist protested primitive he slammed his drink down let me tell you about primitive during our first engagement with
human forces we deployed state-of-the-art battle formations perfect geometric patterns optimized by our finest military AIS you know what they did they looked at our perfect formations and laughed then they started throwing rocks at us rocks not just Denny rocks tungsten rods dropped from orbit do you have any idea what happens when you drop a telephone pole siiz chunk of metal from space they called it rods from God pure kinetic energy no radiation no fancy energy signatures to detect just death from above the journalist's antenna drooped but surely our Superior numbers numbers another harsh laugh oh
that's the best part we thought the same thing we had them outnumbered 10 to one but you know what humans are really good at fighting outnumbered they've got this whole mythology built around it thermopolymerization into a sport while we were developing combat doctrines based on pure logic and efficiency they were creating things called video games that simulated combat in increasingly complex Ways by the time we encountered them their civilian population had spent more time thinking about tactical combat scenarios than our military strategists but that's just simulation the journalist argued surely actual combat is exactly what
they've been preparing for their entire existence every human child grows up playing War Games capture the flag paintball laser tag they turn combat into entertainment and that's not even the scariest part he leaned forward voice dropping to a whisper the scariest part is their creativity we thought we understood Warfare we had it down to a science perfect formations optimal weapon configurations carefully calculated risk assessments but humans humans look at a battlefield and see possibilities what do you mean during the battle of Imus and Tori we had their Fleet cornered Superior numbers Superior positioning Superior Firepower
by every tactical calculation they were finished you know what they did they intentionally detonated their own antimatter reactor containment fields to create a massive electromagnetic pulse fried their own systems along with ours then while both fleets were dead in space they launched boarding parties using primitive chemical Rockets he shuddered do you know what it's like to be in a state-of-the-art war ship surrounded by the most advanced technology in the galaxy and watch humans in mechanical pressure suits cut through your Hull with thermal lances not plasma cutters not energy beams literally just really hot metal and
they were singing while they did it singing some ancient war song Blood upon the risers I think they called it something about parachutes failing they have songs about their troops dying horribly and they sing them to boost Mor what kind of species does that the journalists mandibles twitched nervously but surely their technological limitations see that's where everyone gets it wrong we thought their primitive technology was a weakness but humans don't view technology the way we do to them technology is just another tool in the toolkit they'll use plasma rifles alongside ballistic weapons quantum computers alongside
mechanical analog systems whatever works whatever gets the job done he gestured expansively you know what really drives the point home their language they've got this saying there's more than one way to skin a cat first time I heard that I had to ask for clarification turns out it's an idiom about problem solving but think about that for a moment they've got a common saying about multiple methods of removing an animal's hide that's the kind of species we were dealing with but we had better ships better weapons better ships let me tell you about human ships
while we were building elegant vessels with perfect Symmetry and optimal energy distribution humans were basically strapping engines to Giant chunks of metal their ships weren't elegant they were brutal over-engineered monsters designed to take a beating and keep fighting they didn't even bother with proper energy shielding on their smaller vessels just slapped on layers and layers of armor and called it good enough he took another drink and their weapons sure we had more advanced energy weapons but you know you know what humans brought to the fight everything literally everything energy weapons projectile weapons kinetic kill Vehicles
chemical weapons biological weapons if it could hurt someone they'd weaponized it they even weaponized information mimetic Warfare psychological operations they didn't just want to defeat us militarily they wanted to break our will to fight they studied our culture our psychology our social structures then they used that knowledge against us started spreading rumors stories urban legends created doubt fear uncertainty by the end of the war we had troops surrendering because they'd heard humans could smell fear and would give you a quicker death if you didn't resist the journalist's antenna twitched rapidly but that's ridiculous of course
it was ridiculous but that's the thing about humans and warfare they don't care about ridiculous they care about effective if something works they'll use it no matter how strange or primitive it might seem he drained his glass but you want to know the real reason we lost the absolute fundamental reason why humans are unbeatable in Warfare why because they enjoy it Not the Killing not the death well some of them do and those ones are terrifying but the challenge the problem solving the strategy and tactics they treat Warfare like a game like a puzzle to
be solved and they're really good at solving puzzles he gestured to the bartender for another round you know what they did after we surrendered they invited our military leadership to something called a paintball tournament said it would be good for building postwar relations so there we were the highest ranking survivors of our military getting shot at with balls of color d by laughing humans who treated the whole thing like some kind of party game that's disturbing the journalist said disturbing doesn't begin to cover it you know what their civilian population was doing during the war
building model replicas of our ships and vehicles for entertainment creating simulated battles in their video games writing speculative fiction about different ways the war could have gone their entire Society is geared towards thinking about analyzing and enjoying conflict he leaned back compound eyes reflecting the Starlight visible through the station's viewport so you want to know why we lost the war because we were fighting soldiers while they were fighting Warriors we were fighting with science while they were fighting with art we were fighting because we had to while they were fighting because they'd spent their entire
existence waiting for a chance to prove themselves against an alien enemy the journalist was quiet for a long moment processing this information finally she asked do you think they'll ever change become more civilized the veteran chittered with dark Amusement civilized they are civilized that's what makes them so dangerous they've managed to maintain their Warrior Spirit while building a sophisticated civilization they've got ballet dancers who practice martial arts scientists who play War Games in their spare time politicians who hunt for sport their entire culture is built around the idea that you can be both civilized and
dangerous he gestured to a group of humans at the other end of the bar who were cheerfully arm wrestling while placing bets look at them right now they're just having fun engaging in Friendly competition but but I've seen what happens when you push them too far when you threaten their worlds their people their way of life they stop being civilized real quick and then then you see why every species that's ever fought them has ended up either dead or surrendering and what's that because humans don't just practice Warfare they don't just study it they don't
just enjoy it they transcend it they turn violence into art conflict into dance battle into symphony they are the gods of War and the rest of us we're just fumbling around with basic arithmetic while they're composing Grand operas of Destruction he finished his drink and stood up mandibles clicking softly so next time someone tells you humans are primitive because they still use projectile weapons or backwards because they maintain standing armies or un civilized because they enjoy Combat Sports remember this conversation remember that every piece of primitive technology they keep around is because they found a
use for it that our Advanced civilization never considered remember that their backwards military Traditions have been honed by Millennia of constant Warfare and remember that their uncivilized love of competition is what drives them to constantly innovate and improve the veteran headed for the door then paused oh and one more thing if you ever find yourself in a fight with a human surrender immediately because if you don't they'll take whatever you're fighting with figure out how it works improve upon it and then use it against you and they'll probably be humming a cheerful tune while they
do it with that he chittered one last time and left leaving the young journalist to contemplate the implications of a species that had turned Warfare into an art form and why that made them the most terrifying Warriors in the known Galaxy the humans at the end of the bar were now singing something about a Grand Old Duke of York who had 10,000 men the journalist decided she didn't want to know the rest of the lyrics some questions were better left unanswered the journalist was about to leave when one of the humans from the singing group
approached the bar next to her he was wearing what appeared to be a formal military uniform though the abundance of colorful ribbons and metals seemed almost gudy to her cakar sensibilities couldn't help but overhear some of your conversation he said casually ordering something called a whiskey your friend there got some things right but he missed the best parts her professional curiosity got the better of her best parts the human grinned and she noted with mild alarm that humans showed teeth when expressing Amusement a gesture that would signal imminent violence in most civilized species oh yeah
see your veteran friend there he only saw us during war time that's like watching the finale of a performance without seeing any of the rehearsals he settled onto a bar stool and the journalist found herself unconsciously leaning away from his casual confidence did you fight in the war she asked me nah I was just a kid then but I've studied it we all have it's required learning now how not to start an Interstellar War 101 he chuckled though honestly it should be called how to end one really quickly if someone else starts it he gestured
to the Stars visible through the viewport look out there you know what most species see resources territory strategic positions you know what humans see every science fiction story we've ever written every space battle we've ever imagined every heroic Last Stand and desperate Gambit and clever strategy we've ever dreamed up the human's expression grew serious but you want to know the real kicker the thing that truly makes us dangerous what's that we don't actually want to fight we prepare for war constantly obsessively but our greatest heroes are the ones who find ways to avoid it we
celebrate the commanders who win without fighting the diplomats who prevent conflicts the leaders who maintain peace he finished his drink that's what makes us the gods of War we understand it well enough to know when not to use it your veteran was right about us turning Warfare into an art form but he missed the most important part like any true artist we know that our greatest works often come from choosing not to create at all the human stood up straightening his uniform that's why we're here now drinking together in this bar instead of shooting at
each other in space because as much as we excel at Warfare we're even better at figuring out ways to avoid it he smiled again and this time the journalist didn't Flinch at the sight of teeth just remember the only thing humans love more than a good fight is a good reason not to have one with that he returned to his companions who were now attempting to sing something about 99 bottles of beer on a wall the journalist looked down at her notes then up at the stars and finally understood why humans were considered the gods
of War it wasn't because they were the best at fighting it was because they were the best at understanding why not to she had her story but somehow she suspected it wasn't the one she had originally set out to write behind her the humans started singing again this time something about a Buffalo Soldier in the heart of America she decided that some songs like some species were best appreciated from a safe distance preferably from behind several layers of reinforced armor just to be safe as the journalist processed the human officer's words she noticed something odd
about the bar's atmosphere the ambient noise had shifted the singing had stopped she turned to see what had caused the change and found the human group staring at a news broadcast on the vid screen breaking news Pirates had attacked a civilian transport near the Karina nebula not just any transport a refugee ship carrying children from from the war torn Riel sector the change in the humans was immediate and dramatic gone were the smiles the Casual postures the friendly banter their expressions had turned to stone and the journalist felt A Primitive shiver run down her thorax
this she realized was what the veteran had tried to warn her about a new human approached her table female this time wearing civilian clothes but moving with an unmistakable military bearing without asking she sat down you want to know why we're really the gods of War the woman asked her voice quiet but but intense Watch What Happens Next what do you mean those pirates they just made the biggest mistake of their lives they broke one of Humanity's fundamental rules you have rules for Warfare the woman's laugh was nothing like the earlier humans friendly chuckle it
reminded the journalist of the sound ice makes when it cracks we have rules for everything codes of conduct laws of war Geneva conventions Rules of Engagement but some rules she nodded toward the screen some rules are written in our DNA the journalist watched as the humans in the bar began making calls sending messages coordinating with an efficiency that seemed at odds with their earlier rry see most species think we're dangerous because we're good at fighting the woman continued but that's not it at all we're dangerous because we have lines that shouldn't be crossed and when
someone crosses those lines she smiled and the journalist suddenly understood why some species considered human smiles to be threat displays the veteran you spoke to he saw us during a regular War the officer he knows our history our preparation our potential but neither of them showed you what happens when Humanity gets truly angry on the screen reports were coming in of multiple Naval vessels changing course toward the Kina nebula not just human ships vessels from every major power in the sector the journalist senteni twitched in Surprise how alliances the woman explained another thing we're good
at when Humanity goes to war we don't just bring weapons we bring friends allies partners because we learned a long time ago that the strongest Warrior isn't the one with the biggest guns it's the one with the most people willing to stand beside them she gestured to the screen right now every nation that signed the Teran Accords is mobilizing not because they have to but because they know that if they ever need help Humanity will remember who stood with us but it's just Pirates just Pirates the woman's expression darkened they attacked children refugees the helpless
the innocent do you know what that means in human terms the journalist shook her head it means the rules just changed when we fight a regular War we have restrictions limitations ethics but when someone targets children she pointed to the screen where more ships were appearing that's when you see why we're called gods of War the human officer from earlier appeared beside their table task force is a assembled we're getting reports of similar groups forming in three other sectors someone's been keeping tabs on these pirates for a while of course they have the woman replied
we never forgot we never forget the journalist's professional instincts kicked in never forgot what the two humans shared a look the officer spoke first 3 years ago these same Pirates hit another transport we couldn't prove it was them but we knew so we watched waited gathered intelligence built networks made friends and now the journalist asked the woman's smile was terrifying in its calmness now they've given us an excuse a justification a reason and that's when humans are at their most dangerous when we can act with full moral Authority on the screen the first reports of
Engagement were coming in the journalist watched in amazement as ships from a dozen different species moved in perfect coordination cutting off Escape Routes isolating pirate vessels executing Maneuvers that seemed impossible for such a diverse Fleet how are they working together so smoothly because we trained them the officer said proudly after the war we shared our knowledge our techniques our experience not everything of course we're not stupid but enough because we learned that the only thing better than being good at Warfare is having allies who are good at it too and who trust you the woman
added trust as a weapon more powerful than any battleship the journalist watched as the operation unfolded with ruthless efficiency within hours the Pirates were cornered the refugee ship was secured and then wait she said they're offering the Pirates a chance to surrender of course they are the woman said that's rule one of human Warfare always offer a chance to surrender always provide an out because the goal isn't to destroy your enemy it's not no the officer replied the goal is to make sure they never want to fight you again and sometimes the best way to
do that is to show Mercy when you have every right not to the journalist watched as most of the pirate ships surrendered a few tried to fight a few tried to run none succeeded and that the woman said standing up is why we're the gods of War not because we're the strongest or the most advanced or the most brutal but because we understand that true power isn't about winning fights it's about choosing which fights are worth winning and how to win them in ways that prevent future fights she straightened her civilian jacket and the journalist
suddenly realized why her bearing had seemed military the woman's clothes might be civilian but the way she carried herself screamed Admiral one last lesson about humans in Warfare the Admiral said we're not just good at fighting Wars we're good at ending them sometimes with violence sometimes with Mercy sometimes with a combination of both but always always with purpose the officer nodded in agreement the Pirates thought they could get away with it because they didn't understand Humanity's rules they thought that because we sing and drink and play games we're not serious about Warfare they forgot the
Admiral concluded that Gods can be both merciful and terrible and Humanity we've had a lot of practice at being both the journalist looked back at the screen where the combined fleet was now escorting the captured pirate vessels to the nearest star base the refugee ship was being attended to by medical vessels from three different species and Humanity had once again demonstrated why they were considered the gods of War not through Superior technology not through greater numbers not even through better tactics but through something far more powerful the ability to unite others in a common cause
to fight with both Fury and restraint and to turn potential enemies into lasting allies the humans in the bar had resumed their singing but this time it was different this time they sang something older deeper more meaningful a song about Amazing Grace and How Sweet the Sound the journalist had heard humans sing several times that night but this this was the first time she understood why they did it sometimes even Gods need to remind themselves of Mercy the pirate incident had drawn quite a crowd to the station's bar the journalist noticed a group of younger
aliens students by their markings gathering around an elderly human wearing what appeared to be some kind of ceremonial uniform unlike the active military person Personnel his uniform was adorned with aged metals and weathered Insignia that spoke of conflicts long past is it true one of the students asked about the great Memorial the old human's eyes crinkled at the corners ah you're wondering about how we remember our Wars the journalist found herself drifting closer data pad at the ready this was a aspect of human Warfare she hadn't considered how they preserved their Marshall history on Earth
the veteran began there's a wall a simple thing really black stone polished to a mirror finish on it are names just names tens of thousands of them people go there to touch the names to make rubbings on paper to leave flowers and metals and letters but why a young Centon asked why remember the dead this way because every name has a story the old human replied every single one we don't just remember our victories you see we remember our losses our sacrifices our mistakes that's another thing that makes us different the Admiral from earlier appeared
silently taking a seat nearby the old veteran nodded to her in acknowledgement before continuing most species build monuments to their victories statues of great generals memorials to decisive battles we do that too but he paused taking a sip of his drink we also build monuments to our failures to our losses to the cost of War itself but why another student asked why remember defeat because that's how you learn the Admiral interjected that's how you make sure it doesn't happen again every name on that wall is a lesson Written in Blood the old veteran nodded we
have a saying those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it but for humans remembering isn't just about facts and Figures it's about stories emotions connections he pulled something from his pocket a small metal object on a chain this belonged to my grandfather he fought in what we call called World War II just one of millions when I was a kid he didn't tell me about the victories he told me about the friends he lost the horrors he saw the cost of war that seems counterproductive one of the students observed wouldn't that discourage
Warriors the Admiral laughed softly you'd think so wouldn't you but it has the opposite effect because when humans go to war we don't just carry weapons we carry memories stories Lessons Learned in Blood and fire every every human Warrior the veteran continued carries the weight of those who came before not just their victories their sacrifices their losses their pain it makes us better Warriors because it makes us understand the cost of warfare the journalist's antena twitched with interest is that why humans seem to approach Warfare differently than other species partly the Admiral said most species
view War as a means to an end a tool a necessity we view it as a story that's still being written every battle every conflict every war they're all chapters in a book that began when the first human picked up a rock to defend their tribe and we're still writing it the veteran added still adding chapters still learning still remembering one of the students gestured to the newsfeed still showing updates from the pirate incident is that why everyone responded so quickly because of memories exactly the Admiral said when we saw that Refugee ship being attacked
we didn't just see a current event we saw every Refugee ship that's ever been attacked every innocent that's ever been harmed every time someone thought they could pray on the weak and get away with it we remember the veteran said softly we always remember but it's more than that the Admiral continued we also remember every time someone stood up to protect the innocent every time different species came together for a common cause every time Mercy was shown when Vengeance would have been easier the veteran held up his Grand father's dog tags these remind me of
something important about human Warfare we don't fight because we love war we fight because we remember what happens when good people do nothing and that the Admiral added is why we train so hard why we prepare so thoroughly why we build alliances and share knowledge because we remember every time we weren't ready every time we were too slow every time we failed to protect those who needed protection the journalist looked at her notes then at the assembled group so humans are gods of War not just because of how you fight but because of how we
remember the veteran finished how we learn how we carry the weight of every conflict every loss every Victory every sacrifice the Admiral stood straightening her civilian clothes that's why those pirates never stood a chance not just because we had Superior forces or better coordination but because every human who responded carried with them the memories of every other time someone tried to prey on the innocent and the mercy offered to the survivors one of the students asked also because we remember the veteran said we remember what happens when Victory becomes Vengeance when Justice becomes cruelty we
remember because we have to because if we forget we risk becoming what we fight against the newsfeed showed the last of the pirate ships being escorted to the star base the refugee ship was safely docked its passengers being cared for by multispecies medical team so you see the veteran concluded being gods of War isn't about being the best at fighting it's about being the best at remembering why we fight when to fight and most importantly when not to and when we do fight the Admiral added we carry with us every lesson every story every sacrifice
that came before it makes us better Warriors not because it makes us stronger or faster or more skilled but because it makes us understand the true cost of Warf Fair the veteran finished and that understanding makes us both more terrible in battle and more merciful in Victory the students absorbed this in Silence the journalist looked at her notes realizing she now had enough material for not just one article but an entire series behind them the humans in the bar had started singing again but this time it was different a slow mournful tune about poppies growing
in fields where soldiers had fallen long ago the journalist understood now humans weren't just gods of War because of how they fought they were Gods of War because they never forgot why they fought or what it cost
