[Music] who brings a stick to a space battle the captain on the bridge of the zarul warship choked on his words as he squinted at the incoming Fleet there nestled in Earth's defensive grid were hundreds of metal rods nothing like the Sleek vessels of the galactic Alliance no Shields no plasma cannons not a single turret in sight just crude metallic rods floating in orbit silent and unmoving it's an insult muttered one of the Bridge officers they think they can hold us off with that Captain Ure grunted though he couldn't shake an unease gnawing at him
Humanity had proven time and time again to be surprisingly resilient even clever in a backwards brute force sort of way but as the captain watched the rods drift lazily in Earth's orbit he let his confidence rise once more this defense was nothing more than desperation this will be the shortest Siege in Galactic history he laughed and his officers joined him their laughter bouncing off the walls of the bridge out in Space the humans rods still drifted aimlessly a few zarul Scouts had flown in close to scan the strange objects but found nothing dangerous no thermal
signatures no energy cores no defense mechanisms of any kind they were hollowed out shells simple constructs that barely even qualified as ships in all his years as a captain yure had never seen such an absurdity attempt at a defense the fleet moved in formations tightening as the warships approached the debris ridden edge of Earth's orbit each vessel glided silently flanked by Fighters poised for an easy Slaughter but as they closed the distance something peculiar Happened One By One The Floating rods began to Shimmer faint blue lights flickering on their surfaces the captain's expression changed from
smug confidence to alarm as a wave of energy signatures flared across his sensors these rods weren't just empty shells they were projectiles and they were charging up full Shields defensive Maneuvers now Captain yur barked his earlier confidence now shredded his orders came too late the rods still spinning in the darkness each released a sudden staggering burst of energy that shot out in all directions it was a chaotic energy primitive in some ways but it hit the fleet with the force of a cosmic Sledgehammer ships that had had once seemed impervious now sparked and sputtered under
the raw power slamming into them that that wasn't plasma gasped the weapons officer as his screen flickered what kind of weapon is that primitive the captain spat though there was panic in his voice it's something raw just enough to throw us off balance these humans can't have perfected it it's Brute Force ineffective just as he said this a second wave of rods shot toward them launched from Earth's surface below faster this time streaking with speed that even the zaral scanners struggled to keep up with these were not the awkward lumbering rods of the first wave
but sharp accelerated bolts tipped with a material that absorbed their energy signatures they were silent invisible blips in the cosmos until the very last second at which point they hurdled through zaral Shields tearing through hulls and igniting the atmosphere within each ship one zar cool vessel exploded then another Captain Ur stared at his screens where once proud warships were now tumbling through space spilling metal and fire this wasn't a defense it was a Relentless calculated attack and he had walked his Fleet straight into it he activated the emergency coms linked to the flagship Retreat we
need to reassess but the answer from the flagships commander was nearly drowned out by Static and shouts of Chaos in the background negative captain your human ground defenses have us locked they've set up a field that's interfering with our thrusters and the gravity they're manipulating gravity up here as the captain tried to make sense of it he watched another Rod streak past his viewport accelerating as if fueled by the very void itself it hit the flagship side slicing through it like paper a clean efficient cut Ure had heard Whispers of human technology of their crude
yet strangely effective methods for harnessing energy but he'd never imagined they could be this ruthless the humans hadn't bothered with showy laser displays or grand theatrical Weaponry no they were using their knowledge of physics of energy transfer of gravitational manipulation and they'd crafted a tactic so blunt and horrifyingly simple that the Zar cool with all their Advanced Tech were utterly unprepared humans have always been unpredictable came the voice of his Lieutenant his voice barely more than a whisper but this Captain yur turned hearing fear in the Lieutenant's tone for the first time he noticed how
young the officer looked how unprepared he was for the merciless strategy they were now facing Earth was no longer just a backward Planet at the edge of the Galaxy it was a death trap and every passing second drew them further into its clutches no we can still regroup yur said though his words lack conviction they can't sustain this they lack the resources there his voice trailed off as he glanced back at the view screen where the rods were still drifting a seemingly endless supply of crude effective weapons then the human spoke a crackling transmission cut
through the noise on his Bridge echoing through the hull of his ship it was a human voice calm unshaken we warned you we gave you chance after chance to leave us be but you didn't listen the zaral officers fell silent each one turning to the bridge speakers transfixed by the sound there was something disquieting about the calmness the almost casual tone in the human's voice we don't need Grand fleets The Voice continued we don't need a show of force all we need is enough of these rods to remind you enough to make sure you remember
this day this is your last chance turn back or every one of you will face Earth's wrath Captain Ur could hardly process the words his mind racing the galactic Alliance had laughed off Earth's warnings ignored their pleas for peace scoffed at their requests for respect and now the humans had finally had enough with an agonizing groan the flagships engines sputtered then exploded sending a shock wave Rippling through the zaral Fleet One By One The scattered REM of their once Mighty Ships were torn apart by the gravitational anomalies the humans had triggered in orbit twisted and
Shattered by the forces they barely understood as his ship rocked violently Captain yur clutched his console unable to ignore the terror that now gripped him the humans weren't fighting with pride or ego this was Vengeance simple unyielding payback and it was delivered with a cold finality that left no room for negotiation or Retreat and the captain knew as his ship's hole groaned under the pressure of Earth's invisible grip that he would not survive to tell the tale no one would ever forget this day the day Humanity snapped Captain Ur struggled to stay upright as the
bridge shook with the Relentless impact of Earth's improvised Weaponry the humans had transformed the battlefield into a nightmare one that no zarul officer had prepared for each attempt to stabilize the ship brought a fresh wave of alarms and damage reports across every conso the crew's once confident Expressions had crumbled into dread Ure could feel it too the humans weren't fighting for victory or honor they were simply making an example of the Invaders this can't be happening whispered one of his lieutenants staring wide-eyed at the scenes unfolding on the monitors debris filled the void outside chunks
of what had been the fleet's strongest warships now spinning uncontrollably through space lit by the dim glow of Earth Below yet a amidst the wreckage those rods those crude vicious weapons continued to slice through what remained of the zaral fleet what are we supposed to do Captain the weapons officer asked clutching his console his voice was desperate cracking under the pressure that threatened to snap every nerve in his body Captain yur gritted his teeth forcing his own panic down we hold position they'll run out of ammunition soon they have to but even as he said
it he couldn't ignore the unease in his gut these humans had planned this every one of those rods had been positioned with Precision each a silent Sentinel lying in weight they hadn't launched blindly they'd waited until the zaral fleet was deep enough within their trap to make Escape impossible the transmission from Earth's surface cut through the bridge again that same calm unshaken voice filling the tense silence your fleet has two options leave our system immediately or face complete destruction we are done with warnings Ur slammed his fist against the console enough he shouted though the
human voice continued on disregarding his Fury it was as if they knew that their words were the final Authority here as if they understood that no amount of zaral pride would alter the Grim situation humans may not have your technology The Voice continued but we've spent lifetimes mastering resilience adapting to the worst our world can throw at us you came here thinking we'd cower a pause hung over the transmission each second heavy with unspoken consequence but now you're seeing what happens when you push us too far the transmission clicked off leaving a silence that pressed
down on the bridge yure could feel the weight of the words lingering like an unseen hand gripping his throat sir the Tactical officer interrupted his voice low almost afraid we're picking up a massive energy buildup on the planet's surface it's targeting our coordinates Captain yur's eyes widened how are they doing this he couldn't fathom how such an undeveloped species could generate enough energy to challenge an entire fleet they're improvising Captain the weapons officer said barely more than a whisper they're they're using their own Planet as a weapon before yur could respond another shock wave tore
through the ship and the view screen lit up as a blinding beam shot from Earth's surface the beam wasn't a focused energy weapon like those used by the zarul but rather a massive pulsating column of charged particles that ripped through the nearest Cruiser reducing it to Molten fragments in seconds that's impossible yur shouted clinging to his console as his mind raced to process what he'd seen they're they're using the planet's magnetic field to amplify the blast he couldn't help but feel a sliver of admiration grudging as it was the humans had taken their limited resources
and crafted a weapon that turned their very environment against the fleet the Tactical officer leaned toward yur face pale sir we have to pull back at this rate there'll be nothing left of us Retreat is not an option yur growled though he wasn't sure he believed his own words anymore every Instinct screamed to abandon the assault but zaral Doctrine did not allow for cowardice the council had sent him here to break Humanity's Spirit to subjugate this rebellious world and make an example of a its inhabitants but in the process he'd stumbled into a trap that
defied everything the council had taught him about Warfare he turned to his Communications officer send a transmission to the other captains we need to regroup at his words were cut off by another blast this time closer rocking the bridge so violently that the lights flickered the communications officer was thrown from his seat landing hard against the wall his console sparking as it overloaded damage report Ur shouted over the chaos the engineering officer looked up from his console face Ashen Shields are failing Hull integrity at critical we're losing life support in several sections just then the
bridge do slid open and in staggered Lieutenant veric one of y's most seasoned officers his uniform stained and torn he struggled to catch his breath as he stumbled toward the captain's console clutching a data tablet sir veric gasped his voice trembling with urgency we found something in the human Transmissions it's a message hidden in their signals they knew we'd intercept it what y asked snatching the tablet from veric shaking hands what does it say veric swallowed clearly shaken they call it a last warning but it's more than that they say if we don't turn back
they're prepared to launch an even greater assault they call it operation cataclysm a shiver ran down your spine the humans were bluffing surely they couldn't have anything more devastating than what they'd already shown but V's face told him otherwise the lieutenant wasn't one to panic easily yet here he was practically pleading with his captain yur looked around the bridge seeing the faces of his officers the fear in their eyes the doubt that no words could dispel they had all underestimated the humans treating them as nothing more than an inconvenience on their path to Galactic dominance
now they face the full Fury of a species with Nothing Left to Lose the transmission from Earth crackled to life once more and the voice as calm as ever returned you have one final chance to turn back leave the system and never return we don't want to see any more of you here ever Captain yur clenched his fists struggling to hold on to whatever remnants of Pride he had left his ship once a symbol of zaral Supremacy now drifted battered and vulnerable surrounded by wreckage yet even in this moment of Despair he could feel the
weight of Duty pressing down on him the unyielding demand of his superiors to press forward to not yield to a lesser species but even as he tried to muster the will to fight he knew that they were out of options the humans had stripped them of every Advantage every tactic every shred of control they'd once held over this battlefield they weren't just fighting Earth they were fighting an idea a force of nature that no amount of techn te ology could suppress Captain yure looked out over his crew each one silently waiting for his command the
thought noded him would they follow him into Oblivion or was it time to consider the unthinkable he took a deep breath glancing back at the shattered remains of his once great Fleet the next move would Define not just his legacy but the fate of the entire zaral Empire Captain yure stood on the bridge staring at the scattered remains of his Fleet every ship that had once Flo alongside his now drifted in Twisted broken silence the humans had dismantled them not with Advanced weapons but with raw calculated brutality yur's pride and command were all that kept
him rooted in place but even he couldn't deny it any longer Humanity had forced the zarul to the edge of utter defeat he tightened his grip on the console teeth grinding as he felt the weight of the decision before him he had never known Retreat had never considered it a viable option but now he saw no other path one final transmission flashed on his comms and he allowed it through hoping to negotiate or at least by time the human voice returned calm and unshaken Captain Ure this is your last warning turn back now or we
will initiate operation cataclysm Ur swallowed hard what what is Operation cataclysm his voice came out strained his bravado shattered it's the last option The Voice replied matter of factly it's something we hoped we'd never have to use but your persistence has left us no choice yure looked around the bridge at his officers each one anxiously watching him waiting for his response he had brought them here confident in the superiority of zaral Might believing this Mission would cement their place in the Galaxy as conquerors now that confidence lay in Ruins as scattered as the ships floating
outside he made a decision then one he knew would be difficult to explain to the council open a channel to the fleet he commanded his voice steady though he felt the fear clawing inside him the remaining officers obeyed eyes wide with anticipation this is Captain yure All Ships are to fall back prepare for immediate Retreat from Earth's orbit this this battle is over he could barely Force out the words but the look of relief on his officers faces told him it was the only sane choice left Pride had to be set aside to preserve what
little remained of his Fleet and his crew the Tactical officer quickly relayed the orders and One By One The Battered remnants of the zaral fleet powered down their weapons and began pulling back engines flickered to life damaged holes struggling to Hold Steady as they limped out of Earth's orbital range you're watch the screen the blue and green marble of Earth slowly shrinking as they withdrew like prey escaping a predator but just as he thought thought they might escape unharmed a bright flash caught his attention a new transmission came through and this time the human voice
was no longer calm this is what happens when you're given a chance to leave but choose to linger the screen lit up with a brilliant wave of energy arcing out from Earth a final strike to ensure the zarco fleet would not return massive beams like tendrils of lightning reached from the planet's atmosphere locking onto any ship still in range one by one zaral vessels began to explode silent flashes in the void your's own ship shook as energy rippled along its Hull tearing through metal and systems engines at critical shouted the engineering officer we're losing power
Shields down Captain Ur grabbed the console his knuckles white as he tried to maintain control full Retreat he ordered his voice rising over the alarms though he knew it was feudal more ships exploded each one sending fragments scattering across the Stars your ship trembled violently lights flickering as Earth's Relentless energy beams tore through it he could feel the bridge shifting straining against the impact as their systems overloaded panels burst into flames consoles sparked and the bridge plunged into chaotic Darkness yur took one last look at Earth looming below with an almost Serene Menace this was
not the simple world the council had dismissed the humans weren't a mere primitive of race but something more something that could push even the strongest to the edge and force them into Retreat sir the ship it's failing the Lieutenant's voice came panicked over the chaos yure closed his eyes he had underestimated humanity and now as the ship groaned under the immense power tearing it apart he understood the true cost Humanity's resilience was not to be challenged lightly their patience was not infinite they had shown Mercy offered chances to retreat but in the end they had
forced him to understand that Earth was a world prepared to fight with everything it had the bridge shook one final time and Captain yur's last thought was a strange reluctant admiration for the humans who had defied him they had defended their world with ruthless efficiency withstood the might of the zarul and shattered the perception that they were anything less than a force to be reckoned with as his ship broke apart the Captain knew that no species would forget the day humans finally snapped
