The art of negotiation
The group of aliens was one hundred to the one Human Cyborg. He was trained to be a warrior. He was Genitically altered to allow his battle suit to be able to plug into his body and enhance his senses. The enemey was too and by the same creator. The aliens were one hundred to one, They were perfect bread to kill every man woman and child they would come across and this one man was sent to negotiate with them. He came with no weapon. He carried himself in his battle suit, which served as his armor uniform and designation of rank. He carried a side arm. He was a Captain in the service of his Emporer.
As he walked to the meeting place and was surrounded by the scverarous seven foot tall plus aliens. His eye recored the conversations of the aliens. It was different then what he had learned of them. They skittered forth on six legs, had a horse like face with mandibles. They were quite sure of themselves, that this one human would make a fine meal after the 'negotiation' was completed. Yes both sides expected this result, the diplomats that sent him, the receiving hord, and of course even his commander.
“You wanted to talk, TALK.” Capt Blotter said to the alien leader that stood behind a line of his soldiers.
An Alien came forward with a broken body of a Blood Angel Marine. The body had been eaten on all apendages including the head. One alien was delibratly knawing on an arm fo the marine from the hand. The shoulder showed that this marine was First Sargent Marrick. “Of course but why not eat something ...take a bit of the Top?”-deliberate slam to the nickname of a first Sargent. Several aliens were laughing as the translator strapped to the body hissed out the words.
The monitoring system in his uniform showed increased heart rate and his hand subconciously went to the left side where his bolter seemed to want to jump out and play....A few klicks away a medical team was monitoring his condition...Capt was angry. Not afraid. “You are ordered not to engage Capt.” He could heard from his subdermal inplant. The Capt, said ...”You want me to fail the mission and not negotiate. If I were to act as you expect I suppose you would claim self deffence and my little white flag here wouldn't mean much” The capt said as he shook his little thin pole up and down that had a white t-shirt on it. It was green, but a bit of bleach now it was white.
“That was the idea, I admit, dinner time and all” he could hear the speaker translate back.
“When an enemy is angry anger him, is that right” The capt parpharsed the art of war.
“Know your enemy” the Speaker hissed back.
“I know your man” the Capt Quoted the five rings. He then reached for his cantina...the enemy eyes were all on him. “You want some of this.”
“You mean you want some of this?” the alien pointed back to the arm that was being chewed on.
“It wasn't a question. You are still holding some twenty of my men.” They capt said.
“Yes they are unharmed, it is the agreement. What is in the bottle Captain Blotter?”
“Antidote.” The Capt said. “'While you boys are really smart, tough, made to be the solution to us, you are some predictable bastards. I took the liberty of putting a small timed charge on this cantina. There really is only enough for one of you.” He looked at his watch.
The leader of the group had his soldiers clear out of his way “Know your enemy as you know yourself and you will always be victorious.” The leader said in the correct imperial dialect without translation.
“RELEASE THEM” The alien leader said as the translator sceamed back. A few of the alien leaders subordiates seemed to argue with him for a moment...but then the alien leader raised his mandible...and they were silenced.
“You have more of the anitidote I take it somewhere close by? Capt Blotter?” The alien spoke again in the imperial tounge. It seems the translation was really only set to go one way. The aliens fully understood the languges of the Empire quite well as if they were bred with the knowledge which of course they were.
“I have only come to get my men and go back home with them. Of course once I am clear I can give you that on my word as a soldier and a marine.”
The alien leader barked back a few orders...and the bodies most of the parts of them were also brought back in piles. Each realeased marine had the grim task of taking a body on their backs in bags and marching back to camp.
“Those men were yours they were mine and now they are yours again.”
The Capt tossed the cantina to the alien leader. “I expect that you will treat all captured men according to the law of war, AND you will respect the bodies of the fallen.”
“We only eat the ones that fought, we respect them, but we will no longer eat them. This I swear on the honor of my brood, and because you will of course poison all your bodies.” The alien said.
