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What do you want? Tell me why you are bothering us! Immediately! Kfrush. Pretty please?
Humgah! Why do you think we wish to be classified by you? Hnsh!
Oh, such a kindly invitation, dear friend. We are touched. Hoogah! Smersh! But we do not require your kindness! You think we need to take charity off of you? Your scraps of kindness? We need none of it! We are the great Vyro-Ingo! KSH-SPLEW! But it is thoughtful for you to ask, nonetheless.
Who asked you, vicious human-from-Earth? Did I ask for your wretched opinion? Prrrrrf. Still, it is nice of you to say so. Actually, we've always been sensitive about our name. Ktch-ktch-shew. But I care not what you think!
Blaaapf! Huh-huh-huh-huh. I laugh at such an offer! Huh-huh-huh-huh.... huh. Splooosh. Yet I am touched at your heartfelt overtures. I abase myself for such wicked scorn.
Join you? I'd sooner tear off my carapace and sear my sinews in the glare of an unshielded pulsar! I ought to blast you to pieces where you stand!
Splew. Thoughtful of you to notice my amiable manner. Bluurgh! Insulting Earthling! I have but one voice. Are you accusing me of some derangement?
What? We are deeply wounded to the core of our mucus sacs! We will never forgive so vicious an insult! We are your eternal enemy! Essschew. If that's not too much of an inconvenience.
Your groveling sickens us, weak-kneed alien! Splersh. Well, maybe your knees are strong. We will give you the benefit of the doubt, knee-wise. K-shplew. No, we will crush you if you grovel again. It's the only way to quell our loathing of your apologetic groveling!
Yerch! More groveling. We must attack now to make you stop your pathetic cringing!
Well, well. The Earthling shows a bit of backbone, even if he hides it within a membranous pouch of mushy exteriorized flesh. We won't kill you. This time. Splorsh! Ooo, please forgive our hostile words.
Aaaargh! No one may question our mental stability, genetic normalcy, or overall wholesome outlook!
Favor? FAVOR? If you want to do us a favor then kindly place your head into the nearest turbine and crank it up to puree! K-splersh! And I mean that in the nicest possible way.
What? You wound us. We may look like the most powerful race in the quadrant, but we are really easily hurt by even the mildest rejection. Shplew.
Join you? Join a creature so genetically dainty that you wear your spongy, pulpy flesh on the OUTSIDE of your bones, instead of the inside of your bones, where your guts could be safe? Never! Shooop! Oh, I do not wish to offend. A thousand pardons. Frappp! Sooosh.
You think we care about offending you, you interior-skeletal creature? Gooonsh. You are wrong!
My crew are all linking themselves into an elaborate hoop-like formation in order to better laugh at you, and heap great ridicule on your "protection!" Cuh cuh cuh!
Please do not hold it against us, but we do not want to be involved in any conflict between your noble League and any of your enemies. Even at the cost of continuing to lack HyperSpace. We hope our refusal does not antagonize or insult you in any way.
Sershh. Good! Because we care not what you think! Shhhhhhptlbt. So you see, much as it distresses us to disappoint you, we cannot join you.
Oolah. We wouldn't tell you our secrets for all the batter-fried rock larva on Skorsh! Hsssssh. Skorsh is, of course, our beloved homeworld.
Oh yes, let me tell you all I know. We know that they are a vast armada from another quadrant, led by vicious, murdering thugs who will stop at nothing to conquer all the gentle residents of the Kessarri Quadrant. Kshplew! In other words, they're just like you!
I have no answers for you, vermin! Only scorn!
Oh, dear, dear. Our ships are stuck in space where they were when the Great Problem occurred. We can't go anywhere. Blubhublu. Though the Hegemonic Crux has offered to fly us around if we join them.
Good! Now get out of our space! Shhhhhhpt. Please?
That's the last insult we'll take from you, Earthling! Prepare to die!
Don't try to lie to us! We know an insult when we hear one! Do you think we're genetically flawed?
Kshplew. Oh dear. I'm afraid that answer will not please us. Haroogah! How dare you insult our genetic heritage! Die! We are your enemies forever!
How dare you insult our genetic heritage! Die!
Woogah! Get out of the way! We hate you! Hmnf! Oh dear. Did I offend, dear friend? A thousand, thousand pardons. I am so sad when I give offense. Do you forgive me? Please? Kshew! Well, who are YOU to forgive ME? Condescending vermin! We hate you!
Yechhhh! It's that revolting Earthling and his ugly ship again! The sight of you makes our gorges fill with digestive secretions! You and the Crux!
We have every reason to fight you! You are repulsive! And foreign! And your maternal breeding lineage founder dresses you funny! K-smersh. If it's any consolation, we attack the Crux all the time as well. K-splew! And we have many other reasons to hate you. You have peculiar cultural behaviors!
How dare you insult our genetic heritage! Die!
Die! Die! Die!
Never! You are both ugly vermin! Smerch. I mean that in the nicest possible way. K-few. The only answer is that we must crush both your empires!
Better that than ally with such a disgusting species! The sight of you makes our gorges fill with digestive secretions! You and the Crux!
It's the hated Earthling! Die! Die! Die! A-shplew. Dear, dear. This is insufferably rude, but it seems that all the Vyro-Ingo must now battle you on sight until we kill you. Shhhuk! So die now!
Do not attempt to feign ignorance of the full extent of your heinous actions! For such an insult, I won't tell you. Ksheww! Though perhaps, if I tell you, you may be better behaved in the future. It's because you called us a waste of clear-blooded protoplasm.
Die, die, die! We will always attack you on sight! Die, die, die!
We are not clear-blooded, you, you, you... clear-blooded Earthling! Schwoop. Oh, dear, that was rude of me. But you provoked us by coming close to suggesting that we might be clear-blooded, and therefore genetically flawed. Kssshew! But we know you said it! The Ploxis told us!
A lie! A lie! We know you said it! The Ploxis told us!
So?
Arrrgh! Noooo! We hate them for all time! We will crush all their ships and grind their hatchlings to powder! We must hunt them down!
Blorf. Oh, no. You are, of course, correct in your assessment. Oh, dear. No way to get there. Helpless, like sitting dung beetles before the insulting Ploxis! Schew! And you! You are tormenting us with reminders of our travel restrictions just to make us suffer! Admit it!
Die!
Very well. We will join your noble alliance of honorable races. Pblfpt. But we don't have to like you!
You again! We hate you! You are our eternal enemy! We will always assist your foes, and harm your friends. Splush. If you don't mind. Kfrush. What do you want? Tell me why you are bothering us! Immediately! Kfrush. Pretty please?
Look who it is! The Earthling! Hello, Earthling! Hoogah! Has the rude, insulting human come back for more taunting? Earthling, the name of your planet sounds like a gaseous emission! Earth! Ersh! Erch!
Pathetic, cringing, apologetic Earthling!
Look who it is! The Earthling! Hello, Earthling! Hoogah! Has the rude, insulting human come back for more taunting?
It's him! The Earthling who called the Vyro-Ingo a waste of clear-blooded protoplasm! Kshew. It's hard for us to overlook a thing like that when the Ploxis tell us about it, you know.
Look who it is! A supposedly sentient creature that protects his strong, solid bones with his vulnerable, squishy flesh sac! What a genius! K-flew!
Dear me, I abase myself for disparaging the universe's many splendidly diverse physical forms. There is a purpose and wonder in all survival adaptations. Shplew! Like making the rest of us normal, exoskeletal life-forms look better by comparison!
And you shall keep hearing about it! Only the mightiest genes could produce so fine a specimen as the Vyro-Ingo!
Because the Vyro-Ingo have the greatest of all genes!
The Vyro-Ingo have only the greatest of attitudes! As we have the greatest of all things! H-h-h-splew! Not that we wish to cast aspersions upon other races, some of which could be greater than us, except in genetic structure, where we are the greatest.
Who are you to speak to the great Vyro-Ingo in that way?
That is not acceptable! Kshlew! But, alas, I fear it is true, and thus, it will have to suffice. Shuk-shoo! For now!
Kshew! Oh captain, you are so very wise. We won't fight you. Splesh! For now!
We're leaving this revolting League now! Good-bye, enemy! Die!
Shunk! I do apologize for besmirching the captain of our esteemed League with such an unseemly ejaculation!
Questions? QUESTIONS? The mighty Vyro-Ingo don't have time to waste responding to the mewlings of ignorant hatchlings like yourself! Bla-hurg!
Although, upon reflection, a thoughtful colloquy would be a lovely diversion from the horrors of war that reverberate all around us. We would be pleased, honored sir, to assist in the answering of your questions.
Oh, yes, let me tell you all I know. We know that they are a vast armada from another quadrant, led by vicious, murdering thugs who will stop at nothing to conquer all the gentle residents of the Kessarri Quadrant. Kshplew!
In other words, they are just like you! Skush! Oh, dear, I fear I have offended you mightily. How I do rebuke myself for doing so!
Shunk! We know nothing of any such trivia. K-floo! Though it is undoubtedly very important, in its own way.
K-splish. The Precursors are our history! They are not for the likes of you! All you may know is that the Vyro-Ingo are the closest species to the Precursors, genetically speaking!
Ga-blagh! We will never tell you the secrets of our genetic heritage! Your fragile brain would never understand! Even though you are wise enough to wear your brains INSIDE an exoskeletal skull, such information would curdle your synapses on contact! Shunk! Though actually, our Hierophants of Genetic Lore have never bothered to tell us how they know. But they are quite convincing when they talk about it.
Never! The Hierophants of Genetic Lore must never reveal the ancient secrets of the Precursors! K-shew! In case they have no secrets of the Precursors! You know, I've always worried about that. It would be very embarrassing. Kflush.
Never! I have complete faith in our genetic superiority! I must! I MUST! I have no doubts! You are trying to shatter my faith, foul tempter! But I will never succumb to your seductive lies! Ha-ruff!
Though I feel compelled to point out that you did nothing more than ask a simple question that we have no answer for.
Ka-Floo! The loss of HyperSpace is the accursed reason we had to ally with you in the first place!
It's the only reason we must suffer under the command of a creature made of an external flesh sac covered with vestigial strands of protein extrusions! Ug! I think I'm going to involuntarily ruminate! G-flug!
There. I feel much better. But that is all we know. One day HyperSpace worked. The next day, it did not, and all our fleets were stranded.
But we have a question for you, flesh sac! Why do you assign us so few worlds? We want more worlds to colonize! Now!
We want the best of the new worlds, or we will resign from this outworlder-infested League and join the Crux! Sqoosh. That is, if you don't mind.
Shhhhhhhhhhhuk. Oh, very well. We'll stay in the League. Ka-rack! For now! Goodbye!
That's better. And you better do it fast. Skoosh! Please? Ploosh. Goodbye! We will wait to see if your actions live up to your words!
We noticed no improvement in your world assignments! We want more worlds!
Then why are you wasting our time? Go forth and find worlds for us!
I hesitate to inform our most esteemed leader that there can be no such thing. It is with great hesitation that I suggest that you might possibly be mistaken!
Kshoo! NEVER! Impossible! Do not seek to arouse the fury of the Vyro-Ingo with our full claws unsheathed! Choke on your heretical remarks! Splooo. Though we fervently wish you only the best of health.
No! Never! Stop casting aspersions on our genetic material, or we will leave the League! Shunk! Though we fervently wish to stay.
We're leaving this revolting League now! Good-bye, enemy! Die!
Watchoo! You waste my time with trivialities! A-shuck! But please keep asking. It's the only way to learn anything!
It looks oddly fascinating. The sight of it makes me yearn for Vux company. Let's go! Quickly! Let's find the Vux!
Kashloo! They are nothing more than another genetically inferior race. And they work for the enemy! They are less than the routine evacuations of our cargo holds. Shhhhush.
Woogah! What are you doing here? We hate you! Hmnf! Oh, dear. Did I offend, dear friend? A thousand, thousand pardons. I am so sad when I give offense. Do you forgive me? Please?
Kshew! Well, who are YOU to forgive ME? Condescending vermin! We hate you! Get out of our sight or die!
We are NOT coming back! Shuk. Though we do miss it terribly, and wish you'd apologize for your unkind words. Shoogah!
No! That is a miserable excuse for an excuse!
How dare you? Prepare to die! Hurrk! Dear, dear. We hope you won't suffer too much from this.
Never! It is too much fun! Hurrk. Though we are deeply wounded by our ill-treatment at your hands. Shoogah!
How dare you? Prepare to die! Hurrk! Dear, dear. We hope you won't suffer too much from this.
No! That is a miserable excuse for an excuse!
Groveling? More groveling? We hate groveling! Shhhhhhhoo. But it will have to do. We will return to the League. Goodbye.
Hail the conquering hero! We have rejoined our Vux brethren! We are eternally grateful to you! At last! Our race is complete again!
Of course. Did you think our cells would change overnight based on new genetic material? We've begun work re-breeding a new generation based on our rejoined genes.
Some Vux are on our ships, and some Vyro-Ingo are on their ships. We are beginning the reassimilation process by getting to know our long-lost genetically transposed twin selves.
Shuk! How can you say that we are not friendly? I'll rip out your nervous system and play it like a violin! Heh, heh. Just kidding. Got you going there for a minute, didn't I?
We eagerly await the hour of our next meeting, oh great captain.
Shplergh! We hate you! You are evil! We will rend your entrails and feast on your genetically inferior race! Sploop. But first, we wanted you to know we have forgiven your insult to us. We are sorry that we must kill you anyway. Blorgoo! Prepare to die, soft and squishy meat-lump.
We hate you and your Sheath! Sploosh. Though we must admit with great disgrace that we have no notion of what this Ivory Sheath is. K-floo! We can no longer stand to look at you, and must now destroy you on sight.
Oh, great leader of the League, I would not speak of this, except that your question stirs me. I fear I must confess a yearning, burning desire for the Vux ever since I first processed sensory information about them.
My appendages involuntarily twitched and whistled uncontrollably with anticipation and desire. I became aware of a hole in the deepest recesses of my viscera. A hole only the Vux could fill. Yet I cannot justify so unnatural a craving, so I must be silent, and speak no further.
Kshloo! Never! We are complete! The greatest of all races needs nothing else! Ever! No rejoining! No! I forbid it! Shooo. But it would be lovely if you could try.
Oh yes, please. If we could only have an end to this persistent emptiness. An end to this endless void. A peace and a wholeness. Shakoo!
Never! I forbid it! I.. I... Shoooooo. Please, Captain. Help us. Ask no more! Only help us! You are the salvation of the Vyro-Ingo! But hurry! I cannot suppress my rage for long!