[ WP ] Earth becomes the battleground for two warring alien races , both of which claim to be humanity 's `` protectors ''

`` What do you think you're doing here?'' The Pampillian General asked, demanding an answer from the oribiting destroyer. 
 
 `` What do you mean? I was about to ask you the same thing, General,'' the Vanquist Commander replied. `` You're in violation of the Astellian Accords. Leave or receive a lethal finding. We protect this planet.'' The Commander signaled his gunner to target the Pampillian Fighter. 
 
 `` Are you insane? We're the protectors of this planet.'' The General asked signalling his own gunner. `` We have a Staruthian Rail Gun on board. We'll blow you out of orbit with one shot.'' 
 
 `` You'll find that quite impossible. This is a Class 101 Fighter. You could hammer on our shields with that toy rifle of yours for several cycles before it even begins to threaten our shields. Last warning. Leave. Gunner, target their bridge.'' The Pampillian General fixed the Vanquist Commander with a cold penetrating glare. 
 
 `` Fire.'' The Vanquist Commander snapped. The rail gun hummed for a moment and a bright silvery streak briefly connected the two star ships. The shields flickered but held. 
 
 `` Return Fire!'' The Pampillian General shouted, gripping the console before him in anger. `` You wanted this. Remember that Commander.'' 
 Several bright flashes issued from the torpedo bays and followed their targeting with pinpoint precision, but passed through their target unobstructed. They torpedos proceeded to correct their trajectory diving into the star fighter again and again until their propulsion fuel was exhausted. `` What happened?'' 
 
 The gunner checked his readings and shrugged. `` I do n't know General. They found no resistance. According to the readings there is n't anything out there.'' 
 
 `` Detonate the torpedos anyway.'' The General commanded, watching the viewer as his commands were carried out. A moment later he watched as each of the torpedos exploded. The image fo the star fighter flickered, but more interesting than that, a faint flicker of light appeared off to the right. `` What was that?'' 
 
 `` Displacer Cloaking Technology. We ca n't see them, General. Whereever they appear, the real ship will be close, but never where we see it.'' The gunner explained. 
 
 `` Then target the area around the displacement.'' The General snapped as another blast from the rail gun pecked away at his shields. 
 
 `` As you command, sir.'' A barrage of torpedos blasted forth from their launching tubes, speeding into the blackness of space around the image of the fighter. Plasma fire appeared out of nowhere taking out one of the torpedos. 
 
 `` Target that quadrant.'' The General commanded, pointing toward the area where the plasma fire had originated. The image of the star fighter swerved away from the newest volley of torpedos, but the torpedos themselves, they found nothing. Even the command to detonate them manually failed to reveal the Vanquist star fighter. 
 
 Another blast of the rail gun rocked the destroyer, but the Pampillian Destroyer's shields held. The General had n't been bluffing. It would take several sleep cycles of constant fire from the rail gun to diminsh their shields. All in all, this fight was doomed to be long and fruitless. The Pampillian Destroyer would run out of torpedos quickly at this rate. Neither commander was optimistic about the outcome of this battle. 
 
 The Vanquist Commander must have realized the same, for a moment later a communication request came in from the cloaked ship. 
 
 `` Do you surrender?'' The General asked with a smirk. 
 
 `` Hardly. But, fighting seems pretty damn fruitless at this point. I'm willing to pursue other avenues.'' The Vanquist Commander admitted. 
 
 `` What do you suggest?'' The General asked, open to the idea. `` It would appear we're both protectors of this planet. Verify that with your command. We'll wait. There's no reason we both ca n't protect the planet.'' The commander put his hands behind his back in an at-ease posture indicating he was willing to wait. 
 
 It took the General the better part of an hour to verify the information in the Accords, but in the end, it appeared that both of the commanders were in the wrong. They agreed on a truce choosing to prove their trust with a show of good faith. The Starfighter uncloaked suddenly, appearing startlingly close to the Destroyer's starboard side. The Destroyer reciprocated by lowering its shield to half strength. 
 
 In the silence of space both commanders congratulated themselves and the crews celebrated the peace. Nobody likes war and it would have ended there except a communication was coming in from the planet below. 
 
 `` What do the Earthlings say?'' Both commanders asked, nearly simultaneously. 
 
 `` Not sure if I'm reading it write. It's a rather primitive form of communication.'' The Vanquist communications officer replied, studying the message. `` Give me a moment. Earth has many different languages.'' 
 
 `` General,'' the Pampillian gunner called, `` we've got movement from several of their orbiting satellites.'' 
 
 `` What kind?'' The general asked. 
 
 `` Rotation and deployment. The satellites seem to be redeploying and orienting on us and the Vanquist.'' The gunner responded, punching several buttons on his console repeatedly. 
 
 `` For what purpose?'' The General asked. 
 
 `` Unknown.'' The gunner replied. 
 
 `` We're getting movement from several of the Earthlings satellites. You getting this?'' The Vanquist Commander asked. 
 
 `` We're seeing it, but not sure what their purpose is. From what we know of it's inhabitants, they're not capable of deep space travel. For all we know, they do n't even know if there's other life beyond their world.'' The General said, looking over to his gunner for more information. 
 
 `` They know now,'' The Vanquist communications officer announced suddenly. 
 
 `` You've translated their message?'' Both commanders asked, echoing each other. `` What's do they say?'' 
 
 `` ET... Go home.'' The communications officer read, furrowing his forehead in confusion. 
 
 `` What's an ET.'' The Pampillian General asked. 
 
 `` Us, I guess.'' The Vanquist Commander guessed. 
 
 `` It's us.'' The gunner replied, suddenly nervous. `` We're the ET.'' 
 
 `` How do you know?'' The two commanders asked. 
 
 `` They're about to shoot us down.'' The gunner replied. `` The satellites are part of their global defense network.'' 
 
 `` Up shields.'' Both commanders called even as the rosebud of light blossomed on the ends of the concealed barrels inside the satellites. 
 
 `` That was close,'' The Pampillan General remarked. 
 
 `` You're telling me.'' The Vanquist Commander laughed. `` I do n't know what kind of weapons they possess, their technology is far inferior to our own. 
 
 `` Not that inferior,'' the gunner stammered in fear. `` Their optic weapons.'' 
 
 `` What?!'' Both commanders exclaimed, just before the lasers cut through their kinetic shielding piercing their hull, their fuel cells, and their life support. The general looked down on the planet he was supposed to protect and had time for one final realization before his ship exploded. *I guess they did n't need us to protect them after all. *
