[ WP ] A hostile Alien race arrives at Earth , But misinterpret the U.S. flag as a 50 Star systems strong government .

Since they had arrived at this little blue world, it had n't gone exactly as the Korillians planned. Initial surveillance had indicated it was occupied by a lesser species, bipedal creatures that for all purposes seemed to be space neophytes. Where were the orbital shipyards? Why had n't they put a perfectly good moon to use? This should have been an easy takeover. The very appearance of their clear superiors should have done it. Alas, very little had actually happened since their arrival. 
 
 `` These'Humans' possess a certain... belligerence that I find disconcerting,'' Admiral Korem noted to Samarko, one of his staff officers. The captain nodded in agreement, but did n't immediately respond. He'd been feeling apprehensive about this whole endeavor ever since they began to filter through the countless signals broadcast about the planet. Earth, they called it. 
 
 It was proving difficult to sort out which transmissions the Korillians latched onto were legitimate attempts to hail and communicate with them from the myriad other signals. Some had surmised it was some sort of wave warfare meant to swamp their sensors with pure volume and diminish their morale with this absurd'reality television'. What the would be invaders could determine was that all of the traffic inevitably seemed to lead back to one location. 
 
 `` Take us into a lower orbit,'' Korem ordered. `` Keep the rest of the fleet back though. I do n't trust this defense network they've set up. Our shields should be fine, but any vessel below a Cruiser class could be vulnerable. Still, we need to get more information about these Americans. The rest of their species seems to be utterly horrified by them.'' 
 
 As the Korillian battleship began to descend, the cautious Samarko finally offered some of his own thoughts. `` It's crude,'' he considered. `` But effective in a... brutal sort of way. Just filling your own orbit with so much shit that you've turned the approach into a shrapnel field? How do they propose to leave with any degree of regularity and frequency?'' 
 
 `` I've been trying to figure that out myself. As best as I can surmise, their space-faring vessels are heavily armored but absent,'' the admiral replied without much conviction. `` Or they're unconcerned about loss of life and just launch right on through expecting acceptable losses.'' 
 
 `` That sounds crazy.'' 
 
 `` Yeah, it is. Ensign? What do we know about the other cultures on the planet?'' 
 
 One of the crew members turned his bulbous head to the admiral, then nodded it. `` There's one called China, sir. They're the most populous, but from what we can tell they exist exclusively to manufacture goods for the Americans.'' 
 
 `` Indentured servitude perhaps? Interesting. Any others?'' 
 
 `` The Indians are the next most numerous, but they appear to have been relegated en masse to serving as customer service representatives for American business entities.'' 
 
 `` I see. What are we over? Play the local broadcasts.'' 
 
 `` Right away, Admiral. One second... We are over a place they call Alabama, sir. I'll patch in one of the domestic signals.'' 
 
 There was a brief instance of static and then an older woman's smoky, grating voice, heavily accented in what the Korillians had come to learn was considered'Southern', aggressively intruded onto the bridge. 
 
 `` I'll tell you what, Pawl. I do n't know why we just do n't nuke them squidheads outta the sky! This hesitatin' ai n't solvin' any problems. Y'think Coach Saban would hesitate? Hell no, Pawl. You do n't play defense tentatively. You do n't think. React! He'd be kickin' some alien ass from sea to shinin' damn sea from Day One. Day One, Pawl. I'ma hang up and listen. ROLL TIDE!'' 
 
 Korem and Samarko both turned to each other and exchanged a concerned look. `` Some of their females are quite hostile. Warlike even. Get me everything we know about this'Coach Saban'. I'll go over it in my quarters later. What's next?'' 
 
 The ensign spun in his seat again, facing the admiral. `` They call it News programming, sir. Heavily propagandized informational broadcast. There seems to be a significant nationalistic tone to it indicative of these Americans seeing themselves as superior to just about everyone else on the planet. I'll put it on.'' 
 
 `` Just summarize if it's going to take a while.'' 
 
 `` Good idea, sir. The broadcasts are saturated with commercials and pablum. The rest consists mostly of reports of their atmosphere-based light craft dropping explosives on primitives on the other side of the planet and an obese elderly man insisting that their neighbors build a fence.'' 
 
 `` Have we determined why, exactly, the Americans are bombarding these people? Competition?'' 
 
 `` No, sir. Based upon what we've seen from older broadcasts, they appear to do this regularly and oftentimes without any kind of significant instigation.'' 
 
 At this, Samarko interjected, raising one of his arms. `` If I may offer an opinion, sir?'' 
 
 `` Please do,'' Korem grunted, turning back to his throne at the center of the bridge. `` Postulate away, Captain.'' 
 
 `` Blood sport, sir. This is entertainment for their civilian body. Even though they seem to be far and away the dominant military and cultural power on the planet, their entire recent history is an endless series of bombing and invasion campaigns against distant societies that do n't have the capacity to do any more than annoy them. The Americans never actually conquer though. They just demolish the cities and resistant militias hiding out, then leave. They move on to another target once the audience begins to grow bored, almost always with incessant displays of their flag as they begin a new season.'' 
 
 `` Does the flag tell us anything about them? Their history? Their agenda?'' 
 
 `` It seems to be symbolic, sir. Fifty stars over a blue expanse along with red and white stripes that apparently allude to their'Original Colonies'.'' 
 
 All four of Korem's eyebrows perked up at the mention of colonization. A disturbed look followed and he grew pensive. Nobody spoke for a long moment. The admiral leaned forward in his seat, his oversized alien head tilting to examine his front feet. Aside from the whir and occasional beep of electronics, the drone of the engines and a muted background stream of another radio broadcast threatening destruction and impregnation of the Korillian females should they quarrel with some place called'Texas', the bridge was quiet. 
 
 Finally Korem looked up, turning to his staff officer. `` Samarko, what if this is just some vacation planet these Americans took over? A resort or playground for them to demolish and build up as they see fit? A place to drop in cultures they've already conquered for them to butcher, torment and conscript for landscaping at their convenience?'' 
 
 The captain paled. `` That's pretty fucked up, sir.'' 
 
 `` That's extremely fucked up,'' the admiral concurred. `` Ensign, bring us back up to high orbit. Tell the fleet to turn around. We're getting the hell out of here.''
