[ WP ] A peaceful alien race is besieged by another race in the same galaxy . As their last planets fall and their home-world comes under threat they do the unthinkable . They ask for aid from the only known creatures more brutal than their foes in exchange for FTL technology . Humans accept the deal .

( [ Here ] ( https: //www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/2qgc5v/wp_a_peaceful_alien_race_is_besieged_by_another/cn66kq3 ) is my story from a very similar prompt. This will be told from the antagonist's perspective ) 
 
 `` Matriarch,'' The Aresian lieutenant began, `` The remainder of the Libran fleet are in defensive formation within their closest moon's orbit. There is also a single ship of unknown design, roughly the size of our dreadnaught, outside that moon's orbit between us and the planet.'' 
 
 The ship was very plain, a large cylinder with the ring of a warp drive around the middle. No markings or decoration of any kind on the hull. 
 
 `` Ma'am,'' The lieutenant continued, `` We are being hailed. Audio only.'' 
 
 `` Surely to announce their surrender. Put them on!'' the matriarch ordered. 
 
 A small hiss of static swept through the command deck before an artificial voice sounded, `` This is Axiom Alpha number 311312 of the Aresian Extermination Fleet. Surrender now and we guarantee the preservation of your mind state vectors.'' 
 
 `` They must be joking,'' the matriarch exclaimed, `` put me through.'' 
 
 `` You're on.'' the lieutenant said. 
 
 `` Axiom Alpha, this is Matriarch Klaxxis of the Aresian Empire. Our glorious war against the Librans is nearing its end, and you have the gall to demand OUR surrender!'' she shouted, more as a statement than a question. 
 
 Axiom Alpha responded, `` Please reconsider. Our predictions indicate a 75 to 90 % death toll for your forces. Please allow us to take your mind states into custody, nobody has to die today.'' 
 
 The matriarch's fury exploded and screamed her order, even over the open comms, `` Lieutenant, destroy that ship!'' 
 
 The lieutenant relayed the order to the gunners, and the main gun on the Dreadnaught fired upon the plain cylinder. The shot collided with the other ship's hull, passing through completely. The ship did not explode, but the damage seemed significant. 
 
 The command deck burst into cheering at the demonstration of their might. 
 
 `` Understood. May whatever gods you believe in have mercy on us all.'' Axiom Alpha responded over the open channel. 
 
 `` Ma'am!'' The lieutenant exclaimed, `` They're launching missiles!'' 
 
 `` What?!'' The matriarch, skittered over to the lieutenant's console, `` How many?'' 
 
 `` Umm, at least two thousand.'' 
 
 One might have heard a pin drop. Two thousand missiles... There were only a hundred ships in their victory fleet. `` Matriarch to fleet, defensive fire!'' 
 
 As the missiles approached, each ship in the fleet activated anti-missile defenses and attempted to shoot down the approaching horde. It was n't until the cloud of missiles neared the defensive fields of fire, that the Aresians noticed something wrong. The cloud of missiles turned, and avoided the obvious defensive fire. Single missiles would separate from the cloud and dart in, provoking multiple shots before darting back out of range. Occasionally, a group of five would make an attempt at approaching a single ship. Most of the time the defensive fire took them out, but at least twice, the missiles broke through, and collided with the ships. 
 
 `` Destroy them!'' The matriarch screamed. 
 
 `` Our large guns are ineffective, they keep weaving between the fields of fire, and the main guns wo n't hit something that small.'' 
 
 The matriarch looked back towards the screens, some realization dawning on her, `` They're not missiles, they're drones. The main ship is still controlling them. Destroy it!'' 
 
 No sooner was the order given than the main guns turned back towards the drone carrier and opened fire. Heavy impacts broke through the hull, tearing the ship into pieces. But the drones still swarmed, with no change to the swarm's tactics. 
 
 Frustrated, the matriarch continued ordering for countermeasures. ECM proved ineffective as the ships seemed to be using short range communication and relaying orders around. Grouping the ships closer to share defensive missile fire also proved ineffective. 
 
 After a few minutes, several of the fleets ships went from drone impacts. `` What happened?!'' The matriarch shouted. 
 
 `` I... I do n't know... They were firing their defensive spread, then groups of the drones darted in and hit home.'' 
 
 `` What is going on?!'' The matriarch's frustrations compounded on one another. 
 
 `` Ma'am,'' The lieutenant began, `` Several ships are reporting the drones are darting in during gaps from reloading the defensive guns.'' 
 
 A horrible thought occurred to the matriarch at this time, `` They're learning?!'' There was no greater feat for a military commander to learn and understand their foe, especially during the heat of battle. These were mere machines though, no living thing could withstand the accelerations the drones were displaying. How could they learn? 
 
 Dozens more ships exploded across the fleet as the swarm became more and more effective at timing their attacks. Ships were starting to run out of defensive ammunition, and fell easily to the swarm. After fifty ships had been destroyed, the swarm had lost a mere two hundred drones. 
 
 With a frustrated growl, the Matriarch ordered, `` All ships, withdraw!'' 
 
 The swarm reacted immediately as the fleet attempted to withdraw. Several more ships were destroyed by their darting attacks, where the rest of the swarm circled the fleet, spreading out but keeping several drones in the path of each ship. 
 
 `` I do n't care how many of those drones you must crush beneath our hull, engage warp and get us out of here!'' 
 
 The dreadnaught lurched forward as the warp engaged. Impacts with the drones could be felt on the hull as the dreadnaught simply pushed through. Of the 100 ships in the victory fleet, only 38 remained. 
 
 The problems for the fleet did not end at their crushing defeat however. System failures across the fleet started occuring hours after they engaged warp. Ships were found to have their hulls and superstructures dissolving into grey goo. Engines overloaded, destroying ship and crew alike. The crew of the dreadnaught found themselves cutting away massive sections of the superstructure to remove the contagion. 
 
 Only six ships arrived at their retreat point two days later, only to find their forward base completely annihilated. The blue star of the system was gone, replaced by a stream of super-hot plasma streching several hundred million kilometers away from the orbital plane. Planet orbits were already disrupted, being flung into interstellar space. No military signals could be found. 
 
 The fleet continued on, heading straight for the Aresian homeworld. It would be a long trek, twelve days at full speed, but they would arrive in time for the defense of the system. 
 
 Over those twelve days, two more ships were lost due to engine failures. The matriarch could not help but remember what Axiom Alpha had said. 90 % death rate. 
 
 What greeted the victory fleet on arrival at the Aresian homeworld filled the matriarch with despair. The planet had been bombarded, and huge swaths of the grey goo smeared across the continents and oceans of her world. Completely visible from space. In orbit around each planet in the system was a drone swarm, several thousand times larger than the one they fought on the Libran's doorstep. 
 
 Several hundred thousand left orbit to intercept the battered fleet. 
 
 `` Ma'am,'' the lieutenant began, `` We're being hailed.'' 
 
 The matriarch, thoroughly defeated, told the lieutenant to put them through. 
 
 `` This is Axiom Alpha number 214490, requesting the immediate surrender of the Aresian Victory fleet. You have our word your mind states shall be preserved.'' 
 
 A long silence pervaded the command deck until the matriarch responded, `` We Surrender.''
