[ 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 .

The lights on Ambassador Tel ’ s suspension tank remained static for some time. Like the rest of his species, his- *it ’ s* - body was a tangled web of translucent strands like a jellyfish crossed with a ball of yarn. 
 
 In their home waters, under that warm tropical sun, even a mild current had the strength to tear them in two. This was of course by necessity, forming a crucial part of their reproductive cycle, but left them totally unfit for any sort of non-aquatic travel. 
 
 So for one to undergo the invasive process of suspension, giving up months of their life to be cocooned in a steel tank filled with supportive, tear resistant gel had been my first clue to their desperation. On a hunch, I had pressed the issue and asked the Ambassador how their recent conflict had been proceeding. 
 
 The indicator lights on the Ambassador ’ s tank stayed static for nearly fifteen minutes. I was almost to the point of calling one of their aids to check the translation equipment when the lights began to flash and the Ambassador ’ s synthetic voice spoke. 
 
 “ Ambassador Stewart, to put it simply, the war has been a catastrophic failure. ” 
 
 I paused mid sip of my tea, then set the dish down. The directness surprised me, we were so often censored from extra solar affairs. 
 
 “ Surely it ’ s not nearly as bad as that, ” I responded, “ You ’ re the largest of the local regional powers. You had the clout to keep us unmolested since we were still building mud huts! ” 
 
 The lights flashed, “ No longer, our control has shrunk to less than one hundred cubic light years. All that remains are the Home Waters, several extrasolar depots, and you. ” 
 
 I felt alarm. A feeling I had not had in a long time. 
 
 The lights flashed again, “ Before you respond, let me ask you something. ” 
 
 “ Of course. ” 
 
 “ Why do you think we only sponsored your colony on Alpha, as opposed to just giving you the tensor shift mechanism out right? ” 
 
 The tangent caught be by surprise. I was still hung up on the thought of what type of enemy could conquer thousands of star systems in a few years time. 
 
 “ When you contacted us, for the first time that is, you said it was imperative that we maintain our own path of technological development, that if we just borrowed, copied, or stole from others we would just blunt our own ability to innovate. ” 
 
 The tanks lights lit up in a combination that indicated humor, “ We lied. ” 
 
 “ Oh? ” 
 
 “ You ’ re brutal, short sighted, and violent and we wanted you controlled and suppressed so you didn ’ t burn across the galaxy like a cancer. ” 
 
 “ Oh, ” was all that came out from between the surprise and shock. 
 
 “ We ’ ve watched you for thousands of years and never once have you come anywhere near what the civilized species of this spiral arm call peace. Even now your General Adi in the South Pacific is butchering his people, and that ’ s only the most prolific instance of similar acts of brutality across your planet. Even your most ‘ civilized ’ countries wage war every other decade! ” 
 
 My diplomatic training roared back to the forefront of my mind, “ Ambassador, these condemnations represent a serious shift in tone from our previous meetings. While I respect that we have cultural differences- ” 
 
 “ It does not matter, ” the Ambassador ’ s synthetic voice interrupted, ” I ’ m here to give you the tensor shift mechanism. ” 
 
 Confused, and with the beginnings of anger at these shifts in the conversation, I coldly asked, “ Why? ” 
 
 A pause before the lights flashed again, “ Because our war is about to become your war. We ask this of you. We offer the mechanisms partly because you will need it and partly in payment. ” 
 
 “ Payment for fighting your war? ” I asked, real anger bubbling through. 
 
 “ Payment for the right to beg your mercy when it ’ s all said and done. ” 
 
 Edit: [ Part Two ] ( https: //www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/4j4mt2/wp_a_peaceful_alien_race_is_besieged_by_another/d34g067 )
