Negotiation

"Arrogant vermin!" Balasar's fury seemed almost tangible, the energy field around him growing unstable with his emotional fluctuations. "They dared answer a Star Lord's summons with such an attitude? Was their mayfly-short lifespan not enough to teach them the meaning of reverence?"

The ghostly green light in his eyes flickered sharply. He nearly gave the order to have the nearby Tomb Ships reduce humanity's arrogance, along with their fleet, to cosmic dust.

"Restrain your anger, Balasar." Anrakyr the Traveller's consciousness reached him, calm and profound, carrying the weight of countless changes across the stars. "This... stubbornness is part of humanity's racial nature. Even while standing in the dust, they insist on assuming the posture of kings, as if that can conceal the brevity and fragility of their lives."

Anrakyr swiftly weighed the current situation. "In this game, wasting pieces against them would be unwise. The devourers from the void are the filth we must both cleanse.

"And these humans... their armies and sacrifices can serve as effective pawns upon our board."

His projection stepped forward and became clearer. "Since they are so attached to this so-called 'neutral' stage, then grant it to them. Entering their nest would be beneath our dignity.

"I shall go in your stead, in the name of the Traveller, and judge the worth of these vermin. That would be the more appropriate choice.

"It will preserve their pitiful pride while allowing you to focus on restoring the Dynasty's might. Whatever the outcome of these talks, Mephrit's will shall envelop this star region."

Balasar's rage gradually subsided beneath cold calculations of profit and loss.

Anrakyr's analysis did indeed better suit the current circumstances. Entangling themselves with humanity would only benefit the all-devouring swarm.

Letting this Traveller, who had witnessed the rise and fall of countless civilizations, handle