I let out a couple moreoorahswhile popping my hips and then trot to catch up.
Time to make peace.
That way, the next time I get him mad, the victory will taste just as sweet. Besides, he's not the worst person to have on your team. I like our banter, and I want it back. I should go plant the seeds for another round of teasing once I inspire the return of his usual arrogance.
Hell, maybe I can teach him some dance moves. He's got a heck of a lot more ass than I do to shake, and not many humans can say the same.
I pity them.
37
Drasuk
"You aren't curious to know what acowboyis, Drasuk?"
Of course I am, but I know she's baiting me, so I ignore her.
Judging by the sounds she made, she feels like she held some sort of victory over me. I liked that battle cry when I heard it from the trees. Much less so when used to taunt me.
"Alright, fine,MisterGrump Spines. Why don't you tell me some more about politics and let out some more of that manticoridfanboying."
I'm not sure what that last word means, but her tone seems genuine, so I assume she wants to fill in some of the giant holes of ignorance.
It must be terrifying to know so little.
I clear my throat, then provide her with more context. "After the decline of the manticorid empire, the rest of the more intergalactic conflict-capable races started an arms race to annex as much territory as possible under their respective claims. The braceaaer were the first to take advantage, mostly due to the fortune of being from a resource-rich star system. They had secured dominion over the greater portion of their home galaxy. They were looking to expand."
"How long ago?"
"Two millennia of standard cycles."
"Any idea what that would be in based on Earth?"
"Not without calculations."
She grunts back. "Well, this place seems to have a shorter day cycle than back home."
"Stop being vague if you want an answer,"
"So grumpy. It's not like I have a watch," she grumbles, adding a few curse words. "I'd say about fifteen percent shorter, but I haven't seen many days for comparison."
After asking her how many days are in her solar year, I take a moment to calculate. "That means roughly 2500 years, but with a 200 year margin of error."
"That was some fast math,lizardbrain. I'm impressed."
"Human brains are not so facile?"
"Well, it depends on the human. Mine is, though."
I glance over at her. "I assumed as much, since you seem to have a very high number of nanites."
"Really? What's the connection?"
"Processing efficiency and neuron pathways. But you wanted to know about politics, not bio-tech. The xarxisi were the main competitors of the braceaaer before the genali ultimately toppled them to become the dominant race in their own stretch of the universe. As far as I know, they are extinct."
"What about your people?"
"Draks only focused on conquering planets in the Tayden galaxy, but as clans instead of a united force. As such, we were limited to whatever sparsely spaced planets whichever clan could capture. We didn't have the same drive to dominate as the manticorid, or much interest in the sort of large bureaucracy it took, so we never formed an empire."
