It wasn't long before the first sabotage attempts arrived, but they didn't hit Terminus in the manner that Max had expected they would.
The first attack was in the form of a highly sophisticated computer virus, embedded in a benign message from a returning customer.
Fortunately, they didn't drop the security measures for known clients so the attempt was caught and thwarted, with the broadcaster turned over to the observers.
That way nobody could accuse the humans of going vigilante over a minor slight to their sensibilities or of some sort of unusual punishment. It wasn't possible to prove a negative, and once a rival started running accusations against them, they wouldn't have the network to be able to win a social media war on Alliance networks.
On the other hand, this way they could drop subtle hints about who it was, and force them to defend themselves while the Alliance investigated.
The second group that attempted to attack them wasn't nearly as subtle. They thought that humans were primitive enough that they could easily be tricked and subdued.
Or at least that was the impression Max got when they arrived. He was in a meeting with his Illithid advisor when both of them sensed the gleeful intent to trick them with a one-sided supply contract.
[Commander, a newly arrived guest would like to speak with you about business.] The front desk clerk on the cruise ship reported only minutes after the luxurious yacht had docked with the ship.
[Send them to meeting room B and I will be with them in fifteen minutes.] Max replied, then turned to his advisor.
"I think it's best if you come with me to this one. The level of smugness is already annoying, and we haven't even met them yet." He sighed.
"Thank you for the invitation. My job is almost too easy here, and it would be a nice change of pace to match wits with a hostile negotiator."
Max chuckled and got a great idea. Turning this around on them could be fun.
"When we get there, I'm going to make amendments, but with the parties reversed. The more outlandish their request the more fun we can have."
"I will greatly enjoy testing their patience. If they're not good we might even make a trade deal that will lock them into something silly." The Illithid agreed eagerly.
"My suggestion is to have them become a dealer for our products, with zero markups over the licensing fee and a mandatory discount."
"Bankrupt them selling our goods. I like it. I have searched their company assets and they're very small, possibly less wealthy than the Terminus Trading Company. Even if we accept equal terms, we won't lose, because three are so few buyers for what they are allowed to sell us.
If we can require reciprocal trade we can get them to violate their agreements with the Alliance as well. It will do much more damage to their family and planet's repuatation than a little thing like a corporate bankruptcy.
The sooner that they learn not to mess with us, the better. If we can convince the others that it's not worth it to attack us, we can finally relax. The alliance forces might ban interplanetary combat, but that doesn't mean that they don't have any decent weapons." The Illithid agreed.
Hanging around humans was definitely rubbing off on him, just like the Alliance observers suggested. When they group first arrived, the Illithid would have never thought to do something so underhanded, but now that he had spent time working as an advisor, he was becoming much more morally flexible.
"I think that Nico would be sad if she didn't get a chance to shoot at them at least once before everything was said and done though. Peaceful missions aren't really her thing, and a dead world is about as peaceful as it gets." The advisor reminded him.
"Don't jinx it. The more you call it peaceful, the more likely it is that Nico will get her wish and get to shoot at something before we leave. There are still hostile species not far away, and there is the possiblity that whoever left those ruins isn't extinct. I don't want to tempt fate."
Illithid weren't at all superstitious, so the advisor just laughed the possibility off, but deep down, Max knew that Nico would be overjoyed if she got a chance to shoot at something on the first peaceful mission that they had in a while.
Not even the chance to prove that her new developments were worthy of interstellar acclaim could compete with that in her mind.
Max led his advisor to the meeting room, where Nico and one of the technicians were already waiting for them, both dressed as research team workers to hide the level of their knowledge from the visitors, who clearly didn't know what they were getting into.
Inside when Max arrived were a dozen large humanoids, possibly of the Giant species, but looking much different than the ones that Max was familar with. He was about to search more deeply into their thoughts to find out about them when his advisor filled him in on the major details.
"They call themselves giants, but they are actually half Dryad. One side of their lineage is a plant based species, that used extensive genetic engineering to enable children with a romantic partner of one of their ancestors.
That is the reason for the odd appearance, but they are otherwise as intelligent as their Giant cousins. They won't be the easiest to fool, but I am reasonably certain that we can manage it if we pretend to be horrible negotiators."
"You both got that? Perfect, don't let on that you know we're making a bad deal, because we're going to try to lock them into the worst deal possible, then bankrupt them. Now, let's get to work." Max instructed Nico and the technician, who was doing a terrible job of hiding her amusement.
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