Chapter 449: Negotiations
A Bleak Assessment
"Mr. Shaw, please watch your tone. Not a single person sitting here wishes for the destruction of Earth."
Sam Lane's expression was severe, with an air of unyielding authority. Luke Shaw remained silent for a moment, giving him the courtesy.
"Fine, I take back what I said. You may continue your discussion."
The attendees exchanged glances, each feeling a profound headache. The power they commanded was sufficient to deal with Middle Eastern adversaries, but utterly useless against the aliens. The atmosphere was quiet until the CIA representative finally spoke.
"We could let the people from the Department of Extranormal Affairs try."
Koenert, the FBI representative, replied with displeasure, "Metahumans aren't gods; they can't deal with these monsters."
The CIA representative laughed. "Just a try. If it doesn't work, we pull them back."
"That's easy for you to say. How can you..."
"Enough!"
Sam Lane raised a hand, stopping the argument. He looked at Luke Shaw.
"Mr. Shaw, you know the most about Kryptonians. I want to know what kind of deployment they will make if war begins."
"Finally, you ask the right question."
Luke Shaw curled his lip with a hint of sarcasm.
"I've never been to war, and I don't know what war looks like. But I know one thing: the utilization and integration of resources."
"Krypton was a highly developed cosmic civilization. Their technology is tens of thousands of years ahead of ours. Trying to defeat them with weapons is nearly impossible. Even if you threw every nuclear warhead on Earth into outer space, it wouldn't make a difference."
"Fortunately, Krypton is destroyed, leaving only Zod and a small group of survivors—no more than twenty. That is our greatest advantage."
Sam Lane couldn't help but ask, "Are you certain there are only twenty of them?"
The others also leaned in, ears perked. If there were only twenty, the situation could potentially be resolved through negotiation or other means.
"Absolutely."
Luke Shaw leaned back in his chair. "I can personally guarantee every word I just said."
Sam Lane let out a long breath and exchanged quiet whispers with the general next to him. The group murmured among themselves, their words full of schemes and conspiracies.
Luke Shaw lit a cigar, taking slow, intermittent puffs.
After a moment, Sam Lane looked up.
"Mr. Shaw, can you arrange a conversation between us and Zod?"
I knew it would come to this.
Luke Shaw shook his head internally. When faced with unknown fear, most people think not about conquering it, but about understanding it.
"General Lane, let me ask you a question. If you were a zoo manager and the gorillas in the cage wanted to negotiate with you over their enclosure one day, how would you handle it?"
Sam Lane frowned deeply. "I don't understand your point."
"In the eyes of a superior civilization, Earth is no different from an uneducated, uncivilized land. You wouldn't heed the demands of a gorilla, so how can you expect them to calmly sit down and talk with us?"
"One more thing: Krypton is destroyed. As survivors of their race, what do you think their greatest desire is?"
At that question, everyone's face instantly changed. Koenert murmured,
"To rebuild their civilization? They want to rebuild their civilization?"
"Precisely. Zod's purpose in coming to Earth is to rebuild Krypton here. The birth of one civilization means the destruction of another. Gentlemen..."
Luke Shaw stubbed out his cigar, speaking with extreme seriousness. "Stop harboring illusions. There is no option but to fight."
The atmosphere was intensely oppressive. Even Sam Lane, a veteran of countless battles, felt a shadow of dread settling in his heart. There is no morality in a race war. Against Kryptonians, who were superior in technology and military strength across the board, Earth held no advantage except population.
The Deal for Supergirl
After the meeting concluded, the attendees left, preoccupied with their thoughts. Luke Shaw didn't leave but stayed in the room to rest.
He had said all he needed to say. Now, all he could do was wait. If these people weren't hopelessly foolish, they would understand the meaning of his words.
Time passed slowly. Unknowingly, half an hour went by.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The knocking sound made Luke Shaw quickly stand up and open the door. Seeing the people standing outside, he smiled.
"I didn't expect you to come too."
Norman Gant, the Secretary of Defense, removed his hat.
"We have a great favor to ask, so we had to come in person."
"Please, come in."
Luke Shaw ushered them into the room. "I thought I'd have to wait another half hour."
"With national security at stake, we couldn't wait another minute," Norman Gant said with a wry smile, pointing to the people beside him. "Downes, Deputy Speaker of the House. Durk, Director of the Department of Justice. I won't introduce Sam Lane; you should know him."
The three men greeted Luke Shaw, and he responded in kind.
Norman Gant went straight to the point. "Mr. Shaw, I'll only ask you one question: Is there a way to solve this problem?"
Luke Shaw nodded. "Seven out of ten chance of victory."
"And casualties?"
"Under a hundred thousand."
The men collectively sighed in relief. A hundred thousand casualties was a manageable number, barely acceptable.
"State your conditions. As long as they are reasonable, we will seriously consider them," Norman Gant said, proving himself to be much more decisive than Sam Lane.
Luke Shaw smiled. "I have no demands of my own. The conditions I propose are relayed on behalf of Linda. As you know, she is Kryptonian. She came to Earth for certain reasons and considers this her second home."
"She is willing to commit her power to this home. What is the return?"
Norman Gant answered without hesitation.
"I guarantee right now: as long as she stands with Earth, she will be given the respect she deserves. Her origin, her bloodline, and her conflict with the FBI will no longer be an issue. She will receive all the rights of a citizen."
Luke Shaw looked at the other three. "And you?"
Downes and Durk were silent for a few seconds before nodding their assent.
"It seems we've gotten off to a good start."
Luke Shaw smiled slightly and continued. "The second point concerns the post-war cleanup. Linda is Kryptonian. She can fight for Earth, but that doesn't mean she is willing to see the bodies of her countrymen used for research. After the war is over, all Kryptonian remains and the debris of their spaceship must be returned to her."
Downes frowned with displeasure.
"That request is too much. We can return the remains to Ms. Danvers, but the spaceship wreckage is out of the question. That is war booty. A war fought on Earth entitles us to the right to the spoils."
"That is your perspective. She does not see it that way."
"What about you?" Sam Lane cut in, staring intensely at Luke Shaw. "What is your perspective?"
"I am an Earthling, so naturally, I side with you."
Sam Lane sneered and was about to speak, but Norman Gant cut him off. The Secretary of Defense said, word by word,
"We accept that condition. However, Earth needs Kryptonian technology. Please relay to Ms. Danvers that if she is willing to provide us with the ship's wreckage, we will certainly compensate her."
Luke Shaw gave him a long look.
"Worthy of the Secretary of Defense, truly decisive. I accept your request on her behalf."
Sam Lane's eyes widened. "You can make that decision?"
Luke Shaw smiled coldly. "She is my person. Why wouldn't I be able to decide?"
"..."
"..."
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