The team that the Hunters sent over had already been waiting in anticipation of the news by the time that the match ended, so they departed within seconds of the order, arriving at Terminus within a minute.
Max nearly didn't even manage to get a team to the bay on time since he hadn't had any more warning of negotiations than they had, and he wasn't sure where they would be taking place or who would be involved, given the matriarchial nature of the Hunters.
They didn't arrive alone, though. Two more shuttles, all filled with Huntresses, followed the negotiation team so that they could see the amenities aboard the ship and see for themselves what Nico was trying to explain about human males.
They had scanned the planets that they passed but hadn't entered Kepler territory yet, so they hadn't experienced the wonders of a System enhanced male physique. The men aboard Terminus would be much different than the random farmers and warehouse workers they had scanned as they passed by the peaceful planets of the outer territories.
Huntress Khan herself had flown back with Nico and her entourage, listening to stories of their battles against the Klem, a species that the Hunters were incredibly excited to face in combat.
Like the Innu, the concept of a violent insect species baffled them at first since they apparently didn't exist elsewhere in the universe, but after being shown some combat footage from drones and inside Nico's cockpit, their enthusiasm for battle was back in full force.
The consensus was that the Klem should be a match for most of the hostile species they had encountered in the past, and their unique method of adapting to their environment in rapid fashion might even make them more of a threat than anticipated since they could have developed new ranged weapons and chitin compositions since the last time they were encountered.
For a Hunter, there was no better game. A more advanced form of intelligence was the only thing they were missing to be perfect. If they were undeniably intelligent like humans were, they could become the apex predators of this entire region of the universe.
"There are other species as well. The Narsians are a force to be reckoned with, though they don't use hunter suits. They are as tall as the Giants and have advanced weapons technology, so they are undoubtedly the finest unarmored combatants humanity has ever faced.
In fact, they are the reason I'm in this mostly mechanical body now. I took up a rearguard action to delay them from following our main force and ended up outnumbered and overwhelmed. It was a glorious battle but didn't end well for me." Nico explained.
"So your evolution into what you are is a result of your technology, specifically designed for battle, and augmentations made after taking on a disadvantaged duel against the champions of a species more than twice your height? Are you sure that you weren't born as one of us? That is a story for the ages. We will ask our historians to record as many of the details as they can so that we can send them home to tell the tale of the Human champions.
It will let the Hunters know all about the virtues of Humanity." Huntress Khan explained.
"A champion is never a coward, even in the face of certain defeat." One of her assistants agreed while the other Pilots nodded along with the sentiment.
Nico was a terrifying presence in combat. None of them had been there the day that she fell against the Narsians, but they had heard rumors, and now part of Nico's side of the story. Certainly, not one of them would have dared to get out of their destroyed Mecha and face a Narsian command squad in close combat.
"What brought the Hunter Fleet all the way out here anyhow? We are a long way from your borders and in the opposite direction from your usual hunting grounds, not a spot that you would typically be expected to come looking for a new Game Species." Nico asked as the gravity beam settled the Cutter into its bay.
"The Alliance did. Or, more correctly, their communications. They broadcast the quarantine reminder, amending it to note that a highly advanced and potentially hostile species was present. That is the same way they classify us, so it was deemed worth it to take the time to explore this Galaxy and look for a challenge." Huntress Khan explained.
"So, advancing enough to be noticed caused us to be noticed by others as well. I shouldn't be surprised, but it is a good thing that we were the first to meet with you. Without the guidance of the Innu, we might not have understood your customs or even had the Alliance Language properly translated into our databases.
Humans are pretty good with language, but a whole new one can take a significant amount of time to adapt to." Nico explained.
"I will make sure that is entered into the data so that the teams that come to challenge the Klem don't make mistakes or get frustrated. Is there anything else that might be worth knowing?" Huntress Khan asked.
"Just this one important point. For the men with Kepler heritage, size doesn't matter in relation to power. Their compatibility with nanotechnology does. The difference in strength between a man from another empire and our Commander is roughly six times. While an average civilian can lift a hundred kilos, he can do the same with six hundred. The only limiting factor at the moment is the strength of his bones." Nico explained.
"What about these ones?" One of the assistants asked dubiously, looking at the leader of the Corvette Class team.
"They're from the medium side of compatibility, but most of them should be roughly halfway in between. Their growth is optimized by the nanotechnology to balance strength and size, so the strongest are usually in the medium size ranks, between 170 and 180cm tall." Nico offered.
The Pilot in question stood up and went to a locker, picking up a rifle for a Line Mecha, an item that was close to the proper size for a Huntress to use but weighed nearly a hundred Kilos with the integrated power pack.
He grabbed it with one hand and held it out to her, his forearm visibly bulging as the task strained his ability to show off for the musclebound and masked ladies of the Hunter species.
The Huntress took the rifle and nearly dropped it at first, not expecting the weight, but then held it up with some effort and attempted to aim it before noticing that it had no external sights.
"It is for our lightest class of Mecha, so the targeting is integrated into the displays and not a physical protrusion. But I see that even the Corvette Class Pilots aboard Terminus are somewhat on par physically with the Hunters, so we might be able to train together or hold friendly competitions with less destruction than a formal challenge."
"Not a bad idea. Our men could barely lift that upright, much less with one hand. We will set aside gender roles while dealing with your humans, Miss Tarith Rage." Huntress Khan agreed.
