"And when they come for us anyway and we've done nothing to prevent it? What then? Do we just roll over and die? Surrender and become a sideshow for their entertainment?" Because it was inevitable. He was having some fairly serious World War II flashbacks at the moment. Everyone thinking they were safe. They weren't Germany. They were safe, they weren't Austria. Weren't Poland. Weren't France. Weren't Russia. Weren't England. Also, to that other point, "I don't know about you, but I could repopulate at an exorbitant rate, I just chose not to." Some species had all the luck. "But there will be no one to repopulate with if we allow this oppression to continue to make us smaller and fewer." It wasn't about domination it was about being allowed to exist within reasonable parameters. Equality. Freedom.
Liberté, égalité, fraternité.
He appeared calm, still sitting, watching her pace, but his words came out in a near hiss. "Do you doubt me?" What, did she think he lived to be 570 years bouncing from revolution to revolution without seeing things? Experiencing things? Actually fighting? Losing people? Witnessing the worst humanity had to offer?